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Gas Prices Rising; How Safe Is Gulf Coast?; Gulf Coast Still Recovering One Year Later From BP Oil Spill; Fashion Stylists Analyst Kate Middleton's Taste; Charles Manson Gives Interview; Iowa Caucus Beginning To Take Shape

Aired April 20, 2011 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Brooke Baldwin.

As always, a lot of stories unfolding right now, including this one. Take a look at this one. Gas prices in some cities creeping closer and closer to that $5 mark. We will tell you where that is happening.

Plus, a member of the Obama administration is going to join me live to talk about how safe the Gulf Coast really is one year after that oil spill. I will ask EPA Chief Lisa Jackson the tough questions. That is ahead.

Also, the border-to-border battle. Crews racing to fight the devastating wildfires there in Texas. In just a couple of minutes, I will be speaking live with one of the firefighters on the front lines.

And he spent weeks at the center of this war zone. Now CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson talking about life there on the ground in Libya, and the disturbing images he has witnessed. Nic getting a little bit of a break away from Libya, here in Atlanta at CNN headquarters. He will be joining me live in studio coming up.

But first this, a developing story, a tragic story out of Libya. An Oscar-nominated American journalist has died today in the government siege of Misrata. CNN confirmed this death within just this past hour.

For more on the story, I want to go to Barbara Starr standing by at the Pentagon.

And, Barbara, obviously all of our condolences out to his family. Tell us who he is and what he was doing there.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, this is a lovely man. This is Tim Hetherington, a 41-year-old Oscar-nominated photojournalist and filmmaker.

Tim very well known to many of us here at CNN, but perhaps best known within the U.S. military community for his collaboration with Sebastian Junger on the Oscar-nominated documentary "Restrepo." The two of them, Tim and Sebastian, went and lived for months in some of the toughest combat in Afghanistan, made a documentary film about a unit.

It would turn out one of the soldiers in that unit received the Medal of Honor a few months ago from President Obama, so what is so tragic here is Tim survived some of the toughest combat in Afghanistan in a place actually that came to be known as the Valley of Death and now killed in an apparent mortar attack in Misrata, Libya.

A very funny, gentle soul, a photojournalist who lived in so many war zones, operated there and always talked about how careful he was. And yet, today, he has been apparently killed in action -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: It is a tremendous documentary. I have seen it, in the Korengal Valley, "Restrepo." I would highly recommend it to anyone and just watching his work. I know, Barbara, you have met him, you interviewed him. What more can you share about his life and also just about his work in Afghanistan?

STARR: I think what many people may not have realized is the personal sacrifices that Tim and Sebastian made to get the film "Restrepo" made.

You see some of it there about the tough, tough places in which they operated. One anecdote I remember Tim talking about, and he mentioned it so many times, is while he was in combat with the U.S. troops in Afghanistan, he broke his leg, but the guys, the soldiers didn't tell him he broke his leg because he was going to have to walk a fair distance down a steep mountain to even get to a helicopter.

And Tim was laughing about this with us months later, saying, I knew something had happened. I knew I had broken something, but the guys didn't tell me. What it really went to, of course, is they were in such rugged terrain under such threat if they wanted to get out even with broken bones they were going to have to walk out, they were going to have to get themselves out. That is the kind of sacrifices that they made to go after the story.

By all accounts in Misrata, of course, that is a completely different battlefield, as Nic Robertson knows better than anybody, that Misrata, Libya, right now you have government forces engaging in what everyone calls indiscriminate attacks against civilians. NATO very, very critical of this. And photojournalists and reporters trying to do the best they can to cover the story and stay alive. Other journalists were hurt along in the same attack that killed Tim today. And we are still awaiting more word on their condition -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: We are. Barbara Starr, thank you.

And here's what we know just to get everyone caught up. We understand a second journalist may have been wounded in that particular incident. Obviously we are making phone calls. We're trying to dig on the story here at CNN and as soon as we get more information, we will pass it along as soon as we possibly can. Barbara Starr, again, my thanks to you.

