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Somber Day for Penn State Community; Jobs Bill to Help Veterans; Fallout From Penn State Scandal; Veterans Heal While Playing Guitars; Turkey Death Toll at Least 19; Fat Bonuses At Fannie & Freddie; Carrier Turned Into Basketball Arena; Life Lessons At 10,000 Feet; Relocating Rhinos To Save Species

Aired November 11, 2011 - 11:59   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. I want to get you up to speed.

A Penn State assistant coach is not going to be at tomorrow's game against Nebraska because of threats. Mike McQueary reported he saw a child raped in the locker-room showers. The attorney for Jerry Sandusky, the former coach charged with molesting eight boys, says his client is being tried in the court of public opinion. Sandusky maintains he is innocent.

Now the mother of one of the boys spoke, with her identity concealed and her voice altered, and here she recalls her son searching for Sandusky online.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I asked him who he was looking up, and he said he wanted to see if Jerry was on there. And I said, "Well, why would you look him up?" And he said, "I don't know. He's a weirdo."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The Penn State board of trustees is meeting today. Its members are organizing a special committee to investigate the scandal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Present!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Present!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: This was earlier this morning, President Obama placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns on this Veterans Day. Later, at the amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery -- you're actually taking a look at these live pictures here. That is where he paid tribute to the men and women who have worn the country's uniform and pointed out the drawdown from Iraq to be completed next month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We can stand here today and say with confidence the tide of war is receding. In just a few weeks, the long war in Iraq will finally come to an end.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: Our transition in Afghanistan is moving forward. And my fellow Americans, our troops are coming home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The president leaves Washington today for San Diego and then Honolulu, where he's going to host the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Summit, or APEC.

A victory, at least for now, for opponents of an oil pipeline that would run from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. So, the Obama administration is now putting off a decision on the route until after next year's presidential election. Keystone Pipeline's currently planned path would cross over a critical source of drinking water for the great plains.

Well, Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, she speaks on national TV for the first time since she was shot in the head and critically wounded. Giffords was at a meet and greet at a supermarket, you may recall, when a gunman opened fire. Six people were killed in that incident. Well, she and 12 others were wounded.

In an upcoming interview, Giffords talks with ABC's Diane Sawyer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: How do you feel?

REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS (D), ARIZONA: Pretty good.

SAWYER: Is it painful? Is it hard?

GIFFORDS: Well, it's difficult.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Trouble now near the site of Occupy Oakland movement in California. A man was shot and killed near the spot where protesters have been camped out. Now, police say that the shooting followed an argument. It is not clear whether protesters were involved. Protesters say that violence is not what the demonstrations are about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is known throughout the world. And this is also known to be a safe spot. So, if somebody does wrong things in their community, they might want to come here, and this is not the place for that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: A somber scene at the Occupy protest site in Burlington, Vermont. Witnesses say a man shot and killed himself inside a tent there. Our affiliate WCAX says police confirm that a 35-year-old veteran died of a gunshot wound.

Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann trying to rally her supporters now after Occupy protesters disrupted her speech on foreign policy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: American consumers --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike check!

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Mike check!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This will only take a minute.

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: This will only take a minute!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: A group calling itself Occupy Charleston says it was behind the incident in South Carolina yesterday. A police officer escorted Bachmann off the stage, but she returned a few minutes later to finish the speech.

Well, Texas Governor Rick Perry, he is poking fun at himself for a pretty big mistake, gaffe at this week's Republican presidential debate. Perry could only remember two of the three government departments that he wants to get rid of, so he offered a few excuses on David Letterman's "The Late Show."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hey, listen, you try concentrating when Mitt Romney smiling at you. That is one handsome dude.

I had a five-hour energy drink six hours before the debate. I wanted to help take the heat off my buddy Herman Cain.

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": And the number one Rick Perry excuse --

PERRY: I just learned Justin Bieber is my father.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: It didn't take long for the Academy Awards to replace Eddie Murphy, who resigned this week as host of next year's show. Billy Crystal, he is getting the nod. It's going to be his ninth time as host. Murphy quit two days ago out of loyalty to his friend and the show's former producer, Brett Ratner. Now, Ratner resigned this week after a gay slur that he later apologized for.

