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Levees Near Breaking Point in Missouri; Extremely Critical Fire Danger in Texas; China to Become Top Superpower; Budget Cuts Trigger Education Lawsuit in New Jersey; U.S. State Department Wants U.S. Citizens Out of Syria
Aired April 26, 2011 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Want to get you up to speed for Tuesday, April 26th.
The risk of tornadoes is extremely high today from Dallas to Little Rock. Four people died from violent thunderstorms that ripped Faulkner County, Arkansas, just yesterday. Three others drowned in flash floods. A tornado damaged buildings at an Air Force base near Little Rock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMIE BROWN, TORNADO VICTIM: You could see the trees going in, like, a giant blender. And the house shook and then the glass broke and everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Several hundred families in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, are packing up and getting out. A weakened levee could break any time now, allowing the Black River to pour into several neighborhoods. Before it's over 1,000 people could be forced to higher ground.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED STERENFEL, BUTLER COUNTY COMMISSIONER: This could be very imminent danger within minutes. If the levee was to break, you will have a very, very short time to get out of the way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Hot, dry, and windy, that is a combustible combination across west Texas today. Temperatures, in the 90s, and 45-mile-an- hour winds will fan those wildfires. Texas may soon top 1.9 million acres burned this season, breaking the record set in 2006.
Air traffic, out of control. Martin Savidge shows us in a few minutes with "CNN: In Depth."
But first, this update. A Seattle air traffic controller who fell asleep two weeks ago is now out of the job. He is the third napping controller fired by the FAA this month.
The United Nations is getting ready to take up human rights abuses in Syria today after a bloody crackdown. Witnesses describe a trail of bodies in the streets of several towns. Hundreds of people have been killed or arrested during the six-week uprising.
Extremely heavy fighting on the outskirts of Misrata. That is Libya's third largest city. Rebels say they have pushed government fighters out of the central city, but as this amateur video now shows, the opposition may have a hard time holding on to Misrata.
Police in Afghanistan say 65 dangerous escapees are now back in custody today. NATO says they were among 470 or so inmates who tunneled their way out of a Kandahar prison. The Taliban says it took five months to dig the tunnel.
Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day.
In just a few hours, Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul will take a step closer to the 2012 presidential race. He's going to announce that he's forming an exploratory committee, and that has inspired our own Carol Costello to ask the question -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It did, because we got to wondering, what is it about Ron Paul? The Texas congressman is head of a budding political dynasty, he's charming and likeable, popular with young people, with unorthodox views like abolish income taxes, investigate the Fed. In interview after interview, Ron Paul pounds away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RON PAUL (R), TEXAS: There is a law on the books that says that you're not allowed to counterfeit. And the biggest counterfeiters in the world is the Federal Reserve. They just print money, trillions of dollars, and they give it out to their friends.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That doesn't exactly sound mainstream. And look at Ron Paul's legislative record.
According to GovTrack.us, Ron Paul has not accomplished much in Congress. Of the 404 bills he has sponsored since 1997, only one has passed. Four hundred and one never made it out of committee.
Ron Paul himself told Politico, "I'm not a good legislator." Political analyst Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia says Paul has virtually no chance of getting the Republican nomination, in part because his views on foreign policy are too isolationist and extreme.
But last time around, in 2008, Ron Paul did not get much publicity, but he did have a big impact. At one point his campaign was raising $3,000 a second online.
People like his antiwar message and his fiscal conservatism, and they felt he influenced other political candidates to talk about these things. But he still lost the Republican nomination by a mile, and now he's probably running for president a third time, maybe becoming a perennial presidential candidate like Ralph Nader, you know, the spoiler many Democrats blame for Al Gore's defeat in 2000. George W. Bush won that year.
So, the "Talk Back" question today: Do long shot candidates like Ron Paul play a vital role in presidential politics?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN, and I'll read your comments later this hour.
MALVEAUX: He's a fun interview. I mean, if you ever get a chance to interview him --
COSTELLO: I have.
MALVEAUX: -- it's great during the campaign. Well, you know then. I mean, he really promotes the discussion. It can go in any direction. And the other candidates have to respond, they have to pick up on that stuff.
COSTELLO: And since 2008, I must say, he's become a rock star. He's everywhere. He was just on "The View." "He's on Stephen Colbert -- he's everywhere. He's a very charming guy.
