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Obama Opens Door to Action on Torture Memos; TARP Inspector General Hopes to Address Issues; Craigslist Killer Suspect Appears in Court; Survey: Number of Paralyzed Greater than Thought; Job Fairs Continue to Attract Record Numbers; UFO Believers Ask President to Open Files; Craigslist CEO "Horrified" at Web Site's Association with Recent Murder
Aired April 21, 2009 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We're pushing forward where the jobs are. If you want to get hired, you've got to get busy, and a job fair is a good place to start. See who's hiring, who's looking, live right here in Atlanta.
Strip searched in middle school? A student accused of sneaking ibuprofen hopes to teach the nation a lesson in constitutional rights.
It's a mystery as big as the cosmos. Is anybody else out there? We're pushing forward on a bid to unlock real life "X-Files."
Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, we begin with developing news this hour at the White House. President Obama now says the Bush administration officials who wrote those torture memos may -- repeat may -- face investigation and maybe prosecution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATS: The OLC memos that were released reflected, in my view, us losing our moral bearings. That's why I've discontinued those enhanced interrogation programs.
For those who carried out some of these operations within the four corners of legal opinions or guidance that had been provided from the White House, I do not think it's appropriate for them to be prosecuted.
With respect to those who formulated those legal decisions, I would say that that is going to be more of a decision for the attorney general within the parameters of various laws, and I don't want to prejudge that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, let's get more now from CNN's Elaine Quijano. Elaine, is this an about-face?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, about-face is putting it mildly, Kyra. I mean, especially when you consider the fact that the Obama administration was just asked this very question less than 24 hours ago.
I'm not sure if we have the sound, but there was an exchange yesterday with White House press secretary Robert Gibbs and my colleague, Ed Henry. Let's go ahead and take a listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The people in the CIA who followed through on what they were told was legal, they should not be prosecuted but why not the Bush administration lawyers who, in the eyes of a lot of your supporters on the left, twisted the law? Why are they not being held accountable?
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president is focused on looking forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: So Kyra, that was the exchange, and that was less than 24 hours ago. You can bet in less than 30 minutes, when Robert Gibbs is expected to take to the podium, he's going to be asked about that.
But also out there is a question that Vice President Cheney actually put out. He has now asked that the CIA declassify some reports that show what the results were from some of these intelligence interrogations. That is something that just developed in the last 24 hours, as well.
So in terms of this first question, about why this change, that's the $64,000 question right now. We know, Kyra, that this administration has been under tremendous pressure from day one from supporters on the left who feel that there should be some accountability here, that former Bush administration officials should be held to account. We'll wait to see what Robert Gibbs says, coming up here in less than half an hour from now.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll take it live as soon as he starts talking about it. Elaine, thanks so much.
Well, moving on, is it working? Is it wasted? Is anything fishy going on? Three big questions about the bailout, also known as TARP. By any name it's hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars spent, lent, and invested to prop up banks and companies and AIG.
Well, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is fielding questions from an oversight panel on Capitol Hill while a special inspector general reveals no fewer than 20 TARP-related investigations and a half dozen audits under way.
Pushing forward, the TARP inspector already is sounding alarms about the next phase of the program. And CNN's Gerri Willis joins me now to talk about that.
Gerri, what can you tell us about this TARP watchdog report we're learning about? GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, it's -- it's amazing. And you outlined it very succinctly. Neil Barofsky, who is the top cop on the TARP, the inspector general, he has launched 20 criminal investigations. Not civil investigations but criminal investigations and six audits here.
He says that the bailout money, the TARP money, has been essentially an account for thieves, that people are absconding with the money. He says that it needs the strongest safeguards possible. He wants better disclosure. And he's got some very specific issues with the TARP. Let's talk about those.
First of all, he says we need to better value the government shares in these financial institutions. If you remember back when the TARP money went out to banks, for example, in exchange the American public got shares in those companies. He says we can't really value those. We need better values of those government shares.
He's worried about the fraud risk here, in the consumer lending programs, in the mortgage rescue programs. He says there's a fear out there, you know, a possibility, a risk, that some folks will take advantage of these programs and get money out of it that they aren't due.
He's also worried about conflicts of interest in the toxic assets program. This is what the experts called PPIP. It's a private -- public-private investor program to get those toxic assets off the books of banks out there.
And he says, you know what? Guess what? There could be collusion there, conflicts of interest. Some of these people are so close to each other that it will be difficult to really -- to really reign that program in.
