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Presidential News Conference; New Passengers Bill of Rights
Aired February 15, 2011 - 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: We begin the top of the hour with a developing story - President Obama scheduling a morning news conference for the top of the hour. It comes just one day after releasing his proposed budget amid a rising tide of protests sweeping through the Arab world.
And we're going to get another preview. CNN's Kate Bolduan is there at the White House waiting for it to happen. And Kate, it's been a while since we've had this at the White House.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, from our records, it looked like the last time the president really held kind of extended, a full press conference was back in late December. So reporters and as well as the American public, I'm sure, very much looking forward to hearing from the president as he will be taking questions directly from reporters, and of course, the president will make opening statement, opening remarks, and that he is looking forward to talking about his budget, coming, as you mentioned just one day after releasing it along with the fact that his budget director, Jack Lew and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are both on the hill making the pitch for this budget, kind of selling this budget, if you will, to the Congress.
It sure seems like this White House and the administration is really trying to get out there and try to put on a full-court press to get their message out there because, as because, as you can see, we've already seen there has been a lot of criticism from the left as well as from the right, Kyra, on the president's budget. He said yesterday that it's going to be painful all around, and it seems that pain is being felt, and the president, we're expecting him to come out and take some questions about that.
I'm sure we'll hear him strongly defend his budget proposal and his priorities. Some of the other things -- you know, reporters, of course, can ask any question they want in these press conferences, and I'm sure they will. But you can expect the president will probably be asked about Egypt, possibly as well as Iran. People talking to the streets in Iran and the subsequent government crackdown there. You can be sure that this White House, this administration is watching that very closely. And has already been speaking out about that. So you can be sure that a few of the topics that the president will be hitting on but we're all very much looking forward to hearing from the president now, in just under an hour, we're expecting, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll be taking it live. Kate Bolduan, thank you so much.
BOLDUAN: Of course.
PHILLIPS: And right now in Capitol Hill, your tax money going under the microscope. Top White House officials begin selling the president's budget plan to lawmakers, and it's going to be a tough sell. No sooner had the president laid out his plan, critics from the left and the right just pounced on it. Conservatives say that the price tag of $3.7 trillion is just too high.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PAUL RYAN (R), WISCONSIN: This debt crisis is coming. We know what it is. We know its timing. We know its nature. We know its scope. We know what it is going to do to our economy. The CBO is telling us without a shred of doubt we're giving the next generation a lower standard of living. We're giving our children, our grandchildren a diminished country, and if we don't put in a plan in place to fix this soon, according to Ben Bernanke and economists from all over the political spectrum, we will compromise jobs and the economy today. So by tackling this fiscal challenge, we can grow the economy today and create jobs and give our kids a better country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Liberals are also blasting the spending plan and they say the president's proposed cuts go way too far. He's proposing $1.1 trillion in cutbacks over the next decade. Stay with CNN for the president's news conference. Once again, it's scheduled for the top of the hour, 11:00 Eastern time. You'll see it here on CNN.
Well, we've all said it, flying just isn't any fun anymore. Now, lawmakers are taking yet another stab at trying to protect passengers so we're not stuck on tarmacs for hours on end or forced to bunk up at airports. We've heard the stories over and over, passengers stranded on planes, on the runways for hours, no food, no water, overflowing toilets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were sitting on the runway for about six and a half hours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are not allowed to go to the toilet. You have to stay in your seat and to wait and you have to fasten the seat belts and nothing happened.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's pretty claustrophobic. I mea, we couldn't really walk around. I mean we were told that we were supposed to remain in our seats. We couldn't really, yes, we weren't free to move around that much, and then they ran out of water and there was no food.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, a lot of us have asked the same question. Why can't they just pull the plane up to the gate and let them off? That's one of the options actually that a California congressman is hoping to get in place. California Congressman Mike Thompson is introducing the new passenger bill of rights which requires airlines to offer passengers the option of getting off the plane if they've been sitting on the tarmac for three hours. It would also allow passengers access to food, water, medications at any time that the plane is on the tarmac. Right now, people are only allowed to access those things after two hours on the ground, and the new rules were apply to international flights instead of just domestic.
