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Obama Pledge to Help Mexico Fight Cartels; Pres. Castro Willing to Talk to Obama Administration; Rehab After Rock Bottom

Aired April 17, 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: President Obama heads to a regional summit where the focus is on one nation that won't be there. New pressure on the U.S. to end its Cuban embargo.

Sarah Palin's sold-out show. The Alaska governor back in the lower 48 and the political spotlight.

Plus, staying in and spending less. How about that? Families forced to cut back during tough times. We break down the new frugality. It is Friday, April 17th, hi everybody I'm Heidi Collins, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We begin this morning with several different stories that we are following. I want to give you a quick walk through right now, Christine Romans is actually talking about the opening bell today because there are two troubled companies that are sort of pointing out where your money is going to be headed and what direction we're going in today.

Also this hour as you well know by now, President Obama is wrapping up his trip to Mexico. What did he accomplish? What are the goals as he heads even further south?

Also, we have Jason Carroll today. He is going to be following the rescued sea captain Richard Phillips. We've been talking about this for many days now, everybody wondering what it's going to be like for him to be back home. We'll get to that in just a moment.

Meanwhile, we begin with President Obama's trip to Latin America. At the top of the hour he heads to the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit of the Americas. There he will meet with other leaders of the western hemisphere. The topics, drug wars, global warming, poverty and the recession. The same topics that remain unresolved as he leaves Mexico.

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Obama came to give Mexico's president, Felipe Calderon, his props for taking on the country's deadly drug cartels. Mr. Obama said the U.S. shared responsibility for the flow of weapons, cash, and drugs.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But I will not pretend that this is Mexico's responsibility alone. More than 90 percent of the guns recovered in Mexico come from the United States.

MALVEAUX: When Calderon reiterated the point, Obama was left shaking his head and seemed eager to move on.

OBAMA: The relationship between Mexico and the United States cannot just be defined by drugs.

MALVEAUX: While both leaders pledged more resources to monitor the border, President Obama acknowledged he couldn't get delivered on his campaign promise to reinstate the assault weapons ban. Since the ban expired, Calderon says the violence in Mexico has gotten worse, acknowledging that Congress has little appetite to take on the issue. Mr. Obama instead urged the U.S. Senate to ratify a long-stalled regional treaty aimed at tackling the drug trade.

OBAMA: But what we focused on is how we can improve our enforcement of existing laws.

MALVEAUX: Now, on to the twin island Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago for the fifth Summit of the Americas. Obama is touting progress with Cuba, his administration's recent move to relax restrictions for Cuban-Americans.

OBAMA: And so I think what you saw was a good faith effort.

MALVEAUX: But his Mexican host like many other Latin American leaders said Obama's move is inadequate and called for the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba to be lifted.

FELIPE CALDERON, PRESIDENT OF MEXICO (through translator): We do not believe that the embargo or the isolation of Cuba is a good measure for things to change in Cuba.

MALVEAUX (on camera): Despite the fact that Cuba will not be represented at the summit, the fear is that it could dominate the discussion.

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, Mexico City.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: The opening bell is just a few minutes away on Wall Street. So how will investors react to bleak earnings reports from two troubled giants? Christine Romans has an answer to that that actually may surprise you.

Good morning, Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

It's because, Heidi, you know, we knew it was a very tough quarter for GE and for Citigroup. These are the companies we're talking about. And, in fact, Wall Street is reacting positively because it wasn't as bad as they had feared.

Let's start with Citigroup. This company had good investment bank and trading profit. Ironically, even making some money on credit default swaps, those spreads widening. Its net income was $1.6 billion so that means it made a profit, but with a big asterisk. Because when you account for some accounting changes and for the dividends it had to pay out to its preferred shareholders that means taxpayers and some of those other shareholders, it lost 966 million for its common shareholders. It also pointed out, Heidi, that it had to cut its head count in the most recent quarter by 13,000. It is down, think of this, 65,000 workers since its peak employment, Citi is.

COLLINS: I feel like I ask you this all the time but I'll ask you again today maybe because it's a Friday I'll get an answer that I like. Can we say that the worst for the banking industry is behind us now?

