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Tenth Person Has Died From Air Show Accident in Nevada; President Obama Outlines Debt-Cutting Plan; Home Invasion Murder Trial; Cutbacks To Push Woman Into Poverty; Talk Back Question; City Park Mixes Nature and Technology

Aired September 19, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Want to get you up to speed.

President Obama unveils his millionaire tax. He says it would guarantee that people with seven-figure incomes would pay the same percentage in taxes as America's middle class. Well, the millionaire tax is just one part of the president's blueprint to cut $3 trillion over the next decade.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will veto any bill that changes benefits for those who rely on Medicare but does not raise serious revenues by asking the wealthiest Americans or biggest corporations to pay their fair share.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Republicans in Congress immediately rejected the president's proposal. They say that a tax increase on the wealthiest Americans amounts to class warfare.

Stocks now deep in the red today, weighed down by Greece's debt crisis. Right now Dow blue chips are off, we're looking down 177 points. Greece needs another bailout to stay afloat, but Europe says it wants more economic reforms to happen first. That's gotten investors worried that Greece could default within weeks, if not days.

Unbelievable pictures there, just a tragic scene. The number of people killed at the Nevada air show, it rose today to 10. Federal investigators say the vintage plane that crashed had a data system on board. They are hoping that memory cards found in the wreckage will reveal some clues. Dozens of spectators had a close call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED LARSON, INJURED AIR SHOW SPECTATOR: A second later the thing crashes right behind me and I get -- all I remember as I'm trying to run is I see stuff coming. And then that's the last thing I remember.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The investigators are focusing early on the plane's tail. Photos show a piece fell off before the crash.

Well, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles is reviewing the case now of Troy Davis. That is happening today.

Now, unless the board grants clemency, Davis will be put to death Wednesday for the murder of a police officer back in 1991. Now, Amnesty International and the NAACP have spearheaded petitions and rallies to save Troy Davis. That is because several trial witnesses have changed their stories. Others involved in the case now say a different man committed the murder.

Well, the former head of the International Monetary Fund is speaking out now about the sexual assault charges. Dominique Strauss-Kahn told French TV his encounter with a hotel housekeeper in New York last May was consensual, and he says it never should have happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN, FMR. IMF DIRECTOR (through translator): It was a weakness. It was greater than a weakness. It was a moral weakness, a moral mistake, and I'm not proud of this. I regret this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: New York prosecutors dropped the charges after the accuser's credibility was called into question. The woman has now filed a civil lawsuit against Strauss-Kahn.

Well, the CEO of Netflix puts it bluntly. He says, "I messed up."

He's referring to a big price hike that happened last July. Well, customers revolted. Netflix, the stock fell, and to fix the problem, Netflix is going to separate its streaming and mail services now into two companies. Streaming content over the Internet is going to keep the Netflix name. DVDs by mail will be called Qwikster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GWYNETH PALTROW, ACTRESS: And the Emmy goes to "Modern Family."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: ABC's "Modern Family" wins five Emmy Awards, including Best Comedy Series. For the fourth year in a row, the Emmy for Best Drama went to "Mad Men." Also, Charlie Sheen presented an award and wished his "Two and a Half Men" family well as the show moves forward without him.

A 10th person has died after being injured in a weekend air show crash. That happened in Nevada, you may recall.

Investigators may have found some critical evidence now. They say that the vintage plane had video and data recording devices. Now, investigators hope to use the tape to find out what caused the plane to nosedive, slamming into spectators at that event in Reno.

Our Dan Simon, he's joining us live from Reno.

Dan, we know that a 10th person now has been confirmed dead in this crash. There are dozens of people who were injured here. Do we have any idea on their conditions?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, we know about 70 people were taken to local hospitals. Of those 70, a few dozen still remain, and we know that some of these injuries are quite horrific.

