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CNN Sunday Morning
Polish Leader, Wife Flown to Krakow for Burial; Volcano Travel Delays Will Push into At Least Mid-Week
Aired April 18, 2010 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Exactly.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hi.
BOLDUAN: Hello. Good morning (INAUDIBLE).
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: How are you?
BOLDUAN: I'm fabulous.
HOLMES: Good morning, everybody. I hope you're well, had a good Saturday night. And we're going to get this thing started on this Sunday morning - this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Six a.m. where we sit here in Atlanta, Georgia; 10 a.m. in Iceland, and noon in Norway.
Wherever you may be, I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you could be here.
BOLDUAN: And I am Kate Bolduan. Thank you so much for starting you day with us.
We gave you those times that T.J. just listed off because millions of people are stuck all over the world. The thick cloud of ash hovering over Europe is impacting travelers everywhere, from New York City to London to even China. Flights are grounded, airports are closed and people clearly aren't too happy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Each day we've got out to check out Virgin, and they've just told us, you know, go on, keep checking in, and that when we check the Internet, the Internet doesn't tell you anything. So you have to keep going back to the airport all the time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Oh, that is rough.
That man has been stuck in New York since Thursday. He's trying to get - he's trying to get to Heathrow. But as you heard, he's not having much luck there.
We'll hear more from travelers throughout the morning. HOLMES: Also, we're keeping an eye on the streets of Krakow, Poland, this morning. Here is a live picture of where thousands are starting to gather this morning. The bodies of the president there, Lech Kaczynski and his wife - a large motorcade, you see this moving through the streets, moving through the crowds today.
The funeral set to begin for the president and first lady in about two hours. We'll have live coverage throughout the morning from Poland. We'll get to that shortly.
But first, we do want to tell you about some other stories that are making headlines this morning.
We'll start out in Los Angeles, where a - a - a protest turned violent. This was a demonstration by a neo-Nazi group. They were demonstrating against illegal immigration. Now, a big crowd of counterdemonstrators showed up. Five of them were arrested for throwing rocks and throwing bottles.
Now, about 50 members of this Detroit-based group, this neo-Nazi group - they call themselves the National Socialist Movement. They waved American flags and swastikas. They were shouting racial, anti- Semitic and misogynistic epithets. Well, counterdemonstrators actually outnumbered the neo-Nazis by 10-to-1.
BOLDUAN: Both U.S. and Russian officials say there will likely be a delay in tomorrow's scheduled meeting to discuss the issue of adoptions. The American adoption - the American adoption of Russian children has been in limbo since a Tennessee woman returned her adopted son to Moscow.
The likely delay is being blamed on the volcanic ash that has canceled thousands of international flights.
HOLMES: We turn to the South Pacific now. Another earthquake to tell you about. It seems like we've seen a string of these things.
A 6.3 magnitude quake. This happened in Papua New Guinea. You see this, just north of Australia there. No reports of any deaths; no injuries. This was in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. This is a very busy area of seismic activity, and that's actually where more than three-fourths of the world's active volcanoes are.
BOLDUAN: Now, to a story we're going to be following for you throughout the morning. About one and a half million people are expected to turn out for the funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife.
HOLMES: As several heads of state expected to be there, but some that planned to be there will not be able to be there, including President Obama. Why? Because of that big plume of ash, that volcanic ash that has shut down so many airports across Europe right now.
President Obama, also the French president and also the German Chancellor Angela Merkel - they could not make it, had to cancel their plans, could not get there because of the travel restrictions. You're seeing some - some past coverage there. That was some coverage from - from - from Poland, actually, as they cover really a national tragedy for them. The country that has gone from absolute shock to now the mourning begins.
The president, his wife, 94 others were killed in that plane crash that happened a week ago yesterday in Russia. There was bad weather, heavy fog as they tried to land.
Now you're looking inside St. Mary's Basilica. This is where - you see there - see there where the bodies of the president of - and his first lady, and his wife lay now. We're expecting, again, this Mass to get under way here in the - within the next two hours. They're expecting some 1.5 million people to show up at this particular - at this particular funeral.
A lot of people outside. Of course, everyone can't get into the actual church to see the ceremony. But many are going to be gathered outside.
This is in the historic city of Krakow. We saw yesterday's the people's funeral, as they called it, a - a huge memorial for all the victims of that plane crash that took place yesterday in Warsaw. But today, the actual state funeral.
Our Phil Black is there for us. And Phil, we can see the picture behind you. But we see the live picture as well of what's going inside, at least our viewers can see that.
But just - just set the scene outside, where you are, for us.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, T.J.
As you mentioned, still several hours out from the start of this state funeral here today. But as you can see behind me - let me show you this scene. There are already easily tens of thousands of people in this square alone. And this is just one site across Krakow where people will be gathering to watch this state funeral today.
There are a number of other sites across the city where large television screens have showed up. Earlier this morning, the bodies of Lech Kaczynski, the fallen president, and first lady, Maria, were flown here from Warsaw, about - aboard Turboprop aircraft that can, in fact, fly despite that volcanic-ash cloud that has caused so much havoc across Europe. But also to the attendants of this state funeral as well, T.J.
HOLMES: Phil - well, you - you talked about that ash there. You hit on it. And we continue to show our - our - our viewers some pictures from earlier.
But - but tell us - we - we are talking about who won't be able to make it. President Obama, Angela Merkel from Germany won't be able to make it. I guess, who else is not able to get in there, and who is expected to actually be there, and what do some of these dignitaries have to go through and be creative, quite frankly, to make it in for this funeral?
BLACK: Yes, that's right.
The - the list has dwindled over the course of the night. As you mentioned, President Obama can't make it, nor can Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany. France's Nicolas Sarkozy has canceled, as has the Prince of Wales of Britain and a long list of others as well across Europe and beyond that as well.
In order to get here, as you say, a number of Eastern European leaders had to get creative. From the Baltic states, the leaders of Estonia and Latvia have driven some 15 hours or more, cross country, to be here, because of the significance of the event and because they considered Lech Kaczynski a personal friend in many cases.
But we understand the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has just touched down in Krakow. So the Russian president will be attending.
Also worth noting that a cardinal from the Vatican was due to fly in to lead this Mass. He hasn't been able to make it either, T.J.
HOLMES: Yes, it's really caused fits there. But - but still, this is certainly a - so we'll keep an eye on it today. Phil, we're going to be checking in with you throughout the morning. We appreciate you. Thanks so much.
BODLUAN: So, Phil - Phil Black talked about it; we've been talking about it today. We've been talking about it for days, and it looks like we're going to continue talking about it. That volcano was still erupting Saturday, according to an official with Iceland's Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management. He said it's not clear when the eruption will end.
This - take a look here. This is an overview of Europe. And if you just look at how many countries are actually affected. The airspace over the countries in red are completely closed, while the countries in yellow are partially closed overnight. The United Kingdom extended its flight restrictions to at least 2 p.m. Eastern.
European operator Lufthansa is taking a major hit. It again canceled all of its flights worldwide until later today, and who knows, of course, then what will happen. Seventeen thousand of twenty- two thousand flights across Europe were canceled yesterday.
And listen to this: The airline industry's trade group estimates the disruption is costing its member airlines at least $200 million a day.
And coming in a half - about a half an hour, we're going to take you live to Europe and Asia for a closer look at what airports and passengers are having to deal with in the wake of these closures.