ROMANS: You know, boy, wouldn't we like to be able to say that? But we still have to get through --

COLLINS: I'm going to keep asking.

ROMANS: I know. We still have to get through these stress tests. We're going to learn more about those stress tests April 24th. We should learn more about exactly what are the parameters of the stress test. The "Wall Street Journal" is reporting we're going to get the results of them maybe the first week in May and that is going to be essentially going to tell us what is the position of these banks. Citi had this loss for shareholders that was less than people had expected but keep in mind, it still had credit costs went up, it still had some other loan losses, it still had to put more money aside for future losses.

COLLINS: Yes.

ROMANS: So that's something that is incredibly important to remember about these banks is that they are less unhealthy than they were maybe last quarter. Quickly, on GE, its profit fell 35 percent. This is a company that makes everything from light bulbs to trains to engines to wind turbines.

COLLINS: They make everything, don't they?

ROMANS: They really do, it's a really important company for the American economy. Earnings down 35 percent, but Heidi that wasn't as bad people thought. They had thought the earnings would be cut in half by this company so again, not as bad as they thought so that's taken as good news.

COLLINS: All right, well we'll take all the good news we can get. Sure do appreciate it, Christine Romans, thank you.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

COLLINS: Some call him captain courageous. The American sea captain held for five days by Somali pirates is now on his way to Vermont. Captain Richard Phillips can certainly expect a hero's welcome. Our Jason Carroll is live in Phillips' hometown of Underhill. Jason good morning to you, set the scene for us just a little bit.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, let me tell you I spoke to some of the folks at the Phillips home last night and again early this morning. Heidi, they are counting down the hours waiting for his return. That's basically the feeling among so many people here in this community and when you come to a place like Underhill, you can really understand the reason why.

Population here about 3,000; it's a small town. So when something of this magnitude happens to one of their own, people here really feel it and that is the case with Captain Richard Phillips. The yellow ribbons have gone up all around town, the signs are up as well, people coming out to the general store to leave their own special message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think everybody is very happy he is coming home safely and just praise God he is here.

FATHER RICK DANIELSON, LOCAL PASTOR: Can't wait to welcome him back home, back to his hometown and to his family. The town is thrilled beyond belief as you can imagine that he was rescued. We're delighted that he's on his way home.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: You can see the big sign there across the street. What you can't see on there, Heidi, are all the little messages there that people have written. Some of the messages, one from the Delia (ph) family that reads, "Captain Phillips, you rock!"

Another one comes from Diane Skinner (ph) and it says, "You are our hero."

That is certainly the sentiments of so many people here Heidi. And as you know, everyone waiting for his return. He is expected back at about 4:30, that's going to be at Burlington International Airport. Everyone waiting for his return but no one more than his own family, his wife and two children - Heidi.

COLLINS: Oh, boy, I'm sure you've got that right. Jason Carroll for us this morning live in Vermont, thank you Jason.

The captured Somali pirate who held Captain Phillips hostage on a lifeboat will reportedly face trial in the United States according to the associated press. The pirate will be brought to New York. The suspect is believed to be in his late teens, perhaps as young as 17. You recall Navy seals snipers killed three other pirates on that life boat.

Police in Long Beach, California have no idea yet why a hospital worker gunned down two coworkers. It happened yesterday at Memorial Medical Center. Witnesses say Mario Ramirez killed two of his coworkers and then turned the gun on himself. All three men worked in the hospital's outpatient pharmacy. A neighbor described Ramirez as a quiet and polite family man.

Forcing terror suspects to talk. The Obama administration releases memos detailing graphic CIA interrogation techniques during the Bush era. Some say it's proof of torture.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center. Severe weather is exactly what we had yesterday, we'll have snow today. But is what happened yesterday snow or hail? Dramatic stuff coming up when the CNN NEWSROOM comes right back.

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(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Inflicting quote, "A degree of physical pain."

Slamming terror detainees against the wall, forced nudity and simulated drowning. These are just some of the interrogation techniques approved by the Bush administration and graphically detailed in memos just released by the Obama administration. But President Obama promises CIA officers who used harsh tactics will not be prosecuted saying this, "Nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past."

