Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Trump Not Running for President; No Relief for Vicksburg; Endeavour in Orbit; President Speaks to Memphis Grads; Rahm Emanuel Takes Oath; Air France Data Recovered; IMF Chief Denied Bail; New Sex Abuse Guidelines; "Don't Give Up on Yourself"; Trump Won't Run for President; IMF Boss Sex Case Arraignment; Getting Help from Hank Williams Jr.; Suspicious Van at Miami Airport

Aired May 16, 2011 - 14:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Morganza to the rescue or Morganza the disaster? Where you stand depends upon where you live in relation to the historic flooding on the lower Mississippi. We are coming up on 48 hours since the Army Corps of Engineers started to open up the floodgates on the Morganza spillway.

Floodgates that hadn't actually budged since 1973. The spillway acts like a pressure valve on the swollen Mississippi River diverting water from the downstream cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans to the much less populated by use and farmland to the west and the south.

Now more floodgates are likely to open today. This is the Atchafalaya Basin. OK, home to about 4,000 people who not have been flooded out otherwise. Take a look about half of those are under mandatory evacuation orders.

The others, strongly encouraged to find higher ground. St. Landry Parish is another place where lives are being loaded on to trucks quite literally. No one knows how high the water will be, how long it will be there and what will be left when it leaves. But our Ed Lavandera met one man who's thankful he and his neighbours have time to get out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDDIE SONNIER, ST. LANDRY PARISH, LOUISIANA: We are fortunate we have what we have and we have an opportunity get out. Material things we can replace and our family and what we believe in daily, you can't put prices on them.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Did you put up that sign?

SONNIER: Yes, I put it up. I'm proud of that sign because it's just what we say we will be back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: So what about the city that Morganza was built to protect? Well, last week Baton Rouge was expecting the river to rise until - wasn't expecting it to rise actually until May 22nd next Sunday, and reach a 12.5 above flood stage level.

New Orleans didn't expect the crest until May 23rd, 2.5 feet above flood stage, but I want you to take a look at the forecast now. Everything has changed. It's a whole new story here. Baton Rouge will see a crest five days sooner and 2-1/2 feet lower than expected.

And New Orleans is cresting right now. It is right at flood stage, but the story does not end there. North of the spillway, there are hundreds of miles of river and millions of acres of flooded communities and farms.

In Vicksburg, Mississippi, the river is 13 feet above flood stage and still rising. My colleague Martin Savidge is there, and Martin, I understand that you just got off of a boat?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we did, Randi. Yes, this is a historic town that is now facing a historic flood. They have about 1,700 people area-wide that had been forced out of their homes because of the flood waters that are continuing to rise and threaten the downtown area.

Joining me now is the mayor. Thank you very much, sir, for being with us today.

MAYOR PAUL WINFIELD, VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI: Thank you for having me.

SAVIDGE: Let's talk about just how serious the circumstance is?

WINFIELD: Well, it is very serious. Everyone knows that this is a historic flood, and we are looking at a crest stage of this Thursday, May 19th, at 57.5 feet here in Vicksburg.

SAVIDGE: How bad is it for those residents who have been impacted and I know north and south?

WINFIELD: Well, it's very devastating for many of the residents and the business owners in the northern portions of the city of Vicksburg and in the southern portions of our city.

A lot of people have been displaced, and of course, we are trying to get them the assistance that they need and deserve, and we've been working towards that end.

SAVIDGE: And the water is still rising. This is still a problem and it's going to be for a long time.

WINFIELD: It will be. Based upon the National Weather Service estimates and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we're going to have a rescission of about five to six weeks. So after the crest, that is when the hard works going to begins, how we rebuild.

SAVIDGE: The good news is nobody has been injured, no loss of life? WINFIELD: We don't have any loss of life. No injuries and I credit that to our awareness campaign. We worked with the Red Cross and with Americorp, and the United Way and do the door-knocking campaign to notify residents and business owners and to give them information so they can make preparations.

So I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful to the United Way that assisted us in placing everyone who was in need of temporary housing, in housing prior to federal disaster declaration and assistance. So we've been on top of it here.

SAVIDGE: I want to ask you real quick before we go. There are still concerns about jobs. There are a lot of people whose jobs could be affected because they can't get to work.

WINFIELD: There are going to be some negative effects upon our economy. We have nearly 4,000 people who got work in the manufacturing and industrial arena. We have thousands of people who work in gaming.

