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American Morning
Frontier Airline Filling for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection; Coalition Air Strikes Take Out 12 Suspected Militia Fighters in Iraq; Misery Today for American Airlines Passengers
Aired April 11, 2008 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have no idea. He was asked by local press in Mexico last night what his next steps would be. His response was it seems like I don't have much of a choice. So if he believes that, then one would think that he would not fight the extradition process.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Harris Whitbeck following the latest developments on this throughout the day for us. Thank you.
We also have some breaking news out of the airline industry overnight. We learn about Frontier Airline filling for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It's blaming the company that uses to process credit card transactions. Frontier is saying the company raised it fees and filling Chapter 11 was the only way to stop it.
They are saying that they are going to continue to fly and that passengers will not be affected. But this makes the fourth airline in a matter of weeks. Aloha Air Group, ATA Airlines and Skybus all filing for bankruptcy in the last week and a half.
Trouble at American Airlines as well. If had to cancel close to 600 flights...
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Are you all right?
CHETRY: Yes.
ROBERTS: Are you sure?
CHETRY: ...today while the airline scrambles to comply with FAA safety regulations. Nearly, 3,000 flights grounded this week as inspectors' check wiring in the wheel wells of the MD-80 jets. American estimates 250,000 people have been affected. The airline is expecting all MD-80s back in the air by tomorrow now.
Spring allergies, it gets you every time.
ROBERTS: Yes, I know. I'm suffering myself.
New this morning, coalition air strikes take out 12 suspected militia fighters in Iraq. In the Sadr City district of Baghdad, an unman U.S. drowned killed six heavily armed insurgents last night.
Mahdi Army militias had been using Sadr City to fire rockets into the green zone. And in the southern city of Basra, a helicopter attacked a group of insurgents. The British military says they were a mortar team firing at Iraqi troops.
Alina Cho here now with other stories new this morning. She joins us, good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, guys, good morning to you. Good morning, everybody.
Almost a year after the Virginia Tech shootings, lawyers say many of the families of the 32 victims have reached an $11 million settlement with the state. That agreement means the victims' families cannot sue the state, the school -- Virginia Tech, local authorities or mental health offices.
Also new this morning, be careful what you post online. Now, we've heard that many times before but certainly not from Israeli Defense officials. Listen to this story. Israel is now warning soldiers to watch the photos they post on Facebook. It says some soldiers are posting shots of themselves with classified equipment inadvertently revealing sensitive national security information.
The Olympic torch may have another hectic run today. This time through Argentina. The same torch even got a police escort as officials in Buenos Aires prepare for protests against China's human rights record.
Protests are expected today during the torch run. But the crowds are expected to a bit smaller than what we've seen in Paris, London and San Francisco in recent days.
They are true heroes. Police say two total strangers went into a burning car to save a baby strapped in the back seat. The car was literally melting as two adults escaped and two others rushed to the rescue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I ran up, their seat belt was strapped to the baby. And I ran over there and tried to pull that door ajar and finally got the baby out and they ran over here. And lucky that thing didn't blow up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought it was hard to unbuckle to get the baby out. But she's safe, she's good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Gosh, can you imagine running into that. The car is a total loss, as you can see there. But those involved, of course, just thankful. Nobody was hurt despite those intense flames. No word yet on exactly what caused that fire.
And here's something you don't see every day. A dog that's not only man's best friend but a lazy man's best friend. Take a listen to this.
A Maryland man says his dog, Ronan (ph), a 5-year-old bull mastiff can walk without a leash and even take out the trash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LLOYD WEEDON, THOUGHT HIS DOG TO TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE: I experimented, I was out in the yard one day, happened to be working on a car, and there was a spare tire and I asked him to get it. Believe it or not, he picked up the tire and brought it to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Well, he decided he was on to something. Ronan's (ph) owner says it's nice to have an extra hand or mouth in this case, to help with the chores.
CHETRY: (INAUDIBLE) working dog group, right?
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Great deal of money to be made off of this. And the dog works for scraps, too.
CHO: How about that?
CHETRY: All my dog does is drool and slobber on the couch all day.
VELSHI: This is excellent. This dog -- this man can farm himself out as a consultant. And that dog, what do you get those fees, you know, when you make other dogs, breeding fees, stud fees? That is what it is.
ROBERTS: Hey, just go back to that car fire. So two people were in the car, baby in the back, they jumped out of the car and two complete strangers had to go rescue the child?
CHO: Went it and rescue the child.
VELSHI: Something little wrong with the equation there.
ROBERTS: I would think.
VELSHI: Grab the baby and the dog next time.
All right. Stimulus checks. Tax day is on Tuesday. Guess what? For those of you who are expecting those nice, hefty checks, and start at the beginning of May, you cannot get one unless you file a tax return for 2007.