MALVEAUX: Yes. He'll probably be on CNN soon, I'm sure.
COSTELLO: I'm sure, too.
MALVEAUX: OK. Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Here's a look at what's ahead "On the Rundown."
Stormy weather now. Our Jacqui Jeras is tracking the threat of more tornadoes on the heels of those storms that happened yesterday.
Also, analysts say that China could overtake the U.S. as an economic superpower sooner than expected.
Plus, a guard dismissed for royal wedding duty for dissing the bride- to-be.
And suing over school money. A New Jersey court considers how much is too much in budget cuts.
Finally, learning what it takes to be an air traffic controller.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Do you ever make mistakes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Plenty of times.
SAVIDGE: Do you learn from the mistakes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely. Definitely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: A number of cities are treading water this morning, literally. There has been so much rain, rivers now are overflowing from eastern Texas to Kentucky.
In Abilene, the water is knee-deep on some roads. And just the other day these folks were battling wildfires.
Paducah, Kentucky, is under now a state of emergency. The city is bracing for the highest flood levels since 1950. And the Ohio River is not even expected to crest there until Saturday.
Right now the main worry is in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Police are going door to door now to get people out in case that levy fails.
Shakia McIntyre lives near the river, and she joins us by phone.
And Shakia, I understand that you have evacuated. Can you tell us, when the water was rising, what was going on through your head when you thought, my God, I've got kids in this house, I've got to get out?
SHAKIA MCINTYRE, POPLAR BLUFF RESIDENT: I was only thinking, like, I don't know what to do, I'm scared. Me and my sister and my little brothers and kids just ran in the rain. I mean, it was raining really, really hard. Just ran to the shelter.
It was, like, right up to the street. But I was so terrified.
MALVEAUX: And how did you find out about the shelter? What made you --
MCINTYRE: On Channel 2. I was watching it there on Channel 2.
MALVEAUX: And how are things now inside that shelter? You're there with your young children and your siblings?
MCINTYRE: It's really good. I mean, we're eating. We've got everything we need. Yes, it's really -- we love it up here. My kids are comfortable, and I'm just glad it's safe for us.
MALVEAUX: Are there a lot of people that are gathered there with you from your neighborhood?
MCINTYRE: Yes, it's a lot of people.
MALVEAUX: And what do you know about the condition of your home?
MCINTYRE: That it's, like -- right now it was, like, really leaking really, really bad from the rain. And I'm, like, right next to the river. So, it's -- I don't know how it really looks so far.
MALVEAUX: Are you worried at all that your home might actually be flooded?
MCINTYRE: Not really. I mean, I don't think it's really going to get that bad. But, yes, it really is kind of scary.
MALVEAUX: OK. Well, we are so glad that you're safe, Shakia, you and your family. And please keep us posted, keep us updated on how you're doing as those floodwaters continue to rise. Thank you.
In Texas, the fire danger has been upgraded to now extremely critical. Wildfires are still racing across the western part of the state.
On the phone with us is Steve Pollock. He's assistant chief with the Texas Forest Service.
And you have been very helpful in laying out the conditions there. What are we seeing today when it comes to these wildfires?
STEVE POLLOCK, ASSISTANT CHIEF, TEXAS FOREST SERVICE: Well, Suzanne, what we're seeing today is we have got -- from yesterday's weather, we've got 23 new fires burning, and we lost about just under 13,000 acres. At least six of these are large fires, which are going to bring some concern to us in six different counties.
So, with the weather we have got coming in today, carrying over from yesterday, you know, we're at a really critical stage with extreme fire weather and fire behavior probably today. So we'll have to see.
The good thing was yesterday, we didn't lose any homes or structures. We just lost some acreage.
MALVEAUX: Is the weather working against you or for you today? Is wind a problem or the conditions, the dryness?
POLLOCK: Yes. Today the weather is working against us.
We have got a strong low-pressure system moving east, pushing our dry line further. So we're going to have low RHs again with high winds.
So today is going to be a rough day. Hopefully tomorrow the weather will be a little bit more in our favor, but right now, today, through today and into tomorrow, it's not going to be in our favor.
MALVEAUX: What kind of resources do you have on the ground there?
