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CNN Sunday Morning
Family, Friends Remember Plane-Crash Victims; Obama to Sign Stimulus Bill Tuesday; Oklahomans Band Together After Deadly Tornadoes; Veterans Face Unique Challenges in Tough Job Market
Aired February 15, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody. From the CNN Center right here in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's February 15. Hopefully, you had a good Valentine's Day yesterday.
Good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And others of you, just happy to have it over with.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. Seven o'clock - no, it's 6:00 now.
NGUYEN: Yes, it is.
HOLMES: I can't keep our times straight around here. Yes, the 6:00 start is still getting to us a bit. But yes, 6:00 a.m. here on the East Coast. So that makes it 3:00 a.m...
NGUYEN: Out in California.
HOLMES: For some of you...
NGUYEN: And if you're watching, thank you.
HOLMES: And welcome home, some of you just getting in probably out there in California.
Well, something else we're going to continue to focus on this morning, of course the plane crash. The investigation continues. But as it continues, we're starting to learn more and more and put some faces and names with a lot of these victims.
And - and listen now to how one person describes their friend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me tell you something, what Clay (ph) said once. He said -- you know, he said he should be dead. He said he should have died in Vietnam. So everything since then has been gravy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, that's -- that's Clay he's talking about there, the guy playing the guitar. That's Clay Yarber. He died. He was actually on his way to visit his girlfriend for Valentine's Day. More stories of victims and more on the investigation coming your way this morning.
NGUYEN: Also this morning, the surprising political winners in the battle over this massive stimulus bill. They couldn't stop its passage, but the fight may have rallied the Republican Party.
HOLMES: Another story that will get your attention this morning: A guy about...
NGUYEN: Look at that.
HOLMES: ...the size of Betty won the slam-dunk competition last night. This is a David and Goliath story, and that's an...
NGUYEN: How does he jump that high?
HOLMES: ...interesting picture. But he...
NGUYEN: That's like me -- what? -- jumping over Reynolds?
HOLMES: Jumping over Reynolds, or...
NGUYEN: We're going to try that later this morning, aren't we?
HOLMES: I can't wait to see that.
But we will explain this slam-dunk competition. Of course, the NBA All-Star Game going on. This was part of the festivities. And yes...
NGUYEN: That's amazing.
HOLMES: The little guy won. So stay tuned for that.
Workers have so far removed 15 bodies from the crash site of Flight 3407. But according to officials there, it will likely take another three or four days to recover all of the bodies and also identification could take much longer than that.
NGUYEN: Investigators say the plane did not appear to nose-dive into that house, as first thought.
Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN CHEALANDER, NATL. TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: There's been a lot of reports of the airplane coming nose down into the house in the accident. Eyewitnesses' reports and so forth. And what we've found are all four corners of the airplane. We have found the -- the cockpit, the tail section, both wings and engines, and they're where they should be if an airplane was laying flat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All 49 people onboard the plane and one person on the ground were killed in Thursday night's crash.
Well friends, they're also remembering Madeline Loftus, a recent college grad. She boarded Flight 3407 to attend the hockey reunion. Her friends tell CNN's Ines Ferre in Buffalo how they're coping with losing a friend and a teammate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a game they love to play. But today, getting out on the ice was an act of courage.
JANELLE JUNIOR, FORMER TEAMMATE: It's a really hard time for teammates, for her friends, for her family.
EMMA WADSWORTH, FORMER TEAMMATE: She popped into my head every time I got back to the bench.
FERRE: Madeline Loftus, or "Maddy" (ph), as her friends called her, was on Flight 3407 on her way from her home in New Jersey to her college hockey alumni reunion. Her former roommates say they'll cherish the time they had with her.
JESSICA AYKROYD, FORMER ROOMMATE: I spoke with her before she left for the airport. And the last thing I have is, 'I can't wait to see you.'
FERRE: A recent college grad, this would have been the first time on the ice with her former teammates from Buffalo State College since her playing days.
LINDSAY WELCH, FORMER TEAMMATE: This is what she loved doing. Her friends and hockey are what she was all about.
FERRE: So passionate about hockey, she was the first female to play on the boy's team in high school. In college, when she wasn't playing, she still didn't leave the arena, working as a student assistant for the ice rink.
JIM FOWLER, RINK MANAGER: She was a great student. She was a great hockey player, and just a great person. Everybody loved being around her.
FERRE: Her teammates say they played today because Maddy would have wanted them to. They hope she'll be remembered as a beautiful, talented woman with an unforgettable smile.
WADSWORTH: An awesome teammate, a beautiful person, always smiling and always upbeat and, you know, ready to cheer you up if you were having a bad day. And she was just amazing.
FERRE: Huddled together in prayer after the game, her teammates lit 10 candles -- "10" was Maddy's hockey number. This game was special, but filled with sadness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That Maddy wasn't here. FERRE (on camera): With the reunion now over, her teammates will go their separate ways, left to wonder what Maddy's future could have been, and why she was taken so young.
Ines Ferre, CNN, Buffalo, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And Ines will be joining us live from the crash site in Clarence Center, New York, at 7:00 a.m. Eastern with all the latest developments.
HOLMES: The government account is about to be overdrawn by about $787 billion. All we're waiting for now is for President Obama to sign the check. He is going to sign that check -- his name to that bill -- on Tuesday.
Still, the plan is not necessarily popular with everybody out there. Maybe Republicans -- try those. All but three of them voted against the bill. Right after Friday's vote, the House Republican leadership came out and blasted the measure for "wasteful spending."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OHIO), MINORITY LEADER: I've just got to say, the president made clear when we started this process, that this was about jobs -- jobs, jobs, jobs. And what's it turned into is nothing more than spending, spending and more spending.
American families, small businesses deserve better from their Congress. I said on the opening day we wouldn't be the party of "no," and we haven't been. We offered an alternative that would have created twice as many jobs as their bill at half the price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The president says the stimulus plan is a major milestone, but he still cautions that that $787 billion will not be enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Once the plan is put into action, a new Web site, recovery.gov, will allow any American to watch where the money goes and weigh in with comments and questions. And I encourage every American to do so. Ultimately, this is your money, and you deserve to know where it's going and how it's spent.
This historic step won't be the end of what we do to turn our economy around, but rather the beginning. The problems that led us into this crisis are deep and widespread. And our response must be equal to the task.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And our Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president in Chicago this weekend. Earlier, she told CNN's Don Lemon that the president wants to take a different approach as he signs this bill into law.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: We know that the president is going to sign this legislation on Tuesday out of Denver.
Now this is really a departure from what you usually see out of Washington. The president usually in a very kind of formal setting at the White House with members of Congress. But aides say, 'Look, this is an opportunity for him to show that he gets it, he wants to be out with the American people.'
And they can use this city as a demonstration of -- like, an example of how they're going to create jobs. It's aerospace, energy -- these are the types of things. They've diversified their economy -- the types of things that they want to talk about. And it really will be able to link this economic-stimulus package with real people.
At least, Don, that is the hope of the White House.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, and they want to get out of Washington and all of that tugging of that -- that tug of war between Democrats and Republicans, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Absolutely. I mean, they -- they really are trying to portray this as not a food fight between Democrats and Republicans. They're trying to downplay the fact that they didn't get very much support from Republicans, and simply put him out in environments where he is relating to folks, ordinary folks. And -- and making the sell.
And -- and they said even last week, there was a real turnaround, that it was very difficult, the Republicans simply controlling the message. They really got control back of that message when they felt that he was out there.
And we have learned, Don, that once a week he's going to be on the road. He's going to be out there selling whatever it is. But the economic-stimulus package, obviously, the most important thing in convincing American people, 'Believe in the economy, have faith that things are going to get better, that they will create those jobs.'
