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Another Air Traffic Controller Falls Asleep on the Job; New York Searches for Serial Killer; Saving for the Golden Years; Fixing the Country's Finances; Royal Wedding Countdown; Hot Off the Political Ticker; Helping Pets in Japan's Nuke Zone
Aired April 14, 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 Thursday, April 14th.
The FAA manager who oversees air traffic controllers quit his job today. Hank Krakowski's resignation comes after an air traffic controller in Reno, Nevada, fell asleep and did not respond to a medical emergency plane. The pilot got a regional controller to help out.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
PILOT: Yes, we're here.
TRACON: We -- you weren't able to get through to the tower?
PILOT: No.
TRACON: OK. We're going to call them on the phone line.
PILOT: All right. We'll circle some more.
TRACON: OK.
PILOT: We have got a pretty sick patient. We may just have to land whether we have clearance or not.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: This is the sixth known case of a napping controller this year. The FAA now plans to add controllers -- additional controllers -- to the night shift at 27 airports.
Well, the search for the Long Island serial killer grows more intense today. Divers are in the water now. Specialists are in the air looking for clues from some high-tech FBI planes. They've spotted objects that are not natural to the area. At least eight sets of remains have been found on Long Island beaches.
The U.S. is accusing the Libyan regime of trying to starve the residents of Misrata. Reports say that Moammar Gadhafi's fighters are targeting food warehouses. A ship arriving at Misrata to evacuate people could not dock because of shelling. Gadhafi has had Misrata under a brutal siege for more than a month. In Yemen, security forces attacked people protesting the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. A top Saleh general who defected to the opposition helped protesters fight back. Five people were killed, two others died in protests in the port city of Aden.
Young men in Syria laid down on a highway today, challenging a tank to run them over. As far as we know, it did not.
Protests against the regime of Bashar al-Assad continue now to spread. "The Wall Street Journal" reports that Iran is giving Syria weapons and technology to help choke the uprising.
Police reportedly searched the hot zone around the Fukushima nuclear plant for the first time today. They are looking for bodies, perhaps as many as a thousand. Hundreds of officers in protective suits combed the hot zone in shifts. Now, experts say that some corpses may be so radioactive, that they cannot be turned over to family.
The House is heading toward a late afternoon vote on the budget for the rest of fiscal 2011. Now, the plan which stopped a government shutdown cuts $38 billion. Many Republican freshmen with Tea Party ties complained that cuts should be bigger. They're threatening to vote no.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MALVEAUX: Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. That's what her publicist says. And her publicist also says it's the less severe form.
Zeta-Jones spent several days at a mental health facility in Connecticut last week. A closer look at bipolar disorder in the next hour with our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.
Now is your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day.
Today we are discussing an issue that impacts everybody, every working American, retirement age, as well. Some working the 9:00 to 5:00 count down the days until they can retire. But, you know, you might have a few more years to add.
Our Carol Costello joins us with the "Talk Back" question.
We're not closer to retirement, but we can feel it every day. We're going to be working longer.
COSTELLO: Maybe. Not exactly us, but certainly much younger people if something changes with Social Security, because, you know, that's the next big elephant in the room, Social Security.
Right now, one out of four families relies mostly on Social Security to pay its bills. President Obama mentioned the "S.S." words in his speech yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: While Social Security is not the cause of our deficit, it faces real long-term challenges in a country that's growing older. As I said in the State of the Union, both parties should work together now to strengthen Social Security for future generations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The problem is Mr. Obama offered no real fix for Social Security, which, with all the baby boomers retiring, will be unable to pay for itself come 2037.
Republican Lindsey Graham and two other senators have a fix -- raise the retirement age to 70.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: If we do nothing, everybody in America is going to be hit -- the richest person in the country and the poorest person. That's not right. If we'll adjust the age to 70, and act today, and not wait another five years, we can protect more Americans than if we wait.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Not so fast, says the AARP, the nation's largest senior organization. You want to raise the retirement age to 70? Take a look at how many older Americans can't find a job.
The AARP says people in their 60s are at their highest unemployment levels ever. On average, 44.5 weeks.
