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Pennsylvania at the Polls; Polygamist Children; What to do When Your Personal Electronics Become Dust Collectors
Aired April 22, 2008 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody on this Tuesday. Good morning, I'm Betty Nguyen
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Stay informed all day at the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown. Pennsylvania at the polls. Voters choose between Clinton and Obama live this hour. A pair of political insiders size up the contest.
NGUYEN: The polygamist children, they are taken from their parents. So, what is life like for them inside a Texas sports arena.
HARRIS: What to do when your personal electronics become dust collectors? Recycle, of course, it is Earth Day today, Tuesday, April 22nd. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
The presidential race and what may be the most anticipated day yet for Democrats. Polls are open in Pennsylvania for Hillary Clinton, simply winning may not be enough. CNN's Jim Acosta is at a polling station in Philadelphia. And Jim, we certainly hope that the good people of Pennsylvania are enjoying this day in the sun. Six weeks, I suppose, since the last contest.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Tony. We thought this day would never come. Six weeks of campaigning between Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and the weather is fantastic outside. And because of that, and the numbers that Pennsylvania election officials have been seeing over the last several weeks, they are predicting what could be record turnout. Something not seen in the last, almost 30 years in this state since Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter were gunning for the Democratic nomination way back then. The polls right now are kind of quiet where we are here in downtown Philadelphia. But they will pick up throughout the day. And the latest dust up on the campaign trail between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has been over this last-minute campaign commercial from Hillary Clinton that features an image of Osama Bin Laden. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the toughest job in the world. You need to be ready for anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Now, that ad which shows an image of Osama Bin Laden but also images from the cold war and Hurricane Katrina according to the Clinton campaign is only making the case that what is required in the White House these days is executive experience. And they're making the case that she has that experience. But the Obama campaign says Hillary Clinton is playing the politics of fear there and reminding voters how she voted on the Iraq war. Here is the Obama ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who has what it takes to really bring change? To finally take on the special interests, not take their money, who made the right judgment about opposing the war and had the courage and character to speak honestly about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: And so, there is the Obama campaign ad in response to that last-minute 11th hour Hillary Clinton campaign ad that's airing across. Both of these ads are airing across the keystone state in these remaining hours of the Pennsylvania primary. The polls will be open until 8:00 tonight. Hillary Clinton is wrapping up her day here in Philadelphia a strong base of support for Barack Obama. She will be joined by her two top surrogates in the state, Governor Ed Rendell and the mayor here Michael Nutter. Barack Obama, by the way, we mention, is ending his campaign day in Indiana which is an indication according to many political analysts, Tony, that Obama is looking forward to the next contest on May 6th there in the Hoosier state rather than looking back to what's happening here in Pennsylvania.
HARRIS: You know, and Jim, just for another moment. Let's stay on this idea of possible record voter turnout. Howard Dean last hour in talking to Betty mentioned, boy, check this number with me for a moment. 300,000 new voters in Pennsylvania.
ACOSTA: That's right. 300,000 new Democrats registered in Pennsylvania. 200,000 newly registered voters. So, how's the newly registered voters lower than the new Democrats? That's because many of those newly registered voters registered as Democrats and at the same time, many independents and Republicans are crossing over because in Pennsylvania, if you registered as Democrat to vote in the Pennsylvania primary for the Democrats and the DNC loves those numbers. In contrast, only 40,000 newly registered Republican voters. Those are the numbers the DNC is just very happy about at this hour. We will see how things carry on into the general election. But they do like the way these numbers are shaping up.
HARRIS: Jim Acosta for us in Philadelphia. Finally, some owning going on. Jim, we appreciate it. Thank you.
ACOSTA: Yes.
NGUYEN: Let's talk about hitting on single women. Shall we, Tony?
HARRIS: OK.
NGUYEN: It's not what you think. It's Democrats trying to pick them up at the voting booth. What were you thinking? CNN's Randi Kaye takes a look. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Maria Wing is a Philadelphia lawyer, 18 years old, single and in debt.
MARIA WING, UNMARRIED PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: We are, you know, "on our own." I mean, it's not like I have a husband to augment my income should something happen with my job.
KAYE: Maria is a fleck of gold in the gold mine known as unmarried women voters. They vote overwhelmingly Democratic. And in Pennsylvania, make up one-quarter of all eligible voters. Here in Pennsylvania, the economy is issue number one. And research shows unmarried women are the ultimate economy voter with an average income of $30,000 or less. What's important to them? Real-life economic needs like child care, health care, raising the minimum wage, and equal pay.
