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Volcano Chokes Air Travel; Poland in Mourning for President and Other Government Officials; African-American Leaders Calling for Action
Aired April 17, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: This is the CNN Center. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM for this Saturday, April 17th. Glad you're here. I'm T.J. Holmes.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kate Bolduan, thank you for joining us. It's 11:00 in the East, 8:00 on the West Coast.
HOLMES: Yes no matter where you are, it's really a volcanic eruption that's being felt all around the world. Take a look, tens of thousands of flights grounded since Thursday. These are some of the latest pictures of thick ash from that still erupting volcano in Iceland.
Now, what's the problem here is that the ash can get into the jet engines and cause them to shut down. This thing is spreading across northern Europe right now. Spreading East, still it's affecting airports, about two dozen countries, keeping hundreds of thousands of international travelers on the ground. Few if any planes are taking off or landing in this affected areas and no one has any idea when things will be back up and running and back to normal.
Now, those who can are driving. They are taking trains as well including some of the dignitaries planning to attend tomorrow's funeral of Poland's President and First Lady. Polish airspace closed right now, closed indefinitely.
We may not know for sure whether President Obama will try to fly to Poland until later today. So far, it's still on schedule and the President is going to be there. That's the plan right now, to attend that funeral.
Our Jim Boulden is at Heathrow airport just outside London. A busy place not today -- Jim.
JIM BOULDEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, not quite here in the UK at all today. And in fact, you know, a lot of people are trying to take taxis. They're taking buses, they're taking trains, ferries, flat cabs. People paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to get out or to come back and of course, that's not going to help anybody in North America.
And earlier we were in terminal three here in Heathrow. Some people are sleeping there. They really don't know what to do. They can't get hotel rooms. They don't want to pay for hotel rooms or they checked out and they can't check back in. So it's a real mess.
And as you say we just cannot tell anybody when this is going to get better. And in fact we now know there will be only about 5,000 flights in Europe today. That's out of the normal 22,000. Yesterday there were 10,000 flights.
So it's not easy for anybody. Some airlines are saying we're not even going to fly today, we're not going to fly tomorrow, we're not going to fly Monday. We don't know when we're going to fly, T.J., it's just terrible.
HOLMES: It is terrible. And like we said that volcano is still erupting, still shooting ash into the air. So we don't know if this is going to go anytime soon. Jim, we appreciate you this morning, thanks so much.
BOLDUAN: And that cloud of ash from the volcano that we're just talking about is enormous. It's so big you can see it from space. This picture from NASA, for those of you who live in the volcano shadow in Iceland, its worrisome weekend with the ash cloud threatening to overtake homes and businesses.
Here's CNN's Gary Tuchman.
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GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Olafur Eggertsson is a farmer. His family has owned this farm on the southern coast of Iceland for 104 years. And that's why this is a very traumatizing time, getting closer and closer to his land as the wind has shifted, a huge plume of ash billowing larger and larger from the newly active volcano that looms over his farm. The eruption took place under a glacier causing the water from that glacier to flood much of his farm.
OLAFUR EGGERTSSON, ICELAND'S FARMER (through translator): I was really scared. I was shocked afterwards. I was standing here and watched the water come.
TUCHMAN: Olafur's family is feverishly building a dike in case more floodwaters pour down the mountain. But it's the approaching volcanic ash which can destroy homes that is really frightening him and so many others in this part Iceland.
A town called, Hvolsvollur, a little over an hour's drive from the capital, Reykjavik. People are sealing their windows and doors in hopes the ash doesn't ruin their homes.
Deputy Kristin Thordardottir, is with the local police department.
(on camera): How scary is this for the community of the eruption of this volcano?
KRISTIN THORDARDOTTIR, POLICE OFFICER: Well, it's pretty serious because it's mostly because the properties of people and their life's work are being possibly being destroyed.
TUCHMAN: The last time this particular volcano erupted was in 1821. Almost 190 years ago. And those eruptions lasted for about two years. People are sure hoping it doesn't last that long this time. But what's happened from this volcano, because it erupted underneath a glacier, it flooded these fields.
And now you're seeing all these muck, these mud, these rocks, these ice balls. But so far the damage has been limited to the flooding, some buckled roads, there have been no fatalities, no injuries and the people of Iceland consider themselves so far very lucky.
(voice-over): Because the last eruption of this volcano was almost 190 years ago, Olafur's family hasn't dealt with something like this. He just doesn't know what to expect.
EGGERTSSON (through translator): I don't know. You don't know. There's no way to know.
TUCHMAN: What he does know is that this weekend will be tense.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Hvolsvollur, Iceland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: And winds have changed, may be coming, that could definitely have a major impact on the global level. Bonnie Schneider is mapping it all out, on what happens next.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Kate and T.J.
