Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Letter from Osama bin Laden's Sons; Mississippi River Surges Southward; Democrats Take on Big Oil; Newt Gingrich to Make Run for White House; Which Airline Has the Most Satisfied Customers?; Tips on Getting Cheaper Airline Fares; How to Age Gracefully

Aired May 11, 2011 - 11:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Don Lemon in today for Suzanne Malveaux. Let's get you up to speed for Wednesday, May 11th.

Osama Bin Laden's sons are demanding to know why their father was, as they put it, executed and not arrested and put on trial. They claim the United States violated international law by shooting, quote, "an unarmed man." The statement game in the letter to Jean Sasson who co-wrote "Growing Up With bin Laden" with the terror leader's son, Omar. Omar bin Laden renounced his father's violence years ago. He writes, "Bin Laden's children are not convinced their father is dead due to the lack of evidence."

Well, let's talk about the weather now.

Louisiana's governor is predicting three million acres of his state are about to go under water. The Mississippi River flood surge is rolling into the delta today, home to rich, fertile farmland, but some of the nation's poorest people. Farmers are watching corn, cotton and soybean crops just become ruined.

All 19 Mississippi casinos on the river will be closed soon, temporarily costing thousands of people a paycheck. You know, forecasters say it will be Saturday before the Mississippi River falls a foot at Memphis after a near-record crest. The riverfront area is waterlogged, but most of the significant flooding is outside of the city proper.

The mayor wants tourists to know Memphis is open for business.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR A.C. WHARTON, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: The city itself is 345 square miles. Less than one-tenth of that is under water. But when you see those pictures, you get the impression that the entire city is under water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: More on that in a moment.

Newt Gingrich today becomes the first major Republican to formally announce he is running for president. He'll post his plans on Twitter and on Facebook. Gingrich is a former House Speaker, as you know, who retired in 1999 after an extramarital affair and ethics scandal.

A government undercover operation shows security at the nation's busiest seaports isn't as sharp as it should be. Investigators flashed phony credentials to get inside restricted port areas. One agent even drove a dummy bomb into a secure area.

A moment of silence in Japan today, exactly two months after an earthquake and tsunami led to a nuclear crisis. But triple disasters have less 130,000 Japanese people homeless. Officials say the death toll is now approaching 15,000. Almost 10,000 people haven't been found yet.

On Monday, the commencement speaker at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis will be none other than the president of the United States. The school is the winner of the White House Race to the Top challenge. Its graduation rate jumped from 60 percent in 2009 to 82 percent just last spring.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VASHTI TAYLOR, STUDENT, BOOKER T. WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL: And when he said we won, I screamed so loud, that I think everybody in the whole entire office heard us all. People were crying. People fell. It was, like, a very exciting moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: You're going to want to stick around, because I'm going to talk live with the school's principal next hour, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

You know, she won't be there, but Lindsay Lohan's necklace theft case is expected to come to an end in Los Angeles today. For those of you have been following every twist and turn, a source says her attorneys will enter a plea of no contest. An L.A. County sheriff spokesman says Lohan will probably go to jail for two weeks, if at all. She could serve time at home with a piece of free jewelry, an electronic monitoring bracelet.

Let's go "In Depth" now and talk more about that statement from the sons of Osama bin Laden accusing the U.S. of executing their father.

CNN's Deb Feyerick joins us now from New York.

And Deb, what can you tell us about this statement? It's becoming very controversial.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is becoming very controversial, because in many respects, the sons of Osama bin Laden are making allegations against the United States. The statement was given to an American writer, somebody who helped Omar bin Laden write his memoir in 2009, "Growing Up Bin Laden." But what we can tell you is, the sons, Osama bin Laden's sons, one of whom, Omar, publicly denounced his father's violent tactics, they're speaking out and they're making demands. In a statement, the sons want conclusive proof that in fact the man killed in that mansion in Abbottabad was, in fact, their father. They're also questioning why, given the family was in the area, why wasn't the body given to them instead of being disposed at sea so that they themselves could have followed the proper Muslim burial?

