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Gadhafi's Foreign Minister Defects; Mega Millions Winners Claim $319 Million Prize

Aired March 31, 2011 - 10:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Brand new numbers from the Labor Department this morning. It turns out jobless claims plummeted last week, down 6,000 to 388,000.

Get ready to meet seven mega millionaires. Get this, the eighth member of their lottery group did not buy in. Then the other seven won the $310 million jackpot.

But we begin this hour with several new developments in Libya. Beginning today, NATO is in sole command of the skies. The military alliance will enforce an arms embargo and a no-fly zone. It will also protect civilians. In the meantime, rebels are retreating and have surrendered several cities. Gadhafi's better-armed and better-trained troops have halted their march toward the capital.

And CNN has learned that CIA operatives are now on the ground in Libya. They're gathering intelligence and even helped rescue a downed U.S. airman last week. It comes as the White House is considering the possibility of arming the rebel forces against Moammar Gadhafi.

I want to take you inside Libya now and one of the towns that has seen the most ferocious fighting. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen was one of the first western journalists to get into Misrata. We saw your piece in the last hour, Fred, and things look very grim there.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's absolutely very grim, Carol. We are actually on a boat, off the coast of Misrata. We just got out of the town itself. We made our way onto Misrata, on this (INAUDIBLE). Just to show (INAUDIBLE) pan over there, that is the Libyan coastline there. That's the town of Misrata right now. We are hearing that there has been artillery strikes that could come from the NATO air strike as well.

As you said, the situation is very, very grim on the ground there in Misrata. We visited the frontline with the anti-Gadhafi forces there. They are, of course, as you said, badly outgunned in that area. Gadhafi forces have tanks inside the city. They're shelling the areas around the city with artillery. So this would be a very grim situation.

I was also able to visit a hospital in Misrata, one of the few still functioning. And I can tell you, it's absolutely overcrowded. They are treating patients there in the hallway. Some of the patients have to be treated out in the parking lot. The emergency room is inside a tent. There is a dire need for anything. And of course, the ship that we (INAUDIBLE) Misrata are carrying some medical aid for the people there and certainly far from being enough, Carol.

COSTELLO: Fred Pleitgen, off a boat off the coast of eastern Libya. Many thanks to you.

Let's see how the world is reacting to news that a top Gadhafi insider has now fled Libya. CNN's Zain Verjee is in London. Good morning, Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. We are talking about Moussa Koussa, the now former Libyan. Let's take a look at the papers at what they're saying here in the U.K.. The papers are - let me just read what "The Daily Telegraph" is saying, they have the headline "The Libyan foreign minister deflects to Britain." "Mr. Koussa's defection holds out hope that the regime might still crack from the inside," it says. "Relieving the pressure for further military measures."

Look at the "Guardian's" headline - "Moussa Koussa, Gadhafi's foreign minister defects to U.K.." It goes on to say that "Koussa's defection will be seen as a vindication of the coalition's efforts to intimidate key members of the regime. And some of that kind of intimidation caliber, coalition will be saying daily air strikes, and kind of the sanctions and the psychological pressure that they've been applying on Moammar Gadhafi. Many will say that is working. And Moussa Koussa's defection is an example of that.

Many hope that there will be more defections that will isolate Moammar Gadhafi even further. There is one British official we spoke to that said that this is a really significant defection, but it is not the fatal blow. What would be the fatal blow be, I said? Many said have said it would be one of his family, one of the members, maybe even his sons. A senior person in his tribe. Someone also who is very senior in the military or security apparatus. Carol.

COSTELLO: You wrote a very interesting article on CNN.com about what might happen to Gadhafi, whether he goes into exile, whether he is prosecuted. What is most likely to happen?

VERJEE: Well, Moammar Gadhafi himself has said he wants to be a martyr. He wants to die in Libya. Well, in case he changes his mind, there is another option that a lot of the people in the coalition are beginning to discuss. That is to make a deal to send him into exile and give him immunity from prosecution. Now there are legal and political hurdles to this, Carol.

One, because the international criminal court is now investigating crimes against humanity. And the chief prosecutor is pursuing an indictment. If an indictment for crimes against humanity happens, that means all member states that have signed up to the International Criminal Court are obliged to turn Moammar Gadhafi over. But there are hints that he could get immunity from prosecution and the important thing to note is that if he does and if there is an indictment that would go against every international legal law that has been established.

