Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

President Obama on Immigration Reform; Pakistan: OK for U.S. to Talk with bin Laden's Widows Many Laws, Little Reform; GM Jobs Announcement; Building Volkswagens In Tennessee; Spotlight On Immigration; United States of Innovation; Japanese Retirees Have the Key to Longevity?

Aired May 10, 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 there, Drew, thank you. The epic flooding in the Midwest is heading south with Mississippi and Louisiana the next states in the path. All along the river, cities are stocked and stacked with sand bags, trying desperately to head off the historic flow of water.

National Guard troops have been mobilized to help wherever need. At least 21 parishes in Louisiana are under emergency declarations. This could be the worst flooding along the lower Mississippi since 1927. It was after that disaster that an intricate levee system was designed, those levees are being tested now. And even if they all hold, flooding is expected in low-lying areas. But the levee system could seriously limit the impact.

There are also plans in Louisiana to divert some of the water. One spillway was opened yesterday. Now the Army Corps of Engineers is looking at the Morganza Spillway, opening that could lessen the flow for places like Baton Rouge and New Orleans, but it will most deductible flood populated areas west of the Mississippi. Experts there say the flooding could keep farmers from using their land for up to one year.

Right now, Memphis, Tennessee is the center of attention. The Mississippi river is cresting there today. Our Rob Marciano is keeping an eye on the high watermark. Rob, how bad is it in Memphis right now?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, I can tell you this, even though this river is cresting, it hasn't moved a whole lot. And that's going to be the painful process here as we go forward.

The river behind me, well, it should be a lot further that way. Typically about a half mile in with -- it has swollen to three miles in width, inundating Riverside Park, Riverside Drive where I'm standing, which meets up with Beale Street, at least the western end of it, that famed street with all of the blues institutions and night spots.

A little bit farther east, they're OK, Graceland is OK. So, downtown Memphis, for the most part, has been spared a few blocks away from the river. But you go to the outer lying suburbs or where the smaller tributaries are, Randi, and you wouldn't be ankle or knee deep in water, you would be more chest-deep or it would be over your head. And that's what people are enduring in those areas, that's where there has been evacuation evacuations, that's where there has been over 900 homes that have been affected by this flooding. And where people are living in shelters right now, about 400 folks in shelters, and they'll probably be in there for some time to come.

KAYE: You can't help but feel for those people. So Rob, tell me exactly what the cresting means? I mean, does this mean that the worst of the flooding is then going to be over in Memphis?

MARCIANO: Typically, that would be the case. You know, when we think -- when we talk about floods on smaller rivers that have less water, you get a crest that comes sooner, and it leaves sooner. This is such a large river with so much -- so many tributaries draining into this, I mean this drains two-thirds of North America, so you've got a lot of water trying to get to the Gulf of Mexico, so the crest is slow and big and it's going to be slow to move on, and that's going to be the ongoing issue.

Can these levees withstand that sort of pressure, and what should we do about it? Talked to the Army Corps of Engineer Colonel Reichling yesterday -- or early this morning, he's based here in Memphis. Here's what they had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: There's been so much pressure for such an extended period of time that we have never seen on these levees. Have you seen weaknesses?

COLONEL REICHLING, U.S. ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS: Yes, we have but they're all controllable. There has been no uncontrollable weaknesses. What we have seen is under seepage up in Cairo, Illinois, in it Hickman, Kentucky, and now down here in Memphis. We have some areas where we've seen some seepage, but we flood-fight it, and it's doing well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: So, confidence level is high, Randi. And, you know, if there is any positive from this story, of course you don't want -- the folks who have been flooded out of their homes don't want to hear this, but the levees have done a pretty good job and the Army Corps of Engineers' plan has worked according to plan and pretty well. And we certainly hope that continues over the next month when we get this water down into the Gulf.

KAYE: Yes, well, in a situation like this, we'll take any good news we can. Thank you, Rob, appreciate it.

With Congress at an apparent impasse over immigration and border security, President Obama is about to launch a campaign to push U.S. lawmakers to do something.

The president is on his way to the border city of El Paso, Texas where he's scheduled to speak in just about two-and-a-half hours. Hispanic groups have been pushing for reforms that would give some illegal immigrants legal status, but Republicans say they won't address immigration until our border is secure.

In the meantime, inaction by the federal government has various states tackling the immigration issue on their own. The latest is Maryland where illegal immigrants will now be able to pay the in-state rate for college tuition. Governor O'Malley signed that controversial measure into law this morning. The law takes effect July 1st.

