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North Korea Tests Outside World; 'The 30 Second Pitch'; Free Car for an Inch of Rain; Section 60: Families of Iraq, Afghanistan Service Members Remember Their Fallen Heroes; Possible Link Found Between a Father's Age and the Intelligence of His Children; How to Help Celebrate Memorial Day
Aired May 25, 2009 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it looks like North Korea is testing a lot more than bombs and missiles. With an underground nuclear test blast and the launch of at least one short-range missile, Pyongyang is testing the will, the limits and the options of the outside world. The bomb test is North Korea's second in two and a half years.
Now, it isn't a total surprise. Pyongyang threatened as much when the U.N. condemned a missile launch just last month. Still, you can measure the outrage in kilotons.
This is South Korea, where the government there calls the North Korean actions an intolerable provocation. The White House calls them a grave threat to the peace and security of the world.
And talk about shock waves, the underground explosion appeared on seismographs the world over. In fact, the USGS measured the equivalent of a 4.7 magnitude earthquake. Pyongyang isn't saying where the explosion took place, but monitors place it near the site of North Korea's first nuclear bomb test. That was back in 2006, and that device was a very small fraction of the size of today's.
We're getting word from Washington now that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has spoken by phone today with her counterparts both in South Korea and Japan. She also plans to speak later with those in China and Russia.
Those nations make up the so-called six-party group that has tried for years now to curb Pyongyang's military and especially its nuclear ambitions.
Here's a bit of what President Obama had to say today from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: North Korea will not find security and respect through threats and illegal weapons. And we will work with our friends and allies to stand up to this behavior, and we will redouble our efforts toward a more robust international nonproliferation regime that all countries have responsibilities to meet. In this effort, the United States will never waver from our determination to protect our people and the peace and security of the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Even China, North Korea's closest and maybe only remaining ally, is condemning the latest test.
Our John Vause joins us now live from Beijing.
So, John, good evening to you.
It was a show of opposition to the nuclear test, but you say it was a bit of a tempered response, right?
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, very much so. And if you look at how this has been playing out here in China all day long, it gives you some indication of how difficult it is for this government to grapple with this dilemma just across its border.
It took Beijing about eight hours to formulate an appropriate -- what they saw as an appropriate response to this test by the North Koreans. Finally, it did come out with this strongly-worded statement, where it said in part that Beijing resolutely opposes this test being carried out by the North Koreans. It very much mirrored a statement which was issued back in October of 2006, when the North Koreans conducted their first nuclear test, but it failed to carry the words "condemning North Korea for flagrantly disobeying or defying the international community."
Those words were missing. And in all of this, words are important. And without those words there, it may be an indication that China is willing to go soft on Pyongyang. The other interesting part about all of this was how this is being played out on state-run media here.
Finally, it was being reported in all of the news bulletins this evening. It did not lead the news. In fact, it came at about 24 past the hour.
That's not unusual. It's very rare for international news to bump off domestic issues from the top of the program. But when you think about it, your neighbor next door has just tested a nuclear device which has the same potential of the nuclear bomb which destroyed Hiroshima. You would think that it would get a bit of a heavier or a much stronger play somewhere further up within that news bulletin, or have a much more prominent place than where the Chinese are putting it.
And so perhaps this is what is happening behind the scenes here with this government as it struggles to try and work out an appropriate response, just what to do with this rogue neighbor next door -- Alina.
CHO: John Vause live from Beijing for us with that perspective.
John, thank you. Pyongyang's relation with the U.S., U.N., Japan, South Korea and Russia all but collapsed last month, those six-party talks. And they were never really solid to begin with. So where do things go from here?
CNN's Christiane Amanpour, our chief international correspondent, on the phone with me now from New York.
Christiane, you and I were together in North Korea together a year ago when the New York Philharmonic gave that ground-breaking concert. You know, at that time, North Korean officials said they were looking forward to working with an Obama administration, but what we have seen in various actions is North Korea taking a much harder line. There are also questions about succession, with Kim Jong-il being ill, having a stroke last year.
