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American Morning

AG Holder Prediction: Osama bin Laden Will Be Killed Before Ever Brought to Trial in U.S.; Floods; Congressman Jason Altmire Discusses House Dems Under Health Care Reform Pressure; Is Toyota Hiding Crash Data?

Aired March 17, 2010 - 07:00   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 a Happy St. Patrick's Day to you on this Wednesday, the 17th of March. Thanks for joining us on the Most News in the Morning. 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.

A warning that this is only the beginning as volunteers stack up a million sandbags in Fargo, North Dakota. Forecasters are saying that the U.S. will also face a historic flood in many other places this spring. The water could rise in 35 states. Rob Marciano will show us who's at risk and the destruction the wild weather has already caused.

ROBERTS: Should the U.S. capture Osama bin Laden, Attorney General Eric Holder says the elusive fugitive will be killed. The surprising admission came during a heated exchange on trying terror suspects in U.S. courts. We're live in Washington to break it all down for you.

CHETRY: Most cars have one, but the black box recorders in Toyota cars apparently can't be downloaded. It means investigators trying to figure out what caused a crash cannot access critical data, and that has some engineers wondering if the automaker may be hiding something.

ROBERTS: We begin this morning with the effort to hold back the water. Millions of Americans waking up water logged and weary this morning. In both the northeast and the upper Midwest the race is on to save entire communities.

We begin our coverage in North Dakota where the Red River is set to surge. People are bracing for a 100-year flood the second time in a row. Volunteers are being bused into neighborhoods near the river to help unload a million sand bags.

CHETRY: And here are some dramatic pictures from New Jersey this morning. People are trying to paddle their way out. As much as five feet ever water in their homes. The Passaic River about 20 miles outside of New York City reached major flooding levels swamping neighborhood after neighborhood and forces thousands to leave. ROBERTS: And just south of the Passaic shows, a view from high above New Jersey shows what is left after the town's third major flood in just over a decade. Residents are furiously pumping out as much as three feet of murky brown water from their homes.

The mayor there says a plan to put floodgates along the Raritan River is still two years out and at this point is probably too little too late.

CHETRY: All of this comes as forecasters are issuing an urgent message to millions of people this morning to get ready for potentially historic flooding in your neighborhood.

ROBERTS: From the east to north and across the south from Texas to Florida, parts of 35 states could be in danger of serious flooding this spring. You can see the upper Midwest in red and under the gun with a high risk of catastrophic flooding.

CHETRY: Our Rob Marciano is live in Atlanta with a look at who's at risk and the damage the extreme weather has left behind. When we talk about being at high risk for major flooding, tell us the reasons why this year in particular is so dangerous?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We had so much snow for one thing. The fall set up to have a lot of rainfall as well. It's been so cold. So that snow has pretty much hung around, and on top of the blizzard just a couple of weeks ago, the northeast had that spring rain storm and wind storm this past weekend.

But now the attention will shift across to the upper Midwest. That is the number one spot, the bull's-eye where we think -- pretty much know that major flooding is going to happen. Unfortunately for the folks there it happened the same way less than a year ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: In Fargo, North Dakota, residents are trying to stack 1 million sand bags in hopes of pushing back the Red River, which could crest 20 feet above flood stage later this week. Last year about 100 homes in the area were damaged and thousands of people were evacuated when the Red didn't go down for a record 61 days and crested twice.

In the northeast, a wild storm left hundreds of thousands of residents either without power or with most of what they own underwater. Trees ripped down power lines and crushed cars. The storm is being blamed for at least seven deaths.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm living in the school because I got flooded out. A bunch of others got flooded out.

MARCIANO: Many had to leave their front doors by boat or in the arms of heavy equipment.

MARCIANO (on camera): You're at the breaking point?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I can't even get to my cat right now and it's upsetting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: A lot of people want to blame El Nino for this, but really it was something that happened in the Atlantic Ocean. The oscillation just pours cold air one after the other. We saw that in the eastern two thirds of the country the snow pack hung around for a good long time.

This is the water equivalent of the snow pack across the upper Midwest. That's bright purple, anywhere from five to 10 inches of water equivalent. So as this snow melts, you're talking about five to 10 inches of rainfall equivalent, and all of that water has got to get through the river systems.

The probably most unpredictable part, John and Kiran, is the ice on these rivers. When you get a ice jam, that'll blow the forecast completely and you'll see the water rise up two or three or five feet in a matter of minutes. That's what makes the situation very, very dangerous.

