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Person of Interest Taken Into Custody in Connection With Palm Bay Wildfires; Clinton Trounces Obama in West Virginia
Aired May 14, 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: And good morning again, everyone. You are informed with CNN.
I'm Tony Harris.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
Good morning again, everyone.
HARRIS: Developments keep coming into the NEWSROOM on this Wednesday, May 14th.
Here is what's on the rundown.
WHITFIELD: Police questioning a man about arson fires in Florida. Ten thousand acres and dozens of homes up in flames this week.
HARRIS: Troops scrambling to plug a dam cracked by Monday's earthquake in China. Rescuers still finding survivors in collapsed buildings.
WHITFIELD: Hillary Clinton telling superdelegates and donors today she is more electable.
Victor in West Virginia -- in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And within the past hour, we learned a person of interest was taken into custody in connection with the wildfires in Palm Bay, Florida. Police say that Brian Crowder (ph) was seen in the area of the first fire. Crowder (ph) is 31 years old and has a lengthy criminal record. We are still waiting to hear if he will in fact be charged.
Meantime, damage in Palm Bay certainly adding up fast. Officials estimate it at least $9 million. Flames have scorched 10,000 acres. That's about 15 square miles. At least 40 homes were gutted, another 120 buildings damaged.
WHITFIELD: And let's get to the scene now. Rob Marciano is on the ground in Palm Bay.
And Rob, law enforcement being very careful about this suspect, saying really he's a person of interest. They are not willing to say they are charging him with arson as yet. ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, they certainly don't know if he was associated with the other fires. There's a number of fires that were set in this particular area, and they think that he's related to the most recent one. So he's been pulled in for questions.
It's been a very busy morning. We've had a lot police activity, obviously. They have been trying to chase this guy down for -- well, almost a day now.
He was pretty much identified yesterday. And last night they tried to get a hold of him, couldn't. This morning, though, the police zeroed in on where he was, they got a K-9 unit out, and the dog flushed him out of the bushes.
He is right now being treated in the hospital for dog bite wounds, and then he will be taken down into police custody, where they will ask him more questions. They think he is linked with one of the latest fires. The question is, is he also linked with the other fires that burned here in Brevard County? And here is what the police chief had to say about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF BILL BERGER, PALM BAY, FLORIDA, POLICE: Many times in these arsons, you know, it's not -- many times, not one person. People are fascinated by fires; they may want to go out and create their own activity. So, again, too, all we know is what I've told you, is this individual possibly connected to the arson that occurred this morning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Well, we can also tell you about this individual. He has a pretty good rap sheet -- grand theft auto, firearms, burglary, drug possession. And most recently, and the reason they were able to pick him up today, violation of probation.
All right. So damage is done now. No doubt about it. Here are the latest numbers as far as what kind of homes have been destroyed.
They have ratcheted it down slightly to 22 homes completely destroyed and uninhabitable, a total of 160 homes damaged in some capacity, for a total damage report of about $9.6 million. So, a lot of people waking up to this with absolutely nothing left.
This is one of those 22 homes and its property completely scorched. An RV, a home, and also a couple of motorcycles there.
So, aside from the criminal part of the story, which obviously, Tony and Fredricka, will be ongoing here in the next several days -- they are just scratching the surface with this -- is the fact that the fires are not out yet. In all of Brevard County, we've only got about 40 percent containment.
I talked with forestry -- a Division of Forestry manager here who said they have -- it's pretty dry today. And even though it's not critical fire danger, there is what they call a 70 percent probability of ignition today, meaning that the fuels that haven't burned are very susceptible to burning.
So, you've got the criminal side of this story. And they are also battling the fires. And then you have the human toll on this as far as, you know, the lives that have been turned upside down. Not a good deal here in central Florida.
WHITFIELD: Yes, people have lost a lot. And there's nothing worse than having to rummage through stuff that has been obliterated by fire and then trying to find something salvageable. Very seldom do you look (ph) at anything. Heartbreaking.
Rob Marciano, thank you.
HARRIS: Also making news this morning, Hillary Clinton trounces Barack Obama in West Virginia, but she still trails him. Today, Clinton reassure her supporters she is staying in the race.
Jessica Yellin, part of the best political team on television, live from Charleston, West Virginia, for us this morning.
