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Feeling Stressed; Solar Power From Space; Dallas Cowboys' Tragedy; The Help Desk; Questions About Edwards Mistress; President Obama, Israeli President to Meet; Pakistan and Nuclear Security; Is Your Bank Stressed Out?

Aired May 05, 2009 - 12:00   ET

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

MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: President Obama wading into a major diplomatic challenge today. He's taking on the Middle East. Mr. Obama meets with Israeli President Shimon Peres a couple of hours from now to talk about making peace with the Palestinians.

White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux has this preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For President Barack Obama and Israeli President Shimon Peres, it's a first step.

SHIMON PERES, PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL: Let me make it clear, we trust the leadership of President Obama.

MALVEAUX: The two leaders top priority, peace in the Middle East starting with the Israelis and Palestinians.

BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am a strong supporter of a two-state solution.

PERES: I have a simple question. Why wait? Israel is prepared today to bring peace closer. Today.

MALVEAUX: But even the Israeli leadership is split over whether that's even possible. Israel's newly elected prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has not endorsed the two-state solution. Mr. Obama would like that to change.

OBAMA: My hope would be that over the next several months that you start seeing gestures of good faith on all sides.

MALVEAUX: Already, some Arab states are encouraged by Mr. Obama's early outreach to the Muslim Arab world.

KING ABDULLAH II, JORDAN: That has gone down extremely well, and really begins, I believe, a new page of mutual respect and mutual understanding between cultures.

MALVEAUX: But Iran continues to threaten the region with its nuclear ambitions. The U.S. and Israel believe the regime is intent on developing nuclear weapons.

PERES: Iran is not threatened by anybody.

MALVEAUX: But President Obama believes opening a dialogue with Iran's regime could change its behavior.

OBAMA: Tough, direct diplomacy has to be pursued without taking a whole host of other options off the table.

MALVEAUX: Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich slammed the president's approach telling the "Jerusalem Post" it was a fantasy, part of a policy very dangerous for Israel. But Peres told CNN's Wolf Blitzer he didn't have a problem with Mr. Obama reaching out to talk to Iran's leader.

PERES: Look, if they'll be successful, God bless them. Who wants a war? We're not crazy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: Live now from the White House offering more perspective, Suzanne Malveaux.

Let's talk a little bit more, Suzanne, about that two-state solution. What is the prospect for that for the Obama administration?

MALVEAUX: You know, it's going to be very difficult, Melissa, because Peres, as you had heard before, he is advocating a two-state solution, but he really -- he's the president of Israel. It's largely a ceremonial position. It really is Benjamin Netanyahu, the new prime minister, who is going to make a difference here. He's got the power.

And so far, he is advocating really kind of two economies, one for Israel, one for the Palestinians. Not necessarily two states, per se, but really bolstering the Palestinian economy. Not what the United States is looking for. Not what a lot of Arab states are looking for. So it is still going to be very much, Melissa, a tough sell.

LONG: Suzanne Malveaux, live for us again from Washington.

Thank you.

Now, at the White House tomorrow, President Obama will hosting the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The visits come as Pakistan appears ready to launch another offensive against Taliban militants.

About half a million Pakistani civilians are expected to flee the country's Swat Valley region. They are leaving the Taliban stronghold by the thousands right now on government orders as well.

Officials are setting up displacement camps for them. Some 50,000 civilians have already been uprooted because of the fighting between the military and Taliban militants just over the past couple of weeks.

This tense situation in Pakistan takes center stage on Capitol Hill at this very hour. President Obama's point man for the region testifies before a key House committee. Special Representative Richard Holbrooke is expected to tell lawmakers that more military and civilian aid is needed urgently in Pakistan.

Now, one of the most critical issues for the U.S. is making sure Pakistan's nuclear weapons don't fall into militant hands.

Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr is following that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since a deal between Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and the Taliban in the Swat Valley collapsed, the Islamabad government has faced the ultimate question from the U.S. -- are Pakistan's nuclear weapons really safe?

ADM. MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS: Obviously, the worst downside of -- with respect to Pakistan, is if those nuclear weapons come under the control of terrorists.

STARR: Mullen emphasizes he doesn't see that happening. But a former CIA officer warns it could all change.

ROLF MOWATT-LARSSEN, FORMER CIA OFFICER: The most important concern is any possibility that instability might lead to a security breakdown where they might lose either material or parts of a weapon or, in the worst case, an entire weapon.

