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Ending 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'; Buffalo Plane Crash Report; Comfort for Haiti

Aired February 02, 2010 - 10:59   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Kyra. It's Tuesday, February 2nd. Groundhog Day. So, did you see your shadow? We'll have the details on that. But first, here are the top stories right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Congress will soon hear from the defense secretary. Momentum builds to abolish "don't ask, don't tell."

A prominent medical journal retracts a landmark study that linked autism to childhood vaccines.

And heartbreak from Haiti. Parents say they gave their children away in hopes of a better life after the earthquake.

Good morning, everybody. Thanks for joining us. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Tony Harris today, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

All right, going to start with this. It may be the beginning of the end for "don't ask, don't tell." Top military leaders are on Capitol Hill, and next hour, they're expected to outline the first steps to integrate gays and lesbians into the U.S. military.

Here's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president made his intentions clear.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This year I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.

(APPLAUSE)

STARR: But the stone-faced Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't react to the sensitive matter. We now know more about what they are thinking.

A senior Pentagon official tells CNN the Chiefs are expected to support the president, but they will tell him to what extent they believe allowing gays to openly serve will hurt morale and readiness of the force. The official says of the Chiefs, "All they want is a little bit of time to come up with their ideas on how to implement a change in the law, if it's approved by Congress." As a first step, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to call for no longer discharging people who are outed by others. Over the last 12 years, nearly 11,000 people have been discharged from the military for being gay. Defense officials privately say the appetite to enforce the law is declining.

Many say the debate now is how to live with the change.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: One school of thought says just do it, it won't be that big a deal.

STARR: Existing regulations governing sexual behavior may be enough to allay concerns about living in close quarters, but that may not work for everybody.

O'HANLON: We can talk about this delicately or we can just be fairly direct. There are a lot of 18-year-old old-fashioned, testosterone-laden men in the military who are tough guys, they're often politically old-fashioned or conservative. They are not necessarily at the vanguard in many cases of accepting alternative forms of lifestyle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: All right. Barbara Starr joins us now live from the Pentagon.

And Barbara, I've got to ask you this. One of the big questions in all of this talk, how are the troops reacting to a possible policy change?

STARR: Well, you know, Betty, the troops are really just like everybody else in society. There's this wide spectrum of views and opinions.

Some troops say, look, all I care about is the practical matter of staying alive in the war zone, I don't really care about the sexual orientation of my buddies. Others, obviously, have a lot of personal concerns about living spaces and how all of this would work.

So what are we looking at this afternoon when Gates sits down at 12:00 noon in that witness chair and starts talking about this? He is expected to announce he's going to appoint some experts to study the matter for another year. This is an effort really to sort of diffuse any political firestorm. People say, take time, look at how it all might work, and try to build the support in Congress and within the military for doing what the president wants -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Yes. And we'll be hearing from him live next hour.

Barbara Starr, as always, we thank you.

Well, a number of countries have progressive policies in place about gays in the military. According to a think tank at the University of California Santa Barbara, some 25 nations permit gays to serve openly. The Palm Center's list includes Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Israel and South Africa.

Former Army Sergeant Darren Manzella served openly during the Iraq War until he was discharged in 2008. Now, I'm going to talk with him later this hour about the new momentum to roll back "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" after almost 17 years. So definitely stay with us from that.

But happening right now on Capitol Hill, senators unite to cut off funding for the trials of 9/11 conspirators in civilian court. It's a bipartisan effort. Republicans John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Saxby Chambliss, along with Independent Joe Lieberman and Democrat Blanche Lincoln, they are holding a news conference to introduce the legislation. Now, the lawmakers want the September 11th suspects to face trial by military commission.

We'll stay on top of that story for you.

And then there's this -- President Obama hits the road this hour to promote his economic agenda. The president heads to New Hampshire, where he'll tour a local business. He's pitching his plan to use money repaid by big banks to help small businesses. The president also holds his second town hall meeting in less than a week.

Well, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is on Capitol Hill facing questions about President Obama's $3.8 trillion budget. Geithner told members of the Senate Finance Committee the president's plan focuses on jobs and keeping the economy growing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIMOTHY GEITHNER, TREASURY SECRETARY: Now, this recession has caused tremendous damage, and millions of Americans today are still living with the consequences of that damage. And we all know that the road to jobs, to greater economic security, to fiscal sustainability start with economic growth. And today, in large part due to the policies Congress enacted and we put in place to put out the financial fire, our economy is growing again, and last quarter it grew at an annual rate of about six percent, more rapidly than any time in the last six years.

