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FBI Involved in Negotiations in Maersk Alabama Hostage Situation; 12 Arrested in Anti-Terror Raids in England; Effects of Stress at Different Ages; Detroit to Close 23 Schools This Summer
Aired April 09, 2009 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Standoff on the high seas. Somali pirates refused to release their American hostage. We just found out the Navy has called in FBI hostage negotiators to help. More on that in just a minute.
A sliver of sunshine in the housing crisis. Is it time to take advantage of record-low interest rates? President Obama has a message for you this hour.
And Britain's top terror official resigned. Could a security blunder have put lives at risk? Big question and major arrests.
Good morning, everyone. Heidi Collins is off today. I'm Don Lemon. Today is Thursday, April 9th. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And we start the CNN NEWSROOM with some breaking news to tell you about. Right off the top here, the FBI confirms hostage negotiators have been called in by the Navy to help end that hostage standoff that we have been reporting on.
Pirates are holding the captain of a U.S. flagship hostage after attacking it yesterday. The U.S. Navy has a destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, on the scene. Other Navy ships may head to the area if they are needed.
The pirates have left the Maersk Alabama but they are holding the ship's American captain hostage in a 28-foot lifeboat. And as we said, the FBI hostage negotiators will try to help get the captain back. We'll hear from the captain's family in just a moment.
The crew of the Maersk Alabama is now back in control of the ship. They hid below in an engine room when the pirates boarded. Right now the USS Bainbridge is just watching the pirates, watching and waiting.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more on the situation from Bahrain.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: We are outside the headquarters of the U.S. Navy 5th Fleet in Bahrain where commanders are now monitoring the situation around the clock.
The Maersk Alabama, still, the captain of that ship being held by pirates. The USS Bainbridge, a U.S. Navy warship, on station monitoring the situation, conducting surveillance. Trying to make sure no other pirates come on to the Maersk Alabama, trying to maintain communications with the crew still on board the ship and perhaps, most importantly, trying to ensure that the captain who is being held hostage by pirates on the small lifeboat is not moved by them closer to the Somali coastline.
At this hour, there are no indications of any additional military activity. In these cases, it has been the tradition, the example that it is the commercial shipping company that engages in any direct negotiations with pirates.
Multimillion dollar ransoms have been paid. That is not something the U.S. government is not going to get involved in, we are told. But this is a security crisis for the Obama administration. These waters in the Persian Gulf, especially the waters off the coast of Somalia, now basically lawless. Very difficult for the U.S. military to patrol these waters.
It's four times the size of Texas. There just aren't enough warships out there to escort all the hundreds of cargo ships that move through these busy waters all year long.
Barbara Starr, CNN, Bahrain.
LEMON: All right, Barbara.
Captain Richard Phillips took command of the Maersk Alabama just about two weeks ago. He chartered the course through the dangerous waters around Somalia. Family members say Phillips went with the pirates to ensure the safety of his crew.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's my brother-in-law. You know, that's what Andrea wanted to convey as well. You know he was thinking of his crew and the ship and the cargo as well, you know? It's - that's Richard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Shane Murphy is now commanding the Alabama. He is the ship's first officer. His father spoke earlier with "AMERICAN MORNING's" Kiran Chetry about what the captain is facing right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: What is the situation in that lifeboat? How long can they stay? And what condition is the captain likely?
CAPT. JOE MURPHY, FATHER OF MAERSK ALABAMA SECOND-IN-COMMAND OFFICER: I would suspect that the captain is in very good condition. The lifeboat is only a 28-foot boat. It's got emergency rations for about 10 days for its capacity. It's a very uncomfortable place. It's very small. There is no toilet facilities or anything like that.
The captain has a VHF radio and I'm sure that he's in voice communication with the ship itself. The problem is, of course, that the radio is going to - the battery is going to die. And I'm not really sure how they'll continue communication after that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Joseph Murphy is an instructor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Captain Richard Phillips and First Officer Shane Murphy both trained there.
Our Jason Carroll is live in Buzzards Bay with more on the anti- piracy training that's being done at the academy - Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And Don, hello to you.
You know, Joe Murphy teaches a controversial course here at the academy. Not everyone believed it is the most effective way to fight pirates, but here at the academy, they say that it is a last resort, Don, and they say they want their cadets prepared for anything.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice-over): Cadets at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy are taking aim at pirates thousands of miles away. Part of a pilot program, the only one of its kind at a U.S. Maritime Academy designed to train them how to use guns against pirates when all else fails.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Training and learning the safety of the weapons is certainly important.
