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Libya's Rebels Under Siege; No Merit to Birther Claims
Aired April 26, 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 10:00 a.m. on the East Coast and 7:00 a.m. on the west. I'm Carol Costello sitting in for Kyra Phillips.
A remarkable video out of Libya where rebels are under siege and civilians are reportedly under attack. Libyans are saying government forces are shelling residential areas of Misrata after opposition fighters chase them from the city center.
Rising gas prices, you and I pay it. It's painful at the pump. President Obama pays, and it's painful for him at the polls. His approval ratings are tanking, especially among families who are struggling to fill their tanks. We'll break down the numbers in just a few moments.
In just three days and counting before Britain's royal wedding. In London police are on guard against terrorists, anarchist and the people who are fixated on the royal family.
We start this hour, though, with a high risk warning from the National Weather Service. April has set a record for the number of tornadoes and we could see more today along with flash flooding and damaging winds. Storms swept across Arkansas, killing at least seven people, at least three by drowning. Earlier today nearly 70,000 customers were without power. Heavy rains and winds of up to 70 miles per hour destroyed more than a dozen homes and damaged several others.
In southeastern Missouri, the Black River is threatened to overwhelm a levee and flood part of a city of Poplar Bluff. Police went door to door warning people in hundreds of homes near the river to leave.
And 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 are serious. Let's head over to the severe weather center and check in with Jacqui Jeras. So more extreme weather coming?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Today is going to be one of the worst days we've seen in quite a while. We've already, you know, have a lot going on now, Carol, in terms of tornadoes. And that's the biggest thing that we're concerned about. This is high- risk day. You get a handful of these days a year. High risk means that we could see 20 or more tornadoes, the ones just like we saw in St. Louis, for example. Take a look at the damage from St. Louis again. You really need to keep this in mind today. This could happen. If you live in that area that's highlighted in pink today. This could happen, probably a 30% chance, a one in three chance that this is going to happen within 25 miles of your house. OK. So it's whether or these hit in populated areas today or not.
Let's show you that highlighted area a little more closely. We think things are going to develop late this afternoon and into tonight into northeastern parts of Texas moving towards Little Rock and maybe even pushing up towards the Memphis area. So that's the area of greatest concern today for rotating thunderstorms today.
And then you can see the slight risk area extends all the way into the Great Lakes. And we think there's a greater probability up here of damaging winds and large hail. You might see a tornado, an isolated tornado. But nothing compared to the strong violent ones that we're expecting down here.
This is going to continue into tomorrow, Carol. Moderate risk here. This includes Nashville and down towards Huntsville, Alabama. And finally, by the end of the week, we're going to see this whole thing sweep out of here. We can take a little bit of a deep breath. But you know, we're talking two days, at least of major tornadoes potentially occurring.
COSTELLO: All right. We'll keep an eye out. Thank you, Jacqui.
Gas prices ticking higher every day costing you more at the pump and costing the president at the pump of public opinion. Right now, the national average to fill her up is $3.87 a gallon. Ouch. That's more than a dollar higher than a year ago. Only about a quarter shy of the all-time high, and if those numbers don't make you flinch, here's one that might.
$100 million every single day for three months. Exxon is set to announce its first quarter profits this week. That's where that $100 million a day comes from. Analysts say the oil giant's profits jumped 60 percent to $10 billion.
Alison Kosik is standing by at the New York Stock Exchange to talk more about this. But let's start at the White House actually with Brianna Keilar. Brianna, I want you to listen to what House Speaker John Boehner told ABC news about President Obama's chances of staying in the White House in 2012.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: If the economy doesn't get better, I don't think he will. If people don't feel better about government-run health care, I don't think he'll win. If gas prices are $5 or $6, he certainly isn't going to win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK. So how worried is the White House? BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's definitely concern, Carol. Because when you're talking about gas at $4 per gallon, these are the numbers that Americans really feel that determine how they're doing financially. And just look at some new poll numbers from ABC News "Washington Post," Americans are really feeling this.
About 71 percent of those polled said that they're experiencing hardship because of gas prices, and what's more is when you look at these numbers, people who said that they were experiencing a bigger hardship had a more negative view of President Obama. In fact, if those polled characterized their hardship as not serious, 40 percent of them said they would not support President Obama.
But look at the folks who said their hardship is serious. 53 percent. So 13 percent more said they will not support President Obama. And this really isn't unusual for President Obama, Carol. This was something that President Bush experienced as well. They find that their popularity can be correlated to important numbers like gas prices.
