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200,000 Citigroup Customers Hit; Palin Emails to be Released; GOP Voters Want Another White House Choice; The Help Desk; Japan's Nuclear Crisis Widens; U.S. Border Patrol Corruption; What's In The Water

Aired June 10, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Want to get you up to speed.

Another day of intense fighting is under way in the Libyan city of Misrata. A doctor tells CNN at least 17 people were killed today as forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi tried to enter the rebel-held city.

NATO has just released this aircraft cockpit video. It shows strikes on Moammar Gadhafi's facilities in Tripoli over the last few days. A senior NATO military official tells CNN that a U.N. resolution justifies targeting the Libyan leader, but a NATO spokeswoman denies it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OANA LUNGESCU, NATO SPOKESWOMAN: NATO does not target any specific individuals. We do target critical military capabilities that could be used to organize a plan and conduct attacks against civilians and civilian centers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: A break for firefighters in Arizona. Calmer winds are expected to help them make headway against the massive wildfire in the eastern part of the state. After a two-week battle, the fire is now five percent contained. It has burned an area bigger than Los Angeles.

In Florida, pushing and shoving outside the courtroom as crowds line up to see the Casey Anthony trial. Inside Thursday, jurors had to be sent home early.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, ORANGE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT: Ms. Anthony is ill. We are recessing for the day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Anthony appeared to cry when pictures of her daughter's decomposed body were shown yesterday. This morning, a medical examiner identified items found with 2-year-old Caylee's skeletal remains. If Anthony is convicted of killing her daughter, she could face the death penalty.

A new concern in Japan's nuclear crisis. Four new areas have been added to the list of places affected by radiation from the crippled nuclear plant in Fukushima. They are all outside the original evacuation zone. Tomorrow marks three months since an earthquake and tsunami hit that area of northern Japan, damaging the nuclear plant.

The presidential campaign of Republican Newt Gingrich is now in disarray just a month after he officially joined the 2012 race. Seven senior staffers resigned yesterday over disagreements about the direction of the campaign. Gingrich says he plans to start anew. In an ABC interview, he took aims at politics, as usual.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's a fundamental strategic difference between the traditional consulting community and the kind of campaign I want to run. Now, we'll find out over the next year who's right, but I believe we live in a time when Americans are genuinely frightened for their country's future and when the country really wants to have leadership, that talks with them honestly and isn't automatically doing the old politics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Less than an hour from now, reporters will be scouring through more than 24,000 pages of Sarah Palin's emails. Now, the documents are from her term as Alaska governor from 2006 until September, 2008, when she was can chosen as the Republican vice presidential candidate.

Our CNN's Drew Griffin, he is in Juneau, Alaska, where the documents are being released. He joins us by phone.

Drew, if you can, paint a picture for us here. Are you actually going to be getting boxes handed over to you, wheeled out to the press corps?

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Believe it or not, even though these were electronically-generated emails, we are getting boxes, six boxes, of these printed-out forms from the state government, like you said at the top of the hour. We literally have to go over to an administrative office, go upstairs to the third floor, and carry the six boxes out of there.

And Suzanne, once we get them, we have a group of people who will be going through them and trying to find out what is in them and if there's anything newsworthy inside them.

MALVEAUX: What do we expect to find in these emails? There seems to be a lot of talk and a lot of speculation even among -- I imagine among reporters and people who are out there in Alaska as well.

GRIFFIN: Well, you know, so much of her record has been analyzed already and investigated, and a lot of that came out during her run as vice president. But I think we'll see the interior workings of her as governor before she got on the national stage.

We'll see her management style. We'll be able to go back and look at some of those scandals or mini scandals that were involved in her early years of being in the governorship, the "Troopergate" issues, and see what kind of information was flowing back and forth between Palin, her aides, and state officials, and get a deeper look at just how she was operating as governor of the state of Alaska.

MALVEAUX: Drew, do we know anything more about the 2,000 pages of emails that are not being released, why they're not being made public?

GRIFFIN: Yes. All of these were reviewed by Alaska's Department of Law.

Some of them involve what the lawyers for the state deem attorney-client privilege. Others fall under an Alaska statute which allows for this deliberate process privilege, which is a law that was created to allow the free flow of opinion and information between lawmakers as they discuss policy issues.