Vicksburg has five casinos. Two of the casinos are open right now, and we are concerned about that. We are concerned mostly that people are safe, and secondarily securing the properties and our recovery infrastructure being able to put people back to work.

And make sure that everyone is able to receive the individual assistance, business owners and residents that they need and deserve.

SAVIDGE: Mayor Paul Winfield, thank you very much for joining us.

KAYE: I just wanted you to ask him about the flood insurance.

SAVIDGE: I can get him back.

KAYE: Grab him back over there.

SAVIDGE: We got him.

KAYE: If you would, I'm just curious how many people in his community have flood insurance? Does he know?

SAVIDGE: The question that Randi was asking, how many people in your community that have flood insurance. How big of a problem is that?

WINFIELD: Well, it is an issue in the northern portions of the city because historically the Kings community, fourth subdivision Chickensaw Lake, those areas have been flooding for decades. A lot of people who live there have grandparents and great grandparents who are affected.

SAVIDGE: Do they have the insurance?

WINFIELD: Some of them do, and some of them do not. The last major flood that we have had in our area was in 2008, and a lot of people who got conflicted out through the National Insurance Program.

And we are trying to make sure that we pair them up with the resources that they'll be to meet - be able to get. We've met with the SBA, Small Business Administration to coordinate low interest loans for individuals.

There are up to $40,000 and up to $200,000 in low interest loans for residents and up to $2 million for businesses.

SAVIDGE: OK. I'm sorry, going to have to leave it there, Mayor. Good luck to you and your community. So, Randi, the problem is that many people do not have flood insurance, and it is going to be a struggle for them.

KAYE: It certainly sounds like it is. Martin Savidge, thank you, Martin.

Our sound effect is immediately recognizable today, but one we will hear live only one more time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, zero -- liftoff for the last launch of "Endeavour" expanding our knowledge, expanding our lives in space. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger. Roll, "Endeavour."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Houston now controlling. "Endeavour" to roll over to its back and the roll program is under way as "endeavour" begins the head's down position on course for a 46.6 degree for a 136 by 6 statue orbit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: "Endeavour" is now a little more than five hours into its final mission and the next to last mission of any shuttle. We will bring you much more in our big breakdown later this hour.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE (voice-over): President Obama is in Memphis right now. He just addressed the graduates of Booker T. Washington High School. The school won the honor of having the president speak by winning this year's race to the top commencement challenge. The school boosted its graduation rate from 55 percent to 81 percent over the last three years. And here's part of his message.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We are here today because every single one of you stood tall and said, yes, we can. Yes, we can learn. Yes, we can succeed. You decided you would not be defined by where you come from, but by where you want to go.

KAYE: While in the Memphis area today, the president will also take a look at the flood damage there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I, and state your name.

RAHM EMANUEL, NEW CHICAGO MAYOR: I, Rahm Emanuel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do solemnly swear --

KAYE: Former White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel is now officially Chicago's mayor. You can see there, Emanuel being sworn into office earlier today.

The Democrat who served two presidents, now shifts his attention to the nation's third largest city promising to cut spending as he tackles the city's $700 million deficit.

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife were there for the inauguration. Emanuel replaces Richard M. Daley who had been the city's mayor for the last 22 years.

A major breakthrough in the investigation of what caused an Air France plane to plunge into the Atlantic ocean, after a two- year mystery, investigators have recovered the information from the flight data and voice recorders found in the wreckage two weeks ago.

Investigators say that includes the last two hours of conversation in the cockpit. It could take investigators several weeks to analyze all the data.

They are hoping it will give them a glimpse into the last moments before the plane belly flopped into the ocean during a storm killing all 228 on board.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Another major story we're monitoring right now, the chief of the International Monetary Fund has been denied bail at his arraignment today on charges that he tried to rape a motel maid in New York.

Dominic Strauss-Kahn was arrested Saturday for allegedly chasing a housekeeper through his luxury hotel suite naked and trying to force himself on her.

The judge in the case ruled that Strauss-Khan was a flight risk, but his defense attorney say that is not the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN BRAFMAN, STRAUSS-KAHN'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: This gentleman is entitled to bail. He has no criminal record. He is 62 years old. He has four children and they are simply wrong with respect to its ties to the city of New York and to the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Prosecutors pointed to the fact that Strauss-Kahn had been arrested while he was on board a flight bound for Paris. Prosecutors even compared him to Roman Polanski. Strauss-Kahn is set to appear in court again this Friday.

