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Ukraine Meets with U.S.; Still Searching for Flight 370; Federal Judge's Ruling Could Open Up Sky For Commercial Drone; New Way To Detect Alzheimer's

Aired March 09, 2014 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And major developments today in the Ukrainian crisis. The country's prime minister prepares to head to the U.S. for a face-to-face meeting with President Obama. While Russian President Vladimir Putin makes his own diplomatic moves with key U.S. allies.

And a potentially ground breaking study could have a major impact on how Alzheimer's is diagnosed. A simple blood test could identify who will get the disease.

But first, let's begin with the around the clock international search and investigation into finding that Malaysian Airlines flight 370. The jetliner vanished on its way to Beijing more than 48 hours ago. 239 people were onboard including at least three Americans. Search crews and investigators from the U.S., Europe and Asia are all working together to try to piece together clues.

And today they got several new clues including a floating object spotted in the Gulf of Thailand. Search boats are expected to arrive at that site within hours. Meantime, Malaysian military officials say radar data indicates the plane actually turned around before vanishing. Because of that they are asking crews from Thailand to refocus their search in the Andaman Sea, that's the smaller circled area right there on the left in that map.

And now new questions about suspicious passports on that flight. The International Police Organization, Interpol, just tweeted this out saying "INTERPOL examining additional suspect passports in connection with missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370." Officials confirm at least two passengers onboard the flight were traveling on stolen passports from Austria and Italy.

The tickets were apparently bought together and bought in Thai currency. The FBI says it is ready to send agents to Asia, to help with this investigation. And a team from the NTSB and the FAA are already on their way to the region. A top aid for President Obama discussed the investigation today on "State of the Union."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLINKEN, DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: It is too soon to tell what happened, why it happened but what we've done is this. We have made available the FBI, the National Transportation Safety Board and other experts to aid in the investigation to figure out what happened. But right now it is just too early to tell what the cause was.

I've seen these reports about the passports. We're looking into that. But we don't have anything that we can confirm at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Joining us now by phone from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, under water recovery expert John (INAUDIBLE), and also by phone from Westchester, New York, Daniel Roves who is an aviation/maritime attorney who represents families of the victims of last year's Asiana airlines crash in San Francisco.

So let's begin with you John, the search area is a very large stretch of that ocean. Once debris is located describe how teams would go about trying to connect the dots so to speak and recover perhaps the rest of the plane?

UNDERWATER RECOVERY EXPERT: Yes, Fredricka, one of the things that's key here is that they have found floating debris and what they are likely doing right now is to hind cast or backtrack that debris looking at water currents, the velocities and direction as well as wind currents. They should be able to tell where that debris was an hour ago, five hours ago, 12 hours ago. It is just to have an approximate time of the accident they ought to be able to determine pretty closely where that debris originated from, when it started to drift.

WHITFIELD: And then Dan, if I can bring you in, given that you focus on maritime law. How does the location of this crash site actually impact the investigation?

DAN ROSE, AVIATION/MARITIME ATTORNEY: Well, it makes it certainly very challenging. We are in a relatively remote part of the world. You obviously can't get resources there. But we've seen in Air France and in our country TWA, and Swiss Air crashes that happened in the water that are very challenging in terms of not only locating the wreckage but meaningfully recovering it so that you can learn what happened. To do it half way around the world is even more difficult.

WHITFIELD: And of course, you got so many countries that are assisting those nearby and those from faraway, the U.S. apparently saying the FAA, NTSB investigators are on the way. FBI assistance might already be there as well. In what way do you see perhaps the FAA advisers assisting in this investigation? What would be their role?

ROSE: Well, it will primarily be the NTSB who investigates the actual causes of the crash. The FAA is a little bit more regulatory. So they will certainly, the NTSB (INAUDIBLE) sent a go team and that's the team that's ready to stand by and go really anywhere in the world and begin an investigation when there is a U.S. interest like the rest here with the Boeing aircraft. So they have already launched and they will certainly participate in the investigation.

It is yet to be determined who will be in charge whether the Malaysian authorities or some combination of the NTSB and perhaps other aviation investigatory branches. But certainly the NTSB will be critical for feeding information about the aircraft itself to the extent that it becomes relevant in the investigation in which I'm sure it will.

