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Food Prices on the Rise; Senator Ensign to Resign; John McCain: Libyan Rebels are Patriots; The Oil Spill One Year Later; The Help Desk; Talk Back Question; Playing For Freedom

Aired April 22, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux.

I want to get you up to speed.

Libyan rebels claim today they have retaken the center of Misrata. A spokesman for the city says Libyan government forces are collapsing into a state of disarray. The spokesman says NATO has disrupted their communications with Tripoli.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: Thank you, America! Thank you, America! Thank you, America!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Senator John McCain met with rebel leaders in Benghazi today, capital of what the opposition calls free Libya. McCain urged the Obama administration to arm the fighters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I do believe that, as we have in the past, we can help facilitate weapons to get to the hands of the Libyan military, those who are fighting against Gadhafi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(CHANTING)

MALVEAUX: Angry anti-government protesters filled the streets in Syria today for the sixth Friday in a row. They want long-time president Bashar al-Assad to give up his power. Security forces open fire. At least 27 people are now dead.

Police are out beating the brush again today, hoping to find new clues in the Long Island serial killer case. The search is focused around Long Island Bay. That's where at least eight sets of remains have been found. Criminal profilers interviewed by "The New York Times" say that the suspect is likely a young, married, white male who is financially well off.

FBI experts in Quantico, Virginia, are analyzing the pipe bomb and propane tanks that were found at a Colorado shopping mall, a mall there. They were discovered on Wednesday, the 12th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting.

Now, Denver affiliate KUSA says the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department has been inundated with tips about this man. So far, no luck finding this person of interest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF TED MINK, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO: There's an urgency to find the individual for obvious reasons, and we're using all available resources.

MARTHA REIF, LITTLETON RESIDENT: It's not fun and it disrupts everything. But, you know, when you think about what could have happened, we're thankful that it didn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Higher humidity could help Texas firefighters gain ground on wildfires today, but lightning now forecast with this weekend's thunderstorms could ignite new fires. More than a million acres have burned across the state this season.

A nuclear reactor at Georgia's plant Vogtle is off line indefinitely. The reactor shut down automatically on Wednesday, and officials aren't even sure why. Operators say they'll restart the reactor once they understand what happened. A second reactor at plant Vogtle continues to work normally.

(SINGING)

MALVEAUX: In Jerusalem, on this Good Friday, Christians retrace the path Jesus is thought to have walked on his way to death to the cross. The route ends at the church of the Holy Sepulcher, built on a site Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried.

Well, you don't need me to tell you the cost of food is just going up tremendously. Every time you go to the grocery store you see it. But now, also, you're going to start noticing when you go out to eat the prices are going up. Even McDonald's now is raising its prices.

Our Stephanie Elam, business news correspondent, joining us from New York.

Stephanie, remember when a McDonald's burger was, like, 49 cents, 50 cents? You remember back in the day?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I remember. That was like the big deal. It was like, yes, you can go out there and get that. You could get two for almost less than a buck. Yes, I remember those days, which means I'm showing my age.

MALVEAUX: Well, you and I both, really. But the pain of inflation here, we're not just talking McDonald's. We're talking food in general. There's -- everything is going up now. What are we seeing?

ELAM: Yes. It's definitely getting more expensive.

And with McDonald's, if they're saying that they are looking at the prices going up faster than they expected, then we should expect that a lot of other restaurants are feeling the same pain. In fact, they said that they now see the average price to increase about four percent to 4.5 percent.

In January, they were expecting a rise of about two percent to 2.5 percent. This is for the U.S. and Europe that they're looking for this increase now.

So, that shows you, in just that little bit of time, things have increased. They are saying inflation is hurting their quarterly margins and that this is going to impact how much they're able to make. Because it's all become worse than expected so quickly in the year -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Steph, we can give you a break if you need it, but if you're OK, I want to ask you about --

ELAM: Oh, I'm OK.

MALVEAUX: You're OK? OK.

Food prices, I know we're all gagging, we're all coughing on this news here, I tell you. The other food -- there's more food that we're seeing on the rise. These prices are going way up.

ELAM: Yes. Well, the thing about it is, these commodity prices -- so, the things we pay for from milk, sugar, all of those things -- all of them have been going up over the last six months or so.

If you take a look at this, you can see milk, up 6.8 percent. Eggs, up one percent. Coffee, up 9.4 percent.

From March of last year, this is when we've seen this rise. And you may not have noticed a change, but if you were paying $3.50 for a gallon of milk last year, a seven percent rise means you're now paying almost $3.75. And if you're doing this often, that can add up.

