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FAA Rules to Halt Naps on the Job; Interview With Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood; Sex Workers Break Silence; Summer Job Line-Up; Breakdown of Who Pays Taxes in the U.S.
Aired April 18, 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.
It is Tax Day. I want to get you up to speed on Monday, April 18th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From your house to the corner. Yes, there goes the roof of the house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Face to face with a tornado. A dozen FEMA teams will hit the ground in North Carolina today to help thousands of people start over. The state took the hardest hit in a three-day tornado rampage that stretched from Oklahoma to Virginia. Forty-five deaths, almost half in North Carolina.
North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue is getting a look at storm damage in Bertie County. That is happening this hour. Half of the deaths in North Carolina happened in the small rural county. Two of those killed, Roy and Barbara Lafferty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM LAFFERTY, IN-LAWS DIED IN STORM: We were at home in Conway, and we saw it on the news. So we started trying to call them, and couldn't get them. And we sent a friend that lives close by up here to check on things, and he called us back and told us he thought we need to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: In an odd twist, the Laffertys' cat Oreo escaped the tornado with barely a scratch.
The tornado outbreak started Thursday in Oklahoma, where two people died. Twisters then moved east, killing seven people in Arkansas and Alabama; one person in Mississippi; 22 in North Carolina; and six in Virginia. Weather experts say the tornado outbreak is among the worst the nation has had in two decades, 230 reported tornado sightings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They told us to take cover, and I went in the bathroom here and shut the door. And the roof falls on my head, and so I stayed there until it was over. And I don't have anything left.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: FAA chief Randy Babbitt begins visiting air traffic control centers around the country today. His first stop, here in Atlanta. He is discussing schedule changes, a minimum of nine hours between shifts, no unscheduled midnight shifts after a day off.
Now, these new rules come after seven controllers fell asleep in their towers this year. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is furious.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAY LAHOOD, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: The bottom line for me is this -- controllers need to take personal responsibility for the very important job that they have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: I'm going to talk with Secretary LaHood live in just a few minutes.
Well, stocks are diving sharply this morning. The Dow is down now more than 200 points. You're looking at 220 at this moment.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
MALVEAUX: Detectives are now waiting for test results on bones found in the water off of Oak Beach, Long Island. That is where police believe a serial killer has left the remains of at least eight people in that area.
An FBI Black Hawk helicopter joins the search. That is happening this week. It will guide searchers through thick brush, as well as swampy areas.
In northern Idaho, rescue workers are furiously digging inside the Lucky Friday mine today for a missing worker. The roof collapsed more than a mile underground Friday night, trapping the miner. Rescuers do not know his condition at this time.
Crews are working today to restore electricity to the Surry nuclear power plant station. That is in southeastern Virginia. A tornado cut power to the plant Saturday evening.
Now, Dominion Power says that the two nuclear reactors shut down as designed and a backup diesel generator kicked in immediately to cool the nuclear fuel. That is good news.
Gas prices heading for a record now. Six states and Washington, D.C., already feeling the pain. We are talking about $4, more than $4 a gallon. That number is expected to rise.
Which brings us to today's "Talk Back" question.
Carol, how much does it cost to fill your tank now? What would you say?
COSTELLO: I haven't driven my car for some time, but I think about 40 bucks. And I have a little tiny RAV4.
MALVEAUX: Mine's about $50. More than 50 bucks now.
COSTELLO: I know. It hurts, doesn't it?
MALVEAUX: It's like, where does it end?
COSTELLO: So, why doesn't anyone have some idea to bring the price of a gallon of gas down besides, like, inflate your tires? That's what we're talking about today.
MALVEAUX: Yes, we heard that last week.
COSTELLO: Ooh, that's a great idea.
Deficit, deficit, deficit. Have you heard enough about the deficit lately?
We all know curbing the deficit is critical to helping our economy in the long term, but what about what's affecting our pocketbooks, like, right now. Sky-high gas prices, $3.83 a gallon on average, says AAA, although some economists worry gas price wills slow down a fragile economic economy.
