so -- what the young man was talking about we need to -- we need to repeal don't ask don't tell, which i agree with and which -- >> the president's not necessarily comfortable at some moments up there. a flash of anger from unusually cool president as he was heckled. heckle overed his commitment to ending the military's don't ask don't tell policy. we'll show you more of that exchange he had with the crowd in california. good morning to you all. i'm t.j. holmes sitting in for my good friend, tony harris. those stories and your comments here in the cnn "newsroom." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com first up, europe trying to emerge from a volcanic cloud. you see it there and you've been seeing these pictures for the past several days and now there's concern about a new plume of ash up there spewing from that disruptive volcano in iceland. european aviation officials now hoping to get half of the scheduled flights off the ground and that's something, at least. our paula newton is at london's heathrow which is usually europe's busiest airport. hello to you again. a few flights possibly taking off, paula? >> reporter: absolutely, in europe, we had to take that good news, t.j. and that's some major airports and both france and germany have opened up in the netherlands. that is all helpful and it will start to ease some of the backlog. behind me, heathrow airport, i won't say you could hear a pin drop, but almost, t.j., what's going on, two factors here in britain. that stubborn ash cloud remains above us at about 20,000 feet. secondly, the weather, the winds, the northeasterly prevailing winds continue in this weather pattern and that means that planes here in britain remain grounded for the foreseeable future except for scotland which is also a bright side. what the airlines are trying to do now is figure out any kind of opening that they have to get these planes on the ground and landed and then get them up again and taking stranded passengers hope. >> that's something, we know a lot of people are looking for and being creative still. what are their other options for some of the passengers that are among the millions around the country, or excuse me, around the world being affected. >> where people see consistent pockets that are open and in the next 24 hours it turns out to be amsterdam, paris, frankfurt, people are encouraged to give it a try. people that have run out of money and run out of medicine and people are asked to seek out the governments and seek out the airlines to see what they can do. they don't know should i stay put or should i try to go across the kont sdment get to somewhere where the skies are open. it's an agonizing decision and i spoke to some of them this morning are starting to get quite desperate. >> that's a good point you make there. you're trying to wonder should i just wait it out or go another route. paula newton, we appreciate you as always and we are hearing about your volcano travel problems through i-reports you've been sending us. david fuller was traveling from australia to the uk, but why is he in dubai? >> when they told us it was canceled people all over the airports were going mad. there were kids screaming i want to go home and parents telling them they couldn't. people were outraged and the airline put us up in a hotel overnight until the volcano stops spewing ash in the uk, but we don't know how long that's going to be for. >> check out this group of ladies from england. they traveled to texas. they're going to show the texan house to pout a proper tea. they were doing this for a church group and now their flights home have been delayed because of the volcano so they had some time on their hands to of course, have the tea, but also to send us some i-reports and this is out of fort worth trint episcopal church. >> other big stories we're keeping an eye on today. toyota followed by the word recall. you've been hearing that over the past weeks and months. they're recalling the lexus gx 460. technicians will upgrade the stability control software. a week ago today it was "consume are reports" that rated the gx 460 a rare don't buy. its test which is are now confirmed by toyota, show the suv could tip over in certain situations. sweeping immigration bill is now on the governor's desk in arizona. she is expected to sign it. the legislature gave final approval monday for this. the bill requires police to stop anyone they suspect is in the country illegally and check for documentation. critics calling it mandatory racial profiling. >> our number one obligation is government. it's not the education or the health or other aspects of our daily lives, but it's the protection of life, liberty and property. >> you will have neighbors perhaps turning against neighbors, friends against friends and family against family. >> tony harris, he was talking to both sides in this arizona immigration debate. you can see that debate on the blog on cnn's blog. go to cnn.com/newsroom and can watch that interview and have your say and let us know what you think about arizona's tough new standard when it comes to illegal immigration. senate democrats plan to start debate this week on new financial reforms and republicans are against the current plan arguing it will lead to more bank bailout. they say it will correct problems that led to the country's financial meltdown and the chief economist says it will help prevent future bailouts. >> what this bill does is bring derivatives out into the open so that they're transparent and there will be oversight. separate through the volker rule some of the speculative investment that banks are doing for their own accounts and put in place a system that we can, quote, unquote, resolve these financial institutions which means either liquidate them and sell them off, firing the management and wiping out the shareholders. that's not a bail out. this bill is about giving the government the tools so that they don't ever have to be any more bailouts. >> goldman sachs getting brilled grilled by analysts being accused of the mortgage-backed securities scheme that were expected to fail. in a conference call with analysts goldman executives denied misleading anybody and vowed again to fight the charges now coming at it from the sec. at the same time, goldman sachs released first-quarter earnings today. let me bring in stephanie elam, my dear friend. goldman sachs had been in the news with these sec charges, this fraud allegation here and that sounded terrible, but boy, it sounds like they've got good news in this profit report. >> it couldn't have come at a better time for them, t.j. because they need something good at this point and it's a lot of money they made here. goldman's second most profitable quarter since going public back in 1999, but we did have an yet this was coming and in the past week, three of the financial firms reported similar size. we heard from citi, j.p. morgan and bank of america, and all reporting strong numbers. like them, goldman made out because of more trading activity and that is goldman's bread and butter. think about stocks, think about bonds and think about what the market has been doing so the economic recovery really helping them out here. last year was a very tough comparison. so that was a bad year so it makes it easier for this period and wall street is still worried about those sec charges and goldman shares are under pressure and they're up 1.5%. the dow has been doing a little flat line dancing and the dow is up 11 points and the nasdaq is better by 11 at 2491 and we're in the green for now. >> not familiar with the dance you're talking about, but i get the idea. >> on the goldman front, the sec charges that they're facing, does this put anybody else on notice that the sec might be coming after you? >> that is exactly the fear on wall street is that if they're looking this deep to find anything, are they going to go after other financial firms and that's why we saw financial stocks plunging on friday and that's what brought the markets down on friday when the sec charged goldman sachs with this fraud, but putting together a case against such companies is really hard to do and that's because wall street firms are complex. they have these complex products that they offer and another problem, the government bears the burden of proving that fund managers intentionally, intentionally misled shareholders and that's another very difficult task. there was a case against former bear stearns hedge fund managers and it was a sole criminal case that came out of the credit crisis and the fund managers were found not guilty because they had no way of knowing where the subprime mortgage rate market was heading. it was a complex process and that's why we haven't seen many cases against the wall street firms. as for the markets doing the flat line dance, you have seen a little bit about soft shoe. i've seen it. >> i didn't know what i was doing. >> always good to see you. we'll check in with you again. >> we'll be remembering the civil rights leader dorothy height described by president obama as a hero once serving as the only woman at the center of the civil rights movement. also rob marciano in the severe weather center with the severe volcanic ash center afz late. we'll check in with him in just a moment. stay with us. civil rights pioneer dorothy height has died at the age of 98. she