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Taliban Pulling Back in Pakistan; Harsh Interrogation Tactics Probed; Out of Control Bullying Pushes Yet Another Child to Commit Suicide; Wildfire Rips Through Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Jay Leno in the Hospital; Armored Cars Become Big Business
Aired April 24, 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: Hi, everybody. A whole lot of news going on this morning. Let's give you a quick walk-through now of what we have for you.
First off in Pakistan, did the Taliban blink? Militant forces seize control of an area but then pull back but does it give any relief in Washington?
Also, Chrysler, 84 years of history. But one week could decide the entire future of this company. We'll be watching for some bankruptcy talk here today.
And also twittering without typing. Looks like a thinking cap, doesn't? Well, researchers developed a way to post messages using only your mind. It is Friday, April 24th. I'm Heidi Collins. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Pulling back from a Pakistani district and pulling back from a possible confrontation with a nuclear-armed country. The Taliban announcing today it is withdrawing from the Buner district.
CNN's Ivan Watson is in the capital of Islamabad now with the latest on this developing story.
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A Taliban spokesman tells CNN that the Taliban has orders to withdrawal from a contested Buner district. That's located just 60 miles, about 100 kilometers northwest of the Pakistani capital.
The Taliban made a land-grab into that area this week. They took over territory. They ordered courthouses shut but moments after the Taliban spokesman made this announcement to CNN, Pakistani television showed footage of heavily armed militants climbing aboard trucks and appearing to evacuate a compound that they appeared to seize earlier in the week.
This will be a positive signal for the Pakistani government which has come under fire for not taking strong enough measures against the Taliban as it has moved to consolidate and take over more territory in the weeks since the Pakistani government signed a peace agreement with the Taliban which allows the imposition of Islamic Sharia law in Pakistan's Swat valley.
However, there are other districts that the Taliban have moved into since that agreement was signed. In addition to that, the Taliban have declared that the Pakistani government is un-Islamic in the week since that agreement was signed. They have challenged anybody who does not agree with their version of strict Islamic law, denouncing them as non-Muslims.
We'll have to see whether or not the Taliban will follow through on their latest announcement.
Ivan Watson, CNN, Islamabad.
COLLINS: The Taliban's advance inside Pakistan prompted global fears that the nuclear armed nation could fall into terrorist hands. A former CIA officer spoke about that possibility with John Roberts on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Prime Minister Gillani said this morning that these nuclear weapons are safe. They're in the hands of the military. But the secretary of state said they're also dispersed throughout the country, as opposed to being centrally located, which could present a problem.
Do you think that that heightens the danger of one of these weapons or more of these weapons falling into the hands of militants?
GARY BERNTSEN, FORMER CIA OFFICER: I don't think you're going to have a situation where they fall into the hands of the militants. That would only happen if the government completely collapsed and if the military collapsed.
I don't think you're going to see a military collapse in Pakistan. I think what you're going to see, though, is - the likelihood is that the civilian government won't survive over the long haul. And the military may reassert itself, come back to power and have a violent suppression of the Taliban.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Interesting. Well the Obama administration had been warning about the aggressive moves by the Taliban in Pakistan.
Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joining us now live to talk a little bit more about this.
So, Barbara, what is the expected reaction from the administration to these new developments?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Heidi, when you talk to both U.S. military and intelligence officials, you begin to see how they are viewing this situation and as they read the tea leaves, this pullback that was shown on television today doesn't really change how the U.S. views this right now.
There is great concern about the Taliban. Not necessarily that they're going to take over Pakistan. Nobody thinks the Pakistani military would allow that to happen. But that they continue to exert this influence....
COLLINS: Right.
STARR: ... at their own will in these areas. They can move in and out at their own decision-making process and the Pakistani government really can't stop them. And as long as they can move around and seize these areas, move in, move out, as they desire to, there's really not peace to be had here, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, and that's kind of exactly what you have to do when you mention reading the tea leaves because you have to look forward. I mean, what is to prevent the Taliban from coming back again.
STARR: Well, that's exactly it. You know there have been a number of peace agreements that the Pakistani government, over the years, has signed with the Taliban. Out in the border region, in the Swat valley, in Buner province.
None of them have worked. And this is the reason that you see Obama administration officials, you know, about every other week making a trip to Islamabad to talk to the Pakistani leaders, to talk to the Pakistani military and impress upon them that they need to crack down on all of this, because at some point, there may be a tipping point, the U.S. fears, where the Taliban begin to control so many of these disbursed areas that you essentially do have a takeover, that they can intimidate towns, villages and districts.
