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Pakistan Arrests CIA Informants; Syrians Running for Their Lives; Nasty Stuff in Reusable Grocery Bags; Lawsuit Over U.S. Military in Libya; Helping Parents Who Help Adult Kids
Aired June 15, 2011 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed for Wednesday, June 15th.
Pakistan has arrested informants who helped the CIA before the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Now, those arrested include the owner of a safe House rented to the CIA to watch Bin Laden's compound. We're going to bring you a live report from Pakistan in just 10 minutes.
Tens of thousands of protesters surround the capital in Greece, and police let the tear gas canisters fly. The rage in the streets is being fueled by a government plan to cut spending and get the country's massive budget deficit under control.
This protest video was posted online by Syrian activists. They say it is from yesterday in the city of Hama. Syria's government has launched a bloody crackdown on protesters. That is forcing thousands of people to flee for their lives. CNN's Arwa Damon managed to reach some of those refugees near the border with Turkey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So we're just right now on the very edge of this makeshift camp. And you can see these crude tents that people have strung up for shelters. It's just started to rain now. It's just a plastic tarp.
(voice-over): Cramped together, six families, their feet caked in mud. Mothers trying to provide their children what comfort they can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The prosecution rested its case today in the murder trial of Casey Anthony.
Anthony is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. Among the final prosecution witnesses, Anthony's mother. She was questioned about a T-shirt. Earlier testimony suggested that scraps of it were found with the little girl's remains.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you recognize the shirt that Caylee is wearing?
CINDY ANTHONY, CASEY ANTHONY'S MOTHER: The first time I had ever seen that shirt was during my deposition. I don't ever remember seeing that shirt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Along the Missouri River, an around-the-clock battle to keep floodwaters out of homes and businesses. Omaha, Nebraska, is calling on volunteers to help fill at least a quarter of a million sandbags. Two levees along the Missouri-Iowa state line have breached, threatening the town of Hamburg, Iowa. If a temporary levee fails, Hamburg could get 10 feet of water.
In Arizona, a single campfire may have started the biggest wildfire in the state's history. That word from investigators. Now, they are talking with two people of interest.
The fire in eastern Arizona has driven thousands of people from their homes. And right now, it is about 20 percent contained.
In Wisconsin, terrifying moments for a woman who stopped to buy gas during a storm. Take a look at this.
A surveillance camera shows her getting out of the car. You see that there. And the wind blows her all of the way across the station to another gas pump, just blown out, almost taking the car door off as well. She was able to make it into another car and get inside safely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA STROUF, CAUGHT IN STORM: I opened the door somehow, and, yes, they helped me in. It is all strangers in this one guy's car, but I thanked them how many times for them letting me in their car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: A fellow lawmaker says that Congressman Anthony Weiner might resign in a couple of days. Representative Carolyn McCarthy, she did not say where she got the information, but Weiner faces pressure from top Democrats to step down. A source says he was on the fence waiting for his wife to return from overseas, and several reports say that she has now gotten back today.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's former housekeeper breaks her silence about their secret child. In an interview with "Hello!" magazine, Mildred Baena says as her son got older, he began to resemble the California governor. Maria Shriver eventually flat-out asked her if Schwarzenegger was the father. Baena says, "She cried with me. We held each other, and I told her it wasn't Arnie's fault, that it takes two."
Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories making news today. Today's question: Do politicians need to show their patriotism to get elected?
Carol Costello joins us from Washington with more on this.
Carol, very good question.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You think so?
MALVEAUX: I do.
COSTELLO: It's kind of weird. It's kind of weird, but it will be interesting to see what people have to say.
Love of country is no longer a given. You have to prove it. Prove you bleed not only red, but white and blue, too.
Jon Huntsman will officially declare he is running for president in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, where, arguably, the most patriotic of all presidents announced his run, Ronald Reagan.
Sarah Palin? Who knows if she's running? But she proved her patriotism by visiting historic landmarks on her "One Nation" bus tour.
