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Dealing with Allergies; Government Shutdown Averted; Smart is the New Rich

Aired April 09, 2011 - 16:00   ET

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

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. government is still in business today. Democrats and Republicans averting a shutdown with a last-minute budget deal late last night. President Obama surprised visitors today at the Lincoln Memorial, still open because of a last- minute agreement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just want to say real quick that because Congress was able to settle its differences, that's why this place is open today, and everybody is able to enjoy their visit. And that's the kind of future cooperation I hope we have going forward because this is what America is all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Lincoln, of course, being one of Obama's main heroes. Now, CNN senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash joins me live. Dana, after all that drama, do we actually know where the cuts are coming?

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We know generally where the cuts are coming from. And from the perspective of the Democrats, they're not coming from the places that they were most worried about, at least for the most part. They were most worried about the fact that these cuts that Republicans had initially put in were hitting too hard to the people who actually from their perspective really need it. Low-income housing, a head start education, things like that. So they were able to get a compromise on there, but you know, the overall number, $38.5 billion, that is in spending cuts, that id about $20 billion less than where Republicans had wanted and $40 billion more than where Democrats started.

And Deb, you know this, Democrats still control two-thirds of the government. So that in of itself shows how politically potent the idea of cutting government spending has become.

FEYERICK: Now, also, what they have agreed to, it also takes - it stops all stimulus spending. That's done, that's over. So now private investing can begin, but the policy riders that we're talking about, how did they become so controversial. Was there just that much disagreement?

BASH: Absolutely. This is really a philosophical - many of these, a philosophical disagreement between Republicans and Democrats. There were about 40 or 50 policy riders that Republicans initially had in their bill, but at the end of the day, some of them - I'll give you what happened to some of the more controversial ones. The one the Democrats seized on we heard a lot about last week, was a plan to eliminate all federal funding for women's health clinics like Planned Parenthood.

Now in the end, they agreed not to put that in the bill but allow a separate vote in the Senate, which is opponents say they're confident will fail. Also not in this bill, something we reported a lot about, Republican push to prohibit the EPA from regulating green house gases. But Deb, there are still some of those policy riders in this bill that are controversial.

For example, I'll give you two. It does prohibit the government right here in the District of Columbia from using local funds to help low- income women get abortions. That is something that Democrats especially, many of them say was too much of a compromise, not to mention the money. So you're going to see some Democrats voting against this for that reason and for other reasons as well.

FEYERICK: Absolutely and the Democrats basically saying that the bill was anti-women while the Republicans were saying any kind of a shutdown would hurt the military. So each of them sort of brought out the big guns in terms of how they were counting this debate.

Dana Bash, thanks so much. We'll check in with you.

Well, some other top stories making news. This is Cairo, Egypt. Machine gunfire you can hear there in the background. In the middle of the night, soldiers in armored vehicles forced protesters out of Tahrir Square where they have been staging an all-night (INAUDIBLE). Military sources tell CNN their mission was to route out a handful of uniformed officers who had joined the protest movement. Many people were reportedly hurt in the raid. Cairo residents say this new spike in violence is very unsettling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you worried right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I'm much worried about it. Even yourself, how can you see everything is stopped, no activity, nothing at all. This is no good for our stability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Across the border in Libya, African leaders are searching for a diplomatic solution to the conflict there. The African Union special committee on Libya travels to Benghazi tomorrow. Diplomats from several African nations plan to meet with opposition leaders there. They say NATO has allowed them to meet with Moammar Gadhafi in Tripoli.

These pictures ran today on Libyan state run TV. They show Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi visiting a school in Tripoli where students are seen cheering the pro-Gadhafi slogans and if you look really, really closely you can see that today's dates have been written on several the board inside that school. Make no mistake.

Well, California police released a photo of the suspect in the Santa Monica synagogue bombing. He's described as a 61-year-old homeless man and he is believed to be extremely dangerous. Nobody was injured in Thursday's blast, but the force of that explosion propelled a 30- pound pipe into the roof of a nearby house. It also shattered windows at the synagogue.