The GOP proposal on age 70 doesn't kick in until 2032, and it also asks wealthy retirees to pay more. But some are asking, why are we even having this conversation?
Social Security does not add to the deficit. It pays for itself and cannot borrow money. But here's why we're talking about it -- the government is dipping into the Social Security fund to pay off its debt.
So, "Talk Back" today: Should the Social Security retirement age be raised to 70?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your responses later this hour.
MALVEAUX: One thing that President Bush tried to do was privatize Social Security. It did not go over very well with a lot of folks. So it will be interesting to see how people believe this is actually going to help.
COSTELLO: And it was very politically damaging to Republicans, but Republicans are bringing it up, they think that the debt is a serious, serious issue, and they're willing to take the chance.
MALVEAUX: All right. Can't wait to hear what people say. Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Here's a look at what's ahead "On the Rundown."
Police get some high-tech help in their investigation of a suspected serial killer.
Also, air traffic controllers asleep again on the job. What the FAA is doing about that.
Plus, saving for retirement, even on a tight budget.
And the royal "I dos" just about two weeks away. We're going to check in with CNN wedding watcher Cat Deeley.
Finally, an American reporter reaches the gates of Japan's crippled nuclear plant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was like something out of a science fiction movie, the day after, where all the people have been vaporized. There was just no one around. People had left very quickly due to the earthquake and tsunami, and they haven't been back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: The head of the FAA unit in charge of air traffic controllers resigned today. The resignation comes after another controller fell asleep in the tower while a plane was trying to land. The latest incident happened yesterday at Reno/Tahoe International Airport in Nevada, and the pilot of a medical flight with an emergency patient on board was trying to land, but could not reach anyone in the control tower. He was in contact with a radar facility in northern California.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
PILOT: Cheyenne Lifeguard Zero Tango November, no luck on ground, clearance, or tower.
We've got a pretty sick patient. We may just have to land if we have clearance or not.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Zero Tango November, they're not answering the phone line either. We're going to try to get another number and see if someone can go up there and check the tower.
PILOT: We're going to need to land.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Zero Tango November, roger. And landing will be at your own risk. And at last report, wind was calm.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: "Land at your own risk."
A federal government source confirms that the pilot tried to reach the controllers seven times before landing safely on his own. Well, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that incidents of controllers falling asleep on the job, absolutely unacceptable.
Want to bring in our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve.
Jeanne, you know, this is amazing, when you hear this story. We just covered a story similar to this. This was a couple of weeks ago. What is the FAA thinking about -- how do they resolve this problem?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, actually, we have covered three in recent weeks. There was the one in Washington, D.C., at National Airport. There was one in Knoxville, Tennessee. Now there's this one.
As you mentioned, the FAA had just announced a very short time ago that a top official, the head of its air traffic organization, has resigned in the aftermath of this series of incidents that have been going on. Ray LaHood indicated, as you mentioned, that he was absolutely outraged by what's happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAY LAHOOD, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: This is ridiculous, it's outrageous. It's the kind of behavior that we will not stand for at the Department of Transportation. The controller has been suspended. We're conducting an investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: And they also say that they are staffing up at 27 airports around the country where there has been only one controller on shift at midnight. Now they're going to put two.
However, Republican Congressman John Mica doesn't like that idea. He said only in the federal government would you double up on workers averaging $161,000 per year in salary and benefits that are not doing their job.
I will also say that Randy Babbitt, the FAA administrator, says further steps may be in the offing. He says they will do whatever has to be done to make sure that the traveling public is safe -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: So, Jeanne, what is the problem here? Is there a shortage of air traffic controllers? Are they working too hard or too long? Are they sleep-deprived? I mean, what is the situation here?
MESERVE: Well, we don't have all the answers. That's something that the FAA is definitely going to be taking a look at to try and figure out. We do know that we have an aging air traffic controller population. Ronald Reagan, you will recall, fired all the air traffic controllers, a new bunch was brought in. A lot of them are reaching retirement age, and they're in the process of switching over to a new generation, as it were. But they are also looking at issues of staffing.
Right now, as I understand it from officials, their schedules are not consistent across the workweek, and that can add additional wear and tear to people. And then there's this question of how many people you need in the tower to keep them awake.