Married women care about similar issues. But single women nationwide earn less and are three times more likely to lack health coverage. Also, 20 percent of unmarried women are single moms.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Economy and the election in 2008.
KAYE: Julia Siegel and Annie Friedman aren't married. They are juniors in college.
ANNIE FRIEDMAN, UNMARRIED PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: College costs are crazy.
JULIE SIEGEL, UNMARRIED PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: I know. In two years, I'm going to have to somehow get health care for myself and the cost is just astronomical.
KAYE: 28-year-old Carmina Ayo-Davies is single. She's worried about the housing market.
CARMENA AYO-DAVIES, UNMARRIED PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: I'm recently getting my home appraised. And it went down $15,000.
KAYE: Until recently, single women had been largely ignored by candidates and disengaged. In 2004, nearly 1 million unmarried women in Pennsylvania stayed home on election day. This year, their presence in the primaries has reached historic levels. Why this sudden burst of interest? Campaigns have aggressively targeted single women.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Health care premiums have doubled. College tuition is up.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The young woman who I met who works full time in the night shift, goes to college during the day.
KAYE: Political experts say if they continue to mobilize these women could determine who becomes the next president. Where do they stand? A recent study by Women's Voices Women Vote showed 58 percent of single women identify themselves as Democrats. Compared to just 18 percent as Republicans. They are split evenly between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Julie is hoping for more affordable education. Annie wants guaranteed health care for her and her kids one day. Carmina just needs to know it's going to get better. And Maria, a tax code for the middle class.
WING: After Uncle Sam gets paid and Fannie Mae gets paid, and, you know, housing expenses get paid, I only have about a couple hundred to go out.
KAYE: Senators, are you listening? Prove it and you may clean up at the polls. Randi Kaye, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Pennsylvania's Democratic battleground when the smoke clears though, will there be a clear candidate? Our political experts do weigh in coming up.
Also on CNN tonight, Pennsylvania voters cast their ballots in the heated Democratic primary. The best political team on TV brings you the results like no one else. CNN, the place for politics tonight, beginning at 7:00 Eastern.
HARRIS: Gas prices killing you? Hate to tell you but it is another record high. AAA says the national average for a gallon of unleaded regular is $3.51 this morning. That is up 25 cents from a month ago. Truckers are feeling the pinch and diesel prices hit a record $4.20 a gallon. All of this being fueled by oil prices. They have topped $118 a barrel, the first time.
NGUYEN: Developing this morning, caring for the kids. A second day of DNA testing for children from that Texas polygamist compound. Well, they are being kept together for now in a coliseum. CNN's Susan Roesgen is in San Angelo, Texas this morning, and many kids are in the building behind you, Susan. So, the question really is what is next for them? Is it foster care? I mean, what happens to them now?
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the big question. That's what a lot of the lawyers are worried about. I mean, this is sort of a temporary foster care situation that a lot of the families are not happy with. But the question is what's going to happen next after the DNA results come back. I want to show you a little bit of what we have here, Betty. Just from the outside because that's all we can show right now. You got a truck, a portable truck there, a little van. That's basically the registration area where the workers who prepare the meals for the children and do some of the activities for the children. Even some of the people who clean the coliseum. They would go and get their badges and go in. And that's because the security is extremely tight. You see the state troopers there. They check every single car. I just walked over there and I had a couple of troopers run practically over to me before I even got to the curb. They are keeping things very tight here. But the question is what's the situation like for the kids inside and what will it be like afterwards. Some of the lawyers have said, Betty, they are very afraid of the state of Texas plans to separate the youngest children and last we heard this were like 130 under the age of 4 to separate those children from the mothers and, of course, mothers and the lawyers don't want that. The judge said that a couple of times now that she will consider each case separately on an individual basis so that hopefully that wouldn't happen. But really there is a lot of tension on both sides.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUY CHOATE, ATTORNEY: There aren't any winners and losers here. Everybody is a loser. I mean, no one is happy about this. I don't think anyone that I have spoken to on any side of this case is pleased about what's going on everybody that I have talked to wants to do what they perceived to be in the best interest of these children and that's - it is an adversarial process and that's why we have lawyers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: Now, the DNA tests, Betty, as we reported, are just an inside of the cheek swab, a quick swab with a Q-tip. And then those are taken away to be tested by this company in North Carolina that specializes in DNA testing. That's for the children here. And then today in El Dorado, which is 40 miles from here, where the ranch is actually located the adult, the men and women, the judge said if you men and women want your children back, you are going to have to come in to law enforcement in the city of El Dorado and be tested there. They think the DNA testing should last a few more days. But the results, getting results back, could be a month to a month and a half from now. Betty.