was called the god mother of the women's movement and our joe johns now looks back at the words and work of this iconic figure. >> dr. dorothy l. height. >> reporter: at the funeral of cor ate scott king in 2006, the president stood to honor dorothy height and at the age of 93, as she celebrated the life of mrs. king, she might have been talking about her own. >> there are some people who live their lives not just for themselves alone, but for others. >> reporter: and she had a message for the generations that followed the pioneers of the civil rights movement. >> many times when people are going through open doors now, i wish that they could hear the stories of how those doors got opened. >> reporter: dorothy height opened doors for thousands. for four decades she was president of the national council of negro women. she helped organize freedom schools in mississippi at the height of the battle over segregation in the south, bringing women of different races and backgrounds together for what became known as wednesdays in mississippi. she knew and worked with figures such as rosa parks who sparked the montgomery busboy cot. >> it was as if she could hear a soft voice saying to her rosa parks, you're a child of god. you can make a difference. i think she would want to say that there's a lot of work for us to do to make freedom and equality a reality and that each of us can make a difference. >> she was close to dr. king and fond of quoting him. >> dr. king always said the black man needs the white man to free him of his fear and the white man needs the black man to free him of his guilt. we need each other. >> reporter: dorothy height was awarded both the presidential medal of freedom and a congressional gold medal for her public service in one of america's most turbulentier as. joe johns, cnn, washington. a british royal navy ship is on a rescue mission of sorts. the vessel arrived in northern spain today to pick up 500 british troops returning from afghanistan and also 300 vacationing civilians. they had been stranded for days after that volcanic ash from iceland shut down airports and that ash is affecting the evacuation of u.s. troops wounded in afghanistan. the disruption of european air traffic means some of the wounded are being taken to iraq instead of germany. our pentagon correspondent barbara starr joins us with details. you're on your way to iraq. >> it really is, t.j. they get wounded in afghanistan and think they're on their way home for medical care, but think again. first, you'll make another stop in the other war zone. what we now know, what we have been told today is that u.s. troops wounded in afghanistan are actually being taken to a military hospital in iraq. let's look at the map. they're picking them up in afghanistan and taking them to balad, iraq, north of baghdad for intermediate medical care to get them stabilized and flying them to spain and finally home to the united states. why are they going to iraq? well, we got a briefing about that today. here are some of the key reasons for this very crucial change. it is not about the amount of care, it is about the capacity and it's about making sure that we triage, if you will, that we make sure that we have capacity for the unexpected events in the battle space like this. we have to be prepared at a moment's notice for something like a devastating attack by the enemy. to have that capacity ready at our hands means we have to move those wounded soldiers and we have to move them in a way that allows us that capacity to be prepared for the unexpected. >> so, basically, t.j., they've got to get them out of afghanistan as fast as they can. they can't have them stacking up in the hospitals there, but they can't send them on to germany. so the only place they can send them for this critical stabilization care is to the u.s. military hospital in the other war zone in iraq. so that's the outgoing flow out of the war zone. the volcano is still having an impact on those coming into the war zone. the military confirming some number of troops delayed getting into the afghan theater. some cargo and some supplies also delayed and just like everybody else, the military coping as best they can, t.j. they're making the adjustments they need to make as well. barbara starr, thank you so much as always. dark, dirty and dismal. we'll take you inside the volcano zone where all you see for miles is ash. 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'cause actually, i'm from - anncr: geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. some of the stories making headlines this hour. airlines have limited flights in and out of europe today and shifting winds could bring new concentrations of ash forcing them to shut corridors again. after six days some stranded flyers are running out of patience, of course, and also they're running out of money. >> we can't afford anything, and i'm going to start crying. sorry. thanks to generous people in america that have helped us. >> also on capitol hill right now, a house committee dissecting the collapse of lehman brothers and listen to this lineup of people that are going to be testifying there. the treasury secretary and also the fed chairman and then later the former ceo will be testifying. in a prepared statement, the court-appointed examiner's report on the collapse as a distortion. >> main gear touchdown. pilot jim duton now deploying the drag chute. >> that's space shuttle "discovery" returning to earth. that happened a couple of hours ago. flawless landing in florida after a re-supply mission to the space station. three flights remain and only three shuttle flights remain on nasa's schedule before they retire the shuttle program. all right. check this out. we've been seeing some awesome pictures here from this volcano and this may be one you haven't seen just yet. this is from that volcano in iceland. it's spewing that lava and ash, we know, but also lightning coming from this thing? i think we've got rob checking this out. >> how about that? >> i did not know, rob, that you could get lightning from a volcano as well. >> when you look at the cloud itself and we've been showing this obviously for the past few days it kind of looks like a thunderstorm cloud, you know? there's a lot of turbulence and a lot of vertical motion and the thunderstorm cloud, you have a lot of ice crystals and raindrops bumping up against each other creating an electric charge and similarly, you have a lot of junk here bumping up against each other, ash, big boulders, smoke, you've got it, water vapor and that creates the same electric charge, static electric charge like rubbing your feet across the carpet. >> when you put it that way it makes perfect sense. >> it looks so cool. i mean, come on! >> behind you it's not necessarily cool and we have a wind issue now that could throw this stuff back in england's face in some ways, if you will. >> the wind has been the issue, aside from the thing erupting and it simmered down a little bit yesterday, but the problem is when you go vertically in the atmosphere, the winds are changing in direction and speed at every single level. so it gets so complicated and the variables are high and near, the high ter gets in the air, the stronger the jet stream and the lower it is and that's what we've seen lately. the lower it is the more it fans out in the lower elevation winds which are going in all sorts of direction and are lighter and disperse it that way. this is an aqua satellite from nasa. you kind of see the north to south orientation and that's directing it more toward the uk and we continue to see at the lowest levels it's dispersed from europe and even asia. surface to 20,000 feet right now and that's the spot that is most affected, really and above 20,000 feet the airspace above the uk is actually open. so i think i've loaded it up -- did i load it up? did i load it up? oh, yeah. it didn't work. the flights that you see flying over the uk, well they've got to be above 20,000 feet because below that it is too dangerous. back to the states with we go with rain shower from seattle, portland, salem and san francisco, almost all of the way down to san diego. we've certainly got higher elevation snows and heavier rains slashing across parts of the foothills of the sierras, a decent piece of energy and we'll see high elevation snows in the four corners and even the teetones and as you get to thursday and friday a decent chunk of energy. and mexico, and starting to warm up, and and something you haven't seen much all this year. that's one of the plusses. and the flight tracker over europe, and flight radar 24.com. this website, by the way has been overloaded and everyone's trying to get on it and these planes you see flying over the uk and through ireland. most of those are flying to some other destination to and from europe or asia or some other spots. so trying to open up all of the airspace, but right now just at the highest elevations is the case. t.j.? >> all right. we appreciate it and you sounded excited to get that out. i'm glad we were able to get that up on the screen. stay with us, gay rights activists showing some impatience with president obama. you're in the cnn "newsroom" stay here. will everyone with constipation please report to gate 17? thank you so much. constipation's uncomfortable enough, so why take a harsh laxative? phillips' caplets work