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner doesn't seem too concerned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIMOTHY GEITHNER, TREASURY SECRETARY: At this level there's a measurable impact on the economy. But it's an impact we can withstand, we can absorb, because the economy itself is still gradually getting stronger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That's why President Obama is reluctant to dip into the Strategic Oil Reserve. So, what is the answer? No one seems to have any ideas, you know, like they did back in the day, during the 2008 presidential campaign, when gas was at an all-time high.
You had a few ideas out there. Not great ones, like a gas tax holiday, tire gauges, and "Drill, baby, drill." John McCain even said we should build more nuclear power plants for energy independence. But that was before Japan.
Now, instead of ideas on how to lower energy prices, all we're getting is a lot of explanations. Oh, except for possibly from Donald Trump, who had this to say about attacking Libya during his interview with Suzanne --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, ENTREPRENEUR: We get no oil from Libya, so what are we doing there when it doesn't really pertain to us? It pertains to China. But my doctrine on Libya would be very simple. Unless we get the oil, I have no interest in Libya.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That's right. Go take the oil. Hey, at least it's an idea, right?
"Talk Back" today: Why isn't anyone doing anything about gas prices?
Write to me at Facebook.com/CarolCNN, and I'll read your answers later on in the hour.
MALVEAUX: We're going to find out if there's anything that can be done. We'll talk with Secretary LaHood in just the next segment, see if he's got any bright ideas.
COSTELLO: I'll be listening. And I'll take it all back if he comes up with a fabulous idea.
MALVEAUX: OK. Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Here's what's ahead "On the Rundown."
New rules now in place to stop air traffic controllers from napping on the job. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, he's joining us to lay out what those new rules are.
Plus, after three days of ferocious tornadoes, the South takes stock of the death and destruction.
And thinking about working this summer? Well, you've got to get a head start now.
Plus, after deductions, about half of all American households pay no federal income taxes. That and other facts you never knew about Tax Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People need to know that these people that we're talking about, you know, sex workers, are wives and husbands. They're mothers and fathers. They're children. They're sisters and brothers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: A killer on the loose in New York forcing women who feel they could be targets now to break their silence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: New rules are now in place to keep air traffic controllers from sleeping on the job. The changes come after a series of incidents involving controllers who were just napping.
Our Sandra Endo has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When planes come in for a landing, the communication shouldn't be like this of a pilot trying to get in touch with an air traffic controller.
TRACON: They're not answering the phone line either.
PILOT: We're going to need to land.
TRACON: Landing will be at your own risk.
ENDO: But it reportedly happened at least seven times at airports across the country since the start of the year because of controllers falling asleep on the job. But now, the FAA and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood are making immediate changes to the schedules for controllers.
RAY LAHOOD, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: We will not allow controllers to sleep on the job. We simply will not.
ENDO: Under the new guidelines, controllers will now have a minimum of nine hours off between shifts instead of eight. They'll no longer be able to swap shifts unless they get nine hours off in between. Controllers will not be able to work an unscheduled midnight shift following a day off, and there will be more FAA managers covering the early morning and late night hours.
The problem of fatigue has been around for years. Back in 2007, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended the schedules of air traffic controllers be revised to address the issue. Which begs the question, why wasn't more done sooner?
LAHOOD: I was not the secretary in 2007. I'm the secretary today. As soon as I learned about this, these controllers were suspended.
ENDO: Congress holds the purse strings for funding the FAA and a key lawmaker says the issue is not the number of controllers employed, but how they're used.
REP. JOHN MICA (R), FLORIDA: Air traffic controllers, who make on average $163,000 apiece, are professionals, but even the best professionals need some recurrent training and with the changes in technology and procedures and we think it's important that we revisit that.
ENDO (on camera): What do you say to the flying public? Should they have confidence in this system?
LAHOOD: Absolutely. I believe that the airline industry in America is the safest in the world, but we can do better, and we will do better.
