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Quake Rattles Southern California; Bomb Attacks in Pakistan; Tiger Back on Course; China Mine Rescues; Wall Street Reacts to Last Week's Jobs Reports; Record Movie Sales; U.S. Strike On The Taliban
Aired April 05, 2010 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, guys.
When the earth shakes and your world gets weird, a major earthquake strikes. Millions of Americans felt it. California, Haiti, Chile -- what in the world is going on with all these powerful quakes?
Talk about power. Can the world's best-known athlete get back in the swing? Tiger Woods getting ready for the Masters. But is the public ready to get over his sex scandal? The rehabbed Romeo faces a big test.
Hey, someone mentioned paddling?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are too old to be paddled. This is high school. We're seniors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: A high school senior getting spanked? Really? The issue you could say is on full display right here. Today's lesson, class, what not to wear to prom.
But we begin with the most powerful earthquake in California since 1922. Finally relieving tectonic pressure. Or is the big one yet to come? We're going to get to that in just a minute.
But first, it was major. 7.2 and it struck Mexico's Baja California less than 15 hours ago. Aftershocks still being felt. The quake was centered about 110 miles southeast of the border city of Tijuana, splitting roads and knocking out all of the power in Mexicali, Mexico.
Shaking was felt across southern California all the way to Arizona. At least two people are dead in Mexicali, Mexico. Another 140 injured.
CNN's Ted Rowlands made a quick run to Mexico.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are in Mexicali, Mexico. And the biggest problem is fact that it is pitch dark here. The power is out throughout the city.
To get an idea of the damage, this is what we're seeing basically. Most of the buildings are standing but you could see the destruction in terms of the glass everywhere and you could see that this is a furniture store. And there's significant damage here.
These folks are outside the furniture store. They work here and they want to make sure that nobody comes and loots anything. This is something we're seeing throughout the city here.
Meanwhile, there are issues because there is power with medical care. The hospitals are functioning but they are treating people outside.
RIGABERTO LASOYA, MEDICAL COORDINATOR, STATE OF BAJA: We haven't stopped giving assistance. The humanitarian assistance. We have two clinics working right now in Mexicali. Two clinics. And we have some resources from all state of Baja deployed to this special part of the state.
So to re-force the medical attention, the medical assistance on these clinics, we're helping the people on the outside. There is no electricity and there's no water on the inside. So we are doing it on the outside. But we are keeping on working.
ROWLANDS: This is the clinic and they are working off generators mainly. There is a physician here on staff. We talked to them earlier. They said they've seen about 100 people here alone. Injuries ranging from broken legs, scrapes, arms and legs because of falling debris.
This woman back here is pregnant. She is concerned for her baby. One of the many people that have come for medical attention.
The big problem here at this point is power. There is no power, no water and no fuel. They are hoping that they can restore power as soon as possible. We will get more of an idea of what they're dealing with when the sun comes up in a few hours.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: All right, let's talk about the aftershocks. CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano watching it for us, has been watching it since yesterday.
So what do you think, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Over 100 aftershocks so far, Kyra. Most have been pretty small. There have been one or two that have been in the 4.5 to 5 range. But for the most part, most of the aftershocks have been smaller.
Here is where they've been occurring on the Google Earth map. They have snuck over the border into parts of southern California. So that's where we've seen a couple of them.
The red dots you see here on the map are smaller. But they indicate that they've happened in the last hour or two. The orange dots in the last day. Most of these aftershocks have come along this fault line that runs parallel to the San Andreas fault. I know you see the bigger one there. That's the 7.2 magnitude.
And this is -- they think this is along the Laguna Salada fault. Regardless, it runs parallel to the San Andreas fault. And that's a very active zone, as you can imagine.
All right, where did this -- where was this felt? This is a computer simulation map of where they think that you felt the most shaking, right along that epicenter, which is about 36 miles south of Mexicali, Mexico but obviously some of that shaking gets towards the salt and sea and in through parts of the Cochella Valley.
And this map shows you where people actually call in to report. Most of these reports are north of the border and through parts of southern California. And that's exactly where we saw most of the shaking. Strong shaking felt in the yellow areas. More moderate and weaker amounts of shaking across parts of southern California through San Diego.
And that's where we saw the least amount of damage. But these aftershocks are expected to continue just like in Haiti and just like in Chile for the next several days, if not several weeks.