Now, inflation, it can be a good thing. And in a healthy economy, that's something we like to see. It indicates that there's good, strong demand. And that's really not looking like the case right now.

The problem at this time is that rising fuel prices are expensive to get things across the country, and that's what starts making it a little bit more difficult, to get things to where you want them at your home in Atlanta or here in New York or anywhere else.

MALVEAUX: All right. So higher gas prices is also impacting the fact that the food's going up as well. Yes?

ELAM: Oh, definitely, because you've got to truck it to wherever it needs to go.

MALVEAUX: Right. OK. Makes sense.

We're going to let you take a quick water break there. Carol and I are starting to cough now. It's a little contagious. We're going to let you go, Steph.

Six states and Washington, D.C., now have gas above $4 a gallon, if you can believe that. President Obama, he has been taking notice. He announced a new taskforce to look into whether there is fraud or manipulation in the oil market.

Rising gas prices, unemployment, inflation, all on everybody's minds. People aren't happy about the way things are headed.

Which brings us to the "Talk Back."

And Carol, people want to see some change here. They're not satisfied.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No. In fact, they're kind of feeling blue.

I mean, are you feeling blue? Are you bummed out about the future?

Well, according to a "New York Times"/CBS News poll, you have plenty of company. Pessimism abounds.

Seventy percent of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Basically, the American public is in its worst mood since President Obama took office. It could have something to do with the economy.

After all, it's pretty tough to feel optimistic with gas prices the way they are. I mean, it will cost you 70 bucks to fill up the tank.

And good jobs are hard to come by, with unemployment stuck around nine percent. And that war in Afghanistan that's been dragging on for almost a decade, not to mention Iraq and Libya -- but back to the economy.

"The New York Times"/CBS News survey shows that 57 percent of people disapprove of how President Obama is handling it. Yet, the president is pushing optimism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want to make sure this is a country where if you're willing to try hard, you can make it, where everybody has a chance at prosperity. That's my focus. That's my guiding light.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And that's what everybody wants.

Congress, by the way, isn't doing all that well in this poll, either. Seventy-five percent of those responding disapprove of the way those lawmakers are handling their jobs.

Could it be politicians are just not listening enough to what people are saying? We're not all living the American dream. For some of us, it's more like the American nightmare.

And now that you're totally depressed, I'm going to get to the "Talk Back" question of the day.

What would it take to restore your faith in the American dream?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN, and I will read your comments later this hour.

MALVEAUX: I want to know, because this is depressing.

COSTELLO: I know.

MALVEAUX: I want to know what's going to restore people's faith in the American dream.

COSTELLO: Lower gas prices, lower food prices, the end of the three wars that are going on right now that America's participating in. Those are some of my suspicions.

MALVEAUX: OK. We'll see what they've got to say. Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Ahead "On the Rundown," Senator John Ensign announces his resignation. We're going to go live to Washington.

A soldier stationed in Afghanistan pulls an Easter surprise on his daughter.

Plus, CNN's Nic Robertson just back from Libya. He's going to talk about Senator McCain's visit with the rebels.

Also, a growing debate about sugar. We're going to speak live with a doctor who claims it's toxic and addictive.

And the Gulf, one year later. A lot of people still waiting on money from BP.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think they were fibbing. I just don't believe anything they tell us anymore. It's not happened, so why should I believe them?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We have three stories. Only one of them can air later this hour. Tell us which one you would like to see. Vote by texting 22360.

First choice, Major League Baseball players fight child slavery. The strikes, the homeruns, adding up to freedom for potential victims of modern-day slavery.

Second choice, the business casual debate. Will wearing flip- flops to the office get you called into HR? And how short should the skirt be? The scoop from our business insiders.

And third choice, chocolate inflation. Some things in life just not fair. The rising cost of creamy milk chocolate treats certainly is one of them.

Vote by texting 22360. Text 1 for "Athletes Fight Slavery"; 2 for "Business Casual Debate"; or 3 for "Chocolate Inflation." The winning story is going to air in the next hour.

A Senator who admitted to having an affair with a female aide says he is resigning his seat effective May 3rd. He's a Republican of Nevada, and he is the subject of an ethics violation.

I want to go to Brianna Keilar, who joins us from Washington on the Hill.