Well, for the first time we are now hearing from the mother of one of the boys allegedly molested by former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky. She speaks with her identity concealed, her voice is altered. But here she recalls the moment she was told about the alleged abuse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I proceeded to ask him if there was something he needed to tell me, and at that point he didn't indicate anything. I called the school and expressed my concerns. I told them to pull my son down to the guidance office and talk to him. And they did.

At that point, they called me, telling me that it was very important that I get there immediately, which at that point I already had suspicions, so I kind of knew what it was about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Sara Ganim, she is a reporter for "The Patriot News" in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and she's been talking with relatives of the alleged victims. And Sara joins us now.

Sara, first of all, what have you learned? Who have you been talking to? What have they been telling you?

SARA GANIM, REPORTER, "THE PATRIOT NEWS": Well, over the past week I've talked to two victims' mothers and one of the victim's sisters. And earlier in the week, the mothers were saying they just feel absolutely betrayed by this scandal that has erupted since these charges were brought.

The sister is actually a Penn State student, and she feels awful about what has happened to Joe Paterno. She feels even more awful that students are making jokes on campus about this, although today she told me that she thinks that her speaking has made the tone here a little bit more serious. And she's really happy to see that tonight, at about 9:30, there's going to be a candlelight vigil on campus for the victims, so she's delighted to see that the focus is finally coming back away from football and the scandal and more on the victims.

MALVEAUX: Sure. And Sara, you've been talking to these mothers. Have they indicated at all whether or not their sons will come forward and tell their stories?

GANIM: You know, no. At the time that I had talked to them, this had just happened. And their sons were in shock, to be honest with you, especially the one from 1998.

He had one contact with Jerry Sandusky that was alleged to be inappropriate. He had no idea of the amount of other victims that there were, of some of the allegations that were much more serious.

She told me that he cried when he read that grand jury presentment. He had no idea how many other victims there were, and that he was then -- so she told me the next day they were turning to each other for some kind of comfort.

So, you know, I think that this is very new, still. This is very raw. Some of these -- all of these victims have been dealing with this for several years, and they're just trying to kind of get their heads around how big this has become.

MALVEAUX: Sure. And these victims, these alleged victims that you've spoken with, their mothers, how old are they now? And are they still a part of the community? Are they there on campus? I mean, where are they?

GANIM: You know, the two that I talked to, their sons have actually been pretty fortunate as far as that they are successful. Most of these victims are in their 20s now. One of them is still a teen.

The teen boy's mother told me that she's incredibly proud of how strong he's been, how well he's handled this. Of course they're both in therapy, but they've been -- he's a good kid, she said. Her exact words were, "He is a good kid, he doesn't party, he doesn't do bad things, he's respectful." So it appears that he's handling it emotionally well.

Victim six from 1998 is also -- he's in college. He's an adult. He's living on his own. So he does appear to -- they do have emotional trauma from it, of course.

MALVEAUX: All right. Well, Sara, thank you so much.

Obviously, we have a lot of questions, and we certainly wish those young men well in their future, and whether or not they will come forward and actually tell their story.

Thanks again, Sara.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're covering over the next hour.

First, a bill to help hundreds of thousands of unemployed veterans has just passed in the Senate. We're going to tell you actually what it does.

And an amazing dashcam video. We're going to tell you what happened to this out-of-control patrol car and the house that it slammed into.

And war veterans picking up guitars to help them get past what they saw in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And growing outrage over big bonuses being paid to executives at mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Also, we're going to show you why these rhinos are flying through the air in Africa.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Just in time for Veterans Day, the Senate unanimously passed a bill to help unemployed veterans seeking jobs.

Our Alison Kosik, she's joining us live from the New York Stock Exchange.

So, Alison, tell us how this jobs bill would work.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: OK. First of all, Suzanne, it gives companies a financial incentive to actually hire veterans in the way of tax credits.

So, for one, it would give a $5,600 credit for hiring a veteran who has been unemployed for more than six months. It would also give a $9,600 credit if a company hires a disabled vet who hasn't had a job for more than six months as well.

