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Nuclear Plant Ghost Town; Cease-Fire Plan in Libya; $38 Billion Budget Deal; Japan Nuke Plant Worries; Tennessee Program Engages Students of Color; Potential Presidential Contenders Hitting the Campaign Trail; Being Smart about Debt
Aired April 11, 2011 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Want to get you up to speed for Monday, April 11th.
A series of aftershock rolled across the earthquake zone in Japan today. The largest, a 6.6, triggered a landslide that buried three houses. The seismic rumbles come exactly one month after the tremendous earthquake and tsunami hit.
The country paused at precisely 2:46 Monday afternoon, the moment the disaster hit.
Well, the aftershocks briefly cut electricity to cooling pumps at the Fukushima nuclear complex. The Japanese government is now expanding the evacuation zone. The new order impacts five towns. Authorities say that they are concerned about residents' long-term radiation exposure.
An African Union delegation sat down with Libyan rebel leaders today, one day after their talks with Moammar Gadhafi. Now the envoys say that Gadhafi has agreed to a cease-fire. Gadhafi rallied supporters at his compound, calling them his air defense system.
Well, fighting in eastern Libya is focused today on the coastal city Ajdabiya. There have been fierce street battles for several days now as rebels try to hold off Gadhafi's forces. Ajdabiya is the last major city before Benghazi, the capital of what rebels now call free Libya.
The man who refused to give up the presidency of the Ivory Coast is in custody right now. French fighters stormed the presidential palace where Laurent Gbagbo was holed up for about a week or so. Now, the French turned Gbagbo over to his rival, Alassane Ouattara, the man who defeated him in November's presidential election.
Paris police arrest two protesters outside Notre Dame Cathedral. Demonstrators are angry over a new law that took effect today. France now banning face coverings like the Muslim burqa, for instance. Lawmakers say the law ensures the dignity of women and improves security.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HIND AMAS, FRENCH MUSLIM (through translator): In all honesty, I'm just sad. I'm just sad and disappointed because, quite frankly, to get to this point, I think it's very revealing about many things. And thankfully -- thankfully, not all of the French population think like the politicians who voted this law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: At the Capitol today, Congress takes up the budget deal that averted a government shutdown. Now, this plan cuts $38 billion. House Republicans wanted almost double that amount. And some Tea Party activists, they're quite frustrated, saying House Speaker John Boehner raised the white flag.
Well, dangerous storms are possible today along an intense cold front. It stretches from Texas to the Great Lakes states. It may take the tiny town of Mapleton, Iowa, years to rebuild after a terrifying blow from a tornado. The sheriff says about two-thirds of the town has major damage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGIE COOPER, TORNADO VICTIM: All of our vehicles are underneath someone else's garage that's in our yard, and the windows are all broke out. I work in town, too. You know, the businesses are half destroyed. Just have to start over, I guess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Want to bring you now more on the powerful aftershocks that happened in northeastern Japan. This is how it looked inside one office building. The ceiling, literally tearing apart. And workers at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant had to evacuate again briefly.
In the shadow of that plan, there is a virtual ghost town. We're going to take you on a rare look from CNN's Kyung Lah.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No sounds of human life. Just empty streets and homes. Hospital beds, hastily discarded. This is what a mass evacuation of a town inside a nuclear crisis looks like
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a normal city, but there's nobody.
LAH (on camera): A normal city, but no one's there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
LAH (voice-over): "Everything stopped here on March 11th at 2:46 p.m.," he says.
There is rare video of Futaba, shot two weeks after the tsunami, captured by freelance journalist Naomi Toyota (ph) and Sugu Ogawa (ph), risking their lives entering the dangerous mandatory evacuation zone in the shadow of the Fukushima nuclear plant. People left so quickly in the wake of the disaster, this dog was left behind, chained, now starving. You can see its ribs. Ogawa (ph) fed his lunch to the dog.
But what Ogawa (ph) can't forget, this sign, once a proud symbol of the town, that reads, "Nuclear energy, our hometown's future."
"It's ironic," he says. "The nuclear power plant was supposed to open the door to the future. Instead, it closed that door."
Everywhere they went, radiation levels easily exceeded the legal limit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought (INAUDIBLE). After that, I'm -- before that, I don't feel anything.
LAH (on camera): And it's scary, because you can't feel anything. You can't see it.