Congressman Allen West is not running for president, which is a good thing, because he has come under fire for planting an American flag under water on an artificial reef. Flag etiquette says flags are not supposed to touch anything beneath them, even water, apparently. West is a Tea Party America-loving veteran. His spokeswoman told Politico he went diving with veterans and displayed the American flag on an underwater wreck as a sign of respect for the flag and for these veterans who worked to overcome their disability.
The West critique came from a liberal blogger no doubt upset that during the 2008 campaign, candidate Obama was accused of not loving his country because he did not place his hand over his heart during the Star-Spangled Banner. Mr. Obama was so taken aback by the fuss, he even started wearing flag pins. Not to say that changed things.
Accusations Mr. Obama was foreign grew louder until he finally produced his birth certificate. I bring this up because 2012 is bound to be the most patriotic-looking political year ever.
So, the "Talk Back" question today: Do politicians need to show their patriotism to get elected?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'm eager to read your comments later this hour.
MALVEAUX: Carol, there was kind of a little competition we had in the campaign, covering the campaign last time, who could have the most flags as a backdrop behind them, whether it was Obama or Clinton or Edwards. It was almost like a competition. One would have two, the next would have four or six or eight.
They multiplied. Twenty-four -- it got out of hand.
COSTELLO: It was insane, but I'm predicting that 2012 won't be any different -- Suzanne. MALVEAUX: There will be even more flags. Even more flags.
COSTELLO: Even more flags.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Carol. Appreciate it.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're covering in the next two hours.
Pakistan arrests informants who helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden. We're going to have a live report on that.
Also, a humanitarian crisis caused by a brutal crackdown. We're getting a rare look inside Syria.
Plus, do you ever wash your reusable grocery bags? You might want to after you hear what else they can actually carry.
And the Missouri River just keeps on rising, threatening homes and farms now in four states.
And finally, it's not unusual for parents to give their kids money, right? Well, what if their kids are adults? We're going to take a look at the family and finances.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Details now on our lead story. Pakistan has arrested several people who provided the CIA with information that led to the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
Want to go live to CNN's Reza Sayah in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
You've spoken to Pakistani officials, intelligence officials. What are they saying about this? Are they denying this report that now there are Pakistani informants who are in custody for helping out in that raid?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They're not denying the report. They say they indeed have these individuals in custody, Suzanne. And just when you thought that this relationship between Pakistan and the U.S. couldn't get more twisted and tangled, we learned that the ISI has indeed arrested a number of suspected informants for the CIA.
These are Pakistani men who allegedly helped the CIA, fed them information before the big raid on the Bin Laden compound last month. It's not clear why they were arrested, when they were arrested, and what crime they're going to be charged with, if any.
"The New York Times" is reporting one of these men is an army major who was writing down license plates of cars going in and out of the compound. One of our sources, a security official, denies that report. He says none of the individuals is an army officer. We do understand, according to security officials, that some of these men were staying in a safe House rented by the CIA that was serving as a lookout on to the Bin Laden compound.
The glaring question here is, why is the ISI going after CIA informants, if indeed the ISI was on board in U.S. efforts to go after Bin Laden? You would think they would praise these men, commend then, not arrest them. And the fact that they have arrested them, Suzanne, suggests that they may not have been happy with what they did.
It's too early to tell what they plan to do with these men. But, again, they fuel the big question that never seems to go away: Is Pakistan Washington's friend, or do they at times deceive the U.S. by playing a double game?
MALVEAUX: Well, Reza, let's talk about that. What do you think this means here for U.S.-Pakistani relations? It's already deteriorated quite a bit here, and now this development.
Are they telling you on the Pakistani side there that, look, the cooperation is over, we're going to do what we want to do here?
SAYAH: Well, the rhetoric on record is positive, but it doesn't square with what's happening on the ground. The fact is, this relationship is at a low point. There's deep mistrust, friction, and all sorts of finger-pointing.
Last weekend, for example, head of the CIA, Leon Panetta, came into town here in Islamabad, reportedly with evidence that the military here was colluding with militants along the border. The ISI, for its part, has kicked out most of the U.S. military trainers from Pakistan. U.S. lawmakers are pushing for a reduction of funding for Pakistan and its military.
