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Florida Fires; Fighting Words From President Bush, Obama on Terror Fight; YouTube Cry For Help

Aired May 15, 2008 - 11:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: He probably didn't hear it. Rocket man accelerated to 186 miles an hour. There's landing, you know. He merely folds the wings up and pulls a rip cord on a parachute. He is one daredevil. Later this year, he plans to cross the English Channel using his new flying machine.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: He looks like Robert Downey Jr. in "Iron Man."

WHITFIELD: Would that be you? Do you want to do that?

HARRIS: I would love to.

WHITFIELD: Really?

HARRIS: In theory.

WHITFIELD: OK. We did talk about fantasizing about flying so in your fantasies, yes this is you.

HARRIS: Downey Jr.'s landing in "Iron Man" is much cooler than this. This is pretty fantastic.

WHITFIELD: This is the real boy right here. Fun stuff.

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

WHITFIELD: Hello. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

HARRIS: Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on this Thursday morning, 15th of May. Here's what's on the run down.

WHITFIELD: President Bush oversees stepping into the presidential race back home.

HARRIS: What's his plan if he wins the white house? John McCain maps the road to 2013.

WHITFIELD: Already the deadliest tornado season in a decade. We are tracking new tornado warnings in the south today. You're in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Severe weather popping up right now. Louisiana, Mississippi in the bull's eye. Let's get to Rob Marciano very quickly now in the severe weather center. Good morning to you, Rob. What's the very latest?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Tony.

We have been watching the threat for the past couple of hours. It's slowly moved down the I-10 corridor. Overall picture here. Damaging winds, isolated tornadoes possible. We have already seen certainly damaging winds and possible tornadoes. It's just tough to see this part of the country. It's so humid, cloud deck so low. You can see them. We have seen damage from east of Lafayette back towards Sulfur, Louisiana. Also, flooding issues across parts of Yazoo County around Highway 49. Of more concern are the tornado warnings that are currently in effect north of Louisiana or New Orleans through parts of southwest Mississippi. We will read these to you again. Marion County, Forest County and also Lamar County in the western fringes of this tornado watch.

One tornado watch about to expire here. Pretty much out of west of Columbia. This tornado watch eastward towards the Florida panhandle. That's in effect until 3:00 local time. It is picking up. South of Hattiesburg, southwest of Hattiesburg, there is rotation being picked up. This is one of the tornado warnings I just spoke about. And if you live in Hattiesburg, you definitely want to take cover. The storm will be close to you in the next ten minutes. It has a little bit of rotation to it. Again, these are the counties that are in this for it. And the next -- 15, 20 minutes.

The other aspect of this is heavy rainfall. Flooding in parts of Mississippi and we have flash flood watches and warnings posted for this area. Jackson, now some of those warn rings posted eastward. Some of those do include Hattiesburg as well. Good chunk of rainfall in this.

Pop up the video out of Lafayette and show you the damage here from KRC our affiliate there. Power crews out. Looking at it now. We have roof damage to a medical building there. We've got a number of power poles and trees that have been blown down. There you see some of the damage being reported by our affiliate out that way. The rainfall now begins to taper off. Things won't get any worse for you.

Certainly that looks to be, if not a small tornado, winds that were likely over 80 miles an hour. We had a report of wind measured or estimated at 65 or so miles an hour, around that area. Certainly there could have been pockets of seeing even higher amounts of wind than that.

All right. How about heat? Excessive heat warning out for the bay area and a lot of north central California. Offshore winds today. Take a look at the shot from San Francisco. We go from the wet, dreary site to this. KGO, thanks, guys. That's from Golden Gate Park. Oh, yeah. Marin County out there in the distance looking over the bridge. You can see the Golden Gate. You could see temperatures get to about 90 degrees today. Tomorrow and through the weekend, folks who live inland could temps near 100 degrees. That's -- you know, could be dangerous amount of heat. Clearly, not the most dangerous weather. Moving across parts of southern Mississippi. That's where focus is at this moment.

WHITFIELD: San Francisco area strikes me as one of those areas a lot of people don't have air conditioning. They usually get that breeze.

MARCIANO: They do.

WHITFIELD: Triple digits.

MARCIANO: They know, they get it there. A handful of day as year. June, July and beginning of September, typically stay cool from the marine layer. When you get the offshore wind like today, they can bake.

HARRIS: Wish we could minus the severe elements of the storms now in Louisiana and Mississippi if we could get some of that rainfall into Florida. That's an area that could really use it. You spent a lot of time down in Palm Bay earlier in the week. You spent time with the authorities there, the firefighters there. Did a terrific job in Palm Bay, Brevard County and fighting those wildfires.

