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General Motors Could Be on the Brink of Bankruptcy; President Obama Promoting and Praising Sonia Sotomayor, Prince Harry Visits New York
Aired May 30, 2009 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, GM, they need inspiration these days because right now they're on the brink of major change. It is bankruptcy filing that could come on Monday. The company has been racing to meet the June 1 government deadline for a restructuring plan. Today GM's board of directors is meeting for the second day to talk about its plan.
Meanwhile, the company's European subsidiary, Opel, is getting its own rescue. An Austrian Canadian company has agreed to buy Opel from GM. On Friday the United Auto Workers Union agreed to major cuts for the fund that covers health care costs for retirees, but it's not enough to keep GM out of bankruptcy completely.
So, if GM does file for bankruptcy protection on Monday, how will the White House be responding? Kate Bolduan is live at the White House with those details.
So, what are you hearing?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Fredricka. Well, the White House is obviously watching these last minute negotiations very closely. As the time is winding down, the clock winding down to this restructuring deadline, that the Obama administration set themselves, we do hear these developments that are coming out in the past day and then early this morning, Obama administration watching it very closely.
Over -- throughout this period of time, all along, the White House has said regardless, despite no matter what restructuring road these companies go down, the path outside as they emerge, they need to come out leaner, more competitive and more viable in the current economic times. But when pushed on that, on the details of what the negotiations are, the White House is very careful in characterizing the state of negotiations and the discussions going on.
Listen here to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: A lot of both negotiating and for reasons surrounding the market, it is not really my position to speculate on what direction this is likely to take in the next few days. I know the president is encouraged that whatever happens at the deadline, the progress that is being made to restructure General Motors and put it on a path as I said, to being a viable auto company, we have seen encouraging signs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: General Motors has announced that they've scheduled a press conference for Monday afternoon at their building in New York. Also next week the Obama administration is sending out White House officials out to the Midwest, kind of fanning them out to talk to these hard-hit communities that are affected by General Motors' troubles. The White House saying that officials will be discussing the federal efforts that underway to help these hard-hit communities -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And when you talk about the federal effort to save GM, we're talking about the government owning more than 70 percent of GM and at the same time the government is saying they want to be a silent partner. How do you do that?
BOLDUAN: Yeah, it sounds like a difficult task -- thing to accomplish. The White House says, when asked about that, they say there's going to be a clear delineation of roles, that the board and the chairman of General Motors they'll be in charge of handling the day-to-day operations. At the same time the government, the White House says, has a responsibility when it is investing tens of billions of dollars of taxpayer dollars in this company to make sure they are taking the correct steps in restructuring and coming out and emerging and putting themselves on a viable path.
So it seems like it would be difficult to be a completely silent partner, but I think the White House is trying to reassure that they're not in the business of running an auto company.
WHITFIELD: All right, Kate Bolduan, thanks so much from the White House. Appreciate it.
Well tonight, there's more on this. CNN's Ali Velshi and Christine Romans explore the rise and fall of the American auto industry and where it might be going from there. "How the Wheels Came Off: The Rise and Fall of the American Auto Industry." You can see it at the top of the hour or tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, as well.
All right, praising his pick and promoting her qualifications, today President Obama used his weekly address to defend his Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, who, if confirmed would be the high court's first Hispanic jurist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No nominee should be seated without rigorous examination and hearing. I expect nothing less. But, what I hope is we can avoid the political posturing and ideological brinksmanship that has bogged down this process and Congress in the past.
Judge Sotomayor ought to be on the bench when the Supreme Court decides what cases to hear this year, and I'm calling on Democrats and Republicans to be thorough and timely in dealing with this nomination. (END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And Tuesday, Judge Sotomayor is slated to meet with key members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and we'll talk more about the confirmation our legal eagle, Avery Friedman in about 15 minutes from now.
As judge Sotomayor heads to Capitol Hill, President Obama embarks overseas. Wednesday he visited King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Thursday Mr. Obama will be in Cairo, Egypt, to deliver his long- awaited address on U.S. relations with the world's Muslims. And then Friday the president stops in Dresden, Germany, prior to D-Day observances in Paris on Saturday.
All right, meanwhile, Defense Secretary Robert Gates issues a stern warning to north Korea. He says the north is on the road to ruin if it continues its quest to become a nuclear state. Secretary Gates made his comments this morning at an Asian security conference in Singapore. This comes on the heels of missile tests earlier this week in the secretive communist state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We will not stand ideally by as North Korea reaps destruction on any target in the region or on us. At the end of day, the choice to continue as a destitute, international pariah or chart a new course is North Korea's alone to make. The world is waiting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Secretary Gates went on to call for more international support in the allied war effort in Afghanistan saying an unstable nation presents trouble for the entire region. His comments coincide with today's arrest of three suspected al Qaeda agents in the Afghan province of Khost. That area is considered a hotbed for extremists.