POLLOCK: Well, we've got agencies. I think we've got resources representing about 25 different states that we brought in from interagency resources, plus all the Texas Forest Service, and then the local resources. You know, our local VFDs, volunteer fire departments, and then our career departments.
So, we've got a tremendous amount of resources on the ground. It's just getting them in the right place at the right time.
MALVEAUX: Steve, real quick here, what is the best-case scenario for today and what is the worst-case scenario?
POLLOCK: Well, best case, I mean, I don't see the weather helping us, but best case is we don't lose any lives or homes, and we can contain these fires to the areas they're in. You know, worst case is this thing -- one of these fires -- one or more of these fires blows up on us and takes off and we lose some property.
So, obviously, what we need is a good rain event here in the state of Texas to help us out. So we need Mother Nature to give us a little help.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Steve.
We're going to talk to our own Jacqui Jeras about Mother Nature and whether or not it is actually going to cooperate today.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MALVEAUX: China is on track to take over as the richest country in the world just five years from now. How is the United States getting pushed aside so quickly? We're going to get a live report from the New York Stock Exchange.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Time now to reveal the choices for today's "Choose the News." Tell us which story you'd like to see by texting 22360.
First, new apps are released every day, right? But few as controversial as this one. It's called Dog Wars, and the game simulates dog fighting. As you can imagine, animal rights groups are outraged, saying it promoting cruelty, but the app designer says it does exactly the opposite.
Second, it's something most of us did every day when school started. That is, stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. But two Texas students are taking a stand by sitting during the pledge. They argue the school rule requiring them to rise is unfair.
Plus, the royal wedding price tag. From flowers to security, food to clothing, a closer look at just how much Friday's royal celebration is going to cost.
Vote by texting 22360. Text 1 for "Dog Fighting App"; 2 for "Sitting for Pledge"; or 3 for "Royal Wedding Cost." The winning story will air in the next hour.
We're now checking on CNNMoney.com's lead story: America's richest tax breaks. These are lawmakers expressing support for scaling back or eliminating many of the tax breaks.
Also want to check quick here on the markets, looking pretty good, up here by 89 points or so.
Also, while we continue to recover from the recession and the financial toll of two wars, China now has been gaining on the United States economically. Now the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, is forecasting that China will soon surpass the United States as the world's economic superpower.
We want to bring in our Alison Kosik from the New York Stock Exchange.
Alison, we were talking about, what, I guess 2016, five years away? Earlier now than analysts predicted. Why?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Suzanne. Exactly.
And one analyst puts it this way -- saying, "This is not a perfect measure." In fact, none exists. But the IMF is well-respected, so this is being taken seriously. And here's why.
Take a look at this. I want to show where the U.S. is headed.
U.S. GDP -- I'm talking about economic growth based on what your dollar buys you -- the forecast is to hit $18.8 trillion in 2016. China is expected to hit $19 trillion in 2016. So, clearly, China's GDP would be more.
The issue here, Suzanne, is that China is growing almost four times faster than the U.S. China's growth is at almost 10 percent, versus the U.S.' two percent to three percent.
The fact is, our recovery we're in the middle of right now is very slow. We have got those high gas prices, weak housing market. We have got the weak job market. And that's really what's weighing on our recovery and hurting us sort of growing in a more robust fashion like China is -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Alison, I know that the Obama administration has been very upset that China has fought essentially to keep its currency low for years. It's allowed China to manufacture, export goods at really low prices now.
Has this contributed to the U.S. decline?
KOSIK: Oh, yes. You know what? No doubt that China suppresses the value of its currency, Suzanne.
The Yuan -- that's China's currency -- isn't freely traded. Instead, it's pegged to the dollar. So, what you get here are Chinese products -- they're abnormally cheap, so they sell easily.
Other things working in China's favor, it's got a huge population. There are more people there with growing wealth. They have got more buying power, they've got stronger economic growth.
In fact, one analyst says China is seeing a consumption boom which should last for many years. But you know what? I'm forever the optimist. I say we have got five years, the U.S. can pull itself up by the bootstraps and, I don't know, remain number one.
What do you say?
MALVEAUX: OK. We'll take the optimistic point of view, Alison. I like that.
I don't want you to go away just yet. I want you to listen to this story.
What do you think about shelling out $23 million for a book on flies, plus, don't forget, $3.99 for shipping and handling? Well, that's what Amazon is listing as the sticker price for "The Making of the Fly."