ROBERTS: And the ground is still frozen over that area so the water can't absorb into the ground, right?

MARCIANO: Exactly right. We are going to see warming temperatures which will help that situation, but it's a catch 22. The more it warms, the faster that snow melts, and we have the flooding all over again.

CHETRY: Wow. That map certainly shows it all. Rob, thanks so much.

We talked about the warning from meteorologists. But then what you do if you're living in one of these neighborhoods and a lot of people are going into spring without a clear picture of whether or not they are covered by flood insurance.

Here's more. FEMA has redrawn the maps it uses to set insurance rates. Homeowners may discover the new maps place their homes in a flood plain. That would be you would be forced to pay $200 more a month even though the people next door maybe wouldn't have to.

People in several states have complained about these so called revised flood zones, saying they are being forced to buy unnecessary flood insurance.

And there are also complaints about what flood insurance covers or does not cover. Analysts say many policies won't pay for finished basements, only things like drywall, furnaces, and hot water heaters.

ROBERTS: On another point, he is the face of terror, the world's most wanted terrorist. This morning the Obama administration predicts Osama bin Laden will be brought to justice in a body bag, not a U.S. court. Attorney General Eric Holder made the surprising remark yesterday during a hearing about trying terror suspects in civilian courts. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLDER: To talk about a hypothetical that never will occur. The reality is we'll be reading Miranda rights to the corpse of Osama bin Laden. They have the same rights that a Charles Manson would have, any other kind of mass murderer.

REP. JOHN CULBERSON, (R) TEXAS: My constituents and I just have deep seated philosophical difference with the Obama administration.

HOLDER: He will never appear in an American courtroom. That's a reality.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Our Homeland Secretary Correspondent Jeanne Meserve is live in Washington for us this morning. And Jeanne, a surprising prediction by the attorney general during that heated hearing yesterday.

MESERVE: John, the statements actually track what senior military and intelligence officials have been saying for years. But that the attorney general said it and in this language was striking. Holder said the chances of catching bin Laden alive are infinitesimal, that bin Laden will either be killed by the U.S. or killed by his own people so he can't be captured.

He made these comments in the midst of a very testy debate over where to try terror detainees, civilian courts or military commissions. That included this exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CULBERSON: They are treated by the military as enemy combatants captured at time of war. The question is --

HOLDER: But they are not put against the wall and shot. They have the ability to confront those who accused them and the rights to lawyers, many of the same constitutional rights.

CULBERSON: Severely restricted rights, and the military tribunal is the problem. We're at war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: The attorney general told the committee detainees would not be coddles in civilian court, that a detainee would be treated like a mass murderer like Charles Manson.

There has been a lot of Congressional and other pushback on the attorney general's decision to try the self-professed 9/11 master mind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York. That is being reconsidered, and Holder said yesterday a new decision on how and where to deal with him will be made in weeks not months.

ROBERTS: Jeanne Meserve for us this morning in Washington, thanks.

CHETRY: Republicans are united against plans to pass the Senate's health care reform. But there is a small group of House Democrats who aren't on board either. Will they give into pressure from the White House? Coming up in just a couple of minutes, we'll talk to one of the holdout, Congressman Jason Altmire from Pennsylvania.

ROBERTS: AT 7:24, it's an "A.M." original -- virtually every car has one, but it seems investigators can't download crash data from the black box recorders in Toyota models, leaving some to wonder if Toyota is trying to hide something.

CHETRY: Also, at 7:39 eastern, we're looking at Detroit's $1 billion plan to save its public schools. There are some teachers and students there getting things right. We're live at Detroit ahead on the Most News in the Morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: It's 13 minutes after the hour on this St. Patty's Day. Already we're having a lot of fun.

CHETRY: Yes we are.

First though, Minding your Business. Stocks said to open this morning at a 17-month high. The market surged yesterday when the Federal Reserve announced it was keeping its benchmark rates near zero for an extended period of time. The S&P 500 breaking the 1,150 barrier on that news.

ROBERTS: Pepsi has agreed to stop selling sugary soft drinks in schools by 2012. The full calorie soft drinks will be pulled from school vending machines in more than 200 countries (ph). The World Heart Federation is hoping Coca-Cola does the same thing.

CHETRY: And up to $75 million worth of prescription drugs stolen from a Connecticut warehouse used by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. Police say it appears that the thieves cut a hole in the roof last weekend, repelled down, and made off with painkillers as well as other prescription narcotics.

