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Taliban Claim Responsibility for Attack on Afghan Military Leaders; Rescuers Continue to Search for Missing in Joplin, Missouri; Cuba Importing Less Coffee; Financial Experts Give Advice on Protection from Credit Fraud; Young Man Aids in Record Keeping for Arlington National Cemetery; Woman Authors Pamphlet for Parents of Deployed U.S. Soldiers; Teens Give Money Saved for Vacation to Tornado Victims
Aired May 28, 2011 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN Newsroom where the news unfolds live this Saturday, May 28th, Memorial Day weekend. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
We begin this hour with breaking news. The Taliban is claiming responsibility for a suicide attack that killed seven people today in northern Afghanistan. Among those purportedly wounded, one of the highest-ranking NATO officers in the country. We'll try to get more information on that story as it develops.
Meantime, rare morning explosions rocked Libya's capital city today. A government official says one of the blasts hit a compound in Tripoli belonging to leader Moammar Gadhafi. NATO confirmed it bombed a vehicle storage area in a second strike nearby.
And Egypt has reopened its border crossing into Gaza that opens the door to the outside world for Palestinians. Officials say hundreds passed through the border town of Rafah today. Israel worries that terrorists will now ship arms across the border. The Egyptian government had supported an Israeli blockade imposed back in 2007.
President Barack Obama wants to make it easier for Polish tourists and business people to visit the U.S. During a visit to Warsaw today, the president said he supports admitting Poland into the state department's visa waiver program. That program enables citizens of member countries to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without getting a visa.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our expectation is that by this change in the law we can be in a position to resolve this issue in a way that is satisfactory to Poland, but also meets the security concerns of the United States. We very much want you to shop on Fifth Avenue and anywhere else in the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Poland was president Obama's final stop in his six-day European trip. More now on that breaking story about the suicide attack taking place in northern Afghanistan. Stan Grant is in Islamabad with more on all those that were injured including a high-ranking NATO officer.
STAN GRANT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, it is Marcus Kanive, the head of NATO forces for all of northern Afghanistan which is where this attack took place. The suicide bomber targeted a high-level meeting that was taking place involving international and foreign troops as well.
Now, the general was injured, but we understand those injuries are not life-threatening. He has survived this attack. Some of his troops, though, are not so fortunate. Also killed was major general -- or General Daud Daud, the head of the regional police in that area and also a leading former military figure in Afghanistan. He was one of the leading commanders in the northern alliance which fought the Taliban in the days ahead of the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for this attack. They say they were deliberately targeting this meeting because the international forces and Afghan forces have been planning a major offensive against the militants and they wanted to disrupt that.
And all of this, of course, complicates the picture in Afghanistan. The U.S. is preparing to draw down some of its troops, NATO looking at handing over security to afghan troops and afghan officials in the lead up to 2014 when they also will pull out. At the same time, there are talks under way with the Taliban to try to reconcile the Taliban with the government in the country. But a very complicated picture, one made even more complicated by this attack, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Stan Grant, thanks so much, from Islamabad. Appreciate that.
Now, back to this country. The famous Blue Angels are grounded for now because their commander resigned. Commander Dave Koss says he didn't live up to the precision flying team's safety and performance standards during this air show in Lynchburg, Virginia last weekend. They Navy canceled the next couple of performances while a new commander takes over.
The last of Bernie Madoff's personal belongings will be auctioned next week in Miami. You're looking at some of that collection, wine collection, diamond jewelry and artwork, among many of the valuables up for grabs during that auction. The money raised will be used to pay off swindled investors. Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for running his Ponzi scheme.
To Joplin, Missouri now, a city devastated by a monster tornado six days ago. The death toll has climbed once again, and 139 people are now confirmed dead. The number of those still unaccounted for has dropped to 105. Our Paul Vercammen is in the middle of all the destruction. And as people are picking up the pieces, they're expecting the president's arrival tomorrow.
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka, glad to hear he's coming here. Many people in Joplin have expressed they want to make sure federal aid comes to Joplin, Missouri. As you look over my right shoulder, you can see people are going ahead and trying to clean up. This is a massive debris field here in Joplin. It's going to be quite a task.
