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Gadhafi Reaching Out for Deal?; Budget Border Summit Rejected; Cleanup Gives Way to Turtles; A Look at the Gadhafi Dynasty; Staying Safe on the Road; Preventing Islamic Radicals

Aired March 08, 2011 - 11:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Let's get you up to speed for March 8th. Happy Mardi Gras.

Opposition leaders say that Moammar Gadhafi is reaching out for a deal today. They say he's going to leave the country provided he gets immunity from prosecution. A regime spokesman denies the claim.

Gadhafi forces launch new air strikes today against rebels holding the oil town of Ras Lanuf. Rebels say they kept control of Misrata, but Gadhafi tanks are on their doorstep. One rebel pleaded for help during a conversation with my colleague, Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need some medical support because we are very bad. Now we are in big shortage of medical support. Misrata is surrounded.

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "AC 360": Why are you talking --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need somebody to come to -- at least to give us some things to protect ourselves, to protect our families, to protect our children.

COOPER: You know you're taking a great risk by talking. Why are you talking?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know if maybe tomorrow I will -- still alive or not. I have nothing to lose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The White House is downplaying talk that it may arm Libyan rebels. A spokesman says the U.S. won't send weapons to a post office box in eastern Libya.

But momentum for a no-fly zone is building today at the United Nations. And NATO has begun 24-hour surveillance over Libya.

Civil rights groups are angry over President Obama's Guantanamo Bay flip-flop. He is ordering military tribunals to resume for three dozen Gitmo detainees. Another 47 will be held indefinitely without trial. Critics say new legal safeguards for detainees are just window dressing on the Bush administration policy. Spanish authorities plan an autopsy on the body of an American student in Madrid. Friends last saw Austin Bice 10 days ago, when he left a nightclub alone. Bice's body was found in a river not far from the nightclub. Detectives say there are no obvious signs of foul play.

And Joran van der Sloot's lawyer says he's going to argue temporary insanity in the death of a 21-year-old Peruvian woman last year. The goal is a reduced charge and lighter sentence. Van der Sloot is also the prime suspect in the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba.

A U.S. immigration official tells CNN a Mexican police chief is in the United States today asking for asylum. Twenty-year-old Marisol Valles Garcia, a criminology student, took the chief's job because nobody else wanted it. Mexican drug cartels have repeatedly targeted the town's police force.

And today is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. In Egypt, activists called for a million women to march on Tahrir Square to demand fair and equal opportunities. Women call their role in Egypt's revolution a breakthrough.

And Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama will present 10 International Women of Courage Awards at this hour. This year's recipients include an Afghan prosecutor, a Cuban blogger, and a member of Hungary's parliament.

Now back to our lead story, word that Libya's Moammar Gadhafi is trying to negotiate his exit as the deadly clashes in his country enter week four.

Our senior international correspondent, Ben Wedeman, he is on the phone from the opposition-held city of Brega.

Ben, tell us about what you're hearing about a possible deal.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this deal is all very unclear, and it may not be a deal at all.

According to some of the media in the region, there was a suggestion that some sort of national Congress be held where a deal would be worked out to allow Moammar Gadhafi to step down peacefully from power, but we're hearing from our Nic Robertson in Tripoli that officials there are dismissing it as nonsense. And in Benghazi, opposition leaders are saying they wouldn't trust Moammar Gadhafi in such sort of a deal anyway. So it may not be going anywhere.

I'm hearing at the front lines in Ras Lanuf that when word came out that some sort of formula was being worked out to allow Gadhafi to leave, all the gunmen there started to celebrate, shooting in the air. But word quickly passed that there was nothing to it, so they went quiet again -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: What do we believe is next for Gadhafi? If there is no possible deal on the table, what is he facing now? WEDEMAN: Well, it appears, I think, that they're taking some solace from the fact that in the western part of the country, they've managed to surround and besiege the towns of Zawiya and Misrata. And in the central part of the country, around the refinery city of Ras Lanuf, they've managed to halt the opposition offensive. And basically, now the opposition, at least in his part of the country, is on the defensive.