But one point is that there is a window of time right now because an investigation is going on and an indictment hasn't happened. So there is a little bit of political maneuvering that can happen. And the deal can be made with Moammar Gadhafi, but the window is closing.

COSTELLO: Zain Verjee live in London, thank you.

Libya also a topic on Capitol Hill. This hour Defense secretary Robert Gates is testifying before the House Armed Services Committee. Listen to what he said just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: ... speak with some confidence that the president has no additional military moves in mind beyond what he has already authorized, which is the support of the no-fly zone and the humanitarian mission. So you know, I think that what the opposition needs as much as anything right now is some training, some command and control and some organization. It's a pretty much a pick-up ballgame at this point.

And as I got a question yesterday in one of the briefings, the truth is in terms of providing that training, in terms of providing assistance to them, frankly, there are many countries that can do that. That's not a unique capability for the United States. As far as I'm concerned, somebody else should do that.

Today, NATO is officially launching "Operation Unified Protector." The military alliance is in charge of enforcing an arms embargo and a no-fly zone. It's also empowered to protect civilians and civilian centers.

Let's go now to Capitol Hill and CNN senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash. So Dana, we just heard from Mr. Gates. Admiral Mullen is also getting bombarded with questions, what did you hear from this hearing?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far it just started about an hour ago. So far there are two overarching themes that we are hearing from members of Congress. Issues that they are pressing these witnesses on. Number one is sort of along the lines of what you just heard from Secretary Gates, which is how long is this mission going to last? Incorporated in that are questions about cost and timing.

And basically, what Admiral Gates and - excuse me, Admiral Mullen and Secretary Gates are responding is to say "Look, that is unanswerable. We can't tell you how long this is going to last." But they do say that this is something that will remain limited when it comes to the U.S. military role. The other very strong point these members of Congress and both parties, Carol, are pushing is congressional authority. And the fact that the president did not come to Congress for congressional authority or even consultation from the perspective of many of these members of Congress before he decided to launch this military action.

A lot of frustration you're hearing again. Democrats and Republicans. Secretary Gates had a very interesting answer to one of the questions. He said, "Look, I worked for eight presidents. He said, I've seen presidents and how they deal with Congress in consultations. From my perspective, this has been pretty good in terms of keeping Congress up to date." But it's not really going over convincing many members of Congress.

COSTELLO: Evidently not. Dana Bash, live at the White House. Many thanks.

We are going to talk a lot more about arming Libyan rebels with someone who has already tried it. Former CIA officer Robert Baer joins us in just a few minutes.

Just after 11:00 p.m. in Japan, right now, authorities are trying to find the source of leaking radioactive water. The ocean near the damaged nuclear plant is recording the highest devils of radiation yet, more than 4,000 times above normal. Also the company that owns the plant has decommissioned four of its six reactors. The company also announced plans to spray a water and synthetic resin mix around the plant to stop the spread of radioactive materials.

Back here in the United States very low levels of radiation have turned up in milk in California and Washington state. The EPA is stepping up radiation monitoring.

Today is opening day for major league baseball. We'll see what the forecast is looking like just ahead and if a picture is worth a thousand words this guy has plenty to say. A massive shark caught not with a hook, line and sinker, but a boat. Talk about one fish tale. Just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: For weeks now, we've been following the tug of war between Libyan rebels and forces loyal to leader Moammar Gadhafi. It turns out there's another group of players on the ground there and they are with the CIA, the American CIA, of course.

Joining me now to talk about what they might be doing in Libya, former CIA officer Robert Baer. Thanks for joining us, Robert.

ROBERT BAER, FMR. CIA OFFICER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: So the fact that this information is out there, because it was first reported on AP and it came from unnamed government sources, should we be concerned that this information is even out there in the public airwaves?

BAER: Oh, absolutely. I mean, these things are supposed to be covert. That's why you have the CIA. There is no other reason and the fact that a covert action like this should be exposed in the so fast, you know, it happens again and again but it is very unfortunate. Because these people are supposed to be there undercover, secretly. No one is supposed to know it and this puts their lives in danger.

COSTELLO: So they probably know by now that the information is out there. So what do you do as a CIA operative once you know that, you know, the secret's out?

BAER: You just take precaution. You never stay in the same house more than a week. You move around, you drive in armored cars. You carry weapons and the rest of it. It's a very dicey situation.

COSTELLO: As far as we know, the operatives are there to gather information on the ground. I mean, is it necessary to have people on the ground? Is that the only way that we can get good information about who these rebels are and things like that?

