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American Morning

Defense Official Under Fire; Health Care Final Push; A Spy Speaks Out; Mega Deal For King of Pop; Life In Prison For Teens; Jobs Bill Clears Senate; Justice Stevens Considers Retiring; The Plan For Broadband

Aired March 16, 2010 - 08:00   ET

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


JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. And thanks for joining us on the Most News in the Morning. It's Tuesday, the 16th of March. I'm John Roberts.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us.

Here are the big stories we'll be telling you about in the next 15 minutes.

First, a Defense Department official now facing a criminal investigation for allegedly running a spy ring in Afghanistan and Pakistan to track and kill militants. We're live at the Pentagon with more.

ROBERTS: The White House is looking for a few good "yes" men and women. The president is stepping up the pressure on undecided Democrats ahead of a make-or-break vote in the House on health care reform.

Jim Acosta is following developments for us. He is live in Washington -- just ahead.

CHETRY: Well, sick of slow Internet connections? The government has a plan now to make high-speed Internet service faster, cheaper, and more widely available. We'll break down the plan and the obstacles this morning.

ROBERTS: First this hour, an alleged spy ring. A classified memo and millions of missing tax dollars. This morning, a Defense Department official is under investigation for allegedly setting up a network of private contractors in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

This is the man at the center of the investigation, Michael Furlong, and his alleged covert network of contractors was paid for with your tax dollars -- something military officials say should not happen.

The big question? Did those contractors, made up of former CIA and Special Forces operatives, help track and kill suspected militants?

Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is tracking this developing story for us this morning.

Good morning, Barbara. BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, John.

Let me clarify one thing right off the bat, there is no indication this is a criminal investigation. In fact, however, it was the CIA in December that complained to the Pentagon about Michael Furlong's activities, which has touched off this review. This investigation of exactly what he was up to.

It must be said -- at this point, as far as we know, Michael Furlong is facing no charges, and we spoke to a source close to him who says Furlong maintains his contention that he did nothing wrong. Nonetheless, what the CIA is saying is that Furlong took contract money he was overseeing for open collection of information, public information essentially, about what was going on in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and took that to essentially collect more intelligence information, if you will, John. Information about specific time, dates, places where potential al Qaeda and Taliban militants were and then turned that information over to the intelligence community for potential targeting.

So, it was contract money that was supposed to be very open and above board turned over into another operation which was collecting, targeting an intelligence information -- John.

ROBERTS: Did his actions stop or thwart any attack on the U.S. military in the region, Barbara?

STARR: Well, you know, that's what we don't know. That potentially is one of the things they are looking into. We don't know the answer to that.

A lot of people point out, this is -- this is a gray, murky area in the intelligence world because, of course, you know, the intelligence community also looks at television broadcasts, open things -- these kinds of things that CNN reports -- and tries to glean information, details, intelligence from things that are openly said and discussed in public and put that together with other information and then develop their intelligence that lets them go after these people.

So, it's hard to know at this point whether anything Furlong did might have actually led to the targeting and killing of militants, John.

ROBERTS: Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon this morning -- Barbara, thanks.

STARR: Sure.

CHETRY: President Obama turning up the heat on House Democrats who were wavering or previously voted "no" on health care reform. It's crunch time right now, and the White House is going all out to line up the votes needed to get a bill passed this week.

Health care opponents, meantime, are also stepping up their efforts to, quote, "kill the bill." Tea party groups plan to storm the steps of the Capitol today in protest.

The president meantime is urging supporters to stay the course.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now, as we get closer to the vote, there is a lot of hand-wringing going on. We hear a lot of people in Washington talking about politics, talking about what this means in November, talking about the poll numbers for Democrats and Republicans.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We need courage.

OBAMA: We need courage.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Well, Democratic leaders don't have the votes right now to pass health care, but they say they will by the end of the week.

CNN's Jim Acosta spoke to one House Democrat who's on the fence and isn't feel anything love from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. GERALD CONNOLLY (D), VIRGINIA: I think, at the end of the day, health care is probably going to pass narrowly, but pass.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And will you be there pushing it over the edge?

CONNOLLY: We have to see. I don't know yet. I really haven't made up my mind.

ACOSTA: Really?

CONNOLLY: Yes, really.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Really? Freshman Congressman Jerry Connolly who voted "yes" on health care last fall is now saying quite publicly he could be a "no" this time around -- which makes this next tidbit from Connolly all the more shocking.

(on camera): Have you gotten a call from the president?

CONNOLLY: I have not.

ACOSTA: Does that surprise you?