Controversies swirls around new guidelines from the Vatican aimed at fighting child abuse by Catholic priests. What the guidelines are not asking bishops to do. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: The Vatican is releasing new guidelines aimed at stopping child abuse at the hands of priests. The new rules tell Catholic bishops to cooperate with police, but don't order them to report abuse allegations unless the local laws require it.

In a letter from the Vatican, Catholic bishops worldwide are told, quote, "sexual abuse of minors is not just a canonical delict, but also a crime prosecuted by civil law." The letter goes on to say that local laws on reporting suspected crimes to police, quote, "should always be followed."

Meanwhile, advocates for victims of abuse say these new guidelines will not solve the problem. Many believe bishops can ignore and hide child sex crimes and still get away with it since the new rules do not require bishops to report suspected abusers to the police.

This issue has been hitting the Catholic Church in the collection plate as well. Eight Catholic dioceses and one Jesuit order have filed for bankruptcy protection in the face of lawsuits by victims.

According to bishop accountability which tracks reports of abuse by priests, the new guidelines are the latest in attempts by the Vatican to stop child sex abuse in the church. Pope Benedict XVI issued new rules last year.

They included doubling the statute of limitations on the church's own prosecution of suspected molesters from 10 to 20 years making it a church crime for a priest to download child pornography and allowing the pope to defrock a priest without a formal Vatican trial.

So we asked you what you think about the new Vatican sex abuse guidelines and we want to share some of your thoughts. Gladys says they should report it. God would want them to get help and stop the abuse.

Olivia says they should be ashamed to call themselves a religion or a church especially after all the scandals almost brought them down. It seems like they are still protecting the abusers.

Bill says, in the U.S., a priest would be required to report by law, but having the church not endorse and support that position is beyond shameful. It is sinful to whom does the church go to for confession.

Marcia says that these guidelines will never do any good. The church thinks they are above the law and everyone else. So thank you very much for your comments and to join the conversation, head to our blog, cnn.com/ali.

So imagine the shock, you are a retired military veteran and one day, you wake up without a job. One man's search for a new start one day at a time in his own words is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: For one Navy veteran, it is a daily mantra, don't give up on yourself. He is 55 and has been searching for a job for nearly half a year. What it is like day in and day out following the tips and leads, but still coming up empty, he tells us in his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NELSON FUENTZ, JOB HUNTER: My name is Nelson Fuentz, and I am 55 years of age. At this time, I have been unemployed for about five months. I do try to sit here every morning. You know I would rather get up and put on a suit and go.

Now, it is quite different. Well, it is not as personable. Now, we are, you know, digital age, and everything is done through the internet, and one of my primary search engines is Monster.

And no one wants to see you unless they have processed your resume through the internet first. Where before you could go to visit a company and drop off your resume.

Always, always, always have resumes readily available. It is one of the Boy Scout things, always prepared. Janet, it is me, Nelson, how you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (via telephone): Good, Nelson.

FUENTZ: I do have a head hunter who is looking for me as well. If she can find me a position in Tampa, then that is what I will do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is difficult for people who are over 50.

FUENTZ: I think that my age is not a factor to me. I do know that I come with, you know, a long history, and I've had many successes in my careers.

And so that may be something that they look at more than my age. So my recommendation to anyone is don't give up on yourself, and keep your passion and keep your enthusiasm.

Even though we are coming up against people who are 20 and 30 years younger than us, that enthusiasm, that sense of purpose is timeless.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And time now right now, 20 minutes past the hour. Time for some top stories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE (voice-over): Just in to CNN this afternoon, businessman Donald Trump has announced that he will not run for president in 2012.

In a press release, he said, quote, "after considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the presidency. This decision does not come easily or without regret."

Dominic Strauss-Kahn, the head of the International Monetary Fund was denied bail today at his arraigned on charges that he attempted to rape a hotel housekeeper in New York City. The attorney says his client did nothing wrong, but the judge agreed with prosecutors that he is a flight risk.

Strauss-Kahn is said to appear again in court again May 20th. The 62-year-old was widely considered a leading potential candidate for the French presidency.>

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Zero and liftoff for the final launch of "Endeavour"!