So very deep concerns here about how this program is being operated. Almost overshadowed this morning's hearing with Elizabeth Warren, in which she asked some very tough questions, as well -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll talk more about that next hour. Gerri, thank you so much.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
PHILLIPS: The TARP inspector says that his main job is shedding light on a vast, complicated, unprecedented process. But Neil Barofsky insists that he's not on a witch-hunt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEIL BAROFSKY, TARP INSPECTOR GENERAL: We certainly wouldn't call for any institution to disclose confidential, proprietary business information. Some of that disclosure may be to treasury or to our office or to other oversight bodies. We're certainly not calling for that.
And basically, any financial institution or hedge fund or manager that has -- that's willing to play by the rules, isn't trying to steal or commit fraud, they really have nothing to fear from our office. What we're going to do is mine data where we need to, to be able to find instances where institutions don't play by rules, where they break the rules and they commit fraud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, that's just part of an interview done by our Poppy Harlow. She's going to join us next hour with more.
Well, caution. That sums up Wall Street's reaction to the latest lackluster earnings reports. Before today's opening bell, DuPont posted a decline in quarterly earnings. Merck also out with disappointing results. Delta, United Health Group, and Caterpillar all posted earnings shortfalls but beat market expectations.
A somewhat bright spot, Coca-Cola and United Technologies earnings are in line with what analysts expected. Yahoo! is to post its results after the closing bell.
Well, a surprise of sorts from Chrysler. Its financial arm saying no to more government aid. A source tells us that Chrysler Financial rejected the offer after some of its top brass refused to accept new limits on their pay. The official line from the company: it has the funds needed right now to cover short-term needs.
Well, a company official also said that executive pay had nothing to do with that decision. "The Washington Post" says the amount turned down was 750 million.
Well, millions of frustrated job seekers have been pounding the pavement in search of a paycheck. So we figured maybe this time we'll go to them and take our 30-second pitch on the road.
CNN's Brooke Baldwin out at the Atlanta career fair.
Hey, Brooke.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
I have to show you something. You actually can't see. It's a first in covering all these different career fairs. See that whole lot of nothing over there? This is the first time I've ever been to a career fair where there is no line. Perhaps that is a good sign.
Walk with me and this is where you'll find the people. You mentioned we're at this massive convention center here in Atlanta. It's put on by CareerBuilder.com, and nationally, that's a great spot where people can find more than a million jobs now available just on the Web site.
Here at this particular convention center, 19 different companies. We take a look around with me. Some of the hot companies, they are IT companies. They're health care companies, education. And Mike, spin around over here. We have Avon. Got to -- got to keep buying the lipstick. Apparently, cosmetics companies doing really well at this point in time.
They're thinking that they will see more or less 2,000 people, 2,500 coming through the doors here in Atlanta. And as you mention, we're taking our 30-second pitch on the road. So I want to introduce you to Felicia Rogers. We bumped into one another a couple moments ago. I asked her when she was laid off, and she had a very specific date for me.
FELICIA ROGERS, JOB SEEKER: I was laid off the 11th month, the 28th date of last year, 2008. November the 28th, the exact date that I was laid off.
BALDWIN: Do you have an exact -- do you have an exact time?
ROGERS: Yes.
BALDWIN: Remember?
ROGERS: Right after Thanksgiving.
BALDWIN: Not so nice. Not...
ROGERS: No.
BALDWIN: And you will be very thankful for getting a job.
ROGERS: Yes.
BALDWIN: And that's one of the reasons why you and so many of these other people are here today.
ROGERS: Yes.
BALDWIN: You were working for Blue Cross/Blue Shield for nine years.
ROGERS: Nine years, yes.
BALDWIN: And...
ROGERS: Was laid off. I temped for a minimum, about six months and then was laid off again, for a lack of a (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BALDWIN: So Kyra, are you with me? I think we're ready for our first...
PHILLIPS: On the road 30-second pitch.
Felicia, can you hear me OK?
ROGERS: Yes.
PHILLIPS: You can hear me all right. I was questioning -- Felicia, how have you been getting by day-to-day? Where is the paycheck coming from? Are you living off savings? ROGERS: Well, in the beginning I was living off, of course, my retirement, which is unfortunately. I was living off my retirement for a minute there. But then afterwards, of course, I was able to apply for unemployment, which is a small amount of money. But of course, you know, it cuts back on a lot of spending. Basically, you're living from -- literally from paycheck to paycheck in a way that you've never known.
So pretty much unemployment has been a great help, but it's not the help that I really need. So that's why I'm out here searching really hard to find a great job.
