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CNN Saturday Morning News
More than 150 Still Missing in Joplin; The Power of Palin; Death Toll in Joplin Tornado Climbs to 132; resident Obama in Poland to Talk Change & Pay Respects; New Explosions in Yemeni Capital
Aired May 28, 2011 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this is Joe Johns here. And do not attempt to adjust your television set. T.J. Holmes is not at work today. It's me, and having a pretty good time.
There's President Obama today. He is in Poland. He is meeting with the president and the prime minister in Poland. We'll have a report on that later today in this program.
Six days after the half mile wide tornado roared through Joplin, Missouri, more than 100 people are unaccounted for on this Memorial Day weekend. Here's the latest on one of the nation's deadliest tornadoes: 156 people are missing as of this morning, down from 232 the day before. Searchers are still going through piles of debris. The confirmed death toll stands at 132 with over 1,000 injured. More than 2,500 people have applied for federal disaster assistance to help with home repairs and personal losses. FEMA has approved $2.8 million in aid.
President Obama is returning from his overseas trip today and will meet with officials and victims in Joplin tomorrow.
Rebuilding the city of nearly 50,000 people is going to require a lot of money and a lot of muscle. Our Casey Wian is in Joplin and he has talked with one man who is rebuilding his wife's business.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, when you cover a story like this, you have a lot of images, and most of them are gruesome and most of them are bad. But one of the ones that I'll always remember is driving along one of these streets here in Joplin, amid utter devastation, the kind of pictures you've been showing.
There's this building that is brand new wood and construction under way. We couldn't believe it. So we stopped over and talked to the guy who was leading the construction process, a man named Daryn Collins (ph). And he was rebuilding his wife's beauty salon which he built himself 17 years ago. It was, of course, completely demolished by the tornado and he says it's time to rebuild.
There are five beauticians who are not working right now because of this and he wants to get it rebuilt as soon as possible. He started the actual construction process on Thursday. He hopes to have the roof on the structure by Sunday, and if power is back and gas is back and water and all those other services that are out in much of Joplin, he says he hopes to have his wife's business back in business in 45 days.
It's a real sign of hope for this community.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At some point we're going to have to stop scratching our heads and standing -- staring at the rubble and roll up our sleeves and get things back to some sort of normalcy.
WIAN: To use him as a gauge, he says just yesterday alone he got six new jobs to rebuild structures here in Joplin. He said that when he first went to city officials on Tuesday, about a day and a half after this tornado struck, they looked at him in shock and surprise that he wanted to rebuild so soon.
The next day he went down to the city with plans and they approved it conditionally that he could start construction, decided to start rebuilding the next day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: We're watching for the possibility of more strong storms across the plains today. Our Reynolds Wolf is tracking all of it in the severe weather center.
And, you know, one of the things people want to know about of course is the wetlands in Louisiana. There's a lot of talk about water actually diminishing the wetlands in Louisiana.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I know, it's hard to believe.
JOHNS: I mean, why does -- isn't water supposed to be there?
WOLF: Well, it is, indeed, supposed to be there. And we've got some amazing satellite images we're going to share with you. If you take a look at these, Joe, check them out. You are going to see places that have just been enhanced by satellite imagery showing you where you have most of the silt, most of the sedimentation, which in some ways is fantastic because, if you think of that, all of the marine life that benefits from all of the silt and the sediment that makes its way through that alluvial fan out into the Gulf of Mexico.
The problem is, though, you have got so much of that water that's coming out, that discharge is so incredible that you are actually flooding many of the wetlands. There are all kinds of wildlife, many birds too, that normally nest in a lot of the vegetation that you have in the wetlands.
But with the water going up to a higher rate, many of those areas where they plan on nesting is now gone. So we have a little bit of an imbalance there, to say the very least.
Also a little bit of an imbalance in the atmosphere in parts of the Central Plains. Let me show you this. You know, it seems like this year, 2011, has been for tornadoes what 2004 and 2005 were for hurricanes. And we're seeing some development this morning, not in terms of tornadoes, nothing like that. But we're still some seeing fairly -- storms just erupt over the last couple of minutes well north of Springfield.
Just to give you your bearings for just a moment, Joplin is right here in about this area. So these are forming well to the north of Joplin. If you're tuning in from that area today, I think you should be OK for the most part. But still, there's going to be the possibility of some strong storms.
The reason why we've been seeing so much of this over the last couple of days and certainly the last couple weeks is because the atmospheric setup has just been kind of stuck, if you will. High pressure settling over parts of the Southeast has kept this area of low pressure and kept all the storm tracks. We have the combination of the moisture from the Gulf, we've got the storm systems moving from west to east and jet stream coupled in makes for pretty unstable atmosphere. That atmosphere being very unstable usually helps us see a lot of rough weather, including the outbreak of tornadoes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
JOHNS: Let's find out how you can help those affected by the flooding and devastated by the tornadoes, go to cnn.com/impact.
President Obama met is wrapping up his six-day trip to Europe today with a few events in Warsaw, Poland. He met with Poland's president a short time ago. Next up is the Polish prime minister. They've got a lot to discuss, including whether American F-16s will be stationed permanently in Poland.
We're going to go there live at the bottom of the hour for more on that trip and what the president is hoping to accomplish in Poland.
The Casey Anthony murder trial begins in a few more hours. Yesterday jurors heard from the owner of that tow company that impounded Anthony's car. He said he smelled what he thought was the stench of decomposing flesh in her car. Anthony is accused of killing her 2- year-old daughter.
Jared Loughner has been moved to a federal hospital in Springfield, Missouri. Three days ago a federal judge declared Loughner is not mentally fit to stand trial for right now for the shooting that killed six people and wounded Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Loughner was transferred from Tucson, Arizona, to the facility in Missouri for further testing.
It's not too late to get some of Bernie Madoff's stuff, if you want to do that. The U.S. Marshall Service is going to put the last items they have up for auction next week, diamond watch, rings, and fine wines. There you see some of them. All going to be on sale. The money raised at these sales goes to pay off swindled investors. Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for running his Ponzi scheme.