naturally with your colon... for overnight relief without cramps. phillips' caplets. hey katie. how are you? [ katie ] should i get a perm? oh, that's an interesting question... [ katie ] she's always talking over me in meetings. it's just so rude. mm-hmm. when did you video me dancing? [ katie ] posting it. do not post this! i'm not gonna grow a beard because then i'll look ridicu-- ah! where am i? by the way, katie. tillamook is beautiful this time of year. [ katie ] oh, really? we should go camping out there. [ male announcer ] at&t 3g -- talk and surf at the same time. this mother's day, get 50% off all messaging phones after mail-in rebate like the pantech reveal. only from at&t. what do you think? i think i'll go with the basic package. good choice. only meineke lets you choose the brakservice that's right for you. and save 50% on pads and shoes. meineke. planes are flying once again over northern europe even though there's still that volcanic ash cloud in the air. the european air traffic agent experts expects more than half of the flights scheduled today to go ahead and not out of london, necessarily. scientists say winds are pulling the ash cloud that was drifting over the north sea back over britain now. as for that volcano, it's still erupting right now, actually and our gary tuchman is right there. he's going to take you now inside the volcano zone. >> reporter: at the base of the iceland volcano, the day is cold and very clear, but at the road, a short distance what looks like a big gray curtain that very quickly, closes on us. there is nothing gradual about it. visibility drops to near zero as we drive through the volcano's giant ash plume. the view out of the side window is like something you might see out of a submarine. you can see virtually nothing. >> there are almost no clouds in the sky and it feels like nighttime. it's literally raining ash and the ash is going into my eyes and on the streets. we are south of the volcano. this is the way the wind is blowing. in the western part of iceland, rake vick, the capital where most of the people live, life is completely normal, but south of the volcano, east of the volcano, the farm owners, the land owners, the people who live here are suffering. their properties are getting destroyed because of the ash storms and we don't know yet how bad the health effects are. >> and we asked a helicopter pilot, a very good one, at that to get us as close to the volcano as he dared. he took us within several hundred feet and it looked like an out of control fireworks show shooting what looked like rocks, but were boulders out of the crater. the steam kept changing colors and shapes, towering out of the air. i asked the pilot his first impression. >> this looks like the gates of hell. >> this is what happens after the ashlands. he is a farmer who is now dealing with a 2500 acre farm consumed by ash that has turned into muck and mud. he tells us this has been in my family for three generations, me, my father, my grandfather, that's why it hurts so much. his family has owned the farm near the volcano for 104 years, but the volcano had been quiet for about 190 years. why would this happen to such a beautiful place? what are we being punished for? >> the visibility made it difficult to find his farm and for the second time in three days it was getting pummeled by ash from the eruption up above. gary tuchman, cnn, iceland. all that ash has forced airlines to ground 100,000 flights since thursday and that has left an estimated 7 million international passengers either scrambling to find other means of transportation or waiting for the skies to clear. our diana magnate is in amsterdam. >> it feels like a field hospital right in the middle of amsterdam's schipol airport. 1400 troisesity passengers stuck behind transport control. >> how have the last few days been for you. >> the first two days we were very upset. we have -- and we haven't had any food, any bath. we sleep on the lounge on a chair. that's changed now, though, there are cot beds with blankets, showers and movies. plus something to bring a smile to people who haven't had much to smile about. this airport lounge has been the home for all of these people for four days now and they're hoping it won't be for much longer, but the funny thing is that they can leave, it's just that most of the people here have chosen not to. >> temporary visas for the visaless are possible say airport authorities. >> the immigration officers have told that they've been very cooperative in issuing time-limited visa for those people. many say they don't want to chance it in case the planes stop flying suddenly. >> when i go outside i'm worried about it. i am waiting for the news. >> news that's beginning to turn in their favor. first, three long distance flights flying out on monday evening. and then there are some who don't want to leave. >> forever i'm going to stay here. i love them, i'm going to miss them. >> diana magnate, cnn, amsterdam. even if you haven't been affected by this ash cloud, this might have you thinking right now about travel insurance. a lot of people are now taking a second look at that. is that right for you? we'll have a few tips on what to buy and when to buy it. stay here. what about the strength of the steel? the integrity of its design... or how it responds... in extreme situations? the deeper you look, the more you see the real differences. and the more you understand what it means to own a mercedes-benz. the c-class. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial. ♪ some stories making headlines this hour. air travel disrunned because of the volcano in iceland. a lot of stories are about people who are stuck, people stranded and one story is ten rhode island high school students who are trying to wait for those skies to clear. they had a trip to paris this thursday that is on hold for now. >> i didn't really think anything of it because i was, like, no, we're definitely going on this trip. it will happen and now that i'm hearing more about it, i'm kind of worried. >> so will they get their money back? are the tickets refundable? well, they didn't buy travel insurance so they could lose the money they spent on their travel plans that was about $2,000 each. turning to arizona now where there are protests over a bill that was passed by state lawmakers that requires police officers to determine whether a person is in the u.s. illegally. the aclu says this promotes racial profiling. the bill is expected to be signed by the governor. we want to know what you think about this tough new measure. go to cnn.com/newsroom. the woman called the god mother of the civil rights movement has died. dorothy height died in a washington hospital of natural causes. during the civil rights era she marched alongside dr. martin luther king jr., dorothy height dead at the age of 98. well, we're used to weather disrupting your travel plans, but who would have thought an ash cloud would disrupt so many travelers across the world? ines ferre here with how you can protect yourself from such an event. when we book a flight or travel we hear about the travel insurance. a lot of us just skip right over it and think we'll be okay, but in this case, this probably helped a lot of folks out who did get it. >> actually, t.j., it has helped folks out who bought travel insurance for europe before april 13th. they were able to get non-refundable costs reimbursed and depending on the policy they can get $150 to $250 a day for meals and accommodations. generally policies will cover these costs up to five days. if you do have a trip scheduled to the affected area soon, though, and don't have insurance, you won't be able to get it now because policies don't cover events that are in progress or have already happened. also travel insurance is not cheap. it's generally 4% to 8% was cost of the trip, t.j. >> it certainly can be worth it sometimes so who can or who should and shouldn't? what type of trips are you talking about? >> you'll want to think about buying it if you made down payments in advance to a cruise line or tour operator and there would be a large penalty for cancelling and if you're on medicare and going overseas you may want to think about getting extra medical insurance coverage and also medicare doesn't cover medical expenses abroad and also travel insurance is a good idea if you're going to a developing country where the chance of getting sick or injury are better and it's probably not in your best interest to buy travel insurance. if you can cancel your plans without penalty and remember, you may have some automatic protections when you're traveling. for example, many homeowner policies provide coverage for theft or other losses away from home and your medical and auto insurance may be valid in other countries, too, t.j. a lot of us don't have a lot of experience in buying a trip insurance, so what should we be looking for? do you shop around? yeah. here are some of the things you should know before you sign up. shop around, definitely ask check out sites like insure my trip.com and these sites will let you compare prices and policies and you don't have to buy from the travel agent or cruise line operator. if you'll buy it do it within seven to 21 days of booking your trip to get the most out of your coverage. after 21 days you won't be able to get protection if the airline or tour