Now, this is progress. It is not enough, though. And that's why we need to renew our focus on job creation, on investment and on innovation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: All right. We want to turn now to the plane crash near Buffalo, New York, that killed almost 50 people almost a year ago. Well, today, investigators are getting ready to deliver their findings and safety recommendations.

Joining us live to talk about it, Allan Chernoff. He is in New York and he's going to bring us up to speed.

Allan, what is the NTSB discussing right now? ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're discussing the failings of the pilot, Marvin Renslow. The investigation has shown that Mr. Renslow clearly made some big mistakes.

When that plane flying, approaching Buffalo, was slowing down, the altitude was also declining, there was a warning that the pilot and the co-pilot received called the stick shaker. The control began shaking, it moved forward. And Mr. Renslow, instead of allowing the column to be forward to push the nose down to accelerate the plane, he pulled back on that control column, pushing the nose up, and that turned out to be a fatal mistake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVAN BYRNE, NTSB TECHNICAL PANEL: His failure to make standard call-outs or even a declarative statement associated with a recovery attempt further suggests that he was not responding to the situation using a well-learned habit pattern. Thus, the captain's improper flight control inputs were instead consistent with startle and confusion. The captain had a history of training failures, indicating weaknesses with instrument flying skills which may have contributed to his deficient performance during the stall event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: And Betty, that tragic accident pointed to a number of very important changes that aviation safety experts have been saying have to be implemented -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. Well, so what are they? What are some of these lessons that were learned from this crash?

CHERNOFF: Right. Well, first of all, training.

Marvin Renslow had received training in the classroom regarding the stick shaker and what to do in a stall situation, but apparently had never received that training actually in a simulator. So the FAA has been pushing for airlines to make sure that these trainings are given in simulators. They are trying to make sure that all airlines improve their training, because Colgan Air has said, well, we did only what the FAA required, we were clean. That was their explanation.

We've also seen certainly issues regarding the pilot background check. Marvin Renslow had failed repeated check rides, but his employer, Colgan Air, didn't know about all those failures. So the FAA has been pushing for the airlines to make all the background information clear. Two-thirds of the airlines have agreed to do so thus far. The FAA is pushing for a new law in that regard -- Betty.

NGUYEN: OK. Well, besides that, what else is the FAA doing in light of all of this?

CHERNOFF: Well, the FAA has had a committee looking into the issue of pilot fatigue. Remember, Marvin Renslow had been seen -- the captain had been seen napping in the crew lounge at Newark Airport before the takeoff. That was against protocol.

And the co-pilot had actually flown overnight from Seattle, had a cold. So this issue of pilot fatigue is very much at the top of the agenda, and the FAA says it will be coming out with new recommendations come this spring on that very critical issue as well.

NGUYEN: All right. Good information today.

Allan Chernoff, as always, we appreciate it. Thank you.

So, flying through Heathrow today, smile. You could be on a very candid camera. Yes, Europe's busiest airport is now using those body scanners that you've heard so much about, and they can see through clothes, making it easier to spot anything hidden. This is a security guard testing the system.

Now, not everyone will be scanned. Only those who raise suspicion. And they will be able to see everything.

All right. Some new developments in Haiti on the case of Americans accused of trafficking children from the quake zone. We'll have that story.

And Rob Marciano is tracking weather on this Groundhog Day. He's going to check in with us.

And we're going to check in with Punxsutawney Phil in just a few minutes as well.

Plus here's the latest on the Dow. Going to give you a check of the numbers. It is up right now, up 53.58, at 10,239.

We'll be watching it for you.

