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Economy's Turning Point; Bullycide: New Word For an Act That's Happening More and More; World Autism Awareness Day

Aired April 02, 2010 - 10:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Top stories now, the FBI checking out letters to 30 of the nation's governors. The message, "Get out of office or else." No real threat of violence here, but enough to get investigators involved. The bigger fear is that this call from a sovereign rights group will incite others to violence. We're going to keep track of it for you.

And there's a change coming today in airport security guidelines. It's a plan to work smarter overseas to identify real threats. Well, security was stepped up after that Christmas day bomb attempt in Detroit and now those rules are being augmented with threat-based intelligence like the passengers other travel destination. The rules apply to all flights coming into the U.S..

And Israeli warplanes on the attack hitting targets in Gaza this morning. The military said they hit suspected weapons factories and storage warehouses. Israel actually dropped leaflets to warn police around those weapons depots that an attack was coming. It's a response to recent rocket launches in Israeli neighborhoods.

Two other big stories that we're going to dig into before the hour's up. Around four after the hour we're talking about bullycide, the word is not in the dictionary, but maybe it should be. The act seems to be happening more.

And around 20 actor, a young author who happens to have autism. If you're a parent, this is a must see.

But the big story this morning, jobs and for once the newest numbers are adding up to some good news. This morning we learned that the nation's economy is showing new signs of strength. Employers added 162,000 jobs to the payrolls last month. Here's some perspective. That's only the third month of gains since the recession began 27 months ago. That's right, since December of '07, only two other months have seen the number of jobs grow.

And those gains were much smaller. Economists say this morning's news marks a significant turning point in the economy and that the worst may finally be over. I know what you might be thinking, Kyra, I'm out of work. I don't have a job, and I need work, not a mish mash of number. OK. Got it. And that's why Stephanie Elam is here. She joins us from New York.

So, Stephanie, help our viewers. Who's hiring right now? STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's the basic line question that people want answered, Kyra. It is so true. It's nice to be talking about who's hiring rather than who's firing. And we've got quite a list this morning. So let's go ahead and take a look at it right now.

Temporary help jobs, it really have been a big force in the gradual comeback. They've added 40,000 positions in the last month. Health care added a similar amount, they got doctors, nurses and other medical professions that have been one of the few areas that remained mostly unscathed during the recession. And then get this part too, Kyra, even construction and manufacturing, those sectors added jobs and those two sectors alone accounted for millions of job losses over the last few years and we're actually seeing a rebound there and manufacturing in particular.

That sector had been absolutely beaten up by all of the auto sector and factory layoffs. Now, the Labor Department also reported a solid increase in leisure and hospitality jobs. That means people are going back on vacations so there are more jobs out there. That's good. That headline number, that 162,000 jobs that were added in March, it comes with a really big caveat.

Almost a third of the gain came from temporary workers hired on to help with the 2010 census. Their duties are going to be done by the second half of this year. Still, this report, like you said, it could mark a turning point in what we've been seeing in the slide in the jobs market, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, what do you think? Can these gains continue at this pace?

ELAM: Truth be told, they probably are not going to be this strong, but we do expect job growth to continue. And there are few reasons. For one, U.S. factories have become a lot more productive, producing more goods with fewer people and manufacturing just doesn't contribute to the overall economy the way that it used to with all of the imports that the U.S. now brings in from overseas.

On top of that, the building sector needs to make a comeback. It's been extremely weak ever since the housing bust that we saw a couple of years ago. How long could it possibly take for these positions to come back? In the most recent 2001 downturn, it took almost 40 months for jobs to return to their pre-recession levels and if today's report any indication of what's to come, it will take even longer this time around. So maybe closer to five years, Kyra, but still, this is a move in the right direction here. This is what we want to see jobs being added, and not jobs being lost.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Steph.

Also later this hour, so what happens when your unemployment check dries up? CNN's Brianna Keilar talks to some folks who are about to lose their jobless benefits. What can you do? We'll hopefully have some answers for you. And next hour, President Obama is going to talk about creating jobs with your tax dollars. He'll be at a North Carolina company that has hired new workers with money from the economic stimulus program. We'll carry his remarks live. It's scheduled for about 11:55 Eastern time.