STARR: President Obama is promising billions in aid to Pakistan to fight the Taliban.

Republicans and Democrats agree this time springs have to be attached.

HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're going to be measuring from every perspective, whether it's, you know, diplomatic and development efforts -- excuse me -- or military efforts or intelligence efforts.

STARR: Mullen, who sounded the alarm call about declining security, says he's more hopeful because the Pakistani military is attacking some militant strongholds.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: Barbara Starr now joins us live from the Pentagon.

And Barbara, again, Pakistan says that it's fighting the Taliban. What do we know about what U.S. officials are saying about their worries regarding the strategy that Pakistan has?

STARR: Well, you know, Melissa, U.S. officials, especially here at the Pentagon, are watching those very pictures we've had on the air about the flow of Pakistan refugees coming out of the Swat Valley. Tens of thousands, by all accounts. And the U.S. is increasingly very dismayed about all of this because that's really not the picture they want to see.

If civilians are fleeing by the thousands, it's because the Pakistani military moving in very heavy handed, clearing out villages, really forcing people to get on the roads. What the U.S. military would rather see is very precise operations against the insurgents. Go just against them. Don't force people, don't force whole villages to leave their areas and go to these camps. That's going to only create more dissension, more instability inside Pakistan at a time when it can ill afford it -- Melissa.

LONG: And some 50,000 people already uprooted, scrambling to get to those camps. And the U.N. also scrambling to create those camps.

STARR: Oh, absolutely. You know, the U.S. is already beginning behind the scenes to try and offer aid and assistance. As of now, we are told by senior U.S. officials Pakistan is rejecting any U.S. offers of aid for these people.

So the problem again is that what you have are tens of thousands of displaced persons, nowhere to sleep, nowhere to eat, no shelter, trying to make their way to these camps. And the insurgents basically on run in the other direction, if you will.

So, what has Pakistan really achieved here? The U.S. says not much. A senior U.S. official says, by all accounts, the U.S. feels the Taliban are still in control of that vital Swat Valley region -- Melissa.

LONG: Barbara Starr, live for us from the Pentagon.

Barbara, thank you.

Now, before Pakistan's president's sits down with President Obama tomorrow, he is talking to our Wolf Blitzer today in "THE SITUATION ROOM." Wolf interviews Asif Ali Zardari. That's at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

We're going to size up the recession. Yes, job losses are still grim, but stocks have been on a hot streak. Consumer confidence is up, spending is up, and there are hints that the housing prices may be bottoming out.

Of course, against that backdrop, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, who's been facing lawmakers today in Washington, answering questions on the economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN BERNANKE, CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL RESERVE: We continue to expect economic activity to bottom out, then to turn up later this year. Key elements of this forecast are assessments that the housing market is beginning to stabilize and that the sharp liquidation that has been in progress will slow over the next few quarters. Final demand should also be supported by fiscal and monetary stimulus.

An important caveat is that our forecast assumes continuing gradual repair of the financial system. A relapse in financial conditions would be a significant drag on economic activity and could cause the incipient recovery to stall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: Bernanke will be releasing the results of the Fed's stress tests on the 19 big banks on Thursday. Several reports today say about 10 of the 19 will need to raise capital. They include Citi, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Regions.

CNN's Mary Snow has more on this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Treasury came up with the idea of stress tests for the big banks to see if they could weather an even deeper recession. Wall Street is not expecting the 19 banks being tested to pass with flying colors. After weeks of number crunching, tense negotiations, and a few leaks, the expectation is some banks will need to raise more money.

ART HOGAN, JEFFRIES & COMPANY: We're going to find out there's some banks in the next six months that will go to the private sector and try to raise capital. If they can't, we're going to find out what banks are going to be the next recipients of TARP funds. And I think that's the mixed bag of news.

SNOW: Still, that mixed bag ends months of uncertainty about the financial health of the banks, that itself has brought angst.

MARK ZANDI, MOODYSECONOMY.COM: I think this will mark the beginning of the end of this very severe banking crisis. I don't think the crisis comes to an end, however, until these banks actually do raise the capital that they need, and then ultimately begin lending more freely again.

SNOW: The White House says it doesn't expect to provide more public funds.

ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The administration doesn't believe that we need to go to Congress right now looking for more money.

