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Oscar Preview; Fixing the Economy; Chandra Levy Breakthrough

Aired February 21, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A possible break in the Chandra Levy murder case. We'll talk to someone who has covered the case from the beginning.

The president and his push to fix the economy, how will it help you?

And tomorrow night's Oscars. There could be two comeback kids. You're in the CNNNEWSROOM, where the news unfolds live this Saturday. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

All right, more money in your paycheck, help for homeowners, that's what President Barack Obama says Americans can expect in the coming weeks as he tries to fix the economy.

CNN's Kate Bolduan is at the White House. So he signed the stimulus bill last week, but he said this is also just a beginning of the end.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just the beginning of, I guess, trying to really get to the end.

Let's get to the end and try to get the economy on track. I guess we should put it that way, Fredericka. It is going to be a busy week for the president. But first, listen here to President Obama during his weekly address, talking about the economic stimulus package, praising it, of course, as he signed it earlier in the week, but also trying to reassure Americans that help is on the way within this package and as he tried to point out, sooner than many may think. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm pleased to announce that this morning that the Treasury Department began directing employers to reduce the amount of taxes withheld from paychecks, meaning that by April 1st, a typical family will begin taking home at least $65 more every month.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: $65 that many Americans could really need right now, but as President Obama also points out during his address, the economic stimulus package is just the first step in trying to get the economy back on track.

Moving ahead to a very busy week having to do with the economy, Monday, the president will be meeting with Democratic and Republican governors from across the country, all in town for the annual Governor's Association Meeting that kicked off today. You can very likely guess that the economy and the stimulus will be number one topic for that group when they meet with the president. Later that afternoon, the president will be holding what they're calling a Bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Summit, bringing together kind of a mixed group of law makers, economists, as well as people from the business and labor sectors to talk about long-term budget issues like Social Security and how to control -- control the deficit.

But the focus really at the end of the week will be on the budget. The president will be unveiling the 2010 budget. And I have to tell you, the country will be watching that to see where budget priorities lie for this president. And as a Republican congressman, Dave Camp, who issued the Republican response today said if the president -- he argues if the president is serious about reining in spending, it will need to show up in this budget, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kate Bolduan at the White House, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

BOLDUAN: Of course.

WHITFIELD: And of course, the president addresses Congress and the nation, Tuesday, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. CNN covers it live. Then Anderson Cooper and the best political team on television will follow.

And at midnight, stick around for a special edition of LARRY KING LIVE.

All right, the public is weighing in on the stimulus package, another rescue plan. Earlier, I spoke with our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser about what the latest poll figures mean.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL STEINHAUSER, DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: We did the poll on Wednesday and Thursday. The stimulus was signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday. You can see right there 6 out of 10 favor it. Only 4 out of 10 oppose it.

But check this out. When we asked will the stimulus package do what it's supposed to do, and that's basically pump up the economy, improve the economy, you can see the numbers drop a little bit there, Fred, down to 53%.

And when we asked specifically will the stimulus package help improve your financial situation, only 3 in 10 say yes. So I think the theme here is they like it overall. It's got tax cuts, it's got spending on things they like, bridges, roads, tunnels, hospitals, schools, but they don't think it's specifically going to help them out, Fred.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, two out of three Americans are giving the president a thumb's up on how he's actually handling his new job, according to all this new polling. So these days, everyone seems to be worried about their jobs and keeping their homes. America's housing crisis is the topic of a special hour of the CNN NEWSROOM at 4:00 p.m. Eastern today.

And we want you to play a part. E-mail us at weekends@CNN.com. And tell us your story. Have you lost your home? Are you about to? Is your mortgage company working with you? Send us your questions and perhaps even your comments. We'll have experts with answers and advice. That's 4:00 p.m. Eastern today, but you can start e-mailing us right now. The address again, weekends@CNN.com.