Makes you proud to see that. The famous Blue Angels will be taking off sometime after their commander stepped down, Commander Dave Koss says he didn't want -- didn't live up to the precision flying team's safety and performance standards during this air show in Lynchburg, Virginia, just last weekend. The angels have canceled their next couple of performances while a new commander takes over.
And before you let your kids jump in the pool this weekend, have you heard this? The government is recalling more than 1 million pool and spa drain covers. We've got more on this alert in just 60 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: Memorial Day weekend means the beginning of pool season in neighborhoods all over the country, but before you jump in the pool, you've got to hear this. The government says thousands of public swimming pools should stay closed until they replace potentially deadly drain covers.
Alison Kosik has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Joe.
It's the kind of news no one wants to hear on a holiday weekend, but the government is advising thousands of public swimming pools not to open this weekend because of a massive recall. One million pool drain covers were recalled a few days ago. Pool drains have up to 500 pounds of vacuum force and that's why they need these drain covers so that swimmers don't get trapped underwater by that suction.
It doesn't sound like a big deal, but it really can be. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, says it caused a dozen deaths between 1999 and 2010. Some of the recalled drain covers weren't rated correctly so they may not protect you. Kids are most at risk which is why the CPSC is really urging public kiddie pools and wading pools to respond immediately to the recall.
In-ground spas, they're also at risk. The faulty covers have to be replaced or retrofitted, and it would be an issue if you have a pool in your backyard too. If you're a private pool owner, you can get more information at 866-478-3521, or apsp.org/draincoverrecall. The faulty covers were sold between 2008 and April of this year.
Joe, hopefully everyone is going to have a safe holiday weekend. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: Alison Kosik in New York, thanks for that.
The record keeping at Arlington Cemetery was so antiquated; it became all but impossible to keep track of the gravestones. We've got the story of one high school student who was moved to right that wrong by creating a digital record of the graves.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RICKY GILLELAND, FOUNDER, PRESERVEANDHONOR.COM: I come here and I look at the birth dates and the death dates and I think, you know, these are kids that aren't much older than me. They're not just a number of casualties or anything like that. They are actual people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: We're going to have his story in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia has been under fire for its antiquated record-keeping and the mishandling of remains. When one high-schooler saw the story, he realized there actually was something he could do to help and he says he learned something along the way.
Sandra Endo has more on this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Joe, this Memorial Day many families of fallen service members may not be able to make it here to this sacred ground at Arlington National Cemetery, but one young man is making the memories of troops buried here just a click away for anyone in the world.
(voice-over): One by one, 17-year-old Ricky Gilleland keeps the spirit behind these headstones at Arlington National Cemetery alive online.
(on camera): You come here thinking what?
GILLELAND: Well, it's sad. Because I come here and I look at the birth dates and the death dates and I think, you know, these are kids that aren't much older than me.
ENDO (voice-over): The computer wiz started documenting the 858 soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and are buried at Arlington after he heard about the record-keeping problems at the cemetery. He posted the information and pictures on his Web site, called PreserveandHonor.com. It has received more than 1 million hits since it launched in October.
(on camera): What do you hope for when people log on to your Web site?
GILLELAND: I hope that they can go on and feel a little bit of comfort in knowing that, you know, they are not just a number of casualties or anything like that. They are actual people.
ENDO: An investigation by the Army inspector general found 211 graves were mislabeled here, and Arlington Cemetery has been under fire for keeping an antiquated record system of the roughly 300,000 men and women laid to rest here. JENNIFER LYNCH, ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETARY: We actually are in the process of modernizing our record-keeping. It will make actually people who are doing sites like Ricky's a lot easier because it's all going to be available on our Web site.
ENDO (voice-over): For Gilleland, his project took on a deeper meaning as he learned more about one fallen soldier.
GILLELAND: What's special about this headstone in particular is that it's the only one around it that has gold lettering, which that means that he was a Medal of Honor winner.
GEORGE W. BUSH, 43RD PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And keep us ever grateful for the life of Ross Andrew McGinnis.
GILLELAND: He was fighting. Someone threw a grenade inside the Humvee. He jumped in, put his body over the grenade and absorbed most of the blast so he saved everyone else.
ENDO: We reached out to the McGinnis family who had no idea about Gilleland's project, and became emotional after seeing the site. In an e-mail, Mr. McGinnis thanked Gilleland for his work, describing it as a way to showcase the sacrifices of our nation's heroes.
But there are still new sacrifices Gilleland will continue to capture.
(on camera): Ricky Gilleland says he has received nearly 600 e-mails from people supporting his project. He hopes to expand his Web site to include all of the lives lost in the Global War on Terror, not just those buried here in Arlington. He says with help of volunteers, he'll be able to do it -- Joe.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: Thanks for that, Sandra Endo.
We want to update you now on a story we first told you about a couple of weeks ago. A plan has finally been approved to replace offensive gravestones in a cemetery in El Dorado, California. I have to warn you that what we're going to show you are some offensive markers.
Thirty-six graves were moved from Negro Hill Cemetery in the 1950s by the Army Corps of Engineers, but the stones were carved with the N- word in place of Negro Hill. And after weeks of debate over who is at fault, the El Dorado County supervisors finally approved a plan to put in new gravestones.
The county will raise about $18,000 for granite markers. And the county is also going to raise $5,000 for a permanent memorial to Negro Hill and the anonymous people buried in the cemetery. Negro Hill was a thriving gold-mining town where the first strike was made by an African immigrant. The town faded into disrepair and now it actually sits at the bottom of Folsom Lake.
For more than 80 years a Singapore woman has been working tirelessly to help the needy, 112-year-old Teresa Hsu is someone we think you ought to know. I'll introduce you to her next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: In Singapore she's affectionately called "Mother Teresa," 112- year-old Teresa Hsu has spent most of her life helping the poor, the sick, and the elderly. And we think that makes her someone you should know.
She was born in 1898. When war broke out between China and Japan later in the 1930s, she gave up her job, started working as a volunteer to help the injured. Transformed by the experience, she says, consumed by the poverty around her and the desire to help, she embarked on a mission of mercy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERESA HSU, 112 YEARS OLD: Wherever you see hungry, go out and help them. These are our fellow human beings. They normally go hungry, that's why it's in your power to relieve their hunger.
