Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

New York City's Airtrain Shuttle Under Security Scrutiny; How to Survive Allergy Season; A Trip Through Japan's Evacuation Zone; Teacher Duct Tapes Chatty Student's Mouth; President Obama to Tackle Deficit; Tornado Rips Apart Iowa Town; Red River Receding in Fargo

Aired April 10, 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: Welcome to the "CNN Newsroom." Glad you could join us. I'm Deb Feyerick, filling in for Fredricka Whitfield.

Look at those flames whipping across the Texas plains. Crews there are bracing for wildfires like this one to get worse throughout the day. It's hot, windy and dry. Perfect conditions for fires in Texas and Oklahoma to quickly rage out of control. The largest fire in Texas has so far blackened more than 61,000 acres.

More promising weather news for Fargo, North Dakota. So far the sandbag dikes have held back the Red River and kept Fargo safe from yet another flood threat. Forecasters say the river crested and is now receding.

Incredible pictures out of Mapleton, Iowa. A monster tornado. Take a look at that. Barreled right through it last night. The town is being declared a disaster area. Buildings are flattened. There's no power. And drinking water is being trucked in. Incredibly, no one was killed. Warning sirens went off about 10 minutes before that tornado hit.

Tammie Pech of the Red Cross is on the phone from Mapleton. And Tammie, you've been there all day. The townspeople, how are they holding up? What do they have to go back to?

TAMMIE PECH, RED CROSS (ON THE PHONE): The townspeople here are very resilient. They're out there. They're chopping down trees. They're (INAUDIBLE) up their stuff. They're removing insulation from the tree tops. They're out there in force just making sure their community is cleaned up.

FEYERICK: And the number of people that you've got there, are they - are they telling you stories of how they were able to sort of get out of the path of that tornado?

PECH: A couple people I talked to said they saw the tornado, they heard the sirens, they went in the basement. They knew what they were supposed to do in that kind of a situation. (INAUDIBLE) to be safe.

FEYERICK: Now this is an area that obviously gets tornadoes. People had a sense of what it was they were supposed to be doing. The devastation there, how bad is it on the ground? PECH: It's pretty bad in certain areas of the town. We are stationed in the downtown area. Many of the businesses have roofs blown off. They've got bricks that are falling off the top of the building. There are shattered glass windows all over. In the residential areas, the houses, we've heard of several of them that have been destroyed. We've had several that have had major damage. The trees have been a big problem. There's a lot of big, old trees here that were falling on the houses and causing a lot of damage.

FEYERICK: And where are these folks going to go? How are they going to be able to rebuild their homes? And where are they going to stay?

PECH: We provided shelter for them at the Red Cross shelter at the community center in Mapleton. So they are able to stay there. We are working with the community and trying to fulfill their needs as best we can.

FEYERICK: All right. Tammie Pech, thank you so much for joining us. We're going to be checking in with you a little bit later on. We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us.

PECH: Thank you.

FEYERICK: Well, we could see more tornadoes later today. Karen Maginnis is in our severe weather center. And boy, these tornadoes, they're coming so quickly, one after another. Who needs to be on the lookout?

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And you mentioned with Tammie, with the Red Cross, they had about 10 minutes to respond to this. But yes, once again, for this evening, we are looking for the threat for potentially a tornadic activity across much of the state of Wisconsin and some of the surrounding states. But it looks like Wisconsin is going to be kind of that ground zero area for the potential for a severe weather outbreak. Nothing just yet.

But take a look at Milwaukee. Milwaukee, you're under the gun. As far as a moderate risk of severe weather is concerned. In Milwaukee, this live picture, kind of hazy skies. The temperature is 83 degrees right now. You don't have to go very far before temperatures drop off dramatically into the 40s and 50s.

Now, you'll expect the wind to pick up as well as these thunderstorms come through. This is where we're looking at the potential for a severe weather with that high contrast from the winds coming up from the south and from the southwest, and the wind coming in out of the north. That is much, much cooler. So this moderate risk includes Green Bay, also Milwaukee. Looks like, Chicago, you could expect the potential for a severe weather as well. But the primary risk exists right here. Also a portion of the U.P. of Michigan.