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, looks like Brooke found the perfect person for our 30-second pitch. You ready? I'm going to start the clock. And I want you to let everybody know here in the United States of America exactly why they should hire you, OK? All right, Felicia.
ROGERS: Yes.
PHILLIPS: All right. Let's start it. Take it away.
ROGERS: My name is Felicia Rogers, and I have a degree in business administration with a minor in accounting. My experience has been in the health-care industry for the last past nine years.
I am an excellent customer service rep. I'm able to deal with -- I've dealt with over 200 customers, 200 accounts at one time. And I love working with people. I love serving the customer and helping maintain the customer.
I'm also a great team player and also a great leader. I'm able to train. And I'm also a person that really loves to help build morale, no matter where I'm working. I love and enjoy working for great companies.
PHILLIPS: You got it. That's all right. Brooke, you know how to...
BALDWIN: She's good.
PHILLIPS: I tell you what...
BALDWIN: She's good.
PHILLIPS: Felicia.Rogers@ATT.net. There you go. Fantastic job, Felicia. You keep us updated.
And Brooke, you're going to continue to bring us some more folks, right?
BALDWIN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: All right.
BALDWIN: I'll see you in another half hour. I think found a dad with baby here. PHILLIPS: Oh, boy. All right. Felicia, thanks.
See you in a minute, Brooke. OK.
ROGERS: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, he found her online, cops say, and that's partly how they found him. The Craigslist killer suspect in court today. We're going to go live to Boston.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Israelis throughout their homeland pausing to remember the six million Jews killed by Nazis during World War II. This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day pays special tribute to the million and a half Jewish children who died at the hands of the Nazis.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed last night that Israel will never allow Holocaust deniers to carry out another Holocaust against the Jewish people. His comments came after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has denied the Holocaust, accused Israel of being a repressive, racist regime at a U.N. conference on racism.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: A beautiful person studying to be a doctor, a predator surfing for victims to rob or worse. Two very different faces being put on Philip Markoff today.
Boston police say the 22-year-old med student is the Craigslist killer, held on murder, robbery and kidnapping charges. Markoff has just been arraigned in Boston municipal court.
Our Mary Snow is there live -- Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, Philip Markoff was emotionless as he entered the courtroom. The D.A. here in Boston calling this a brutal, vicious crime.
Markoff was a second-year medical student, and prosecutors are charging him with murdering one woman and attacking another in an armed robbery. This, they say, as he met both of these victims online, because they had advertised on Craigslist.
Now, the defense for Philip Markoff says that his client is not guilty, saying that he has seen no evidence other than what was mentioned in court today. Markoff is being held without bail.
And prosecutors revealed some new evidence they say linked him to these crimes, these two attacks of two women here in Boston hotels, and prosecutors think that there may be others.
But prosecutors say there had been a search warrant issued. They searched his home here in Massachusetts. And among some of the items that prosecutors say they took a firearm and also ammunition. They also said that they retrieved duct tape and material that would be used to tie up the victims. And prosecutors say that indeed one of -- there was a victim of an armed robbery was tied up.
Now, Julissa Brisman was murdered on April 14, a week ago today. Prosecutors say she had advertised her services on Craigslist. She had been shot, they say, three times at close range.
Her father, Hector (ph) Brisman, was brought -- he came to court today. He was whisked out, did not speak to the media.
And Kyra, one of the things that prosecutors are really stressing upon is the role that electronic and computer evidence in this case. It said that Secret Service and FBI took apart, but they say that one day before Julissa Brisman's murder, that Philip Markoff opened an e- mail account, and prosecutors say that e-mail account that they linked him to the murders.
They say the investigation is ongoing. But they're also asking for other potential victims to come forward -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Mary Snow, we're going to keep following it. Thanks so much.
And our John Roberts just talked about this case in an exclusive interview with Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster. John's going to join us live with a preview in just about 40 minutes.
Rain, snow, heat. Weather worries in the east and out west today. Meteorologist Chad Myers, it's been a busy week, and it's just getting started, Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Well, a fashion fad that can lead to dental distress. We're going to look at the health risks from oral jewelry.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Christopher Reeve was more than just Superman in the movies. He was a hero to his daughter, Alexandra, too. Her dad's legacy as a symbol of strength in real life came when the actor was paralyzed in a riding accident in 1995.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER REEVE, ACTOR/HEALTH ACTIVIST: If we keep giving our scientists the funding they need to do the research, very soon I will take my family by the hand, and I will stand here in front of this star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Now daughter Alexandra continues his father's passionate advocacy for people with spinal cord injuries, through her walk with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Today, that foundation released a first-of-its-kind survey showing that more than five million Americans suffer from some form of paralysis. That's significantly more than previous estimates.
