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Polls Open in Pennsylvania; Challenge for Obama: The Catholic Vote; Caring for the Children; Iran's Nuclear Threat

Aired April 22, 2008 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. You're informed in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen, sitting in for Heidi Collins.

Developments coming in to the CNN NEWSROOM on Tuesday, the 22nd of April. Here's what's on the rundown.

NGUYEN: Crunch time at the polls. Pennsylvania election workers hint at a record turnout in today's Democratic presidential primary.

HARRIS: The party switchers. These women voting for Democrats for the first time. Our Rick Sanchez gets the lowdown from the ladies.

NGUYEN: And we talk to a woman that's painting the South Bronx green. It's Earth Day -- in the NEWSROOM.

The presidential race and what may be the most anticipated day yet for Democrats. Voters at the polls right now in Pennsylvania. For Hillary Clinton, simply winning may not be enough.

CNN's Jim Acosta is at a polling station in Philadelphia.

So, has there been a steady flow of voters today, Jim?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There really has been, Betty. And one important thing to note is, according to the local weather forecast for the entire state of Pennsylvania, no rain in the forecast. Sunny skies from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and that is music to the ears of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, as Pennsylvania election officials are predicting what could be a record turnout. We talked to a local election judge here at this polling station in downtown Philadelphia, and he told us it is unheard of to see a line coming out of a polling station once the polls open in the morning.

And the latest exchange between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has gotten quite bitter over the last 24 hours. It has essentially been over an ad that Hillary Clinton has run here in the 11th hour of this campaign that uses an image of Osama bin Laden. And at events crisscrossing across this great state, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have been going at each other over this ad, talking about what this race boils down to. And they both say it boils down to a choice between experience and judgment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now it is time for you to decide. You have listened, you've watched, you've read, you've checked out the resume, you've asked when the plans are. And now you have to decide, who would you hire to turn this economy around and start jobs growing again?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Senator Clinton has -- she is a formidable adversary and she has many good ideas. In fact, we share a lot of ideas. We share a lot of policy positions. But the reason I'm running is because I believe that I am more committed to bringing about the changes that are necessary than Senator Clinton is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And speaking of Barack Obama, right now we have some tape to show you of the senator from Illinois at a polling station in Pittsburgh. Hillary Clinton visited a polling station in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, earlier this morning. She is ending her day right here in Philadelphia, which is a strong base of support for Barack Obama, sort of heading right into his home turf, politically speaking, in the state.

Barack Obama ending his day in Evansville, Indiana, an indication that he's already looking forward to the primary coming up on May the 6th rather than looking back to what is happening in Pennsylvania today. He told a talk radio station yesterday that he does not expect to win this primary today -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. We'll see how big of a win it might be for Hillary Clinton then as a big day for Pennsylvanians there.

Thank you, Jim.

Want to give you a look what's really at stake in today's Pennsylvania primary. And it could be, in a word, everything.

There are 158 delegates up for grabs. It is the largest remaining contest for the Democrats.

Barack Obama leads Hillary Clinton in the overall delegate count. And according to CNN's running tally, he has 1,648. Now, our count shows Clinton trailing with just over 1,500 delegates. So, even if Clinton or Obama did the impossible and won every single delegate, it would not give them enough to clinch the nomination. But, if Barack Obama pulls off an upset and wins today, Hillary Clinton could face tremendous pressure to quit the race.

Barack Obama hoping to win one key voting bloc today. Catholics have been tough customers in past primaries.

Here is CNN's Joe Johns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Catholics and political power. About one in five voters is Catholic. It's a critical swing vote.

As a bloc, Catholics have picked eight of the last nine presidents. It's a special challenge for Barack Obama.

In the Democratic primaries so far, he is not winning them over. He lost six of the 10 states with the largest Catholic population. Even in the home state of Illinois, the Catholic has proved elusive for him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. It's nice to meet you.

OBAMA: How are you?

JOHNS: And look at the numbers here in Pennsylvania. Catholics are expected to make up fully one-third of the vote. One recent poll shows Hillary Clinton crushing Obama among Catholics, 59 percent to 25 percent.

Franklin and Marshall University pollster Terry Madonna says Obama's struggle with Catholics is more about finances than faith.

TERRY MADONNA, FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL UNIVERSITY: Many of them come from families where their earnings are less or at the median income. Many of these Catholics come from conservative cultural backgrounds. Many of these Catholics are less well-educated. The bottom line here is that has been the demographic Senator Clinton has done well in since the beginning of primary season.

