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CNN Saturday Morning News
Obama/Chavez Handshake Raises Questions; Mayor Talks About How to Get Detroit Back on Track; Captain Richard Phillips Back in the U.S.
Aired April 18, 2009 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, from the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING for this April 18th. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for starting your day with us.
It is 8:00 a.m. Eastern as well as in Trinidad where President Obama is attending day two of the summit of the Americas. He's already attempted to warm up relationships between the U.S., Cuba, and Venezuela and a handshake as a welcoming conversation, hmm. Does that mean all things are possible with new beginnings? We're going to delve into that.
HOLMES: Also 23 school closings, 600 teachers laid off, yes, 600. Now 7,000 students forced to find new schools and a city deficit at more than $300 million. Detroit is what we're talking about, a city that's going through a lot, going through a whole lot more now. The city's mayor going to be joining us live this hour about what he plans to do to get the motor city back on track.
But we do want to pass along information we're just getting this morning. North Korea saying it will consider any new sanctions or pressure after its recent rocket launch a, quote, declaration of war. This week, the U.N. Security Council condemned the launch which fizzled out over the water almost two weeks ago even though North Korea says it was a success. The U.N. says North Korea violated a 2006 resolution banning ballistic missile tests. North Korea accuses the U.N. of violating its sovereignty. This week the communist country decided also to kick out U.N. nuclear inspectors.
NGUYEN: Well, it is day 89 of the Obama administration and the president is in Trinidad attending the summit of the Americas. And right about now President Obama is attending a meeting with the union of South American nations. At 11:45 he'll participate in the official heads of state photo and at 8:00 tonight an official dinner as well as a cultural show.
And you've got to check this out, the handshake seen round the world. New pictures show President Obama shaking hands with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the man who once called President Bush the devil and recently called President Obama an ignoramus. Well, the two met briefly in a hotel lobby before the beginning of the summit of the Americas.
Going right into Trinidad right now, could this be a sign of cooling tensions between Washington and Caracas? Chavez reportedly told President Obama, I want to be your friend.
HOLMES: All right. So how friendly will things be between these two countries? A handshake, an awfully symbolic gesture a lot of people are paying attention to right now. Let's head to Trinidad. Our Suzanne Malveaux is there.
Suzanne, you have followed this man on the campaign trail. You have followed him now in his first 80-90 days as president. You've seen him shake a lot of hands. No handshake quite like this one, however.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: T.J., absolutely right. A lot of attention around that handshake and really what we saw from President Obama yesterday saying he wanted to re- engage with Latin America. He says there's no junior partner, senior partner in this relationship and he also said, look, I know that there have been times the United States has dictated the terms when it comes to Latin America, when it comes to these leaders.
He really wants to turn the page and show that this is going to be something that is very different and honestly that handshake, T.J., at least a symbolic gesture, that he is good to his word.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): Shaking off the past, a handshake between the leaders of two countries that would have been unthinkable just 100 days ago. President Obama walks over to Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez and introduces himself. According to Venezuelan officials and not disputed by the White House, Chavez says with the same hand I greeted Bush eight years ago. I want to be your friend.
This from the man who once called President Bush the devil. Minutes later the president of Nicaragua spent nearly an hour in a tirade against previous U.S. presidents' treatment of Latin America. Mr. Obama made a joke of it to lighten the mood.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm grateful that President Ortega did not blame me for things that happened when I was three-months-old.
MALVEAUX: President Obama is pledging change with Latin America and so far both sides seem to be embracing it.
OBAMA: That's part of the change that has to take place.
MALVEAUX: At a summit in Trinidad with Latin American leaders, Obama also said he wants the cold war between the U.S. and Cuba to end.
OBAMA: The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba.
MALVEAUX: Mr. Obama's message was in direct response to the offer by Cuba's President Raul Castro to engage in unconditional talks with the U.S. RAUL CASTRO, CUBAN LEADER (through translator): We are ready when they want to discuss everything -- human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners -- everything, everything, everything they want to discuss but on equal terms.
MALVEAUX: But Mr. Obama also made it clear he wants to see action on those issues from Cuba, not just talk.
OBAMA: Let me be clear. I'm not interested in talking just for the sake of talking. But I do believe that we can move U.S./Cuban relations in a new direction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And T.J., there are 34 countries including the United States that are actively participating in the summit of the Americas here. The only country in the western hemisphere that has not been invited, that is Cuba.
Already we heard last night some of the leaders, many of the leaders of this organization pressing President Obama essentially to bring Cuba back into the fold, to be a part of this organization. The resistance obviously has been that Cuba is not a democracy, therefore not a part of this group. But there are many leaders who believe that Cuba in fact should be a part of the summit -- T.J.?
HOLMES: All right and as you said there, Cuba not invited but still really a hot issue there. What else really is the president trying to get dealt with, trying to get done possibly during this summit?
MALVEAUX: Well, certainly there are other things obviously that are pressing when it comes to Cuba, normalizing relations as well as lifting the trade embargo. But the big thing with a lot of these leaders is they're looking to the United States for some leadership when it comes to the economy, this global economic crisis, the recession, obviously very much dependent on the United States and how President Obama handles the economy.
So, they are looking for some reassurance and even perhaps some answers that President Obama is being attentive, that he's paying attention obviously and that the economy will improve. It's going to spill over, have a very important impact on many of these Latin American countries, T.J..
HOLMES: All right. And thank you, Suzanne. I do want to note to our viewers they can see behind you there, there is a cruise ship and Suzanne Malveaux, like so many of our other correspondents at CNN is on Twitter. You can follow her in one of her last tweets from Trinidad, says 90 degrees, brought my bathing suits. Yes, we are following you on Twitter and we know what you're doing.
MALVEAUX: I have not yet -- I have not yet taken out the bathing suit. I will let you know. I will Twitter it so that you will see that tweet.
HOLMES: Well, we are following you. Suzanne, thank you so much. Enjoy your off time there in Trinidad. We'll see you.
NGUYEN: Yeah, don't tweet about it, Suzanne, until after the fact. That way we won't see all those pictures posted in all the magazines. It's amazing what you can put on there and people read it and boom, it's out there.
HOLMES: She is going to kill me for that.
NGUYEN: You are in big-time trouble.
HOLMES: She put it out there. I didn't make it up.
NGUYEN: It's her fault, OK.
We're going to move onto this story because Captain Richard Phillips insists he is not a hero, but many people feel otherwise. The freed pirate hostage is back home with his family.
