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President Versus High Gas Prices; Sen. Ensign to Resign May 3; McCain Speaks in Benghazi

Aired April 22, 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: It is 7:00 a.m. now in the west, 10:00 in the east. Look who's in Libya showing his support for the rebels.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It was a surprise visit and a hero's welcome for Senator John McCain. He is visiting the rebels and holding a press conference right now. We'll get to that in a minute.

The pipe bomb found at a Littleton, Colorado mall on the anniversary of the Columbine shootings. How it got there is still a mystery. Its connection to the 1999 rampage is not known. But we do know a Columbine widow was inside the mall when an explosion could have occurred.

And Pabst calls it blast but attorneys general in 17 states call it a binge in a can. They're trying to cut off this powerful new Snoop Dogg-approved alcoholic drink.

We begin this hour in Libya. Rebels are greeting Senator John McCain with chants of "Thank you, America," as he arrives in the stronghold of Benghazi. The Arizona Republican is calling for increased military strikes to help oust Moammar Gadhafi. U.S. drones are also coming to the aid of rebels and their cause. Defense secretary Robert Gates believes the unmanned planes already have flown their first missions.

And the conflict in Libya and the unrest across much of the Arab world is impacting American wallets. Gas prices are now about a dollar higher a gallon compared to just a year ago. And that affects prices on everything, from groceries to tires. We'll take a closer look at that in just a few minutes.

But first, more on Senator McCain. As I said, he's holding that press conference right now in support of the rebels. Our Reza Sayah is in that press conference. He's monitoring the meeting. But here's what the senator had to say earlier in Libya.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I just came from the hospital where I saw a number of people who are badly wounded and dying. And that puts - frankly, that puts a face on it that argues that maybe we should be doing everything we can to help these people and maybe we're not and they're dying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Maybe America's not doing everything it can. Interesting words, Zain Verjee, from Senator John McCain. What exactly is he doing in Libya?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, he's there, Carol, basically for the day, meeting with the civilian and military leaders of the opposition in Benghazi. Let me show you some video of one person that kind of took him around on the tour of Benghazi. This is Abdul Hafiz Goga. He is the spokesman for the transitional national government. And he took him to Freedom Square. And it was there in the square where there were a lot of people chanting and greeting Senator McCain saying, "Thank you, John McCain," "Thank you, Obama," "We love the USA." Here's what one rebel had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want people to see who we are. We are a peaceful country. We just - the injustice that's happened to us for 42 years. We want all of that to go away. We want to be ourself. We're a good people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERJEE: And what's the impact of this kind of a visit going to be, Carol? Well, this is a pretty significant one. He is the highest ranking, he's the most senior U.S. official to be there on the ground in Libya since the violence there broke out. And what it does is it signals to the rebels that the U.S. is kind of giving an official nod to the transitional national government. Only three other countries have officially recognized it.

COSTELLO: Interesting. We'll hear much more of this throughout the day and when John McCain wraps up his press conference, of course, we'll head back to Libya and check in with Reza. Zain, thank you very much.

Let's talk more about the pair of U.S. predator drones flying now in Libya. They carry hellfire missiles and look for targets around the clock. The idea is to hit pro-Gadhafi forces who take cover near civilians. The drones are unmanned, so they can get closer and take longer to pinpoint the enemy's position.

CNN's Nic Robertson has been in Libya. He says adding drones to the fight has advantages.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): They can fly lower. They can fly more safely, if you will, because they're not putting physical pilots at risk. So they will be able to see Gadhafi's military hardware on the ground. They can fly slower. So they'll be able to get a much better picture of exactly what's happening on the ground as well as being able to target Gadhafi's hardware as they see it. And perhaps politically for President Obama it's less likely that combat airmen would be lost in a mission using drones because they're not in those aircraft and therefore there's less political liability enforcing the safety and security of civilians on the ground in Libya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: So you heard what Nic said. Let's talk more about that political liability with Ed Henry. So Ed, drones are not ground troops. So the president, has the president found another way to help rebels without putting boots on the ground? Is this what this is about?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, potentially. I mean, as you noted, the key politically is that it enables the president to keep his promise that he will not send U.S. ground forces to Libya. That's important. This is a nation obviously weary about the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and a military that is stretched thin.

But as I think Nic also alluded to, this does not come without risks. The fact of the matter is as we've seen the use of drones along the Afghan-Pakistan border, for example, every once in a while there's a big mistake and civilians get hit. Even though they're not being targeted. Even though this is supposed to be a surgical strike, sometimes civilians die. That's a risk.