BAER: It's the only way to do it. You can't do this from Cairo or London, or Paris or Washington or have people fly in. You need to be on the ground. You have to get a feel for these people, who's in charge. What you can do, I mean, frankly, if it hadn't been so politically sensitive, it should have been a month ago in Benghazi. You know, we don't understand what the opposition is and what these rebels can do and what they can't do.

COSTELLO: I know that, Robert, you had some experience with Libyan rebels back in the '80s. Tell us the special challenges that the United States has in getting the rebels to cooperate.

BAER: Well, number one, a lot of them are Muslim brothers. And they didn't like the Americans in the first place. They were on a mission from Allah. They wouldn't take directions. They were disorganized, they were fighting each other. They had no combat experience. You know, on top of that, they had tribal differences. And you know, trying to sort this out was a nightmare. I was trying to collect intelligence on Libya and they couldn't even do that.

So I know fairly well what the CIA people are up against. This is going to be - let's put it this way. This is not going to be an easy solution for Libya.

COSTELLO: No, it's not. It doesn't appear to be. Robert Baer, thanks for sharing your perspective. We certainly appreciate it.

Let's check on stories making news across country. Ohio state lawmakers have passed a bill limiting collective bargaining rights. The bill would prevent public employees from striking. It would also allow state workers to refuse to pay union dues. The governor could sign the bill onto law this week.

Next, a real-life fish tale with these amazing pictures to prove it. This eight-foot Mako shark jumped into a boat of a (INAUDIBLE) fisherman near Freeport, Texas. The 375-lb shark thrashed about the boat for hours. And now curious crowds are lining up to take a peek.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

Female: I'd like to ask you to the prom.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: The last words were, I'd like to ask you to the prom. You heard him right. This Santa Monica high school boy wants the girl to be his prom date. The singing classroom proposal has gone viral on the internet garnering hundreds of thousands of hits no word yet on exactly how the date went, but we understand she did say yes.

Guess what, it's opening day for major league baseball and the weather across the country is down-right nasty. In fact, the Cleveland Indians held an exhibition game yesterday and they had to stop because there was snow flying in the air and they couldn't tell what was a snow flake and what was the ball.

Reynolds Wolf is in the CNN Weather Center with a look at a kind of bitterly cold opening day for baseball in parts of the country.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It really is going to be a very long day. You know, it's funny, for all the people who play this game outside, that is the way it's intended. It should be a game played outside. You think it's 162 games, a long season that can actually begin with snow and actually end with snow. If you're lucky enough to get into the playoffs, the series, the season gets longer.

Here is the way it's going to start for people. Take a look at the opening day forecast. You see at the bottom of the screen the home field. Yankee Stadium and the Tigers, Detroit Tigers, 42 degrees, and scattered showers. It's going to be a cold time. The Braves, Atlanta Braves is going to be kicking it off against Nationals in D.C., basically the same kind of forecast. Plenty of clouds in the sky with that. A few rain drops here and there maybe some delays. Brewers and Reds despite the cloud cover should be just picture-perfect, if you don't mind 42 degrees and the clouds. Angels and Royals. Some sunshine expected but by the time we get to the opening pitch, first pitch is going to be around 50 degrees or so as we head out towards the west, Cardinals. (INAUDIBLE) the midwest. Looks pretty good there. 52 degrees, mix of sunny clouds.

And in (INAUDIBLE) it's going to be the Giants and the Dodgers, 78 degrees and should just be picture perfect. Go out there and enjoy some Dodger dogs and just have a great time. You really want to see something cool? There are two lucky guys who have been chosen to be part of the MLB fan cave. That's right. fan cave.

Take a look at this. This is nuts. These guys are going to be able to watch so many games this season inside. They're going to be blogging about this wonderful season. You know it's going to be great unless your team is one of those that doesn't make it out of the season, make it out of the cellar all season long. But you know, these are guys who really don't have to worry about being out of the part. They're going to have the comfort of being inside this amazing spot. Again, big screen. Take a look at this.

COSTELLO: Wow!

WOLF: Nice, comfortable. You think these guys are going to enjoy some goodies? You see them eating a Dodger dog? Maybe having a (INAUDIBLE). COSTELLO: I think they're going to have finer food than that, Reynolds.

WOLF: Probably so.

COSTELLO: I mean, those are posh digs. They are going to watch every single baseball game this season and blog about it for major league baseball.

WOLF: It should be a great time. I mean, you know, I think you stick with the hot dogs. You can't have filet mignon and eat and watch baseball.