Jessica, you have to say it. Called it like you see it. It was a pretty dominant performance by the New York senator last night.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It sure was. It was a rout, Tony. And today Senator Clinton is saying she is not listening to the pundits. She believes she can win and she's trying to make superdelegates see things her way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, West Virginia!
YELLIN (voice over): A big victory for Hillary Clinton, but it is too little too late? Clinton's landslide win in West Virginia will allow her to make a small dent in Barack Obama's lead in delegates and the popular vote. But if this race for the Democratic nomination is supposedly over, no one has told Hillary Clinton.
CLINTON: There are some who have wanted to cut this race short. They say give up, it's too hard. I am more determined than ever to carry on this campaign.
YELLIN: A look at her schedule proves that point. Clinton's expected to campaign in South Dakota, Oregon and Kentucky over the next week. And her message to the superdelegates remains the same.
CLINTON: I am in this race because I believe that I am the strongest candidate.
(APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: The strongest candidate to lead our party in November of 2008. YELLIN: But to do it, she needs help.
CLINTON: I hope you will go to hillaryclinton.com and support our campaign.
YELLIN: Obama is still in the driver's seat, but he remains modest.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Senator Clinton is still competing. We haven't resolved this nomination.
YELLIN: Where he spent Tuesday evening is very telling. He campaigned in Missouri. It's already held its primary, but is considered a crucial battleground state. And the person on Obama's mind isn't Clinton. It's John McCain.
OBAMA: Just look at where he stands and you will see that a vote for John McCain is a vote for George Bush's third term.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
YELLIN: Now, Senator Clinton is not holding any events with voters today. Instead, she is meeting with her top supporters at her Washington home, and then doing a slew of television interviews. And she will be telling everyone the same thing -- don't count her out -- Tony.
HARRIS: So, Jessica, the spirit is clearly willing to continue this campaign. Is the money there?
YELLIN: Excellent question. Senator Clinton's campaign has admitted to being $20 million in debt. And we all know that when campaigns admit to a figure, it is often much worse than what they are saying.
But I spoke to one of her top campaign advisers, a staffer last night, who said they have the money to con through June 3rd. And I'm told that the fund-raising picked up last night after her speech and that they just plan to continue on.
She can take on debt. And the question is then, how does she pay it off later? But that's a problem for down the road -- Tony.
HARRIS: Down the road.
All right. Jessica Yellin, part of the best political team on television, in Charleston, West Virginia, for us this morning.
Jessica, great to see you. Thank you.
Why don't we take a moment here to take a look at the all- important delegate count following the West Virginia primary.
Barack Obama still leads Hillary Clinton by 168 delegates, according to CNN estimates. He has 1,881. She has 1,713. It takes 2,025 to win the nomination. Up next, Tuesday's Kentucky primary, with 51 delegates at stake. And the counting begins Tuesday in the mail-in primary in Oregon. Fifty-two delegates up for grabs there.
WHITFIELD: All right. And this just in. We are getting reports now of a rocket being fired from Gaza and fired into the city of Ashkelon, which is the south district of Israel, population about 117,000 people. And we understand from these eyewitness accounts that this rocket may have hit a shopping center.
Of course, when we get any more information and confirmation of more specifics on this, we will be able to bring that to you. But meantime, that's something that our international desk is working on right now.
Meantime, back to American politics here, Hillary Clinton is expected to do well with voters in Kentucky.
Dan Lothian live from Frankfort with a preview.
Dan, what are people saying?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, people here, like in other parts of the country, are really concerned about the economy. They are worried about rising gas prices, about the loss of jobs. And they are looking to the candidate who can come up with the best solution to turn things around.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUDY MARTINEZ, OWNER, JC & FAMILIA RESTAURANT: Everything looks bad right now.
LOTHIAN (voice over): Judy Martinez says running her two-year- old restaurant in Frankfort is especially challenging these days.
MARTINEZ: I'm buying fish that used to be $10, like I told you. Now it's $13.
LOTHIAN: This mostly rural state with its rolling hills and horse farms was already hurting before the economy went south.
TREY GRAYSON, KENTUCKY SECRETARY OF STATE: Our unemployment rate has been higher than the national average by about a percentage point the last few years.