And we can go on and on and on. The bottom line is, how can these two countries who say they need one another find a way to fix things, improve relations? That clearly is not happening at the moment -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: A very big challenge now. Thank you, Reza. Appreciate it.
NATO warplanes launched new attacks in Libya. That happened last night, while rebel fighters edged closer to the capital. The rebels are pushing back forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi in the east and west of the country.
Meanwhile, in Syria, this protest video was posted online by Syrian activists. And they say it is from yesterday in the city of Hama. And the demonstrators are risking their lives here because Syria's government has launched a bloody crackdown on the opposition.
The daily crackdown is forcing thousands -- thousands of people -- to run for their lives.
CNN's Arwa Damon, she managed to reach some of those refugees inside of Syria, near the border with Turkey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON (voice-over): Hunched over, this man tries to stay dry. All he has for shelter, a piece of tarp and branches. He is one of hundreds of Syrians living in squalor and fear, just a stone's throw from the Turkish border.
(on camera): So we're just right now on the very edge of this makeshift camp, and you can see these crude tents that people have strung up for shelter. It's just started to rain now. It's just a plastic tarp.
(voice-over): Crammed together, six families. Their feet, caked in mud. Mothers trying to provide their children what comfort they can.
(on camera): It was also raining last night quite heavily, and they were saying that they had to spend the entire night on their feet because the entire floor was just turned into mud.
(voice-over): The women, who don't want to be filmed, simply asked, "Is there anything left that we haven't been through?" The families here bathe in a muddy stream, where they also wash the few clothes they brought with them. Illnesses are already spreading.
"My biggest problem is the children," Mohammed Medi (ph), a pharmacist, says, "and people with heart disease. I don't have the medicine for that."
He emptied his shelves as he fled, setting up something of a field hospital. A child he was trying to treat returns.
(on camera): He had given the child pills, but he can't swallow them. So now he has to somehow give him an injection, and he's been going through everything that he has here, trying to figure out what's suitable.
(voice-over): The people here are mostly from the town of Jisr- Al-Shugur and nearby villages. They fled as the security forces closed in, but not before witnessing brutal destruction.
"They set our field on fire, destroyed our homes," this woman laments. "The military had started bombing as we left," she says.
Her family planned on crossing into Turkey for protection, but others choose to stay here, hoping against hope they will receive news of loved ones lost in the chaos. Some even dreaming of returning home.
Twenty-six-year-old Moussa (ph) tried heading back to his village a few days ago. "I was on my friend's motorcycle, and suddenly, I saw the military advancing to the olive groves, and they started shooting at me," he tells us. For now, Moussa (ph) and many others watch and wait, fearful that the government forces will hunt them down in this wretched corner of their homeland. (END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: CNN's Arwa Damon is joining us from the Turkish-Syrian border.
And Arwa, clearly, just unbelievable conditions there. Do you have a sense of the kind of help that is coming for these refugees?
DAMON: Well, Suzanne, for the most part, they have in fact been relying on the kindness of Turkish villagers just across the border who have been ferrying across using various smuggling routes things like bread, baby's milk, other basics. They have also been able to make two shipments of basic medicines.
But when it comes to those refugees who are choosing to say on the Syrian side of the border, they most certainly are struggling a lot more than those who have ended up inside the Turkish refugee camps. They are being provided with food, water, medical care. They are being sheltered in tents that are at least a lot more sturdy than those that you saw in that story right there.
But at the same time, when they do cross into Turkey, they are effectively shut off. They don't have freedom of movement in and out of these camps.
The media does not have access to them. The camps end up having this large tarp set up around them to prevent us from looking in, to prevent the refugees from speaking to us. But what all of them are saying is that at least for now, for the time being, they are safe. But they most certainly are desperate, and all of them are really wondering what it's going to take the international community to take drastic action against this regime.
MALVEAUX: And Area, we're just getting some information here. The Turkish Foreign Ministry press office confirming to CNN on the phone that they have accepted an application to by Angelina Jolie to visit the Syrian refugees, at least on the Turkish side of the border. She's worked with refugees before as a humanitarian advocate.
How important is it, do you think, to shine a spotlight on this particular border and to tell this story about what is happening there? Do you think it will make a difference?