NGUYEN: But those results are going to be key. Susan Roesgen joining us live in San Angelo. Thank you, Susan.
HARRIS: Well, we're talking about going from warm and sunny to cold and snowy. Oh, yes, did we mention the hail? Golf ball sized.
NGUYEN: That could do some serious damage to your car.
HARRIS: Yes. This is really -- we are talking about a crazy roller coaster weather story across the country. Large hail, certainly caught folks off guard in Oklahoma, pounding the pavement, pounding cars. As you can see here, cracking some windshields and yes, really, the size of golf balls. There you see the evidence for yourself. And look at all of this snow. Spring snow in the Seattle area. Some people say that just they are sick and tired of it. You could understand that. They want spring weather. That's really -- dare we say spring like?
NGUYEN: Maybe normal? That's something we haven't seen a lot of lately. Speaking of things that are normal, we got Rob Marciano in today. Well, you know...
HARRIS: I thought you were going in a totally different direction. NGUYEN: I'm trying to be nice to Rob today. Rob is my friend.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: I see you, Betty. Goodness. Hi, Tony.
NGUYEN: He's the menace around here, right?
HARRIS: Star in the pod.
MARCIANO: You know, half is good and the other is not so good. Hey, it's 7 in Butte right now. Check it out. Talking about the cold air that's happening in parts of the northwest and the high country of Montana and Wyoming. Look at Great Falls, this is yesterday morning, minus eight. That's a record. The old record was 11 above. So, really blowing now the records, way out of the water here.
And we're still seeing showers and the rain variety up and down the valley, the I-5 corridor here. It snows at the higher elevations of both the cascades and coast range. And some of these snows, you know, just barely above a thousand feet. So, this -- that looks more like February than it does April. That's for sure.
Davenport, Iowa, looking at showers and storms that are rolling towards Peoria. St. Louis, you just got hit with some thunderstorms. Live pictures for you of St. Louis. Temperatures there, on the 60s, 50s. And you're looking west on Market Street there, still some raindrops on the lens there. Thunderstorms are going to be severe and more likely to your south. Springfield and south into parts of Arkansas, this severe thunderstorm watch in effect until 1:00 local time, for the potential seeing gusty winds and hail like you saw in that video that you showed that came out at us last night. One thing that mother nature has got right is that severe weather in the plains, that is definitely very spring like.
HARRIS: OK. Rob, thank you.
Pop star turning the spotlight on to children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAKIRA: I would like to think I'm using the spotlight that shines on me or my career and moving it and shifting it to more important issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Wow. Shakira sings - well sings out for universal education. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Sorry, buddy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: So, here's details of you about your money. Look at this, the Dow is down 44 points. The Nasdaq in negative territory as well. Down 11. Here's what are just learning about sales of existing homes. They have fallen in March. In fact, with the medium home price, it's also declined and also the National Association of Realtors has said the sales of existing single family homes and condominiums drop 2 percent in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.93 million units. But here's where the details are. The median price of a home that sold last month had dropped to 200,700. That's a decline of 7.7 percent from the medium price a year ago. It is the second biggest year to year price decline that they expect in 1999. So, not looking so good. And that's why it's issue number one. We'll stay on top of all these news for you.
HARRIS: Boy, that's two percent. That's it. That's a big number. Protesting food prices, big number. Protesting food prices, the South Africans take to the streets over the growing crisis. CNN's Robyn Curnow has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mass action and protests in South Africa over rising food cost.
Unlike in some other countries, this protest is peaceful. But these workers have been singing anti-capitalist songs and they are say they are frustrated and angry at the high price of food.
Elizabeth (inaudible), a union member, says the message is clear.
We want our government to cut taxes, Especially on basic food.
CURNOW: But government has indicated that there's not much they can do to soften the blow. They have allocated and extra $11 million in addition to the social welfare grants to help the poor. And the finance minister urged more people to grow their own food. But it seems the hardest hit are the urban poor who don't have available land to farm and have to buy their food. Have things gotten more expensive for you?
BUSI MADLOPHA, MOTHER OF SIX: Very. It's double the amounts that we use to pay.
CURNOW: And things like maize, this is the staple food in South Africa --
MADLOPHA: Maize is crippling us. Because of the money that we used to pay last year, for one bag, we are now paying it triple times. So, it's so bad for us. We cannot survive like this.
CURNOW: But prices have not risen as much as wheat for example. South African farmers don't produce enough wheat for the country to rely on imports to make up a shortfall. According to (Crane)ph South Africa, the price of wheat has gone up 83 percent in a year. Making bread much more expensive. But some analysts say this and the rising cost of sunflower seeds, soya beans and other produce could be an opportunity for farmers.
