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Huge Crowd Protests in Dozens of Cities for "Day Without Immigrants"; President Bush Still Pushing For Guest Worker Program

Aired May 01, 2006 - 14:01   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Calling off work, calling off school, calling off shopping, calling on the government to boost their rights, legal and illegal immigrants are rallying, protesting, boycotting today in dozens of cities. They're calling it "A Day Without Immigrants".
Live pictures right now from one of our affiliates, WGN, in Chicago. A huge crowd is going on right now -- or is marching right now as we speak in Chicago.

Our Keith Oppenheim is there as well -- Keith.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

I'm on West Randolph Street in Chicago, and the folks that are alongside me here slowly walking, are going to take about a three-mile walk. As they say, (SPEAKING IN SPANISH). That stands for yes, it can be done, as they are taking a stand against -- for immigration rights and against some House legislation which they feel is an unfair crackdown on it.

The Chicago police are telling us, Kyra, that they have been estimating that the crowd is at least 100,000 people here in Chicago today, although we point out those are numbers that could well go up as people gather in Grant Park for a larger rally in the center of the city.

Also, we heard a report that was pretty telling, and that is that in schools in the area that are Latino dominated, that attendance has ranged in those Chicago public schools between 10 percent and 33 percent. So, that's an indication that there are a lot of children here today.

In fact, Bruce, if we can just pan to the crowd here, and we do see kids in the crowd. A lot of kids have taken the day off from school, and certainly a lot of folks have taken the day off from work to take part in this rally. A lot of organization going into this political expression.

Now, I'm not alone reporting in Chicago. My colleague, Jonathan Freed, is near the other end of this rally, or perhaps midpoint near Chicago's Sears Tower. And he's on the phone with us now.

Jonathan, go ahead.

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Keith. That's right. I am right downtown on the corner of Franklin and Jackson streets. And folks, if you can picture the skyline of Chicago, I am right at the base of the Sears Tower. But clearly, as you can hear behind me, I'm sure, I am not the only one here.

There is a river of people flowing past the Sears Tower, folks. And it has just not stopped for the better part of an hour, even about an hour and a half that we have been here.

And there are as many Mexican flags now as I'm seeing American flags. A lot of smiling faces. The crowd is just cheering.

At times they're doing the wave. It looks like we're at a ballpark. And it just flows down the street, just lending to this image of it being a river of people.

We're seeing signs, Kyra, that say things like, "We're not terrorists." "We build your homes. We work in your restaurants. All we want is to stay here. All we want are rights." "Everybody here is an immigrant" -- Kyra.

KAGAN: Jonathan, from where you are and what you can see -- and also, you've seen what Keith has been able to bring us -- give us a sense for how this has made an impact on the city. Do you think that a lot of people are coming out to join in, to observe? Is the city sort of going, I mean, away from all this? Is life somewhat normal in Chicago today?

FREED: Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do for you. I'm going to walk now right to the corner of Franklin, and I'm going to look left and right. And the city looks a lot quieter than normal. And I was even feeling that a couple of hours ago as we were driving to a university campus where we were following a particular student for a story that I am putting together for tonight's "ANDERSON COOPER 360," where we met up with this student.

And I was noticing that there really weren't that many cars on the road. And I know that some of the exit ramps to the freeway closer to downtown were closed off today, Kyra. And it did not take me that long to commute from the suburbs.

It normally takes me the better part of an hour and a half. It took me about half that time today. So, clearly, a lot of people were finding a way to stay away from downtown -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Now, you said you were at Franklin -- Franklin and what? Because that's a pretty main hub there in downtown, right?

FREED: Oh, it is. I'm at Franklin and Jackson. I am craning up now. I can barely see the top of the Sears Tower, as it is often clouded over, and it is today.

We're seeing the odd drop of rain, but not the rain that people thought there might be at this time. So that's -- that's one plus for the organizers here. This many soggy people would have perhaps changed the mood a little bit, but it is decidedly peaceful. And our crew has been standing here for a while now, Kyra, and we can't just get over how peaceful it is for the size of this protest.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's pretty amazing for some possibly 500,000 people now that are gathering throughout the city of Chicago.

Jonathan Freed right there in downtown Chicago joining us by phone. Our Keith Oppenheim on the other part of the city there. You can see these lives pictures as we continue to follow this protest.

Possibly half a million people now out on the streets making their way across Chicago.

