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Syria's Bloody Crackdown; Judge: NFL Must End Lockout; Wal-Mart Tests Grocery Delivery; IMF: U.S. Dominance Ends in 2016; Escorting the Royal Wedding Procession; Paralyzed Football Player Speaks; Grizzlies Put Spurs on the Brink

Aired April 26, 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: Good morning to you. It's 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. in the West. I'm Carol Costello sitting in for Kyra Phillips.

Remarkable video out of Libya where rebels are under siege and civilians are reportedly under attack. Witnesses say government forces are shelling residential areas of Misrata after opposition fighters chased them from the city's center.

Emergency crews at Arkansas are assessing the wreckage left behind by more severe weather. At least seven are dead, 14 homes destroyed and a number of states in its potential path today.

Just three days and counting before Britain's royal wedding in London. Police are on guard against terrorists, anarchists, people who are fixated on the royal family.

But we begin this hour in Syria where new reports of bloodshed are igniting international debate over what to do next.

Listen.

This morning, there are horrific details of widespread killing in Daraa, the city where the anti-government uprising began. Thousands of Syrian soldiers converged on that city yesterday and activists says seven people are confirmed dead. Witnesses say the death toll is much higher than that.

In the Damascus suburb of Douma, residents fear a similar crackdown. Soldiers have arrested several doctors. Snipers are on the rooftops and checkpoints are scattered in and around the city.

So now the United States is lobbying the United Nations to address the Syria's human rights abuses problems. Today the U.N. Security Council is expected to take up that issue.

CNN's Hala Goarani is just back from the region.

And Hala, thanks for being with us.

First of all, you fought and fought to get into Syria. Syria would not let you as a journalist inside. Is there a rhyme to that? I mean is there a plan behind that so that nobody really knows what's going on in the country?

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what of course observers are saying, that if you let international journalists into the country to witness what's unfolding, that will make it on to TV screens across the world and then this crackdown that protesters say is unfolding in Syria right now will be front and center in newscasts.

Let's compare Syria to Egypt, for instance, where when the uprising started dozens, if not hundreds of teams of journalists traveled to Cairo. I was one of them. I landed. I took a cab. I went to the hotel and started broadcasting live right away.

That is not the case in Syria. Not only are we not allowed in but journalists in country have been actually asked to leave. So right now, it's very hard to get information out of Syria.

COSTELLO: Well, I was trying to figure out earlier this morning how many people have been killed within Syria. The best estimate we have right now are hundreds maybe.

GORANI: Hundreds maybe. Well, according to witnesses, because of course we do our best with all the information we get from eyewitnesses, crosschecking videos with testimony from the ground, 300 plus is what human rights groups are saying right now in terms of how many people have been killed.

But what's interesting, Carol, is that over the last several weeks, we have received -- we've been able to see over on YouTube and online video emerge. We've been able to contact people over sat phones for instance.

Over the last 24 hours, just a small trickle of video has come out of Syria. And people are saying that perhaps that is because in an effort to limit communication with the outside world, cutting electricity off from certain cities has worked. In other words people can't charge their phones. They can't charge their laptops.

We're not able to get video out. We've only had a few over the last 24 hours versus dozens every day over the last several weeks.

COSTELLO: Hala Gorani, many thanks.

Syria is quite a conundrum for the Obama administration. Syria's dictator is killing civilians just as Libya's dictator is killing civilians. Yet NATO isn't dropping bombs on military targets in Syria so what gives? The president's press secretary on the difference between Libya and Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We had a Gadhafi regime that was moving against its own people in a coordinated military fashion and was about to assault a very large city on the promise that it would show it -- the regime would show that city and its residents no mercy. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Brianna Keilar is at the White House.

And Brianna, there are probably more than a few people who are struggling with Jay Carney's explanation. So what are officials saying behind the scenes about the difference between Syria and Libya?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think you heard him there, Carol, publicly, trying to articulate the differences as the administration sees it.

That one point you heard him make, he said, as they see it, Libya was on a much larger scale. That there was an imminent threat to hundreds of thousands of civilians in Benghazi. But also he pointed out at yesterday's briefing that there were significant parts of Libya that were out of the control of the Gadhafi regime and how is Libya different than Syria.

He said that when you look at the opposition in Syria, as they see it, there isn't an organized opposition that you could give aid to or the U.S. could give aid to at this point. So those are the distinctions that the administration is making at least publicly.

