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Critical Days for Firefighters in Texas; Gabrielle Giffords to Attend Shuttle Launch; More Than 400 Afghan Prisoners Escape; You As A Brand; Talk Back Question; Fighting Speeding Tickets
Aired April 25, 2011 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
Let's get you up to speed.
Guantanamo secrets revealed now. Classified military documents shed new light on al Qaeda terrorists held at the prison. WikiLeaks got its hands on almost 800 documents. Now, according to "The New York Times," they show how detainees are rated based on the threat they would pose if they were released. Most of the 172 prisoners still held are rated as high risk.
Things are almost back to normal at the St. Louis airport after it was hit by a powerful tornado. Now, the airport's going to be operating at 90 percent capacity later today.
Surveillance camera video shows employees and passengers running for cover when the tornado hit on Friday. The storm shattered windows, knocked out power, and sent debris flying. It also flattened hundreds of nearby homes.
Marcy Baker and her family were out of town when the storm hit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCY BAKER, RESIDENT: We're alive, our neighbors are alive, and our son is alive. And so we're OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The White House today condemned the brutal violence by Syria against its own people. Syrian troops and tanks rolled in to the town of Daraa. Witnesses said soldiers were breaking into homes, bodies lay in the streets, and snipers were shooting at anything that moved. Syria says it is cracking down on what it calls armed criminal groups.
Explosions rocked the Libyan capital of Tripoli today. NATO unleashed some of the heaviest airstrikes in recent weeks.
Now, state-run TV reports the strikes flattened a building in Moammar Gadhafi's compound. A government official called it an attempt to kill Gadhafi, but he says NATO sent it the wrong message -- the message, rather, to the wrong address and that Gadhafi is still alive.
A search is under way for more than 400 prisoners who escaped from an Afghan jail today. The Taliban are claiming responsibility for this prison break. A spokesman says that Taliban fighters spent months digging out a tunnel that stretched more than 1,000 feet. It is the second mass escape from that prison in Kandahar.
The man suspected of placing a pipe bomb at a Colorado mall was released from a federal prison a week before the incident. A law enforcement source says that Earl Albert Moore served time for bank robbery. Authorities are searching for Moore in the botched bomb attempt at the mall. It happened on the 12th anniversary of the shooting at nearby Columbine High School.
In Texas, where the winds are picking up again, the next couple of days are going to be critical for firefighters. Already, we've seen more than one million acres burn, more than 200 homes reduced now to ashes, and two firefighters killed.
We're covering this story from several angles. We have one of the guys fighting the fires on the phone, and our own Chad Myers is looking into the dangerous weather conditions.
I want to start with Assistant Chief Steve Pollock, who joins us.
And you are there on the ground, you're seeing how serious this is. What are you facing now?
ASSIST. CHIEF STEVE POLLOCK, TEXAS FOREST SERVICE: Yes, Suzanne. We are --right now we're going into today and Tuesday. We're looking at -- again, our weather conditions are going to worsen. We've got a dry line that's pushing across the state, probably as far as Ft. Worth, which is going to drive our RHs down, and we're going to see some winds gusting up to 60 miles an hour over the next few days, which just creates for us extreme fire conditions. Conditions where our fires are moving anywhere from 4 to 6, 7, 8 miles an hour, sometimes, with flame lengths up to 40 and 50 feet --
(CROSSTALK)
MALVEAUX: In light of that, Steve, how long? How much time do folks have to evacuate if they're pretty close to those fires or 10 miles from those fires? What do they do? How much time do they have?
POLLOCK: Well, not much. And what we do on fires like that is, if you look at it, the fire's moving, say, 6 miles an hour, and a community is down range, say, 10 miles, we have maybe 90 minutes to evacuate that community. So we have to make those decisions early and then we have to move pretty fast. So, it moves quickly and doesn't give us a lot of time to get these people out of the way.
MALVEAUX: And Steve, what do you suppose over the next two days is going to be most challenging for you? Because I know that this is really a critical time.
POLLOCK: Well, I think the challenging thing is just going to make sure that everybody stays safe. You know, that's our main goal.
