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Obama Commits to Nuclear Weapon-Free World; Sallie Mae Brings Jobs Ashore; Georgia Faces Flooding; Palin Ex-Fiance: Sex Wasn't Always Protected

Aired April 06, 2009 - 10:00   ET

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

BETTY NYGUEN, CNN ANCHOR: Here's a look at what's going on right now. Insurgents are being blamed for a pair of bombs that exploded in northeastern India. Police say seven people were killed, 40 injured. India's prime minister is scheduled to visit the troubled area tomorrow.

Actress Farrah Fawcett has reportedly checked into a Los Angeles hospital. The Associated Press says she's being treated for a blood clot that developed while she was undergoing alternative cancer therapy in Germany. The actress was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.

Vice President Joe Biden is warming up. He's going to be throwing out the first pitch in Baltimore today where the Orioles are taking on the yankees. Former president George Bush is doing the same thing at the Texas Rangers opener in Arlington, Texas.

President Barack Obama in Turkey and on a mission. He is trying to rebuild bridges to an Islamic world and repair what many say is a damaged U.S. image.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Every challenge that we face is more easily met if we tend to our own democratic foundation. This work is never over. That's why in the United States we recently ordered the prison of Guantanamo Bay closed. That's why we prohibit without exception or equivocation the use of torture. All of us have to change and sometimes change is hard. Another issue that confronts all democracies as they move to the future is how we deal with the past. The United States is still working through some of our own darker periods in our history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president, joins us now live from Turkey. Suzanne, explain to us the importance of bolstering relations between the U.S. and Turkey specifically.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty having covered President Bush and having seen people in Ankara, Turkey react to him, obviously he had a very complicated and strained relationship with the government of Turkey. President Obama trying to really address that and really turn the page to establish a new tone and a new message. We heard President Obama saying just within the last hour or so that the United States will - is not and will never be at war with Islam. That is a message that he wants to convey here at Turkey, but also throughout the Middle East region. Turkey, as you know, a critical ally on a number of fronts. It does have some troops in Afghanistan but is also looking for a way to talk about it, perhaps even push forward Israeli-Palestinian peace process as well as get the Israelis and Syrians on board and even help the United States and Iran come to some agreement when it comes to Iran's nuclear energy and perhaps even nuclear weapons ambitions.

Those are the kinds of things that Turkey can play an active role in. So you see President Obama reaching out to the Turkish government and also to the Muslim community, saying this is going to be a different time. This is going to be a different way of doing business -- Betty.

NGUYEN: And speaking of reaching out, you know, it's not only the president who is gaining popularity on this world stage, but Michelle Obama is getting quite a few cheers as well.

MALVEAUX: Absolutely. It's been really fascinating to watch. It happened over the course of a week or so. Michelle Obama is back in Washington. She is now once again mommy in chief. But this not after she made quite an amazing splash in Europe. I want you to take a listen and see.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): She had them at hello. Michelle Obama took the world stage by storm. And the Europeans responded.

NIA MALIKA HENDERSON, POLITICO.COM: She went there Michelle Obama. And she came back mighty Michelle.

MALVEAUX: Just call me Michelle, she requested to nearly everyone she met. Followed by a hug. Winning her the headline as hugger in chief. While the paparazzi followed her every move, the fashionistas followed her style from Jimmy Choo to J. Crew.

But it was her brush with royalty than over many Brits. Her break in protocol. This warm embrace with the queen, has the world talking. But even her majesty seemed taken with the first lady. Buckingham palace said the hug was a mutual and spontaneous display of affection. When the two parted, the queen was overheard asking Michelle, will you please keep in touch?

Then came the much anticipated meeting with French first lady Carla Bruni. The tabloids portrayed it as a fashion face-off between the former Victoria Secret model and 5'10" Ivy Leaguer. But their friendship was sealed with a kiss-kiss. And as for popularity, the "London Times" gave Michelle the front page and asked, Carla who? But the defining moment of Michelle's trip came during her visit to a London girls school where she talked about her own humble beginnings.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: We have very much in common. For nothing in my life's past would have predicted that I'd be standing here as the first African-American first lady of the United States of America. There was nothing in my story that would land me here. I wasn't raised with wealth or resources or any social standing to speak of. I was raised on the south side of Chicago. That's the real part of Chicago.

MALVEAUX: Breaking out of the stage craft and sharing spontaneous moments helped her win over Europe. And perhaps even make inroads for her husband's administration.

