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Deliberations To Begin In Rutgers Trial; Panetta Arrives In Afghanistan; "We Stand United", British Leader Cameron, Obama Meet; Militants Blasts In Afghanistan Kill Nine; Alcohol Probed In Afghan Massacre; Clooney Testifies About Sudan "War Crimes"; Santorum Wins Alabama, Mississippi; The Cursed Blessing Of Fracking; Gupta's Novel Explores Medical Mistakes; Flight Attendant Rant -- The 911 Calls; "American Idol" Singer to be Booted; Eastwood Family on Reality TV Show; Goldman Exec Quits, Calls Firm "Toxic"; Turning the Table with Viagra
Aired March 14, 2012 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello. Just ahead of the NEWSROOM. This morning, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is in Afghanistan trying to tamp down a nation's outrage over a U.S. soldier's alleged shooting spree. As Panetta met with government and civilian leaders, militants responded with a pair of deadly bombings.
The big welcomes are done, now it's time to get down to business. President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron meeting this hour in the Oval Office. Earlier, they talked about the importance of the British and American bond.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We stand together, we work together and we bleed together and we build together in good times and in bad because when we do, our nations are more secure, our people are more prosperous, the world is a safer and better and more just place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now let's talk about Afghanistan and go in depth. There's a massive explosion in the Helmand Province earlier this morning. At least eight people were killed. It's one of the areas Defense Secretary Panetta is visiting during his two-day mission to shore up the strained alliance.
A U.S. soldier remains the sole suspect in the weekend massacre. Just minutes ago, Panetta spoke to American troops and told them not to be discouraged by rogue acts such as attacks on civilians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Each of these incidents is deeply troubling, and we have to learn the lessons from each of those incidents so that we do everything possible to make sure that they don't happen again. (END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Sara Sidner is in the Afghan capital of Kabul. Good morning, Sara. Sara, Panetta has been talking to you as troops at Camp Levenek. What more is he saying to them?
SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Earlier in the day, he talked to them about what the mission is now, saying this is really a mission that is in a transitional phase, that the real mission now is to make sure that the Afghan soldiers are properly trained to be able to take hold and take control of their country.
Obviously saying this because in 2012 that is when we're going to see the troop drawdown here. So that was one of the strong messages sent by Mr. Panetta today.
Obviously when he is talking to troops saying that these incidents, he's referring not only to the massacre of 16 civilian, including 9 children and 3 women that happened on Sunday allegedly involving a U.S. soldier.
But the other two incidents that have happened this year that have strained relationships with Afghans and particularly U.S. forces, including one where there is a photo that appears to show soldiers, troops urinating on dead Afghan bodies, apparently members of the Taliban.
And the second one, the burning of the Koran which U.S. troops have apologized for, saying, they did mistakenly that caused obviously a fury in this country that left 40 people dead.
So what you're hearing from him is, you know, these are isolated incidents that the majority of our troops certainly don't reflect the majority of the troops on the ground.
And that the true mission going forward is really to try to get the Taliban security forces up to speed to be able to take over their own country -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Sara Sidner reporting live from Kabul, Afghanistan. We still don't know the name of the U.S. soldier accused in a massacre in Afghanistan and probably won't know until he's officially charged of the crime.
But we do know this. Alcohol was found near his quarters. Whether he was drunk when he left the base in Kandahar remains an open question.
CNN's Barbara Starr was the first to report this latest twist in the investigation. She's continuing to work her sources at the Pentagon. First of all, is alcohol even allowed at a combat outpost?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Alcohol is not allowed for U.S. troops anywhere in the war zone, Carol. There is an order that forbids it. So that's really one of the key indicators here about how maybe something went so wrong at this base. Officials are telling us that certainly the soldiers he worked with, other people will be questioned, did they know there was alcohol there? Did they have any indication that this man perhaps was acting in a strange manner or making strange comments before this incident unfolded?
How did alcohol even come to be on the base? Where did they get it? You can get alcohol in Afghanistan, make no mistake, but it is banned for U.S. troops in the war zone. So that is going to be certainly a path of the investigation.
We also know they're looking very closely at the ballistics of the shell casings found, any DNA evidence still in the houses. Of course, the victims in accordance to Islamic law and religious forces, they have been buried.
No indication that the bodies will be exhumed. That would be culturally a very sensitive matter to undertake. So investigators are going to have to work their way through all of this and get what clues they can.
