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Opposition in Libya Grabbing More Cities; Largest Protest in Wisconsin; Auburn, Alabama Universities to Plant Sister Trees; Extradition for WikiLeaks Assange; Tiger Woods Bounced at Match Play
Aired February 24, 2011 - 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: Hi, guys. Good morning. 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out West.
Developing right now, this giant-sized poster of Moammar Gadhafi. Just one sign of what's happening in Libya right now. The country's third largest city falling to anti-government demonstrators.
For the first time since October 2008, the price of oil climbs above $100 a barrel.
And new surveillance video from the first moments of that deadly quake in New Zealand. Rescue operations still in full force.
That's anti-aircraft machine gunfire. You can barely hear the voice in this amateur video that was posted on YouTube. It's day 10 of the unrest in Libya and the gunfire splits open the night sky in Tripoli. Anti-government protesters declare victory in the country's third largest city of Misrata.
The opposition already took control of Benghazi, its second largest city. Crowds still rally, too, holding signs, chanting as one. But in Tripoli, the capital, security forces tighten their grip.
Italy's foreign minister says Libyan death toll may be as high as 1,000 but if you listen to Colonel Gadhafi's son, he's sitting back saying, hey, there's nothing to see here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEIF GADHAFI, SON OF MOAMMAR GADHAFI (through translator): Today Tripoli is quiet. Yesterday, quiet. Schools are open, banks are open, people are out. Normally, life is normal here.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Life is normal here? Nic Robertson is on the Libyan/Tunisian border.
Nic, what are you hearing right now about the situation right now in Tripoli?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, we're hearing that it's everything but normal. We are hearing that Gadhafi security forces are laying siege to parts of the city. They're surrounding some areas, letting no one in and no one out, then doing house-to-house searches, military operations going on in those areas that are around.
We're told that a lot of people have been arrested and there are military operations going in other towns near the capital Tripoli. And those operations have been unsuccessful. But in Tripoli itself, Gadhafi's regime is sort of squeezing the areas where it thinks the most resistance is in the city at the moment -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And so you've been driving around the border roads. What's the refugee situation like?
ROBERTSON: More and more people coming across right now. There's a lull just behind me. I'll just step out of the way here. This is the border area. Just a few minutes ago, 20 minutes ago, that whole area was packed with another group of people coming through.
You might just be able to see two men struggling with a large case coming along there. That's typical of what we've been seeing here. And people have been describing the road coming away from the capital where they are fleeing from and they tell us there are government checkpoints on the route and they're also telling us that they're not only government checkpoints, but there are other checkpoints, they don't know who's controlling them. And they say men with weapons.
People don't want to talk about the situation too much when they get out here but they are describing a very scary situation, a situation they say is calm in the capital, but a false calm, if you will, because the government has such a lockdown on there right now -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Nic Robertson, continue -- continue checking with us. Excuse me. And bring us an update there about Tripoli.
Our Ben Wedeman was one of the first western journalists in Libya during this recent uprising. He was there as the people of the country's second largest city burst into the streets to celebrate opposition control. This is the voice of Benghazi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This demonstration in Benghazi gives you an idea of the passion of the people of this city. The passion of so many Libyans who have been thirsting for 42 years for this sort of opportunity, the chance to express themselves freely.
We arrived in this city and from the beginning, everywhere we went, I felt like I was an American soldier going into Paris during World War II. Everybody clapping and cheering.
We are the first television crew to get to this city, and we were just overwhelmed by the welcome here. People were throwing candy inside the car, clapping, shaking our hands, telling us, you're welcome, thank you for coming here.
An incredible experience. And, you know, I'm almost -- I feel like I'm just not up to the task of conveying just the significance of what we're seeing here. It's noisy. It's chaotic. But the people are ecstatic. These pictures just say it all.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Benghazi, Libya.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, President Obama is condemning the brutal response from the Gadhafi regime. It's the first time he's spoken publicly on it since the uprising started.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the president is sending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton now to Geneva for international talks aimed at stopping the violence. Later this hour, we'll talk about what other options the U.S. is now considering.