ENDO: FAA officials and the Air Traffic Controllers Union are starting a nationwide tour in Atlanta to talk to controllers to hear their concerns, but to also hammer home the issue of safety.
Sandra Endo, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Let's get man from the man in charge, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who joins us live from Washington.
And the message is a good one -- we can do better. A lot of people want to see everyone, all officials, do better on this front. We have seen so far -- this year we are counting seven sleeping air traffic controllers alone this year.
I mean, what do we think? Is this a serious problem? Are we just finding out about it? Or how big a concern is this?
LAHOOD: Well, it's a big concern. It's a very big concern, and that's the reason we've been working 24/7 to correct some very bad behavior on the part of controllers who were sleeping on the job.
They've been suspended. We're doing investigations. We've implemented new work rules, new hours, new hours for managers. We've put two controllers in 27 air traffic control towers.
We haven't been sitting around crying in our coffee. We've stepped up. We've worked all weekend. We've been working 24/7.
We will do better. We should do better. The flying public expects to have safety in the air control towers, and I want to make sure that happens.
MALVEAUX: Mr. Secretary, I know that one of these rules is it extends the rest period. It used to be an eight-hour rest period. Now it's a nine-hour rest period.
How much of a difference do we think this is really going to make?
LAHOOD: Well, we got that recommendation really from a fatigue study that we just are releasing, and that study says that pilots should actually have nine hours, and we thought the controllers should, too. But look, if that's not enough hours -- and that's really one of the reasons that the administrator and the president of the controllers union are traveling the country starting in your bailiwick today, in Atlanta, talking to controllers about workplace rules, about more rest.
And if it needs to be more, then obviously we'll take that into consideration. We think nine hours is probably the right amount of rest, but if it's not, we'll do better.
MALVEAUX: How do you actually hold those air traffic controllers accountable? I mean, let's say they have a nine-hour rest period, but they're not sleeping, they're not resting. I mean, how do you actually change people's behavior?
LAHOOD: By telling them they have to take personal responsibility for the idea that when they're supposed to rest, that means sleeping, that means resting, that doesn't mean doing other extracurricular activities. They need to take personal responsibility for the idea that they have the lives of thousands of people in the job that they do every day. And so they need to be well-rested and well-trained, and they need to just say they're going to do this.
MALVEAUX: So far, these guys have been suspended. They've been suspended. Were they let go? Would you fire people who just don't seem to be able to do their jobs?
LAHOOD: Look, when the investigations are complete, we will announce the results of those investigations. But I want everybody to understand, including controllers, that we're going to make sure that controllers are well-trained, well-rested, and the workplace opportunities are an environment where people can do their job and make sure that safety is the number one priority. And so when we finish the investigations, we will announce the results of what happened.
MALVEAUX: And one of the new rules that you have in place is that there are two air traffic controllers that must be in place, like, at Reagan National and other major airports. I believe it applies now to around 27 airports or so. But there are more than 400 in the country.
If it's that serious, I mean, should there not be a requirement that says two air traffic controllers in a lot more airports?
LAHOOD: Well, we have air traffic controllers in the numbers that we need them now. The additional air traffic controllers in those 27 facilities I think really meets the standard for safety that we think is important.
In big airports, you know, there are multiple controllers day in and day out, night and day. In these that we added to the 27, those are airports where we thought two controllers were needed rather than one.
MALVEAUX: So, Mr. Secretary, what kind of car do you drive? How much does it cost to fill your tank these days?
LAHOOD: Yes. Back home in Peoria, I have a Ford Escape hybrid which gets very good gas mileage because it's part battery-powered and part combustion.
I just bought a car here in Washington. I got rid of a 1997 Buick Regal, which was a gas-guzzler. And I just got a Chevy Malibu, which gets great gas mileage, I'm happy to say, almost 30 miles to the gallon.
But look, even 30 miles to the gallon, when I filled up this weekend, it was about $45. That's real money.