HOLMES: All right. We want to give you an up-close-and-personal look at just what's causing all of these delays. We've been looking at pictures like this for the past several days. But our Gary Tuchman got onboard a helicopter, took the air, was able to capture some amazing images of this volcano from an aerial perspective.
Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sunny days are relatively rare in Iceland. But it's very sunny today. And because it is, you have a perfect view of the volcano.
Initial reports this morning were that it was getting weaker. But it is not anymore and it appears to be intensifying.
We were able to get on a helicopter today and fly within a few hundred feet of the eruption of this volcano. And it was absolutely incredible, getting so close to it.
You can see glass shards being tossed, boulders being tossed, lightning bolts. It was awe-inspiring. At the same time, it was frightening seeing the immense power of this volcano.
It was hard to believe that we were just a few hundred feet away from it, yet thousands of miles away and many countries in Europe, people can't fly because this volcano, the eruption, is causing the disruptions in these countries.
The last time this volcano erupted was in the 1820s. It's been almost 190 years. When it erupted that time, the eruptions lasted for about two years. It's hard to imagine the economic catastrophe if it continued.
But here's something very important to keep in mind: Right next to this volcano is another one called Katla. Katla has been dormant for about 90 years.
On average, over the last thousand years, it's erupted every 50 to 75 years, so it's considered due. And it's also considered much stronger than this one.
Can this cause Katla to erupt? Scientists aren't sure, but they're keeping a close eye on the situation. Either way, just seeing this so close up is just incredible.
This is Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Iceland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: Wow, Gary really hit it. That - those are incredible pictures.
HOLMES: They - and you know what? And Reynolds - we bring Reynolds in. He's back with us this weekend - back with us today.
They - the pictures are - they're - it's gorgeous. It's an amazing sight, a gorgeous sight, something you don't see. But the fit it's causing people, it - it's unreal.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely.
You know what's - what's amazing, in - in our lifetimes, it's something that many of us have never seen. But you have to remember, this planet is 4.6 billion years old. This has been going on for ages and ages, just a recurring process. It just happens to be something significant, obviously, that's affecting millions of people across the planet.
And we've got some good news for parts of Europe. We do - it does look like the forecast is going to be a little bit better in terms of those upper-level winds that are going to be pushing much of this ash, much of that pyroclastic (ph) air, moving it a bit farther to the north, the populated areas.
We're going to let you know exactly when that's going to take place coming in mere moments.
You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And this - this is - we're seeing these pictures still. We - we can call this a weather situation?
WOLF: You could, potentially.
HOLMES: We can call it that? But the weather is going to be what rectifies this situation eventually. They just need to - the wind just needs to blow this stuff out of here, right?
WOLF: Absolutely. But I mean, it was basically at the mercy - thick of like a giant chimney, where you have all the...
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: ...the smoke coming up, and then you have to have strong upper-level winds that push everything away. The problem is, it's moving a lot of this stuff over highly populated areas, disrupting air travel, as we've been talking about.
What's the frightening aspect - and this is a curveball that I - I don't know if it's been mentioned so far this weekend - we had a very large eruption back in - in 1816. And it was a - a large volcano down in parts of the southern Pacific, which actually caused a - what they call "the Year Without Summer."
HOLMES: OK.
WOLF: Widespread global cooling. So I'm not saying that this is something that could cause it, but there's no question we're going to see some effects of this. This is going to have a chain reaction; other things in the environment around the world. It just happens.
I know a lot of this is going to affect places like Europe first. But eventually, sure, this is going to work its way around the globe. We're going to have some of this. It won't be quite as concentrated; it will be diffused a little bit. But yes, we will get a little of dusting of this in parts of North America.
HOLMES: And they don't know when this is going to stop. Bonnie was actually telling us about this yesterday. It - the last time this particular volcano erupted, it went on for some two years.
WOLF: Yes. I mean, you know, the - these things can happen. As I mentioned earlier, before the break, we've been seeing this kind of activity for - for ages. I mean, this is part of how we have land masses, all due to volcanic activity.
We've got some amazing things to show folks. We're going to go right - and continue to show you some of this - this great video. I'm going to walk over to the magic wall, and we're going to give you a shot from high above.
You take a look at this weather data. This is a - actually, a - a great shot that we have that shows just the illustration of that ash cloud moving over parts of the U.K. and then back over towards Norway. And again, we're all at the mercy of upper-level winds.
Take a look at what I've got here. Your forecasts that we're going to be dealing with in many parts of the world all depends on those upper-level winds. You have, of course, the big cinder cone; you've got the eruption. What we anticipate is that area of low pressure actually to move off; high pressure's going to build in to the region. With high pressure building in, what's that going to give you is steering winds that are going to move the - the - the ash, instead of going right into parts of Europe, back over towards Norway, eventually closer to parts of the North Pole. So that is certainly better news.
Parts of south Europe - well, you'll have better air travel. Certainly better air conditions, no question about it. But what we're going to be seeing is this thing play out, and as Bonnie - as, of course, T.J. mentioned and Bonnie mentioned days ago, there's no telling when this thing is going to end. We're basically at the mercy of the elements.
We've got more coming up. It's going to be a full plate for you right here on CNN SUNDAY.
See you in a few.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: So you have volcanic eruptions...
HOLMES: Yes.
BOLDUAN: ...plus a huge ash plume.
HOLMES: Got that, yes.
BOLDUAN: And that means airport nightmares.
HOLMES: It's a nightmare. No one can fly. It - this has even canceled the - the flight of presidents, including the U.S. president, who was trying to get in.
BOLDUAN: Right. That really says something to you.
HOLMES: That says a lot. It's grounded world leaders.
Josh Levs has been looking into the stories of millions of folks...
JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes.
HOLMES: ...literally, all over the globe, who are stranded.
Good morning to you, Josh.
LEVS: Good morning, guys.
And, you know, I'm also interested in technology; it really gets me thinking about technology and how great it would be if we had this super-super-super-fast planes that could just - if you're in Europe, fly you east, all the way around the world, right? Back to America. Maybe someday we'll actually get there.
In the meantime, what we're getting are so many stories of people who are stuck somewhere on the ground. They're trying to get home, trying to get to their kids or trying to get to a major event.
One example that we're getting from our - our i-Report is this family the Patterson. They were on a vacation in the Netherlands. They want to get home to their four children in America; all their kids are under the age of 9. They live in Virginia.
Steve Patterson spoke by phone with our Fredricka Whitfield.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF STEVE PATTERSON, COUPLE CAN'T GET HOME TO CHILDREN: First off, we - we really trust and we know that they're being cared for by a couple of friends from our church who think like-mindedly as - as us, but also my wife's mom is en route tomorrow, again, to watch them for the second time. And she's really been a - a hero.
So those - those two things, but then also, just, ultimately, our - our hope is in God, who is in total control of all this, even though we are not. So we're - we're hopeful that...
(LAUGHTER)
PATTERSON: ...there will be a way soon for us to get back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And we're following his story closely. In fact, he's going to be joining us by Skype at 8:00 this morning.
They're actually using Skype while they're stuck over there to stay in touch with their kids.