CNN's Tom Foreman has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the war on terror raged in the years following 9/11, the new documents paint a graphic picture of what was happening to some suspected terrorists in American hands, suspects like Abu Zubaydah, identified by the CIA as a top al Qaeda operative.

In memos to the spy agency, the Justice Department approved shackling so-called high-value suspects, forcing them to stand, and keeping them from sleeping for up to 11 days, making them assume stress positions, such as standing with only their hands touching a distant wall, or kneeling while being forced to bend sharply backward, locking them in a tiny, cramped space for up to two hours at a time.

For Zubaydah, one memo even OK'd throwing in an insect of which he was to be believed deathly afraid, though that step was not taken, and simulated drowning through the process known as water-boarding.

(on camera): The memos make it plain that only some detainees faced these extreme measures. And, even then, some techniques were not taken to the approved limit. Furthermore, the Justice Department repeatedly warned that physical injury was forbidden, as well as anything that produced prolonged psychological stress or lasting effects.

(voice-over): The memos stress that thousands of American soldiers have endured these techniques in training, and that they do not constitute torture.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This government does not torture people.

FOREMAN: Still, the list goes on -- also approved, slapping suspects in the face or stomach to startle and humiliate, dousing prisoners repeatedly with water, and forced nudity in front of both male and female interrogators, especially if that's taboo in the prisoner's culture.

The American Civil Liberties Union says, all this is torture. And just as it fought for the release of these papers, the group now wants something more.

AMRIT SINGH, ATTORNEY, AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION: Torture is illegal. It is immoral, and it is essential that individuals who conducted torture be held accountable.

FOREMAN: Not likely, the Obama administration says, but the president is making it just as clear that such interrogation techniques are now forbidden.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: CNN's Josh Levs is in the NEWSROOM now with a fascinating new poll on how many of you are coping in these tough economic times.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Cutting back, a strategy many of you are taking to deal with the recession. CNN's Josh Levs is here now to reveal some results from a new poll, Josh, dealing with major changes in the way people are spending their money.

JOSH LEVS: Yes, we know obviously a lot of people are going back, right?

COLLINS: Yes.

LEVS: And spending less, they have less to spend or they're just afraid to put it out there. What's really interesting about this brand new poll from "Time" magazine, this is their cover, is how people are pulling back, some specifics. I'm going to show you a handful of the really interesting statistics.

Let's go straight to this graphic that's in this brand new "Time" poll. 63 percent of people say that when it comes to entertainment, they've cut back. Forty-three percent Heidi, they're watching us more, they're watching the news more.

COLLINS: That's brilliant! I think that's really, really smart.

LEVS: It's just too bad it takes a recession, right. Let's keep that going when things are good again. Fifty-six percent there you can see are eating out less. Not a shocker there. You can see 38 percent buying fewer tickets to sporting events. I find that interesting. Whether they are buying them in bulk or buying them just in general day-by-day.

COLLINS: Those guys still make a whole big ton of money, right?

LEVS: Yea, they are doing just fine aren't they.

COLLINS: Yes, the athletes.

LEVS: In the big picture. A couple more stats. Gambling this is interesting because there are some people who theorized that gambling goes up in difficult times but overall Americans are spending 28 percent less on gambling; 25 percent less on liquor, wine, alcohol, then again, that's 25 percent; 24 percent less on newspapers and magazines.

What these statistics do, one reason they are so interesting is they help segment our economy right now. Right? So as you see businesses closing, whether it is the liquor store near you or a newspaper near you, you can look at these statistics and say, ah ha, this makes sense, Americans are spending that much less. Clearly that's how they would be impacted that way.

COLLINS: We're hearing from our viewers this morning about how they are actually cutting back, right?

LEVS: Yes, you know because we don't just want to go by the poll, we want to hear your stories. It's always good to hear your stories. A few different ways you should contact us. First of all, we've got iReport.com. There is the graphic. Check it out.

COLLINS: How about that?

LEVS: How has the recession affected you? You've got my Facebook page, JoshLevsCNN, you've got our email address, cnnnewsroom@cnn.com. Start letting us know how are you cutting back or are you cutting back? Maybe you are one of the few that isn't. Right behind me, iReport, signs of the economic times. So Heidi next hour I'll be back with more of these really interesting stats from the poll and some of our viewer responses we'll have those.

