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IMF Chief Strauss-Kahn Resigns; Obama to Lay Out U.S. Rose in Mideast; Huntsman in 201; Message from Osama Bin Laden; Schwarzenegger's Sons Born Days Apart; Mississippi River Crests at Vicksburg; Zsa Zsa Gabor in Coma; Dirty Jobs in Demand; DNA Testing to Pick a Sport
Aired May 19, 2011 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out West. Good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello in for Kyra Phillips.
The Schwarzenegger scandal keeps on getting even more shocking. The latest detail, his child with his wife Maria and his secret child with his housekeeper were born just days apart.
President Obama getting ready to deliver a major speech on how the United States will deal with the new Middle East. Sanctions for some nations, help for others and maybe a controversial suggestion for Israel.
And this just in to us. The number of people filing for first-time unemployment claims is down again. That is the second straight week of sharp drops.
Four years into the job and four days after his arrest on sex crimes charges, the head of the International Monetary Fund hands in his resignation. Dominique Strauss-Kahn made the decision from his New York jail cell. He's been in custody since the weekend when police pulled him off a plane at JFK.
He's accused of sexually assaulting an employee at a hotel where he was staying. And calls for him to step down were getting pretty loud.
Here's part of his resignation letter. "It is with infinite sadness that I feel compelled today to present to the executive board my resignation for my post of managing director of the IMF. I want to protect this institution and especially I want to devote all my strength, all my time and all my energy to proving my innocence."
In the meantime, Strauss-Kahn is losing more than just his title. His job came with some pretty nice perks. Last year he was paid about $521,000 tax free, by the way, and the IMF covered entertainment expenses, hotels and first-class travel for he and his family.
So that's what he is losing. But he may be gaining something else -- an ankle bracelet. His lawyers back in court today taking another shot at bail.
Susan Candiotti has got details. Susan is on the phone because she's on her way down to the courthouse to check in for more information.
But, Susan, we wanted to ask you a judge just refused bail money on Monday or bail on Monday rather. So what's different about today's appeal?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via phone): Well, one thing is different. Now you have a statement from him in which we're hearing his words for the first time. That's interesting to note. That he is denying this, the allegations against him.
And also, Carol, the timing of that resignation is certainly not a coincidence given the schedule of today's bail hearing. But this time, he has a different judge. And this time his defense team has put together a few more enticements, I guess you could say, to offer bonds to the court.
He's offering to put up $1 million bail. That was the same amount that he suggested on Monday. But he's saying that he be confined to home 24 hours a day. He would submit to electronic monitoring, probably to include an ankle bracelet, as you mentioned, and he'd have to check in with the court at least once a day by phone.
He's already turned over his passport and he's also putting up the deed to his $4 million home in Georgetown. That's in Washington, D.C. He also is telling the court that he would waive extradition if for some reason he should take off from any country that currently does not have a treaty with the United States.
He's saying that he would willingly return. Of course he shouldn't be fleeing in the first place if he's supposed to stay in this district -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I also understand, Susan, you have new information concerning the investigation itself. In particular, this -- the hotel suite where this crime allegedly went down.
CANDIOTTI: Well, it's an important detail that a law enforcement source is telling us about. More details about what happened that night. I am told that the maid, when she went to clean the room, as we all know, her hotel policy kept the cleaning cart in the doorway of the hotel suite, in other words propping it open.
So arguably, the prosecution could say that any attempt by the defense to claim that any kind of sexual conduct was consensual wouldn't make much sense, some would say, if in fact the door had been kept open.
However, as you also read the criminal complaint that's against him, the state claims that -- the defendant in this case slammed the door shut during the course of the alleged attack.
COSTELLO: Susan Candiotti, we'll let you get to work. Thanks so much. We appreciate it.
Just about two hours, President Obama will lay out his vision for America's role in the changing Middle East. Of course the region looks a lot different than it did just a few months ago. The president is expected to talk about Syria and a new round of sanctions against its repressive regime. And about Egypt and the Arab spring and way the United States can ensure new democracies flourish with political and economic reform.