Opponents have already started gathering petition signatures to force a referendum to repeal the law.

There's a lot of at stake here. Border security and immigration will undoubtedly be key in the 2012 elections. Coming up in just about five minutes, we'll take an in depth look at this hot button topic and explore why lawmakers have failed to resolve this issue.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials are still in the dark about when or where they'll get access to Osama Bin Laden's widows, but they have now identified all of the wives who were inside Bin Laden's compound when he was killed last week.

The U.S. wants to talk to all three women who are in Pakistani custody. They include Bin Laden's fifth and youngest wife who was shot in the leg during the U.S. raid on the compound. A senior Pakistani intelligence source says the U.S. can talk to the widows, but only if it gets permission from their countries of origin.

Just two weeks after their 25th wedding anniversary, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver are separating. Their split comes four months after Schwarzenegger finished his term as governor in California. The couple have four children together. They're living apart while they work out their relationship, they say. So far, there is no mention of divorce.

A federal court in Virginia began hearing arguments today on whether President Obama's health care law is constitutional. The hearing is the first appellate review of the law that requires most Americans to have insurance. A panel of three judges is examining the case. Until now, the constitutionality of the health care overhaul was only tested by district court judges.

Well, it was tough, but lawmakers acted on health care, they side stepped a government shutdown, they're even talking seriously about cutting the nation's debt. So, why the perpetual gridlock on immigration reform? I'll show you where action is taking place, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: As we mentioned, President Obama is on his way to the border town of El Paso, Texas and immigration is on his mind. Two-and-a-half years after winning two-thirds of the Hispanic vote for president and 18 months before the next election, he's trying to remind those devoted supporters that he hasn't forgotten their signature issue. You may recall the D.R.E.A.M. Act, which would have given children of illegal immigrants a pass to U.S. citizenship, died in Congress last year, even with Democrats leading both houses. And with Washington doing nothing, the states are moving in many directions all at once.

So, let me show you what I mean. Everybody knows about the law that Arizona passed just a little over a year ago. There is Arizona, the only state on the map here.

Now, that law could actually wind up at the U.S. Supreme Court, the battle over it this year, but 45 other states also passed some type of immigration law, or resolution in 2010. You see a whole lot more green here now on the map. And this year, well, so far at least 52 bills have been introduced in 30 states. These aren't trivial measures, either, they're mostly crackdowns relating to law enforcement, employment verification or eligibility for public benefits.

Now, two bills in Utah have passed and been signed into law. Here in Georgia, a measure based on Arizona's law is awaiting the governor's signature. Fourteen other measures have failed, including one in Utah. Thirty-six are still pending. So, have we convinced you yet immigration is hugely complicated and there is no clear path to reform?

Joining me with his insight, there's a former state law enforcer, a former big state governor, and now a CNN colleague, Eliot Spitzer, host of our prime time show "IN THE ARENA."

Eliot, great to have you on the show. I want you to imagine that you're back in Albany. What's a governor or a state legislature to do when the system is clearly broken and Congress isn't acting?

ELIOT SPITZER, HOST, "IN THE ARENA": First of all, I think you have to understand, there's an awful lot of posturing on this issue. Most of the bills you talk about are proposed and knowing they will never be enacted. I think people are playing to their base. Sensible minds understand there are a couple things that should be done.

We need some path to citizenship for the 10 million people who are here. We are simply not going to drive them out of the country. We need to enforce the borders and make sure there is border security. And then, we need to put in place some measured process to get immigration to where it should be.

The business community, interestingly, wants immigration for the skilled labor we need. So, there are a lot of conflicting motivations here. The politicians will play games with it. The president, one hopes, will use his new-found popularity to exercise some leadership, and bring the parties together.

But let's be clear, as you said, it is incredibly potent as a political issue, and with the presidential race coming up next year, hard to see how you can get a coalition together to finally drive this through to success. KAYE: Yes, it certainly is. Well, the Supreme Court, though, will likely decide whether the states can enact their own immigration policies, but do you think it's constitutional for the states to handle it?

SPITZER: I think at the end of the day, the Supreme Court will say that the national government, the federal government, needs to define the parameters of citizenship. It is up to not only citizenship, but also the rules about immigration, and how we enforce it. I think if we have 50 states doing that in a crazy quilt patchwork of enforcement, the United States' Supreme Court will say that is antithetical to what our federal government is all about.

