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Less Money, Less Security; Clinton Offer Dialogue with Taliban; 911 Calls During Nursing Home Rampage; Breaking the Ban on Cuba; Europe's Affair With President Obama
Aired March 31, 2009 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Wheels up. President Obama on his first overseas trip. First up, tackling the global financial crisis with the world's economic powers.
Fargo flood waters slowly recede but a blizzard's winds could put more pressure on sandbag dikes. The latest forecast from our severe weather center.
And Dow downer. Why Wall Street could make a turnaround today after Monday's slide. It's Tuesday, March 31st. I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
But first, we want to talk a little bit more about the trip itself. After the G-20 summit, the president is scheduled to stop in France, Germany, the Czech Republic and Turkey.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As candidate Barack Obama, he was a European sensation. Now as president, he arrives in the midst of a full-blown economic crisis.
OBAMA: The response that people have had to our administration and the steps that we've taken are ones that are restoring a sense of confidence and the ability of the United States to assert global leadership.
MALVEAUX: First stop, London, England, for the G-20 Summit where the leaders of 20 countries who, together, represent more than 85 percent of the global economy, will tackle the worldwide economic meltdown.
STEVEN SCHRAGE, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ANALYST, CSIS: Fire has continued out of control and spread to hit most of the world. You've had, you know, devastating impacts on global trade. You've also seen seeds of potential instability with unemployment and protests ranging from Latvia to China.
MALVEAUX: Already in anticipation of the international gathering, protests are raging in many European streets, some of it squarely directed at the U.S.
SCHRAGE: There's a lot of anger at the United States or that national actions or national inattention led to this crisis, even if, in reality, it was also international as well.
MALVEAUX: In London, President Obama will meet with Queen Elizabeth II and the leaders of Britain, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India and South Korea. His message, the recovery of the U.S. economy is tied to the economies around the world.
OBAMA: All of us are going to have to take steps in order to lift the economy.
MALVEAUX: But just five months ago at the last G-20 Summit held in Washington, D.C., most of those same leaders who pledged to fight for protectionism and support free trade have broken their promises. So the question is whether this time will be any different.
SCHRAGE: The last statement was really a toothless tiger. Everyone ignored it and went ahead and enacted protectionist measures 17 out of the G-20.
MALVEAUX: Even President Obama is accused of back pedaling.
SCHRAGE: The administration said major commitments to open markets and free trade but it allowed things like Buy America to go forward. Are we walking away from those commitments? It's going to be a critical question for the world that it's making a lot of people nervous.
MALVEAUX: Across the globe stock markets have plummeted, unemployment skyrockets and poverty increases. World leaders are looking for different ways to fix their crumbling economies.
The U.S. is most invested in pumping lots of money into its economy to stimulate growth but in the Czech Republic where Mr. Obama will visit on Saturday its former prime minister said Obama's economic plan was the road to hell. Some analysts say that provocative statement reflects a popular sentiment among European leaders.
STEVEN PIFER, EASTERN EUROPEAN ANALYST, CSIS: They probably agree with him in the sense that there is this substantive difference over emphasis on stimulus versus emphasis on regulatory reform but they probably would have referred that the Czech prime minister not speak with quite that level of candor.
MALVEAUX (on camera): Mr. Obama's week-long trip with also take him to France, Germany, the Czech Republic and a predominantly Muslim country, Turkey. The president will tackle many issues including climate change, energy, terrorism and nuclear threats but to be sure the economy will be front and center.
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: French President Nicolas Sarkozy has a warning for his world leaders. Either make real progress on solving the economic emergency or he'll walk.
CNN senior international correspondent Jim Bittermann joining us now live from Paris.
Good morning to you, Jim. What's this all about?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
It was all over the French press this morning. In fact, President Sarkozy apparently told some of his advisers a couple of weeks ago that if he does not see forward progress at these G-20 meetings, that he was perfectly capable of getting up and leaving the summit.
I asked his chief diplomatic adviser, Jean-David Levitte, about that on exactly what the president meant to say. Here is what he responded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN DAVID LEVITTE, CHIEF DIPLOMATIC ADVISER TO FRENCH PRESIDENT: We must be ambitious. That's what the people of the world expect from us. And to reveal confidence in the future of the world economy is really the message from the G-20 summit. So we cannot fail. That's the message.
President Sarkozy thinks that this summit is of the utmost importance for the whole world. We cannot fail. We have to adopt very strong conclusions in terms of stimulus, for the world economy, but also in terms of regulations. And regulation for us is as important as the size of the stimulus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BITTERMANN: And, in fact, on that point of regulation, in fact, the president's diplomatic adviser was very, very strong indeed. He basically said he was talking about regulation of all areas of the financial community. Here's the way he put it.