Well, the death toll from a massive earthquake that rocked Christchurch, New Zealand, is now at 98. Crews continue house-to- house searches for more than 200 people reported missing. But police fear many of them are dead.
One woman who was rescued says she was able to actually call from her cell phone while covered by rubble.
Let's take a look at this just released surveillance videos. It actually shows the bottles falling off the shelves in a wine shop right after that quake struck. Experts say the 6.3 magnitude quake was part of an after-shock sequence from a larger earthquake last September.
Pro-union demonstrators tuning it -- or turning it up, rather, in Wisconsin. Since last week, state workers have been holding protests at the capital against the governor's budget repair deal and today protesters plan rallies in other cities and towns as well. What organizers are calling the largest day of demonstration outside of Madison in state history.
CNN's Kate Bolduan is still there in Madison with more. Kate?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Kyra.
Yes, into the second week of this standoff. Protesters, the unions and state workers are really trying to keep the energy going. They are calling for today to be the largest day of protests and rallies outside of Madison.
Rallies are scheduled in more than a dozen cities across the state today. But all the while, the standoff continues. The governor continues to defend his budget repair bill saying that it's necessary and warning that the alternative is massive layoffs that could come -- that notices could come as early next week.
And the unions, meantime, they are also not budging. They're saying that they are -- have offered concessions and that this isn't about the budget at all in their eyes, they say this is about busting the unions on the part of the governor.
At the very same time, these 14 Democrats that boycotted the vote on this budget repair bill they remain out of state and have not given any indication of when they will return even though they have indicated they will have to return at some point.
And trying to turn off the pressure for those -- to get the Democrats to do that, Republicans in the Senate this week, Kyra, passed a measure that would require that members have to pick up their paychecks in person if they have missed more than a couple of legislative sessions. We'll see if that has any effect on how things proceed -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Kate, thanks so much. And what's happening in Wisconsin is having a ripple effect across the country.
We are all cheeseheads, that's the message from union workers in Connecticut now. Several hundred people showed up in a rally outside the state capitol. Even Connecticut's governor.
More solidarity for Wisconsin state workers in New York, too. Members of the city's largest public employees union demonstrated in front of city hall.
A union worker in Scranton, Pennsylvania, who joined the rally there say that he couldn't get to Madison but wanted to express his outrage.
Then in Atlanta opposing sides of the issues on opposite side of the state capitol building. One group in support of the Wisconsin state workers, others rallying for the Wisconsin's governor, Scott Walker.
Meanwhile, we got some severely thunderstorms in the forecast for parts of the southeast. Out west, well, they're bracing for winter storms.
Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf with more on that.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WOLF: Kyra, I understand you're a huge football fan. And of course you may have heard --
PHILLIPS: It depends on the team.
WOLF: It depends on the team. I know you're a USC fan. If you happen to be somewhere in the Southeast you heard of something different, by the way. PHILLIPS: You know, I lived in Mobile, Alabama, for a while. I'm passionate toward Auburn -- well, yes, Auburn, because my best friend from the ninth grade went there. However, I had another friend from the ninth grade that went to Alabama, so we had this friendly rivalry going on.
WOLF: Yes.
PHILLIPS: You feel this.
WOLF: Absolutely --
PHILLIPS: This is your turf.
WOLF: I've been a lifelong Auburn fan. I'll tell you, last week, obviously, as you know and millions of Americans know, that it really did come to a head. The school's student government president yesterday had a great move where both the Alabama student government president and the Auburn student government president came together and had this wonderful move.
Here is what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KURT SASSER, AUBURN, SGA PRESIDENT: There will be a plaque underneath that basically describes the mutual respect that we have for one another, and how we continue -- how we continue and help and foster a healthy rivalry.
