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Bigger Battles Ahead for Budget; Searching for a Serial Killer; Closing the Achievement Gap in Tennessee; Fix Our Flights; Gearing Up for 85MPH

Aired April 11, 2011 - 14:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Much more about this in the hours and the days ahead, but now, let's bring in our Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill.

Brianna, what is going on up there behind the scenes?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, throughout the weekend, and even as we speak, Randi, staff have been putting together this actual bill for the deal that was struck on Friday night. For 2011, the budget year 2011. So they have been putting it together, and we are -- you mentioned, generally speaking, seeing some cuts, but what are the actual programs that are going to be cut? We don't know everything, and that's going to be coming out later today as the bill is put out.

And as you said, that seemed like quite a messy week last week. Well, that is a bit of a warm-up, because once we see the House vote -- and we are expecting that to be on Wednesday, the Senate to follow suit -- we'll be seeing the House actually debating the 2012 budget. It's very controversial, because House Republican Budget Chairman Paul Ryan has put out a proposal backed by Republicans that overhauls Medicare and Medicaid -- or that's the plan -- and it's been panned by Democrats -- Randi.

KAYE: Yes. And Congress, they must really like though the pressure of deadlines, because it's leaving town again next week, which will put it really up against the wire for the debt ceiling fight. Isn't that right?

KEILAR: That's exactly right. So they go away for a couple of weeks, and what's important to note about this is that the Treasury Department says the U.S. will hit the debt ceiling, it's predicting, May 16th. So that means Congress comes back, and they really have only two weeks to work on this.

And you have some conservative members like Congresswoman Michele Bachmann who are saying that there is no way they will vote to increase the debt ceiling, they feel like it just gives Congress the license to spend. But here is what we also have to know about this. The U.S. has obligations, bills it has to pay, and those will inevitably make, really, the U.S. government hit that debt ceiling.

It's sort of like a credit card for us, right? If we go over the limit, we see our interest rate increase. I mean, the ramifications are that the U.S. would default on loans, and then all of us would suffer through interest rates for homes and mortgages, and that kind of thing -- Randi.

KAYE: And long term, I know you mentioned that we have got the House GOP debt reduction plan, President Obama is going to unveil his plan Wednesday. And then we've also got this Gang of Six senators working on yet another plan.

I mean, progress or chaos here?

KEILAR: You know, I don't know if they are mutually exclusive up here on Capitol Hill, to be honest. It sounds like there are of course a lot of ideas going around.

Now, the ideas are mutually exclusive, because you have, obviously, Paul Ryan talking about an overhaul of Medicare and Medicaid which will be taking Medicare, his proposal, make it, instead of a government-run insurance plan, a government-subsidized plan. And, of course, President Obama, we know that he's going to be talking about Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security. He's also going to be talking about raising taxes on wealthy Americans. And those ideas are certainly going to be different.

The Gang of Six -- this is three Republicans, three Democratic senators -- they've been talking about kind of coming together or trying to take some of to recommendations of the president's fiscal commission, which was a bipartisan commission, and really trying to work together. It's kind of a bit of a stew when it comes to these ideas floating around for deficit reduction, and this is really the big debate, and lots of ideas floating around here.

KAYE: All right. Well put.

Brianna Keilar, on Capitol Hill.

Thank you, Brianna.

Well, if you were watching the clock Friday night, then you know we were almost an hour away from a government shutdown. And we want to hear from you. What do you think about the last 72 hours in Washington?

Join the conversation on our blog, tell us what you think, how you feel about all this, at CNN.com/Ali. You can also post on Ali's Facebook and Twitter pages, and my Facebook and Twitter as well. We would love to know what you think, and we will share your comments later on in the show.

Our "Sound Effect" is a stark reminder that for all its charm, spring is also tornado season in much of the country. Potentially violent weather is forecast today in parts of the South, while a couple of towns in the upper Midwest face long recoveries from a very stormy weekend.

