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President, Democrats Try to Compromise on War Funding; Efforts to Oust Olmert; Iraqi Officials Explain Political Problems

Aired May 02, 2007 - 11:00   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're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming in to the NEWSROOM on this Wednesday morning, the 2nd of May.

Here's what's on the rundown.

It takes money to run a war. The president and Democrats sit down today to try to compromise on war funding.

Israel's leader taking fire for the way he handled last summer's war in Lebanon. Ehud Olmert facing calls for resignation, fighting for his job.

COLLINS: The chemical that tainted pet food turns up in chicken feed. The chicken that ate it could be on your dinner table tonight.

A live report in the NEWSROOM.

The view from the Hill. The president's veto of the war-spending bill is now officially on the record.

Congressional Correspondent Andrea Koppel is joining us now from Capitol Hill.

All right. So what's happening now, Andrea? We thought we were going to actually hear that message from the president that he put in writing.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we did in the last hour, actually, Heidi, on the floor of the House. We heard the clerk read out the fact that there was a message from the president of the United States. In his hands, an envelope which he then proceeded to hand to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Inside was the bill that he vetoed yesterday.

The next thing to watch for is, approximately an hour from now, debate is going to begin on the floor of the House on overriding the presidential veto. We know how this is going to end.

Democrats already say they do not have the two-thirds votes necessary that would override the president's veto. So the next question is, of course, how are the two sides going to bridge their differences?

The troops need to get that money. No matter who you listen to, money is going to run out within a question of days or weeks. The Democrats know that, the Republicans know that, and the White House knows that, which is why you heard Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, this morning talking about compromise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: I had a number of consultations with Speaker Pelosi. I think at this stage we are going to wait and see what happens at the White House today.

It's -- the ball is in the president's court. He has to come forward with something satisfactory to the Democrats and a significant number of Republicans, Mr. President. There has to be some change of direction in that war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Now, the reason that Republicans are talking about possibly having something like benchmarks included in the next bill is that they also recognize, Heidi, that they're looking towards 2008. President Bush may not be up for re-election, but all of the House is, and over 20 Republican senators are. They know that while public opinion is behind the Democrats right now against the war, they have to be very, very careful as to how many times they're seen as voting with the president against a very unpopular, or with a very unpopular war.

COLLINS: Well, the money will be running out soon, so something has to happen fast. Who is going to give in first?

KOPPEL: That's going to be a decision they're going to have to make behind closed doors at this point. Democrats have told us going into today's meeting with the president later, they want the president to lay his cards on the table first. But they're going to have to -- there is going to have to be a meeting of the minds.

Both sides have to give something. Obviously, Democrats are going to be dropping their request for the timeline, but it's a question of whether or not there are going to be any consequences attached with the benchmarks that people are talking about.

COLLINS: Right. All right, Andrea. We know you'll be watching it closely.

Andrea Koppel, thanks.

HARRIS: Now with a view from the White House, here is our Suzanne Malveaux.

Suzanne, good to see you this morning.

The president defending his veto decision today. What did he have to say?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know, Tony, it's very interesting, because we talked to the press secretary, Tony Snow, earlier today. And he said he wouldn't even use the word "benchmark" here. But we certainly heard that word being used from the president just moments ago in his speech.

He said that the oil-sharing deal is a benchmark, an important one, of course, that the Iraqi government is working towards. And it's something that the Iraqi government, as well as the Bush administration, has talked about in the past, the need to reach certain goals here.

Now, the big question, of course, is going to be whether or not they will attach some sort of condition, whether or not it's going to be U.S. aid, or reconstruction, and say the Iraqis have to do this by a certain time or we will pull those resources away. That is what the discussion is going to be about going forward.

But we are hearing this president trying to appeal to Republicans, to Democrats, and also, Tony, a very important point here. We are hearing from this president, trying to appeal to the American people, a message of saying, look, I understand, too. Our goal here in Iraq is somewhat limited here.

He used to talk about victory. He used to talk about democracy. Listen today to how he defined success in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Slowly but surely, the truth will be known. Either we'll succeed or we won't succeed.