But what we're looking at is, with these wind-driven fires, it's more of a deal of protecting life, anticipating the direction, because we can't (ph) get into the head of these things. So we're looking at, you know, what do we have to do to evacuate? And then when the weather allows us, we'll get this thing and try and contain it. So -- but I think we're looking at extreme fire conditions -- or I know we're looking at extreme fire conditions over the next couple of days.
MALVEAUX: Steve, we wish you the very best. We know it's a very tough job that you have, but please be safe.
I want to bring in our Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MALVEAUX: Jesus and politics. That combination inspiring our own Carol Costello with the "Talk Back Question of the Day."
Carol, what's your question? What have you got for us?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK. Here it goes.
Coming off the holiest day in Christianity, politics is again rearing its ugly head. Take President Obama, who was framing his budget battle with Republicans in moral terms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Their basic view is that no matter how successful I am, no matter how much I've taken from this country, that somehow I now have no obligation to people who are less fortunate than me
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The progressive "Sojourners" magazine, influential during the health care battle, is even bringing Jesus into the debate. They're asking, "What would Jesus cut?" Saying that increasing military spending should not come at the expense of the poor.
They're sending letters to lawmakers. They're selling bracelets, asking people to follow their conscience.
A panel even discussed the issue on Fox News, with guests saying, the "What would Jesus cut?" campaign is both silly and pure partisanship.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM MCGURN, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": I'm still waiting for the passage where Jesus says I am the way, the truth and the light, and the OMB director. OK? This is an effort to portray Republicans as somehow less Christian and actually not to have a moral debate on what spending accomplishes and does not accomplish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So, then, is politics really a moral debate? That's what some conservatives have long been saying when it comes to things like abortion and same-sex marriage. This time, the political left is trying to steal a little religious thunder from the political right.
So, the "Talk Back" question today: Is "What would Jesus cut?' appropriate or crass?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN, and I will read your responses later this hour.
MALVEAUX: I know a lot of people I talk to on both sides who believe that it is a moral issue, what -- you know, who suffers, who actually sacrifices in this time of need.
COSTELLO: Yes. People on both sides may feel that way, but the question today is, should they be using it for political purposes? So it will be interesting to see what people have to say.
MALVEAUX: Absolutely. Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Here's what we have ahead "On the Rundown."
The unyielding determination and spirit. Congresswoman Giffords gets the green light to watch her husband and the shuttle Endeavour's final blastoff.
Also, how did more than 450 prisoners escape from one Afghan prison?
Plus, hard-to-believe statements of the week tested in the Truth- O-Meter.
And dancing with the royals. A conductor (INAUDIBLE) on music and sound for the royal wedding.
Also, getting the edge on your competition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like to think we've entered the decade of "Me 2.0." It's a time when we have to dump all our shame, figure out where our strengths are and what we're good at, and broadcast that to the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Time now to reveal the choices for today's "Choose the News" segment. Tell us which story that you would like to see by texting 22360. First, the presidential nomination game. "I'm running for president" sounds like an easy declaration, if you want to run. So why are potential candidates avoiding officially throwing their name into the race?
Second, beating a ticket with technology. Are you one of those people who are sure you weren't speeding when you got pulled over? Well, meet one Maryland whose success at fighting his own tickets has others asking for his help.
Plus, supermarket waste, the unique way new companies are recycling tons of unused food from grocery stores that could soon be used to power your house.
Vote by texting 22360. Text 1 for "Presidential Nomination Game"; 2 for "Beating a Ticket" or 3 for "Supermarket Waste."
The winning story will air later this hour.
Well, for almost four months, astronaut Mark Kelly has been at his wife's side, watching her painful recovery from a gunshot wound to the head. And while her fight is far from over, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has made incredible progress. So much so, her doctors are giving her the green light now to travel to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and watch her husband lead space shuttle Endeavour in its last mission.
John Zarrella is joining us from Miami.
This is a wonderful story when you think about it. And I only want to know, how is Mark Kelly and the crew reacting to this news, that she is actually going to be there and to watch this and participate?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Suzanne, there's a royal wedding on Friday, but this is really kind of our royal event here on Friday afternoon, when the shuttle lifts off.
