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American Morning
Tornado Threat in Midwest, South; Fire Near Fort Worth Triples in Size; New Airline Rules Announced; The Gulf, One Year Later; Interview with Rep. Michele Bachmann; Sarkozy Meeting with Libyan Opposition; Tornado Watches In Four States; Pat-Down Permission
Aired April 20, 2011 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Right now on this AMERICAN MORNING, storms are pounding the south and Midwest. Tornadoes tearing homes right off their foundations and some of the hardest hit areas could be in for another round of extreme weather today.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: More concerns about air safety this morning after First Lady Michelle Obama's plane had to pull up and abort its landing. It got too close to another plane. A mistake that was apparently caused by air traffic controllers.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And if you're fed up with those long tarmac delays, lost luggage, overbooked flights, there are new rules out to protect air travelers and they're about to take effect. We'll let you know how the federal government is trying to look out for you.
VELSHI: Plus, Michele Bachmann live on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: I'm Ali Velshi. A lot going on this morning. Let's get you caught up.
People in the south and the Midwest being hit by another round of severe weather right now. More tornadoes possible all day today. Some storm victims are saying, what is left to destroy?
CHETRY: I'm Kiran Chetry. The hidden fees not so hidden anymore. There are some new rights for airline passengers intended to save you time, money and stress. But are they doing enough? We'll talk about it.
ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. She's a Tea Party hero. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is here live. Last weekend, she told a crowd she doesn't think President Obama is, quote, "on our side anymore." We'll ask her whether she wants to try to take his job on this AMERICAN MORNING.
VELSHI: Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING. It is Wednesday, April the 20th. Welcome to both of you. It's a sad anniversary today. It's the anniversary of the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig where 11 people lost their lives and we dealt with that for months.
ROMANS: A year on the story still unfolding. VELSHI: Yes.
ROMANS: Still seeing the damage to tourism in the area.
CHETRY: Right.
ROMANS: We're going to check on that all the next three hours.
CHETRY: Also, a lot of questions. I mean, can the wildlife recover?
VELSHI: Yes.
CHETRY: And will the waters ever be the same? So we're going to be covering that a lot this morning. But first, we have another big story developing right now and that is a one-two punch of extreme weather.
A new line of severe storms on the move right now through the south and the Midwest. There is a look at the radar. Heavy downpours, hail, parts of half a dozen states are under a tornado watch as we speak.
We have some amateur video of a funnel cloud touching down. This is in Bowling Green, Missouri, where witnesses say that this system destroyed one home and two barns as it made its way across there. Also to Memphis, Tennessee, these are also pictures just in to CNN about an hour ago. A strong squall line tore through town overnight. Here are the pictures.
The biggest concern this morning, you see the high winds toppling trees right there, trees uprooted, falling on to homes and cars. Towns in central and eastern Tennessee are now under the gun.
Right now, we're getting the latest from our Jacqui Jeras in the Extreme Weather Center. Tell us just the headlines right now in terms of where this is going and how intense they expect the storm to be.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's pretty strong and it really covers so much of the U.S. You know, from the Great Lakes all the way down to the Deep South, we've got intense thunderstorms and really heavy rain and a lot of lightning. So a lot of sleepless people unfortunately last night. Wind damage has been the biggest issue through the overnight hours and there are literally just tons of trees down and thousands of people without power this morning.
Now, the good news is, is that this squall line is weakening a little bit. The worst of the damage, we think, happened yesterday. These are pictures for you coming in out of Bowling Green where it was likely a tornado that touched down in that area. You can see that twisted metal and trees that were just shaved off in this area.
Now, let's talk about where the worst of the weather is at this hour. And I'm really focusing in on northern parts of Alabama. There you can see severe thunderstorms just west of Huntsville and we're likely going to see some winds potentially up to 70 miles per hour, and there you can see all those lightning flashes going along with it as well. Today is what we call a slight risk day in terms of severe thunderstorms, so there's may be a five percent chance of tornadoes today and a better chance of the wind damage. Our frontal system kind of stalling out so it's going to be a real stormy day across the Deep South, but things improving through the Ohio Valley. The mid-Atlantic you can see that little red blob there. We do think that late this afternoon, some of the thunderstorms could reach severe weather, again, levels. Again, wind the big concern there and real worried about flooding too, guys.
We're talking about one to five inches of rain fell in the Ohio Valley just in the last three days. So like the White River, the Wabash River in Indiana coming out of their banks, it could be just as bad as what they saw already this year in March.
CHETRY: That's amazing. That many inches of rain in such a short period of time, certainly devastating. Thanks, Jacqui.
ROMANS: Meanwhile, North Carolina's facing a huge cleanup after last weekend's killer storms. The president has now declared a major disaster in the state. That frees up federal aid to help in the rebuilding and recovery effort. Twenty-two people were killed by severe weather in the state. Half of them all from the same small town.