Love of humanity, and the thought of serving the poor and sick.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: And whether it was working as a nurse in Paraguay in 1952, running a home for old and sick during the '60s, or building a school for orphans in Vietnam, she has really shown tireless dedication to those in need and even in retirement she kept going, establishing the Heart-to-Heart Service Center to provide critical supplies for elderly and destitute women.
So how does she keep doing it? Well, she credits yoga, which she picked up at the age of 69, lots of laughter, and her sweet tooth. The 112-year-old woman simply loves vanilla ice cream.
President in Poland talking tourism and F-16s, not particularly in that order. We'll take you live to Warsaw in a little while.
Plus, tornado victims with no place to live, banned from using FEMA trailers in town. What's the mayor's reasoning? Find out in just a couple of minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: It's 25 minutes after the hour. Welcome back. I'm Joe Johns in for T.J. Holmes. Thanks for starting your day with us. President Obama is in Warsaw, Poland, this morning as last stop of his six-day European trip. We saw celebrations in Ireland, the pomp and circumstance with the queen in London, and the G-8 discussions in France, but this stop is just a little more low key than all that.
CNN's senior White House correspondent Ed Henry, traveling with the president, now joins us live from Warsaw.
Ed, give us an idea about the big issues the president is talking to the Polish leaders about today. ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good to see you, Joe.
It's interesting because the Polish leaders certainly want to hear from the president on the issue of visas, for example. They want to get more students and workers from here in Poland, get them over to the United States.
They want to talk about missile defense, which has been a very controversial subject. Russia not wanting there to be a U.S.-backed missile defense shield here in Eastern Europe that could protect some of our allies against Iranian weapons, for example. Poland wants to make sure the U.S. is going to try and protect them in that situation.
But the president wants something from the Poles as well. And that is lessons learned from their own transition to democracy. Interesting that when you talk to White House aides, they say they see a parallel between the fall of the Berlin Wall, the fall of Soviet Union, to what has happened with the Arab Spring in the Mideast. And they think there are some lessons learned from the transition to democracy in Central and Eastern Europe that could be applied to Egypt and Tunisia.
We saw the president talk a little bit about that at the G-8 summit in France the last couple of days as well as he has been trying to bring allies along to help rebuild the economies in Egypt and Tunisia, for example, because they still have growing pains here in Eastern Europe.
It's going to take many, many years, maybe decades after the Arab Spring for some of those countries to rebuild as well -- Joe.
JOHNS: You know, this has been really very sort of a whirlwind trip. You've been all over the place. And now you end up in Central Europe, and my thought and the thing I've been wondering is, it feels sort of like this was tacked on perhaps, or is it a make good, why did he end up in Poland?
HENRY: Well, he certainly wants to reach out to a U.S. ally, but I think you're right to mention that they are trying to make up for the fact the president could not be here in the spring of 2010 when the Polish president was killed so tragically in that plane crash, you'll remember, on his way back from Russia, from an official trip.
And so at that time there was volcanic ash here in Europe that was grounding some flights. Air Force One couldn't fly over here. So the president could not be here for that funeral. So he wanted to come here and pay his respects for sure. And in fact he's going to be visiting a memorial later today to -- you know that pays homage, not just the president and the first lady who were killed then, so many other military leaders and others, but also he's going to meet with some relatives.
Interesting, his motorcade last night passed some signs where there were some protesters who were charging that Russia had something to do with that plane crash last year. It shows you emotions are still raw not just about that plane crash but about -- you know, between Russia and the Polish people here. They are still not completely trustful that Russia is moving toward democracy -- Joe.
JOHNS: Right. So you're talking about paranoia basically involving Russia, that uneasy relationship since everything split apart.
HENRY: Yes, and you know, it applies to what I mentioned earlier, which is the missile defense shield. We saw former President Bush, he had been pushing that as a way to protect Poland and some of our allies here in this region. Russia has balked at that, saying maybe the U.S. could put offensive weapons in that shield and launch them some day against Russia if our relationship were to change.
They are at a stalemate right now on that missile defense plan, and a lot of people here in Poland are a little suspicious, frankly, when they hear U.S. saying they are resetting relations with Russia. They are not completely trustful of Russia, as I mentioned.
And so this is partly the president trying to reassure the people of Poland as well that, look, we can have a relationship with Russia and a relationship with Poland and get along here -- Joe.
JOHNS: Ed Henry wrapping up that long trip with the president of the United States overseas, looking forward to having you back here in the States -- Ed.
HENRY: Great to see you, Joe.
JOHNS: President Obama returns to Washington tonight, but then it's on to Missouri tomorrow. The president will get a firsthand look at the damage in Joplin, Missouri. He's going speak to a memorial service honoring tornado victims.
And on that note, checking top stories, authorities in Joplin are dialing back the number of missing after Sunday's devastating tornado to 156. They are raising the number of those killed to at least 132. This is the highest death toll from a single tornado in the U.S. since record-keeping began in 1950. The Joplin coroner says it will take weeks to conduct DNA tests to identify some of those bodies.
Gil Scott-Heron has been called the "Godfather of Rap" for his mix of poetry and music, has died Friday in New York City. He was best known for the 1970 politically and socially charged song "The Revolution Will not be Televised." Scott-Heron's music has been sampled by hip hop stars, including Kanye West and Common.
In 2008 in an interview he revealed he contracted HIV after years of battling drug and alcohol addictions. Gil Scott-Heron was 62 years old.
In Pakistan the Taliban are claiming responsibility for blast that left eight people dead and another dozen wounded. It happened in the village of Pashta near the Afghanistan border in Pakistan. A pro- government militia that's fighting the Taliban was apparently the target. The Taliban spokesman says the attack likely, like others, is a payback for the killing of Osama bin Laden.
And we're checking out reports of a loud explosion in the Libyan capital of Tripoli this morning. We're told it's near the Gadhafi palace. We'll pass on more information as it comes to us here.
The U.S. State Department is urging American citizens to get out of Yemen as the violence escalates between anti-regime tribesmen and Yemeni security forces.
(VIDEO CLIP OF GUNSHOTS)
JOHNS: That small arms fire heard yesterday in the Yemeni capital has grown louder as five powerful explosions rang out in Sanaa earlier this morning. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom has the latest now in Abu Dhabi.