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, it's the president's and Democrats' bill. So they got it through; that means they're winners. Well, not necessarily. We'll explain who the real winners and losers are in this bill. I'll be talking with our political producer live from Washington coming up in just a bit.
NGUYEN: All right.
Well in the meantime, though, a follow-up on the saga involving former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. It turns out Roland Burris, the man Blagojevich appointed to Barack Obama's Senate seat, was solicited to contribute money to the governor's campaign. That's a fact that Burris did not reveal when he testified before a state impeachment committee.
Burris now says he was contacted three times about donating or raising cash for the governor. But he says he refused the requests because of the appearance of a conflict of interest.
As you know, Blagojevich was later impeached and removed from office in part over claims that he tried to sell the Senate seat to the highest bidder.
All right. So we want to take a look at some stories that did develop overnight for you.
First up, four people, they are dead this morning and another person was taken to the hospital after a man went on a shooting spree yesterday in Upstate New York, Police arrested Frank Garcia, a former hospital worker.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF PHILIP POVERO, ONTARIO COUNTY, NEW YORK: This certainly, you know, speaks to a -- a -- a tragedy that is enormous. And not only the take of -- of the lives that were taken, but in the people that were left behind, of -- a person in Brockport and two teenage children that were present while, you know, their mother was -- was systemically murdered.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Garcia is charged with first-degree murder, and police say he knew all four victims. Two of them were killed execution style in their home. Their two teenage children were there at the time, but neither was injured.
HOLMES: An improvised explosive blows up inside a federal prison in California. It's in Victorville; you see it located on the map there.
Authorities say the device went out when a staffer found it during a routine search on Saturday. Nobody hurt. The bomb squad later cleared that scene. The FBI says the incident is not terror-related.
NGUYEN: Well, polls, they opened 30 minutes ago in Venezuela. Voters in that OPEC nation are deciding whether to get rid of term limits. That would allow socialist president Hugo Chavez to run for re-election again. Chavez is a vocal critic, as you well know, of the U.S.
Well, you know, it's never easy recovering from a natural disaster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAROLD NEWMAN, VOLUNTEER: A lot of cut-up people and bruised people, but we're going to recover. We're going to be fine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: It'll take a whole lot of help to do that recovering. And one neighborhood is setting a pretty good example.
HOLMES: Of course, we know a lot of job losses out there in this economy. But for our American -- some of America's bravest young men and women coming home, it's even harder for them to find work.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, Oklahoma's governor is asking President Obama to approve individual federal assistance for people in three counties damaged by tornadoes. Eight people were killed when tornadoes just ripped across southern Oklahoma on Tuesday. The town of Lone Grove was the hardest hit. Three people were killed there.
Now survivors, they are faced with the daunting task of starting over.
Jacqueline Sit of affiliate KWTV reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They built the house to live in forever, you know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it's gone now.
JACQUELINE SIT, KWTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These were once the walls of a retirement home, a dream of a lifetime a Lone Grove family worked their entire lives for. But today, a story of survival remains.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) was in this closet.
SIT: And those who say they're blessed to be alive are stacking up the pieces to help their fellow neighbors.
NEWMAN: Well, we're a tight community here in Lone Grove. And that's what -- when there's trouble, that's what people do. We band together. And I'm really proud of Lone Grove.
SIT: Harold Newman and his family are just a few of dozens of volunteers who came from across the state.
NEWMAN: It's a really good feeling to -- that people care and want to come up and help, you know? A lot of people want to help.
SIT: Opening their hearts to those who lost everything, especially to this family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Put on our -- our shoes and picked up our purses and went to her cellar and...
SIT: On a day dedicated to a special sentiment, this couple bears that name -- Love -- and that's what keeps Donna and Otis Love strong amidst their loss.
DONNA LOVE, TORNADO VICTIM: Lots of people have come and gave hugs. That's means more to me than anything in the world, when someone comes and hugs and says, 'We're keeping you in your prayers.' That's what we need, and that's what I need, more than anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh gosh.
SIT: Days later, Lone Grove residents say they're living day to day, and slowly but surely, adjusting to life after the storm.
LOVE: I just try just to put on my face and say, 'OK, it's a good day. And let's go out and dig some more.' So that's what we've been doing.
NEWMAN: There's a lot of cut-up people and bruised people, but we're going to recover. We're going to be fine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, Oklahoma's Emergency Management Department says more than 300 homes and businesses were damaged by those tornadoes.
And thankfully today, Reynolds -- I know you've been watching it -- things aren't going to be so bad here in the Southeast.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely.
You know, one of the big issues though is that we may be dealing with some scattered showers in places like Georgia and Florida. Florida very important, and one of the reasons why we have to mention Florida is because, today we kick off the NASCAR season.
NGUYEN: Right.
WOLF: You got the Daytona 500. I know in...
NGUYEN: Uh oh. Is it going to rain on it?
WOLF: ...in parts -- Unfortunately, looks like that's going to be a pretty good possibility.
Take a look at the shot that we have for you in central Florida. This is WFTV, not far from the track. I'll tell you, Betty, it looks like it's going to be at least a 50-50 proposition in terms of that precipitation today for much of central Florida. That includes the racetrack at Daytona. So we're going to have to keep your sharp eye on that forum.
We go back and look at the weather computer -- what you're going to see on the computer is you're going to some blue and some green popping up in parts of the Southeast. Those are your scattered showers.
A little bit father to the north, up near Memphis and back near spots just to -- to the -- to the north of Little Rock, we're seeing a few scattered snow showers and a little bit of sleet mixed in. But the rain we've seen along the I-10 corridor over the last couple days is going to continue today. And of course, that also will be an issue for you in Daytona.
Meanwhile, one of the big stories we've been dealing with, not necessarily the rain in the Southeast or even some scattered rain showers in south Texas, but check out what's been happening out in California. We still have the same deal that we had yesterday: high pressure forming over the Rockies, that approaching storm system from the Pacific. Combination of both bringing some heavy, heavy surf. That's going to be a given from San Francisco southward to places like Monterey, the heavy surf is going to be an issue.
The snowfall in places like Mount Shasta, upwards of a foot in many spots. And then, when you get up into the High Sierra, anywhere from two to three feet of snowfall. Also from San Francisco southward to Monterey, even into Carmel, there is the potential of some flash -- flash flooding.
So along the coast, you've got the surf, you have the heavy rainfall. In the mountains, you've got some snowfall.
And the snow has not just been affecting people; it's been affecting some animals, too. Check out this live -- rather, this I- Report. Yes, that's what we call them. And this is a great shot that we have of Yosemite National Park and the Sierra snow. This was sent in from Michael Suddes.
And you'll notice something -- not just the snow, not just the few trees, but a cat. Yes, a cat. We're going to see the cat anytime. The cat is trying to make its way from underneath, I guess, a car or a truck, trying to get inside. Not digging it at all.
You know, if a cat could, you know, say something to us, maybe in its meow-meow language, and if it could maybe translate it, it wouldn't be suitable for broadcast purposes, I don't think.
NGUYEN: No. No. We'd have to do a few bleeps on that.
But, you know, the good thing is, that cat, you know, had been well-fed...
WOLF: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...so it's got a little extra on it. So maybe it didn't freeze too much in there.
WOLF: Well, I've been relatively well-fed, too, Betty. Does that mean that I should be, you know -- you know, underneath a car out in the Sierra snow?
NGUYEN: All I'm saying is, the cat's a little better equipped in that snow.
WOLF: We should hope so.
NGUYEN: Yes, with the extra cushion.