WHITFIELD: And then John, how do you see these, you know, crews, so many of them prioritizing in this search?

JOHN (INAUDIBLE): Well, one of the things they'll be focusing on, Fredricka, is locating the digital flight data recorders. After the survivors, if there are no survivors that's the next highest priority. Those data recorders have acoustic beacons on them that send out one pulse per second for 30 days at 37 kilohertz. So they will have under water microphones which we call hydrophones in the water seeking to detect that signal and that will help them hone in on the debris itself.

And I believe if it is in the Gulf of Thailand, it is rarely deeper than about 50 meters there, 166 feet. So that will help make things more straight forward.

WHITFIELD: That's incredible. All right. John (INAUDIBLE), Dan Rose, thank you gentlemen. Appreciate it.

ROSE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Something else we are watching of global importance by the end of the month. Russia could officially swallow up Crimea with rallies calling for annexation. Is there anything Ukraine can do to stop that? (INAUDIBLE) looks to Washington for help. But time is running out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Russian president Vladimir Putin defended Crimea's steps to join Russia today in two phone calls to world leaders. Putin talked to British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. And according to the Russian government, he said Crimea's legitimate authorities are taking these steps based on international law.

The Russian government also said the leaders have a different assessment of what is happening on the ground in Ukraine. But they did agree the situation needs to be de-escalated.

That comes one day after President Obama made his own series of phone calls to world leaders including one to Prime Minister Cameron. Erin McPike is live for us now in Washington. So Erin, what's the next step for this White House.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, we learned this morning the interim prime minister will travel to the United States to meet with President Obama on Wednesday. The prime minister has said the vote Crimea intends to hold next Sunday, that referendum to secede from Ukraine and join Russia is illegitimate and President Obama and several European leaders agree. They reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine and that position in that series of phone calls yesterday but what if that referendum is successful a week from now.

Well, President Obama's deputy national security adviser Tony Blinken was on CNN's "State of the Union" and he made a declarative statement about how the United States would react.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLINKEN: First of all, if there is an annexation of Crimea, there's a referendum that moves Crimea from Ukraine to Russia. We won't recognize it nor will most of the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: Of course, Russian President Vladimir Putin does support the referendum. The call he placed this morning on the heels of President Obama's outreach suggests that the crisis is only intensifying and former Vice President Dick Cheney warned about the dangers to the United States of Putin's continuing actions this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, FMR. U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: We've got a much bigger problem if he decides to go further, if he decides, to take part of the Eastern Ukraine. We're in a situation where it is not just about Crimea and Russia? Ukraine and Russia, the U.S. even. On a worldwide basis, potential adversaries and friends are watching how the administration handles this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: Now Republicans on Capitol Hill have also stepped up their criticism of President Obama's handling of this situation in recent days with some calling him (INAUDIBLE) but at the same time the White House is upping the rhetoric against Russia and was pushing all of the things President Obama was doing over the weekend while he was on vacation to make some progress on this crisis. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. Erin McPike in Washington.

So does the crisis in the Ukraine mean that we are headed to another cold war? Our next guest doesn't think so, no matter what some lawmakers are warning. Ahead, we'll look at why the conventional wisdom on this crisis might be wrong.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The crisis in the Ukraine is getting more tense as we move closer to a critical vote on a referendum in Crimea to join Russia. Strong words are being thrown around. President Putin compared to Hitler. President Obama called weak and according to one of CNN's opinion columnist, there are some big myths cropping up as well. Aaron David Miller joining me now, live. He is vice president and a distinguished scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center. Good to see you, Aaron.

All right. Myth number one, we're back in the Cold War. Why do you say that is a myth?

AARON DAVID MILLER, WOODROW WILSON INTERNATIONAL CENTER: You know, I'm a historian by training although I never practice. And Mark Twain was right. History doesn't strictly repeat its rhymes. And the real question is this the cold war. I mean, 60 years, a unique period in American history. We won. The Russians lost. Two nuclear superpowers competing for every inch of the globe under the threat of nuclear war. We even came close for 12 days in October 1962. I don't think that's what's happening here.

And if in fact, you adapt that mindset then in fact, the conclusion is obvious. There is only one outcome. We have to win and the Russians have to lose and frankly, I don't think that's in the card. The world is too small these days to integrate it. So I suspect out of this will come at some point, although not at any time soon, some sort of diffusing of the crisis.