MALVEAUX: We're feeling it. LAHOOD: And look, I know. I drive my car. I know that the second most expensive item in family budgets is the cost of filling a gas -- a tank up.
MALVEAUX: So what do we do?
LAHOOD: This is a bad situation.
MALVEAUX: You're secretary of Transportation. What do we do?
LAHOOD: Well, first of all, we acknowledge there's a big problem. We hope that when the unrest is settled in the Middle East, that, you know, a barrel of oil will start going down. But the president has laid out a good, bold plan.
I was at Georgetown University when he laid it out. The president has a vision.
We're going to do our part to work with auto manufacturers to manufacture cars that get better gas mileage, that use more battery power. We're going to encourage people to buy cars that get better gas mileage. But we know that people are still driving cars that use a lot of gasoline, and we know this is a big, big serious problem for family budgets. And we're going to stay on it and take a multifaceted approach to it.
MALVEAUX: All right. Mr. Secretary, thank you so much.
Ray LaHood, appreciate your time. Thank you.
LAHOOD: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: Coming up in our next hour, there is a scary story out of India. The pilot flying the plane may be a fake. How would you like to be one of those passengers?
Plus, with a possible serial killer targeting prostitutes in New York, hear from sex workers, what they are doing to protect each other.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Authorities are waiting for test results from bones found in the water on a New York beach. They're looking for more clues in the hunt for a serial killer.
Our national correspondent Susan Candiotti joins us from New York.
And Susan, what is the latest on the search now? Are we getting any closer to finding this killer?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's hard to tell. Only investigators will know that. If they are, they're not telling us.
But we can tell you that this morning, at this hour, the FBI has put up a helicopter. It's a Black Hawk. And it is doing an aerial of the area where they have been -- had been finding bodies and have been searching for clues.
This Black Hawk is carrying super-sensitive and, I might add, super- secret equipment that is being used to take high-tech imagery, if you will, of some of these areas. The helicopter, of course, has the ability to get down pretty low if they want to concentrate on certain areas.
They will take this information, and they will provide it to the local authorities who are conducting the main part of this investigation to see whether it would allow them or prompt them to do more digging in certain areas, in the water or on the land. And while this helicopter is up, we might add, they even have to close off a stretch of highway because they want to keep movement at a minimum, apparently not to interfere with the type of equipment that they're using and technology that they're using.
In the meantime, this ongoing investigation is rattling a lot of nerves, including women, sex workers, especially prostitutes who work on Long Island. Now, they've always done things to try to protect themselves and make sure the clients aren't trying to hurt them, but now organizations who represent these women are speaking out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Stacey Swim (ph) is not embarrassed to say what she does for a living --
STACEY SWIM (ph), SEX WORKER: I'm a sex worker.
CANDIOTTI: -- an independent escort for seven years, a dangerous job for at least four women whose bodies were unceremoniously dumped in tangled scrub brush along a Long Island seaside highway, possibly at the hands of a serial killer.
(on camera): Why are you speaking publicly and on camera and not in silhouette about this?
SWIM: I can't be silent anymore.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Swim also is an activist with SWOP, Sex Workers Outreach Project. It believes decriminalizing prostitution will make the job safer.
SWIM: This is exactly why predators target us and try to abuse us, because they know that we can't trust the police for help.
CANDIOTTI: Police officials say they treat crimes against prostitutes like they would for any other victim. But the mother of victim Melissa Barthelemy says valuable time was lost getting New York City police to start looking for her daughter once they learned she was a prostitute. She had to hire an attorney to get things moving.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Something needs to be done about that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People need to know that these people that we're talking about, you know, sex workers, are wives and husbands. They're mothers and fathers. They're children. They're sisters and brothers.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): I spoke with prostitutes who work on Long Island and advertise on the Internet. All declined to go on camera, but each told me they're now taking more precautions like bringing a friend along to watch out for them. One woman said she's now carrying a gun. As to the danger, another said it's part of the job.