And it's not that the Peter Lawrence book is a rare print or even in high demand. But apparently what happened was this outrageous figure was the result of robot pricing war gone crazy on many e-commerce sites.
People don't set the prices. The computers do, and they change constantly, like the stock exchange. They can actually avoid it by capping their pricing programs.
But pretty amazing when you think about how that happened, huh, Alison?
KOSIK: I think I'll go to the library for that one and just check it out for free. What do you say?
(LAUGHTER)
KOSIK: I'm not spending that kind of money.
MALVEAUX: I like that idea. That's the optimistic point of view. Thank you, Alison.
KOSIK: There you go.
MALVEAUX: Air traffic controllers, under scrutiny and under pressure. We're going to go behind the scenes at a school training the next generation of controllers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here's what's ahead "On the Rundown."
As more people in Syria demand change, the government's backlash gets bloodier. Find out why we care.
Also, they call it the Harvard of the sky, where air traffic control students learn the ropes. We're going to take you inside.
And a Buckingham Palace guard insults Kate Middleton on Facebook, and he pays the price.
The FAA fires a third air traffic controller for sleeping on the job. The agency says the controller at Seattle's Boeing Field fell asleep twice in January and again in April. The firings are in response to highly-publicized incidents of controllers caught napping.
In addition, the FAA has put new regulations now in place. For example, controllers now must have a minimum of nine hours off between shifts instead of the current eight.
Our "CNN In Depth" coverage, "Air Traffic: Out of Control," is taking a closer look at the recent problems and some potential solutions.
Today, CNN's Martin Savidge goes behind the scenes at a school grooming the next generation of air traffic controllers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE (voice-over): A plane in trouble.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. Cactus 289 has number two flame out.
SAVIDGE: It's a 757 --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cactus 289, roger. Same tensions (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Request immediate landing anywhere we can.
SAVIDGE: -- with close to 200 people on board.
(on camera): OK. So, here's the deal.
Grant Paladino (ph), right?
GRANT PALADINO, EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY: Yes.
SAVIDGE: Grant Paladino is the one who's handling this emergency. And what he's done is redirect the aircraft to -- where?
PALADINO: Sanford.
SAVIDGE: Sanford.
And you might be wondering at this point, why would I be pestering an air traffic controller in the middle of a crisis? Well, that answer is easy. None of this is real.
(voice-over): Welcome to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach. Dubbed the "Harvard of the sky," it's final exams week.
For these would-be air traffic controllers, their grade depends on how well they handle everything thrown at them.
(on camera): Realism is what you're after?
SID MCGUIRK, EMBRY-RIDDLE UNIVERSITY: That's exactly what we're after.
SAVIDGE: In the scenarios and the training and all?
MCGUIRK: That's correct. We want our students to be as fully prepared when they get to the field as possible.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): For these soon-to-be graduates, it's taken four years working in classrooms and state-of-the-art simulators, not to mention $120,000 tuition to get this far.
Miranda Blackwelder has learned all aspects of the job, from takeoffs and landings, to guiding flights across country. So, what about the stress?
MIRANDA BLACKWELDER, EMBRY-RIDDLE UNIVERSITY SENIOR: That's the first thing everybody says. And it's like, well, yes, but what job isn't stressful?
SAVIDGE: Like a number of students, Murray Best started off wanting to be a pilot. Then he got a taste of controlling planes and liked it.
(on camera): Do you ever make mistakes?
MURRAY BEST, EMBRY-RIDDLE UNIVERSITY SENIOR: Plenty of times.
SAVIDGE: Do you learn from the mistakes?
BEST: Definitely. Definitely, because I know that if I made the same mistake in the field, I would lose my job, and I'd also be responsible for anybody that happened to get hurt. So it's definitely serious.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): I asked Miranda if all the recent scrutiny on air traffic controllers had her rethinking her career choice.
(on camera): Do you feel good about the job?
BLACKWELDER: I do feel good about the job. I feel very confident and I'm very happy about my decision to be going into this field.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): One day likely to be guiding your flight. The class of 2011 feeling good about their future and sounding very much in control.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: And Suzanne, as we mentioned, final exams going on right now. In fact, there's a test going on right here. We'll just open the door and show you quietly what it looks like and to tell you how this is made to look real.
