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American Morning
FLDS Mothers Claimed They Were Tricked; Delta-Northwest Deal Merger to be World's Largest Airlines; McCain Calls for a Gas Tax Holiday; Clinton Launches New Ad About Obama's Bitter Comments; Pope Pays America A Visit
Aired April 15, 2008 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Maybe a little longer than that.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: A couple of days.
ROBERTS: All right. We all certainly wish you well. This is going to be a great event.
CHETRY: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Keep us posted on this as well.
CHETRY: I'll send some pictures.
ROBERTS: All right. OK.
On to the news of the morning. It's now one of the biggest child custody cases in U.S. history, and mothers of the 416 children taken from a Texas polygamist sect say the state tricked them into leaving their children behind. Reporters watched as the women return to the compound alone. One woman said officials separated them and read them a court order that said, "Your children are ours."
Some of the children have been moved to the San Angelo Coliseum. A hearing on Thursday will help determine whether they will be placed in foster care or returned to their parents. One mother told CNN the kids were wrongly wrenched from their arms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHLEEN, FUNDAMENTALIST LATTER DAY SAINTS MEMBER: My story is we have had our children taken from us on an allegation that has no foundation. Now, we will do whatever it takes to get the children reunited with their mothers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: CNN was given rare access inside the compound. Our Sean Callebs was there and spoke with members of the sect. He joins us now live from Eldorado, Texas. Sean, after all of the secrecy surrounding the sect and the compound, why did they let you inside?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a great question, John. I think clearly one of the overriding reasons that they did allow us inside was to counter some of the powerful charges that the state has against the FLDS. They know that Thursday's hearing is so important. It's going to go a long way toward deciding whether those children are reunited with their families or whether they are put into foster care.
Now, let's be clear about this. The FLDS let us in, took us to one central location, and allowed us to talk to a handful of preselected women. We asked these women about the allegations of the 16-year-old girl who allegedly called the hotline saying that she had been physically abused by her husband, and that triggered the raid.
Now, to a person, the men and women that we spoke with both on and off camera, said that person is simply a phantom. That it did not happen. That there is no history of sexual or physical abuse there. However, it is clear that the FLDS members are going to face some very serious charges in that courtroom on Thursday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: The state is making very strong allegations that there were underage girls having sex with much older men and young women, 14, 15, 16 as parents. Did you see any of that out there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no force here. Everyone has their choice to do exactly what they would like. There is no force, and we want the children. And they want us. They are clean and pure and this is a -- the worst thing that's happened to them.
They are learning terrible things just from the questions that are being asked. Things that they have never been exposed to. They have been so protected here. So protected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: Not a denial. Simply saying there is nothing forced on the young girls at the FLDS ranch. They also, John, showed us a very self sustained little world there in that 1,700 acres. They have a cement mixing plant on site that they basically built all of the foundations for the homes. They grow their own food. They create their own dairy products, and they say when they were kept in Fort Concio (ph) for the last 10 days, there was no air conditioning and there were only two restrooms for them, hundreds of women and children being held there.
Now, behind me, you can see the coliseum here in San Angelo. That is where the hundreds of children are. But until that hearing Thursday, the people at that ranch are not allowed to have any contact with those kids -- John.
ROBERTS: Very controversial case. Sean Callebs on the story for us this morning. Sean, thanks very much. We'll hear back from you a little bit later on -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, we have some breaking news this morning on record highs for both oil and gas. There's a new national average now for self-serve regular. It's up to $3.38 a gallon. That's up a dime in the last month and up 53 cents since the same time last year. Oil is breaking $112 a barrel in overnight trading. That's after settling at an all-time high of $111 a barrel yesterday.
And we're also hearing from the Energy Department that gas prices could go up to about $3.60 a month this summer, a gallon this summer, and at times we could be looking at $4 gas.
Well, major news in the airline industry today. Delta and Northwest deciding that they are going to go ahead and join forces. It's a $3 billion merger deal, and it would create the biggest airline in history. The new airline, if approved by regulators and it still does need to be approved, would be called Delta. It would be based out of Atlanta, and it would own more than a thousand planes flying to more than 400 destinations.
Critics warn the merger could mean higher ticket prices. We're going to ask Delta's CEO about that, and he joins us in the coming hour, 7:25 Eastern time.
And today is tax deadline day. Last chance to settle up with Uncle Sam if you haven't already done so. You have until midnight tonight to get your tax returns in the mail or file an extension. Many post offices will be open late to help people meet that deadline.
Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the U.S. today for his first visit here as Pope. He lands at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., this afternoon, and President Bush plans to meet him in person. Tomorrow, on the Pope's 81st birthday, the president hosts him at the White House. Then the pope travels to New York where he'll address the United Nations, celebrate mass at Yankee Stadium and also say a prayer at Ground Zero. Twenty-seven federal, state and local agencies are involved in keeping the Pope safe.
We're going to get a look at that security detail and the new Pope-mobile. There's a look right now coming up at the top of the hour.