Pakistani military officials are claiming a big victory in the month-long offensive against the Taliban. Today Pakistan says its troops have regained control of Mingora, it's the largest city in Pakistan's relatively lawless northwest territory. The city was considered one of the most militant strongholds.
A scary statistic for the U.S. Army, now. A soldier at Fort Campbell Kentucky is more likely to die from his own hand than on the battlefield. CNN's pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence is there with how the military is dealing with this problem -- Chris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, the three-day stand-down here at Fort Campbell is over and the base commander has identified and updated his list of soldiers most at risk for suicide. (voice-over): A Fort Campbell soldier was nearly three times more likely to kill himself than die in war. Three soldiers from here have been killed in Afghanistan this year, 11 have committed suicide.
BRIG. GEN. STEPHEN TOWNSEND, FT. CAMPBELL: This is not the reputation of the legendary Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division.
LAWRENCE: That's why General Stephen Townsend addressed each soldier and the base suspended all non-essential training for three days to focus on prevention.
(on camera): One family told us they thought their dad committed suicide because he took too much on his soldiers and couldn't handle the stress and yet a lot of your speech yesterday focused on don't let your unit down, don't let your country down. Do you risk putting more pressure on these soldiers?
TOWNSEND: Because we really don't know what caused these things, certainly, any -- just about anything you say is -- there's some risk associated with just about anything you tell these soldiers to do.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): The general told them it's their duty to ask for help which the army will provide.
TOWNSEND: And I talked to soldiers and warriors the way warriors talk to one another. Now, am I concerned that I'm adding stress to their plate? Maybe, but not greatly.
LAWRENCE: The message resonated with this young private whose husband is stationed ten hours away.
PFC LISA DOBSON, U.S. ARMY: I try as much as I can to go see him, so I mean, that's stress and I talk to my sergeant about it and as long as I talk to somebody about it, I feel better about it.
LAWRENCE: But officers say some soldiers still need convincing.
1ST LT. RILEY MCEVOY, U.S. ARMY: We have a mental they we're hard and harder than everyone else and any sign of weakness brings us down as soldiers.
LAWRENCE (on camera): That's why they're privately counseling those with marriage problems and teaching soldiers how to recognize suicidal clues. Everyone here has been assigned a battle buddy and they all carry cards with the personal information on how to help that soldier -- Fredricka.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks, Chris.
All right, Prince Harry, all grown up and showing his humanitarian side on a trip to New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right, lots of love for Britain's Prince Harry who was in New York on the second and final day if the Big Apple. He's made a stop in Harlem at a children's community program. The young royal's trip in New York could go a long way as remaking his image as the party prince.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD (voice-over): On his first visit to New York, Prince Harry pays respects at lower Manhattan's Ground Zero, leaving a wreath with his message: "In admiration of the courage shown by the people of this great city." Signed, "Harry." He, offering comfort and receiving some in return.
The idea that he just arrived and the first thing that he did was decide to come to ground zero is really quite impressive. We think it's lovely and his note is really lovely and it means a lot.
This woman, among a half dozen relatives of 9/11 victims, told the prince they share something in common, what it's like to lose a loved one. She lost her husband on 9/11, Harry's mother, Princess Diana died in a Paris car crash in 1997 when he was just 12.
Even though New Yorkers are used to visits from statesmen and celebrities alike, Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, stopped traffic on a busy road, planting a magnolia tree in the British Memorial Garden, spending time with New York's governor David Patterson and with firefighters still mourning many losses of their own.
This journey to New York is his first official solo trip overseas. It is mostly a fund-raiser trip to raise money for his favorite African charity, but perhaps it is also a practice run attending to official royal visit one day in the future.
At 24, the young prince seems to have come a long way from other highly-publicized events he may wish to forget. From reports of past marijuana use, to wearing an insulting costume and using offensive language. Harry's life took a more serious turn in 2006, he graduated from the Sandburs Military Academy and joined the British army. A scheduled deployment to Iraq was canceled after militants threatened to target the prince.
GEN. SIR RICHARD DANNATT, CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF: These threats exposed not only him and also those around him to a degree of risk that I now deem unacceptable.
WHITFIELD: Later, Harry was secretly deployed to Afghanistan.
