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CNN Saturday Night
Soaring Prices at the Pump; New Orleans Takes Historic Step on Road to Recovery
Aired April 22, 2006 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN SATURDAY NIGHT, your connection to the world, the Web, and to what's happening right now.
Coming up, soaring prices at the pumps. Who's to blame? How can you keep your car on the road and cash in your hand? Results are coming in right now. New Orleans takes an historic step in the road to recovery. And you know her for talking to the animals. Tonight, Jane Goodall wants to talk to your kids to make a world of difference.
I'm Carol Lin. Also in tonight's lineup, ready or not, hurricane season is almost here, but will the levees be ready? And Exxon outrage, big oil makes big bucks, but we pay the price. So should President Bush limit prices? And debt over heels, the new generation of flat broke. You've been busy this Saturday. So let's catch you up on the headlines.
Right now, they're counting the historic vote in the Big Easy. Just an hour ago, the polls closed in New Orleans. If incumbent Ray Nagin wins, then we'll know that the city bought into his excuses for not evacuating New Orleans fast enough. His strongest opponents are either politically connected or very, very rich. Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu and business leader Ron Forman. Live to where the votes are being counted in 10 minutes.
Leaving the motorcade behind, President Bush spent Earth Day biking through the Napa Valley. Then he talked about research for cleaner, burning cars.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, I saw cars and buses that run on hydrogen, instead of gasoline, and that emit pure water instead of exhaust fumes. This nation does not have to choose between a strong economy and a clean environment. We can have both at the same time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Well, until that happens, gas prices are still rising. Some of you are paying more than $3 a gallon. OK, yes, oil is at $75 a barrel. But when President Bush talks about Iran, the markets fear oil shortages. A live report in more than a minute.
Now there's a good reason for this wall of microphones. The man behind them became Iraq's new prime minister elect today. Jawad al Maliki was picked after months of bickering.
Progress in parliament, but still danger on the streets. Five U.S. soldiers killed south of Baghdad, four of them by a roadside bomb.
Running up the steps and running out of patience. In Boston today, Senator John Kerry said the war in Iraq has dragged on much too long.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: The war in Vietnam and the war in Iraq are now converging in too many tragic respects. As in Vietnam, we have stayed and fought and died even though it is time for us to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Kerry also says it's time to give the Iraqis an ultimatum. Form a unity government by May 15th or the U.S. will pull out.
A top administration official might get a subpoena soon. Condoleezza Rice might have to testify in the case of two former pro- Israeli lobbyists. They're accused of getting classified information. One of their lawyers accuses the Secretary of State of leaking it. Her office calls that utterly false.
And speaking of leaks, the Associated Press reports the CIA has fired veteran employee Mary McCarthy. The reason? Leaking information to the media about secret prisons overseas. Now CNN left messages, but McCarthy hasn't called back.
All right, don't worry, girls, it's nothing Titanic. Leonardo DiCaprio suffered a minor leg injury in Africa while filming his new movie "Blood Diamond." And he's back on the set today.
To our top story now. It seems like a summer ritual. Rising temperatures mean rising gas prices. But this year, sticker shock at the pump is fueling more concern than ever. And it has many people asking where is it going to end?
CNN's Kareen Wynter is live at a gas station in Los Angeles -- Kareen?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, Californians love their cars and say if this is a price for driving, you can see here, $3.19 for unleaded regular at this gas station, they say they don't even want to see what's around the corner.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER (voice-over): You've heard the complaints.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is ridiculous. This is not normal.
WYNTER: So now what? Consumer analysts warn strap in for a bumpy ride with record high gas prices ahead of the peak summer driving season.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then what happens after that is anybody's guess.
WYNTER: Never mind predictions. Many frustrated drivers, like Rachel Lee, want solutions to what consumer groups call an energy crisis.
JAMIE COURT, CONSUMER RIGHTS ADVOCATE: Every time you see the price of gasoline go up at the pump, you can hear ka-ching, ka-ching in the bank accounts of the oil companies.
WYNTER: Experts say speculators gambling on the spot market, as well as the industry switch to less polluting ethanol have fueled costs.
The state average for regular unleaded in California, $3.05 a gallon, up nearly 60 cents from this time last year. At this Beverly Hills gas station, $4 for full service high octane fuel. To drive down prices, some economists suggest temporarily increasing oil production so supply catches up with demand.
CHARLES CICCHETTI, ECONOMIST: By June, we'll probably have overproduced more than we need in June. July, we'll start to see prices come down.
WYNTER: Analysts say consumers also play a crucial role.
