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Morgan Tsvangirai Seeks Refuge at Dutch Embassy; Comedian George Carlin Dies at 71; Lightning Strikes in California Leave Firefighters Stretched Thin; Saudis Agree to Pump More Crude
Aired June 23, 2008 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Here's what's on the run down.
Oil prices bubble up for a time today, even after the Saudis agreed to pump more crude. It's issue No. 1.
Midwesterners battling the mighty Mississippi today. The flood crest rolling down river towards St. Louis right now.
Irreverent, cynical, anti-establishment, remembering the comic genius of George Carlin today, Monday, June 23.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
We start with some breaking news to tell you about. Anaheim, California, you see some pictures now of the riverside freeway there that is shut down right now all because of a shooting of a suspect who apparently killed an Anaheim police officer yesterday morning. The original phone call that came in, as we get more information here, was a report of a man exposing himself to children at a motel near Disneyland.
So the officer, my understanding, is the officer who then responded to that, or officers, one of them was killed by the suspect and then now today you see the aftermath where the police have caught up with their suspect and he, in return, has been killed and there was pretty unbelievable gun battle that went on right there on the freeway. One woman, an innocent bystander, if you will, was actually caught by a stray bullet. A couple of other officers exchanged fire with this suspect. And in effect he is now dead. So just want to give you the very latest information that we're getting from our affiliates there on the ground and the Associated Press as well.
So, right now that riverside freeway, there you can see it's completely closed down, the eastbound lanes there. KABC, those pictures coming in from. We appreciate that, coming out of Anaheim. We'll watch that story for you.
The soaring cost of oil, there may be no greater single cause of your shrinking dollar. So is relief in the pipeline?
The world's largest oil producer now says it can increase output next month. Analysts aren't impressed, though, and so far no dramatic movement in the world oil prices. The nation's gas prices eased a tiny bit overnight, about a tenth of a cent per gallon compared to yesterday. The overall picture still pretty ugly though and compared to one year ago, the price has skyrocketed to more than $1.09 a gallon.
Now, let's check the pulse of the stock market for just a moment. This is a live picture of Wall Street's big board. Right now, you can see the Dow's industrial average is down by about three points or so. The immediate open was positive by about 20. So it's all over the map so far on this early trading day. We'll watch those numbers as well.
The need for oil. Democrats and republicans taking different approaches.
Here now is CNN's Kathleen Koch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The White House expressed cautious optimism at the news. The spokesman saying "any increase in production in today's oil market is welcome. The Saudis promised to pump more crude, also drew praise from surrogates for the two presidential contenders who then went partisan.
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON, OBAMA SUPPORTER: It's going to help a little bit. Maybe reduce prices just a little. The point is, that we have got to have a bipartisan comprehensive strategy and this administration, and it seems Senator McCain, they want to drill, drill, drill.
DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN, MCCAIN SUPPORTER: It's important to have greater global supply but it would be better if the United States control its energy destiny. That's what John McCain wants to do.
KOCH: With gas prices soaring and both parties agree something must be done, just not what. On Capitol Hill, the House, this week, plans to begin debating four new democratic energy proposals, grants to cut fares for mass transit, a crackdown on fuel price gauging, another aims to curb speculation in the energy futures market, which many including the Saudis believe is driving up the price of oil.
REP. ED MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: There is absolutely no way that this market doubled in value over 12 months unless manipulation and speculation was a part of it. So we need to get to the heart of it and to shut that down before it shuts down the American economy.
KOCH: Finally, one measure would force oil companies to explore for oil on federal land that they are leasing or lose those rights. But oil companies insist there's a reason they are not drilling.
RED CAVANEY, AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE: There's no map quest chart that says, drill right here for 50 million barrels. Most of that land doesn't have oil.
KOCH: White House and republican energy plans push for clean coal technology, ending the moratorium on oil shell as well as more oil refineries and offshore drilling.
SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON (R), TEXAS: Drilling offshore on a state by state option is something that I think we could do very environmentally safely and yet anything that says production is killed by the democrats.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Once again, CNN's Kathleen Koch reporting.
Parts of the Midwest still on edge this morning hoping that they can hold off flooding from the Mississippi River but some lost that battle against the river. Levees could not hold back the floodwaters and that forced thousands of people from their now water-logged homes. The river is expected to crest today along more parts of the Illinois, Missouri border. Some communities may still see the water rise ten feet over flood stage. Floodwaters have already receded in some spots, leaving behind a mountain of trash.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa this morning.