And Brianna, tell us about who he is and what actually happened here. Why resign now?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Senator Ensign basically said in a statement yesterday, Suzanne, that this is to avoid the spectacle of a Senate Ethics Committee investigation that's been playing out, as we've reported, for almost two years now. This is something that possibly could have come to a head soon. Hard to tell, because the way the ethics process goes on Capitol Hill, it can be somewhat secret.

But just listen to some of what he said in his statement yesterday. He said, "While I stand behind my firm belief that I have not violated any law, rule, or standard of conduct of the Senate, and I have fought to prove this publicly, I will not continue to subject my family, my constituents, or the Senate to any further rounds of investigation, depositions, drawn-out proceedings, or especially public hearings." He says, "For my family and me, this continued personal cost is simply too great."

All of these -- what the Senate Ethics Committee is looking at, Suzanne, has to do with this affair that he had with a campaign aide a few years back who also at the time happened to be -- or is the wife of his then-top aide, his chief of staff, Doug Hampton. And what they're looking at is, one, about almost a $100,000 that Ensign's parents paid Hampton's family. That's being looked at to see if it was an illegal campaign contribution. They were also looking to see if Senator Ensign had helped Hampton get started in a lobbying -- to be a lobbyist, and also to meet with him, perhaps, to lobby. This would have definitely been a spectacle, this process.

MALVEAUX: And Brianna, any idea who might replace him?

KEILAR: Right now the prevailing opinion of many Republicans is that the Republican governor of Nevada, Brian Sandoval, would look at Congressman Dean Heller. He's already said that he would run, because we knew certainly that Ensign wasn't going to be going for reelection.

So, right now, this is where a lot of people are putting their money, but it all comes down to what the Republican governor decides. He gets to make an appointment.

MALVEAUX: OK.

Brianna Keilar.

Thank you, Brianna.

Senator John McCain is in Libya and says that the rebels are heroes. But how much should the U.S. be doing to help them? Nic Robertson, just back from Tripoli to talk about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: With the battle still raging in Libya, Senator John McCain is on the ground in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi today. He's meeting with opposition leaders he calls heroes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: I have met these great fighters, and they are not al Qaeda. To the contrary, they are Libyan patriots.

(APPLAUSE)

MCCAIN: To the contrary, they are Libyan patriots who want to liberate their nation. We should help them do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Nic Robertson is here to go beyond the headlines with us.

And Nic, it's very good have you here in the studio to talk about all of this.

I mean, you've been on ground in Tripoli, you've spoken to the rebels, specifically and personally. Do you think a senator's visit, like Senator John McCain, does that really make a difference in terms of boosting their morale or changing how they feel about the United States' involvement in what they're doing? NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think we just heard in that short clip that round of applause. This is exactly the sort of language that they wanted to hear from somebody, a senior politician from the United States like Senator McCain. This is exactly what they want.

It is a morale booster, and it does mean for them that they can look to the United States and hope that there will be more of this to come, and that he will come home and spread the good message, I don't see al Qaeda here. These are organized people, I like what I see on streets, is essentially his message.

So, he's going to be a great emissary for the rebels when he comes back home. And this is what they're going to count on. But he's not actually bringing weapons with him, which is what they really need right now. So, yes, it falls short of what they really want.

MALVEAUX: So, you and I talked about this yesterday, President Obama announcing $25 million in supplies to the rebels, and it is non- lethal, is what they call it, so it's not weapons. And Senator McCain, he wants to arm the rebels.

If we're just cheering from the sidelines, is that good enough to get rid of Gadhafi?

ROBERTSON: A quick military victory isn't on the table here for anyone. Even if you arm the rebels, it's not going to happen quickly, and you risk putting the country in for the potential of a wider civil war, because it's not going to be a quick, easy battle, even when you've armed the rebels.

The steps such as announced from the Pentagon yesterday about using drone aircraft, these can be partial game-changers on the battlefield, particularly around Misrata, where there's a siege going on right now. But arming the rebels is not going to bring a quick victory, and potentially a very protracted, bloody fight.

MALVEAUX: Chair of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen, he now says that he believes there could be a stalemate inside Libya. Does it look like to you, whether it's on the ground or the leaders that are involved in this international community, that that is acceptable now, that we might just see a Libya split into two, two different states?

ROBERTSON: I don't think anyone wants that or can even sort of have -- can allow that to happen, because the potential for destruction in Libya, a potential loss of the sort of oil assets there for an extended period of time, almost 1.5 million barrels of oil a day, this is a significant amount of oil. The world can live without it, but it puts pressure on other places as well.