Not as big of a -- not as big of a quake as the one in Chile but it was still fairly shallow and still a major quake at 7.2. So the aftershocks will be ongoing until the earth begins to settle down just a little bit. And sometimes that takes several weeks. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: OK. We'll be talking about it all throughout the morning, of course, Rob. Thanks so much.
MARCIANO: You bet.
PHILLIPS: Our iReporters on the scene also took pictures for us. And this is how it all went down according to them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Just the noise is frightening enough. CNN iReporter Mindy Nichols sent this surveillance video from a convenient store in Palm Springs, California. Power was actually knocked out for parts of California near the Mexico border. But most of that has been restored. Several aftershocks have been felt. The most powerful ones between 5.0 and 5.4 magnitude.
Stay with CNN. We will continue to follow the aftermath of this major quake throughout the day.
Pakistan under attack. A series of explosions rocked the U.S. ally. And as you can see right here, one of the blasts was caught on tape. Dozens of people dead including two Pakistani nationals who worked at the U.S. consulate.
The developing story that rumbles all the way to Washington.
CNN international security correspondent Paula Newton is joining us now from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, with more.
Paula?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, quite a bold attack here. U.S. embassy officials confirmed that indeed the attack was on the U.S. consulate and that a suicide bombing happened within a car.
It was a very large car bomb. And then militants started a gun battle with those security officers that are on the outside perimeter to that U.S. consulate. It was a very, very loud explosion. Certainly would have rattled people inside that consulate.
They went into lockdown. And the gun battle ensued. We have at least six people dead in total, 18 injured. But officials here saying look, this was coordinated. They had hand grenades. They may have also had rocket propelled grenades. They were trying to penetrate that inner wall of security around that U.S. consulate.
Kyra, the Taliban spokesperson here in Pakistan confirming to CNN that they are taking responsibility for the attack and saying it will continue to hit U.S. and its allies here in Pakistan and elsewhere. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: All right, Paula Newton, we will continue to follow that story happening there out of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
The green, green grass of home. Tiger Woods gets back on course this week for the first time since his infidelity scandal went wild. Before he tees it up, he's got to answer a few questions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Rehabbed Romeo, Tiger Woods, back on the course arriving early at the Masters this week. He's shooting for the front page of the sports section, though, instead of the tabloids.
But the week starts with something Tiger would probably rather avoid -- a news conference.
CNN's Samantha Hayes live in Augusta, Georgia this morning.
So, Samantha, is it free for all? Can anybody ask anything this time around?
SAMANTHA HAYES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, first of all, everybody is not invited, Kyra. And those who are invited, mostly members of the traditional golf media, probably will not be asking salacious questions.
At this point, the media is really not interested in the details of Tiger's affairs anyway. They really want to know if basically if he means what he said, that he is turning over a new leaf, that he is trying to rebuild his reputation.
And he's chosen to do it here in Augusta, at the National, which has been a friendly and also formal place for him, one of the many reasons why he probably chose this tournament, the first major of the year, to make his grand return.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAYES (voice-over): While the glory of a fifth green jacket is Tiger Woods primary focus, he may have other reasons for his much anticipated return to the game of golf in Augusta, a city full of southern charm and southern manners.
Golf pro Chris Verdery says Woods appreciates the respectful tone and tightly controlled atmosphere.
CHRIS VERDERY, GOLF PRO, RIVER GOLF CLUB: This makes sense. People really love him here in Augusta. He's been wonderful for the Masters, for the city of Augusta. And everybody is excited to have him back.
HAYES: While Augusta is accustomed to hosting one of the biggest events in sports every April, the sorted drama now associated with Woods is new. The four-time Masters champion recently admitted to multiple extramarital affairs.
Augusta mayor Deke Copenhaver says the spotlight is less on the sport and more on the spectacle.
MAYOR DEKE COPENHAVER, AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: TMZ, "Entertainment Weekly" and "People" magazine, along with "Extra", are ones again just typical calls that I don't get come Masters week.
HAYES: As a star athlete, Tiger Woods is supported in Augusta. Lots of folks are rooting for him.
DICK BENICK, MASTERS TICKET HOLDER: I love his golf. And that's what we are here for. That's what I like to see. And I really don't care about his personal life.
HAYES: But ask about his personal life and at least off the course, you get a different answer.
