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Iranians Dispute Election Despite Government's Ban on Political Demonstrations; Obama Trying to Sell American Medical Association on His Health Care Reforms Today; Gas Prices on the Rise Yet Again; Dow Drops Quickly After Friday's High Close; Iran in the Digital Age; U.S. Military Directive on Iran; Lakers Fans' Celebrations Turn Ugly; Remodeling Gone Bad
Aired June 15, 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: Gas prices climbed 17 cents in two weeks. What's pushing the hike? And will prices reach the record levels of last summer?
Plus, a homeowner's real life horror movie. Film makers tear up her house then split when their funding falls through.
It is Monday, June 15. Hi, everybody, I'm Heidi Collins, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
We get started this morning in Iran where there is, obviously, a whole lot going on this morning in the wake of disputed presidential election results.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour is actually in Tehran where election officials have just announced they will indeed investigate these allegations of ballot fraud.
Also we are following the very latest protests, lots of pictures coming in to the network from opposition supporters. So we'll make sure we'll show you those, as well.
And finally, our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is looking now at some of these trickier diplomatic issues for the United States. We will get to all of it.
Now thousands of people in the streets of Tehran right now. Here's what we know. Iran's Guardian Council says it will investigate complaints Friday's election was marred by irregularities. We are expecting leading opposition candidate Mousavi to ask followers to call off protests and appeal for calm.
A peaceful protest is actually happening right now despite a government decree banning rallies. Official results announced Saturday showed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad winning the election with 62 percent of the vote.
CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is in Tehran right now where that peaceful march is playing out. We should let you know she's been tracking the demonstration, so communications with her because of obvious video that we have been seeing here have been sporadic. So we want to let you know this is a report that was filed just moments ago right here on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Basically what I have seen is thousands and thousands of people converging on what's called Revolution Square and then continuing a march, a peaceful march, towards what they told us would be Freedom Square.
It's a repeat of the march they did just before the election on Wednesday. It was peaceful, people were just walking, there was no chanting, any kind of (INAUDIBLE) -- others told them to be quiet. And this is because there's been a ban on political demonstrations by the Interior Ministry today.
Within the last hour or so, we saw two four-wheel drive cars go at fairly high speeds past where we were and join the march. Off those cars were hanging security officials and there was a camera in the second car. And people on the streets shouted Mousavi, Mousavi. And we assumed that that was him going towards it.
And then we were told by other people in the rally who are coming back from it that he's cars are amongst the marchers and they're moving towards Freedom Square where he apparently meant to address them. And we were told by his campaign organizers that he's going to call on his supporters not to have any violence, not to come out in protest.
That's what we've been told. We don't know. We're going to wait and see what he actually does say. In the meantime, Mousavi has been allowed by the authorities to resume his claim through the Guardian Council.
The Ayatollah Khomeini, the supreme leader, said that if Mr. Mousavi had any complaints or wanted an investigation, he would have to do that through the Guardian Council, which is the religious body (INAUDIBLE) election and the Guardian Council has subsequently come out saying that they will investigate and the results should be known within 10 days.
But the background, of course, is that the supreme leader has already stamped his seal of approval. The president -- the President Ahmadinejad has declared that he's been reelected with the majority of the votes and now we'll see what happens if this investigation gets underway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: OK. I want to remind you, that was our Christiane Amanpour from Tehran about 10 minutes ago. We have been able to connect with Christiane while we were rolling that for you. She is on the line with me right now.
So, Christiane, I guess the main question right here, as everybody's wondering, where the opposition leader is right now? Have you been able to get a clear sight of Mir Hossein Mousavi? (ON THE PHONE)
AMANPOUR: Well, I tell you, we were at the beginning of the rally and we saw hundreds if not thousands of people walking peacefully through the streets and join the main boulevard, this is called Revolution Avenue, and start to march towards Freedom Square.
And then, after we've been there for a while, we, my team and I saw these two four wheel drive cars turn out. And the crowd chanting Mousavi, Mousavi and going fast with security hanging off the first one.
COLLINS: Right.
AMANPOUR: And a camera on the second one. And we believe that that was him. And now, we're seeing other pictures from Iranian television showing the march and showing the cars in with the marchers. And they are saying that in there is Mousavi and potentially even the other two opposition candidates.
What we were told by his supporters today was that he would be going to attend this rally in order to call on his people not to come out in pure protest and not to engage in any violence.
