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Gadhafi's Inner Circle Defects; Libyan Defector Linked to Lockerbie; Unemployment Rate Down; Mass Protests across Middle East
Aired April 01, 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: Have a great weekend. Thanks so much. It's 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. in the West. I am Carol Costello sitting in for Kyra Phillips.
Good news on the economy. 216,000 jobs were created last month. That pushes down the unemployment rate to 8.8 percent.
New information about that deadly outbreak of bacteria in several Alabama hospitals. Health officials say they have found the exact same strain on a water faucet at a Birmingham pharmacy. Nine people died and another 10 got sick.
This past year we've seen the fewest Americans die in car accidents since the 1940s and even though we're driving more than we did in 2005, fatalities have dropped a whopping 25 percent.
Let's turn now to Libya. Moammar Gadhafi's troops have beaten back the rebel advances and the embattled leader is publicly, again, refusing to back down. But behind the scenes, a remarkable story may be unfolding. Citing unnamed British government sources, "The Guardian" newspaper reported that a senior adviser to one of Gadhafi's sons is in London for secret talks.
So how significant is this? Former CIA operative Robert Baer says it could be really important.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT BAER, FORMER CIA OPERATIVE: That's what exactly what I would like to see is one of these kids defect and other members of the clan come out and then I'd really feel confident we're in days with seeing his departure.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Nic Robertson is in Tripoli.
So, Nic, what do you think this aide to Gadhafi's son is trying to accomplish in London?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, I don't think that he is trying to negotiate the defection of the -- of one of Moammar Gadhafi's sons. I don't see that as being on the cards at the moment. This aide to Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of Moammar Gadhafi, has really been playing a principal role in leading this country over the past few years. The aide's name, Mohammed Ismail, he's somebody I've known for about 10 years. He's a trusted, loyal, devoted member of the -- of the sort of leadership's right hand man, if you will.
My understanding, and I had a conversation with him a few days before. He said that he was going to leave for London was that this was really a family trip for him to London. It sounded odd to me. We discussed the possibility of the fact that he was there. He would be able to have talks, hold talks but at no time did he tell me that was specifically what he was going to do.
But I had somewhat of the impression that if he was going to London at this time, knowing who he was or what he does for this -- for the leadership here, that he could very well be involved in talks. But my estimation would be, and certainly from my understanding from him in the past, is that the leadership here still thinks that it can hold on, that Saif al-Islam believes he can provide some sort of a role going forward.
In the future this is a country that may not necessarily have Moammar Gadhafi in its leadership but, at this time, there would be more likely, I think, talk about how compromise could be found, what role Saif al-Islam could play in that, what type of negotiations could happen with the rebels if it's at all possible.
And certainly, I'm still hearing from people here that there is still time for talk despite all the very heavy rhetoric we hear from both sides -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live in Tripoli.
Moussa Koussa was Libya's foreign minister until he defected to the United Kingdom. Koussa could give the allies information to help in the Libyan mission. But he could also fill in some blanks about a notorious act of terror. The 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland. It killed 270 people, many of them Americans.
Abdul Baset al-Megrahi was tried and convicted for planting a bomb in suitcase and that bomb exploded when the plane 30,000 feet. Some believe Koussa was the mastermind and this is what the head of a Pan Am victims group told CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FRANK DUGGAN, PRESIDENT, VICTIMS OF PAN AM 103: I mean, he's -- he knows who ordered the bombing of that plane. He knows who made the bomb. Who paid for the bomb. He knows how the bomb was transferred to Malta. He also knows a great deal about the diplomatic arrangement when the one bomber was released from prison in Scotland last year.
E.D. HILL, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, CNN'S IN THE ARENA: Yes, wasn't that the bomber that was supposed to die in three months and he's still alive and kicking?
DUGGAN: Yes.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN's Zain Verjee joins us from London.
And Zain, I know British officials are in a tough spot but where exactly is Moussa Koussa, where he is staying in the UK?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: We don't have a whole lot of information about that, Carol. There are some reports that say he's in some kind of a safe house and he's being debriefed and interrogated.
Obviously the key thing for officials right now is going to be to try and get as much information as they can from him about the situation on the ground in Libya, about Moammar Gadhafi, his state of mind, all the operational and military issues. This is someone who would know about that information that is so critical.
He's also -- someone who is considered by many people, Carol, as the black box recorder of the regime. He has so much information. I mean, he was the external intelligence chief so he is going to know a lot of stuff about the Lockerbie bombing, who planted the bomb, how it happened, how it was transferred. All those details. If there is anyone to know, it's Moussa Koussa that will be able to give interrogators a lot of information.
COSTELLO: And --
(CROSSTALK)
VERJEE: Sorry. Yes.