It doesn't look like we have that sound bite. In any case, he said that the regulation should apply to, in fact, stockbrokers, to hedge fund managers, but everyone should have a much tighter control over what they do in the financial communities if we're going to avoid the kind of financial crisis that we're in right now.
I should say one other thing about this idea that President Sarkozy might walk away from it. The French have a lot vested in this process, the G-20 process. They believe they fathered the whole process back in the declining days of the Bush administration back in November of 2008 when they suggested that the G-20 leaders get together and handle the financial crisis as a group.
This is the second of those kinds of meetings. So, in fact, it's probably very unlikely that they would walk away from them but they do feel very strongly as Jean-David Levitte said that they have to succeed, the world leaders have to succeed at this summit that's upcoming. Heidi? COLLINS: Well, Jim, that's exactly what I was going to say. If they feel like they are sort of the founders of this whole summit, number one, and number two, we heard even the foreign policy adviser tell you that the president feels very, very strongly about this, Sarkozy himself, so it seems odd that he would even consider walking away, if the feelings are so strong.
BITTERMANN: Well, what he wants is a strong result here and so if it doesn't look like that's strong result is going to come, they'll walk away because they're not getting what they want from the other leaders. So I think at some point, in some ways it's kind of a bargaining chip but opening gamut, if you will.
But the fact is they do feel very strongly on having something real come out of this and not just words. And his adviser told me that this morning. Heidi?
COLLINS: Yes. And that's the discussion. All right, we sure do appreciate it, Jim Bittermann. Keep us posted on all of that. Sure do appreciate that.
The G-20 Summit, the stakes are huge. The alliance of economic superpowers accounts for about 85 percent of the world's output. So decisions made in this week's meetings could impact nearly every person on earth.
CNN's Christine Romans joining us now with more on that part of the story.
Christine, we even heard from George Soros on this. He says that G-20 meeting is a make or break event for global markets. Why?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And he's not the only one saying that, Heidi. In fact, he is saying that global cooperation and what kind of common face and common foot forward is put through here -- sorry, I'm hearing myself back in my ear -- is incredibly important for how we get out of this mess.
I mean, look. All of these leaders are facing really tough situations at home because of something that many of them think started here in the United States with western style capitalism. I mean it's under assault here. And the president is going to have to try to restore some of that authority, moral authority if you will, over western capitalism.
Look, the global economy is going to shrink since the first time probably since World War II. Global and industrial production down some 15 percent. The world's factories are slowing. We'll see the first drop in trade since maybe 1982. The sharpest in 80 years. These are all the things that these leaders are concerned about and the way out of it, how are we going to do that? And is the United States going to be able to lead?
COLLINS: Yes. All right. There's an awful loss to talk about in all of this and, Christine, we're going to be talking with you again coming up next hour. So do the politics and money at the G-20 Summit.
Christine Romans is going to look at the numbers and Jim Clancy of CNN International is going to be looking at the political equation here. That's about an hour from now right here in the NEWSROOM.
We also have a developing story out of France to tell you about. Outrage over job cuts spark another incident of so-called boss napping. Hundreds of workers at a Caterpillar factory in Grenoble have taken five managers hostage. The employees are demanding the U.S.-based company negotiates its plan to slash 700 jobs.
It's the third time this month, in fact, French workers have held executives captive. The two other incidents ended peacefully.
Snow in the flood zone. One Fargo resident says it just makes everything miserable. The new storm could dump another 14 inches of snow on the Red River valley today. Whether it causes the river to rise again, nobody really knows. The water level has been dropping since Saturday but there's still a lot of pressure on the levee and city leaders say they are not letting their guard down just yet.
Rob Marciano is watching all of those levels as well as the snowstorm.
So what are we going to see here today, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, they're going to see snow, they're going to see wind but they'll continue to see the river go down, albeit very slowly.
Here's the latest chart, Heidi. Showing you the crest back over the weekend, 40.81 inches, a record crest there, and then slowly dipping below record stage but still in major flood stage and will remain that way over the next several days.
But notice that the slow decline continues so that's good news. Even with the amount of snow that they're seeing right now, that is not going to add to the river as it continues to exit off to the north into Canada.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: So, winter, even April is, what, tomorrow?
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: Has not given up.
COLLINS: No. Not at all. All right, Rob, keep us posted on all of that. Thank you.
MARCIANO: You got it.
COLLINS: Your home, it is your biggest investment. Is it also one of your biggest worries, though? New numbers this morning on home prices. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Just in. New numbers on your biggest investment. A few minutes ago, the government released new measures on home prices so let's get the details now from our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis.