JOHNS (on camera): What's more, some of Obama's specific positions on key issues may not have sunk in with the voters. Something we heard when we visited St. Patrick's Cathedral in Harrisburg.

DOROTHY HILTON, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: I would like to hear more about the families, and especially the rising cost of tuition in colleges.

JOHNS (voice over): Both Obama and Clinton could also have trouble with more socially conservative Catholics.

PHIL WEINERT, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: Well, there's issues that I don't hear them talking a lot about. One is the issue of abortion, which is a very serious -- it's life and death.

JOHNS: In response, over the past week Obama's expanded his efforts to talk to Catholics. He has also has been joined at the hip to his top Pennsylvania supporter -- Senator Bob Casey, Catholic, staunchly anti-abortion and hugely popular with Pennsylvania's blue collar voters. SEN. BOB CASEY (D), PENNSYLVANIA: There's enough confidence that they can be inspired by, and I think he is doing that already. The more time on the ground in Pennsylvania, the better that he will do.

JOHNS: Obama mentions his Casey connection every chance he gets.

OBAMA: Ironically, the first school I went to in Indonesia was a Catholic school. So, you know, myself and Senator Bob Casey, who is sitting here, we have had pretty similar experiences probably.

CLINTON: Hello, Beaver County Democrats!

JOHNS: So, for Catholic voters in Pennsylvania, it's hardly just a matter of faith. When they vote, they will also ask themselves, who is best to help my family?

Joe Johns, CNN, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: CNN tonight, Pennsylvania voters cast their ballots in the heat of the Democratic primary. 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: Also, women motivated by the vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What I sense from you guys, though, is that you are passionate about this, this time around. But you are energized.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And passionate chicks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Passionate chicks. Our Rick Sanchez talks to these voters who have actually changed their minds and now want change. .

We'll hear from them coming up.

(NEWSBREAK)

HARRIS: DNA samples being taken from more than 400 children who lived at that Texas polygamist compound.

CNN's Susan Roesgen is in San Angelo, Texas, for us this morning.

Susan, most of those children are in that building right behind you there. I'm just sort of curious as to how long they will be there.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the question that really worries a lot of the lawyers, Tony. They have gone to court because they're frightened that the mothers of the -- especially of the young children -- and you know there are 130 children under the age of 4, Tony, in that coliseum. And they're very worried that the mothers are going to be separated from those young children and the children are going to be farmed out to foster homes any day now.

So they went to court to ask the judge, you know, not to allow that to happen. The judge says that she is actually going to consider each case individually. Now, that's a lot of cases, but she's going to consider each case individually.

Nobody really wants to see mothers, especially nursing mothers, or mothers of very young children, separated from the kids, but that is a possibility. So we just don't know yet.

Some of the lawyers said that it's their understanding that the state of Texas is going to begin removing some children as soon as the DNA testing is done, which would be by the end of this week. But again, we're not sure that that's actually accurate, and the judge said that was the first she heard of that. And again, she is going to consider each case individually -- Tony.

HARRIS: You know what, Susan? One hundred thirty children under the age of 4, that's shocking. I think that's the first time I heard that breakout that way. But beyond that, it seems that overall there are more kids involved than we originally thought.

ROESGEN: Yes. That's something else that we found out.

Our latest estimate, our latest count from Child Protective Services, is 437 children in the coliseum behind me, plus about 80 to 90 mothers in there as well. So you've got over 500 people related to this ranch in the coliseum behind me.

The reason they think they have more children now than they had initially counted, about 20 children more, is that they believe, first of all, that the first count was very rushed. They've had time now to go through and do a more accurate count.

And secondly, Tony, they are saying once again that they don't believe that all of the children have been entirely forthcoming with the interviews. They haven't been entirely honest when they've been asked what their age is. And so some of the young women who claim to be over the age of 18, who claim to be adults, were apparently not. They may be children.

And so that's why the number of adults has come down and the number of children has gone up. And it may change again. There may be more than 437 children in there. We'll have to see.

HARRIS: Yes. All right.

Susan Roesgen for us in San Angelo, Texas.

Susan, I appreciate it. Thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The Iraq war, a critical issue in presidential politics. But another Middle Eastern threat could confront the next president -- the prospect of Iran armed with nuclear weapons.

CNN's Brian Todd takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): She responds forcefully when asked how she'd deal with a major security threat in the Middle East, the possibility of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon and attacking Israel. Hillary Clinton's comments during an ABC News debate last week.