We are anticipating a news conference. The police chief, Bill Berger, will take questions about the suspect it is an arson investigation continues. When the news conference begins, we will take a listen and monitor it for and you bring you a portion of it right here in the NEWSROOM.

WHITFIELD: President Bush and a political shot heard around the world. In Israel this morning, he raised eyebrows with a stinging comment that rippled the presidential campaign back home. CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry is traveling with the president. Dan Lothian has a response from the Obama campaign.

Let's begin with you, Ed, in Jerusalem.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, without naming names, President Bush suggested that there are some who are basically in favor of appeasing terrorists right now in much of the same manner as U.S. leaders appeased Nazis in the run up to World War II, some tough talking obviously. White house spokesman Dana Perino is saying the president was not aiming a shot at Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential front runner. I can tell you that other Bush administration officials are acknowledging privately that, in fact, the president was referring to various Democrats, including Barack Obama saying that he would be willing to sit down with the Iranian president, including the former Democratic President Jimmy Carter who has suggested the U.S. government should have direct talks with the terror group Hamas. Let's take a listen directly to what the president said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. GEORGE BUSH, UNITED STATES: Some seem to believe we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We've heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared, lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided. We have an obligation to call this what it is, the false comfort of appeasement which has been repeatedly discredited by history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: You hear a lot of back and forth out on the U.S. campaign trail. That's what's new and remarkable here, obviously, is the fact this shot is coming all the way, halfway around the world from Jerusalem. Also, it is coming from a president who has repeatedly said that he does not want to weigh in to the 2008 campaign. He just did in a big way, Fred.

WHITFIELD: I wonder why. You know why the change of heart. Why does he not mind being injected into the campaign?

HENRY: Well, I heard from some Democrats saying there is an old adage partisanship stops at the water's edge and some think the president has broken that 37 Democrats suspect, though the white house denies it, the Democrats suspect the president was trying to help the Republican presumptive nominee John McCain. There is a big fight among many groups in the United States but especially one of them, Jewish American voters. You heard them back and forth last week where McCain said Obama was the favorite group of Hamas. A lot of Jewish American voters have been raising questions about Obama and here you go. You have you a president raising some more questions without naming any names.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ed Henry, traveling with the president there in Israel. Thank you so much.

Tony?

HARRIS: Needless to say the Obama campaign shot back accusing the president of launching false political attack. Dan Lothian is in Frankfurt, Kentucky, with the Election Express with more on the reaction from the Obama campaign.

Dan, good morning.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. That's right. The Obama campaign did not waste any time in responding to the president's remarks. Senator Obama releasing a statement and the party talked about how it was so sad the president made these remarks on the 60th anniversary of the independence of Israel and also said that the president accusing the president of being involved in -- politics of fear. His communication director, Robert Gibbs, went even a little further in saying the president really had launched a false political attack.

ROBERT GIBBS, OBAMA CAMPAIGN: This is an unprecedented political attack on foreign soil. It is, quite frankly, sad and astonishing that the president of the United States would politicize the 60th anniversary of Israel with a false political attack. We have come to expect and we have seen from this administration over the last eight years that this type of cowboy diplomacy, again, we have come to expect it. It has made this country far less safe than we were.

LOTHIAN: Tony as you know, this is something that has been at the center of the Democratic race now for quite some time when the Democrats were asked of the debate, whether they would meet unconditionally with some of the rogue leaders, in particular, the president of Iran. This is something that Senator Clinton had been critical of Obama over saying that that's something that she would not do. In fact, she brought it up in an interview with Wolf Blitzer. So what this -- just, again, highlights is that this kind of issue, issues of national security, will no doubt be front and center as we move into the fall campaign.

HARRIS: Dan, it is interesting. It sounds like when you get this kind of an attack from the president, perhaps it is time for Barack Obama not to sort of issue a statement but to make a statement on camera, surrogates may not be enough in this instance. Any plan that you are aware of? Or the candidates themselves that speak to this?

LOTHIAN: I'm not aware of any plans at this moment for Barack Obama to come out and say anything about this. No doubt the next time he does appear in front of the cameras, this is one of the questions he will be asked. It's an issue, front and center issue right now. He will be hearing a lot more about it if indeed he becomes the nominee.

HARRIS: OK. Dan Lothian for us this morning; Dan, appreciate it. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Head to Florida, Brevard County. Police Chief Berger speaking right now.

CHIEF BILL BERGER, PALM BAY, FLORIDA POLICE: We have four task force teams right now made up of many agencies, ATF, several state agencies. We will be asking them to go into the field, interviewing the individuals.