DAMON: Yes, Suzanne, I do think it would make a difference, because, first of all, it would be among the first time that an individual has been allowed access. Remember, it's not just the media that hasn't been allowed inside. For the most part, it is also a number of international organizations that have not been able to go in and speak directly with the refugees inside those camps, witness firsthand the kind of conditions that they are in.
But it is also incredibly important to continue to hear stories that these refugees are speaking about, which is something that, presumably, Angelina Jolie would have an opportunity to do as well. The issue is trying to get the word out in the strongest way possible as to what is actually taking place in Syria, given the fact that the media and international organizations are not allowed inside.
These refugees bring with them critical and horrific stories, and most certainly, this is an issue that really has to be propelled a lot further into the international spotlight. That is what activists are telling us because, thus far, the effort to really bring about a united international stance on exactly how to handle this crisis in Syria have failed. And at the end of the day, the people who are suffering because of the international community's failures are the Syrian civilians.
MALVEAUX: All right. Arwa Damon, thank you so much for bringing attention to this obviously humanitarian crisis that is taking place right there on the border. A very unstable situation.
Thank you, Arwa.
A lot of people like to bring their own bags to the grocery store, right? But a study finds that those reusable bags now can carry some pretty nasty stuff.
And a new report shows women in hundreds of U.S. counties are dying younger than their mothers did a generation earlier. University of Washington researchers say that life expectancies declined between 1997 and 2007 in a quarter of U.S. counties.
You can see this on the map. The counties in red are where life expectancy is the lowest. It is mostly in the South and lower Midwest. Researchers say the grim trend is fueled mostly by high blood pressure, obesity and smoking, but also poverty.
So here's a question for you: Where does the United States rank for life expectancy compared to the rest of the world: A, 8th; B, 50th; or C, 25th?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: So how do Americans rank worldwide when it comes to how long we live: A, 8th in the world; B, 50th in the world; or C, 25th? The answer is 50th.
According to the CIA's World Fact Book, our life expectancy in the United States is 78. Compare that to 89 in Monaco and 81 in Italy, France and Spain.
We've got news developing here. This is coming from our own CNN's Deirdre Walsh and Brianna Keilar out of the White House.
Congress now is expected to file a lawsuit today challenging the United States' participation in Libya, in that military mission. This is going to be happening later today.
Meanwhile, you have the White House and President Obama setting to defend military intervention in Libya with a report, an explanation to go to Congress. That is according to the White House.
Clearly, this is escalating here. This is a situation where there are members of Congress, and also voters, Americans, who want to know whether or not the president has the authority to continue with the U.S. troop involvement in Libya.
I understand we now have our White House correspondent, Brianna Keilar. We're going to go to her in just a moment to give us more information about this story.
But there's a lot of tension right now between lawmakers and the White House over this very issue, whether or not the president has this authority to have those American troops still in Libya without first reporting to Congress.
All right. We're going to move on to another story.
You want to do your part to save the planet, obviously. Instead of paper or plastic, you take your own fabric bags to the grocery store over and over without washing them.
Our senior medical correspondent Elisabeth Cohen is here to tell us why that might be a bad idea.
Tell us what's going on.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, I think people don't think about this. I mean, you are doing a great thing for the planet, there is no question, by using these bags instead of the disposable ones.
And so, you know, you get your hamburger -- I've got it right here -- and you plunk it right in your bag. Well, guess what? This plastic wrap, it can leak, and it can leak on to other foods, and can leak onto the bag itself.
And so the Canadian plastics industry decided to do a study where they actually swabbed bags. And then, based on the results, the Canadian government, this week, actually issued an advisory to people that there's stuff in these bags, you need to be careful.
MALVEAUX: What did they actually swab? What did they find?
COHEN: All right. I won't tell you absolutely everything because I'm afraid people might be eating breakfast or lunch at this hour. But let's take a look at some of the things that they found.
They found that 64 percent were contaminated with bacteria. Sixty-four percent. And 30 percent had bacteria that were at higher counts that are considered safe in drinking water, and 40 percent had yeast or mold in them.
So, you know, not happy numbers. Not what you want to see.