All right, other news we're following now, a possible break in the Chandra Levy murder case. Two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the case tell CNN there is activity in this investigation. No announcement is expected this weekend. CNN affiliate KGO reports police in Washington, D.C. are seeking an arrest warrant for Ingmar Guandique. He is already in the federal prison system. CNN has not been able to independently confirm that he will be charged, however.

You remember the Levy case gained national attention in 2001, when the Washington intern disappeared. Her body was found a year later. Affiliate KXTV talked with Levy's parents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN LEVY: We want justice. It is truly apparent, there's no justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

S. LEVY: You know, we have a life sentence not having our child, knowing what happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Asked to comment, D.C.'s police chief says there is no new information ready for release at this time. So we're going to talk now to a reporter who actually knows this case inside and out. KXTV's Cornell Barnard has covered the Chandra Levy investigation since the beginning and talked with her parents just last night. He's now on the phone with us right now from Sacramento to tell us exactly what it is that the parents have said to you about the latest developments. Cornell?

CORNELL BARNARD, KXTV NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fredericka. We talked with him last night. They were a bit surprised that after all this time -- keep in mind, it's been about eight years since this case first broke, a bit surprised that finally there could be a break and someone brought to justice. They were actually tipped off by the Washington, D.C. police chief last night before they went out for the evening. They came back. And they spoke with us. I think they're running the gamut of emotions from anger, to disbelief, to possibly there could be a break. And finally, after all of this time again, somebody could finally be brought to justice.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, and we heard from the mother in that sound bite. You know, she says even if there is a break, I suppose was her response, that it doesn't bring her daughter back. And the family's been grieving for a long time. So this break, if there is indeed one, still doesn't bring them any closure, so to speak.

BARNARD: No, no. In fact, they told us very definitively last night that there will never be any closure in this case. They think about their daughter every moment of the day. And again, a bit surprised that finally, that there is a break.

I think that they have had so many false hopes over the years. You know, a possible break. And then it turned out to be nothing. So Mrs. Levy in fact told me that this is a bittersweet moment, but she is just extremely bitter because I think they felt like that they have not been kept in the loop by the Washington, D.C. police. And they have tried to get answers in the past. But again, they weren't really getting the answers they wanted.

WHITFIELD: And...

BARNARD: So they were almost resigned to the fact there would never, ever be a break in the case.

WHITFIELD: Well, I also wonder, Cornell, if they're resigned to just as it seemed like public perception for a moment was resigned to the fact that then Congressman Gary Condit had something to do with the investigation. At least he was the centerpoint of the investigation for a long time in terms of the search for Chandra Levy. What's the latest on him, by the way? And at the same time, do the parents of Chandra Levy have anything to say about this possible break being a huge departure from what was the center of investigation, this man right here?

BARNARD: Right. You know, they don't like to talk about Gary Condit anymore. I spoke with them, in fact, about two weeks ago. I asked about the case. I asked about him. They said, you know, we simply don't talk about that aspect of the case anymore. You know, he was never charged. And they felt like they wanted to move ahead. Gary Condit and his family, they now live in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. Again, he was romantically linked to the 24-year-old. And it ended his congressional career. In fact, just in the last few minutes, we have received a statement from the Condit family.

WHITFIELD: Really?

BARNARD: He says for the Levy family, we are glad that they are finally getting the answers they deserve. For my family, I am glad that their years of standing together in the face of such adversity has finally led to the truth. And again, he goes on to say that the media has a insatiable appetite for sensationalism blocked so many for searching for the real answers for so long.

WHITFIELD: All right, Cornell Barnard, thank you so much with KXTV. Thanks for joining us on the phone. You've been working on this story for a very long time. We appreciate the update from you.

All right, meantime today on this network, 5:00 Eastern time, you heard a little bit from Susan Levy, Chandra Levy's mother. Well, you're going to hear again from her live about the latest developments. That's in the 5:00 p.m. Eastern hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM with Don Lemon.

In Pennsylvania now, an 11-year-old boy is jailed on charges that he shot and killed a woman who was eight months pregnant. The woman's body was found by her 5-year-old daughter. Police have not offered a motive in the case. The boy is charged with criminal homicide and criminal homicide of an unborn child.