We actually spoke to a nurse who was among the first to arrive here at the scene, and she told us that about a dozen or so people actually had some limbs amputated. They would have been in the first or second row of where the plane came down, and they would have been hit by flying shrapnel. So these injuries are truly horrific. We know that several people are still in critical condition -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: That's awful. And you take a look at those pictures, I mean, it's just unbelievable when you see what actually occurred.

We are hearing that they're getting at least some information about part of the plane's tail that was found. What do we know from that?

SIMON: Well, there's a lot of attention being placed on the plane's tail. We can see in some of the photos and videos that, during the flight, what's called the elevator lift tab actually separated from the plane.

Crews actually canvassed the debris field over the weekend, and they found what they believe is that elevator lift tab. And there's a lot of speculation that because it came off during flight, that that's what caused the plane to go down. But at this point we just don't know. It's going to take months of investigating.

MALVEAUX: And Dan, do we know if this event is going to be back next year? Are they going to continue this?

SIMON: Well, it's a great question. You know, you talk to people who live in this community and they take a lot of pride in this event.

It's been here for nearly a half-century. A lot of economic dollars come into Reno. And you talk to them, and they would like to see it come back, but at this point it's really unclear.

The fact that you had spectators die, the first time that has ever happened at this event. And you've had 19 pilots die over the years, but never spectators. The pilots know their inherent dangers, but really for the spectators, they expect to come to a safe event.

So it's really going to be up to federal investigators. It's going to be up to people who put on the slow to decide whether or not it comes back -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Such a tragedy. All right, Dan. Thank you very much.

The NTSB is also investigating another air show crash. Now, this one, in West Virginia. You see the pictures there. It happened on Saturday. A stunt pilot was killed in this fiery crash. No one was -- no one on the ground, rather, was injured. Organizers canceled the second day of events at that particular air show.

Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. Today's question: Why is evolution such a touchy subject?

Carol's the best person to ask this to.

Carol, you deal with all of these touchy subjects. And help me understand this, because we're talking about, what, the United States, more than $14 trillion in debt, 9 percent unemployment rate? And we've got people debating evolution.

It comes up at every campaign. Why?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Namely, the Republicans are talking about evolution these days. So I just wondered about the question. I mean, nobody really wants to delve into it or touch it.

Consider this: What new book is too hot to print in the United States? No, it's not the one about Sarah Palin. That's actually coming out tomorrow. It is a children's book called "Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be."

According to the author, Daniel Loxton, no American publisher would even touch this thing, fearing the controversial topic would be a tough sell. But in Canada the book's a hit. It's been nominated for several literary prizes.

It just goes to show, Charles Darwin's "Theory of Evolution" was published back in 1859, and it's as controversial now as it ever was. Even the Republican presidential candidates are weighing in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's a theory that is out there, and it's got some gas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON HUNTSMAN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We you call into question the science of evolution, all I am saying is that in order for the Republican Party to win, we can't run from science.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hundreds and hundreds of scientists, many of them holding Nobel Prizes, who believe in intelligent design.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Despite what Michele Bachmann said, keep in mind today the vast majority of scientists accept evolution as fact.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD LEAKEY, TURKANA BASIN INSTITUTE: People talk about the theory of evolution, and therefore they assume that that scholar is a theoretical object. That scholar is a fact.

Every scholar in this room is a fact. Those facts are not accounted for in the biblical account.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The courts have squashed efforts to have alternative theories like intelligent design taught in schools, ruling it has more to do with religion than science. But many Americans are still skeptical of evolution. In the latest CNN/ORC poll, 41 percent think evolution is false or likely to be false.

So, the "Talk Back" question today: Why is evolution such a touchy subject?

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

MALVEAUX: They're going to be touchy, Carol. I bet you you're going to get a lot of response on this one.

COSTELLO: Yes. It's a touchy subject. I just want to know why, so I hope so.

MALVEAUX: Why? OK. Thank you, Carol.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories up ahead.

First, the president's bold plan to reduce the debt. Christine Romans, she's breaking it down for us.