KAYE: What a beautiful sight that is. Space shuttle "Endeavour" roared into space for the final time this morning. Astronaut Mark Kelly is commanding the 16-day mission to the International Space Station. His wife, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head watched the liftoff right there at Kennedy Space Center.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: As his hit song goes, this country boy can survive and now he's helping others to survive. Country legend Hank Williams Junior is leading an effort to raise money for tornado victims in the southeast. He helped organized a benefit concert last week and is continuing to support relief efforts as we see in today "Impact Your World."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANK WILLIAMS JR.: Hi, I'm Hank Williams, Jr., and you can make an impact to help the people of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi that have been totally devastated by the worst disaster in the history of the state.

You have to be here. You can't describe it. It is absolutely up believable. These cities need not millions, but billions. Help is on the way. America can survive, and Alabama can survive. So, please, join the movement, impact your world, go to cnn.com/impact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And if you want to find out how you can help, just go the cnn.com/impact. A lot happening in the world of weather. CNN Severe Weather expert Chad Meyers will join us next to break down the flight delays and rain in the northeast and many important details of where the southern floods are headed. A lot to get to, so don't go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE (voice-over): We have some breaking news though. You are looking now at pictures from the affiliate there and this is Miami International Airport, a suspicious van, and that suspicious white van and what you are seeing there actually is a robot, because the bomb squad is investigating the van.

A bomb-sniffing dog alerted authorities that there are possibly explosives aboard the van. So there is a robot there now that has been taking things out of the van and moving them aside. Ever since we have been watching this picture coming into us, we have seen them take out a suitcase.

This robot has removed a suitcase, removed a plastic bag and taking then it over to this barricade, which is to the left of the van there at Miami International Airport, a very interesting situation there.

We will of course continue to watch this robot hard at work, and keep you posted on exactly what the situation is there. Miami International not the only place that is having issues today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Severe weather expert Chad Myers is joining us to tell us, that there is a lot of rain and a lot of flights slowing down.

CHAD MYERS, CNN SEVERE WEATHER EXPERT: Yes, the northeast is not doing so well. Even our Don Lemon is caught in airport traffic and ugliness here. Although the rain is not covering up the radar sites everywhere from Boston to New York, the cloud cover is.

It is just a thick blanket of cloud cover to not allowing a lot of planes to come in and out so the airport delays are just everywhere from Boston all of the way down to New York City even through Philadelphia and into Washington, D.C.

So if you are waiting for someone at the airport or if you're going to a flight today, you know, every flight in New York is probably every two hours anyway, and if your flight is two-hour delayed, get on the 12:00 flight rather than your 2:00 flight, because the 12:00 flight still sitting there.

KAYE: You mean plan ahead. So where else you're going take us off the radar today and show us a little bit more about the flooding situation we've been watching so closely. MYERS: We have talked about Morganza ad nauseam over the weekend and we were on live watching those gates open. This is what Morganza means to Louisiana and New Orleans and then Lafayette. The water will flow down into what is called an almost blow-off area.

They open up the gates so that the rain and all of that floodwater can go away from the big cities. Let me take you to another graphic, and this will scare you significantly. If we didn't have any bit of flood wall protection, no levee protection anywhere across Mississippi, New Orleans would be under 15 to 20 feet of water.

Now, that is not going to happen, because we do have levees and all of those things, but just so you know, that, you know, I know that people here are in a miserable situation, and people here are saying, thank you so much for doing that for us literally, I mean, because Baton Rouge - the pressure being taken off the levees.

Also the cresting being taken away, here's the crest now for New Orleans, it happened over the weekend. It is not going to go up anymore, because they are going to let so much water come out of the Morganza spillway that the spillway, itself, will not ever have to worry about the water coming down into the Mississippi River anymore.

It is done. There is no more water coming. So it is all part of that, and then we talked about this, and you will have to get close, close, close, and the water coming down the Mississippi. There's New Orleans and this is a picture from NASA, and remember we talked about that mud that was going to get into Lake Pontchartrain, and this is it right there, and it is big.

Eventually, the water will go back out into the Gulf of Mexico that way, but you can see the mud on the satellite and the pesticides and the fertilizer in there, and it is not a great thing for Lake Pontchartrain, but now not much more water goes that way, but all of the water down here.

KAYE: You know what got me when I was looking at all the predictions for what was going to happen to those people who were going to get really the effects of the spillway.