They're actually bolstering the defensive positions in the anticipation that the Libyan army may begin to advance in the direction of Benghazi. So it appears, at least for the moment, that Gadhafi has the upper hand militarily, if not politically -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Ben, if Gadhafi is forced out, if he's not killed before that, where might he go? Where might he even be accepted?

WEDEMAN: That's a very good question. He's not too popular among his fellow Arab leaders.

Certainly, the Saudis, who are hosting the former president of Tunisia, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, are no friends of Gadhafi, and they are unlikely to roll out the red carpet for him. He is on relatively good terms with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. He's in contact with Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. But if I were looking for a place to go into exile, I don't know what I would do if I were Moammar Gadhafi -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Ben Wedeman, thank you for that report.

We want to go -- we have some breaking news here. We're going to take a look at some live pictures coming in right now. They are looking for a suspect here.

What we know about this story, two federal marshals and a detective were shot in St. Louis today while serving arrest warrants. One marshal died of his wounds. The other is in fair condition. The detective was hit in his bulletproof vest and was injured when he fell.

You're looking at live pictures there, breaking news, as they search for the suspect responsible in this shooting. As we have more details, we'll bring that to you, we'll update this story, breaking news.

Here's a look at what's ahead "On the Rundown."

Gadhafi's family tree. We're going to highlight key players as civil war plays out in Libya.

Also, the latest on the Wisconsin budget standoff.

Plus, an SUV crashes into a home and a baby survives a close call.

And Gulf oil cleanup takes a back seat to turtle nesting season. We'll have more on that. And finally, Charlie Sheen may have lost his shine, along with his job.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Wisconsin's governor calls the idea "ridiculous." Governor Scott Walker rejects an offer by a Democratic senator for a border summit on the state's budget.

Well, here's a timeline of the standoff.

On February 11th, the governor unveiled his budget repair bill. It called for limits on collective bargaining by many public employees. Well, that ignited a wave of protests.

On February 17th, 14 Democratic senators left the state for Illinois to keep the bill from moving forward.

Well, last Friday, March 4th, the governor issued layoff warning notices to labor unions.

So, where do things stand today?

Our CNN's Ed Lavandera, he is in Madison.

Ed, catch us -- take us up to speed here. Any chance that, first of all, that the Democrats will come back to Wisconsin to help resolve this issue?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've had a chance to speak with a couple of them this morning, and so far there doesn't seem to be any talk of coming back. They say they will definitely not be coming back today. They say these decisions are made on a case-by- case basis.

We're told kind of behind the scenes what these 14 Democrats are doing is that they all get together once a day to discuss all of this. Obviously, they're obviously keeping communication over the phone as well. But they come together once a day to talk all about -- to talk about all of this, and those decisions haven't been made.

So that letter that was sent to the governor here to request that face-to-face meeting, as you mentioned, Suzanne, the governor here calling that idea "ridiculous." They say those negotiations need to take place.

We've been told by several of these Democratic senators that there had been meetings going on, but those talks broke down going into last Thursday. So we've gone on several days with none of these talks, and the governor explained yesterday why he thought the idea of meeting face-to-face along the border was a "ridiculous idea," in his words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SCOTT WALKER (R), WISCONSIN: I authorized two members of my administration to travel to south Beloit, to go across the state line. To do exactly what Senator Miller (ph) is asking for in this letter to be done in the future, we did yesterday. We actually did this.

Again, we didn't put out a press release because we're serious about getting this done on behalf of the people of the state. People talk about negotiate. We've been doing it for days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Suzanne, so at least for now, there doesn't appear to be any end in sight here.

And there's one other interesting factor kind of going on as well. Recall efforts have been going on, and right now the recall effort is against 16 senators here in Wisconsin. Eight Democrats, eight Republicans are moving forward.

A lot of this is to put pressure on people who might be wavering. The Democrats need three Republicans to switch sides so that they would have the votes to defeat this bill. Republicans need one Democrat to switch sides. So a lot of people think that these recall efforts is kind of an effort to maybe make some of those kind of floundering to switch sides -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And while there's a standoff here, have there been any pink slips that have been sent out? Is anybody losing their job at this point?