(voice-over): Across the evacuation zone, Toyota (ph) photographed other empty towns, bodies that have yet to be found or buried. Time, frozen like another nuclear disaster zone Toyota (ph) had just returned from, Chernobyl, on its 25th anniversary.
(on camera): You think Fukushima will be --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this moment.
LAH: -- like Chernobyl. Does it make you sad?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Please stop.
LAH (voice-over): Futaba evacuees asked us to show them video. They crowded around the laptop, eager for a glimpse of their abandoned homes.
"That Geiger counter means we can't live in Futaba," they say. "That sign was a lie," says Nobiyuki Iraki (ph). "For the last 40 years, TEPCO has only been saying nuclear power is safe, that there's no chance of a meltdown. We, the people of Futaba, feel we've all been betrayed."
(on camera): Do you think your main street or your downtown will be filled with people ever again?
(voice-over): "No," they say.
The evacuees left so quickly, they have no clothes, no job, and they live in a gym. And as their town echoes loudly, no apparent future to return to.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Unbelievable.
Kyung Lah joins us now from Tokyo.
That's just an incredible report. It breaks your heart when you see those pictures.
And I want to start off by asking you, what was their reaction when they saw that video that you presented to them, their homes, they could never go back to their homes?
LAH: Yes. That's what they think, that they'll never go back. And so that's why they wanted to see this video so badly. And they all actually started snickering when they saw that sign that said "Nuclear energy, our future."
What they really feel like is that the major employer of their town, the major really economic base for their entire people, was a sham, that they were told this story that the nuclear power plant would never fail, that all the safety precautions were there. They trusted that, and they really feel that the company did not fulfill all of its promises that it made to the people of that town for 40 years. So they really do feel this sense of despair and that they were absolutely lied to.
MALVEAUX: And Kyung, I understand that there are even more towns around the plant that are now being evacuated, that this zone is being expanded now. What do we know about that?
LAH: You are right about that. The government basically said that they have this area, about 20 kilometers, that's a mandatory evacuation zone. That's the pictures that you just saw in that story.
The government, now saying that they are going to look not just at how far away people live from this facility as far as the evacuation zone, they're going to actually look at the soil around the various areas of the communities that live around the nuclear facility. And so that's going to impact primarily five towns that are outside the 20-kilometer zone.
This is something that Greenpeace had called for early, early on, and had urged the government to do. But only now, weeks later, is the government deciding to make this move.
MALVEAUX: OK. All right. Kyung Lah, thank you very much for your excellent reporting.
Well, what about the safety and the future of nuclear plants here in the United States? Former governor, EPA administrator and current co-chair of a pro-nuclear energy group, Christie Todd Whitman, is going to join us to talk about that in the next hour.
Well, it doesn't happen often, but right now Republicans, Democrats, they can agree, at least on one thing -- that the country needs to rein in its spending. And that could mean a major overhaul of a problem (sic) that helps millions -- a program, rather, that helps millions of seniors.
Our Carol Costello is here with the "Talk Back" question. A lot of, I guess, the bull's eye on --
COSTELLO: Entitlement programs --
MALVEAUX: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: Medicare and Medicaid. Oh, yes, lots of talk about that in the next several days.
It's pretty clear Medicare, once untouchable, is now on the political chopping block. At least in some form.
Sure, everyone pays into Medicare through payroll taxes, but here's the ugly math -- 47 million people are enrolled in Medicare today. By 2040, Medicare will cover nearly double the people it does now, but cost three times as much. Medicare, it would seem, is unsustainable.
But how to go about changing it? Republicans say to save Medicare, the government should stop paying bills directly and instead give seniors vouchers so they can purchase private insurance. That's to make health care more affordable, they say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PAUL RYAN (R), WISCONSIN: The price controls of Medicare today are causing doctors to stop seeing patients, and Medicare is the biggest contributor to sky-rocketing health care costs. Price controls, which is the current plan in Medicare, doesn't work. What we think works to bring down price costs is competition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Not to be outdone, Democrats are jumping on the change Medicare bandwagon. President Obama plans to unveil his proposal this week, with one distinct difference from the GOP, as his top adviser is hinting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID PLOUFFE, PRESIDENT OBAMA'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Seniors, the poor, the middle class in the congressional Republican plan are asked to bear most of the burden. If you weren't giving enormous tax cuts to millionaires, you wouldn't have to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The GOP proposal cuts Medicare costs without raising taxes, although it does close tax loopholes. According to the Congressional Budget Office, however, the GOP plan will cost seniors more for health care. But can Mr. Obama do any better?
