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American Morning

Obama Assassination Plot Foiled; New Details on Binghamton Shooter: Possible Letter Written In His Own Words; Pilot of Stolen Plane Captured; Obama Departs Turkey After Speaking to Muslim Youth; What Obama's Trip Achieved; Quake Collapses Dorm in Italy

Aired April 07, 2009 - 07:00   ET

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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is 58 minutes past the hour.

Some big stories breaking overnight, we'll be covering in the next 15 minutes.

New details emerging this morning about a foiled plot to assassinate President Obama during his visit to Turkey. U.S. officials say the suspect is Syrian. He was arrested on Friday posing as a reporter two days before the president arrived in the Muslim nation. Turkish officials are now telling the Associated Press the man posed no threat to the president. We're live in Istanbul with new developments.

A small plane stolen in Canada penetrating U.S. air space and landing in Missouri. The pilot arrested after he took off on foot, triggered the entire North American Air Defense, F-16s were on its tail. And he forced the evacuation of the Wisconsin state capital.

Our Jeanne Meserve has more on the pilot and whether he was ever a real threat.

And caught in the act, new satellite images reportedly show North Korea's rocket in flight. A Washington think tank obtained the images it says were taken on Sunday. The communist nation staged the launch despite strong international objections. The U.S. says it demonstrates the Pyongyang's ability to deploy a long-range missile and violate U.N. Security Council resolutions.

But, we begin with this story developing overnight -- a possible plot to assassinate President Barack Obama. Two different sources confirming to CNN a Syrian man was arrested last week in Turkey before President Obama's arrival. He's accused of planning to stab and kill the president. Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry is on this breaking story for us this morning.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): We're told that Turkish officials arrested this man on Friday. We have to stress the president, of course, was in France on Friday, not here in Turkey. He didn't arrive here until Sunday.

U.S. officials caution there are frequent threats, of course, against U.S. presidents all watched very carefully. And this never forced even a change to President Obama's schedule here on this tour. And White House officials are not commenting. They say they can't talk about security and threats.

Secret Service only saying tonight they're working very closely with Turkish officials to get to the bottom and get this fully investigated. U.S. officials have been told that he was trying to use what may have been a forged Al Jazeera TV press credential, to get close to the president here in Istanbul.

But having covered the White House for years, I can tell you that even with the press credential like that, you're kept a good distance from the president at events. And so it's hard to believe someone posing as a reporter could even get close enough with a knife because we're told this man wanted to stab the president.

And you also have, you know, you have to go through metal detectors before this event. That's why U.S. officials keep saying they don't think this man ever got anywhere close to the president.

Meanwhile, we should point out Al Jazeera is saying they know nothing about the Syrian man as well.

COSTELLO: Of course, we are getting constant updates on this story. "The Associated Press" now reporting that Turkish officials say the plot was actually a hoax based on a bogus tip and have now released the man. CNN is working to confirm this. And, of course, when we confirm it, we'll bring you that and more information as we get it in.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: To another developing story overnight, we're learning more about the man who stole a small plane from a flight school in Canada flying south over the U.S. Two U.S. fighter jets followed the Cessna for seven hours and hundreds of miles across the Midwest. And the man was eventually nabbed after he landed that plane on a dirt road.

Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is live for us in Washington this morning with more details on this bizarre situation that took place yesterday, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, really quite a story. His name is Adam Leon. He was born in Turkey in 1977, making him 31 years old. He was previously known as Yavuz Berke, but changed his name to Adam Leon. He became a Canadian citizen, rather, in 2008.

He walked in to a flight school in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Got into a Cessna-172, a small plane. Took off, flew across Lake Superior. When he got to the U.S., he was intercepted by two Air Force F-16s, also a Customs and Border Protection citation picked him up.

And those aircraft kept trying to reach this guy by radio. They tried to signal him. They tried to make eye contact. At one point in the flight, he appeared to be aware of their presence but absolutely refused to communicate with them or do what they wanted which was put that plane down. He just kept flying south. When he went over Madison, Wisconsin, there was enough fear that they briefly evacuated the state capitol there. But he flew onward, passing over St. Louis and then finally neared the Missouri-Arkansas border, he put down on a dirt road near the town of Ellsinore. He escaped on foot. He was chased by the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, the Missouri State police, and also the local sheriff's office.

He finally was apprehended at a local hardware and grocery store where people said he walked in and asked for a Gatorade and some beef jerky. Didn't have the money to pay, just sat there watching people until the authorities came in and arrested him.

