Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
States Cutting Music, Gym Funding in Education All Across Country; GM Trims Its Hitlist; FaceBook on Death Row; More Money in Your Pocket; Stories Trending on the Internet; Stepping is for Everybody
Aired March 12, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN HOST: Time now for your top of the hour reset. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM. High noon for health care on Capitol hill. House Democrats move closer to sealing a deal on reform.
In New York, a judge reviews a multi-million dollar settlement for Ground Zero workers who got sick.
Across the nation, a bad economy means a bleak bottom line for schools. The state superintendents for Arizona and Georgia, live this hour.
Let's do this; let's get started for provide. Health care reform, the end game. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sounded a note of optimism that Democrats will pass a reform bill. And President Obama has delayed an overseas trip to help push the process forward.
Senior Congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, live from Capitol Hill with the latest. And, Dana, what are you hearing?
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are hearing that the push is now. It is really on. And the push is to find the votes, especially in the House of Representatives. There was yet another meeting of House Democrats to discuss this issue, the issue of health care and the process, and really the policy, and what exactly they are talking about passing. But as you said, the House Speaker came out in her weekly press conference, right after that meeting, and she did sound more optimistic than we've heard pretty much any of the Democratic leaders sound so far. Take a listen --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: I feel very exhilarated by the caucus that we had this morning, in terms of the questions that members have. We spent a good deal of time on pro -- on the substance, but then some on the process as well. And we stand ready to stay as long as it takes to pass the bill. I think members are eager to pass a bill. And, again, it won't be long before we'll be making a real difference in lives of the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, one of the House leaders told me and other reporters that he expects the House to vote in the next ten days. And, of course, the president delayed his trip, his international trip, a few days. He was supposed to leave the end of next week. He delayed it a few days. And that was for one very specific reason, because Democrats, particularly in the House, said we need you to stay here. This is your signature issue. This is it. We need you to help twist arms. And there's going to be a lot of arm twisting in the next weeks or so.
HARRIS: You mentioned the arm twisting; how are House Democrats going to overcome the opposition in their own ranks on the subject of abortion?
BASH: It's going to be very difficult. The number two in the House, Steny Hoyer, told me this morning that he has been talking to kind of the lead anti-abortion Democrat. His name is Bart Stupak, Bart Stupak of Michigan. But he's not negotiating with him. This is very technical, but they're talking about passing -- the House passing the Senate bill.
HARRIS: Yes.
BASH: And then both the House and the Senate passing a package of changes, of course, through reconciliation, which we've been talking about. The issue of abortion, for technical reasons, really can't be put through that -- through that package. So there's very little that they can do in the short term to try to answer some of the concerns of anti-abortion Democrats, that the Senate bill simply doesn't go far enough in restricting abortions.
So, basically, in talking to Democratic sources in the House, Tony, what they say is that they understand that they will probably lose some Democrats.
HARRIS: Yes.
BASH: Who think that they're just opposed to this on policy and on principle, but they're hoping that there are enough Democrats that are more interested in the bigger bill and the bigger policy issue of health care reform that they can be persuaded. Unclear if they can do that right now, but that's what they're hoping.
HARRIS: Here we go, dash to the finish. Our senior Congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, for us. Thank you.
BASH: Thank you.
HARRIS: Here's the explainer on the process we've been talking about, known as reconciliation, that Democrats plan to use pass health care reform. Reconciliation is a measure to pass contentious budget legislation while avoiding a filibuster threat. It allows for a 51- vote majority in the Senate. Reconciliation was used in 1989 to pass a Medicare overhaul for physician payments. In 1996, it was used to pass the welfare overhaul. And it was used to enact the Bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003.
Other big stories we are following for you in the NEWSROOM; talking strategy at the White House. The focus, Afghanistan and Pakistan. President Obama gathered his national security team together last hour for an update on the fight against the Taliban. Earlier this week, Britain's foreign secretary said the US was on the right track.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MILIBAND, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: I think that there's a very strong feeling now that, following the implementation of General McChrystal's new strategy, following the progress in the south of Afghanistan, following the efforts of the Pakistan authorities on the Pakistan side of the border, now is the right time to set out and to create a more inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan.