They don't even have to take over the government in Islamabad. The Taliban could potentially achieve their goals of intimidation and the sharia law simply by engaging in this strategy of moving through these areas. That's the fear that the U.S. government has, Heidi.
COLLINS: Sure. It's almost like another form of a PSYOPS, if you will.
All right. Our Pentagon correspondent, CNN's Barbara Starr. Thank you, Barbara.
STARR: Sure.
COLLINS: It is a sign of the times in the troubled U.S. auto industry. Ford is reporting huge losses this morning yet executives there are smiling.
Here to explain why CNN's Christine Romans of the CNN money team.
All right, so what's the deal, Christine?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ford lost an awful lot of money in the quarter, Heidi. But we had expected that. It lost $1.4 billion. It lost a lot of money last year.
Remember, every car being made basically in this country by an American automaker is losing money. But the company said it has cut its spending, it has cut its cost and it hopes it will break even by the year 2011. That means in just a couple of years they're hoping that they'll actually start to make money on cars.
A quick note as well about Ford, Heidi. This is the rare American automaker of the big three. The only one who is not taking government guarantees...
COLLINS: Yes.
ROMANS: ... and government loans right now. So it's fighting through this at this point still on its own. So, you know, losing $1.4 billion is not good in any situation. But it is not as bad as it could have been and the company is still burning through cash but burning through less cash than it was last quarter.
COLLINS: Right. I guess that's the way a lot of companies are having to look at thing. Not as bad as it could have been. That being said, new concerns this morning the fate of Chrysler, Christine. Treasury reportedly directing it to report a bankruptcy filing.
ROMANS: There aren't very many days left. You remember when this the company got emergency loans to stay alive. They were only given 30 days to come up with a plan and come up with a partnership or some kind of an alliance with Italian car maker Fiat to survive.
They've got to turn in that business plan in six days. There is no doubt that they are preparing a bankruptcy filing because if they don't get a plan that the government likes in six days, they'll have to file for bankruptcy.
They have $7 billion in debt. The government is pushing the creditors, the people who are owed that money, to accept less. We don't know quite yet how that's going to work out, but clearly, if there's a bankruptcy they won't get everything.
And also that deal with Fiat.
COLLINS: Right.
ROMANS: Still not -- it's still hasn't really been clear yet whether that's going to happen and what it's going to look like. So the clock is ticking. Really, the clock is ticking on the future and the very survival of Chrysler here.
Remember this is a company that has only 11 percent of market share, losing money on every car that it makes. It has been losing market share and losing ground against its American competitors and their foreign competitors for some time now, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, and I imagine the closer they come to possible bankruptcy the further away Fiat is likely to move. I mean it makes sense.
ROMANS: There's also this idea that if you're going to force any of these companies into liquidation, not just Chrysler, but also GM, if you're a potential suitor or potential partner with one of these companies, maybe you wait until bankruptcy and buy up some distressed assets. You buy something up out of bankruptcy, out of the liquidation phase even if it were to come to that.
COLLINS: Yes.
ROMANS: So there's -- you know, there's a lot of -- really in unchartered territory here. You know, talking about American carmaker.
COLLINS: Still?
ROMANS: Still. We still are.
COLLINS: Yes. Right.
ROMANS: We still are. But you know, Chrysler has escaped bankruptcy twice before.
COLLINS: Yes, they have.
ROMANS: Yes.
COLLINS: So we'll see. We'll be watching.
All right, Christine Romans, sure do appreciate that.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
COLLINS: Meanwhile, President Obama reaching out to the middle class again today. His focus? The rising cost of college and the dream that is now slipping beyond the grass of many American families.
The president is calling for some changes and here to explain is CNN White House correspondent Dan Lothian.
Dan, good morning to you.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning. And as you pointed out it really is the dream for so many American families. So the president will be focusing on education today.
According to the White House he is expected to meet with a family here at the White House that's having a difficult time paying for the high cost of this -- their college education.
He's also expected to talk about the rising cost of tuition for so many middle class families. And also will focus on looking to cut wasteful spending from these federal loans programs. And also look at other loan programs that are benefiting banks instead of helping out the taxpayers here.
The president is always talked about the importance of education and how it plays into the economic recovery effort, saying that better educated work force will help lift the economy in the long run. So again, all of the components that he'll be talking about today looking to lower that cost of a higher education, making it more affordable for more Americans, Heidi. COLLINS: OK. And we have to talk about this, Dan, because it's coming up. 100 days in office. It's going to be next Wednesday. What is Obama going to do to mark the occasion?
LOTHIAN: That's right. You know we've been marking those days, every single one of them. The president...
COLLINS: We have!