MALVEAUX: So, if you want to be green, and you take your bag to the grocery store, what should you do?
COHEN: OK.
MALVEAUX: What's the best thing to do here.
COHEN: A bunch of different things you can do.
First of all, wash them between uses. Most of them are this kind of fabric that hopefully can be washed. And you can even wash them in a slightly diluted -- like a bleach solution. And that should really kill all the stuff.
Another thing that you want to do is you want to separate out your foods. So, for example, if you have meat here, you want to put the meat in one bag and put your produce in another bag. So, the meat goes in one bag, the produce goes in another bag. That's another thing that you want to do.
And also, wrap stuff up. So don't put it in just like this. I know there is plastic wrap on it, but wrap it up again. I know you're using a disposable bag, but wrap it up again in a disposable bag to really make sure that it's not leaking.
MALVEAUX: OK. Great advice. I had no idea.
COHEN: I know. You just -- people don't think about it.
MALVEAUX: No, you don't.
All right. Thanks, Elizabeth.
COHEN: Thanks.
MALVEAUX: Now it's time for you to "Choose the News." Here are your choices.
First, there's a lot of shaking going on in part of Arkansas these days. Hundreds of earthquake jolts have hit the state in just the last few months, but some scientists say it's not Mother Nature that is actually causing them.
Second, hackers post on the Senate Web site, "We don't like the U.S. government very much." It is the same group that claims to have hit PBS. We're going to tell you who they are and why they are on the attack.
And, number three, third choice, Google unveils a new kind of stripped-down laptop. What can you do on it? Well, we're going to tell you about Chrome book.
So, you can vote for your favorite story by texting "22360." Text "1" for Manmade Quakes; "2" for Hackers on Attack; and "3" for Chromebook. The winning story will air in the next hour.
Well, floodwaters on the rise in the nation's heartland. The bloated Missouri River is threatening thousands of homes, businesses and farms. We're going to hear from one of our iReporters in North Dakota.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are working on next.
The water is still rising. Thousands of homes are still in danger. We've got the latest news on the Missouri River flood threat.
Critics say that the president is breaking the law. Now the administration is forced to lay out the case for staying involved in Libya's war.
And in just 15 minutes, are your grown kids financially independent? Well, how the economy is forcing young adults to hit up mom and dad for help.
In the nation's heartland, a 1,700 mile flood threat. Thousands of homes, businesses along the Missouri River could be flooded as the river prizes. And the danger zone now is from Montana to Missouri. Right now, there is a furious effort underway to protect those threatened areas with sand bags and temporary levees. The flooding brought on by record spring rains.
One of our iReporters has been sending us amazing scenes from the flood zone in Bismarck, North Dakota. His name is Mark Armstrong. He's a county commissioner there. And the whole area is threatened by the rising water.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ARMSTRONG, IREPORTER: People are waiting to see what happens for the next two months because this is going to be here for the next two months and there's some concerns the flow could be even higher because the snow pack in Montana hasn't melted. So we've got a real bad situation here and people are worried, not knowing what to do exactly, because they don't know if they should defend their hopes where there's already a water intrusion and they have their dikes around them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Mark Armstrong is with us via Skype from the airport in Houston.
Mark, thanks for joining us. First of all, tell us what kind of area is this? How many homes are actually threatened where you've seen?
ARMSTRONG: Well, not only are they threatened, we have over 1,000 homes on both sides of the river now that are completely in water right now. And residents, about 4,000 have been evacuated from those homes right now. And, as you heard, some are trying to go back and defend those homes but the water is going to continue to rise here.
Over the next two months, they're going to have to defend their homes and that's a very troubling thing. And both cities of Bismarck and Mandan (ph) have temporary levees in place. As this water continues to push up, they'll have to hope those levees hold for at least the next two months, as the Missouri River puts out more than it ever has historically.
MALVEAUX: So Mark, you were saying before, I guess, people have had a two week warning to get their stuff out of their homes but many now are going back to their home. Has that really posed a problem here?