Hello there, Mohammed, what's going on?
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Joe.
Well, we're hearing since last night, the overnight hours in Sanaa, there were five loud explosions in a neighborhood in the capital city of Yemen where intense fighting has going on for almost five days now between one of the largest and most powerful tribes in Yemen, and President Ali Abdullah Saleh's forces.
Now just to give this a little bit more context, in the past several days what has happened is this tribe, which is called the Hashid tribe, a tribe that I might add President Saleh of Yemen is actually a member. has turned against the president.
It has been doing so more and more in the last several weeks because of the anti-government protest movement, there's a lot of anger directed at the president in that country. But last weekend, all the political factions in Yemen were almost on the verge of signing a deal that would end the political turmoil there.
Well, President Saleh did not sign it. There was more anger directed at him for not doing so. A lot of fear in that country that because he was putting up so many obstacles to this deal that that would plunge that country into chaos. That's basically what has been happening for the past five days, more and more tribesmen going against him.
Now in a country as tribal and fractious and divisive as Yemen is, that is the most dangerous thing of all. It's a very weak central government in Yemen. Even though President Saleh has been president there for over 30 years, 33 years in fact, it doesn't matter, it's the tribes and the allegiances to the tribes that rule in Yemen.
So right now more and more people there worry that because there is tribal warfare going on in the streets of the capital and other districts nearby, that that is actually going to plunge this country into all-out civil war -- Joe.
JOHNS: Right. Just how dangerous is it? I mean, and what is the likelihood in our view -- in your view that civil war actually occurs?
JAMJOOM: Well, right now it's looking more and more like it's slipping down that slope, like it's really teetering on the edge of all-out civil war. Now it's one thing to have a protest movement there. You've had hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters in the streets of major cities across Yemen for the last four months demanding that President Saleh step down.
They've been emboldened and encouraged by this Arab Spring movement. They want that president gone. They believe that he is a corrupt figure, that he is not providing them with any economic opportunity, that he's not working for them. That's a youth-led revolutionary movement.
Now everybody was worried that if more and more people were out in the streets of Yemen, and there would be more and more competing tribes with different allegiances, that that could lead to clashes.
Well, now we're seeing those clashes happen. Not only do you have different tribes that are angry at the government and government forces fighting it out with one another, you also have military factions loyal to different commanders out in those streets. They're going to be fighting. People are very worried that country is going to go right downhill and all-out civil war is going to break out -- Joe.
JOHNS: All right. And we will be watching. Thanks so much, Mohammad Jamjoom, in Abu Dhabi.
After four years, the Gaza Strip is once again officially open to the world. Egypt has permanently opened Gaza's main gateway, starting today. Israel forced a blockade of the area after the group Hamas grabbed power in 2007. The siege of Gaza has meant that people could only leave for humanitarian reasons or if they had a visa for a third country. Men between 18 and 40 will still have to get a visa to enter Egypt.
This has been the deadliest year for tornadoes in decades.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's getting big, big, big, big.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's huge!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got it all on video. I got it all on video.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: We'll explain the factors that came together to make this such a terrible year. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: Up close and terrifying. You have seen the fearsome power of a tornado, now you can have a closer view of how they operate. A group of storm-chasers spent the week trailing twisters state to state as they tore across the Midwest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's coming. Power lines right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, let's get up there.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's getting big, big, big, big.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's huge!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got it all on video. I got it all on video.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sounds like a waterfall. Wedge tornado.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is on the outskirts of the western edge of Waverly now. It's in a more populated area.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. There it is. There it is. Oh, gosh. That's a monster tornado.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's crossing the road, grab the wheel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God. Back up. Oh, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no, what did it destroy? Oh, it's a (INAUDIBLE)! Slow down, (INAUDIBLE)!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very large tornado.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just had a power flash, hopefully they'll get everybody...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my gosh!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... out of there and safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The motion is tremendous. David Payne (ph), are you still with us? Violent tornado.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. (INAUDIBLE). It's another killer tornado. It went across Highway 81 is when it intensified and almost got us. It intensified right on top of us. Amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was a violent tornado. You see how it is carving out kind of a V-shaped debris cloud. And we'll just let this roll. This was live for a good 20, 25 minutes. That's the Goldsby Water Tower. We showed that to you a short while ago. But watch this as it comes in Goldsby. And, folks, we're watching and they were in their safe spot and a lot of folks left town. A lot of folks got out of town, they were in their safe spot because homes are obliterated down in Goldsby. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there. Right there. You got it. We've got a funnel!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right on the ground. Tuckerman, Arkansas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: It's just incredible to have pictures of all that stuff. Tornadoes have killed more than 500 people this year and that makes this the deadliest tornado season since 1953. And the question I've had so many times, meteorologist Reynolds Wolf, is, why? Why now? Why so many? And why so many deaths?
WOLF: Well, the thing that's interesting about it is the reason why we have so many deaths is because these storms, these tornadoes, are hitting highly populated areas. That's the number one issue that we're having. But when it comes to numbers, the frequency of these tornadoes, the problem that we're running into is that we've only really been keeping track of these the last 40, 50 years.
If you go back to, you know, think about a planet that's 4.6 billion years old, you know, we've got a lot of storms, a lot of tornadoes over that time since the Earth started. So we've got just a tiny snapshot. But I'm telling you as long as we've been keeping records, it has been certainly very active.
And the reason why, well, there are a lot of reasons but the two biggest players and the two distinctively different air masses. Say it with me, folks. You've got humid air coming in from the Gulf of Mexico. And that's just kind of not going to stay locked down. That's going to march its way to the north. When it does, it's going to interact with this blast of cold air that we've had to the north and when they come together, that's where you have your dividing line, your frontal boundary.
These two air masses do not get along, so to speak. There is a great contrast. And right along that boundary where they meet, that frontal boundary, that has been combining with this strong upper level jet stream. When you have that, that's what helps develop these strong storms, yes, and tornadoes.
There has been a little bit of variance with it. We've seen, of course, some of it over parts of, say, Oklahoma, back into, say, Arkansas, and even into Missouri, but it has also, you'll remember, moved over towards portions of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Central Alabama, we've got plenty of tornadoes there.