And the definition of success, as I described, is, you know, sectarian violence down. Success is not no violence. There are parts of our own country that, you know, have got a certain level of violence to it. But success is a level of violence where the people feel comfortable about living their daily lives, and that's what we are trying to achieve.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, Tony, the president is actually saying that success defined in Iraq is really about the level of violence that people can accept in that particular society. That is a far cry from what we had heard before.

The president today saying he believes in the freedom agenda, in democracy, but when it comes to Iraq, that is how he is defining success now. So, it is very clear that the administration is trying to send a message here that, yes, we, too, want the Iraqis to step up, we, too, want to pull out, but it has to be at a time that the president feels the Iraqis themselves feel comfortable with their own security. HARRIS: That language used to go in Iraq that could govern, sustain and defend itself. That is a significant change. We can talk about that later. But I've got a quick question.

If you would, put us in the room, Suzanne, today. Who is going to be there?

MALVEAUX: Well, we know that it's going to be the leadership from both the Democratic side, as well as the Republican side. You are going to see a lot of familiar faces, Pelosi, Reid, as well, the Republican counterparts.

We expect that it's just going to be the opening stage of this dialogue. No promises about negotiations or anything that's going to come out of the meeting. But they say at least this is a start here.

HARRIS: Yes.

MALVEAUX: And they are saying here that they believe the president is going to be a little bit more conciliatory here. He has made his point, and perhaps it's a good idea that he reaches out, changes his tone a little bit, because they're Republicans, Republicans like Senator Trent Lott, Congressman Roy Bunt. Both of them saying, look, the time for these ultimatums is over. Now it's time to really talk and see if we can work out a deal.

HARRIS: Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, for us.

Suzanne, thank you.

COLLINS: The threat of severe storms a concern today from the southern plains, into west Texas. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, flooding rains and hail could be part of the mix.

The scene near Alma, Kansas, as a funnel cloud dropped from the sky. There are no reports of any injuries or damage. It was one of many twisters that formed yesterday in northeastern Kansas.

In Topeka, state lawmakers took shelter in an underground parking garage at the state capitol building when tornado sirens started sounding.

And this scene in Denver. That's not snow, either. It's hail. The storm also unleashed flash floods all across the region.

Some pretty wicked weather, as we call it, Chad Myers.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I have a rhetorical question for both of you.

HARRIS: Uh-oh.

MYERS: How many seconds in an hour? Sixty times 60, 3,600.

HARRIS: Sixty times -- right. OK.

MYERS: Look at the number of lightning strikes in the past hour from just two storms.

COLLINS: Oh, yes.

MYERS: Thirty-three hundred. That's almost a lightning strike every second.

COLLINS: Yes.

MYERS: Is that just -- and you see them flashing here, one, two, three, four. Every time it flashes, actually, it's delayed by about two seconds because of the satellite transmission time. You know how sometimes you talk to a reporter in Baghdad...

COLLINS: Oh, yes.

MYERS: ... and it's a little bit slow. Well, that's how long it takes for this to actually show up on the map. So, literally -- literally real time...

HARRIS: Man.

COLLINS: Wow.

MYERS: ... if you count two seconds slow where it should be. So, 3,332 lightning strikes.

And this is in Texas, under that watch box right there. That watch box is a severe thunderstorm watch box.

We do know that the storms have hail in them. They have just moved through Odessa, moving toward Midland now. Moving over the radar site, actually, quite quickly. And hen rain into Memphis and Little Rock and Jackson.

Farther to the east, into the Piedmont, all the way through Raleigh, maybe even to Hampton Roads, chance of severe weather today.

Now, we expect severe weather in the Tornado Alley. That's why they call it that. But we don't expect severe weather on the East Coast from a front that's coming down from the Northeast.

A back-door front pushing away some very moist air, warm air, too. Washington, D.C., almost a record yesterday. Today 79. Atlanta, 87.

The picture out of Las Vegas, Nevada, this morning, 88 degrees this afternoon. You can see some haze in the sky. You may see some dust and some sand in the air later on today, as well. Red flag warnings for you, especially through some of the passes east, all the way into Palm Springs.

Could see wind gusts of 50. And that will certainly be picking up some of that very fine dust and blowing it around. So, if you have problems with that, make sure that you are prepared for that possible little bit of a dust storm later on today.

Back to you.

COLLINS: Hey, Chad, next time don't ask math questions in the third hour of the show, OK?