But Carol, there is another element. And that is that if the Assad government were to see regime change, if Bashar al-Assad were out, there certainly is concern that whoever might replace him could be more unfriendly to the U.S. -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Exactly. I know that President Obama is considering sanctions against Syria. Many Americans are perhaps wondering, is this the first step of deeper U.S. involvement?

KEILAR: I think -- I think if you -- if you asked the administration, they would say actually the first step has been condemning the violence. They have repeatedly said, we've been condemning the violence over and over again. They've been doing this since mid-March.

And I think when you look at what's going on with sanctions and considering sanctions, that's really stepping it up, if you will. Right now, they are considering sanctions that specifically would target those top members of the Assad regime. A travel band and asset freeze and making sure that those top members of the government are able to do business with the U.S. -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Brianna Keilar live from the White House. Thank you.

Next let's head to Libya and video that supposedly shows the army shelling of a rebel stronghold.

This remarkable video reportedly shows rebels under attack in Misrata. As with much of the video posted online, we can not verify its authenticity. One doctor says that the government forces targeted civilian areas and that at least 16 people were killed. More than 70 wounded. The shelling came after rebel fighters chased government troops from the center of the city. The burned-out hulls of army tanks litter that area right now.

Severe weather just keeps pounding parts of the United States. April is proving to be harsh and deadly. A record month for tornadoes. At least seven people were killed when severe weather swept across Arkansas.

This morning, nearly 70,000 customers still without power. Heavy rains and winds, up to 70 miles per hour, destroyed month than a dozen homes and damaged several others.

Heavy rain since Friday also caused the Ohio River at Louisville to flood some areas. Five to six inches has fallen in the last four days.

And in southeastern Missouri, the Black River is threatening to overwhelm a levee and flood the city -- the city of Poplar Bluff, rather. Police went door-to-door warning people in hundreds of homes near the river to leave.

In east Tennessee, a fast-moving storm knocked a church steeple off its foundation and uprooted trees in several communities. There are injuries but none of them are serious.

And the threat of storms is strong again today. In 15 minutes, we will head to the Severe Weather Center to see if any of the bad weather is headed your way.

Those investigators Donald Trump sent to Hawaii to uncover the truth about President Obama's birth? They are MIA.

CNN's Gary Tuchman went out to Hawaii to look for them but he had no luck. Last night Anderson Cooper grilled Trump about his mysterious investigators.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": You've said repeatedly that you have investigators in Hawaii looking into the president's birth certificate. You said that you're looking into it very, very strongly. That's a quote.

In another interview, you said that your investigators, quote, "can't believe what they're finding."

We've had a team in Hawaii talking to everyone from the state health department to the school where Obama's mother went, to other families who were in the hospital at the same time as when he was born. None of them say they've been contacted by anyone working for you.

DONALD TRUMP, ENTREPRENEUR: Well, maybe they're not saying it and maybe they haven't contacted the same people, Anderson. There's a lot of people in Hawaii. And frankly, it's hard to believe that he doesn't just issue his birth certificate. It would be so easy to do if, in fact, he has one.

And a birth certificate is not a certificate of live birth which is a much, much lower standard, as you know.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: There you have it. In the meantime, Trump says he's starting another investigation. This one into President Obama's education. He says he's heard Obama was a terrible student and wonders how in the world he got into Columbia and Harvard.

Donald Trump will have to fit that in between this week's road trips to a couple of early primary states. Trump heads to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, tomorrow where he'll shake a lot of hands at a local restaurant and two of the local business districts.

He'll also sit down for an interview with CNN's John King. On Thursday, Trump heads west to Las Vegas where he will speak to several Republican women's groups.

OK, it's official, as official as it gets in these early days of the 2012 campaign. Ron Paul, congressman, libertarian and money ball king, is just about to throw his hat into the ring.

Our senior political editor, Mark Preston, is here.

Mark, there is no doubt, Paul can do one thing. He can raise lots of money.

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: He can. And you know what, Carol, he can also bring together an eclectic group of supporters.

Back in the 2008 presidential, not only did he have young people, anti-war young people but he also brought in this eclectic group of, as you said, libertarians, people who don't want the government in our lives.

As you said, Ron Paul today will head out to Iowa, one of the most important early voting states in the presidential primary process. He'll announce that he's going to form an exploratory committee.

Now I'll tell you, Carol. I was with Ron Paul out in Iowa last June. He seems to have a lot of support out there. So it'll be interesting to see what happens. His political director just told me, I got off the phone with him, that they expect to raise a lot of money for this campaign -- Carol.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: He is a star. He was on "The View." He's been on "The Colbert Report." The man is a star. There is no doubt about that.