You know, the wind will shift the ash plume but unfortunately it won't dissipate it. So it's still going to be a problem somewhere, somehow for someone, because it's really hard to say, as you hear from Gary's report, that the last time the volcano erupted it lasted for two years. So it is possible this will be a long-term problem.
Here's a look at the way the plume is blowing right now. It's heading right into the most populated areas of Europe. We're getting a lot of ash right over the skies of Germany, over the United Kingdom, over France and over Poland, as we've been talking about with air travel limited in so many of these locations.
In fact, when you look at air travel, this is a look at the transponders that would indicate air travel above some of the cities. Notice the blue X's here, that's where the ash is affecting as far south as Italy. You can see some plane activity along the coasts here in the Mediterranean and then back towards Turkey and into lower areas of Bulgaria.
A couple of planes were getting around near northern Belarus, but not much, not much at all, certainly as we go through.
Let's talk about the patterns, let's talk about the changes. Here's the way thing are shaping up right now. The winds coming in off the Atlantic searing that plume of ash, 30,000 feet above the ground. Some even higher than that because the particles are so fine it can get up 50,000 feet above the ground.
But searing it right and so once again, the most populated areas of central and Eastern Europe. Now, there will be some changes. It's not going to be today, and it's not going to be tomorrow, but later this week we are anticipating the winds to shift in the upper levels of the atmosphere, at least to some degree. And what that means, is we'll start to see the ash plume break up a little bit over places like the UK, through France, Germany, Poland, to some degree. It's hard to say exactly how much it will occur.
But with this searing winds lifting a little bit more to the north, Scandinavia will be affected much more so than it is now. Some talking about Sweden, Norway and Finland more affected by the ash plume later in the week than the countries that you see here through the UK, through northern Italy into Belgium, places like that.
So it's not a solution. It's just a little bit of a change on who is affected, and this could change once again in the weeks to come. So we'll be watching it closely. It's a very difficult thing to predict. We can only sort of tell which way the winds are steering the plume rather than when it will actually break up.
HOLMES: All right, Bonnie Schneider.
BOLDUAN: The one thing you want to hear.
SCHNEIDER: Seriously, we have to wait and see.
HOLMES: We have to wait and see.
SCHNEIDER: Yes.
BOLDUAN: And we don't know when the volcano is going to stop.
SCHNEIDER: That's true.
HOLMES: And you said, two years, Bonnie?
SCHNEIDER: That was the one that Gary reported back in the 1800s. Let's hope it doesn't last that long this time.
HOLMES: Oh my goodness. All right, Bonnie, thank you so much.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
BOLDUAN: Thanks Bonnie.
HOLMES: We'll talk to you again shortly.
Well, the airport closures caused by the volcanic ash they are causing many dignitaries to cancel plans to attend the funeral of Poland's president which is scheduled for tomorrow, I actually mentioned President Obama at this point is still scheduled to attend and White House officials are keeping an eye on the condition. Polish president Lech Kaczynski was killed with 95 others when his plane crashed a week ago in western Russia. Today, thousands of people filled Warsaw's main square to attend a memorial service for the victims.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen joins us again live from Warsaw, he was there for that memorial. Where do they go from here now, I guess Fred? They were there for the memorial. It's been a week. They went from shock to the mourning. I guess, there are the funeral tomorrow, but where do the people go now?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN BERLIN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, T.J., the ceremonies here in Warsaw are by no means finished. Yes, what's going on right now, was that a lot of the people who are at the morning ceremony, and there are some estimations that it was up to 500,000 people that actually showed up there. It was of course, a very moving ceremony that happened.
What's going to happen right now is that many of those people are going to go to around a church here in central Warsaw. Where in just a couple of minutes from now, we're expecting about a half an hour from now the casket of the late President Lech Kaczynski as well as his wife Maria, are going to be brought into that church.
And then we'll see a church there for them with the Catholic bare presence. For many people, it's going to be their last chance to pay their final respects to the presidential couple.
There was a lot of issues actually as to what will happen then because of the problems with that ash cloud over Poland. You mentioned the airspace as well as how the caskets we're going to be brought down to Krakow, which is in southern Poland, where the burial is due to take place tomorrow of course in a very famous castle there.
Right now, what we're hearing is that there is going to be a special military flight that is going to bring those caskets down there early tomorrow morning. That has special permission to fly down into that area and so then the funerals, the very big burial procession is going to take place on the famous Wawal Castle in Krakow tomorrow -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Frederik Pleitgen for us today in Warsaw. We appreciate you this morning.