Switching gears though, if you are tired and come on now, who isn't, of lost luggage, aggravating delays on the tarmac and those sneaky hidden fees, want you to listen to this. Uncle Sam is beefing up the passenger Bill of Rights.

Jeanne Meserve looks at the trouble spots and the new rules that will be addressing them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Feeling ripped off by hidden airline fees for pillows, food, seats, luggage, reservation changes? Under new Department of Transportation rules, carriers are going to have to disclose them up front on their Web sites.

RAY LAHOOD, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: We're trying to look out after passengers who in some instances have been treated pretty shabbily.

MESERVE: If lost luggage is your gripe, you aren't alone. Last year, airlines lost, damaged or delayed more than two million bags. they have always had to compensate you for the bag. Under the new rules, they will also have to refund that pesky baggage fee.

If you were involuntary bumped from an overbooked flight, the new rules will ensure a refund double the value of your ticket up to $800. And the rules say no more tarmac delays of more than four hours for international flights, instituted in part because of extended delays at New York's JFK during last December's blizzard. Delays of more than three hours are already banned for domestic flights. Advocates for passengers' rights are delighted at the new rules.

KATE HANNI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FLYERSRIGHTS. ORG: This is really groundbreaking for airline passengers. Even to have been noticed by the government is amazing. But the fact that they're passing meaningful regulations that are going to make a big difference for airline passengers is just -- it's a miracle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: OK. Jeanne Meserve, everyone watching your piece wants to know when these rules go into effect.

MESERVE: Well, not immediately, alas. It will take a little bit of time. The final rule was published today. They will go into effect in 120 days. That puts it towards the back half of August. That is when we will see it in effect.

BALDWIN: So we will get through the summer months and then we will have it happen.

Jeanne Meserve, thank you so much.

Also, another air traffic controller is under scrutiny today, this one is over how first lady Michelle Obama's plane was handled yesterday. Have you heard about this? The pilot of her Boeing 737 was forced to circle Andrews Air Force Base before landing. The reason, the first lady's plane and a military cargo plane didn't quite have enough airspace between them. They were only about three miles apart. They should have been five. FAA rules require that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAHOOD: Mrs. Obama was never in danger. There was never any threat of danger. What took place is something that we are investigating. And when we finish our investigation, we will announce the results.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Now, when the cargo plane did land, Mrs. Obama's jet had to do what they call a go-around maneuver. Controllers didn't think the cargo plane would move off the runway quickly enough.

And the South, the Midwest under the gun again, getting pounded by wind, lightning and heavy rain and then there's also this, folks, more tornadoes. You know we have told the story this week. They have killed 46 people in the last week. Now there is this whole new storm. It is churning them up again. We will tell you where this is headed.

But, first, the battle of Hell's Gate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you say, it is -- the flames are just racing.

(CROSSTALK)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look at that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wave after wave, they keep exploding and creating new head fires.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Look at that, firefighters in Texas battling flames 100 feet high, temperatures they say well over 1,000 degrees. We are taking you to the front lines next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: In Texas, they are calling it a border-to-border battle against this ferocious firestorm. It has been churning across just about every single pocket of the state. Exhausted firefighters are doing their best there to corral those flames.

But dry hot weather has been a formidable foe. A bit of relief is on the horizon, but crews say the light rain, the cooler temperatures won't quite be enough to dampen this out of control fire that continues to burn here days and days.

One of the largest fires with flames reaching about 100 feet high scorched one particular residential area. It's just west of Fort Worth, Texas.

CNN's Ed Lavandera was right there with the firefighters right there on the front line.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The relentless waves of fire erupted here along Hell's Gate Drive.

(on camera): You can see how these low-level trees and the dry brush just add to this fuel. In a matter of seconds, these flames devour all of these trees, dry it up, and keeps moving on this way.

(voice-over): For these volunteer firefighters from Lone Camp, Texas, Hell's Gate is a fitting backdrop for the showdown they're about to face with these wicked flames.

BOZO HENDERSON, LONE CAMP FIRE DEPT. : It's hard to stop. The ground is all dry and everything. There's no moisture anywhere. There's nothing slowing it down.