CAROL THORP, AAA OF SO. CALIF.: Some of the solution to the oil problems -- and people don't like to hear this, but it's true -- lies within ourselves. It's the type of cars we buy, it's how much we drive, it's how we drive when we're driving, it's whether we take advantage of public transportation if it's available and telecommuting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER: Car pooling saves time and money. Experts say a little bit goes a long way, Carol, especially when you're talking dollars and cents.
LIN: Yes, look at the pour guy behind you. He's filling up now. Kareen, thank you very much.
Well, some Americans say President Bush could personally do something about prices. Roosevelt did in World War II, but should he do it? A spirited debate in 30 minutes.
And we want to hear from you, too. Tonight's last call question, should President Bush limit oil profits? Give us a call at 1-800-807- 2620. There's a precedent for this. We're going to air some of your responses later this hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: The polls are closed and the counting's begun. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have done everything I could to come back here to vote to make sure that I cast my ballot.
LIN: Who will lead post-Katrina New Orleans?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're doing an amount of work in a short amount of time that's unprecedented.
LIN: The race against time. Will the levees be ready for the next round?
Profiting at the pump. Should he take a stand against big oil for you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So I just organize them and keep them in stacks, because I'm going to pay them one day.
LIN: Out of school and in debt. Time's tough being young.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: CNN.com surfers are tracking a shocking story from Wisconsin tonight, a man arrested for allegedly trying to sell his 18- month-old daughter. Police say he wanted to use the $7,000 to renovate his house.
Also on the most popular list, an Oregon man who showed up at an emergency room complaining of a headache. It turns out he had a dozen nails in his head as a result of a suicide attempt while he was high on meth. Look at those -- did you see those x-rays? Doctors removed all of the nails. And amazingly, the man suffered no permanent damage.
And claims of unmodel behavior in Miami. Swimsuit model May Anderson is accused of striking a flight attendant during a flight from Amsterdam Thursday. Airport police say Anderson was loud and violent, even after the plane landed.
It is a landmark day for New Orleans. Eight months after Hurricane Katrina changed the city forever, voters choose a leader that will help them rebuild. The votes are being counted right now. And we should know the results very soon.
But our Susan Roesgen knows New Orleans better than anybody. And Susie, you've got the vote counting board behind you. What's going on?
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Carol. I'm in the press briefing room here in the command post for the election headquarters, set up by the Louisiana Secretary of State's office.
Over the next couple of hours, the polling commissioners from every polling place in New Orleans will be bringing here to this hotel the actual cartridges taken from the backs of every single voting machine. They'll bring these cartridges here under state police guard. They'll take them into a private room here. The cartridges will be opened. And then a floppy disk in each one will be removed and entered into a computer.
From there, that information goes straight to the state Web site. And then it shows up on the big screen behind me here in the press briefing room.
Carol, bear with me here. I hate to turn my back on you for a moment, but I want to check the latest returns as they come in. Right now with 72 of 442 precincts reporting in the mayor's race, 31 percent to Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, and 32 percent to incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin, and 19 percent to businessman Ron Forman.
Those have been the three people all along the political analysts have thought would do very well tonight. Only two will make it into a run-off presumably that would be a month from now.
Once again, that's only with 72 of 442 precincts reporting. But you can see, Carol, that already, this is working the way it should. It is working pretty quickly here tonight. The returns are coming in. And they're being tallied up on the big screen behind me as they do.
LIN: And it's going to be neck in neck. Susie, are they be counting the votes through the night?
ROESGEN: I don't think so, Carol. I think that we're actually going to see some sort of result perhaps by 11:00 local time, midnight your time there.
LIN: All right. Susan, we'll stay tuned. Thanks very much.
Now it's a multi-billion dollar question. Will the levees protecting New Orleans be fixed before the hurricane season? Well, the Army Corps of Engineers says yes. Scientists studying the rebuilding efforts say no. So who is right?
CNN's Sean Callebs is keeping them honest. It's an exclusive you saw first on "Anderson Cooper 360."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The New Orleans levees, the only protection the city has from the waters that surround it -- repairs to the levees, along with massive new floodgates, are supposed to be ready by the start of hurricane season, June 1. It's a race against time.
And a scientist and an engineer on the project tells CNN, the deadline cannot be met. The two men say the demands are too great, and, despite a valiant effort by the Army Corps of Engineers, it's unrealistic to expect the multibillion-dollar repairs to be finished.
The scientist told CNN, he's urging the Corps to go public with news of the likely delay.