ROBERTS: We're just one week away now from the Pennsylvania primary. It's coming up next Tuesday, the 22nd. This morning, Senator John McCain takes on issue number one, the economy. He says America is in a recession.
In a speech in Pittsburgh this morning, McCain will call for a gas tax holiday suspending the 18 cent a gallon federal gas tax for the summer. Also, suspend tax on diesel. McCain also wants to ensure loans for college students, and he is calling for a change in Medicare, increasing premiums for wealthy seniors.
Hillary Clinton is running a new ad in Pennsylvania today trying to get some more mileage out of Barack Obama's comments calling frustrated small town voters "bitter and clinging to guns and religion."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CLINTON CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL)
NARRATOR: Barack Obama said that people in small towns "cling to guns or religion as a way to explain their frustrations."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was very insulted by Barack Obama.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It shows how out of touch Barack Obama is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not clinging to my faith out of frustration and bitterness. I find that my faith is very uplifting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Well, Obama is not walking away from the bitter controversy. He came out swinging against both Clinton and Senator John McCain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Senator Clinton and Senator McCain seem to be singing from the same hymn book saying I'm out of touch, I'm an elitist because I said a lot of folks are bitter about their economic circumstances. When I hear my opponents both of whom spent decades in Washington saying I'm out of touch, it's time to cut through the rhetoric and look at the reality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Obama also joked about the comments suggesting that some reporters might be bitter about it because they had to spend their weekend covering the story.
Hillary Clinton may find herself on the defensive today. The founder of Black Entertainment Television linking Barack Obama's success to his race. Robert Johnson reiterating comments made last month by Geraldine Ferraro says Obama probably wouldn't be leading a leading presidential contender if he were white. Ferraro stepped down from her position in the Clinton campaign after she said essentially the same thing. Johnson is a long-time friend of the Clintons -- Kiran.
CHETRY: We have some breaking news. Thousands of people being evacuated right now as a volcano erupts in Colombia. Plumes of smoke are rising high above the 17,000-foot mountain this morning. They say that no one's been injured. No damage yet, but this is erupting about 150 miles southwest of Bogota.
Thousands of people in nearby villages have been told to evacuate. And again, any reports of injuries, none so far and no major damage. We're going to continue to follow this for you throughout the morning.
Delta and Northwest finally announcing their merger after many months of speculation. We're going to find out what a consolidated airline industry would look like. Could it cost you more or less the next time you decide to fly? That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. You know, you joked yesterday, Ali, that you could just put a tape in... ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Right.
CHETRY: ... and say the same thing about the Northwest/Delta merger because we have been talking about it so long. They must have listened to you because they went ahead and announced their deal today.
ROBERTS: They thought if the bell signed off on it --
VELSHI: It was all good, yes.
CHETRY: But what does it mean if you're traveling? Are you going to notice a difference?
VELSHI: Well, yes, but you've already -- the difference you're going to notice is generally higher fares and you've already noticed that. Part of that is just because of the price of oil that's increased and that's been passed on to by the airlines.
One of the sites I love to follow is a site called farecompare.com because they track every last increase that the airlines put on. FareCompare's CEO is a guy named Rick Seany. I spoke to him about this deal. Here's what he said about fares generally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SEANY, CEO, FARECOMPARE.COM: Passengers are paying up to $130 more than they did on January 2nd. We had 11 increases, seven of them now that are basically for the most part stuck. The other four got rolled back.
People are paying well over $100 more than they did earlier in the year, and I don't see it stopping for the foreseeable future. We're actually on pace right now for potentially 40 increases this year if it stays on pace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: OK. So those 40 increases are happening whether without this Northwest and Delta combination. Here's what Northwest and Delta would look like as a joint company. It will be called Delta. It will be the world's biggest airline based in Atlanta. It will serve 390 cities, 67 countries that have more than 800 airplanes and 75,000 employees.
Now, the terms of the deal are such that there will be no closures of the hubs so there will be seven U.S. hubs plus international hubs in Amsterdam and Tokyo. It will part of the SkyTeam Alliance because both of those airlines are part of the SkyTeam Alliance which will make the integration a whole lot easier.
However, it still needs the Department of Justice, Department of Transportation and shareholder approval to get this deal through and it's been unclear. The government has been unclear in the past on how they fall on these things. Because we showed you that hub map yesterday and we'll show it to you later, there's not as much overlap between these two airlines. What the government is most concerned about is will a deal eliminate competition? And these two airlines are going to make the case that no, in fact, we're going to be -- that we service different routes in the first place. But bottom line is not going to increase availability of fares of flights which means it will probably end up costing you more.
ROBERTS: The pilots' union for Northwest doesn't like this deal.
VELSHI: Correct. The pilots' union for Delta is on board. The pilots' union for Northwest is not on board but this just yet, and that is probably the biggest impediment at the moment of this deal going through.
ROBERTS: See how much trouble they cause.