A stalemate there is going to be a potential sore that can potentially get into a bigger conflict, that can draw in more international attention. Look at all the problems in the Middle East right now. If Libya gets worse, what are we going to do with Bahrain, Syria, potentially Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia? These are all in play right now, so we don't need all our attention focused on Libya. So we don't need a protracted situation. And, yes, it is getting towards a stalemate. People are digging in, positions are becoming entrenched.

MALVEAUX: Nic, I understand you're going to be headed back to the area, back to Libya. We wish you all the best, and your safety. And as always, it's excellent reporting that you do.

ROBERTSON: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: Thanks, Nic.

To Yemen. Protesters took to the streets in several provinces today calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. But the president held his own rally in the capital.

President Saleh delivered a speech to thousands of supporters outside his palace. He vowed to hold on to his presidency, but also to cooperate with a Gulf regional plan for him to stand down. The Yemeni leader has been in power for 32 years.

Protests were also held today in Syria. And once again, the demonstrations turned deadly.

CNN's Arwa Damon is across the border, in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

Arwa, thank you for joining us here.

Explain to us -- the protests in Syria, now deadly. Why were the demonstrators fired upon in the first place? How did this happen?

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, all of the activists and demonstrators that we've been talking to will tell you that this is simply the Syrian regime's tactic, this is their way of trying to silence these increasingly growing in momentum demonstrations.

What we saw in Syria today was the size and scope of these demonstrations really reaching their highest point across the entire country. But what we also saw, according to various eyewitnesses we were talking to, that in just about every single place where demonstrations happened, Syrian security forces used lethal force.

We've heard numerous accounts about how Syrian forces were firing directly at the demonstrators themselves. But, still, what we're hearing is that despite all of this, the defiance and resilience to continue is still there.

It's as if a wall of fear in Syria has also finally been broken. And people are increasingly saying that despite the reforms that the president is trying to put forward, it is not enough. And because of the violence that is repeatedly taking place, that is why the calls are now not for reform in Syria, Suzanne, but for complete and total regime change. MALVEAUX: Were there also folks who came out in Lebanon to support the demonstrators in Syria today?

DAMON: Suzanne, there were small demonstrations here in the northern part of the country, but they fizzled out fairly quickly. Of course, Lebanon and Syria do have quite a history with many Lebanese. They're watching what is happening in neighboring Syria very closely and very anxiously.

But when it comes to what is happening in Syria, many of these Syrian activists that we are talking to are saying that all of these fears and concerns about some sort of Islamist extremist takeover happening there, they are just not founded. They are saying that they are ordinary civilians who finally have found the willpower and the ability and the courage to demand, they say, what is rightfully theirs, and that, they are telling us, is a free and democratic Syria -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Arwa Damon, out of Beirut.

Thank you very much, Arwa.

We're also following a developing story out of Pakistan. A source says that U.S. military personnel have left a base in southern Pakistan that was a key hub for American drone operations.

That is word from a senior Pakistani intelligence official. Now, Pakistanis are angry over drone attacks that have killed civilians in the past. A suspected drone strike killed 25 people on Friday, and a March 17th attack killed 44 people, mostly civilians.

Well, doctors now saying that it's just as addictive as cocaine or heroin. And chances are probably you've had some today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Checking what's ahead "On the Rundown."

A doctor says that sugar is actually poisoning your body. We're going to speak to him live.

Plus, the Gulf Coast, one year after the massive oil leak started. A lot of folks from shrimpers to restaurant owners are still hurting.

And a restaurant and urban garden drawing crowds in Brooklyn.

So, a provocative theory getting a lot of attention now. Dr. Robert Lustig says that sugar is not only bad for you, it's actually toxic, like poison to your body. And he says it does three things.

First, that sugar clogs the liver as fat, making you resistant to insulin, which can lead to diabetes. Second, that sugar contributes to hardening of the arteries. And third, that it's highly addictive, that it acts like cocaine, tobacco, even heroin.

Dr. Robert Lustig is author of "Sugar: The Bitter Truth." He joins us from San Francisco.

Doctor, you know, a lot of people looking at this study, it's created a lot of attention here. We know that sugar can be bad for you. But poisonous?

DR. ROBERT LUSTIG, AUTHOR, "SUGAR: THE BITTER TRUTH": Well, obviously, this is something that people don't quite -- haven't gotten their arms around yet. But if you look at all of the diets that work -- that is, the Atkins diet, the Zone diet, the Ornish diet, the traditional Japanese diet, the one thing that they all have in common is that they restrict sugar.

