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Eight Dead After Storms in Arkansas; River Versus Levee in Southeast Missouri; Protecting the Happy Couple; The Don't Say Gay Bill; New Study Finds Parents Use Celebrities as Source of Medical Advice; CNN Investigates the 'Birther' Controversy; New Brain Implant that Tracks Speech
Aired April 26, 2011 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Suzanne, thank you.
Violent storms, raging fires, rising rivers, much of the country is bracing for or suffering through one or more natural disasters that seem to be coming at an unnatural pace. In west and central Texas, the heat is once again critical, and new fires are popping up by the day.
Arkansas is cleaning up from deadly storms last night, and smack dab in the danger zone today. We want to get straight to Governor Mike Beebe in Arkansas to bring us the very latest.
Governor, what can you tell us about the situation in your state?
GOV. MIKE BEEBE (D), ARKANSAS (via telephone): Well, Randi, we've had eight confirmed fatalities, four of them related to flooding, and people trying to drive through floodwaters, four are related to tornadic activity. Lots of damage, lots of property damage, and a number -- we had a number of tornadoes last night, and strong thunderstorms.
And the northern part of the state is under some significant flooding, and it's going to likely get worse, but the weather forecast and the national weather service indicates there may be another round of violent weather this afternoon and this evening. So, people are bracing for that, that's more than likely in the southern part of the state this evening.
KAYE: And Governor, can you give me an idea of the power situation? I know it's very difficult to get back on track after a terrible storm like this. So, please help us understand what the people are dealing with in terms of power outages there.
BEEBE: Well, this series of storms was so widespread, it's not isolated to one particular area, one particular - one particular locale or even county. And so, there are a number of different electric utility companies that have reported power outages. In the aggregate, I'm going to say it's well over 100,000 homes or businesses that have been without power.
Now, they're all working very hard today to try to restore it. Obviously, some will be much longer than others getting -- particularly in some rural areas, where they're hard to get to, but over 100,000 outages were at the peak.
KAYE: And I understand that some teams, rescue teams, are going house to house there, in order to find out if people are trapped, possibly. Can you give us any more insight on how that it progressing?
BEEBE: Yes, we had about 12 people in one community where four - where four of the deaths occurred that were unaccounted for this morning. But they have subsequently been located, so we don't have -- at last report, there are no other unaccounted for individuals located in that tornadic area. But we just discovered another -- an eighth death in northwest Arkansas from flooding that involved somebody that was -- that was unaccounted for, so that possibility still exists.
KAYE: And what can you tell me about the Little Rock Air Force Base? I understand it might have been hit by a tornado?
BEEBE: Yes, they report some property damage and some damage to some aircraft. I think there were three aircraft, C-130s that were damaged to the point that preliminary reports reflect that they are inoperable without significant repairs. But no fatalities at the air base, and to my knowledge, no significant injury.
KAYE: And so, as you brace for more storms, what is the plan in terms of preparations to try and keep your people safe there?
BEEBE: Well, people need to watch television and listen to the radio and obviously in the metropolitan areas, the urban areas, there certainly are sirens and other warning devices. But individuals need to be on the alert, and watch for the weather forecast and follow all the tracks of all of these storms.
We also have a pretty good track record, because we have so much experience at it in our first responders, whether it's an emergency medical personnel, fire personnel, or state police or local law enforcement authorities, or even the National Guard and our various agencies with heavy equipment, such as forestry or game and fish.
KAYE: And what do you need there? Is there something that you'd like to request from people in terms of helping with the clean-up?
BEEBE: Well, one of the things that we -- that we see constantly here, it's one of the things that's amazed me the most, is the amount of volunteer help. And inevitably, the first volunteers on-scene to assist in clean-up or to provide food or anything else, to a stricken area, are the victims of a previous disaster. It's amazing that if you're the victim of a disaster in a community, the next time there's a disaster somewhere else, you feel compelled to go help and aid and assist just as people had helped you.
So, our Kansans are going to take care of our Kansans, and they'll do a good job, of course, and all of our state agencies, and all our law enforcement and National Guard personnel will be at any place where they're needed. And we have abundant materials in that regard. So, right now, all we need is for the folks to watch out for themselves first. Like the airline says, put that mask on your own face first, and is then help somebody else after that. So, people just need to be cognizant of their surroundings, aware of what's going to happen later today or tonight, and take precautions to protect themselves. And then, where possible, to render aid and assistance to their neighbors, or family members or friends.
KAYE: Well Governor, having lived in Arkansas for a couple of years, lived in Little Rock, I remember those storms that roll through that area well. So, we appreciate your time and wish you the best of luck and getting back on track there. Thank you, Governor.