No to those who are linked to al Qaeda. No to those who won't live within the Afghan constitution. But others should be within the political ring of Afghanistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Yeah, but more evidence on just how volatile that region is. At least 39 people were killed in suicide attacks in Lahore, Pakistan, today. Two bombers struck within seconds of each other. The Pakistani military was the apparent target. But most of the victims were civilians, many on their way to Friday prayers.
The FBI trying to determine if a former nuclear power plant worker from New Jersey is a member of al Qaeda. And if so, how he passed security screenings. Twenty six-year-old Sharif Mobley (ph) was arrested in Yemen this month in a roundup of suspected al Qaeda members. He was being treated at a hospital there when he allegedly killed one guard and wounded another in an escape attempt over the weekend.
Toxic dust pay-out; New York City agrees to a 657 million dollar settlement for Ground Zero emergency workers. The deal goes before a federal judge today. Anthony Johnson of affiliate WABC has details on the settlement and the turmoil over rebuilding the site.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANTHONY JOHNSON, WABC: The settlement covers 10,000 men and women who say their health was ruined by working at Ground Zero in a toxic environment. The plaintiffs would share up to 657 million dollars. The money will come from a billion dollar insurance fund established by Congress.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm 52 years old. And they told me I got the lungs of a 90-year-old man.
JOHNSON: In addition to the approval from the judge, the settlement must be agreed to by 95 percent of the plaintiffs. One-third of the settlement money will go to the lawyers for the plaintiffs. Legal fees for defending the city and its contractors already have topped 200 million dollars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do we want? When do we want it?
CROWD: Now! JOHNSON: It's the lack of money for new construction that haunts the second set of negotiations. Eight years of delays and false starts put an angry edge on Tuesday's protest by construction workers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want the red tape stopped. We need the economy to get going.
JOHNSON: The Port Authority and developer Larry Silverstein have been bargaining through the night to meet today's deadline on what to build. They also disagree on how to pay for anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we're not willing to do is do a complete public bailout of private infrastructure.
JOHNSON: City leaders say it's time to deal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lock yourself in a room! Put a couple of NYPD guys or gals outside of the door! Have you guys waiting down here. And tell them not to come out until they've got some good news!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Wow. OK, that hearing this afternoon over the 657 million dollar settlement is at 2:00 pm Eastern time. As soon as we hear a decision, we'll bring it to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Dwindling budgets forcing tough choices for America's educators.
First, though, our random moment -- in 90 seconds. What was that? We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know what? You can look, but don't you dare touch our random moment of the day.
(SINGING)
HARRIS: Yeah. The World Cup trophy visited CNN's London bureau today. It's on a promotional tour ahead of this summer's big tournament. CNNers scrambling to get into the picture. Look at this. But no one dared grope the golden statute. Regulations say only heads of state and players from winning teams can touch the iconic trophy. Soccer's big prize of football, as they like to say, our random moment of the day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, this week we have been talking about the economy and how it is affecting education, from closing popular programs to closing entire schools. Educators having to make some very difficult decisions. We want to know how they're coping. Joining me here in the NEWSROOM, Georgia school superintendent, Kathy Cox. Kathy, good to see you.
KATHY COX, GEORGIA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: Good to see you, too. HARRIS: Good to see you. And here from Phoenix, Tom Horn, the school superintendent from Arizona. Tom, good to see you. We're going to talk to you in just a second.
Kathy, let me start with you. You look at the situation in Kansas City and you see that superintendent there is having to close 21 of the 68 schools. Detroit is going to announce a similar plan next week to close 40 schools. Districts are going to four days of teaching, longer days. What are you facing here in Georgia?
COX: Some of the same circumstances. Districts really having to face the reality of just absolute plummeting state revenues for everything, but especially education. We've seen our state revenue picture drop by almost three billion dollars in about 19 months' time.
HARRIS: Wow.
COX: And so you just can't avoid hitting K-12 education, which is the single largest portion of our state budget.
HARRIS: Yeah.