LOTHIAN: Right. And the president, obviously, is paying a lot of attention as well. So next week, the president heads to St. Louis, suburban St. Louis where we're told he'll have a town hall meeting there, a chance for Americans to ask him questions about what he has done so far and what he plans for the future.
Then the president heads back here to Washington where he'll hold another town hall -- rather, another press conference. It will be his third press conference. And again, according to the White House, a chance for the president to sort of lay out his own report card to show what he has done so far and where he plans to go in the future.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Dan Lothian, sure do appreciate that. That's from the White House this morning.
So would it be cool to grade the politicians you elected? Join us on President Obama's 100th day in office for the "CNN NATIONAL REPORT CARD" Wednesday night. Grade them with the CNN's best political team.
We're going to do it together, rate the president, Congress, even state leaders on Wednesday beginning at 7:00 Eastern on CNN and CNN.com/reportcard.
One of the world's busiest airports shut down by a freak lightning strike. It hit the control tower in Atlanta's Hartsfield- Jackson airport last night. Controllers evacuated briefly. Flights had already been suspended because of the severe weather.
The tower was back online about an hour later. It took another four hours, though, to reopen all of the runways. (INAUDIBLE) happening before.
Rob Marciano, that was weird, right?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It was quite a storm. I don't know if you got it in your neighborhood but...
COLLINS: We did.
MARCIANO: But certainly downtown Atlanta got hammered pretty good. It was a light show for sure. And down across, you know, the world's busiest airports, a bit of a scare and certainly a slowdown.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: So this week is certainly going to feel like summer. Just be careful out there. Take care of your skin. You know it's just as strong now, the sun is, as it would be, say, the middle of August so...
COLLINS: Yes, definitely.
MARCIANO: So lather up.
COLLINS: If you don't have a tee time yet, forget it. Pretty much.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: That's another good point.
COLLINS: All right. Rob, thank you, we'll just check back later on.
MARCIANO: All right. Sounds good.
COLLINS: Well, it is a fascinating idea. Device a communication system for people whose bodies don't work but whose brains are just fine. And it's already had success.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: What if you could Twitter just by thinking? No hands. Well, scientists have actually already made that a reality.
Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here to tell us all about it. This is pretty cool, Sanjay. What exactly did they do?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I love stories like this. What they did at the University of Wisconsin, they took two relatively well-known things, Twitter, which is something people are becoming increasingly familiar with.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: And EEG, electroencephalography, trying to measure brain waves in someone's brain. Now this is one of the researchers here. He has this red skull cap on and it's measuring brain waves. Every time he sees a letter on the screen that he wants to target, he can start thinking about that letter and it picks it. And he's starting to write here.
You might see it across the top of their go-badgers.
COLLINS: Really?
GUPTA: There you see the R just popped up there simply by thinking about it. His hands never touched a keyboard. It is not a fast process, as you might imagine. It takes several minutes to write even a couple of words. But this is potentially a tool that could help a lot of people who simply don't have the use of their hands.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: People, for example, with locked-ins and remember we've been talking a little bit about Steven Hawking lately. He has -- a gentleman with a variant of Lou Gehrig's disease. He can just use a little bit of his fingers. People who've had strokes, people who simply can't do things. This might be a way that they can communicate in ways that they haven't done before.
So fascinating stuff for sure. Early research, but maybe some hope out there.
COLLINS: Yes. Absolutely. Now tell me one more time because I don't think I really got it. How exactly does it work? Just by...
GUPTA: Yes.
COLLINS: Just by staring?
GUPTA: Well, what -- not just staring. They are thinking. So these letters pop up on the screen.
COLLINS: Right.
GUPTA: And when they see a letter that they like, they focus on that letter and that increases a little bit of the activity through this electroencephalogram.
COLLINS: Synopsis.
GUPTA: Right. The neurons are triggering and they can eventually start to create letters as a result of thinking about those letters and those letters pop up on the screen and then they create a sentence. They can eventually direct their attention to where it says update, which is on a Twitter page, and update and they send the message out to all of their followers.
COLLINS: Yes. No. I wonder why -- why do they choose Twitter instead of some other type of program?
GUPTA: We asked that same question. So Twitter, as you know -- because a lot of people talk about Twitter -- Twitter is something that is about 140 characters only. You can excuse all typos, excuse all grammatical errors, it immediately sends a message to everyone who's following you.
It's done for social networking primarily, but let's say you're someone who's sending out a message to your health care givers or people who are trying to take care of you, you can send out a message to them very quickly. If you needed something or if you're trying to get them a message of some sort.
So I think that's the main reason that they use Twitter. We use Twitter here a lot, as you know, Heidi, this is my Twitter page, to send out messages to all of your viewers.