BEEBE: Thank you.
KAYE: In southeast Missouri, the levees can't handle 15 inches of rain in four days, certainly not. Hundreds of folks in and around Poplar Bluff are out of their homes. Here's the latest from our affiliate, KPLR.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS REGNIER, REPORTER, KPLR: We are one of the most severely impacted areas from the flooding here. Take a look, dozens of homes in this area have water inside them.
A little earlier, I spoke with Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs. He tells me that the levee along the black river has failed in at least one spot in the county area south of town. This all happened at some point early this morning. That is actually good news for the 1,000 residents who were evacuated yesterday from southeast Poplar Bluff, because the water will go into the county. But it's bad news for hundreds of county residents who could now be threatened by high water.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: The National Weather Service says there is a high risk of dangerous storms today in the area that you see right there in pink on your screen. I'm talking more tornadoes, which brings us to our severe weather expert, Chad Myers. What are you watching right now?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm watching a system that will put down a lot of tornadoes after dark.
KAYE: That's not good.
MYERS: Terrible time for tornadoes. First of all, you're probably going to sleep, you can't see them as well, the warnings are just as good, we hope. We just don't know that people get them as well after dark, and when they're sleeping. You -- tonight you need a NOAA weather radio. If you don't have a NOAA weather radio, and you live in this area right there, go out and buy one. I don't - I'm not - I don't own any stock in any company that sells NOAA weather radios.
But let me tell you, this is how it happened yesterday, we had a couple of tornadoes east of Memphis, tornadoes on the ground. Then, we had, over near Rath (ph) County, that would be Stevensville, back out west of Dallas, then we had them begin in Arkansas, and they just didn't stop. They just kept going.
KAYE: They just kept popping up.
MYERS: And let me show you. Let me show you the area that we're talking about for the rest of the day. It's the same. The storm system is recovering, although right now, it cloudy. The cloudier it is at your house, the better. You want clouds all day.
KAYE: Why is that?
MYERS: It doesn't warm up, the air doesn't bubble, and your storms aren't as severe. When the sun comes back out in here, the dew points are high, the relative humidity is going to make it feel like you're just in an absolute sauna. And when you feel that sauna, and then another front behind it tries to push and energy from the atmosphere tries to push that warm, moist air into the sky, you get big storms. Some of the storms are by themselves, those rotate. When they rotate, they're called mesocyclones. Those big rotating storms cause tornadoes.
There will be many of them. Not today, we don't -- we're not even seeing -- let's see if I can find that radar. Where was that radar? Shawn (ph), I'll be fine. Let me put this back. So - we have a radar, here it is right there. There's not even a cloud, I'm not going to - there's not even a cloud or a rain shower anywhere here.
KAYE: Right.
MYERS: You're thinking, we're in the clear, there's nothing happening.
KAYE: Sure.
MYERS: You are not in the clear. The clear is a bad thing.
KAYE: Meanwhile, April, where do we stand in terms of tornadoes?
MYERS: We are right there. We had a slow start to 2011, and now we're way above normal, and we're pushing a record. We don't have exactly the number of tornadoes yet, because the weather service is still going out and counting them. We had them last night. You can't count them immediately, they go out and they look. There's where we are right now. We are - we are right on the cusp of breaking into the record for April, and this isn't even the worst month, next month is the next month - is the worst month.
KAYE: And flooding, I know we've seen incredible pictures of those deer, you know, in the water, but flooding --
MYERS: There they are - there they are right there.
KAYE: Yes. Flooding -- we're --
MYERS: It continues.
KAYE: OK, all right. Keep an eye on them. MYERS: The storms - the storms aren't moving, they're firing in the same spots, and you get flooding on top of flooding.
KAYE: All right, Chad, thank you.
MYERS: Sure.
KAYE: London may get some rain this week, which I mention just because, oh, well, a million or so people have some outdoor plans on Friday. They're lining around between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace in hopes of catching sight of the just-married Will and Kate.
And all things considered, rain isn't the worst thing that could happen, preventing real trouble is the work of Scotland Yard and the subject of our "Sound Effect" today. The former commander of specialist operation says their relatively short procession route of Will and Kate poses far different security challenges from the longer route of Charles and Diana, back in 1981.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROY RAMM, FORMER YARD COMMANDER, SCOTLAND: This somewhat makes it easier, because you've got less of a route to worry about. You know, from Buckingham Palace here behind us to Westminster Abbey is about half a mile. And you know, so, the police are -- can really focus their activity here, but what it does mean is the crush of the public will also want to be here. So, if you had a million people from Simpose (ph) to Buckingham Palace, it's a nice long road to step out into. Here people are going to be 30 deep along the highway, at least, I would have thought.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: As for rain, Roy says it's usually a plus for security, but it would be very sad for the big day, of course.