operator goes bankrupt so you'll want to check that out. >> so there's a lot to keep in mind. i'll bet some folks who did buy the insurance are happy. >> they're happy and glad they did. >> ines, we'll see you if a few minutes. gay rights supporters vent their anger at the president and he vents back a bit. hi, ellen! hi, ellen! hi, ellen! hi, ellen! we're going on a field trip to china! wow. [ chuckles ] when i was a kid, we -- we would just go to the -- the farm. [ cow moos ] [ laughter ] no, seriously, where are you guys going? ni hao! ni hao! ni hao! ni hao! ni hao! ni hao! ni hao! ni hao! ni hao! ni hao! ni hao! ni hao! [ female announcer ] the new classroom. see it. live it. share it. on the human network. cisco. like, why are my numbers too low? are you looking for answers? the accu-chek aviva system now has new tools to help you discover what your numbers mean and how the things you do are connected to your blood sugar patterns. [ sarah ] with this tool i can see how food affects my numbers. i discovered what i can eat and how much. [ male announcer ] discover the accu-chek aviva system and save with a prescription discount card. start your discovery today. it's been a lot of talk, a lot of debate and anger out there about government here in the u.s. about being a little too intrusive. you don't like government tinkering with anything in your life a lot of times including your health care. well, consider this. at least the government doesn't supervise your haircut. cnn's shasta darlington now from cuba. >> reporter: expert hands trim hair and shape sideburns in old havana. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: here, a simple haircut appears to be communist cuba's latest attempt atty from market reform. as employees take overstate-run barbershops and beauty salons, for the first time since fidel castro nationalized business in the 1960s. >> translator: i like this system more because i can charge what i want says orlando vargas. he's one of a handful of havana barbers who now rents his shop from the state for nearly $40 a month and instead of the $12 salary, he pockets the profits. i think it's going to work well, he says, but allowing barbershops to go private is just a drop in the bucket in a country where the state still controls 90% of the economy. in a recent speech, president raul castro says government payroll was hugely inflated. >> translator: there are hundreds of thousands of excess workers, some analysts calculate the excess jobs exceed 1 million. >> a full fifth of the official workforce. >> economists say the inflated payroll helps keep unemployment low, but those state workers often don't have a lot to do. one reason you can find so many people on the street at 11:00 a.m. on a work day. >> state salaries average just $20 a month. we asked cubans if they were worried about layoffs. this woman said people are nervous. they've been cutting payroll for a while now, some places 20%, others 40% and sometimes even 60%, she said. many cubans resort to the informal economy or black market to make ends meet. roberto, a self-employed construction worker says he stopped relying on the state years ago. with five kids, a state salary will only buy you food and a pair of shoes, he said and you have to save all year for the cool shot from the nasa satellite, high res yesterday is the northern iceland. but this volcano which, by the way, is with a glacier, has a glacier over the top of it. that's pretty much gone from all of it erupting and all the ash coming out of it from driving direct north from south, at those levels and fanning out as it gets to europe. continues to be a fascinating story if you get to watch it from the ground or here or if you're in an airplane or trying to get to an ampl, very frustrating and on going. >> rob, appreciate you. check in with you once again. want to tell our viewer what's we're working on for the next hour of "cnn newsroom." shocking and disturbing case in mexico that's adding to the country's heated abortion debate. pregnant 10-year-old girl alle e allegely raped by her stepfather. one of the toughest immigration measures in the nation. critics are concerned it's a racial profile. ♪ [ male announcer ] designed to function the way you function. the lexus rx. ♪ at your lexus dealer. [ female announcer ] it's red lobster's festival of shrimp... a chance to get everyone together for a night where everyone gets just what they want. combine two or three favorites, from new creations like crab-stuffed shrimp and pecan-crusted shrimp to classics like decadent shrimp scampi. it's everything you want in a night out. starting at just $11.99, during the festival of shrimp. she's passionate about fighting for california's families. she is -- we are going to do that. hey, hold on a second. hold on a second. we are going to do that. what the young man was talking about is we need to repeal, don't ask don't tell, which i agree with. and which we have begun to do. it would make more sense to holler that to the people who oppose it. >> the president, president obama, may be a bit frustrated there, responding to hecklers demanding a repeal of don't ask, don't tell policies with gays in the military. the president was speaking at a fund-raiser for barbara boxer who opposed don't ask, don't tell in the first place. goldman sachs today reported first quarter profits of $3.5 billion. that was better than some expected and welcome news for the investment bank facing fraud charges filed by the s.e.c. the case against goldman is adding to calls for financial reform. that was a topic of discussion on "360" last night. >> the regulation being debated now with chris dodd, what exactly is it proposing? how will this change? >> see, michael brings up a very important point. and that is how worthy is instruments put together? what was the regulatory framework like that? a lot of these derivatives have been trading in what you call a black-market, a shadow market. they have not been trading on an exchange, where people have been able to see the trading in the activity. and that is one of the biggest movements down in washington, d.c. in terms of financial reform, is that there's some transparency behind these complex instruments so that is probably the biggest feather in the cap for the financial regulatory framework here. but it's also shapiro in the s.e.c. who fell down on mad i don't have. this is a fbig feather in the caps showing they're doing something about it and may be getting deeper into the complex instruments and understand who was behind it and why? >> maybe this is them waking up. this -- from a pr standpoint this helps the democrats in terms of getting some kind of regulation. >> anderson, listen, there's no question this helps the democrats. that's why president obama is coming to new york on thursday and to beat up on wall street. and you know, chris dodd, barney frank, they've all jumped on this. and they're going to use it. it does add to the fuel to the question is did the s.e.c. move in an convenient time. but i think the other thing, what we also learned today was at the s.e.c. itself when there were five votes, three democrats who voted to bring the charges and two republicans who opposed that, when the market heard that day they began to think, maybe these charges won't stick. what i would suggest tonight is, i think michael is right. there is something about this that smells. but until we know the facts, until we really get down in deep and understand more of the facts i think it's unfair to vilify or go against it totally or the whole transaction until we -- we need to know more than we know now. >> anderson, one really obvious thing that needs to be addressed is why on earth should a wall street firm be making bets for itself on bonds that it's advising its customers to buy and sell. the problem in the middle of this is once they can make money by creating things they can explode they're going to create things that explode. and so these functions need to be separated. they should not be taking place under one roof. and that's, you know, this is essentially what the rule gets at. so i think, you know, it's -- i'm all for wisdom and dispassion and making this whole discussion nonpartisan. but the fact is that this -- that reform is going to be an act of violence because you're going to be reforming a culture that has not -- that essentially has grown up over the last 30 years. it's a pretty dramatic social change. >> where were the rating agencies? >> deployed -- >> by the firms are paying them to rate them aaa. it's a disaster. where is the culpability there? >> hello to you all. i'm t.j. holmes sitting in today for tony harris. top of the hour at the "cnn newsroom." anything can happen. often it does. here are the stories we're highlighting today. >> you want to immigrate? stand in line and do it right. we'll accept you with open arms. >> if i'm pulled over, i mean, it's ridiculous. it's unjust. it's immoral and inhuman. >> arizona strict crack down on a immigrants. also this hour -- >> can get some braet and some meat. we couldn't afford anything. i'm going start crying. >> we've had the same clothes on for the last four days. >> these folks are exhausted. literally hostages to a volcano, running low on cash, clothes, and patience. again, one of the strictest bills against illegal immigration in this country is a