So stay with us. I'm going to tell you about the extra help you can get if you, like me, have not filed your tax return yet. AMERICAN MORNING is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Seven minutes after the hour. Breaking news for you this morning. Just in time for a weekend road trip. The price of gasoline hits another record. A look at the AMERICAN MORNING gas gauge shows the average price for a gallon of self-serve regular $3.36, up almost a penny since yesterday. Last month it was $3.26. A year ago today 56 cents cheaper.
And a reminder that tax deadline day is coming up on Monday. Ali Velshi here "Minding Your Business."
VELSHI: It's almost irresponsible for me to speak of this because I don't know if I've ever filed my taxes on time. I do put the extension in. But if you are expecting one of those stimulus checks, starting at $600 up to $1200 for a couple, and then $300 if you have a baby within certain income elements, you can't get that. That check will not go to you if you have not filed a 2007 tax return.
CHETRY: Hold on. You have until Tuesday, don't get people nervous right?
VELSHI: Right, yes, because if I haven't done it by today, it's definitely going to be extended.
CHETRY: Oh, there will be lines around the block of the post office, Tuesday at 3:59.
VELSHI: To your point, you're absolute right. And if you have not done it, and you need some help, the IRS is going to be -- they're having 3000 locations open on the weekend to help certain people for free by the way.
People who are retirees, disabled veterans, or if you are just filing to get that stimulus check, they will be available to give you free help from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. local time. Check the IRS for locations. There is also an 800 number because they will be available to you to make phone calls on Saturday as well -- 1-800-829-1040. There it is at the bottom of the screen.
You can get that off the IRS Web site as well. And we are going to be having the IRS commissioner on "ISSUE #1" today to talk -- to just sort of give people a sense of what the big mistakes are that are made and how you can get your check most effectively.
So as much as I was pooh-poohing what you said, it was in fact the point of the discussion that people probably are going to spend their weekend since it's too expensive to drive doing their tax returns.
CHETRY: Sounds like fun.
VELSHI: Yes. I might be one of them.
ROBERTS: Deadline, midnight, Monday night.
VELSHI: Right.
ROBERTS: All right. Thanks, Ali. It is every year, it shouldn't be a surprise.
CHETRY: It's, it's, it's...
VELSHI: 12, 13, 14 -- Tuesday. CHETRY: It's Tuesday.
ROBERTS: The economy is "ISSUE #1" in the minds of voters. Join Ali, Gerri Willis, and the CNN money team for "ISSUE#1" today, noon Eastern, right here on CNN, and online at cnnmoney.com.
CHETRY: Well, how about this one? A nude photo of France's first lady selling for $91,000. Carla Bruni Sarkozy posed for this back in 1993. She was a huge supermodel back then. And officials at Christy's Auction House say it went for 30 times the pre-auction estimate. It was one of many pictures that a photographer taken of her.
VELSHI: That one called nude earlier this week. But for $91,000 that one actually is really nude. Right? It doesn't have the black bar?
CHETRY: You're right. They remove the black bar after purchase it.
VELSHI: I was wondering about that.
ROBERTS: The other one was a work of art.
VELSHI: Right. The other one you couldn't determine that it was really a nude.
ROBERTS: A very famous photographer, famous photo.
VELSHI: So it goes to show you, when you are more explicit -- when you're actually fully nude, it decreases the value, if you're sort of semi-nude.
CHETRY: Right. Less is more.
ROBERTS: Yes, sometimes. And that applies now. Rob is here with a look at the weather.
Hey, Rob, how are you?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Where is this show going lately? You're talking about a nude picture and Dick Cheney's lens and now some woman wearing a piece of electrical tape. Anyway, (INAUDIBLE), I guess.
Hey, weather is coming up next. Snow, flooding, the works, you've got it. And it will be on the back side of this commercial break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
CHETRY: Well, still ahead, the prince -- actually, right now, the Prince of Wales will be getting his son a very special honor -- a set of wings. Prince William as well as 2400 grads of the Central Flying School are going to be getting their Royal Air Force Wings in a ceremony later today.
And William's father, of course, Prince Charles is the one who presents those awards. So I'm sure he is always proud of them when they get their wings but probably a little extra proud this year because he gets to hand it to his oldest son.
ROBERTS: There you go. We have heard from the top commander of forces in Iraq and from President Bush. In just a few moments, it's the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, sitting down for an exclusive interview, whether they're succeeding or not. And why more troops aren't coming home.
CHETRY: And it's been 40 years since the Federal Fair Housing Act became law. But does it really prevent discrimination against minority homeowners? Our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, joins us to take a closer look ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, today a milestone for Martin Luther King Jr. It was one of his greatest goals. It was the Fair Housing Act, and it requires that all Americans have equal access to housing. 40 years later, how well is it working?
CNN personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, has been looking at how the law is enforced today. Was the dream realized as it relates to fair housing for everyone?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, no. As a matter of fact, you know, the Fair Housing Act, was supposed to make housing fair and equal for everybody, from landlords to home sellers. But in fact, that's not exactly what happened. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS (voice-over): In the spring of 1968, the United States was a nation divided by race.