Right now, most kids start taking sex-ed in middle school, some even in elementary school. Well, one Tennessee senator wants only heterosexuality to be taught, banning any talk of homosexuality. It's being dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill. We talk to the senator live, right here on CNN, after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Sex education in schools is always a hot topic, and for most kids, well, take a look at this. This picture says it all. Look at that boy's face there in the front row. The "Chicago Tribune" snapped this picture as kids were watching a presentation in a sex ed class. For years, these classes have involved a field trip off campus, but now with schools strapped for cash, educators are having to get a bit creative and bring the presentation on campus. Well, that's what you get.
Now to California where proposed legislation would require social science lessons to cover contributions by, quote, "...both men and women, Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans..." That lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender part is the sticking point for most opponents, but supporters of the legislation say it may help in the fight against gay bullying. Senate bill 48 has passed the state senate and not goes to the House.
And now, to Tennessee where a proposed bill would prevent elementary and middle school teachers from talking about homosexuality to kids in the classroom. The bill has been dubbed, the "Don't Say Gay" bill." Senate bill 0049 says, quote, "No public elementary or middle school shall provide any instruction or material that discusses sexual orientation other than heterosexuality."
The man behind the bill, state senator Stacey Campfield. The Republican senator from Knoxville tried unsuccessfully for years to get the bill through the house. Now he's trying it in the senate. And right now he's joining us live.
Senator Campfield, first of all, what was your inspiration for this bill?
STACEY CAMPFIELD (R), TENNESSEE STATE SENATOR: Well, you can look around the nation and you see the things that are happening and the different agendas that people are pushing one way or the other and I've just said, you know, listen, let's leave it up to the families to decide when something is age appropriate and when it isn't age appropriate, when their children are ready to talk about those issues. Let's leave it up to the families to decide how they want to handle that issue.
KAYE: But why not be allowed to mention the word homosexuality or talk about homosexuality in school? I mean do you have research that can back this bill up? I mean is there any damage done in terms of hearing the word homosexuality to children in a controlled setting like a classroom?
CAMPFIELD: Well, actually, my bill is neutral. It doesn't say anybody can speak for it or against it. So I'm sure people wouldn't want someone coming out and saying, you know, there's some people who say, you know, we should be preaching against it and saying it's evil, dirty and wrong or some people say, hey, it's a great and wonderful thing. I don't think that's appropriate. I think -- like I said, I think we need to let the families decide that. But -- especially in the very, very young children.
KAYE: But how can you say it's neutral when you're banning a certain word? How can you say it's neutral?
CAMPFIELD: Well, there's no certain word in --
KAYE: You're not banning the word heterosexuality, you're just banning the word homosexuality.
CAMPFIELD: The only -- yes, the only reason we left heterosexuality in the bill is because you sort of -- if you're teaching basic reproduction, you need to talk about heterosexuality. You know, x/y chromosomes and things like that and how reproduction, the bare bones basics of it work, otherwise you can't talk about that stuff.
KAYE: And --
CAMPFIELD: And there's no need -- there's no -- there's no need to mention homosexuality in reproduction, because obviously it doesn't -- homosexuals don't reproduce.
KAYE: But it's not just about reproduction.
CAMPFIELD: Well, I mean, sex education, the very young grades, I think that should be, basically, if you're going to talk about sex education to a very young, six, six, seven-year-olds, I don't see a reason to get into someone's personal sexuality choices. I just don't see any purpose for that. I don't see any benefit to the children of that, other than someone who's got an agenda to push, either pro or against.
KAYE: Well, what do you say to those who say you have an agenda to push and they're calling this bill really flat-out discrimination?
CAMPFIELD: Well, it doesn't. My bill is actually saying we're not going to speak for it, we're not going to speak against it. We're going to leave it up to the families to decide. And that's where I think it's best handled, controversial issues like that.
KAYE: And as far as getting this bill passed, where does it stand right now?
CAMPFIELD: Well, it passed out of senate education committee. It's going to the senate floor, I believe, on Thursday. And hopefully in the house.
KAYE: And I'm curious what kind of feedback you've been getting from people in Tennessee on this.
CAMPFIELD: You know, it's been mixed. I mean I've had some people say, hey, they see what's going on in California, they see what's going on up in the northeastern states and they don't think it's appropriate. I've had other people on the other side saying, oh, you're just -- some of the comments I'm getting aren't very -- I can't really talk about on TV because they're so colorful.
KAYE: What are you hearing from the gay and lesbian community?