Let's go ahead and show you some of those temperatures right now. This is very interesting to look at this, at least as a meteorologist, where these readings are in the 80s. As you can see here, St. Louis is almost 90 degrees. But you go back towards Minneapolis and Fargo and Bismarck, we've got 40s and 50s. So this is the combustion that just kind of drives the atmosphere that could erupt later on today.

And once again just to show you what's going on, this is the target zone for the potential for tornadic activity, tornadoes. And a tornado warning means that a tornado has been sighted, that it's imminent. A watch means there is the potential for tornadic activity. So the warning is worse.

Here's that warm, moist air. Here's the cooler air behind it. We've got a snowstorm going on across the west. And we have the big fire danger across especially the panhandles of Oklahoma, also into Texas where thousands of acres have burned. Some of the winds have been gusting close to 60 miles an hour. So we've got a lot of weather stories to keep updated for the rest of the this afternoon and evening.

FEYERICK: All right. Karen Maginnis, thanks so much.

Obviously, while the top is getting hit by tornadoes, the bottom being hit by the dry.

MAGINNIS: Very dry and hot -

FEYERICK: So we're going to come to you a little bit later. Thanks so much, Karen.

Well, overseas Japan will hold a moment of silence tomorrow, marking one month since the earthquake and tsunami hit. The death toll has now passed 13,000. 20,000 Japanese troops started a new search today to find the more than 14,000 people who are still missing. U.S. troops are there to help, hundreds of them on the ground.

And more than 2,000 people marched against nuclear energy in Tokyo today. Protesters say they're concerned about the long-term effects of radiation. TEPCO, Japan's largest utility company is struggling to cool down three damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. They're also trying to prevent more radiation from being released.

And Egypt's former president spoke out today for the first time since his ouster back in January. An Arabic language network broadcast the short audio message just a short while ago. Hosni Mubarak denied corruption charges against him and said "He would sue anyone who smears his reputation." Listen to what a former U.S. Secretary of State to CNN's Fareed Zakaria today about Mubarak's sudden downfall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES BAKER, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I think the Saudis believe that it would have been better to just let the Egyptians see the end of that regime. That he had said he was going to step down in September. It would have been better from the standpoint of stability. And what follows to let that process take its course in Egypt. We don't know what's going to follow.

We read today that the Muslim brotherhood is getting stronger. They were the only other organized force other than Mubarak's political party. And so we don't know. When these things happen, we need to do everything we can to make sure that there's an acceptable result after. An acceptable succession, if you will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And Libyan rebels have reportedly scored a very rare victory after holding off Moammar Gadhafi's better equipped forces. They appear to have recaptured Ajdabiya. Witnesses says three Gadhafi soldiers killed during the fighting were carrying identification cards from other countries.

Diplomats from the African Union arrived in Libya today and promptly met with Moammar Gadhafi. The delegation is looking for ways to stop the bloodshed. But there's no word yet of any agreement.

Back here in the U.S., it's tax season. And it seems more people are choosing to cheat. When it comes to age, 55 percent of cheaters are under 45. Who cheats more, men or women? We're going to bring that to you on the other side of the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: So before the break we asked, who cheats more on their taxes? Men or women? Well, take a look. According to CNNmoney.com, men, well, you win. The breakdown, 64 percent of men cheat compared to 36 percent of women. In two minutes we're going to have some important tax tips regarding health care reform changes. You're not going to want to miss that.

But first, deficit talks. Expect to hear a lot of this in the upcoming week. The president is expected to lay out his long-term deficit cutting plan possibly on Wednesday.

Let's bring in CNN's Sandra Endo. So Sandra, what is the president expected to say? And why has he decided to do this now?

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Deb, it's really the next big hurdle Congress and the president have to get over. And that big sigh of relief Friday night, well, that was pretty short lived here in Washington. Because there are still budget battles ahead. But most pressing is the national debt limit.

Congress must come to an agreement before the United States reaches its legal borrowing limit of nearly $14.3 trillion, which is expected to happen in the second half of May. Well, today the president's senior advisers said the president will lay out a long-term deficit reduction plan on Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID PLOUFFE, CAMPAIGN MANAGER, PRESIDENT Obama: While we reduce the deficit, and we have to do it. We've got to do it in a balanced way. It can't be all on the backs of seniors and the middle class. We've got to make sure that we're taking a balanced approach to this. That allows us to win the future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENDO: Now lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say they recognize the fight to cut the national debt will be tough, but necessary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: Now instead of risking government shutdown, we are risking a second recession.