And he just may lay out an Obama doctrine for the Middle East. Part of that doctrine might include a long controversial idea, the creation of a Palestinian state, and word is to accomplish that, the president may suggest Israel return to its pre-1967 borders.
That means the holy city of Jerusalem would be split and important holy sites would no longer be under Israeli control.
Ed Henry is at the White House.
So, Ed, this aspect of the speech is really catching people's attention. What are you hearing?
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, they have still not revealed here what the president -- you know, how he's going to come down on that -- pardon me, controversial issue. They've just been saying that he is weighing whether or not to urge Israel to recognize those pre-1967 borders.
As you note, very controversial. And also Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be here at the White House tomorrow just hours after the speech.
Now in recent days, the prime minister has signaled a willingness to compromise on some issues such as giving territory in the West Bank to the Palestinians. But at a time when the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has just recently cut a reconciliation deal with the terror group Hamas, it's highly unlikely the Israeli prime minister is going to be in a compromise -- compromising mood right now to give on something so big as those borders, those pre-1967 borders.
So bottom line is especially when you add in the fact that George Mitchell, the president's Mideast envoy, abruptly stepped down last Friday, all signs point to continued stalemate in the peace process. So it's unlikely that anything the president says today that either angers or pleases either side in these peace talks is really going to make a huge difference because they are hopelessly stalled right now -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ed Henry live at the White House. Thank you.
So let's find out what people in the Middle East and North Africa are expecting, or at least wanting to hear from President Obama.
CNN is on the streets of Benghazi, Libya, hearing from anti-Gadhafi rebels. Also Egypt which faces an economic crisis. But first, the word from Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN FLOWER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Kevin Flower in Jerusalem where Israelis listening to President Obama's speech today will be looking to hear words of assurance about the maintenance of the close security relationship between the two countries and also support for the Israeli government's opposition to Palestinian plans to win U.N. recognition of an independent state in September.
Now for their part, Palestinians are looking to hear serious words of encouragement for the establishment of that independent state. And they'd like to hear the U.S. president declare that future negotiations should be based on some form of Israeli concessions.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Fred Pleitgen on Cairo's Tahrir Square where the revolution here in Egypt first began. But many people in this country say they are disappointed at the way President Obama has handled the transition that has swept this country.
They say they want the president to do more to keep the momentum of the revolution going. One of those things could be an economic incentive package that they say would show Egyptians that there are benefits economically to the political sacrifices they've already made.
SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Sara Sidner in downtown Benghazi. The people here in the eastern part of the country that we've been able to speak with are telling us that they are pretty happy so far with Obama's policy on Libya.
What they would like to, though, hear from him during his speech is three things. They'd like to hear that he be willing to help fund the opposition, that he be willing to train the rebels and arm the rebels. Those three things.
Now when it comes to the Arab world as a whole, they say the best way for Mr. Obama to try and make that relationship better is that he needs to fully address the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: So will he? Won't he? Well, we'll hear from the president. His speech begins just a little more than two hours from now.
President Obama will give the speech at the State Department. And you can see it right here live on CNN. Our coverage begins at 11:30 Eastern Time.
OK, he may be an unknown to a lot of people but Jon Huntsman is in the political spotlight starting today.
Our Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser is here to tell us exactly who Huntsman is and why this is such a big deal.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, here's why it's such a big deal, Carol. He starts a five-day swing campaign -- swing through New Hampshire. Of course New Hampshire the state that leads off the primary calendars, the first primary in the nation. Huntsman, he is thinking and is very likely -- mostly likely considering to jump in for the Republican presidential nomination, to make a bid for the White House.
Who is he? Let's take a closer look. He served in the Reagan administration and in both Bush administrations. He was the governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009, elected in '04, reelected in '08. But then he was tapped by our president, Barack Obama, to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Beijing.
If he jumps in, he would be the second Mormon in the field. Of course, Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, already running for the White House -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So what are his chances?
STEINHAUSER: Yes, this is interesting. Is he too moderate for the field? We hear a lot about that. Who would he go after? What kind of voters. Probably not social conservative voters. Maybe more likely more mainstream and more traditional Republicans, some of the same Republican voters that Mitt Romney is going after.