Now in the meantime, in a lot of cases, you're seeing the opposite. Your people - people are missing big events that are away from home. And this now, one of the biggest - Monte Klein in Connecticut is missing his own son's wedding in England. And he spoke to us by phone as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF MONTE KLEIN, CAN'T GET TO SON'S WEDDING: My son is really the master of the understatement. As we were preparing to leave, we're - we're - we had a flight out Thursday morning at 9:00 from New York. And the last thing I did is check my e-mail - that was about 10 minutes to 5 in the morning.
And he sent me an e-mail and said, "Dad, one minor issue may arise: There's been an eruption of a volcano in Iceland. Probably not a problem. See you soon"
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. What's your...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Yes. Well, it ended up being a problem, obviously.
We're getting lots of i-Reports. Keep them coming to ireport.com. We're also following your tweets, your Facebook posts. There are Facebook groups about this. No matter you stay in touch interactively, get your stories to us and we will keep sharing them here.
And Kate and T.J., throughout the morning, I'll be camped out here following lots of stories that we get from people who are trying to make it somewhere for these major family events, guys.
BOLDUAN: Yes. At least they're all - they're all in it together. You can't blame the airlines this time.
LEVS: The world's in this one together, yes.
BOLDUAN: Thanks so much, Josh.
LEVS: You got it.
HOLMES: All right. And one of those travelers stranded right now is Alexey Bekin. He's one of our i-Reporters. He's like so many: stuck, can't get home. And he's on the phone for us.
He's from Russia, but he's stranded right now in Geneva.
Alexey, thank you for hopping on the phone with us. Thank you for being one of our i-Reporters.
How long have you been stuck in that airport? VOICE OF ALEXEY BEKIN, I-REPORTER: Well, actually, I had to spend, like, the entire day at the airport yesterday. I was supposed to - to fly back home - well, at - with a flight, the airport Flight 272 at 1 p.m.
Well, it didn't. And I - I was at the airport for, like, six hours. Our tickets were rebooked, and the actual heroic airport staff was desperate to get us accommodated and rebooked and, you know, they tried their best as well.
HOLMES: So they're trying the best their can - the best they can, and they know nothing they can do about this big - big ash cloud.
BEKIN: Yes.
HOLMES: So what is your hope now for getting home to Moscow?
BEKIN: Well, actually, as I said, all passengers of yesterday's flight were rebooked to April 20 and April 21 from different airports. There were a few seats available from Milano (ph) today, but I - I guess the flight was canceled anyway. And there is still opportunity to fly out of Nice, France, but it's the other question how to get there, because, like, all the trains are packed.
And there is no chance to get a car. I - I heard on one, actually the man next to me in the line, was trying to book a chauffeured car to Moscow. And he had a response in a few minutes with price tag of 22,000 euros for such a trip.
HOLMES: So for our viewers, that's a good chunk of change. That's about 29,000 American dollars for - to - to get...
BEKIN: I guess. I guess.
HOLMES: ...to be driven.
It sounds like - I mean, people are - you know, there's nothing the airline can do. But still, you're talking about the 20th and 21st that people have been rebooked. That's still a couple of days away.
Are you going to try - last thing here. Are you going to try to find another option, if you will? Are you just going to hang tight and hope to get on that plane on the 20th or the 21st, or - or might you end up - end up paying some 20,000 euros for somebody to drive you home?
BEKIN: Well, actually, fortunately, we have a company involved. (INAUDIBLE) - I'm actually planning to take a train in the next half an hour. I'll be headed to Basil (ph). I'll stay there for a few nights.
We'll see what happens with my flight. I was rebooked for a Tuesday flight. If - well, hopefully, I - I cross my fingers, I will be able to make it back home. If not - well, we have a company car. So we probably will just drive.
HOLMES: Well, there's that.
BEKIN: Or I'll take a train.
There is another option. You know, there is a - a connection - there is a train, a direct train from Basil...
HOLMES: Yes.
BEKIN: ...straight to Moscow. But it's overbooked, all - all tickets sold...
HOLMES: Man.
BEKIN: ...till next Saturday, you know?
HOLMES: Wow. Oh my goodness.
Alexey, good luck to you and good luck to your fellow travelers out there as well. We appreciate you sending us that i-Report, and appreciate you hopping on the phone with us.
Again, that's Alexey Bekin. He's stuck in Geneva, Switzerland. And he's trying best he can to find some creative options for - for getting around and getting home. We're hearing stories like this from all over the world, people sending those i-Reports about their experiences.
And if you are stuck in an airport right now, send us an i-Report right now, CNN.com. Or you can send a message to my Facebook or the show-blog page. Also, you can tweet me at tjholmescnn.
So by all means, we're itching to hear many of your stories.
BOLDUAN: And still to come, we'll take you to Hong Kong and Berlin to see what travelers are experiencing there.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, a check of some stories that are making headlines.
The death toll has shot up of Wednesday's earthquake in western China. It is now at over 1,700. Hundreds of people still missing, but there's still hope that many could be pulled from the rubble alive.
We just saw yesterday, a young girl was pulled out of alive. And also today, a 68-year-old man was pulled from that rubble.
BOLDUAN: And the youngest daughter of former President Lyndon Johnson is in the hospital this morning. Sixty-two-year-old Luci Baines Johnson is being treated at the Mayo Clinic for what appears to be a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the nervous system.
Her personal physician says she may have Guillain-Barre syndrome. HOLMES: And the space shuttle Discovery saying goodbye to the International Space Station. You're seeing a picture there. It undocked, and it's now getting ready to line up for its return to Earth.
The first landing opportunity comes at 8:51 a.m. Eastern time tomorrow. You're seeing one of the spacewalks. They had three different spacewalks there.
Discover took off on April 5. Six astronauts aboard. A 14-day mission they've had, and they went up to deliver a logistics module that was filled with equipment to be used for science experiments aboard the space station.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC, TED NUGENT, "CAT SCRATCH FEVER")
HOLMES: All right. You - you - people have all kinds of critters running around in the attic, right?
BOLDUAN: They don't want them, but they're there.
HOLMES: They don't want them. Let's see - rodents of some kind.
BOLDUAN: Right.
HOLMES: But there's - there are bobcats also out there as well. And they're - (INAUDIBLE) kids - we don't have any kids who are up watching us. Not really our target audience.
BOLDUAN: Right. They're more for the Cartoon Network.
HOLMES: Yes.
BOLDUAN: But we can - we can make them laugh as well.
HOLMES: But if they are watching, the Dr. Seuss tale, "Pardon me, Sir, but there's a cat in your attic." That might sound familiar to some.
BOLDUAN: Normally it's "Cat in the Hat" ....
HOLMES: "Cat in the Hat," yes.
BOLDUAN: But now it's cat in the attic, and no, this is not a Dr. Seuss tale though.
A family in Phoenix, Arizona, is sharing their home with a bobcat. But it's not just one bobcat. It's a family of bobcats, a mother and her kittens.
Home - I think you're taking a look at it right there. Oh, that's ...
HOLMES: That's a little - that's not a cute cat really. A little sinister.
BOLDUAN: Poor thing. He wants to get out of there.
Homeowner Fred Greenshaw (ph) says he found the bobcat when he went into the attic to get something. He backed down when he came face-to-face with the green-eyed cat. Very smart man.
He checked with the state about getting it removed, but the state said he would have pay someone to remove it. The cost was a bit much, so the Greenshaw family is now sharing their home until the cat leaves the attic.
HOLMES: Wow. Then again, you think cat - I mean, I'm not - just bobcat.
BOLDUAN: I know.