Those are what we are told are being classified or not being released. That is actually being challenged by some people here in Alaska.

And also, we'll get some documents that are redacted, those things we usually see from the Pentagon, where certain words are blanked out, or sensitive material is just gone over with perhaps a Sharpie. So there will be some material withheld, but we're going to get 24,199 pages, I believe, Suzanne. So that's plenty to dig through, that's for sure.

MALVEAUX: You've got a busy weekend there, Drew. I remember covering the White House, when the White House used to document dumps on Friday afternoons, evenings, hoping that they could get it all out there and it would disappear by Monday. But I imagine if anything pops, you will bring it to our attention, and we'll get it on as quickly as possible.

So, Drew, be patient. It is going to be a long weekend. Thanks, Drew.

Now we want to hear from you. What new details do you expect to surface in the Palin emails? Send your responses to me on Facebook at Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN. Going to read some of them later this hour.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are covering over the next hour.

First, more testimony today in the Casey Anthony murder trial. And outside the courtroom, the crowd turns nasty.

Also, U.S. Border Patrol guards and Customs agents are now accused of taking cash and sexual favors from Mexican drug cartels. Plus, a new worry for Japan. The impact area of the radiation zone around a crippled nuclear plant now expanding.

And we're going to look at who is waiting in the wings to join the Republican race for the White House.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Many conservative voters just don't seem satisfied with the GOP presidential options that are out there right now, so they are looking to the sidelines.

Here's CNN's Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Ronald Reagan bumper sticker on a Cadillac parked out front is just the first sign. Tammy's Diner in Round Hill, Virginia, serves conservative politics, right along with the country ham. And it's a good thing the current list of likely GOP candidates isn't on the menu. Some of these Republicans just might stick with coffee.

MIKE MOREL, REPUBLICAN VOTER: I like somebody who's a staunch conservative, a staunch Republican. There's no model, no perfect guy sitting right there right now.

TERRY MCCRACKEN, REPUBLICAN VOTER: Obama's going to be elected again. None of these guys can beat him.

ACOSTA (on camera): You don't think so?

MCCRACKEN: Not right now.

ACOSTA: There may be another reason why voters in Round Hill are looking for some other options for 2012. A few big-name politicians are acting like presidential teases.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about when the session is over, Governor? Are you going to think about it?

GOV. RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: Yes, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About running for president?

PERRY: I'm going to think about it, because I think about a lot of things.

(LAUGHTER)

ACOSTA (voice-over): Texas Governor Rick Perry is stoking speculation with plans to stage a national prayer event later this summer.

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani keeps popping up in New Hampshire. SARAH PALIN (R), FMR. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hi there. How are you?

ACOSTA: And Sarah Palin not only has a campaign-style bus, there's a pro-Palin movie coming soon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think the odds are that you will run?

PALIN: I don't know. I honestly don't know. It's still a matter of looking at the field and considering much.

ACOSTA: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is headed to Iowa for an education conference next month, but insists he's not running.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I made a commitment to the people of New Jersey when I asked them for four years as governor.

ACOSTA: Think of these Republicans as specials of the day, not quite on the GOP menu, but not quite off. A new CNN/Opinion Research poll shows Republicans do want alternatives. Two-thirds of GOP voters would like to see Giuliani jump into the race. A slightly smaller, though not too shabby majority, wants Palin to run as well. Another recent poll found nearly 40 percent of Republicans aren't happy with their choices.

PEGGY MACKEY, REPUBLICAN VOTER: If the election were tomorrow, it would probably be Mitt Romney, but that's only because of the lack of choice.

ACOSTA: Back at Tammy's Diner, even the prospect of some new choices like Palin don't sound too appetizing.

JEREMY AIKEN, REPUBLICAN VOTER: Are you going to get elected to president and leave halfway through? I mean, give me a break. You shouldn't do that.

ACOSTA: A sign that when it comes to the GOP field these days, not every Republican is a satisfied customer.

(on camera): While this field has its critics, it may also have a front-runner. Mitt Romney is the leading Republican, according to a slew of new polls. The only question is whether Romney can fight off any new flavors of the month that are added to the GOP menu.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Join us for the New Hampshire Republican presidential debate. That is Monday night, 8:00 Eastern, only here on CNN.