COX: So, our districts, we're trying to manage some of this. Of course, the stimulus money is helping. We're moving some of our plans to spend that federal stimulus money that we were going to save for '11. We're having to move that into this fiscal year to get us through this fiscal year. But then, of course, there's the cliff effect, and when that's gone -- so our school districts are doing the same thing. They're looking at closing schools, stopping programs. I'm very worried about art and music programs across our state. And the other big concern I have is larger class size.
HARRIS: Right.
COX: And teacher layoffs.
HARRIS: Right. You know, you look at a county here in Georgia like Cobb, and that's one of the counties that we think of as being pretty flush, right? What does it say that healthier, wealthier, usually property-tax-flush counties are finding themselves in budget trouble as well?
COX: Well, this whole economic crisis started with a crisis in real estate and housing.
HARRIS: Yep, yep, yep.
COX: And so even your wealthier counties that have depended on property tax revenue, that's gone. Home values have -- have plummeted. Local property tax digests have plummeted. And local systems -- people are unemployed. We're facing record unemployment here in Georgia.
HARRIS: Right, right. Double digits, right, 10 point something?
COX: And worse in Metro Atlanta than in the rest of the state, which is unheard of.
HARRIS: Kathy, hang on. Let me get Tom in here. Tom, as I read some of your comments, I got to tell you, it sounds like -- it sounds like you're in pretty good shape K-12? Is that true?
TOM HORN, ARIZONA STATE SUPERINTENDENT: No. I wouldn't say we're in good shape. The state as a whole has a 10 billion dollar budget, with estimated revenues of 6.5 billion dollars. Most of the cuts -- what you may be referring to is the cut to basic state aid is small because we guarantee to the federal government we wouldn't go below the 2006 level.
HARRIS: Yes.
HORN: And we've already reached that. But -- but there's cuts to a lot of what are called non-formula line items, which are things outside of that calculation. And so we're losing our adult education, where people can get GEDs. We're losing all-day kindergarten, which a major blow to the academic progress to the kids later on.
We're losing school resource officers, policemen in schools in high- crime areas that were a big help, chemical abuse prevention programs. We're losing a lot of the special programs that will have an impact on our academic performance.
HARRIS: For both of you, Kathy and Tom, take a listen to the question I asked of the superintendent of Broward County Schools. This was on Wednesday. And then, if you would, take a stab at this very same question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Do we need to come up with a -- with a different funding mechanism for schools?
JAMES NOTTER, BROWARD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT: We believe so, Tony. You know, the volatility, frankly, of sales tax --
HARRIS: Yes.
NOTTER: -- and property tax, it's really difficult to forecast your budget each year.
HARRIS: Yeah. So, what would you do? Do you have any thoughts, any suggestions, on what that other option would be?
NOTTER: You know, Tony, what I would do is I would take the brightest minds from around this country, lock them in a room, and say you can't come out until such time as you have a formula that will ultimately, consistently fund public education.
HARRIS: I like that.
NOTTER: It is the engine that drives our economy. And frankly, it's what's made America great.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Wow, so, look, lock everyone in the room and let's come up with a different funding formula. Kathy, to you first, do we need to come up with a new model for funding education in the country?
COX: I would say that that would be a priority. But in the meantime, in our state, we know that there is a source of revenue for K-12 that's not being tapped. We have Lottery funds. And when that was passed in the state, K-12 education was supposed to be part of the recipient of those proceeds. For the last about eight years, however, we have not been. And our suggestion --
HARRIS: Why not? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, fly by that. Why not?
COX: Good question. But it went to pre-K programs and the Hope Scholarship, which is post-secondary education, has taken the lion's share of the K-12 budget. My proposal is, in the down economic times, people still buy Lottery tickets. We're seeing Lottery revenue still continue on the upward, even in hard times. So my suggestion is let's raise Lottery ticket prices 50 cents and guarantee that money --
HARRIS: OK.
COX: -- in the k-12. We could have about 350 million dollars for k- 12 education.
HARRIS: All right, you're talking solutions here. Tom, what do you think? A different funding model for education in the country?
HORN: Well, in Arizona, we do have equal funding. It doesn't matter if you're in a wealthy area or a poor area, you get the same amount per student. You get the same money for building schools as well. So, we are at an advantage there.
