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Pennsylvania Woman Charged With Terrorism; Job Postings Increasing; Advice for College Grads, Job Seekers; "The Dating Game" Serial Killer Sentenced Today; Haitian Graffiti Artists Helps Spreads Message to Survivors
Aired March 10, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A new report of a runaway Prius, the second this week. What should you do if your Toyota takes off on you?
Plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANE TEDESCHI, WASP VETERAN: I felt, well, this is something I can do and love to do and will contribute to the war effort.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: This hour, as a matter of fact right now, an elite group of female flyers receives the nation's highest civilian honor.
And, boy, do we have something special for you. A live performance by the African Children's Choir, raising voices to help the continent's poorest and neediest.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
So let's take stock of this for a second. She is a white, blonde suburbanite, and allegedly a home-grown terrorist. Prosecutors unseal an indictment against a Philadelphia area woman who calls herself Jihad Jane. Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us now. Jeanne, if you would, share with us some of the new information you're getting.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, my colleague Mike Ollers (ph) is up in Pennsylvania, and came across a police report from the Upper Perkeyoman (ph) Police Department, indicating that in May of 2005, they responded to a call from the sister of Colleen Larose, who called from Texas, to say that Colleen Larose was attempting suicide.
They went to her apartment. They found her, according to the police report, highly intoxicated, on a prescription drug. She told police she did not want to die. However, they took her by ambulance to the hospital for treatment and evaluation.
We are trying to learn so much more about this woman, who the government alleges went online calling herself Jihad Jane, saying she desperately wanted to help the Muslim cause.
According to this indictment, she made contact with others and used the Internet to recruit men and women for Jihad, to raise money and also to conspire to kill someone in Sweden. According to a government source, who's familiar with this case, the target was an artist in Sweden by the name of Lars Vilks (ph). He is someone who has been in the news for controversial cartoons he did, which featured the head of the prophet Mohammed on the body of a dog. This was so offensive to some Muslims that al Qaeda put a price on his head. Many people have been known to be interested in this man. She among them.
According to the indictment, she went so far as traveling to Sweden to train and get ready to kill this man. But she didn't. For some reason, she came back to the US. She was arrested here back in October. She's been held in custody very quietly in Philadelphia as the investigation continues. There were seven people arrested yesterday in Ireland, also reportedly in connection with a plot to kill this particular artist in Sweden -- Tony.
HARRIS: Amazing. If you get any additional information, just let us know and we'll pop you up as quickly as we can. Appreciate it. Jeanne Meserve for us.
Larose's former boyfriend tells the "Philadelphia Inquirer" she never talked about international events or Muslims. He lived with Larose at this apartment house there in Pennsburg, some 40 miles outside of Philly. Larose faced minor criminal charges while living in Texas. Digging into that. But neighbors seemed to know little about Larose.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It scares the hell out of me. Sorry, but it scares me because I have three young kids. And it scares me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Another neighbor describes Larose as the crazy lady across the hall, but he says he never heard her discuss politics or extremism. Let's do this. Let's check other big stories that we're following for you.
The Senate is expected to vote today on a bill extending unemployment benefits. The almost 140 billion dollar measure would provide up to 99 weeks of benefits to people in many states. It would also provide assistance to the unemployed to buy health insurance and extend a wide range of tax cuts.
Three US hikers have phoned home for the first time since being arrested in Iran seven months ago. The families say it is a sign their long detention may soon be over. Shane Bauer, Sarah Shroud and Josh Fertall (ph) face espionage charges in Iran. Their families say they accidentally strayed across an unmarked border in Iran while hiking in Iraq's Kurdistan region.
OK, happening now on Capitol Hill, a Senate hearing on intelligence reform and lessons from the Christmas bombing attempt. Lawmakers are reviewing terrorist watch lists and prescreening procedures. All of this prompted by al Qaeda suspect Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. He managed to board a US bound plane despite being added to a terrorism database. The Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee now looking for ways to correct any and all weaknesses.
President Obama hits the road again today, part of his final push for health care reform. But first, he focuses on the earthquake recovery effort in Haiti. We expect to hear from the president live later this hour.