So that's the biggest reason, the humid air, the cold air, the combination of that coupled with the jet stream and your storm track, that is the biggest reason.
But we've been really focusing on tornadoes. But you have to keep in mind, there's all kinds of weather phenomenon that have been taking place with this atmospheric setup.
First and foremost, we have been seeing a lot of that cold air that has been spilling out and colder than average temperatures out towards the West, the snow pack has been just immense. In fact, some places like Yellowstone National Park, the roads remain closed because you have got up to 20 feet of snow that are blocking some of the roadways.
What's more than that, you have got dry conditions. A historic drought in parts of New Mexico and into Texas. I know it's very dry out near the Davis and Apache mountains, and supposed to be. But this is even lower than what you would normally expect.
And then on the other side, we've had the historic flooding in parts of the Mid-Mississippi Valley, also you have to remember the heavy snowfall that we've had up towards parts of Minnesota and back into the Dakotas, all of that funneling down into the Mississippi Valley, which is giving you the historic flooding.
So, again, it's the tornadoes, it's the flooding, it's the extreme temperatures, not only the heat, but, of course, the cold, Joe, all coming together to give us a severe weather burrito, so to speak. It has been just awful.
JOHNS: Yes, it's pretty incredible. And...
WOLF: It really has been.
JOHNS: And the thing that's so amazing too is there are so many cameras out there and you can see pictures of all of this. That's what's bizarre.
WOLF: That's the key thing. They were moving into such a technological -- I guess you could say, just kind of a mass where every person with any cell phone can take great video, were able to document these. And, of course, through the Internet we've seen I- Reports that we share with viewers worldwide. But you're right, we're able to capture these more than ever before. And, of course, that makes it -- the numbers seem even higher.
JOHNS: Yes, fascinating stuff. All right. Thanks, Reynolds.
The federal government has offered the storm victims trailers to live in while their homes are being rebuilt, but in one Alabama town they're being turned away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What I had suggested doing was putting FEMA trailers right in my backyard. But because of the mayor, we can't do that. We can't help our neighbors because he won't let us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: You heard right. The mayor is saying, thanks, but no thanks, to FEMA's help. In 60 seconds, I'm going to tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: Guess you could say anger is bubbling up in Cordova, Alabama, one month after a deadly tornado tore through the state. People there are upset over a city ordinance banning single-wide trailer homes. It's there to boost property values but now that ban is coming back to haunt residents who lost everything in last month's tornado. All of those FEMA trailers offered up as temporary homes are single-width. That means they can't be used in Cordova.
It seems like a simple fix, huh? Just have the mayor make an exception, but he's not budging. Mayor Jack Scott says he thinks that once people get in the trailers, they'll squat on the land making those FEMA trailers permanent fixtures in his town.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you don't want to listen, get out!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Things got pretty heated at this week's city council meeting, but again Mayor Scott says no.
Now, check these out. See these trailers, see what's written on them? "Police." That's right. "Cordova Police Department," even city hall now in trailers, single-wide trailers. Their buildings were destroyed in the tornado. Other businesses are doing the very same thing, working out of the trailers while they're trying to rebuild. But the ordinance does not affect them, just residences.
That has led to this sight, tents in front of yards. This where Danny Banks (ph) now lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's rough down here, you know? Having to sleep on the ground. I mean, you know, it's rough having to sleep on the ground. But I am not leaving my property until I get me something to live in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Now for the part of FEMA, they say the trailers are just a last resort. They prefer to help people find places to rent while they are rebuilding. Cordova police chief says they're not against the trailers totally. They would just rather see them set up outside of town.
Japan's earthquake and tsunami making waves in the U.S., car-buyers could soon see higher prices.
Plus, how do you like your coffee? Cream, sugar, how about some peas? Yes, I said peas. I'll explain after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: Before the break, we began counting down America's best beaches as listed by Dr. Beach. Here's a look at the best beaches: rounding out the top five. Coming in at number 2, Coronado Beach in San Diego; and the top beach in America, that would be the white sands of Siesta Beach on Siesta Key in Sarasota, Florida.
Not everyone is headed to the beach though, according to Edmunds.com, Memorial Day weekend car sales average about 40 percent higher than non-holiday weekends in May. But this year could be different, very different. Dealers are scrambling to cope with a new car shortage some call unprecedented.
Our Alison Kosik explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK (voice-over): Two car dealerships, one problem.
RICK DESILVA, OWNER, LIBERTY SUBARU: I've never seen anything like this.
LAURA BOTSACOS, CO-OWNER, JAMES TOYOTA SCION: I've never experienced this before.
KOSIK: The devastating earthquake struck Japan more than two months ago, but some of the effects are just now hitting American soil. Automakers aren't operating at full speed and that means we could see a car shortage this summer.
DESILVA: We're probably going to get about, in round numbers, 70 cars a month. We'll be about 30 percent down for the normal numbers that we normally get for this time of year. So it's not great.
BOTSACOS: On a typical month you could be earning anywhere between 140 to 200 vehicles per month, right? So now we're in a situation where we are seeing that we are earning anywhere between 40 vehicles a month. That's a drastic reduction.
KOSIK: The auto industry has been through tough times before but what makes this situation so unique is that dealers don't know when things will get back to normal.
DESILVA: There is still a little bit of uncertainty as far as exactly when we're going to get cars, what we're going to get, what the numbers may be. There's really not a really good forecast, where normally you could forecast what you were going to get.
KOSIK (on camera): Why is it a problem business-wise to not be able to forecast?
DESILVA: Well, because you have to know whether or not you can pay your bills.
KOSIK (voice-over): And ultimately paying the bills is the issue.
BOTSACOS: We have a huge responsibility. We're responsible for people and, you know, we're also responsible for making sure that people's needs are met. It's -- so, yes, if you're -- let's put it this way, I don't sleep very well.
KOSIK: Unfortunately there's not much these business owners can do. They don't make the cars and they can't change what's available, so they are literally watching business walk out the door.
BOTSACOS: A woman walked in, she wanted a specific model. And it's fine people, when they want what they want. We didn't have it. And I just -- I didn't have it. I tried my best.