Well, off the job, arm in arm, and into the streets, immigrants in New York are also gearing up for a huge rally in less than two hours. Let's get straight to our senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff. He's in New York's Chinatown.

Now, Allan, when I talked to you earlier today, it seemed things -- it was business as usual.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: And that is still the case here in Chinatown. As you mentioned, the big rally will be happening in a couple of hours in Union Square. But here in Chinatown, as you can see, it is business as usual. The streets busy, and these jewelry stores that line Canal Street, all run by immigrant families, all running, operated, opened at 10:00 this morning.

Perhaps in some other neighborhoods and in other communities around New York we are seeing a little bit of that boycott that has been discussed nationwide. In fact, the front page of "El Diario," the number one Spanish newspaper in New York, as you see, has basically a page half empty.

"Un Dia Sin Immigrante" is "A Day Without Immigrants". And there are some areas within the Latino community where we've seen some boycotts or at least a slowdown in business.

Goya Foods, which is based in Secaucus, New Jersey, the number one Hispanic-owned food company in the nation, in fact, that company has said it will suspend all deliveries for the day. That perhaps the biggest impact that we've heard of thus far.

But overall, generally you're not seeing a really significant boycott. People not really avoiding school, work, certainly not here in Chinatown. And it doesn't seem that there's that much of an impact around New York City.

Now, let's talk about the rallies that we have had. Over here, along Canal Street, about an hour ago, two hours ago we did have people linking hands a bit, and also many people holding signs up in favor of immigrants' rights.

Some people actually hiding their faces with those signs. Amongst some of the participants, there was concern, some people even holding signs that said, "No deportation." So, certainly that is a little bit of worry within the immigrant community.

I spoke to one bartender who came to the rally. He came, he said, because his friends were not able to attend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM DEVLIN, BARTENDER: Most of my friends in New York are illegal immigrants. I've worked in the hospitality industry nearly my whole adult life, and a lot of these guys couldn't be here today because they were afraid -- afraid to come out, afraid to take a day off from work, lose some money, maybe lose their jobs. And so I wanted to represent them and let them know that many New Yorkers like myself care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: There were only a couple hundred people involved in that rally a little bit after noon time. And some of the participants told me they were disappointed with the number of people that showed up. But the big rally in New York is scheduled about two hours from now in Union Square, and let's see what sort of turnout we get over there -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Allan Chernoff, thanks so much.

Let's get straight to Tony Harris. He's actually watching new demonstrations popping up across the country.

Tony, where are you finding them?

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Kyra, we're talking about this expanding footprint of these immigration demonstrations across the country. They start in the East and have been moving across the country to the West. Take a look at these pictures now of a rally under way right now. Pictures from a short time ago in Modesto, California.

Jen Rogers is in Los Angeles. But these are pictures from our affiliate KXTV out of Sacramento, California, of the rally that is now under way in Modesto, California.

Once again, the expanding footprint is what we're talking about here, and as we go on through the day, we will see more of these demonstrations obviously in the West Coast. But wanted to give you an early look at this rally under way now in Modesto -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right., Tony. As we continue to follow these new protests popping up, as you can imagine, we've been getting a lot of e-mails. You've got to hear some of these.

HARRIS: Can't wait, yes.

PHILLIPS: Yes. Quite a mixture. A lot of the same things you and I were talking about this morning.

HARRIS: It's been fun talking about this morning, yes.

PHILLIPS: You haven't stopped talking about.

HARRIS: I can't stop.

PHILLIPS: I'm going to have you give me your own e-mail in just about two seconds.

HARRIS: Oh, my. I'll write you something.

PHILLIPS: OK, good. Yes, send me something. Will you?

HARRIS: I will. I will.

PHILLIPS: This one comes from Simpson in Houston, Texan -- Houston, Texas, rather. "This is America, and people have the right to have peaceful demonstrations when they want to as long as they are not endangering the rights of others or committing criminal acts."

Doug in Tampa, Florida, says, "I'm fed up with the way law- breaking people feel like they can protest and shut down our cities. They need to follow the laws and apply and come like my ancestors did."

Carol said, "The next time immigrants decide that they want a day off to protest, we will gladly volunteer our time to take their places in the jobs our lawmakers say we don't want and don't need."

And then Tony -- not our Tony Harris -- another Tony writes in saying, "I was wondering if the demonstrators are boycotting the welfare and food stamp and green card offices as well."