Well, a loud and rowdy crowd rushes to line up for a chance to see the Casey Anthony trial. Lots of pushing and shoving this morning outside the Florida courtroom. You can see this. And the crowd started chanting, "Get out of line!" after some accuses others of trying to cut in.

So then security was called. Paramedics were called. Firefighters were called. Several people were asked to leave.

Casey Anthony became emotional yesterday, as well as today, as jurors were shown graphic photos of her daughter Caylee's remains. They were found six months after the 2-year-old was last seen by her family. The judge ended the session early when Anthony appeared to become ill.

Anthony reappeared this morning. The jury has been shown more of these crime scene photos and several items that were found with the girl's remains. And Anthony looked away when the photos were presented as evidence.

Well, there have been several dramatic and emotional developments this week. Joining us to help us put it all into perspective, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, Holly Hughes.

And yesterday, Holly -- thank you for joining us -- it was a very powerful day in court. We saw Casey sick, emotional. And we saw these very graphic photos and descriptions of the decomposed body, as well as the skull.

Did this change the tone at all of how this is going?

HOLLY HUGHES, FMR. CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It absolutely does, Suzanne. What it does is it brings back into focus the victim, Caylee Marie Anthony, the little 2-year-old, because what we saw yesterday was not the laughing child, not that beautiful little girl. What we saw is what is left of her, what remains of her.

And it's little pieces of bone fragments that Dr. John Schultz (ph), the anthropologist, told us that animals had gnawed on. And so what the jury is left with -- remember, they're sequestered. So when they go back to their hotel at night, that's the picture in their mind.

They can't watch TV to distract themselves. They can't listen to the radio. They can't read the newspaper. And they can't talk about this with anybody else.

So they are sitting alone in that hotel room thinking about the picture of a little tiny baby skull with empty eye sockets with vines growing through it. That's what's left of this little girl.

Now, with respect to Casey Anthony, the defendant's emotions, the jury's got --

MALVEAUX: Yes. She's cried today.

HUGHES: -- they've got to be asking themselves, is it real or is it crocodile tears? Because everything we've learned about her so far, even from her own defense lawyer, who acknowledged in opening that she's a liar, she doesn't tell the truth -- so we have to ask ourselves, is this guilt and remorse? Is it finally hitting home, what she did to her baby?

Because when she put her out there, as the prosecution alleges, she would have still been intact, Suzanne. She would have still been that beautiful little body, and Casey could have just thought, well, she's asleep, in her own mind.

MALVEAUX: There's a photo that's to be presented of a piece of Duct tape that they believe was put over the child's mouth. How significant is that photo?

HUGHES: It's huge to proving the prosecution's contention that this is a first-degree murder case, because if you just use your common sense, you know, do away with the scientists, just talk to the jury like they're just people off the street, and ask, why would you have to put Duct tape around a body that's already dead? You wouldn't have to cut off that air passage. It wouldn't have to be around the nose and the mouth, which I believe that Dr. G, the medical examiner who's currently on the stand, is going to tell us about today.

She found it still attached to the mandible, the lower part of the jaw. And so what it proves is, by common sense standards, that tape would have been applied while that little girl was still alive and breathing.

And Jeff Ashton, when he did some hearings -- he is our lead prosecutor. And when he did some hearings in this case earlier, he talked about, did Caylee look into the eyes of her killer as they wrapped that tape around her nose and mouth? Because her little eyes would have been peering out. Did she know what was happening to her?

And you better believe he's going to ask those questions again, and that is going to break the jury's heart.

MALVEAUX: Holly, thank you so much. Obviously, a lot of people paying attention to this case. It's just absolutely riveting and fascinating. As we saw from the pictures, people are just -- they're rushing to get into this courtroom just to be a part of this.

HUGHES: It's riveting. It is absolutely riveting, because not only do we have this beautiful little baby, but then you've got this cutting-edge science that people are interested in. You've got these grieving grandparents. You've got the dynamic of a family that's now been severed because the defendant, Casey Anthony, is saying all these horrible accusations against her father and brother.