REP. JEB HENSARLING (R), TEXAS: The president is going to have to cut up the credit cards. He's going to have to work with us, to cut up the credit cards and put the nation on a fiscally sustainable path.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENDO: Now besides the debt ceiling debate, hammering out the 2012 budget is also on the to-do list and the Republican-led House is planning to debate the GOP proposal this week. So the political posturing is already in full swing for the fiscal year which begins October 1st. Deb?

FEYERICK: And Sandra, you know, it's interesting. You heard the congressman from Texas there reference the sort of credit cards. Really it sounds like the United States is maxing - is close to maxing out its credit cards. The president making this announcement now, does it have anything to do with the fact so many people want the government to cut its spending?

ENDO: Yes, absolutely. He really needs to talk to both sides of the aisle right now. And he's trying to get ahead of the game by making this announcement on Wednesday. He knows this is a very crucial election issue. The economy, of course, is issue number one. So what he lays out on Wednesday is really an effort to address this very important issue that are facing Americans today. But also indicate to lawmakers which direction he's headed and also laying out his plan before the big debate begins.

FEYERICK: OK. Sandra Endo, thanks so much. People now where the Republicans stand. Now we'll see what the president has to say. Thank you so much.

ENDO: Sure.

FEYERICK: Both changes to health care and new regulations by the Department of Labor. There are important things Americans should know as you file your taxes this year. Yesterday I talked to Marsha Wagner about those changes. She's an employee benefits lawyer and government adviser. I asked her, why is it so important to make contributions to I.R.A.s and what are known as simplified employee pension plans, before you file your taxes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIA WAGNER, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS LAWYER: With respect to I.R.A.s, the hard deadline to make contributions is, in fact, April 18th of this year. Not the 15th. And that cannot be extended at all. People will have to determine if they're going to make the full $5,000 contribution if they're over 50 and they also have to determine if they're going to do so on a pre or post tax basis.

With respect to SEPS, there is an extension. Employers can adopt SEP plans up until the time of the filing of their tax return for the business, which could be until September of 2011, depending on the particular facts of the situation.

The deadline for conversion for 2010 has, in fact, passed. But you can convert at any time in order to have the amounts treated as post tax. That means that the full amount in the I.R.A. would be taxable in the year of conversion. But when the money would come out, the increment thereon, the interest, would be fully tax free. That is why people make the conversion.

FEYERICK: OK. And listen, tax free is always a good thing. For people aged 70 and a half, you say it is really important to take the required minimum distributions from your tax-qualified plans. If this doesn't happen, there could be penalties. Describe that.

WAGNER: Absolutely. This is a (INAUDIBLE) - for the end weary. Those individuals that have turned 70 and a half in 2010 or older than that, then they must commence to receive minimum required distributions from both their tax-qualified plans, though there are some exceptions, and definitely from their I.R.A.'s and if they don't do so, the amount that should have been distributed will be subject to a 50 percent excise tax. So it's very important that people not miss this. That they're not caught unaware.

FEYERICK: OK. And then, finally, you say that it's really important to determine how your health care elections might be changed, especially in light of health care reform, though obviously with the latest budget that could be totally different right now. Do you want to enroll your adult children?

WAGNER: There are so many issues people now have to deal with. Yes, you can enroll your adult children up to the age of 26, regardless as to whether they're dependent on you or not. Regardless as to where they live. Even if they live in a different state. The real question is, what increment and cost will there be if you do so. Another issue on health care reform that also caught people by surprise is that effective as of one-one of this year, over-the-counter medication cannot be purchased with pre-tax dollars. So people will have to determine in general how they're going to finance those types of expenditures.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And you can get your financial fix, everything you need to know about money every Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 a.m. Pacific right here on CNN.

Well, those Sunday night blues could negatively affect your work week. What you can do about it in today's "Reclaim your Career," coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: So, we all know that feeling. Sunday comes around. Some of us are happy. Some less happy. How you feel can speak volumes about your relationship with work, career, your co-workers. In today's "Reclaim your Career," we're taking on the Sunday slump.