Then, the brutal and deadly home invasion in Connecticut that horrified the nation. Opening statements for the second suspect, that begins today.

And Palestinians pushing for statehood. World leaders meeting at the U.N. to make a decision.

And this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gas is $4 a gallon. Milk is $5 a gallon. A box of cereal is $5.

I won't be able to pay my bills, literally. I will not be able to make it. I can't live on three hours. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: It is a tough way to go. Those are the new faces of American poverty.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: President Obama lays out his plan to slash the country's debt by $3 trillion -- that's right, with a "T" -- over the next 10 years. The plan calls for raising taxes on corporations and wealthier Americans.

Now, in his speech last hour, the president defended the tax increases that are opposed by Republicans. He says that everybody has to pay their fair share to dig this country out of its debt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: -- by asking everybody to do their part so that no one has to bear too much of the burden on their own. All told, this plan cuts $2 in spending for every $1 in new revenues. In addition to the $1 trillion in spending that we've already cut from the budget, our plan makes addition spending cuts that need to happen if we're to solve this problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So the president says that millionaires shouldn't pay a lower tax rate than middle income Americans. So who should? Who would pay higher taxes under the president's plan to reduce the debt?

I want to bring in Christine Romans of our Money team.

And Christine, we both listened to the president's speech here. He says it's not about class warfare, it's about math. So, can you break it down for us, what this tax plan actually includes? Who's going to end up paying?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You asked a really good question, who would pay higher taxes? Well, who would pay higher taxes? People who make $1 million or more, people who make $200,000 a year or more, companies -- some companies would, oil and gas companies. Let's break it down.

The Buffett Rule, this would be millionaires taxed more. He said again and again that it's not fair that workers pay a higher tax rate than their big wealthy bosses do, and that that's just not fair. And he keeps calling it the "Buffett Rule," although Tim Geithner, the treasury secretary, speaking at the White House daily briefing right now, he's calling it the "Buffett Principle." People who hate it are calling it the "Buffett Tax."

So, already, the semantics around it, as you know well, in Washington can be pretty loaded.

Let the Bush-era tax cuts expire. That would raise $866 billion. Cap itemized deductions. That would bring up about $410 billion.

One of the things that people are zeroing into on this is the fact that many, many rich people can get big tax breaks for municipal bond investments on the income they make from municipal bond investments. So a lot of people are zeroing in on that and wondering, well, would that make it harder for municipalities to borrow money?

Then it's not just millionaires and billionaires who are paying higher taxes. Then it's everyone who's trying to go out there and do some sort of improvements in their community. So that one is getting a lot of criticism at the moment.

And also closing tax loopholes, $300 billion. You know that there are these hedge fund managers who make an awful lot of money. You know there are tax loopholes for oil and gas companies. These are among the things that the president is zeroing in on -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. So, if it's a tax or a principle, or whatever you call it --

ROMANS: A rule is a rule.

MALVEAUX: A lot of people paying close attention to this.

Christine, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

ROMANS: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Well, they disagree, right, about the details? But members of both parties say that the country's tax code, in desperate need of a makeover. With all the focus on the debt, is this an opportunity really for some real progress on tax reform?

I want to go to our chief political analyst, Gloria Borger, from Washington.

So, Gloria, do we think, is it possible that the political climate, as it is now, that some real change could happen with the tax code?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, in many ways, they almost don't have any choice right now, because the only way you can get rid of all those deductions the president's talking about, make the tax code fairer, is if you lower the top rate and then you get rid of deductions. And so the question becomes for the wealthy, is it really a tax increase if they've had their top rate lowered?

So maybe then, at that point, everybody could kind of hold hands, close their eyes, and jump off the cliff together and say, it's not a tax increase. So this could be a moment when in fact they could do that.

On the other hand, they could just revert to form and decide not to do anything. But they do have that sort of Damocles hanging over their heads which says, if the super committee doesn't get something done, then these Draconian cuts take effect, and nobody really wants that to happen. That's a long way of saying maybe.