Well, African-American leaders are sounding a call for action. This is a little different, though. It comes with a time frame in which to get this all accomplished. We've got the details coming up.
BOLDUAN: And how many times can we go down this road, we've heard over and over again? Toyota recalls even more of its vehicles. Stay with us after the break.
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HOLMES: Well, African-American leaders and activists are gathering in New York City this weekend they are calling an action here. Their mission here is addressing the biggest issues impacting people of color. National Action Network hosting this four-day event.
And CNN's Susan Candiotti is there. We're talking about now a time frame. And not just a plan but a time frame for putting this thing into action -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, T.J. Unlike other events, where you know, we've all attended conventions where you talk, you talk, you talk, and then you come back next year and go, ok, let's keep talking.
This time they want to try to set up some goals for themselves. Joining us now is really a rap pioneer Chuck D. I'm sure everyone recognizes him. Chuck, what do you think of this conference and the idea behind setting goals?
CHUCK D, FORMER RAPPER: I think it's necessary and I think it's something that - that needs to take place almost every day, if you want to talk about something that gets televised or broadcast. I think this is something that needs to take the black agenda seriously daily.
And I think, when it comes together like this, you know, once in a blue moon, and this is a fantastic assemblage of great minds, movers and shakers. You know, this is -- this is what we need, but it seems to be (INAUDIBLE), it's because there's a lot of issues out there that people need to be addressed every day from our perspective.
So this is a great day, Reverend Al Sharpton was able to pull this together.
CANDIOTTI: Can you think of one goal that you might set for any particular group, or even yourself?
CHUCK D, FORMER RAPPER: Education is key awareness. You got to be aware of your surroundings. You have to be aware of the platform you stand on, where you are at, who you vote for, what things get passed. I mean you have to be alert; got to be attentive.
And you know, you just can't think that the world is going to take care of things for you. How to become proactive; that's very important.
CANDIOTTI: that's the thing. With all the cuts that are facing, for example, in the area of education, how do you keep young people in particular engaged in education when they see people graduating and they can't get a job?
CHUCK D: Number one, I think that they're after, it's very important to tie into the rest of the world, too. There's black folks all over the planet. And the thing about it is African-Americans here, black folks here, if we just think that the United States is our only place that we got figure out, I think the connection into the world economy is important, too. So, you know -- I mean this is a great thing.
CANDIOTTI: Chuck, thank you very much. For a moment we're going to listen what's going on, on the floor.
CHUCK D: Please, do. Please, do.
CANDIOTTI: We'll go a commercial. We'll come back and listen. Thank you.
So, T.J., we'll listen to some of that after we come back from this commercial break.
HOLMES: All right, Susan. Thank you, yes, we will take a quick break here, but thanks to our Susan Candiotti, also Chuck D, now has political activist under his name up on the screen instead of rapper. So certainly he and many others have come a long way in getting involved in this even and movement a lot would say as well.
But stay here. We're also going to be talking about U.S. officials saying that charges have been dropped against a group of Americans accused of trying to kidnap children from Haiti but did anyone tell the Haitians that news?
That's coming up.
BOLDUAN: And the American dream interrupted by reality. Parents trying to put their kids through college while still trying to pay off their own student loans. We'll have more on this. You'll want to hear it. Stay with us.
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BOLDUAN: Top stories this hour -- Haiti's attorney general is denying reports that charges have been dropped against nine of the ten American missionaries accused of kidnapping Haitian children after the January 12th earthquake. Haiti's top prosecutor explains all charges stand until the examining judge decides whether the case merits going to trial.
All but one of the missionaries has not been released from Haitian custody but the group's leader, Laura Silsby" remains in jail in Port-au-Prince.
And for the second time this week, more technical problems for Toyota. The automaker is voluntarily recalling an estimated 600,000 Sienna minivans sold in cold-climate states between 1998 and this year. Toyota's concern is that rust could corrode a fastening cable for the spare tire creating a potential safety hazard.
Earlier this week Toyota suspended sales of its higher-end Lexus brand SUV after Consumer Reports reported that the vehicle had a high risk of rollover.
And the space shuttle "Discovery" is on its return trip back to earth. The craft left the International Space Station about 2.5 hours ago. Weather permitting, it's set to land at the Kennedy Space Center Monday morning.
We'll get another check of our top stories in 20 minutes. Stay with us.
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HOLMES: For college students and their parents, the rising costs of tuition, just overwhelming. And a recent education reform bill signed into law by President Obama is supposed to ease the tuition burden in the future.
But, as CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports, many families can't afford to wait.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIAN GOMEZ, STUDENT: Hi I'm Christian Gomez. I'm 18. I attend Marymount College.
