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Allegations Against Iran; Bush Administration Looking for Someone to Oversee Iraq, Afghan Wars; Hateful Words

Aired April 11, 2007 - 08:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: Watch events come in to the NEWSROOM live on Wednesday, April 11th.

Here's what's on the rundown.

COLLINS: A case comes undone. Charges may be dropped today against three former Duke lacrosse players. The men accused of sexually assaulting an exotic dancer.

HARRIS: The Army considering a longer tour of duty for soldiers in Iraq. A standard year-long rotation could grow to 15 months.

COLLINS: Don Imus losing several big sponsors on his radio talk program. His racial remarks costing media companies a bundle in lost revenue.

Paying a price in the NEWSROOM.

The Duke sexual assault case, it appears the charges are about to be dropped against three former lacrosse players. Defense sources tell CNN the North Carolina Attorney General's Office could make the announcement at any time.

It's been just over a year since an exotic dancer accused three lacrosse players of sexually assaulting her at a team party. Rape charges were dropped in December and two DNA tests failed to link the suspects to the 28-year-old accuser.

The case has stirred a firestorm of criticism over local prosecutor Mike Nifong. The Durham district attorney faces charges of ethical misconduct. Those allegations filed by the North Carolina Bar.

Critics say Nifong exploited racial divisions in the community by seizing on the case. The accuser is black, the three men charged are white.

HARRIS: The U.S. military leveling serious allegations against Iran about actions in Iraq. Live now to our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

Barbara, good morning to you. What is being said today?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Tony, we've heard a lot from the military over the last several weeks about Iran's alleged involvement in the war in Iraq, but this morning we've just finished monitoring a news briefing out of Baghdad. Major General William Caldwell, the top U.S. military spokesman, saying they have very recent information, new information that within the last month there has been Iranian support for providing those advanced roadside bombs in Iraq that are killing U.S. troops.

Listen to what General Caldwell just had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTINATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: The fact that we know they're being, in fact, manufactured and smuggled into this country and we know that training does go on in Iran for people to learn how to assemble them and how to employ them, and we know that training has gone on as recently as this past month from detainee debriefs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: From other detainees, General Caldwell said, they have information that detainees are now telling them that they have been trained inside Syria to carry out their activities in Iraq. And also, General Caldwell saying that there is information now that Iran, again, is providing support to Sunni extremists.

Tony, that would, of course, be an expansion of Iran's operations, because most of their operations are support for the Shia. General Caldwell now saying Iran is supporting some Sunni extremist groups.

HARRIS: OK. Barbara, on another note, there's more talk about extending troop duty in Iraq. Now the Pentagon is talking about everyone.

STARR: Well, yes, it's really quite something. You know, just yesterday, we were all talking about a proposal here at the Pentagon to extend the tour of duty for up to 15,000 ground combat forces in Iraq to keep that so-called surge going through the fall. But these options, these plans, these proposals, all of them are getting very close scrutiny, and there's a good reason.

No decision has been made about what to do, because any of them are basically going to be a morale buster for the troops. So now one of the latest ideas out there is for the Army to extend the tour of duty for everybody to move from a 12-month tour on the ground to a 15- month tour of duty on the ground in Iraq for all Army ground combat forces.

But, Tony, that's going to be problematic, to say the least, because, of course, the Marines only basically serve a seven-month tour. If you talk about the Army serving twice as long, that could be a big morale problem -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. And you'll be following it for us, Barbara.

Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us.

Barbara, thank you.

STARR: Sure.

COLLINS: Thanks, but no thanks. Top Democrats turned down President Bush's offer to meet about an Iraq spending bill after the White House says there will be no compromise.

And CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is at the White House with word of another Iraq challenge.

Suzanne, we understand the White House is looking to create a new job to deal with the war.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right, Heidi.

"The Washington Post" first reported it, but we got it confirmed through the National Security Counsel spokesman, Gordon Johndroe, this morning. Essentially, what they're looking for is the president is looking for an individual of high stature to replace the outgoing deputy national security adviser, Megan O'Sullivan. Now, O'Sullivan is in charge of coordinating the efforts dealing with the Iraq war, the Afghanistan war, with various agencies, including the State Department and the Pentagon, but she doesn't have the authority to implement those policies or order for those various agencies to come through on those policies.