At least 60 people are dead, nine others wounded following a mall shooting in the Netherlands. Dutch police say a gunman opened fire, killing five people before killing himself. Police are still on the alert. They evacuated three other shopping malls. Earlier today, I talked with Dutch reporter Henk Van Der Aa about concerns over terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENK VAN DER AA, REPORTER "ONE TODAY" (ON THE PHONE): I think that they are thinking of somebody who is a loner, and they're trying to rule out the fact he would be a part of a terror group. That's my feeling. That's the information I got. They told us that he is a citizen from this town, in his mid-20s, and they're actually thinking that he did this act by himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And just a quick correction there. Six people are dead. Dutch officials say they're investigating a letter the gunman may have left behind.

New video of the tsunami hitting the now crippled Fukushima Nuclear Plant in Japan. The brief clip shows the 48-foot tall wave - take a look at it there, slamming into that plant. You can see it's just going right there at the coast. That wave sent the plant offline and led to the terrible crisis.

A Russian cargo plane is flying two huge pumps to Japan. The pumps can channel water into the reactors and keep them from overheating.

And in Hawaii, a bomb disposal company lost five of its workers in an explosion. The workers were trying to destroy fireworks that had been confiscated and were being stored in an underground bunker. Four people died at the scene, a fifth was rushed to a burn unit, sadly, he died hours after the blast.

And in west Texas, firefighters have not been able to gain control of a massive fire. It's an aggressive wildfire that has already consumed more than 60,000 acres covering three counties and it's still moving. You can see it there. The fire east of Lubbock has already burned two houses and threatened several more.

Well, from wind-driven fires in Texas to rivers overflowing in their banks in North Dakota. This is Fargo, and you can see people there bringing those sand bags to try to keep the water from spilling out. The city along the Red River must watch and wait.

Let's bring in meteorologist Karen Maginnis and boy, they have their work cut out for them there.

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: They do, and already, there are just about 400 national guards that are on the ground in Fargo. And we're watching not just the Red River that runs north from Fargo towards Canada, but also the Mississippi that over the next seven days does bear watching as well. Primarily due to snow melt because we really haven't seen that much in the way of rainfall over the last probably five months or so.

Since January, Fargo has seen just about less than two inches of rainfall. So all of this is thanks to snow melt. I would also point out one other thing, that right around Grand Forks, they're saying that the river should crest there right around Wednesday. It could be as much as two, maybe three feet below what the record crest was, but still producing major flooding that could close bridges and roads and portions of the interstates all the way between Fargo, up towards Grand Fork, so it's very treacherous travel across this region. 800,000 plus sand bags have been issued across this region.

I want to show you another big story that we are watching today. That is across the Appalachian mountain region. The Ohio River Valley into the Tennessee Valley. Some very strong thunderstorms have been reported here. We do have a tornado watch in effect as well as a severe thunderstorm watch. Both of those expire around 9:00 Eastern time this evening.

But until then, we have seen a number of reports, dozens and dozens of reports of very strong and gusty winds being reported here. Also Doppler radar indicated tornadoes, which means there is a potential for tornadic activity. But this is the time, spring time when we start talking about the potential for severe weather. If you don't have a NOAA weather radio, you probably need to get one, especially if you're in these tornadic prone areas where it's going to be very vital for you to get that information very early.

Well, also in portions of Indiana, we are seeing some localized flooding due to heavy downpours there. So Deborah, a lot taking place here. But I want to mention one other thing. And that is at the Masters, temperature could be at record-setting levels. Not just for today but tomorrow as well. It's very hot there.

FEYERICK: OK. Well, Karen, thanks so much. We look forward to your next report. Appreciate it.

Well, back overseas now. Can social media help change controversial elections in Africa. One man, one mission, and one mobile.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: It's a tense election day, election week really in Nigeria. People have already been hurt and reportedly killed. Voters are picking their representatives and senators beginning today, and then next weekend, they're going to vote for president. Two bombs went off at election sites in Nigeria, one yesterday and one today.

Elsewhere overseas, people in Rio de Janeiro are still trying to o figure out what motivated a man to go into his former school on Thursday and start shooting. The man killed at least 11 children and then he killed himself.

And in Baghdad today, thousands of people marched and chanted to mark eight years, eight years since Saddam Hussein fell from power. Most of the protesters are followers of Shiite cleric (INAUDIBLE) Sadr. They shouted anti-American slogans and they demanded all U.S. troops leave Iraq. All American forces are scheduled to be out of Iraq by the end of this year.

And despite the violence and delays that have marred the Nigerian elections, there's one man who is doing everything he can to get out the vote.