Democrat leaders in the House are coming up short on the 216 votes needed to pass the Senate's version health care reform. And it's unclear if Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be trying this controversial tactic that's known as deem and pass, or if that would even work.

ROBERTS: The Republican lawmakers are united against the legislation, and there's a small group of House Democrats who are holding out as well.

Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman Jason Altmire is one of them and he joins us live from Capitol Hill this morning. Congressman, great to see you. What are your problems with the current legislation and what would it take to get you on board? REP. JASON ALTMIRE (D), PENNSYLVANIA: I've said from the beginning this has to be about bringing down the cost of health care for people who have it now -- for families, for businesses and for seniors -- and the initial versions of the bill didn't do as good a job as we could have at that. That's why I need to see the finished product and see that we're restraining the growth of health care in the long term because we're never going to get our long-term budget deficit in order unless we address health care costs, but we also have to bring down the cost for people who have it now.

CHETRY: All right. So three times in 10 days, that's how many times you've spoken with President Obama. He's trying to get you on board, trying to get you to agree to any final legislation to pass through the House. Are you any closer to leaning in the direction of saying yes this time around?

ALTMIRE: I need to see the finished product. There's no CBO score available yet. The bill isn't available yet. We expect that perhaps as soon as today. And at that point I'll be able to go through it and see if some of these concerns have been addressed.

But I will say this. I think the current version of the bill is much better than we had in the House in November, but I don't think the Senate bill is passable by itself. So we do have to find a way to adjust for getting the Nelson agreement out of the Senate bill, bringing down the cost of health care for people who have it now and making sure that the coverage and insurance reforms are still intact.

ROBERTS: On that point, Congressman, the Senate bill being passable in the House, of course a lot of the attention is focused on potential procedural maneuver here that may deem the Senate bill to be passed. I mean, don't want to get into the overall mechanics of it. But basically the House would pass the bill called "a fix it" bill basically, and then they would deem that the Senate bill had been passed. It's also called the Slaughter option for Louise Slaughter. What do you think about the potential for using that whole process to get health care through the House?

ALTMIRE: I don't support that as a way to do the health care bill. Clearly, it's within the rules. Yes, it's been used before. But this is the biggest social policy that this Congress has been this close to passing in 45 years. The polls at best are mixed on this, perhaps even tilting towards public reluctance to do this.

And I think the biggest thing is that the public has to accept the process and the policy that we've passed. And if we start going around the rules in a way that the public is not comfortable with in a strictly partisan way adding student loans into the bill, we're already using the reconciliation process. I just think all of this increases the opportunity for the public to say, you know what, I'm not comfortable with this process. CHETRY: And what are your constituents saying to you? Do they want you to vote yes?

ALTMIRE: My constituents definitely lean with some discomfort with the bill. I've been hearing from them by the thousands this week. There's a sizable number that support it, but there's no question that the polls that you're seeing around the country are similar in my district and the response that we're getting.

And what I have to be able to do is go back home and articulate why we need to do health care reform and why this bill addresses the concerns that I've had on their behalf since the beginning of the process. But I can't make that judgment until I see the finished product.

ROBERTS: Well, once you see the finished product, if you are comfortable with the finished product and this gets back to process again, should the House decide to use this deem and pass measure, would you be willing, if you like the bill, to hold your nose and let the process take place?

ALTMIRE: I can't control whether they use the process or not. All I can control is what my vote is going to be and that's definitely going to make it more difficult for me to support the bill, because I think public acceptance of such a big policy change has to be part of the equation.

ROBERTS: OK. So but there's a difference there, Congressman, between making it more difficult for you to vote for the bill and absolute no red line. So would you be willing to vote yes if you get the bill that you want?

ALTMIRE: The only absolute definitive red line that there is for me is I will not vote for a bill that increases the deficit by even one penny. Everything else I'm going to look at the bill in total, including the process. But I will tell you it doesn't help me to get the yes to go through this process and I know it's making my constituents more nervous.

CHETRY: Right. And Republicans are targeting Democrats like you, those who are up for re-election come this November. And they're actually running former U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan to try to challenge you. At the end of the day, how much of this is going to be about your political survival as well? You know, if you vote one way and you get voted out of office because of it, what are you going to do?

ALTMIRE: I still have to look myself in the mirror and know that I did the right thing for my constituents. They put their trust in me. I can't worry about the politics. This bill is too big to think in those terms. I have to go back home to my community. I have to live there. I have to look at my friends and neighbors. In order to do that with a straight face, I have to know in my heart I did what was best.

