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Faulty Brake Wiring Found on Three United Planes; Ceasefire Called Between Shia Militia, Iraqi Government; Remains Found of Captured U.S. Soldier
Aired March 31, 2008 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CO-HOST: Crossed wires in the landing gear. United becomes the fourth airline this month to face big-time safety issues with its airplanes. Our Drew Griffin is on the case.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CO-HOST: Four years ago next week, Keith Matthew Maupin was captured in Iraq, and today his devastated family finally knows his fate. We have the story from the Pentagon.
Hi, there. I'm Brianna Keilar, in today for Kyra Phillips at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It has been a rough month for the airlines and the flying public. And it is not over yet. United Airlines is confirming faulty wiring in the landing gear of three Airbus A-320s. Two of them involved in runway accidents in the past six months.
Special investigative unit correspondent Drew Griffin joins us now with the details on this. It keeps coming.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and why this is important is because the cross wiring in the brakes was done. Somebody actually did this. And so, United had two of these planes skid off the runway: one just last month in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, another one in October in O'Hare. And actually, a passenger and a flight attendant were hurt on that as this plane slid off.
The cross wiring is in the brake system that United did a check and found one more plane that had this cross-wired configuration. They did check all 97 of its Airbus 320s and say everything is fine now.
But it points to all of this oversight of maintenance coming to a head, Don, and coming to a head in Congress this week, when there's going to be hearings on all of this and whether or not the FAA clearly has enough people, has enough wherewithal to oversee the maintenance programs that are going on at the airlines and at the airlines, outsourcing them to other things. And that may be what is involved here.
United has issued a statement saying that "all of our maintenance work, whether performed in the U.S. or abroad by United employees or partners, follows our FAA-approved maintenance program." And then goes on to say, "We informed mechanics, pilots and flight attendants of the incidents, and corrective steps we are taking. We further conducted a stringent review process with our maintenance partners to ensure they had the same information."
Maintenance partners is the key there, Don, because a lot of the mechanics' unions with the airlines have been saying, for years now, there's not enough oversight in these outsourced airline establishments that work on the airlines. The FAA, with its limited number of inspectors, just doesn't have enough people to go to these outsourced areas and make sure the work is done correctly.
LEMON: Well, you mentioned what the FAA is doing and you mentioned the entire industry. I hate to get ahead of ourselves here, but is this a watershed moment for the airlines when it comes to safety, you think?
GRIFFIN: I mean, you're seeing a lot of critics for years now saying what seem to be coming to a head at the exact same time. We had the Southwest Airlines incident where a -- FAA supervisor was allowing the airline to fly outside of the mandatory safety requirements.
That was kind of the watershed moment which said to a lot of critics of the Federal Aviation Administration, you guys are not on the passenger side; you're on the airlines side. It's a down industry. Cost cuts going on, and it just seems like it's all coming to a head.
LEMON: Going to take precautions for that. OK, Drew Griffin, thank you very much for that.
GRIFFIN: Thanks, Don.
KEILAR: For the first time in almost a week, guns fall silent in parts of Iraq. How did this cease-fire come about? And of course, is it going to hold? From the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson has more on Iran's role in all of this.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it does appear as if a huge amount of pressure was put on the Shia cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, to get his militia, the Mehdi militia, to stand down and cooperate with government forces.
A group of Iraqi politicians from the Shia United Iraqi alliance -- that is the bloc of the main Shia political parties, the prime minister's political party, his allies, Muqtada al-Sadr's political party, all went to Iran over the weekend, with the help of Iranian officials negotiated an end to the fighting.
And if you remember, back in the beginning of the weekend, Muqtada al-Sadr was telling his militia to continue the fight. Twenty-four hours later, under what appears to be huge and heavy Iranian pressure, he has backed down, told his fight to cooperate with the Iraqi government.
The militia off the streets today, not in evidence. People back out on the streets. The curfew's lifted. Shops are reopening.
It does raise the question of if al-Sadr's official controlled large areas of Basra and some of the suburbs, the Sadr suburb of Baghdad, controlled those large areas over the weekend, how can government be in a position, as it says it is now, of being in charge and in control? The government says it will continue its operations until it has rounded up all the criminals. It says it hopes it will do that by the end of the week.