COLONEL LEWIS F. SETLIFF, ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS: It fills you with confidence.
CALLEBS: But despite the voices to the contrary, the colonel heading up Task Force Guardian says, New Orleans will be safe.
SETLIFF: Some of the work will be -- will be ongoing after 1 June. It's not going to be a question of 1 June will come and all the bulldozers will be off the levees.
CALLEBS: But there are a lot of variables that could hold things up, wind, a simple spring breeze could have a big impact. Four giant chair-like devices weighing 75 tons have to be lifted and placed on pilings just like Lego pieces, according to the Corps of Engineers. And the margin for error, perhaps two inches. To complete flood gates, 11 iron plates weighing ten tons apiece have to be lifted and attached to the skeleton of the flood gates. Too much wind, and it becomes too dangerous to use the crane.
SETLIFF: We're doing an amount of work in a short amount of time that's unprecedented. CALLEBS: There are earthen levees being raised as well. Too much rain could slow efforts to use heavy machinery in muck and mud.
SETLIFF: I'm very confident that we'll be done and be able to provide pre-Katrina levels of protection before 1 June.
CALLEBS: The Corps knows the world is watching. And the deadline is approaching.
SETLIFF: The proof will be in the pudding on 1 June. And at some point our work will get tested by Mother Nature.
CALLEBS: No one is eager to test the system, but they may have to soon. The hurricane season is now less than a month and a half away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: That was Sean Callebs reporting. And of course, you can join "Anderson Cooper 360" weeknights at 10:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
Now right now, the votes are being counted in that critical historic mayoral race in New Orleans. We just heard from Susan Roesgen, who's at the Secretary of State's office, tracking those votes. And as soon as she gets any developments, which she expects to get sometime in the next hour, we're going to bring them to you live.
In Nepal, clashes in the ancient kingdom. Police and pro- democracy protesters are clashing in the streets. Shanon Cook has more details -- Shanon?
SHANON COOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there. Thanks, Carol. Now you'd think that after almost three straight weeks of protests like we just saw, protests on the streets of Nepal for almost three straight weeks, you'd think that things would start to calm down a little.
But no, it's actually escalating. Here's the scene today. Police charging at demonstrators. An estimated 200,000 protesters showed up today to voice their disapproval of Nepal's king. Dozens were reportedly injured in clashes. You can some of them being whisked away here.
Now police have been instructed to use force, especially to keep protesters out of the palace compound in Katmandu.
And Carol, you know, Nepal is essentially being crippled by these protests because people aren't going to work. They're going out on to the streets to protest. So businesses are closed. Stores are closed. Nepal is in a state of limbo.
LIN: Yes. And I mean, there have been clashes to the point where people have been shot by the police in the streets during curfews.
COOK: Right.
LIN: So -- but what happened? I thought the king had offered some sort of a compromise.
COOK: He did. In fact, yesterday, he promised to relinquish control of the government. Keep in mind, these protesters want a return to democracy. They're tired of the direct rule of the king.
And the king actually said to the opposition parties, go ahead and elect a prime minister. But the opposition said, well, you know what? That's not enough for us. We want more. In fact, many of them want the king out of power all together. They want the monarchy abolished. And they want Nepal's constitution completely rewritten. So on go the protests.
LIN: Well, on a much lighter note, there's something go on in Japanese theaters, Shanon. What is it, a new smell test?
COOK: Definitely. Let's switch to a lighter note. It's Saturday night after all.
LIN: Absolutely.
COOK: Let's talk about the movies. A new cinematic experience premiered in Tokyo today. This is really neat. You could call it stinky cinema. Seven different scents have been synchronized with the movie, "The New World", that movie that's been out for a while in the U.S. starring Colin Farrell. These (INAUDIBLE) -- you can see the (INAUDIBLE) there on the floor, they emit the smell. There's a floral scent during the love scene, a citrus mix in the case of joy, and a eucalyptus and tea tree mix underscores anger. Movies that smell, Carol. What is next, I just don't know?
LIN: Boy, and you can tell those viewers were really having a good time there.
COOK: Got those noses wagging.
LIN: We'll see how it plays out. Thanks, Shanon. COOK: Thank you.
LIN: Graphic language that is hard to stomach, frankly, from a subject even harder to comprehend. Up next, the attorney general gets tough on child porn, but some fear that's not his only target.
Also, you know her work with chimps. Now Jane Goodall is working with kids. She is my guest tonight.