ANTONIO GOMEZ, FATHER: My name is Antonio Gomez and my biggest fear is getting my 18-year-old daughter through college.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a story about a family who's willing to sacrifice everything to educate their children, and break with the past.
ANNA MARIE GOMEZ, MOTHER: My father was a janitor. My husband and I were born and raised in east L.A. I was seven months pregnant when I graduate from Garfield High School.
GUTIERREZ: By all accounts, Anne Marie Gomez wasn't supposed to make it. She was 17 with a baby. But she was determined not to become a statistic. So she married Antonio, went on to the University of Southern California where she eventually earned a masters degree in health care administration.
A. GOMEZ: Hi.
GUTIERREZ: We met the Gomezes in East L.A. at a fast food restaurant they own. Her husband runs it while she works full-time as a business developer. Their income is about $90,000 a year.
It sounds good, but with the mortgage, two younger children and a struggling business, they're barely able to afford Christian's tuition at Marymount College.
So when your daughter needed $25,000 for her first year of tuition what did you guys do?
A. GONZALEZ: I pulled my money out, my 401(k).
GUTIERREZ: Because of her parents' income, Christian doesn't disqualify for many government student aid so the family has come up with creative way s to fund raise. They collect classic bottles to recycle. They sell chocolate and even run 5ks for pledges to help pay for books and other expenses.
You must reflect on the opportunities that your parents have given you to be here, to be able to go to school here and the sacrifices they've made?
C. GOMEZ: I do, a lot. It's stressful at times and I feel bad, but at the same time I just really appreciate it.
GUTIERREZ: The Gomezes are also taking out loans to pay for college tuition, which is rising three times the rate of inflation. At the same time, they're paying back $59,000 that Anne Marie was borrowed 12 years ago to attend USC.
GUTIERREZ: Your family struggles, each and every semester to be able to come up with money to send her to school. What if you're not able to come up with that money?
A. GOMEZ: It's not. Well, yes, I want to buy a big house. I just want to provide for them, provide for my kids, for a better education.
GUTIERREZ: To pay them back, Christian's determined to graduate with honors.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: We invite you to join us for a CNN Special, "Fixing America's Schools"; that's this evening, 7:00 with an encore presentation tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
BOLDUAN: You want to listen to this one. The smell of success isn't as sweet at as one of the top universities in the country. Apparently some students at M.I.T. are cramming a little too hard to learn a little too much and trying to remember a little something. And they're forgetting a little something.
Personal hygiene and that's creating a big stink on campus in more ways than one, but this is MIT, where the brightest minds can solve any problem. Right?
Well, the student senate pass add bill providing free samples of soap, tooth 3 paste, mouth wash and deodorant to be handed out to students during finals week.
HOLMES: You're smart, but you stink. It's weird right. Right?
BOLDUAN: It's not something to put on the resume.
HOLMES: Not at all. But thank you for not cramming too hard. You smell quite pleasant this morning.
BOLDUAN: Thank you.
HOLMES: Coming up next here, we're talking about kids. There's a lot of stories out about bullies in the news, the past several weeks -- high profile cases.
Well, kids were told at one particular school to report school bullies to their teachers. But then a bully list came out. You can imagine what happened then. We'll tell you how the sparks began to fly.
BOLDUAN: And a Muppet siting at the pentagon. No, this is not the new code word for an operation, with the stars of Sesame Street coming out to help children of the Military whose parents paid the ultimate price.
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HOLMES: Some of the Massachusetts teenagers accused of bullying a 15-year-old girl who committed suicide are now fearing for their own lives after reportedly receiving numerous death threats.
Phoebe Prince hanged herself in January after what prosecutors called an unrelenting three-month bullying campaign that lasted until she took her own life. Well, officials at South Hadley High School were aware that Prince was being bullied, no charges have been filed for their inaction. There have been demands for the school superintendent to resign after he refused to explain why the bullies were not being punished several weeks after Prince's suicide.
BOLDUAN: Another school in Massachusetts took action to curtail bullying after Prince's tragic case came to light. It asked kids to name names creating a so-called bully list. But that did not sit well with everyone, including a boy who topped the list who now says he is being bullied.
Byron Barnett with our affiliate WHDH, has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BYRON BARNETT, WHDH CORRESPONDENT: It's the classroom assignment from his teacher, 11-year-old tom of Spencer will never forget.
TOM GEBO, ON BULLY LIST: She told us to write down names of people who have bullied you and she said to be honest.
BARNETT: But that wasn't good for Tom.
DANIELLE GEBO, BURNETT'S MOTHER: Apparently my son ranked in the top of the class with the most reports against him.