And Ed, some of the pictures that you've been showing us from there, are just devastating.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, just a few days ago, this area where we are standing was under five feet of water. The water is gone. We're just a few blocks away from the Cedar River, which is filled out of its banks and flooded these neighborhood. And now residents have spent the weekend starting to clean out the debris from their homes and this is what you're seeing along the streets. Almost everywhere you look, you just see debris everywhere and city officials say they hope to have the first wave of flood debris cleaned up in about 30 days but one of the challenges will be is that all of this debris is expected to fill up the two area landfills.
In fact, we were out there yesterday and they had just shown us this brand-new garbage pit that is supposed to be coming on-line very soon and they say that it was supposed to last the city 20 years and now they're saying that within the next four to six weeks all of this flood debris will completely fill up that landfill. So, there's also some talk of finding other places to take much of these debris to kind of ease the burden on the local landfills. We're talking about taking it to other parts of the state or other parts of Iowa or other states all together.
So, city officials say they have about 120 trucks that will begin fanning out across the city picking up all of these piles of debris, wherever it is and they say the hope to have all of this done in about 30 days -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Wow, 30 days. All right. CNN's Ed Lavandera for us this morning -- Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Thank you, Ed.
Firefighters stretched thin in northern California. They are fighting hundreds of fires caused by lightning strikes. Some are small, less than an acre in some remote wooded areas but others have spread over several square miles and are now threatening homes. Hundreds of residents have been forced to evacuate. Here's a look at the map. The fires are burning from south of San Francisco all the way to the Oregon border. There were 75 fires in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest alone.
Unbelievable.
Rob Marciano, standing by now with more on this information.
And the storms they have been talking about on the other side of the country, Rob, in the northeast.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Heidi.
Yes, we got winds that are dying down a little bit and they are coming a little more on shore. So that's helping the firefighters here in California. These are near real-time winds, generally light inland, generally off shore or on shore, along the coastline. So trying to get some of that marine air into the Napa Valley, which is one of the reasons that it does so well with wines. They'll get a little bit of help from mother nature today.
All right. Not a whole lot of rain in the forecast at least today across the flood-proned areas. Here's how the rivers are expected to crest, at least along the Mississippi today, and this afternoon, and tonight. Hannibal to Clarksville, and then it gets towards St. Louis. It kind of flat line. It's not going to crest and go down right away in St. Louis. It will probably crest either tomorrow or Wednesday morning and then kind of really hang out right at that moderate flood stage and then eventually go down full close to Friday, Saturday, and into Sunday.
We have some rainfall across parts of the Midwest, namely eastern Oklahoma, northwest Arkansas. These were severe earlier. They have kind of diminished in intensity. We're starting to get now some thunderstorms that are popping across New England and just south of Long Island there. Just north of Hartford heading towards Wister and into Boston. A couple of cells here look pretty potent heading towards Benton (ph) itself right inside the beltway there and heading towards the harbor. So, thunder, lightning, maybe a little bit of small hail, and gusty winds in Boston here and then within the next couple of minutes, if you're not getting it all ready, just wait for this to simmer down.
Later on today, when the sun comes up, we get into this air mass that's pretty unstable and this is when the sun is the strongest. Let's face it, we're right around June 20. Large hail and damaging winds as this front slides into this moist and toasty air mass. Later on this afternoon, slight risk of seeing some severe weather across parts of the country. Also, across parts of the Midwest, in the typical spots, the jet stream moving a little bit farther to the north so now we're into the Dakotas and Nebraska will likely see the greatest threats of severe weather today.
St. Louis, obviously, the issue there is flooding, a little bit haze in the air. A live shot for you. There's the arch, looking to the east. The river is on the east side of that arch. KSDK. I'm embarrassed to say, Heidi, that my first trip to St. Louis, I thought that the arch went over the river, straddling it, and of course, that would make the arch really, really big, because that river, especially now, is really, really big.
COLLINS: Yes but that's OK.
MARCIANO: That's why you need to go places.
COLLINS: Yes. Go on and go out there and take a look for yourself, that's for sure. All right.
Thanks so much, Rob Marciano. We'll check in a little later on.
MARCIANO: OK.
COLLINS: His rifts help him sell albums in sell out concert halls but George Carlin didn't use a musical instrument, just his mind. Carlin died yesterday from heart failure.
CNN's John Roberts look back at his career.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): To say George Carlin pushed the comedic envelope is an understatement. His routine, the seven words you can never say on television, legendary.
GEORGE CARLIN, COMEDIAN: Well that was the original list.
ROBERTS: Some of those words you can say now, on cable at least. But when he did the routine in the summer of '72 in Milwaukee, he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. One reason, there were children in the audience.