What was going on in this country? What was the tone?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Segregated schools by race, segregated jobs, segregated housing.
WILLIS: African-Americans were regularly denied mortgages and prevented from renting in white neighborhoods which had better housing and schools. That caused blacks to march for fair housing laws aimed at ending discrimination.
JIM CARR, SEGREGATION RISING COST FOR AMERICA: That march is to improve integration were met often with an enormous amount of violence simply because people didn't really understand what integrated communities might lead to.
WILLIS: Resistance was also felt in Congress where a bill aimed at ending discrimination against minorities wishing to buy or rent houses was stalled. That quickly changed after the assassination of Dr. King, which sparked five days of widespread rioting.
CARR: Emotions at the time I think suggested that this was not the time now to back down and do nothing.
WILLIS: King's death in April 1968 prompted Congress to pass the Fair Housing Act. But 40 years later, the National Fair Housing Alliance estimates almost 4 million housing violations against all minorities every year including uncooperative real estate agents who put up roadblocks to keep minorities out of white neighborhoods.
The John Marshal Law School in Chicago runs a fair housing legal clinic, they say discrimination today is more subtle and difficult to detect.
DAMIAN ORTIZ, JOHN MARSHALL LAW SCHOOL: Instead of talking to people when they call, they allow the answering machine to answer and let the people leave a message and try to determine is this person white, black, Hispanic.
WILLIS: The clinic routinely files lawsuits against management companies and landlord whose discriminate, often winning settlements for their clients. While progress has been made since 1968, Damian Ortiz says there's still work to be done.
CARR: And it's unfortunate that 40 years later, we are still dealing with the same issues.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: Still dealing with the same issues 40 years later. The problem now really in mortgage financing. Instead of ignoring or refusing loans to racial minorities, now lenders seeking them out for subprime loans. They have high fees.
CHETRY: Yes and so, you talk about the need for more aggressive policing -- enforcement of things that are already on the books?
WILLIS: Exactly. That's exactly why Jesse Jackson told me. He says that if we would only enforce the laws that are on the books right now, we wouldn't have the problems we're having right now with reverse redlining, where people are getting these subprime loans. But the terms are so onerous that they can't stay in their house.
CHETRY: Difficult time. And as you've pointed out, you gave some numbers as well. HUD has a number as well as some of the other ones who try to help people out to find themselves here.
WILLIS: There is help out there if you need it. If you're looking for assistance today, go to hud.gov on the web. They have counselors and communities all over the country. They can help you out, give you advice if you're struggling with paying your mortgage right now.
CHETRY: And when you talked about that yesterday, a lot of people asked me again what were those numbers, because I think I need to call. WILLIS: We can't say them enough.
CHETRY: Yes, absolutely. It's on our Web site as well. Gerri, thanks so much. And Join Gerri for her show, "OPEN HOUSE." It's tomorrow 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time, right here on CNN.
ROBERTS: So you know, it's not unusual because it happens all the time, but I goofed. I thought Monday was the 15th. Tuesday is the 15th.
CHETRY: Yes. I just wanted to make sure that you didn't cheat people an extra day.
ROBERTS: No. So we have an extra day to do our taxes.
CHETRY: That's right.
ROBERTS: This is great. This is great.
CHETRY: Tuesday close of business, right? Midnight Tuesday.
ROBERTS: So my stupidity is now giving me an extra day to do my taxes. This is fantastic. Tuesday is the 15th, not Monday.
CHETRY: Tax day. That's right.
ROBERTS: Life is going fast enough already without me speeding it up. Time for a little Friday fun for you here.
There's a photo from the White House that is causing quite a stir on the Internet. This is it. Take a look. The photo was posted on the White House Web site. It's shows vice president, Dick Cheney, with a caption that said he was fly fishing on the Snake River in Idaho.
But take a closer look at the reflection in his sunglasses. Because there are several people in the blogosphere who say well, it looks eerily like a naked woman. It couldn't be though because we're fly fishing on the Snake River.
The rumbling got the blogs so worked up that the White House had to come out dismissing the idea saying, quote, "Clearly, the picture shows the vice president's hand casting a rod."
So here's our Friday, "Quick Vote." Again, we're just having some fun with this. Do you agree with the blogosphere and think that well, it's a naked woman in the reflection. Maybe Carla Bruni. Maybe he had that photograph in front of him.
Right now, 56 percent of you say yes. 44 percent say no. Cast your vote at cnn.com/am. We will continue to tally your votes throughout the morning.
CHETRY: Yes, I got to admit, the more I look at it, you can see the knuckles, you can see the fly fish. There's a conspiracy theory to be found in everything. You wanted people to send in their taxes early. That's part of a conspiracy as well.
ROBERTS: Plus, I think if it was a naked woman, he would have a shocked look on his face, instead of a happy one.