He's going to be in a heap of trouble. He came into the country illegally, we suppose. He stole this aircraft, allegedly. And he took these fighter jets and the citation on a merry chase across hundreds of miles of United States territory. Big trouble for this guy.

CHETRY: And it could have ended very differently. Luckily no one was hurt.

MESERVE: That's right. That's right.

CHETRY: Jeanne Meserve for us this morning, thanks.

A little bit later, we're going to talk about the story some more. Does it show that we have a gaping hole in security at our borders? We're going to be asking the secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. She's joining us exclusively at the bottom of the hour - Carol.

COSTELLO: And there are new details this morning about the man who police say went on a rampage in Binghamton, New York, killing 13 people and then killing himself. And this new information appears to be coming directly from the shooter himself, Jiverly Wong. A letter post-stamped on the same day of the killing spree was sent to a local TV station in Syracuse.

Allan Chernoff is here to tell us what the letter suggested about the mindset of this man. And you read the whole letter.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Clearly paranoid, no doubt about it. If authentic and if authentic, that letter does provide evidence that the killer planned this weeks in advance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF (voice-over): The letter appears to offer a window into the mind of a mad man. "I am Jiverly Wong shooting the people," the letter addressed to News 10 begins. The author writes of how he has been taunted and tortured by undercover police, touching him as he slept, even taking money from him, repeatedly driving in front of him and stopping short.

In a rambling summation, the letter demands, a cop must be held responsible. "I cannot accept my poor life." It ends chillingly -- "You have a nice day."

Enclosed with the letter, photos of Wong holding guns. Also, his driver's license and pistol permit. Police are working to confirm whether the letter was indeed written by Wong. The letter is dated March 18th, more than two weeks before it was postmarked Friday, April 3rd, the day Wong burst into the American Civic Association killing 13 people and then himself.

No police were injured in the attack. Wong, authorities say, had been upset over losing his job and being teased about his poor English. The letter, if indeed it was written by Wong, points to a man who was more than distraught, someone whose paranoia may have led him to become a mass murderer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF: His family told police that they were not surprised at the horrific turn of events and if they had any clue, even a portion of a clue of what was actually in his mind as depicted in that letter, well, that, Carol, would certainly explain why.

COSTELLO: How could you make sense of that? Because, you know, he's afraid of the police, yet he doesn't really shoot any police officers. It's -- I mean, there's no way to make sense of it.

CHERNOFF: It's just complete paranoia.

COSTELLO: You know, I guess the bigger question -- his family said they weren't surprised. Some of his friends said he joked about shooting people and nobody came forward.

CHERNOFF: That is part of the tragedy here. It seems that if the family really had a sense that this man was close to snapping, they could have contacted the authorities.

COSTELLO: What happened to those...

CHERNOFF: Yes. And they were all licensed as well. And he was at shooting ranges regularly practicing.

COSTELLO: Allan Chernoff, thanks - Kiran.

CHETRY: Well, it's time now to look at some of the stories that we're tracking for you this morning.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates proposing some deep cuts to several big weapons programs. The Pentagon working to slash its 2010 budget. Under the act, a costly new chopper for President Obama, several modernization projects and production of the F-22 fighter jet, the program "The New York Times" reports has cost $65 billion so far.

Another sign of warming relations between Washington and Havana. Cuban President Raul Castro met with seven visiting members of the Congressional Black Caucus in Havana. It's the first such face-to- face talks with U.S. officials since Raul took over for his brother, Fidel, last year. After two days, still no response from the United Nations over North Korea's controversial rocket launch. U.S. and Japanese officials both pushing for fast action. So what's next? We're going to ask former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She joins us live just ahead.

It's eight minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

CHETRY: Ten minutes after the hour, here are some live pictures right now of Air Force One on the tarmac in Istanbul, Turkey, as President Obama is wrapping up his maiden overseas trip. He's going to be coming back to Andrews Air Force Base today. The last public event that he had was a town hall meeting, a roundtable discussion with some Turkish students. Got their opinion and also talked about changing impressions of Muslims in America and vice versa.

And, again, after wrapping up his long tour of Europe as well as Turkey, that was the Muslim country that he visited while overseas, he is preparing to head back to Washington, D.C.

COSTELLO: Yes. But before he does that, Suzanne Malveaux is with the president and she watched this town hall meeting the president had with these Turkish students who spoke flawless English, asked him very pointed questions.

We want to bring in our White House correspondent now, Suzanne Malveaux. She's in Istanbul.