CAMPFIELD: They're not too pleased. They have been -- let's just say vocal and not too kind words.
KAYE: And can you understand that at all?
CAMPFIELD: Well, I mean, I think they're misunderstanding what it does. I mean if you flipped it around on them and said, well, what if a teacher were to say homosexuality is evil or wrong or it's an abomination, would you want a teacher being able to speak about those things? And the ones I've had conversations -- civil conversations with, they say, well, no, I wouldn't want that. Well, then, you know, then I guess you would be supportive of something that does it. And they say, well, I guess I can see where you're coming from. So the ones that are reasonable, they seem to be understanding of it. Those that aren't reasonable, it's tough to argue with them anyway.
KAYE: Yes, it's certainly an interesting bill considering that, you know, kids are certainly curious and I'm sure they're going to have a lot of questions for their teachers. And if that word does come up, to have it banned, it would be very interesting to see how a teacher would have to react to that.
CAMPFIELD: Well, the bill actually talks about -- it talks about the curricula and the things that are going to be taught as part of the class, not what some child may bring up and say to a teacher.
KAYE: All right. Well, thank you for your time and we'll continue to follow where this bill goes.
CAMPFIELD: Thank you very much.
KAYE: To read the proposed legislation in Tennessee and California for yourself, head to our blog, cnn.com/ali. We would also love to hear from you. So join the conversation on the blog, as well. Share your thoughts.
So you think you know all there is to know about the royals? Well, you haven't seen anything yet. We've got our own battle royal. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back.
The royal wedding is now just a couple days away. CNN will, of course, bring it to you live Friday morning starting at 4:00 a.m. Eastern.
OK. Now that the promo is out of the way, let's get down to the nitty- gritty. I'm really looking forward to this, and I'm sure you will, too. We have brought you all the behind the scenes stuff we could from the horses, to the hors d'oeuvres. But there are still a few nuggets left and no one knows those nuggets like these two guys, of course, you're about to see. You know our Richard Quest right there. Well, he's been front and center in our royal wedding coverage. And next to him is someone, well, you may not know. Another member of the CNN family. CNN International's director of coverage, Roger Clark. Now, before Roger joined us, he was with the BBC, where he worked on the queen's jubilee coverage. They've got something very special for us.
You guys have this royal quiz, right? The experts edition. And everybody at home can play along, as well. So, Richard, why don't you take it away?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Randi.
This is a triv-off on royalty. You have colonel crusty over here who knows more than anything that was ever learned (ph) by the royal family. And I'm extremely nervous. ROGER CLARK, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR: Well, so you should be, because we've got 1,000 years of questions to choose from here. So we thought we'd start by tossing a coin to see who will go first. So --
QUEST: Here we go.
CLARK: First time on TV for you. You call it.
QUEST: Heads. Tails it is.
CLARK: Now you ask the first question then.
QUEST: OK. This is the way it works. There are six questions in here. Three are hard, three are easy. We're only going to be asking three to each other. You don't know whether you're getting a hard or an easy question.
CLARK: All right. Fingers crossed.
QUEST: And the first question --
CLARK: Make it a simple one for me.
KAYE: Good luck, you guys.
QUEST: Oh, oh, oh! Besides Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, who is the princess whose children doesn't have any titles? Question three.
CLARK: I can answer that. I think the answer to that is her royal highness, Princess Alexandra of Kent.
QUEST: Oh!
CLARK: There you go.
KAYE: Wow.
CLARK: Marina and James are her two children.
QUEST: Oh!
CLARK: There you go.
QUEST: I was sure that was not going to be one.
CLARK: There you go. Your turn.
QUEST: I was sure -- no.
CLARK: There you go. Now this is my question.
QUEST: How did you know that? This is really sad that he knows (INAUDIBLE).
CLARK: Oh. Oh, yes.
QUEST: This is sad (INAUDIBLE).
CLARK: This is one of my real trick questions.
QUEST: No, no.
CLARK: If it rains on Friday, Prince William and his bride will travel from the abbey to Buckingham Palace in the famous glass coach. Name the last royal bride to use this coach to travel from the abbey to the palace.
QUEST: From the abbey to the palace.
CLARK: Yes, from the abbey to the palace.
QUEST: All right. Well, the last royal bride that would have used it, royal bride, so it wasn't Sarah. Oh, this is -- oh.
KAYE: We only have five minutes, you guys.
QUEST: All right. I'm going to go for -- I'm going to go for Sarah.
CLARK: Wrong. She went to the abbey but came back in the 1982 Landor (ph).
QUEST: Oh.
CLARK: It was Princess Anne an in 1974. The queen's daughter. There you go. I'm enjoying this now.