COSTELLO: Yes. You have to have really cheap relish on it and some spicy mustard.

WOLF: The cheaper the better.

COSTELLO: The sauerkraut.

WOLF: There you go.

COSTELLO: Boy, I'm getting hungry. Thank you, Reynolds.

Chris Brown may be at the top of the Billboard chart. But what is at the bottom of his ex-girlfriend Rihanna cutting him some legal slack? It's professional, not personal. Our showbiz update is next.

And the seven lucky winners of the $319 million mega millions jackpot are set to speak publicly the first time. In just a few minutes, we'll bring you their news conference live from Schenectady.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Chris Brown may have gotten a standing ovation on "Dancing With the Stars," but do not expect former girlfriend Rihanna to be applauding. Despite a tweak to her restraining order against him. "Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer has more. He's live in New York. Hi, A.J.

A.J. HAMMER, HOST "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Hey, Carol. Rihanna gave an absolutely astounding interview to "Rolling Stone" magazine and she opened up about her beating at the hands of Chris Brown and why she agreed to ease the restrictions on that restraining order. Here's what she said "We don't have to talk ever again in my life. I just didn't want to make it more difficult for him professionally. What he did was a personal thing. It had nothing to do with his career. Saying he has to be 100 feet away from me, he can't perform at awards show. That definitely made it difficult for him."

And she says fans actually slammed her for agreeing to ease Chris Brown's restraining order, telling "Rolling Stone" "One minute I'm too hard, the next minute I'm a fool because I'm not being hard enough." I've got to tell you, I am bothered by the fact that here we are two years after this brutal attack, people seem to be victimizing Rihanna all over again by telling her what she should or shouldn't do with Chris Brown. He is out of her life. She has figured it out. And Carol, as far as I'm concerned, that should be good enough for everybody else.

COSTELLO: Maybe she has sent conflicting messages though. A lot of people were upset about the video she did or the song she did with Eminem and nobody got quite where she was coming from. So it's just a confusing situation. But you're right, it's her life. It's her personal life. She's got to do what she's got to do, right?

HAMMER: That's how I feel.

COSTELLO: Got you. Arnold Schwarzenegger, I know he isn't governor any more, but he is now like a superhero.

HAMMER: Yes, I think he's really been looking forward to this. He is returning to Hollywood. He's about to pump up your TV as a cartoon superhero called, what else? The governator. The former governor of California revealed his not-so-secret identity in an "Entertainment Weekly" exclusive. Now Arnold is working with comic book icon Stan Lee, he, of course, is the creator of "Spiderman" among others. There will also be a Governator comic book, in addition to the TV show. It's not going to debut until 2012 but the story lines are going to incorporate some of Arnold's real life as well as his movies roles. And as for his superhero name, Carol, Arnold just said that he thought the word was cool. So he kind of grew into it.

COSTELLO: He did. That is cool. A.J. Hammer, many thanks.

Want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world? A.J.'s got it tonight on "Showbiz Tonight" at 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. eastern on HLN.

In just a few moments, now the seven winners of the $319 mega millions jackpot will reveal their identity in a news conference in Schenectady. I like saying that word, Schenectady. The winning numbers in case you're interested were 22, 24, 31, 52 and 54 and the megaball number was four. The lucky seven are reportedly I.T. specialists at New York state's division of housing and community renewal. CNN's Alison Kosik is watching it all from Schenectady. And you must be like beside yourself with excitement.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, gosh. You know, you can definitely sense the excitement. Those seven winners are going to be walking out within the next few minutes. And you mentioned the winning numbers. Those came from a quick pick. That's when the terminal, the machine spits out the numbers. There were 14 different sets of numbers and one of those sets, of course, was the winning ticket. They definitely beat the odds. The odds, by the way were 1- 176. I can't wait to see the faces of these winners. Everybody wanting to see them reveal themselves. Carol.

COSTELLO: I wonder why they haven't come forward before. It's been a couple of days.

KOSIK: Yes, you know what? Imagine, put yourself in their place. Imagine waking up one morning and realize you're a millionaire several times over. It's an overwhelming thing. It can also be a scary thing. You could wind up getting a lot of attention from all different sorts of areas, forget just the family. From charities, from whoever else. You want to get your ducks in a row before you step forward in front of national TV.

I think that's what you're seeing here today. We have their names and their ages. They range in age from 29 to 63. They are four men and three women. We talked about this before, Carol. There was one other person who usually joins in on this office pool. He decided to opt out because he wasn't feeling lucky that day. This office pool has been going on for years. They would play this jackpot. Unfortunately he opted out. We'll see though and I'll ask these winners if they are going to throw some money his way.