COSTELLO: You have to wonder if he will take some sort of - I know he said in the past that there's no silver bullet that will make gas prices go down. But surely he's going to come up with something more than that.
KEILAR: That's exactly right, and we've heard that from the White House. There is no silver bullet, there is no short-term quick fix. Certainly, they'll tell you longer term plans are having to do with getting more renewable energy sources online, and there's really an appetite as well for ending oil subsidies, especially we heard White House Press Secretary Jay Carney yesterday saying as the oil companies are expected to post record or near record profits this week that they shouldn't be getting tax breaks.
And it's pretty interesting, too, because in that interview that House Speaker John Boehner had with ABC News, he said that should be on the table for Congress. That oil companies should be paying their fair share. Boehner also said though, Carol, that those are important subsidies for getting smaller oil companies to look for more domestic oil.
COSTELLO: We'll see what happens. Brianna Keilar, live at the White House. Thank you.
So Americans are driving less because they're struggling to fill their tanks, and big oil is expected to announce that it pulled in some major, major money in the last three months. Oh, that stings, doesn't it? Speaker Boehner, he weighed in on that. You heard Brianna and here's Speaker Boehner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOEHNER: Listen, everybody wants to go after the oil companies, and frankly they got some part of this to blame, all right? But the fact is there's a limited supply of oil around the world. There's unrest in the Middle East driving up the price. They happen to hold the assets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So let's bring in Alison Kosik. Alison, exactly how much money are these companies bringing in?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, we're going to find out exactly this week. Big oil like Exxon, BP, Conoco, all of those companies are set to report. I tell you what. Expectations are very high. Exxon Mobil, which is the biggest oil company, is expected to earn almost $10 billion. I tell you what? It shouldn't be a huge surprise, because have you seen oil prices lately? They're soaring.
Take a look. I want to show you how oil has been over the past year. Oil prices up 35 percent. They topped $100 in the first three months of this year. Right now, they're sitting at about $112 a barrel. What that means is it's more profits for oil companies. You know, we saw the same thing in 2008 when oil got close to $150 a barrel. Their profits also soared then, but you also have to realize there's a flipside to this.
We, you and me, consumers, investors, we can all benefit from this. Because when these companies do well, their stock prices rise. Exxon, Chevron, Conoco shares, they've all gone up more than 15 percent in the first three months of this year. The American Petroleum Institute says public workers in the midwest are heavily invested in oil and gas companies through their state pension funds, so they are reaping the rewards of this as well.
COSTELLO: Well, that's a good way of looking at it, but most Americans can't afford a share of oil stock because it's pretty high. Let's talk about the tax breaks, those subsidies that the big oil companies are getting. Because the Republican John Boehner said that should be on the table. So put this into perspective for us. What can you tell us about those tax breaks?
KOSIK: All right. Perspective for tax breaks. You know, tax breaks for corporate America, Carol, they're common. Think about it, states and cities they give tax breaks for movie companies to go to shoot there. Even Twitter got a break on the employee payroll tax in California. The point here? It helps to bring business and jobs to that state or area.
The same thing happens with the oil and gas industry, you know, but the thing is because of the big surge in prices right now, those tax breaks are coming under fire and these oil companies are really being put under the spotlight. But you have to remember these oil companies, they're private companies. They're in business to make money. And they're making money. We're just not happy about it because we're shelling it out at the gas station. Carol.
COSTELLO: They spend millions and millions of dollars for lobbyists on Capitol Hill. So we'll see if something really happens to these tax breaks for oil companies.
Alison Kosik, many thanks. KOSIK: Exactly.
COSTELLO: This morning in Syria, new reports of bloodshed are igniting international debate over what to do next.
Distant gunfire echoes through Daraa, the city where the anti- government uprising began weeks ago. This morning there are horrific details of widespread killing after thousands of Syrian soldiers converged on the city.
Witnesses say government forces fired randomly on civilians, even shooting into homes when people were sleeping. So now the United States is lobbying the United Nations to address Syria's human rights abuses. The U.N. Security Council is expected to take up the issue today.
CNN's Zain Verjee in London. She is monitoring newspaper accounts from around the world about Syria. So Zain, what do you have?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hi there, Carol. Let's take a look at what "The National" in the United Arab Emirates are saying. Their headlines reads like this "Syria intensifies crackdown." And it goes on to say "As the bloodshed has intensified so too have protests, with demonstrators expanding demand where initially they've been pushing for greater civil rights, increasingly they are calling for the entire autocratic system of government to be dismantled."