So, does any of these latest actions surprise you?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, North Korea did telegraph loud and clear that it would do precisely this after the last round of U.N. Security Council debate and action seven weeks ago, when it did test-fire that -- some say ballistic missile. North Korea claims it was to put a satellite in orbit, and most people don't believe a satellite went into orbit. But nonetheless, there was a Security Council meeting and they came out with some condemnation, and North Korea got very angry about that.
The question is, as John Vause and others have pointed out, and diplomatic sources with whom I have spoken, is what is China going to do about this? Because clearly, the international community, if it were to impose tougher and more (INAUDIBLE).
Maybe President Obama will call the president of China and basically try to figure out whether he can get them to commit to a tougher international punitive measure. But all the experts and analysts and officials who we speak to uniformly say this is not something that is going to be resolved through any (INAUDIBLE) or armed conflict. It wouldn't resolve diplomatic (INAUDIBLE).
CHO: Christiane, I'm so sorry to interrupt you, but you're breaking up. It appears you must be on your cell phone, but you're breaking up there. But we appreciate your perspective. We appreciate you joining us.
Christiane Amanpour, our chief international correspondent. If we can get her back on the line, we're going to bring her back later in the hour.
Meanwhile, switching gears here, President Obama says their stories are the American story. Of course, he is talking about our fallen heroes on this Memorial Day, and he took part in an annual tradition, a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns. He then spoke at the memorial amphitheater.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: They have been willing to bear the heaviest burden. Whatever it is, they felt some tug, they answered a call, they said, "I'll go."
That is why they are the best of America. And that is what separates them from those who have not served in uniform, their extraordinary willingness to risk their lives for people they never met.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: And across the Potomac from Arlington, in Washington, D.C., take a look at the crowd there. That's the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, known commonly as "The Wall." Really a symbol of Memorial Day.
And you see all the people there. They just ended a performance of "Amazing Grace."
And keep in mind, in less than an hour from now, you are asked to stop at 3:00 p.m. local time. Whatever you're doing, stop for a moment of silence less than an hour from now.
Again, President Obama has proclaimed today as a day of prayer for a permanent peace.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: I love this segment. Desperate times calling for desperate measures for a couple of laid-off pilots.
Now, you may remember on Friday we showed you the pair as they took their job search to the busiest streets of Seattle. They spent several days holding up signs reading -- there you see it -- "Will fly for food."
Well, we finally connected with them over the weekend, and right now we're making them our "30 Second Pitch."
Chris Campbell, Steffen Schmidt, they join me live from Seattle.
You know, I'm from Portland, Oregon, so you're from my neck of the woods, guys. I love the idea.
So, Chris, tell me first -- give me a little background. How did you lose your job?
CHRIS CAMPBELL, LAID-OFF PILOT: Just due to the economy. My boss decided that he's going to get rid of the aircraft. And so he laid myself, another pilot, and the mechanic off.
Steffen, I imagine when this happened -- because it happened to you as well -- that you're lost for a moment. So how did you come up with this idea? It's pretty dramatic. But I love it, I've got to say.
STEFFEN SCHMIDT, LAID-OFF PILOT: Well, thank you. Well, I have to give credit where credit is due. It wasn't my idea, it was Chris' idea.
And it was shortly after he was laid off. We were just sitting together for a little bit talking on what's next, and he just said, "Hey, let's just make two signs and go to the streets."
CHO: Good for you. And you chose the busiest streets in Seattle, so, you know, you're no dummies.
Hey, Chris, I want to know -- you know, some people might say doing something like this is a little humiliating. You've got to kind of check your ego and put it aside, right, in order to do something like this?
What has the response been from people?
CAMPBELL: Well, definitely, I mean, it was tough. I mean, we were really nervous the day when we were getting to cross the street, but we didn't know what we were going to get, whether it's going to be people yelling bad stuff, throwing stuff at us. I mean, you just never know. But everyone has just been really great...
(CROSSTALK)
CHO: Well, but here's the rub -- you guys haven't gotten a job yet, right? So here we go.
Chris Campbell, we're going to start the clock, and you're going to give us your best 30-second pitch. Go.
CAMPBELL: OK.