MYERS: I didn't wait for an answer. I mean, it was...

HARRIS: You didn't. You were smart to keep moving. Smart to keep moving. Thanks, Chad.

COLLINS: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: All right.

COLLINS: Calls for his resignation growing louder today. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert fighting to hold on to power.

CNN's Atika Shubert joining us now live from Jerusalem.

Atika, why is Olmert in such trouble? This goes all the way back to the two hostages, the Israelis that were taken hostage, the soldiers.

ATIKA SOLDIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. This goes all the way back to his performance during the war in Lebanon last year.

A report came out on Monday saying -- putting the blame on Prime Minister Olmert, saying that he holds supreme responsibility for rushing into war, and into a war that the country was not prepared for. And as a result, there have been a flood of demands for his resignation. Not only from the public, also from his own party, and now, it seems, from senior members of his own cabinet.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni just held a press conference, where she made it clear she wants him to resign.

Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TZIPI LIVNI, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): I first wanted to have a meeting with the prime minister. I thought that was appropriate because, first of all -- first and foremost, this is a personal decision on the part of the prime minister. In my meeting with the prime minister, I expressed my opinion that resignation was the right thing as far as he is concerned.

I know that there have been rumors that I have been or am working, taking steps to oust the prime minister. That is not at all true. I haven't and I'm not taking steps to oust the prime minister. This is a decision he has to take.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHUBERT: Now, it's important to note that Tzipi Livni is herself a top contender to replace him. She insists that she will remain a part of the government, that this is not a power grab, but at the same time, she has also said that she will run for leadership of Olmert's Kadima Party. So, clearly positioning herself to become a candidate for prime minister.

And meanwhile, the pressure is growing. There are mass protests expected to tomorrow in Tel Aviv. Protesters demanding that the prime minister step down immediately -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Well, talk a little more about that, if you would, Atika. The top candidate to replace Olmert would be?

SHUBERT: Well, first of all, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. But she's not the only one from that coalition.

Also, foreign -- excuse me -- the former prime minister, Shimon Peres. And former prime ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, also, if there are new elections, could become possible candidates.

COLLINS: Wow. Interesting. All right. We know you're watching it carefully for us.

Atika Shubert, thank you.

HARRIS: A government in turmoil. Iraq's prime minister facing serious questions about his ability to lead during chaotic teams. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Also, fighting the war for hearts and minds on the Internet. The U.S. military shares its own coverage from Iraq. Logging on and tuning in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Home at last. Larry Birkhead and baby Dannielynn arrive in Kentucky. Details in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Breaking news, revealing developments. See for yourself in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Well, we told you about this last hour. In south Florida, a daring armored car heist. Now the search is on for the gunman in Hialeah Gardens. The guard says he had just stepped from the armored car when the brazen robber held him at gunpoint.

Police tell CNN affiliate WSVN that the gunman got away with $1.8 million. The guard told police he fired at the fleeing robber, but missed.

COLLINS: Is he dead or alive? Still no definitive answer on Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi officials trying to confirm reports he was killed by rivals north of Baghdad.

A front organization for al Qaeda denies the claim and says he is still alive. The U.S. says his death would be significant, but would not stop the insurgency in Iraq. HARRIS: The fight for Iraq -- three attacks to tell you about, at least eight deaths. The latest, a mortar attack in eastern Baghdad. Two civilians killed, five others wounded. Six more civilians killed south of the capital in Mahmoudiya.

In one attack, a roadside bomb detonated under a minibus. In the other, insurgents launched mortars on a residential area. At least 17 people were hurt in the attacks.

COLLINS: It is counter-programming from Iraq. The U.S. military broadcasting what it thinks the mainstream media misses.

CNN's Jamie McIntyre reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The most-watched video on the U.S. military's new YouTube site is last January's pitch battle on Haifa Street. A firefight well documented on CNN at the time. But other videos feature views of Iraq the U.S. military says rarely make the news, such as this joyous reunion as American troops rescue a kidnapped victim in Baghdad.

Unlike many anguished Iraqis often seen on TV, the people in these videos are generally happy. They don't seem to mind being searched, and interact freely with Americans, such as this boy dubbed "Slingshot Kid," who gets help from a heavily-armed Marine. And here, Iraqi boy scouts eagerly prepare for an upcoming jamboree.

