because people will have a conversation with you are engaged in it or not. at the red cross, we are seeking ways to create a movement of people that want to be part of the american red cross. it is a little bit retro because years ago, you did actually joined the red cross. we would like to create a movement where people meet each other, where they social network, where they talk about their volunteer experiences or the experiences they had in classrooms. . .

keep an eye out for me. when i get my facebook back up, you could absolutely all friend me. >> we move on to the swine flu, also known as h1n1. has planning for swine flu become a bigger priority than planning for a natural disaster? >> i would say they are equal priority. we are in communication with the cdc on a regular basis to make sure we're there to help disseminate information, that we can do community outreach to prevent the spread of the virus. we're also talking about preparedness to stop the spread of h1n1. we are focusing probably equal

amounts on both, and our plan is to be there when the cdc needs us, whether it is tear sheets in the community or posting information online. email that i mentioned earlier on the h1n1 virus and preventing its spread actually had a 36,000 click throughs in the first couple days. we're very much about making sure the country is prepared to deal with the virus. >> how vulnerable is the country to an outbreak of h1n1 and is there something that people should be doing now? >> the question of vulnerability is probably better posed to medical health professionals or somebody at the cdc. in terms of preventing the spread, it is washing your hands

all lot. it is making sure that when you are touching surfaces and when you are traveling that you are constantly using hand sanitizers are washing your hands of a lot. we have a lot of tips to prevent the spread on the website, and we welcome it listeners and readers to educate themselves to make sure that they can help prevent the spread of the virus. >> has the red cross to find exactly what its role would be under a worst-case scenario with the swine flu? >> first of all, it is education. as i mentioned, we have agreed to educate the community. because we are a grassroots organization, we have chapters and blood service locations all run the country. education is a very important role. we will also be there to distribute, break down the vaccines if necessary, not

administer it but to be the arms and legs in the community to be sure the vaccine gets to where it needs to be. we're very focused on making sure that we have a good supply of blood, which of course is part of our mission. >> of course the red cross did well last year during hurricanes gustav and ike, but they were not of the scope of katrina. is the red cross prepared if there is another trainer or major natural challenge of that scope? >> the hurricanes last year were almost the scope of katrina. they did not the same press coverage, but we had 60,000 people in our shelters and served 8 million meals in just 60 days. it was absolutely a massive undertaking. we are prepared for this hurricane season. we have 48,000 different shelter locations identified.

we also will be able to feed 1 million meals per day if necessary. we learned by partnering with different people in the community that we conserve those in need in a better way enter partnerships are stronger than ever in our relationship with fema is stronger than ever. i feel we are very prepared to deal with whatever comes our way. >> can you give us some examples of how disaster response has changed since hurricane katrina, lessons learned? if a hurricane hit tomorrow, what could the victims expect from the red cross? >> in addition to learning that we had have partnerships on the ground in the community, we have also gotten warehouses throughout the disaster-prone areas with supplies. it is there, it is ready, and that is an important element of making sure that we are

prepared. we also need to educate the american public, which we do on an ongoing basis, that they should be prepared, particularly those in disaster-prone areas. that they should have a kit, they should have an evacuation plan, they should stay informed with maybe a battery operated radio. preparedness is a key, where we need people in the country to be prepared, we need employers to be prepared to have evacuation plans. everyone should have a contact list, who is going to pick up my kid it a disaster strikes, where are we going to go, what is our evacuation plan. we're constantly educating the public to take those three steps. have a kit, have a plan, and stay informed. that will go a long way in helping the nation be prepared. >> as a disaster reporter for

usa today, i seen a lot of strange and kind donations, including a pair of snow skis during a hurricane in pensacola. i am wondering if you could tell us what kind of it in kind donation you could use in these situations, and is there anything you cannot use? >> well, first of all, what we can really use during a disaster, financial doesn't -- and it -- financial donations. we also get a lot of it in kind donations from large corporate donors. we get water, snacks, food supplies. i do not think we have much use for a pair of snowshoes in pensacola. i would just suggest that people use some common sense when they consider what kind of donations they want to make. please do not drop off your dirty laundry. people probably do not want that. but we welcome any kind of gift

that we can get, and if your listeners and readers just use good old-fashioned common sense, that will drive them to figure out what sort of the nation's people might need. -- what sort of donations people might need. >> house to the donations be made? >> generally they are made by dropping things off at our chapters and bringing things to our shelters. again, we welcome any kind of donation people want to make. the easiest kind of the nation for us to handle, as you would suspect, is a financial position and also volunteers. that is an in kind of violent hate -- that is an in kind to a nation that we can always use during a disaster. >> does the red cross still have any involvement with victims of hurricane katrina? >> we have some funds that were used for recovery because trita was it -- katrina was an unusual

circumstance where we raised more money than we needed to do disaster response. we are very engaged in recovery programs. we're helping people rebuild their homes, we are in the communities there which were hard struck. we are engaged in a number of recovery programs in the program. but i had the privilege of visiting a number of families that were able to get these recovery funds and rebuild their homes and jump-start their communities, and it was one of the most gratifying experiences i have had since i have been at the american red cross. i have very few pictures in my office, but some that i have are pictures of these families just giving us hugs and thanking us. it was extraordinary. that is our involvement. >> how do you protect the red

cross from fraud like the type experience during hurricane katrina when people who were not the victims claim disaster assistance? >> during hurricane ike and gustav we focused on mass care, keeping shelters open, have a roof over their head, and they have meals. it that was the main focus. therefore, there was not a lot of fraud. having said that, you read about the dark side of human nature. what you do not read about are the thousands and thousands and thousands of people who are honest and who are not committing fraud. i believe not only is the american public -- the american public is generous but they are trustworthy, and this is not something i wake up in the middle of the white -- middle of the night word about. >> the former secretary of homeland security michael chertoff develop a plan to embed reporters during natural disasters. is this a good idea?

>> you know, i welcome reporters to cover what we do during a disaster. i welcome reporters who volunteered during a disaster. i think it would be absolutely amazed at what the red cross and our partners do when a country needs us. i think we make a great reality tv show, actually. i think it is a great idea when the american public can learn whatever they can learn, and i would welcome the coverage. it helps people understand our mission, it helps people be generous with the red cross, and i think it would astound and warm the hearts of the readers to see the incredible, heroic, extraordinary feats that people go through to help each other. >> you have talked about the work the red cross does in the u.s. what is your role internationally? >> we are part of the

international federation of red cross and red cross societies, and there are 186 members. believe it or not, collectively, we have 97 million volunteers. it is the largest humanitarian effort in the world. we work with our sister organizations in case there is a global disaster. the earthquakes in china, we had people on the ground in china, which coordinated sending over tents for temporary housing. during the tsunami, we coordinate with our sister organization to make sure they got funds that the american public was so generous with. we are part of the federation. we work very closely together. we have great relationships. i have met many of my colleagues, and we're very proud to be part of this worldwide cemetery and organization. >> -- this worldwide

humanitarian organization. >> before i ask the last question, a couple of important matters. let me remind members of our future speakers. on july 24, congressman john conyers, democrat from michigan and chair of the house judiciary committee will speak during a luncheon. on july 27, congressman barney frank, democrat from massachusetts and chairman of the house financial services committee will be here. and on july 29, senator john kerry democrat from massachusetts and chairman of the senate committee on foreign relations will speak at a luncheon. second, i like to present our guest with the coveted npc mug. >> this is coveted, donna, thank you so much. [applause] >> we have time for two questions. first of all, give us a little

bit of a day in the life of the disaster volunteers. do you have to be retired or unemployed to travel on a moment's notice? who does this sort of thing? >> a day in the life, first of all, is remarkably physically demanding. i will describe my particular day. we first went to a very large, empty parking lot where there were kitchens capable of making 45,000 meals per day, if you can believe that. these were industrial-grade kitchens, and people were standing there cooking in blistering heat, taking vats of chile and loading them onto emergency response vehicles. this took a lot of arms and legs. and number of our volunteers are senior citizens. i was in awe of their biceps. these people are fit and they were just putting these vats of food on the trucks.

we drove into the community, and i remember turning to the volunteer and saying, i don't get how this works. how did they know we are here? he said just watch. we stopped on the corner, and from out of nowhere people came. people understood. there is a big sign on the side of our emergency response vehicles that says, "all this food is free." people just came from i cannot even describe how many different places. the line was blocks long. there were children, elderly. it was extraordinary looking into the eyes of people's faces who had just lost everything, and their faces were mixed with despair but also gratitude. it was remarkable. i had a person wanted to come and snap pictures. i was very uncomfortable about this. i said you can come from -- come for the ride but i do not want pictures. within about 10 minutes, he got out of the vehicle and he was

handing out water and food. it absolutely gets under your skin. when you help others, you really are helping yourself. in terms of who can volunteer, we a special volunteers to go to these major disasters, and we like them to volunteer for three weeks at a clip. but we have volunteer opportunities. we respond to 70,000 disasters every year. we have people who are on pagers to just follow the fire department to give people comfort, to give them help, to make sure they have a roof over their heads that night, give them clothing. anyone can volunteer. as i said earlier, i have seen people from every walk of life volunteering. i have seen retired couples, students, people every age and bracket in between. a lot of large companies are not committing to volunteer hours. if you read the annual report, you see a lot of firms are willing to train volunteers and

send them into a disaster. all kinds of people are there to help each other out. >> for the final question, someone in the audience asks, are you related to former senator george mcgovern, and if so, will you admit it? [laughter] >> mcgovern is my married name. my husband's family comes from tennessee. if i were related to the senator, i would definitely admit it. >> i would like to thank you all for coming today. i would also like to think national press club staff members. -- i would also like to thank national press club staff members. also thanks to the library for its research. the video archive of today's luncheon is provided by the national press club's broadcast operations center. our offense are available for free download on itunes and our website. non-members may purchase transcripts, audio, and video tapes by calling 202-662-7598,

or emailing us archives @press.org. for more information, please go to npc.press.org. thank you very much, and we are adjourned. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