And don't forget our last call question. Should President Bush limit oil profits? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620. Some of your responses later in the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I've seen pictures of older men forcing naked, young girls to have anal sex. There are videos on the Internet of very young daughters forced to have intercourse and oral sex with their fathers. Viewing this was beyond shocking. And it makes my stomach turn.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Just hearing those words are shocking, especially when they come from the attorney general himself. Striking, graphic language from Alberto Gonzales on Thursday.
His audience? Middle America, who just might empower the Justice Department to get new powers. Well, we wanted to go behind his words and find out exactly what motivated them
Is this a real crusade against child porn or just a political ploy? I talked with the attorney general earlier this week.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: You are asking Congress to quickly consider new legislation. Is it true that this legislation's aim is to basically force Internet providers to give the Justice Department information about its Web users? And if they don't, that they face criminal charges?
GONZALES: No, that's not the purpose of the legislation I talked about today.
LIN: It's not the purpose, but is that the outcome...
GONZALES: Well...
LIN: ...if Internet providers don't give you the addresses of Web users or report child pornography on their site that the providers will face criminal charges?
GONZALES: Well, let me just say that Internet service providers, by and large, have been very, very helpful with the law enforcement community in providing information that we need to prosecute child pornographers.
But what we're finding is that are cases, sometimes extreme cases, where we don't have information, we don't have evidence, because records are no longer available.
And what we want to do is engage in a dialogue with the Congress, with the industry, with Internet service providers to see what we can do to address this problem.
LIN: Look, I'm a parent. I have a three-year-old daughter. I hear what you're saying. And I don't even want to discuss what I would do to somebody if they ever harmed her. I understand that as a parent.
My question is, though, how much access should the government have to information on sites such as Google? I mean, the fight for Google to reveal some of its records is well known now.
And the Supreme Court has struck down similar legislation when it comes to tracking Internet users. So what convinces you that Congress is going to pass this legislation that would penalize Internet providers who don't cooperate with the DOJ?
GONZALES: Well, again, we certainly understand that Americans have privacy rights, that they should be respected and need to be accommodated with respect to any kind of legislation that is focusing on this issue.
But we're talking about child pornography that does not enjoy protection under the First Amendment. And we -- again, we want to work with the Congress. We want to work with the industry to see what we can do to ensure that we have the tools consistent with the protection of privacy rights, that we have the tools necessary to go after child pornographers.
LIN: So do you want unlimited access to an Internet provider? Do you want the ability to be able to go into their records, scan their sites, and get information on someone who is posting child pornography pictures?
GONZALES: I'm not talking about unfettered access here. I'm talking about access to information. And it may not even -- it may not be -- even be related to mandatory retention of data. That's not what we're proposing. We want to engage in a dialogue with the Congress and particularly with the industry to see what they can do on a voluntary basis.
But we're talking about information that's going to be directly relevant to prosecution or investigation of child pornography.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Now you can do your part to help fight child porn, and it's just a mouse click away. To report any cases of online child sexual exploitation, just log on to www.cybertipline.com.
Topping the rap sheet tonight, she said, they said. So far, it's the suspect's story against the woman who says she was raped.
Two people spoke out this week in the Duke University rape case. A taxi driver who dealt with one of the suspects the night of the alleged crime and another exotic dancer, who was in the house when the accuser says she was raped.
Two student athletes are charged with first degree rape, kidnapping, and sexual offense. The grand jury that indicted them could hear more evidence in the coming days.
Did you know that harassing a foreign official is a federal crime? Well, it is. And that's the charge this woman faces, after giving China's visiting president a peace of her mind at the White House this week. Wenyi Wang was shown here in better spirits. She appeared before a judge yesterday. A hearing date was set and Wang was told to stay away from the White House in the meantime.
Coming up, they get richer as your wallet gets smaller. Up next, big oil. Should their profits be capped? One lively debate is straight ahead. And we promise.
And profits, it's something they'd love to have. Today's young adults in debt and under stress. Why you should care. You're watching CNN SATURDAY NIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: These are the big headlines tonight. The next time you fill up, it's going to hurt. And don't look for gas prices to come down. They are up 60 cents a gallon since January. The national average is flirting with the $3 mark.
And any minute now, we could know if New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin will stay in office or face run-offs. Ballot counting is underway right now in this critical and historic vote. Thousands of hurricane evacuees return to Louisiana to vote. And they're picking a mayor to lead the city's clean-up and comeback.
Some voters returning to the city for the first time post Katrina. They are shocked at how much work still lies ahead.
He is Jawad al Maliki, a Shiite. And he's the man who will head Iraq's new government. The previous interim prime minister stepped down under heavy criticism and heavier pressure. Al Maliki has a month to pick a cabinet and send it to parliament for approval.