Suzanne, what was the president trying to do by reaching out to these students?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: He really wants to set a totally different tone as well as a different message here. He wants to really repair what, quite frankly, what he believes is some damage from the eight years of the Bush administration.

He says this is a renewed partnership. This is one of mutual respect. And he also wanted to make the point here that he understands the frustration in the Muslim world that many people felt that perhaps the United States blamed many people, the Muslim community for what happened in September 11th. That there was a broad brush stroke that in terms of the way the United States had perceived the Muslim world.

There was a student that actually asked in this town hall the bottom line here is they said, you know, your face is different, but is the core any different? Are you really different than President Bush? Are you the real deal essentially was the essence of the question.

President Obama saying, you know, time will tell. We'll see what happens here. But he made it very clear he was against the Iraq war. He said it was a mistake, but he feels that U.S. troops have to be withdrawn responsibly, kind of in a slow way. He also made the case here that al Qaeda is still a threat to the United States as well as to allies and the rest of the world. He made a very clear distinction between al Qaeda terrorists as well as the Muslim community. And, Carol, this is really how he put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First, I believe we can have a dialogue that's open, honest, vibrant, and grounded in respect. And I want you to know that I'm personally committed to a new chapter of American engagement. We can't afford to talk past one another, to focus only on our differences, or to let the walls of mistrust go up around us. Instead, we have to listen carefully to each other. We have to focus on places where we can find common ground and respect each other's view.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And, Carol, in finding common ground, one of the things that we heard the president do which we did not hear on the campaign trail very different is that he talked about -- he referred to himself, first of all, the full name of Barack Hussein Obama. This is something that some people tried to use against him during the campaign that perhaps there were people who felt uncomfortable. They mistakenly thought he was Muslim. He's Christian. But he is using his full name on this European trip making the case that he also has an international background.

He talked about the fact that he had Muslims in his family. That is not the kind of thing you heard on the campaign trail. Obviously, he wants to reach out to this community and set a very different tone, a different message here that this is a different kind of partnership, Carol.

COSTELLO: Suzanne Malveaux live at Istanbul. Have a safe trip home, Suzanne.

CHETRY: And we bring in CNN chief international correspondent Christian Amanpour to talk more about what this trip achieved. And, you know, it really wasn't just for show when he went to Turkey.

I mean, for people that don't understand just how crucial Turkey is to American interests, I mean, it borders Iraq and Iran. We also -- it has a deep influence in Afghanistan. We're also certainly going to need the help of Turkey in an effort to get any type of peace deal between Israel and Syria. So strategically speaking, this is a very important country for the U.S.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Massively important country and although a lot is being made and correctly about how he reached out to the Muslim world in Turkey, it wasn't just that. It was because Turkey is such a huge player, a big American ally in NATO and in all the other bilateral ways. And also because as you say it straddles that massively important part of the world. President Obama really did turn the page in the way America is viewed overseas. And some of the guests have been talking about how intense the dislike and unpopularity of the Bush administration was, not just in many parts of the world, but especially in the Muslim world because the war on terror was perceived by many in the Muslim world as a war on Muslims. And President Obama took that opportunity at the parliament yesterday to say America is not and will never be at war with Islam.

We want a new (INAUDIBLE) but he kept making that point. But beyond that, he said especially today with his town hall meeting that, you know, you young people, you are the next generation. You are the ones with the flexibility to what he said, try and reach high in order to make progress. And he said --

CHETRY: We're just watching. For people right now, we're watching on the tarmac, Air Force One. This is coming from our sister network CNN Turk in Istanbul as the president prepares to depart.

AMANPOUR: As he departs after quite frankly achieving quite a lot in terms of putting his policy forward. Even though he didn't get all the stimulus he wanted to save the global economy, even though he didn't get all the troops he wanted to try to stabilize and secure Afghanistan, he did get promises of help at least temporarily for the Afghan elections. Also, money help in terms of development. Also help in terms of 5,000 or so troops from the allies to train Afghan security forces and others.

There's a huge amount of work to be done in development. But I think what was really important was that he set a new tone in policy. On things like Iran, for instance, he talked about engagement, whereas the Bush administration talked about isolation and regime change.

On things like the Middle East peace process vital to the security of that region and to America's security because it is the persistent jihad recruiting tool...

CHETRY: Right.

AMANPOUR: ... the ongoing sore that exists between Israel and the Palestinians. He said, I believe peace is possible.

The cynics say it's not possible, that the Israelis and the Palestinians will not come together. But I believe it's possible and that both sides will have to compromise, but a two-state solution is possible.