KHEHLA SHUBANE, ANALYST: But I think for farmers and rural constituencies, it is -- it is a good thing. For the first time people in developing countries can get higher prices for the product and I think it opens up possibilities that have not existed for them in the past.
CURNOW: But still farmers say they don't reap the rewards of high prices because they have to pay much more for fertilizer, fuel, pesticides, and insurance which eats into any profits. And which makes the farmers as vulnerable to global price hikes as the urban poor. Protests action is rarely the only way they can vent their frustration with the food crisis that they and most South Africans have little control over. Because the warning from the South African government is clear that the high food prices are here to stay.
HARRIS: And CNN's Robyn Curnow is in Johannesburg, South Africa for us this morning. And Robyn, it's great to see you. I think we were all shocked to see the pictures of the rioting in Egypt and in Haiti. South Africa is being impacted as well. Explain to us how it is that South Africa is being affected.
CURNOW: Well, I think this food crisis issue is a prime example of how interconnected we all are in the world. Here I am sitting in the south of Africa, and there you guys are in the states. And what farmers are deciding to plant is having a direct effect on how people are eating here in southern Africa. That's exactly what this is all about. Because - and then it also refers, of course, to the high oil price. Because from what I see, statistics show that a third of U.S. wheat farmers have switched from farming wheat to farming biofuel for alternative fuel. So, of course, that means shortage in the wheat market, that pushes prices up. And people here in southern Africa particularly the importing countries, South Africa imports about 40 percent of its wheat, they feel the pinch immediately.
So, it is a very, very good example of just, you know, how interconnected we are and how the decisions made in one part of the world have a direct effect on what somebody is putting on their plate, you know. And this morning, or this evening here in South Africa.
HARRIS: Yes. And Robyn, we're moving into spring and summer here in the states which means that you are moving into winter in South Africa. And I'm wondering, are people worried?
CURNOW: Absolutely. I mean, it's chilly now. You can see, I'm wearing my winter woolies. And I think people are concerned for something like the price of sunflower oil has gone up 80 percent. Now, people cook with oil and flour and maize, corn to you guys over there. And those are the kinds of things that, you know, even if you have not a lot - it makes your belly feel full and you feel warm after having a hot meal. Now, as the price of oil has gone up 80 percent, people are not just going to be cutting back on chocolates or ice cream which is what I want to be doing in my house, -- which I shouldn't be eating anyway -- but they will be cutting out a whole meal. And I think that's a concern. And there really has been raised concern about school kids, about school kids going to school hungry.
And a real worry this will -- people just won't be feeling the pinch and saying OK, let's cut back on some luxuries. They are cutting out on a whole meal. Now, I think I came across the idea in my story there that it's not just the very rural poor who this really hurts. Because many of them are subsistent farmers and they can grow corn and a little bit of spinach from their backyard. It's the urban poor that really feel the pinch. The ones that have to buy their food every morning, every afternoon for lunch. I think -- those are the people, you know, the people who are working in these office blocks behind me. Who are really going to be hurting this winter.
HARRIS: Well, Robyn Curnow for us in Johannesburg, South Africa. Robyn great to see you. Thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, you probably recycle newspapers and shopping bags but what about that old television set or maybe a computer monitor. I want to tell you how to find new life for old electronics.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: My favorite segment. Here is why. If you have electronic junk that's just collecting dust, we all have it, well, it's time to get rid of the clutter. What do you do? Well, on this Earth Day, there is no better time to recycle. CNN's personal finance editor Gerry Willis is here with some tips on how to recycle everything from your computer to your iPod. All those things that you wonder what do I do with it? Where do you go, Gerri?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, you know, I have to tell you, I found three laptops in my home office alone. So, everybody has got this problem. First off, you want to check the manufacturer. You may find the company you buy your next computer from will take the old one off your hands either for free or at a nominal cost. Manufacturers like Apple, Dell, HP, they all provide computer recycling services. And some makers will pick up your old computers and hardware. But other manufacturers require you that you ship it back to them. You can recycle your iPod or your cell phone at an Apple store. And companies will accept used ink and toner cartridges. Those are hard to unload. Also, accept retailers, also accept used computer equipment for recycling. And some like best buys sponsor recycling events where you can drop off electronics of all kinds from TVs to fax machines. You can check on the retailer Web site to see if there's one coming up in your neighborhood.
NGUYEN: That's good because, you know, when you talk about, you know, the manufacturer wanting you to ship that computer back. Some people are just tuning out. I'm not going to pay for that shipping cost.