CONNOLLY: Yes.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Connolly is torn between a president he wants to support and a health care bill he doesn't really like. But Connolly says he doesn't want to miss what he considers a once-in-a-generation chance to fix health care.

(on camera): I get the sense, what you're saying is that, if I go down because I voted for health care reform, so be it.

CONNOLLY: Yes, I -- you know, when you begin a public life, if you don't say to yourself there are some things I'm willing to lose this seat over, then you, frankly, have already sold your soul.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Connolly is facing a rematch in the fall with Republican Keith Fimian. Fimian would love to run against the guy who voted for health care before he voted against it.

(on camera): In your mind, he has no choice but to vote "yes."

KEITH FIMIAN (R), VIRGINIA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think see. I mean, what are the reasons for voting "yes" in the first place and how has that changed now that the American people don't want it?

ACOSTA (voice-over): All this week, both sides of the debate are turning up the heat on wavering Democrats. At a health care rally with President Obama, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who says he's a "no," was feeling the pressure.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Vote yes!

OBAMA: A couple -- did you hear that, Dennis? Go and say that again?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Vote yes!

CONNOLLY: I think we might have passed health care reform, frankly, if we had more pressure coming from the White House last year -- not less.

ACOSTA: Congressman Connolly wonders if he'll ever get that same kind of White House nudge, whether it be from the president or one of his more persuasive advisers.

(on camera): How about Rahm -- Rahm Emanuel?

CONNOLLY: No, I've never heard from Rahm.

ACOSTA: Really?

CONNOLLY: Yes.

ACOSTA: Nothing in the shower? I'm just kidding.

(LAUGHTER)

CONNOLLY: Maybe I should spend more time in the House gym. I don't know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: At least some of them are still smiling up on Capitol Hill. Now, that at the end, there was a reference to Rahm Emanuel's alleged recent run-in with former Congressman Eric Massa.

In the meantime, counting the votes on health care this week will be a tricky task. Some fence-sitting Democrats are refusing to take a public stance on the issue until the very second the vote is called.

Kiran, this is going to be close.

CHETRY: It is -- it's interesting. I mean, when we talked to Dick Armey earlier, former House majority leader, he said that what the tea party wanted to do, what FreedomWorks wants to do is make sure that these constituents get out there and tell their members of Congress they're going to lose if they pass health care.

ACOSTA: That's right. And Democrats are betting that the law will be more popular than the bill, and that come election time this fall, folks will be a lot more comfortable with some of the changes that are passed in this legislation.

Nobody knows for sure. And not just about the impact of this legislation politically, nobody knows whether this is going to pass. It's going to be very, very close, Kiran.

CHETRY: You'll be watching and so will we. Jim Acosta for us this morning from Washington -- thanks.

ACOSTA: You bet.

CHETRY: Also new this morning, we're getting word that a 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck Los Angeles just about an hour ago. The U.S. Geological Survey says the epicenter was 11 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It shook some people awake at 4:04 local time. But so far, no reports of any major damage.

ROBERTS: The Northeast is still feeling the whiplash from a violent nor'easter over the weekend. The stormy weather is finally moving out, but many areas are still under water and hundreds of thousands of people are without power. States of emergency are in effect in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. At least nine deaths are blamed on the storm.

Weather looking a heck of a lot better in the northeast today. Let's get a quick check of this morning's weather headlines. Rob is in the weather center in Atlanta.

Good morning, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, John. Good morning Kiran.

Yes, more tranquil today. A stubborn storm just took forever to get out of there. So, less wind, less rain and you'll see actually a little bit of sunshine today.

Here it is on the radar scoop. You see the last of the showers rotating around this thing, drying out just a little bit. And that will be the case as we go on through today. So, looking pretty good.

Temperatures will be above average across the Northeast and the northern Midwest, which means that the threat for flooding will be ongoing. Still, a number of rivers across the Northeast are still under flood stage, still haven't crested in parts of Jersey. So, they'll be slowly retreating throughout the week.

Rivers will be on the rise throughout the week across the upper Midwest and that poses some problems for folks that got flooded last year. We'll talk more about that, guys, in -- later in the broadcast, about 30 minutes. See you then.

ROBERTS: All right. Rob, thanks so much.

Still ahead on the Most News in the Morning: live from the International Spy Museum in Washington, a former CIA agent breaks his silence about the capture and interrogation of an alleged al Qaeda mastermind.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CHETRY: Well, the feds are now making friend requests on Facebook. "The Associated Press" says that the Justice Department is going under cover on social networking sites to snoop on suspects. Justice Department says its actions are legal and there are internal rules it has to follow. It did not say, though, what those rules are.