CNN's Christian Purefoy reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIAN PUREFOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just another man in the crowd. But using his phone to lure thousands of followers. Amara Nwankpa is perhaps Nigeria's best known Twitter activist. And he's checking up on Nigeria's coming elections.

AMARA NWANKPA, TWITTER ACTIVIST: Please come.

(INAUDIBLE)

PUREFOY: Nigeria's last elections in 2007 were marred by violence and fraud. To a degree many observers said was unprecedented. But as they (INAUDIBLE) polling station, Amara and his friends hope to encourage greater transparency by harnessing Nigeria' 43 million internet users. The largest number in Africa.

(On camera): Is this new, the fact you're able to get all this stuff on Google maps? Even the map of Lagos (ph). If we look out the window, it seems like a maze of streets and side streets. How the hell can you convey what's on that phone, the map on that phone to what's outside?

NWANKPA: Pretty accurate. I mean from my experience, actually and it's new.

PUREFOY: So you weren't able to do this a year ago?

NWANKPA: Not at all. It would have been impossible to do it.

PUREFOY: Despite Google maps, we just walked past the voting (INAUDIBLE)?

NWANKPA: Exactly.

PUREFOY: We knew it was right by the mosque, so it's somewhere around here.

NWANKPA: In the right vicinity. What you're doing is essentially encouraging young groups to participate and to do the right thing. The election in Nigeria is our own, right? You know it's all of us. A good election, it's al of us.

PUREFOY: What are you looking for when you come to a place like this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First thing is information. We have been key in getting information out there.

PUREFOY: You're looking for rigging, machine failures?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Machine failures, any irregularities.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If someone is buying voter spots, for example. That's irregular. That's not right, it's not supposed to happen.

PUREFOY: While you're standing here, you're still getting tweets. What are they sending you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, I'm registered. Hey, I just got registered.

PUREFOY: So that has an affect, do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does. Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 30,000 people behind me on Twitter get to see it every time I re-tweet it. That's a lot of people.

PUREFOY (voice-over): But the majority of Nigerians still do not have internet access.

NWANKPA: It's kind of like the cream of the crop where the internet population in Nigeria said people with platforms and the ones who actually have this kind of access - people, radio presenters, writers, news (INAUDIBLE) and so on and so forth, so there's (INAUDIBLE) stuff that happens on our timeline ends up in the news.

PUREFOY (on camera): (INAUDIBLE) how does that make you feel?

NWANKPA: It makes me feel that we can make a change. We can move things in the right direction.

PUREFOY (voice-over): If nothing else, he certainly got people talking.

Christian Purefoy, CNN, Lagos, Nigeria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Well, it's that time of year. Kids getting accepted into college. Parents breathing a sigh of relief except now comes the sticker shock. Your options in paying for a college education. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) FEYERICK: Well, this young lady has been something of a continuing project here at CNN. High school seniors agonizing over where to go to college. Picking a school, sure that's easy. Getting accepted, that's a lot trickier. Paying for a four-year education, panic. Watch this. We call it "Smart is the New Rich." Here is CNN's Christine Romans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OLIVIA POGLIANICH, COLLEGE FRESHMAN: Two new dorms which everyone wants to room in. I'm kind of leaning towards the all-freshman dorm.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 18-year-old Olivia Poglianich has made it to her first-choice school, Cornell, and she's hoping she gets to go.

CLAUDIA POGLIANICH, OLIVIA'S MOTHER: We're waiting between two very good schools that she likes. One school has already awarded the financial aid package and one school hasn't. So we are on pins and needles.

ROMANS: Tuition is up a whopping 400 percent since the 1980s. That means many families simply cannot manage without some sort of financial aid. But that's not the only option. "Princeton Review" publisher Robert Franek says -

ROBERT FRANEK, PUBLISHER, "PRINCETON REVIEW": 539 plans are college savings plans.

ROMANS: Specifics vary from state to state but here are the basics. There are two types, you can invest in a savings plan where the money goes into investments like mutual funds, and there's a pre-paid college plan which allows parents to purchase units now and bypass higher tuition later.

This mom tweets from Florida, "I have prepaid the college tuition for my two boys, Florida's program is great. It freezes the cost at the time you sign up." Her sons are now 13 and 15. "I signed up for the plan when they were eight and 10, and now it's all paid up. A great feeling."