Now, in this letter which was initially released in "The New York Times," they ask, "Why an unarmed man was not arrested and tried in a court of law." Again, they're going back to the whole notion that the United States wants to try these terrorists in court, as opposed to someplace else. They also say, "We question the propriety of such an assassination," and they want to see those pictures that everybody has been talking about, because they're not 100 percent convinced that in fact this is their father.

Now, the writer who has a relationship with Omar bin Laden, she spoke to CNN earlier this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN SASSON, CO-AUTHOR, "GROWING UP BIN LADEN": I think they always felt that some -- even Omar, in the past, has said, well, maybe there could be a meeting and there would be a truce like there was with the IRA in England when there had been so much killing, and then they had a truce and the killing was stopped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And also in this letter, they say that their father was entitled to a trial in the same way that Saddam Hussein received a trial, as well as the Serbian president, Slobodan Milosevic. Again, they are asking that all family members be returned.

Omar has been very vocal in his opposition of his father. Here is an interview he gave to CNN a few years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OMAR BIN LADEN, OSAMA BIN LADEN'S SON: I would like to say to my father, try to find another way to help or to find your goal. And this is a bomb, or this is weapon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Weapons.

LADEN: Weapons. It is not good to use it for anybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And the family wants answers. They're threatening to take their questions to an international court of law, or to the United Nations.

And, again, they say, "We maintain that arbitrary killing is not a solution to political problems." And they're just wondering why their father, if he was unarmed, why he wasn't taken into custody to receive some sort of a trial -- Don.

LEMON: We'll be following that story throughout the day.

Thank you, Deb.

All right. Here is your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day.

Today's question: Is it time for the United States -- should we get out of Afghanistan?

Carol Costello joins me now with more.

Hi again to you, Carol.

It was on the cover of "USA Today," "The New York Times," just about every newspaper, the top of everyone's mind. Should we get out?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Absolutely. It's a great question.

I mean, have you asked yourself lately, why are we in Afghanistan? What's our mission?

Osama bin Laden is dead, al Qaeda scattered. The Taliban, those still active, no longer running the country.

Some members of Congress say it's time to reevaluate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R), INDIANA: We're are overstretched in terms of our defense budget and our military. And so we're going to have to think very carefully about our objectives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: President Obama says we need to be there to help Afghans stabilize their country. The Afghan government is still fragile. Women continue to suffer unspeakable atrocities. And it remains to be seen whether any peace deal can or should be brokered with the Taliban.

But remember why we went into Afghanistan in the first place -- September 11th.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: That is why we went there in October of 2001. Some might say, haven't we done that? Ten years later, it's still costing the lives of U.S. soldiers, and $10 billion every single month, which Senator Lugar and others say is unsustainable. Lugar says instead of 100,000 troops on the ground, maybe a smaller group, like 15,000 to 20,000, might be enough to fight terror.

The administration plans to start withdrawing some troops this summer. The goal, to get most of them out, but by 2014.

So, the "Talk Back" question today: Should U.S. troops leave Afghanistan, as in immediately?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read some of your comments later this hour.

HOLMES: Yes, I wish it was just as simple as answering the question, right? Should we get out of Afghanistan?

COSTELLO: Any withdraw is not simple, of course.

LEMON: Yes, absolutely.

All right. Look forward to seeing you in just a little bit. Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

LEMON: Here is what's "On the Rundown," some of the stories that we're covering in the next two hours here on CNN.

First, what is the most profitable Fortune 500 company? Here's a hint -- it's probably easy, you probably know it -- it sells gas.

Next, Congress considers cutting $4 billion in subsidies to the oil companies. Hear why oil execs say they deserve the money.

Then, Newt Gingrich announcing for president today. We'll take a look at the former House Speaker's past.

Also, what airline was ranked the most satisfying in the country? Fifteen thousand passengers cast their vote.

And what's it feel like to be 70 years old?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In this suit, even for 10 minutes, it makes you very fatigued.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, Empathy's (ph) system. Are there things that we can do with a car to --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That was our Deb Feyerick, again, this time in an age simulator suit at an MIT lab. You don't want to miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: CNN "In Depth" now, "Troubled Waters." The worst may still be yet to come as the swollen Mississippi River slowly rolls south.