ROBERTS: A former CIA officer is speaking out, rather bluntly, about the capture and treatment of a top al Qaeda suspect. Back in 2007, John Kiriakou appeared on AMERICAN MORNING, saying the use of waterboarding probably saved American lives. But what does he think about it now?

Our Jeanne Meserve is live in Washington for us this morning at the International Spy Museum.

And, Jeanne, you spoke with John Kiriakou. What did he have to say?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's changed his point of view on waterboarding, John. He says he didn't know then what he knows now.

We met up with him appropriately enough at the International Spy Museum here in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE (voice-over): John Kiriakou pulls back the cloak on his 14 years as a CIA spy in a new book, his most famous exploit, helping to plan the 2002 capture of the alleged al Qaeda operative, Abu Zubaydah, in Pakistan. Kiriakou says Zubaydah looked nothing like computer- generated images based on an old passport picture, and it took a photo of his ear to identify him.

JOHN KIRIAKOU, AUTHOR, "THE RELUCTANT SPY": I didn't realize until that night that no two people have the same ears. It's like a fingerprint.

MESERVE: Zubaydah was badly wounded during his capture and taken to a hospital.

KIRIAKOU: Al Qaeda people started driving by the hospital and just opening fire.

MESERVE: The Pakistanis evacuated Zubaydah by helicopter and Kiriakou was with him when he regained consciousness.

KIRIAKOU: And I said to him, (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE), "What is your name?" And he shakes his head and he says to me in English, "I will not speak to you in God's language." And I said, "That's OK. We know who you are, Abu Zubaydah." And he says, "Give me a glass of red wine."

MESERVE: Kiriakou says they later talked about Islam and Christianity, poetry, family.

KIRIAKOU: I expected an irrational, radical, hate-filled, hardcore terrorist. And what I got was a frightened young guy who realized he was in way over his head.

MESERVE: Abu Zubaydah was later subjected to the enhanced interrogation technique known as waterboarding. Kiriakou was the first to publicly acknowledge it in 2007.

ROBERTS: How valuable was the information that the CIA gleaned from waterboarding?

KIRIAKOU: I have no doubt that the information gleaned from Abu Zubaydah in those early days stopped terrorist attacks and saved lives.

MESERVE: But Kiriakou says, now, he was duped, believing in 2007 that Zubaydah had been waterboarded once. The government has since revealed the technique was used 83 times.

KIRIAKOU: It caused more damage to our national prestige than was worth it. And, did it work? I think no.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Kiriakou says that when Abu Zubaydah was arrested, he had a cell phone and the FBI put it in an evidence bag. Then it began to ring. The FBI wouldn't let him take it out of the bag. He says now he wishes he's overruled them and picked up that possibly valuable lead.

Back to you, John.

ROBERTS: All right, Jeanne Meserve for us at the international spy museum in Washington. Jeanne thanks so much.

Fifteen minutes after the hour. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: It's 18 minutes past the hour. Christine Romans "Minding Your Business." She joins us now. So we're talking about Michael Jackson.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

CHETRY: He is not with us anymore but his music lives on.

ROMANS: His music lives on and so does the big bet that he'll continue to generate an awful lot of money for music fans and for music companies. We're expecting an official announcement today from Sony music that they are inking a $250 million deal. The hugest deal in history for an artist.

Sony and the Jackson estate. This would be ten projects over seven years. According to reports, including one in "The Wall Street Journal" it would guarantee up to $200 million for the estate, which would go an awful long way for this estate to start pay off some of Michael Jackson's debts. As you know, he has more than $100 million in debts. He's got a big loan coming due. Needs to be served, coming up with Sony music as well.

So, okay, these are projects. Ten projects over seven years. What are we talking about? Probably unreleased music. Probably more compilations and more albums. All of this is just conjecture. But you have to imagine they are trying to come up with every possible way they can put together his material. Also potentially video games. This is something a lot of people are talking about the new media ways they can use the likeness of Michael Jackson and his music to try to generate some money. This is a very, very big bet that the allure of Michael Jackson will endure long after all the news of his untimely death is over.

You know after he died, immediately, the number three -- the big album sales right then were, I mean, he sold so much music in that short period of time. This is a bet from Sony that even as time passes, Michael Jackson is still going to be big.

ROBERTS: The big bet, too. You have a "Romans' Numeral" for us this morning?

ROMANS: Fifty-seven percent. So there's a decline of 57 percent in sales of something.

CHETRY: CDs.