One of the criticisms of Huntsman, maybe again, is his record. Is he too moderate to win in the Republican field?
Listen, his earlier -- his past support for the Wall Street bailout back in 2008 and for the stimulus package under President Obama back in 2009 could hurt him with some voters in the Republican field -- Carol.
COSTELLO: OK. Let's talk about raising money for the Obama campaign because the Obama campaign itself is trying to capitalize on the birther issue.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, you thought we were done with the birther issue, I guess not. But this time it's the president or his campaign team that's bringing it up.
Take a look at this. Mugs and T-shirts made in the USA with the president's birth certificate on it being put out by his reelection campaign. And of course, you know, to this -- e-mail went out to supporters yesterday and for some money you get the mug or the T- shirt. So I guess in a way it would fund the reelection campaign.
They say that they -- you know, they can only laugh at this controversy. So maybe I guess they've made profit from it as well -- Carol.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: That's so bizarre. Paul Steinhauser. Thank you.
STEINHAUSER: Thank you.
COSTELLO: We'll have your next political update in one hour. And a reminder, for all the latest political news, go to our Web site, CNNPolitics.com.
When you see the video, you will be amazed to hear how anyone survived this fiery plane crash in California. We'll have more on that story ahead.
And the hits just keep coming in the Schwarzenegger scandal. Turns out his wife and his mistress gave birth just days apart. The latest from Los Angeles coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Al Qaeda releases a new audio message said to be recorded by Osama bin Laden shortly before U.S. commandos killed him.
CNN's Stan Grant is following the story from Pakistan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STAN GRANT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Osama bin Laden's message was recorded about a week before his death. And for the first time, he addresses the uprisings in the Middle East, calling them a great and historic moment. He says that Israel is very worried by what's happening. But he only mentions Egypt and Tunisia by name.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
OSAMA BIN LADEN, AL QAEDA LEADER: Tunisia had the first glory and with the speed of light, the knights of Egypt were inspired by the free Tunisians and a mighty revolution has started. And what a revolution, a revolution of destiny for all Egypt and to the rest of the united Muslim nation if they all hold fast by the rope of God.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
GRANT: In Pakistan, the reaction to bin Laden's death has been one of resolve from the Pakistani Taliban. A comment today, a statement coming from the deputy commander of the Taliban here saying that they vow to finish bin Laden's work. They will attack it, he says, with a new zeal.
And they have already been multiple attacks since bin Laden's death, causing many deaths, particularly to military. A number of insurgents are also being killed.
He says in the video message that his enemies are NATO, America, and the Jews. But at the same time, he is also killing a lot of Pakistanis.
Stan Grant, CNN, Islamabad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Back here in this country, a warning against loose lips. CIA Director Leon Panetta says too much information has been leaked on the raid to kill bin Laden. He sent a letter to CIA employees, warning them it could comprise future missions. In the letter which was obtained by CNN, Panetta said, "Disclosure of classified information to anyone not cleared for it does tremendous damage to our work." He goes to say, "At worst, leaks endanger lives."
It comes a day after Pentagon officials expressed similar concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM. MIKE MULLEN, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: We have, from my perspective, gotten to a point where we are close to jeopardizing this precious capability that we have and we can't afford to do that. This fight isn't over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Panetta said leaks violate the law and will be investigated.
Checking stories cross-country now.
A close call at Chicago's O'Hare Airport happened Monday, shortly after Vice President Joe Biden's arrival. But the FAA says it had nothing to do with Air Force Two.
According to federal officials, an ExpressJet plane taking off from one runway while a SkyWest jet was preparing to land on an intercepting airstrip. Air controllers saw the potential conflict and rerouted the SkyWest jet. But they are not saying how close they were from one another.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash of a tanker plane that went down shortly after takeoff at Point Mugu air base in southern California. All three people on board escaped with minor injuries.
And the National Weather Service is confirming that a tornado did touch down near Hagerstown, Maryland. It uprooted a few trees, tossed a few mobile homes around. Luckily, no one was hurt.
And floodwaters invade the lake home of Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. Sandbagging was not enough to protect the home from the swollen Wolf Lake in nearby Yazoo River.
