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Deadly Storms Pummels South; Another Asleep Air Controller; Amtrak Travel Warning; Family Says Long Island Killer Made Taunting Phone Calls on Their Daughter's Phone
Aired April 16, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we begin this hour with a powerful storm system that continues its devastating march across the south. Now it's moving east, tornado warnings now spread from North Carolina to the nation's capital.
Let's get to meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We're still tracking a very large and dangerous tornado which remains on the ground in Raleigh, North Carolina, at this hour. This is the area that we're talking about. We're getting reports of debris now in North Raleigh. This tornado has a history of producing damage before it even got to Raleigh, in places like Sanford as well as (INAUDIBLE) Hill. A number of homes have been damaged and flattened even in this area. No reports of injuries thus far.
A crisis has been issued by local law enforcement in the Sanford area. And as we continue to get more information, we'll keep you up to date. The tornado warning has been extended now to include Vans Franklin, Granville and Warren Counties. That includes (INAUDIBLE) and Wake Forest and you're already getting in that very heavy rain, lots of lightning here in addition to hail and damaging winds.
This is a really fast-moving storm system, too. In fact, these individual storms are moving about 50 to 60 miles per hour. You cannot run these things guys. So you need to take shelter right now. Don't try to drive, you know, away from these storms. You just can't do it. Get out, get in a ditch, get to a safe shelter, structure if you can.
Look at this line of thunderstorms. It's incredible. All those purple boxes are tornado warnings which are in effect, and the red box, that is the watch, between - this is the area where conditions are favorable. This bottom watch box is what we call a PDS watch or a Particularly Dangerous Situation. And basically what that means to you is we're expecting large violent tornadoes that are going to stay on the ground for a long time, just like what's happening in Raleigh.
Washington, D.C., Baltimore, you're under the watch, but you could also see some damaging winds and hail with this, too. And travel just a mess all across the northeastern quarter because of this system here, Deborah. This is a high-risk day, it's a small area of the country, but a very violent dangerous situation. We only get like a handful of days like this a year and that watch box that we're talking about where the risk is so high, there's like a 1:3 chance that a tornado is going to come within 25 miles of your home. I don't like those odds.
FEYERICK: Well, really dangerous. And how long are they supposed to stay on the ground.
JERAS: Well, it could stay on the ground, you know, for a while. It's already been miles and miles of that warnings that's supposed to expire in just a couple of minutes. But I think it's going to be extended so we could be looking at another 20 to 30 minutes with the tornado on the ground.
FEYERICK: All right. Thanks so much, Jacqui. We'll check back with you.
Well, the storm has cut a path of destruction. Five states from Oklahoma to Georgia have major amounts of damage. Tornadoes in high winds now blamed for 17 deaths. You can see it looks like tinder there. In Oklahoma, 26 counties are under a state of emergency.
In Mississippi, the governor also has declared an emergency. State officials say a tornado damaged several homes and businesses and narrowly missed an elementary school and day care center that was packed with 650 kids. Damage assessment teams are now spreading out across the street. The day care safe, though.
Well, that's a transformer on a power line that exploded in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The state governor says twister tore through at least half a dozen counties. The storm left behind downed trees and extensive damage and of course, power outages.
And there's been another air traffic controller caught sleeping on the job. This time in Miami. CNN's Jeanne Meserve has more.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (ON THE PHONE): The FAA saying it's going to take some additional steps to try to deal with it. This latest incident happened in Miami, at the Miami air route traffic control center of TRACON. It was one controller there who is now suspended after falling asleep on the midnight shift. He was reported by another controller.
According to the FAA, the preliminary review if the air traffic tape indicates that the controller didn't miss any calls from aircraft and there was no operational impact, but ironically, before the start of the shift, all controllers had been given a briefing on professionalism and the importance of reporting to work fit for duty.
The incident as I said reported to the manager by another controller. Now there have been other incidents as you know in Washington, Knoxville, Reno, Seattle, Lubbock. In many of those cases, the controllers were alone on the midnight case. That was not the case here. According to the FAA, there were 12 controllers and two managers on duty at this facility.