He should be burning in hell. That's just one message the school superintendent said that he has received after a student, 15-year-old Phoebe Prince killed herself. Gus Sayer is pushing back against parents who want administrators to quit over this. Sayer said that the staff at South Hadley High in Massachusetts, found out Prince was a target for bullies just a week before Prince hanged herself. Sayer talked about it last night with CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: How is it possible that you only found out and the principal's only found out about the bullying one week before she killed herself? It sounds almost impossible to believe if the D.A. is correct and this has been going on for three months and involved more than half a dozen kids?

GUS SAYER, SUPERINTENDENT, SOUTH HADLEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Well, it did not involved - apparently it did not involve more than half a dozen kids because those are the kids who are being arraigned for carrying out the bullying. That's the same finding that we made in our investigation a month earlier. How is it possible? You know, I deeply regret the fact that no one came forward to us and reported that this bullying was taking place. The principal does not take these matters lightly and he would act swiftly if he knew about these events.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: It seems like we were just learning of the Massachusetts case when we heard two other similar ones. One from the Dallas area, a 13-year-old boy allegedly bullied because he was short. He took his own life. And in Houston, a second grader, second grader reportedly picked on, jumped out a second-floor window at the school. He's OK and the school made him sign, get this, a contract. A no- suicide contract promising that he wouldn't try it again.

So is it just us or are we just hyper aware now or are these bully stories with tragic endings happening more often. Should the word bullycide be in the dictionary now? Heck, the act seems to be in the news more often, doesn't it?

Let's talk about it with Lucinda Franks. She's a contributor to "The Daily Beast" and also a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Also, she's been looking at this alarming number of suicide.

Lucinda, I was reading in one of your articles, you describe it as bullycide. Define that for us.

LUCINDA FRANKS, CONTRIBUTOR "THE DAILY BEAST": Well, it's intense bullying that goes on for months, sometimes years until a child is overwhelmed with a sense of worthlessness and the only way he can get away from his tormentors is by killing himself. And if I disagree with the gentleman the schools really do nothing about this.

PHILLIPS: OK. Oh, boy, I've got a number of questions for you. Since you went there, talking about schools, what is the role of administrators, teachers because they know it's going on. They see that it's happening, and apparently this harassment was happening right there in the classrooms and in front of people and there were reports that it was going on. So what's the role for schools?

FRANKS: The role should be and it was 25 years ago that a teacher sent a child to the principal's office. The bullying was stopped because there was a suspension, was there a punishment. There was parents called in. This doesn't happen now because it's so common and the administration is so overwhelmed and unwilling to take steps against bullies for fear of getting unwanted publicity, losing state funds. The teachers becoming targets themselves.

PHILLIPS: Let's put this in perspective. I mean, I remember being bullied as a kid on a number of circumstances, but my mom taught me you're confident and you have to deal with this and there are other ways around it and you know, don't let it build up. I mean, I had a really great mom that was there, and I also had another group of pretty good friends when it was happening.

So - and I don't know if you experienced it or not, but a lot of us even in our morning meeting they all went through it as well. So is it happening more? Is it worse? I mean, why all of a sudden are we hearing about more and more suicides and the kids are getting even younger. Is it because media is different nowadays or is something really happening here?

FRANKS: Well, I think the cyber bullying, the introduction of technology has allowed bullies to hack into a victim's web site, call him a creep, pretend he's using the victim's voice and saying I do this to girls, I do that or the girl does this to a boy. A naked picture is put up. This child's life is ruined. They can't get jobs, you know? They lose friendships.

So this is one thing that has just proliferated and there's also a kind of a decivilization and a callousness within the schools. Let me tell you one quick story. A boy in Mentor, Ohio, named Eric Mohat (ph) who was a very tough boy. He was 6'1" and he weighed very little. He was called Twiggy. He didn't mind that. He was called a dork.

He didn't mind that, but when the big bullies got after him and beat him up and cyber bullied him. So that people believed he was a, you know, a terrible person, he was seen crying, uncharacteristically in a hall. A teacher saw him, a principal saw him and ran away and this bully said to him, "why don't you go home and shoot yourself" and that is exactly what Eric Mohat did.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's disturbing to see kids as young as the second grade to Eric's age, you know, taking their own life and at the same time, you know, parents need to be doing more to keep their kids from preventing their kids from becoming bullies. That's a whole other segment. Lucinda Franks, appreciate your time and appreciate your articles as well.

