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CNN Saturday Morning News

Storms Claim 13 Lives; In Search of Cheap Gasoline; TSA Monitors Your Mood

Aired April 16, 2011 - 06:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is your CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.

It's 6:00 a.m. here in Atlanta. And it is 5:00 a.m. in Tushka, Oklahoma.

Take a look at what they are dealing with this morning. Look at this, folks, and this isn't the only place. There was a powerful tornado ripped through this particular city destroying homes, dozens of people injured as well.

The same storm system pounded much of the Southeast last night. We're taking a look at all this damage. You'll hear from people who actually lost homes and the death toll stands at least 13 right now and this storm system is not done.

Also this morning, a lot of people looking for lower gas prices. Well, good luck. But we do have some tips for you this morning on how to and exactly where to find the cheapest gas in your city.

Plus, have you heard about this J. Crew ad? It sparked a lot of controversy this week. You see it there? Well, exactly, why would this thing spark controversy?

Well, if you take a closer look, you'll see that the little boy in this ad, his toenails are being painted pink. Is that OK?

A lot of people are chiming in on this. And you are doing so already. Put this question out to you, but continue with those responses coming in. You know where to find me on Facebook, Twitter, @TJHolmes, also at our blog, CNN.com/TJ. We'll get into all that.

But we need to turn to a stubborn and dangerous severe weather system that is still rolling east. This thing has been going since Thursday. And it has killed at least 13 people in three states. Those three states: Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Alabama. This is where you see some of the storm churning this morning. Just a minute, we'll get the very latest details on what it's doing right now and where it's headed and when it might be over and done.

But take a look at the kind of night and the kind of couple of days we have had.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

HOLMES: You see there some of these brave storm chasers sometimes and brave citizens who are filming some of this stuff. You saw a transformer explode and then you saw the wind kicking up and it appears maybe you can make out a tornado in the distance there in some of this video.

But we had tornadoes that touched down in at least six Alabama counties, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency. Three people killed in Autauga County where trees crashed into mobile homes. Another person killed in Marengo County. This tornado tore across a reservoir in Madison County, Mississippi. You see this thing? Fourteen counties under a state of emergency there.

We're also hearing that the city of Clinton suffered extensive damage from a tornado as well.

Listen to this storm survivor now, survived but lost everything.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They told us to take cover. I went in the bathroom here and shut the door and this roof just about fell on my head. And so, I stayed there until it was over. And I don't have anything left.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And this severe weather system made its first deadly impact in Oklahoma and Arkansas on Thursday. At least two people were killed in Oklahoma; seven in Arkansas.

We want to get an update on some of the damage. One of the hardest hit counties in Alabama. They did sustain some deaths. I want to talk to Joe Sedinger. He's a chief deputy of the county sheriff's office, the Autauga County Sheriff's Office.

Sir, I know it's been a rough night. I appreciate you giving us an update. Just how bad did your county get it?

JOE SEDINGER, AUTAUGA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT. (via telephone): We had several, several houses and buildings destroyed. We had a couple mobile homes that had results in three fatalities in mobile homes.

HOLMES: Sir, this morning, do you still have people missing. Is it a possibility that the death toll could go up there?

SEDINGER: It's possible. We're waiting for daylight to get here and find out from there.

HOLMES: Sir, give us an idea of injuries any people have sustained there as well in your county.

SEDINGER: Yes. We had about six injuries that transported to the hospital. Don't know exactly how bad they are yet. But they were transported.

HOLMES: Sir, I am from the South, born and raised. Live in the South now. We're used to dealing with severe weather. Tell me how bad is the county, historically, if you will, at least as long as you've been familiar with it -- give us some kind of historical comparison to how bad these storms were for you guys.

SEDINGER: Well, just, you know, we have thunderstorms all the time. We don't experience too many tornadoes. We did have one back in 2008 in the city of Prattville. But it looks bad. It looks like a bomb exploded right where these mobile homes were.

HOLMES: And, sir, does it look like a number of areas were hit or is it kind of concentrated in one particular part of your county?

SEDINGER: It looks like it just sort of jumped across. You know, it hit and jumped, hit and jumped.

HOLMES: All right. Well, Joe Sedinger, sir, we're going to try to check -- continuing to check in with you. But we appreciate you giving us an update. Good luck to you and your citizens there. But thank you for taking some time with us this morning.

SEDINGER: Thank you.