The head of the FAA, administrator Randi Babbitt says he's taking immediate steps to deal with this. He said within the next 72 hours, they're going to change the way they schedule controllers. Prohibiting scheduling practices that are identified as most likely to cause fatigue, but he said this is just the beginning. We will need to do more. Babbitt and the head of the National Air Traffic Controllers Union on Monday are scheduled to start a tour around the country to talk with controllers and visit various facilities to see what additional steps might be needed. Deb.
FEYERICK: Well, Jeanne, they're also looking at ways to change the schedules, correct? Because it's not a consistent schedule. It's not like they're on from the 12:00 to 8:00 shift every night, and that's a problem. So they're really looking how to change that, right?
MESERVE: Well, that's right. and that's why the administrator announced today that they will be taking in 72 hour steps to prohibit scheduling practice identified as most likely to cause fatigue. I can tell you that I have talked to some people in aviation industry who have talked a bit about how controllers move from working the day shift to a later shift to the midnight shift and when I queried whether it would make more sense to have individuals working the same shift all week long, the people I spoke to said that research indicates that that can indeed be even more fatiguing than having a shift that moves across a schedule.
So we don't know exactly what it is that administrator Babbitt is about to prohibit, but apparently they have identified something about the scheduling routine which appears to aggravate the situation and make the controllers even more likely to suffer fatigue on the job.
FEYERICK: Jeanne Meserve, thank you.
Well, just a few days ago, the head of the FAA's air traffic organization resigned over this sleeping on the job incidents. Today, makes the seventh time this year a controller was caught asleep. All of them were on late night or midnight shift.
And some changes to Amtrak's ticketing system could mean a mess for commuters. Our Sandra Endo is in Washington in Amtrak's Union Station, just one of the areas that could feel the heat. Sandy, what is happening to Amtrak's reservation system that is going to affect so many people who use this on Sundays and also on Mondays?
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Deb. This is not news that you want to hear, especially when you're getting ready to start your spring break or Easter week holiday. A lot of people, as you know, will be traveling out of town. And if you're going by train, using Amtrak, make sure you purchase and pick up your tickets today. Because an urgent bulletin on Amtrak's web site says their ticketing system will be going through a major upgrade tomorrow and will be down for a portion of the day. It doesn't say which hours or for how long.
But Amtrak says that means there will be very limited service for people to buy tickets or use the kiosk to pick up advance purchase tickets. Also people will have very limited access to check train status and train reservations as well. They say their internet ticketing system will also be down and there will be very limited service even at ticketing counters. So that warning says that Amtrak is urging people to get those tickets today. And for more information, of course, call the company at 1-800-USA-RAIL. Deb.
FEYERICK: And Sandra, is this also affecting the Acela. Because a lot of commuters on Mondays tend to take those Acelas. Is it also the Acela or is it just the Amtrak, the more local trains?
ENDO: Absolutely. This is the entire system. So we're talking about Acela, as you mentioned, a lot of people use that on Monday because it does cater to a lot of those business travelers. But of course, everyone is getting a jump start actually on the spring break week. So so many people will be heading out to those train stations tomorrow. And if you're picking up those tickets, make sure you pick them up today because tomorrow there could be a problem if you're going during that time the system is down.
FEYERICK: Well, Sandra, thank you so much. Boy, that will certainly be a challenge traveling the next couple days. At least they gave us a full day's warning. Thanks so much. Sandra Endo there in Washington, D.C..
Well, searchers are back out today, looking for a missing Tennessee nursing student. 20-year-old Holly Bobbo (ph) was reportedly snatched from her parking garage and taken into the woods early Wednesday morning by a man dressed in camouflage. Contrary to earlier reports, investigators now say they don't think she was physically dragged away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MEHR, TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: He actually had an arm holding her, and so we feel that she knew she was in fear of her life. So she was confined with his commands.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Tennessee authorities have scheduled a news conference this hour. We're going to bring you the latest developments as we get them.