HOLMES: That's not like the - the normal house - domestic cat or anything.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
HOLMES: But still, that thing looks a little creepy, a little scary.
BOLDUAN: I don't think I'd be sleeping well.
HOLMES: No.
BOLDUAN: Anyway. Anyway.
Now to the story we've been covering all morning as well as all weekend: Thousands of flights canceled, millions of travelers stranded as the volcanic eruption rages on and has forced officials to actually close airspace - airspace in northern Europe.
HOLMES: It has affected travel all over the world, literally. We are going to take you around the world from Europe to Asia. Live reports on just how big of an impact the volcano is having here, and even in countries thousands of miles away. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hello, everybody. Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BOLDUAN: I'm Kate Bolduan. Thanks for joining us.
HOLMES: Tell you what we're keeping an eye on this morning. Pictures that we are going to be seeing all morning out of Poland, as that country mourns and says good-bye to its leader. A funeral for their president you are seeing a live picture of St. Mary's Basilica, where the mass for the president, who died in that plane crash a week ago yesterday, is going to be held here in the next hour and a half. He and his wife were among the 96 people on that plane. There were government officials, top military brass, military people, all killed in that plane crash. We saw a public memorial yesterday. But we are keeping an eye on live pictures as the state funeral takes place today.
BOLDUAN: Both U.S. and Russian officials say they probably won't be able to meet tomorrow, as was planned, to discussion the issue of adoptions. The American adoption of Russian children has been in limbo since a Tennessee woman returned her adoptive son to Moscow. The likely delay is being blamed on the volcanic ash that has canceled thousands of international flights.
HOLMES: Turning you to the South Pacific now, where we're seeing another earthquake, a 6.3 magnitude quake in Papua New Guinea. You see it there just north of Australia. No reports-no reports of any deaths, injuries or any major damage at this point. But you see where it is happening. This in the so-called Ring of Fire, this is an area in Pacific, kind of a horseshoe-shaped area that is home to a lot of seismic activity. And it is actually where three-fourths of the worlds active volcanoes are located.
BOLDUAN: We really are the bearers of bad news today and this whole weekend. I feel so bad for everyone in the airports. Air travelers in Europe facing another day of canceled flights and really unanswered questions.
HOLMES: Why? Because of that, the volcano in Iceland, it is still spewing clouds of ash some four miles into the air. The dust has grounded planes, paralyzed air travel. The greatest disruption of international travel since the 9/11 terror attacks. The passengers have been stranded on six continents. CNN crews are in place to break down the worldwide impact on travel throughout the morning. We'll take you to those locations for live updates. We are going to check in with our reporters beginning with Monita Rajpal. She is live at Heathrow Airport in London, England.
Hello to you.
MONITA RAJPAL, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, there.
No traffic here at the world's busiest airport. Planes here are grounded for yet a fourth day and the UK air space is now still a no travel zone and a no fly zone as restrictions remain in place until 7:00 p.m. local time.
And then what happens, we'll wait and see for the next alert and the next warning. We understand that British Airways has canceled flights to and from the U.K. today and for tomorrow. Then they will assess accordingly.
We also understand that individual airlines are now conducting test flights to see what is really going on up there. In the meantime, passengers remain stranded, remain frustrated, with no real answers at to when they may be able to go back to where they wanted to go to. Also they're all being advised to stay home and not go to the airports. Back to you.
BOLDUAN: Thank you so much, Monita. Let's go now from London to Berlin, Germany. Air space there is officially closed, and Europe's largest airline has canceled all of its flights. Let's get the latest from CNN's Diana Magnay.
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kate. That's right. All Lufthansa flights in and out of Germany are canceled until 8:00 p.m. local time, this evening. That is 2:00 p.m. Eastern. That is when the ban on German air space, the restriction on air space has been extended to. It keeps getting extended every few hours. So, I think you can expect that extension to continue overnight.
Lufthansa has struck up some sort of cooperation deal with the German railway operator. And I'm here, at the main railway station in Berlin. I've just been talking to people in the queues here, who are waiting in two-hour long lines just to get to the ticket counters and find out how to make their way back home; whether they'll get the Euro Star, which the web site has been crashing a lot. People have been complaining about how they can't do that.
Whether or not they can get to Glasgow, for example, I was talking to one family. They think they are only going to get a ferry next Wednesday. So a very complicated picture here. People still very unclear as to when they'll be able to fly back home. Back to you.
HOLMES: All right. Diana Magnay, the latest from Berlin. Thank you so much.
We want to now travel to Hong Kong, China. CNN's Eunice Yoon, she is there with the view from Asia, which is being affected as well.
Hello, Eunice.
EUNICE YOON, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Hi, T.J.
Well, most people here understand that air travel is being disrupted because of a force of nature. However, they are very disappointed in the way the airlines are handling their situation. Hong Kong is a major transit point for a lot of travelers. And thousands of people who have been hoping to go to Europe are stuck here in Hong Kong.
Most of them are staying at hotels in the city, however, there are people who are being forced to sleep at the airport because they really don't have any other place to go. Still others have decided to give up altogether and have decided to and try to get onto other routes, to other destinations. Basically, because the stranded passengers here are different from those in Europe because, unlike those people, they are unable to just jump onto a train to go to a place such as London. Back to you.
HOLMES: Eunice Yoon for us with a view from Hong Kong. We say thanks to Monita and Diane as well, but we are taking advantage of our worldwide resources here at CNN. Only we can take you from London to Berlin to Hong Kong in just a matter of minutes to give you the view from around the world for what travelers are going through. Travelers, of course, are frustrated right now because they can't get to where they're trying to get to. But also there is another frustration for a lot of passengers out there, a lot of U.S. passengers, at least. There is a new headache. A new fee, paying for your carry-on luggage. That is coming, folks. One airline is proposing the fee. We challenged the CEO to explain this new $20 to $45 charge. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And give you a live look now. This is inside St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow, Poland where we are going to see the state funeral of the president begin here, in about an hour and 20 minutes. The president, of course, was killed in that plane crash along with 95 others a week ago yesterday, trying to land his plane in Western Russia. We saw the public funeral. We saw the people's funeral yesterday, a memorial service for all 96 victims, but today the state funeral for the late president of Poland.
BOLDUAN: China's president has traveled to the earthquake zone to meet with survivors now living in tents or recovering in makeshift hospitals. Meanwhile the death toll from Wednesday's quake has risen again. More than 1,700 people are now confirmed dead in Western China. Earlier today a 68-year-old man was pulled from the rubble, four days after the quake struck.
HOLMES: And the Shuttle Discovery has checked out of the hotel, International Space Station. You are seeing some video. It undocked from the space station yesterday. So it is starting its journey home. You are seeing some video here of one of three space walks the astronauts did on this 14-day mission of Shuttle Discovery.
They are scheduled now, their first opportunity for landing is tomorrow, about 8:41 a.m. Eastern Time. This mission was to transport some eight tons of cargo and equipment to the space station. Of course, now we are down to just three more shuttle launches before they do away with the space shuttle program.
Stay with us.
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HOLMES: All right, did you know? It's a big week, this huge week. I celebrate every week, but only with Reynolds we usually get together and throw a big party.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
HOLMES: It's National Park Week.
BOLDUAN: I can tell.
HOLMES: It's a big week.
BOLDUAN: I can tell. He definitely looks like a trapping outdoors man. HOLMES: Absolutely.