KAYE: I hope the folks at home are enjoying this as well.
CLARK: All right. Here we go.
QUEST: This really shows you the level of sadness of some of our senior management at CNN.
CLARK: Guess what I do every evening, yes.
QUEST: Yes. We will be five and six. Who are we?
CLARK: We will be five and six. Well, I think you're referring there to people in line to the throne. So, one is William, Harry, Beatrice, Eugenie. I think you're talking about James, Prince Edward's son, and Lady Louise Windsor.
QUEST: Wrong. Trick question.
CLARK: Right.
QUEST: No, we are five and six, we will be five and six.
CLARK: What?
QUEST: William and Catherine.
CLARK: Oh, very good. Very good. That was a -- KAYE: That was a trick.
CLARK: That was a really under the belt question. That was a trick question. Half a point there.
QUEST: No, no, no, no, no, no.
KAYE: I'm sorry, Roger.
CLARK: Half a point easy.
QUEST: OK, would you like --
CLARK: (INAUDIBLE). Right.
QUEST: Oh.
CLARK: No, you'll get this. I'm sure you'll get this.
QUEST: This is (INAUDIBLE) humiliation, I'll have to tell you.
CLARK: Prince William attended Saint Andrew's University.
QUEST: Yes.
CLARK: Which subject did he study?
QUEST: Well --
CLARK: (INAUDIBLE) graduated?
QUEST: Well, do you mean which did he start?
CLARK: Oh, yes, yes.
QUEST: Did he start? Of course he started with the history of art, along with Kate Middleton, which is why they met.
CLARK: (INAUDIBLE) final, actually.
QUEST: Final, right. But he finished, of course, in geography with a 2.1.
CLARK: He did. That's a point for Mr. Quest. Well done.
KAYE: Very impressive.
QUEST: Last one. The last one.
CLARK: That was the easy question, incidentally. I'll dig deep on this one. There you go.
QUEST: Are you looking forward to the wedding?
CLARK: I'm really looking forward to the wedding. Yes, I mean there are thousands of people turning up at Buckingham Palace already for the big day. Making sure they get a good place.
QUEST: Here we go.
KAYE: The wedding's going to be over by the time we're done with this segment.
QUEST: OK. What was the name of Prince William's first nursery school? Prince William's first nursery school.
CLARK: Lookbrook (ph) house? Lookbrook manor bordering school?
QUEST: Ms. Mynor's!
CLARK: There you go. That's one for me. You really do need to get out more. All right, Ms. Mynor's, yes. I think Lookbrook was his prep school, wasn't it?
QUEST: Strop trying to row back.
CLARK: Oh, you'll get this. What is Prince William's current job and his current military title?
QUEST: Oh, no. I don't know his -- his current job is a search and sea pilot. And I think he is lieutenant. Lieutenant in the RAF Valley at Angle Sea.
CLARK: That's pretty close. He's actually a flight lieutenant.
QUEST: Oh, (INAUDIBLE).
CLARK: Well, nobody --
QUEST: No, no, no, no, no, no --
CLARK: A lieutenant is an army rank --
QUEST: (INAUDIBLE) don't you start -- don't you start joining in.
CLARK: A flight lieutenant in RAF. A lieutenant is army and he's RAF, so that's no points.
KAYE: Listen, I can settle this, I think, because you both did really well, you guys. And so I'm going to try and stump you now. So whoever gets this question right will be our official winner, OK. Here we go. Listen closely. What two legendary American generals are related to Kate Middleton? Either one of you know? Don't stare at each other. Wow, here I thought you would both get it. The New England Historical Genealogical Society says George Washington and George Patton.
CLARK: She needs to get out more.
QUEST: Get a life, Randi. Well, I tell you, we're out of here!
KAYE: Listen, you guys, that was very entertaining. Roger, Richard, I think we're on to something here. Maybe your own show. Very, very fun to watch. Well done, guys. Thank you. Cheers. Well, you can watch, DVR it or participate in the royal wedding. CNN will have full coverage of the big day, so be part of the global viewing party. You can join our Anderson Cooper and his own impressive gut list as they bring every unforgettable moment. Our coverage of the royal wedding gets underway at 4:00 a.m. Eastern Friday. So set those alarm clocks.
More severe weather is expected to hit Arkansas a day after deadly storms swept through the state. We'll have the details straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Coming up on the half hour now. Here are some stories you may have missed. Arkansas is expected to get a second round of severe weather. Over 100,000 residents lost power in the state after a thunderstorm slammed through on Monday. Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe tells CNN that eight people died in the storm. The governor has declared a state of emergency.