So, I think those bills are likely to be struck down, the Arizona bill in particular. Having said that, what this will succeed in doing, I think, is driving Congress to resolving the issue. Very often what happens, when you get states acting this way, because there is the tension, there is the friction, the upset, finally in Washington, they say we've got to step into this breach and do something.

Obviously, as you have been covering it all day and CNN has been covering it all day and for years, we see that this issue is a burr under the saddle of those trying to govern. And so, finally we must resolve it for the sake of the economy, the sake of those living in limbo, for the sake of the political narrative of this nation.

KAYE: I mean, the states say -- a lot of states say that they want to handle it on their own, but really, can they even manage that?

SPITZER: No. The reality is, as I said, a lot of posturing going on here. The states do not have the resources, the law enforcement capability or simply the wherewithal from a judicial perspective to handle the enormous flood of cases that would result, if they want wanted to go out there and start challenging the immigration status of the thousands in some states, millions of people who are there without proper documentation.

In New York state, we have millions of people who are here, this is an immigrant home that is part of the history of the state, and I think anybody who says, gee, let's just go out and start checking on immigration papers and deporting people, doesn't understand the reality of what goes on here. It would destroy the fabric of our state, of our city, and it simply does -- isn't what we believe in.

Having said that, we need some coherent answer to the problem. Any time somebody in the federal government has proposed it, they've been shot down, and I -- you know, as a Democratic governor, I disagreed with president George W. Bush an awful lot, needless to say, but he took a leadership role and deserves to be applauded at different times for trying very hard to try to resolve and address that issue. Didn't succeed, got caught in the cross fire of a very, very tough issue.

KAYE: Yes. So, what about the politics of all this? I mean, are Republicans hurting themselves by continuing to stress border security above all? I mean, is the White House now simply throwing a bone to disappoint the Hispanics as well? SPITZER: Well, look, I don't want to be either that cynical about what the White House is doing. I think the president genuinely believes that there is an answer that we need to achieve here. And I think the Republicans are playing, to a certain extent, to their primary core base. Much as what you're seeing with Speaker Boehner on the tax issue. They're playing to either the Tea Party base or to those who are the most fervent supporters in their party who will be the ones who turn out in the primary.

I think it is clearly the case that when you look at the electoral politics of November 12, and you look at the states the Republicans need to win, there is a very significant minority voting presence, Latino in particular. That vote will, to a certain extent, respond to how the parties are talking about the issue of immigration. If the Republicans do not begin to speak a different language on immigration, I think it's hard to see how they will make any serious in-roads in the Latino vote that President Obama got last go-round.

Now, maybe they have a path to victory that doesn't depend upon that. But if they want the Latino vote, which is parenthetically the largest, fastest-growing demographic in the United States, if the Republicans want to begin to do better there, they're going to have to change their tune on immigration.

KAYE: All right, we will leave it. Eliot, thank you so much. Appreciate you coming on. Good discussion.

SPITZER: My pleasure. Thank you.

KAYE: And I'm sure you'll be covering this tonight on your show, as well. So we will tune in for that. Don't forget, Eliot's show, "In The Arena," airs weeknights at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only right here on CNN.

Well, there's good news for U.S. auto workers, and some of it comes from Germany. "Your Money" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: An announcement expected from General Motors today could benefit thousands of U.S. workers. CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow joins me live now to talk about this.

Poppy, what do you know?

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Well, it's great news for auto workers out there, Randi. You know we heard last week that GM made the biggest profit they have made in 11 years. And now they're putting a lot of that money to work in jobs.

What they're going to announce shortly in Toledo, Ohio, is that they're going to be investing $2 billion to create or preserve 4,000 jobs. Now, we said, does that mean new jobs? And what they said is mainly these are going to be all new jobs in 17 different plants across eight states. That is very welcome news. The CEO of GM will be making that official announcement at their Toledo, Ohio, plant. They're going to invest more than $200 million in Toledo. And they're going to preserve 250 jobs in that plant alone.

Most of these jobs, Randi, are union jobs. So that will be welcome news to a lot of those union auto workers out there. The other plants, we're going to find out what those are in the next few months, where these jobs will be created.

Now, you think GM is the only company that is really investing in manufacturing and auto making here in the U.S.? That is not the case. We spent a day, Randi, on the production lines of VW, the German automaker's new billion-dollar plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to find out why they think the U.S. is such a good place to build cars. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN EDWARDS, TEAM LEADER, VOLKSWAGEN: This is our assembly line. It's line six.