To Texas now, where residents and even prison inmates are being moved out of town as one of the largest wildfires triples in size. Officials have evacuated the town of Palo Pinto, which is only an hour and a half drive away from Fort Worth. Firefighters in Dallas are now racing to the front line and it is just one of dozens of wildfires that have now destroyed 170 homes.
Ed Lavandera is live for us in Palo Pinto. Basically evacuating the whole town, what's happening there?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, small town, kind of a voluntary effort at this point. But right now, this is kind of the calmest part of the day in these early morning hours when the temperatures are cool. So right now, fire teams getting ready to go back out there and start reassessing and tackling these huge fires that are raging. This particular fire that we're dealing with spreads across three different counties and it surrounds that Possum Kingdom Lake that we've been talking so much about over the last couple days.
This is the complex here in Palo Pinto that had -- where the inmates had to be evacuated from late yesterday afternoon. They were dousing this building with water as those wildfires kind of spreading south from the lake started really moving toward -- moving this way. And as a precaution, they started urging people to evacuate this area. It's another sign of just how quickly these wildfires can move and how difficult this one in particular has been for firefighters to get a handle on.
It's burned more than 150,000 acres just this Possum Kingdom Lake fire alone. We anticipate that those numbers will change once the Texas Forest Service updates those numbers here in the next couple of hours. But they're attacking this fire from many different fronts. We got a firsthand look at it yesterday at just how difficult it is to battle these flames and how intense the flames were. We were on the front line of one and one firefighter was telling us, the flames were shooting over a mountain ridge and they were describing the scene to us. They said at some point, the flames could reach up to 100 feet high and reach temperatures of 3,000 degrees -- Christine.
ROMANS: Wow. All right, Ed Lavandera. Thanks, Ed.
VELSHI: New and serious concerns this morning about the state of air travel in the United States after an incident involving First Lady Michelle Obama's plane. Now after a quick trip to New York where she and the vice president's wife appeared on ABC's "The View," the two of them boarded a military 737 to head home.
The mistake involving their flight was apparently made by air traffic controllers at a regional radar facility before handing control over to Andrews Air Force Base. They apparently let the first lady's plane get within three miles of a 200-ton military cargo jet that was also landing. The required separation is five miles. The first lady's plane had to abort the landing and circle the airport and the FAA has released a statement saying that it is investigating the incident. The Boeing 737 landed safely after executing a go round. The aircraft were never in any danger according to the FAA.
Also new this morning, air travelers, you're about to get some protection. The Department of Transportation announcing new rules that would impose fines on airlines for losing your bags or bumping you from overbooked flights. Jeanne Meserve standing by live at Reagan National Airport with this news -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Ali, these new rules should address some of the pet peeves of air travelers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE (voice-over): Feeling ripped off by hidden airline fees for pillows, food, seats, luggage, reservation changes? Under new Department of Transportation rules, carriers are going to have to disclose them up front on their Web sites.
RAY LAHOOD, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: We're trying to look out after passengers who in some instances have been treated pretty shabbily.
MESERVE: If lost luggage is your gripe, you aren't alone. Last year, airlines lost, damaged or delayed more than two million bags. They've always had to compensate you for the bag. Under the new rules, they will also have to refund that pesky baggage fee.
If you were involuntary bumped from an overbooked flight, the new rules will ensure a refund double the value of your ticket up to $800. And the rules say no more tarmac delays of more than four hours for international flights, instituted in part because of extended delays at New York's JFK during last December's blizzard. Delays of more than three hours are already banned for domestic flights. Advocates for passengers' rights are delighted at the new rules. KATE HANNI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FLYERSRIGHTS.ORG: This is really groundbreaking for airline passengers. Even to have been noticed by the government is amazing. But the fact that they're passing meaningful regulations that are going to make a big difference for airline passengers is just -- it's a miracle.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: Now the airline industry has not yet responded to the new rules. Though while they were being proposed, they objected to the extension of the tarmac delay rules to cover international flights. DOT, on the other hand, says they work. They say in November and December of last year, none of the domestic flights that were covered by the three-hour rule had any extended delays at all. All of these new rules are going to go into effect in 120 days.
Ali, back to you.
VELSHI: Jeanne, thanks very much. Jeanne Meserve at Reagan National Airport.
You know, some of these improvements have helped. The institution of having to pull that plane back to the gate if it's been on the tarmac for a few hours.
CHETRY: That's right.
ROMANS: Just cancel the flight.
CHETRY: Well, they are.
VELSHI: They are.
ROMANS: At least you're not on the plane.
VELSHI: The plane has to be at the airport.
ROMANS: At least you're being rebooked.
VELSHI: Correct. You're not on the plane or sitting around waiting for it to happen. It actually does make the system more efficient.
ROMANS: All right.