MALVEAUX: I'm going to quote you. You said earlier it was "an ax hanging over their head." I believe that was the expression that you used. We're going to go with that expression.

BORGER: Right.

MALVEAUX: Do you think that the American public -- do you think that they're ready to support some sort of change in how we pay for our government services? Do you thinks folks are on board with this?

BORGER: I think the American public is really divided, because, first of all, the American public wants services, and they want their Social Security, and they want their Medicare, but they don't really want to pay for it. The American public also, if you look at polls, believes that government is too big and that government is inefficient.

So the public doesn't want to pay for a swollen government, a bloated government, if you will. And this is what the Tea Party's talking about.

The Tea Party is saying that government is too big, we'd rather make government smaller and make it more efficient. But it really depends who you talk to, Suzanne, because Democrats say we need more government. Republicans say we need less.

MALVEAUX: And Gloria, I noticed in the speech -- I don't know how many times he used the word "fair" and "fairness," and then turned back to the Republicans and said it's about unfairness, what they're doing, it is not right, it is not smart, that kind of thing.

Do we think that this is President Obama's line in the sand here, that he is really going to be able to shape the debate going into 2012 with this as his mantra?

BORGER: Well, you know, Suzanne, from covering the White House yourself that this president has always taken a lot of guff from his own party for not getting involved in the debate early enough -- for example, letting Congress do health care reform -- and for also not drawing a line in the sand. And they wanted him to draw a line in the sand.

What I think this is about is his base politics, and he can then go say to the Democratic base, look, I put a plan out there, and you know in a perfect world I wouldn't have done much on entitlements, I wouldn't have touched Social Security, but in the end I had to compromise. So what I think we saw today was sort of not the line in the sand, but the starting line to some kind of compromise, although, as you know, he did threaten to veto if there isn't some balance in this plan.

MALVEAUX: Yes, he did.

BORGER: And I don't think he can back off of that.

MALVEAUX: No. BORGER: So you're going to have to see, right.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: And do you think it's too late though? I mean, it is kind of late in the game here. Is it too late perhaps to rally the base?

BORGER: It is. Well, the base is probably very happy with what he did today, and it depends what the opposition looks like as you get closer to the election.

So I think this helps him with the Democratic base, because lots of Democrats in Congress do want to use that Medicare issue to run against Republicans on, as you know, in 2012 because Paul Ryan's budget in the House did fundamentally propose changing Medicare.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

BORGER: So I think this will make Nancy Pelosi happy. In the long term, will they be happy with the president? You know, that remains to be seen.

MALVEAUX: All right. Gloria, thank you.

BORGER: Sure.

MALVEAUX: I'm going to quote you throughout the day, the "ax hanging over their head." I think that's a good line.

BORGER: It is. It is.

MALVEAUX: We appreciate it. Thank you.

Here's your chance to "Choose the News." Text "22360" for the story you'd like to see.

Text "1" for garden of the future. A giant park being built in the middle of downtown Singapore mixes nature and technology in some surprising ways.

Text "2" for sleep and relaxation, apps for those of us who can't stop bringing our smartphones to bed. Stop that. Some new apps promise to help us sleep better and more soundly.

And text "3" for Guinness World Records, a roundup of some of the more interesting records of 2012 from growing the largest afro to squeezing into the smallest space.

So, you can vote by texting "22360." Text "1" for "Garden of the Future"; "2" for "Smartphone Sleep Apps"; or "3" for "2012 World Records."

The winning story is going to air later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: A trial is under way in Connecticut for the second man charged in the gruesome 2007 home invasion in which a mother and her two daughters were killed.

Joshua Komisarjevsky faces a death sentence if convicted in the attack on the Petit family. His co-defendant, Steven Hayes, was sentenced to death last year.

Now, police say the two men broke into the Petit home. They made the mother go to the bank and withdraw money, while the suspects then killed her and set the house on fire, killing their 11-year-old and 17-year-old daughters.