This morning, our Susan Candiotti is in Phillips' hometown of Underhill, Vermont. I have to tell you, this has got to be a hero's welcome. I know there are big things planned today.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're actually going to give him a quiet day and who can blame the town for welcoming him in this quiet fashion. After all, this is what Captain Richard Phillips has asked for time and again, but the big question this morning is, is he awake yet? And the answer is we don't know. Drove past the house this morning. There were some lights on, but if Captain Richard Phillips had been awake he would have seen a beautiful sunrise. He certainly got to sleep in his own bed.
And now, you could say he gets to start perhaps the first day of the rest of his life. As we all know by now, of course he was rescued last Easter Sunday, just a week ago, rescued by U.S. Navy SEALs who took out three pirates who had been holding him hostage for a week. Of course he flew home yesterday via Kenya, the trip taking 18 hours.
Finally arrived at the airport here in Underhill, Vermont, a small airport. His wife took to the podium first, then he did, but she had the first words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREA PHILLIPS, WIFE OF CAPTAIN RICHARD PHILLIPS: We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support and prayers from our friends, our fellow workers and from our community here in Vermont, across our great nation and even across the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: And then, of course, it was the turn of Captain Richard Phillips to step up to the podium. He thanked his crew members on the "Maersk Alabama." He thanked the U.S. military for having saved him and of course he thanked the American people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CAPT. RICHARD PHILLIPS, MAERSK ALABAMA: I just want to thank you for your prayers and support of my family while I was gone. I really appreciate that. I wasn't here to do that. If you see the military, you can thank them for me. If you're in the airport or at a restaurant, down the street, thank them. They're doing an impossible job. I would not be here without them. I'm not a hero. It just floors me about everything I've read and the support that you've done.
Also, I want to thank my crew. We did it. I told you it wasn't going to be if. It was going to be when and we did what we trained to do. We're just seamen. We do the best with what we've got and my crew did an excellent job and I'm so proud of them, that they're all home and they are with their loved ones. I'm not the hero. The military is the hero. Thank them. Thank you. Excuse me?
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)
PHILLIPS: Indescribable, indescribable. Once again, I'm not a hero. The military is. Thank them whenever you see them. The military did it. Thank you. God bless America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: So after that display of applause and hearing all the love he is receiving from his town, a very humble man made his way home waving to passersby on the way. We know waiting for him he had homemade chicken pot pie. There was beer and there were homemade brownies. Whether he ate them, can't tell you that either.
But now finally as we said before, Captain Richard Phillips has a chance to catch his breath and remind everyone along the way, of course, that there are still over 200 people that are still being held hostage by pirates.
Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you so much for that report. Glad to see him home. T.J.?
HOLMES: And now that the captain and crew of the "Maersk Alabama" are back home, Congress wants to hear about their ordeal firsthand as they consider new laws.
But before they tell their stories to Congress, they're telling their stories to CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Reunited with their families, crew members from the hijacked American tanker give new details about how the young Somali pirates overpowered them.
WILLIAM RIOS, MAERSK ALABAMA CREW MEMBER: Scary, scary. All we had was knifes. They had AK-47s.
TODD: The crew now reveals they'd been shadowed before on this journey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were attacked three times. They tried to board three times. Different pirates were trying to attack us on that stretch.
TODD: They describe taking evasive maneuvers to get away. Finally the pirates got the upper hand.
ATM ZAHID REZA, MAERSK ALABAMA CREW MEMBER: When they came onboard, they started fighting with AK-47s and one guy, one pirate, their leader Abdul, he was the one who came on the boat first and he came on the bridge. Stop the ship. Stop the ship and then we hands up.
TODD: Crew members say some of them hid in the steering chambers and were able to cut off power to the vessel. They say that was crucial because the pirates were reluctant to move around in the dark. Seaman Zahid Reza he convinced the pirate leader Abdul, a fellow Muslim, to go to the engine room with him to check on the crew. He says the hijacker didn't bring his gun. When they got him alone, the chief engineer jumped the pirate.
REZA: The pirate lying on the floor on his back with the knife. He was having a hard time to control him. And I jumped over the pirates and he was fighting me and chief engineer to get away from us. Yeah, I was attempting to kill him. Chief engineer said, no, no. We need him alive.
TODD: That hijacker got medical attention when the U.S. Navy got there and turned out to be the only pirate who survived.
(on-camera): Crew members say that pirate leader appeared to be only about 18 years old and had told them he was looking for a ransom of about $3 million.
Brian Todd, CNN, Oxon Hill, Maryland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: So a lot of questions about how exactly the navy SEALs pulled off that rescue. Tonight in the CNN "NEWSROOM," Don Lemon is taking a look inside the mission to save Captain Phillips. You can get a behind-the-scenes look at the elite U.S. Navy SEAL training program including those snipers again tonight in the "NEWSROOM" at 7:00 and 10:00 Eastern.
We do have some weather to talk about today. Springtime for a lot of folks around the country. But in Colorado, three feet of snow. That doesn't feel so spring like. Our Reynolds Wolf is going to be along to tell us if the worst is behind us at least.
NGUYEN: And what would you do if you lost a ring that was worth more than $370,000? Well, one man's quest to find a lost treasure is coming right up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: We got some really remarkable video to show you. It's spring, right? You think flowers, spring showers, not exactly hail.
HOLMES: This is a little something different here, Reynolds. Reynolds, make your way over to what we calling that thing?
(WEATHER REPORT)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: At the same time, on a weekend like this you don't want to deal with all the rough stuff, the snow, the rain, the flooding. So it's always a good idea to get out there and have a little bit of a getaway for the weekend. Check out today's story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF (voice-over): Spring may be a perfect time to skip the museum and enjoy art outside.
STIRLING KELSO, TRAVEL + LEISURE: One of the best things about seeing a public art installation on a weekend getaway is that you're always going to get amazing artists and see new sculpture and architecture every time you go. Admission is usually free and if there is a fee, it's very inexpensive.
WOLF: The Olympic sculpture park in Seattle was open to the public every day from dawn until dusk.
MIMI GATES, DIRECTOR, SEATTLE ART MUSEUM: You have great art. You have green space and there's a balance between the two.
WOLF: Outdoor art is often an extension of the city's museum.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Minneapolis sculpture garden is a part of the Walker art center and really put Minneapolis on the arts and culture map.
WOLF: And the free art is not limited to sculpture.
KELSO: The most iconic building at the millennium park is the Frank Geary designed amphitheater. There are so many shows there. In fact in July and August, there are a lot of free performances as well.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. So imagine this, a beautiful day in Daytona Beach. That happens pretty often, right? OK. You're on the pier having a little lunch and oops, you just lost your $370,000 ring that just slipped off the finger and into the ocean. So what do you do?