And two separate memorials now being held today for the victims of that plane crash outside Buffalo, New York. One for Beverly Eckhardt, who in a terrible twist of fate, was also a widow of a September 11th victim. The silent memorial held this morning for Vietnam veteran Douglas Wielinski as well. He was inside his house when the commuter plane crashed into it earlier this month, bursting into flames. Wielinski's wife and daughter were in the house at the time and survived with minor injuries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL WIELINSKI, DOUG WIELINSKI'S BROTHER: Kim, Lori, Jessica and Jill, your aunts and uncles will always be there for you. While we can never replace your father, we will continue to guide you in the ways that he would approve. Karen, you married into the Wielinski family. You will always be a Wielinski, no matter what. You know we always will love you. We love you, Doug. We will watch over your girls.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Sunday, our hearts go out to all of the family members of those victims.

Meantime, Pennsylvania officials are promising to build a permanent memorial to commemorate the victims of Flight 93. The plane went down in a rural field near Shanksville during the 9/11 terror attacks. Well, officials hope to have the memorial now built and dedicated on the 10th anniversary of that day. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and Senator Specter signed a letter of commitment just yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. EDWARD G. RENDELL, PENNSYVLANIA: I was struck by everyone's determination to make sure that we not only had a memorial to those 40 people who were the first soldiers of war against global terrorism, but that that story would not fade from memory in this country. And everyone's commitment to the concept of having a memorial that 50 years hence, people could come from all over the world and hear about that story and what those 40 brave people did on that day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Governor Rendell says the final design plans will be announced at the next Flight 93 task force meeting. And that's in May.

All right, discussing delicate subjects. In Beijing, Hillary Clinton winding up her first overseas trip as America's top diplomat will look at diplomacy in the making.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A cease-fire in the so-called Switzerland of Pakistan. A provincial government official says he's agreed with local Taliban militants to make a ten-day long cease-fire deal in the mountainous Swat Valley permanent. The one-time tourist haven borders Afghanistan and has reportedly long served as a haven for both Taliban and al Qaeda operatives.

Well, the war on terror was just one of the topics touched on by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai today in Kabul. Her office says they discussed a number of issues, including corruption and the resurgence of the Taliban. Speaker Pelosi reiterated to the Afghan president that the U.S. is fully committed to rebuilding his war-torn country.

So right now, America's top diplomat Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in China, her last stop in a foreign nation week-long tour of Asia. Beyond hoping to repair America's image, she has also expressed wanting to solidify relations with the Chinese.

CNN's senior correspondent Jill Dougherty is in Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Beijing, China was the last stop on this one-week trip by Hillary Clinton. Meetings today with the senior leadership of China and a senior U.S. official briefing reporters, telling us what had happened in those meetings. He said that the -- they covered a lot of ground. Both sides going over the issues that are of concern to them. Everything from climate change to the economic meltdown, to Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etcetera.

He said that the Chinese made it very clear that they want to improve relations with the United States. And Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that it is time to take the relationship to the next level. Here is what she said after the meeting with the foreign minister at a news presser right after that.

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: I appreciate greatly the Chinese government's continuing confidence in United States Treasuries. I think that's a well-grounded confidence. We have every reason to believe that the United States and China will recover and that together, we will help to lead the global recovery.

DOUGHERTY: The issue of human rights came up, too. That has been an irritant traditionally in the relationship between China and the United States. The Chinese for their part brought up essentially two things, Taiwan and Tibet.

Secretary Clinton saying that they need to narrow the differences on human rights. But interestingly, she said that there may be areas in which the United States and China will agree to disagree. Now, what specifically, what was accomplished? Well, there was one agreement to create what's going to be called the Strategic and Economic Dialogue. They still have to put the details on that. It's very new. But Secretary Clinton will be participating in that as will the Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.

So as this trip concludes Sunday, Secretary Clinton will be going to church. After that, she will be meeting with some women's organizations and civil society groups. And then she will jump on her plane and head back to the United States.

