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Government With a Side of Pork; Earthquakes Rock China; Pedophile Priest Investigation
Aired April 14, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Tony Harris. Top of the hour in the CNN NEWSROOM where anything can happen, usually does.
Here are some of the real people behind today's biggest stories.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I grew up on shuttle and I've been working shuttle since I was 18 years old. So I pretty much live and breathe this stuff, you know, I really enjoy what I do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: A NASA engineer ponders his career. The shuttle lands for the final time in September with a cosmic impact on Florida's economy.
Plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIONEL TIGER, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY: Don't by any means, let them drug your child to turn it into a girl, which is what effectively they do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: What? A professor who fears men are becoming too girly? He charts a course to save the males this hour in the CNN NEWSROOM.
OK. Let's get going here. Let's get started.
Would you like a side of pork with your government spending? The group Citizens Against Government Waste is out with its annual "Pig Book." Oh, we love the "Pig Book."
But the group says spending on pork barrel projects is actually down more than 15 percent this year. The report includes more than 9,000 projects. The price tag, $16.5 billion. We could use that money elsewhere.
Our Josh Levs has been going through some of the projects. He joins us with details on some of the most egregious so-called oinkers -- Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, it's from Citizens Against Government Wastes, as you know. And I have their Web site up behind me that talks about this.
You know, it's an annual thing. And sometimes there are questions, are they right or wrong to call something pork? But here's a figure that really struck me. Take a look at this.
I have this on a graphic for you, because it's about the of number of anonymous projects. They looked at more than 9,000 projects that they ended up listing here, and they say that they found 81 anonymous projects, Tony, worth a total of $6.5 billion.
Now, I'm just going to tell you some of the things that are in here that might be striking to a lot of people. We're going to have more details coming on CNN.com throughout the afternoon.
Two hundred thousand dollars for the Washington National Opera for set design and installation and performing arts at libraries, Tony. Five hundred thousand dollars for the University of Southern Mississippi for cannabis eradication. These are the kinds of things that the group points to.
They take a look at all sorts of projects that they say were put in through the earmark system. And they're actually saying that even though there have been some improvements in terms of transparency, there's a long way to go. They say that in some cases, they had trouble getting some key information.
And I'll just tell you a couple more examples here.
There's one, Texas they're pointing to, $693,000 for beef improvement research. This just came out within the hour.
So, Tony, what we're looking at here, the merits or not of each project. Well, keep in mind, yes, they get a lot of money for these projects. They also do end up creating jobs often through this money. And people can come up with various justifications. This group is confident that this is definitely pork -- Tony.
HARRIS: So earmarks and pork as one man's stimulus program? How does this group decide -- and I took you right back to the Stimulus Desk, didn't I?
LEVS: I know. I know.
HARRIS: How does this group decide what counts as pork, Josh?
LEVS: Yes. Well, what they do is they look at a handful of criteria. That includes how it was put in, was it only put in by one person, do they have to go through an approval process? In some cases, was it an announce?
And they say that in every single one that they're listing in this report, which has now got Washington talking, that they're confident that every single things meets at least one of their criteria, if not more. And throughout the NEWSROOM afternoon today, Tony, I'll be camped out here following more of these details and bringing them to you right here. HARRIS: It's stimulus. It's not pork. It's stimulus.
LEVS: Well, some people are going to make that argument that, you know what? Through these projects you get jobs, and how one man's stimulus is another man's pork. It's true.
HARRIS: Oh my. All right, Josh. Appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
LEVS: You got it, Tony. See you.
HARRIS: Got to tell you, budget cuts are having a disturbing affect on police work. Strapped for cash, the city of Los Angeles, for example, is now forcing its officers to cut back on overtime despite a rise in murders. Detectives say investigations are often put on hold.
Takes a look at the money facts here. According to the "Los Angeles Times," the force paid out about $100 million in overtime last year. But for the fiscal year that starts in July, there is less than $10 million set aside. Los Angeles police chief now, Charlie Beck.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF CHARLIE BECK, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPT.: Property damage only, traffic accidents don't get investigated. Some of our desks won't be open at night. You may not be able to get police reports in a timely fashion. You know, many of these things that are not immediate public safety issues, we may not be able to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So we are asking you about the nation's budget problems. What are you willing to sacrifice or accept to reduce the national debt? I want to hear what you have to say on this topic.