HOLMES: You stand up and you scream, I'm an idiot. No, you don't do that. Still, I was amazed why someone wearing a ring that expensive, it was a man wearing this ring.
NGUYEN: Yes, a man wearing the ring.
HOLMES: It's worth that much. You should have it secured in a way that it doesn't just slip off.
NGUYEN: Surgically implanted into your finger.
HOLMES: Maybe that as well. But we'll have his story up next and what he's actually trying to do and his insurance company is trying to do to get it back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Huge success, 96 musicians from 30 countries came together this week for an unprecedented event at Carnegie Hall thanks to YouTube.
HOLMES: We've been hearing a lot about this. Got the opportunity of a lifetime, an opportunity a lot of people would not actually get. But because of the power of YouTube and people getting to vote, it was nice that these relative -- people living in relative obscurity with their music were able to do this.
Our Josh Levs looking into this for us, joins us now. This actually worked out. (INAUDIBLE) and then it happened so it actually worked out.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're really happy for these people. This is really cool. This is the chance of a lifetime. Thousands of people submitted audition videos over here, YouTube.com and millions of people visited the page and voted.
And now this week, they got together at Carnegie Hall, their dream and this is what they got to do.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to an evening which is definitely a meeting of a lot of different worlds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To say something that started with one small stage going to a big trick (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I was completing this work on the street of New York, London, Beijing, Shanghai I heard those street noises. Then, this is beyond the (INAUDIBLE) of today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had been to Carnegie Hall before. I had sat in the audience and watched performances and dreamed about being on stage, never thought it would happen at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole world tonight is Googling around at what's happening at Carnegie Hall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once you've made it to Carnegie Hall, you've really made it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The finalists of almost 100 musicians from over 30 countries, a great example of already of how YouTube really extends right around the world. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably won't know what it means until 10 years down the line when I look back at it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) together and let's them collaborate, transcending geographical and linguistic boundaries.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: And you can actually see it, YouTube.com/symphony. You can watch this one section (ph), an entire hour of continuous video and you can see what you think for yourself. Not bad guys, pretty impressive.
NGUYEN: Pretty impressive but...
HOLMES: What we think doesn't matter. There are professionals out there.
NGUYEN: What did the reviewers and the critics have to say?
LEVS: We got some reviews for you actually, overall pretty impressive stuff. Let's go to this first one. It's from "The New York Times" and this is what they say. I have a quote for you. "How did the symphony play? Quite well, actually, though a little rough and ready, the performance had drive, color and passion. Still, he does say I wish the concert had been less gimmicky, more substantive." That was Anthony Tommasini of "The New York Times."
Got the AP for you here, "Associated Press," a lot of places carried this review. "From the joyous third movement of Brahms' fourth symphony to the fiery crashes of Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony at the end, Thomas -- that's Michael Tilson (ph) Thomas, the conductor -- led the musicians in a remarkable performance."
And finally, we're going to go to this one from the "Daily News." "The musicians performed works by Bach, Brahms, and Mozart as if they'd been together for years."
You know what, these guys have a lot of reason to be happy with the reviewers liked them, the audience liked them. This could mean they do the same thing next year and according to what YouTube told me, YouTube might expand this idea. They might have other kinds of auditions for other kinds of projects. This might be the start of something.
NGUYEN: All right, you heard it here first.
HOLMES: You did hear it here first.
NGUYEN: OK, thank you, Josh.
LEVS: You got it.
HOLMES: We turn to this story now that has us all fascinated here and scratching our heads. How do you lose a $370,000 ring? How do you do that? NGUYEN: Well, when it's that big, right there, look at the orange diamond set in the middle of those two stones on the side, it could slip off, I guess but really unfortunate when it slips off and into the ocean. What happened was a guy was having lunch. And somehow, I don't know, the ring fell off his finger down into the water and now he is stressed out trying to find this ring.
HOLMES: He's got his insurance company involved who is actually going to be sending out dive teams to try to find this thing. He has a reward out, not exactly sure how much it is. But I gave the guy a hard time earlier. What he says happened, he reached into his pocket and, you know, it's hard if you got a ring on that big to get into your pocket, but he was trying to grab something, pulled his hand out and then when he was trying to pull the hand out of the pocket that's when the ring popped off. Again, $370,000 -- a family heirloom handed down --
NGUYEN: For, what, two or three generations. You can't get it back. Hopefully he can. Maybe those dive teams will find it. At least he's got insurance on it. I guess that's the good news in all of this. Look at that. It's a beautiful ring.
HOLMES: I think I'm planning a trip down to Daytona Beach this weekend.
NGUYEN: Yeah, I'm going to get myself one of those little metal detector things.
HOLMES: You know a lot of people are.
NGUYEN: Combing the beaches.
HOLMES: Good luck to him. I hope he is able to find it.
Coming up here, though, we're going to be learning those (INAUDIBLE) those interrogation memos as should say that were just released shows just how far some investigators went in trying to prevent acts of terror against this country.
NGUYEN: And a little bit later, a chaotic scene after a small plane crashed into a home near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. You see it went pretty much right smack dab in the middle of that house. We're going to have the details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We have been learning more this week about the investigative techniques used in the days after 9/11 when, of course, the country was using all kinds of new tools to try to track down terrorists.
NGUYEN: Yes we have and Tom Foreman reports that a Bush-era memo made public this week reveals just how far some investigators went.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the war on terror raged in the years following 9/11, the new documents paint a graphic picture of what was happening to some suspected terrorists in American hands.
Suspects like Abu Zubayda (ph), identified by the CIA as a top al Qaeda operative. In memos to the spy agency, the Justice Department approved shackling so-called high value suspects forcing them to stand and keeping them from sleeping for up to 11 days, making them assume stress positions such as standing with only their hands touching a distant wall or kneeling while being forced to bend sharply backwards, locking them in a tiny, cramped space for up to two hours at a time.
For Zubayda, one memo even OKed throwing in an insect of which he was believed to be deathly afraid though that step was not taken and simulated drowning through the process known as water boarding.
(on-camera): The memos make it plain that only some detainees faced these extreme measures and even then some techniques were not taken to the approved limits. Furthermore, the Justice Department repeatedly warned that physical injury was forbidden as well as anything that produced prolonged psychological stress or lasting effects.
(voice-over): The memo stressed that thousands of American soldiers have endured these techniques in training and that they do not constitute torture.
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT: This government does not torture people.
FOREMAN: Still, the list goes on. Also approved, slapping suspects in the face or stomach to startle and humiliate, dousing prisoners repeatedly with water, and forced nudity in front of both male and female interrogators, especially if that's taboo in the prisoners' culture.