signature away from becoming law. it's happening in arizona. the bill would make it a state crime to be in the u.s. illegally. and would require local police to check people for documentation. ines ferre following this controversial measure. and this is where we are. what's the next step now? it has now passed. where do we go from here? >> goes to the governor's desk. t.j., this debate on both sides of the issue has been so passionate with demonstrations from folks for and against the bill. some saying this is the way to crack down on illegal immigration in arizona. others saying it will only increase racial profiling and hurt the state. listen to this. >> right now the way things are being targeted is that all latinos are undocumented and that's absolutely not true. i'm a citizen. if i'm pulled over, i mean, it's ridiculous. it's unjust. it's immoral. it's inhuman. >> stop illegal immigration. you want to immigrate, stand in line and do it right. we'll accept you with open arms. but this way, illegally, is illegal. >> and yesterday the arizona senate passed the bill, 17-11. the house has already approved it. the governor has until 5:00 saturday to act on the bill. she can sign it, veto it or do nothing. if she does nothing the bill becomes law. the bill says if a cop has a reasonable suspicion that someone is here illegally, they're required to make a reasonable attempt at determining the immigration status of that person. a person would have to show valid documentation proving they're allowed to be in the u.s. if the person is not here legally they could be arrested and would have to pay for jail costs and also a fine of at least $500. the bill also deals with day laborers, making it illegal to pick up day laborers off the street or to so lelicit work one streets if you're here illegally. >> you can only imagine what both sides of the debate is talking about now. now moving to another stage of the debate. while we were still discussing whether or not it was going to be passed, heated words from both sides. >> that's right. it was a heated debate. state senator russell saying this bill will help bring down crime and isabelle garcia, activist, saying it's a dangerous precedent. listen to this. >> so your premise here is that this is a crime problem and -- >> it's an illegal problem. it's a crime. >> it's a crime problem. right? >> yes. well, it's a crime problem and they're taking jobs from americans. billions of dollars in costs. with spend a billion dollars in arizona just to educate the children of illegal immigrants. it's a constitutional right of the citizens of this country to expect their laws to be enforced. we're going to enforce them. >> all right. isabella, i see you shaking your head. what do you want to say to this? >> absolutely. i think this bill represents the most dangerous precedent in this country, violating all of our due process rights. we have not seen this kind of legislation since the jim crowe laws. and targeting our communities, it is the single most largest attack on our communities. and mr. pearce is absolutely wrong. immigrants have done nothing but contribute to this society. >> and, t.j., law enforcement is divided on this issue. some folks saying that immigrants would be reluctant to come forward with information related to crimes or investigations in their communities and saying this is a federal issue. i spoke to the arizona police association. the biggest police union in arizona. they're backing the bill saying it will give police an additional tool to invest gate crimes. and i also spoke with the arizona association of chiefs of police, and they're in opposition of the bill. t.j.? >> ines, thank you. again, governor has until saturday, i believe. we'll see what she decides to do, if she's going to put ore signature on it. we want to hear from our viewers. go to cnn.com/newsroom. you can see that debate again and chime in on what you think about it. turn to europe. planes are starting to fly again but certainly not in the same numbers we expected them to. chad myers is tracking the ash from our weather center. cnn's gary tuchman is near the volcano. gary has been following this thing from close-up and given us pictures like nowhere else you're going to see, quite frankly. gary, what do you know now, some new information about what's happening there? >> first of all, t.j., thanks for the nice words. volcano over my shoulder is still erupting. we have news about it. with me right now one of the top volcano experts in iceland. his name is magnus, he is a professor, geo physics at the university of iceland. you told me before over the last three days this volcano has -- it. >> has. compared to the first three days, when it was creating all the ash particles, tiny particles going to europe and causing the hav vioc. but now it's producing much less. >> is that a sign that perhaps the eruptions could be ending soon? >> i don't think we can take it as a sign of the eruption ending. i mean, this volcano, the last time it erupted, it went on for months. but i think we have probably seen the activity and i expect that we will see less -- less ash production from now on. so i won't be surprised if we had -- well, i think the ash that's gone to europe will decline because there is much ash being produced at the volcano at the moment. >> this is not something you can guarantee? the science of predicting volcanos cannot be guaranteed? >> no, i have no control over volcanos. i'm making assessments on how volcanos behave generally. it is likely we have seen the peak of activity. now it's on a declining trend. >> is it fair to say that it's likely the worst is over? >> it is likely, but we cannot know for sure. >> is there in way to put a percentage on it? >> no, it's impossible. real really, we just have to make do with that. >> thank you very much. i know you're flying up there again shortly. >> yes. >> we look forward to talking with you when you come back. okay. one of the things, you know, that you've heard so much on tv, t.j., is people in london and people in iceland and people in the united states giving predictions, it's getting stronger, weaker. it's good to talk to a guy like this who makes his life's work, in summation, can't guarantee it but it's likely, emphasized likely, the worst is over. so people particularly travelers all over the world maybe able to rejoice. >> good point you make there. people all over the world being effected. you guys are there and some of the best information and pictures you've been able to bring us. gary, we appreciate it. going to turn there to our chad myers who is there as well, keeping an eye on the skies. is there something in the skies above europe right now. >> yes. >> that is a bit of good news. that map was a lot empier than that. >> yes. there are airplanes in airspaces that are approved, cautiously approved, but approved. mainly above 25,000 feet. the problem is getting to that 25,000 foot layer and having to fly through aashsh to get there. a lot of planes are grounded and airports are closed. the airspace above are wide open. planes are over flying and it looks like we're filling up the map when all we're doing is getting planes from one side of the continent to the other side of the continent. at least planes are moving now. that airspace wasn't even open two days ago. the ash is still coming out. you know, the question that i would have liked to ask that volcanologist is, yes, the worst is over but for how long. this is an active volcano. is the worst over for two days, worst over for two years or 170 years like last eruption was? i'm not sure this thing is over. t.j., i'm thinking this could go on for literally months or even a couple of years. and that any travel that you might have back and forth from the europe, sweden, russia area may be effected for years to come. a couple of showers across parts of the southeast. affecting a little bit of rain shower activity in airports in atlanta. other than that, nothing compared to the activity and the problems they're having in the east there in europe. >> effected for years to come. come on, chad. just let us have a moment. just let us have a moment to be optimistic. >> sure. you can be optimistic all you want. my prediction is this will affect the world travel for a long time. >> all right. all right. chad, we'll come back and talk to you. >> all right. i'll try and get something better for you. >> thanks. ash cloud affecting some u.s. troops even. airspace around the miracle center in germany, still closed. the pentagon sending those critically wounded in afghanistan to iraq. yes, you heard that right. going from one war zone to another essentially. they'll be treated at the u.s. military hospital in balad before heading state side. last thursday, 7 million people had tickets to fly to or from europe. they had to cancel their trips, stay put. some stranded without money, others without medication. residents in many cities are helping out, including in las vegas, they are stepping in. >> grocery store to get some bread and meat. we couldn't afford anything. i'm going start crying. i'm sorry. i start crying. thanks to generous people in america that have helped us. >> that's cherise. they go to las vegas to celebrate. she was there with her twin sister to celebrate their 21st birthday. and now she's in tears. hopefully she'll get out of vegas. but if not, i