COLLINS: All right, Josh, we sure do appreciate that. Thank you. We'll check in a little bit later on.

LEVS: Thanks Heidi.

COLLINS: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin returned to the lower 48 last night for the first time this year and her appearance sparked a buzz about the 2012 campaign.

Here now is CNN's Candy Crowley.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.

You know Evansville, Indiana is a long way from Juno, Alaska but this was a cause and a constituency that Sarah Palin couldn't pass up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), ALASKA: Thank you so much.

CROWLEY (voice-over): She came.

PALIN: Thank you, Indiana.

CROWLEY: She spoke.

PALIN: It is great to be in Indiana, the crossroads of America.

CROWLEY: She rocked the house. Officials of the Vanderburgh County, Indiana Right to Life Banquet didn't think there was much chance Alaska Governor Sarah Palin would accept their invitation to the group's biggest fundraiser, but she did.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We immediately sold out before actually it was released to the public.

CROWLEY: She talked about stimulus money, the beauty of Alaska, her days on the campaign trail, and to this room full of abortion opponents about her 1-year-old son Trig, a Down syndrome child.

PALIN: I had to call upon my faith and asked that my heart be filled up. And I'll tell you the moment that he was born I knew for sure that my prayer was answered. And my heart overflowed with joy.

CROWLEY: The anti-abortion movement is a core constituency in the Republican Party. And the speech was Governor Palin's first this year in the Lower 48. It does have people talking about her 2012 intentions and parsing her words.

PALIN: I have a feeling that I'm going to leave here with new energy and with inspiration, and I will restart my engine.

CROWLEY: Personally, professionally, it's been a rough road for the governor since the Republican ticket was defeated in November. Her relationship with Levi Johnston, father of her grandchild, is the stuff of soap operas. Her dealings with state lawmakers are not much better. Legislative battles have been bitter. Democrats and a few Republicans complained the Indiana trip shows the governor is more interested in her national ambitions than in state business.

PALIN: Which is ironic because these are the same critics who would love to see me outside of the state forever permanently, you know, outside the governor's office anyway.

CROWLEY: 2012 is political light years away. It's not likely anyone including Sarah Palin has decided whether to run for president. But she has set up a political action committee. She took the trek from Alaska to Indiana for a pretty well-covered mini show. At the very least, she's laying down a marker.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CROWLEY: This morning, Governor Palin is meeting with other parents of children with Downs Syndrome. After that it is back to Alaska and the final days of the legislative session. Her office says that Palin literally gets thousands of invitations to speak so it's a pretty good bet we will see her again in the lower 48 sooner, rather than later - Heidi.

COLLINS: All right Candy, thanks for that.

Shifting our attention now to the violence across America's southern border. We'll hear from a man who once led the fight against the drug cartels.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Wall Street coming off another rally. The Dow closed yesterday at its highest level in two months. But, today, we have earnings from a troubled financial giant. How are investors going to react to all of that?

Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange now with details. Susan, come on! Let's get another good day here.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's not as bad as expected and in a bear market, that's good. Heidi, right?

COLLINS: Yes it is.

LISOVICZ: In the meantime, we're expecting a flat open in the next 20 or on so seconds when the opening bell rings. Reporting today, Citigroup, as well as General Electric, the headlines are good, both companies' first quarter profits beat Wall Street's dismal estimates but if you dig deeper, there are still signs that the recession is taking its toll on corporate America. Citigroup earned more than 1.5 billion over the past three months, marking its first profit since 2007. But it gets confusing.

COLLINS: Yes.

LISOVICZ: The opening bell. I like Christine Romans' caveat saying this is like Barry Bonds' home run record. You put a little asterisk there.

COLLINS: That's a whole different story, Susan.

LISOVICZ: After you factor out an accounting change and factor in dividend payments on preferred stocks, Citi posted a loss but the loss was less than expected. Citi shares are up 3.5 percent in the first few seconds of trading. Over at General Electric, profits fell by 35 percent from a year ago. But the company that makes everything from light bulbs to movies still managed to earn nearly $3 billion. Also, GE's chief executive says the government's stress test shows the company won't need to raise any additional capital because GE also has a troubled financial unit and it is still struggling.