LAVANDERA: Well, you might remember that the governor, at the end of last week, sent out letters to the heads of various unions, I think some 13 or 14 organizations, warning them that there might be layoffs. This is kind of standard procedure, the way it works here in Wisconsin, that if union workers are going to be laid off, there needs to be a letter sent out, a 30-day notice, and those notices went out last week.

So if there -- it doesn't say any specific number of layoffs, but this is the first step in beginning that process. So many Democrats and union members kind of took that as a bad sign here, a sign of bad negotiating on behalf of Governor Walker here, when those letters were sent out in the midst of those intense negotiations last week.

MALVEAUX: All right. Ed Lavandera, thank you very much. We'll be keeping our eye on any developments.

Thank you, Ed.

LAVANDERA: You bet.

MALVEAUX: Other stories that we are watching across the country.

A wildfire in southwest New Mexico, it raced through a residential area of Silver City overnight. At least 12 homes burned to the ground. About 100 families were forced to evacuate. Many are now in emergency shelters.

Now, we're taking a look at some live pictures here. Got to love it, Mardi Gras.

It is getting ready to storm, however, in New Orleans. But is it going to dampen anybody's spirits? Not a chance if my family is down there. After all, it is Fat Tuesday, time for those parades, parties, crazy costumes. The last chance to feast before Lent.

But it's not all fun on the Gulf Coast. Crews are still obviously trying to clean up oil from last year's BP leak, but they're going to have to stop soon to make way for, yes, endangered turtles. It's their nesting season. Are the beaches ready for them?

Our CNN's Rob Marciano went there to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Spring marks the beginning of nesting season here on the northern Gulf Coast, and soon turtles will be coming up on this beach and hopefully laying lots of eggs. But there's still oil left on this beach, and the heavy equipment used to remove it now has to get off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This arbor (ph) kicks up the sand from the beach at a prescribed depth.

MARCIANO (voice-over): They call them land sharks, and they've been deep-cleaning the sand all winter long.

(on camera): It's amazing how clean that is.

TOM MAHAN, BP'S FLORIDA BRANCH DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS: It's beautiful. I mean, these Florida beaches are spectacular.

MARCIANO (voice-over): The goal is to get the beaches back to their pre-oil spill form. But layers of oil still exist deep in the sand. And these machines are only allowed to dig down six inches in this wildlife protected area.

(on camera): So there's a lot more going on the sand than just meets the eye.

RICK CLARK, CHIEF OF SCIENCE & RESOURCES MGMT.: Yes. It's very alive. It's a very active substrate. It's very diverse. What we can't see is a lot of other critters, literally, that are below us right now that all drive this whole system.

MARCIANO (voice-over): All of what makes this perfect nesting grounds for some rare animals. I got to handle a few sea turtles rescued from the oil spill last year. They are truly remarkable creatures.

(on camera): Pretty darn cute.

Turtles that are born on this beach, do they come back and nest on this beach?

CLARK: You know, it's pretty amazing, the imprints on this area by virtue of when they hatch.

MARCIANO: So they don't really have a choice. This is their nesting ground. Oil or not, they're going to come back here.

CLARK: This is their habitat and home, absolutely.

MARCIANO (voice-over): This stretch of beach averages about 2,000 baby turtles that hatch in the sand and crawl back into the Gulf every year. The hope is this year, when the turtles do come home, the little oil that's still here won't get in their way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: Of course, we've got turtles, we've got birds, and we've got people, too, on some of the other beaches that are less protected. They've dug down over two feet deep to try to clean some of those oil patches. But in the areas now, there's still some oil and these critters are coming back.

MALVEAUX: Love that piece, Rob.

Give us a sense, how long is this nesting season for the turtles?

MARCIANO: Well, the bird season starts now. So they're off the beach for the bird season. Turtle season starts in May, and it goes all summer long.

So they're going to have to just spot clean. They've got to keep all that gear off the beach.

Those land sharks go about six inches down. They did take samples, about a thousand samples, and about 22 percent of those samples showed some sort of oiling.

So, if you roll the dice a little bit, the odds are that the turtles that do come back might not hit that oil at all. So that's what the hope is.

MALVEAUX: And did they rescue some turtle eggs? Did they move any of those eggs?