But some states are no longer taking new enrollments and market fluctuations and state budget crisis have raised concerns about the future of some other programs. But what happens if your child doesn't go to the state school as planned?

FRANK: Generally speaking, if you don't use those resources for approved educational expenses or tuition, room and board and any fees that the university would charge, you can, in some states, (INAUDIBLE) that over to another sibling or another family member. So there is some portability factor for some (INAUDIBLE).

POGLIANICH: I'm very excited just to get going, to know the day that I'll start orientation, to know who my roommate is going to be and know that my mom and I will be able to afford a college education at one of my dream schools. ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Well, a comedy classic gets a do-over. The remake of "Arthur" is in theaters this weekend. Our critics weigh in. Is it worth the trip?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Well, Dudley Moore made the original film a comedy classic. Will the Russell Brand remake of "Arthur" get the same respect. Matt Atchity, a film critic with Rottentomatoes.com is here for this weekend's review. We're going to start first with a clip of "Arthur." Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Open the door. Close that door. Get in the car. Not you, gentleman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who are you people?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm his nanny.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: OK. So Matt, how do you improve on a classic? On perfection? What do you think of this?

MATT ATCHITY, ROTTENTOMATOES.COM, FILM CRITIC: You know, Dudley Moore casts a long shadow here, and it's kind of unfair to Russell Brand. You know, he puts in a good performance here. And I enjoyed watching him, but overall, the movie just doesn't measure up. This would have been much more interesting if they would have tried to do something a little bit more original and not made this "Arthur" so to speak because I think that he's really constrained here and it's unfortunate.

FEYERICK: So they could have made him Arthur's nephew, for example, or Arthur's cousin or his half-brother?

ATCHITY: Or maybe something like that. Yes, you know, or even just come up with an original idea. You know, the continuing adventures of what we had seen him do and get into the Greek (ph). This one they kind of pulled the teeth of the character a little bit, and it's kind of disappointing, unfortunately.

FEYERICK: OK. So grade, what do you give the re-make of "Arthur"? What grade?

ATCHITY: You know, I like it more than I thought I was going to, but I still didn't like it that much. I have to give it a "D," unfortunately.

FEYERICK: OK. Lower than I thought you'd give it.

OK. Our next movie, an action thriller titled "Hanna." Here's a clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're dead right now. I have killed you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Aw!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were half-asleep.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll do better the next time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm ready. (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All you have to do is hit the switch. It tells them where we are. Only you can get close enough. She won't stop until you're dead or she is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: So OK, teenage assassin here, all right, being trained by her dad. I guess sort of a love-hate relationship there. What do you think of this movie, Matt?

ATCHITY: I loved this movie. This is one of the best movies I have seen all year. It's really fantastic. The action moves along really well, it's very well staged. The performances were fantastic. Saoise Ronan does a fantastic job as the title character. Some people might remember her from "The Lovely Bones" and/or "Atonement." Both movies I didn't really like, and so I was a little nervous about this one but she's great.

Eric Bana is really good as her father who has trained her to be this stone-cold killer, and in a rare performance from Cate Blanchett we her be a villain and she is really good as this CIA agent who is really just up to no good and really kind of a scary killer in her own right.

FEYERICK: All right. So what grade do you give "Hanna"?

ATCHITY: I give this an "A." Absolutely worth seeing.

FEYERICK: Wow! OK. Excellent.

Now of course, if you would rather stay home to watch a movie, there's a little science fiction and some comedy that might interest you. First movie "Tron." That's coming out on DVD. Tell us about this.

ATCHITY: Well "Tron Legacy" is the long-awaited sequel to the original "Tron." It stars Jeff Bridges again and he returns. This time, the story is more about his son who just like in the original gets trapped inside a computer world and has to fight his way out. This movie, I was really hoping for a little bit more. I was hoping to see some things that we hadn't seen in the first one. We get a lot of things like more light cycle battles. If you're familiar with the original movie, you're going to see a lot of the same things here. It's a little disappointing but still a solid action movie. I gave it a "C."

FEYERICK: OK. And another movie with sort of mixed reviews because it had done so well in the past, but "Little Fockers" is now out on DVD. What is your - first of all tell us about the movie and what do you like about it, what do you not like about it?