VELSHI: Yes.
ROBERTS: Ali, thanks.
Coming up to 13 minutes after the hour. Wind and maybe some fire in the forecast for the plains. Our Jacqui Jeras with us this morning tracking extreme weather. Good morning, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, guys. At least it's going to be a warm wind, right? Very mild temperatures across the Midwest today. In the meantime, the east is still saying brrr. We'll tell you what's going to happen with the latest temperature swing coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JERAS: And welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. It is a cold start out there for millions of us waking up to temperatures hovering around that freezing mark. Unseasonably cold even for you in New England.
Look at that, Caribou, 22 degrees. It's 33 in Boston. Got to love that urban heat island effect there in New York City. So you're still holding into the 40s. But that cold air moves down the Appalachians and covers most of you across the southeast. In fact, the frost and the freeze warnings go down almost all the way to the Gulf Coast.
Watches and warnings in effect through about 9:00 this morning so if you haven't done it already, you might still have a chance to go out and cover up some of those fresh blooms that we've seen this spring. But don't worry, temperatures are going to be warming on up. Look at that nice trend.
You're going to be back in the 70s by the end of the week in the Atlanta metro area. The air really dry, too. This is all we've got for precip on the map today. Just a few scattered rain showers through the Carolinas around Columbia and up towards the coast. High pressure dominating our weather. Now, there's a real tight gradient between that high and the low across parts of the plain state so that is bringing in some very blustery conditions from Minneapolis all the way down to Albuquerque. And that bright orange area that you see right there, that's where we have a critical risk of fire danger today due to that low humidity. The strong winds and the temperatures there, nobody can complain about this morning -- John and Kiran.
ROBERTS: All right. Thanks very much, Jacqui. Hey, Jacqui, take a look at this.
Having fun with the flood. It's your "Hot Shot" now. Check this out from I-reporter Bonnie Marquette. As the Mississippi River rises, a bunch of guys went tubing in the streets of Saint Francisville, Louisiana.
CHETRY: That's not a river.
ROBERTS: No, that's the street.
CHETRY: That's the street.
ROBERTS: Looks like they're behind a little flatbed truck there. There may be more than a green inflatable tube and the river is not expected to crest until April 21st. So, Jacqui, you know, if you got lemons, make lemonade, I guess, is what these kids go by.
JERAS: Yes. Where's the disclaimer of don't try this at home?
ROBERTS: When I lived in Florida, we had bad drainage in front of our house. And every time we got one of those Florida cloud bursts, we get about a foot and a half of water and these kids would come by in an ATV towing a boogie board doing a little surfing through the neighborhood. It was a pretty incredible sight to see.
JERAS: We used to do that in Minnesota in the wintertime on our feet with the car.
CHETRY: How about that? Well, this is in Francisville, Louisiana, and they're saying that it's going to be, what? Another week or so before the river crests? Should they be worried? Those who aren't using the streets as, you know, their own personal river rapids.
JERAS: Well, don't go in the water because it's nasty and dirty. But, yes, there are a lot of people that have been evacuated all along the Mississippi River from up north all the way down through Louisiana. So there are a lot of people that are dealing with this flood impact. But the good news is no major rain is in the forecast.
ROBERTS: That's a serious tow rope that guy has got there. That's a big chain.
CHETRY: Thanks, Jacqui.
ROBERTS: Jacqui, thanks. If you got a "Hot Shot," send it to us. Head to our Web site at CNN.com/am. Follow the "Hot Shot" link.
CHETRY: And we love to get videos from our viewers.
ROBERTS: Absolutely.
CHETRY: It's fabulous.
Well, it is the first papal visit to America in nearly a decade. Find out how you can follow Pope Benedict XVI online on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty minutes after the hour now. Pope Benedict XVI begins his first papal visit to the United States today. He is expected to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base about 4:00 this afternoon Eastern time.
Our Veronica De La Cruz shows us how you can follow the Pope's visit online. Good morning to you.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good morning to you. There's lots of great information online but, of course, we want to start with our own Web site. A good article at CNNpolitics.com, John, that talks about President Bush's meeting with the Pope. You can read the article there.
Also, a really good interactive that's going to give you some bit of information on the Pope. You can read his biography which will tell you that his real name is Joseph Ratzinger -- also, who knew all these interesting facts about the Pope. He speaks five languages. He loves to read.
And moving down this interactive you can get the state of Catholicism in the U.S. today, John. Sixty-seven million Americans practice Catholicism. So that's all online at CNN.com. We're also going to be streaming a lot of the events at CNN.com/live. So that's CNN.com.
I want to also show you more on the Pope's trip. This is catholicnews.com. Really interesting Web site. I really like this itinerary because as you scroll over the links, for example, we know he arrives in Washington today, you get a really nice image there.