HENDERSON: She kind of gives people kind of a fun way to, you know, entry into the administration. And so I think ultimately she helps America. She helps her husband's platform, his international platform and even his domestic platform.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: So Betty, obviously the question is, what is she going to do with this international fame, this good will? Well, aides say don't expect her to be globe trotting. She's going to be focusing on some of those issues that she did before, military families, community service, obviously looking after her two daughters. And it is going to be a busy month, Betty. The Easter egg roll is coming around. They got commencement speeches. And this is the month that we expect to see the new White House dog arrive.

NGUYEN: Yes.

MALVEAUX: Lots going on.

NGUYEN: We are looking forward to that. So much talk about that dog. I've heard so much talk about one specific animal. But that dog is on the list. Suzanne Malveaux, thank you so much for that.

And we do want to tell our viewers that the president will be making statements to the press shortly today. We'll bring that to you. Statements with the Turkish prime minister as soon as we get those. We will be bringing them to you.

Also want to give you a look at day 77 of the Obama presidency. Minutes from now, the president and his counterpart are going to make that joint statement, as I mentioned. But the next hour he departs from Ankara en route to Istanbul. There, President Obama will spend the night before returning to the U.S. tomorrow.

Well, a violent weekend across parts of the U.S.. Three deadly shootings, one in Binghamton, New York, another near Tacoma, Washington and a third incident in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A total of 23 people died in the violence.

Let's start now in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where three police officers were shot and killed. A 23-year-old man is accused of ambushing the officers when they arrived to settle a dispute between the man and his mother. The bodies of the three slain officers will lie in state Wednesday. A memorial service will also be held for them the next day on campus at the University of Pittsburgh. Police in Washington state, they believe a jealous rage caused a dad to kill his five children and then himself. The children, ages seven to 16, were found shot to death Saturday in the family's mobile home near Tacoma. Police say before the killings James Harrison saw his wife with another man and she told him that she was leaving him.

In the city of Binghamton, New York is mourning the death of 13 people. They were killed in a shooting rampage at the American Civic Association on Friday. Police say 41-year-old Jiverly Wong, a Vietnamese immigrant of Chinese heritage opened fire and then took his own life. Two funeral services were held yesterday and hundreds of people turned out for a candle light vigil to remember those killed.

Four people remain in the hospital and are expected to recover. A list of the victims' names has been released. And they were from eight different countries, including Iraq and Pakistan.

I want to get you more now on our breaking news this morning, that earthquake that struck central Italy early this morning. Well, according to reports from Italian media, more than 90 people have been killed. That number unfortunately is expected to rise. The 6.3 magnitude quake hit east of Rome in the early morning hours. And besides those who were killed, many more are believed to be buried under rubble and debris.

Journalist Delia Gallagher joins us now on the phone. And Delia, have you been able to get any more indication as to the aftershocks and what people are doing to protect themselves?

DELIA GALLAGHER, JOURNALIST (via telephone): Well, frankly, Betty, people are evacuating. Most of the residents of the town can be seen dragging one suitcase behind them. And they are leaving. Right now it's journalists and emergency services and those few residents who have stayed behind because, of course, they know people who are under the rubble.

I want to reiterate one piece of good news. A young girl was found under an hour ago alive and pulled out from the apartment building that collapsed. Unfortunately, up the street at the student dormitory, we still don't have any news of some of the students who may be under the rubble. Again, it's difficult to ascertain exactly the number of people who were sleeping in the dormitory at the time. But talking to some of the students here waiting with them, at least three or four friends are missing at this stage.

So it's slow going. They're doing hand to hand, taking the rubble off and waiting to see in all of these different pockets, not just in the epicenter where I am. But in the towns surrounding L'Aquila, there are various buildings that have collapsed. And hence the very high death toll.

One of the big problems, of course, is that part of the hospital has collapsed which has shut down eight of the nine operating rooms in L'Aquila. So the victims have to be taken to surrounding hospitals. Of course, 50 percent, at least, of the buildings here are not safer to come back to. There is a major effort under way to try to house and feed the residents of this town and the surrounding towns -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Yes, it seems like one problem piled on top of another. We're hearing thousands are homeless at this hour. As people evacuate, are there shelters where they can go? What's being set up for them?

GALLAGHER: Well, there's a big stadium here that they have set up and equipped with beds and food and so on. But I have to tell you that there's not a lot of people that have gone to the stadium. Because a lot of the people here have relatives in the area and they've simply gone to the houses of the relatives. So I have to say in terms of Italian emergency services, this is an area that's on a fault line.