COSTELLO: The thing that people really want to know, these families really want to know is if Moammar Gadhafi ordered the bombing on board that plane.
VERJEE: Yes. They do. And they don't have the answers to that. One member of the family -- of one family said, you know what? This is a really good day that he is in London and that he is being interrogated because finally this person said there could an opportunity to really get at the truth.
There was someone else, Carol, who said this is a guy who is Libya's big bad wolf and I don't believe he said that he is suddenly gone vegetarian.
The reality, Carol, is that a lot of the officials know that this is a bad guy. He's done a lot of bad things, but he has been the point person diplomatically for many years for the West, for the U.S. and for Britain, and he has reached out to them, he's given them a lot of crucial information about Islamic terrorists, as well as getting rid of weapons of mass destruction. So they have a tight rope to walk and it is an opportunity.
COSTELLO: Zain Verjee, reporting live from London, many thanks. We're going to be talking more about this with the victims' parents. We'll ask them what they think about Koussa's defection and what they're hoping happens to him and if there might finally be justice for their son. That's coming up at 9:30 Eastern.
This is a day of prayer in the Muslim world. And in recent weeks we've watched it become a weekly flash point for protests. Demonstrations are flaring again in Syria. Witnesses telling CNN that security forces have opened fire on protesters in Damascus. More than 100 people have reportedly been killed in recent weeks.
Today's gathering has come despite the president saying that he could lift the nation's emergency law. It outlaws any form of dissent. That state of emergency was enacted nearly a half century ago and was never lifted.
Yemen is another Arab state that's been reeling from weeks of protests. Today, tens of thousands of people are filling the streets at the Capitol. Some are rallying in support of the government, others are demanding the president resign immediately.
The United States is worried that if the president steps down, Yemen could become even more of a hot bed for terrorism.
Pro and anti-government groups are also squaring off in Jordan this morning. And the government has deployed as many as a thousand police officers to keep them separated. Last week, the groups clashed. More than 100 people were injured, one man died of a heart attack.
And protesters are back in Cairo after weeks of demonstrations in Tahrir Square toppled the president and brought the promise of reform. Protesters say that those reforms are still not delivered. They are also opposed to do a proposed law in Egypt that would make the protests illegal.
Here in the United States, let's talk about the unemployment rate because unemployment has hit a two-year low and the March jobs report actually looks good.
According to the U.S. Labor Department, 216,000 jobs were created and the overall unemployment rate has fallen to 8.8 percent. That's the lowest level in two years. So what does it all mean?
Christine Romans joins us from New York to tell us.
Hi, Christine.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Carol.
What does it mean? It means there is more evidence of an improvement in the labor market. A couple of different economists this morning, one of them telling me these are encouraging numbers, another one saying this is meaningful improvement.
What they're really closely watching, private sector jobs gains. How many times have you heard me talk about that? These are companies actually creating jobs. 230,000 jobs created from the private sector. That's the second best reading in five years. So you want to see that continue.
Carol, they added jobs in manufacturing, in retail, and health care. Temporary work. But where you saw them lose jobs, it was the government jobs. Why? Budget cuts. We've been talking about that. So you've seen some of those jobs disappear.
One other thing I want to bring in to you, Carol, here if you continue to lower the unemployment rate the way we have been in recent months. Economists say it will take maybe 3 and 1/2 years to get back to pre-recession levels. So there's still a lot of work to do, I want to be clear.
Another thing you've shown interest, you and I both reported about the 99ers.
COSTELLO: Yes.
ROMANS: The people who've been out of work for a very long time. What does this report mean for you if you're a 99er. This report shows there's action on the front end, Carol. People who have recently been unemployed are -- recently unemployment are getting jobs. But for people who've been out of work a very long time, still very difficult.
The average length of unemployment is now 39 weeks. That's up. The last recorded was 37 weeks. Now it's 39 weeks. So the length of unemployment got a little longer so if you find yourself out of a job for a long time, still very difficult out there. I want to be clear out about that. Even as economists say this is an encouraging report -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes. And a lot of states are cutting the state unemployment benefits, too. So it's not gotten any easier on those people.
ROMANS: Yes. That's right.
COSTELLO: Christine Romans, live from New York, thank you.
Turning to the latest on the Japanese nuclear crisis. Frustrating news for evacuees. Tens of thousands of people who left their homes near the Fukushima plant may not be allowed back for months. Japanese officials say the plant needs to be under control first.
Radiation above the legal limit has been found in beef from the province where the damaged plant is located. The meat will not be sold and more tests will be conducted on beef, chicken, and pork from the region.