ROMANS: Music sales revenue down 57 percent over the past decade. So the music business is shrinking, right? And this is the biggest bet we've ever seen in an industry that's had trouble selling music. So this is an interesting bet against the backdrop of declining sales.

CHETRY: I didn't envision decline in sales like the Rock Star game that is so popular on the wii or -- I mean --

ROMANS: Yes, that's what I said.

CHETRY: Yes you could basically have learned to dance like Michael Jackson, sing like Michael Jackson songs -- huge. ROMANS: I mean there's probably even ways that technology can utilize the Michael Jackson image that we don't even know about yet you know that I'm sure Sony will you know figure out a way to use. It's a very big bet on the allure of Michael Jackson. You know the question is, does the king of pop really -- is he going to selling -- is he going to sell a quarter of a billion dollars worth of music? No one knows.

ROBERTS: Big question to ask. Thanks, Christine.

CHETRY: Christine thanks.

ROBERTS: 20 minutes after the hour. Jason Carroll with his second installment in our series this week, "Growing Up Behind Bars." Should juvenile offenders be sentenced to life in prison for nonlethal crimes? We are asking that question this morning, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Top stories just about six minutes away now. But first an "A.M. Original." something that you'll only see in American Morning. The supreme court is considering whether life sentences for teenage criminals who haven't committed a homicide is cruel and unusual punishment.

CHETRY: Some of the best legal minds have fiercely debated this issue. And the one thing they all seem to agree on is there are no easy answers. Jason Carroll is here with part two of our series "Growing Up Behind Bars." Hi Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Good morning to you. You know this could have a major wave in terms of the way that juveniles are sentenced from this point on. The Supreme Court has been debating this issue for months. Many legal analysts expect the justices to reach a decision at any time now. One young man who had been facing a life sentence now hoping the high court changes the way this country sentences its youngest criminals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL (voice-over): As Dwayne Betts addressed students at last year's University of Maryland's commencement ceremonies, his thoughts then and now are about second chances.

DWAYNE BETTS, CONVICTED OF CARJACKING AS ADULT AT AGE 16: Definitely when I was 16 years old on December 7th, 1996, I carjacked a man in a parking lot in Springfield, Virginia. And after that, I was --

CARROLL (on camera): At gunpoint.

BETTS: At gunpoint. I had a gun.

CARROLL (voice-over): Betts remembers when he was a high school honor student who fell into the wrong crowd.

CARROLL (on camera): How did you end up going astray? Why do you think that happened? BETTS: I think the truth is that it's sort of a strange mix of opportunity. You don't turn 16 and have a gun in your hand. I think it was a lot of baby steps.

CARROLL (voice over): Baby steps that led to a major crime. Carjacking, which in Virginia carries a maximum sentence of life. Even if no one is physically hurt, as in Betts' case.

BETTS: And it's no way to quantify what a life sentence does to a person. And if I had to wake up every morning to a life sentence, I don't want to imagine what I would have became.

CARROLL: Instead, Betts received the minimum sentence, nearly nine years. Serving alongside the state's most violent criminals in the adult prison system.

BETTS: And I'm still thinking about what that time did to me. And since then it became natural to walk down a hall and see somebody getting beat up. And in a lot of ways I was the exception in that I didn't get raped. I didn't get robbed.

CARROLL (on camera): Is it your opinion that your punishment fit the crime?

BETTS: You know, for me, and for most young people who find themselves transferred to adult court, their case could definitely be handled in juvenile court.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Give daddy a hug.

CARROLL: Your life has changed dramatically from the point where you carjacked that man in that parking lot to where you are now. How would you define your life now?

BETTS: You know for me, the most precious things in my life are: the ability to be a contributing member as a father, as a husband, and as a teacher.

CARROLL (voice-over): Betts' story has been offered to the Supreme Court as an example while the court considers a case challenging whether it's cruel and unusual punishment to sentence juveniles to life sentences in non-murder cases. Legal experts lining up on both sides.

SHANNON GOESSLING, EXEC. DIRECTOR, SOUTHEASTERN LEGAL FOUNDATION: Let them serve out the remainder of their life in custody because it was justice at the time they were sentenced. It is justice today. It will be justice tomorrow.

MARSHA LEVICK, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, JUVENILE LAW CENTER: Kids are different. That's something that every one of us knows as a parent, and the law needs to recognize. And in fact, in many respects has historically recognized kids are different.

CARROLL: In 2005, the Supreme Court abolished capital punishment for juveniles citing evidence showing teenagers are too immature to be punished that way. Could that ruling influence the court's decision this time?

JEFFERY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: This is likely to be a very close case because, in general, this is a tough on crime court. But it is also a court that has recognized that when it comes to juveniles, cruel and unusual punishment means something different than it does with regard to adults.

