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Serial Killer Investigation Widens in New York; The Civil War: Then & Now; Fix My Flight: Pilot's Advice; Putting Down the Paddle; Burja Ban; New Danger Travelling to Mexico; "Fix My Flight" Report

Aired April 12, 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: Too many bodies, not enough clues. A desolate beachfront on New York's Long Island for months, maybe years, a dumping ground for a suspected serial killer. That's where we start this hour.

The scene of the latest grisly discoveries are representing at least the ninth victim, and maybe the ninth and tenth victims, whose remains have been found since December. All the remains were found on the side of Ocean Parkway, linking beaches and a wildlife sanctuary on barrier islands just a few miles from New York City. And geography isn't all they have in common.

The first victims founds and identified were all young women who had been missing since as far back as 2007. They also were prostitutes who advertised their services online and whose bodies reportedly were found in burlap sacks.

My colleague Allan Chernoff joins me now for "Two at the Top." He's on Jones Beach, where police, at the moment, are not.

Allan, what happened to the search today?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Randi, what happened is that the police did use a helicopter early this morning. They were right behind us, just looking around, seeing if there was anything of interest. They did not find anything that they wanted to pursue on land. So, for now, the search is finished here, both here in Nassau County, and a little stretch down, across the border, in Suffolk County as well, where this whole case got going in the first place.

KAYE: And Allan, I know they have found now the remains of possibly nine, maybe even 10 victims, but this all started actually with one victim that they were looking for.

CHERNOFF: It did indeed, a woman by the name of Shannon Gilbert, a woman who had been working as a prostitute, lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, and was out here at Oak Beach, a small community down this barrier island. She had been visiting a client, ran out, ran to a neighbor's home. That man called the police.

She fled. Reportedly, she was hysterical that evening, claiming somebody was trying to kill her. She was never seen again.

She has not been found. None of the remains uncovered thus far have been identified as being hers, so that is still a mystery standing out there in a case that has been somewhat cold, frankly.

KAYE: And I want to ask you about the terrain. I mean, I have been to Jones Beach many times. I'm curious if you think the terrain there is posing a problem at all in terms of police finding clues.

CHERNOFF: It is a challenge. As a matter of fact, the investigation all started -- in terms of searching, started back in December. The police in Suffolk County were able to find four bodies, remains of four bodies, and then they called it off, partly because of the snow, the cold, but also, behind me, this is not the worst.

Where we're set up right here, you see the dunes, you see the grass, but in much of this area, there are shrubs, it's very thick, not easy to get through. But one thing that did help the police, at least initially, is that the first few bodies were frankly dumped right near the highway. Police sources were quoted as saying, well, it looked like somebody just drove up, dumped bodies out of the car.

KAYE: Terrible story.

Allan Chernoff there at Jones Beach for us.

Thank you, Allan.

Well, today is a major day in space exploration history. Fifty years ago today, the first man went into space. And 30 years ago today, NASA sent up the first space shuttle.

Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin blasted off into space on April 12, 1961. And on that same day, in 1981, astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen took the space shuttle Columbia on its first flight.

Let's take a moment and listen to these two amazing moments in history. It's today's "Sound Effect."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I am continuing the flight. The overload is somewhat increasing, as well as the vibration. But I am feeling well and I'm in great spirits. I can see the Earth and can distinguish the features of its terrain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Launch of America's first space shuttle. And the shuttle has cleared the tower.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Ironically, NASA's shuttle program ends this summer, after 30 years and more than 130 shuttle missions.

North Korea has detained an American man. Two State Department officials tell CNN that U.S. diplomats are working with the Swedish Embassy in the North Korean capital right now.

Sweden is negotiating on behalf of the U.S., which has no diplomatic relations with North Korea. The State Department is urging North Korea to release the man on humanitarian grounds. Swedish officials have visited the man and are asking for regular visits now. He's apparently been held since November.

Retired Army general Stanley McChrystal is teaming up with the White House to help military families. The first lady and the vice president's wife, Dr. Jill Biden, are launching a program called Joining Forces. The president and vice president joined them to make the announcement earlier today at the White House.