Christopher's daughter, Alexandra Reeve Givens, joins me now live from Washington in our NEWSROOM to talk about it.
Great to see you.
ALEXANDRA REEVE GIVENS, ACTIVIST: Hi, Kyra. Thanks for having me.
PHILLIPS: It's my pleasure. Let's talk about why this information that's released today is not only important to you but important to all of us to know.
GIVENS: Well, the numbers are just astonishing. This survey shows that there are 5.6 million Americans living with paralysis. That's 1 in 50 people. And the numbers are far greater than we ever imagined.
Another number that's a subset within that is a community living with spinal cord injury. Kyra, we used to think the number was 250,000. It turns out its 1,275,000. It's just staggering.
PHILLIPS: So when we talk about the foundation in the name of your father and the money and the research that goes into that and the money that's raised, where do you think that that should be focused? Where should that go?
GIVENS: Well, we need to focus on two different things. The first is looking at therapies and their cures.
When you're dealing with a population of almost 6 million people, it's a national investment to spend money developing therapies and cures to help get people out of chairs.
But a second thing we need to focus on is care. When you look at the numbers, another astonishing statistic in this study shows that a great majority, 60 percent of people living with paralysis, have a household income below $25,000.
People are dealing with extraordinary medical bills. Most are underinsured or uninsured, in some cases, dealing with these huge costs and a huge burden and having a hard time getting back to work.
So we need to focus on two different things. The first is the medical research, but the second is getting people back into the workforce and improving opportunities for them to become independent and support themselves.
PHILLIPS: And you know -- and gosh, your dad was just amazing at doing so much of that. Your involvement talking with me today, talking about this survey, is it a way for you to keep your dad's spirit alive?
GIVENS: Very much so. My whole family is involved in this effort and supports it wholeheartedly. Our dad always reminded us that, although he faced challenges of living with paralysis, in many ways he was very lucky. He could afford to live at home with us. He could keep working. He had access to great physical therapy. And so many people -- we now know the number: 5.6 million people don't have the same resources that he did.
And so it's really important to us as a family to join with the rest of the community and keep pushing forward to keep this on the national radar.
PHILLIPS: Alexandra Reeve Givens, thanks so much for your time today.
GIVENS: Thanks for having me.
PHILLIPS: I can see your dad's eyes right there in you.
GIVENS: I know. Thank you.
PHILLIPS: We know that breastfeeding is good for babies' health, but a new study says that it's good for your moms, too, and the benefits could last for decades. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh studied some 140,000 post-menopausal women. Women who had breastfed had a lower risk of heart attacks, heart disease and stroke. They also cut their risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.
And for some, tongue piercing is a fashion statement, but dentists are sounding the alarm now, reporting more problems associated with the oral jewelry. That's just gross or what? Some piercing fans are reporting broken teeth from the bars attached to their tongues. And dentists say the bar also rubs against the gums, causing excessive wear and tear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got to the point where I can fit my pinky through my tongue. It started worked and wearing away on the enamel on my teeth underneath the gums, which now I have loose teeth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: All right. Fixing the problem is expensive, especially if you need implants. I don't think I can take this video any longer, Scotty. Dentists say that those can cost you about 2,000 bucks per tooth.
Well, it's our feel-good story of the day. We need that now. A woman out of a job, down on her luck, and she hits it big.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, if you thought fixing the economy was issue number one, you may be mistaken. In his first appearance before the bailout oversight panel created by Congress, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner says that you can't have a healthy economy without healthy banks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIMOTHY GEITHNER, U.S. SECRETARY OF TREASURY: Our central objective, our obligation is to ensure that the financial system is stable and it's able to provide the credit necessary for economic recovery. But stability itself is not enough. We need a financial system that is not deepening or lengthening the recession.
And once the conditions for recovery are in place, we need a financial system that is able to provide credit on a scale a growing economy requires.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, Geithner is defending the bank bailout to date and the measures coming up, but a special inspector general tells CNN he's launched 20 criminal investigations and six audits so far.
Well, right now, millions of Americans are looking for work, and we want to remind you about a great tool on our CNN.com Web site. It's an interactive map where you can actually find job fairs near you. We were showing -- it's been a couple weeks since we've done this. But if you go to CNN.com and you log on, we have all the various job fairs that are happening all around the country and some ones that we found that were coming up soon.