One hundred fifty-five Marines trained in radiological operations are due to arrive in Japan shortly. The initial response force could help with radiation detection, search and rescue operations and decontaminating people. As demonstrators take to the streets in multiple Middle Eastern capitals we'll take a look at what they want. An expert from the region joins us live in just a few minutes.
And then four "New York Times" journalists relive their capture in Libya. The beatings, the taunting and the terror. Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: In Syria, they are calling it a day of rage. In Yemen, a day of liberation. Friday prayers have again given way to Friday protests across the Middle East. Egyptians, Jordanians also pouring into the streets. In each case the divisions and the demands are a little different.
Joining us now Fouad Ajami who is a professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University.
Welcome.
PROF. FOUAD AJAMI, MIDDLE EASTER STUDIES, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: Thank you. Thank you very much.
COSTELLO: So the protests in many of these countries seem to be growing. And, you know, you have the president of Syria refusing to step down. Things are a little bit different in Jordan.
What are we to make of all of this? Because the big fear that we have in the United States is that this is just going to turn into an all-out war in the Middle East.
AJAMI: Well, there is an all-out war in the Middle East. There is an all-out war between these old aged autocrats who rule the region, 360 million Arabs are ruled badly. They're rules by old men, they're ruled by men who are corrupt, they're ruled by men who are decadent, they're ruled by men whose only purpose in life is to steal as many billions of dollars and give it to their sons and daughters and wives.
COSTELLO: In Syria, they're calling it a Day of Rage. In Yemen, a Day of Liberation. Friday prayers have, again, given way to Friday protests across the Middle East. Egyptians, Jordanians also pouring into the streets. In each case, the divisions and the demands are a little different. Joining us now, Fouad Ajami, who is a professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Welcome.
AJAMI: Thank you. Thank you very much.
COSTELLO: So, the protests in many of these countries seem to be growing. You have the president of Syria refusing to step down. Things are a little bit different in Jordan. What are we to make of all of this? Because the big fear that we have in the United States is that this is just going to turn into an all-out war in the Middle East.
AJAMI: Well, there is an all-out war in the Middle East. There's an all-out war between these old, aged autocrats who rule the region. 360 million Arabs are ruled badly. They're ruled by old men, they're ruled by men who are corrupt. They're ruled by men who are decadent. They're ruled by men whose only purpose in life to steal as many billions of dollars and give it to their sons and daughters and wives.
So, there is a war, and I think we are implicated in it, we are part of it, if you will. And we are on -- we are and should be and we are trying to be on the side of the angels in this fight.
COSTELLO: We're trying to be. But many Americans are opposed to us getting involved in any other conflicts. We're already kind of conflicted about US involvement in Libya, but --
AJAMI: Sure.
COSTELLO: But will the United States have no choice? Will it be sucked into these protests, this Middle East war that's going on?
AJAMI: Well, as you said, we will be sucked into it. There was an expression from the '60s that said, "You may not care about the revolution, but the revolution cares about you."
So, we are implicated in it. The shadow of American power lies over the region. We have allies in the region who themselves are caught up in fights with their own people. We are friendly with the intelligence service of these countries.
We have -- you were talking earlier about this notorious gentleman, Moussa Koussa, he is a graduate of Michigan State University, I believe. This Libyan foreign minister who may have been involved in Lockerbie, and he had been our friend. He deals us cards from the bottom of the deck.
So, we are part of the scene. We are part of the fight there. And I think, in some places, for example now, in Libya, we have made the right decision to back the forces of the free Libyans and to back the forces of democracy.
COSTELLO: OK, so, before we end this interview, is there some light at the end of the tunnel? I mean, is this -- is there something positive that you can throw at us?
AJAMI: Absolutely. There is something positive. Whenever men and women get together and decide to fight for their freedom, it's very positive. When Arabs go out into the streets and don't shout "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" When they talk about their own rotten rulers, when they talk about the reform of their own lives, when Egyptians go out and have peaceful protests and throw out a long -- a despot of three decades, one can only celebrate this.
We shouldn't fear this breeze of freedom. We've lived with autocracy in the Middle East for a long time, and the harvest of autocracy, by the way, was 9/11 and what happened to us on 9/11. So, I think this ride with freedom, if you will, should not scare us in the least. COSTELLO: Fouad Ajami, thank you so much for being with us this morning. We appreciate it.
AJAMI: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Captured by Libyan troops, beaten, threatened, and held six terrifying days, four "New York Times" journalists are still working through that trauma. They sat down with Anderson Cooper to tell their story. Here, Anthony Shadid remembers what happened in the first minutes at a Libyan government checkpoint.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY SHADID, JOURNALIST, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": We were put on our knees first, and there was a lot of -- kind of slapping, there was emptying our pockets. And I remember one of the soldiers was yelling at me, "You're the translator, you're the spy."