Our Deborah Feyerick just came out of the courtroom in New Haven, Connecticut.

Deborah, what can you tell us about this? It's clearly one of the worst cases we've ever seen here, we've ever heard of. What do we know about what's going to happen with this guy?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, the opening is today. Very interesting.

Prosecution didn't even give one. They said the evidence is going to speak for itself.

The defense, on the other hand, said the evidence is not in dispute. What's at issue is whether the suspect on trial, Joshua Komisarjevsky, whether in fact he intended to murder the wife in this particular tragedy.

They said that according to the confession -- and we're going to hear some of that -- according to his confession, that in fact the plan was changing. And as it changed, the two suspects became increasingly agitated. It was no longer a home invasion, but as you mentioned, it was a burglary, with the wife actually going to the bank to withdraw that money.

The defense lawyers saying murder was never part of the plan, that, in fact, Komisarjevsky says that, "I'm not killing anyone. There is no way." He also said after the deaths did take place that, "They did what they were supposed to do, they were compliant."

And what's going on right now is the defense is blaming the man who's already been convicted and is facing the death sentence, basically. They're saying that it was Steven Hayes' idea to do all of this, that he's the one who raped the wife, that he's the one who bought the gasoline to set the house on fire, and that, in fact, he's the one who lied about it after they were caught immediately after.

And what they are really trying to do is minimize the role of the defendant on trial right now, Joshua Komisarjevsky, saying, well, yes, he is the one who scouted out the house after randomly running into the wife in a parking lot earlier in the afternoon, and that he's the one who did hit the husband, the only survivor, in the head with a baseball bat. So they're really trying to turn the tables and they're really being very aggressive. They are taking a totally different approach than the first trial in which the man was found convicted and guilty of all the charges -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Deb, thank you so much. Just a horrific, horrific case there. Thank you, Deb.

Well, the fight in the Holy Land is heating up now. This week, the Palestinian government is expected to demand recognition as an independent state. Well, that's putting the hopes of the Middle East peace process in harm's way.

We're going to explain why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are working on.

Up next: a big dilemma for world leaders meeting in New York, whether or not it is time to make Palestine an independent state.

And then: finding them early, an organization on a mission to track down some of America's future leaders.

And later: One in six Americans are living in poverty. That is more than 46 million people. You're going to see some faces behind the numbers.

Well, world leaders will most likely have a tough decision to make this week, whether or not to recognize Palestine as an independent state. It is a debate that could have a huge impact on the Middle East peace process as well.

I want to bring in Fran Townsend. She joins us in New York via Skype to talk about this. She is a CNN national security contributor, member of the CIA External Advisory Committee.

Fran, good to have you with us here.

The Obama administration doesn't want to see Palestine granted statehood. Explain to U.S. why, although not now and not in this way.

FRANCES TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it puts the United States in a very awkward position, Suzanne.

If this comes up for a vote, the U.S., as a member of the Security Council, has a veto power. If it vetoes it, it will almost certainly undermine U.S. credibility as an honest broker in the peace process. Thus goes the argument from the Arab world.

So what the U.S. would like to see is renewed negotiations between Israel and Palestine bilaterally to resolve the remaining issues before such a vote proceeds. Now, the Palestinians have threatened -- one of the ways around the veto is to have a vote come up in General Assembly. It doesn't actually recognize them the statehood, but it would be progress from their perspective. And there is a little of -- very dangerous I think brinksmanship going on, on all sides of this right now.

MALVEAUX: You have got to bring Israel into the equation as well, Fran. We saw the "New York Times" op-ed this weekend, Thomas Friedman, who argued that the key pillars of Israel's security have crumbled, essentially the peace with Egypt, the stability of Syria, the friendship with Turkey, Jordan, all of those in jeopardy now.

Israel, how does this work for them? They seem to be dangerously isolated from the rest of the region.