Look at that thing. That is a well-fed cat.
HOLMES That's a big cat.
WOLF: On the prowl, ready to attack, right there folks.
NGUYEN: All right.
WOLF: Hey, if you got an I-Report, be sure to send it into us. Cat or man, either way, send it in and we'll be happy to share it with the rest of the world.
OK, guys.
HOLMES: All right, Renny. We appreciate you.
And Reynolds, you might have caught the slam-dunk competition last night. Let's show some of this -- some of the highlights here.
But certainly one of the highlights -- this isn't one you're going to -- the -- the one that got everybody's attention. But that will get your attention.
NGUYEN: Wow. OK, that's a good one.
HOLMES: Yes. That's Dwight Howard. He won it last year. Superman, as he's called.
But he didn't win it this year. He lost out to a little guy.
NGUYEN: A little guy took out Superman?
HOLMES: Here it is.
NGUYEN: Look at -- at that (INAUDIBLE). We're -- we're going to save it for you.
HOLMES: Just a tease.
NGUYEN: There's much more to come.
HOLMES: Just a tease.
NGUYEN: And here's a question, women, that many have asked for the ages -- here it is: Why do men cheat? Right?
Want to know the answer? Well, we found a guy who says he knows.
HOLMES: He does know. He knows a lot. Steve Harvey we spent some time. He has some answers to a lot of questions...
NGUYEN: To a lot of things. Yes.
HOLMES: ... that women have. And particularly that question as well.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Why do men cheat?
STEVE HARVEY, ENTERTAINER: Well, that's a million-dollar question. No matter how I answer it, it's going to be a ten-dollar answer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: But he will have that answer for you.
NGUYEN: But, you know, he -- he -- he's got a lot more answers, in fact. And -- and some of them are really thought-provoking when you think about relationships. And he really breaks it down in the most simplest terms.
So you want to stay tuned for that, because we're going to be showing that interview, much more of it, next weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. Here's one of the hardest things to do these days: Trying to find a job when you don't have one.
HOLMES: Mm-hmm. Difficult for just about anybody right now.
NGUYEN: Absolutely.
HOLMES: But as our Barbara Starr reports from the Pentagon, when you're a military vet, the challenges can be even more overwhelming.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tom Tarantino led patrols through the most dangerous neighborhoods of Baghdad.
Stephen Taylor flew Navy reconnaissance planes over Iraq.
Both, now civilians, walking the halls of Capitol Hill, to make sure Congress understands that veterans are struggling in the economic downturn. Tyler (ph) is unemployed; Tarantino, after 10 months, found a job with a veterans-advocacy group.
TOM TARANTINO, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA: I might have been about a month away from not being able to pay any of my bills.
STARR: Both men say the military isn't doing enough to get troops ready for tough times in the civilian job market.
Taylor is a Naval Academy graduate; his final tour of duty was the White House Operations Center.
STEPHEN TAYLOR, IRAQ VETERAN: I might not be actually taking the job that I actually think that I am qualified to take because of the economy.
STARR: One estimate says unemployment among vets is more than eight percent.
TAYLOR: I think that you're going to find a lot of corporations are a bit more reticent to hire because they're afraid of things like post-traumatic stress.
STARR: And on the street, veterans are falling between the cracks.
PAUL RIECKHOFF, IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA: There are 2,000 homeless Iraq and Afghanistan veterans on the streets right now.
STARR: To keep that from happening, these vets want more funding for programs to help veterans make the transition from the frontline to the assembly line or even the boardroom.
TARANTINO: Well, I got lucky. I can only imagine for the people that are really facing it, facing the end of the rope and figuring out what their options are.
STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right. What do our reporters I-reporters out there think about the economy-recovery plan? They are sending some of their answers to our Josh Levs.
He's here now. Good morning, Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning to you guys.
They're having a debate, a big debate, about, A, whether this plan will help, and also about whether our new president is on the right track. And we will have your chance to weigh in -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Plus, we continue to remember the victims of Flight 3407.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, a musician and Vietnam veteran had admitted to cheating death several times already.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hey there, again. Welcome back, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
Coming up this hour, some surprising winners in the battle over the stimulus bill.
HOLMES: Stimulus (INAUDIBLE)
NGUYEN: Republicans -- yes, kind of hard to get out this morning.
Republicans, they in fact lost in their push to stop the massive measure. And political analyst Mark Preston joins us to tell us why members of the Grand Old Party may actually be smiling this morning.
HOLMES: Also, how in the world does a guy who's 5 foot 9 inches tall beat out a guy who is 6 foot 11 inches tall for the slam-dunk title?
NGUYEN: Wow.
HOLMES: It happened. It happened last night. We will show you the Kryptonate, as he called himself last night. That's him. He's coming up.
NGUYEN: Kryptonate. All right.
In the meantime though, we want to update you on this: The remains of 15 passengers aboard that commuter plane that crashed near Buffalo, New York, have been removed from the wreckage. Investigators believe ice buildup may have led to the crash Thursday night that killed 50 people.
HOLMES: Also, union talks hit a bit of a snag with Chrysler, and talks stopped altogether with General Motors. Both companies need union concessions to keep billions in government loans. On Tuesday, they have to show how they'll pay back the money to the government. Talks are smoother at Ford, however, which is right now in better financial shape than other two big -- of the Big Three.
NGUYEN: President Obama will sign the $787-billion stimulus bill on Tuesday. Not at the White House, but instead he's going to do the honors in Denver, where he is holding an economic event. Administration officials say the president wants to sign a bill in a place that will see definite benefits from the plan.
HOLMES: The investigation continues. And right now investigators say it's too early to determine exactly what the cause was of Thursday's crash of that commuter airplane near Buffalo.
NGUYEN: Still, though, investigators suspect ice on the plane's wings may have led to that crash. CNN's Andy Roses has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDY ROSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As the public mourns the victims of flight 3407, officials are on the task of figuring out a cause.
DAVE BISSONETTE, EMERGENCY COORDINATOR: The NTSB are now going through their investigator process. The MEs are all working through the rubble to identify the various parts and pieces.
ROSE: Investigators are starting to learn what was happening in the cockpit of the Continental Connection flight operated by Colgan Air. The plane went down six miles from the Buffalo Airport on Thursday night.
The National Transportation Safety Board believes the plane attempted to pull out its landing shortly before the crash. The flight voice and data recorders apparently indicate heavy ice build up on the plane and the plane underwent severe pitching and rolling motions after the landing gear was lowered and the landing flaps were set for approach.
An NTSB spokesman gives an sense of how ice can factor into a plane's flight.
STEVE CHEALANDER, NAT'L. TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: Airplanes are built with wings that are shaped a certain way, if you have too much ice, the shape of the wind can change.
ROSE: The NTSB does stress that although ice is certainly being looked at, it's too early to determine a cause. I'm Andy Rose reporting from Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: One of our IReporters sent us a lesson in aerodynamics. His name is Blain Dapper, of Oklahoma City. He says he's been flying for 21 years and he attempts to explain what might have gone wrong with the flight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLANE DAPPER, IREPORTER: When a pilot extends the flaps on an airplane, the airplane tends to pitch down a little bit. Which means the pilot needs to pitch up a little bit and this causes the tail of the plane to move up, like this. When a stall occurs if there is icing on the leading edge of the wing, he may make an abrupt pitch up and stall this tail plane. Which means that all the lift goes away and the plane pitches down dramatically.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You can send us your IReports at IReport.com.
NGUYEN: President Obama will sign the $787-billion stimulus package on Tuesday, and not in Washington, but as we mentioned, in Denver. Administration officials say the president wants to sign the bill in a place that will really feel the effects from it. And Congress pushed the bill through on Friday. Very little Republicans supported it, very few, only three, in fact.