HOLMES: All right. I want to turn to meteorologist Karen Maginnis. She's in this weekend for Reynolds Wolf.

Not exactly sure where to start with what just happened or what could still possibly happen with this storm system.

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We'll give you a view of both of those.

HOLMES: OK.

MAGINNIS: And like you, T.J., I was born in the South and this severe weather this time of year is very unsettling. You need to get a weather radio. That will give you a heads up.

All right. Where is this system headed? It is going towards the coastal sections of the Carolinas, meaning from about Charleston to Myrtle Beach, towards Wilmington, and right along the Virginia border. This is where we could see the severe weather for the rest of today.

But I want to show you what is happening right now as we take a look at the radar picture. Here's the big view but we're watching still some severe weather across the Deep South, several tornado watches which expire later on this morning. But the severe weather right now is in Bibb County, Georgia. This is where we're looking at what is now a tornado warning.

In Alabama, Yarbrough, this is where we did see severe damage, already some deaths reported. We've got pictures out of there. A number of fast food restaurants were affected as well as a bank and one hotel if we can show that video that would be great. And we don't know to what category this tornado would be, EF-1 or 2 or 3. We did see some that looked to be quite ferocious and we'll have more of that as the National Weather Service kind of surveys the situation and estimates just how strong those winds were, T.J.

And we had 98 reports of tornadoes. Now, that could be one tornado spawning multiple vortices. So, we'll keep you updated.

HOLMES: All right, Karen.

We're going to be checking in with Karen plenty throughout the morning. And something else I'm going to hit on with you a little later as well. We've seen like we've been seeing a lot of severe weather. Yes, it's spring. But I want to ask you a little later, is this kind of just a normal spring or are we seeing something a little more severe than we're used to seeing.

Karen, thank you so much. Talk to you shortly here.

I want to turn to a story out of Long Island, New York, where a family of a murdered young woman says they got phone calls from a man claiming to be the killer. This is one of the latest disturbing new developments in the search for a possible serial killer. Twenty-four- year-old Melissa Barthelemy is one of the young woman killed. Her mother is saying a man using her daughter's own cell phones made taunting phone calls and admitted to the killing back in August of 2009.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNN BARTHELEMY, MELISSA BARTHELEMY'S MOTHER: He was taunting her. He was basically torturing her. She -- you know, she kept asking where her sister was and he wouldn't tell her. She would ask, you know, if she was alive. He wouldn't answer. I mean, we always had hope until that last call when he told Amanda that he killed her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: At least eight sets of remains have been recovered in Long Island. Four of which have been identified and one confirmed to be that of Melissa Barthelemy.

We turn to Arizona now where an Iraqi immigrant, Faleh Hassan Almaleki, who considered his daughter too westernized, has now been sentenced to 34 1/2 years in prison for killing his daughter with his car. Almaleki also was convicted of aggravated assault on the mother of his daughter's fiancee. Police say he ran the two women down with his car back in 2009.

Well, the public school system is sending layoff notices to all of its teachers in Detroit. We're talking about more than 5,000 teachers receiving these layoff notices, in particular 5,700. Also, about 250 school administrators also getting similar layoff notices. This does not, however, mean that everybody is going to lose their jobs. The district has to determine staffing needs based on fewer students.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KURTIS BROWN, TEACHER: They're trying to correct budget problems on the backs of the teachers. That's unfair because we do all of the work.

ALICIA ADAMS, PARENT OF STUDENT: Definitely not easy. You know, job security is important. And we have the teachers, you know, educating our students. So, it concerns me, you know, will their heart be in it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, once teacher staffing needs are determined, the system will rehire a number of the teachers that it needs. But they have to send those layoff notices because the union contracts there, the teacher union requires that notices go out.

Well, business is looking pretty good for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Been pretty good for a while, I would say. He was on hand for the opening of the company's first custom built data center in central Oregon yesterday. This facility is going to handle the millions of status updates, photo uploads and video postings that people post on Facebook every single day. It's going to be staffed by about 35 people.

Well, 67 years now after he disappeared over the Pacific, a World War II airman from Massachusetts will be laid to rest in his hometown. The remains of Army Air Force Second Lieutenant Martin P. Murray will be buried today with full military honors at St. Patrick's Cemetery in metropolitan Boston. The Department of Defense recently identified his remains from a crash site in Papua New Guinea.

Also, the Postal Service reveals its new Statue of Liberty stamp. There it is. No problem with that, is it? Well, there's one problem. That actually is not Lady Liberty.