LAVANDERA: The wildfire shoots over a mountain ridge, and Bozo Henderson -- yes, that's his name -- knows the fire is pushing right at them. They're the last line of defense where Hell's Gate hits Highway 16.

HENDERSON: If it jumps 16, I don't know what's going to happen after that. It's just going be ugly.

LAVANDERA (on camera): What's the fear over here?

HENDERSON: There's another fire back over here, and we're trying to keep it from merging.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got to get to the safety zone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, what do you think? Can I have an engine down here at this house?

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Brandon Thornburgh (ph) tells me the flames shooting from the treetops reach up to 100 feet high and that temperatures deep in the woods could reach well over 3,000 degrees.

BRANDON THORNBURGH, FIREFIGHTER: As you say, the flames are just racing.

LAVANDERA (on camera): Look at that.

THORNBURGH: Wave after wave, they keep exploding and creating new head fires. The one down below is coming our way. It's actually --

LAVANDERA: Splitting up a little bit?

THORNBURGH: -- it's splitting like this and coming this way. LAVANDERA (voice-over): Other fire teams set backfires to slow the flames. An aerial tanker shoots over the hot spot, dumping fire suppressant. But the flames are now at the edge of Hell's Gate.

(on camera): So we've been doing live reports from here, but the winds have shifted. And as you can see, it's starting to blow everything back on us. And we've been told by firefighters that we need to get out of this area.

(voice-over): We race out of the area through the thick smoky haze. The firefighters, standing their ground until the end. One of the Lone Camp firefighters would tell me later this was one of the few battles they won on this day.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Let's talk a little bit more about these fires here. Want to bring in Clint Holub. He is a volunteer firefighter for the Palo Pinto Fire Department, the area you just saw there in Eddie Lavandera's piece. He is also a lifelong resident of this 400-person town.

And Clint now on the phone with me from Palo Pinto.

And, Clint, if I may, I would like to talk to you first as a firefighter then as a lifelong resident. So from a firefighting perspective, sir, how is it going today? How are the conditions on the ground today vs. last night vs. yesterday?

CLINT HOLUB, FIREFIGHTER: Well, we are having a little better day today. The humidity is a little higher and the winds are not quite as strong as they have been being.

And they are just -- it is helping us quite a bit. The guys like you said are exhausted and they have been working all night to push a dozer line through one or two ranches that span all the way from (INAUDIBLE) to Highway 16, which is approximately 16 miles across there, and trying to get a place where they can stop this fire if it jumps the river.

BALDWIN: Yes, Clint, I want to ask you about that exhaustion in just a moment. But would you say that you and your fellow firefighters, are you still on the defense when it comes to this fire or have you been able to get ahead of it yet?

HOLUB: Well, it is still a defensive mode. We have not been able to offensively fight it yet. It's mainly to protect and try to get far enough ahead of it to where we can get a decent stop on it.

The winds have not been allowing to us do that with the cedar population that we have here and carrying the embers from the cedars farther ahead.

BALDWIN: And I know you all are working out there around the clock. I understand you pulled an all-nighter. Talk to me a little bit about how as a firefighter you are not only fighting the flames, but fatigue. Are you getting breaks and are you getting help from other departments in Texas and around the country?

HOLUB: Oh, yes, ma'am.

The surrounding departments and Forestry Service has brought in so many people. Yes, we are now getting good breaks and the folks are getting some relief.

BALDWIN: Do you need more help?

(CROSSTALK)

HOLUB: Always until we get it under control. Never going to turn down any help. The communities have been great donating to the firefighters' causes. We have people right now making food up, you know, to carry out to the fire crews on the scenes.

So, everything we can get, we are -- you know, it is much appreciated, but we want to say thank you to everyone who has donated to our cause and prayed for us in our time of need.

BALDWIN: So, Clint, I hear that you are very grateful. I also know, as someone who has lived in Palo Pinto your whole life, it must be tough watching homes destroyed, your wife, your daughter among many others who have been evacuated. How is your family doing? And is your wife a little nervous for you?