McChrystal, who was relieved from duty as the top military commander in Afghanistan last year, will serve as an unpaid adviser to the first lady's new initiative. Mrs. Obama says the campaign is a large-scale effort to ensure military families have the support they need and enlist all sectors of society from communities and businesses to nonprofits and charities as well.

The Georgia State Senate passed a bill aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration. It would allow police officers to check the immigration status of certain suspects, but senators removed a measure that would have required private employers to verify the legal status of a new employee. The Georgia bill is partly patterned after a tough new law that went into effect in Arizona last year.

That controversial law in Arizona has triggered massive protests and debate, a federal appellate court upheld the previous ruling to suspend parts of the law on Monday. That included the requirement that local police officers check a person's immigration status while enforcing laws.

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the start of America's Civil War. Is this sesquicentennial something to celebrate or a painful memory many want to forget? We'll hear what some of you think right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: One hundred fifty years ago today, the Civil War began with the first shots fired at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. And when you ask around about the Civil War today, you get a wide variety of responses. Some say they really don't care about the war, while others say the events of 1861 still divide our country today.

Check out this CNN/Opinion Research poll just released today. Roughly one in four Americans said they sympathize more with the confederacy than the union. That's 23 percent for the confederacy, compared to 67 percent for the union. When asked whether the Civil War was fought over slavery or states' rights, 52 percent said the leaders of the confederacy seceded to keep slavery legal in their state, but 42 percent said slavery was not the main reason those states seceded.

Adam Goodheart is the author of the book "1861: The Civil War Awakening," and he hosted a Facebook chat today about the Civil War. He joins us now from D.C.

Thanks for being with us.

ADAM GOODHEART, AUTHOR, "1861: THE CIVIL WAR AWAKENING": Thanks for having me.

KAYE: You just wrapped up this Facebook conversation about the Civil War just about an hour ago.

GOODHEART: That's right.

KAYE: What would you say stood out the most to you?

GOODHEART: Well, you know, what stands out for me the most is just how fascinated Americans are with this history 150 years after it occurred. You know, we think of America as a country that's always looking towards the future, that's leaving its past behind. And, yet, in how many countries in the world do tens of thousands of people go out on the weekends dressed up as soldiers from 150 years ago and sort of obsessively reenact and re-reenact this very difficult past?

KAYE: And you heard me probably mention our CNN poll there at the top. Roughly one in four Americans said that they sympathize more with the confederacy than the union. What do you make of those numbers?

GOODHEART: Well, I think that today, we tend to project current-day politics onto the politics of the past. And I think we're at a moment in American history, obviously, when people feel very ambivalent about the federal government. And I think there are many Americans who project back.

And obviously states' rights continues to be something that rears its head. Rick Perry, governor of Texas, talked not too long ago about Texas possibly seceding from the union. So, you know, William Faulkner, the great southern novelist, said the past isn't dead, it's not even past.

KAYE: This is 2011 though, not 1861, and I'm curious if you see a difference in the attitude toward the Civil War. Has it changed over the years?

GOODHEART: Yes. I think, if anything, today we have sort of lost touch. And I think your poll numbers show that.

We've lost touch with just how much this war was about slavery. People in 1861 wouldn't have disputed that fact. In fact, the newspaper headlines at the time called it the "Great Slavery War."

And yet, today, as you showed us, about one in four Americans think it was not about slavery. And I think that's very revealing.

You know, race is such a wound in this country. It's an open wound, and the wounds from the Civil War, when you think about it, haven't really had that long to heal. You know, the last people, the last Americans to be born into slavery, only died in the 1960s, during the civil rights era. So when you think about it that way, it's really not all that long ago.

KAYE: I've had a chance to follow some of your blogging about the Civil War in "The New York Times," and some of comments are really interesting. I'm curious what made you take on this project. And what has been the reaction?