They are looking at that imagery that was taken by the cameras surrounding the outpost, showing him going and coming back -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Barbara Starr reporting live at the Pentagon. Happening right now on Capitol Hill, George Clooney is testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about Sudan.
He says the Sudanese government is committing war crimes along its border (inaudible) Sudan. Clooney talked to CNN earlier about his recent trip there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR, ACTIVIST: We went up about six, seven hours over the border and saw for ourselves, you know. We were there when they fired three rockets over our head.
We were there when we saw a young man get both of his hands blown off. We were there a couple hours after that. It's very difficult to see these people living in the kind of fear that they have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: During the hearing, Clooney is expected to focus on an oil dispute between Sudan and South Sudan and humanitarian access to those countries.
Rick Santorum rules in the Deep South. He wins both the Mississippi and Alabama primaries. With those victories, he lets delegate frontrunner, Mitt Romney know the race goes on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People have said, you know, you're being outspent and everybody is talking about all the math and all the things that this race is inevitable. Well, for someone who thinks this race is inevitable, he spent a whole lot of money against me for being inevitable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now the candidates are looking to the three contests over the next six days in Missouri, Puerto Rico and Illinois. Political editor Paul Steinhauser joins me now and we'll look at those upcoming contests in a minute.
But let's talk about Rick Santorum and his big win. What happened to Newt Gingrich?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: You know, Gingrich, Romney, Santorum, all heavily campaigned in both states. Romney and his "Super PAC" put a lot of money into it. So why did Santorum come out on top?
He over performed. He did really well with conservative voters and there are a lot of them in Mississippi and Alabama. He did really well with those so-called Born Again Christians, social conservatives. There are a lot of them as well.
Romney, he didn't as well with people around the suburban areas, more moderates. I was in a polling station yesterday right outside Birmingham. That should be Romney country, but no.
COSTELLO: It seems strange that, you know, a Catholic from Pennsylvania wins in the south and Newt Gingrich can't win a state that's next door to Georgia, Alabama?
STEINHAUSER: It was supposed to be home turf, right? And he did win in Georgia, won big a week ago there, one big in South Carolina. He came in a close second and people say, will he drop out now? No.
You heard Newt Gingrich last night. He is not dropping out. He feels there's still a path for him maybe to make it all the way to the convention -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And of course, Mitt Romney didn't do as well as some he'd hoped to. In fact, some people are shaking their heads about that, but he's on to Illinois and he's already spent a big load of money.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, and he's going to spend more there as well. Now, I guess, Illinois is the new Michigan. He had to win Michigan. He did. He had to win Ohio. Now he has to win Illinois on Tuesday. So this story continues. We have a bunch more chapters to come.
COSTELLO: I know. It will be interesting to see if Newt Gingrich really gets out of the race, but I don't think he will.
STEINHAUSER: Not today.
COSTELLO: Not today or anywhere, right? Paul Steinhauser, thank you. Some people in Pennsylvania are getting a lot of money for allowing natural gas wells on their land. But a state agency is not required to tell them about violations.
CNN's Poppy Harlow asked some of these people if they knew about problems that could contaminate their drinking water. Her exclusive report when we come back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They could have walked over and said, this is what's going on. This is a violation. We hope that will be resolved shortly, but they never said a word.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's good news for our country, or should be. Fracking, the extraction of oil and gas from shale, has created thousands of American jobs and greatly reduced the price of natural gas.
But some ask, at what cost? Poppy Harlow has the CNN exclusive from Hughesville, Pennsylvania.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Farming natural gas is a big thing right now.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fracking for natural gas in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale is turning farm towns into boom towns.
TERRY SHANER, LAND OWNER: We're not rich, but it's more money than we ever thought we could get any place else. It's probably 150,000.
HARLOW (on camera): It's 150,000.
(voice-over): We met with folks in Hughesville, Pennsylvania, all who get royalties from natural gas wells on or near their property.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a fairly large amount of ground.
HARLOW: But most of the land owners we met were surprised by something we knew that they didn't, numerous violations at wells on or near their land.
(on camera): Did you know about these violations?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not at all. We had no idea there were any violations.
HARLOW (voice-over): The state regulator, the Department of Environmental Protection or DEP isn't required to tell them, although it does post list of violations online.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If there were violations going on, they should have notified the immediate landowners who joined these wells.