>> coming up next, friends and colleagues paid tribute to longtime colleague walter cronkite. then a discussion on inmates serving life sentences. after that, another chance to seek comments from the red cross seal on challenges the organization faces during the -- red cross ceo on challenges the organization faces during the recession. because returns monday at 12:30 for speeches and legislative debates at 2:00. we could build on defense department spending, the measure calling for $636 billion,

including $120 billion for war operations in afghanistan and iraq. it is the last measure that has to be considered for fiscal year 2010. also, food safety programs and executive compensation. live coverage of the house on c- span. the senate returns monday at 2:00 eastern and plans to begin consideration of fiscal year 2010 energy and water spending. no roll call votes are expected. in the next two weeks, the chamber is expected to debate the supreme court nomination of judge sonia sotomayor. the final vote could come before the senators began their august recess. the senate is live on c-span2. >> on "communicators," the digital media conference, including bill bradford of fox digital media, monday on c- span2. >> earlier this week, friends and colleagues paid tribute to longtime cbs news anchor walter cronkite. the service took place at st.

bartholomew's church in new york city. a regular place of worship for the cronkite family. speakers during the event includes 60 minutes and the renee and longtime cbs evening news producer sanford socolow. this is one hour, 20 minutes. >> i am the resurrection and the life, said the lord. either you believeth in me, though he were dead, though shall we live. those who believeth in me shall never die.

i know that my redeemer liveth. he will stand on the latter day upon the earth. and though this body be destroyed, yet shall i see god, who i shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold -- mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. for none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. if we die, we die unto the lord. therefore, we are the lords. blessed are the dead who die in the lord.

the spirit, for they rest from their labors. welcome today to saint bartholomew's church, and the celebration of a great life. let me ask you a couple of favors, please. first, please turn off anything that makes noise. second, please abide by the cronkite family's wishes that there be no photography or audio recording during this service. i ask you to find a hymnal and the pew in front of you enjoyed the in the singing of hymn 608. a him chosen because it is the him for sailors -- a hymn chosen because it is the hymn for sailors.

♪ ♪ [hymn singing]

♪ ♪

>> the lord be with you. >> and also with you. >> let us pray. god, whose mercys cannot be numbered, accept our prayers' on behalf of the servant,

walter. and grant him into the land of light and joy in the fellowship of thy saints. through jesus christ who liveth and rigneth with one god, now and forever, amen. please be seated.

>> let love be genuine. hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good. love one another with mutual affection. it outdo one another in showing honor. serve the lord. rejoice in hope. be patient and suffering. persevere in prayer. bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them. rejoice with those who rejoice. weep with those who weep. live in harmony with one another. do not be haughty, but associate with the lonely. did not repaid anyone evil for evil -- do not repay anyone evil for evil.

live peaceably with all. leave room for the wrath of god, for it is written, the vengeance is mine. if your enemies are hungry, feed them. give them something to drink. by doing this, you will burn coals on their heads. overcome evil with good. the word of the lord. >> the twenty third psalm, please read along. the lord is my shepherd, i shall not want.

he maketh me lie down in green pastures. he restoreth my soul. though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil. for thou art with me. thou preparest the table before me and annointests my head with oil. my cup runneth over. i will dwell in the house of the lord forever. >> reading from the gospel acco.

on that day, jesus said to them, let's go over to the other side. they took him along with them in the boat just as he was. there are rows a fear scale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat. jesus was asleep on the cushion. teacher, do not care that we are perishing. he said, hush, be still. they became very much afraid and said, who is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? the word of the lord.

♪ [choir singing]

♪

>> i did not know where i was going, so i did not know what i am saying. [laughter] is some of and when you have to have someone like me speak at your memorial service. walter was such a good friend. i can't get over it. we met in london. we were both covering the air force when i was with united

press. i was with "stars and stripes. he sent his stories back. they would tell us when there was going to be arrayed, if you can believe that. these days, you're lucky if they tell you after they have had a raid. [laughter] walter and die at three or four other reporters would get on a train and go out to bedford, a town that had fibers six air force bases around it. we would ago, split up, and cover a base that we like to. we would write our stories, and we would go back to the headquarters of the air force and they had it set up so we

could write and send our stories from there. and that is when i got to know walter cronkite. i got to know him well. i just feel so terrible about walter's death that i can hardly say anything. he has been such a good friend over the years. please excuse me, thank you. >> pardon me. it is hard to follow an act like cronkite.

there has been so much about him in the last week, there is nothing else to say about him. i would like to point out a couple of things. he had a reputation for being cool, calm, and collected no matter what the circumstances or the occasion. that doesn't do him any justice. he was really ferocious at times. in the 1968 democratic national convention, some security agents roughed up dan rather on the floor. walter lost his cool on the air, shouted about it on the floor of the convention, and felt embarrassed and ashamed that he had lost his cool that way. the next day, to our shock, they talked about what happened the night before. the kick me out of my seat, sat down, and walter interview him about the events of the night before.

from walter's point of view, it was one of the low points in his life because he felt like he was not forceful enough with the mayor and had not defended the troops and the media and the rules of coverage. in the fall of 1969 spiro agnew delivered his famous attack on the media. part of the eastern establishment elite that were neither elected or selected. we found out that that was the initial attack on the media by the nixon people. walter was furious about that on the grounds that if the media was not going to defend itself, who wouldn't? the two of them flew out to st. joseph, missouri. walter's birthplace. they had a town meeting with

citizens of st. joseph, letting the citizens explore the whole idea out that we were -- and of course, it caused quite a stir. cbs broadcast that town meeting that night. it was the event that kind of signal cbs news as an enemy of the nixon white house. there were other aspects of walter that would drive anybody crazy. there is the idea that he would add lib -- ad lib the newscast and recite the stories important tenought -- emportant enough to report. and is cast as the most structured event in any news

media. walter insisted that when it came time to roll a piece of film, he would russia's knows. -- he would brush his news. [laughter] i kid you not. we were talking about film, not video tape. it would take six to seven seconds to get up to broadcast speech. he had to be tendered out this, and we never made it. it was utter chaos. nobody knew what was going on, especially any sort of -- it lasted for two days, and we went back to conventional script. there was a time he forgot his name.

this is -- it was a blank. [laughter] finally, the comptroller rescued him by taking it away and going somewhere else. he never figured out what had happened. he also had a horrible problem with the second month of the year. he could never pronounced it right. we would get all sorts of complaints before blogs and the internet, either by telephone or mail. it got to the point where we would rehearse him for about the last week of january about how the state. [laughter] it worked for a deer to, and there was a relapse. -- for a day or two, and there was a relapse. and there is something called

the magic number. if you were anywhere around our newsroom at the time, you would hear people shouting about something called "the magic number." it was a piece of sorcery invented -- i can't claim credit for it. walter was very diligent and precise about timing things. it had to do with his time on the air. he would time each piece of his copy down to the precise second, except on rare, it never matched. it drove everybody crazy. somebody with a more mathematical mind that i have, calculated how much for did there was -- calculated how much footage there was. it gave him a number that was less than he actually was. on air, he would expand to what we would call the magic number

we cheated him every day. whether he knew this or not, i don't know. we never had the guts to talk to them about it because we did not want to open up the whole can of worms. we live with that for years. i will let you know, he was a lot of fun off-camera. he played the clarinet badly, good enough to get on his high- school band. in recent years, his pal mickey brought him a set of drums that absolutely enthralled him. several weeks before the end, jimmy buffett flew his plane, landed on the east river right next to walter's riverside apartments, came upstairs, and opened up this beautiful ukulele case.

she thought was the most beautiful thing in the world. he serenaded walter with a little ukulele beside him. he was always a loyal service reporter in his heart. -- a wire service reporter in his heart. get first, but get it right was the at age. was the addage. -- was the addage. the copy boy had to get the houston bank clearing number every day, and it was published on the front page of the houston press in a little box. it was a multimillion-dollar number. one day, he got the cents wrong. he put down 27 when it should have been 17 at the end of a $3

million -- he got called up. he was really beat up by the editor. the way he described it, he went out feeling hangdog about it, and all of his buddies were saying, you better get out of town. you better be careful. you have discovered that that little number was the key to the gambling #'s game in houston. the last five digits of the clearing number was the winning number. here he put down 27 instead of 17 and his life was endangered. he always used that as an example of the importance of accuracy and the most terrific details. one contract negotiation, and that i will lead. -- then i will end.

he did not want to raise, -- a raise, but he wanted three months off. they were just jolted to say the least, because of a fear of evaporating ratings if he was gone for three months. the editor at the time came up with what seemed like a reasonable solution. walter should made his boat assignment. then, during the three month hiatus, we would say, waslter -- walter is on assignment. [laughter] he never thought it was funny. the day he left to the -- to be a cbs correspondent, he accepted an invitation to

something called bohemian grove, which was a camp in northern california for grown-up men, establishment men, bankers, politicians, serious scholars, and it was an off the racket -- off the record wituation -- situation. the following week, he announced he was going to bohemian grove that summer. he had been invited previously, but felt it was not acceptable given his role in the news to go. once he felt free of the news, he was out there and went there every year. we don't know what happened, but acted like a teenager. he became a member of the cbs board, of course.