This image is based on the Vegas replica. The one I'm more familiar with actually that's outside of the New York-New York Casino on the strip.

The stamp collector, a particular stamp collector noticed the difference a few weeks ago. Apparently, the hair is a little different. The eyes are a little different as well. The post office says they already printed some 3 billion of these stamps and they're happy with how they look.

Well, more than $4 a gallon, that's what some people are paying to drive these days. You know -- know it well. But some folks will do just about anything to try to avoid paying that much. We'll let you have some tips on how you can save as well. That's coming your way in 60 seconds.

But, first, the list a lot of people have been waiting for -- the list that makes college administrators cringe and prospective students maybe rethink their choice of school. "Playboy" has released its list of the nation's top party schools. Number 10: U.C.-Santa Barbara. Number nine: University of Central Florida. Number eight: University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Seven: University of Georgia. A couple of SEC schools getting in there. Also, number six: the University of Wisconsin.

Did your alma mater round out the top five? And possibly in the top five, maybe a school that your child is considering going to. You need to see the last few.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, 13 minutes past the hour. It is the list that makes some school administrators cringe and some students actually wear it as a badge of honor. The top 10 party schools. We showed you the top five, or the five through 10 a moment ago.

So, who tops out that list? Number five: University of Texas at Austin. Congratulations to the Longhorns. Also, Canada's University of Western Ontario. Also, Arizona State University coming in at number three. Number two: Penn State. The number one school -- who knows how to party out there -- the University of Colorado at Boulder.

If your child is considering going to school there, you may want to rethink it.

Well, people not partying over these gas prices necessarily, are they? Check out the average prices for regular, mid-grade and premium gasoline fuels. Look at that, folks. Gas prices -- that's what we're seeing now: $3.81 on average.

Now, look at the gas prices from a year ago. See that difference, a huge difference. There about $1 more a gallon, give or take a few pennies.

So, how can you stretch your personal fuel budget?

CNN's Casey Wian now finds out smartphones apps and a bit of common sense can go a long way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: T.J., here in southern California, gas prices are among the highest in the nation, averaging $4.20 a gallon for unleaded regular. People are driving all over Los Angeles looking for cheapest gas prices. But there is a better way.

(voice-over): Pain at the pump is real for paint store deliveryman Mark Murillo.

MARK MURILLO, DELIVERYMAN: It hurts because of high prices. But I have to do it to support myself and my family.

WIAN: There are ways to ease the pain.

(on camera): What's the best way for motorists to make sure that they're getting the best deal on the gas they buy?

JEFFREY SPRING, AAA: Don't be going way out of your way and spending gasoline and money trying to find the cheapest gasoline. You want to plan your route to where the cheapest gasoline is in your area.

WIAN (voice-over): A growing number of Web sites and smartphone apps can help.

(on camera): I'm at a gas station in Hollywood where regular gasoline is selling for $4.39 a gallon. And I think that may be too expensive. So, I can go on my iPhone and check an application to find if there's anything in the neighborhood that's cheaper.

(voice-over): And there is, less than half a mile away.

(on camera): Here we are just down the street. And gas is telling for $4.15 a gallon, 24 cents a gallon less. That could mean a savings of $3, $4, $5 depending on how big your gas tank is. The only catch is, to get savings here, you got to pay cash.

(voice-over): Or pay a 45-cent ATM fee. Either way, it's a big savings.

Another tip: look for gas at or near wholesale clubs which use low gas prices to attract shoppers. Location is key, says Jason Toews, cofounder of cheap gas finder Gas Buddy.

JASON TOEWS, GASBUDDY.COM: Wholesale clubs tend to compete very aggressively on price, and it forces all the other competition nearby to lower their price, too. So, you want to look for an area where there's a bedroom community, has a lot of gas stations, and you find some cheap prices right there.

WIAN: Stations to avoid include those near tourist locations and ritzy residential neighborhoods.

(on camera): So, how can you determine whether it's worth your while to drive 10 or 15 miles out of your way to find cheapest gas? So, there are actually several Web sites on the Internet, including one, BankRate.com, where you can punch in distance you have to travel, the price of gas at the two stations, the amount of gas mileage you get for your car, and the amount of gas your gas tanks holds. And it will figure out whether it's worth driving out of your way to find that least expensive gas -- T.J.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Good stuff from Casey Wian this morning. Thanks so much.