MICHAEL O'ROURKE, MASTERS TICKET HOLDER: That kind of humiliation is very hurtful. And I am sure that he's -- you know, he wakes up and wonders, how was I doing it?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAYES: Kyra, in an indication that Tiger is taking this very seriously, that he is indeed after a fifth green jacket, he made an unannounced practice round yesterday at August National.
He was practicing at the driving range. He also got reacquainted with some of his old friends. So as much as this is a big return to golf and a lot of the media attention is on how he's going to play as an athlete, this is also a reunion for Tiger Woods.
There's a lot of people and other players that he has not seen in months. And it looks like so far they're welcoming him back with open arms.
Reporting on August, I'm Samantha Hayes. Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: It will be interesting to see how the fans react when they have a chance to be right up there next to him at the tee.
Samantha, we'll be tracking it all. Appreciate it.
Tiger is ready. And fans are ready. And we're all ready. But will the weather cooperate? Rob Marciano is going to let us know in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: It was the bull's eye for severe weather last night. Strong wind and some baseball sized hail reported along with not one but two confirmed tornado touchdowns. And we've gotten reports of fallen trees, downed power lines and some barns getting damaged as well. Luckily nobody was hurt.
That bull's eye moves a little north on the Midwestern plains, right, Rob?
MARCIANO: Yes, this is the time of year where we get severe weather across the plains, although it's been pretty quiet. It's certainly a slow start. We're hoping that trend continues over the next month and a half. But we are certainly ramping up into prime time severe weather and certainly tornado season.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Yankees and Red Sox opening the season. Baseball is in the air. A number of teams have their home games and season openers today, Kyra. So that will make you feel like it's spring, if not for the hot temperatures as well.
PHILLIPS: And your favorite team is?
MARCIANO: The Yankees. And they took -- you know, they got the one loss of the season out of the way last night.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: And they'll do fine after that.
PHILLIPS: Yes, I remember going to the old stadium and there is nothing like it, huh?
MARCIANO: I'm just --
PHILLIPS: Chicago, too. There is something about the -- you know, Wrigley Field.
MARCIANO: Wrigley.
PHILLIPS: Yes. You know the spirit of all these old greats.
MARCIANO: It's happy times when the boys of summer get back on the field so.
PHILLIPS: Amen. All right. Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: See you.
PHILLIPS: We'll lighten up the morning sky. That's the space shuttle Discovery you're seeing right there. A picture perfect launch sending it back to space. One of the few missions left, by the way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, zero, booster ignition and lift off of Discovery, blazing a trail --
PHILLIPS: And a successful liftoff for Discovery. The shuttle beginning a 30-day mission to the International Space Station now. They're carrying science experiments and spare parts.
After this one, there are only three planned shuttle missions left. The last one is also on Discovery. And that will be in September.
Later this afternoon, it's back to court for the last doctor who cared for the late Michael Jackson. California Medical Board wants Dr. Conrad Murray's license to practice medicine suspended while he's tried on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection to Jackson's death.
Today's hearing begins around 1:30 local time in L.A. And we'll be there.
Eight and a half years after 9/11, they still aren't done looking for remains in New York. A new search actually starts today. Crews are going to sift through World Trade Center debris that's being kept in Staten Island right now.
More than 1,000 victims were never found. That search is expected to take three months.
Two hundred people working around the clock for more than a week have something to show for their life-saving efforts as their nation watched and rejoiced at these pictures.
Earlier today, rescuers in northern China pulled 115 coal miners to safety from what many thought would be their watery tomb. Late last month, the mine they were working in flooded. The rescue effort isn't finished, though. Another 38 miners are believed to still be trapped down there.
We're going to take you live to China for the latest on that rescue efforts so stay with us. We're back in 1:15.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: January 2nd, 2006. Dateline, Upshur County, West Virginia. Do you remember this?
That was the Sago mine disaster and it gripped the nation for 40 hours as rescuers tried saving the dozen coalminers trapped underground. Only one would -- right here, Randal McCloy -- would ultimately survive.
And let's not forget Quecreek mine rescue in Somerset, Pennsylvania. Remember this? We were live for hours here on CNN. It was just a months after the 9/11 tragedy. And it gave Americans new reason to smile again.
Nine waterlogged miners pulled one by one from the flooded mine shaft after three days of living in an air pocket and faith that rescue crews would finally get to them.
Flash forward to now. A flooded coal mine, but this time it's more than 100 miners trapped underground for more than a week before they're pulled to safety. As a nation watches, well, does it sound familiar? We thought so.