he once said to me, you know, you don't know how many ways there are to say earnings per share. we sat there for hours and discussed earnings per share. it is remarkable to me. every time i bring up a question about television, nobody wants to talk to me about it. that is a little bit of a wall to rhino. -- the walter i know. >> i did not work with walter. i was his friend for a long time. like everyone that new walter, i was always asked, what is he

really like? i would answer, he's just the way utopias. it was always, -- he's just the way you hope he is. he was the guy that most of america guess he was. he was physically brave, and not afraid to show his emotions. he was a gentleman, fun-loving, and good company wherever he was. to steal a line from melville, he was my harvard and my yale. i began to think and appreciate and observe the world the way that walter did. i learned to handle my very small celebrity watching him and joy, with good humor and a smile, his slacks jot admirers -- slackjawed admirers. we were hosted a fund-raiser at

the chesapeake bay. walter had a celebrity couple. it was a rather dull affair. mrs. cronkite seemed content that she was whistling a little ditty to herself. all of us know betsy's little whistle, and the horn on a nuclear submarine might herald the same concern. she was ready to go to the waterfront to visit a small, 100-year-old saloon that i just happen to tone -- happened to won. -- to own. that was the first day of a lifetime of sailing together. there was laughter and a lot of

adventures. walter and i sailed our boats side by side and shared the same back for the next 35 years or so. we had the best seats in the house for the latest broadway shows in new york. let me tell you, with, right, -- with cronkite, that was quite a ride. late at night, the call would come up the stairwell in the old brownstone, good night old boy. good night, walter. thanks for a great night. we dined with president and explore the caribbean by sale. the family folded me into their life, and i became a trusted

member. by the way, sailing with water -- with walter was not for the faint of heart. he loved the sea. we left our secure mooring and set sail. usually a lot of sail. wind, sea conditions, bah. hoist sail, pointer c word, and the way we would go. -- point it seaward, and away we would go. the brave crew hanging on for dear life, walter hunched over the helm, will catch my eye, gramm, and over the racket of the wind, haller, sensational. -- grin, and over the racket of the wind, holler, "sensational."

i comfortably -- confidently i should say trailed walter into every cove and harbour in maine and new england. walter knew them all. he could not wait to share the beauty and perfection of a hidden cove and show them off to his chesapeake friend. after setting the anchor and another pine scented cove, and after our bodies recovered for

the obligatory plunge in the always frigid maine water, the time would call for pop popcorn and cold beer. then, dinner aboard his boat or mine with a decent wine and never-ending fascinating conversation, whoops of laughter. after dinner, a pipe and a brandy on deck. once, aurora borealis flashed across the night sky and seemed to last for hours. finally, softly, well, good night old boy. that was sensational. good night, walter. it sure was. this became an annual boy's sail. eventually managed exclusively

by ex military pilots. they were tough, dependable gentleman that loved to trade stories with the captain. the problem was, there were too many captains. all of us captained our own boat. we were either unable reserve captains, airline captains, or air force capt. captains from stem to stern. we commissioned walter commodore. capt. of all captains, and as you would guess, walter had no problem adjusting. the rank became commonly used among his friends and family. when i got a call that walter lost his final battle, the message was, the commodore is gone. the commodore and die assailed throw wild storm on a race to bermuda one year, -- the commodore and i sailed through a wild storm on race to bermuda

one year. a lifetime friendship bonded that dark and stormy night. walter was more than a crusty old sailor or iron pants editor. he had an antenna sensitive to a friend's pain. he could chase the worry and to make things good again. he was the kind of guy who could, openly and without shame, shed tears with a friend when his old yellow lab died. my brother, my teacher, my shipmate and pal, it is time for me to say, good night old

boy. it has all been sensational. i love you and miss you so. fair winds and following seas forever. rest in peace, my dear old friend. . >> i loved my dad. i love him coming home for dinner so we could talk about

that night's program. i love riding my bike to meet him in the summer when he drove home to the country house. i love sailing with him, trimming the sales while he navigated. he was good at that, too. back in the days before satellite navigation, he would get a slight to the right location. i admired my dad. he was just a reporter he would say. he just ended up reporting bigger stories. he was fast, too. i liked watching him swiveling around and write stories during commercial breaks. during the 1960's, when the country sometimes reverted to the 1860's, his reporters instincts for fairness and accuracy seemed to help americans on both sides understand each other.

he like to quote thomas jefferson, a nation that expects to be free is and one that never can and never will be. my folks lived through the depression before i was born, in the same year as sputnik. dad said that he walked home and made plans for the new some of his. thank you data for rushing to the side of the boat when the boom knocked me over board. you stood there ready to jump in after me and you were glad you did not have to. thank you for getting ready to take out my appendix yourself with a sharpened spoon on the plains of africa. that time, i was glad you did not have to. thank you for being so beach fun to work with -- being such fun

to work with. thank you for being such a good role model, doing your homework and saying to mom and she pastor in the hall or in the kitchen, taking her for a few turns around the room. i am happy for my dad and happy that he had so many interesting and varied friends over the years and that he would bring them home. i am happy that he finished his autobiography before his health began to fail. i am sorry i insulted him what i would tell him i was surprised at how funny it was. he had such caring doctors and nurses in his last few years. when we were young, my sisters and i came to sunday school here at st. barts. we memorialize my mom here and we went to kansas city to bury

her. we will go back soon to put dads' ashes next two months. -- next imams -- next to mom's. >> in the name of the father and of the sun and of the holy spirit, amen. 2000 years ago, a group of witnesses began to tell a story that proved to be the story about a man who was one of the axial persons in human history. the world turned on his soul and his teaching. now, we are here to commend to godden one of his great

witnesses. walter cronkite, a man, a husband and father. a mentor and someone we would say in our new york religious terminology, and a full human being. 2000 years ago, those first christian witnesses began to write what they witnessed this gives us the word that we begin this prayer. we proclaim what we do in this sacred hour. we simply think godden for this good man.

we really can go no further because the bill there were witnesses at the resurrection, those who claimed to be witnesses, there were really no reporters and certainly no video. nevertheless, we claim that this is news. and good news. it is not journalism because it is not a disinterested. it is the word of witnesses whose own lives were changed and who, therefore, wanted to change the lives of others and affect the course of the world and to feel and to love. you may have noticed that there were too powerful speakers today. they grew their own inclinations. the first was one from st. paul.

part of his passionate wisdom. you can find that this is the wisdom of all the great religions. it in some ways,. love one another with mutual affection. how do one another in showing honor. the only people who believe that they are loved can show that kind of love. do not lag in seazeal. in tribute to the needs of the saints. these are the hallmarks of true religion and the things that we see them and others, great

people and people of no name, we know that we have seen the truth. but all great witnesses and all reporters say that the truth begins with that last word the paul live with the romans. do not claim to be wiser than your. do not claim to be wiser than you are. you have to live the truce and trust is built, kind of work. they were out on the sea of galilee, but there were subject to squalls. he was asleep and he was a veritable. they did not like that. but the lesson that he ultimately taught them, he did

what no sailor that i know kindu, he called the storm. it really is a way to live your life if you can afford not to be so anxious, to be the least anxious person in the boat is a gift to everyone else but we are anxious. a generation after generation, we look at the conditions of the day and it makes us anxious but occasionally someone comes along that says that i have looked for the truth. in the end, all will be well if we did for the truth. >> is not the story or even the ultimate truth that makes the difference in the end, is, as paul said, let love be genuine.

hate what is evil and do not claim to be wiser than you are. amen. will you stand, please? >>in the assurance of eternal le given a baptism, let us proclaim our faith and say >> i believe in god, the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. i believe in jesus christ, his only son our lord who was conceived by the power of the holy spirit and born of the virgin mary. he was crucified, died and was buried. he descended and on the third day, he rose again. he ascended into heaven and was seated at the right hand of the father. he will come again to judge the living and the dead. i believe in the holy spirit,

the holy catholic church and the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. amen. now, let us join in the words of jesus taught his disciples. our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. the kingdom come, but will be done on earth as it is in heaven. give us this day our daily bread and for giving us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. live is not into temptation but deliver us from evil. for thine is the kingdom and the power and glory forever and ever. >> in peace, let us pray to the

lord. >> in the mystical body of the unsung, christ our lord, we beseech thee to thy whole church and paradise on earth. by lai and my teeth -- and i like and i piece -- thy light and thy peace. grant to all that morning, a sure confidence and fatherly care. casting all their grief on the team, they may know the consolation of i love, amen. >> and give courage and faith to those that are believed -- believed -- bereaved

in the joyful expectation of eternal life, help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe in the communion of saints. and the resurrection to life everlasting. amen. >> of grant us grace period receive him into the arms of the mercy and remember him according to the favre which now embarrassed -- which thou bear arrest and to the people. he may go from strength to strength in the light a perfect service in by heavily kingdom. amen. please be seated.

♪

[choir sings "precious lord take my hand"] take my hand precious lord, lead me home ♪

when my way grows drear precious lord willing to near -- linder near -- linger near. when my life is almost gone at the river i stand guide my feet, hold my hand

take my hand precious lord, lead me home ♪

>> i first met walter cronkite under a piano. it was a big party on 86 straight. i was producing the original tonight show with steve allen and we did not get through until 1:00 a.m. in the morning and so it was very late for the party. i saw the man under -- in the well of the piano on a big

pillow. he waved at me to come and sit on in the pillow next to him, which i did. during our first meeting, over half a century ago, we learned that we both had boats unload sailing -- and loves sailing. we sailed together from maine to the virgin islands. in the yachting language, walter cronkite would be called a one off. he was absolutely an original. where ever plays he was, it always was more fun.

he was truly a life in hansard -- in hansard -- enhancer. just a few days ago with maureen cronkite edit his bedside, i took his hand and whispered " walter, let's go sailing." his eyes lit up and he smiled. i recited a poem with only slight modification because i wanted to make it more personal. kathy asked me to share it with you. with apologies, to the author, i looked at walter and said, "you must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea in the sky, and all you ask is a tall ship and a star to steer by.

and the will's kick and the wide sales shaikh and a gray mist on the seas face and a gray dawn breaking. you must go down to the sea again, for the call of the tide is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied. and all that you ask for is a windy day with a white cloud flying. excuse me, i'm getting a little rough here. and the flong separate and the sea gulls cry in. you must go down to the sea again, to the vagrant gypsies life and the wells way and the

winds up like a wetted knife and all you ask for is a merry urine from a laughing fellow rover. in a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trip is over. good sailing, walter. slice the main brace. >> this next tim is a family favorite end is a hiymn that you will recognize. the words are printed in the bulletin. this is my song.