HARLOW: While many violations are minor for things like improper signage. Others could be major like improper cementing of a well. The DEP told us to find out which violations represent a threat to human health, we check online.
But we checked. That information isn't on their web site. To get that information, we were told that like landowners, we could make an appointment for a file review, but it would take weeks. We submitted that request.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have outreach people in each county that go out --
HARLOW: Dave Yoxtheimer researches drilling in the Marcellus Shale. The industry trade group, the Marcellus Shale Coalition describes him as an independent expert.
He says these are violations landowner should know about, violations that could be serious. But as we learned, it could take weeks to obtain any details on those violations.
(on camera): DEP record showed 55 violations at the wells of the families we met with. The records also show 14 of those violations are still unresolved.
(voice-over): Nearly half of their total violations were in Yoxtheimer's serious category. We asked him to explain them to some of the landowners.
Neal Barto wanted to know about two cementing violations at wells on his property, neither of which have been fixed, according to online DEP records.
DAVID YOXTHEIMER, HYDROGEOLOGIST, PENN STATE: That's the cement that is in place around the outside of the steel casing that's designed to protect the groundwater near surface waters from having any potential to have methane migrate up.
HARLOW: Here's why that matters. According to the DEP, if a well is not properly cased and cemented, natural gas in subsurface formations may potentially migrate from the well bore through bed rock and soil.
This stray gas may adversely affect water supplies. Under certain conditions, stray gas has the potential to cause a fire or explosion. These situations present a serious threat to public health and safety as well as the environment.
DEP told us if a violation presents risk to human health, it notifies landowners. The landowners we met say they have never been contacted by the DEP or the well operator, Exco, about any well violations.
(on camera): Who do you think should be telling you about violations? MARILEE BOWER, LANDOWNER: I think the DEP --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: DEP should be.
BOWER: -- and the company. They could have walked over and said, hey, this is what's going on. This is a violation that we hope will be resolved shortly, but they never said a word.
HARLOW (voice-over): Yoxtheimer makes clear not every serious violation means catastrophe.
YOXTHEIMER: Just because the cement wasn't properly in place, it doesn't necessarily mean you have a methane migration issue.
HARLOW: Crystal and Paul Falk's five wells have 23 violations, though they are not concerned.
CRYSTAL FALK, LANDOWNER: We know that the information is on the DEP web site, effects. I feel it's -- I'm given that information and it's my responsibility what I do with that information.
HARLOW: And that's the position of the gas drilling industry.
KATHRYN KLABER, PRESIDENT, MARCELLUS SHALE COALITION: If you're entering into a significant business relationship, one that over tens of thousands and thousands of landowners have entered into with the natural gas industry, it is important to be up on the issues.
HARLOW (on camera): You know what DEP, the regulator says is, look, we posted all these violations online. Just go on your computer and look.
BOWER: Everybody up here does not own a computer.
HARLOW: Do you have a computer?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't have a computer, either.
HARLOW: There are some folks that would say, look, you're making $150,000 off this. It's your responsibility to go online and check for those violations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a problem. I don't have a computer (inaudible) going to buy one to track DEP.
HARLOW: DEP declined our interview request, but said the department is currently considering requiring operators to notify landowners of violations.
Exco, the current operators of the wells around the families we talked to wouldn't agree to an interview, but e-mailed us saying, "They are setting the bar for transparency by proactive self- reporting, town hall meetings, manning a 24-hour hotline and online disclosure."
But all of the violations didn't happen on Exco's watch, until two years ago, another company, Chief Oil and Gas operated some of the wells.
Chief told us none of the violations on its wells rose to the level of notifying landowners. And to be clear, folks here want the drilling to continue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's a wonderful thing what they're doing for the area. I'm not going to stand in the way of progress.
HARLOW: But they may be asking a few more questions as it does.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Poppy Harlow of CNN Money joins us now from New York. Poppy, I've been to that part of Pennsylvania. Most people have well water there and you really have to think about what goes into the ground there because it may affect your drinking water.
I know what you said about the violations and how you can find them online and how people don't have computers, but the onus is still kind of on the landowner, too. This is such a double-edged sword because you can see how the companies might be taking advantage of them.