The U.S.-led, coalition-sponsored YouTube Channel was launched two months ago to "give viewers around the world a boots-on-the-ground perspective" with what it calls eye-catching videos. Since then, the site has recorded more than 150,000 hits.

It's clearly public relations, but the U.S. military insists the clips are edited only for time, security reasons, and for overly disturbing or offensive images. Still, the picture is one-sidedly upbeat. U.S. and Iraqi troops working as a team, Americans rushing to aid victims of a roadside bomb. And some videos are slickly-produced promotional spots designed to engender patriotism.

(on camera): The U.S. military insists it's not minimizing the bad news, just trying to show that the situation in Iraq is more complex. It says the events depicted on the videos were not staged, and it's using the Internet to show that, along with the chaos, some good things are happening, too.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Chicken feed tainted with the same chemical that led to the pet food recall, except this chicken could be tonight's dinner.

A live report coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: First pets, then pigs, and now chickens. The chemical melamine has entered the human food supply. So, are you at risk?

Well, for the very latest, we are joined by CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen now.

All right. So, what's the deal? I mean, everybody's starting to look at this. It feels sort of like back when we had tainted lettuce, and it went from this type of lettuce, to another type, to another type.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right.

COLLINS: Is that kind of what's happening here?

COHEN: It does appear to keep growing, not nearly -- not nearly as dangerous as the lettuce situation.

COLLINS: Right.

COHEN: And I'll explain why in a minute. But the USDA and the FDA had a press conference yesterday. They said it is -- appears to be really quite certain that human beings have eaten food that was -- have eaten chickens, and the chickens were fed contaminated food, food contaminated with melamine.

What they said in this press conference is that between 2.5 million and three million chickens ate the tainted seed. Those chickens were then slaughtered in March and sent out to the markets.

So, anybody -- any of us may have eaten them. The chickens were in the state of Indiana, but it's not clear where exactly they were distributed.

Now, the USDA and the FDA say they are not issuing any kind of a recall of these foods. They say human health is not at risk.

COLLINS: OK. So, if human health isn't at risk, we must be, what, tougher than cats and dogs? Or our anatomy is obviously different. Does that play into why this might not affect humans?

COHEN: We eat differently than cats and dogs. That's one of the big reasons.

I'm not a pet owner, but I know pet owners. And you, you are. You probably buy a certain brand and you feed Fido that same thing morning, noon and night. So, they're eating the same food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Humans don't eat chicken for breakfast, lunch and dinner constantly all the time.

So, let's say you did eat some of the chicken that ate the tainted feed. It was probably one relatively small part of your diet. So that's one of the reasons why they think that this is not a threat to human health, in the same way that it was a threat, obviously, to those 16 cats and dogs who died. They said there's another reason. The dogs actually and cats actually ate the contaminated feed directly. The humans ate the chickens that ate the feed. So there is a serious dilution factor.

COLLINS: Right.

COHEN: Humans didn't eat the pet food. The humans ate animals that ate the pet food. So there's a dilution factor there.

COLLINS: Right. Another barrier.

COHEN: Another barrier. That's another way to put it.

COLLINS: All right. So, also, last week I remember there were concern about tainted wheat gluten being in things like breads or pasta or power bars. And every time I think of gluten, of course I think of the Celiac Disease. But this is -- this is very different. It's tainted wheat gluten.

What is the latest on that now? Any truth to it?

COHEN: The latest on that, they said yesterday that they are no longer concerned about that. Authorities had been concerned that perhaps human gluten, not just pet gluten, but human gluten was contaminated with melamine.

That would have been a much bigger problem, because you can only imagine how many products on the market, as Heidi was saying. Everything from pasta to power bars has gluten in it. But they said now through their investigations, they think that is not a concern any longer.

COLLINS: All right. Very good.

Elizabeth Cohen keeping us up to speed on the melamine.

COHEN: Thanks.

COLLINS: Thanks so much.

HARRIS: And how about this? Could your writing hand have a connection to your life span? A new study suggests women who are left-handed have a higher risk of dying from cancer or arterial diseases than other women.

The Dutch researchers aren't sure about the reason for the disparity. They say genetics and environmental factors may be involved. It is estimated that about one in 10 people are lefties.