COLLINS: Right. I guess I just want to know, Christiane, again, from your vantage point, because right now just giving you an idea of what we're looking at. All of the video that we've been getting in from the peaceful protests or what he is calling for to remain peaceful.
Where do we go from here? I guess it's important to know whether or not he is at this rally, because we've been hearing so much about him being possibly under house arrest or possibly in danger.
And you're questioning President Ahmadinejad about whether or not his safety will be guaranteed. So obviously that's a perspective, and we're trying to understand a little bit more about that right now.
AMANPOUR: Well, that's right. That's why we're telling you that what we did see was this vehicle convoy. And Iranian television is saying that Mousavi is in it. We heard on the streets shout Mousavi as it went past and joined the rally. And this is what we were told by his supporters that was going to happen.
He was going to join this rally and talk to his supporters and tell them not to engage in any violence and perhaps even not to come out in any more protests. The reason being that they had applied for permits to rally and protest peacefully. And that had been turned down by the Interior Ministry earlier today saying that any such demonstrations or the like would not be permitted.
We also know that the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, was quoted on Iranian state television issuing a statement saying that if Mr. Mousavi felt that there were any irregularities or questions about the election, then he should pursue those complaints through the legal channels and that is the Guardian's Council. And shortly after that, we heard a statement again on Iranian television and state media that the Guardian Council has said they would investigate and that results would be out within 10 days or so. But it must be said that immediately after the election, Ayatollah Khomeini came out and endorsed it, called it epic, endorsed the record turnout, and congratulated the people on electing their president with 24.5 million votes.
And in the meantime also, President Ahmadinejad has been on television twice, addressed to the nation on Saturday night, and then press conference yesterday in which again he reiterated that had he had won and that it was fair and square and he alluded to the protesters saying that they were simply disappointed and disenchanted for having lost.
COLLINS: Right. OK. Well, Christiane, we sure do appreciate the perspective once again from inside Tehran. Our chief international correspondent. Let us know if we need to come back to you, Christiane. Sure do appreciate it.
Meanwhile, those questions of the votes' legitimacy in Iran may actually complicate President Obama's plan now to reach out to Iran on the nuclear issue.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is covering that side of the story. She's joining us from Chicago this morning and traveling with the president.
So Suzanne, the situation in Iran certainly putting the White House in a bit of an awkward position.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, you're absolutely right. It was on Friday. I asked President Obama the significance of Iran's elections when it comes to this whole idea of change, reaching out, and trying to establish some sort of dialogue with this leader.
He said he was excited, that there was this robust debate that was going on and said that it was ultimately up to the Iranian people to decide who their leadership was going to be and there's this kind of a new direction that people were following.
But, clearly, Heidi, when you listen to his response to my question, he was also quite cautious. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Whoever ends up winning the election in Iran, the fact that there's been a robust debate hopefully will help advance our ability to engage them in new ways.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, Heidi, that really is certainly an upbeat kind of public message that you're hearing there. Obviously, over the weekend talking to senior administration officials. There was quite a bit of disappointment, that this was a lost opportunity here. And that essentially they have realized that they are going to be dealing with the same leadership with Ahmadinejad.
We heard from the vice president over the weekend saying we are taking a look at the election to see if it's even legitimate. But as we saw from Christiane's report, it does look like this is going to hold and that this is something the administration is going to have to deal with.
COLLINS: Yes. They're going to investigate these allegations. But who knows how long that will take and what the result will be, certainly.
Also the reason you're in Chicago, the president is actually trying to sell the idea of government health insurance in that plan before a group of skeptics in Chicago today. What is he going to say to make his case to the AMA?
MALVEAUX: Heidi, these are doctors, too.
COLLINS: Yes.
MALVEAUX: Not just skeptics, but skeptical doctors who are taking a look at the plan. They're not necessarily on board yet. They've got some convincing to do. But essentially he's going to lay out a couple of points. He's going to say, first, that the United States really pays too much and gets too little when it comes to health care costs and it needs to be more efficient.
His idea is that there's going to be a public insurance plan, a health care plan that would really compete with private insurance companies to cut down on costs, offer competition, that this is, in fact, a good idea. And he wants to reassure people that if they're happy with their own private health care insurance plan, they don't have to give it up.
That this now something they have to be afraid of and ultimately that the government is going to be able to pay for this. It's estimated to be about $1 trillion over the next 10 years that this is going to cost.