They are used to earthquakes and fairly prepared in the aftermath of an earthquake to sort of set up very quickly. But, of course, the real problem is the people that are under the rubble. That's something which they can just go very slowly and try and listen for any voices that might still be calling for help.

NGUYEN: That is a major concern. Time is of the essence. Delia Gallagher joining us, live by phone. Thank you for that, Delia.

And within minutes of the earthquake, we were on the phone with an American missionary in L'Aquila. I want you to listen as Joshua Brothers describes how it felt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOICE OF JOSHUA BROTHERS, AMERICAN MISSIONARY: The beds themselves were actually shaking and moving across the room. The best way I could describe it, perhaps, is exactly a 747 coming over very loud. You can feel the entire building swaying back and forth. As you went outside, there were a lot of people that were very loud and calling for people that they know, looking for one another. They're all very worried. Because the last earthquake that happened, there was one about 100 years ago that completely destroyed the city, for a large part of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: That is one lucky person who did survive it. We want to give you a better idea of the magnitude of this quake. The size of 6.3, Rob, that's quite a large quake?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's a large quake. And fairly shallow quake at only six miles deep. So generally speaking the more shallow the quake, the closer it is to the surface, the more rolling of the earth you're going to get. In this case certainly the more damage you're going to get.

Let's go to google earth. We'll show you, Betty, a couple things that's interesting about this part of the world. Italy obviously a very pretty place. This peninsula kind of juts out to the south. It's on the southern part of the Eurasian plate. Talked about plates that kind of move around the earth, where these plates intersect is where you get the most action. So the African plate juts into the Eurasian plate where in Italy they kind of meet.

Then also, there are areas that kind of stretch from east to west. So this makes Italy an area that is very susceptible to earthquakes. This one a 6.3. There were three aftershocks after that. Anywhere from 4.3 to 4.8. The last one was late last night. We haven't seen any in the last about eight to ten hours. But there likely would be more to come.

An interesting note, Betty. Apparently in this particular part of Italy there was a bit of a hubbub weeks ago when a seismologist actually said you know what the big one's coming, because there was some activity in January that this particular seismologist Giacomo Giuliani said, hey, we might get the big one here in the next couple of months. And that created a little bit of a stir as far as panic goes. But the city officials tried to calm people down. It's very difficult. There's not a whole lot of scientific evidence that shows it's at all accurate to be able to predict these things. But the folks who live there now certainly don't really care. They're dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster of a huge magnitude just east of Rome.

NGUYEN: Yes, people still trapped in that rubble. And unfortunately they do expect the death toll to rise. Right now we're showing it at least 92 people. Rob, thank you for that explainer.

I want to tell you about this. Being gay in Iraq, it's viewed by many as a crime. And it can carry a death sentence. We'll look at the recent killings of six gay men.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: It has been a deadly day in Baghdad. At least 32 people are dead in seven different bombings. More than 120 were hurt. Six of the explosions were car bombings. The other one was a roadside blast. Most of the attacks happened in areas where a lot of Shiites live. Targets included several marketplaces and most of the dead are civilians.

In Iraq six gay men have been shot to death in the past 10 days, apparently in the form of honor killings. Iraq's interior ministry said the most recent shootings came after a tribal meeting was held and the men's fate was sealed. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has the latest now from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): What we're hearing from the Iraqi authorities is that these six allegedly gay men were killed in two separate incidents. And before the killings they had been disowned by their tribes. What's been going on here in Baghdad in the past couple weeks is that clerics especially in the Shiite slum of Sadr City have been preaching anti-gay sermons.

Now feelings against gay people is nothing new here in Baghdad. Anti-gay violence is something gay people tell us they experience time and again. PLEITGEN (voice-over): Kamal, 18 and Rami, 21. When they walk Baghdad streets, it's only in brief moments they let their feelings for each other show. We've changed their names and are protecting their identities. And here's why.

What is the worst thing you've ever experienced?

KAMAL (through translator): After the fall of Baghdad I was kidnapped for money, he tells me. But when they found out I was gay they started raping me by force. They did it almost every day.

RAMI (through translator): I met a man and he became my lover, Rami adds. Later he told me he had weapons and was in a terror group, the Mehdi Army. And he started threatening me.

