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Living With Bad Credit; Unemployment Workers Learn Truck Driving; Gulf Fisherman Struggle With BP Work; Making That Old Cell Phone Safe to Discard; Burial at Sea in a Living Reef

Aired May 16, 2010 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Crews in the Gulf of Mexico say they have successfully inserted a mile-long tube into that ruptured oil pipe.

And it's primary week in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Arkansas. How angry are the voters?

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM, where the news unfolds live this Sunday, May 16th. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin with breaking news from the Gulf of Mexico. Crews trying to stop the oil leak say they have successfully inserted a tube into that leaking oil pipe. It's not a major breakthrough in and of itself, but it is some progress.

CNN's David Mattingly is standing by in New Orleans with more on this - David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the first step forward, Fredricka, where we can actually say that the amount of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico could be slowing down. What BP tells us is that last night they successfully inserted that tube that they were going to use to siphon that oil up to a containment vessel on the surface.

During the testing, that became dislodged. They said that was a disappointment, but they were able to successfully reinsert that tube. It's not clear if that tube is operational at this moment, but they were successfully able to test this and make sure that the theory that they have does work.

So we're waiting to find out soon if this is working right now, if it is truly pumping oil out of the - out of the pipe and into the waiting containment vessel. If so, that is a big step forward in keeping more oil from spilling into the Gulf of Mexico.

WHITFIELD: And so, David, how much can that containment ship actually hold?

MATTINGLY: Well, it - it holds thousands and thousands of barrels of oil. What we're looking at right now, the big question is how much of that oil leaking out of the pipe are they actually going to be able to contain? They've said that it will contain some of that oil that's leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. In the past, when they were trying that big containment dome that failed, they were hoping to collect 80 to 85 percent of the oil that's leaking, but with this insertion tube, they haven't given us a figure yet and they weren't giving us a figure during this entire operation.

So that's one of the big questions now. OK, you've had some success. Is it operational and just how much of this oil that's leaking into the gulf are you actually able to collect?

WHITFIELD: All right. David Mattingly, thanks so much.

And hopefully we will hear some of the answers to some of those questions at 2:30 Eastern time. We understand BP has scheduled a news conference for that hour, just under 30 minutes from now. We'll carry it live as it happens.

All right. Weather, well, it's not cooperating with the efforts in the gulf today. Let's get right to Karen Maginnis in the Weather Center.

It is nasty. When we talk about rain, that downpour along the Louisiana coast, we mean it in a big way.

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, and those rainfall rates can be between 1 and 2 inches per hour, and what we're looking at right now, a pretty good squall line moving right across the Gulf Coast region and this deluge is - produced a flood advisory in a number of these areas.

Winds today, along the coast - now you have to remember, they shift throughout the day, land breeze, sea breeze, but the - generally the winds have been trending from the south and southeast. However, this frontal system is not going to move a whole lot over the next several days. We'll start to see the winds shift as an area of high pressure over the Atlantic shifts a little bit more as well.

So those winds are going to be more out of the west-southwest over the next 24 to 48 hours, but they'll be a little bit lighter. So it looks like, Fred, we're expecting maybe with that more westward shift that it could push it a little bit further over towards the Mississippi side, but the winds aren't going to be as strong. But we're also looking at the - in the next three to four days, those winds will be out of the northeast, pushing it away from the coast. So that would be the good news.

WHITFIELD: OK, good. Thanks so much, Karen Maginnis. Appreciate it.

All right, well, some celebrities, by the way, are lending their talents to help the fishing industry that is threatened by this oil spill. They're actually holding a benefit concert in New Orleans today, and in about 10 minutes, we'll take you there live and hear from big Sam's Funky Nation and why they have gotten involved. Meantime, it's been another deadly day of anti-government protests in Thailand. At least seven people were killed in clashes between troops and protesters in the capital of Bangkok. A towering column of black smoke rose over the city as protesters set fire to tires.

The government says a crackdown will continue despite protesters' calls for U.N. mediated talks. Four days of street battles have killed 30 people.

The Obama administration is watching developments closely, because Thailand is a key U.S. ally.

Days of violent protests have left parts of Bangkok looking like a war zone. What you see here are protesters attacking a Thai army truck and pulling soldiers into the streets and beating them. We're not sure where or when this actually happened, but it is a dramatic indication that this is not always a one-sided battle.

More now on the conflict from CNN's Dan Rivers in Bangkok.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This used to be one of the main routes into Bangkok. Now it's one of the most dangerous.