He went on about climate change. Many say, you know, we Americans we're talking about climate change. We want China to join us, for instance. But unless we get our climate in order, then how can we ask the others?

And he said precisely to those young people at the town hall meeting, look, things like climate change and others are going to be difficult. It's expensive and you're going to have to be politically active to make it happen. CHETRY: All right. Scratching the surface of just a lot to tackle ahead, of course.

Christian Amanpour, thanks so much.

COSTELLO: And still ahead, we're going to have much more. And we're going to take you back to Italy where they are getting more desperate as the search for survivors intensifies after that earthquake. An ancient town now reduced to rubble and the number of dead rising this morning. We're going to take you a desperate search for students who may have been buried when a dorm was crumbled to the ground.

And also U.N. Security Council behind closed doors for two days and still no response on North Korea's rocket launch. But would U.N. action make any difference? We're going to talk to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright live just ahead.

It's 17 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." It's been more than three days since North Korea ignored the demands of the U.S. and its allies with a rocket launch. The U.N. Security Council still has no official response even after two days of closed door meetings.

And we just got video in from North Korea. It has released this video of its own rocket launch.

Do we have that video now? I hope we do. You don't have the same video I do, so I'm going to forward it to you and hopefully we'll get it on the air. But it shows the rocket actually taking off, but it does not show the rocket breaking up, as we know it did.

COSTELLO: For more now on all of this, we're joined by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Thanks for joining us, Madam Secretary.

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Good to be with you.

COSTELLO: We do have this video from North Korea of this rocket taking off. What do you make of that?

ALBRIGHT: Well, I think that the North Korean leadership is living in a parallel universe of acting as if the rocket was a success when tracking and everything has shown that in fact, it is a failure. And I think it proves a point, which is that the North Koreans, Kim Jong-Il is doing this for his own internal reasons.

Because on Thursday, tomorrow, there will be a rubber stamp by the parliament of his leadership and the problems that he's generally had since he had his stroke. So, this is part of their kind of Orwellian approach of saying that this is what happened, and wasn't it a success when we know it wasn't.

COSTELLO: The U.N. Security Council hasn't been able to come up with any sort of resolution because apparently that body is split. President Obama made a really big deal with this and said this was like a clear violation. It sort of seems like the United States is stuck, and it can't do anything about North Korea.

ALBRIGHT: Well, I don't think that's true because what has happened is there have been individual condemnations by leaders of various countries, and I have to say from my own experience with the United Nations, it does take a while to get the 15 members together. But the saddest for me is the fact that the U.N. passed a resolution, 1718, which said that this was not acceptable. So, the truth is that the U.N. has to live up to its own resolutions. And Ambassador Rice I think is working hard up there in order to get some action.

But there have been condemnations already throughout the world, and the bottom line here is that President Obama's speech, for instance, in Prague when he talked about the importance of cooperation generally on a whole nonproliferation regime. It's very clear that there's going to have to be a lot of work on that and that President Obama laid out a very, very important set of goals.

COSTELLO: And, you know, there has been some criticism that President Obama turned to the U.N. to try to solve this crisis. I want to read you a quote from "Politico." It interviewed Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House. I want to read you this quote. Newt Gingrich said, "The embarrassing repudiation of the United States appeal to the United Nations Security Council Sunday afternoon is a vivid demonstration of weakness. This is beginning to resemble the Carter administration's weakness in foreign policy." How would you respond to that?

ALBRIGHT: Well, I think that it's just kind of typical of Newt Gingrich, frankly. But the bottom line here is, I think the United States and President Obama has made very clear the leadership of the United States, his concern about generally proliferation issues.

I think his trip, for instance, laid out a whole set of issues that prove that American leadership is essential, the respect that he gained for American leadership, and I think you're going to see additional ways that we all work together. Because the issues that are out there that have to be dealt with require cooperation, and they will require international organizations and cooperation through NATO and a number of other activities. So, I'm very confident that President Obama is going to be able to prove American leadership.

COSTELLO: Well, I guess many Americans look at it this way. You know, you talk about sanctions. But sanctions have been instituted against North Korea before, and it hasn't worked. North Korea just seems to kind of do what it wants. You've met Kim Jong-Il. I mean, what does he want?

ALBRIGHT: Well, what he wants is respect. And I have to say that part of the problem here is -- and as you mentioned, I met Kim Jong-Il. We were in the middle of negotiations with him. In fact, we had a missile moratorium.