HOLUB: Well, yes, ma'am, and my daughter. They don't like me being around this stuff as much anymore, but it's -- everybody here is well-trained and we are going to stay safe.

It's, you know, that's one of our number-one priorities is to make sure that our firefighters come home at the end of the day and are able to be with their families. And, of course, saving our town and our neighbors' houses is just as important, too, but we are not going to let it get us or them either.

BALDWIN: Of course. Do you feel like your town is safe so far? I have read that some 200 homes have been destroyed across the state , several in your area, your hometown. How is your home?

HOLUB: Our home -- my home is fine and our town is fine at this point. I really don't see the fire shifting right now. That is what we are trying to do is anticipate any further wind shifts that might carry it this way, and then of course stay ahead of it and make sure we don't get back it, doing some back-burning and things like that.

BALDWIN: Clint Holub, I hear that you are grateful and I'm sure many Texans are as grateful to you well to you. My hat is off to you, sir, Clint Holub out of Palo Pinto in Texas. Thank you.

A 6-year-old brings a gun to an elementary school in Texas. We were all over this story yesterday. So the gun goes off in the cafeteria, kids all around, three students injured. We will get their conditions here about 24 hours later. That is ahead.

Also, a Wild West-type shoot-out at this Internet cafe in Florida. We will show you how the whole thing plays out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Want to get to some breaking news here, changes coming to the FAA with regard to very specific planes.

Let's go to Jeanne Meserve, homeland security correspondent, with the latest there out of Washington.

Jeanne, what are you learning?

MESERVE: Well, Brooke, this is fallout from that incident we learned about yesterday where the first lady's flight got too close to a cargo plane in front of her, violating the airspace rules.

The FAA is issuing a statement, we have obtained it already, saying that, in future, flights carrying the first lady the vice president will have to have supervisor oversight. That means a supervisor is going to be on hand to monitor takeoffs, landings and movements through the D.C. airspace.

This will also apply to other destinations when they are flying elsewhere in the country where that is possible. Now, these rules already apply to flights carrying the president. This is now being expanded to cover flights carrying the vice president and the first lady.

Once again, supervisors will be monitoring the movements of those planes, supervisors both at Andrews Air Force Base and at the regional control center out in Potomac, which handles the flights as they come into the D.C. area.

BALDWIN: Assuming, Jeanne, this takes effect immediately, correct?

MESERVE: Yes, it says as of today. That's whether FAA is saying.

BALDWIN: Got it. Got it. Jeanne Meserve, thank you very much, breaking news there.

Also this. Surveillance video captures terrifying moments during a robbery in Florida. Take a look at this. You will see some panicked customers are scrambling when three men open up fire inside. This is an Internet cafe. There they go running around. You can see one of the gunmen actually wrestling with a security guard. Wait for it again. He is the guy wearing the white shirt.

Now, police say that the guard actually shot one suspect, but it didn't end there, continues outside. Cameras were rolling as the suspects, there they go, rolling away in the car. One suspect's body was later dumped near a hotel. The other two men still on the loose. McDonald's national hiring day had to be suspended in at least one restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio. Why, you ask? Well, because a fight broke out between two women over a man, quickly turned into a hit-and-run. An eyewitness captured this cell phone video of a car backing into the crowd outside one of these McDonald's restaurants. Four people were hurt, none seriously. Police are still though searching for the driver of that car.

And how could we not all remember this, the fatal explosion that set off the BP oil spill exactly one year ago today? There are still claims of oil in the marshes, along the beaches, fish pulled from the Gulf some say not fit to eat. EPA administrator Lisa Jackson is in New Orleans, her hometown, by the way. She will answer some of these claims just ahead.

But, first, we usually we get severe storms in the springtime, but this year has been off of the charts. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go, go. Punch it. We have got to get behind those trees.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: More strong storms are whipping up these tornadoes in the South. We will tell you where these storms could be heading next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A couple of top stories unfolding right now, including parents and students say they are very shaken up one day after a gun went off in a school in Houston, an elementary school, mind you. That story unfolded right around this hour yesterday. Police say a kindergartner brought a loaded handgun to school. Somehow, this gun falls out of this kid's pocket, fires in the cafeteria.