LOTHIAN: Secretary of State Trey Grayson says many were laid off after textile factories closed and production went out of state, or overseas. The auto industry has filled some of the gap, but it's not nearly enough.
Danny Walker runs a car wash and flower business in Frankfort.
DANNY WALKER, WALKER'S CAR WASH & FLOWER SHOP: They need to get the businesses back in this country. It's really killing the middle class people, the blue collar workers here. LOTHIAN: He wants the next president to bring back new jobs. And while they are at it, do something about the high gas prices.
WALKER: Yes, and they raised it here yesterday 10 cents.
LOTHIAN: Senator Hillary Clinton is expected to do well here, where working class message resonates with many rural Democratic voters.
GRAYSON: We have a state that is primarily white, primarily small-town.
LOTHIAN: Less than 10 percent of the population is minority. Barack Obama has most of his support in the more urban areas of the state, like Louisville. Interest is unusually high in the Kentucky primary because the Democratic race is still undecided and because, as one voter put it, the stakes are high.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're a lot worse off than we were eight years ago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN: Polls show that Senator Clinton has a huge double-digit lead over Senator Barack Obama. She is hoping that voters here in Kentucky will give her another big win next Tuesday. And give her another reason to show superdelegates that she should be the nominee -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Wow. It's going to be one heck of a week. Here we go again.
LOTHIAN: That's right.
WHITFIELD: All right.
Dan Lothian, thank you so much.
HARRIS: How about this? Streets turning into streams. Flash flooding slowed or stopped motorists.
And look at this. In Shreveport, Louisiana, last night, six and a half inches of rain fell in just three hours. Four inches in one hour alone.
More than just the streets flooded. 911 lines were overloaded. So much so that police had to call in more dispatchers.
Lightning caused several fires in the area. An apartment building damaged. But here is the good news in all of this -- no injuries reported.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Fred, a piece of video we want to show everyone at home now. And I'll be honest with you, I don't have a lot of information on it. But it is just coming in. It is from Monday, the day of the huge earthquake in China.
Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have got to get out of here!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look, let's go -- let's go to the river (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me -- the bike is -- the bike is working.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Huh?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The bike is working.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Again, this is eyewitness video as it's happening. Someone going through this ordeal took a moment to grab a camera and to start rolling on some of these pictures. And you can see just how much damage a 7. 9 earthquake can do, particularly to this section of the world, this part of China, central China.
Right now, new video just into us a short time ago on CNN. Just wanted to get it on the air as quickly as possible. And I apologize for not having more specifics as to where this was taken, but I think the story kind of speaks for itself.
WHITFIELD: Yes. You can urgency in their voices, clearly. You know, the English-speaking saying, "We've got to get out of here."
But, you know, I guess the first reaction is, yes, I have got to get out of here. But the next is, wow, on a motorbike?
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: I mean, how do you know you're really going to be safe in another location when it's different, I'm sure, for all of these folks to be able to know how widespread. And what about aftershocks?
But pretty extraordinary stuff here. You can see just the billowing smoke there, the dust clouds from all of those structures that came down. And kind of the blank stares of so many people there. Just simply shocked of what happened in an instant.
HARRIS: In an instant, yes. And what was -- I'm thinking back as I watch this and listen to this over the last couple of days. And we've heard some of the eyewitnesses accounts of actually being on the ground in a building at the time of this earthquake and feeling the shaking from wherever these people happen to be. We heard from one man yesterday who was several floors up. Ten floors up at least of what it felt like to be that high up as the shaking started.
And I'm thinking about that as I watch these pictures. And you can see, boy, in some of these structures, how much damage was caused by the shaking. And it's always such an interesting moment. What do you do when the ground starts shaking?
We're so used to events happening where we have got things coming down from the sky. But what do you do with those moments when...
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: This woman's carrying a small person. Yes.
Very raw moments all happening very instantaneously. And that they had the wherewithal to actually take these images is pretty fascinating as well.
HARRIS: OK. And once again, video just in to us here at CNN from just a short time ago. Just tried to get it on the air to you as quickly as possible.
Haven't had a chance to fully look through it and fully vet it, but pretty dramatic stuff from Monday, the moments of the earthquake. Those immediate moments as the ground started to shake. And you can actually see here how people react and respond to those moments. It's an interesting moment to see.