Emergency evacuations are under way in Missouri. A levee on the Black River failed to hold overnight and sent water rushing into parts of Butler County. The governor called in the National Guard to assist with evacuating residents. So far, over 1,000 people in Poplar Bluff had been asked to evacuate the southern part of the city. The area has already received more than eight inches of rain.
This is video distributed by the Syrian Human Rights Information Link, which they say shows security forces opening fire at protesters at a funeral in Damascus. The group reported over 400 people died since March, because of the violence. In the city of Daraa, witnesses told CNN thousands of troops and police began killing people in the streets. The United Nations received information showing 76 people were killed Friday alone. The Syrian government has not granted CNN access to the country so we can't independently confirm death tolls, nor witness accounts.
A nationwide manhunt is over. An arrest has been made in the attempted pipe bombing of a Colorado mall. This man, Earl Albert Moore, was taken into custody at a grocery store by Boulder police. The 65-year-old man was released from a federal prison one week ago, after serving a sentence for a 2005 bank robbery. He has been turned over to the FBI.
Move over, doc. Parents are now using celebrities as a source of medical advice for their children. A University of Michigan survey says that 24 percent of parents place some trust in information provided by celebrities about the safety of vaccines. Most parents, 76 percent, still rank their doctors' advice as the highest, 67 percent placed some trust in family and friends, and 65 percent trusted parents who thought vaccines harm their children. Only two percent of parents trusted celebrities a lot. But as we said, 24 percent trusted them to some extent. The purpose of the survey published in the Journal of Pediatrics was to assess which sources of information parents trust most when immunizing their children.
He got so frustrated with rude passengers that he quit his job and became famous, or infamous, depending on who you ask. Former flight attendant Steven Slater, there he is, joining us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: He gained instant fame after getting mad and vowing not to take it anymore. Former JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater made headlines last August after quitting his job in a rather unique way. After a fiery argument with a passenger on board one of his flights, Slater began spewing obscenities over the plane's intercom, then grabbed two beers, released the emergency slide on the plane as it sat on the JFK tarmac and slid away in frustration. This stunt got him arrested and cost him about $10,000 in fines. But there could be a lesson here, actually, for all of us. Steven Slater joins us now.
And Steven, glad you're with us on the show today. As you look back on this incident, I have to ask, do you regret it at all?
STEVEN SLATER, FORMER JETBLUE FLIGHT ATTENDANT: I don't necessarily regret it. I think that there's been some service out of the whole thing and that is started a dialogue about common courtesy in America and how we treat one another on board airplanes and just in the grocery store, on the freeway, just in general.
KAYE: You know, you became a hero to some for acting out against rude passengers. Have you seen or heard of any changes since then when it comes to that?
SLATER: You know, since August 9th, I have 168,000 Frequent Flier miles that I've accrued myself in taking care of my personal effects. And it is interesting. I have heard from other flight attendants and pilots that are still in the industry that, you know, especially in it those first couple weeks, that this was a little bit of heightened sense of decorum on board the airplane.
I do know that when I walk down the aisle, the phones get turned off, the bags go under the seats. Yes, I have heard that there's been a little bit of a call to courtesy and civility on the airplane. And I like to think that it did start some conversation about that, absolutely.
KAYE: We're talking about issues with air travel all this week. We're going in depth on the issue. As someone who worked as a flight attendant for 20 years and had a pretty public departure from it, really, to say the least, what would you say all passengers and airline employees should keep in mind on board?
SLATER: I think people need to understand that we're all on the same team, the flight attendants, the pilots, the passengers. Everyone is stuck in that small metal tube. It's -- you know, everyone's hot, everyone's tired, everybody's -- you know, it's a pressure cooker. Everyone is out of their element, and really, everybody needs to just try to find a way to get along. It's a difficult situation for everyone.
And when we do just take a moment to say hello, introduce ourselves, share a smile, and just try to make the best of it, the trip goes that much of better. It really does. KAYE: I want to ask you about these pilot fatigue discussions that are taking place in Washington, D.C. this week. Air traffic controllers, their hours also being changed in terms of how long a shift can go, and how long in between shifts.
What needs to be done for flight crews? Do you think shifts need to be mandated to prevent crew fatigue?
SLATER: Absolutely. I know that in my situation, you know, flying 20 years, I watched my minimum rest requirements be reduced, reduced, reduced. I understand that the industry is facing record fuel prices, it's very difficult to try to turn a profit in an industry that has very low margins. However, we need to look at where the money is going.
You know, if we take American Airlines, for example, an airline that its employees has given $10 billion in concessions since September 11, yet its top five executives have taken $100 million in executive bonuses in the last six years, a company that just posted $471 million loss, I have to think that there's some money somewhere. You can't get blood from a turnip and can't always come from the front line workers.