GOODHEART: Well, you know, as a writer, I really like to try to put my readers back in that moment of the past, to have them experience the past, not sort of from this 30,000-foot perspective that many historians use today, but actually as it was lived today by Americans 150 years ago. And I think recounting history day by day is sort of telling history the way that each one of us actually lives it in our own times.

Each day comes bringing with it new and sometimes confusing events, and we don't know what is going to happen next. So, in my writing, I try to create that sense of suspense.

KAYE: And we talked about there are still those people though out there who say that they really don't care about the Civil War, it doesn't really affect them. Is there anyone really that the Civil War did not affect?

GOODHEART: Gosh. I think it really belongs to all of us as Americans.

You know, actually, one in three Americans, about 100 million Americans, have an ancestor who participated in the Civil War. But even for those of us whose ancestors weren't in America yet, this common history is really what we share.

It's our identity. It's also our great story. It's just such a fantastic, epic story with wonderful characters, wonderful writers, wonderful photographs. And I think it's something that we keep revisiting now and we'll keep revisiting for a very long time to come.

KAYE: Well, you have certainly gotten all of us a lot more interested in it.

GOODHEART: Thank you.

KAYE: Adam Goodheart, we really appreciate your time, the author of the book "1861: The Civil War Awakening."

Thank you. Very interesting discussion.

GOODHEART: Thanks for having me.

KAYE: Next, advice from the jump seat. A flight attendant opens up her suitcase and shares what she has learned along the way.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: We all know airline baggage fees have caused many people to carry on their luggage. But how do you fit a whole trip's worth of stuff into one travel-size bag? CNN is looking into the challenges facing air travelers today in a series that we call "Fix My Flight."

Today, we have flying advice from a packing pro -- a flight attendant.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER MILLS, AIRTRAN FLIGHT ATTENDANT: This is just a medium-size roll-aboard bag. It's awesome. I can take this on a seven-day trip.

The key to travel is really just organizing. I always take a scarf with me when I'm traveling because it makes a great blanket on board the aircraft.

I always put a couple of dryer sheets in my luggage, just to keep everything nice and fresh. When I unpack my pants, and I roll them up like this, this keeps them from getting wrinkled, because that is the way I rolled.

People just tend to overpack. At the end of their trip, they're looking at their luggage and they've only worn half of the clothes that they have brought.

You cannot take all of this. It will not fit into your quart-size bag that needs to go through security.

The smaller bottles are so hard to refill. I'm going to put my shampoo and my conditioner into Ziploc bags, and this fits much nicer. It kind of fits around the items that are in the bag. And then when I get into the hotel, I just cut a hole in the end, and then I just squeeze it out almost like you would if you were frosting a cake.

There you have it. This will last me for about a week.

Often, there isn't enough time to grab something to eat, so I always bring something. What's great in the morning is some instant oatmeal. It's great. You can pour it into a coffee cup and ask a flight attendant to bring you a hot cup of water.

Customers often think that they can't ask for more to drink or more to eat. If you ever need more pretzels, or you didn't get a lunch, we would be happy to help out.

Don't put me in the middle seat. No, the middle seat's the worst seat. I don't like sitting in the middle seat.

Most of the flights are pretty full these days, but by all means, if it's getting near departure time, and you notice that there are some seats available, before you get up and move, though, because there might be other customers coming in that are actually in those seats, just ring your flight attendant call button and ask a flight attendant. And we would be happy to move you if the seat is available.

My best advice is to worry about the things that you can control and not worry about the things that you can't. Weather delays and acts of nature, you can't really control that. So, it's best to just sit back and relax.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: That's some good advice.

And stay with us for another "Fix My Flight" report. A pilot has some advice on the best place to sit for the smoothest flight. That's later on in the show.

Earlier in the show we asked you if you would pay more to fly on a newer airplane. Well, here's what you had to say.

Yvonne writes, "No. If I can't rely on them to take a plane out of service when it's aged beyond air worthiness, how can I rely on them to make sure the new ones are air worthy?"

Reginald writes, "I probably would as long as it's reasonable."

And Dave comments, "Please don't give the airlines any new ideas."

Yes, you've got a point there, Dave.