Here in Colorado, there's one coming up in Denver April 23rd, July 15th, October 16th. Looks like it's going to be the Sheraton Denver downtown. So, there's one, too. And then I think we found one over here in Washington, D.C. that's coming up on June 18th, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center there on Pennsylvania Avenue. Then also coming up in May, June and November, there will be a couple job fairs there.
Now, bring us to Atlanta, Georgia, which is what we are talking about today, at the Cobb Galleria over on Galleria Parkway. It looks like there's going to be another one coming up in July as well.
Well, let's go ahead and go out to Brooke Baldwin. She has been heading up, I guess, the I-75 to that career fair for us to talk to a number of job hunters and take our 30-second pitch on the road. What do you -- you brought us Felicia Rogers (ph) last time. She was fantastic. Who have you met now?
BALDWIN: She was fantastic. We have a great guy just around the corner, a father of two. I'll introduce you to Peter momentarily.
But you know what, Kyra? We pulled in this morning. I tell you, parking at this place, at this convention center was kind of like parking at a major sporting event. That's how tough it was to find parking.
Take a look around. You can see there are 19 different companies here lined up in the Cobb Galleria Center ranging from cosmetic companies -- here's Mary Kay -- down to AFLAC insurance, employers like education, universities. But we have to point out also some people very frustrated because major corporations, especially you know, Kyra, here in Atlanta, Home Depot, a last-minute no show. So, some people coming here specifically for companies like that, and they did not show up.
Walk with me this way, and I will introduce you to Peter. CareerBuilder.com putting this whole thing on. Thirty-eight hundred different people registered online. They were anticipating more or less 2,000 to 2,500 different people. And here is Peter with his little baby. This is Kadzuki (ph), 3-month-old. And I saw him, and I just had to -- I know, precious.
I don't know if we can get a shot of Kad -- there he is. Hey, little guy. And we just wanted to introduce Peter. Hi.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: (INAUDIBLE) introduce Peter.
PHILLIPS: OK, I'll do the free baby-sitting.
BALDWIN: I know, I know. I think actually he kind of needs one. The situation briefly is that his wife is working, and his mother-in- law, who'd been taking care of his baby, suddenly had to go back to Japan. So, here's Peter in need of a job, forced out of this major manufacturing company last fall. And now what?
PETER WELLS, JOB SEEKER: Now I'm just looking for a position in my previous field. I'm a tax accountant by trade, as well as -- I've done some general accounting work as well. And I'm hoping to find a new position. I have a good background.
BALDWIN: Before we get into your background, I want to cut you off, because we're definitely going to do the 30-second pitch. I just want to ask, what kind of reception have you had, Peter? I mean, you're kind of in a unique situation with a baby buggy down here, pushing it around. What kind of reception have you gotten from potential employers?
WELLS: Very positive. Very positive. Everyone's been very nice. And it's been a very positive reception. Couldn't have asked for a better reception.
BALDWIN: All right, Ms. Phillips. You ready?
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, definitely. And OK, now, I'm telling you, people have got to have heart on this one, seeing Peter and his baby. I mean, if he doesn't get a whole bunch of e-mails, I'm going to be very disappointed in our society. All right, Peter, I'm going to give you about 30 seconds here to give a pitch. So, are you ready to go?
WELLS: I'm ready.
PHILLIPS: OK. Peter Wells, take it away.
WELLS: Hi, my name's Peter Wells. I'm currently looking for another opportunity. I'm a tax accountant by trade. I've also done some work, general accounting work. I'm currently an MBA student as well with a concentration in finance. I'm looking to find a position where I can take advantage of some of what I've done in the past, as well as some of what I'm studying in the future. I'm a good worker. I have a good attitude. And I'm just really looking forward to my next position, whenever that may come.
PHILLIPS: Perfect. And you're also...
BALDWIN: Oh, just in the nick of time.
PHILLIPS: ... also a heartwarming father. Let's add that, too. And there's the e-mail.
WELLS: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Peter, thank you very much. Your email, kkayoto@comcast.net. Peter, let us know what happens. And Brooke, you're going to keep us in touch. You're going to follow up with him as well, yes?
BALDWIN: Yes, ma'am. You got it. We'll be on his first day of work, right?
WELLS: Well, yes, that'd be great.
PHILLIPS: All right, and I get baby-sitting.
BALDWIN: Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: I'll take the baby-sitting duties. Thanks, Brooke. Thanks, Peter.
WELLS: OK.