One of the frustrations that many people expressed during the week was the fact that it was very difficult to identify bodies. There's a couple things at play here, not the least of which, don't forget in a tornado, unfortunately people are blown all around. One of the state officials expression it's more important right now to be accurate than to be speedy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREA SPILLARS, KSHB: I can tell you it's a very respectful process. I can tell you that someone is with a loved one every step of the way. It's a very scientific process. It's a very exacting process. So be it x-rays, be it dental records, be it other medical records, be it identifying marks, they're going through every process to make sure they have accurately identified that person in a very respectful way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERCAMMEN: So that's from the state of Missouri. Of course there are many people, Fredricka, who expressed they just couldn't get their loved ones back early enough this week. It was very frustrating for them because a lot of them said they wanted some sense of closure and they knew their loved one had passed away. There wasn't that opportunity to get them out of what one person frankly called a refrigerator.
WHITFIELD: Paul, there are also funerals and memorial services taking place this weekend, right?
VERCAMMEN: Yes, there sure are. A number of people are being honored. One of the true characters, a man named Dean Wells. He had gone into his Home Depot where he was a manager and basically secured so many people to safety that he forgot to take care of himself. He was a former crew chief on a black hawk helicopters. He was remembered today among the many. He was well known for whistling, quite a touching moment as they played him whistling at church. His daughters and mother and wife all laughed about what a character he was. They were glad to share some of his story with the world.
WHITFIELD: Paul, thanks so much out Joplin, Missouri.
And if you want to help people in the recent tornado outbreak, just go to CNN.com/impact and see the various organizations in place that will accept your donations.
Here is advice -- stock up on coffee now that prices are about to skyrocket. Just this week, Starbucks announced coffee prices will go up. Do you know by how much? Is it 10 percent, 15 percent, 17 percent, how about 19 percent? The answer when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: You coffee lovers out there, before the break we asked how much Starbucks was increasing their prices come July? The answer is almost in the middle, 17 percent.
So more expensive coffee is hitting the Cuban people right in their kitchen. CNN's Shasta Darlington explains from Havana.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Cuban coffee, these days a little more bitter with less of a jolt. That's because beginning this month the coffee offered on the communist country's ration card is mixed with roasted peas, a combination that Cubans thought they left behind in 2005. But the soaring price of coffee imports made the government change its mind.
Some, like this car park guard welcome the change. "The first time I had coffee it was mixed with peas," he says. "I liked it, and I'll keep on liking it."
But most Cubans are not nearly as complacent. "Undeniably the mixed coffee is inferior quality," he says. You don't have to be a scientist to know that. "The quality just isn't the same for those who like to have good, pure coffee," says another woman. In fact, the new mixture is only 50 percent java. The rest is roasted peas.
President Raul Castro himself said the government would no longer pay $47 million a year to subsidize Cuban's demand for imported coffee. And while the global price of coffee is up 69 percent, peas have only risen 30 percent.
On the bright side, the new four-ounce bag offered at ration card stores is just four pesos, the equivalent of a few cents. But Mylene, like so many Cubans, says she has to mix it with expensive coffee from the supermarket. "On its own it plugs up the coffee maker," she says, "or just comes out tasteless."
DARLINGTON (on camera): But the only way to know for sure is to try it for yourself. I'm going to cook up a mocha pot here. This is what most Cubans use to make their coffee. I've been told to be careful because peas expand a lot faster than coffee and these can explode.
Now for the real test. It's definitely very bitter.
DARLINGTON (voice-over): Cafes and restaurants still serve the pure cafesitos that Cuba is famous for. But the Caribbean island now imports more than half of its annual consumption.
Shasta Darlington, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: How about protecting online accounts from hackers? Our financial gurus Ken and Daria Dolan have four things you need to do right now before you take that summer vacation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: This Memorial Day, one country music duo wants to remind you to honor our veterans. Montgomery Gentry has traveled to Germany, Kuwait, and Iraq to entertain soldiers. "Impact your World."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MONTGOMERY GENTRY, USO: Hey, we're Montgomery Gentry, and we can make an impact for our troops.