Paula Caliguri is the author of "Get a Life, not a Job," and joins us from New York to explain. So Paula, we've all been there. We've a great weekend, we're relaxed, we hung out with friends. What, how does it set the tone for what we can expect come Monday?

PROF. PAULA CALIGURI, HUMAN RESOURCE MGMT., RUTGERS UNIV.: Well, it's an interesting issue, right? It's that contrast. We had a great weekend, like you said, family, friends. We were able to set our own hours, do what we wanted to do. And then Monday comes. It's really that contrast that affects most people. And it affects 80 percent of Americans who are working. So there are a lot of people that feel the Sunday slump.

FEYERICK: So what is the best thing to do? You really have to take a look at how you're feeling. And do you - what do you - do you basically acknowledge, you know, "God, I just hate having to get ready for the next day?" You have to assess your physical and emotional well-being, right?

CALIGURI: You do. But it's also important to realize that the Sunday slump happens among people who even like their jobs. So it's not just that dread of going to a job that you dislike. But it's also the issue of, you know, being into that contrast, that idea of having that freedom on the weekend and having to deal with actually going to work and having your days controlled during the week. The biggest thing to consider is the symptoms. How can we make ourselves happier on Sunday evening. But also the causes.

FEYERICK: So and it's interesting. Because again, there are two different things. And a lot of people, they like their jobs. They like their co-workers. They like going to work. But if you are starting to feel a little bit sort of out of sorts come Sunday, what should you be doing? How do you identify maybe what is causing that? Is this something more than just, well, I got to go back to the grind?

CALIGURI: It may be. It really depends, Deb, on what the feeling is. If it's a feeling of dread or anxiety, it may be having to do with a job that you just dislike. If it has more to do with just feeling the blahs, maybe a little bit of a slump, it probably has more to do with that loss of freedom. So good thing to focus on Sunday evening, fill your Sunday evenings, plan your Sunday evenings to do something enjoyable. Dinner with friends. A movie, whatever you really enjoy.

Also plan for things during the week that you can look forward to. Basically what we're trying to do is reduce the contrast between the fun you had on the weekend and some enjoyable things you can plan to do during the week. So real important to try to reduce that contrast. If it's a bigger issue with a job you just dislike, that's a whole other different conversation about maybe eventually thinking switching your situation or maybe switching your job. FEYERICK: So really instead of seeing the weekends as white and the weeks as gray or black, really, there should be a little more gray so that you're incorporating - so that the week feels a little bit more like the weekend?

CALIGURI: Right. There's usually three things that people feel the loss of the most. Contact with family and friends. They spend more time doing that on the weekends. Freedom to control their time. They spend a lot more obviously time doing that on the weekends. And the ability to do the things they love like sports and hobbies. So the idea is just try to - try to do a few more things like that maybe in your non-work hours during the week. And actually, it helps remove that contrast between the weekend and the week. It's really so very important especially if you like your job.

FEYERICK: All right. Paula Caliguri, thank you so much. And of course, probably getting a really good night's sleep on a Sunday is a very good way to enter the work week. Thank you so much. We'll check in with you. Take care.

CALIGURI: My pleasure.

FEYERICK: Well, the threat of tornadoes and floods from Mapleton, Iowa, to Fargo, North Dakota. We're keeping an eye on all of that and that's going to be on the other side of the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: First, a quick look at top stories.

The governor of Iowa is touring the town of Mapleton, devastated by a monster tornado last night. No one was killed. A few people were injured.

As you can see, there's destruction everywhere. The upper midwest could see more storms today. Karen Maginnis warns hail and tornadoes are possible well into the evening. We're going to keep you posted on that.

A spring snowstorm slammed into northern Arizona, creating dangerous driving conditions this weekend. At least two people were killed in a crash east of Flagstaff. About a foot of snow fell in Arizona in that area yesterday. Forecasters say residents could see a change of temperatures today, which would help clear out the wet, soggy mess and melt a little bit of that snow.

Well, it appears Fargo, North Dakota, is getting a break. The Red River has crested. So far, the sandbag dikes are holding, keeping Fargo safe from yet another flood threat. Forecasters say the river is now receding.