My name is Chris Campbell. I'm a professional pilot from Seattle, Washington.
I have been so fortunate to follow my dream as a pilot, and I can't wait to be flying again. I would be a great asset to any company or flight department because of my professionalism, dedication to safety, and love for aviation. My most current training is in the Pilatus PC-12.
I would also like to thank everyone in Seattle for their honks, their support and their waves, and we'll see you Tuesday with our signs. We are the "Will Fly for Food" pilots.
CHO: Oh, my gosh, with six seconds to spare. Way to go, Chris!
I have to say, you must have practiced that a million times -- there's the buzzer. All right.
CAMPBELL: Just a couple.
CHO: Good for you. I mean, it was like you were reading a script, except there wasn't one.
All right, Steffen. You're next. Here you go. We're going to start the clock again. Thirty seconds. Give me your best pitch. SCHMIDT: Yes, hi. I'm Steffen Schmidt.
And you know, I thought long and hard about what am I going to say in just 30 seconds? Should I rattle off my resume, ATP, 5,000 hours of experience, two type ratings, former chief pilot of a 135 operation, international experience, all that? But that's not the reason what got me here. The reason are those two signs, my passion for aviation and my true love for flying, and really the desire to succeed in everything that I do.
CHO: One second to spare. And there's the buzzer. I love these sound effects.
Great job, both of you guys.
SCHMIDT: Thank you.
CAMPBELL: Thank you.
CHO: So, is there anything you missed? I mean, you only had 30 seconds.
Chris, any other additional information that you want to give people out there? We've got your e-mails there, too. We showed both of your e-mails, so anybody who is interested in hiring you guys can reach you via e-mail.
CAMPBELL: Yes, please contact us. You know, we're waiting to get back to work.
CHO: You hitting the streets again, Steffen?
SCHMIDT: Absolutely, yes. We'll be out again tomorrow morning at 6:30.
CHO: Rain or shine. And I know it rains a lot in Seattle.
SCHMIDT: Yes.
CHO: All right, guys. Well, I love the idea. I love that you guys are doing this. And we wish you the best of luck.
Chris Campbell, Steffen Schmidt, corporate pilots who are looking for jobs in this tough economy.
We hope you get them.
CAMPBELL: Thank you.
SCHMIDT: Thank you.
CHO: All right.
Well, you can get updates on our 30-second pitches on our blog. That's at CNN.com/newsroom. Give Greeley an inch and, well, they might take a free car. A GM dealership there stands to cough up about $800,000 in refunds. Now, that's if it rains enough.
What kind of sales promotion's that? We'll tell you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Well, if you're about to go out and get another burger or a hot dog, wait a couple of minutes because you just have to hear this story.
A GM dealer in Greeley, Colorado, has come up with, well, a different kind of promotion. Here's the deal.
If you bought a new or used vehicle from Weld County Garage between May 16th and -- May 13th, rather, and May 16th, the dealership is going to refund the purchase price. But here's the catch: The deal is only good if it rains at least one inch today.
Warren Yoder owns the dealership. He's with us now via skype.
Love to see you, Warren.
First of all, I've got to ask you -- you know, these are tough times. What were you thinking?
WARREN YODER, OWNER, WELD COUNTY GARAGE: I don't think it was too much out of the ordinary except for -- you know, one thing is for sure: Almost every Memorial Day, the weather's just nasty here, and the sun certainly doesn't seem to shine on Memorial Day. So we thought this would be a great way to hopefully give some cars away.
CHO: Well, I mean, certainly between May 13th and May 16th, you've got a lot of people coming through the door. So how many cars did you sell?
YODER: We sold during that period 34 new and used cars combined, which represented a pretty good increase for us for those -- that same period that we've been...
CHO: Well, what do you normally sell in a three-day period, four-day period like that?
YODER: For a three-day period, we would probably be in the neighborhood of 20 units.
CHO: OK. All right. So that's a decent increase there. All right.
YODER: Yes, I think so.
CHO: So, you know, we've got the worldwide resources with CNN on this story, you know. We've got meteorologist Chad Myers.
Chad Myers, you there? CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, of course.
CHO: All right. So I want to bring you in here.