The radar screens on this particular test have been knocked out. These students are now having to fly the planes, control them, that is, keep them spaced, safely separated without the use of radar. Yes, it's just another way to make it as real as possible. Twenty-five percent of their grade rests on just how they do in the next hour in there, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Wow, I hope they aren't distracted by us being there. That is something else. Obviously --
SAVIDGE: We promised we would only peek in.
MALVEAUX: Be quiet, yes. Now, Martin, this is the -- is the latest controversy involving air traffic controllers, is it being discussed with the students? Are they talking about the kinds of things that we've seen?
SAVIDGE: Absolutely, they are. Yes, they've seen this as a teachable moment here and they've discussed it many ways.
First and foremost, they will say, look, there are 15,000 air traffic controllers in this country and they do a phenomenal job almost all of the time. Are there a few that mess up occasionally? Maybe so. But it's not a reflection of entire industry.
And then there's been the discussion that maybe by some that the federal government's approach here to say no one gets to sleep on the job sounds good but it's not real. And what they say is that there are many countries in the world where actually air traffic controllers do get to rest. Of course, they're replaced by another air traffic controller who is up and alert.
And they also point out that international flights you have one crew that sleeps while the other drives. Then they exchange positions. The idea -- maintain safety.
MALVEAUX: And the training, is it different from the FAA training a new air traffic controller would have to go through, that this is different in some way?
SAVIDGE: Well, that's a real good point here. This is just the beginning of their training process. I mean, yes, it's a four-year school that'll end up with a Bachelor of Science degree. But after that they hope that they'll get selected by the FAA. They still have to pass a test by the FAA. And if they do get selected it's another two months of training there and then if they get the job, it's going to be another two to four years of on the job training.
By the time it's all said and done they'll have as much time in the classroom as nearly your doctor does, which I guess is a bit reassuring if you're in seat 32-B at 30,000 feet wondering who is guiding this plane through the sky.
MALVEAUX: That's right. Either way, your life is in their hands.
Marty, thank you so much. Very interesting report. We wish the best for those test takers on the other side of the door. Thanks, Marty.
SAVIDGE: I'll let them know.
MALVEAUX: A member of the queen's royal guard insults Kate Middleton. What he said and how he was punished. That, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: A reminder to vote for which story you would like to see in the next hour. You can vote by texting 22360.
Vote one for dog fighting app. It's a new game that simulating dogfighting. The creator says it's going to help prevent animal cruelty.
Vote two for sitting for pledge. It is something many Americans do without thinking twice. They stand up for the pledge. But, two high school students in Texas made headlined when they refused to rise. Vote three for royal wedding costs. This is a breakdown of how much Friday's big event is going to cost.
A guard at Buckingham Palace has been dismissed from his wedding duties after insulting Kate Middleton in a Facebook rant. CNN royal watcher Richard Quest joins us from London with the details.
Richard, what happened? What did he say?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, at one level the guard involved of the Scots Guard Cameron Reilly. He said on his Facebook page that he'd been guarding the palace and the -- Prince William and Kate Middleton had driven past. He -- Prince William waved in the direction, Kate had looked in the opposite way. And he described her as a stuck-up cow. And that's only the more police things that I can refer to what he said.
But, Suzanne, that wasn't the only thing he said and I suspect if that had been the only thing they'd have had a hard job getting rid of him. No, he then through his web site and his Facebook page, gratuitous insults to the Pakistani community and to the Jewish community.
Throw those sort of insults around and the Ministry of Defense basically came out with a statement that said that was not in the keeping with tolerance. It was downright racist, putting it any other way, and therefore he was off the wedding.
MALVEAUX: So they were done with him. The wedding invite. He's got to go. But how are the guards supposed to act around Kate, anyway? Are they even allowed to wave to her? Should they acknowledge her?
What are they supposed to be doing?
QUEST: Well, they're supposed to do what guards do, which is guard. And, look, if they are supposed to come to attention and present arms, they do that. If it's the Welsh guards -- for example, on the day itself, it will be the Welsh guards that will be ranks and formation in the court yard of Buckingham Palace. They will come to attention when the queen leaves and when the queen returns.