So, today's "Talk Back": Is now the time to consider changing Medicare?
Write to me at Facebook.com/CarolCNN, and I'll read your answers later this hour.
MALVEAUX: And raising taxes, that's a controversial one, too. We'll see if --
COSTELLO: Yes, Republicans are in touch in that one. But there are hints that President Obama might call for raising taxes on the rich.
MALVEAUX: That's right, on the most wealthy Americans. Right.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
MALVEAUX: OK. Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Here's a look at what's ahead "On the Rundown."
Cutting $38 billion from the budget, that is what is on the chopping block right now.
Plus, a plan to stop the fighting in Libya.
Also, the aftermath of tornadoes that swept across the nation's heartland.
And closing the achievement gap, a program to get minority students excited about science.
And finally, frustration over the pace of new air safety rules two years after a deadly crash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to have another family go through what we're going through as we continue to grieve for our son two years later. The process and the timeline is exceedingly painstaking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has agreed now to a deal to stop the fighting in his country. A delegation of African presidents who brokered the plan is now trying to get rebel leaders to accept it. The African Union leaders have gone to Benghazi to meet now with the opposition. Their trip comes as UNICEF says at least 20 children have been killed by shrapnel or bullet wounds in Misrata.
Well, under the African Union plan, all hostilities would stop, including NATO air strikes. Government opposition authorities would start a dialogue on political reforms, and foreign nationals would be protected. Humanitarian aid would be allowed in the country, as well. But the deal does not address whether or not Gadhafi would actually step down. Our CNN national security contributor, Fran Townsend, she's joining us via Skype from New York. Fran was a member of the CIA External Advisory committee and visited high-ranking Libyan officials at the invitation of the Libyan government just last year.
Fran, can you hear us?
We just lost Fran. OK.
FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: I sure can.
MALVEAUX: Oh. I think Fran can hear us. We can't see her.
Fran, can you hear us?
TOWNSEND: I sure can, Suzanne. I'm with you.
MALVEAUX: OK. Well, let's go ahead. We're not seeing you via Skype, but we certainly can hear you, and our audience can hear as well.
Fran, give us a sense here, this deal that's been put on the table. Moammar Gadhafi says a cease-fire, he's going to go ahead and stop the fighting. He's offered that before, only to see more fighting, more shooting.
Do we really believe that he's serious this go-round? You've dealt with him before.
TOWNSEND: No, absolutely not. And I think we have no reason to think we can trust him and his word now on this cease-fire, unless and until we see him take the actual steps of withdrawing his troops and his forces from civilian areas and from cities.
You have to see him. I mean, right now, as you know, Suzanne, there are reports that his forces are dressing like the rebels, are driving vehicles that are associated with the rebels, that they're putting tanks in civilian-occupied areas. I mean, he would have to stop -- not only stop all that, but actually withdraw his forces in a way that it was clear that he was serious about a cease-fire before I think NATO should even consider taking steps.
MALVEAUX: So this deal with Gadhafi, is that the only way, potentially, to end this civil war that is taking place?
TOWNSEND: Well, look, a cease-fire is the best hope now. But again, even the -- the AU proposal really doesn't go far enough.
It's clear that -- one of the thing it calls for is for the rebels and the opposition to begin negotiations with the government. Suzanne, I don't know how best to make an analogy other than to say this would be like asking a rape victim to negotiate with a rapist.
I mean, given what he's done to his own population, expecting the rebels to enter into a negotiation with Gadhafi and his sons is just untenable. And I think what you're hearing from the Italian foreign minister, from the -- and from the British is that that is just not a plan that we can expect to work. Gadhafi and his sons have to go before the opening of negotiations will really make sense or stand a chance to be productive.
MALVEAUX: So is this a waste of time then? The African Union, the leaders, that they're trying to broker this agreement between the two sides, do they have, you know, any standing in this?
TOWNSEND: Well, the problem, Suzanne, is what standing they have -- the African Union, look, it may be a place that one could start to build a basis for a cease-fire or negotiation. The problem is anybody trying to broker this peace is going to have to have credibility with both sides. And the problem right now with the African Union is they have tremendous credibility with Gadhafi.
Of course, it's been widely reported that many of the fighters that Gadhafi's brought in have been from other African nations, mercenaries. And so while they have credibility, the African Union leaders have credibility with Gadhafi, they don't with the rebels. And so you really need -- for someone to be able to credibly put together this plan, you need the credibility on both sides, and it doesn't sound like the African Union has that.