PRINCE HARRY, UNITED KINGDOM: It was fantastic (INAUDIBLE) I was wanting to do the whole time and to be able to do it was -- I was hugely grateful.
WHITFIELD: He served 77 days before word of his presence in the combat zone surfaced, prompting commanders to withdraw him. PRINCE HARRY: It's a shame. I said, angry would be the wrong word to use, but now I'm so disappointed. I thought I could see it through to the end.
WHITFIELD: Military service and charity work helped counter his earlier party principle image. And this weekend's trip to New York, along with these thoughtful moments at hallowed ground, may improve it even further.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And Prince Harry is scheduled to play polo this afternoon on Governors Island in New York. The match against an Argentine polo player will raise money for his charity out of Lesotho, and it supports kids who lost parents to AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.
All right, well hopefully the weather is good for the polo match, today. Reynolds Wolf is there.
And this match is open to the public, but you have to be dressed appropriately.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely, you know, it's all regal.
WHITFIELD: Does that mean they also have bring umbrellas?
WOLF: I would -- well, yeah. I mean, there's a slight chance you may see some showers. No one wants it to rain when you play polo.
WHITFIELD: That's true. Not even the horses.
WOLF: That's right, absolutely.
WHITFIELD: But you're right, it will be regal.
WOLF: Yeah, it always is. You know, it's going to be a great event up there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WOLF: Not bad for playing polo. Unfortunately, they're be playing it up in New York.
WHITFIELD: That's all right. Or sometimes in Washington if you want to check it out right there near the Tidal Basin, you can catch it on the weekends.
WOLF: Always a good time.
WHITFIELD: So, there you go. All right, thanks a lot, Reynolds. Appreciate it.
WOLF: You bet.
WHITFIELD: All right. A mother lies to police and takes her daughter to Disneyland. Now she has to pay the price. We're talking crime, alleged crimes and punishment in this week's legal segment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): In-flight Wi-Fi access comes at a price.
CHRIS MCGINNIS, TRAVELSKILLS.COM: You pay a $10 or $15 fee using a credit card and then you get a high-speed connection to the Internet just like at your home or office.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But there is in-flight Internet etiquette to follow that the airlines may enforce. Keep the volume of your earphones down and avoid watching anything offensive.
MCGINNIS: I would suggest buying something called a privacy filter. Now, this works sort of like vertical blinds so if you look at it from the side, you can't see what's on the screen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The filter also reduces the brightness of your screen, so you won't disturb your passengers at night and choose your seat carefully during the day.
MCGINNIS: You want to avoid the glare of the sun so this means sitting on the west-facing side of the plane for morning flights or the east-facing side of the plan for the evening flights.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, lots of legal cases to delve into. The White House standing by its pick for the Supreme Court, but cautions it wishes that Sonia Sotomayor would have used her words differently in the past. Well, we've got our one legal mind flying solo today, Avery Friedman is a civil rights attorney and law professor. Good to see you. You know, Richard will be joining us next time around.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Sure.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, let's talk about this, you know, a couple of things, here. For the White House to come out and say we still love her, but we wish she would have used her words differently. How might that impact the confirmation hearings, upcoming?
FRIEDMAN: I think it will have very little impact, Fredricka. I think the reality is that federal judges who give speeches, many of us who travel the country talking about the law will, you know, expand on thoughts and so what's happened is that a speech at Duke Law School, at Berkeley Law School, frankly, two remarks were taken out of context, but the Senate Judiciary and the Senate itself will absolutely address those issues when it's time for confirmation.
WHITFIELD: So do you see that it's going to be her judicial record that will take center stage or is it going to be how she answers questions during confirmation hearings that really could cement her confirmation or otherwise? FRIEDMAN: Well, it will be both. She's published, with her name, over 150 opinions. She has many, many more. I have every confidence that the pyrotechnic hyperbole that we have seen will be put aside. We're dealing with United States senators, this will be a smooth confirmation proceeding with tough questions.
WHITFIELD: Oh, interesting. All right, not so smooth is the road for Senator Roland Burris. It started out pretty rocky and it continues to be rather rocky this time we're talking about the senator who took the seat of President Obama once he became president. Now that there is a recording that has his conversation taking place with the brother of the former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, and he says essentially well, you've got my back, but he doesn't promise any more than that. Let's listen to that tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ROLAND BURRIS (D), ILLINOIS: I'm trying to figure out how to deal with this and still be in the consideration for the appointment.
ROD BLAGOJEVICH, FORMER GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS: I hear you. No, I hear you.
BURRIS: And if I do that I guarantee you that that will get out and people will say, oh, Burris is doing a fund-raiser and then Rod and I both going to catch hell, and if I do get appointed that means I bought it.