CLINTON: An attack on Israel would trigger massive retaliation but so would an attack on those countries that are willing to go under the security umbrella and fore swear their own nuclear ambitions.

TODD: She was talking about Arab countries friendly to the U.S. like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates. Some observers see that as a commitment to insert the U.S. into a possible conflict between two Middle Eastern countries, an idea many Americans might not accept given U.S. involvement in Iraq.

One analyst says the U.S. already has security arrangements with those Arab allies and doesn't need to go further.

JON ALTERMAN, CTR. FOR STRATEGIC & INTL. STUDIES: It seems to me U.S. policy is better served by supporting these countries, by indicating our support for them, but not putting ourselves into a corner that then we're going to find ourselves obligated to fight a war that, for any number of possible reasons, we might not want to fight.

TODD: A foreign policy adviser to Senator Clinton says her position is a U.S. response to a nuclear attack by Iran on Israel would be devastating. Despite her comments, the adviser says she's not committed to a massive retaliation if Iran were to attack other countries in the region but wants to signal to Iran that those countries could possibly be under a broader U.S. security umbrella and that Iran could not use its nuclear program to intimidate them because it's uncertain how the U.S. would respond.

Her goal, the adviser says, is to deter Iran and get those Arab countries not to pursue their own nuclear weapons. One analyst believes it's at least worth considering.

BRUCE RIEDEL, SABAN CTR. FOR MIDDLE EAST POLICY: We do not want to see Saudi Arabia and others look for their own nuclear deterrent against Iran. That would be a truly perilous situation.

TODD: Hillary Clinton's idea of a security umbrella seems to be one that she alone is embracing. (on camera): The Obama campaign would not go further than saying he would respond "forcefully and appropriately" to an Iranian attack on U.S. allies in the region. An adviser to John McCain says at this point he would not extend security guarantees beyond those currently offered to Israel.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Right now, live pictures. We're going to take you south of Atlanta to Jonesboro, Georgia -- this is in Clayton County -- to tell thank you that the Clayton County hazardous materials team is working right now on an incident at Jonesboro High School. We understand the school is being evacuated right now.

One of our local affiliates, the affiliate actually providing this aerial view of the school, WSB, is reporting that four students have suffered what's being described as minor irritation. That the students were treated by paramedics at the location.

We don't know at this point whether they have been transported to a local hospital. But we do -- you can see that a tent is being set up there right now. Probably to treat young people who have been exposed to whatever the haz-mat -- whatever the chemical is involved here.

So that is a scene that's going on right now. Once again, this is at Jonesboro High School, south of Atlanta, in Jonesboro, Georgia, Clayton County. The hazardous materials team is on the scene. Firefighters on the scene as well.

We will keep an eye on the situation and see if we can determine exactly what the agent it is that's at play here at Jonesboro High School.

And still to come, from victory on the ice to violence in the streets, vandals used an NHL playoff win to stir up some mischief.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Bottom of the hour. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen in for Heidi Collins today. You know it is a 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 ten remaining contests.

Now even if somehow he 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 prediction on today's outcome. HARRIS: We call them the league of first time voters. The many Americans voting or registering with a party for the first time. CNN's Rick Sanchez is in Philadelphia with the Election Express. Rick, great to see you. How refreshing is it for you to be talking to the actual voters as opposed to the pundits that we're always talking to?

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you're absolutely right, Tony, that's the thing about this business. You're probably a lot like me, you're probably more comfortable talking to real people sometimes, and that's what we're trying to do. I mean, this is more of a bottom-up approach to doing news. We're excited about doing it.

Look, it's a phenomena, it's happening. It's undeniable that there are lots of people all over the country who are really psyched about this particular election. And it might be throwing the polls off a little bit. Some people are saying, well there is no way to really measure how many young people are going to be voting for Barack Obama for example, because they live in universities.

And guess what? They do all their work on cell phones. They don't have land lines. They don't have real traditional telephones. So, the pollsters can't get to them. They don't know how many of them there are. There's also an argument that in the center of the state, that famous big YT in the middle of Pennsylvania, there's a lot of people, middle Americans, as they say, who are going to be voting for Hillary Clinton, and many of them aren't being measured adequately.

But, we know this. We know that there are a lot of people here, women, who have come all over the country. Because, in many ways they may see this as a last stand for their candidate. I have talked to them from Mississippi, from Tennessee, from Georgia.