We need to figure out where to appropriately cut costs without jeopardizing the margins of safety.
KAYE: All right, Steven Slater with some good advice today. Steven, thank you. Appreciate your time.
SLATER: Thank you.
KAYE: Imagine being able to speak without moving your lips. It's today's Big I and it's coming up right after this quick break.
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KAYE: Every day on this show, we do a segment called the Big I. It's all about big new ideas and innovations. Well, how about giving people who unable to speak the ability to talk again? Imagine being able to speak with your mind, without moving your lips. We've heard about scientists putting electrodes in the brain to be able to move a robotic arm using just their mind. Well now, scientists are doing something similar with speech.
One of the leading scientists in the field is Dr. Eric Leuthhardt of Washington University. He has developed a brain implant that allows doctors to track speech. He joins us live now from St. Louis.
Doctor, thank you for being with us.
First of all, while we take a look at some video that walks us through your research, tell us how this technology works.
DR. ERIC LEUTHHARDT, NEUROSURGEON, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY : So, basically, we're talking electrodes to the brain and those are recording brain signals (AUDIO GAP) the name of those brain signals are called electrocorticography. And what we're doing is as people say components of words, and those are called phonemes, we look at the brain of each of those individual phonemes to see if we can find a (AUDIO GAP) to them that allows us to separate out those different (AUDIO GAP) words.
And when we do find those, we then (AUDIO GAP) allow the patients to control a cursor on a screen, go in either the right or left direction. And the two examples that we see, you can either do (AUDIO GAP) actually speaking where the person says ooh or ah, or (AUDIO GAP) otherwise can do it by imaging speaking. And we (AUDIO GAP) signature. So we can really hear kind of those words in people's internal dialogue.
KAYE: And how many words are we talking? Are we talking about complete sentences? I mean, how advanced is this?
LEUTHHARDT: No, it's -- we are -- right now, this is pretty much the early, early beginnings of this (AUDIO GAP). There's approximately 40 phonemes (AUDIO GAP) English language. And we looked at four independent phonemes. They're the vowels, ooh, e, a and ah.
KAYE: And this is obviously so -- in its infant stage in terms of the research, but it's highly experimental.
So what would be the next step here for the technology?
LEUTHHARDT: Well, things can -- myself as well as my collaborators, such as Gerwin Schalk, we're working on next stages of vowels and consonants. And I think in the future we're also going to go at what we call (AUDIO GAP). Can we actually just not get the components of a word or even (AUDIO GAP), but the meanings, the actual substance of the thoughts.
KAYE: All right, doctor, I wish you luck. Dr. Leuthardt, we appreciate it. Really cool stuff. Great innovation you're working on.
Thank you.
And to check out this research on brains and speech, head to our blog, CNN.com/ali. We'll get you hooked up with Dr. Leuthardt's research.
A lot of people are questioning President Obama's birth certificate. Well, our Gary Tuchman went to Hawaii to investigate. His verdict is next.
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KAYE: A recent poll suggested that 25 percent of Americans doubt President Obama was born in the United States. The controversy has been fanned most recently by real estate mogul Donald Trump, who says he's considering a race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Just last night, Trump claimed the president's birth certificate is missing from the files in Mr. Obama's home state of Hawaii, but Trump didn't give my proof to back up that claim. CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman went to Hawaii to investigate the president's birth and he began to look at an old newspaper.
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GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "The Honolulu Star-Bulletin" newspaper in August, 1961, declares, "Mr. and Mrs. Barack H. Obama have given birth to a son," a simple birth announcement that has become part of a complex web of conspiracy theories, with one question looming above all others.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I was born in Hawaii.
TUCHMAN: Was President Obama really born in the United States? The answer? Yes.
(on camera): Have you seen Barack Obama's original birth certificate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Dr. Chiyome Fukino is the former director of the Hawaii Department of Health and a devoted Republican. Until now she had not talked on camera about this topic.
(on camera): As a Republican member of the last Republican governor of Hawaii, Linda Lingle's cabinet, do you have any doubt that Barack Obama was born in the United States?
DR. CHIYOME FUKINO, FMR. DIRECTOR, HAWAII STATE DEPT. OF HEALTH: Absolutely not. I have no doubt.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Dr. Fukino says she was asked last year by the governor's press secretary to make a statement about the birth certificate controversy. Under state law a public official can look at someone else's certificate if there is a quote, "direct and tangible interest." She indeed felt she had that interest because of the statement she had to make.
So she found the original Obama birth certificate, stored in a vault in the Department of Health building.