As for the other guards, whether the queen passes, of course, they come to attention. It would be most inappropriate, deeply improper if they started to wave or blow a kiss or anything like that. No, the guards -- in fact, what we'll be looking for, all the guards -- and there will be several thousand involved lining the route, playing in band, six bands in all. Suzanne, and what we're going to watch to see because those bands and guards have to stand for several hours still. No moving around like you and I are doing now.
MALVEAUX: No laughing, cutting up.
QUEST: And it is almost a certainty, much as though U.S. Marines do. One or other will go -- it's a racing certainty. And they're trained to fall straight back. And they're left there basically. If their life isn't in danger, they're left there. That's what being a guard is all about. MALVEAUX: That's pretty harsh.
QUEST: Hey, before you go any further --
MALVEAUX: That's harsh duty. Oh, go ahead.
QUEST: I've got a statistic. We're not finished yet by a long way. I've a statistic for you.
MALVEAUX: Tell me.
QUEST: American media organizations and newspapers are publishing twice as much about the royal wedding as even the British.
MALVEAUX: No way. Are you serious?
QUEST: According to a Nielsen survey out today. Yes. Whether you like it or not, you are consuming it by the barrel loads.
MALVEAUX: You know what? Every day Richard you and I talk I get more and more entranced by the story. I'm telling you, you are drawing me in. I'm going to be there Friday.
QUEST: Hey, if you are not wearing a big brimmed hat when we speak on Friday, they'll be trouble.
MALVEAUX: OK. I might have to do that, Richard. I just might have to do that. You have to be with us on Friday. I got to see this, you know? You got to be with us.
QUEST: OK.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Richard. We're going to leave it there.
All right. This is an interesting -- bride Kate and groom William built with Legos here. This picture. The toy company had fans create this giant scale replica of the entire wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey. I want you to check this out. The model includes every guest, every church pew, every detail of the soaring cathedral. And royal wedding fans actually built this thing. It took them eight weeks and 180,000 Legos. Pretty impressive.
And, of course, Richard's going to be covering the royal wedding, live this Friday. CNN's coverage begins at 4:00 a.m. Eastern. Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan and Cat Deeley will be joining him.
Slashing education funds. A number of states are now doing it, but is it constitutional? Coming up, find out why one state is having to defend itself before the highest court.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: This just in. We have some news coming into CNN. Earl Albert Moore, he's a suspect in the attempted mall bombing that occurred a couple of weeks ago in Littleton, Colorado, has been captured in Boulder, Colorado by the Boulder police. That happened early this morning around 10:30 Eastern. This morning was arrested at a King Super's grocery store. That's according to the police. He was turned over to the FBI, he is now in their custody.
A little bit of background about him. He was released from federal prison a week before the incident. He had been held for -- he was serving time for a bank robbery, had recently been released and authorities began to search for him when they found these materials at this Colorado mall. Of course, a lot of people paying very close attention to this because it happened on the 12th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. But again, the suspect now, Earl Albert Moore, in custody of police.
Well, one Republican takes a step towards the White House run while another one is stepping back. Our Paul Steinhauser, part of the Best Political Team on Television, live from the political desk in Washington.
Paul, great to see you. What do we expect now from Ron Paul?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR: He's taking that step towards the White House, Suzanne. Now we expect him to announce today that he has formed a presidential exploratory committee, which is a big step toward running for the White House. But sources tell us he's not 100 percent there but.
But, Suzanne, where's he doing it? Iowa. Des Moines, Iowa today. That's where he's making news. And that's kind of important because Iowa's caucuses kick off the presidential primary and caucus season, a very important state in presidential politics.
Who is Ron Paul? Let's dig a little deeper. Take a look at this. Twelve terms as a Congressman from Texas. 1988, let's go back to that year. He was the nominee for president for the Libertarian Party. Four years ago he made another bid for the White House, this time for the Republican presidential nomination. And, of course, he's also very popular among many Tea Party activists. Some say he was Tea Party whether there was a Tea Party. So let's keep an eye on Ron Paul, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And Paul, tell us about Haley Barbour's announcement yesterday that he was not going to run for president. That was a big surprise for a lot of us watching that. He won a straw poll in the south and been to battleground states and decided he wasn't going to do it after all.
STEINHAUSER: A big surprise, definitely. You know, he was only polling in the low single digits in most national and some of those crucial state polls but he was much more important than his poll numbers. You mentioned, Suzanne, he's been making a lot of visits. He also had a lot -- he had beefed up his staff, some major advisers, contributors. Now they're free, potential donors, as well, to go to other candidates.