TOWNSEND: Well, they have some lost key allies in the Arab world. And we haven't even mentioned Iran, Ahmadinejad, who in the past has threatened to blow Israel off the face of the map. So you can understand Israel's right concern about their current security situation.

Look, the Muslim Brotherhood is on the rise throughout the region. You worry about their taking control of Parliament and Egypt. You worry about the rise of extremist groups like al Qaeda in a place like Libya. And so, look, I think Israel is rightly concerned. This is a very dangerous time.

And it really -- this is -- it's a very awkward position for the United States as they go in. I think Secretary Clinton has invested herself in trying to manage this process through the General Assembly, but it is not at all clear today how this will unfold later this week.

MALVEAUX: And, Fran, real quick, if I can, let's talk a little bit about us here, the United States.

The United States propped up Libya's Gadhafi, Egypt's Mubarak, Tunisia's Ben Ali to keep stability in the Middle East. Now they're all gone. The U.S. has little control over what happens in the region now. So it is far from clear whether or not we will see these flourishing democracies in any of these countries. Do we think that the Arab spring has made the United States more vulnerable?

TOWNSEND: It certainly has given us less of a sense of control. How it pans out -- look, al Qaeda and extremist groups played no part in these revolutions. The problem is the absence of power is to their benefit. And it looks like these extremist groups are now getting to get a foothold.

And we have to work with the opposition leaders to prevent that.

MALVEAUX: All right, Fran, thank you so much for breaking it down for us. Appreciate it.

Well, the country said goodbye to two Democratic daughters over the weekend. Kara Kennedy, the oldest child of Senator Ted Kennedy, passed away after having a heart attack at a health club in Washington on Friday. In a family that has suffered many early deaths, Kara was known as a survivor, an accomplished filmmaker and TV producer. She lived through an early battle with lung cancer. And Eleanor Mondale, the middle child of former Vice President Walter Mondale, passed away this weekend from brain cancer. An entertainment reporter, radio host, she was also a socialite known for her striking good looks and free spirit. Eleanor stumped for her father's failed presidential run against Ronald Reagan back in 1984.

Both women were only 51 years old.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

MALVEAUX: Well, identifying poor troubled children with potential. Many believe that they have no shot of guesting into the college of their dreams.

But "Smart Is the New Rich" Christine Romans, she found an organization that specializes in finding students that are driven to lead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this debate class the arguments may be hypothetical.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I came from the projects, or whatever, and I live in the very low-class, low-class neighborhood.

ROMANS: But for most of the students they hit close to home. Demetrius Cooper is one of 60 high school students calling Princeton University home this summer. They come from all corners of the country. They also come from racial and socioeconomic backgrounds considered underrepresented in the national leadership pool.

DUC NGUYEN, LEDA STUDENT: My family is in the chicken farm business and because we barely got in. We had to take a huge loan, so we can't really hire people to help us. So, usually me and my sister go out and help with, you know, the farm work, picking eggs and stuff.

ROMANS: Every summer, the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America selects promising students to help them go on to highly competitive universities. Each day, students take classes preparing them for college-level work. There are also trips to New York City and college tours. All at no cost, thanks to board members like Arun Alagappan. His foundation has given more than a million dollars to the program.

ARUN ALAGAPPAN, FOUNDER, PRESIDENT, ADVANTAGE TESTING: The best leaders from every group brought together is a very exciting proposition for me, and very much a part of our national DNA.

ROMANS: For Arun, it is not just about financial support. He's become a role model to students like Jesus Franco. After failing the fifth grade, Jesus is now a PEN graduate with ambitions to go to Harvard law school, and he's paying it forward.

JESUS FRANCO, LEDA GRADUATE: I just see the impact LEDA had on me, and having been here at Princeton the past two summers, I always see the impact it has on the students, and the type of relationships and connections that I make with the students. And it's always personally gratifying just to see the whole process all over again.

ROMANS: For LEDA, it's not just about college access, but leadership.