And, they are here because they want to make this statement. They are enthusiastic. They're newly energized voters who want Hillary Clinton to win badly. Like these women that I talked to in Scranton, PA.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been a Republican since I'm 18-years- old, and two months ago I changed to Democratic. And, I can't believe I did it.

SANCHEZ: You've always been a Republican?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.

SANCHEZ: And you are going to go Democrat this time?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yep.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mostly because I got really upset about the lack of ethical behavior in the current administration.

SANCHEZ: As a woman, would you feel more empowered if Hillary were to become President?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is a great plus, but it is not the reason that is driving me to her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's gutsy, she gets up and she keeps rolling. That is the kind of President I want.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wanted to see a woman in the presidency before I die.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If something doesn't go her way, she kind of goes off the deep end and just does some crazy thing. Whereas, he always stays even keel and steady.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Barak Obama offers us a better choice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he's a brilliant speaker. But that does not necessarily make a good President. He may some day make a good President, but right now it's her turn.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think she's just very intensely educated, intelligently focussed.

SANCHEZ: You think Barak Obama has it easier than Hillary Clinton?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at how the press treats him. Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's a man.

SANCHEZ: Why not McCain?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can't afford to be in a war in Iraq. If we could put it on early childhood education or on better health care.

SANCHEZ: What makes you think that Hillary or Barak Obama will be any better?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We had eight years of Bill Clinton. It's true he had some problems.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But the country prospered. We were well loved in the world.

SANCHEZ: When she talks about health care, Republicans call her a socialist.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But it isn't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So what is right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The uninsured or the working poor, I think Hillary gets it. All the baby boomers are now becoming patients and so are your nurses. And, she is supporting tuition reimbursement, and many funds, grants --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need someone to go out there and reach out to the people.

SANCHEZ: What I sense from you guys though is that you are passionate about this this time around? But you're energized this time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A passionate chic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Each one of us wants to win this, because it means a lot to each of us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: It is a tremendous opportunity to go around the country and talk to so many different people. You heard them, Tony. In many ways, they're really just as smart as many of the pundits that you hear on TV.

HARRIS: Isn't that the truth?

SANCHEZ: They know the issues. They're connected. They're enthusiastic. They follow what's going on. They really can break things down for you. It is a great opportunity for us to be able to go out and find these people and make them a part of the thing we've started, the league of first time voters. It's called LOFTV, League of First Time Voters.

A bottom-up way of reaching people, and having them reach us and use us as a vehicle. We're excited about this. We hope more people will reach out to us --

HARRIS: How can we make that happen? If someone has watched these pieces over the last couple of days and wants to participate, and wants to get an opportunity to talk to you about their concerns for this race, how would someone do it?

SANCHEZ: Yes. This is a CNN-wide project that we're doing. So, here's what you do. If you got a computer, or you know somebody who does, go over and go to CNN.com/league. In fact, I think -- you are looking at it now probably. I can't see it. But, if you're looking at it you see --

HARRIS: Yes, there it is.

SANCHEZ: There's some different tabs. You can tab right there at the very top. You can send us an i-report. Tell us what you think about our reports thus far. Tell us if you have an organization that you think is unique enough -- give us a good pitch. Listen, I will come out there I'll pay you a visit.

We'll include you as one of our stories in league of first time voters, and we'll keep the dialogue going. This is about reaching the viewers so they can reach us and talk through us with their messages. Listen, we're committed to this, and we're going to continue to do it for months to come.

HARRIS: It's good stuff. All right, Rick, appreciate it. Rick Sanchez with the CNN Election Express in Philadelphia. Great to see you.

RICK SANCHEZ: Thanks, Tony.

HARRIS: Thanks, Rick.

NGUYEN: Well, here's a story for you out of New York in fact. A postal worker on her route catches a very special delivery. A baby falling 20 feet. Jeff Saperstone of affiliate WXXA has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF SAPERSTONE, REPORTER WXXA: Little 1-year-old Dialis (PH) posing for the camera with relatives just hours after taking a freefall from the second-story window of this house on second street. A freefall that was interrupted by an unlikely source.

LISA HARRELL, CAUGHT FALLING BABY: As quick as I looked up, as quick as the baby fell out.

SAPERSTONE: Dialis fell through an open window 20 feet right into the arms of postal worker Lisa Harrell.

HARRELL: Next thing I know, the baby fell down on me, must have hit my right side. And I caught the baby.