Kudos from President Bush on the government transition in Iraq as well, something he calls a 'historic achievement'. The president told a California audience the seeds of democracy are bearing fruit.
And it's now official. Ramono Prodi will be the next Italian prime minister. A Rome appeals court today put the last vote dispute to rest. This month's general election was the tightest in Italy's history. 38 million votes were cast. The difference was fewer than 25,000.
$75 bucks a barrel. The going price for oil keeps on going and the outrage over how much Exxon Mobil paid its former boss is also growing.
Now you and I are paying 45 to 60 cents more for a gallon of gas than we did last April. So where is all that money ending up? CNN's Ali Velshi reports on big oil's big profits.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You probably don't know this man, but for years, he was the face of big oil.
If you're a driver, he might be the face you want on your dart board. You see, Lee Raymond retired in January as the head of Exxon Mobil, the most profitable oil company in the world.
American drivers currently shell out $212 million more per day for gasoline than they did a year ago. A lot of money, right? Well, so is $168 million. That's about the value of Lee Raymond's compensation, as he retired from Exxon Mobil after 42 years, the last 12 of them as chairman.
Justified or not, numbers like that make Raymond and Exxon Mobil easy targets. And with unleaded gas averaging about $2.80 a gallon, drivers are looking for someone to blame. Renewed frustrations about gas prices have led to renewed calls in Washington for investigations into the oil industry and for a windfall tax on oil companies. Lee Raymond doesn't want to hear it.
LEE RAYMOND, FORMER CEO EXXON MOBIL: Back in 1998, when prices went down to $10, I don't recall anybody in Washington calling me up and saying, boy, are you guys having a hard time? What can we do to help? I'm not interesting in hearing from them when prices are $10. And I'm not interested in hearing from them when prices are $40 or $50.
VELSHI: Most oil execs have downplayed the profits. Raymond's not so much for the low profile. He called the criticism short sighted and politically motivated.
RAYMOND: A single quarter or a single year, which may be interesting from a political circus point of view, is not really all that significant in the timeframe that we operate in.
VELSHI: Ten years might be a better timeframe. In fact, over the last decade, Exxon Mobil shareholders have seen their investments increase by more than 200 percent. But if you're a driver, you probably feel like your wallet is running on empty.
Ali Velshi, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Some people are so angry about high gas prices, they want President Bush to step in. An online columnist says Mr. Bush should limit oil profits the way President Franklin D. Roosevelt did during World War II. The argument, the country is at war once again.
Joining me for this debate are radio talk show host Mike Malloy and Ben Ferguson. Welcome, gentlemen.
MIKE MALLOY, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Hey, Carol.
BEN FERGUSON, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Hey, thanks for having us.
LIN: For both of you, I want to share part of a speech that the president gave, I believe at the Air Force Academy, about the fact that America is, once again at war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Like the second World War, our present conflict began with a ruthless surprise attack on the United States. We will not forget that treachery. And we will accept nothing less than victory over the enemy.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: It's not the only time President Bush has likened the war on terror to World War II.
Mike, back during World War II, Franklin Delano Roosevelt took the step of instituting price controls and limiting oil company profits in order for American industry to go on during war times. Do you think the president should do that now?
MALLOY: Well, I think somebody needs to remind him, yet again, that Iraq had nothing to do with the attack on this country on September 11, 2001.
Suggesting that Bush should institute some sort of price control or tax on profits implies that he's concerned about the American consumer. He is not. This is on oily administration. Bush, Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, these are all oil people.
What is driving the price of oil are two things. First of all, Bush's foreign policy, which is one of threatening oil producing countries and then invading them, which has the tendency to drive up future prices. Now hat's what we're paying for today at $75 a barrel.
LIN: Well, let's bring Ben into this discussion.
Ben, it's -- I know. You're funny. That's why I love having you.
FERGUSON: Well, I do what I can.
LIN: You do what you can, all right. I mean, it's clearly the office of the president and Congress have the power to intervene in an emergency situation. I mean, some analysts say the fact that Bush has been talking up Iran, all right, or talking down Iran, has been driving oil prices up in and of itself. Do you think the president should intervene on behalf of the consumer?
FERGUSON: I would say to some people in America that are really mad about this right now, do you want to fight terrorism or do you want cheap gas? Now you pick. Now personally, I would like to be safe.
LIN: Why do you have to pick?