All right. So what's the weather situation in Greeley, Colorado?
MYERS: The weather is -- there are cells not that far away from Greeley, especially heavier ones down around Denver. But one cell south of the city, it's near the town, and it's going to move on up to the Northeast. But there is more weather back out to the Southwest that could roll that way.
Now, the real rub here, Alina, is that this guy wants it to rain. Do you know why?
CHO: Why?
MYERS: Because he bought an insurance policy and he wants to give those cars away for free -- Warren.
CHO: Warren? You left out that little detail. This is $800,000, right, that you could potentially be given away? But you got out an insurance policy?
YODER: There is an insurance policy on it. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be so happy.
(LAUGHTER)
YODER: (INAUDIBLE) weather on my own.
CHO: I don't think anybody would be happy about giving $750,000 away.
So Chad, I mean, bottom line here, are they going to get an inch of rain, you think? I mean, what's it looking like, really?
MYERS: Well, you're going to get one cell over one town. And you could get one or two inches.
CHO: You could.
MYERS: Now, Warren, does it have to rain at your dealership, at the airport? Where does this one inch of rain have to be?
YODER: Yes, Chad, it's got to be measured at the Weld County Greeley Airport.
MYERS: OK.
CHO: At the airport.
MYERS: At the airport. So somebody's out there looking up going -- I don't know what they're looking for, looking for a cloud or so.
We will keep watching it on the radar, and it will be a big story tomorrow if it really does rain there, for sure.
CHO: Because you know, Chad, you know what meteorologists -- it's raining somewhere. It's rained an inch somewhere.
MYERS: That's correct. That's why I have never been wrong. I have never been wrong since working at CNN, because I said it's going to rain six inches in Chicago or going to snow 10 inches in Michigan. Sure, somewhere.
CHO: Somewhere. Somewhere. All right.
MYERS: Good luck with that project out there.
CHO: Thank you so much.
Warren Yoder, good luck.
YODER: Thank you. We appreciate it. We hope to be on tomorrow giving away all these cars.
MYERS: That would be fantastic.
CHO: All right.
Thanks, guys.
YODER: Thank you.
CHO: We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: In the aftermath of a dramatic wakeup call on North Korean nukes, we are waiting to see what the world plans to do about it. Pyongyang's second underground nuclear test in two and a half years showed up on seismographs as a magnitude 4.7 earthquake. The state- run newscast reported the test was successful and aimed at bolstering North Korea's nuclear deterrent. It did not report the subsequent launch of at least one short-range missile, which South Korean media suggests may have been aimed at keeping U.S. and Japanese aircraft away from the test site.
So what does the world plan to do about it? Well, our Richard Roth, our senior U.N. correspondent, is awaiting the start of an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council. He is going to join us live in just a moment for more perspective on this.
Meanwhile, Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, every day is Memorial Day there. But on this official holiday, we're reminded that its grounds could be called America's most sacred memorial of all. Now, one part of the cemetery, a part called section 60, is an important part of a young family's lives.
CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Captain Marissa Alexander brings Avery (ph) and his twin sister Aaliyah (ph) here to visit the father they never knew. Staff Sergeant Leroy Alexander was killed before they were born.
This is Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery. It's been called the "saddest acre in America." More than 500 troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan are here.
CAPT. MARISSA ALEXANDER, WIFE OF FALLEN SOLDIER: They need to know what their father was about, have that connection with him.
STARR: Marissa is trying to make Section 60 part of her children's lives.
ALEXANDER: Myself and the children came here, and we released balloons to him. And we explained the story of how he passed.
STARR: Families, buddies, friends come here. They mark their visits, leaving stones, notes, pictures. Some items, reminders of memories we do not know.
ANGIE CAPRA, WIFE OF FALLEN SOLDIER: You put the blue rock there?
STARR: Angie Capra, widowed with five children, is visiting husband Tech Sergeant Tony Capra's grave.
CAPRA: I got the news that day. I had talked to him about 12:30 my time, and by 3:30 my time, they were knocking on the door.