CARLIN: I didn't know there were but it wouldn't have changed anything I did if I had known there were children in the audience. In fact, children need to - I think children need to hear those words because yet they don't have the hang-ups. It's the adults who are locked in to certain, you know -
ROBERTS: When a New York radio station aired the follow-up called "Filthy Words," the legal briefs flew all the way to the Supreme Court.
CARLIN: One complaint, a professional moralist, a guy from Morals and Media with his son in the car, he let the son listen. Apparently, they were not morally corrupted by this act but he listened long, he listened to the whole thing, complain to the FCC.
ROBERTS: The court upheld the ruling and the broadcasters could be fined for airing defensive language. Carlin was born in New York in 1937, dropped out of school in the ninth grade, joined the Air Force, and his Web site says received three court martials. During that time, he began working as a disk jockey at the Shreveport Radio Station, and then to Boston, Ft. Worth, New York, L.A., appearances on the "Tonight Show," and the debut host of "Saturday Night Live."
Through his career, he produced 23 comedy albums, more than a dozen HBO Specials, three books, and millions upon millions of laughs in audiences around the world.
But above all, Carlin was an observer of people, of language, and the obvious. After all, it was George Carlin who said --
CARLIN: Tonight's forecast, dark.
ROBERTS: For his millions of fans, the days ahead will be darker as well. George Carlin was 71.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: The Kennedy Center announced last week Carlin will receive the 11th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor this fall.
The mayor and the principal meeting this morning. He says he thinks 17 students got pregnant on purpose. The mayor raising doubts today. That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Hooking the big one. Is it really a sport or is it abuse? The sharks come out in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Big scandal in a small town. At least 17 teenagers expecting babies at Gloucester High School in Massachusetts. The mayor is meeting this morning with school and health officials to talk about the situation. She says there's no evidence to back reports that the girls made a pact to get pregnant. The school's principal told "Time Magazine" some of the girls agreed to have the babies and raise their children together.
High energy prices driving the presidential campaign today. Barack Obama talks about the economy with working women this afternoon in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He vows to crackdown on energy speculators with new federal regulations. Obama blames traders for skyrocketing oil prices. John McCain expected to talk about energy independence in California today. McCain wants the government to offer $300 million to anyone who develops new super auto batteries, ones that are cheaper and more powerful than those driving hybrids and electric cars right now.
Check out our political ticker for all of the latest political news. Just log on at CNNPolitics.com, your source for all things political.
Sport or savagery? Critics take aim at a federally sanctioned event about the most dangerous predator, most feared killer.
CNN's Jim Acosta reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The hunt began at sunrise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a go! It's a go!
ACOSTA: More than 100 boats raced dozens of miles off the Long Island coastline, in pursuit of the ocean's greatest predator. For years, these shark tournaments have gone on with little fanfare, but not anymore. Mike Wasserman experienced the rush of reeling in top prize at this contest five years ago.
MIKE WASSERMAN, FISHERMAN: It's like getting that perfect hole- in-one.
ACOSTA: This year the event paid out $140,000 in cash pries. The anglers brought ashore 41 blue thresher and mako sharks and weighed in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 162.
ACOSTA (on-camera): In shark tournaments, size matters. If you want to see your fish hanging up there, it needs to be in the top five in terms of weight. If it doesn't make the cut, you get to watch your trophy get chopped into pieces.
ACOST (voice-over): It's a bloody spectacle, much of it too graphic to show, which is why the Humane society of the United States considers this event a blood sport.
JONATHAN GRINDELL, ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Just ripping it out of the waters, you know, and to kill them for nothing is not what we have in mind for a Saturday afternoon.
BILL HEATH, TOURNAMENT PRESIDENT: We don't look at this killing for fun.
ACOSTA: Tournament president Bill Heath points out the smaller sharks are tagged and released all part of a federally-sanctioned event.
HEATH: Men are into the sport. I mean, they like pounding them on the chest whether it be golf, whether it be baseball, or football.
ACOSTA: Mixed in with the chest-pounding is some science. Federal marine biologist Nancy Koehler studies the sharks as they come in, height, weight and, yes, stomach contents.
NANCY KOEHLER, FEDERAL MARINE BIOLOGIST: Do we ever see the diamond rings? Yes. Over the years, surprisingly, not as much, but, yes, we have gotten the garbage and the hamburger.
ACOSTA: Other scientists argue it's not worth the price saying some of these sharks are on the decline worldwide.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 414!
ACOSTA: On this day, it's a boat called "My Three Suds" that came up big. The crew landed a 414-pound thresher shark and bragging rights until next year.