All right. Egypt and the latest developments there. The new transitional government is asking the United States to freeze the financial assets of ousted President Mubarak and some of his former officials. That's according to a senior official in the Obama administration. Switzerland has already done that.
And here's another sign of change in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood is applying to become an official political party there. The group was outlawed under the Mubarak regime. The Muslim Brotherhood said it does not plan to run a candidate for president.
And more high winds and heavy rain for the West Coast today. Rob Marciano tracking it for us from the Severe Weather Center.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: At one point we had 40,000 people without power across the Seattle area (INAUDIBLE). So strong storms again, the same areas that they got caught with the heavy winds over the weekend and got hit again yesterday. A lot of that energy shifted down south now and through Portland, down through Salem, Eugene in the I-5 corridor. The I-5 northbound lanes near Seattle were shut down briefly this morning because a tree had crossed the highway due to those strong winds gusting at times up to 50 miles an hour.
The winds now are shifting over farther to the south, basically from Sacramento towards the (INAUDIBLE). the heaviest amount of rain right now and that's where the wind energy is as well. And a lot of these rain is turning to snow, about 3,000 feet, you could see one to three feet of fresh snow up there in the Sierras. That's going to make for certainly some treacherous driving conditions. High wind warnings also posted for the higher peaks of the Sierras.
That's storm number one. We got a little weak storm here in the central part of the country, and really not going to do much and a quick shot of cold air in the northeast before your warm-up, which is coming from some of these warm air that is building up towards the north. Remarkable stuff, the turnaround that we have seen considering what was around last weekend.
All right. Here is, as far as day time highs yesterday, 73 degrees in North Little Rock. At this time last week they had six inches of snow on the ground and just up the road, in the northwestern part of the state, they had two feet. Salt Lake City, 58 degrees, you got some more snow heading your way in places like Hartford (INAUDIBLE) also saw some record high yesterday and quick turnaround today with temperatures barely getting to the freezing mark across parts of the northeast, which is 71 degrees for a high temperature in Dallas. More people will be enjoying some of that warmth as we go through the next couple of days. Kyra, back over to you.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Rob. And a reminder, just about an hour from now, we are expecting the president of the United States to hold a news conference. As you know, he released his budget yesterday, all of his proposed cuts, and we will take that live as soon as he starts speaking, and reporters will have a chance to ask him whatever questions they want and we'll be taking that as soon as it begins at the top of the hour.
Also, Charlie Sheen and the interview that you have to hear to believe. He's not sorry about his troubles. In fact, he says crack is OK if you can handle it. Lordy.
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PHILLIPS: Who could forget Milli Vanilli, the '80s pop duo who rose to the top of the charts, only to come crashing down after they admitted they never really sang that song or actually sang a word on their album on that tour. Grammys were rescinded, lawsuits were filed and their careers over. But we may be talking about a comeback here. Deadline.com is reporting that the scandal of lip-syncing saga is headed to the silver screen. No word yet on who will play the duo or when the film will be released.
And actor Charlie Sheen has surfaced again and he's offering some advice for smoking crack. Sheen gave a brutally honest and erratic interview to the "Dan Patrick" radio show yesterday. Let's take a listen to him actually as he recaps the pep talk that he gave the UCLA basketball team.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR (ON THE PHONE): I said, stay away from the crack, which I think is pretty good advice, unless you can manage it socially, Dan. If you manage it socially, then go for it but not a lot of people can, you know.
DAN PATRICK, HOST "DAN PATRICK RADIO SHOW": Did you think you could?
SHEEN: Sorry?
PATRICK: Did you think you could?
SHEEN: Yes, yes, but that kind of blew up in my face, like an exploding crack pipe, Dan. Sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: OK. Is he crazy? I'm just saying? All crack comments aside, the "Two and A Half Men" star says that he is 100 percent clean and ready to get back to work. He said he even showed up on the set but nobody what there. Still no word on when and if the taping for the show may resume.