CAPT. BRAD LIMA, ACADEMIC DEAN, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME ACADEMY: Should the situation arise that they need to know more about firearms and they've had that training here.
CARROLL: Brad Lima taught the course on Wednesday, because Joe Murphy, the man who was supposed to teach learned his Shane, a 2001 graduate of the academy, had been taken hostage by pirates.
MURPHY: This is a classic example of Murphy's Law. I teach the course, my son goes to sea, and he gets captured.
CARROLL: Shane Murphy is the chief officer on board the Maersk Alabama, the second in command. He managed to call his wife saying he was alive and that the crew had managed to take down one of the pirates.
SERENA MURPHY, HUSBAND ON HIJACKED SHIP: Not he personally, but they had taken down one of the pirates. I said have they tortured you or hurt you? He said they haven't had any water at all to drink since they've been captured and nothing to eat.
MURPHY: It was by sheer force, they had no weapons. So it must have been obviously just overpowered them.
CARROLL: Murphy says his son was well-trained at the academy. His vessel outmaneuvered the pirates for several hours before getting caught. Most maritime academies teach cadets how to escape from pirates so they don't have to engage them. Water hoses and sound devices are also used to fend them off. But as pirates become more aggressive and better armed, officials at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy want the cadets graduating knowing how to arm and defend themselves.
ADMIRAL RICHARD GURNON, PRESIDENT, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME ACADEMY: Although many merchant ships are unarmed, we felt that it was a safety factor to have our graduates familiar with small arms.
CARROLL: One maritime expert says teaching cadets to arm themselves is not the solution.
MIKE LEE, ASSISTANT V.P., MCROBERTS MARITIME SECURITIES: I believe in man's inherent right to defend themselves, but I think in this case it's not the right course of action. I believe it will further escalate the violence.
CARROLL: But Joe Murphy could not disagree more. He still says it's an important training tool considering last year 165 vessels were attacked off the Coast of Somalia and 43 were seized by pirates.
MURPHY: This is a wake-up call for America. These people are organized - members of organized crime.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: A Maersk senior security official said in an interview just last month that he did not believe that having armed security guards on board vessels was the best course of action, mainly for liability reasons.
Even so, the gun training program continues here. It's been well received by the administration and the cadets here at the academy. They plan on continuing it next semester - Don.
LEMON: Jason, thank you very much.
Officials at Maersk headquarters say they are staffing their own situation room. They've also set up a hotline for the families of the crew.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN SPEERS, SPOKESMAN, MAERSK LINE LTD.: We are in regular contact with the Alabama. The remain - the ship remains at a safe distance as instructed by the Navy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Later in the hour, we'll take a closer look at the pirates, how are they, and how do they - who are they, I should say, and how the rag tag just a few of the mercenaries seized control of such massive vessels. Breaking news out of Detroit to tell you about at this hour. Twenty-three schools may be closing this summer, another 30 could close next year. That school system is facing a deficit of more than $300 million and a fast shrinking enrollment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT BOBB, FINANCIAL MANAGER, DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS: We will aggressively pursue and create new urban design strategies for everyone of our properties and create public-private partnerships where these properties will continue to - will not - will no longer become a blight in our community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A final decision on the closings is expected next month. If approved, more than 7,500 children will be going to different schools come the fall.
Let's talk about the president now and what's on his radar this morning. The nation's housing crisis. Later this hour, he is hosting a roundtable on refinancing. It may be the lifeline needed for millions of homeowners on the edge of disaster.
CNN's Kate Bolduan joins us now from the White House.
Kate, why is the president holding this event today?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Don.
Well, we're told by the White House that this is a chance to highlight the historically low interest rates right now. Possibly a positive element of today's struggling economy.
The president will be sitting down, as you mentioned, in a roundtable discussion with a group of homeowners from the greater Washington, D.C./Virginia area. All of whom, we're told, have recently refinanced and are now benefiting from lower monthly mortgage payments.
And you can see here, Don, moving off of the European tour into this week as the president returns, the White House is trying now to put the focus back on domestic issues.
LEMON: So, Kate, is the president's housing plan part of all of this that he's going to announce today?
BOLDUAN: We definitely expect for the president to mention his housing plan and also probably plug his housing plan. That came out in February, you'll remember.
And just to give you a brief summary of exactly what was involved in that. When the president announced that it's putting $75 billion towards helping struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure, the White House says, in all, it could help up to nine million homeowners. The plan also offers $200 billion in financial support to mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and one element of the plan that got some mixed reviews was the - how it offered incentives, rather than requirements, for mortgage lenders to modify loans.