We're going to spend a lot of time on it, so weigh in, please. Go to CNN.com/Tony. You can leave a comment, and we will share some of them on the air. Or you can just give us a call. Here's the number: 1- 877-742-5760.
Leave a comment, if you would -- there's the phone number -- at the tone and include your name and where you are calling from. And if you would, keep your comments to under 30 seconds so we can get a lot of comments on the air.
A series of powerful earthquakes rocks China. The epicenter, a remote western mountain region. Four hundred people feared dead, another 10,000 injured. Those figures expected to rise.
CNN has set up a China Desk. Our Errol Barnett monitoring from there for us. And meteorologist Chad Myers is also on this story.
Errol, let's start with you. What sort of human toll are we talking about here? And are we hearing from anyone affected by the quake?
ERROL BARNETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, the human toll is immeasurable, isn't it? We do know that according to the USGS, several thousand people were exposed to extreme shaking there in Shanghai province in central China. Now, the quake struck early in the morning, at about 7:50 local time, so many young people were in school, many people heading to work. It really did take many of them by surprise.
We understand that 80 percent of the buildings here have collapsed. We're talking schools, hospitals. And many of the homes, Tony, they're made of wood and earth. So they're not really able to stand up to such of an impact.
And it is hard to connect with residents there because of all of this. But we were able to speak with one resident of Yushu. His name is Zha-Xi, and here's what he told us.
He said that, "We're a minority family." We believe that means he's Tibetan. There are many people from Tibet in this region.
"We felt a slight shake this morning, so we ran into the yard. There was more shaking of our house. Our house collapsed after we came out."
"We put up a tent today to keep warm. I bought some mineral water and instant noodles for my children. We have never seen anything like this. People are terrified and the government doesn't even have enough resources to rescue us."
Tony, so he, like thousands of others, terrified at this hour dealing with this quake.
HARRIS: Hey, Errol, maybe we can roll in some more pictures here and do some mapping as well.
How remote an area are we talking about here? And how difficult is it going to be to get relief to the impacted areas?
BARNETT: It's extremely remote. This is a rural part of China. In fact, it's about 1,200 miles west-southwest of Beijing.
We have a correspondent, in fact, John Vause, on the way. He's traveling there on ground. It will take him at least another, we believe, six hours before he can even get there.
This is -- and many of the roads are damaged. Bridges in the town have collapsed. But aid though is on the way.
We have some video for you of that. This is aid workers boarding a plain in Jiangdu. And Chinese state television is reporting that the Ministry of Civil Affairs plans to distribute some 5,000 tents, 50,000 coats, 50,000 quilts.
We know that soldiers have set up tents and they're transporting oxygen for the thousands who have been injured. More than 5,000 soldiers and medical workers, in fact, have been dispatched. But in these rural areas, the hospitals already don't really have all the resources they need, so they're still asking for more help. We're also tracking social sites to see if we can get any pictures or responses from people. And we'll keep tracking that. Viewers can connect with me at Twitter.com/ErrolCNN, and Facebook.com/ErrolCNN.
But Tony, hundreds dead, thousands injured. And a real desperate situation for so many there in China.
HARRIS: Terrific. Errol, keep us posted. Thank you.
BARNETT: Sure.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a bombshell statement from a high-ranking Vatican official has the gay community fuming.
First, though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
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HARRIS: OK. A little -- guys in the control room, help me out here. I know I need to pause so that folks can get the full effect of this "Random Moment." So let me know when I should just pipe down and let the natural sound tell the story.
Here we go. Of course there were Three Stooges, right? But only one daffy enough for this "Random Moment of the Day."
A bumbling burglar broke into a drugstore, right, in Tulsa and promptly panicked when he heard the sirens. Now, surveillance cameras caught him climbing into the ceiling to escape and -- OK. So he takes the fall for the crime, right?
Not one fall. Not two. Not three. But six.
Look at this shot. What is the dude doing?
All right. Here we go. Ready?