Tony, are you still with me?

HARRIS: I sure am.

PHILLIPS: So, you know, why don't you share with our viewers the discussion that you have had among other African-Americans. We even saw the debate a couple hours ago. Daryn Kagan actually had the debate...

HARRIS: Sure.

PHILLIPS: ... with two terrific African-American writers. But the issue of -- let's talk about it, what you brought up.

HARRIS: OK.

PHILLIPS: You got us all talking about this...

HARRIS: OK. OK.

PHILLIPS: ... the CNN En Espanol folks and you and me about what other blacks are saying about this.

HARRIS: Well, you know, I've been -- yes, and we've been kicking it around all morning, and it's been -- it's been great to sort of gauge the newsroom on all of this. And one of the things that I can remember, just to hearken back to a little personal experience, is that when I was working, growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, and I was getting started in the workforce, my first job was as a dishwasher. And now, that's one of the jobs -- in this debate is one of the jobs that Americans won't do.

And I remember when I was growing up that the kid working next to me was a -- was another poor black kid or another, you know, poor white kid, or one of these kids like me trying to get started and earn some extra dollars. And now I wonder if the wage that was paid to me then, which is minimum wage, in real dollars even equates to what's going on now in real dollars. If you do that job now, are you losing money?

Is today's minimum wage, compared to 20 years ago, adjusted for the cost of living? I mean, is it even comparable?

So, when you're talking about illegal immigrants coming into the country, you can't get around the notion that it is suppressing the real wage for people in this country. And I love this discussion and the argument that people won't do these jobs. Well, if you're a kid trying to get started in work and get your working life and career off and running, well, if you paid these kids a real wage, are you telling me they wouldn't work, that they wouldn't take these jobs?

PHILLIPS: Well, but then some critics are saying, if immigration reform pushed wages higher for lower-skilled workers, right, would that stop Americans from hiring help that they can afford now?

HARRIS: Well, that's a debate point. Sure, that's a debate point. But I've got to tell you, if you removed all of the illegal immigrants who are in the country right now, you have to ask yourself, what would happen tomorrow?

Sure, the prices would go up, but clearly what this country and what the business leaders are saying is they like this pool. They like this pool of low-wage workers in this country. And if they were gone, you know, would you be able to post the profits that you post right now?

I mean, what we're seeing now is probably one of the initial effects of globalization right now. And one of the effects on workers is that it suppresses the real wage in this country.

PHILLIPS: Tony Harris.

HARRIS: Do I sound like Lou Dobbs a little bit?

PHILLIPS: Yes. Tony -- Tony Harris unleashed. I know.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes. Hold on, Lou Dobbs.

PHILLIPS: OK. So, next time it comes around, we will talk about just what we were talking about, the mindset of a white worker versus a black worker versus a Hispanic worker.

HARRIS: You really -- you really want to go there, Kyra?

PHILLIPS: We were all three talking about this, the gal from CNN En Espanol, you and me.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

PHILLIPS: All right. So, let's hold that. All right? We're going to uncap -- you're going to uncap again coming up in the next hit. OK?

HARRIS: OK.

PHILLIPS: All right. Tony, thanks so much.

We, of course, want to hear more from you and how this "Day Without Immigrants" is affecting you. Is it affecting you at all?

Continue to e-mail us. We're getting some great e-mails. The address is LIVEFROM@CNN.com. We're going to read your responses throughout the afternoon right here on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: The protesters are moving, but Congress seems to be standing still. President Bush is pushing lawmakers for comprehensive immigration reforms, including a guest worker reform, but he's having a tough time, especially with Republicans.

Our Ed Henry brings us up to date now from the White House.

Hi, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Kyra.

That's right. You know, the president came out on Friday at a press conference in the Rose Garden and said he was against the boycott, and White House spokesman Scott McClellan was pressed today whether the president believes that perhaps the boycott, coupled with these various rallies and demonstrations, could actually backfire on the president, make it even harder for Congress to actually pass a comprehensive bill.

Here's what McClellan had to say in response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president believes that if we're going to fix this system, then we've got to address it in a comprehensive way. And that means having a temporary guest worker program which will help relieve pressure off the border, as the president has talked about repeatedly. This is a difficult and emotional issue, and the president has called on all of us to really elevate the tone and elevate the debate and conduct it in a civil way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: But that's easier said than done. Obviously, what he's talking about there is comprehensive reform would include border security legislation, plus this guest worker program, something to deal with the 11 to 12 million illegal immigrants already here, get them on a path to citizenship, as the president says. But conservative critics call that amnesty.