Well, the job market tight right now, but if you are looking for work, why not check out the best? "Fortune" magazine is out with its list of the 100 best companies for work for, so see if you can guess this next company.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): It's a bare business that's gone to the dogs. What company lets you work side by side with your four-legged friends? Find out after the break.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): What company lets employees bring their dog to work? Build-a-Bear Workshop. And kids are welcome, too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel so well taken care of here because of the family environment that we have.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At the toy store's headquarters in St. Louis, employees can opt for a compressed workweek, but other benefits also make working more bearable. A concierge takes care of dry cleaning, on-site oil changes, and even Fido can be picked up for doggy day care. Build-a-Bear workshop is 80th on "Fortune" magazine's list of "The 100 Best Companies to Work For."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, a hearing is set this morning in Port-au-Prince for 10 Americans. They were arrested Saturday at the border of the Dominican Republic with a busload of children. Now, the Americans who say they are Baptist missionaries were detained on charges of illegally trying to take 33 children out of Haiti.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DREW HAM, ASSISTANT PASTOR, CENTRAL VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH: Certainly no part of this trip were we going to have any adoptions take place. The idea really was, let's go. And just as many Americans have done, they saw a need in Haiti. They wanted to go and take care of some kids who had physical, medical needs, and care for them there in Haiti. Adoption wasn't a part of the question at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORG WILLETT, SPOKESMAN, SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES: Taking a child now out of Haiti, not only these 33, but talking about children out, you're always running the risk to separate children from their family because there's a lot of registration work and a lot of reunion work to do in the next months to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Also in demand, treatment for the injured. Doctors have been overwhelmed by the number of people hurt in last month's earthquake. The most severely injured are being rushed aboard a hospital ship, and CNN's John Vause takes us there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The biggest and best-equipped hospital in Haiti is floating a mile offshore -- the USNS Comfort. Patients who make it here greatly improve their chances of surviving.

When the Comfort's crew got the call, the ship was in dry dock for a major refit. They went to sea in just four days, fitting out operating rooms and wards en route to Haiti.

Almost two weeks into the mission and the seriously hurt keep coming. Doctors have performed more than 200 surgeries. All operating theaters are still working around the clock.

DR. TIMOTHY DONAHUE, USNS COMFORT: My friends and colleagues who have been in Iraq or Afghanistan tell me the volume of what we're seeing here is much greater than they saw in any single day.

VAUSE: While there are beds for a thousand patients here, nearly all the victims of the quake suffered serious, complicated injuries. Some requiring a second or third trip to the OR

CAPT. LARRY JACKSON, DEPUTY COMMANDER OF MISSION: This is the most demanding mission that the USNS Comfort and any hospital ship has ever faced.

VAUSE: So, to relieve some of the pressure, less serious cases, patients who are now stable and recovering, are being sent to hospitals in Port-au-Prince. The first group left by boat and by chopper Monday.

(on camera): These patients have been brought to St. Damien. Normally it's a children's hospital, but since the earthquake, they have treated thousands here. And now doctors are getting ready for hundreds of extra patients to be transferred from the USNS Comfort.

(voice-over): The start of a long-term plan to care for Haiti's injured.

DR. TONY ALESSI, St. DAMIEN HOSPITAL: Well, many of these people are amputees who need to be trained to use crutches or be fitted for prosthetics before going home.

VAUSE: Making way for those who still need urgent treatment, like these two men, one with a broken back, the other a shattered leg bone. They have been waiting for surgery for three weeks.

John Vause, CNN, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, autism and a possible vaccine link, a big development today on that front. Our Elizabeth Cohen is following the story and will join us with more right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Autism alert. The medical journal "The Lancet" is retracting its landmark study that linked autism to vaccines. This is a big story.

Our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, joins me now to talk about this.

Because there was a lot of really discussion back and forth whether indeed there was a link, a lot of controversy surrounding it. But now they're saying there is not a link?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. What happened was there was this study published in "The Lancet" by a guy named Andrew Wakefield back in 1998. And that sort of started off this whole movement of saying that there was a link between autism and childhood vaccines, because that's what the study said. And people pointed to this study over and over again to show that there was a link.

Well, now many years later, "The Lancet" is saying basically, oops, sorry, shouldn't have published that. You've got to see it in black and white to really appreciate it.

They say -- this is from "The Lancet" -- "It has become clear that several elements of the 1998 paper by Wakefield et al are incorrect. Therefore, we fully retract this paper from the published record."

And I've got to tell you, Betty, you hardly ever see this. I mean, we talked to some journal experts, people who have been editors of journals, and you almost never see a medical journal say oh, sorry, we take that away, we didn't really mean it.

And the bottom line of why they think they need to retract it is because -- they didn't fully explain it and they wouldn't answer our questions, but the editors basically said that the study wasn't done in a fully randomized way. When you do a study, you're supposed to randomly choose your study subjects and study them, and see what the cause and effect is of what you're looking at.