The burglar finally made his great escape on his seventh try. He also managed to steal our attention for just one "Random Moment."
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HARRIS: Pushing the Pope to help in a pedophile priest investigation, a Minnesota prosecutor has sent a letter to Pope Benedict asking his assistance in getting an Indian priest back to the United States to face charges. He assaulted a 14-year-old female parishioner. It allegedly happened while he was serving at a Catholic Church in Minnesota in 2004.
CNN's Liz Neisloss discussed the case with the accused priest.
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LIZ NEISLOSS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The accusations now are that this girl says that you threatened the lives of her family members if she didn't come to your office and perform oral sex.
REV. JOSEPH PALANIVEL JEYAPAUL, CATHOLIC PRIEST: Well, it is a lie. It is totally a lie, because I did not have any contact with them. No contact, no communication. And they need to come and clear my status. And I can prove that I'm innocent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. So why so many reports of pedophile priests? An explanation by one of the highest-ranking Vatican officials has the gay community incensed.
Here is CNN Senior Latin American Affairs Editor Rafael Romo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): As the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone is one of the highest officials in the Roman Catholic Church. So when he commented on the sex abuse crisis in the Church at a news conference in Chile, it got a lot of attention. The problem, said Bertone, is not rooted in celibacy, but in homosexuality.
CARDINAL TARCISIO BERTONE, VATICAN SECRETARY OF STATE (through translator): Many psychologists, many psychiatrists have demonstrated that there is no relationship between celibacy and pedophilia, but many others have demonstrated, I was told recently, that there is a relationship between homosexuality and pedophilia.
ROMO: Cardinal Bertone spoke in Santiago, the capital of Chile, on a weeklong visit to the South American country. His comments offended many in Chile's gay community.
The Movement for the Integration and Freedom of Homosexuals reacted angrily, saying that "The Catholic Church hierarchy will at some point have to apologize for this perversion, for the sinister attitude of this Vatican gentleman. We are certain that there's no relationship between pedophilia and homosexuality."
Bertone also told Chilean Catholics that the Pope has repeatedly apologized for the Church's sex scandal.
BERTONE (through translator): The Pope has asked for forgiveness. He has asked for forgiveness in a letter to Ireland, he has asked for forgiveness in several speeches in the United States, Australia, and with the bishops of Ireland.
ROMO (on camera): On Monday, the Vatican posted a guide on its Web site on how church officials must handle cases of sexual abuse. The document states that civil law concerning reporting of crimes to the appropriate authorities should always be followed. It also says that bishops have the power to restrict activities of any priest to protect children.
Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
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HARRIS: You know, but someone within the Church says action should be taken now. The Reverend James Scahill from Massachusetts say church leaders who bury cases of child abuse are felons, and he believes Pope Benedict should step down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. JAMES SCAHILL, ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH: He should stand for the truth.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Does that mean stepping down?
SCAHILL: If he can't do it, if he can't take the consequences of being truthful on this matter, his integrity should lead him for the good of the Church to step down and to have the conclave of cardinals elect a Pope with the understanding that that elected Pope would be willing to take on this issue transparently, not just in promise, but in fact.
I have met with countless victims of abuse. I have lives that I can relate this to. And I grieved for them to be so insultantly (ph) dismissed as this whole case as petty gossip. You know, anyone with an ounce of intelligence knows the media has not created this scandal.
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HARRIS: Wow. Strong comments there.
While the bishop of Springfield is disappointed at such strong criticism directed at the Pope is coming from a member of his own diocese, he says they are watching to make sure abuse cases don't happen again.
Strong, strong stuff.
Mrs. Obama hits Mexico, her first solo trip as first lady.
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HARRIS: All right. Let's get you caught up on top stories right now.
Today's congressional hearing on mine safety interrupted. Take a look. You see the pictures here.
Three protesters in all wearing surgical masks made quite a scene during the testimony of an industry executive. The protesters apparently had coal dust there on their hands.
Her first solo trip as first lady, Michelle Obama in Mexico today after a stop in Haiti. The visit is supposed to re-enforce close ties with Mexico.
And retail sales are up again for the third month in a row. Hello?
Sales unexpectedly jumped 1.6 percent in March. That is the biggest increase since November.