And then secondly, even though ground forces are not being sent in, just sending this massive bit of U.S. resources could raise questions about whether we are expanding the U.S. role there, even though it's limited it still raise that's question, Carol.

COSTELLO: So let's talk about John McCain. Oddly enough, we called his office a few days ago and were told he was traveling overseas. We had no idea he was heading to Libya. So why do you think he went there? And some of what he said was intriguing. Like maybe America isn't doing enough. What do you make of that?

HENRY: Well, I think first of all, obviously, a lot of senior lawmakers like John McCain in both parties use these congressional recesses around the holidays to travel overseas. John McCain, a top Republican on the Senate Armed Services committee gives him a chance to see what's really happening on the ground in Libya. But there's no doubt as well that beyond that he's putting some political pressure on this White House by standing there with some of the rebel leaders and saying these guys are heroes, we should be doing more to help them.

But it's interesting. Defense secretary Robert Gates yesterday made very clear that while the U.S. is going to be using these drones there is no plans to send U.S. trainers to Libya to help these rebels. Instead, Secretary Gates said we're going to just let the NATO trainers do their job. And Secretary Gates said there's no wiggle room on that at all, that is what's giving an opening for John McCain and other critics to say maybe the U.S. should be having a bigger role than they have now if you really want to force Gadhafi from power because right now it's basically a stalemate, Carol.

COSTELLO: You got that right. Ed Henry live from the White House. Thank you.

HENRY: Good to see you.

COSTELLO: Gas prices, yes, they're rising. And are Americans being taken for a ride? President Obama apparently thinks so. While acknowledging that the Arab unrest is playing a role, he's also ordering an investigation of oil traders. You know, those oil speculators. Specifically whether fraud and price gouging are pushing up the costs of nearly everything we buy.

Here's a reality check that will probably make you cringe. Today the average price of unleaded gas is $3.85 a gallon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The attorney general's putting together a team whose job it is to root out any cases of fraud or manipulation in the oil markets that might affect gas prices. And that includes the role of traders and speculators. We're going to make sure that nobody's taking advantage of American consumers for their own short-term gain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN Money's Poppy Harlow is with us live. And Poppy, I talked to Eliot Spitzer in the last hour. He says oil speculators have very little to do with the price of gas.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN MONEY.COM: Eliot's exactly right. Look, to give a reality check to folks here, back in 2008, we had a very similar move by the White House. The administration really set the line hard and said we're going to investigate these speculators, these traders. The result of that - by the way, this is a $328 billion market - was one Dutch firm was brought under the spotlight in that. And $1 million. That was the issue here.

So Carol, I think the bottom line is they have little to do with it. In 2008 this didn't result in any change in oil or gas prices, which is what we call care about. So you heard the applause there to the president. Politically it makes sense to look into this. Realistically, this is probably not going to change our oil and gas prices.

We have a lot of demand from China right now. But at the same time we have that unrest in the Middle East, the concern that oil traders are betting on that we're going to push oil higher in the future so we're going to bet it's going to go there now. But here's the thing, and we talked about this the other day when I was out on the oil rig, we have a glut of supply of oil in this country right now from the Canadian oil sands, the Gulf of Mexico not pumping as much. There we are in the middle of the gulf as they were before the moratorium. But they're pumping thousands of barrels a day. And the demand isn't as high right now. So we have more than enough oil in this country right now.

COSTELLO: Many people think speculators are to blame because we have a glut of oil, there's decreased demand for gas, yet the prices are still high and getting higher.

HARLOW: Sure. The price we pay at the pump has to do with the price of oil which is traded globally, right? It's not just how much oil we have domestically in this country. It's how much Saudi Arabia has. OPEC has actually cut back a little bit on how much they're producing. It's how much Russia is producing. It's a global number.

So oil prices, you look at them. About $112 a barrel right now. That's 24 percent below where they were in 2008. Our gas prices, $3.85 a gallon. That's very close to that $4.11 record we saw in 2008. So there's this disconnect. Oil prices aren't surging as much as they did a few years ago. Gas prices are creeping higher, though. The refiners have a lot to do with this.

But let's not just blame Wall Street and speculators right away. They're looking into this, the administration is, but I don't want folks to look at this and say "All right, this is going to handle a problem." And I want to show you something that's going to help you state by state. If we can pull it up on cnnmoney.com. We've got this great map that shows you your price of gas in each and every state, Carol.