This is the only people that have supported her. They are the only ones that stood by her for this entire time. And now, some would say, to save her own neck, she is throwing them under -- not the bus, Suzanne, but the tank, the big Sherman tank, and rolling over them for her own benefit.

MALVEAUX: Holly, thank you so much. We're going to be paying very close attention to all the twists and turns and the details of this one. Thanks, Holly. Have a good weekend.

HUGHES: Thank you. MALVEAUX: Well, thousands of Syrians are now running for their lives. Many say they were fired on by government troops in a brutal crackdown on protests. A live report near the place of refuge.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Syrians are fleeing by the thousands. They are afraid that they're going to be slaughtered by government troops who, today, launched an operation to retake towns where massive protests have been held. Well, one protester says he captured the violence at a peaceful march.

I want you to just take a look at this. The man who shot this video says the incident happened last Friday. Refugees from that area have since fled to Turkey.

Our Ivan Watson, he is on the Turkey-Syria border.

Ivan, yesterday, just unbelievable reporting. Just very, very strong. Some 2,400 refugees, you say, were crossing from Syria. There are more people crossing today.

Are you seeing, still, people trying to escape the slaughter that is taking place in Syria?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We sure are.

And in the refugee camp behind me, some of the refugees are holding an impromptu protest. They're chanting, "We want regime change now!"

The man who brought us that video last night, he smuggled himself across the border, Suzanne. I spoke with him. He went back because he was intending to participate in Friday demonstrations after Friday prayers in a town called Maaret al-Numan.

Now, he filmed that footage we're watching last week when a similar protest was attacked. We got off the phone with him less than an hour ago. He says they've organized a similar protest, thousands of people walking unarmed, and they were once again attacked by Syrian security forces, this time not only shooting on the ground, but flying in helicopters overhead and shooting from machine guns into the crowd.

And as we spoke to him, he had a bullet wound in his right thigh. He was not speaking to us from a hospital, Suzanne, he was speaking to us but from a friend's house, because he's afraid if he goes to a hospital, he can get rounded up by the security Syrian forces.

We've been at hospitals here in Turkey, Suzanne, that have received scores of patients, Syrians, with bullet wounds, also who have been evacuated out of Syria because they're too afraid to go to their own hospitals because the Syrian government is killing its own citizens, apparently, as we speak -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: It must have really taken quite an act of courage for that man to cross back over into Syria. The Syrian government is saying that these protesters are armed gangs. Do you see any evidence of any of the people that you're talking to or you're seeing who are crossing over the border who are armed opposition to the Syrian government?

WATSON: That's a good question.

If you look over the fence here at the 1,500, 1,800-odd refugees in this camp, most of them are women and children. I haven't seen any weapons being held by any of those kids.

A video that you've been showing, the first 10, 15 seconds of it show thousands of men walking up the streets, a road in the countryside, last week. The only weapons any of them could have of could perhaps be the flagpoles of the protest banners they're carrying.

And the man we spoke with, again, with a bullet wound in his right thigh right now, he says they have specific orders not to carry around weapons. He searches for weapons specifically. They even stop people from carrying knives or from carrying flagpoles that are too large.

It's a game of he said/she said, but one side here, Suzanne, has tanks and helicopter gunships firing on its citizens. The others are out demonstrating, saying we want freedom and democracy. You choose who perhaps is closer to the truth.

MALVEAUX: Ivan Watson, as always, thank you for your excellent reporting.

Well, we are now giving you the chance to "Choose the News." These are the choices.

First up, a hard look at the human cost of war in Libya, the children wounded in the crossfire.

Second, as America's heat wave continues, the coastline is a popular escape. But we're looking at just how safe the water is at your local beach.

Or third, Alec Baldwin, actor, comedian, activist. Is the television star really ready to be New York's next mayor?

You can vote for your favorite story by choosing and texting 22360. Text 1 for "Libya's Young War Casualties"; 2 for "What's in the Water"; or 3 for "Alec Baldwin for Mayor?"

The winning story will air later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: "CNN In-Depth" is on a listening tour to hear about your concerns about the economy and how those concerns are shaping your views on the presidential race. Our correspondents across the country, and CNN's Don Lemon has been talking to New Hampshire students ahead of CNN's debate Monday night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Are you guys ready for the debate?