Jim Acosta, CNN, Freeport, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Your credit score, it may be one of the most important numbers in your life. How can you bolster it? And your financial standing, coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Quickly, we want to take another look at the big board there. We are just barely to the positive. The Dow Jones industrial average is up four points from the open. Friday really a rotten day, won't even tell you how far down it was, in case you don't know. We're going to be talking all of everything affecting your pocket book today, mainly oil prices. We'll get to that shortly.
Meanwhile, from buying insurance to getting a mortgage, your credit score is your financial DNA. Personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, is here with her do's and don'ts on establishing good credit. Very important.
So maybe we should start with the don'ts here, Gerri.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Good idea.
The first thing is don't close those credit card accounts, Heidi. If you're trying to improve credit score, don't close every credit card you have. That's because your score takes into account the difference between what credit is available to you and what you're actually using. So, if you shut down your credit card account, the total amount of your available credit is lower and your balance looks larger in comparison. Now, this hurts your credit score. Your FICO score also looks at how long you have been managing credit. The longer your credit history, the better will be for your score -- Heidi.
COLLINS: I didn't know that. What else should people avoid? There's going to be a whole slew of things to not do.
WILLIS: Absolutely, Heidi.
You've got to forget about those retail store credit cards. Look, every time you open an account with a store to get that 10 percent discount, whatever it is they are giving away free today.
COLLINS: They always gives something away.
WILLIS: Right. You get a big discount, maybe a markdown on merchandise.
COLLINS: On earrings -
WILLIS: Well, guess what, when they give you that, they are taking something too. They are pulling your credit score and that lowers your credit score and it's especially damaging if you've only handled credit for a limited amount of time. For example, the credit score of a 20-year-old with only one or two credit cards will see their score drop more substantially than somebody who has been managing credit for say 25 years.
COLLINS: Hmm, not a good idea there. Avoid all of those discounts, earrings or whatever else they are throwing at you.
WILLIS: It is.
COLLINS: What can you actually do though to improve your credit score, maybe you get in a bad spot, there's got to be things that you can do to bring it back up.
WILLIS: Well, you know, it's basic. It's basic, basic stuff. Pay your bills on time. You know why, it's a third of your FICO credit score. However, you should concentrate not only on paying on time but paying more than the minimum payments. The amount of debt you have is also vital to your credit score to really go out there and improve your credit score, you should only spend within 10 percent of your credit limit on a card. So, if your credit limit on the card is $6,000, don't charge over 600.
COLLINS: Right.
WILLIS: You get the picture here?
COLLINS: Good idea. So like we said, if you do have that bad credit, it just takes time, doesn't it? I mean, you've got to do everything right from there on out but you can recover?
WILLIS: Absolutely right. You know, people don't think that you make your credit score look better but you can look to most debts especially for bankruptcies are erased after seven years. So, if you've had a foreclosure or a few delinquent payments, you can still raise your credit score to above average. The reality here is that the older the negative information is, the less important it is to your credit score.
And just think, if you raise your credit score from say 670 to 715, that's only 45 points. You are going to save $82,000 in total interest charges on a 200,000 30-year fixed rate loan. So, the savings are big. If you just boost that credit score just a little bit.
And if you have any questions, send it to us at toptips@cnn.com or if you missed anything, you can always check out our blog at CNN.com/tips.
COLLINS: "ISSUE #1" also coming up today, Gerri.
WILLIS: Yes. We got some important stuff coming up on flood insurance.
COLLINS: Good.
WILLIS: Tips that you'll definitely want to hear about. Plus, we'll tell you where some folks are going to get their hands on cheap gas. Join us at noon right here on CNN for "ISSUE #1." We'll also be answering your e-mail questions live right here.
COLLINS: I know where they're going for that gas but I won't give it away. Be a heck of a tease. All right.
Gerri, we'll see you coming up at noon. Thanks so much.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
COLLINS: Cooler air blows in. Thank goodness, firefighters in California wine country may actually get a break today. You'll see it coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Updating a breaking story that we've been following all morning long here. The situation in Anaheim, California, there was a police shooting yesterday. A suspect actually shot an officer and then got away from the scene. This morning, that suspect apparently was found and shot and killed on the riverside freeway there. You see pictures of that right now, coming in from our affiliate, KABC. That freeway completely closed down. We want to get the very latest now from Sergeant Tim Schmidt. He is with the Anaheim Police Department. He is joining us on the phone.
Sergeant Schmidt, if you could, just update us on the situation.