This is a number everybody seems to be looking at, Gerri.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: It is the number everybody looks at. And it's from S&P Case-Shiller. It's their 20- home, 20-city home price index. It's down at a stunning amount. 19 percent year over year.
COLLINS: Wow.
WILLIS: This is January over last January. Now I have to tell you, Heidi, this comes as a surprise to the market because the market has been expecting that home prices would have fallen 18.3 percent. And you know, any little difference is very big to homeowners, of course.
This comes as bad news because we had seen existing home sales make a turnaround.
COLLINS: Yes.
WILLIS: We had seen new home sales make a turnaround. There was an expectation out there that, you know, maybe, just maybe, we were coming into the bottom just last week.
I talked to Mark Zandi who was one of the economists well known for following this market. Very on target. He said he was feeling a little more optimistic but the January numbers just don't bear it out.
I want to tell you some good news and bad news scenarios out of these numbers. Worst performing cities in January.
COLLINS: Yes.
WILLIS: Phoenix prices. Phoenix, Arizona, down 35 percent.
COLLINS: Holy cow.
WILLIS: Las Vegas down 32.5 percent. San Francisco down 32.4 percent. You can see some of these cities really in free-fall here as this market continues to decline.
Now best performers might be a surprise to you. Dallas, Denver, and Cleveland which is interesting because we know Cleveland, Heidi, has had a lot of economic problems and we know that the housing situation there has been dire. Houses in Cleveland going for the price of a car. So -- in some markets, I should say.
But the news here, not positive. Not upbeat. We have been expecting something a little bit better. It didn't happen. And this just tells you that the trouble we've been having in the housing market will take a while to work off. Heidi?
COLLINS: Absolutely. But we know that already, right? 19 percent. Ouch. All right. Gerri Willis, thank you.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
COLLINS: You might not have the symptoms but new research could tell you if you'll suffer from anxiety or depression before it ever happens. Understand what it means. We'll go to the telestrator with our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Maybe a good idea to pass those pistachios at least for now. Food and safety officials are warning against eating pistachios while they figure out the source of a possible salmonella contamination.
Setton farms, it's a processing plant in California, has recalled 200 million pounds of roasted pistachios that may be tainted with the bacteria. Nobody has gotten sick from eating the nuts but salmonella strains were discovered last week during a routine test.
Researchers say they can predict if you'll suffer from anxiety or depression long before any symptoms develop. To explain how it all works let's bring in CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Yes. How does this work?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is fascinating stuff for a couple of reasons. Two reasons really jumped out at me. One is this idea that you can have an objective test to tell if someone may develop depression later on in life.
And two, you could have these markers, little predictors, if you will, about depression. A fascinating study, a 25-year-long study out of Columbia looking at all different age groups to try and figure out what happens in the brain in someone who is set up to develop depression later on.
They did MRIs early in the study. And what they found later on, again, this is really fascinating. This is the right side of the brain here. This purple area represents sort of a thinning of that right cortical side of the brain, the surface part of the brain. Compare that to the left side of the brain where it's very thick.
So there is this thinning of the right side of the brain that may be relevant. The right side of the brain, we know is, in part, responsible for emotions with lots of other things. So if it is thinned, could that be a predictor of depression later on in life?
That's what these researchers are saying. Again, fascinating because you have objective tests for it.
COLLINS: Sure. GUPTA: And two, it might be predictive.
COLLINS: Yes, no kidding. Does this mean, though, it's a genetic precursor for depression? I mean if you -- if as a parent you are depressed your kids could be, too?
GUPTA: Yes. So -- and that I think is becoming more well- established that there is a -- if a parent has depression or even a grandparent, the child or grandchild is more likely to have it.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: But your question is a good one and it's one that comes up in science all the time. Sort of the chicken and the egg question.
COLLINS: Right.
GUPTA: If you grow up in a household where a parent is depressed, does that cause a thinning of the right side of your brain or is it genetic? Were you born that way and you're more likely to be set up for depression?
Don't know the answer to that. But, Heidi, you know, this idea that you might be able to predict later on. We're not ready to -- you know, this isn't ready for everyone to go out and get screened yet.
COLLINS: Right.
GUPTA: But could you have a predictive test and more importantly, are there treatments or medication or something that might lead to a thickening, if you will, of that side of the brain possibly helping with symptoms of depression?
COLLINS: Yes. To prevent it or to ward it off completely maybe.
GUPTA: Yes.
COLLINS: I get it. And not there yet but fascinating study. It takes a lot of study to make a determination like that, clearly.
GUPTA: That's right.
COLLINS: All right. Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, welcome back to you as well.
GUPTA: Thank you, mama (ph). Appreciate it.
