Jobless Benefits Blocked; Handgun Ban: Is It Constitutional?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you. Today is the 2nd of March, and here are the faces of the stories driving today's headlines. First, we're talking about Linda Calvin out of jobless benefits and squeezed by her own senator. Talking about Kentucky Republican Jim Bunning balking at emergency spending. And Otis McDonald's lawyers in front of the Supreme Court right now asking the justices to strike down local gun bans. And African-American Methodists together to solve problems for the black community. It's a special focus on young men we'll have for you this hour. Good Tuesday morning, everyone. I'm Brooke Baldwin, in for Tony Harris. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.</s>LINDA CALVIN, UNEMPLOYED HUMAN SERVICES WORKER: I may end up homeless. I may -- I don't know what the future holds for me right now.</s>BALDWIN: Unemployed for almost a year. Sound familiar? Well, this woman's jobless benefits have completely run out. A bill to extend these benefits totally blocked by one single senator, Republican Jim Bunning of Kentucky. Now a Democratic congressman from the same state says now is not the time to cut off benefits for so many people who are out of work.</s>REP. JOHN YARMUTH (D), KENTUCKY: We know we've got -- we face long-term deficit situations, but we also know that there's a balance to be struck. And when you have people hurting, somebody is going to have to help them feed their families.</s>BALDWIN: Just moments ago, Senator Bunning actually took to the Senate floor to, once again, defend his position. And that led to a heated back and forth. Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash watching this whole thing for us, joining us from Capitol Hill with these details. And Dana, my first question, which perhaps is just the obvious, not covering Capitol Hill, why can't Democrats just work around this guy? Why is it so important to have this unanimous voice vote?</s>DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They can. They can work around him. It would take a couple of days and several votes to do it, but they absolutely have the tools in their procedural chest to do that. But they don't want to on the Democratic side. And it's primarily because they think that they have a good political issue here. These are popular benefits that Senator Bunning is blocking, but Bunning is saying -- and he said it again this morning, as he has for the past several days -- that it's not that he doesn't want these benefits to be extended to people who don't have jobs, it's that he wants them to be paid for. So we caught up with the senator once again this morning to ask the question that some Democrats are asking, which is why now, why this issue, when in the past he hasn't demanded that other issues be paid for? Listen.</s>BASH: I have really just a couple of easy questions for you to answer.</s>SEN. JIM BUNNING (R), KENTUCKY: I bet you do.</s>BASH: No, sir. Just specifically on the fact that I understand your point. I understand your point that you're making about the need to pay for these benefits. But what Democrats are asking, and I think it's a fair question, is why now? Why not before?</s>BUNNING: Oh, it has been.</s>BASH: Why haven't you called -- what has changed? What has changed? Why are you now calling for things to be paid for?</s>BASH: Now, you see there, Brooke, not a lot of interest in answering a question there. But, as we said, Senator Bunning did go to the Senate floor to once again object to Democrats trying to get unanimous consent, or basically unanimity among senators to vote to extend these benefits. And he tried to answer the question, why now? Listen.</s>BUNNING: And the question I've been asked mostly is, why now? Well, why not now? What better time for it than to stand up when the majority leader has the ability to do exactly on this bill what he has done on 25 bills in the last five months?</s>BASH: So, Senator Bunning is saying, look, it's simple, everybody. We can pass this package of benefits, we just want to pay for it. And Democrats are saying on the Senate floor and sources are telling us that they don't think that it is necessary to pay for this because they deem this emergency spending. That's on the policy side. And politically, at least for now, as we speak, Democrats think that they have a political winner in this argument with this issue and these benefits frozen because of the standoff on the Senate floor -- Brooke.</s>BALDWIN: So, Dana, as this may be, as you've said, a political plus for Democrats, I can't let you go without asking about Republicans. And it was significant in the back and forth because we first heard from the very first Republican voice in opposition of this.</s>BASH: That's right. Look, it's no secret that Jim Bunning has a pretty awful relationship with his fellow Republicans, especially his Republican leader, fellow Kentuckian Mitch McConnell, who essentially pushed Senator Bunning to not seek re-election and retire. That's a subplot here. But it was very interesting, I agree, that Mitch McConnell actually went to the Senate floor during this whole thing, and he didn't -- it was like he was in the middle of -- in a parallel universe. He started speaking about health care. He ignored all of this going on. It was only one Republican moderate of Maine, Susan Collins, who came to the Senate floor and actually said, I don't agree with Jim Bunning and many of those Republican colleagues don't agree. And she tried to have another process or procedure to work around Senator Bunning. The Democrats objected to that too. But it sounds like there is some boiling of frustration among Bunning's fellow Republicans, who are -- do have to face voters in the near future and are concerned that this is politically bad for Republicans. So I wouldn't be surprised if something changes with regard to Republican silence broadly as the day goes on.