And President Bush came in and canceled those talks. It was confusing to everybody. And I do think that what is important now is to get the North Koreans back in to the six-party talks to make it clear to them that the only way that they are going to have respect is to abide by international regulations and to try to deal with the fact that they would be better off if, in fact, they allowed their people to be fed and an economy that functions, rather than be living in this way where poverty is rampant and hunger in every way in North Korea and a leadership that's shaky.

But the bottom line is, I think it was a huge mistake for the United States to stop talking to North Korea. And in the interim period, they were able to develop material in order to create nuclear weapons, and so I hope very much that the six-party talks continue.

COSTELLO: We'll see. Madam Secretary, thanks so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate it. Thank you.

ALBRIGHT: Thank you. Thank you.

CHETRY: Something that's growing in popularity among young people, sending racy photos over cell phones. It's called "sexting." Should it be a crime? Well, some say they just think it's a prank but others are paying quite a serious price.

Also, he was supposed to be Sarah Palin's son-in-law. That was then and now the father of her granddaughter is on national TV spilling Palin family secrets. Levi Johnston talks next.

It's 25 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Developing right now, emergency teams working through the night to help tens of thousands of homeless people after a strong earthquake in Italy. It nearly wiped out an ancient town.

The quake has now claimed at least 179 people. Rescue teams are using their bare hands to move tons of rubble in a desperate search to find students who may be buried alive under a collapsed college dorm.

CNN's Paula Newton is standing by outside those dorms in Italy. That's ground zero just east of Rome.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and, Carol, you know, a very grim morning here. People don't want to say it. They don't want to utter the words, but this is moving very slowly from a rescue effort to recovery effort.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON (voice-over): The families of missing students watch and wait, praying search dogs will find their loved ones, alive.

(on camera): A stretcher has just arrived here along with the paramedics. We are waiting to see if they can pull someone out alive. Just around here, we've seen a lot more activity here at the demolished dormitory. We also had some tremors. They're not sure if it's from the building itself or if they are actual tremors beneath our sea (ph). Right now, a very agonizing wait for the families.

(voice-over): The magnitude 6.3 quake struck in the dead of night. For many of the sleeping victims, there was no escape, no warning. An American missionary in L'Aquila called the noise deafening.

Scores perished, many still trapped. And an army of rescuers is racing against time to free them. Thousands are homeless living in tents. And across a buried city, there is fear and there is hope, hope that men and women lost in this disaster will be rescued.

Like this survivor pulled from the rubble, he is overcome with emotion. The sobs you hear there are sounds of what some consider a miracle in L'Aquila.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: You know, Carol, that's the kind of story that people here are still hoping for. At least 34 people still missing. As we said, rescue efforts continuing at this time. But it is tough going. The heavy machinery just won't do it all the time. Most of the time, they're using their bare hands. Carol?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Lots of prayers for them today. Paula Newton reporting live. Thank you.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: All right. 30 minutes after the hour. Top stories this morning, breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes.

The suspected pilot of a plane stolen from Canada and flown in to the U.S. has been captured. Authorities say that the single-engine four-seater Cessna was stolen from Thunder Bay, Ontario flying erratically. The pilot not communicating with the trailing U.S. fighter pilot. The pilot finally landed this plane on a dirt road in southeastern Missouri. He was later cuffed and taken away from a nearby convenience store.

A gunman opened fire in a courthouse in Germany today, killing one person and injuring several others, police said. The gunman also died. The shootings took place at the administrative court in Bavaria. There was no immediate information on the identity of the gunman or a possible motive.

And we're minding your business this morning, we grow more optimistic about the economy and the direction of the country since President Barack Obama took office. That according to the latest "New York Times"/CBS poll released today. Twenty percent of Americans now think the economy is getting better. That may not sound like a lot but that's compared with seven percent who felt that way in mid January. Well, they call it "sexting." And many teens with cell phones do it. You send nude or racy photos of yourself over your phone. So you ask, what's the harm? Isn't this a personal matter?

Deborah Feyerick is here with more on why texting is actually a police matter and possibly a very serious one at that.

Hey, Deb.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kiran.

You know, a lot of teens think that this is just a way to flirt, a way to joke around with friends, no big deal. But sending and receiving naked images of children is illegal. Once that photo of your kid is out there, it's virtually impossible to get it back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK (voice-over): With Vanessa Hudgens naked photos hit the Internet, the "High School Musical" star was quick to apologize. But sending nude or semi-nude pictures, a phenomenon known as "sexting", is a fast-growing trend among teens, one in five say they've done it. Even though it could be a crime.

PHILLIP ALPERT, CONVICTED AFTER SENDING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY: You will find me on the registered sex offenders list next to people who have raped children, molested kids, things like that because I sent child pornography.