SNOW: But economist Nouriel Roubini, who is sometime called "Dr. Doom," and called the downturn before others, says the stress tests weren't stressful enough, that the unemployment numbers used in them were too optimistic.

NOURIEL ROUBINI, NYU STERN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: And the risk is we keep alive zombie banks like Japan, and that might lead to a more protracted credit crunch and weakness of the economy.

SNOW (on camera): But even "Dr. Doom," who prefers to be called "Dr. Realistic" these days, sees some light at the end of the tunnel for the overall economy. He's forecasting a recovery for the next year, although he does expect it to be weak. Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: Chrysler is expected to announce a new program today to lure you into its showrooms. Chrysler will be giving dealers cash incentives to pass on as discounts to customers. Analysts say that will give dealers greater cash flow and it avoids straight rebates that make it appear Chrysler's practically giving away cars while it is in bankruptcy. Repeat, Chrysler customers will get a rebate on top of the discount.

Good to know if you're in the market for a vehicle, of course.

Now, is the H1N1 flu virus a threat? Well, a lot of scam artists are hoping you think so. We're going to show you some of the cons you need to be watching out for.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: We have just received updated numbers on the confirmed swine flu cases. Want to pass them along to you, of course.

The World Health Organization now confirming 30 people dead from the H1N1 virus. That's four more deaths since yesterday. All of them Mexican.

The number of infections worldwide has also jumped. Officials now confirming 1,490 people have tested positive for the virus in 21 countries. Now, across the U.S., 279 cases of swine flu are now confirmed across 36 states.

Mexican officials say the outbreak is waning. They're trying to return to normal now after that five-day national shutdown. But of course, today, Cinco de Mayo, and the celebrations have been canceled. But many businesses are set to reopen tomorrow.

Then on Thursday, universities and high schools will start resuming classes. The younger kids are going to wait to return to school until next week. Meantime, sporting arenas, bars and clubs will stay closed indefinitely.

Now, if you are turning to the Internet for answers about the flu and this virus, you need to beware, because swine flu scam artists are prowling the Internet, and they could be targeting you.

Kristi Andersen of our affiliate KETV has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTI ANDERSEN, KETV REPORTER (voice-over): According to McAfee online security company, spammers started pumping out e-mails right after the first news reports of the flu. Many of those e-mails link you directly to online pharmacies. And according to F-Secure, another online security company, more than 250 Web sites with the term "swine flu" have been registered, and it predicts scam artists are preparing to use the sites in variety of scams.

(on camera): And we found a number of Web sites already selling swine flu protection kits, anywhere from $19.95, all the way up to almost $2,000.

JIM HEGARTY, PRESIDENT, NEBRASKA BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU: None of the information that you would be able to purchase on this Web site is going to be of any more use to you than information that's available free of charge through government Web sites.

ANDERSEN: Nebraska Better Business Bureau President Jim Hegarty says to avoid the H1N1 swine flu scams, don't open e-mails from unknown sources and don't click on any of the links or attachments. Don't fall for offers of a swine flu vaccine. There is no such thing. And make sure your anti-virus software is up to date so that malware and data mining software can't infect your computer.

HEGARTY: Just another malicious attempt to use the vulnerability of a situation that's occurring in our country to take advantage of people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: Now, you can see more about the swine flu's global impact, learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from the virus, on our Web site, CNNHealth.com. You can also follow the conversation with us online at Twitter. Simply search #CNNSwineFlu Again, #CNNSwineFlu.

And now, a CNN exclusive. As the U.S. builds troop strength in Afghanistan by 20,000, new threats from the Taliban. A spokesman for Taliban leader Mullah Omar sat down with CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson.

Now, shielded from our cameras under a bath towel, the spokesman vowed the Taliban will drive the U.S. out of Afghanistan and restore hard-line Islamic law. The interview took place in a safe house in Afghanistan on the condition CNN would not reveal its location.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZABIULLAH MUJAHID, SPOKESMAN FOR MULLAH OMAR (through translator): I will clearly tell you, if there are more, we will kill them more. If there are few, we will kill them few.

If the Pentagon is thinking of changing its policy, we, too, are thinking of changing the policy. If they want to send 20,000 to start a new campaign, this is a war. And we will see the war and make our policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: Now, al Qaeda has launched a new video in hopes of recruiting American youth. As CNN's Paula Newton shows us, it's flashy and hip-hop-inspired.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This latest video from Somalia's al-Qaeda-backed Al-Shabaab, literally "The Youth," is startling. Slick and accessible as any reality TV show, and then there's the English.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, basically, what we did is set up our troops alongside the road.