I can tell you that the crew was very excited when Kelly announced a couple of months ago that he was going to fly the mission, and they had said back then that everybody was pulling for her. In fact, I talked to NASA administrator Charlie Bolden, who you know. And I talked with him a month or so ago, and I said, "Charlie, look, if this comes to fruition, how is it going to be received?" And he said it's tremendous for the NASA family, which is going through some tough times, end of the shuttle program, a lot of people losing their jobs, and here is an uplifting, inspiring story.
So, he was very hopeful that it would happen -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And wow would that work? Would she actually be sitting in a VIP section? Would she be able to clearly see and say good-bye to her husband before the launch?
ZARRELLA: I'm sure she will. And they do have private time with their families, although there's quarantine leading up now to the mission. So, she's probably actually gotten her last up-close and personal with him already.
But they will be able to spend a little bit of time somewhat together, and certainly -- you know, the president is going, as we know. It's unclear exactly whether they'll be sitting together, where exactly she will be. She's traveling with a nurse. She's coming in on Wednesday or Thursday.
And, you know, Suzanne, I talked to Kelly before this all happened, before the shooting, and he talked about how important it was to him back then to fly this mission.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: This is it. Your last shuttle flight.
MARK KELLY, ASTRONAUT: Flying in space is a very difficult thing to give up. I remember after my last flight thinking, well, maybe this is the last time I'm going to do this. And, you know, you get a couple months out and you're like, oh, I really hope this is not the end of my flying in space career.
Then to have this opportunity again, I know when I get back from STS-134, from this last flight of Endeavour, I'll be thinking the same thing, that I can't really give this up. I've got to figure out a way to get back into space again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: Yes. He had told me right after that he thought perhaps, like his brother, he might want to do one of the long- duration International Space Station missions. So that may still be on the table for him, certainly now that his wife is making such tremendous progress.
MALVEAUX: And John, real quick here, what is the occasion there, this historic last launch?
ZARRELLA: Yes. This is it, the last launch of Endeavour.
It's carrying the alpha magnetic spectrometer into space, the single-most expensive piece of equipment ever taken up, $1.5 billion. It could rewrite our understanding of the universe.
It's supposed to find things like antimatter and dark matter, which makes up 20 percent of the universe, scientists say. But they've never seen it, so I don't know how they know it makes up 20 percent of the universe. But they say that it does.
Anyway, if all of it comes to fruition and it's successful, it will really literally rewrite our understanding of the universe.
MALVEAUX: That's pretty awesome. All right. We don't understand how it works ourselves, but I'm sure they've got this thing figured out.
Thank you, John. CNN's Sanjay Gupta is giving us a closer look at Giffords' injuries and her recovery. Don't miss "Sanjay Gupta Reports: Saving Gabby." That is Sunday night, May 8th, at 7:00 Eastern, here on CNN.
Checking stories we're watching across the country .
Arson investigators are back at the scene of a fire that killed six people in Vancouver, Washington, on Easter morning. Neighbors say they heard a loud explosion just before the house went up in flames. Federal agents are also looking into that fire.
Gusty winds have returned now to Texas. That, plus the hot, dry conditions, could spell more trouble for firefighters. They are still battling a number of wildfires. The largest has burned more than 207,000 acres in west Texas alone.
In the northern part of the state, it was storms, not fire, that had people running for cover yesterday. Several tornadoes touched down. Amazingly, no one was hurt. No major damage reported.
A much different scenario in St. Louis, now picking up the pieces after a powerful tornado smashed into the airport. That happened on Friday night. And then it ripped across nearby neighborhoods.
Damage estimated in the millions now. Hundreds of homes have been flattened. Missouri's governor says it is nothing short of a miracle that no one -- no one -- was killed.
Here's what our own Dan Simon is seeing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing in what was a child's bedroom. The tornado sliced the upper floor of this house. This is what's left. And I'm going to show you what it looks like throughout this neighborhood.
This is the Bridgeton community. As you pointed out, everywhere you look, you see destruction. There are about a dozen homes on this one street, and most of them are destroyed.