We will get another check of our top stories in 20 minutes.
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HARRIS: More money, more jobs for space exploration. That's what the president is expected to announce tomorrow when he visits the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But will it be enough to offset all those jobs NASA will lose when the shuttle fleet is grounded?
Listen to what the mayor of Cocoa Beach just told me.
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MAYOR SKIP BEELER, COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA: I think one of the congressmen said it better. The people who have the high grounds are in the best position. The moon and space are high ground. I think a lot of our military and a lot of our success as a country is because we've excelled in space.
HARRIS: Yes. What do you think the impact of all of this is going to be on tourism?
BEELER: Well, it will affect tourism, because we get a phenomenal number of people here for shuttle launches and landings, and people coming to the Kennedy Space Center. Our fear is once that goes away, those people just aren't going to be coming back. And we have the beach. That's the part of Cocoa Beach.
HARRIS: Oh, yes.
BEELER: We're always going to have that. But, you know, a big part, a good part of our local tourism is the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center and, you know, the people who come to see the launches. And that we could easily lose a good chunk there.
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HARRIS: Let me tell you, grounding the space shuttle fleet, it is going to be a rough landing for thousands of employees. But some are hitting the ground running.
All-platform journalist John Couwels says one shuttle engineer may give up space for the spin cycle.
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JUAN VAZQUEZ, BOEING SHUTTLE ENGINEER/LAUNDROMAT OWNER: All right. Let's see. My name is Juan Vazquez. I am a Boeing ACL engineer at the Kennedy Space Center.
I think with everything else, it's all about the right tools.
I own two laundromats, this one here and another attended laundromat. I decided to do this as a possible alternative. We've been going at it ever since. I work here in the day. And in the evenings, I take care of this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The launch of America's first space shuttle, and the shuttle has cleared the tower.
VAZQUEZ: Now, I group up on shuttle. I've been working shuttles since I was 18 years old. So I pretty much live and breathe this stuff. I really enjoy what I do.
LISA RICE, WORKFORCE BREVARD TRANSITION PROGRAM: It doesn't have to be perfect today. We just want to put our hands on it.
One of the things that we found very intriguing, as well as very beneficial to the workforce, is our entrepreneurial program that we have. That is, so you think you want to own your own business? They get to see what it means to be in business for themselves.
VAZQUEZ: I'll lock up right here and I'll go over there and meet you.
I took the class, and I took it because I did -- I wanted to see where some of the challenges were of opportunities, or things that I could do better.
It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it, as far as the maintenance and stuff, unlike a vehicle, where you've got some pretty complex problems. If someone would have told me two years ago that I was going to do this, I wouldn't have believed it.
JUDY BLANCHER, WORKFORCE BREVARD TRANSITION PROGRAM: We're getting closer to the shuttle retiring. The end is imminent. Talking to the aerospace worker about engaging the program and coming out, and how important it is to put a Plan B together.
VAZQUEZ: Yes, I wouldn't say that my job is guaranteed, that I'll find another one. I think that it's going to be a lot of competition.
I work here for Boeing, and they've got facilities in other parts throughout the United States. So another option would be looking at maybe transferring to another division. Once we know what's going to happen next, then I will either move on or stay here.
And we're off.
Everybody should probably prepare for whatever happens next.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: OK.
A slow journey to mediocrity. That's where one space pioneer sees the American space program headed. Our Josh Levs looks at what this former astronaut is saying about President Obama's new vision for NASA.
Josh is next, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: OK. CNN, of course, your source for money news.
The lead story at CNNMoney.com, what's really behind a Toyota debacle? As you know, a pretty high-end SUV slammed pretty much by "Consumer Reports" yesterday. A "don't buy" recommendation on it. And Toyota's testing, trying to figure out what the real problem is from its point of view.
But, so what is behind the debacle at Toyota? That's the lead story at CNNMoney.com.
If you want the latest financial news and analysis, that's the place to go. The money team does a terrific job.
Let's get to the New York Stock Exchange here, gear this thing up.
Three hours into the trading day. And as you can see, stocks rallying a bit, up 54 points, 56. Nice jump. The Nasdaq, at last check, is up 26 points.