VOICE OF SGT TIM SCHMIDT, ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA POLICE: Well, the situation as of yesterday - obviously we had the shooting yesterday morning. We've been tracking this individual, trying to identify him and then catch him and then late last night at about 12:50, we were able to identify him and follow him in his vehicle as he drove down the freeway. The officers attempted to get him to pull over and at that point he - and a police pursuit ensued.
He drove down obviously here on the freeway as you're watching at a high speed. The freeway started to back up (AUDIO GAP) vehicles that were in front of him because of congestion. Well, he collided with the vehicle in front of him and his vehicle became disabled.
At that point, he jumped out of his car with a handgun and instead of running and trying to hide to get away from police, he (AUDIO GAP) looking for a position of cover, started hiding around vehicles that were also stopped. And then he started firing at the officers.
So we -- at that point, we started shooting back. Rounds were exchanged between him and the officers, and ultimately he was killed right here on the freeway late last night. There was an innocent bystander who was in a car next to this (AUDIO GAP) in a different lane in her own car and was struck by the gunfire. And she's been since taken to a local hospital and her injuries are not life threatening and she should be released later on today.
COLLINS: Well, that's very good news.
What about the condition of the officer who was shot yesterday when this whole thing started?
SCHMIDT: He was shot in the upper thigh, in the parking lot of this hotel. He obviously was immediately taken to the hospital and he has since been released from the hospital. He's resting at home and he should be fine.
COLLINS: OK. Well, that's also very good news.
I want to clarify something that we have in some of our rights (ph) here, off some of the wire reports. The initial response was to a call of a man exposing himself to some children at a motel apparently near Disneyland. Is that right?
SCHMIDT: That's correct. That's the initial call that we got for the first two officers yesterday about 8:00 in the morning.
They responded and contacted the individual in the parking lot where ultimately one of our officers was shot there.
COLLINS: Boy, and looking at some of the pictures that we're still seeing here of the Riverside Freeway, unbelievable what that scene must have been like.
Sergeant Schmidt, were you there? Were you involved in --
SCHMIDT: No, I was not. I was not there and I was not involved.
COLLINS: OK. All right -- well, that's the very latest now coming to us from Sergeant Tim Schmidt of the Anaheim Police Department. The suspect is dead there in the middle of the freeway. And obviously you can see all of the police cars responding, ambulances as well. And a whole lot of traffic backed up as that Riverside Freeway is closed down, eastbound direction.
So, we'll keep an eye on that situation. But that's the latest from the Anaheim Police Department directly.
Extreme weather taking its toll in the West and Midwest. Check out the video now shot from a helicopter over Winfield, Missouri, just north of St. Louis. In many areas, the levees just couldn't hold back the Mississippi River. The river is expected to crest in some of those areas in Missouri and Illinois today, bringing some obviously much needed relief.
On the other end of the spectrum, there's a fire emergency in northern California. Lightning strikes started more than 600 fires over the weekend. The largest is in California wine country, Napa Valley. That fire has burned almost six square miles. Evacuations have been ordered and firefighters are trying to contain the wildfires all the way from around San Francisco to the Oregon border. That gives you an idea of how big they are.
Watching the fires, the flooding and the storms in the northeast, Rob Marciano stopping by now with the very latest.
MARCIANO: Hey, when they broke out the D.C. (INAUDIBLE) dropped some fire retardant on that.
COLLINS: Yes, the (INAUDIBLE), right?
MARCIANO: Yes, that's the big time.
Hey, Heidi.
Looking at the floods, obviously in still flood warning in a number of spots -- still over major flooding. Let's break down where the Mississippi is going to crest. We're just waiting for this day by day. And certainly the folks who live along the river, it can't come sooner enough.
Today, tomorrow, Clarksville -- are this afternoon -- and then Thursday -- really Wednesday morning is when St. Louis is forecasted to crest. Once it hits that crest, it will probably hang out there for a couple of days and then slowly go down as we get towards Saturday and Sunday, and then beyond.
So hang in there, guys, who live out there. I know it has been rough.
We've got thunderstorms that have been rolling across parts of eastern Oklahoma, northwestern Arkansas. These were severe. They are starting to wind down just a little bit. But the good news is, they are not anywhere near the floodplain. So that's good news for folks who live near the Mississippi River.
Folks who live in the northeast -- boy, you got hammered in spots like upstate New York. There were some funnel clouds reported. In New Hampshire we had hail the size of hockey pucks. I guess down south you'd say hail the size of tobacco cans. And across Boston, we're looking at thunderstorms that are rolling across Beantown right now. These looks like they were going to get a little bit rough, but probably just some heavy lightning and thunder and some rain with this shouldn't be too bad. I don't think there's a severe thunderstorm warning out for this particular now.