As I told you for the last couple of days, the investigation didn't stop with the arrest of Mr. Crowder. It continues on. We feel very strongly that, you know, we will look at any possible lead. We had over 200. They are still coming in, thanks to you all, because of the notoriety of this particular event.

Again, we tell the public call crime line, give us any information no matter how trivial it may be.

You probably heard last night as we stopped another individual in back of the Knights of Columbus which is located within our city of suspicious activity. I have close to 50 or 60 officers around there. Many in plainclothes. They are stopping anyone that may be acting suspiciously. This individual was behind that location acting suspiciously. After about an hour and a half of speaking with him and running down why he said he was there. He is no longer considered a suspect and was released. Brevard Sheriff's office, which technically has been 100 feet behind where he was at, from that location now, it is their case. But they informed us even as early as just a few minutes ago that there's no active investigation involving him.

There is an individual that the Cocoa Police Department has notified us and is claiming to have some type of information regarding this fire that may be a suspect. I warn you that many times people will confess or say they have done this for the notoriety. But we have sent a task force team out there to go ahead and interview this particular person in regards to what she is claiming to be the person that started the fires up in Cocoa.

WHITFIELD: You are listening to Police Chief Bill Berger there in Brevard County bringing full circle what is taking place with their investigation. Wildfires that have led to the destruction of 20 homes and about 120 other homes have been damaged. There was one arrest yesterday. They continue to branch out to see if there are any other potential suspects. That person, Brian Crowder, 31 years old, arrested yesterday, a person of interest that they maintain in custody.

Now, let's talk again about politics. John McCain's vision of the year 2013. In a speech last hour, you saw it here live, the Republican candidate outlined what he foresees the end of his first term of president to be if elected. He envisions Osama Bin Laden killed or captured. The Iraq war over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: By January 2013, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in our freedom. The Iraq war has been won. Iraq is a functioning democracy, although still suffering from the lingering effects of decades of tyranny and centuries of sectarian tension.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: McCain's vision also calls for reaching across party lines and including Democrats in his administration. And he would go before congress to renovate British-style question and answer session on a weekly basis. Find out more about the candidates overall at CNNpolitics.com. CNNpolitics.com is your source for everything political.

HARRIS: Still to come, a provocative story. An unlikely community for alleged sexual assault victims forming on the Internet. Why one girl went there ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. An unlikely couple, Tommy Lee and Ludacris competing over who can go more green. The stars joining us live right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: What are we watching here? You heard about people sharing their deepest secrets to strange others the Internet. But this young girl, a Florida girl, clearly taking it one step further after prosecutors dropped her sexual assault case, she felt she had nowhere else to turn but to the Internet so she posted her plea for help on YouTube. Special investigation correspondent Abbie Boudreau is here with a preview of the story.

Abbie, good to see you. Can you help us understand how this young girl gets to the point where she makes a video and posts it on YouTube as though that's the only place she can go to get help here?

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT: It is sad. It definitely makes sense considering one in four girls under the age of 18 is sexually abused. People at this age talk about everything online. It is a natural progress for the girls to type about these extremely private moments to strangers all over the world.

HARRIS: All right. Let's back up. And explain to everyone what happened in this young girl's --

BOUDREAU: This young girl in the video you saw, she is angry that the prosecutors in Florida there dropped her sexual assault case. She was 15 when she said she met this 23-year-old guy and she says he took advantage of her. What we learned from our investigation is that these types of cases very rarely go to court. And because they are very rarely prosecuted, these girls often feel like no one believes them. And so that's why they turn to the Internet. They turn to the Internet, hoping they will find someone to listen to their story, someone to support them.

HARRIS: But wait a second. I'm just wondering, it seems to me that this has some potential dangers attached to it here.

BOUDREAU: Of course there are dangers attached to this. Considering these girls are putting their most -- they are vulnerable and putting their vulnerabilities on the Internet so the whole world to see for potential online predators who are trolling the Internet day in and day out looking to re-victimize the young girls.

We learned about an organization called Rain. They provide a secured Web site for these girls. If people as though they need to go online to talk to strangers about their experiences they can do it in a secured type of way. And we have that link and so much more, including a blog about this story. Go to CNN.com.

One quick note, I want to add that this story came to us as a result of a tip. If you have a story, a special investigations unit, you can e-mail us at siu.tips@CNN.com. We read them and take them seriously.

HARRIS: Well good and I want to know more about this. More on this reporting. I suspect later today. You can get more at CNN.com as well. I personally want to know what happened with this young woman's case in the legal system and why it ultimately was dropped and what had recourse might be.

