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White House and Congress Disagree on Libya; Air Traffic Controller Suspended for Sleeping in Control Tower at Regan National Airport; Hispanic Population Now Over 50 Million; Heavy Rains Unleash Mudslides, Evacuations on West Coas; Economic Recovery Picks Up Steam. AFLAC Duck Needs New Voice; Gates Defends Israeli Attack; Arizona Knocks out Number One Seed Duke; Possible Reactor Core Breach in Japan's Nuclear Plant; U.S. Hands over Libya No-Fly Zone

Aired March 25, 2011 - 09:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. on the West Coast. I'm Carol Costello, in for Kyra Phillips.

Bombs falling on parts of Libya aimed to weaken Moammar Gadhafi's forces. Libyan TV showed a military base in Tripoli engulfed in flames saying it was a work after coalition airstrike. And there is a shift in the operation. NATO has agreed to take over the no-fly zone.

The nuclear situation in Japan is getting even more serious. A possible breach that could trigger a major release of radiation.

Also a bit of breaking news to tell you about this morning in our own country. A school shooting in Indiana. The Morgan County Sheriff's Department telling CNN one person has been shot at a middle school in Martinsville, that's just southwest of Indianapolis.

Police say a suspect is in custody. According to local media reports the school has about 600 students and right now it is on lockdown. We'll bring you more developments as we get them in.

But let's turn back now to our breaking news out of Japan. The nuclear crisis there in a development that could have grave consequences for the area around the damaged nuclear plant.

Japanese nuclear safety officials say there may be a breach in the core of the number three reactor and contaminated water has likely seeped out. Officials came to that conclusion after those three plant workers stepped in radioactive water yesterday.

Officials say that leak indicates a possible break of the containment vessel that houses the core.

James Acton is with the Carnegie Endowment Nuclear Policy Program.

Thanks for joining us.

JAMES ACTON, NUCLEAR POLICY PROGRAM, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: My pleasure.

COSTELLO: So a possibly breach in the core of one reactor. So far, the plan has leaked some low levels of radiation but a breach could mean a much larger release of contaminants. Tell us why.

ACTON: That's right. And, you know, I think it's worth emphasizing that they don't know for certain yet that the reactor vessel, which is this giant door container that holds the radioactive fuel itself has been breached, that there is clearly great concern that it has been.

If you remember how this crisis started almost two weeks ago now, it was this race to cool down these fuel rods. Now, you know, there's been no question that these fuel rods have started to melt. You know, did so perhaps as early as 10 or 14 days ago.

The fear now is that the motor mush of radioactive fuel and metal has now burnt its way through the steel container in which it sits.

COSTELLO: So how -- I know they have evacuated the plant, all of the workers are gone from the plant right now. So how do you fix such a thing?

ACTON: Well, the answer is you don't if this is what has happened. The -- it's called the corium, this mush and molten radioactive material. It's going to start burning through the containment building and, at some point, is going to solidify hopefully before it has kind of hit the earth.

If that is indeed what happened -- has happened, and you know -- and I think it's worth emphasizing here that there are other possible areas in this plant in which this highly radioactive water could have leaked out. So I don't want to give the alarmist impression that we're certain we know that there has been a breach of the containment yet, because we're not.

COSTELLO: So I guess I'd like to ask you for a bottom line now. How bad is the situation?

ACTON: Well, I think the thing that is worth emphasizing is we are very unlikely still, even if the worst had happened in the sense that the containment vessel has breached, to see a radioactive release on the scale of Chernobyl.

We may very well see significant radioactivity releases larger than anything that we have seen to date, but the explosion at Chernobyl that spread a large amount of material far and wide and unlikely to be replicated here. So the worst case here is still almost certainly significantly better than what we saw at Chernobyl.

COSTELLO: All right. James Acton with the Carnegie Endowment Nuclear Policy Program. Thank you so much for clarifying things for us. We appreciate it.

ACTON: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Our latest poll finds that most Americans living near a nuclear power plant in the United States don't believe that accident there would put them in danger. But if there were such a disaster, not many people are ready for it. Nearly 6 in 10 of our poll respondents do not believe local officials could handle a nuclear plant emergency. And just as alarming, the same percentage of people living near a nuclear plant don't know the evacuation routes.