Well, is there such a thing as too much publicity? Well, an ad for clothing chain J. Crew is drawing a lot of attention. Now, that would be a good thing certainly for a company that's trying to sell you something.

Here's the ad. Do you see anything wrong with it? That is J. Crew's president and creative director with her 5-year-old son in that picture on the right. But when people take a closer look, they look at his toenails. His toenails are painted hot pink.

This has stirred some conversation now especially among some conservative groups. Some are even livid about this. How exactly do you feel?

You are weighing in when we come back in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, 19 minutes past the hour now. It's a big week ahead in business. Several major corporations are going to release their first quarter earnings report. All eyes on that.

But also did you hear? McDonald's is hiring.

Poppy Harlow has that. First, Wal-Mart is shaking things up as we hear from Alison Kosik.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, T.J.

Wal-Mart is stepping up the competition to try to win back customers. The world's biggest retailer announced this past week it will add 8,500 items to store shelves, many of them name brand products. It's also planning to boost some local offerings, stocking more fishing supplies in Florida and pool items in Arizona. Wal-Mart will also check competitors' prices more often and press suppliers to lower their prices. The retailer is coming off nearly two years of declining sales.

Meantime, Target and some dollar stores have been gaining customers -- Stephanie.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Alison.

Ford is recalling more than 1 million trucks, most of them are F-150s, built between 2003 and 2006. That's the bestselling trucks in the U.S. A problem with wiring can cause the air bag to unexpectedly deploy.

Amazon is releasing a new cheaper Kindle, but it's cheaper for a reason. The Kindle with special offer is just that, an e-reader that comes with advertisement on the home screen. It goes for $114, 25 bucks cheaper than its ad-free counterpart.

Poppy Harlow has a look at what's coming up on Wall Street -- Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Thanks, Steph.

Well, we have a big week ahead. Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Apple, Yahoo! and a lot of other big companies are reporting their quarterly earnings this week. Also on deck, several major housing reports set to be released. All of this in just four days because the markets are closed on Friday for Good Friday.

Also coming up, Toyota says it will restart production in Japan on Monday, but it's only going to be for a few days and lines will be operating at half capacity because Toyota is still assessing the parts shortage.

And finally, McDonald's holds a massive hiring event on Tuesday. The restaurant is looking to add some 50,000 full-time workers.

Back to you in Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. And thanks to Stephanie, Poppy and Allison for that.

Well, let's get to that J. Crew ad now. There's a lot of buzz this week about it. You know, J. Crew, the clothing store, people not talking about the clothes necessarily. Instead, they've been fixated on a particular J. Crew ad.

Take a look at the ad I'm talking about -- a mother and her young son. Now, the mother is actually a J. Crew designer. What people have jumped on as you look closely there, you'll see that the little boy, her son, his toenails are painted pink. That has caused a bit of a stir for some who say that's inappropriate.

A lot of people say, hey, this is much to do about nothing. What's the big deal? What do you say? I put this out. I had a link to the article for you on Facebook. Also on Twitter@TJHolmes.

But you have been chiming in this morning -- been reading your responses. We appreciate your responses coming in. We'll share those with our audience later as well.

Well, we're going to turn back to the tsunami -- the horrifying moments when it hit. A disturbing new video, some of the most compelling we've seen yet, showing the impact of the waves in Japan and people literally running for their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can hear the roar of the water, bulldozing through cars and buildings. Someone shouts, "It can't be. It just can't be."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: We are going to let this entire video play out for you in just a moment, and we will tell you why the person who shot this video says he never wants to see it again.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Twenty-five minutes past the hour now.

We've got new pictures and new developments and also some new predictions surrounding Japan's ongoing nuclear crisis.

The latest for you now: as the Tokyo Electric Power Company releases these new images from the Fukushima nuclear plant, industry experts say the crisis could last an additional two or three months. TEPCO, though, is not commenting on that assessment.

Meanwhile, the death toll from earthquake and tsunami has now risen to 13,645. More than 14,000 remain missing more than a month after the dual disasters.

Well, as we move on into a month since the quake and tsunami, we are seeing more and more heartbreaking videos that continue to pop up online as people get them. Quite frankly, it's hard sometimes -- a lot of that video trying to get it somewhere to get uploaded and get it out to the masses. But we continue to see more of these horrifying moments when that tsunami roared ashore.