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
BURRIS: If I don't get appointed then my people who I'm trying to raise money from are going to look at me and say, you know, what was that all about, Roland? Rob, I'm in a dilemma right now wanting to help the governor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So, he wants to help the governor, but he also reiterated and he did again this week and he said he never actually paid, gave any money to Blagojevich. He did not pay for that seat, but how does this kind of make it more difficult or does it?
FRIEDMAN: It does, and the reason why is that in January he provided a sworn statement to the state legislature in Springfield, Illinois that he'd had no contact with the governor or the governor's supporters. Well, at least before December 26 and then the FBI tape comes out, clearly these conversations occurred before December 26.
WHITFIELD: And it was November 13, 2008.
FRIEDMAN: Exactly right. And that's where you have two statements totally in conflict, totally discrediting this individual.
WHITFIELD: And at the same time you wonder if much will be made of it because we're talking about maybe he has another year left and by the time you go through the motions of this kind of investigation, a year might come and go.
FRIEDMAN: Well, even Dick Durbin, his colleague from Illinois says I'm not supporting this guy. Big trouble potentially on the line here, but we're right at the beginning of this, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Oh, OK.
All right, well let's talk about the case of a Pennsylvania mom, Bonnie Sweeten, who allegedly stole someone's I.D., then allegedly took out a lot of money and then took her child to Disney, but really under false pretenses that they may have been kidnapped. She has now been located along with the daughter, they were at Disney. Where do you begin with this and how do you defend this if you are her attorney?
FRIEDMAN: Well, the irony is that the false report, the 911 parts of this are really only misdemeanors. I think, Fredricka, it's really a diversion for something much larger...
WHITFIELD: Like what?
FRIEDMAN: Well, she has allegedly been involved in stealing money, taking money from a law firm account where she works, at least for law enforcement, is that this business was merely a diversion for much bigger issues involving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, to the tune of something like $12,000.
FRIEDMAN: Oh, much more -- $12,000 was the first hit. There's a lot more involved, here.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. Big trouble. All right, well, we've got other cases we want to talk about with you and that includes Phil Specter, one of our favorite cases that we've been carrying on for years, now. There is a conclusion or maybe not. And then Chris Brown, Rihanna, what's next? Apparently, they're going to be in court maybe even together next month.
All right, Avery we're going to talk to you in a few more minute. Take a little break for now.
Thanks so much.
FRIEDMAN: Sure.
WHITFIELD: All right, meantime, another case we've been following over the last couple of weeks, a cancer-stricken teen has restarted court-ordered chemo and his family says it's making him sick. Thirteen-year-old Daniel Hauser resumed his treatments yesterday for Hodgkin's lymphomas, but a family spokesman says Hauser has been vomiting a lot and is angry and very depressed.
Hauser's tumor has grown since his first chemo treatment in February, so his doctor has changed the number of chemo drugs he has been taking. Hauser and his mother returned to Minnesota last week after fleeing the state to avoid the chemo therapy that doctors and the courts had actually ordered for him.
All right, well, he wants to be the first in his family to go to college, but now California's budget cuts are hurting a young man who has done all of the right things.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A look right now at what's happening in the CNN NEWSROOM this Saturday, May 30. GM's CEO Fritz Henderson has scheduled a news conference in New York for Monday afternoon. Chances are that's when he'll announce the company's bankruptcy filing. GM is taking steps to ensure its European operations are not affected. Canadian and Russian firms are taking majority stakes in GM Europe which includes Opel.
And Pakistan's army says it has run the Taliban out of the largest city in the Swat Valley, Mingora. Pakistan has been on the offensive for a month now to reclaim Swat. And Defense Secretary Robert Gates warns North Korea. He says, "The U.S. won't stand idly by while the regime develops nuclear weapons."
President Obama and the First Lady are headed to New York today. Local reports say that they'll take in a broadway show, but then it's back to business and a very big trip coming up. In fact, there are a few of them.
CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser joins us live this morning or this midday from Washington. Good to see you, Paul. All right, the president heading to the Middle East this week. Where does he begin?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes, he leaves here, Washington, D.C., leaves Tuesday, gets -- arrives Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, Fredricka. And this is where he will meet with the Saudi king, Prince Abdullah -- King Abdullah and they're going to be talking among other things about the MidEast peace process. I think you'll also see them talk about the fight against extremism and probably also talk about energy. So, that is his first stop on this big trip.
WHITFIELD: And then, after Saudi Arabia?