Here the protesters are mostly armed with slingshots and fireworks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN THAI).

RIVERS (on camera): So they're throwing these firecrackers out onto the street, which made exceptionally loud bangs - like that. They sound like gunshots, but actually they're just very large fireworks.

We think the army are up the other end of the street here.

RIVERS (voice-over): Here, both protesters and local residents are pinned down in side streets. Militant factions of the Red Shirts, dressed in black, are trying to locate army positions.

The army has sniper teams, a spotter and a soldier using an M-16 with a telescopic sight to pick their target. The army is supposed to only shoot armed terrorists posing a threat, but many other innocent people are also getting hit, like this volunteer killed trying to help the injured, but it's not clear who pulled the trigger.

In some places, the army is outflanked. We seek cover as the soldiers come under attack.

RIVERS (on camera): That's getting louder.

RIVERS (voice-over): An army ambulance rushes to the wounded as the exchange of gunfire continues. The government says these pictures handed out last month proves there are armed elements among the protesters trying to foment a civil war. But inside the Red Shirt protest area, their leaders insist they are peaceful and unarmed.

RIVERS (on camera): So you're saying there are no weapons in here?

WENG TOJIRAKARN, RED SHIRT LEADER: No, no, no! Surely (ph) no.

RIVERS (voice-over): There are backchannel negotiations going on with the government, moderates here hoping for a ceasefire.

TOJIRAKARN: So we would like to ask the U.N. present peacekeeping force immediately, within 24 hours, to stop the shooting of the Thai army now.

RIVERS: That was rejected by the government, which blames the Red Shirts for the violence.

There's a lawyer representing ousted prime minister wants Thaksin Shinawatra wants a legal enquiry into the shootings.

ROBERT AMSTERDAM, LAWYER: People have to be made to account for the indiscriminate violence, the targeted assassinations and the illegality of the attack on these people that are here.

RIVERS: The government claims to have sealed off this protest site, but food is still getting in. And in a nearby supermarket, long queues as everyone, including foreigners, stock up.

RIVERS (on camera): There seems like there's a bit of sort of panic buying.

BERNARD SERVELLO, BANGKOK RESIDENT: Just like a hurricane buying in the States, right? So you don't know if the stores are going to be open tomorrow.

RIVERS (voice-over): Beyond the perimeter of the protest area, the violence and anarchy is spreading and Thailand's image as a holiday paradise is going up in smoke.

Dan Rivers, CNN, Bangkok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And now back in this country, they're calling it a ray of relief for the gulf. Amid the fear and anxiety about that massive oil leak, coastal residents have something to smile about today.

We'll hear from Big Sam's Funky Nation, just one of the performers at a benefit concert all day long and into the evening in New Orleans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Well, it's good music for a good cause, an all-star cast of musicians is taking to the stage in New Orleans today, raising money to help relief efforts for wetlands and for businesses in the gulf threatened by that massive oil spill.

Big Sam with Big Sam's Funky Nation is one of the performers donating his time. Good to see you.

BIG SAM, BIG SAM'S FUNKY NATION: Hey. How you doing?

WHITFIELD: I'm doing great.

So you'll be performing today. You are joining a long list of performers, everyone from Lenny Kravitz to John Legend, Mos Def, Allen Toussaint. What's this mean for you to be participating in this gulf aid?

BIG SAM: Oh, it means a lot for me, to participate in this gulf aid. You know, we're all here in New Orleans, trying to - trying to, you know, get to the bottom of this and, you know, stop the oil spill, trying to raise money.

So all of us musicians, you know, came together and, you know, they - donate our time pretty much so we could raise money to - to get to the bottom of this, you know?

WHITFIELD: So how did this come about? Did you hear that there might be this effort? Was this the result of a lot of musicians getting together? You are a New Orleans - a native son there. Was this a conversation that many artists there had and said we want to do something?

BIG SAM: Well, the Gulf Relief Foundation, like, came up with a - they posted (ph) a few musicians and from there it just went - it just went bananas after that, you know? And - because all of us, you know, we realize that this is a threat to our culture and our lifestyle, so we all, you know, want to donate our services and - and come to it (ph).

So definitely the Gulf Relief Foundation made it all happen, definitely.

WHITFIELD: So you're a familiar face in so many festivals that take place not just in New Orleans and Louisiana, but across the country. Is performing during today's concert going to be a little different?