Right there on our site. It really matters where you live. Look at Mississippi. Folks in Mississippi are paying more than 13 percent of their entire income on gas alone. So it really matters your state, your income, the taxes on this gas. It's not just speculators.

COSTELLO: I know. It just makes you feel helpless.

HARLOW: But we'll keep them -

COSTELLO: Keep them honest.

HARLOW: We'll keep them honest on this one. We'll do our best.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Poppy Harlow. We appreciate it.

He said there are consequences for sin, and today on Good Friday, we're learning Senator John Ensign will make May 3rd his last day on the Hill. The Nevada Republican had already said he would not run for another term, but now he's decided he won't complete his current one. Ensign has long been under an ethics investigation. He admitted to having an affair with his former deputy's chief of staff's wife.

Did you follow that? Investigators are also looking into allegations he paid her family nearly $100,000, you know, to shut everybody up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, we honor you today, sir. (INAUDIBLE) $5,000.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Those are democratic activists interrupting President Obama at a San Francisco fund-raiser with a song. The hecklers were protesting the jailing of Private Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of giving classified documents to WikiLeaks. The activists also upset saying the president has moved to the right. The president responded, "change turned out to be tougher than we expected."

Is he clearing his conscience or promoting a movie? Either way actor Mel Gibson opens up like he's never opened up before on his drunken rants and his purported abuse. What's he got to say? A.J. Hammer has more in our "Showbiz Tonight" segment.

And abandon ship. That's exactly what this boater did when her watercraft caught fire and then exploded. The stunning scene and much more, next in the "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Mel Gibson's tape phone calls and drunken racist rants and police accounts of Mel Gibson's taped phone calls, his drunken racist rants, and police accounts of anti-semitism. Don't believe any of them? That's according to Mel himself, who has done an about-face and is now opening up about his personal shortcomings. "Showbiz Tonight" host A.J. Hammer has the scoop. Hi, A.J..

A.J. HAMMER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" HOST: Hey, Carol. Yes, this is the first time that Gibson has opened up since the release of those audiotapes where he's abusive to his ex-girlfriend verbally. And in an interview that was published on deadline.com Gibson says he does regret what he says on those tapes and "you have to put it all in the proper context of being in an irrationally heated discussion at the height of a breakdown trying to get out of a really unhealthy relationship. It's one terribly awful moment in time said to one person in the span of one day and doesn't represent what I truly believe or how I've treated people my entire life."

He gave them a long interview. He says in it he doesn't care if he ever acts again, he'll just write. He also thanked his defenders like Whoopi Goldberg and Jodie Foster. But Carol, it is interesting to note now almost a year and a half since we first heard those tapes, this is the first actual confirmation that it's actually Mel on the tape. You know, nobody ever actually confirmed yes, that's Mel, even though we all knew it was.

COSTELLO: You know, it's interesting, there's a movie coming out, supposedly Jodie Foster made the movie, Mel Gibson stars in it. I've been in movie theaters when the previews are shown. And there is a collective groan from the audience. He has a long way to go to mend fences.

HAMMER: Yes, I think he does.

COSTELLO: So does Lady Gaga apparently because she made a lot of folks mad by using a certain word she maybe shouldn't have used.

HAMMER: Yes. She fortunately did not wait a year and a half to respond to this. Now, Gaga was trying to defuse one controversy. Well, she wound up creating a whole new one. Some people are accusing her of ripping off Madonna, specifically saying that her new song "Born This Way" sounds a whole lot like Madonna's big 1989 hit "Express Yourself."

Here's what she told "NME" magazine. "I'm not stupid enough to put a record out and be that moronic. Why would I try to put a song out and think I'm getting one over on everybody? That's retarded." Oops. Gaga didn't seem to know you don't use that word. In a statement to "Showbiz Tonight" she apologized, telling the world, "My apologies for not speaking thoughtfully. To anyone that was hurt, please know that it was furiously unintentional. An honest mistake requires honesty to make. Whether life's disabilities left you outcast, bullied, or teased, rejoice and love yourself today."

Carol, I guess if you're Lady Gaga, you can be furiously unintentional.

COSTELLO: I guess so. I've got to figure out what that means first. There is a battle royal going on between Jerry Seinfeld and Donald Trump?

HAMMER: Yes. This could be the first major celebrity sign of a backlash against Donald Trump for his involvement in the whole birther controversy. Jerry Seinfeld is distancing himself from "The Donald." Seinfeld was planning to appear at a September 13th charity event sponsored by Donald Trump's son Eric Trump's Foundation benefiting St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Certainly a great cause. But the comedian has pulled out of the engagement because of what Donald Trump has been saying about the president.