If you agree with these comments, we want to know. Join the conversation on our blog, CNN.com/Ali. You can also post on Ali's Facebook and Twitter page, as well as my Facebook and Twitter as well. We'd love to know what you think about this.

Twenty minutes past the hour. Time to update our top stories.

NASA has marked the 30th anniversary of the first space shuttle flight by announcing what it will do with the soon-to-be retired shuttle fleet. Enterprise will go to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City. The Smithsonian Institution will put Discovery on display outside Washington, D.C. Endeavour will end up at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. And Atlantis will stay at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Japan made it official today, the crisis at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is as serious as Chernobyl. It raised the severity level from 5 to 7, the highest level on an international scale for nuclear incidents. That puts it on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the former Soviet Union and defines it as a major accident requiring long-term countermeasures.

An Egyptian army spokesman says former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is in the hospital. There's no word yet on why, but Mubarak is 82 and has been rumored to be in poor health. He's been living at his holiday villa in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, since he was forced out of power two months ago.

It's much too wet in some places, much too dry in others. You just can't win. Karen Maginnis checks the nation's weather for you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Time to check a little weather for you across the country. (WEATHER REPORT)

KAYE: A scandal rocks the University of San Diego's basketball team. The school's all-time scoring basketball player, a former coach, and eight others are accused of illegally profiting off their team.

The details on that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Let's get you caught up now on the latest headlines and the stories you may have missed.

In Long Island, police are expanding their search into another county for more possible victims of a suspected serial killer. They uncovered what could be the remains of a ninth victim on Monday. Investigators are examining what happens -- what appears to be a human skull found at a bird sanctuary. Since December, they have found the remains of eight women in Suffolk County, just east of where officers are searching today.

Two State Department officials tell CNN North Koreans have detained an American man. U.S. diplomats are working with the Swedish Embassy in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, right now. Sweden is negotiating on behalf of the U.S. since the U.S. doesn't have diplomatic relations with North Korea.

The State Department is urging North Korea to release the man on humanitarian grounds. Swedish officials have visited the man and are now asking for regular visits.

Today marks the anniversary of the first human space flight and the first shuttle flight. On the anniversary of those two historic events, NASA revealed a short while ago where the retiring shuttles, Discovery, Endeavour and Atlantis, will call home.

Enterprise will move the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City. Discovery is promised to the center at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, while the shuttle Endeavour, which is preparing for its final flight at the end of the month, will go to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. And Atlantis, which will fly the last planned shuttle mission in June, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

A former coach and basketball players at the University of San Diego are accused of running a bribery ring. The coach and the school's all-time leading scorer, Brandon Johnson (ph), seen right here, along with eight other people, were charged for fixing college basketball games and then betting on those fixed games at Vegas casinos.

Police arrested and busted up the alleged bribery ring at the university. Prosecutors allege all 10 people operated in the illegal sports booking business and distributed marijuana. Each faces a maximum of five years in prison and $250,000 fine. What a mess there.

Just a day after a burqa ban took effect in France police in Paris have issued what is believed to be the nation's first fine. Police say a 28-year-old woman violated the law on Monday night and was fined $215. Officers declined to specify whether the woman was wearing a burqa which covers the whole body or a full-faced veil as both are banned under the new French law. Police also arrested two veiled women protesting the countries ban. France has the Weston Europe's largest Muslim population.

A new danger for Americans traveling to Mexico. We will tell you why you may be putting your life at risk if you ride the bus. That is up next in "Globe Trekking."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Japan's nuclear accident now on par with Chernobyl, the world's worst nuclear disaster, and here to talk about the announcement about this is Michael Holmes, so they have upped it to seven.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Number seven, the highest you can go on the scale of nuclear disasters, and yes, that is right.

It will be interpreted as being the same as Chernobyl, but it actually isn't. But still there is that massive release of radiation from the Japanese. So, level seven means a major release of radiation with a widespread health and environmental impact. But you know the amount of radiation released in Japan is nowhere near Chernobyl. It is about ten percent.