Right now Congress is deadlocked. And since it's an election year, it's going to be extremely difficult to break that deadlock -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ed, on another note, what's the deal with Jack Abramoff and his visits to the White House?

HENRY: Well, CNN has learned, in fact, that the Secret Service now is going to turn over all the records and documents they have of Jack Abramoff's visits here to the White House. This, despite the fact that the White House has repeatedly refused to release these documents.

These would be logs that would show how often Jack Abramoff, the now disgraced lobbyists, has been here at the White House in recent years. It potentially could list who he had meetings with, could be various White House staffers, could potentially even be the president himself.

The Secret Service is doing this because a lawsuit was filed by the conservative group Judicial Watch. The Secret Service has now decided to turn these over on or before May 10th. So, in the next two weeks we're going to learn exactly how many time Jack Abramoff was here at the White House -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: White House Correspondent Ed Henry.

Ed, thanks so much.

HENRY: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: I'm being told we've got to get straight to the floor now. Republican Lamar Alexander discussing the issue of the national anthem in English only. It's an issue that we've been talking about within the past couple of weeks. Let's listen in and see what he has to say.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R), TEXAS: And only two weeks ago this Senate encouraged the speaking of English by saying that it would knock a year off the waiting time to become a citizen if an applicant became proficient in English and authorizing $500 grants for people who are legally here who are seeking to become citizens.

So, for a long time we've recognized that English is a part of who we are as Americans. It's a part of what unites us, just as we are united by our history and our shared values such as liberty, equal opportunity and the rule of law.

I worry, Mr. President, that translating our national anthem will actually have the effect of dividing us. It adds to the celebration of multiculturalism in our society which has eroded our understanding of our American culture.

Ours is a diverse nation, proudly diverse, but diversity is not our greatest accomplishment. Jerusalem is diverse, the Balkans are diverse, Iraq is diverse. What makes America unique is that we've taken all that magnificent diversity and turned it into one nation.

Will translating our anthem into multiple languages also erode our sense of having a common language that allows us to speak with one another as one nation? Our national anthem is a symbol of all the things that unite it. It's a product of our history.

"The Star Spangled Banner" was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814. Our nation was then in the midst of the War of 1812.

On September 13, 1814, just a few weeks after the invasion of Washington, British forces began a 25-hour bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Through the day and all through the night, the rockets and bombs flew. And the next day, on September 14th, standing aboard an American ship eight miles out from Baltimore, Francis Scott Key looked and saw the stars and stripes were still waving over the fort. And the British were forced to withdraw and the flag was still there.

I went to see that very same flag a few months ago at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The museum is in the process of carefully preserving it so that our grandchildren's grandchildren will be able to see the original flag that inspired our national anthem. That flag and song are part of our history and our national identity.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The senator has 30 seconds.

ALEXANDER: Thank you. It declares some of our national ideas in being the land of the free and the home of the brave. That's why we should always sing it in our common language, English, and that's why today I will introduce, along with Senator Frist, Senator McConnell, and Stevens and Isakson and Roberts, and I hope others a resolution that affirms the statements of national unity, especially the "Pledge of Allegiance" and the national anthem ought to be recited or sung in English.

We wouldn't recite the pledge in French, or German, or Russian, or Hindi, or even Chinese, which after Spanish is the second most spoken foreign language in the United States. And we shouldn't sing the national anthem in Spanish or any other foreign language.

So, in conclusion, Mr. President, in this land of immigrants, let's sing it together as one American nation in our common language, English.

PHILLIPS: Tennessee Republican Senator Lamar Alexander on the floor making the point clear he wants the national anthem in English only. And, you know, the English language, it's a big piece of the immigration debate. Some states now have English-only laws. And there's a movement to make English the official language of the U.S.

Here's a "Fact Check." (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): Twenty-seven states now have some form of English-only legislation. A spearhead of the movement is the Washington-based group U.S. English Incorporated. Founded in 1983, the group says its the nation's oldest organization dedicated, in its words, to preserving the "unifying role of the English language in the United States."

Immigrant and California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a member of the U.S. English advisory board. Other celebrities on the board are actor Charlton Heston and golfer Arnold Palmer and former defense secretary James Schlesigner.