>> of this is my story.

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♪ >> i invite you all to join in this final commendation. give rest oh christ to the servant and by saints where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sign of life everlasting. not only are you the creator, but you are mortal, formed the earth, and unto earth shall we return.

thus balart and unto dust shalt thou return -- a dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return. give rest of christ to the lan server -- to buying a servant -- thine servant. into your hands 0 merciful savior, we commend that biyour servant. the lamb of your own flight and a simmer of the eye of -- of your own redeeming. receive him in the arms of your mercy into the blessed rest of everlasting peace and into the glorious company of the saints in light.

amen. life is short and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those that travel away with us, so be swift to love, make haste to be kind and with god's blessing, may he be with you always. amen. let us go forth in the name of christ. thanks be to god. [♪ singing: "when the saints

go marching in"] ♪ ♪

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♪ >> next, on c-span, a discussion on the new study that examines the disproportionate amount of minority inmates serving sentences. and then, on america and the

courts, analysts talk about race and the american criminal justice system. >> health care continues to dominate politics here in washington. last week, senate majority leader harry reed announced his chamber will not look at a bill before the fall. it is possible that the house could consider a bill before summer recess. they will go through the health care measure section by section. the congressman said that the committee will stay in session as long as necessary to answer every question that members have. the bill is not final, but most of the legislation is in writing.

>> how is c-span funded? >> publicly funded? >> donations, maybe, i have no idea. >> government? >> through the taxes. >> federal funding? >> political public funding. >> may be, i don't know. >> how is he spent fund, america's cable companies created c-span as a public service, a private business initiative, no government mandate, no government money. >> max, a discussion on a new study. the expanding use on life sentences in america. from this morning's washington journal, this is half an hour. going to change topics right now with ryan king. he's with an organization known as the sentencing project. and for those who may not know what is it? guest: we're an annan-profit research advocacy program working on criminal justice

issues. host: and you just put ow a new report looking at who gets life sentences in the united states. what's the genesis of this report? guest: well, we have been very interested in understanding the use of life sentences. the bureau of statistics collects a lot of this data and had not collected it recently. we had known there's been a rise in the use of people being sentenced to life, even more importantly, people being sentenced to life without the option of parole. as there's greater discussion at the state and federal level about the size of the prison population, the amount of correctional budgets being dedicated to incarceration, we felt it was critically important to get a graph of the number of people serving these sentence and discuss the discuss and implications. host: from looking at this, were the numbers a main concern or actually the people involved getting life sentence a concern? guest: i think both are a concern. anybody who studies the criminal justice system will not be surprised to know that there's racially desperate impact in life sentencing. in anything from arrests all the way through. we see these disparts so when

you're talking about racial disproportions. in the numbers we have one in 11 people serving a life sentence. that's a significant number of individuals who have the possible to spend the reneighborhooder of their life so when we're talking about locking somebody up 30, 40, 50ers years, to the tune of more than $1 million a person, it's important for to us look back at this policy and ask the critical question, for what purpose are we dedicating these resourceses. host: 140,000 people? guest: 140,000 people, out of 1.4 million people in prison. so it's a significant number of individuals serving a life sentence. when you break that down to people serving a sentence with life without parole a little over 41,000. so those are individuals who at no time will ever be released. host: 2/3 of those with life sentences are classified as non-white. 68 -- or 100 --

guest: of the 6,800 people serving life sentences are justify niles. a little more than 1,700 of those justify niles are individuals who will serve life without parole, never be released. these will people who could be sentenced to 18 and life and never get out. host: why are these people getting these type of sentences over others? guest: i think that's where we get into the important discussion. the fact of the matter is these numbers have risen significantly. part of it is the numbers. part of the fact that we've gone up from about 12,000 or so serving life sentences back in the middle 1980's to the significantly higher number of individuals that are now serving up to 140,000. and this has not been a direct reflection of crime rate. these are decisions -- the prison population increasing is a function of two factors. one is more people going to prison. and then the second factor is people staying in for a longer period of time. the more people going to prison element has received attention within recent years. there's a lot more discussion of

alternatives to incarceration, diverting the level drug offenders, to community treatment. the community courts. it's important and critical that that discussion continues happen. but at some point if we're going to talk about wrestling with the world highest rate of incarceration that we have in the united states by a long shot, then we need to also talk about sentence. what this report hopes to do is get that policy conversation going. host: what would your organization like to see -- i guess what goes into determining a sentence? guest: i think when we're sitting down and determining what an individual sentence should be, there's two things. there's the front end of what their sentence will be and the back end. when they're released. >> think with life sentences, we don't disagree with the fact that these -- many individuals commit very serious crimes and in many cases will probably for the safety of themselves and community need to spend the balance of their life in prison when we talk about life sentenceses or particularly what we advocate for is an abolition of life without parole is notion

that when somebody's sentenced 20, 25, 30 years old for a crime and they're a very different person when they're 40, 5060, those individuals should have the opportunity after the pastime to sit before a professionalized parole board, have the circumstances of their time of incarceration evaluated, program participation, how they've been behaving, and should that professionalized parole board determine at this point when this individual is in their 50's that it is appropriate to release them to the community that option should be available. that's taken away withife without parole. and what you have are individuals in many cases who are some of the most well adjusted people in prison, people who have really, truly changed, become mentors to a younger population. these are people who could go out in the community and assist but are not permitted to because we have this blanket policy from the get-go that says once you're in, you're never getting out. host: the study of no exit, the expanding use of life sentences in america. if you want to read it, go to our c-span website. we've set up a link there from the sense toking project. but can you also ask our guest

questions for the next half-hour. if you are a former inmate or family of someone currently serving a life sentence and you have experienced or have a question to have, we set up a line for you to call as well, 202-628-0184. one of the parts of the survey looks at states. most of these life sentences, some without parole, take place. as far as the high amount, alabama, california, massachusetts, nevada, new york. what's important about those states that just identify. guest: those are states that in some cases have one in five of their prisoners serving a life sentence. we think that when you're talking about a 20% -- in the neighborhood of 15% to 20% listed serving a life sentence, that is a significant portion of the prison population. not every one of those

individuals is going to spend the balance of their life in prison. those aren't all life without parole. but those are people because of what we know about the nature of parole and the political nature of parole, particularly the role that governors play in a lot of states, a life sentence even with the eligibility of parole is not necessarily going to result in a person being released from prison. in many cases we've seen governors. we talk about the report of prior governors and the current governor of california, for example, that have stepped in, had a blanket policy where they have overruled the parole board. even though the parole board has determined should be should be eligible for release, the governor stepping in from a political nature and prior governor, gray davis, said that the only people that will be released from the life sentence will be people being released in a pine box. that type of political tough on crime rhetoric that goes on in a lot of states. so for many individuals, even when they are eligible for pa roacialg even when parole boards determine they can be released that doesn't necessarily equate to somebody being ee reese load because of the political -- being released because of the

political obstacles. host: so what usually goes into that determination by these boards? what do they look at? guest: there's a whole range of factors. factors of parole boards. unfortunately, i would also lay in that the political element of it is there as well. when you release somebody from prison on parole, it is a major risk. whether it's somebody under a life sentence or something in for a low-level drug offense. it's major risk if that

individual rio fendz if your viewers, i'm sure don't need to be reminded going back to more than 20 years ago, if the furlough situation. when somebody comes out that's a political liability for members of the parole board or for the governor and for members of the legislature if they felt the institute of policies so it is a major risk. that is a consideration that's go fog go in -- going to go in to making that decision. host: new mexico, you're first. good morning. caller: good morning. mr. king, i'd like -- it sounds like i'm speaking to united states senators this morning. my reason for calling you is because i'm concerned about mr. madoff. from the tone of your voice, it sounds like he is going to get parole eventually in the future, i'm assuming. i just don't know. it sounds like you have a job that i'd nev want to have. but do you think mr. madoff will be paroled? guest: mr. madoff's sentence is in the neighborhood of -- i

don't know -- i don't remember the number of his sentence off top of my head. but i think there are a couple of factors. his advanced age plus the length of his sentence was a dig duration coupled with the fact that in the federal system there is no parole, there's not a situation where mr. madoff would be released at any time early outside of some extraordinary action. host: so even in that case you have someone of a celebrity in the sense of what he did. it doesn't matter as far as the person involved, parole or life sentences could pair out that way. what i'm trying to say is does a person's fame determine the length or the ability to get parole? guest: not in the federal system that is life without parole. states like pennsylvania and louisiana in the federal system there is no life sentence. every life sentence is a life without parole sentence so that individual is going to serve the balance of their sentence before they will be eligible for release. and in mr. madoff's case, the sentence language escapes me at this point coupled with his advanced age. i don't think he'll be being

released. host: are there states rethinking it because of the costs involved? guest: there are states certainly rethinking the use of life sentences. but i think that the conversation around correctional budgets, as i mentioned earlier, focused upon front end diversion for individuals and drug and property crimes. and i think because of the population, these are many individuals committed violent crimes. these are people who have had a significant impact on community and family. and because of the political nature of that this is an issue that i think once legislatures sit down at the table and talk about cutting costs, they're less likely to want to wrestle with this than wanting to advance drug treatment. host: we hear from a former inmate. georgia, go ahead. caller: yes. good morning, gentleman gentlemen. i'm a former inmate, like i was telling a young lady who answered the phone. i've been out for two years. i had a drug charge. i was a business owner also. i had my own business, trucking