To the tech sector, Internet search giant Google also topped estimates, but Google's weak sales figure shows the recession is hitting the company at revenue.

Factor all that in and we're seeing a mixed bag in the first minute of trading. The Dow is up 15 points. The Nasdaq is down 0.33 percent. And, Heidi, on this final trading session of the week, I should mention to you that, right now, where we stand, the three major averages will post their sixth straight weekly gain. But, of course, it could go down to the wire. Anything is possible here.

COLLINS: Yes, yes, yes. But I like it. You know, three positive numbers, absolutely. Very good. You did well, Susan. Thank you.

LISOVICZ: Thank you.

COLLINS: We'll check back a little later on. Thanks.

President Obama is wrapping his first trip to Mexico since taking office. He will be leaving shortly for Trinidad and Tobago. Leaders from most Latin American countries will also be there for the Summit of the Americas. While in Mexico, Mr. Obama commended President Felipe Calderon on his crackdown on the violent drug cartels and acknowledged the U.S. must do its part.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I will not pretend that this is Mexico's responsibility alone. A demand for these drugs in the United States is what is helping to keep these cartels in business. This war is being raised with guns purchased not here, but in the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: President Obama also said more than 90 percent of the assault weapons seized from drug traffickers come from the United States.

Joining us now from New York, a man who knows a little something about this drug war, Bill Bennett. He's the host of national radio talk show "Morning in America," and a CNN contributor as well. He was also America's drug czar under the first President Bush.

Thanks for being with us, Bill. I know that you have a lot to...

BILL BENNETT, HOST, "MORNING IN AMERICA": You bet.

COLLINS: ...to talk about this morning. But going back to that sound bite that we just heard from President Obama, talking about the shared responsibilities between the United States and Mexico regarding the drug problem -- what do you make of that? We haven't really heard that from other administrations.

BENNETT: Well, sure, that's true. And the main problem is the appetite for drugs in the United States. The money, the freedom, the fact that we are not tough enough on drugs in this country, and that a lot of people just love drugs and want to use them is what drives this whole thing. The president is wrong, though, and we got to stop running this thing. He's got to stop saying about the 90 percent of the drugs -- 90 percent of the guns.

What they are talking about is the number of guns that have numbers on them that are traceable back to the United States. They send them back to the United States, because they think they are from the U.S. When you look at them, a large percentage of them do come from the United States. But what they send back is a very small proportion of the number of guns that they seized.

It's crazy to try to buy guns in the U.S. To have straw dealers buying guns when you can buy freely on the world market -- South America, Latin America, China. So it's not 90 percent of the guns used come from the U.S. Much, much smaller -- maybe 10 percent to 15 percent.

COLLINS: How do the guns even play a role in all of this? We should probably talk about that?

BENNETT: Well, guns play a role, of course, because these cartels are at war with each other. And that's the weapon of choice. You have 6,000 or 8,000 people killed in these drug wars in Mexico.

By the way, one has to really admire Calderon. He is doing his best in a very tough circumstance facing huge corruption. You have defections from the military, from the police going into the drug cartel business because it's so much more lucrative.

COLLINS: All right. So, listen, this is not a new problem.

BENNETT: No.

COLLINS: With Mexico drug problem.

BENNETT: No.

COLLINS: And the United States, however, you want to talk about the shared responsibility here, when you were drug czar, what did you deal with on this front?

BENNETT: Let me just say that we -- I don't mean me, but the administration and it was bipartisan, it was the Bush administration working with the Democrat Congress at the time and the country and leaders abroad got the drug numbers way down.

In 19 -- let's see, 1974 -- '79, the numbers were at their peak, about 25 million drug users in this country. That was '79. By 1992, the number was down to 11 million. It's now back up to about 20 million to 22 million.

So you cannot going to get it to zero, Heidi, but you can get it down. People should not despair about this, and shouldn't go to the siren song of legalization. You get it down by pressing on all fronts -- supply, demand, law enforcement, treatment, education, the schools, policy. The country decided to get serious in the late '80s and early '90s. I was fortunate to be there at the time, but it was the whole country that was pushing and we pushed this problem way down, dropped the drug use by more than 50 percent.