White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us. A couple of things obviously on the agenda here, Suzanne. Let's first talk about Haiti. The president meeting with Haiti's president.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: He is, as a matter of fact, in the Rose Garden. They're going to come out with some statements. But essentially Rene Preval, the president of Haiti, is going to be talking about ways long term to help his country and the president is very interested in what he has to say. This is all in anticipation of a March 31st conference, an international conference by the United Nations to figure out, Tony, not just what Haiti needs in terms of blankets and food and medicine and shelter, that type of thing, but what do they need in five or ten years from now.
How are they going to change their government, their agriculture, the way they do business, so that they are not dependent on other nations. That is part of the plan here. That is part of what we heard from Secretary Hillary Clinton, who met with Preval yesterday. She said one of the things they want to look at immediately is holding parliamentary elections. They had to be postponed, obviously, because of the earthquake. How does the United States help that government really get back on its feet?
And what the president is going to want to know is how are these things going to be different this time around. The United States has given billions of dollars before to Haiti in terms of aid. It has been wasted because of corruption and mismanagement. They want some reassurances from this government that things are going to be different this time around.
HARRIS: Love it. And then the president is on the road again, touting health care reform.
MALVEAUX: He's going to be in St. Louis, Missouri. Tony, expect a familiar scene that we saw on Monday in Philadelphia. It was all- out campaign mode. It felt like it. It sounded like it. He was fired up, ready to go again.
Two things the White House wants to do. The president wants to squarely put the blame on the insurance companies and deliver kind of this populous message that those rising premiums are unacceptable. And then, of course, he also wants to put pressure on members of Congress to get this thing done as quickly as possible, a sense of urgency to get people rallied up here, fired up over this particular issue, so that at least members of Congress can start moving forward in the next two weeks or so.
The idea, the goal, March 18th, that's next Thursday, by the time the president goes for Indonesia and Australia. A lot of lawmakers saying that's not going to happen. But they are trying to push this thing to happen as quickly as possible in the next couple of weeks.
HARRIS: Good stuff. Suzanne Malveaux for us. Great to see you, thank you.
Happening right now in Washington, a ceremony honoring forgotten heroes, women who flew military planes in World War II. Take a look at this scene. Isn't that terrific? We will introduce you to the Wasps and their history-making mission.
Rob Marciano, the man tracking weather. Some severe storms in the south right now. All kinds of thunderstorms rumbling through Atlanta right now. We'll check in with Rob in just a couple of minutes.
And they are voices of hope. The African Children's Choir on their worldwide tour, and right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
But first, the latest on the Dow. Take a look at the numbers. Wall Street right now, let's just call it flat, although -- all right, we're up 30. Boy, that's a different presentation. I haven't seen the board look that way. OK, we're following these numbers throughout the day for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's take a quick break and we're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: This is a terrific story. An honor 68 years in the making this hour. The Congressional Gold Medal is being awarded to an elite corps of pilots formed during World War II, every one of them female. CNN's Jessica Yellin introduces us to the Women Air Force Service Pilots.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the time she was eight, Jane Tedeschi wanted to be a pilot.
JANE TEDESCHI, WASP VETERAN: That was Lindbergh flying across the Atlantic, and a lot of other people were flying air races.
YELLIN: As a young woman in her 20s, Tedeschi sought out flight lessons and got her pilot's license, a rarity for a woman in those days. With World War II gripping the nation, male pilots were desperately needed overseas for battle. Female aviator Jacqueline Cochran (ph) came up with a radical idea, let female pilots take over domestic missions. The military approved and WASP, Women Air Service Pilots Program, was born.
TEDESCHI: I thought, well, this is something I can do and love to do and will contribute to the war effort.
YELLIN: Another of the 1,102 members was Deanie Parrish. One of her jobs was to help train gunners for combat.
DEANIE PARRISH, WASP VETERAN: It was not that I was going to be any more than anybody else, because there were other females who were driving ambulances or fire trucks, working on airplanes, and I was doing the one thing that I felt I could do best.
YELLIN: The WASPs were civilians, but they were the first women to fly in US military planes, in all logging over 60 million miles in all types of aircraft, from heavy bombers to attack planes.