It has called into question Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's judgment in going up against an enemy, in Muqtada al-Sadr, that he couldn't win militarily. He appeared to become bogged down in a stalemate, whereby there were areas of Basra, areas of Baghdad, he militarily couldn't push the Iraqi military forces into, couldn't take control. So it's calling into question Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki's judgment.
As well, U.S. forces have supported the prime minister with aerial bombing, with some ground forces, to route out the Mehdi militia, route out the criminal element, as the government was describing them. But despite that bombing, despite the U.S. bombing and the U.S. support of the prime minister, it does appear to be the Iranians, through negotiations, who have gotten Muqtada al-Sadr to back off and go along with the cease-fire.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: For a family in Ohio, four years of hope turned to anguish. Remains found in Iraq positively identified as those of Staff Sergeant Keith Mathew Maupin.
CNN's Barbara Starr has been following Maupin's ordeal since the day he was captured.
And Barbara, this is just a heartbreaking ending but also an end to some uncertainty.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is, Brianna. You know, I actually met the Maupin parents a couple of years ago, and it was so sad because their biggest challenge, one of their biggest challenges, was just not knowing what had happened to their son. They were absolutely grief stricken at the time. And they continue to be now, of course, as they have received the final word from the U.S. Army over the weekend that their son, Staff Sergeant Keith Matthew Maupin, did die in captivity in Iraq. He had been captured back in 2004.
Now a candlelight vigil being held at his home in Ohio. And his parents finally speaking out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLYN MAUPIN, MOTHER OF STAFF SERGEANT KEITH MATTHEW MAUPIN: It hurts. It hurts, after you go through four years -- almost four years -- of hope and then this is what happens. It's like a letdown to me. So I'm trying to get through that right now.
KEITH MAUPIN, FATHER OF STAFF SERGEANT KEITH MATTHEW MAUPIN: As parents, we are deeply saddened and still letting it sink in. As Americans, we are proud of the continued efforts made by our military and, in particular, the Army to return Matt home to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: He had been captured when his convoy came under ambush attack south of Baghdad back in April of 2004. There had been a very brief video of him shown being held by insurgents. And then several months later, another video showing someone being shot. It had been thought to be Maupin. There was never any confirmation of that.
It was last week in Iraq when they discovered some remains and, Brianna, some cloth from a U.S. military uniform that led them to their immediate suspicions it might be the remains of Staff Sergeant Maupin, because the uniform cloth, you see it actually here in this video. This is from a uniform that was in the military at that time, but it was a few months later that they changed uniforms.
So when they saw these remains with this old piece of cloth, if you will, that raised immediate suspicions. The remains identified in the United States last week and his family finally notified -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Yes, and such a sad story. And of course, our thoughts and prayers with the Maupin family. Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon, thank you.
LEMON: Let's talk now about the mortgage meltdown, the credit crunch, market turmoil. Financial regulators can't stop the current financial crisis, but they are hoping to get a handle on future crisis with a vast overhaul of the regulatory system. It's being called most ambitious plan of its kind since the Great Depression. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson took the wraps off today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY PAULSON, TREASURY SECRETARY: I am not suggesting that more regulation is the answer or even that more effective regulation can prevent the periods of financial market stress that seem to occur every five to ten years.
I am suggesting that we should and can have a structure that is designed for the world we live in: one that is more flexible, one that can better adapt to change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. So what are the chances this plan will survive? And what, if anything -- if anything -- does it mean to your wallet? Let's bring in our personal finance editor, Miss Gerri Willis.
Gerri, what does it mean to your wallet?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, hi there, Don.
Well, this new White House plan does a lot of things. First off, it boosts the Federal Reserve's ability to regulate investment banks out there. You know, they stepped in with Bear Stearns, took some aggressive immediate action. And now they're being given regulatory powers over those banks.
It would also consolidate financial agencies. There are a ton of agencies that regulate commercial banks. In fact, there are five in Washington alone, and then states regulate them, as well.
It would also create a national mortgage commission, which would license mortgage brokers and hold them to higher standards.
It would also iron out different lending -- lending rules nationwide with all these different -- this patchwork of regulatory agencies. It would really go a long way in trying to bring that all together -- Don.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULSON: Financial market stress since last August. The markets are pricing and reassessing risk and as we should expect, there are always difficulties during periods such as this. We know that a housing correction has participated -- precipitated this turmoil, and housing remains by far the biggest downside risk to our economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: Critics say this proposal does little to help homeowners who are in danger of foreclosure. We have 2.2 million people who went into foreclosure last year. We've got almost another 9 million who are seeing the value of their homes go below what they owe on it. They owe more than the house is worth. So there are a lot of people in trouble out there. This plan does nothing to help those folks.
