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American Morning

Regime Crumbling?; CIA Ops in Libya; Our Energy Future; Buffett's Heir Apparent Resigns; Orbitz Leaves Enterprise; Miral: Palestine on Hollywood Screen

Aired March 31, 2011 - 07:58   ET

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

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: CIA operatives now on the ground in Libya, reportedly gathering intelligence to help rebel fighters oust Moammar Gadhafi.

I'm Christine Romans.

The defection of one Gadhafi's top lieutenants could signal his inner circle is beginning to tumble.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And it's no joke, snowstorms pound the northeast.

I'm Kiran Chetry.

High winds and heavy snow now in the forecast with huge chunks of hail already damaging parts of the southeast. Winter certainly not over yet on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ROMANS: All right, good morning, everyone. It's Thursday, March 31st. I'm Christine Romans.

Ali Velshi is on assignment today and he'll be back tomorrow it.

CHETRY: We begin, though, with developments in Libya. The U.S. no longer leading the bombing campaign over Libya. NATO officially assuming command and control of the mission overnight, now under the name Operation Unified Protector.

Meantime, the defection of one of Moammar Gadhafi's top lieutenants to Britain may be the strongest sign yet that the Gadhafi regime is starting to crumble. The British foreign secretary says that Moussa Koussa not being offered any immunity at this point.

CNN's Nic Robertson is live in Tripoli for us.

And just touch on the significance of this person, who was a top guy -- a top intelligence guy in Gadhafi's regime, getting on a plane and going to Britain.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And to bloat (ph) for the regime, he was head of intelligence here for 15 years, head of negotiations handing over Libya's weapons of mass destruction, negotiations out of their impasse over Lockerbie. He is, perhaps, one of the last senior restraining influences on Gadhafi. He's perhaps not been at the center core of the regime over the past couple of years since he's been foreign minister.

But it will be a big question now, who's going to follow him? It's such a big issue here that government officials have not yet even made a comment about it. Last night they were scrambling even to confirm it. It's really caught them by surprise.

So, this is a very significant blow -- the most significant blow we have seen for the regime in several weeks here, Kiran.

CHETRY: Also, the other big score story percolating about Libya is the reporting that CIA operatives are on the ground in Libya, that they are perhaps helping gather intelligence on the rebels and some considerations about whether or not we're going to arm those rebels.

ROBERTSON: Yes. It's probably not a surprise for the regime here to hear that the CIA is actually on the ground. They're sort of what they would expect. It's what they have been predicting, that the international community is in a conspiracy against the government.

But the reality is that the administration needs more information about the rebels -- who are they, what are the risks, what are the gains of arming them, what are the political advantages of getting into what may be a long protracted fight here that try and oust Gadhafi from his leadership. So, this is an important step, one that will perhaps provide clues about the strength of al Qaeda and is there a real risk that they can take advantage from the situation here, take advantage the weapons that will be given to the rebels might be given to the rebels, take advantage of sort of a military fallout here if there is a long protracted war in Libya.

So, providing very important and useful information right now, Kiran.

CHETRY: Nic Robertson for us this morning in Tripoli, thanks.

ROMANS: OK. So, let's go to White House and get that view there.

Kate Bolduan is there.

You know, we're reporting and Nic has just said, the president, you know, he hasn't signed off on actually arming the rebels. But all this talk this morning about the CIA potentially on the ground. What's the view there from the White House, Kate?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It definitely raises the question (ph) of really what's next and what this White House is doing. Sorry for all of the construction noise you're probably hearing behind me, Christine.

But, the White House probably not a surprise, is not confirming or commenting on these reports that the president has signed this secret order authorizing covert U.S. operations in Libya.

The White House press secretary, Jay Carney, he's released a statement after, obviously, these reports started coming out and says in part, and I'll read it to you. "I will reiterate," Jay Carney says, "what the president said yesterday. No decision has been made about providing arms to the opposition or to any group in Libya. We are ruling it out or ruling it in. We're assessing and reviewing options for all types of assistance that we could provide to the Libyan people."

Now, government officials do tell CNN, as we were discussing with Nic, that CIA -- that the CIA is on the ground probably not surprising either really to gather intelligence, as they put it, to increase their political and military understanding of the situation over there. But also, basically, are trying to gather intelligence about who these rebels are, where their allegiances lie and as Congressman Mike Rogers told you guys, there are many questions. He said we don't -- we know what they are against but we don't know what they are really for.

Jay Carney was asked about that in yesterday's briefing. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Clearly, not everyone in Libya who is opposed to Gadhafi is friendly to the United States. But we have been working with those leaders of the opposition who have demonstrated, who have been vetted and who have demonstrated a commitment, at least initially, to the kinds of actions that we believe are essential that adhere to the principles that we discussed that broadly apply as we look at the whole region and the unrest in the whole region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Now, a key note on these reports that the president signing this secret order, it's called the presidential finding, Christine, is that it's seen as a possible first step for this White House, for this administration, for this president, to make the move to where they could arm, would arm the rebel armies or offer them military guidance -- a sort of legal basis if they would make that move. Much debated, of course, and that debate will continue. But as the president and his press secretary continue to say, at this point, no decision has yet been made, Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Kate Bolduan at the White House -- thanks, Kate.