And then check out what the "Wall Street Journal's" Asian edition is saying. "The Freedom Movement Comes to Syria" is the headline. Speaking of Bashar Al Assad, there's one analyst that writes this. "The son learned the father's tricks, but there is a litter of promises, predictions by outsider that Bashar Assad is at heart a reformer but Bashar is both this system's jailer and its captive." Carol.
COSTELLO: Interesting. So do you think the protestors will keep going, or will this reign of terror work?
VERJEE: Well, they are either going to be really terrified and this brutal crackdown is going to keep everyone indoors and just fight another day or they're go to say, you know what? Forget it. This is our time and go out on the streets and remain defiant. I spoke to one expert who said that basically that he feels that Bashar Al Assad and the government has won round one, because they have such a powerful security apparatus.
What he also told me, he said watch out for the army and the security and intelligence groups and the political establishment as well, because right now there is no daylight between them. He said what happened in Tunisia and Egypt and Yemen is that eventually there was a big rift between the security apparatus and the government. And that's what we need to look out for, too. It could happen in the coming weeks. We just don't know yet which is why the situation is so unpredictable and can be so volatile. COSTELLO: Zain Verjee, live in London. Thank you.
And stay with us, at the bottom of the hour we'll talk to former NATO commander and retired Army general Wesley Clark. He'll take a closer look at Syria's military strength and its hold onto power.
The birther battle has dogged President Obama for years, and now Donald Trump is breathing new life into it. Coming up, CNN's Gary Tuchman hits the ground in Hawaii looking for answers. We'll tell you what his paper chased turned up just ahead.
And in a few days Prince William will marry. But that lives one young royal bachelor, in the U.K., bachelor prince, I should say. Is it time for Prince Harry to settle down? Yes, we're talking about that too, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Just three days until Kate Middleton becomes a real princess. Our own royal princess without the tiara or the title really, Cat Deeley joins us from London. Welcome, Cat.
CAT DEELEY, CNN ROYAL CONTRIBUTOR: Hello. I wish I had the jewelry collection, I tell you. I'm (INAUDIBLE) from left, right and center trying bits on.
COSTELLO: Exactly. Who needs the princess title? We'll take the jewelry. You know the groomsmen in the royal wedding a little bit. And we're hearing that Prince Harry has some plans for a fry-up after the wedding. What the heck is a fry-up?
DEELEY: You know (INAUDIBLE) up here. A fry up is bacon, eggs, sausage, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, toast. That's about it, I think. Maybe black pudding if you're feeling that way (INAUDIBLE). But basically it's Harry's idea of the after party, after the after party. It's when everybody had (INAUDIBLE) get a little bit hungry and he'll be there sorting it all out.
COSTELLO: Not very healthy but it does sound tasty.
Now that Prince William is no longer -
DEELEY: You know what? After a few drinks, it's good.
COSTELLO: Oh, I bet so. Now that Prince William is no longer available. That leaves one young royal prince in the U.K.. So is Harry getting more attention because his big brother is getting married?
DEELEY: You know what? He's always got lots of attention, because he's the one that does really like a good time. Actually, he gets all the perks of the job but without any of the serious stuff. So I think quite a few people would be quite happy to be on his arm, I think. But apparently Chelsea is coming to the wedding. I know that she's a friend of Kate's, too. So she's going to be there at the wedding. And Dad is keeping an eye on him and helping him with (INAUDIBLE).
COSTELLO: And I know Chelsea's been dating Harry, off and on, for a long time. She's the beautiful blonde right there. He could do worse. Also I understand the book makers in Britain are hard at work. What are they betting on?
DEELEY: Yes. Absolutely. There's nothing that the English like more than a good old-fashioned bet. so they're betting no whether she's going to be wearing a tiara or flowers. And apparently somebody has put a bet on, that's worth 73,000 pounds. Everybody is saying that she's going to wear this Russian French tiara that's been passed down from the queen. So everybody is saying that Kate is going to be wearing a tiara and they're also taking bets on what color hat the queen is going to be wearing.
COSTELLO: I bet it's going to be pink. I think light pink. I'm going to place my bet. Can you do that for me?
DEELEY: Blue. Of course, no problem. I didn't know you were a betting lady. But of course, I will.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Cat. 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. CNN handles international stories better than anyone so be sure to join us at 4:00 a.m. Eastern this Friday. If you can't wake up that early, set your DVR. Be part of our global viewing part. Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan, Kiran Chetry, Richard Quest and Cat Deeley, be there or be square.