But, basically, they said that the subjects in Wakefield's study were not randomly chosen. If you don't choose your study subjects randomly, you don't have a valid study.

NGUYEN: Got you. But there's also been a whole lot of criticism surrounding this study. I mean, what do the people that have come out publicly against, you know, folks saying that there isn't a link, like, say, Jenny McCarthy and others, who say there definitely is a link?

COHEN: Right. Folks like Jenny McCarthy and others have really, for years and years, said there is a link, we believe that childhood vaccines contribute to autism. And so we talked to one of the people who are in that camp -- not to Jenny McCarthy, but someone else -- and they basically said that this doesn't matter.

They said that in the years since that study was published in "Lancet," that many other studies have come out showing that there's a link between autism and vaccines. So I think it's safe to say that the folks who were in this camp who believe in the link between autism and vaccines, they're going to believe it.

NGUYEN: Yes. They're a little more validated now.

COHEN: Well, I don't think they say they'll feel more validated...

NGUYEN: You don't think so, because they retracted the fact that... COHEN: Well, no, because the study said there's a link and "The Lancet" said I'm stepping...

NGUYEN: We step back from it.

COHEN: ... we step back from that.

NGUYEN: Oh, OK.

COHEN: So they don't feel validated, but they certainly feel like they still believe what they believe.

NGUYEN: Got you.

COHEN: And it doesn't matter what happens. I think they will always believe that.

NGUYEN: Elizabeth Cohen, thanks for straightening that out for us. A lot of people are going to still be talking about this nonetheless.

COHEN: Thanks. Right.

NGUYEN: OK. Thank you.

And this just in. Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha is back in the hospital. This according to Politico.com.

The 77-year-old Democrat is in intensive care at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. Now, Murtha had been in the hospital last week for gallbladder surgery, but, again, he is back in the hospital after undergoing that surgery. And we of course will continue to follow that for you.

All right, let's get to this. Illinois voters are at the polls today. They are deciding Democratic and Republican nominees for the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Obama.

Senator Roland Burris was appointed to the job but is not running in this election. Voters are also choosing candidates for governor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "AVATAR")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and Gentlemen, you're not in Kansas anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP, "AVATAR")

NGUYEN: Nominees for the Academy Awards were announced this morning. "Avatar" has nine nominations, tied for the most with "The Hurt Locker." Now, there are 10 movies this time vying for best picture.

A full roundup of the nominees, that's coming up shortly.

And this sad news to tell you about today. Producer David Brown has died at the age of 93. His 1083 film "The Sting" won the best picture Oscar. Four other Brown movies were nominated for best picture. Among them, "Jaws" and "A Few Good Men."

Brown was married to former "Cosmopolitan" editor Helen Gurley Brown.

Well, the athletes aren't the only ones in training for the Winter Olympics. The snipers -- yes, snipers -- security teams and military personnel are also sharpening their skills.

We have CNN security checks coming up right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: It is the largest security operation Canada has ever seen with police and guards watching from air, land and water.

CNN Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve shows us what you can expect if you're headed to the upcoming Olympics.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Canadian Navy diver plunges into frigid water off Vancouver honing his underwater bomb detection skills, a small part of a massive effort to keep the Olympics safe.

ASST. COMMISSIONER BUD MERCER, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE: We've prepared for the worst case scenarios, which includes terrorism, and we'll be able to respond to the worst case scenarios.

MESERVE: The murder of 11 Israeli coaches and athletes by Palestinian militants at the 1972 Munich Games has hung over every Olympic since. The threat of international terrorism in Vancouver is currently assessed as low. The bigger concern, domestic political protests. The Olympic torch relay has been disrupted several times by demonstrators.

At critical locations in Vancouver, some roads are already closed. Police presence is heavy and 900 surveillance cameras stud security fencing.

MESERVE (on camera): You see the cameras everywhere, but officials say there will be other technology to detect chemical, biological and radiological threats.

(voice-over): Massive inflatable barriers keep boat traffic away from cruise ships that will house some of the 15,000 security personnel. Military, police and Coast Guard all patrol to keep the city safe and commerce moving in Canada's largest port.