We're following these numbers throughout the day with Stephanie Elam, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
You know, a day before the president unveils his vision for space exploration, several men who have actually been to space are certainly challenging him. Among them, the first man on the moon.
Our Josh Levs is following that.
Neil Armstrong, wow! A hero.
What is he saying about all this, Josh?
LEVS: Yes. You know, Tony, let's do this first. Let's get to some of that cool video I've got to show you now.
HARRIS: You've got some good stuff?
LEVS: Well, it's the last time that people were on the moon. And you know that goes back to 1972. So you're looking at nearly 40 years.
I mean, as we know, it was even before that that the United States had its first touchdown, and that was when Neil Armstrong was the first human being to set foot on the moon. It was absolutely amazing to have some of the historical pictures right here on the Web site behind me. NASA has tons of them up there. And everyone remembers what a powerful moment it was.
And right now what we're seeing, what's happening, as you know, is President Obama is talking about his vision for how to handle space explorations in the future. And one thing that he wants to do is drop this program, which is called the Constellation Program.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. LEVS: And that was designed to bring people back to the moon after all this time. He's also going to look into the possibility of creating a colony on the moon, which would be a huge, new step. So the president said, look, this program, this blue ribbon panel, looked at it. It's not adequately efficient. It's not doing its job. He says he still supports it.
HARRIS: Right.
LEVS: Well, some people disagree with his decision, including Neil Armstrong, who has written an open letter, along with some others. Let's go straight to this quote. I want you to see what it says. "While the president's plan envisages humans traveling away from Earth and perhaps toward Mars at some time in the future, the lack of developed rockets and spacecraft will assure that ability will not be able for many years." He says, "without the skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides, the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to mediocrity." Then he adds, "American must decide if it wishes to remain a leader in space. If it does, we should institute a program which will give us the very best chance of achieving that goal."
Now, to be fair to the president here, Tony, as you know, the president says, hey, I share that goal. He wants to get people back into space. And that, for the time being, the Constellation Program is not the way to go. One thing he wants to do is take federal funds, pump it into the private sector and encourage that to help get people out there to the moon and maybe even eventually all the way over to Mars, Tony.
HARRIS: That's interesting. It doesn't necessarily read as a slam to the Constellation Program. There certainly isn't a ringing endorsement in that note from Neil Armstrong for us to go back to the moon.
LEVS: Right. What his concern is the president
HARRIS: But he wants the technology. He definitely wants the technology.
LEVS: Right. I mean, in general, what you're seeing is that he is pushing for a lot of these changes that the president is making.
HARRIS: Yes.
LEVS: He doesn't feel it's the right direction.
HARRIS: Yes.
LEVS: And what he wants to see different efforts that are more immediate to get Americans back up into outer space.
HARRIS: Well, that's a conversation that we have. Yes, that's a good conversation.
LEVS: It's going to be lasting a while, too. We'll see that conversation.
HARRIS: Yes. Thanks, Josh. Appreciate it.
LEVS: You got it.
HARRIS: You know, most of us have to live within our means. Pay attention to our budgets. But the country has racked up, are you ready for this, $12 trillion in debt. And the government will have to make some really tough choices to bring it down. Yesterday we asked Jeanne Sahadi of the CNN Money team at cnnmoney.com to explain why the massive debt matters to you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE SAHADI, SENIOR WRITER, CNNMONEY.COM: It matters, not because the government can't run any debt at all. It's a little bit more complex than just your average American family. Entirely less loveable, but nevertheless more complex. So it's OK to run some debt. But, right now, our debt is untracked. Basically consume more and more of the federal budget. So there will be less and less revenue available for the government to do what you want the government to do.
A really good example. In 2020, the Government Accountability Office estimates that, on our current track, we will be spending 93 percent of our tax revenue dollars, 93 percent, on just Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest on our debt.
Another good example. In the next decade, of all the money we're going to accrue in debt, more than half of it will be in interest. That's money that doesn't benefit you. It doesn't benefit me. It just benefits the folks that buy our bonds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Think about that for a second.