TEDESCHI: Night flying occasionally was an interesting thing because we didn't have an awful lot of training in that, and you've got to be sure you never lose your horizon.
YELLIN: Although the work was confined to the home front, Air Force Major Nicole Malachowski, the first female Thunderbird pilot, says these women developed key tactics and training for the war.
MAJ. NICOLE MALACHOWSKI, US AIR FORCE: These women did that by training the men to fly these planes so they could go fly in combat. They did that by being instructor pilots, test pilots. They also did aerial gunnery.
TEDESCHI: It shows how happy we were to be flying.
YELLIN: Now with fewer than 300 of the pilots still alive, today the nation is recognizing their legacy.
TEDESCHI: It is an historical fact and should be recognized.
YELLIN (on camera): Their mission could be dangerous. In all, 38 WASPs died, some in training, some in test flights. Supporters say that shows the commitment these women had.
Jessica Yellin, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: OK. Listen up, all you job seekers. Employers are starting to add to the workforce again. We will look at your best bets. And these children are singing around the world to show the rest of us what's happening in their homeland. We will hear from the African Children's Choir.
(SINGING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Looking for work? Get out your resume. You heard me correctly there, I hope. Companies are hiring again. Christine Romans, look, you know, we've been down so long here, you'd better not be pulling a fast one on me. CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, man, you're just setting me up to be a buzz killer, aren't you. In December, if you got out that resume, Tony, you were fighting against five other people. There were six people with a resume for every job opening. Today, there are five and a half people with a resume for every job opening. It's still a lot of competition, but it's moving in the right direction.
So let me tell you what these numbers are. This is the job openings and labor turnover survey from the Labor Department, showing some small gains in the jobs market. In January, job openings, 193,000, rise in job openings to 2.7 million. Compare that to before the recession and you can see we still need more to be a healthy economy. But there's that candidates per job, 5.5 now. It was six in December. Back in December 2007, it was 1.7.
Job gains in education and health care, no surprise there. Also in retail, hotels and restaurants. Some economists are telling me, Tony, that's a sign of an emboldened consumer.
HARRIS: Starting to spend again maybe?
ROMANS: Maybe starting to spend a little bit. At least not holding on with a death grip to the wallet. People who can afford to spend -- you know, that's been something that's been -- there are people who can afford to spend who haven't been. And that's the difference there.
Another quick report I want to tell you about. We got another report about state unemployment rates. In December, 43 states reported rising unemployment rates. In January, 30 states reported rising unemployment rates. So in more than half the country, the unemployment rate is rising, Tony. But just a few months ago go it was 43 out of 50 states.
HARRIS: Slowly.
ROMANS: Yes.
HARRIS: Very, very slowly. But progress is at least being made and that's something we haven't been able to say for a while. Christine, great to see you.
ROMANS: Little baby steps.
HARRIS: Employers may start hiring, but the truth is, as Christine just mentioned, we've got a deep hole to climb out of. What will the longer-term impact of joblessness on America be like? Particularly for young people? We're continuing the conversation.
And what a treat; the African Children's Choir singing their songs of hope ahead of our cues, because they're anxious. They're ready to go. They're ready to sing. And I'm standing in their way. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: Time to get you caught up on some top stories right now. Vice President Joe Biden meets the Palestinian leader today and slams Israel over settlements. Israel announced 1,600 new homes the day Biden arrived, and just as the two sides pledged new indirect talks. Biden condemned the decision.
Iraq's election commission hoped to post some results from Sunday's nationwide vote today, but now the commission says it will be tomorrow. The contest seems to boil down to parties aligned with incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki.
Eighties teen actor Corey Haim died today. He was 38 years old. Los Angeles police call it a possible drug overdose. Haim had a long struggle with addiction. His films include "The Lost Boys" and "Lucas." Haim attempted to come back a few years ago with a reality series.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(SINGING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Music from the worst slums in Africa, heard across the world through the voices of children. The African Children's Choir sings to raise awareness. Here's Isha Sesay with the report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISHA SESAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are the slums of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Opportunity rarely smiles here, but the children do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name is Stella. I am eight years old. (INAUDIBLE) This is where I come from. They are seven of us.