We do expect the president to mention it and possibly hold it up, as hey, look here, this may be a sign, as we're sitting at this roundtable, that our housing plan is beginning to work, Don.
LEMON: Kate Bolduan, we appreciate it.
BOLDUAN: Of course.
LEMON: New jobless numbers are out this morning. What are they and what do they mean. CNN's money team has answers for you.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center. The storms prediction center out of Norman, Oklahoma has just upgraded the risk for severe weather today. We'll run it down in just a little bit.
The CNN NEWSROOM will be coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: New jobless numbers are out this morning and the bottom line is better than expected.
Christine Romans is part of the CNN money team and she joins us now from New York.
Christine, lay out the numbers for us. I like saying better than expected. That's good.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I know, I know. We should just leave it there because when I start digging into them.
OK, so 654,000 people signed up for jobless benefits for the first time in the most recent week. And that is down to 20,000 from the same number of people who were filing the week before. But the week before was revised up a little bit.
Any time you have 654,000 people who are claiming unemployment for the first time that shows you that you have a labor market that's weak. In fact, the weakest labor market still since pretty much the pretty battles days of the early 1980s. And you have about 5.8 million people who are continuing, Don, to get unemployment checks.
So what that tells you, that's a record high number. That means a record number of Americans are getting a jobless check right now after being laid off from their job or downsized and waiting to find a new one. So that's where we stand on those.
LEMON: Sounds like someone is working. I hear a little construction going on around you.
ROMANS: I know. It always happens right before I go on TV. So - and we like the economic activity so we're going to encourage it.
LEMON: Yes. Hey, they're working at least. There you go. In progress.
So, you know, there are tons of banks struggling right now but at least one had a very good first quarter. Tell us about that bank.
ROMANS: Yes. This really caught me by surprise. And you've got a lot of folks on Wall Street watching to see if stocks rally because of this. Wells Fargo is the bank that last year bought Wachovia, remember?
Wells Fargo saying that its first quarter will be a record. Now it hasn't reported the full results yet. But it's telling everyone, look, we're going to have a record quarter. They say they paid $372 million in dividends to U.S. taxpayers. That in exchange for that bailout money.
They say they're paying interest on the bailout money and they've given this much back. And they say that in the first quarter that they have helped 450,000 people. That's mortgages and refinancings, record mortgage activity in the first quarter for Wells Fargo.
As you know, mortgage rates, Don, are historically low and for credit worthy borrowers, and this is the key here, for people who have good credit, especially first-time home buyers and people who have good credit in their home and they're not under water, wow. There's a lot that they can do right now to refinance or to buy a new home.
And so Wells Fargo is seeing some strength and its traditional banking and its mortgage banking plain vanilla products are driving this company and they say they are paying the government back in interest for that money that was loaned to them from taxpayers.
LEMON: You're a bright light this morning. You've got good news.
ROMANS: And we've got economic activity right down here where they are hammering on the wall.
LEMON: Christine Romans, appreciate it. Thank you.
ROMANS: Sure.
LEMON: And minutes from now, a second chance to succeed. A former prison inmate pays it forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a mixture. Doing what got to be done. Doing your time for your crime and coming out never doing it again and doing what is right. That's why I learned just to be a productive member of society.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: One man escapes the trappings of his past and offers a more promising future to others. His story in his own words.
CNN's Rob Marciano following the weather situation for us. The center of possibility of severe storms is Kansas today, eastern Kansas, and Oklahoma, southern Missouri.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: Yes, that's good. Good day to golf, right? Very good weather for golfing.
Thank you, Rob Marciano.
MARCIANO: All right, Don. You got it.
LEMON: People still have questions about the death of actress Natasha Richardson. Could a medical helicopter have saved her life? Find out what our investigation reveals.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Want to tell you now about new questions about the death of actress Natasha Richardson. Now you recall she died after a fall on the ski slopes in eastern Canada. 911 transcripts offer clues into what happened and whether she could have been saved.
Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta traveled to Canada looking for answers.
And Sanjay, what did you find out about this?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know what's interesting is, obviously, the story - people know what happened. It's a tragic story of Natasha Richardson.
What we wanted to find out was how did the whole process sort of unfold. So we got a hold of these 911 tapes, the transcripts of them, and got a better sense of the timeline of things. And I think what sort of - sort of leaped out at us is was this idea if she had been transported to the hospital at the time that she started to have trouble, headaches, when she called the ambulance back, because at first she waved them off, called them back, could she have gotten there in time in the best of circumstances?