Now, we're joined on the phone by Colonel Michael Price of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. And colonel, just because the river has crested doesn't necessarily mean the threat is over. Correct?

COL. MICHAEL PRICE, U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (ON THE PHONE): That's correct. And thanks for having me. Now the hard part is behind us. But we still have to be vigilant and make sure nothing goes wrong.

FEYERICK: How do you prevent - you were successfully able to sort of keep the river at bay. What is the next step? Is the system you have right now, is it still secure?

PRICE: It's performing as we designed it. The city's done great work in preparation. The National Weather Service told us back in December that we were going to expect some record flooding. So we began planning. And then with the city (INAUDIBLE) things in place. We got things out on the river in time to hold it back.

FEYERICK: Excuse me. Just because the Red River seems to be OK right now, what about other parts of the river?

PRICE: Well, the river - the Red River is fed by numerous smaller tributaries. And up in middle North Dakota, some of the melt has not occurred yet. We'll expect some more rivers to get out of their banks and then pull back into the Red.

But the main thing that has occurred already is the main stem of the Red has crested, and that water is getting pushed downstream. So when the next river basin starts to melt, it'll receive that water, push it through and then it won't add to the crest.

FEYERICK: OK. And we've seen some pictures there. And while there does appear to be some flooding, at least certainly looks like you really were able to keep it under control this time. And it looks like everybody from the town really pitched in to make sure that you wouldn't have problems.

PRICE: Well, the one thing about Fargo and Moorhead, the community really comes together every year to hold back the river. And you know, they live there. The largest city in North Dakota is Fargo. They come together every year to fight this flood. And they really come together. The high schools, the colleges all help in and put the sandbag levees around homes.

What the corps does is we put emergency levees in where the city has not put protection in.

FEYERICK: Sure.

PRICE: So we fill the gaps in at the last minute to help them hold the river back.

FEYERICK: All right. That's a great way to describe it. The community coming together to hold the river back. Thank you so much, Colonel Price. We really appreciate your joining us.

And right now, we are going to be bringing in our meteorologist, Karen Maginnis. Karen, they seemed to be successful. Flooding's at bay, but still a threat. KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. A couple of things. You heard the colonel say that the people around Fargo, Morehead (ph), every year, they do something to combat the river. That's because they get a lot of snowfall and there are ice jams. The snow melts, and then you get rain on top of that.

We're seeing some rain, but don't let this aspect of this weather system worry you terribly much. It's not going to be a very heavy downpour. But the wind is going to be a problem. As that wind forces that water up against the dikes -- if you walk the dikes -- we know that there are National Guard and Red Cross people there who are helping out -- well, you need to be very careful. But that is the situation.

Want to point out another breaking story, and that is that we have a tornado watch in effect across most of Wisconsin. This goes until 9:00 PM tonight. Wanted to mention that. It's a little off subject from our flood situation, but I wanted to mention that to you because it has just been issued. And there is the threat or potential for tornadic storms tonight, along with lightning, heavy downpours and large-size hails.

Right now, Grand Forks and Fargo picking up the rainfall. This is a river that travels to the north towards Winnipeg, Winnipeg Lake. And as a result of the ice melt and -- by the way, Fargo saw slightly above average snowfall totals. They didn't see an excessive amount of snow or twice the amount of snow that they normally see. They saw an average snowfall period for the winter.

Where you see these green-shaded areas, that's where we have flood warnings that have been issued. Fargo has crest (SIC). It might fluctuate just a little bit, but it crest yesterday evening. Showers and windy weather conditions, as I've mentioned, that's going to kind of hamper things. But the crest at Fargo, 38.5 feet. Grand Forks, down river, they are expected to crest on Wednesday morning at 50.5 feet, sometime early Wednesday morning. Now, previous floods have taken it in excess of 54 feet.

We're still looking at flooding. It's still going to be a problem. They've closed bridges. They've closed portions of highways and portions of interstates. But it's going to be substantially below some of those record crests that we've seen.

But the big news right now, the tornado watch for Wisconsin.

FEYERICK: Right. And interesting, the thing about the flooding, also, is people have to be really careful about that because even six to eight inches, cars can be swept away.

MAGINNIS: Absolutely.

FEYERICK: And nobody -- you really never know how deep it can be.