NEWTON: American English. The fully-exposed Abu Mansoor al- Amriki (ph), dubbed "The American" by al Qaeda, now in Somalia, apparently training and counseling Somalis from North America and Europe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Away from our families, away from the cities. Away from, you know, ice, candy bars, all these other things, is because we're waiting to meet with the enemy.

BEN VENZKE, INTEL CENTER, JIHADI VIDEO ANALYST: We're seeing perhaps their most sophisticated attempt so far to really reach an audience of potential recruits in America. And it's one of the things that made that video very significant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Mortar by mortar, shell by shell, only going to stop when I send them to hell.

NEWTON: And behind the hip-hop vibe and modern graphics, the U.S. government says Somalia is an emerging terror hotspot which can pose a threat beyond its borders.

VENZKE: Most of the time, what we're seeing in their videos directly parallels what the groups are doing operationally, what they're targeting, where they're recruiting.

NEWTON: And Somalis from North America and Europe are finally beginning to come to terms with the problem of recruitment.

Sheikh Ahmed Matan (ph) says he knows of hundreds of young Somali men who have returned to Somalia for terrorist training.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of young people from here, from America, from Canada, from everywhere, from Europe, they went there.

NEWTON: One of them was a business student from London who suddenly left for Somalia and only resurfaced about 18 months ago on this martyrdom video just before blowing himself up in southern Somalia, killing at least 20 people.

Sheikh Matan (ph) is one of a few speaking out, outraged that Somali terrorists are preying on his community, and convinced these young men with western passports could be a threat to their adopted homes.

(on camera): An act of martyrdom, suicide bombing...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It can be. They can train anytime and send them here. Anytime.

NEWTON (voice-over): U.S. defense officials told CNN months ago that one of their worst nightmares was al Qaeda operating freely in Somalia. Now that nightmare continues. Somalis in North America and Europe admitting al Qaeda's reach is spreading to their communities.

Paula Newton, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: Many minorities driving through a tiny town in Texas say they've been victims of highway robbery. And they say the robbers were wearing badges.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: They say they were the victims of highway robbers and they say the robbers were cops. Drivers along a stretch of Texas highway say they were targeted and their property taken.

National Correspondent Gary Tuchman has been investigating this story. He joins us now live from New York.

Hi, Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Melissa, hello to you.

And Texas and other states, they have something called forfeiture laws. And the way it works is you can be pulled over if you're speeding, for example, and if the officers have probable cause that you might have committed a felony, they can then go through your car and take your money, take other valuables.

Now, the purpose is a good purpose if it's done legally. It's to stop, perhaps, drug criminals from making off with their proceeds and their drugs. However, if it's not done legally, that's a whole other story. And what our story is about is a little town in eastern Texas where they are accused of systematically taking hundreds of thousands of dollars away from people who have no charges against them at all.

BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Many of the people pulled over on Highway 59 tell us they are guilty of one thing and one thing only, driving while black or Latino.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're disproportionately going after racial minorities.

TUCHMAN: So are the allegations true? After our repeated calls were not returned, we found the people you just heard about, the cop who has made most of these arrests.

(on camera): Hey, Officer?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. TUCHMAN: My name's Gary Tuchman with CNN. I want to know if you recognize this guy.

We're doing a story about this guy, Roderick Daniels. He was pulled over here by you a year and a half ago. And you took his money and his jewelry. Do you recognize him?

(voice-over): The district attorney, we located her at a fundraiser.

(on camera): Ms. Russell, do you have any comments about these allegations regarding the forfeiture accounts? Ms. Russell?

(voice-over): Both the D.A. and the cop were very surprised to see us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: Now, the district attorney is accused of being at the forefront of all of this. In legal papers that have been filed, everyone that's been sued in the city and the county say they've committed no crimes whatsoever.

A lawyer for the district attorney says the district attorney is in compliance with the Texas Constitution and the United States Constitution, but there are so many questions that have been raised here, we felt it extremely necessary to try to find this district attorney, to try to find this police officer, come up to them with the microphone and the camera because they wouldn't return our calls, and get some answers to our questions.