A teacher from Ohio is back home after her Japanese school was struck by an earthquake. Sarah King has been teaching in Japan for three years. She has felt earthquakes before, but nothing like a 9.0 quake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH KING, TEACHER: You just stood there for a second thinking it will be over in a few minutes, no big deal. And it just kept going and stronger and stronger. Before you knew it, the lights went out and things started falling off the shelves and cracks in the ceiling, vents falling out of the ceiling and things. So it just kept going.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: King says none of her students were killed in the quake and she does plan to return to Japan in just a couple of weeks.

Today in Libya, the U.S. is taking a big step toward its goal of handing over the leadership of the military action there. NATO will begin enforcing the no-fly zone and should be fully in charge of that mission within a few days. That allows the United States to give up at least some of its command as President Obama had pledged.

NATO says that nonmembers such as Arab states will take part in blocking Libya's military from flying over the northern half of the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: NATO has now decided to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya. We are taking action as part of the broad international effort to protect the civilians against the attacks by the Gadhafi regime. We will cooperate closely with our partners in the region and we welcome their contributions.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: For now, the U.S.-led coalition will still be responsible for the combat part of the mission. That means if Gadhafi's troops are seen as an imminent threat to civilians, it will still be the coalition that attacks them on the ground. Not NATO. Some Arab states have questioned the use of force, but the White House says it's saving lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: After only five days, we have made significant progress. A massacre in Benghazi was prevented, Gadhafi air force and air defenses have been rendered largely ineffective and the coalition is in control of the skies above Libya. Humanitarian relief is beginning to reach the people who need it.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The mission in Libya not only carries high stakes for the United States military, but also big political risks for the president.

Dan Lothian is at the White House this morning.

So, Dan, does this shift in command mean the U.S. is closer to taking a real backseat on this mission?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen. It certainly is one step in that direction, but clearly from what you have just laid out here where the U.S. will still be involved in some combat missions in civilian protection, NATO involved in enforcing the no-fly zone, that means that there won't be as quick as an exit as this administration had wanted.

The bottom line here is that we don't expect to hear from the president today on Libya and there have been a lot of questions about the administration's role, why the U.S. has been in Libya, what is the reason for all of this.

And as you heard from Secretary Clinton laying out that because the U.S. was involved in this mission, it did save lives, but there's still a lot of questions about the American people not being adequately involved -- informed. Also a lot of questions about from Capitol Hill from lawmakers who say that they were not adequately consulted before this mix got under way.

The White House had been pushing back on that saying as far back as the end of last month that intelligence officers did brief House members on this pending operation. Now one of the things that this White House will continue to do is, they say, is to reach out to members of Congress, and that we're told will happen next Wednesday when Secretary Clinton, Secretary Gates and other senior level officials will be going up to Capitol Hill to hold a briefing there -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Dan Lothian live at the White House.

You know, continuing with that line of thought, the White House is dismissing this criticism that the president did not consult with Congress before the missiles started flying.

In just a few minutes we will talk to one Massachusetts Democrat and find out if he or his colleagues have heard from the president yet. We heard probably didn't but it will be interesting to see what he has to say.

This morning we're also learning more about just how miserable life and death can be in one city under siege.

In Misrata more than 1300 people have been injured since Gadhafi's troops began breaking up the protests last month. More than 100 people have died, about half a dozen of them killed by rooftop snipers. The hospital there is simply overwhelmed. Doctors have had to operate without anesthesia and there are not enough beds for even gunshot wounds and amputations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED DOCTOR IN LIBYA: Most of the injuries are serious so anybody, we send them home the next day. We just keep the people with life-threatening injury, or with one -- we keep them in the hospital. But anybody with amputation or just gunshot, send them home because we have no empty space.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We're keeping a close eye on the protests in the Arab world. All of them. This is a day of prayer. This has become our frequent flashpoint in massive demonstrations. In southern Syria, tensions are already threatening to boil over. Yesterday, as many as 20,000 people gathered for funerals of protesters. Human rights workers say at least 34 have been killed in Darra in the past few days. One of the victims was reportedly a soldier who refused to fire on demonstrators.

In Yemen's capital today thousands of people pour through the streets but this demonstration was organized in support of the embattled president. He has promised constitutional reforms and parliamentary elections by the end of the year but opponents are demanding he leave office immediately.