Sugar is not just empty calories. If you believe a calorie is a calorie, then basically it's eat less, exercise more. The problem is we've been doing that now for the past 30 years and it's gotten us nowhere. If anything, things have only gotten worse. And there are reasons for why that's happened.

On the other hand, if you get rid of sugar from your diet -- and when I say sugar, I should qualify that as added sugar. I'm not so concerned about the sugar in fruit, because fruit has fiber, fiber mitigates the negative effects of sugar. It's kind of like the antidote to sugar.

But if you get rid of added sugar, all sorts of things get better. Your liver gets better, your arteries get better, and your brain can start seeing the signals that tell you that it's time to stop. And it reduces your total food consumption.

MALVEUAX: Is the problem sugar itself or is it the fact that we are just consuming too much of it?

LUTSIG: Well, there's a molecule within sugar. Sugar is two molecules hooked together. Glucose, which is necessary for life. If you don't eat glucose, then your body makes it in order to keep the rest of your organs going. And then the other one called fructose. Fructose is the sweet part of sugar. That's the part we don't need but we like. It's the fructose that's the problem.

MALVUEAX: How do we know if we're getting too much of that? We're consuming too much of the sweet part? How do you figure that out?

LUTSIG: Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture in their dietary reference intakes gives us lower levels and upper levels for every single nutrient -- except for sugar. No one knows how much is too much. I can make a guess based on the analogy that I've made with ethanol, with alcohol, that probably 50 grams of fructose a day is probably the maximum. The American Heart Association put out a paper two years ago that I was an author on that suggested that it was more like 35 grams to 40 grams per day.

MALVEUAX: Help us understand here. The Sugar Association which represents members of the sugar industry, they say on its Web site that sugar is a healthy part of the diet. Carbohydrates, including sugar, are the preferred sources of the body's fuel for brain power, muscle energy, and every natural process that goes in every functioning cell.

So, how do you respond to --

LUTSIG: That could not be further from the truth.

MALVEUAX: Why is that?

LUTSIG: Because you don't need fructose. There is not one reaction in the body that requires fructose. The only place in your body that has fructose is your semen and your body makes that de novo. In other words, the dietary fructose that you take in does not contribute to that.

So, you do not need fructose to survive. Glucose, yes. But sugar is the combination of the two.

MALVEUAX: So, what should we be avoiding?

LUTSIG: I would take the Sugar Association to task.

MALVEUAX: What should we do? What should we be avoiding?

LUTSIG: Well, the problem is that processed food is high sugar food. On purpose. Because when they took the fat out, it tasted like cardboard. They had to put something in to make it palatable. And what was it? Sugar.

So our sugar consumption starting with the low-fat directive of the early 1980s has just gone absolutely through the roof. We currently consume 156 pounds of sugar per person per year. That probably needs to be about half.

MALVEUAX: All right. Doctor, thank you so much for taking the time to explain this. Clearly a lot of people looking at this and hey, Easter Sunday's coming up and parents are looking -- those kids are going to want those chocolate Easter bunnies. They're going to have to explain sugar, you don't want too much of it. Thank you, Doctor. Appreciate it.

LUTSIG: No, you don't. Thank you.

MALVEAUX: If you are buying those gel hand sanitizers thinking that they can kill bacteria, that causes dangerous staph infection, well, think again. The FDA this week went -- sent letters warning makers of those hand cleaning solutions to stop saying that they can kill particular bacteria. E. Coli and the H1N1 flu virus. The FDA takes issue with laboratory data used by companies to back up the claims.

Lots of restaurants boasting now about using organic foods. But how many actually grow it themselves? We'll take you to a pizza shop in Brooklyn growing vegetables. And a business out of urban decay.

Apple has a reputation of being a hip progressive company, but according to Greenpeace, the tech giant is actually a lot less green than you might think. Just in time for Earth Day, Greenpeace has released a report ranking major tech companies on their use of coal.

And along with Apple, they accuse Facebook and IBM of being at the top of the list of carbon polluters. So which companies are the greenest, according to Greenpeace? We're going to tell you after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: If you ask Greenpeace, Apple computers is hardly cutting edge when it comes to cutting back on coal. Along with IBM and Facebook, the three powerhouse tech companies got rough ratings from the environmental group because of their use of coal. But good news for Yahoo!, Google and amazon.com, they all got high marks for being green.