PHILLIPS: Well, listen to this. An unemployed Indiana mom doesn't have to worry about finding a new job. After enduring a string of bad luck, multiple layoffs and having to move her family into her mom's house, well, Shantay Britman's prayers were answered. Last week, she hit it big with a $5 investment in the Hoosier Lottery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP>
SHANTAY BRITMAN, BOUGHT WINNING LOTTERY TICKET: I can pay my bills. Oh, my God. I got laid off in July. We live in my mom's house. Like, she moved into an apartment because we have three kids, and she let us stay in her house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, she's not going live in that house any longer. Uncle Sam takes his cut, and then Britman will get about 2 million bucks. Britman says that she's going to take her kids to Disney World.
When it comes to UFOs and little green men, we all have our imagination. You know, like the Roswell Museum. Well, some people say the truth is out there and it's in D.C., and President Obama just needs to release it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, somewhere out there is planet that's a lot like ours. Scientists at a conference in England say that they found a planet outside our solar system that's similar to Earth sizewise. Most of those 300 or so exoplanets, as they're called, are much more massive than Earth.
So, could there be life on that sister rock? Researchers doubt it. They say it's way too close to the sunlike star it orbits.
Well, if President Obama is all about transparency, how about some of the UFO issues? Some believers are hoping that the current president will open up some of those X-files.
CNN's Jim Acosta has the little green story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To believers in UFOs, the truth isn't out there, it's in there. So, they're calling on President Obama to end what they insist is a government cover-up of the existence of extraterrestrials.
STEPHEN BARRETT, UFO BELIEVER: Will you release these records? Will you release all documents?
ACOSTA: Documents they claim exist and prove there is life in outer space.
(on camera): President Obama is awfully busy these days.
EDGAR MITCHELL, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: I know he is.
ACOSTA: Do you think he has time for this?
MITCHELL: Well, let's say I would say the fact that we are not alone in the universe is one of the more important aspects of our time.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Former Apollo astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon, told the National Press Club he's convinced.
(on camera): But there isn't convincing proof that's going to convince the entire world at this point.
MITCHELL: That is correct. That is what we're trying to open up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're about to go out and do our little hoax.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Equally committed are UFO skeptics. Earlier this year, two skeptics set off weather balloons that people in New Jersey mistook for alien spacecraft. The pranksters showed up on the local news pretending to be eyewitnesses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And all of a sudden we see these lights literally zip over our car.
ACOSTA: They later admitted it was all a hoax and paid a $250 fine for creating a disturbance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Again, we're not trying to prove or disprove anything. But it's OK to be skeptical.
ACOSTA: The open-minded counter UFO believers, pointing to former White House chief of staff and former Obama transition team head John Podesta.
JOHN PODESTA, FORMER OBAMA TRANSITION CHIEF: It's time to find out what the truth really is that's out there.
ACOSTA: It's a question President Obama has fielded before.
TIM RUSSERT, NBC NEWS: The three astronauts of Apollo 11 who went to the moon back in 1969 all said that they believe there is life beyond Earth. Do you agree?
OBAMA: You know, I don't know. And I don't presume to know. What I know is there is life here on Earth and that we're not attending to life here on Earth.
It depends on what these aliens were like and whether they were Democrats or Republicans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: All right, well, we have to ask it. Should President Obama open up those UFO files? Tell us yes or no and why. Holler at us through that other space, cyberspace. Our e-mail CNNnewsroom@CNN.com.
And the former astronaut that you just heard in Jim's story will be with us. Edgar Mitchell has been to the moon, and now he's shooting for the stars trying to get the president to open those UFO files. Can't wait for that interview next hour.
Even sober drivers might feel like they've had a few when they run into these new road stripes in Virginia. Made us say, "What the...?" The state's testing zigzag lines at some pedestrian and bike crossings. They're meant to get your attention so you don't mow anybody down. Apparently, they're pretty common in Britain and Australia. I don't know why we take tips from those guys, though. They don't even drive on the right side of the road.
Well, no lines of any kind, no wrinkles when you ease -- or use the Easeamine face cream. It costs 65 bucks a tube. It's fragrance- free. And you can only get it from monks. That's right. They're celibate, pious and all about younger-looking skin. The monastery in Massachusetts is selling the cream online to raise money for the needy. The monks have to sell about 32,000 tubes to pay off the startup costs. Then they can direct the proceeds right to their causes.
Can teachers do what cops can't? Do middle-schoolers have any right to privacy? The highest court in the land hears both sides.
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PHILLIPS: Does the Constitution end at the schoolhouse door? We're going to find out when the Supreme Court rules on a case brought by the young woman seen here in green.