PLEITGEN: No one knows how many people have been killed in Iraq for being gay. But eight organizations say even an allegation of homosexuality can be a death sentence. It's only in internet cafes that Kamal and Rami dare keep in tough with other gay men through chat rooms. But even then, there is the risk of entrapment.

RAMI (through translator): I would rather commit suicide than let my family find out I am gay, Rami says.

PLEITGEN: What is the cover story you usually use to stop people from knowing?

KAMAL (through translator): When I'm with a group of friends, I tell them I have met girls, Kamal says. I also have to be careful the way I dress. I can't look gay.

PLEITGEN: Being gay was hard enough under Saddam Hussein. But at least they could have small private gatherings like this one. This photo, we were told, was taken in the '90s. Now with militias roaming the streets, showing any sign of being gay is impossible. When we asked Iraqis, we found widespread intolerance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I consider gays to be criminals and terrorists, this man says.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We as an Islamic society consider it to be against the law, this man adds. So they should be punished by law.

PLEITGEN: Why do you think people here hate gays so much?

RAMI (through translator): I don't know, Rami says. So many people here have gay tendencies, but still they hate us. Maybe it's just jealousy.

PLEITGEN: Even with all the oppression they face, these two men say they cannot change the way they are.

PLEITGEN (on-camera): So when you do find people here in Baghdad, and generally in Iraq, who are willing to tell you that they are gay, they'll also tell you this is something that they have to keep hidden not only from the community in general, but even from their own families. Because as these recent incidents have shown, it is something that can get you into a lot of trouble. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And we'll continue to follow that story.

But we're going to switch gears here for just a second. I want to ask you this question. Are you gaining weight? I know some people don't want to talk about it. But it may be in what you're drinking. Could be a bigger problem than what you're eating. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: OK. So what's in your cup? What are you drinking right now? What's in this? This is just water. But the calories that you drink might pile on the fat faster than the calories that you eat. Yes.

Medical correspondent Judy Fortin is taking stock of all this damage. What are we talking about here? Because you know, a lot of people spend the whole day drinking coffee, juices, vitamin waters, all that kind of stuff.

JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Be glad you're drinking just water. We are talking about liquid calorie. And you're right. The beverages that we talk about today, coffee that you're drinking right now, maybe that glass of orange juice, maybe a smoothie this morning, they don't always fill us up. We don't always count how many calories that we're drinking but the results, you may already see it. You consume a few hundred calories a day and you can pack on the pounds without even realizing it.

So researchers are now saying that making one small change to what you put in your cup is an easy way to drop the pounds without feeling like you're giving up the solid food. So cutting out just one 150-calorie beverage a day for an entire year can lead to a 15-pound weight loss. Even better news now, the people who cut back on the high calorie drinks, kept the weight off, Betty, for 18 months.

NGUYEN: 15 pounds over a year. Here's the thing Judy, we go to the grocery store, we watch the commercials and it seems like these drinks are healthy for us. Fruit juice, how can that be bad for you?

FORTIN: Well, you see the labels everywhere. It says fruit. It says high energy, antioxidants. And you look at the label and you say well that must be good for me -

NGUYEN: Right.

FORTIN: I'm going to go ahead and drink it. But it may not be so healthy after all. Let's take a look at some of the popular bottle drinks to see what you're really getting. One can or bottle of that enhanced water that may have vitamins in it has about 125 calories. The smoothie drinks, either vegetable or fruit can be up to 250 calories just in one bottle. And of course, you're going to drink the whole bottle, right? About sweetened tea with your lunch? That's about 210 calories.

NGUYEN: Here in Georgia, that's probably like 700 calories.

FORTIN: Exactly.

NGUYEN: We like our tea sweet.

FORTIN: And on your way to work this morning, did you grab an orange juice, maybe a bottle of cranberry juice? You're talking about 190 calories. Now bottom line is a calorie is a calorie. So if you want to talk about 150 calories, take a look at this right here. We got about 150 calories serving of potato chips and about 150, 190 calorie glass of juice. You can cut the potato chips out, you can lose the 15 pounds over a year.

NGUYEN: I would have thought the juice have been healthier than a potato chips.

FORTIN: Take a look at the juice, maybe you take half of the juice -

NGUYEN: OK.

FORTIN: Maybe you dilute it with water. Think about those, think about drinking your calories, what you're actually putting it and stick with the water. That was a good choice for you today.

NGUYEN: It gets boring after a while.

FORTIN: I know.