I want you to hear from tornado chasers who tracked a big one near Mapleton, Iowa. Their excitement is not matched by folks in Mapleton. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A big one. Real big.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, Mapleton -- Mapleton is in big trouble.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you call this in?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY RUS, LOST HOME IN TORNADO: It scared me. I went outside and looked around after it quit, and I couldn't believe it. I was out on the front porch and I had seen that tornado coming, and I got in the house.

AL GRIES, WORRIED ABOUT MOTHER: It was getting black out, and she was going to go to the basement. And thank goodness she did, because her house is completely gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: That last man had driven into town to check on his elderly mother.

It's estimated 60 percent of Mapleton was leveled by Saturday's twister, but no one, remarkably, was killed.

A woman goes missing. Now the search is on for a possible serial killer. The bodies of eight murder victims are found, and now word of maybe even more victims. Details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: This just in. Police searching for a suspected serial killer on Long Island have discovered more bones, according to a New York state police captain. Cadaver dogs found the remains about five miles from the original crime scene. It's unclear at this point whether those bones are human or animal.

Since December, the bodies of eight women, four of which are prostitutes, have been discovered on Long Island. Half of the victims have been found just in the last few weeks. Those familiar with this investigation say the killer is sophisticated and knows how to hide his tracks well, yet he is bold, even going as far as calling one victim's sister from that same victim's cell phone.

James Alan Fox is a professor of criminology and the author of the book "Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder." He joins me now from Boston. James, you have studied serial killers for decades. Now, police believe that this killer may be familiar with police techniques. They think maybe he could be former law enforcement, maybe even still working as a police officer. He knows how to keep his calls to victims' families under three minutes so they can't be tracked, he calls from crowded places like Times Square, so in case they do track it, he can't be found.

What do you make of this?

JAMES ALAN FOX, PROFESSOR OF CRIMINOLOGY: I would doubt that this is former law enforcement. It doesn't take much skill to figure out certain ways not to be caught.

All you have to do is read a few books, maybe even watch some television shows. These tactics are not that sophisticated.

What is true about serial killers is they are cunning, they're difficult to catch. After all, if this guy was a sloppy killer and left all sorts of clues, he would not have stayed at large for this period of time to become a serial killer.

KAYE: So, take us inside of the mind, if you can, of somebody like this. I mean, mentioned that in one case, he called the victim's sister from her cell phone, itself. This was the case with Melissa Barthelemy.

Is that typical behavior, to do something so outrageous? I mean, is he taunting the family?

FOX: Well, frequently, they will make contact with victims, families, generally the police as well, almost like bragging, that here's a guy who has been able to kill repeatedly, and the police don't seem to know who he is. And he's beginning to feel cocky, invincible, and bragging essentially.

Hopefully, this will be to his demise. What often happens is, after a period of time, serial killers feel so invincible, so unstoppable, that they make the wrong move, they're less careful, and we catch them. We have to get lucky, and we haven't gotten lucky yet.

KAYE: And in this case, half of the victims may have been prostitutes advertising their services on the popular Web site Craigslist. Why would someone be killing off prostitutes? What would be going on in their mind?

FOX: Well, first of all, I should point out that prostitutes are the most common victims of serial killers. They know that they are easy targets, whether it be on the street or through an online Web site.

Also, psychologically, they can con themselves into thinking that this isn't so bad, because these victims are, in their minds, less than human. It is called dehumanization.

Plus -- and this is really important -- they recognize the fact that when they prey upon prostitutes, the police response is very slow. If a woman disappears who is a known prostitute, the police will not immediately count it as foul play, they'll think she just went off to some other place to apply her trade.

So, in fact, in this case, it wasn't until the bodies were found in December, four bodies, that the investigation got going. Had this been a middle-class coed disappearance, immediately there would be an investigation.

KAYE: Yes.

I know you said that it doesn't sound like he's very sophisticated, he or she in this case. But the killer in this case is being compared, I want to point out, to the TV character Dexter Morgan, who you may be familiar with. He works for the Miami police. He moonlights as a serial killer.