So, this new position is meant really to give new teeth to that individual. Gordon Johndroe this morning saying, "The White House is looking into creating a higher profile position that would have the single full-time focus on implementing and executing the recently completed strategic reviews for both Iraq and Afghanistan. This position would report directly to the president, as well as Stephen Hadley" -- the national security adviser -- "and have representatives in the offices of the secretaries of State and Defense in order to speed up and make more efficient the implementation of these strategies."

And "The Washington Post" is reporting that the White House has approached various individuals, generals, people with military expertise, that they have turned it down for fear that perhaps they'll be blamed for the things that are going wrong in Iraq, or perhaps because they'll be overruled by some of the White House who maintain that stay-the-course strategy -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Certainly not an easy job to take on. No question about that.

Suzanne, tell us a little bit about what the president is doing today.

MALVEAUX: Well, the president, as you know, is trying to convince the American people and members of Congress that he is trying to be open-minded when it comes to Iraq, that the surge is, in fact, working. He's invited a group of lawmakers, a very small bipartisan group.

They just took a trip to Iraq. They're going to be here at the White House meeting with the president to debrief him on what they have seen, what their impressions are. Obviously, all of this, Heidi, part of the campaign by the White House to convince Americans to be patient, that they believe ultimately this surge is going to work -- Heidi.

COLLINS: CNN's Suzanne Malveaux, outside the White House this morning.

Suzanne, thank you.

HARRIS: More fallout from the racially-charged remarks by radio shock-jock Don Imus. Several advertisers on his show say they are pulling their commercials. Office supply chain Staples, Procter & Gamble and the Bigelow Tea company announced they're dropping their Imus sponsorships for now.

The Rutgers University women's basketball team agreed to a private meeting with Imus. They say they want to know what prompted his hurtful description of the women.

MSNBC and CBS Radio slapped a two-week suspension on Imus starting on Monday.

Firing words, racially-charged remarks by radio talk show host Don Imus. Howard Kurtz of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES" weighs in. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: More fallout from those racially-charged remarks by radio shock-jock Don Imus. Several advertisers on his show say they are pulling their commercials over his derogatory remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

He is being suspended for two weeks, and he'll face the Big East champions and NCAA runners-up in a private meeting.

Their coach spoke earlier to CNN "AMERICAN MORNING'S" Soledad O'Brien.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

C. VIVIAN STRINGER, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH: I can promise you that I'm going into this meeting with an open heart and an open mind. I just -- I just know that I will always be very protective of my young ladies.

I suffered the same hurt, and so many people across this world suffer hurt. And we've got to have change.

So, I promise you that it is through strength and is through God's strength that we've been able to stand and overcome the kinds of things that we have. So I trust that he'll guide us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Several civil rights and women's groups are calling for Imus's permanent dismissal.

HARRIS: Hurtful, hateful words, Don Imus used them, sparking a national debate. But he is not alone.

An amazing report now from CNN's David Mattingly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON IMUS, RADIO HOST: And then I said that.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): The phrase "nappy-headed hos" uttered by Don Imus not only offended women on the Rutgers' basketball team. Its sting is felt daily throughout their generation.

(on camera): How many of you in this room have had that word used directed at you? Most of you.

(voice-over): These students are part of a violence-against- women class at Spelman College, Atlanta's historically black college for women. They say the word ho is a heavily loaded and heavily used insult.

DONNA-LEE GRANVILLE, STUDENT, SPELMAN COLLEGE: When you call someone a ho, it's usually meant to talk about how promiscuous they are, or how promiscuous you think they are.

MATTINGLY: And some say this meaning has roots in slavery.

MARC LAMONT HILL, PROFESSOR OF URBAN EDUCATION AND AMERICAN STUDIES, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: You know, there's this whole tradition of thinking about black female bodies as objects of white male desire. And, so, when you call them a ho, you're not merely disrespecting them. You're invoking this whole legacy of racism and even white supremacy.

MATTINGLY: And, yet, it's a word that permeates pop culture in music and in comedy. Once used for shock value, it's become part of popular speech.

A Web search for the word ho at one mainstream online store turns up more than 600 rap song titles, the word nappy, slang for coarse, unkempt hair, turns up more than 130 song titles, most from before World War II. That word, however, is even the name of a chain of hair salons.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a negative. I'm trying to turn it around and make it a positive.