I thought about them going back to their home, because they were showing pictures of snakes and all kinds of things there in the water there, and they will have to come home to that.

MYERS: Let's just go to the quick video, because this is the water just now coming in, and the water is just starting to come up, and the alligators are moving around and the snakes are moving around.

KAYE: Yes, and you might come home to that?

MYERS: Absolutely, they could be living in your house when you come home.

KAYE: That is so unsettling. I mean, not only the ruin of your home possibly, but also coming home to critters. MYERS: And there were crops in the field that they could not get out in time because they weren't ready to come out so that the economic loss here is not to be taken lightly.

KAYE: No, no. Absolutely not that is why we are giving it so much time, and we will continue to watch it with you. Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

KAYE: Well, while we have had our eyes glue to the historic flooding in the South, and Chad will continue to follow it with us as we continue to follow it along with you at home.

And in the meantime, we will talk a little bit more about Donald Trump coming up. He caught a lot of us by surprise today, and we will have the details of his big an announcement next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It is half past the hour, and here are some of the stories you may have missed. Donald Trump announced today he will not run for president. In a statement released by Trump, he says the decision was not an easy on, but he has no regrets making it. He went on to say that his greatest passion is business and he is not ready to leave that behind. He personally thanked Americans and expressed his gratitude for support.

Floodwaters from the Mississippi River are pouring across southeast Louisiana because the Army Corps of Engineers opened the Morganza Spillway. While the move spares New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the diverted flood is wiping out communities, taking out thousands of homes and businesses. Others in the area are evacuating and waiting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUY CROMIER, PRESIDENT, ST. MARTIN PARISH: We know we will get the water, it is just a matter of when it will be here. I don't know. It is a weird feeling that here it is that we are sitting on this beautiful cool morning and watching this beautiful sunrise, and we are going to be in knee-deep in water right here hereto before long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The historic flooding has affected eight states from Missouri to Illinois down to Mississippi and Louisiana. As many as 22 cities and communities still remain flooded.

The U.S. government hits the debt ceiling today, and now Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is looking for ways to pay the government's bills. He told Congress he estimates the U.S. has 11 weeks before it begins defaulting on its legal obligations unless the ceiling is raised. Congress is showing no signs of raising the debt limit. Geithner tells Congress he will tap into federal retirement funds to create room for the government to continue to borrow it. Moments ago, initial appearance were made for two Florida imams were accused of supporting the Pakistani Taliban. Afez Khan (ph) and his son were arrested Saturday and charged with providing support to a terrorist organization. The four-count indictment alleges the defendants conspired to provide material support to a conspiracy to kill, injure and kidnap people abroad. One of Khan's sons not involved in this incident says that their family does not support terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't support any terrorism or anything like that, and we have no idea about that. We support America, and we like America, because we live here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The indictment also describes a number of occasions when Khan transferred money was transferred to Pakistan. The court documents also state that there were several conversations calling for attacks against the Pakistani government. Officials say that it is not linked to the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Chicago turns the page with a new mayor. Rahm Emanuel was sworn into office today. The three-term Illinois congressman and former chief of staff to President Obama won with over 55 percent of the vote in a controversial election. He takes the reins from Richard M. Daley, who served there for 22 years. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife were there for the inauguration.

Alleged crimes against humanity. Moammar Gadhafi now the target of the international criminal court. Details up next with Michael Holmes in "Globe Trekking."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Senator John Kerry on a fence-mending trip to Pakistan where officials are still angry over the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Here to talk about it, Michael Holmes. And well, Kerry was certainly not apologizing there in Afghanistan today.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No. In fact, he said there was really nothing to apologize for. That was the point he made. He is making all the right moves, but he is also letting the Pakistanis know that he expects action and not words as well. He is there to send a message. They are there to send a message as well.

KAYE: Yes. What do you make over the weekend that the Pakistani parliament demanding an end to the drone flights, certainly talking about maybe possibly even blocking NATO trucks?

HOLMES: Yes, that is important, but it is really talking to a domestic audience. Whether that actually happens or not, I doubt that's going to happen. Kerry says that in his talks, the two sides have agreed to what he calls a series of steps to help mend the relationship, like returning the tail end of the helicopter for a start.

KAYE: That is a big deal.