STUDENTS: Yes!

LEMON: Yes. The most important issue you want to hear from them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unemployment.

LEMON: Unemployment.

What about you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Keeping the arts in school programs.

LEMON: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

LEMON: Yes.

And you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The troops' future, when they're coming home.

LEMON: Yes. No one said social issues. Social issues not important?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So is Social Security.

LEMON: No, why do you say that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we're not going to have it when we get older.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So -- and we're paying into it, but we're not going to get it.

LEMON: That concerns you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does.

LEMON: Tell me why.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I want my money! If I'm paying for it, I want it, and my future isn't stable. LEMON: Yes. Anybody else think about Social Security or anything like that? Yes? Do you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think rights for gay marriage is definitely (INAUDIBLE), but it's something that candidates seem to -- a topic they seem to avoid, to avoid controversy, I think. I think that's a topic that deserves attention and -- I don't know. That's how I feel.

LEMON: Why do you think that deserves attention?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just because it's -- it affects a lot of Americans, and it's kind of sad how many states don't allow gay marriage. And I think that should change.

LEMON: Are younger people on board with that issue? Or are you less or more conservative when it comes to social issues? Because most of the candidates that are going to be here are very conservative on social issues.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the older you get, older generations, they're more conservative. But our generations, and if you look down -- down like younger people, they're much more liberal. They're becoming more liberal, more open and many of these social issues, to us, they're not really a problem anymore.

LEMON: Yes. So, you think as we go on, here in the future, people will be less concerned about those things and really more concerned about the economy, money, Social Security?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

LEMON: Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think that's kind of how New Hampshire works. It's never been a really socially conservative state. We have gay marriage bill. You can get a gay marriage license in New Hampshire. And I think you find, looking at the primary that the candidates don't come here and talk about social issues as much as if they were in Iowa or South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Don Lemon joins us live. Hey, Don. So, tell us, has there any buzz about newt Gingrich losing his staff among students? Do they have any pain about that, what's taken place?

LEMON: Oh, Suzanne, come on! You've done this. You know, of course they do. And as a matter of fact, as we were taping that interview yesterday the news about Newt Gingrich's staff came down. And all of the students were gathered around the television sets, wondering, asking what's going down? And even the people who are putting the event together here for the university were saying we can't even get some of the paperwork out, some of the information out because we haven't heard from the staff on Newt Gingrich's campaign. So, yes, they're talking about it and they want to hear from Newt Gingrich on Monday about what happened. They want to hear what he has to say in this debate. It is a beautiful campus. All of the kids here - all of them, and some of the kids in that piece there in our story, they are working for us as CNN runners. They are very excited about it, but they're very plugged in to the political talk and to the political events. So, they want to know and they especially hear from Newt Gingrich, and they want to hear from Mitt Romney because he's a big name in these parts.

MALVEAUX: Sure. Sure. And what are some of the other issues on students' minds? You went through quite a few of them. They seem to be really focused on the economy and Social Security. That was really fascinating. Are there other things that they're talking about?

LEMON: Yes, I was surprised. They're actually the ones that brought up the social issues and all that. They said, listen, when you can't get a job -- we're going to graduate soon, some of us, and we want to know if we are going to be able to find jobs after we get out of school. If all this money we're paying for our education is going to be worth it. If we can't work, then none of it, all of it is for naught. So, that's what they are really concerned about, and they want to hear about that from the candidates.

Yes, Social Security, they even mentioned the environment, you heard them talk about the troops. Those are all real important issues to them, but they said you know what? They don't want these guys to come here to New Hampshire and really talk about social issues. They say that's important, but it is a second-tier issue when you have a bad economy and people are out of work.

MALVEUAX: Wow. Really interesting. Don, we'll be watching. Obviously it is going to be really a hot debate. That's going to happen on Monday. CNN is going to host the New Hampshire presidential debate.

Join us as the Republican hopefuls gather to size one another up and debate the issues. New Hampshire Republican presidential debate. That's Monday night at 8:00 Eastern only on CNN.

There are more than 24,000 - right -- pages of e-mails from Sarah Palin's term as governor, and they are being released today. So, we asked you, what new details do you expect to surface in the Palin e- mails?