I want to play for you one of the most recent ones we're getting. This one was just posted online. I do want to warn you, this can be a little difficult to watch. It goes about 40 seconds. But take a look.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

HOLMES: You can see clearly people running and yelling and screaming literally running, trying to get to higher ground as that water was coming.

I want to move on to other video now. The other we have to show was just uploaded to YouTube and the person who filmed it disturbed by the devastation and doesn't want to lay eyes on the video ever again.

Our Paula Hancocks has this video for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From afar, it looks like dust rising from a Japanese town of Minami Sanriku. But those standing on higher ground then realize this is the tsunami they had feared.

You can hear the roar of the water bulldozing through cars and buildings. Someone shouts, "It can't be. It just can't be."

You hear agonized screams as residents watch their town disappear before their eyes.

The person filming runs even higher up the steps.

And then the horrifying sight of people running away from the water literally running for their lives. They scramble to escape the fast moving water. Those on higher ground scream for them to hurry repeatedly shouting, "Danger, danger." One woman runs just ahead of the wave carrying the roof of a building and the camera moves away.

The person who uploaded the footage commented that all those in the field survived, but they say nothing about these residents.

The man in blue carries one person to safety.

As others help what appears to be someone in a wheelchair. He then goes back to help again, but seems to disappear beneath the approaching water. It is not known if he survived.

This is the scene we filmed from the same hill just two days later. The power of the tsunami left nothing left standing.

(on camera): The person who uploaded this video says that they want others to see it so they could understand what happened. They also said that even by watching it, it is impossible to understand just what those victims felt. The person added they never want to see the video again.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Coming up here in just a moment, the TSA has a highly secretive list. We got our hands on it. It spells out behaviors TSA agents are told to look for when you go through airport security. It may change the way you go through airport security next time.

Also, take a look at this. Until yesterday there used to be a home right there -- a vivid example of a storm's massive power.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK

HOLMES: Thirty-three minutes past the hour now. Welcome back to the CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes, glad you could spend just a part of your Saturday morning here with us.

Let me give you a look at some of the stories that are making headlines right now.

Word this morning about an insurgent attack on NATO troops in eastern Afghanistan. At least five of those NATO troops have been killed. Their nationality is not known at this point. As soon as we have more information, we will pass that along to you.

Also, voting in Nigeria for president disrupted in one northern voting center today when a bomb went off. Gunfire is also being reported in another part of the country. There are casualties in both incidents. Information so far is sketchy. Nigeria is Africa's most populous country. Also, it's Africa's largest oil producer.

Also, President Obama, he has signed that budget agreement. You remember the one we were talking about here last weekend. So, now, it's put to rest any concerns of a government shutdown. Again, this was a 2011 budget compromise. The plan cuts some $38.5 billion in spending and funds the government through September.

Congress now has to move onto other things. Lawmakers have to work out the 2012 budget, also deal with the federal debt limit. Those are expected to be two much bigger fights in Washington.

Well, this morning, we have been talking about those powerful storms that have caused death and damage in the Southeast, moving into the Mid-Atlantic States right now.

Karen Maginnis with us, keeping a close eye on things.

Karen, I was asking you a little earlier -- you know, it's been a rough spring. You know, we get this kind of weather. It's to be expected. But is this out of the ordinary necessarily?

MAGINNIS: T.J., it is normal. We are so average. We're right on par with what the Storm Prediction Center says is about average for this time of year.

HOLMES: It's amazing.

MAGINNIS: In excess of 300 tornadoes reported up until April 14th. This does not include this latest outbreak. But according to these severe Storm Prediction Center, they say we should see about 300-plus, 350 is just about normal. 2008 off their charts.

We've got severe storms that we're expecting for today across the Mid-Atlantic, essentially from North and South Carolina, from about Charleston all the way up through Wilmington and some of the interior sections could see those severe storms.

I want to show you this out of Tushka, Oklahoma. They have two fatalities. This was Thursday night. It was still part of the same system that produced all of the severe weather across the south central and southeastern U.S.

Take a look at what this man had to say about what happened when the tornado struck his home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, my house was there. All of my belongings are over here. Devastation. Nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MAGINNIS: Yes, he went into his basement, came up, and nothing left of his home. They are saying that this was an EF-3, Enhanced Fujita 3, meaning it could have top winds of 165 miles an hour.

What we're looking at now are several tornado watches across the southeastern United States, that go until later this morning and early part of the afternoon. Some strong storms already materializing in south central Georgia, right around Bibb County. We will keep you updated and let you know if any severe weather events take place -- T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Karen, we appreciate you as always. We'll check in with you plenty throughout the morning.