Basically when the economy turns around, the revenues will go up. Right now, we're in a crisis. The whole economy's in a crisis. And it's hard to avoid that affecting education, as it affects all of the economy.
HARRIS: Yeah.
HORN: But hopefully the economy will -- will come back. And then our revenues will go up.
HARRIS: Tom, appreciate it. Kathy, good to see you both. Boy, thank you, good discussion.
You know, we've asked you to weigh in with your solutions to slashed budget, teacher layoffs and a shortage of classes. Here are some of your suggestions --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CALLER: How do you resolve the issue with the education? Get rid of tenure.
CALLER: I would suggest that the parents start home schooling.
CALLER: They're talking about laying off teachers and getting rid of middle school sports, which is tough, but what choice do they have?
CALLER: One solution to this problem would be to nationalize the curriculum. Every state, every city, every county will have the same sir curriculum across the board.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The nation's governors seem to agree with that last proposal. Let's keep the conversation going. If you have a solution, give us a call. There's the number, 1-877-742-5760, right there on your screen.
HARRIS: Another stormy day across the south. Already severe in places like Florida. Reynolds Wolf is up next, and he will show us where the storms are right now, and the weekend outlook. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And checking our top stories now -- >
Israel has sealed off the West Bank for 48 hours and has heightened security in Jerusalem. This follows Israel's announcement this week that it plans to build hundreds of new apartments on disputed land in East Jerusalem.
The wife of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is in serious condition following a traffic accident; 69-year-old Landra Reid broke her neck and back when the minivan she was riding in was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer yesterday. It happened outside of Washington. Reid's daughter was also hurt. She is out of the hospital.
One nation under God, many of us said it in school, and judges in California say it's OK to keep saying it. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has ruled the Pledge of Allegiance is patriotic, not religious. The atheist who filed suit says he will appeal again.
Another check of our top stories in 20 minutes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Why are so many of our children overweight and what can we do about it? It's what matters and that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, a third of American children are considered overweight or obese. But with black and Hispanic children, that number rises to half. Childhood obesity is what we're talking about in our What Matters segment today. Weight can increase the risk for medical problems such as diabetes and heart disease. But you know that. And issues usually associated with adults are hitting more and more kids. Joining us to talk about tackling childhood obesity is Dr. Ian Smith. He is a diet and medical expert on the VH-1 show, "celebrity Fit Club" and the founder of the 50 Million-Pound Challenge. Man, you are good on that show. I am glad --
DR. IAN SMITH, VH-1'S "CELEBRITY FIT CLUB": Thank you.
HARRIS: You are so good on that program! I watch and you were able to get some pounds off of Bobby Brown, so I believe in you.
SMITH: Thank you, Tony.
HARRIS: Doctor, tell me why you think -- and you're pretty strong on this -- childhood obesity is one of the most critical and embarrassing -- you used the word embarrassing -- health crises facing America.
SMITH: Absolutely. Tony, there are too many people with photo opportunities saying childhood obesity is a problem. We all know it's a problem. But the question is what are we going to do about it, not from a philosophical standpoint, but an actual action plan.
My belief is that if you look at the inactivity level of our children, if you look at the foods our children are eating, for example, in school cafeterias, it is embarrassing to us as a great nation that we allow our children to put these bad foods into their bodies, even in school in a controlled environment. That's not even to talk about what's happening at home. This is a time now where we're facing an epidemic for sure.
HARRIS: Right.
SMITH: That we need to stem tide and make real actionable plans here.
HARRIS: Nice.
SMITH: Rather than talk about the dangers of it.
HARRIS: Good. We're going to talk about that in a second here. You have a potentially powerful asset, ally, in the first lady. Here she is recently announcing her initiative to take on childhood obesity. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: Let's stop wringing our hands and talking about it and citing statistics. Let's act. Let's move. Let's give our kids the future they deserve.
Look, I look forward to working with all of you in these efforts over the months and years ahead. I'm going to need you. I'm going to need you championing these causes, giving me feedback, giving me direction and guidance. It will not work any other way. And our kids can't afford for us to get this wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: So, Ian, here's the thing: you're even aggressive with the administration. You want -- you want the administration to be even more proactive. What do you want to see from the president and the First Lady here?