JOSH ROSENTHAL, DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM & FACILITATION: By the time students are out of here, they really take ownership of their own education. And they will fight for it. Just like anybody will fight for any civil rights cause. But they will do it in a rigorous way, they'll do it in a critical way, and they'll do it in a responsible way, to which they contribute to communities.

ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: The faces of poverty.

We're going to hear from this library aide who says she doesn't know what she will do once her hours are cut back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: CNN "In-Depth." The new face of poverty. A woman who works as a school library aide in Los Angeles has learned that they're going to cut her salary -- her hours, rather, in half. That's going to push her below the poverty line. CNN's Casey Wian has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mary Bates doesn't show up in government statistics on poverty. It's 7:00 a.m. as she signs her time card at Burton Street Elementary School in Los Angeles.

MARY BATES, LIBRARY AIDE: I come to work an hour and a half early and give that to the district so I can get my clerical work done.

WIAN: She earns $16.37 an hour. Her title is library aide. But she does the job of a librarian.

BATES: This is my library inventory. Plus the ones that are on the cart on the other side that I'm currently working on. We have approximately 14,000 books in this library.

WIAN: Bates says she works eight to 10 hours a day at the school library and at home, but she's only paid for six hours. With time off for summer, she earns about $20,000 a year. She recently received a notice from the Los Angeles Unified School District that later this month her paid hours will be cut in half to three per day.

BATES: I was stunned. I didn't think that it would happen. You can't maintain a library in three hours. It's impossible.

WIAN: For students, the cuts will mean fewer reading opportunities.

BATES: If they don't read, they're not going to succeed.

WIAN: For Bates, the loss of income will put her below the single person federal poverty threshold of $10,890 a year.

BATES: You think about that, $16.37 an hour. Gas is $4 a gallon. Milk is $5 a gallon. A box of cereal is $5. Clothes to put on people's back. You got utility bills that every other month and we're raising the water, we're raising this. I wouldn't be able to pay my bills, literally. I will not be able to make it. I can't live on three hours.

WIAN: Life already is complicated. Bates has diabetes and could eventually lose her health insurance because of the impending reduction in work hours.

BATES: If I had no medical insurance, I don't think I could afford the $1,400 a month for the pills and insulin.

WIAN: She also cares part time for her two granddaughters, six-year- old Natalie, and 12-year-old Amber.

BATES: I'll work wherever I have to work. You know, I have to make a way for, you know, my grandkids and myself.

WIAN: State budget cuts also will force her to a new school farther from home, so she's looking for other work.

BATES: I can't imagine doing any other job. Those kids are like my extended family.

WIAN: Living on the edge of poverty doesn't allow much planning ahead.

WIAN (on camera): Where do you think you're going to be a year from now?

BATES: Oh, I don't know. I couldn't answer that question because every month is a challenge.

WIAN (voice-over): Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: We wish her the best.

Well, if you've been affected by bullying or worry about your kids, or your grandkids, there's a FaceBook app that is launching today that we think could be useful. The app is called Stop Bullying Speak Up. It's the result of a partnership between FaceBook and Time Warner, the parent company of CNN. Now, the interactive social media pledge is designed to empower people of all ages to speak out against bullying. Once you log on to FaceBook, you search for Stop Bullying Speak Up. You'll see our Anderson Cooper with a message on how to take part.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: There you go. Beyonce and her mom Tina, they've been running their House of Dereon fashion label for years now and they've just expanded the company into London. And that's where our Becky Anderson caught up with them. She asked the singer about her world famous baby bump and her mom how she feels about becoming a grandma.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON: Are you struggling at all to find things that you feel good in and that your husband might go, oh, no, I'm not having that?

BEYONCE, SINGER: Actually, I'm having so much fun. It is like been the most fun time. Now that it's announced and I don't have to, you know -- it was really difficult trying to conceal, you know. But now that I can be, you know, proud and excited about it, I'm having so much fun every day and shopping and it's just great.

ANDERSON: You must be delighted.