Video on your left shows flooding in Tunica, Mississippi, near Memphis. And the river has crested there, finally, just a few inches short of a record set back in 1937. And on the right of your screen, you say levee work being done in the Vicksburg, Mississippi, area ahead of the surging river.

So it's a tale of two cities along the mighty Mississippi. Vicksburg, nervously bracing for floods, and Tunica, already inundated.

Our meteorologist Rob Marciano and CNN's Casey Wian are live for us in each of those cities.

But first, we're going to go to you, Rob, in Tunica.

What are you seeing where you are?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, a lot of water. And it's surrounding these buildings here, and it's already engulfed part of the town, the Tunica cutoff, where there's over 200 homes that are completely engulfed in water. And the majority of those people are in shelters, and the majority of people in the Memphis and Tunica area that have sought shelter are from this area because the river is so high.

Of course, the bread and butter of this area are casinos. There's nine of them. And we're standing in the parking lot of one. This is the Gold Strike Casino, and they're doing a very unique thing in order to fight back the river.

Do you see those blue bags? Those are bladders, and they're being used as opposed to using sandbags to keep the water out of the hotel lobby here, which is on dry lane, versus the betting casinos, which are floating and have no (ph) issues.

They fill those bladders with 90,000 gallons of Mississippi River water, just plug it in with a hose. Fill them up. It creates pretty much a watertight seal.

They have got over a half a mile of linear feet with this stuff around the property. And so far, so good, has kept the water out.

And the best part of this, Don, is that when eventually these flood waters recede -- and they're going to move as slowly as they're doing in Mississippi, it's going to take weeks -- but once they do recede and the cleanup begins, all they do is empty those bladders out and ship them out and get them out of here, as opposed to having to deal with sandbags. A unique way to fight the flood, and so far it's successful -- Don.

LEMON: All right, Rob. Thank you very much. Now we're going to go to our Casey Wian, who is in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Casey, the worry there is, will the levees hold? How is it looking?

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's looking very similar to what Rob was describing. We can see one of the casinos south of the Mississippi River. And you can look at one of outbuildings there that is completely -- well, the bottom part of it is under water. And you look at that farthest point out that's in the river, that looks like a window. It's actually a door.

So that's five feet of water or so right there that has inundated that structure. And the river in this area is expected to rise another four to five feet over the next week or so, when it's expected to crest above the level that was set in 1927, the historic high-water level.

Over here, you can see a marine and industrial supply business that has on its own set up sandbags and a barrier there to try to protect it from this rising river. You can see the water in front, which is actually a roadway that goes out to the casino. Completely inundated. We'll just have to see if that barrier is going to be high enough to with stand this flood surge.

Now, the Army Corps of Engineers has been preparing these levees in this area to try to withstand this incredible flood surge that's coming. What they've been doing is laying plastic sheeting along the back side of some of these levees to prevent erosion from causing the levees to collapse if, in fact, that water surge does overtop those levees.

They say they expect it to work. They say they expect not the same kind of human loss of life and economic damage that they had in 1927, because these levees are in much better shape than they were back then -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Casey and Rob, thanks to both of you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: Senate Democrats take on big oil companies. With profits and prices high, lawmakers push to end oil and gas subsidies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. Imagine this, more than $30 billion in profit. Let that sink in just for a minute. That's what Exxon Mobil made last year, and that puts the oil giant right at the top of the Fortune 500 list of the most profitable companies.

Alison Kosik, at the New York Stock Exchange.

So, Alison, this is some serious cash flow.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes. You're talking about some serious cash, Don, because oil prices are so high.

And sure, you look at Exxon's earnings from last year, what you said, $30 billion, it's actually 60 percent higher than in 2009. And you can guess the number one reason for this, of course, is oil prices.

Oil began last year at $79 a barrel. Over the course of the year, it jumped 15 percent, climbing even higher this year. We're sitting at about $100 a barrel today.

But oil isn't everything for Exxon. Exxon's profits are also up because the economy is recovering. That means there's more demand for oil and gas.

Also, Exxon is a big player in the natural gas industry. It makes money off of the natural gas industry, as well -- Don.

LEMON: My question is, does anyone come close, any company come close to Exxon's $30 billion in profit?