I also hear that -- I hate bringing this up, but Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol Palin's child, is writing a tell-all book about the Palins?

PRESTON: Yes, so what's the phrase that everyone gets 15 minutes of fame in their lifetime? I think Levi Johnston has got to be on, like, his fourth or fifth hour of fame at this point.

But he seems to be trying to benefit financially off of his relationship with the Palins. The fact of the matter is Levi Johnston had a relationship with Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol. They had a son. Now he's going to write a book that's called "Deer in the Headlights: My Life in Sarah Palin's Crosshairs."

In fact, let's look at what he had to say on -- regarding the release of the book.

"I want to tell the truth about my close relationship with the Palins. My sense of Sarah and my perplexing fall from grace" --

COSTELLO: What?

PRESTON: -- "how I feel and what I've learned." Well, I'm sure he's learned quite a bit because he's been in the spotlight ever since he was thrown on that national stage back there in -- back during the presidential race back in 2008 when he showed up in Minnesota, John McCain --

COSTELLO: I'm sorry, there's nothing perplexing about his fall from grace.

(LAUGHTER)

PRESTON: Well, the question is, how far up was he, Carol, at that point for him to make this fall?

COSTELLO: That is not the only vicious book out about Sarah Palin. There is another one. There sort of seems this orchestrated campaign now to bring down Sarah Palin.

PRESTON: Yes. You know, but this isn't anything surprising. This has been all throughout history. Even in the near history.

Look, we saw it with the Clintons, we've seen it with the Kennedys, we've seen it with the Obamas. People are trying to link together the celebrity of Sarah Palin and the politics of Sarah Palin.

The fact of the matter is, Sarah Palin is very opinionated. Sarah Palin is smart. She does make some mistakes. And she really has a lot of enemies out there. So I think what we're seeing with these books that are coming out is people are trying to benefit off of her much like Levi Johnston is.

COSTELLO: Mark Preston, many thanks.

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. Can they keep the name of Kate Middleton's dressmaker a secret until Friday? Reports are that this designer may have nearly let slip the name of the royal wedding dressmaker. You royal wedding update is next.

And the legal football -- actually the league of football heads to the appeals court. NFL owners appealing a decision to end the player lockout. Lots of legal wrangling going on but let's cut right to the chase. Is there going to be a football season or not? More on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: My cup is too big to put my pinky out, but I tried. And it's coffee, not tea.

Anywho, the royal wedding is just three days away, an American invasion in the U.K. where 600,000 U.S. tourists are expected to head over for the big day.

"AMERICAN MORNING's" Kiran Chetry is in London.

Kiran, I must say, you've been looking good out there and having a good time.

KIRAN CHETRY, ANCHOR, CNN'S AMERICAN MORNING: Yes, it's been a blast, Carol. We will have a chance to chat about this. We talk fashion whenever we are together, of course. It makes the guys eyes roll.

But the bottom line, everybody wants to know about this dress, right?

COSTELLO: Yes.

CHETRY: Everybody wants to know, what is she going to be wearing? So, royal watchers are basically grabbing on to any tidbit possible. One of the things that we heard this from our own royal watchers, Mark Saunders is that the dress was actually designed in Buckingham Palace, the reason why, there were security concerns about Princess Di's dress about paparazzi rooting through the dumpsters, trying to get any type of heads up on the design.

So, it's always been there. But he said he heard today that it moved from one room in Buckingham Palace to the other. That's led to some speculation. What are we talking -- we're talking such a huge train? Did it have to be steamed? And how is this sort of happening?

But it's all behind palace walls. That's definitely a closely held secret, Carol. Even though there's been a lot of rumors, who will it be? Will it be Alexander McQueen's protege Sarah Burton? Will it be Issa (ph) Temperley of London? I don't think that we are going to know that answer until we finally see her walk out of that hotel.

COSTELLO: I'm telling you, it's all anyone cares about. Well -- maybe all any woman cares about. It's just interesting that the big news story.

CHETRY: That's not the only thing. They care about the tiara.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes. How can I've forgotten that?

CHETRY: They care about the tiara as well, right?

COSTELLO: Is she going to wear one?

CHETRY: Yes. Well, it's called the Russian Fringe Tiara, right? This is a diamond encrusted decoration and it was a favorite of Queen Victoria and Queen Mary and also worn by Queen Elizabeth, the queen mother. And so, this would be the something borrowed, the gift to borrow from Queen Elizabeth to her.