In one of these incidents back in Knoxville, I believe it was, there were actually two sections of the tower. One was a regional controller, one was local. The regional controller realized something was wrong, went down repeatedly to try and wake up the local guy, and just wasn't able to do it.
So, will two controllers be the answer? Who knows? We'll find out I guess in the months to come.
MALVEAUX: All right. As long as you don't have two sleeping controllers, I guess you're OK. Thank you, Jeanne. Appreciate it.
MESERVE: OK.
MALVEAUX: Well, searching for more bodies and clues to a serial killer, investigators in New York now plan to use high-resolution aerial photos to help examine parts of Long Island. No, so far, at least eight sets of human remains have been found.
I want to bring in our senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff, who joins us from Jones Beach on Long Island.
Allan, give us a sense of what is taking place. I know authorities are sending these airplanes, these helicopters to shoot some high-res photos. What are they looking for, and what's caught their eye?
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Well, the police have told us that they have some what they call spots of interest, areas that they wanted to examine that are very difficult to reach by land. So they're using a helicopter this morning, as you said. It's been taking high-resolution photos. If they determine it is absolutely something that they must examine, they're actually going to use chainsaws to cut through the brush to get through to those areas and retrieve whatever it may be.
MALVEAUX: Any sense what they're looking for?
CHERNOFF: Well, I mean, it's certainly possible that they may find more human remains, but, frankly, they don't know. They just said to us that what they have identified thus far is not natural, but we don't know exactly what. And frankly, they don't know yet either.
MALVEAUX: And I understand, Allan, you've been doing some investigating yourself. You spoke to a man who could be a key witness in this serial killer case. What was that conversation? What did he tell you?
CHERNOFF: Right, a fellow by the name of Gus Coletti. He lives nearby here.
And last May 1st, he was the man who heard a bang on his door at 5:00 in the morning. He answered it.
It turned out to be a woman from Jersey City, Shannan Gilbert. She was a call girl. And she begged him for help. She said, "Help me! Help me!"
He called the police right away. She dashed out and hasn't been seen since. The police have been searching for her.
In fact, her disappearance led to this entire investigation. But they simply have had no luck whatsoever. Now, Mr. Coletti told me that it actually took months for the police to sit down and ask him detailed questions.
Let's have a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUS COLETTI, OAK BEACH, NEW YORK, RESIDENT: A missing persons detective came here, like, in August, and was asking about her. And I said, "Where have you been?" And he said, "Well, it's the kind of thing of the New Jersey Police Department didn't take them and" --
CHERNOFF: They didn't come. She was missing May 1st.
COLETTI: Yes.
CHERNOFF: But the police did not come to visit you until August?
COLETTI: That's correct.
CHERNOFF: Nothing?
COLETTI: Nothing.
CHERNOFF: May, June, July -- finally in August?
COLETTI: Right.
CHERNOFF: Four months?
COLETTI: Right. And that was missing persons.
CHERNOFF: And you called the police immediately.
COLETTI: Yes. Well, they came in here, but as far as investigating it, no.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHERNOFF: The police here say that, indeed, they have spoken with Mr. Coletti several times since May 1st, although they would not provide us with the precise dates when they interviewed him. They also say that he provided a written statement back in June, the month after he heard that knock at the door. He denies that. He said he actually provided a written statement in December -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And, Allan, I understand the witness that you spoke with, he -- also, there was a man that came rushing up to his door after this woman left, right, who was looking for someone, looking for someone he said -- claimed was his girlfriend? Do we suspect that that man who also showed up at the witness' door could be the serial killer?
CHERNOFF: Well, that man was actually driving an SUV. And yes, he told Mr. Coletti that he was looking for the woman.
He said they had been at a party, she left upset. And he was trying to find her, bring her back. When she ran off, he actually drove after her.
Now, Mr. Coletti told us, through his discussions with the police, he understands that that man apparently was the woman's pump. And he's been questioned, but apparently is not a suspect. However, that is not from the police. The police will not comment about that.
MALVEAUX: OK. Allan, thank you very much for clearing that up for us. Appreciate it.
Checking some other stories across the country.