All told, three students were hurt, including the boy who brought the gun. He and the other two children are expected to be OK. Investigators are still trying to figure out where the boy got the gun and how.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

BALDWIN: How about this guy, Charles Manson? Yes. He is probably one of the most infamous cult leaders of all time. And he's sending a message from behind bars now, but this is not the first time he has done this. We will bring you the lost tape.

Also, this:

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CHARLES MANSON, CONVICTED MURDERER: Without the air, we cannot survive. Anything that's made in the law should be against the criminals that are destroying your air. The air is all you have got. (END AUDIO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Hmm. Yes, that is the mastermind behind one of the most shocking crimes of the last century. He is concerned about the environment. We will play more of those lost tapes ahead.

But first, a year has passed since the explosion that led to the BP oil disaster, but this story, folks, this is nowhere near over. I will spook live to EPA chief Lisa Jackson on the other side of this break. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A number of people who will be gathering in Grand Isle, Louisiana, next hour for a memorial service commemorating the BP oil spill. One year ago today 11 men lost their lives in what is the country's worst offshore oil disaster. Over 85 days more than 200 million gallons of oil gushed there into the gulf, threatening the livelihood of the region as well of course as the safety of the wildlife, the fish.

CNN was committed to cover the story and many of us were spent down there, including myself, in Louisiana and Mississippi and covering the immediate impact.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: One of the biggest concerns here with this oil spill of course is the wildlife, and now we have a front row seat to what the experts are talking about. This is new Harbor Island. There are hundreds of pelicans here. This is nesting season. The pelicans and their babies and you can see here 10 feet from the shore the authorities have put out a protective booming to do precisely that, try to protect this habitat.

Today, we have perfect conditions, but here is one of the criticisms. This is a close look at the booms, and the booms are supposed to keep all of this oil from going anywhere closer to the eco habitats in the islands and this massive criticism is that the wind on any other day is worse. It could easily go over the boom. Another worry is because some of the oil is so broken up, underneath these booms only this thick and it could go right on under.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: So one year later a lot of questions remain. In a moment, I will speak with environment Philippe Cousteau about the damage he sees down there. But first I want to go over to EPA administrator Lisa Jackson. She joins me now from, from what I understand, Lisa, is your native New Orleans. Good to have you on, by the way.

A lot of people predicted an environmental Armageddon which is one of the phrases quoted in the "New Orleans Times Picayune" this morning, an environmentalist saying it was averted. One year later, Lisa, how do you see things? LISA JACKSON, EPA ADMINISTRATOR: I think in many ways there is reassuring news for the people of the Gulf Coast. This was the largest environmental response, not just one of the largest if not the largest release in recent times. And I think and although there are lots of things that we have learned from the response is that a lot of the people, almost 50,000 people, all of the work did was to avert some of the worst of what could have been an Armageddon, but hasn't shown itself to be.

BALDWIN: So much from what I understand is unknown. It is one year out, and we talked a heck of a lot a year ago about the large plumes of oil. How to the best of your knowledge and in talking to experts, how has that affected the wildlife thousands of feet below the surface?

JACKSON: Well, you know, there have been thousands of samples by private researchers, but also by government researchers and it is starting to paint a picture of the ecosystem out there, and there is still oil in the ecosystem. We know that now. We know that there is some limited oil in the marshes and in most cases that is being allowed to dissipate naturally, and that is the best thing for those marshes.

But what I say to people is that we need several years of data to ensure there is no collapse of any part of the ecosystem. The good news is that there is not any immediate impact, but we need to stay vigilant.

BALDWIN: It is tough. We are showing pictures of the dead dolphins. And it is tough to look at, and it is still very much so happening one year out. And my question to you as you talk about the oil and the ecosystem, what about the seafood? You talk to some fishermen who say, I won't go near that stuff, and other people say it is perfectly fine. Have you eaten it?