business. i basically got locked up. and ever since it's been so so hard to find a job. and, i mean, i believe i paid my debt to society. i was locked up with a lot of guys who were violent. i was locked up with a lot of guys who actually were rehabilitating themselves like i was. i took the chance. and i took every class that i could, even though i knew how to fill out applications already. and i knew how to do a resume. a lot of guys didn't. actually helped in that form i was in there. i've been out for two years. i already know the economy is all messed up. i'm neither democrat, republican. i'm just a guy who was a democrat who just doesn't believe in the system anymore. i believe that once you get rehabilitated, you're put in a box. and everybody just views you a certain way. and it's been very difficult, very very difficult. guest: your story, you be of unfortunate fatly -- unfortunately, is a common story. it's part of a broader set of

policies. what we identify as the collateral consequences of having a felony conviction so for an individual who was incarcerated above and beyond their time that they're in custody and any obligation of being under community supervision after the custody, they also have barriers to certain services, for example. so whether it's having a drug con fiction, not being able to access benefits or federal student aid, for example, not being able to vote in a number of states vague felony conviction. or the difficulty in getting a job. they're both formal and informal barriers that are in that. you have the formal barriers, certain industries where you are explicitly prohibited from working in law enforcement, for example, if you had a felony conviction. but it's the informal, the one that you're pointing out. that's the real tragedy. which is the stigma of having the conviction. when there's a stack of resumes, particularly in a tight economy but even when the economy is plush, and there's a stack of resumes on a person's desk, they're going to sit down and that employer has the opportunity to go through each

one if they can identify either through your resume cover letter or through conversation that you have a felony conviction, even if it is against the law to discriminate based on a felony conviction, the fact is it's very difficult to demonstrate. and we know time and time again from people coming out of prison, it's very difficult to lock up a job. and what's most tragic about that is the two best predictors of success of people coming out of prison and staying out are being able to get housing and being able to get a job. and unfortunately we don't have a lot of policies in place that help encourage those things so we have a recidivism rate for people who are released, to about 2/3 of individuals released from prison. they are rearrested within three years. and about half of them end newspaper prison within about three years. i would say a significant contributor to that is both they take advantage of that opportunity as well as a lot of collateral consequences. the obstacles such as which you described. so i applaud you in your efforts to find a job. and i also empathize with you greatly. host: a viewer asked, how much

has the privatization of prisons with for-profit businesses have to do with sentencing. there's a follow-up question do child killers and murderers get life? guest: for the first question regarding private prisons, private prisons are a significant growing industry. at the state level they were bigger in the 1990's. sort of the growth has leveled off. because i think a lot of the indicators of the cost savings of private prisons have been brought into question. but i think although private prisons get a lot of the attention with regards to industries, lobbying for tougher sentence, for example. the focus also needs to be upon, for example, correctional officer unions and law enforcement unions lobbying for it as well. as far as the second question regarding child murderers and people convicted of rape, there's a broad range that results in life. not looking at every single case but certainly those are the types of offenses that would be eligible in many states for a

life sentence. host: on our democrats line, louisiana. guest: yes, sir. y'all had a saying on statistics that 2/3 of the people serving life in prison are non-whites. well, i do research. there's a source book and federal document. that number would be right for the number of violent crimes they commit. i know they commit 62% of the aggravate add salt, 45% of rape. and, of course, that doesn't even count the mexican population. so that 2/3 of them income jail for life sentences, they generally have committed murder, rape and robbery. so those numbers are correct.

guest: one of the contributing factors to the disproportion ats in life sentence and in all incarceration is the actual crime measures, crime commission. but it's a bigger story than that. it's not simply the fact that our desperate rates of incarceration, life sentence are in religious to the crime. there are other factors that go into that. it's not purely particularly when you look at other types of crime, in particular, the reflection is much about where those law enforcement resources are directed and where those crimes are pursued so to speak. by law enforcement. those arrest rates reflect that and there are a whole host of factors from law enforcement patterns to court case processing, pretrial detention, defense, all of these things contribute as well as crime rates to these desperate rates of incarceration that we see. host: susan on our republican line from baltimore. guest: good morning. my question, i guess, is

obviously horrific crimes, when someone commits a murder or rape or whatever it is that they're doing, that the courts have determined that they need to go to jail for the rest of their lives. in the states, how many of these states have this over population? states that do not have death penalty. because, you know, some states have a death penalty, then obviously they're killing the people instead of keeping them. i'm just curious. because everybody, they have a lot of pure rights or against death penalty. we still have to do something with the people, life without parole. how does that play into your statistics? guest: i don't know specifically overcrowding figures, weighing those over capital punishment.

i think that's what you're touching upon. but can i say that the use of capital punishment is not significant enough that it would have an impact on the prison population. so, in other words, what i think you were getting at is do states that use capital punishment more frequently have a lower rate of prison overcrowding because of their use of capital punishment? that is not the case. there's no better example of that than texas, a state with significant prison overcrowding. also the nation's leader of use of capital punishment. host: from michigan, to the line we've set aside to hear from stories from former inmates. anthony. good morning. caller: good morning. how are you doing? host: fine, anthony. it says that you, yourself, are a former inmate and that your step-mother also got life? caller: yes. we was from a little town in illinois where 14 of us indicted on drugs conspiracy. it's a small little town.

and the majority of everyone pleaded guilty. but by my step-mom not pleelding guilty and taken to court, she received a life sentence. since then -- this is in 1996. the laws, like rule 32, changed that. she was sentenced under what you call ghost dope. that there was really no dope. it was just on statements what people had made. and also the law that was in effect against powder cocaine all is being reversed. the sentencing commission said that there was really no basis for the rational -- [inaudible] because the substance was the same. even powder cocaine and crack cocaine. but now she still is in prison under this life sentence where

the courts have proved that the way they sentenced back then was really unconstitutional. guest: is this -- host: he's gone. guest: i was going to ask -- he's talking about the crack and powder disparity that's in the federal system. i believe that was what the caller was referring to. and the courts, although there has been a lot of movement around -- and this is just very quickly. there are differential penalties for crack and powder cocaine based upon perceptions in the middle 1980's that one drug was much more severe than the other, crack cocaine being moch severe than powder despite them being derived from the same sentence. they have been proven incorrect and there's an effort to reform those laws to equalize the penalty. there was a bill passed under the subcommittee in the house that would seek to do that just this past week. and there's a bill in the senate as well. but those changes have not taken

effect. statutory changes have not taken effect yet. the changes by the u.s. sentencing commission, of the guidelines amended somewhat but have not reformed them entirely. host: what's the connection between those who receive life sentence on drug charges? goich well, i think ther cases r people depending on the quantity of the drug, the value, or whether there were firearms present, or repeat offenders that could trigger a life sentence. so there are situation where's there are people in the federal system and in some states who are serving a life sentence for a drug offense. host: a viewer asked or says that it would make more sense to put drug offenders in a rehab house. at half the cost it would fix the problem. guest: that is when talking about two functions of the growth of prison system. more people coming in, staying twice the time. particularly as congressional budgets place a greater budget on the states.

we have research that shows that rehabilitation programs is far more successful than locking somebody up and putting them in prison for a drug offense and not actually addressing what the underlying cause of the drug abuse was. >> dalton georgia on our democrats line. >> i wanted to ask your guest. if he has looked at other countries, how are they in terms of length of sentences for the same crimes and means of incarceration? the american prisons keep people inside 82 by four cell 23 hours a day. they have a hard time finding a job. it is like we are harking back to the past when adulterers have to have letter a. . .

tence particular, the simplest way to put it is no country puts more people away for more types of offenses, for more time than the united states. so the notion that an individual would go away for a life without parole is generally far in what we would describe as our pure democracies. there's really -- the fundamental difference, and this is my opinion -- this is a much debated point in the literature. but the fundamental differences is what the role of incarceration is. to what use are we using life sentence? are they for rehabilitation, for deterrence, for punishment or

purely attributive? i would argue that our prison system by and large its implementation at this point in time is purely retributive. this is a tragedy. prisons back to the birth of the nation were seen as a humane alternative corporal punishment. they were supposed to be used in the rarest of cases and as i tool for rehabilitation for people who hadn't been able to respond to other community measures of dealing with deviant behavior. but now it's sort of the first response for this broad range of offense. nobody else in the world looks at prison like that. i think the model in western europe, for example is one of rehabilitation. one of identifying the problem, dedicating the resources, and seeing it as a real tool of change. maybe the culture in the u.s. was like that in the 1950's and 1960's where there was the model and belief that we could change people. but that has largely been aabandonned to the current point. host: oklahoma city, oklahoma. reginald, good morning.