NGUYEN: How do you spice it up then? Put a little lemon in it?

FORTIN: Absolutely. Put some fruit in it.

NGUYEN: OK.

FORTIN: It has no calories.

NGUYEN: Just don't drink the fruit juice. All right. I want the chips is what I want. Thank you, Judy.

FORTIN: You're welcome.

NGUYEN: All right. We do want to get you to some breaking news. And Rob Marciano is following it in the severe weather center. What do you have, Rob?

MARCIANO: We mentioned the tornado watches that were in effect for much of the southeast today right around through the afternoon. Now we got a couple tornado warnings radar indicated. And we'll bring you into this area and show you what's going on. Again, these two tornado watch boxes the potential for tornadoes exist till the early or mid afternoon. But everywhere you see a polygon. That's where the National Weather Service has now issued a tornado warning. So the counties in effect here in parts of Virginia. That would be Hartford county, the city of Franklin in southeast Virginia, you're under the gun here.

This one looks a little bit more potent than the one down here. But nonetheless, they both are radar-indicated tornado warnings until 10:45 Eastern time. And the one across North Carolina includes Nash and Halifax county. No confirmation of a tornado on the ground but some rotation being detected by the radar scope at this hour. More detailed weather coming up as warranted in a full forecasts, Betty, in about 20 minutes.

NGUYEN: OK. We will be watching closely for that. Thank you, Rob.

MARCIANO: You got it.

NGUYEN: Meantime, there's outrage from Washington to Tokyo. Silence from the United Nations. We have the latest on North Korea's defiant rocket launch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Betty Nguyen.

NGUYEN: We have some breaking news out of the U.S. Supreme Court. Just minutes ago, Mumia Abu-Jamal lost his bid for a new trial. The former black Panther is convicted of killing a Philadelphia police officer in 1982. He claimed African-Americans were unfairly excluded from his jury. The Supreme Court that is has upheld his conviction, at least for now and a separate appeal over which he deserves a new sentencing hearing has not yet been taken up by the high court.

Well, North Korea defied the world and the international community searching for a way to respond. The United Nations Security Council ended its emergency meeting late last night without condemning the communist nation's launch of a rocket. Now the effort to move behind closed doors. CNN's Kyung Lah has the view from Tokyo.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): What Japan had wanted out of that emergency session out of the U.N. security council was a strong message. That did not happen. But sources within Japan's government say that at this point they are contest to wait. They are waiting to see what happens after this first meeting. And in the long run, they are hoping to see a strong, clear, unified message come out of the U.N. security council. So the activity on a diplomatic front is continuing.

Meanwhile, life here on the streets of Tokyo and across Japan definitely returning back to normal. We're starting to see a pullback of those patriot guided interceptor missiles that were placed across Japan, three in the Tokyo area, also two on the northern shore of Japan and those destroyers that were put at sea, also we're seeing a pullback of that military action. So life appears to be going back to normal. But the focus on the diplomatic front to see what eventually happens. The concern within Japan's government is that this rocket launch has now given North Korea a little more information, a little more intelligence on how to build on their long-range ballistic missile technology.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: President Obama is seizing on North Korea's controversial rocket launch to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

B. OBAMA: As a nuclear power, as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act. We cannot succeed in this endeavor alone, but we can lead it. We can start it. So today, I state clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: All right. So, would such a move make the world safer or make the U.S. less safe? Jim Walsh is joining us now from Boston to discuss some of the implications. He's an international security analyst at MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. And Jim, as always, we do appreciate you.

All right, let me ask you this. Just hours after North Korea launches this long-range rocket, the president takes the world stage and talks about ridding the world of nuclear weapons. Now, is that the right direction, considering places like North Korea and Iran could pose a nuclear threat in the future?

JIM WALSH, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes, I think it is, Betty, for this reason. One is, if you want to make progress in stopping the spread of nuclear weapons, then you're going to have to do it with the help of other countries. The U.S. cannot do it alone. If we want to steer North Korea and Iran away from that nuclear path, others will have to help. And the only way to get others on board is to show leadership ourselves. Proliferation...

NGUYEN: But, Jim, is that a dangerous bet?

WALSH: Is it a dangerous bet? Well, we've tried the other way, and that hasn't worked so good. We've tried the way where we said we don't really care about the arms control treaties. You know, we care about our agenda, and then we try to tell other people what to do.