BIG SAM: I don't - I don't think so. I mean, everybody's still going to come out. They're going to party. They're going to have a good time. Everybody's going to eat and drink and everything, the only thing is that everything that - the only difference is everything that you're doing today is going towards a better cause. (INAUDIBLE) is a good cause.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And that's kind of what I wonder, if - if you feel like - BIG SAM: That's the only difference.

WHITFIELD: That's what I wonder, if they - you know, if the energy is different, if you feel like your motivation is different. You know, you put your heart into the music a little differently, knowing that this is, you know, hopefully going to help people whose industries are directly affected by that gulf spill.

BIG SAM: Right, definitely. I mean - and of course I'm - all my emotions are going to be, like, you know, it's going to be harder and, you know, I'm going to be more motivated to play and perform and, you know, to put on a show, and more people want to like just want to come out and do what they do, you know?

But, you know, I think just - everybody's going to bring the - their, you know, 100 percent, and everybody coming in is going to party and - and all the band is would want to get down as well.

So, you know, we definitely want to, you know, rock tonight.

WHITFIELD: Oh, well, I think folks feel, you know, that's going to be guaranteed, that you'll give them a good show.

Do you kind of feel, you know, as a native son of New Orleans that, boy, New Orleans and this whole coastal area has been through it, from Katrina to now even this morning, there's a lot of flooding taking place in New Orleans. How resilient do you feel, like, people have to be, that you continue to be tested all the time?

BIG SAM: I mean, very resilient. I mean, I almost didn't make it because even outside of my house is flooded this morning, you know?

But, you know, I just, I made it through it, you know? It's cool. You just got to be strong. I mean, it's not for the - for the weak and the faint of heart, you know? You've got to be strong to live in this city, because we - you know, we deal with a lot of adversity. So you've got to be strong to deal with it.

But to deal with Katrina and things after that and, you know, losing loved ones and things like that and then, you know, now we have the oil spill happening, I mean it's a lot to have to deal with, you know? You just have to be strong. You have to be strong to - to deal with it.

WHITFIELD: So here you are on this day, trying to get all the water out off your own home, and then you're going to take to the stage momentarily and put on a great show and - and help in this benefit -

BIG SAM: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: -- for the people along the coast.

Big Sam of the Funky Nation. Thanks so much, and have a great performance today. Have a good time.

BIG SAM: Thank you. Thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: And of course, if you want to help in the effort, go to cnn.com/impact and there you'll find a host of locations to try to do your part to help out people there in the gulf.

All right, U.S. and Iraqi forces killed their leaders during a dangerous raid last month. What al Qaeda is doing today that could impact the insurgency in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now.

Clashes between Somali forces and Islamist insurgents in Mogadishu have left at least 20 people dead. Most of the victims are civilians caught in the shelling when a market in the capital was hit by mortar fire. Dozens of others were wounded.

The militants want the government to impose a stricter form of Islamic law.

And Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan should expect some tough questioning in her confirmation hearing, but Republican leaders say it's unlikely that she'll face a filibuster. The White House asked that Kagan's records during her time in the Clinton administration be released so that more will be known about her.

Kagan is solicitor general, but she has never been a judge.

And in Clearwater, Florida, a small plane crashed into a house today. All six people in the house escaped injury and none of the three people on the plane suffered serious injuries either. Pretty amazing stuff.

All right, now the - now to Iraq, where al Qaeda is moving to replace some of its leaders killed in a U.S./Iraqi raid. The group announced today that the leadership slots left vacant after last month's attack have been filled. So what does this mean for the insurgency?

Our Frederik Pleitgen is in Baghdad. Fred, what does the change of leadership mean for the insurgency, if anything at all?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it actually is quite significant, Fredricka. What al Qaeda and Iraq and the Islamic State of Iraq have done is the Islamic State of Iraq has announced a new leader and a new deputy. Of course, the Islamic State of Iraq is an umbrella organization under which al Qaeda and Iraq itself falls as well.

Also on Friday, they announced a Minister of War. Now, the interesting thing about all these, Fredricka, is that these announcements come almost a month after the U.S. and Iraqi forces killed two senior al Qaeda leaders, and that's really raised questions here in this - in this country about the organization's capabilities to replenish their ranks after strikes like this.

Back in the days, you would see al Qaeda when they're - when some of their leaders were killed, replaced those within a couple of days. Now it's taken almost a month and that raises questions about how capable are they of recruiting people. Are there maybe disagreements within the organization itself?