A ray of hope. There could be, and I stress the word could be an NFL season after all. After seven weeks of (INAUDIBLE) between NFL owners and players, a federal judge has ordered an end to the NFL lockout, but don't you know it, NFL owners have appealed that ruling. Earlier I asked a sports attorney who represents football players if he thinks there will be a season.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CORNWELL, SPORTS ATTORNEY: Anti-trust 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 anti- trust loss has resulted in a collective bargaining agreement. So if past is pro log, this will going to end with a negotiated collective bargaining agreement and then the parties will be back to work and the fans will be back enjoying football.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So on a scale of one to 10, he said it is a 10, there will be a season today. Of course, things could change tomorrow.
I wanted to read you these statements issued by the NFL owners. This is part of it, saying it "believes the dispute will end with a collective bargaining agreement. The league thinks that is in the best interest of players, clubs and fans." We'll see what happens. He was arrested for domestic abuse a week and a half ago, and now we're hearing police looked at Nicolas Cage for possible child abuse as well. Details from A.J. Hammer coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
COSTELLO: Nicolas Cage is still dealing with the fallout from a wild weekend in New Orleans. Lindsay Lohan has just done a surprise interview and Michael Douglas is opening up about some tough times. "Showbiz Tonight" host A.J. Hammer is here with all of the latest in entertainment news. So you want to start with Michael Douglas?
A.J. HAMMER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" HOST: Yes. Let's talk about Michael Douglas, because we're really hearing from him in such a candid way, Carol. Oprah Winfrey spoke with Michael about the brutal year that he and his family has had. In what she's calling a no holds barred interview. This is the first time we've seen him talking about how his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, battled bipolar II disease.
He said the problems of the last year certainly may have played a big part in Zeta Jones needing to get some mental health help. He says while she certainly was a stoic supporter while she was ill, he says this "My oldest son is in federal prison, my ex-wife is suing me and I got cancer. It's kind of hard for the wife to say 'I'm depressed.'"
Now Douglas also tells Oprah about beating throat cancer. Right now, he's cancer-free, obviously terrific news although he still has to get monthly checkups as we would expect. Carol, the full interview is going to air on "Oprah" today.
COSTELLO: Lindsay Lohan, she is opening up and giving interviews?
HAMMER: Yes, you ready for LiLo? On late night TV, she did tape an interview. It's going to air on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" tonight. Lohan is talking about all the trouble she's facing, and that, of course, includes the very latest, 480 hours of community service, a possible 120 days in jail. She's appealing that right now.
She does admit to Leno that she's made a lot of mistakes but she says she still expects to achieve her goals if she stays focus. Now, we're also learning a bit more about the community service she's doing. She's going to spend 120 hours working at the Los Angeles County morgue. She's going to do janitorial chores there. Can you picture, Lindsay working with the mop on a bucket?
Well, she won't be in the autopsy room though, Carol, she's going to be exposed to some bodies at various times. I guess you got to mop around the -- I don't want to see it. But the idea for doing this, her working in the morgue, is to remind people and in this case, somebody who has been convicted of driving under the influence about just how fragile life is. I hope this does the trick, however I say that out loud and I feel like I've said it dozens of times before. COSTELLO: Yes. I know. Well I'm hoping for the best for her. She's still young.
Nicolas Cage however is old enough to know better.
HAMMER: Yes, you would think so, and now he's dealing with more fallout from his recent arrest in New Orleans. TMZ is reporting that Cage could be charged with child abuse after he was reportedly seen pulling his five-year-old son to the ground during a domestic abuse. And Cage was arrested for domestic abuse and disturbing the peace a week ago on Saturday night in New Orleans.
His son reportedly wound up with some minor abrasions to his left knee. Now his wife reportedly told the police that Cage fell while he was carrying the child. TMZ does say an eyewitness is telling police Cage dragged his son to the ground by hand. A real shame to hear any of this going on, because, you know, Lindsay Lohan, talented and still has a long road ahead of her. Nic Cage unbelievably talented. And it's just sad to see the kind of messes he's been getting himself into lately.
COSTELLO: Absolutely. A.J., thank you. If you want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world, A.J. has got it tonight on "Showbiz Tonight" at 5:00 p.m. Eastern and 11:00 p.m. on HLN.
More than halfway through his term, President Obama is still dogged by birthers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Have you seen Barack Obama's original birth certificate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: What did it tell you? Was it authentic? Was he born here?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: CNN's Gary Tuchman hits the ground running in Hawaii trying to separate fact from fiction. He's putting this to rest once for all. His report is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Donald Trump has been banging in the drum loudly for the birther movement, questioning the birthplace and citizenship of President Barack Obama. Trump said he sent investigators to Hawaii, and he they found some crazy stuff.