Where we found them, what they said to us and what they didn't say to us make for a very interesting story. And it's a story we'll tell tonight on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific -- Melissa.

LONG: Before we have the opportunity to watch the report tonight, though, you said, of course, raising so many questions, let me raise one right now. The money, the jewelry, whatever else may be taken from the vehicles, where is it going?

TUCHMAN: Well, under forfeiture laws, when you take this money legally from criminals, or accused criminals, you can -- the police force and the district attorney can actually use the money. The police force can use it for law enforcement purposes. The district attorney for official purposes.

But we got our hands on hundreds of checks the district attorney has signed, and many of them are for what are clearly official purposes. But other checks that we saw were used to buy Halloween costumes, were used to buy Double Bubble and Bazooka gum for a party, were used for barbecues.

And one check in particular, Melissa, was a check for $10,000 that the district attorney wrote directly to the officer who pulls over most of the people for what are described as investigative costs. What that means, that's a question we wanted to ask the district attorney.

LONG: OK. And I'm sure you're going to delve into that question tonight, again, on "AC 360."

Fascinating. Thank you, Gary.

Now, from California, brand new homes being demolished before the construction is even completed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: CNN, of course, your source for financial news. You can check it out all online at cnn.com for the latest news. The latest news not only from the U.S. markets, but global markets as well, analysis.

Let's check on how the Dow, the Nasdaq, the S&P are performing at this hour. The Dow down 18, trading at 8,408. And the Nasdaq and the S&P, also in the red at this midday.

Now a bank bulldozing a new housing development when construction in the community, which is north of Los Angeles, started. The median home price was double what it is now.

But as prices fell, the developer couldn't afford to keep going. So, the property went back to the bank and then the bank decided it would be cheaper to tear it down than even going ahead and finish the project.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC PRESCOTT, ONLOOKER: I think this is ridiculous. They could have gotten these things sold. They thought it was going to take too long. They thought it was going to take five years to get these things sold. They could have done it in a lot less time than that. They just have to lower their price. But the bank is not interested in helping people. They're interested in lining their possibilities with more money. And if they're not going to get their money then, you know, screw you, we're tearing it down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: Some of the homes on that property were still under construction. Four were completely finished and had even been furnished with granite countertops.

Well, we've been talking about the stress tests, which are due out in great detail on Thursday for the banking industry. And as we've been reporting again, we also are trying to get your gauge of how stressed out you are. Is it about finances or are there other things lingering in your home? Josh Levs is, I guess, the stress man today. He's trying to help you to get through it all.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some people probably think I'm that every day, but I'm not trying to be. I'll tell you this. We opened up a big can of worms here. LONG: Really?

LEVS: And it is interesting to see what people are pointing to. You know, I mean, we could assume a lot would be the economy. Some of these aren't.

Let's take a look. We'll zoom right in. This is the brand new CNN NEWSROOM blog. Got to it right now. It's very cool. Newsroom.blogs at CNN and just click on Tony.

What's stressing you? And I'll show you some of the answers we're getting here, Melissa.

Let's start off with this one from concerned. "I am stressing because of no job and what border shall I run for or to?"

This one from Jen. "As if planning a wedding isn't stressful enough, try planning one in this economy."

Let's do another one from the blog here. Patricia, "my son is leaving for Afghanistan soon."

Some people have pointed to some other issues. Here's one from my Facebook page, joshlevscnn. We've got the same question going.

Lori writes, "the only thing I am stressed about at the moment is whether or not I will make it through my university summer classes."

A lot of people writing about education.

Over at Twitter, I got an really interesting and very serious one. BrownLovelyLady. That's her Twitter name there. "Too many children with easy access to guns killing each other and others. President Obama, make gun laws tougher."

And, Melissa, that's one of about five I saw just now focusing on gun laws. Interesting what people bring up.

But, you know what, not everybody is under a lot of stress. Check out this one. Walt Lasher, "Not a thing. I own my home. I own my car. I pay cash for everything. Nothing on plastic." He goes on to say, you know what, I'm not feeling a lot of stress.

Let's see. Let's show everybody the pretty graphic that makes that brand new CNN NEWSROOM blog look ultra cool. There you go.

LONG: Such a nice picture of Tony.

LEVS: Well, is there a bad one? I hope he's watching. Man, I would get great marks with him for that.

LONG: No, I think he's stress free. Isn't he enjoying a couple of well deserved days off?