BOLDUAN: But we do have a resident outdoors man, Reynolds Wolf.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. You know, guys, this is one of the times that you need to take advantage of some of the great things we have.
You know one of the true treasures we have across the nation would be our national parks. There are 392 of them. There will be free addition for all of them. Last summer I had a chance to go out to one in particular, that would be Yellowstone National Parks. And to be more specific, out to the Old Faithful Geyser, where I met a fellow by the name of Sam Holbrook. This will be Sam's 44th year as the expert, so to speak, on Old Faithful. He actually started going there as a kid years ago. His father gave him a picture, took a picture of a prairie dog, and ever since then he's been hooked on the place. The guy is a living legend. He can answer any question you could possibly have about Old Faithful.
But the amazing thing is there are parks over the nation that have Sam Holbrook type people. And make sure, if you get the opportunity to head out there and enjoy them. Truly a wonderful thing and for more information simply go to NPS.gov. Great thing to see.
Something else that is great to see is much of the weather we are having around the nation, with a few exceptions.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What ticks me off about the airlines is the way they're charging for bags that are checked on the plane these days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They want to charge for carry-on bags. I mean, where else do you go? They going to charge you to use the toilet next?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What ticks me off is when they lose my baggage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then you have to take a whole second step to find out what the baggage fees are. Because they're all different. They don't build it into the price anymore and it's really annoying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very cramped seats and delays.
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D) NEW YORK: The bottom line is very simple and that is, this is one of the-you know, it's a quality of life issue. We all travel. We are all now accommodated to stuffing things into a little suitcase that can fit right on top. They ought not to charge for that. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: A New York senator, that New York senator, calls it a slap in the face to travelers.
HOLMES: And why are you getting slapped around this time? Well, for a carry-on fee. All kinds of responses to this after a Florida- based announced this new fee. Beginning in August Spirit Airlines will collect up to $45 for a carry-on. You heard me right, folks. The bag that you were happy, that you could take on for free, and don't have to check, and you don't have to wait for it when you get off the plane. That bag, that carry on, up to $45, and it certainly struck a nerve with people around the country.
BOLDUAN: And someone in the studio I would say.
HOLMES: Well.
BOLDUAN: Well, we'll get to that.
To bills are now pending in Congress. Lawmakers want to either ban the fee or tax any airline that implements it.
HOLMES: So, the Spirit CEO, he was eager to come on and explain himself, explain the fee. We talked about it as gentlemen.
BOLDUAN: It was gentlemanly, but spirited.
HOLMES: This weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN BALDANZA, PRES., CEO, SPIRIT AIRLINES: We think it's necessary because there are just simply too many bags being brought on board the airplane today. That's creating delays. It is creating a lot customer frustration and even some conflict right at the time the plane is trying to get out.
And to be clear about something, though, our policy has been designed to be very customer friendly. A personal item that is able to fit under the seat in front of you, is still going to be free. And I brought an example of one that would work. For example, this bag, which you might think of as quite large, actually, because it's soft side, can hold a day or even two of clothing. It can hold medicines, it can hold reading material.
HOLMES: But, Ben, where do I put my feet once I put that under the seat?
BALDANZA: Well, the answer is if you bring that on board, if it will fit under the seat in front of you, that's great. If there's room in the overhead bin, go ahead and put it in the overhead bin. However, if there is not room in the overhead bin, we know that will fit under the seat. That will make sure that everyone can have room for their bag. HOLMES: But, Ben, on the simple issue of principle. People-the reason they stopped checking bags is the airline dis-incentivized us to do that by charging us. OK, we are going to get around that. I'll just carry the bag on. Now you want to charge them for that. Just in principle, doesn't it seem a little icky here, to do that? Just in principle?
BALDANZA: It sounds that I agree, accept it is fundamentally fairer. And let me explain why.
HOLMES: I have to hear this one.
BALDANZA: Even when everything was included in the ticket price. Check bags and other bags?
HOLMES: About half our customers, at Spirit, never checked a bag. And yet there are a lot of expenses for checking bags. There are tubs, there's carts, there's employees, there's insurance, there's bag belts, there's mechanics to keep all that stuff working. So, if half the people don't check bags everyone would have to pay a higher ticket price for those who do.
And we think it's unfair to charge someone for services they don't use. So the checked bag fee, fixes that problem if it charged those who checked bags but didn't charge those who don't. And our new carry-on fee does the same thing. We have lowered the fares for everyone. So, if you carry on a bag you pay, but if you don't you save money.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Did you get all that? He's saying you have a lower fare if you check a bag, is what he's saying. If you check a bag, which you will have to pay for, still your fare, your actual ticket price will be lower. And we, thanks to Ben Baldanza, there. He came on, he wanted to explain himself. He was a good sport about it. We appreciate it and we'll certainly be following up with him.
A lot of people out there have a lot to say. They have been talking about it on our blog, on Facebook, on Twitter, about this new fee. So, let's tell you what some of you are saying.
From Michelle, she says, "I'm absolutely, 100 percent in favor of the carry-on fee. It's ridiculous what passengers drag on board. It takes forever to board the plane and disembarrass."
She does have a point there.
BOLDUAN: There you go.
HOLMES: You see people with surfboards, sometimes.
BOLDUAN: And their tennis racket, and their--
HOLMES: All that stuff, so maybe she has a point there. From Eva, she is says, "This is robbery. Everyone who travels needs to bring baggage with them. They have forced us to bring our bags on the plane because they charge if you check your bags. Now they want to force us to pay for that."
And Jeffrey has another one here. Jeffery says, "It won't last." He says, "The major airlines, I believe cannot and will not implement it because it is too costly. It would drastically hurt their on-time departures and require more agents than they currently have.
Please, keep those comments coming. We enjoy reading them and we enjoy sharing them with our viewers. If you would like to weight in. You can go to our blog, e-mail us or find me on FaceBook and on Twitter.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: We're supposed to be doing robot moves.
HOLMES: No, we're not, Kate. We're not. Don't let the song get into you like that.
BOULDUAN: Oh, sorry.
HOLMES: But you were actually into this.
BOULDUAN: I am.
HOLMES: We are here at the CNN Center, and right next door we have the Georgia Dome, close by. There was a big event. A lot of kids were filling into the Atrium here, all weekend long because they were here for huge competition that's called the Varsity Sport of the Mind.
BOULDUAN But these athletes were enhanced with motors and circuit boards and clad in metal. It is the first robotics competition. High school students from around the country spend months building their robots with the help from engineers at corporate sponsors like General Motors and Motorola. The teams compete in a robotic soccer game of sorts where some of the machines even are destroyed in the process. It really is fascinating.
HOLMES: Again, you watch this online.
BOLDUAN: I'm such a nerd.
HOLMES: You could watch this live, online.
BOLDUAN: Yes, I watched the feed yesterday. It's really fabulous to see the kids who love science and engineering.
HOLMES: This is what it's about. And so many companies, corporations get involved in this because it encourages the kids to possibly enter fields in math and sciences and engineering; 1,800 robot teams, 25,000 engineering mentors.
BOLDUAN: Wow.
HOLMES: There were another 7,000 people, roughly, that were volunteering for the thing. Again, like we talked about, those sponsoring companies. Some 3,000 got involved. So, a huge event. Another huge success here in Atlanta. And the teams get $3,500 and one identical kit of parts.
BOLDUAN: Oh, that's great.