ARMSTRONG: It's a terrible problem because they're trying to protect their most valuable asset, their home. It's in water right now. And they're trying to pump out the water from behind their dikes, as the ground water intrudes from behind those and they're using elaborate pumping mechanisms. They have to go in by canoe or boat over what used to be roads. It's a (AUDIO GAP) --
MALVEAUX: Mark, can you hear us? I think we lost mark. Well, obviously, Mark, a very difficult situation there that he's facing. Flooding in that area. A lot of people trying to get your stuff out as the water rises.
We're going to continue to follow that story. We'll bring a little bit to you in a little bit later.
Well, the president and Congress headed for a showdown over Libya. The House Speaker warns the president may soon be violating the law.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: A bipartisan group of law makers plans to file a lawsuit today over the U.S. Military mission in Libya. Also, House Speaker John Boehner is demanding that the president explain the U.S. operation by Friday. He says the president -- if the president doesn't get authorization from coming by Sunday, he could be in violation of the War Powers Act.
Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. It sets a 60-day deadline for the president to get Congressional approval after deploying troops to hostile areas. If the president doesn't get approval within that time frame, the mission must end within 30 days. Now, Boehner says that 30 day period ends Sunday.
Well, the White House insists it's complying with the War Powers Act. The Obama administration could send reports to Congress today on the U.S. mission in Libya.
I want to bring the White House correspondent Brianna Keilar.
Brianna, it seems to be -- this latest move, pressure, if you will, to put on the White House to do something before this deadline. First of all, is there any reaction to the possibility of members of Congress actually filing this lawsuit now?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: At this point, we don't have reaction on that. That's sort of a new development, Suzanne. But, I think what we're expecting as early as today and probably today, is the guidance that I'm getting from the White House on this report to Congress, which we should point out, this is a direct response to a House resolution that passed about a week and a half ago. And in that resolution, there are 21 questions, very detailed questions posed.
So I think what we're getting today, possibly today, possibly tomorrow is something that is going to be more detailed. You're going to be seeing an argument on the part of the White House, we expect, for why they are in compliance with the War Powers resolution that you mentioned.
They've said they're in compliance with it. They haven't really detailed their legal argument on that. And they are also expecting the White House to answer questions on what the goal is in Libya, how the president hopes to achieve it, and, of course, what the cost would be, because that's something very much on the minds of lawmakers, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Brianna, does the Obama administration, do they think that sending this information to Congress is going to satisfy these lawmakers, potentially make the lawsuit go away?
KEILAR: I think they're -- well, I don't know about the lawsuit. And keeping in mind the lawsuit is backed by a number of members of Congress. But a lot of these questions and demands, and a lot of members of Congress who are accusing the White House of really flaunting the War Powers resolution. There's many more of those members. So I think that's more of the concern.
I think they're hoping that, perhaps, it will assuage some of the concerns but I don't think the White House has any illusions about the fact that there are some members of Congress, who if they're just making a legal argument about why they're not in violation of the War Powers resolution, even though they're not asking for congressional authorization.
Certainly, Suzanne, some members of Congress aren't going to be happy. And then you have others, for instance, like Senator John McCain who are calling a response like this, too little too late.
MALVEAUX: And Brianna, it's kind of ironic, I understand the president and Speaker Boehner are scheduled to get together this weekend. Perhaps a little R&R.
Can you tell us about it?
KEILAR: They're playing golf., Suzanne. This was something that was announced a while ago. But it's going to be President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, the Speaker and also Ohio Governor John Kasich. He is going to be -- pardon me, we have construction here. It's very noisy, as you can tell. And John Kasich is going to be the fourth.
But this is what's so interesting to me. Not only do we have this Libya issue really reaching a fever pitch, Vice President Biden is involved in these deficit reduction talks. I mean, if these guys run out of something to talk about on the golf course on Saturday, I just -- I don't even know what you can say about that.
MALVEAUX: They've all got clubs, we hope they can use them for golf and that alone.
KEILAR: Yes.
MALVEAUX: All right. We'll see how that goes.
All right. Thank you, Brianna, appreciate it.
Don't forget to vote for the "Choose the News" story you'd like to see. You can vote for your favorite by texting "22360."
Text "1" for manmade earthquake. Scientists say that in Arkansas, there's a lot more going on than mother nature.