He only kills the bad guys. But I'm just curious, because you have tracked them for decades, serial killers, I mean, do they get ideas from watching TV shows?

FOX: Occasionally they do. They don't get the motivation, but occasionally they will copy things they see on television, or something someone else does.

Let's keep in mind that Dexter is fiction, not necessarily real life. So the important point here is that it's not that he is not sophisticated, it's that serial killers prove by their skill and their elusiveness that they are a big challenge for police. That's what we are seeing here.

I'm not claiming that this person is brilliant. You don't have to be. He just has a certain degree of cunning or street smarts. If he didn't, he would have been caught long ago.

KAYE: So you don't think he want to get caught?

FOX: He doesn't want to get caught. That's a myth. They don't want to get caught.

When they get caught, it's because they feel they're invincible. Take the D.C. sniper case, for example. People speculated, oh, they wanted to get caught. No they didn't. They just felt because the police were looking for a white van, and they were driving a blue sedan, that the police just didn't have a clue, literally and figuratively.

So serial killers don't want to get caught. They're having too much enjoyment at their victims' expense, and they continue to kill until we get them. Unfortunately, these cases are hard to solve, and you'll find across the country strings of slayings of prostitutes that still remain unsolved.

KAYE: All right. James Alan Fox, always a pleasure to speak with you. A tough topic to discuss, but your insight is certainly appreciated. Thank you.

FOX: My pleasure. KAYE: After a quick break, CNN's Soledad O'Brien is next with a look at one school in Tennessee using new ways to close the achievement gap between white and black students. You don't want to miss her report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: CNN's Soledad O'Brien is working on a documentary, "Don't Fail Me," about the American education system. She found one school in Tennessee using innovative ways to close the achievement gap between white and black students.

Here is her report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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 with the dead bodies and things?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. 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 six 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, FMR. 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 close 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.

JENNIFER UFNAR, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR SCIENCE OUTREACH: 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: If you just listen to these kids, they're engaged with this, they're interested in it, and that's the way you close the gap. I think you do it 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 STUDENT: I never really liked science. Science was 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)

KAYE: That is from Soledad O'Brien's documentary "Don't Fail Me: Education in America." This CNN documentary examines the crisis in our public education system and why America's financial future is at risk if our students can not excel in math and science.

It premiers Sunday, May 15th, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only right here on CNN.

Eighteen minutes past the hour. Time for some top stories.

After barely escaping a government shutdown, Congress is taking up the last-minute budget deal starting today. The budget that will cover the rest of the year cuts $38.5 billion. The exact details are still being worked out, but "The New York Times" reports that the deal cuts $13 billion from Departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services.

In Japan, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit the already devastated country on the one-month anniversary of the March 11th quake and tsunami. Tuesday's earthquake struck just about 30 miles southwest of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Japan's government is calling for evacuations to include towns around the plant that you see in red, right here. Some of those cities are beyond the designated danger zone. Authorities say residents could receive high doses of radiation for a long time. The Libyan opposition has rejected a plan by the African Union that would end the fighting between them and Moammar Gadhafi. Leaders say they will not approve any proposal unless it removes Gadhafi from power. Gadhafi had agreed in principle to a cease-fire, but the African Union plan fails to provide any permanent solution.

Tornadoes plowed through the plains over the weekend. Next, Jacqui Jeras with a look at who might be at risk today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. Time to talk a little bit of weather with Jacqui Jeras.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAYE: Their fairy-tale wedding is just a few weeks away, so you're not going to want to miss this, because the next time you see them, they will be husband and wife.

More on Prince William and his future princess, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. Some stories you may have missed now.

Now that President Obama and congressional leaders have agreed on a plan to keep the government running through September, they'll have to sell it to the full Congress. The House begins considering the deal today. A vote is expected later this week, and the Senate will take up the bill after that.