Seinfeld's rep is saying that Jerry "feels this kind of demagoguery has no place in public discourse." Now, Seinfeld's going to make a contribution to both the Trump Foundation and to the St. Jude's Hospital. Donald responded in his typical fashion. He came out swinging. He issued a response to Seinfeld. He released it to "Showbiz Tonight" and the world. And he says "The president is doing a terrible job." He takes a direct shot against Seinfeld. Listen to what he says "What I do feel badly about is that I agreed to do and did your failed show the marriage ref even though I thought it was absolutely terrible. Despite its poor ratings I didn't cancel on you like you canceled on my son and St. Jude. I only wish I did."

Carol, I've got to tell you, I don't think it was a decision that Jerry Seinfeld, one of the nicest men in show business, took lightly to pull out of this event. You don't hear people calling Donald Trump one of the nicest people in showbiz. I'll just leave it at that.

COSTELLO: No. I can understand that. A.J. Hammer, many thanks. We enjoyed it as usual. If you want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world, A.J.'s got it tonight on "Showbiz Tonight" at 5:00 p.m. Eastern and 11:00 p.m. on HLN.

Coming up, marrying outside of your race. It's next month's "Ebony" magazine cover story. Interracial marriages have reached an all-time high. Yet some people are still uncomfortable with inter- racial marriage. "Ebony" magazine's editor in chief Amy Dubois Barnett joins us next.

Plus, revealing new images of Mars from the lens of a NASA orbiter. Fascinating photos for you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: OK. We're going to bust out of that break to listen to Senator John McCain, who is in Benghazi, Libya, addressing the rebels there.

MCCAIN: This is a powerful and hopeful example of what a free Libya could be. A place where the dignity and the desires of all people for freedom and opportunity are respected. I challenge the critics of the international intervention in Libya to come here to Benghazi, to meet with these people and their leaders, and to repeat that we had no interest in preventing Gadhafi from slaughtering these Libyan dissidents, which is exactly what he intends to do.

If President Obama and our allies had not acted, history would have remembered Benghazi in the same breath as Srebrenica, a scene of mass atrocities and a source of international shame. Instead, Benghazi today is a source of hope. And I have come here to ask our Libyan partners what more we can do to help them win their freedom.

We're doing a lot of good already. And I want to thank the Obama administration for committing an additional $25 million for humanitarian assistance. The Libyan opposition leaders I met today are very appreciative of this life-saving support. However, there's still much more that needs to be done. After my meeting today I am convinced that the following steps are needed more than ever.

First, I would encourage every nation, especially the United States, to recognize the transitional national council as the legitimate voice of the Libyan people. They've earned this right. They've earned this right. And Gadhafi has forfeited by waging war on his own people.

Second, governments that have frozen assets of the Gadhafi regime should release some of that money to the traditional national council so that they can sustain, improve, and expand their capacity to govern justly.

Third, we need to urgently step up the NATO air command campaign to protect Libyan civilians, especially in Misrata. We desperately need more close air support and precision strike assets such as A-10s and C-130s. And I applaud Secretary Gates' decision to use predator aircraft to help in this effort. We can better identify Gadhafi's forces as they seek to conceal themselves in civilian areas.

Finally, responsible nations need to provide the military forces of the transitional national council with every appropriate means of assistance to enable them to create conditions on the ground, an increase of pressure on Gadhafi to be (INAUDIBLE) that includes command and control support, battlefield intelligence, training, and weapons.

I have met these brave fighters, and they are not Al Qaeda. To the contrary, they are Libyan patriots -

(APPLAUSE)

MCCAIN: To the contrary, they are Libyan patriots who want to liberate their nation. We should help them do it. We have prevented the worst outcome in Libya. Now we need to increase our support so that the Libyan people can achieve the only satisfactory outcome to the mass - to this mass protest for universal rights, the end of Gadhafi's rule, and the beginning of a peaceful and inclusive transition to democracy that will benefit all Libyans.

I fear, I fear a stalemate that could lead to the emergence of radical Islamic extremists. Today I had the experience of meeting with human rights organizations that have just returned to Misrata. They say that the killing and wounding of women and children is on the upswing in Misrata. That indiscriminate shelling is going on from the Gadhafi forces including cluster weapons, cluster bomb weapons.