Now, this bill also looks to expand an existing jobs retraining program for veterans. That way, it can give them skills to get out there in the workforce as well.

Now, as for where this bill stands, the Senate passed it yesterday, Suzanne. The House, expected to vote on it next week.

MALVEAUX: And Alison, obviously one of the reasons this is so important, because veterans tend to have a higher unemployment rate. What are they looking at? What are they facing?

KOSIK: Exactly. I mean, hundreds of thousands of veterans are out of work. And you look at the unemployment rate for veterans who left the military after 2001, that rate is at 12.1 percent. That's more than the national unemployment rate, sitting at 9 percent.

And here's what's interesting about this. Many veterans actually learn highly-technical skills while they're in the military, and I'm not just talking about combat training. They learn about computer programming, engineering, logistics, and medical training.

They've got all this training, but they can't get a job. So, you know, it's hard for them to get back into civilian life, so this bill really tries to give these companies the incentive to get out there and place their faith in some of these veterans and hire them -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: They certainly need the help.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Alison. Have a great weekend.

Checking some of the other stories across the country. Frightening moments for passengers on a plane from Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina. The pilot turned the plane around just minutes after takeoff and returned to Atlanta. Passengers say one of the engines appeared to catch on fire. They were put on another plane and landed in Charlotte four hours late.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When we heard it, it started shaking first. And then, all of a sudden, we saw sparks, a great big boom, lots and lots of fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was pretty scary. I mean, there was smoke in the cabin. I looked around and people were praying hard, and some people were crying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: In Oakland, California, a man was shot and killed at a downtown site where Occupy protesters have been camping for a month. Now, police say it happened after an argument near the camp. It is not clear if the man was one of the protesters.

And in Oregon, police say an officer who crashed his patrol car into another car, then a house, was not at fault. The scene, as you see, recorded by the officer's dashcam. The officer was responding to an emergency call at the time. The man was inside the house but he was not hurt.

Its nickname is "Happy Valley." The Penn State campus and surrounding community are trying to heal after a week of unnerving and very disturbing developments. I'm going to talk with a sportswriter who knows the region as well as the people very well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The Penn State board of trustees is meeting today. Members are setting up an internal committee to investigate the sex abuse scandal that has now shaken the campus and the community. Plenty of people remain floored a week after former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested and charged with molesting boys on campus. The university's new interim president says these are some difficult days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RODNEY ERICKSON, PENN STATE INTERIM PRESIDENT: I accept this new leadership role under circumstances that I never could have imagined. It has been truly difficult to comprehend the terrible nature of the allegations that were revealed in the attorney general's presentment last week. My heart aches for the victims and their families, and my mind searches for answers like millions of others across the nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Want to bring in Mark Brennan, who has covered Penn State football since 1988. He writes about everything Penn State on his blog, FightOnState.com.

Mark, you and I have been talking over the last week or so about this scandal. We know that the coach is now out of a job here, and there are reports now, at least from NBC, that he's reaching out to a criminal attorney.

Do you know anything about that?

MARK BRENNAN, FIGHTONSTATE.COM: Yes. The reports are out there. Why he would be doing that, I'm not quite sure.

The grand jury investigating this case was very clear in that Paterno was cooperative and was not a subject of the charges that it was filing. So I'm not sure why he would be doing that, other than maybe for just simple protection just in case.

MALVEAUX: From your reporting, this board is going to be investigating. How wide a net are they casting? What are we talking about when there are people who knew or perhaps were involved in some sort of alleged cover-up?

BRENNAN: Yes. Well, obviously, they made the initial moves to get rid of the president, the athletic director. In effect, getting rid of the athletic director, and now Joe Paterno has been fired. And I think the reason they're having this is to see how wide-ranging this was.

Did anybody on the board of trustees know? Who else within the athletic department may have known? It's a huge university, and there were some obvious people that did not act properly. And I think what they want to get to the bottom of is, who else may have been culpable to whatever degree here?

MALVEAUX: Do they give us a deadline at all or a timetable in terms of when they're going to come back with more information about who might be involved?