Why then take the risk, especially now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sex work is often the best option for people engaged in the profession. And then, at the end of the day, there's people who love what they do and who really are in sex work because they enjoy their work.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Until investigators make an arrest, activists are asking for amnesty so prostitutes feel more comfortable bringing tips to police without fear of arrest in hopes that one might lead to a killer.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: Now, one thing we're waiting to see is the identities of the remains of the other four victims that have been found out in that area. If it turns out that these are women, and that they were employed as prostitutes, well, that might provide more linkage, of course, to this investigation -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks for the very latest. Susan Candiotti, appreciate it.
Well, signs unique to our times. We have three different stories about the world that we live in. And only one can air in the next hour. So we want you to pick the one that you would like to see by texting 22360.
First, maternity tourism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These people who have money aren't waiting in line, are they?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, they are not waiting in line. However, they did not violate any law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Pregnant women from foreign countries paying lots of money to travel to the United States. The reason? To give birth to American citizens.
Second choice, from scribble to symbol, the story of how a doodle on a paper place mat led to the building of Seattle's Space Needle. That landmark is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
And third choice, hip-hop explosion in Libya. Before the uprising, these artists say Moammar Gadhafi would have shot them. Now they feel free to rap against the regime.
Vote by texting 22360. Text 1 for "Maternity Tourism"; 2 for "Space Needle Turns 50"; or 3 for "Libya Hip-Hop." The winning story airs next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here's what we have ahead on the Rundown. Two hundred thirty tornado sightings reported in just three days. Now eight states are picking up the pieces and some counting the dead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The windows broke out. The roof went. The walls went. There's nothing left.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Twenty-two dead and a path of destruction across North Carolina. We've got a live report coming up.
Plus, without an extension it is game over for last-minute tax filers. But how much do you really know about tax day?
And from Oklahoma to Virginia, people are taking stock after three days of terrifying and deadly storms. One driver found himself with nowhere to go as a tornado came right at him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF STEVE HOAG: From your house to the corner -- yes. There goes the roof of the house. Yes. Ann (ph) I love you. I'm OK. I love you. But I'm OK. Yes. I'm OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: At least 45 people were killed in six states, almost half of them in North Carolina. About 230 tornado sightings were reported. We don't know exactly how many touched down because some of those reports may have involved the same twister. But the damage stretches across eight states.
Virginia's governor has declared now a state of emergency. At least six people died there. Two of the victims were caught in a flash flood. Entire neighborhoods in Norfolk and Gloucester are flattened. Hundreds of thousands of people are now without power.
(VIDEO CLIP)
Just one of the many transformers that exploded during ferocious storms. The devastation stretches from the plains to the Atlantic, and homes were just swept off their foundations. Century-old trees just uprooted. Power poles snapped in half. The twisters were the deadliest in North Carolina. Bertie County took a direct hit. A tornado was on the ground for about nine miles. Eleven people were killed. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZEE LAMB, BERTIE COUNTY, N.C. MANAGER: As you said, it's sparsely populated county. We're 700 square miles, 21,000 people. Very, very rural county. So if it had hit a more populated area, I would suspect that there would have been more deaths. But 11 deaths are a whole lot of deaths. I don't want to minimize that. We've never seen anything like this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Our David Mattingly, he's in the small town of Colerain.
And David, when you see what the people have been through, I mean, just unbelievable heartbreak when you see this.
I mean, where do you even begin?
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There's nothing left to do now but pick up what pieces there might be. And that's what we're talking about today -- just pieces. Anyone who was caught in the path of this storm saw their belongings, their homes, everything just destroyed or badly, badly damaged like this house.
This is one of the few that was directly in the path of the tornado that remains standing. But you see what happened to it. The roof on this side is collapsed. The roof on the back is actually blown off. And all the belongings that were in the attic were damaged and blown away. The trees here in the front yard have been uprooted. Every single bit of foliage on these trees was just ripped right off of the branches, just to give you an idea, again, of the power of the storm that we're dealing with.