HOLMES: Well, just about everybody is trying to lining up, trying to get some of this -some of these billions. Among those in that line are the nation's mayors; all of them eager to get some of that stimulus money into their communities. I spoke with three mayors about the plan this weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (On camera): Is the cavalry on the way? Tell me how you felt, now, are you excited and feel real good that this money is coming to you?
MAYOR RITA MULLINS, PALATINE, ILLINOIS: Yes, I do. I want to thank the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the leadership of Manny Diaz. There were several of us that went to The Hill. We went and met with the administration and said that we needed this money in our cities to put our people back to work. I think it's happened.
HOLMES: That sounds great, but Mayor Newbury, as you know, there are challenges ahead. Tell me, what are the steps necessary? How much bureaucratic tape do you still have to make it through before you see a dime?
MAYOR JIM NEWBURY, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY: We'll be working closely with the various federal agencies that are involved. And then here locally, I created a mayoral commission, that will help me set the priorities for Lexington, help monitor how the money is being spent and help keep the public informed about how their money is being spent and how jobs are being created, which is what the stimulus package is all about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: OK, something we've been able to do over the past couple of weekends, speaking to mayors, three mayors there. Having that conversation, everybody is lining up. They don't know how they are supposed to get the money.
NGUYEN: And they have list, though, that are so long. What's so interesting are the items on those lists. Do they really think they are going to get the money for those projects?
HOLMES: They don't. But it is kind of a thing with some mayors just throw everything in there as a request and see what sticks.
NGUYEN: Yeah, kind of like fishing.
HOLMES: Yeah, just see what happens. Just through the net out there you are going to come up with something. So, we'll continue to follow. Maybe have some more mayors on over the next couple of weekends. And a lot of people have opinions about this stimulus plan including you. Do you think it will help you out? We've been asking.
NGUYEN: Well, CNN's IReporters, yeah, they are weighing in on that and on President Obama's handling of the economic crisis so far. Our Josh Levs, he joins us now.
Because you have been looking at those IReports, and so what is the verdict?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know what is interesting? A lot of the time when we ask question on IReport you see a really tilted answer, a lot of people weighing in on one side. From what I've seen so far, really, 50/50.
I'm going to start off showing you this one. Check this out from Doug Monty. Now, the headline he put over what he sent us, is "Barack Turns His Back on the Middle Class" And Doug offers his own idea about a stimulus plan that he says might really help.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG MONTY, IREPORTER: Let's dip into our 401(k) in 2009 and don't tax us. Don't charge fees. Let us take out $10,000, $20,000, $30,000 of our 401(k)s tax and penalty free. And let's stimulate the economy that way. I think that will do a lot more than the $500, which I'm going to be getting. $500? What am I going to do with $500? Pay the my late fees on everything else I have?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Actually, it's now down to $400. But I'll tell you we are also hearing positive things. Rick Seno, he's over here. He has headlined his, "Brilliant Barack". And he says he is really glad that at least something is being done at all. In fact, after he heard President Obama speak about the stimulus plan, that's when he sent us this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SENO, IREPORTER: Barack Obama reassured me tonight, and gave me the faith that he is going to do the right thing, everything in his power to help us, those of us in the middle class to get back on our feet and be able to hang on to our jobs and our mortgages.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: I will show you quickly how you can weigh in. We'll be sharing more of them this morning. Just go to IReport.com. You'll see it is one of the main assignments. Right there it says your thoughts on the stimulus plan.
And guys, you can see, right here, we have just been getting so many. They keep on coming in. And we will be back later this morning with some of the latest ones we received right here, IReport.com.
NGUYEN: All right. Looking forward to it. Thank you.
HOLMES: All right. On that stimulus package, Democrats and the president wanted it, and it got through, and so they won, and the Republicans lost, right?
NGUYEN: So you would think.
HOLMES: Not necessarily. Some -the real winners and losers. We will be discussing that with a buddy of our show, here, Marc Preston. He's coming up.
NGUYEN: Also, so-called mom & pop businesses are the ones getting hurt by the economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People just are not coming in the store. And the ones that do come in, they look around. But it's just easy not to buy furniture right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Some say California's proposed budget will hurt more and not help.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR, LARRY KING LIVE: Must have been a calamitous noise?
ANTHONY TATRO, WITNESSED THE CRASH: Yeah, the engines, because of being so close, the engines were very loud. And they did not sound like, you know, like normal engines would sound. I have not flown a whole bunch, but I have flown enough to know what an engine should sound like when it is at a, you know, a steady buzz, if you will, or a hum. And these were certainly were not making that sound.
The plane was tilted downward. The nose of the plane was down. As it went by me, I could see the belly of the plane, and the left wing was lower than the right. It was clearly on a trajectory that it was going to hit the ground. And that's the thought that went through my head. This plane is going to hit the ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: That is some reaction from a eyewitness who watched as Flight 3407 crashed into a home near Buffalo, New York.
Well, Vietnam vet Clay Yarber was among those who were killed onboard Flight 3407. He was on his way to see his girlfriend for Valentine's Day. Reporter Kathryn Simmons from Bay News 9, in Tampa, Florida, tells he will be remembered for telling stories through his guitar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHRYN SIMMONS, REPORTER, BAY NEWS 9, TAMPA (voice over): This is an old VHS copy of Clay Yarber, he's the guitarist in the blue shirt. That was back in the '80s at a Coachman Park concert in Clearwater. Back then he played for Power Play. Later he played gigs at the Ringside Cafe in St. Petersburg with a band called Taxi. His friend, a musician himself, Ron Reinhardt, says music was Yarber's passion in life.
RON REINHARDT, FRIEND: Clay was an excellent musician. He had a good reputation in the area.
SIMMONS: Some say he focused on music because of his traumatic experience in Vietnam.
REINHARDT: Clay was the most macho guy in the world. He was a decorated Vietnam war Grunt. I mean, he saw it all. Clay saw it all. And, I mean, there is nothing worse that anyone has seen that Clay had not seen. He was wounded a couple times, and I think his helicopters crashed a couple times.
SIMMONS: Since then Yarber did not care for flying, but he did it any way on Thursday. His life ended when the commuter plane fell out of the sky in Buffalo.
REINHARDT: Let me tell you something that Clay said. He said, you know, he should be dead. He said he should have died in Vietnam. So everything since then has been gravy.
SIMMONS: Reinhardt says Yarber didn't fret about the small stuff after cheating live several times. A free spirit who lived through his music. Now his music will live on without him. In Clearwater, I am Kathryn Simmons, Bay News 9.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right. The stimulus battle, that was supposed to be a new era of bipartisanship. This was supposed to be the one that the Democrats and the Republicans came together for the good of the country. Well, not so much. Only three Republicans in the House and the Senate supported the bill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) MINORITY LEADER: What happened to the promise that were going to let the American people see what is in this bill for 48 hours? But nope, we don't have time to do that.
We owe it to the American people to get this bill right. We owe it to American families. We owe it to small businesses, and we owe it to ourselves to get this right, so that we can in fact help our economy. I don't believe this is the way to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, CNN Political Editor Marc Preston joins us now from Washington.
You read this whole thing, Marc?
MARC PRESTON, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes, well, I'll tell you what, you know something, T.J., just following this whole stimulus fight, you really try to figure out who were the winners and loser in this whole battle. I will tell you what we just saw from John Boehner, right there, on the House floor right as the House was voting on it, just showed you that the Republican Party really did get a rallying cry. They finally were able to rally around something, T.J.
