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Royals Celebrate Big Day; Much of Tuscaloosa in Ruins; Court Lifts Ban on Stem Cell Research Fed Funds; Tanning Bed Saves Storm Victims; What Will Last NASA Launch Mean for U.S.?; Neighbors Grieve Together in Alabama
Aired April 29, 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 Friday, April 29th.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello from London. I'm Zain Verjee, just outside Buckingham Palace, where the royal wedding went very smoothly -- 1.5 million people were here in London to watch the procession along the streets. Two billion people around the world tuned in to watch the dress, the vows, and the carriage.
We'll tell you what the atmosphere was like here. It was very electric -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Great.
Today, our big stories cover both ends of the spectrum and what life brings to us.
There is a party, a celebration of royal pageantry, and there is also a tragedy, the struggle, the human toil of hundreds of people trying to cope and move forward after those deadly tornadoes.
Right now, President Obama is on the ground in Alabama. He arrived just moments ago to devastating scenes like this one. He and Governor Robert Bentley will survey the tornado damage in Tuscaloosa. Alabama bore the brunt of the terrifying storms that killed some 300 people across the South on Wednesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WOZNIAK, TORNADO VICTIM: I opened the bathroom door thinking I'll leave like a hatchway out or something, and just like in "The Wizard of Oz," the whole front of the house just fly away. And then a Krispy Kreme truck flew right through the living room.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Tornadoes killed people across six southern states. Thirty-four of those deaths were in Tennessee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything is gone. The whole thing that's left is just me and my wife and my dog.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The majority of the people killed in Tennessee were in the Chattanooga area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was bright. You could see through the window, it was all bright, and then all of a sudden it went dark. He opened up the back door and he said, "Run!"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Fifteen people lost their lives in Georgia. The governor has declared a state of emergency for 16 counties.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's crazy. I mean, it's never been like this before. Their roof is on the other side of the street.
Like, it's -- this is a brand-new house. It was just built, and their roof is on the other side of the street. It's absolutely horrific.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The National Weather Service says the tornado that hit Smithville, Mississippi, was an EF-5 on the tornado scale, with winds 205 miles an hour. Emergency workers have raised the state's death toll now to 33. They say without the repeated urgent tornado warnings from the weather service, even more people would have died.
Space shuttle Endeavour is set to lift off on its final flight. That's happening this afternoon.
President Obama and his family, they're going to be there, along with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head. Her husband, Navy Captain Mark Kelly, is Endeavour's commander.
Now for the royal wedding.
Kate Middleton married Prince William today. The couple, destined to be Britain's king and queen one day.
The bride wore a Sarah Burton design from Alexander McQueen's fashion house. One commentator said the wedding dress, with its lace and traditional long train, was the perfect selection.
Kate Middleton's father escorted the bride into Westminster Abbey, the cathedral where William's parents married 30 years ago.
The archbishop of Canterbury recited the couple's wedding vows.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: "I, William Arthur Philip Louis" --
PRINCE WILLIAM: I, William Arthur Philip Louis --
WILLIAMS: -- "take thee, Catherine Elizabeth" --
PRINCE WILLIAM: -- take thee, Catherine Elizabeth --
WILLIAMS: -- "to my wedded wife" --
PRINCE WILLIAM: -- to my wedded wife --
WILLIAMS: -- "to have and to hold from this day forward" --
PRINCE WILLIAM: -- to have and to hold from this day forward --
WILLIAMS: -- "for better or for worse" --
PRINCE WILLIAM: -- for better or for worse --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: I, Catherine Elizabeth --
WILLIAMS: -- "take thee, William Arthur Philip Louis" --
PRINCESS CATHERINE: -- take thee, William Arthur Philip Louis --
WILLIAMS: -- "to my wedded husband" --
PRINCESS CATHERINE: -- as my wedded husband --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The couple appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the traditional kiss. An estimated two billion people watched the royal wedding.
Well, deafening screams, cheers went out around London's Mall this morning. Some say love is in the air. Prince William and his college sweetheart Catherine have now tied the knot.
Well, Zain, I know you're there in all the midst of the excitement outside Buckingham Palace. I have got my hat on for the occasion. I was up at 3:00 in the morning to take it all in. Tell us what it is like where you are.
VERJEE: Suzanne, it has been majestic, it has been magical, and totally electric. Hats like those have been all around the city, as well as in Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace all day today.