JAMES FOWLER, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA SGA PRESIDENT: You know our rivalry is more than just a game. It's a partnership. More times than not, our partnership is one that unites us instead of dividing us.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Yes, but why poison 130-year-old beautiful oak tree?
WOLF: Well, it only takes one goofball.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: If you happen to be an Auburn fan, there is a great line that for years ago saying that no school happens to have a lock on idiots but the University of Alabama -- as an Auburn fan, I can say, is the University of Alabama had more than their fair share. And they had one -- there you go. And then -- yes. But the move they're making is they're going to plant trees at both of the universities. Sister trees, one in Auburn and one in Alabama. So it's a nice move. But, again, it's --
PHILLIPS: Unity trees?
WOLF: Unity trees. There's one (INAUDIBLE) the entire fan base of Alabama, it's just one random act and hopefully it won't happen again. PHILLIPS: Yes. You don't want to -- you don't want to destroy nature. Come on now.
WOLF: Absolutely.
PHILLIPS: You know, toilet paper it. You know hang things from it.
WOLF: It's just one thing to paint a mascot or something.
PHILLIPS: You want to think --
WOLF: Yes. But to destroy something that has been there for 130 years --
PHILLIPS: Yes. That's just wrong. It's wrong.
WOLF: It's a little bit strange.
PHILLIPS: Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet you.
PHILLIPS: Well, Discovery's last trip to the International Space Station and we're counting down to today's scheduled liftoff. We'll go live to Kennedy Space Center.
It doesn't get much better than this, 103 years old still dancing the polka. And here's the best part. She's also a nun.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Let's go "Cross Country," see what's happening in Orange County, California. Search is on for this bumbling robber who police say spent six minutes searching for his gun before he held up a convenience store. Surveillance cameras caught him digging through his backpack. Police say the robber had apparently forgotten where he put his gun. But eventually, he found it in his pocket, then he demanded the money.
All right, Hampton, Connecticut, where age is just a number for this 103-year-old polka-dancing nun. Sister Cecilia Adorni teaches her fancy polka steps to elderly residents at an adult daycare center. On Tuesday, she spent her 103rd birthday doing what she does best. That's right, the polka. So, what's her secret to longevity? It's simple. Joy.
And finally, in Big Lake, Minnesota, a man's home is his ice castle. For the fourth straight year, Roger Hanson has built a massive ice structure in his backyard, 64 feet high, 85 feet wide, it's twice as big as his own house. Hanson says his only concern, now, is that it's starting to melt.
Check out Space Shuttle "Discovery," fueled up, ready for one last blast into space. It's set to launch this afternoon at 4:50 Eastern Time, carrying supplies to the International Space Station. Then, "Discovery" is done. CNN's John Zarrella, joining us from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. John, it's the first of three before NASA retires the whole Shuttle fleet, right?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's it, Kyra. I think I'm going to go out on a limb here right now and say it won't be the weather that forces any delays today. Just absolutely spectacular here. For the 39th and final flight of the Shuttle "Discovery," a veteran crew. They're up, they've already had breakfast, getting ready to suit up and come out here for that 4:50 PM liftoff.
As you mentioned, this is only three left after this. "Endeavour" will fly in April. And of course, the commander of "Endeavour" is Mark Kelly. As most people know, his wife, Representative Gabrielle Giffords, is recovering in Houston from that gunshot wound.
And Kelly, in a news conference, said that he absolutely believed she would be here for his liftoff in April. I sat down and talked yesterday exclusively with Charlie Bolden, the NASA administrator. And he said, boy, that would be great if it happens.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE BOLDEN, NASA CHIEF: I pray that he is absolutely correct, because I think for all of us in the NASA family who have been praying with them ever since that Saturday, and all of us who love her and him, it would be just tremendous. It would be tremendous for the nation, because I think it would give everybody a big boost.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: Bolden also told me that he thought that the Space Shuttle program probably should have ended a long time ago, and that the United States and the rest of the world should have been well on its way to Mars by now. What he says really disturbs him, though, is the fact that the United States does not have a vehicle ready right now to replace the Shuttle when it retires.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDEN: What is not acceptable is the fact that the most powerful nation in the world, the United States of America, finds itself in a situation that we didn't do the proper planning to have a vehicle in place to replace Shuttle when it lands its last landing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: That last landing will probably be sometime in July. They'll be using the orbiter "Atlantis" for that last flight.