And what happens? We have deadlocks in the nuclear nonproliferation treaty meetings. There can be no agreement. We have trouble getting Russia, China and the Europeans to cooperate with us. So, I think we're going to get more cooperation if we also cooperate.

NGUYEN: OK.

WALSH: It's a bargain.

NGUYEN: I want you to listen to what the president said yesterday as he talks about this global threat. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: In a strange turn of history, the threat of global nuclear war has gone down, but the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up. More nations have acquired these weapons. Testing has continued. Black market trade in nuclear secrets, in nuclear materials abound. The technology to build a bomb has spread.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: All right. I want to pick apart two things that he said just there. He says the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up, and technology to build a bomb has spread. Now, the president plans to reduce the U.S. arsenal of nuclear weapons. Does that pose a risk to national security?

WALSH: Well, as President Obama said in his speech, what he is doing is starting a journey with this first step. He doesn't expect that we're going to get rid of all our nuclear weapons any time soon. He says not in our lifetime. So, I don't think we're going to zero any time soon.

The U.S. and Russia have 90 percent of the world's nuclear warheads. We're talking about going down to around 1,000, 1,200, something like that. Believe me, 12,000 nuclear warheads is more than enough to protect the United States and its allies.

But what we have to do to protect the United States is to get other countries to help us stop the spread of nuclear weapons. And we can't keep saying to other countries, you do your part, but we're not going to do anything. We're not going to get our house in order. We have to show leadership and do something on our end if we expect others to do the same.

NGUYEN: Let's talk about a response to North Korea firing that long-range rocket. The U.N. Security Council met in an emergency meeting yesterday, but they failed to come up with a statement, a resolution. And, you know, given the fact that this long-range satellite, as North Korea calls it, never made it to orbit, what does that say about their intent and their capabilities?

WALSH: Well, I think we talked primarily about the North Korea space launch in military and technical terms, when really what this is about is policy and politics, less military. Yes, the North Koreans do learn a little bit more because this rocket failed a little later in the process. But that's three failed tests in a decade. This is not a missile program that is growing by leaps and bounds.

The real purpose of this space launch was political, not military. It was to divide the allies. And I think it's been successful. Japan wants a harsh sanctions resolution. China does not. So, that political objective, I think North Korea was able to achieve. And of course, part of it is also about bargaining. It's trying to improve its bargaining position going into a renewed round of the six-party talks. And it may have done that as well.

NGUYEN: Yes, and we'll see how the U.N. Security Council responds. As of yet, we have not heard word. OK, Jim Walsh, thank you so much for that.

WALSH: Thank you, Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, two tornado warnings are in effect right now. We're going to check in with our meteorologist, Rob Marciano, in just minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: OK, so forget the sticky floors and fighting over the armrests when you go to the movies. I know you've experienced it. Drive-ins like this one in Sparks, Nevada, are making a comeback. Boy, I remember the day of drive-ins.

Well, in this economy it can be much cheaper than a regular night at the movies. Some drive-ins still let you pay one price for everybody in your car. And many still offer cheap double features.

Well, millions of Americans have lost their jobs to outsourcing. But some of those positions are coming back to the states. Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with a look at who is hiring. Boy, we are listening closely, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know. This is a trend that we would certainly welcome. It's one company, but it's a big one. It's the nation's largest student lender. Sallie Mae bringing 2,000 jobs back to the U.S. from its call centers in the Philippines and Mexico, 2,000 jobs in the next year and a half.

We know for a fact 600 jobs will go to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. But Sallie Mae has offices all over the country -- Texas, Florida, Indiana. Its headquarters is in Reston, Virginia. The positions include call center jobs, information technology, operations support. So you have to have good phone skills. And I'm sure anybody from our fine operation, we're on the phone quite a bit. We have good phone skills when we're trying to track down a story. Right, Betty?

NGUYEN: Absolutely. You know, it's not often that we hear of companies hiring. So, you know, I imagine the competion has to be very tough for this.

LISOVICZ: Oh, well, no question about it. I mean, just on Friday we got the monthly jobs report. The unemployment rate now ticking up to 8.5 percent. An estimated 13 million Americans without jobs. And you know, Sallie Mae had a job fair a few months ago. There were 3,000 applications for 1,000 jobs. That's the kind of demand that you see.

And of course, a lot of folks, you know, just transferring their skills or taking jobs that they might not normally try to get. In this economy, you've got to be resilient. You've got to flexible. And that's what we're seeing. And that's why...