COLLINS: All right. Well, very good, Sanjay. Cool stuff. Appreciate that.
GUPTA: Thank you.
COLLINS: We'll talk again very soon.
Meanwhile, we have some cool stuff here, too. We are now inviting you inside our NEWSROOM for a closer look around. It's our new blog on the revamped NEWSROOM page on CNN.com.
You can check out what we're up to. See what we did. Just yesterday, we spoke with Donald Trump. He talked about all kinds of different things. It was a pretty interesting interview. Right now that is on our blog.
Also you can share your thoughts on the news of the day. That is what we're really interested in. So just log on to CNN.com/newsroom and go ahead and join in.
Also, airplanes and bird strikes. The government going public with how bad the problem really is. We'll tell you why the FAA wanted to keep some of that information confidential.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Well, it certainly is a scary thought. A bird strike that could possibly bring down a plane that you're traveling on. Well, this morning, we are getting new details about airplane bird strikes, including which airports have the worst problems.
This new transparency triggered by the ditching of a US Airways jet in the Hudson River. We all remember that.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve is following this story for us.
Good morning to you, Jeanne. What actually are we going to learn today?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, there's a real debate here over whether making this information about bird strikes public will make flying any safer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE (voice-over): One of nature's great beauties is also a great danger.
CAPTAIN CHESLEY "SULLY" SULLENBERGER: This is Cactus 1539. Hit Birds. We lost thrust in both engines. We're turning back towards LaGuardia.
MESERVE: The downing of this US Airways jet in the Hudson was the most dramatic example of just how much damage relatively small birds can do to a big plane.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the bird hit here. MESERVE: There are thousands of bird strikes every year and pilots and airports voluntarily report them to the Federal Aviation Administration. Up until now, the public has not been able to access all of the data. The FAA proposed keeping it that way, but the National Transportation Safety Board pushed back saying independent researchers needed all the information.
MARK ROSENKER, NTSB: The kinds of birds that were striking, the time of day that the aircraft is being struck, the season in which the bird is striking the aircraft -- all of this data comes into play so you can make good mitigation decisions.
MESERVE: Decisions on how to best keep birds away from airplanes. The FAA relented. The wildlife strike data will be posted this morning.
RAY LAHOOD, U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: Look, if safety is number one, and the way people learn about safety is through information.
MESERVE: But some argue it is the wrong decision. They say pilots in airports may be less likely to voluntarily report bird strikes if they think the data will be misinterpreted and hurt business. Less reporting would make the data less accurate and less useful. The NTSB's response, make reporting mandatory.
ROSENKER: If we are able to make this a requirement, then we're going to get the total picture and an accurate picture of how severe the problem really is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: The transportation secretary says mandatory reporting will be considered. One factor likely to be whether after the database goes public later today, the number of bird strikes voluntarily reported takes a plunge - Heidi.
COLLINS: So, yes. Just looking back on all of that, the most unusual thing I think that happened with the US Airways is both engines were taken out by those bird strikes. I mean that's really unusual. But I do also wonder why if airports actually oppose making this information public?
MESERVE: Well, actually, airports are split on the issue. It's kind of interesting. Some of them agree with that opinion that if you make the information public, less people are going to participate and, ultimately, that's going to be bad for the mitigation efforts.
But on the other hand, there are some who say, you know, if we don't make it public, we're going to get a lot of questions about that.
COLLINS: Yes.
MESERVE: As many questions as we might about the data itself. So it's sort of awash. We might as well make it public. We might as well be transparent.
COLLINS: Yes. And people may wonder, are you trying to hide something when, in fact, they might not be.
MESERVE: Thanks, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Jeanne Meserve, nice to see you. Thank you.
MESERVE: You're welcome, Heidi.
COLLINS: Unraveling the Bernie Madoff mess. "Fortune" magazine is reporting a top deputy may reveal some previously unknown inside information about Madoff's scheme. It could include allegations that some investors knew what was going on. The deputy is negotiating plea deal with prosecutors. And we will stay on top of that.
Waterboarding, a brutal interrogation tactic to some. Many, in fact, call it torture. But should Bush administration officials be prosecuted now for authorizing those methods? A heated question that's intensifying on Capitol Hill.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins.
COLLINS: Several corporate heavyweights are out with their quarterly report cards. Ford says it lost money again and two other closely watched companies say consumers still aren't spending very much money.
So the question is, whether investors are going to spend money.
Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange now with a preview of the trading day, getting ready for the opening bell here.
Susan, good morning.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Yes, set to ring in about 20 seconds. Ford posting a nearly $1.5 billion loss but if you dig deeper into the report, there is some encouraging news and stocks are set to open modestly higher.