LEMON: Nothing. And in the beginning I said what are the chances this plan will survive?
WILLIS: Well, I think a lot of people are making that question right now. And in fact, the treasury secretary himself says that the plan probably won't really start being talked about seriously until -- until the new president -- presidential term starts.
A lot of folks out there are saying that it will be highly contentious. We have lots of other plans in Congress that are going to be discussed yet this week about how to cure the mortgage meltdown. So this will be an ongoing conversation, I'm sure, Don.
LEMON: All right. Personal finance editor, Gerri Willis. Gerri, thanks, as always.
The slumping economy is affecting you in more ways than you know. Check out CNNmoney.com's special report, "Issue No. 1." From protecting your money to finding a job that's right for you, there's a ton of information that could save you money and misery; plus, interactive tools and a lot more. All that at CNNmoney.com.
KEILAR: You know, Oklahoma just cannot get a break from the bad weather. Flooding rains, high winds, hail, all pounding the state and several of its neighbors. We're going to have the latest for you.
LEMON: And Africa, growing concerns about vote rigging in Zimbabwe's hotly-contested presidential election. Still no word on the winner.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Insurance agents are busy across Oklahoma today; parts of the state still being battered by pounding rains, nickel-sized hail, even bigger there, as well, and some fierce winds. We're hearing about lots of roof damage, not to mention dented cars from all that hail. Hundreds of folks in central Oklahoma don't even have power.
LEMON: That was professional video, but take a look at this. This is one of our I-Reporters, Brianna. I-Reporter Ryan Saylor surveyed damage around Oklahoma City. Early this morning he did that. His pictures show the roof of a brick home you're looking at right there, just blown away. And the garage also in shambles. Neighbors say it looks like a tornado hit it. Saylor tells us the family made it out OK. We're glad that happened.
But there is more dangerous storms. They're popping up across the Midwest today. And Bonnie Schneider, she's in the CNN severe weather center to tell us who is under the gun right now.
Did you see that hail in Oklahoma?
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And hear it, too. It's so large. And some of the pictures, we didn't even capture how large it was: baseball-size, in some cases.
But very damaging. You don't want to be driving when that hail's hitting your windshield; that's for sure.
LEMON: Yes.
SCHNEIDER: But take a look at the big picture now. The lightning is happening so frequently that in the past hour -- look at this -- we have thousands of lightning strikes over a pretty large region, all the way from Oklahoma to Missouri.
I want to show you what the lightning looked like in the sky, not only on our radar picture here. But listen carefully. You can actually hear the thunder. Wow, that is very ominous, isn't it? This storm over Enid, Oklahoma, produced quite a lightning show. And this was taken by our stormchaser Charles Allison.
If you have any I-Reports or pictures or video you'd like to send us, just go to CNN.com, and we will put it on the air.
Let's come back to the traffic (ph) now. I want to show you some of the most dangerous tornado warnings that we're picking up right now. We have them in Camden, Dallas, into Laclede County and Pulaski. This particular storm right here, just to the north and east of Nevada, is quite dangerous. You can see the frequent lightning, one on top of the other. The winds are coming in at all different directions. And that's one of the things we look for in terms of rotation. You can actually see that swirl right here, indicated in orange. Very, very serious storm happening over Oklahoma right now.
And these warnings, some of them have been extended all the way to 1:15 into the afternoon.
Let's open up the scope now. I want to show you some more severe weather and where else we're tracking some of these tornado warnings. You can see, we have them further off to the east -- to the west rather, as well. A new one just north of Tulsa. This one just popped up, and it will go until 12:45 p.m. Central Time.
So we're looking at not only the areas where we have tornado warnings, but this large area covers Missouri down through Oklahoma and even into Arkansas. The tornado watch continues until 5 p.m. today.
And we're not only looking at severe weather in terms of thunderstorms, but believe it or not, even though it's spring, it is snowing in Minneapolis. It's snowing heavy and hard in Minneapolis. The temperature's 33 degrees there. North of this system, where we have the temperatures in the 40s into Iowa, the snow is so strong that it's coming in at rates of one to two inches per hour. There's a heavy snow warning there and lots of rain sliding into Chicago.