SMITH: I want it to have some bite as well as the bark, Tony.
HARRIS: Yeah.
SMITH: I want to us realize that -- not to sit there and talk about it, but let's say we have to go to schools, district by district and, for example, say we are going to mandate that kids need three servings of whole grains per day. We're going to mandate that kids are not allowed to drink beverages that have 160 calories in it. We have to actually get detailed about what we're going to change.
Mandate that we're not allowed to take physical education classes out of schools anymore. These days, local school districts can cancel gym classes, which is how kids get their physical activity. We have to go in there.
HARRIS: Doc, have you been listening to what we've been doing this week? We're talking about these school districts that are cutting out music, band and gym. All kinds of physical education programs being wiped out now because of this recession.
SMITH: It's unbelievable. Here's the idea, though -- it's a question of where you want to put taxpayer dollars. I have two kids. I want my taxpayer dollars to go to the future. That is I want to invest in the health of our children, my children, your children, my neighbors' children.
HARRIS: Yes.
SMITH: The idea is quite simple: if we don't invest in children now, in their health, we're going to produce a generation that has Type II Diabetes, early heart disease, high cholesterol levels. And do you know what is going to happen? The death rate is going to increase dramatically in younger people.
So now's the time to act. Let's not wait 10 to 15 years from now and say how did it all happen? It happened because we are not acting now.
HARRIS: Dr. Ian Smith, boy, you are good. You are impassioned. I love it. I almost want to gain some weight just to lose it on the program. No, that's not true. Have a great weekend.
SMITH: Thanks, Tony.
HARRIS: To read more stories that matter to all of us, pick up the latest issue of "Essence Magazine" on newsstands right now. Zoe Zoldana (ph) on the cover. Or go online to CNN.com/WhatMatters.
GM dealerships wait word from Detroit. Today is the day many find out if they will keep the showroom open or shut the doors forever. We're back in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So, apparently size does matter at GM. The automaker planned to close 2,400 dealerships to become a leaner, more agile company. Well, now, GM is trimming its dealership hit list. What is going on here? Let's go to New York and CNN's Ines Ferre.
Good to see you, lady. What do you have for us?
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Tony.
Well, yes, GM says about a quarter of the dealerships it planned to shut will remain open, 661 to be exact, and they're expecting to be notified today on the terms of their new deals. Kyle Porter of Minneapolis affiliate KARE takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYLE PORTER, KARE REPORTER (voice-over): Residents rely on Stillwater Motors for reasons deeper than just service.
MICHAEL KAHN, GENERAL MANAGER: It's more than just selling cars. It's deeper than that. This was -- it was personal.
PORTER: It's a third-generation family dealership from the old days. But last year, when General Motors needed to restructure, they discontinued their franchise to about 2,000 dealerships nationwide, including Stillwater, where their Buick franchise was yanked.
KAHN: We have a pretty big customer base that came through that bought their Buicks, and the ability not to serve them, as we have in the past, well, it affected us and the community.
PORTER: They were pretty nervous. Chrysler already terminated their Jeep franchise and now Buick was on the chopping block.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy to have Buick back.
PORTER: But feelings have shifted this week.
KAHN: Giddy comes to mind.
PORTER: To avoid a very large arbitration process, GM reinstated over 600 dealerships, including Stillwater's.
KAHN: We're back in -- back in the Buick business.
PORTER: They're getting back to normal.
KAHN: Yes, that will work. I'll take that.
PORTER: Chevy and Buick.
KAHN: I'm going to sign up for 60 cars, like, right now. Bring me the inventory. Let's go.
PORTER: Stillwater was selected because of their impressive building, their good quotas and among other things.
KAHN: You had to help us, you know, keep the people we have and give us some new opportunities to grow.
PORTER: And perhaps their history and meaning to the community.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what's real for me. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to buy a Buick here any further. And so that's good news.
PORTER: For Mr. Johnson --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Buick is one of the favorite cars I've had to drive for many years.