First, Ford's loss wasn't as bad as expected. That's a positive in these times. And even though the nation's second largest automaker burned through $3.5 billion in cash that's about half of what it burned through in the previous quarters. So cost-cutting efforts are paying off.
Ford also says it's on track to meet its financial targets. Ford shares are surging more than 20 percent in the premarket.
Meanwhile, American Express says its quarterly profits tumbled more than 50 percent but that also beat estimates and shares were much higher in the premarket as well. Amex says spending is slowing even among its high-end customers. It said that before. It expects delinquencies to rise so the company boosted its loan lost reserves like so many financial companies.
Over at Microsoft, profits plunged more than 30 percent. And quarterly sales, Heidi, fell for the first time since the company went public in 1986. But investors are upbeat. And Microsoft shares are up four percent.
Quickly, on the economic front, orders for big ticket items known as durable goods fell in March. The drop wasn't as bad as expected. And later today, the Treasury Department will begin giving big banks the result of the government stress tests.
But the bulls aren't stressed, not in the first minute of trading. Right now, the Dow is up 39 points or 50 percent. The NASDAQ and the S&P higher.
Heidi, the Dow needs a rally of about 175 points to notch a seventh consecutive week of gains. And it's possible for the NASDAQ and S&P 500 as well.
It's possible.
COLLINS: Wow. It is possible. And seven is a pretty darn lucky number, too. We like that.
LISOVICZ: Yes.
COLLINS: All right. Susan, we'll talk with you later. Thank you.
LISOVICZ: You got it.
COLLINS: A milestone for President Barack Obama. Wednesday marks his first 100 days in office. In his short time there, he's had a lot of things to deal with. Both here in the U.S. and overseas.
So how does the president want us to judge his first 100 days? Here to talk about all of it is Craig Gordon, the White House editor of Politico.com.
Craig, good morning to you. Thanks for being with us today.
It's interesting because there is definitely a specific list, if you will, of how the White House would like us to refer to the president's first 100 days. But first, let's talk about where this all came from. I mean, this isn't the first president, obviously, who has been judged on his first 100 days.
CRAIG GORDON, POLITICO.COM: Yes. I mean, it goes all the way back to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. At the start of the new deal, basically, when he did a series of very dramatic actions in that first 100 days. Although, historians will tell you a lot of it stretched to, well, into April, May, June. You know, first -- past the first 100 days. But it's just too perfect for journalists. We just -- we love lists, we love milestones, we love anniversaries. We can't resist. So President Obama has to endure it as well.
COLLINS: Yes. That's definitely true. In fact, let's talk a little bit about this list now. These are a few of the things that Politico says the White House wants reporters to write.
So, first one we have here -- these are just some of them. We're not going to be able to go through the whole list, unfortunately. But Obama is a promise keeper.
They want us to write or to talk about that.
GORDON: Right. And what they would point to is mainly on the economy. I mean, during the campaign, especially towards the end of the campaign, Obama was very clear in saying this economy is very sick and it needs a lot of strong medicine, and I'm the guy to deliver it.
He never talks specifically about an $800 billion stimulus package or $1 trillion banking bailout. But he did -- you know, he was very clear.
I think it's fair to say with the American people that the government needs to take a big role in this. It's something private sector can't do by itself, and the government has to be the one to kind of give it a shot in the arm. So, on that one I think they can make the case.
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: Yes. There will be obviously a lot of push-back from those who perhaps did not vote for him, and say, no, government shouldn't be so involved in things. So it will be interesting to see how all of this plays certainly.
GORDON: Right.
COLLINS: What about this one? Obama is not in the bubble. They are saying that he is connecting with the Average Joe -- if you know what I mean.
GORDON: This is a story line I have to say I feel like they've been pushing pretty hard. "The Washington Post" was I think the first to report that he is asked ten of the letters that come to the White House every day of the thousands that you can imagine show up in the White House mail room are brought to his office, just a random sampling so that he can, you know, sort of hear what average Americans are worried about, what's on their mind. He reads them. Those are story this week that he replied to some them. You know, on note cards in his own hand.
Again, here again, I think President Obama is someone who has kind of chafed against the bubble a little bit. He was never a governor. He never sort of had an executive level position like this, where he had secret service around him 24/7, the whole thing.
And I do think it's been uncomfortable for him. This is a way from him to kind of say, like, hey, take the temperature. What's going on outside the four walls of the White House? They've talked about it quite a lot. And I do think we'll see the president travel a lot coming up, too.
COLLINS: Yes. And then some people saying that it's kind of like on-the-job training a little bit, because he hadn't had those previous experiences.