LT. BRYAN PRICE, CANADIAN NAVY: We're going to see the container ships coming in, the tugs and tows, working (INAUDIBLE) the harbor. It really is very much business as usual over Vancouver.

MESERVE: But it is a big city with a multitude of potential targets like transportation hubs.

MICHAEL ZEKULIN, POLITICAL SCIENTIST, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY: There are infinite places where things can occur and there cannot be a presence in all of them.

MESERVE: Some events will be held at the Whistler ski area two hours north of the city, requiring a whole different set of security measures.

REAR ADMIRAL TYRONE PILE, CMDR., JOINT TASK FORCE GAMES: Our soldiers are deployed up there with snowmobiles, tract vehicles, foot patrols, snowshoe, skis.

MESERVE: Connecting the two venues, just one critical road, much of which hugs the coast. It, too, will be heavily patrolled. There will be air restrictions policed by NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and 4,500 members of the Canadian Armed Forces with special skills and equipment are in reserve if needed.

The budget for this multi-agency security effort led by the Royal Canadian Police Mounted Police, $900 million.

(on camera): Despite this tremendous mustering of personnel and capabilities, the Canadians say they do not want security to overshadow the games and the athletes.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Vancouver, British Columbia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, Rob Marciano is tracking the weather for us. And we're going to check in with him, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: And we want you to watch for this, because we're going to give you some live pictures from Andrews Air Force base, where President Obama is about to board a plane and head to Nashua, New Hampshire, to talk about his plans for boosting small business.

We are digging into the details of the plan right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. You want to stay here for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM.

We've got new video coming in. There you go, during the commercial break we saw this just seconds ago. The president there at Andrews Air Force Base as he just boarded Air Force One. He is heading to New Hampshire this hour to talk to a small business there. He's also going to be holding a town hall meeting as well. But these pictures coming to us, again, from Andrews Air Force Base as the president is doing a little traveling today, talking about the economy. Let's get the latest on all of this with Stephanie Elam who joins us now live from New York. He's got a lot on his plate today, Stephanie.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: A lot on his plate and going for his favored format of the town hall meeting, Betty, to talk a little about the Small Business Lending Program. And what the idea here would be is taking $30 billion of the TARP funds that have been repaid by those big banks and using that and moving it into a Small Business Lending Program. He wants Congress to go ahead and do this so they can help these community banks boost small business lending.

And these small banks, they're talking about ones that have assets of less than $10 billion. That's who they're targeting here. The reason why the White House is targeting this group of banks because small banks do more than half of the small business lending in this country. And the reason why he cares about small business is because small business employs more than half of the people in this country. So, therefore, if small businesses are able to get money, if they can get that lending, then they should hopefully be able to go ahead and hire people. That's what they're really concerned about here, seeing jobs come back into the markets. That's what they want to do here.

One thing that I should point out is that this program would be very different from TARP. When they originally floated the idea, when the Obama administration floated this idea in October, a lot of community banks weren't interested in it simply because it had that TARP taint on it and didn't want to be associated with that. Now the Treasury has been working to remove some of the restrictions and putting it into a separate fund so it would not be associated with TARP but hopefully get the banks lending. But again, this would have to go through Congress, it's not just it's just a mandate.

NGUYEN: Very true. OK, thank you, Stephanie Elam, as always. We appreciate it.

Delving into this issue today -- should gays be able to serve openly in the U.S. military? That question about to be discussed on Capitol Hill, and just ahead we're going to talk about it with a former Army sergeant, Darren Manzella, you see him right there. He served in the military very open as well. We're going to talk to him about his experience and all that coming up right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Gays could soon serve openly in the military. Now will that mean savings for taxpayers? Well, Carol Costello compares the cost of maintaining Don't Ask, Don't Tell and what it will cost if the policy is repealed.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, there are plenty of people in high places who say now is not the time to be talking about this issue, America has bigger problems to deal with -- government spending, the deficit, jobs. But others say those things are precisely why this is the time. They say Don't Ask, Don't Tell is costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the country gripped by economic anxiety, republicans say it's not exactly primetime to revisit such a divisive issue.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), OHIO: At a time when Americans are asking where are the jobs, why do we want to get in this debate?

COSTELLO: But those who support repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell say now is the time. If Americans want physical responsibility in government, then...

NATHANIEL FRANK, PALM CENTER: Repealing the ban would save money in the long run, absolutely.