HARLOW (voice-over): Like millions of Americans, Ben Edwards' job in the housing industry went south with the great recession. But thanks to a billion-dollar investment by Volkswagen here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he and more than 1,600 other locals have a new career.

EDWARDS: The amount of jobs it's going to bring in, the potential for growth, the future that we have here, I think it's just an incredible opportunity.

HARLOW: In 2008, VW set foot here to build its new Passat. After choosing Chattanooga from nearly 400 other cities that bid for its only U.S. plant.

HARLOW (on camera): You built this plant truly in the middle of the great recession. But in a way you say that helped VW.

FRANK FISCHER, CEO, VOLKSWAGEN CHATTANOOGA OPERATIONS: Yes, it definitely helped VW. It's helped us to keep the investment costs, because the prices were lower, and maybe even the prices for our parts. And the capacity was available.

HARLOW (voice-over): VW got a more than half-billion-dollar tax incentive to build here, and argues 1,000 jobs will be created as a result of the new plant.

SEN. BOB CORKER (R), TENNESSEE: And I think that this community has no idea, and cannot even imagine what that means for our city and for this state.

DENNIS GRAHAM, CHATTANOOGA RESIDENT: It means revenue. It means jobs. I mean, if I needed to get a job, I would be over at Volkswagen banging on the door.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Their success here, you know, is just going to bring other big businesses here.

HARLOW: Eighty-five thousand people applied for jobs with VW here, including Sharena Cochran (ph), a mother of three.

SHARENA COCHRAN: The economy, it went down for so long, but this boosted it up so much. I was even thinking of relocating before I got this job.

HARLOW (on camera): Really?

COCHRAN: Yes. It's made me feel like I had something to be here for.

HARLOW (voice-over): This seat supplier set up shop right next to the new VW plant, employing 140 locals.

HARLOW (on camera): And you guys came here to Chattanooga just because of VW.

JEFF FULLER, GEN. MGR., CHATTANOOGA SEATING SYSTEMS: That's right. Good-paying jobs, good benefits.

HARLOW: What do you have to say to those folks who say, look, the auto industry is dead in the U.S.?

EDWARDS: For me, it's just awesome that we have this opportunity to say to people, you know, we are manufacturing in America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: And, you know, Randi, I think bottom line here, this news from GM, you see what Volkswagen's doing right in the south. Things are indeed made in America. And the U.S. is becoming a more attractive place to build cars.

But, interestingly, you see all these foreign automakers, VW, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Honda, all in the south, Randi. Most of them are not unionized. VW, no plans there to unionize right now. You read between the lines. That often means less expensive to set up shop there. So it may not be in the motor city, but it is vehicles being made in America, and that's something we should all be pretty happy about -- Randi.

KAYE: Yes, they're certainly setting up shop there. All right, Poppy, thank you. Appreciate it.

And we want to remind you, you should check out the all-new cnnmoney.com. It is refined and redesigned. You can fuel your financial success, navigate the market, amp up your portfolio, whatever you like. Just stay connected with CNN Money. Check out the new cnnmoney.com site, powered by CNN, we like to say, and driven by you.

Time right now, 23 minutes past the hour. Time to get the latest on our top stories.

In the largest acquisition in Microsoft's history, the software giant is buying Skype, a popular Internet phone and video service provider, for $8.5 billion in cash. The deal gives Microsoft access to the market for real-time video and voice messaging. Microsoft plans to use Skype to support products like Xbox gaming and Windows phone.

A new national cell phone alert system was announced today. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined federal officials at the news conference. In case of a disaster, the system will send emergency text messages to your cell phone. It will launch in New York City and Washington, D.C., by the end of the year and could be nationwide next year.

The Mississippi River began cresting in Memphis this morning at the highest levels in 74 years. The river has flooded low parts of the city's historic areas, and forced about 400 people from their homes. But most of the heavy-duty flooding is in areas outside the city. The river crest is now working its way south toward Mississippi and Louisiana. People getting around in kayaks.

Well, President Obama will be talking immigration today at one of the major border crossing spots in Texas. But there may be more to his speech than just the immigration issue. Our Ed Henry is standing by at the White House. He will fill us in. I like that tie. Very nice tie, Ed. We'll talk to you in just two minutes, right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Pushing the immigration issue to the forefront. President Obama is traveling to El Paso, Texas, today to jumpstart the national conversation on immigration and border security. CNN's senior White House correspond, Ed Henry, joins me at this time every day.