CNN's Emily Chang live in Beijing this morning with the latest rescue gripping the nation of China and beyond.
Good morning, Emily.
EMILY CHANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra. It has been a very emotional day watching this rescue unfold. We have seen family members and rescue workers crying tears of joy.
Government officials have said it is nothing short of a miracle that anyone survived this. But of course, the sad news is that 38 people remain trapped below ground. Rescue teams say they have no idea where those workers are so they can't say anything about their condition, whether they are dead or alive.
So this is, of course, sad news that is overshadowing what has otherwise been an amazing story of survival.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANG (voice-over): A dramatic, miraculous turn in a story that could have been hopeless. One by one, miners are pulled to safety after being trapped underground for more than a week.
They are rushed to the hospital in shock but reportedly stable. 153 miners were trapped in China's Sanxi Province when the mine flooded. Some survived by attaching their belts to the wall, hanging there for days, until they were able to crawl into a floating mine cart.
Hundreds of family and friends camped out at the site hoping their loved one would be pulled out next.
The rescue has been risky and complicated, with crews pumping mass amounts of water out of the mine and divers being sent in.
"The slope is very steep. And there's still a lot of water in there," says the head of the rescue team. "There's so much equipment and not enough space. It's hard for us to get in there."
A letter read on behalf of President Hu Jintao conveyed sympathy for the survivors and encouraged rescuers to race against time but left many wondering why China's coal mining industry continues to be so notoriously deadly.
PETER HUMPHREY, CHINA ANALYST: Safety standards throughout the Chinese mining industry are appalling. Actually safety standards throughout much of Chinese industry as a whole are appalling. And there's not much regard for human safety and human life.
CHANG: There's been five separate mining accidents across the country in the last week. More than 2600 people died in mining accidents last year, down from almost 7,000 deaths in 2002.
The government is working to improve safety and consolidate the industry. But problems persist. China's rapidly developing economy demands massive amounts of coal. It accounts for 70 percent of the country's energy with some producers cutting corners to meet demand.
HUMPHREY: There's a tremendous pressure on everyone involved in natural resources in China to meet high numbers, to meet that demand, this insatiable hunger that China has for financial resources.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHANG: Now, according to government reports, a preliminary investigation has showed that mine managers ignored water leaks, repeated warning signs that if heeded could have avoided this disaster.
And we're talking about a government-run mine here where safety standards are supposed to be better that privately run mines. But analysts are saying it looks like somebody cut corners here. And had they not done that, this accident could have been prevented. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Wow. And why do you think it took so long to get to those trapped miners, Emily?
CHANG: Kyra, it has taken a very long time. Eight long days to reach that first group of miners. We're going on nine days now. Sometimes here in China the local government can take quite a while to get a directive from the central government as to what action to take.
We don't know if that caused a delay in this particular case but with we do know that this rescue effort has been incredibly complicated, dangerous and risk. We're talking about thousands of crews involved here, mine, divers, going in and scouting out the area. The gas has been fluctuating within the mine itself. And when some of the water is pumped out, more floods in. So it's definitely a very dangerous situation for rescuers as well, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Emily, appreciate your reporting. Thanks so much.
Remember the old saying, beating swords in a plow shearer? Well, this is a case of turning a cash crop into weapons and will be used to kill American troops.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All right. Wall Street got a dose of good news last Friday, the economy actually gained 162,000 jobs in March. But the stock market closed for Good Friday, so today, this is the first day investors get a chance to react and so is our Felicia Taylor. She is following all the action from the New York Stock Exchange.
Hey, Felicia.
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.
Yes, those were really welcome numbers to investigators and stocks, and they are having a higher open, although just modestly right now. It's going to push the Dow though and S&P 500 to new 18- month highs. The Dow also inching closer to the 11,000 level. The Dow up now about 20 points, so it's a 10,946. One thing that Wall Street really liked about those jobs reports is that most of the hiring last month came from the private sector in that significant.
There was the fear that the report was going to be inflated because of government hiring for the census. Also, the numbers from January were revised, and they showed a net gain in jobs as well.
Also at the top of the hour today, we're expecting a positive report on the service sector and another report showing improvement in the housing market. So, let's take a look at the numbers. As I mentioned, the Dow is up about 24 points at 10,951. Both the S&P and the Nasdaq are fractionally as well.