OK. So we want to know from you, what do you think? What would you sacrifice to reduce the national debt? Many of you were calling in with your comments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you have to sacrifice something, that's -- that's when you do. In the case of being forced to sacrifice something to accommodate economic conditions, I would sacrifice the same thing I've had to sacrifice for 20 years having a family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At the present time, we could not sacrifice anything. We are on unemployed on unemployment looking for extended benefits. We can't sacrifice what we don't have enough to put things on the table for our family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no way, Tony, I will sacrifice any more. I have nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: I hear you. Appreciate it. Here's what some of you are saying on tour blog.
From, Janie, "I am willing to live with a modest tax increase as long as the government sticks to a pay-go policy while cutting spending. I believe that most people are patriotic enough to give what they can."
But Bob says, "why is it only the average American is always being asked to sacrifice every time our leaders and big business get us into trouble?" Wow. "They get the benefits" -- sorry, I had an editorial comment there but I'll keep it to myself. "They get the benefits while we, the everyday Americans, pay the bills."
What do you think? You can reach out to us at my blog at cnn.com/tony any time.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, lost near an alligator infested swamp. And it seemed everyone was involved in the search.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES KING: I asked God to make my path straight to her. And he did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: You will want to hear the rest of this pretty remarkable rescue of an 11-year-old girl. That's next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Oh, boy. In central Florida, OK, an 11-year-old girl woke up in her own bed this morning. And that is real reason to celebrate here. That's because she had vanished into an alligator infested swamp on Friday, only to be found alive yesterday. Our David Mattingly just back from the area.
And, David, how was one man able to find -- what a great story -- this little girl?
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How is one man able to do that?
HARRIS: Yes.
MATTINGLY: That's the big question. He went into the area that seems to be the most impenetrable, the densest type of vegetation and somehow he managed to go right to her.
HARRIS: Huh.
MATTINGLY: So when people were asking, how did you do that? He's crediting a higher power.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Her tiny hand waving from the stretcher was Nadia Bloom's way of telling everyone she was OK. It was an amazing end to a three and a half day search in which the 11-year-old seemed to vanish without a trace, until a remarkable 911 call from her rescuer's phone.
NADIA BLOOM (voice-over): Hi. This is Nadia. And I'm the girl who got lost.
911: OK. Nadia, are you OK? You're not hurt in any way?
MATTINGLY: This mildly autistic Nadia was dehydrated, hungry, barefooted and covered with insect bites. Volunteer James King says he was calling on his faith when he found her.
JAMES KING: Speaking scriptures and yelling, Nadia! And then I heard, what? And I said, that way, right there.
MATTINGLY: It was in one of the densest, muddiest parts of a swamp near Nadia's central Florida home. At first, the 911 operator couldn't believe it.
KING: I'm almost right in the middle of the swamp.
911: Sir, so you're in contact with her?
KING: I'm holding her right now, yes. She's OK. She's got bites all over her. She's got some scratches.
MATTINGLY: Working alone, King was able to do what scores of trained officers, divers, and a specially-equipped helicopter could not. After spending four nights in the snake-infested thicket, Nadia told the 911 operator she was doing some praying on her sewn.
BLOOM: I kept saying over and over to myself that God would probably lead me home.
MATTINGLY: King and Nadia's family once attended the same church. Tuesday night, that church and the community around it celebrated what some are calling a miracle.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Whoa! David, David, David, David, David, David, David, wait a minute. So one man finds this girl. You described this as a thicket, right? This area where they found this little girl.
MATTINGLY: And that's being generous. I mean this was almost impenetrable.
HARRIS: OK.
MATTINGLY: I mean by the time they found out where she was, the actual rescue team went in there, triangulated the position.
HARRIS: Right.
MATTINGLY: They had to go in there with machetes. It took them a half hour really working it to get in there. So this was -- this was tough. And they never thought an 11-year-old girl would go in there, so that's why they hadn't searched this area.
HARRIS: OK. So this -- so James King goes in and directly to the girl? Did the authorities
MATTINGLY: On his -- on his own. And he took the hard way getting in there, going through a lot of water, going through a lot of mud. I mean, it wasn't an easy walk for him at all.
HARRIS: And did the authorities ever question the voracity of the story he was telling them?