KOSIK: Well, you know what? Number two is AT&T, and its profit is just $10 billion less than Exxon. And no surprise, Chevron comes in at number three with a $19 billion profit.

There are other household names that we recognize on this list. They include Microsoft -- you can see them there -- J.P. Morgan Chase, Wal-Mart, IBM, and Apple.

And it's kind of important to look at this list, because it really shows where we like to spend our money, what's important to us. I mean, think about it. We need and we buy gasoline. So Exxon and Chevron are on the list. We all need a place to put our money, so we need our banks. So J.P. Morgan Chase, not a surprise there, either.

And many tech companies are also on the list, Don, because smartphones, computers, music players, those have become real necessities these days. But Exxon and Chevron profits, these are really tough to swallow, because the fact is they're making money on an item that many people are struggling to pay for -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Good information. Stand by. We'll be checking back with you, Alison Kosik.

But let's talk a little bit more about these huge profits.

Oil companies, raking in big bucks. Gas above $4 a gallon in many places. Now some Democrats on Capitol Hill say, well, it's time to do away with tax subsidies for the oil industry.

Today, the Senate is taking up a bill that would do just that. And tomorrow, lawmakers call oil company executives to testify. That's going to be interesting.

Dana Bash, our senior congressional correspondent, she's following this story for us on Capitol Hill.

What exactly would this legislation do, Dana?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Democrats are trying to capitalize on anger that Alison was just reporting on. Anger, Don, that oil companies are making such huge profits. And they're still getting subsidies from you and me and every other taxpayer in this country.

So what this legislation would do would eliminate those tax breaks. And specifically, it goes to about six tax breaks and loopholes that oil companies can and do take advantage of. Those would go away.

But it would really just focus on the big five -- the big five oil companies. Because, Don, in the past, when Democrats have done this -- and Democrats bring this up perennially every time there is a gas crisis -- they have also swept some of the smaller companies in. They're not doing that this time. But, overall, they say that this would save $21 billion over 10 years.

And what Democrats are doing with this legislation is tying it into deficit reduction, Don. They say that the money that is saved by taking away from oil companies, which they say don't need it, that will go to reducing the deficit. So they're trying to sort of kill two birds with one stone.

And it's kind of a "Dirty Harry" moment. They're saying to Republicans, go ahead, make my day, vote against something that will reduce the deficit by $21 billion. And many Republicans say they will.

LEMON: That's what I want to ask you, because you mentioned Democrats. Of course, the president is a Democrat. He supports ending subsidies for oil companies, but many Republicans are opposed, as you say.

So what are the chances that the legislation will pass, that any loopholes will actually be closed here?

BASH: Slim to none -- emphasizing "none" -- that this is going to get done, because Republicans and some Democrats say that it's not fair to single out the oil companies. They say that this is simply a tax hike on oil companies, and that this is nothing more than politics.

And to be fair, this is very much politically motivated. Democrats know that oil companies are public enemy number one right now, perhaps, and they know that people are angry about their high gas prices. So, this is a political no-brainer for them to push, as they have in the past.

And they also, interesting, just to sort of underscore that, the four Democrats who are the sponsors of this bill in the Senate, they're all up for reelection. Probably going to be in tough reelection battle. They are just champing at the bit -- more broadly, Democrats are -- to run ads against Republicans saying that they protected bill oil companies at a time of record profits. LEMON: All right. Got you.

And when I was introducing you, I mentioned that the oil execs will testify tomorrow. Anything likely to come out of that hearing?

BASH: We are going to see a lot of theater. We are going to see a lot of anger, particularly by Democrats, aimed at these oil executives for what we're talking about, the fact that they make these big profits, the fact that gas prices are so high.

So, questions about those issues and about whether or not they really need these oil subsidies and how they use the money that they get back from Uncle Sam. But this is going be, for lack of a better term, a dog and pony show that we have seen in the past. Democrats really want to play this up politically, the whole idea of going after oil companies. And what better way to do it than to drag executives from the big five before Congress?

LEMON: All right. Dana covering that on Capitol Hill.

But you know what, Dana? You're going to be covering our next story, I'm sure, in some part.