BRENNAN: No. I would not expect any sort of deadline, because I think if you do that, then you're putting restraints on yourself with respect to coming back with those things. So I think this is going to be a long-term process. I don't see this ending in days, weeks, or maybe even months.

I think these sorts of investigations, we're going to be hearing things coming out for a long time. But the worst of it is probably out there now, but I do think there were probably other people that don't know who they are, but I think they're going to try to get to the bottom of whoever else may have been culpable.

MALVEAUX: We are hearing that there is a planned vigil tonight for the alleged victims. And tomorrow, during the big dame, the so- called blue-out. Fans will be wearing blue jerseys, as opposed to the white ones, in solidarity of sex abuse victims.

Do you think the mood on campus has changed since the story broke? BRENNAN: You know, I think, initially, everybody was so blown away by the magnitude of this -- everybody knew that something was coming, because the report of the grand jury investigation surfaced last March. But I don't think anybody realized the scope.

When you look at 40 charges, 20-plus of them felony charges against Jerry Sandusky, the AD going, and then ultimately the president and Joe Paterno, I don't think anybody grasped that it was going to be anything that big. So the initial reaction, I think people didn't know how to react.

You saw people pulling for Joe. You saw people turning over TV trucks. I think it's good to see that people are getting more sensible about this and approaching the situation with vigils, and respecting the alleged victims here, because I think that's the most important part of it.

MALVEAUX: Mark, where is Jerry Sandusky now? Is anyone trying to track him down, follow him? Has anybody seen him lately?

BRENNAN: That's the weird thing. I believe he's still at his home in Lemont, which is nearby State College, where we are here now. But the media focus has been so squarely on everything Penn State, from the board of directors, to Joe Paterno, people camped outside his house, to the football players, people wanting to get interviews, the initial push of media crush has been to talk to these people at Penn State.

I think when that starts to subside a little bit, then I think you're going to see people camped out at his house and trying to track him down and do that sort of thing. He's kind of fallen to the back of it, which is -- frankly, that part of it is troubling as well for media folks, including myself.

MALVEAUX: Absolutely.

And finally, looking at this event that's happening, it's a big deal for Penn State, for Nebraska. They've got this big game tomorrow.

BRENNAN: Yes.

MALVEAUX: Is there a sense in the community that this is a difficult moment, an awkward moment, perhaps even some danger involved in thousands of these folks, fans, getting together with emotions running as high as they are over this scandal?

BRENNAN: Yes. The one assistant coach, Mike McQueary, who was a witness for the grand jury, he still has his job, but they're not allowing him to coach because there have been threats made against him.

Downtown State College, typically on a Friday, this place would be hopping and everybody would be happy and ready for the big game. And there's just kind of a pall over everybody now. So, the sense in this community -- I honestly don't know how people are going to react overall at the game, but right now the sense -- everybody is still kind of walking around stunned, not knowing how this possibly happened.

MALVEAUX: All right. Mark Brennan, thank you so much. We appreciate.

And obviously, we're going to be following very closely what happens tomorrow on that campus.

Well, veterans now getting past the horrors of war with music.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I feel like I'm about to slip away and get depressed, I look across the room, I pick up the guitar, I pull out some of the sheet music and the tabs, and I start playing. And I just get lost in it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: As many as 20 percent of veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Elizabeth Cohen takes a look at exactly what this condition is and what can be done about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The Veterans Administration says that they expect that 10 percent to 20 percent of people who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will suffer from Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder. You know, they've been studying this disorder for a long time, and what they're seeing now is that people with PTSD, you can actually see the changes in the brain when you do imaging studies.

And the problem here is that sometimes these symptoms don't show up immediately. It can take months or years for these symptoms to show up.

So veterans are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. What kinds of things should their families look for? Here are some signs that your loved one might be suffering from PTSD.

If the veteran is reliving the trauma, feeling that horror over an over again, that's a sign. But so is avoiding any reminders whatsoever of the trauma. Also, feeling numb or feeling jittery, both of those are signs of PTSD.

Now, certain people are more likely to get PTSD than others. Having been in a combat situation is one of them. Coming from a dysfunctional family in childhood is another one. And also a lack of emotional support when you get home, that's another risk factor that a veteran can develop PTSD.