Big questions, Heidi, and the heart of this debate is how you're going to pay for it, and that's where a lot of the disagreement comes when it comes to taxes, cutting back Medicare and Medicaid, all of those things clearly at the heart of this debate, Heidi.
COLLINS: You said $2 trillion, right? Not a katrillion (ph). Right?
MALVEAUX: $1 trillion. $1 trillion over the next...
COLLINS: $1 trillion. OK.
MALVEAUX: Ten years. A big number.
COLLINS: Yes. I thought I heard you say a katrillion. All right, Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much. Coming to us live from Chicago.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
COLLINS: We'll get more information when that speech occurs, obviously.
Staying now with the president's address to the AMA, CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joining us now with a preview.
So, Elizabeth, Suzanne mentioned this public option. Explain to us a little bit more if you would what that is.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Heidi. We're going to be hearing more and more about that in the months to come. You know how when you turn 65, you become eligible for Medicare. This would basically be Medicare for everybody, in other words, anybody, whatever age, whatever income would be eligible for a government-run and government-sponsored health insurance plan.
They wouldn't have to take it, you wouldn't have to choose it, excuse me, but it would be an option. And that's the plan. There aren't a whole lot of details out there from President Obama about exactly how he plans to do it, but that's the general theory out there.
COLLINS: OK. How do doctors feel about that, exactly?
COHEN: You know what? They are not so crazy about it.
COLLINS: No.
COHEN: Let's take a look at what they have actually said in a letter to Congress. These are their exact words. "The AMA does not believe that creating a public health insurance option is the best way to expand health insurance coverage and lower costs across the health care system."
The AMA says they agree those 46 million uninsured Americans need insurance. It's terrible that they're uninsured, they don't think that this is necessarily the best way to go.
COLLINS: Does it mean that he would potentially be trying to obviously expand services here to cover those 46 million, but then cutting the pay to doctors? Is that why they don't like it so much?
COHEN: Right. This is one of the concerns the doctors have. That if this becomes Medicare for everybody - well, Medicare doesn't pay doctors very well. As a matter of fact, now in 2009 they're paying at 2001 rates. Nobody wants to make what they made in 2001. They have other objections, as well, but that's one big one.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. We know you're watching this story closely for us. Thanks so much. Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.
Filling up your gas tank is costing you more. Gas prices spike higher, what exactly is going on here? And is it just going to get worse?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And good morning, I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center. We have a severe weather threat after reports of about 11 tornadoes yesterday, plus the heat building in Texas.
Weather's coming up later in the show. The CNN NEWSROOM with Heidi Collins will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: The economy 2009. Live pictures for you of a summit that is going on right now. Time Warner is actually holding the event. And as you know, that, of course, is our parent company. It just began so you are looking at those pictures coming to us out of New York. And you see Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. They're giving the keynote speech, and our own Ali Velshi and Christine Romans are actually moderating this panel discussion. So we'll keep our eye on that for you.
You have also probably noticed that you are shelling out a little more, some people would say a lot more, when you fill up your gas tank lately. Prices keep going up a few pennies here and there week after week.
Stephanie Elam has been watching that for us and joins us now with a look at what is going on. They really have been creeping up ever so slightly.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: A sneaky little creep. That's so true. Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes.
ELAM: In fact, it started on April 29th. And since then, every single day since then, gas prices have tacked on a little bit here, little bit there, a little bit more there. So let's take a look at what has happened. Right now if you take a look at gas prices, they're standing at $2.67, that's for a gallon of regular gas.
Last month $2.30, but remember back to a year ago, Heidi, how painful it was? And that's not even the high of it. $4.08, it was really high last year.
COLLINS: Yes, where you could find it. Down here, we didn't even have any gas.
ELAM: That's right. That's even worse.
COLLINS: Yes.
ELAM: I'd still think I'd rather the option to pay a lot for gas. That would be desirable, but for the year so far, since the start of the year, AAA says gas is actually up about $1. So things are moving up and you know, before analysts said it wouldn't be above $2.50, and now we're above it at this point, Heidi. So everyone's watching what's happening here.
COLLINS: Yes. Very closely. Any idea or do you have, like, a special bird in your ear that can tell you how long the run-up's going to go?
ELAM: Oh, the crystal ball effect.
COLLINS: Yes.
ELAM: Let me check that.