MARCIANO: Well, I'm not sure. Remember, they actually took -- they did a huge project where they took nests last year that were on those beaches so that those little hatchlings wouldn't go back in the oiled water. They took them and they moved them on the Cape Canaveral side of Florida.

And they had, like, a 70 percent success rate of them hatching and going into the Atlantic. They'll probably come back to the Atlantic side, but there's, I don't know, 10, 15 years of maturation before they actually come back.

MALVEAUX: And I noticed it's dark, the video, when you actually tape them. Can you only see them hatching at nighttime? Do they only come out at night? MARCIANO: They do come out at night quite a bit. And when they do, they -- they'll shine lights on them towards the water to actually attract it to light.

So, in order for them to do the right way, as opposed to going to city lights, they shine a light towards the water and try to get them in there. Get in there, guy.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MALVEAUX: Well, even if you have a license to print money, it's going to cost you more. Why rising cotton prices are driving up the price of making money.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Well, you would expect the price of T-shirts, right, socks to go up because of soaring cotton prices. But the cost of making money, that is also rising.

Our CNN's Alison Kosik, she is here at the New York Stock Exchange with an explanation to all of this.

Alison, tell us how this works.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, you know this, it takes money to make money, and that's really no joke here. Have you noticed the price of cotton these days? It's up over 161 percent just over the past year. And since cotton is the main ingredient in money, check out how expensive it is to make money.

To make a one-dollar bill it's about 10 cents. Back in 2008, it cost about 6.5 cents. So, yes, it's costing more to make that money -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: It literally costs more to make the dollar bill.

So would they consider switching the dollar -- I guess a dollar coin? Could you make a coin instead? Is that a viable option?

KOSIK: It is a viable option, Suzanne, especially if you talk with the General Accounting Office. They would love to completely get rid of the paper dollar and move in the dollar coin.

They say, in fact, there are some around right now, but they're not very popular. People think maybe they're a little bit too heavy.

Also, they say that people have got a choice. They've got a choice between the paper dollar and the coin dollar. The GAO says if you completely take the paper dollar out of the picture, the coin will catch on a lot faster -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Alison, are coins more expensive to make than the bills because they have metal in them?

KOSIK: They are. You know, it costs double to make a coin than it does the one dollar paper bill. But you have to look at it this way -- the coin is a lot more durable, it lasts a lot longer.

Check out the life span for the dollar. A dollar lasts about three years. A dollar coin lasts about 30 years.

But then you also have to factor in, you know, the reality that there are going to be some growing pains if you go ahead and incorporate the coins into the mix. Businesses would have to modify their cash registers, have more storage space. Trucks would also have to modify as well. They're going to carry heavier loads.

And, you know, these checkouts, these self-checkouts, checking -- vending machines as well. Also, you and why have to get used to lugging around more coins. I know it's a viable option. I just don't think it would really work at this point, unless --

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: I have too many in my purse already. Alison, you know how heavy my purse is already? That would not work for me.

KOSIK: I'll bet. I hear you.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Alison.

Well, here's your chance to "Choose the News." We're going to tell you about three stories. You vote by texting for the one that you would like to see.

First, a little boy whose mom and dad are deployed overseas in Afghanistan at the same time. Hear how this military family is coping and why talking on the Web doesn't always cut it.

And using the game of chess to keep kids off the streets. Meet a former state trooper, sick of teen crime, who puts his own money on the line to help the next generation.

And then, homes of steel, how some homeowners are protecting their life's biggest investment from tornadoes.

So, you know what you've got to do. Text 22360. Vote 1 for "Mom and Dad Overseas"; 2 for "Chess to Fight Crime"; or 3 for "Homes of Steel." The winning story will air in the next hour.

Libya's opposition leaders insist there are no negotiations with Moammar Gadhafi for him to leave the country on his terms. We're going to take a close look at the Gadhafis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's a look at what's ahead "On the Rundown."

Gadhafi's family tree. We're going to highlight the key players as civil war plays out in Libya.

Also, don't be a distracted driver. Tips and devices to keep you and your teenagers safe on the road.

And finally, a Muslim community is fighting to keep their kids from becoming radicalized.

Right now we want to focus on Libya.

Four weeks into the deadly uprising, the U.S. government is still considering what action to take.