Germany and Britain are pulling nonessential embassy staff out of Yemen because of skyrocketing security concerns.

Some members of Congress think the president pretty much left them in the dark about the Libyan operation. In fact one Democratic lawmaker said all he knows about it is what he's seen on the news. We'll talk with him coming up.

And a kayaker has an adventure he will never forget. After an encounter with a rare shark.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Let's talk about the disconnect between the president and Congress on Libya. The White House says the U.S. military isn't trying to take down Gadhafi. American ground troops are not going in. The mission is about protecting civilians and that the U.S. will step back and support the international coalition.

Still, Democratic Congressman Michael Capuano of Massachusetts feels like the White House have kept an entire branch of government in the dark about this.

Welcome. Thank you for joining us.

REP. MICHAEL CAPUANO (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Happy to be here.

COSTELLO: Congressman, Mr. Obama was in the White House trying to shore up congressional support yesterday. Did you hear from him or anyone else in the administration?

CAPUANO: No, not yet.

COSTELLO: Do you expect it?

CAPUANO: We did get a nice two-page letter a few days ago.

COSTELLO: What did the letter say?

CAPUANO: Nothing that we didn't already -- hadn't already seen in the news, just telling us what he was doing and why he was doing it. Stuff that I had already seen on TV and read in the newspapers.

COSTELLO: So, you don't sound too happy.

CAPUANO: Well, I think the Constitution's quite clear. I think the Constitution requires that war be declared by the Congress, and when you attack an independent nation, a nation that you recognized at the time you do the attack, I think that that is a -- an of war, and I think, therefore, Congress has a required role pursuant to the Constitution.

COSTELLO: If we are just about to hand over things to NATO, though, doesn't that say the president was right to act swiftly to prevent a slaughter in Libya? Was he right in thinking it was not -- he didn't have the time to take this to Congress?

CAPUANO: That's -- first of all, he had the time to talk to every other country in the world, and NATO and the Arab states. All of which I appreciate, all of which I think is good. But if he had to the time to do that, he had the time to talk to Congress, as well.

And I understand that if we had dithered, than any problem that resulted of that, would have been on our hands. I understand that.

But there is a process that is important, that was put together by our founding fathers, and I think that process has worked well for this country for a long time. And I think that we should adhere to it.

COSTELLO: Dan Lothian is reporting that the president or members of his staff will reach out to Congress next week. What would you like the president to say? Is there anything he can say that would make you feel better about this?

CAPUANO: The main thing he could tell me is that he won't do it again, that he understands the Constitution requires that he act differently. He made a mistake, and that's fine. I'm not looking to rehash old problems.

I am a strong and ardent supporter of this president. I was an early backer of the president when he ran. I want him to be successful, and I full fully I expect I'll be supporting him when he runs for re- election. So, it's not a political thing with me, it is a constitutional problem that I have.

COSTELLO: So, things are heating up in many places in the Arab world. So, how do you prevent the White House from engaging in similar actions against Syria or Bahrain or Saudi Arabia?

CAPUANO: That is -- that is exactly my -- that's exactly my concern. And it's not just with this White House. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but President Obama will not be president all the time. There may be a president with whom I disagree more often. One that I don't agree on everything.

You know, President Palin could invade Iran at any time that she so desired under this approach, and I think that that's wrong by the American people.

I understand fully well that sometimes you have to act quickly, particularly in defense of this nation, and I think that's what the War Powers Act is all about. But when it comes time to -- and I'm not opposed to humanitarian action at all. I want to be clear about that. I actually called for US intervention in the Sudan in the middle of that genocide.

So, I think there's an appropriate role for the US military. I just think that it should be done in a proper way so that the whole country can support or oppose a proposed action.

COSTELLO: So the president -- just a final question. So, does the president need to go to Congress now? I mean, it's already done. So there's not much he can do on that front.

CAPUANO: Better late than never.

COSTELLO: Better late than never.

CAPUANO: Better late than never.

COSTELLO: So, you still think he has to go there and say, "Do you approve of this or not approve?"

CAPUANO: I think he should. I think he should, and I think that he should have, and I think he should, and I certainly think, more than anything else, that even if this act -- even if the US role in this action is over, which I hope it is soon. I hope that all of the president said is accurate, and I suspect that it will be.