COLLINS: You're very familiar.
ELAM: Yes. Well, the thing is, analysts keep saying that there's an issue of supply and demand is not meeting up. They're saying that the demand is not as high as the supply is right now, so eventually this run-up is going to have to stop.
We did see crude oil pull back a little bit this morning, taking a look at that. And that's a huge factor in what's been going on with gas prices because crude oil has been moving up.
Also people do tend to drive more going into the summer. That's been factoring in, as well. But at this point, they don't see gas prices going up to that $4 crazy psycho number that we saw last summer.
But don't hold me to that because things can change, right?
COLLINS: I know.
ELAM: But at this point, that's what they're saying. But they don't want to see it happening, obviously, because the economy slowly starting to show signs of getting better, the consumer accounts for 2/3 of our economy and if they're spending more for gas, then may not be spending in another areas and that could -- you know squash those green shoots of recovery.
COLLINS: Yes, no question about it. The domino effect.
ELAM: Exactly.
COLLINS: All right. Stephanie, thank you. We'll check back later on with you.
Meanwhile, anger over Iran's elections not just confined to Iran's borders. A look at the outrage around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: The uproar over Iran's elections spreading well outside that country. Berlin, just one of the places where protests are happening. Several hundred people marched on the Iranian embassy there yesterday. Student groups reportedly organized the demonstration you're looking at now. Let's go ahead and take a moment to bring in Trita Parsi, live from Washington this morning. He's an expert in Iranian policy and U.S.-Iranian relations, and also the president of the National Iranian American Council.
Thanks for being with us.
TRITA PARSI, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL IRANIAN AMERICAN COUNCIL.: Thank you.
COLLINS: I guess the first question for you is who do you think won the election?
PARSI: I don't think we can know for certain, mindful of the fact that there is such a tremendous perception and accusations of fraud. But I think what is really important right now is that it seems like the momentum is shifting in favor of those who are challenging the election results.
COLLINS: Really?
PARSI: I believe so. There are a couple of things that have happened just in the last 12 to 18 hours that have been really interesting. The fact that Mohsen Rezaee, one of the candidates, made it clear that he has not at all, as first been reported by Iranian TV, come out in support of the elections.
The fact that the Iranian TV stations now are showing the demonstrators which they were not doing at first and they were even saying that Mousavi has now showed up at the rally, which will cause a lot more people in Tehran to get themselves to the rally very quickly. In fact...
COLLINS: OK. Now we need to be clear just about a couple of things from our reporter who is there on the ground in Tehran. She has not been able to see the opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi with her own eyes just yet.
Of course, supporters, as you mentioned, have said that he is there, these two trucks rolled up and they are still waiting to actually get a glimpse of him in the flesh. Also, you mentioned Khomeini, obviously the supreme leader there. Can you characterize a little bit for us, for those of us who maybe are not familiar with the relationship between Ahmadinejad and the supreme leader?
PARSI: Well, it is believed to be a rather close relationship. And that it's still believes strongly I would say. That Khomeini is 100 percent behind what is taking place and is in favor of what Ahmadinejad has done in favor of the election results.
COLLINS: Right.
PARSI: I think there may be some question marks about that. But so far, the indications are clearly that he's in favor of this.
COLLINS: OK. PARSI: But it's not necessarily clear that he's the driving force of it. I think there's a question mark about that. And it's going to be very interesting to see how things develop in the next couple of hours. The fact that he's come out now and has indicated that there would be reassessment as to whether the elections were rigged or not, and the fact that the Guardian Council has said that they're not going to certify it for another 10 days or so is again an indication that the momentum seems to be shifting.
COLLINS: OK. With that being said, that relationship and this possible recount. And I know we're not there yet. But at least an investigation into these allegations of ballot fraud.
Do you actually see a possible change here in who could have won this election? Or is that relationship so significant that it might look good to say, yes, we're going to look into this and ultimately ten days from now the result will be the same?
PARSI: No, I think one of the things that we have to remember about this situation is it is quite unprecedented.
COLLINS: Right.
PARSI: And the results a lot is up for grabs. The result of this may be something that is quite different from what people expected at first. I think we're in a stage right now in which neither side has had their plans fulfilled to the extent that they had expected.
The Ahmadinejad camp clearly had a plan in place as they went forward and that's part of the reason why they managed to get the opposition to be on balance at first.
COLLINS: Yes.