Fashion Week under way in New York City and what may be more important than a designer's collection? Well, the model who wears it. One wrong choice could be a deal breaker on the catwalk. So we wanted to know what makes up a perfect model? Cheekbones, the eyes, the signature strut?
Alina Cho follows a modeling agent in the frenzy days before New York's Fashion Week, to find out how it's done.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Hey, Kyra, designers call it a make or break moment. Sure, the clothes are important, but if the wrong model is wearing them, it can be a fashion disaster. That's why casting a fashion show is so important, and if you think the models just have to be beautiful, think again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CHO (voice-over): The glitz, the glamour, fashion's catwalk is where the clothes come alive, and the model is key.
JASON WU, FASHION DESIGNER: It's almost like match making. What does this outfit want to go with? What kind of personality does this go with?
CHO: A cut-throat, lucrative business where models can earn $500 to $15,000 a show. Corolla is a rookie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have to do this every day.
CHO: She is on a casting call with the Daniel (INAUDIBLE) Agency, competing against 300 other girls for just 35 spots.
JOURDAN DUNN, MODEL: Not everyone's going to love you, some people are going to hate you, some people will dislike you. It's part of the job.
CHO: There are the basics, height, 5'9", beauty, a good walk and then there's that je ne sais quoi (ph), like personality?
SCOTT LIPPS, PRESIDENT ONE MANAGEMENT: If a photographer is going to meet you on a casting, they want to make sure that, you know, you have energy for a shoot, you're not just a pretty face that's going to give something back.
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CHO: So what are designers looking for?
LIPPS: Certain seasons, a designer will say, the you know, the look of the show is going to be, for instance, a sort of sun-kissed look and we want girls that have freckles and red hair.
CHO: Or blond or edgy brunettes. Or this. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was just about to go in a casting, and my agent called and said don't go in, they only want white models this season.
CHO: Yet Carola wants in and this season she is one of the lucky ones.
CAROLA, MODEL: It was a great feeling, like butterflies in my whole body. It was really, really great.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Carola also walked the Diane Von Furstenberg show on Sunday. This is very big deal. Lots of editors, lots of photographers, the very people who decide whether images of Carola will make their way into the magazines. That, of course, is the next step in a model's career. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Alina, thank you. And once again, we are waiting for President Obama. Apparently he is going to hold a news conference at the top of the hour, that's about 45 minutes away. We'll be taking that live.
So have you ever wondered what the founding fathers would really think about America in 2011? We are talking to an author and historian who has a pretty good idea.
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PHILLIPS: Well, the founding fathers, how many times do we hear about them in this political climate? Americans invoke their names and extrapolate their ideas for, you know, our times. If the founding fathers had a godfather, it might as well be Ben Franklin, a man with humble beginnings who made enough money to pursue other interests, like politics, diplomacy, science, writing and we still quote his "Poorer Richard's Almanac" today. While times have changed, well, the wisdom about things like death and even a good night's sleep have not.
And that voice from the past really resonates with Tom Blair. He's a guy who knows his history. Tom's father died in the invasion of Normandy during World War II. Tom owns and flies planes from that era. He loves those Spitfires. Every time he gets in, he's connecting with his dad in some way, stepping back in time and it's that love and respect and hunger for history that actually compelled Tom to write "Poorer Richard's America," what would Ben say?
Now this might be as close as we'll get to interviewing Mr. Franklin himself, author, historian, and pilot Tom Blair is with me now to talk, about that. And I want to know why you didn't fly one of your spitfires down here.
TOM BLAIR: I wanted to be here on time.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: How long do you think that \would have taken?
BLAIR: You never know. You're flying something that's 70 years old. It was built by the lowest bidder. So you never know.
PHILLIPS: It sure looks good.
BLAIR: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: That's a great, great aircraft.
All right. So tell me why did you want to write this book? Why Ben Franklin? Why this topic?