All right. Thirty-seven minutes past the hour now. You remember the whole flak over these pat-down procedures at the airport?

Well, the TSA came under fire once again this week after a family posted this on YouTube. It shows their 6-year-old daughter getting one of those pat-downs. This was in New Orleans. She got the full treatment. Lord knows I've been through this a number of times and it is not a good time. The person here checked the inside of the girl's thighs and waistband.

The TSA reviewed this incident and says that the TSA agent followed proper protocol. But still, it just -- for a lot of people -- was disturbing to see that a 6-year-old child is subjected to this.

But, still, this is just one of a number of incidents we have seen over the past several weeks and months. Another one we were talking about around Thanksgiving. Do you remember this lady here, the woman in the dark hair and dark dress?

She said, you know what? I'm not even going to chance it. I'm not going to risk it. You know what I'm going to do. I'm going to strip and she did. She stripped down to her bikini to go through the metal detector.

Now, this was part of her protest, if you will. But maybe she wanted to guarantee that she wasn't going to be pulled over for a pat- down. And you know what? She wasn't.

Sometimes you got to be a good sport about it. I don't know if I would get away with stripping down in any airport. Bu she can do it.

The other incidents you'll remember that got a lot of buzz. I'll have that for you in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Forty minutes past the hour now.

Before the break, we were showing you some of those more eyebrow-raising incidents with TSA screeners. We saw the video there of a 6-year-old girl being subjected to one of those intrusive pat- downs, some say intrusive pat-down. Also, we saw the woman going through security in her bikini. She didn't want to be pulled over for a pat-down. So, she just stripped down.

But, of course, the one that everybody was talking about when it happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Also, we're going to be doing a groin check. That means I'm going to place my hand on your hip, the other hand on your inner thigh, slowly go up and slide down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you touch my junk, I'm going to have you arrested.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Don't touch my junk. It became a part of the conversation. You certainly will remember that guy. He immediately went up, if you will, in the TSA lore, if you will, here in this country.

Now, a lot of people wonder, how can I avoid this? Those pat- downs are part of the screening process. TSA workers are also watching how you act in line, your behavior, even body language. This is one I need to pay close attention to now and maybe some of you will do it. It seems I always get pulled out and picked to go through and end up with some kind of pat-down.

Well, our CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has more on just what the TSA's behavior monitors are looking for.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: T.J., CNN has obtained a list of about 70 indicators that TSA behavior detection officers use to identify people who might pose a threat to aviation. Because of the sensitive nature of the information, we are going to reveal just one.

(voice-over): If you get upset at airport security, you might want to watch how you show it, because behavior detection officers deployed at the nation's airports to ferret out security threats are on the lookout for, among other things, anyone who displays arrogance and verbally expresses contempt for the screening process -- according to information obtained by CNN.

Civil liberties group say it is absurd that exercise of free speech should be considered suspicious.

MICHAEL GERMAN, AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION: If you complain about the government, that's justification for the government doing more intensive scrutiny of your behavior. I mean, it seems that's, you know, just so anti-American.

MESERVE: Terrorism experts also question whether it's useful. They say terrorists usually try to blend in, keep a low profile, because they don't want to draw attention to their activities -- challenging airport security would have precisely the opposite effect.

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: This idea that a terrorist would be very arrogant and express contempt for airport procedures, that doesn't make any sense to me -- from a common sense point of view and also from the record of what is known about behaviors of al Qaeda terrorists.

MESERVE: But the immigration agent who stopped the so-called 20th 911 hijacker from entering the U.S. did use arrogant to describe Mohammed al-Qahtani.

JOSE MELENDEZ-PEREZ, IMMIGRATION OFFICER: Upon establishing eye contact, he exhibited body language that appeared arrogant.

MESERVE: The TSA used that interaction and others to design its program.

When new more intimate pat-down procedures were instituted last year, checkpoint protests became something of an art form.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they want to try and see what I got hidden in my bikini, they're welcome to.

MESERVE: But the TSA says no single behavior on its list would by itself ever be enough to draw increased security scrutiny. A behavior detection officer would only select a passenger for closer examination if they showed several indicators of stress, fear or deception.

(on camera): Civil liberties group have worried that behavior detection officers are racially profiling. We can tell you that on the list we saw, none of the indicators used by BDOs refers to or even suggests race, ethnicity or religion.