ROBERTS: Congressman Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, good to talk to you this morning.

ALTMIRE: Thanks.

ROBERTS: We'll continue to follow your particular role in this process and see which way it goes for you. Thanks very much for joining us.

CHETRY: We're going to take a quick break. It's 20 minutes past the hour. We're "Minding Your Business" next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: One, two, three, 14, and here we go. It's 23 1/2 minutes after the hour. Your top stories just about 6 1/2 minutes away now. But first, an "A.M. Original," something that you'll see only on AMERICAN MORNING.

Do you realize that most cars, most modern cars these days come equipped with a black box like the ones that are installed, similar to the ones that are installed in airplanes?

CHETRY: Yes. Most vehicles actually do have one. They're called EDRs and they record all kinds of data in the final seconds before a crash. In the case of Toyota models, it seems that data though is very difficult to download. Deb Feyerick joins us now.

And so, now people are saying -- they're wondering I guess asking the question is Toyota trying to keep crash information involving their cars out of the hands of investigators.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, a lot of safety advocates and trial lawyers definitely feel that way. They believe that the data stored inside these black boxes or similar recording devices in Toyota vehicles can shed a lot of light on what's been causing all these instances of sudden unintended acceleration.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK (voice-over): These houses, the trees, the white metal fence, they were some of the last things Monty Hardy saw the day he and three friends died.

RANDY ROBERTS, HARDY FAMILY ATTORNEY: Mr. Hardy had a perfect driving record. And all of a sudden his car shoots through a stop sign, crashes through a metal fence, ricochets off a tree, and winds up upside down in a pond.

FEYERICK: What happened inside that 2008 Toyota Avalon? It wasn't the floor mats. Those were in the trunk, right where Hardy put them after receiving Toyota's recall notice a few weeks earlier. It wasn't a seizure. Although Hardy was on medication, the autopsy ruled that out.

So what really happened? What if the car could talk? Well, essentially it can. Most vehicles have what's commonly called a black box known as an event data recorder or EDR.

SEAN DENNIS, FORENSIC ENGINEER: In those kinds of accidents, EDR data is going to be invaluable.

FEYERICK: Sean Dennis is a forensic engineer who reconstructs car crashes for law firms and insurance companies. DENNIS: So it's hidden in a way up underneath the dash up there.

FEYERICK: Yes. All the way. Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

DENNIS: Yes.

FEYERICK: The black box is tied into the airbag system and records two to five seconds of pre-crash data, things like engine speed, throttle, brakes, accelerators, seat belts.

DENNIS: So we see here 2.3 seconds before, you know, before the crash. This person, this driver, has gone from brakes off to brakes on.

FEYERICK: Chrysler, GM and Ford give people like Dennis access to the information through a crash data reader anyone can buy.

(on camera): But it's for any car that's compatible with this particular system?

DENNIS: That's correct.

FEYERICK: And Toyota is not compatible with the system?

DENNIS: That's correct.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Toyota calls its black boxes experimental and says the data is only for research and development and not reliable for accident reconstruction.

DENNIS: I think it is. If it provides, you know, any kind of data to me about what's going on with the vehicle, it can be used as a reconstruction tool without a doubt.

FEYERICK: Lawyers for the Hardy family thought so too. But Toyota requires individuals to get a court order. Instead, police and federal regulators stepped in compelling Toyota to download and decipher the data which only its own engineers are trained to do. The data the Hardys were expecting was apparently nowhere to be found.

RICHARD MCCUNE, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: What we see is a section here to record brake and acceleration. And there's nothing. They have -- for whatever reason they've decided not to program their boxes to record this information.

FEYERICK (on camera): Are you suggesting that perhaps Toyota does not want its cars to record what's going on with the braking and the acceleration system?

MCCUNE: We know that they are not programming it to collect. That's what we know. And it makes us very, very suspicious.

FEYERICK (voice-over): There is no law yet specifying which data automakers must record. Toyota says the information they record depends on what features the vehicle has and what kind of data they want to know. The only information the Hardy family did get was speed. Forty-miles an hour or 15 miles over the limit, leaving them and their lawyers still searching for answers.

ROBERTS: If you're confident that your car is safe and is working in a safe manner, you should want to be able to document that all the systems were functioning properly. It makes me think that they have something to hide.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Now, 64 percent of all carmakers currently install black boxes in their vehicles. Federal regulators say by next year, black boxes will have to be standardized, that is programmed so they record the same data at more frequent intervals. And automakers are pushing back saying they need an extra year not only because of costs but because of the current state of the economy -- Kiran.