You talk about pressure, that a, it's your mother-in-law; b; she is the queen, and, c, the last thing you want to do is lose that diamond-encrusted tiara.

COSTELLO: Oh, you got. I don't know -- you probably didn't see it. But we put up a Lego image of Kate Middleton wearing a tiara. Just so people can get an idea.

We are hearing it may rain on Kate's big wedding day and it's been beautiful in London lately.

CHETRY: I know. This is what I'm told because this is my first time here as an adult. I was here when I was a baby, that this is absolutely not the normal weather for the end of April. It's been brilliant sunshine, a little cloudy this morning. But nice -- yesterday, it was so hot. When we got here on Sunday, people were walking through Hyde Park shirtless.

However, it doesn't look like that's going to hold, unfortunately, for Friday. They are expecting rain. They hope that it just goes in spurts and then actually there are some moments of sunshine.

But the big question: will they be in this open, horse-drawn carriage as they make their presentation to the world or will they be in a covered glass coach. So, there's a lot of hope that it will hold. But it looks like everybody who's coming here for the wedding needs to make sure they have their umbrella and trench coat.

COSTELLO: As you might expect in London. Thank you, Kiran.

CHETRY: You too, Carol. Good talking to you.

COSTELLO: Bye.

It's been 30 years since we've had a royal wedding like this. You don't want to be the only one who missed it. And CNN handles international stories better than anyone. So, join us at 4:00 a.m. Eastern this Friday. OK, I know it's early but that's what the DVR is for.

Be part of our global viewing party with Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan, Kiran Chetry, Richard Quest and Cat Deeley.

Yesterday, it looked like pro football would be a go this year. Today, those chances are going to get thrown for a loss, sacked in court. We'll talk a little bit about the court case and ask a sports lawyer if there will be a season after the break.

Also ahead, tornado and flash flood watches dope the national weather map this morning. We'll you where the severe weather is likely to head next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A ray of hope. There could -- and I stress the word "could' -- be an NFL season after all. After seven weeks of thrash talk between NFL owners and players, a federal has judge has ordered an end to the NFL lockout.

But, don't you know it -- NFL owners have appealed the ruling. So, let's talk.

David Cornwell is an attorney that represents NFL players. Ben Roethlisberger was one of his clients.

Welcome.

DAVID CORNWELL, SPORTS ATTORNEY: Thank you, Carol. Good to see you.

COSTELLO: Good to see you.

So, will the players whip through, go to the weight room and start lifting weights and study their playbooks? Is that what will happen now?

CORNWELL: Well, actually, there are some studies that players are showing up to NFL facilities. But the NFL has indicated, while you're welcome to come in, you can't work out. That may be because of liability concerns and things to that nature.

But, yesterday, the -- let's put it in context. The NFL's position was that this is a labor dispute, even though the NFL player's association was decertified and that Judge Nelson could not issue an injunction against the lockout. Judge Nelson, in an 89-page thorough and well-reasoned decision sided with the players and said, when the NFL players association decertified, this ceases to be a labor dispute. And now, it's an antitrust dispute and the lockout is illegal under the antitrust law.

COSTELLO: OK. So, what if the players start showing up for work today and the NFL owners, or the owner of individual teams lock them out of the weight rooms and then don't participate in this, like -- would that violate this court order?

CORNWELL: Well, not today. But I think if the owners were to continue to lock out players for a number of days or weeks, then we could actually be looking at issues like contempt of court.

But the NFL has asked Judge Nelson to stay the injunction. Based on her opinion, it looks like that's a long shot for her to do that. They then will file an appeal to the eighth circuit to stay the injunction and allow the lockout to continue. If they do not get a stay, the NFL is going to have to open the doors and allow these players to go back to work.

COSTELLO: OK. So, we know the NFL owners have appealed, as you've said. I just want you to read -- I want to read to you the NFL owner statement because it's very carefully worded. And I won't read the whole thing.

But it says, we -- we believe that this dispute will inevitably end with a collective bargaining agreement, which would be in the best interest of players, clubs and fans. So, the NFL owners are still sort of treating this like a union owners kind of thing.

CORNWELL: The NFL has been losing antitrust lawsuits since 1974. It sounds weird to say but antitrust violations are the cost of doing business for the National Football League. And that statement is accurate if you look to the past. Every single antitrust loss has resulted in a collective bargaining agreement.

So, if past is prologue, this is going to end with a negotiated collective bargaining agreement and then the parties will be back to work and the fans will be back and enjoying football.