Now, what we've seen, however, from al Qaeda and Iraq, statements that were made, is they say that Iraq has some dark and very blood- soaked days ahead of it. So they're announcing, basically, a new campaign of violence here in this country, and if you look back at the past week, it has been a very deadly one here in this country.

We saw some massive attacks on Friday. Throughout the weeks, there were attacks, the deadliest of course happening on Monday when some 85 people were killed in seemingly coordinated attacks here across this country.

So it does appear, even though there were some massive blows to al Qaeda and Iraq in the past couple of weeks, that this organization still is very capable of launching some very deadly and also coordinated attacks here still in this country, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, Fred, what does this mean when you're talking about a country that's still in this political swirl of uncertainty? Is this country particularly vulnerable right now?

PLEITGEN: Well, I would think it is. I mean, you're absolutely right. There still is a lot of uncertainty. I mean, you saw elections here in this country in March, and still, Iraqis don't know who their next prime minister is going to be.

Nouri al-Maliki of course started a recount of votes here in Baghdad and the results from that came in on Friday, and today we're hearing that there was, in fact, no voter fraud whatsoever and the results are staying exactly the same way they were before, with Ayad Allawi's party getting most of the votes and al-Malaki close behind that.

The big question that a lot of people here are asking is what sort of government they're going to have? Right now you have Nouri al-Maliki forming a massive Shiite bloc, also bringing Muqtada al- Sadr, the radical Shiite cleric, into the mix. You know, of course a lot of Sunnis in this country are asking whether or not they might be disenfranchised.

And, yes, of course there is a lot of political uncertainty here in this country. When you see the violence, you see these coordinated al Qaeda attacks across this country. That is something that could further destabilize the place.

Right now it might not be doing that, yet, but with the political uncertainty, certainly there are a lot of Iraqis who are looking at this in a very, very worried manner. And that, of course, could, in effect, also have influence on what the U.S. does in this place. Right now we're still hearing from the U.S. military they're going to stick by their withdrawal plans, but they of course are keeping a very worried eye on the political process and on this violence as well, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fred Pleitgen, thanks so much from Baghdad. Appreciate that.

All right, back in this country, job losses, foreclosures, so many Americans have seen their credit suffer. A financial expert has tips on living well with a bad credit score.

And a lost job can sometimes mean an entire career change. We introduce you to some men who are steering a new job path.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, whether it's buying a home or car, getting insured, or applying for a job, your credit score matters and more Americans are seeing their score take a dive. Last year alone, 1.4 million Americans filed for bankruptcy, a 32 percent jump from 2008.

Geoff Williams writes about personal finance and he talks about his own experience with bankruptcy in a book he co-authored titled "Living Well with Bad Credit". He joins us now from Cincinnati. Good to see you Geoff.

GEOFF WILLIAMS, CO-AUTHOR, "LIVING WELL WITH BAD CREDIT": Good - good to be here. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, sadly, too many people are dealing with this, that their credit score has plunged significantly, but they still need to either buy a car, buy a house, move on. How do you do that?

WILLIAMS: Good question. Everybody's situation is different, and - and, you know, I'm not saying that there's any one way to do it, but a lot of it, at first, is just getting past the idea that you've got bad credit. I mean, in other words, not letting it define you.

It's a score. It's not - it's not representative of who you are. And - and like - and, you know, what goes down, in this case, can go up. So, really -

WHITFIELD: So you are being judged, you know, when you try to get a loan or you apply for something, and these days, even if you're trying to get a job, there's a little bit of checking, you know, on your finances, how you've handled things. So how, you know, do you overcome this?

You co-authored, you know, this book with Chris Balish, trying to make the point that you can have bad credit, but it doesn't mean life is over. So, perhaps, what's the first step? How do you get past that, you know, that personal challenge you mentioned, but how do you move on from there?

WILLIAMS: Sure.

Well, for starters - I mean, this is a good time to actually have bad credit. I mean, I would rather have bad credit now in 2010 than say back in -

WHITFIELD: What?

WILLIAMS: Well, I'm just saying rather than back in 1990, because everybody right now, you know, is facing this. I mean, we all understand this.

So you mentioned getting a job, for instance, well the recruiters that I've talked to, I mean, they admit, fully, you know, it - it can be a factor. But if - I mean, certainly, like, if you're going after a job that 50 other people could get, you know, you're - and they look into your history and they see that, you know, you've got a, you know, problems, then, of course they can use that to weed you out.