SESAY: A few streets away lives a young boy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Jonah. This is my home. And I'm ten years old.
SESAY: His mother lies sick in their darkened shack.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, I am Dela's mom and I have malaria. My husband died.
SESAY: The stories are the stories of millions of children in Africa. The cycle of poverty and disease seem inescapable. The chance of anything beyond a basic education, slim to nonexistent. The prospect of escaping a life in the slums almost unthinkable.
Unless you can sing your way to a better life. And thanks to one man, Stella and Jonah and hundreds of Africa's poorest kids have the opportunity to do just that.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: And here they are at CNN's worldwide head quarters in Atlanta, performing for us live, the African Children's Choir.
(SINGING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: I need you to reach out to the program. I need you to talk to me directly. A couple ways that you can do that.
First of all, CNN.com/Tony takes you directly to this -- bam -- our blog page. If you'd like to send your thoughts on Facebook, here's what you do -- TonyHarrisCNN. And post your comments here, here's my Twitter address, TonyHarrisCNN. One other way for you to contact us directly, talk to the show. Call us, pick up the phone, 1- 877-742-5760.
Let's have more of your views, more of your thoughts on the program. CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris.
So if you've been pounding the pavement, you know how tough it is to land a job, any job, especially for someone just getting into the workforce. This week "The Atlantic" magazine looks at the impact of joblessness in America. Its deputy managing editor, Don Peck, is back with us from Washington.
Don, appreciate it, good to see you again. In the article, you say, "If it persists much longer, this era of high joblessness will likely change the life course and character of a generation of young adults - and quite possibly those of the children behind them as well."
How are you characterizing young adults here and how is this weak jobs recovery impacting young people?
DON PECK, DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR, "THE ATLANTIC": Well, you know, Tony, when I first started reporting for this story, I really thought that young adults, people just coming out of high school, just coming out of college and onto the job market would probably be spared the worst scars of this recession. But, you know -- they're in and out of the job market anyway, they have fewer responsibilities. But really everything we know suggests that this will be life-changing for them. The first couple of years in the job market are extremely important to setting one's career track.
And there's a lot of research that shows that people who come out in recession, for instance, come out of school in recession, not only do they start at much lower incomes than people who come out in more bountiful times, but those earnings differentials persist five, ten, 15, 20 years afterwards. They get stuck in lower prestige careers and stigmatized as low potential.
HARRIS: A couple of thoughts, I want to get to some projections in a second. But we're learning from surveys when it comes to finding or job security now, job security has become the top priority for college students. And I'm curious, do you believe that the college students have correctly judged this market, go for stability over, say, the dream job over, say, benefits, over even pay?
PECK: I think right now job stability is very important and college students should probably take what jobs they can get.
HARRIS: Say yes, right?
PECK: Yes.
HARRIS: A lot more yes. We know that a lot of times young people will say, no, that's not quite right for me, but at least if you say yes, that's a starting place where you can build from, correct?
PECK: Absolutely. At the University of Connecticut last year, the college president at commencement felt the need to advise students, you know, not to pass up jobs because they weren't good enough when they didn't have other options. That was so pervasive there that he felt the need to say something about it at commencement.
This is a time where humility, adaptability are really necessary. And yes, students should jump in and not try to wait this recession out.
HARRIS: The National Association of Colleges and Employers says less than 20 percent of college seniors last year had lined up a job by the time they graduated. For you, and I'm going to put you in a different role here, what's the best advice for college grads this year? You're giving, let's say, the commencement address at a couple of colleges in a couple of months. What are you telling them about this job market?
PECK: Well, you know, people who are graduating now have been told throughout their childhoods that they're special, that they're destined for great things. And a sense of optimism is very important in this market, but so is a willingness to accept the idea that these are tough times and you have to make sacrifices. You have to find work that might -- that you think might not ideally suit your lifestyle, that may not be quite what you want to do. The important thing is to get into the job market, not have a lot of white space on your resume, and work your way up.