So when it comes to other opportunities, are they any public avenues where people can go to?
WILLIS: Well, here's a good idea. Towns also sponsor collection days for TVs and other electronics. There may be a drop off point for electronic waste. To find out what's happening in your area, go to the electronic industries alliance Web site, that's eiae.org. You can also find recyclers and recycling events in your area by visiting mygreenelectronics.com. Now, that site is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association.
NGUYEN: So, should you start on your community? Find those outlets there. I mean, they're the closest ones. WILLIS: Well, yes. Start local first, like your local schools, charities, but there are a number of nonprofit organizations that accept electronics. Check out earth911.org and freecycle.org. Freecycle.org helps you find a local home for your you wanted electronics. The Cristina foundation is another non-profit association. They connect potential computer donors with local schools and charities. Their Web site is cristina.org.
NGUYEN: All of these sounds so wonderful, especially when it comes to recycling, saving a planet and all of that. But at the same time, I worry about OK , well, if I turn in this computer to somebody, donate it, this phone, I have some information on that. How do I protect myself?
WILLIS: You are so right. Before you donate anything from a computer to a cell phone or even a personal electronic device you want to make sure there is no personal info that somebody else can access. If you want to get information off your hard drive use free software from the ones like eraser. You will be able to remove sensitive date from your hard drive by overriding it several times. That Web site is, listen to this heidi.ie/eraser. And when it comes to your cell phone or your PDA, take it back to the manufacturer and have your info deleted by a real technician. Make sure the technician overwrites the data. The process can take 30 minutes but it's free of charge.
NGUYEN: Hey, if it can protect you in the long run it is not bad and it's free. So, when it comes to recycling, going green, what are some of the other things that people can do?
WILLIS: Well, for one thing, switch out your light bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps. Now, a single bulb can save from 25 bucks to $45 over its life plus they lasts up to 13 times longer than regular bulbs. And, hey, try to skip that (INAUDIBLE). Make sure you put that computer to sleep when you are not using it. A recent report by consumer reports indicates putting a computer to sleep for 12 hours out of every 24 can save almost 580 pounds of carbon dioxide each and every year. Keep in mind that screensavers do not actually save energy.
NGUYEN: That's what I wanted to ask you. I mean, when you say put to it sleep, do you mean just go ahead and shut it down?
WILLIS: No, no, no, turn it off.
NGUYEN: OK, you don't want any ability to bring it up very quickly, because that means that it's still running on that electricity.
WILLIS: That's right.
NGUYEN: OK, "ISSUE # 1." It's the economy, I know, but you've got a lot of good information coming up. Tell us what can we expect coming up at noon Eastern today?
WILLIS: Well, we're focusing on your job, your savings, your debt, your housing, at noon. We'll be covering all the issues that matter to your wallet, and we'll be talking, of course, about the Pennsylvania primary as well.
NGUYEN: Yes, so will we. Gerri Willis, as always. I do love this segment, I really do. It's good information that we can use.
WILLIS: Thank you, ma'am.
NGUYEN: Appreciate it. See you at noon. Great to see you.
WILLIS: It's a pleasure. All right.
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everybody. On this Tuesday, and welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
OK, big day in PA. The polls are now open in Pennsylvania. And voters could decide the Democrat's presidential nominee. Barack Obama leads the delegate count as he enters the largest of the 10 remaining contests. Even if he somehow won every single delegate today it would not give him enough to clinch the nomination. But If Obama manages an upset and wins today, Hillary Clinton could face tremendous pressure to quit the race. Clinton says she is not making a predict on today's outcome.
NGUYEN: Well, issue of faith. Can Barack Obama break through with Catholic voters in Pennsylvania today? We have that story ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Talking trade at the North American Leaders Summit. President Bush meeting this morning with counterparts from Mexico and Canada. CNN White House correspondent -- there he is -- Ed Henry is In New Orleans for us this morning. Ed, good to see you.
What's on the agenda for today?
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Tony.
As you mentioned, trade, obviously, on the agenda. But what's also interesting is what is not on the agenda, immigration reform. That had really dominated some of these recent North American summits, the leaders of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, but it's not on the front burner anymore. Instead they're talking trade specifically. President Bush wants to push Democrats back on Capitol Hill to bring up that Colombian Free Trade Agreement. He's getting some backing from the leaders of Canada and Mexico. They think that kind of a deal would be good for the hemisphere, both from an economic, but also a security standpoint.