BARNETT: School officials put Tom and five other sixth graders at the wire village school on a bully list and for that Tom paid a price.
PRICE: I had to stay in for two weeks. I had to ...
BARNETT: Stay in from what? From recess?
Morning recess, lunch recess. I had to report to a teacher after I did anything. If I went to the bathroom I'd have to report to my homeroom teacher.
D. GEBO: Very angry. BARNETT: Tom's mother went straight to the superintendent.
RALPH HICKS, SCHOOL SUPERINTENDANT: I immediately took steps to correct it. I called the principal yesterday afternoon and informed her that this was to cease and desist.
BARNETT: The superintendent says school officials overreacted to the tragedy of Phoebe Prince, who committed suicide after she was allegedly bullied.
D. GEBO: I want to see the teachers who are involved with this be disciplined.
BARNETT: And the principal?
D. GEBO: I'd like to see her fired.
HICKS: I can't comment on individuals. All I can say is that the matter is going to be handled appropriately, believe me.
BARNETT: Tom admits he's bullied other kids before, but now he's on the other end.
How have you been treated by the other kids since all this happened?
T. GEBO: They were go to me and say you're on the bully list, haha. I'm not your friend anymore.
BARNETT: Do you feel like you're being bullied or harassed now?
T. GEBO: Yes. I know how it feels now.
BARNETT: What do you think about all of this?
T. GEBO: I think bullying is a bad thing, and being bullied is an even badder thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: The superintendent says he is putting together a new anti-bullying policy. It will include training for school officials and discipline guidelines for alleged bullies.
Another interesting take on dealing with school bullies in France. For nearly 10 years companies there have been offering bully insurance that reimburses students for everything from stolen textbooks to ripped clothing. Nearly 30,000 thefts occur every year at the hands of school bullies. But school officials say they don't have that kind of violent behavior they've seen portrayed in American schools.
HOLMES: It's a shame we even need something like that, bully insurance, who knew?
BOLDUAN: It is hard to get through school, you know? HOLMES: We're going to talk pork, this is one of your favorite topics here. You're up on the Hill is why I say that. Dishing out the pork, plenty of lawmakers doing so, who are the biggest government spenders and just how much are they doling out? We're going to be taking a look at this year's so-called pig book.
BOLDUAN: Pig book. And the cot of flying, it seems to be going higher every time you book a flight. Hear what the head of one airline has to say. It's interesting.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: So we've got good news and bad news on this one. Less of your taxpayer money was spent on pet projects this year. So good news.
HOLMES: If we could just leave it there, but we continue by giving you the bad news. We're still talking about more than $16 billion according to this year's pig book. Josh Levs is looking at the book. Still a lot of money, but it has gone down a bit. Why?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has gone down a little bit. You know, it's interesting, every year we see this group, Citizens Against Government Waste. They put out this report called the pig book and they say it's because of reforms in Congress. Clearly not enough so far, but this group, and they always bring pigs to the actual event there.
Each year, they released this book and they talk about what some of these big examples are. In this year, here's what they're saying are some of the reasons that things have improved. They're pointing to these reforms that were implemented once Democrats took over Congress in 2006.
They say there's greater transparency now. Also, lawmakers' names now appear next to their requested projects. Their letters of request identify where and why money will be spent and also the group points that now there's eliminated earmarks named after sitting members of the House. So that has had some affect, clearly, not a massive effect because we're still talking billions and billions of your taxpayer dollars out there.
And plenty of examples of what this group calls ridiculous pet projects. Let's take a look at a few they point to, $2.6 million for potato research, $693,000 for beef improvement research, $4.8 million for wood utilization research.
And now several Republican lawmakers spoke at the release of the pig book this year and called for an end to pork projects. Here's one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JIM DEMINT (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: So many members of congress are saying, our debt is unsustainable. We have to do something, but then turn around and say I need $1 million for a local sewer project. It just tells you how irrational this spending culture has become that's driven by earmarks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Kate and T.J., the group says there is some more hope on the horizon. For fiscal year 2011, House Democrats are not requesting earmarks that go to for-profit entities and House Republicans actually are not requesting earmarks. But the group says, hey we can expect a lot of exceptions and cases and the Senate has rejected similar limits. So we certainly can expect for better or for worse, a 2011 pig book.
HOLMES: All right. The pig book, we're talking. That's a great name for it. Who are the biggest? We usually hear and these guys are really, seen as heroes back in their districts, their home states sometimes for bringing all this money, but also on a national level, who of these big spenders sometimes that leave some of us scratching our heads.