STARR: Today, a drawing and Yoda has been left. Tony was a "Star Wars" fan. With her youngest, Adriana (ph), Angie is now part of the Section 60 family.
CAPRA: Other widows will come by and put something on for me. If they don't see me out there, they'll put something. It's kind of a community.
STARR: Lieutenant General Benjamin Freakley just attended a funeral for a fallen soldier. He has other men buried here.
LT. GEN. BENJAMIN FREAKLEY, U.S. ARMY: They're still standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their brothers and sisters at ranks.
STARR: A place of grieving, but a place for young children to learn of parents they never knew.
ALEXANDER: Knowing that this place gives them a happy remembrance of their father, rather than something that's so tragic and so sad that they feel very comfortable to come here and be able to have that time with him and his memories.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Oh, just so cute to see the little kids there. Barbara Starr joins us now live from Arlington National Cemetery.
Barbara, amazing when I read that the remains of more than 300,000 Americans are there at Arlington, dating back to the Civil War. I know you've been there for the better part of today and you have spoken to some families.
What are they telling you?
STARR: Well, you know, Alina, here at Section 60, there are about, as we said, 500 troops buried who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. And as you can see behind me, the families are here. Many of them spending hours here visiting their loved ones.
We have seen families, friends, buddies stop by to pay their respects. A little while ago, Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife privately came through here visiting some of the families that are spending time.
One of the most touching scenes that we saw a little while ago, some young Marines opened a couple of bottles of beer and drank a toast to one of their buddies who is here. It's a very somber day but, yet, with the little kids here, some of the most -- youngest survivors of this war, so to speak, we are really seeing a very touching, warm scene. Arlington, on this day, really remembers the decades and the centuries of military service by so many people in this country -- Alina.
CHO: When you see those children there, it really sort of brings home, hits home, the toll that this takes on military families and what an honor to have Admiral Mike Mullen there today for all of these families.
Barbara Starr, thank you so much. Barbara joining us live from Arlington National Cemetery.
This afternoon, in 30 minutes, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, you are asked to stop precisely at 3:00 p.m. Local time for a moment of silence. President Obama has proclaimed today as a day of prayer for a permanent peace, and he is asking that all Americans observe this national moment of remembrance to remind us what Memorial Day is really about.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: In the aftermath of a dramatic wakeup call on North Korea nukes, we are waiting to see what the world plans to do about it. Our richard roth awaiting the start of an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council. That meeting set to start at 4:00 p.m. Eastern today.
So what are we expecting?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That was a dramatic lead-in there. I'm not sure the Security Council will be able to live up to it. They have been down this road before with North Korea, disregarding Security Council orders and resolutions and statements. What you will see is the Security Council behind closed doors, so you can't see them there, and they will be seeking everybody's opinions. Russia and china, probably reluctant to go after sanctions against North Korea while the U.S., Britain, Japan will be interested in ramping up what was committed to here in April, scolding North Korea, telling them not to do exactly what they did. U.N. Secretary general is traveling in Europe and watching the developments with what happened in North Korea very closely.
CHO: If it is confirmed it is clear violation of Security Council resolution 1718 of 2006, and it was counter to the ongoing international community's efforts to curb nuclear proliferation and will create a negative impact to ongoing negotiation on nuclear disarmament.
ROTH: Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is warning that North Korea is definitely risking stabilization of the area and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been making phone calls to key foreign ministers on the Security Council.
CHO: Richard, thank you.
All those jokes about women and their biological clocks, better zip your lip, guys. Turns out men who want to be dads might have reason to race father time, too.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Thirty-eight minutes after the hour.
A key ruling is expected tomorrow in California. The stage is set for that state's Supreme Court to rule on the controversial proposition eight, a ban on same sex marriage. The voter-approved measure defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. If the ban is upheld, it could impact thousands of married and unmarried same-sex couples.
Ted Rowlands has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): How does it feel?
JIM WINSTEAD, JUST MARRIED: It feels amazing.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): CNN viewers first met Jim Winstead and Rodney Naccarato on their wedding day in June of last year celebrating with their son, Zeich (ph), on the steps of San Francisco City Hall.
WINSTEAD: We're glad that we're finally able to be legally married.