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, some fun stuff now. Tomorrow night's Oscars have a couple of comeback kids. We'll follow their journeys to the red carpet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, they were down on their luck and Hollywood almost counted them out. Well, now they're Oscar hopefuls. Again, Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey, Jr. just two of the names raising excitement for tomorrow's Academy Awards. Our Kareen Wynter is at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles.

So Kareen, what is the buzz on these two?

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the buzz, Fred, is that they are truly comeback kids. Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey, Jr., they've had bumps along the way in their careers. But boy, was '08 their year. They've made a spectacular comeback.

So we're going to take a look at some of their accomplishments in just a bit, Fred. But I just want to set the scene here where we are. You see a lot of plastic up. Actually, this is the red carpet right now that is covered in plastic. And it's for a reason. Sure, you know a lot of the media is here. And we're laying down all of our equipment and getting things ready.

But if you look above, you can see the tent as well. And that's because just like last year, Fred, everybody was talking about this, there is a chance of rain. So they have this all here protectively, but come rain or shine, the show will definitely go on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twenty years ago, they were big stars. Ten years ago, their careers appeared to be over. But Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey, Jr. are back. And each could take home an Academy award.

ROBERT OSBORNE, OSCAR HISTORIAN: Hollywood likes a comeback. Not just Oscars but Hollywood it's a business that you know, so many people have ups and downs and slumps. There's nobody that stays a major star forever without a downturn.

GARY OLDMAN, ACTOR: You know what? It's I've got to say it's lovely to see Mickey Rourke back in the frame.

WYNTER: In "The Wrestler," Rourke, who's nominated for best actor, showed the kind of talent that got him noticed in films like "Diner" and "9 1/2 Weeks."

GREG KILDAY, HOLLYWOOD REPOTER: Many people thought he, too, would be one of the most promising actors of his generation. But he drifted away from acting. He had a lot of personal problems.

MICKEY ROURKE, ACTOR: You know, I didn't care about repercussions. So you pay the price for that. You know, and it's a - it's like any profession. You know, I tried to beat the system. And it beat the (EXPLETIVE) out of me.

WYNTER: Already known as being difficult on set, when Rourke decided to try professional boxing, he left his career in ruins.

ROURKE: So I thought when I left the business, I thought I could get back into it in two, three years. And it took, you know, 13 or so. So it was a long, long journey.

WYNTER: A journey that Downey could relate to. He got an Oscar nomination for his 1992 role in "Chaplain." But in the next ten years, his career would stall as he battled drug addiction and spent a year in jail.

ROBERT DOWNEY, JR.: It's like I have a shotgun in my mouth. And I've got my finger around the trigger. And I like the taste of the gun metal.

WYNTER: He says an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in "Tropic Thunder" is less about his career being back on track than his life being back on track.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry, can we cut?

DOWNEY: I just feel good. And then this is kind of a by-product of it, I guess, you know.

WYNTER: And while we may have thought their careers were over...

ROURKE: I'm an old, broken down piece of meat.

WYNTER: This year, Oscar is all about second chances.

ROURKE: I'm more grateful and thankful than I am surprised, if that makes any sense.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTER: And Fred, we're letting you in on an inside scoop. Here's something that you can expect...

WHITFIELD: What?

WYNTER: ...that's different this year. It's not exactly good news. But you know, each year we look forward to seeing the beautiful nominees parading down this red carpet as well as the presenters. Well, not so much the presenters this year. The Academy - they're switching things up. They want to do something a bit different. They're not disclosing who the big presenters will be, because they want more people to tune in. There's been a dip in the ratings, a decline over the last several years. And so they're hoping more people will tune in to see what their favorite stars are going to be wearing on the stage.

WHITFIELD: Wow, OK, now I'm on the edge of my seat. And you know, something different, too, is your cute little baby bump. I just saw it the first time in that wide shot. You're so cute.

WYNTER: You did? I thought I had hidden it. Uh-oh.