Protesters and security forces and troops expected to flood cities in Syria again today. But the government there is talking change, talking change again. Just a couple of hours, the Syrian government announced it's forming a committee to talk about lifting the emergency rule that's been in place for decades. The president spoke yesterday, he didn't mention that all. Human Rights Watch says at least 73 people have died in bloody clashes with police.

CHETRY: We're following a developing story this morning out of Switzerland, where a partial bomb exploded. Two people were hurt in that explosion. It happened about six hours ago when the northern Swiss city of Olten. This bomb went in the office of a group that represents the Swiss nuclear industry. Two staff members of the lobbying group were hurt. Their injuries, though, are considered superficial, at least according to reports.

Opponents of nuclear power in Switzerland have become more vocal in recent weeks in the wake of the Japan reactor crisis.

And speaking of Japan, there are new developments this morning. Dangerous levels of radiation are now being recorded well beyond a government ordered evacuation zone near that Daiichi plant. Right now, everyone within 13 miles of the nuclear power station has been ordered to leave. But according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, radiation has exceeded evacuation levels at a village 25 miles northwest of the plant. The IAEA is advising the Japanese government to, quote, "carefully assess" the situation there.

And now, two states on the West Coast have discovered low levels of radiation in milk and they say it is from Japan. Health officials in San Luis Obispo, California, as well as Spokane, Washington, say that those levels are 5,000 times lower than the legal limit so not a significant health threat. They are saying that they want to keep the public informed but then it's nothing to panic about, according to farmers and dairy officials in Washington state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLAIR THOMPSON, WASHINGTON DAIRY PRODUCTS COMMISSION: Radiation can be a scary word, but I think it's important to remember that actually we live surrounded by radiation every single day. It comes from the sun. It comes from our televisions. It comes from our cell phone.

MICHAEL VIEIRA, SPOKANE'S FAMILY FARM: We've had a lot of customers today and we've had some ask about it as they are buying six and eight gallons of milk with their car full of kids. So, I'm not too concerned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Environmental Protection Agency says it is stepping up radiation monitoring, though, throughout the country. Not only in milk but also in rain and drinking water as well.

ROMANS: NASA is inspecting the space shuttle Endeavour this morning after its launch pad was pounded by hail. The hail storm poured down on the Kennedy Space Center yesterday. Officials say no one was hurt by the hail. Crews didn't see any obvious damage to the shuttle but they are closely inspecting it. The Endeavour is due to blast off for its final flight on April 19th.

CHETRY: And, of course, as always, they are at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Rob Marciano is here in our studio this morning.

So, a hail storm down there.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, they had winds gusting over 50 miles an hour, about 12 feet in elevation. But some of the higher towers, obviously, they got some elevation in spots there, over 80-mile-an-hour winds. So, damaging winds there across parts of Cape Canaveral and we got more storms now rolling across really the same area.

We got two tornado warnings that are posted right now for parts of central Florida. Let's show them to you on the map, a couple of spots. Dixie County, this was just issued across the northwest parts of the state, less populated here, but nonetheless, there's certainly a hail with that, wit the dark purple rolling in.

And also, down across parts of eastern Orlando, in through Brevard County, on the coastline, Hyattsville (ph), just south of the Daytona Beach. This one is moving east at 60 miles an hour. So, it's humming along here and this is a Doppler-indicated tornado warning. Not sure if it's on the ground, nonetheless, it's going to be some rough weather there.

We have tornado watch in effect until 1:00 this afternoon for this area. So, it's got a lot of energy rolling around. Fairly good stationary boundary here, and that watch extends all the way down to south of Lake Okeechobee.

All right. This piece of energy kind of combines with another piece that's making its way up across the Northeast and it's already light rain falling across the I-95 corridor. Temperatures are now dropping into the 30s, getting a little bit of evaporative cooling. It's going to be dangerously close to the freezing mark but I think most of the larger cities will be spared from any sort of snow. Yes, we are talking about snow potentially here as we head towards April 1st.

Winter storm warnings are posted for areas north of New York City, anywhere from five to 10 inches of snow across parts of upstate, maybe 10 to 15 inches of snow expected across parts of northern New England.

Here's how these two storms are going to kind of come together. First one is kind of moves out for light precipitation today. And then later on tonight and tomorrow morning as this thing kind of wraps in some colder air, that's when you expect the snows to be picking up in earnest and, again, in some spots, we're going to see up to and over a foot of snow. That will cause some travel delays, of course, as usual, across parts of the more significant -- the usual spots. But I don't think we're going to need to get the plows out.