That was the question. I think the larger question is not so much about Natasha Richardson, but about any skier on these slopes when they are up there, if they get some sort of head injury, are they going to be able to get to a hospital in time?
Here's what we stumbled into.
LEMON: All right.
GUPTA: There are no air ambulances in this particular part of Quebec. It takes 2 1/2 hours to get to the hospital from these ski slopes. Normally, they will tell you, you got about 90 minutes, which means this, Don. Anybody who has a head injury on these ski slopes probably is not going to be able to get to a hospital in time.
There are no helicopters. It's a big risk for a lot of people and Natasha Richardson may not have really had a chance.
LEMON: So, you know, air ambulances, I think people kind of take them for granted because we're so used to them. Well, we say, you know, they were helicoptered or taken to a hospital. Does that make a difference, you think, in survival rates if we use them more?
GUPTA: That - very fair question. And you know, the answer may surprise people. The answer is yes. And you can compare lots - you can compare this data in lots of different ways. If you look at head injuries across the board in Canada, for example, versus the United States.
Keep in mind, it's a smaller population. But the mortality rates, overall, 22 percent and if you compare that to mortality rates from head injuries in the United States, that's closer to 3.5 percent. So, you know, a big difference there.
There's lots of different factors come in. And let me be clear, the health care in Canada, I mean, very good health care. If she'd gotten to a hospital she would have had a very good operation - had a much different outcome. And this is a small area of Canada.
LEMON: You pay very close attention to this stories, a lot of people, but you, more than most, being a doctor. Was there something unique or something interesting that you found out that you didn't know as you were covering the story?
GUPTA: You know, being that this is what I do for a living, take care of these sorts of brain injuries, I was not entirely surprised. In fact, when I first heard about it, I was in the hospital with my own wife, we were giving birth. And I said I think this is probably what happened.
But I think what's surprising is if someone can fall just from standing.
LEMON: Right.
GUPTA: They kept saying, well, she was on a beginner's slope. That didn't matter. Just falling from standing down to the ground on a hard surface can be a significant blow to the head. And people kind of blow that off. They think it wasn't that bad a fall, get that checked out. I think that's a good message.
LEMON: We hear that all the time about roller blading, bicycling...
GUPTA: Yes.
LEMON: ... and things like that. Yes.
GUPTA: Falling back on your head, on the side of your head. Absolutely. LEMON: Doctor, we appreciate it. And congratulations on the baby.
GUPTA: Thanks, Don. Appreciate it. Thank you.
LEMON: Tell your wife as well.
We have a reminder for you, new dad Sanjay Gupta is going to have this investigation, full investigation on "AC 360" 10:00 p.m. Eastern. "AC 360," 10:00 p.m. Dr. Sanjay Gupta's investigation.
Held hostage on a lifeboat. The captain of the hijacked cargo boat now separated from his crew, trying to survive in the custody of pirates.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Don Lemon.
LEMON: All right. It's just about that time. The opening bell is about to ring on Wall Street and stocks are poised for a big jump on this final trading day of the week.
Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with more on what's expected to have the bulls charging, we're told.
Hi, Susan. Tomorrow is a holiday so they won't be trading tomorrow.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That could be it. The prospect of a long weekend is something that I think a lot of folks in Wall Street are bullish about. They're also bullish, Don Lemon, about Wells Fargo.
Stocks future surged on news that Wells Fargo expects to record a $3 billion profit in the first three months of the year. Far exceeding expectations. Company shares jumped 20 percent ahead of the open.
Remember, this is a big bank reporting profits. Yes, Wall Street likes that kind of news especially out of the financial sector.
We're also watching jobless numbers. I know you and Christine were talking about that moments ago. Jobless claims fell more than expected last week to roughly 654,000. That's still really, really high. And the number of people continuing to apply for unemployment benefits on a continuing basis remains at a record 5.84 million people.
Meanwhile, the nation's retailers clocking in with their March sales figures. The message mixed so far with about half of the stores surpassing estimates half falling short. American Apparel, the store that has everything made in the U.S. saw a jump of 11 percent. But Dillard's, the department store, saw its sales plunge 19 percent. Abercrombie and Fitch even worse.
Don, you need to shop there, again. Its sales plummeted 34 percent.
LEMON: Wow!
LISOVICZ: Yes. That's - you know, that's kind of...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I tell you what I've been doing, Susan. I've been doing a lot of vintage and second-hand shopping, and you know, it's paying out. I'm actually doing a story on it, so it will air. It's been paying off.