LEVS: That's a good point you're making. I mean, one person's pork is another person's job, or a school that operates or some business that's operating there. Here's the deal. Citizens Against Government Waste said this one man, Senator Thad Cochran took home the most pork by far, $490 million for a project and here's what he told our Brianna Keilar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. THAD COCHRAN (R), MISSISSIPPI: Well the Congress has an obligation to direct the spending of appropriated funds under the Constitution. Our constitutional first amendment right to do that.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you understand why people are critical of that? How do you answer to that?
COCHRAN: I haven't heard much criticism from the people of my state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And that's the point he's making. The people inside the area that are getting that money are often not complaining about the projects that were funded near them. So in a way, it's on all of us and it's across the board. It's Democrats and Republicans, guys. And seriously, large amounts of money. So look, we all hope to see fewer pet projects in the future. Will that happen? Let's look out for the 2011 pig book.
BOLDUAN: Don't hold your breath.
LEVS: Yeah. Spoken like someone who spends a lot of time on Capitol Hill.
HOLMES: All right, thanks, Josh. We'll see you again shortly.
Well, CNN's Tom Foreman has been traveling around the country to communities that have actually been able to create jobs in this economy. One woman he talked to in Austin, Texas, had to deal with more than just an economy in free fall.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey there. What you got for me?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A dozen years back, Laura Cullen took over her dad's business. And even as single mother, she was making a go of it until New Year's Eve 2005. And so then calamity strikes. What happened?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A massive fire. Everything that Laura owns burnt to the ground.
FOREMAN: $1 million worth of buildings, equipment and inventory, gone. Laura had no insurance. Little savings, but she did have conviction. This would not defeat her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Tom Foreman will be back at 3:00 with his special "Building Up America," to tell us how this business was able to bounce back.
BOLDUAN: And a month after Congressman Eric Massa quit his job, new revelations. Records show he wrote a big check to a former top aide who accuses the New York Democrat of sexual harassment. We'll find out what the former aide says the money was for.
HOLMES: Also, you know, you go a museum, they tell you, do not touch the art, you've got to keep your hands off. Well, there's another art exhibit that is really enforcing that rule. Just a touch can get you kicked out of New York's Museum of Modern Art.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Some of the stories making headlines this hour -- it's a weekend of chaos in the skies over Europe -- 16,000 flights from the continent expected to be cancelled today because of the ash cloud from an erupting volcano in Iceland. Take-off, landings are on hold at airports at about two dozen European countries. There's an international ripple effect as well with thousands of passengers stranded all over the world.
Turning to India now where five police guards were hurt today in an explosion at a stadium. It happened in Bangalore minutes before a star city cricket match was to begin. Polices say the explosives were placed near one of the gates. The cricket match was delayed because of the explosion.
Also, a campaign finance record shows former New York Congressman Eric Massa wrote a $40,000 check to his chief of staff just before resigning for alleged sexual harassment. That aide is among those who have filed complaints against Massa. The aide's lawyers says the check was a deferred payment for her client's work on Massa's re- election campaign and on Massa's transition after the 2008 election.
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HOLMES: OK. Well, stay with me on this one, folks. We're going to take you to -- why are you laughing, Fredricka?
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I know it's going to be funny.
HOLMES: Yes. You're not supposed to touch the art when you go a museum. We know this, of course. But some visitors to New York's Museum of Modern Art are getting thrown out for touching its newest exhibit. This new exhibit is not some sculpture made of clay or some painting. It's live, nude performers.
Now, the exhibit includes nude performers who actually stand in a narrow doorway facing each other as visitors squeeze between them. OK. What do you expect to happen? What did you expect? The performers now complaining.
BOLDUAN: I would not take that job. Sorry, everybody.
HOLMES: They say they've been pushed and prodded and poked by patrons, but not everybody can squeeze -- can we show that -- you can't squeeze through there without poking or prodding?
BOLDUAN: I couldn't even fit through there without brushing up -- oh, lord.
HOLMES: You're going to rub against somebody.
WHITFIELD: If it's accidental, maybe the artists are OK with it. But part of the problem was there were a couple of folks who intentionally were, you know, getting a little liberal with the feeling of the art. And they didn't like that.
HOLMES: You really have to say, what do you expect? It's not a strip club, of course, you've got to keep your hands off. But come on, you can't get through there.
BOLDUAN: I don't know. I would not sign up for that.
WHITFIELD: It's supposed to be eyes only.
BOLDUAN: Put that not in the doorway, then.
HOLMES: I agree.
WHITFIELD: So a few modifications may be made, maybe.
HOLMES: I'm squeezing between you two this morning.
BOLDUAN: No touching.
HOLMES: Hands off, of course. Good morning, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: How you guys doing? Good morning, welcome, Kate. BOLDUAN: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: To hotlanta.