WHITFIELD: Myth number two - the comparisons that Putin is Hitler. How do you see that?

MILLER: You know, the guy, Putin uses tactics particularly using ethnic minorities in areas he would like to control and influence and Hitler did that. But to compare Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler trivializes the monstrosity of the evil. I mean we're talking genocide of epic proportion. The take over of western Europe. The possible invasion of the British House. That is not what this is.

Putin is an easily riled Russian nationalist. He no longer presides an empire he believes somehow that he has to assert Russian national interests, in what he considers his own influence. Not the same thing. Again, if you compare Putin to Hitler, then the conclusion is obvious. We not only have to defeat Russia but Putin has to be destroyed as well. Again, every time a country does something that we don't like, sometimes our intellectual capacity fails us. So rely on historical images and metaphors and analogies that just aren't accurate.

WHITFIELD: And then myth number three, in your view, is all Obama's fault. Because opponents have said that is because the president appears to be in their view to be weak and that leads also to the other myth which is that bombing Syria would have saved Ukraine.

MILLER: I don't buy that one either. I mean look sometimes this administration's foreign policy seems to be a blend between a Marx's Brothers movie and the Keystone cops. It's been inconsistent, anomalous but the notion somehow that our failure to act in Benghazi or failure to launch cruise missiles into downtown Damascus or to destroy chemical weapon sites, would have altered Putin's conviction that he had to somehow find a way to stop Ukraine from moving, drifting west. Or not to reassert what Russia believes to be its natural interest in Crimea. It is strains the bonds of (INAUDIBLE) frankly to the breaking point.

This is a risk averse president. There is no question and smaller powers read our lack of will and resolve. There's no question about that. See Iran and see Syria on this one. But Ukraine is idiosyncratic. It's unique and frankly nothing Obama could have done then and can do now is going to turn back Russian gains.

WHITFIELD: Aaron David Miller, thanks so much. Good to see you, from Washington.

MILLER: Always a pleasure.

WHITFIELD: All right. This winter is the one that will not end and it doesn't seem to be actually. Another winter storm coming this week.

Our Jennifer Gray shows us where it is headed.

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Fred, we are in store for a huge temperature swing as we go through the next couple of days. Yes, the south has been warm but so has the north. Look at this. Rapid City on Sunday in the 70s. Today we reach 70 degrees in Rapid City. Close to that in north (INAUDIBLE). Look at these temperatures. We will be back in the 30s by Tuesday. Yes, another storm system moving in and it will make its way to the northeast as we go through the middle part of the week.

So Detroit even hitting 43 on Monday. 40 in Syracuse but look back in the 30s by Wednesday and those 30s will make their way to the East Coast by Thursday. We are still in the 60s. DC a nice start to the week for you. Atlanta, Monday, 73, 75 on Tuesday, 64 on Wednesday, but you can see that colder air making its way to the south by the middle part of the week it reaches Memphis on Wednesday. It will be in Atlanta and even the panhandle by Thursday and Friday. So, that cool down is going to make its way across the country. And here we go, that low is going to set up and move to the East Coast. It will be to the northeast by Thursday and then push offshore. So yes, we could see even more snow as we go through the middle to end of the week all across the country.

So Fred, we will be looking for that very closely during the next couple of days.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll do. Thanks so much. Jennifer Gray.

All right. Hope is fading for those passengers and crew on flight 370 and we are learning more about who may have been lost. Some of the stories straight ahead in the "Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Here are five things crossing the "CNN News" desk right now. A Vietnamese rescue aircraft has spotted a floating object that could possibly be debris from the Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. The jet disappeared over the South China Sea more than 48 hours ago.

Search boats are expected to arrive at the site of this object that was found today off the Vietnam coast. Meantime, Malaysian military officials say radar data indicate the plane turned around before vanishing. Because of that, they are asking crews to expand the search area to include the Andaman Sea. A live report from the region just moments away.

And a short time ago, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center released a new study on a blood test that can identify who will develop Alzheimer's disease. They say their test is accurate 90 percent of the time. The test could be ready for a clinical trial in as little as two years from now.

Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more straight ahead.