BOUDREAU: There are lots of twists and turns to this story.

HARRIS: Sounds like it. Abbie, good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Knowledge is power. What you need to know when you walk into a doctor's office and why your health may be riding on it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Lights, cameras, and parties. Some of Hollywood's biggest stars and directors are heading to the Cannes film festival. CNN's Brooke Anderson reports from Cannes, France.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The cinematic spotlight is now on the Cannes film festival, the event held here on the French Riviera officially kicks off Wednesday night with "All Eyes on Blindness." That's the film honored with the opening night plot of the festival. It is an apocalyptic drama about a city essentially struck by blindness. The film's stars Julian Moore, Danny Iello, just steps away from the Mediterranean. Kate Blanchette and Eva Longoria Parker and Fay Dunaway also attended the premiere. Prestige, glamour and also opportunity for filmmakers. The next 11 days we will see a plethora of movie-type profile stars and also a lot of heavy partying. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Gwyneth's bags are packed.

GWYNETH PALTROW, ACTRESS: I'm excited.

ANDERSON: Robert De Niro is heading over, too.

ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: Cannes is great. It's a real glamorous event.

ANDERSON: Madonna is making the trip. They are all descending on the south of France for one of the premiere cinematic events in the world, the Cannes film festival.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Woody Allen.

ANDERSON: Woody Allen is joining the party. His new comedy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go to your room but you have to seduce me.

ANDERSON: Clint Eastwood returns with a period drama featuring Angelina Jolie. It is one of two films she has at Cannes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was born ready.

ANDERSON: This year's Cannes film festival features more than 50 films from around the world. There is no question which movie is getting the most attention.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought that was close.

ANDERSON: "Indiana Jones" debuts days before it opens worldwide. For director Steven Spielberg, the return to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs. "E.T." earned a reception when it premiered here in 1982 helping steel his reputation as a major filmmaker.

ANNE THOMPSON, DAILY VARIETY: He made hits but wasn't Steven Spielberg. Cannes helped to turn him into Steven Spielberg.

ANDERSON: Cannes launched the careers of other directors, including Steven Sodaburg.

THOMPSON: Sodaburg has been discovered there. He is like Quentin Tarantino that made his mark there with his first fell many, "Sex, Lies and Videotape."

ANDERSON: For all of Cannes' high-minded focus on films, frivolity rains. Stars seem willing to compromise their dignity to promote a project. One critic sums up the festival this way. It is Disneyland for adults. This carnival-like event will continue through May 25th.

Brooke Anderson, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We want to take you straight to the weather center. We are hearing reports after tornado on the ground. Rob Marciano watching all the sources, looking at the radar.

Rob, what can you tell me?

MARCIANO: This is within that warning we told you about the last 20 or so minutes, which included Forrest County near Hattiesburg or around Hattiesburg. Hattiesburg is going to get hit hard. 48 miles an hour. This reported on the ground at about 10:25. Certainly keep an eye on this. Looks like this tornado warning has been extended east and northeast as this cell here -- fresh one coming in now. Forrest County, which is right there where Hattiesburg is. Now the warning has been extended to Green County, northern Perry County. This one looks like it is -- no, that's right.

And through Waynesboro, that city. So you're going to be under the gun with this warning that has now been extended. So, we had some Doppler indicated tornadoes. Now we have one that has been spot order the ground. Certainly, this one could be doing some damage.

You know, Fredricka, this whole complex has had a history of doing damage in Louisiana. Now it is moving through south central Mississippi. Certainly a serious situation through Forrest County and points north and east. Back to you.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Frightening stuff. Hopefully folks are tuning in -- or at least to their weather radios before power is knocked out as a result of this tornado. Thank you so much, Rob. Appreciate it. We know you will keep us posted on that.

All right, Tony. TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Hi. You just walked right into my -- you just stay there. You just stay there. You didn't -- stay here. Don't move. Bet you didn't see this coming. Just stay here. What a scene in the newsroom this morning. Our sound tech, Tommy Lee, you know Tommy Lee. Johnny Colt of Train, the Black Crows. There you go. Good, everyone can see you now. Competing over who can -- who can go green the fastest on a network -- all right go ahead -- on a new network show. The stars are joining us in just a moment right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Boy, what a segment we have for you this morning in the NEWSROOM. Take a look at Motley Crue drummer, Tommy Lee in the NEWSROOM.

Baby, hey. What's up?

TOMMY LEE, DRUMMER, MOTLEY CRUE: How you doing, man?