STEINHAUSER: After Saudi Arabia, he's heading a little bit west to Egypt and this is going to be the big stop here on this trip. This is where he will, of course, meet with President Mubarak of Egypt, but he will also be giving an important speech on his engagement with the Muslim world.
This is -- the speech has been touted for quite some time. He did speak out to the Muslim world when he was in Turkey earlier this year, but the White House says this will be the big speech that they have been talking about for quite some time where he will show and say what the U.S. and the Muslim worlds have in common, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Very -- a very busy president, Middle East, North africa and then on to Western Europe -- why and what will be accomplished there?
STEINHAUSER: First stop in Western Europe will be Germany. That'll be later in the week and he will be doing a couple of things there. He'll of course be meeting with Chancellor Merkel, but he also will be going to visit the Buchenwald Concentration Camp from World War II and the White House says this will underscore that the terrible tragedy of the Holocaust.
And he will be visiting the U.S. military hospital at Landstuhl. This is where a lot of U.S. troops injured in the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, this is where they first come. The president wants to go there and thank the caregivers at Landstuhl.
WHITFIELD: And then, back to France. He spent a little time there earlier, but now under different circumstances.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, back to France. First, he'll be meeting with the French President Sarkozy, but I think the highlight of this trip will be going to Normandy and marking and comemorating the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings, the Normandy landings by allied troops during World War II and that will be the big part of this trip. And then finally, about a week from now, he heads home.
WHITFIELD: OK and here at home, we know the tone that the president has been receiving, particularly from a lot of Republican critics, and we also know that most recently, President Obama talked about actually talking to, on the telephone, former president George W. Bush. So, what do we know at this juncture about what their relationship has been like or what is being said about either -- from either?
STEINHAUSER: Well, we do -- yes, we do know this about George W. Bush, he has stayed extremely quiet. Like you said, other Republicans have criticized the new president, he has not. The former president gave his first major address in the U.S. on Thursday night and while he defended a lot of the things he did during his administration, including those controversial interrogation techniques of the detainees, he did not criticize the president, very much unlike former vice president Cheney.
This is what he said about that. He said, "Nothing I am saying is meant to criticize my successor. There are plenty of people who have weighed in. Trust me, having seen it first hand, I didn't like it when a former president criticized me, so therefore I am not going to criticize my successor. I wish him all the best."
Thursday night, George W. Bush, and of course, yesterday, Fred, as you know, the former president George W. Bush teamed up with the former president Bill Clinton in Toronto.
WHITFIELD: Very interesting. And I think people expected fireworks, didn't necessarily see fireworks, but people, such as myself, are reading the body language.
STEINHAUSER: Exactly.
WHITFIELD: On that, as well.
STEINHAUSER: Much earlier fare, though. Yes.
WHITFIELD: Yes, all right, thanks so much. Paul Steinhauser, appreciate it.
STEINHAUSER: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: All right, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing another round of spending cuts to help solve his state's $24 billion budget deficit. The latest item on the chopping block could have students reevaluating their plans for college.
Here now is our Dan Simon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Fred.
When you look at trimming billions of dollars from the California budget, you're going to have some serious consequences. Some high school students are learning that first hand. Their ambition of getting a college education might be compromised if one of these proposed cuts goes through.
(voice-over): Romell Moore grew up on the rough-and-tumble streets of Oakland, California. He says a strong grandmother kept him out of trouble.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm strict with him.
SIMON: When he graduates from high school next month, he's No. 3 in his class, Romell would be the first person in his family to go to college. He's been accepted at UC Santa Cruz.
ROMELL MOORE, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I did -- that I was doing the right stuff and doing all the hard work to go and that maybe I can be a guidance to my young cousins and nephews, and maybe they'll want to go to college, too.
SIMON: He wants to become a lawyer, but that dream could be shattered because of California's budget woes. The state facing an unprecedented deficit is looking at ways to save billions and Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed slashing what are called Cal Grants, money that helps pay tuition for students from low-income families. 200,000 students statewide could lose all or part of the Cal Grants they were counting on to pay for college this fall.
MOORE: The whole way through school, like the teachers and all that tell you as long as you get good grades and all that, the state and the system find a way to send you to school.
SIMON: A promise that would have to be taken back if the proposed cuts happen. Without Cal Grants, Romell would lose nearly a third of the money for his $27,000 a year tuition and other expenses. Nanci Roman is the college counselor at Romell's school. She says the ripple effects would be enormous.
NANCI ROMAN, COLLEGE COUNSELOR: Our main problem is getting students to even look at college because in their head already, it's been ingrained that it's too expensive, as well as with parents. They don't want their students to apply because oh, it's too expensive. And so, we always talk about Cal Grants.