We're going to talk to the guy who lives next door. This is Terry Hayes we're going to talk to in a moment. Terry has had a rough time.
Because -- how you doing, Terry?
TERRY HAYES, BRIDGETON RESIDENT: I'm doing fine, thanks.
SIMON: Terry has had a rough time. This is what was his house behind us. And Terry also works at the airport. He was there when the tornado struck.
Explain what happened. You could hear the wind, you knew there was some destruction. And then you got a phone call, right?
HAYES: Yes. It kind of went really dark. You heard this loud noise.
I was in A concourse, and the tornado actually hit C concourse. And within about 15 minutes, I get a phone call telling me that the tornado had hit my house.
So I left to come home, and I had to hike in because power lines were all down. And I came across to the top of that hill, and I looked to see my house, and all I saw was a space. And there it is. That's my house.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: There's also a lot of damage at the airport, but officials say they hope to handle about 90 percent of flights today.
Well, this is right out of the movie "The Shawshank Redemption," but on a larger scale, a lot more terrifying. More than 450 prisoners make a brazen jailbreak out of a prison in Afghanistan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Well, it is not looking good for former Egypt strongman and American ally Hosni Mubarak, or his two sons. Egyptian authorities have ordered their former president move to a military hospital in Cairo while he continues to recover from a previous health problem.
They're investigating Mubarak's involvement in the deaths of hundreds of activists during the uprising. He is also under investigation for alleged corruption. There's no set date yet for the move. Mubarak's two sons are also being now detained.
To Afghanistan as well, a story people all over are finding hard to believe. More than 450 convicts tunneled their way out of a maximum security fortress in Afghanistan.
Our Michael Holmes is here to look beyond the headlines.
And there are a lot of questions about this. You've been to that facility, I know, on the outside, but how long did it take them to tunnel, where were the wardens? How did it happen? Really.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It defies belief, doesn't it?
Yes, 480 inmates, apparently. The Taliban is claiming 540, 100 of them commanders.
This is a 320-meter tunnel, 1,000 feet. They began digging this apparently five months ago.
They rented a house nearby, tunneled around police checkpoints, under the main Kabul-Kandahar highway, and it took them hours to get these guys out. It was four-and-a-half hours to get them out. Prison officials didn't even find out about it until an hour after the last guy was gone.
How do you get rid of 450 guys? Apparently, they had vehicles back at the house and just kept taking them out and taking them out.
You know, it's ironic. The Canadians, particularly, have taken on the role of training the prison guards there, and they've made advances in things like humane treatment and stuff like that, which one presumes didn't include letting them go.
A rehab program had been introduced, teaching them to make carpets (ph), all this sort of stuff. Bang, gone. That's a third of the prison population, by the way.
MALVEAUX: That's unbelievable. And this isn't the first time this has happened. There was a case back in 2008, 1,000 inmates, half of them Taliban, escaped.
HOLMES: That was a whole lot less secret. They pulled up a truck bomb outside one of the main walls and blew the side out of the compound. A thousand got out then.
And that's interesting, too, is that after they got out, perhaps not surprisingly, there was a big uptick in insurgent violence as well. So, are we going to see that now? Another 450 or 500 have gotten out as well.
MALVEAUX: Well, Michael, tell me about that, because you have visited before an Afghan prison. Are these facilities generally secure or --
HOLMES: Well, on the inside they are. This one, I have been at the outside of it. I haven't been inside it. I've been inside a former one in Kandahar that, in fact, the Taliban used to house prisoners after they took over in Kandahar, post the Russian invasion.
And a very austere place, very secure. But obviously there was collusion. There had to have been collusion.
You don't let these -- you don't get rid of 450 guys over a four- and-a-half-hour period without somebody inside having a clue. And there are claims from the Taliban they had keys as well made by people on the inside.
MALVEAUX: All right.
HOLMES: Yes.
MALVEAUX: Michael, thank you so much.
HOLMES: It's amazing stuff.
MALVEAUX: It's unbelievable when you think about it.