HARRIS: Johnny Colt is with him.

JOHNNY COLT, BASSIST, TRAIN: How are you, sir?

HARRIS: From that great group, Train.

COLT: Yep.

HARRIS: "Drops of Jupiter."

COLT: "Drops of Jupiter".

HARRIS: Huge hit song.

COLT: Huge. Won the Grammy that year. Grammy winner.

HARRIS: Won the Grammy that year.

COLT: Grammy winner.

HARRIS: Also, your work with the Black Crows, "Hard to Handle," "Remedy", and all those great hits.

COLT: Right from Atlanta, right here.

HARRIS: Right from Atlanta. Crisscrossing the country, these men are, for a new Discovery Network program, aimed at raising awareness about our planet. Let me tell you something. This is a big deal. They have a film crew here in the house.

Gentlemen, great, great to see you. Do we have a title for show yet?

LEE: It's called "Battleground Earth."

HARRIS: "Battleground Earth." Tommy Lee, tell us about the show. Give us more on this.

LEE: Well, it's a lot to smash in here.

HARRIS: Yeah, yeah.

LEE: We are basically learning. We are going around the country.

HARRIS: So, you don't know everything there is to know about the environment and saving the planet. So you are learning along the way?

LEE: Learning, yes. Help spread the word.

COLT: Big learning curve.

LEE: We are doing -- it is amazing. There are so many things. I'm not sure how green you are. Man, there's a lot of stuff out there.

HARRIS: Pretty green within me at this moment sitting here listening to you guys.

Johnny, do you -- how aware are you, personally, at this point in time, beginning the show, about what can be done by each and every one of us to improve the life of the planet?

COLT: You know, I thought I knew some things. I had no idea. I have been overwhelmed with the information we have gotten. But I tell you what surprises me the most. It is the small things. Junk mail, you get enough junk mail in your mailbox every year to eat a tree. One ton of recycled paper is 17 trees. I didn't know that, I just learned that today. In Atlanta, I learned that today.

HARRIS: I don't buy this --

LEE: It's crazy.

HARRIS: I don't buy this -- wait a minute. We have a special --

COLT: Oh, what's up?

HARRIS: Who is this walking on our set?

LEE: How are you doing?

HARRIS: Chris Ludacris Bridges.

CHRIS "LUDACRIS" BRIDGES, RAP ARTIST: You got it right.

HARRIS: Luda, in the NEWSROOM.

COLT: How'd you know we were here?

LEE: Oh, you're good.

HARRIS: What are you doing with this Motley Crue?

LUDACRIS: I'm here to let you know, man, "Planet Green", launches June 4th. It is the best -- not to down the other shows on the channel.

HARRIS: Right?

LUDACRIS: But this is going to be the best show on the channel when it airs August 3rd.

HARRIS: Here is what I'm trying to understand.

LUDACRIS: Yes, yes?

HARRIS: Is there a competition involved here?

LUDACRIS: There's a big competition.

HARRIS: Among all these reality shows going on?

(CROSS TALK)

LUDACRIS: It's always going on.

HARRIS: Oh, there's a competition.

LUDACRIS: The whole show is a competition between myself and this man right here.

HARRIS: To do what?

LUDACRIS: It's a good competition, no only for us to learn about becoming more eco friendly but for all the viewers to understand you can live a better lifestyle. We're trying to create conversation about living a better lifestyle. More importantly, about our kids living a better lifestyle and our kids' kids living a better lifestyle in generations to come.

HARRIS: But here is what I need here from you guys. I need to know where the rub is. I need to know where the conflict is. Because if I don't have a conflict, you all three agree that we need to improve the life of the planet. If you all three agree, I don't have a show. I need conflict. Where is --

(CROSS TALK)

HARRIS: I'm sorry, you are in the NEWSROOM, for goodness sakes.

LEE: Right.

HARRIS: Where, Tommy Lee, is the conflict? That's right, I'm coming to you, in this show?

LEE: The conflict is he went to a huge radio station in here Atlanta.

HARRIS: Right?

LEE: Trying to collect a bunch of junk mail, right? And to win this challenge. Well -- we went and -- (CROSS TALK)

LEE: We are trying to one-up each other. We're here -- Johnny knows somebody here at CNN. We figure we had would get on the air and go global instead of just Atlanta.

HARRIS: Junk mail?

LUDACRIS: Yeah, here in Atlanta our challenge is about junk mail. Because 100 million trees are like destroyed every year and only 2 percent of junk mail is used. So, basically we are trying to gather up all the junk mail. Whoever can get the most junk mail is going to win this competition in Atlanta. We have been a little bit of everywhere. We have done solar paneling in New Orleans. We have done eco-burials in San Francisco. We learned about alternate ways of fuel when were out in Dallas, Texas. We have been on a journey.