COLLINS: Just as its threats of historic floods decrease in parts of North Dakota, a major snowstorm continues to smack the area.
Let's get straight to Reynolds Wolf now in Fargo for us this morning
Hi there, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, Heidi. Coming to you from Fargo, North Dakota. As I mentioned, if you look across this snowy patch of sky right across the Red River which has escaped its banks and the water has been going down which is certainly some great news but, at the same time, you know, we're still dealing with a major flood.
I'll tell you on both sides of the river, conditions are the same. As Rob has been telling you all morning long, the snow has been coming down to beat the band. We're not done yet. You're going to be seeing more of that snowfall as we make our way through the afternoon and evening hours and possibly into tomorrow as well.
Now right next to me you can't see it due to the heavy snow but if I already move a little bit of this away you'll notice underneath here you can see some raw earth, and that earth is part of this earthen dam, one of many that stretches for hundreds of miles up and down the Red River.
And it's not only this earthen dam that's holding back some of the water, but it's also sandbags. Now if you look off here in the distance you can't see it from this vantage point, but I can tell you that you've got against this earthen dam some have been covered by a little bit of tarp and then right there in the middle of the ice you'll notice a basketball goal that's peering out of the icy water.
Now that just a few days ago was almost completely submerged but now it's getting a little bit taller as that water continues to go down.
And I'm with photojournalist Steve (INAUDIBLE) and we're going to walk over here and show you something else. One big concern we've had on the river has been not with the snow, of course, but with the wind. The wind has been very strong and with that it's been pushing a lot of waves up against these levees that we have.
And you see the problem what you have when you have those -- that wind pushing the water up against the levees you have to think about -- well, you have to think about the sandbags. And the sandbags with this cold weather is very solid. These sandbags are almost like bricks.
Well, when you have sandbags that are similar to bricks and you have that water that continues to flow in, well, it's going to cause those sandbags to push a little bit and then when the water recedes, well, guess what, you have some spaces that are made in those sandbags.
So when that water gets in it really begins to test the strength of the sandbags and test the strength of the levees and then you've got some serious issues. Because of that, remember, we've got a lot of sandbags just yesterday in Fargo. They finished making some -- let's see. I think they had made over three million sandbags...
COLLINS: Yes.
WOLF: ... in this area. They've got a bunch in reserve. Over on the other side over in Moorhead they're doing the same thing yesterday. Just keeping a sharp eye on the river. Certainly tough times.
Let's send it back to you, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, no question. And boy, oh, boy, it looks so cold where you are as well. I know it makes it a lot worse for everybody there.
Reynolds Wolf coming to us from Fargo, North Dakota today. Thank you, Reynolds.
Offering an olive branch in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talking this morning about a new plan for dealing with the Taliban.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins.
COLLINS: Wall Street is on a rollercoaster ride. Stocks plunged more than 3 percent yesterday after the government raised the possibility of a bankruptcy in the auto industry. But, today, we are expecting a rebound.
Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with the preview. She's going to make it all happen.
Hey, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, that's a heavy demand, Heidi.
You know, what's that old expression about March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb?
COLLINS: Yes. Something like that.
LISOVICZ: Yes. Well, March came in like a bear and it may go out like a bull. We are expect ago bit of a bounce back. Of course, there's still a lot of nervousness on this last day of the month. And the final day of the first quarter and there is the opening bell.
While the markets will end the first quarter sharply lower, the Dow is likely to post a gain for March after six straight monthly declines.
COLLINS: Amazing.
LISOVICZ: Yes. We welcome that and we welcome more of it. It's spring. It's the new season. Time for growth in our 401(k)s.
At the top of the hour, Heidi, as you've been reporting, we got a report showing home prices fell by a record 19 percent in January from a year ago. And more problems to the newspaper industry. Sun-Times Media Group, owner of the "Chicago Sun-Times"...
COLLINS: Yes, I saw that. LISOVICZ: ... and a dozen suburban papers, filing for bankruptcy. Very hard times, indeed, for the newspaper industry. Our focus is also overseas. World leaders gathering in London to discuss ways to fix the global financial crisis. President Obama on his way to the G-20 Summit, which will be held on Thursday. Before heading overseas, the president appointed an auto czar.
University of Maryland Dean Ed Montgomery, who also served under President Clinton will focus on funneling federal money to people and places hurt by the auto industry meltdown.
Meanwhile, Ford introducing a plan to boost sales that will cover up to one year of payments on any new Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury vehicle. If the buyer loses his job, the automaker also offering zero percent financing on some cars. There is a deal if you've got the funds, certainly in showrooms across the country.