COSTELLO: That would be such a tough decision, so tough. They've known him over many years. So it's just - what Alison, I'm sorry.

KOSIK: They're coming out. They've got the mascots coming out first. The seven are going to be following the mascots. There you go.

COSTELLO: Oh we see the mascot. That's cute. We see the mega ball in the front.

KOSIK: Exactly.

COSTELLO: They are right behind. Like I was listening to some of the orchestration that was going on from the New York State Lottery Commission. How many reporters are there, Alison?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Several dozen, I would say. Definitely several dozen. This is a big deal. You think about it. Each of these winners is going to be walking out with a $19 million check after taxes. Obviously, it was $319 million win. But guess who gets the tax money on this? New York state. So this is very exciting for New York itself. You know, this is the biggest winning ticket for the mega ballgame here, in the mega millions game here in New York. It is a big deal here today.

COSTELLO: Absolutely.

KOSIK: I'm looking over my shoulder waiting for these folks to walk out.

COSTELLO: I know. I know. We're going to break away and we'll get right back to you when they finally come out but we're glad we got to see the mascots in the New York State lottery.

KOSIK: Sounds good.

COSTELLO: Just ahead, we're going to talk to an ethics expert about sharing the winnings from the lottery hall.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: OK. You're watching live pictures from Schenectady, New York. Seven of the nation's newest millionaires are about to reveal themselves. They are winners of that $319 million Mega Millions Jackpot. Stay with us for live coverage of all the excitement. When they begin speaking, we'll go right back to it. We'll go right back to it.

But we want to talk about how about that unlucky eighth New York state worker? He decided not to take part in last week's pool as he usually does. So, should the winners share some of the booty?

Randy Cohen is an ethicist and he is author of the book, "The Good, The Bad and the Difference." And he joins us live from New York.

So, this would be a tough one for me. I mean, this man played in the office pool or contributed to the office pool over a number of years and on a particular day says, "I don't want to contribute because I'm feeling unlucky today." So, he did not contribute. Wouldn't you know it, that was the day they won.

RANDY COHEN, AUTHOR: Well, they don't have to share with him. That's not something they must do. But it's certainly something they may do. There is no obligation to withhold the money. I think it's something they should do. That he was a regular member of their crew. He played with them for years.

And look, no one has ever gone to the end of their life and regretted being too generous. No one is laying on their deathbed and said "I should have been more selfish."

So, I propose the one percent solution. They can make their friend a millionaire if they each just give one percent of their winnings. Out of pure generosity, not moral obligation, not an ethical duty. That, I think, is the best solution.

COSTELLO: I just - I just -- the winners are speaking now. I would like to listen to a bit of what they have to say. So, let's go back live to Schenectady.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you to Total Events for doing a wonderful job with all the decorations. Thank you all for being here. Thank you, June, for being our Mega Ball. Yes!

(AUDIENCE CHEERS)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And thank you to Chris for being our Powerball because you're all wondering what's going on with Powerball. And I'm here to tell you that the Powerball jackpot is now $187 million. So, make sure you get your tickets.

As Gordon pointed out, we are here this morning to officially, officially introduce all these winners of the $319 million Mega Millions jackpot drawn on March 25th. I don't want to delay the suspense any longer, but we at the lottery have been calling them the Albany Seven. But you can call them John Hilton of North Greenbush. Raise your hand. Gabrielle Mahar of colony. From Green Island, John Cutie. From Colony, Tracy Susman. Mike Barth of Bethlehem. From Clifton Park, Kristen Baldwin. And from Johnstown, Leon Peck. Let's hear a big round of applause for all of our winners!

(APPLAUSE)

Now, as has been reported, the Albany Seven are in fact co- workers at New York Homes and Community Renewal. Five of our workers work in I.T. and two others are project managers. Now, there are a lot of winners and we are trying to get to each one of them to tell a little bit of their story. So, let's start with John Hilton. Come on over here, John. John told us the group has been pooling their money now for a couple of years. John what's the deal?

JOHN HILTON, MEGA MILLIONS LOTTERY WINNER: For about three or four years now, we've been doing this every time one of the jackpots usually gets above $100 million. We go around to co-workers and ask if they want to get in. Usually, we all throw in two bucks each drawing, and someone takes the ticket down to Colson's Newsroom and buys a ticket. And we've never won before.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, John, I hear you are methodical about keeping track of who's in and who's out for each drawing.