And then, soon after that, they forced us on our stomachs. And I think we all had that very sinking feeling that this was it. I remember on my stomach looking up at -- I remember him being a tall soldier, and him saying, "Shoot them."
It felt like, to me, again, it felt like a lot of time elapsed, but I think it was just probably a matter of seconds, and another soldier said to him, "You can't, they're Americans."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh. Tune in tonight for part two of Anderson's exclusive interview with those journalists, 10:00 Eastern, only on CNN.
A TV news photographer en route to cover a sports story pulls a woman from a burning car.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROB COOK, PHOTOGRAPHER, WLEX: The people inside were kicking the doors. They couldn't get them open. They were screaming for help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: More of his story of courage next.
Also ahead, a snowy start to baseball season for the Cleveland Indians. The April Fool's snow is the real deal at Cleveland's Progressive Field.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Oh, it's April! And then, this isn't even an April Fool's joke. Snow is in the forecast in parts of the northeast. It's just unbelievable. You're watching live pictures of a snowy morning commute in Boston. Boston isn't alone in its misery, Jacqui Jeras. JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's not. It's a bummer, it really is. It's April. But it's not unprecedented. This isn't record-breaking snow. We get it, even in mid-April from time to time. But it just makes it rough, I think, more than anything, Carol, because it's spring. People want to get out in it. And this is --
COSTELLO: I want to wear my spring clothes!
JERAS: Don't you?
COSTELLO: Yes.
JEARS: Who knows what to wear this time of the year for the most part?
COSTELLO: Right.
JERAS: It really has been like a top ten snowy year for so many people across the Great Lakes and the Northeast, as well.
OK, let's add a little insult to injury and show you some of this video, too, out of Cleveland. Yes, opening day today. How about that? First pitch around 3:05 today, and they had to scurry to get the snow off the field yesterday!
COSTELLO: Oh!
JERAS: Look at this! Yes, they had to shovel it all. They had the tarp, so then they could roll it up, and it was all fine and good. It's going to be about 45 degrees in Cleveland this afternoon.
COSTELLO: Oh, that's not bad.
JEARS: Yes, for people who live in Cleveland, they can tolerate that, right?
COSTELLO: That's like 80.
JERAS: Almost, for April. All right, let's show you where the snow is in the Northeast, and this is where the real heavy stuff is going to be accumulating today. It's going to be in the interior, and we could be seeing anywhere up to a foot, potentially, even into the Poconos, and you head on up into the Adirondacks. Northern Maine is really going to get the worse in terms of accumulating snow.
And the big cities, for the most part, not a huge deal. Maybe a few inches in Boston. And in New York, we had that little bit of a mix, but just the rain. But it's a cold rain and, yes, it's certainly a miserable day.
And it's impacting your travel, too. We've got ground stop right now until 9:30 at LaGuardia, and the probably of that continuing, pretty high today. We've got 40-minute ground delays in Philadelphia, as well.
And let's take a look at the snow, Carol. Who's got snow on the ground still on April 1st? And look at this, the northern tier of the country is really seeing a lot, and one of the biggest concerns is when we see a lot of this pink up there, and we're worried about that spring flooding as temperatures warm up in the upcoming weeks.
COSTELLO: Oh. Something -- and that's no April Fool's joke. I just keep saying that --
JERAS: That's not.
COSTELLO: -- even though it's a lame line.
JERAS: I know. Did you give a joke? Did you do a joke this morning to try and get somebody?
COSTELLO: No, I'm so bad at that.
JERAS: I taped my kids' cereal spoons, this morning, down to the table. On the table.
(LAUGHTER)
JERAS: So, they came to eat and they -- couldn't get it.
COSTELLLO: Oh, the beautiful childhood memories they will have of their mom on April Fool's day.
JERAS: I know.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Jacqui.
JERAS: Yes.
COSTELLO: A TV news photographer turns hero. His story tops our look at news Cross Country. WLEX photographer Rob Cook pulled a woman from her family car moments before it burst into flames. Cook was heading to Houston for a story when he spotted a four-car collision just outside the city. He managed to rip the window from the car and pull the woman to safety.
In Atlanta, a man arrested after a scuffle with a former NBA star Dominique Wilkins. He told an Atlanta radio station that he was attacked first, and that the attack was over money. The fight broke out Wednesday following an Atlanta Hawks game. The man now faces battery charges.