CHETRY: So if Toyota is the only one who can download and analyze the data, how do the Feds then know that it's accurate for sure?

FEYERICK: Well, they don't. That's the big question. It's all about integrity. It's all about the integrity of the car company. And the forensic engineer that we saw by downloading that information, what he was able to determine is that the car was likely on cruise control. All of a sudden realized that it was about to crash and began applying the brakes 2.4 seconds in advance. That clearly was not enough time to stop the car.

That's the kind of information you get. Imagine if you could get what the electronic system is doing, the throttle, all of that. So --

ROBERTS: And you can get some more time as well, not just -- what is it? -- 2.5 seconds.

FEYERICK: Well, that's exactly right. And that's what they're arguing for the federal regulators. They want five seconds of information. There's probably a lot more information stored in that car. Toyota says it's all for research and development. The question is, how do they get it back? So it's got to be there.

ROBERTS: All right. Deb Feyerick for us this morning. Great story. Thanks, Deb.

CHETRY: Well, we're almost at 7:30 Eastern Time. It means it's time for a look at the top stories.

Attorney General Eric Holder is saying that Osama bin Laden will never face trial in the United States. He testified before a congressional hearing. Holder responded to criticism about the possibility of trying the terror leader in a U.S. courtroom. He responded by saying, quote, "The reality is we will be reading Miranda rights to a corpse."

ROBERTS: For the first time in nearly four decades, the number of Americans being held in state prisons has dropped. According to a survey this morning, there are an estimated 1.4 million people in state prisons. That is 5,000 less than last year. The decline did not apply to federal prisons, though. They saw their headcount increase last year by more than 6,000.

CHETRY: And the race is on this morning to save Fargo, North Dakota, as the first of the floodwaters arrive. Right now, the Red River is more than 11 feet above flood stage. Hundreds of volunteers are working to fill more than a million sandbags.

Meantime in the northeast, it will be days before the water recedes in some neighborhoods after this weekend's monster storm. Anthony Johnson from our affiliate WABC is in Paterson, New Jersey, a very hard-hit area this morning.

ANTHONY JOHNSON, WABC REPORTER: Good morning, everybody.

This is the result of eight inches of rain from the monstrous storm that fell here in the state of New Jersey over the weekend. Behind me, this is the Passaic River. Its actual banks about a mile down the road. As a matter of fact, there's a current running about a half a block away from where we are now standing.

All across the state, the damage totals are coming in. Still a lot of damage out there. The governor of the state of New Jersey Chris Christie is going to be touring some of the worst hit areas of the state today. But during the storm, trees just snapped all over the state bringing down power lines all across the place leaving a lot of households in the dark.

As a matter of fact, there were hundreds of thousands of people without power. Now the number is starting to come down to tens of thousands still without power throughout much of the state. But crews are coming in from all around the country to help out the local utilities here in the state of New Jersey. But it looks like a lot of people will still be in the dark almost until the weekend.

As far as the rain that came in as we said it was a record rain storm for the wintertime here in the state of New Jersey, a full eight inches of rain. Of course that meant the rivers would fill up with water and they did. Many of them coming over their banks, a lot of homes had to be evacuated as officials had to go in and tell people it was time to get out.

Maybe there is one silver lining though in this whole thing, temperatures over the next few days expected to be in the upper 60s to near 70 degrees. That will give a whole lot of folks that have been suffering a little time to dry out.

John and Kiran, back to you.

ROBERTS: All right. Amazing to see the amount of water there. They are old friends but Israel's plan for new settlements in East Jerusalem has strained relations with the United States. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton blasted the Israeli government for announcing it while Vice President Biden was visiting.

But could the diplomatic rift actually provide a new impetus to start the peace process? Joining us from Washington, Yousef Munayyer, he is the executive director of the Palestine Center, with us here in the studio, Daniel Levy. He is the senior fellow and director of the Middle East policy initiative at the New America Foundation.

Daniel, let's start with you. The state of relations between the United States and Israel. The Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Orrin had suggested or was quoted to suggest over the weekend that they were at a low point in the last 30 to 35 years. He has since said that he was grossly misquoted on that. But the secretary of state has maintained a hard line stance against this issue of settlements while at the same time reiterating that Israel is a good friend and that America is there to protect it.

Do you think - is the administration overreacting here or was the reaction appropriate?