CARROLL: Betts says he did not grow hardened or hateful behind bars. Instead he says he grew up fast and worked hard.

BETTS: This is what I want you all to write.

CARROLL: Since being released, he began a book club for teenagers and has written a memoir about his experiences. One he says no teenager should have to repeat.

BETTS: And I don't think that I'm trying to wiggle out of responsibility for my crime. I'm just acknowledging we set up a juvenile justice system to deal with kids who commit crimes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Right now there are more than 100 juveniles serving life sentences for crimes where homicide was not committed. If the court reaches a ruling saying that life sentences for non-homicides is unconstitutional when juveniles are involved, it will then have to decide if that ruling then becomes retroactive.

CHETRY: And if it's not retroactive, what happens to those 100?

CARROLL: They stay exactly where they are.

CHETRY: Until when? Another court case and they would -- their defense attorneys would have to try to get it made retroactive?

CARROLL: Exactly, exactly, then all those 109 could get together as a group or individually, whatever the case may be. Then they go to the court with a new case saying why this particular case should become retroactive.

CHETRY: All right.

CARROLL: It's a long process.

CHETRY: Sure is. Thanks so much, Jason.

Well here are the other stories we'll be telling you about in the next 15 minutes. President Obama trying to secure enough votes to get a health care reform bill passed this week in the House. The vote is expected to be close. The White House is pressuring wavering Democrats who -- or those who have voted no the first time to fall in line.

ROBERTS: A jobs bill that gives tax credits to companies that hire unemployed workers has cleared a Republican filibuster in the Senate. And could have final congressional approval by tomorrow. Democrats say the $35 billion measure will create hundreds of thousands of jobs by giving subsidies in tax breaks to local governments for capital improvements in highway and transit projects.

CHETRY: 89-year-old Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens says he will take the next month or so to decide whether or not this will be his last term on the bench. Stevens turns 90 next month. He is the oldest member of the high court. He told the New Yorker he'll definitely retire in the next three years. His comments suggest that President Obama will likely nominate his replacement.

ROBERTS: For many of you, high-speed internet is as vital as electricity or running water or maybe even food. Yet many Americans can't afford it or simply can't get it because of where they live.

CHETRY: Right. And a lot of rural areas it is difficult. In other places as well. Well today the FCC is releasing its road map for the information superhighway. They want to make internet access: faster, cheaper, and more widely available.

ROBERTS: Joining us live to talk about this and tell you what it means for you is Ryan Singel, a writer for "Wired" magazine. Ryan, thanks for getting up early. I know it's brutally early for you. What can people at home expect to see as a result of this new broadband plan?

RYAN SINGEL, STAFF WRITER, "WIRED" MAGAZINE: It's going to take a few years for anyone to really see anything. It's a very pragmatic plan. But I think what people are first going to see is just maybe in rural areas you'll start to see subsidies that will help people afford broadband.

CHETRY: And let's take a look. Let's throw it up on the screen for people to be able to see what some of these goals are. You mentioned the first one about 100 million homes getting that 100 megabit connection -- fastest, most extensive wireless network in the world, affordable access, and then they want access to super broadband for all Americans and a wireless nationwide network for first responders.

I mean, some people say this really is an issue of public safety -- and a smart grid that allows for real time tracking of energy use. There you see the goals. How would this make life better and different in certain communities?

SINGEL: Well, for rural communities that have been stuck on dial-up, it will be a huge change. Once you get broadband you sort of start to join the modern economy.

And as everyone has seen with the iPhone, there's really some amazing things you can do once you are kind of wired up and you have a fast mobile Internet connection. So the FCC deciding that they want to give even more spectrum to the wireless companies, that's going to be a great thing for everyone.

ROBERTS: So in terms of where we're going with all of this, kind of blue sky it for us here if you would, Ryan. Google is experimenting with super, super, super fast Internet, 100 times faster over a fiber optic network than we currently have.

What is that going to mean in terms of information delivery, media, movies, television, just how we go about our daily lives? Where do you see us being 10, 15 years from now?

SINGEL: I think the Google project is a great kind of experiment. And that will be really fun to watch, because I think you will see that it's not just kind of like -- you'll get something a little faster. We'll start to see there's like a qualitative jump.

So, you know, think of maybe visits to your health care office or your doctor that you don't actually have to go to your doctor's office and you are able to use fancy machines that transfer large amounts of information to your doctor and then back.

You know, you want to watch a movie? It's one second or two seconds. You click on the movie. It's downloaded from Netflix to your computer.