Newt Gingrich gets into the race. He announces his presidential bid, and we look at his political legacy and possible liabilities.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're working on for you. Newt Gingrich makes a run for the White House. A closer look at his long political career and some of the controversies he's faced.

Plus, we'll tell you which airline has the most satisfied customers and fill you in on how to get the best deals if you are flying. I'm sure you want to know.

Then we'll visit a special age lab, look at this, where you can put on a suit that lets you feel what it's like to be 70-years-old. I find that very interesting.

Let's talk about Newt Gingrich now. Former house speaker Newt Gingrich makes it official. Today he announces he's running for president. Gingrich is the first high profile candidate to formally enter the race for the 2012 Republican nomination. He'll make the announcement on Facebook and on Twitter. In a preview of his Facebook page, Gingrich thanks his supporters for encouraging him to run.

Newt Gingrich is considered one of the most smartest Republican leaders and a man of ideas. But along with his political successes, quite honestly, he carries some personal baggage. Our national political correspondent Jessica Yellin has more on Gingrich's career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Newt Gingrich has been called the conservative movement's philosopher king, a bomb thrower, even cry baby during the government shutdown. He's best known as architect of the 1994 contract with America, which helps propel the Republican Party to its first majority in 40 years and make him speaker of the house.

REP. NEWT GINGRICH (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: Those of us who ended up in a majority stood on these steps and signed a contract.

YELLIN: Under his watch, the GOP clashed with the Clinton White House over spending cuts which led to two government shutdowns. To Gingrich's surprise, the public turned its rage on the GOP.

GINGRICH: It's very difficult to work with a president who seems to be primarily driven by his political advisers to engage in public relation stunts.

YELLIN: During the impeachment of President Clinton, then speaker Gingrich lashed out at the White House.

GINGRICH: What you have lived through for two and a half long years is the most systemic, deliberate obstruction of justice cover up, an effort to avoid the truth we have ever seen in American history.

YELLIN: What he didn't mention? At the time he was having his own extramarital affair with a congressional staffer. He's now on his third marriage.

Ethics problems dogged speaker Gingrich and he resigned, leaving Congress in some disgrace. But then, a comeback. Gingrich spent a decade writing books, opinionated on FOX News and pushing his endless stream of policy ideas. Sometimes those ideas square with Tea Party values.

GINGRICH: I think you have to migrate to a system that is Social Security based on personal contributions.

YELLIN: But not always.

GINGRICH: In order to have an American energy policy, we need to replace the Environmental Protection Agency with a new fundamentally different environmental solutions agency.

YELLIN: Many Republicans acknowledge Gingrich the candidate has some big hurdles to overcome.

(on camera): On the one hand, Gingrich is an ideas factory. He is excellent when it comes to fundraising and he already has high name recognition. But on the other, he comes with serious political baggage from his volatile time as speaker and even some of his supporters question whether he has the discipline it takes to successfully run for president.

Jessica Yellin, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: All right. From Jessica to CNN's Jim Across, he has been covering newt Gingrich's announcement that he is running for president. Jim joins us now from Washington.

Hey, Jim. So listen, you heard Jessica saying it's no secret. He has some political baggage, a lot of it. Do Republicans think that he can overcome these issues and -- like past divorces -- and appeal to social conservatives?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, that is a big question and I don't think anybody has answered that question yet. If you talk to some evangelical conservatives, they are concerned. If you listen to how newt Gingrich has explained this, it has been problematic.

Just a couple of months ago, he was on the Christian Broadcasting Network talking to David Brody there and he was asked about his past marital troubles and he gave an answer that quickly went viral all over social media and it got him into a little bit of trouble with evangelical conservatives.

Let's listen to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRICH: There were times in my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country that I worked far too hard and that things happened in my life that were not appropriate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, he's hoping to overcome that and one of the things he's doing these days is he's really putting his current wife, Callista, out in front. She is on his web site. When you go to his exploratory committee web site, you will see her there.

He has made it no secret that he is a convert to Catholicism. He recently helped put together a documentary on Pope John Paul II. So this is part of an effort on Gingrich's part not only to talk about his Christianity, his Catholicism, but also to mend fences with evangelical conservatives.