Our foreign affairs correspondent, Jill Dougherty, takes a look at the options.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As troops still loyal to Moammar Gadhafi battle opposition forces, President Obama is warning the U.S. is using all the intelligence assets at its disposal to monitor Gadhafi and those who support him.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to send a very clear message to those who are around Colonel Gadhafi, it is their choice to make how they operate moving forward, and they will be held accountable for whatever violence continues to take place there.

DOUGHERTY: NATO was also upping its intelligence gathering with round the clock surveillance flights. For the moment, the focus NATO says is humanitarian, but it's also part of contingency planning for possible military action.

In the meantime, the fighting and the dying continue and the administration keeps repeating.

OBAMA: Wide range of potential options.

ROBERT GATES, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We have prepared any number of options.

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: No option has been removed from the table.

DOUGHERTY: It's first option the White House says is humanitarian aid. The president authorizing an additional $15 million on top of $10 million for aid organizations already on the ground in Libya.

Next on the table, an arms embargo already in place. Then there's the option of a no-fly zone. The administration cautions, it has drawbacks, but Britain and France are moving forward on planning. Arming the rebels also is being considered, but both the state department and the White House so far are shooting that down.

P.J. CLARKE, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: There is an arms embargo that affects Libya which means it's a violation for any country to provide arms to anyone in Libya.

CARNEY: I think that it would be premature to send a bunch of weapons to a post office box in eastern Libya. We need to not get ahead of ourselves in terms of the options we're pursuing.

DOUGHERTY: And in the getting ahead of ourselves category, the White House says sending ground troops is on the table but it's at the bottom of the pile of options.

(on camera): A U.S. official also tells CNN that there is a very nascent effort, just the beginning stages, to bring the opposition together. There are signs, this official says, that the protesters are beginning to organize themselves, but it's still too early to say what shape this will take or how many players are involved. This is still, the official says, a very fluid situation.

Jill Dougherty, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Moammar Gadhafi has ruled Libya for more than four decades and his sons also play a major role in his reign. We're going to look at the Gadhafi family.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We're hearing from two different opposition groups in Libya. One is saying that Moammar Gadhafi wants to negotiate a deal to leave the country. The other group is denying that.

Well, here's a look at the Gadhafi family. A Libyan government official was quick to call claims of talks with the opposition lies. Frederic Wehrey has studied the Gadhafis and has recently returned from Libya , where he is a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation. He joins us from Washington.

Thanks for joining us here. I want to first start off, I mean, clearly the Gadhafi family could be a strange reality show if what wasn't taking place in Libya wasn't tragic. Gadhafi, he's colorful, as are his children. He has seven sons, one daughter. They have a great deal of power, wealth and influence.

I want you to help us understand who the key players are. I understand there are four sons that are at the forefront here. One of them we've seen a lot in the news, Saif al-Islam.

Tell us what you know about him.

FREDERIC WEHREY, RAND CORPORATION: That's right. This is a family dynasty, Gadhafi has been cultivating his sons for succession. And like any dynasty it's filled with intrigue, rivalry and scandal.

Saif al-Islam is interesting because before this started he was thought of as in the west as a reformer. He made speeches about changing the system. He had a charity that was quite effective. But what was interesting right after the unrest started, he made a number of statements that showed he was squarely in the camp of his father.

MALVEAUX: And also, give us a sense of Mutassim, what is he like? WEHREY: Mutassim is the national security council adviser. He was seen as a rival really to Saif, a potential rival for succession. There was reporting that Saif was jealous of Mutassim when he accompanied his father on some state visits. Mutassim's thought to have established his own militia to keep up with militias that his brothers had. We saw him disappear from public view in the months preceding this revolt.

MALVEAUX: And he's pretty well known to at least Americans because there are pictures of him actually with Hillary Clinton, is that not right?

WEHREY: That's right. He was on a state visit. He was a proponent of military dialog and security corporation with the United States.

MALVEAUX: Do we know why he's disappeared from view?

WEHREY: Well, this started before the revolt broke out and this was just a sign, perhaps, that he had fallen out of favor with his father, that he was under pressure from hardliners.

MALVEAUX: And tell us about Khamis.