Who is helped by this? Well, I guess the other so-called establishment candidates -- Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney. They would be helped if they formally jump in for the race for the White House. Also, Mitch Daniels the governor of Indiana and a friend of Haley Barbour's. He kind of indicated that if Barbour had run, he wouldn't.
Also, maybe I guess you could say, Mike Huckabee if the former Arkansas governor decides to run again, there's one less southerner in the race. So we're keeping an eye on all these moves, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks for keeping an eye on everything. Appreciate it.
The latest political news, you know where to go, CNNpolitics.com.
Across the country governors have to make some tough choices when it comes to budget cuts. But New Jersey's decision to slash $1.6 billion from education has triggered a lawsuit.
Our CNN's Deborah Feyerick has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kindergartener Kimani Davidson (ph) is learning to read.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She got down on the ground.
FEYERICK: Though she's still very young, because she lives in a high- risk neighborhood in New Jersey, educators here at PJ Hill Elementary provide a literacy coach to make sure she doesn't fall behind.
RAYMOND BROACH, TRENTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS: It's sort of like being in a race. To assume we all start at the starting line together, it's not American even.
FEYERICK: Acting Superintendent Raymond Broach oversees the Trenton school districts. It has a higher number of at-risk kids and is supposed to receive a larger share of state funding than schools in wealthier neighborhoods. Last year the state gave him no extra budget money. Incredibly, he wishes the same were true now.
BROACH: When you've had $12 million cut from your budget, you've just made that race for some learners almost next to impossible.
FEYERICK: A 2008 state law and funding formula was designed to close the learning gap between rich and poor students. First-time governor Chris Christie cut $1 million from New Jersey's education budget. At a town hall meeting he said tough times call for tough choices.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: : Maybe we have to eliminate aid to all hospitals in New Jersey. I wonder how many hospitals will close. We have to do that.
FEYERICK: The problem? the decision may be unconstitutional.
DAVID SCIARRA, EDUCATION LAW CENTER: Governors all across the country are saying the same thing and they're wrong.
FEYERICK: David Sciarra's Education Law Center and others are suing the Governor in state supreme court.
SCIARRA: It's really a matter of policy choice, it's a matter of commitment. Do we want to have strong public schools or not?
FEYERICK: The state argues courts should let the legislature decide how much money is spent.
As for Superintendent Broach his choice was to keep reading coaches. Instead he cut nurses, social workers, substance abuse counselors and custodians and others.
His reasoning?
BROACH: To know you can't read often turns students' attention to being discipline problems. Those are the students that we fear we need to put a web of support around so they don't drop out of school and for that matter drop out of society.
FEYERICK: Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Trenton, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: You don't want to miss this Soledad O'Brien report "Don't Fail Me: Education in America." The CNN documentary examines the crisis in our public education system and why America's financial future is at risk if our students can't excel in math and science. "Don't Fail Me: Education in America" premieres Sunday, May 15th, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.
Well, you're sounding off on our Talk Back question. Do long-shot candidates like Ron Paul play a vital role in presidential politics? Some of your responses just moments away.
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MALVEAUX: A reminder to vote for which story you'd like to see in the next hour. You can vote by texting 22360.
Vote one for dog fighting app. It's a new game that simulates dog fighting and the creator says it's going to help prevent animal cruelty.
Vote two for sitting for pledge. It's something that many Americans do without thinking twice, right? Standing for the pledge. But two high school students in Texas made headlines when they refused to stand.
Vote three for royal wedding costs. It is a breakdown of how much Friday's big event is actually going to cost.
You've been weighing in on our Talk Back question of the day. It's about Congressman Ron Paul who's expected announcement to form a presidential exploratory committee.
Carol Costello here with your responses.
Carol, you and I have had the opportunity to interview Ron Paul and cover his campaign. He's a very interesting figure.
COSTELLO: Yes, he is. It'll be his third time if he indeed, you know, runs for president. And he never wins. But he's always in there, right?
So our Talk Back question of the day -- Do long-shot candidates like Ron Paul play a vital role in presidential politics?
This from Will. "Candidates like Paul are good for the conversation, but he's too radical. I'm a lot more excited about Republican Gary Johnson. Real business chops without kooky political baggage."