BLAIR: Well, you touched on it in the introduction which I thank you for. If you watch TV or read the paper, more and more political activists are claiming that their views are consistent with the founding fathers. Even a Supreme Court justice last year, in defending the court's recent rules suggesting that with the exception of Thomas Jefferson, all of the founding fathers would have agreed with the Supreme Court.
So I thought it would be interesting to go back and take a founding father and overlay their views on today's America. and the reason I chose Ben Franklin was for a couple of points. First of all, he appeals to the full spectrum of America. He was a blue-collar kind of guy. He quit school at 10, went to work making candles in his father's factory stirring animal fat. At 12, he wasn't to become and apprentice printer. If the next 30 years worked and toiled within the city of Philadelphia and by 41, I have sufficient money to retire -
PHILLIPS: And he was an amazing intellect too.
BLAIR: That's why I said not to touch on. He did go to West Palm Beach, then he turned his attention to the Ben Franklin we know.
PHILLIPS: Right.
BLAIR: He was (INAUDIBLE), he became a solar and was in 30 years, he had ordinary degrees from Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Oxford. He was a scholar, an intellect as well as a blue collar man. He can relate across the board.
PHILLIPS: And you touched on so many topics in the book. It's great. It's like what would Ben say about this? And it's amazing the spectrum of things that you talked about. What do you think he would say about our government today?
BLAIR: First of all, if Ben came back, I think one thing I can say with absolute confidence is he would be proud of America. I say that because he was an American. And I think if you are an American, you are proud of this country. But when Ben died in 1790, he had major concerns about the future of America and I think if he was here today he would still have concerns. I think one might be the polarization in Congress and we have all seen it where folks are standing up and say "I'm adamant, I would never vote for a tax increase." Another person, "I wouldn't vote for tax decrease, cuts in spending whatever.
I think Ben might harken back to 1787 when we had the constitutional convention, and after months and months of debate, there was no agreement on the Constitution. And these were major disagreements. So we have a president, we have a council. We have one house, two houses, should we pay the representatives or shouldn't we?
And finally, Ben stood up, and the scholars will tell you that this was probably it's his best speech ever. And I'll paraphrase it. What he said is, "are you not agree with the Constitution. I have major concerns about the way it's currently drafted but I'm going to vote to approve it because we need to move the country forward, and as I think my position might be fallible, and I ask that you consider that your conditions are fallible. We need to move forward. So I think Ben would say the country has problems, we need to address them and we can't take extreme views.
PHILLIPS: And you addressed, a lot of very serious issues, you know, Wall Street prejudice, the influence of lobbyists, flag-burning, education. But you also touch on lust and infidelity, you talked about the secrets of marital bliss. OK. What would Ben say, and why id you throw that into the book?
BLAIR: I think Ben would say nothing has changed, and I think we suggest it in the book. What is different now, for whatever reason the urge for public nudity, or to expose themselves. When somebody comes up with a marital problem inevitably stand in front of the TV and announce it.
In Ben's time, shame was hidden. You know, I think one of the things that Ben suggested is in Ben's time shame was hidden. You know, I think one of the things that Ben suggested is when somebody in the public arena stands before the cameras today, they probably shouldn't have their wife standing next to them. But they should have their girlfriend next to them.
PHILLIPS: Interesting. All right. Just come straight out and be honest, stop beating around a bush and start putting on a certain type of image.
BLAIR: Plus, maybe you'd lean lighter on the gentleman if you saw the woman he was with.
PHILLIPS: Interesting. OK. I wish Ben were here to add into this.
BLAIR: Another advantage of Ben, he had a great sense of humor and he could make fun of himself and other people. And I think that's what this country needs to a certain extent in Washington, a little bit of a sense of humor.
PHILLIPS: Yes, don't we all. I think we all need that, Tom. All right. Also, I've got to ask you about this. I wanted to know what you thought Ben's biggest concern about America today and you said it probably would be the sense of entitlement that everybody has nowadays and I was looking at this family picture and all your beautiful grandchildren. Oh my gosh, they're adorable. I can't believe this clan. This is amazing. How are you going to somehow influence all these beautiful children about the issue of entitlement. Because it's not only adults but children as well have this sense of entitlement nowadays. It's pretty disappointing.