HOLMES: But how does that translate out into the eyes of the American public, who -- many -- I guess, maybe some support for this thing began to wane as time and time went by. But still, a lot of people think we need the stimulus package. A lot of people support it and have a goodwill toward president, and what if Republicans are viewed as just being obstructionist?
PRESTON: Sure. I think what Republicans were saying is that we don't need a stimulus package, but they wanted to have a seat at the table. They wanted to have some say in how it was constructed. They saw a lot of wasteful spending in that bill. And really what the stimulus fight really gave them, was empowerment, T.J. Because after the November elections, they were knocked off their stride. They did not know how to deal with Barack Obama. He seemed unstoppable. However, the Democrats, Barack Obama seemed to give them this issue on the idea of fiscal discipline, allowed them to really rally around one issue. And I think that is going to be very helpful to the Republican Party as they try deal with Barack Obama, moving forward.
HOLMES: And you talk there about how the president seemed to have all this momentum and seemed unstoppable. Well, he did get this win. No matter what, a win is a win, no matter how ugly the win was. It still goes down as a W. But is there any loss on his side, in that, you know, he was talking about his new era of bipartisanship. And certainly, stories coming out about how Republicans were locked out of the process, and certainly didn't get any votes in House for it, only got three in the Senate. So does he come out a little tainted at all?
PRESTON: Look, he is a winner. He certainly won. As you are right, no matter what happens at the end of the day, he is a winner in this fight. He does come out bruised. I think the American people are looking inward and a lot of blame will be placed on Republicans, saying that Republicans did not work in a bipartisan manner.
But, the fact is, a lot of people might say, as well, that Democrats, Barack Obama, did not work in a bipartisan manner as well. He will come out a little bit dinged. And there are losers, T.J. in this whole fight. The fight over bipartisanship, the fact that people thought this new era had come to Washington, D.C. That people were going to work together and get things done. There was not going to be any bipartisan bickering. Well, guess what, this is Washington, D.C. This is where politics fought over, day in and day out. And you know something, at the end of the day, T.J., it's probably not a bad thing. You don't want to have everyone agreeing in Washington, D.C., and you need dissenting voices. And I think that is what we saw from the Republican Party.
HOLMES: Yeah, but man, that is a -- that is one dissenting voice. It's one thing if you have a little more support in the House, a little more support in the Senate, but there was none in the House. So, this era of bipartisanship, we shall see.
Marc Preston, you are going to be coming back. Talking to us again, next hour, is that right.
PRESTON: I am, T.J.
HOLMES: All right. We will see you then, Buddy. Thanks so much.
PRESTON: Thanks.
HOLMES: We are going to have a lot more on that stimulus bill later this morning on "State of the Union", with that guy, John King. He conducts an exclusive interview with the former Republican presidential nominee, Senator John McCain. Also, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs will be along. NBA greats, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, and others will rate President Obama's game, if you will. Of course, it's the All-Star weekend, so throw a few former All-Stars in there. "State of the Union" this morning at 9:00 Eastern, only right here on CNN.
NGUYEN: In the meantime, though, are you struggling in the romance department? I don't have to ask you. But I asked comedian and radio personality Steve Harvey, what are men and women doing wrong? Take a listen. ' (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE HARVEY, COMEDIAN, ACTOR: A man's love is shown three ways, I call it the three Ps.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: What are they? The three Ps? Any idea? We will give you some solid advice on how to make a relationship work.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hello, everybody. T.J.? He's there somewhere.
HOLMES: I'm in the team, too, here. NGUYEN: The 58th NBA All-Star game is tonight, in Phoenix. But last night was the big slam dunk contest.
HOLMES: Yes, always a highlight.
NGUYEN: I was not in it, but we're going to do a little demonstration of what turned out to be a David versus Goliath thing. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my goodness.
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seriously, if he can jump over Superman, he should win it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's the best.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Amazing.
HOLMES: OK, let's explain to you, what you just saw. That guy, there, is Nate Robinson. He is 5'9" tall. The guy he jumped over won it last year. His name is Dwight Howard. He is 6'11" tall. He plays for the Magic.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: He's a seven footer!
HOLMES: He is a seven-foot guy. He won it last year with the whole cape on, the whole Superman thing.
NGUYEN: He still has the cape on. This time, unfortunately, he didn't win.
HOLMES: But Nate is wearing that green, because that is supposed to be Kryptonite. Krypto-Nate, was his name, last night.
NGUYEN: Oh, I get it. Even the ball was green.
So, essentially, we're standing here with this basketball to show you how this would work in real life.
So, Nate is essentially like me, right? Going in and dunking -
WOLF: And jumping over me.
NGUYEN: Over Reynolds. Not going to happen.
WOLF: How tall are you? You can tell everyone. How tall are you?
HOLMES: Don't tell everybody.
NGUYEN: Well, yeah. How tall are you?
WOLF: I'm 5'3" tall. But make up, make up conceals everything.
NGUYEN: And it is the heels.
(CROSS TALK)
WOLF: Absolutely.
NGUYEN: But seriously. How do you get that kind of height? You are a basketball player, T.J.?
WOLF: That's right you are a former college ball player.
HOLMES: The guy, Nate is just an athlete. I has a lot to do with your upper body strength. People don't realize. But if you have good calves, that helps as well. But if you have a good upper body. You have good muscles and he is just -- he is regarded as one of the best athletes in the NBA.
NGUYEN: Look at that.
HOLMES: Nate Robinson, he is 5'9". But don't think this is out of the blue. He actually won this thing in 2006, too. So, the guy has got game. Just harkens back to, what, you remember Spud Webb, back in the day?
WOLF: Absolutely.
HOLMES: How tall was he?
WOLF: I think he was 3' tall.
HOLMES: Yeah?
WOLF: He was 5'1" or 5'2".
HOLMES: But he was a stud as well. He won the dunk contest.
NGUYEN: So, apparently, you don't have to have height to be able to dunk?
HOLMES: You just keep working, Betty.
NGUYEN: I can do it, right?
WOLF: Dare to dream, that's what I'm talking about.
(CROSS TALK)
WOLF: We need to go to commercial, don't we?
NGUYEN: Yes. Take it on out.
WOLF: America needs to see what's going to happen next.
HOLMES: We'll go from that to the stimulus package. We will talk about that.
WOLF: We're going to bring on the (INAUDIBLE)
HOLMES: We know, of course, the stimulus package passed. We'll see what's next for the president, of course, his signature. Also, what is next for Congress. And a look at what other issues are on the table beyond this.
NGUYEN: Plus, there is also some new information on the last moments of Flight 3407. Investigators are now saying the plane did not take a nosedive. We are going to have a live report from Clarence Center to clear this all up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Take a look there. President Obama and First Lady Michelle, seen there celebrating Valentine's Day. Listen to the crowd there. Boy, they had a warm reception there in Chicago. In fact, a romantic dinner, at an upscale Chicago restaurant. They dined at Table 52, a restaurant that is owned by Oprah's former chef. And the press gave the love birds a little bit of privacy, until the dinner was over. Obviously, you can see cameras are flashing there.
They actually let them dine quietly for about 45 minutes. It's the first time the Obamas have been home since they moved into the White House.
HOLMES: That was a month ago. Home already? I have not been home in years.
NGUYEN: It was Valentine's Day, it's President's weekend. Doesn't he deserve, you know, after the stimulus bill, he probably needs a few days of rest.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: That was exhausting.
NGUYEN: Yes. Well, you know, this week T.J. and I sat down with actor and comedian, Steve Harvey, who has a new book out. Get this, ladies, it is called, "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man."
Well, Harvey told women should ask men more questions.
HOLMES: Yeah, we love that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN (On camera): Steve, in your book you talk about there are five things that women need to know about men. What are those things?