KOSIK: This is a supply and demand business. So with fewer cars available, prices are rising. Edmunds.com says overall car prices are up $350 since the earthquake. So if you want options and lower prices...
DESILVA: You really, really need to come out and start looking now if you want to get something.
BOTSACOS: If you are thinking about buying a vehicle this calendar year, now is the time. Because as we've all experienced, we just can't predict what may or may not happen.
KOSIK: Alison Kosik, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: If you try to take a swim in a public pool this weekend, don't be surprised if it's closed. The government announced a recall on Thursday of about 1 million pool and spa drain covers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says they could pose a risk to swimmers. Pool drains have about 500 pounds of vacuum force, poorly designed covers can trap swimmers, especially young children, under water.
Is your caramel macchiato tasting a little funny? If you got your coffee from Cuba, it just might be. An 70 percent jump in coffee prices has forced the Cuban government to add roasted peas to its coffee blend. Cuba had actually done this for decades before going to the pure stuff in 2005. And some people are actually happy the old blend is back.
Now take a look at this. It's believed to be one of three anchors from the Queen Anne's Revenge, the pirate ship belonging to one of the most feared sea captains of all time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: Time to go cross-country now for a story CNN affiliates are covering.
In Georgia, an armed robbery suspect nicknamed "Grandma Bandit" was shot and killed following a police chase Friday morning in Atlanta. Later, authorities discovered the grandma was actually grandpa. Police say employees at a restaurant tipped them off after recognizing the suspect from a crime stoppers report.
Some welcome signs of recovery along the flood ravaged Mississippi River. Memphis area casinos like Harris and Tunica reopened yesterday after being closed for almost a month due to historic flooding. An industry Web site says all Tunica casinos will be open for Memorial Day weekend. And look at what they fished out of the water off the coast of North Carolina yesterday, something that hasn't been seen since the early 1700s. This barnacle-encrusted anchor once belonging to the ship Queen Ann's Revenge better known as the Pirate Blackbeard's flagship. The anchor will be on display later this month at the state's maritime museum. What a fine --
(MUSIC)
JOHNS: From CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's May 28. It's 7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 6:00 a.m. in Joplin, Missouri, and 4:00 a.m. in Las Vegas.
Good morning, wherever you may be celebrating your holiday weekend. I'm Joe Johns, in for T.J. Holmes.
So, the big question this weekend: will Sarah Palin run for president? Her poll numbers are pretty good. She's off to a bus tour this weekend, but she hasn't officially jumped in the race. We'll take a closer look at Palin's prospects.
Plus, some call it abuse, but most Americans call it borrowing their own money. We'll look at a new bill that could limit the loans you can take from your 401(k).
Nearly a week after a half mile-wide tornado roared through Joplin, Missouri, more than 100 people remain unaccounted for on this Memorial Day weekend.
Here's the latest on one of the deadliest tornadoes in the country: 156 people are missing as of this morning, down from 232 the day before. Searchers are still going through piles of debris. The confirmed death toll stands at 132, with over 1,000 people injured. We expect an update on the number of missing and hurt at 11:00 Eastern Time.
More than 2,500 people applied for federal disaster assistance to help with home repairs, personal losses. FEMA has approved $2.8 million in aid.
President Obama is returning from his overseas trip today and will meet with officials and victims in Joplin tomorrow.
When disaster strikes, some people freeze and others take charge.
Our Paul Vercammen is in Joplin.
Paul, a lot of stories of survival and bravery coming out now, right?
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Memorial weekend indeed because they're going to remember some of these heroes of Joplin. And this morning, they're going to remember 59-year-old Dean Wells. He was a manager at that Home Depot that many have seen. It was obliterated by the tornado, but instead of securing his own safety, he ran around and he directed other people to shelter. And if you talk to his family members, they say this absolutely no surprise that their husband and their son and their father would give his life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA WELLS, HUSBAND KILLED IN TORNADO: He was always helping other people. I mean, I miss him, but I'm glad that if he had to lose his life, he lost it the way he lived it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERCAMMEN: There's also been a lot of frustration this week. And that's because in the case of Dean Wells, his body remained there in the morgue for a long time. And while not pointing fingers at either a federal agency, a state agency, a county agency or a city agency, the Wells family would like to see in the future when it comes to a disaster, that all of these agencies get together and button things up so they don't go through what they went through when the body was just returned yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEANNA MANICINI, FATHER KILLED IN TORNADO: My father set in the refrigerator and we fought to get him out and we got to see him today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERCAMMEN: Now back here live, that memorial service later on today. They call Dean Wells the whistler for his ability to whistle.
Also, while we're here, Joe, I want to give you a sense for just the scope of devastation because the cleanup is now the next thing. And they have so much to reckon with here in Joplin. We'll give you almost 180-degree view.
If you see where I'm standing right now, this is very close to that hospital where this twister came through and cut this four-mile long swath. And in this particular area, everywhere where you look for, 360 degrees, you can see this sort of devastation.
One of the reasons the search for bodies has been so difficult, you can imagine with 200-mile-an-hour winds, if a tornado can pick up a car, obviously, people were picked up and moved by this tornado. So, they have a lot of heavy lifting to do in Joplin as they comb through this wreckage. As I said, we're standing on a little hill by the hospital and this just goes on for miles.
The swath of the tornado we say four miles long and at some points, it was as wide as three-quarters of a mile and that's why it looks the way it does behind me, Joe.
JOHNS: It's really just stunning. Thank you so much for that report, Joe Vercammen, in Joplin.
President Obama is wrapping up his six-day trip to Europe today with a few events in Warsaw, Poland. He met with Poland's president just a little while ago. Now, he's meeting with the prime minister. And they've got a lot to talk about, including whether American F-16s will be stationed permanently in Poland.
Jared Loughner has been moved to a federal hospital in Springfield, Missouri. Three days ago, a federal judge declared Loughner is not mentally fit to stand trial right now for the shooting that killed six people and wounded Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords among others. Loughner was transferred from Tucson, Arizona, to the facility in Missouri for further testing.
It's not too late to get some of Bernie Madoff's stuff. The U.S. marshal service is going to put the very last items they have up for auction next week. It includes a diamond watch, rings, some fine wines -- all are going to be on sale. The money raised at these sales, it goes to pay off the swindled investors. Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for running his Ponzi scheme.