And Ukraine's interim prime minister will fly to the U.S. this week to meet with President Obama. That will be just a few days before Crimea votes on whether it will become part of Russia. The Prime minister has called it an illegitimate decision and today Russia's president discussed that upcoming vote in separate phone calls with Britain's prime minister and Germany's Chancellor.

All right. Detroit is mourning the death of Lion's owner, William Clay Ford, Sr.. Ford was the last surviving grandson of Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company. He paid $4.5 million for the pro football team back in 1963. Forbes now values it at $900 million. He was 88 years old.

And now back to the search for that Malaysian Airline flight 370. INTERPOL say it is investigating additional suspicious passports connected to the flight. Andrew Stevens joins us now, live from Beijing. Andrew, what more are you learning?

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, let me just start by telling you about the latest on these floating objects which had been observed by the Vietnamese. Well, it is Reuters quoting it, an unnamed source in the national committee search and rescue. There were two objects which looked like they could have come from a plane which was seen floating.

This is just (INAUDIBLE). It was too late to get to them. Too late to identify them properly. Boats will be going back there today. Where these objects fits in with the original flight path of the plane about 80 kilometers south of (INAUDIBLE) Island. So that is going to be a focus today.

Also, as you point out Interpol saying - they tweeted actually saying that they are looking at additional suspect's passports, that is their terms, of passengers on that flight. Now, we already know that two passports were stolen. They were used fraudulently and they were on Interpol's list of stolen passports. But there was no connection made by the immigration authorities in Kuala Lumpur when the passengers using those passports boarded. So maybe more passports now are under scrutiny.

We know that the tickets purchased using those passports, they were bought in Thailand. They were bought virtually instantly from the same travel agency which does very strongly suggest that these people knew each other. They're one way tickets going from Kuala Lumpur up to Beijing and then onto Amsterdam.

So, that is where we were at the moment. So the possible is going to be a major focus. The Malaysian authorities are very careful about to linking anything at this stage to do with those possible and this Interpol making any linkage between these passports and the disappearance of the plane. But more investigation down that alley but the objects which have found in the sea. There has been one false alarm. I should add, Fredricka, that today has been sightings before that turned out to be a coral reef.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then back to the purchase of those tickets Andrew, were those purchased in cash?

STEVENS: Yes, yes, they were purchased in cash. We know that there are pictures, circulating videos, circulating of these two passengers using the passports. So that would pick up by pictures that were founds on CCTV in Kuala Lumpur. The pictures have been sent to various intelligence services around the world. They were bought at the same travel agent at the same time. So, obviously, very, very, closely linked.

WHITFIELD: All right, Andrew Stevens. Thank you so much in Beijing.

So, we are learning more about some of the passengers on that plane. Nick Valencia is following that for us. What do we know?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Two hundred and thirty nine passengers on Malaysia flight 370, 12 different countries represented on that flight. Two of those passengers that we know and can confirmed are on the plane. By Sharmo (ph) 37-year-old and her husband, (INAUDIBLE). They were originally from Canada, from Montreal, Canada, but they called Beijing home. You are looking at the picture there. They are beautiful couple. They had two young children. We know that those children were not on the plane.

Earlier, our affiliate CTV in Canada caught up with the boss of the husband who said that he was a dear friend and colleague. Now, another person that we are looking into as well Phil Wood who was from here, right here in the United States, from Oklahoma, a resident from northeast Oklahoma. He loved to travel. His friends say that he was very kind and very humble. They are holding out prayers and hope. Earlier, our affiliate KOCO in Oklahoma City caught up with the family and friends and also the vice president of university where he went to, Oklahoma Christian University.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL GOAD, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, OKLAHOMA COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: His job with IBM took him places around the world. He was in the process of being transferred from Beijing to Malaysia. He loved the world. He loved everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: And that is what we are hearing from his friends, Fred. He loved the world. He was a globetrotter, worked for IBM, took him all around the world. He major there in math and computer science in Christian University in Oklahoma. Everyone is holding a prayer for his safe return.

WHITFIELD: And now, social media playing a role here, how?

VALENCIA: Huge roll. Facebook is dedicating a page. They are calling them the possible victims to this flight where people are going on and posting photos of their love ones, trying t get more information, seeing if they can glean any more details from what happened on this plane. Everyone is really interested in this story, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Everyone, in some way, touched by this story and has keen interest in it.

All right, thank you so much, Nick Valencia. Appreciate that.