COLLINS: OK. And so since then, what's gone wrong?

BENNETT: Well, I think we've let up. This is the history of drug use in this country. There's the soft period followed by the tough period. We think we have the problem under better control so we release the pressure and it comes back up.

The issue should be much more prominent than it is. Let me say something here to President Obama. I'm glad he went. I'm glad he worked with Calderon. But as the report -- CNN report pointed out, he seemed eager to move on to other issues. He's a little uncomfortable with it.

Let me just say this, if he's uncomfortable because of his drug use as a young man, which he chronicles in his book, he shouldn't be. A lot of people did this. It's a stupid thing to do. He can say it was a stupid thing to do. But he needs to focus on this issue.

When the drug czar was announced, Gil Kerlikowske, the new drug czar was announced by Joe Biden. Now, Joe Biden has a long-standing interest this, but this is for the president to do. He's got to say this is a very important issue. And if he talks about it, the young people, because he is so popular, it may make a real positive difference.

COLLINS: Yes. Quickly, though, I also want to point out, this is not going to be a cabinet level position. A lot of people are saying that, you know, that's a big deal, but it wasn't a cabinet level position when you were in the position either?

BENNETT: It didn't make any -- didn't make any difference, because I was given budget authority. And budget authority in Washington is the biggest thing you can have at all.

COLLINS: There you go.

BENNETT: And I made a lot of noise. And the president put his arm around me and said to the other cabinet members, you listen to this guy. I caused a lot of trouble. I called up Dick Cheney and Colin Powell at the Pentagon. I said I need your help. That's what has to happen. The president has to say this guy is important, you listen to him. That was done for me. It needs to be done for every drug czar if you want to get on this problem.

COLLINS: The guy is still causing trouble now.

Bill Bennett, thanks so much. We appreciate you being here today talking specifically about something that you were involved in. The host of "Morning in America"...

(CROSSTALK) BENNETT: Trouble without any authority anymore.

COLLINS: Yes, there you go. Also, our CNN contributor. Thank you, Bill.

BENNETT: Thank you.

COLLINS: The issues between the United States and Cuba. A mere 90 miles of water, but half a century of contentious relations. And we tell you why there are new possibilities things could change.

Want to get back to CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano now with more on some of the severe weather that is hitting specific parts of the country.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: They came, they saw, they twittered. Who won the Internet showdown between CNN and Ashton Kutcher? Well, the answer is just a couple of minutes away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A Hollywood hipster, a cable news icon. Who would win the Internet showdown between Ashton Kutcher and CNN? Well, today, Kutcher is the Twitter king! Pretty fired up about it, too. All week, he has rallied the public to join the Internet social site. He wanted to beat CNN as the first Twitter account to boast one million followers. Early this morning, he passed that threshold; CNN followed less than a half hour later.

As part of the challenge, though, CNN will donate 10,000 mosquito bed nets to charity and Kutcher will donate a thousand. You can join CNN's Larry King as he hosts Ashton Kutcher tonight if he still has a voice. That's at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific, right here on CNN.

U.S.-Cuban relations, it's one of the last reminders of the cold war. Could a new thaw, though, be developing? Cuban President Raul Castro says he is willing to talk to the Obama administration and he says all grievances are on the table, including issues that Cuba has always maintained as its own private matters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CASTRO (through translator): We told the North American government, in private and in public, that we are prepared wherever they want to discuss everything. Freedom of rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners, everything, everything, everything that they want to discuss.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: So what does that mean and what's next? CNN's Morgan Neil takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MORGAN NEILL, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When President Barack Obama arrives in Trinidad and Tobago, the one country in the Americas not present may be the one he hears the most about -- Cuba. Latin American leaders overwhelmingly opposed the U.S. trade embargo. Opposed on the communist island more than four decades ago. Several have said they will bring it up at the summit, and this time, it's not just Washington's usual critics.

Last month at the White House, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged the U.S. to normalize relations with Cuba. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet visited Havana in February. After meeting with President Raul Castro, she, too, urged the U.S. to stop trying to isolate Cuba.

MICHELLE BACHELET, PRESIDENT OF CHILE (through translator): I'm referring to something very concrete. The U.S. blockade against Cuba, which seriously affects the living conditions of the Cuban people, particularly in this current crisis.