SIMON: Romell has this message for lawmakers making the tough choices.
MOORE: By helping me stay and go to school, they won't have another person that's on welfare just taking the state money to survive. They have a person who is working, helping making money for the state.
SIMON (on camera): Governor Schwarzenegger has called these cuts painful, but unavoidable, especially given the fact that he and other Republicans are firmly against any new taxes. But Democrats, they are pushing back hard. Some are calling for new taxes, including a new soda tax and maybe even an oil production tax to keep some of these programs in place.
Fred, back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks, Dan.
All right, out of school and now out of work. Fewer grads than ever are actually finding jobs post-graduation. So, we're trying to help. Today at 4:00 Eastern time, we're finding solutions to help graduates find a job with advice on marketing yourself, job alternatives, even advice on dealing with the debt that is mounting while you're unemployed and hey, ever thought about starting your own business? Well, we've got some advice on that, too.
Send us your questions and your comments to my blog at CNN.com/newsroom Fredricka or Facebook, Fredricka Whitfield CNN. E- mail at weekends@cnn.com. Lots of ways to reach us and be part of the conversation, 4:00 Eastern today.
All right, more than six years after the crime, judgment day for music producer Phil Spector. We'll find out if this case is finally closed.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, as promised, still many more legal cases we want to delve into. And so, our legal guy in Cleveland, Avery Friedman, civil rights attorney and law professor, has come back for us.
All right, let's talk about Proposition 8. Last week, we were talking about California Supreme Court ruling. Turns out it was a split decision. So, many people who married when it was legal, same- sex marriages, they're OK, but the voters overruled them and said we don't want same-sex marriages.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
WHITFIELD: Now, this is becoming a federal case with some pretty high-profile attorneys. Why and how?
FRIEDMAN: Yes, this is a blockbuster, Fredricka, because there are a couple of names that you know and a lot of people remember.
WHITFIELD: Ted Olson.
FRIEDMAN: Ted Olson, the former solicitor general who represented Bush in Bush v. Gore and David Boies who represented Gore ...
WHITFIELD: In Bush v. Gore.
FRIEDMAN: ...in Bush v. Gore, have joined up and have brought suit in the United States District Court saying the popular vote to ban gay marriage is unconstitutional and, you know what? They've got a hearing in federal court in early July.
WHITFIELD: And so, it's a feeling they have a pretty good argument given that you've quite a few states who are recognizing same-sex marriage or civil unions.
FRIEDMAN: Well, that -- they're going to argue that, I don't think it's going anywhere. I think what they're saying is that there's precedent in the Supreme Court to invalidate popular initiatives and they're saying that this popular initiative, because it deals with sexual orientation, violates the Constitution.
WHITFIELD: A ha. All right, well, let's talk about Phil Specter. Another case taking place in California ...
FRIEDMAN: Right, Southern California case, right.
WHITFIELD: We've been talking about this for so long, it was, what? 2007, hung jury in terms of whether the jurors were willing to find him guilty of the murder of Lana Clarkson, but then it was retried.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
WHITFIELD: And now, there is a verdict and now we're talking about a sentencing, a maximum of 19 years. What happened?
FRIEDMAN: Well, you want to know something? You may remember and I'm sure you did, we dealt with this case in excruciating detail.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: I was stunned as many were that the first trial resulted in a hung jury. It was retried and it's actually the correct decision. WHITFIELD: Oh and so, just straighten this out for me because I thought in many cases when you had a hung jury, it meant, particularly as it pertains to murder cases, it can't be retried again. Was I wrong on that?
FRIEDMAN: No, no, no.
WHITFIELD: Or are there certain conditions?
FRIEDMAN: If there's a hung jury, the question is will the prosecution retry it and that's exactly what happened here. It was not a determination, it was simply a hung jury. And basically, what the court did in this case was certainly the proper thing. Maximum and the gun charge. We're going to see an appeal, but I have to tell you, Fredricka, it's going nowhere.
WHITFIELD: OK, and because we love California, and I really do mean that, we've got yet another case that is in California, this involving singers Chris Brown ...
FRIEDMAN: Geez.
WHITFIELD: ...and Rihanna and now, what -- in a couple of weeks, this case will be heard and this on again/off again, which maybe now is off again, so now we're going to see these two, this couple, former couple in court together testifying against one another?
FRIEDMAN: Well, something like that, another blockbuster. We found out yesterday that Rihanna is going to testify against Chris Brown. You know, originally, she didn't want to and she was hedging and they were back together and depending on what rag you read, it depends, are they together or not. But bottom line is we're going to see Rihanna take the stand and testify against Chris Brown. Big problem.