Kyra, I know I want one of these, and you probably do, too. Look at this. Robonaut 2. He's on "Discovery." He's flying up to the International Space Station. He'll become the seventh crewmember up there. He's going to do all kinds of menial things, like change the light bulbs and stuff like that.
But right now, he's just got half a body, this first generation. So they've got to kind of push him around to his workstations. But, eventually, he'll be joining crews when they do go to Mars 20, 30 years from now. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Wouldn't that be fun if you and I could do that? But 20, 30 years from now, you and I will be eating applesauce, playing Bingo somewhere, John Zarrella.
(LAUGHTER)
ZARRELLA: Yes. Yes. Exactly.
PHILLIPS: Oh, goodness.
ZARRELLA: Don't rub it in. Don't remind me.
PHILLIPS: Exactly. Well, it's definitely -- definitely a bit of history happening today. John, thanks so much.
ZARRELLA: Yes, absolutely.
PHILLIPS: And when John and I have talked about the Shuttle "Discovery," we've talked about it going up into space more than any other shuttle. And it's got -- and like we said, it carries a lot of history with it. It carried the first female Shuttle pilot, Eileen Collins. It also has the first African-American space walker, Bernard Harris, and it took the first sitting member of Congress into space. That was Jake Garn of Utah, and that was back in 1985.
Well, Nevada is America's last bastion of legal brothels, but now Senator Harry Reid wants prostitution banned in his home state. And those are some fighting words. From the Bunny Ranch to the chicken ranch and all ranches in between.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: I tell you what, it could be a big cat fight brewing over prostitution in Nevada, the last state where you'll find legal brothels. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says it's time for his home state to join the rest of the country and ban them.
Reid says that families don't want brothels in their state, and that businesses stay away from Nevada because of it. Nevada led the nation in unemployment last year and, if Reid gets his wish, it would be lights out at places like the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, the brothel you might have visited through your TV. It's the setting of "Cathouse" on HBO, and Dennis Hof runs the place.
He and some of the ladies there, well, they were there for Reid's speech this week before the state legislature, and they didn't even clap. Go figure. Of course, Mr. Hof has a business interest in keeping brothels open, but he also says you ban prostitution and you're going to have abusive pimps trafficking underage girls. He talked more about that with CNN's Amber Lyon just a few weeks ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS HOF, MOONLITE BUNNY RANCH: Pimps are the worst leeches in the world. It's in Birmingham, it's Charleston, it's everywhere. It's everywhere in America, there are pimps that are trying to grab the life of young girls and take them away from their families.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And believe me, Dennis Hof has a lot more to say about Senator Reid's proposal. He even got up really early this morning. Says he wants our toughest questions. So, Dennis Hof, Mr. Moonlite Bunny Ranch himself, will join us live from Las Vegas next hour.
In Libya, another city falls. The third-largest city, now under opposition control. But to hear it from the Gadhafi family, hey, everything's normal to them.
Plus $5 a gallon. We're talking about gas. And that's how much it could cost by this summer. We'll tell you if Libya has anything to do with it or not.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: We are just learning that Toyota is issuing a recall for more than two million vehicles to try involve -- or, trying to fix problems involving gas pedals, once again, that got trapped in floor mats. This is a story that we've heard before. This is what caused that tremendous recall not too long ago. Now, reports saying we're seeing it again. So, we're on that story, we're following more, we'll try to get you more information.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
PHILLIPS: It's not about 30 minutes past the hour. These are some other stories we're talking about.