But even then, I need to hear that it won't happen again and again. Not just for this president and this situation. I'm worried about, potentially, the next situation, with maybe even another president. I need to be comfortable that the American people are living up to their own constitution, which we all claim to embrace.

COSTELLO: Congressman, thanks for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

CAPUANO: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Now to the nap that's opened everyone's eyes. A veteran air traffic controller at Reagan National has been suspended after telling investigators, "Hey, I fell asleep on the job." That would explain why two pilots were unable to get a response from the tower early Wednesday morning, forcing both flights to land without clearance. Federal transportation officials say the controller was a 20-year veteran. He'd been working his fourth consecutive overnight shift. Now, the NTSB and the FAA are investigating.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDY BABBITT, FAA ADMINISTRATOR: In my 25 years as a professional airline pilot, I've never seen anything happen like this. I'm outraged by it. We're going to have an investigation, and we're going to get to the bottom of it. We're going to find out what happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood issued a statement saying, "It is not acceptable to have just one controller in the tower managing air traffic in this critical air space." He's ordered the FAA to schedule two controllers on the overnight shift.

Stirring the melting pot. The face of America is changing. CNN's Christine Romans takes a look at the new census numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): A new report this morning from the Census Bureau reveals a more racially and ethnically diverse population. Of the 308.7 million people here in the United States, up 10 percent over the past decade, one in six Hispanic. The 50.5 million Hispanics are now the nation's number two group, growing 43 percent since 2000.

When you break it down further, here's how the rest of the America looks. The white population, 197 million, dropping five points to 64 percent of the US population. The black population is 40 million, making up 12.6 percent, slightly up from 2000. And the Asian population grew 43 percent. That tied with Hispanics for the fastest growing group and making up about five percent of the population overall.

In all, racial and ethnic minorities make up about 90 percent of the total US growth since 2000. About 9 million people said they were of more than one race. It's a historic trend in which minorities are expected to become the majority by 2050.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Fascinating. Another slap of reality for weather-weary Californians. The latest on the hundreds of people evacuated as pounding rains take their toll.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center.

West Coast getting pounded with more heavy rain and snow. Let's take you to Santa Cruz, where evacuations are underway because the San Lorenzo River? Well, it's is flowing big time, and 1700 homes are effected, there.

Also had some big winds there the past couple of days in Salinas, did some damage, even a funnel cloud reported across parts of Northern California.

Elsewhere, mudslides brought on by heavy rains in areas like Big Sur, where the Highway 1 has been shut down in spots because of mudslides there. Also Sonoma County. Highway 121 and 12 also see something issues, so -- and they continue to clean up there, but there's more rain coming right now. A couple more pulses that we have to go through before this is all done.

San Francisco to Sacramento, even as far south as San Diego is where we're seeing a good chunk of this rain. As far as how much we expect to see the next 48 hours, upwards of a couple more inches over already saturated soil.

And it's pretty cold. This is going to be heavy snow, also, up in the mountains. But a lot of wind with this, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more in the way of some power outages. We had some power outages at one point across the Bay area yesterday, with a few thousand peoples without power.

Obviously, flood watches and warnings in still effect for this area, especially across parts of Sacramento. And you get up into the foothills of the Sierras, that's where you'll see the most rainfall and the most snowfall, 12 to 24 inches of more snow on top of what we've are already seen.

By tomorrow afternoon, we could see totals of 5 or 6 feet just from this storm alone, but the winds are going to be blowing, as well. Even 6 to 12 inches of snow across the mountains of Southern California. This storm, more like the middle of January than the end of March.

That's a quick check on weather. We'll take a break. The opening bell on Wall Street is coming right back.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN, your Severe Weather Headquarters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Today on Wall Street, a fresh look at the recovery. New numbers out today on economic growth. Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. She has the numbers. So, Alison, housing and unemployment still big problems, but give us a light at the end of the tunnel.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK, so, here's the light, because overall health of the economy, that improved at the end of last year. It really came in stronger than expected. We found out that the economy grew at a 3.1 percent pace. It is a significant improvement from the 2.8 percent that was reported a month ago.