Doctors plan a news briefing to discuss the next step in treating Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Officials at a Houston hospital say Giffords is recovering well, following yesterday's operation on her skull. Surgeons implanted a piece of synthetic bone made specifically for the congresswoman. Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, currently commanding the space shuttle Endeavour talked about the surgery from space.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK KELLY, SHUTTLE COMMANDER: I had the chance at the end of the day to call her mom and her chief of staff and my brother periodically through the -- as the surgery was going on. And she's doing really well. Everything went as planned.
Her neurosurgeons are very happy. She is recuperating and she's actually getting back to therapy today. So, it went really, really well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: As you know, Giffords watched her husband and his crew blast off from the Kennedy Space Center on Monday.
Straight ahead, the Arnold Schwarzenegger drama: two women, two births, two sons, just days apart.
We'll take you live to Los Angeles.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It must have seemed sweet back then, Maria Shriver and her long-time housekeeper pregnant at the same time, giving birth to boys just days apart. Well, now, we know. They are half-brothers, both sons of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Thelma Gutierrez is following the scandal from Los Angeles.
Thelma, what -- I'm almost afraid to ask what more you are learning.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, absolutely, Carol. And I can tell you that Mildred Patricia Baena is not at this home right now. She hasn't been seen her since Sunday, before the scandal broke. This area has been crawling with reporters, photographers, paparazzi. And this is one area that she definitely wants to stay away from.
Now, what we know is that she is 50 years old. She's a native of Guatemala. And she moved here to this brand new subdivision, a very upscale area in Bakersfield a few months ago. This area is about 100 miles away from the Brentwood Mansion where she lived, where she actually worked for the Schwarzeneggers for 20 years, Carol.
We know that she recently retired, moved here with a 14-year-old son. And neighbors say that she talked openly about it. She said she had worked for the Schwarzeneggers and that she was planning on retiring right here in Bakersfield where it was quiet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARVINA HEIMILLER, NEIGHBOR: They seem to be very pleasant neighbors and the boy, he is -- he seems very well-liked. He is very, very polite, very polite. He also has a little dog he plays with a lot and he rides his bike. Not a whole lot but, you know, once in a while, I see him but not a whole lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTIERREZ: And neighbors here say that the family keeps a very low profile, that Baena lives here with her 14-year-old son, and they are the only two people, besides another man, that they had actually seen in the area.
Now, divorce papers obtained by CNN show that Mildred Baena had separated from her son less than three weeks after the child was born. That was back in 1997. And we understand from a source that the governor has supported this child from birth -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So, you mean this woman separated from her husband, less than three months after the child was born?
GUTIERREZ: Right, exactly. She separated from her husband less than three months, yes.
COSTELLO: Gotcha.
"People" magazine is reporting that Maria Shriver has hired a divorce attorney. What have you heard?
GUTIERREZ: Well, I can tell you that that divorce attorney, Carol, is a very high-powered, high-profile attorney in Hollywood. Her name is Laura Wasser. She actually goes by the name of LAW, for Laura Allison Wasser.
She's somebody who's very well-known. She's as handled very high- profile women in Hollywood, like Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears. And so, from what we understand, she's definitely a formidable force to be taken on.
COSTELLO: Interesting.
Thelma Gutierrez -- reporting live from Los Angeles -- thanks so much.
People are not getting married as much as they used to. And after this week's news, who can blame them? But it turns out -- those who do get married are staying married longer. A new trend in marriage, after the break.
And changing the way Americans view blue color jobs. They may be dirty, but some have a bright future. We will roll up our sleeves and investigate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We're just about two hours from hearing President Obama lay out his vision for America's role in the Middle East and in North Africa. The president is expected to talk about Syria, and a new round of sanctions against its repressive regime. And he'll talk about Libya, Egypt and the "Arab Spring" and the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
He also might lay out an Obama doctrine for the Middle East. Also expecting him to talk about how the United States can ensure new democracies flourish with political and economic reform. Of course, so much has changed in the region over the last few months, and much of it is still changing.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux takes a look back at the uprising that might have made today's speech necessary.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CHANTING)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Starting with Tunisia, where an unemployed graduate student sets himself on fire after a city inspector confiscates his unlicensed fruit card and then allegedly slaps him. His death sparks unprecedented fury and protests against the government, forcing Tunisia's long-time president to flee.