PARSI: But by now, both sides are not going by their plans there, they're improvising, I would agree.
COLLINS: Because obviously, we here in the United States are watching this so closely because of what could happen between the U.S. and Iran by way of relations and possibly President Obama ever speaking with Ahmadinejad.
You know there had been a lot of talk about whether he'd sit down and have discussions about the relationship and obviously the nuclear capabilities is a very big part of that. What does the outcome of this election do for that relationship?
PARSI: I think it will have an impact. At the end of the day, of course, we have to remember that Obama administration decided that they want to pursue the diplomacy with Iran not because of a particular liking or disliking of any particular candidates but because it lies in the interest of the United States to find a better relationship with Iran...
COLLINS: However... PARSI: ... in order to be able to stabilize Iraq and stabilize Afghanistan.
COLLINS: Right. But it matters how -- whoever that individual is got it off because of that?
PARSI: It matters because of the atmospherics. It matters because of the comfort level here in Washington.
COLLINS: Right.
PARSI: And after this, of course, it will matter if that person actually is someone that is seen as legitimate inside the Iranian system.
COLLINS: Yes. Certainly, all right.
PARSI: So a lot of things have clearly changed. But I think that administration's pursuit of this has been because Iran and the U.S. need to talk to each other in order to be able to stabilize the region.
COLLINS: All right. Well, we are all watching very closely. Certainly.
PARSI: Thank you so much.
COLLINS: Appreciate your perspective a lot. Trita Parsley. Thank you so much. Coming out of D.C. this morning.
Meanwhile, social networking sites in Iran, people are relying on them for information about voting protests. We're going to show you how Twitter is actually playing a role here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins.
COLLINS: On Wall Street, the Dow has risen 12 of the past 14 weeks. Sounds pretty good, right? In fact, it's the best run since 1975. But how will trading begin this week? Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange now with the preview.
Hi, there, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Well, Friday marks the highest close for the blue chip since the first week of January. The Dow finally entered into the plus side for the year. Unfortunately, we expect it to quickly drop below that level at the open.
Talks will be under pressure, but the value of the dollar is rising against the euro. Thanks to comments from Russia's finance minister. At this weekend's G-8 meeting, he said the green buck status as the world's best-marked currency isn't likely to change any time soon. The results on Wall Street slightly lower, oil prices, crude dipping back below $71 a barrel range. Prices, of course, though, have doubled since March and that keeps pushing gas prices up. AAA says the national average is now $2.67 a gallon, marking a 60-cent surge in less than two months. They happen to be months when we drive more.
COLLINS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: Investors are also getting more details on the biggest overhaul of the financial system since the great depression. President Obama set to announce a new proposal on Wednesday, reportedly to include a change giving the Fed more authority over the nation's biggest banks in advance to that, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and the administration's chief economic adviser Larry Summers have an op-ed piece in today's "Washington Post."
Heidi, I know that you read it, talking about their goal to create a more stable regulatory regime that is flexible and effective, able to secure the benefits of financial innovation while guarding the system against its own excess.
We've seen some excess.
COLLINS: What?
LISOVICZ: Yes. OK, we'll hear more details on Wednesday.
In the meantime, well, we have stocks under pressure. The Dow, the NASDAQ, the S&P 500, all below -- all about one percent lower.
Ringing the opening bell today, NYSE interns.
COLLINS: Interns, love that.
LISOVICZ: They have a ten-week program. They get professional, meaningful assignments during that time, but perhaps the most meaningful thing is, they get paid.
COLLINS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: Their interns will get paid.
COLLINS: Yes, I've read about it.
LISOVICZ: They're able to make contacts. Yes.
COLLINS: All right, very good. Susan, appreciate that. Thanks so much.
LISOVICZ: See you later.
COLLINS: We'll check back a little later on.
Meanwhile, as you know by now, it is a very busy day here in the NEWSROOM. A busy day on our blog, too. Let's go ahead and get a look at it for you. Just go to CNN.com/newsroom, click on my name, Heidi, and you can see one of our main stories here, the Iranian elections.
We want to know what you think. Was this a fair vote? President Ahmadinejad is saying that he won. So we will find out what you think about that. And, of course, follow any developments there.
Also the other main story that we have on our blog today, health care -- your complaints and solutions. President Obama is going to be giving a speech on this a little bit later today to the American Medical Association. We want to know what you think. What you think is the best plan to have out there for you and your family.