As for confidence on Wall Street, well, we're seeing it. The Dow Jones Industrials right now up 72 points and one percent. The NASDAQ also up one percent on this final day of March.
Heidi, back to you.
COLLINS: So a Maryland Terp is going to be the auto czar, huh?
LISOVICZ: He is. And he is an economist, I believe, who specializes in jobs -- jobs and local economies. And certainly, we could see the rust belt benefiting from his expertise.
COLLINS: Yes. You know, that's a great school, that University of Maryland. Susan Lisovicz...
LISOVICZ: You don't have any -- you don't have any special loyalties there?
COLLINS: Thank you, my dear. We'll talk to you shortly.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
COLLINS: It could be one of the most important economic meetings in decades. President Obama already on his way to London for this week's G-20 Summit. It brings together heads of states from 19 countries and the European Union.
Our Don Riddell is live outside 10 Downing Street in London for us this morning.
So, Don, what's riding on this year's summit?
DON RIDDELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, if you believe the words of George Soros, one of the world's richest men, Heidi, full-scale global depression is the price of failure here at the G-20 this week. And I think that is why we might already be hearing that some of the leaders are perhaps scaling back on their expectations of what they can actually achieve. We heard Gordon Brown speak this morning as the host of the G-20 Summit and, of course, the British prime minister. He was speaking in St. Paul's Cathedral, and saying this is only the start. And, we're already -- word from inside Downing Street, his London residence here, is that perhaps we really are in a process and we are more at the start of the process than the middle or the end. Then we're already hearing that the G-8 Summit in July may actually be upgraded to a G-20 so they can continue whatever work they start here in the summer.
COLLINS: Wow. That's a little scary for some people maybe thinking that there's not going to be anything that happened here so they have to go and try again. But we are hearing a lot of different things this morning. One of them is that the French President, Nicholas Sarkozy, may actually pull out of the summit. What are you hearing on that?
RIDDELL: Yes. That was a story that was covered specifically by "The London Times" this morning, Heidi. I'm not sure he actually made that explicit threat that he would pull out, but it was certainly implied that if the meeting didn't go the way he was liking, that he would reserve that threat. And when someone in his administration was pushed on that, and whether he was serious, the response was, well, the basic rule of having a nuclear deterrent is that you don't tell everybody when and if you're actually going to use it; otherwise, it wouldn't be a deterrent.
So they are keeping it vague, but the threat would appear to be there. And if that were to happen, if Sarkozy or any of the leaders were to walk out, it really would scuffle the entire summit.
COLLINS: Yes. Well, hopefully, it won't happen. Don Riddell, we sure do appreciate that, live from London this morning.
Anger, fear and frustration, all perfectly understandable reactions to the global economic crisis. But as Paula Newton tells us now, when the negative emotions increase so do the threats of international security.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): The riots, the protests, the anger gripping parts of the world. These are very vocal and sometimes violent reactions to the economy and how it threatens people's financial security. But for weeks now, American intelligence authorities have been warning the biggest risk to global security now comes not from terrorists, but from the money meltdown.
To quote the Obama administration, time is probably the greatest threat now. The longer a recovery takes, the more likely serious security consequences.
ADM. MIKE MULLEN, JOINT CHIEF CHAIRMAN: I worry a great deal, as we work our way through this, and I think it's going to take longer than -- rather shorter to do that. I worry about the effect that has on stability or instability throughout the world. NEWTON: While instability in high-risk countries like Pakistan isn't driven solely by the economic crisis, intelligence officials around the world worry about hot spots, where it will be hard to predict, if and when, the economy will drive people and countries over the edge.
GUY RYDER, INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION: It's going to be massively damaging, and it can be the type of asymmetric conflicts that I think have us all pretty scared these days. And I think its consequences are extremely difficult to forecast. NEWTON (on camera): The other security headache? Senior U.S. Intelligence sources tell CNN they are worried that the financial crisis has left the world more vulnerable to a terrorist attack, because we're not as equipped to bounce back. That, as one source put it, even a coordinate series of smaller attacks could cause a devastating blow.
MALCOLM CHALMERS, SECURITY ANALYST, RUSI: If there were to be another serious terrorist attack, it really could tip some societies over the edge. So I think we should be very worried about the combination of economic weakness and terrorism.
NEWTON: And so all eyes are on London and the G-20 meeting this week. Government officials are blunt. This meeting isn't just about your money. The decisions made here this week could be a way of safeguarding security for years to come. Paula Newton, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Threats in Afghanistan being discussed at The Hague this morning. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is there, so is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She spoke a short time ago about a controversial plan that calls for opening up a dialogue with former Taliban fighters.
CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour joining us now live from New York this morning.