DANIEL LEVY, SENIOR FELLOW, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: Well, I think there have been these episodic crises, John, and what you saw this time was the entire administration saying this was unhelpful, not only the timing of the decision on settlements but also the substance. This is nowhere close even to what happened under the first Bush presidency when loan moneys were withheld in '91, '92. And we've had these rhetorical facts before.

The difference in the context today is that the U.S. is fighting two wars in the broader region. This is an issue that escalates tension, that is used by radicals against the U.S. That's why General Petraeus was in the Senate yesterday explaining why the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict impacts everything else the U.S. is trying to do in the region. Of course, we're trying to build a coalition, vis-a-vis Iran and the nuclear concerns makes that more difficult.

And the other thing is there is a suspicion that the current Israeli prime minister might be choosing narrow coalition and settlement interests over the U.S.-Israel relationship.

ROBERTS: Yes. Because certainly the interior ministry which announced the settlement represents a hard line block in that coalition, the one that he can't afford to lose.

Yousef, how do you see this whole thing? Is it a further road block to peace or could it potentially present some opportunities with the way that the administration has gone after the Israeli government on this issue?

YOUSEF MUNAYYER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PALESTINE CENTER: Well, I think we need to realize that the reason that this spat began was because of a clear difference in the interest of the current Israeli government and the interest of the United States in the region.

As Daniel mentioned, General Petraeus made it very clear yesterday before the Senate Armed Service Committee that unless there's progress made on establishing a just peace for the Palestinians, that American lives in Iraq and Afghanistan are going to continue to be threatened by radicals who capitalize on America's perception of a double standards when dealing with the Israeli- Palestinian issue. We also have to remember that this is not the first time that an American principal gets embarrassed by the Israelis in Jerusalem. In fact, it's something that has happened on a fairly regular basis. In fact, 20 years ago James Baker said when returning from a similar trip, "every time I go to Israel, I'm greeted with the announcement of another new settlement."

And so if over 20 years we've been unable to change this behavior, we now have an opportunity to change our policy towards Israel -

ROBERTS: Right.

MUNAYYER: - to force them to change their calculations on settlement policy in the West Bank.

ROBERTS: And on that point, do you see this as a potential - I don't want to say breakthrough but potential opening to pursue Middle East peace talks?

MUNAYYER: Well, I think the administration is starting to come to the realization that the current Israeli government and Israeli governments prior to this have not been on the same page in terms of settlement policy. And the United States' policy has been clear for 20 years rhetorically but unfortunately we've never backed it up with more severe actions. And it's about time to do that and take the kind of steps that the George H.W. Bush administration took when they conditioned aid to Israel.

ROBERTS: Daniel, do you see a potential opening here?

LEVY: I do and every crisis is an opportunity, John. And in this context, I think the thing would be don't necessarily make this about a particular housing development, as problematic as it may be, because of this we now have over 500,000 Israelis beyond the old border, the green line. Make it about more, make it about plan for getting a border. Once there's a border, we no longer have these disputes over this settlement or that settlement. And I would expect the Obama administration to be considering some time in the not too distant future to put some kind of a plan forward.

ROBERTS: You know, we said this time and time again that every break through is preceded by a crisis but not every crisis is preceded by a breakthrough. Yousef, what about the administration's credibility in the eyes of the Arab and broader Muslim world that the president made that big speech in Cairo last year, promising that there would be a new relationship. Not much happened after that but his incident, the administration's response to it, do you think that that will raise the credibility of President Obama in the eyes of the Arab and the greater Muslim world? And could that potentially benefits down the line?

MUNAYYER: Well, I think, look, frankly, the administration's policies since it took office in the past year has really been damaging to the sort of wave of good faith that the election of President Obama - ROBERTS: OK. But do you think that this could change things?

MUNAYYER: I think it can potentially change things if we take further steps. Remember this is not the first time that this happens. It is the first time that we notice it because our vice president got embarrassed over there. But it's more than just borders, as Daniel says, the Israeli provocations in Jerusalem have been going on for some time and have intensified in recent months and have included not only settlement expansion, but home demolition, house evictions, residency revocation, incursions, the siege on Gaza.

There's a number of different issues that the Obama administration needs to pay attention to beyond the issue of settlement expansion to create the impression that they are an even handed mediator. Unfortunately, at this point, people in the Middle East and the broader Muslim world do not see that.

ROBERTS: All right. So basically, there's still a lot of work to do. Yousef Munayyer and Daniel Levy, good to talk to you this morning. Thanks so much for coming in -- Kiran.