WHITFIELD: And so, that hearing would help determine whether there's sufficient evidence to go forward. Would there be a trial in this kind of case?
FRIEDMAN: That's exactly right. Preliminary hearing, her testimony is crucial.
WHITFIELD: Yes, all right. O.J. Simpson ...
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ...move on to Nevada, it could have been California, right? But instead ...
FRIEDMAN: Sure.
WHITFIELD: ...it's Nevada, given that California is to be the state that he lives, So, he says you know what, I have grounds to appeal this case. I was not granted a fair trial.
FRIEDMAN: Yes, that's what he said. WHITFIELD: How difficult -- is this going to be an uphill battle for him?
FRIEDMAN: Big time. The difficulty here ...
WHITFIELD: I guess that was a dumb question of mine, but I ...
FRIEDMAN: Well, no, it was a great question. I mean, the truth is that he's going to say, look, they knocked African-Americans off the jury. That's unconstitutional. The judge was unfair. The truth is he has a very valid appeal in terms of the issues, but in terms of the reality of this, Fredricka, again, it's going nowhere.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and I say dumb question because appeals are always very difficult.
FRIEDMAN: Sure.
WHITFIELD: And it takes a long time.
FRIEDMAN: Absolutely right.
WHITFIELD: But everyone in their right mind knows that it's an option that you want to exercise, and so you do.
FRIEDMAN: And as part of the Constitution, he should be doing it.
WHITFIELD: Right, OK. Thanks so much. Avery Friedman, good to see you.
FRIEDMAN: See you soon.
WHITFIELD: All right, good to see you, too.
FRIEDMAN: Take care.
WHITFIELD: All right, unbelievable story right here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CANDI CARTER, CREATOR, "HIP HOP BABY": It's bath time. Boom, boom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Yes, she engaged her child in some of the things that became so, so difficult and she's got a lot of other families engaged in it, too.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, using hip-hop music to teach both special needs and average toddlers and preschoolers. An unusual idea, but one that's getting rave reviews from parents and how it got started is a really compelling story about a mother's love. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
C. CARTER: Emerson, let's go.
WHITFIELD (voice-over): Six-year-old Emerson Carter is slow to start the day.
C. CARTER: You have to go to school. No kicking.
WHITFIELD: He won't respond to words, but his mother, Candy Carter, says a song gets him moving and gets him to do just about everything else.
CARTER (SINGING): Walk with mommy, walk with mommy.
WHITFIELD: You can see even the little things for them have not been easy.
C. CARTER: I give birth and my son has a hole in his heart, a big hole in his heart. Once we got all of the physical stuff taken care of, he still wasn't -- something was wrong. My husband kept going something's not right. He wasn't doing what other kids were doing. He couldn't sit up at one-years-old.
WHITFIELD: Candi says doctors discovered a rare disorder called chromosome 8P deletion.
C. CARTER: And I distinctly remember sitting with the geneticist and her saying, you know, it causes mental retardation, severe speech delay and she went down the list.
WHITFIELD: By the time Emerson was three, Candi and her husband realized how tough it would be.
C. CARTER: He literally screamed from the minute he woke up until the minute he went to bed.
He'd want things and he just could not -- and that's why screamed I think, a lot.
JOE CARTER, EMERSON'S FATHER: Right, he was frustrated.
You like green eggs and ham.
WHITFIELD: Nothing seemed to get through to their son.
C. CARTER: And one day, he was screaming, tantrums, screaming and really for my own sanity, I just started singing. You know, I really wanted to stimulate him, so I got right in his face and I was like -- and he literally stopped and he just went -- and I just kept doing it and he was quiet. I was, like, OK, we've got something here.
And Mr. Carter ...
WHITFIELD: She says her songs helped Emerson accept the little transitions in daily life that used to paralyze him, like getting to bed and taking his bath.
C. CARTER: So, I made up a bath time song. It's bath time, boom, boom.
WHITFIELD: And a toothbrushing song.
C. CARTER: Sing brush my teeth, brush my teeth.
Oh, you want this toothbrush? You want this toothbrush?
That worked. There wasn't any more tantrums, I wasn't dragging him.
WHITFIELD: Emerson found his beat.
J. CARTER: We kind of found a way to kind of reach him. It makes us happier which I think makes him happier. it makes him happier. So, it's kind of a loop, and I think it works with his teachers as well.
C. CARTER: Emerson has a neurologist that we go to, and so he seen a lot of progress in him, but what he says is he's so happy. You know, it's working. There's something working.