LEVS: Yes, actually, he is. And we won't say where so none of his fans will go bug him, but, yes, he's got some time. LONG: Hopefully he is stress free today. Thank you so much.

LEVS: And let me just say, the conversation keeps going. Join us, Facebook, Twitter, the blog at CNN. It's going to keep going and we'll keep an eye on what you've got to say.

LONG: All right. Thank you.

LEVS: Yes.

LONG: Now we're going to have a terrifying look from the inside when storm winds destroyed that Dallas Cowboys practice complex.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: It's awfully futuristic. Now it may sound like science fiction, kind of futuristic, but there's one California utility company that's eyeing solar power from space? With our "Energy Fix," we check in with Poppy Harlow from cnnmoney.com.

Please, do explain.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: It does. And I think we should put a big caution sign up, Melissa, because this is really a theory at this point. Really in the developmental phases. But PG&E out of California has signed on. The deal is for solar panels in space. Signing on with a startup company called Solaren. What we could see out of this is the world's first solar power plant in space. The goal is to launch this into orbit by 2016.

I want to show you what it could look like here. The big solar panel right there. And these would literally orbit and collect electricity and that energy and send that down to California.

Now, what it could be is enough energy to power 240,000 homes. PG&E filed the application for this with California regulators just a few weeks ago, Melissa. Of course, they still have to approve it.

There are a lot of cons to this. Some pros. Obviously the sun always shining in space. So there's not a concern about what you do at night, what do you do on a cloudy day. Plenty of room for these panels in space. The idea indeed has been studied by NASA and the Pentagon. A lot of skepticism though.

Boeing's earth and space experts we talk with said the major challenge, which you could guess, is the cost. The cost could be prohibitive. It could be, Melissa, about a billion dollars just to get some of these satellites into space. So that could stop it before it begins, really.

LONG: OK. And I like what you said, yes, there's a lot of space in space.

HARLOW: Right. That's exactly right.

LONG: All right. Poppy Harlow from cnnmoney.com. Thank you, Poppy.

Well, today we're learning more about that tragic accident at the Dallas Cowboys practice field over the weekend. Here's CNN's Dan Simon with a look at how that tent was constructed and also reaction from witnesses.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what it looked like inside as the Dallas Cowboys training facility collapsed. Seventy people inside -- players, coaches and media.

MICKEY SPAGNOLA, WRITER, DALLASCOWBOYS.COM: My first initial reaction was, no, I've been in here for too many storms. It's not coming down, even though all the lights were shaking. And then when the whole building started to shake, it was like, OK, time to go.

SIMON: But the roof came down fast. Twelve people hurt, including 33-year-old scouting assistant Rich Behm, who . . .

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: We're going to interrupt that story and bring you now Israeli counterpart to President Obama, Shimon Peres.

PERES: I can't imagine a more reliable person, a greater friend. A pride to the United States and Israel, who just so eloquently represented by (INAUDIBLE). Listened to every word she has to say because every word she says is a commitment. It's not (INAUDIBLE). It's not niceties. For us in Israel, the greatest asset, the top (INAUDIBLE) consideration is the relations between the United States of America. And I think Nancy represents it in the best possible way.

We are friends. We are struggling for the same purpose. For peace all over the world. Against poverty. Against discrimination. For a world that will be free and open for all.

I must say I have (INAUDIBLE) independently (ph) in our embassy and I was profoundly moved (ph).

REP. NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Thank you.

PERES: But there is something, may I say privately, Nancy's so (ph) the family (ph) actually (ph) (INAUDIBLE). She received them as a mother. Not just physically (INAUDIBLE). They were so moved.

PELOSI: They were just here a few days ago. (INAUDIBLE).

PERES: Yes, his father was. And your (INAUDIBLE). For that, again, I thank you very much.

PELOSI: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.

PERES: Thank you so much.

PELOSI: Thank you.

LONG: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with President Shimon Peres, in Washington, D.C. President Peres is in Washington meeting, in fact, with President Obama in the next hour. A big conversation today about, of course, Middle East peace. The Obama administration remains focused on having a Palestinian state and having -- living side by side with a secure Israel.

Shimon Peres, the president, largely a ceremonial position. President Obama has invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, along with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, as well, in the coming weeks in Washington.