HOLMES: Yes. And in a very -- that's the Taliban birthplace, Kandahar, too. So we'll see whether we get any violence out of this as well.
MALVEAUX: All right, Michael. Thank you. Good to see you. We're going to continue to look beyond the headlines, the question of what is fair in baseball. We're going to have that coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here's what's ahead "On the Rundown."
True or false? Did President Obama spend $2 million defending his birth certificate? Our Truth-O-Meter puts public statements to the test.
And, also, what kind of music will Kate walk down the aisle to? A musical report from royal watcher Max Foster.
So, what music will accompany the royal bride, Kate, on her big day?
Our CNN's Max Foster got to listen in on the rehearsals.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The service at Westminster Abbey will have music to match this most of settings. No state occasion can begin without a fanfare from the Household (ph) Cavalry. Their outfit is the oldest in the British army, and they take their place in British history once again for the royal wedding.
(on camera): Once she's inside the church, Catherine will come through the choir screen there with her father, past the choir stalls where the choir will be standing. We expect her to come up here to the high altar where she'll meet William and be married.
(voice-over): Bringing a sense of spirituality to the proceedings will be the boys of the Chapel Royal Choir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is really exciting. Quite an honor actually. So looking forward to it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In 50 years, this will be like major history.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm so lucky that I got to participate in such an event which only happens once in a long time.
FOSTER: And to add to the music of church and state, a personal friend of Prince Charles, Christopher Warren Green, will conduct the London Chamber orchestra, playing here at a recent concert.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Both Prince William and Miss Middleton are very actively involved in what they want for their wedding. And they have great taste in music, very strong ideas.
FOSTER: No pop singers are expected at the wedding, though we are assured Catherine and William do have a wide range of musical tastes.
FOSTER: I also have an all-embarrassing taste of music. I don't drive home after conducting a Milo symphony and listen to a Milo symphony. I usually drive home and listen to jazz. Or Beatles. Actually, I like heavy metal.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MALVEAUX: And of course, Richard will be covering the royal wedding live this Friday. CNN's coverage begins at 4:00 a.m. Eastern. Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan and Cat Deeley will be joining him.
Reminder to vote for today's "Choose the News" winner. Tell us which story you'd like to see by texting 22360. Text 1 for a look at the word game some potential presidential candidates are playing before announcing for an official run for the White House. Text 2 for the Maryland man who's using his computer to beat speeding tickets. And text 3 for technology that is transforming leftover food from grocery stores into electricity. The winning story will air later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: So, what's true and what's false when it comes to statements made by some people making headlines? Bill Adair, the editor of PolitiFact.com, is here to separate the fact from the fiction. Bill, thanks as always for joining us.
Let's start with this one -- the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says that seniors will have to find $12,500 for health care because Republicans voted to end Medicare. What's the verdict?
BILL ADAIR, EDITOR, POLITIFACT.COM: That one gets our lowest rating, pants on fire, on our Truth-O-Meter. That is wrong several ways.
They're wrong first to suggest that seniors will have to find that now. The Ryan proposal that they're talking about specifically exempts anyone who is currently 55 or older. They would stay in regular Medicare.
They're also wrong about the number -- $12,500 is not how much seniors would have to pay in addition to what's currently being spent on Medicare. It is more like $6,000. So, pants on fire for that one.
MALVEAUX: Oh, wow. That's a big one.
OK, let's turn to former governor of Minnesota. He's one of the Republicans who could be eyeing a run at the White House. He claims that President Obama has stopped using the phrase "the war on terror."
ADAIR: That one gets a true on the Truth-O-Meter. He's right about that. And that's a very deliberate thing on Obama's part. Obama and some of his aides have talked about it. They've said that they want to be precise with their language. It is not a war against terror, they say. It is a war against al Qaeda and its affiliates. So, Pawlenty gets a true.
MALVEAUX: All right. And it was one of the first things President Obama's aides had decided early on.
Finally, we've heard a lot about the birther controversy surrounding President Obama. We know Donald Trump has been one of the loudest voices as he explores his own possible presidential run. He says President Obama has spent more than $2 million defending lawsuits about his birth certificate. Is that true?