MALVEAUX: All right. Fran Townsend, thank you very much for your insights. Appreciate it.
Well, a $38 billion budget deal prevents now a government shutdown. We're going to take a look at what is on the chopping block now in a live report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Want to check out CNNMoney lead story. It's about the recovery of jobs in the United States, and it seems like there's some optimism here, saying employers hiring, despite signs of a slowdown in the overall economic growth. Job recovery, here to stay.
Also, want to take a quick look at the Dow Jones. The market, up 51 points here. That is also some good news that we are seeing.
We also, of course, are following what took place over the weekend. The government did not shut down. They got a budget under way. The House, today, taking up the budget deal that keeps the government from shutting down over the weekend.
All of the spending issues now facing lawmakers in the coming weeks, that's pretty confusing, we know. But we want to break this down for you.
I want to start with the budget before the House today. It calls for more than $38 billion in spending cuts for the rest of this fiscal year, which means September 30th. Now, the talks, they went down to the wire, with a deal coming just about an hour before a partial government shutdown.
Our CNN's Brianna Keilar, she joins us from Washington. And Brianna, I understand that they are still working, they're checking out what some of these specific cuts are in this budget deal. Do we have a sense of what survived and what did not?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We have some general ideas about where the cuts are, Suzanne. But right now, aides worked through the weekend putting the legislation together. We're hoping to get a summary in not too long. This bill will go online tonight, as we understand it, and then we'll be able to see the nitty- gritty.
But, generally, broad strokes. What we know right now, billions of dollars in cuts to the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services.
What is this going to affect? This will affect some health care programs, housing assistance, a lot of foreign aid. The State Department will see some cuts. There will also be some transportation projects that are affected, and also some farmers will be affected in the kinds of assistance that they have seen -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And Brianna, there was a lot of discussion about the federal money for Planned Parenthood and NPR. Do we know ultimately what happened with those funds regarding Planned Parenthood, for instance?
KEILAR: Yes. So, this was more of a policy distinction than about cutting funding. It was about how Planned Parenthood receives its funding. And many House Republicans wanted to fold this into the overall deal.
In the end, the agreement was that there would be a separate vote in the Senate on essentially defunding Planned Parenthood. There's been a change in this because, outright, Republicans wanted to just defund Planned Parenthood because it does receive federal funds. They don't go towards abortion, Suzanne, but Planned Parenthood does provide abortions.
In negotiations, they then were going to change the way all Title X family health program money was given out. That's how Planned Parenthood gets its money. Now they've gone back to saying they do want that vote in the Senate, but it would be strictly, yes, on defunding Planned Parenthood. So we'll be seeing that at some point.
MALVEAUX: OK. And real quick, NPR, did they lose their funding? Do they stay the same? Do we know?
KEILAR: No, the defunding of NPR which some Republican were fighting for did not end up in the final agreement.
MALVEAUX: All right. Brianna Keilar, thank you.
One of the big budget battles ahead is fighting over raising the debt ceiling. Now, that is the legal limit on how much the country essentially can borrow.
We're going to talk more about that during the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
Extreme weather, keeping our affiliates busy across the country. We're talking about hot, dry winds fueling at least 13 wildfires in Texas. The largest has scorched 71,000 acres so far. Dozens of homes have now burned to the ground. Neighboring Oklahoma declared a state of emergency after fires forced evacuations there.
In Fargo, North Dakota, the Red River crested nearly 40 feet yesterday. It is expected to remain high for another few days. Now that community has been sandbagging since Valentine's Day in anticipation of flooding.
And take a look at this. A monster tornado barreling toward the west Iowa town of Mapleton. It hit right before midnight on Sunday, with winds up to 165 miles per hour. Officials say 60 percent now of the town is leveled. No one was killed, if you can believe that, or even seriously hurt, because warning sirens went off about 10 minutes before that tornado hit.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MALVEAUX: In today's "Choose the News," we are featuring people who are inspiring others. Let us know which story you'd like to see in the next hour. Vote by texting 22630.
First, he lost a $6 million business and was declaring personal bankruptcy. So he popped in an opera CD to help him relax. And that one move changed his life forever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I found out I could sing loud and I could sing high. And I had no idea I could do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Next, the remarkable story of a fifth grader born without hands or lower arms. Despite that, he wins a unique award at a national penmanship competition.