COSTELLO: Since 1994, the Pentagon has discharged around 13,000 troops because of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The Government Accountability Office says the policy has cost taxpayers more than $190 million; the University of California put the price tag closer to $363 million if you factor in the cost to recruit, train and then discharge gay troops.

But critics say none of this justifies repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, $363 million bucks is a drop in the bucket.

BOB MAGINNIS, U.S. ARMY (RET.)/SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Well, the discharge of 13,000 or so people is miniscule in comparison to the overall administrative burden the military pays every year discharging 230,000 people a year.

COSTELLO: Others say, repealing the policy could end up costing taxpayers more. A 2008 "Military Times" survey showed 24 percent of military personnel would eventually leave the service if gay troops served openly.

And what about the cost of sensitivity training and the possibility of creating separate barracks for gay and straight troops?

DAVID HALL, SERVICE MEMBER'S LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK: Most people think this is a dumb law.

COSTELLO: David Hall, who is gay, served six years in the Air Force before he was outed by a fellow cadet. He says talk of mass exodus is ridiculous, and notes the "Military Times" survey also showed 71 percent said they would continue to serve if Don't Ask, Don't Tell is repealed.

As for separate barracks?

HALL: That makes no sense. I mean, gay people are already serving in the military and everybody knows that.

COSTELLO: But under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, at what costs? Both sides hope Tuesday's congressional hearing will answer that question.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Those in favor of repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell say it's clear the Pentagon will at the very least soften the policy, making it harder for gays in the military to be discharged. As for whether Congress will actually vote to repeal the policy in an election year, they're not holding their breath -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. Well, Darren Manzella served two tours in the Middle East as a combat medic treating the wounded from Iraq. He was kicked out of the military after he revealed that he is gay in a 2007 "60 Minutes" interview. Darren Manzella joins me live from Buffalo this morning.

So, Darren, do you think if it weren't for that Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy that you'd still be in the military?

DARREN MANZELLA, FORMER U.S. ARMY SERGEANT: I'm sure I would be. My contract wasn't up until 2011 and I'm positive that I wasn't -- if it weren't for Don't Ask, Don't Tell, I'd still be serving my country today.

NGUYEN: Besides your own personal situation, how do you feel about others in the military? Do you think that this definitely needs to be off of the record and should be repealed and should not be in place?

MANZELLA: Absolutely. It's been proven in other countries, including Israel and Great Britain, who lifted the ban on gays serving openly in the military rather quickly, that it had no detriment to the military or the armed forces.

NGUYEN: You don't think it's going to be a distraction? I mean, some of the critics say, look, this is going to be a distraction to soldiers who really need to be focused on the job at hand. Of course, the U.S. is fighting two wars right now.

MANZELLA: Well, I think a lot of the arguments are personal opinions of individuals, which I respect their opinions, but I don't think someone's opinion is force enough to say that I should not be serving in the military.

And at the same time I'm sitting here in a studio in Buffalo doing an interview where former colleagues of mine and friends of mine are serving their third, fourth or fifth tour in Iraq or Afghanistan.

NGUYEN: What about unit cohesiveness? That's another issue. Do you think this would diminish it if people serve openly in the military?

MANZELLA: I have a perfect example for that. I served openly for nearly two years in the military, 14 months of that serving in the Middle East. And my commander knew that I was gay, my peers, my colleagues knew that I was gay. Foreign military personnel that were there knew that I was gay. And if anything, I thought it brought us closer together. It brings trust closer together, it brings unity stronger.

NGUYEN: So you never felt like you weren't accepted in any way once you finally came out? Because you did write a letter where you said I don't think most people can understand how hard it is. You went on to say to be scared that you'll be ostracized for being different.

MANZELLA: True, and that is something that you feel under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. But once I was able to be out and open and be who I truly am, I found that my peer group was not just a group of gay and lesbian service members, it was a group from people from all branches of the military, all races of the military, male, female, gay, straight, bisexual. It was a huge, diverse group which is kind of exemplary of the United States.

NGUYEN: OK, but what about the issue of hate crimes? Do you think by repealing this that possibly there could be more of those reported?

MANZELLA: Hate crimes occur in the United States as it is. In the military, I think it would be hard to say if it would occur with or without Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The important thing to remember is the uniform code of military justice, the law in the military, is in place to discipline people that break the law in the military and that would be enforced whether, again, you are gay or straight, male or female of any race.