But again, the big story today, Shimon Peres in Washington meeting with President Obama. It's the first Israeli leader to meet with the president since President Obama became president on January 20th.

Now, continuing talk about foreclosures and second mortgages. Our financial Help Desk has some answers for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Your foreclosure and retirement questions. Gerri Willis is tackling them today over at The Help Desk.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We want to get you answers to your financial questions. Let's get straight to The Help Desk. Lynnette Khalfani Cox is a personal finance author and Greg McBride is a senior financial analyst with BankRate.

All right, guys, let's get to them.

Joanne asks, "I went through a foreclosure last year. I had two loans through Chase, a first and second mortgage loan. After the foreclosure, I started receiving correspondence from a company trying to collect on my second mortgage. I thought when you foreclosed on a home, you were no longer liable for the mortgage payment. Am I liable to pay the second mortgage, which was apparently sold to another company for collection?"

Tricky question, Lynnette. There's a lot of focus on this issue this week though.

LYNNETTE KHALFANI COX, PERSONAL FINANCE AUTHOR: Right. The short answer is, yes, you are still liable to pay that second mortgage. That obligation remains even though you went through foreclosure.

The good news, as you just suggested, Gerri, is that the Obama administration is trying to bring lenders to the table to have them talk about writing off essentially for consumers those second loans where people have gone into foreclosure.

WILLIS: And only, though, if you were part of the makinghomeaffordable.gov program. So you definitely want to check that out at makinghomeaffordable.gov.

Let's get to that next question. John asks, "I am almost 59 years old and would like to retire by 65, but my 401(k) dropped by nearly 35 percent last year." Ouch. "I'm disappointed in my financial adviser. I thought he would move my portfolio toward a more conservative position when the market was looking shaky. My friends moved to more conservative funds and they're not experts. There seems to be a buy and hold philosophy with financial planners rather than reallocate based on market conditions. Am I wrong?"

Greg, this is interesting. And lots of things going on in this question.

GREG MCBRIDE, SENIOR FINANCIAL ANALYST, BANKRATE.COM: You know, a 35 percent drop for somebody who's 59 years old, that is pretty steep. But let's be realistic. Even if they had a more appropriate investment allocation, they're probably still looking at a 25 percent drop last year because there was so few places to hide. So maybe you resist that investment allocation just to make sure it's appropriate for that time horizon and your risk tolerance. But this notion that you're going to reallocate to conservative investments as the market goes down, that's a recipe for buying high and selling low. In effect, you really want to do the opposite of that.

WILLIS: Amen for that.

You know, and another question here is, have you given your adviser the OK to move your investments around? It's possible that they're not even talking to each other. So it may pay here to actually have a conversation with your adviser and tell them how comfortable you are with risk.

KHALFANI COX: That's right.

WILLIS: All right, guys. The Help Desk is all about getting you answers. Send me an e-mail to gerri@cnn.com or log on to cnn.com/helpdesk to see more of our financial solutions.

And The Help Desk is everywhere. Make sure to check out the latest issue of "Money" magazine on newsstands now.

LONG: Thank you, Gerri.

Now the Senate Finance Committee is holding a roundtable on health care reforms. Fifteen witnesses are expected to weigh in today. This is the second of the three roundtables with experts. The Finance Committee is taking the lead in writing health care legislation. Senators say they're going to look at the single payer government health care plan, but all options are on the table.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: We have escalating costs, inefficient delivery systems, 47 million people lacking health insurance, millions more who live in fear of losing coverage. Our responsibility is how to get affordable coverage to everyone. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: And we should point out that Democratic leaders have an ambitious goal to get a health care bill on the president's desk this fall.

In our search for a cure for the health care crisis, we've asked experts to give us their prescription in under 90 seconds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNETH THORPE, CHAIRMAN, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT: Well, here's my RX for the health care crisis.

I focus on five points. First, we've got to get the cost of health care under control. And one way to do that is by preventing disease in the first place. Thirty percent of the growth in health care spending in this country is due to the doubling of obesity in the United States since 1985.

Two, we need to do a better job of managing and working with chronically ill patients. People with diabetes and high blood pressure, they account for 75 percent of health care spending. They have high rates of hospital admissions and re-admissions, many of which are preventable.

The third thing that I would do is focus on administrative costs. Our administrative costs are too high. Our system is too complicated. We need to simplify this system so that we can reduce the costs of health care and allow physicians and patients to spend more time clinically rather than filing claim forms and dealing with paper.