HILTON: Yes, we do. We have a list we have every time we have a drawing. If you get in, we mark you in. If you don't get in we put a line through your name and you're out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hear you. Thank you, good luck. All right, next up, come over here, Tracy. Tracy, who you buy -

COSTELLO: OK, we are going to step back. But Randy, you heard him. They keep a list of who contributes and who doesn't. So, it doesn't look like that eighth worker will get any share of the winnings.

COHEN: I'm sorry to hear that. These people will not sit on their deathbeds and go, "I'm so glad I was selfish." No one ever says I regret being generous. And for one percent of their winnings. Instead of taking home $20 million, they'll take home $19 million. They could do something really nice for someone who participated for years. And I think they should. Not a duty.

COSTELLO: Well, maybe they will. We are not completely sure.

COHEN: We hope. You know, there is another question. There is another question, too, which is are lotteries like themselves ethical undertakings? In my view, no. They turn out to be a tax on regular working people or the poor rather than financing our public operations through taxing wealthier people.

COSTELLO: I don't think you're going to convince many Americans it's bad to win the lottery. Randy, thanks for joining us. And congratulations to those winners. We'll check back in Schenectady in a little bit.

Checking our top stories now. The verdict is in. Judge Judy is fine. She tells the celebrity Web site TMZ she'll head home today after a scary ambulance trip to the hospital. The 68-year-old TV star says her abdominal pains were just from exhaustion.

Brand-new numbers out of the Labor Department this morning. It turns out jobless claims plummeted last week, down 6,000 to 388,000. And CNN has learned that the CIA now has operatives on the ground in Libya. And intelligence source tells CNN they are secretly gathering military and political insights. They are gathering intelligence and even helped rescue a downed US airmen last week. It comes as the White House is considering the possibility of arming the rebel forces against Moammar Gadhafi.

As the nuclear crisis unfolds in Japan, we all wonder if something like that could happen here. Some experts say the danger isn't what you think.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERNEST MONIZ, MASSCHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: The storage, storage of spent fuel has been an after thought.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We'll tell you why some experts say this is a catastrophe that has been building for decades.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Turning to Japan where officials have come up with an estimated cost of the quake and tsunami. The price tag, more than $300 billion. Authorities are working on a supplemental budget to inject money immediately into the hardest-hit areas.

The ocean waters near the damaged nuclear plant are recording the highest levels of radiation yet, more than 4,000 times above normal limits. Authorities don't know where that radioactive water is coming from.

And the company that owns the plant has decommissioned four of its six reactors. The company also announced plans to spray a water and synthetic resin mix around the plant to stop the spread of radioactive materials.

Here in the United States, some experts say the nuclear danger is not so much an earthquake or a tsunami or once-in-a-lifetime disaster. Instead, it's the unavoidable byproduct of nuclear power itself. The U.S. keeps a growing number of spent fuel rods in temporary storage at the power plants. But if the water levels drop, the massive radiation can pose an even greater danger than the reactor.

But listen to these conflicting assessments given to Congress on just how safe those storage structures are.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREGORY JACZKO, CHAIRMAN, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION: It's very thick, reinforced concrete structures, generally about four to five feet thick -- walls with very thick floors. So, they provide, we think, a very robust protection.

DAVID LOCHBAUM, UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTIST: Pools are often housed in building buildings with sheet metal siding like that in a Sears storage shed. I have nothing against the quality of Sears storage sheds, but they are not suitable for nuclear waste storage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Lawmakers were told spent fuel rods that removed nearly 30 years ago are still cooling. A blue ribbon commission is exploring long-term solutions for disposing radioactive waste.

The EPA is stepping up its radiation monitoring here in the United States. The move comes after very low levels of radiation were found in milk in two states, California and Washington. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here. Elizabeth --

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I know. It's hard not to get freaked out, right?

COSTELLO: It really is.

COHEN: Right. Radiation in milk, the stuff kids pour into their cereal. The stuff you and I drink every day.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

COHEN: I totally get that. However, what I'm here to say is that it all has to do with dosage. It's about dose, and the amount of radiation in this milk, we are told, is 5,000 times lower than the safety limit set by the FDA.

COSTELLO: So, can we are sure the radiation found in the milk is coming because of what happened in Japan?

COHEN: Yes. They can actually look at it and they can look at the isotope and they can actually say, yes, this is from Japan.