And if you're a frequent flyer you know what that means: delays at O'Hare and Midway, and they are long, Don and Brianna. Four hours and ten minutes sitting at the airport. That's rough.
KEILAR: Four hours.
LEMON: That's ridiculous.
KEILAR: That is the worst.
LEMON: Well, it's not as bad as the people here at Hartsfield overnight. You remember that?
KEILAR: Yes.
LEMON: Last week. Bonnie, hey, where was that video from, the lightning? Enid, Oklahoma?
SCHNEIDER: That's right. And it's all part of the same system. The video's just incredible, because you can hear the thunder and see the lightning flashing in the sky.
LEMON: Oh, my gosh. So they got that and they got the hail?
SCHNEIDER: They sure did. And now they're facing strong winds and possibly tornado -- tornadoes popping up. Remember that watch goes straight until 5 p.m. today, Don. So we're going to be watching for more severe weather throughout the afternoon.
LEMON: Yes, you're going to be busy. We're going to be checking back with you a lot.
Thanks very much, Bonnie Schneider.
KEILAR: Thanks, Bonnie.
Triplets who were typical toddlers for 18 months until something changed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was almost as if a switch, somebody came to our house and turned the switch off. The boys, it was -- it was almost as if the first 18 months of their life didn't happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Autism times three. We're going to tell you about one family's struggle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER WESTHOVEN (?), HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Every 20 minutes...
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... a child is diagnosed...
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: ... with autism.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: This epidemic...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... is sweeping the globe.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In the U.S. alone...
RICK SANCHEZ (?), CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... more children will be diagnosed with autism...
SOHN JIE-AE (?), CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... than AIDS...
LEMON: ... diabetes...
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: ... and cancer combined. Why?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The truth is...
PAULA HANCOCKS (?), CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... no one knows.
NANCY GRACE, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Autism remains a medical mystery.
CARRIE LEE (?), HEADLINE NEWS: And for the parents...
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN EDITOR: ... the questions are endless. ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: How will my child learn?
BECKY ANDERSON (?), HEADLINE NEWS: How will I pay for his care?
ROBIN MEADE (?), HEADLINE NEWS: And will families and friends still...
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... think of us as normal?
GLORIA BORGER (?), CNN ANCHOR: At CNN, it's time to find answers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Buckle up. AAA reports gas prices are higher than ever. The average price for regular now almost $3.29 a gallon, more than 60 cents above what we paid a year ago. That's a lot of money.
All of this is happening well before the start of the summer driving system, too. Analysts say the slowing economy could cut demand and bring prices down later this spring.
KEILAR: This is some bad news for a prescription drug taken by many Americans: a new study suggesting it doesn't work. Susan Lisovicz is on the floor with that bombshell announcement.
And Wall Street, is it reacting to it, Susan?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes, they are, because the drug that we're talking about here, even if you aren't taking it, certainly something that you've heard of. It's Vytorin, a drug that came out through the joint efforts of Schering-Plough and Merck, two of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world.
The bombshell announcement comes from a group of doctors and cardiologists who say that Vytorin is no better than cheaper generic drugs that are already on the market. So what that means is not only perhaps a big fall in sales of Vytorin, but since it's a mix of Zocor and Zetia, those sales could plunge, as well -- Brianna.
KEILAR: And of course, they're -- we're looking here at some financial ramifications, but there are health ramifications for those people who are hoping Vytorin would work for them. So what should people do, if they're taking Vytorin?
LISOVICZ: Well, whenever you're taking a prescription drug, I mean, don't go by what we're saying. You obviously consult with your physician as to what is the best course for you. And that's just, you know, a blanket statement that could be applied to just about anything when it comes to prescription drugs -- Brianna.
KEILAR: But obviously, not good news for the pharmaceutical companies overall? LISOVICZ: Oh, no. No, they are ailing. We can say that distinctly. I mean, we're talking about shares of Merck, which is a Dow 30 stock, down 15 percent. Schering-Plough, one of the biggest -- it may be the biggest single-day plunge in the company's history, down 25 percent.
And a lot of drug companies in general getting hit, as well. Why is that? It's kind of like, I mean, you get a big drug. It requires years of testing. R&D, very expensive. So many drugs never make it to the market. This one does. And then to have this kind of conclusion is very damaging, indeed.