FEYERICK: For 18-year-old Phillip Alpert, the pornography was a naked photo of his 16-year-old girlfriend which she sent to him and which he sent to friends and family after an argument.

ALPERT: It was a stupid thing as I was upset and tired. It was in the middle of the night and I was an immature kid.

FEYERICK: Police didn't see it that way. Alpert was charged with a felony sending child pornography.

GEORGE SKUMANICK JR., DISTRICT ATTORNEY, WYOMING COUNTY, PA.: An adult would go to prison for this.

FEYERICK: George Skumanick is the district attorney in Scranton, Pennsylvania. After 20 high school students were caught allegedly "sexting" he gave them a choice -- take classes or be charged with sexual abuse of a minor.

Critics says these are just kids, they have no criminal intent. They're just doing stupid things. What is your response?

SKUMANICK: You can't call committing a crime a prank.

FEYERICK: But that's exactly what Marissa Miller thought when she and a friend snapped pictures of themselves at age 12 wearing training bras.

MARISSA MILLER, TEEN CAUGHT IN SEXTING INCIDENT: I wasn't trying to be sexual, I was having fun with my friends at a sleepover.

FEYERICK: Marissa's mom saw the picture and said the prosecutor crossed the line.

(on camera): "Possession and/or dissemination of child pornography." What goes through your mind at that moment as a parent?

MARYJO MILLER, MARISSA'S MOTHER: I was floored. She would have been the victim in this case.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Miller is suing the D.A. to stop him filing charges against her daughter.

As for Philip Alpert who e-blasted his ex-girlfriend's nude photo, he was kicked out of school and is now a registered sex offender.

ALPERT: I've been punished for the rest of my life for something that probably took probably two minutes or less to do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Alpert's lawyer is fighting to get the sex offender charges dismissed arguing child pornography laws were never meant for teen sexting. But the potential harm that these pictures can do can't be underestimated. An Ohio girl recently killed herself after a ex- boyfriend forwarded pictures she sent him while they were dating, Kiran.

And the funny thing is its girls who are sending these pictures to boys, young girls.

COSTELLO: And that's what's so dumbfounding. I'm floored with how comfortable they must be with their bodies at age 12. I mean, I wanted to hide myself like what's going on there?

FEYERICK: There are so many images out there. They are kind of you know, being somebody you're not. And so they take these photos as a joke. But they're not a joke because once they're out there, that's when you send it to two friends and so on.

CHETRY: Once you send a picture, you need to realize you have no control over it.

FEYERICK: When an adult looks at the picture, there's something very different about it than when a teen friend sends that same picture.

COSTELLO: That's right.

CHETRY: Yes, thanks, Deb. Of course.

COSTELLO: From Bristol Palin's boyfriend to talk show gold. Levi, the ex, is telling all. And Sarah Palin isn't so happy about it.

It's 35 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Well, Sarah Palin can't be happy this morning. The father of her daughter's baby is telling all on national television, on "The Tyra Banks Show." Alina Cho is here with details of Levi Johnston's talk show debut.

Why Tyra Banks?

ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the big question. Tyra Banks made a point of saying on her show yesterday that the Johnston family was not paid for their appearance on the show. Sure, a lot of people are asking but it was a fascinating interview, guys.

Good morning, good morning, everybody. You know, it has been five months since the election and Sarah Palin's family is continuing to make news. This time the ex-fiance of Bristol Palin is speaking out. And in the process, Levi Johnson is spilling some family secrets.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEVI JOHNSTON, EX-BOYFRIEND OF BRISTOL PALIN: She doesn't want me around.

CHO (voice-over): The latest twist in what's become the Sarah Palin soap opera. Levi Johnston speaking out to Tyra Banks about his relationship with Palin's daughter, Bristol, his ex-fiance and the mother of their three-month-old son, Trip.

TYRA BANKS, TALK SHOW HOST: Every time you practiced safe sex?

JOHNSTON: Yes.

BANKS: Every time?

JOHNSTON: Every time.

BANKS: Levi?

JOHNSTON: Most of the time.

BANKS: Most of the time. There you go.

CHO: Eighteen-year-old Johnston says he believes Governor Palin was aware he and her daughter were having sex.

JOHNSTON: Pretty sure she probably knew.

BANKS: How do you know she probably knew? She didn't...

JOHNSTON: I'm very smart.