FRANKS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, all this bully talk actually got us thinking. What do you say to your kids about bullying? Go to my blog at CNN.com/Kyra. Share your thoughts with us. I would like to read them later in the hour.

A girl with autism proved the so-called experts wrong. Instead of working in a fast food joint, she's on the fast track. A 15-year- old artist and her mom joins us.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And what has severe thunderstorms in the center of the U.S. and snow in parts of the central and northern plains and even some snow in the Pacific Northwest? What is it? It's your forecast. It's coming up in just a few moments coming up right here on CNN. We'll see you in a few.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Homeowners' nightmare in (INAUDIBLE) e Island. The governor says this is the worst flooding his state has seen in 200 years. Hundreds of people just like the ones who live here have been forced from their homes. President Obama got a firsthand look yesterday at the flooding in Massachusetts. He thanked emergency workers during a visit to the state emergency management headquarters in Framingham.

And Reynolds Wolf, I'll tell you what, they need the president's help. They need anybody's help in parts of the country right now.

WOLF: Yes, they need that or (INAUDIBLE) cooperation from mother nature and that's what they'll get today on the eastern seaboard. Much drier weather today, and not so much there for parts of the central planes especially in places like Kansas City where they're dry for the time being. If you happen to be in Kansas City, look at what's happening west. We got some strong (INAUDIBLE) everything is driving in your direction, I would say in the next 20 minutes or so you're going to be definitely feeling the wind right along this frontal boundary and later on some stronger storms.

Colombia not yet for you and St. Louis, you might have some action later on this afternoon. The strong storms and it's all stemming from this, this area of low pressure and the frontal boundary that's going to be coming through and also that rush of cold air on one side of the country. We got that contrast, with on the other side of the nation, especially in the Great Lakes, they had over 90 high record temperatures set yesterday and more may be in store today in parts of the Eastern seaboard. 76, your temperature in Washington, D.C., and 83 in Atlanta. 83 is the high expected for Tampa. 73 in Houston and back into Phoenix, 73. That's a quick wrap on your forecast.

Kyra, let's send it back to you. PHILLIPS: All right. Reynolds, thanks.

Not just living with autism, but thriving. We're going to introduce you to a teenager who's met big some pretty big challenges and you know who's behind every success story? That's right. We'll talk to mom, too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Should they go home or stay in jail? A federal judge in Detroit expected to decide today whether eight of these nine defendants should go free on bail. The ninth person is being held in Indiana. All of them, members of a Christian militia. They're accused of conspiring to overthrow the government.

One arrest has been made in connection to a nauseating story out of New Jersey. A 15-year-old girl accused of pimping out her seven- year-old sister, letting grown men touch her for money. Police say that quickly turned to rape. A 20-year-old man now in custody. He's accused of having sex with the older sister, the 15-year-old. No one has been arrested yet for attacking the seven-year-old.

A chilling quote. The blood of babies is in your hands. That comment coming from 52-year-old Scott Roeder as he was led out of a Wichita, Kansas, courtroom yesterday at a sentencing trial. The comment was directed at the prosecuting attorney in his murder trial. Roeder was sentenced to life for killing Dr. George Tiller, who performed abortions.

Chances are you know a family that struggles with autism and on days like this, World Autism Awareness Day, it allows us to bring more attention and focus on dealing with this disorder.

First, some facts. Autism spectrum disorders are a group of developmental disabilities that cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges, people along the spectrum share similarities and differences. The latest figure showed that one child out of every 110 born in the U.S. will have autism. Break it down by gender, it's almost one in 70 boys.

The Autism Society of America estimates that the lifetime cost for caring for a child with autism ranges from 3.5 million to $5 million.

There's no cure for autism, but there are success stories and Haley Moss is one of them. Wait until you hear what doctors originally told her mother about her future. It will blow your mind especially after you see what Haley has already accomplished. This is just one of her achievements. She's written a book "Middle School, the Stuff Nobody Ever Tells you About." I wish I would have had Haley's book when I was in middle school.