CHETRY: It's over a foot, though. Not here, though.

MARCIANO: Not here. A little bit farther to the north.

CHETRY: A little strange for April, though, isn't it?

ROMANS: Normal commute. I'm going to have a normal commute tomorrow, yes?

MARCIANO: Yes. You'll be fine. We won't need any iReports you guys of getting through snow, following the plows on the way to New York. No. But there will be a few flakes of snow flying. Just to remind you that it's April 1st.

CHETRY: All right. April Fools by the nature, right?

MARCIANO: Yes, exactly.

CHETRY: Thanks, Rob.

MARCIANO: All right, guys.

ROMANS: Up next, unrest in the Middle East and oil prices skyrocket, crisis at Japan's nuclear plant, fears abound. You know, we have to ask: what is our country's energy future? "TIME" magazine's Bryan Walsh has the answers, next.

CHETRY: Also, online travel agent Orbitz is parting ways with another company because of all those extra fees. So, what does this mean for you if you do a lot of your traveling and purchasing of tickets online?

Nine minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: OK. President Obama just announced a plan to cut our use of foreign oil by a third over the next decade. And many experts are looking for the next big source of energy.

But with a growing nuclear hot spot right now in Japan, critics are doubting the future of nuclear power here or at least the momentum. Some say natural gas is the answer, but the fuel and the process to extract it is not without its critics.

"TIME" magazine lays out the debate in its upcoming issue in an article written by staff writer, Bryan Walsh.

Bryan, I will say off the bat that our quests are -- insatiable quest for oil, for energy of any kind, is not without risk. No matter what kind of, whatever you're talking about, even nuclear was seen as green -- now, that momentum seems to have stalled.

Natural gas, where does that fit in to America's plan for energy independence?

BRYAN WALSH, STAFF WRITER, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Well, you know, it's cleaner than coal, which, obviously, supplies half of our electricity. It's not as clean, obviously, as renewables or nuclear in a larger way. But, you know, as the risks go, we have a lot of it right now. I mean, that was something the president talked about yesterday.

Certainly, we have up to century's worth of natural gas reserves under our feet, thanks in large to these new shale gas deposits. We can tap that that can create cleaner electricity than we have now and potentially, even (INAUDIBLE) policies we're going to use, maybe even be able to reduce oil dependency by sort of shifting some transport to gas as well.

ROMANS: Let's talk about how you get it. The new ways, well, in some cases, they're old ways, but the new ways now of getting through the shale and getting the oil, creating jobs in Pennsylvania, in New York. They are drilling these wells all the time. Tell me how much there is and the process.

WALSH: Well, let's take one example, the Marcellus Shale, which is the one you were sort of thinking about. It goes in Pennsylvania and New York and other parts of the Northeast. That could be up to 500 trillion cubic feet of gas, which is about 34 times more than what we use on an average in a given year.

And that's being tapped in sort of a newish way that uses horizontal drilling. You drill down and into the shale, which is almost a mile underneath the ground and then you actually fracture the rock, sort of using a small gun underneath the ground, and then use millions of gallons of water to sort of pump out that gas, bring it back to the surface. That was -- that's been done in the past but never on this scale before.

So, in one hand, it does allow us to get to a lot more gas than we have before. On the other hand, this does offer up some environmental risks that are still being figured out. And also, it puts a lot of burden on the communities that are actually doing this. Yes, they get jobs but also, they see the land change in a way that they probably weren't expecting.

ROMANS: How do you balance the environmental concerns with the economic benefit of it?

WALSH: Well, I think you need better studies right now. I mean, you have the EPA, which is beginning a much more broad side than we ever had before that will look at hydraulic fracturing and how it does relate to drinking water supply --

ROMANS: Hydraulic fracturing, which is that drilling down, going horizontal and pumping it with a ton of water --

WALSH: Right.

ROMANS: -- and getting the natural gas out that way.

WALSH: So, you have that. You have -- the president actually giving Energy Secretary Steven Chu sort of the lead in looking at agencies and industry and states, as well, to see how figure out how do we do this in a safe way because you have to do it responsibly. You can't just take that gas out and not worry about the environmental part. ROMANS: And you mentioned that. So, let's talk about this. I want to show a little clip from this movie "Gas Land," which is -- I mean, a lot of people are getting interested in this because they think it's happening -- look, the guy is lighting -- the water from the sink on fire. I mean, is that -- how do images like this play into the debate over Shell (ph) oil reserves?

WALSH: Well, they're certainly scary images, and, you know, there are environmental risks that are there. I mean, you talk about the light the gas on fire that's due to, possibly, methane that can leak actually out of these wells as it comes up and actually get in ground water supplies. That's worrying. Also, you can have the water that's used in the process get out of the wells into ground water.

That's happened in the past. It happens now. And you know, if you don't do this right, that's what could happen. That's why you need regulation, that's why you need scientific studies not just done by industry, to make sure that if you're going to do this, you're going to do it in safe way as possible.