U.S. English isn't limiting its efforts just to the state level. It's mounted a campaign on Capitol Hill to pass a law making English the official language of the United States. U.S. English and a similar group called ProEnglish argue that English as official language laws will help immigrants learn English and thus succeed in this country. The American Civil Liberties Union and other critics say English-only laws do nothing more than discriminate against and punish those who have not learned English.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead on LIVE FROM, a guide to illegal immigration. It may explain why so many migrants take the illegal route.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Live pictures right now via our affiliate KABC. You can see the boycott and the marchers there on the streets of Los Angeles, all through downtown. Of course, we've been following these protests across the country.

And, you know, coming up, we're going to talk with Christine Chavez once again. She's running for the 45th district seat in the California State Assembly. You may recognize that name because her grandfather, the famous Cesar Chavez. And she's the first member of that family to run for office since her dad became so involved with the United Farm Workers Union and trying to create better rights for immigrants.

She's actually -- we're getting ready to e-mail her coming up in the next hour, but she actually sent us an e-mail saying that she's been monitoring the impact, the economic impact that this boycott is having. And she's saying all the way from Bakersfield to Salinas Valley, that no farm workers in vegetables and fruits are working.

This is coming from reports out of the field offices, according to Christine Chavez. So the agricultural industry, she said, has come to a complete halt.

You can also go on to the United Farm Workers Union Web site, and they're updating how this boycott is affecting the fruit and vegetable industry with regard to the farmers there. Right now, that coming back to us, that that has pretty much come to a halt from Bakersfield to Salinas Valley.

Now, if the instruction manuals for the latest digital cameras, TVs and computers seem a little Greek to you, well pay attention to this next story. Susan Lisovicz, live from the New York Stock Exchange, to tell us about a new Web site designed to help you through that technology maze.

Sort of taking a break from the economic side of these protests right now and talking a little technology.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: L.A. closed for business, so reads a home made sign in Los Angeles where hundreds of thousands are expected to rally for immigrants' rights. CNN's Jen Rogers is there. We're looking at live pictures via KABC. Pretty massive amounts of people right now in the downtown streets.

JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is right, Kyra. They have been making their way nine blocks from the starting point here to city hall where we are. We can see them streaming through the streets to get here. A huge crowd, a mass of people coming here waving flags, born in the USA signs, playing songs.

This is the first of two major protests expected for Los Angeles. This one happening in downtown Los Angeles where streets around City Hall have been shut down, buses have been rerouted, businesses in some cases taking a bit of a break here.

This protest is calling for the boycott on work, on school, and on buying anything. Then there is a second protest at 4:00 p.m., that one said to be allowing students after school to be able to go and other people that get off work to go to that. They're saying that one may even be bigger than this one.

If you're looking at the pictures from where we are right now, that looks like it could be quite a crowd later this afternoon. That's a little bit west of here. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jen Rogers there in Los Angeles, California. We've got to go to the nation's capital now. Washington's main demonstration is taking place at Malcolm X Park. Juan Carlos Lopez from CNN Espanol is there. Give us a feel?

JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, CNN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they have live music, people are trickling into this park. Businesses closed very early, and those that remained open were going to close around this time to allow people to come to this rally.

There also will be events in other cities around Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area has about six million people, about 17 percent of them immigrants and high attendance is expected. This will be the main event.

I wanted to show you something. This May 1st event is probably the largest we'll see, but they're getting ready for more. This is an invitation for May 19th calling for another demonstration, this in front of the White House with the same purpose: to pressure immigration reform. They're also handing out a petition by different groups, and that's something interesting about this whole protest, Kyra.

There's not one group representing the community. There's many different groups and opinions, people ho didn't agree with the boycott and agree with the protest. We'll see how it ends up in Washington today, but this is the mood, music and people waiting for the speeches to start.

PHILLIPS: Juan Carlos Lopez, thank you so much. We're getting tons of e-mails at the CNN center. This one coming from William in Silver Spring, Maryland. "I'm an assistant general manager for McDonald's located in Silver Spring, Maryland. Seventy percent of our crew is Hispanic, and most do not plan on attending work today. The effects is all hands on deck. All managers will work and work hard. I for one would love to see this day come and go as quickly as possible."

This one coming to us from Deborah in New Port Richey, Florida. "Other immigrants, my ancestors included, came to be a part of this great country, not to re-create it. If the protesters are successful at this, we will have only one country, very large Mexico, and all the problems these people are trying to supposedly escape."