But CNN's Gary Tuchman was there doing his own digging, and he didn't see hide nor hair of Donald Trump's investigators. Here's what he did find.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN (voice-over): "The Honolulu Star" bulletin newspaper in August 1961 declares "Mr. and Mrs. Barack H. Obama have given birth to a son." A simple birth announcement that has become part of a complex web of conspiracy theories with one question looming above all others.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I was born in Hawaii.
TUCHMAN Was President Obama really born in the United States? The answer? Yes.
(on camera): Have you seen Barack Obama's original birth certificate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Dr. Chiyome Fukino is the former director of the Hawaii Department of Health and a devoted Republican. Until now she had not talked on camera about this topic.
(on camera): As a Republican member of the last Republican governor of Hawaii, Linda Lingle's cabinet, do you have any doubt that Barack Obama was born in the United States?
DR. CHIYOME FUKINO, FMR. DIRECTOR, HAWAII STATE DEPT. OF HEALTH: Absolutely not. I have no doubt.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Dr. Fukino says she was asked last year by the governor's press secretary to make a statement about the birth certificate controversy. Under state law a public official can look at someone else's certificate if there is a quote, "direct and tangible interest." She indeed felt she had that interest because of the statement she had to make.
So she found the original Obama birth certificate, stored in a vault in the Department of Health building.
(on camera): And what did it tell you? Was it authentic? Was he born here in the state of Hawaii?
FUKINO: It was absolutely authentic. He was absolutely born here in the state of Hawaii.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): But Dr. Fukino says even if she hadn't seen the original certificate this document, the President's computer- generated certificate, which was made public three years ago, had already proven he was born in Hawaii.
(on camera): There's quite a bit of irony over this original birth certificate debate. And that is the original documents are no longer even certified by the state. The Health Department says President Obama or any other Hawaiian could still go through the process of getting one, but either way they're no longer supposed to be used for official purposes. Only the computer-generated ones will do.
(voice-over): We wanted to see what you get when you ask for your Hawaii birth certificate.
(on camera): Next door. Birth, death, marriage. Birth for us.
STIG VITALIC: Ok.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): We met 49-year-old Stig Vitalic and told him we'd pay $7 for a new birth certificate for him.
(on camera): I'm Gary Tuchman with CNN. We're here to get a birth certificate for Stig.
(voice-over): We asked Stig because we also saw his birth announcement in the Honolulu newspaper. In the same article, four names down, another newborn, born 13 hours earlier. Barack Obama.
(on camera): And do you give him his original certificate or the electronic copy?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a computerized birth certificate.
TUCHMAN: So this is Stig's certificate of live birth. It's the same form Barack Obama has. The very same form every Hawaiian now gets when they request their birth certificate. Has his name on it, his birth date, August 5th, 1961, the day after the President. It says it was filed August 8th, 1961. This is a raised seal to show its authenticity.
And on the bottom perhaps the most important line, "This copy serves as prima facie evidence of the fact of birth in any court proceeding."
(voice-over): Nobody we talked to doubts Stig's citizenship. But a CNN poll shows 25 percent of Americans doubt President Obama's.
Another part of the conspiracy theory is that the birth announcement in the paper is a fake, planted by his family or someone else who wanted to trick the world into believing the future president was born in the U.S.
Dan Nakaso is a long-time newspaper reporter in Honolulu.
(on camera): There are a number of people who believe that Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States, that his mother or grandmother called the newspaper and gave false information that he was born in the United States.
DAN NAKASO, ADVERTISER, "HONOLULU STAR": Right.
TUCHMAN: Is it possible that could have gotten in the newspaper like that?
NAKASO: No. That's not possible. Under the -- under the system that existed back then there was no avenue for people to submit information that way.
TUCHMAN: So how did the information get in the paper?
NAKASO: Information came directly from the State Department of Health.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): We confirmed that fact with the Health Department too. All birth announcements printed in the paper came directly from the birth records of the hospital.
(on camera): So why won't President Obama just release a copy of his original birth certificate? Well, there are some who say he won't do it because the word "Muslim" is on it. But we've taken a look at the original vault birth certificate of another man, and while there are extra spaces on it for hospital and for ages of the parents and for the occupation of the father, there is no space whatsoever for religion.
And the former director of the Health Department, who has seen Barack Obama's original birth certificate, confirms there is no mention whatsoever of religion. The White House says in part no matter what Barack Obama says or does there are many doubters who will still doubt.