WHITFIELD: It's so cute and slight. You're adorable.

WYNTER: I'm being sill, but thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kareen, congrats again.

WYNTER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, hit the red carpet with us tomorrow night with all of your Oscar coverage starting at 7:00 Eastern. And with Kareen, little pregnant lady there, after the awards, tune into "HEADLINE NEWS" for all of the surprises, all the controversies, and, of course, all of the outfits. What's she wearing? A special edition of "Showbiz Tonight" starts 11:00 Eastern tomorrow night.

All right, tracking down America's most wanted fugitive, Osama bin Laden. A California professor is using unique tools to help out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Happening right now, an arrest is expected at any time in the 2001 murder of congressional intern Chandra Levy. Chandra Levy's mother tells CNN that Washington police have informed her that an arrest is imminent. Susan Levy will join Don Lemon live in the newsroom at 5:00 Eastern Time right here on CNN to talk more about that.

President Obama putting an extra $1,200 into your pocket. Yes, according to the Tax Policy Center, which estimates that, that is exactly how much the average American household just might get in tax benefits from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed just Tuesday by the president.

And it's a working weekend for the nation's governors, who are in Washington for their annual association meeting. What's different this year, awaiting their cut of the stimulus package.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RENDELL: I was asked by somebody, what's the mood in Pennsylvania about the stimulus package? And I said, 10% of the people don't like it very much. 10% of the people are enthusiastic. And the other 80% are waiting to see how it works.

GOV. JOE MANCHIN, WEST VIRGINIA: The direction I gave everyone in my agencies is to make sure, first of all, that when you spend a dollar, are you saving a job or creating a job? If not, are you digging a hole deeper?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: President Obama is warning local leaders that the stimulus plan isn't just a blank check. He promises to watch over their shoulders and hopes the American people will as well. Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry has more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Who says you can't fight city hall?

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If a federal agency proposes a project that will waste that money, I will not hesitate to call them out on it and put a stop to it. I want everybody here to be on notice that if a local government does the same, I will call them out on it and use the full power of my office and our administration to stop it.

HENRY: While the stimulus law already prohibits spending on projects like golf courses or casinos, President Obama knows there's always potential for fraud.

OBAMA: That's why we've created recovery.gov so every American can go online to see how their money is spent and hold their federal, state and local officials to the highest standards they expect.

HENRY: Many of the mayors shrugged off the warning, saying they already know the American people are watching.

GAVIN NEWSOM, MAYOR, SAN FRANCISCO: We get called out every day. We have plenty of constituents who will be doing that before the president does.

HENRY: Instead, the mayors focused on getting their slice of the $787 billion pie.

PATRICK MCCRORY, MAYOR, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: This is an opportunity of a lifetime. As a mayor, I'll never experience this again. And perhaps as a citizen of this country, the next ex-mayor of San Francisco, don't think I would will experience it either. So we don't want to screw it up.

HENRY: Several Republican governors like Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Mark Sanford of South Carolina are vowing to refuse some stimulus funds for their states. But some Republican mayors who publicly opposed the plan have no problem taking the money, now that it's been signed into law.

MCCRORY: I'm sending my tax dollars, my income tax dollars along with my constituents tax dollars to Washington. And if I don't spend it, these other mayors will spend it. And that wouldn't be fair to my constituents. So I do not think it's a sign of hypocrisy or a contradiction.

HENRY: The president indicated he's willing to share the wealth with Republicans, with a sting attached.

OBAMA: I will not compromise or tolerate any shortcuts. The American people are looking to us, each of you, as well as myself and Joe and others in our administration for leadership. And it's up to us to reward their faith.

HENRY (on camera): As his first month on the job comes to a close, Mr. Obama knows he has very little margin for error.