ATCHITY: So this is the third in the "Meet the Parents" series. It's the "Meet the Parents," then "Meet the Fockers," and now "Little Fockers" and again we see Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. Ben Stiller playing Robert De Niro's son in law, you know, crazy former CIA, Robert de Niro, and the first movie was a big success, people thought the second one was OK. This movie is a disaster. It's not funny. It's awful. In fact, I would recommend avoiding this movie at all costs. You have a fantastic cast here. You got Harvey Keitel, what he's doing in the movie I have no idea. Owen Wilson, Jessica Alba, some really good performance - or good actors, but the movie is just not funny and it's really stupid and pretty much incomprehensible. I would avoid this at all cost.

FEYERICK: All right.

ATCHITY: I gave it an "F."

FEYERICK: OK. An "F." OK, well, Matt Atchity, to quote Robert De Niro, "I'm watching you."

All right. Moving on, there is a sad note in the movie world today. Director Sydney Lumet has died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was 86 years old and in a career that spanned half a century, Lumet directed such classics as "12 Angry Men" "Serpico," "Dog Day Afternoon," "The Verdict" and "Network." His most recent film in 2007 was "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead." Lumet died this morning at his home in Manhattan.

And 16 students have filed a federal complaint against one of the most prestigious university in the nation. Why Yale is under fire. Stay with us. It's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: Well, now, top stories making news. President Obama surprised tourists at the Lincoln Memorial today. The Memorial is still open because Congress reached the famous budget deal last night to keep the government running.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just wanted to say real quick that because Congress was able to settle its differences, that's why this place is open today, and everybody is able to enjoy their visit. And that's the kind of future cooperation I hope we have going forward, because this is what America is all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Under the terms of the deal, lawmakers agree to cut $38.5 billion from the 2011, that's right, this year's federal budget. The full House and Senators are expected to vote on the deal sometime next week.

And pumping his fist in the air, and leading children in cheers, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi made his first public appearance in several days. The video ran on Libyan state television today. Meanwhile, a NATO official tells reporters that the alliance has destroyed 17 Libyan army tanks from the air in the past couple days near Mesrata and near Brega.

In Cairo, Egypt, machine gun fire in the middle of the night. Soldiers in armored vehicles forced protesters out of Tahrir Square where they'd been staging an all-night sit-in. Military sources tell CNN their mission was to route out a handful of uniformed troops that had joined the protest movement to get out the top defense minister now in charge of the country. Many people were reportedly hurt in the raid.

And a salmonella outbreak linked to a bakery in Rhode Island most likely claimed the life of another victim. Tests have confirmed salmonella in 39 people so far. Health officials say eggs used at a bakery in Johnston, Rhode Island, are the likely source of the salmonella.

And California police are searching for a homeless man in connection with an explosion at a Santa Monica synagogue. Ron Hersh, as you see there, is 61 years old. He's considered extremely dangerous. Nobody was injured in Thursday's blast, but the force of that explosion, well, it propelled a 30-pound pipe into the roof of a nearby house and also shattered windows at the synagogue.

And a gunman opens fire at a Dutch mall in the Netherlands. At least six people are dead, including the gunman, who police say killed himself. Earlier today, I talked with Dutch reporter Henk Van Der AA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENK VAN DER AA, ONE TODAY REPORTER: It seems there has been a letter found in his apartment or in his car, but police do not want to confirm that information. But it seems weird that after three hours after the shooting, they have decided to block of and evacuate new centers, shopping centers in this town.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And local authorities say they do believe the gunman acted alone. He's described as a male in his 20s, a Dutch native, and they're looking into whether or not it was a terrorist attack, but he seems to be acting independently.

Now, police in Los Angeles have released the two sketches of men suspected in the beating of a San Francisco Giants fan at Dodger Stadium. Police say they have stopped tailgating at the stadium and increased security in the wake of the March 31 beating of Brian Stowe, a paramedic. Stowe remains in the hospital with brain damage. L.A.'s mayor is urging the two suspects to give themselves up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, MAYOR, LOS ANGELES: Turn yourself in. What you did was wrong. It was despicable and senseless. Unprovoked. But make it a little better by coming forward.

FRANK MCCOURT, DODGERS' OWNER: I have heard the fans and the citizens of this community. They're uncomfortable with the behavior of some at Dodger Stadium. And I have one message for the fans and for the citizens of Los Angeles. And that is, I hear you loudly, and I hear you clearly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And there is a $150,000 reward for information leading to the attackers' arrests and convictions.