WHITFIELD: It really is.
All right. Meantime, a focus here in this country has been the devastating fires that have taken place in Florida. Well, now we hear of an arrest taking place involving these -- this arson case.
So why would anyone want to start a wildfire? We go inside the mind of an arsonist.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's take a moment to show you these pictures again. Pretty dramatic pictures from just a few moments ago into the CNN NEWSROOM.
This takes you right back to Monday at the very moment of the earthquake in central China. Sichuan Province so hard hit. Really the epicenter of the earthquake.
What do you do? These are the moments. Where do you go? What do you do?
You are able to see some of the reactions of people as they deal with this natural disaster as it is happening to them, as buildings and structures are starting to crumble around them. The presence of mind of this person on a motorbike with a friend trying to get out of harm's way to grab the camera and start rolling on all of this, this is in Chengdu.
Again, that area just devastated. So many people still unaccounted for in that area. Rescue teams, we understand, really just now beginning to take measure of the area, the destruction in the area, trying to recover people who are still alive, that they believe are still alive. That is the focus of the operation right now.
But just dramatic video that puts you right on the ground. You want to know what it is like, what it feels like to be in the middle of a 7.9 earthquake. Well, here is the point of view right here.
Just dramatic video. We wanted to share it with you once again here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: Some real harrowing moment there.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Meantime, the president of the United States in Jerusalem, trying to jumpstart or perhaps even maintain some spirit of peace talks in that region. All the while, a rocket is fired from Gaza and now into an Israeli city.
This happening just within the last hour. At least the reports that we are receiving.
Atika Shubert is there in Jerusalem.
And what are you hearing about this rocket attack into -- is it Ashkelon or Ashkelon?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Ashkelon. It's a city that borders on Gaza. It's to the south of Tel Aviv.
And what we heard from the Israeli military and from the emergency services there is that it hit the top of a shopping mall in Ashkelon, injuring 10 people, including a baby that was very seriously injured, and two more people that are still buried under the rubble there. And rescuers are trying to get them out.
Now, this is a rocket that came from Gaza, launched by Palestinian militants there. You have to remember that there are almost daily rocket attacks coming from Gaza, hitting those Israeli towns and cities along the border there.
And in fact, in the last week, two people had been killed by rocket attacks. So this puts a lot of pressure on Primary Minister Olmert to try to resolve the issue of these rocket attacks once and for all, possibly with a large-scale ground operation into Gaza. That would be very costly for both Israelis and Palestinians -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Yes. You do have to wonder how this activity will in any way influence the talks, the focus of President Bush's visit there at all.
SHUBERT: It could have a major influence in the sense that there is -- there's rising public pressure on Prime Minister Olmert to stop the peace talks and instead take some military action in Gaza against these militants, and in particular against Hamas, that is now in control of Gaza.
Now, Prime Minister Olmert has said in the past that he will take firm action against these rocket attacks. There have been military operations in Gaza in the past, but they have been limited and they have not stopped the rocket attacks.
Analysts that we have spoken to here say in order to stop those attacks, Israel would have to take a much larger-scale operation into Gaza, possibly reoccupying parts of it in order to stop those rocket attacks. And that may be a step that Prime Minister Olmert simply is not willing to take at this point.
WHITFIELD: And about how far is Ashkelon from Jerusalem?
SHUBERT: It's about an hour and a half away.
WHITFIELD: OK.
SHUBERT: It's right on the coast and within rocket range of Gaza. But what's interesting to note is that, in order to reach Ashkelon, they need a longer-range rocket. And many Israeli security officials believe that technology comes from Iran.
WHITFIELD: Oh, fascinating. All right.
Atika Shubert, thank you so much, from Jerusalem on now this rocket attack from Gaza to Ashkelon, there on the coast -- Tony.
HARRIS: It destroys memories and lives. Taking a private battle public for help against Alzheimer's Disease.
WHITFIELD: But first, protecting your food supply by saving endangered farm animals from extinction. It's happening at a small farm in New England.
CNN's Kyung Lah explains in today's "Solutions" report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER CERMAK, OWNER, BERLIN FARMS: Good morning.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Jennifer Cermak greets her animals.
CERMAK: Hi Cane (ph).