NEILL: But is President Obama listening?

PHIL PETERS, LEXINGTON INSTITUTE: That the Obama administration hears it loud and clear, all of the countries of Latin America and all of the countries of the Caribbean have called on the United States to change the policy towards Cuba.

NEILL (on camera): Just this week, President Obama eased some restrictions on Cuban Americans who visit and send money to family here on the island. That may blunt some of the criticism he'll face at the summit, but certainly not all.

(voice-over): Bolivian president Evo Morales fresh off a hunger strike seeking support in a conflict at home has said he will present a resolution to end the U.S. embargo. And Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez said last month he was already preparing the verbal artillery for the summit.

Morgan Neill, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: It's not till they bottom out that they reach for help. Addicts in rehab. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta finds a success story there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Stopping speeders in their tracks. Police in one California community are arming ordinary citizens now with radar guns and cameras to help keep the streets safe.

Suzie Suh of our affiliate station KCAL shows us a unique new program.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We put up friendly signs up and tried to slow them down that way. And, you know, we tried everything we can.

SUZIE SUH, KCAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you happen to be in Redland going even five miles over the speed limit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take it.

SUH: Watch out for the speedy snap of 8-year-old Cameron Byrd (ph) and the quick draw of his partner, Michael Lyon (ph). A neighbor who has had it with speeders on his street.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are going up at probably 40, 50, coming down at 50, 60 at times. The street is 25 miles an hour. It's a narrow street. There's no sidewalks. So, you know, there's concern with children and pets.

SUH: In an effort to involve the community in traffic safety improvement, the Redlands police department gave Lyon a radar gun, along with training.

UNIDENTIFIED POLICE: We need all the help we can get, you know. We don't have enough out here for the large community that we have.

SUH: A couple of hours every day, you'll find Lyon monitoring speeds to pass on to police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we document what time it was, what the speed was. Description of the car.

UNIDENTIFIED POLICE: It kind of warns them ahead of time, and then if they get violation a second time, they can get a citation.

SUH: Officials hope the extra sets of eyes will encourage drivers to slow down and stay off the radar.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Another one, buddy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Once again, that was Suzie Suh of our affiliate station KCAL in Los Angeles.

We all hear about celebrities going into rehab. Well, they're not alone. More than 300,000 Americans turn to residential treatment or rehab every year. Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joining us now.

So, Sanjay, for your documentary that's coming up, "Addiction: Life on the Edge," you spent a whole lot of time at different rehab facilities. One that I know pretty well is in Minnesota.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

COLLINS: Hazelton. What was it like?

GUPTA: Well, you know, it's funny because when we first started approaching this, we thought about rehab as sort of being this time- out for celebrities. We really want to know what happens there? What kind of treatments are they getting?

COLLINS: Yes.

GUPTA: And in Hazelton, as you mentioned, is one of the most well-known rehab centers around. They have a main campus. And it's kind of like a college campus in so many ways.

But as we found out, some of the people there have some of the most life-changing experience that you can possibly imagine as I learned.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): Angela Puckett was a self-described party girl, until she overdosed on painkillers and alcohol, and wound up in an Intensive Care Unit at this hospital outside Minneapolis.

ANGELA PUCKETT, RECOVERING ADDICT: Waking up in ICU after an overdose and suicide attempt, that was a major awakening that something needed to change.

GUPTA: Change began with rehab. Twenty-eight days here, at Hazelton, one of the world's largest nonprofit addiction treatment centers. Her journey to recovery is typical. Addicts typically don't get help until they hit rock bottom.

PUCKETT: I really wanted to come here to learn how to live sober, and how to deal with my emotions, and how not to be a party girl. I had always been, you know, the partier.

GUPTA: For Puckett and anyone who comes here, the first step is detox.

(on camera): Not a lot of people get to see this particular area of the medical services unit. But this is where most patients end up the first couple of days here at Hazelton. The goal? To get them through that withdrawal period. And it can be tough. Their hearts start to race, they start to sweat. Oftentimes, they get the shakes and it can be life-threatening. Getting them through those first couple of days, that's absolutely the goal.