MATTINGLY: But put them together, and it's a double insult.

(on camera): How many of you have actually used that word, called someone a ho? All of you?

(voice-over): But these young women don't see a double standard. A campus protest attracted national attention when students objected to how women were being portrayed in rap music and videos. They say the same objections apply to the comment from Imus.

CHEREE BELL, STUDENT, SPELMAN COLLEGE: Once he said ho, it transcended to an oppressive of gender. Once he said nappy-headed ho, it transcended to an oppression of race. And, if we would have said poor nappy-headed ho, it would have transcended to -- to an oppression of class.

MATTINGLY: The lesson here, these young women say, is that some words are never appropriate.

David Mattingly, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Violent crime in New Orleans, the highest per capita murder rate in the nation. And now Mayor Ray Nagin and members of law enforcement are asking the federal government for more help.

The story from Ken Jones of affiliate WDSU.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEN JONES, REPORTER, WDSU (voice over): Murder, drug-dealing and other violent crimes all on the rise in New Orleans, and all well documented in the metro area. But now members of a congressional judiciary subcommittee on crime, terrorism, and homeland security are in New Orleans to get the facts on crime and maybe even help.

REP. ROBERT SCOTT (D), VIRGINIA: We want to hear what the problems are.

JONES: Congressman Robert Scott, a Democrat from Virginia, is chairman of the committee hearings meeting at Dillard University.

SCOTT: We're going to see what can be done to reduce the increase in crime, crime prevention, particularly, and what we can do with the criminal justice system to make sure it's functioning.

JONES: Mayor Ray Nagin, just one of 17 local and federal officials testifying, ran down a laundry list of problems.

MAYOR RAY NAGIN (D), NEW ORLEANS: We are struggling with violent crime in our community, and we face many challenges that we could use Congress's support.

JONES: Nagin wants at least $34 million from Congress to pay for more police and equipment, jobs for 2,000 kids this summer, and ex- offender workforce program and drug rehab. Criminologist Peter Scharf, who will also testify today, says before Congress writes a check, they're going to want to know what's the return on their investment.

PETER SCHARF, UNIV. OF NEW ORLEANS: If the Congress gives New Orleans a certain amount of money, what will be the results? And I think that's what they'll ask.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: That report from Ken Jones of affiliate WDSU.

An additional note here. The New Orleans Police Department is still working out of FEMA trailers, and there are about 300 National Guard troops still stationed in New Orleans.

HARRIS: If you drive a Ford Escape, your SUV might be on a new recall list. Find out why in the NEWSROOM.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Ali Velshi, "Minding Your Business" in New York.

We've got layoffs this morning, 17,000 of them, and they're not in the auto industry.

Stay with the NEWSROOM. I'll tell you about it when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: New safety concerns for one of Ford Motor Company's top- selling sport utility vehicles. Ford is recalling more than half a million Escapes from model years 2001 to 2004. The reason, brake trouble.

Ford says it has received about 50 reports of engine fires linked to corrosion on anti-lock brake connectors. So far, the automaker says there are no reports of any accidents or injuries. The recall does not apply to hybrid Escape models.

COLLINS: Citigroup announces thousands of job cuts in a major restructuring, but will the move help or hurt the world's largest bank?

Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business".

Good morning to you, Ali.

VELSHI: Good morning, Heidi.

We've got 17,000 jobs cut by Citigroup announced this morning. That's 17,000 jobs worldwide. Plus, 9,500 U.S. jobs that the company says it's moving to cheaper locations.

Now, the truth of that means that 9,500 people in American jobs, the jobs will move to other places. The Americans who work in them won't go to those other places.

This is part of a problem Citigroup's had for the last little while in that their revenues are not keeping pace with their expenses. And there's been some sense for a while that Citigroup has to cut its expenses and sort of trim things up.

They've been acquiring companies all these years, and there's a lot of overlap in the businesses. The consumer banking business is not doing that well for Citigroup, but it's expanding overseas.

This is the world's biggest bank by market value, Heidi. It's got two million customer, 8,000 branches worldwide, and offices in 100 countries. So, you're going to see cuts, particularly in the United States, across all divisions. There will be some branches closed, some Smith Barney brokerages closed, and some combined businesses becoming more efficient.