HARLOW: You know, it's interesting. If you're going to make this money off the wells on your land and you're going to allow them there, you need to know what's going on. The method they have right now is clearly not working for some of these folks because a number of them, about half we met, don't have computers.
Also, Carol, if one of the violations, as you mentioned, does lead to say, methane leaking into the water supply, which is very rare, or an explosion, which again has not happened but it can, it doesn't just impact that landowner. It impacts the entire community, the neighbors.
So this is an awareness issue and this is an industry that is rapidly growing. Thousands and thousands of wells drilled every year in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania. Also since we posted that story, an additional violation has been posted for one of the properties we looked at.
That brings the total violations to 56. Fifteen of them are unresolved. So we're going to keep on top of this story. As we mentioned, we're going to back to Pennsylvania in a few weeks to do an in-person file review, look at the files of all those wells.
We asked to do that when we were there. They couldn't fit us in and said we had to make an appointment. Like a landowner, it takes weeks. We're going to keep on top of this story and see what happens. We'll let you know.
COSTELLO: Poppy Harlow live in New York for us.
CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is now a novelist. His page-turning book gives us an inside look at one of the most secret meetings in all of medicine. We're going to talk to Sanjay next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Experts say at least 300,000 people die every year from medical errors, terrifying mistakes like operating on the wrong side of a brain.
Sounds like the making of a good medical drama, actually a novel and it is. CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the author of "Monday Mornings." It's on the shelves now.
Sanjay joins us live from New York. Where do you find the time to do this stuff? You're crazy.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, a lot of plane rides, a lot of late nights, weekends, you know, just you try to fit it in where you can, Carol.
COSTELLO: OK, so sell it. Tell us about your novel.
GUPTA: Well, you know, I think almost since I started training after I finished medical school, I've been fascinated with these meetings that take place in hospitals, where it's sort of an insiders only gathering where doctors get together.
No lawyers. No administrators, but this is, you know, health care people who hold each other accountable for mistakes. You know, saying, look, a mistake occurred, what happened exactly and how do we prevent it from happening again.
And by the way, everyone else listening in the room, how do we prevent them from ever making that mistake as well? It's a fascinating meeting. It's called morbidity and mortality meeting, death in complications meeting in some hospitals.
But I thought the whole structure of it was fascinating. Again, 20 years, Carol, I've been thinking about this and eventually thought that this might make a good fiction book.
COSTELLO: So one of the doctors is a crusading doctor and is that doctor based on Sanjay Gupta?
GUPTA: No, there's nothing autobiographical here, in fact, all the characters are sort of composites of people I've met in my life or even composites of other fictional characters throughout history.
So nothing like that and the stories are all sort of made out of whole cloth, and it truly is a fiction book. I think, Carol, it need to be. I've never written fiction before.
But I thought in order to be as candid as possible with some of the things I wanted to describe as I take people into these, you know, pretty secretive meetings.
This sort of hallowed tradition, I thought the fiction aspect gave me a little bit more leeway, but no autobiographical stuff in here.
COSTELLO: I know it's fun to play God when you're writing a novel. It must be a great book because I understand TNT has already green lighted a pilot for a television adaptation called Chelsea General.
GUPTA: Yes. Chelsea General is the name of the hospital in the book so that's where the title came from. Yes, you know, it's -- David E. Kelly, who is a terrific television writer, just an amazing guy. He is executive producing the show and they're shooting a pilot.
The TV world, as you know, Carol, is about a thousand steps between now and it ever actually being on air, but it's coming along pretty well. He takes on some challenging topics that make them pretty engaging, so I'm excited as a viewer and a participant.
COSTELLO: You have to have a guest role in the series.
GUPTA: I don't know. I think I kind of like just hanging out with you, Carol and doing this sort of stuff. I'm not sure about the entertainment side.
COSTELLO: I'd like to have a guest role in the series.
GUPTA: We'll try to make that happen, then.
COSTELLO: You manage to make everything else happen, so why not that. Sanjay, thank you for joining us and I'll be the first to buy your book. Thank you so much.
GUPTA: Thank you, Carol. Appreciate it. Let me know what you think.
COSTELLO: Any time. Don't forget you can get your own copy of "Monday Mornings." It's on sale now and the TV show, "Chelsea General," which based on the book will air soon on TNT.