And then finally, you're seeing these three leaders come together to defend NAFTA, which is very much under assault on the presidential campaign trail. You Hear Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton saying basically that NAFTA has not lived up to the hype, that it has not produced a number of jobs, in fact has led to some people losing their jobs. So you're going to see President Bush push back against that in the next couple of hours when he has a press conference with his counterparts -- Tony.
HARRIS: Perhaps this is a question we should have asked yesterday, This is us day two after all of the two-day summit. But why did the leaders pick New Orleans to meet?
HENRY: Well, President Bush is the host this year. So he picked New Orleans, he says, because he wants on show it's a comeback city. And In fact, I know we have video from last night at a chamber of commerce event. He even tried to put his money where his mouth is, I guess, and do a little bit of dancing. I guess you could call it dancing anyway. I've now seen the president dancing in Africa. I've covered him all around the world, showing off his dance moves, and I can honestly say, Tony, it's not getting any better. He's only got a couple of weeks until his daughter's wedding. He's got Jenna's wedding coming up at the ranch in May. He's got to learn those moves. He's going to have to get some help fast.
HARRIS: But that will be a lot easier. He's close quarters with his daughter. That will be more about emotions than about fancy footwork.
But, Ed, that's amazing to see those pictures of the president dancing. Ed Henry for us out of New Orleans. Ed, appreciate it. Thank you.
HENRY: Thanks, Tony.
NGUYEN: It is always a fun time when you watch him dance.
This is a serious story. A ship full of weapons headed for Zimbabwe. It's stuck at sea. At least two African nations denied their docks to the Chinese ship loaded with millions of pounds of guns and ammunition. And now CNN has learned the United States is getting involved. A Bush administration official says other governments in the region are being asked to keep the ship out of their ports. Zimbabwe, as you know, is landlocked and has no seaport of its own. There are fears that the arms could be used to intimidate voters as the country's election crisis continues to play out.
HARRIS: Pennsylvania's Democratic battleground -- when the smoke clears, will there be one clear candidate? Our political experts weigh in, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So, what kind of horserace will we have after today's Pennsylvania primary? Or will we have a race at all? Here to help us handicap, Democratic political consultant Peter Finn and CNN contributor Roland Martin.
Gentlemen, good to see you both. Thanks for your time this morning.
PETER FENN, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL CONSULTANT: Glad to be here.
HARRIS: Let's talk with Senator Clinton from last night's appearance on "LARRY KING LIVE," basically responding to the question of how long she stays in the race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm going until we get Florida and Michigan resolved. I'm going until everybody's had a chance to vote in this process. I'm going until the automatic delegates have made their judgments based on their independent assessment as to who of us would be better against John McCain in the fall and who would be the best president for our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And very quickly here. This is DNC Chairman Howard Dean this morning just last hour, talking to Betty on what appears to be from at least the Hillary Clinton campaign's perspective on this, a protracted event. Let's listen in to Howard Dean.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD DEAN, DNC CHAIRMAN: There is no point in going -- having a nasty, divided convention if we can -- if the voters can say who they're for. All the regular voters will have said who they're for by June 3rd. Florida and Michigan will be resolved certainly by the end of June and I think the unpledged delegates, the remainder of them, ought to say who they're for by the end of June and then we'll know who the nominee is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK, gentlemen, Roland, let me start with you. The results tonight while important, won't determine this race ultimately. But will it bring us closer to a better understanding of the shape of the race?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, obviously, it all depends on what happens. I mean, if Senator Clinton is able to have a double digit win, she's able to close the gap among the popular vote, then we'll see what happens in terms of North Carolina, Indiana and the other states.
If she's still able to win, I think she will win, but let's say if she wins by anywhere from five to nine points, she doesn't have a huge lead in terms of popular vote, and Obama is able to keep it close when it comes to pledge delegates, that's what the real key is.
She has to get one of those major factors. Just winning Pennsylvania is not enough. She has to close the gap in terms of those votes because that's one of the points she's going to use to make about electability. HARRIS: But you know, Peter, if she wins by single digits in Pennsylvania, she's going to claim it as a victory and she's going to continue to move on, isn't she?
FENN: Absolutely.
HARRIS: And why wouldn't she?
FENN: Absolutely. Well, I mean, you know, you don't usually quit after you win.
HARRIS: Yes.
FENN: You know, that's not -- but look, here's the key thing with this. This is a rollercoaster ride. And Hillary Clinton in that statement, as a political pro, she -- everything's on the table. You know, she had every option set up there. And the trouble is Howard Dean is basically saying look, we better have this thing finished by June because if we spend a whole summer going after each other and not going after the Republican nominee, John McCain, we are in deep, deep trouble.