SAPERSTONE: Lisa was not supposed to be on the front step of 306 2nd Street at 11:00 in the morning. Her usual mail delivery is around 2:00.

HARRELL: My day started out, and I said to my friend at work, gosh, this is just a weird day.

SAPERSTONE: Turns out she was right. This was no normal day. Lisa had to drop off an express mail package here before noontime. A special delivery that most likely saved this baby's life. .

HARRELL: That special delivery. God knows what would have happened.

SAPERSTONE: The mother Brenda Morales (PH) was too shaken up to go on camera, but she tells me she's very grateful Lisa was here at the right place, at the right time. She said she would like to meet up with her again, and give her some flowers. Lisa had some choice words for Brenda Morales for leaving the window open with the screen up. She says if she wasn't there, Dialis probably would have been dead. Police say there are no laws in place requiring bars or safety devices on windows.

JAMES MILLER, SPOKESMAN, ALBANY PUBLIC SAFETY: There really isn't one, and that's particularly why she wasn't charged at this point. She was in the room, she turned her back. We wouldn't advise any parent to put a child on a bed, or put a bed up against a window of that nature.

HARRELL: God forbid, I hope she learned a valuable lesson from this. I really do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Still to come the biofuel debate is going green. Leaving millions hungry.

NGUYEN: And the new Fortune 500 list is all about the bottom line. But, we want to tell you something about the rankings, and what they don't show you. See if you can guess this company.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Politics are as popular as the stock market here. And is this election year employees at this company have contributed more to political campaigns than any other. Who can the candidates thank for filling up their war chests? Find out after the break.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

NGUYEN: Listen to this, though, Tony, the secret, it is out. Cindy McCain reveals her pet nickname for her husband.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: You know it's Earth Day, with the focus being on the environment and what all of us can do to clean it up.

Well, Majora Carter is the founder of Sustainable South Bronx. The group revitalizes urban areas and makes them green, and she joins us live from London today across the pond. But let's talk about right here in the States, specifically the Bronx, where you grew up.

When you moved back, the neighborhood wasn't like it used to be. IN fact you wanted to clean it up. How bad was it?

MAJORA CARTER, SUSTAINALE SOUTH BRONX: It was pretty bad. We were handling about 40 percent of the city's commercial waste, but we were planning to get four new power plants, about 60,000 diesel truck trips a week, all of which had a real impact on the health effects of my community, in particular, asthma, and then later diabetes and obesity.

NGUYEN: Here's what I find fascinating. You don't have a background in environmentalism; you just had a will to do something about it. So how did you do it? How did you get yourself mobilized? How did you get your neighbors mobilized? And more importantly, how did you get the government to act?

CARTER: I think my actually creative background. I got an arts degree, or two arts degrees actually, which helped me think about in terms of how do you do something proactively and think about in terms of how do you do something proactively and think about a vision for our community.

But, the real important thing was helping people understand the health impacts associated with the waste facilities and other kinds of noxious facility in our community, and that if we weren't mobilizing ourselves in order to empower ourselves and learn more about it, and then advocate on our own behalf it would be really difficult for us to advocate for the kind of things we wanted to see in our community.

NGUYEN: So, is that the key -- ?

CARTER: So, helping people see that.

NGUYEN: Yes, to get your neighbors out of their homes in the communities, working on ways to bring about change? Do they have to really be invested for a project like this to work?

CARTER: Absolutely. They have to see how their self-interest was tied up in creating a better future for themselves and for their community as well. And, but the most beautiful thing was, once they got past that hurdle -- fighting against something, was that they realized that they could also position themselves to fight for something.

And that's what really got me into this work around thinking about what else do we want as a community. And actually started the first waterfront development park in our community, because my dog actually led me to an awful nasty, illegal garbage dump that dead ended at the Bronx River, and we were able to create more of an opportunity for our community to actually have waterfront access that way.

NGUYEN: So, you had your dog to thank for that one. As we look at some pictures, it is really great to see people coming together. So ultimately, as people watch this, and want to see how you went from just wanting to do something to actually doing something, what are some of the other effects that you have been able to make? What are some of the positive changes you were able to bring about?

CARTER: Right, in addition to starting the waterfront park and helping create a feasibility plan for a green way network 11 miles worth of waterfront esplanades, and off-street bike paths, and getting about $20 million to do that. We also started a green roof installation business as well that actually trains people from our community in the art of green roof installation. So they've got storm water management possibilities, they conserve energy, and they also create jobs for our community as well. We also are working on how do we make -- turn waste into wealth, by actually using recycled materials as raw materials for small manufacturing, as well as much larger industrial products in our own communities.