HOLMES: It is a big deal. People worried that it might end up in China. And he said they are committed to finding new ways to work on the terror threat, step up cooperation. But this - also, you have to remember, he is there on a diplomatic mission as political one as well. Behind the scenes, I'm sure there is a lot of tough talk going on, but we have seen with the past with the Pakistanis what they say in public to the local audience is different what they are saying to the U.S. That's certainly the case with the drones.

KAYE: And Kerry really is the highest ranking official from the U.S. at to make the first trip since Bin Laden's death. He arrived in Pakistan from Afghanistan.

HOLMES: Yes, that is right.

KAYE: And would Pakistan be interested in that fact?

HOLMES: Well, I don't think so. He certainly was in Khost talking to one of the local commanders. But also one of the issues they'd had was Pakistan Taliban or Taliban from the area crossing over into Afghanistan. So, not of major significance. He was there to do a little trip and have a look around and talk about that as well. But there is concern and there always has been concern about the porous nature of the border. Al Qaeda fighters, some Taliban going back and forth.

KAYE: And turning to Libya. News coming out Libya as well. Possible - or actually, arrest warrants now being undertaken possibly for Moammar Gadhafi and his son and the intel chief.

HOLMES: That's right, who happens to be his brother-in-law as well. They like to keep it in the family. These three, according to the ICC they are great responsibility for widespread, systemic attacks on civilians. I talked to the chief prosecutor the other day, actually, and he said that he is very confident that he has the evidence.

KAYE: So, who makes the final decision of how this works. Executing the warrants?

HOLMES: Well, it's almost part of the problem because ICC judges now, because the chief prosecutors ask for them. And the ICC judges must decide whether to issue the warrants for the arrest. The Libyan government has already said, it does not care. It's not going to take much notice of that.

That puts a spotlight on one of the problems with the ICC is its lack of enforcement powers. It can't, like, go in there to get him, and it can't force anyone to get him for them.

KAYE: So, what exactly -- I mean, in terms of the alleged crime that he committed, what are they saying? HOLMES: Well, they are saying that they went over 1,200 documents we are told. They did 50 interviews, and key insiders and witnesses. They really did lay out a case. Gadhafi, they say, personally ordered attacks on unarmed civilians, personally ordered these attacks, and actaully says this was planned in advance. This was always an option on the table before there was even trouble. This was back when there was trouble in Tunisia. He planned ahead and said -- that is what the ICC is saying.

KAYE: All right. How about the queen's historic visit?

HOLMES: It is.

KAYE: This is big news, to the Irish republic. What is this about?

HOLMES: It is. It is the first British monarch to visit the Irish Republic. Let's remember, 100 years ago her grandfather, I think it was, King George V. He was there, but that was back when the republic was still part of the United Kingdom. Big deal, massive security. Police and others have been spending months preparing for this visit, as you can imagine.

KAYE: Are the people there happy? In the Irish Republic? Are they happy to see the queen?

HOLMES: It's a little bit mixed. Some have reservations, qualms about this. You know, there's been a rough old history between the two when you go back to, you know, the creation of the republic, the separation of northern Ireland. She's also going to be visiting several sites to honor Irish who gave their lives fighting for the independence for the republic, what is now the republic.

KAYE: What is the reaction from northern Ireland? I bet a lot of people are wondering.

HOLMES: Yes, if you want a bit of opposition, you will get it there. Jerry Adams, in fact, he's the head of Sinn Fein which is the political wing of the IRA, as it was. He said that the visit is in his words, premature. So there - there's - there is pro and anti going on.

KAYE: All right. Michael Holmes. Boy that was a lot to get through.

HOLMES: It was! You can tell because we have so many paper between us.

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: Yes, we did!

HOLMES: But we do recycle.

KAYE: Yes we do. Good to point that out. Michael, thanks. Well, you probably know that the shuttle Endeavour blasted off today. But there is a lot of really cool stuff about the mission and the actual spacecraft you may not know. So stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: The space shuttle Endeavor launched into space today. Endeavour is taking up spare parts for the international space station and some super-tiny satellites. We're talking about satellites the size of a cracker. Yes, a cracker.

Endeavor is scheduled to return to earth on June 1. That is the same day that the space shuttle Atlantis is actually slated to roll out to the launch pad in anticipation of the final mission in the space shuttle program's 30-year history. In today's Big Breakdown, let's talk about the sheer size of the space shuttle, because unless you have actually seen it up close or taken a ride in it, which most of us haven't, it's hard to imagine just how huge it is.