MARTIN: Hey Tony?
HARRIS: Yes?
MARTIN: I think -- you have to understand something, OK. Normally, if you look at the past three elections, the Democratic Convention took place in mid-July, took place in early August. The Democratic Convention ends on August 28th. The Republican ends September 4th. You only have eight weeks ...
HARRIS: Right.
MARTIN: ...between the end of the GOP convention and the election. That's why Howard Dean is saying no, we need that extra month, month and a half to be able to frame John McCain and to bring our party back together.
HARRIS: Right, and Peter, let me follow up on that. What argument can Howard Dean make perhaps tomorrow after the Pennsylvania results are known? Perhaps even more effectively tomorrow than he's been able to make to this point for getting the superdelegates to make a decision?
FENN: Well, I'll tell you, I think that if this is a narrow victory for her, four, five points, if she doesn't really show substantial strength here, then he can say hey, look, you know, we can play this out a little longer, folks. But you know, this is the Indianapolis 500. We've done 150 laps. You know, he's got to blow an engine for her to win this thing ...
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
FENN: ...and that ain't happening. So, basically, I think Howard Dean should be in the position tomorrow if this thing is close, pushing hard on the superdelegates, saying listen, you guys, let's move ahead, let's go.
And I tell you, the key thing, and Roland mentioned this, you know, in two weeks, you've got North Carolina and Indiana.
HARRIS: And Indiana.
FENN: And right now, it's very close in Indiana. And, obviously, Barack Obama has a strong lead in North Carolina. If he wins both those states, then it is definitely over in my book. Howard Dean is not going to make the decision here (ph).
MARTIN: I'll stick with the whole point Peter made about -- in terms of the Indy 500 car. This is about gas and for Clinton, the gas is money. Her donors -- if she does not have a blowout win, her donors are going to be able to say wait a minute, we can't go out there and keep raising millions of bucks ...
HARRIS: Yes.
MARTIN: ...if you only pick up a win by three or four, five points in Pennsylvania. That's what it boils down to. In race card, it's about how much gas is in your tank. In politics, it's about money. She's showing ...
HARRIS: Yes.
MARTIN: ...that she's got problems there. They can't keep going to the well. Money is going to talk, not really Howard Dean.
HARRIS: And Peter, if I could, let me just sort of end things with this. And I've been asking this same question for the last few weeks, but it seems like the last couple of months. Is this protracted race for the Democratic nomination hurting the Democratic Party, hurting the Democratic Party's chances of winning in November?
FENN: Listen, I think so far, we're OK. I think if this thing ...
MARTIN: I agree.
FENN: ...goes beyond June, we are in deep trouble. First of all, Roland's point is right. A lot of money is being spent. We want to start spending that money in the general election environment, not attacking each other.
Secondly, I think it gets uglier and uglier the longer it gets. You know, folks get tired, they say stupid things, and we don't need any more of that kind of stuff. I think it's been OK thus far. But I'll tell you, I don't want to see ...
HARRIS: Yes.
FENN: ...as a Democrat, I don't want to see another four months of this.
HARRIS: Roland, take the last word on this. MARTIN: Hey Tony, it's very difficult for a Democrat to brand your opponent, a, you know, some kind of wild names or whatever for calling you out if it's a fellow Democrat. That's why there's a lot of criticism of Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama going back and forth because John McCain gets to sit back and say hey, you two duke it out. And I'm going to use your statements against the person who wins.
That's the danger there. They want to be able to say -- to attack John McCain. That's what this boils down to.
HARRIS: Roland Martin, Peter Fenn, a couple of pros there with analysis for us. Good to see you both. Thanks for your time this morning.
FENN: Thanks, Tony.
MARTIN: Thanks, Tony.
HARRIS: CNN tonight, Pennsylvania voters cast their ballots in the heated Democratic primary. And the best political team on television brings you the results like no one else. CNN, the place for politics, tonight beginning at 7:00 Eastern.
NGUYEN: Listen to this, Tony: gold for gas. Yes, some people pawning their jewelry to get gas money. That's when you know times are tough.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Very quickly, we want to show you pictures of a scene that we are keeping an eye on here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Police in Indianapolis are on the scene, as you can see here, investigating a bank robbery and a shooting on the city's east side. Now, according to police, the suspect just walked into the Huntington bank branch, perhaps if you know this area, you will know this location near 21st and Post.
But, just shot a bank teller in the stomach. Don't know if the suspect demanded cash or if this was something personal. Perhaps a personal attack. Just don't know. The teller has been taken to a hospital for treatment. Her condition unknown at this time. And the search continues for the suspect. We should also add that Warren Township schools are on lockdown now while the search for that suspect continues.