BANKS: Johnston's public airing of the family's dirty laundry is the latest episode of bad publicity for the Alaskan governor. Just last week, Palin's sister-in-law was arrested for allegedly burglarizing a house in Wasilla, not once, but twice.

In December, Levi Johnston's mother was booked on six counts of felony drug possession.

Whatever Sarah Palin is trying to say politically is getting drowned out.

HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: She was just starting, I think, to get some of her solid reputation as being a governor back. And this just doesn't help. Every time Sarah Palin's name gets in the national news, it's a disaster for her.

BANKS: Begging the question, could Palin still run and be taken seriously in 2012?

LARRY SABATO, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: She has got to get this completely off of the radar screen before she can return to talking about the kind of issues that might give her the republican nomination in 2012.

CHO: Sarah Palin is fighting back. In a statement to CNN, a family spokeswoman says, we're disappointed that Levi and his family in a quest for fame, attention, and fortune, are engaging in flat-out lies, gross exaggeration, and even distortion of their relationship.

Despite the bad blood, for his part, Levi Johnston says if Palin does run for president in 2012, she'll have his vote.

BANKS: There are two boxes and one says Sarah Palin for president and the other says Barack Obama. Which one are you checking?

JOHNSTON: I think I'm still going to have to vote Sarah Palin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: How about that?

Now as for Bristol Palin, she will continue to raise her son, Trip, complete her education and get this guy's advocate abstinence. Of her relationship with Levi Johnston, the family say Bristol now realized she made a mistake.

But from a public standpoint, guys, as one political analyst said sex trumps policy. And this story has a lot more punch to it than any policy she could bring out on energy and health care. And part of the problem according to some political analysts is that she is speaking out, Sarah Palin. She came out and she attacks Levi Johnston. Some people say you got to suffer in silence sometimes. Then the story might go away.

COSTELLO: I was just looking at him. And he appears so young to me. CHO: Both of them are 18-years-old. They're very, very young, you know? I mean, why is he speaking out now? He said he wants to set the record straight. There you have it.

COSTELLO: Thanks, Alina.

CHETRY: Thank you, Alina.

Well, investigators found the source of the Salmonella outbreak that forced a national recall of pistachios. We're pinpointing the cause just ahead.

It's 42 minutes after the hour.

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CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

Many gun stores saw sales double or even triple in the weeks before and after President Obama was elected with many armed citizens saying they were afraid the government would try to take their guns away. But after several horrible killing sprees across different states, Washington still isn't touching the issue.

Jim Acosta joins us now live from our D.C. newsroom with more on why.

Good morning, Jim.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran.

That's right. You think with the democratic president and a democratic congress, gun control bills would be on the way to the White House for the president's signature. But times have changed and so have democrats on gun rights.

As one southern democrat recently said, the way the votes are shaping up these days, gun control is, "dead on arrival on Capitol Hill."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): In Pittsburgh, the man accused of gunning down three police officers was afraid the government would take away his firearms, so says his friend.

EDWARD PERKOVIC, FRIEND OF PITTSBURGH SHOOTING SUSPECT: He just believes in his rights to bear arms. He believes that in hard economic times we're going to, you know, put forth, you know, gun bans and that sort of thing.

ACOSTA: But here's the reality: Despite mass shootings that have left more than 40 people dead in five states over the last month, Congress is in no hurry to pass new gun control laws.

ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON (D) DELEGATE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: The whole world thinks we are gun crazy. It's time for some sanity.

ACOSTA: Take Washington, D.C. delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who has a bill that would give the district its first member of Congress with full voting rights. Pro-gun lawmakers are trying to attach a measure to the voting rights bill that could scrap nearly all of the district's top firearms laws.

NORTON: If gun bill is attached to it and this blowback from somebody getting hurt in this city, they're going to look to see who let this get passed.

ACOSTA: And when Attorney General Eric Holder recently dangled the idea, bringing back the Clinton-era ban on assault weapons.

ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: There are just a few gun- related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons.

ACOSTA: The president of the National Rifle Association sounded the alarm.

WAYNE LAPIERRE, NRA PRESIDENT: Our divine rights -- they might have been endowed by a Creator but they're preserved by mortals -- if we mortals have the means and the will to make it stick.

ACOSTA: Since then, 65 pro-gun House Democrats have fired off a letter to Holder urging him to abandon the assault weapons ban. Many Democrats like senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb of Virginia are getting elected with the help of NRA supporters.

STU ROTHENBERG, POLITICAL REPORT: I think if you step back and look at gun control as a political issue, you have to conclude that the NRA and opponents to more gun control have won.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Gun control advocates say all of the recent shootings show current laws are not stopping gun violence and they're not stopping fire arms purchases either. The FBI says instant background checks on gun buyers are way up, an indication weapons sales are soaring across the country.