Ed Henry, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Illinois Governor Pat Quinn says Senator Roland Burris has a cloud over his head and it's time for him to quit. Quinn says it was a quote/unquote gigantic mistake for Burris to accept the Senate appointment from disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich. The Senate Ethics Committee is now investigating Burris, who revealed that Blagojevich's brother had actually contacted him about raising money. Burris failed to reveal those conversations to state lawmakers during Blagojevich's impeachment hearing, but he says he did not contribute a single dollar to Blagojevich. Those words from Burris.

All right, well, not as bad as many have been led to believe. That's the headline from a new Pentagon report detailing the treatment of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay military prison. According to a defense official with knowledge of the report, Guantanamo has followed treatment standards spelled out by the Geneva Conventions. But the report recommends that changes on how dangerous prisoners are being held are being adhered to. The report was commissioned after President Obama ordered Gitmo's closing within a year.

For eight years, terror mastermind Osama bin Laden has eluded America's military. But an associate professor, armed with a computer, thinks he knows how to find America's public enemy number one. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From his tiny UCLA office, Tom Galesky is on the trail of the FBI's most-wanted man.

TOM GILLESPIE, UCLA ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF GEOGRAPHY: I think everyone would like to know where Osama bin Laden is.

GUTIERREZ: Osama bin Laden has eluded top government intelligence officials for years. GILLESPIE: Here we can see, you know, the building.

GUTIERREZ: So this associate professor of geography and his students have joined the search. It's taken them through the rugged terrain between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It even searched house to house in a town where bin Laden may be hiding.

GILLESPIE: So we hypothesize that this would have been his last known location.

GUTIERREZ: They've done it all from Los Angeles, using high- resolution satellite imagery. The results were published in the MIT International Review.

GILLESPIE: The resolution of the imagery has gotten so high, that for almost every point on earth, almost every day, we have .4 meter resolution of data.

GUTIERREZ: That's about 16 inches. Then they apply something called distant to K theory, which is used in geography to predict the distribution of wildlife like this crested iguana. But this time bin Laden is the endangered species. They began their search by applying what they know about bin Laden, like his last-known location.

GILLESPIE: His last known location was Tora Bora in 2001.

GUTIERREZ: Gillespie's model shows there's more than a 90% probability that bin Laden is not in a remote cave, but in this large town called Prenarchar in a tribal region of Pakistan.

GILLESPIE: We use his life history characterics, which are things like his height, which is 6'4". So assume all buildings have to be over 6'4". He has a kidney dialysis machine. So we assume all buildings had to have electricity. We assumed that there is some protection. So we assumed a wall over three meters.

GUTIERREZ: Then they looked for those buildings and found three that matched.

What if your assumptions are incorrect? For example, the intelligence community doesn't necessarily believe that he is on dialysis?

GILLESPIE: Well, that's a good question. If they believe that, then it would be great if they would tell us and let us know.

GUTIERREZ: Gillespie has no doubt that the government is also using satellites in their hunt. Why not leave it up to the government?

GILLESPIE: Well, as I said, it's been eight years, right? So I mean, at some point I think you can say, like, okay, this is -- let's just do our best to try to create a model for which we can try to find him.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): Tom Gillespie says he did inform the FBI. He went to the website and submitted the study, but he hasn't heard back from them. About the study, the FBI would only confirm they received it. Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Will Iran soon be going nuclear? That is the concern that's become even more serious for the U.S. and its allies after the release of a new report. The Institute for Science and International Security says Iranian scientists have reached nuclear weapons capability. The report says while Iran doesn't have a nuclear bomb yet, it does have enough low enriched uranium for a single weapon. But an official with the U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Agency cautions against drawing such conclusions.

All right, Benjamin Netanyahu is a big step closer to leading Israel again. The former prime minister has been asked by the country's ceremonial president to form a new government. In last week's parliamentary elections, no party won enough seats to gain a majority. So Netanyahu will have six weeks to try to build a coalition. If he doesn't, the process actually starts all over again.

A reaction to a Netanyahu's selection, the Palestinian authority says it would not deal with the new Israeli government if it is not committed to the peace process. A spokesman for Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas says Israel must accept a two-state solution, halt settlements in Palestinian lands, and respect past accords.