The American Civil Liberties Union says all this is torture. And just as it fought for the release of these papers, the group now wants something more.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Torture is illegal. It is immoral and it is essential that individuals who conduct the torture be held accountable.
FOREMAN: Not likely the Obama administration says, but the president is making it just as clear that such interrogation techniques are now forbidden.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Our political and legal analysts are weighing in on these Bush era memos. Jeffrey Toobin calls the memos "shocking." David Gergen agrees, but suggests that we recall just how frightened Americans were after 9/11.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: I have to say these were some of the most shocking legal documents I've ever seen.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Really?
TOOBIN: To see the United States government, an assistant attorney general, say that water boarding was the not torture, a position that is totally without legal support, even in the same memo pointing out or same collection of memos that countries that do engage in these kind of tactics like Indonesia, we call it torture but they say, oh, but that's just diplomatic. I mean, this was shocking and appalling stuff.
COOPER: David Gergen?
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it was wrong. And it's -- I think it's good these memos have come out. People need to wrestle with realities. I also think that we need to join as a country and condemn this kind of practice.
I also think that before we go way overboard, that we ought to remember what people were going through. This is the first administration in the history that people had to run for their lives from the White House in order to escape attacks.
This is an administration that when they got these daily reports, I think there was a natural -- about the terror threats around the world, there was -- people became almost obsessed with the danger of new terrorism in the United States and somehow it would happen on our watch unless they took effective action. So I think it's abhorrent, but I also think it's more understandable than some of the critics are saying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, we're also learning more about that terrible plane crash in Florida yesterday. Have you seen those pictures? Here's some of the home video, actually.
HOLMES: Yeah, we'll have more of this home video that captured those moments just after that crash.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: A small plane slams into a house in Oakland Park, Florida, Friday killing the pilot. Here's a look at some of that video. Now officials say the plane had just taken off from Fort Lauderdale Airport when the pilot reported engine trouble. And then just seconds later, the twin engine Cessna plowed into a house virtually slicing it in two.
Vanessa Medina of CNN affiliate WSVN has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VANESSA MEDINA, WSVN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Home video capturing the fiery end after a small Cessna crashes into this Oakland Park home. Scattered flame pieces. Here the wing falls onto the street. The plane had just left Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. Shannon James shooting the video.
SHANNON JAMES: A lot of carnage. The wing's out in the road there. And you know, I got in there before the plane disintegrated. You can still see the white and blue.
MEDINA: It wouldn't take long for the fire to consume that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pretty much what we have this time, unknown. Of course, there you have an explosion there, some materials on fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lost altitude, hit a power line, hit a tree.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was in the back of my house in the kitchen and I heard just the engines and boom.
MEDINA: Others saying when pilot Cecil Murray began to have engine trouble. The 80-year old veteran had just radioed the tower, telling them he was on his way back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was looking up in the sky, and I see this plane is on fire. And he just dropped right out of the sky and just dropped. The next thing you hear was a big explosion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It also did turn and turn and turn. And I watched it and I saw a little bit of smoke coming out of one of the engines. And then it turned and then it crashed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, three people who lived in that house, they were not home at the time when that plane slammed into it. And it's a good thing considering the aftermath there.
HOLMES: Yeah, the way it split that house like that...
NGUYEN: In half, yeah.
HOLMES: ...it could have been a lot worse in that neighborhood. Just one house as well. So good that it worked out the way it did in a lot of ways, even though someone lost their life.
NGUYEN: Unfortunately.
HOLMES: Well, we'll turn now to another story, one that's about inspiration actually. And it comes in all shapes and sizes. This week, we meet a man whose love for rum led him to start an environmentally friendly business in Africa.
CNN's Richard Lui explains how this small, but global operation works. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFFREY ZARNOW: The rum is so delicious.
RICHARD LUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jeffrey Zarnow was producing movies in Hollywood, until he sampled an exotic African rum. In it, he tasted a business opportunity.
ZARNOW: And once I tried it, I loved it so much I decided to fly to Africa.
LUI: After several trips, Zarnow launched Star African Rum in Mauritius, a small island nation off the eastern coast of Africa. Being there moved him.
ZARNOW: Africa is one of those places that inspires you, but also breaks your heart at the same time.
LUI: So he made some key decisions about his company.
ZARNOW: I abandoned my plans to make our packaging in China and decided to make it 100% in Africa (INAUDIBLE). You know, we had to find a cork manufacturer in Capetown and a box manufacturer in Durbin.
LUI: Zarnow also decided he would give back to the continent that inspired him. The company donates to charities that benefit Africa and distills the rum in a green way.
ZARNOW: People want to support brands that are trying to be good for the environment. And I think by being socially responsible and environmentally responsible, that's just another selling point of why people want to support us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Start a business after the love of wine. He beat me to the punch there. Didn't think of that.
NGUYEN: Not a bad idea.
HOLMES: All right, well this time of year, a lot of stuff going on in sports. You got baseball picking up, you got the NBA playoffs starting, you got hockey playoffs, you got golf is in full swing. Sounds like a good time.
NGUYEN: I don't know how you have time to work with all of that.
HOLMES: I will show up every morning, but don't bother me after hours, Betty.
But if you happen to live in ten particular cities, you are miserable when it comes to sports. Our Rick Horrow is up next to tell us if you are in a city that made this list.
NGUYEN: And later, if you've flown, you may have an opinion on this. HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: Overweight passengers made to buy for two tickets, even get booted off of flights. How does one airline's new policy sit with you? We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: I thought we had the sound effect coming. Right now, you may be miserable where you're living. And there could be a very good reason for it. There's a top ten list out from Forbes about the ten most miserable sports cities, mind you.
Our Rick Horrow, business and sports analyst, and a friend of ours here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING joins us now. The ten most miserable cities sports wise. All right, let's go through this list. And but tell us who's number one and why they're number one.
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Well, I've become apparently the resident expert on sports misery, life misery...
HOLMES: Yes.
HORROW: ...so -- but it's kudos to Forbes who did this. This is not long-term futility like those 101 years for the Cubs or 60 percent losses for the New Orleans Saints. This is getting close, but no cigar. High misery index. And number one is Seattle. You know, 107 collective sports seasons. The '79 Sonics did win the championship, but that's all they've had. That team moved to Oklahoma City. Their unemployment rate 8 percent. I'm sure their coffee is great, but they're miserable otherwise.
HOLMES: OK, Atlanta, we here in Atlanta are at number two?