Unfortunately, four out of 10 veterans don't seek help for PTSD. And this is so unfortunate, because there is help. And the sooner that you get it, the better. And getting help for PTSD can help not just the veteran, but his or her family.

Now getting help can be as simple as having a family member encourage it. That really helps.

It can also just be as simple as going to a smartphone app. There are several apps out there that someone can use to try to evaluate whether they have the symptoms of PTSD and what to do about it.

If you go to CNN.com/empoweredpatient, you'll see links to those apps to help the veterans.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: One of the ways some veterans are getting past the horrors of war is with music. Today's "Veterans in Focus" looks at a group called Guitars for Vets, which is putting instruments in the hands of those who need it most.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been playing guitar since I was in seventh grade. I just love doing it. It is freedom when I play guitar. I can take every emotion I had, whether it was mad or glad or whatever and I could put it out in a song. My name is Mike Long. I'm one of the instructors for guitars for vets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was in the army.

VICKI BAYTON, U.S. ARMY VETERAN: I went to the first gulf war in '91 and the second one in '03.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) home base out of Norfolk, Virginia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is more informal. I'm not a strict teacher. We hang out and we talk.

BAYTON: When I feel like I'm about to slip away an get depressed and fall into that, like my God, I don't feel like doing anything, I look across the room, pick up the guitar, I pull out some of the sheet music and I just start playing and I get lost in it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It makes me feel comfortable. I'm away from everybody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of my guys told me, he goes I don't get on the bed because I'm depressed. Now that he's playing guitar he's like I refuse to get up now because I can play guitar. It gives me something to do in my idle time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just can't stop. Once you pick it up, it is hard to put it down. I really enjoy it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like rock.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Country.

BAYTON: Bluegrass.

PEG ANDRAE, CHAPTER COORDINATOR, RICHMOND GUITARS FOR VETS: It is more than just guitar lessons. It is about human interaction. It is about trust, goal setting, and accomplishments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is not as easy as it looks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Getting your finger in the right position.

BAYTON: The chords.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the hardest part for me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Washburn has donated guitars and they've got guitar cases and tuners.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's fun. I'm learning something new and we should all be students in some shape, form or fashion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is just another stepping stone for me, something to better myself at and to hopefully carry back to my community.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is just a great feeling to know you're doing something to give back, people who have done so much for us, no one can take music away from them. They'll always have that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are working on. Next, new complications in the frantic search for survivors of Turkey's latest earthquake.

Then, impressive transformation. A nuclear aircraft carrier becomes a basketball arena, pretty cool.

And later, meet a pilot who's teaching African-Americans to reach for the sky through flight lessons.

In Eastern Turkey, snow has started falling in the area that was struck by Wednesday's earthquake. It is making the search and rescue efforts even tougher. The death toll has now climbed to 19. So far, more than two dozen survivors have been found.

Here's CNN's Ivan Watson. IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Turkey's eastern city of Von has been hit by two earthquakes in just three weeks. The latest last Wednesday has claimed the lives of at least 19 people and rescue operations are still under way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON (voice-over): A dramatic escape seconds before an entire building collapses. The earth just won't stop shaking in eastern Turkey. Security camera footage shows Wednesday night's 5.6 magnitude earthquake knocking out electricity in the eastern city of Van and sending three men racing into the street just seconds before Bairam Hotel came suddenly tumbling down.

(on camera): This is all that's left of what was a five- story building, a pancake pile of rubble. It is now the scene of a dramatic rescue operation that's working round-the-clock.

(voice-over): Fortunately, rescue workers an heavy equipment were close by to help. They've flooded the area after a much more powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake slammed the Van region barely three weeks ago killing more than 500 people.

On Wednesday some these rescue workers became victims of the latest quake. Emergency workers pulled this Japanese volunteer from the rubble.

MIYUKI KONNAI, SURVIVOR (through translator): And I tried to open my eyes, but I could not because of lots of dust getting into my eyes. When I finally managed to open my left eye slowly, there was a ray of light I could see in what I thought was complete darkness. That light gave me relief and gave me hope to live. That was the light from the computer I was using.