A dangerous situation in west Texas is getting even more serious. High winds are helping spread wildfires. The Texas Forest Service says almost half a million acres have burned this week. More than 500 homes have been evacuated. More neighborhoods could be at risk today.
In Lansing, Michigan, protests over Governor Rick Snyder's budget plan. Several thousand people from across the state gathered for a rally at the state capitol. Among other things, they're upset about the governor's push for education cuts and his plan to tax pensions.
In Vermont, a daring rescue. After four hours, crews were able to pull a young dog from the icy waters off Lake Champlain. The dog had broken free from its leash and ran into lake ice.
Retirement, no money. In these tough times, a lot of Americans are facing that risk. We're going to get you tips on how you can save for your golden years even on that tight budget.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: And time to consider today's "Choose the News" candidates. All of them feature folks who are facing barriers to their goals.
I want you to vote by texting 22360 for the story that you'd like to see.
First, a young British woman braves hate mail and death threats in hopes of becoming the first Muslim to represent her country at the Miss Universe Pageant.
Next, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball 64 years ago, but there's a part of the story not even his own family knew until now.
And finally, trendy food trucks have taken off in Los Angeles and New York. We've all seen them. But restrictive rules have put the brakes on them in Chicago. Now one of those vendors is taking on City Hall.
Vote by texting 22360. Text 1 for "Muslim Beauty Queen"; 2 for "Jackie Robinson"; or 3 for "Food Truck Fight." The winning story will air in the next hour.
A quick check of the markets. The Dow Jones down now some 44 points or so. We're keeping a close eye on that.
Also, those so-called golden years, apparently not going to be so golden for lots of people. We're talking millions. Forty percent of Americans now say they'll never be able to afford retirement.
Our Alison Kosik, she's here from the New York Stock Exchange.
Alison, this is -- you know, it's pretty depressing here. People work and work and work all their lives. Now many people saying they can't even afford to retire?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, exactly. And you know what, Suzanne? They're doing the worst thing of all. They're not saving any money at all.
Of those surveyed, 56 percent of Americans aren't even saving a dime. And here's why.
Many say they're living paycheck to paycheck. They're just trying to make ends meet.
They're also scared about investing their money in the markets. You know, they were scared off, of course, during the financial crisis. And then, once again, they're worried about paying for the here and now, the big expenses that are already on their financial plate. They're worried about paying for uninsured medical expenses, higher gas costs, and of course education, not just for their kids, but for them, as well.
So, you know, you can kind of understand why people are kind of putting their heads in the sand. They're not helping their cause any by not saving any money for retirement -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: So, Alison, even if you're on a tight budget, are there some ways that you can save despite the fact that you might be living paycheck to paycheck? KOSIK: There are ways. And the one thing that people have to really first understand is how much money they really have to have for retirement. And there are tools out there.
If you go online, there are free retirement calculators right there online. You can go to CNNMoney, you can go to Fidelity, you can go to Vanguard and get these calculators and try to figure how much money you really have to set aside for retirement.
Also, figure out where you can save more money, where you can cut spending. Experts say the best thing to do is write down how much you spend over a three-to-six-month period, and, you know, you may be surprised where you can make those extra cuts. And they also say -- these experts say -- savings should not really be an afterthought, it should really be thought of as a monthly expense. Kind of pay yourself first and then you're going to help yourself in the long run -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Great advice. Alison, thank you very much.
All of a sudden, everybody has a plan, right, to fix the country's finances. And they all involve some pretty tough choices. Our Ali Velshi looks at how different plans compare.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: A look ahead at what's "On the Rundown."
Countdown to the royal wedding, the latest details on the social event of the year.
And caught napping. The vice president, snoozing during President Obama's speech.
Plus, rescuing animals from Japan's disaster zone.
And also, we expect to hear from House Speaker John Boehner shortly about the tough budget choices facing lawmakers and the White House. Boehner is holding his weekly press briefing as the House takes up the plan that kept the federal government from shutting down.
We're going to bring you live coverage of the Speaker's news conference once it starts.
And President Obama met earlier today with Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles. Now, you may recall they are the co-chairs of a commission that made recommendations on how to balance the federal budget and reduce the national debt.