We love to entertain our heroes and let them know how much we love them and miss them when they're overseas. This is the greatest country in the world. We can say and be and dream as big as we want to in this great country. We don't give it up enough for our American heroes.
Join the movement, "Impact your World," CNN.com/impact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So there are many ways to impact your world. And if you want to help people in the recent tornado outbreaks, just go to CNN.com/impact and see the various organizations that will accept your donations.
So experts are still poring over data from the 2010 census and they've come up with an interesting find about the institution of marriage. What do you think about all this? According to the 2010 census, married couples make up what percentage of all U.S. households? Is it 78 percent, 68 percent, 58 percent, or 48 percent? The answer when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Just before the break we asked about marriage. Our question, married couples make up what percentage of U.S. households? The choices range from 78 percent down to 48 percent. So if you guessed 78 percent, you would have been right -- back in 1950. But over the past 60 years, the percentage has declined steadily, and according to last year's census, married couples accounted for just 48 percent of U.S. households in 2010. In other words, for the first time in the history of the U.S. census, if you're married, you're in the minority.
So what do you think? Is it good, bad, what does it say about society and America? Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @twitter.com/fwhitfield. We'll read your responses later on today.
Hackers may have compromised Defense Department secrets. A source close to the investigation says the hackers broke into the computer networks of Lockheed Martin, the world's large of the defense contractor. It's not known what, if any, information was stolen. Lockheed works on weapons technology used on the battlefield.
This weekend Sony will start to restore its PlayStation network in Asia. Much of the online gaming network was shut down last month after hackers broke in and got access to customer information, possibly credit card numbers. Sony says it is adding new security measures.
So in the last two months millions of online records have been breached. Before you go on vacation, make sure your finances are safe and sound. What do you actually do? What can you do? Ken and Daria Dolan of course have the answers for us to find out whether the account has been hacked. Guys, what are the first things people need to do?
KEN DOLAN, DOLANS.COM: Help!
(LAUGHTER)
DARIA DOLAN, DOLANS.COM: The really scary thing, Fred, is that it's not even the middle of the year yet and over nine million cases of these breaches have already occurred. That's before Sony and Lockheed Martin. It's frightening.
KEN DOLAN: Here is the problem, Fred. As hacking technology gets more sophisticated, it's going to happen more often. None of this -- are you going to get hacked eventually or is it going to stop? It's not going to stop. Our job here today is, if you find out it's happened to you, what do you do?
DARIA DOLAN: The first thing you do is you contact the credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and Transunion, and you have them put a fraud alert on your credit report. When you call them, it's an 800 number or go online, they say they alert the other two bureaus. I never trust anybody. I go to all three of them. If I call, if I go online, I go to all three of them. I put it there even if it comes in in triplicate, better triplicate than somebody that doesn't get the message.
KEN DOLAN: And the fraud alert will keep anybody from opening a new account in your name. Here is what happens -- they open up an account in your name, they change the billing address. And so you're getting -- your name is getting whacked all over the place credit-wise and you don't know it because you're not getting the bills.
DARIA DOLAN: That's not fail-proof, but it's better than nothing.
WHITFIELD: You need to check your debit accounts, because a lot of people are paying their bills online and you want to protect yourself.
DARIA DOLAN: You really do. You need to monitor online every week after a security breach like this. Your credit card statements, debit card statements and be sure that nothing unusual --
WHITFIELD: Let me stop you right there because we're having with audio problems and you're starting to sound further and further away. So we'll try to work that out and get back with Daria and Ken right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: We had to work out the audio gremlins that took over the show with Ken and Daria Dolan joining us from West Palm Beach. Back to how you protect yourself against those who make a living hacking others. Last point, you said consider credit monitoring services. In what way?
KEN DOLAN: We have Life Lock. It's not a commercial, but it's one of many where, in fact, if there's a problem they will immediately alert you. It's not for free. It's $10 a month or less with discounts. When we get it every month saying they've been looking, I think it makes sense.