That missing Egyptian cobra? It's found. It was actually hiding inside the Bronx Zoo reptile house. It was coiled away in a holding area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM BREHENY, DIRECTOR, BRONX ZOO: What we're going to do is, we're going to watch her really closely for about a week and make sure she's OK after being loose. And she looks in fine condition. I'm sure she's OK. And if that's the case, we probably will put her on exhibit when we reopen the building next week. We're going to try to do that next weekend.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh, he should do that. She's the most famous snake in America. Zoo officials told us they used rodent scented wood chips to lure the snake out of hiding.
There is word that a senior adviser to one of Moammar Gadhafi's sons is in London for some secret talks. We'll talk more about that next.
And we'll talk about the high-level Libyan defector who's now in Britain. It's believed he was the mastermind behind the Lockerbie bombing. We're talking with one victim's parents about that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: In Libya, there are intriguing new reports about Moammar Gadhafi and his future plans. The British newspaper "The Guardian" is reporting that a senior adviser to one of Gadhafi's sons is in London for secret talks. The newspaper cites sources in the British government.
Though there are no details on the nature of these secret talks, the possibilities include brokering a cease-fire, or possibly a deal for Gadhafi to step down.
Gadhafi's ex-foreign minister, Moussa Koussa is in Britain right now. He apparently defected. British officials hope he will inspire more of Gadhafi's inner circle to do the same thing.
Some believe Koussa was the mastermind behind the Lockerbie bombing. That happened just before Christmas of 1988. A bomb planted in a suitcase destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland. 270 people were killed, including 189 Americans.
Abdel Baset al-Megrahi was convicted and sent to a Scottish prison some 13 years later, but in 2009 Scotland released al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds. He reportedly had terminal cancer and was allowed to go back to Libya to die.
Today, he's still alive. Jack and Kathleen Flynn lost their son JP in the Lockerbie bombing. Megrahi's release and the fact that he's still alive --
First of all, I'd like to welcome the Flynns. Welcome and thank you for being here. We appreciate it.
JACK FLYNN, SON DIED ON PAN AM 103: Thank you.
KATHLEEN FLYNN, SON DIED ON PAN AM 103: Thank you for having us.
COSTELLO: The Lockerbie bombing happened 22 years ago, now, and you've been fighting for justice for all of this time. It seems that some people -- it seems that the memories are fading, so I would like you to start with telling us about your son and that terrible day that you found out what happened over Lockerbie.
KATHLEEN FLYNN: J.P. was a 21-year-old college student. He attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York but he was on the Syracuse program studying in London. And he was on his way home from Christmas. That day, obviously, is etched in our family's memory forever.
JACK FLYNN: Forever.
COSTELLO: And how did you hear?
K. FLYNN: How did we hear? We were on the way --
J. FLYNN: Actually, I was on the way in my car down in Washington, D.C. because I just had been transferred there. I heard it on the radio that there was a bombing of the plane. I didn't know exactly what plane J.P. was on or did they say it at this point in time.
So, I got on the phone and contacted -- I tried to find my wife. She was on the way to the airport to pick him up. I asked her what J.P.'s flight number was, and she gave me the flight number and that was the flight number of the plane that had been bombed. So, I had to tell her what happened.
COSTELLO: Oh, I just can't even imagine.
K. FLYNNE: I was on my way to pick him up.
COSTELLO: Oh, my goodness. So, sort of justice came many, many years later. Now you hear that Moussa Koussa who was a member of Gadhafi's intelligence team, is now in the UK. He has defected. What goes through your mind?
J. FLYNN: We were at the trial every day, Kathleen and I, and we saw all of the evidence against Megrahi, and he got convicted. There was no evidence coming forth out of Libya, anything beyond that. So we knew that, in fact, Gadhafi ordered the bombing, but there was never evidence exposed. So, we hope we now have the evidence that Gadhafi ordered the bombing and we can take the appropriate action, legal action, whatever that is, as far as the United States is concerned.
K. FLYNN: And you understand that it's a bad time for justice.
COSTELLO: It's a bad time for justice, because, you know, lawmakers here in the United States want information about what is going down in Libya so that Moammar Gadhafi is ousted from the country, so they have to be a little careful in their questioning of Moussa Koussa.
But eventually, Kathleen, what would you like to see happen to Moussa Koussa?
K. FLYNN: Well, I just want justice to be done. I mean, I want the people who prepared the bombing and who exercised the bombing -- I want everybody brought to justice. And I think it's the only fair thing that can happen and put this, you know, behind us. If you don't have justice and, you know, the United States government isn't willing to take that step, it's ridiculous at this point in time. And I think it has been to done. Justice must be served.
COSTELLO: I know some lawmakers, especially in the New York and New Jersey area, are working to make that happen, but it probably won't come for a little while yet.
Jack and Kathleen Flynn, thank you both for joining us this morning.
J. FLYNN: Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
K. FLYNN: Thank you.
J. FLYNN: Appreciate it.
COSTELLO: It is half past the hour. Time to check our top storis.