The budget will cost $38.5 billion. While the nitty-gritty details are still being hammered out, "The New York Times" reports almost half of those cuts will come from the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. The president is to lay out his plan on how to reduce the nation's long-term deficit Wednesday afternoon.

Severe storms have ripped through parts of the Midwest. In Iowa, a wave of powerful tornadoes touched down. The twisters destroyed a big portion of Mapleton, but emergency workers say there were only minor injuries and no deaths.

South, in Texas, emergency workers and residents are cleaning up from severe thunderstorms that tore through north Texas overnight. High winds and hail, downed trees and power lines, even cracked windows and damaged rooftops. But despite the widespread damage, there are no reports of injuries.

But residents in Texas are struggling with more than damage from those severe thunderstorms. Jacqui Jeras was just showing us this.

Texas firefighters, struggling to control massive wildfires. This fire in Midland County, Texas, has destroyed 34 homes. The biggest fire is in Presidio County. It's grown to 80,000 acres and is only 10 percent contained. Wildfires have consumed more than 643,000 acres in Texas since the fire season began.

Over in France, a controversial move to ban Islamic veils took effect today. The ban specifically targets burqas, a full-body covering, also the full-faced veil. The law does not ban headscarves, headgear, and other head covers, as long as it does not prevent the person from being identified. The French prime minister defended the ban last month as in keeping with national values. The law imposes a fine of 150 euros, or $190, or community service.

OK. Take a good look at this one. This is the last official public appearance for Britain's Prince William and his fiancee, Kate Middleton, before their April 29th wedding. Yes, mark your calendars.

They helped open a school while touring towns in northwest England. Despite rain, more than 15,000 people turned up to catch a glimpse of the prince and his soon-to-be princess.

Taking time out across Japan to remember those killed one month ago today in the major earthquake and tsunami. But nature offers do not let up.

The latest in "Globe Trekking," next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: There is no rest from disaster for Japan. Another strong quake hit the same area devastated by the deadly quake and tsunami one month ago today.

Here with us now to talk a little bit more about it is Michael Holmes.

Can you imagine, here they are honoring the dead and remembering the dead and another aftershock?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It was just after they had the moment of silence and the ceremony that you saw there before the break, and then this 6.6 magnitude. You know, they call them an aftershock, but every aftershock is an actual earthquake and you can see there some of the pictures from this one -- imagine after the one that was a month ago, 9.0, and things start rattling around like that, just terrifying.

This was about 30 miles, by the way, southwest of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which is still having lots of trouble as well. They are pouring -- in fact, this earthquake affected their cooling efforts, you know, pouring water on the plant to try to keep those rods cool. A lot of power was knocked out when this quake happened and it stopped the cooling for a while.

So, I mean, a terrible thing for this country, just more and more and more.

KAYE: Yes, it is awful. Can we talk about Libya?

HOLMES: Yes.

KAYE: Libya, we have the African Union trying to work out a deal between Gadhafi and the rebels. And yet another attempt at a peace plan, but no-go, right?

HOLMES: Well, I mean, the African Union hammered this out, and they are saying that the Gadhafi regime has accepted this. I mean, the plan included an immediate cease-fire and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, protection of foreign nationals, dialogue between the government, et cetera, et cetera.

Now, the thing is that Gadhafi regime, they are saying yes, but the opposition is very uneasy and, in fact, they are saying that no deal is possible unless Gadhafi steps down and his sons do not take over. They don't -- there is not a lot of trust out there at the moment. Let's face it, with the African Union, there's not a lot of trust in many places, too. They don't have great record of solving conflicts in the region.

KAYE: Yes, and the fighting continues.

HOLMES: Oh, the fighting continues.

KAYE: In Misrata, it's been awful.

HOLMES: Yes, exactly. And the African Union, too. Gadhafi has given a lot of money no the African Union. A lot of people in the region see it as a bit of a club that defends leaders.

KAYE: So, what it's going to take? I mean, the rebels don't seem willing to budge, even though they are getting hammered and pushed back.

HOLMES: This could go on for months.

KAYE: The same as the Ivory Coast now.