(voice-over): Barack Obama not only has the same proof of birth as millions of other Hawaiians, he also has the current Hawaii governor's memories of him as a baby.
(on camera): You saw him when he was an infant?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, sure. Of course.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): In part two of our investigation, the people who don't need to see birth certificates to know the president was born in Hawaii.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Gary Tuchman is with us live now. And Gary, we just heard your report. Donald Trump was interviewed by Anderson Cooper after your report originally aired on his show last night. I just want all of us to listen together how that went down.
TUCHMAN: Okay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION (on the phone): Well, I've been told very recently, Anderson, that the birth certificate is missing. I've been told that it's not there and it doesn't exist. And if that's the case --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "AC 360": Who told you that?
TRUMP: That's a big problem. I just heard that two days ago from somebody.
COOPER: From -- from your investigators or --
TRUMP: I don't want to say who. But I've been told that the birth certificate is not there. It's missing. And I feel badly about that because I'd love him to produce the birth certificate so that he can fight one on one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK, Gary. So, you also went around Hawaii looking for these investigators supposedly sent by Donald Trump. Did you run into any of them?
TUCHMAN: Well, you saw Dr. Fukina, who we talked to. She had seen the original birth certificate. She would be a key person for an investigator to talk to. If I was an investigator, I'd go to the Dr. Fukina before anyone. Dr. Fukina not seen any of Donald Trump's investigators.
We also talked with officials at the health department today. They have not seen Donald Trump's investigators. And we talked to the governor of Hawaii today, Neil Abercrombie, who tonight we will talk to in depth about meeting Barack Obama when he was a baby because he was friends with Barack Obama's parents. He has not seen any investigators show up. If the investigators are there, they're investigating different people than we saw, and we believe we saw the key people.
COSTELLO: I suppose some might say, well, maybe they're looking into these people's backgrounds to see if there are any skeletons in a closet and give them a reason to be lying about these things.
TUCHMAN: I mean, to be honest with you, Donald Trump is a brilliant man. There's no question about it. He's brilliant when it comes to business. When it comes to politics, not so sure. But either way, for him to not be telling the truth about investigators on the job, that would be a huge mistake down the road if he wants to continue with the strong political career. So, you have to think there are investigators there. What they're doing, I have no idea.
COSTELLO: And where they are, we have no idea. Donald Trump upped the ante, too. Now he's saying, oh, we're going to have to look into Barack Obama's college background. How did he get into Harvard exactly? Why is he doing this, do you think?
TUCHMAN: Well, you know, Donald Trump is at the top of the polls right now. So, if that was his goal, he's accomplished it. But as far as how he will attract Democratic voters, voters who are undecided, we don't know.
I'll tell you one thing. How about Stig for president? Stig's a great guy. Stig's a musician. He plays the ukulele. But he was born around the same time as Barack Obama. I'm getting a lot e-mails from people. Let's vote for Stig as president!
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: And why not? People are pretty displeased with every politician these days. Gary, thanks for your report. We appreciate it.
And you can watch part two of Gary's investigation tonight on "AC 360." That's at 10 p.m. Eastern.
This morning, it appears Syria's embattled government is escalating its crackdown on rebel forces. Gunfire and explosions echo today in Daraa, the city where the anti-government protest began two weeks ago. Witnesses say thousands of soldiers randomly opened fire on civilians yesterday. Today, the United States and the United Nations are weighing in diplomatically.
So, with that in mind, we turn to retired Army General Wesley Clark. He's also a former NATO commander who led the coalition's offensive in the Balkan War. General, good to see you this morning.
GEN. WESLEY CLARK, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Thank you, Carol. Good to be with you.
COSTELLO: General, we've seen two military approaches in Syria versus Libya. Is there really a difference between what happened in Libya and what's happening in Syria?
CLARK: Well, there's certainly a difference in the capacity of the governments to respond. The Syrians have a strong military. They've used it in the past to suppress dissent. They have strong intelligence agencies. And they're following their play book, which is when people get out of line, you intimidate them. When that doesn't work, you kill a few. And that's what they're doing.
COSTELLO: Well, I ask you that question because President Obama's press secretary was trying to explain to the American people what the difference was between Syria and Libya. Is there any real difference?
CLARK: Well, there are many, many differences between Syria and Libya. Libya, of course, is much more connected to the path for immigration into Europe. It's much more closely connected to the economies of Europe. Syria is an ally of Iran.
But in terms of geostrategic impact, certainly what's happening in Syria has strong geopolitical potential to dramatically change the equation in the Middle East if these demonstrators did, in fact, overthrow the Syrian government.