(on camera): And what did it tell you? Was it authentic? Was he born here in the state of Hawaii?
FUKINO: It was absolutely authentic. He was absolutely born here in the state of Hawaii.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): But Dr. Fukino says even if she hadn't seen the original certificate this document, the President's computer-generated certificate, which was made public three years ago, had already proven he was born in Hawaii.
(on camera): There's quite a bit of irony over this original birth certificate debate. And that is the original documents are no longer even certified by the state. The Health Department says President Obama or any other Hawaiian could still go through the process of getting one, but either way they're no longer supposed to be used for official purposes. Only the computer-generated ones will do.
(voice-over): We wanted to see what you get when you ask for your Hawaii birth certificate.
(on camera): Next door. Birth, death, marriage. Birth for us.
STIG VITALIC: Ok.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): We met 49-year-old Stig Vitalic and told him we'd pay $7 for a new birth certificate for him.
(on camera): I'm Gary Tuchman with CNN. We're here to get a birth certificate for Stig.
(voice-over): We asked Stig because we also saw his birth announcement in the Honolulu newspaper. In the same article, four names down, another newborn, born 13 hours earlier. Barack Obama.
(on camera): And do you give him his original certificate or the electronic copy?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a computerized birth certificate.
TUCHMAN: So this is Stig's certificate of live birth. It's the same form Barack Obama has. The very same form every Hawaiian now gets when they request their birth certificate. Has his name on it, his birth date, August 5th, 1961, the day after the President. It says it was filed August 8th, 1961. This is a raised seal to show its authenticity.
And on the bottom perhaps the most important line, "This copy serves as prima facie evidence of the fact of birth in any court proceeding."
(voice-over): Nobody we talked to doubts Stig's citizenship. But a CNN poll shows 25 percent of Americans doubt President Obama's.
Another part of the conspiracy theory is that the birth announcement in the paper is a fake, planted by his family or someone else who wanted to trick the world into believing the future president was born in the U.S.
Dan Nakaso is a long-time newspaper reporter in Honolulu.
(on camera): There are a number of people who believe that Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States, that his mother or grandmother called the newspaper and gave false information that he was born in the United States.
DAN NAKASO, ADVERTISER, "HONOLULU STAR": Right.
TUCHMAN: Is it possible that could have gotten in the newspaper like that?
NAKASO: No. That's not possible. Under the -- under the system that existed back then there was no avenue for people to submit information that way. TUCHMAN: So how did the information get in the paper?
NAKASO: Information came directly from the State Department of Health.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): We confirmed that fact with the Health Department too. All birth announcements printed in the paper came directly from the birth records of the hospital.
(on camera): So why won't President Obama just release a copy of his original birth certificate? Well, there are some who say he won't do it because the word "Muslim" is on it. But we've taken a look at the original vault birth certificate of another man, and while there are extra spaces on it for hospital and for ages of the parents and for the occupation of the father, there is no space whatsoever for religion.
And the former director of the Health Department, who has seen Barack Obama's original birth certificate, confirms there is no mention whatsoever of religion. The White House says in part no matter what Barack Obama says or does there are many doubters who will still doubt.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And Gary Tuchman joins me live now. The second part of your story airs tonight on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," 10:00 p.m. Eastern. What can we expect from that one? I don't know how you're going to top this.
TUCHMAN: Tonight we talk with people who say they knew Barack Obama when he was an infant and a child, including -- this is so interesting -- the current governor of the state, Neil Abercrombie. Abercrombie's a very popular Hawaii politician, 19 years in Congress, elected to the governor's office last year. And when he became governor, you know, he made it very clear, he was friends with Obama's parents in college, so he knew Mrs. Obama.
KAYE: So is that what it's really come down to? We know how to find people who knew him as a child?
TUCHMAN: Well, this is an important thing, OK? He knew his mother. They used to party together on the weekends, mother and father Obama, Neil Abercrombie. Abercrombie enters office, he says, I'm going to end this controversy once and for all, I'm going to show whatever I need to show to prove it. And then over the last few months he's gotten very quiet.
So tonight we're going to tell you why Neil Abercrombie got quiet and now he's not quiet anymore. We had a long interview with him. He was very passionate, emotional, angry, and reminiscing about his love of the Obama family and meeting Barack Obama when he was an infant.
KAYE: Wow. Well, I'm looking forward to that, Gary. Really great job on this.
TUCHMAN: Thank you, Randi.
KAYE: We look forward to part two tonight on "ANDERSON COOPER 360" 10:00 p.m. Eastern. So, don't miss it. We'll continue to watch this investigation on the birther controversy.
And in the meantime, we'll take a quick break and we'll be right back.
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