And, Ed, the president seems to be looking to light a fire under Congress with this type of appearance. But does the White House really think a reform deal can actually get done?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Randi, what's interesting is, they are very optimistic. The president's been having a lot of meetings behind the scenes recently. Now he's giving this high-profile speech. The first time he's been to the U.S./Mexico border as president.

And he's basically trying to say, look, here's a down payment on the fact that conservatives said they wanted more border security. And the president's going to try to make the case in this speech in a couple of hours that he and President Bush, over the last few years, have increased the number of border agents, doubled them, have tripled the number of intelligence analysts along the border and that they're apprehending and catching more people.

Though, obviously, there are people, particularly Republicans on The Hill, still skeptical that there's enough border security. Still feel that there's a long way to go. But the president's trying to say, look, we've made strides. Now that's the down payment. Let's try to have some path to citizenship for illegal immigrants willing to pay a penalty, willing to pay their taxes, et cetera. But I have to tell you, this is a big mountain to climb, especially when you consider the fact that the Republican governor of Texas, we've just learned in the last few moments, has decided not to greet the president. Rick Perry is not going to be at the airport to greet the president in El Paso. Has refused a briefing about immigration from the president and his top aides. That coming to us from Jay Carney, the White House press secretary.

It's because, we're told, the governor's upset that he believes the federal government has not paid enough attentions to the wildfires in Texas. Maybe not so much tied to immigration. But it's perhaps a bad start to the idea that there's going to be a bipartisan push for immigration reform, Randi.

KAYE: Yes, that doesn't sound good. Certainly not the way you want to start it.

But, Ed, this trip really isn't just about the immigration issue as a whole. I mean this is also about 2012, right? I mean let's be honest here.

HENRY: No doubt about it. I mean, look, both sides want to get the Hispanic vote. Why? It's been pivotal in the last few election cycles. If you take a look at some of the numbers and look where Democrats were say in 2004. John Kerry only got 53 percent of the Hispanic vote. Why? Well, George W. Bush was from Texas, obviously, had really made a big push for Hispanic voters. But by 2006, Democratic support among Hispanics had soared, you see to 69 percent of the Hispanic vote. They took control of Congress then, Democrats did. Then 2008, they took the White House. Sixty-seven percent of the Hispanic vote. It dipped a bit, down to 60 percent according to our calculations. And the 2010 midterm.

That doesn't mean Democrats lost control of Congress just because of the Hispanic vote. But it shows clearly that it was a factor and so President Obama, in order to get re-elected, is going to have to make sure that he wins Hispanic voters.

But I think we need to stress, some analysts like to say, look, if you pass comprehensive reform, you've got Hispanics for the next few election cycles. That's a little too shrill to kind of just say, look, Hispanics are going to vote on that one issue. That's an important issue, no doubt to Hispanics. But they care about high gas prices, they care about job security, just like any other American.

So it's not that immigration reform is a be-all and end-all with Hispanics, but clearly a big issue for those voters, no doubt about it.

KAYE: Yes, and certainly they were counting on the president to do something about it. So we'll see if something gets done.

Ed Henry, thank you. Nice to see you.

HENRY: Good to see you, Randi. Seven and a half million preteens are doing something they shouldn't on computers, something you and your friends probably do every day. We'll tell you exactly what that is, in just one minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It is about half past the hour and time to catch you up on stories that you might have missed.

A new study released in neurology estimates that some 58,000 Americans go to the emergency room every year after waking up with the symptoms of a stroke. In those cases, nobody really knows when the stroke began, which is a problem. Doctors can't prescribe the medications for the most common type of stroke because it would only make things worse, they say. The study also found people with wake-up strokes to be on average slightly older, 72 years of age, versus 70 years of age for people who are stricken while awake.

In Mississippi, flooding is closing casinos in Tunica and threatens a possible $84 million hit to the local economy for the month of May alone. Farmers also face losing their crops if levels continue to rise. According to a spokesman for Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, "Once water goes over the top of corn, it's gone." That is a direct quote. We'll be bringing you updates on these historic floods throughout the day.

A federal court in Richmond, Virginia is conducting the nation's first appellate review of President Obama's health care overhaul today. Federal judges across the country have been divided over the constitutionality of the law's requirement that most Americans buy health insurance by 2014 or face financial penalties. The appeals court will also hear a claim that law uses taxpayer money to fund abortions.