WEHREY: Khamis al-Gadhafi is a professional military officer. He's an officer in the special forces. He commands the most capable unit in the Libyan army, the 32nd brigade. And this unit is reported to be spearheading the crackdown against the rebellion.

MALVEAUX: Saadi, I understand, is best known, because the captain of Libya's national football team. But he's a very formidable character because of his influence with the oil contracts.

What do we know about him?

WEHREY: That's right. He's actually an engineer by training. He's best known because he was the captain of the Libyan national football team until he was fired for reportedly failing a drug test. He then began exerting quite a lot of behind-the-scenes influence. He was responsible for overseeing a free trade zone, as well as getting his share of the oil contracts.

What was interesting in this current unrest is that there were reports that he was once again putting on his military cap and spearheading the crackdown.

MALVEAUX: Is it true that one of the sons has defected to the opposition?

WEHREY: There were reports of that. Saif al-Arab, but he was always a marginal figure. He was really never on our radar. His defection may be a symbolic blow to the regime. But again, the key sons that really matter are the four.

MALVEAUX: And Gadhafi does have a daughter, Aisha. She was recently stripped of her title as a goodwill envoy to the United Nations.

Does she have new power or influence?

WEHREY: There were reports that she actually does. She was instrumental in mediating some of the disputes among the sons and actually playing sort of cleanup in the wake of their scandals overseas. It's unclear her whereabouts or what her role really is right now.

MALVEAUX: And Frederic, real quickly, is there anybody, any of those siblings, that are in a position, if Gadhafi is either killed or has to leave the country, who could take his position, who could take over or would they all basically just be abandoned by the Libyan people?

WEHREY: Well, again, before this started, I think many Libyan youth held Saif al-Islam in high regard. He was sort of a beacon for change and reform. But I think that really fell by the wayside with his recent speech where he appeared to be defending his father and actually calling for violence.

MALVEAUX: All right. Frederic Wehrey, thank you so much.

Obviously a lot of power and influence that these young Gadhafis have. We'll see what happens as they look at the fate of their father.

Thank you very much, Frederic.

WEHREY: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: Don't forget to Choose the News. Vote by texting 22360 for the story you would like to see in detail the next hour.

Vote one for mom and dad overseas. What life is like for a little boy separated from his Military parents for seven months.

Vote two for chess beats the streets. How a former state trooper is using the game to fight juvenile crime in Atlanta.

And vote three for homes of steel. Building a home to withstand a tornado's fury.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Mississippi's Governor takes another step toward a run for president. Our Ed Henry, part of the Best Political Team on Television, live from the White House.

Ed, good to see you, what's going on?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, right. Haley Barbour seems to be getting closer and closer to a presidential run, you're right, hiring Jim Dike as a communication adviser. He's a well-known Republican operative. He worked for President Bush, he worked for the Republican National Committee.. But perhaps most interesting, he's very active in South Carolina politics, very important early state for the Republican candidates as they look ahead to those Republican primaries in 2012. And so this is another sign that Haley Barbour is at least inching closer and closer to a run. A lot of those Republicans want a shot at that building behind me, Suzanne.

Meanwhile, some shuffling in the Obama cabinet. CNN confirming that Gary Locke, the president's commerce secretary, is going to be nominated as the President's Ambassador to China. Going to be the first descendent of a Chinese citizen to actually serve in that role for the United States, if he's confirmed. Many people expect that he will. He's the former governor of Washington State, as well.

You'll remember -- perhaps most intriguing, he will be replaces Jon Huntsman, a Republican, who has been serving as the president's and the U.S. ambassador to China, now stepping down because he's mulling a presidential run of his own.

And as you know, Suzanne, a lot of White House aides here have just been very, very eager to laud praise on Jon Huntsman and say he's done a fine job for this president just to maybe muck things up a little bit in those Republican primaries. That's the last thing a potential Republican nominee for president wants is the White House saying good things about you right now, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Not beyond the White House to do that, throw those compliments to a Republican's way. All right. Thanks, Ed.

For the latest political news --

HENRY: They're doing it to Mitt Romney as well.

MALVEAUX: -- you know where to go, CNNPolitics.com.