Now, the couple that lives in this house is OK. I'll tell you about their story in a moment. But the people living just over here next door aren't quite so fortunate. What happened, there are two houses over here. They were both shattered, immediately wiped off of their foundations. Three people from those two homes are among the people who were killed in this storm.
But as far as the couple here goes, the husband tells me that his wife became ill. So he took her to the emergency room before the storm. That's where they were when the tornado was hitting their house. So just by the luck of her getting sick, they were able to be in a safe place because if they had been here, they would have been sitting right there in that front room, probably on that couch, watching TV when the storm came in, and there would have been no place to find safety here.
And that's a story we're hearing all over this county. They're very close to sea level here. There's a very high water table. So no one has any below-ground structures, no basements, no storm cellars where they could have sought safety. They were above ground. Every single person caught in the path of this tornado taking their chances and hoping for the best, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, David.
Really, I mean, quite extraordinary when you look at that.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MALVEAUX: Well, it's practically a Tea Party fight song. Cut taxes. The last day to file returns. The movement's getting fired up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Remember to vote for the story you'd like to see in the next hour. Vote by texting 22360.
Text one for maternity tourism. How foreign moms-to-be are flying to the United States to give birth to American citizens.
Text two for how a doodle forever changed Seattle's skyline. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Space Needle.
And text three for hip-hop explosion in Libya.
The winning story will air in the next hour.
It's tax day. It's got a lot of people fired up, but especially the Tea Party. Paul Steinhauser part of the Best Political Team on Television live from the political desk in Washington.
Hey, Paul, what's crossing? A lot of folks kind of fired up about taxes today.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: They certainly are, Suzanne. Tea Party activists, of course that's one of their mantras, that federal taxes are too high in this country. And they've been holding rallies since Friday, the traditional tax deadline day, right through today.
And Suzanne, really I think it's pretty fair to say that the Tea Party movement has a lot of the energy right now, enthusiasm on the right. And of course they were big players last year in the Republican primaries and the midterms, and undeniably they'll be players in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination.
So if you're thinking about running for president on the Republican side, where else would you rather be? That's where Michele Bachmann's going to be today, at a Tea Party rally in South Carolina. She was there over the weekend at other rallies there, as well.
And she's not the only possible Republican presidential candidate doing this. Donald Trump at a rally in Florida over the weekend, a Tea Party rally. Even Sarah Palin getting into the act at a Tea Party rally in Wisconsin. So I think you're going to see more of this, Republican presidential candidates and possible candidates reaching out to the Tea Party, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And President Obama when you're talking about campaigning, it is all about location, location, location. Tell us what he's up to.
STEINHAUSER: You know this for sure. You covered the White House for many, many years. You know this White House and the previous ones, they don't do anything by accident.
So let's look today at where the president -- he's giving interviews with local TV anchors and look at where they're from. One is from Indianapolis, Indiana. That's a battleground state. Another one from Denver, Colorado, another battleground state. Let's throw in Raleigh, North Carolina; another battleground state. The fourth one is from Texas; not a battleground state but they think they can do well there with the explosion of Hispanic voters in that state.
But Suzanne, I guess it's part of this pitch of the president reaching out to very important states, battleground states he needs to win if he wants to win reelection next year. He's doing the same thing with those town halls. He's got a town hall in Nevada this week, another one in northern Virginia; also battleground states -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. No accident.
OK, Paul, thank you. Good to see you.
For the latest political news you know where to go, CNNpolitics.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Summer jobs are not just for college student anymore. The CNN Money Team's, Stephanie Elam, she is here with the top tips.
And Stephanie, I guess more people are applying for summer jobs, not just students, yes?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes. There's a lot of people who are out of work. So they're looking for options, Suzanne.
And Jennifer Grasz at Career Builder says apply now because many employers have already started their recruiting for summer help. And with unemployment still high, it's at 8.8 percent, and 13.5 million folks currently unemployed, remember that a summer job actually could just help you get your foot in the door. So it's important.
