Delta Airlines Out of Bankruptcy
LEMON: Fifteen past the hour, and here are three of the stories we're working on for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. So far, so good. Morning rush hour was mostly normal in California's Bay area, despite this overpass collapse near the Bay Bridge between Oakland and San Francisco. But officials warn the afternoon drive could bring headaches. Many commuters are using mass transit, which today is offering free rides. More names. Alleged Washington D.C. Madam, Deborah Palfrey, expects more of her former clients to be revealed as a federal racketeering case moves forward. She also says she feels sorry for Randall Tobias, a top State Department official who resigned after revealing he had been a client. And we're expecting a news conference this hour from President Bush, who is hosting European leaders at the White House today. Mr. Bush's popularity has taken major hits overseas, and he's using the annual summit to try to reach out -- Susan.</s>ROESGEN: Delta Airlines is flying high today out of bankruptcy and with a brand-new look. CNN's Rusty Dornin is at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which has been Delta's home base since 1941.</s>RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been a very painful nearly 20 months for Delta Airlines and its employees. Not only were pensions and payrolls cut back, but more than 6,000 lost their jobs. So it was a joyous occasion today as they unveiled the new image, the new paint job on the jets and as the CEO, Jerry Grinstein, announced that bankruptcy is officially over.</s>JERRY GRINSTEIN, CEO, DELTA AIRLINES: At 10:20 this morning, the last condition was fulfilled, our DIP financing was paid off, our exit financing kicked in, and Delta is officially out of bankruptcy.</s>DORNIN: The airline followed the old adage of you have to spend money to make money, spending nearly $30 million to upgrade the lobby at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. They also upgraded the interiors of the aircraft, new paint job on the outside and new uniforms for the airline attendants.</s>DIANE REDDIEN, DELTA EMPLOYEE: We're playing the songs and giving away lottery tickets and doing all these great thing, thanking our flight attendants for everything that they've done. You just feel like, you know, that this is just fantastic, that the company has started at a certain point and now we're, like, back on the right track and that everything is positive.</s>DORNIN: And for many of the employees, they're going to receive a big bonus tomorrow in the form of a $480 million distribution of stock options and cash, something that's been long awaited for, for many years. Rusty Dornin, CNN, Atlanta.</s>LEMON: His father's motto is "I serve," but it's Prince Harry who will turn those words into action if he heads for combat duty in Iraq as now planned. Details straight ahead, right ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.