Lifting the veil of secrecy. The U.S. government is trying to find out what's hidden in some Swiss bank accounts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, do you like beating the mall crowd by going early in the morning or perhaps late at night? Well now another sign of the times. You may have to change your shopping habits. As of March 1st, that's when almost all Westfield Malls are cutting hours to try and save money. And it means fewer hours for the mall employees as well. Westfield runs 55 malls in a dozen states.

Another bank going under. Silver Falls Bank is the second bank in Oregon to fail in a week. And it's the 14th nationwide this year. Customers won't be shut out, however. Citizens Bank and the FDIC are now taking over.

All right, taking aim at secret accounts. The U.S. government is putting pressure on Swiss banks, looking for information on tax cheats. But a court in Switzerland has blocked the nation's largest bank from turning over any account information. CNN's Frederick Pleitgen takes us inside the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Many secrets are hidden deep into the vaults of banks in Switzerland. But now U.S. authorities are trying to break some of them to light.

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Switzerland's largest bank, UBS, trying to force the disclosure of around 52,000 bank accounts held by U.S. citizens in Switzerland.

In a statement, the Justice Department says, "those secret accounts held about $14.8 billion in assets. Court documents allege that U.S. citizens failed to report and pay U.S. income taxes on income earned in those secret accounts.

UBS says it will fight the lawsuit. However, on Wednesday, the bank had already admitted it helped Americans hide their cash from the IRS and had reached a deal with the Justice Department to pay $780 million for failing to comply with U.S. laws. All of that in a case involving up to 19,000 American UBS customers that was the focus of a U.S. Senate investigation last summer.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: Why would 19,000 U.S. clients with nearly $18 billion in assets choose to open up accounts in Switzerland? It seems plain that part of the answer is that they wanted to open undeclared accounts that the IRS would not know about. They wanted secrecy, and UBS gave them secrecy.

PLEITGEN: Under U.S. pressure, UBS agreed to disclose as many as 300 files on U.S. clients suspected of tax fraud, the Swiss government says. Switzerland is legendary for its banking secrecy. Is that all now over? In a statement, UBS says, no. "Client confidentiality to which UBS remains committed, was never designed to protect fraudulent acts." But experts say the times are changing for UBS and other Swiss banks.

BRIAN CAPLEN, EDITOR, "THE BANKER": I think what it will have to do is it will make sure that every structure it comes up with now, you know, has the stamp of approval of the major tax authorities, like the United States, the U.K. and so on.

PLEITGEN: But for now, UBS is in the line of fire. The IRS has warned U.S. customers of the Swiss bank they will be pursued if they don't come forward to pay what they owe.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, these days, everyone seems to be worried about their job and, of course, keeping their home. America's housing crisis is a topic of a special hour of the CNN NEWSROOM today, 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

And we want you to play a part. E-mail us at weekends@CNN.com and tell us your story. Have you lost your home? Are you about to? Is your mortgage company working with you? Send us your questions. We'll have experts on hand to answer your questions and offer some advice. That's 4:00 p.m. Eastern today. E-mail us right now. The address, weekends@CNN.com.

All right, this week's terrible pet chimpanzee attack reminds us about the unpredictability of wildlife. Our John Zarrella heads to a chimp sanctuary to get some lessons on these powerful animals.

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WHITFIELD: Doctors treating the victim of a chimp attack are moving cautiously. It could take them up to a week to decide how to help a Connecticut woman who was mauled by a friend's pet chimpanzee. Among the options for Charla Nash, a face transplant. She's in stable but critical condition with severe trauma to her face, scalp, and hands. Nash was flown to the Cleveland clinic after Monday's attack. The clinic is where doctors in December actually performed the nation's first face transplant.

The chimp attack is refocusing a lot of attention on primates as pets. Many people forget how powerful these animals actually are. They're up to seven times stronger than an adult man. Our John Zarrella takes us to a sanctuary where former pet chimps are finding a new home.