Finally Kyra, if you went to the movie this weekend, no doubt, you were standing in pretty long lines to buy tickets. Ticket sales hit a record for the Easter weekend, $183 million. Sales were boosted by the new trend of these 3D movies. We had "Clash of the Titans," "How to Train Your Dragon," and "Alice in Wonderland." And list of question whether or not there is, you know, really of staying power for these 3D movies, but these numbers are going to keep people a little silence at least for now. Have you seen any of these?
PHILLIPS: I haven't. But a lot of people have been talking about the "Alice in Wonderland." I don't know. It looks a little freaky to me, Felicia. Quite different from our version as kids.
TAYLOR: I've seen it, and that's an understatement of what you just said. PHILLIPS: I don't want to have nightmares. I already had enough from the original version.
(LAUGHING)
TAYLOR: Exactly.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Felicia.
TAYLOR: OK.
PHILLIPS: The war in Afghanistan, coalition troops gearing up for a major offensive and the timing could be ominous. It comes as the Taliban harvests its poppy crop and rakes in the cash that will buy the extremist more weapons in manpower, but that's not the only concern. U.S. intelligence has uncovered an Iranian plot to smuggle more weapons to Taliban fighters.
Covering both angles, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon where you hear sources on the Iranian arm spot. Chris Lawrence takes us to the edge of coalition controlled areas; he joins us from Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Chris, let's start with you.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra. You know, we saw enough poppy in Helmand province alone to feed the world (INAUDIBLE) and the sheer amount of money from a crop that size will already cost for a lot of the troops right here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): Two months from now, NATO troops will launch a major offensive in the Kandahar, at the exact moment the Taliban will be flushed with new cash.
CAPT. JEREMY WILKINSON, U.S. MARINE CORPS: What I could see is you may see a spike in violence in you know, June time frame.
LAWRENCE: The poppy fields are like the Taliban's banks. Right now, the plants are bloomy. Just before the big offensive, the harvest wraps up, and the poppy is sold off to make heroin.
WILKINSON: And that poppy harvest does aid and support the monies that they use for fighting.
LAWRENCE (on camera): And the money that they're going to make off that harvest come June, does that only stay with the insurgents of the Taliban right here in Helmand Province?
WILKINSON: It would impact insurgents across everything because the enemy is so fluid.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): We traced the money trail back to Northern Helmand Province to south one (ph) where the U.S. Marine Corps is facing down the Taliban. LT. CODY HARDENBURGH, U.S. MARINE CORPS: From what I believe, this is the forward line of enemy troops. Every other day, we are taking indirect fire.
LAWRENCE: Second Lt. Cody Hardenburgh's Marines can fire back at the Taliban but can't stop the farmers that are funding them.
HARDENBURGH: It is frustrating.
LAWRENCE (on camera): The Taliban has got its fingers really deep into the poppy crop up in this area. In fact, take a look, no more than 400 meters from the Marine corps base, you can see those farmers openly cultivating their poppy crop. We're told that every few days or so, the Taliban will come by to pick up some bulbs.
HARDENBURGH: What they'll do and we've seen them doing at night, they'll hack a few plants that are ready to go and put it on a donkey and just head north.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): But the Marines aren't here for counter narcotics. They are not allowed to slash and burn these fields, because it can turn the entire village against them.
HARDENBURGH: This is the only thing they know to produce quick money for themselves and their families.
LAWRENCE: But the heroin money that blooms here in April could buy the weapons and bombs used in June.
WILKINSON: It's fair to say that the insurgents in Kandahar could be very well recipients of moneys of poppy that is harvested away from their zone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: So you hear that and you think, change the policy, slash the fields but making friends with the farmers is paying off in a lot of other areas. We saw the villagers are starting to trust the Marines, even coming forward to tell them where specific IEDs were located so that they could avoid them -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Chris Lawrence, thanks so much.
Let's head over to the Pentagon now and Barbara Starr digging up new information Iran's plot o arm the Taliban. Barbara, what's it up to?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, picking up on what my colleague, Chris Lawrence, is talking about, Pentagon officials say there is new information that Iran is smuggling weapons into Afghanistan and possibly headed to Kandahar, where Chris is, possibly stockpiling weapons for the coming offensive that the U.S. military is now openly talking about.