LISOVICZ: Well, retailers of any kind, they like that. And you know what? We just want to mention, Don, Warren Buffett also getting rocked by the recession. The company he runs Berkshire Hathaway lost its AAA top credit rating. Moody's says the recession and investment loses reduce the company's ability to support funding needs.
But, yes, Don Lemon is buying. He is buying vintage and, well, investors are buying blue chips right now. We're seeing triple digit gains in the first minute of trading. The Dow is up 112 points. A 1.5 percent dido for the NASDAQ and the S&P 500.
You mention, yes, the market will be closed tomorrow for Good Friday. Today is Passover. We are expecting volume to be light, but the gains are nice. At least in the early going, Don. Let's see if it holds.
LEMON: All right. Happy Passover. Happy Easter. Thank you very much, Susan Lisovicz.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
LEMON: We're following several developing stories here today in the CNN NEWSROOM. This is breaking news story. The U.S. Navy is getting help with the hostage situation off the Coast of Somalia. An FBI spokesman says hostage negotiators are fully engaged in efforts to free the captain of the Maersk Alabama. He's being held by pirates in a lifeboat.
And we're just hearing from Somalia's foreign minister. He says the pirates are, quote, "playing with fire," and won't win against the U.S. in this standoff.
Right now, the rest of the crew is safe and back in control of their ship. They have been told by the Navy to keep a safe distance.
The Navy has a destroyer, the USS Bainbridge on the scene, keeping an eye on those pirates.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence joins us now live.
Chris, what do we know about the Navy's plan of action right now?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Right now, Don, it appears just to be to monitor the situation and try to let some of the negotiators do their work.
We know from the company that, right now, although the captain is still being held by these four pirates on this lifeboat, that he has not been harmed. The pirates have not harmed the captain. The lifeboat is drifting there just a few hundred miles off the Coast of Somalia. It's about a 28-foot lifeboat. And we're told by one of the crew members families that it has about three days of water and about ten days of food. So, right now, the plan try to get the captain safely off of that lifeboat.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (on camera): The Maersk Alabama was cruising 300 miles off the Coast of Somalia. It's carrying some 5,000 tons of food. Humanitarian aid bound for Mombasa, Kenya. Just after midnight our time pirates moved in on the Alabama. Its 20-man crew sends a distress call.
Now the U.S. Navy gets the message, but its nearer ship is hundreds of miles away. It will take the better part of the day to get there.
(voice-over): Just before 1:00 a.m., the crew calls back. Pirates with assault rifles have hijacked the ship.
MURPHY: Made their way on board. They held the crew in a secure area. They shut down all communication. No further communication and stopped the ship. And had progressed from that point on. We have some indications now that the crew has overpowered the pirates, and I'm not sure.
LAWRENCE: The Alabama's 20-man crew is unarmed. But at some point, they surprised the pirates, take one into custody, and lock themselves in the ship's steering compartment. At the same time, half a world away, President Obama gets the call to let him know what is happening. At 10:00 in the morning, crewman Shane Murphy calls his wife.
Was he able to tell you about what is going on?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That they had taken down one of the pirates.
LAWRENCE: Hours later, the Alabama's crew retakes control, and a crew member calls CNN from the Alabama to tell us about a unique negotiation.
KEN QUINN, SECOND MATE, MAERSK ALABAMA (via telephone): When they boarded our ship, they sank their boats. So the captain talked them into getting off the ship with our lifeboat. But we - we took one of their pirates hostage and we did an exchange.
LAWRENCE: That was the deal. Give us back our captain, we give you your pirate.
QUINN: We returned him, but they didn't return the captain. So now we're just trying to offer them whatever we can. Food. It's not working too good.
LAWRENCE: As the pirates renege on the deal, a U.S. Navy surveillance plane flies over the area, putting eyes on the Alabama and the lifeboat. And that Navy ship? It's the USS Bainbridge, a guided missile destroyer steaming full speed into the area.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: Which brings us now to the situation that we are in right now with the boat just drifting there. And, Don, it really remains to be seen. You know, with such a smaller boat, 28-feet but still out there on the open seas, how long it can get us continue to drift there.
LEMON: Yes, watching and waiting. Thank you. Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence.
The U.S. basically caught up in a game of cops and robbers on the high seas. That's what's going on. So who are these pirates, and how do they manage to exploit the limits of the U.S. Navy? An explanation now. You want to watch this from CNN's Joe Johns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The numbers are staggering. More than 100 attacks last year, about 40 ships hijacked off the coast of Somalia; six vessels just since Saturday.