On this Earth Day, we drop by a gourmet pizzeria in Brooklyn, New York with its own urban greenhouse. A backyard garden where it grows about 20 percent of what's needed in a week to make all those delicious pies. Our CNN photojournalist Rick Hall takes us there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRANDON HOY, CO-OWNER, ROBERTA'S: We're in the industrial zone. It's the industrial park of Brooklyn. For many, many blocks, it is warehouse buildings, and manufacturing.

I'm Brandon Hoy. I'm one of the co-owners of Roberta's. We're in the backyard and this is like where our growing operation exists. This was all just junkyard back here. There was cars pieced out. It was a disgusting mess. Then we hired a farmer, Melissa, who's here right now.

MELISSA METRIC, GARDENER, ROBERTA'S: I'm Melissa Metric. I am the gardener at Roberta's. We're attaching a piece of wood to the plastic that's going to go over the greenhouse. We use hoop houses to extend the season. We're hoping to make a lot of salad greens with this.

HOY: And the benefits to growing our own stuff is obviously like we have the control, the flavor profiles. A lot of these things are very specialized and packaged for our chefs, and our chefs are very involved with Melissa, the farmer, to be like these are the things I like, this is the ripness in which I like them.

All of these containers are very isolated, and the atmosphere inside those things are optimal for what we're growing. So, actually like besides air quality, this is the equivalent of farming in Long Island.

METRIC: I think it's great that chefs want to grow their own food. I think that's super important. I was going over like the seed catalog with the chef, and he was getting super excited. We both were. Just of what he's going to be feeding people and what I'm going to be growing for people, and together what that can be.

HOY: We're giving our customers the opportunity to see their food growing right next to them, and I think that's a unique experience.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Tune in tomorrow for more of our "Green Solutions In Focus" series. Tom Foreman hosts this special Eatocracy edition that at 3 p.m. Eastern.

Anger is now growing one year after the oil disaster in the Gulf.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just don't believe anything they tell us anymore. It's not happened so why should I believe them?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Business owners in hard-hit areas are still waiting for claim money from BP.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEUAX: It's been a year since the oil disaster threatened a way of life for people in the Gulf Coast. Now CNN is taking an in- depth look at how far the recovery actually has come. Our Tom Foreman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Way down on Grand Isle where the fishermen and tourists were chased away by oil, Sarah Rigaud is waiting for them to come back to her restaurant and for a check to cover her lost income.

SARAH RIGAUD, RESTAURANT OWNER: We're not even 50 percent of what we used to have.

FOREMAN: Like thousands, she has filed a claim for reimbursement --

RIGAUD: Ruth, the bread is ready.

FOREMAN: -- but says she's received less than 10 percent of the more than $100,000 she believes she is owed.

(on camera): When you think back to those ads that BP ran, promising to stay and solve everything and fix it all in the end, what do you think now?

RIGAUD: Well, I think they were fibbing. I just don't believe anything they tell us anymore. It's not happened, so why should I believe them?

FOREMAN (voice-over): The group handling such losses is the Gulf Coast Claims Facility. And the man in charge, Ken Feinberg, admits there have been mistakes. But they paid $4 billion in claims in nine months out of the $20 billion BP has pledged for that purpose. FEINBERG: We have received, Tom, 800,000 claims. The volume is overwhelming. We have processed two-thirds of the claims. So I think in terms of speed, in terms of generosity, we're doing it right.

FOREMAN: Don't say that in New Orleans at P&J Oyster Company, in business for more than a century. We met the owners, the Sunsari Brothers, a year ago, hoping the oyster beds would somehow survive events offshore.

AL SUNSERI, OWNER, P&J OYSTER COMPANY: It would be loud, a lot of activity going on, shuckers lined up along this stall and this stall.

FOREMAN: Today, Louisiana's oysters have still not recovered, and their shop is a shell; more than 20 jobs gone. Al Sunsari's lawyers won't let him talk numbers, but Al says he, too, has received little reimbursement despite months of waiting, so he has little faith in promises from BP and the claims office.

SUNSARI: I expected them to follow through on that, as time went on. I found out that isn't what was occurring and I've become angry.

FOREMAN: While not talking specifically about any specific claims, Feinberg says many clients have been satisfied, and --

FEINBERG: If there is a claimant who didn't get paid and is waiting and waiting and waiting, there's something about that claim that's a problem.

FOREMAN: Feinberg has a problem, too. His office is paid $1.25 million a month by BP to handle these claims. And that has critics asking if he is tilting his decisions in BP's favor. But he answers such questions with one of his own.