And finally, a Florida woman who epitomizes the expression of paying it forward. Hear the unique reason she decided to donate a kidney to a complete stranger.
Vote by texting 22360. Text 1 for "The Accidental Tenor"; vote 2 for "Boy Without Hands Wins Penmanship Award"; or 3 for "Kidney Donated to Stranger."
The winning story will air in the next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here's what we have ahead on "The Rundown."
Living debt free in America. It's almost impossible. But you can be smart about it. We're going to tell you how. Plus, a special report on closing the achievement gap in schools.
And keeping you safe while you fly by preventing pilot fatigue in our "Fix My Flight" series.
Well, a month ago today, a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan. Aftershocks are still being felt today. Two powerful ones in the same area happened earlier. Bringing into question really the stability of that damaged nuclear plant.
Our Michael Friedlander joins us from Hong Kong.
Michael, always thanks for your perspective on this. You've worked inside American nuclear power plants, three different ones, more than a dozen years. You've got tons of experience on all of this.
How tough, do you think, dealing with all of these aftershocks make it in controlling the damage now at this nuclear plant?
MICHAEL FRIEDLANDER, FORMER SENIOR POWER PLANT OPERATOR: Well, Suzanne, you know, what we worry about is that the first earthquake and the tsunami damaged the plant to such a degree that any subsequent aftershocks could potentially cause more damage or more issues.
Fortunately now we've experienced three or four since the initial earthquake, and things don't seem to be degrading in any material fashion. Fortunately this afternoon the company evacuated the employees. It interrupted some of the work that they were doing, but they were able to get back to it promptly. So again, it seems as though in spite of the fact that these are quite severe aftershocks, things seem to be holding together pretty well.
MALVEAUX: Michael, was is a good sign that they allowed the workers to leave the plant? Because there was a time where everything was, you know, going to hell, and those guys were still in it. They were in the radiation. They were there in the water, and they were still working and working.
FRIEDLANDER: Yes. You know what, I find that as perhaps a bit of an encouragement that TEPCO is taking the safety of the workers to heart. Now one of the things that, in fairness, we do -- we're in a much better situation today than we were a month ago.
The stored energy inside the reactor is dramatically lower than it was a month ago, and so it's much more forgiving right now in the event that you have to evacuate the area and put the workers in a safe area. So we're a bit blessed in that regard. But it is actually a very encouraging sign by TEPCO.
MALVEAUX: And Michael, Friday we just got radiation level numbers from plant officials and other documentation. Why do you suppose that happened so late? Did they just not have the information, or do you think it's part of a pattern of officials trying to save face? FRIEDLANDER: It's a great question, and it's really hard to tell. I suspect that it has much more to do with the fact that the organization and emergency response organization is really in a bit of chaos.
We know that they consolidated some of the leadership under the prime minister's office, in the early days, and maybe there are some people making decisions and running the show who may not necessarily know all the intricacies and some of the details. It's really difficult to speculate.
I am encouraged, again, you know, one of the things that I spend a lot of my time looking at was piecing together the different sources of information, making sure that there's consistency, trying to independently validate some of the numbers against what I would expect to be going on. What we would expect to be seeing.
MALVEAUX: OK.
FRIEDLANDER: And so far, based on the recent information, everything appears to be consistent. There don't appear to be any major surprises.
MALVEAUX: OK.
FRIEDLANDER: I'm a bit comforted in some of the results.
MALVEAUX: OK. We're going to have to leave it there, Michael. We're glad that you're comforted and somewhat relieved at all this. We certainly hope that the good news continues, potential good news coming out of that area.
Well, in schools across the country, some students are lagging behinds. Well, a CNN special report looks at the narrowing achievement gap by improving motivation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Closing the achievement gap in America. Classrooms in Tennessee are coming up with exciting new ways, science programs to keep students engaged.
Our CNN special correspondent, Soledad O'Brien, stopped by to see how it works.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can't compete at a decomposer changed over time.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These ninth and tenth graders are learning about forensics at the Academy of Science and Engineering which is inside Nashville's Stratford High School.
(on camera) So the goal is to mimic what a medical examiner might do?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
O'BRIEN: With the dead bodies and things.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we use (INAUDIBLE).
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Last year, 75 percent of students here at this mostly African-American school tested below grade level.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's unacceptable and we need to fix that. The academic rigor has to be raised.
O'BRIEN: Across Tennessee, only 6 percent of African-American students are considered proficient in science. For white students, that number is still low, 36 percent.