Haley and her mom, Sherry Moss, join us from Miami on World Autism Awareness day. Hello to both of you.

HALEY MOSS, AUTISM DISORDER: Hi. SHERRY MOSS, MOTHER OF HALEY: Hi.

PHILLIPS: It's great to have you both. OK. You look like sisters. Do you get that a lot?

HALEY MOSS: Yes, we do.

PHILLIPS: You guys even sound alike, I love it.

Haley, let's start with you, if you don't mind, for a moment. You know, how did you realize that you were different? That you were unique?

HALEY MOSS: I found out that I was on the autism spectrum when I was nine years old because one day during the summer my mom came to me and I was obsessed with Harry Potter at that time. And she said much like Harry Potter, you are different from your peers and you have magical powers and I found out about autism like all the strengths of it, like being able to play on the computer, have a great memory, have artistic talents and being able to write poetry and we found out and used it as a positive experience rather than focus on the negative parts of autism.

PHILLIPS: Wow. Oh, my gosh, I just listened to you and how you describe this and Sherry, what is so amazing to me is that doctors said to you, your daughter isn't going to go very far and the best she'll be able to do is work at a fast food joint.

SHERRY MOSS: Yes. That's what we were told and that she would have one friend and that if I was lucky she might be able to attend a small private school and that was on the upside of everything.

PHILLIPS: Unbelievable. And so, I mean, Haley, when you hear that do you want to just go back to the doctors and say, "hey, take a look at this. Don't you ever tell a parent, you know, that a child can't."

SHERRY MOSS: That's why we're out here now because we wanted to give hope to other families that when you are first diagnosed to get a prognosis like that is devastating, and the progress that Haley has achieved we want to share that with everybody and give others out there inspiration and hope, and if something doesn't work, try something else.

PHILLIPS: Amen. I hear you. And there's a tremendous story here about you as a patient as well and we're going to get to that in just a second, but Haley, tell me about this book. What gave you the idea, what was your thought process to writing this and how did you put it together?

HALEY MOSS: The thought process for originally coming up with the idea after the book started because I spoke at the Autism Society of America Conference, and I was the only girl on the panel, and I was approached by a lot of parents about my experiences in middle school and after that the publisher approached me about writing about middle school and I thought about all my experiences since I had just finished eighth grade at the time. I thought about all of my experiences and I started writing down ideas and it just started like flowing out of my mind.

The good things, the bad things and everything else in between and I just kept adding on as I thought of things and even related it to some of the things I'm going through now in high school.

PHILLIPS: Let's look at some of your art work, shall we? And as we look at these beautiful pictures, we have a number of them that are airing right now. Tell me - is this a specific character? Is this a unique young lady? Is this you? Who are you drawing and who are you painting?

HALEY MOSS: I basically draw whatever comes to mind. I'm a very like imaginative person, and whatever I think of I like to put on paper, and usually it just comes to life. And when I start drawing I already have it all planned out in my head and it just eventually unfolds for the rest of the world to see.

PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh. That's just incredible and what have other students said to you, Haley, because I think that's one - that's a big fear for parents saying "oh, my child is going to get teased and my child is going to have such a hard time in school." Yet you've done some really remarkable things. How have students treated you especially in light of all these stories that we've been covering lately about bullies.

HALEY MOSS: I've never been bullied before. I actually blended in fine because I looked a certain way to the kids and they couldn't tell anything was different with me, just that I was like more quiet than the rest of them. Other than that, nothing really was drastic for them to tease me and recently, nobody's really said anything to me about this and other things. It's just like quiet and it's like congratulations, pretty much, and it's just very on the down low.

PHILLIPS: And Sherry, as a parent, you know, how that must have been so tough because you knew, OK, this is something I'm going to have to deal with, you know, with my daughter for the rest of her life. The challenges continue every day, every month, every year. There are new challenges and how did parenting change for you? What did you do that helped Haley so much? And, you know, I mean, she's incredible.

Well, what my husband and I did is we just kept trying new things and if something didn't work. I say, we did it again. I spent a lot of time on the floor with Haley just doing something called floor time and we did therapy through play and we just reiterated it over and over again until she picked it up, and we always tried new things.