And is he running for president or not? Back in two minutes with the Donald and what his platform it. He's on the trail.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, turning out of politics. If the presidential election was held today, South Carolina Republican voters would pick Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour as their candidate. That's after yesterday's straw poll at the state's Republican party's convention in Charleston. Finishing second, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
Well, star power at a Tea Party rally in Wisconsin, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin energized the Madison crowd a few minutes ago by issuing a challenge to what she called the GOP-establishment. Listen up. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: So, our lesson is to the GOP establishment, first. Yes, and I'll take on the GOP establishment, what more could they say about us, you know? So to the GOP establishment, if you stand on the platform, if you stand by your pledges, we will stand with you. We will fight with you, GOP. We have your back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Well, tea partiers in South Florida got some celebrity help too. Our political producer Shannon Travis is in Boca Raton right now.
And Shannon, tell me, tell me that the Donald didn't say his signature catch phrase.
SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Oh, Deb, you're talking about "You're fired" right?
FEYERICK: Yes, a little bit.
TRAVIS: He used the words - yes, he used the words, but he didn't exactly use them against President Obama. Basically, there were some people in the crowd egging him on to say that about Obama. But he kind of said, you know what, "I know what you're trying to do. You're trying me to get to say it but it's way too early to say that right now. I haven't even entered the race. But I'm thinking it in the back of my mind" is what he said.
Other than not saying you're fired against President Obama, this was a blistering critique of the Obama administration. Donald Trump laid out a lot of criticisms of the current administration. He praised himself, Donald Trump praised himself as being a great negotiator. He said that China is taking U.S. jobs and manipulating U.S. currency.
He talked about - he laid out some of his own positions and his own stance that he's pro life and against gun control. He laid out some views on Libya and other foreign policy matters. He talked about also giving wounded soldiers a few million dollars or the families of slain soldiers, killed soldiers, soldiers killed in action a few million dollars. He even used a curse word, but Donald Trump didn't only just train his fire against Democrats. He also had something really pretty harsh against Republicans. Take a listen to this sound. Keep in mind that Karl Rove just recently said that Donald Trump talking about the birther issue has become a bit of a joke. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, CHMN. & PRES., THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION: And you know the Republicans have to be very careful of that because obviously Karl Rove didn't do very well the last couple of years in the Bush administration because, hey, whether you like him or not, George Bush gave us Obama, and I'm not happy about it. I'm not happy about it. We have a disaster on our hands. We have a man right now that almost certainly will go down as the worst president in the history of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TRAVIS: So there you have it, Deb. Donald Trump taking on Republicans as he even takes on Democrats and President Obama. Just one of the many things we heard from this Tea Party rally that just wrapped up a few moments ago.
FEYERICK: All right. Well, Shannon Travis, thank you so much.
I was listening to some of at the top there, and there was sort of a sense of false humility. He said that, you know, he never lived his life with a view of running towards political office, and yet this is really the third time he's been floating his name out there. So perhaps one day we'll have to take a look at everything he said and perhaps do a fact check on some of those claims, some of those items.
Shannon Travis there for us -
TRAVIS: Absolutely.
FEYERICK: - in Boca Raton, Florida. Thank you so much.
Well, working moms, that's right. Working moms know the stress of juggling family and career. A look at one program that's helping women take off when needed and then come back.
And the ghost faced killer returns as "Scream 4" hits the big screen. Is it a cut above the first three films? Our critic weighs in.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, by far, women seem to have fared better during the recession than men, but it's not for the reason you may think. It's in part because women get paid less. In today's "Smart is the New Rich" segment, CNN's Christine Romans looks at a program that helps women juggle careers and family obligations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the 1950s, roughly 30 percent of the work force was women. According to the latest government stats, now, it's nearly 47 percent. Historic gains with an asterisk.
LINDA REALE, PWC EXECUTIVE: I think for a woman, you face these challenges. I have family demands. I have my husband's demands. I have schools, I have after-school activities and importantly, I have work.
ROMANS: Linda Reale, for 20 years built a career at PWC. Then her husband was suddenly transferred overseas and she faced taking the off ramp.
REALE: I felt, you know, overwhelmed with what was I going to do from a professional perspective and then also from a personal perspective. REALE: PWC allows employees to take time, to raise children or care for aging parents and come back to their jobs.