HARRIS: Yes, yes. Is there a chance, because it's a sobering piece, there's no doubt about it. Is there a chance that we may be sapping young people of the will to sort of come up with what is necessary to get through the depressing news about the jobs market right now? And I know we have to tell it like it is, but, you know, this is also an opportunity for innovation as well.
PECK: It is. And you know I talk to a lot of young people in the reporting that I did who haven't been able to find jobs but are trying to start companies of their own, pursue ideas. And that is sometimes a by-product of recessions, that you get more innovation, and I hope we'll see that from young people.
HARRIS: All right. Don, appreciate it. I appreciate the last two days talking to you and really terrific reporting in "The Atlantic." It is sobering but, boy, it lays it out there in pretty stark terms. But you just need to see it, read it for balance here.
Don, appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks for your time.
PECK: Thank you, Tony.
HARRIS: A game show contestant convicted of being a serial killer. His sentencing in California. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A former game show contestant and serial killer today in Santa Ana, California. A judge is expected to confirm a death sentence for Rodney Alcala in the deaths of four women and a child. The murders happened in the late '70s, about the same time Alcala appeared on the TV show "The Dating Game." He was the winning bachelor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE DATING GAME")
UNIDENTIFIED BACHELORETTE: Bachelor number one.
RODNEY ALCALA, CONVICTED SERIAL KILLER/BACHELOR NUMBER ONE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED BACHELORETTE: What's your best time?
ALCALA: The best time is at night. Nighttime.
UNIDENTIFIED BACHELORETTE: Why do you say that?
ALCALA: Because that's the only time there is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: A fellow contestant tells CNN's Anderson Cooper the girl never went on the date. He also describes Alcala as being creepy and controlling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "ANDERSON COOPER 360")
JED MILLS, FORMER "THE DATING GAME" CONTESTANT: I remember that he was very strange and obnoxious, imposing and trying to be smiley and friendly at the same time, not giving you a chance to speak when he was speaking. Very imposing.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: You said he was sort of creepy. What was creepy about him?
MILLS: Well, his aura. He would be very quiet and then he would all of a sudden jump in on a conversation that I was having with the other gentleman on the show and impose his very opinionated opinions on what we were talking about in a very loud voice and very close up in our faces. And then he would back off suddenly and be quiet again until a moment when he found another -- where he could wedge himself into it very abruptly and very rudely.
He wasn't friendly, he wasn't someone who was forthcoming in terms of how are you, how are you doing, but much more, much more controlling.
COOPER: What went through your mind when you learned that he had actually been convicted of raping a child before he was a contestant and since then has been convicted for murdering five people?
MILLS: Well, as creepy as I thought he was, I had no idea that he was a murderer, rapist guy, but I just knew that he had an a -- I had an aversion to be next to him.
What went through my mind was more what I felt. I was very bizarre, appalled sort of. They told me on the telephone, they called me to be interviewed on "Inside Edition" that he was a serial killer and had killed seven women and raped and killed a 12-year-old girl and it was horrible. It was like a nightmare come true after 32 years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: A jury yesterday recommended Alcala get the death penalty.
Let's get you caught up on top stories now.
An American woman who calls herself "Jihad Jane" facing terror charges. Federal prosecutors say Colleen Larose used the Internet to try to recruit people to carry out attacks in Europe and South Asia. She was arrested in Philadelphia last fall and is in federal custody.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates says some American troops in Afghanistan could leave the country before July of next year. That's when withdrawal of U.S. forces is supposed to begin. Gates' comments during a visit with U.S. troops in Kabul Province.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: You came into an area that was totally controlled by the Taliban, you fought for critical battle space, you bled for it, now you own it. And you demonstrated extraordinary courage and determination in making that happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Gates spoke before leaving for Saudi Arabia.
Having a hard time getting credit? We have some tips on how you can start building up your credit. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So you need credit, huh? It is not easy to get credit in this economic climate, especially if you're young. Ines Ferre is here with tips on how you can build up credit.