And also, it is interesting the way it was released was very different. In Chernobyl, you had that explosion and debris actually went as high as 30,000 feet which is up where planes are flying. It went over a much, much wider area, and so, while it is a very serious situation, and the most serious category, it is not really comparable to Chernobyl and it does not mean either that the situation in Japan has all of the sudden worsened overnight, because it has gone to seven.

What has happened is that they have added up the combined cumulative radiation released and that technically puts it at the number seven level. But it is nowhere near the same. In fact, the numbers are interesting, tabacal, which is the unit of measurement, 370,000 as of April 12th in Japan. 5.2 million in Chernobyl, so it is nowhere near the same thing. Serious, yes, but there is no way of telling.

KAYE: What is the latest on the evacuation zone?...

HOLMES: They have widened that...

KAYE: They have widened it?

HOLMES: Yes, it is out 50 miles now, and a lot of the people are worried that it is not enough. Other governments like the Australians and the U.S., too, are telling them their people to go further with an abundance of caution. The thing with the Japanese situation is -- and with any nuclear disaster, too, you don't know how bad it is until it is over. That is when you can go in and assess everything on the ground, and make a really valued judgment on it, because at the moment a lot of it is guesswork.

KAYE: Yes, it's amazing the way you hear of little bits and pieces and it's getting worse and worse because in the beginning it was, don't worry, it's under control and then things started to go so wrong with the nuclear plant and the core.

HOLMES: Yes, and in fact officials say it could be several months before the cooling situation at the plant is brought under control. Several months. So this story is going nowhere and for those people who live around there, it is obviously nerve wracking.

KAYE: I'm sure, All right. Michael Holmes, thank you.

HOLMES: Good to see you.

KAYE: Good to see you as well. Turning now to Mexico. We have reported at length about the deadly and savage struggle among the countries drug cartels for control over the drug trade to the United States. At times, Americans travelling have been caught in the cross fire, but now there is a new danger for Americans going South of the border. Rafael Romo reports.

(BEING VIDEO TAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Are people being kidnapped from buses on Northern Mexico highways? This Mexican driver says he has heard about it and he is afraid and the bus drivers say they are concerned about their safety in the border region.

NELSON CORONADO, BUS DRIVER (on camera): At night and in the wee hours of the morning, it is risky.

ROMO: Councillor authorities in the Mexican city of Matamoras say that from late March to early April they received three reports from American citizens about buses being boarded by criminals. In at least one instance, the warden message said that male bus passengers, including an American citizen were forcibly removed from those buses and have yet to be located. Residents on both sides of the border are aware of the high level of crime in the Northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas which shares a border with Texas.

VERONICA PENA, RESIDENT OF BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS (on camera): Kidnapping, killing, I mean, it's sure not comfortable.

ROMO: Mexican authorities looking for missing bus passengers last week made a grizzly discovery. They found 88 bodies in multiple mass graves but officials say there could be more. The bodies were found in the town San Fernando, located about 90 miles south of Brownsville, Texas. That's the same town where the bodies of 72 migrants were found last August. Mexican authorities say, so far, they have arrested 16 people in connection with the bodies. Some bus lines on the American side are cancelling service to Mexico but one operator on the Mexican side said they are not changing the routes for the time being.

JUAN CARLOS FLORES, BUS LINE OPERATOR (on camera): We're taking measures to make sure our passengers and drivers are safe but cancelling routes is not part of our plan.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KAYE: And Rafael joins us now. So what is really behind this? Is this all about drugs or is there more to it?

ROMO: That's exactly right. It's all about drugs. You have two very powerful drug cartels, one known as Lotus and another one known as the Gulf cartel that are fighting for the same territory. This is a route that has been used for many, many years as a transit point for Mexican drugs and Mexican drug cartels to go into the United States. So there has been a battle going on there for a couple of years now and that's what is behind those killings. Now, some other elements of organised crime have been attacking migrants coming from Central America and from Mexico because they know that they carry thousands of dollars with them and so that's where some of the kidnappings are coming from but the route of the violence is still the drug cartels.