know some people you can call. moving on here. we've got the news out of iraq. this was good news for american and iraqi forces that two opt most wanted ter terrorists there had been killed. will it be a devastating blow or will al qaeda regroup and move on? first, though, random moment is coming up. all right. timmy an lassie, right? >> timmy and lassie. >> timmy had lassie. i know fred had dino. hunter now has bucket. this is our random moment of the day. a florida boy, his best friend is a deer named bucket. bucket likes to munch on corn pops cereal, popcorn and grapes. he gets along famously with hunter's dog bear. a dog named bear, a deer named bucket. one day the two wandered off. to get bucket back from the state wildlife officials mom had to spend $3,000 to become a licensed state of florida game preserve. becoming today's random moment. potentially devastating blow for al qaeda. america and iraqi forces have killed the two more senior leaders in iraq. one of them, omar al a due masri. he was considered the main connection to. and ast omar al bughdadi. kyra phillips is here now. a lot of people were saying this is a huge blow. what is he saying, important to hear from him. >> here's what's interesting to take out any leader of al qaeda is great, right? it's great for u.s. troops. it's great for the iraq people. it's great for the war on terrorism. general t. general came to iraq about four years ago and he was known as tough general. no nonsense. we get in there with our men or women. we take out the bad guys, that's it. the past couple of years, hold on a second here. we've got to take a more collaborative approach here and include the iraqis more. they've got to be able to take over their country. policewise, special force, intelligence, you name it. when it came to these two kills he said, already, iraqis get max credit. here's what he said. >> it was their intelligence, their security forces let this operation. we provided intelligence support and we provided operational support to them as well. that's what's encouraging about this. if they have over time with our help developed the cape it to conduct counter terrorism operations throughout the country, then that's what we're looking for as we look to move out of iraq here over the next year or so. that's exactly the kind of capability we want them to be able to conduct once we leaf. >> it was about a year ago that i was there. i had a chance to sit down with so many various members within iraqi troops, from intel to the guys trying to be part of special forces, to just the guys working everyday patrol. and a lot of them said, you know, we're not ready. we need the u.s. troops. we've never dealt with terrorists like this. we don't know how to do intel. a lot of these guys are used to getting paid off or doing certain things for the bad guy. i mean, really put in perspective, are these guys ready if you guys pull outcome august in a large force? >> well, kyra, the bottom line is they are. i mean, the bottom line is, they've been -- this is something that happens slowly over time. and since the beginning of 2009, we have slowly been turning more and more responsibility over to them. and we've done it -- we call it thinning the lines. so we were in charge, solely gave them a little bit more responsibility. and now today, they are in charge across the country. they are conducting operations. we no longer conduct large-scale operations in iraq. the iraqis do it and we support them. it is now appropriate and the right time for them to take over full responsibility. and that's why i think it's the time for us to get down to 50,000. i think they've proven that they can do this. we'll still have a force on the ground. and that force that remains on the ground will continue to train, advise, and assist them. we'll continue to conduct partner counter terrorism operations. and we'll continue to allow them to move forward as a country until the end of 2011. i think it's time for us to do that. >> now, you hear him there. and, of course, everybody is wondering whether or not iraqi forces are up to the job. something like this, he wants to give them credit. he want to put in american's minds and iraq's minds that iraqis can secure the country. no matter if they can or can't, american troops are coming home. >> bottom line. you heard what he said. he's going to stick to his philosophy that, okay, i'm here. my name is on this. my credibility is on this. come august, i support the draw down of troops. but he made no bones about this point. he said, but let me follow-up, kyra, and say, in no way, shape, or form will we see a completely stable iraq for possibly up to a decade. take a listen. >> the bottom line is iraq is going to take five to ten more years to become what i consider a real stable country. so what i worry about is that we stay committed to them. i don't mean we have to stay committed militarily. the united states stay committed to iraq across political, economic, cultural, education aligns and we build a strong partnersh partnersh partnership. that's our strategy. it's going to take five to ten more years in order for them to build themselves up to a spot where they can completely stabilize and really start to develop as a country. and i just hope we have the patience to continue to help them. >> he says that in a very patient manner. that's right. patiently we need to be committed to iraq to make sure we see this through. not necessarily with troops. exactly. but just that support and that comes in many other ways besides military force. >> very important things he's saying. good to hear something be blunt, we're going to be here. >> he's always been that way. >> kyra, you're always that way as well. >> yes, sometimes to my at the >> yes, sometimes to my at the time detriment. pineapple upside, taking a look at some stories making headlines right now. word from iceland, volcanic activity appears to be weakening. once again, planes are taking off and landing across parts of the europe. london, exception, the airports are still closed because of all that ash. after 15 days, 6 million miles, the crew of space shuttle "discovery" is back on earth. "discovery" is set to liftoff again in september on nasa's final shuttle flight. also, a ruling from the supreme court. the justices have struck down a federal law banning dogfighting and other animal cruelty videos. they ruled 8-1 the law violates free speech. we'll get another check of headlines in 20 minutes. a 10-year-old girl allegedly raped by her stepfather now four months pregnant and a national symbol in the abortion fight. this is not happening in the u.s. this is in mexico. our senior latin american affairs editor raf yalephael ro here for us. catch us up on a debate that maybe a lot of people here haven't been paying attention. >> it's a terrible, terrible story. people are asking, wondering how something like this may have happened. the good news is the authorities in the mexican state, a man identified as 27-year-old martinez there, you see him there, has already confessed to the crime. martinez is behind bars for allegedly raping his stepdaughter, reported to the authorities by the girl's mother. the girl is pregnant and in the custody of department of children and family services. the department's director says both the girl and the fetus are in good health and the pregnancy is just under 18 weeks. authorities are trying to decide whether to release the girl to the custody of her mother or the biological father. it's not clear whether the girl or her mother wanted an abortion but her case has steered up debates of sexual abuse of minors and reproductive rights. a case that has many people there sad in mexico. >> what's going on with this stepfather now? where is he? what kind of punishment? >> he's arrested, behind bars. i was just talking to the state's attorney in that state, most americans would know this state because it's the same place and he faces anywhere from 15 to 30 years behind bars. this is the man, we see him here. and there's no possibility of parole. and what the state's attorney was telling me was that he confessed when he was faced with evidence that includes biological evidence obtained after the rape, t.j. >> just a -- one of those stories you hear, you can't believe what you're hearing. it just hits you in the uni'mab >> what is on the menu of the school cafeteria. the retired military officer is saying it is making kids too fat to fight for uncle sam. school lunches have been called a lot of things, but never necessarily a national security threat. they've been called that now. a group of retired military officers say pizza, fries, corn dogs, nachos served in the lunch room have made 27% of young americans too fat to fight. they say national security in 2030 depends on oh versing obesity rates now. a school lunch bill before the senate would mandate healthier options. the military officers meeting today with officials in washington. >> we, the members of mission readiness, believe that child obesity, this issue is so serious that it has become a threat to our national security. and we support efforts by senator lugar to get legislation on the books that would help reduce child obesity. the legislation would achieve three basic goals. first, get the junk food out of our schools get the funding for the quality of meals and finally,provide