COLT: I saw this man using a wrench, building a solar panel house.

(CROSS TALK)

HARRIS: You want to tear something down or you want to build something?

COLT: A little bit of both.

LEE: We made some fuel with cow dung.

(CROSS TALK)

LUDACRIS: He made fuel with some cow dung. I'm staying hands off on that one.

HARRIS: Gotcha.

Hey, while I got you guys here, I can't let you go without asking you are you guys paying attention? Clearly if you are tapped into the conversation about the environment right now, are you following the politics on this issue, for one, of environment with the candidates? This presidential year? Are you as caught up into the dynamics of the campaign?

And Luda, let me start with you, as most of the country seems to be at this time?

LUDACRIS: You know what, they are working us extremely hard on this show. We are trying to keep up as much as we can. I'm definitely checking out CNN as much as I can.

HARRIS: Needed to hear that. Thank you.

LUDACRIS: To hear the most updates.

(LAUGHTER)

LUDACRIS: Plug it, man. But we're pretty much of the flow on that.

HARRIS: Tommy Lee, are you following the campaign now? And Johnny, I want some endorsements. I'm going to give Luda an opportunity to think of his political way out of this. But look, look, what are you thinking about the campaign? Do you like anybody in particular?

COLT: Yes. Well, for me, in particular, you know, for me I have Obama out front which I don't usually vote to the left, but he has a lot to say. I will tell you, this show has changed my priority structure in the green aspect, and environment as a whole, is on the top of my list right now.

HARRIS: Gotcha. Tommy Lee, come on. Declare.

LEE: I have not been keeping up. I have not been keeping up, I'm sorry to say.

COLT: We have been busy.

HARRIS: What have you been doing?

COLT: We have been busy.

HARRIS: Chris?

LUDACRIS: There is no political way out for me. I have been for Obama since before he started running for president. I actually met with him in Chicago, Illinois, so I'm definitely an Obama supporter. So there you it, straight. No chaser.

HARRIS: No chaser?

LUDACRIS: Yes.

HARRIS: That's terrific.

When does the show hit the air so everyone knows? I'm sure there is a Web site component to this as well. Tell us, again, when the show hits so we can all watch.

LUDACRIS: "Planet Green" launches on June 4, Wednesday, June 4th. The whole channel, a 24-hour programming, you know, geared towards having people become more eco friendly. This particular show airs August 3rd so make sure you look for it, August 3, 2008.

(CROSS TALK)

HARRIS: This is terrific. Good to see you all. Can't wait for your next CD to drop.

LUDACRIS: Thank you, man.

HARRIS: New music, I'm sure, coming from you. I don't know who you are going to collaborate with, but I'm sure it's going to be someone. LEE: Motley Crue is going on tour July 1.

HARRIS: You're hitting the road again?

LEE: Another world tour.

COLT: And the new album is out.

LEE: And a new record's out.

HARRIS: New record out? Johnny, you are with Train.

COLT: Train record is on the way. We will actually hook up and play at the end of the series. We're going to play the last show and make the new record.

HARRIS: Best with the music, best with the show. Thanks for coming on to the NEWSROOM. I think you win the challenge. Junk mail at CNN.

LEE: Wow.

COLT: Oh, yeah, Starlight Drive-in.

HARRIS: Starlight Drive-in?

LEE: You can bring your junk mail to Starlight Drive-in.

COLT: We're going to collect and it recycle it.

HARRIS: Let's get it done. Guys, great to see you.

(CROSS TALK)

HARRIS: My pleasure. My pleasure.

WHITFIELD: Good job. We have a lot of junk mail. I can contribute to that stack.

Meantime, it is tornado season. And so far it's becoming the deadliest tornado season in a decade. Here comes more dangerous weather across the Gulf States, tornado warnings in effect right now for south Mississippi. We are tracking it right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, Fred, what do you say we get back to Rob Marciano in the Severe Weather Center.

WHITFIELD: Yes, rough stuff.

HARRIS: Mississippi, south of Mississippi, the Hattiesburg area.

Rob, what's the latest? I understand a tornado on the ground. There was a sighting? MARCIANO: There was a sighting in Forrest County. This was passing over the county line towards Greene and Perry counties. Those are the two areas under the gun here. This cell just scooted to the south of Hattiesburg, about 10, 15 minutes ago. It is moving rapidly towards Waynesboro, in Wayne County. Move about 55 miles an hour. It is humming along to the northeast there.