President Obama spoke about that meeting just a couple minutes ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At some point we're going to have to come together as Americans, and yesterday I brought together the leaders of both chambers, leaders of both parties, to discuss with them how we could start moving rapidly to get some of these major issues resolved.
And I'm pleased that Vice President Biden is going to be heading up that effort. But we're going to need the help of citizens who serve this country in extraordinary ways in the past and are continuing to do so in their spare time. I'm looking forward to having them as partners.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: All the talk in Washington about budgets, tax increases, spending cuts, it comes down to one goal, essentially fixing the country's finances. So President Obama, he has his plan. The Republicans have theirs. Another comes from that bipartisan commission that we mentioned. They all require some pretty tough choices.
Well, our chief business correspondent, Ali Velshi, he compares the different plans designed to keep the government from spending more than it takes in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: One way to reduce deficits or shortfalls is to cut non-security, nondiscretionary spending. That's the stuff that isn't the Medicaid, the Medicare, and Social Security.
The president's debt commission wants to cut it by $2.2 trillion. The Republican or Ryan plan wants to cut $2.7 trillion over 10 years. The president's plan, which he announced, wants to cuts $1.1 trillion over 12 years.
Now one of the major criticisms is that no party has been prepared to make the cuts to some of the biggest things we spend on like Medicare and Medicaid. So let me give you a sense of what the two parties -- what the three plans want to do with Medicare and Medicaid.
First of all, the Republicans go a lot further than the president does. They want to cut $389 billion from Medicare, $735 billion from Medicaid. The president's plan calls for -- and by the way, that's over 10 years. The president's plan calls for a $200 billion cut to Medicare over 12 years and $100 billion over 10 years.
Now the other way to overcome deficits and shortfalls, as opposed to cutting spending, is to increase revenues or what you will know as taxes.
Let me give you a comparison of the plans in terms of what they do for taxes.
The core to the -- to a conservative view of taxes is that if you cut them, people spend more. So the Republican plan actually takes an axe to taxes, cutting them by $800 billion and keeping that Bush-era tax cut for people making $250,000 or more.
Take a look at this. This is a big difference. The president actually calls for an increase of a trillion dollars in what he calls revenues by deducting a lot of loopholes and increasing income taxes on those who make more than $250,000 a year. For every $3 that the president wants to cut in his proposal, he wants a dollar in increased revenue.
And there's another area I want to talk to you about, and it's corporate taxes. We're getting a lot of talk about that this year, with the number of companies that aren't paying them.
Currently, the corporate tax rate stands at about 35 percent. Although, as you know, some companies are very crafty, and the current tax laws are loose enough to allow some companies not to pay any taxes at all.
Now this is a big difference between what the two groups want. Representative Paul Ryan, the Republicans are planning to bring the corporate tax from 35 percent to 25 percent. The president's plan would increase it from 35 percent to 39 percent. And the president's debt commission splits the difference, bringing it down to 28 percent.
Now the commonality with all of these three plans is that they claim that they will reduce the deficit by about -- I'll show you, the numbers are roughly the same. About $4 trillion. They just disagree on how to get there.
For the record, none of these plans would actually reduce the nation's staggering national debt because of the interest that we've already accumulated. It's actually going to continue to increase. It would just increase at a lower rate.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Ali.
Remember to vote for the story you'd like to see in the next hour. Vote by texting 22360. Text 1 for a Muslim beauty queen getting hate mail for wanting to represent Britain in the Miss Universe contest. Text 2 for Jackie Robinson, how an unknown story of faith played a role in the historic signing of Major League Baseball's first African-American player. Or text 3 for food truck fight. A Chicago vendor takes on city hall.
Well, the royal wedding just two weeks away. Whether or not you're into it or not, there's a ton of interest among people the couple's age. The 20-somethings. A CNN royal wedding contributor explains why Will and Kate have captured their imagination.
And there's a lot of unusual paraphernalia out there to celebrate the royal nuptials. Check this out. This Lego version of the royal wedding complete with the bride wearing Lego white gloves.
Wait until you see what royal fanatics truly stuck on the couple are doing. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. If you love all the talk of Will and Kate, you'll love this. Fingernail decals with the prince and his bride-to- be's face plastered on them. Check it out. For those who need daily reminders of the royal nuptials and have enough room on their nails, there you go.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: People are thinking about everything here.