NILOFAR MOLAVI, DIR. OF DIVERSITY, PWC, TAX AND AUDIT FIRM: The reason PWC implicated the whole (INAUDIBLE) program was that we were seeing a number of our women leaving the workforce because of a life event.
ROMANS: Big companies are offering flexibility, but many women have found that they could balance it better working for themselves.
BOB KURTZ, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "AOL SMALL BUSINESS": What we're seeing is a huge trend of what they call mom prunewers (ph). And it's as it sounds. I think a lot of moms are saying "The heck with the rat race, I'm going to go out there and I'm going to start my own company." And they often target these niches that frankly corporate America is ignoring and we see these businesses grow to be quite big.
ROMANS: Research firm Into It recently estimated that by the year 2020, the gender gap in earnings will narrow. Women will graduate college at a higher rate than men, better preparing them to lead a knowledge economy and will be a dominant force in health, education and service sectors. But no question, the challenges of family and work remain.
REALE: I was out of work for 18 months. It doesn't sound like a long time, but when you completely change your life from being, you know, a working girl to a working mom to being 100 percent at home and focused on other things, it's a really long time.
ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Well, get ready to scream. The horror flick is back in theaters this weekend with its fourth installment and an all-star cast. Matt Atchity, a film critic with RottenTomatoes.com is here for this weekend's reviews. "Scream 4," yes, they have done it again. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... coming events.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you want?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's trying to trick you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm standing in the closet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Liar.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: OK. And Matt, apparently a lot more people die in this particular version. First of all, what is the plot in all of this?
MATT ATCHITY, FILM CRITIC, ROTTENTOMATOES.COM: Well, you know, the plot is usually the same, what it always is. You have got teenagers kind of being attacked by various or actually in one particular case, this ghost faced killer. And you know, he's killing people. And you know, every time you turn around, it's this game. They get calls from the phone and then they get stabbed. It's really - you're trying to figure out who the killer is. That's the big mystery. Who this time is wearing the ghost faced mask?
FEYERICK: What's amazing is you know, there are just so many ways you can get stabbed in this particular movie. What grade do you give this? Is this worth seeing?
ATCHITY: You know, this is worth searing if you're a fan of the series. I give it a "C." It's not an essential film for everybody. But if you're a fan of slasher movies, if you're a fan of the series, you can't go wrong here. It's better than the last one in the series. You know, it's not as good as the first one when you see kind of - it's hard to get anything new out of the series, but it is enjoyable. It's got some good jumps in it.
The opening is really, really funny. But the movie gets a little bit too self-aware at times. The characters are a little too aware that they're in a horror movie, and that takes away from it a little bit.
FEYERICK: And obviously to watch the dynamic of Courtney Cox and David Arquette is certainly worth watching, if you want to scream.
Our next movie, an animation comedy. It's called "Rio." And it looks so charming especially for little kids. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your (INAUDIBLE) is a very special bird.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blue is the last bird of his kind.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a kind?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only other blue macaw (ph) is in Rio?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brazil?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't worry. I'm going to make blue look irresistible.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh. She's beautiful.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. I had nothing to do with that, but it's actually a pretty good song.
(END VIDEO CLIP) FEYERICK: Now, this looks like some of the characters that we have seen in other cartoon movies especially if your parents (INAUDIBLE) cartoon movies look like. What grade do you give this? Is this worth going to see?
ATCHITY: This is absolutely worth going to see. I give it a "B." This is a fun movie. The kids are going to love this. The screening that I was at, all of the kids were talking to their parents about things that are going on the screen. They were very engaged. As a parent, you're going to enjoy this as well. It's a pretty good movie. It's not quite the level of some of the best stuff we've seen out of Pixar, but it is definitely enjoyable. It has a lot of laughs, and the music is really fun too. A great voice cast from Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Will I Am, Jamie Foxx, and George Lopez.
And the movie is beautiful. You know, the characters do look a little bit similar to some of the things we've seen in other movies but that doesn't take away from this movie just being gorgeous.