Tomorrow, he meets with the president tomorrow on his 81st birthday. So it's catholicnews.com. And John, times have really changed. A lot of people are going to be blogging the Pope's trip. We found this really interesting blog at beliefnet.com. This fellow here, David Gibson, just one of the many people who will be blogging the Pope's trip. So, again, there's a first for everything. People are blogging the papal visit.
ROBERTS: It's the first time in nine years that a Pope has visited America. Obviously, there's going to be a lot of security involved with his trip here. Who's footing the bill for all of that? DE LA CRUZ: Well, you know, really interesting. You think that maybe churchgoers but they're getting a lot of the money from private donors. The Archdiocese of Washington has set up this fund. It's called "Christ Our Hope." They've also set up this Web site, Popevisit2008.com, John.
And here's where you can buy a lot of the merchandise online. They're obviously hoping to recoup some money. T-shirts, hats, even bumper stickers. So you can buy at PayPal bumper stickers online right now. And this Web site is Popevisit2008.com. So that's just in case you want to pick up a bumper sticker today.
ROBERTS: You know, the MTA in Washington had a little Pope Benedict bobblehead. They got them in trouble.
DE LA CRUZ: I saw that.
ROBERTS: All right.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, he doesn't wear red. He was in red, and he wears white.
ROBERTS: True, he wears white. I was there in 2005 when the whole papal transition took place. It will be exciting to see him here in America.
DE LA CRUZ: It will.
ROBERTS: Veronica, thanks -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, we've been telling you this morning about John McCain's proposal to give a summertime break at the gas pump. McCain is calling for the 18 cent federal gas tax and the 24 cent diesel tax to be suspended from Memorial Day to Labor Day. He claims the cuts would lower gas prices which would "help to spread relief across the American economy."
All of this comes as we talked about a new high today hit for regular unleaded, $3.38 a gallon, and there are some including those in the Energy Department predicting that gas prices could average $3.60 by a month in this summer, and that some prices could be over $4 in some parts of the country this summer.
So it brings us to morning's "Quick Vote" question. McCain gas tax holiday, do you think it's a good idea? Cast your vote, CNN.com/am, and we'll have the first tally of votes a little later in the hour.
We also want to get your e-mails as well. What do you think? Drop us a line. CNN.com/am. Follow the e-mail link. We'll be reading some of your e-mails a little later this morning.
ROBERTS: It's an interesting that the Democrats are clawing each other's eyes out. McCain is like, hey, I got a great idea. Let's cut the gas tax.
CHETRY: Exactly. He looks like the hero, I guess, at least for now.
Well, Hillary Clinton launching a new ad off of Barack Obama's bitter remark as both candidates fight over who's more in touch with voters.
Also cash, booze, Louisville slugger, two guns and an unsuspecting customer in a giant green coat. Well, all of the makings of a robbery gone bad. Next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. Senator Hillary Clinton releasing a new ad this morning attacking. She's attacking Barack Obama for his "bitter comments." Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CLINTON CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL)
NARRATOR: Barack Obama said that people in small towns "cling to guns or religion as a way to explain their frustrations."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was very insulted by Barack Obama.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It shows how out of touch Barack Obama is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not clinging to my faith out of frustration and bitterness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Now, Clinton is running that ad in Pennsylvania just one week ahead of the primary. Mark Halperin is a senior political analyst at "Time" magazine. He's also the author of "The Page" at time.com. He's in Philly this morning. Hi, Mark. Good to see you this morning.
MARK HALPERIN, SR. POLITICAL ANALYST, TIME: Hey, good morning.
CHETRY: So they didn't waste anytime cutting an ad off of these comments. How much traction do you think it is going to give her in Pennsylvania?
HALPERIN: Well, it's too soon to say but certainly the Clinton campaign would like this to be the discussion and one great way to do that is put up an ad. This is the topic that they think can allow them to do well enough here to blow that lead back out.
Senator Clinton had a big lead in Pennsylvania. The race here has narrowed. She's hoping now that this controversy gives her the bleed -- the win here she needs to go forward with some strength.
CHETRY: You know, we have Hillary on the stump trying to get some traction off of these comments as we said with statements like this one. Let's listen to what she said yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People of all walks of life hunt, and they enjoy doing so because it's an important part of their life. Not because they are bitter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HALPERIN: You know, she also talked about how her grandfather taught her to shoot a gun. Does this help her to suddenly seem to be an advocate for the importance of hunting and the Second Amendment? We haven't heard from this before. Or does this play into the notion that, you know -- that politics is dirty and that people will really say anything to gain some traction?
HALPERIN: Well, I think she probably would be wise to talk more about Senator Obama and his remarks which I think she believes he still hasn't fully explained, rather than talking about her own life as a hunter. That's a thing that could make the controversy bounce back on her.
So for the most part, Senator Clinton, I think, and her campaign, are going to continue to press for answers. And, of course, there's a debate here tomorrow night, the first debate we've had in a while. I'm sure this issue will come up that Senator Clinton hopes will be front and center.