FEINBERG: Who else is going to pay the freight for this entire program? You can't ask the claimants to pay. You can't ask the government, state, local and federal government to pay the cost of this program.

FOREMAN (on camera): But your concern, you're saying, is not the cost to BP?

FEINBERG: I'm saying that I'm not beholden to BP.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Still, such arguments clearly sound hollow for those convinced that they're being marginalized by the reimbursement program. Folks who a year after the spill are still waiting to be made whole and losing hope that it will ever happen.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Grand Isle, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Today's "Talk Back" question, what would it take to restore faith? Your faith in the American dream. Eric says, "we should concentrate on fixing ourselves before we decide to fix others." More of your responses ahead. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Time now for "The Help Desk." This is where we get answers to your financial questions. With me this hour, Gary Schatsky, who's president of objectiveadvice.com. And that's Ryan Mack. He's the president of Optimum Capital Management.

Gentlemen, I am glad you are here. First question coming from Mark in Marysville, Ohio. He writes in, "we filed for bankruptcy in July 2009 and the bank finally foreclosed on the land. If we decide to get a mortgage in the future and are in good financial standing, will that bankruptcy affect us?"

What do you say, Ryan.

RYAN MACK, PRESIDENT, OPTIMUM CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: Well, it absolutely will. It's going to be on your report for the next 10 years. He filed back in 2009. So after about the two to three-year mark, he's going to start getting solicitations from high-risk credit lenders who actually like to go after individuals who file for bankruptcy. It could (INAUDIBLE) towards debt. After about the seven- year mark, he might be eligible, through a limited perspective, to get some of that secured debt, which is a whole lot harder to get.

So what he should do is get himself in good standing. Pay your bills back on time. Go to Annual Credit Report. Start disputing a lot of those claims, erroneous claims. And maybe even write a letter in terms of describing why he went into bankruptcy so when a lender -- if he's applying for a loan, even though he has a bankruptcy, they can hear his side of the story. Might be able to get that loan a lot easier.

ELAM: Yes, so eventually it will change over for him.

All right, let's take a look at our next question. It comes from Carla in Missouri who writes, "I got student loans for my daughter when she started college. If I take $2,000 out of my 401(k) each year to pay against these loans, how much will that hurt me."

Gary.

GARY SCHATSKY, PRESIDENT, OBJECTIVEADVICE.COM: Well, it's going to hurt somewhere between a little to an awful lot. When you take money out of a 401(k), at a minimum, you have to pay taxes on it and you'll probably have to pay a penalty on it. Now, if you take money out of a 401(k) to pay for college tuition, you still pay taxes but not a penalty. But when you're paying the debt, you're going to have to pay it all.

Now, the hurt doesn't end there because now you're taking money out of an account that could have grown for decades on a tax deferred basis. So you really want to try to find some other way for the money. One way might be to cut back on your contributions to the retirement accounts or just look at other assets. I'd probably look elsewhere.

ELAM: Yes, the student has more time on top of it to make that money back.

All right, well, thank you, gentlemen, for your advice on this one.

If you have a question that you want to get answered, guess what, we are happy to help you out. So send us an e-mail any time to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Most people think the country is heading in the wrong direction. That's according to a "New York Times"/CBS News poll. Seventy percent of Americans think that things are getting worse. It's the lowest measure of the nation's mood in two years. It brings us to our own "Talk Back" question.

And, Carol, responses.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lots of responses. And, boy, were some of them clever, depressing and some are optimistic. The question was, what would it take to restore your faith in the American dream?

This from David. "Carol, you need to check out the local convenient stores, Hess Gas stations and small local motel/hotels. They are all owned by people who have the 'American Dream.' They just happen to be legal immigrants."

This from Billy. "Stop all this political bickering and do the right thing for all American citizens. Stop spending billions of dollars overseas before fixing our problems here. American companies should support American workers and quit taking their jobs overseas."

This from Richard. "The American dream happened when Elvis was playing on the radio and $1.50 bought you two tickets to the movies. Today we're trying to keep up with our parents. The dream is over. It is time to wake up!"

This from Kelly. "The Arab dictatorships are failing due to entrenched leaders, in power for decades, who ignore the needs of the people to the detriment of the country. Sounds like the same situation here in the USA."

And Daniel. What would restore his faith in the American dream? "Pancakes."

MALVEAUX: I don't get that one.

COSTELLO: A big stack of pancakes, dripping syrup, a big fattening mounds of butter, that would make me pretty darn happy right now.