In Syria, antigovernment protestor flaring, and witnesses telling CNN that security forces have opened fire in Damascus. More than one hundred people have reportedly been killed in recent weeks.
This morning, oil prices are opening at the highest levels in two-and-a-half years. The turmoil in the Arab nations pushed up prices more than two percent to $107 a barrel.
An animal rights group is calling for a protest of GoDaddy.com after its CEO posted a controversial video online. It shows him shooting and killing an elephant in Zimbabwe and then posing next to it. Parsons says he was helping farmers who say the elephant was trampling their crops.
Also making headlines this morning, the labor market. The government says 216,000 jobs added last month and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.8 percent.
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange with more details. So, Alison, we have job gains. The unemployment rate is a little tiny bit lower, so it sounds positive. What does Wall Street think?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It is, and all you have to do is look at the numbers, Carol, and see we are higher now. The Dow up 53. It shows that Wall Street is feeling good about this report because it actually came in better than they were expecting. We added about 30,000 more jobs in March than what was expected.
Also, the unemployment rate fell. That was a nice surprise. The February number of jobs that were added also was revised higher. So, for traders on Wall Street, Carol, they think the jobs market is definitely turning around at this point. In fact, analysts expect the momentum to continue. They're expecting to see job gains of anywhere from 150,000 to 200,000 a month the rest of the year. Now, of course it's not enough to substantially bring down the unemployment rate but, you know, it is a major shift from the depths of the recession.
All right. Besides the jobs number that came out today, the buzz here at the New York Stock Exchange is all about a hostile takeover bid. The NASDAQ and Intercontinental Exchange is offering $11 billion to buy the NYSE Euronext, where we are sitting right now. That tops the Deuche Borse (ph) bid of $10 billion. Everybody likes a good bidding war, and this actually could turn into it, Carol.
COSTELLO: I know you'll keep an eye on it. Alison Kosik, live at the New York stock exchange.
College basketball's final four square off tomorrow in Houston. And Butler will have a not-so-secret weapon back in its game. Jeff Fischel from HLN Sports is here to tell us about it.
JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: Mysterious and with four legs, right? Not talking about a bulldog player. We're talking about a bulldog.
Yes, he was bad for the early rounds of tournament but he'll be there for the big game against VCU. It's the mascot! There he is! Such a crucial part of the team! The NCAA kept Blue Two from the earlier rounds because of limited space. Blue Two is not only going to the game Saturday, he's going in style to the game. He went to the doggie spa before grab is his own seat on a charter flight. Of course. I'm going to tell you what he had waiting for him in Houston. That's coming up in 20 minutes.
Plus, Ron Artest needs just one hand to catch and score. The latest penalty box antics from Vancouver's crazy green men. Not little green men, their green men. And they cause a lot of trouble for opposing teams. That is coming up at the bottom of the hour.
COSTELLO: Can't wait. Thank you, Jeff.
It's not easy to pin down just how much the Libyan conflict will cost us. Sarah Palin threw out a figure of $600 million a day. We have heard $100 billion. So, what is the real deal? We will tell you what Secretary Gates says, just ahead.
And how well do you know your federal budget? A CNN/Opinion Research Poll asked Americans how much of the federal budget was devoted to spending on NPR and PBS. On average, those who responded thought five percent of the budget goes to NPR and PBS. We will give you the actual figure after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: A CNN/Opinion Research Poll asked Americans how much of the federal budget was devoted to spending on NPR and PBS. Most people guessed a full five percent of the budget. So, what is the real deal? The federal government spend spends one-tenth of one percent for NPR and PBS.
Let's talk about the cost of the Libyan conflict. We have heard a lot of figures tossed around about that, too. We've heard Libya will cost a hundred billion dollars when all is said and done. Sarah Palin threw out another figure on Fox.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Why this military action, for this humanitarian purpose when more people are dying in other parts of the world.
SARAH PALIN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, that's a good question and that is the 600 million dollars a day question that is being asked now because that's the cost incurred by Americans as we support the no-fly zone --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So what is the truth? What will Libya cost us? Defense secretary Robert Gates told Congress what we have spent so far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The costs are -- our calculation of the costs, as of last Monday, was $550 million. And at the ramped-down level of support, the cost, the run rate per month, is about $40 million.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Rand Paul followed his dad to Capitol Hill. Now he may be following his dad's aspirations to higher office. CNN senior political editor Mark Preston is here. Rand Paul has been in Congress for what, about three seconds?