In 2007, those are some of the biggest layoffs we've seen on the screen there. Lucent and Alcatel, 12,500 workers worldwide. Masco, which makes faucets here in the United States, 8,000. Sprint and Nextel 8,000. Recently we saw Circuit City laying off 3,500.

So, these are pretty big numbers, Heidi, outside of the auto sector.

COLLINS: Yes. Well, when we look at those numbers, obviously trying to put it in perspective, I mean, they do seem very big. What does it say about how 2007 is going?

VELSHI: Well, it's interesting, because we've talked about unemployment and the economy. Unemployment rate is 4 -- you know, it's just a little over 4 percent. It's one of the lowest unemployment rates in recent history.

COLLINS: Yes.

VELSHI: Wages are good. We have got some problems on the housing market, but it's kind of interesting to see a low unemployment rate like that, and yet we see these massive layoffs.

Again, Citigroup is saying that the 9,500 jobs will be relocated, they'll still stay within Citigroup. They won't be American jobs. Most of the 17,000 layoffs won't be American, but we're still looking at groups of thousands in terms of layoffs from some companies that we've seen. So, it's not all rosy out there.

COLLINS: All right. Ali Velshi, "Minding Your Business".

You said you were going to have better news today. Remember?

VELSHI: Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow will be better news.

COLLINS: Tomorrow. All right.

Thank you.

HARRIS: And still to come this morning in the NEWSROOM, their time on the frontlines in Iraq could get longer soon. The Army considers extending tours of duty in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Well, the battle over paying for the Iraq war is intensifying. Top Democrats in Congress turning down President Bush's offer to meet about a $123 billion spending bill. The president says he will veto any bill setting a timetable for troop withdrawal.

The White House adding that a meeting would not be an opportunity to compromise. But Democrats want to negotiate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: The president wants a blank check, and the Democrats will not give it to him. Contrary to what the president is saying, Democrats are accountable, and we want to hold the administration accountable as well.

They want a blank check for a war. They've walked away from their own -- their own benchmarks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: President Bush is meeting this morning with a group of lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, who have just returned from Iraq.

COLLINS: Extending tours of duty for U.S. soldiers in Iraq, it is one of the ideas being considered by the Pentagon to keep troop levels high in the war zone. A senior Pentagon official tells CNN the Army proposes extending the soldiers' stay from the usual 12 months to 15 months.

It's aimed at bringing more predictability to deployment and avoiding unexpected extensions. But no decisions just yet.

Also today, the U.S. military again accusing Iran of smuggling weapons into Iraq and training insurgents. A spokesman says detainee debriefs indicate the training has gone on as recently as this past month.

The surge leading to a spike. The U.S. military seeing a rise in American casualties in Iraq, but the civilian death toll is dropping.

More now from CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Eight weeks into the Baghdad security plan, one trend is clear. The so-called surge is producing a surge in American casualties which one U.S. commander tells CNN is the price of success.

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTINATIONAL FORCES IRAQ: I was just down in Baghdad two days ago walking through city, and I can tell the difference from two months ago to today in terms of the environment. You can just sense and feel there is a difference.

McINTYRE: The new U.S./Iraqi offensive has transformed Baghdad into the front lines and consequently put more American troops in the crosshairs. Numbers for the first quarter of 2007 show that for the first time since the war began, U.S. military deaths have been 80 or more for three consecutive months. And April is on track to exceed 100. But the flip side is that Iraqi civilian deaths are declining, down 27 percent last month according to the U.S. military, which, after all, is one of the goals of the crackdown. But the larger goal is to create a period of peace in which the Sunni and Shia can figure out how to stop fighting each other and that goal remains elusive.

ALI ALLAWI, FMR. IRAQI GOVT MINISTER: It's helping in the sense that it's establishing, helping the central government to establish security where it matters, in Baghdad. But not where it also matters, which is outside of Baghdad.