The famous Blue Angels will be taking some time off after their commander stepped down. Commander Dave Koss says he didn't live up to the precision flying team's safety and performance standards during this air show in Lynchburg, Virginia, just last weekend. Angels have canceled their next couple of performances while a new commander takes over.
Hurricane season for the United States begins in just a few days, but in Japan, they are on alert for a big storm right now and bad weather is threatening the nation's crippled nuclear power plant.
Reynolds Wolf is tracking typhoon Songda and that's a pretty incredible lead in quite frankly.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Things are getting active over there. And things have been just absolutely bizarre weather-wise here in the United States. And today for your Memorial Day weekend, we've got a chance of extreme heat, some rain, some sleet and also some heavy snowfall. Can you believe it? We're going to talk about it coming up right here.
You see the sign behind me. You know what it says. Feel it in your heart. See you in a bit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: With less than a month before the report is due, a team of international experts descended on Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant yesterday. It's their final fact-finding visit to the accident site. The team hopes to improve global nuclear safety by learning from the disaster that occurred on March 11th.
Japan's latest worry is a powerful typhoon -- as if that's not enough -- set to slam into the island nation today. It could hit the nuclear disaster zone.
And, Reynolds Wolf, this is just almost unbelievable. WOLF: It's unreal. It's the time of the year. It's when you have that kind of weather over in parts of the Pacific and sure enough, Songda, I believe is the name of this typhoon.
Let's look at the video we have for you. It's already made a very close call to a few places over toward the Pacific, just passed the Philippines. This is from Taiwan. The heavy rain coming down.
Joe, how many times we've seen this play out here along parts of the Gulf Coast and along the Eastern Seaboard? The rough weather that we see there again, it looks like that storm may be headed for parts of southern Japan. We're going to keep a sharp eye on it.
But also, in the back of your mind, keep in mind that our own severe weather season may be fading out in terms of tornadoes, but hurricane season begins on January 1st.
Before we get to that, let's talk about what we have right in front of us. And sure enough, as we zoom into parts of the central plains this morning, we see an eruption of some storms developing. From Wichita back over to Springfield, Joplin, by the way, is right about here. And we've been seeing some thunderstorms. A few of these have been severe, very intense, dropping quite a bit of rainfall along parts of I-35, and back over towards 44. You may have some ponding on roadways.
So, if you happen to be tuning in on satellite radio, just be advised -- anyone near Springfield, get ready for rain. It's going to be kind of hit and miss sort of thing over the next couple hours, more possible as we make our way through the day.
You know, we're talking right as we go into the break about the heavy rainfall. Of course, we've got it here. But look out west, we got something altogether different. Talking about some heavy snowfall and this morning, up near Steamboat Springs and beautiful Yampa Valley in many big resorts, including over in Aspen, people are still going to be skiing.
I know what the calendar says. I know what time of year it is. But still, nature is going to have its own way and the way is going to be some snowfall. If you were to move that from that area and head up towards, say, the Grand Tetons, perhaps into portions of, let's go right up back up towards a few places like Yellowstone National Park, and into the Tetons, the snow not too impressive for time being. But by this afternoon, we might see more of it develop especially near Grand Teton itself.
The heavy snowfall could be into a foot in some places. That's not the only spot. We may see some of it into parts of the foothills of Mt. Shasta, back up in the Sierra Nevada, even into parts of the cascades. So, snow, rain and you even got, of course, you heat, the possibility of severe weather that we talked about and, of course, humid conditions in parts of the South.
The northeast, as we wrap things up, hit and miss showers. New York there for the most looks good. That may change, though, as we get into Sunday and into Monday.
Joe, let's kick it back to you.
JOHNS: You bet. Thanks so much, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet, sir.
JOHNS: Coming up, we're going to talk about Sarah Palin's political future. It's an obsession people just never seem to get tired of talking about it. Will she run or will she not run? We'll talk about the prospects in just a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: A new poll on the 2012 presidential election shows just what people think about the current field of Republican contenders.
Take a look at this. Two of the first three names on the list aren't even running yet. That's Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin. We know Mitt Romney is running, though he won't officially announce until next week.
So, what about the two phantom frontrunners? We haven't heard much from Giuliani. And Sarah Palin -- well, that's another story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS (voice-over): What's up with Sarah Palin? Getting ready to start a nationwide tour, launching a movie that gives her positive light, reportedly buying a place in sunny Arizona that could serve as a base for a national campaign, or maybe just home away from home in the lower 48 -- just enough stuff to stir up some buzz or is she actually getting ready to jump into the race for president?
On FOX News, where she gets paid big bucks to be a contributor, her comments have only added to the speculation.
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: I think my problem is that I do have the fire in my belly. I'm so adamantly supportive of the good traditional things about America and our free enterprise system and I want to make sure that America is put back on the right track, and we only do that by defeating Obama in 2012. I have that fire in my belly.
JOHNS: If you look at the latest poll, were she to run -- she's not in bad shape, tied with Mitt Romney. Money-wise, her political action committee was busy through the end of December, raising $5.5 million, though we do know that just this month, she sent out an e-mail solicitation to 400,000 people nationwide.
Her people say all she was doing is raising money for Sarah PAC, though a former staffer with the McCain-Palin campaign last time around says if she gets in, she'll have no problem finding donors.
FORD O'CONNELL, FORMER MCCAIN/PALIN CAMPAIGN STAFFER: Sarah Palin can do it like a holy roller on Sunday morning. JOHNS: Palin would be competing for social conservative votes, but she's not exactly a shoo-in. For one thing, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is also likely to get into the race. And social conservatives like her a lot.
Direct mail master Richard Viguerie who's been called one of the founders of the modern conservative movement says Palin has not surrounded herself with the kind of crowd that tells him what she stands for.
RICHARD VIGUERIE, DIRECT MAIL MASTER: What are her views on judges or, you know, who does she look to for guidance and leadership and advice and counsel? So she's kind of a blank slate to most all conservatives.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: Now, as we said, Sarah Palin kicks off her One Nation bus tour tomorrow. We'll have more on Palin's prospects in the next hour.