DARIA DOLAN: And change your passwords periodically, whether you've been hacked or not. It's a good safety tip.
WHITFIELD: Ken and Daria Dolan, thanks so much. Glad you could spend the holiday weekend with us.
KEN DOLAN: Good holiday to everyone.
WHITFIELD: Ken and Daria Dolan always have so much to say. You can find them on twitter, Facebook and their personal blog. Check out their blog at dailymoneydish.com.
Time to check our top stories now. One of the top NATO officers in Afghanistan is wounded today in an attack being claimed by the Taliban. Major General Markus Kneip commands all NATO troops in northern Afghanistan. He was reportedly meeting with a regional governor and police commander when a suicide bomber detonated himself nearby. Seven people were killed. The general is among nine others wounded. We'll keep you updated on this breaking story.
Members of the U.N. nuclear watch dog agency are looking at Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear reactor this weekend. They're checking out the site and reviewing the safety there. The IAEA team will report on what they find at next month's nuclear ministers meeting in Vienna.
And not only is he out of power, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is about to be out of millions of dollars as well. A court has fined Mubarak and top officials of his ousted regime $90 million for their roles in limiting communication during the country's revolution in January. Mubarak will be required to pay $34 million of that.
Let's bring in the Denver tower cam now. Not everyone is having trouble with the late season heavy snow. Aspen Mountain is open for skiing. Can you believe it? Memorial Day weekend, a lot of folks are trying to get to the beaches, to the pools. If you're in Aspen, you might be able to get to the slopes, because there is snow there in a very manageable way, whereas in many other states out west there is way too much snow and it's getting in the way of a lot of holiday plans.
Our Bonnie Schneider will be along with us momentarily to give us an idea of just how severe this snowfall is and the snowpack is particularly in the western regions. Do we have our Bonnie Schneider with us? Almost? We'll get with Bonnie in a moment.
Barbara Day runs a business at Colorado's Echo Lake Lodge near the Wyoming border, and all of this snow means that people can't get to her, hurting her bottom line. She's joining us right now on the phone. Barbara, this should be a very busy weekend, but clearly there are a lot of destinations that people cannot get to because of this snowpack. Have you experienced a lot of cancellations?
BARBARA DAY, COLORADO BUSINESS OWNER: Hi, Fredricka, actually no. Our location is Echo Lake on Mt. Evans. And Mt. Evans road is open now to Summit Lake which is nine miles from us. They cannot get to the top at the moment. That is sort of unusual in the last few years because the roads usually open to the top.
WHITFIELD: Typically Memorial Day weekend, is this ever a problem?
DAY: Oh, sure. It has happened in the past. We're at 10,600 feet, so we're pretty high. The road to us is fine though.
WHITFIELD: Well, very good. What about some of your neighbors or other businesses, are they being adversely impacted?
DAY: I think everybody has been negatively impacted because the weather has been so unpredictable in Denver and in Colorado in general. We have had -- we have five feet of snow in the last two snowstorms up here.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
DAY: So it's significant.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. How do you plan for this if at all, if this can typically happen Memorial Day weekend?
DAY: Well, you don't plan very well. It's impossible to plan.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.
DAY: It's crazy.
WHITFIELD: It certainly is. Barbara Day, thanks so much, joining us from Colorado's Echo Lake Lodge. All the best in your business this weekend and throughout the summer.
DAY: Thank you so much. Thank you for talking to us, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All the best, have a great weekend.
DAY: You, too.
(WEATHER BREAK)
WHITFIELD: There are anchors and ships in New York harbor this weekend for Fleet Week. Thousands of military personnel are spending the Memorial Day holiday in the big apple, and they're also giving the public a chance to see some of their high-tech gear. Tanks, specialized aircraft and helicopters are on display there. Fleet Week runs through June 1st.
There are many ways to honor the fallen this Memorial Day weekend. One young man is using his home computer to create an online database of the gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. Our Sandra Endo explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One by one 17-year-old Ricky Gilleland keeps these headstones alive, online. You come here thinking what?