So, yes, we are seeing strong growth. In fact, we've seen strong growth since last spring. Exports have really picked up. Consumer spending, we're seeing it come back a lot more. And corporate profits, they're pretty strong as well.

But you know what? Some economists, they're scaling back their growth estimates for this year, because of what you mentioned, Carol, weak housing and high unemployment.

Before the open today, we are looking at a strong open today for stocks.

All right, Carol, I have to ask you this. Are you the duck? I'm talking about the AFLAC duck. So, AFLAC is looking for a new voice for its duck mascot. You remember that Gilbert Gottfried, he was fired after he made those insensitive remarks about the crisis in Japan.

So, AFLAC is accepting submissions on quackaflac.com if you're interested in changing your job, or it's having casting calls around the country. Can you imagine this? It's like the "American Idol" for ducks.

(LAUGHTER)

KOSIK: And some of the qualifications for this position, you have to be able to present complex information by saying a single word, "AFLAC." Of course, in an original way. You have to have the ability to improvise, make people laugh, be unique memorable -- at least your voice has to be.

And another qualification is kind of funny. You have to be able to be bilingual, if possible.

COSTELLO: What?

KOSIK: Spanish-speaking duck, English-speaking duck. Yes.

COSTELLO: "AFLAC" is pronounced differently in Spanish?

(OPENING BELL)

KOSIK: I guess it'll sound different, you know? Why don't you give a stab at it. Let me hear your best quack, Carol.

COSTELLO: AFLAC!

KOSIK: On national TV, international TV.

COSTELLO: I just did it.

KOSIK: Very good!

COSTELLO: I cannot do it again.

KOSIK: You know what? I'm not going to do it.

COSTELLO: He makes six figures! I'm thinking about it! I'm going to practice!

KOSIK: They are having a auditions all around the country - I think one in Atlanta, too, so you may be in luck.

COSTELLO: OK. I'll check it out. Thank you, Alison Kosik, live at the New York Stock Exchange.

Checking our top stories now. Breaking news to report out of Japan and it's not good. There may be a breach in the containment vessel at the number three reactor of the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant. That means contaminated water is likely leaking from the reactor's core. In the meantime, the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami now exceeds 10,000.

In South Asia, residents of Myanmar still reeling from a powerful earthquake. At least 65 killed and 100 injured in the 6.8 magnitude quake. Tremors felt as far away as Bangkok, Thailand.

Back here in the United States, Hispanics are now the nation's second- largest group of people. New census figures reveal that more than 50 million Hispanics live in the United States. That's 16.3 percent of the nation's population.

Six straight nights now of air strikes on Libya. TV there showed a military base in Tripoli engulfed in flames, saying it was the work of the coalition.

And is there a shift in the operation. NATO has agreed to take over the no-fly zone. The United Arab Emirates have agreed to sends a dozen planes to enforce it. And Turkey has agreed to let forces use one of its air bases.

Apparently the United States and its NATO allies still have a lot of issues to work out, though, like how far any ground attacks will go and who exactly will be in charge of them. General David Deptula was in charge of enforcing a no-fly zone over Iraq. Welcome, General.

LT. GEN. DAVID DEPTULA, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Hey, great to be with you, Carol.

COSTELLO: I was watching "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer last night. And talk about drama. It was NATO drama. It was an agonizing road to this sort of kind of agreement they have in place. But kind of explain to us what NATO will control and what the United States will continue to do.

DEPTULA: Well, Carol, that is probably under discussion right now. The latest that I understand is that NATO has accepted planning and execution of the no-fly zone but has yet to come on board for execution and planning of the overall air campaign which, as you know, under the U.N. Security Council resolution, includes all necessary measures to be taken to prevent Gadhafi from attacking his own people. So that includes an interdiction piece to this operation as well.

COSTELLO: OK. So, when you say that, does that mean that the United States military is responsible for, let's say, Gadhafi forces are on the ground. Is that up to the United States military to stop?

DEPTULA: Well, it would be up to the coalition forces that has already been put together and that is part of the operation as it exists today.

COSTELLO: Would the United States take a lead role in that part of the campaign?

DEPTULA: Well, they would be the ones responsible for the integration and the planning, the putting together of an integrated air tasking order so that all of the different nations' aircraft fit into the operation to achieve the objectives in a seamless fashion.