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: He did. He just got sworn in in January, and he is already at least considering looking at the White House. You know, he said in an interview, recent interview that the only decision that he has made about the White House is that he will not run against his father. His father, Ron Paul, the Texas congressman, is still considering running for president. But Rand Paul is going to be in Iowa tomorrow at a fundraiser for the state Republican party. Whenever anybody goes to Iowa, Carol, they are seriously looking -- or at least want us in the media to think they are seriously looking to run for the White House.
COSTELLO: That's what I hear. Okay. So, what is Donald Trump saying now?
PRESTON: God, what isn't he saying about this whole birther issue? Yesterday on MSNBC - the whole idea of President Obama not being born in this country, well, Donald Trump said that he is embracing the issue and proud of the issue.
But one thing he doesn't like, though, Carol, he doesn't like being called a birther. He says it's derogatory and it's unfair because there are good people that happen to think there is a possibility that this man was not born in this country. So, we will continue to hear more from Donald Trump about the issue on birther. But, you know, the big question is, Carol, why is he embracing social issues? Because a lot of people, certainly independents, think Donald Trump -- maybe his biggest appeal to independent voters would be on the economy. He's a very successful businessman.
COSTELLO: The big question why isn't he embracing this particular issue? Because it's just a nonissue.
PRESTON: Well, it is a nonissue, and you have folks like the former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty who is running for president, says he doesn't believe it. But you know what? Maybe he is embracing it because we're talking about it and when we talk about it, we're talking about him.
COSTELLO: Amen, brother! I think we should put a moratorium on it.
PRESTON: No more!
COSTELLO: No more! Thanks, Mark.
We'll have your next political update is in an hour. And a reminder, for all the latest political news, go to our Web site, CNNpolitics.com.
Remember the days of the school principal walking down the hall with a big paddle? For some kids, that's not a distant memory. 20 states still allow paddling, but that may soon change. We'll have that story is next.
COSTELLO: Some of us recall the images of our high school principal walking the halls eyeballing students with a wooden paddle in his hands. I know, I remember those days. Looking at recent stats nearly a quarter million kids got corporal punishment in the 2005 school year. That may surprise you but that's actually down from years earlier.
Twenty states still permit paddling and most of those are in the south. Top states in 2005, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama. Steve Perry is our education pro. Welcome, Steve.
STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: Welcome to the principal's office, Carol.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
You know, when I -- I ran for like student body president and I ran to ban paddling from my high school. I mean, that's how long this thing has been around. And --
(CROSS TALK)
PERRY: It's absurd. It's one of the biggest problems in public education is nostalgia. We often think that things were so much better back in the day. And so something even as silly as hitting a child with a piece of wood is still considered something that we may want to do in school.
We had a parent hit a child with a piece of wood last week. We called the police on her. You can't hit children with objects.
We understand, I understand the need to be creative with discipline but in order to be creative with discipline, you need to have a relationship with the child. You can't just go around saying that they are wrong and that they are bad and that's what happens. We are not the parents --
COSTELLO: No but Steve, the only -- the only creative thing out there seems to be let's take a time-out. Go sit in the corner and take a time-out.
(CROSS TALK)
PERRY: No, no. No, no.
COSTELLO: Does that kind of thing work?
PERRY: No, no we don't need to do it that way. I don't -- we do -- we do discipline differently here at Capital Prep. One of the things that we do is we -- children, where they -- in this office they wouldn't sit. They stand, because this is not a place for them to be comfortable. They're not guests.
It begins with something as simple as that. There are other ways in which you can be creative with discipline. You can have the child clean windows at a school. You can have a child, I mean, if you wanted to, they could do stairs or something like that.
Anything that aren't -- something physical and uncomfortable but doesn't necessarily hurt them. Of course, the parents and everyone else has to buy into it. But ultimately, what's most important is not how you discipline them it's how you build a relationship with them. Once you have built a relationship with them you can establish expectations and they will respond to those expectations.
The reason why successful school are successful is because they built relationships with the children. People think that there's a short cut. There is no shortcut. Paddling a child simply will not improve the student's economic performance. There's nothing anywhere in academic annals that will say if you hit a kid with a piece of wood they will do better in -- in math.
COSTELLO: I don't think you're going to convince some people. Steve Perry, many thanks. We appreciate it.
PERRY: Take it easy, Carol.
COSTELLO: You too.
Let's take a look at stories making news later today.
In the noon hour, President Obama is headed to a UPS facility in Landover, Maryland to talk about clean energy truck fleets. He's promoting a public/private partnership that will help large companies produce diesel and gasoline use in their fleets by incorporated -- incorporating electric vehicles and alternative fuels.
Today at 4:00 p.m., religious leaders who are fasting to protest federal budget cuts will line up to pray at the U.S. Capitol. They say the cuts unfairly target the poor.