So, Christiane, what does Iran's presence at this meeting signal? And this does have significance here.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, exactly. I just come back from a 12-day trip in Afghanistan where speaking to Afghan officials, as well as U.S. military officials and Afghan civilians. Basically, the overriding message is that the big challenge that needs to be implemented is so-called the civilian part of development in Afghanistan, because there's a fight and a competition for allegiance right now based on economic desperation.
In that, if people are still too poor to be able to make their own way and their own living, and to have some kind of financial stability, even though it's small, they would be less likely to be attracted into the arms of the Taliban or those who try to imitate the Taliban, who pay them a small amount of money to put IEDs on the road and the like. The interesting and the positive aspects are that polls show in Afghanistan less than 10 percent support the Taliban. 85 percent, for instance, are women optimistic about the future. And in Pakistan as well, a minority now support extremism. So it's important to grab hold of those and to fulfill the promises the U.S. made. In terms of negotiating with the Taliban, that's going to be sort of difficult. Nobody there quite knew who was the Taliban, they were meant to be negotiating with. And as for Iran, its presence incredibly important because it, too, says -- and officials have told me, they want a positive and constructive partnership with the U.S. in order to stabilize and secure Afghanistan - Heidi.
COLLINS: Is that possible?
AMANPOUR: Yes.
COLLINS: Can they be a trusted partner?
AMANPOUR: Yes, it can be possible, Heidi. Why? Because we've already seen it. In the Bush administration, Iran was at the able after the invasion that led to the end of the Taliban and al Qaeda after 9/11. Iran was at the table with U.S. officials discussing stability, security and the formation of the new Afghan government, the president Hamid Karzai. That was back in 2001.
And even by the Bush administration's acknowledgment, Iran played a positive and constructive role. So it is possible. And meantime, Iranian officials also telling me that not only do they want to work on Afghanistan with the U.S., but they are waiting for the promise reach out the President Obama has been talking about since even before he was elected. It hasn't happened yet, but they say they want to engage on mutual interest, mutual respect and in a positive partnership with the U.S., not just on Afghanistan, but on the whole global level of issues that exist between the two countries.
COLLINS: Yes, it will be interesting to watch, that's for sure. We have also heard from a couple of different sources here that we don't expect Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be meeting with any Iranian representatives, correct?
AMANPOUR: That's correct. And why? Because this is not the forum where they are going to have substantive discussions. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is there. The U.S. has not yet formally reached out to Iran. They talked a lot about it. There had been media messages. There's been President Obama's Nowruz, New Year message, all of which were taken very positively. But what hasn't happened is a formal outreach.
And the Iranian representation at The Hague meeting today is not of the foreign minister level. So it would be inappropriate for any substantive negotiations or reach-out to happen, although, some believe that there might be an informal -- you know, what they call in diplomatist, apparently,(INAUDIBLE) to say hello, to say we want to do this, to say, you know, to have some kind of pleasant exchange while they are at the same conference.
COLLINS: All right. CNN's international correspondent Christiane Amanpour. Christiane, thank you.
A special election in New York's 20th congressional district. Today, voters pick between Democrats Scott Murphy and Republican Jim Tedisco. Tedisco is an experienced lawmaker with a backing of RNC chairman Michael Steele. Steele says this is the GOP's chance to start a comeback.
Murphy is a venture capitalist who has the endorsement of President Obama. A win could show the president still has plenty of political clout. This special election came up after Kirsten Gillibrand left her seat to take over Hillary Clinton's spot in the Senate.
Is the bloom off the rose? President Obama's popularity in Europe could take a hit.
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COLLINS: Hiding from a killer. People inside a North Carolina nursing home pleading for help when a shooter went on a rampage. Police are now releasing those chilling 911 calls.
CNN's Joe Johns takes a listen.
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JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We couldn't see the terror inside the nursing home, but we could hear it.
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Please come to Pinelake Nursing Home. Somebody's over here shooting. Please help me.
He's coming. He's coming.
JOHNS: 911 calls released today reveal the horror as a gunman walked into the Pinelake Health & Rehab Center in North Carolina and, armed with several weapons, opened fire.
UNIDENTIFIED OPERATOR: Ma'am, we already got people en route, OK?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Please hurry. Please.
UNIDENTIFIED OPERATOR: They are already on the way, ma'am.
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Oh, God, please!
UNIDENTIFIED OPERATOR: How many people injured?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: I think we got two!
JOHNS: One woman whispered as she pleaded for help.
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: He's inside the building. Please. He just got through shooting in the room. Please help.
JOHNS: Another described the killer.
UNIDENTIFIED OPERATOR: What does he look like?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: He is a white man with a long Shot gun.