And in New York, people are searching for what could be a modern-day Jack the Ripper. They found the bodies and remains of several women, alleged prostitutes, dumped along beaches on Long Island. The brutal slayings could be the work of a potential serial killer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD DORMER, COMMISSIONER, SUFFOLK COUNTY PD: We have recovered a total of eight human remains on the north side of Ocean Parkway between Oak Beach and the Nassau County line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And the manhunt and search for more victims is expected to expand on Monday.

One of New York's most prestigious universities is trying to defend its reputation. Yale is under scrutiny for creating what critics call a hostile sexual environment. Some female students even accuse the school of violating federal law. CNN's Alison Kosik has the story from Connecticut.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yale University with its prestigious history and rigorous academic standards is now mired in a sexual harassment dispute rocking its ivory tower. 16 students and recent alumni including junior Hannah have filed a federal complaint alleged a hostile environment when it comes to sexual harassment and sexual assault.

HANNAH ZEAVIN, JUNIOR, YALE UNIVERSITY: The 16 of us have stood up and said, look, this is what we have seen and it's wrong. KOSIK: What they've seen are several offensive incidents. This 2009 e-mail circulated at the university offers a quote, "scouting report" of freshman women ranked by the number of beers needed before a man should sleep with them.

This picture from 2008 shows fraternity pledges outside a Yale women's center holding a sign says we love Yale sluts. The fraternity later apologized. This October video shows fraternity members chanting a vulgar slogan.

ANNA GRASZA, SENIOR, YALE UNIVERSITY: It's incredibly offensive. As a woman, I was horrified.

KOSIK: A common reaction from women and men on campus, but it's not these incidents that are in dispute. Rather, investigators are trying to determine whether the university responded to these and other private incidents appropriately. The university says it has.

It issued this statement, quote, "Yale takes extremely seriously all allegations of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct including allegations of a hostile environment."

The university's dean sent students a letter saying a new committee is being formed to address issues across the university, but repeated requests to answer questions on camera have been denied.

Hannah Zeavin and others allege in a complaint they have not made public that Yale is violating a federal law Title 9. Mostly known for equality in sports, the law also protects students from a hostile sexual environment on college campuses.

ZEAVIN: Students who experience such assaults are not being given the correct or right kind of re-dress.

KOSIK: If the university is found to be out of compliance and does nothing to address it, it could lose $500 million in funding. This week, while hot naming Yale directly, Vice President Joe Biden made it known that his administration is focused on the issue.

VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: When it comes to sexual abuse, it's quite simple. No means no.

KOSIK: Despite the controversy, some students feel the university has been responsive.

MALE STUDENT: It certainly seemed to me like Yale is taking it seriously.

KOSIK: Still, others feel like more could be done.

JESSICA LEAL, SENIOR, YALE UNIVERSITY: It really doesn't say much when we create a committee but don't necessarily do anything about the situation.

CHARLIE POLINGER, SOPHOMORE, YALE UNIVERSITY: A lot of the accusations being made are very fair. A lot of things have not been handled the way they should have.

KOSIK: If the Department of Education agrees, changes could soon be coming to this elite school.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And Allison joins us from New York. Allison, It's shocking to see that YouTube video of the chanting "no means yes." You have to have a 1600 to get into this university, and this is crazy.

KOSIK: It is crazy, and you know, there are even some people who say, you know, as bad as this is, as wrong as this is, this kind of thing happens at college campuses across the country, you know, all over the world.

The difference in this case with Yale is that these students felt like Yale wasn't answering their complaints, so they went to the federal government to get them to pay attention to this.

Now it's up to the Department of Education to decide if Yale is in fact in compliance with Title 9. In about six months, they'll figure that out. If not, the Department of Education can go ahead and make recommendations to Yale and Yale can either comply or then, of course, that funding would be removed. Deb--

FEYERICK: And that's some pretty significant funding at $500 million. All right, well, Alison, we'll check in with you a little later. Thanks so much.

KOSIK: OK.

FEYERICK: Well, more with 55 percent of the U.S. population testing positive for one or more allergens, where do you think allergens rank among other leading chronic diseases in the country? Allergies, are they fifth, tenth, 15th, or 20th? Answer when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Before the break, we asked you where do you think allergens rank among other chronic diseases here in the United States, fifth, tenth, 15th, or 20th?