COSTELLO: Well, I guess what I'm getting at is if the United States still has kind of a lead role in dealing with people on the ground, killing people on the ground, isn't that what the United States kind of wanted to get away from?

DEPTULA: Well, let me, if I may -- what the operation is designed to do is to protect people and to halt Gadhafi's aggression. It has already been successful to a degree in that fact, and that is ostensibly the purpose of this entire operation. Which leads us into the question of clearly defined goals and objectives.

COSTELLO: And supposedly there is a big meeting set for next week. And many Americans are still wondering why these things weren't worked out before.

DEPTULA: Well, it's a very good question. Quite frankly, there needed to be clear, unambiguous answers to some critical questions such as why Libya? What are the United States' critical security interests in getting involved in this operation. What is the desired end state? How do we measure getting there? And why is it so significant and important to risk the potential of the losing lives of America's sons and daughters? Those questions needed to be answered before we engage in operations.

COSTELLO: How long do you think it will take them to figure this out? I mean, is it going to be that one meeting, you think?

DEPTULA: It is hard to determine, but to have effective command and control of the operation, to secure just the objectives that have been laid out in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, you need to have unity of command.

So, it's appropriate, because the nations in the area are the ones that have the most significant national security concerns for command and control to be transferred to NATO. However, they need to have the entire mission, not just part of it. Otherwise, it might lead to what some have characterized as command and confusion.

COSTELLO: Oh, and let's hope it doesn't go there. General David Deptula, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

DEPTULA: You bet. Have a great day.

COSTELLO: You, too.

They were always welcome in a small Southern town until they tried to build a mosque. The president of a Tennessee Islamic center opens up about a hate crime and the outraged he faced. It left his house of worship in ashes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Constructing a mosque in the heart of the Bible Belt. This Sunday, CNN's Soledad O'Brien investigates the violent backlash against a Tennessee Islamic center in the documentary. "UNWELCOME: THE MUSLIMS NEXT DOOR." Daaoud Abudiab is the president of the Islamic center of Columbia in central Tennessee. That's the one that was torched to the ground during construction.

Daaoud, welcome.

DAAOUD ABUDIAB, PRESIDENT OF ISLAMIC CENTER OF COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Your story is part of this documentary that CNN is going to air. What do you hope to gain by telling your story?

ABUDIAB: I think there is a message of tolerance, a message that it's usually not what happens to us that determines our future, it's how we react to it.

COSTELLO: And just tell us a little bit about your back story. Apparently, you felt welcome in your town before building this mosque. When did you notice a change?

ABUDIAB: Really, I felt that even after 9/11 that we, as Americans, have dealt with the aftermath of that well. And we felt welcome to 2008 when our center was burned down by three Christian whites supremacists. And even at that time, we felt that initially we were unwelcome, but the reaction was positive, and we felt okay.

Mostly in the last couple of years after that, that we started to feel more unwelcome.

COSTELLO: And was it just this small group of people, you think, and not the community as a whole?

ABUDIAB: Oh, I absolutely believe that. I think it was the right thing for us in Columbia not to associate those three individuals, who claim to be Christian -- it was wrong to associate them with Christians or Christianity, for that matter. So, I definitely believe it was an isolated event at that time.

COSTELLO: So, some time has passed since the burning of the mosque. How are things now? Are they better? Is there some sort of understanding in your community now?

ABUDIAB: I think in our immediate community, there is that. Things changed when we are facing elections and those heated rhetoric. And Islamaphobia becomes a popular thing to do on some media outlets.

COSTELLO: I want to run these poll numbers by you, because they are pretty interesting. A new CNN research poll asks would you be okay with a mosque in your community? Sixty-nine percent of respondents said yes. Twenty-eight percent said no. But when we asked the same question to rural Southerners, 42 percent said yes and 50 percent said no. Why do you think the difference exists in the South?

ABUDIAB: Well, I think in rural areas there are fewer Muslims. I may be patting myself on the back, but most people that get to know me and my family like us. And they get to know us. And I think fear comes from not knowing Muslims, And in rural communities, the chance to get to know Muslims is less and less.

COSTELLO: I understand. Daaoud, many thanks for joining us this morning.