And you definitely want to take shelter if you live in Waynesboro, Wayne County. And through Perry County and Greene County, as this thing has had a history of producing some turbulent weather. This pink polygon highlights that. It is effect until 11:15 local time. So, another half hour.

The red line, that is a tornado watch. That's in effect until 3:00 this afternoon for much of southern Mississippi, Alabama, and the Panhandle of Florida. Those folks should certainly keep an eye to the sky, weather radio. We will keep you posted. No further reports, I don't think, of damage. Have we seen damage on this thing yet? No.

A law enforcement official was able to see this across the county line, just south of Hattiesburg. We have to assume that this is dangerous and the tornado may possibly be on the ground in Perry, Wayne and Greene Counties.

HARRIS: What we do in these instances is we just start working like crazy with our affiliates to get you pictures of what is going on the ground there. And we are on it. Thanks, Rob.

MARCIANO: All right, guys.

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's talk about health news. Empowering patients. A little knowledge can certainly make a powerful difference, especially when you do visit your doctor. Women can sometimes be their own worst enemies when it comes to proper medical care. Which actually really surprises me. Critical advice now from CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.

I'm actually surprised. I would think that if we are going to break it down to men and women, maybe women would be the more diligent ones about asking questions, taking notes, all that good stuff.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know what, women are in many ways much more diligent than men and they actually go to the doctor.

(CROSS TALK)

COHEN: That's right. Definitely women do, do that first step. Doctors have told us that with once women get into the doctor's office, they sometimes make the same mistakes over and over again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN (voice over): Studies show women are conscientious about going to the doctor but they don't always fully benefit from those visits. Here from experienced doctors are three typical reasons why. Number three, sticking with a bad doctor.

DR. NIECA GOLDBERG, CARDIOLOGIST, NYU WOMEN'S HEART PROGRAM: Sometimes women hang on in a doctor's office even though they are dissatisfied with the care.

COHEN: Dr. Nieca Goldberg, cardiologist and author of "Women Are Not Small Men", says staying with a doctor you don't like is high up on her list of mistakes women make with doctors.

Number two, not recognizing that sometimes doctors are biased against women. Studies show physicians sometime attribute a woman's real medical problem to complaining or emotional issues.

GOLDBERG: You don't want to go to a doctor that says now, now, honey, it is not all that bad.

COHEN: The number one mistake women make about their health care, they take care of everyone else before they take care of themselves. Case in point:

GOLDBERG: If a woman actually thinks she is having a heart attack and at home, she often takes a taxi, a bus, or anything but an ambulance to get to the hospital. Big mistake. Call 911 and take an ambulance.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: Now, to learn about more mistakes that women make with their health care and how to fix those mistakes, go to cnn.com/health.

WHITFIELD: Why is it that women make these mistakes more so than men?

COHEN: There is not a lot of science on this. But the doctors I talked to said women sometimes just have trouble finding their voice. Their intuition tells them, for example, this doctor is not working out. I probably need to go someone else but don't want to offend. They want to be polite. They want to be liked. And at least the doctors I talked to, who specialize in women's health care, they feel that women do that more than men do.

WHITFIELD: Oh, interesting. This is not a popularity contest, people. I mean, this is about your health. So, you have to take control. Even though the doctor or the medical team, they have the expertise. You have to be the one to say, wait a minute, I need clarity.

COHEN: Right. The woman I talked to for this article, she has a Ph.D. She is a high-ranking administrator at a university. And she couldn't find it within herself to say to a doctor -- go away. We need someone else. She couldn't do it. She said I say no to people at work all the time. I make tough decisions. But when I was talking to a doctor, I had trouble asserting myself.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

COHEN: Isn't that amazing?

WHITFIELD: Yes, it is. Clearly it is a common problem.

COHEN: Right.

WHITFIELD: So, of course, folks can turn to you and get good advice.

COHEN: Get some good advice.

WHITFIELD: That's right get some good advice and some tools on how to really empower yourself. You can get all the health news that you need. Logon to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. And you can even converse in an indirect kind of way, right?

COHEN: Absolutely, sure.

WHITFIELD: At CNN.com/health.

HARRIS: She's got game. Fred, Elizabeth.

WHITFIELD: I like that.

HARRIS: Well, she's just got to take it some place else. Girl star bounced from the boys' team.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Boy, another day, another record for the eighth day in a row, the price of gasoline set a new high mark. Today that gallon of regular is costing you on average more than $3.77 a gallon. That's according to AAA. Today's price up almost 2 cents from yesterday; it's an increase of 39 cents compared to a month ago. It is about 67 cents more than what we were paying on average a year ago.