JACKSON: I absolutely have eaten it. What I say to people is listen, we all eat seafood all of the time and we don't think about it. This is some of the most tested seafood now in the world unfortunately because of the tragedy. And we owe that to people to try to remind them that the confidence will come, because they know that people are looking at it. These people down here, this is their livelihood and they take it seriously, and of course, we won't see them or the experts saying that it is OK if we are not testing it.

BALDWIN: According to the president, your specific role, you're leading this task force to coordinate the long-term restoration effort. So if you could pinpoint one thing specifically, Lisa, what is your biggest challenge looking ahead?

JACKSON: Well, it is that there's been so much damage for so many decades. You know, I took a helicopter flight earlier today and we went over the Bay, a lot of open water that just 20 years ago was marsh. We are dealing with big changes to an ecosystem that in many ways is resilient but is ironically fragile at the same time.

What we need at this point is for people all along the gulf not just in Louisiana to come together the advocate for the Gulf and to say to their elected leaders and each other, we are stronger together. We have to come together and make this Gulf ready for the next 100 years, resilient, strong, and we have to repair it.

BALDWIN: Lisa Jackson, chief of the EPA, enjoy some of the grilled oysters for me, thank you so much.

JACKSON: I will.

BALDWIN: And next to Philippe Cousteau is a member of the legendary family whose name is synonymous with the ocean. Since this oil spill, Philippe has been on special assignment for us here at CNN, and he is joining me from Grand Isle, Louisiana.

And Philippe, with your experienced eyes one year out of this thing, what type of damage are you seeing walking around Louisiana and Alabama and seeing on the surface and then what do you know about 5,000 feet lurking below?

PHILIPPE COUSTEAU, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, there's a lot of concern about what is happening here in the environment as administrator Jackson just said. There is a need for a lot of science to continue to broaden the scope and our understanding of what is happening. But it has been in the last week or so, I spent visiting with the fishermen and the folks in the tourism industry along the coast and particularly some shrimpers and oystermen and it is interesting to hear what they say. I want you to check out this clip.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COUSTEAU: So this doesn't seem like a lot of baby oysters though.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are no baby oysters, and that is what is scary. This should be full, full, full of oysters the size of your fingernail, should be blistered all over this thing at this time right now.

SANDY HA NGUYEN, COASTAL COMMUNITIES CONSULTING: The impact was about income. We lost our season. We didn't have the money. You see, fishing is not a get-rich business, but if you do it right, you live comfortably.

PHAN PLORK, SHRIMPER: I think that there is a little bit of shrimp out there, but the problem is that the market, consumers -- that is what I worry about, as far as how to persuading them to eat, especially the seafood lover. That is all I'm worried about in this business.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COUSTEAU: So there is a lot of concern as you can see from what is happening right now in the fishing industry and what is going to come in the future, a lot of uncertainty. Of course, if we look back at the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, it fully three years for the herring fishery to collapse. So what's going to happen, no one is quite sure.

BALDWIN: Yes, and with the oil spill in Mexico, they are still seeing oil on the coral there. My next question --

COUSTEAU: We were there in November, and they are, indeed.

BALDWIN: And in terms of the long term when I was down there, a lot of the people started talking about the worries of the dispersants and the two million gallons of the dispersants. What are you learning about that one year later?

COUSTEAU: Well, the thing is -- one of the key things to remember about this oil spill, Brooke, it couldn't have happened at a worse time of year, right in the springtime when animals are mating, and there is a reproductive season and fish eggs and larvae floating through the gulf and the oil is toxic.

Adding the dispersant, there is a lot of debate going on and has not been settled yet whether breaking up the oil more thus allowing it to be more pervasive into the environment and through the soil and the entire water column to continue to wreak havoc on these animals as a toxin. But time will tell as the clip showed earlier, they are not finding the short thumb-sized new larvae oysters and he has never seen that in the 35 years of fishing. So there is a lot of concern about the impact of the oil.

BALDWIN: I can't believe it has been a year since this thing. Philippe Cousteau, glad to have you on the CNN team, by the way. Thank you.