COLLINS: Well, you pump the iron, pass up the pie. Now, how do you keep the pounds off?

A new study reinforces what you probably already know. Yes, exercise cannot get around it, plays a key role.

Experts looked at folk who walked or worked out for an hour and 15 minutes every single day, versus people who exercise for 30 minutes. No surprise that people who exercised harder lost more weight and kept it off longer.

To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. That address is CNN.com/health.

HARRIS: And still to come, a blunt warning to illegal immigrants in one North Carolina county.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel it's my duty as a sheriff of this county and an official of this state to deal with those people that choose to violate the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The story ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: That camera can catch you doing some weird things.

COLLINS: What were you doing?

HARRIS: Something weird, the CNN NEWSROOM. Good morning everyone, I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. President Bush says the future of U.S. Troops in Iraq hinges on the strength of Iraq's government. How are they doing? Well CNN's Area Damon takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NURI AL-MALIKI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER: Ladies and gentlemen, members of parliament, I am honored to present your council which will form the basis of the work of our government. I hope to inspire your confidence.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These were Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al Malaki's words when he took office back in May of 2006, a public show of support he would not see again. Now just about a year later, there's been no let-up in violence. Basic services have yet to be restored. No law has been passed to divide up Iraq's oil riches and national reconciliation seems more of an illusion than ever. Iraq's fledgling government is essentially paralyzed.

MAYSONN DAMALOUJI, IRAQI MP: I think either the entire political process is going to collapse into an abyss of some kind or there has to be serious changes made.

DAMON: Iraq's justice minister was so fed up with the government, he submitted his resignation at the end of March.

HASHIM SHIBLI, FMR. MINISTER OF JUSTICE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR: In my opinion there should be a full cabinet reshuffle based on bringing in independent ministers with expertise and skill and true national spirit and loyalty to the country and without sectarian or regional influences.

DAMON: Therein lies the problem, many observers agree. Prime minister al Maliki continues to insist that his government is one of national unity. Countless others point to its very structure, carved out along sectarian lines, allowing political parties to pursue their own sectarian agendas and maintain a suffocating grip over parliament, the prime minister and his cabinet.

MAHMOUD OTHMAN, IRAQ MP: He is neither strong enough nor free enough to do what he thinks is right. He, himself, is complaining very much about the fact that he has no powers.

DAMON: Starting from scratch is not a feasible option. It would signal the failure of America's democracy project in Iraq, and realistically, it would take too long to get Iraq's bickering factions back to the drawing board. But patience with the government's ineffectiveness is wearing thin. Muqtada al Sadr withdrew his six cabinet positions and now Iraq's main Sunni block is threatening to withdraw from the government as well. Al Maliki is going to have a hard time inspiring confidence in Iraq's neighbors when he can't even inspire confidence within Iraq. Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And on the diplomatic front, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in the Middle East right now for a two-day meeting on Iraq, about two hours ago now. She arrived in Egypt in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh (ph). She will meet officials from Europe and the Middle East. The topic, how best to stabilize Iraq and by extension, the Middle East. That agenda has been overshadowed by another possibility that Rice could hold talks with Iran and Syria.

COLLINS: Immigration reform, once a hot topic on Capitol Hill, now stalled and going nowhere fast. CNN's Joe Johns reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So whatever happened to the pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants? Last year so-called comprehensive immigration reform was all the talk on Capitol Hill. Then, as now, there were rallies, speeches, marches, but it all died down with no bill passed into law. The only thing that Congress could really agree on was to build a fence. So why couldn't they get it done? Short answer? The mid-term elections got in the way, transfer of power from the Republicans to the Democrats. Agitators argue the issue helps put the Democrats over the top.

REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ (D) ILLINOIS: People marched. They then registered to vote, became citizens in massive numbers and created an impetus for new majority And the Democrats here in the House and in the Senate have a responsibility to respond to the demand of the people. JOHNS: Is that true or is it just wishful thinking? Polling for CNN says that on a list of top 10 issues confronting Congress and the president, immigration is number seven. But it's an unpredictable issue, even dangerous for candidates. Can you vote for reform without getting a scarlet A for amnesty next to your name?

JOHN DICKERSON, SLATE.COM: So that they have a very complicated argument about a comprehensive bill and the other side has a simple argument of amnesty and that's worked pretty well politically for opponents of comprehensive reform.