He was at a national prayer breakfast with a Hispanic evangelical group up on Capitol Hill this morning, and he was asked about this Twitter announcement that is supposed to happen and he only said to supporters as he was making his way out of that event that it'll happen around 9:00 tonight as he was coincidentally going to be appearing, as we say, on another network.

CHETRY: On another network. It's funny because there are a number of networks touting him as an exclusive. So, OK.

ACOSTA: Yes, that's right. Yes. Not quite.

LEMON: So listen, I know polling at this point is early, but how does he stack up in the most recent polls? ACOSTA: You know, a couple of interesting polls that CNN came out with not too long ago about Newt Gingrich. And one of them, I think, is very interesting. It reflects the fact that he does have some baggage.

Would you like to see Newt Gingrich run for the GOP nomination? Yes, 51 percent. No, 45 percent.

That is striking for somebody who is thinking about running for president. There are some -- there's a deep divide there as to whether or not he should do this and a lot of this stems from his many years in Washington, many years in politics.

There's another one that we'll throw up there. Your opinion of Newt Gingrich. Favorable, 30 percent. Unfavorable 44 percent. Unsure 26 percent.

Some of that stems from the fact that, you know, he has these past marital problems that he's tried to deal with. But also, you know, he was there in Washington in the mid-1990s. You'll remember, Don, you know, this is going back a ways. "Seinfeld" was the most popular TV show back then. Justin Bieber was just a baby so this was a long time ago when newt Gingrich was the speaker of the house. And those government shutdowns did damage his credibility. Democrats will say it helped deliver Bill Clinton another four years in the White House.

So all of this is coming back to the surface with Newt Gingrich taking the plunge, Don.

CHETRY: Isn't Justin Bieber still a baby, though? I mean --

(LAUGHTER)

ACOSTA: That's right. And his hair is eerily similar to Newt Gingrich's, but let's not get into that.

LEMON: Jim, thank you.

ACOSTA: All right. You bet.

LEMON: We need to take a moment to note the death of a man who was integral to CNN's success as a global news organization. His name is Burt Reinthardt. He served as CNN president in the 1980s and vice chairman in the '90s. He died on Tuesday. He guided CNN through its editorial infancy and those penny pinching early days. CNN founder, Ted Turner, says he's not sure CNN would be here today without Reinhardt. Burt Reinhardt, 91-years-old.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: So if you tried to book an airline ticket lately, you may have noticed that it's costing more and more to fly these days. Our Alison Kosik is back. She's here with today's Top Tips on how to land the best fare for your next trip.

I want to know about this, Alison, so let's talk about the results from a new survey on the airlines. What did you find out?

KOSIK: Exactly. So Don, Consumer Reports has this new survey of 15,000 passengers that says out of the 10 airlines they rated, Southwest and JetBlue topped the overall satisfaction. But keep in mind Consumer Reports tells us the survey was conducted before Southwest's problems this past April with cracks in its planes.

Now, at the bottom of the list are United and US Airways with both scoring the worst rating in baggage handling, seating comfort and in-flight entertainment. With US Airways, Don, getting the worst marks for cabin crew service.

LEMON: Very Interesting. All right. Let's talk about those fees, because whether it is the bags or the fees for a blanket or a pillow, it seems they are becoming the new normal these days.

KOSIK: It never ends.

LEMON: Yes, it's never ending. So what did passengers have to say about those fees?

KOSIK: Exactly. And one of the biggest reasons many of us aren't flying as much as we used to is because of those excessive fees. In fact, 40 percent of those who were surveyed said they're flying less because of higher fees, far more than those who blamed it on, let's say, flight delays or poor service.

And when it comes to individual airlines, 93 percent of Southwest passengers avoided all fees at check-in, followed by 57 percent of Continental passengers. And the lowest goes to AirTran with only 33 percent avoiding a fee.

Rick Seaney from FareCompare.com says we haven't seen a major increase in fees recently but if these oil prices continue to creep up for any extended period of time, he says get ready, you may see an attempt at adding on more of those wonderful fees, Don.

LEMON: Really? I mean, come on, right? There's enough already.

KOSIK: I know. I told you it never ends.