An Ohio state senator says it's time to play a bigger role in reproductive health so she wants to restrict access to Viagra. We'll have that topic and more in our "Political Buzz." That's coming your way next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Checking our top stories now, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is in Afghanistan meeting with U.S. and Afghan officials. He'll try to defuse the outrage over the weekend massacre allegedly carried out by a U.S. soldier. That suspect remains in custody.
Jury deliberations begin today in the privacy invasion trial of former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi. He is accused of using a webcam to spy on his roommate's sexual encounter with another man. The roommate, Tyler Clementi, later killed himself. If convicted, Ravi could face 10 years in prison.
Parts of Boston still without power after transformer fire triggers a major blackout. The fire started last night in the garage in the Back Bay area of the city. At the peak of the blackout, more than 20 homes and businesses lost power.
"Political Buzz" is your rapid fire a look at the best political topics of the day. Three questions, 30 seconds on the clock. Playing with us today, Roland Martin, CNN political analyst, Dean Obadala, he's the co-founder of the Arab-American Comedy festival and Chris Metzler, a professor at Georgetown University. Welcome to all of you.
DEAN OBEIDALLAH, CO-FOUNDER, ARAB-AMERICAN COMEDY FESTIVAL: Sure.
COSTELLO: Okay, first question. A reading of the exit polls from yesterday's primary shows for those who thought the most important quality in a candidate was the ability to beat President Obama. Well, those exit polls show Romney was way out in front with at least 46 percent of the voters saying that.
So the question this morning, should Romney -- should Romney just get on that horse and ride full-out to the finish line, don't even talk about other issues -- Roland.
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: If so, he will be dead in the water. You have to talk about the issues that people care about. You have to be focusing on the economy. What Romney shouldn't be doing is stop talking about NFL owners and NASCAR owners as being his friends and learn to sit down in living rooms to get an understanding of what mom CEOs and dad CEOs are talking about.
Making the argument of electability will never go over well, it has to be about economy, economy, economy.
COSTELLO: Chris?
CHRIS METZLER, PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Yes absolutely. I mean he's got to show that he's electable. He can't just talk about the fact that he's the most electable.
And you know he's got to get away from that, I mean, it was a very awkward kind of sudden thing about the grits and the olives and that kind of stuff, get away from that. Dude, you just seemed so uncomfortable.
So let's talk about jobs, let's talk about the economy, let's actually show what you're going to do rather than talk about the fact that "I'm electable" and "I'm inevitable". If he does that, it's a recipe for disaster. So don't get on that horse too quickly.
COSTELLO: Dean?
OBEIDALLAH: Carol, I don't think it's the horse, it's the rider that is the problem. Let's be -- let's be honest. I mean, look at the guy. And if it was a horse analogy he would say he had seven or eight horses, he bought his wife two horses.
You know we live in a world where everyone focuses on him and they see they have problem understanding what he really stands for. He was pro-life, pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, anti-gay marriage, pro- health care, anti-health care. His campaign slogan should be me too, because no one knows what he's about. He stands for everything you do.
He's got to get to a message that not about electability. And I agree with both of these gentlemen, it's about the issues of today. The economy is number one at every poll I've seen. Talk about jobs, talk about the economy.
COSTELLO: Okay, on to the second question. A state Senator in Ohio says she wants to restrict access to Viagra and similar drugs. I'll let her explain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NINA TURNER (D), OHIO STATE SENATE: It is patently unfair in this country that we simply only focus in on a woman's reproductive health. We've got to show men that we care about them, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Yes, because, you know, Viagra could be harmful. We have to be careful about who we write these prescriptions to. So of course she is tongue-in-cheek with this, right? So is turnabout fair play? Chris.
METZLER: Well I mean, I just think this is kind of silly. Look, you know if you want to have a discussion about Viagra, I don't care who uses Viagra. I don't care who uses contraceptives, I just don't want to have to pay for it. That's really the issue for me.
And so this entire conversation has really just kind of gotten out of control. The issue really started off as one of religious freedom and morphed into something completely different about a war on women's health, now a war on men and all of these kinds of things.
Look at the end of the day, this is really just a silly discussion. If you want Viagra, pay for it.
COSTELLO: Enough said, Roland.
MARTIN: After four hours Chris, it's not a silly discussion. Look, this is the problem here. Men making decisions in a political context have to be forced to have to deal with this. And so you're right, when you begin all of a sudden to put it in a man's perspective, it's like, oh, wow, I can't believe you went there.