UNIDENTIFIED OPERATOR: White male, long Shot gun?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED OPERATOR: Hang on, ma'am, don't hang up, OK?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: I'm going out that window. I'm calling my mama to come get me!
JOHNS: When it was over, seven elderly residents and a nurse were dead. Three others were wounded. Among the murdered victims, a 98-year-old man.
A small town with less than 2,000 people now coping with unimaginable grief.
CHIEF CHRIS T. MCKENZIE, CARTHAGE POLICE DEPARTMENT: I don't know no other word than horrific. Everything that you can possibly imagine that is bad in this world. It's horrible. This doesn't happen, but it did.
JOHNS: Police captured the suspect, 45-year-old Robert Stewart, and are searching for a motive.
MAUREEN KRUEGER, MOORE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: This was not a random act of violence. There's only one suspect, and he is in custody.
JOHNS: Authorities say Stewart's current wife worked at the nursing home, and they may have been separated. But they will not disclose whether she was in the building at the time of the shooting. Stewart's ex-wife was shocked, but not completely surprised.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you ever imagine that he would be capable of such a thing?
SUE GRIFFIN, ROBERT STEWART'S EX-WIFE : Depending on the circumstances, I think.
JOHNS: He faces eight counts of first-degree murder. Other charges are pending.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: You haven't been allowed to go there in decades. But, now, some members of Congress are trying to make Cuba a hot destination spot for U.S. citizens.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: Cuba could soon be back on the map for American tourists looking for a quick get-away. Some members of Congress are introducing legislation to lift a band against U.S. citizens. Visiting Tropical Island just next door to Florida. It used to be a tourist hot spot before Fidel Castro took power. Our Jim Acosta has the story.
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JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tessie Aral, the owner of this Miami travel agency that specializes in trips to Cuba, is in a good mood these days. Ever since Washington loosened the travel restrictions on Cuban-Americans visiting the island, Aral says non-Cuban-Americans have been calling in, wondering when they can join the party.
TESSIE ARAL, ABC CHARTERS: I think most Americans are going to want to try to travel to Cuba because it's been the forbidden fruit for so long.
SEN. BYRON DORGAN (D), NORTH DAKOTA: We allow Americans to travel to China, to Vietnam, both communist countries.
ACOSTA: North Dakota Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan wants to do the same for Cuba, with the bill in Congress that would end all travel restrictions -- yes, all of them for Americans visiting the communist nation, arguing the Cold War era policy aimed at the Castro government has failed.
DORGAN: It seems to me if something has failed for nearly five decades you might want to take a look at it again and see whether you should modify it.
ACOSTA: Dan Erikson, the author of the book "The Cuba War," says there's one problem with lifting the ban, the embargo, which stops U.S. companies from doing business in Cuba.
DAN ERIKSON, AUTHOR, "THE CUBA WARS": So you have American tourists traveling on to Cuba, to drive around on Chinese buses, stay in Spanish hotels, eat Canadian food.
ACOSTA: They wouldn't be able to stay at a Marriott, at a Hilton?
ERIKSON: No, there wouldn't be any Marriott.
(CROSSTALK)
ACOSTA: They wouldn't be able to use their Delta sky miles.
ERIKSON: And there's no Hilton, there's no miles. The only drive-through McDonald's ever seen in Cuba was in the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay.
ACOSTA: President Obama has hinted at changes in U.S. policy on Cuba, but never mentioned how much. On a trip to Chile, Vice President Joe Biden indicated support for the embargo, but added --
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We thought there is a need for a transition in our policy toward Cuba.
ACOSTA: That transition would have to get past Cuban-Americans in Congress like Senate Democrat Bob Menendez.
SEN. BOB MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: The government is pure and simple a brutal dictatorship. The average Cuban worker lives on an income of less than $1 a day.
ACOSTA: Travel agent Tessie Aral is one of a growing number of Cuban-Americans who say it's time to move on.
ARAL: For our country to tell us we're not free to choose where we want to travel to, I think that's just archaic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Jim Acosta joining us live from Washington, D.C.
So, Jim, what do you think the chances are for this thing to pass?
ACOSTA: Well, Byron Dorgan thinks the chances are pretty good. They think they can get through the Congress, even if there is the potential for a filibuster from Democratic Senator Bob Menendez. They think they have the votes to overcome that. And then the next step is obviously to the White House. And if they can get it to the White House, then the pressure will be on the president who has talked about tinkering with the U.S. policy on Cuba, but has not made any firm commitments as to what that is.
And Joe Biden was in Latin America over the weekend and said that they're still firm on the embargo, but what this travel ban does is it comes right up to the doorstep of the embargo, and at least does away with one of these policies that have been in place for many, many years.