Budget protests planned today in Wisconsin could actually be the biggest so far. State workers are calling for the largest day of demonstrations outside of Madison. Workers are outraged saying the governor's plan to fix the budget could cause them to lose their collective bargaining rights.
And Hawaii is the seventh state in the country to recognize civil unions for same-sex couples. The governor signed the bill into law yesterday It gives partners in civil union the same rights and benefits that spouses in a marriage enjoy. That bill takes effect in January.
Mexican authorities made 10 arrests in the fatal shooting of a U.S. immigration agent earlier this month. One suspect presumed leader of a drug cartel allegedly behind the hit. Agent Jamie Zapata was killed in an ambush while on a Mexican highway. Five other men, three women and a minor were also arrested.
Day 10 of the unrest in Libya. Misrata, its third largest city, now under control of anti-government demonstrators. This is actually the scene in Benghazi, the second largest city as the streets were flooded with residents holding signs, chanting in celebration. All eyes now on the country's capital.
Our Anderson Cooper asked eyewitness in Libya if Gadhafi can even hold on to the city of Tripoli now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "AC360": Other cities, obviously, are now in the hands of anti-Gadhafi forces. Do you think Gadhafi can hold on in Tripoli?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
COOPER: What makes you say that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's because he's using last resorts. He is falling and he's falling fast. Everybody is waiting for him to fall. He is trying to discourage people. He's trying to do his best to let everybody give up. He's trying to use the weakest point of the west, which is al Qaeda giving out, that al Qaeda will be running this country. This is nonsense. That will never happen. Libya is a very moderated, very peaceful, very desperate country, a nation who is just waiting for a chance to be out, to have a democracy, to have an actual law, to have a constitution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Up until now, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been the voice of the administration with regard to Libya. Now the president is weighing in.
Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry joys us now.
Some people are saying that the U.S. was a little late to the game on Egypt. So what about the administration this time around responding to go these events? Critics, once again, pointing out he didn't even mention Gadhafi's name in this speech -- Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Certainly some critics saying that the president too far too long to weight in here. Even, as you notice, Secretary of State, his press secretary Jay Carney and others have been out there in recent days condemning the violence. But there's nothing quite like the president of the United States going out there on camera and condemning it as he did last night.
Now, I'm told by my sources that there are some U.S. officials who are fearful that if the president had gone out there sooner and had attacked Gadhafi and made this more personal, it could actually backfire on the U.S., escalate the situation and potentially because Gadhafi could take some of the American citizens who are there still in Libya right now, take them as hostages and escalate the situation, make it that much worse.
So that is, in part, one of the factors I'm told as to why there's been some caution here. But as you noted the president did come out strongly last night here at the White House, made clearly -- made clear that he is frustrated with this violence and that it needs to end now. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya. These actions violate international norms and every standard of common decency. This violence must stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Now, among the actions the president is taking, he's sending his Secretary of State to Europe, consult with allies, consider a range of options. U.S. officials say that could include a no-fly zone for Libya, something used against Saddam Hussein in his regime in Iraq, as you'll remember. Also, potentially either unilateral sanctions by the U.S. or sanctions in conjunction with the United Nations or other entities like that, the Europe Union and others, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Now, what about getting the military involved, Ed? any possibility of that?
HENRY: Well CNN is learning this morning that, in fact, there are now some military options being put on the table for the president. Our Barbara Starr confirming with a senior U.S. official that the Pentagon is putting together some potential interests, potential military plans for the president to consider.
But we've got to underline that, look, the Pentagon does all kinds of planning for potential conflicts, plans that are never used by the White House, but they've got to prepare, obviously, for all kinds of contingencies, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Indeed. Ed Henry from the White House.
Ed, thanks.