I think there's things we can't quite understand what the difference will be. But go back and think about how we were on the Internet when we were all on dial-up connections and what we do now with Facebook and YouTube and what our expectations are. Those are going to change drastically in the next 10 years.

The question is how do we make sure that everybody gets in there.

ROBERTS: Talking to some people recently who are on the forefront of all of this information delivery. They look to the iPad, which is the new Apple device recently released, saying that when we all have connectivity, iPad really is going to spell the death of the traditional newspaper. But what else might be at risk as well?

SINGEL: You know, there's lots of businesses that are scared of the iPad. You know, cable television, for instance is worried about television on those little devices.

But I don't think any business is going to get destroyed. You know, the newspaper has been around. It survived radio. It survived television. It will survive the iPad, too. It is just going to have to adopt and show up on the iPad.

And I think a lot of the publishing industry, magazines especially, see the iPad as a possible savior, that this may be a way they can keep their traditional publishing methods and then yet show up in a really ingenuitive way on people's screens.

CHETRY: When they talk about ultra high-speed Internet access, they talk about it costing roughly $50 a month. That's expensive for some people. Is that price going to eventually come down?

SINGEL: One would hope so. Broadband these days is still pretty expensive. And that's kind of the big -- the big change here for rural communities and people of lower income is that the FCC wants to change the Universal Service Fund, which is currently how we help lower income people get cheap phone lines. And they want to change that so that that fund can also help pay for broadband. So hopefully we'll see some work where the cable companies and DSL companies will offer some cheap introductory packages that can be paid for through the Universal Service Fund.

And the people that would like to get online but just can't afford it can actually do so and not be stuck in the slow lane.

ROBERTS: A lot coming down the pike. Ryan Singel from "Wired" magazine talking to us from San Francisco. Ryan, thanks so much.

SINGEL: Thanks for having me on.

CHETRY: Thanks.

Still ahead, our "Building up America" series, a look at what Montgomery, Alabama is doing to keep young people working there at home instead of having to move out of the community.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. It's 38 minutes past the hour right now.

Our ongoing series "Building up America." This week, CNN's Tom Foreman is finding some real success stories in the state of Alabama. The latest is a small business in Montgomery that's growing and keeping its young, talented workforce in the community.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On a highway north of Montgomery in a building you'd hardly notice, Gerry Monroe is growing a heck of a business.

GERRY MONROE, ONLINE COMMERCE GROUP: Every day, you've got to make something happen. We see opportunities and because, you know, we develop everything ourselves, we just, you know, we start hammering all those ideas.

FOREMAN (on camera): How important do you think that is in a difficult time in the economy?

MONROE: It's critical.

FOREMAN: His company, the Online Commerce Group, specializes in Internet sales of custom made cushion covers, drapes, pillows. But what it's really doing is fulfilling a dream Jerry has had since college of succeeding in his home state of Alabama.

FOREMAN (on camera): Is this good business?

MONROE: It is an absolute blast.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Keeping young talent from running away to the big cities is a serious matter, especially in hard times. The Chamber of Commerce formed this group called Emerge to foster leadership, success, and community among young professionals whom they know have different needs and wants from older workers.

HANNAH CHADEE, EMERGE MONTGOMERY: I think excitement, activities, night life, especially night life.

JASON GOODSON, EMERGE MONTGOMERY: Another issue that a lot of people don't really normally think about is education and things for kids.

ASHLEY BRANDLE, EMERGE MONTGOMERY: I want to be able to just really know that my voice is heard.

FOREMAN: So the city is expanding its entertainment venues, offering more activities, improving schools, and Mayor Todd Strange says it's all to keep young talent around.

MAYOR TODD STRANGE, (R) MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA: All of those things taken together really do offer the opportunity. But we have just begun to fight.

FOREMAN: This is not all about the future. Jerry Monroe has found immediate rewards.

MONROE: We've got young people that don't have a lot of experience with business, but they have a tremendous amount of knowledge about the Internet, about technology. I mean, they've lived it.

FOREMAN: And about that community, how people communicate.

MONROE: Exactly.

FOREMAN: By tapping that knowledge he's more than doubled his business every year since it started six years ago, creating 30 jobs, along with a reason and a way for that talent to stay.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: This is a tremendously historic place. I have to tell you that. That meeting of young people happened just across the street here. I'm standing where Rosa Parks boarded the bus. Ours is parked there to begin the Montgomery bus boycott.

We're also within a very short distance of where Jefferson Davis took the oath to begin the Confederacy of the United States. History has long been respected here. But this is a shift of people here saying we need to think more and more about the future.