And don't forget to "Choose the News," vote texting 22360 for the story that you'd like to see in detail. Vote 1 for mom and dad overseas, how a little boy is coping with both his military parents in Afghanistan. Vote 2 for chess beats the streets, why a former state trooper thinks teaching chess is fighting crime. And vote 3 for homes of steel, how some families in tornado alley are beefing up their homes to stop the destruction.

Well, distracted driving, it's becoming a, quote, "deadly epidemic." That is according to the secretary of transportation, Ray LaHood, and he is ready to get those drivers off their cell phones. Our Stephanie Elam is here with some tips that can help you safe on the road.

Steph, I'm sorry, I'm one of those guilty people. I'm one of those people. I've got to break that habit.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's one that a lot of people do, Suzanne. It's just a moment. You're like, look, I just need to make this call and I will be good, and it makes you think about what the consequences are when you see some of the stories out there. And "Consumer Reports" and the Department of Transportation have teamed up to combat distracted driving, and the problem is huge. According to the DOT, more than 5,400 people were killed in 2009 and about a half million were injured in distracted driving related accidents.

Those shocking numbers are having an impact on some. In fact, 66 percent of drivers in a "Consumer Reports" survey say they've changed their behavior on the road after reading or hearing about the dangers of distracted driving. But in another survey, 94 percent of drivers said they still see other drivers talking on a handheld phone.

Here in California, it's illegal for drivers to text or talk on a cell phone. Eight other states also have that same law. And that, Suzanne, is really what a lot of people would like to see more of.

MALVEAUX: And, Steph, a lot of people think that this is teenagers, that they're the biggest offenders of texting. What did this report show?

ELAM: Yes. "Consumer Reports" spoke with teens for their survey, and among those 18 to 29 years old, only 36 percent of the "Consumer Reports" surveys were concerned with the problem of distracted driving.

A University of Utah study found the reaction time of a teen driver who's talking on a cell phone is equivalent to that of a 70- year-old driver not using a phone. So talking to teens isn't always an easy thing to do, but it's essential.

I know it sounds simple, but you got to set a good example. So put down the phone and use a hand-free device when you're in the car. And 40 percent of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 say they've been in a car while the driver used a cell phone, putting themselves on -- and others, obviously, in danger.

And also, since many teens are on a graduated licensing program, enforce the limits that are set by the program. You could create your own family policy on using the phone while in the car as well. There's no reason why mom and dad can't step in there.

There's also a downloadable parent/teen driving contract at the DOT's website, distraction.gov. And there, parents can list agreements and consequences, they can take a look at what will happen if you break the rules on everything from distracted driving to not wearing your seat belt to driving a night or how many people are allowed in the car while you're driving. All very important things to take into mind, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: I'm going to try to be a better role model to my niece. She's a teenager, she'll be driving soon. So thanks, Steph. Appreciate that.

ELAM: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Phone blockers are another option, and as Stephanie was mentioning, she has more tips for parents, including how to disable a phone while your teen is driving.

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MALVEAUX: Besides just throwing the phone in the glove compartment, there are a few tech-savvy ways to reduce the distraction. Our Stephanie Elam, she is back with more on this.

Steph, tell us about this.

ELAM: Yes. No matter how old you are as a driver, this should be a basic rule -- don't pick up your phone unless your car is in park, and a lot of us just don't do that. On the other end, if you know your loved one is behind the wheel, help them out. Don't call or text them at that point.

Also, go hands free. Buy a Bluetooth head set or you can check out apps like Drive Safely Pro for Android or BlackBerry which reads your text messages aloud and then allows you speak your response. The app can even send an auto-response saying you're driving and you can't return the message at that moment.

Also, there are phone blockers like tXtBlocker and TeenSafer where parents can do everything from disable the phone, set limits on when and where messages can be sent, and can track the location of the phone.

And if you see a distracted, dangerous driver on the street, pull over and alert the police with that license plate number. That call could actually save a life.

And this morning on my way in, Suzanne, I actually passed a car that was crunched up around a pole. And working on this story, it made me think, I wonder if that was a distracted driver. At that point, all the EMT folks out there trying to save them, hopefully, they're fine. But it just makes you think about it a little bit more seriously.