STEVE HARVENY: Well, it's five questions a woman should ask a man when they meet, because a lot of women have been sold a bad bill of goods. We have created this thing that if you ask us too many questions, if you are too inquisitive, that you are encroaching on the privacy. And that we won't have anything to do with you. Well, that's not the truth. You have a right to know what you are getting into.
HOLMES: A lot of people follow you. And the fellows might say why are you not talking to us? Why are you giving us some relationship advice?
HARVENY: Well, that would be great, but they don't buy books. Let's just tell the truth. So, I really don't care what you think.
HOLMES: A lot of this in the book could be applied to all men and women, but speaking particularly to black men and women, here. Is there a new standard and a new example for all black men and women, and couples, to follow given what you see in the White House now?
HARVEY: The book is written for everybody, but there is a new mandate here. Obama is the president. We have to do better than this. That's the tone that is out there in the country for a lot of people. There have been other beautiful families in the White House. Nobody is knocking that. I think George Bush, I liked the guy, personally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: We learned a lot from Steve Harvey.
HOLMES: Well, I didn't.
NGUYEN: Oh, because you know it all right? You already think like a man?
HOLMES: No, no, no. I already think like a man.
NGUYEN: I would hope so.
HOLMES: But we were sitting there. And you remember, he was like, I don't need to talk to T.J., he needs to be talking to you, during that interview.
NGUYEN: He meant women, not just me. Although, I took some notes, ladies.
HOLMES: Yes?
NGUYEN: And he said something that I thought was really interesting. He talked about the three Ps.
HOLMES: That's how men -- men don't love like women. We profess, we protect, and we provide. Those are the three things. That is it. We are that simple, folks. Don't try to figure us out. It's that easy.
NGUYEN: Well, what we are trying to figure out why men cheat? And Steve Harvey had that answer for that, as well. And can you see our interview with the actor and comedian on CNN.com. We are also going to have the interview next weekend, as well. So, you can see more of what he had to say when it comes to the answers regarding lover and relationships, and all those questions that you may have out there.
HOLMES: All right. Happy day after Valentine's Day fellows. This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING from the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you could be with us.
NGUYEN: You act like you're just happy to have survived it.
HOLMES: There are a lot of guys who are just exhaling this morning. It's over.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. It's 7:00 a.m. here in the east, 4:00 a.m. We do want to thank you for joining us today.
HOLMES: And coming up this half hour, the next possible battleground of the president's fight to save the economy might be the transformation of America's healthcare system.
NGUYEN: Plus, imagine going for an entire month without spending a single dime passed your rent and your utilities, you know, these things that you need just for daily survival. Well, we're going to check back in with the woman known as "Frugalista" and how she's been able to do it this month.
HOLMES: It's been interesting to hear you talked to her in the past couple of weekends and how she's faring.
Well, we'll turn to the Illinois senator, the new senator, Roland Burris. He is now admitting that former Governor Rod Blagojevich asked him for campaign money. Senator Burris says he refused but didn't mention it to a state impeachment committee, and this happened before Governor Blagojevich named Burris to replace President Obama in the Senate. Blagojevich was removed, of course, after allegedly trying to sell Obama's former seat.
NGUYEN: Six cases of salmonella in Colorado have been linked to the company at the center of a federal investigation. Officials say tainted products were shipped out by a plant in Texas owned by the Peanut Corporation of America. The company filed for bankruptcy on Friday. Bacteria found at PCA's Georgia peanut processing plant is being blamed for more than 600 cases of salmonella, including nine deaths.
HOLMES: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will travel to Asia today. This will be her first trip abroad as the secretary of state. Typically, the new secretaries of state have made their initial overseas to Europe or possibly the Middle East. Clinton's itinerary includes stops in Japan, Indonesia, South Korea as well as China.
NGUYEN: Well, we do have some more details on the commuter plane that crashed near Buffalo, New York.
Investigators say the plane did not nosedive into a house as initially thought. Workers have removed 15 bodies from the crash site. Fifty people died in that crash. And that could take a few more days to find all of those bodies. Now, officials also say freezing temperatures are slowing down their recovery efforts.
Well, people in the community do continue to mourn the victims of Flight 3407. A makeshift memorial has been put up in a temporary site.
And CNN's Ines Ferre joins us now live from Clarence Center.
This is obviously something that has affected the entire community as they wait for answers, Ines.
FERRE: Oh, yes, definitely, Betty. You know, right behind me is Clarence Center United Methodist Church. And this is about 10 blocks from the crash site.
Now, we're told that people have been leaving flowers and notes. There's been such an outpour of support, of sympathy. And they've been leaving at a temporary memorial site here.
We gather -- we wouldn't be surprised if those things would be moved inside the church because of the cold temperatures. And once the crash site becomes more accessible, then that will -- those things will be transferred over to that area. In fact, we passed by there this morning, and there is roads that are still closed off by state troopers.
Now, this place has such a community feel to it -- such a small- town feel to it. In fact, Buffalo, itself, even though it's big, it still has this kind of town feel to it. So, you can imagine the impact on the community, especially here where residents might have known some of the victims.
And this is what the town supervisor had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BYLEWSKI, SUPERVISOR, TOWN OF CLARENCE CTR.: Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, from the flight as well as on the ground. I would like to offer my thanks to our disaster coordinators, the agencies that we've been working with have been tremendous as well, whether it be the state police, Erie County sheriffs, all local and federal and state agencies and county agencies that we've been dealing with, have been superb in their handling of this devastating tragedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FERRE: Of events that are taking place here -- and I might have lost my sound here, but I'm just going to go over some of the events that today are taking place here. At a local high school here, a public crisis hearing, a meeting for residents in the area. Also, there's going to be a prayer service tomorrow at a nearby church. And here today, of course, they're going to be holding a mass starting at 9:30 a.m. -- Betty and T.J., back to you.
NGUYEN: All right, Ines, we do appreciate it. Thank you.
HOLMES: And President Obama is expected to sign the $787 billion economic recovery bill on Tuesday. And soon after that, billions will start flowing to cities and states, hopefully, and just all over the place to get this economy going. Not everybody is crazy about this, even though the economy is in such tough shape.
Republicans, as we know, are not too much in favor of this bill. No Republicans supported it in the House, only three Republicans in the Senate supported it. And listen to the minority leader come out after the bill passed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) MINORITY LEADER: I just got to say the president made clear when we started this process that this was about jobs -- jobs, jobs, jobs. And what it has turned into is nothing more than spending, spending and more spending. American families, small businesses deserve better from their Congress. I said on the opening day that we would not be the party of no, and we haven't been. We offered an alternative that would have created twice as many jobs as their bill at half the price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, the president says the stimulus plan is a big milestone, but he still said it's not going to be enough to get the job done.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: Once the plan is put into action, a new Web site, Recovery.gov, will allow any American to watch where the money goes and weigh in with comments and questions. And I encourage every American to do so. Ultimately, this is your money and you deserve to know how where it's going and how it's spent.
This historic step won't be the end of what we do to turn our economy around but rather the beginning. The problems that led us into this crisis are deep and widespread. And our response must be equal to the task.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, you remember on the campaign trail, it was a lot about the economy, but what else, it seems like it feels so long ago, what else were they talking about out there on the campaign trail? Well, you remember healthcare reform?
Our political editor, Mark Preston, is back with us now from Washington.
Healthcare reform -- is that what's going to be next, Mark?
PRESTON: Well, T.J., it's certainly one of many issues that we will hear the president to talk about this month as we move forward. Of course, there are 45 million people who do not have health insurance right now. This was a major issue during the campaign, and certainly during the Democratic primary, T.J.