And absolutely if you want to build up in these difficult times all over the place, towns are saying you must find a way to keep those young people, young professionals who can build an economy toward the future.

CHETRY: Certainly a great idea. Good to see that it's working, and maybe other communities can use some of those ideas and make it happen for them.

FOREMAN: Maybe so. We certainly hope so. I know a lot of people are trying.

CHETRY: Tom Foreman for us with our "Building up America" series. John?

ROBERTS: Don't have time to work out? Don't worry, because shorter, more intense workouts may do the trick. It's what a lot of the pros do. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is up next with an "A.M. House Call." Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Good morning, Philadelphia. There's a sign of things to come for the northeast. Right now it's partly cloudy, but a lot of blue sky out there and 45 degrees. Later on today, listen to this, 62 degrees, and it's going to be mostly clear.

I bet that the cafes have got their outdoor seating all set and ready to go. You'll see some people out there today having lunch. Wouldn't that be nice?

CHETRY: Oh, yes. People cannot wait for spring to start to feel like spring.

ROBERTS: Particularly after what we had over the weekend.

CHETRY: Oh yes, oh yes. Well, 45 minutes past the hour right now. So let's get a check in the morning's weather headlines. Rob Marciano is in Atlanta following all the latest for us. And you know, some people still trying to dry out in the Northeast after all of that; basically it felt like a hurricane.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. And it had the same results, didn't it? Trees down and power out, flooded streets and roadways and rivers are still rising because of inland flooding.

Check out some of this video coming in to us from Rhode Island. Well, we've seen a number of pictures, these kind of scenes throughout the Northeast.

But water rescues, as folks had to be taken out of their homes via boat, out of their cars, via boat there. Pawtuxet River in Cranston, Rhode Island seeing -- it's share of problems. Rivers still rising in places in Jersey and maybe cresting later on today and then, as we get through the rest of the week, slowly receding.

Boy, just lines turned upside down across the Northeast with this very intense spring storm that also has some spring run-off from the snow melt across parts of the Northeast.

Also across the Midwest, we've got severe melt-off because of the snow pack here and a lot of counties under flood warnings, including the Red River in Fargo; that forecasted to crest not until this weekend. So it will be getting close to record-setting floods again, much like last year.

Fifty-four degrees expected in Minneapolis. So not only warm and near 60 in New York today, but that warm air is going to be filtering in across of the northern plains. And that's going to exacerbate some of that flooding. We'll see a little bit of rain down across parts of Texas. But that storm should weaken fairly rapidly.

Enjoy the sunshine and the warm spring-like temperatures today. You guys deserve it.

CHETRY: We will. Thanks so much, Rob.

MARCIANO: All right.

CHETRY: Well, how does this sound? You can work out less but actually be in better shape?

ROBERTS: It depends on intensity.

CHETRY: Yes, you just got to work a little harder when you're actually working out. How do you do it? Well, Dr. Sanjay Gupta with an "AM House Call" next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Time now for your "AM House Call"; stories about your health.

It is the oldest excuse in the book. "I just don't have time to exercise." But you may not need that much time to get in great shape.

Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now from Atlanta. You hear this from gym rats all the time. Sanjay, you get in and get out as quickly as possible. What's it all about?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you have a lot of people who linger at those gyms as well. Maybe not getting as much exercise as they think they are, despite the time that they're spending there.

You're right, John. First of all, it is the number one excuse for people not exercising is lack of time.

And what we're talking about is something that's been around for some time here. And it's called HIT or High Interval Training. It's had a lot of names over the years. But the question for a long time is how good is it? And how much of a workout do you really get doing high interval training versus doing more leisurely workouts over longer periods of time?

It's exactly what researchers are trying to figure out. And they've been studying this for a little bit of time doing what are called these intervals. So you exercise very intensely for a minute, take a break for a minute, exercise for a minute, take a break for a minute and so on for about 20 minutes.

So ten minutes of hard exercise at the end, ten minutes of a little bit more rest. And what they found was a couple of things. First of all, your heart rate, while it dropped during those rest periods did not drop significantly, so you were continuing to have either an aerobic workout or even an anaerobic workout.

And the second thing was your endurance measured after a period of time seemed to be almost as good as someone who did the longer, more leisurely workouts. So a lot of benefit, John, at least according to this study in a shorter amount of time.

ROBERTS: So doc when you're talking about this high interval training, how -- how hard do you have to exercise?

GUPTA: Right.

ROBERTS: Are you sort of just a little winded or are you literally gasping for air?