The ACLU still isn't satisfied. Although it has not seen the list, it believes some of the behaviors on it are so common they could be used to single out people of certain backgrounds.

T.J., back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: There you have it. I should stop showing contempt for the process. Just kidding. I don't do that.

We talk about friendly skies. That's what they used to be called. They don't seem so friendly all the time.

Here's a list. This one was put together, a 2011 airline quality report put together a list of -- if you want to call it -- the meanest airlines. Well, based on baggage fees, airfare hikes and customer service slant.

Frontier Airlines was the third worst. American Airlines came in second. The biggest offender for you in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. We were quarter of the top of the hour here now.

We were showing you some of the meanest airlines out there, according to the 2011 airline quality rating report. And Frontier and American Airlines take third and second spots. So, do you fly American Airlines? Well, they got the number one spot. Excuse me -- United.

American, let me apologize to American right now. It's not American. It's United Airlines.

Now, this list is based on baggage fees, airfare and customer service. It's United Airlines voted the meanest airline. American is number two. Excuse me.

Now, we're going to turn to some politics quickly if we can.

Donald Trump delivering the keynote address this afternoon at a Tea Party rally in south Florida. It's Trump's first political trip since he began talking about a potential run for president. Trump has shown surprising strength in some of the recent Republican presidential polls.

Also, President Obama holding a town hall meeting in three states next week. The subject: reducing the nation's debt and bringing down the deficit. Those states where he's going to be holding those town hall meetings: Virginia, Nevada, as well as California. All key to President Obama's re-election bid.

Our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser with the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey. Good morning, T.J.

Call it location, location, location. Next week: two of the three states where President Obama holds town halls are battleground states, places where he needs to win to win re-election next year. Those two states are Nevada and Virginia.

The other state where the president holds a town hall is California, generally a safe place for Democrats but also a good place to raise money. And you know what? That's just what he's doing: holding fundraisers in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Mr. Obama kicked off his bid for campaign cash on Thursday back in his hometown of Chicago.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's going to come a time when I'll fully engage in this race. When the time comes, I will -- I will be campaigning. I'll be ready to go. But I've got to tell you right now: I still have this day job.

STEINHAUSER: And that's pretty much Mr. Obama's strategy for now -- president by day and fundraisers at times by night with official trips often taking him to battleground states.

You know, if you're shocked, don't be. Most recently, Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton used the same strategy when they were running for re-election. So, this is nothing new -- T.J.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Thanks to our Paul Steinhauser this morning.

Well, some of you out there, have you ever accidentally walked off with somebody's pen? We've all probably done that before. But have you maybe not so accidentally walked off with it? Maybe stole it is what I'm saying?

Well, you probably weren't caught on camera doing it and you also probably not the president of a country. Now, we're talking about the president of the Czech Republic. There he is on the left.

Check this out. He's checking the pen out. He's admiring the ceremonial pen. The other president of Chile -- he's speaking there.

Now, watch him. He likes the pen so much he slides it under the table. You see this happening, does a little switch-a-roo under the table, goes into the other hand, goes into the pocket.

The hands will come back up. There is no pen. Real smooth, Mr. President.

This was the perfect heist, was it not -- except, of course, there are dozens of cameras rolling in the audience. This video may seem funny. It has certainly gone viral. It's got millions of hits.

But there's a whole lot more to this story that you need to hear. Our Nadia Bilchik with a conversation with me in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, about eight minutes to the top of the hour.

Nadia Bilchik is joining me now. It's not every day we see the president of a country on camera stealing something.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Well, he wasn't actually stealing it.

HOLMES: That was theft.

BILCHIK: Vaclav Klaus is allowed to take the pen.

Now, this was the transportation agreement between Vaclav Klaus, the president of the Czech Republic, and the president of Chile. And part of it is he is actually entitled to it. But it is the way that he did it. Let's take a look at this.

HOLMES: Nadia, this is theft.

BILCHIK: It's the way. It's the manner in which he does it.

But let me explain this pen to you. It was encrusted with lapis lazuli.

HOLMES: OK.

BILCHIK: You see him takes it. He puts it down there. You're taking a look. He carries on. It's the surreptitiously way that he did it. There's something so covert about it.

If he had just left it in the box and then graciously taken it or given it to one of his aides for him, it would have been fine.

HOLMES: OK. Wait, you say he's entitled to it.