ROMANS: What about the emissions from natural gas? I mean, 60 million homes, I think, are heated by natural gas. It's on the spectrum. It's better than coal but not as good as nuclear. And again, every time we look for a source of energy, there are risks. I mean, no matter what kind, there are risks.

WALSH: Right. Everything comes with a price. From a greenhouse gas perspective, gas is better than coal. Exactly how much better is a little unclear. A lot of it depends on how you're doing it. You have to make sure that gas actually doesn't escape into the atmosphere because that can further warming, but when you talk about actually burning it, coal releases mercury. Coal releases a lot of traditional pollutants that cause serious health problems. Natural gas doesn't do anywhere near that degree.

ROMANS: How does this use as a complement to wind and solar? I mean, because the thing about the president's energy strategy is that it's got to be broad, in fact, a lot of different things. And, you know, people who really are into renewables are going to say, you didn't talk enough about wind and solar, but wind and solar can't power this country alone.

WALSH: Well, not right now, certainly. I mean, there is no silver bullet. That's very important to understand. Energy is a really (ph) wide sweep of choices, but gas actually can sort of work with renewables because, as you point out, wind and solar -- wind doesn't always blow, and the sun doesn't always shine.

Gas can be very useful, sort of back-up, for those times when renewables aren't filling their potential. You can go to gas, ramp it up very quickly, ramp it down when the wind is blowing again, and the sun is shining again.

ROMANS: All right. Bryan Walsh, staff writer at "TIME" magazine. Piece is excellent. Thank you.

WALSH: Thank you.

ROMANS: Kiran.

CHETRY: Thanks, Christine.

Up next, a bombshell on Wall Street. Warren Buffett's heir apparent resigns. We'll have more on that story.

Also, if only he chipped in. Seven coworkers are going to be sharing that $319 dollar jackpot, but there is word that an eight person who is in all that office pool usually said is not feeling lucky today. Oops. "Morning Talker" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, guys.

ROMANS: Good morning. Good to see you, Rob.

MARCIANO: You know, all morning long, it's been two and a half hours and I've been waiting for the opportunity to be between you two.

ROMANS: We have been waiting, as well. Here you are.

CHETRY: It's good that you're here.

MARCIANO: Well, I'm honored.

CHETRY: You're here for opening day, not for us.

MARCIANO: Yes. We're going to follow a die-hard Yankee fan later on today and see Yankee Stadium and see how she experiences it in her own unique way.

CHETRY: She hasn't missed a game in how many years?

MARCIANO: Well, I'm not sure about the streak, but I know one think, she's challenged, and she doesn't see the game the same way we do and quite a story. That's for sure.

Speaking of, well, out of space kind of stuff, check this out.

CHETRY: Yes.

MARCIANO: Check out this pic. And we showed some pictures yesterday, right? We showed some pictures from Mercury.

ROMANS: Oh, yes. We just had one. So, now, we got a couple of cool ones.

MARCIANO: Yes. You know, NASA has been kind of teasing us. They kind of released a picture here or there. This is the spacecraft Messenger taking close-up shots of the planet mercury, which is, I don't know, 30, 35 million miles away from the sun. That's much closer than we are. It gets toasty there. but 800 degrees above zero. And at night or on the other side, and then, we (ph) have poles get down to about 300 below.

Not much atmosphere -- it kind of looks like the moon. There's got a lot of craters there. Scientists are -- they're intrigued. They're thinking that some of the shadows you see from those craters near mercury's poles, the sun never shines there so they're thinking -- yes?

CHETRY: Kind of funny.

MARCIANO: That there actually might be a little bit of ice, you know?

CHETRY: They love discoveries of ice, right?

MARCIANO: They do.

CHETRY: Building blocks to life, at some point?

MARCIANO: Sounds like something your dad would say, you know?

ROMANS: Yes, I know.

CHETRY: Yes, where the sun don't shine.

(LAUGHTER)

MARCIANO: Don't shine. Exactly.

CHETRY: Hey. So, we're waiting to meet the nation's newest millionaires. They're playing coy as well. They haven't come out. The people who won the $319 mega-million's jackpot are expected to come forward, and apparently, just group of seven co-workers who always go in on an office pool. Well, there are people who say that there was actually an eighth co-worker, as well, at least, according to the "New York Post."

He's been poking around (INAUDIBLE) in Albany, talking to people there, and they say their colleague passed on going because he reportedly wasn't feeling lucky.

MARCIANO: There's got to be some sort of lawsuit in some way they can't --

CHETRY: No. You got to play to win. If you didn't do it, --

ROMANS: I wonder if they all kick in five grand and say go on a nice vacation and don't ever talk about it again. That will be nice.

MARCIANO: A settlement of sort.

ROMANS: That would be nice.

CHETRY: Exactly.