ROWLANDS: At that point, the California Supreme Court had just ruled that same-sex marriages were legal. Many couples thought the battle had been won.
WINSTEAD: We know we have the law behind us. We know that this is - this is the real deal. This is us legally being married as opposed to before where we suspected that something might take that away.
ROWLANDS: But now their marriage and approximately 18,000 others are hanging in the balance with the same court that made same-sex marriage legal now said to rule on the legality of voter-approved Proposition 8. That measure defines marriage as between a man and a woman. If Prop 8 is upheld which many legal experts believe will happen, the court will have to decide on what will be done with the same-sex couples that were legally married.
Jim and Rodney live in Hollister, California. They say they are working on adopting another child and say that being married has changed their lives.
RODNEY NACCARATO, MARRIAGE AT STAKE: It's been absolutely everything that we - or I could have imagined.
WINSTEAD: It's unfortunate that we're here now. I have faith in the system and I just have to - we just have to hope that justice will come out on our side.
NACCARATO: We deserve to be married. We deserve the love and we deserve the right to share that union as any straight couple would.
ROWLANDS (on camera): When Prop 8 was passed, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the state in protest. It is expected a similar scene will play out on Tuesday, regardless of what the court rules.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles. (END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Same-sex couples in the U.S. Diplomatic Corps could soon receive the same benefits as heterosexual couples. A senior administration source tells CNN that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is getting ready to send a notice to state department employees. Clinton wants same-sex partners of diplomats to get the training, benefits, allowances and protections already given to heterosexual partners, but any change in State Department policy still requires an agency review before it takes effect.
The organizers of a weekend global business summit on climate change say millions of new jobs would be created in the United States just by relying on renewable and low carbon sources of energy.
Stephanie Elam has more from New York.
What are you doing working today?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: What are you doing in Atlanta today? I could ask you, too.
CHO: We have to talk business. Talk about the other stuff later.
What's this about?
ELAM: Well, the study by the Copenhagen Climate Council says if electricity use grows by half a percent each year and the U.S. generates electricity from wind and other clean sources, the U.S. would gain two million new jobs. The emphasis is on wind energy and the success wind has had in creating thousands of new jobs in Europe.
The U.S. Department of Energy has set a target of 20 percent wind energy by 2030 so to do that, the doe estimates that a need for 250,000 jobs a year would occur. Many of those jobs would be created where they are needed most. As you take a look at this map, you can see the green states are the ones we're talking about, Texas, California, Michigan and Ohio. They could see over 30,000 jobs created a year, something I don't think anybody would be upset about.
CHO: So we're talking about a lot of potential jobs here so what is it exactly about renewable energy that makes it such a gold mine for employment?
ELAM: Well, you know, more positions will need to be filled because most green technology involves building new infrastructure. They are called wind farms but obviously, wind turbines don't sprout out of the ground. The study says more jobs per unit of energy delivered are created from growth in renewable technologies than fossil fuels.
However, there are some critics. They say this study and other green job studies say you're not really creating new jobs, you're basically moving them around from positions that already exist.
For example, Texas is a leader in fossil fuel industry jobs. Critics also say the new technologies are expensive and it could cause job losses in other parts of the economy but the United States is already moving hundreds of thousands of jobs in the areas where these green jobs will be created. In April, just to give you an idea, nearly half of all job loss were manufacturing and construction.
CHO: Stephanie, you moved your office to the sixth floor, right?
ELAM: I'm up there now, yes.
CHO: That's why I never see you. I'm on four.
ELAM: You're early. It's good to talk to you now.
CHO: Nice to see you. I will seek you out when I get to New York, girl.
ELAM: Looking forward to it.
CHO: Stephanie Elam live in New York for us. Thank you.
She got off to a nervous start, but Internet singing sensation Susan Boyle is one step closer to fulfilling a life-long dream. Last night on the British version of "American Idol," called "America's Got Talent," she shook off jitters and wowed the judges, singing "Memories" from the musical "Cats."
(VIDEO CLIP, "BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT")
CHO: I'm a sucker. I love this song.