Hazelton's program is built on the 12 steps, pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous. Step one, admit you're powerless over addiction. Steps two and three, turn your life over to higher power.

PUCKETT: As soon as I started hearing the stories from speakers and from the other women, I knew this is exactly where I belonged.

GUPTA: Addicts looking for a rehab facility should pick one that has an experienced staff, preferably with a board-certified psychiatrist. That offers individual and group therapy. And separate treatment for men and women. That's especially important for women who have been victims of sexual abuse. Also, it should have some sort of follow-up plan after the 28 days are up. Puckett says she's been sober for more than four years now, and she credits Hazelton with giving her her life back. (END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: She's a mom. And it's remarkable, you know. She's a success story as well. A lot of people say that relapse is part of recovery. Hazelton publishes the numbers. They say about 53 percent of people actually have relapses during that first year. So it's not perfect by any means. It's also expensive. It can be up to $26,000, $28,000 for a standard 28-day treatment. Hazelton is very well known.

I mean, I know it's in Minnesota, your home state. A lot of people have heard about this place.

COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. And one of the most successful, as you found out. Are there other treatments, though, that work?

GUPTA: You know, what's interesting is that if you think about addiction overall, there's a physical component to it, especially when it comes to the withdrawals...

COLLINS: Sure.

GUPTA: ...as you heard there, a social component, a psychological component. But when it comes to medications, only about a tenth of addicts are offered medication, according to our investigation.

COLLINS: Yes, we talked about this once before.

GUPTA: We talked about this before. So medications can be a component of treatment as well. In addition to places like Hazelton, where you have the counseling, you have the 12 steps. How that all blends together is something that's still evolving.

COLLINS: Yes. And probably different for every addicts, too, obviously.

GUPTA: That's right.

COLLINS: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you for that. Also, we want to remind everybody, not to miss Sanjay's special "Addiction: Life on the Edge," as he follows the lives of four addicts, and tells you the surprising things science is now learning about addiction. That's special debut, Saturday and Sunday night, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Mortgage rates have fallen to record levels. But when do you know if refinancing is actually right for you. Our Gerri Willis is here now with some guidance on that.

Good morning, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hi, there, Heidi.

COLLINS: First, remind us how low these rates actually are right now? WILLIS: Well, they are luscious, near historic lows.

COLLINS: Luscious, good word.

WILLIS: Luscious. Yes. Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages averaging 5.18 percent. That's with no points according to bankrate.com. The 15-year rate, 4.72 percent. All right. These are great numbers, but there are some hurdles you'll be facing now if you're thinking about getting a new loan.

First off, banks have tougher standards right now. So a lot of borrowers aren't qualifying for lower-cost, lower-risk mortgages. And experts out there tell us the credit score of more than 700 to be approved, plus the fall in home prices have caused a lot of folks to owe more on their mortgages than the home is worth. It's called being upside-down on your mortgages, and when you're upside-down, you can't refinance - Heidi.

COLLINS: No, not even close. But when does refinancing actually make sense, then?

WILLIS: All right. Well, so, for right now, where rates are right now, many of us could pay less month to month by refinancing. However, refinancing isn't free. It costs, as much as three percent to six percent of the loan amount. And for that reason, you'll want to refi, when the difference between your current mortgage rate and the rate you can get on a refi is as big as possible.

Another issue to help you determine when to refi is how long you plan to stay in the house. The longer you stay, the longer you have to recoup the cost of getting the new loan. And one rule of thumb here, it typically makes sense to refi when there's a half point difference between your old rate and the new one. But if you only stay in your house for five years or less, you may need a one percent difference or more.

So you're looking for the breakeven point. Take a look at this example. This is how much it would take to break even on a refinancing with $2,000 in closing costs.

If you're going to stay in your home for eight years or more, look for a difference of a quarter percent. But you'll need a greater difference if you only stay in the home for five years. That's a 1.95 percent for a loan that's $200,000. The range varies from 0.58 percent to about 1.5 percent. Devil is in the details here, but you need to know how long you're going to stay in the house. And really think about how much you can save.

COLLINS: All right. Our personal finance editor, Geri Willis. Gerri, some great ideas there. Thank you.

WILLIS: My pleasure.