Hold on, according to WebMD.com, the correct answer is fifth. Well, spring time misery brings for millions a lot of allergies. Is there a way for you to enjoy the outdoors and keep those allergy symptoms in check? We'll ask Dr. Bill Lloyd. He's here with today's "Healthy Living" report. And, really, doctor, you say that to reduce exposure to allergens, you have to control your environment. Is that even possible?

DR. BILL LLOYD, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, it's very possible, Deb, and I'll tell you how you do it. You're going to reduce your exposure to allergens if you want to stay indoors, that's a great way. If you go outside, wear some wrap-around sunglasses. Wear a hat. And when you come back inside, take a shower. That's going to relieve the pollen and get it off your body so you won't bring it in. If you're staying indoors, don't do what your mother said. Close the windows, close the doors. Put fresh filters on your air conditioner and keep the allergens outside.

You know, pets are a great way to keep pollen in the house and keep you miserable around the clock. So bathe your pets frequently, and also like I mentioned, when it's time for bed, take another quick shower. No soap or shampoo, just cool water. Then hop in the bed for a quiet night's sleep.

FEYERICK: All right. Well, let's talk about, obviously a lot of people thing the only way they can relieve their symptoms is by taking certain medications. There's prescription; there's also over-the- counter. Is one of them better than the other?

LLOYD: Well, if you have limited symptoms, mild symptoms, and they're very episodic, then over the counter remedies may be right for you. Here's one of the best things to use, good old-fashioned nasal saline. It's only like $1 a bottle, and it, like, power washes your sinuses.

By spraying the fluid in, you wash away the allergens. You blow your nose a few times, and the junk is out of your head. If necessary, you can try an over-the-counter antihistamine but for many people, it will simply make them drowsy.

Remember, non-drowsy formulas doesn't mean never drowsy. It just means less drowsy. If your symptoms are more serious, see your doctor. There's a variety of anti-inflammatory sprays, nasal sprays that include steroids that you can use. They're very, very effective, but they often take a few days in order to start working. And there's combination prescriptions that include antihistamines and what we call mass cell stabilizers. Again, if you have a problem every spring with allergies, you should be starting these medications before your symptoms appear.

Get the medication onboard and you'll be able to sail through spring. And then finally, the top thing is the drugs called immune-modulators. These control the chemicals in your body like the leukotrienes that are responsible for triggering all of your allergic symptoms.

FEYERICK: And what's interesting, I never thought about saline. I'm usually taking medications to sort of dry up the symptoms, the runny nose, but in fact, the best thing to do is simply to get rid of the pollens or whatever it is you may be allergic to that are sort of harvesting or hanging out in your nose.

I hope you're still there. We're getting a little signal, and we did lose your unfortunately. We're so glad we got that information. Clearly all of us are bracing for this year's allergy season. The flowers are pretty, the pollen, not so much.

Well, the race is on to transform terrible schools into top performers. Up next, one of the lowest performing schools in Boston attempts a major turnaround.

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FEYERICK: A crisis in American education. The government is spending millions to fix the country's worst schools. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux visited a Boston school receiving some of that money, and officials there say it's definitely making a difference.

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SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 13-year-old Eric Hall is in the seventh grade at Orchard Garden, one of Boston's poorest-performing schools. He said he's seen a lot since he started there in kindergarten.

ERIC HALL, 7TH GRADE STUDENT: I have seen different teachers, different principals. I seen students come and go.

MALVEAUX: But this year is different.

HALL: Now it's gym, reading, writing, math, pretty much -- I'm pretty much enjoying all of my classes.

MALVEAUX: That's because Orchard Gardens one of 5,000 schools around the country getting millions of dollars from the federal government to turn around. The goal, to become a top-performing school. We visited Principal Andrew Bott last September just before the school year started.

ANDREW BOTT, PRINCIPAL, ORCHARD GARDENS: We need to do something bold. We need to really restart Orchard Gardens.

MALVEAUX: He hand-picked his staff to replace the 80 percent he fired. The turnaround rules mandate he replace at least half. He also has $3.7 million in grants to help him over the next three years. Seven months into the year with standardized test season in full swing, we checked back in.

BOTT: I did not imagine we would be this far. I know that within three years, we can have 90 percent of our kids at over proficient or advanced and on a college track.