MCINTYRE: The U.S. military attributes its higher casualties to its more aggressive patrols and to the response by insurgents, who appear to be increasingly targeting Americans in an effort to weaken U.S. resolve. One other trend is also clear. U.S. commanders want to keep up the pressure likely maintaining the surge well into next year. And that could mean some 15,000 U.S. troops now serving in the most dangerous part of Iraq would likely see their tours extended by up to four months. Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: And some news just into CNN. We've been expecting to hear from the office of the North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper today. There was a lot of speculation as you already know this morning that he will dismiss the remaining charges against three Duke lacrosse players. We have just learned here at CNN that the attorney general's office will make an announcement on this case. It is expected this afternoon at 2:30 Eastern. Those players, you see them there, Reade Seligmann, David Evans and Collin Finnerty were facing charges of first-degree kidnapping and first-degree forcible sexual offense, all coming out of an off-campus party March 13th, 2006. We are learning now from the North Carolina attorney general's office that there will be an announcement on this case expected at 2:30 this afternoon. Jason Carroll is following developments in the story and he joins us now with the very latest. Jason, just getting word that we will get some kind of an announcement this afternoon.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, an announcement coming at 2:30. And the question now becomes what the announcement will be. Defense attorneys are telling us that they expect all the charges to be dropped against the three players, Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and Dave Evans. But what they're wondering is how those charges will be dropped. In other words, Tony, there are a couple things that could happen here. They're saying that the attorney general's office could come out with a statement that basically says all three players have been exonerated. That is what defense attorneys are hoping for.

What they don't want to see is the defense attorneys come out with what they would perceive as being a weaker statement, something that would say something to the effect as, you know, after a lengthy investigation, we have come to the conclusion that based on the evidence that we've been able to gather, we have no evidence that a crime was committed. That way, that sort of leaves somewhat of a window open. That is the type of statement they don't want to see. Tony?

HARRIS: And are they planning some kind of response? I would imagine. I understand the players -- well, let me ask you this question. Are the players who have been facing these charges, are they in the area now?

CARROLL: The answer to both your questions, yes. Yes. All three players and their families are here in the area and, yes, defense attorneys are planning a response. In fact, what they're doing is, if they get that weaker response from the attorney general's office, then what they might do, Tony, is put on a Power Point presentation during a press conference which could last a half an hour or so, they were predicting, which basically outlines a time line of where these three players were that night.

For example, it would show that Reade Seligmann, they would show in that time line that Reade Seligmann was at an ATM. The remember that ATM camera shot. They will present that in the time line. They'll also present evidence that they say will show that Collin Finnerty was at a restaurant. They have an American Express receipt that they will present showing that perhaps during the time of this alleged assault took place, perhaps Collin Finnerty was not there. So, this is what they would lay out in a time line if they got that weaker statement from the attorney general's office. If they get the strong statement, which basically says all three players are exonerated, we're hearing from defense sources that they would then come out with a press conference praising the attorney generals and the prosecutors for their good work.

HARRIS: So, Jason, we will certainly want to know if this happens, the reason, reasons for the dismissal, if that happens. Can you tell us, remind everyone why the attorney general's office got involved in this in the first place?

CARROLL: Absolutely. You'll recall, Tony, that basically what happened was the case was initially being guided by -- under the responsibility of Michael Nifong, the Durham district attorney. And in the very beginning he came out, he was very confident, making a lot of public statements in the very beginning of this case saying how wrongly he felt that these three players were guilty and that, in fact, the other players on the team were holding back in terms of not being forthcoming in evidence. He basically did a 180 many months later, basically saying he no longer felt confident with the case, and asked to be recused from the case. And he was. When that happened, the case went to the attorney general to take over. Also, something that sort of happened around the same time, Tony, defense attorneys were so upset with the way that Michael Nifong handled this case, they filed charges with the state bar and so now Michael Nifong faces charges with the state bar. They are looking into possible disbarment for allegations of misconduct in terms of the way that he handled the case.

HARRIS: OK. Jason, stick around. I know you're going to do some more work on this and we'll see you again at the top of the hour right here in the NEWSROOM. Jason Carroll in Raleigh, North Carolina. Jason, thanks.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: I don't know if you saw that, but I saw his breath in North Carolina looked a little chilly there. Chad Myers in the weather center now for us. Chilly in the Carolinas.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You're going so see more than that in Chicago too.

COLLINS: What did you say, you were waiting for a Christmas parade?

MYERS: Here's a live shot from our affiliate WGN. They actually turned the camera around. Look at those flags.