As she progressed and through the ages, we just kept going and going and going. Also, you know, autism, I say is very isolating for the family, you know? I guess, 12 years ago isn't like today where it's out there and there's recognition. So it took a lot more work, I think, not that it doesn't now because it does, to every parent out there, it is a full-time job. It's 24/7, and I tell parents to read, read and read, both to your child and for yourself to get better educated.

PHILLIPS: And you've done that. You've been so creative. And by the way, before we go, the necklace that you're wearing, Haley, did you make that?

HALEY MOSS: No.

PHILLIPS: Because I know you started a jewelry line, so I'm wondering, I was going to say I love that necklace. I was hoping that maybe you might be able to put something together for all of us. Well, I wanted to get that plug in because that's the next viewers are going to need to look for, not only your books. I know you'll be writing more, but your brand new jewelry line.

I want to tell you what, Haley and Sherry, you're just a remarkable mother-daughter team, and I couldn't think of two more perfect people to talk with on this Autism Awareness Day. Thank you so much for your story.

SHERRY MOSS: Oh, you're welcome. I hope we give some hope and inspiration to everybody out there.

PHILLIPS: Well, you just have, without a doubt.

SHERRY MOSS: Yes, it's a long journey, but keep plugging, everyone.

PHILLIPS: All right. Haley, best of luck to you.

HALEY MOSS: Thank you so much.

PHILLIPS: You're welcome. It was our honor.

SHERRY MOSS: Thanks for having us.

PHILLIPS: Absolutely.

Well, whether you have a high-functioning child like Haley or one with severe disabilities, you'll want to go to CNN.com because we've got a page there, actually, with links to the 10 best sites for autism information.

Does the church of scientology force its members to disconnect with loved ones if they leave the church and speak out against it? A number of former scientologists say they do. The church calls them liars. So who's telling the truth? Decide for yourself, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Kyra Phillips.

PHILLIPS: Throughout the week, we've been taking a closer look at Scientology, the mysterious religion made famous by the Hollywood followers such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta. Specifically, we've been reporting on allegations of physical abuse inside the church of Scientology. Allegations have been made by a former of high-ranking Scientologists against the church's leader David Miscavige.

But even some of those who make the allegations also admit they were involved in the violent acts. The church says they were the only ones involved in the violence, and dozens of affidavits, current and former senior members of the church say the allegations against David Miscavige are lies. The church says the accusers are bitter and working together to destroy the church.

The accusers, some of whom still consider themselves Scientologists, say they don't want to destroy the church, just change the leadership. So what do these former Scientologists say happened to them when they began to speak out? CNN's Anderson Cooper finds out the answers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jeff Hawkins had been a Scientologist for 35 years. A member of the elite management branch of the church, the Sea Organization, Hawkins says he witnessed several incidents of violence perpetrated by church leader, David Miscavige, and says he was also attacked by Miscavige.

HAWKINS: One time he punched me in the gut, just with no warning as he was passing me.

COOPER: The church says Hawkins is lying and is out to destroy the religion. He supports a group called Anonymous which promotes an anti-Scientology movement. Hawkins concedes he never filed any criminal charges.

(on camera): Why not call the police? I mean, these are -- this is assault.

HAWKINS: It would never have occurred to me.

COOPER: It would never have occurred to you to file --

HAWKINS: No.

In fact, if the police had shown up and said, "We heard that he beat you up," I would have said, "No. No. No. I just fell down the stairs or something." It's like the battered wife.

You know, the police show up and say, "Why are you all bruised?" And she says, "Well, I just fell down the stairs." She defends the husband.

COOPER: And so people -- people who believe in the religion, people who have dedicated their lives to it and want to stay in it put up with it?

HAWKINS: They're not going to say anything. They're not going to say anything.

COOPER (voice-over): Though he says he had a lot of trying times in the church, Hawkins says leaving Scientology in 2005 was a very difficult decision.

HAWKINS: It is very hard to leave, and that's why people don't and why they tend to toe the line because here I was 58 years old when I left. I had no money. I had no job. I didn't know anybody outside of Scientology. I had no friends.

COOPER: And you left your wife?