But if - if you're going after a job that, you know, really, it's only you and another person and you're, you know, really, you know, qualified for it, then, no, it's not -- you know, it's not as much of a factor as we might think.

WHITFIELD: OK --

WILLIAMS: At least, you know, that's what I've been told.

WHITFIELD: OK, so convince me of that. I mean, you get past the stigma. Your hope is that an employer or no one is going to judge you on that. But then how do you live? How do you try to get a car loan, you know, if your credit score is very low? I mean, do you get as specific as that, as to certain steps that you need to take to try to dress things up, so to speak?

WILLIAMS: Well, sure. I mean, for starters, like getting a car -- and it kind of depends -- like, after a bankruptcy, for instance, it's actually often easier to get a car then when you have bad credit...

WHITFIELD: Why?!

WILLIAMS: Well, because if it's after bankruptcy, all of your debts or most of them are probably gone, so that they know that you can actually, you know, pay for that car. When you're in, like, $30,000 in debt, you know, sure, you're hanging onto it and maybe you're making some payments, but they can do math. And they're, like, you know, You're not going to be able to do this.

So I mean, you know, in my case, I did go through bankruptcy and I had to buy a car probably three or four months later. And I certainly didn't want to and it wasn't something I was really proud of, but my car broke down on the freeway and I pulled into, you know, some garage and they, you know, declared a debt. And we needed to buy a new car. And there are finance groups out there, you know, that will work with you.

WHITFIELD: OK...

WILLIAMS: And of course...

WHITFIELD: Because that bankruptcy filing, I mean, that sticks with you for about seven years. I would think that that would kind of lock up all of your, you know, credit potential. You say no.

WILLIAMS: Sure, even 10 years. But it -- it -- the main thing is, is the history in the sense -- you know, you can have really lousy credit, but if, say, you know, the last two years or the last six months even, you've been paying and you've been making the payments, then it becomes less important as time goes on. You know, even, like, five years later, you know, it's still on your record, you know, like a bankruptcy, but it's less of a factor.

WHITFIELD: Yes. OK.

WILLIAMS: So you know -- but certainly, if it's been a month, you know, a month ago you declared bankruptcy, in most cases...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

WILLIAMS: ... you know -- but a car, surprisingly, as I said, it's actually a lot easier.

WHITFIELD: OK. Geoff Williams, thanks so much, "Living Well With Bad Credit." Appreciate that. Hopefully, that will give a lot of folks hope if...

WILLIAMS: I hope so.

WHITFIELD: ... yes, if their credit scores or credit ratings have gone down. Appreciate that.

All right, in our series, "Sign of the Times," jobs in focus. CNN photojournalists introduce us to some creative ways people are making ends meet. Bob Crowley (ph) in our Boston bureau introduces us to a couple of men who think their future is on the road and are learning how to drive a truck.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New England tractor-trailer training trains for class A and B, CDL licenses.

DAVE SCHNEIDER, TRUCK DRIVING STUDENT: It looks easy. But believe me, the first time I did, it wasn't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watch that left mirror!

SCHNEIDER: I got laid off from a job I had worked at for 12 years ago. That was 2-and-a-half years ago. I've been out of work since. I had the opportunity to come to school, get my CDL for class A tractor driving, and this is where I'm at.

MARK GREENBERG, NEW ENGLAND TRACTOR TRAILER TRAINING SCHOOL: We've been seeing people coming from a lot of different industries. And obviously, making that big transition to something completely different as an adult is difficult.

BERNIE COST, TRUCK DRIVING STUDENT: Getting in a tractor-trailer for the first time was a little scary. Might have a little jump when you first take off. I just had to be retrained on something else because the market I was in just -- they don't want older guys. It's all about the cones and alignment. I've been out of work since November. I'm not collecting. I'm living off of my savings. I feel pretty comfortable that I should be able to get a fairly decent job and support my family and my house and not lose my house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a job that's always going to be there. Everything that goes out on the road needs a truck to bring it to grocery stores, pick up from warehouses. It's all got to go on a truck.

SCHNEIDER: The job I was working at for 12 years for me was a career job. I expected to stay there for my entire life, retire from the company. You've got to do what you have to, especially in this economy, to be able to put the food on the table, keep the roof over the head.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Their livelihoods put on hold by the gulf oil leak. Now gulf fishermen say they've been hit by another major blow. Their story right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Checking our top stories. At least 20 people were killed in Somalia today. Somali government forces have been fighting an al Qaeda affiliate and shells landed in a Mogadishu market. Seven more deaths are reported in Bangkok, Thailand, as well, today, raising the death toll since Thursday to 31. Government forces have battling Red Shirt protesters and the government today expanded its state of emergency decree to cover five more provinces.