She's not your average farmer. And these aren't your average farm animals.
(on camera): How many of these turkeys exist in the U.S. now?
CERMAK: I believe about 5,000.
LAH: Only 5,000?
CERMAK: Yes.
LAH (voice over): You are looking at a Royal Palm Turkey, a breed that dates back to colonial America. In modern America, it's in danger of extinction.
CERMAK: They are mostly endangered because they didn't make the cut as far as commercial industrial birds. They are too small to be Thanksgiving dinner. So we are raising them here in hopes of bringing their numbers up.
LAH: That's her hope for nearly all the animals here at Berlin Farms.
CERMAK: This is Gaylord. He's a Giant Dewlap Toulouse goose
LAH: They're examples of breeds that are dying off, listed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy as threatened or endangered.
Why should you care? Cermak, who holds a doctorate in pathology, says animals like her hearty Southdown sheep are security for your food supply.
CERMAK: You are seeing warmer temperatures and then illnesses that are quite unexpected.
LAH: Like the bird flu that threatens to wipe out segments of the food chain. Having a greater variety of birds could mean that some birds could develop resistance to diseases that might wipe out a commercial breed or be better able to withstand environmental changes caused by global warming.
Cermak has another full-time job, working at a biotech lob in Boston. She is the fourth generation farmer who runs this farm, she says, because it's fun.
CERMAK: Getting mauled is part of farming.
LAH: But she also believes in keeping these old breeds of America's past alive. And in doing so, perhaps giving the world's food chain a safer tomorrow.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Berlin, Massachusetts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
HARRIS: And so here we go. Bottom of the hour. Welcome back. Busy, busy, busy CNN NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: Right. HARRIS: Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
And we are following developments in south Florida. Police have a person of interest in custody for some wildfires in Palm Bay. And we wonder what is it like inside the mind of an arsonist. What motivates a person to strike a match.
Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman is the chairman of Columbia University's Psychiatric Department.
Good to see you, Lieberman.
DR. JEFFREY LIEBERMAN, COLUMBIA UNIV. PSYCHIATRIC DEPARTMENT: Hi, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And again, you know, off the top, I mentioned there is a suspect in custody. But this suspect right now is a person of interest, not necessarily of being charged as an arsonist, but because we know these fires have been set intentionally, at least that's what law enforcement is saying that really is what precipitated the discussion that you and I are now going to have.
So as we talk about an arsonist, someone who wants to intentionally set fires, it would seem as though there isn't one profile because all -- all of these fires are different. Or is there one profile?
LIEBERMAN: No, you're absolutely right, Fredricka. There are multiple profiles in terms of who sets fires and who are arsonists. I mean, it's not -- a common one is that it's a young person, often a child or an adolescent, who is doing it as a prank or doing it out of impulse, and without ready realization of what the consequences are.
But the more common and actually the more disturbing ones, particularly when it's a serial arsonist or fire starter, is an individual who is angry, paranoid, and has low self-esteem and is motivated, principally, for revenge.
But this is really one of the most pernicious and venal acts that people can engage in because what they're trying to do is to inflict harm on a large body of people or society in a way that doesn't -- that is anonymous and secretive. And these people are motivated mainly out of anger or out of seeking revenge.
WHITFIELD: Which makes it so difficult for investigators to really try and locate this person because they don't necessarily want to be found, at least not at first. Right?
LIEBERMAN: No. This is not to attract attention to themselves or to prop up themselves in some way that's going to create fame like we see with other types of psychologically disturbed criminals. But this is really motivated by a way that someone is going to get back and is going to inflict harm, is going to reap revenge on people and society and prop up their self-esteem. WHITFIELD: But does it often kind of take a turn? Does this person almost get sort of a high off the kind of attention that comes with these fires being set? The media attention, et cetera, and eventually they might say something or brag or boast, and that's when eventually might help get them caught?
LIEBERMAN: Well -- that's true. That gives them a sense of empowerment that they'd been to take an action that has really affected so many people and mobilize law enforcement, the fire departments, et cetera. So there is a sense of empowerment.
And also, you're right. There is a sense of thrill of risk taking that they engage in which is in some ways, perversely, gratifying to them.