JOHNS: Take a closer look at that mid-term election, a high- profile race in Illinois. Republican Peter Roscum (ph) beat Democratic Tammy Duckworth (ph) claiming she was too soft on illegal immigrants. On the other hand, some who took a hard line on immigration, like Republican Congressman JD Hayworth of Arizona, lost their seats. Democrats branded him an immigrant-basher. So who won the immigration skirmish? Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo is among the toughest of the toughest hardliners on illegal immigration. He calls the last election a wash.

REP. TOM TANCREDO (R) COLORADO: Some thought it was bad for our point of view, others, good. But it was -- it's a stalemate. We really are at loggerheads, even right now.

JOHNS: That hasn't stop people from trying to get an immigration bill. The White House wants something big to crow about in President Bush's second term and build his legacy. So the quiet meetings have been going on for a month. Carrie Budoff is with politico.com.

CARRIE BUDOFF, POLITICO.COM: Where we are right now is very back room, hush-hush talks that even people who are involved with the talks, sometimes leave meetings with conflicting accounts of where things stand.

JOHNS: Such secrecy on Capitol Hill naturally rankles people on the outside like Congressman Tancredo.

TANCREDO: But I think on this particular issue, there are enough people who are going to blow the whistle on it. That the thing, they can't keep it hidden very long.

JOHNS: So whatever happened to immigration reform? Depends on your point of view. It's somewhere quiet being born or being talked to death. Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Taking the hard line against illegal immigration, one North Carolina sheriff makes it his business to enforce Federal laws he says that are being ignored. CNN's Jeanne Meserve reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alamance County North Carolina has a brand-new 240-bed jail and Sheriff Terry Johnson intends to fill it with illegal immigrants.

SHERIFF TERRY JOHNSON, ALAMANCE COUNTY, NC: Hopefully within the next day or two, we will be filling the place up.

MESERVE: That quickly, huh?

JOHNSON: I hope so.

MESERVE: Alamance is only one of a handful of local jurisdictions in the whole United States that enforces Federal immigration laws. The fingerprints of every foreigner arrested in the county whether the offense is big or small, are matched with a Federal database. If the person is here illegally, the sheriff's department starts deportation proceedings.

JOHNSON: To come here in my country in our country and commit other violations knowing they are not right here to start with, I feel it's my duty as a sheriff of this county and an official of this state, to deal with those people that choose to violate the law.

MESERVE: The sheriff has his critics like immigration lawyer Ebher Rossi, who says Johnson has a broader goal.

EBHER O. ROSSI JR., DEFENSE ATTORNEY: What they want to do I believe is instill fear in the Hispanics and get them to leave the county.

MESERVE: Jobs is manufacturing, construction and agricultural have brought Hispanic immigrants to Alamance County in huge numbers in recent years.

JOHNSON: We arrested several gang bangers down here in this mobile home park down here.

MESERVE: Johnson says some of them have brought crimes like drug dealing and domestic violence with them. Thirty percent of his jail population on any given day is Hispanic, the sheriff claims, but ironically, by sowing fear in the Hispanic population, Johnson's own tough policy on illegal immigration might be making it more difficult to crack down on crime.

NOLO MARTINEZ, UNC CTR. FOR NEW NORTH CAROLINIANS: The community as a whole is not going to participate as a community reporting crime or seeing in a sheriff uniform someone that you can actually come openly and talk about issues.

MESERVE: Johnson says part of his motive is practical. He hopes the Federal money he gets for housing immigration detainees will help pay for the county's new $12 million jail. Whether all this hurts or helps him in his next election is besides the point, he claims.

JOHNSON: If the people in Washington, D.C. would quit thinking about what was politically correct or what would get them or not get them elected and do the job they were put there to do, we wouldn't be dealing with this issue right now at the local level. MESERVE: Johnson says he swore on a bible to uphold the law, but critics say he has forgotten a key commandment, love thy neighbor. Jeanne Meserve, Alamance County, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And CNN's Lou Dobbs is tackling the immigration issue with a primetime special tonight. He is live in the town hall meeting from Hazleton, Pennsylvania. What it's doing to fight broken borders, a Lou Dobbs prime time special, CNN tonight, 8:00 Eastern.