PORTER: Lifetime customer for good.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FERRE: And of the 2,400 dealerships GM targeted for closure, about half that number filed for arbitration. Analysts say GM probably determined it will save time and money by reinstating the dealerships rather than going through the arbitration process.
And on the phone, we've got Scott Adams. He's the president of Adams Automotive Group. And he's been fighting to keep his Chevrolet dealership in Belton, Missouri.
Scott, thanks for joining us. And can you tell us right now, what's the status of your dealership?
SCOTT ADAMS, PRESIDENT, ADAMS AUTO GROUP (via telephone): Well, I'd say we're cautiously optimistic is the kind of word we're using right now. We've been contacted by General Motors. They've told us that they've got some stuff they want to talk to us about. That it will probably be confidential. And sort of be careful what you wish for. You filed for arbitration. You think you ought to stay as a dealer. So be careful what you wish for, you may get what you want.
FERRE: So they haven't told you yes, they haven't told you no. Have you been told why they wanted to close your dealership in the first place?
ADAMS: No. That was one of the things about the original closure that was kind of strange. They never told each individual dealer what we did wrong or what we could cure. They just had some formula somewhere that told them that -- what they wanted to hear, but they never told the dealer what we did wrong.
FERRE: So you have no idea why. Can you also describe this process, what it's been like? I mean, you've got employees there that are working. What are they feeling right now? And what are you guys doing?
ADAMS: Well, I don't know that I'm as giddy as the man in Minnesota was, but they're certainly happy that at least we're getting some answers to the questions, that there's some chance that we can continue on. That there's some chance that we can cure whatever the problem was. Because we've been a dealer for a long, long time. We're third generation as well. That dealership has been there since the '30s. We're a part of the community. Everybody wants to know what we're going to do moving forward.
FERRE: And right now, you don't have any new cars coming in, correct?
ADAMS: We haven't had a new car come in since July. We can still do parts. We can still do service. And we can still sell them. But as part of the wind down, General Motors didn't ship us any more cars, so we're hoping for an answer quickly or we'll miss the whole, complete 2010 model year.
FERRE: OK, Scott, thanks so much for joining us.
And, Tony, as you can see
HARRIS: Oh, yes.
FERRE: There's some people who are still waiting for an answer.
HARRIS: Hey, will you keep us posted on Scott's situation? Look, he's right there in the middle of America. And we've got to keep middle America working.
FERRE: That's right.
HARRIS: Please, Ines, if you would, keep us posted. Thank you.
You know, FaceBook is everywhere. Now a friend turns up in a place you'd never expect.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right. Top stories now.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed optimism today that Democrats will pass health care reform. Pelosi said she felt exhilarated after meeting with Democrats this morning. President Obama has delayed an overseas trip in the final push for a reform package.
A deadly day in eastern Pakistan. Twin suicide attacks have killed at least 39 people in the city of Lahore. Police say the bombers detonated explosives within seconds of each other in an area filled with Pakistani military. Most of the victims, however, were civilians.
The FDA out with a new warning on the popular blood-thinning drug Plavix. It says some patients with a certain genetic variation can't metabolize the drug, and that puts them at an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.
FaceBook is everywhere, it seems, even death row. Reporter Nate Morabito, with Tennessee affiliate WJHL, has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NATE MORABITO, WJHL REPORTER (voice-over): Although Nicholas Johnson last stepped foot in the tri-cities in November, his friends and family can see him online just about every day. It appears Johnson first signed up for FaceBook in August, 2009. Since then he's added pictures of himself and his kids for all 232 of his friends to see.
MORABITO (on camera): But death-row inmates in Tennessee are not allowed to use the Internet. That means someone on the outside is controlling Johnson's page on his behalf.
DORINDA CARTER, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (via telephone): He is likely talking to someone on the phone or by mail and they are posting the messages for him on facebook.
MORABITO (voice-over): The messages still have a personal feel to them. One posted last month reads, "love you all." Another, "just want to let you all know in my FaceBook family, all your e-mails and comments are keeping me strong. Thank you."
CARTER: We are seeing a number of inmates who have either attorneys or friends in the free world who are accessing social media on their behalf. Although they can't do it, they are still getting messages out there.