RICKY GILLELAND, FOUNDER, PRESERVEANDHONOR.COM: Well, it's sad because I come here and I look at the birth dates and the death dates and I think, you know, these are kids that aren't much older than me.
ENDO: The computer whiz started documenting the 858 soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and are buried at Arlington after he heard about the record keeping problems that cemetery. He posted the information and pictures on his Web site called preserveandhonor.com. It's received more than a million hits since it launched in October.
ENDO (on camera): What do you hope for when people logon to your Web site?
GILLELAND: I hope that they can go on and feel a little bit of comfort in knowing that, you know, they're not just a number of casualties or anything like that, they're actual people.
ENDO: An investigation by the army inspector general found that 211 graves were mislabeled here. And Arlington cemetery has been under fire for keeping an antiquated record system of the roughly 300,000 men and women laid to rest here.
JENNIFER LYNCH, ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY: We actually are in the process of modernizing our record keeping. It will make people who are doing sites like Ricky's a lot easier because it's all going to be available on our Web site.
ENDO (voice-over): For him his project took on a deeper meaning as he learned more about one fallen soldier.
GILLELAND: What's special about this headstone, in particular, is it's the only one around it which has gold lettering. That means he was a Medal of Honor winner. He was fighting and someone threw a grenade inside the humvee. He absorbed most of the blast and he saved everyone else.
ENDO: We reached out to the McGinnis family who had no idea about his project and became emotional after seeing the site. In an e-mail, Mr. McGinnis thanked him for his work, describing it as a way to showcase the sacrifices of our nation's heroes. But there are still new sacrifices Gilleland will continue to capture. Sandra Endo, CNN, Arlington National Cemetery.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: American sons and daughters go to war and their parents are often left with more questions than answers. We'll tell you about a book written just for military moms and dads.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So many college students go deep into debt to get their education. But there are some schools where you can get a top quality education without any contribution from the family. Where? How about Harvard? CNN education contributor Steve Perry tells us who qualifies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: I have to admit, when I first saw an e-mail that said that Harvard was offering up a no-parental contribution for students whose families made under $60,000, I thought it was an urban myth. What's the likelihood of finding a student whose family makes under $60,000 who is going to post the scores and the GPAs that Harvard has?
DREW GILPIN FAUST, PRESIDENT, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: We have about 18 percent of the freshmen class this year who fits that category. We want to make sure that people can come regardless of their financial circumstances.
PERRY: Alyssa Mackey is one of those students.
FAUST: I was actually applying to schools and my father passed away. That dramatically changed our financial situation. So that's why I'm in need of the assistance. When I applied, I didn't know about the financial aid initiative. I remember my mom opening the letter and thinking that there was a mistake because it said "family contribution zero."
PERRY: There are many college presidents struggling with how to attract students from historically disadvantaged populations and what they can do. What is it you would say to them?
FAUST: We have to send the message to students that we want them and those of us who can support the financial aid programs like ours will do so.
PERRY: How has this program impacted your career decisions?
FAUST: If there was no financial aid initiative, there would be maybe a little more pressure to go into a field where I would be making a lot of money, maybe something that I wasn't all that passionate about. So next year I'll be teaching special education for elementary school students in New Orleans.
PERRY: Steve Perry, Cambridge, Massachusetts. (END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Quick question. How many soldiers are in the U.S. army right now, active duty and reserve? I'll tell you in a moment and show you about a pamphlet written just for their moms and dads.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A minute ago I asked if you knew how many soldiers were in the U.S. army today. The answer is about 675,000. That's active duty and reserve.
So your son or daughter perhaps goes off to war. How do you cope? He or she is coming home. What are their needs? And how does a parent handle the worst news that their child was hurt or killed in action?
Well, this pamphlet is a guide for parents of soldiers. It's called "Your soldier, your army." And the woman who wrote this book, Vicki Cody, is with me now from Washington. You're speaking in this booklet from experience. Your husband a four-star general, the army vice chief of staff, two sons both commissioned officers. Why did you feel like there was a need for this pamphlet, this guide?