And so, you know, that is -- that is what Byron Dorgan and some of these other Democrats and Republicans I should mention on The Hill are trying to do. Indiana Senator Richard Lugar who has had a big influence on the president and his foreign policy views has also signed on to this proposal. So that means the prospects are much better than they have been in the past - Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. We'll keep our eye on that one as well. Jim Acosta for us in Washington, D.C.
There is a whole lot going on this morning. Our crews are hard at work gathering the latest for you.
Good morning, guys.
ROMANS: Good morning. I'm Christine Romans, and what I'm working on is a little bit of money in your paycheck. That's right. There is going to be a little bit of a bailout for you from that stimulus bill. It's going to come into effect starting this week or next. I'll tell you about it at the top of the hour.
LISOVICZ: And there may be more money for you in your 401(k), too. I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange, where Wall Street's version of March madness will soon be over. A streak of six straight monthly losses maybe about to end. Heidi, we'll have more on that in the next hour.
MARCIANO: And the Red River continues to fall, but the winter storm continues to pound. Fargo will have that. I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN severe weather center. But first, a tornado warning out for central Louisiana. Take a look at the Doppler. If you live in Grant or Natchitoches Parish, this tornado warning is in effect for the next ten minutes, and also heading easterly at 35 miles an hour. More weather, Heidi, at the top of the hour.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Christine, Susan and Rob, thank you very much.
Also developing this morning, at the top of the hour, we'll be hearing from the new CEO at General Motors, Fritz Henderson.
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COLLINS: Quickly just want to remind you that we are awaiting the new CEO of General Motors. You see a picture of him there, Fritz Henderson. He's going to be coming to the microphones we believe around 10:00 or so. So we'd like to hear some of his comments, and we will bring them to you just as soon as they happen.
Meanwhile, is the honeymoon over? Europe's relationship with President Obama grew from a flirtation during the primaries to a full- blown affair with his inauguration. Now the president's plan to fight the economic crisis may come between him and his European fans. Here now, CNN's Andrew Carey.
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ANDREW CAREY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a love affair that began in the spring.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From here, I would say Obama forever.
CAREY: In the summer, it suddenly got serious.
OBAMA: In this new century, Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more, not less. Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice.
CAREY: By autumn, Europe was head over heels.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first black president. Oh, my God! Obama! Obama!
PETER KELLNER, POLLING EXPERT: Europeans like America. They like going on holiday in America, they like watching American movies, listen to American music. And Barack Obama comes along, and it gives the Europeans that reason to be positive, as they wanted to be all along.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the very, very good quality of Obama.
CAREY: From souvenir stalls in Central London.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). Every day, many customers are buying the Obama T-shirt.
CAREY: To bookstores in the suburbs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On Sundays, sales of his books outstrip even our best-selling crime-fiction titles.
CAREY: Europeans have put their money where their mouth is.
JONATHAN GABAY, BRANDING EXPERT: We look at him, and we say, well, I wish our people were a bit more like him. He's young, dynamic. He's incredibly intelligent.
CAREY: The fact is, though, 70 days into the job, and President Obama is facing real challenges with the global economy, and world peace seems a way off. So what's the mood now? On the eve of his first visit to Europe since coming to power.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very difficult for him, because of the economic situation, but I think he would be very good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to give him time, because the time he takes over (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. I'm confused about it.
CAREY: Confused? Just where could it possibly go wrong?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a trade war between America and Europe, and as a result, European jobs are less. That would make Barack Obama unpopular. Secondly, if there was a sign of a return to the kind of arrogance we've seen as European sees, under George Bush and some other American presidents.
GABAY: The fact that people want instant gratification means that he has to instantly deliver. If he doesn't instantly deliver, people say, yes, (INAUDIBLE). What's next? I'll have a cup of coffee.
CAREY: There are few signs that Europeans are that jaded, already, but as the world sits down to do business, all that love and affection might start to be put to the test.
Andrew Carey, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE) COLLINS: Checking top stories happening right now. President Obama is on Air Force One as we speak. He's heading to London for talks with other world leaders on solving the global economic crisis.
A new CNN Opinion Research Corporation Poll out just this morning shows Americans are confident in the president. 86 percent think he'll represent them well to the rest of the world. Of course, talking about the G-20 there.
Angry workers in France have taken hostages at an American company in Grenoble. They are upset over proposed layoffs at Caterpillar. The executives from the construction equipment maker are being held right now. This is the second time this month French workers have taken hostages at a U.S. company.
It's still snowing in the Red River Valley, and winds are picking up. We're likely to see waves pounding the levees around cities like Fargo. Engineers say if there is enough pressure, sandbags could start to shift, letting in the flood waters.