TINA KNOWLES, BEYONCE'S MOTHER: I am. I'm over the moon.

ANDERSON: Do you know what you're having at this point?

BEYONCE: I don't.

ANDERSON: And if you did, you wouldn't tell me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: All right, we'll just have to wait and see what Beyonce has. Remember, Beyonce, she dropped her baby news to the world. That was at the MTV Video Music Awards. That happened last month. She and her mom were in London for fashion week.

Well, you've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question. Carol Costello, she's here with your responses.

Hi, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi. The responses have been coming in so fast and furious, I'm afraid my FaceBook page is going to explode. But keep them coming.

MALVEAUX: They're (ph) blowing up, Carol. We love it. Whoo.

COSTELLO: It's amazing, facebook.com/carolcnn. The "Talk Back" question today, why is evolution such a touchy subject.

This from Michael. "People are not educated enough about evolution and they're brainwashed by their religious influences to not believe in it. Rejecting science will hold the United States back."

This from Cherie. "Look here, I believe God created us. I really don't care how it was accomplished. He didn't explain how he did it. He just said that he did. Nuff said."

This from Joshua. "It's touchy because it's controversial. There are so many theories behind evolution and intelligent design and everyone is looking to be politically correct and avoid offending people." And this from Mack. "It's not a touchy subject to anyone with intelligence. Ignorant people are afraid of the things they don't understand. Sadly, America is filled with ignorant people."

Oh, man, Mack, that's tough.

MALVEAUX: Whoa.

COSTELLO: Please keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolcnn. It's been fascinating reading the responses today, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Oh, yes, it's a great question, Carol. Really interesting. Thank you. Appreciate it. Good to see you.

Well, you told us what you'd like to see. Your "Choose The News" story just moments away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: You voted, we listened. Here's your "Choose The News" winner. Singapore is hoping to draw more people to its downtown with an unusual park opening next summer. Now, it combines nature with technology in some pretty surprising ways. CNN's Liz Neisloss takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIZ NEISLOSS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's gardening in a hardhat. But this isn't your typical garden. This is Singapore, a country with plenty of seed money to go green with style. These delicate plants are growing vertically in a 40 meter frame made of steel and concrete. They're aptly named super trees. These are a few of the 18 super trees in one of Singapore's most ambitious green projects. Gardens by the Bay will cover 101 hectares in downtown Singapore. Its aim -- to bring together the best of nature and technology.

PETER MORRIS, GRANT ASSOCIATES: The scale of the super trees is unmatched. People have done -- planted naturally inspired structures before around the world but never on this scale, never this quantity, and never in the heart of a city.

NEISLOSS: When completed, these trees will display a staggering array of fauna. Some will even have solar panels to power other features in the garden, including two state of the art conservatories.

NEISLOSS (on camera): We're here inside one of the major architectural features of this garden. This is one of two massive conservatories built to demonstrate different climates. The plan is to fill this space with more than 200,000 plants. Plants from nearly every continent.

NEISLOSS (voice-over): To keep this conservatory cool in Singapore's tropical environment, engineers developed a biomass energy system. Dried leaves, grass cuttings and horticultural waste from around Singapore. KENNETH ER, GENERAL MANAGER, GARDENS BY THE BAY: What we wanted to do, which is set a new benchmark in the way we develop gardens, and also the way we would manage it.

NEISLOSS: The project won't be finished until next year, but interest is already high. Features like the super trees are sure to please the crowds. But will visitors walk away with a greater understanding of environment?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The wow is the hook. Because this is a garden to bring in people who normally don't go to gardens. And so you have to wow them first.

NEISLOSS: The government has put $800 million behind this message. An investment for what organizers say will be a blueprint for green spaces in the future.

Liz Neisloss, CNN, Singapore.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: If your choice didn't win or you just want to check out the runners-up, I'll have links to them on my page at facebook.com/suzannecnn.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye.

Hey, Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Suzanne. Thank you very much.