And then today I went to the hospital here in Misrata. I met or saw these young people that had been transported who were wounded from Misrata here to Benghazi. They're dying. They are brave young people who sacrificed themselves and their lives for their country. It seems to me that the call should go out to help these people enjoy freedom and peace. I thank you, and I'm ready for your questions.

(APPLAUSE)

COSTELLO: OK. We're going to step away from this. Senator John McCain making a surprise visit to Libya. He was speaking to the rebels there. The Republican and political rival of President Obama. Thanking the president for considering $25 million in humanitarian aid for the rebels and also offering American drones, unmanned planes, to fight Gadhafi forces on the ground. We'll have much more out of Libya and Senator McCain's visit after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is our favorite time. It's time for Political Buzz. A lightning-fast conversation hitting the hot political topics of the day. First to tee it up, here's a clip from President Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want to make sure this is a country where if you're willing to try hard you can make it. Where everybody has a chance at prosperity. That's my focus. That's my guiding light.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: So let's get to the buzz panel. Each of our brilliant political observers get 20 seconds to answer three probing questions. Will Cain leans right. He's a political analyst and CNN contributor. Cornell Belcher leads left. And as always, comedian Pete Dominick will lend his own unique perspective.

So, first question! You heard President Obama talking up the American dream, but a new poll shows Americans are saying yeah, right. What would convince Americans the dream is alive? Cornell.

CORNELL BELCHER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, first, gas prices not approaching $5 would be very helpful. I mean, look. It's a big wet blanket thrown over America. You've got the debt ceiling fears out there, which would be economic catastrophe. You've got gas approaching $5 a gallon. You've got unrest in the Middle East. And you have a Congress right now in Washington not focused on creating jobs but instead focused on the debt.

So, I'm like most Americans. I'm not happy about what's going on, either.

COSTELLO: Oh! Will.

WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I would tell Americans to take a broader view of history. I apologize for this crude version of Karl Rove's white erase board. But what I have here -- I don't know if you can see it, but it is a graph that shows the growth of GDP across world history. Thousands of years it did very little. and then about 1800, it shot up. It shot up so much that things like World War II and the Great Depression are blips.

The point is, are we taking some wrong turns? Yes. But is the American dream alive? Very much so.

COSTELLO: I like the optimism! Pete.

PETE DOMINICK, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I'm going to put a wet blanket on Will's optimism because it will take the same thing to convince Americans that the dream is alive to convince them the Easter bunny is real.

I'll show you a graph. This is income inequality in America. The jig is up! Americans realize that wealth is concentrated on the top, and we're all just trying to find out a way to get insurance for ourselves and our families at this point.

That's the real American dream, sadly. We need someone who can redefine the American dream for us. I'm not sure --

COSTELLO: Okay. I'm getting the buzz now. You have to stop, Pete.

OK, did you hear this? A new federal task force to ferret out crooked oil speculators. Does it make you feel better? Will.

CAIN: I think you know the answer to that question, Carol. No. They do this every time crude prices rise. And you know what's funny is to think that administrations are responsible. Any administration, for the price of gasoline. There's very little that a politician can do. They can hold hands with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and hope. That's about it.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Cornell.

BELCHER: Well, Will, that's absolutely right on this. However, there comes a breaking point, I think, and it's coming fairly soon where you have members of both parties, even sort of the Tea Partiers will be angry enough about what's going on in this industry to actually sort of want to do something about it. So, I think if gas continues to approach $5, you're going to actually have Congress do something about it and draconian, probably.

COSTELLO: Oh! Pete.

DOMINICK: I think we all generally agree. Speculation is illegal and improper speculation is very hard to prove. This is just the same people enforcing basically the same laws in cool new uniforms. What you have to do is actually change the rules. Good Will Hunting doesn't work in government. Good Will Hunting works on Wall Street, Carol.

COSTELLO: OK, next question. Megan McCain reaching out with a big cross-generational GOP hug for Donald Trump. Can John McCain's daughter save Trump from Trump? Cornell.

BELCHER: Well, I'm a little confused because I thought she was on Team Romney, wasn't she? are people jumping the Team Romney boat already?

Well, no. And let's be clear about this. If Donald -- if Donald Trump wins two primaries in two caucuses. What Donald Trump is doing right now is the biggest heist in the Republican party, the biggest heist probably in American history. This is about his television ratings. It has nothing to do about politics.

COSTELLO: Will.

CAIN: I totally agree. I feel like we all three went over our time limit a bit earlier. So, I'll keep this one short for you. Can Meghan McCain save Donald Trump himself? No.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: That was very succinct, and we love it. Pete.