CHETRY: Well, also new this morning, reports of more NATO air strikes happening in Libya. This is all coming from Libyan TV. They're reporting that telecommunication and broadcasting buildings in several cities have been targeted. Western officials, though, are denying these reports. They say NATO only launches air strikes against military targets. It's part of the U.N.-mandated no-fly zone aimed at protecting Libyans from leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
VELSHI: French President Nicolas Sarkozy is meeting Libyan opposition leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil (ph) right now. They'll discuss how to bring a democratic transition to Libya. Now France opposes sending coalition ground troops to guide air strikes against Gadhafi. ROMANS: In Cuba, a change in leadership in a new era. Fidel Castro steps down from his post as head of the Communist Party. The first secretary, a position he held for more than four decades. His younger brother, President Raul Castro, takes over. Meanwhile, revolutionary hero Jose Ramon Machado Ventura becomes second in command. This comes after the party passed a series of economic reforms.
CHETRY: People are also noting no comment from Fidel about this. You know, it could signal the biggest change that Cuba has seen in decades.
VELSHI: Yes.
ROMANS: That's right. That's absolutely right.
CHETRY: Well, this is interesting. They always tell you don't get distracted when you drive. You drop your wallet while you're driving, is it a good idea to try to grab it? Probably not.
Well, this happened and a 10-year-old boy and his nanny nearly flew over a bridge. It happened in Michigan. Pictures show their car, and you can see it.
VELSHI: Wow.
CHETRY: It's basically teetering on the edge here.
VELSHI: Wow.
CHETRY: I mean, how close can you get? The tires hanging in the air there. The nanny lost control of the car because she dropped her wallet while driving and then tried to pick it up. So the car veered off the road, crashed through a metal railing and rammed into that bridge, almost flipping into the canal below. The woman and child were trapped for over an hour before emergency crews were able to come to their rescue. In the end, though, they were rescued. No one was hurt.
VELSHI: Now exactly a year ago today, we were talking about this. One year ago today is when that explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico and it triggered the worst oil spill in U.S. history. There's been so much damage done to so many people and their livelihoods and to the environment. Coming up next, we'll talk to a Louisiana shrimper who says life as he knew it will never be the same.
CHETRY: Well, Congressman Michele Bachmann says she's ready to go up against President Obama but does that mean she's actually running for president in 2012? She joins us live. We're going to talk to her all about that and a lot of other issues coming up.
ROMANS: And for the unemployed, a golden opportunity at the Golden Arches. Fifty thousand jobs. We'll tell you how it went.
Twelve minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
One year ago today, an oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 people and disrupted the lives of millions more. The explosion triggered the worst oil spill in U.S. history. One year later, the fallout is still being felt.
The video of the pristine beaches of the Gulf Shores, Alabama, this video was shot yesterday. This is what's happening right now in Alabama. You can see, trying to get back to normal. Everyone is hoping the tourists come back again this summer. Everyone's fingers are crossed. BP has given the state $16 million in tourism grants to help out.
In the year that's passed, though, since the BP oil spill, how many laws have been passed to prevent this happening from again or related to this at all? Well, Congress has held more than 60 hearings, more than 150 bills have been introduced all designed to improve safety and oversight of offshore drilling, not one single bill has been passed. No new laws.
Because of the spill and the fishing bans it caused, Louisiana's shrimp supply was down last year, very sharply. Shrimp supply down 37 percent. You look at crab supply down 39 percent, oysters down 49 percent. Today in New Orleans the FDA and the EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will present updates on the safety of the seafood in the Gulf Region.
This afternoon, we've got Governor Bobby Jindal will be joined by all of Louisiana's parishes. He's going to be having a press conference to talk about what's new there, a big conference in Grand Isle. Jindal has been blasting BP this week. He says time is running out, money is needed now to stop coastline erosion and start much-needed restoration projects.
A year on, Kiran and Ali, this story is still unfolding.
VELSHI: Yes. And it's unfolding for all of us. It's still unfolding very particularly for those people who make their livelihoods out of the Gulf of Mexico, some in oil, some in seafood, a lot of livelihoods devastated by this spill. We want to check in with some of the people we met during AMERICAN MORNING's coverage of the tragedy.
CHETRY: And you may remember a very colorful character. He became a passionate advocate for shrimpers and actually for everybody living in the Gulf. He is Dean Blanchard, a Louisiana shrimper who's been in the business for more than 25 years. We went down there and had a chance to speak to him right after the disaster. Here's a quick look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY (on camera): So, bottom line, did this oil spill happen at the worst possible time?
DEAN BLANCHARD, PRESIDENT, DEAN BLANCHARD SEAFOOD: The worst possible time, at the worst possible year. This is a year we've been waiting for for 10 years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: He was explaining to me that there - things looked really good and they thought they were going to have a -
VELSHI: It's going to be a great year for shrimping.
CHETRY: -- a wonderful harvest.
VELSHI: Yes.
CHETRY: And then, boom, the oil spill.
Well, fast forward to this morning, where Dean Blanchard joins us now from Grand Isle, Louisiana.