BLAIR: I think the answer is you try your best. There was a chapter about Ben Franklin raising his children. One of them was a major disappointment and became a loyalist and agreed to hang traitors. What we try and do is show the kids what the real values are, and those values are being good human beings. So they all have their little jobs, they all have their own little budgets and responsibilities.
PHILLIPS: Amen. Tom Blair. The book is "Poorer Richard's America: What Would Ben Say." It was a great read. I got through it in two days. It was fabulous. It's so great to have you here. Next time you got to fly the spitfire down OK? I want a ride.
BLAIR: OK. Thank you for having me.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Tom. Pleasure.
BLAIR: We are waiting for remarks from the president his morning, 11:00 a.m. Eastern time, it's just about 35 minutes away. We are going to take that live as soon as he steps up to the podium. Probably going to hear more about the budget parlaying off yesterday and his announcement of where we are going to see those major cuts.
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PHILLIPS: Well a new study released by the "Journal of the American Medical Association" has many people wondering whether their FDA-approved medical device is truly safe as advertised. A review of the 113 medical devices recalled by the FDA between 2005 and 2009, show a whopping 71 percent were fast-tracked and not subjected to the more scrutiny and approval process. We are talking about medical devices ranging from hip joint replacements and heart valves to fibrillators. The FDA says its approval process needs to be strengthened and streamlined.
All right. You taxes, your money, the decisions. Congress gets ready to battle over the president's proposed budget. We'll break down how Washington wants to spend your cash.
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PHILLIPS: All right. Taking a look ahead. President Obama has scheduled a news conference for the top of the hour. It comes just one day after releasing his proposed budget and amid a rising tide of protests that are sweeping through the Arab world. Kate Bolduan is waiting for that to happen, possibly a half an hour, maybe a little after 11:00 we're being told this might start. Kate?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yep. You know, times are very -- rarely hard times here in Washington. So around 11:00, I'd say, Kyra, in about a half an hour. The president, we're told, is going to be making some opening remarks as he comes out for this press conference. Will be talking about the budget. I'm sure that's no surprise to anyone as this White House just released the president's $3.7 trillion budget proposal yesterday.
You can be sure the president will be asked many questions about the budget, probably, if they have opportunity to. Among them, likely Republican criticism. Republican leaders were quick to come out yesterday as well as today to effectively charge that the president punted on this budget. That while the president says he wants to walk the walk in terms of fiscal discipline, that he can't really do that unless he tackles the big-ticket items when it comes to government spending. Entitlement, defense, things like Social Security. Putting a freeze on nonsecurity discretionary spending is really taking on only about 10 percent of overall federal spending. You can expect the president will be asked about that.
Also, maybe the president will be asked about Egypt. Last time we heard from the president, Kyra, on Friday, he pledged continued support of the U.S. to -- Egypt and to the people of Egypt as they work toward their orderly path, their transition to democracy. And part of that support, the president has said, could be financial support if need.
And I would not be surprised if the president is also asked about the protests in Iran as we have seen people taking to the streets and also seeing the government crackdown there, as we're being told. This White House, this administration, including the secretary of state have come out very strong to call on the government of Iran to allow the people of Iran to peacefully protest if they want to.
So, lots to ask the president. A lot going on. Many people looking forward to hearing directly from President Obama himself. We should hear that shortly. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: OK. Sounds good, Kate. Thanks so much.
We will be talking more about the president's budget in a moment, taking a closer look at where all of that money would go.
But first, let's check out some of the morning's "Talkers." Egypt's new transitional government asking Washington to freed the assets of ousted president Hosni Mubarak. That's according to a senior administration official. And in Egypt, a spokesperson for the Muslim Brotherhood says that the group is confident the military will form a free and open democracy.
If you have an infant seat, you want to hear this. Nearly 800,000 child safety seats made by Dorel Juvenile Group are being recalled. Seats apparently don't always lock properly.