FEYERICK: All right. Matt Atchity. Well, we're running out of time. So a "B" for "Rio," a "C" for "Scream." And just to wrap, "Harry Potter," "The King's Speech" an "A." And if you didn't give "King's Speech" an "A." Then we have to rethink the whole deal here. But Matt Atchity, thank you so much. Always great to speak with you. Take care.
Well, make sure you stay with CNN for a sneak peek for the summer's biggest blockbusters. "Showbiz Tonight's" summer movie blockbusters airs today at 5:30 Eastern. The special will feature a variety of films with something for everyone including movies like "Kung Fu Panda 2." You'll definitely want to see that.
And a look at today's top stories straight ahead, including the latest track on where the line of dangerous weather may be heading.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, so glad you're with us on this Saturday. Top stories, a deadly system of storms raced across the south. It now poses a new threat. Jacqui, Jacqui Jeras in the storm center. Where is it now, still on the ground?
JERAS: It is still on the ground. It's well to the northeast of Raleigh right now. We got two storms actually rotating on the ground. The good news is that Raleigh, your threat is over with at least for now. But we got damage being reported to brick buildings and also some debris reported on the north side of town, so we're still kind of assessing how serious things are in Raleigh. We haven't heard any reports of injury. So that's the good news.
The storm is moving very quickly already to the north and east of Wake Forest. And this is the area that we're talking about that is still under the threat right now. In addition to this, we got a tornado emergency which has been issued for this storm right here. This might actually be debris that we're seeing, being indicated on the radar near i-40 here. Areas under the tornado emergency, Benson, Four Oaks, Smithville (ph), Selma, Pine Level, and Mike Row (ph) in North Carolina. So you folks need to be taking cover immediately, getting underground in a basement or a storm shelter, if you got one or at the lowest level of the building that you're in.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
FEYERICK: Well, the storm has wreaked havoc in five Southern states. Forecasters say it may have triggered more than 100 possible tornadoes. At least 17 deaths are blamed on the storm. In Oklahoma, 26 counties, right now, in a state of emergency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(EXPLOSION, SPARKS FLY)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holy! Look out!
FEYERICK: And that is a transformer there on the power line that exploded Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The state's governor says twisters tore through at least a half dozen counties there. The storm left behind downed trees, extensive damage, and of course, lots of power outages all through the area.
Police are searching, also, for a serial killer on the beaches of Long Island. The family of one victim says the killer was taunted them. CNN's Susan Candiotti joins us from Oak Beach.
Susan, this family has some harsh words about on how police handled this case. Their daughter went missing two years ago.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, they weren't happy at all at first, because when she first went missing, two years ago, they called the police from Buffalo, New York. Called the police here in New York and said we want to file a missing persons report. But they said that they weren't being listened to, because of the fact that their daughter worked as a prostitute. And so the police weren't paying them attention. And then these taunting phone calls started coming in. And again, they were saying to the police, please, you have got to do something. Here is what the family told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE COHEN, BARTHELEMY'S ATTORNEY: We're not going to take a complaint. And if we do, we're not going to sign a detective to it. If we assigned a case to every missing prostitute, we would never get anywhere. I mean, they were rude about it. What they didn't seem to understand was Melissa was not a street walker, with no family roots, who would disappear for days at a time. Melissa was in daily contact with her family, and not just her mother Lynn (ph), Amanda, cousins, grandparents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: That's the attorney that was hired by the family of Melissa Barthelemy, from Buffalo, New York. And he was finally able to put pressure on to the police department in New York, and now the family says the police have been doing everything they can to try to help solve this case. Remember, her body was found last December along with the bodies of four other women. But still four more body said have been found that have yet to be identified.
And, Remember, Deborah, as I know you're aware, it was last May when another prostitute went missing, and that is what really seemed to spark a lot of public attention to try to find the missing women. But that woman, Shannon Gilbert is her name, she has yet to be found, so there is a lot that is left to be done in this investigation.
FEYERICK: And Susan, what is so fascinating, as you uncovered, that is that the killer actually was taunting the family, basically saying he had tortured this girl. Have police, and I know they're probably not sharing a lot of details about the forensic reports, but are they seeing a pattern in all of the killings? They have absolutely determined this is the work of one individual?