People have been so excited, Suzanne. They have been camping out overnight, people from all around the world, all around the country. They're really excited.
Many of them say that Prince William is the most popular member of the royal family. They were out there waving flags. They had all sorts of interesting memorabilia.
They were excited to see al the pomp and circumstance, too. I mean, no one does it better than the Brits. You know?
They've got the old horses. The lead horse, by the way, was Daniel. And he was the one that doesn't get stressed out in big crowds.
But the 1902 State Landau was taken out. And they just looked amazing in that carriage there.
The weather held out as well. There were about 5,500 applications for street parties around London, as well as all around the country. So a lot of people are just having a good time, and they get a day off to celebrate today, too.
So the excitement is still here, and it's been a boost for the monarchy.
MALVEAUX: Zain, tell us about those double kisses there. What was that about? I mean, people went crazy over that.
(LAUGHTER)
VERJEE: I know. Two quick kisses. They have gone nuts here.
People are really excited. Normally, it's one kiss, and no one expected a lingering kiss, although everyone was kind of hoping for one. But they gave us two.
That was totally unprecedented. People were really excited.
Behind me they kept chanting, "Kiss again! Kiss again!" And they did.
It was just really sweet. And then people were chanting again for a hat trick. But then after the queen decided to leave the balcony, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left as well. So it was very cute. It hasn't happened before.
MALVEAUX: And Zain, were there any missteps, any mistakes?
VERJEE: Well, you know, what's a good wedding without a little bit of good gossip, Suzanne, right? So, a lot of people were actually talking about Pippa, Kate Middleton's sister -- now the Duchess of Cambridge's sister.
She was wearing white, which is traditionally what the bride wears. But they are actually really close. She wore an amazing dress. It was a pretty unforgiving one, but she did look great in it. So, some people were saying, oh, she shouldn't really have worn white. Then, also, take a look at this video of Victoria Beckham. She's actually wearing midnight blue, but it kind of looks like she's wearing black.
So, when she arrived at the ceremony, a lot of people were saying, hang on a minute, that's bad luck. You can't wear black. You can't wear black. So that was gossiped about.
And then the prime minister's wife, Samantha Cameron, did not show up with a hat. It's Westminster Abbey. You should have a hat. That was what was on the invitation, but she didn't wear one, so that's a little gossipy behind the scenes.
MALVEAUX: All right. We like that gossip, Zain. And next go- around, we want to see the hat that you wore for the next go-around. OK?
VERJEE: All right.
MALVEAUX: OK. Thanks, Zain.
If you missed any of the royal wedding moments, Piers Morgan has all of them for you. It is a CNN two-hour crowning event tonight, a from kiss to cake, relive the royal wedding's big moments with Piers Morgan at a special time, CNN, 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Here's your chance to "Talk Back" about one of the big stories of the day. We are just a few hours away from the last launch of space shuttle Endeavour. After that, there's just one more shuttle launch for the U.S. space program, and it brings us to today's question.
Carol Costello with more -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I'm so glad you took off that hat for my sake.
MALVEAUX: I think we have a hat for you. So don't worry about that.
COSTELLO: OK.
Let's talk about the space program, though, shall we?
July 20, 1969, I was a little girl back then, but I will never forget that day. I was watching it on TV with my dad, and there he was, an American hero, Neil Armstrong, stepping on to the surface of the moon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEIL ARMSTRONG, ASTRONAUT: That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: With those words, American won. We beat the Soviets on to the moon, just as President Kennedy asked us to do. Fast forward to today, April 29, 2001. Landing on the moon is old hat. America's president, Barack Obama, is going to Florida to witness the last mission of the of the space shuttle Endeavour, and it's bittersweet. But many believe in this tough time, we cannot afford the space shuttle program. NASA has to think of something new.
For commander Mark Kelly, it comes down to this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. MARK KELLY, COMMANDER, STS-134: I know when I get back from STS-134, from this last flight of Endeavour, I'll be thinking the same thing, I can't really give this up. I've got to figure out a way to get back into space again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But will he? Will we?
NASA dreams of landing on Mars. But who knows it if will have enough money to do that? The $1.3 billion of its $19 billion budget is earmarked for commercial development. Maybe private companies will bring back some of those jobs lost when the shuttle program ends.