Welcome back to the program, Dean. I know it was a very devastating time and a lot of frustrations not only with the BP being unable to stop the spill, but also the response to try to help people. What's it like a year later?
BLANCHARD: Well, it's pretty much the same thing. We still got a lot of uncertainty and we still got a lot of our fishing grounds remain closed, you know.
VELSHI: Dean, you have said - you've always talked about the fact that Gulf shrimp is - is the best shrimp. You and I shared a lot of it during Hurricane Gustav when we camped out in your house.
You're now saying that there's something wrong with the shrimp. You can see oil in the shrimp. Tell us about that.
BLANCHARD: Well, you got a little oil in the head, you know? This is not the first time we've seen this. We've seen this in previous oil spills. I don't believe it's a - it's health concern. The only problem I could see is maybe I have a little problem with the reproduction.
CHETRY: Right. So these are, obviously, huge concerns and you've voiced them as well when we were down there, not only about affecting this year's fishing and this year's shrimp season, but what happens to the reproductive grounds of the marshlands and wetland downs there.
Have you gotten a sense of whether or not this industry can come back and thrive?
BLANCHARD: Well, we've been around for a long time. I'm sure we'll eventually come back, you know? We're just - we're facing a two- pronged attack. We, you know, we could be short on supply, but the biggest problem I think we're looking at right now, the perception of the American public. You know, they have very little confidence in the government. You know, the government tells you, the oil spill is spilling a thousand barrels a day and now they're up to 40,000 a day. It's kind of hard to trust them. ROMANS: You know, Dean, it's interesting, before this oil spill, you were getting hammered by cheap imports, competition from Asian shrimp farms and the like. You know, it's just been a tough go for shrimper and for fishermen in the area. You know, this is not one of those industries that it's not a get rich industry. This is an industry where if you do everything right and you're lucky, you might be comfortable. There's just not really any margin for error for you, is there?
BLANCHARD: Well, we've had a lot of tough years. We've been fighting the Asian companies. We sued six Asian countries for illegally dumping shrimp on us at a price that was lower than in their own - their own country. So we're finally getting over that. We won that lawsuit. The prices are getting back right.
We had another problem. We had people now was substituting foreign shrimp for Louisiana shrimp and just switching a bag of shrimp and putting it in another box.
CHETRY: Right.
BLANCHARD: We finally took care of that problem. Everything was looking good. And here comes BP and 10 years of work to get everything back on track, they shut down in one week.
CHETRY: I know. And you brought up the fact that, you know, these claims that you still haven't seen a lot of the money, Kenneth Feinberg claims some nearly $4 billion has been given out, $1.7 billion to Louisiana. Do you think you've gotten your fair share?
BLANCHARD: Well, I believe I've gotten about a third. I've done as well as anybody else. But, you know, Mr. Feinberg keeps complaining that fishermen don't have records. I say to Mr. Feinberg, if they don't have records they're not really fishermen.
CHETRY: You're saying if they have records they're not really fishermen?
BLANCHARD: If they don't have records, they're not really fishermen. All our fishermen get records. We're required to have a trip ticket for every transaction we do.
CHETRY: Got you.
BLANCHARD: So if these are real fishermen he got records.
VELSHI: Dean, thanks for your hospitality in the past to Kiran and to me and the CNN crews. We'll come back one of these days and enjoy some shrimp with you when we're not talking about disasters and bad things. Good to see you again.
BLANCHARD: You're welcome any time.
CHETRY: And one of the important, you know -
ROMANS: Ten years to get things back on track and then in a week, boom.
VELSHI: Yes.
CHETRY: But one of the important things to note also is that they did a lot of testing on this - on the shrimp -
VELSHI: Yes.
CHETRY: -- and they say that they're fine. They say that there is no detectable oil or dispersants, but, again, it's the perception.
VELSHI: Right.
CHETRY: It's the fear that people have. Wait a minute, wasn't there just 90 days, 45 days, 86 days of oil spilling out there and I can eat this now?
VELSHI: They are hearty folk, though. Dean - Dean's always got a smile on his face even when things aren't going that well.
All right. Coming up ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, fallout from videos of screeners patting down kids. A new bill that would require the TSA to get the parents' OK first.
ROMANS: All right. The Royal Wedding, it's the most sought-after invite in the world. CNN sending one lucky iReporter to London to attend, cover and share this experience. We want you to meet this winner, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: "Minding Your Business" this morning. Gold prices topping a record $1,500 an ounce for the first time ever. I remember at $750 people were saying why would you buy at the high? Why would you buy at the high?
CHETRY: I know.
ROMANS: Well, if you bought some (INAUDIBLE).
VELSHI: And as Christine pointed out very eloquently yesterday, you have no idea that it's the high.
ROMANS: Right.
CHETRY: So you're saying that -
VELSHI: You never know it's the low either (ph).
CHETRY: -- you're saying that I could buy right now and it could go up to 3,000 an ounce?