HOLMES: That is great as well.
BOLDUAN: And they were taking over my hotel. So, I know here a lot of them are staying. Having a good weekend.
HOLMES: Stay with us here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
Good morning to you all from the CNN Center here in Atlanta, Georgia. This CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's 7:00 a.m. where we sit; it is 11:00 a.m. in Iceland, 1 p.m. in London where ever you may be, thanks for being here. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BOULDUAN: I'm Kate Bolduan. Thank you for joining us this morning.
We gave you those times, T.J. was listing off, because millions of people are stuck all over the world. The thick cloud of ash hovering over Europe is impacting travelers everywhere from New York City to London to even China, at this point. Flights are grounded. Airports are closed. People aren't too happy about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Each day we have gone up to check out Virgin and they just tell us, you know, keep checking in. When we check the Internet, the Internet doesn't tell you anything. So, you have to keep going back to the airport all the time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: That man has been stuck in New York since Thursday. He's trying to get to Heathrow. But as you heard, he's not having much luck there. We'll hear from many more travelers throughout the morning.
HOLMES: Also I'll show you this live picture. We've been keeping an eye on this for the past several hours. We're about an hour away from the state funeral from the president of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, and his wife. The two were killed a week ago yesterday in that plane crash in Western Russia. The plane went down in some bad weather. We are told that the public funeral for the 96 victims of that plane crash happened yesterday, with hundreds of thousands of people showed up for that in the streets of Warsaw. This is happening in the historic city of Krakow, at the St. Mary's Basilica. We're keeping an eye on this.
But, again, the state funeral for the president is taking place in about an hour.
Meanwhile, we want to give you a look at some other stories that are making headline, including violent clashes happening on the streets of Los Angeles. This was after a white supremacist group began a demonstration there. They were out there, what they say, protesting against illegal immigration. But then counter- demonstrators showed up. And those counter-demonstrators were arrested, at least five of them, for throwing rocks and throwing bottles.
There were some 50 members of the Detroit-based National Socialist Movement, it's what they call themselves, a neo-Nazi groups. They were waving American flags and they also had swastikas and banners like that. They were shouting racial and anti-Semitic slurs out there as well. It was their demonstration but they were actually outnumbered by the counter-demonstrators by 10 to one.
BOLDUAN: And adoption talks between the U.S. and Russia will likely be delayed because of the ash from that volcano in Iceland. The U.S. delegation can't get to Russian because of, obviously, flight cancellations. Russian adoptions have been held up since a Tennessee woman returned her 7-year-old adoptive son to Russia.
HOLMES: And to the south Pacific now -- another earthquake to tell you about. It seems like a number of these things, almost daily it seems for the past several weeks. But a 6.3 magnitude earthquake just hit Papua New Guinea. You see it there on your map, just north of Australia. No reports right now of any deaths or injuries or any major damage. Now, this takes place in an area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. This is an area runs -- kind of circles the Pacific Ocean. And that's where some 3/4 of the world's active volcanoes are located.
We do want to take you back now to Poland -- Krakow, Poland, in particular. Put this live picture back up on the screen. We see the bodies laying at St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow in Poland. This is where the state funeral is set to take place for the fallen president of Poland.
Lech Kaczynski and his wife were both killed, along with 94 others in that plane crash in western Russia a week ago yesterday.
The state funeral is expected to take place here in about an hour. Now, this is inside the church. Outside they're expecting some 1.5 million people to show up and pay their respects to the late president.
Our Phil Black is standing outside with these throngs of people.
These have been, Phil, some emotional pictures to see -- just this outpouring of people. And we see behind you right now as well. But set the scene for our viewers right now.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, T.J. As you mentioned, in about an hour from the start of the state funeral. But apparently, a prayer service is under way. And I just want to let you soak up the scene a little bit. We're just going to pan across the crowd. The coffin of the president and the first lady are within St. Mary's Basilica there at the back of the square. But as you can see, within the square itself, tens of thousands of people are here. This place is really packed to capacity right now.
This prayer service has been under way for a short time. And it is a somber moving scene. One of many that we've seen over the course of the week.
And we've also spoken a bit of the last week about how not everyone necessarily liked this president nor his policies, but this is yet another example of the Polish people putting it all to one side and coming together in a time of suffering and really honoring their own fallen head of state, T.J.
HOLMES: Phil, we're going to keep an eye on these live pictures. We're going to -- I know people are trying to be quiet. So, we want to be respectful there as well of what's happening. But we'll check back in with you, Phil.
But, again, this live we're seeing and we'll keep an eye on this. This is happening in the next hour, within the hour -- the state funeral for the fallen president, Lech Kaczynski.
And also, many state leaders -- many world leaders are showing up for this funeral. But many more were expected, including the president of the United States. He was expected to be there, had planned to be there, but the last minute, they had to cancel his plans to be there because of that huge volcanic ash cloud that is really wreaking havoc across many parts of Europe, grounded planes, air space is closed over many countries there in Europe.
But the president -- they made the calculation that it wasn't worth the risk, quite frankly. These planes cannot fly into or through this ash. It could cause fits for these engines.
No matter -- these leaders, no matter how souped up and how technologically advanced your plane is, an engine can't take this ash. And it's just too much of a risk. So, many world leaders have had to cancel and not going to be able to be there. But many are -- many others still will be there today -- Kate.
BOLDUAN: So, that volcano in Iceland, we've been talking about it. And we'll continue to talk about it.
Today's ash cloud shots four miles high. But its impact stretches worldwide. You can see and you can -- look at those pictures. I just can't stop looking at them. You can add now Spain to the list of the countries with closed airports.
That means airports have now been grounded to a halt in at least 15 countries. Tens of thousands of passengers are stranded across the world. Experts say air traffic will likely be paralyzed until the middle of the week, if not longer. And from a business standpoint, the cost of this standstill is staggering. The airline industry's trade group estimates the massive disruption is costing at least $200 million a day.
Here's a look at the countries affected by the volcanic ash. I'll pull up this map for you. Air space has been shut down across much of central and northern Europe. That's where you see -- those are the countries in red. Less severe restrictions are in place across the southern part of the continent.
The ripples stretch far and wide. In New York one stranded passenger said the cots and crowded sleeping conditions make JFK Airport looked more like a refugee camp than an airport. Air France is planning a test flight to measure the presence of volcanic ash. In London, the ban on flights has been extended through tomorrow at the earliest. And in Hong Kong, airlines have canceled dozens of flights bound for Europe.
It's something really teens do without really thinking about it. We're talking about and it's given a term now, sexting.
HOLMES: Yes, we've seen some adults -- celebrities even get in trouble with this stuff after they take some crazy picture and send it out and then it ends up on the Internet. But these of sending explicit pictures on cell phones. That is what sexting is all about.
It's happening. Kids think it's not really a big deal. But it is a big deal.
The dangers of sexting -- we're talking about that this morning on Sunday morning. You might want to get your teenager up to listen to this. And, parents, you certainly want to stay tuned.
Stay with us.
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BOLDUAN: So, ohhh -- snowfall in the springtime. This is snowfall in New Hampshire yesterday. Very beautiful. I love this.
Do you ski?
HOLMES: No. I know we don't know each other well, but I don't know what about me says skiing to you.
BOLDUAN: Well, I love to ski. And I know someone else who at least if not skis, would love to snowshoe.