And Daaoud Abudiab wrote a piece on CNN.com titled "My Faith After My Mosque Was Torched." And you can find it on our Belief Blog at CNN.com/belief.

Also, Soledad O'Brien reports "UNWELCOME: THE MUSLIMS NEXT DOOR." That airs Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern

Sprucing up London for the royal wedding. A sea of protesters camped out near Westminster won't make a proper backdrop as William and Kate pass by. So, what is London going to do?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Looking ahead to stories CNN is following today. Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Waste Company fire in New York City. And for the first time ever the names of all 146 immigrant workers killed in the sweat shop fire will be read. The ceremony begins at 11:00 a.m. Eastern in New York.

At 1:30 p.m. Eastern a California court will hold a hearing on a bid by actor Mickey Rooney to extend the temporary conservatorship order. The 90-year-old Rooney is battling his stepson for control of his own finances.

And at 11:30 a.m. Eastern the public will get a firsthand look at the Tennessee Valley's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant near Athens, Alabama. The plant has a design similar to the Fukushima Nuclear Plant in Japan.

In Tennessee a TVA worker pleads not guilty to charges he falsified inspection reports at the only nuclear-powered reactor under construction in the United States. It allegedly happened last year at the Watts Barr Nuclear Plant southwest of Knoxville. Officials with the Tennessee Valley Authority say an internal checks and balances system discovered the problem. TVA officials insist there is no danger to the public.

Also this morning, tensions are rising between Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli forces have struck targets in Gaza this week. It's in response to rocket fire from the Palestinian territory into southern Israel. Today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with both the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers. He defended the Israeli offensive and spoke to the turmoil across the region. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: No sovereign state can tolerate having -- having rockets fired at its -- at its -- at its people. I think one of the -- one of the significant features of what is going on across the region is that, as diverse as the countries are where there is -- where there are demonstrations and unrest, in virtually every case, the theme of those demonstrations has been directed inward at problems in those countries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Gates again stressed the U.S./Israeli alliance and said both countries face the regional concerns together.

New entries added to the Oxford English dictionary. And some of them aren't even words. Heck, one of them doesn't even have letters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Did you hear? Prince William and Kate Middleton getting married next month. And there's a big push to cleanup a big protest camp before their wedding day. We begin this "Morning's Passport" in London with CNN's Zain Verjee. Hi, Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, ANCHOR, CNN INTERNATIONAL: Hi Carol.

Yes, we did kind of hear that, actually that would be happening here in April in London, Carol. Well, you know, they're -- they are working out the roots and they've officially announced it to Westminster Abbey where the wedding's going to happen. But now there's a little bit of a hiccup, Carol, because there are a bunch of protesters camped out along the route.

That's not going to be very nice for the day. So what people here are trying to do is they are trying to get rid of them, the protesters saying that they want to be there. They're actually at a place, quite a famous place they called Parliament Square, its right opposite Westminster Abbey and it's used as a kind of like a political rallying point for protesters doing things like anti-war protest and things like that.

So we'll see. They may have to be removed by force.

Let's go to Italy now where Dolce and Gabbana are not showing new designs on the catwalk. They're actually in the limelight, because they've been accused of a scandal and being caught up in tax evasion. They've been accused of defrauding the Italian Revenue Agency of how much money, Carol? More than $1 billion in their income. So they're going to find out whether they will be standing a criminal trial.

COSTELLO: Wow.

VERJEE: Now, pull out your Oxford English dictionary. I know you always have it there.

COSTELLO: I do. I have one in my pocket right now.

VERJEE: Oh, Carol.

COSTELLO: I'm still old-fashioned.

VERJEE: Well, if you open it up -- you're going to find that there are a few new words. Ok? There's one, "muffin top" is in the dictionary. Not surprisingly. That means, a muffin top, the top of a muffin, but it also is being defined as flesh above the waist, if you are in tight pants.

(CROSS TALK)

COSTELLO: That's why high-waisted pants are coming back to take care of that problem.

VERJEE: Well, yes, right. Well, there's also the first symbol, Carol, of the book, and it is in a heart shape, and it officially now "I love you."

And lastly, you'll like this. You probably use this a lot: LOL, laughing out loud and OMG, oh, my God, are in the Oxford English dictionary officially. TGIF.