VELSHI: So people always say do I buy gold at -
ROMANS: It could go down to $300.
VELSHI: Do I buy gold at record price? And your point, how do you it's a record?
ROMANS: How do you know? Anyway -
VELSHI: It's a record right now.
ROMANS: -- market uncertainty including Monday's grim outlook on long-term U.S. debt from S&P. It sent investors running for the precious metal, all kinds of different precious metals -
VELSHI: Yes.
ROMANS: -- in addition to the sort of safe haven appeal that it's called gold as often used as a hedge against inflation.
VELSHI: One of the biggest causes of inflation - oil.
CHETRY: Yes. And we're talking gas prices as well. Up for the 29th straight day, the national average $3.84 a gallon, but in six states and Washington, D.C., the average price is well over $4.
VELSHI: Yes. Thousands of people waiting in line across the country yesterday hoping to snag one of McDonald's 50,000 jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think with having a lot of young folks that just want to help out at home because their parents don't have a job and they don't want to sit around at home. They have small siblings that they want to help out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It would just change my life. It will take the stress off my husband, the stress off my children. It would make - it would just make a difference.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm willing to take anything right about now, because I haven't worked in a while and I really need - I'm in a financial hurt. I really need the help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a rough economy out there these days. So it's - this is a big chance in a way, you know?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: McDonald's in Cleveland, three people were hurt when they were hit by a car. Witnesses say a fight broke out between two women inside the car. They somehow kicked the car into reverse, ran into a crowd, two people are arrested. Imagine, you're waiting for a job at McDonald's and then suddenly you witness something like this.
VELSHI: It's tough on people now.
CHETRY: They were OK, right in the end?
ROMANS: I -
VELSHI: I hope so. That video certainly - ROMANS: I think so.
VELSHI: -- looks otherwise.
ROMANS: But, you know -
CHETRY: Minor injuries but not fun, obviously.
ROMANS: I'll tell you the one thing about the McDonald's story, you know, they suddenly need 50,000 people today. I know they announced it earlier. But I'm a little suspicious that maybe -
VELSHI: It's a bit of s stunt.
ROMANS: -- some of the franchises maybe have held off on their routine hiring -
VELSHI: They hold off on hiring so that they can do this.
ROMANS: -- so that they can be a part of this national effort.
CHETRY: Well, I mean, I - I mean -
ROMANS: Create buzz.
CHETRY: Yes. And there was a lot of buzz created. A lot of people came out.
VELSHI: Sure.
CHETRY: So -
ROMANS: All right.
Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, this morning, blasting President Obama. And this is at a Tea Party rally yesterday. She says she's eager to debate him. Does that mean she's ready to announce a run for president? We're going to ask her live, up next.
VELSHI: And rebel fighters in Libya growing more desperate. They say they can't hold on much longer without more help from NATO.
Twenty-eight minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Good morning. And welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING on this Wednesday, April 20th.
This is a live look outside our studios in New York. It's cloudy, 47 outside right now.
VELSHI: It's not wet, is it?
ROMANS: It looks a little wet. Mid-60s with a chance of rain.
VELSHI: Of course.
ROMANS: Jacqui is going to stop by with our full national forecast in about 15 minutes.
VELSHI: We don't actually change the forecast every day for New York. We just say the same thing, wet and 47.
CHETRY: Pretty much.
VELSHI: Until summer.
CHETRY: It seems that we got off easy compared to lots of parts of the country.
VELSHI: Wow.
CHETRY: They had a rough night again. We've been talking about these violent storms pounding the Midwest and southern states. The threat is still not over today, actually. But they were talking about hail the size of golf balls falling in some places, tens of thousands of people without water. This is pictures in Missouri right now, a funnel cloud there. Fires threatening homes and businesses.
Seven states are still under a tornado watch this morning. More than 100 tornadoes ripped it through the Southeast last week. The storm is leaving at least 46 people dead.
And violent struggles rage on in Libya as NATO airstrikes destroyed government ammunition, bunkers and air defense radar. NATO is saying that Gadhafi's troops are now hiding in civilian areas, making it very difficult to continue the airstrikes. Rebel leaders are also saying they're disappointed by NATO efforts. Gadhafi is still refusing to leave power.
And Britain is now saying it will send military advisers to Libya. The European Union has offered also to send troops for humanitarian assistance.
And U.S. officials concerned over growing violence in Syria -- this as Syria's president is promising reform. In a speech yesterday, President Bashar al-Assad promised to lift a 48-year-old state of emergency law. He has promised this before during these protests of late, but it has not happened yet. He's also pledged to stop his government security crackdown. U.S. State Department officials say it is unclear whether Assad has taken any actions on these proposed reforms -- Ali.
VELSHI: Thanks, Kiran.
All eyes on the GOP as we inch closer to those presidential primaries. Minnesota congresswoman and Tea Party favorite, Michele Bachmann, hinted at a possible run during a Tea Party Tax Day rally yesterday. She said she can't wait to go up against President Obama.