Again, CNN.com/newsroom. Tell us what you think. We're back in a moment right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: You are looking at new pictures now just into the CNN NEWSROOM. Thousands of people in the streets of Tehran this hour. Here is what we know. Iran's Guardian Council says it will investigate complaints. Friday's election was marred by irregularities. We are expecting leading opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi to ask followers to call off protests and appeal for calm.
A peaceful protest happening right now despite a government decree banning any type of rallies. Official results announced Saturday show President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad winning the election with 62 percent of the vote.
But protests over the election results happening outside of Iran, too. Hundreds of Iranian citizens living in major cities, overseas, demonstrated against the results all weekend long. Many of them say they don't think their ballots were counted.
Our Atika Shubert is joining us now on the telephone. She is live in London, where hundreds of protestors are asking where's my vote?
So, Atika, what exactly is happening there now?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they've actually just started. So they were gathering here. There's maybe about, about 200 people now, I would say. And more are expected. They've been singing and chanting, singing, "Where is my vote?" and "No to Ahmadinejad." They're very upset. They want to show their support, particularly for students, back home in Iran.
Most of the people here are students in their 20s and 30s. But we have noticed more and more people coming out with families. It looks like members of Iran's expatriate community is coming out here to protest, as well.
Heidi?
COLLINS: Yes. Because, you know, we had heard all along here in sort of following this process in the hundred-up to the election, Atika, that young people and women were very significant players in the voting in this election.
SHUBERT: Yes. Well, that's definitely what we're hearing -- what we're hearing is that, you know, these students here made a point in coming to vote, and most of them say they voted for Mousavi. And they're wondering what happen to their vote. They feel that they are significant voice, but they've been completely discounted in this election.
COLLINS: All right. Atika Shubert giving us an idea of what is happening there, coming to us, live out of London.
Thanks so much, Atika, for that. Appreciate it.
Meanwhile, social networking sites playing a big role in getting post election news out of Iran. Not just for opposition activists, but also for supporters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
CNN senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr, is here now to talk a little bit more about that.
All right. So, Octavia, what have you seen as far as Twitter? Because I know you're getting in contact with a lot of people in the country using these different types of social networking sites. We've heard a lot of them have been shut down.
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR EDITOR FOR ARAB AFFAIRS: Right. But you see, you look at those pictures of people demonstrating everywhere around the world, and especially in Iran, all of this happens on Twitter. It happens on Facebook. People were mobilized. People were kept abreast of what's going on all online.
So, Iranians are very, very proud of their achievements. You're looking there at my page. People sending in messages from inside Iran and outside Iran. Anybody who knows anything that are actually watching right now, and they will be reacting to what we say.
But the interesting thing here is that this is like modern-day revolution that's happening inside Iran. And when people have the least access to information, they're able to mobilize and do what they're doing because of the Internet.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. But I wonder, I mean, when we talk about e-mails, Twitter, Facebook, texting, what is it that the people, at least to our knowledge have available to them right now?
NASR: You know, it's interesting is that they're switching from one to the other. Whatever is available. First of all, e-mail was working then, e-mail was censored. So basically they look for words. Any word that you use -- you know, violence, revolution, something like that, the e-mail doesn't go through.
Then Twitter is pegged. Twitter actually kept working no matter what happened. No matter what filtering was applied. Twitter was definitely the winner in this one. Facebook was shut down any time they needed. They would shut it down. It wouldn't work. Then people would complain, then it will come back up. You have to understand, the Internet is not that widespread in Iran. It is very popular where available. But the lines are slow, the connections are slow, so basically people are dealing with the Internet at its infancy in Iran. But even with that, and even with all the pressures and all the controls that the authorities in Iran have put, have placed on the Internet and on media, people were able to somehow get the word out and organize the way they did as we're seeing in those images out of Iran.
COLLINS: Apparently, you can't control Twitter, huh? Interesting.
NASR: Absolutely.
COLLINS: All right.
NASR: Twitter revolution.
COLLINS: Yes. All right. Our senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr.
Thanks so much.
We have also been getting a look inside Iran from our iReporter as well. Some concerned about retaliation. They don't want to give their names, obviously.
This iReporter took pictures of a protest in Tehran. You see demonstrators chanting and essentially what they're saying is, "Ahmadinejad, shame on you. Let go of the country." A dump truck drove into the square and the protestors asked the driver to dump its contents. He did to cheers from the crowd. You see it there.