And BP oil says it has successfully inserted a mile-long tube into that ruptured pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. They're hoping to divert some of the gushing oil to a ship on the water's surface.

All right, back now to a little bit more on the oil spill, halted fishing in most of the gulf, that you know. Well, now the people who fish there for a living have another complaint. Evan Anderson reports from our affiliate WVUE.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVAN ANDERSON, WVUE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hundreds of fishermen line up at the government complex in St. Bernard to get paid for their first few days of working out in the gulf. Sounds like good news in the wake of this disaster. The parish is cutting checks on behalf of BP because these guys are helping to keep the oil at bay. But for some... STEVE HOTARD, FISHERMAN: I'm frustrated, frustrated about everything that's going on with the fishermen and the way that -- really, I'm frustrated with the way St. Bernard's handling it.

WAYNE MELERINE, JR., FISHERMAN: They want to get you frustrated, and that's the way they got these fishermen.

ANDERSON: Some feel like there's no consistent process of compensation or selection of who can go out and get to work.

MELERINE: I got friends that don't even -- they won't even look at me because I went to work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, because you're constantly worrying. You know, we've got bills to pay like everybody else. You know when your check's coming in. I don't even know if I'm going to get any more work because they're going rotate these boats, and if they don't start rotating them right, I'll never get back on the list.

SCHNEIDER: Fishermen now each other's throats, some in the parishes "Vessels of Opportunity" the rotation, others left out.

HOTARD: It's just come to the point where either you know people or you don't know people. If you know the right people, you're working. If not, you're not going to -- ain't going to happen.

SCHNEIDER: Those who've been using their own boats, putting out boom and repositioning and realigning boom already out, have mixed frustrations.

DUSTIN LOCASCIO, FISHERMAN: The whole deal about being a fishermen, you're free. You get to do as you want, come and go as you please. You know, now they started (ph) making us jump through hoops to do this. You know, you're going to have to take a physical, going to have to take a drug test.

SCHNEIDER: Fishermen who now feel like they're on a minimum wage salary.

LESTER ANSARDI, FISHERMAN: What they paid me for three days' work I was making in a day fishing. All of us were.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just -- it's just no way to live. It's a lot of, like I said, sleepless nights. You go to bed not knowing what you're doing the next day. Never thought I'd be in a crowd of people waiting on a paycheck.

SCHNEIDER: In Chalmette, Evan Anderson, FOX 8 News.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Councilman Chris Roberts (ph) of Louisiana's Jefferson parish wrote an editorial for Nola.com, and in it he claims BP is hiring fewer than 10 percent of the fishermen, leaving the other 90 percent unemployed. Roberts called BP's efforts window dressing. Well, it looks like the paper trail of the U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan will be getting even longer. The White House has asked the National Archives to release 160,000 pages of documents covering Kagan's four years in the Clinton White House. Republicans said they needed those records to decide whether Kagan should be confirmed. She has never been a judge, so there are no judicial decisions which to evaluate.

All right, this week, three states will be holding primary elections, all of them on Tuesday, and it could be a bad day for incumbents and the party leaders. Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter, who switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party, is fighting to retain his seat. He is being challenged for the Democratic nomination by Representative Joe Sestak, who says Specter only switched parties to save his job.

In Kentucky, two Republicans are battling to replace retiring senator Jim Bunning. Kentucky's other senator, minority leader Mitch McConnell, has endorsed Trey Grayson. And Rand Paul, the son of Congressman Ron Paul, is said to have support from tea party activists.

And then on to Arkansas, where incumbent senator Blanche Lincoln is being challenged for the Democratic nomination by Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter. Liberals are unhappy with Lincoln because she voted against the health care bill.

We'll, of course, take a closer look at Tuesday's primary during the 4:00 PM Eastern hour of the NEWSROOM. We'll be talking with CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser, who will be joining us from Kentucky.