And there's an ironic twist here. Without the space shuttle, NASA astronauts will have to rely on Russian rockets to get to the International Space Station.
So, "Talk Back" today: What will the last space shuttle mission mean for America?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN, and I'll read your comments later this hour.
MALVEAUX: Very interesting question. I mean, really. Because if you think about it, the Bush administration, he wanted to send us to Mars. The Obama administration said hold on, let's put our money to where we need to go.
COSTELLO: I know.
MALVEAUX: And now the astronauts say, what do we do now? What's next for us?
COSTELLO: And the thing is, is the space program has always been symbolic of something bigger. It's what Americans do.
MALVEAUX: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: We're a can do nation. If we put our minds to it, we can do it. And that's what it's always symbolized. But what does it symbolize now?
MALVEAUX: Right. All right. Great question, Carol. Thanks. I'll get the hat for you, too, by the way.
COSTELLO: I can't wait.
MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're covering in the next two hours.
First, gearing up for its final flight, space shuttle Endeavour is now on the launch pad.
And the first family is in Alabama to get a personal look of what's left after the tornadoes.
And she pulled her daughters into a tanning bed moments before the storm tore off the roof. We've got more stories of survival that you're not going to want to miss.
And finally, the power of the tsunami. Incredible new video of the nightmare Japan is still waking up from.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: President Obama is getting an up-close look at the devastation left by deadly storms that ripped across the South. Right now, the president is meeting with Alabama's governor and surveying damaged areas.
The tornadoes and storms killed 300 people in six states, more than 200 in Alabama alone. The president calls the loss of life heartbreaking. He says the federal government is going to try to do everything they can to help in this recovery.
Our correspondents are on the ground following the latest developments. Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf, he is in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. And national correspondent Susan Candiotti is in Apison, Tennessee.
I want to begin with Tuscaloosa. Much of the city, in absolute ruins. The mayor says that entire blocks were just obliterated.
Reynolds, you're there. First of all, what are we learning about the president's visit, what he hopes to accomplish on the ground?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS CORRESPONDENT: What the president hopes to accomplish when he's on the ground is to see things up close and personal. You know, it's one thing to hear a report, but to really have it strike home, you have got to go to the scene, you have to be able to see those things, and that is certainly what the president and the first lady are going to see today.
They are going to be joined by Governor Robert Bentley, the first lady of Alabama. And they are going to see a lot of things, including the wanton destruction, and just how random things tend to be.
When you take a quick look around, notice you've got cars thrown up in different places. Some places, the trees are just ripped to shreds. But let me also show you some of the randomness that we have on the other side of the street.
Jonathan is with me, Jonathan Sheer (ph).
Let's show them these houses here.
You have got one that's in bad shape. Another one has been ripped completely clear. The foundation has been pushed back.
But that's only half the thing. If you happen to be in the center of a room, you might stand the chance of survival. But then when you cross over on this side of the street, go right towards the sidewalk, and this has been wiped completely clean of the foundation.
You're in that house and that tornado comes calling, you're not going to survive. There's no way you can in a situation like that. So that breaks all the rules. There are no rules when it comes to tornadoes this large.
This storm, this tornado, at least an EF-4 or 5, winds in excess of 200 miles per hour. It came through here like a giant saw blade, knocked everything.
Notice this boat right here in the middle of the street, certainly not supposed to be there. You've got wrought iron trusses in different places, insulation here and there. But something that is really confounding is not just what it hit and where it moved things, but also about things that were spared.
Jonathan, let's see if we can get America a nice shot of right here at the very top of the hill. You can barely make it out. It says DMC Regional Medical Center. The hospital, before this tornado, was relatively full.
Imagine if it had taken a direct hit on that hospital. Thankfully, the hospital was spared.
You drop down a little bit, Jonathan, you look also on the roof, and you'll see a couple of construction workers trying to hammer this city back to life. And, trust me, as an Alabamian, and someone who knows these people very well, they will do that. It's going to take some time, but they are going to roll up their sleeves and get back to work.
Back to you.
MALVEAUX: Thank God the people in the hospital were spared. Reynolds, thank you so much.
We are getting new video that gives us a closer look at the terrible power of Japan's tsunami. This is from March 11th. This is unbelievable when you look at these pictures.