It's sort of like the music business, you know? For every group that makes it, there are countless others that fail. And that's the story. It's a very expensive process.
And the pharmaceutical sector has hit a rough patch recently. You haven't seen any -- any big breakthrough drugs.
But what we are seeing is a breakthrough rally on the final -- final trading day of the first quarter and largely due to a big drop in oil prices. You're seeing a $4 plunge in oil prices right now. The Dow up nearly 100 points. The NASDAQ, meanwhile, is up 25 points -- Brianna.
KEILAR: All right. Susan Lisovicz there for us on the floor.
LISOVICZ: See you in the next hour.
KEILAR: See you in the next our. Appreciate it.
Well, as the Bush administration struggles with the housing crisis, a key player is heading out the door. That is Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson. He announced today he's leaving April 18 to focus on, quote, "personal and family matters."
He's long been accused of ethic violations, including giving lucrative contracts to friend. The FBI is investigating, but Jackson has not been charged with anything.
Now, over the years President Bush has stood by his longtime friend, and today he issued a statement praising Jackson's work. There's no word now on a possible replacement.
LEMON: And Brianna, we're going to talk about the bruising Democratic presidential race. Bill Clinton has something to say to Democrats who think it's hurting the party. We'll listen -- we'll listen in as he talked about the issue in California.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar, in for Kyra Phillips, who is on assignment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. (NEWSBREAK)
KEILAR: Some Democrats, and I say some Democrats, are worried the fierce battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could hurt the party's chances in November. Bill Clinton, well, he's not one of them. He's pushing back at several prominent Obama supporters who are calling on Clinton, who trails in the delegate count, to drop out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FMR. PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: We are strengthening the Democratic Party. Chill out, we're going to win this election if we just chill out and let everybody have their say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right, Chill out -- I like that. So what is the deal here? Is this fight good or bad for Democrats?
Our senior political analyst Mr. Bill Schneider joins us now from Washington D.C.
Bill, you heard him, he said chill out, so is it good or bad, all of this fighting and, you know, the contention that's all going on in the Democratic Party?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POL. ANALYST: I actually agree with President Clinton -- it's not a bad thing for Democrats to have this kind of a vigorous campaign. The voters love it. Look at the turnout. State after state are breaking all kinds of records. The campaign itself is not turning off Democrats, at least at this point. It could get nastier and more vicious.
But there is a danger if this campaign goes on and gets more brutal. The danger is, that the losing candidate, and it's going to be one of the two of them, the losing candidate will be able to claim it was unfair, that I was cheated out of the nomination. If the loser can claim that, and his or her supporters feel that way, then it will be very, very difficult to reconcile the Democratic Party around the nominee.
LEMON: Yes, and I heard on -- what did Barack Obama say on Friday? I think he said it was like a good movie that went on too long, and Hillary Clinton said, I like long movies. So, you know, I want to play what Barack Obama had to say about Hillary Clinton dropping out of the race, Bill, and then I want to ask you something right after.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My attitude is that Senator Clinton and can run as long as she wants. Her name's on the ballot, and she is a fierce and formidable competitor, and she obviously believes that she would make the best nominee and the best president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, Bill, it appears to be goodwill on Barack Obama's side. So, what happens to this goodwill, if in fact, the superdelegates end up deciding the nominee here?
SCHNEIDER: Yes, well, if the superdelegates decide the nominee, that will give Barack Obama supporters and the candidate himself an argument that the process was unfair, because he has said the superdelegates must not reverse the will of the people. Of course the Clinton campaign claims that the superdelegates, in fact all of the delegates, are free agents, that they're not an electoral college, that they can exercise their best judgment in choosing a nominee, and choose her even if the primary voters have gone for Obama as most of them so far have. Even though he has not wrapped up a majority of the delegates yet, he's ahead. He will argue if the superdelegates reverse the will of the people I was cheated out of the nomination and that will create a lot of bitterness and a lot resentment. She would argue, if she were forces out or somehow bullied out, that she was treated unfairly, and she will also say that if Michigan and Florida don't participate.
LEMON: Yes. So, OK, you mentioned both scenarios where both will say they were cheated, both of them could possibly say they were cheated. So if the Democratic loser, Bill, does end up saying, I was cheated, does this make it any easier for John McCain to win this fall?