ADAIR: It's not. That one gets a false on the Truth-o-Meter. This has been a common line by many of the birthers, the people who are suspicious about Obama's birth certificate. But there's just no evidence to support that. When you look at what they seem to be basing it on, it is the two million dollars spent on al legal fees by the Obama campaign, one of which was presumably in a very small way, the lawsuits involving the birth certificate. But a lot of other costs included in that. So, we've rated that one false.
MALVEUAX: Bill Adair, thanks for keeping them honest. We appreciate it. Thanks, Bill.
Well, a reminder to vote for today's Choose the News winner. Tell us which story you'd like to see by texting 22360. Text 1 for the presidential nomination game. Fair to say Americans want their candidate, right, to be honest with them. So, why hasn't any potential candidate said the words I'm running for president? Text 2 for beating traffic tickets. We all like to do that. A Maryland man puts his computer to work to battle several speeding tickets. And text 3 for supermarket waste. The food that you don't buy at the grocery store could soon be used to actually power your house. The winning story will air later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All's fair in love and war, but right now, a lot of people asking, what's fair in baseball? The league's commissioner just stripped control of the L.A. Dodgers from the team's owners because of concerns that their financial troubles were driving the ball club into the ground. But is that a fair call?
Our Carl Azuz is going beyond the headlines to break this controversy down for us. Carl, why did Major League Baseball take over the Dodgers? Help me understand this story.
CARL AZUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You pretty much said it when you said financial troubles. Back in 2004, there was a man named Frank McCourt, and he bought the Los Angeles Dodgers. And since then, there have been a lot of questions raised about his ability to financially manage the team. At least in-depthly.
If you look at some recent issues that have plagued the Dodgers, you'll see a lot of them are tied into finances. For one thing, the unstable finances by those -- I mean, he had to borrow $30 million from Fox, according to a recent report, in order to make the Dodgers' payroll at the beginning of this year. Another thing, there are legal questions about the team. He had he a very public and bitter divorce battle with his wife, and during the McCourt 's divorce battle, his wife claimed a 50 percent ownership in the Dodgers. You have declining attendance in recent years. We've seen fewer and fewer season tickets sold to Dodgers games.
And finally, there are safety concerns to top all of it off because on opening day this year at Dodgers Stadium, there was a San Francisco Giants fan who was beaten unconscious in the parking lot. So, all of these things can be considered factors as to why the baseball commissioner Bud Selig decided to replace the owner of the Dodgers.
MALVEAUX: So, what gives Major League Baseball the right to even take over a team?
AZUZ: It comes down to a really interesting clause in baseball's constitution. Basically this clause says that the commissioner, commissioner Bud Selig, can make decisions based on what he feels are in the best interests of baseball. It is sort of a vague clause, gives him a lot of wide ranging power.
Also, baseball historically has been exempted from federal antitrust laws. So, some sort of view this as a monopoly with competing teams that can essentially do whatever it wants when it comes to replacing owners.
And this third point here you'll see on your screen, this is really where this decision gets controversial. Because while Bud Selig decided to replace Frank McCourt as the Dodgers owner, he hasn't made similar action when it comes to the Mets. And the Mets have had a lot. They're in debt up to $430 million in debt there, and they actually received -- they received a loan from the Major Leagues in order to help make their payroll recently. So, the question then becomes why are the Mets being treated one way and the Dodgers being treated another?
MALVEAUX: And the Dodgers, does it affect their performance at all, all this controversy? Are they doing okay?
AZUZ: See, that's the question I'd want to ask! How is this playing out on the field? And, you know, they're doing really well. A number of Dodgers players say they're not focused on the ownership battle, they're focused on playing the best games they can. And if you look at their recent record, they've won four out of their last five games since the announcement was made. So, I would say they're doing just fine, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you for breaking this down. And in helping me understand. I appreciate it.
AZUZ: Thank you, Suzanne.