MORABITO: Although we could not find out the person behind the messages, Johnson's mother chimed in on her son's FaceBook account. Over the phone, Kathy Bunche said, quote, "a lot of people love him. You can see that. They understand that the story that he is a monster can't be right. Everybody knows that's not the case," end quote. Still, the state urges people who friend inmates online to be cautious.
CARTER: We are talking about some people who are incarcerated who may take advantage of -- of an innocent person in the free world.
MORABITO: That said, although what sent Johnson to prison in the first place was illegal, his actions online are not breaking any rules.
In Johnson City, Nate Morabito.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, here's a question for you. How much money do we have? And how much debt are we carrying? The answer may surprise you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: I need you to reach out to the program. I need you to talk to me directly. A couple of ways that you can do that. First of all, cnn.com/tony takes you directly to this, bam, our blog page. If you'd like to send us your thoughts on FaceBook, here's what you do, TonyHarrisCNN. Here's my Twitter address, TonyHarrisCNN. Call us, pick up the phone, 1-877-742-5760. Let's have more of your thoughts on the program, CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Just checking out the lead story at cnnmoney.com. I can't read it. The font's too small. "But medical mafia Don pleads guilty." Got some good headlines over there. If you want the latest financial news and analysis, our "Money" team does a terrific job. We're going to talk to a member of that fantastic "Money" team in just a moment. Cnnmoney.com.
Better than three hours into the trading day for a Friday. Taking a look now at the numbers on the big board. We are down. We've been flat most of the day. We turned negative. Down eight points. The Nasdaq, last check, down three.
You know, if you want a sure sign that the recovery's on track, listen to this -- Americans have more money now than we did during the depths of the recession. Stephanie Elam is in New York with details of a new report.
Explain this to me, here, Stephanie.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, Tony, we've actually made quite a turnaround in just a year. In 2009, the total net worth of Americans jumped by nearly $3 trillion, with a "t," dollars. That compares to 2008 when our net worth declined by $11 trillion. The Federal Reserve report counts the value of assets, like your home. It takes a look at checking accounts and investments and then subtracts debts like mortgages and credit cards.
And here's what was going on in the fourth quarter of last year. Home values, they held steady. Stock portfolios jumped. And that was the biggest bulk of this. Remember, we've had that big run-up since March of last year. You remember that, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, yes. Oh, yes.
ELAM: So that factor in to bring people's portfolios back. We also cut our debt. And so while we're not where we were when the recession began, we are at least moving in the right direction.
HARRIS: Yes. Hey, can we talk about debt here for a second, because that's something we all really have control over. Are people learning their lesson and taking on less debt?
ELAM: Yes, that is part of it. But there's something else going on here as well. Most of the reduction in debt came about because so many people defaulted on their mortgages and other loans, like credit cards. So it's not that we're paying those things off, but instead banks wrote those loans off and took a loss on them.
But if there is any silver lining here, it's the idea that in order to get back on our feet and start saving, we have to work through all of that debt first. I think, for some people, they've just really learned to not live so far out of their means because of this recession and that may help us as we move forward. We've got to do things better this time than we did before and relying on credit so much. HARRIS: Yes. Absolutely. That's smart. That's just being smart about it. All right, Stephanie, appreciate it. Thank you. Have a great weekend.
ELAM: Sure.
HARRIS: What is everyone talking about on the Internet today? Ines Ferre tells us what's hot. That's next right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right. Let's do this. Let's take a look at some of the stories generating a lot of buzz on the Internet today. It is all about what you're talking about. Ines Ferre joining us again from New York.
Ines, all right, all right, what is hot out there today?
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, trending the Internet from cnn.com today, a lesbian high school student is suing her Mississippi school district, trying to force it to reinstate her high school prom. The school has a rule banning same-sex dates at the dance and the 18- year-old Constance McMillan wanted to bring her girlfriend. School officials then canceled the prom.
And, Tony, a new development here on this story. A hotel owner has offered to host a free prom for the kids at one of his properties. So there you go.
HARRIS: OK. So that -- yes, that's a new development there. What else did you find?