LEMON: Yes. So with all of these fees, what should you do when it's time to book that flight? Alison has some Top Tips on how to fly for less.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, we're back. At least she's back, Alison Kosik.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Alison, so ticket prices aren't getting cheaper, but you know, you've got a few ways that you can help people fly for less, especially if you're looking at a summer vacation.

What did you find out?

KOSIK: Exactly. We've all heard the myth, Don, the earlier you book, the better, but actually, "Consumer Reports" says you don't really have to book more than 90 days in advance, 21 days ahead of your trip is really going to get that good of rate.

Now just be awake, Rick Seaney with FareCompare.com says airlines are treating the upcoming travel season just like a busy holiday, charging premiums for travel between June 9th and August 31st. So take a good look around at sites on late Monday or early Tuesday, because that's when deals are usually posted.

Seaney also says try to fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, because those are generally the cheapest days to fly, and avoid Sundays because that's when people often return from vacation and those cheap seats are few and far between.

Next, sign up for the airlines' frequent flyer program or e-mail offers and you can snag those promo codes which, you know, can get you discounts up to 50 percent off.

And you know what? Start tweeting. Twitter is fun. You know what? I'm on it and it's for other reasons. But many airlines are tweeting their deals, but you've got to jump on them quickly because some fares, Don, wind up filling out in two hours. But Twitter is a good way to go, because you're always looking at a Twitter feed and you can respond really quickly, Don.

LEMON: Yes, so if you have to go on Twitter and follow a certain airlines, and once they tweet it out and you have to go click on it and grab it. That's good --

KOSIK: Pounce on it.

LEMON: Yes. All right, thanks, Alison. Appreciate it.

KOSIK: Sure.

LEMON: You know, with bin Laden gone, should the United States ramp up its withdrawal from Afghanistan? Out of Afghanistan, it's today's "Talk Back" question. Our Carol Costello has your responses.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Ah, Newt -- remember, he was just one name -- Newt Gingrich, gets ready for his big night. Our Shannon Travis, part of "The Best Political Team on Television," live from the Political Desk in Washington for us this morning.

So, Shannon, give us the latest on the announcement from Gingrich.

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Hey, there, Don.

Well, yes, we've been talking about it all hour. Newt Gingrich, we expect for him to announce his presidential intentions, but when will he do it?

I just returned from Capitol Hill where he was there speaking at a breakfast. I said, hey, Mr. Speaker, Mr. House Speaker, when will you announce? He said around 9:00 p.m., but we're not really sure if that means he'll be announcing on Facebook and Twitter at 9:00.

His campaign he since called and said that they expect to announce this afternoon that he'll be putting that out. He has an appearance at another cable news network later on tonight, Don.

LEMON: Carol Costello is here with me. Carol Costello is right here. We're like, yes, wonder which one.

COSTELLO: Oh, just say it, Shannon.

LEMON: The only reason we're not saying is because it's on FOX.

Thank you, Carol. I like your funk.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Sure.

(LAUGHTER)

TRAVIS: You said it, not me.

LEMON: Did you hear him? Follow on prompter.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: All right. So listen, a major Tea Party group unveiled its so-called surprise. Shannon, tell us about that.

TRAVIS: That's right. It's a day full of surprises, obviously, Don.

The Tea Party Express this morning unveiled their first, their very first Senate endorsement for the 2012 cycle. Who gets it? Who is the winner? His name is John Bruning. He is the Republican attorney general in Nebraska.

Now you know that Ben Nelson is the senator, the Democratic senator in Nebraska, and the Tea Party Express is targeting him. They want to oust him. This Bruning, the attorney general, he is the elected three times as attorney general, and he's pretty GOP establishment. So it's a little surprised pick that the Tea Party Express would pick him, because they normally go for non-establishment types.

But this will definitely increase his visibility, his frontrunner status, get him a lot of money, but it could be the political kiss of death because we know Tea Party Express' track record with Senate picks. Didn't go so well in Alaska, Nevada and Delaware, Don.

LEMON: All, Shannon, thank you. And you're off the hook. Carol and I are the ones who are in trouble. So you're fine.

For the latest political news, you know where to go, go to CNNPolitics.com.