All right, scientists are calling this a game changer. It is a simple blood test that can tell if you will likely have a devastating disease.

But first in the Los Angeles public school, nearly one in five kids drops out before graduation. But this week CNN hero help teenage girls find their boys and their future. Meet Karen Taylor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I blossom with each pen mark.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I found myself in the words.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every girl has a story to tell.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some of our girls are facing some of the greatest challenges, teenagers could ever face -- pregnancy, incarceration, violence in their family, at school. Those girls need a mentor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They need to be inspired about their own voice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Life in the light can be so bright, nothing can be so pure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Writing and self-expression can give them a tool for moving forward.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Say something that nobody else has said before, because you have your own way of saying things.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We match underserved girls with professional women writers for mentoring and group workshops.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to match you, Christa, with Kristy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The moment you ask a young person to tell me about something you're passionate about, the writing and the ideas just flow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know you're going read today?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was kind of scared. Like, I'm really quiet, and I keep to myself. And Emily, I met her and she's so excited and enthusiastic about writing and I absolutely love her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Writing gave me that position in life, like, I am a girl and I have a story to tell.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Their senses are diluted by the sparkly things that cross their eye. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to help girls see that their voice matters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got a lot of good stuff here and what I would like to hear more about is you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: to give a girl a tool to be able to be positive, strive and whatever challenges she's facing. What's better than that?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A significant breakthrough in predicting if you could have Alzheimer's in the future. And estimated 5.2 million Americans have the disease that is associated with memory loss. Now, a new study is released on the first blood test can predict if someone is on the brink of actually getting it.

I want to bring in senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen with more on this. So tell us more about this study and how this came about.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know it is really game changing. And you know, Fred, for years doctors have been thinking wouldn't it be great if we can try to predict who is going to get Alzheimer's. What would we look for in their blood? And so, this doctor said, you know, there is a bunch of things we could look and they said let's for fats or to be fancy, lipids.

And so they said, all right, we are going to go into the blood and we are going to look for these ten specific lipids and lower levels of these lipids meant that people were more likely to get Alzheimer's. They went from healthy to unhealthy, but from healthy to unhealthy. And the test was more than 90 percent accurate. Now, that is more than 90 percent accurate actually. So that is accurate.

WHITFIELD: So, this is a little bit off in the distance in terms of when we would have access to this a couple of years, but say there is approval, you know, does become available. Who would be the best candidate to get this kind of blood test? Open to everybody or certain age groups or what? COHEN: You know, it would be interesting. They would first have to see, they did this study in people who were 70 and older, so senior citizens. It would be interesting to see and they will try to see will it work in younger people. And so, you would have to think long and hard do I want to get this test. Because some people would say, yes, absolutely. I want to get in. I want to have plan. I want financial things go on that family tripping (INAUDIBLE). And other people would say no way. I don't want it in the back of my head that I am about to get Alzheimer's disease. It would really have to be a decision that you would have to think through.

WHITFIELD: So besides the knowledge that this would promote, you would find out that you indeed or, you know, susceptible or you are going to have Alzheimer's. What else could this kind of information give the medical community?

COHEN: Right. The researchers tell me the real strength of this is that it would give a nice set of patients on whom to do study. So right now, if you want to test a prevention from Alzheimer's disease, you would be, we could try that on because you don't know who is going to get Alzheimer's disease. They said wouldn't it be great if we had, you know, let's say 100 people who we knew, were destined to get Alzheimer's that need to try the truck out and see if it works. It is a game changing. It speeds along the research. Normally, if you have a group of patients who you know are pretty much destined to get the disease.

WHITFIELD: So detection and game changing in the event of perhaps prevention, keeping some of us from getting it and treating some of us who do get it.

COHEN: Right.

(CROSSTALK)

COHEN: Hopefully, absolutely, and prevention would be the key. I mean, that is what they really like to do because, you know, one of the doctors said to me, we don't know. Maybe there is something prevention for Alzheimer's, we just don't know who it is. But once we get this group of patients who are -- who we think are destined to get Alzheimer's, then we can try it out on them and then we can get some answers.

But I should say, they need to try and see if this test really works. They have done it, you know, kind of this one time. They need to keep trying. It may not turn out to work so well. That is possible. And even if does work, years before it would be out there for, you know, everyone to use.