Watch as cars, planes, even helicopters are washed away like bath toys. More than 14,000 people died. Hundreds of thousands lost their homes. Unbelievable video.
Well, from disaster, a bit of hope. We're going to look at preparations for the shuttle Endeavour's final launch. Wounded congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, she is there to watch her husband lead that mission. A live report from the Kennedy Space Center.
And later, the wedding everyone is talking about -- the dress, the hats, the crowd, and, yes, the kiss. We're going to go live to London.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We've got some breaking news we want to share with you. We're just getting word now that a federal appeals court has lifted a ban on federal funding for stem cell research.
I want to bring in our Supreme Court producer, Bill Mears, who has been covering this story.
And Bill, tell us what this means. We know it's very controversial, the Bush administration, having pushed for expanding federal funding for stem cell research. The Obama administration, trying to restrict it.
Where are we in this case?
BILL MEARS, CNN SUPREME COURT PRODUCER: Well, what happened was a federal judge last year had ruled that the National Institutes of Health could not continue this research. The judge had said it violated the law because these embryos, these embryonic stem cells, were destroyed in the process for the research. But a federal appeals court this morning, by a 2-1 vote, has lifted an injunction and said that the embryonic stem cell research can continue.
MALVEAUX: So does this mean that they will actually be able to use those federal funds that were made available to expand this research, stem cell research?
MEARS: For the time being it does mean that, but the opponents of this research can always file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to block, at least temporarily, any further research being done. But for now, the research can continue.
MALVEAUX: Bill, do we have any idea whether or not this is the kind of case that the Supreme Court would take up?
MEARS: It's a tricky case. It deals with federal authority here and whether decision-making authority by the administration that this research is necessary.
The courts have been -- particularly the Supreme Court -- has been kind of wary about getting into determining about the executive policy and when it's appropriate or not. I'm not sure the Supreme Court may be eager to take on this case at this point.
MALVEAUX: All right. Bill Mears, thank you very much. We'll see if the White House, the Obama administration has a response to this, whether or not they will go ahead and take it to the next level. This is obviously a blow to the administration's position regarding federal funding for stem cell research.
It's the final countdown happening now at the Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle Endeavour is being prepped for its last mission.
We've got live pictures here. Blastoff happens about four-and-a- half hours from now, and President Obama and the entire first family, they're going to be present for the launch later today.
Wounded congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is already -- she's already in Florida to watch. It is her husband, Commander Mark Kelly, who is leading the mission. Doctors cleared Giffords to leave rehab to attend this launch.
So the excitement, it's growing. Our John Zarrella, at the Kennedy Space Center, joining us live.
And John, this is one of these moments here where everybody is anticipating, how is this going to go? And there are so many different parts of the story, because you've got the president, you have the congresswoman.
Do we think that this is going to happen? Is it all systems go, weather cooperating?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, maybe. It's really cloudy here right now, yes. And the wind is really blowing. So, unless this all moves out this afternoon -- you can see how windy it is. Right now, NASA is insisting, at least the weather folks are, that they still have a pretty good shot at getting off the ground with Endeavour, but it doesn't look good right this minute.
Now, you mentioned Mark Kelly. In about a half an hour from now, he and the rest of the crew will be boarding the bus, leaving the operations and checkout building, and heading past us here and out to the launch pad to get on board Endeavour.
In fact, his wife, Gabrielle Giffords, tweeted out this morning that he had messaged her saying, he's up and he's ready and they are excited and they are ready to go -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Well, we certainly hope it happens, but obviously the weather has got to cooperate.
What is the mood like there?
ZARRELLA: I'll tell you, I have not seen this many people here since 1999, when I was here with Miles O'Brien, space correspondent, and we were covering the launch with John Glenn. In fact, there's four pages here of invited dignitaries, and there's, like, 118 people on this.
And the first names, the president, Mrs. Obama and family. And then everybody else. I don't think I've seen a list this long since 1999 -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: OK. All right. Great, John. And we're going to get back to you in just a bit.
We are now going to go to -- the wedding bells that have rung for Prince William and his new bride. The crowds, they just couldn't get enough of this.
And Zain Verjee, she is in the thick of all of this.
Hey, Zain. What's going on?
VERJEE: Hey, Suzanne. 1.5 million people were here out on the streets. I'm going to tell you what it was like to be in this electric crowd today.