David says, "I hope she gives us more insights into history. Like how Abraham Lincoln crossed the Delaware, how Eisenhower developed the theory of relativity or how Lewis and Clark started the Civil War."

While Carolyn says, "Ask for Obama's and others past e-mails. I bet you'll find a lot more there. Get over it, people. I'm beginning to like her more the more you all do to her this way."

We're going to have more on the actual contents of the Palin e- mails. That is going to be later in the NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: There's a big sell-off on Wall Street right now. Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. Alison, tell us what is happening.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne. We are watching the Dow trade below that psychological mark of 12,000 for the first time in almost three months. Fact is, investors really don't have much economic news to trade on today, so they're focusing on what they're worried about -- housing, manufacturing and jobs.

And we're seeing the growing pessimism in a new CNNmoney survey as well where experts are saying there is a 15 percent chance of a new recession. That's double the chance they believed at the start of the year. Keep in mind, chances of another recession, the odds are slim. But what this does, Suzanne, it shows is that growing negativity.

MALVEAUX: Alison, just changing gears here, last year's health care overhaul included a provision for families that parents could keep their kids on insurance until age 26. We're now learning that parents are not signing up their kids. Why is that not happening? Why not?

KOSIK: You know why? Because parents found out how much it costs. You know, 43 percent will only keep their adult kids on their health insurance if it's free. But guess what? It's not free. If you're insuring your kid from college, graduation to the age of 26, it's yet another four years of health insurance payments. You know what? To be honest with you, it is bad timing for many of these parents. They're already thinking about retirement.

But many parents still are willing to help for a limited time. Thirty percent of parents say it is okay to help your kid for a year, but you know what? They want to cut the cord real soon, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Wow. This is - it's only a year old, the health care bill. Do we think that this is something that's going to continue where parents are not going to want to pay for their kids' health care insurance going forward?

KOSIK: Well, you know what? Because this is new, as you said, Suzanne, it is really too early to say whether or not this would stick.

So, it's really going to depend on the costs. Because four extra years of coverage hits your employer, too. There's a consulting firm, Mercer, who says many employers will pass the added cost on to workers. And analysts what's really going to be the test, to find out how popular this is will come in the fall when there's open enrollment just to see how much interest there is in this idea. Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: Tough times for everybody. OK. We'll have to see how this all shakes out. Thank you, Alison. Have a great weekend.

Well, billions of dollars in child support went unpaid to single parents last year. Going to court often doesn't even help the situation. Fredricka Whitfield looks at the other ways to help kids get the support they need in this "What Matters" segment.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a typical day in the Blohm household.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are becoming quite the cook.

WHITFIELD: An average American family. But LaShunda is barely making ends meet.

LASHUNDA BLOHM, SINGLE MOM: Every day is a struggle, everyday, you know, figuring out what we're going to eat.

WHITFIELD: LaShunda says her ex-husband owes her more than $82,000 in child support. She's taken him to court, but his payments have been sporadic to nonexistent because his income is also sporadic.

As a minimum-wage employee, she makes too much to qualify for government assistance. So, she and her three kids live in a barely furnished two-bedroom apartment.

Dorothy Brown is trying to help custodial parents like LaShunda. As an Illinois county clerk, Brown is responsible for managing a child support system that owes its residents almost $3 billion.

DOROTHY BROWN, COOK COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT CLERK: A lot of times, noncustodial parents don't know how to go into court and get their child support reduced. How does it help a child if a noncustodial parent is in jail and can't pay child support? We need to really have a national reinvention of child support.

WHITFIELD: Brown suggests dividing the program for past unpaid child support and new child support rulings. And then, split those groups by age, focusing on minors who need more financial help. Amnesty and compromise programs could be developed for kids over 18.

Nationwide, more than $110 billion are owed in unpaid child support. But some experts say it's not as bad as it seems.

RON HASKINS, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: It looks like a big number, but the number is very misleading because it accumulates year after year. It's much more important to look at the total collections and what they're doing.

WHITFIELD: For example, in 2010, more than $32 billion in child support was owed, and more than $20 billion of that was distributed. But LaShunda Blohm wasn't one of those recipients.