And, you know, we're talking about a very serious subject now. With bin Laden dead, some say the end game in Afghanistan needs to change. That brings us to today's "Talk Back" question, Carol Costello here with your responses on that.

COSTELLO: Yes, a lot of interesting responses.

The "Talk Back" question: Should U.S. troops leave Afghanistan?

This from Sue, "At some point, yes, but right now we have to keep our eyes on them and our guns drawn."

This from Mack, "We should bring all the troops home. Why are there still so many troops in Germany? I think it's safe to say that Hitler is no longer a threat."

This from Heidi, "The Taliban no longer controls the government and the government American put in place now wants us out. We can't babysit their country forever. Without a clear military goal and equally clear means to achieve it, our troops don't belong there."

This from Michael, "We determine that we need to deal with the people who attacked us. Then we put all of our focus and firepower into Iraq who had nothing to do with 9/11. Now we're focused on the real issue and we want to pull out? Finish the job, then come home."

Keep the conversation going, Facebook.com/CarolCNN, and I'll be back with you in about 15 minutes.

LEMON: All right, Carol.

I have some breaking political news as well that I want to share with our viewers here. We're just getting confirmation that Senator John Kerry, you know the Democrat from Massachusetts, he's the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, we're being told that he plans to go to Pakistan soon, a Senate source familiar with his plan said Wednesday.

Again, Senator John Kerry preparing to go to Pakistan.

In the meantime, Baby Boomers take on aging. High-tech help for millions of Boomers as they hit retirement age. We'll take you inside MIT's age lab. You got to see our reporter get older in front of your very eye, temporarily.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: That was cool.

OK, so 70 is the new 50. All right, maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit. It could be, though. But as Baby Boomers move into the 60s and 70s, you know they're getting high-tech help to age gracefully.

As part of the focus on Baby Boom generation, CNN's Deb Feyerick went to MIT's Age Lab and found out how it feels to get holder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to the Age Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston.

(on camera): Getting older.

(voice-over): If you want to know what it's like to grow old, this is the place to come.

(on camera): So this is what it feels like to be 75 on a good day.

(voice-over): Joe Coughlin runs the lab, a valuable outpost for designers and businesses to figure out ways to cater to aging Baby Boomers.

JOE COUGHLIN, DIRECTOR, MIT AGE LAB: What we have found is that product placement for the things that you most want and the most healthy are quite often those that are the hardest to reach.

FEYERICK: Researchers here are figuring out everything from easier shopping --

(on camera): Can I do a little exercise program here?

(voice-over): -- to fun ways to stay active.

(on camera): Even for 10 minutes, it makes you very fatigued.

COUGHLIN: If Baby Boomers are going to leave a legacy, it's about expecting more and they're going to try their best to age cool.

FEYERICK: Or age less.

COUGHLIN: Or age less.

FEYERICK (voice-over): That includes the kind of homes Baby Boomers will choose to live n. Reconfiguring spaces --

COUGHLIN: Here at the counter, cutting vegetables now is going to make you far more fatigued than if you had a counter that you could sit at. And so really designing the house to live in for a lifetime.

FEYERICK: And using electronics strips to keep track of medicine and help others keep track of you.

COUGHLIN: And it says you put your pills back without taking them.

FEYERICK (on camera): I did. I'm just like I'm standing. COUGHLIN: We're using that type of technology that was used for the astronauts for your mom in your kitchen. Because if you think about it, space is an extreme environment, but your kitchen is an extreme environment as you age.

FEYERICK (voice-over): In America alone, there are some 77 million Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964. Seventy percent live in rural areas where cars are a lifeline.

COUGHLIN: Are there things we can do with a car to compensate maybe for reduced flexibility in the neck? Blind spot detection? Warning systems?

FEYERICK (on camera): So are you, on some levels, trying to turn back time?

COUGHLIN: In some levels, no, we are trying to make the best use of the time we have. Do we work longer? Do we come up with new forms of play? How do we stay in our homes not just independent, but connected as well.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Even if the connection is a robot. The same, weight and feel as a baby and oddly soothing.

As for me, I'm not ready to get old --

(on camera): I feel 17 again.

(voice-over): -- refusing to age without a fight.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Boston, Massachusetts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)