is happening with planes and boats on the surface. this is the best they have. this is where they have to focus right now. but if this fails, this is what comes next. they re going to connect a couple of these pinging areas, establish yet another search zone. along that satellite arc described so early on in this process and search 11,000 square miles here. this is plan b. and they can call it that. but with all the changes we ve seen, they could call it plan x, y or z. now, what if the bluefin 21 or some other vehicle does find the plane s wreckage? rose a flora shows us what would happen next. reporter: this could be the key to solving the mystery of flight 370. it s a remotely operated vehicle or rov for short.
described so early on in this process, and they re going to search about 11,000 square miles here. this is plan b. and they can call it that. but at this point, with all the change we ve seen, they could just as well call it plan x, y, or z. tom foreman reporting from washington. certainly the families don t want to hear that. they want something hopeful, real information. they may be getting at least something. families of missing chinese passengers have pressed malaysian officials for a face-to-face meeting. and that meeting, we are told, will happen soon. ivan watson joins me from beijing live. ivan, as they wait for this meeting, they certainly continue to grieve. and you have more about that. reporter: yeah, i m not sure that the word grieving is right because so many relatives of the 153 chinese nationals who were aboard missing flight
they may as well call it plan x, y, or z. we ve seen a lot of plans. six weeks in, not one thing found yet firmly linked to that plane. well, six weeks exactly right now. thanks very much, tom foreman. just ahead, pope francis leads the vatican s good friday service. we re taking a closer look at the long and sometimes challenging history between the white house and the vatican. he is resplendent. we see the monstrosity of man. honestly, i m pouring everything i have into this place.
jaime, we are falling behind compared to other countries with names i can t recall. but we are falling behind those countries because i hear about it a lot on this very station. they are countries like that one and the other one, the big one, the big scary one over there, that one especially where the guys look funny. what do you make of this? recess is a more important than cursive class. we pr not leading international tests in math and science. maybe after we are sufficiently teaching the kids math and science we can discuss cursive. my favorite part of the story is some educators question whether cursive is necessary. some? we are in the age of technology. it is not. let me ask you a question. how do you sign your name if you can t write cursive? how do you write a check? an x. no you can t. i got a check sent back because i didn t write it
the next few week. we ll see if the president announces a suspension of bright star. we ll also see what if anything the president says about the $1.3 billion in military assistance the u.s. provides egypt every year to purchase f-16 jet fighters, battle tanks and other sophisticated hardware. ian lee is in cairo. i know both sides, those who support the ousted egyptian president morsi including a lot of muslim brotherhood leaders and suit supporters will be anx to hear what the president says. the other leader the of the interim government will be anxious to hear what the president has to say. this situation is enormously complicated and tense.hear what say. this situation is enormously complicated and tense. rurt that s sxa ru reporter: that s exactly right and both sides aren t giving an inch. yesterday we saw the genie let