BILCHIK: He is absolutely entitled to it. According to the Chilean president's spokesperson, it is allowed during a ceremony to take the beautiful pen.

HOLMES: OK. Clearly, he didn't know that, is that right?

BILCHIK: I think -- you know, again, it's one of those things we don't know. But now, this is not a man with great sense of humor.

HOLMES: OK.

BILCHIK: But, again, actions speak so loud, I can't hear a word you're saying. Have you ever heard that thing, isn't it the truth?

But lapis lazuli, you see the necklace that I'm wearing. That blue stone is lapis.

HOLMES: OK.

BILCHIK: Now, Chilean lapis is very precious because it has a large amount of gold flex in it. So, he obviously saw it and I agree with you. It's the way he did was not ideal.

Now, this is not the first time the man had a precious pen. In 2008, when he was reinstated as president, he had a gold pen that was worth $60,000.

HOLMES: Oh, wow. Do we know what this one was worth?

BILCHIK: We don't know the exact. And lapis is one of those semi-precious stones. It's very beautiful, don't you think?

HOLMES: Yes.

BILCHIK: But we don't know of its exact value.

HOLMES: OK.

BILCHIK: But he's become very famous. He's known as pen man.

HOLMES: What are they saying about him in his own country? Are they embarrassed or what?

BILCHIK: They are doing something very funny. Quite embarrassed. They see it as very funny. So, 5,000 Facebook users from the Czech Republic are going to mail him a pen on the 2nd of May.

HOLMES: OK. Look at him. Nadia, OK, he's entitled to the pen?

BILCHIK: He is entitled to the pen.

HOLMES: I am saying he didn't know it. So, in his mind, he was stealing. He knew he was stealing. Look at that guy. If you knew you were entitled to that, you don't do that stuff. He thought he was stealing it, even though he didn't have to steal it.

BILCHIK: Well, that is, again, our interpretation and certainly the way it appears.

HOLMES: I love it.

BILCHIK: So, again, you are looking at something and forever, he's not going to be known as the euro skeptic or the man who doesn't believe in global warming being humanly caused. He's going to be known as the pen stealing man.

HOLMES: A pen stealing president.

BILCHIK: You know that famous saying it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and a moment to destroy it. We're watching it in action.

HOLMES: I love that video, though.

All right. Nadia Bilchik, great stuff. We'll see you again here shortly. Always great on our "Morning Passport."

We're going to turn to Kate Middleton. Millions of people, you know the name by now, don't you? That's Prince William's fiancee. Popularity can be a problem sometimes, though, can't it?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATE MIDDLETON: I had an e-mail from them saying that they had indeed deactivated my account for using a fake name. So, I had to e- mail them to say I am, in fact, Kate Middleton. I have nothing to do with the lady in England.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: You're going to meet another Kate Middleton and will you please stop calling her.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, as we get closer to the top of the hour, we were asking you about this J. Crew ad a little earlier and some controversy surrounding it. The clothing store is being blasted by some for putting a 5-year-old boy in it with pink toenail polish. Yes, he's playing with his mom painting his toenails pink.

Well, here are some of you are responding so far. We're getting a lot of these this morning.

Meg writing in to me saying, "Offensive? How? Kids love to do things with mom. If he'd like his toenails painted, what's wrong with that?"

But on the other side, Kim saying, "Little boys don't wear pink nail polish on toes, simple as that. Don't need to research it or do any studies. Wrong is wrong."

A lot of you are weighing in. Continue to do so. You know where to find us, Facebook and Twitter, @TJHolmes, or go to our blog, CNN.com/TJ.

We want to check out stories that are making some news right now across the country, including in Delaware with police say they are astonished by the crime shown in this surveillance video. They say the woman used a child to steal an employee's purse at a wig store.

The young boy came up into the back room, grabbed the wallet, held it behind his back while the woman posed as an everyday shopper. Four hundred dollars taken. Police are hoping someone will recognize the woman in the video. Wow.

Also, the name Kate Middleton, does that sound familiar to you? Well, it's too familiar, unfortunately, for one Massachusetts woman. Well, you guessed it. She'd had to shut down her Facebook page because of her name newfound celebrity. She's having a few problems right now.

Also, some bank customers in Florida must think they have stepped into an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Check this out. A flock of birds started attacking them in the bank's parking lot. Unfortunately, for the customers, the leaders of the (INAUDIBLE) are federally protected endangered species.