COUSTEAU: Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: And Tuesday, not exactly a winning day for Charlie Sheen. He lost the custody battle to his ex-wife Brooke Mueller in L.A. and then reportedly bombed his live show in D.C., but apparently Sheen is still trying to see the positive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: I just landed and we had a police escort and we ran more red lights than Brooke Mueller heading to a pawnshop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Ouch. More on Mr. Sheen coming up next.

And she perhaps is not the most famous bride-to-be on the planet. Given all of the fuss over the dress and her style, you know, you might actually be surprised that there is one thing that Kate Middleton says she will not be doing on the big day. I will speak to one of her friends, stylist Nicki Pennie, joining me live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Here's what is trending today, two items. One being Charlie sheen maybe winning in his world at least, but he is not winning in court. After a custody hearing in Los Angeles with estranged wife Brooke Mueller yesterday, Sheen left the courthouse stone faced while cameras captured Mueller smiling broadly. Sheen was seeking full custody of the couple's two two-year-old twin sons. Last night he was in Washington, D.C. for one of his "Torpedo of Truth" shows. The "Washington Post" reports Sheen was met with cat calls during the show.

And if you are a royal watcher, and even if you are not, you have to see the princess-to-be showcasing her style. It's hard to believe that in just nine days Katherine Middleton will become a fashion icon. We got a scoop of a possible design for her wedding gown, but though there is a lot we don't know about Kate's sense of style.

But guess who does know? Nicki penny who is a stylist for the stars and also has styled Kate Middleton and she is joining us live from London, and Nikki, you, personally worked as Kate's stylist and do me a favor as I scroll through the images of her, how would you describe Kate Middleton's style?

NIKKI PENNIE, FASHION STYLIST: Hi, Brooke, and hi from London. Basically, very classic. She is very elegant, beautifully understated and minimal, and lots of great block colors and jewel tones, and she dresses like a princess, Princess Katherine.

BALDWIN: She's a perfect 21st century princess. She is the Burberry trench that sold out around the world. What would Kate never wear?

PENNIE: Well, you know what is so funny, Brooke, is that yesterday she went to the warehouse and it is all over the press today that she bought this dress for $100, and literally now it has sold out. Warehouse is one of our biggest high street brand, and there is so much speculation over the wedding dress, that it is absolutely crazy, I can't believe it. Yesterday, they were saying that it is maybe Libelula (ph) and they are saying it is not them, so it is crazy and wedding fever is beyond, beyond nuts in England right now.

BALDWIN: So, it is keeping all of us guessing, but what are you hearing? I don't know if you have an ear with Kate there, but what are you hearing, because we are hearing that she most definitely has a say in the design of her dress?

PENNIE: Well, OK, Kate, for Kate and for anyone who is about to have the biggest wedding day on the entire planet, it would be very integral to have a massive say in how they want to have their dress and especially that she has a massive sense of direction in fashion, and that is extremely important to her. So I'm sure that she is, you know, having a big say in it. And --

BALDWIN: So, she has a big say.

PENNIE: And who would blame her? Who would blame her?

BALDWIN: And she sounds like a young woman who isn't very fussy. You just showed a picture of the dress for just $10 pounds or dollars or -- so she sounds like the kind of gal who has a personality and not too fussy about what she wears.

PENNIE: I think it is not even about being fussy, but about fashion nowadays especially in England and style. It is about the high street is so fundamentally important to us Brits. And those shops, I did a great high street piece for you to get a perfect look for the princess on the high street.

It is not about cost but the way you put it together, being comfortable and being unique and yourself, and this is what style is about. And Kate is not afraid of that, and everything she wears is timeless, classic, elegant, and she always looks fabulous.

BALDWIN: Here is my last question, and she is gorgeous and I'm sure that makeup artists from everywhere would love to do her makeup on her wedding day, but can you confirm to me, Nikki Pennie she is saying thanks, but no thanks, I'll do it myself?

PENNIE: I can't confirm that for sure, but just knowing her, she is just the most loveliest, down-to-earth girl who is so low key. And I can just imagine she will do what is comfortable with, whether it is with the dress or the makeup or the hair. You know, it is such an important day for her and for her this day is going to be synonymous with the century, and her dress and her make-up is all vitally important. So I guess she wants to get it right. If that means doing it yourself, then why not?