MARCIANO: That would be nice. ROMANS: All right. Warren Buffett blindsided by the man many thought would replace one day him. David Sokol resigned for Berkshire Hathaway yesterday. In a statement, Buffett said the news was a total surprise. He also revealed Sokol had purchased shares in a chemical company recently acquired by Berkshire, but Buffett insists that he does not feel the purchases were, in any way, unlawful.

MARCIANO: Well, speaking of the lottery. If you picked VCU to win it all --

CHETRY: In your bracket --

MARCIANO: Yes. You know, I don't know what the odds were at the beginning of the tournament, but you'd be doing very well. One of the breakout stars, of course, of VCU is Shaka Smart. His name is not cool it off. His young head coach, and the Cinderella Virginia Commonwealth Rams now headed to their first final four ever. Well, if it couldn't get any better, Mr. Smart and his lovely wife are expecting their first child this year. She's been traveling with them city-to-city during the Rams historic run. Congratulations.

CHETRY: Yes. I think it's interesting to see how many people picked VCU to go all the way in the brackets, because I don't think many did.

MARCIANO: Not in the CNN pool. I don't think anybody did.

ROMANS: A very good year for that guy and his family.

CHETRY: Well, OK. So, you watched all day and not a crack. This is the live -- the eagle cam. Have you seen this? The bald eagle cam? Well, we're waiting to watch adorable bald eagle there to give birth, or actually, you know, hatch. Birthing or hatching.

(LAUGHTER)

CHETRY: This is the streaming video of the eagle's nest. It's a non-profit in Iowa that set up this camera. It's 80 feet high in a cottonwood tree to witness the miracle of new eagle life. Mamma eagle sitting there keeping things warm. And we'll keep you post -- you know, they told me yesterday, they said that just off camera was a bunny. I mean --

ROMANS: A huge dead rabbit that she was, obviously, going to be eating.

MARCIANO: oh, Sweetheart.

CHETRY: Oh, it's still there, apparently. She hasn't eaten it yet? By the way, you can check it out 24/7 on YouStream.

MARCIANO: Nature as it happens. That's good stuff. And, you know, nature certainly has their own time line, so we sit and we wait.

ROMANS: OK. Easy money. More kids are demanding raises from their parents. Should kids get extra money outside of an allowance? Carmen is up next, "Minding Your Business."

CHETRY: They need to go to a Bieber concert. Where they're going to get the cool (ph)?

ROMANS: They got a budget for it. I'm ruthless (ph) on this plan.

MARCIANO: You got to work for it.

CHETRY: That's right.

Also, radiation levels in the oceans off of Japan. Now, they're even higher than yesterday, and there is no clear sense of what is causing this spike or how to stop it. We're going to talk more about this. We're getting a live report from Tokyo next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Cloudy in Atlanta. Forty-six degrees right now. It's going to rain, we're told. Fifty-seven later in Atlanta. You know, it's beautiful down there. It's blooming. The camellias are floating. It's definitely spring. Not here, but there, it is.

Are you going to have to do a little more legwork if you're booking your travel plans online? The company that owns Alamo National Enterprise is pulling their rental car listings from Orbitz and Cheap Tickets. This dispute is over the fees. Rental car companies must pay to the online travel agencies. You may remember, American Airlines also cut ties with Orbitz late last year.

CHETRY: So, what does it mean?

ROMANS: Fighting over the fees or fighting over who gets paid what to get you booked where.

CHETRY: But who's up -- there's more Orbitz or the companies that choose to not do business with them?

ROMANS: I'm not sure. If they do not business with them and then they're still getting the equal amount of business somewhere else, maybe they don't need the travel web sites. The travel websites not more control.

CHETRY: And less options for the consumers, so that's never good.

ROMANS: We'll see if it sticks.

CHETRY: Well, you better have some deep pockets to go along with your chocolate cravings because Hershey is announcing it is raising prices by nearly 10 percent. The increase, according to Hershey, will help offset an increase, and we talk about these raw materials, fuel, even the beans, right, that they make cocoa.

ROMANS: Should you stockpile, I wonder? If prices are going up, I wonder if you -- it's like filling up your gas tank before you know gas price is going to rise to top it off. Top off your chocolate -

CHETRY: Yes, but any of chocolate which I have a lot of, you know what's it like. You find your --

CARMEN WONG ULRICH, PERSONAL FINANCE EXPERT: It doesn't survive in my house, so I wouldn't know.

(LAUGHTER)

CHETRY: Believe me, you could break a tooth on it, OK. It's not great.

ROMANS: Can we talk to these little, sweet darling children? Most children, you know, they know how to spend their money. Do they know how to save it? Carmen Wong Ulrich is here. I love this story.

ULRICH: We are so soft. Listen. April is tomorrow, and it's one of my favorite months of the year. It's financial literacy month. A new northwestern foundation saying parents today are much more likely to give in to requests for more money beyond their allowance.