WHITFIELD: And if not caught, that first time, is it likely that that person, just based on what you know about this personality, they are likely to strike again and maybe that's what helps, I guess, you know, tighten the noose, so to speak, around that suspect?
LIEBERMAN: Absolutely. This is a self-reinforcing behavior that oftentimes is repetitive, because it does meet the psychological needs of individuals in terms of needing to vent their anger and to perhaps -- perversely get this kind of gratification.
WHITFIELD: Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman of Columbia University, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.
LIEBERMAN: Pleasure, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Tony?
HARRIS: Fred, we've got some new pictures in from Israel now of that rocket attack on a shopping area -- a shopping mall, that you were describing just a short time ago in your conversation with Atika Shubert.
Again, an eyewitness telling us that this was a Qassam rocket and here is the damage from that rocket striking the shopping mall in the Israeli city of Ashkelon. The timing of the attack, no coincidence. As you know, President Bush is in the region to celebrate Israel's 60th anniversary and to try to provide some energy to the slow going peace process.
Atika Shubert reporting 10 injured, some seriously. A baby among those seriously injured. The rocket attack originating in Palestinian territories. So much an area of concern now as peace talks continue, what to do about these rocket attacks.
Again, some of the damage from this latest rocket attack on to a mall in Israel. We will continue to follow developments here and bring you the very latest.
President Bush, as we just mentioned, reaffirmed ties with Israel today, calling the nation, quote, "Our strongest ally and friend in the Middle East." But is that friendship too close? CNN's State Department correspondent Zain Verjee has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: America's commitment to Israel is unwavering.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Bush administration hesitates to criticize Israel even when it disagrees.
RICE: Certainly not helpful to the peace process.
VERJEE: For instance, over new Israeli construction project in the West Bank.
RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Israel has never had a better friend in the White House than the 43rd president of the United States.
VERJEE: Publicly confronting Israel is political suicide in the U.S., as dangerous as raising taxes or cutting Social Security.
OBAMA: There is a special connection between America and Israel.
CLINTON: Democrats have always stood with Israel.
MCCAIN: I will do whatever is necessary to preserve the independence and freedom of the state of Israel, our staunchest ally in the Middle...
VERJEE: Whoever wins the White House will keep billions of dollars in civilian and military aid flowing to Israel.
Aaron David Miller, a former Mideast peace negotiator, says this special relationship has a cost.
AARON DAVID MILLER, AUTHOR, "MUCH TOO PROMISED LAND": American interest can suffer. If we don't demand reciprocity from Israel -- sometimes we listen too uncritically to bad Israeli ideas and follow Israel's lead.
VERJEE: Most in the Arab world don't see the U.S. as an honest broker because of its tight ties to Israel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That special relationship comes with a burden, comes with a price in terms of weakening America's standing and ability to influence events in the Arab world and Muslim world.
VERJEE: Defenders of the special relationship say it's just too easy to blame U.S. support for Israel for problems in the Arab world, saying Arab leaders themselves haven't delivered peace or prosperity for their own people. And the U.S. has special ties with Arab countries, too, like Saudi Arabia.
Washington stands shoulder to shoulder with Israel on the war of terror against militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Still some say U.S. interests may be better served if the U.S. pushed both Arabs and Israelis further than they want to go.
MILLER: I don't care if it's divorce negotiations, trade negotiations, negotiations over property. If you want an agreement, you've got to respect and try to advance the needs of both sides. Otherwise, it's not going to happen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: OK. And our Zain Verjee joins us now from the State Department.
Zain, what can the U.S. and mainly President Bush accomplish on this trip right now?
VERJEE: Well, Tony, many experts that I have spoken to from this region and here in the United States say really not that much. Expectations are pretty low. The talk on this administration is also beginning to run out. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been there many times. And many critics saying that's just been doing frequent flier diplomacy.
There is one thing that one expert we talked to said and indicates that, look, the chances of the U.S. being able to push any agreement and get any kind of final deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians before the end of the administration is slim to none. But what they may be able to do is to get some kind of framework so -- to get the ball rolling in a direction where the next administration can pick up and run with.
HARRIS: Zain Verjee from the State Department for us -- Zain, great to see you. Thank you.