COLLINS: The wind too.

MYERS: I know the windy city, that thing has nothing to do with the weather, but today, the windy city is windy with weather as well and there you go, 33 degrees, winds out of the northwest at 33 miles per hour last hour. Des Moines, you're seeing some snow, as well, right on up into Madison, most of northern Illinois. There's a chance of some severe weather to the east of this. Not to the east of the line, but back here in this dry spot area. The sun's going to come out and it could fire up some severe weather storms there.

Also into Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville could see some weather as well. The airports are getting slow and slower as we go. There are very few that aren't slowed down a little bit, but Midway and O'Hare, those are the longest delays. D.C, BWI, La Guardia, San Francisco now, even into Newark at some delays. As we start to get these 30 moving to 45, moving to 50 and so on and so on, by this afternoon, it will all be pretty slow all across the country, so get ready for that. New York City, pretty good weather for the next couple days. Some rain showers tomorrow, but it does look like there is the potential for a nor'easter to make snow and lots of it across the New England and maybe New York -- more like New England -- for Monday into Tuesday. We'll get (ph) for that. Guys.

COLLINS: Sounds terrific.

MYERS: Yeah. For April. COLLINS: All right, Chad. Thank you.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COLLINS: Racially charged comments are costing radio shock jock Don Imus. Several big sponsors are now bailing on Imus. He's also being suspended for two weeks. But there are growing calls for Imus to be fired. Here now with his take on the controversy, "Washington Post" media analyst and host of CNN's "Reliable Sources," Howard Kurtz. Good morning to you Howard. Thanks for being here.

HOWARD KURTZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure.

COLLINS: Let's talk about this for a minute, because we do know that the original comments that Don Imus made were actually last Wednesday. The whole firestorm, if you will, with the media didn't really begin until Monday. That's quite a few days in between, especially for the media to get on something. Why the delay?

KURTZ: For the first couple of delay days, most journalists just didn't know about it. The comments, the abysmal, repugnant, offensive comments that Don Imus made about the Rutgers women's team simply hadn't hit the radar. But by Saturday, there were stories in major newspapers and then on Monday it became a big television story in part because Imus went on his own program, began apologizing. He apologized again this morning for the third straight day. And of course it has now kind of morphed into a debate not just about Don Imus and the comments that he's made over the years, but really a national conversation about race and stereotypes and things of that nature.

COLLINS: Sure. Have you been surprised at all, Howard, by the extent of the media coverage?

KURTZ: Well, it does seem at times this has gotten such wall to wall coverage that Don Imus must have invented racism and I think that's a little unfair. He's done some very good things on his show. I personally don't believe that he's a bigot, but he clearly is somebody who has said some very awful things in attempting to perform humor. But I think the moment that this was transformed and this did surprise me, when all the cable networks went live yesterday at Rutgers and we heard this incredibly eloquent, almost sermon from the coach, Vivian Stringer and then we got to meet members of that team and hear about their hopes and aspirations. They want to be musicians and lawyers and that sort of thing. Suddenly, it completely shattered. It completely wiped away any stereotype that anybody might have had about these young African-American women and I think that in an instant transformed all of us to talk about not just what Imus said, which should be debated and certainly deserving of criticism, but this whole word of hos. Where does that come from? It comes from rap music, from hip-hop in a way that the culture I think has tolerated for far too long.

COLLINS: Our David Mattingly just did a terrific piece on that and it showed a little bit of that. It aired here a little bit earlier today. So it was certainly interesting. But as we move forward with this now, with regard to media coverage, how much of it, Howard, has to do with what Imus does next or, you know, what the public demands, if you will?

KURTZ: Well, you know, this has been a fairly popular radio and television show over the years and one that has been frequented by all kinds of big-name politicians and journalists. I've been an occasional guest on the program as well. So, obviously, there's a market for what Imus does. But he sort of has this high and low aspect to the program. The high aspect is the more high-brow discussions with the John McCain or Tim Russert or Brian Williams or Bob Schieffer and the low-brow aspect is some is this locker room humor that too often has just gone over the line, in which this case obliterated the line. And so we'll have to see whether there's enough support to continue that program, both among viewers, listeners and advertisers.