MALVEAUX: It would make me happy, too. But the American dream? I mean some people they want jobs. You know, very serious about this, too.

COSTELLO: The underlying theme here is people think the American dream has pretty much died and they can't think of a way, anyone, you know, politician wise, can help them get it back. They do believe that their children won't have, you know, as good a livelihoods as they did and that's a sad thing.

MALVEAUX: That is sad.

COSTELLO: Yes. We need hope, though! We're America. Where's the fighting spirit? We need that back.

MALVEAUX: There's a spirit of entrepreneurship and I want you to stick around because this is an example. I want you to stick around for this story. It's the top of the line in luxury toilets. I kid you not. It is a true porcelain throne. This is what somebody has created. Kohler's new commode, it automatically opens the lid as you approach. Use the touch screen remote to activate the heated seat and your fragrance of choice.

COSTELLO: Oh, I like that.

MALVEAUX: Uh-huh. Enjoy the complimentary foot warmer while you wait, followed by an extra quiet flush.

COSTELLO: Oh, I like that.

MALVEAUX: OK. There's even an on-board speaker system for your MP3 player. That's a little too much time I think if you need an MP3 player. Kohler says its tricked out toilet is going to cost you about $6,400.

Carol, do you know anybody who might buy such a thing?

COSTELLO: I'm just thinking, if you spend that much time on the john, you've got another kind of problem and you need to see a doctor.

MALVEAUX: The doctor, create some hobbies or something. I don't know.

COSTELLO: I don't know.

MALVEAUX: You don't need to get too comfortable.

COSTELLO: I can't imagine paying $6,400 for any kind toilet, frankly, but, hey --

MALVEAUX: You know, there might be a market. There's somebody out there who just might buy that --

COSTELLO: Donald Trump.

MALVEAUX: I didn't say it. You did.

COSTELLO: OK.

MALVEAUX: I'll let you keep that one. We'll be hearing from people, I'm sure.

Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Have a good weekend.

COSTELLO: You too.

MALVEAUX: Yes, it's going to be great.

You told us what story you wanted to see. Your "Choose The News" story moments away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: So you told us the story you wanted to see. Here's your "Choose The News" winner. Our CNN's Mark McKay shows us how Major League Baseball players are fighting child slavery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK MCKAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Major League Baseball pitchers, it's all about the strike. Throwing that perfect pitch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Strike!

MCKAY: But off the field, San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeremy Affeldt is looking to strike out child slavery.

JEREMY AFFELDT, SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS PITCHER: And to see what they've done to those kids and how they treat people, it was just -- it was devastating to me. And I wanted to try to figure out how I could use baseball to get the word out. You know, use my platform on what's going on and fight some of the injustice.

MCKAY: Affeldt teamed up with a non-profit group called Not For Sale, founded four years ago by Dave Batstone, a professor at the University of San Francisco. His organization launched Free To Play as a way of encouraging professional athletes to support the global anti- slavery campaign.

DAVE BATSTONE, FOUNDER, NOT FOR SALE: So I think everyone has this kind of gut sense that it's wrong to hold someone captive, to take away their future. So it's not that controversial a subject. It is more about, what can I do about it?

MCKAY: Last season, Affeldt donated $20,000. Much of that coming from the $100 he pledge for every strike out he pitched during the season. Now he's upping that to $250 per strike out. He's also raising awareness by recruiting teammates and opponents. Tapping St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday, who's pledged $500 for every home run he hits.

AFFELDT: Because you have so many different nationalities represented here. I mean we're going -- we got some of the Asian ball players. We've got some of the Latin guys. I mean we got -- we've got all these guys that that there is slavery in all these countries.

MCKAY: Not For Sale has built a medical clinic, safe house and dormitories for former child slaves in northern Thailand. Here kids are now free to play on newly built basketball courts. And in Peru, the group helped launch a surfing program for street kids. Last season, the San Francisco Giants won the World Series. Affeldt hopes the buzz surrounding his team will bring attention to a problem which many only rarely think about.

AFFELDT: You know, it wasn't right in the 1800s. It's not right now. And there's more slaves, you know, now than there was when it was legal. And, to me, I don't get that.

MCKAY: A baseball player hoping to end modern day slavery. One strikeout at a time. Mark McKay, CNN.

MALVEAUX: If your choice did not win or you just want to check out the runners up, I'll have them on my -- the links, I'll have them on my page at Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye, who's in for Ali Velshi. Randi, have a great weekend.