FERRE: Yes, it might be even better than the one they were planning to go to.
HARRIS: Good point.
FERRE: OK. The next one from cnn.com. Yes, Chaz Bono's gender transformation back in the '70s. Chastity Bono was the adorable little girl on stage with Sonny and Cher. But even as a child, she says she felt different. Last night on "Anderson Cooper 360," Chaz explained what it was like.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAZ BONO, TRANSGENDER ACTIVIST: I know that I am, you know, so much happier, more confident. I don't know, you know, I mean my life just feels right now and there was always some kind of disease within myself before that just doesn't exist anymore.
ANDERSON COOPER, "ANDERSON COOPER 360" HOST: I just want to play a brief clip back from the "Sonny and Cher Show," which is probably how most, you know, Americans first got to know you. It's really how I first, you know, saw you when I was a little kid watching you on TV.
SONNY BONO: And here's our own very special guest.
CHER: Tonight and every night.
S. BONO: Our little girl, Chastity. Say good night. Now is the time.
CHASTITY BONO: Good night, everybody. God bless you.
COOPER: For a lot of Americans, no doubt the first time they saw you was back on the "Sonny and Cher Show." I mean I remember when I was a little kid watching you on that. When you see those -- that image of yourself and when you see video of yourself as a child, as you see pictures of yourself as a child, what do you see? I mean, what was -- was it that early on that you already felt a sense of -- of being different?
C. BONO: You know, I don't like -- I mean, I'm watching what you guys have on right now. That young, I don't really have a lot of memory of. But as I got older and my parents -- my parents, I think, did a season of their show after they divorced, and I was older by then, and I realized then. And I know that there was, you know, definitely a time when I requested, you know, no more dresses. I kind of, you know, put a stop to that. And I think I asked them -- yes, see, you can see there, now this is -- I'm a little older. I'm in overalls. And --
COOPER: And that -- yes, that was part of your request? You didn't want to be in dresses?
C. BONO: That was my request, absolutely, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FERRE: And part three of Anderson Cooper's interview with Chaz Bono airs tonight on "AC360."
And a reminder, this weekend on CNN, the story of a person who seemed so have the perfect life until their lifelong struggle with gender identity was exposed. CNN follows her transition from male to female in the documentary, "Her Name was Steven," premiering this weekend, Saturday and Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern.
Tony.
HARRIS: All right, Ines, you have a great weekend. See you on Monday.
FERRE: You, too. You, too.
HARRIS: I got to tell you something, I love this next story because I know it's going to get you yelling at the television set. A sorority puts its foot down and sparks a cultural controversy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So, here's a story people are still talking about. You can say it's getting a lot of traction. Don Lemon explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): This is stepping. A proud mix of tribal dance, infusing military drills and popular culture. Dominated by African-American fraternity and sororities for decades, until the ladies of Arkansas' Zeta Tau Alpha, an all-white team, stepped into a national competition and nailed it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who you all think it is? That's right, it's the Zetas, Zetas, Zetas, first place.
LEMON: Their win stunned the crowd of nearly 5,000 people. The emcee told the audience, don't be so surprised.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw you. I saw you. You were, like -- stepping is for everybody. If you can step, you can step.
LEMON: Then came YouTube and worldwide reaction. Some said it was cultural theft, quote, "I wish you white people would stop stealing everything from us. Can we just have one thing for ourselves? Stepping is for us, not them." Others saw it differently, writing, "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Black, white, green, purple, who cares. This is good stuff by young people who have worked hard."
Deandre Clark, a former stepper, was at the show and understands why people are so passionate.
DEANDRE CLARK, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY: A lot of people might feel as though someone who didn't -- doesn't not have this background, how could they truly understand what it means to be out there stepping? At the same time, it could -- on the other hand, it could make you happy to see that stepping is starting to go further than just African-Americans.
LEMON: Now adding to the intrigue, nearly a week after the competition, organizers said there was a scoring discrepancy. So first place that was originally went to the Zetas, will now be shared with the Alpha Kappa Alphas from Indiana University. They share the title, but not the money. They both get $100,000 in scholarships.
Don Lemon, CNN