DOMINICK: Meghan McCain couldn't save her own father from himself. How is she going to save trump? I think Meghan McCain, I think she would have applied for the second mate job on the Titanic after it hit the iceberg. Why would anybody want Meghan McCain's advice, and for that matter mine, frankly? I mean, I don't understand why Trump would be -- oh, wait. She is a blond. Sorry. (LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Oh, geez! Will, Cornell, Pete, thank you for playing Political Buzz today. And we'll see you again on Monday.

On to other topics now. Is marrying out the new in thing? It's the question "Ebony" magazine is exploring in its latest issue. Marrying out means marrying outside of your race. And while mixed marriages have reached an all-time high, some in America are uncomfortable with not only interracial marriage but what it means to be of mixed heritage. Barack Obama's campaign for president taught us that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: There has been a running thread throughout this campaign of both pundits and prognosticators asking first was I black enough? Then am I too black? I don't know what exactly the margin of black vote is that is the optimal, not too black but black enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Did you get that? Amy Dubois Barnett is editor-in- chief of "Ebony" magazine. Welcome!

AMY DUBOIS BARNETT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

COSTELLO: "Ebony's" exploration of this issue starts with President Obama checking the box on his census form indicating he's black even though he had a white mother and a black father. So why did you start there?

BARNETT: Well, because it became news. It was incredible how many people were outraged at the fact that the president identified himself as being African-American despite the fact that he has a white parent and a black parent. It was as if he had betrayed the nation in terms of representing himself or misrepresenting himself as a new racial reality when in fact he really thought of himself as an African-American person --

COSTELLO: Well, many people might say, you know, it depends on what you look like, whether people perceive you as black or white. President Obama looks African-American.

BARNETT: Well, really that's the debate right now. I think that because of the growing number of biracial children in this country, we're now starting to figure out or to think about what exactly it means to be biracial and how we're going to define ourselves and what's going to really comprise our identity. That's why this debate is raging. And that's why "Ebony" thought it was extremely important to run a package on it in the May issue.

COSTELLO: And it was interesting that some of mixed race actually checked both boxes, black and white, on the census form. Fascinating. BARNETT: Right. Exactly.

COSTELLO: Your writers also bring up Halle Berry, who's in the midst of this nasty custody battle well her baby's father, who is white. And Berry caused this sensation when she said her baby is black because she applied the one percent rule. Shouldn't we be past this?

BARNETT: Well, actually, she said that in "Ebony" magazine in her March cover story. She said that the one drop rule applied to her daughter. And so because she herself identifies as African-American, she thinks her daughter should identify as African-American, too.

And really, it's such a matter of personal preference right now, Carol. I have to tell you that we are quite divided on the topic. We actually ran a poll on our Web site, ebony.com, asking whether or not we think the one drop rule should still apply. And a surprising 79 percent of our Web site users said that no, they don't think that the one drop rule should still apply.

At the same time, I've received so many letters in reaction to the multiracial feature in our May issue about, well, of course, you know, biracial people are black. But naturally Halle Berry's daughter is black. So, it's really a matter of debate.

COSTELLO: It's such an interesting article. I read the whole thing. It's just fascinating. And thank you so much for joining us. Amy Dubois Barnett, editor-in-chief of "Ebony" magazine. Many thanks.

BARNETT: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Revealing new images of Mars from the lens of a NASA orbiter. That's coming your way next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Maybe not the best news for Earth Day, but it appears fewer shoppers are willing to go into the red for the sake of going green. Business news correspondent Stephanie Elam live in New York with more on this. So people aren't really buying eco-friendly products?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: We like to talk the talk, Carol. We love the idea of being eco-friendly. We love the idea of buying green and cleaning our house up with nice, non-toxic products. But you know what, truth be told, when the going gets tough the tough go back to the basic brands that they were using before they went green.

And that's what we've seen here. You take a look at some of the products that are out there from some of the big brands. You know, you may have something, a toilet cleaner. Well, the green sales, look at that, down 78 percent. All-purpose cleaner, down 71 percent. Tile cleaner, which my producer says she put in there because she knows I like a clean tub. Why she knows that is probably a question. But it's true. I like my bathroom really spotless. Down 61 percent. Thanks, Jenny Schuller for that one.

But, yes, this is true. This is something we've seen. Because things have gotten so tough during the recession, a lot of people are saying I just can't afford it. You know, it's more expensive to buy those eco-friendly products for a lot of reasons. A, there's less of it to ship, so therefore it costs more to truck it out to all the stores it needs to get to. And there's also usually more expensive ingredients in each of those products as well.