Hey there, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, guys. No, T.J., you've always struck me as being a real snow bunny candidate.
HOLMES: You think snow buddy --
WOLF: Snow buddy and guy usually don't go together. (CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Nobody has referred to me that before, Reynolds -- snow bunny.
WOLF: Hey, there's a first for everything.
These are great things you get to see when you're watching CNN on the weekend.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: No question about it.
Guys, we're going to trade snowflakes for rain drops in parts of the (INAUDIBLE). Rain is going to be an issue in places where you have poor drainage, what can be more than a big issue might be some flash flooding in a few places, namely in Dallas, northward to Oklahoma City.
But the thing is -- all of this is not going to remain in place. All of this is going to sweep its way to the east. So, eventually in places like, say, Memphis, or to be more exact, West Memphis, home of our resident ski bunny, T.J. Holmes. They could see some rain drops there before the day is out.
And the reason why we may see that rainfall there is actually pretty simple. What we've got is that area of low pressure that's going to pull its way to the east. As it does so, it's going to tap into that moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Scattered showers are also possible for parts of central and south Florida. West Palm Beach, you may get some rain action there. Same deal in Tampa.
But when you get back in the Northeast, again, we're talking about the snowfall we have up in places like New Hampshire. They may stick around through midday. But then temperatures are going to warm up a bit.
So, it looks the only places we're going to see snow will be in the highest elevations, places like Green Mountains, that kind of thing. But in the valleys, in parts of Maine, expect it to be all rain.
Out to the west, Pikes Peak may see some snowfall. Other places may not. In the valleys, again, some rainfall. It looks like the west coast is going to be picture perfect for you until you get down to San Diego. You could see some scattered showers there.
Now, in terms of your temperatures -- a beautiful day in the Northeast. High is going to up in the 50s and 60s; 72 in Memphis, Tennessee; 72 going to switching over to 62 in the other side of that boundary, over in Dallas; 69 in Denver; 60 in San Francisco, out by Pier 39; and 77 in Tampa, with a chance of showers.
All right. That's a wrap on your forecast. I'm Reynolds Wolf. And you, friends and neighbors, are watching CNN. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA DAWN JOHNSON, MOTIVATIONAL MINUTE: Good morning. And welcome to morning motivation. This is Melissa Dawn Johnson.
Well, spring is finally here. Can you believe it? Often, in the hustle and bustle of our day, we fail to realize that nature is giving us simple signs that change is in the air. Have you noticed the warmth of the sun, or the blossoming of the new trees or just the energy in the air?
So, no matter what happened in winter, forget about it. This is a new day. Hit out and experience it, live it, and love every single moment.
Until next week, please visit me at my blog brandmelive.com. I'd love to hear how you are staying motivated. Until then, make every single day brandtastic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
BOLDUAN: Millions of people all over the world are being affected by this -- the widespread disruptions to air travel is really leaving people stranded -- I mean literally stranded.
HOLMES: All over the world, not just Europe. But folks can't get home. There are folks here stuck in the U.S. as well.
Josh Levs has been looking into all of this this weekend -- but now looking at one U.S. community in particular being hit pretty hard.
Good morning to you again, Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, again, to you, guys.
Yes, I've actually been learning a little bit about this community. Let me show you quickly on the map where it is. It's in the northwest corner of Illinois, right there. It's just outside Chicago. You can barely see it.
But for those of you who know Chicago, it's the fifth district. And it turns out -- this area is home to one of the biggest U.S. populations of Polish Americans in the United States. And a lot of people there were hoping to attend the funeral services for victims of the plane crash.
And we have a report now from our affiliate WGN. We're going to hear from several people, beginning with a spokeswoman for the Representative from that district, Mike Quigley, who represents that area. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a very big honor for him to be asked to represent the House, to represent Illinois, and express his condolences in person. He would have preferred that had.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER (voice-over): Consul General Zygmunt Matynia is planning to fly Monday to attend to the funeral of one of his closest friends.
ZYGMUNT MATYNIA, POLISH CONSUL GENERAL: I hope that I can go over there. I have ticket, I have everything prepared.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And Polish-American Congress president, Frank Spula, was planning to already be in Warsaw. He'll go, he says, as soon as he can.
FRANK SPULA, POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS: -- if we can to attend the funerals of President Kaczynski, but we'll certainly pay our respects in Krakow when we arrive.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Anna Wojtowicz has to be there by Thursday for her father's funeral. But she's already missed receiving his remains. She's asking for prayers from her family and for her country.
ANNA WOJTOWICZ, FATHER KILLED IN CRASH: I can't think straight. I want to be there if I could take a boat.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: And she's not alone. There are other -- excuse me -- there are Polish Americans who are hearing similar stories. They're trying to get to the funeral, not only because they're Polish and so affected by the horrible tragedy that we saw there a week ago, but because they had relatives who are on the plane. And now, they can't get to the funeral for their own relatives from here in America.
Let me show you quickly what's going on on the screen behind me. We're getting all sorts of stories that we're sharing with you at CNN.com, fill all sorts of photos from all over the world. We are also getting some iReports.
And just to lift things up a little bit, I am going to tell you about this one photo that we got here from a man named Bill Wall who says, you know what, for him, this actually has been an upside to all of this. He was in Europe and now, because he's stranded there, he says he's spending more quality time with his brother than he has in decades. So, there are those finding the positivity in a very difficult situation.
But, obviously, Kate and T.J., no one wants to hear about someone losing a father being unable to get over to a funeral. And certainly, we're all hoping that these disruptions will be relieved as soon as possible.
HOLMES: As soon as possible. There are stories all over the world just like that.
We talked with a guy who's going to be missing his son's wedding in one case. And Alexey was trying to get home as well.
Josh, we appreciate you're bringing those stories.
LEVS: Thanks, guys.
HOLMES: Also this morning, something your teenager knows about and you've been hearing about. But it's something as simple as a picture that is sent on a cell phone. It can actually lead to your teenager's arrest.
BOLDUAN: We've been hearing a lot about this word, "sexting." And coming up, we're going to learn exactly what it is and how it could land your teen in trouble with the law.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Parents, you may want to listen up on this one. Many fear it's the new normal. And potentially, one of your worse nightmares: kids using cell phones to take nude pictures of themselves and send them to friends.
Sexting is a huge problem. Teens being somewhat addicted to their phones is another. And we are tackling this issue today with experts who have the answer.
First up, let's bring in our tech guru, Mario Armstrong.
How are you, Mario?
MARIO ARMSTRONG, RADIO, TV AND ONLINE TECHNOLOGY JOURNALIST: Good morning, Kate. I'm doing fine. How are you?
BOLDUAN: I'm doing great. Thank you.
So, cell phones -- this is no news -- cell phones are essential in our lives today.
ARMSTRONG: Absolutely.
BOLDUAN: And kids are getting cell phones earlier and earlier. But this may actually be becoming a problem. We're hearing now about cell phone obsession, cell phone addiction. Really?
ARMSTRONG: Yes, really. We're getting to that point. I mean, these kids are growing up with these devices and they are becoming more use to having these devices. I mean, it's getting to the point where, in some cases, even parents are giving these kids devices to be almost be kind of like the teen or tween pacifier. So that on long trips, kids are busy using these devices and you don't get to hear from them.
So, we are kind of aiding this a little bit here by pushing technology down to these kids at such an early age. And we're seeing kids -- I mean, there was a recent study that showed that cell phone ownership in kids has increased by 68 percent in the past five years. And this comes to us from American kids studies. So, this is real issues.