The survey asked kids 17 and under how often do your parents say, OK, all right, When you ask for extra money beyond your allowance. Look at this, 63 percent all waive. What is the point of having an allowance? Always.

CHETRY: You're like an ATM machine for your kids.

ULRICH: Sometimes 26 percent and that is 89 percent of parents giving in, at least sometimes or always. They asked all adults and kids of all ages, I always got extra money beyond an allowance from my parents when I asked for it.

You can see here the big generational divide. It's the young ones getting the yeses. And boomers are saying, no, this does not fly in our household. The key here is the allowance is really your first experience with a budget.

So one thing you can do, give you a word of advice here, is set expectations, because the survey also found that the number one reason why kids got extra money was for concert tickets which are really, really expensive. What falls under allowance and what doesn't? Set up that expectation and understand that giving more outside of the allowance is, in effect, giving credit and it teaches them there is no limits to your budget. You can always just ask for more and get it.

CHETRY: Ironically, that is how a lot of people are living.

ULRICH: Exactly. I think this is the generational divide. This is the fact the parents of those young kids today, we grew up in a time where credit was everywhere.

ROMANS: Just fork over a hundred bucks for a ticket for your kid. Really?

ULRICH: The thing is if you don't make them earn it get them to have skin in the game like we did, we used to go to work. Go to work.

CHETRY: Just teaching them the importance of saving. If they learn that early on it's more likely they will do it when they get older. Thank you, Carmen.

ULRICH: Thank you.

CHETRY: Top stories now. A new way of fighting in Libya. New video in between rebels and pro-Gadhafi forces fighting in Brega. The fighting is going on for that key oil port Brega. It comes a day after troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi took control.

No American boots on the ground, but the CIA has teams of operatives in Libya according to the reporting out there. Gathering intelligence and perhaps deciding whether or not they would give any arms to the rebels. In the meantime, NATO this morning assumes command of the air operation over Libya.

In Japan, where radiation levels in the ocean around the Daiichi nuclear power station reached new highs. There is a lot of concern over there because 4,300 times above the legal limit in the sea water there. Safety officials insist despite the rise in radiation still no health risk to humans eating seafood from Japan's waters.

ROMANS: Despite those assurances there is a seafood scare in Japan most people don't want to eat it and if even if they did it's hard to find seafood. Martin Savidge is live in Tokyo this morning. Good morning, Marty.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

ROMANS: What are you hearing?

SAVIDGE: The real concern, I think, right now is -- well, it's talking just what you were saying. The levels of radiation, radio iodine found off the waters in Fukushima is startling. As you point out we're at 4,385.

Another debate that sprung up here is the dismantling of the nuclear reactors out there at the Daiichi site. Yesterday the chief executive came out and he said, look, I think I'm stating the obvious but we're going to be turning down four of the reactors, one through four. No wonder. They have been hit with an earthquake and tsunami and three have had explosions and doused with so much sea water probably a lot of corrosion but they are keeping five and six.

The prime minister then weighed in. He said he want all of those reactors torn down and could make the difference of at least $1 billion dollars in the dismantling costs for TEPCO and could have an impact on the power production in this country which is power production in this country which is down 20 percent. They need those reactors even if the public will is they would like to see those reactors gone. That still got to be worked out, Christine.

ROMANS: Thank you so much, Martin Savidge in Tokyo. CHETRY: A new film out and based on the true story of the Palestinian orphan growing up in the Middle East and raising controversy. The film's director is very passionate about the project and also the woman who wrote the story. They are joining us live coming up.

ROMANS: Plus, tornado warnings in Orlando, Florida. Rob Marciano is watching the developments coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: It's 38 minutes past the hour. A new film tracks three generations of Palestinian women during the years of the Middle East conflict. The story of Miral told through eyes of an orphaned Palestinian girl who is drawn in the age-old dispute. We want to show awe clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are here for Shahin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is my daughter. I don't understand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't worry. I be back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Miral, there is some misunderstanding. Please!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: "Miral" opens in wide release this week. And joining us now is the director Julian Schnabel and screenwriter Rula Jebreal. The film is based on her auto biography. Welcome to the both of you, thanks for being with us.

And the film tells the story of three generations of Palestinian women from the 1940s and ending in 1994 ending in your teen years. Why did you decide to go back from before you were born and tell the story that way?

RULA JEBREAL, AUTHOR: Because my story began in 1948. I arrived to the orphanage where I lived all my life in '73. I was born in '78 when I was five-years-old but the orphanage, I couldn't tell my story without telling the story of the orphanage that was built and started in 1948. The lady that started it was a great educator and peacemaker. She founded in 1948 55 kids in the street and from that day decided on to give shelter and home for the children.

CHETRY: These were Palestinian children that were orphaned because of the fighting that was taking place?