So, you see some of those big name brands putting less emphasis on these green products because they're not selling as well. But they have found that the independent companies that are selling eco- friendly brands are actually doing pretty well because that is their one focus. So they probably have their loyal following, as it were. But maybe as the economy gets better people will feel better about going back to a nice clean eco-friendly product.

COSTELLO: Or maybe the eco-friendly companies will figure out how to make their products a little cheaper and more affordable. Who knows?

Stephanie, we hear that flower shops were running low on supplies so, we decided to go out and do something about it. And so we did.

ELAM: No wonder she was saying she wasn't going to be in my ear!

(LAUGHTER)

ELAM: She told me, she's like, I have to be on a conference call, so I can't be in your ear. Thank you, guys.

COSTELLO: The reason we're giving you flowers is because this is Stephanie's last day at CNN. Her husband got transferred to California. So, Stephanie's going to be with him, and of course, the child. But we will miss you.

ELAM: Yes. The little almost 1-year-old, she's going to come with us, too. Yes.

COSTELLO: You're not going to leave her in New York.

ELAM: I'm going to miss you guys too. No. And I loved working with you, Carol, all these years. And Team Kyra. I emailed yesterday, and Kyra called me right back. I don't know how she did that considering she's got two little children on her lap that need all of her attention. But she was very upset too when I told her.

But I'm going to miss you guys. I have loved working with you so much. I've loved this job. And it's only the fact that I love my family more that I'm leaving CNN. Otherwise, I would still be right here with you.

COSTELLO: Well, we will miss you. We will miss you a lot. So, enjoy your flowers. And we bid you adieu but not good-bye. Thanks, Stephanie Elam. ELAM: Aww, I love it! Thanks, Carol. Thanks, everyone, Team Kyra! Bye!

COSTELLO: Revealing new images of mars captured by a NASA orbiter. CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras, you have some of those pictures to share.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I know. They're very cool. And in a roundabout way, scientists are basically saying that these pictures show some evidence that potentially there is a period of time -- maybe every 100,000 years or so -- where water could exist on Mars. Potentially. Without boiling into the atmosphere.

Actually, I want to show you this one first. Sorry. All right. Basically, what happened is the Mars orbiter is out there we know, right? And it's taken some pictures with radar now that can penetrate through the ground.

So, they know there's been this frozen lake, basically, at the South Pole. And now they know that that frozen lake contains dry ice that could be as much as 30 times greater than what they thought before. It could be like the volume of Lake Superior.

Why is this huge? Because that's enough carbon dioxide, like 80 percent, of what the current atmosphere is on Mars. All right.

Now, the second picture that they took here, I know it's complicated, Carol. Stay with me, right?

COSTELLO: I'm with you. I'm with you.

JERAS: So the second picture here shows you these little dips, OK? See how they get these little dips and these little grooves? These are grooves that show that there was the frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice here. And it's gone down.

Well, why has it gone down? Well, it goes through these cycles where the carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere, then it's in the ground. OK? And when the carbon dioxide is all in the atmosphere, it could possibly be warm enough that, a, it creates winds and dust storms. That's when we were talking about the dust storms. But b, that water could exist without boiling. Of course, water means life. And we all know that there are green little men that run around on Mars! And now we know that happens every 100,000 years and why we haven't seen them since this time.

COSTELLO: I'm glad you explained that! Phew!

JERAS: It's Friday.

COSTELLO: Oh, it is. Thank you, Miss Roswell, New Mexico.

JERAS: OK.

COSTELLO: We're in the home stretch now, just a week to go until Will and Kate say I do. We'll get a sneak peek from our very own royals contributor. Plus, what the queen has been tweeting, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Just a week to go until Britain's royal wedding, and the happy couple aren't the only ones with butterflies. Cat Deeley is part of the CNN team covering the royal wedding. Cat, are you ready?

CAT DEELEY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, I'm ready, willing, and able. I cannot wait. I'm so excited. It's reached -- it's reached fever pitch here in London. I flew in from L.A. yesterday. And so I hadn't seen any of the preparations at all. And today, I drove down Regent Street and there are union jacks everywhere. People are out and about. It's a beautiful, sunny day here in London.

COSTELLO: Oh, you're kidding.

DEELEY: The vibe of the -- it's gorgeous. It's gorgeous. It's hotter than L.A.