She needs Barack Obama to be redefined. The reason he's done so well is he has done a great job of projecting the image he wants to project as someone who cares about working people, who understands the problems of America. She's trying to use his remarks to reframe the way people think about him. And, again, it's too soon to say how effective it's been but certainly it has dominated the discussion for the last several days, and will continue along with this new ad on the air here.
CHETRY: And some made it into a discussion and there are backers including her biggest backer in Pennsylvania, Governor Ed Rendell saying, ahh, I'm not sure how big of a deal this is. He sort of downplayed it. He said maybe it could cost Barack Obama one or two points in the poll but that in the end, it's going to be nonissue.
HALPERIN: Well, the other thing he said was not only would it not be that big an issue in the nomination fight here, but that it wouldn't be a big issue in the general election. He told the reporters yesterday at an event that Clinton and Obama were at that he thought this would fade away by November.
Now, Ed Rendell is a pretty outspoken guy. That is not the message the Clinton's campaign wants to send. Senator Clinton's main point about this is not so much that Barack Obama and her view is out of touch. It's that Republicans would be able to paint him as out of touch in the November election if he is the nominee.
CHETRY: I got you.
HALPERIN: And Ed Rendell undermined that argument.
CHETRY: And are you -- it also appears that he's assuming that Barack Obama is going to be the nominee come November.
HALPERIN: Well, he said if he's the nominee.
CHETRY: OK.
HALPERIN: I think it's probably what he meant. But certainly, Ed Rendell is a realistic guy and a lot of Clinton's backers do talk about this race in those terms to try to again, head off the nomination by maybe saying, look, if he is the nominee, this is what will happen to him.
CHETRY: And meanwhile, we've all been talking about how this has affected John McCain which is that he's been able to talk policy and talk ideas, and really for the most part stay above the fray. He is now calling for Congress to institute a gas tax holiday by suspending the federal gas tax on both gas and diesel from Memorial Day to Labor Day. So will proposals like this, coupled with the ongoing Democratic fight that continues, help him with independents and swing voters?
HALPERIN: Well, look, he is giving a big economic speech also here in Pennsylvania then at the other side of this state. You mentioned the gas tax. There's also some pain -- gas tax cut. There's also a pain -- some pain elements in here including raising the prescription drug prices for some seniors who get Medicare. So Senator McCain is putting out a big proposal. We couldn't even discuss it all through the entire AMERICAN MORNING if we wanted to. There's a lot of complexity here, but the challenge for him is to explain it well.
His policy advisers have come up with a plan that reflects this mixed view of the economy. Some tax cuts. Some government programs. Some government programs cut back. But he needs to learn how to explain it now. And I think the big benefit -- the biggest benefit for him during this period is he has time to try to almost practice.
You think someone who has been in public life this long would know how to talk about the economy. But by his own admission, by those of his advisers, he needs to get better doing that. And I think today is a big moment for him as he tries to figure, can he come up with ideas really believes in on this number one issue, and explain them well to the American people.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. And one of his supporters is actually joining us. Former candidate, himself, Mitt Romney is going to be talking that as well. So we're going to get a preview of that.
Mark Halperin, great to see you as always. Thanks for being with us. And we're going to be talking to Mitt Romney at 7:50 Eastern, right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: It's 31 minutes after the hour. Breaking news out of Iraq this morning. Two bombings outside of crowded restaurants in Baqubah and in Ramadi. Baqubah, north of Baghdad and Ramadi, west of Baghdad.
Jill Dougherty joins us now from Baghdad live with more on these developing stories both outside of restaurants.
Any idea that they may be tied together somehow if not exactly coordinated at least in intent?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, it is certainly -- it's a little early to be saying that. But they do sound similar at least in the way they were carried out. Let's begin with one in Baqubah. 35 people killed according to the interior ministry. 42 injured. It was a very big explosion. It occurred -- it was a car bomb set outside of a very crowded restaurant in the downtown area near provincial government buildings and a courthouse.
It destroyed three buses at least. Shops were shattered. And very big explosion. Baqubah, as you mentioned, it is north of Baghdad. This is really kind of a cauldron. It's one of the most violent places in Iraq right now. Al-Qaeda is still in effect. They are working there. There are ethnic groups, militias. You have Kurds, Shiite, Sunnis, et cetera. A real caldron of activity.
The second bombing that took place in Ramadi, there are reports at this point of 14 people killed. We do not know much beyond that, but again it was a car bomb outside of a restaurant, John.
ROBERTS: OK. Jill Dougherty for us with the latest on that breaking news from Baghdad this morning. Jill, thanks very much. We'll check back with you.
The big question in the air this morning, will regulators approve the mega merger of Delta and Northwest airlines. The deal would create the world's biggest carrier serving more than 400 destinations in some 67 countries worldwide?
The Atlanta-based airline would keep the Delta name. The companies hope that the merger will help them stay afloat during tough times. But some experts warn the travelers could see fewer flights and that might result in higher fares.
Kiran?