This one coming from Bill. "President Bush says the illegal immigrants do jobs no one else will do, then make the people on welfare do these jobs and subsidize their income if it is not enough."

Finally Raymond from Alhambra, California, writes, "These illegal immigrants are simply trying to live out the same dreams and aspirations your forefathers wanted you to benefit from. Let us not forget." Keep the e-mails coming.

We want to hear from you. How is this day without immigrants affecting if you at all. The address is LIVEFROM@CNN.com. Our live coverage continues right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Once again, live pictures from KABC there in Los Angeles, California. We're monitoring all the demonstrations that are taking place from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles to New Orleans to Washington to Atlanta, all across the country.

Here in Los Angeles, demonstrators are gathering -- it's about -- they started at areas within a nine-block radius, and they have all worked their way towards city hall. There's another march that is actually scheduled for 4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, along the city's Wilshire Corridor, so starting in downtown Los Angeles and then making its way more towards the Santa Monica area. If you know that city, that's quite a long radius there with regard to how many people and how long that's going to go.

Well, CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider, she's keeping a close watch on your weather, of course, in Los Angeles and Chicago and all the other cities. We're seeing a little rain. I think it was in Chicago, right. Pretty beautiful in Los Angeles?

(WEATHER REPORT)

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, today we're one month away from the start of hurricane season. It officially begins June 1st, though we could see tropical activity even before that. Now, because we're getting so close to hurricane season beginning, here on CNN, we're offering certain factoids -- several of them, actually -- every day as we get closer to the start of hurricane season.

Today right now, we're going to be talking about inland flooding. Now, this is a major concern when hurricanes come on shore as the tropical moisture comes on right along with it. Back in 1994, Tropical Storm Alberto moved onshore with minimal damage, but then it stalled over north Georgia and that led to a great weather disaster for Georgia history. Twenty-eight people died and 30 inches of rain fell.

We also saw incredible storm surge with Hurricane Camille back in 1969, and that later brought flooding to 27 inches over the Blue Ridge Mountains. So flooding is often very dangerous because standing water can spread disease. And we've seen that happen as well with the water spreading waste, chemicals and debris. We saw that with Hurricane Katrina.

Now, you'll want to stay tuned to CNN throughout this hurricane season. We are your hurricane headquarters. If you'd like more information on these hurricane factoids, just go to your browser on the Internet, CNN.com/weather. CNN is your hurricane headquarters -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Bonnie Schneider, thanks so much.

Straight ahead, entertainment news with Brooke Anderson of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."

Brooke, what's on tap?

BROOKE ANDERSON, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Hi there, Kyra.

Well, Anna Nicole Smith gets a major boost from the country's highest court. I'm going to have details on that and much, much more when LIVE FROM returns. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Live pictures from San Francisco, California. These pictures coming to us from KGO. This protest just gathering up. We're also being told it's going to -- not only is it taking place in San Francisco but also just across the bridge over in Oakland, California, as well. Marches going on in both parts of the northern part of California there.

And here it's a day without immigrants. In Mexico they're calling it a day without gringos. Many Mexicans are boycotting American goods to support their country men just north of the border.

Our Harris Whitbeck is in Mexico City. Harris, tell us what's going on.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra. The boycott was organized by groups that support the immigrant rights movement in the United States, and the organizers have asked people not to go to any of the American businesses that operate here, businesses as iconic as McDonald's or Starbucks or Wal-Mart.

But they do say that they don't believe the economic impact of that boycott will be as strong. They say that what is important to them is the symbolism behind those actions. They want the people who are out on the streets in the cities in the United States to know that they do have support back home.

Today is May Day, the international day of workers, and it is the tradition to have many rallies take place in Mexico City. Today those rallies have taken on an added dimension. Many of the groups that are out on the street have slept in front of the American Embassy to sing the Mexican National Anthem, that as a way of expressing their solidarity with those who are in the streets back in the United States -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So as for the call to boycott American businesses in Mexico, what American companies could take a financial hit? Give us a feel for what types of American businesses are there and are popular.

WHITBECK: Well, again, the organizers feel that the economic impact of the boycott won't be that large. They say that people if they don't buy something today they will buy it tomorrow. For example, they're more interested in the symbolism behind the action.

Some of the most visible American companies in Mexico are Wal- Mart, PriceSmart, McDonald's, Starbucks, all of these, but they haven't really registered that much of a difference in their sales today.