And Kiran, speaking of that Pittsburgh case, the gunman in that case allegedly used an AK-47, a gun that would have been banned under the old assault weapons ban - Kiran.

CHETRY: Jim Acosta for us here this morning.

And by the way, could a campus shooting be stopped by a student carrying a gun? There are some Texas lawmakers who think so. In a new bill there that would allow licensed concealed gun carriers to take their weapons to college.

Coming up at 8:45, in about an hour, we're going to be talking to a former Virginia Tech student who lost his girlfriend in the tragedy. He will be joining that debate. COSTELLO: President Obama now on his way back from Turkey after making a big outreach to Muslims around the world. So how was his message received? We're talking to the Washington bureau chief of the Arab language network, El Alarabiya. That's just ahead.

And a major clothing retailer is bucking the trend and posting higher sales. We'll tell how they're doing it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Yes, they are.

Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

Champions for a fifth time. The UNC rallied hometown heroes Michigan State 89 to 72 last night in the NCAA title game. UNC actually set a final record by scoring 55 points in the first half alone.

(WEATHER REPORT)

CHETRY: Here is what we're working on for you this morning, reports that a plot to assassinate President Obama was broken up by authorities in Turkey. Was the president ever in any real danger? What U.S. officials are saying about it.

Also, the first family's higher calling. What goes into finding the right church for the Obamas to worship. It's 53 minutes after the hour.

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CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

Developing now in what could possibly be a warming of relations with the Castro government. Seven members of the congressional black caucus have met with Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana. That delegation of democrats also meeting with the head of Parliament and the foreign minister yesterday. The meeting's come amid speculation that the Obama administration is planning to allow Americans with relatives in Cuba to visit them and send money without current restrictions.

And in the mussel goes to the republican and the democratic parties. The first amendment watchdog group awarding Jefferson muzzle each year to notable censor free speech. The two parties received the dubious honors this year for failing to question authorities about restricting protest sites during last summer's conventions.

And President Obama is now heading home to Washington where dozens of churches are reaching out to the White House, hoping that claim the first family as their newest members and with Easter just days away, anticipation over which one the Obamas will choose is at an all-time high. Randi Kaye has the story for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ought to pray! You ought to keep praying!

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Reverend Derrick Harkins in the pulpit at Washington, D.C. 19th street Baptist church which he has been every Sunday for the last 11 years, but these days it's different. The White House is watching and reporting back to the president. All part of a quiet calculated effort to find the right church for the first family.

A source inside the administration close to this process tells me White House staff are vetting D.C. churches, interviewing pastors and studying sermons. The source says this has nothing to do with Mr. Obama's former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

Reverend Harkins met with the administration's head of faith=based initiatives about his church which is under consideration. The Obamas came here just 48 hours before the inauguration.

(on-camera): It was a full house the day the Obama family attended services here. About 1,300 people showed up for church. Mr. Obama sat right here, then his wife, Michelle and the girls, and the church deacons right up front.

(voice-over): White House staff prefer a family-oriented church that serves the needy. One where the Obamas won't be a distraction. The church has to be able to handle tight security. Maybe even metal detectors. The White House wants a church that's close by. The First Baptist Church is only about six blocks or so from the White House.

President Harry Truman used to walk over. Another president, Jimmy Carter, was a member here. In fact, he taught Sunday school.

Church deacon Shirley McBath has fond memories of the Carters and all the excitement they brought.

SHIRLEY MCBATH, DEACON, FIRST STREET BAPTIST CHURCH: Policemen and their rifles are prancing around on top of the buildings making sure that the church was secure and then when you entered the door, sometimes you were met by some of the dogs that had just sniffed out the church.

KAYE: While the White House is busy vetting, some churches have begun lobbying. First Baptist is touting its basketball court. It sent this letter inviting the president to visit. Ultimately, the Obamas will decide. But the White House has been flooded with hundreds of church invitations.

Back at 19th street Baptist, have you or are you actively lobbying the first family to join you as others have?

DR. DERRICK HARKINS, PASTOR, NINETEENTH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH: Absolutely not. I made the point of saying from the pulpit that we were not going to write any letters. We were not going to make any phone calls and we were not going to strategize for the first family. That we would trust God's providential hand.

In the name of Jesus...

FEYERICK: If it's God's design that the Obamas should worship here, Reverend Derrick Harkins says that will be a blessing.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)