KAYE: And the cartels are so powerful and they are so well armed and they have so much money so how do authorities battle against something like this?

ROMO: Well, we have a case of a town that was -- it became a ghost town because people were so afraid. A drug cartel came in and said, we are going to retaliate for the arrest of some of our members, and people fled, because nobody had any assurances that the authorities there were going to do something. Now the Mexican government has been sending more troops and federal police officers, but definitely, and it is evident in this case, it is not making a difference yet.

KAYE: And I think people even there, and I know from the stories we have covered here at CNN, they don't want to become part of the fight against this, they don't want to join the fight because their lives are in danger, and we have had police chiefs and other folks threatened, so it is a serious issue. Thank you, Rafael.

Next, we break down the big cuts in the budget deal. Some things may surprise you, so don't go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Our big deal is a breakdown that nobody loves and some people hate, and a last minute breakthrough of the compromise, and the details came out more than 72 hours after the House and the Senate Leaders and President Obama announced they had a deal. So before we jump in, let me show you what was never on the table. That's most of the federal budget. Here is our pie chart there. And 56 percent, give or take goes for mandatory spending such as social security, medicare and medicaid. Another 7 percent is interest on the $14 trillion debt. Most everything else is considered discretionary and subject to the lawmakers' whims, but most of them won't touch defence or security spending, so that leaves just 12-15 percent of the rest of the federal pie, and from that tiny slice came almost $40 billion dollars, primarily from these departments. Transportation, housing, commerce, justice, labor, health and human services bearing the brunt of the largest single year budget cuts ever. Almost $3 billion is due to come from President Obama's high speed rail project, and another $3 billion from the highway construction and consider this plan the anti- stimulus, if you will. The women, infants and children nutrition program will lose more than $500 million, and the U.S. payments to the United Nations will drop by $37 million. The pentagon and veterans affairs will actually see increases of almost $6 billion in total. The first congressional votes on this plan are now expected Thursday.

CNN is looking into the challenges facing air travellers today in a series that we call "fix my flight." today we go into the cockpit to get a pilot's view of what you can do to upgrade your chances of an on-time departure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: I have been flying airtran now for 10 years. I've seen a lot of passengers come and go and on certain days of the week, Tuesday, is definitely a good time to fly. A lot of people want to fly, obviously, on the weekends. So Fridays, Mondays are not good days to fly, and also, Tuesday, is when you will get the best deals. If you have the opportunity to travel in the morning, that is the best time to travel. As the day goes on, certain things happen. Weather could be a factor. The volume of traffic could be a factor and the earlier you fly, the more traffic you avoid. People think that sitting over the wing is less bumpy and I tend to agree in light choppy air, but once you are at a higher level of turbulent flight which is not unsafe, but the entire aircraft feels the same thing. Because we care about the customers and the comfort, we are always trying to do things to get you a smoother ride. Getting on is a challenge sometimes. It really is. Sometimes I see the people getting on the aircraft and it is a 45-minute flight, and they will take out a computer, a novel, two magazines and an ipod. You won't use all of those things. Be more realistic of what you will need on the aircraft. And be more organized and be familiar with where you are seated. I think that the first thing that iI would talk about when we put on the seat belt sign. If you are a passenger traveling, use the bathroom in the terminal before you get on the aircraft, and that is one of the largest problems we have out there. We cannot move if someone is standing up. So we have to stop. And we are in largest and busiest airports in the world like here at Hartsfield-jackson, that would cause 10 or 15 aircraft behind us to stop. The only thing we want to do is to get you from point A to point B in the most convenient and safe way. We want to get to the hotel as much as you do, I guarantee it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Stay with us for another "fix my flight" report. Next hour, Richard Branson and his plans for space adventures and how to save the american airline industry.

So forget the brown bag or the scooby-doo lunchbox. One school is saying take what we give you all or go hungry, all in the name of good nutrition.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: New Mexico has now joined the majority of states by outlawing corporal punishment in schools. Many of you, I am sure, remember the school paddle. You know, the one with all of those holes in it. Well, here are the 19 states that still allow it in schools, where going to the principal's office has a whole different meaning. A recent report says a quarter of a million kids were subjected to corporal punishment.