Later on today, though, with this very juicy and warm air mass, and very strong sun angle obviously this time of year, large hail and damaging winds possible. The severe weather threat as this front slams into that potent air mass. You will cool down after the thunderstorms come through later on tonight.
And as we get now into summer, the jetstream and the severe weather threat out west migrates a little farther north. So on through the Dakotas and through Nebraska, large hail, also damaging winds potentially in this area. We'll watch out for that.
We are now officially in full-flight summer, and it certainly feels like it across a lot of parts of the country.
COLLINS: Boy -- yes. Yikes. Some of those temperature, unbelievable.
MARCIANO: Stay cool. COLLINS: All right Rob, thank you. We'll get back to you in a little while here.
Right now we want to get to the election crisis in Zimbabwe. The opposition party's candidate is pulling out of the presidential runoff and reports of a police raid on the party's headquarters.
CNN correspondent Nkpile Mabuse is joining us now with some new information live from Johannesburg, South Africa.
NKPILE MABUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, what we are now hearing that the leader of the opposition in that country, Morgan Tsvangirai, is seeking refuge at the Dutch embassy. The embassy believes that there may be a plot to assassinate him. This is not the first such claim that they have made after the March 29 election. They say the war's military plan to assassinate Morgan Tsvangirai. So that's what we're hearing right now.
Obviously Morgan Tsvangirai going to the Dutch embassy believing that he will be safe. But you know, a few weeks ago, U.S. and British embassy officials were attacked by this Robert Mugabe's regime. So this regime knows no boundaries. So we'll update that story as soon as we can get more information. But that's what we are hearing from Zimbabwe right now.
COLLINS: All right. So that is the situation with the opposition leader. But I wonder, Nkpile, if you could take us back to some of the brutal killings that happened over the weekend and let us know a little bit more about what exactly took place that might be helpful in the overall situation that we're trying to understand here.
MABUSE: Well, since the first round of elections, which was March 29, the opposition in that country is claiming that 86 of it is members have been killed in one day alone. Last week, Thursday, Amnesty International found 12 bodies of MBC (ph) supporters and they say that these people's injuries indicated to them that they had been tortured. It's estimated by human rights group that at least 1,300 people have been tortured just since the March 29 election. So the violence really is getting out of hand in Zimbabwe and continuing, despite the fact that Morgan Tsvangirai has pulled out of this runoff election.
COLLINS: All right. We will continue to follow this story.
We so appreciate having you there. Nkpile Mabuse, once again, live for us this morning from Johannesburg, South Africa.
Thank you for that.
Issue No. 1 now and more mixed news on the cost of gasoline.
Let's begin with the positive. The national average slid a tenth of a penny overnight. That's not very much. But it now stands at a little more than $4.07 a gallon.
And here's the rest of the story. That's an increase of more than 16 cents compared to just one month ago. And compared to a year ago, prices have leaped more than $1.09 a gallon.
So, searching for more fuel. China is trying to increase its supply by making deals in America's backyard.
CNN's John Vause reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is one reason why China is desperate for oil: long lines of trucks waiting for hours to fill up with diesel.
"It's been like this since April," this driver told me, "and sometimes it's rationed, just enough for 45 miles."
The cost of diesel and regular gas is capped here by the government. But with the cost of crude sky high, state-owned oil companies have been taking huge losses and, in turn, have reduced supplies.
On Friday, the government raised the cost of gasoline by almost 20 percent. But China, the world's second biggest consumer of oil, needs more, a lot more, and is looking everywhere, including America's backyard. For Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, China is a way out of an unhappy relationship with the U.S.
Despite all of his anti-American rants, Chavez, is still dependent upon, which buys more than half of his country's oil.
TOM WALLIN, ENERGY INTELLIGENCE GROUP: The U.S. has the most sophisticated refining system in the world, and Venezuela has relatively heavy, difficult to refine crude. So the natural market for Venezuelan crude is the United States.
VAUSE: But last month, Venezuela and China agreed to build a refinery in southern China to specifically process Venezuela's heavy oil. Part of a plan to dramatically increase oil exports to China from 80,000 barrels per day, to 1 million barrels per day within three years. About the same amount of crude sold to the U.S.
Chinese state-owned oil companies are striking deals across Latin America; in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Argentina.
WALLIN: For American oil companies, and for other Western oil companies, the Chinese are turning out to be a significant competitor.
VAUSE (on camera): And analysts say that's not necessarily a bad thing. China is investing heavily in exploration and that might ultimately increase supply.