And are you planning on upgrading your cell phone? What can you do to make sure the information on the one that you want to throw away doesn't fall into the wrong hands? We've got some tips for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: OK, it always happens. You buy a cell phone, and another one comes on the market that's supposed to be even better. And when it's time to switch, what do you actually do with your old one? Do you throw it away? Do you donate it? And what about all that information that's on it? Well, this week, I talked with tech expert Katie Linendoll about this, and she says it's the real reason so many of us hang onto so many old phones.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE LINENDOLL, TECH EXPERT: They're letting them sit in junk drawers for years because we're so paranoid about all our information getting out there. You don't want to donate that phone and then someone ends up with all your contents...

WHITFIELD: Right.

LINENDOLL: ... your e-mails and all of your information. So, it is a one-stop shop. All you do is you go to the Web site Recellular.com.

WHITFIELD: OK.

LINENDOLL: You type in your make and model number. And by the way, if you don't know what kind of model phone you have, pop up that back battery cover and it'll tell you right there, right next to that barcode. So super-easy.

But also, just type in your make and model number and then type in your e-mail address. In just moments, Recellular.com actually sends you step-by-step instructions of how to delete all of your data...

WHITFIELD: Oh, excellent.

LINENDOLL: ... that is on your cell phone.

WHITFIELD: OK, so you go there...

LINENDOLL: Super easy.

WHITFIELD: ... and it really prompts you through. So it should be pretty easy.

LINENDOLL: Very easy. Exactly.

WHITFIELD: OK. So how do you make sure that it's really all gone?

LINENDOLL: Well, this is a big thing. A lot of people are just taking it into the phone stores, which, of course, they're totally capable of erasing all your data. But we have seen far too many examples of refurbished phones go out there with people's contacts and e-mails and photos and videos still on their phones. So you really have to use this Web site to make sure that all of your data is really written off.

WHITFIELD: Oh, yes. Now some folks, you know, want to perhaps cash in their phone, that old phone, you know, get it exchanged for cash. There's a place in which to do that, Gazelle.com. How does it work?

LINENDOLL: Sure. Yes, Gazelle is finally gaining popularity. And what's awesome is, no matter what kind of phone you have, and actually, no matter what kind of electronic you have to boot, you just type that in to Gazelle.com and they'll give you an offer. They even pay for your postage, which is super-nice.

WHITFIELD: Oh, OK.

LINENDOLL: But also, Flipswap.com is another option. Go ahead and use Flipswap or Gazelle, and what they can do is they give you a bid, free postage, or you can even donate it to your favorite charity or cash it in for retail cash so that you can trade up and get a better model.

WHITFIELD: OK.

LINENDOLL: And with Flipswap -- this is cool...

WHITFIELD: And there it is right there.

LINENDOLL: ... for every phone that you donate, yes, they plant a tree, which is kind of cool and environmentally friendly.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's nice. That's very green.

LINENDOLL: So really take advantage, of course, of, you know, being green, doing the right thing, but also getting some cash along the way. Why not?

WHITFIELD: Cool. And there's another way of being green, Earth911.com. In what way?

LINENDOLL: Yes. Exactly, Earth911 is another great stop because it's a way to recycle any of those gadgets. And also the gadgets that are kind of tricky and you have no idea where to dispose of, hit up Earth911.com and no matter how convoluted it is of an electronic, they will show you a location center where you can drop it off. Lots of options.

WHITFIELD: All right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Katie Linendoll, making us smarter. And just in case you didn't have a pen handy -- now's the time to get one -- here are two of those sites, Recellular.com, Earth911.com. You can also find all the Web pages posted on my blog at CNN.com. So there's still another opportunity to get all the information.

All right, a living legacy for a loved one who has died. We'll tell you about a program that allows families to bury their loved ones at sea in a way that helps actually preserve a fragile ecosystem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, some airports in Ireland and the UK are closed right now because of that ash -- that ash is so persistent -- all from that volcano still, in Iceland. Karen Maginnis, boy, what a mess!

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is a mess, and it has been for weeks and weeks. Off and on, the volcano erupts, it calms down, erupts again.

WHITFIELD: Just in time for that summer travel to Europe, right?

MAGINNIS: Exactly. And that could carry on for who knows how long! The last big eruption that occurred here in the '80s, it lasted for the better part of a year. So we're looking at varying amounts of ash a possibility because it is showing signs of being a very chronic event. And especially for the UK, this has been the problem. I want to show you what's going on. There's an area of low pressure here, pretty much situated between Iceland and the United Kingdom. Now, the winds associated with this area of low pressure, they're just kind of dipping down across the UK. Now, not as far south as the major airports, Heathrow and Gatwick, two major airports, the busiest airports in all of Europe. But tomorrow may be a different story. Tuesday could see the same problem.