WATSON: Miyuki Konnai escaped, but one of her fellow Japanese volunteers died from his injuries. Amid stories of tragedy and hope, there's also anger. Residents confronted Turkish officials on Thursday demanding resignations.

Riot police charged the crowd just yards away from collapsed buildings. In the days ahead, there will be more questions about government enforcement of building codes and pressure to resettle hundreds of thousands of people made homeless.

But for now, Turkey's earthquake survivors are just looking for a warm place to sleep. Most of them clearly too scared to step in to their own homes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: Van, a city of nearly one million people, now feels very much like a ghost town. All the shops here are closed and the residents terrified to go into their cracked and damaged homes are trying to make do in these freezing temperatures, sleeping in tents and makeshift shelters and facing a potentially unbearable winter. Ivan Watson, CNN, Van, Turkey. MALVEAUX: Mortgage giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac keep going back to the Treasury Department for billions more in bailout money, but executives there are receiving huge bonuses.

First some free money advice from the CNN Help Desk.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Time now for the "Help Desk" where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining us this hour, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, the founder of financial askthemoneycoach.com and David Novick, certified financial planner and a professor at NYU.

Thank you both for being here. We appreciate it. Your question comes from Terrance in New York. Terrance has a 30-year mortgage with his bank. He says he refinanced three years ago, about 4.75 percent. And he says he's tried to negotiate with the bank, but they're telling him he can't renegotiate without closing fees because the mortgage is held by another entity.

So he wants to know if there is any way to take advantage of current low rates and not take any of the closing or processing fees and we should note, of course, we don't know the specifics of his situation. It is always different, but what do you say generally?

LYNNETTE KHALFANI-COX, FOUNDER, ASKTHEMONEYCOACH.COM: In general, I don't need to know the specifics of his situation in this case because the fact is whenever you take out a mortgage, either for purchase or for refinance, you're going to have some kind of closing fees.

Some lenders tout, you know, zero points or no closing fees, but every mortgage has fees attached to it. Lender fees, escrow fees, title fees, government fees. Those are standard for any type of mortgage.

And even if you do get a loan with say zero points or no origination fee, you can be sure the bank is making up for that in terms of the interest rates you are paying for the loan.

HARLOW: All right, and David, your question comes from Kent in New Jersey. Kent's 34 years old, makes somewhere between $30,000 and $34,000 a year. He has $79,000 in liquid assets, $62,500 in his savings account that yields around 4.8 percent. What should he invest in?

DAVID NOVICK, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER, PROMETHEUS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: First of all, Kent should be very proud that he saved that kind of money at his age.

The issue is he's not really telling us when he is going to use the money and what for so my answer would be it depends. If he's saving for a house or for an emergency fund, I'd probably look at a short-term CD, maybe an online bank account that's paying a little better, maybe 1 percent, 1.5 percent.

Maybe look at a short-term bond fund. If he's trying to augment his income, he might look at preferred stocks or preferred mutual funds and dividend thing, stocks and mutual funds.

If he's looking for long-term savings such as retirement, he may want to put some of the money in some Roth IRAs, look at some growth funds or growth mutual stocks.

HARLOW: Decide where his risk tolerance level is.

NOVICK: And when he's going to use the money. That's probably the most important thing and that's something we don't know.

HARLOW: Thank you guys so much. Great advice. Folks, if you have a question you want answered, just send us an e-mail anytime to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: There's growing outrage over big bonuses being paid to executives at mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That is because the government-owned firms are only staying afloat because of bailout money. About $185 billion of your tax dollars so far. Our Brian Todd's got the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You may not know Michael Williams, but you probably want to be paid like him. Same for Ed Haldeman. They're the respective CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government sponsor firms which back at least half the mortgages in America. According to records from the Securities and Exchange Commission, Williams and Haldeman each made about $900,000 in salary last year. And each is getting paid about $2 million in bonuses.