SCHNEIDER: It does make it a little bit easier. Remember the last time a minority felt they were cheated, or a group in the party felt there cheated was 1968, when anti-war voters and McCarthy supporters said Humphrey stole the nomination because he didn't compete in a single primary. So yes, it will make it a little bit easier if the party is deeply divided. A lot of research shows whichever party's more divided in the primaries loses the general election. That's not to say it's going to be easy for McCain to win. It's a tie right now, which it really shouldn't be, because you've got a Republican president who's very unpopular, a bad economy and an unpopular war. It should be very tough for McCain to win this, but It's a tie right now. It won't be easy, but he will have a better chance if the Democrats are, in fact, irreconcilable.
LEMON: Hey, Bill, I want to ask you this real quickly, because I'm reading about it a lot, and I'm seeing it, you know, all over. What's the possibility of -- what are you hearing about the possibility of Condoleezza Rice being on the ticket with John McCain? I you've heard people talking about that.
SCHNEIDER: I've heard people talking about, because of the excitement of a woman running for the Democratic nomination. You hear people talk about it, but then in Washington the insiders say it's a terrible idea. Why? Because he would be lashing himself to the Bush administration, and particularly to the President Bush's Iraq policy. He does support that policy. He's an enthusiast of the surge policy and has said at one point if that policy doesn't work, then I'm going to lose. But he doesn't want to dramatize it by putting one of the architects of Bush's Iraq policy on his ticket, because the Democrats have their argument made for them: You elect John McCain, that's nothing more than a third term for George Bush.
LEMON: Yes, but looking at it just sort of peripherally, it does look like -- it looks good on paper, and that's what everyone's saying.
OK, Bill Schneider, thank you very much for that.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
LEMON: All the latest campaign news is available at your fingertips. Just go to CNNpolitics.com. We also have analysis From the best political team on television. You saw one of them here, Bill Schneider. That an more at CNNpolitics.com.
KEILAR: Two days now after Zimbabwe's presidential election and still no results in sight. A media ban, claims of vote rigging, economic disaster. We've got a look at the situation on the ground.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: After 28 years in power, has Robert Mugabe been ousted as Zimbabwe's president? Two days after Zimbabweans voted, we still do not know. According to the government, it takes time to "harmonize ballot counts." But according to opposition leaders, harmonize means rig. They claim a wide lead in presidential and parliamentary voting, but only a few official results have been released.
This is not first time Mugabe has been excused of election fraud. He stayed in power, despite his country's devastating economic collapse. Now the Mugabe government tightly controls the media, it has restricted CNN, as well as most other international broadcasters from even setting foot in the country to report.
Our Robyn Curnow got as close as she could and filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): CNN is banned from reporting inside Zimbabwe which is why we're forced to set up our satellite equipment between this taxi rank and these hawkers selling fruits and vegetables.
Now, as we wait for results to be announced, it's important to put into context where and how this election took place. And the main issue people were voting around was the economy. Most of these people here are Zimbabweans. So I've managed to get myself some Zimbabwean currency.
And I want to give you a sense of how bad the economic situation is in Zimbabwe back over that border post. This is a 10 million Zim dollar note; this is one of the highest denomination notes that you can get. But, this will not buy me anything in this fruit and vegetable store.
Hyper-inflation is so bad, that a few days ago when we were here, this note could by me an apple. It's gone up in the last few days. I can't even buy an apple with this 10 million dollar note. This is probably worth about 25 U.S. cents.
So this is, I think, what people were voting around over the weekend. And they were saying to themselves, listen, it's time for Robert Mugabe to go; that's what we're hearing. Everybody we've spoken to has said to us, it's time for Robert Mugabe to go, for change. They want to be able to afford an apple, to be able to work. Joblessness is at 80 percent or even more.
And many people say it's time for change. Well, if that has happened, it will indeed be a very historic election.
Robyn Curnow, CNN, at the Backridge (ph) Border Post.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Robyn.
The Olympic flame hit the road in Beijing today. The global torch relay will cover a record 85,000 miles in the four months or so to opening ceremonies. The launch held under extremely tight security with crowds kept half a mile away and streets sealed off.
The torch's other stops may not be so quiet. China's human rights record and the recent violence in Tibet are expected to set off protests in several relay cities in Europe and also the U.S.
KEILAR: Triplets who were typical toddlers for 18 months until something changed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LYNN GASTON, TRIPLETS MOTHER: It was almost as if a switch -- somebody came to our house and turned the switch off. The boys, it was -- it was almost as if the first 18 months of their life didn't happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Autism times three, we'll tell you about one family's struggle.