GUPTA: It's a great question because the previous thinking, up until even just a couple of years ago was it was all out for the minute that you were exercising and then you got to rest; so really as hard as you could, 90 to 95 percent of maximum capacity. A more recent study comes out just over the last couple of days saying, you can get to the point where you are having a hard time talking but you don't need to go all out.

ROBERTS: Yes.

GUPTA: Which makes it so much more accessible to people who aren't athletes, people who are older for example or just starting this sort of exercise program.

ROBERTS: And my favorite sport, cycling is great for interval training. That's where you really build. But are some sports better than others for this type of HIT training?

GUPTA: Well, cycling is the one that they actually studied as well, John. And they previously had these really sort of deluxe setups to test this. And now they just use stationary bikes and we're getting the same results. So you know, you're cycling as hard as you can for a minute and then take a break really a good exercise.

Running is the one that they studied as well and previous studies. Some people just aren't runners. But the sort of tips that they gave there was you could find a hill that takes you about a minute to run up. Then you can walk back down that hill and keep doing that again for about 20 minutes total.

The same can be said of most exercises. Swimming for example, you can do the same sort of thing. Swimming a lap or two as hard as you can and then sort of leisurely coasting back to the other side of the pool.

But again, it's this idea that you're really keeping your body in that almost anaerobic. And you're burning up. You are getting that lactic acid. You're going to feel that burn. It's going to hurt much more so than the leisurely exercise but the payoff could be greater in the short run and the long run.

ROBERTS: All right, well, hey next time you're up here you've got to take a spin class with our instructor Lacy Stone. She will kick a certain part of your anatomy and they will hurt for a long time.

GUPTA: And you'll be burning those calories all day long. I'm sure John.

ROBERTS: All right, thanks, doc.

GUPTA: All right, guys.

ROBERTS: Coming up now on six minutes to the top of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: About three minutes to the top of the hour, which every morning means it's time for "The Moos News in the Morning".

John Edwards' mistress is revealing quite a bit about their love affair in a new article in "GQ" magazine.

CHETRY: Yes. Rielle Hunter talks about what's in store for her relationship with the man she calls "Johnny". But her reaction to the racy photo spread is a little surprising.

Here's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She used to be his mistress and campaign videographer. Now the camera girl is in front of the camera for "GQ".

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sit like this but drop this leg like --

MOOS: Rielle Hunter showed some legs, she showed some midriff while holding her 2-year-old daughter fathered by John Edwards. But when the photos appeared --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was beautiful.

MOOS: She told Barbara Walters she cried for two hours.

BARBARA WALTERS, ABC HOST, "THE VIEW": She said she found them repulsive. When I asked, "Well, if that was the case, then why did you pose the way you did?" She said that she trusted Mark Seliger who she said is a brilliant photographer and she quote, "I went with the flow."

MOOS: That's pretty much how the affair with Edwards started, according to Rielle. When they bumped into one another on the street, "I just uttered to him, 'you're so hot'." And he said, "Why thank you." And he almost jumped into my arms.

Later in his hotel room, she said, "I had never experienced anything like what was flowing between us." But what was flowing through commentators wasn't sympathy.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG, ABC HOST, "THE VIEW": She's with us now like, I don't know, foot decay.

MOOS: Speaking of decay, Rielle Hunter said John Edwards' relationship with his wife had been dysfunctional and toxic and awful for many, many years. "The home was wrecked already. I was not the home wrecker."

Rielle Hunter told "GQ" she gave Edwards a phone that looked like his work phone so he could call her on it. But Elizabeth Edwards confirmed suspicions when she picked up her husband's phone and hit redial and I answered the phone and said, "Hey, baby". And click.

Their first night together, Edwards told her, "Falling in love with you could really mess up my plans for becoming president." She told "GQ", "we love each other very much and that hasn't changed, and I believe that will be till death do us part."

At least the new photos are an improvement over the previous tabloid ones.

Rielle Hunter has company in one of the "GQ" photos. A lot of company, in bed with her, not exactly a menage a trois. You count. Barney and friends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dora and Kermit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is so bad.

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, ABC HOST, "THE VIEW": If you are going to involve Kermit, Barney and Dora put your pants on, ok?

MOOS: Keep Barney out of this.

BARNEY: I love you, you love me.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

CHETRY: There you go.

ROBERTS: Oh, my goodness. This one we're going to keep hearing a lot more about.

That's going to wrap it up for us. We'll see you again tomorrow. Thanks so much for joining us.

CHETRY: Meantime, the news continues. Here's "CNN NEWSROOM" with Kyra Phillips. Good morning Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Good morning guys. Happy Tuesday.