So, let's start with the length, all right. You have stood next to a school bus before. Well, the space shuttle is longer than three school buses. It's 122 feet. A school bus is about 40 feet as you can see there.

The heaviest space shuttle was Columbia weighing in 178,000 pounds. I could not even imagine that much weight. Well, imagine the weight of one elephant. OK, this will help you understand it. Now, imagine the weight of more than 13 elephants. You see it on our handy dandy scale here? That is the weight of the space shuttle, 13 elephants.

Endeavour is a magnificent spacecraft. It took ten years to build. It cost $1.7 billion and can travel more than 17,000 miles an hour. It has traveled more than 116 million miles in its time, flown around the earth more than 4,400 times. "Endeavour" has made 24 flights into space so far and 167 people have flown into space on "Endeavour."

Now right now it is docked with the Russian space station called MIR I and it has docked with the International Space Station 11 times. Pretty cool stuff.

Time now for a CNN Political Update and more on today's decision by Donald Trump to skip the 2012 presidential election. CNN's senior political editor Mark Preston joins me now from Washington. Mark, fill us in, why did he decide not to go for it?

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, you know, the question is, Randi, was he ever really in the race? You know, he put out a statement out today and he said that his greatest passion is for business, and that is where he wants to focus all of his time on.

However, he said had he run, he is very confident that he would have won the primary and would gone on to win the general election. You know, Randi, he does not endorse anybody in this statement, however, he did promise to continue to express his opinions because he thinks that it is very important that he does so. Randi.

KAYE: And in his statement, Trump in true fashion talked about his success in the polls and how well he was doing, but was he really doing well?

PRESTON: Well, he was. He really did do well in the first couple of months of this year. The whole birther controversy really helped to push his name ID to the top.

If you look at the most recent CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll, Trump was number two in that poll right behind Mike Huckabee. Now it's interesting about these two gentlemen is that they both have decided not to run for president.

So that does free up a lot of oxygen for some of the other candidates such as Mitt Romney, such as Tim Pawlenty, such as Newt Gingrich and maybe even the Indiana governor, gosh, Mitch Daniels.

My God, he will be probably mad at me, but Mitch Daniels if the he decides to get into the race. But, yes, Randi, Donald Trump would have been an interesting character to run in the presidential race and he would have appealed to certainly an electorate out there that's looking for change here in Washington.

KAYE: All right, Mark Preston, interesting stuff. Thank you.

PRESTON: Thanks.

KAYE: And your next update from the best political team on television just an hour away.

Dropouts and driver's licenses. Some think that the two don't mix real well. We will put it to the stream team next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Dropouts and driver's licenses. Right now, a few states are considering new laws tying the right to drive with education. Basically, if you drop out of school, you can't have a driver's license until you are 18.

Minnesota, Oklahoma, and South Carolina are considering it, but states like West Virginia, Texas and North Carolina already have that kind of law in place. So here is a look at the dropout problem.

The national dropout rate is 3.5 percent, 2.8 percent of 15, 16, 17-year-olds drop out of high school. And meanwhile, if you break it down by income levels you will see that 8.7 percent of dropouts come from low income families that's compared to just 2 percent from high income families.

But in many cases, students from low income families drop out to help support their families, which would mean getting a job without having a car. So we want to put this question to our stream team today.

Should dropouts lose their driver's license? Joining me today is NYU professor of Education, Pedro Noguera and also cnn.com contributor and ESPN senior writer L.Z. Granderson.

Thank you both for coming on to talk about this. Pedro, let me start with you, is it a good idea do you think to restrict driving privileges for dropouts?

PEDRO NOGUERA, NYU PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION: Well, I do think that driving is a privilege and anything that we do to send the message to students that they need to stay in school and take it seriously is a good thing and maybe taking away the driver's license will send that message to them.

KAYE: L.Z., what's your take on that after hearing what Pedro said?

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I mean, I definitely think that you can get one result by enforcing such a law, but it does not address the real issue, which is one kid saying that education is something they should pursue not being forced to have.

And then, two, as you mentioned in the introduction that there are some valid reasons why kids feel as if they have to drop out of school and can definitely be home helping their parents.

KAYE: And Pedro, if you think this is a good idea, though, I mean, we talk about taking the driver's license away then they can't work and may not be able to help their families. So help us understand why that is OK.