Two weeks from tomorrow, Prince William will wed his college sweetheart, Kate Middleton, at Westminster Abbey in London.
CNN's royal wedding contributor, Cat Deeley, joins us from London.
And Cat, I mean, this is exciting for a lot of people. Are you going to be covering the big event for CNN in London? It's April 29th, Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan, I know you guys are all going to be there together.
You know we saw these fingernail decals, the coffee mugs, the Legos, the whole bit. A lot of buzz here around this.
Why you do think there is such interest in the royal couple particularly among --
CAT DEELEY, CNN ROYAL WEDDING CONTRIBUTOR: You know --
MALVEAUX: With 20, 30 somethings?
DEELEY: You know what? I think it's because they're a new set of royal family for a new generation. You know they've kind of put protocol to one side and it's very much the fairytale. You know? I think that they're in a very modern relationship.
They've been together for nine, 10 years. It seems to be able to work. They've obviously learned from their predecessors. And now it looks as though it's really going to -- you know it's really going to work.
I've been lucky enough to meet Prince William and Prince Harry a few times. And they're so great. They don't -- there isn't all the protocol. You don't have to stand in a line. You don't have to bow. They're just young, handsome, charming men that handle themselves so brilliantly.
You know, during all the tragedy that happened in their lives. And now they've -- they're thoroughly modern, and they're new royals for a new generation.
MALVEAUX: That's pretty cool. And everybody around the world are going to be watching this ceremony live. I imagine it's a lot of pressure to be under when you're a bride and groom, everybody is watching, what could go possibly go wrong as have been things gone wrong in previous royal wedding.
Do you have any predictions on how this is all going to go down?
DEELEY: Well, I think she's going to handle herself very, very well. I think that's the thing with Kate, is she seems to have got into the royal family and just handled herself absolutely immaculately every step of the way. And I think they've been coaching her very well, too.
I mean, there was the big thing at Charles and Diana's wedding where she got the names mixed up and she got them muddled up and the wrong way around. And I actually think that the general public found that incredibly endearing.
You know, mistakes do happen. They happen at every wedding that we've ever been to. And I actually find that incredibly charming. As long as she doesn't fall over, touch wood, she doesn't fall over, we'll be fine.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: She probably won't fall over. We've all had those moments where we've made a little mistake here or there. What do we know about the dress? There's a lot of talk about who the designer is, and it's all very quiet right now.
DEELEY: Absolutely. There's been lots and lots of speculation here in London. And actually, I think it's more interesting who's not talking than the people who are talking. Because I think the people who are talking really know that they're definitely not doing the dress.
I would love to see Sarah Burton actually design the dress. Who's the lady who's taken over from Alexander McQueen. She was his right-hand woman. And I think what would be so delightful about her designing Kate's dress, it would be chic and elegant, and timeless. And it's also a tip of the hat, as well, to Alexander McQueen and the stunning work that he did.
I think it's going to be very chic. I think it's going to be very classic.
MALVEAUX: OK.
DEELEY: I think that she will have sleeves. But I'd love to see something a little bit different, too.
MALVEAUX: And you're reporting for CNN but you're also hosting a series on BBC America called "Royally Mad." Tell us what we can expect from the show.
DEELEY: Yes. It was just really good fun. We filmed it already. We took five royally obsessed mad American fans to London and we brought them here and we gave them experiences that money couldn't buy. And we introduced them to people who've worked with the royals or are friends with the royals. And we traveled all around London. And it was so nice for me. One, because I was home. So that was just a lovely, lovely feeling. And two, to see how much joy they got out of all the different experiences through their eyes was completely infectious. So I was suddenly like, oh, my god, I love this town, you know.
It was so nice to be able to show them my home and them actually really, really enjoy it. So it was great. We've shown one part already on BBC America, and the next part goes out next week.
MALVEAUX: All right. Looks like a lot of fun.
And Cat, thanks so much for joining us. We'll be watching.
DEELEY: Thank you so much.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
This programming note on. Sunday, April 24th, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, CNN takes you behind the scenes with "CNN PRESENTS: THE WOMEN WHO WOULD BE QUEEN."