Text "2" for what hackers want. A group of hackers, they attack the Senate web site. Experts say they know why they are doing it.
Text "3" for Chromebook. We're going to show you Google's answer to the laptop.
Winning story's going to air in the next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Time to go Cross Country for stories CNN affiliates are covering.
Our first stop is Oklahoma City, where a very noisy hail storm swept through the central part of the state last night. Just take a listen.
(VIDEO CLIP)
Hail up to the size of tennis balls came down in some places, but no major damage was reported.
In Louisiana, authorities are letting a fire burn itself out at a chemical plant in New Iberia, that's about 75 miles west of Baton Rouge. It broke out yesterday after several explosions. Homes within a mile of the plant have been evacuated and a near airport closed. The plant blends chemicals used in oil field operations.
Now to San Francisco Bay where an event staged to draw attention to the next America's Cup in two years did just that. Take a look at that. A 45-foot catamaran owned by Oracle capsized while on a test run in those choppy waters. You can see that there. One crew member suffered minor injury.
Well, almost 60 percent of parents are helping or have helped their adult kids with financial support after they are done with school. That is according to the Financial Education Survey. So what happens when parents need to bail their adult kids out?
Alison Kosik is here with top tips. Alison, you know, they think their job is done. Just when they think their job is done, we come back.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: A parent's job is never, ever done. In fact, 42 percent of parents say they learned the most about personal finance right from their own parents. But the National Foundation of Credit Counseling says many are actually coming back to the nest for financial help.
The reason? Some feel they have it worse off. Sixty-five percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 39 say the financial strain they're facing is tougher than previous generations. And for many parents, a third say they had it easier than their kids' generation when it comes to finances, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: So, Alison, I guess a lot of folk, they move back home. It's not easy on the kids or parents. They might have thought, oh, we get the peace and quiet, now the kids are back, adult kids back.
Do they actually pay rent? Is that part of the deal? Should it be part of the deal?
KOSIK: It could be. The Financial Education Group says housing is the top way parents are providing financial support. So if you've got a college grad or an unemployed adult child who is coming back to the nest, first establish a plan.
Carmen Wong Ulrich, who is the author of "The Real Cost of Living," says go ahead and set boundaries. If your child is having a rough time finding a job or has just been laid off, go ahead and agree that they can live with you rent free for one year, but that's only if you're financially secure.
In return, what they need to do is they need to help with things around the house like cooking, cleaning and child care if that's needed, if they can't pitch in financially. But if they have some cash to chip in, the Financial Education Group says ask them to contribute to grocery bills, utilities, to putting gas in the car or pay a nominal amount of rent -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Alison, do we have any idea like what is an adult child? Like what is the age? Can you and I come back home?
KOSIK: Oh, yes, I don't want to go back home. No, no, no.
It's between the ages of 18 and 39, though.
MALVEAUX: OK, 18 and 39, great.
And, Allison, you'll be back with more tips for parents helping out their adult children with their money right after the break.
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MALVEAUX: We're back with Alison Kosik talking about your family and your finances.
Alison, when it comes to adult kids, and you said adult kids 18 to 39, that's quite a range there, there are other expenses they may have, credit cards and big loans. Should parents help them with the big stuff, too?
KOSIK: There are ways.
So, you know, if your child is not going to be moving back in with you, first the National Endowment for Financial Education says pay attention to why they're asking you for help before you just go ahead and hand over your money to them, especially since USC's Longitudinal Study of Generations actually says money is a tough issue that contributes to a lot of conflict that happens between adult children and parents. So if it's a large loan, get it in writing what the repayment is. Get a timeframe and if you want to set an interest rate as well.
And if an adult child is asking you to pay off credit card debt, the Financial Education Group says make it a one-time only offer. Consumer finance writer Carmen Wong Ulrich says you don't want a moocher on your hands or to try to enable them to overspend, especially if they have a job. You know, she says that it is tough, but they really need to learn how to set their own budgets and learn the value and impact on their own credit.