So, is she ready to make it official? Let's ask her.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is here.
Great to see you again in person.
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), MINNESOTA: Good to see you again too, Ali. Thank you.
VELSHI: Let's take a look at numbers. April 9th and 10th, we took a poll. And, you know, lot of names of people who are not declared, Huckabee and Trump by the top, then Palin and Gingrich, followed by Romney, Ron Paul and you running at 5 percent.
Now, you haven't declared. And we have, you know, good information that if you're going to, you'll probably do so in the next couple months. Are you going to and what are your chances?
BACHMANN: Well, I'll make an announcement probably in June. I think it's important to make it by then because there's an Iowa straw poll. I was born in Iowa and, in fact, I'm a seventh generation Iowan. So, I've been there, I've been in New Hampshire. I've been in South Carolina and it's been a lot of excitement that's happened.
So, we'll see. We'll let you know. You'll know when I know.
VELSHI: Are you worried about those numbers?
BACHMANN: No, not at all. We're just in the initial stages. And so, we've been really actually very positive with the response.
VELSHI: Eric Cantor was talking to us the other day and he said this Donald Trump candidacy is not serious. What do you make of it?
BACHMANN: Well, I think only Donald Trump will know for sure. But it seems to me that a lot of people have been resonating with him. And so, it may be.
VELSHI: Let's talk about a matter you and I hold close and it's the country's budget and it's
BACHMANN: Yes.
VELSHI: -- it's deficits.
With the S&P saying earlier this week that it may lower the credit rating of the United States and it specifically cited the inability of Congress to reach a consensus. You, as the leader of the Tea Party caucus of the Republican Party, are part of that problem.
BACHMANN: Well, I would say we're part of the solution because the -- what the Tea Party said last fall in the elections, they want Congress to get serious about deficit reduction. That's really what drove the election -- too much spending, too much debt. That's the conclusion of S&P.
So, they want Washington to get serious. And right now, that's what we need from Barack Obama. We need the president to get serious about deficit reduction, because House Republicans have demonstrated that's the direction they want to go.
VELSHI: Let me be clear on that question. I didn't mean you're the problem for the country's financial situation. I mean, S&P specifically said the problem is the inability of Washington to get it together. So, the hard line that the Tea Party and the Tea Party members of the Republican Party put forward creates a stalemate.
BACHMANN: Well, actually, again, I think what S&P is saying is we need to be very serious about debt reduction and moving toward austerity. Unfortunately, President Obama's budget doesn't do that. The Tea Party is asking -- let's get to balance in our budget and so, actually, they're a force for good.
VELSHI: Are you worried about what austerity has done, given what we've seen out of the U.K., one of the biggest governments to actually impose austerity program. So, the opposite of stimulus, but cutting back, cutting spending, and it seems to have a negative effect on Britain's growth?
BACHMANN: Actually, not. If you look at any person's budget in their own family or in a business, if you're over extended as a family or as a business, you cut out the credit card, you sell the boat, you sell the second vacation home, you stop buying and you certainly stop borrowing.
In the United States, we need to take some similar advice. We just can't keep on the party that we've been on. Everyone knows that. Only Washington hasn't figured that out.
I will tell you -- going around the country, people tell me, when are you guys going to learn? You can't keep spending money you don't have. That resonates with the American people. We really need to listen to them.
VELSHI: If our calculations are right and you decide to run for president and you decide that you're going to declare that sometime in May or early June, before a key debate we think you're going to want to be part of, the biggest thing going on in Washington in the middle of May and June is going to be the debate about increasing the debt ceiling for the United States government. Where do you stand on that?
BACHMANN: Well, number one, we have to make an assurance, I think both to the market and the American people, that America will pay its debt. We'll pay the interest, the debt obligation, all bonds. We will uphold the full faith and credit of the United States.
But I am not inclined to vote for raising the debt ceiling. That's what I'm hearing from people across the country.
So, what it means then, Ali, is that we pay all of our debts and obligations first and then we prioritize the spending afterwards. Congress authorizes money and we appropriate money and we don't have to spend all the money that we authorize and appropriate. What it means is that there would have to be cutbacks.
I think everyone recognizes that's what has to happen, because with the stimulus, there is an increase of $1 trillion worth of spending, people get used to that spending, and that's not normal to have that increase.
VELSHI: But even if we do what you're saying, we'll still have to increase the debt ceiling. We -- one way or the other, we're going to hit up against that debt.
BACHMANN: Well, but again, I think what the marketplace is demanding, what the American people are demanding, is no more business as usual. We have to actually see government stop consuming the dollars, because, right now, the federal government is -- our government is spending about $1 out of every $4. That's a lot that government is consuming.
So, we need to get more money in the hands of real people and less in the hands of bureaucracy.
VELSHI: Congresswoman Bachmann, great to see you again. Thanks very much.
BACHMANN: Thank you, Ali.
VELSHI: And you will tell us first and early.