BLOHM: I can't worry about it. I used to worry about it. And when I worry about it, it spoils the time I did have with the kids. Now I just, like, I roll with the punches.

WHITFIELD: Fredricka Whitfield, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE) MALVEAUX; The head of U.S. Border Patrol testifies about an embarrassing problem. Employees taking bribes from Mexican drug cartels. Going to tell what you it means along the border.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARTER EVANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Greg McBride. He's a senior financial analyst at bankrate.com. And Lynette Khalfani-Cox. She's the founder of the financial advice blog askthemoneycoach.com.

Miriam in El Paso says. "is now a good time to refinance a home loan?"

Lynnette.

LYNNETTE KHALFANI-COX, FOUNDER, ASKTHEMONEYCOACH.COM: If you're looking to refinance a home right now, it's a great time to refinance and an awful time to refinance. It's actually both. It's great because interest rates are so low right now. I mean 4.5 percent, you know, for some borrowers and maybe even a little bit lower.

It's an awful time, frankly, because everything has changed in the whole mortgage game. Lenders are demanding higher credit scores than ever and you've definitely got to have 700 or higher to get the best loan rates and terms. They also want to see you have a significant amount of equity. And we know that home prices have fallen. You've also got to have documentation. Of course, the job to support the mortgage and also all your assets, whatever you have to show, to be able to say, yes, I really can support this mortgage.

So even though the environment from an interest rate standpoint is very attractive for people who want to refinance, the process of getting a loan from the lender might not be so easy.

EVANS: So if you can get it, it's a good time, but you better have all your ducks in a row.

KHALFANI-COX: That's right. That's right.

EVANS: Ron in La Pine, Oregon. He says, "I have a conventional IRA in a money market fund. It's making near zero interest right now. I don't want to risk putting it in the stock market. Is there a safe place I can put my money that will return at least a few percent?"

Greg, anywhere?

GREG MCBRIDE, SENIOR FINANCIAL ANALYST, BANKRATE.COM: Now, it depends on how quickly you need to start making withdrawals with this money. For example, if you need to start taking the money out, then you'd want to look at things like savings accounts or money market deposit accounts. The top yielding accounts will pay a full percentage point higher than what you're getting on that money fund right now. If you don't need to tap into this money right away, look at something like a CD. Yes, interesting rates are low, but you're going to do a little bit better than you will on the savings account. Also, that interest is tax deferred because it's within an IRA and your principle is not at risk. At bankrate.com, we do have a list of the top yielding savings accounts and CDs specifically for IRAs.

EVANS: But those interest rates are pretty puny these days, that's for sure.

Have a question you want answered? Send us an e-mail any time to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: In northern Japan, four new areas have been added to the list of places affected by radiation from the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima. They're all outside the original evacuation zone. Now tomorrow marks three months since the plant was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami. Thousands of people are still living from day to day just not knowing what their future holds. Ryan McDonald is with us now from Koriama (ph). He's an American who teaches English. And he survived the earthquake.

And, Ryan, we had been speaking to you right after the disaster. We appreciate your following us with us here. Tell us how -- how are people responding to this news, first of all, that this is now expanded, this danger zone, if you will?

RYAN MCDONALD, JAPAN EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR: Yes, they're not happy about it at all. They thought they were safe, semi-safe, after the initial scare, and now they're increasing it to several areas that have received high radiation readings. So they're clearly not happy about it. No one likes moving or living in a shelter, which is what a lot of people are doing. There's over 2,000 active shelters right now around Japan holding these refugees.

MALVEAUX: And, Ryan, tell us, how has life changed since that earthquake and tsunami?

MCDONALD: It's changed a lot. It's changed -- a lot of people's attitudes have changed as well about everything. The big thing is, for example, the people in the shelters up until the tsunami they had houses and lives in different places, but now they live in a 6x6 cardboard box that's three feet tall and has no roof. And the shelters are very helpful because it gives someone a place to live, but at the same time it's a hard floor. They have bath times, food times, lights out strictly at 10:00. There's group bathrooms. And from what I understand from a lot of people is, the shelters are very stressful. The children are doing OK.