An Iranian student named Nader. He didn't want to use his last name, but he sent these pictures of a demonstration in Paris. He said the protest was peaceful and involved about 300 people there.
And iReporter Arash Nikoo sent us these pictures from a rally in Los Angeles. Dozens of people protested the disputed election results there. Many protestors dressed in green, opposition candidate Mousavi's trademark color.
The White House has been cautious in its response to the elections in Iran. But Vice President Joe Biden is expressing some skepticism that the elections were conducted fairly. Though he stopped short of openly questioning the vote, and said the process needs to play out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We don't have all the details. It sure looks like the way they're suppressing speech, the way they're suppressing crowds, the way in which people are being treated, that there's some real doubt about that. I don't think we're in a position to say. It was surprising that the assertion was he won by, what, 60 something percent of the vote. And so, I think we have to wait and see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Members of Congress are also speaking out about the election results in Iran. Republican Congressman Mike Pence have a suggestion for President Obama. He spoke to John King on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Ahmadinejad now says he won, and overwhelmingly so. His opponent says the election was stolen.
And Vice President Biden, this morning, says, from everything he's seen, the guy might have a point, that there are definitely irregularities, and the White House wants to know more.
What happens now, in U.S. relations?
REP. MIKE PENCE (R), INDIANA: Well, I think, first and foremost, we need to take a half-step back from this administration's olive branch and apology approach to enemies and countries that have been hostile to the United States of America and our allies, particularly with regard to Iran.
I think it's important that we step back, that we -- I'm hoping, before the end of the day today, the president of the United States will speak a word of support for Mr. Mousavi and for the dissidents and the reformers within Iran.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Senator Susan Collins also speaking out on "STATE OF THE UNION," saying, "The voting result makes the U.S. dialogue with Iran much more difficult."
A message for U.S. military personnel in the Middle East. They've been ordered to maintain discipline and prudence if they come in contact with Iranian military forces. The message to stand down was sent in a highly classified memo. The basic warning was for U.S. forces to not get involved in a confrontation.
Troops in Afghanistan, meet the new boss. Today, Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal is taking over as the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. He is replacing General David McKiernan who was removed last month. McChrystal is coming in at a crucial moment. The administration is sending in 21,000 more American troops so he will oversee efforts to stamp out a revitalized Taliban.
No army, no missiles and no control of air space. That's what Palestinians would have to agree to for Israel to consider a two-state solution to their conflict. That's what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday. It's the first time he has publicly considered a two-state solution.
The Palestinian leaders don't like all of the conditions he attached. They, in fact, condemned his speech.
Emotions run high after the Lakers win big. Fans took to the streets, but what started out as a celebration quickly turned ugly.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Los Angeles celebrating the Lakers' NBA championship win, but things got kind of rowdy. Thousands of people gathered outside the Staple Center. You can see the crowds there. The LAPD says fans set bonfires in the street, threw rocks at officers and damaged a police cruiser. About 25 people were arrested. The Lakers as you probably know beat The Magic 99-86 in Orlando. They won their 15th NBA title.
Quick look for you, live pictures of President Barack Obama getting on to Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base where he usually takes off from on his way to Chicago. He's going to be giving that speech or address which ever you'd like to call it to the American Medical Association today, talking a little bit more about his plans for health care reform.
There you see the president getting on Air Force One.
And now Rob Marciano is standing by.
Thought we're going to get to talk about the Lakers a little bit there, but the president popped up. So now we have to talk about severe weather because obviously that is the story for you today.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Next Sunday?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
COLLINS: OK. Yikes, hot.
All right, Rob. We'll check back later on. Thank you.
MARCIANO: All right. Sounds good.
COLLINS: A Southwest Airlines plane makes an emergency landing in Columbus, Georgia. The airline says Southwest Flight 1050 was headed from Chicago to Ft. Myers, Florida, yesterday, when the cabin pressure indicator went off. The problem did not trigger the passenger oxygen masks to fall down, but the 737 was diverted as a precaution. Nobody was hurt, and the FAA is investigating now.
A strange scene in Tulsa, Oklahoma. That guy found himself remarkably stuck on a highway sign platform. Happens to the best of us. Police say he was walking along a bridge when he fell and landed on the platform. They believe he may have been drunk. Emergency crews shut down the highway for 15 minutes and got him down safely.