HAWKINS: And I had to leave my wife. We -- in fact, we never even discussed it. She was presented with divorce papers. She signed them. I was presented with them. I signed them. We haven't spoken since.

COOPER: That's extraordinary.

HAWKINS: Yes.

COOPER (voice-over): Hawkins says he was declared a suppressive person, a church term for an enemy of Scientology or its principles. He says the church has a policy called "disconnection" which pressures church members to cut off all ties with anyone declared suppressive.

(on camera): The church denies that families are separated like this, that -- that people are told not to call other people who have left the church.

HAWKINS: They're always separated. If you have a family member who is -- who has been declared suppressive or who has been critical of the church, you cannot contact them if you're a Scientologist. If your son, daughter, father, mother has left the church and is critical or anything like that, you cannot talk to them, period.

COOPER: He says that when he was declared a suppressive person that was the last time you were allowed communication.

CATHERINE FRASER, EX-WIFE OF JEFF HAWKINS: That's a lie. That is an absolute, utter, total lie.

COOPER (voice-over): Catherine Fraser was Jeff Hawkins' wife. She continues to hold a senior role in the Sea Organization.

FRASER: He paid for the divorce. He knew exactly what was happening. This is astonishing. He's a liar to the core. That is so not what happened.

COOPER: Catherine Bernardini says she was never told to disconnect from her ex-husband, Mike Rinder, the church's former spokesman who left in 2007.

(on camera): You're saying there is no policy of "disconnection"?

CATHERINE BERNARDINI, SEA ORGANIZATION MEMBER: No. Absolutely. I did not at all disconnect from him. He was never told that. I said no. I'm not going to drop everything I've had for my entire life and what I believe in and what Mike believed in. COOPER (voice-over): But Amy Scobee, another former Sea Organization member who once helped run the church's celebrity center in Los Angeles, says her mother was told to disconnect from her when she left.

AMY SCOBEE, FORMER MEMBER, CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY: In fact, I was at her house when Scientologists came with the issue -- my suppressive person issue -- to tell her that she could no longer see me. I was in the back room. They didn't know I was there.

And they showed her an issue, saying how I violated command channels (ph) and had sex out of wedlock and all this stuff and, you know. And that until I got back in good standing with the church, which I had no intention of doing, she could not be in communication with me. So she told me that she didn't have a choice. It was the worst day of my life.

COOPER: We asked church spokesman Tommy Davis and church attorney Monique Yingling about "disconnection", and they denied the church forces any Scientologist to break off communication with a family member or friend. They do say, however, that no Scientologist would want to talk to a so-called suppressive person.

MONIQUE YINGLING, ATTORNEY, CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY: You don't want to talk to someone who's attacking your religion. That's your personal choice. I mean, if Tommy were my brother and I were a Scientologist, and he starts attacking the church nonstop, I might get to a point where I'd want to say, "Look, I don't want to talk to you anymore if all you're going to do is attack my religion." And that has happened in these situations.

But it isn't the church saying you can't talk to this person, but individuals make decisions that they don't want to have contact with someone who is attacking what is their life, essentially.

TOMMY DAVIS, SPOKESMAN, CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY: Who a Scientologist chooses to be in communication with or not is the choice of that individual Scientologist, whether they're a member of the Sea Organization, whether they're a parishioner or otherwise. It is absolutely and completely their choice.

COOPER: Tommy Davis has said this before. Here's an interview last year with CNN.

DAVIS: Anything that's characterized as disconnection or this kind of thing, it's just -- it's just not true. There isn't any such policy that -- in the church that's dictating who people should or should not be in communication with. You know? It's -- it just doesn't happen.

COOPER: That denial and other disagreements with the church prompted Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis, a Scientologist for 35 years, to resign.

In a letter to Tommy Davis, he mentioned the CNN interview. "You said straight out there was no such policy, that it did not exist," he wrote. "I was shocked. We all know this policy exists. You might recall that my wife was ordered to disconnect from her parents because of something absolutely trivial they supposedly did 25 years ago when they resigned from the church. To see you lie so easily," he wrote, "I'm afraid I have to ask myself, what else are you lying about?"