FERGUSON: And pay a little bit more . Well, if you're going to - look, if you're going to go after places, like you're saying, like Iran to keep America safe, or Iraq, or Afghanistan and other places to give us stability in the market, to keep us safe, I'm OK with that.
But here's the biggest difference between, again, World War II and what we're dealing with now. During World War II, we rationed everything, not just gas. We were having to send tons of supplies overseas to troops. We're not having to do that here.
And the other thing that's very interesting is, is you had 25 senators on the Democratic side vote with President Bush on his energy bill that passed in November. You had 75 Democratic congressmen that voted for Bush's energy bill.
If they were so concerned about it in November and thought the president was such a bad, evil man, then why did they join him in such major numbers to pass an energy bill?
The other thing that's interesting is this week, the Democrats sent a memo out that said to all their candidates, you need to -- there's a big fear in America. Go to gas stations and capitalize on this fear. One candidate called it...
LIN: Yes, but -- wait a second.
FERGUSON: Yes, but one candidate called it -- but hold on. One candidate called the gas prices in America 'inhumane'.
LIN: Well, because people are going out and selling their stuff so they can fill up their tank. That's what's happening out there right now.
FERGUSON: Yes, but you can't...
LIN: Mike?
MALLOY: This is crazy talk. In the first place, you don't fight -- you know, the choice is not affordable gas at the pump and war on terror. For heaven's sake, get over that.
What is driving the price of gas is Bush's foreign policy, which is that of a criminal. That's A. B, the domestic policy.
FERGUSON: The president's a criminal? MALLOY: We -- hold on a second, hold on a second. When the energy bill was passed, the United States Congress, led by Republicans, gave the oil industry...
LIN: All right, gentlemen.
MALLOY: ...a $14 billion tax break. This is on top of monumental profits.
LIN: All right.
MALLOY: That's insanity.
FERGUSON: Since when...
LIN: Guys, you know what? I'm going to have to stop you there, because neither of you are answering my question. But we did ask the same question of our audience. So I invite both of you to tune in, to see what they had to say, to see whether President Bush should be asked to institute limits on oil profits...
MALLOY: He can't.
LIN: ...or oil prices.
MALLOY: He can't.
FERGUSON: He's not going to. And the reason why he shouldn't is because capitalism is what makes this country so great. Since when has it been a crime to make money?
The other thing is, you have to look at Exxon here.
LIN: Ben, we've got it leave it there because the chairman of Exxon, as we saw, got a $168 million payout. And America wants some answers.
FERGUSON: Yes, but...
LIN: This is not be the last time we're going to be talking about this.
So back to the topic at hand, and I want to thank my guests tonight. Do you ever feel like you waste your gas, your time, your life sitting in traffic? Well, how would you like to fly over those cars like the Jetsons in one of these babies?
And later on, check out these chimps, how they can change a child's life. And how can your child protect theirs?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: A long drive, bumper to bumper traffic. Sound familiar? You're not alone. More than three million Americans commute at least 50 miles every day. Isn't there a better way to get to work? Well, we're trying to answer that tonight, as CNN continues its year-long look into your future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to the moon. There has to be other ways to get to our jobs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I get up at 3:45 and 5:00 every day. I have to be at work at 7:15. And I often find myself dashing across the parking lot to make it.
It affects my life. It affects the way I feel, that feeling of am I going to make it on time? Time is such a valuable thing. It's up to three hours of a day that I sit in my car. And that's a huge amount of my life wasted. I would be willing to try anything that would make my commute less painful.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is really painful when you add up all the time we spend in our cars, grinding our teeth as we grind our way through traffic.
But what if we could commute through the wild blue yonder, breezing past the gridlock below?
WOODY NORRIS: One day, not too far into the future, people are going to get off the ground and they're going to be able to get airborne.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Woody Norris is a man with big ideas. The inventor's latest project, the air scooter. Don't let its looks fool you. This flying machine is ingenious for its simplicity. It is an odd hybrid design with blades like a helicopter, a handle bar like a motorcycle, and a specially designed lightweight four-stroke engine.
NORRIS: Turn the throttle, you go up. Release the throttle, and you come down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Due to hit the market later this year with a price tag of about $50,000, Norris says the air scooter could make rush hours a thing of the past.
NORRIS: With the air scooter, it's a direct line the way the bird flies. There's a lot more space up there than there is down here on the ground.
So we think that's going to solve the congestion problem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: We all know Jane Goodall for her work with gorillas and chimpanzees. But in the last few years, she's put a lot of emphasis on the environment and kids.