An out of work architect gets a lot less than movie magic when she welcomes some Hollywood set designers into her home. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: The son of the alleged Holocaust Memorial Museum shooter wishes his father had died instead of the guard who lost his life. Eric von Brunn tells ABC News his father's white supremacist beliefs destroyed their family. Museum guards shot 88-year-old James von Brunn last week after he allegedly gun down another guard, Stephen Johns. Von Brunn is expected to live to face murder charges. There's a hearing in the case later on today.
Stopping the flow of illegal drugs over the U.S.-Mexico border. An announcement today from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Mexico's finance minister. They are talking about a new push to secure America's southwestern border. Drug-related violence has been on the rise in Mexico lately. U.S. officials don't want it spilling over the border.
So would legalizing certain drugs solve some of our problems? That's what "ANDERSON COOPER 360" is asking all week long. The special series, "AMERICA'S HIGH: THE CASE FOR AND AGAINST POT" begins tonight, 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
A lot going on this morning, that's for sure. We want to give you a look at some of the stories we're working on, beginning with our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.
Hey, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Heidi, President Obama speaks to America's doctors at the American Medical Association this afternoon. He has a plan that doctors aren't too crazy about. We'll talk about the clash between the president and physicians at the top of the hour.
MARCIANO: And I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN severe weather center. Eleven reports of tornadoes yesterday, another threat today, especially across, well, tornado ally. Plus, Texas starts to heat up. All that coming at the top of the hour.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Elaine Quijano. The Obama administration has a tricky road ahead as U.S. officials wait for the dust to settle in Iran. Heidi, I'll have that story at the top of the hour.
COLLINS: Yes, it certainly a big story. Appreciate that, guys. Thank you.
Also, we want to let you know that we are following the Iran story and the allegations of possible ballot fraud on our blog. We want to know what you think, too. All you got to do is go to cnn.com/newsroom, and then just go ahead and click on Heidi there. And you head on down. That's the health care story. Also following that today, too. Iranian elections, and then just hit "add a comment," and tell us what you think.
In the meanwhile, we're back right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A state law imposing a 90-day moratorium on California home foreclosures takes effect today. The law is aimed at making lenders try harder to keep borrowers in their homes. Loan companies must now prove they tried to modify delinquent loans before they can actually begin foreclosure procedures. But even advocates of the law called the California Foreclosure Prevention Act agree that it actually probably won't stop thousands of foreclosures from happening eventually.
COLLINS: If things had to turned out right for an out-of-work architect, her home would have been in the movies instead of on the news. But it didn't.
Eric Wilkinson from affiliate KING tells us how one woman's dream of a free Hollywood home makeover became a real horror story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAPHNE TOMCHAK, HOMEOWNER: This was my daughter's bedroom.
ERIC WILKINSON, KING CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Daphne Tomchak was approached to use her home for the set of a new movie, the out-of-work architect felt like it was a scene from "Pennies from Heaven."
TOMCHAK: Cool. I can get it remodeled. They are going to pay me a little bit of money.
WILKINSON: Daphne moved all of her stuff into the basement, and moved herself into a friend's house.
TOMCHAK: This is just all my living room furniture, my dining room table and chairs.
WILKINSON: The movie makers gave her $13,000 upfront for her troubles. Tomchak says she gave permission for producers to remodel her home to fit their script with the understanding that they'd fix anything she didn't like when they were done. But just three days into the project, she got word that financing for the film had fallen through. Tomchak came home to found rugs torn up, walls ripped down, electricity cut, trees chopped and nobody taking responsibility.
TOMCHAK: I was just kind of in shock.
WILKINSON (on camera): Tomchak says the demolition of the home was supposed to be even worse, including one scene where a character takes a chainsaw to one of her walls. If there is any silver lining to be found here is that the financing ran out before they shot that scene.
TOMCHAK: So I've been sleeping here for the last two nights.
WILKINSON: For now, Tomchak is sleeping on the floor of what used to be her den.
TOMCHAK: I sort of haven't accepted the fact that this is what's happened yet.
WILKINSON: She estimates it will cost about $18,000 to fix her home, but after nearly two weeks, nobody has come forward with any money.
TOMCHAK: Definitely they need to fix it.
WILKINSON: The movies' name, by the way -- "The Details." And that's where the devil lies for Daphne Tomchak.
Eric Wilkinson, KING 5 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