NGUYEN: You know, we're going to hear from the defense secretary in just a few minutes in the noon hour Eastern, and we're looking forward to seeing what he has to say about that. Nothing specific, but some of the things on the table include money, include logistics and the possibility, as we heard in Carol Costello's piece, about maybe separate barracks. Does that make sense?

MANZELLA: Separate barracks doesn't make sense to me. When I was deployed in my second deployment I lived in a barracks with 60- some other soldiers and I had no negative altercations with anybody.

NGUYEN: You think it would just create a bigger divide if that is indeed the case?

MANZELLA: I don't think that's an issue and I think it's ridiculous at times to bring up a case of separate barracks. They're talking about wasting money in the finance of the military, why would we even consider building new barracks when obviously gay men and women are living alongside of their straight counterparts right now?

NGUYEN: Well, let me ask you this. Speaking of money, very quickly, some people are saying this is a waste of money. We are in a difficult economy time, why are we talking about spending hundreds of millions of dollars on repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Your answer to that is what?

MANZELLA: I think this is a long overdue repeal. I think this should have been done before. And if not now, when we had the perfect political climate, we have accepting service members in the military and armed forces saying we want to serve regardless of the person to our right or left are gay or straight. Let them serve, we want to trust them, we have their back and we have their back.

NGUYEN: Darren Manzella, thanks so much for your time today. We really appreciate it.

MANZELLA: All right. Thank you, Betty.

NGUYEN: And a quick reminder, Defense Secretary Robert Gates discusses changes to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. He is before the Senate Armed Services Committee and live coverage of that is coming your way at the top of the hour.

Let's get to some top stories right now.

NASA doles out $50 million to private companies. The firms will use the stimulus money to develop technologies and concepts for commercial spacecraft. President Obama wants NASA to rent space on private vehicles once the shuttle fleet is retired next year.

Five Americans being held in Pakistan for allegedly planning terror attacks say they are being tortured. The claims are written on a tissue the men threw from a van window on their way to court today. They say both U.S. officials and Pakistani police have tortured them. It is the second time that they have made such accusations.

And six more weeks of winter. Are you ready for it? Well, that's what Punxsutawney Phil's prediction is today after seeing his shadow. Don't be too upset, though. CNN meteorologist Chad Meyers says Phil is right only about 40 percent of the time.

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NGUYEN: President Obama is on his way to New Hampshire to pump up the economy. One stop, Nashua, which received a fair share of stimulus money.

Our Josh Levs is manning the Stimulus Desk for us today. All right, Josh, what have you found?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so here, Betty, here at the desk today we have literally looked into every single project in Nashua, New Hampshire, and how much money they got.

Take a look at this map we have for you here that shows the highlighted projects inside the country that we've been taking a look at. We'll zoom into Nashua, first into New Hampshire and all the way into the town where the president is going to be today. We have taken a look at all those projects which are funded by the stimulus.

We also did a little math on these screens that you might find interesting. We see how much money in total from stimulus funding that Nashua, New Hampshire has gotten where the president is going. Let's take these graphics.

You have $14.4 approximately million spent in stimulus funding. We looked at the population. It's about 87,000 that you see here. So that works out to about $166 per person. Now, if you to the national averages and look at how many billions of dollars were in this package divided by our population, it's not even that high.

But this is interesting that as the president goes there to take a look at what those projects are. So our researcher right here, Emily Smith, has actually looked into all of these and she's going to tell us about two of them, starting with a Boys and Girls Club project there.

EMILY SMITH, CNN STIMULUS DESK: Yes, we looked at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater New Hampshire. They received $42,000 and were able to save two key youth development positions, which they otherwise wouldn't have been able to do.

LEVS: So they tell us, though, the $42,000 is actually going to pay for two employees.

SMITH: Two employees, full-time positions, so $42,000.

LEVS: Man, OK. And obviously, we know the kind of work that the Boys and Girls Club does, and they're saying, hey, we feel good about this use of stimulus money, right?

SMITH: Yes. They were very grateful for it.

LEVS: Now, the president is highlighting his Small Business Plan and I understand you looked into a small business in New Hampshire.

SMITH: Yes, it's a construction firm. They received $1.2 million and were able to create two jobs...