COSTELLO: OK, so how is it getting in milk?

COHEN: The way it's getting in milk, the radiation came across the ocean, hit the United States and then it falls on to grass. What do cows eat? Cows eat grass. If it gets into the cow's milk, we drink it. So, there you have it.

COSTELLO: I understand the EPA is bringing in extra monitoring equipment to keep an eye on milk. So, why specifically are they so worried about milk and not other things?

COHEN: The reason why they are worried about that, this kind of radiation can especially affect milk. So, that's one reason. I'm sure there probably will be monitoring other things, too. The first thing you worry about this situation is milk and water. They found it in water on the West Coast, too. But again, in these teeny, tiny amounts.

COSTELLO: And so again, don't be afraid even though it does sound freaky.

COHEN: It does. And also, what is your alternative? I mean, if you say, I'm not going to drink milk, you're going to drink water. Well, they found some radiation in water. There is not a whole lot necessarily that you can do.

But when people hear radiation, they freak out. And what they don't realize is, you and I are getting radiation as we speak. You get radiation all the time. Is it good it's in milk? No. But we have to think about how small these doses are, and they don't cause harm at all.

COSTELLO: We'll keep putting it into perspective day after day. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

Do you ever think the media is a lot tougher on Sarah Palin than on the president? Michele Bachmann does. She thinks conservative women in general get a lot of flack they don't deserve. But our next guest is a woman. She's a conservative and she has some interesting things to say about both women. We'll talk about that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is thinking seriously about a run for president. Bachmann is a Minnesota Republican and head of the Tea Party caucus. And she thinks conservative women like herself and Sarah Palin are not getting a fair shake from the media. Listen to what she told David Brody of CBN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), MINNESOTA: She has been unfairly criticized. I think we've seen that with other conservative women as well across the country, whether they are political commentators or whether they are in public service.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Karen Agnes is founder of the Network of Enlightened Women and joins us live from Washington. Thanks for being with us, Karen.

KAREN AGNESS, FOUNDER, NETWORK OF ENLIGHTENED WOMEN: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: When we were talking before, you said you found it interesting that conservative women were talking about sexism at all. Why?

AGNESS: As conservatives, we try to look at people more as individuals and less as, for example, a young person or a woman. So, I think this whole idea of Representative Bachman speaking out as a conservative women saying we face unfair criticism kind of creates some tension with a conservative political philosophy.

COSTELLO: Talk about that tension. You're right. We hear feminists talk about sexism all the time, but do we rarely hear conservative women playing the gender card, so to speak.

AGNESS: Yes. But I think right now it's a really interesting time for conservative women because a lot of women are, a lot of strong women are speaking out. And I think Bachmann might have a point in terms of the extra criticism that conservative women are facing from feminists. I think feminists held the microphone and have been able get away with saying they speak for all women for so long that we are really facing some resistance from feminists that hesitant to give up that microphone.

COSTELLO: So you as a conservative woman, do you think that the criticism against these conservative women has been unfair or more harsh than, let's say, criticism against a Democrat?

AGNESS: I think I would look at it more as criticism versus conservative women versus feminist women. And I think you are seeing some really strong attacks against these conservative women.

One thing I find really fascinating, Carol, is there are a lot of people in politics who I disagree with, but I don't hate them. There seems to be a lot of hate and a lot of really strong reaction against people like Representative Bachmann. And I wonder where that strong feeling really stems from. Maybe it is partly because she is a conservative woman.

COSTELLO: Well, some might argue she herself uses rhetoric that might invoke hate. I'm just throwing it out there because that's what some people do believe.

AGNESS: She certainly draws a strong reaction and she does tend toward the fireworks than some of the other conservative women out there like, for example, Governor Nikki Haley.

COSTELLO: That's true. You brought up an interesting point when we were talking before about this stereotype that has formed around conservative, strong, female candidates. You mentioned -- and we actually have some pictures. There is Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann and Christine O'Donnell. They look very similar, and it's almost as if you have to have that certain look if you're going to be successful in the political arena as a conservative woman.

AGNESS: I'm not so sure it's so much the look but there does to be a little bit of a resemblance there and there seems to be a new stereotype being created for these conservative women. And I would encourage viewers who remember there are a lot of other outstanding conservative women out there that might not tend so much towards the fireworks, but are really getting a lot done and are really great role models.

COSTELLO: Karen Agness, thanks for sharing your insights. It was fascinating. We appreciate your being here.