HORROW: Well, here's why. It's because you've had 16 Final Four appearances, semifinals in these other four sports. And other than the Braves in '95 going all the way, you're 1 for 16. And do you have Michael Vick. Now you're turning things around admittedly.
HOLMES: Yeah.
HORROW: But that that's misery index there. HOLMES: Now How much did they really factor in Michael Vick? Was that a big part of our misery in being number two on the list here in Atlanta?
HORROW: No, I factored that in.
HOLMES: OK, that was just you.
HORROW: I made that up. But the bottom line is you've got other cities. Remember, Buffalo's four...
HOLMES: Yeah.
HORROW: ...Super Bowl losses in a row. They're on the list. Kansas City. Remember their losses to my Miami Dolphins in the playoffs, which you'll also remember. But you've also got cities like Denver and Cleveland. And some people would argue they shouldn't be on the list, but that's what this controversy is all about.
HOLMES: OK. A couple of cities right there on the edge. And I saw Cleveland there. A lot of people putting hopes into the Cavaliers now. So on those top ten, who has the best chance of turning this thing around quickly?
HORROW: Cleveland. Two words, Lebron James.
HOLMES: Wow.
HORROW: OK, we're going to see him during the playoffs. And we'll see where that goes.
HOLMES: OK, he might -- they might end up moving up on that top ten list of misery if he vacates the premises and heads over to New York like a lot of people think he will, going to the Knicks or possibly the Nets, but that's neither here nor there.
Let's go to some happy places. Where are the sports fans just loving life right now?
HORROW: Let's go to a happy place. First of all, Pittsburgh. Long term, the Steelers champions. Short term, immediate gratification, the Penguins win a playoff game last night. So at least we're today, everybody's happy.
How about Miami, my hometown? They go from no major league sports franchises in the '60s to the Miami Heat, one for one in championships, to the Marlins, 2 for 2 in a new stadium. The Dolphins, the legacy franchise, 2 out of 5 in Super Bowls but the perfect season. Steven Ross takes over and is promising some great new things for the franchise entertainment wise coming often an 11 and 5 playoff run year. So happy place.
HOLMES: Happy places, miserable places. And there's another place people can find you. We got to let you go, but not before I let you plug this thing you're doing. So tell people where they can get more Rick if they dare.
HORROW: If they dare, it's cnnlive.com. I'm on about 10:10 every Thursday morning. We'll preview a lot of this stuff that we do on Saturday morning. For example, next week, the NFL draft and the business. And then we'll focus on the draft next Saturday morning. It's a wonderful synergistic happy thing.
HOLMES: Well, we love happy things. We love happy people. Always good to see you. Our business and sports analyst Rick Horrow, a friend of our show here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Good to see you, buddy. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
HORROW: See you next week.
HOLMES: All right, well, still ahead here, another place that's been a little miserable for a lot of reasons, sportswise as well. You know, the Lions went 0 and 16 last year, but Detroit's having a lot of issues right now. The auto industry in a shambles. Now the city closing down many of its schools. We're going to be talking here live next to Detroit's acting mayor about what happens now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, it's been no secret Detroit's auto industry has been falling on some hard times lately. That's far from the city's only problem, however. Let's just talk about the school system here for a moment. It's actually attracted a lot of national attention. Let me tell you why.
Fall of 2008, Michigan's governor declares a state a financial emergency for that district, which today some $300 million in debt. In December, the school superintendent fired. The governor then appoints Robert Bob as the district's emergency financial manager.
April 8th, a proposal goes out to close 23 schools, layoff 600 teachers. We'll find out what's going to happen with that then on May 8th. This summer, likely the district will announce even more school closings. A lot of big problems in the school district, a lot of big problems as well for the city. A high unemployment rate, also with things hanging in the balance for the auto industry there as well.
Let's bring in the mayor, Ken Cockrel, Jr., the acting mayor of Detroit. I say the acting mayor, because it's a lot of stuff going on there with the mayoral race. And we'll get into that in just a second.
But Mr. Mayor, we appreciate you being here. I'll just start off first, of course you're not overseeing the school district there, but still as a part of the city, part of just emblematic of so many other problems happening there in the city, you all have about a $300 million budget deficit, as well in the city.
So first about the stimulus package that was passed going out to states and cities, have you seen that money yet? And what are you doing with it? Is it making a difference yet?
KENNETH COCKREL, JR., MAYOR, DETROIT: We have. We submitted a total of 161 funding requests through economic stimulus. The money has actually begun to flow our way. We've received, for example, earlier this month $30 million in home weatherization grant funds, which we're also going to use to train people to go out and do that weatherization work.
More recently last week, we got about $5.5 million in hand for transportation funds and also infrastructure improvements in three targeted neighborhoods. We've also been told we're going to be getting several million dollars worth of additional transportation funds for street resurfacing.
HOLMES: So we know it's coming. It's on the way. Let me ask you this. Should you be the guy spending the money? Because as we know you're a couple weeks away from having to face off against an opponent, Dave Bing, to fill out the seat left by the former Mayor Kilpatrick. After that, primaries are going to key up once again in August. And then, there will be another election in November.
So Detroit could actually see four different mayors in a matter of a year's time. So should you be the one spending that money? And are the citizens there having a tough time because there is kind of a leadership vacuum?
COCKREL: No. From my standpoint, there is no leadership vacuum. I've been serving as acting mayor of the city of Detroit since September 19th. Obviously, if you're going to ask that question to me, I'm going to tell you, yeah, I should be the guy to lead the city of Detroit as well as well as spend that money. And we've been in constant conversations as it relates to stimulus with the federal government.
We have had the office of OAS to meet with us about three weeks ago on Friday to address any capacity concerns they had about our ability to handle this money and spend it wisely. So I am running currently in this election. And we have a special election in May, knock on wood, proving I'm successful there, I'm looking to run for the term for the next (INAUDIBLE) as well.
HOLMES: We will be following up and keeping an eye on it. Also, about the auto industry bailout, the Obama administration told the auto industry they didn't like the proposals, gave them a little more time, but there are some signals that possibly the Obama administration would allow a couple of the Big Three to go bankrupt. If that is allowed to happen, do you think the administration is also allowing Detroit to fail if they allow these companies to fail?
COCKREL: Well, bankruptcy has a number of problems as far as the auto industry is concerned. I mean, and I think a lot of those problems frankly are related to credibility and image, what it really comes down to in my view is who is going to want to buy a car from a bankrupt company? And if somebody has already bought a car from an auto company that's in bankruptcy, there's a lot of questions that get raised about how does that affect my service agreement? How does that affect my warranty? Those are legitimate and serious credibility and image issues, which I think we have to contend with.