I support her 100 percent because when you check these guys who are making these decisions, they're never talking to their mothers or their sisters or their wives or their daughters. And so absolutely, you say pull the Viagra. Trust me, their attitudes would change quickly.
COSTELLO: Okay, time for the "Buzzer Beater", 20 seconds each. And here's the third question. President Obama took British Prime Minister David Cameron to a basketball game in Ohio to show him an America, quote, "Not seen by tourists". Of course as they flew on Air Force One, they rang up a bill of almost half a million dollars round trip. With those resources in mind, where would you take the Prime Minister that is off the beaten path? Dean.
OBEIDALLAH: I would take him to one of my comedy shows. Let's be honest. I would love to have both the President and the Prime Minister. I'll buy him a first drink. Bring him along. Or you know what maybe introduce him to our royal family. The Kardashians, they're amazing. And we have sort of Charlie Sheen. We have royalty too in America, let's meet them. Let's have the Prime Minister meet our royalty.
COSTELLO: Chris?
METZLER: I -- two places. First I would take the Prime Minister to the Apollo in Harlem. So let's do a little show time at the Apollo. I also would then take him to Baltimore, more specifically east Baltimore and west Baltimore, so he gets a chance to see that it's all not tea and crumpets here in the United States. So that's where I'd take him.
COSTELLO: Hey, he had a hot dog at the game. What do you want?
Roland?
MARTIN: We're going to a soul food restaurant and a BB King concert. He needs to get to the soul. And here is the deal we're have stripping grits, Mitt Romney, you're not invited.
COSTELLO: Thanks to all of you. Thank you for playing, we appreciate it.
METZLER: Thanks.
OBEIDALLAH: Thank Carol.
COSTELLO: There are some big political buzz at the White House right now. These are new pictures of President Obama and the British Prime Minister David Cameron meeting at the White House. This is the photo op. Vice President Joe Biden is there along with official U.S. and British delegations.
Just before the big bilateral get-together, President Obama talked about the importance of the relationship between Britain and the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We stand together and we work together and we bleed together and we build together in good times and in bad because when we do, our nations are more secure, our people are more prosperous and the world is a safer and better and a more just place.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: It won't be all business today. Take a look who is coming to a state dinner later tonight with the Camerons and Obamas. Mumford and Sons, a British folk band the Camerons like, they'll play. Also R&B singer John Legend, he's one of the President's favorites. Other guests include British actor Damian Lewis and the golfer, the great golfer Rory McIlroy. We're going to cover it all for you tonight.
More details this morning on a flight attendant's cabin rant.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like they're physically restraining a flight attendant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok, they're physically restraining a flight attendant?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, she lost it.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COSTELLO: We've got the 911 call. So you can hear what the passenger said as this incident occurred.
And if you ever wondered what it's like to be Clint Eastwood, you're about to find out. That story just ahead in "Showbiz".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: "American Idol" producers are reportedly about to kick off a contestant for lying. A.J. Hammer joins us live from New York.
So A.J., who is getting the boot?
A.J. HAMMER, HLN CO-HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": You know Carol, it seems like these issues come up on "Idol" every so often. And now it's contestant Jeremy Jones who is reportedly being kicked off the show. Ryan Seacrest has called this guy a gentle giant on the show.
But TMZ is reporting that he may have been involved in a violent incident last year and he was hiding a criminal past from producers. Now, historically that's usually enough to get you booted from "American Idol". We did reach out to "Idol" and Fox asking for comment on the story so far. They're not saying anything.
Jones reportedly did send out a tweet on his official "American Idol" Twitter account saying he was off the show. That tweet was later removed. The account has been deleted.
So Carol, at least the signs are there. Bad news for Jones if it is true. Good news for "American Idol", I hate to say it, because quite frankly more people will be tuning in tonight to see exactly what happened.
COSTELLO: You're probably right about that. Let's talk about Clint Eastwood. He's really going to do it, reality TV?
HAMMER: At least his family is. Let me explain what's going on here. "Mrs. Eastwood and Company" is the name of the show and it will follow the life and career of Clint Eastwood's wife Dina as well as their teenage daughters, Francesca and Morgan. It's going to debut on E! on May 20th. The show promises to give us the insight into the relationships between Dina, who's a TV reporter and her kids, as well as the romance between 18-year-old Francesca and her 29-year-old boyfriend.