CANDIOTTI: No, they haven't determined that yet. They're looking at the possibility of one killer. There could be more than one. They don't know if one person is responsible for the bodies that were already recovered, the first four. Whether there's a connection to the next four bodies that were found. There are some similarities. They're finding some clues, for example, some of the families have been told that some of the bodies were wrapped in burlap, burlap bags. That's involving the first four. But they are still looking for other similarities. They apparently have some, but they're really keeping a tight lid on various details of the investigation.
FEYERICK: All right. Susan Candiotti for out there on Long Island. Thank you so much.
You don't want to miss the CNN special on the suspected long island serial killer. It includes a much closer look at the time line of the deaths, and what leads the police are following. Including the fact these women advertised on Craig's List. It airs tonight, 7:00 pm Eastern, right here on CNN.
And what works for a guy may not work for a girl. Why your workout should be tailored to your gender. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, weights for him, yoga for her. There are important differences between men and women that affect personal fitness levels, injury, and the ability to burn calories to maintain weight.
Doctor Bill Lloyd joins us from Dallas for today's "Healthy Living" report.
Doctor Bill, why gender? How does it influence a person's fitness regimen whether they're a girl or boy, man or woman.
DR. BILL LLOYD, SURGEON: There are five important differences between men and women that influence the quality of their exercise and their risk for injury. Let's break them down. From head to toe the anatomy is different from men to women. And speaking of the foot, a woman's heel is slightly narrower than a man's. Her forefoot is slightly wider. And yet shoe manufacturers make them all the same. They just make the women's shoes a little smaller. This can cause biomechanical problems that will interfere with the knees and the hips over time.
Men have testosterone, which will build muscle and burn fat. But the female sex hormone, estrogen, will build muscle, but will not burn fat. There are other important changes in the metabolisms of people who exercise as well. People who exercise, particularly women, have to be careful of the diet they eat when they're exercising. If they deprive themselves of red meat, for iron, or certain fruits and vegetables for vitamin D, they could get into trouble with weakened bones.
FEYERICK: Well, OK, so women don't earn as much as men, and now you tell me we don't even burn as many calories as men. Totally unfair. But you say women are more prone to sports-related injuries. Give us an example, why are women more vulnerable?
LLOYD: Whenever you hear about an injury like an ACL, anterior curiae ligament tear, you think about a men at a football game getting banged in his knee by a helmet. But the he truth is, Deb, women suffer far more ACL injuries. Their ligament is more lax than men. We think estrogen has a lot to do with it. But they don't get it from contact sports. They get it from doing things like cheerleading or jogging or yoga. So women who exercise have to spend a few extra minutes stretching to protect those valuable ligaments.
FEYERICK: And for men and women, for example, as I mentioned, dieting, is it enough if you're looking just to shed a few pounds, or is exercise crucial?
LLOYD: You always have to blend exercise with diet if you want to lose weight over the long run. Now, when a guy wants to lose 10 pounds, he just switches to light beer. But if a woman wants to lose 10 pound, she has to combine diet and exercise. If you got with diet only, you will not enjoy a total fitness workout. Exercise will burn fat, but dieting won't burn fat.
Also, your metabolism changes when you are on a diet. And for many women the appetite actually gets worse when they are trying to diet. So they're not going to burn the fat, they're not going to loose the weight. They are not going to enjoy the long-term benefits of whatever weight loss that they accomplish. And again, dieting alters the nutrition. If they are not careful about what they eat while they're trying to loose weight, they could end up behind.
FEYERICK: So, does metabolism actually slow the less you eat? Is that what you're suggesting?
LLOYD: Well, I would say it's important you combine the exercise with the diet. You have a balanced nutrition while dieting, reducing the total number of calories. But ensuring that you include a proper balance of carbohydrates, fats, right? And protein and combing it with 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise to get the best results. The greatest long-term weight gain, and improved overall fitness.
FEYERICK: And there's new information that exercise can actually lower a woman's risk for developing cancer. And men, what about them?