MAGINNIS: Exactly.

FEYERICK: Karen, thanks so much. Really appreciate it. In southern California, four people survived when a small plane crashed into a storage facility near the city's airport yesterday. They got out moments before the plane burst into flames.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRETT HANLEY, WITNESS: They jumped in my arms and I pulled them away from the wreck. And not too long after that, the thing exploded and caught fire. And that's the end of their plane.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Split-second decision there. Well, witnesses say the plane's engine was coughing and appeared to be running rough just before the crash.

Nearly a month after a standoff in Wisconsin over union rights, there's another round of protests, this time in Madison. Demonstrators are part of a grass roots movement. They say their aim is to reduce the influence of corporations on state government. They held a protest yesterday. Another one is scheduled for today.

A White House aide says President Obama will present a long-term plan for reducing the deficit this week. It comes just days after lawmakers approved that budget to prevent a government shutdown. Now more spending decisions are ahead. Lawmakers are both sides of the aisle agree this is going to be a very tough fight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: Now instead of risking government shutdown, we are risking a second recession.

REP. JEB HENSARLING (R), TEXAS: The president is going to have to cut up the credit cards. He's going to have to work with us to cut up the credit cards and put the nation on a fiscally sustainable path.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Well, the Department of Homeland Security hopes to have a new terror alert system ready by the end of the month. Gone are those colors there. Details are still being worked out, but a spokeswoman says the new warnings will be more specific than the current color- coded system.

Nearly a decade after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, there are new concerns about New York City's security precautions. CNN's Alison Kosik joins us from New York. Alison, it's about the airports now. What's going on?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. And these are some stunning revelations that came out of a state homeland security committee meeting here in New York city on Friday about some of the city's biggest vulnerabilities. Police Benevolent Association vice president Robert Morris (ph) says the Airtrain shuttle that actually takes thousands of passengers to and from JFK International Airport is a really big concern.

Bags and passengers aren't scanned before they board the train, which actually enters the international arrivals terminal at the airport, directly underneath the check-in area for more than a half dozen international airlines. State Senator Greg Ball, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee -- he wants the gaping security hole plugged at this point.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GREG BALL, NEW YORK STATE SENATOR: Experts have testified a nightmare scenario could include a dirty bomb, a radiological device placed on Airtrain, sent directly under the international terminal, LL being a prime target, but many others. And you would see a complete shutdown of the city, this nation's economy, and an absolutely horrific and tragic event at taxpayer expense because we refuse to do the tough job of securing that vital transportation corridor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: And the vulnerabilities don't end there. Morris also told the committee that there's a road that goes under the Port Authority bus terminal that's not patrolled and it's not secure. He says anyone can drive any type of vehicle under the biggest bus station in the U.S. without being checked.

On the roadways, police officers are often absent on key arteries, including the George Washington Bridge, the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, as well. Now, the Port Authority does contend it has robust security at the airport. It did not immediately return calls regarding the bus terminal and those traffic arteries. For his part, Senator Ball says the federal government needs to make funding available immediately to have these areas patrolled 24/7 -- Deb.

FEYERICK: And the people on those trains -- just to be clear -- they cannot get inside the terminal or inside towards the gates and through security without being screened. It's just the fact that that train has rather unlimited access under key areas, correct?

KOSIK: Exactly. The big worry is that when it enters the actual airport facility, you don't know what everybody's carrying because no one's been screened. Their bags haven't been screened, Deb.

FEYERICK: OK. All right. Alison Kosik from New York, thanks so much. Really appreciate the update.

KOSIK: Sure.

FEYERICK: Well, he watched his mother beat cancer, but soon realized that fighting the disease was only half the battle. Up next, Patrick Dempsey is hoping to heal patients -- mind, body and soul.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Patrick Dempsey plays a doctor on TV, "Grey's Anatomy." In his real life, he understands the challenges associated with cancer. In this week's "Impact Your World," the actor is giving back by opening the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer, Hope and Healing in Lewiston, Maine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK DEMPSEY, THE PATRICK DEMPSEY CENTER: Hi, I'm Patrick Dempsey. And you can make an impact on cancer.