MALVEUAX: Well, you're sounding off on our "Talk Back" question. We're asking about bringing religion into the federal budget debate. Our question is asking what Jesus would cut appropriate or crass? Anthony Fields writes, "The Republicans have been mixing religion and politics for years. Remember the moral majority?" More of your responses moments away, including yours, Rebecca.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: This just in. You've seen a lot of violence taking place in Syria. Well, now we are just getting a U.N. draft statement condemning the violence in Syria. This is going to be officially announced later today. But what we do have from this U.N. draft statement, it condemns the violence in Syria. It is being circulated now among the Security Council members. And it's -- essentially it is sponsored by France, Portugal, the United Kingdom. Says not only condemns the violence, but calls for restraining further violence and supports Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's call for an independent investigation that is taking place -- what is taking place on the ground in Syria.
Again, this is coming from the United Nations' very powerful leaders, taking a very close look. The Security Council taking a close look at what is taking place on the ground in Syria. Incredible violence, condemnation in very strong language of that violence and also a formal call for an investigation to see what is going on in Syria and how it can be stopped.
We've seen some improvement in the job market, but it is still an employer's market. Recruiters are still skittish about adding new jobs. So how do you get the edge on your completion? "Smart Is The New Rich" author Christine Romans, she's taking a new look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, HOST, CNN'S "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" (voice-over): Here's one way to fight unemployment. Let's say you're not living in Florida where the employment agency Workforce Central Florida recently handed out red capes to help the out of work take on Dr. Evil Unemployment, seen in this promotional video. What can you do?
WENDY WALSH, INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGIST: I like to think we've entered the decade of "Me 2.0." It's a time when we have to dump all our shame, figure out where our strengths are and what we're good at and broadcast that to the world.
ROMANS: And broadcasting those strengths by becoming a brand may be the best bet to getting back to work.
WALSH: Social networking is so important. After I had my two babies, I went online. And between FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn, I found so many of my old colleagues. And the good news is, they'd been promoted while I was out of the game, so they were now in positions to hire me.
ROMANS: With the average length of unemployment hovering at about 39 weeks or more, going on interview after interview can be a drain.
CATHERINE KAPUTA, BRANDING SPECIALIST/AUTHOR, "YOU ARE A BRAND": It's easy when you've been out of work for a long time to lose your confidence and it's very important in a job market to really be confident. And I think, you know, I tell people what's most important in a job interview is the first 15 seconds you really want to be able to define yourself.
ROMANS: Especially at places like job fairs and seminars where everyone is trying to stand out.
KAPUTA: I was at a networking event recently and people -- you know, it was one of those things people get 60 seconds to sort of talk about themselves. And most people, they give a laundry list. Well, hey, there's no branding in a laundry list. So you really want to be able to tell a story about yourself.
ROMANS: It's getting better. With job openings at 3.1 million as of February, the highest level in nearly three years.
WALSH: You have to go in strong, fighting-ready, knowing that you are just part of a system. It wasn't your fault. Now go get them!
ROMANS: And if you lose your super hero cape, like they did in Florida after the outcry over the thousands of dollars spent for something fairly, well, frivolous, maybe just create your own "SWOT Analysis."
KAPUTA: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It's a typical marketing analysis that they do on a brand. And I think it's good for people to do a "SWOT Analysis," too.
ROMANS: No cape required.
Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Workforce Central Florida issued a statement saying they have stopped the Cap-A-Bility campaign. They apologize saying it was not their intent to offend anyone. They were trying to be creative and think outside the box.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: This just in. We are getting a U.N. draft statement condemning the violence in Syria. We've seen a lot of pictures today coming out of Syria, as well as reports of blatant attacks against protesters by the Syrian government. And Syrian forces entering people's homes. This draft statement sponsored by France, Portugal and The United Kingdom, condemning the violence, calling for restraint in further violence. And it also calls for an independent investigation as to what is taking place on the ground in Syria. Possible sanctions as well.
Politics and religion this Monday after Easter. Christianity's holiest day. Some are invoking Jesus in the debate over the federal budget.
Carol, what are people saying? Tell us.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the "Talk Back" question today, Suzanne, is, what would Jesus cut appropriate or crass?
This from Rebecca. "As an extreme liberal who often describes herself as left of everybody but Jesus, I wish we could trust the Republicans to cut what Jesus would cut."