LLOYD: We know it is true for women because there is a large study that went for 16 years. They followed women and the amount of exercise they did, for 16 years. And they found out that women who exercise at least five hours a week, had a tremendous drop in their risk for serious breast cancer. Now, you say, where are the studies for men? They don't exist, but I have to tell you, if you exercise regularly, you're going to enjoy improved digestion and you are going to enjoy a better balance of your body's hormones. Both of these factors, we know, are linked to cancer formation. So, by everyone staying fit, men and women, you can reduce your overall chance of cancer.
FEYERICK: Do you have to go outdoors or work out in a gym? Or do these interactive video games, like PlayStation and Wii, do those count? Are those as good?
LLOYD: They are just as good. I have two words for you, Deb, Step and Hula. The step and hula games are in the medical literature. You will burn as much calories as fast as if you were walking three and a half miles an hour, outdoors. Except there is no wear and tear, you can do it 24/7 and have a lot of fun with your friends. So, get into those interactive video games and think about Step and Hula.
FEYERICK: All right. Doctor Bill Lloyd, thank you so much. No excuse not to go into your living room and exercise. Thank you so much.
LLOYD: We'll talk again soon.
FEYERICK: Absolutely.
Well, moving on. Fake press releases, Bogus video, American businesses, they're getting punked. That's right, getting punked. We will have that for you, coming up on the other side.
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FEYERICK: Well time for a "CNN Equals Politics" update. We're keeping an eye on all the latest headlines at the CNNPolitics.com desk. Here is what is crossing right now.
Well, Donald Trump, candidate or not? We still don't know for sure. He spoke to a crowd in Florida, the Tea Party there to greet him. It was his first appearance at a campaign like political event. At a Tea Party rally in Madison, Wisconsin, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin challenged the Republican Party to quote, "fight like a girl," unquoted. She was taking the GOP to task over the budget cut promises. And drew applause from the national champion University of Wisconsin women's hockey team.
And look who is about to make her TV comedy debut. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She'll play the old flame of Alec Baldwin's character on an upcoming episode of "30 Rock."
For the latest political news, you know where to go, CNNPolitics.com.
Many of you are working on your federal income taxes this weekend, those of you who waited for the last minute trying to meet Monday's deadline. Some people are criticizing American corporations, saying they don't pay their fair share. CNN's Lisa Sylvester reports.
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LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It has the look of an official corporate release. The logo at the top, the almost perfect looking Web site URL, and a top heading, GE promising to donate a $3.2 billion tax refund to help offset cuts and save American jobs. Only thing, it's completely phony. GE did not receive a tax refund from the IRS and didn't donate billions back to the government. The Associate Press wrote an article based on the phony release that was picked by several Web sites before it was retracted. The AP admits they did not follow its own standards. The guys behind the prank? They call themselves, US Uncut. Activist Andrew Boyd and Justin Wedis (ph), who worked with the grassroots group, the Yes Men. In this case, to shine a spotlight on GE for not paying any U.S. taxes for 2010, despite making $14 billion. $5 billion of that in the United States.
ANDREW BOYD, THEYESMEN.ORG: I pay my taxes, why doesn't GE? That's where the impulse came to do this prank. It doesn't just come from us. We, you know, every man on the street feels this sort of, in their gut, that there's something very wrong here.
SYLVESTER: In a statement, GE didn't respond specifically to the hoax, but said, quote, "The main reason the tax rate was so low in 2010 was that we lost billions of dollars in GE Capital, our financial arm, as a result of the global financial crisis."
This isn't the first time, though, that TheYesMen have targeted corporate America. In 2009, they spoofed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, holding a phony news conference at the National Press Club on climate change.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This guy is a fraud, he's lying.
SYLVESTER: They also targeted Chevron, altering the company's we agree ad campaign to read "Oil Companies Should Clean Up Their Messes. We Agree."
BOYD: We call this creative activism. We call this giving a voice to what should be the corporate mantra, which should be the corporate voice.
GE quickly corrected the record, but once a hoax is out there on the Internet, it could be hard to rein in.
BABAK ZAFARNIA, PRAECERE PUBLIC RELATIONS: A lot of times the aim of this type of hoax press release, or any other tactic like that, is to get it to spread like wildfire and very quickly. Because you really only have a short window of time and opportunity to get your message out, if your intent is to rattle your target, so to speak.