NGUYEN: A lot of people overqualified for the jobs, but they're just happy to have one.

LISOVICZ: Exactly.

NGUYEN: Let me ask you this. Usually this affects the market. Does it go the other way? Will job additions have an effect?

LISOVICZ: That's a very good question, Betty. You know, actually, we're seeing a broad-based selloff overall today. But what we're seeing with Sallie Mae shares, they're up about 5 percent. Why is that?

Well, one of -- a company that's hiring is feeling confident. Obviously, it's a big step. Again, transferring these jobs. But that will cost money in and of itself back to the U.S.

So, we're seeing Sallie Mae shares rally, but overall, the market pulling back after four weeks of historic gains for the Dow. Best gains four-week stretch since 1933. Dow is down 109 points. Nasdaq right now down 33. Pullback not surprising, given that kind of leap we saw -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. Susan Lisovicz, thank you so much for that.

Well, these squabbles of a political family are heading to television. Bristol Palin's ex-boyfriend and the father of her baby is telling his story on TV. What Levi Johnston told talk-show host Tyra Banks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: We're here in the severe weather center, and Rob Marciano is following a really serious situation out there. Tornado warnings and watches both, right?

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Parts of Georgia facing major flooding after a whole week of heavy rain. I want you to take a look at this video. A state of emergency was declared earlier in ten counties. Right now, there are fears that some rivers could crest. More than a dozen homes in Valdosta were flooded, and several neighborhoods in the area had to be evacuated.

The ex-fiance of Bristol Palin, daughter of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, reveals family secrets to talk-show host Tyra Banks. Levi Johnston is the father of their son, Tripp. And you may remember, he appeared with Bristol at the Republican National Convention.

Well, in a candid interview, Johnston spoke with Tyra about their relationship, the breakup and even sex.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TYRA BANKS, HOST, "THE TYRA BANKS SHOW": OK. So she knew that you guys were active?

LEVI JOHNSTON, FORMER FIANCE OF BRISTOL PALIN: Yes.

BANKS: You think she knew.

JOHNSTON: I'm pretty sure she probably knew.

BANKS: How are you pretty sure she knew?

JOHNSTON: I'm just -- moms are very smart.

BANKS: I have to ask you a personal question. But you're on my Tyra couch and there are no personal questions. Were you practicing safe sex?

JOHNSTON: Yes.

BANKS: Even when the baby was conceived?

JOHNSTON: We were.

BANKS: And so there were just wardrobe malfunctions?

JOHNSTON: I guess.

BANKS: Yes?

JOHNSTON: Yes.

BANKS: Really?

JOHNSTON: Yes. I guess so.

BANKS: Every time you practiced safe sex?

JOHNSTON: Yes.

BANKS: Every time?

JOHNSTON: Every time.

BANKS: Levi?

JOHNSTON: Most of the time.

BANKS: Most of the time. There you go!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: I was about to say, I saw some of the girls there shaking their heads. OK, well, Tyra's interview with Levi Johnston will air later today. But Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, well, she went on the attack after hearing about the comments her daughter's ex, Levi Johnston, made on that show. And according to a report in the New York "Daily News," a family representative for Governor Palin said, quote, "It is unfortunate that Levi finds it more appealing to exploit his previous relationship with Bristol than to contribute to the well-being of the child."

Well, tomorrow, Vice President Joe Biden steps into "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer and Gloria Borger. In this exclusive interview, the vice president will take on the economic crisis, unemployment, health care and national security. Plus, the vice president will answer your iReport questions.

So, submit those questions now. Go to ireport.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. I want you to take a good look right here, because that headline says it all and could be one of the last for "The Boston Globe." The paper says its owner, The New York Times Company, is threatening to shut it down in 30 days. That is, unless the unions agree to $20 million in concessions. Like many papers "The Globe" is suffering from online competition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOBE BERKOVITZ, PROFESSOR, BOSTON UNIVERSITY: Many people believe that the mistake was made right at the beginning, and newspapers as well as any other type of content providers should have charged the public for their product. They didn't. That genie's out of the bottle. And now, how do we manage to get people to pay for information that they're consuming online?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: "The Globe" has been in print for 137 years.

All right. So with two million jobs lost this year alone, you might be wondering, where are all the green jobs that we've been hearing about? Well, the president signed the stimulus bill on February 17th. So, has there been any hiring? CNNmoney.com's Poppy Harlow has our "Energy Fix" from New York. She joins us now. All right, so what's the answer, Poppy?