Going into Wednesday, we think that this -- a lot of this ash is just really going to filter out of the atmosphere. It's going to dip a little bit further to the south. We think maybe this northern coast of France could be affected, also into the Netherlands, as well. So if you have travel plans there, if you have relatives that happen to be going back and forth across the pond, that's one thing to be worried about. All right, here we go. This is the ash as we think that it's going to look in the next 24 hours or so.

But we've got our own problems along the Gulf Coast. They're trying to have a benefit, but big thunderstorms rumbling around. Now, you know about the spill. We've been talking about it for weeks now. They are looking at an eruption of severe thunderstorms, not just for today but into the night, as well. But the winds are coming up generally from the south. The wave heights are between 3 and 5 feet. They're going to be shifting around over the next several days.

And Fred, what we're looking at are winds coming up from the gulf, gradually shifting around, and then blowing offshore by the middle of next week. So that might be good news for the Gulf Coast residents.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Karen. Let's hope so.

All right, well, as that oil spill threatens the shoreline, it's also putting the already fragile ecosystem below the surface at great risk. There's a unique program, however, going on across the country and in the gulf aimed at rejuvenating sea life through artificial reefs, reefs made of concrete mixed with human ashes, a whole new take on burial at sea.

We followed three families as they laid their loved ones to rest in the waters off of Sarasota, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go out there and make a new reef out there. (INAUDIBLE) once again (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My husband. He passed away in November of 2008. And he loved fishing, and when I found this on line, I knew this was perfect for him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dad said he wanted to be in the ocean.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... a memorial reef for John Joseph Sbooel, Jr.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the reef for my dad and (INAUDIBLE) because he loved making (INAUDIBLE) so...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This would have been perfect. He would have loved it. Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Each family has a memorial reef out there that's already cast, has a plaque on it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... just cap that off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we'll do today is put a little bit of concrete, we'll take the molds in buckets, then we'll add a little bit of remains.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And once I'm done with that, you can start putting shells and...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) we developed that in the early '90s. We were scuba divers and we wanted to do something to help save the reefs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In '98, my father-in-law came over for dinner one night, said, You know, Don, I got a favor to ask you. When I pass away, I'm going to be cremated, and I want you to take my remains and put them in those artificial reefs you build.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mike was a fossil hunter, diver, and -- down in Charleston, South Carolina. And so these are some (INAUDIBLE) teeth that he found in the river.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Couldn't think of anything else -- he would never want to have a tombstone in a graveyard where someone would go to see him. He'd much rather look over the ocean and think of him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We found out that she was terminally ill. We discovered the eternal reefs program, and we decided that it was the sort of thing that we all wanted to be involved in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We dashed by the store, grabbed eight bouquets of roses -- or of flowers, and decided to leave those flowers in the reef for the placement, and it just absolutely made it, just -- And rising up then and floating -- more beautiful than I've seen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love my wife very much, and I look forward to joining her some day in the same way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're placing Mike where he was happiest and most comfortable, and so I think it's the best tribute we can do for him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anyone that knew him that I've told about this, they just instantly know this is exactly where he belongs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And surprisingly enough, it is already hugely popular. All right, something else that we're going to be bringing your way. Perhaps you have a question for CNN founder Ted Turner. This is a new segment that will become a regular, "Face to Face With Fredricka," an interview -- sit-down interviews with powerful people, recognizable faces who have made significant impacts in communities, the world, for that matter, in the case of Ted Turner. It starts May 22nd, that interview with the CNN founder.

So this is where you come in. You can actually send me a question that you've been dying to ask to Ted Turner. Send your questions to my blog at CNN.com/fredricka or Facebook, and I'll actually pose some of your questions to Ted Turner and then you will get a chance to hear his responses May 22nd.

Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN Center in Atlanta. They're holding a big benefit concert in New Orleans today to help people who just might be hurt by that big gulf oil spill. Blues singer Tab Benoit is one of the performers, and we'll be talking with him during the 4:00 o'clock Eastern hour of the NEWSROOM. Also in the 4:00 o'clock hour, two of the younger Nevilles, the next generation, Ivan and Ian Neville -- they'll be joining us live. They're with the group Dumpstaphunk. And then at 5:00 o'clock Eastern time, we'll talk with CNN's Mark Preston and Paul Steinhauser about this week's primary elections in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Arkansas.

Right now, "YOUR $$$$$" begins with a look at how the Europe debt crisis could affect you.