MATTINGLY: Oh, absolutely. As soon as she was in the ambulance, they pulled him aside, said we've got some questions for you. They took him away. They asked those questions, trying to make sure that his story was standing up to whatever scrutiny they had. He understood this and he actually commented about it a little bit later.
HARRIS: Wow. That is terrific. All right, David, appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
MATTINGLY: You bet.
HARRIS: What an amazing story. And she's fine?
MATTINGLY: She's fine.
HARRIS: Some scratches and
MATTINGLY: Some scratches. Some insect bites. She needed a lot of fluids.
HARRIS: Wow.
MATTINGLY: So we haven't heard from the doctors today, but yesterday they were absolutely amazed.
HARRIS: Terrific. David, thank you.
Top stories for you now. President Obama pushing his plans for reforming the nation's financial sector. He met this morning with congressional leaders from both parties. The House has passed its version of reform. The Senate is preparing to debate a Democratic sponsored bill that Republicans oppose.
Sales of a popular Toyota SUV are now on hold. The automaker has suspended sales of the 2010 Lexus GX460. "Consumer Reports" has urged people not to buy it. Toyota says it will conduct tests on the vehicle.
Firing up the crowd and firing off a few barbs at President Obama, Sarah Palin rallies the Tea Party. Plus, a new poll on Palin as a presidential nominee.
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HARRIS: Let's see these pictures here. Tea Party activists returning to the birth place of the country's revolutionary spirit. Holding a rally in Boston right now. It is the last stop before the cross- country tour wraps up in Washington tomorrow on tax day. The Tea Party formed last year in response to what supporters saw as over- spending in Washington on the stimulus bill, President Obama's budget and the bank bailouts. The movement grew from dozen to hundreds of loosely linked groups. Last week, a coalition of national and regional groups announced the formation of the National Tea Party Federation.
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was the headliner at today's Tea Party rally. Palin ranks third in a new poll of Republican's choice for presidential nominee in 2012. She came in behind Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney. At the rally today, Palin blasted President Obama's health care plan and government spending.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: But the unintended consequences of these actions, the results are un-American. Is that what Barack Obama meant when he promised the nation that they would fundamentally transform America? He warned us. He warned us with a playbook that sure seems to me like it's awalinsky (ph) all the time. Is this what their change is all about? I want to tell him, nah, you know, we -- we'll keep clinging to our Constitution and our guns and religion and you can keep the change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Palin says Tea Party supporters will have their say in the November elections.
Fetal pain. Will the courts accept this premise as a new standard to ban abortion?
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HARRIS: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Bottles and chairs thrown into -- actually turned into a head-banging weapons. An off campus party gets out of hand in Virginia. Some 8,000 people turned out for a spring fest, celebration near James Madison University. Dozens of people were hurt. Cars and windows smashed on homes. Dumps you get the idea here, right? Police arrested 17 people and are looking at YouTube videos for more suspects.
It is tough and the governor is expected to sign it. Arizona lawmakers have approved what would be the strictest immigration law in the country. It makes it a state crime to be in the U.S. illegally, even though immigration law is almost exclusively a matter for the federal government. The bill requires police stop anyone they believe is here illegally and requests to see a green card. Critics say that amounts to racial profiling and predict the courts will reject the law.
It is a conversation you hear more and more these days, whether you're at the barber shop, the barbecue down the block, even from college professors. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIONEL TIGER, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY: Don't by any means let them drug your child to turn it into a girl, which is what effectively they do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Are guys getting soft? You don't want to miss this one. It's a hot one and it's next right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: OK. Let's do this. Let's take a look at some of the stories generating a lot of buzz on the Internet right now. Ines Ferre joining us again from New York City.
Ines, good to see you. What's hot? What's hot?
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Tony.
This is what's hot. Right off the top on cnn.com, Phil Mickelson, a vision in green.
HARRIS: OK.
FERRE: Check it out. Looks like he was rocking his green Masters jacket.
HARRIS: Oh, yes.