Good morning, lady. First of all, let's start with who is having trouble getting credit these days.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK. Tony, more than one in five people between the ages of 18 and 34 have been refused in the last year for a credit card or other loan, like a mortgage or student loan. That's according to a survey just released by finelaw.com, a consumer legal website. Now, most of the rejections are for credit cards followed by mortgages, home equity loans and car loans, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, so that's the overall. How much harder is it for a young person to get a credit card?
FERRE: Well, it's an entirely new ballgame out there, especially for students. Credit card legislation that went into effect last month required that students under 21 years old have to have a co- signer, like a parent or an adult over 21. Now, if you don't want mom and dad co-signing your card, you'll have to show evidence that you can pay your bills each month, like some paystubs.
And no more prescreened credit card offers if you're under 21 unless you ask for them. And unless you have a decent credit score in your mid-20s or 30s, your options are pretty limited.
HARRIS: Wait a minute. There's got to be some way for young people to establish credit here.
FERRE: Yes, there's always a way.
HARRIS: Yes.
FERRE: Look for what's called a secured card. Here's how it works, you deposit money into a special savings account and draw off of that amount when you use the card and the amount you deposit is your credit limit. Once you've made on-time payments for 18 months, your credit card record should be solid enough to get a regular credit card. Now, you can go to creditratings.com for a list of secured credit cards and when choosing one, make sure you don't pay more than $35 in annual fees.
And if you don't have enough money to pay back up the secured card, another idea is to get added to another person's credit card as an authorized user. Now, you can actually build up your credit if the main account holder has some good credit and pays the bills on time.
Of course, if you have any questions, send them to us at CNNhelpdesk@CNN.com.
HARRIS: Hey, you know, those secured cards are also a good way if you fouled up your credit to get it going once again. So just be careful, but it's a way to get yourself going and to get re- established again if you've had some problems.
See you next hour. I think we're talking a couple of times next hour.
FERRE: See you.
HARRIS: President Obama focusing on helping Haiti. We will hear from the president live on the long-term recovery effort after the Haiti earthquake. We're back in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, we expect our remarks momentarily from President Obama.
I'm sorry, just looking to see who is walking into the room. That's -- OK. That's Secretary Clinton, tape from Tuesday.
OK, we expect to hear from President Obama and Haiti's President Rene Preval in just a moment. The president was meeting this hour with the Haitian president about how the international community can help Haiti rebuild. The Haitian leader met yesterday, as you can see here, with Secretary of State Clinton. Live coverage of the president's remarks right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
While we're waiting for the president's remarks a Haiti, let's look at an unorthodox way to get messages out to the quake survivors on the streets of Port-au-Prince. Our David McKenzie reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You won't normally find Jerry Rosemberg working in the daytime. He paints some of the best-known graffiti in Haiti and kept his identity hidden. The earthquake changed that.
JERRY ROSEMBERG, GRAFFITI ARTIST: Now, we in big trouble now, and as an artist I think that I can do a part to help my people.
MCKENZIE: Catholic Relief Services tracked Jerry down to tap his street cred and help spread the word to the crowded urban camps. And in less than 20 minutes, Jerry is done.
(on camera): Llave Menaw (ph). What's that in English?
ROSEMBERG: Wash your hands.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): "It's good," this boy says. "You need to wash your hands before you eat, because there are flies everywhere."
"We haven't seen the government helping at all," she says. "He's the only person that has come to help us, and he's very good at it."
(on camera): The irony here is while the right message is being portrayed, the government hasn't supplied water to this camp for over 30 hours, and residents say they don't want just words, they need action.
(voice-over): To see Jerry in action, find him after dark. His art comments on domestic violence and Haitian life, but never politics directly.
ROSEMBERG: OK. This is the bad side of the street, they use it like death. And the good side, that's the good side of the street.
MCKENZIE: Most people don't know who tagged their wall, and this woman is thrilled to meet Jerry.
Within hours of the earthquake, Jerry's tags changed. He started drawing dismantled Haiti in tears, praying for help from the world. Now, the image is everywhere.
ROSEMBERG: I think this will do.
MCKENZIE: Jerry says it's his way of expressing the pain and the hopes of his nation.