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JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): September and Pepsi used to be someone's pets. They lived a life not much different than Travis, the chimpanzee that mauled its owner's friend. Backyard chimps, as they are called, become so humanized, experts say, they may not even know they are chimps.

JEN FEUERSTEIN, SAVE THE CHIMPS: Pepsi, when he first arrived here and first met other chimps, he did not want them to touch him.

ZARRELLA: Feuerstein is director of operations at the Save the Chimps facility in Fort Pierce, Florida. This is where September and Pepsi live now, along with nearly 150 other rescued chimps once used in entertainment, for research, or as pets. The people here say no chimpanzees should be captive. But if there's no alternative, they should be in a sanctuary, not a home. Here they live 25 to an island, each surrounded by water. Chimps don't swim.

FEUERSTEIN: It means they can be out here on this island without having to be confined in cages.

ZARRELLA: Bars and steel gates separate where the animals are fed from the staff. The rule here, simple -- only for veterinary care are the animals touched. The reason -- simple. Their power, unmistakable.

FEUERSTEIN: There is no question that a baby chimp is adorable, but they grow up to be 150-pound chimp with a lot of energy, seven times stronger than an adult human, and capable of causing some very serious harm.

ZARRELLA: The Connecticut attack has brought the issue of primates as pets to the forefront again.

WAYNE PACELLE, PRES., HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE U.S.: These animals in private homes are ticking time bombs.

ZARRELLA: Says the humane society's Wayne Pacelle. And only 20 states have laws against it. PACELLE: If the owners are stupid enough to allow this animal into their home, they shouldn't be allowed to jeopardize the rest of the community.

ZARRELLA: Feuerstein says they are like furry humans, making it easy to forget just what they're capable of.

(on camera): Experts say because chimps are so much like humans, we can easily become attached and comfortable around them. And that can be a dangerous mistake.

John Zarrella, CNN, Fort Pierce, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: First, ice storms and tornadoes. Now Oklahoma is fighting wildfires. Dry conditions and strong winds are making it any easier. Fires south of Oklahoma City threatened a number of homes and businesses yesterday. None were damaged that we know of, but several barns were actually burned. and part of state highway 74 was closed just for a while as well.

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WHITFIELD: All right, President Obama steps outside the U.S. and basks in the glow of an adoring welcome. Is the U.S. image being restored to its former glory?

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WHITFIELD: Barack Obama, the candidate, promised change. Part of the goal, he said, was restoring America's image abroad. Well, Thursday's warm reception in Canada shows President Obama may have succeeded at least for now. The story from senior political analyst Bill Schneider. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: In 2004, President Bush went to Canada and faced massive protests. This week, President Obama went to Canada and faced adoring crowds. The new president wants to transform the image of the United States in the world.

OBAMA: In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world rather than a force to help us make it right, has become all too common.

SCHNEIDER: Do Americans believe world leaders respect the president of the United States? Gallup asked that question last year when George W. Bush was president. Only 24% of Americans said yes.

Now with Obama in office, two-thirds of Americans believe the president is respected by other world leaders. But does the public think President Obama has changed the image of the country? Last year 43% of Americans thought the United States rated favorably in the eyes of the world. That has not changed much. Americans and the rest of the world are waiting to see what kinds of policy changes President Obama will make. The biggest change so far -- closing the detention center in Guantanamo. More changes have been promised.

OBAMA: This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East. This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet.

SCHNEIDER: There are some thorny problems ahead, like Afghanistan, where President Obama has announced an increase in the U.S. troop commitment. When asked whether Canada should do the same, Canadians were opposed by nearly 2-1.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And for the record, President Obama did not ask Canada in this last trip to keep its troops longer in Afghanistan. He is asking, however, other allies to deepen their commitment.

All right, this developing story to tell you about. Police say they are close to making an arrest in the 8-year-old murder case of Chandra Levy. And it is finally time for a memorial honoring the crew and passengers for United flight 93. Members of congress say yes.

And every day more bailout billions. But what's the total cost?