And then his last two here -- interesting to me. Obama is not FDR. Obama is FDR.
What do you mean?
GORDON: Right.
Are you saying the White House wants to have it both ways? Wait a minute.
COLLINS: Oh, yes. Probably.
GORDON: That's right. On the Obama is not FDR, I mean, again, the White House kind of resisted the first 100-day story line and tried to sort of (INAUDIBLE) it a little bit and say, come on, you know, there's massive problems in the country and massive recession, two wars, how could you expect we can do this in a 100 days or, you know, 500 days or whatever.
COLLINS: Yes.
GORDON: So the part that they wanted him not to be FDR is to not raise expectations. To not let people think, wow, 100 days, you know, we're all done. He's put it all in place, and we're ready to go on to the next thing. They very much want to resist that.
On the other hand, they want to show that he, like FDR, took very bold and decisive steps. He had a plan. He executed it. He's marching sort of firmly into the future with a strong idea of how to fix the economy, how to deal with these two wars.
COLLINS: Got it.
GORDON: And that way, they want to remind people that, yes, he's a strong president just like FDR.
COLLINS: I don't like the first 100 days. OK. It's too short. It's too short.
All right. Well, we sure do appreciate it.
Craig Gordon from Politico.com.
Thanks, Craig.
GORDON: oh, sure.
COLLINS: You can also weigh in on the president. Next Wednesday night, beginning at 7:00 Eastern in a CNN primetime event, you and the Best Political Team in Television will grade the president.
And then at 8:00, President Obama will let us know how he thinks he's doing in his first 100 days during a live presidential news conference. That is Wednesday, beginning at 7:00 Eastern on CNN and cnn.com/reportcard.
A tense situation maybe defusing in Pakistan. The Taliban, today, said it is withdrawing from the Buner District. That's about 60 miles from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
The militants advanced into Buner earlier this week from the Swat Valley. Pakistan had previously agreed to pull their troops out of the valley allowing the Taliban to practice strict Islamic law there.
Pakistani TV today show live pictures of armed and masked Taliban members in Buner loading pickup trucks and driving away.
A local Pakistani official doubted the pullback would be permanent, though. His description of the Taliban, "nobody can trust them."
The militants pushing more deeply in Pakistan prompted U.S. concerns. The nuclear-armed nation could fall to terrorists. But Pakistani officials had said they were in control of the situation.
President Obama facing mounting pressure now to prosecute former Bush administration officials for approving what some call brutal interrogation tactics and many consider torture. Members of Congress and civil liberty groups are demanding answers from Attorney General Eric Holder.
More now from CNN's Jim Acosta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: It is my responsibility as the attorney general to enforce the law.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the Obama administration, it's the question that won't go away. And Attorney General Eric Holder is refusing to rule out the possible prosecution of high level members of the Bush administration who authorized harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists.
HOLDER: If I see evidence of wrongdoing, I will pursue it to the full extent of the law, and I will do that in an appropriate way.
ACOSTA: Some Democrats are turning up the heat on the White House to name a special prosecutor who could bring indictments.
JONATHAN TURLEY, PROFESSOR, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LAW: Attorney General Holder needs to appoint a special prosecutor.
ACOSTA: Law professor Jonathan Turley says the president has no choice. TURLEY: You have insurmountable evidence that we ran a torture program. President Obama has the constitutional authority to pardon President Bush and Vice President Cheney and these other individuals. He does not have the authority to obstruct an investigation to a war crime.
ACOSTA: Democrats point to this Senate intelligence report released this week. It states then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and then-National Security adviser Condoleezza Rice were briefed by CIA officials in 2002 that the agency was considering alternative interrogation methods, including waterboarding.
An international Red Cross report found waterboarding was used saying it induced a feeling of panic and the acute impression that the person was about to die.
Former POW John McCain has called the method torture.
MCCAIN: It's in violation of the Geneva Convention. It's in violation of existing law.
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This government does not torture people.
ACOSTA: Two years ago, President Bush stressed Congress knew about the program.
BUSH: The techniques that we used have been fully disclosed to appropriate members of the United States Congress.
ACOSTA: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she was only told waterboarding might be used.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: We were not -- I repeat, we were not told that waterboarding or any of these other enhanced interrogation methods were used.
DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They did work. They kept us safe for seven years.
ACOSTA: Bush administration officials are firing back, including former Justice Department official John Yoo, who advised the former president the Geneva Convention banning torture does not apply to suspected terrorists.
JOHN YOO, FORMER JUSTICE DEPT OFFICIAL: This wasn't worth it? Well, we haven't had an attack in more than seven years.