Hands off that 401(k). Congress is considering a new plan to limit access to your own money. But why is that? We'll explore that, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: OK. You got a tough economy, along with high gas prices, food prices, and some people have borrowed from their 401(k). It's been going on for a while.
Now, a couple senators, if they have their way -- that's going to be a thing of the past. Democratic Senator Herb Kohl and Republican Senator Mike Enzi have introduced a so-called SEAL 401(k) Savings Act. This is legislation that would reduce the number of loans workers can take from their 401(k)s.
Senator Kohl had this to say about retirement accounts: "More and more Americans are treating retirement accounts as rainy day funds."
I thought they were rainy day funds. They're not supposed to be used as a piggy bank. So, we would like to talk about that.
And financial analyst Clyde Anderson is here.
Clyde, what's up with it's not a piggy bank? Isn't this supposed to be rainy day fund or what? And why would Capitol Hill not want a guy like me or you to spend our own money if we were in a pinch?
CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCIAL ANALYST: Well, I think they are saying they are trying to protect us, protect the American citizen. You know, with Social Security having problems, they want to make sure we have some sort of retirement fund, even though again this is our own money.
JOHNS: Herb Kohl is rich.
ANDERSON: Right. Herb Kohl, you know, he's the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, a philanthropist and the lineage of the Kohl's Department Store.
JOHNS: When do you think he tapped his 401(k)?
ANDERSON: And that's why I'm having a problem. You know, right here, I have the bill in my hand. And I have a problem because I think he may be out of touch with reality of what middle class Americans are going through right now.
Again, this is money that we put aside, you know, for our own savings and now, they're saying they want to limit the amount that you can touch. People are using this money right now for foreclosures, to avoid foreclosure, to really just help ends meet.
JOHNS: So, who does this benefit?
ANDERSON: Well, you know, they're saying, again, they want to protect the consumer. So, they want to say they want to limit the amount of time that you can pull loans from this. Now, some people maybe in a situations where they may have abused this and said, you know, I needed excess, I need to do certain things to pay for certain things, you know, as Americans consume.
But, again, you got a lot of people that are in positions where they are being smart about what they're doing but realize this is money they've taken aside, put away and companies have made money of this 401(k) as well, you know? You are talking about putting money aside that came out of just pretax dollars and I think a lot of times, we get caught up in pretax and it seems like so much more. And so, we go with 401(k) and invest it.
JOHNS: Right. Now, what I did here on the radio and in some other places, that they were using that term 401(k) abuse. If you look at it on the other side, what is 401(k) abuse supposed to be? Too many loans or taking money out and not paying it back, or what?
ANDERSON: Well, they're saying it's too many loans. But also, as a lot of people are taking these loans out, and then they're losing their jobs. And what happens when you lose your job, usually, you have several years to pay back this loan if you take it from the employer. But once you lose your job, you have about 60 days to pay it back.
And so, a lot of people, almost 70 percent of the people that take these loans are now defaulting on the loans. So, it's becoming a problem because everybody is losing for that, and if you look at it from a government and company perspective.
JOHNS: So, it's maybe not so much 401(k) abuse as it is 401(k) financial disaster.
ANDERSON: I think you're maybe right. I think it's time for a shift. I mean, this has been in place for a while. I think it's time to look at something -- a different mechanism instead of 401(k). I think it's a little bit outdated right now.
JOHNS: OK. I asked viewers to weigh in on the 401(k) plan and I got some responses. Either my Facebook or Twitter page, I can't remember.
Anyway, Judy says, "My two older kids had to dip into their 401(k) but they pay it out of their check. I see no problem with it." Right? OK.
ANDERSON: I mean, again, you have mentioned, it's your money. It's like a piggy bank. It should be. It's my savings account.
So, if I need to pull from it, I'll pull from it, and then I'll pay it back if need be.
JOHNS: Right.
Now, Nardra sent me this one for the senators, "No comment considering they have the golden parachute retirement that takes care of them and their families for the rest of their lives."
There really is a pretty good deal on Capitol Hill when it comes to benefits if you're working there, certainly working for a long time.
ANDERSON: Yes. And I think we mention that, a little out of touch with reality maybe.
JOHNS: And Kathryn said this, "It's been a life saver since credit dried up."
Now, there's another thing. The banks went give you credit ,but you can still borrow from yourself.
ANDERSON: Right. Exactly. And, again, you mentioned, I think this is why it was put in place. This is a mechanism to save me if I need to, you know?
As the market crashed, you know, you can't get credit. I got this money put aside, why can't I tap into it to save my financial situation? So, I think, we got to look at it that way.
JOHNS: All right. Got it. Well, thanks so much for coming in and really interesting discussion.
ANDERSON: My pleasure.
JOHNS: And we're going to be watching Capitol Hill to see what they do with that bill.
Now, let's talk shopping. Want to fill up your grocery cart but just pay a few bucks? Well, we do know a guy who can show you how to do this. He is known as Mr. Coupon. Meet him in the next hour.
Plus, more than 100 people in Joplin, Missouri, are still unaccounted for on this Memorial Day weekend. Details coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: Checking our top stories. Authorities in Joplin are lowering the number of missing after Sunday's devastating tornado to 156 and they're raising the number of those killed to at least 132. It's the highest death toll from a single tornado in the United States since record-keeping began in 1950. The Joplin coroner says it's going to take weeks to conduct DNA tests to identify some of the bodies.
Happening now: President Obama in Poland. This is Mr. Obama meeting the Polish president. And he followed that event with a meeting with the Polish prime minister, both men holding a joint news conference in the next hour. We will monitor that and bring you the highlights.
Gil Scott-Heron, dubbed the godfather of rap for his mix of poetry and music, died Friday in New York City. He was best known for the 1970 politically and socially charged song, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised." Scott-Heron's music has been sampled by hip top stars including Kanye West and Common. In 2008, in an interview, he revealed he contracted HIV after years of battling drug and alcohol addiction. Scott-Heron was 62 years old.
Coming up, a dubious anniversary. The first AIDS case is discovered three decades ago. So, where do we stand now?
Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a closer look at the fight against AIDS and medical advances 30 years later. "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." starts right now.