SYLVESTER: This trend of activism, embarrassing public figures and companies is growing. In the case of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber fired back, filing a lawsuit against TheYesMen, for copyright and trademark infringement. Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington.
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FEYERICK: A mission to close the achievement gap between blacks and whites. After the break, how one Tennessee school is leveling the playing field.
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FEYERICK: Well, erasing achievements gaps between blacks and whites while raising the bar on education standards. CNN's Soledad O'Brien takes us to a Tennessee school where hands-on learning is making the difference.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -Matter decompose or change over time.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): These ninth and tenth graders are learning about forensics at the Academy of Science and Engineering, which is inside Nashville's Stratford High School.
(On camera): So, the goal is to mimic what a medical examiner might do?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
O'BRIEN: With the dead bodies, and things?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So we use chickens and things.
O'BRIEN (voice over): Last year, 75 percent of students here at this mostly African-American school tested below grade level.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's unacceptable. And we need to fix that. The academic rigor has to be raised.
O'BRIEN: Across Tennessee, only 6 percent of African-American students are considered proficient in science. For white students that number is still low, 36 percent. The achievement gap across Tennessee reflects a nationwide trend. In state after state, students of color are lagging behind.
PHIL BREDESEN, FMR. TENNESSEE GOVERNOR: One of the failings of public education has been how wide these 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, in 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 UNIV. CTR. 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 is actually polluted, and with what. And 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 50-minute lab.
O'BRIEN: They're doing this with their share of the $50 million awarded to the state from President Obama's Race To The Top initiative.
The goal, better prepare students for the high tech jobs of tomorrow.
BREDESEN: Just listen to these kids. They're engaged with this. They are interested in it. That's the way you close the gap. You can do it a classroom at a time.
VIRGINIA SHEPHERD, VANDERBILT UNIV. CTR. FOR SCIENCE OUTREACH: I think innovative programs will allow students to learn in ways that they are 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.
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FEYERICK: And Soledad O'Brien is going to be examining our public schools in a special report, "Don't Fail Me: Education in America" that airs May 15th, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Right now, some 30 million adults in the United States can't read well enough to get through the newspaper or even fill out a job application. One man is on a mission to change that. He did not learn how to read until he was 35, and he had an unlikely tutor -- his son. CNN's Education Contributor Steve Perry sat down with him.
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JOHN ZICKEFOOSE, LEARNED TO READ AT 35: David's mom always said, "No, David." (LAUGHTER)
John Zickefoose is known as Mr. Z. His mission -- to get kids excited about reading.
ZICKEFOOSE: I'm having probably more fun than all of you. There's a special reason for that. Mr. Z didn't learn to read and write until I was 35 years old. Yeah.
STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: How did you get out of high school not knowing how to read?
ZICKEFOOSE: Ah, yeah. Obviously, that still hurts. I will say I was a master at deception.
PERRY: As a young boy, Zickefoose was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD.
ZICKEFOOSE: I'm not trying to jab at the education system. Today, we're so much better equipped in dealing with the learning disabilities.
PERRY: He managed to keep his illiteracy a secret from everyone.
ZICKEFOOSE: Including my wife. She didn't even have any idea. Until our son busted me. Sitting with both my boys, Sean (ph) and Adam, reading simple children's books, my son Sean would actually fix the words that I got wrong. And say, no, Dad, that's not what it says.
PERRY: Then Zickefoose had back surgery, which made returning to his restoration job impossible.
ZICKEFOOSE: At that same time, my wife saw an article for the literacy program here at the library and called them. They said, come in. It wasn't easy.
PERRY: Not only did Zickefoose learn to read and write. He's now the outreach coordinator for the library.
ZICKEFOOSE: I know in my heart of hearts that when I do that and share my story, there's a child out there who is going through the exact same thing that I went through, that says, wow, if Mr. Z can do it, maybe I shouldn't give up on myself.
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FEYERICK: And that's it for me. I'm Deborah Feyerick. Don Lemon is up next. Stay with us.
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