And let's take a moment here and clarify something and then move it forward, because I believe now we are getting the proper pictures. A moment ago we showed you pictures that purported to be the scene of the rocket attack in Ashkelon in Israel. Those were not pictures. Those were actually file pictures of an earlier episode.
My understanding now -- and the control room will correct me here if I'm wrong here -- but that these are the pictures. These are, in fact, the new video, the new pictures, just in from that rocket strike on the mall in the Israeli city of Ashkelon. Again, 10 injured is the latest on that, some seriously. A baby among those seriously injured.
This rocket attack coming from the Palestinian territories. Of course, the timing on this attack, no coincidence. The president in the region right now celebrating Israel's 60th anniversary. And as were just talking with Zain Verjee about a moment ago, what are the expectations for the president as he hopes to move forward the slow- going peace process?
But more important at the moment is the safety and well-being of the people who have been injured in this rocket attack on an Israeli mall. We will continue to follow these pictures, the pictures of the attack as they come in to the CNN NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: Meantime, in this country, testing the smart car. Can this gas-zipper possibly keep you safe in a crash?
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WHITFIELD: Heartbreak on Capitol Hill. More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. Well, today Congress is hearing some very personal stories from the people caring for them.
CNN's Kelli Arena is following testimony from our Washington bureau -- Kelly?
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: You know, one of those witnesses was a former Supreme Court justice, Sandra Day O'Connor. She actually quit her job back in 2006 to take care of her husband who has Alzheimer's and she's never spoken publicly about it. She did -- so today in front of a standing room-only crowd.
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SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR, FMR. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: I'm here in a position of being a caregiver. My beloved husband, John, suffers from Alzheimer's. He's had it for a long time now and he's not in very good shape at present. And so I have some appreciation for the depth of feeling that you have that's generated the interest and the people who are in this room today. You magnify that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARENA: You know, O'Connor didn't get very personal today but some of her story was already known. For example, her son has talked about how his father actually fell in love with another Alzheimer's patient at a care facility. Apparently that's something that's very common according to doctors. Colleagues who work at the Supreme Court recall how O'Connor frequently took her husband to work with her to keep an eye on him.
O'Connor does serve on the Alzheimer's Study Group which is going to release a study next year on the best way to raise public awareness about this and make sure that federal dollars are spent wisely. You know, it is estimated that more than 5 million people have Alzheimer's and it's forecast that 16 million will get this illness by 2050, Fred, so it's...
WHITFIELD: Very astounding. That is astounding. Well, you know what? Even though she may not have gotten personal, something tells me just by virtue of who she is and that the public is used to hearing her voice, very seldom do we ever get a chance to see her as she was speaking while she was a sitting justice.
ARENA: Exactly.
WHITFIELD: But to hear her account of how she and her husband had been living with this illness really has to be very powerful and very effective for the fight to try to get some advancements in the fight against Alzheimer's.
ARENA: You're right, Fred. And she also said, she -- look, you know, the doctor that we deal with said that one in two people over the age of 80 could get this illness and she said I'm approaching 80. And you know, it's something that concerns me.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
ARENA: And she also talked about how she was afraid to go ahead and get tested because she was worried that her son wouldn't able to get insurance, something that the Congress has dealt with now. But this is a very personal, powerful and a very strong lady.
WHITFIELD: Yes, she is.
ARENA: So you know, lots of credibility that she brings, you know, to any topic that she discusses.
WHITFIELD: All right, Kelli. Thank you so much for bringing that to us -- Tony?
HARRIS: And I understand Barack Obama is in the room. He is in Warren, Michigan, today for a campaign event, which for all the world from some of the advanced tidbits we're getting, unofficially, feels like the kickoff of his campaign against John McCain.
He has a lead, some say an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates and he's now leading in superdelegates as well. Hillary Clinton winning big in West Virginia last night.
When Barack Obama begins to make his comments in what's described as a talk with Michigan voters, we will bring those remarks to you live right here in the NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: The collateral damage from the sharp rise of foreclosures is affecting more and more people, and in some cases entire communities.
Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details.
And Susan, we think of this as being a problem for individuals and individual homeowners, and perhaps communities that are never built. But what's the latest trend here?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, well, it is -- it's really many people and communities are affected because home polices get pushed down. And, of course, property taxes suffer along with that.