This from Rob. "What would Jesus do? He would go cut wood. I firmly believe in separation of church and state, so keep religion out of policy politics."
This from Todd. "This country needs to get back to its Christian roots and maybe more people should ask what would Jesus do? I know Jesus wouldn't let a company making billions pay no taxes."
This from Lori (ph). If I were to describe Jesus through Republican eyes, he'd be walking around with a glock in one hand, pocketing coins from the poor, the sick and telling a certain leper and a certain blind man to "buck up!"
This from Adam. "Would it also be appropriate to say what would Buddha cut?"
Keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolcnn. Facebook.com/carolcnn. And, again, thanks for all your responses. Interesting responses.
MALVEAUX: Love those responses. Yes, thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Well, you told us the story that you wanted to see. Here's your "Choose The News" winner. CNN's Brian Todd explains how one driver is using his computer to fight speeding tickets. And he's winning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, ABC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're out in plain view, but have nailed countless drivers like Michael Mead.
TODD (on camera): How many times have you been caught by that camera?
MICHAEL MEAD, MOTORIST: About eight or nine times. And it's been very frustrating because I feel like I'm just going to work and coming back and it's $40, $40, $40.
TODD (voice-over): These cameras along Indian Head Highway are helping the town of Forest Heights, Maryland, rake in an estimated $2.9 million in revenue this year from speeding tickets. About half the town's projected budget. Will Foreman says some of that revenue is from bogus tickets.
WILL FOREMAN, FIGHTING SPEEDING TICKETS: I don't think they have a clue that they're every single day issuing false allegations against people that can't defend themselves.
TODD: Foreman says drivers from his auto supply shop have racked up about 40 speeding tickets over the past year. He says he's gotten five of them thrown out by three different judges. All five have been from this camera station.
FOREMAN: If you were driving at that speed --
TODD: In each case, he's found his citation online and digitally super imposed the two pictures taken of the vehicle.
FOREMAN: And then we could take a tape measure and stand in the middle of the --
TODD: The pictures are taken about a third of a second apart from a stationary camera. Foreman super imposes them and creates a single photo with both images of the same car on it. He measures the distance traveled in the elapsed time between the two images.
FOREMAN: But when you show them that --
TODD (on camera): Right.
FOREMAN: That is effective. It shows, you know, that's indeed where the second -- the position of the vehicle in the second photograph. This is the position of the vehicle in the first photograph. That's how they relate to one another.
TODD (voice-over): In the cases he's won, Foreman says he's proven that the vehicle couldn't have gone the distance measured at the speed the citation says. And he says the judges have expressed enough doubt to toss the tickets. When he took us to the scene, Foreman said he's complained to the local mayor and police chief that these cameras are inaccurate, but he says they've done nothing about it.
TODD (on camera): Near the mayor nor the police chief of Forest Heights could go on camera with us, but the mayor said over the phone that the cameras at this location are calibrated correctly and calibrated every day. And she says they've put this camera station here because of two pedestrian deaths along this road.
TODD (voice-over): Contacted by CNN, a spokesman for the manufacturers of the cameras, Optotraffic, e-mailed us saying the cameras are not intended to measure speed, they're just to confirm the car was there. He says the speed is measured by the sensor that is between three and a half and five car lengths before the spot where the pictures are taken. And he says that sensor is accurate.
TODD (on camera): What do you say to that?
FOREMAN: Then they're saying that the vehicle was traveling 59 miles per hour here, but we can document that it was only traveling the speed limit there. Have they reduced speed by 15 miles per hour in 20 feet. TODD: Will Foreman says he's no crusader and he's not trying to beat the system, but he says since word has gotten around that he's got his tickets thrown out, other local residents have come to him and asked him to help them fight their citations and he's done whatever he could to help.
TODD (voice-over): Brian Todd, CNN, Forest Heights, Maryland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: If your choice did not win or you just want to check out the runners up, I'll have links to them on my page at facebook.com/suzannecnn.
CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye, who's in for Ali Velshi.
Hey, Randi.