JEBREAL: Absolutely. They were the survivors of the massacre that took place. Since that day she decided the best investment of the future of her country was to take care of these children. She took them home and she started taking care of girls. Until today, the school is open. CHETRY: It is amazing. The film, you say part of the reason you made it because you also had preconceptions as a Palestinian as a Jewish person. What were those and what did you learn differently making this movie?

JULIAN SCHNABEL, DIRECTOR, "MIRAL": I didn't know anything about Palestinians. I mean, I grew up in an American-Jewish family in New York City. My mother was the president of a Hadassah in 1948. So my understanding of what was going on over there basically is the story of exodus.

So I was in the theater and when I came out, everybody started singing "Au Tickta" (ph) and audience stood up and put their hands on their chest. I think it's important for American people to understand that Palestinian people are there and they deserve the same inalienable rights that we have in this country.

So it's a story about a family that's just growing up in a prolonged state of conflict. And the reason it starts at the beginning is because with hind, it tells a story four women, Hind and Nadia who is her mother and Fatima who is her aunt. By the time you get to Miral, who is Rula, basically, you have a psychogenetic makeup of what this girl is going to do.

So I felt that anybody would understand if they were put in that situation that they would behave the same way. I think the movie is about similarities between people rather than their differences.

ROMANS: There are some who criticized your movie because they say in a stereotypical fashion the Israeli Defense forces are portrayed as the super villain, as people who don't have any respect or concern for the lives and well-being of the Palestinians. Should you have perhaps told the story of Israelis suffering as well?

SCHNABEL: No. There's no reason to tell both sides. Most movies tell one side of one point of view. If Martin Scorsese makes a movie about Italian gangsters he doesn't have to make a movie about Jewish gangsters also.

I think it's a Palestinian story written by a Palestinian person. My responsibility was to tell Rula's reality. It's like a diary. And so if I could do that then I would be presenting the other side, the side that we need to have a dialogue with instead of living in the monologue. I don't think that is true actually that it shows the Israelis as villains. I think that the --

JEBREAL: It shows violence bad from inside anyway. It's a cry for peace, this movie. It's not about an act of accusation. It's actually love letter that I have and he has for this country and what we think should happen.

For 63 years the battle was through violence. We portrayed people that Palestinians that betrayed their own kids. He was stepfather of my mother. She killed herself. She committed suicide. That is violence. We portray Palestinians killing other Palestinians. We portray violence as bad. We are not on the left side or the right side. You know, we're showing what is right and what is wrong.

CHETRY: Now, as we look and things are getting more difficult again in the Middle East right now, talk of expansion of settlement, talk of other questions that have continued to, I guess, bring the cycle of violence back again, what do you see as the solution in the Middle East right now in the direct conflict and struggle over Palestinians and Israel?

JEBREAL: Well, I see hope, actually, through the whole Middle East. We have a beautiful revolution, people asking for democracy and for dignity all over our world. We should listen to them. That revolution actually happened also in Palestine in 1987 and it was not heard.

It's time to hear the people in the middle. The civil society that today are in streets telling you three things, no Hamas, no corruption of the authority, and no military presence. If we will shut with these people, if we not hear their voice, we are empowering this way extremists.

And I'm concerned really by the extremists on both sides because they hold the society, the civil society hostage. And we have to, in a way, push them to where dialogue or communication.

There is a story -- there is a prime minister that was really a hero in my eyes and it was Rabin. Rabin said three minutes before he was killed I am making peace, I'm not talking anymore --

CHETRY: Istak Rabin you're talking about.

JEBREAT: Istak Rabin -- three minutes he was -- after, he was killed. The key word is making. Since then, we're hearing prime minister. We will talk about peace, we are presuming peace talks. It's time to do it. Not to talk about it anymore.

CHETRY: Well, the film is certainly reigniting that conversation. So I thank both of you for being with us this morning. It's called "Miral" and it's opening up in wider release.

Thank you so much Julian and thanks also for being with us this morning. We really appreciate it -- Christine.

ROMANS: Ok, we're expecting heavy snow and travel problems today in the northeast. We already have tornado warnings right now in Orlando, Florida. Rob Marciano is tracking that all. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: This just in to CNN. A knowledgeable U.S. source says CIA officers did assist with the rescue of one of the downed airmen. We told you last week about a U.S. fighter jet, a strike fighter that went down on Libyan soil. You're seeing pictures of it right there. It took some time -- one of the crew members was rescued immediately. Another one it took some time to locate him, get him in the hands of rebels and get him back in U.S. hands. We are now being told by a knowledgeable U.S. source that, indeed, CIA officers were on the ground and assisted in the rescue of one of those downed fighters in that -- in that crash last week.

CHETRY: All right, so more and more information coming out about the role that the CIA on the ground and what it will continue to be in the future. We'll stay on top of that.

Meantime, Rob Marciano is here. He's with us in New York this morning. And boy, you brought the weather with you.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes and not only here but down south as well. It's a busy weather day. We'll start it off with tornado warnings that are happening across parts of Florida. A rough weather last night across that area and we're seeing it again today. Check it out.