So has the time come for all states to stop spanking? It the topic for our "Stream Team." Joining us today is attorney Lisa Bloom in Los Angeles, and Sirius XM radio host Pete Dominick.

So, Lisa, let's start with you. Should we be putting away the paddle by this time?

LISA BLOOM, ATTORNEY, THE BLOOM FIRM: Of course. No child should be hit in any place in this country, be it in school, in their home. We should join the rest of the civilized world in outlawing corporal punishment. I think it long overdue. No child should be in fear if they make a mistake in school they're going to be hit. I mean, that's just ridiculous.

KAYE: Pete, what do you think? Are you a spanker at home?

PETE DOMINICK, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Randi, this question is one -- I mean, the idea that we have been debating this is one of those things that makes you embarrassed to be American that we have 20 states that allow this.

No, I'm definitely not a spanker at home. If I hit one of my little girls, they would definitely hit me back.

I mean, really, I checked the year this morning, I'm pretty sure it is 2011. Let's join the rest of the civilized world, please.

BLOOM: Here, here.

KAYE: And can we go so far as to, in your opinion, call this child abuse or is this an effective meanings of discipline? Absolutely not, huh, Lisa?

BLOOM: Oh, I think it is a form of child abuse, and I think we are moving in that direction, Randi.

In many states, hitting a child with the intent to harm them is child abuse, even spanking can be considered child abuse when you take into account all of the factors and everything that is going on with the children -- child who is being hit. So I think that it is absolutely wrong.

And most importantly, even if you don't think it is wrong, it is one of the least effective forms of discipline. Parents who spank their kids will tell you that it is a last resort. That other things tend to work better and parents tend to do that when they are simply angry.

KAYE: OK, while I have you both here, I want to ask you about another issue with the school kids.

One public school in Chicago is actually banning the kids to bring lunch from home. They have to eat what the school sells and provides. The principal says that it is better for the kids since the parents send processed junk food.

Now for this one, we have added to our "Stream Team" a chef, award- winning chef, Tony Marciante.

Tony, what do you think? Does the school have a point here?

CHEF TONY MARCIANTE, AWARD-WINNING CHEF: Well, I think it's kind of crazy, to be honest with you, that we can look to look to the school system that I have seen in and talked about so much to the rulers of great nutrition. I think it starts in the home, it starts with creating good, clean healthy food and teaching your kids at young age what food really is.

I think that, if there is an education component that needs to happen, then we start to teach the parents how to cook a little but more. Although we would love our restaurants to be packed all the time, we need to start from the home and cook good food, feed our kids well and teach them to appreciate more than just a Ho-Ho or a Twinkie or a chicken nugget, and maybe they'll be sent in with good food from home.

KAYE: I am anxious the hear what Pete says on this because, Pete, I know you are a junk food guy, you love your doughnuts. But is the school going too far?

DOMINICK: That is true. I don't know how that information got to you, Randi, but I blame the executive producer of your program or the director, I'm not sure.

KAYE: Yes.

DOMINICK: Here's the deal. I don't think a government should tell us what to eat, but somebody has got to, we have got a childhood obesity epidemic in the country.

That said, there's only winner is this situation and that's the company that provides the food for the schools. I think on a case by case basis, maybe they can intervene if that kid's always coming with a Ho-Ho for lunch, but other than that, this has to be up to parents.

But parents have to learn how to feed their kids. And my rule is, if it doesn't grown in the ground, it's not food.

That said, I have to get out of this gig right now cause I have to go have my doughnut.

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: I'm sure.

Lisa, as a parent, why don't you weigh in here? BLOOM: Well, I applaud the school for trying to get the healthy food into the kids bodies, because that's important and we do have a childhood obesity epidemic. But I don't think this is the right way of going about it.

Look, I'm vegan. I raised my children vegetarian. They probably came to school with lunches significantly healthier than anything the school would have offered them.