BOLDUAN: Well, that number -- well, that jump is huge. I have to tell you --
ARMSTRONG: It is.
BOLDUAN: -- it doesn't seem very surprising. So, kids are getting cell phones earlier and earlier as you say. And you have a 7- year-old.
ARMSTRONG: That's right.
BOLDUAN: How early is too early? When are you going to let -- when are you going to let your kid have a cell phone?
ARMSTRONG: Yes, and this is every parent's issue, right? They're trying to figure out exactly when is the right time. A lot of parents in a lot of surveys and research that I've done say three things come to mind: security and safety, convenience comes to mind, and just the ability to have that peace of mind that they know they can get in touch with their kids.
So, my kid is 7. And there's actually a couple of students in his class that actually have a cell phone. Now, I'm not there yet. Most doctors recommend actually holding off until they're about 15 or 16.
I don't think I'm going to be hold off that long. But I'm at least going to hold off until 11 or 12. I do think it's a personal decision on your own kid's maturity and whether or not you feel that you will be away from your kid often enough that you need to be in contact with them via cell phone.
BOLDUAN: So, as we often say, when it comes, you know, when -- rather than making a broad statement, how early is too early, it's --
ARMSTRONG: Right.
BOLDUAN: -- it has to deal with the child's maturity level. That's what you take into account.
ARMSTRONG: Yes. Number one and number two, whether or not you're with that child often. I mean, if you're not with the child quite often, then yes, you might actually really want to consider giving this child a phone. And then you can get phones that have different features, prepaid plans. Limit their texting, limit their online browsing so that you kind of control what they actually access.
BOLDUAN: So, Mario, I just want to jump into this real quick.
ARMSTRONG: Sure.
BOLDUAN: So, let's talk about this issue, sexting, very briefly. Is this really --
ARMSTRONG: OK.
BOLDUAN: -- is this really a big issue? Is this being studied?
ARMSTRONG: This is being studied. This is a massive issue, Kate. I really can't -- you know, I pause because of the seriousness of the nature of this. I actually spoke with a private investigator.
And there are kids -- because the laws now -- for example, if I take a picture -- if a student takes a picture of someone nude, which 30 percent of kids are doing on some cell phones, according to an MTV/"Associated Press" study. So, a lot of kids are taking their cell phones and taking sexually suggestive images and then forwarding them around via their phone. Those kids can be held liable and be almost placed on a sex offender's list because of that passing of that photo.
So, it's a really major issue.
BOLDUAN: We have a lot more to talk about on this issue. Mario, as always, thank you so much. Our tech guru, Mario Armstrong.
ARMSTRONG: Thank you so much, Kate, for having me.
BOLDUAN: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right. Well, we're not done with the topic here just yet. Parents, what you need to know and what you need to say to your kids. Expert advice is on the way.
Stay here.
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HOLMES: Well, sexting is what we talked about last break. And if you're younger than 19 years old, certainly, you know exactly what that means. The thing you may not know though, the ramifications that go with it. This is something parents need to know so that they can pass along to their kids.
There are kind of three scenarios that experts say sexting is most likely to occur. It's between romantic partners. Also, partners sharing images outside of their relationship, and a teen that's not in a relationship but wants to be.
Richard Guerry is the director of -- the president of the Institute for Responsible Online and Cell Phone Communication. He joins us this morning.
Richard, thank you for being here.
Do we need to change the behavior by, quite frankly, scaring these kids and reminding them just how much trouble you can get yourself into by doing this?
RICHARD GUERRY, IROC2.ORG: You know, it's a very difficult subject for a lot of parents today. But believe it or not, actually, 65 percent of the people that we deal with who find themselves at the epicenter of a serious situation are parents. They themselves lack what they call a digital consciousness.
Here's the point and here's what our institute tries to make very clear to our audiences across the nation. Sexting is an effect. Cyber-bullying is an effect.
What you do with your digital tools and technologies can have a positive or negative effect. It all stems from one thing, the cause. And the cause is right here. The cause is what you decide to do the moment you turn on your digital tools and technologies.
They are distributed to us because they are great beneficial powerful tools of convenience. If you're irresponsible however and you abuse it, like anything else, often, that will lead to tragedy.
HOLMES: So, they're just abusing.
GUERRY: Very quickly --
HOLMES: Oh, yes. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Go ahead, Richard.
GUERRY: So, abusing it -- abusing it. I mean, essentially, you have in your hand a weapon of self-destruction if you do not know how to use this responsibly, OK?
There's only one thing you need to know and it's extremely simple to stay out of trouble with -- proactively stay out of trouble with any digital tool or technology, and that is simply this -- believe or not, our institute will prove it to you.
HOLMES: Yes.
GUERRY: You have the mindset that what you are about to do is public and permanent.
HOLMES: Yes.
GUERRY: You have the mindset that what I'm about to do, my mom is going to see, my dad is going to see, my great grandkids are going to see. And that's a room of criminals is going to see it.
HOLMES: Is that so --
GUERRY: And you'll proactively stay out of trouble.
HOLMES: You know, remind me -- and that's very --
GUERRY: It's that simple.
HOLMES: Is that simple. Is kind of that old adage that you don't -- you don't ever do anything you would be afraid to tell your mom about. So, that kind of goes along in the same line really. So, tell people --
GUERRY: That is absolutely right.
HOLMES: -- remind people just how much trouble you can get into. And also, some legal trouble with some of the stuff you do on that cell phone, somebody's images you put out you think are innocent enough in one sense.
GUERRY: Absolutely. Again, you know, we'll keep it nice and simple. If you are under the age of 18 and you take a picture, your possession or a creator for child pornography.
HOLMES: Wow.
GUERRY: If you send it, you are now in distribution of child pornography.
HOLMES: Wow.
GUERRY: If you keep it on your phone, you're in possession of child pornography. If you do all three, that's quite a wrap.
Again, if you want to get rid of the sexting problem, and this stems for any consequences, this cyber-bullying would fall right under this -- as a society, we cannot continue to focus on effects. We have a knee-jerk reaction to effect, OK? And sexting is one of them.
You do not fix effect by trying to put a Band-Aid on a hemorrhaging wound.
HOLMES: Yes.
GUERRY: What you have to do is fix the cause. The cause is right here and how you decide to use your tools and technologies. You know, six months ago we didn't know the iPod was going to shoot video, right?
HOLMES: Yes, that's good point.
GUERRY: But today, it shoots video.
HOLMES: Yes, very good point.
GUERRY: So, this is another device that you could wind up doing a sext with if you will, right?
So, do we wait, as a society, for somebody to do something silly with their iPod and then having an iPod training class? It makes no sense. But that's what we're doing as a society.
HOLMES: Richard, that's some very simple stuff and I'm going to put this stuff out and make sure our viewers get that. But very simple -- simple ways to cut this off before it ever gets out of hand.
Richard Guerry, again, I want to say the name of -- the Institute for Responsible Online and Cell Phone Communication -- we appreciate you coming in. That's some very useful information for the viewers. Thanks so much. You enjoy the rest of your Sunday. GUERRY: My pleasure. Thank you.
HOLMES: Kate and I are going to be back with more top stories coming up in 30 minutes at the top of the hour.
But, right now, we're going to hand this thing over to "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D."