guest: good morning. how are you doing? caller: i am calling in reference to my younger cousin who basically had spent time in prison. they gave him 1,600 years to life in parole for accused possession of drugs. and i was wanting to know when they say life without parole and 1,600 years for a drug offense, through my research i have never even realized people have. like jeffrey dahmer and people like that have never had extensive sentence like that. is there anything we possibly can do in the legal realm to see what we can do to actually get that sentence reduced or anything, something like that? guest: unfortunately that would require the assistance of an attorney to sit and look at the actual case files. that's something that i can't do remotely. i apologize. host: one more call from columbus, georgia. we hear from william, according to the information we got, he

received two life sentences. caller: yes, sir. host: go ahead, sir. caller: i don't know what the public actually thinks or doesn't think. i'm not a scholar. but i'm one of the people who received two life sentences at 17 years old. i went in and got a high school diploma, college diploma. they make you go through a ton of counseling. they don't train you or teach you for real world when you get out. thank god i've never had a problem since i came home. but you can't get jobs. you can't get a respectable job. like you said, if they read a resume it doesn't matter. people just look at it and no thank you. . i don't know if it is a deterrent. in my case, i needed the prison

time. it changed me. but i do not think it is for everybody. host: how was the parole process? caller: you, then you are evaluated. there is a group of counselors who come to the parole hearing or time for counseling to see if you are deserving of parole. it is hit and miss. i have had to the real life sentences. >> how long have you been out? caller: i got out in 1978. i am married with children. i did have cancer when i made parole. tesco was that a contributing

factor? caller: it makes you wonder. -- guest: you wonder if that is a contributing factor. caller: at you try to go and live a normal life. there is no normal life after prison, especially with a life sentence. it just does not happen. guest: thank you for calling and sharing your story. this is only way to get people to understand what the process is like. secondly, his case is a perfect example of why we're talking about parole need to be an option. -- needing to be an option. i think that is a factor into

many states at this point. what we're talking about is having a policy in place where individuals will be able to have a fair shake before a parole board. host: we hear from chronic honor democrats line. -- veronica on our democrats line. guestcaller: good morning. can you hear me now? host: yes, go ahead. caller: faq for receiving my call. -- thank you for receiving my call. i have a question. my son has been sentenced to 40 years. he was involved in a crime in

connecticut. it is known for a lot of credit politicians. -- crooked politicians. she had a public defender. he has 40 years for manslaughter. -- he had a public defender. he turned state witnesses against him in the case. i am trying to find out if there is anything he can be done? key will probably be like 50 when he gets out. -- he will probably be like 50 when he gets out. guest: i am sorry to hear the story of your son. fortunately, that is a situation where you need an attorney to sit down and look at case files to see if there's a valid point

of an appeal. it is not something i can answer sirte. host: when you put these types of surveys out, who do you hope to reach? guest: everyone from the president to people sitting down and watching the show and the general public. our goal is to get a recognition that there is too many people and president -- prison. we want to begin a, versus -- we want to began his conversation. -- we want to begin a conversation. host: this report is weak to our website. -- thank you for your time.

guest: thank you for having me. >> on sundays "washington journal"," political strategists on the news of the week in what is ahead. then tom price on health care and the u.s. economy. after that, the economics writer for the new york times talks about how the rise in real- estate purchases in the stock market are impacting the outlook. plus, your e-mail and phone calls. "washington journal" live sunday at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> next, remarks from the ceo of the red cross, gail mcgovern. she spoke earlier this week about the challenges the organization faces during the recession. it from the national press club, this is about an hour.

>> i was hoping a little over a year ago when i joined the red cross, i was hoping to join an organization that would present a challenge. and let me tell you, i have been challenged. [laughter] 8 hurricanes and tropical storms right after i joined. a record tornado season, the worst wildfires in california's history, the worst flooding in the midwest in 15 years. we also had an operating deficit of two under $9 million and a mandate from the board of governors that we would have eliminated in just two years. last but not least, i join the red cross to travel before our country went into a major recession, which is causing more and more people to seek help for nonprofits at a time when it is more and more difficult to raise funds. please do not get me wrong, i am not complaining. [laughter] olli i have the best job in the

world and i am humbled by it. i pinch myself every day because i cannot believe i am part of this remarkable institution. and let's face it, the red cross is not alone in this. these are challenging times for the entire country and for all of america's nonprofits. giving usa, which is a philanthropy research organization, reports that donations to nonprofits in general are down 5.70% in 2008. that is the biggest decline in more than 50 years and is down by $6 billion in -- over 2007. corporate donations are down by 8% individual giving is down by 6.3%. the chronicle of " -- of philanthropy report of last

month that the problem is only getting worse in 2009. these are certainly interesting times in which we live. a few months ago, but "washington post" asked a group of economists, politicians, labor leaders, ceos, head of nonprofits to share suggestions for books that would be relevant for their readers to read in these interesting times. when i was asked this question, i thought about it for awhile and at first i give consideration to the usual suspects, business books, philosophy books, history books and the like. i ended up suggesting two classics by lewis carroll. the first was an open " alice's adventures in one in -- in wonderland" and the second was "through the looking glass. and then the first, -- and in the first, she was in a world where your sense of reality completely fails and nonsense becomes the norm. and in "through the looking glass" she finds herself in a place where she has to go in the

opposite direction in order to get anywhere. this is why i picked those books. in these times, it is often wise to consider going the opposite direction from the rest of the herd. and as strange as this world has become, sometimes falling down the rabbit hole can bring you a strange and unexpected delight. and as with the economy, sometimes you just have to go with the force of gravity. the fact is that this economy is certainly presenting many challenges for nonprofits. but is also providing the impetus for the american red cross and other nonprofits to make needed and, in some cases, overdue changes. simply put, there is a greater acceptance to change in the middle of a crisis and when the economy is roaring, problems can be glossed over. prosperity can actually cover a multitude of sins.

we need to leverage the economy and a force of gravity to be able to affect change. let me suggest five ways that can help nonprofit successfully navigate these turbulent waters. first, have a mano-maniacal focus on your mission and the people that you serve. more and more people are hurting because of the economy and they have put their trust in the american red cross to be there in times of emergency, to be there in times of need. many people think about us during catastrophic disasters or when they need blood or, perhaps, when they are donating blood. but consider this, 200 times a day american red cross volunteers help a family who has lost everything in either a house fire or another disaster. 475 times a day the red cross connects men and women who

served in the armed forces to their families. 21,000 times a day someone receives a blood transfusion from a red cross donor. in fact mother national press club does blood drives -- in fact, the national press club does both drives here and we're very appreciative for that. 290,000 times a day a child receives a measles vaccine from the red cross or one of its partners and the last time it -- and in less time than it took me to make that statement, 150 different lives reader served or touched by the american red cross. -- were either serve or touched by the american red cross. when i think of the people in the armed forces who we lift, when i think of the remarkable act of our donors to actually open up their gains to give the gift of blood, when i think of the millions of people that we

train to save lives and when i think of the people that we help in their darkest hours when they have lost everything and they are turning to us for the basic need of food and shelter, i am absolutely awestruck by the responsibility that we have to our citizens and to our country. despite growing storms -- storms and tornadoes -- despite growing bills from the storms and tornadoes and floods and fires we did not walk away. the red cross will not pack up and go home if there is even one person left in our shelters. the country depends on us looking at everything that we do and every dime that we spend and to eliminate all the string is activities that do not support the people that we serve. that brings me second key to

successfully navigating through these rough waters. we must be even better stewards of our donors dollars. we have to be relentless in demonstrating that their hard earned money is being well spent. since the owners are finding it harder and harder to give, we have to show them that we are being as efficient as humanly possible. we are very proud of the fact that 90 cents of every dollar goes to the people that we serve, but we have to find even more ways to be smarter in how we run the organization. this has been one of my main areas of focus. we have 33,000 employees. we have 722 local chapters. we have 36 blood services regions and we have over 500,000 volunteers. we have to streamline our services. we are consolidating our chapters back off of operations. we're sharing best practices and promoting teamwork.

our thinking behind is -- these changes is very simple. we cannot do the same thing at 722 different ways. our local chapters are absolutely the heart and soul of the american red cross. it is a grassroots organization and we need to free up those chapters of that they can focus on the mission and avoid having each local leader focus on things like finance, payroll, and accounting systems. we are also reducing expenses in a variety of other ways to adjust the $209 million deficit that i mentioned. we are reducing travel expenses, telecom expenses, vendor costs. we are even renting out floors from our headquarters building. we had to lay off over 1000 people at headquarters, and over 350 people in the field. it has no impact on -- on our mission or the people that we

serve. i know, given this economy, that all of you are hearings stories like this. you are used to hearing about cost cuts -- cost-cutting end headcount reductions. but pause for a second and consider the implications of this in the nonprofit world. and please join nonprofits because they -- employees join nonprofits because they are drawn to the mission, they want to give back. in short, their humanitarian spirit -- they are humanitarians. imagine how difficult it is to see them lose their job. this was extremely difficult for us and it was my fervent hope that we would not need to make this kind -- that we will not need to make these kind of cut again. we have had to make decisions that have caused every employee to have to make sacrifices,

suspending or 401k match. closing of our pension plans to any employees that join the red cross after july 1. and you know what, have not heard a single complaint. employees have actually reach out to thank me. people would rather sacrifice a pay increase and see a colleague lose their job. this is just one of those unexpected surprises that come from falling down the rubble, i suppose -- down the rabbit hole, i suppose. we drove down the $209 million deficit to $50 million in just one year. that is an extraordinary achievement. it is actually $86 million better than where we thought we would be at this point and we are working very hard to try to balance the rest of the budget for next year. that actually brings me to the

third key factor. nonprofits how to find new ways to raise money and to engage their dollars. we have been working very hard just to do that at the american red cross. in september at the heart of hurricane season, we launched a $100 million campaign to replenish our repeated disaster relief fund. this was a serpent -- this was certainly an audacious goal considering the fund was actually empty when we started. in just nine months, we surpassed that goal. i am delighted to report that we raised $95 million in cash and $15 million in in-kind donation and the most challenging time in over a quarter of a century. how do we do that? the field is using state coordinators of they can share best practices around the country.

we're using blue state digital, and that is the digital media agency that worked to raise funds for the obama campaign in order to make a stronger push on line. we were able to raise $1 million on line with blue state digital in just three weeks and the average donation sites was less than $100 apiece. we're using grass-roots techniques, like the national day of giving, during which we send all the chapters out into the streets to start raising funds. and they did everything from bake sales to public service announcements and local athletic events. on that day alone we raised $850,000. in other words, we used a combination of tactics from good old-fashioned community out reach into digital media. we learned the key is to set your sights very high and dry lot of different approaches. we are thankful for every single dollar that was donated and sorely needed to assist the

victims of the disasters of 2008. the generosity of the american public never ceases to amaze me. i also have to thank the members of congress, who allocated up to $100 million to the red cross to cover the unusually heavy costs that we incurred in 2008. we are not a government agency and our funding comes from private donations. but in this crazy year, we needed help from our government and we are grateful for their response. we are heading into this next fix it -- this next fiscal year with limited funds, but we are absolutely in much better shape than we were at this time last year. we are now raising money to respond to the disasters in the months ahead. our goal is not just raise money episodic the during a rare -- during a disaster, but to make sure that we have the funds before disaster strikes.