COLLINS: And as you just mentioned, you have been on the show several times yourself. He's even called you some anti-Semitic names. I want to read you something that Philip Nobely (ph) a longtime critic of Don Imus, who's quoted in today's "Washington Post" said. He said this: the fact is, Imus is a skin head in elite media dress and it's the shame of elite journalists and politicians to enable him to thrive on his bigotry schtick. You have just said to us, you do not believe he's a bigot. What do you think of this and would you go on his show again?

Imus has said that says he's going to come back from the suspension and he's going to clean up his act. If he cleans up his act, gets rid of some of this awful racial humor, then I would go on the show again because I think it is a good forum for discussion of media and politics, but the fact is even though I don't believe he's bigoted, that he raises tens of millions of dollars for kids with cancer of all races who he puts up at his ranch in New Mexico, he has said some ugly and racist things and he has to be held accountable for that. He recognizes that, which is why he's gone on Al Sharpton's radio show, which is why he's going to meet with these Rutgers women. But he has to kind of purge himself of something that he is now acknowledging for the first time in a full-throated (ph) way, which is a very bad thing and the kind of humor that he does sometimes on that program is no longer acceptable.

COLLINS: You should just keep coming on our show anyway. Not his.

KURTZ: I'll be here.

COLLINS: Howard Kurtz, CNN's "Reliable Sources" and "The Washington Post." Thanks so much Howard.

KURTZ: Thank you.

HARRIS: And let's get you to the New York Stock Exchange this morning. The good people of Pembrose Gold Corporation ringing the bell this morning to get the business day started. The Dow is starting the day at 12,573. Take a look at the numbers. All right. So we're out of the gate and we're down 19 points, plenty of time to turn things around. We will check all the business headlines this morning with Susan Lisovicz right here in the NEWSROOM. COLLINS: He paid the price for a crime he did not commit. But he's not looking for payback. Innocent man cleared in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Selling student loans, some major universities now being investigated on allegations they put students dangerously deep in debt. That story coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: This week a Dallas County, Texas, man became the 13th person exonerated by DNA since 2001 and the 12th man already cleared by DNA has a story you won't forget. CNN's Gary Tuchman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On a fall day in 1982, police came to James Waller's Dallas home.

JAMES WALLER, CLEARED BY DNA: They put handcuffs on me and put me in the back of the patrol car.

TUCHMAN: Did you know what was going on?

WALLER: I didn't know what was going on.

TUCHMAN: Waller learned he was being charged with a horrible crime, the rape of a 12-year-old boy. The primary evidence, the child's identification of the rapist. This victim told the police initially you were 5'8", 150 pounds, roughly.

WALLER: Right.

TUCHMAN: What could be wrong with that? How tall are you?

WALLER: I'm 6'4".

TUCHMAN: The jury deliberated for only 46 minutes.

WALLER: They said guilty, I couldn't believe it. I thought I was dreaming. And I said, well, I'll wake up.

TUCHMAN: He did wake up, convicted of rape in a Texas prison.

WALLER: I just knew they had the wrong person, but there wasn't nothing I could do.

TUCHMAN: But there was. Last month, Waller went back to court and heard a judge apologize to him. The determination, James Waller had, indeed, been innocent all along.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of times we are tested in life and you certainly had a terrible test. But you persevered also.

TUCHMAN: It has not been easy. You stand here, how does it make you feel?

WALLER: It really gives me goose bumps. It's not comfortable standing here.

TUCHMAN: This is the first time Waller has been back to the street where he lived when he was arrested. The victim who lived a block away from his apartment complex said the rapist was black.

WALLER: I was the only black man on the complex. They just said a black guy did it. They just picked me up for it.

TUCHMAN: After nearly 11 years in prison he was paroled but was still considered a sex offender. He continued to battle to clear his name. In the midst of that battle, a tragedy. His wife Doris and an unborn child they were going to name Grace, were in a car accident.

WALLER: (INAUDIBLE) 10 to 15 minutes and the doctor came back out. He said we couldn't save her and then they said they lost the baby also.

TUCHMAN: He buried his wife and daughter and left a spot for himself.

WALLER: That's the only time that I thought about just giving up. I could have gave the whole thing up and just died right there.

TUCHMAN: But he kept fighting to prove his innocence, and he was backed by one of the directors of the New York city-based Innocence Project.