HOLMES: So but are the two so -- the Detroit and the auto industry so inextricably linked, that if you allow one to fail, you're essentially allowing the other to fail?
COCKREL: Well, I would tend to disagree. Now yes, it is a reality that if you look overall in Michigan about the -- if you look at the total number of the state's autoworkers, about a third of the state's autoworkers actually live in the city of Detroit. So clearly, we are very much dependent and tied on the auto industry.
However, it's my firm belief, and one of the things that I'm working towards is diversifying our economy. We cannot continue to put the majority of our eggs in the auto industry basket. We have to attract green industries, for example, as well as support the growth and development of small businesses and help them go to the next level. That's how we get out of being too dependent on the auto industry. And that has been a major focus of my administration.
HOLMES: Well, you answered my last question there, if there's going to be a point where Detroit needs at some point to have an identity other than the auto industry, maybe one day, maybe that will help that city continue its comeback.
Mayor Cockrel, we appreciate you being here. We'll be watching over the next couple of weeks to see what happens in that special election, then the runoff, then the actual election. So we'll be checking back in with you. Thank you so much, sir.
COCKREL: OK, hey, thanks a lot. Take care.
NGUYEN: Well, hopefully you've been watching your credit card statements lately...
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...because you might have noticed that credit card fees, bank rates, they are creeping up.
HOLMES: Yeah, and if you've noticed, you're not alone. A lot of people have been noticing. Still ahead, a look at why this is happening and if any help is out there for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, America's banks have received hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer bailout money to help keep them afloat. Now as our Mary Snow reports, many taxpayers complain banks are raising interest rates and fees unfairly.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Brian and Shawna Boone are reminded of the bailout each time they pay their credit card bill. Despite paying on time, they see their interest rate doubled and so did their monthly bill.
SHAWNA BOONE: It's anger, fear.
BRIAN BOONE: And I feel as though these financial companies who got us into this situation with all these companies getting this bailout money and everything else, why aren't they the ones -- why don't they help? Instead, they're putting more of a burden on us by raising the interest rate.
S. BOONE: Exactly.
SNOW: The congressional oversight panel that oversees the federal bailout is looking into that question. A spokesman says the panel may issue a report examining whether there should be restrictions on rates and fees for banks that received taxpayer money that was intended to make it easier for people to borrow money.
The American Bankers Association responded in a statement saying the competitive market dictates fees and interest rates for banks, adding "The downward turn in the economy has increased the risk associated with all types of lending and the secondary market is still frozen making funding of credit cards and other loans more expensive." Some analysts say they're observing across-the-board hikes.
GREG MCBRIDGE, BANKRATE.COM: We are seeing more and more card issuers raising interest rates, raising fees, changing terms. And that this is also something that's being applied to consumers that typically would have a little bit more immunity to consumers that have very good credit and would otherwise qualify for the best rates.
SNOW (on camera): And many banking fees have also gone up. An independent economic research firm Moe Services estimates that fees on overdrafts and insufficient funds will bring in about $40 billion for banks and credit unions this year. That's up about $4 billion from a year ago.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Good morning to you all from the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. This is CNN SATURDAY MORNING for this April the 18th. I'm T.J. Holmes, 9:00 Eastern here, 6:00 out on the West Coast where a lot of folks are waking up right now.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Good morning everybody, I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for starting your day with us.
HOLMES: We need to start with a developing story we are just getting this morning and some quite provocative words after what the U.S. said was a provocative act. North Korea now says it will consider any new sanctions or pressure after its recent rocket launch a declaration of war. That is a direct quote. This week the U.N. Security Council condemned the launch which fizzled out over the water almost two weeks ago, even though they said it was a successful satellite launch.
Again, that's according to North Korea. The U.N. now says that North Korea violated a 2006 resolution banning ballistic missile tests. North Korea accuses the U.N. of violating its sovereignty. This week the communist country decided also to kick out U.N. inspectors.
NGUYEN: All right. So on the phone, former National Security Council Asia Affairs adviser Victor Cha, he joins us from Washington to help put all of this into perspective. Let me ask you this, when we hear the words being said today, any sanctions or pressure applied to North Korea will be considered an act of war.
What do you make of that?
VICTOR CHA, FMR. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL ASIA (via telephone): Well, I think on the one hand it's rhetoric that we've heard before from the north. They often use this sort of language to issue their own threats. On the other hand the context in which they're doing this is a bit unsettling because it comes after a string of rather violent acts that the had taken since the end of 2008. So I would be a bit concerned about it, yes.
HOLMES: You called this Victor some typical rhetoric, if you will. However, they also made moves and are seeming to get their citizens ready for war, cutting back on rations and essentially making preparations. Is that something we typically see as well?
CHA: It is in a sense that this is a country that's quite resource deprived. They try to make a virtue out of a necessity. War mobilization is often a good excuse when you don't have any rations in the public distribution system to give out anyway. But, still, when they talked about war mobilization and they use this sort of rhetoric after the string of events that we've seen, they're clearly escalating things a bit and that's not a positive development.
NGUYEN: Ok. Let me ask you this. If this is an escalation and the words that they are using this time around, in referring to the South Korean president, the statement goes on to say that he's with a group of traitors and they should never forget that Seoul is just 50 kilometers away from the military demarcation line. It sounds pretty confrontational, Victor.
CHA: Yes, that is. I mean, it's reality in a sense that the warning signs for North Korean artillery to fall on downtown Seoul are measured in minutes it's not even measured in hours. So for them to use that sort of rhetoric to try to scare up folks in the south is not a good thing. Also the fact that the statement also included reference to a nuclear deterrent. Anytime they start raising their nuclear deterrents, it always concerns people that they may be angling to do another nuclear test like the one they did in October of 2006.
HOLMES: Victor, how do you even begin to talk them back, if you will, if this is an escalation and some of this rhetoric we're seeing strong words, some of it sounds typical, some of it, I guess, new tactic on their part. How do you begin now to talk them back a bit?
CHA: Well, you know, it's a very good question. I think on the one hand in the past when they did this sort of thing, the response was, well, the United States would have to be willing to talk to them directly, bilaterally at a high level. The problem is that the Obama administration has already made clear its willingness to talk to the north at a very high level immediately. The north is above all of those attempts at engagement.
So I think the issue -- the pressure really now falls on China. China is the only country that has a material influence on North Korea through aid and trade. They're the ones that really have to start squeezing the north to get them to come back to the negotiation table.
NGUYEN: All right. Victor Cha, it's very good information helping us really put some perspective into the statements that were released today. Victor Cha with the national security council for Asia affairs, the adviser there. Thanks for your time.