WHITFIELD: Yikes. So, from the pump to your plane ticket. Yes. It's going to hurt. Fuel prices are diving up costs of even the shortest trips. Will higher costs scrub your summer travel plans? AAA motor club is looking down the road for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK BROWN, EXEC. VICE PRESIDENT, AAA: For those Americans who are working paycheck to paycheck or on a fixed income, or those that struggle to make ends meet, high energy costs are in fact having a real impact.

This year's gas prices combined with other troubling aspects of the U.S. economy have pushed some Americans to what we call the traveling tipping point. It is clear that a small number of us may choose to stay home this holiday and relax with friends and family rather than take a vacation.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: All right. So AAA predicts U.S. travel will drop 1 percent this Memorial Day weekend; the first such drop in six years.

HARRIS: Can't afford the gas.

WHITFIELD: No.

HARRIS: I just can't.

You know, we know about the financial impact of the foreclosure prices. But there is a health toll that is every bit as traumatic. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details.

Susan, good morning.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

This is real pain and real trauma. There are reports of anxiety disorders, depression, and addictive behaviors such as alcoholism and gambling. The stress affects marriages and relationships and in a rare and extreme case, an Oregon couple killed themselves in October after attempts to save their home failed.

Calls about financial worries to a place called Compsych are up 20 percent and calls related to mortgages have doubled. Compsych says it has seen an increase in drinking, outbursts at work, violence towards kids. The key is to ask for help. Financial help, as well as mental health help.

The American Psychological Association has some tips. Pause, do not panic. Identify your financial problems and make a plan. Turn these challenges into opportunities for growth and change. And ask for professional support.

Here on Wall Street, a quiet day so far. Kind of a tug of war. Oil company shares are trading higher on an analyst's upgrade. So are oil prices; up more than a dollar a barrel.

Also weighing on stocks today. Weak read on industrial output. More than expected. A check of the numbers. The Dow is flat. That says it all. Nasdaq is hanging in there. It is up about a third of a percent.

Tony, the man, Ludacris, you fit right in there.

HARRIS: Was this OK?

LISOVICZ: Oh, it was OK. You just need to put your hat on.

HARRIS: Just like that. You move, I move. Just like a little Ludacris. Hey, now.

LISOVICZ: Next record.

HARRIS: You didn't see that coming this morning in the NEWSROOM when you woke up, did you? LISOVICZ: Now you got it.

HARRIS: Great to see you. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Girlfriend's got game, but she has to take it somewhere else. Girl star bounced from the boys' team. What?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Oh, those poor sports. She can beat them, but can't join them. A talented sixth grade girl gets bounced out of a boys' basketball league. And Ken Boddie of affiliate KOIN has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEN BODDIE, REPORTER, KOIN (voice over): One look at 12-year-old Jamie Nard and you realize that this is no ordinary sixth grade basketball player. She is six feet tall and can take over a basketball court.

MICHAEL ABRAHAM, JAMIE'S COACH: She is absolutely as gifted a sixth grader as I have ever been associated with.

BODDIE: In fact she is so good she competes against boys her age and older. The Hoop, in Beaverton, allowed her to play in the boys' league until a couple of weeks ago. They say it is against the rules.

DAVE VIZZINI, GENERAL MANAGER, THE HOOP: We sold, we advertised, and we marketed the league providing equal opportunities for men and women. It's not a co-ed league.

BODDIE: But Jamie's mother believes the rule is being selectively enforced just for Jamie. She says Jamie's talent had ruffled some feathers.

REIKO WILLIAMS, JAIMIE'S MOTHER: I think some people -- maybe male and female, I don't know -- have an issue with a girl playing on the court and competing successfully and even kind of shining in a program for boys. That's just not supposed to happen.

BODDIE: Jamie has a strong basketball pedigree. Her father Greg played at the University of Maryland. Her older sister Jacqui (ph) was Oregon's leading six A scorer last year at Westview and will attend Maryland on a basketball scholarship.

Meanwhile, Jamie just keeps playing ball, be it against the girls or the boys.

VIZZINI: There's exceptions to every rule. Jamie is that exception. We can't have the girls playing in boys' divisions. We had a game we had to forfeit because of that scenario.

BODDIE (on camera): The Hoop says that it is trying to work out a solution to Jamie's unique situation. But in the meantime that situation is pitting The Hoop against Jamie's parents and coach, and everyone says they just want the best for this talented young player. In Beaverton, Ken Boddie, KOIN News 6.

(END VIDEOTAPE)