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: This launch and the launch of the shuttle Atlantis in June will mark the end of an era and the beginning of a new phase for the U.S. space program.
Pilot and aviation analyst Miles O'Brien is at the Kennedy Space Center.
Miles, good to see you.
You've watched some 40 space launches. And there are some who argue that this robs the U.S. of its leadership role in space. You know, part of what President Kennedy was calling for us to do was to lead in the space race and innovation.
What do you think about now retiring the shuttle program?
MILES O'BRIEN, AVIATION ANALYST: Well, it's bittersweet for sure, Suzanne. I've seen a lot of these launches, and I've come to love the shuttle program and love the shuttle. It is a technological marvel.
But let's not forget that the shuttle could not go farther than about 250 miles above the surface of the planet Earth. So it was a limited architecture, if you will.
It was great for building the International Space Station, but if you want human beings to go a little farther out, the shuttle was not going to carry you there. So, the notion that we want to go farther means another vehicle.
The other thing that's worth remembering here is that NASA is thinking about trying to kick-start a private industry in space with space tourism and using a different way of funding contracts to have commercial players go to and from the international space station.
And I just -- I try to remind people when they say, hey, we're losing out with NASA, just think of Silicon Valley. Think of the spark of innovation that has come out of there. And imagine that, applying that in space. That is the hope, that we can get some of the entrepreneurial spirit in space, and I think we'll see all kinds of innovations come out of that.
MALVEAUX: How do you do that though? Because the space shuttle program produced amazing research, as you know. It led to things like, you know, cordless power drills, medical lasers, improved prosthetic limbs, GPS devices. Are we losing out on developing amazing technological advances when it comes to research and development from these shuttle programs?
O'BRIEN: Well, we lose a little something, but we've gained something. The shuttle has leveraged by building the international space station has created this amazing $100 billion floating national laboratory. And we've only just scratched the surface on what sort of science might come out of that.
When you start looking at ways to come up with novel new drugs and growing these rather intricate protein crystals in space or looking at the way that certain sorts of bacteria for some reason express their virulence differently in space, and we can get drugs and vaccines in a different way in space. The space station itself is apt to take scientific understanding in space and lead to all kinds of breakthroughs that the shuttle could not do the course of a two-week mission.
So, what I think you have to do is focus on the fact that there is a lot of science that's going to be going on in space on the space station. The shuttle made that space station possible. And in a perfect world, it would be great to keep it. You know, if you have a space station, it's great to have a shuttle to go to and fro. But with the budgets that we have, that's not possible.
MALVEAUX: All right. Miles, good to see you. Miles O'Brien.
The space program is the topic for today's "Talk Back" question. Endeavour is the second to last shuttle mission. So, we wanted to know, what will the last space shuttle mission mean for us, the United States? Let us know what you think at facebook.com/carolCNN. Carol Costello, she's going to read some of your responses later in the show.
The crowds go wild in London for the royal couple. More than a million people crowded London's Mall, many camping overnight for a seat to see the future king and his bride pass by in their royal carriage. About five hours ago, Prince William and Catherine exchanged wedding vows at Westminster Abbey. Their titles are now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Titles chosen by Queen Elizabeth.
So, what was it like to be in the crowd? Our own Zain Verjee, she knows. She joins us live from outside the palace. And Zain, I think this party just continues. There's more and more excitement as the day goes on?
VERJEE: It does. There's something like 5,500 parties going on in just the city of London. The whole country is having a good time. They are happy because it's a public holiday as well. But there were 1.5 million people out here on the streets of London. A million of them just lining the procession route just to see the bride and groom.
There was so much fun. There was so much excitement and so much enthusiasm for the monarchy today. So many people were commenting that it hasn't been like this for so many years. People from around the world and around the country camped out overnight in Hyde Park around just around Westminster Abbey as well and around Buckingham Palace. They pitched tents, they brought tea, they brought a change of clothes, hot water bottles. They left their husbands at home and they said, "We are coming here and we want to be a part of this big day."
People -- you couldn't even see over the crowds. One of the things we saw a lot, Suzanne, was people carrying parascopes that they were given so they could see over everyone else's heads and catch a glimpse of the bride and groom.
Lynn was someone who was part of the festivities today. What was it like for you? did you have a good time?
LYNN: Absolutely awesome. Really really fantastic. The bride looked stunning. We were in the park. We had a program, we sang along. Brilliant.