In Algeria, riots break out over rising food prices and a housing crisis.
In Yemen, students take to the streets.
Emboldened by its neighbors in the region, Egypt erupts -- in rallies against the president. Egypt's uprising sends shock waves through the Middle East. Demonstrations spread like wild fire from Bahrain to Yemen and Qatar and Jordan.
It is the beginning of a change in the Arab world. Iran cease a renewal of the green revolution of 2009. In Libya, the eastern town of Benghazi sees its first clashes setting into motion what will soon become a civil war and then for protesters, a breakthrough in Egypt.
After decades in power, Mubarak caves to public pressure, quietly resigning. Fireworks light the sky over Tahrir Square. In other Middle East and North African countries, protests either fail to catch on or are put down by government forces. For others, the violence intensifies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will be victorious in this fight. We will not give up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The United Nations led by American forces sends air strikes into Libya, but the standoff continues. Meanwhile, Syria descends into chaos. Protests take hold in the south and are met with chilling retaliation from the government. Hundreds there are killed. Now, the United States is issuing sanctions in an attempt to end the violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Susan Malveaux joins us now. One of the things President Obama will bring up is Egypt. Many Egyptians say, we need help, monetary help to keep the democracy flourishing and bring jobs to young Egyptians.
So President Barack Obama may talk about $2 billion in aid. And I guess, the question is, Americans are hurting for jobs too. Will this make Americans angry?
SUSAN MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: You know, there a lot of people are asking that question, Carol. I think it is a really good one. What are we getting for our money? This is a movement, revolutions that we saw in Egypt and other places which really kind of bottom-up so not necessarily top-down. We had supported a dictator, billions of dollars for Mubarak for years. Why did the United States do that? For stability. Is there any guarantee for stability now?
There is not. We've seen a couple of things have happened, Christians as well as Muslims fighting in Tahrir Square. We've also seen Egypt reaching out to Iran as well as the terrorist organization Hamas.
So we still do not know if that buys us stability. It is one thing under Mubarak. It certainly did to a certain extent. We don't know if that will be the case this go-around.
We are not even certain who we are dealing with when it comes to the future and who is going to be in control of that country.
COSTELLO: When you say that, I can't help but think of Pakistan. We send them a bunch of money, billions of dollars in aid and now we are wondering, gee, should we have done that?
MALVEAUX: Or can we even trust them? I mean, that's a relationship that is very tumultuous after the killing of Bin Laden. So I think the speech is going to be very important. People are going to be listening for that.
Where's our money going? Can you buy friends? Can you buy influence there? Is it going to make a difference? Especially because a lot of people in the region say, look, we are doing this on our own.
This is not coming from what the president says. It is not coming from dollar bills, but we have a lot of influence because, of course, oil, a very big factor as well.
COSTELLO: I know you will be covering the president's speech in depth at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. NEWSROOM with Susan Malveaux. I'll be watching.
MALVEAUX: All right, thanks, Carol. I appreciate it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Other stories making news today. The head of the International Monetary Fund has resigned just days after being arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a maid at a New York hotel. Dominique Strauss-Khan says he wants to devote all of his time and energy to proving his innocence.
The Mississippi River crested a day earlier than expected in Vicksburg, Mississippi, reached an all-time record high of 57.1 feet, that's 14 feet above flood stage. Homes are under water. Thousands have been evacuated.
Another health setback Zsa Zsa Gabor. Her husband says the 94-year- old actress fell into a coma after being rushed to the hospital. He says she had problems with the feeding tube and suffers from a stomach infection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: In sports, it is always special for a player to get a shot against a former team. Arizona's Kelly Johnson took advantage of his chance against Atlanta last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The single on the 11th inning scored pinch runner, Josh Wilson with a tying run and then with the Braves' infield drawn in, Justin Upton, hits a grounder to the right side of the mound. Here he is. The Braves, they just can't handle it. Ryan Roberts scores. The Diamondbacks get a come from behind win at home, 5-4.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The Miami Heat did not want to go home, down two games to nothing to Chicago. We will show you how they responded along with more sports highlights that will come your in 20 minutes.