HOLMES: Yes.

KAYE: There's a little glimmer of hope here, with Gbagbo now?

HOLMES: Laurent Gbagbo has been arrested. He was captured today. He had been holed up in a bunker in the residential palace there. You know, this is -- Alassane Ouattara is the guy who won the election back in November.

Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent, wouldn't get out. This stalemate has actually caused hundreds of lives. Gbagbo was shelling his own people, trying to cling to power. Just a couple of things, and what's interesting here politically is the French had tanks in there. Of course, it's a former French colony, they are going out of their way to say saying that it was Ouattara's troops that took Gbagbo into custody.

KAYE: Right.

HOLMES: They don't want their fingerprints on this in any way, shape or form because it smacks of neo-colonialism.

KAYE: You just wonder how they pulled it off, though. I mean, he's been in his bunker for quite sometime.

HOLMES: Yes, he's making some gains himself militarily with his men, pushing back into (INAUDIBLE) his people had taken. So, in some ways it was a bit of a surprise. But they got in there. I think the French might on the streets, militarily, might their tanks there and artillery.

KAYE: And why is this so significant. Because if this really does mean, that this can bring peace to the Ivory Coast, that's pretty important.

HOLMES: Well, it's a good thing. I mean, you got a major, you know, exporter there of all kinds of things, cocoa and coffee and the like. And, yes, it's a country that's been struggling for stability since the election.

And the thing that's -- in Gbagbo, apparently, they're going to make him stand trial for what he's done as he has been clinging to power as well. You know, the French, of course, had been involved. As I was saying, they don't want a smack of neocolonialism by looking like they were heavily involved in his capture.

KAYE: Right.

HOLMES: And also, Ouattara's people don't want that because they want him to be seen as a puppet of the French government, put in by the French, if you like. So, a very diplomatic sort of juggling act going on there.

KAYE: I know it's not on our schedule of things to talk abut. But are you going to the royal wedding?

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: Well, you see, the Australians have a bit of a Republican bent because she's the queen of Australian, and there's a lot of Australians who say, no, we don't need a queen. So, no, no, not my cup of tea.

KAYE: OK. Well, I only ask you that because you heard telling Jacqui Jeras that you might be able to --

HOLMES: I would like to go cover it. I'd like to go cover anything, you know me.

KAYE: Well, all of our managers know that. So, hey, there it is.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: I missed you for a week.

KAYE: Yes, welcome back.

HOLMES: Yes, but surfing in Costa Rica was nice.

KAYE: I'm sure it was. Well, we're glad you are back.

HOLMES: Good to see you.

KAYE: Thank you, Michael.

HOLMES: All right.

KAYE: R&B Usher gives his all on stage. And off stage, he gives back through his New Look Foundation. He explains how in this "Impact Your World."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

USHER, R&B SINGER: Hey, this is Usher, and we can make an impact on our young people. The New Look Foundation was founded in 1999, and I started it, because I wanted to do something that I felt would impact youth, we closely focus on youth, showing them a new look on life through real world experiences. There's a focus on leadership as well as service. My hopes are I'm introducing tomorrow's service-minded youth leader.

Our children are the future. This is our opportunity to make it better by motivating them now. Join the movement, "Impact Your World" at CNN.com/Impact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: April is National Volunteer Month and now is the time to give of yourself. CNN's "Impact Your World" is challenging you the pledge at least 11 volunteer hours in 2011. Go on CNN.com/Impact or text impact space and the number 11 to 22360 to make your pledge today.

CNN.com/Impact is where you can take action to make your pledge and describing what you plan to do. When you have completed your hours, go back to CNN.com/Impact to submit photos or video. Your volunteer story could be featured on impact your world.

Straight ahead, you know you're in trouble when you have a $14 trillion credit limit, and it's not quite enough.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back.