CHETRY: Well, when Pope Benedict arrives in the U.S. later today, there will be teams of security personnel working to keep him safe. All will be working together. They've been planning this for months. Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us now from the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington with a look at the efforts under way this huge undertaking to make sure the pope is safe as he visits the U.S.
Hi, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kiran. Administration officials say there are no specific threats against the pope, but Osama Bin Laden did mention him in a recent audio message and every precaution is being taken.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MESERVE (voice-over): This is the pope. Not Benedict XVI but the man who plays him in security rehearsals for this week's visit. The secret service has been preparing for these four days for five months enlisting 27 state, local and federal agencies to help out.
JEFF IRVINE, U.S. SECRET SERVICE: Every security aspect that you've ever been exposed to will be deployed. And quite frankly, quite a few that you've never even seen deployed.
MESERVE: One of three pope-mobiles has been shipped in to move Pope Benedict around Washington. A Virgin Mary will watch over him and heavy bullet-proof glass will surround him, but because you can see him and because the car sticks out, some standard security tactics cannot be used.
RENEE TRIPLETT, U.S. SECRET SERVICE: Clearly, that will make this a little more challenging than when we can play different shell games or moving the vehicles around and moving the protectee around.
MESERVE: The guest list for the pope's meeting with religious leaders was modified for security reasons. Six representatives will not be there because they wanted to wear their ceremonial daggers. But the stadium where Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate mass in front of 46,000 people poses the biggest challenge.
Larry Cunningham knows he handled security for John Paul II's visit to the U.S.
LARRY CUNNINGHAM, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: By the sheer numbers and the size of this building, it's difficult to control.
MESERVE: A mile and a half of the nearby Anacostia River will be shut. Patrolled by coast guard boats with machine guns.
LT. LYNDA LECRONE, U.S. COAST GUARD: So if anybody poses a threat, they're in trouble.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can use force.
MESERVE: Air traffic restrictions will also be tightened and local roads and bridges will be closed to traffic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: There will be many road closures as the pope travels around town. That's less to affect almost everybody who lives and works here, and so while some are very enthusiastic about the pope's impending visit, others are dreading its potential impact.
Kiran, back to you.
CHETRY: Jeanne Meserve for us in Washington. Thanks.
ROBERTS: It's 35.5 minutes after the hour. Alina Cho joins us now with other stories making headlines this Tuesday morning.
Good morning, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, guys, good morning to you. And good morning, everybody. We are following that breaking news out of Colombia. A massive evacuation is underway. A volcano in the Northern Andes erupted and now up to 15,000 people in the area are headed for safer ground. Smoke and ash were seen rising from the volcano, which by the way is Colombia's tallest. So far, though, no reports of any damage or injuries.
Also, some breaking news out of Zimbabwe to tell you about today. Police are bracing for more violence. The opposition party has called for a strike until the results of the disputed presidential election are released. A bus, apparently, was set on fire early this morning by supporters of that strike.
The movement for democratic change says the massive stay-in will continue until the government of President Robert Mugabe in power for 28 years, nearly three decades, releases the results of the March 29th election.
Caught on tape. A wild liquor store shootout during an attempted arm robbery in Milwaukee. You have to see it to believe it. Take a look. It starts with a suspect brawling with a couple of store employees.
Well, they pull out a baseball bat and hit him. He takes off but comes back soon thereafter armed with a gun. So the clerk picks up his own gun. And as the suspect takes off this time, he fires a shot.
The clerk, well, he is not taking that. He shoots back. And check out the customer in the big green jacket. Walking through the store as if nothing was going on. Didn't realize that there's a shootout. Nobody was hurt, amazingly. Police are still looking for the suspect.
And finally, if you're looking for someone or something to blame for all of the recent economic woes, look no further than the male sex hormone, testosterone.
English researchers say it is testosterone that makes financial traders more successful, but only in the short term. The University of Cambridge in England Study says elevated levels of the male sex hormone for several days could lead to irrational risk taking.
How about that, guys?
According to the lead author of the study, the financial system would be more stable if more women and older men were in the market. So apparently comes on the hills of another U.S. study that said that men -- younger men, who look at pictures of -- erotic pictures of women, were more likely to take...
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Spend money
CHO: ...risks in the market than if they were shown something scary like a snake. CHETRY: You sound so familiar with this.
VELSHI: I was driving this weekend and there was a radio station that was running that study over and over and over again. That's why -- and of course everybody stop short of making further conclusions (INAUDIBLE) conclusions. But it's true. I mean, spending time on trading floors, it's definitely a test. It's a locker room down there. There are very few women and it's, you know --
CHO: That's right. They might be able to benefit from more women.
CHETRY: Most guys feel like they get blamed for everything. (INAUDIBLE) for the market woes, too. Right?
ROBERTS: A lot of testosterone and the oil --
VELSHI: I was going to say, don't blame them for the price of oil. But we do have records in the price of oil. We have records -- more records overnight. We have records on the price of gas. Won't be too much of a surprise, but for those of you who are still home, stay with us.