CHETRY: Well, shrinking schools and growing debt. Detroit's public school system is really in crisis mode. This morning, we're looking at the city's billion dollar plan to try to turn things around. It's 38 minutes past the hour. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Forty-one minutes past the hour. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

In Detroit this morning, an SOS -- Save Our Schools. Officials are rolling out a $1 billion plan that would shut down 45 schools, consolidating some, demolishing others and trying to fix three growing problems - a huge drop in enrollment, a massive debt and some of the highest dropout numbers in the country. But it's not all bad news in the city's classrooms.

Our Allan Chernoff is in Detroit looking at a group of schools that are actually getting it right.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Violin lessons for everyone begin third grade. Mandarin Chinese is mandatory beginning in kindergarten and individualized computer challenges reinforce what's taught in the classroom.

In a city plagued with academic under achievement, Cornerstone Schools, one private and two charter schools that are part of the public system are over achievers. Students on average test a year above grade level and 95 percent go on to graduate high school. Students here come with no special advantages, half live below the poverty line.

Fourth-grader Kaitlynn Rogers recently transferred from public school to Cornerstone. KAITLYNN ROGERS, CORNERSTONE, 4TH GRADER: At my old school, nobody really cared if they fall asleep in class.

CHERNOFF: At Cornerstone, students, teachers and parents care enough that the school year is 11 months long.

ROGERS: Yes, we only get one month of summer vacation.

CHERNOFF (on camera): Does that bother you?

ROGERS: Not really when you get the chance to learn about the school. It's actually fun at the school. It's like we're actually on vacation.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Easy to see why with after school activities like fencing. A new experience for Kaitlynn.

FREDERICKA HARDEWAY, KAITLYNN'S MOM: Cornerstone to me embodies what education should be. You get the reading, the math, the arithmetic, you know, but in addition to that, you know, you're learning how to be a well-rounded person, you know how to love each other, how to get along.

CHERNOFF (on camera): Cornerstone also motivates children to achieve. This hallway is decorated with college banners so every day as students walk into the classroom, they see the goal on the college education.

(voice-over): Cornerstone constantly assesses students but doesn't teach to test like many public schools that focus on standardized exams.

ERNESTINE SANDERS, PRESIDENT, CORNERSTONE SCHOOLS: We need to know about every individual student. What makes that student tick? What makes that student learn? What are the challenges that that student is facing?

CHERNOFF: Teachers are so committed they work here even though many earn less than they could in public schools. Parents and guardians also must make a commitment to be involved in their child's education.

CLARK DURANT, FOUNDER, CORNERSTONE SCHOOLS: We say that you have a responsibility too, not just the student. We expect you to be at parent-teacher meetings. We expect you to see that the child's homework gets done.

CHERNOFF: Witnessing academic success at Cornerstone involves three Cs, a culture of education, commitment to learning and community, a nurturing environment embracing parents and professionals willing to mentor the children.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, Detroit.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHERNOFF: While Detroit plans to close more than 40 schools, it also has plans to open dozens of new schools over the next decade and it's looking to institutions like Cornerstone to help in that rebirth of the Detroit Public School System. Kiran.

CHETRY: Allan Chernoff for us this morning. Thank you.

And here's more on Detroit's plan in an "AM Extra," it is an ambitious one. In just five they hope to take their 58 percent graduation rate that Allan just mentioned and bring it up to 98 percent by 2015. And to get there, they plan on adding more classes to the school day, a longer school year, 120 minutes of reading daily, and they'll also teach algebra basics starting in sixth grade. And there will also be more after school help, more language classes and even some college level courses in the high schools and an adviser for each student.

The total tab for the academic portion of this, $540 million.

It's 45 minutes past the hour. We're back in a moment.

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CHETRY: All right, there is a picture of Boston this morning. Thirty-seven degrees right now, but it is going to be a great day to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It's going to be sunny and 62 in Boston.

ROBERTS: It's going to be a beautiful day in New York City as well, so the St. Patrick's Day parades on the East Coast were going to - are going to be blessed with sunshine and fabulous weather.

Let's get a check of this morning's weather headlines. Rob Marciano is in the Weather Center in Atlanta. Just how nice will it be today, Rob?

MARCIANO: Nicer than it's been in a while, a nice warm-up for the past couple of days for sure, with just a little bit of fair weather clouds to work your way into framing a picture postcard shot.

All the Irish eyes will be smiling across parts of the northeast and they've got some reason to smile after the nasty storm brought all the flooding and wind damage, but the folks in Jersey and Rhode Island especially still have a lot of water to work through to get that - that rainfall and snow melt into the Atlantic Ocean and we still have some flooding issues although the rivers are receding - receding slowly.