BACHMANN: You'll know when I know.
VELSHI: All right. Very good. I follow you on Twitter. So, hopefully you'll tweet it out when it happens.
BACHMANN: Sounds good. Thanks.
VELSHI: All right. Thanks very much.
ROMANS: All right. Thanks, Ali.
Right after the break, rebel forces in Libya getting hit hard by Moammar Gadhafi's troops right now. They're desperate for help. They're hoping that NATO can deliver.
CHETRY: Also ahead, you've probably seen the ads on the Web showing beautiful blonde news anchor from Health News 6 doing the story on the best diet secret in the world? Well, the feds are now looking into this. They're saying, don't be fooled.
It's 38 minutes past the hour.
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CHETRY: Forty-two minutes past the hour. Welcome back.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is going to be meeting today with Libya's opposition forces. And they're going to be meeting him in Paris today -- where he's likely to hear the same thing that a lot of our sources are telling us, that rebel troops in Benghazi are quite frustrated, actually. They say they're badly in need of money and weapons now in order to hold off Moammar Gadhafi's military. Our Zain Verjee is live in London this morning with more details about this meeting.
And we've heard their pleas. They're essentially saying that NATO countries aren't really doing enough to help them.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are so frustrated with NATO, Kiran. I spoke to one Western observer with knowledge of the events that are unfolding in that part of Libya and he said to me that they're so annoyed with NATO. They at first were thrilled that they were effective, and now when Moammar Gadhafi has stepped up his attacks on the rebels, they feel that NATO hasn't stepped up. They look at NATO and think that they're going to be the silver bullet to all of this.
The source I spoke to, guys, also said the problem with the rebels is that they need more money, they need weapons, they need training and they don't have any experience.
One of the major thing that he pointed out was that there's so many internal rivalries within the rebels that it's becoming a problem to execute maneuvers and strategy on the ground because they have these two generals that are kind of fighting about -- over who's boss. And that's causing a major problem.
ROMANS: And that's -- I mean, that's one of the inherent problems when you have a rebellion like this, because you don't -- you just don't have a defined command and control.
You know, Britain and France saying this morning they're sending a contingent of military officer to the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. Could that be one reason trying to get this organized?
VELSHI: Yes. I mean, they need to get it together because the whole point of having these NATO strikes, to be more effective and have the rebels really be able to get some of the ground back, is that, you know, you have the strike and then the ground forces need to move in order for them to be effective. The problem is, they're disorganized. They're busy fighting amongst themselves.
So, what France and the U.K. are saying is they're going to say, all right, we are going to send boots on the ground, but they're going to send them, they say, in an advisory capacity. But what they're really trying to do here, guys, is to try and build the rebels -- build their organizational structure, their logistics, their communication -- because the problem is, the phase of this war is changing, many say, into a stalemate situation. And the way that they can break it is by making the rebels more effective.
VELSHI: All right. Zain, thanks very much for that.
You can watch Zain every morning at 5:00 a.m. Eastern on "WORLD ONE," right here on CNN.
ROMANS: Yes. It's still a very serious situation in Libya, you know? And still a question about how are you going to get Gadhafi out, is that the goal to get Gadhafi out? And what's the end game and are we even close to getting that there?
CHETRY: Lot of challenges.
ROMANS: Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, it's the April that won't let up. More violent storms are sweeping across the South and Midwest right now. Some places could see their second round of tornadoes in a week.
VELSHI: Wow.
CHETRY: Also touring the war zone: the speaker of the House leading a delegation to Afghanistan. He's coming home with a message from President Hamid Karzai. We'll have more on that as well.
It's 45 minutes past the hour.
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VELSHI: A lot going on this morning. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI (voice-over): Severe weather happening right now in the south and Midwest. Four states still under a tornado watch. People covering up what's left of their belongings from the last storm.
Gold record, gold prices topping $1,500 an ounce for the first time ever after the S&P raised concerns about U.S. debt.
A new bill in the works that would require parental consent for the TSA to pat down your child. This comes after videos went viral on the web showing kids as young as six years old being searched.
House Speaker John Boehner sat down with Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, in Kabul today. Karzai is urging the U.S. to scale back military operations that he says cause civilian casualties.
The federal trade commission going after fake news websites that are really hawking Acai Berry Diet products. It's asking a young judge to close them down saying they can't prove the products work.
Taking notes from the Black Eyed Peas. The group opening a New York Music Academy where teenagers will learn music production on high-tech equipment that the pros use.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI (on-camera): You're caught up on the day's headlines. AMERICAN MORNING back in 60 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JERAS: And welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. I'm meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras, taking a look at all the damage reports from last night. Boy, it's really been a rough 12 to 18 hours. All of these blue marks that you can see are where we have wind damage, more than 300 reports last night. We had maybe 30 tornado reports. So, it's definitely a wind maker this time around. Take a look at the video that we have for you out of Memphis, Tennessee. A lot of lightning in that area this morning along with those severe storms that moved down through.