A statue honoring 9-year-old Tucson shooting victim Christina Green will be unveiled at 8:00 p.m. Eastern tonight. The sculpture is shaped like an angel and it stands nine feet, 11 inches tall. It's made out of pieces of steel from the World Trade Center to mark the fact Christina was born on 9/11.
Calling all code breakers the FBI wants your help in solving a mysterious encryption case that stumped them for a dozen years. That story is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The FBI hopes you can help them solve a suspicious death from a dozen years ago. The images top our look across country -- two notes were found in the pocket of 41-year-old Ricky McCormack. His body was discovered in a Missouri corn field in 1999 and the notes are -- are the few clues investigator have to go on but the encrypted text has them mystified.
Click on the FBI Web site if you have any insight into the case and we'll be talking more about this with host of the History Channel's "Decoded" in the next hour.
Los Altos, California, now lays claims to the highest known price for a single home in the United States. "The Wall Street Journal" reports a Russian billionaire actually paid $100 million for this French-styled chateau.
In Atlantic City, New Jersey, former cocktail servers at the resort casino say they're contemplating a discrimination lawsuit after they were allegedly fired for how they appeared in the casino's new uniforms. Casino management says all servers let go were given a hiring preference for other position. That really what this story means is the casinos are trying to force them to dress in that sexy and many of them were too old to dress that sexy way and they were gotten rid of.
Police in Sacramento, California are on the lookout for this 18- wheeler which is hiding in plain sight. The big rig is a mobile marijuana-growing facility. The owner says it's designed to be used only by professionals growing medicinal marijuana. Critics questioned the trucks legality.
We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Zain Verjee live in London.
ZAIN VERJEE, ANCHOR, CNN INTERNATIONAL: Hi, Carol. We are following the interrogation of Libya's Moussa Koussa here in the UK. We will bring you the very latest. ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Evacuation plans in the event of a nuclear accident. Are they adequate? We've got an investigation.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Elizabeth Cohen in Atlanta. More women are having babies over the age of 40. I'll give you the medical reasons and the financial ones, too? In the next hour.
COSTELLO: Can you say Kyra Phillips?
COHEN: There you go.
COSTELLO: Thanks to all of you.
Also ahead, for centuries those with royal lineage have been immortalized in marble sculptures and in paintings but the great masters. But those all pale in comparison to this. The royal wedding, William and Katherine LEGO style. That's coming up in the next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: I was cursing on baseball's opening day because Jeff Fischel from HLN Sports, I'm a Tigers fan. And you're not going to mention the Yankees, are you?
JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: We won't discuss the Yankees beating the Tigers.
COSTELLO: Stop it.
FISCHEL: Other than that mention -- but it was a great opening day for several teams. Not a great opening day for the best player in all of baseball. He had his worse day ever in the Major Leagues.
Albert Pujols, of the St. Louis Cardinals their home opener against the San Diego Padres, Pujols, you can't stop him normally. Yesterday, three double plays. He's never done that before. Every time killed the rally. The Padres beat Pujols and the Cardinals in extra innings. Of course, everyone keeping an eye on Pujols this season. He's a free agent at the end of the year. Word is -- I mean, we're talking upwards of $300 million of possible contract for the big man in St. Louis.
Now, this is the way to do it for your home fans on opening day. The Reds down to the Brewers, 6-4, down to their final out. Ramon Hernandez, the game-winning home run. The three run shot, the kids you know these called a walk off homerun. Back in my day it was just a game-winning home run. But everything is cooler now.
COSTELLO: It's cooler now.
FISCHEL: Ok. NBA now, Lakers and Mavericks, they got physical. Dallas's Jason Terry, he gives a little push to LA's Steve Blake. Blake objects. And here comes a little NBA slap and tickle. Add it all up. Four guys got ejected. You'd expect, you'd expect to see the Lakers Ron Artest (ph) in the middle of all that. But he's been very Zen this year. Did you see that hoop? Caught it with one hand and threw up with one hand and int. Aren't they pretty? What are you doing?
What a year for the Vancouver Canucks? Vancouver clenched -- this is called the president's trophy. Best regular season record last night. NHL candidate, NHL candidate the goal despite the bruising hit. Ouch.
That hurts. Earlier in the game, Dowdy (ph) was sent to the sin bin and those crazy green men in Vancouver giving them a hard time. They do that. They tend to that. Bad enough for a two-minute penalty and then you get razzed by these guys on top of it.
And we told you earlier this hour, the Butler bulldog, Blue 2, he will be back for the team's final four game tomorrow. Blue 2 got a seat on the chartered flight to Houston, is Staying at a four-star hotel and even has his own entourage, of course, you guys. Security detail, as well for the game.