Rivers rising - rising rapidly meanwhile across the upper Midwest. As a matter of fact, the Red River has risen 13 feet in the last five days, so Fargo under the go (ph). We've been talking about that, and this could approach the record flooding that they saw around this time last year. Unbelievable that it's happening twice in a row.

All right. Across the rain - across the Deep South, they're getting a little bit of rain across parts of the Florida panhandle and southern parts of Georgia and Alabama and into Tampa and Ft. Myers eventually, later on today, but it shouldn't be a - a real, real strong storm. The big story will be the warming temperatures, 80 in L.A., 59 in Chicago, 60 degrees in Minneapolis and 63 in New York City.

So enjoy your St. Patrick's Day. We'll talk more about the Midwest flooding situation at the top of the hour.

John and Kiran, back up to you.

ROBERTS: All right. We're looking forward to that.

Rob, thanks so much.

It's nine and a half minutes to the top of the hour. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

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CHETRY: Fifty-four minutes past the hour. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

Time for your "A.M. House Call", stories about your health, and seeing your investments take a big hit can hurt. Your bank accounts of course suffer.

ROBERTS: And now there is actually some proof that seeing what's happening to your portfolio and your 401(k) could actually bring on a heart attack.

A Duke University study show that stock market values had a direct effect on the number of people who were treated for heart attacks.

Our Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is in Atlanta. He joins us now. So, Sanjay, what - what's the link? Just basically stress?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, it's interesting, because anecdotally we've known for some time that when people get stressed, it can have some sort of impact on their heart. It can increase your heart rate, increase your blood pressure.

What they did here was sort of interesting. They decided to collectively look at populations to see if there were changes overall in the rates of heart attacks, cardiac arrest and people needing some sort of procedure.

And exactly as you said, John and Kiran, that's what they found, was that when you have some sort of event that's affecting society sort of more globally, whether it's stock market issues, a hurricane, an earthquake, something happening, you do start to see increases in those specific things.

You know, I thought what was also interesting here was the - the why, what exactly seems to happen. We know you get a surge of stress hormones and that causes all sorts of different things, but it also seems to cause some electrical problems in your heart, as well, which can lead to these sudden cardiac problems. It increases inflammation in the body, which can have longer-term problems as well.

And there was something else known here. It's sort of a medical mystery. It has been for some time, but this idea that someone goes in with classic symptoms of - of a heart attack, chest pain, they have all sorts of the symptoms and when they get worked up, they don't find anything.

And - and what it seems to be here is what's known as broken heart syndrome, this surge of adrenaline, the surge of stress hormones sort of stuns the heart. It doesn't show up on any tests, and it does get better on its own, but it can mimic a heart attack as well.

So those two things really do seem to increase during - during stock market problems and all sorts of things.

CHETRY: Wow. And we know it's impossible, unfortunately, to remove all the stress from our lives, so what's the best advice about how you manage it?

GUPTA: Yes, you - I mean, that's a good point. If you - if you look around the world at people who - who live the longest and seem to have the lowest rates of cardiac disease, I've seen this myself traveling around the world, they don't have less stress, I think, in many ways, than we do. I mean, that's always been sort of this idea that we're just more stressed out.

I don't know if that necessarily true, but exactly to your point, they manage it in much different ways, I think, than - that we do here in the States. You know, for example, a few tips that I learned was praying or meditating for about 15 to 20 minutes a day. You and I have talked about this before. I - I've incorporated this into my own life, and it was something that I thought I'd never do, but actually sitting down and meditating for about 15 minutes really seems to make a huge difference for me.

Happy Hour, you know - you know, besides drinks and on St. Paddy's Day, you've got to talk about Happy Hour, but more to the point is this idea that you take an hour for yourself on any given day, away from work, away from family, to just really recharge and - and get yourself happy again.

And, finally, having sex is another big one, and simply laughing. You know, laughter and yoga, for example, is something that people practice and it seems to increase their levels of happiness and decrease their levels of stress.

So tips you can incorporate in every day.

CHETRY: Some good advice. There you go.

Sanjay, thanks so much.

ROBERTS: Some great advice. GUPTA: All right, guys. Thank you.

ROBERTS: Thanks, Sanjay.

Top stories coming your way in two minutes. Stay with us.

CHETRY: You like meditating, huh?

ROBERTS: Yes. I do.

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