I'll tell you what you're likely to pay when you head out. We're back in a minute when AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Ali Velshi. I was hoping with the Delta-Northwest I wouldn't have two big stories, but had to bring the barrel out this morning because that number 112.48 is the highest oil that's ever traded at.
Now, yesterday, it settled a little lower than that, but it was still a record high settle and overnight this is what happened -- 112.48.
In fact, right now it's hovering around $112 and while there's a lag between the price of oil and the price you pay for gas, the fact is the oil has been nudging upward over the last several weeks and that's resulting in a new record for the price of gas.
So, gasoline now, according to AAA, yesterday hit a new record of $3.38 a gallon and some edges beyond the 38, but was rounded to 3.38. That's a national average for self-serve unleaded. And those prices are playing a role in this airline merger with Northwest and Delta because right now fuel is the biggest cost for most airlines. Jet fuel has actually gone up in excess of what you would think that it goes up because of gasoline.
So as a result of that, we've seen fuel increases in what you pay. According to farecompare.com, which tracks increases in airline fares, the average ticket is now $100 more than it was on January 1st because of fuel surcharges and this is the year that is set to have the greatest number of increases because of fuel surcharges. So, you're paying more for gas all around. That's influenced the decision by Northwest and Delta to merge trying to get sort of more efficiency out of their system. But we're paying record prices for oil and record prices for gasoline today.
ROBERTS: All right. Ali, thank you for the good news as usual.
CHETRY: And some of the analysts are saying if you have to travel, wait until August because by August, we should see it down a little bit more.
VELSHI: Yes, except that that's a mug's game because we tried that last year, John. They we're talking about this when we thought that oil --
ROBERTS: Hey, $60 a barrel oil, right there behind him.
VELSHI: Yes, so --
CHETRY: You still waited until August because last year seem to enjoy --
VELSHI: Yes, I'll just keep waiting. We hang out a lot together.
CHETRY: Stay-cation.
VELSHI: Yes.
ROBERTS: I'm telling you, stay-cation is looking like a very good idea. Ride my bicycle around the neighborhood.
CHETRY: That's right. Stay out of trouble.
Well, the earthquake forecast. Why there's a 1 in 30 chance they now say that the big one could hit this year. Jacqui Jeras tracking extreme weather for us right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's almost 14 minutes to the top of the hour. If you have to be somewhere, scientists say they are narrowing down when the next big quake will hit in their first nationwide earthquake forecast.
The U.S. Geological Survey in Pasadena says that California faces an almost certain risk, a 99 percent chance of being rocked by a 6.7 quake or higher by the year 2037. They say the odds are slightly higher that it will hit Southern California compared to Northern California. 97 percent versus 93 percent.
Our Jacqui Jeras is in for Rob Marciano this morning. She's tracking extreme weather.
You would think that it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that there's going to be a fairly major earthquake in California in the next 30 years. (WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: You know, when you're at the bottom, nowhere to go but up. Jacqui Jeras for us this morning.
Jacqui, thanks.
Kiran?
CHETRY: Stories of deception emerging this morning, by the way. Mothers from the polygamist compound in Texas say they were duped into leaving their children behind. Ahead, legal analyst Sunny Hostin on what could become the largest family law case in U.S. history. And we are going to hear from some of those mothers.
Also, pilots for American Airlines saying they have had enough and they're protesting their own company. We're going to ask one of the pilots what has them so fed up and why he says fliers are really getting a raw deal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Nine minutes to the top of the hour. Mothers from that polygamist compound in Texas say they were lied to. They say that they were told they were going to a bigger and better place, but instead they were sent home without their children. One mother spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHLEEN, FLDS MEMBER: The State of Texas has taken away a whole community of children and withheld their parents from them on an allegation from outside that allegation did not come from within YFC ranch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
It could become the largest family law case in U.S. history. And our AMERICAN MORNING legal analyst, Sunny Hostin, joins me now. So what happened yesterday was they let the parents of all children under the age of 5 stay with their kids.
All those over the age of 5, they were told to go home. What rights do these children have in terms of being able to be with their parents through this process?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, you know, right now, they were sort of wards of the state. And they do have rights and each child will get an attorney. And so I think that they certainly will be protected. And it's not unusual that you would do that. Sort of make a distinction at 5. Because typically, and I have interviewed 5- year-olds, they're pretty confident to testify in courts.
Find them confident to testify. 3, 4 -- it's a little bit more difficult. So I was not surprised to hear that. And John, I think a lot of people are making sort of much ado about nothing that these mothers were lied to. Using deception in law enforcement is perfectly legal.
ROBERTS: It is.
HOSTIN: It is legal.
ROBERTS: To say, hey, just step outside the room. We want to check some facts with you and then once they get out, they lock the door and say you can't come in this children (INAUDIBLE).
HOSTIN: They have been found to be legal. And of course, they're going to be legal challenges and lawyers are going to make a lot about it. But again, I think that's going to be much ado about nothing.