This may explain why. In a recent survey, 61 percent of students say the government should be doing more to protect the environment. About a quarter of them consider themselves environmentalists. And most think they can make a difference.
Well, I spoke to Goodall earlier about something she calls 'the roots and shoots' initiative.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Sometimes I think, especially being a journalist, you know, we often don't report on the kids who want to take action. We report on the kids who get in trouble. And I'm just wondering, what encouragement can you tell parents or offer to parents about what they can do for their children to start thinking more about taking care of their planet and even their neighbor?
JANE GOODALL, PRIMATOLOGIST: Well, the parents can certainly get informed. But you know, what we find everywhere, it's more likely the other way around. It's kids who begin to inform their parents.
But certainly, I would encourage parents to find out about roots and shoots program, because I've seen it changing lives around. And it's simply janegoodall.org.
I mean, honestly, we've changed lives of inner city kids, very wealthy kids, kids in rural Tanzania. The program is spreading across China. And it's changing attitudes.
LIN: Why do you think it's taking hold, Dr. Goodall? What is it that people are hungering for right now?
GOODALL: They're hungering for hope, and certainly among the older kids. The reason I started roots and shoots is because so many young people see what's happening in the world and they feel powerless, helpless. And that makes them depressed or angry or apathetic. So...
LIN: So can you give me one example that you're particularly proud of, where you say that kids have made change in their community? What's the story?
GOODALL: Probably -- well, I could give you just a little simple story about a little African-American seven-year-old in the Bronx, in the poorest public school in the nation. Always sitting at the back of the class, hood over his head, not attending, very often not there.
And then he learned about roots and shoots. I went to the school and gave a talk. And when I went back, that kid is standing proud with his hood thrown back, telling me that he saw a chimpanzee advertising Kellogg's cereal packet. And he looked and the chimp had a big smile on his face...
LIN: Yes.
GOODALL: ...and was dressed up.
And he said, I remembered you telling me that when chimps smile like that, they're not smiling. They're afraid. And I wrote to you. And you said, yes, you're right, Travis. And he said that's when I decided to take action. And he began writing letters and with his friends to Kellogg's. And they pulled the packet. I mean, think of the power that child that he felt.
LIN: And a difference that a child can make at such a young age. Dr. Goodall, thank you so much for sharing more about your program. And we hope more kids tune in and find out more about it.
GOODALL: Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, they may be environmentally conscious, but many young adults today are flat broke. We talked to an author, a young author about what the problem is and why we should care. She's got some good reasons.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: In the next two minutes, I'm going to show you the people who will determine our retirement. But they are hardly prepared to tackle the future. They are so buried in debt, they may never get out.
Gen X'ers were the first generation born after the Baby Boomers. And most right now are in their 30s. They grew up during the Reagan years, Generation Y, teens, and young adults, they're the first group to really get comfortable with things like instant messaging and downloading music.
So tonight's trend is about why now may be a terrible time to actually be young.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIN (voice-over): 29-year-old Darnelda Crosby works as a contractor for a major corporation.
DARNELDA CROSBY, GEN DEBTER: I needed to speak with someone in reference to a request...
LIN: It's not what the Gen X'er hoped to do after graduation from college seven years ago, but the job pays more than what she was making in her chosen field, helping the handicapped.
Despite going corporate, she's barely made a dent in the more than $20,000 she owes in college loans.
CROSBY: So I just organize them and keep them in stacks, because I'm going to pay them one day.
LIN: Darnelda admits, like many college students, she snapped up a couple of those easy to get credit cards, but two part-time jobs couldn't pay off the bills. Now she's paying for it with a mountain of debt.
CROSBY: If I actually paid everybody in a timely manor and paid maybe even a little bit over what I actually owe, I wouldn't have money to do anything else.
LIN: Author and "Village Voice" columnist Anya Kamenetz says 20- somethings are coming of age at a rough time. In her book, "Generation Debt: Why Now is a Terrible Time to be Young," she says two of the biggest hurdles are the sky rocketing costs of college tuition and decreased funding by local and state governments.
ANYA KAMENETZ, VILLAGE VOICE COLUMNIST: The volume of federal student loans is up 150 percent in the last decade. So the amount, the sheer amount of debt that people are getting started with is very, very different.
And then the availability of credit has never been so great as it is right now. The average student is graduating with more than one credit card and with $2,000 in credit card debt.
LIN: According to the College Board, state college tuition alone has gone up a whopping 40 percent since 2000. State and local support for college students has dropped to its lowest level in 25 years. And the slow recovery from the 2001 recession means wages are not keeping up. Adding to that bad combination for Gen X and Y, the highest housing prices ever.