we respond to 70,000 disasters a year and we spend on average $500 million annually to do so. by the way, the national weather service is predicting a normal hurricane season. that means there will be four to seven hurricanes and one to three of them will be major ones. regarding major disasters, a big lesson that we learned during katrina was that building relationships with other non profits within the community is absolutely essential to help people in need. we built relationships with local churches, synagogues, mosques, other agencies like the naacp, southern army, southern baptist convention, charities. our model is to be inclusive and diverse. it really does take an entire community to be able to respond to a major disaster.

we need the support of our partners and the american public now more than ever. our daughters are telling us that it is harder and harder to give right now, but they are also telling us that it feels better than ever. the fourth way for nonprofits to survive in these turbulent times is to embrace new tools. the disaster victims, volunteers, financial and blood donors want information quickly and they rely on new forms of communications in order to get it. the nightly news and newspapers are obviously very important part of communications, but more and more people of all ages are getting immediate information from the web and from their phone. nonprofits have to embrace these five forms of media. -- of these new forms of media. this probably seems like an

obvious set of statements that i just made. but again, pause for a moment. and we are 128-year-old institution, so do not underestimate the massive change in the mindset that this requires. we are not google. we are not at all. -- apple. but we are realizing that it is essential to embrace technology. we are tweaking. i am personally blogging caridad these tools can pick -- can carry multiple messages constituents, but more broadly it can connect constituents together. when i got my m.b.a., i was taught in marketing that there are two different kinds of models, business to business communications and business to consumer communications. while i was teaching in harvard, i realized that the

most important is a consumer to consumer. consumers trust each other. you probably get on the web before you buy a book, go to a movie, go to restaurants. consumers want to talk behind the institutions back. they want to talk about our brand and we have to facilitate that conversation. i mentioned earlier that the state digital to help us raise $1 million online. they have also helped us to connect our daughters and our volunteers together. they helped us do an essay contest where you could actually, right in 75 words or less why you love the american red cross and a posted those so others could enjoy them. they also helped our donors match gifts from other donors. they helped us all over facebook. there was a mad, viral frenzy when target of $3 million and said we're going to, give this out proportionally by votes to these 10 charities and everyone

was clicking like crazy. we got $794,000, 26.6% of the votes all because of the communications. it was amazing. we have also sent e-mails with tips to first -- to prevent the spread of the h1n1 virus. we had announcements with heidi klum, the runway model, and the second baseman with the new york yankees. these activities have brought us 9000 new donors. 6% of them committed to a sustainable giving, meaning they were giving at least $20 at least each and every month. but despite these challenges, a 128-year-old institution can participate in the digital age. this brings into the final

success factor in these times. keep looking to the horizon. cost consciousness is a critical element for nonprofits, but it is just going to take you so far. we also need to ensure that we look toward the future to stay relevant and to grow. i recently met with the senior leaders of our chapters across the country and we conducted a series of brainstorming exercises. i provided the group with a picture of what i thought the world might like in the year 2020. now, i tend to be an optimist, so my 20 -- my 2020 vision is extremely rosy. i painted a picture where america is embracing diversity, where most schools and businesses has a requirement that their students and employees volunteer. but detroit develops a smoke and hot electric car that takes the world by storm, that jobs are created in the alternate

energy sector and hundreds and hundreds of people are finding work because of it, the dow is at 17,000 -- [laughter] it is possible. anyway, you get my drift. i asked the groups to generate ideas that would help the american red cross grow and prosper during this kind of time and the ideas they came up with more creative, wild, wacky, and the truly showed the out of the box thinking. the exercise has me thinking of quitting my own future is group composed of volunteers will help us keep our eye on the horizon. you can easily imagine a world where the obama administration is united we serve initiative is the beginning of a whole new era of volunteerism and service. where the culture of service extends from the retired baby boomer to tomorrow's teens the power of it is incredible.

you can change lives starting with your own. as ralph waldo emerson once said, "is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can help another without helping himself. in the last year, i have seen examples after example of that with the american red cross. i go to a lot of blood collection sites. i know women who did it but because she has a 3-year-old child with leukemia and she gets a lot of blood transfusions. i met a man who was best friend was in a car accident and he had 12 blood transfusions and this is the way he gives back. i actually met a man in his sixties who had donated 49 gallons of blood. and when i asked him why he would do such a thing, he said, because i love the american red cross and it is the right thing to do.

i met a mother who thank the need for helping -- before -- to thanked me for how the red cross helped her son in afghanistan. i was told that one in five people in the united states have been touched by the american red cross. i asked the store manager at wal-mart, stand up if you have donated blood and raise a hand if you have had cpr training and raise a hand if you have had lifeguard training. when i was done, as far as the eye can see, thousands of people in the audience were standing with both arms up in the air. it literally took my breath away. i also have to tell you that i had the privilege of being with our volunteers, ike and christoff. -- gustav. four hours, i was ladling out

chili for people in the committee after they have lost -- in the community after they have lost everything i went straight from the airplane still in my red cross t-shirt and i have to tell you, i smelled. i smelled from chile, from perspiration. i was afraid they were going to have to evacuate the plane as i was walking down the aisle. and they did not evacuate the plane. people were touching my arms because they could see my t- shirt and they were thanking me for helping them in the state of texas. i have never felt that proud of being part of an institution in mind the entire life -- in my entire life. these are extraordinarily

difficult times for nonprofits, for businesses, and for families across the nation, but i believe if we focus on our mission, if we're outstanding source of r doniger dollars, if we leverage new tools and seek for ways to engage new donors and keep our eyes on the horizon, we will weather the storm. the country needs as more than ever when times are rough and that is what we are at our best. thank you. [applause] >> we have got a big pile of questions here, so we will get started with those. do you expect non-profit donations to pick up as soon as the u.s. economy does, or will americans be accustomed to giving less?

>> as i said, i am so taken aback by the generosity of the american public and when nonprofits seek their help, they tend to be right there to help. i believe that when the economy bounces back that people will reach into their hearts and their wallets and even their veins and continue to help nonprofits serve the rest of the country. >> given all leadership told at the red cross recently, why should i choose you to receive my charitable dollars? >> gregg's i'm going to twist the question around and answer the following, which i get all the time, which is, are you planning on being there for a while? which i think is really the crux of your question. i think they're going to have to drag me out of the american red cross. i, too, have fallen in love. you will find my fingernails the scratched across the desk when they finally pulled me out. i have one employee say to me, you're going to be here a long time? and i said, i intend to.

and she said, for 25 years? and i said, i will be 81 then, and i doubt i will be here then, but i'm hoping that with this data this team that we have throughout the entire organization, the passion and commitment, and that the toll will have stopped and will be the charity of choice for people to give their dollars. >> what steps are you taking to regain public trust? gregg's i feel the best way to regain public trust is direction. you mentioned in your opening remarks that we performed well in gustav and i. we serve 8 million meals in just 60 days. and the press did not make a peep because we were really there and we did the right

things. we did this despite accelerating costs and i think that is the way you gain the trust of the american public, by serving the mission, by no missteps. that is the way people begin to address the american red cross -- to trust the american red cross brand. >> did that explain the uptick in donations? >> i certainly think it did. it was extraordinary that we were able to reduce our deficit so much in just nine months. it was one of the crazy things i've ever done starting a campaign with $0 starting out. as i said, the public-interest -- the public came through for us and the gifts were amazing. >> you think that president obama's focus on volunteering will translate into more donations for charities? >> i think it will translate

not only into more donations, but more volunteers. we have over 500,000 volunteers of the american red cross and we do what we do so well because of the volunteer force. i am optimistic that it will translate into additional donations, but i am also optimistic that it will translate into more volunteers. >> what are blood donations like as up compared to monetary donations? >> meaning, what is it like to donate blood? [laughter] those are incredibly valued as well. we provide 43% of the nation's blood supply and it is a very important element of our mission. when people donate blood, it is an amazing gift and we estimate

that for every single unit of blood that is donated, it can save up to three lives. it is a very important piece of our mission and something we would like our people to participate in all of the country. >> you are speaking to a review -- a roomful of reporters on deadline and somebody in the audience asks, has the red cross ever thought about ways to speed up the -- the blood donation process as a way to entice potential busy blood donors? >> part of the blood donation process is the filling out of the patient history form and that is the key to making sure that our blood supply is safe. we asked a lot of questions and each and every question is there for a reason. we do so to make sure that the blood that we provide hospitals for their lifesaving mission is absolutely safe. that are probably will not be shortened. the technology is there to maybe to extract the blood

quicker, but if you make an appointment when you go to a blood drive, it will cut some time down and our goal is to get people in and out as quickly as possible. >> just as long as you do not eliminate the cookie portion. [laughter] what have you done to fix the problems in managing blood donation, storage, and distribution that resulted in the fine? >> we are spending an incredible amount of time ensuring that our blood products are safe. over the last 18 months we have consolidated testing and manufacturing, we have seen a 33% decrease in problems and 51% decrease in problems that are severe. but we are spending a lot of calories to ensure that the blood supply is safe. >> he came from a background in corporate america, how you approach managing a nonprofit different than in the corporate

sector? >> i do come from corporate america. i also have a lot of experience and -- in a letter. i was on the board of the children's hospital and also john tompkins university. i would describe beating in a nonprofit -- a leading in a non- profit and are meant as very similar to business. you want to make sure you set goals and have ways to measure them. you want to make sure that people understand what is expected of them, so they understand the mission and what you are trying to accomplish. the difference is that the american red cross has heart. it has an incredible amount of heart and that passion and that commitment coupled with the talent really makes it a pleasure to read in a nonprofit space. i said this is the best job i have ever had and i feel in a