ROBERTS: Now, this whole thing started apparently when a 16- year-old -- mysterious 16-year-old putting a telephone call to say, hey, this is going on at this YFZ ranch.
This mother that Anderson Cooper talked with last night alleged that that call came from outside the ranch and indeed authorities are still looking for that young woman. Let's play what Mark Shurtleff, who was the Utah Attorney General said about the search for this young woman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK SHURTLEFF, UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL: So obviously, goal number one and it has been I think from day one is to find that girl, make sure she is safe, get her in protective custody, and then follow up with the charges against the man who abused her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Able to -- they haven't been able to find her at this point. There are allegations that she may not exist. That this whole thing was a hoax. If you were a prosecutor involved in this, how frantic would you be to try to find this young person?
HOSTIN: I'm going to be very frantic. And I'm sending my agents out or my cops, my detectives out to certainly find this girl. And this is going to be complicated, because we know that they have similar names. We've heard of Sarah Jessup (ph) and all of this stuff. And Kathleen Jessica.
And I saw Anderson's interview but the bottom line is, John, I think even if they don't find her and she was the basis, sort of the informant, and they formed the basis of this search warrant that does not matter.
ROBERTS: What if it's proven to be a hoax?
HOSTIN: I don't really think it matters quite frankly, because I think the bottom line is if the cops or law enforcement officials relied upon that warrant and in good faith relied upon it and went in there and found things, then everything that they found afterwards comes in. So I am not as worried as everyone else is about whether or not they're going to find this girl.
ROBERTS: All right. Well, we'll see if you're correct in this.
HOSTIN: I hope so.
ROBERTS: Thanks very much.
Kiran?
CHETRY: Well, there's a new study shedding light on how cholesterol-lowering statin drugs prevent strokes, as well as heart attacks. Well paging Dr. Gupta for details, coming up.
Captain speaking. A week after American grounds thousands of flights, pilots protest today. Why the crew is just as frustrated as you are.
Plus, blessing in the skies. A live report from the pope's plane as Benedict VI makes his first ever trip to the U.S.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Pilots for American Airlines will be protesting at major airports in nine cities today, including Los Angeles and New York. They say that American management is responsible for the airline's operational troubles and poor customer service.
Last week, you may remember, especially if you were one of them. Hundreds of thousands of travelers were stranded after American was forced to cancel 3,000 flights because of getting behind on wiring inspections in its MD-80 planes.
Joining me now from LaGuardia Airport is Captain Sam Mayer. He's a pilot for American Airlines and also the chair of the New York Allied Pilots Association. Thanks for being with us this morning.
Good morning.
CHETRY: So you guys are protesting, you're not striking. Explain what your message is and what you're trying to get out today.
CAPTAIN SAM MAYER, AMERICAN AIRLINES PILOT: Well, my airline, American Airlines is broken. And we've been trying to get our senior management to fix American Airlines for a long time. And we've been met with the back of their hand, and right now, we're -- and today we're going to be taking our request to our customers -- to the customers of American Airlines that pay our salary to help us, help them get this airline fixed.
CHETRY: What are some of the things you're going to be talking about as you bump in to customers today during your protest?
MAYER: Well, I think American right now and just about every measurable category is last or near last in customer service. Our customers, when they pay for a ticket, they are looking for an on-time ride on the safe airplane with excellent customer service. And right now, I just don't think they're getting that. And anybody who has followed the news in the last couple of weeks, I think would agree.
CHETRY: Well, American Airlines is responding to the protests by saying that they respect your right to demonstrate but, quote, "It's very disappointing that the Allied Pilots Union would engage in negative tactics such as picketing on the doorstep of a valued customer in a direct attempt to harm American. What is your response to that?
MAYER: We don't believe we're trying to harm American. We think we're trying to help American. We depend on this company for our livelihoods, our mortgage payments, sending our children to college. We don't have golden parachutes like the senior executives do. They're going to share $30 million in bonuses tomorrow.
We don't have that luxury. We need this airline to succeed for the near and long-term future. And we're asking our customers to help us make this airline the airline we want it to be.
CHETRY: Specifically, what are -- what do you think American Airlines needs to change to be a better running airline?
MAYER: Well, I think they need to focus on customer service. On providing a safe airline. Not just maintaining their airplanes at the FAA minimum, but going above and beyond that.
Our passengers want clean airlines. They don't want filthy airplanes. They want well-maintained airplanes. They want an airplane that leaves when it's supposed to and arrives when it's supposed to.
We were just about dead last of the major airlines and on-time arrivals last year. We were absolutely last in the number of cancellations, canceled flights. That's not good customer service. When our passengers show up at the airport, they want their flight to be on time and working properly and clean.
CHETRY: Yes, of course. Of course, that's the wish of everybody that flies. And it seems like it's less and less likely these days. What about the airports being squeezed. I mean, is there any validity to that -- that it's getting more expensive to do business.
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