It's a 10-part series. It's also expected to shine the spotlight on a six-member South African singing group that Dina manages. She reportedly found them while Clint was in the country filming the movie "Invictus" and moved them into the Eastwood home. That should certainly be interesting.
COSTELLO: Wow.
HAMMER: And to use Dina's words this series is going to show how the Eastwoods have an unconventional approach to how they live their lives. I'm not exactly sure how much we're going to see the great Clint Eastwood in the show although he is expected to make guest appearances. However Carol, I must say, I never expected to say Clint Eastwood and reality TV in the same sentence, but there you go, in 2012.
COSTELLO: No. It just seems -- it just seems so not him. But you're right, maybe we'll never see him on the show and he doesn't care.
HAMMER: As long as he doesn't show up on "The Jersey Shore" and "Seaside Heights", I think we're all ok.
COSTELLO: Yes, that would be really bad. A.J. Hammer, thanks as usual. If you want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world, A.J.'s got it tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" at 11:00 p.m. Eastern on HLN.
A Goldman Sachs executive goes out with a bang. He quits, and then calls the firm "toxic" in an op-ed piece.
We'll talk about Greg Smith's gripe after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We're just two games into March Madness and it's already crazy. BYU was down 25 points to Iona, but with this basket, the Cougars went ahead for good, BYU went on a 17-0 run to get back into the game. It's the biggest comeback in the history of NCAA tournaments. The Cougars win 78-72 and advance and go on to play Marquette.
Opening game, Western Kentucky, TJ Price converts a three- point play, climax of another thrilling comeback. They hilltoppers rally from a 16-point deficit over the last five minutes. They beat Mississippi State and moved on to play (inaudible) Kentucky. Western Kentucky is the only team in the tournament with a losing record.
That sound you heard yesterday afternoon was of delete keys being punched or scratching erasers. It was probably fans changing their brackets after learning Syracuse is losing Fab Melo. Melo's the best rebounder and shot blocker on the team. But the University has declared his ineligible for the tournament. Syracuse goes in as the number one seed in the East.
President Obama unveiled his brackets on ESPN. The President's final four picks very similar to mine. We each picked Ohio State, UNC and Missouri. The president's fourth team, Kentucky. You can follow how I'm doing in the March Madness Bracket Challenge by going to ncaa.com/costellobracket, and I'll beat you.
A Goldman Sachs worker is resigning in a very public way. He's written a scathing op-ed in the "New York Times", criticizing the culture at the Wall Street firm.
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. I mean this is a scathing op-ed, Alison.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. He had nothing nice to say about Goldman. I'm telling you that. It's good thing he doesn't have to face his boss today, right? We're talking about Greg Smith. He resigned today as an equities director of Goldman Sachs.
While that's kind of, you know, ordinary people resign every day. What made this interesting is that instead of sending his notice to its HR director, he sent it to the "New York Times and in his he said Goldman is all about making money for the firm, not its clients. He calls the culture at Goldman Sachs, toxic, destructive and he goes on to say "It makes me ill how callously people talk about ripping their clients. Over the last 12 months, I've seen five different managing directors refer to their own clients as "Muppets".
Now, Goldman is just any firm, I'll tell you that. It's a Wall Street firm with a gold-plated reputation known to have a real, real tough work ethic.
Now Goldman Sachs is coming out today defending itself, saying it disagrees with Greg Smith saying we will only be successful if their clients are successful.
You know the Twitter-verse, Carol, is blowing up about this. I'm looking at comments everything from one analyst saying, "Whatever happened to blowing off steam about your boss at a local watering hole instead of turning to the 'New York Times' to write a diatribe?" It certainly got us talking, right?
COSTELLO: I know. It's everyone's dream if they don't like their jobs, they'll lash out on their last day. And say every bad thing you can about your employer.
KOSIK: You have to have money to do that. COSTELLO: Yes, most of us don't. We need to get another job if this guy doesn't.
It was an interesting read though --
KOSIK: Before you do that --
COSTELLO: Yes
Well, let's take a look at stocks because the Dow jumped more than 200 points and it seems to be adding to those gains this morning.
KOSIK: Exactly. Those gains are being added to the Dow, which is up 40 points. You know part of yesterday's rally that you mentioned, it happened after word that most banks passed the Fed stress test, meaning that these banks can whether a steep recession. We're watching shares of American Express, Bank of America, up another three percent today because of that.