U.S. House extending three provisions of The Patriot Act. They include allowing federal agents to conduct roving wire taps, allowing investigators access to certain records, and permitting the tracking of international visitors with no links to terrorists.
All right. Stock market opening bell rang just about an hour ago. Checking the numbers right now. Dow Industrials down 62 points.
Well, the bidding is open. Right now, President Obama's money team is trying to convince Congress on how to spend your tax dollars. The $3.7 trillion budget blueprint is laid out on the table, and its a whole lot of money to divvy up.
Here's how the White House wants to spend it. The bigger the box, the more cash the program gets. Health care gets a lion's share, 22 percent. Social Security right behind at 20 percent. That's nearly half the budget just between those two alone.
But the further right, you'll see as we move on the graph, the smaller the portions. Education and transportation get just over two- and-a-half percent each. And then way down in the corner, you can barely see federal law enforcement and disaster response.
So, what does this mean for your family budget? Christine Romans live in New York. Christine, let's talk about the changes coming down the pike. Pretty shocking to see the numbers, too, laid out like that.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It really is. That's such a good way to visualize it. When you look at the interest on our debt as our debts grow and the deficits grow, that box gets bigger and bigger, crowding out other spending elsewhere. So, that's why we're so concerned any many people are so concerned about deficits and debt.
So, let's talk about the proposals that you would feel at your kitchen-table economics. Well, one of them is, for example, if you bought an electric car -- this reflects the values of the president and the White House - if you bought an electric car, you would have an immediate $7,500 tax rebate. That's one way if the president's budget was enacted it would affect your bottom line.
If you are a high-income individual, if you are in the top two tax brackets, the 35 percent tax bracket or 33 percent tax bracket, you would see a cut in your itemized deductions for high earners. That means your mortgage interest deduction and charitable deductions. Already the real estate industry pushing back against this. They say it would hurt the whole housing market, not just for rich people, but the whole housing market at a fragile time if you start even talking about limiting the mortgage interest deduction. Don't forget, that is a beloved tax break -- a loophole for everyone, if you will. And even though it wouldn't be targeting the middle class, the real estate industry, at least, thinks it's a bad idea.
Also here, cuts to energy aid. About $2.5 billion in cuts to low-income energy aid. You've heard a lot of people from the president's own party, Kyra, very angry about this. It would lop money off of a program -- a program, though, that has almost doubled in size over the past few years. It would cut it back to 2008 levels, cut it back to levels before there were record-high energy prices in 2008. And it shows, some people say, that the president is serious about making painful cuts because we simply in this country are living a life that we don't have the tax revenue at this time to afford.
Another thing, if you are an air traveler, something in there for airplane travelers. A potential for a passenger facility fee of as much as $7 for every airport you pass through. So, think about that. If you start in New York, you transfer through Atlanta, you end up in another airport, it could be $21 on the price of an air ticket. The president is reducing -- or would like to reduce grants to large airports by the $2 billion to $1.1 billion. Redirect that to smaller and middle-sized airports. And also allowing these bigger airports and airlines - or airlines, rather -- to institute a passenger facility fee. That could be something if you are a traveling passenger you could see.
A couple of these proposals that I just mentioned have been floated before, like the mortgage interest deduction, this passenger fee. They haven't gone very far because the lobbyists, I'm telling you, are hard at work, Kyra, to make sure the best thing for their industry happens in the budget. A lot to go through, but that just gives you a reflection of some of the things within that budget. Lots, lots more to go through, too.
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, lots more. Thank you, Christine.
Fifteen extraordinary Americans will be presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom today. That's the highest civilian honor in the U.S. Kind of like our equivalent of being knighted. And among this year's recipients, President George H.W. Bush sitting in the Oval Office with the president. And this photo was snapped this morning. Then there's poet Maya Angelou. Civil rights icon, Congressman John Lewis. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, among many others.
So, how do you earn the honor? White House says honorees make "an especially meritorious contribution to security or national interests of the U.S." World peace, or cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
We are just 20 minutes away from the president's news conference, and The Best Political Team in television is standing by. Our special coverage starts right after this.