FERRE: Or at least one of them, on a doughnut run at Krispy Kreme, no less. Someone snapped this quick picture went the master of the Masters took his kids out there for a little sugar and celebrating. And, you know, I just kind of love that expression he's got on his face. Kind of like, uh-oh, you busted me. I'm getting a donut.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes, I like that. You said, one of his green jackets. Dude's got three. I mean they could be a part -- a regular part of the wardrobe, to be sure. I guess I would be wearing mine if I had one.
What else is hot, Ines?
FERRE: OK. Kalamazoo, Michigan. A towing company is suing a college student for creating a FaceBook page against the company. The four- page lawsuit claims Western University student Justin Curts (ph) should fork up some $750,000 in damages for talking badly about TNJ Towing. And Curts says he was just asking residents in the area to share their stories. And he doesn't know where the company thinks he'll get the money from. He's like, I'm just a college kid. I just wanted people's stories on this company.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes. And this is a -- this is a pretty big one, right, at cnn.com, do you think you're a man's man, right?
FERRE: Yes. Are you a man's man? Although I won't be asking you that because I'll have HR after me if I do. No, I'm kidding. HR, HR. OK. Some people are taking a look at male studies. And Carol Costello can explain it much better than I. Here's her story.
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CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): "Mad Men," the TV show, was many a contemporary man's fantasy. In 1960s America, men were men. Today --
COSTELLO (on camera): What would you say the state of men is right now?
LIONEL TIGER, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY: Males are at a point now where they're experiencing a considerable amount of dismay and uncertainty and somewhat scorned in principle by females.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Lionel Tiger is one in a group of professors, all men, who support a new, academic discipline, male studies. It explores the biology behind masculinity. It was born in part out of a concern our culture is feminizing boy.
TIGER: Don't, by any means, let them drug your child to turn it into a girl, which is what effectively they do.
COSTELLO (on camera): Do you think that's really true? That if you give a kid Ritalin and it's a boy, that they want to transform him into a she?
TIGER: Becomes less active, more physically compliant, less likely to bounce around the room.
COSTELLO (voice-over): While you may or may not agree with that one, the fear of feminization is out there. Other men are fighting it, too. Not by studying the problem, but by going retro, a la "Mad Men." They're dismissing less than masculine heroes, like the guys in HBO's "Entourage," and embracing the macho heros of old, like Theodore Roosevelt and Steve McQueen.
BRETT MCKAY, AUTHOR, "THE ART OF MANLINESS": You know, what does it mean to be manly.
COSTELLO: Brett McKay supports the retro-sexual movement. Along with his wife, he wrote "The Art of Manliness," and says men can end the confusion by embracing the kind of macheesmo that includes honor and self reliance.
MCKAY: I think it's just a reflection of this idea that men, young men particularly, want to grow up. They're tired of, you know, feeling like they're a teenager still.
COSTELLO: While a male studies class may help, McKay says a good first step is simple.
MCKAY: You're going to take the wide one and you're going to wrap it around. COSTELLO: Dress like a man. And men seem interested in going elegantly macho. Both Banana Republic and Brooks Brothers are now selling retro looks. As for whether clothes or male studies will re- establish a manly man's place in the world, who knows.
COSTELLO (on camera): As for what women think in light of the fact men still dominant the top of the corporate ladder and still dominate all three branches of government? Some women are receptive. Others say it's just another slam on feminism.
Carol Costello, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Wow. Wow. I've got to tell you, Ines, this conversation, I know it feels like it's a piece coming out of the blue, but, you know, I spent a lot of time in barber shops around the country. You wouldn't know it for all the hair I have, why would I spend time at barber shops, but I do. And you hear this conversation over and over again. It's hard to know what to make of it, but there you go. Maybe folks will have a little more rational to make their arguments now that a professor is working on it.
FERRE: Yes. Well, Tony, you can also wear one of those cool hats that was in that "Mad Men," right?
HARRIS: Right. I love that show. I love that show.
FERRE: Well, you --
HARRIS: I love it. All right.
FERRE: Yes.
HARRIS: Well, we'll keep the debate going, that's for sure. Ines, appreciate it. And see you tomorrow.
FERRE: See you, Tony.
HARRIS: We'll get at more of what's hot on the Internet tomorrow with Ines Ferre.
It is time for us to go. A guy with all the swagger in the world, Ali Velshi, up next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