A senior Defense Department official tells us there is now an Iranian source, that's all they'll say about it, who is offering substantiated, validated information about some of these smuggling shipments, and he says, there are more expected in the days ahead.
So here is the question, what kind of weapons are we really talking about down in Kandahar area? The officials say they have found rockets, grenades, even manufactured explosives with recent serial numbers and manufactured dates on them that show they're coming from Iran. The same type of thing they saw back in Iraq several months ago, a couple years ago actually when they saw Iranian weapons there being used against U.S. troops, so a very worrisome development -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr live from the Pentagon. Barbara, thanks.
Fighting back, a teenager turns the tables on her attacker sending him running for help.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Termites may have struck again in Paris. That's what police are calling gangs who are digging their way into banks. Last week, they made off at around $30 million in a heist, and just yesterday, thieves dug their way into another bank from a metro station. They left empty handed after tripping an alarm.
In Utah, an avalanche buried a snowmobiler. Rescuers weren't able to get him out in time. It happened just north of Salt Lake City. Our affiliate KSTU reports that the writer triggered the avalanche by going too high on the mountain.
A teenager fought back sending her attacker to the hospital. It happened in Fair Haven, Connecticut. A guy grabbed the 15-year-old girl, pulled a knife and threatened to kill her, but she was able to wrestle it away and stab the guy. He ran to the hospital where police caught up to him. He is now being held on half a million dollars bond. The teen suffered minor injuries.
All right. What does teen heartthrob Justin Bieber, President Benjamin Harrison, the Easter Bunny, and a fertility clinic all have in common? Think about it for a minute. We'll have the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: What does teen heartthrob Justin Bieber, President Benjamin Harrison, the Easter Bunny, and a fertility clinic have in common? Eggs and thousands of them. Yes, the time has come again. The Annual Easter Monday Eggroll at the White House. How far back does it go? The first hatch in 1878, believe it or not, the only time it didn't happen was during two world wars. Food rationing and World War I actually put it on hold from 1917 to 1920.
And why is it at the White House, you might ask. It used to take place on a steep slope on capitol grounds, but apparently, noisy, obnoxious kids who trampled the grass ticked off members of Congress. So, the president (INAUDIBLE) yolked it. Hopefully, the 30,000 peeps who are showing up this year will be a little more careful. Actress Reese Witherspoon, she might want to leave her stilettos behind. The Olympic medalist Apolo Ohno might want to leave the speeds skates a hanging. Rob Marciano?
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Go ahead and wear that prom dress. But we're going to paddle you for it. Really? Paddling in 2010. So how bad is that dress anyway. You're going to see.
And a wedding on this date, nearly 400 years ago in 1614 Lady Rebecca married Englishman John Rolfe. Who? No, Rebecca was the Christian name taken by Pocahontas. That was long after she saves Captain John Smith by the way.
And in 1976 a cruiser billionaire Howard Hughes died on an airplane flying from Acapulco to Houston. He'd been so private for so long that investigators had to check fingerprints to make sure it was really him. He left behind $2 billion and quite a legend.
And in 1994 Grunge lost its pioneer and poster boy when Kurt Cobain died by suicide. Nirvana's "Nevermind" album has sold 10 million copies.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Paddled at the prom? Oh you know this is going to be a good one. And get this, it was by choice. Well, not much of choice. Enough already, let's get to the story.
It's about a girl, a prom dress and corporal punishment. Though, our heroin was having none of that, we get the rest of detail from Melanie Posey (ph) of affiliate WBRC in Birmingham, Alabama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERICA DERAMUS, SUSPENDED OVER PROM DRESS: I was so excited because it's my senior prom and I've never been to a senior prom, so I was excited.
MELANIE POSEY, WBRC, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA: And Erica Deramus knew when she saw this dress online it was the perfect one. She says she knew her school had dress code policies but felt this dress was not in violation. But when she got to the prom Saturday officials tell her it was too short and too revealing up top.
DERAMUS: More cleavage, that's exactly what they said; I wasn't trying to ruin anything but that's what I felt.
DARRIE DERAMUS, ERICA'S MOTHER: If I felt like it was too much cleavage in this dress I wouldn't have purchased the dress. It would have stayed in that store in that window. And I got it off the Internet and paid for it.
POSEY: But Principal Trey Holloday says it violated the dress code the community set forth. That dresses could not have cleavage that fell below the breast bones or dresses that rose more than six inches above the knee line.