We also wanted your e-mails on this one. If it's not a naked woman, well, what do you think it is? E-mail us at cnn.com/am. Some people had been getting into this and having some real fun with this one.
It could become the next president's problem now. President Bush announcing troop withdrawals will stop after July. Who comes home and who stays? An exclusive interview coming up with the Joint Chief of Staff Chairman. That's next.
CHETRY: Also, more misery today at the airports for American Airlines passengers. Hundreds more flights being canceled today. And New York Senator Charles Schumer is blasting the airline and the FAA saying this did not have to happen this way. He stopped by earlier to talk to us about it. We're going to hear what he says about solution, when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: After 30,000 troops come home from Iraq, the rest are going to have to wait. President Bush has announced the troop withdrawals from Iraq will be halted indefinitely after July. It came on the recommendation of his top general in Iraq, David Petraeus, who wants some review period after the current drawdown is complete.
Well, joining us now live for an exclusive interview from the Pentagon is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen.
Admiral, good to finally have you on the program. Thanks for being with us this morning.
ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Good morning, John. Good to be with you.
ROBERTS: So President Bush said in his speech yesterday effectively General Petraeus has got all the time he needs to prosecute the war in Iraq to a successful conclusion. The question a lot of people have is what is a successful conclusion.
MULLEN: Well, one of the things that I think is really important to point out here is that General Petraeus specifically said in his testimony that he would have a 45-day consolidation and assessment period after the troops -- the last of the surge brigades comes home at the end of July.
And at that point in time, his intent is to make a recommendation as to whether or not troop withdrawals should continue or not and all that is going to be conditions based.
And specifically, we've had tremendous amount of success with the surge, security improved dramatically, and it's really created an opportunity to make these kinds of decisions and specifically the kinds of conditions on the ground which would drive us to decisions in the future whether we would continue to withdraw our troops.
ROBERTS: No. Admiral, not everyone agrees with that assessment. Let's take a listen to what the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY REID, SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: This week's hearings gave the Bush administration a chance to answer two very important questions. Has the war made us any safer? Are our troops any closer to coming home? On both counts after the hearings the answer is no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So, the senator not exactly thrilled with what he heard from General Petraeus or the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker. And the question that people are asking is, what is the end game? Where do you need to get Iraq to? What state do you need to get it to before U.S. troops can come home?
MULLEN: Well, I think Iraq needs to be a stable country that is able to govern itself. The political reconciliation between the various parties needs to continue. They need to have an economy which is providing for the people, security specifically turned over by and large to the Iraqi security forces and a lot of that has already occurred. We still have a ways to go.
We've turned over control to the Iraqi security forces of half of the 18 provinces. This has been in great part as a result of the surge, and ability for people to be employed, to provide food and support for their families and do it in a way that is sustainable. The security right now is fragile and it's not irreversible yet. We need to get it to the point where it is.
ROBERTS: You were up on the Hill yesterday. You were talking about Afghanistan. You testified that you were quote "Deeply concerned about the situation in Afghanistan." But that the military can't do much more about it until we draw down more forces in Iraq. How concerned are you with the situation in Afghanistan and what is it as you see it at this point?
MULLEN: Well, I think deeply concerned captures it. We've seen an increase in the violence that the Taliban has created. We've actually done pretty well against the Taliban in the field, defeated them in all the battles. They haven't been able to take any territory. But they've increased, they've gone to different tactics.
So certainly, they're resurgent. We have not been able particularly in the south to take ground and hold it because we haven't had enough forces to do that. We have a need to help the Afghan police and Afghan army train, and we've improved in that, but we need more troops to do that.
ROBERTS: You said maintaining troops in Iraq is harming overall military capabilities. Can you explain a little bit more about that?
MULLEN: Well, there's a very delicate balance right now between the needs. And our top mission right now is to deployed troops in Iraq and improve security there.
After that, we need to focus on both providing troops and capabilities to Afghanistan. And the third piece of this is the health of the force. Making sure that we don't put our long-term force in any kind of jeopardy and build additional dwell time, time at home for our troops.
President announced yesterday that we would be shortening our deployments for our active duty army brigades from 15 months to 12 months, and that's a significant step forward. But we still have to keep that balance between our needs in Iraq, our needs in Afghanistan, and the health of the force.
ROBERTS: And just one other point on that particular issue, while the President reduced the duration of these deployment, he didn't say anything about multiple deployments. There was a study out recently that showed more than one in four troops on their third or fourth deployments are showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. What do these repeated rotations do to the military force and to military readiness?
MULLEN: Well, our forces in particular, our ground forces are under tremendous pressure and stress. That said, they are also doing exceptionally well, they love what they are doing. They are resilient. And they are making a difference where they are employed. We've got to keep that balance. All of us in leadership positions are concerned about the stress. And about 10 percent to 15 percent of the Army in particular have had these third and fourth deployments. PTSD, the stress syndrome is a concern. And there are concerted efforts to treat that -- to recognize that and treat that, and make sure that we take care of all these young men and women in uniform who have done so exceptionally well for us.