Also want to give you a little bit more about North Korea. It's been secretive and closed off for decades. North Korea has been called the hermit kingdom, a nation of more than 23 million people. Isolated diplomatically and economically with a very centralized communist government led by Kim Jong-Il.
Linked to its biggest neighbor China by a border more than 1400- kilometers long with just seven road crossings and four railway points. Now in recent years North Korean refugees have fled into China seeking food, jobs, freedom, tentative reforms by the regime have been avoided and North Korea remains isolated in war.
All right, on the global front I want to show you that just in to CNN. President Obama and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez seem to be getting friendly. You saw right there Chavez walked over to President Obama, handed him a book. This taking place at the Summit of the Americas and we've been looking at other video as well that came through yesterday showing the two men shaking hands and smiling at each other.
Don't forget that the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, the same man that once called President Bush the devil and recently called President Obama an ignoramus. So the question this morning is, "Could this be a sign of cooling tensions between Washington and Caracas? Well Chavez reportedly told President Obama, "I want to be your friend."
HOLMES: That video, we just got that in to us here at CNN, and it is remarkable. Let's roll it again. I think we have it cued up. We are seeing a thawing in relations. We talked about that. We saw the picture of the handshake.
But this is video now, another handshake between the two men, Chavez appears there at least to be making a point to get up and do this in front of the cameras, to make sure everybody saw this, hands him a book. Not exactly sure what that book is but it's apparently some kind of survey of Latin American countries.
We'll get more about that later. This is remarkable given the relationship that the U.S. has had with Venezuela over the years and specifically with Hugo Chavez. It has been a combative relationship over time and, again, we saw him come to the United States, to the U.N. and call the U.S. president a devil.
He was just talking about Barack Obama not too long ago, calling him an ignoramus after the president made some comments about Hugo Chavez and the way he dealt with his government. The summit of the Americas appears to be -- maybe they will become friends. He said he wants to be the president president's friend. Maybe Hugo Chavez really is making an effort.
NGUYEN: And we have a little more information on that book that he handed to him, it's called translated into the open veins of Latin America. That is the title and it really is a work that surveyed the continent's underdevelopment and the role of foreign capital as well as national policies in that process.
As you can see, President Obama there is smiling and it was a very important gesture to see Hugo Chavez get up and walk over, hand him the book, shake his hand, and we saw a little bit of that yesterday but it does continue and it does show that the relationship is building.
HOLMES: And there will be debates out there and some about this is just propaganda, can you trust this guy, Hugo Chavez? Is he just trying to put on a show? There will be debate about that as well but it was no doubt remarkable. We thought the picture was something, the couple pictures we saw of the two men shaking hands. Apparently, according to at least Hugo Chavez the president walked over to him to say hello and also before the president left, Robert Gibbs, the press secretary, said there was no plan for a meeting one-on-one between these two men.
However, if they pass each other in the hallway the president is not going to run away. He'll stand there and he'll speak to him. Hugo Chavez making a point here in this video we are just getting, another handshake as it says here. So we will see if we get more video of these two.
NGUYEN: It's truly remarkable considering I mean Hugo Chavez is the same man who called President Obama an ignoramus, also called President Bush the devil. So definitely tensions are thawing a little bit between the two. We'll see if there is any substance to these smiles and handshakes that at the moment it seems like they are building a bit on their relationship.
HOLMES: Handshakes now. Don't know if we'll see them on the golf course together a little later there in Trinidad. But speaking of Trinidad and what's going on, of course the Summit of the Americas, of course this is day 89 now of the Obama administration and the president he's there attending that summit. Right about now he's attending a meeting of the union of South American nations. It might have been that video we just got and that's what he was in just there.
Also at 11:45, we're expecting him to participate in an official heads of state photo. Don't know if he and President Chavez will be standing next to each other in that picture. My goodness. And then at 8:00 tonight an official dinner and cultural show.
NGUYEN: All right. Still ahead, this may have you talking this morning. A controversial policy being put in place by United Airlines.
HOLMES: Yeah, how the airline is going to start making overweight passengers pay more to fly.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, airlines are saying you're obese and you want to fly, you may have to pay double or else find another flight.
NGUYEN: Yeah, CNN's Carol Costello tells us another airline is adding yet another fee.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: T.J. and Betty, United has joined eight other American Airlines and will now require obese passengers to buy an extra seat if one is not available. Some are not happy about this.
(BEGIN VIDETOAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): It's all the rage in the world of flight, to charge the large as Slate online puts it. United Airlines is the latest to jump onboard. It will now require passengers who are unable to fit into a single seat, buckle the seat belt, or put the seat's arm rest down to pay for an extra seat if one is not available. If they refuse, they're booted from the flight. It's not sitting well with everyone.
BRANDON MACSATA, ASSN. FOR AIRLINE PASSENGER RIGHTS: It's clearly a money making thing that the airlines are engulfed themselves in once again and we're really not surprised because they seem to be at it almost weekly now.
COSTELLO: United doesn't see it that way, saying it cares about all of its customers. It just wants to ensure that everyone's travel experiences are comfortable and pleasant. Plus, the airline says it's gotten hundreds of complaints from thinner passengers who have been made extremely uncomfortable by what United calls infringement. People we talked with were more charitable.
MOS: I think to some degree it's kind of like discriminating. In my personal opinion, it's not cool.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Politically incorrect but business is business.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you ever sit next to one of those people, you're incredibly uncomfortable and so I'd rather they pay for two seats.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I find that to be ridiculous.
COSTELLO: And others say the airlines themselves cause the infringement problem by cramming in too many seats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm 6 feet I weigh about 190 pounds. Most coach seats I'm cramped in like a sardine and if somebody is next to me of the same build which is not overweight, we're fighting over the arm rest. If somebody in front of me goes to recline their chair, now I can't even use my laptop because I'm crammed in.
COSTELLO: So why not charge Mr. Long Legs extra or people with crying babies? Don't they infringe on pleasant travel experiences, too?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Canadian Airlines considers this policy, too, but Canada ruled charging the Obese amounts to discrimination because Canada considers being morbidly obese a disability. It requires airlines like Air Canada to provides a second seat for free for its large passengers -- T.J., Betty?
NGUYEN: I think a lot of people are going to have problems with this.
HOLMES: It just seems so mean. It doesn't seem like something ...
NGUYEN: Some people are calling it discrimination.
HOLMES: Yes. But there is another side to it and we've been getting a lot of response and we appreciate that on our Facebook pages also the twitter responses.
Let's share one there to the right. The screen there, Onechris is his name, I was asking if he thought this was fair. Everybody thought so. He said "it's fair that airlines should enforce this policy all the time. It is very uncomfortable to have to share your seat that you have bought."