The achievement gap across Tennessee reflects a nationwide trend. In state after state, students of color are lagging behind.
PHIL BREDESEN, FORMER TENNESSEE GOVERNOR: I think one of the failings of public education has been how wide these achievement gaps have been allowed to become.
O'BRIEN: Former governor, Phil Bredesen, raised standards for all students before leaving office earlier this year. All subjects are more demanding and high school students must now take four years of science to graduate.
BRIAN HARRELL, STRATFORD HIGH, BIOLOGY TEACHER: In doing that and getting kids to think more, you actually closed the achievement gap.
O'BRIEN: For Stratford, part of the answer to closing the gap is this sort of hands-on learning. It's designed to excite and engage kids.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They have, basically, gone out and done all of the EPA studies to determine whether or not a watershed -- a local watershed's actually polluted, and with what.
In their English classes, they read a book about water quality. We want them to see everything from an interdisciplinary perspective so that the kids can see that science is not just a 50-minute lab.
O'BRIEN: They're doing this with their share of the $500 million awarded to the state from President Obama's Race to the Top initiative. The goal: better prepare students for the high-tech jobs of tomorrow.
BREDESEN: Just listen to these kids, they're engaged with it, they're interested in it, and that's the way you close the gap. If they could do it, you know, a classroom at a time.
VIRGINIA SHEPHERD, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR SCIENCE OUTREACH: I think innovative programs will allow students to learn in ways that they're most comfortable with. Our goal was to provide an exciting way for these students to learn and to tell the kids that they could achieve.
O'BRIEN: The program is still in its first year, but if the students are any indication, this seems to be a step in the right direction.
TIMMECIA MOODY, STRATFORD HIGH SCHOOL: I never really liked science. That is my least concern. Now it's like my second best.
O'BRIEN: Reporting for "In America," I'm Soledad O'Brien, CNN, Nashville.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: "Don't Fail Me: An Education in America" documentary reported by Soledad O'Brien examines public schools. The U.S. manufacturing jobs are being replaced by high-skilled computer and engineering positions. America's financial future's at risk if students can't tackle the math and science needed to fill those jobs. It airs May 15 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Potential contenders for 2012, they're on the road hoping it will lead to the White House. Details ahead in our "Political Update."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: A reminder to vote for today's "Choose the News" winner. Pick the story that you like to see in the next hour by texting 22360. Text "1" to see a man who just lost a $6 million business randomly discovered he could become a successful opera singer.
Text "2" for an amazing story involving a fifth grader born without hands or lower arms. It didn't stop him from winning a National Penmanship Award, or becoming an inspiration to his classmates.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're always trying hard at everything you do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His classmates, teachers, and family, an entire gym packed to celebrate Nick Maxim's extraordinary effort.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No matter what it is, if he wants, he puts his mind to it and keeps working on it until he gets it the way he wants it to be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Born without --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And text "3" to see the unique reason a Florida woman decided to donate a kidney to a complete stranger. Again, vote by texting 22360. The winning story will air in the next hour.
Potential presidential contenders hitting the campaign trail.
Ed Henry part of the "Best Political Team on Television," live from the White House.
Good to see you.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It's good to see you.
MALVEAUX: There are a lot of people who want that job. What's crossing?
HENRY: Suzanne, you're right. A lot of people want to be working here come 2013. And it's interesting because a couple of weeks ago, we were talking about how nobody seemed to want to get into this race. Now they are off and off with a vengeance.
You've got today, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann, both in Iowa. You've got Tim Pawlenty in Florida, then on to New Hampshire. Haley Barbour is going to be in New Hampshire this week. Rick Santorum is going to be in New Hampshire for a speech on Thursday. Then Friday, Santorum is going to be at a tea party rally in Concord.
Herman Cain, the pizza fortune man, he's going to be there as well. He has got a toe in the water to run for president. Pawlenty is going to move on to New Hampshire for that tea party rally, as well.
So you got all kinds of Republican candidates fanning out. But President Obama is not about to cede all the ground. He's out on the road later this week as well. Thursday, he's going to do some fundraising in his hometown of Chicago. This is his first big sort of campaign foray since he officially announced last week that he's putting in the paperwork and he's running again in 2012.
Secondly, Donald Trump now making at least his first official political appearance. He certainly made a political appearances in general. But his first official one this weekend is going to be in Boca Raton, Florida.