VICKI CODY, AUTHOR, "YOUR SOLDIER, YOUR ARMY": Well, I realized Fredricka early on when the war began that there was nothing out there for parents of soldiers and at that point I had been an army spouse for over 30 years, and I felt we had done a great job preparing, educating, informing army spouses, but nothing had really been done for the parents of soldiers.
And I suppose until I was a parent of soldiers myself, that's when it just hit me. I realized we need to do more. And I had one son deploying. He was already in the combat zone. Our younger son was preparing to go. And I was answering telephones at the army hotline when the war began. And I realized most of the questions coming in on the phone calls were from parents of soldiers.
So it all just kind of clicked, and I thought, I really need to put these ideas down in booklet form. It's also available on the internet, but I realized a lot of families don't have access to computers. So I wanted an actual booklet that people could carry around with them.
And I realized it was more than just about deployments. I wanted to give them some guidance on the army in general because this war, what happened was kids would join the army, and within six to 12 months they were deploying the combat zone. That was unlike any other peacetime army than what we all grew up in.
And so suddenly -- think about a mom and dad, they have a son, daughter, joining the military, and within months, they're faced with a deployment to the combat zone, and there was nothing for them.
WHITFIELD: In fact, this booklet you compartmentalize it this way. You have a chapter that explains the deployment orders. Perhaps your son or daughter didn't get a clans to explain to you what that entails. You break it down for parents in that way. Getting through the deployment, it's a matter of trust and actually helping parents of their sons and daughters try to also communicate and deal with the in- laws as well.
How do you know this is working? How do you know these guideposts here are really making an impact on military families?
CODY: Well, it's been absolutely the most gratifying thing I've ever done. Within weeks I was getting cards, letters, e-mails, phone calls from family members all over the country, moms and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles, you name it. People responded to the book because I not only was guiding them and giving them information, I made it very personal, and they realized I was going through exactly what they were going through.
So I think that comfort that they got from my book, I would say that was probably the greatest gift that I could give them that I was giving them comfort. But immediately the response was overwhelming. And then we printed it in Spanish. It was translated into Spanish.
And the other -- I think one of the nicest compliments I've ever gotten about the book was from soldiers themselves. They wrote me even from the come bat zone, e-mailed me and said, your book finally gave me something to give my parents that explained why I do what I do, why I love being in the army. And to me I loved it -- I never thought about soldiers reading my book. I thought it would be family members. So I loved it that the soldiers responded to it also.
WHITFIELD: Vicki Cody "Your soldier, your army." And again, folks can get this how? If they're not getting it from their soldier son or daughter, how can they get this?
CODY: You can go on the website, wwwausa.org. You get free copies. They pay for all the shipping and handling. You can order one copy or 1,000 copies. And I'm just glad for the opportunity to talk about it so more people can benefit from it.
And if I could just say one last thing -- I know we're probably running out of time. Do I have time?
WHITFIELD: Go ahead, real quick.
CODY: I just wanted to say I think each and every one of us as Americans, we should thank these wonderful men and women that wear the uniform and defend our country and are so willing to sacrifice for our freedoms and for this nation. And I can think of no other way than on Memorial Day to do something nice for a soldier or their family.
WHITFIELD: Fantastic. Thanks so much. Vicki Cody, appreciate your time from Washington.
CODY: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: A group of teenagers made a huge sacrifice to help some Alabama tornado victims, but it paid off in an even bigger way. Stick around for an unexpected surprise. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: It's time for a CNN = Politics update. We're keeping an eye on all the latest headlines at the CNNpolitics.com desk. And here is what's crossing right now.
Republican Mitt Romney is working to gain supporters in two early voting states, Iowa and New Hampshire. In Des Moines the former Massachusetts governor promised to support ethanol subsidies, a big issue in that corn-producing state. Next week Romney will be in New Hampshire to officially announce his presidential bid Thursday.
And then just a few hours after that event, a potential GOP rival will headline a gathering for a New Hampshire Republican party in Dover. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani leads a new CNN opinion research poll of potential and declared GOP candidates.