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LEMON: It is one of greatest mysteries in medicine. Why one in 150 children born this year, in the United States, will be diagnosed with autism. In our first installment of "Autism: Unraveling The Mystery," CNN senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, looks at the unanswered questions.
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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Hunter, Nicholas and Zachary Gaston were born seven years ago, their parents were ecstatic. And for the first 18 months, the boys were typical toddlers. Then, something changed. L. GASTON: It was almost as if a switch, somebody came to our house and turned the switch off. The boys -- it was almost as if the first 18 months of their life didn't happen.
GUPTA: Lynn noticed her sons were developing anti-social behavior that scared her. Hunter was licking the wall. Nick wouldn't speak. She went online and typed in their symptoms.
L. GASTON: No matter how many times I changed the symptoms around or left one or two off, it kept coming back up: autism.
GUPTA: But doctors at that time weren't coming to the same conclusions. Finally, when the boys were four, doctors confirmed all three had some variation of autism, a condition they weren't familiar with.
L. GASTON: It's not like you can look up autism in the phone book. I couldn't go to the yellow pages and find a doctor. I didn't even know what kind of doctor to go see.
GUPTA: The Centers for Disease Control has only been collecting data on autism since 2001, the year the Gaston triplets were born. And autism is difficult to diagnose. That's because the conditions and accompanying systems vary so widely.
DR. GARY GOLDSTEIN, PRESIDENT, KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE: We don't have an easy handle on it. In autism, we don't have a test. We don't have a biopsy. We don't have an image.
GUPTA: Although research points to genetic abnormalities in the development of autism, doctors still believe a trigger sets off autism in a child. It's the trigger that's the mystery.
GOLDSTEIN: It's a combination of being genetically vulnerable and then having some kind of social or toxic exposure that tips you over.
RANDY GASTON, TRIPLETS FATHER: There's something that's affecting all these children. And it's unfortunate that these families are left to their own device to find out what's going on.
GUPTA: The Gastons are committed to getting their sons the best medical care possible. Perhaps more importantly, showing their children unconditional love.
R. GASTON: That's one thing he has to know for the rest of his life. That I did everything for him, that's all it ever comes down to. That I did everything for you, buddy.
Right? Yes? Yes, OK. You're a good boy. I love you.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
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LEMON: Well the Gastons are involved in a number of projects that promote autism awareness. Most recently, they taped a public service announcement for a project called IAN which was developed by the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore.
IAN, or Interactive Autism Network, is a Web site that links families and autism researchers to help find a cure. You can find the Web site at www.ian -- I-A-N -- www.ianproject.com.
Now this Wednesday is World Autism Awareness day. And CNN brings you a special report on autism at noon Eastern. That's Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. Eastern. And you can read more about autism online -- our online special section on CNN.com. And you can learn more about this mysterious illness and a virtual resource center for those with autism -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Get back to the basics. Doctors advice after disappointing results in a study of the cholesterol fighting drug, Vytorin. Vytorin combines Zetia and Zocor. And while it lowers bad cholesterol, also known as LVL, researchers say it does nothing to eliminate the buildup of artery-damaging plaque and is no more effective than Zocor alone, which is sold generically.
Heart experts say patients need to return to statens. The study is published in "The New England Journal of Medicine."
An economic trickle down effect of the nation's food banks. Fewer donations are coming in, more families, though, looking for help. .
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KEILAR: We are monitoring a campaign event for Barack Obama, this is in Lititz (ph), Pennsylvania. Of course, a big state, the biggest Democratic primary left through the primary season, April 22 it's going to be. And we see that both candidates are in Pennsylvania today stumping on the campaign trail. We're going to monitor this event and bring any highlights to you.
LEMON: All right. Well, loss of jobs plus rising prices means more Americans need help just to buy the basics. "The New York Times" reports the number of people getting food stamps could reach an all- time high of 28 million in the coming fiscal year, up from 27.8 million this year. The "Times" says the number fluctuates with changing eligibility rules and natural disasters.
But this time -- this time, experts blame the economic slowdown of projected growth in job losses and higher prices for basic goods. Percentage-wise, more Americans got food stamps after the recession in 1990s, but this year the actual numbers are expected to be higher.