COSTELLO: OK. So, on a scale of one to 10, 10 being the highest -- what are the chances that there will be an NFL season that starts on time next season?

CORNWELL: Where we sit today?

COSTELLO: Yes.

CORNWELL: Ten.

COSTELLO: Oh.

CORNWELL: There will be football. But tomorrow, the state could be issued and then it will be a one. This is a sliding scale.

COSTELLO: Man, you had me up and then you brought me back down, David.

CORNWELL: I apologize. But the last thing I want to tell you is, I don't know. But the fact of the matter is, things are changing by the day. And we just simply don't know until we know whether the stay is going to be granted.

COSTELLO: Thank you for talking with us. We appreciate it.

CORNWELL: It's my pleasure. Thank you.

COSTELLO: Strong storms have torn through the country in the last few days. And severe weather threat remains strong today. Jacqui Jeras is in the severe weather center.

So, Jacqui, tornadoes possible again today?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, absolutely.

In fact, just in the last hour, Carol, the Storm Prediction Center has upgraded that threat. And this big, purple area is what we call a high risk for tornadoes to develop later on today. High-risk days don't happen very often, a handful of times a year. We could see tornadoes that touch down and caused a lot of damage for a long period of time, just like we saw in St. Louis, just like we saw in the Raleigh area. So, be aware. This is that kind of a day.

Development expected along the dry line late this afternoon and into the evening hours, and then progressing up to the north and into the east. And you can see the severe weather threat really spreads all the way into the Great Lakes. But the greater threat, we think, we'll be more likely to see straight line damaging winds and some hail across parts of the Great Lakes.

Tomorrow, that threat moves eastwards. We'll be watching Huntsville, towards Nashville, maybe into the Louisville area for tomorrow. And on top of that, the rainfall is going to be so heavy. We've already seen up to a foot of rain in the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys. We could easily see another six to eight inches in the next couple of days -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jacqui, thanks.

Are America's days as the top super power numbered? One group says the U.S. has five more years maybe at the top and then it's over. Really? We'll have more details on that coming up.

And why leave the house? You can get movies, wine, and books delivered right to your doorstep. And now, Walmart is trying to add groceries to the list. We'll go to the New York Stock Exchange and fill you in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: That weekly trip to the local grocery store, don't you hate grocery shopping? After all, you have to deal with the big heavy bags and on the crowds and all that stuff and fight with people with the carts that are in your way.

But, now, Wal-Mart has idea. It's testing out this new service that will allow you to click and shop from the comfort of your own home. And, boy, is it economical?

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange with more.

So, tell us about this.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, what did we do before online shopping? That's what I want to know.

So, yes, what we are talking about is what Wal-Mart is doing now. It's called Wal-Mart To Go. Right now, it's only available in San Jose, California. No details yet on other possible markets.

But here's how it works. You go online. You order food or rather helpful and then you have it delivered right through your doors at a time that you choose.

But keep in mind -- you're going to have fewer options online than in the store, for example. For example, you get prepackaged deli meats instead of sliced to order. You get oranges sold by the bag instead of individually.

But keep in mind -- Wal-Mart is kind of late to the game on this. Think about it, Amazon, Fresh Direct, Peapod, Safeway, they've all had their online grocery shopping delivery services available for quite a while now.

But Wal-Mart has been losing market shares to dollar stores and other discounters. So, what Wal-Mart may wind up doing is try to beat the competition by offering lower prices, even on the delivery service. That delivery to your door, Carol, costs 5 buck to 10 bucks. I'd say I'd go for it.

Have you ever gone to the grocery store here in New York? It's like combat, you know?

COSTELLO: It's like combat everywhere. I don't think New York is alone there.

KOSIK: All right. There you go.

COSTELLO: I know. Thank you, Allison. We appreciate it.

KOSIK: Good to know.

COSTELLO: Checking our top stories now.

The Syrian government's bloody crackdown is spurring the United Nations to action. The Security Council may take up the issue of alleged human rights abuses today. Witnesses accused the military of shooting indiscriminately into homes and making bogus arrests.

Former President Jimmy Carter has arrived in North Korea. He made the trip with fellow members of the Elders, a group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela. They hope to help restart dialogue between in North and South Korea.

And scores of people in Maryland are paying their respects today to former governor and mayor, William Donald Schaefer. He died last week at the age of 89. Schaefer served two terms as governor and before that, 15 years as the mayor of Baltimore, the much-beloved mayor of Baltimore. He is lying in repose right now in city hall.