More than half of companies consider summer hires for permanent jobs when the season ends, Grasz told us. And be it a job or an internship, Brad Karsh, who's the president of Job Bound, says think of it as a three-month interview for full-time work and consider it an investment in your future.
So don't worry so much about the pay, about the title, or the location. Grasz says stay positive, keep your conversations upbeat, and don't focus on negatives like how long you've been unemployed or the rough job market. Karsh also pointing out, too, saying it always looks better to future long-term employers that no matter what that you were working rather than doing nothing at all -- Suzanne. MALVEAUX: Great advice.
Besides scouring the newspapers, the online job sites, where else should you look?
ELAM: Yes. Of course. You know, we all know about careerbuilder.com, CraigsList and Monster.com. But, you can also look at sites that are for specific industries.
So think of places like workinretail.com. There's jobnotthemenu.com for restaurant jobs. And careerrookie.com for internships, part-time and entry-level jobs. All three of those are actually run by Career Builder, but you can get targeted information for what you're looking for.
Also the Department of Labor is teaming up with businesses to create and fill 100,000 summer jobs for those in the ages between 16 and 24. So we're talking about the young folks.
So far UPS has already committed to hiring 1,500 folks in 35 states.
And the USDA -- forest service -- the forest service will add 15,000 jobs.
And the city of Boston hopes to fill 5,000-plus positions this summer.
So that's a lot that we're looking here. So you can always go and check that out and there's the link on the site there, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: That's good news. And Steph, once we -- I guess once you get a summer job, how do you make it permanent? I want you to answer that question after we take a quick break.
We'll come right back to you.
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MALVEAUX: We're back with Stephanie Elam's talking about summer jobs.
And Steph, if you want to turn that part-time job into a full-time one, what's the strategy?
ELAM: Well, according to Career Builder, if that's what you are trying to do, first let your manager know up front you're interesting in being considered for a permanent job. They need to know that as for more responsibilities. And offer to help with other projects. And then on top of that, come up with ideas for future projects to show you are already thinking long-term.
And finally, network with other departments so if somebody opens up in another division, maybe they'll think of you and already know you'll be perfect for the post. But the main thing, Suzanne, is don't keep is a secret that you really want the job. Make sure the people in charge of making that decision really know that you want to be there.
MALVEAUX: Let them know. OK. Don't be shy about it. ELAM: Yes. They're not psychic.
MALVEAUX: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: Thanks, Steph. Appreciate it.
Gas prices are up 27 straight days, if you can believe that. I think we all can. When the summer travel season kicks in it is even going to go potentially higher. That brings us to the Talk Back question.
Carol, a lot of people weighing in on this. I mean, almost everybody is affected. If you don't have a car, you don't have you a car, how much you spend your money, how much you can save.
COSTELLO: Yes. And the obvious question of our political leaders is why isn't anything concrete being done to combat these high gas prices?
In fact, the Talk Back question, "Why isn't anyone doing anything about gas prices?"
This from Steve. "It has everything to do with who is getting political contributions from big oil. Unfortunately it's the one passive tax that's now hurting our economy."
This from Trace. "Why isn't Obama allowing drilling for our own oil? The climbing gas price problem begins with him."
This from Christopher. "When has anyone ever done anything about high gas prices in America except tap into oil reserves? It's all a controlled process and nothing really lasting is ever done to control or stabilize gas prices. The obvious solution -- less dependency on fuel."
And this from Kossi. "Simply because there's not much to do. This has become an acceptable norm every summer. Many now expect to pay a bit more each summer because we are powerless."
Keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolCNN. Facebook.com/carolCNN.
And I'll be back with you in 15 minutes.
MALVEAUX: Did you hear what the Secretary of Transportation LaHood said?
COSTELLO: What? With his multi-faceted approach, whatever that is?
MALVEAUX: Well, he said he turned in his clunker, his gas guzzler, and now he has something that's more efficient.