MALVEAUX: These could be monumental gains when you consider only 10 percent of the students were proficient in years past.

BOTT: Now, we're anywhere from 35 percent to 50 percent proficient in English, and anywhere from 15 percent to 75 percent proficient in math.

MALVEAUX: These are projections. Official scores from state tests won't be available until this summer. Justin Cohen works to improve failing schools. He calls Bott's goals ambitious and cautions against declaring early victory.

JUSTIN COHEN: What happens is schools that get fragile gains can slide back into underperformance once either resources are taken away or attention is distracted.

MALVEAUX: He says there's more at stake.

COHEN: What I worry about with school turnaround is we hit a plateau or we increase student scores to some extent, but they're still performing well below their peers in more affluent neighborhoods.

MALVEAUX: At Orchard Garden, the improvements go beyond test scores.

TEACHER: The behavior is night and day. I literally spent the first week of school teaching them how to walk in and out of my classroom.

MALVEAUX: Eric hall things his school is doing something right.

HALL: When I found out it was a turnaround school, I thought it was going to be headaches every day, but they actually made it fun.

MALVEAUX: Reporting for In America, I'm Suzanne Malveaux.

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FEYERICK: And how can America compete if our kids don't learn the skills they need? Well, Soledad O'Brien is going to be examining our public schools in her special "Don't Fail Me. Education in America." That's going to air May 15 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

And a 109-year-old granny is teaching the boys of summer a thing or two about her skills in the ballpark. A look at what she did on her field of dreams.

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FEYERICK: Well, time for a CNN equals politics update. We're keeping an eye on all of the latest headlines at the CNN politics.com desk and here's what's crossing right now. First, Democrats and Republicans are congratulating themselves, patting themselves on the back for the budget deal, but a spokesman for the Tea Party Express said he's not that impressed.

The deal will cut the budget by $38.5 billion while keeping the government running at least until budget talks for 2012 start in September. Rick Santorum, a possible candidate for the Republican presidential nomination won a straw poll today. The former Pennsylvania governor got 31 percent of the votes at a GOP convention in Greenville County, South Carolina.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, well he came in second with about half the votes. And the FBI is investigating a letter that was mailed to Republican Congressman Allen West. The letter was opened by a staff member at a Florida campaign office. Investigators say it contained some kind of white powder, but the powder wasn't anthrax or any other dangerous substance.

And for the latest political news, you know exactly where to go CNNpolitics.com.

And Don Lemon is here to tell us what he has got in store for us in the next hour. Don, what do you have? Good to see you. DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you as well. Welcome to Atlanta.

FEYERICK: Thank you.

LEMON: What a crazy day it's been. A crazy week I should say, in Washington. We'll be following developments in this with the new deal they have reached that they still have to on Wednesday and see what happens on that.

But you know what, Deb, we have some new video. You have been reporting on this story in the Netherlands about this gunman with a machine gun opens fire in a Netherlands mall. We know that doesn't happen very much. It doesn't happen very often in the Netherlands.

They don't have a big gun problem like in many western places. So the new video and also find out why this gunman did it. So we're going to try to get to the bottom of that and show you more of this video.

Also, remember "Unbreak My Heart" that hit from 1996 with Toni Braxton. She and her family, her four sisters, they have a new reality show called the Braxton Family Values. A new reality show out. Not only they say it's different because it's about an African- American family, but also she has dealt with health issues, she's also dealt with money problems, twice she's had to declare bankruptcy, and also her son has autism. So she is promising that this, and her sisters, will be a different type of reality show.

FEYERICK: Maybe a reality show where you can take away some sort of positive message. Well, Don Lemon, we'll definitely --

LEMON: She and her sister are going to join us live.

FEYERICK: Excellent. Excellent. We will absolutely tune in for that.

Well, spring fever is definitely in full swing. Check out this story from Midland, Michigan. A 109-year-old grandma demonstrated she's still got it. The muscle to take on the field of dreams. Violet Smith was invited to throw out the first pitch at the Great Lakes Blues season opener on her 109th birthday. Congratulations and happy birthday, Violet. We'll look forward to next year, too.

LEMON: She's cute.

FEYERICK: I hope I live that long. Well, I'm Deborah Feyerick. Don Lemon is in the newsroom coming up right now.