The pirates plunder is ransom. Hold a ship and its crew hostage until someone pays. Estimates range from $80 million to $100 million paid so far. Sometimes the money comes as a wire transfer or even, in one case, air-dropping the loot on to the deck of the ship.
JOHN BURNETT, AUTHOR "DANGEROUS WATERS": These aren't just out- of-work fishermen. These are attacking with military discipline. I mean, what we have out there right now today is a war at sea.
JOHNS: And so how do they do it? Some attacks are random and can go badly, others are carefully planned.
More sophisticated pirates identify and target ships by staking them out, assessing the crew, security measures, the value of the cargo.
Then, so-called motherships carry pirates on speedboats out into the water. The men on board the speedboats are heavily armed, typically carrying rifles and RPGs, rocket propelled grenade.
So, it may seem a little absurd for a small band of outlaws in tiny boats to take over a supertanker the size of a couple of football fields, but remember the crews of the commercial ships are unarmed.
BURNETT: The threat is to damage a ship. If a RPG is fired at a tanker or any ship that is carrying volatile cargo, then there's a good chance that the ship will catch fire and burn and - or explode and sink. JOHNS: And cargo sometimes worth as much as $100 million is lost. So if waters off Somalia are so dangerous why not take another route?
(on camera): Here's why. These dots represent where attacks occurred just last year. A merchant's ship choices for getting to this part of the world are either going around the northern tip of Africa through the Suez Canal or south, which by the way is a much longer, slower and more expensive trip. But nowadays, pirates have demonstrated the capacity to board commercial vessels, hundreds of miles off the coast of Africa. So even if the ship started coming from the south, the result might very well be the same.
(voice-over): In fact, it's already happening. The pirates have started moving south and attempts to stop them simply haven't worked.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Now as we said earlier here on CNN, FBI hostage negotiators have been called in to help free an American captain. Richard Phillips is now being held in a lifeboat by the pirates who stormed his ship, the Maersk Alabama. But how will these negotiations work? That's what we want to know.
Joining me on the phone now from New York is Chris Voss. He is a former FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator.
Thank you, sir. The big question here is what is this now? Is this a wait and see game? Are they just trying to wait out these pirates?
CHRIS VOSS, FORMER FBI NEGOTIATOR (via telephone): Well, it's a little bit of wait and see, and it's a little bit more of that. I mean, they've got to cut down the options that the pirates have, and they have to be very careful not to escalate the situation.
At some point in time, the pirates have to be made to feel that they've gotten to the limit of what they can get. Unfortunately, they already reneged on one agreement, so they're going to have a little more staying power in the negotiations. But they'll have to get to the place where they feel they've gotten all they can and then they give up the captain.
LEMON: We are being told by officials in Somalia, or at least in Kenya, that this lifeboat is out of fuel. Whose advantage, if any, does that work toward?
VOSS: Well, as long as the people negotiating on behalf of the captain don't escalate the situation, then the advantage is to - advantage the good guys, if you will. It's an advantage because pirates don't have anywhere to go.
LEMON: Don't have anywhere to go. I'm just wondering if they may feel trapped if that happens. I heard the father of Shane Murphy, Joe Murphy, this morning speaking to another network saying that he was confident that Mr. Phillips - Richard Phillips, would make it through this unharmed, because they haven't killed in the past and it doesn't behoove the pirates to take a life.
What is your understanding of that? What do you say to that?
VOSS: Well, that's very true. Because at the end of the day, the pirates, whether we like it or not, are businessmen. And if they kill an American, they realize there is a very high likelihood that their infrastructure is going to be attacked as a result. They don't want that. They want to stay in business. So it's to their advantage to keep them alive.
LEMON: You know, I have just - in the short time we have left, you know, this has been about money and ransom and all of that. Do they ransom down now that they may feel trapped? Do they try to barter down the amount of money that they were hoping to get? What happens?
VOSS: Well, as distasteful as it is, there will be a bargaining process. And they'll settle for whatever they can get.
LEMON: OK. We don't know how long we might be looking at here, right? No precedent with this.
VOSS: Well, if they are trapped on that boat, it can't last that much longer.
LEMON: All right. Former FBI negotiator Chris Voss. We appreciate it.
VOSS: Thanks.
LEMON: We want to go now to a developing story.
Twelve men are in custody today after police launched a series of anti-terror raids across England. The arrests were triggered after Britain's top counterterrorism officer was photographed carrying top secret documents and those documents showed details of a major anti- terror operation. This blunder forced the officer to resign today from London's police force. Police rushed to revise a timeframe to make all of those arrests.