vid more children access to effective programs that reduce the number of kids who become overweight. >> beverage companies have already announced they remove sugary sodas from school vending machines. farm equipment company can't, ripping a profit. it's another example of small businesses building up america. cnn's tom foreman has the story from kansas. >> hey, t.j., there are a lot of towns and states that rely on recruiting businesses from the outside to come in and bolster their economy. but kansas is really not one of them. most of what kansas has to rely on is what it has and the people who are here, but it is still building up. in a shower of sparks and hot metal, terry and debbie shrog are building success at cannonball. ten years ago they opened shop to make one of terry's invention, a fully automated hay loader and they are turning them out as fast as they can. why do you think your business is doing well when so many others aren't? >> well, i think, number one is we have an excellent product. and we have personal contact with almost everybody we sell to. >> reporter: but there's more. the shrogs could not get a loan when they started to they paid for everything. that kept them from getting too big too fast or sinking money into buildings or health and it prepared them for hard times. so you didn't have the loan money to work with but you also didn't have the debt to be saddled with. >> that's correct. with us since we've already worked out of our pocket and cash flow work, i think we weren't hit with that when all the banks started tightening up with all their money. >> reporter: at wichita state the development center says such homegrown success stories are critical to the state's rebound. because, david may says, only a tiny fraction of new jobs come from out of state companies moving in. so what makes the difference between a small business that succeeds and one that does not? >> i think the biggest thing is probably customer focus. and it really starts with, i think, identifying a real need that exists and going after it and meeting that need and really taking an outside-in approach to the market. >> reporter: he should know. back in the late '50s two of the schools graduates borrowed $600 to start pizza hut. and 20 years later sold it for $300 million. cannonball is not that big but it provides 18 full-time jobs with $3 million in annual sales, and -- >> if i was 20 years younger i would double the size of it rr it could be that big. you have that much business. >> oh, yeah. i could double it. >> reporter: for a farm equipment maker in the middle of a recession, not a bad harvest. the shrogs will tell you in a heartbeat the real secret has been a focus on quality, good people, tenacity, and slowly spreading out so that now they're serving markets all over this country and doing very well at it. t.j.? >> all right. thanks to our tom foreman as always. one of wall street's biggest players facing legal action. well, some welcome news today for goldman sachs. the investment bank reported first quarter earnings. our stephanie elam of the money team live for us from new york. tell us just how big of a number this was, first of all, and then how wall street is going to react to the report. >> yeah, t.j., it's a big number, no doubt about it. we're talking about $3.5 billion. stock initially popped after the earnings report came out. that's nearly double what they made in 2009. however, right now, goldman shares are off about a third of a percent. nothing huge. not a big slide. keep in mind on friday when that news dropped about this fraud charges, the stock dropped 13%. still has a ways to get back there. wall street may be satisfied with some of the comments from goldman's executives during today's conference call. goldman's lawyer down plays speculation about criminal charges from the justice department me said the firm has only talked to the s.e.c. about civil charges and there have been reports that s.e.c. officials did not -- did not vote unanimously to bring charges against goldman. wall street likes that because it shows that there is a chance here that this could go away. and the fact that that wasn't a clear decision really help to calm investors today. when you take a look at how this is playing out on the markets, t.j. >> playing out on the markets there. about the public backlash, a lot of people were not happy with goldman and the big banks over the pay packages that they got. so goldman, how are they doing in that regard? >> yeah, that one's a little sticky. it's probably going to continue to be one. from a public relations standpoint anyway because goldman set aside more than $5 billion for salaries and bonuses in the first quarter. now, when you look at it as a portion of the company's revenue, it's actually less than they set aside last year. $5 million is 4% -- sorry, 43% of goldman's first quarter revenue. last year goldman set aside 50% of the revenue. but because the company made more money this year that means workers will get more money, too. and when it comes at a him like this one, 15 million americans are unemployed and already blaming wall street for things that have r. going on, the reason why they're unemployed in the first place, it may not read as well. it's not a surprise that goldman is taking a lot of flack over that. i don't think it's going to go away any time soon. >> take your word for it, and we know we can. stephanie elam, good to see you. thanks so much. you may have heard the news by now. civil rights pioneer dorothy height has died. she was called the godmother of the women's movement and was on the platform with dr. martin luther king jr. delivered "i have a dream" speech. president obama said, ever since she was denied entrance to college because the incoming class had already met its quota of two african-american women, dr. height devoted her life to those struggling for equality. she led the national council of negro women for 40 years and served as the only woman at the highest level of the civil rights movement. she died this morning in washington. she was 98 years old. the situation is better maybe but there's still a long way to go before air travel is back up and running like normal. that volcano you've been keeping an eye on in iceland for the past week now still spewing ash that's blowing across parts of europe. our expert or an expert tells gary tuchman the volcano just minutes ago, that the worst is likely over. only half the scheduled flights however expected to operate today. collapse of lehman brothers drawing some big names to capitol hill today. treasury secretary among them. timothy geithner, also the fed chairman ben bernanke. among those testifying at a congressional hearing, there was the biggest, of course, corporate bankruptcy in american history. the hearing will examine what led to that collapse. rahm emanuel maybe wants a new job, maybe mayor of chicago. the white house chief of staff hopes mayor richard daley will seek re-election and he will support him if he runs again. if daley doesn't emanuel would like to run himself. big old oops are topping what's hot today. ines ferre back with us again. this is just -- everybody is buzzing about this story. and you can't help but do it. this is a pretty big oops. >> definitely big oops. this is big on cnn.com. could this be the new version of the new iphone. apple employee reportedly left a prototype of this iphone in a bar in redwood city, california. it ended up in the hands of a gadget blog and now here you see it. gizmodo.com received a letter from the apple lawyer asking that the device be returned to apple, get it back and when can we pick it up. they posted the letter on the website and said now that we know it's a real deal and not a knockoff, we'll give it back to apple. techies have been going gaga over it. the back is flat. made of some type of ceramic or glass or shiny plastic and the edges are more square. they are loving it. >> they're loving it. those apple folks, they are so committed to this. some of these things. you know they're itching and interested in this. something else that's really hot, the new york real estate market, really? >> well, what do you think of this condo? our cnn money team says it's the most expensive condo they've ever seen. and if you can find it, even more expensive one, bring it on. at the top of the mark hotel in the upper east side of manhattan sits a 9,000 plus square foot five-bedroom, eight-bath duplex pent rouse with a huge terrace. asking price, only $60 million. that's your condo. that's your next condo. >> only how much? >> 60. >> you said only. you're being funny when you say only. >> yes. not with my salary. >> one more thing here. we're talking about this volcano a lot. we've been seeing lot of i-reports. sitting around a while. they've got time on their hands. >> very creative ways. if you're stuck because of the volcano, how about juggling. mr. marcus sent us this i-report. stuck in qatar, been there a couple of days. here he is explaining how to juggle. >> what we need are a couple of socks. here we go. take a sock, take one first and make it into a little ball. throw it from one hand to the next. one, left and right. a little higher than your head. that's it. here we go. when that works pretty good, we'll take the second sock. take the second sock and then one, two. always count. one, two. stop. one, two. when