It's time now for the big breakdown and they don't get much bigger than this: $14,294 billion and it's still not enough. That's how much the U.S. government is authorized by act of Congress to borrow and not a penny more. It's called a debt ceiling and let me tell you, we've come a long way since it was set at $11.5 billion, billion with a "B," way back in 1917.

We've never actually hit the ceiling because Congress raises it just in time. You can see, well, we're at that point again. Looking at the past decade, in 2000 the ceiling and the debt were under $6 trillion. And the debt shown by bars there goes up every year. And look at the red line, if you will, each one represents a limit that quickly gave way to a higher limit. All of this matters because the government lives on borrowed money. The Treasury sells bond, takes on debt to make up the difference between tax revenues and spending obligations. If it's suddenly had to stop, the White House says we'd all pay the price.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The consequences, as Secretary Geithner and many others, including the speaker of the House, Senate minority leader, Congressman Ryan have pointed out, the consequences of not -- of failing to raise the debt ceiling would be Armageddon-like in terms of the economy, on the impact on interest rates, on job creation, on growth would be devastating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And here's what Jay Carney means -- the government plans on borrowing another $738 billion, give or take, between now and September 30th, at the end of the fiscal year. If it can't, it will have to raise taxes and/or cut spending quickly to make up that amount. Otherwise, we will essentially be in default for the first time.

Your safety in the air. CNN is looking into the challenges facing air travelers today in a series called "Fix My Flight." Today, we take a look at pilot fatigue.

The Federal Aviation Administration is facing a congressional deadline to issue new rules for pilots. However, the effort sparked by one of the nation's most tragic airline accident is long and slow.

CNN's Allan Chernoff has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's been more than two years since jazz guitarist Coleman Mellett and 49 other people died when a Colgan Air turbo-prop plane crashed near Buffalo. It was snowing and the pilot had little sleep.

Coleman's father, Ken, is frustrated there are still no new federal regulations enforce yet to make flying safer.

KEN MELLETT, FATHER OF FLIGHT 3407 VICTIM: I don't want another family to go through what we are going through as we continue to grieve for our son two years later. The process and the time line is exceedingly painstakingly.

CHERNOFF: 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 get even more time to implement the pilot rest rules.

CAPTAIN LEE MOAK, PRESIDENT, PILOTS ASSOCIATION: 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 past two years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The landing is down --

CHERNOFF: Indeed, FAA told airlines to ask pilot applicants for their full flight records, to uncover any pilot test failures.

FAA has demanded better pilot training, and more cooperation between major airlines and the regional carriers they used to fly short-haul flights. Congress is demanding more flight experience to earn a commercial pilot certificate, at least 1,500 flight hours, six times the current minimum. But the FAA has until August 2013 to issue that rule -- much too long, complains Ken Mellett.

MELLETT: The next accident could be tomorrow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Allan Chernoff joins me live now from New York.

Allan, that is the type of report that can really send your shivers down a frequent flyer's spine. Anything else the FAA is doing to improve safety?

CHERNOFF: The FAA really has been working very hard on all of this. In fact, today, they announced that their new command center for air traffic control is fully operational. They are on the way to moving from a radar-based air traffic control system to having a system that is based on satellite. They call this next generation. It's long overdue, but they've been working hard on that.

KAYE: And so, how else would you say air travel can become safer?

CHERNOFF: Well, there are other steps that the FAA has been pushing for. They instituted a mentoring program between the major airlines and the regional airline so that all airlines are sharing best practices. They saw a lot of problems emerge from the tragic accident, that Colgan Air accident and so, they've learned a lot of lessons. They're trying to implement them.

But as we report, it all it takes a lot of time to get these things in place. KAYE: Yes, it certainly does. Well, hopefully, they'll get it fixed soon.

Allan Chernoff, thank you.

And stay with us for another "Fix My Flight" report next hour. We'll look at how airlines are looking to entice customers in the midst all of those fees.

Racing the speed limit, one state is ready to really put the pedal to the metal, but one champion racecar driver thinks we need to apply the brake.