AGNESS: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Democrats and Republicans may be happy with - actually, they've come to some sort of agreement on the budget. I know, that's hard to believe. Of course, Tea Party members don't much like it. They are coming to Capitol Hill today for a protest. More on that story ahead in our "Political Ticker."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Heavy storm damage in parts of Louisiana tops our trek "Cross Country" this hour. Strong winds in Plaquemine Parish in New Orleans blew this sheet of roofing into a power line. The storm also brought with it damaging hail and heavy flooding.

NASA is inspecting the space shuttle Endeavour after its launch pad was pounded by hail. The storm poured down on the Kennedy Space Center. Crews did not see any obvious damage to the shuttle, but they are inspecting it closely.

College hoopsters Butler, Kentucky, Connecticut, and Virginia Commonwealth in Houston for Saturday's final four showdown. Three of those teams have been there before, but it's VCU's first trip to the final four.

Negotiators on Capitol Hill made some progress towards a budget deal, but Tea Party members don't much like it and they are letting Congress know about it today. CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser has that story.

So, we were all surprised yesterday with - the political unit's big scoop. Democrats and Republicans had come to an agreement about the figure, the amount, $73 billion to cut. Although what the cut is still out there. Now the Tea Party might throw a wrench in that, huh?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, they are definitely weighing in. Good reporting by Dana Bash and the rest of Capitol Hill on those negotiations.

But Carol, those negotiations in this proposed deal is not sitting well with the Tea Party movement. They don't think the cuts go far enough. They want more budget cuts, they want more chopped out of the federal government.

Today, Tea Party Patriots, one of the largest Tea Party groups in the country, is holding a rally scheduled from about two hours from now, Carol, just outside the U.S. Capitol. They'll have a lot people speaking there and railing against most likely, this proposed deal. Other Tea Party groups as well are criticizing not only congressional Democrats, Carol, but some congressional Republican leaders, saying that they are not tough enough on the cuts.

Look at this number from CNN, Carol. This is interesting. Check this out. A possible government shutdown if it happens, even for a few days, would you be okay with that? Look at the numbers at the bottom of the screen right. Tea Party supporters, six in 10 say, yes. We are fine with that. And you can see that number gets smaller as you go up there. Only a small minority of Democrats are okay with the possibility of a government shutdown.

COSTELLO: So, could the Tea Party force a shutdown? Could they, like, force this deal off the table?

STEINHAUSER: Remember, there are a lot of people, a lot of freshman Republicans who were elected to office last November, and who are they supported by big time? Tea Party activists. A lot of them are against this budget deal. Their numbers are big. Maybe not big enough to prevent this deal, but definitely are a big, important factor, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, is there any connection to the 2012 upcoming election?

STEINHAUSER: But of course. But of course. There is always a connection to the race for the White House.

Who is going to be one of the headline speakers at this Tea Party Patriots rally? Michele Bachmann. You've just been talking about Bachmann. Of course, she's head of the Tea Party caucus in the House, and you know what? She very may soon be running for the Republican presidential nomination.

And guess what else? Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, guess where he'll be? Right here on Capitol Hill today, speaking behind closed doors with House Republican freshman. Coincidental? We'll see. Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll see. Paul Steinhauser, many thanks to you.

We'll have your next political update in one hour And a reminder, for all the latest political news, go to our Web site, CNNpolitics.com.

Moammar Gadhafi's youngest son is commanding a brutal army brigade in Libya right now. But before he was there, he was an intern in the United States touring defense and business facilities. He even took a class from Deepak Chopra. We'll have more on that in the next hour.

Also ahead, nuclear fuel rods are at the heart of the crisis in Japan. It raises the question, what is being done to keep them secure here in the United States?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Looking at stories making news later today. At noon Eastern, the Tea Party and potential 2012 potential presidential candidate Michele Bachmann rally at the U.S. Capitol today. Starts at noon.

And we're waiting to see what comes out of an FDA hearing on food coloring. A two-day hearing is wrapping up on whether the additives could have adverse effects on children's behavior.

And play ball! It is opening day of the 2011 Major League Baseball season. First pitch, just two hours away.

Suzanne Malveaux is recovering from the correspondents dinner in Washington. Hi, Fredricka.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It's hard, that correspondents' dinner! It can be a lot of work, you know!

COSTELLO: Even dressing for it is hard.

WHITFIELD: That's right. You got to decompress after the fact.

COSTELLO: That's right. I'll see you in about 10 minutes.

WHITIFIELD: All right. Good to see you again.