Interesting, he's going to be at a tea party rally. And he's getting some support from interesting Republican colleague, if you will. Sarah Palin, over the weekend. She was saying she thinks it's a great idea that Trump has now announced he's going to hire investigators to check into these birther claims. Check into whether or not President Obama was really born in Hawaii.
Sarah Palin saying, quote, "More power to him. He's not just throwing stones from the sidelines. He's digging in. He's paying for researchers."
Now we've been through this many, many times before. They're going to be through it again. You and I have both interviewed Governor Abercrombie in Hawaii. He knew Barack Obama's parents. He was aware of the birth in real-time there in the '60s. There also was a birth announcement in a local newspaper. So this is going to be investigated again. Very risky for Donald Trump. It may play to a small segment of the Republican primaries, but when it comes to moderate Republicans, independent voters, this could really turn them off, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Oh, yes. Yes, we had a chance to talk to Trump last week. So this is an issue that is not going away.
Our Ed Henry, part of "The Best Political Team on Television." Thanks, Ed.
The latest political news, you know where to go, CNNPolitics.com.
Consumers borrowed more money to buy cars and pay for school in February than in previous months. And they cut back on using credit cards. It's a sign that Americans are being smarter now about debt.
Our Stephanie Elam is here with more on why I guess all debt is not created equal. There's some good debt and there's some bad debt. But we all have a little bit of debt.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, almost everybody does. If you don't, I need to know your secret, how you're living without doing that. But it's true, Suzanne. There is good debt, and there is bad debt. It is important to know the difference so you can prioritize which loans you need to pay off first, which bills you need to get knocked off first.
So let's start with the good stuff first. Good debt is essentially an investment. Something that will grow in value along with your wealth or earnings. That's things like your mortgage, maybe student loans. You put those in there, as well.
So think about it this way. If you're buying a home, you can afford where you plan to stay and hopefully build value in that house, that's a good debt to take on. If you plan on going to college or graduate school, or even medical or law school, that degree is going to increase your earnings, so that would also be considered good debt, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: What is bad debt?
ELAM: Yes, well, bad debt is if any debt that you would basically use to buy something that is going to lose value immediately. And in most cases, the stuff falls on the credit cards. So think of stuff like pricey vacations, maybe designer shoes, maybe you're thinking about some golf clubs, whatever your thing is. Things that you can't afford to buy, but you buy them on a credit card, they fall into this category. Bad debt also tends to have higher interest rates.
Now with all of this said, there is some gray area between good and bad. And Gail Cunningham from the National Federation of Credit Counsellors points out that it's necessary evil debt. Car loans, for example. They fall into this category because you probably need a car to get around, to get to your job, the grocery store, getting kids to school. Then you've got to have it, so that's something you're going to need even though the value goes down the minute you drive it off of the car lot -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And vacations, where does that fall? It looks like you just came back from a vacation.
ELAM: I'm always this color. Yes. A little bit of vacation. But -- we plan for it and paid off and paid it off already. So does that count? See? It didn't go on the credit card.
MALVEAUX: OK.
ELAM: Yes.
MALVEAUX: Well, Stephanie, we're going to come back to you in a minute to explain.
You're going to explain how to figure out which debt you need to pay off first or right away, and which you can kind of hold off on a little bit.
ELAM: Yes.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Steph.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We're back with Stephanie Elam.
Steph, we're talking about two kinds of debt -- good and bad debt. And if you've got good debt and a lot of bad debt, what do you do? Which one do you pay off first?
ELAM: Yes, it is important to make this distinction, Suzanne. And Gail Cunningham over at the National Foundation for Credit Counselling says if your money is tight and you're having trouble paying your bills every month then you've got to pay for your living expenses first.
So we're talking about rental mortgage, food, utilities, insurance, medicine, maybe child care as well, then after that, pay your car payments because chances are you're going to need your mobility. But if you're able to start paying down your debts, prioritize them by interest rates and pay off the debt with the highest rate first.
So for example, if you have a credit card balance at 14 percent interest and a student loan at 6 percent, then focus on paying off the credit card first since it's going to end up costing you more -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: What about -- what would you consider if you want to take on new debt? What should you be thinking about like a mortgage or student loans, credit card?
ELAM: Right. Well just remember to look at the big picture. Absolutely pay down the debts based on their cost to you, and pay attention to your bills. If you have an introductory interest rate on a credit card that's interest free for six months, don't forget that rate is going to go up after that initial period.