Six years ago, Savanna Redding was a middle-school student in Stafford, Arizona, when administrators strip-searched her for ibuprofen. She and her lawyer claim that's a violation of her Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure. The school disagrees.
Savanna came to Washington for this morning's high court arguments and offered this advice for students in scary situations like hers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNA REDDING, STRIP-SEARCHED AT SCHOOL: First of all, call the parents. I didn't have that option. You know, I'm a little kid. I don't know anything about how this should be handled.
But I'm sure that my mother would. And she wasn't there to help me out. And so, I had to -- I basically just did what they told me because that's how you're raised, you know? to follow your authority figure, just do what they tell you to do, especially in school.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: We expect to get a ruling by the end of June.
Tomorrow, the high court takes up a case of alleged reverse discrimination against firefighters.
More on that now from CNN's Mary Snow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They've become known as the New Haven 20. Nineteen of these Connecticut firefighters are white, one is Latino. They say they were denied promotions because of their race and their lawsuit against the city will now be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, which will hear the case Wednesday.
FRANK RICCI, LEAD PLAINTIFF, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, FIREFIGHTER: We undertook this action for firefighters cross the country and for public safety.
SNOW: Frank Ricci and others took a promotional exam in 2003. When the results came back, the City of New Haven disqualified them because none of the black firefighters who took the exam would have been promoted.
The city's attorney says the tests were flawed.
VICTOR BOLDEN, ATTORNEY, CITY OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT: When you have a test that suggests a severe racial impact, as this one did, it suggests that perhaps everyone didn't have an equal opportunity to succeed on the exam.
SNOW: But the attorney for the New Haven 20 firefighters says the city's move violates the Constitution.
KAREN TORRE, ATTORNEY FOR FIREFIGHTERS: The government is not supposed to tell any citizen that he or she is either going to get something or be deprived of something because of the color of his skin or his ethnicity or gender or any other irrelevant factor.
SNOW: Gary Tinney, a lieutenant for New Haven's fire department, says he never got his exam results. But he wants to see promotions based on skills beyond written tests such as...
LT. GARY TINNEY, NEW HAVEN FIREFIGHTER: Job performance, you know, community service, being able to interact with a diverse community.
SNOW: And the high court's decision will stretch far beyond New Haven.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: This is a hugely significant case because it begins to answer the question of whether race will be allowed to be used at all by government in affirmative action, in employment, in education and admissions, anywhere at all.
SNOW (on camera): And Wednesday's dispute is just one of several involving civil rights issues going before the high court. Among some of the other cases being argued is one involving voting rights and another involving education for non-English speaking students.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: More bad news for Rod Blagojevich. A judge today turned down his request to go to the jungles of Costa Rica to take part in a TV reality show. The judge says that the trip would interfere with the former Illinois governor's defense against racketeering and fraud charges.
I think he forgot about all that. You'll recall that Blagojevich's trouble stems from allegations that he tried to sell or trade President Obama's old U.S. Senate seat. The judge held off on ruling whether Blagojevich can use some of his $2 million campaign fund to pay his lawyers. He's going to rule on that next month.
Well, we're pushing forward your plastic next hour. Some of the fun little things that your credit card company does could get swiped away. Fun little things that you love, like fees when you dare make a payment by phone.
Plus, what does a city do when it can't hire enough cops? Well, some find hired guns and just put them on the beat.
And he's here. Now what? Prosecutors entering some legal waters that no one's in about for, oh, say 100 years, thanks to the one surviving pirate.
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PHILLIPS: Well, just by looking at the one surviving Somali pirate's face, you have to wonder, is this kid loving all this attention? Here he is in New York, smiling face, (INAUDIBLE) starting his journey through the U.S. justice system. His mother wants President Obama to pardon her son. She said gangsters with money talked him into the piracy stuff.
It's a unique case for prosecutors, to say the least, and these are believed to the first piracy charges in the U.S. in more than 100 years. CNN's Deb Feyerick outside the courthouse. We're going to hear from her in just a few minutes.
And the newest name on the FBI's most-wanted terrorist list is an American. Thirty-one-year-old Daniel Andreas San Diego is the first so-called domestic terrorist to make the list. There's a $250,000 reward. San Diego is a fugitive animal rights activist. He's charged with bombing two businesses in California in 2003 that had ties to animal testing labs. FBI officials believe that San Diego has connections in Germany but may be holed up in Costa Rica.
It's never good PR to have your company's name associated with a horrible murder. So, a lot of people have been trying to get a hold of Craigslist chief Jim Buckmaster to hear his take on the Boston case.