WHITFIELD: Candi wondered if her songs could teach other kids as well.
C. CARTER: So, I asked my husband, I said, look, I work in TV. I think I can do this. We'll get some of the neighborhood kids, let me put a video together.
WHITFIELD: "Hip Hop Baby" was born.
C. CARTER: I said I can do numbers, I can do colors. I can do animals, I can do all of this stuff. I felt like toddlers need to learn, but we can make it hip.
WHITFIELD: Candi posted her video on the Internet. The DVD took off and the success stories came pouring in.
C. CARTER: This grandmother wrote to me about her granddaughter. "I wish you could see what it has done for this little girl."
WHITFIELD: Candi produced three more DVDs for kids with and without special needs. All were inspired by the special moments she shared with her son.
C. CARTER (SINGING): Waiting on the school bus, school bus, school bus ...
J. CARTER: Especially the special needs child. I mean, any progress you make is awesome. I mean, it's a huge leap every time he does something new and he does something on his own.
WHITFIELD: An often bumpy road now made smoother because of a mother's melodies. C. CARTER: Bye Emerson, mommy loves you!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Are they not so inspiring? And there's more. You can learn a lot more about the creation of these "Hip Hop" DVD series from Candi Carter herself. You heard from her. She's also a television producer in Chicago. You're also going to get a chance to hear from the pediatrician who served as a medical adviser to the project. So, both will be joining us in the NEWSROOM about an hour from now at 2:00 Eastern time. You do not want to miss it. Something everyone can learn from.
All right, a day of tribute today for one of music's true heavyweights.
That's the king of swing, Benny Goodman. He would have turned 100 today. His brand of up tempo jazz changed the music scene in the 1930s. Benny Goodman died in 1986.
And this young lady right here, Susan Boyle's 15 minutes may be coming to an end tonight. She's taking on nine other performers in the finale of "Britain's Got Talent." Boyle has wowed audiences with her incredible voice, but apparently she's been having a hard time handling all that attention, you know, the paparazzi and the reporters and all of that. She even considered quitting the show. Something tells me she will be performing tonight, at least that's the big hope.
All right, well, some very successful people share wise advice with college graduates and all of us should listen.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: It's graduation season at colleges and universities across the country and high schools and every other school, for that matter. But a time for commencement advice from political heavyweights and entertainment superstars shows up in a very big way during college commencements.
Here are some of the highlights that we thought deserved a second listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC SCHMIDT, CEO, GOOGLE: You need to actually turn off your computer. I know this is difficult. You need to turn off your phone. You need to actually look at the people who are near you and around you and decide that it is humans who ultimately are the most important thing to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. COLIN POWELL (RET.), FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: There's nothing wrong with money or position, but at the end of day, the source of true happiness and success is that you have that sense of personal satisfaction of knowing that you are doing something of value for the society that you are a part of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Keep pushing America towards becoming one community where we celebrate our differences, but we think our common humanity matters more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: People ask me all the time, they say to me what is the secret to success, and I give them always this short version. I say, No. 1, come to America. No. 2, work your butt off, and No. 3, marry a Kennedy. But anyway ...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: It is really fantastic to have your own jet, but you really haven't completed the circle of success unless you can help somebody else move forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: I didn't go to college at all, any college, and I'm not saying you wasted your time or money, but look at me, I'm a huge celebrity ...
(LAUGHTER)
DEGENERES: ...and I know that a lot of you are concerned about your future, but there's no need to worry. The economy is booming, the job market is wide open. The planet is just fine. It's going to be great. You've already survived a hurricane, what else can happen to you? And as I mentioned before, some of the most devastating things that happen to you will teach you the most. And now, you know the right questions to ask for your first job interview, like is it above sea level?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A great look at this commencement season.
All right, GM CEO Fritz Henderson has scheduled a news conference for midday Monday in New York presumably to announce a bankruptcy filing. GM is taking steps to ensure its European operations aren't affected. Canadian and Russian firms are taking a majority stake in GM Europe which includes Opel. Other stories that are topping our radar, Pakistan's army says it has cleared Taliban fighters out of Mingora, the largest city in Swat Valley. Pakistan has been on the offensive for a month now to reclaim that area.
And Defense Secretary of the United States, Robert Gates warns North Korea. He says, "The U.S. won't stand idly by while the regime develops nuclear weapons."
Just a look at some of our top stories as we wrap up this hour. Stay with CNN throughout the day for the latest breaking news. "How the Wheels Came Off: the Rise and Fall of the American Auto Industry" begins right now.