HARRIS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: So the entire community, even if you don't know anyone, you don't -- can't see anything on your street, you can be affected. And the latest report on home foreclosures, Tony, shows the damage is mounting. Foreclosures were up 4 percent in April from the prior month and up 65 percent from a year earlier.
RealtyTrack, which compiles the foreclosure info, says several areas of country are at risk from falling property tax collections. Parts of Nevada, California, Arizona, Florida are the most risk for real trouble. Those are the states with the highest foreclosure rate. And you may recall, the city of Vallejo, California recently voted...
HARRIS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: ... to file for bankruptcy. Foreclosures there are some of the highest in the nation, Tony.
HARRIS: My goodness. I'm just sort of curious. This is not the time and not the environment for mortgage fraud cases. But I guess we're seeing a rise in those cases as well?
LISOVICZ: The number of mortgage fraud cases filed at the FBI could hit 70,000 this year. The FBI's complaints are also on the rise. So these foreclosures may be exposing something bad people who had been flying under the radar. There is an effect that many see as positive. This has to do with aesthetics. Fewer so-called McMansions are being built.
Our sister publication "Money" magazine notes the size of the American homes has jumped from 1600-square feet in the 1970s to 2,300 square feet now or nearly 44 percent bigger. Many folks were living beyond their means. Investors are spending today -- let me quickly get to the stocks. The Dow Industrials up 120 points, 1 percent, the NASDAQ's up 1 percent. Oil's down $1.
HARRIS: We'll take it. We'll -- that and a few more dollars would be very helpful.
Susan, great to see you. Thank you.
LISOVICZ: Thank you.
HARRIS: Let's take you to Warren, Michigan for a moment just to tell you that -- Barack Obama is on the stage and he has begun his remarks. He is outlining plans to strengthen domestic manufacturing and to create jobs. We will take you to those remarks in Warner, Michigan in just a moment.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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WHITFIELD: All right. Want to take you straight to Warren, Michigan where Senator Barack Obama is speaking there. The focus on jobs and possibly the focus on his Republican opponent, John McCain. OBAMA: Transmissions, GM is releasing an average of one new hybrid model every three months for the next two years. So we are taking steps in the right direction. American automakers are on the move.
But we have to do more. They can't do it on their own. They need a partner in the White House. And when I am president, you will have that partner to make sure that we are rebuilding American manufacturing.
We won't just support the autoworkers in Michigan who built the auto industry and keep it strong in good times and bad. We won't just revive and strengthen our automakers. We're going to revive and strengthen all of American manufacturers. These have been disastrous years for our manufacturers.
We've lost nearly 4 million good paying jobs, including hundreds of thousands here in Michigan and more than -- 36,000 manufacturers have closed their doors. We cannot afford to continue down this path. Manufacturing supports one in six American jobs, jobs that pay more and offer better benefits than other jobs and we have a stake in saving them.
So it's time to recapture the spirit of innovation that has always fueled American economic success. It's time we had an economy that was driven not just by foreign debt but by the power of America's imagination. It's time to tap the ingenuity of engineers and entrepreneurs, policy experts and working people to meet the challenges of our time. And that's what this election is all about.
So while this is a moment of challenge, it's also a moment of opportunity. And the question you'll face in November is: which candidate can lead America to seize those opportunities? Now...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obama.
OBAMA: That's a good guess. That's a good guess. But...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obama!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obama!
OBAMA: When John McCain came to Michigan, in January, and said that we couldn't bring back all the jobs that have been lost back to America. He was right. We can't bring back every single job.
But where he was wrong was in suggesting that there's nothing we can do to replace those jobs or create new ones, to build off the incredible skill of the workforce here in Michigan and throughout the Midwest, and to build off the expertise that we created in manufacturing over decades here in this region.
Where he was wrong was not offering policies and new solutions that are different from what George Bush has been offering over the last 7 1/2 years. That was wrong. That's essentially giving up. And that's not what this country is all about. I won't stand here and tell you we're going to be able to bring back every job or that we're going to stop every single job from going overseas.
But what I will tell you is that we can stop giving Bush tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas. We can start...
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And then we can give those tax breaks to companies that are investing right here in America. I can tell you that instead of opposing job training similar to what's being offered at Mtech, like John McCain has, we can make sure every American has the skills to compete in the global economy.