Again, the biggest impact the organizers say is symbolic. In fact, one presidential candidate, Kyra, said yesterday that he would not buy any American goods today to show his support for the protesters in the United States.

PHILLIPS: Well, what if candidates and even acting members of the Mexican government told you about their positions on possible U.S. immigration reform?

WHITBECK: Well, the Mexican government has been very clear. It supports the idea of a guest worker program and has been working very hard to negotiate a guest worker program. In fact, when president Vicente Fox talked, he said that an immigration accord with the United States would... PHILLIPS: As you can see, we're having a little technical difficulty with the videophone there in Mexico city. That's our Harris Whitbeck there just giving us the other side of what's happening there in Mexico with regard to the boycotting of American goods to support their countrymen and women just north of the border.

Once we get that signal fixed, we'll talk to Harris a little later on possibly in the hour.

We are going to completely switch gears now and talk about Anna Nicole Smith getting another shot at a mega-fortune and some mega- famous musicians that get a bit jazzy in New Orleans.

Brooke Anderson with CNN's "Showbiz Tonight" has it all for us from New York.

ANDERSON: I do, Kyra. We are switching gears. And it seems like this one is just never going to end, right? We learned today that Anna Nicole Smith's decade-long battle for millions of dollars is long from over. The Supreme Court ruled this morning that the former Playmate could pursue part of her late husband's, Jay Howard Marshall II's oil fortune in federal court.

Smith had previously been denied that right by the ninth U.S. circuit court of appeals. Supreme Court justices say that ruling was wrong, and so now the case continues to move on. Smith was 26 back in 1994 when she married 89-year-old Marshall. He died the next year. Since then she's been fighting with Marshall's youngest son, E. Pierce Marshall, over an estate worth an estimated $1.6 billion.

OK. Reacting to the Supreme Court's decision, E. Pierce Marshall says, quote, "I will continue to fight for my father's will and trust."

Meanwhile, another battle for cash happened at this weekend's box office, but in the end it was a monstrous motor home that drove away with the most money. Robin Williams's new family comedy, "RV," took home the top price, rolling away with an estimated $16.4 million.

Universal's controversial drama about September 11th, "united 93," had a strong second place opening. It earned an estimated $11.6 million. It was followed closely by Disney's gymnastics comedy "Stick it," which landed the bronze with an estimate $11.3 million.

Here's the silver lining about this weekend's box office. Universal Pictures had pledged they would donate 10 percent of the first three days earnings from "United 93" to the Flight 93 National Memorial. That means that over a million dollars went to a very good cause.

OK. Another good cause is well underway down in New Orleans. The 2006 Jazz and Heritage Festival, otherwise known as Jazz Fest.

The boss, Bruce Springsteen, helped kick off the annual music festival. It's in a city that could certainly use a boost after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. And not one to shy away from politics, Springsteen launched into a song called "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" He dedicated the tune to president bystander. He included such lyrics as there's bodies floating on canal and the levees gone to hell.

Filled with both local musicians and superstar acts, next weekend's festival highlights include performances by Keith Urban, Jimmy Buffett, Paul Simon, Fats Domino and Lionel Richie. Pretty good, huh? Tickets are available online at nojazzfest.com.

Kyra, attendance looks pretty good. More than 100,000 advance tickets were sold for Jazz Fest.

PHILLIPS: I have been lucky enough to go a couple times. But that's one lineup.

ANDERSON: That is an incredible lineup, isn't it?

PHILLIPS: Yes.

ANDERSON: This year not only is it the rich tradition, but it also means hope. It also means a lot more. It also means a sense of normalcy for that city.

PHILLIPS: Yes, those musicians do a lot for that city and the culture.

ANDERSON: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: All right. What's on tap for "Showbiz Tonight?"

ANDERSON: OK. Tonight on "Showbiz Tonight," Kyra, we're looking at Hollywood protests from immigration to war to genocide. America's biggest stars are getting very serious and making a lot of noise. Why Hollywood is so hot under the collar tonight on "Showbiz Tonight," 7 and 11 p.m. Eastern, CNN Headline Prime.

PHILLIPS: All right Brooke thanks.

ANDERSON: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, a nation of immigrants faces a day without them. From coast to coast, immigrants legal and illegal are staging a boycott. Our live coverage around the country continues. The third hour of LIVE FROM straight ahead.

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