The judges and audience gave her a standing ovation. Even Simon Cowell apologized for saying they were so mean to her.
Boyle's spectacular performance means she's going to hit the stage again on Saturday for the show's finale. The grand prize winner gets a chance to sing for the queen, which is Boyle's dream gig. She is also going to take home $150,000 if she wins.
While she's undergone a minor transformation, you can see she's got new hair, it's a little darker, new makeup, friends say underneath, she is still the same down-to-earth lady from Scotland and not bad for a woman who lives alone with her cat, Pebbles, and says she's never been kissed.
About a quarter before the hour. Hey, you hear that? Kind of sounds like a lot of clocks ticking and a lot of women giggling. Jason Carroll looks at the provocative issue of a male's biological clock.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you.
There are definitely some in the medical community who are going to take fault with this particular study, but the results are in and the study draws a link between the age of the father and the intelligence of his child.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice-over): It has been happening for centuries. An older man taking a young bride, popular with kings. In this day, not uncommon with Hollywood royalty. This 20-something-year-old trying to sum up the thinking on the male biological clock.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We guys, we don't have to deal with the whole, you know, the estrogen issue. So men just keep on bumping it out, but women, they can't.
CARROLL: The truth is there may be a male biological clock and it's ticking.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sure it's true. I mean, come on, it's men, no offense, but hello.
CARROLL: The headline from a recent study, older fathers may mean lower IQs in their children. Researchers found children born to 50-year-old fathers scored slightly lower on intelligence tests than children of a 20-year-old father, regardless of the mother's age.
The researchers analyze data from more than 33,000 American children, the study's outcome a hot topic in the blogosphere.
LISA BELKIN, "NEW YORK TIMES": I would hope that somehow it equalizes relationships between sexes of the same age.
CARROLL: Author Lisa Belkin blogged about the study and wrote an essay titled "Your Old Man" for the "The New York Times." The response, Belkin says overwhelming.
BELKIN: The men are getting really angry and the women are little too gleeful. There were just hundreds and hundreds of people and you could divide them into two categories based on gender.
CARROLL: Now a sense of urgency with some men.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's great news. I better get working then soon, huh. Coming on 35 here.
CARROLL: Dr. Harry Fish is a professor of urology and authored a book on the male biological clock. He reviewed the study and cautioned more testing needs to be done because the study did not follow children's intellectual development beyond age seven.
DR. HARRY FISCH, PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL UROLOGY, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: We can't say that men of a certain age that their children won't be as smart but we are seeing are real indications. We're seeing clues that as men get older there are problems.
CARROLL: This expecting couple in their late 30s taking a measured outlook.
I'm just grateful that we're having our first. You know, if he's a little less intelligent, maybe the world doesn't need smarter people, doesn't need, you know, more gifted people, just needs people.
CARROLL (on camera): While the study found a six-point difference in intelligence test scores between the children of a 50- year-old father and a 20-year-old, the difference in those scores dropped to just about two points when socioeconomic factors were taken into account.
Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: All makes sense now.
In our daily what the segment, we hone in on one Detroit neighborhood. There's a little hubbub over a $68.00 tax bill. Listen to this.
The homeowner is a city council woman who has some neighbors paying nearly 100 times more. Turns out city records have listed the property as a vacant lot for a decade. That doesn't look like a vacant lot to me. Councilwoman Joanne Watson says she doesn't know why that is and that her tax bill dropped before she was elected to city council. She thought tornado damage was the reason. She has just requested a review from the assessor's office. We should mention that we at CNN reached out to the councilwoman today. She did not get back to us. She's at a barbecue.
The president's dream of making Supreme Court nominations, but that doesn't mean they're easy or quick. President Obama, well, he's finding that out.
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CHO: On this Memorial Day, you are looking live at Arlington National Cemetery. You see all of the flags there and family members there as well. A profoundly emotional place to be on any day, but especially on this day. By the way, you are looking at an area called Section 60. That is where the most recent fallen heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan are laid to rest.
On this Memorial Day, you may be wondering how you can help the families of the fallen. In this guide to an interactive Memorial Day, we look at ways you can impact their lives.