ACOSTA (on camera): President Obama has come out against one option, that is naming a 9/11-style independent truth commission to investigate allegations of torture. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the president did not want the issue to become what he called a political back and forth
Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Newly released video of Nazi war crime suspect John Demjanjuk. Federal agents say it proves the 89-year-old is physically strong enough to be deported to Germany to stand trial. They say the video shows him after he was taken from his Cleveland home ten days ago. And he appeared unresponsive. Here, he is quite alert -- laughing, talking, and walking on his own. Government lawyers want appeals court judges to lift their state temporarily blocking his deportation.
Check out this lightning show on top of the Sears Tower in Chicago. Wow. Our iReporter Manjot Grewal shot this video from the 23rd floor of an apartment during a thunderstorm last night. As you can see there are multiple lightning strikes. And our iReporter tells us at least one strike did damage the right antenna of the tower.
A wildfire has destroyed dozens of homes now in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. But this morning, firefighters are starting to get the upper hand on the blaze. Nearly 70 homes burned. About 100 others were damaged. Around 2,500 people evacuated from their homes in this popular vacation spot. None of the beach hotels, though, have been affected.
Quite a stormy spring, if you will, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: That video, by the way, Heidi, that you showed out of Chicago.
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: That was kind of spooky. It looked like something out of a movie. Maybe it's the -- you know, Batman or something like that with the gaff and get lit up.
COLLINS: Believe it or not, just last weekend, I had a chance to spend some time with the gentleman who owns that building, which is now known as the Willis Tower because it's been sold.
MARCIANO: Because that's how you roll, you know. That's kind of freaky behind me.
COLLINS: Right. I know, it's bizarre. Anyway, he went on the USS Harry S. Truman with me, believe it or not.
But he was talking about -- you know, people don't really realize how many towers are actually placed on top of that building.
MARCIANO: Yes.
COLLINS: So it is almost like a lightning catcher, if you will.
Unbelievable, huh?
MARCIANO: That's what you get -- the price you pay when you build a building that high I suppose.
COLLINS: Still the tallest.
MARCIANO: But that's cool video, nonetheless.
COLLINS: Yes, very.
All right, Rob, we'll check back later on. Thanks.
MARCIANO: Sounds good.
COLLINS: A school district is praised for its aggressive fight against bullying, but that's little comfort to a grieving mother who says her 11-year-old son was bullied to death.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: School bullying, it was once considered a normal, although, painful part of childhood. Today, there are policies and even awareness classes, but none of that seemed to help an 11-year-old boy who killed himself.
CNN's David Mattingly talked with his mother.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Take a look at this picture of a smiling, seemingly happy young boy, and know that everything it implies about him was wrong.
MASIKA BERMUDEZ, MOTHER: He was acting strange. He didn't want to eat, you know? And that last day I saw him alive, he didn't -- he doesn't want to go to school.
MATTINGLY: Eleven-year-old Jaheem Herrera moved with his family from his native U.S. Virgin Islands and started at this elementary school outside Atlanta in August. He got good grades, liked to draw, and was excited about making new friends. But that's not what happened.
BERMUDEZ: He was a nice little boy. He loved to dance. He loved to have fun. He loved to make friends. And all he made there were enemies.
MATTINGLY: Friends and family say bullies at school targeted Jaheem because he was from somewhere else and spoke with an accent. They called him names, and once attacked him in the restroom. One childish slur in particular affected him deeply.
(on camera): What words seemed to hurt him the most?
BERMUDEZ: Gay. He used to always say, "Mom, they keep telling me this gay word, this gay, gay, gay. I'm tired of hearing them, telling me the same thing over and over."
MATTINGLY (voice-over): His mother said the taunting became so bad, the unthinkable happened. Jaheem came home from school one afternoon and went up to his room. She found him hanging by a belt in his closet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His death is not in vain, Lord.
MATTINGLY: Jaheem's suicide comes less than a month after another 11-year-old killed himself in Massachusetts, after relentless bullying.
Experts say, everyone should be alarmed.
DR. ELIZA BYARD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GAY, LESBIAN AND STRAIGHT EDUCATION NETWORK: I think that it really is a wakeup call to everyone, to all concerned adults, to really treat bullying as the serious public health issue that it is.
MATTINGLY: Jaheem's mom says she complained multiple times to school officials, but the bullying never stopped. Other parents tell CNN they complained about bullying, as well.
After Jaheem's death, the school board expressed condolences, saying the school staff "works diligently to provide a safe and nurturing environment for all students."
(on camera): Allegations of such severe bullying surprised experts who are familiar with the school's system. Its anti-bullying program was considered exemplary. There are special activities designed to raise awareness. There are specially-trained staff at every school. And students are even expected to sign anti-bullying pledges.