VERJEE: And -- hi, Kate. How are you? Nice to see you. What was the best part for you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my goodness me . I think when we both came out and the bride -- when they both came out and you just saw them and the sun was out and it was just -- everything was brilliant, actually.
VERJEE: So, the best moment was the kiss on the balcony, I think people were excited that there were two. What did you think of the dress?
LYNN: The dress was amazing. They managed to keep it a secret the whole time. And yes, when it came out, it was great. Really beautiful. Stunning.
VERJEE: Are you guys big royal supporters, royal fans?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're British. We're proud. I am really proud of our country and, yes, we love the royal family.
VERJEE: All right. Thanks so much, guys. And you have ah - you have - here's old Will. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Suzanne Malveaux, there you go.
MALVEAUX: Oh, you got the exclusive, Zain! That's pretty good. You got the wedding couple there.
(LAUGHTER)
VERJEE: The first one!
MALVEUAX: See you in a bit, Zain.
Well, if you missed any of the royal wedding moments, Piers Morgan has all of them for you. It's the CNN two-hour crowning event tonight, from kiss to Kate. Relive the royal weddings biggest moments with Piers Morgan at a special time. CNN, 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We want to give you more information about a story that we just reported. A federal court has given the Obama administration to go-ahead to continue with embryonic stem cell research. The decision - it was a controversial decision, 2-1. It's a victory for supporters of the federally-funded testing of a range of diseases and illnesses. A federal appeals court lifting the ban on federal funding for stem cell research, a victory for the Obama add administration that had been fighting to expand funding and a blow to the Bush administration that had previously been trying to restrict it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Their house was picked up. We think it was probably turned upside down and flipped a couple of times.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: A Georgia couple survives even though their house was destroyed. Georgia is one of six Southern states reeling from deadly storms and tornadoes. Fifteen people were killed in Georgia. And the governor has declared a state of emergency in 16 counties.
The town of Ringgold in northwest Georgia took a direct hit. Several homes and businesses have been destroyed. In Tennessee, tornadoes cut a path of destruction that stretched for 200 miles. Emergency officials say that 34 people lost their lives.
Our national correspondent Susan Candiotti is in Absen. It is a community that is east of Chattanooga. And Susan, give us a sense of the damage there and how people are coping and recovering.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I will. It is quite amazing. Like with a lot of tornadoes, you sense the power by looking at certain things. For example, take a look up this hill. Suzanne, those are metal power poles. Look how the power of that tornado bent them in half. Now stretching onto the ground.
Then you sweep down in this direction and you look, you see trees sliced and diced by that twister as it came on through. A house down this hill that you can see is now sitting at a 45 degree angle. Two people in there survived. And bits and pieces of every little thing in its path. This is a transformer down here. Another electrical pole just caught off.
And we find little personal items, a child's toy. Look at that. And you see this time and again, one thing that really stands out is how many volunteers they have in this area. In this Hamilton County alone, they're seeing an overabundance of volunteers. People pitching in, going up and down the street with saws and trying to pick up debris and help their neighbors, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And Susan, I know you've been talking to a lot of people, hearing a lot of their stories. Is there anything that stood out to you in particular?
CANDIOTTI: Yes. In this same area, there was a double-wide mobile home sitting just over there. The storm picked it up, blew it up on this hill where it was literally blown to bits. Four of the occupants inside were thrown out of the home and did not survive. Among them, a child. We don't know the age and the names have not been released.
We did learn that there was a survivor. An eight-year-old boy who was thrown into one of these trees, no one knows exactly which one. They were able to pluck him out of that tree and air lift him to a hospital and, again, miraculously, we're told that he is expected to survive his injuries, Suzanne. You hear this kind of thing time and time again.
MALVEAUX: Unbelievable. Susan, thank you so much.
They survived the tornado by hiding - this is an interesting story -- in a tanning bed. I'm going to talk to a mother of two whose quick thinking saved their lives of herself and her daughters.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Even more powerful than the storm are the stories of survival.
Lisa Rice owned a tanning salon in Trenton, Georgia for just three weeks when a tornado ripped through the town. Thinking fast, she grabbed her two daughters, leapt into one of the salon's tanning beds and then pulled down the cover. Incredibly, they rode out the disaster even as the building around them was torn to shreds.