ROBERTS: Admiral Mike Mullen from the Pentagon this morning. Thanks for joining us, sir. Good to have you on the show. We hope to get you back again soon.
MULLEN: Thank you, John.
ROBERTS: Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, we need to update you now on a breaking story. This was a fire that destroyed Hillary Clinton's campaign office. It was in Terre Haute, Indiana, just in the middle of the night actually. Starting after midnight, flames shooting through the roof when firefighters arrived on the scene. And two women were inside when the fire started, they both made it out safely. The cause is being investigated.
Radio talk show host Randi Rhodes leaving her show on Air America after she was suspended last week for using obscenities to describe Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro. Rhodes made the comments at a publicity event in San Francisco. The event captured and then posted on YouTube. Last night, Rhodes spoke exclusively to Larry King to explain why she is leaving and why she is not apologizing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDI RHODES, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: It was absolutely 100 percent pure stand up, Larry. It was a Saturday night in San Francisco in a club. It was me on a stage with a microphone doing standup. My view of it is that the contract terminated because their unwavering position was that if I didn't amend my contract, to take away a right that I had, that they would never give me back my microphone. This thing was really about them wanting to change my contract.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, Rhodes has already cut a new deal to get back on the air. She will be on a station in San Francisco.
A new national poll showing that Senator McCain has caught up to the Democrats in the presidential rate. The Associated Press IPSA survey compares the two potential matchups. McCain running dead even with Barack Obama, 45 percent a piece. And McCain had been ten points behind back in February. He is still trailing Hillary Clinton 48 percent to 45 percent. That still is a statistical dead heat that when you factor in the margin of error.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama square off in a special event this Sunday. They'll be answering questions on faith and politics at the "Compassion Forum" hosted by Campbell Brown. Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern right here on CNN. You can watch from your computer as well at cnn.com/live.
ROBERTS: Well, the three-month man hunt is over for a marine wanted for killing a pregnant fellow marine. Police in Mexico say they arrested Corporal Cesar Laurean at a road block. U.S. authorities are now awaiting his extradition. Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING, one of the lead investigators told us how authorities closed in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. RICK SUTHERLAND, ONSLOW COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: A couple weeks ago we developed some information that allowed us to generate some new leads and the FBI began closing in geographically on where they thought that he might be, and just this week we were able to really focus our resources on one specific area of the country, and then earlier yesterday evening authorities were able to take him into custody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Laurean headed south after police found the burned body of 20-year-old marine Maria Lauterbach in his backyard. She was eight months pregnant at the time of her death and had accused Laurean of rape. CHETRY: American Airlines canceling close to 600 more flights today. Still scrambling to comply with safety checks. Inspectors are checking wiring in MD-80 jets. New York Senator Charles Schumer said both American Airlines as well as the FAA were "asleep at the switch and should have seen this coming." Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING. I asked about the FAA's defense of its emergency inspection.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The FAA's weighing in this morning. The assistant administrator for communications is saying if the repairs had been made any time in the 18-month time frame outlined in the airworthiness directive, we would not have seen these cancellations. These cancellations, they seem to be laying the blame at the airline.
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Yes, well, it leaps out. Why didn't the FAA when they were two or three months behind get on them. If it's 18 months the FAA was asleep at the switch. And I have to tell you, the FAA is coming close to FEMA after Katrina. You know, you're doing a good job. It is an agency that the President put in a political hack, she was there for four or five years, she messed this thing up to a -- they cut back on costs so they didn't have the people in the control towers, the updated equipment.
This is an agency, this is not politics, liberal, conservative, Democratic Republican, it's competence. And this has been one of the most incompetent agencies in the last few years that we have seen. If they are on the job this never would have happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Senator Schumer wants the airlines and the FAA to create a task force that would set up planned inspections. He is also renewing calls for a passenger bill of rights.
ROBERTS: A heart attack at only 32 years old is surprising, but maybe not for someone who weighs 366 pounds. This man says it was the best thing that ever happened to him. We'll meet him ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: 37 minutes after the hour. Disappointing earnings from GE just breaking this morning. Ali Velshi joins us now from the business update desk with more. Good morning, Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN, SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. As we discussed earlier this week. We're not going to bring you every earnings report that comes up. We are going to bring you the important ones and the effect that they on the market. The effective GE earnings report this morning, quite negative on the market. The Dow now looking to open more than a hundred points lower.
General Electric has just come out with its first quarter earnings, that's the report card of how the business did between January and March, the end of March of this year. It's not good. The earnings were down largely because of the U.S. financial services arm of General Electric. GE said that it was struggling amidst the slow U.S. economy. General Electric has also said the rest of the year will come in lower than expected, more than half of General Electric's earnings are made overseas, and that part of the business has been good. But this morning the shares of GE are getting slammed in pre- market training. GE is a very large company, one of the biggest in the world. And as a result, it is affecting markets.