This from John. "When differing ideas and perspectives stop playing a vital role in politics, even if it's just to make us stop and say, that person's a nut, we're all in big trouble."
This from Joy. "Any legitimate candidate, long shot or not is good for politics if they stir the voter to think about the real issues. It's the dummies, yes, dummies like cheerleaders Palin and Bachmann and that loud mouth media hub Trump. They're the ones who damage the process."
This from Christin. "Ron Paul will heal all. He's got my vote. He oozes intelligence when he speaks."
Oh, continue the conversation. Facebook.com/carolCNN and I'll be back again in about, oh, 10 or 12 minutes.
MALVEAUX: Ron Paul is going to be on "IN THE ARENA" later today on CNN at 8:00. And you know, I wonder what he's going to say. I would like to ask him, I'd like to know, what's going to make this time different? The third time's a charm, you know? Like, what's going to be different this go-round.
COSTELLO: Does he really need to be different? He was raising $3,000 per second at one point. He was famous for the big money bomb that came in. Young people really listened to what he had to say, and he really did influence what the other political candidates were saying. So does he really need to do anything different this time around?
MALVEAUX: Only if he wants to win.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes, that.
MALVEAUX: That little thing. Win, maybe. We'll see. Well, maybe he's not in it to win it. Maybe just to influence the campaign which is -- you know.
COSTELLO: And he has created this political dynasty. So all that money he raised certainly has helped his sons in their political endeavors.
MALVEAUX: I can hardly wait to see what he's got to say.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MALVEAUX: And our viewers, as well. Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: It was a big hit for Bruce Springsteen and maybe it should be President Obama's theme song, as well. "Born in the USA." Next hour, CNN travels to Hawaii and talks to someone who has seen his actual birth certificate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did it tell you? Was it authentic? Was he born here in the state of Hawaii?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was absolutely authentic. He was absolutely born here in the state of Hawaii.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: In no uncertain terms, the State Department is telling Americans to get out of Syria. As the violence against protesters there goes from bad to worse. The world is now watching as another linchpin for the region threatens to come loose.
Our Carl Azuz is here to go beyond the headlines.
And Carl, beyond the human suffering that we are seeing on the ground, why should Americans be paying close attention and care what's taking place in Syria?
CARL AZUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a very interesting question. And the answer kind of starts with the fact that like so many revolutions ripping through the Arab world right now, Syria's situation is unique, it's complex, and it's always changing.
Take a look at this map. Syria's at center stage for the Middle East. It's surrounded by Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey. It's also been Iran's chief Arab ally. It's been labeled by the west as a state sponsor of terror and Syria is a financial supporter of Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant organization. If Syria's anti-American government were to fall, however, there's no promise that a pro-western democracy would spring up in its place. And that's what has Washington and the United Nations so concerned.
Now, the regime of President Bashar al Assad is playing this sort of strange game of back and forth. When the revolution started in the Arab world, Assad told the "Wall Street Journal" it was the dawning of a new era. He's promised to drop the emergency rule that the country has operated under for decades. He asked his cabinet to resign. He announced a 30 percent pay increase for the people, which were generally popular moves.
Assad is very popular, in fact, with a huge portion of the population. We have seen these massive rallies, Suzanne, of people chanting his name. But we have also seen unspeakable violence. (VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: We're seeing a brutal, deadly crackdown on Syrians who want change and won't be satisfied until Assad is out. The numbers, very difficult to keep track of because of manipulation by state media and a blackout of foreign press. Human rights groups say at least 400 people have died. Yesterday, Syria slammed shut the border to neighboring Jordan, to keep people from fleeing. And today, the U.N. could take up the issue of possible human rights abuses by the Syrian government.
While the international community gets a response ready, the violence is still going on, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Carl, very important border, as well, and that is the border to Israel. What do we think -- how is that going to impact the Israelis and the U.S. relations dealing with Israel?
AZUZ: It's a very important question because Israel's such a close ally of the United States. And while Syria is considered an enemy of Israel, it's been a predictable enemy. And more instability in this region could be very troubling for Israel, the American ally, and that's just one other reason, Suzanne, to keep an eye on what happens in Syria next.
MALVEAUX: All right. Keeping a close eye on it. Thank you, Carl. Appreciate it.
AZUZ: Thank you, Suzanne.