Christy Collbran, another former senior Scientology member, says she was declared a suppressive person after leaving the church four years ago. She still believes in Scientology but says her parents, who remain in the church, refuse to have any contact with her.

(on camera): Now, Tommy Davis, who's now the chief spokesman for the church, has said to us that there is no policy of "disconnection".

CHRISTY COLLBRAN, FORMER MEMBER, CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY: Well, he's kind of put a little bit of a twist on it. Because the truth of the matter is, it is your own choice to disconnect. You don't have to. You can say, "No, I'm not going to disconnect."

But then what happens to you is that you can't go into the church and other people won't speak to you. So there's ways of enforcing this. It's kind of a manipulative way.

Yes, you don't have to. My parents could have said, "We're not disconnecting from our daughter." And then, you know, they would have had the repercussions of it from the rest of the Scientologists.

And they want to have something to do with this organization, that their spiritual salvation is at risk and they don't want to lose that. They don't want to lose, maybe, their jobs if they're working for as Scientologists. So they decide, well, I'm not going to go there. I'm just going to follow, you know, the orders and the commands and the things I'm being told to do so that I cannot have my life messed up.

COOPER (voice-over): Despite being labeled liars and being cut off from family members and friends, Christy and many other former Scientologists who have now come forward to tell their stories say they do not want to destroy the church. Their problem, they say, is with the man who runs it, David Miscavige.

Over the course of several months, we have repeatedly asked the church for an interview with Mr. Miscavige, but he has declined.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now, over the last few days we've heard the allegations and counter-allegations of violent incidents among the current and former senior leadership of the church. Without physical evidence, it is impossible to prove who is telling the truth, but the seriousness and similarities of the allegations also make their stories impossible to ignore. The public is entitled to ask why has there been no proper police inquiry into what happened inside the Church of Scientology. Once again, we'd like to point out that we have invited the leader of Scientology, David Miscavige, to appear on CNN to talk about the accusations from the former Scientologists. Through his spokesman he has declined. That offer still stands.

Here's a change coming in today at airport security guidelines. It's a plan to work smarter overseas to identify real threats. Security was stepped up after that Christmas Day bomb attempt in Detroit. Now, those rules are being augmented with threat-based intelligence, like a passenger's other travel destinations. (AUDIO GAP) will supply all flights coming into the U.S.

Another change to your air travel. How about pilots on antidepressants? It's now okay. The FAA is reversing course on an old rule that they say is a safe thing to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDY BABBITT, FAA ADMINISTRATOR: What drives the change in this policy is the belief that the American public has a right to know that everybody flying their airplanes is healthy, both physically and mentally. And so we'll try to bring an improvement in that area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: He also says that he hopes it pushes pilots with mild depression to seek treatment.

And it's the hottest tablet since Moses carried a couple down off the mount. I'm talking about the iPad. Apple's new tablet computer hits stores tomorrow. So, expect long lines. You can pre-order one last month, but you still have to wait until tomorrow to pick it up.

Out of work and running out of money. What happens when your unemployment checks stop coming?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it a big deal? It is a big deal when you don't have groceries and gas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These particular Republicans -

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: More Americans facing tough times as their benefits run out, so why is the Senate adjourn before extending unemployment insurance?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: This morning, new evidence that the economy is getting stronger. Employers added 162,000 jobs to the payrolls last month. And here's perspective, that's only the first month of gains since the recession began 27 months ago. That's right, since December of '07, only two months have seen the number of jobs grow, and those gains were much smaller.

Economists say that this morning's news marks a significant turning point in the economy and that the worst may finally be over.

But for thousands of Americans, today's bad times are about to get even worse. They don't have a job, and their unemployment benefits are about to run out. They had hoped for a lifeline from Washington, but the Senate adjourned for recess before extending unemployment insurance.

CNN congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar talked with three people who will see their benefits end in just a few days, right, Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, some of them may, some of them may not. We spoke with three people who are worried it could affect them, and some have experienced one of these hiccups before these lapses in payment, so they can really speak to what it means.

They're very worried about this. It all started when a Republican senator, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, said he thought this extension of unemployment benefits shouldn't be passed without being paid for. It was going to be passed and added to the deficit. He said, look, a program should be cut because otherwise you're saddling your children or grandchildren with the debt that these creates.