TREY HOLLODAY, OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: And so that expectation in our community is that it's there for protection of kids and not for management of kids.
POSEY: Holloday says parents and students were notified three times of the dress code and out of 352 students who attended the prom, 18 violated the policy. He says 17 students chose the option to be paddled as disciplinary action. Erica was the only one who chose three days suspension.
E. DERAMUS: We are too old to be paddled. This is high school, we are seniors, if this -- if we go and act up and give us another option besides getting paddled because this is not the 1940s we don't take corporal punishment now.
HOLLODAY: The thing that I would say is the difference between patients and tolerance, they are young and sometimes they make young people's mistakes and we are very patient when those things were made, including this. But we're not tolerant of bad behavior or the fines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: So paddling, really? What do you think? We want to hear from you, send your comments to my blog, CNN.com/Kyra.
And coming up in the next hour, I'll read what you had to say.
A quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Hey, remember this blast from the past?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sophisticated, yet less complicated. It's more powerful, yet less cumbersome. It can store vast amounts of yesterday or tell you what's in store for tomorrow. You can draw a picture or you can draw conclusions.
It's a personal computer from Apple and it's as easy use as this. Macintosh.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Wow. What a difference a few years makes, huh? They sure don't make them like that anymore. We've come a long way since then.
Hence, the latest gadget now -- Apple's iPad; it came out Saturday morning. Some folks wanted one so badly, they camped out overnight to get one.
The iPad is basically an iPod, touch-on roids and much cooler. So what can it really do? Depends on how you load it. You know, there's an app for that.
Richard Lui takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD LUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A random collection of Paula Deen's sayings. Proof, there really is an app for just about anything. But Jen Gordon hopes hers stands out.
JEN GORDON: Making this something that's pleasing to the eye and rich and yummy. That's what we do.
LUI: Since 2008, Gordon (AUDIO GAP) Clever Twist, a software development company specializing in iPhone applications. It was a direct response to the economy at the time. The apps market was getting hot and Gordon wanted a piece of it.
GORDON: Dylan, we have a bug.
LUI: The company's early days were rough. App store users showed little interest in (INAUDIBLE) like "Farm Friends". According to Gordon's blog, after a day and a half of selling the application for 99 cents, she'd made just $10.
The downloads spiked after a company then released it for free. A lesson learned in successful apps marketing.
GORDON: It was just one of those things where our strategy wasn't really in place and, you know, it's just like chaos. And there's only so many chaotic launches I can go through and maintain good health.
LUI: Clever Twist's experience is not unique. Thousands of other developers struggled to get their apps noticed having little money to spend on marketing. And in a sea of more than 150,000 applications in Apple's app store, many become lost.
GORDON: People are certain to settle in to this reality of wow, I really have to bust it or have something so completely unique from the technology or idea standpoint that is going to just blow everybody's socks off.
LUI: But reaching customers is not an issue if you're one of the biggest video game publishers in the world. EAMobile, a division of Electronic Arts, rakes in millions with popular titles like these.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very challenging to stay at the top. But you know we're very driven, our focus is to continue that momentum and really try success not just on the Apple platform but on all Smart phone and mobile platforms in general.
LUI: Although Apple's app store has surpassed 3 billion downloads, it's not the only name in the game. There's the Android Market, Blackberry's App World and several others. Mobile industry experts say developers have a greater chance of seeing profits by not focusing on just one of these. SIMON KHALAF, CEO, FLURRY ANALYTICS: A lot of advertisement dollars to move to these devices because it's a marketer's dream, these devices in your pockets.
LUI: Despite numerous setbacks, Gordon always saw great potential for her company. That (AUDIO GAP) Clever Twist is now partnered with several clients who want apps of their very own.
And if that doesn't keep her busy enough, she's got a new device to think about now, the iPad.
Richard Lui, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: It's the top of the hour and when the earth shakes, your world gets weird.
Major earthquake strikes, millions of Americans feel it. California, Haiti, Chile -- what in the world is going on with all these powerful quakes.
Talk about power, can the world's best-known athlete get back in the swing? Tiger Woods gets ready for the Masters but is the public ready to get over his sex scandal. The rehab Romeo faces a big test.
Hey, did someone mention paddling?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're too old to be paddled. This is high school. We're seniors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: I have to agree. High school senior gets spanked -- really? The issue, you could say, on full display right here. Today's lesson: class -- what not to wear to prom.