Five more years, the United States has that much longer as the world's economic superpower, and then, it's over. China takes the crown. That's how the Washington-based International Monetary Fund sees the world in 2016.

Oh, but not everyone agrees. Let's talk about it with CNN's Zain Verjee. She is in London.

So, what is the IMF saying the U.S. is headed? I mean, what exactly does this mean, I should say?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNNCORRESPONDENT: Well, there's a lot of controversy over this report. Many people, Carol, is saying, look, it's way too early to call the demise of the U.S.

Let's take a look, though, specifically of what the IMF is saying -- the numbers look like this. They say the Chinese economy in 2011 -- that's now -- is at $11.2 trillion. And by 2016, it will be at $19 trillion.

And then compared to the U.S. economy, they've got $15.2 trillion in 2011 and $18.8 trillion in 2016. So, thrilling behind China.

And I just want you to take a look at this graph, OK, because it shows a line with the U.S. going down and China going up.

But the real story here is less about the U.S.'s decline but it is about China going gangbusters with their growth. You know, it's a big export economy. They have earmarked $800 billion over five years just to increase their domestic stimulus. They are growing so fast. The population is at 1.3 billion.

So, you got to consider all of those as parts about China before saying, the U.S. is just going down, because it's China's growth is the story.

COSTELLO: Well, I was just going to ask you that. So, let's say America does have the second biggest economy. I mean, is it just we are losing bragging rights? I mean, how will it affect ordinary Americans?

VERJEE: Well, yes, you may lose bragging rights here, you know? But, I mean, this -- you have to understand, this IMF study really accelerates the different models that people have been using by quite a number of years. So, they may not be right, you know?

For ordinary people, though, Carol, one of the issues is going to be jobs. You know, if the U.S. economy grows around 2 percent, less people are going to want to invest their money in the U.S. and they are going to go to where the growth is. One analyst said, too, that gas prices in the U.S. may be affected.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes, we can understand that, certainly.

Zain Verjee live in London, thank you.

Sometimes, a baseball player has to be a gymnast, too. Jeff Fischel from HLN Sports is here to prove it.

JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: That's right, Carol. You know, he's not only a good baseball player but he gets a 10 for the dismount. I want to take you to Miller Park in Milwaukee. Fantastic catch, the Brewers hosting Cincinnati. That's Jay Bruce at the dish, out of center field. Milwaukee's Carlos Gomez charges in.

Anyone can do one somersault. But how about the second summersault, you don't see that every day. One, two.

(CROSSTALK)

FISCHEL: The Brewers lost the game by several. You know, it was not important. The point is Carlos Gomez made a great catch. Now, he can hold his head high.

But, you know, a Chicago Cubs player, one of the future stars in the game, may have been looking to hide after his turn at the field. We also have NBA playoffs and the number 8 seed has the number one seed on the road. We'll have that in 20 minutes.

COSTELLO: Can't wait. Thank you, Jeff.

FISCHEL: OK.

COSTELLO: God and government can be a tricky combination. But that has not stopped both parties from going there. We'll talk about that next with the author of a CNN.com op-ed entitled, "Why I Believe in God."

And we'll talk with a soldier with Great Britain's Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. That unit escorts the royal wedding procession.

But this soldier is not one of the queen's men. He's American. We'll talk to him, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: There's been a lot of talk about God, Jesus and government these days. Progressive Christians are asking what would Jesus cut from the federal government's budget, and conservatives are condemning President Obama for not issuing a presidential proclamation on Easter, suggesting the president is not Christian enough.

For that matter, so has Franklin Graham, the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKLIN GRAHAM, PRES./CEO, BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSN.: We can't talk about Jesus in our schools. God has been kicked out of our government. The spirit of antichrist is in the world today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Against that backdrop, an op-ed titled "Why I Believe in God" from CNN.com contributor L.Z. Granderson. L.Z. joins us now from Michigan.

Welcome, once again.

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you very much.

COSTELLO: Right now, both political parties are using God and Jesus as political tools. I mean, I know this has been used in politics before. But it's at fever pitch right now.

What do you make of it?

GRANDERSON: You know, I always seem to go back to when Barack Obama was Senator Obama running for the White House. And the question of whether or not he was a Muslim was circulated. And I always felt his answer to that question set the stage that we are seeing right now. That is, he said, "No, I'm not. I'm a Christian."

I would have preferred he said that, what does it matter? In this country, we are free to worship however we choose. And it's OK to be Muslim and president of the United States.