The European Union has slapped sanctions on 13 top Syrian officials, including, President Bashar al Assad's brother for violence against demonstrators. Syria has been cracking down forcefully on anti- government protesters, inspired by Arab spring movement sweeping across the region. Amnesty International said Friday that more than 540 people have been killed by Syrian security forces. Syrian officials described the protesters as conspirators promoting position (ph).

Facebook is also being called to task over the number of underage kids who have accounts. Consumer Reports State of the Net Survey found in the past year, 7.5 million Facebook users were younger than 13. Facebook's rules require users to be at least 13. A spokesman for the company said the reports, quote, "have highlighted just how difficult it is to implement age restrictions on the internet."

Older retirees in Japan say they have the key to a long life. But it's not what you think. In fact, some of you are already doing it right now, as we speak. That secret, in 80 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: Welcome back. With the first wave baby boomer generation hitting 65 this year, that means more than 10,000 baby boomers are reaching retirement age every day. But boomers are anything but traditional and are proving age is nothing but a number.

In our special coverage of the baby boomer generation, CNN's Kyung Lah finds evidence in Japan that the baby boomers are actually on to something.

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sixty-nine- year-old Kaoru Kikuchi greets his co-workers at the office, but not as the high-powered executive he once was.

(on camera): This is your desk now.

Yes, yes. Front desk.

LAH (voice-over): Front desk, as in reception at a community center. A departure as his days as a senior executive running one of Japan's multi-million dollar printing conglomerates.

KAORU KIKUCHI, RETIREE: Complicated. Hard.

LAH: That was a hard corporate life, he says, unlike this one. A second life, as a retiree and part-time worker.

(on camera): This country is aging faster than anywhere on the planet. By year 2050, 40 percent of the population will be over the age of 65. Almost out of economic necessity, being 65 just isn't considered that old here anymore.

(voice-over): From the 68-year-old French fryer to the 72-year old bike lot worker, to the 90-year-old citrus farmer. Yes, that's a 90- year-old woman plucking fruit in a tree. Japan's elderly are making up an economic force called the silver workers, picking up the slack in a country where the pool of young workers is shrinking because of declining birth rates.

Some need the extra income, but many just want to contribute to society, teaching a thing or two to the young.

(on camera): What about your attitude towards retirement? Has that changed at all by working with someone more mature?

AKANE SOGAWA, KIKUCHI'S CO-WORKER: Look at Mr. Kikuchi, she says, I can see, you can still work in good health after retirement. That means I can do that too at his age, passing on the country's century's long belief that one never truly retires.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Desperately seeking the three wives. The U.S. is eager to talk with Osama bin Laden's wives, and they may soon get their wish. A live report from Pakistan is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Pakistan appears to be giving in to at least one demand by the Obama administration in the aftermath of the bin Laden raid, allowing American officials access to his widows. In a related development, American forces involved in the raid were large enough in number and fully prepared to fight their way out of the country if Pakistan tried to stop its mission.

CNN's Reza Sayah joins from the Pakistani capital Islamabad now.

Reza, just what are the Pakistanis saying about letting U.S. officials talk with bin Laden's widows?

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they said it's going to happen. It's not clear when it's going to happen, but today Pakistan's interior minister told us that U.S. officials will have access to these three widows of Osama bin Laden. One Yemeni woman and two Saudi women.

Last week, there was some question, some doubt, whether Pakistan would allow the U.S. access to these women. These are three widows that certainly have some valuable information about Osama bin Laden. They certainly spent a lot of time with them and there was some speculation last week that perhaps Pakistan was reluctant in giving the U.S. access to these three individuals for fear that they may give up some information that would implicate, incriminate the Pakistani government. Give some information that could link the security establishment with what could have been a support network bin Laden had had here in Pakistan.

Today the interior minister said that was not the case, that Pakistan was never concerned about incriminating information coming from these women. He said Pakistan had nothing to hide. He also rejected any allegation that bin Laden had a support network here, that included officials within Pakistan's military and the government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REHMAN MALIK, PAKISTANI INTERIOR MINISTER: We know that we are not involved in it. We know that we are victim and there is no such thing at all. Not an iota of doubt in my department.

SAYAH: So you categorically deny --

MALIK: Categorically deny.

SAYAH: -- that he had had a support network here.