Cancer awareness started with my mother's diagnosis of ovarian cancer. She survived. Then I decided to open up the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer, Hope and Healing in Lewiston, Maine.

We've come a long way with technology and with the surgeries. We treat the whole person psychologically, physically and spiritually.

Impacting your own world, it's really look outside your own door. For me, it was cancer. Join the movement. "Impact Your World" at CNN.com/impact.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And for more ways to help, CNN is launching a new high-tech way to take immediate action. Take a look. Scan this image with your smartphone to load our "Impact Your World" Web site.

And with more than 55 percent of the U.S. population testing positive for one or more allergens, what percentage of our lives do you think we live indoors? Is it 47 percent indoors, 72 percent or 90 percent? The answer after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Well, before the break, we asked what percentage of our lives do you think we live indoors, 47 percent, 72 percent or 90 percent? Well, according to WebMD.com the correct answer is 90 percent, 90 percent of our lives spent indoors.

Boston's mayor is taking on the city's rising obesity rates by banning sugary drink sales from all city property. The ban includes sodas, sports drinks and sweetened teas. The drinks will not be sold at Boston schools, workplaces or on any city-owned property or city-run events.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALTER WILLETT, HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: It's the right step to be taking. We're not punishing those individuals. They're going to be punished enough for -- directly for their health consequences down the road.

MAYOR THOMAS MENINO (D), BOSTON: As contracts are renegotiated and new bids are issued, vendors will have to comply with these standards.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Well, Boston's ban will be phased in over the next six months.

And springtime misery brings for millions of people allergies because that's -- because allergy season is upon us. Many of us want to enjoy the outdoors but also keep those allergy symptoms pretty much in check.

Yesterday, I talked to Dr. Bill Lloyd. He told me if you want to reduce exposure to allergens, simply have to control your environment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. BILL LLOYD, HEALTHY LIVING EXPERT: 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 wraparound sunglasses. Wear a hat. And when you come back in, take a shower. That's going to relieve (ph) 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 bring pollen inside 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 into bed for a quiet night's sleep.

FEYERICK: All right. Well, let's talk about -- obviously, a lot of people think 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'll just simply make them drowsy. Remember, non-drowsy formula 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 mast 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 on board, and you'll be able to sail through spring. And then finally, the top stage are these drugs called immunomodulators. These control the chemicals in your body like the leukotrienes that are responsible for triggering all of your allergic symptoms.

(END VIDEOTAPE) FEYERICK: Saline solution, pretty good answer. Well, for more "Healthy Living" reports, tune in every Saturday 4:00 PM Eastern, 1:00 PM Pacific right here on CNN.

And back to the crisis in Japan and a major health concern there. What's it like on the road to the radiation zone surrounding the Fukushima nuclear plant? We're going to show you, take you there directly, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: And now some international headlines. Well, we know a little bit more about the man who police say started shooting in a shopping mall yesterday in the Netherlands. He's so far been identified only by his first name, Tristan. Police say the 24-year- old gunman killed seven people with an automatic rifle. He then shot himself. Investigators found a suicide note in his mother's home.

And it's a ceasefire offer, sort of, from Israeli officials to Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak promises that his side will stop attacking Gaza only when Palestinians stop firing into Israel. Hostilities spiked on Thursday when a Hamas rocket destroyed an Israeli bus, critically wounding a teenager.

And more than 2,000 people spoke with one voice against nuclear power in Tokyo today. Protesters tell CNN they're concerned about the long- term effects of radiation in their country after last month's quake and tsunami damaged several nuclear reactors. The death toll in the disaster has now surpassed 13,000 people.

Now for a look at the area around Japan's crippled nuclear power plant like you've never seen it before. Armed with cameras and radiation detectors, a Japanese journalist makes the harrowing drive into an evacuation zone. Our Don Lemon explains what he witnessed along the way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With radiation detectors on the dash, they enter the evacuation zone, just 30 kilometers -- 18- and-a-half miles -- from the highly radioactive nuclear plant. The radiation levels are detectable 21 kilometers from the reactors. Stray dogs roam freely.

As they get closer, 20 kilometers, no traffic lights and only two other cars on the road. And at 17 kilometers, the radiation levels set off the detectors' alarm. And they see truck drivers in radiation-proof suits and heavy-duty gas masks. And at 15 kilometers in, higher radiation levels, and the road is out. They have to find another route via GPS.