Do you qualify for food stamps but don't even know it? Well here are some of the government rules. A household of four must earn a monthly income of less than $2,238 gross, $1,721 net. You must file an application and have a face-to-face interview and you must give proof of your expenses and your income.
KEILAR: Let's head back now to Barack Obama's campaign event. Told you before he was in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Actually, he's in Manheim, Pennsylvania. He's talking energy crisis; he's talking rises prices.
Let's listen in.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... He's listening to lobbyists on the campaign trail, then it's hard to imagine that he'll stop listening to them when he's in the White House. America can't afford another four years of a Washington that serves Wall Street instead of Main Street.
We need -- we need to make a clean break from the failures of the Bush years and that's what I'm offering to do. I've taken power away from lobbyists by passing historic reform in Illinois and in the United States Senate. And on this campaign, we have haven't taken a dime of Washington lobbyists' money. We're being funded by ordinary Americans sending $5, $10 and $25 checks to help change this country.
That's why people can trust that when I'm president of the United States, I won't be answering to lobbyists. They have not funded my campaign. They will not run my White House. And they will not drown out the voices of the American people, voices are saying that they need some relief from high gas prices right now and they want a new direction for energy policy in America. That's the kind of real change I want to bring when I'm president of the United States.
So, thank you very much, everybody. Let me open it up for some questions, then I'll go shake some hands.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) plan on financial regulation fell short, and I'm just wondering if you could you elaborate on your criticisms of it and also tell me what you think of cutting (ph) the Fed's broader powers to regulate?
OBAMA: Well -- what appears happened, and we're still examining the details of what the administration has proposed, but it appears that's what happened is the administration dusted off some policies that were in place even for -- prior to the recent crisis, designed to streamline, and in some case, actually lessen regulation. Some of the streamlining makes sense, some of it adapts to a new global financial circumstance.
But it doesn't address the underlying problems that we're facing on Wall Street right now. It doesn't address the fact that we've had an absence of oversight for way too long, among all agencies. So even if you consolidate agencies, if they're not given more powers to oversee and ensure transparency and liquidity in the market, that's not going help.
It doesn't deal with some of the regulatory requirements that should be in place if the Federal Reserve is going to be a lender of last resort to investment banks, they should be subject to some capital requirements and some liquidity requirements, the same way the commercial banks are. That's something that the administration entirely ignores. It doesn't have a significant tightening of some of the transparency and disclosure that should be in place when it comes to mortgage loan originators, for example. That's a direct problem that we've seen result in the economy teetering on the edge of chaos.
So overall, what you see is a handful of intelligent proposals for streamlining some of our regulatory systems, but a completely inadequate proposal to deal with the crisis that's going on right now and a lack of recognition that we need stronger oversight and stronger regulation of the sort that I proposed when I gave a speech in New York earlier last week.
QUESTION: Senator Obama --
OBAMA: Yes.
QUESTION: -- Much of the potential of sustainable fuels, wind, energy, solar, et cetera, goes on tap because there's no infrastructure. Analysts say that there's enough wind on the planes to provide enough energy for half of the country. Would an Obama administration use actual dollars to help build infrastructure for that?
OBAMA: Yes. Because -- part of what we're going to need is a way of getting the wind power that's generated to places where there may be no wind or solar power that we can transport. And, look, our power grid has been creaky for quite some time.
The $150 billion that I'm proposing to go into clean energy, I think, also has to take into account the need to build a distribution matrix that's going to allow that energy to get to the places where it's needed. This goes to a larger point though about our failure to invest in infrastructure.
This is one of the reasons why I have proposed a $60 billion infrastructure investment fund, not just for roads and bridges, but also things like our power grid; also things like broadband access and power lines, as well as our sewer lines and our water supply.
Those are all things that can put people immediately to work, but also lays the groundwork for long-term competitiveness in the future and that is the kind of plan that I want to put forward when I'm president.
All right.
QUESTION: Senator, you --
KEILAR: Barack Obama talking about the economy in Manheim, Pennsylvania. You may recall last week he gave a -- what his campaign called a major speech on the economy and he's sort of touting his plan in a bus tour across Pennsylvania.
Next hour, Hillary Rodham Clinton is going to be talking in Pennsylvania, as well. She'll be holding be a town hall meeting. We're going to check that out. And you can look at all of the live campaign events right on our Web site at CNN.com/live.
Back in a moment.
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