WHITFIELD: And you, (INAUDIBLE) would do it, not do it?

COHEN: I would really have to think quite about that. I am not sure I would want that in the back of my head. But then someone said you could do planning. Think of the planning you could do knowing. And because once this hits, you can't think really anymore. You can't plan anymore. So, I was -- I think it is really a tough one. But I will tell you. The doctor involved in the study, he is sure that he would want to get it. He is sure that he would want a plan.

WHITFIELD: I think I might want to know at a certain stage in my life. I may not want to know it too early because I don't want it to dictate my path. But I can see it instrumental in my decision making later.

COHEN: Later in life. I think that would be a decision that some people would make.

WHITFIELD: All right. It is indeed a great break through. Thanks for bringing that to us. Appreciate that. Elizabeth Cohen.

All right, meantime, NASA is enlisting the world's only twin astronaut brothers to study the impact of long-term space missions. Scott Kelly, seen on the right. Did you know he was a twin? He is about to spend a year on the international space station. That's the longest any American has spent on the ISS. His brother, Mark, has been a former congresswoman. Gabrielle Giffords will stay on earth. They will undergo test to see how the space, environment effects Scott. These brothers who turned 50 last month are the only twins and only siblings to have ever flown in space. That's a cool stuff.

All right, flight data recorders could help solve the mystery of Malaysia airlines flight 370. Why isn't there a better technology that could help search cruise.

But first making a dream come true for an adult with a terminal illness sounds like a pretty tall order. Reba Roberts just wanted to see her family again. But with Priscilla Presley's help, the 84-year- old life-long Elvis fan got a little something extra to impact her world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRICILLA PRESLEY, AMBASSADOR, DREAM FOUNDATION: Hi, Reba.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Elvis' fan Reba Roberts was throw thrilled when Priscilla Presley came to visit her in Sta. Barbara hospice facility. She broke into song.

Presley is a Dream Foundation ambassador, the charity grants wishes to adults with terminal illnesses.

PRESLEY: The request you would think would be crazy things but they are not. They are simple. They are about getting back with your family. Having a reunion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Like seeing your sister for the first time in four years. That was Roberts' wish.

REBA ROBERTS, PATIENT: We hugged and hugged and hugged.

PRESLEY: Really, when you stop and think of it that offers comfort, a closure, to not just the recipients, but to the family members. What they go through to try and grant that last wish when they really can't. UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: According to the dream foundation, around 20,000 wishes have been fulfilled in the past two decades.

PRESLEY: As sensitive, a journey that this is, to see the smiles and the appreciation and the love, it is really unmatched that you are doing something and able to help others. The impact is immeasurable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The jumbo jet that vanished 48 hours ago continues to be a mystery. But when search crews find the plane, the flight recorder could play a key role in that investigation. Earlier I talked to Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general about the U.S. department of transportation about the importance of finding that quickly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY SCHIAVO, FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: The pinger will send out its signal from its battery from the black box for some time. The key is to get to that before the salt water get to it or the battery runs out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Clive Irving joins me right now. He is a contributor to "the Daily Beast" and senior consulting editor for Conde Nast Traveler.

Clive, good to see you again.

So in an age when we can stream movies, you know, we have to much instantaneous access to things, why can't we do the same with getting data from planes missing or recovered. Why is it not being done?

CLIVE IRVING, CONTRIBUTOR, THE DAILY BEAST: Well, that is the personal question because we can. The technology is there to do it, but why is it not being done?

WHITFIELD: What is the answer to that?

IRVING: Well, we need to find out why one of the safest planes in the world suddenly disappeared. The information that would tell us that was in the plane and it has gone down with the plane. The is the principle of the flight recorder. The crucial information goes down with the plane. Whereas, if that information was being constantly screened from the plane to a satellite and then from the satellite to the ground so that we would have immediate the airplane disappear. We would have a record in front of us on what was going on right up until to the last second of the plane's flight. You wouldn't have this extraordinary situation where we are searching stretches of ocean.

WHITFIELD: So what is standing in the way of either kind of technology, the availability f that kind of technology simply money? I mean, we are talking about thousands of planes are in the air at any one time if not millions so might airlines not be able to afford doing that having that kind of tracking device?