Lisa Rice, she's joining us on the phone from Trenton.
And Lisa, it is just an unbelievable story. When we heard this, we could not actually believe that this -- it is just a miracle.
Give us a sense of what were you thinking at the time. What made you decide and think, you know what, this might save my life, this might actually work?
LISA RICE, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Whenever we had heard about the tornado coming, we already decided which room we were going to go in, which was in -- the tanning bed was the green tanning bed. So I told my husband earlier, I said, if anything happens, we're going to be sin the green tanning bed. That's where you come and look for us.
So we was watching out the window and whenever we've seen that, you know, the tornado coming, it had gotten dark and things started sliding around, and we heard the train -- it sounded like a train. So I told my daughters, go, go, go. And so we took off and jumped in the tanning bed and just pulled the cover -- you know, the lid down on us.
MALVEAUX: And what were you thinking when you were inside of that enclosed casing like that? RICE: I was just telling my daughters -- one of them was crying and the other one was scared and crying also. And I just kept telling them, I said, pray, pray, pray. Just pray. We just kept saying, God, stay with us, keep your hands on us. And we were just praying the whole time. And my oldest daughter, she kept saying, we're going to die, we're going to die. I said, no, we're not. Just pray, just pray, just pray.
MALVEAUX: How long do you think it lasted when you were inside of this thing that is almost like a coffin?
RICE: It was -- the tornado alone was 30 seconds and then after it had stopped, I said, just stay in here for right now to make sure everything was over and then within just a few -- you know within a minute we were -- actually, we were in there and we called my husband and told him that we had been hit, that we were OK but we thought we were trapped inside and so he started that way. He works for Georgia Power so he was in the area.
And -- so then we started lifting the lid and just a few things fell off of it. Boards and bricks and stuff and then we climbed out of it.
MALVEAUX: When you climbed out of that, what did you -- what did you think about the fact that you actually survived?
RICE: We was just -- I mean, it was just a miracle. I mean, it was -- my oldest daughter just kept saying, I thought we were going to die. She said, did you ever think that? I said, no. I said I knew we wouldn't.
But anyway, I thought -- we climbed out and we could see everything. I mean the roof was gone. We walked out of that one room and to the back and the whole back of the building was gone and everything, and that's the way we got out.
(CROSSTALK)
MALVEAUX: And it's a miracle. I understand that your daughters are named Sky and Stormy, kind of ironic, don't you think?
RICE: Yes, it is.
MALVEAUX: Amazing that you -- that it ended so beautifully and that you were able to survive such a tragic situation.
RICE: Yes, we are very fortunate. There's a lot of people in our area that, you know, won't have a home to go back to. And you know we -- our home was about seven miles from this so it never got hit. But you know there's a lot of people there that -- you know, some lost their lives and then lost their homes and everything.
So we are very fortunate that we still have our lives and, you know, we did lose the tanning salon but we plan on rebuilding.
MALVEAUX: All right. Lisa Rice, thank you so much. Just an incredible story of survival and we wish you and your family the very, very best. Thank you.
RICE: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: We are now getting pictures, these are first pictures of President Obama. He is on the ground touring the damage in Alabama. You can see some of those still pictures. He's going to be meeting with the governor. He is also going to be meeting with state and local officials as well as talking to some families personally impacted by the tornadoes and the storm.
Obviously President Obama as well as FEMA and other federal agencies offering their assistance to the state of Alabama and others during this very difficult time of recovery.
We also understand that there are some other stories of survival. In the next hour of the NEWSROOM, I'm going to talk to a fireman whose son literally flew away in the tornado.
To find out more on how you can help those devastated by the tornadoes, go to CNN.com/impact. You'll find organizations and ways that you can help those in need. That is CNN.com/impact.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We're just a few hours away from the last launch of space shuttle Endeavour, the second to last launch of the NASA space shuttle.
Carol Costello is here with some of your responses to today's "Talk Back" question.
Carol, what are folks saying?
COSTELLO: Yes. Some people say this is the end of an era. The "Talk Back" question, what will the last space shuttle mission mean for America? This from Joy, "It means saving money until we have a surplus to go back to. Spending dollars playing in outer space when our debts are about to crush us makes no sense."
This from Wayne, "A minute drop in deficit spending and a major drop in scientific competitiveness."