NOGUERA: Well, again, I would agree. It is not going to get at - it's not going to end the dropout problem by any means, because it does not address any of the causes. However, if you take away - one of the things we know does work with kids is taking away privileges.

When you take away privileges from children or from adolescents, it has a big impact. And one of the privileges that many young people enjoy is the privilege of driving.

If you send the message that, look, if you are not in school, you won't get a driver's license, it may help some students make the decision, I better stay in school because I do want to drive.

KAYE: So, L.Z., I mean, what other options do you think that the states could turn to, to try to keep the kids in school, if maybe this is not the best answer?

GRANDERSON: Well, it is a answer. It definitely could work and help some kids stay in school, but I think this discussion needs to happen long before they're thinking about driving. This discussion needs to be happening when they're like in 4th and 5th and 6th grades.

And schools are looking at ways to make sure that these kids stay in and go through the entire process and that in turn means making education important. Not necessarily just goal-oriented like if you stay in school, you get a driver's license. But that is acquiring the knowledge is a good thing and not something as to be burdened with.

KAYE: And Pedro, what do you think might have a bigger impact then if not driver's license, I mean, that certainly could be good, but any other ideas on what might also help motivate these kids?

NOGUERA: Sure. What the evidence shows is that the key here for losing kids from dropping out is eighth and ninth grade. What would make a big difference if we got guidance counselors in school to build connections with kids.

Kids who are involved in sports and music and theatre, kids who have clear ideas about where are they going in the future and a career technical program, all of these have a major impact helping young people to stay in school.

And helping them to see that school is a very important part of getting them in the direction they want to go. So I think all those things would have a much greater impact.

KAYE: South Carolina says that its on-time graduation rate is 72 percent so the bill would suspend a driver's license for a student who misses seven days of class without an excuse or possibly drops out. L.Z., what would be your ideas for some other things maybe other than that, some other options?

GRANDERSON: The parents. The parents, making the parents more responsible for the whereabouts of their children.

KAYE: Is that where it should fall, at home?

GRANDERSON: Well, it should definitely always begin at home. There are cases in which the kids are, you know, out of control and the parents send them off and they think they're going to school, and they're not.

But there needs to be better communication in place so that if the kids aren't in school that the parents are aware of it and if the parents are constantly informed. And nothing done for it, there needs to be a punishment for the parents as well because ultimately, it is their responsibility to make sure their kids are in school.

KAYE: And Pedro as an educator, what would you say to your students to try and turn them around before something like this happened?

NOGUERA: Well, you want them to know that there are real consequences to the choice. Most of the consequences are the lack of opportunity that they will enjoy, but sometimes a 16-year-old may not see how the decision to leave school will hurt them in the future.

But they will get it if they can't drive. It's the same way we have done it now with drunk driving rules. If a kid is caught driving under the influence or intoxicated under the age of 18, it can make many states, they may not be able to get a license again until they are 25.

And that has a big impact on drunk driving amongst the adolescents so anything that we can do to deter bad choices is a good thing.

KAYE: Pedro and L.Z., great discussion and important one too as well. Thank you, both.

So you think your honeymoon was expensive? Well, wait until you hear how much the royal newlyweds are dishing out. Hope you're sitting down for this one. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Time now for my XYZ. And if you think we were done with the royal wedding, well, we are not. There is still the honeymoon and what a honeymoon this one has proven to be.

Have you heard, the royal couple is reportedly enjoying a romantic getaway in the Seashells Island off of the coast of Africa. They are about 115 islands in all, but we hear they are, of course, booked at the most exclusive of all.

Still it's not where they are as much as what it's costing that caught our attention. I don't know about your honeymoon, but did it cost more $72,000 a night? Apparently, that is what Catherine and William, the duke and duchess of Cambridge are paying nightly.

The presidential villa apparently goes for about $14,000 a night, but the royal couple may have had to buy up all of the villas for security reasons. So if that is true, the "Daily Beast" did the math for us and found out that the royal honeymoon could cost $800,000 in lodging alone.

Even with a discount, that is steep then adding in food and drink and all of that expensive champagne, yikes. While you and I may not be able to send ourselves on such an extravagant getaway.

One reason I eloped, by the way, others certainly have, Brad and Angelina, David and Victoria Beckham even author J.K. Rowling have all sand in the Seashell Islands. They may not be British royalty, but they are in their own way Hollywood royalty.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Brooke Baldwin. Hi, Brooke.