BALDWIN: Imagine Kate Middleton sitting in front of a mirror on her wedding day putting on her own foundation and blush. I love it. Nikki Pennie, thank you for come on.

And now a new way to warn you about possible terror attacks. Color codes, they are out. Attack color codes are out. Why the next warning could name your city and likely target. But, first, have you heard the interview billed as Charles Manson breaking his silence for the first time in 20 years? We have sound here at CNN. It's the lost Charles Manson tape. The details are next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A tell-all interview with infamous cult leader and mass murderer Charles Manson. The headlines are that Manson breaks his 20 silence on the 40th anniversary of the gruesome killings of Sharon Tate and seven others. Manson speaks out against President Obama, calls him quote "foolish" and enslaved to Wall Street, but he also touches on a familiar environmental theme, global warming.

Keep in mind, this is not the first time Manson has spoken publicly in the last decade. Manson has repeatedly been busted for having contraband cell phones behind bars. Two years ago CNN brought you a cell phone conversation between Manson and his supporter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES MANSON: Crime is anything that is done against your survival. Any sin that's against your life is crime. The world order of the court of crime and punishment is the air is god. Without the air, we cannot survive. Anything that's made in the law should be against the criminals that are destroying your air. The air is all you've got.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Charles Manson. In this article Manson shows off his bilingual abilities, saying he is a nasty man in both English and Spanish.

Coming, two tourists are shot to death in Florida. Now a teenager is in custody over this and whether these two murders are part of a gang initiation.

Also, Gloria Borger is standing by with some news just in from the world of politics. We'll take you to Washington for that, next.

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BALDWIN: This news just in to CNN. Right around this time one week from Friday we will be showing you the launch of the second to last space shuttle Endeavor going up in orbit commanded by Mark Kelly. And his wife Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords will be there.

We are now learning and thus we show you the White House that President Obama will be going to Florida for the big launch in addition to his wife and two daughters, Sasha and Malia. So a big, big, star-studded event in Florida. We'll take it live on this show at 3:47 p.m., lunchtime, one week from Friday.

And a new look today at how the Iowa caucuses are shaping up, at least for now. Gloria, so far, any surprises?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, there are some surprises. We have a new poll out from the American research group. And this is of likely caucus going. These are the brave souls who go out in a snowy night in February and the Republican caucuses this year and decide who they are going to support.

And Mike Huckabee who won three years ago, is in the lead with 18 percent. But we have no idea if he's going to run for president or not. Mitt Romney second with 17 percent, Newt Gingrich, 12 percent. Donald Trump, 10 percent. He's going to make his first visit to Iowa in June. And Michele Bachmann, nine percent, and of course she likes to point out that she was born in Iowa.

But there's an important constituencies, as those are the Tea Party voters. And among Tea Party supporters, Huckabee is still in the lead with 23 percent, Bachmann 18 percent, and Mitt Romney 15 percent. So if Trump is going to do well in Iowa with the Tea Party voters, he's still got work to do.

BALDWIN: So the one name we didn't see at the top of the polls.

BORGER: Right.

BALDWIN: But that's ambassador to China, John Huntsman. Is he moving closer to running?

BORGER: I think he is. He's still ambassador and coming back and making trips to South Carolina and New Hampshire. He's hired a bunch of people, a lot of them McCain operatives, I must tell you, who were pushing this candidacy. He was a big supporter of McCain last time around.

And these are more moderate Republicans. He's very conservative on the economic issues. But, on the social issues, you would never call him a Tea Party candidate. So the question really is, is there room for him in this field among an increasingly conservative Republican base? We just don't know yet.

BALDWIN: Is there room and will he or won't he? Gloria Borger, thank you so much.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: Yes. He's a Mormon, too, by the way, a Mormon, a Mormon, just like Mitt Romney.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Mitt Romney and Huntsman, did not know that.

BORGER: Yes. Yes.

BALDWIN: Gloria, thank you.

We will get another Political Ticker update in about half-hour.