HOLMES: Hotlanta.
HOLMES: Welcome the weather.
WHITFIELD: Yes, it's been very nice.
We've got a lot coming up straight ahead in the noon Eastern hour. Of course, we're going to continue to talk about the ash and problems that have impacted folks abroad and here, and then let's talk about another story that impacts a lot of people abroad and here. Remember the case of this young Russian boy adopted here in the U.S.? Only to be returned to Russia alone on a plane, transatlantic.
How this is now impacting future adoptions? Families who have been waiting months if not years to try to adopt a child and now, of course, the Russian children who have been on that wait list, and ever so close to taking a transatlantic flight, all of that's being impacted. We're going to have an expert here who's going to tell us about what families, what adoptees can expect.
And also the case in Pennsylvania, a school district there. You all remember the case of so many computers being distributed to students and then without the students' knowing, they been watched at home, Web cams. Our legal guys are going to delve into this, because this story is not over. This legal case is not over.
Parents, school district, met last night. Yes, there's at least one lawsuit, but it's growing. Now parents are getting some more lurid details about just how liberal administrators and educators were about watching the images on this. They actually were calling it kind of a little soap opera, allegedly. Some of the school teachers and administrators who are being accused of watching these images. So more on that.
HOLMES: I want to see your legal guys, I love to see them go at it.
WHITFIELD: I know, aren't they great? They're so smart and entertaining, too and they make us all smarter.
HOLMES: All right. Who will be smarter, see you at noon.
WHITFIELD: OK, good.
BOLDUAN: Thank you, Fred. So have you flown lately? It seems you're being charged for everything. Food, pillows, blankets, even the bags you have checked.
HOLMES: Now there's one airline, Spirit, that wants to charge you for the bag you carry on the plane. Yes, the ones you carry on. That has lawmakers both in the House and Senate saying enough is enough. Earlier today, I asked the head spirit airlines, Mr. Popularity himself. Is this simply about money?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN BALDANZA, SPIRIT: In an economy when everybody's looking to save now and then, why not give some people the option? If you don't carry it onboard, we'll take $40 off your ticket. That seems pretty fair to me.
HOLMES: But if you carry it onboard, we're going to charge you $40 for it. It sounds like ...
BALDANZA: Well $20 or $30.
HOLMES: Twenty, 30 or 45 if they do it at the gate. Is this something -- are you worried now you're about to lead the way on this and other airlines will pick up on this and is this going to cause more headaches for all customers? Because you all kind of led the way on checked bag fees and now here we are on carry-on bag fees.
BALDANZA: Well, I don't really have enough brain capacity to think about the whole industry, OK? I can think about my company, and at Spirit Airlines, we believe this is good for our customers, and our customers are responding very positively, as our sales after August 1 are just doing great.
Customers who are sitting down to buy a ticket recognize that when they get a super low fair up front, paying an extra $20 or $30 carry on at their option, is a really fair thing. Now we know it's right for Spirit. We believe it's good for our customers and our customers are responding in kind with that. If other airlines decide to do this or not, it's totally up to them to decide to do. We have not done this based on whether other people will match it on.
HOLMES: Now are you making a calculated risk and some consumers might just stop flying your airline? They might not hear this whole interview and hear your explanation, they might just hear that airline charges for a carry on bag, I'm not going there.
BALDANZA: Well you know, businesses take risks all the time, T.J. You know that. And a number of years ago, Spirit used to be a two-class product, and we removed our business class a few years ago and at that point, there are probably some people that used to fly Spirit that now don't, also.
The point is businesses take risks all the time. And the marketplace judges those risks. You know a long time ago, Coke put out new Coke and it didn't work and they pulled it back. Coca-cola and Microsoft and all kinds of companies make decisions all the time. Apple, to make decisions about what their products are going to be, and the marketplace tells them whether it's right or wrong based on how they behave.
That's what this is. Do you think this is right for Spirit and our customers are going to tell us if it's right or wrong?
HOLMES: All right. That's the point there and some would say, Congress shouldn't get involved. We let the consumers decide what happens. But last thing here, I mean, how far are we going to take this thing? There is another airline out there looking at the possibility of charging people to use the bathroom. Do you think that's OK?
BALDANZA: You know, I wouldn't do that at Spirit. I'll tell you why. Our general view is, if it's necessary for a trip, we want to include it as part of the fee. Sorry, as part of the ticket price. A bathroom I would think is necessary, as would be ...
HOLMES: So is the carry-on bag.
BALDANZA: But a reasonable sized carry-on that fits under the seat, can hold all the essentials you have to have need inside the tube of the airplane versus underneath. So at Spirit we wouldn't charge for the bathroom. But I can tell you, I've been to Paris, I've been to London, and you probably have, too, and people pay for bathrooms, outside the airplane there too. So maybe in Europe they see it differently. I don't know.