LEVS: Whoops. Hold on, OK, your mike went out all of a sudden, use mine instead. Tell us about the small business, some images on the web.

SMITH: They were able to save two jobs and create five. They renovated a VA hospital as well as a bus station.

LEVS: So they did all that and this was how much money?

SMITH: It was $1.2 million.

LEVS: And how many jobs?

SMITH: That was two created and five saved, so seven total.

LEVS: All right, well, Emily, thank you very much.

And this is exactly the kind of thing that we are looking into here at the Stimulus Desk, even with the technical foibles. Let me tell you what we've been doing, in case you don't know. See these binders over here? Filled with projects funded by billions and billions dollars, that $862 billion stimulus package that passed last year. Betty, I got to say, we're doing pretty well. We've looked at more than $10 billion worth of projects funded by the stimulus, including so far now every single project in Nashua, New Hampshire, where the president goes.

NGUYEN: Hey, that's not bad, but you got a lot more reading to do, my friend.

LEVS: Don't remind me. Ouch! Red Bull, anyone? See you.

NGUYEN: See you.

And we'll be tracking the stimulus projects all this week on CNN here in the NEWSROOM and Josh will have another investigation for us tomorrow.

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NGUYEN: All right, the best of the best in Hollywood, finding out today if they made the cut. Nominations for the Oscars, the biggest prize in movie entertainment were announced this morning and our Kareen Wynter joins us live from L.A. on who made it and who got snubbed.

Hey there, Kareen.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty, and I bet you have a few favorites on the list.

NGUYEN: Of course.

WYNTER: Of course, we'll get to all of that good stuff.

But the big story this morning, "Avatar" going against the war thriller "The Hurt Locker." Now you know, "Avatar" it has just done superbly at the box office, Betty. It is the highest-grossing film in history. As it stands right now, more than $2 billion in ticket sales. So you have this giant, giant film going up against the little film that could, "The Hurt Locker," the war thriller.

And what's interesting about that, Betty, is that it actually lost money at its theatrical release. It cost $11 million to make and as it stands right now, it has made about $16 million worldwide.

NGUYEN: Well, this may give it a little bit of a boost.

WYNTER: A little bit of a boost. It's really on the minds of many this morning and it received a lot of critical acclaim all awards season. So, again, that's another film to watch.

Another thing that's interesting, you have the exes teaming up here, the directors. James Cameron for "Avatar" as well as Katherine Bigelow. They were once married. Katherine going into this Oscar race with a little bit of momentum, that's because she just walked away with the Directors Guild recently over the weekend. So some other films in this category. And this is also new, Betty, this year, ten categories. The last time the Academy did this was back 1944, they are hoping -- hoping -- to bring on some ratings.

NGUYEN: Is it for inclusiveness, to get more people interested in the Oscars? Is that what that's all about?

WYNTER: Absolutely, absolutely. And you have films like the Disney/Pixar movie "Up" that's also in the category.

NGUYEN: I love that movie, by the way.

WYNTER: It's fantastic. So you have a film like that, and you don't see that too often. The last time you had a Disney-animated film in the Best Picture category was back in 1991 with "Beauty and the Beast." So it opens the door to films like "Up."

Some other movies nominated for Best Picture -- "The Blind Side" with Sandra Bullock, "Up In the Air" with George Clooney. So an amazing, amazing line-up.

NGUYEN: Some of the usual suspects on the list, but some new ones as well. So looking forward to that, Kareen. Thank you so much.

And we want to hear from you today, the viewer. Let me know what you think about the Oscar picks. Do you like the fact that there are 10 pictures up for best picture? Do you think it's too many or do you think it's a way of being inclusive? You can write to me today at my Facebook and Twitter sites at bettynguyen@CNN.com. I'll be sharing those responses on the air.

And as Kareen just told you, you can add nine Academy Award nominations to "Avatar's" incredible list of achievements. James Cameron and the cast of what's now the highest grossing movie of all time join "LARRY KING LIVE" tomorrow, 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

And here's what we're working on for the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

Dismantling Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Defense Secretary Roberts Gates testifies about rolling back the policy on gays in the military. We'll bring you his remarks live.

And too poor to care for their children? People in Haiti who say they gave their children to American missionaries. Karl Penhaul reports on the desperate act by the parents and the accusations against the Americans.

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