COSTELLO: So I'm just wondering the heart symbol, where would you find that? I guess they have a --

VERJEE: Yes. Actually, that's a really good question. I -- I assume it would be at the beginning because it's a symbol and not a letter, and symbols ordinarily come before letters. They have 600,000 words, and if there's one symbol, it would either come right at the beginning or right at the end.

COSTELLO: Ok. I do remember that from elementary school. I swear to you, I always go online and look up definitions. I never use like an actual, physical dictionary, but that's pretty funny. I like that. New words.

Thank you, Zain Verjee.

VERJEE: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: We're following lots of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Dan Lothian.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol you know the U.S. has now taken the back seat in Libya, but will still play a key role in protecting innocent civilians. I'll have that story at the top of the hour.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ted Rowlands in Los Angeles where there are several Japanese supermarkets and there is concern at those markets over radiated food coming from Japan. We'll have that story coming up next hour.

COSTELLO: Thanks, guys. Also ahead in the next hour, great deals on good stuff. Millions of people are looking for discounts on groupons. An inside look at how group buying plans actually worked.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Oh, big excitement in the basketball world. I guess the defending champions are out?

JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: Oh, Duke is done.

COSTELLO: Oh.

FISCHEL: Just when you thought they might be making a run for a repeat championship, the number one seeded Blue Devils, last year's champs, they lost. In fact, they were dominated in the sweet 16 against Arizona. Boy, the Wildcats really took it to them in all facets of the game. Derek Williams was unstoppable, 32 points.

COSTELLO: Oh.

FISCHEL: The all-American was just having a great game and teammates stepped up to 55 points in the second half. Duke loses 93-77 including 16 from Momo Jones, even his parents don't call him Lamont. The Blue Devils will not repeat as champs.

So who does Arizona play? Oh, perhaps the hottest team in the tournament right now, U-Conn. It doesn't hurt when you have Kemba Walker. At times he is unstoppable, like he was last night against San Diego State, 36 points. U-Conn lost a couple of weeks ago but then they went out and won the big east tournament winning five games in five days. Now, after last night's win they look like they are ready to storm into the final four.

Butler is doing it again. The Cinderella of last year the tournament pulled off another surprise, Matt Howard and company. I guess it's not even a surprise anymore, right? He led the way, Howard did, with 20 points. Remember, last year Butler made it all the way to the championship game; almost beat Duke. Now, they're a couple wins away from doing it again and getting to the -- could they make another championship run to the title game? Boy, they look so good right now.

COSTELLO: What about the Bulldogs?

FISCHEL: But to get to the final four they have to beat Florida. The Gators ended the career of the super scorer Jimmer Fredette beating BYU in overtime. Fredette, he scored 32 points but he also missed a lot of shots and took a beating physically. By the time the game was over he had a swollen eye, bloody chin, and bandage on him and a limp. I mean, it was a rough night for the Fredette and the Cougars, they go down to Florida.

Ok, Tiger Woods has a new app out for iPads and iPhones that is supposed to use his expertise to help you fix your golf swing. But are you sure you really want his advice right now? It came out Wednesday. Yesterday, his first round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, it was messy. He was all over the course. He did make one putt early on, but overall he struggled. He finished one over. In fact, Tiger is seven strokes back. I guess, do as I say, not as I do. We all remember Tiger winning 14 grand slam titles. But now you know, he hasn't won a -- a tournament in a year and a half.

COSTELLO: I dare say he's probably still better than me.

FISCHEL: He still might be able to help a little bit. You know, he says his swing is there. It just doesn't translate when he's out on the tournament.

COSTELLO: I just think he's got psychological stuff going on.

FISCHEL: People -- a lot of people say he is done. People say he is not the guy he was before.

COSTELLO: I almost feel sorry for him. Almost.

FISCHEL: That is a statement right there.

COSTELLO: It is because man --

FISCHEL: But truly, it is painful to watch a guy who is so good fall from grace, obviously in his personal life, but also on the course, where you're used to him dominating like that and now he just can't do it anymore.

COSTELLO: Yes. He just seems kind of lost. Ok. I feel sorry for him. Kind of.

FISCHEL: You didn't sway me, but I can see your point.

COSTELLO: Thank you Jeff.

FISCHEL: All right.