But none of this was of any help to Jaheem.
(voice-over): And in spite of recent strides made in awareness nationally, studies show that 65 percent of teens are being bullied each year. And most believe adults can't help them.
(on camera): They reach out to adults. They don't think the adults are doing enough?
JOEL MEYERS, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON SCHOOL SAFETY: They may or may not reach out to adults, but they feel like not enough's being done.
MATTINGLY: His mother believes Jaheem gave up because all their complaints failed to protect him. She has taken her other children out of school and plans to return to St. Croix, where she says they were always safe from bullying.
David Mattingly, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Reruns of "The Tonight Show" because the host is in the hospital. No joke about Jay Leno.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Comedian Jay Leno has checked himself into a Los Angeles hospital because of his illness. NBC canceled tapings of "The Tonight Show" for both last night and tonight, putting reruns in their place. No details on Leno's illness. But the network and his publicist saying he's doing well and plans to return to work next week.
Well, there is an awful lot going on this morning, and we do have crews working to bring you everything you need to know. So let's check in with some of our correspondents now, starting with you, Christine.
Good morning.
ROMANS: Good morning, Heidi.
I'm working on Chrysler for you, trying to find out if this company can survive just a few more days. Time running out for this company to find a solution if it's going to get any more backing from the government, if it's going to get any more money to operate. I'll have that at the top of the hour.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Poppy Harlow. The only one of the big three U.S. automakers that has not taken federal bailout money is out with its quarterly report card. What did Ford have to say? What's ahead for the company? That's right at the top of the hour.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Elizabeth Cohen. And today is "Empower Me" Friday. That means we come up with solutions to your health care problems. Today, it's a tough one. How do you get insurance when every company is telling you, no? I'll have the answer to that question at the top of the hour.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Thanks Elizabeth and to everyone.
And we'll also take you back to South Carolina and the battle to contain the worst wildfire there in 33 years.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Reacting to the violence in Mexico. Businessmen are now going for the premium in protection on their cars.
CNN's Ed Lavandera takes a tour of the specialty shop.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): People who buy fully loaded cars from Trent Kimball don't take leisurely drives.
TRENT KIMBALL, TEXAS ARMORING CORPORATION: There's no gaps in the armor, and that's what we want. We want 100 percent protection.
LAVANDERA: They drive in the most dangerous cities in the world.
KIMBALL: The fear is real. There's people being killed and kidnapped all the time.
LAVANDERA: Kimball runs the Texas Armoring Corporation. From this warehouse, he turns everyday cars into rolling cocoons. He offered us a glimpse of what it's like to be on the wrong end of this.
KIMBALL: You want to proof protect it from rifles like these, high-power fully (INAUDIBLE) high-powered assault rifles.
LAVANDERA: The view from behind bulletproof glass less than two inches thick.
(on camera): We're going to stick our camera back here.
KIMBALL: That's right.
LAVANDERA: It's a very expensive camera, you know.
KIMBALL: Yes.
LAVANDERA: It's a brand new HD camera.
KIMBALL: Yes. Nothing will happen to the camera.
LAVANDERA: Our cameraman is nervous. I'm not that nervous.
KIMBALL: All right.
(SHOTS FIRED)
LAVANDERA: Wow. You can feel it shattered right here. You come over to this side, feels completely smooth. You don't feel any shreds of glass right there at all.
(voice-over): Armoring a vehicle can cost between $50,000 and $150,000. You get special tires that keep rolling after blowing out. And to escape kidnapping situations, options include road tacks and electrified door handles.
(on camera): These cars can also be equipped with a smoke screen. Now what happens is, is that essentially it creates a big wall of smoke and you're unable to see the car in front of you and they're able to make a quick getaway.
(voice-over): With gun battles and kidnappings making headlines across Mexico, the private car armoring business is booming. Kimball usually armors just over 75 cars a year. This year he'll retrofit about 150. And more Americans doing business south of the border are buying the protection.
KIMBALL: They're not targeting these large executives of these large companies anymore. They're targeting just regular business owners or --
LAVANDERA: Anybody who might have money.
KIMBALL: Who they think even if they think they have money. That's the danger.
LAVANDERA: No one buying these cars would talk to us on camera. The customers come from around the world. Private car armoring used to be a luxury of the rich and famous. Trent Kimball says that's changing.
KIMBALL: The amazing thing is there are people that even that don't even have that type of money that feel the need to have the vehicle armored. That's what's -- that's what's more amazing to me.
LAVANDERA (on camera): What do you take away from that?
KIMBALL: It's a scary world. It's a scary world.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Ed Lavandera, CNN, San Antonio, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