The fourth thing we need to do is provide more information. We know very little ironically about what clinical treatments work best and how much they cost. Physicians and patients and families need that information to make more appropriate health care choices.

And the fifth thing I would do is we have to deal with the 47 million people who don't have health insurance coverage in this country. So we have to find a solution that is bipartisan to cover all Americans. I'm hopeful this time around in the health care reform debates that everyone's second choice is not the status quo, but we can really compromise and this time finally cover all Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: Not going to give Chad Myers 90 seconds. We give him a little bit more time than that. Let's bring in our meteorologist to tell us what the weather's like today. I know you're watching some high winds.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LONG: This story just into us at CNN. Actor Dom DeLuise has died. He is known for, of course, his comedy in movies like "Cannonball Run," "Space Balls," "Blazing Saddles." He was also, of course, a chef and wrote several cookbooks. He apparently had been ill for quite some time and died in his sleep.

Former SAG president, Screen Actors Guild president, Melissa Gilbert was tweeting and put this out. "Dom DeLuise did pass away. Sad. He was one of the funniest, sweetest people I ever met."

Bert Reynold's spokesperson says, "Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around and there will never be another like him."

Dom DeLuise passing away at the age of 75. CNN's entertainment unit gathering more on this story. We hope you'll tune in to "Showbiz Tonight" on HLN at 11:00 Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Elizabeth Edwards is talking about her ongoing battle with cancer and her husband's affair. She tells Oprah Winfrey she and John Edwards remains together, but the marriage is complicated. Edwards admitted the affair several months after he dropped out of the 2008 race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": The other woman has a baby.

ELIZABETH EDWARDS: That's what I understand.

WINFREY: And there is great speculation that your husband, John Edwards, is the father of that baby.

EDWARDS: Right. That's what I understand. I have seen a picture of the baby. I have no idea. It doesn't look like my children, but I don't have any idea. And, honestly . . .

WINFREY: You must have thought -- you must have thought, is it or is it not?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: Edwards extra marital affair has the feds asking questions now. Was hush money paid out of his campaign war chest. For this story, here's CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John Edwards and his family acknowledge he's the subject of a federal investigation. The probe believed to be looking into whether his presidential campaign might have improperly paid money to Rielle Hunter, the woman with whom Edwards admitted having an affair. I spoke by phone with Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, who says, "there won't be anything that sticks on this."

John Edwards told ABC's "Nightline" last year, he knew of no money doled out to cover up the affair. JOHN EDWARDS, (D) FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've never paid a dime of money to any of the people that are involved. I've never asked anybody to pay a dime of money. Never been told that any money's been paid.

TODD: In a statement, John Edwards says he's cooperating with the government and "I am confident that no funds from my campaign were used improperly."

Election records show Rielle Hunter was paid $114,000 by Edwards' political action committee to produce web videos.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so glad you like it.

EDWARDS: I like it.

TODD: Fred Baron, an Edwards supporter who died last year, reportedly paid tens of thousands of dollars for housing for Hunter and Andrew Young, who says he's the father of Hunter's child. Neither of those payments would be illegal and Baron said last year Edwards didn't know about the money he gave.

Hunter is never mentioned by name in Elizabeth Edward's new book due out Friday, but according to "The New York Daily News," Mrs. Edwards writes that Hunter's life is "pathetic." She also writes, according to "The Daily News," that when John Edwards confessed the affair to her, "I cried and screamed. I went to the bathroom and threw up." Mrs. Edwards hinted to us she believes this investigation of her husband's campaign money might be politically motivated.

TODD (on camera): "The Raleigh News and Observer" reports that George Holding (ph), a Republican U.S. attorney in North Carolina, who's prosecuted several Democrats, is leading this probe. Contacted by CNN, an aide to Holding said he would not confirm or deny that he's investigating John Edwards.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: And CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with T.J. Holmes.

T.J.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Melissa, thank you so much.

This hour we are pushing forward on a fight to the death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Afghanistan will be the Vietnam for them. I want to tell you clearly, we will win and they will die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The chilling words of the Taliban spoken in the shadows of a widening war. It's an interview you will only see right here on CNN.

Also, the strong survive. The weak get strong or else. We're pushing forward on stress tests on Wall Street. Good results could mean a quicker recovery.

Good day to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes, sitting in today for Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.