Well, our John Roberts landed the exclusive interview. He's here with a preview.
John, I'm curious. How did he respond to this guy who's now being called the Craigslist Killer?
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he seemed to be genuinely concerned about it, and he was in particular, Kyra, because this is the second big hit that Craigslist has taken in the past month. You'll remember that New York radio reporter George Weber, according to police, met the man who killed him over Craigslist. Jim Buckmaster was available to us for an interview that will run tomorrow on "AMERICAN MORNING."
I asked him how he felt personally that this had happened and what Craigslist planned to do about it. Here's what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JIM BUCKMASTER, CEO, CRAIGSLIST: We're horrified that use of Craigslist could in any way be connected with a violent crime of this nature. It just causes us to redouble our efforts to try to get across to users to take a few common-sense precautions that eliminate most of the risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: So, John, he mentioned redoubling their efforts. Did he go more into that? And is there really anything that he can do to prevent illegal activity which we're seeing happen?
ROBERTS: He didn't go into anything specific. And it's very difficult to police a site like Craigslist because they want to leave it as open as possible for people to post their advertisements and their items for sale to the best of their abilities without too many restrictions. And even though they've been working with attorney generals in states across the nation, the crime continues.
The Cook County, Illinois, sheriff, Tom Dart, urged Craigslist to shut down their erotic services part of their Web site. And they said, no. He says that that's just a haven for prostitution. And over the weekend, police in Worcester, Massachusetts, arrested 50 Craigslist users in a sex sting operation. They posted an ad on Craigslist. Those folks answered it. And they were caught up in that sex-sting operation.
So, I asked him why it is that this criminal activity continues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKMASTER: We prohibit all kinds of illegal activity. As I say, the incidence is actually quite low on the site, given the overwhelming law-abiding activity on the site. But having said that, no criminal use is acceptable to us.
And in the erotic services category, we adopted telephone verification, credit card authorization. Those two steps eliminated about 99 percent of the inappropriate activity on the site, and we're now chipping away at that remaining 10 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Well, I asked Buckmaster why he continued these types of ads if they could be conduits to criminal activity. He said it's because Craigslist users, Kyra, want them, and to try to restrict something like that might be seen as an infringement of freedom of speech.
PHILLIPS: Well, we look forward to the entire interview tomorrow morning. John, thanks. You can catch his entire interview with Buckmaster on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." That's starting at 6:00 a.m. Eastern.
Well, it turns out that officials from the Bush administration who drew up the guidelines for torturing terror suspects may not be off the hook after all. President Obama insists that he won't investigate the CIA interrogators who did what they were told.
But in a break from what aides had indicated only yesterday, he now says that former higher-ups may be investigated or even prosecuted. He's leaving it up to the Justice Department. And speaking today to reporters in the Oval Office, the president also reflected on the prospects for congressional hearings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I think for Congress to examine ways that it can be done in a bipartisan fashion, outside of the typical hearing process that can sometimes break down and break entirely along party lines, to the extent that there are independent participants who are above reproach and have credibility, that would probably be a more sensible approach to take. I'm not suggesting...
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PHILLIPS: Well, let's bring in our Elaine Quijano at the White House. Elaine, it's a big change.
QUIJANO: It is a big change. And, you know, what the president went on to say there at the very end, Kyra, is that, look, he's not suggesting that there be some kind of commission created. But he's obviously acknowledging the fact that there is pressure to hold some Bush administration officials accountable for what, in fact, happened with regard to these interrogation techniques.
Now, President Obama, as you have noted, has indicated he's only wanted to look forward, not backward. So, this is quite a departure. And I have to tell you, we were expecting to see Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, Kyra, about half an hour ago. They've pushed back the briefing. We are still waiting for it to happen.
But I know last time we talked, we mentioned that just yesterday, in fact, Robert Gibbs was pressed by my colleague, Ed Henry, on this point, if, in fact, the -- why, in fact, the White House has decided that it should not go after the architects of this -- of these interrogation techniques. And at that time, Robert Gibbs said, well, the president does want to look forward, doesn't want to look backward. That's why.
So, there are a lot of difficult questions out there remaining. We're waiting for that briefing to start. Another question, Kyra, Vice President Dick Cheney has said, look, why doesn't the administration also release the results of those interrogations? Why don't they go ahead and declassify some of those memos, too, so people can see what the actual results of those interrogations were.
So, those are the kinds of questions we're expecting. We're still waiting for that briefing to happen as we speak -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Let us know. We'll take it live. Thanks, Elaine.