John Vause, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Not enough oil. It's hitting you square in the wallet. And it was the subject of a major conference in Saudi Arabia yesterday. We've been talking a little bit about that on the show.
CNNMoney.com' Poppy Harlow has this details in our energy fix report from New York.
Hi there, Poppy.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Hey there, Heidi. Happy Monday.
But not such a happy Monday for the oil market. Prices rising again this morning. Of course, over the weekend, on Sunday, the Saudis promised to increase oil production again, but a lot of analysts immediately dismiss it as just a token gesture saying that it's not going to do much at all to alter the math between how much is produced around the world, and how much is consumed.
Now, the Saudis agreed to boost production right away by about 200,000 barrels a day, lifting their output to 9.7 million barrels. This marks their third increase of about that size in just the past two months. But this increase, however, is just a drop in the proverbial bucket. Globally the market for oil is about 86 million barrels per day.
The Saudis also said that they are addressing longer-term needs by making investments to boost their capacity to 12.5 million barrels per day by the end of next year. But this has done very little to calm the market's anxiety today. Oil prices are actually higher this morning, right around $136 a barrel right now. We're not that far from the record high we've seen in recent weeks. And there are still a lot of concerns that the Saudi moves are not enough, that other oil producers are not increasing their output. And there's also worries about escalating tension between Israel and Iran.
Now Heidi, despite the political escalation that we've seen with Iran, it's still a major producer of oil. And if it is involved in any confrontation, it could block what you see up on your screen -- the Strait of Hormuz, that's a strategic waterway through which about 40 percent of the world's oil is shipped, Heidi. So if there is some tension there, that could mean some major tension for us in terms of the prices that we're paying.
COLLINS: Yes. Well, it sounds like, though, we shouldn't hold out very much hope that -- the meeting, with the Saudis anyway, is really going to provide the silver bullet that's going to lower our gas. So I don't know if anybody really thought that would happen so quickly.
HARLOW: I think you're right. I think a lot of people were very disappointed with yesterday's outcome. They were looking at Saudis for more of an increase than we got.
It's ironic that energy consumption here in the U.S., which is by far the world's biggest user, has pretty much flattened out. But overseas, as you just saw in that package before, this has hit in China, in India, in other countries. The demand for energy is soaring and that's likely to continue. So in a way, we are now really tethered to what happens overseas, instead of the way around. It's a change in the way we think, Heidi. "The New York Times" quoted one of the world's largest oil companies, the head of that company, saying there are no overnight solutions. That's really the bottom line here, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, I don't think there's any question about that.
All right. We appreciate it. Poppy Harlow for us this morning.
Thanks, Poppy.
Mayor makes a statement. He trades in his car guzzler for a smart car. Not just a personal decision either.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange where this first trading day of the week -- things are pretty quiet after a rough week in which the three major averages lost at least 2 percent.
Oil, however, continues to be active. Right now, crude prices are trading up nearly $1.50 despite Saudi Arabia's pledge to boost oil production by another 200,000 barrels. Remember, gas prices are still catching up to what we're seeing in the oil market and that continues to hurt consumer spending at a time when home prices are going down and the jobless rate is going up. Which brings us to another major story today.
"The Wall Street Journal" saying that Citigroup could slash its investment banking group by 10 percent. There are 65,000 employees in all in that group. Citi lost $15 billion in the last two quarters. More pain is expected when it reports its quarterly results next month. And it's already fired 9,000 workers earlier this year.
Citi's statement says that it has indicated earlier this year that it would be resizing its business in response to market conditions.
Despite the steps that Citi may be taking, Citi shares are down 3 percent. The natural (ph) stocks under pressure as well. And right now we're seeing a pretty quiet market. The Dow Industrials remain below 12,000, but flat right now at 11,843. The NASDAQ, meanwhile, is down 6 points and, as I mentioned, oil up nearly $1.50.
And that is the latest from the New York Stock Exchange. CNN NEWSROOM will continue right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Well, you already know to catch us weekday mornings from 9:00 a.m. until noon Eastern. But did you know you can take us with you anywhere on your iPod. The CNN NEWSROOM podcast now available 24/7, right on your iPod.
He pushed the envelope. Nothing was off limits. Comedian George Carlin died Sunday from heart failure in Los Angeles. He was 71- years-old.
Veronica De La Cruz is joining us now with online tributes to the comedian.
I bet there's a lot of them out there, too.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you're right. A lot of people paying their respects online this morning, Heidi.