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: You know, Betty, we've seen a few green jobs added here and there. Nothing significant, though. We've had that massive wave of course that was promised by the president. And on top of this we continue to see layoffs, even in the energy sector.

Here are a few examples. Last week, BP Solar, that company announced it will eliminate 140 jobs at a plant in Maryland. In Iowa, a wind turbine plant there recently cut 58 workers. Small amounts, but still cuts in what is supposed to be a green and growing sector. One area where green jobs have been added, that's in making your home more energy-efficient. The stimulus plan did set aside $5 billion for this. And there are estimates that it could create 115,000 jobs. Everything from people to insulate your home to home energy auditors. But a group that's tracking this job creation says so far only about 16 or 17 states have gotten just a small amount of that $5 billion from the stimulus plan, Betty. So, the hiring has really barely started and we need it now, probably more than ever, Betty.

NGUYEN: Yes, no doubt. But, you know, it's only been six weeks. We do have to say that. But still, why isn't it happening more quickly?

HARLOW: A couple of reasons there. First of all, this is a huge amount of money to distribute. Local and state agencies want to make sure they get it right. Of course, it takes time.

Idaho, this is interesting. A new development. Getting millions of dollars from the federal government from that stimulus spending to clean up nuclear waste. That could mean hundreds of jobs in Idaho, green jobs there. But it'll take about a month to put that money to use. Secondly, green job training hasn't really happened. The stimulus bill sets aside $500 million to train people in green jobs. But that hasn't been allocated yet either, Betty.

NGUYEN: Yes, so, let's talk about these jobs, these positions, paid positions. Give us some details.

HARLOW: You know, we hear so much about how they'll be good, well-paying jobs. The president has said that. The administration says green jobs can pay up to 10 or 20 percent more than other jobs. Obviously, it depends on what you're doing.

What we found out, basic weatherization of homes pays an average of $9 to $11 per hour. If you move up, though, if you're an auditor or an inspector, the salaries keep going up. That's where the training comes in because green job advocates want to make sure that those entry-level workers in the sector also get the training for advanced skills so they can move up the totem pole -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. Poppy Harlow. As always, we do appreciate it.

HARLOW: Sure.

NGUYEN: OK, so, dignity for fallen U.S. troops. Do media cameras intrude or honor the sacrifice?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, for the first time in 18 years, the media is allowed to witness as flag-draped coffins bearing the bodies of fallen service members arrive at Dover Air Force Base. The base opened last night as the lone body of Air Force Staff Sergeant Phillip Myers of Hopewell, Virginia, arrived home. Our Susan Roesgen explains the change in policy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was a live news broadcast in 1989. The U.S. had invaded Panama to remove military leader Manuel Noriega. And the first President Bush was holding a news conference. But when he was done speaking, the mood changed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president's in excellent health.

(LAUGHTER)

ROESGEN: The president appeared to be smiling at the same time the viewers were seeing the first invasion casualties being brought to Dover Air Force base in Delaware. The Defense Department won't confirm it, but it's been widely accepted that this is what led to the ban.

And in the next military conflict, the first Gulf War, the Pentagon banned any more media coverage of military coffins at Dover. But now, some families say it's time to lift that ban.

KAREN MEREDITH, SOLDIER'S MOTHER: His Hawaiian shirt over full body armor. That's the kind of soldier he was.

ROESGEN: Lieutenant Ken Ballard left for Iraq on Mother's Day, 2003. He came home in a casket on Memorial Day, 2004.

MEREDITH: I wanted the nation to grieve with me, to grieve the loss of my only child. And if we don't see those images, then we don't know that these young men and women are dying. And, to me, it's an honor. They have an honor guard at Dover when they bring these young men and women back.

ROESGEN: But others say that honor should be private. Vince Rangel, a former Army Ranger captain in Vietnam, says he still thinks about the soldiers who were killed in his platoon.

VINCE RANGEL, FORMER ARMY RANGER CAPTAIN: When they come off the plane, these are anonymous caskets. And, you know, what is the greater good of that? I would rather that they take that attention and give it everything it deserves at the gravesite, in the communities where you can get all the information, so people can understand these people as human beings, not just as a flag-draped casket that comes off a plane.

ROESGEN: Two different views of how to give the dead the dignity they deserve.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks for joining us. We'll be back here tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. But the NEWSROOM does continue right now with my good friend, Tony Harris.