It's hard to carry on a major corruption case when the major player has to be wheeled out of the courthouse and into a hospital. More drama in the story of Bell, California.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Fifty-four corruption charges are enough to make anyone sick. Take a look at Robert Rizzo, the accused mastermind of the Bell, California, money scandal. Had to take him out of his preliminary hearing on a stretcher. Chest pains, he said, come on during a lunch break. Hospital won't say how Rizzo's doing. My guess is he had a major anxiety attack. The hearing's postponed until week.
You know, Rizzo was about making $800,000 a year as a city manager of a very tiny, poor suburb. And that scandal made a lot of Californians wonder about the paychecks their elected officials take home.
Private citizens and watchdog group started asking tough questions and they sure got some results. The "L.A. Times" took a look at the fallout. And in January, the Mayor of Hercules actually stepped down. He was tied to $3 million in contracts that went to relatives of another city official. Then, residents of Redlands came close to sacking their city manager after they found out he made $230,000 a year. Tule Vista (ph), well, folks are also fed up with the high salaries of their elected officials. They've asked the city council to look into the problem there.
Citizens of Thousand Oaks are demanding cuts to what they say are inflated health benefits for city council members. Then, in Lindsey, a town with a 19 percent jobless rate, people there rallying for greater transparency and salary cuts. The city manager makes $214,000 a year.
Potential presidential candidate standing with Wisconsin's governor in a battle with state workers. We'll tell you about Tim Pawlenty's new video.
Also ahead, the royal couple. William and Kate hosting one of their first events ever. They're naming a life boat.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Sarah Palin planning a trip to India for next month but she's getting push-back from some people in New Hampshire. Mark Preston's going to explain the whole scenario for us.
Hey, Mark.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, how are you, Kyra? Yes, Sarah Palin will be heading to India next month, March 19th. She's going to be giving the key note address to a major conference where some of the India elite are going to be at. They're going to be talking about policy and technology and business issues.
We do not know if Sarah Palin is going to be making any other stops as she is heading over to India, but she is getting some push-back, as you said, up in New Hampshire, from the state's largest newspaper is wondering why she's going to India, but she hasn't made any moves up to that state, the first of the nation primary state.
So we will wait to hear whether Sarah Palin will actually make a move and run for president.
One probably presidential candidate, though, Tim Pawlenty is coming out in support of the Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Now, he's already said some very nice things about Walker. Walker in that very high-profile fight with the unions up in the Wisconsin. Tim Pawlenty today, through his political action committee, has put out a minute video where he is backing up the governor in his fight with the unions.
He also has an online petition, Kyra, Pawlenty does, asking people to show their support for the Wisconsin governor. Of course, Kyra, it doesn't hurt with Republican -- for potential Republican primary voters if he does seek the GOP presidential nomination -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Now Goldman Sachs has a new analysis out on the house GOP's proposed spending cuts, right? What does that say?
PRESTON: Bad news for House Republicans. Jeanne Sahadi with CNNMoney.com has a fantastic story on this and she breaks it all down. In fact, what Jeanne's story says is that the more the federal spending Congress slashes this year, the greater the potential drag on the economic gold according to this Goldman Sachs analysis that was just released late yesterday.
They go on to say that the GOP's $61 billion dollars that they suggest they want cut between March and September 30th of this year, could reduce the economic growth from between 1.5 and 2 percent.
Now I do have to say that the House Republicans are saying that they don't agree with the analysis. And not surprisingly House Democrats say that they do, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Mark, thanks.
And we're going to have your next political update in about an hour. Always get all of the political news 24/7 on our web site, CNNPolitics.com.
All right, in Japan people are going bananas over this. Snow monkey's kicking back, relaxing, taking a dip in the steaming hot spring. You got to love that face. We'll explain.
But first, "Flashback", today, February 24th, 1965.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(THE BEACH BOYS PERFORMING "HELP ME RHONDA")
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: What do you remember more? The striped shirts or "Help Me Rhonda"? The song was written by group members Brian Wilson and Mike Love. It peaked at number one in the U.S. becoming the Beach Boys' second number one hit after "I Get Around."