COSTELLO: I know. Usually it's foggy and rainy there, or at least that's the perception we have here in the States. Hey, you've met Prince William a bunch of times. So, for those of us who aren't so lucky, give us some insights into Prince William and what he's like.

DEELEY: You know what? He is absolutely charm personified. He is such a lovely, lovely gentleman. I think we all remember, that image is ingrained in al of our brains of him walking behind with Prince Harry, obviously, processing behind his mother's coffin that terrible, terrible day. He was only a teenager at the time.

And I have to say that since then, he has just grown into the most remarkable young man. He's held himself together. He's acted with charm and decorum.

And he's also not stuffy at all. He doesn't wait on protocol. He'll come over and say hello and shake your hands. He's all twinkly and gorgeous and charming. I mean, I can't speak highly enough about him. You can tell I'm a fan. I'll just say I'm a fan.

COSTELLO: You are! At least you admit it. That's great, though, to hear because you kind of want Princess Diana's son to be great. So I'm glad to hear that.

DEELEY: Absolutely. The thing is if you think back to that time and what we were all like as teenagers and some of the hell-raising that we did. And then he had that happen to him and he was within the eye of the media storm. He's handled himself impeccably.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. Hey, I hear the queen has been tweeting up a storm in these last days before the wedding. So what is she tweeting?

DEELEY: You know what? I think there's all different ones. "Up early to authorize Easter, despite a large night yesterday for one's birthday. Someone get one a hot cross bun and a sweet sherry." COSTELLO: Oh, gee!

(LAUGHTER)

DEELEY: I mean, they're absolutely hysterical. "Text from the Pope. Have a good Friday!" "Okay, people, one can confirm that the four-day weekend starts now. Early gin o'clock in celebration of the queen's birthday."

COSTELLO: Oh, see, the queen does have a sense of humor! Yes. Cat Deeley, thank you for joining us. And I know you have to get ready for the big day. So we'll let you go.

DEELEY: Thank you so much.

COSTELLO: You're welcome. The countdown to the big day, Sunday night, 8:00 Eastern, CNN presents "The women Who Would Be Queen." And one week from today, join millions from around the world toasting the prince and his new princess. CNN's royal wedding experience starts at 4:00 a.m. Eastern with Cat, Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan, and Richard Quest. In the meantime, lots more info at CNN.com/royalwedding.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Skyrocketing prices at the gas pump are not just grabbing the attention of you and me but federal prosecutors, too. CNN's Ed Henry has more on that story live from the White House. Hey, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Good to see you again, Carol. The bottom line is the president of the United States is under pressure because of these rising gas prices. Yesterday in Reno, he basically said he's ordered the Justice Department to have a task force look into whether price gouging, manipulation, fraud is contributing to these prices.

But it's interesting. We did some digging. And three years ago today, then-speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent a strong letter to then-President Bush saying you've got to look into price gouging. This could be a big factor in rising gas prices. Bottom line, obviously, the point is three years later, those prices are right back up there. So, it's unclear really whether a move like this is going to have much impact and give much relief to consumers who are hurting right now.

Secondly, you've got Senator Al Franken, Democrat from Minnesota, now writing a letter to Steve Jobs of Apple wondering why iPhone 4s and iPads have this software that enables it to -- you know, users to be tracked as to where they're going and whatnot. Senator Franken wanting to know how this information is being used, why it was not disclosed to users of iPhones and iPads and who's -- who Apple might be sharing this information with. I suspect this is not the last we've heard from Washington in terms of finding out what is going on there, Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, I know a lot of people who want answers on that one. Ed Henry live at the White House. Thank 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.

We all know too much sugar makes us fat, but is it poison? A childhood obesity expert says sugar is toxic. His online lecture has gone viral. Suzanne Malveaux will talk with Dr. Robert Lustig about why he thinks sugar is dangerous. That's in the next hour of NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: More proof you can't believe everything you read. It turns out hand sanitizers don't fight off 99.9 percent of bacteria as they often advertise. The FDA warned four companies to remove those claims, saying sanitizers don't kill germs like MRSA or E. coli, salmonella, or the H1N1 virus. The best way to protect yourself? Old-fashioned soap and water.

Let's head over to the NEWSROOM at 11:00 a.m. Eastern now with Suzanne Malveaux. I'll join you to talk about why America's so blue.

SUZANNE MALVEUAX, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, no. Blue.

COSTELLO: Blue. And what could make America happy again. We're going to talk about that too.

MALVEUAX: : OK. The weekend's here. That's going to make us happy.

COSTELLO: Yes. A little bit of sunshine. You're right.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.