British reports say Pakistani nationals are among those arrested. A news conference about the raids is getting started in about five minutes. We'll keep an eye on it for you, and bring you any details coming out of that.
Wisdom may come with age, but so does stress. And it changes as you hit those milestones of 30, 40 and 50. But don't stress out, because we've got some help for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Stress takes many forms and has many causes. It also has differing effects as you hit the milestones of 30, 40, and 50. CNN medical correspondent Dr. Judy Fortin looks at stress as you age.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The stock market, foreclosures, unemployment, these are stressful times. 52- year-old Steven Vogel had a great job with a great company, but eight months ago, they downsized and suddenly he was without a job.
STEVEN VOGEL, PATIENT: That brings on a lot of uncertainty and anxiety.
FORTIN: For Vogel, the stress of the unknown kept him up at night.
VOGEL: Being very, very concerned as to when or if for that matter, this situation was going to end.
FORTIN: His anxiety got so bad, he sought professional help. Stressors big and small can have a major impact on our health over time. When we are stressed, our bodies secret the hormone Cortisol into the bloodstream. It's usually triggered by a moment of panic. Too much Cortisol can lead to changes in weight, headaches, muscle problems, even high blood pressure. These symptoms can build up over the years, causing such conditions as diabetes and heart disease as we get older.
In our 30s, new jobs, marriage, and family can create anxiety.
DR. ROBERT SCHWARTZ, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: From the children being sick to having behavioral problems, or just managing their life, taking kids from one place to another, along with their own life, is complicated.
FORTIN: In our 40s, job stability may become a bigger factor, and keeping up with housing cost and family issues can stress out even the most stable of people.
SCHWARTZ: Small children become teenagers, there are issues of problems with their family.
FORTIN: And in our 50s, retirement, elderly parents, college expenses, even family health history can cause many to lose sleep.
SCHWARTZ: Very often, they have a parent who has had heart disease or diabetes or something like that. And they will unconsciously stress about whether that's going to occur to them.
FORTIN: If the stress gets to be too much, seek help. Don't keep stress bottled up. And be aware of stress signs, such as loss of sleep. Constant muscle pains, chest tightness, and heart palpitations. These are signs you need to see a physician.
For Steven Vogel, life has gotten better. He has a new job. He credits his doctor for helping him get through one of the most stressful times in his life.
Judy Fortin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: New developments. New dimensions on the standoff with Somali pirates. You won't believe how often this happens. Our Josh Levs takes us online and inside this very intriguing story
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. This is our developing story today - the standoff with Somali pirates is developing by the minute here. And our team at cnn.com is working around the clock to keep you updated on the very latest.
We're going to turn now to our Josh Levs. And he's going to show us a striking image of just how frequently piracy incidents are taking place here.
And Josh, as you were explaining it to me, it's just amazing what you're going to show us. You know we do that flight tracker when all the flights are in the air?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Yes.
LEMON: All these incidents, unbelievable.
LEVS: It's exactly like that. I should have thought of it. Yes, it's really good comparison. It's a lot like that. And I encourage you all to check it out. Let's zoom in on the board. I want you to see this. You can't miss it. Go to our main story right now. You're going to click on a tab at the top. Check this out, Don.
Everywhere that you see one of these yellow orange circles, these are piracy incidents. Not just in general. These are piracy incidents in 2009, in this area. You've got the Gulf of Aden up here. Then over here along the East Coast of Somalia, down to Mogadishu, some incidents taking place here as well. You can see a lot that had been up there. And it gives you a sense of how frequently this is going on.
Now while you're there, there is another tab I want you to check out as well, that we should be able to zoom up to. That takes you over here to a chart, which gives you numbers, if you want to see it that way. And it shows you times of the year that these incidents have gone up and down at each point over the last several years. Going all the way back there to 2006.
Also, check this out. We take you through how pirates hijack ships, and how crews are trained to dodge them - the steps along the way. We talk to you about the mother ship that pirates often used. It's often disguised as a normal fishing vessel. We trace you through that. Then how they get on to the ship. Then how the crew is trained to react. And then you've got this, fighting back. In cases where the fighting back takes place, what goes on on the ship, and finally, targets of opportunity. What they keep an eye out for.
All sorts of interesting information to keep you up-to-date at every moment of this, Don. We're going to keep updating it all day long.
LEMON: Here's what people want to know. We have a lot of viewers, Josh, who are, you know, heartfelt. They care about these folks. They want to know if there's any place that they can send up Captain Richard Phillips' family or any of the guys who are on that ship online messages.