Now, I understand why, politically, he couldn't make that statement. But I felt that set the stage to have us constantly come back to -- is he a Christian, is he not a Christian? Did he go to church, did he not go to church? And I think that's why we are seeing the cycle that we're on right now.

COSTELLO: Yes. And we're still hearing the same argument.

You say in your op-ed, "When you get right down to it, everyone is walking in faith -- it's just not faith in the same thing."

And when you look at the religious political rhetoric flying around right now, is that what we are experiencing in real time?

GRANDERSON: Well, you know, I think everyone is still trying to walk that line between being appeasing to the liberals who may not believe in traditional religion and those who are very religious or conservative. And so, when I say that we are all walking in faith or we all believe in something, I believe that even if you don't believe in a God, that's believing in something you don't have 100 percent evidence about.

But when you begin to have those type of introspective thinking, what that does is caused fear in people who want things to be a lot more basic and simple. And that's the reason why I wrote the piece, to inspire more introspect of thinking about religion and government and not walk in fare.

COSTELLO: It's fascinating piece. Thank you so much, L.Z., for joining us this morning.

You can read L.Z.'s piece --

GRANDERSON: Thank you so much for having me.

COSTELLO: You are welcome.

COSTELLO: You can lead L.Z.'s piece at CNN.com/opinion. And if you'd like, you can join the conversation by leaving your comments at the bottom of L.Z.'s story. Again, that's at CNN.com/opinion.

Taking a look at events happening later today:

At 1:40 Eastern, President Obama meets with the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates in the Oval Office. The two leaders will discuss Libya and regional security issues.

Shortly before 5:00 Eastern, Republican Congressman Ron Paul of Texas will announce he is forming a presidential exploratory committee. The two-time presidential candidate will make that announcement at a news conference in Des Moines, Iowa.

And at 8:00 Eastern, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will speak at the Aging in American Conference in San Francisco.

Coming up next: he is a soldier with Great Britain's Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. He'll help escort the royal wedding procession. He's American and we'll talk to him and have his -- there he is, he and his horse. We will talk to him and look at the horse later.

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COSTELLO: He is a soldier with Great Britain's Household Calvary Mounted Regimen. His unit will be mounted on horses to escort the royal wedding procession as it leaves Westminster Abbey.

But I bet his accent doesn't sound like the rest of the Royal Calvary because Trooper Denton John of the Household Calvary Mounted Regimen is from New York.

Thank you for joining us and thanks for bringing your horse with you. We appreciate it.

DENTON JOHN, TROOPER, HOUSEHOLD CALVARY: Oh thank you very much.

COSTELLO: So, first up, how did you, an American, get into the Royal Calvary?

JOHN: Well, what happened is, I'm also dual nationality, which allows me to be in this Army. I'm Grenadian and also American. So it's just one of those weird things that happened.

COSTELLO: Well, that's good. It's exciting. I bet it's exciting. So what's it like to be part of history?

JOHN: Oh yes, honestly. It's still kind of surreal to me at the moment. I mean, I'm still soaking in it but it is an amazing feat to be a part of this.

COSTELLO: So where in line in the procession will you be?

JOHN: I will be in 3 div -- Three Division and it's my job to escort the procession to Westminster Abbey.

COSTELLO: And tell us about your horse and how long, I mean do you have a special relationship? Have you had him a long time? Did you just get to know each other?

JOHN: Can you please repeat that?

COSTELLO: Oh, I just wanted to know more about the horse and how you keep him in line and how you train him. How long you have been with the horse?

JOHN: Oh well, I have been with this horse about two years now. But it's not my own personal. We have 30 different horses that we have to take care of on a daily basis. And grooming to -- grooming this horse take about 45 minutes to get it to an immaculate condition to turning out on any major parade, including the royal wedding.

JOHN: We hear it's going to rain. Will that affect things?

JOHN: Pardon?

COSTELLO: We hear it's going to rain on the big day. Will that affect things?

JOHN: Oh no, no. It's all welcome.

COSTELLO: You don't think it will affect things at all. Will you be able to see the Prince and the Princess as you are leading or will you be too far away from the middle of the procession?

JOHN: Oh I didn't hear that -- sorry. I think the mike is acting up a bit.

COSTELLO: Oh, no. Ok, so what proximity will you have to the prince and princess?

JOHN: Oh how will -- I think I will be quite -- quite away from it. My main job is to escort the Sovereign and her carriage. The couple themselves will be a ways up in front from my division, escorted by the Life Guards.

COSTELLO: Well, it will be exciting nonetheless. Thank you so much for joining us this morning, we appreciate it.