An impasse between Democrats and Republicans ensued; they didn't get over it before adjourning for recess. So, what does this mean? There are 11 million Americans collecting unemployment right now, and this will affect a couple hundred thousand of them.

Listen to what the folks we spoke to said about this. We spoke with Mabel, she is a nurse. We spoke with Clovia, who is a physical therapist. And we spoke with Alex, who honestly is a rocket scientist who is looking for work.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR (on camera): What do you think of what Congress is doing here?

ALEXANDER MITIURIEV, UNEMPLOYED AEROSPACE ENGINEER: These particular Republicans -- he was saying we need to look for the future of our children. This is for my children, for right now, they're affected.

KEILAR: So to you that argument doesn't resonate because --

MITIURIEV: Absolutely. It makes no sense.

KEILAR: Because you feel your kids need the money now.

MITIURIEV: Yes.

CLOVIA COX, UMEMPLOYED PERSONAL TRAINER: Having people to give up their future dreams and trying to save money for a better-working car or a better career or a better education, that is the future and the future starts now. So, it's desperate now.

KEILAR: Some people say one week, big deal, but is it a big deal?

MAYBELL WILLIAMS, UNEMPLOYED NURSE: It is a big deal when you don't have groceries and gas or, you know, because sometimes I use my daughter's car. Sometimes I don't have any gas to go look for a job, you know?

I will do almost whatever, you know, to make some money until I get my license, you know. I work as a waitress, but sometimes I don't have gas. And that one week, I'm not going to be able to make, you know --

KEILAR: You won't be able to get to whatever side job you have.

WILLIAMS: Right. Exactly right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Now, Democratic leaders say the Senate will pass this extension of unemployment benefits when they return, and they will retroactively pay that week. But as you heard, Kyra, from people like Maybell, losing that week is very uncomfortable for them.

PHILLIPS: Brianna Keilar. Thanks so much.

We'll take a quick break and more from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: This just in to CNN. You know, bombings on the Moscow subway stations that we reported on Monday. Now we than one of the suicide bombers was actually a teenager. The Russians have just released pictures of the girl, who actually was born in Dagestan. Investigators still working to identify the second female bomber. The death toll in the attacks at two stations actually rose today to 40 people.

Reynolds Wolf, been busy, busy, busy for you. I'm glad you're back home, though. I didn't like you in those high waters.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Reynolds.

All right. Let's take a break from the news for a second. How about some late-night laughs? Jimmy Fallon taking a shot at Tiger Woods' troubles, and Jay Leno targeting politicians. Go figure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "TONIGHT SHOW": This is my favorite story of the week. The Republican National Committee is in trouble after spending nearly $2,000 at a lesbian-themed bondage club in Hollywood.

You what I call a Republican who spends a lot of money in a strip club? A Democrat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON": In Florida this week, a golfer literally hit an eagle that was flying around a fairway. Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

FALLON: Tiger Woods was, like, oh, my goodness did everyone see and hear about that? What a crazy, weird thing. That should definitely be the big golf story from now on. Unbelievable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, turn on the TV this week, and all you hear about is bullies. So, on our blog we are asking you, what do you say to your kids about bullies? I'll read some of your great advice coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Bullies have been around forever, but the damage they do seems to be getting a lot worse. On our blog, we asked what you had to say about kids and bullying.

Alex says, "There is really a simple answer to this. It's don't do it. What part of that three-word statement is not understandable? Also as a parent, enforce it. If as a parent, you can't enforce it, obtain training to be able to do this.

Joyce said, "Parents need to sit down with their children and explain that they need to respect one another at school. That also includes teachers and any other staff."

Rebecca said, "Until the news and others in authority start refusing to cover or start condemning what is an unacceptable model of behavior by our kids, by the time they're adults, I suspect the bullying behavior will continue."

Remember, we love to hear from you. Log on to CNN.com/kyra and share your comments. I appreciate it.

Tony Harris, you are up and ready to go, aren't you?

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's rock. Kyra, you have a great, great weekend. See you back here on Monday, all right?

PHILLIPS: You too. Happy Friday.

HARRIS: OK. Yes, thank you. You too.