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KAYE: Fifty, 65, 75, and now, 85 -- that's what people in Texas may be gearing up for, an 85-mile-per-hour speed limit on some roads.

The bill is making its way through the legislature right now. Texas already allows the fastest speed, tied with Utah at 80 miles per hour on rural highways. The majority of states allow you to go at least 70. Of course, the national law that caps speeds at 55 miles per hour was repealed in 1995.

So, why not 85? Opponents point to the potential for more fatal crashes. But there's also an economic impact. The Department of Energy says that every five miles per hour over 60 is like paying an extra 24 cents a gallon for gas. Sure, going 85 gets you there a little quicker, but it will cost you a $1.20 a gallon.

So, let's put it to the test. On our "Stream Team" today is NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte and on the other side is the Texas state flag -- oh, wait, wait. That's Roland Martin -- oh, my.

All right. Roland, we'll get to that in a second.

Bobby, I want to start with you. You are a racecar driver and you are from Texas. Is this a good idea, 85 miles an hour?

BOBBY LABONTE, NASCAR SPRINT CUT DRIVER: You know, I don't -- I don't think that 85 is probably a positive way. I mean, you are already going 80 miles an hour, people probably sneak up on the 85 already, you know? Just leave a couple minutes early if you are going somewhere, if it's not that far away, you know?

And like -- in the racecars, we are built for speed, we're on a closed course, inside of a racetrack that's got walls around it. So, we go fast and that's how we win races, that's how we make our living. You know, we do stuff like that.

But I think it's not quite, you know, worth the effort or worth the risk that you could have by going too fast. There's no sense in going any faster than that. And probably, we're not trying to set speed records on the highway.

KAYE: Right. All right, let's back to our Texas flag, otherwise known as Roland Martin.

Roland, you went to school in Texas, and hence your get-up today. Did you drive 85 back then?

ROLAND MARTIN, HOST, "WASHINGTON WATCH W/ ROLAND MARTIN": No, I was born and raised in Texas. So, I'm a native.

KAYE: OK.

MARTIN: Look, here's the deal. I understand what Bobby is saying. But again, when you look at the law, and first of all, this is going to apply to some rural areas of Texas. Already, there are 520 miles of highway in Texas where they allow them to go 80 miles an hour. And so, again, this is not a question of will you be able to go 85 miles an hour in Houston, also in Dallas, in the major cities.

Also, the bill says that there are requirements there. First of all, there has to be a study from the state engineering studies. Also they have long lines of sight areas as well. So, it's not likely to be the street down the road, or again the highway in the city. It's largely in rural areas of Texas where frankly, there are very few people living anyway.

KAYE: But, you know, Bobby, I want to ask you, because when you see 85, you know, most drivers -- they inch up a little and they might inch up to 90, maybe to 95. I mean, a professional driver who goes maybe 200 mile an hour on the track, what is your opinion? Do you think that regular people could handle 85 or 90 or even 100?

LABONTE: Well, I think that -- you know, you can go out there and handle it, no problem. But, you know, as soon as there is a problem going down to rural highway, you know, every time you the increase -- I mean, when you increase your speed, you're always more apt to have things happen quicker, and reaction time becomes slower because you don't have time for it. So, you know, there's no doubt that you want to get there as fast as you can, but at the same time, you want to be safe.

So, you know, my opinion would be I'd rather, I think it's OK to be at 80. I don't really think, you know, that's probably that big a deal. So, why not leave it where it is at, and, you know, have less of a chance for injury or death or, you know, the risk of reward is just quite not there, I don't think. It is not that big of a change.

KAYE: What about the argument that Roland want to weigh in here, that people drive that fast anyway? I mean, they are speeding anyway.

(CROSSTALK)

LABONTE: And where is the limit?

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Well -- oh, Roland does already. LABONTE: Maybe Roland doesn't speed, I don't know.