JOHN: Oh yes, you are very welcome. Thank you very much.

COSTELLO: It's hard to do an interview when you are mounted on a horse. I understand.

It's the first big royal wedding in decades, history in the making. And we'll give you a front row seat right in your living room. So don't miss it.

CNN handles international stories better than any networks so join us at 4:00 a.m. Eastern this Friday. And if you don't want to wake up that early, you have a DVR, right? Be part of our global viewing party with Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan, Kiran Chetry, Richard Quest and Cat Deeley.

One play changed a young college football player's life forever. Eric Legrand was paralyzed last year, but he's come a long way and plans to go even farther. We'll hear from him next.

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COSTELLO: Lots of interesting stories from cross country this morning, like the story of Eric Legrand. He's the Rutgers football player who was paralyzed at a game last year. He's now living at home and going to physical therapy three times a week and he is feeling good about his future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC LEGRAND, PARALYZED FOOTBALL PLAYER: I believe God's plan is to make me walk again. He's put me through this to inspire a bunch of people to show them his way and believe always in him and I will walk again. I believe that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Oh I hope so.

Here's a way for schools to make extra money, sell ad space on the side of school buses. This is actually happening in San Antonio. School officials hope their billboard bus idea will bring in nearly $400,000 a year.

And if you had plans to visit Flavor Flav's Fried Chicken Place, in Clinton, Iowa, too late. The rapper turned reality star, turned restaurant owner apparently had a falling out with the manager. The place was only open for four months, and then his Flavor Flav's Chicken place no more.

We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Brianna Keilar at the White House.

BRIANN KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, the average cost of a gallon of gasoline, almost $4. And that pain you're feeling at the pump, well, it could spell political pain for President Obama. I'll have that at the top of the hour.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hi, I'm Zain Verjee in London. I'm going to tell you what the newspapers around the world is saying today about the situation in Syria.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gary Tuchman, in Atlanta. Donald Trump thinks Barack Obama's original birth certificate is missing. But I went to Hawaii, I met with a top Republican official who tells me she went into the vault and she has seen Barack Obama's original birth certificate. More in the upcoming hour.

COSTELLO: Thanks a lot. Also ahead: training the air traffic controllers of the future. They will be responsible for your safety and the safety of your children. We'll go inside -- we'll go inside a job where a single mistake can cost hundreds of lives. That's also next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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COSTELLO: Oh we could be witnessing NBA history. Jeff Fischel from HLN Sports is here. And Jeff, the star-studded San Antonio Spurs, they are something else.

JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: They've been great. They won 61 games in the regular season. That was the best in the Western Conference but now something is going very wrong. Because the Memphis Grizzlies, there at the last few minutes of the Western Conference playoffs, they have the Spurs in big trouble.

Just three number eight seeds have ever beaten a number one seed. The Grizzlies Dorell Arthur at one end blocks a shot, the other end the alley-oop, all Dorell Arthur, all Grizzlies. They win, they now lead the series three games to one. Memphis has three chances to knock out San Antonio. The first one is tomorrow night.

The Grizzlies also have the best postseason haircut, check out guard Tony Allen. He got that done hours before the game. Yes, that's a Grizzly -- the Grizzly mascot on the back of his head but it didn't last long. Sadly right before the game he shaved the Grizzly away. Oh, well.

NHL playoffs, Sharks and Kings; it's been a great series. Game 6 goes to overtime, Shark's Captain Joe Thornton, that's the game winner and the series winner. San Jose advances to the second round.

Check this out. Watch the penalty shot by Penguins Chris Conner. He skates in, but he loses control of the puck. Ok, this never happens. These guys are pros. This doesn't happen. He does get a shot off, but easily stopped. He had to be consoled when he came off the ice by his coach and the only consolation for the Pens? They get to host game seven of the series after the Lightning won this one, game six.

Starlin Castro may also want to get away; the Cubs shortstop, a nightmare second inning last night. Routine ground ball and he boots it.

All right, now one hour later Castro gets another chance. And how about this one? No, another error. The next batter grounds it right to Castro. Ok, he fields this one. The throw, just a bit outside. That's three errors in one inning.

COSTELLO: Oh, I would be cursing.

FISCHEL: For the record, it was cold and very rainy, so give Castro some slack for that. But he's a young kid, and he'll surely have better days in this one, right? COSTELLO: You're a very nice person, Jeff Fischel. We appreciate it.

FISCHEL: Ok.

COSTELLO: Thank you.