COLLINS: want to take you to some interesting pictures we are getting, live pictures, this is happening right now in Seattle. This is the university bridge where a relatively small, I guess, water main break, apparently about 40 inches are so is sweeping away a couple of cars. Nobody was inside of them at the time, so that is very good news. Now as you can see, thousands of gallons of water pouring into the ship channel on the west side, the south approach, I'm told to that bridge. Seattle police is towing away boats that are moored in that area just as a precaution, but boy, what a mess. Department of transportation is investigating to see if there are any foundation problems with the bridge which would really be horrendous. Again, nobody has been injured, but we're going to continue to follow this one for you.

HARRIS: And still to come this morning, four dead in Ohio. The day the National Guard opened fire at Kent State.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOICE OF GLEN FRANK: I am begging you right now, if you don't disburse right now, they are going to move in and it can only be a slaughter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Does the newly found tape answer the question why did they shoot? Hear it in the NEWSROOM.

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COLLINS: Hi there, they caught you again doing something.

HARRIS: Close (INAUDIBLE) that time.

COLLINS: "Your World Today" is coming up in about 15 minutes or so. Rosemary Church will be on the program today. Hi, Rosemary.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you both. You two have far too much fun together. All right, a lot coming up at the top of the hour in "Your World Today." We take a look at the leadership crisis in Israel where foreign minister (INAUDIBLE) calls on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resign. She is not trying to oust him, she insists, but she does want the top post. We will unravel those mixed messages with a live report. A divided nation, Turkey in a bit of a standoff between the secular elite and the Islamist-rooted government. Where to now? We'll look at that.

And Miss America helps catch child sex abusers, but did she help enough? Some say no. We're going to take a close look at that. All those stories and more coming up at the top of the hour in "Your World Today" here on CNN.

HARRIS: Rosemary Church there.

COLLINS: Thank you Rosemary. We'll be watching.

HARRIS: And reliving a dark day in American history, the shooting deaths of four students at Kent State University, definitely not forgotten, especially now. CNN's Carol Costello explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We know it happened in 13 seconds. Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire at Kent State University in Ohio and when it was over, an anti-war anthem was born, mourning the death of four students. That's what we know. What's always been a mystery is why guardsmen opened fire. Did they panic or did someone give the order to open fire? Because of newly discovered audiotape with sound allegedly recorded before the hail of gun fire, that mystery may be solved. Alan Canfora was there. He was holding a flag, the National Guard in front of them. Canfora took a bullet through the wrist. His friend Jeffrey Miller 85 feet away died.

VOICE OF ALAN CANFORA, The last time I saw Jeffrey, he was lying in the back of an ambulance dead from a bullet through his head. I swore a vow that day that I would work to try to help the American people understand what happened.

COSTELLO: It was Canfora who stumbled upon the audiotape buried in the archives of Yale University. He wants the National Guard to reopen the investigation, but the Guard told us it has no official statement. In 1970, at Kent State, protests against the Vietnam War were raging and on May 4th, things spiraled out of control. The National Guard opened fire. Professors like Dr. Glen Frank were terrified, running into the crowd to get students to leave before anyone else died.

VOICE OF GLEN FRANK, I am begging you right now. If you don't disperse right now, they're going to move in and it can only be a slaughter. Would you please listen to me? Jesus Christ, I don't want to be a part of this.

COSTELLO: And it was over. The mystery of why has lingered for 37 years.

PROF. TODD GITLIN, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: I think it actually makes stark what the country didn't quite want to face then, even after most of the country had turned against the Vietnam war. COSTELLO: This new-found tape may help solve the mystery, but it's not likely to cure the pain. Carol Costello, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Emmy-winning actor Tom Poston has died. You may not remember the name, but his face certainly is part of television history. Poston appeared in comedies, movies, TV sitcoms for more than 50 years. Among his credits, both Bob Newhart sitcoms, the ABC comedy "Mork and Mindy" and "The Steve Allen Show." Poston was also a game show regular on the popular "To Tell the Truth" back in the '50s and '60s. Veteran actor Tom Poston was 85.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange where we are watching the numbers. The Dow is over 13,200, one week after hitting 13,000 for the first time in a rally that just won't quit. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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HARRIS: Think you are paying a lot at the pump right now? Well, you may end up paying even more. The nation's Energy secretary says he fears gasoline prices will hit record highs this summer. The national price for regular gasoline rose 10 cents over the last week to $2.97 a gallon. That is just 10 cents shy of the record reached in September 2005 after hurricane Katrina. Industry watchers blame the rising prices on strong fuel demand and oil refinery outages.