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JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, on this Memorial Day, Impact Your World is here to help hook you up to organizations that will allow you to help families of fallen heroes and also veterans in the United States.
Let's zoom in. I want to show you some of what's here. It's at cnn.com/impact. And when you look at the main page there, you'll see numerous organizations that you can visit. This is one, for example. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Over here, Veterans of Foreign Wars. Over here, Fisher House. Any one of these or several others can allow you to help in any way you want.
Now we're also hearing from a lot of you on this Memorial Day weekend and one way that you're getting in touch with us is through iReport. We actually got this iReport from a veteran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONNELL NICHOLS, CNN IREPORTER: I loved coming home. I love sleeping (ph). But I would love more to come home to a veterans office that helped me get a job or helped me readjust, helped me deal with the stress, the things that I had to see, the friends that I lost, Michael King (ph), Scott Halverson (ph), to name some. Those are the things that are most important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: We also heard from Jean Lindsey who looked back at the era just after the Vietnam War.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN LINDSAY, CNN IREPORTER: The Memorial Day Parade, I've gone to it every year since I was a kid. It took 10 years before the crowd along the street clapped just loudly for these men and welcomed them home. I want to say thank you to the Vietnam vets for all they lived through over there, but what they lived through when they came home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And we're also hearing from you at the CNN NEWSROOM blog. Take a look. We'll zoom back in. Cnn.com/newsroom. A lot of people talking about that. For example, James saying "it looks as though it will take much more than rhetoric to cure the VA."
Let's show you a graphic quickly. You can get in touch with us here at the blog. You can also reach us through my FaceBook page, Joshlevscnn or there at Twitter.com/joshlevscnn and let us know your thoughts about veterans and about fallen heros on this Memorial Day.
Josh Levs, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Great information.
This could be the week we find out whom President Obama wants to put on the highest court in the land, talking about the Supreme Court again. Then again, maybe not.
But as we hear from Elaine Quijano, time is running out to get a nominee on the bench by the start of the court's new term.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Obama hasn't yet named his pick to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter but told C-Span in an interview taped Friday he wants the Senate to confirm his nominee quickly.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's safe to say that we're going to have an announcement soon. And my hope is, is that we can have hearings in July so that we end up before Congress breaks for the summer.
QUIJANO: Not so fast, say some republicans. Including Senator Jeff Session. The top republican on the judiciary committee recently told ABC he doesn't think a vote before Congress's August recess is feasible. And former top Bush aide Karl Rove warned it would be a mistake for Obama to name someone too soon.
KARL ROVE, FORMER BUSH WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISER: I mean, they got problems with vetting already. They had the well known tax problems with five of their nominees.
QUIJANO: Still, Senate democrats are prepping for an imminent announcement. On CNN's "State of the Union" with John King, California democrat Senator Barbara Boxer said she and republican Senator Olympia Snowe wrote the president a letter urging him to choose a woman. SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: Mr. President, there's only one woman on the court. And there are eight men. Frankly, if it were reversed, I'd be saying appoint a man. You just need that point of view.
QUIJANO: But the president says he'll pick the best candidate, period.
OBAMA: I don't feel weighed down by having to choose a Supreme Court justice based on demographics.
QUIJANO: The former republican speaker of the House says the choice will be a defining moment. And a decisive test of the moderate approach Obama stressed in his commencement speech at Notre Dame.
NEWT GINGRICH (R), FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: Because if he picks a radical it will prove that the Notre Dame speech had no meaning and that in fact this is a really radical administration.
QUIJANO (on camera): As for the time frame, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, the number two democrat in the Senate, says he's been told an announcement is likely this week.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: If you're getting up an office pool on this, here are some names you might want to consider. It might win you some money, too. Sonia Sotomayor, Diane Wood might have the inside track. Elena Kagan knows her way around the high court, arguing cases on behalf of the federal government. Of course, all of this is conjecture until the president decides once and for all. If you remember the name Harriet Myers, you know surprises can happen. Look for an announcement as early as tomorrow.
Thanks for joining us in CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Alina Cho. I'll be here tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. But CNN NEWSROOM continues with Drew Griffin.