LEVS: That's right. Yes, that's really important. Good point. There's a couple of places I want to encourage you to go to do that. Let's zoom back in. One good place is always iReport. You can send a video, or just a message or your story. You can send photos, whatever it is - ireport.com. Check that out.
Also, I was on Facebook just now, Don. I know you do a lot of Facebooking. There is now a support group set up for Captain Richard Phillips and his family. It's brand new. We can expect a lot of people to start posting things here as well.
Also, while I was on Facebook, I happened to notice a lot of people have taken interest in the Somalia pirates story for a long time. There's actually a lot of pages that are already following any stories involving these pirates. But specifically for getting a message, there is a Facebook group and you got iReport.com - Don.
LEMON: Ireport.com and Facebook if you want to send a message.
LEVS: Yes. Best places to go to do that.
LEMON: Very good stuff. Josh, we really appreciate it. Thank you for the information, sir.
You know, there is a lot happening this morning, and our crews are hard at work to bring you the very latest.
Good morning to everyone.
Christine, we'll begin with you.
ROMANS: Well, Don, I'm looking into the economics of piracy - insurance rates, how much trouble it is for these companies, and just what exactly it's doing to the maritime economy. I'll have that at the top of the hour.
LISOVICZ: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange, where stocks are surging after a big bank said it expects to record big profits. Don, I'll tell you which bank in the next hour.
MARCIANO: And I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center, where temperatures in the southeast are finally surging after setting records across Florida into the 30s. That, plus the severe weather threat across the plains. We could see some tornadoes before the day is done. That's at the top of the hour, Don. LEMON: All right. Thanks to all of you. And our Dr. Sanjay Gupta will go beyond the numbers of a new study on obesity and 4-year- olds. How does your child stack up?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Millions of people are searching for a paycheck. But one group may have an especially tough job search. Those who have recently gotten out of prison, one man is trying to get back. As a small business owner, he now hires from the job training program that gave him a new start in life. His story in his own words as captured by CNN photojournalist Dominic Swann (ph).
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to get it wash?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I want to get it wash.
HENRY LUIS, ANGEL SHINE: Washing cars, car care - shampoo, washing, waxing, buffing.
You got the key? I'll do the job. I can hear, "Oh, look at the difference." I can hear my customers say, "Wow, great job!"
I take pride in just being out here working - honest, living honest.
NEWTON B. SANON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OIC OF BROWARD COUNTY: Henry Luis (ph) came to us. It's probably about - I say about eight months ago now.
LUIS: One day, I heard a girl attending the (INAUDIBLE), "Let's go look at OIC. Let's check OIC."
SANON: You saw on his eyeball, he was like, "OK, so, who are these people? What do they really want?"
LUIS: You know, I just done like 12 years in a joint, in prison, you know. I made a few mistakes.
SANON: OIC stands for Opportunities Industrialization Center. Our core focus is to provide training, job opportunities and a sense of hope for individuals to be productive members of society.
LUIS: Because it is hard to get a job.
SANON: Many of the adult men in my office are in tears because they have tried and they have tried consistently to get a job, and society is not as welcoming.
LUIS: They helped me set with the basic instruction setup, they helped me with the short-term goals, they helped me with the computer skills. They just helped me in every way there is. This is my second home.
SANON: When I see Henry, I understand truly what hope is about.
LUIS: It is a mixture of doing what's got to be done, doing your time for your crime, and coming out never doing it again and doing what's right. That's what I've learned in prison, just to be a productive member of society.
SANON: I think I'm impressed not only because he was going to start his own business, but he then turned around and hired some of his colleagues that were in the program as well.
LUIS: (INAUDIBLE), I got the whole OIC. I just take the guy - I let them take turns to earn some money or something, because it's hard out here. I know what it's like just getting out of prison with nothing.
SANON: The benefit trickles down not just for that individual, but the community. And they often have children and families that benefit from our program and efforts as well. So, I'd say that's a pretty strong return on an investment, when investments have not done so well over the last few years in this country.
LUIS: They support me, you know. In everything I do, they support me. So I give back by doing the right thing. This is what Angel Shine do, right here, we shine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Some tough economic news out of Detroit this morning. Twenty-three schools may be closing this summer. Another 30 could close next year. That school system is facing a deficit of more than $300 million and a fast shrinking enrollment. The final decision is expected on May 8th.
And some mixed news on the unemployment front today. New jobless claims fell more than expected last week, but those figures are still stuck at elevated levels. And those continuing to get unemployment benefits set a record for the 11th straight week. Jobless claims fell to a seasonally adjusted 654,000 last week. That's down from a revised 674,000 the week before.