COSTELLO: I just want to put up a map and remind people where geographically Syria is located. I have heard reports that Syria has enlisted help from Iran and Hezbollah in cracking down on these protestors. Is this a reason the United States is slow to get involved?
CLARK: I think there are many different calculations before the United States would get involved in something like this, but Syria would be the key country. It is very closely aligned with Iran. It's also got its hands all over Lebanon. It's penetrated by Hezbollah. It has, according to the reports, had help from Iran and Hezbollah in cracking down on dissent inside the country. It would be a tough military nut to crack, and you wouldn't apply the same formula perhaps that we've applied in Libya.
But many of the same principles are at play. There are well- educated people in Syria. Clearly they're motivated to seek a change in the government. Whether they represent the majority of the people or not is unclear. You know, the Syrian government is headed by Assad, a member of Alawai sect. It's a minority sect inside Syria. So, perhaps you could make the case that they're ruled by and have been ruled by, dominated by a minority for decades now.
But it's not clear yet that the majority of the people are against Bashar Assad, so perhaps that's a distinction between what we saw unfolding in Libya several weeks ago and what's happen in Syria today.
COSTELLO: General Wesley Clark, thanks for clarifying things. We always find your perspective quite interesting and enlightening. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.
CLARK: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Another air traffic controller fired for sleeping on the job. We'll have details.
Plus, CNN wanted to know what kind of training do air traffic controllers go through before they head into the tower? We'll take you inside controller college. That's coming up.
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COSTELLO: Each week starting this week, CNN will take an in- depth look at an important story. Today we take a look at air traffic controllers. As you know, in recent months, the FAA has been plagued with problems in their towers from distracted to sleeping employees. With that being said, we begin with another controller who's been fired, this time out of Seattle's Boeing Field. The FAA says the controller fell asleep twice on the job, the first time back in January. Last week, two other controllers got fired for napping. One in Knoxville, Tennessee and the other in Miami. And there have been similar problems in Washington, D.C., Lubbock, Texas and Reno, Nevada. And you know, a Cleveland, Ohio controller was caught watching a DVD on duty earlier this month.
So we were wondering, what does it take to be an air traffic controller? What kind of training do you need for such an important job where lives are on the line? CNN's Martin Savidge is at what you might call controller college in Daytona Beach, Florida. It trains the next generation of men and women who control the skies. Hi, Martin.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol. Well, when you think of Daytona Beach, you might think of spring break, but that's not the reason we're here. Spring break is the last thing on their mind. This is finals week at Embree Riddle Aeronautical University. It's one of the finest aviation colleges in the country, mainly because of state-of-the-art simulator rooms like you find here.
But what I really want to show you here, Carol, is across the hall. Come over this way. Take a look. This here is what they call TRAYCON, which is Termal Radar Approach Control. This is what it begins to look like whether you start talking about air traffic controllers. All of young men and women that attend this university here, most of them are here in the final stages. This is the rehearsal, actually, for final exams. But they just had a class inside here.
This is a four-year program. You graduate with a bachelor of science degree, and you spend about $120,000 in tuition learning the very basics here of air traffic control. Now, keep in mind, this is just the beginning of a long journey for these would-be air traffic controllers. The class of 2011 here is going to be about 120 graduates. But when they get done here, they still have to be accepted by the FAA. But they're trained by former air traffic controllers.
In fact, we talked to Sid McGuirk, who is a 35-year veteran of the FAA. And he says that the real goal here that he wants to instill to these young men and women is professionalism and to realize that perfection is not the goal, it is the standard. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SID MCGUIRK, EMBRY-RIDDLE UNIVERSITY: There are tens of thousands of operations every single day. An operation being an aircraft landing and an aircraft taking off. This is a profession where the perfection rate is in the 99.97 percent range. Not only is it a profession where you can't make a mistake, it's a profession where not very many mistakes are made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Now, all of this simulation is right down to the most perfect of detail. You see these air traffic controllers that are looking at real readouts that the computer screens generate of aircraft that are in flight, and there are actually other people who are acting as simulated pilots, which they communicate with and direct them throughout the whole program, which can go on for several hours. It is a clear, real example of how they train and try to train as real as possible. And, in fact, how well they do with their final grade isn't based on the last essay question but based on how well they handle the emergencies that are thrown at them often in this very same room, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, if perfection is the goal, I can't imagine the stress of the job. But surely that the students you spoke with there and also the teacher that you spoke with, sleeping is not something you should be striving for on the job.