But, once again, police now on the scene responding to a bank robbery and shooting on the city's east side. We will keep an eye on this situation for you and update this story in the newsroom.
NGUYEN: We are also keeping an eye on this, because today's gas prices they are more than a record. Even after adjusting for inflation, we are paying more for gas than ever before. Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with details on this. I almost don't want to hear it but it is reality, Susan. SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is reality. This is from the don't you just pile it on department. The Energy Department says that the average gallon of gas over the last week, regular, unleaded, $3.51. And, what does that mean other than just pain and misery for all of us who drive? It means that we are now paying more, even when adjusted for inflation, from 1981 prices, the last energy crisis.
The Energy Department is basically just saying what Lundberg and AAA have already said. We are paying more, even than we did then, and those are painful times, Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, it's kind of ironic that with these sky high prices on this Earth Day, some are saying that the prices are doing what the earth movement never could.
LISOVICZ: Betty, excellent point. This is the power of the market. Market forces are at work. People are changing their lifestyle. We talked about the huge surge in hybrid sales over, say, your regular conventional cars. And what you are seeing is people who are trying to sell their big gas guzzlers are having to really tough time.
USA Today says that owners who want to sell their old SUVs are just stuck, that auction prices for SUVs are down more than 15 percent, large pickups are down nearly 13 percent. And when you are trying to buy a car, you're also hampered sometimes by tighter credit. It is an interesting reversal of fortune.
Just a few years ago, the Hummer was such a status symbol. I bet they're not feeling so smug these days, especially when you look at what oil prices are doing today. I'm looking right now, $118.20 a barrel. So, yet another record for oil prices. Meanwhile, stocks are modestly lower. One reason why I mean -- it is really hurting some businesses like airlines.
United's parent company lost more than $0.5 billion the first three months of the year. That's the biggest quarterly loss since emerging from bankruptcy in '06. UA. UA is the ticker symbol, it' shares are down 15 percent. The damage is not so bad on the big board. Right now the blue chips are off 60 points. NASDAQ is down 16 points. The next hour, Tony and Betty, we're going to talk about all the money that's going into green businesses on this Earth Day.
NGUYEN: That seems to be where it is at these days. All right, Susan Lisovicz joining us live. Thank you. Speaking of green, like the color.
LISOVICZ: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Tony?
HARRIS: Well, gold is helping some drivers fill up their gas tanks. People heading to pawn shops, selling their jewelry, and walking away with cold, hard cash to pay for gas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) FRANK ELLIS, CAPITOL CITY PAWN: New customers to existing customers this time of year. Everybody is short on cash and just need some -- can't go to a bank and get a $50 loan to fill up the car with gas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So, listen to this, a pawn shop manager say -- they see more customers showing up to sell gold when gas prices jump by $0.15 a gallon or more.
NGUYEN: Well, pop star turning the spotlight on to children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAKIRA, SINGER: I like to think that I'm using the spotlight that shines on me or my career and moving it. Shifting it to more important issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Shakira, who is known for a lot of things, well she is singing out for universal education.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: There is her voice, and then as Tony would put it, those moves. Now pop star Shakira hopes to move the world as far as her leaders go on education for the planet's poorest children. Here's CNN's Zain Verjee.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Shakira is famous for Hips Don't Lie. But the sexy pop star is here to shake up official Washington. Her mission, to get the world's poorest children an education.
SHAKIRA, SINGER: 72 million kids are out of the school system.
VERJEE: Instead of working her fans, she is working the world leaders like the British Prime Minister, and the Head of the World Bank. She's meeting members of Congress. She is a Grammy winning megastar. A sex symbol. So, why should we pay attention to her on global education?
SHAKIRA: Every time you give a child an opportunity you are transforming his life or her life, and giving this child the opportunity to become a productive member of society.
VERJEE: Shakira travels to disaster zones as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and founded her own charity more than ten years ago to help educate Colombian kids missing out on school. But, do we have celebrity overload? Clooney has Darfur, Angelina has refugees, Bono has Africa. How does Shakira compete for attention?
SHAKIRA: In my case, I like to think that I'm using the spotlight that shines on me or my career and moving it. I'm shifting it to more important issues.
VERJEE: Shakira donates millions of her own money for her cause. How much money are you looking for from U.S. tax payers?
SHAKIRA: This will increase the fund from $465 million that the U.S. is funding in universal education, to $3 billion by year 2012.
VERJEE: Since she is in Washington, we asked her which U.S. presidential candidate is best for her cause.