MALVEAUX: Absolutely, a very good point. I'm going to work on this, Steph. Very good point, very good tips. I appreciate it.

ELAM: We'll check with you later.

MALVEAUX: OK, thank you. You've convinced me. Thank you, Steph.

We have new information now from the U.S. marshal service on a shooting in St. Louis. Two federal marshals and a detective were shot there earlier today while serving arrest warrants.

And a spokesman for the marshal service now says that both marshals are in the hospital and being treated for their wounds. Earlier, they told us that one of the marshals had died and the police detective was hit in his bulletproof vest and was injured when he fell.

We're going to keep you updated on this developing story. Well, a Somali community in the United States taking steps to prevent its news from booking radical Muslims. We're going to take you there.

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MALVEAUX: A dispute is intensifying over upcoming congressional hearings on homegrown radical Islamists. Congressman Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, insists that it is a growing threat, but many Muslim communities say that they're policing themselves.

Our Deborah Feyerick takes us to a Somali community in Ohio that is doing exactly that.

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DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every week, Musa Fara (ph) checks in with Somali families in this Columbus neighborhood. It's not just a social call. As his questions show, Fara stands watch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you tell you who is associated with your kids? Do you know anybody calling your son? Has your kid changed his behavior recently?

FEYERICK: Many of these families fled war-torn Somalia to save their children, fearful they might be recruited by the al Qaeda-linked terror group al-Shabab, which means youth in Arabic.

That danger seems to have followed them here. The fear now that young Somalis may be targeted for recruitment by the same violent extremists.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's nothing worse than a young mother or father who brought a young one here, go to school, then go out of this county and become a suicide bomber.

FEYERICK: The FBI has invested heavily in community outreach across the country. Homeland security experts say it has paid off, there's greater trust and cooperation than in the past.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have seen many instances where parents have indicated that they would have concerns about their child. And they'll come to us and we work together with that parent to hopefully minimize or mitigate any potential threat.

FEYERICK: Businessman Abdul Shmohamed (ph) says Columbus mosques are united, urging constant vigilance against potential recruiters.

(on camera): Who is it in the community who is potentially radicalizing young people? Is it the Internet? Is it somebody? Is it an Internet imam? Who are we talking about?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's something we haven't been -- we let that for the law enforcement to figure it out. FEYERICK (voice-over): Even on college campuses like Ohio State University. Somali-born Abdulahi Yusef (ph) has worked to educate his ear peers about the dangers of radicalization.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have people dying back home and to see Somali youth who have been given a chance to live in this great nation and getting education to go back and do such insane actions, I mean, it is very -- it is very frustrating.

FEYERICK: So far, there's no evidence anyone from Ohio has been recruited, and that's just how these Somalis want it to stay.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Our CNN's Deborah Feyerick, she is joining us live from New York.

Good to see you, Deb.

You've been talking with folks in the American Muslim community. What do they think about the idea of this congressman's hearings that are coming up on Thursday about Muslims being radicalized to become terrorists?

FEYERICK: Well, you know, first of all, they're hurt, they're frightful. They say this is American history repeating itself, but instead of Japanese-Americans, now it's American-Muslims.

The head of one Muslim group actually told me that King's approach really doesn't focus on the criminal threat. What it's doing instead is demonizing communities that need to be treated as partners, not as suspects. And that's the problem they have with this.

MALVEAUX: Do they have problems -- or even reservations -- about turning in young men they believe may be radicalized in some way?

FEYERICK: You know, there is a high level of trust, but it's not 100 percent. And that's because the way it's treated in the United States is incarceration is the goal, prosecution is the goal. But some of the Muslims feel that intervention like the kind that's used in Singapore or even in Great Britain should be used to target at-risk either young men or young women so that, in fact, you can stop it before it happens.

But parents are afraid that if they go to law enforcement, it may just be, well, let's set up the sting, let's spend millions and try to get this guy to go to prison. And that's what they're concerned about. They really want some of the focus to be reframed in terms of intervention.

MALVEAUX: All right, Deb Feyerick, thank you so much for that report.

Did you know that Congress has two Muslim-Americans? One of them is going to join me at 12:30 Eastern to talk about the upcoming hearings into Islamic radicalization.