So I think we have to give parents all the information, the education, the tools they need to feed their kids healthy stuff three meals a day. Worry less than the one school lunch, which nobody likes and never wants to eat, and worry more about educating the kids about healthy choices.

KAYE: Tony, what would be your advice on getting kids to eat healthier?

MARCIANTE: Well, I think we have to start with food in the home together. I think we've gotten away from cooking at all many times. And unfortunately -- you know, I grew up with my parents cooking all kinds of different foods. I taught me an appreciation of how to create and where things came from. So if you just start with some simply, easy-to-do recipes at home, kids will become more food aware and food conscious of what they're eating and not really want the sugar.

There's a lot of studies -- you know, Chef Jamie Oliver has done some great things with trying to change the school system food system, but I think it's going to take a long time. It has to start at home teaching great food principles and then they will want different foods, they won't want to go to the cafeteria and get all the junk that many times is offered in the cafeteria just as bad as home.

So I think it starts from the home.

KAYE: All right, what a great healthy discussion. Pete, it's time for your doughnut, so we have to say good-bye to all of you. Thank you so much.

BLOOM: Don't do it!

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: Don't do it, Lisa says. Very funny.

We have got you all covered on all things food. Check out the Eatocracy page at CNN.com for all of the nutrition news you can use. There's also the lunchtime poll on the brownbag lunch ban that we have been talking about here. It's all at CNN.com/eatocracy, a great resource.

Time now for a CNN "Political Update." CNN congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar is on Capitol Hill.

Brianna, what have you got? BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Randi.

Well, you know, that budget deal worked out between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, of course, a Democrat, and the speaker of the House, John Boehner, a Republican? Well, we just found out a short time ago, and this is on the Ticker right now, that Steny Hoyer, he's the number two Democrat in the House, he's not sure if he is going to support it. He says he is still reviewing it, and that there are some cuts in this deal that he just doesn't agree with.

So, we know that the last time that the House passed a short-term spending measure, Republican leaders actually lost quite a few of their Republican rank and file.

Coming up on the Ticker, our Deirdre Walsh, our House side producer, is writing up something that Eric Cantor, the number two Republican just said. He said he was confident it will pass, he was asked, though, Randi, if Republicans will need Democratic support, considering they lost some Republicans, and he did not answer that. We'll have that up shortly.

And then Michele Bachmann, Minnesota congresswoman, she's eyeing the presidential nomination for Republicans, and she just paid a visit to Iowa. It was a bit contentious. She went to the University of Iowa where she was actually heckled by a handful of students.

She talked about social issues, abortion and same-sex marriage, her opposition; she also talked about the debt. But these students actually held up a sign that said, "homosexuality desensitization" and those were the issues that they really sort of took up with her, Randi.

KAYE: All right, Brianna, thank you. We will keep an eye on the Political Ticker as well.

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

And what kind of people would rob a kid's lemonade stand? Well, I'll tell you next in my "XYZ."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Time now for my "XYZ," and today we take you to the community of Warner Robins in central Georgia where we are sorry to report one heck of a sour lemonade stand experience.

Here is what we know: Three girls were selling lemonade to raise money for one of the girl's cousins who will soon begin treatment for an intestinal disease. The girls were really on their way to making a difference. They had raised about $150 when suddenly a man and woman approached the girls, asked them about the lemonade and then, would you believe, the couple snatched the jar, taking all of the cash that the girls had raised? They snatched it right out of a 13-year-old's hands. One of the suspects, a 21-year-old woman, was arrested right at the lemonade scene; sheriff's deputies are still on the hunt for the guy who was involved. Police plan to charge both with what they call robbery by sudden snatching, snatching from a 13-year-old girl.

Is that a sign of desperate times or does that just give new meaning to the word despicable? Police say that the girls are shaken, but the good news is the money jar is full again thanks to neighbors who had such a bitter taste in their mouths from this whole thing they donated their own cash to help the girls recover their losses.

That'll do it for me. CNN NEWSROOM continues now with Brooke Baldwin.

Welcome back, Brooke.