And Vice President Joe Biden is focusing on jobs and the economy in the White House weekly address. He says the economy is growing and pointed to the rising auto industry as evidence of that. Biden vows that he and the president will remain focused on boosting American's financial security.
For the latest political news, go to CNNpolitics.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. And you know exactly what that means, pool time. But before you jump in, you have to hear this, a new warning from the federal government saying that thousands of America's pools are not safe to swim in. Alison Kosik tells us why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALISON KOSIK, CNNMONEY.COM: Hi. It's the kind of news no one wants to hear on a government weekend. But the government is advising public swimming pools not to open this weekend because of a massive recall. One million drain covers were recalled. Pool drains have up to 5,000 pounds of vacuum force, and that's why they need these covers so swimmers don't get trapped under water by that suction.
It doesn't sound like a big deal, but it can be. The Consumer Product Safety Commission or CPSC says it caused a dozen deaths between 1999 and 2010. Some of the recalled drain cove covers were not rated correctly. Kids are most at risk which is why the CPSC is urging public kiddy pools and wading pools to respond immediately to the recall.
In-ground pools are also at risk. And it could be an issue if you have a pool in your backyard. If you're a private pool owner get more information at 866-478-3521 or apsp.org/draincoverrecall. The faulty covers were sold between 2008 and April of this year. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Alison.
So after horrific tornadoes hit the southeast last month, a group of Tennessee teens donated all of the funds that they had for a beach trip that they were going to take to a family who lost everything. But as Tuquyen Mach from our affiliate WSAV reports, it paid off in a very big way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUQUYEN MACH, REPORTER, WSAV: These teens from south Tennessee are being treated like rock stars.
TIFFANY MASTERON, STUDENT: It's been amazing. It's been overwhelming.
MACH: They welcomed the South Pittsburgh High students with open arms, but it was a welcome that almost didn't happen. The kids had given the money they saved for their trip to a family who lost everything in last month's tornadoes.
ASHLEY RACKLER, STUDENT: All those houses, there was no house that was left standing.
ANTHONY SELLERS, STUDENT: Just think about coming home to no home. And we was like, we could not do it. So why not donate our money to a good cause.
MACH: People heard their story and helped save the trip, everything from rooms to meals donated money by those impressed with the teen's generosity.
CAROLYN WILLIAMS, TYBEE ISLAND RESIDENT: Everybody that was asked said yes. There were even people that had to be turned down.
MACH: At the crab shack, the mayor proclaimed it South Pittsburgh High day.
MAYOR JASON BUELTERMAN, TYBEE ISLAND, GEORGIA: Their decision to assist this family who had lost their son in a tornado speaks to their selflessness and compassion and serves as an example of attributes we all strive for in our lives.
MACH: Each student got a key to the city for their good deeds.
PAUL WOLFF, TYBEE ISLAND CITY COUNCILMAN: When they saw somebody who need it more than they did, immediately gave it away without a second thought. I think that's fantastic.
MACH: For some who had never been to a beach before, this was one trip they'll never forget.
SELLERS: When you give, you also receive.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: After that dinner, the students were taken to a Sunset Dolphin cruise. They had a great time all the way around.
So if you want to help the victims of the recent tornado outbreaks, go to CNN.com/impact and see the various organizations that will accept your donations.
All right, w begin this hour with the Florida murder trial of Casey Anthony. Court convened for half a day today in Orlando. Anthony's mother, Cindy, cried throughout her testimony this morning as she talked about the two-year-old granddaughter and her daughter who was accused of the killing. Caylee Anthony was last seen alive June 16, 2008, but wasn't reported missing for a month.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After June 15th of 2008, did you see your granddaughter Caylee again?
CINDY ANTHONY, CASEY ANTHONY'S MOTHER: No, ma'am, I did not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you left for work in the morning on June 16 of 2008, did you believe Caylee to be in your house?
ANTHONY: Yes, ma'am, I did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The court is now in recess. The trial resumes Tuesday in Orlando.