Earlier this year, the federal government approved nearly $13 million in bonuses for Williams, Haldeman and eight other execs from the two firms. Despite the fact that millions of Americans are still struggling to make it through the housing crisis and that Fannie and Freddie have been hemorrhaging cash this year. They lost $10 billion in the last quarter and just asked Congress for more money.

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R), BUDGET COMMITTEE: This is completely excessive and uncalled for.

TODD: Republicans Senator John Thune is spearheading an effort by 60 Democratic and Republican senators to cancel the bonuses. They've sent a letter to the government body that oversees Fannie and Freddie, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, asking it to revise the compensation policy for those executives. The FHFA approved those bonuses.

THUNE: Why would you be rewarding this kind of behavior and -- or this kind of performance at least, at a time when we've got all these national economic issues and people across the country are very frustrated?

TODD: Contacted by CNN, officials at Fannie and Freddie wouldn't comment on the bonuses.

TODD (on camera): Their overseer, the FHFA, says it's reduced executive pay at Fannie and Freddie in recent years. That those firms have to pay that kind of money to attract the kind of talent needed to manage $5 trillion in mortgages. And officials here tell CNN the reason those execs got those bonuses was because they took the right steps to turn things around at Fannie and Freddie after the mortgage meltdown.

TODD (voice-over): A meltdown which triggered a massive bailout from the feds.

TODD (on camera): How big was the bailout of Fannie and Freddie compared to the auto bailout and some of the others?

CLIFF ROSSI, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: Yes, it was about $170 billion so far for both entities, both Fannie and Freddie. And I think the estimated tally I -- from what I understand from the Congressional Budget Office is somewhere in the neighborhood of about $250 billion. So from that standpoint, it's large relative to these other bailouts.

TODD (voice-over): Analyst Cliff Rossi, who once worked at both Fannie and Freddie, says the current execs at those firms were put in place since the bailout to clean up the mess from before. He says they've started to do that, but also says they haven't done enough to modify more homeowners' bad mortgages. So he's on the fence about whether they deserve their bonuses.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

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MALVEAUX: So a nuclear aircraft carrier in San Diego has been transformed now into a basketball arena for the first-ever carrier classic. President Obama is going to attend the game this evening. Bob Lawrence from our affiliate KGTV has got the details.

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BOB LAWRENCE, KGTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Tar Heels of North Carolina in for a few warm-ups in what is no question one of the oddest arenas anywhere. Over the last two weeks, it's been a full- court press to transform this nuclear powered fighting machine. A carrier, even without planes on it, is an impressive sight. The players got their first glimpse a day or so ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To see every one of my players with their phones or cameras walk around and -- they weren't even talking to each other. They were -- just had their eyes wide open, mouths wide open.

LAWRENCE: The same can be said for the sailors who make their home here and work on this flight deck. Some came up and watched little by little, day by day. And check out this time lapsed video of how the construction turned their flight deck into a basketball arena.

ADEN MARTINEZ, USS CARL VINSON: Well, at first it was a little clustered. And then once they got the main stage -- both bleachers up, it was -- started coming to life.

LAWRENCE: Martinez was one of about 800 sailors on the ship to receive a ticket. And to prevent fraud, his name was stamped on it. He'll have to show ID to get in. The stands will hold about 7,000 people, which will include a number of fans and alumni from both teams. But a number of wounded warriors will also be in the stands. Something that touched Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo.

TOM IZZO, MICHIGAN STATE COACH: It's bigger than a game. It's bigger than North Carolina against Michigan State. It's kind of a dream come true.

LAWRENCE: The court wasn't the only thing that had to be lifted into place. Every ESPN camera and production device, used during a normal telecast, had to be brought in, too. And just in case, the stands are partially up in the hangar bay in the event the rain comes ahead of schedule.

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MALVEAUX: That's pretty cool.

Well, he is a pilot with passion. A passion for flight and a passion for teaching new generations about life lessons at 10,000 feet. "What Matters" is next.

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MALVEAUX: Fewer than 1 percent of U.S. airline pilots are African-American. One man hopes to change that. Julius Alexander (ph) has been sharing his love of flying with minority teens for more than 30 years. It is today's "What Matters."

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JULIUS ALEXANDER: Where's my pilot? Are you ready?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.