Along the way, more farm animals. And except for a few lone drivers, this town is abandoned. At 3 kilometers, they have to get out and walk. The levels keep rising. The damage is unimaginable.

More walking, more abandoned dogs. Somehow, they find a way around the damage by car. And finally, their mission to the infamous Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, just under a mile away, mission terminated. Don Lemon, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: The government's near shutdown here in the U.S. gave the weekend talk show guests plenty to argue about and debate. Politics and money coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Well, the budget battle is far from over. Arguably, it's just beginning. And Donald Trump wonders why it's such a bad thing to be called a birther. Brace yourself. It has been a whirlwind weekend of TV talkers. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENSARLING: Nobody wants America to default on its debts. But let's also remember the classic definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. At some point, you got to quit spending money you don't have.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Speaker Boehner had to keep these negotiations going until the last minute to show the Tea Party people he was doing everything he could. You cannot do that with the debt ceiling. That is playing with fire because if the markets believe we are not going to pay our debts, it could be a formula for recession or worse.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), WISCONSIN: Price controls, which is the current plan in Medicare, doesn't work. What we think works to bring down price costs is competition. And we want to give seniors the power, the tools, through competition to bring down costs.

REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D), MARYLAND: The problem with the Ryan plan, the Republican plan, is it's totally unbalanced. He's going to require seniors to go into the private insurance market, and they'll have to eat all the rising costs of health care, while they provide big tax breaks for millionaires and the corporate special interests.

SEN. JEFF SESSIONS (R), ALABAMA: This budget that the president has already submitted a few weeks ago is the most irresponsible budget ever submitted to the American people. We're in a financial crisis. It did nothing to change the trajectory we are on but actually increased it.

DAVID PLOUFFE, SR. WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: What's clear is there's going to be some commonality, many differences. We're not going to achieve any deficit reduction in this country -- because we have divided government -- unless Democrats and Republicans come together on behalf of all Americans to agree to it. So we're going to have to strive to reach common ground.

CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, CNN "STATE OF THE UNION": Let me give you another conspiracy theory of a different sort, and that is from fellow Republicans who say -- who don't, as you know, think this is a total losing issue for the Republican Party.

DONALD TRUMP, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Excuse me, 55 percent of the Republicans believe in this issue, and 70 percent think that there's at least a good chance he wasn't born in this country.

CROWLEY: On the other hand...

TRUMP: I don't think it's a losing issue.

PLOUFFE: I saw Donald Trump's kind of rising in some polls and given his behavior and spectacle of the last couple weeks, I hope he keeps on rising because I don't think there's -- there's zero chance that Donald Trump would ever be hired by the American people to do this job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

A teacher duct tapes a student's mouth for talking too much. Did she go too far? Our legal guys are going to weigh in coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: So if you have kids, you know how challenging it can be to keep them quiet sometimes. But this next story got us wondering how far a teacher can go and stay within the law. A 13-year-old chatty Florida teen would not stop talking in class, so the teacher duct taped her mouth shut.

Well, I discussed this case with our legal guys, Avery Friedman and Richard Herman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: It seems to me that teachers have certain professional standards. And it strikes me that when teachers start having to use physical constraints, then they've failed to do what they're supposed to be doing. It doesn't rise to the level of a lawsuit, by any means. But you know what? This is actually bad professional work by the teacher. At very least, she owes the student an apology.

FEYERICK: And Richard, what do you think about this? I mean, there are rules. There are rules. Was this an actual violation?

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Deb, I think, number one, this teacher should be terminated immediately. Number two, I disagree with Avery, I would absolutely file a lawsuit. I'd get the child into therapy right now. I mean, she got duct taped in front of her entire class. Who knows if she's having nightmares about this. Who knows the lasting impact of this. It's really ridiculous. If the teacher can't control the class, they have to be terminated. Simple as that. There's a lot of teachers who want to work these days.

FEYERICK: All right. Avery, no? You don't think - do you think that's going too far?

FRIEDMAN: Yes. A little extreme. I - I'm with that -

Richard's answer is based on a lot of assumptions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Well, you can catch our legal guys here every Saturday at noon, Eastern.