HOLMES: On that last point there, you say -- what's necessary. That carry-on bag is necessary. I do not have a carry-on bag that will fit under the seat.
BALDANZA: What can't you fit in here, T.J.? What can't you fit in here that you have to have on the airplane with you?
HOLMES: You take an overnight trip. You take a two-night trip, you need a couple pairs of jeans, a couple t-shirts, maybe a jacket. You can't fit that under and then you're asking people to fly for hours without stretching their legs out at all. That's necessary, Ben.
BALDANZA: So pay $15 and check the bag. It will be there when you get there and you'll have an easier time onboard. Because everyone will get out quicker and you'll get to your destination on time more often.
HOLMES: But Ben, that's the point too. We don't want to have to wait for the bags to come off. We like to get off the plane, we got to go. We got to get places. You're taking away the whole beauty of that convenience of a carry-on bag.
BALDANZA: Well, again, let customers decide if ...
HOLMES: They will.
BALDANZA: If it's mandated to go away, we think that's wrong, because that's taking a choice away from the consumer. Not everybody eats at every restaurant. Some people like some restaurants than others. Not everyone shops at Nordstrom's, some prefer Wal-Mart.
And the reality is, the world is a better place and consumers are better off when they have a wide range of choices to chose from. We're just presenting one different choice. Customers will decide whether they like it or not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: For more than 40 years the cast and crew of "Sesame Street" has been using puppets to help educate pre-school kids.
HOLMES: And the latest endeavor though really hits home for children of U.S. military members dealing with the unexpected loss of a parent.
Here now, CNN's Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELMO, SESAME STREET CHARACTER: I would like everyone to meet someone very special to me, Elmo's cousin.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: And my very good character -- Jesse! (ph) Yes, you can come up.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: Are you sure?
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: Yes, you can come up.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: Hi everybody!
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sesame Street citizens meet the Pentagon's top brass for a serious chat.
ELMO: Well, Elmo and Jesse are cousins. Elmo's daddy and Jesse's daddy were brothers.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: That's right. But my dad died last year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that, Jesse. And we also know that you're here to share that experience.
STARR: The Sesame Workshop is releasing this new video, called, "When Families Grieve." It's aimed at helping young children cope with the death of a parent.
UNIIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard to talk about someone who died.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: It just isn't fair. I mean, why did he have to die, Uncle Louie (ph)? Why isn't he here?
STARR: The video tells not just Jesse's story, but also that of children who have lost parents in the war to suicide and illness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My dad was a helicopter pilot in the Marine Corps.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you tell an 8-year-old and a 10-year- old that their dad has made it safely back from Iraq, and then taken his own life? STARR: Gary Knell, the president of Sesame Workshop, and Elmo, agree to talk to us.
(on camera): Elmo, why did you decide to make this videotape with your friends?
ELMO: Well, actually, Mr. Gary decided that it was very important to talk to military families and everybody about -- about death of a loved one. And Elmo's Uncle Jack (ph) passed away. So we talked about it.
GARY KNELL, PRESIDENT, SESAME WORKSHOP: Exactly. You know, we learned, Barbara, that there's 800,000 preschool kids of active-duty, military or Guard and Reserves in this deployment.
STARR (voice-over): Since 9/11, more than 12,000 military children have lost a parent. This new video tries to help children express their grief and learn it's OK to be happy again.
(on camera): Elmo, what do you do when you're sad?
ELMO: Well, Elmo talks to his mommy and daddy and see if they can help. And all the time, they do help. They do help Elmo.
And sometimes, Elmo talks to friends, too.
KNELL: You're never going to replace that person. But there's a way to -- to celebrate their memory and they're going to be with us forever and -- and to not forget about that.
ELMO: Yes. Like on "Sesame Street," we all -- we all come together to help each other, too.
STARR: Was it fun being here at the Pentagon today? What did you....
ELMO: Oh, it was really cool.
(MUSIC)
STARR (voice-over): Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: That does it for Kate and I. And I'd like to thank Kate for coming down this week. And you will be with us tomorrow morning as well, but thank you for coming down to play.
BOLDUAN: Had a little bit of fun.
HOLMES: A little bit. Well Fredricka, I don't know how much fun you are going to be having in the next hour, some serious stuff going on, including a travel situation.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, we are going to have serious stuff, but we are going to try to have a lot of fun, too, just to match up with the little bit of fun that you've had all morning long.
HOLMES: Well, good luck with that.
WHITFIELD: All right, you all have a great day.