We're also looking at that Nasdaq. It's also on the rise again. That's after it closed above that 3,000 level Carol, for the first time since the Internet bubble burst 12 years ago -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange.
We've got new details about a flight attendant's on-board episode.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(FLIGHT ATTENDANT SCREAMING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: As you know, that's what many passengers heard as they sat in their seats ready to take off. Some of them called 911. Forget about that cell phone rule. We'll play you some of those 911 calls. That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We're learning more about the American Airlines flight attendant who started yelling and screaming about crashing and had to be restrained. It happened last Friday at DFW Airport.
Ok, so we know that part, but now listen to a 911 call from one of the passengers.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like they're physically restraining a flight attendant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay. They're physically restraining a flight attendant?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, she's lost it. People are helping out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay, yes, they're restraining a flight attendant?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. That's correct.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know what's happening.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay. We have got people coming to you. I want you to know that we've got people coming to you, ok?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And everything is going to be okay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As long as that plane doesn't take off, you are still fine. You're still on the ground, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. We're still on the ground.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Couldn't believe it -- a flight attendant? The flight attendant reportedly is bipolar and had not taken her medication. Authorities say they don't plan to charge her with any crime. The passengers got a new cabin crew and free drinks for their trouble. I think they got some miles, too.
In the battle over abortion, one lawmaker goes after men. She's trying to place some new regulations on their reproduction.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: In today's "Daily Dose", late-like (ph) dementia it turns out has a lot in common with heart disease. Like heart disease, the dementia that affects the brain is usually the result of lifestyle factors. According to a researcher at Johns Hopkins University, some of the main culprits include stress, diabetes and untreated hypertension. The good news is that dementia can be delayed and even reversed with lifestyle changes.
In the world of politics, there is a new backlash to the controversy over women's contraception. One lawmaker wants to turn the table and put the new regulations on men.
CNN's Lisa Sylvester explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Viagra, Cialis and Levitra; these erectile dysfunction drugs have taken the world by storm. NINA TURNER (D), OHIO STATE SENATE: We want to make sure that the man is guided through that process.
SYLVESTER: But if Ohio State senator Nina Turner gets her way, a man's access to these medications in her state would be restricted. Men would not be able to get a prescription without a signed affidavit by their sex partner. They would also have to sit down first with a sex therapist, to determine if the issue is medical, or psychological. And be screened for underlying health issues.
TURNER: It's patently unfair in this country that we simply only focus in on a women's reproductive health. We have to show men that we care about them, too. And for far too long, female legislators have abdicated their responsibility to tell men what they need to do with their bodies.
SYLVESTER: There's more than a hint of sarcasm in Turner's voice. But she insists her bill is a serious piece of legislation.
Turner is one of at least five state lawmakers who have recently introduced bills affecting men's reproductive health. It's in direct response to a significant uptick state legislation governing a woman's access to abortion and contraception. In 2011, there were 1,100 provisions introduced in the 50 states. Up from 950 in 2010, according to the Gutmacher Institute which traps the data.
LYNN WACHTMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To protect the life of the unborn babies who --
SYLVESTER: One such bill has been offered in Ohio by state representative Lynn Wachtmann. His bill would ban an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected. That's usually about six weeks into a pregnancy.
WACHTMANN: Up to 90 percent or so of the babies who are currently aborted would be saved through this legislation. So the very short and quick goal of this bill is to protect the unborn babies here in Ohio.
SYLVESTER: Wachtmann is a member of the Ohio Right to Life Society.
TURNER: Even in cases of rape and incest and only if she's on her deathbed.
SYLVESTER: But Turner sounds off on his bill and others like it.
TURNER: Women should have a right to choose. Whether it's contraception or abortion, it's between them, their God and their doctors, and they should not need a permission slip from government.
SYLVESTER: Getting her Viagra bill passed is a long shot, but Turner says that's not the goal, it's having the debate.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SYLVESTER: Turner is a Democrat. Her party is in the minority in Ohio's House and Senate. But she has found a co-sponsor on the House side, and they're hoping to have hearings on the bill later this year.
Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington.
COSTELLO: Now that should be some lively debate.
Kyra Phillips has the day off. Let's say hello to Ashleigh Banfield. Hey Ashleigh.