I just got a report that there was a funnel cloud reported just northwest of Kennedy -- of -- of Launch Pad 39a at the Kennedy Space Center. There was a tornado warning earlier. Now it's been downgraded to a -- to a thunderstorm warning.

But nonetheless rough weather continues to pepper the Kennedy Space Center and we've got the shuttle out there ready for the launch in a couple of weeks. And it's -- they're going to check it today as a matter of fact to see if any of the storms last night with the hail and the wind did any sort of serious damage.

All right. This storm just north of Pinellas County -- actually in northern Pinellas County -- also we've got an unofficial report that there some rotation with these clouds so a tornado warning in effect just north of Tampa. And this is moving to east pretty quickly at about 50 to 60 miles an hour.

Tornado watch in effect for this entire area of central Florida until 1:00 this afternoon; pretty strong energy rolling across the stationary boundary and this energy is going to kind of get together with what's happening across parts of the northern East Coast which has some moisture and some cold air.

It's been chilly and below average for the past couple of weeks and well not only do we have moisture moving in we've got some white on the radar map up through parts of upstate New York. New York to Boston temperatures in the mid to upper 30s; so not quite cold enough for snow yet but on the back side of this system we may very well see that.

Let's show you how this is all going to come together over the next 48 hours. Two systems, two pieces of energy, a little pulse of moisture; weak rain right now and then, later on today and tonight we get a little bit more intensity and maybe some wind with this and the backside of this is going to bring in some snow.

How much snow? Winter storm warnings are posted for parts of upstate New York. You could see five to 10 inches of snow; 10 to 15 inches of snow potentially across parts of northern New England for the first day of April. We often joke that Mother Nature likes to play a little April fool's joke with us. And well, this April 1st will be no different. ROMANS: Just to confirm, this is not your version of an April fool's joke?

MARCIANO: No, no. Of course, if it doesn't snow at all, then it would be, tomorrow --

CHETRY: Exactly.

MARCIANO: That's not my way of hedging a forecast.

CHETRY: All right. It's good to have you with us.

MARCIANO: It's good to be you guys.

CHETRY: Rob thanks.

ROMANS: All right. Ever complain why so many things that are so good for you have to taste so bad? No more. Up next, details of the discovery of the so-called bitter blocker that makes food taste sweeter.

CHETRY: Sounds good.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: That's where the magic happens. Popular products like Jell-O and Lucky Charms cereal could soon carry warnings labels about the possible negative health effects of food colorings on kids.

The Food and Drug Administration has been defending the safety of food coloring for years. But now it's asking a panel of experts to weigh in on a possible link between food colorings and hyperactivity in children. That panel is meeting today.

There are a growing number of studies that suggest that food dyes can trigger adverse behavioral changes in children and a lot of parents with kids who are hyperactive or have trouble focusing or sensory disorders they have already been doing this.

They have been stripping out food dyes and food colors from their children's diet at least anecdotally. They say they know the difference. So they're really trying to figure that --

CHETRY: And anecdotally, I actually remember when we were young my aunt would say don't have the red Kool-Aid that makes her crazy. Even back in the day, you know.

Anyway, kids will tell you that junk food just simply taste better and that healthy foods don't always taste so good. Scientists are now hoping to change that notion by making healthy foods taste better.

How are they doing this? Food scientists in Ohio developed a so- called bitterness blocker and say it keeps certain taste buds from recognizing bitterness. Scientists say that 25 percent of people have heightened sensitivity to veggies like broccoli and spinach and they're hoping new additives.

One we were talking about taking it out of the way and this one we're talking about adding things to make food taste less bitter could mask the off taste.

ROMANS: I mash it up and put it in the smoothie so they (INAUDIBLE)

It's 35 minutes to the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONAN O'BRIEN, TALK SHOW HOST: Really cute viral video going around right now. Have you seen this? Twin baby boys talking to each other -- yes, right here. Anyway, I hired a child linguistics experts to try to figure out what the little babies are saying. He cracked it. It's amazing. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(BABIES TALKING)

O'BRIEN: He called his brother a moron. Moron.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: See, I think the one is saying, look I went long Apple shares of $30 and you should have gotten it.

MARCIANO: Of course, you would think that. The e-trade baby has nothing on those brothers, right?

CHETRY: I love how they each have one sock on but on the alternate foot. They are twins.

ROMANS: Those guys are cute.

MARCIANO: Speaking intelligently, though.

CHETRY: Yes. They're hilarious. All right.

Well, that is going to do it for us. It was great to have you. You're coming back tomorrow? Right.

MARCIANO: Yes. Great to be here. Thanks for having me.

ROMANS: Ali is back tomorrow too. "CNN NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello starts right now. Hi Carol.

CHETRY: Hey, Carol.