Also on this day, 1979.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(THE POLICE PERFORMING "ROXANNE")
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Oh yes.
PHILLIPS: The Police released "Roxanne," a song about a man who falls in love with a prostitute. Lead singer Sting got the idea after walking through the Red Light District in Paris.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: And extradition order for WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange and money problems for his whistle-blowing Web site. That tops on our "Morning Passport".
CNN's Zain Verjee is all over it for us from London. Zain, what do you know?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hey there Kyra, Julian Assange is going to be extradited to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault. Now he has said that he is going to appeal that ruling and if it fails, though, he is going to have only about ten days before he is sent off to Sweden.
One thing that I just want to focus on a little bit here Kyra is that WikiLeaks is having a major cash problem. They are putting out t- shirts and mugs and even dinner with Julian Assange to try and raise some money because he's got legal fees of something around $200,000 and things like PayPal and Visa and MasterCard are refusing to even process any of his payments.
So he's in a major jam financially. We'll see what happens with the appeal.
I want to focus a little bit more on the royals, Kyra. I know you always love a good Will and Kate story. And let me show you some pictures that have just come out.
They are actually in Wales, and they poured some champagne over a life boat, and named it the "Hereford Endeavour". This is actually a little bit bigger than some of the life boats and dinghies (ph) that you'd have in the U.S. But the royal couple-to-be, out there, and so many people were very excited.
You know, we've also had a heavy news cycle with a lot serious news, Kyra. So I got this story for you. Monkeys in hot tubs in Nagano, Japan. We just need to chill out a little bit and look at these monkeys, ok.
PHILLIPS: Reynolds -- Reynolds likes it, too. He's getting excited over here, nothing like monkeys chilling out in a hot tub.
VERJEE: Well, you know, yes, you know, you and I don't get to do that, but in Nagano, Japan there they are soaking it up. Because you know, the -- the thing is they've been stealing food and attacking tourists and basically being a royal pain.
So what they decided to do is build them their own little park with their own hot springs, so they can lie there in the tub and sip a little champagne and cheese and strawberries and whatever else they're doing.
PHILLIPS: What do you think, Reynolds?
(CROSSTALK)
VERJEE: I mean --
PHILLIPS: Champagne, strawberries --
WOLF: I think it looks like monkey soup. It does. It's hot water, you throw in your monkeys, and then boom, voila.
PHILLIPS: Oh boy. Now -- now Pete is going to be all over us.
VERJEE: I prefer monkey business, Kyra. Right.
PHILLIPS: Yes, I don't know, it looks like fun. I don't know if I'd want to jump in there with them. But you know, that's a whole another story.
All right, thank you, Zain, I always love to wrap it up with something warm, and yes, fun.
We are following a lot of other stories, I promise, next hour here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's go ahead and start with Kate Bolduan she's in Madison.
BOLDUAN: Hey there, Kyra.
Well, unions are calling for today to be the largest day of protests outside of Wisconsin's state capitol here in Madison, we'll have the latest on the budget battle and the governor's prank call at the top of the hour.
WOLF: And in the Pacific northwest, it is all snow but in parts of the southeast, we are talking about a chance of severe thunderstorms and perhaps even tornadoes. I'll let you know when they may strike coming up.
PHILLIPS: And we are talking to the man who runs the famous Moonlite Bunny Ranch in Nevada. Why? Well, we want to know what he thinks about a call to ban brothels in the last legal place that you can have them. He said something about prying the cat house keys from his cold dead hands.
Last month, a military commission said it was time to drop the ban on women in combat. Next hour, we'll speak to one of the most decorated military women in U.S. history about her experience and her take on the outdated ban.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Jeff Fischel, new open just for you. Woo who, what a setup.
All right, I promise I won't take your whole entire hit time talking about how poor Tiger Woods.
JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: Wow.
PHILLIPS: Oh, he's struggling. Poor guy. We feel so sorry for him.
FISCHEL: I know people -- he's not getting a lot of sympathy these days, right? And see -- the thing is, you wonder, when is Tiger going to get better or is this just how he is, right? Anymore?
(CROSSTALK) PHILLIPS: This is it. He blew it.
FISCHEL: Tiger -- Tiger has been knocked out in the first round of the match play championships in Arizona. The first round. Look how bad Tiger's tee shot is here on the overtime hole, way off into the cactus. He lost to Thomas Bjorn huge upset and then he couldn't even get out of the sand.
Either young gun Rory McElroy was asked whether young guys are catching up to Tiger and Phil Mickelson. He said, Tiger and Phil haven't got any worse but then he corrected himself and said, well, Phil hasn't gotten any worse. Ouch.
PHILLIPS: Oh don't pick on Phil.
(CROSSTALK)
FISCHEL: Tiger struggling, man it's a good turn around.
Let's switch to the NBA now. Halftime the Lakers and Blazers. Captain Morgan you may know him he sponsored a world record attempt --
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: Johnny Depp.
FISCHEL: It is.
PHILLIPS: I'm sorry. Go ahead.
FISCHEL: Most people standing on one leg at one time. You know of course, if they had too much Captain Morgan, they wouldn't be standing on one leg. It looks like there might be enough there to get a world record. Sure give it to him.
As for the game, Kobe Bryant did it again in over time, hit the clutch shot to win in overtime. He had 37 points. L.A. goes into Portland and wins.
Carmelo Anthony in his first game last night for the New York Knicks since the blockbuster trade. He was great. Melo scored 27 points. The Knicks beat the Bucks, look at Melo draining (ph) it from three. Fans in New York are very excited to have him on their team. In fact, the town is so excited about their new superstar, the famous Carnegie Deli has created a new enormous sandwich in his honor. It's called the Melo -- there's nothing mellow about this.
PHILLIPS: There is nothing mellow about that sandwich.
FISCHEL: Salami, pastrami, corned beef, there's even some bacon on top. Oh my goodness. It costs $22 and, of course, the doctors' bills from the heart attack afterwards. Look at that thing.
All right. (INAUDIBLE) great finish, Wisconsin trailing Michigan by 2. The Badger's Josh Gasser, open, throws it up at the buzzer, and bangs it in for three, and the win. Wisconsin takes it 53-52 at Michigan. The team mobs Gasser. Watch him, he knows he's in a rush. He would never bank it from there intentionally but he did it at the buzzer.
All right. Finally, Carrie Underwood -- her songs have been banned from a popular radio station in Ottawa because her husband, popular Ottawa hockey star Mike Fisher was just traded to Underwood's hometown Nashville. Some said her fans think he was lured to the country music capital.
So it got me thinking. This is a great way for national teams to get a whole lot better, just have country music's most beautiful ladies start dating the best player. So I'm thinking maybe Super Bowl hero, Aaron Rodgers; maybe Taylor Swift can lure him from the Packers to the Titans. Certainly the Titans need it.
PHILLIPS: Are they dating, by the way, Taylor Swift and Aaron Rodgers?
FISCHEL: No, no, they're not. I was just --
PHILLIPS: He said something about having the hots for Taylor Swift, didn't he?
FISCHEL: He probably did. But he's dating -- he's dating a "Gossip Girl", I think.
PHILLIPS: Oh, a "Gossip Girl".
FISCHEL: Yes, I think.
These are the things I pay attention to.
PHILLIPS: Trouble, trouble, trouble. I'm always going to you for the scoop, fabulous -- these celebrity hook-ups. Thank you Jeff Fischel.
FISCHEL: All right, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: How about that sandwich?
FISCHEL: I'm full just looking at it. I could not touch that thing.
PHILLIPS: Thank you, sir.