And for Barack Obama who says that he wants to try to help all these people, and really try to bring them back into the system, this is going to be a major issue for him to tackle -- no question.
HOLMES: You know, I have to throw this question out there -- how in the world are we going to pay for that?
PRESTON: You know, very good question. I don't know -- I don't know where they're going to come up with the money. Of course, the $787 billion, that is being spend on the stimulus, is certainly going to be counted against whatever they do on healthcare right now, T.J. But this has become a major issue.
You know, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the 45 million people who are uninsured right now will grow to 54 million by 2019.
HOLMES: Wow.
PRESTON: So, there's a lot of pressure right now, T.J., on Washington to really act quickly on healthcare.
HOLMES: And you talk about that pressure, we can already see how this fight might start to shape up here. There are ads going up, I think, they're starting today. Let's take a listen to one and I'll ask you about it on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, POLITICAL COMMERCIAL)
NARRATOR: With today's economy, there hasn't been a lot to celebrate, but recently, Congress voted to provide healthcare coverage for 100 million children, giving their parents one less thing to worry about. And Senator Chris Dodd helped make it happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right, Mark Preston, we listen to that. It's making reference there to a government paid care to millions of lower income children that was signed into law. It mentioned Chris Dodd in particular; they're going to be targeting, I think, other members of Congress as well.
Who are these folks who put it out? What's the point?
PRESTON: Well, T.J., what we're seeing in that ad right there is a "Thank you," but at the close of the ad, it is also a little bit of a nudge to Chris Dodd there to really try to move forward and try to enact healthcare this year. What we do know about this ad campaign and what we are being told is that they're going to spend over $10 million. It's going to target 1/3 of the Senate, about 50 congressmen, and it's really -- it's being paid for by this really unlikely group of allies, we have a liberal group such as Families USA, we have the pharmaceutical industry taken part in it as well, we're also seeing a major labor union in SCIU, who are also playing a part in this ad campaign.
So, again, the pressure from the interest groups is going to start pouring on, I think, as we continue to move forward in this year. Healthcare was a major issue on the campaign trail, T.J. And it's going to be a major issue, certainly, a major point of discussion over the next year or so.
HOLMES: It looks like the next big fight might be shaping up. Mark Preston, it's always good to have you with this. Did you have a good Valentine's Day yesterday?
PRESTON: I had a great one. I think my wife was pretty happy.
HOLMES: All right.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: Well, he is still married. So, that's a good indication.
HOLMES: All right. We'll let get back. Good to see you, Mark. Thanks, buddy.
PRESTON: Thanks.
NGUYEN: All right. Well, you know, talking about battles, and people wanting to get certain things, this is something you can't fight. You knew it was coming, and here is it. Stamp prices, they are going up once again. There is nothing can you do.
In May, first class postage will jump from 42 cents to 44 cents. You know, it seems like we just had another increase not too long ago?
HOLMES: It was not too long ago.
NGUYEN: Yes. Well, the Postal Service blames the rising production costs.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: But as the spokesman points out, you can buy forever stamps at the current price, you use them -- you guess it -- forever.
HOLMES: Nobody likes to hear that. But I still, in defense of the post office, Betty, if I say, here is a letter and run this to California for me, here is 44 cents ...
NGUYEN: I can't do it.
HOLMES: You wouldn't do it.
NGUYEN: Yes, there's no way.
HOLMES: That is a good deal, still.
NGUYEN: This is true. But again, I mean, I think that that whole mentality is going up and up and up, and you feel like, well, you know, can't we get a reprieve from this?
HOLMES: Well, they just make it 50 cents.
NGUYEN: We're in a recession.
HOLMES: Make it 50 cents, and tell me you won't raise for 10 years, I'd be a happy man.
NGUYEN: Buy the forever stamp, that's the best deal you're going to get.
HOLMES: OK.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: In the meantime, as we talk about budgets and money, California lawmakers have begun approving a budget balancing plan that would raise billions in taxes and cut billions more from education and other programs.
HOLMES: Yes, the state is facing a $42 billion budget deficit, and CNN's Kara Finnstrom reports, they've got some options out there but not very good ones.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB TURNER, FURNITURE STORE OWNER: This is what I like the best, the smell of the wood, the feel of the leathers, I mean, the feel of this -- of this -- this is -- just doesn't get any better.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bob Turner and Avan's Furniture go way back. Turner started working here at age 15 and has owned the store for 20 years. He says his future has never been more uncertain.
BOB TURNER: This is uncharted waters. And we've never seen months that were so slow. People just aren't coming in the store, and the ones that do come in, they look around but it's just easy not to buy furniture right now.
FINNSTROM: And Turner says California's proposed state budget could make matters even worse. One key measure: a hike in the state sales tax by 1 percentage point. Turner says that high-end stores like his, it's another deterrent from already skittish customers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was just wondering if this was a little bit more money than this one.
FINNSTROM: Avan's, which deliver its own furniture, would also feel the slap of a proposed 12-cent jump in the gasoline tax. BOB TURNER: The cost of us delivering furniture is something that we can't pass on to the customer. The cost of running these trucks is just huge.
FINNSTROM: Turner's other concern, the budget's proposed massive cuts to education. Two of his four boys are in California colleges.
BOB TURNER: There's fewer classes. There seems to be fewer teachers. And it's difficult to get the classes that they need.
FINNSTROM: UCLA economist Dan Mitchell says the proposed budget cuts are deep and widespread.
DAN MITCHELL, UCLA ECONOMIST: You are a schoolteacher who's laid off, you certainly going to feel the pain. If you are a person with a disability, now you have problems getting healthcare providers. And so, yes, you are going to see -- you're going to see real pain in a lot of these programs.
FINNSTROM: And the pain will be much worse if the federal stimulus package doesn't provide the relief state lawmakers are counting on.
So, Bob Turner and his wife Ann are seeking solutions. She's going back to school to be a chef.
ANN TURNER, RETURNING TO SCHOOL: All of our eggs are in one basket, and the way the economy is right now, if, heaven forbid, something did happen with the furniture store, then, we are just all down the tubes.
FINNSTROM: And he is trimming employee hours, switching to energy efficient light bulbs.
BOB TURNER: And we changed them all out to compact fluorescents.
FINNSTROM: And just hanging on.
BOB TURNER: It's just getting to be an unbelievable quantity of things that we have to deal with and be profitable.
FINNSTROM: Kara Finnstrom, for CNN, Lancaster, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. So, lending your support in a time of need. Well, Josh Levs is here with the way that you can actually reach out to the families who've lost loved ones on Flight 3407. How do you do it, Josh?
LEVS: Yes. You know, there's a few sites we're going to tell you about where you can send help and get messages straight to them. We'll show you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF RICK ELLIS, SUSAN WEHLE'S FRIEND: She'd go to places that I could only dream of. And every time she would go, she would do things spiritually to bring her closer to the earth and bring her closer to God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: That's Rick Ellis remembering his friend Susan Wehle. She was one of the passengers killed on Flight 3407 on Thursday night. The 55-year-old woman who helped lead prayers at her synagogue was returning to Buffalo after a vacation.
HOLMES: And a lot of people all over the country are trying to reach out to the families of the victims of the flight.
NGUYEN: Yes. And our Josh Levs is here to show us some places online where you can actually do just that -- Josh?
LEVS: Yes, you know, guys, it started right away. That night, within hours of the crash itself, there was already a place set up online where you could start to get those messages and ways to help people.
Let's zoom in on the board. I want to show you -- the first place that this happened was at the Web site for Representative Chris Lee. It's ChrisLee.House.gov. And he set this up at that time, "Messages for Flight 3407 families."