BARRY SCHECK, INNOCENCE PROJECT: I think anybody who's at all sensible in this country knows that race is always part of the equation in the criminal justice system.

TUCHMAN: Since 2001, 11 people in Dallas County, Texas, have been exonerated up to that point by DNA testing, more than in any other county in the United States. The Innocence Project got Waller's DNA testing done and it showed there was no match between Waller and the victim. Waller became exoneration number 12. And how did you feel?

WALLER: I screamed for -- oh, thank you Lord! Screaming. People start coming from the house next door.

TUCHMAN: The new district attorney in Dallas County also apologized to Waller in court.

CRAIG WATKINS, DALLAS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: In my mind, this system has failed us.

TUCHMAN: DA Craig Watkins is now asking for an examination of every DNA appellate request in Dallas County. What do you say to your prosecutors who say we've been raised in this culture where we're judged how successful we are based on our percentage of convictions?

WATKINS: I tell them that's not what we're about. We're about justice.

TUCHMAN: This DNA evidence has done more than clear James Waller's name. It has done something that when you think about it is quite disturbing. It has established that somebody else has gotten away with raping a child. The Texas governor has now signed off on the exoneration and James Waller is officially a free man and now for the first time in a long time planning for the future.

WALLER: Personally, I want to get married again. I want a wife and I want a baby and I'll probably will name her Grace because that's the name that I came up with when my wife was living (ph). That's one thing I want to do.

TUCHMAN: Can I tell you one thing. If you have a boy, don't name him Grace.

WALLER: If I have a boy, I may name him Mercy.

TUCHMAN: Spoken from a man who's been at the mercy of the system.

WALLER: God bless you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: A shocking scene on an Israeli highway. Look at this, dozens of motorists caught in the middle of a car chase. That video is sped a little bit there, but it is unreal. We're going to show you how it unfolded coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, you already know to catch us weekday mornings from 9:00 until noon Eastern right here in the NEWSROOM. But now you can take us anywhere on your iPod. The CNN NEWSROOM podcast available to you 24/7 right there on your iPod.

Terrorists strike in the North African nation of Algeria. Two bomb blasts rocked the capital of Algiers this morning on 4/11. The official news agency says at least 17 people are dead and dozens wounded. One explosion hit the prime minister's office, the other a police station. The prime minister was not injured in the attack. He calls it a cowardly criminal terrorist act.

A dangerous car chase and this one's not on an LA freeway. You are looking here at a sped-up version of a shocking scene on a crowded highway in Israel. A truck broke through a police checkpoint and barreled its way down the highway shoulder. Can you see that in the spot shadow? Police say it smashed into a dozen cars injuring 11 people. Trying to watch the pictures and give you the details on this. Reports say the truck was stolen and the suspected thief is of course now in jail.

Coming up in the NEWSROOM, case dropped. That major development could come today in the Duke lacrosse case. An announcement out of North Carolina coming up at 2:30 Eastern right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to get this information out to you now that we are getting it here at CNN. Our political correspondent Candy Crowley has confirmed with a source very close to former Senator Fred Thompson, actor Fred Thompson, that he apparently now has a treatable form of lymphoma. Once again, Fred Thompson saying -- or persons close to him saying it's a treatable form of lymphoma. Of course, this is very pertinent to his overall health, obviously, but then a possible run for the White House as well. Certainly on the heels of Tony Snow, Elizabeth Edwards, boy, it's certainly not something that you want to hear. We're going to be working more on this story and we'll give you more information just as soon as we get it here.

HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE) Looking into student loans. It is a multi- billion dollar business, allegations now that universities may be conspiring to force students to pay more than they should. CNN's Christine Romans takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Incoming college freshmen today come from families earning 60 percent more than the national average. UCLA researchers find quote, not only do college students come from more economically advantaged homes than their predecessors, but the gap is widening. Evidence that tuition increases make college unattainable for millions. Tuition has soared 35 percent over five years. Two thirds of students are now saddled with student debt. Almost $135 billion in student aid granted last year.

ROBERT SHIREMAN, PROJECT ON STUDENT DEBT: Whenever you have that much money sloshing around in the system, there are going to be industries and individuals who are looking to see if they can get a piece of it.

ROMANS: Getting a piece of it perhaps at students' expense.

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