NGUYEN: You know, you slipped it in there, we got $20 million to make this happen. I mean, that's no small feat. In fact, you were one of Newsweek's 25 to Watch. Named one of Essence Magazine's 25 Most Influential African-Americans.

And, I have to ask you, not only have you started your own group called Sustainable South Bronx, but you are in London talking about the issues of environmental justice, when people watch this and say you know what, I'm going to do something, what's your best advice to them?

CARTER: It starts small. Start talking to your neighbors and helping them understand that you have shared problems, but you also can work together to create shared solutions as well. We work really well with lots of different entities from our community, residents to the government to businesses and try to create ways that actually see all of our self-interest tied up together.

It is a real exciting way of looking at the future development of our world. Because it is not us against them. It really is how do we find common ground and create something that means something for everyone.

NGUYEN: Well said, and you're an inspiration. Majora Carter joining us live --

CARTER: Thank you.

NGUYEN: With the group Sustainable South Bronx. Something that you founded, and you're doing something about the community in which you live. And, in fact the world by the advice that you're giving. Thank you for your time today.

CARTER: Thank you so much, Betty Nguyen. Bye-bye. Happy Earth Day.

NGUYEN: Thanks.

HARRIS: Our Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena joins us now. Kelli is tracking the story of a New Jersey man arrested for disclosing national defense information to our ally, Israel. Kelli, good morning.

KELLI ARENA: That's right, Tony. Good morning. A U.S. citizen today arrested on charges of passing U.S. secrets to Israel. Something different. We usually -- been hearing a lot about China lately. This involves Israel.

From about 1979 to 1985, an individual named Ben-Ami Kadish, was a mechanical engineer who worked at the U.S. Army Armament Research Center over in Dover, Delaware. Now he is charged with taking classified documents out of the library there back to his home in New Jersey, and then passing those documents, those secrets along to an unnamed co-conspirator who worked at the Israeli consulate general's office.

Interestingly, that unnamed co-conspirator, according to our sources, Tony, was the same guy who took information from Jonathan Pollard. You could remember him. He pled guilty for spying for Israel back in 1987. Kadish is accused of passing classified information on nuclear weapons, on a major F-15 fighter jet weapons system, the U.S. Patriot Missile Defense System.

The government says, Kadish didn't get any money for his trouble, and allegedly did it because he wanted to help Israel. He is scheduled to appear in court this afternoon, Tony.

HARRIS: OK. Our Justice Correspondent, Kelli Arena with us this morning. Great to see you, Kelli. Appreciate it. Thank you.

NGUYEN: Punxsutawney might agree, Pennsylvania's biggest day since Ground Hog Day. So, will it be Clinton or Obama? We have primary coverage in the NEWSROOM all day on CNN your home for politics.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Tough times? Tough times. Gold is helping some drivers fill up their gas tanks. People are heading to pawn shops selling their jewelry, and walking away with gold, hard cash to pay for gas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANK ELLIS, CAPITOL CITY PAWN: New customers, to excising customers. This time of year everybody's short on cash and just needing some -- can't guy to a bank and get a $50 loan to fill up a car with gas.

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HARRIS: That's cold, hard cash, isn't it? Yes, it will pay for gas. Pawn shop managers say they see more customers showing up to sell gold when gas prices jumped by $0.15 a gallon or more.

NGUYEN: All right, surprise an unwanted guest barges its way into a Florida home. Check that out. How would you like to wake up to that? All right, so here is what happened. The homeowner said she heard a commotion in the kitchen. I'd say. Went to check it out and spotted this gator.

Police say the eight-foot long visitor broke through the porch scream, crawled through an open door, walked into the living room and in the kitchen, of course, that's where the food is. Apparently no one noticed.

HARRIS: Just in time -- what's for dinner? NGUYEN: Yes, alligator. No. It got out and it's fine. Don't worry. All right, CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now. I'm Betty Nguyen.

HARRIS: And, I'm Tony Harris ISSUE #1 with news on the economy begins after a check on the headlines.

A manhunt is underway right now in Indianapolis for a gun man. Police say he shot a bank teller who was pregnant with twins. The woman was shot in the lower stomach and is in serious to critical condition. The suspect got away by jumping into the passenger side of a car.