BRUCE KAUFMAN, LABOR ECONOMIST: For anyone, particularly young people, trying to get into the housing market, the costs of housing are increasingly out of reach unless you have one of these higher- paying, good jobs everyone wants, but there are simply fewer of these jobs.
LIN: Darnelda's paying about $600 for rent for an apartment in the outskirts of town. She hoped to own a place by now and mostly blames herself for her money troubles.
CROSBY: I'd like to actually have money in a savings account and be saving money and putting money towards something, and not always putting it towards what I've done in the past, but putting it towards my future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: All right. So does this generation deserve sympathy? The author of "Generation Debt" is here with me right now. Anya Kamenetz joins us from New York.
Anya, I'm just wondering, if this generation doesn't succeed, what happens to everybody else?
ANYA KAMENETZ, AUTHOR, "GENERATION DEBT": Well, what we're talking about is a future where the Baby Boomers have retired, the country is all looking like Florida looks today. So silver-haired country.
We, the Generation X and Y, are going to be the workers supporting that generation's retirement. And so without our being able to succeed and build a solid middle class life, buy a house, raise a family, you know, the American picture of rising standards of living is not going to be in our future.
LIN: I mean, you graduated from Yale, right, Anya?
KAMENETZ: Yes.
LIN: So what's in your future? I mean, do you feel like you're under pressure? I mean, are you in debt?
KAMENETZ: Well, what we're talking about here is, you know, my situation is I'm a freelancer. I don't get an employer sponsored pension. I don't get retirement benefits. I don't get health insurance.
So I'm one of those many, many members of my generation that doesn't expect certainty from any employer, who hops from job to job.
And the danger in that is -- I mean, I'm a very, very fortunate member of my generation, but I'm sharing in that instability. I can't afford to buy a house, certainly not in New York City. And I don't know how I'm going to be able to afford to raise a family without a very unforeseen change in my method and means of employment.
LIN: Because someone like me needs someone like you to buy my house right? So that I can move on, either get a bigger house, or retire some day.
KAMENETZ: Absolutely.
LIN: And I think that's what the scary part is for me. Because you know, we've seen the story about kids and debt and what not. But I just never realized it was this serious. What is the solution then? Do -- or is there one? Or do you want to move to Kansas, because I think houses are real cheap there?
KAMENETZ: Well, you know, I talked to the kids in Kansas. And they're dealing with this staggering job market. So it's true more or less everywhere you go.
I think that the future that we're looking for, you know, to restore America's promise, which has always been that kids are going to do better than their parents, families are going to grow, America's standard of living is going to rise, there's no way out of it except for investment. You have to invest in education.
And we're in a situation now where, as I mentioned, you know, state support for higher education is at a 25-year low. That's not acceptable. That's not a forward-looking vision for America. We are competing with China and India. We have to raise our standard of education. We should be raising it right now.
LIN: Anya, we'll have to leave it there, but thank you very much. And that's a real clear view into the future. Appreciate it.
KAMENETZ: I appreciate it.
LIN: All right, we've been tracking the election results in New Orleans. Let's check in very quickly with Susie Roesgen. She's on the scene at the Secretary of State's office. Susie, how's it going?
ROESGEN: Well, Carol, now with well more than half of the precincts reporting, Mayor Ray Nagin has pulled ahead slightly. We now have 337 of 442 precincts reporting. Mayor Nagin has 34 percent of the vote, followed by Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu with 29 percent of the vote.
Now if no candidate here tonight gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote getters will face each other in a run-off election a month from now.
And Carol, right now, it looks as if it very well could be incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin and Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu.
LIN: As predicted. Susan, thank you.
A check of the hour's headlines after this break. But first, your responses to our last call question. Should President Bush limit oil profits? Here's what you had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLER: My name is Tom. And I think President Bush should limit oil prices, because the price has gotten atrocious. I filled a small car today and I paid $37. It's ridiculous.
CALLER: This is Mary in Alaska. I definitely think he should cap the oil prices. The oil companies are making an obscene profit at the expense of the American public.
CALLER: Hi. This is Toni from Medford, Oregon. No, I don't think President Bush would have the power to make such a decision. I think the legislative branch and the senators should make a decision and pass a bill. And then he should veto or recommend it, sign it, as he sees fit.
CALLER: Hi, it's Lori from Aliquippa (ph), Pennsylvania. I think they should limit it. I mean, these corporations, oil companies are making so much of a profit. Any normal company would be thrilled to death with half of the profit they're making.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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