All in all read your statements and be realistic about how much you can debt -- debt you can handle now, and also in the future, so you're not biting off more than you can chew even if it is a year or so down the line -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Steph, I love your reports. I'm always learning as I go trying to figure out my life. Then I listen to your report.
ELAM: That's good.
MALVEAUX: I go back to my mortgage, my credit card, my debt situation.
ELAM: I'm glad to know we're helping.
MALVEAUX: You cover it all. Thank you, Stef.
ELAM: Next we'll start talking about your credit reports and taxes. We'll get it. We'll go keep it going.
MALVEAUX: Good, good. Please! I need this.
Thank you, Steph.
The budget battle in Washington could end with major changes to the country's Medicare program. Right now, about 47 million seniors in this country, they rely on Medicare for their health coverage. That is the topic of today's "Talk Back" question.
Carol Costello with more on that.
Carol?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes, a lot of politicians talking about cuts or changes to the Medicare-Medicaid program. So the "Talk Back" question today, "Is it time to consider changing Medicare?"
This from Janice, "Medicare and outrageous spending is really hurting our country. Is there a way to blend the Republicans and the Democratic ideas? If they could work together for the common good -- if only -- maybe less people would be hurt by these policies."
This from Candace, "Change, yes. But vouchers? Ridiculous. So if one of these people gets cancer, they get a voucher for how much? I'm guessing nowhere close to what they need to get the right health care. We all need to accept cuts, but we also all need to accept more taxes, including taxes on the rich."
This from Tim, "Absolutely, if we are considering budget austerity. Everything should be on the able not just Medicare."
This from Paul, "Privatization may have to be an option in some cases but I am fearful that it would do more harm than good. And sooner or later, taxes will have to go up again. People cannot have it both ways."
Wow, people are realists, even more so than our politicians who don't seem to be realist.
MALVEAUX: It's surprising.
COSTELLO: You have to raise revenue at some point.
MALVEAUX: I guess people acknowledge this, that's the way it is going to go.
COSTELLO: Yes, it's interesting.
MALVEAUX: All right.
COSTELLO: Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll be back in about five minutes.
MALVEAUX: All right, thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Safety in the skies. Airlines face a deadline now to give pilots more rest. We're going to take a look just how close they are to meeting the mandate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: This week we're taking a closer look at flying in our "Fix My Flight" series. Today your safety in the air.
The Federal Aviation Administration is facing a congressionally mandated deadline to issue new rules to prevent pilot fatigue.
Allan Chernoff covered the crash that sparked this effort and explains where things stand now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's been more than two years since jazz guitarist Coleman Mellett and 49 other people died when a Colgan Air turboprop plane crashed near Buffalo. It was snowing and the pilots had little sleep. Coleman's father, Ken, is frustrated there are still no new federal regulations in force yet to make flying safer.
KEN MELLETT, FATHER OF FLIGHT 3407 VICTIM: I don't want to have another family go through what we're going through as we continue to grieve for our son, two years later. The process and the timeline is exceedingly painstaking. CHERNOFF (voice-over): It is a long process. Since the crash, a National Transportation Safety Board investigation pointed to pilot error. Congress held hearings, then passed a bill that became law, mandating the Federal Aviation Administration impose new regulations.
Airlines, pilots and regulators negotiated, leading to an FAA proposal to give pilots at least nine hours off between flights, an increase of an hour, more rest each week, and monthly limits on flight time. There was a mandatory public comment period. And now, FAA is writing final regulations to be issued by August 1st, though airlines will then get even more time to implement the pilot rest rules.
LEE MOAK, PRESIDENT, AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOC.: I'm in Washington. So to say that you don't get frustrated a little bit trying to get things changed would probably be an understatement.
CHERNOFF: A spokesperson for the regulator told CNN, "The FAA has taken action to strengthen pilot hiring, training and performance over the last two years."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The landing gear's down.
CHERNOFF: Indeed, FAA told airlines to ask pilot applicants for their full flight records to uncover any flight test failures. The FAA has demanded better pilot training and more cooperation between major airlines and the regional carriers they use to fly short-haul flights.
Congress is demanding more flight experience to earn a commercial pilot's certificate, at least 1,500 flight hours, six times the current minimum. But FAA has until August, 2013 to issue that rule, much too long, complains Ken Mellett.
KEN MELLETT, FATHER OF FLIGHT 3407 VICTIM: The next accident could be tomorrow.
CHERNOFF: Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