For those of you with stock investments, you're going to see that those markets open lower, at this point, probably in triple digit. John.
ROBERTS: And reminder this morning, Ali. The tax deadline is midnight Tuesday.
VELSHI: Midnight Tuesday.
ROBERTS: That's right. For some reason, I thought Monday was the 15th.
VELSHI: That is never going to hurt if you get it in 24 hours early.
ROBERTS: True. Ali Velshi, thanks. Kiran.
CHETRY: I was just saying you scared many people though who were hoping they had that extra day.
ROBERTS: Well you know, it's that shot of adrenaline that gets you going in the morning.
CHETRY: I'm sure they all appreciate it.
Well, in some medical news, right now, we're talking about heart attacks and just how deadly they can be. Nearly, half a million Americans every year die from heart attacks. The leading cause of death actually for men and women and while the average age of a heart attack is 70, we are about to meet a man who had his first in his 30s and he used it to change his life. Dr. Sanjay Gupta brings us his story in today's "Fit Nation" report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR.SANJAY GUPTA, CNN, CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Kris knew he was living on borrowed time. He was 366 pounds and had a family history of heart disease.
KRIS VERDIN, HEART ATTACK SURVIVOR: A year and a half ago almost to the day, I got done cutting my grass, was watching some football, and started having some breathing difficulty.
GUPTA: Kris' prediction came true. But much earlier than expected.
VERDIN: I had a heart attack at the age of 32. GUPTA: He was rushed to the hospital and had an emergency angioplasty where doctors reopened an artery that was 100 percent blocked. He had five more stents put in the following week.
VERDIN: It's a traumatic experience, I don't wish it on my worst enemy. But, I mean, I've said many times the best thing that ever happened to me was I had a heart attack because it's going to add years on to my life.
GUPTA: Since that day, Kris traded in his pizza and fast food eating habits for salad and grilled chicken and became a group cycling instructor at the local YMCA. So far, he has dropped 110 pounds. So, what has the experience taught him?
VERDIN: You got to change. You got to take your life in your own hands, you have a wake-up call, and don't let the wake-up call be an ambulance taking you to the hospital and a nurse telling you that you are having a heart attack. My name is Kris Verdin and I've lost 110 pounds.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: Imagine that, 32 years old when he had that heart attack. We are starting to see some of the ramifications of the obesity epidemic we spend so much time talking about. Now, Kris was able to turn his life around. He says he got 30 more pounds to lose, but he is confident he can do it to a path to a healthier life as well. Back to you.
CHETRY: Thanks, Sanjay. You can catch Dr. Sanjay Gupta this weekend, he has his own show called "House Call." Yes, it is "House Call." His keys to living longer, surviving the ER and help for Alzheimer's. "House Call" airs Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8:30 eastern, here on CNN. "Open House" is after that. So, you get medical advice and advice on your home.
ROBERTS: You are not catching my disease, are you?
ROBERTS: Friday brain.
Why do Americans like Chinese food so much? Maybe because what we eat is designed for our tastes.
We're tracing the origins of Chinese food. Coming right up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: And we're following breaking news for you right now out of Baghdad. It's just into CNN from our Baghdad bureau. We're getting reports of at least three civilians wounded after they were hit by mortar round fired near Baghdad's Palestine Hotel, this is according to an Interior Ministry official. The Palestine Hotel just outside of the international green zone that you see there. It is a place where many journalists and others do stay.
Also there was another attack at the green zone itself. We are not getting any further details on that, only that mortar and/or rockets were fired and also hit inside of the green zone. Again, this has been blamed in recent days by the U.S. military on the Iranian backed Shiite militants, some of this incoming fire coming from nearby Sadr city. So, again at least three civilians wounded by a mortar round that was fired near Baghdad's Palestine Hotel. We will keep you posted on anything else that develops out of Baghdad this morning.
ROBERTS: Coming up to 44 minutes after the hour. But all kinds of weather to tell you about in the last couple of days. Rob Marciano tracking it all at the CNN Weather Center. Good morning, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, John. Here's where the storm is and where we expect it to be over the next six hours, riding up towards the Great Lakes. Still have this cold front that needs to push through. It's going to get some pretty toasty air. So, there is a threat for seeing some showers and thunderstorms that could develop into ones that produce some hail, damaging winds and maybe some isolated tornadoes. Here's a temperature contrast, across the south we are into some of the warmest air we've seen so far. A lot of folks will finally hit 80 degrees for the first time this spring. And in Dallas 54, Little Rock 60. So, you get the idea exactly where that front is and where it's going.