COSTELLO: Did he say we have to inflate our tires?
MALVEAUX: He didn't say that, but perhaps we should be looking at vehicles that get better gas mileage.
COSTELLO: That's true. A lot of the blame lies with us. I understand that.
MALVEAUX: There are things we can do. Imagine the Secretary of Transportation would be doing those --
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Yes, but we want to know what they can do, not what we can do. We know -- what they can do for us. That's what we want to know.
MALVEAUX: Exactly.
COSTELLO: We put them there. We hired them. They should do something for us.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Carol.
Well, it is causing a raging debate on Capitol Hill and at kitchen tables across the country, but what does the average American really pay in federal income tax? And how much are they actually getting back? We've got those hard numbers.
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MALVEAUX: So while you're you're scrambling to get your tax forms in, the IRS is sending out refunds. The agency has already paid almost 81 million taxpayers a total of $234 billion with the average taxpayer is receiving a refund of $2,895. That's not bad.
But not everybody's is getting a refund, first of all, and a lot of folks still feel they're being taxed too much. So just how much is the average American paying these days and how does it stack up with what we've seen in the past?
Well, Carl Azuz is going beyond the headlines to explain all of that.
And what do we actually see?
CARL AZUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're seeing a lot of different things right now. I mean, when you look at how taxes have been historically, there was a time, it was 1913, when Americans paid one percent. 1913 is when the 16th Amendment was ratified which gave Congress the ability to lay and collect income taxes. So not too many folks around here what some would term the good old days.
But when we look now today, Suzanne, I want to look at something called the tax burden. And this gives us a good sort of benchmark to compare what we're paying now to what we paid in decades past.
The tax burden -- I want to define really quickly -- this is a combination of your federal, local and state taxes on your income. So it's not just federal income taxes. You see in 2010 our tax burden, 26.9 percent. But go back 10 years. Look at 2000. It was actually higher then at 33 percent. That was partially because the Bush tax cuts weren't in effect. Other tax cuts weren't in effect. But jump back 10 more years, 1990, we are looking at 30.4 percent with exactly the same in 1980. And after 1980, as you go down the decades, you see a steady decrease in the overall tax burden on Americans. But that 30 percent figure has been around for quite a few decades, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Carl, explain to us the income tax increase. What's the percentage? Are we actually paying more in taxes? Are the wealthy carrying a significant load and are there others that are just not paying at all?
AZUZ: Well, yes. That's absolutely the case. You hear a lot of figures about how the top one percent covers so much of the nation's income taxes. And it's true. But one thing about that top one percent is they're volatile, there aren't as many of them in a recession. The numbers of people who are making the top one percent, the top two percent, their numbers drop.
So this will illustrate it perfectly. In 2007, the top one percent of American taxpayers paid more on their federal income taxes than the bottom 95 percent. But then 2008, you see the effects of the recession. It was the bottom 95 percent who were paying a little bit of a larger share than that top one percent.
Here are another other couple facts for you. Top give percent of U.S. taxpayers today, they're covering 59 percent of federal income taxes. And it is true that more than 40 percent -- in fact, I think it's around 45 percent of American taxpayers pay no income taxes. And the reasons for that include the fact that their salaries are either so low that at the end of the year when they feel they get that money back, or because of deductions and exemptions that make it so that those folks -- there are more hand 40 percent of Americans actually wind up paying nothing in income taxes.
MALVEAUX: Wow. Very interesting breakdown.
AZUZ: Thank you, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: When you think about it. When you actually look at all of those numbers and where you fit in.
AZUZ: And to those of us who do pay, it's kind of disheartening. And then there are folks who just need the money back.
MALVEAUX: And you've already filed, right, Carl?
AZUZ: Oh, yes.
MALVEAUX: You're on an on-time kind of guy?
AZUZ: For once this year, yes. For once this year I was punctual, not always the case, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: I have an extension. I got to get around to it.
AZUZ: Guilty as charged.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Carl.
AZUZ: Thank you very much.