COLLINS: A personal scandal has one of the best known and most distinguished executives in the world heading for the exits. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with the details of the problem at British Petroleum, BP, as we know it. Hi there Susan.

LISOVICZ: Hi Heidi. His name is Lord John Brown. He's the chief of oil giant BP and he's cutting his career short by several months. The announcement coming just hours after a British court decided to allow tabloids to print details about Brown's private life, specifically his four-year relationship with another man. The relationship ended last year, but problems arose when his former lover went to the papers to tell all. He alleges that Brown used BP computers and staff to help him start his own company. After launching an internal investigation, BP says those accusations are not true, but Brown acknowledged he lied to the judge about how he met his former partner and the company that is going to publish the sensational story says he should be prosecuted for perjury. Heidi.

COLLINS: BP already has a pretty tarnished image. It certainly can't be helping.

LISOVICZ: That's right and Brown was under enormous pressure. He's been there 41 years and he already decided to cut his tenure short by a year. But just to remind our viewers, last year BP temporarily shut down some of its Alaskans operations because of an oil spill there. And then of course in 2005 an explosion at a Texas refinery killed 15 workers, cost BP $2 billion. It was one of the worst industrial accidents in U.S. history. A subsequent investigation skewered BP for cost cutting that cut back on safety. But before those problems, Brown was known as the man who turned BP onto a global force. He was even the first major oil CEO to acknowledge global warming, but because of Brown's early departure, he will lose a bonus worth $7 million. He was there 41 years at BP.

ON Wall Street well, it's the story that just is not quitting. The Dow is pushing even further into record territory, even crossing 13,200, signs that corporate America is doing well, boosting optimism. Quarterly profits are strong and there is news that Cablevision is going private. Cablevision shares up about 8 percent, also helping, a fresh report showing strength in the manufacturing sector. The Dow has now gained ground in 20 out of the last 23 sessions, one of the best streaks since 1929. Holy cow. A little scary, frankly.

LISOVICZ: The blue chips are up 78 points right now or .5 percent. The Nasdaq is up 22 points or 1 percent. Some recovery from February 27th, wouldn't you say?

COLLINS: Are you saying scary because what must goes up or what goes up, must come down?

LISOVICZ: Gravity has to take hold at some point. It's kind of exciting right now. Enjoy it while it lasts.

COLLINS: OK. Susan Lisovicz, thank you.

HARRIS: Home at last. Larry Birkhead and baby Dannielynn arrive in Kentucky. Details straight ahead for you.

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HARRIS: You know to catch us week day mornings.

COLLINS: (INAUDIBLE)

HARRIS: Bigger and bigger numbers. That's (INAUDIBLE)

COLLINS: Wildly popular.

HARRIS: Wildly popular, what is that, nice placement there. The podcast, take us with you. Just download it onto your iPod. The CNN NEWSROOM Podcast, 24/7 right there on your iPod. Take us with you wherever you are going today. Thank you.

COLLINS: OK, so daddy and baby came home in style. A private jet from the Bahamas. Now Larry Birkhead says he plans to spend time showing off seven-month-old Dannielynn to his family in Louisville. A judge authorized Birkhead to take Anna Nicole Smith's baby out of the Bahamas. DNA proved he was the father.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY BIRKHEAD, DANNIELYNN'S FATHER: It feels good to be home. Who knows what's next? We're just going to relax and horse around.

QUESTION: Enjoying the Derby?

BIRKHEAD: I'm hoping to. I'm hoping to. That's where I got my start as a photographer and journalist in Kentucky (INAUDIBLE) the derby. So to come home is kind of full circle. It's also where I met Anna Nicole.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Legal battles though do continue over the multimillion dollar estate of Smith's late husband, Texas oil tycoon Jay Howard Marshall. Darling baby, no question about that. CNN NEWSROOM does continue just one hour from now.

HARRIS: "Your World Today" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home. I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Have a great Wednesday everybody.

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