All associated with that low, the front side is warm, the topside, back side cold. That is where we see tremendous amount of snowfall, in some cases upward of a foot. And we got blizzard warnings that are out tonight or this afternoon for parts of northern Michigan and back through parts of South Dakota. 13 inches in Mullen, Nebraska, Yampa Valley, Colorado, 12.8. Whitman, Nebraska, a foot of snow in the middle of April. When is summer coming? Looking forward to that heat. John, back up to you.
ROBERTS: I don't know if I'm looking forward to the heat. But I'm looking forward to some consistently warm weather. Rob, thanks very much.
MARCIANO: All right.
ROBERTS: With a few good ideas and a lot of compassion, one person can change the lives of thousands. Like Viola Vaughn, she's today's CNN hero.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIOLA VAUGH: When a girl reaches the age when she can help in the house, the mother starts keeping this girl at home. That girl began missing school, missing home work and she starts to fail. It is a downward cycle. My name is Viola Vaughn, I came from Detroit, Michigan. I started a girls' education and self sufficiency program. This is good. I put a limitation of a hundred girls. I said that's all I'm going to do. I came to the synagogue to retire. And the girls said no, we want to take you to 10,000.
We take girls who have already failed in school. They learn how to perfect a skill, to produce products for export. We have a pastry shop. In the sewing workshop, they make sheets, they make dolls, they make any kind of household linens. Half of the fund goes back to them. The remainder goes into the education program.
Come on, give me a hug. We do this all the time. They are passing school, they are opening businesses. I see the success. Right now, we already have seven girls in university. And they run everything. I'm there just to make sure all the I's are dotted and all the t's are crossed. Here I am retired and this is the best job I've ever had in my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: CNN NEWSROOM is just minutes await. Tony Harris at the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead today. Hi, Tony.
TONY HARRIS, CNN, ANCHOR: Hey, Kiran, good Friday to you. Good Friday, everyone. They captured in Mexico in the NEWSROOM this morning. Will a fugitive marine fight extradition to the U.S.? Cesar Laurean accused of killing a pregnant marine in North Carolina. The victim's mother live next hour.
A new day of cancellation, chaos at American Airlines. Hundreds more flights grounded today for wiring re-check. And listen to this, a cup of coffee that is the cat's meow. The beans marinated inside a cat. Yes, my friends, coffee that is good to the last drop. Bean.
Friday in the NEWSROOM, are we ready for the weekend or what? We get started at the top of the hour right here on CNN. Kiran, back to you. Have a great weekend.
CHETRY: You too, Tony. All right. Thanks so much.
Well, it's bigger than McDonald's, Burger King and KFC combined. We're exploring America's love of Chinese food. Whether it really has anything to do with the original recipe that you may found in China, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Ten minutes to the top of the hour.
New video just in as fire destroyed Hillary Clinton's campaign office in Terre Haute, Indiana. The fire started at about 12:30, just after midnight, flames shooting through the roof when firefighters arrived. As you can see there by those pictures, quite an inferno. Two women were inside when the fire started, but they both got out safely. The cause is being investigated.
CHETRY: Well, you know, there are more Chinese food restaurants - I'm sorry, I'm just so happy to be surrounded by this much food now.
ROBERTS: She's eaten half of the stuff on the table here.
CHETRY: There are more Chinese food restaurants in America than McDonalds, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets combined.
ROBERTS: Watching you eat is just an extraordinary experience. 40,000 and growing, Chinese food apparently everywhere, in here too. Served on all seven continents, even has been served in outer space. But are the recipes really made in China? Our Lola Ogunnaike went to investigate. What did you find out?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN, CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mmmm. Chinese food. Who doesn't love it. But you may be shocked to learn that that General Hso's Chicken that you ate last night isn't really from the land of the pandas.
JENNIFER B. LEE, AUTHOR, "THE FORTUNE COOKIE CHRONICLES": I went to the Hunan province and found General Hso's family. Now, five, six, seven generations past General Hso himself and there are like we've never heard of this chicken dish.
OGUNNAIKE: That's because it was created in the 1970s to please New York palates, which Jennifer Lee quickly discovered while researching her new book, "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles."
LEE: It is basically chicken. Americans love chicken. It is deep fried and it's sweet.
OGUNNAIKE: Americans love deep fried. And don't go looking for any beef and broccoli in the Szechuan province. It's also as American as apple pie.
LEE: In fact, broccoli is not a Chinese vegetable. It originally came from Italy and then moved over to the United States in the early part of the 20th century and then it became super, super popular.
OGUNNAIKE: And the soy sauce in these packets comes all the way from New Jersey? So, what does authentic Chinese food look like? Well, it isn't always pretty and it isn't always easy to swallow.
LEE: One of the main differences between Chinese American food and Chinese Chinese food is, Americans don't want to be reminded that their food never swam, walked or flew.
OGUNNAIKE: But this thing clearly swam?
LEE: Yes, and it's still swimming right now.
OGUNNAIKE: I passed on the fish and headed straight to dessert. Fortune Cookies, doesn't get more Chinese than that, right? Wrong again, you can thank Japan for those.