Alexis Karlin (ph) sent us this I-report from Boston. She spells her last name, Heidi, with a K. She says when people have always asked her how to pronounce it, say she would always say Karlin, like George Carlin. Heidi, she says her father used to drive a beat-up car, had a George Carlin tape in the deck. It got stuck and they listened to the same Carlin comedy routine over and over and over again for an entire year. She says that she's not going to miss the car, but she will definitely miss George Carlin.
And elsewhere on the blog, Heidi, a user called Edie166 says: "George was always a breath of fresh air. He kept us all in line and showed us the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and hypocrisy that was out there. My condolences to his wife and family. He will be greatly missed."
On a blog called Special Comment the person writes: "Carlin has remained a hilarious, but poignant, champion of freedom of speech through his entire career. More than that, he has reminded us of why we care so much about story telling. His carefully crafted comic capers were as glorious as any part of America's rich and storied oral tradition."
And a user on Dig (ph) says, "He wasn't just a comedian. He was a philosopher who got people to think about important issues through humor. He was a genius, a legend. Good-bye, George. Thank you for being here."
COLLINS: Wow.
Well, what else have you found online this morning?
DE LA CRUZ: There's also this other Web site I wanted to show you. It has been created for George Carlin as a tribute. It's at georgecarlintribute.com. If you logon, you find a picture right there. And then the underneath the picture, a comment, Heidi, that reads, "You said what we were all thinking." And visitors to the site are being asked to light a candle in remembrance.
And don't forget, we're still asking you for your I-Reports this morning. How will you remember the comedic great? You can logon to ireport.com and let us know -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Veronica De La Cruz -- thanks so much.
A big-city mayor is going green. He trades in his gas guzzler for a smart car. Not just a personal decision. His story for you, coming up next in the NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: The familiar clang, clang, clang of the street car has returned to New Orleans's westside. The reopening of the final segment of the same (ph) street carline took place on Sunday. Business owners along the route are hoping that will mean more free spending tourists.
The Carlton (ph) section had been closed before since Hurricane Katrina hit in the summer of 2005.
Not trying to win votes, but awareness. Big city mayor trades in his gas guzzler.
CNN's Kate Bolduan has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYOR ADRIAN FENTY (D), WASHINGTON: All right.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's politically hip to be green. Just look at D.C.'s mayor, Adrian Fenty. He recently traded in his road-hogging gas guzzling SUV for a much more compact and energy efficient Smart Car. It's not only turning heads, it's also part of the mayor's environmental initiatives for the district.
(on camera): Is it now -- is the environment something that has to be a priority for big cities?
FENTY: Absolutely. It is a top five issue in running a major city these days, right up there with education and public safety, and healthcare and affordable housing. It's a top issue.
BOLDUAN (voice-over): Green policy is becoming a top priority for many big city mayors, from greening Chicago rooftops to hybrid taxis in New York and carbon cutting building codes in Los Angeles. Analysts say from east to west, cities are setting the pace for environmental national standards. But the local impact can only go so far.
MARK MURO, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Because emissions flow across borders, flow across oceans, flow across forests, flow across the sea, you need vast jurisdictions to attack the problem that is going to require national action.
BOLDUAN: While cities wait for federal standards to catch up, local leaders, like Mayor Fenty, say that he will go it alone.
(on camera): Did you ever think that you'd be a green mayor?
FENTY: Yes, when I became a city council member, it wasn't the national driving force that it is now, which just gives you such great hope and optimism because the priority is really just being set now. Imagine what it's going to be in say, five or ten years.
BOLDUAN: Now, with Mayor Fenty's trade, he went from 12 miles per gallon to about 33 miles per gallon. He does admit he'd get better gas mileage with a hybrid, but says he just couldn't pass up how easy the smart car makes city parking.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Good morning once again, everybody. You are with CNN. I'm Heidi Collins. Tony has the day off today.
Developments keep coming in to the NEWSROOM on Monday, the 23rd of June. Here is what is on the rundown.
A Massachusetts mayor and school leader sitting down this hour. The topic -- a reported plan by a group of girls to have babies.
The Saudis say they will pump more oil. Will it mean savings for you at the gas pump?
The Grammy Award-winning singer, Amy Winehouse, diagnosed with a lung disease. Lady sings the blues in the NEWSROOM.
Right off the top of the hour here, I want to get you this story coming out of Anaheim, California, where there was a police shooting yesterday morning. An officer was wounded in the leg after he went out on a call of indecent exposure. As a matter of fact, at a motel near Disneyland.
Apparently the suspect was exposing himself to children. The officer was shot by the suspect. The suspect got away, and then a chase ensued and this is the aftermath now this morning.