MALIK: No support network from the official sources. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SAYAH: A spokesperson in Washington, D.C. said today that Islamabad and Washington are discussing how to go about getting U.S. intelligence officials to meet with these three women and question them. Once that happens, we'll probably know when this is going to take place. But Randi, this is probably the only and first positive development after a week of volatility between these two partners, Islamabad and Washington.

KAYE: Yes. Certainly a very strained relationship.

Reza, I also want to ask you about the reports that U.S. forces were ready to fight if Pakistan tried to stop or interfere in the bin Laden raid.

What is the word there in Pakistan about this?

SAYAH: Well, certainly when they came, they were prepared for some sort of reaction by Pakistan. We spoke to some Pakistani officials, and them being in military, they certainly anticipated that that was a possibility. But it turns out the U.S. forces did this operation with such efficiency that by the time the Pakistani military was able to scramble its jets, they had crossed the border into Afghanistan, Randi.

KAYE: All right. Reza Sayah for us in Islamabad. Reza, thank you.

Turning now to the modern evil of modern-day slavery. The figures are staggering. Just one example, every year, some 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders. A State Department report in 2007 said more than 70 percent of them are female, Half are children. Two years later, a U.N. report said around 20 percent of all trafficking victims are children.

This year, CNN is joining the fight to end modern-day slavery in all its forms. You can read more in our Freedom Project at CNN.com/Freedom.

Time right now, 45 minutes past the hour. Taking a look now at our top stories.

President Obama is making his first trip to the U.S./Mexican border as president to push immigration reform. He's scheduled to speak in El Paso, Texas a couple of hours from now. Mr. Obama is also expected to visit a border crossing checkpoint.

NATO warplanes carried out missile strikes on Libya's capital of Tripoli today. Witnesses say the targets apparently included the compound of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Libyan officials say a hospital was hit, wounding four children. We were unable to independently confirm that report.

In Tennessee, the Mississippi River is cresting in Memphis at nearly 48 feet. Ahead for residents in low-lying areas is a massive clean- up. Now those living further south is preparing for the worst. In a bid to ease the pressure on the levees, engineers have opened spillway gates in Louisiana, hoping that might help.

Well, you may not know it, but every day incredible innovation is happening right here in the 50 states. All this week, we're bringing you the top ten from coast to coast. So what's coming out of your state, you wonder? Well, we might have the answer for you, in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: You may not know it, but really cool products and ideas are being created every day, in each of our 50 states, plus, of course, the District of Columbia. So all week, we're bringing you some of the top innovations from coast to coast, according to a recent "Fast Company" article.

Joining me now, Jeff Chu, an editor and writer at "Fast Company."

Jeff, glad you're on the show today, thank you.

First, tell us what exactly inspired you guys to make this list.

JEFF CHU, EDITOR & WRITER, "FAST COMPANY": We are a magazine that is about innovation and optimism, and there are so many great ideas all across the country that don't get covered. We were looking for ideas that make our cities better, and we found so many of them and we were only able to highlight 51.

KAYE: Yes, I can't imagine the challenge. I mean, first of all, you go about finding all of the innovations and then you have to whittle them down to one per state. What kind of challenge was that?

CHU: What we tried to do in the end was have a good mix of education, arts, architecture, eco-friendly ingenuity, all of the things together would make the most awesome city in the world. So that's how we ended up narrowing it down.

We are not saying these are the only innovations or the very best innovations, but they are all very merit-worthy, very laudable innovations that make cities in America prospects for a great future.

KAYE: So we are going through the states alphabetically, and broke down Alabama to Florida yesterday.

Tell us what is going on, though, right here in Atlanta, Georgia, where I am.

CHU: Right in Atlanta, there is a great program in Emory University called the Community Building and Social Change Fellowship. So colleges often get criticized for being in a bubble, and what this does is it takes 12 great students who are interested in community development and it mixes the coursework with real hands-on, on-the- ground experience.

So one group of women created an HIV/AIDS education and prevention program in conjunction with some not-for-profits focused on minority women. And another has been canvassing and exploring affordable housing options in a certain neighborhood. All designed to enlighten these kids and give them a sense of what is real in combination with their coursework.

KAYE: And what's happening in Hawaii that you can tell us about as we move through the alphabet here. CHU: In Hawaii, a guy named Justin MacNaughton had the great idea of creating a car sharing idea for hotels.