Now finally, one final point here. Make sure that helping your kids is not hurting your own retirement. Go ahead and check on your own savings. And a real good place to look, Suzanne, is at CNNMoney.com/retirement to go ahead and figure if you have your own finances on track -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Great advice, Alison. No moochers, but obviously people need a helping hands these days. OK, thanks, Alison.
KOSIK: Exactly.
MALVEAUX: Now your responses to today's "Talk Back" question. Our Carol Costello has a look at what you are saying -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I want you to note, Suzanne, I am wearing red today.
Our "Talk Back" question -- oh, and you're wearing blue.
MALVEAUX: Patriotic. So patriotic.
Tell us what you are talking about, Carol?
COSTELLO: OK, well, our "Talk Back" question today: Do politicians need to show their patriotism to get elected?
This is from Tim, "Patriotism is so subjective. Isn't it patriotic to invest in our nation's infrastructure. To attract domestic commerce? Isn't it patriotic to invest in the education of all Americans? Isn't it patriotic to regard the U.S. as one nation rather than a confederation of sovereign states?" This is from Tracy, "Wearing a flag does not prove you are patriotic. If you are a true patriotic American, I want to see it in your deeds. What have you done to benefit your fellow Americans? Have you done anything to help our veterans? Were you there when there were disasters? Did you go help or did you just talk about getting help? Talk is cheap, just like the American flag pin."
This from Jake, "Yes, but don't make that the focus of your campaign. I hate seeing Americans by into meaningless campaign slogans like 'Change' and 'Hope.'"
This from George, "anybody can pay lip service to anything. Show me intelligence and a willingness to do some good. Later for all that fake patriotism and religion."
Keep the comments coming, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll see you again in about 10 minutes.
MALVEAUX: All right, great responses. Thanks, Carol.
Rick Perry rallies the Republicans in New York. The Texas governor sounding rather presidential as he considers whether or not he'll jump in the race.
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Will the governor of Texas be the latest Republican to jump into the presidential race? Paul Steinhauser, part of "The Best Political Team on Television," live from the Political Desk in Washington.
Paul, what are we hearing about Governor Rick Perry?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, he was in New York City last night, Suzanne. He was giving a speech. He was the headliner at a Republican Party dinner right there in Manhattan. And I got to say, he sure looked and sounded like a presidential candidate.
He didn't announce anything. You know, he said he's thinking about it. He says, I'm thinking about a lot of other things. But there has been a lot of speculation in the last week or two about him.
Last night, he talked about taking the country back, other kind of words that really sounded almost like a stump speech. So definitely keep your eyes on Rick Perry, maybe next time there is a big presidential debate, will Rick Perry be on the stage? Stay tuned on that one, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: OK, and maybe some other folks on the stage, too. I understand there are meetings in New York that are adding to a little bit of the intrigue?
STEINHAUSER: Yes. What is it with New York City today, and yesterday to that degree? Everything is going on there.
We were just talking about Rick Perry, he was just meeting in the last hour or two with Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor. Remember, he ran for the Republican presidential nomination last time around and is thinking of doing it again.
And Giuliani is breaking bread this afternoon, he's having lunch with Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey. Now Christie, of course, he has said forgetaboutit. How many times has he said it? He said it again last night, not running for the White House. He made those comments on "PIERS MORGAN." He sat down with Piers Morgan last night and he said, you know what, I haven't really made up my mind yet on who I may endorse. Nobody's really knocking my socks off.
Take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I don't think any of them have yet distinguished themselves to say this is the best person, not only to take on Barack Obama, but more importantly to lead our nation in the next four years after this election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: So when Christie eventually does endorse, I think that's going to be an influential one. A lot of Republicans look up to Chris Christie and they still want him to run.
Suzanne, our next debate is in September, it's in Tampa, Florida. We're teaming up with the Tea Party Express. And I think by then, yes, there may be other candidates on the stage that we did not see Monday night in New Hampshire, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, we'll be looking for them.
Did Chris Christie, did he really say forgetaboutit like that?
STEINHAUSER: No, that was just me that time. That was just me.
MALVEAUX: I thought so. OK, Paul. Thanks. Good seeing you.
STEINHAUSER: Thank you. MALVEAUX: For the latest political news, you know where to go, CNNPolitics.com.