LEE: I brought a whole bunch of fortune cookies to China. And the reaction you get there is Americans are so strange, why are you putting little pieces of paper in their cookies.
OGUNNAIKE: What does yours say?
LEE: Mine says don't pass up a once in a lifetime offer.
OGUNNAIKE: Pretty good. You have had a good start. Work harder.
LEE: That is very Chinese, actually. It means like try harder.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Mine says you and your wife will be happy in your life together. I think I got yours.
OGUNNAIKE: Mine says depart not from the past which fate has assigned you. OK. So this is my path, right. And I'm going to explain. What does yours say, John?
ROBERTS: Mine says tax deadline is Tuesday the 15th, not Monday.
CHETRY: It says you will sleep well tonight. You need that one.
ROBERTS: Yes. I do.
CHETRY: How about it? The funny part is, these are not made in China either.
OGUNNAIKE: No, these are made in America actually, in Long Island City in Queens. There are more than 3 billion fortune cookies made a year and half of them come from Queens, in our backyard. Can you believe that?
Egg rolls, for example, these are not nearly as big. Jenny, the author of the book calls this the original super-sized meal.
And let's talk about the eggplant real quickly, Kiran.
CHETRY: The eggplant Sanjay Gupta told me that eggplant can bring on labor as can spicy food.
ROBERTS: Well, that would be if you were really pregnant as opposed to not just eating a basket of egg rolls.
CHETRY: Well, that's why Lola brought it for me. Thank you. Very interesting the history of our Americanized Chinese food.
OGUNNAIKE: OK, everyone. Come on and dig in. Dig in.
ROBERTS: This will be gone in 15 seconds.
So, how badly do Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama want to be president. Our Jeanne Moos takes a look coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, recently both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have hit the bowling alley.
CHETRY: Yes with dubious results. Time now for the Moos news in the morning with Jeanne.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MOOS, CNN, CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another pin dropped in bowling '08. This time it's Hillary who is not exactly on a roll. Remember all the grief Obama got, for bowling a 37. From a mock attack ad on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" --
JIMMY KIMMEL: If Barack Obama can't control a 16-pound bowling ball, how can he control our nation?
MOOS: To out and out taunts. That a 3-year-old could do better.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got a strike!
MOOS: Yes, well maybe that three-year-old bowls better than Hillary too. Back on April Fool's day, Hillary challenged Senator Obama.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To a bowl off. I will even spot him two frames.
MOOS: When it came home to put her bowling ball where her mouth was, on the Ellen Degeneres show, Hillary started lowering expectations.
ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: You're probably really good though because there was a bowling alley in the White House, right?
CLINTON: But I have not bowled since I left the White House.
MOOS: Ellen went first. After Hillary had admonished Obama.
CLINTON: To get out of the gutter.
MOOS: Look where she ended up.
CLINTON: Oh!
MOOS: Hillary's next and last toss wasn't much better. At least she didn't end up like the elder George Bush did in this YouTube video. It really is George Bush Sr. And maybe Barack and Hillary should have the kind of bowl off that bowls off some steam. And speaking of moves, bowling or otherwise, Obama dared to dance, not once, but twice with Ellen. Hillary did not bust a move. We feel we may have stumbled on bowling-gate. Did someone tamper with the videotape of Hillary's bowling? Note in the promos, she knocks down two pins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But only Ellen takes her bowling.
MOOS: During the show she got one. Remember that when you hear Obama insulted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Barack Obama, he bowls like a woman.
MOOS: Yes, this woman. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) CHETRY: Good thing that is not how we pick our president.
ROBERTS: I'm telling you I think she is just playing the game of lowering expectations, so when they do get out there on to the bowling alley she is going to clean up.
CHETRY: All right. We'll be watching for sure.
Hey, check this out one more time. What is Vice President Dick Cheney looking at? What is the reflection? Well, the bloggers are abuzz, they are claiming it's a naked lady in the reflection. The White House says it's just plain silly. It's his hand you can clearly see casting a fly fishing rod. Well, we wanted to ask what you thought. So, let's look at the "Quick Vote."
This morning, our viewers say 55 percent yes, it's a naked woman in the reflection and 45 percent of you say no and you e-mailed some thoughts as well.
Jeanine from Morgantown, West Virginia, writes "the reflection is a kid at a swimming pool. The other possibility is an alien from outer space.
ROBERTS: That's kind of look like an E.T., doesn't it? Mark from Hart Springs, Arkansas says "it's a new shotgun, which is why he'd be smiling." Not the person who is going hunting will he smile at. Thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. We'll see you again on Monday, the 14th or the 15th being tax deadline day is on Tuesday.
CHETRY: Meanwhile, CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris and Betty Nguyen starts right now.
HARRIS: And good morning, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN, ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: You will see events coming to the NEWSROOM live on this Friday morning, April 11. Here's what on the rundown.
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