You, too, can be part of our global viewing party. It is going to be a party. Join Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan, Richard Quest, and Cat Deeley as they bring you every, every moment.
CNN's coverage of the royal wedding, Friday, April 29th, starts at 4:00 a.m. Eastern, plus and check in on everything to do with the royal wedding whenever you want by going to CNN.com/royalwedding.
Well, sleeping on the job, not a good way to impress your boss. Especially when he's the president of the United States.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: The president and those around him have tough jobs and they work really hard hours, really long hours. But the vice president falling asleep during the big boss' budget speech?
OK, it is the budget. I mean, a lot of us fall asleep. But come on, Joe Biden appeared to doze for a good half minute or so. But he wasn't the only one, you can see. There's a woman behind him who looks like she's nodding off, too. Just a little bit.
Of course other vice presidents not immune to some cat naps during meetings. Cameras caught Vice President Dick Cheney catching a few winks at the White House. That back in 2007. He's up.
Maybe the overwhelming financial crisis got the best of President Obama's economic adviser, Larry Summers. He tried to hide his nap with the old propping up the cheek trick. I guess that worked.
But snoozing even happens to kids. Young man on the top right lets out a big yawn a few moments later. President Obama's speech has him out cold.
I'm sure there's video of me catching a nap or two. Everybody does it.
Well, a big budget vote in the house today. Brianna Keilar, part of the best political team on television, live from Capitol Hill.
Brianna, I know you're wide awake. You work really hard. There are always times that we've got a catch a catnap. But there's a lot going on still.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is. You know what? The key is coffee. You have to have your coffee ready, right?
No, I am prepared. I have my eyes are wide open to tell you what's on the CNN's "Political Ticker," Suzanne.
We're going to be seeing a big vote here in the House today. This is on a budget deal that was brokered Friday night. $38.5 billion in cuts. We're expecting the House to go this afternoon/evening. The Senate would follow suit. And this has to go to President Obama to be signed into law because that stopgap measure that keeps the government running for another week past when that deal was brokered, well, it expires tomorrow at midnight.
So we're talking about a lot of cuts here, $38.5 billion, as I said. Billions of dollars in cuts to things like high-speed rail, military construction, also about a billion dollars in cuts to what you could characterize as social safety net programs including hundreds of millions in cuts to WIC, which is nutrition assistance for low-income women and children -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And Brianna, we know that President Obama is kicking off his fundraising for his reelection bid. What do we expect in terms of where he's headed?
KEILAR: Well, there is no place like home, that is what CNN's Paul Steinhauser and Jessica Yellin telling us on the "Ticker." He's headed to Chicago. A few different events tonight.
I was kind of interested by how much it costs to go. On the low end, you could get a ticket for $100 if you were attending one of these. On the high end, $38,500. That's the legal maximum limit. I think we can all agree that is quite the pretty penny.
President Obama announced last Monday that he was going to be running for reelection. A source telling us the contributions that he got in the 24 hours after that, 23,000 of them.
And Suzanne, check out these numbers. 2008 for his election, he raised $750 million. He's aiming for about $1 billion this time. Big money.
MALVEAUX: Wow. Yes, and he's starting at home. He's got a lot of support there. He's got friends from his old neighborhood that he often, you know, have dinner with while he's there, as well. So it'll be something to see how much money he actually raises this go round.
Brianna, thank you.
KEILAR: Maybe they'll go for more than the $100 ticket.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: Yes. Probably. All right. Thanks, Brianna.
For the latest political news, you know where to go. CNNPolitics.com.
We're getting a lot of responses to today's "Talk Back" question. Several Republicans are proposing raising the retirement age to reduce the country's debt. So we asked, should the Social Security retirement aging raised to 70?
Carol Costello is back with your response.
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MALVEAUX: Now responses to our "Talk Back" questions. Several Republicans are proposing raising the Social Security retirement age to help the country save some money and pay down the debt.
Carol, what do folks think about this?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lots of good comments today. The "Talk Back" question, should the Social Security retirement age be raised to 70?