ALEXANDER: OK.

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Julius Alexander knows the power of flight and is using it to inspire young African-Americans.

ALEXANDER: Most of the kids, especially minority kids, think of entertainers and athletes as their superstars. What I wanted to do is to get young black kids involved at an early age in aviation.

MALVEAUX: Alexander is a pilot and former teacher. He combined his passions in the 1980s and founded A.C.E., Aviation Career Enrichment.

ALEXANDER: When you wear that shirt and those khaki trousers, you're representing us.

MALVEAUX: The Atlanta-based organization uses flight training to sharpen kids' academic skills and expose them to careers in aviation.

ALEXANDER: We use aviation as a capsule of learning. Aviation has a very practical application in all of academic disciplines. When we're teaching navigation, we're teaching geography. When we teach meteorology, weather, we're teaching earth sciences. And it goes on and on and on.

MALVEAUX: Students not only gain technical skills, but also self confidence.

ALEXANDER: When a student solos an airplane, that develops tremendous self-esteem in that individual. If you can fly an airplane, can you do anything.

RAY JOHN BATHUNE (ph): You walk away with more than aviation skills.

MALVEAUX: Ray John Bathune knows this firsthand. He learned how to fly and is now an A.C.E. instructor.

BATHUNE: There's a wealth of knowledge that you gain here at A.C.E. It's focused on making you into a better person overall and going into the real world.

MALVEAUX: Alexander says seeing that transformation gives him a sense of pride.

ALEXANDER: My greatest reward is producing pilots. Seeing that 16-year-old kid go up and make a solo flight. I have changed somebody's life. When these students go out and they succeed, I know that none of this Has been in vain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, field selectors on both.

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MALVEAUX: Alexander says he has personally trained at least 15 students who have gone on to become professional pilots. Good for them.

Here's something you don't often see. A flying rhino. That's right. There's a good reason this four-ton beast is making like a bird.

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MALVEAUX: Some rhinos in Africa are going on the ride of their lives. Yes. In fact, it is a ride to save their lives and to save the species from extinction. The story from Fionnuala Sweeney.

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FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this video from the World Wildlife Fund South Africa, we follow the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. Darting and airlifting black rhinos one at a time. An upside down helicopter ride to safety, 19 black rhinos made a more than 1,400 kilometer journey across South Africa. A 10-minute ride to a clearing where they were crated and driven the rest of the way.

Within the last eight years, the project has translocated more than 100 South African black rhinos.

BARNEY LONG, ADMIN. STUDIES MANAGER, WWF: Translocation is a way to get new areas populated and also increase the breeding rate of rhinos.

SWEENEY: The World Wildlife Fund says more than 340 rhinos have been poached already this year, surpassing the total number killed in all of 2010. In fact, the western black rhino is now officially extinct, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

All rhinos are threatened by habitat loss and killed for the commercial value of their horn. Some are ground down and used in traditional Asian medicine.

In Indonesia, as few as 40 javan rhinos are believed to exist in the forest. This is motion activated footage captured by the World Wildlife Fund earlier this year. They say it's very difficult to see them face to face.

LONG: Our teams see them very, very rarely. In fact, Abbey (ph), the team leader we have in Ujacelan (ph), has only actually seen rhinos three times in the 20 years that he's been studying them.

SWEENEY: But Barney Long, with World Wildlife in Indonesia, is hopeful for the javan rhinos because of the relocation projects in Africa.

LONG: If you look at the white rhino, for example, in the early 1900s it was actually thought to be extinct. And with this formula of protection and translocation, over 100 years that population went from just over 20 to over 20,000 today.

SWEENEY: And as they try to save the black rhino through relocation, there are plans for a move deep in the jungles of java (ph) within the next few years. Efforts to reverse the tides for rhino species on the brink of extinction.

Fionnuala Sweeney, CNN, Atlanta.

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MALVEAUX: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with T.J. Holmes.

Hey, T.J.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there. Interesting story there about the black rhinos. We're going to be talking about it a little bit more this hour. MALVEAUX: All right.

HOLMES: But you have a good weekend, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Yes, you too.

HOLMES: We'll see.