So let's say you don't want to rent-a-car at the airport and have it parked in the parking lot the whole time, you just need it for a couple of hours while you are hanging out at the beach or you want to do a day trip. So you can go down to the hotel lobby and at a kiosk you get a car for a couple of hours.

A bonus is that every one of the cars in the program is a green care. It's a Prius or a another kind of hybrid. It's a program called GreenCar Hawaii and he is looking to expand it beyond just the city in Kauai where it is now.

KAYE: That sounds really cool.

What about in Idaho, what's going on there?

CHU: Now Idaho was a big surprise for us. It is an avant-garde dance troupe called the Trey McIntyre Project, and no disrespect, but nobody thinks of Boise as a hot bed for the arts. Well, Trey McIntyre took his ballet troupe, based it there and the troupe has since become a cultural ambassador for the city of Boise.

Boise has totally embraced this dance troupe of their own, they sell out shows, the troupe travels around the country and it is a wonderful symbiotic relationship to show the arts to the community and how communities all across the United States no matter how big or small can really embrace something that is forward-looking and artistic and wildly creative.

KAYE: OK. We have two left to get to, so 30 seconds or less on each.

Illinois?

CHU: Illinois has a startup called EveryBlock. It takes a data and hyper-local news and puts it all in one place.

I went on there earlier today and looked up a friend's address and found out that there had been a heroin bust on his block, there had been vandalism to cars. You can kind of see all of the police data that you don't have access to.

You can also see what people are talking about. People are talking about the prospect of a new Wal-Mart and whether that's a good or bad thing.

KAYE: All right, last state is Indiana.

CHU: In Indiana we have an urban redevelopment project called the National Design District in Indianapolis. We were excited about this, because it is an innovative way to reuse old factory place. It is a place called the National Car Factory.

And design is going to be one of the industries that America is going to look to for a lot of the innovation in the future. And to concentrate live-workspace and schools and affordable housing for artists in one neighborhood, we thought that was a pretty brilliant idea.

KAYE: Well I think all of those are pretty brilliant ideas and very cool of you and "Fast Company" to bring them to us.

Jeff Chu, appreciate it, thank you.

CHU: Thank you.

KAYE: And if you want to learn more about what's going on in your state, well, you want to check out any of the states that you've missed maybe? For more about the United States of Innovation, you can visit our blog at CNN.com/Ali.

And make sure to tune in tomorrow, same "Big I" time, same "Big I" channel. Yes.

Well, we saw a big power change in midterm elections, but are congressional Republicans going to be able to hang on in 2012? Your CNN Political Update is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Time now for the CNN Political Update and voters are weighing in on another possible shakeup for Congress in 2012.

CNN's Jim Acosta joins us live from Washington.

Jim, we will get to Congress in just a second, but first, let's talk about Mitt Romney. What is on his agenda right now?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very big moment for Mitt Romney. I have to tell you, this will be one of the most must-see moments of the early stages in the race for 2012.

Mitt Romney heading to Michigan on Thursday to give a big speech on health care reform. Why is it a big speech? Well, he's running into a lot of resistance among Conservatives over the health care law that he got passed when he was governor of Massachusetts dubbed Romneycare. That included an individual mandate which requires people to get health insurance. It was also sort of a prototype for Obamacare, something the Democrats like to remind voters of.

So Conservatives will be looking at how Governor Romney responds to all of this. And I just got an e-mail from the exploratory committee staff saying that you should not be looking for any apologies from Mitt Romney for the health care.

Now speaking of 2012, you talked about this a just few moments ago, Randi, there is a new CNN poll out on how the voters might weigh in on the 2012 congressional races. Some good news for the Democrats here, looks like voters prefer them 50 percent to 46 percent over the Republicans. That fives the Democrats some hopes of retaking the House of Representatives in 2012. Of course, there is a long way to go. And also looking forward today is the president. President Obama is down in El Paso today. He is also giving a big speech, this one on health -- not on health care reform, but on immigration reform.

Remember that President Obama, during the '08 campaign, promised he would make immigration reform a top priority. That has not happened since he has been in the White House, and his advisers, his political advisers are keenly aware that Latino voters by two-thirds of a majority sided with the president in the '08 campaign. He's going to need them if he's going to serve four more years in the Oval Office come 2012, Randi.

KAYE: Yes, which may explain his first trip to the border as president.

Jim Acosta, thank you, appreciate it.

ACOSTA: You bet.

And your next update from "The Best Political Team on Television" is just an hour away.