</s>BALDWIN: Well, Dana, we're sorry we're seeing doors slammed in your face, but that's part of being a reporter. And we thank you for trying to get some answers for us. Senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash for us on Capitol Hill. By the way, we are all over this story and, of course, its impact. We will have much more from Linda Calvin, the unemployed worker who's totally out of benefits now. She says it's a desperate time and D.C. doesn't get it. More on her story later this hour. Meantime, we also want to hear from you. Call, leave me a message. Have you been affected by the block on all these unemployment benefits? Here's the number: 1-877-742-5760. All you have to do, leave your first name, and don't forget where you're calling from. Leave your comment in 30 seconds or less. And, as always, you can jump on our blog. That is CNN.com/newsroom. We'll read those to you live. Rising debt -- the U.S. Postal Service could soon make Saturday delivery just a memory. The USPS is expected to make that announcement at some point today. Also likely, more branch closings and expanded use of those self- service kiosks. The agency posted a $3.8 billion loss last year, with mail volume down just about 13 percent. And bad weather grounding planes across the South. Airlines canceling flights left and right simply as a precaution against this building snowstorm. Take a look at the radar. You can see some of it coming down -- one to two, two to four inches. AirTran canceling 58 Atlanta flights. Delta is offering to reschedule flights threatened by the weather with no change fee. For the third time in a week, Toyota executives are explaining their safety recall to Congress. Three different executives are answering some questions from the Senate Commerce Committee right now. Toyota has asked President Clinton's transportation secretary, Rodney Slater, to lead a "quality control review." And let's take a look at some live pictures coming into us from the United States Supreme Court. Here's what's going on there today. The justices are weighing in on one of their biggest cases of the year. It has to do with Chicago and its controversial ban on handguns. The question they're addressing here is, does it violate the Second Amendment? Here is CNN's Kate Bolduan.</s>KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is one of the most important gun rights cases in our nation's history, and it's putting the spotlight squarely on Chicago. (voice-over): In one of Chicago's roughest South Side neighborhoods, a rare safe haven for some of the city's most at-risk youth.</s>DIANE LATIKER, FOUNDER, KIDS OFF THE BLOCK: They walk looking backwards. If you would stay here two days, you'd realize our young people walk looking backwards every time, because of drive-bys.</s>BOLDUAN: When Diane Latiker opened up her own home to start the nonprofit Kids Off the Block seven years ago, she was fighting to stem the tide of gang activity in her neighborhood. Now, Latiker says, she's just fighting to keep the kids alive, up against some of the worst gun violence the city has ever seen.</s>BOLDUAN: And it has grabbed headlines. According to city statistics, Chicago has the highest rate of youth homicide in the country: 36 killings in the last school year alone -- 36 reasons Latiker supports Chicago's handgun ban. (on camera): So, why have the ban in place if people are going to get them anyway?</s>LATIKER: Because I would rather something be in place than nothing be in place.</s>BOLDUAN (voice-over): That ban is now being challenged in a case that has made its way to the Supreme Court, a case brought by another Chicago community activist, 76-year old, Otis McDonald.</s>OTIS MCDONALD, CHICAGO ACTIVIST: We wouldn't want to go down to the right here.</s>BOLDUAN (on camera): Why is that?</s>MCDONALD: Because that's a hot area, where drug dealing and stuff goes on.</s>BOLDUAN (voice-over): McDonald says, like Latiker, he too fears for the safety of the community, but argues it's his constitutional right to protect himself and his family from the violence. He wants the handgun ban lifted.</s>MCDONALD: That's all I want. It's just a fighting chance. Give me the opportunity to at least make somebody think about something before they come in my house on me.</s>BOLDUAN (on camera): The supreme court almost two years ago struck down a similar ban in Washington, but because D.C. is a federal district, the court left largely unanswered how gun laws apply to states and cities. When it comes down to it, why take on this ban?</s>MCDONALD: We are in a war. Simply that. The innocent law- abiding citizens against the drug dealers and gang bangers, that's what it is. That's what it boils down to.</s>BOLDUAN (voice-over): But Diane Latiker fears making handguns legal again will only mean more guns on the streets and more names she will have to add to this memorial. (on camera): How many are in there now?</s>LATIKER: Two hundred and one.</s>BOLDUAN: You said you were five short?</s>LATIKER: Yes, we are always behind. We are always behind.</s>BOLDUAN (on camera): The court's ruling has the potential of overturning decades of gun control laws across the country and may finally answer the question, where does the power of the Second Amendment lie, with the individual or the government? Kate Bolduan, CNN, Chicago.</s>BALDWIN: Survivors fending for themselves and one another three days after that 8.8 magnitude earthquake and then (ph) tsunami rocked Chile more from down there. Also, a Southern snowstorm. Rob Marciano tracking this weather. He'll have that for us in just a moment. But first, the latest on the Dow. It's up 37 points this Tuesday morning, sitting at 10,442. We are just getting started here, CNN NEWSROOM.