MALVEAUX: Yes, I was going to ask you about that, Ryan, because you work with kids. You've been teaching for a long time. How are the kids holding up? How are they doing? MCDONALD: They're doing pretty good, because Japan has a very rigid structure and they just have snapped into that structure. Again, it's just somewhere else. Not that they're home. But I teach at four different schools and at two of the schools I have -- the population is doubled because of refugees.

The kids are happy. They're smiling. I don't -- I never talk about the shelter. I say, how was your weekend? Some people from Australia have sent messages to the kids of Japan and I've passed them out at some of my schools. We're sending more to the coast.

MALVEAUX: OK. Ryan, we are -- we are so happy that you're doing well. That the students that you work with are also do well. And we'll check back in with you as well later as this story develops.

Thank you, Ryan.

Well, they are supposed to protect our borders, but hundreds of border patrol agents are accused of accepting bribes from Mexican drug cartels. Or CNN's Rafael Romo joins us.

And I understand the inspector general is involved in investigations at the highest level here. How big a problem is this?

RAFAEL ROMO, SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: It's just --

MALVEAUX: Because it's kind of hard to believe that this is happening.

ROMO: It's just incredible, Suzanne, when you think about the fact that they're the first line of defense for our country and the kinds of things that they're doing. They're basically being investigated for being complicit with Mexican drug cartels and Mexican organized crime and getting cash and even sexual favors. The top official at Customs and Border enforcement testified before Congress yesterday, and this is what he had to say about this issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALAN BERSIN, COMM., U.S. CUSTOMER & BORDER PROTECTION: Since 2004 in October, 127 CBP personnel have been arrested, charged or convicted of corruption. This breach of trust is something that we do not stand for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And you heard that number right, it's 127 agents since 2004. And, Suanne, there have been as many as 870 investigations last year alone. Now the commissioner said that this is -- the way CBP is, it's like a family. That they're all very tied together. But when something like this happens, they're not going to tolerate it. Let's hear what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERSIN: We recognize that there are bad apples in the barrel and it is our job to minimize those and it is our job to prevent corruption, detect it when it happens, prosecute it after investigating it with -- in concert with other federal agencies and the United States Attorney's Office and the Department of Justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And he specifically mentioned the case of one agent by the name of Martha Garnica. She was indicted in 2009 basically because she was helping Mexican organized crime and she's now serving a 20-year sentence. Basically she allowed the cartel to smuggle drugs into the United States, 100 kilograms of marijuana, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Wow. Rafael, thank you. It was a shocking story. Thanks for bringing it to us.

Well, you told us what you wanted to see. Your "Choose The News" story just moments away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: You voted. We listened. Here's your "Choose The News" winner. It's already a record hot summer in some parts of the country, and everyone is looking forward to hitting the beach, yes? But just how safe is the water that you're cooling off in? Karin Caifa has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARIN CAIFA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When it's sticky and hot and waves are teasing the sand in front of you, you're probably not thinking too much about what's in the water. That's why local, state and federal authorities do it for you, constantly monitoring samples.

SARA HISEL-MCCOY, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: If the bacteria levels are too high, that's when they'll post an advisory or a closure.

CAIFA: Sara Hisel-McCoy, of the Environmental Protection Agency's Department of Water, says last summer the nation's beaches were open 95 percent of the time. But when a beach needs to be closed, it's usually a problem that could have been prevented.

HISEL-MCCOY: Contamination most frequently comes from sewer treatment overflows, from untreated storm water runoff, as well as from pet waste and animal waste.

CAIFA: The majority of last summer's beach closures only lasted a day or two and the bacteria that keeps swimmers out of the water is rarely life threatening, but it could cast a cloud over your summer fun.

HISEL-MCCOY: They might have stomach ailments, eye, ear and nose ailments, those types of things.

CAIFA: So the EPA asks your help keeping the beaches and intertwined waterways clean. When you're at the beach and at home, make sure your trash and pet waste ends up in a proper receptacle. Don't dump anything in storm sewers and keep your septic tank in good, working condition. All things you can do year round to be beach ready in summer.

In Washington, I'm Karin Caifa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: If your choice didn't win or you just want to check out the runners up, I'll have the links on my page at facebook.com/suzannecnn.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye, who's in for Ali Velshi.