IRVING: It is the priority that should be given to planes flying long distance, instead of water. (INAUDIBLE) for domestic flights over land. But I think it is very false economy not to do it. I can't understand actually why it is not being done. And the technology is there. The will isn't there to do it because the instruction is not there that it has to be done.

WHITFIELD: So what do you see on the horizon?

IRVING: I think, I hope that this accident coming on the heels of another loss of a plane, the air France 447 three years ago, I hope this will find the way people access to the need to make this change.

WHITFIELD: Clive Irving, thank you so much from London.

IRVING: You are welcome.

WHITFIELD: Drones are turning into the next big thing to fighting wars and fighting crimes. Now they can be used to firing 80,000 volt charge in to a human? Why would anyone want that kind of technology?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A federal judge's ruling could open up the sky for commercial drone. He says there is no law banning their use and it has drone out the FAA's fine against an operator. Drone operators are cheering the rulings but the FAA says it will appeal.

And drone, in fact, have been the big hit at this year's south by southwest festival in Austin, Texas. One thing that has everyone talking is the stun gun drone.

Laurie Segall joins us from Austin with more on the demonstration of these drones -- Laurie.

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN MONEY TECHNOLOGY REPORTER: Hey, Fredricka.

Well, here at southwest everyone is talking about what is next in technology. Well, we have a very interesting glance into the future. Take a look.

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SEGALL (voice-over): Tell me what is about to go down behind this.

WHURLEY, CO-FOUNDER, CHAOTIC MOON STUDIOS: So, we are about to do a live demonstration here in south by southwest of our project cupid which is our chaotic unnamed personally use of drone.

SEGALL: Does that mean the drone is going to stun this guy behind him?

WHURLEY: That is exactly what is going to happen. It is going to stun him with 80,000 volts.

SEGALL: You are going to get stunned by a drone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I think it would be really cool to kind of be at the (INAUDIBLE) of merging technology.

SEGALL: It is about to happen. He is going to get stunned. You are down for a couple of minutes but you are good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Check the vitals. Feeling great, yes. A little bit of discomfort but it was all right.

SEGALL: You fell down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fell down, yes, I didn't have too much choice in the matter on that. Kind of everything just locks out.

WHURLEY: The reality is there is a lot of work between done and this type of very that maybe isn't being manage properly. So we want to do this demonstration to kind of awareness raise the awareness of capabilities are technically as well as something that kind of like shows, you know, how it can be done responsibly at the same time.

Small unmanned vehicles have a lot of potential out patients. Imagine it is a system to stun on it, imagine that the system to deliver an early (INAUDIBLE) package, imagine that system to find a lost child using camera vision.

There is ton of things these things can be use for in the commercial space, into the safety space, but also in the personal space.

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SEGALL: Unbelievable, Fredricka, to look at this technology and see it in action. But really, the idea is to have a conversation and say this technology is out there. This is what it is going to look like in the future. And here is how we should handle it. Whurley, the guy behind this says that he is actually has been contacted by celebrities about drone technology to essentially to fend off the paparazzi. We heard Amazon using it at package delivery in the future.

You know, it is very interesting to see how close are the coming to action making this a reality -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thank you so much. Laurie. That subject deserves a raise after that.

All right, let's get a preview of what we can expect on Wall Street this week. Alison Kosik is in New York for the preview.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: We have some big birthdays on Wall Street this week.

First up, the bull market plan the opening bell rings on Monday, it will mark the bull's first trading day as a 5-year-old. Stocks hit bottom on 2009 and have been soaring ever since. The stock traders (INAUDIBLE), says the average bull market last only two years. So this one has clearly gone on longer and many say there is still room to run.

Another big birthday the worldwide web. It turns 25 this week. It was developed by a software engineer in Switzerland in 1989. And has since become one of the most powerful communication tools out there. Join the party on CNN Money this week. It will have a look at how the web has revolutionized the way that we live.

Also, topping out list of the biggest stories on Wall Street. We'll get a health check up on the American consumer. Are people shopping? So far this year, retail sales haven't been too hot. And big names like Radio Shock and Staples have announced they are closing some stores. It is a big deal because spending is what drives the economy.

WHITFIELD: All right, Alison Kosik, thanks so much for that.

That is going to do it for me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The next hour in the CNN NEWSROOM begins right now with Deborah Feyerick in New York.