And I have a couple graphics here just to show you two of the messages that were left that night. Look at that, 2:00 in the morning. "No words I could type could ever ease your grief, but I wanted you to know that you are in my thoughts and prayers." Those from Peggy Miller.
Let's look at one more, I think it came in even earlier, 12:52 a.m. "I can't believe this is happening in our backyard. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who lost loved ones," from Erin Guest.
Now, since then, more and more have been leaving messages and it just keeps going and going and going. Again, it's at ChrisLee.House.gov.
But there's something else I want to you now, too. He links to this, which is a local credit union called Clarence Community & Schools Federal Credit Union. And in there, they're now raising money for the Wielenski family that lost their home and also a loved one when the plane crashed into that home there just outside Buffalo.
Now, one more thing that I'll show you and then tell you how you can get links to all this stuff -- you don't need to write it all down -- Facebook. A lot of groups on Facebook are up. In fact, everyday that I've been checking here, every few hours that I've been checking, we are seeing more. Right now, I'm seeing at least 32 groups for this. This is the main one right here, in memory of these victims. And you can see more than 1,600 members are currently a part of this. I can access this now, because, as you guys know, Betty and T.J., I'm a new convert to Facebook, got on.
So, when we get off the air here, I'll go put links to this, on my Facebook, Josh Levs CNN, you guys can link to that, to everything I just showed you, if you want to send messages yourself, if you want to get help to some of the families of these victims. And we can certainly expect in the coming days, there'll be even more groups like this, guys.
NGUYEN: That's some good information in fact.
LEVS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Give us that as well and we'll try to put that on our Facebook pages.
LEVS: That's great. You got it.
NGUYEN: So we can get more people the information if they want to send those messages.
LEVS: Thanks.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Josh.
You know, it's been a tough time. You know, from the tragedy there to the economy.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: A lot of people are dealing with -- really -- some of the toughest times they face in a long time. And when it comes to your money, what do you do? How do you stretch it out? Well, you're going to meet the Frugalista. We've been talking to her for the past couple of weeks, and what she's doing is really awesome, in the fact that she's trying not to spend any extra cash.
HOLMES: Nothing extra, not even a pack of gum. She only used money for things that are absolutely necessary.
NGUYEN: Right.
HOLMES: Just the gas if she needs it, the rent and things like that.
NGUYEN: Yes. No movies.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: You know, no eating out -- none of that. But she's got some really good tips on how you can do things for absolutely free. And she's going to show us how -- coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, the Frugalista, as she is called, is practicing what she preaches. Blogger Natalie McNeal is in the second week of her challenge to go a whole month without spending any money. So, we are talking no hair salon, no shopping, no eating out, in her quest to save a few bucks.
Now, she joins us now live.
You're looking pretty good considering you haven't done anything that cost you any money. I mean, a lot of women go get their hair done, their eyebrows, their nails -- all that good stuff. But you actually found a facial for free?
NATALIE MCNEAL, BLOGGER, THE FRUGALISTA FILES: Yes, Aveda has free facials this weekend. So, on Friday, I went and got one. I loved it.
NGUYEN: That sounds fantastic, but here's the rub here. A lot of women will, obviously, like to take advantage of this. But there's a guilt factor, isn't there, Natalie -- when you go and they offer you these facials, and these, you know, the intent is to sell products.
MCNEAL: Right.
NGUYEN: And when you turn them down for that, is that difficult?
MCNEAL: It's a little difficult, more so because you get this great service and you want to be able to buy something. But you just have to be disciplined and go in the door and tell them like, look, this is my situation. They offered free facials. So, you know, they put the advertising out there, so people are going to take advantage of it.
NGUYEN: And what are some of the other things people can take advantage of, guilt-free, when it comes to, really, doing things on the cheap or not paying at all?
MCNEAL: Well, it seems like there's a big trend right now of businesses to offer a lot of things for free, like IKEA, today and tomorrow, is going to offer free breakfast until 10:30 a.m. They just want to get the food traffic. They want to get the buzz going.
Now is a really good time actually to be a cheapskate, to take advantage of all these offers. Of course, the companies are hoping that someone will come in and say, "Oh, I buy this while I'm here," you just have to be strong and say no.
NGUYEN: Yes, that's the key because, I think, you're right. There are a lot of companies that really want some business, and they'll do anything to get you in the door. So that's an opportunity for you to test out the products, and, you know, do it for free right now, and maybe next time, you can come by and actually buy something.
MCNEAL: Exactly.
NGUYEN: But have you faced any challenges?
MCNEAL: Well, this week was a little tough, like I was in my spin class, and my pants ripped, so that wasn't fun and my car got a little sick, too.
NGUYEN: Oh, and you can't at this -- you know, what you are doing is not spending anything extra. So -- but if your car is not running right, I mean, don't you -- isn't that a safety issue? Don't you have to get that fixed?
MCNEAL: Oh, that's a safety issue. I got it fixed. I'd to get new breaks and tires. So, safety before anything else, and I need my car. So, that's what's happened.
NGUYEN: Absolutely.
MCNEAL: I am not spending money on anything frivolous, but the basics, which I consider my car, I have to.
NGUYEN: So, no dinners, no movies, no -- so, what are you doing with your time since you can't spend any extra cash?
MCNEAL: Oh, I am having a ball. There was a free happy hour this week in Miami that had free cosmopolitans. And there are a lot of things to do in town, you just have to research, read my blog, "The Frugalista Files," and you'll find out all the fun things to do.
NGUYEN: And there are a lot of sites out there actually, that can access with that as well, even if you don't live in Miami, where you do. So, are you planning on doing anything different next week?
MCNEAL: I'll probably just going to hangout with some of my friends a little bit more. I've been going out a little bit much, but now, I want to hang out with my girlfriends.
NGUYEN: I find it fascinating that you say you've been going out a little bit much, but yet, at the same time, not spending any cash. I love it.
MCNEAL: That's right.
NGUYEN: All right. We'll check in with you next week.
MCNEAL: Thank you.
HOLMES: Well, she is finding a lot of free liquor. Last week it was a wine thing, wasn't it?
NGUYEN: I wonder if it's easier for women though. You know, because we'll have the ladies nights and happy hours and that. Well, just happy hours for everybody.
HOLMES: And you can go out and guys always try to buy you drinks, you know?
NGUYEN: Right. So, maybe a little bit easier. But at the same time, these are good ideas if you're really working on your budget and don't want to spend anything extra but you don't want to change your lifestyle.
HOLMES: Yes, it sounds like she's doing just fine. Sorry to hear about the car, the breaks, but that's a safety issue.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: You got to get that handled.
Look what happened last night. These guys, you know, it's a dunk contest. You know, big deal. I mean, it happens every year. Sometimes exciting, you're a sports fan, basketball thing, you love it. But something special happened last night. A guy 5'9" beat out guys that were over a foot taller than he is. We'll show "Krypto- Nate" -- coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Remember Howard has got two 50s. He's got a total of 100. Oh!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right. Yes, big deal. Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, that was last night, the slam dunk contest. Now, show people what they really want to see, Betty.
NGUYEN: Right here, this is the man who took it all -- look at that! Krypto-Nate is what you called him, right?
HOLMES: That's what he calls himself.
NGUYEN: That jump, I mean, 5'9'', you jump over a guy who is 6'11'', how do you get that kind of air?
HOLMES: He just a heck of an athlete. Nate Robinson, not he's first time winning it. But he won it again last night. All star game tonight, 8:00 o'clock on our sister network, TNT. You can check that out.
But right now, what can they see, Betty?
NGUYEN: "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Stay with us.