This from Richard. "It means the end of an era. As a kid who grew up with the Apollo program, I was inspired by it. The kids today won't have the same inspiration I had."
This from Rob. "It means ultimately we lost the space race, and at this point, Russia has won. Very sad days for America. I live within skipping distance from the space coast and the mood is drab everywhere."
Keep the conversation going. Facebook.com/carolCNN. And I'll be back again -- oh, I'm staying now for a hat discussion.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: No. For the royal wedding, it's bigger than hats. I want you to see this. Royal wedding is --
COSTELLO: It's bigger than the hats.
MALVEAUX: No, no, no, check out the hats. They really were quite amazing, took the cake here. Check it out. Did you see them? There are feathery extensions, the broad brims. You know --
COSTELLO: That one intrigues me. How do they keep that on? Do they have glue on their forehead?
MALVEAUX: Yes. You never know. I mean that was really quite extraordinary. You had Victoria Beckham, too. She was looking rather posh in her black hat. Some worn on the side of the head, some of them at the top. All of them quite large. And you know, I think we ought to -- Carol, I think we ought to get in the spirit. Just try one. Just try one. Give me. Give me one here.
COSTELLO: It will mess up my hair.
MALVEAUX: I promise you, we will fix -- what do you think?
COSTELLO: Well --
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: Tell us, OK --
COSTELLO: I can't see anything.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: What's the deal with the hats, though, do you know?
COSTELLO: The tradition of wearing hats in Britain?
MALVEAUX: Yes. Yes.
COSTELLO: I thought we fought the revolutionary war in part to do away with that tradition, so I have no idea.
MALVEAUX: Thank God we did fight that war or else we'd be wearing these hats.
COSTELLO: I haven't worn a hat since I was 8. You know to the Sunday mass. We always had to wear little hats when we were little.
MALVEAUX: Yes. It suits you. For now.
COSTELLO: For now.
MALVEAUX: OK. We promise we'll take these off.
COSTELLO: I've got to get off the set now. Bye.
(LAUGHTER) MALVEAUX: See you, Carol. A million an d a half people cheered for their future king and queen, who exchanged vows in London about five hours ago.
And Zain Verjee has a live report from outside Buckingham Palace, just minutes away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: In the wake of the tornadoes, all that some people have left are really just each other.
Our Martin Savidge reports from Pleasant Grove, Alabama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were there.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Grays and the Hudsons have been neighbors for years. Now these neighbors are going back together to see what's left of their homes. And the answer's simple, nothing.
JEANNIE GRAY, TORNADO SURVIVOR: I just can't believe this.
SAVIDGE: Charisse Hudson didn't even know which house was hers at first. Then, something looked familiar.
CHARISSE HUDSON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: I knew this was my house because my car was on top of it.
SAVIDGE: Next door at the Grays', the broken gas line hisses menacingly and the busted water line gushes excessively. Jeannie and Jeff ignore both, too caught up in the shock and the awe.
(On camera): Can you believe looking at this?
GRAY: I can't. I thought -- I can't. I walked over here last night. And I just, I -- I just couldn't comprehend it. And our neighbor's house right there, I mean, it --
SAVIDGE (voice-over): The Hudsons left before the storm because their power went out.
(On camera): Lucky thing you did.
HUDSON: It was a blessed thing we did. And a couple -- or one of our neighbors said, well, I'm going to tough it out, you know, I'm going to stay home.
SAVIDGE: Do you know where that neighbor is?
HUDSON: Not sure.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): Neighbors for years made homeless in an instant, both just grateful to see the other alive. Martin Savidge, CNN, Pleasant Grove, Alabama.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Top of the hour, I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And I'm Zain Verjee.
It has been a right to royal day here. What do you guys think?
(CHEERS)
VERJEE: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
VERJEE: I'm too late, Suzanne, but I can tell you about the kiss, the vows, the dress and the carriage. 1.5 million people were here out on the streets of London, two billion people around the world watched. We'll tell you how magical it was -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Zain, you're going to have to tell us about that crown, too, that you're wearing as well. And we'll get back to you.
Today our big stories cover both ends of the spectrum in what life brings to us. A party, a celebration, royal pageantry, but also a tragedy, the struggle, human toll of hundreds trying to cope and move forward after deadly tornadoes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's get out of here, man. It's getting real.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is so cool.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's getting real fast.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