that works good, then take the third sock. i would take fresh socks but i don't have any more socks. i on the supposed to be here for two days. >> there you have it a whole juggling lesson. >> we've got to get him home. >> no kidding, right? >> that poor guy. we have got to get him out of there. >> crazy sl! i do want to turn to something we're keeping an eye on in washington, d.c. right now. literally at the white house, it's not what you're thinking. what you're seeing here in this live picture, apparently six people have chained themselves to the fence outside the white house. this is along pennsylvania avenue. apparently in protest of the president's policies on don't ask, don't tell. what i should say is not oppose the president's policy, actually saying maybe the president is not moving fast enough. of course the president has come out and said he wants to repeal that don't ask, don't tell policy that prevents people from openly serving in the military. some don't think he's moving quickly enough. you might recognize one of those gentleman, just left the screen in the pan there. lieutenant dan choi, he is one who did this same thing back in march and was arrested at that time but he is one who came out and admitted that he was, in fact, gay and once he did, essentially did it on national television, was talking about it. they initiated proceedings to have him discharged from the military for violate that don't ask, don't tell policy. but six people right now have chained themselves. the last time they tried something like this they were arrested for essentially not obeying a police officer's order. they were ordered to uncuff themselves and get down. you're seeing the back view here of the folks here there. another live picture. they have done this. we've been watching this picture for the past several minutes. again, we should also remind you the president is not at the white house just yet. the president is on his way back from california. he was in l.a. for a fund-raiser for barbara boxer where, in fact, he was heckled about this very issue that the protesters have now chained themselves to the feds. he was heckled out there. just something we're keeping an eye on. a quiet, peaceful protest, yes, in fact. but again, people letting their views known on the don't ask, don't tell policy. he's outspoken. sometimes he's outrageous. donald trump chimes in about china buying up u.s. debt. >> hey, look, i know lots of folks in china. they think we are the dumbest son of a bitches in the world, all right? >> okay. maybe i should have warned you about that. more of poppy harlow's interview with the donald. we know you've got questions on how to improve your credit and get financial aid. the cnn help desk has answers. here now is business news correspondent stephanie. >> time now for the help desk where we get answers to your financial questions. joining me this hour, doug flynn, certified financial planner and founder of capital management and rob kurtz, executive manager of aol small business. thanks for being here. >> good to we so you. >> first question is from ianna. he writes this, i have had not such grade correct dit due to not making enough money and having too much debt to credit. i have a good job now. i have enrolled in a debt consolidation program about three years ago so my debt to credit ratio is better. is there anything i can be done to late payments in the past? i want to buy a car and am considering buying a condo. when people start to feeling better they want to do better. >> she's on the right track. she's doing the right things. i applaud her for it. the first thing when it comes to your credit score, you want to make sure that everything is accurate on the report. you could have had late payments that you did pay. you want to resolve that. the second thing is you want to pay off these things. it sounds like she's done it or are in the process of it. once you do you want to work with the collection agencies to get them in the best case scenario to get them to scrub this all together if you pay in full. chances are they will consider that. the other option is different distinction it is you do pay something they can change it on your report, the collection agency to pay it in full. different distinctions to help you aim prove your credit. you have to go in there and find the trouble spots and make sure that what she's paying is actually reflected in the report. >> all right. our next question comes from j.c. the law school i plan to attend has a financial aid department and accepts financial aid. can financial aid provide me with the full $27,000 i need annually to attend? what do you say, doug? >> well, the financial aid department, what it will do, is figure out for you how to get to $27,000. it might be a combination of some grants that you would be able to receive, scholarships, loans, there might even be a personal contribution, the difference between all the money they've been able to accumulate for you and what the cost of the school is. it doesn't necessarily come up with the money for you. but it's an exercise you should definitely do. we strongly recommend you sit down with the financial aid department. have them walk you through there. at the end of the day, the personal contribution, you can't borrow it or you can't find the money, the school might be unaffordable but they do definitely try to figure out how to fill in the gap to get you to the full school cost. it might involve loans and thing you can pay back later. >> talk with them. gentlemen, thank you. the help desk is all about getting your answers. so send us an e-mail to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com. we might have the answer to your question here next week. you can pick up the latest issue of ""money" magazine on newsstands now. real estate developer donald trump known for saying exactly what's on his mind. so what are his thoughts on u.s. economy and beyond? cnnmon cnnmoney.com poppy harlow had to sit down with the donald, you poor thing. >> he was actually quite nice. >> no, we love donald. >> we do. i got to tell you, though, this man does not mince his words. candid interview, everything from the economy to jobs to his real thoughts on china. and we started out talking about the fall of the commercial real estate market, is it going to be worse than the housing market? so take a listen to what he had to say. >> in terms of commercial real estate in general, the fear is that it will be even worse in the housing fallout. do you think that's possible? >> no, i don't think it will be anywhere near. >> really? >> i think it will be severe, but it -- nothing will be like the housing -- almost imploded our whole economy. the housing was a disaster and it looks like it's now starting to come back. i see house prices are starting to go up. it's a great time for people to go out and buy and house or apartment or do something. never going to have jobs because real estate is the biggest industry in the country. never going to have building or anything built unless the banks start loosening up. >> you said the government has to get more involved? >> when i say get involved i don't mean get involved by butting up more money. i mean get involved by marking the banks loan money to good developers. the problem is with all the billions and trillions even that the banks have taken in, they're not putting the money out. and if they don't put tout money, you're not going to have job creation. >> does this country need to be more business friendly in terms of tax incentives for companies to do business here? >> i think -- this country is so friend friendly. and the biggest problem we have, like with china, is they're sucking money out of this country. hey, look, i know lots of folks in china. they think we have the dumbest son of a bitches in the world. they think our representatives don't know what they're doing. they laugh at us behind our back. they're taking money out and then loan it. think of it. >> green job creation, it's been touted by the president since he was campaigning. is it a realistic goal in this country to see massive employment thanks to green jobs? would you put your money in alternative energy investments now? >> i'll all for green and i'm all for, you know, all of the things that you're talking about. >> it's one thing to be for them and put your money there. does it make sense? >> the problem that we have is as an example they talk about, you know, saving energy and everything else and they talk about, you know, let's not hurt the atmosphere. china's not doing that. they talk like they are but they're not. india's not doing that. do you think in india they say we have to put all sorts of scrubbers on our chimneys so the coal doesn't pollute the air? they don't care. they don't care. and it's putting our companies at a huge disadvantage. i think something has to be done. >> and there you have it. candid as ever, t.j., donald trump saying stop borrowing so much from china and also saying the international communities are not cooperating when it comes to fighting global warning. the guy doesn't mince his words. >> or his profanity at times. >> i know, in the interview, exactly. >> all right. poppy, thank you so much. as always. we'll check in with you again soon. i'm sure. also going to check in with ali velshi is going to be joining us.