David McKenzie, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: In the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM, we will bring you more of the ongoing coverage of the economy and your schools. I will talk to a Florida superintendent looking for ways to cope.
And with more reports of runaway Toyotas, find out what you should do if sudden acceleration happens to you in any type of vehicle. Ben Sherwood, author of "Survivors' Club" joins me with tips that could actually save your life.
That's next hour in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's see this live picture, Rose Garden. OK, we're waiting for President Obama to be joined by the Haitian president, Rene Preval. Actually, the two men have been meeting for the better part of this hour. We're waiting for them to wrap up that meeting and head out to the microphones to make statements and we anticipate maybe taking a couple of questions when that happens. We will take you back to the Rose Garden in Washington, D.C., right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
"I can't slow down," desperate words to a 911 operator from a California man. He says the accelerator on his Toyota Prius got stuck, sending him on a terrifying ride. CNN's Ted Rowlands picks up the story from outside of San Diego.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): We're with Jim Sikes, this is the gentleman who was in his 2008 Prius down here in San Diego County when it went out of control saying that the accelerator, Jim, apparently just sort of took on a life of its own.
JIM SIKES, PRIUS OWNER: Correct.
ROWLANDS: Explain, what happened?
SIKES: That's exactly what happened.
I was actually heading east on Interstate-8 in San Diego and I pushed the gas a little extra, in fact very hard, to pass a car that was coming on the freeway. And as I did that, it just - the gas pedal felt kind of weird and it just went all the way to fast.
ROWLANDS: Then you called 911?
SIKES: Yes.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP, 911 CALL)
911 OPERATOR: This is 911. Do you have an emergency?
SIKES: My car, I can't slow down.
911 OPERATOR: You can't slow it down?
SIKES: No.
911 OPERATOR: What kind of car are you in? I heard a Toyota. What color is it?
SIKES: Blue?
911 OPERATOR: Blue.
SIKES: Yes.
911 OPERATOR: What kind of Toyota? What kind of Toyota?
SIKES: Prius.
911 OPERATOR FEMALE: A Prius.
SIKES: Yes.
911 OPERATOR: And what's going on, is your accelerator stuck?
SIKES: Yes.
911 OPERATOR: Yes.
SIKES: Yes, yes.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
SIKES: I was actually going around cars and came close to hitting one semi truck. And I was speeding up faster at that time, I was in the 80s somewhere. And I kept hitting the brakes, kept hitting the brakes, and it wasn't slowing down at all. It was just accelerating.
ROWLANDS: What was the sensation like?
SIKES: It was an odd sensation. I felt it in my foot. I pushed the pedal and it just kind of felt like it just moved on its own. That's the only way I can describe it. It moved on its own and then took over. It was pushing harder than I was.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP, 911 CALL) SIKES: I'm trying to control the car.
911 OPERATOR: OK. Have you tried to put the car in neutral?
SIKES: No.
911 OPERATOR: Can you try that?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: You didn't try to put it into neutral.
SIKES: No. I was afraid to try to put it in neutral. I was holding onto the steering wheel with both hands, 94 miles an hour in a Toyota Prius is fast.
ROWLANDS: Why didn't you turn the car off earlier?
SIKES: Because it wasn't safe. Those are very windy roads and I didn't know if I hit the button if the steering wheel would lock or if the wheels on the car would lock.
ROWLANDS: Is there any doubt in your mind that the floor mats had nothing to do with what happened?
SIKES: The floor mat had nothing to do with yesterday's event, period. The floor mat didn't move.
I won't drive that car again. I mean I have no problem with Toyota, just I won't drive the Prius. There's obviously a problem that needs to be corrected.
ROWLANDS: Jim Sikes' Toyota Prius right now is at this Toyota dealership in El Cajon, California, just outside San Diego. Toyota released this statement saying they are sending a technician here to take a look at the car and to help out in any way they can.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Transportation is also sending inspectors here to not only look at the car but also to meet with Jim Sikes, to hear about his ordeal.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, El Cajon, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Man, oh, man, what do you do when your car goes out of control? What should you do? Ben Sherwood has a survival guide and he shares it with us 30 minutes from now, right in the CNN NEWSROOM.