Thousands of people are waking up without power for today. And this storm system still on the move, but the greatest potential seeing severe weather today now is going to be across parts of the deep south and then we have a secondary area here in the mid-Atlantic, a 2 percent chance of tornadoes. So, rotation is a little more minimal today, and we'll watch for more damaging winds with these thunderstorms as well. We do have some watches in effect, but you can see how they're kind of getting shaved down a little bit.
So, this line has been weakening pretty significantly, say over the last three hours. The area where I most concerned about happens to be in the northern parts of Alabama right now. You can see a severe thunderstorm watch in effect, and we have this nasty line of thunderstorms which has just pushed east of I-65, and take note, by the way, how this thing just bows out like that. That's indicative of those damaging winds that could be reaching 70 miles per hour.
All right. Here's the big picture then for today, and this is really the big thing that we're going to be watching. Everybody east of the Mississippi River, basically, can expect to see wet and stormy conditions today, and this is really going to wreak havoc, unfortunately, at the airports. We think New York could be seeing delays over an hour later on this afternoon.
D.C., Philly, and Boston expect delays as well as Chicago and Detroit because of the winds on the backside of this system as well as the clouds. Minneapolis, you're still dealing with a little rain/snow mix this morning, yet, 15 to 30-minute delays there, and Atlanta will get a delay of 30 to 60-minute. Those thunderstorms should be arriving just in the next couple of hours in Atlanta.
Take a look at the temperature map for today showing you that warm air in advance of that cold front. Boy, look at D.C. today, 81 degrees, 80 for Atlanta, and 90 down in Houston. You can really see where that cold air has been advancing with that storm system. Forty-nine in Minneapolis, 60 degrees in St. Louis, and staying coolish across parts of the west as well.
That's a look at the nation's forecast. AMERICAN MORNING will be back right after this.
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GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If these engineers at Michigan State University have their way, your next car will be mainly powered by shock. Not sticker shock, not gas price shock, but the kind of shock that happens when things blow up. Associate Professor, Norbert Mueller, and his group have developed a prototype for an engine that runs largely on shockwaves. It's called the wave disk engine generator, simple in design, and this little piece of machinery packs a wallop. NORBERT MUELLER, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: This engine actually rotates in the housing, and we can design for no mechanical part is touching another part.
TUCHMAN: The power is created by the disk rapidly spinning and sending off shockwaves. Those waves then ignite fuel in the chamber, and this combustion generates electricity. The wave disk is initially being looked at for use in hybrid cars. And developers say it would eliminate the need for about 1,000 pounds of engine parts making future cars lighter and cheaper.
MUELLER: They'll be pack everything together in one very compact design that we try to utilize everything we can think of to make it as efficient as possible.
TUCHMAN: Efficient, and, according to Mueller and his team, nature friendly. Cutting carbon emissions down by about 90 percent. The goal is to have a ready to roll version done in about a year.
Gary Tuchman, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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CHETRY: Fifty-four minutes past the hour right now. We're talking about the royal wedding. Of course, the hottest ticket in town, and we've chosen one iReporter to get to see for himself.
VELSHI: We'd like you to meet Jason Sauter of Orlando, Florida, the winner of the CNN iReporter contest. CNN iReporter contest. Out of 750,000 entries, his video submission grabbed our attention. It's called "In The Eyes of Men," and it looks at the royal wedding from a guy's perspective. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON SAUTER, IREPORTER CONTEST WINNER: So, please CNN, give me the opportunity to be the voice of countless males in my shoes. I have a background in reporting, and while my girlfriend would love the opportunity, she'd just be too overjoyed to handle us. Send us to London, and I will do an amazing job reporting on the event. And CNN, you will make a girl very happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: I wonder if he did that at Disney?
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: They have the Epcot. They have international villages there. Clever.
VELSHI: There's lot of English pubs in those little booths, but I think you're probably right given that he's in Orlando.
CHETRY: Good job. Very creative. And so, out of all of those submissions, he's going.
ROMANS: All right.
CHETRY: Does he get to take his girlfriend?
VELSHI: He says he'll make a lady very happy.
ROMANS: Apparently, taking her along. All right. The wedding countdown is on, and if you can't make it to London, no problem. CNN is going to be there to make sure you can celebrate along with the royals. Kiran is going to be there all week long. She is going to take you behind the scenes of Will and Kate's big day on April 29th. You can watch, you can DVR, you can participate. We will see you there. Top stories are coming up.
CHETRY: What do you say, something what?
ROMANS: What?
VELSHI: No, I was going to say, are you looking forward to it? Are you excited?
CHETRY: Of course. This is going to be incredible.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: To wear a hat or not to wear a hat. These are the decisions one must make.
(LAUGHTER)
VELSHI: Your top stories.
ROMANS: A microphone and a big feather. Kiran Chetry.
VELSHI: Like I said, your top stories right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