SAVIDGE: No. This is what they point out. First and foremost, they will say, look, this is an industry of 15,000 people, and like any industry, there are going to be a few who don't necessarily measure up. But that is not a definition of an entire industry.
And then there were those here who actually differ with the federal government's attitude on this, that being that there would be no rest, no one paid to sleep on the job. In fact, they point out that rest periods by air traffic controllers is a common practice used in many other countries. And they'll also say, take a look at long- distance airline pilots. They often have two crews that work on a night shift. One sleeps, the other drives. Then they rotate in order so everyone is fresh and alert for a serious job.
COSTELLO: Yes, definitely. So, and I know there are congressional hearings going on, trying to make things a little better for air traffic controllers. Thank you so much. Martin Savidge, reporting live from Daytona Beach, Florida.
One play changed a young college football player's life forever. Eric Legrand was paralyzed last year, but boy, has he come a long way. And he plans to go even farther. We'll hear from him next.
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COSTELLO: With all the controversy swirls around Donald Trump, he will hit the campaign trail. Yep, he's on his way to New Hampshire. And there's new news about Mike Huckabee, another potential Republican presidential candidate.
CNN's Brianna Keilar live at the White House with those stories and more. Hi, Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Carol. Donald Trump, as you know, has been talking a whole lot about President Obama's birth certificate. He's at it again. This time telling Anderson Cooper on "AC 360" last night that he believes the birth certificate is missing. How does he know that? He says he can't say, but he feels bad about this whole situation, just wants to get it settled and have the president come out and show his birth certificate.
I should tell you, CNN's Gary Tuchman went to Hawaii for a CNN investigates and talked to the former departments of health head there who said that she has seen the original in the vault at the department of health.
Also on this topic, a Republican, Arizona governor Jan Brewer, saying that this whole birther movement, these people who doubt whether President Obama was born in the U.S., that it's a, quote, "huge distraction." She said it's leading the country down a path of destruction, and she defended her move this month to veto a bill through the Arizona legislature that would have forced presidential candidates to prove they were born in the U.S. Carol, she said she thought it was a veiled attack on President Obama.
COSTELLO: But Donald Trump, he is going on the campaign trail, right? KEILAR: He says he's not. He's thinking about it, yes. So, he's thinking of - is he declaring? I mean, that's really question. Yes, he's hitting, definitely, some important places. But again, he is not announcing yet. He's waiting until I think, it's May 22nd for the season finale of "Celebrity Apprentice" to say whether he's really doing it or not, Carol. We'll see.
COSTELLO: He's still visiting those very important states that presidential candidates must. What do you hear about Mike Huckabee?
KEILAR: Good news for Mike Huckabee in the early primary state of South Carolina. There's a new poll out from the American Resource - pardon me, American Research Group. It shows that the former Arkansas governor is leading the pack of GOP potentials for 2012. He's got 20 percent in this poll among registered Republican primary voters. Right behind him, Mitt Romney, then Donald Trump, then Sarah Palin, Carol.
COSTELLO: Gotcha. Brianna Keilar, live at the White House. Thank you.
We'll have your next political update in one hour. And a reminder for all the political news, go to our Web site, CNNpolitics.com.
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COSTELLO: In our "Daily Dose," electronic cigarettes will soon be regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The agency announced it will treat the device as a tobacco product, requiring e- cigarette companies to follow the same rules that cover the makers of regular cigarettes. The decision is welcome news for the manufacturers of e-cigarettes.
And painkillers like aspirin and antidepressants apparently don't mix. Researchers studying mice found the effectiveness of antidepressants was reduced when the drug was taken with a painkiller. Researchers stress more tests are need, but they say it could explain why sometimes people taking pain medication complain drugs like Prozac do nothing to ease their depression.
Next on the CNN NEWSROOM with Suzanne Malveaux, a dam in Missouri has been breached, forcing residents to take cover. We're talking live to a woman that had to evacuate to keep her family safe.
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COSTELLO: 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's forming a presidential exploratory committee. The two-time presidential candidate will make the 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 America conference in San Francisco.
And now it's time to toss it over to Suzanne Malveaux. I'll be over shortly to talk about Ron Paul and his third presidential run.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Wow. Third presidential run!
COSTELLO: Yes. What is it about Ron Paul?
MALVEAUX: You know, the one thing he can do is raise money. I mean, we used to see those campaign posters everywhere, those huge signs everywhere.
COSTELLO: At one point during the 2008 campaign he was raising $3,000 a second.
MALVEAUX: You're kidding?
COSTELLO: No, but I'll tell you more later.
MALVEAUX: OK. All right. Good. Looking forward to it. Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: OK.