MARTIN: Yes. Look, Randy, I mean, look, I often -- look, I still own a home in Texas, and I still go back. In fact, I'll be there this weekend at my grandmother's funeral and so, I spend a lot of time in Texas. And again, I'll tell you, when I'm driving between Dallas and Houston or when I'm driving around other areas -- I mean, look, you are on the long stretches of highway where in not that many people out there.

But again, this is not really applying to those big cities. This is largely in the rural parts of the state.

And so, look, I certainly understand the safety concerns. You know, but also, we are sitting here driving cars, we are buying everyday where the speedometer. I'm going to go up to 110 and 120. I think that if you want to limit frankly the speed limits, you also limit how fast a car can go.

You know, look, I'll admit, when I had a Mazda Miata, I drove from Dallas to Houston, I pushed it to 110 miles an hour.

KAYE: All right. We're going to leave the speeding to Bobby, I think, from here on in.

Thank you, guys, both. Very interesting discussion, certainly a bit of controversy there. Thank you, guys.

President Obama's top adviser gives Donald Trump no chance of winning the presidency, but that assessment is not slowing down the Donald.

CNN political producer Shannon Travis joins me now from Washington.

Hey, there, Shannon.

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Hey, there, Randi. It's kind of hard to top Roland in that shirt, but let's try here.

KAYE: Please don't try.

TRAVIS: Yes, yes, I won't try. I'm a little more conservative today.

Donald Trump, a man known for saying a lot of things, and he says that he's Obama campaign's worst nightmare. Basically, he is saying that, you know that he's as been out, talking a lot about, questioning the president's birthplace, moving up in some polls as we've seen lately and creating a lot of buzz. He says that the Obama campaign really fears him.

The Obama campaign today says, hey, that's a joke. David Plouffe, the senior adviser to President Obama, said they would actually love to match up with Donald Trump in a general election because he has no chance of winning according to them.

Let's move on. We just recently celebrated the one year anniversary of the health care legislation that some call Obamacare. Now, Democrats want to point out to the five-year anniversary of something called Romneycare. That's Governor Mitt Romney.

You remember, he was the governor of Massachusetts and he signed this universal health care law into effect back in 2006. Democrats tomorrow want to highlight that. They're going to have parties and want you to tweet Governor Romney, saying thank you, it was the centerpiece for the national legislation.

But a Romney adviser basically says, hey, he told us, quote, "Somehow, I'm not surprised that the Democrats are sitting around eating cake while 14 million unemployed Americans are struggling to put food on their table." So, a little bit of political back-and-forth back there -- Randi.

KAYE: Thank you, Shannon. Appreciate it. And I like your get-up much better than Roland's there.

SHANNON: That's right (ph).

KAYE: Your next update from of "The Best Political Team on Television" is just an hour away.

Well, there's plenty of drama at the Masters Golf Tournament over the weekend, and not all of it actually took place on the golf course. I'll tell you about it in my "XYZ."

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KAYE: Time now for my "XYZ."

If you watched the Masters Golf Tournament this weekend, there's one bit of action you might have missed. A sports report covering the tournament tried to get access to the locker room for an interview. She was told she could not go inside, not because she didn't have proper credentials, but because she is a woman.

Augusta National Golf Club forbids women from joining, and there had been protests and all kinds of criticism about the club's policies.

Well, those problems surface again Sunday night when the female reporter, Tara Sullivan, tweeted out this, quote, "Bad enough no women members at Augusta, but not allow me to join writers in locker room interview is just wrong."

Masters officials apologized to her saying the guard acted improperly and she should have rightfully been given access. It turns out the club doesn't let women join, but it is supposed to let them in a locker room to cover a story.

Well, in the end, Tara Sullivan never did get her interview, but her male colleagues were kind enough to share their interview transcripts with her.

CNN NEWSROOM continues now with Drew Griffin.

And, Drew, I understand, you're going to actually be speaking with Tara Sullivan. DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to speak to Tara. We're going to see if she accepts the apology of the folks out of the Masters and ask her if maybe things need to change on that ever so grudgingly entrenched in history place.

But, anyway, thanks for joining us and thank you for joining us, too.