Also, another from Eric who says "I'm tall and the seats continue to squeeze me and hurt me. If I was any wider I suppose they'd throw me off."
NGUYEN: Well, Jenny on my Facebook page says "that they charge extra for overweight passengers, will they give any discounts to underweight passengers?" That's a good one.
And Al writes "being overweight is no laughing matter but to be punished by paying more to fly is not very American. Shame, shame."
So obviously, you're hearing people on all sides. I have people on my Twitter page that say you know what, I think they should pay extra for a separate seat if you can't fit into one.
HOLMES: And some are saying the charges, but say they say -- but what do you do? Do you have a scale back there? You can't fit into this particular --- how do you measure?
NGUYEN: How do you know?
HOLMES: But it's unfortunate. More to come on that. They're not the only airline to do it, of course.
NGUYEN: Nope, absolutely not. We want you to look at this, because it's really not a picture of spring outside. It looks more like winter to me.
HOLMES: That's spring? Reynolds Wolf he's going to be up next to give us details about a nasty little snowstorm that's hitting Colorado. Three feet of snow, welcome to spring.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: So a judge bans the phrase in God we trust and Hooters girls, they actually fight off a man in a car. Those are at least two of the stories that we're bringing to you from cnn.com this morning.
HOLMES: Did they have their own weapons?
NGUYEN: Yeah, they hit him with a drum stick. I don't know.
HOLMES: Also, we're going to have a special look at the new Yankees stadium. Josh Levs here with that stuff happening on cnn.com.
NGUYEN: Hey, Josh.
LEVS: Hey guys.
NGUYEN: Yeah, what were their weapons?
LEVS: Like I'm really going to go there. If T.J.'s not going there, do you think I'm going?
NGUYEN: No, no.
HOLMES: Sorry buddy.
LEVS: One of us is getting in trouble.
NGUYEN: Not me.
LEVS: Let's just take a look at what we're talking about. Here's the deal, cnn.com/us has all these stories a lot of people don't realize they're there. So when you get to dot com just click on United States at the top or U.S. and what you're going to find is this great list of stories over here from our affiliates. Some of these are real gems.
Like this one, here you go, the Hooters girls, this is from WSB- TV, actually it's here in Atlanta. It's in Walton County, Georgia. And apparently according to this story a man got in their car and one girl slammed him with the car door in the leg and the other one called 911. I did search the story by the way and the man they're talking about does not seem to have made any statement in response. Obviously that's getting a lot of attention.
Also this, check this out, out of Jacksonville, News 4 Jacksonville. A federal judge banning the phrase "In God we still trust" from a song that students have been singing. You're just seeing text on the screen but that's what happened. Any way, this is really cool. Check this out. This is from Yankees stadium and we here at CNN on the same page, the U.S. page at cnn.com, put together a brand-new look at this incredibly expensive stadium.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole stadium is a landmark. It's something, you know, is part of New York but hopefully with this new stadium right here we'll make many memories for this beautiful city. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It reminds me of like the coliseum in the Roman days with the big pillars and stuff. It feels very powerful when you walk in. A lot of seating and the view looks majestic like you want to be a part of it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now the Yankees starting lineup ...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: You can see there are some beautiful pictures, also some sound to go with it. You can watch the whole spread like that. Hey guys, how much did the stadium cost again? Was it $1.5 billion?
HOLMES: $1.5 billion and they lost the opener. They got thrashed, 10-2.
LEVS: They'll make up for it pretty soon.
HOLMES: Way to open the stadium, guys.
LEVS: Beautiful. And those pictures are pretty incredible.
NGUYEN: You're on a roll today.
HOLMES: I'm sorry. $1.5 billion, you should win your first game, don't you think?
NGUYEN: Well, I don't know. All right. Thank you.
We have a new member of CNN SATURDAY and SUNDAY MORNING team, a little one. There is Michael Vasil Falco-Furnad. He is the new son of our veteran writer Doug Furnad and producer Miriam Falco. They are proud parents today.
HOLMES: And Doug is one of our favorite members here. You don't see him but he's responsible for a lot of stuff that comes out of our mouths. He's one of our great writers. Anytime we say something crazy, it's usually him as well who wrote it. Congratulations to them, 21 inches long. I'm told that's kind of a long child.
NGUYEN: Yeah. I don't remember how long I was at that age apparently, but apparently 21 inches pretty good feet there. But we do want to tell you that Miriam also works with Dr. Sanjay Gupta in the health department. So they're a really great couple and now proud parents.
HOLMES: Did Sanjay deliver the baby?
NGUYEN: I don't think he had anything to do with that.
HOLMES: Don't think so, all right. But congratulations to them both. Congratulations. All right, quick break for us, we are right back. We'll take you out to the tunes of Mr. Stevie Wonder.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: We want to take an intensive look into mortgage fraud. Because we understand that there are scams out there that even if you've paid off your mortgage, they can still take your home.
Let's bring in Gerri Willis to explain exactly how this works. Gerri, it sounds awfully frightening.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: It is, Betty. It's mortgage fraud at its worst, the FBI calling this the fastest growing white-collar crime. The problem costs us $4 billion to $6 billion a year. Now this new kind of mortgage fraud called deed fraud or land fraud is threatening the homes of Americans. Simply put deed fraud is when a scam artist steals your home out from under you even if you've already paid off your mortgage.
Here is how it works. Scammers copy your signature onto a deed transfer form which they can get frankly at any stationary or office supply store and they file it with the county clerk's office. After they get their name on your title they take out a second mortgage on the property causing the original owner, you, to become delinquent.
NGUYEN: That is absolutely frightening.
WILLIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: So what do you do to protect yourself?
WILLIS: Well, there are steps you can take. First off, you have to go to the clerk's office to make sure there are no new liens on your property, in some places you can even do this online so you can check once a month, once every two months, keep your documents in a safe place so nobody can steal your signature.
Protect your identity. Put a lock on your mailbox, shred any personal info before you throw it in the trash and keep an eye on mom and dad because this is a fraud that is often perpetrated against the elderly.
Coming up on "YOUR BOTTOM LINE", you'll meet a couple that fell prey to mortgage scammers and you'll learn how to avoid those problems yourself. That's "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" coming up at 9:30 right here on CNN.
NGUYEN: You know its good information everyone needs to know. Gerri, thank you so much.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
HOLMES: All right. As she said, "BOTTOM LINE" coming up at 9:30 that's about what, now?
NGUYEN: Five minutes. Actually five seconds, change that. It's coming up right now.