This from Elizabeth. "How many of us can be greeters at Wal- Mart? That's what I am going to have to do. As a nurse with only a few more years to go, I can't see myself at 70 giving meds and doing treatments for other geriatric residents."
This from Michael. "It would be a clever idea due to the fact that Americans are living longer. Also for someone who is in their 20s, Social Security may not be there. So it's time that Americans start investing in their own future."
This is from Del Marie. "I'm 45 and have been unemployed since November 2008. if I can't get a job now I cannot imagine when I'm 70."
This from Danielle. "Yes, it should. I'm a 47-year-old Democrat, and agree that since we live longer we need to change the rules, plus we need to live within our means."
And this James. "Might as well make it 100. Then we can really put a dent in the deficit."
Please continue the conversation, Facebook.com/carolCNN.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Carol.
It has been almost five weeks since the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan. We're going to show you how some folks are putting their lives on the line to reunite pets left in the evacuation zone with their owners.
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MALVEAUX: When an earthquake and tsunami damaged Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant, few reporters went into the danger zone, but a Japanese journalist was there just 10 days ago.
This is video that he shot showing abandoned dogs running in packs.
"Voice of America" correspondent Steve Herman was one of the first Western journalists to get an up-close look at the Fukushima plant. He appeared earlier today on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE HERMAN, VOICE OF AMERICA: We did make it all the way to the front gate where we were greeted -- maybe greeted is the wrong word -- by a couple of security guards that were in full hazmat outfits with yellow helmets and dual-intake respirators who did not want to engage us in conversation.
They made it very clear we were not welcome to proceed any further and sort of gave us the international signal for make a U- turn.
We hardly saw any cars on the road. We saw a couple of police cars, policemen in full hazmat outfits patrolling the town, and a couple of other cars presumably carrying some people who work at the plant.
And in these two communities of Kotoba and Okutama, there were no other cars on the road. It was like something out of a science fiction movie "The Day After," where all the people have been vaporized. There was just no one around. People had left very quickly due to the earthquake and tsunami and they haven't been back.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Unbelievable pictures. The situation in Japan, of course a human catastrophe, but not all of the victims are people. Throughout the nuclear plant evacuation zone, pets have been left behind to fend for themselves.
CNN's Kyung Lah reports that people are risking their lives now to help them.
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KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Non (ph) is a five- year-old Shiba, traumatized, confused, being delivered to his distraught owners seeing them for the very first time in a month.
HIROKO ITO (PH), PET OWNER: Non. Non. Non.
LAH: He doesn't respond. "I'm sorry," says Hiroko Ito to her dog. Non was alone, chained outside for 10 days. "We tried to save him," explains Ito. "But we couldn't get in."
And to the government mandated evacuation zone just a few miles from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Across that radiation contaminated area, animals whose owners thought they'd be gone for a day, now a month later remain abandoned, some like this one, already dead of disease and starvation.
The ones still alive, like this beagle, suffer. You can see its ribs. Journalists who slipped into the evacuation zone fed it but left it chained outside hoping its owner would return to free it.
The images were seen around the world and they were too much for Isabella Gallaon-Aoki, with the nonprofit group Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support. Pet owners sent the group their addresses with pleas to rescue their animals. The volunteers putting their own health on the line threw on protective gear and entered the radioactive zone.
(on camera): This is an area that is dangerous to go into. Why are you doing this?
ISABELLE GALLAON-AOKI, JEARS: Why am I doing it? Well, because I want to help the animals there. I want to help the people who are trying to get their animals back.
LAH: We called several layers of Japan's government. From national to local, the response was the same. That this is a human calamity and a nuclear disaster. That people need to avoid the area for their own safety. And there is no discussion or current plan for animal welfare.
GALLAON-AOIKI: Obviously, there was more that we could do. To some extent angry as well that more is not being done to help these animals. I mean I understand the nuclear danger and everything, but they've just been left to starve to death basically.
LAH (voice-over): Non spends a few more minutes with its owners, then again has to say good-bye. These evacuees are living in a building that doesn't allow dogs.
"I hope everything will go back to normal," says Hiroko Ito. "I want my life back."
But for these evacuees, both human and animal, normal life may never return.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Chiba, Japan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