lot of ways i have been training to do this my entire life. >> now that you are on another side, what is that the -- what is it that corporate america could learn from a non-profit? >> that is a great question. i'm going to repeat my answer, but in reverse order. i believe that all human beings want to be part of something that is bigger than themselves. every institution actually has a higher purpose. you have to seek it. my advice to the corporate sector is to ensure that the employees understand their higher purpose, understand how they fit in the lead with a little bit of heart as well. -- and that they lead with a little better part -- a little bit of heart as well. >> can you describe the border directors? >> i have a dream team of -- on our board of governors. they made some very difficult

decisions that cause them to shrink the size of the board. our board of governors are smart. erased fabulous sounding board. i am on the phone -- but they are a fabulous sounding board. i am on the phone with them regularly. we have business owners, philanthropists. our chair is phenomenal. she is just amazing. >> how much of the red cross' deficit is related to the economy and how much is related to other factors, such as management deficiencies? >> the $209 million that i described when i first came to the american red cross consisted -- existed before the

economy went into a recession. i would say that a lot of it was a big insurer, as i said earlier, that everything -- that we look at everything we did through the lens of our mission and remove any extraneous activities. i would say the $50 million that we are now having as our gap, that is largely due to the economy. and we are assuming that donations will be down somewhat and that is very much baked into our activities. it is impacting us as you would suspect, but the last dollars are the hardest to find, but we are bound and determined to have a balanced budget in fiscal year 2010. >> you, like other nonprofits have had to scramble for voluntary donations. how about the volunteers? do you have a shortage, a surplus? tell us about their quality. >> we have the most remarkable

volunteers. having spent a lot of time with them, they are truly extraordinary. all of our local chapter boards are all volunteers. the people that served in ike and gustav came from 40 different states and dropped everything to help in that disaster. we can always use more volunteers. the country can always use more people that are stepping up to serve. our volunteers come from every walk of life, from every age, from every demographic, from every educational background. they are a pleasure to work with and i would encourage anyone that wants to give back to consider doing so with the american red cross. >> how are your numbers? do you have a shortage or a surplus? >> right now, we have what we need, however, we can put anyone to work that wants to volunteer. [laughter] we are very serious about that. we're prepared for this, of

coming hurricane season and reflect we are going to be in very good shape, but having said that, we would like everyone to be part of the american red cross family and we will put everyone to work, whether it is an hour, or three weeks in a disaster. we welcome as many volunteers as possible, but we do feel that we're going into this hurricane season very well- prepared. >> are there particular skills or people who speak particular languages that you are most in need of? >> we welcome diversity and that is very important as regard to various communities. if you have a hard, if you want to help, if you can give back, if you have a shoulder to cry on, if you can get a hug, then you can be a volunteer for the american red cross. >> what percentage of your nations are small vs. large? what is the average donation size?

>> when it comes to individual giving, the average donation size is probably about $200 or $300, but a large number of our guests come from big donors, big -- of our gifts come from big donors, big corporations. when i look at those kids, they range from $250,000 up to the wal-mart give, which was $5 million. it depends on which segment of the market you are looking at. >> the essence of marketing, someone in our audience asks, is consumer to consumer. how you utilize that in marketing the red cross? >> whoever has it -- as the question, i could not agree more. people who do not facilitate that conversation are at risk of having their brands hijacked because people will have a conversation with you are engaged in it or not.

at the red cross, we are seeking ways to create a movement of people that want to be part of the american red cross. it is a little bit retro because years ago, you did actually joined the red cross. we would like to create a movement where people meet each other, where they social network, where they talk about their volunteer experiences or the experiences they had in classrooms. as i mentioned, we're working with blue state digital to make sure we facilitate the conversation. when the owners talk to donors, it is extraordinary. we have a facebook page just for donors. is really phenomenal what people will do to help each other. >> can we friend you on facebook? >> i have a facebook connection. i was on facebook, but i have some many people reaching me through e-mail, blocks,

everything else, i took the account down. i am thinking about putting it back up because i get that question quite a bit. keep an eye out for me. it when i bring it back up, you absolutely can all friebnd me? >> we move on to the swine flu. it has planning for the swine flu become a bigger priority than planning for natural disasters such as a hurricane? >> i would say they are equal priority and in some ways they are linked. we are in communication with the cdc on a regular basis to make sure we are there to send information, that we do community outreach and people understand the best way to prevent the spread of the virus. we're talking to them about preparedness, in terms of how we would shelter if there was a spread of h1n1. we're focusing probably equal amounts on both perry -- on

both. we are going to be there when the cdc needs us to educate the country, whether good old- fashioned grass roots tear sheets that would bring to the community are posting information online. the e-mail that i mentioned earlier on the h1n1 virus and preventing its spread had 36,000 collect -- click throughs so we're. to help the country prepare for the virus. >> how vulnerable is the country to spanish flu style outbreaks of h1n1? is there something that people should be doing that the red cross is recommending people do now? >> the question of vulnerability is probably better post to medical health professionals or somebody at the cdc. in terms of spreading the virus, prevent the spread, it is washing your hands a lot, making

sure that when you are touching services and when you are traveling that you are constantly using hand sanitizers or washing your hands of a lot. we have a lot of tips to prevent the spread up on the website, and we would welcome listeners and readers to educate themselves to make sure that they can help prevent the spread of the virus. >> has the red cross to find exactly what its role would be under worst case scenario with swine flu? >> first of all, it is education. as i mentioned, we have agreed to educate the community. because we are a grassroots organization, we have chapters and blood services locations all around the country. education is a very important role. we also will be there to distribute,. down the vaccines if necessary, not to administer it, but to be the arms and legs in the

community to be sure that the vaccine gets to where it needs to be. we're very focused on making sure that we have a good supply of blood, which is part of our mission. >> of course the red cross did well during hurricanes gustav and ike, but there were not of scope of katrina. is the red cross prepared for something of that scope? >> ike and gustav were almost the scale of katrina. they did not the same press coverage, but we had 60,000 people in our shelters and served 8 million meals in just 60 days. it was a massive undertaking. we are prepared for this hurricane season. we have 48,000 different shelter locations identified. we will also be of the feed 1

million meals per day if necessary. we learned it by partnering with different people in the community that would conserve those in need in a much better way, and our partnerships are stronger than ever, our relationship with the amount is stronger than ever. i feel we are very prepared to deal with whatever comes our way. -- our relationship with fema is stronger than ever. >> can you give examples of how disaster responses have changed since hurricane katrina, lessons learned? if a hurricane hit tomorrow, what could the victim's expect from the red cross? >> in addition to learning that we had have partnerships on the ground and the community, we had also gotten warehouses' through the disaster-prone areas with supplies. it is there and ready, and that is a very important element of making sure that we are prepared.

we also need to educate the american public, which we do it on an ongoing basis, that they should be prepared as well. a particularly those in disaster-prone areas. they should have a kit, that they should have an evacuation plan, they should stay informed with maybe a battery operated radio. prepared this is a key where we need people in the country. preparedness is a key. we need parents to make sure the have evacuation plans. everyone should have a contact list, who was going to pick up my kid if disaster strikes, where are we going to go, what is our evacuation plan. we are constantly educating the public to take those three steps. have a kid, have a plan, stay informed. -- have a kit, have a plan, stay informed. that will go a long way. >> as a disaster reporter for usa today, i have seen a lot of

strange in kind donations, including a pair of snow skis during a hurricane in pensacola. i am wondering if he could tell us what kinds of in kind donations you could use in the situations and is there anything you cannot use? >> well, first of all, what we can really use during a disaster, financial donations. we also get a lot of in kind donations from our large corporate donors. we get water, snacks, food supplies. i do not think we have much use for a pair of snowshoes in pensacola. i would just suggest that people use some common sense when they consider what kind of it in kind in nations that want to make. please do not drop off your dirty laundry. people probably do not want that. but we welcome any kinds of gifts that we can get, and if

your listeners and readers just use good old-fashioned common sense, i think that will drive them to figure out what sort of in kind to a nation's people might need. >> how should in kind donations be made? >> generally, they are made by dropping things off at our chapters and also by bringing things to our shelters. we welcome any kind of the nation that people want to make, but the easiest kind of donation to handle his financial donations. also, volunteers. that is an in kind donation of head count that we can always use. >> does the red cross still have any involvement with victims of hurricane katrina? >> we have some funds that were used for recovery. because katrina was an unusual circumstance where we actually raised more money than we

needed to do disaster response. we are very engaged in recovery programs with katrina, helping people rebuild their homes. we are in at the communities that were hard struck. we are engaged in a number of recovery programs and the community. i had the privilege of visiting a number of families that were able to get these recovery funds and rebuild their homes and jumpstart began in their communities, and it was one of the most gratifying experiences that i have had since i have been at the american red cross. i have had very few pictures in my office, but some that i have are pictures of these families just giving us hugs and thanking us. it was extraordinary. that is our involvement. >> how do you protect the red cross from fraud like the type experience during hurricane

katrina when people who are not victims claimed disaster assistance? >> during last year's hurricanes, which focused mainly on mass care, keeping shelters open, making sure people have a roof over their head, and that they had meals. that was our main focus. therefore, there was not a lot of fraud. having said that, you read about the dark side of human nature. what you do not read about are the thousands and thousands and thousands of people who are honest and that are not committing fraud. i believe not only is the american public generous but that the american public is also extremely trustworthy. this is not something that i wake up in the middle of the night worried about. >> the former secretary of homeland security " -- michael chertoff developed a plan to embed reporters during natural disasters. is this a good idea? >>