Also a new survey shows companies are buying iPads in bunches and doling them out to employees like they are candy. The reason? We are not quite sure. Alison Kosik joins me with more on this from the New York Stock Exchange.
So Alison, the big question is, how are companies putting the new iPads to use?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You know, funny you should ask that question, Carol. You know, they just don't know how they are using these devices. A survey of 450 businesses showed despite the fact that 78 percent have either given out tablet devices to employees or have plans to do so over the next two year.
Of those, about half have no clue what to do with them and 83 percent of those businesses say the Apple iPad is the tablet device of choice. Apple is genius, if you ask me, Carol. Now one of the issues is not everybody really understands what iPads can do for their business.
But they do have a huge interest in trying to figure it out. About a third of businesses say there is no one who could even figure out how to get the iPad to enhance their business. What the bosses are doing. The bosses are giving their employees the iPads saying here, you figure it out. We are walking away saying, as soon as I get finished playing that angry birds game. I get right to that, Carol.
COSTELLO: I wish CNN would be handing out iPads. I would figure out a way to use it. I really would.
KOSIK: Yes, I would. I would too.
COSTELLO: Alison, stick around because this is kind of a good news story. It looks like people are staying married longer than they used to. Isn't that fabulous? This is from the census.
KOSIK: Especially with the news that we have heard.
COSTELLO: I know. I can't even think of the Schwarzenegger thing. It makes me head hurt. Anyway, the new census figure shows 75 percent of couples who married after 1990 were still married 10 years later.
That's actually up, Alison, 3 percentage points compared to couples who were married in the early 1980s when the divorce rate was at its highest. Now, I know you are wondering why, as I am, any ideas?
KOSIK: Gee, could education have something to do with it? We are waiting longer. I know that for a fact.
COSTELLO: Those are two big reasons. We are waiting on so we're more mature when we're getting married. We're more educated and have more money. You know, both parties bring to the marriage. So you don't have as many money arguments, per se.
KOSIK: I can understand that. You know what? I think also it is more of like when you get older, you sort of approach marriage as more of a business arrangement. He has his job. I have my job. Let's merge our jobs and our union and we have got money and more happiness, right?
COSTELLO: Exactly, I got married really late in life and I told my husband it was a good thing because by the time we felt like cheating on one another, we would be too tired and we wouldn't even want to.
KOSIK: You discussed that?
COSTELLO: We did.
KOSIK: Maybe you should have talked to Schwarzenegger about discussing that right off the top.
COSTELLO: Stop it. I don't want to think about that.
KOSIK: I know. It is terrible.
COSTELLO: Alison, thank you.
Coming up next, we talk dirty jobs with Mike Row of the Discovery Channel who suggests America's work place is more like a combat zone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have this great rift in between blue and white collar. I would say our society has waged a sort of cold war on work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: We will tell you why some are skipping college in favor of vocational school and why that may not be a bad move in a rough economy.
Plus, what if there were a DNA test you could give your kid to determine if he or she could excel in sports? Would you pay for it? There are companies promising you can pay for it and find out exactly which sport your child is best suited for.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: All this week, CNN is taking and in-depth look America's job market. Today, we are looking at the so-called dirty jobs. They're not pretty, but as CNN's Christine Romans found out. They're in much greater demand.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You know him as the host of dirty jobs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Mike Rowe. That's my job.
ROMANS: Where he catches snakes, cleans up tar and deals with a lot of dirt. Now, Mike is taking on an issue he says he learned from the people who deal with all our dirt.
MIKE ROWE, HOST, "DIRTY JOBS": We have got this great rift in between blue and white collar. I would just say that our society has waged a sort of cold war on work.
ROMANS: A war on a specific type of work, skilled labor. As our workforce shifted to more white collar jobs and the definition of a good job changed, lucrative skilled labor careers such as plumbers, electricians and machinists have seen their image suffer.
ROWE: There is a category of work, though, in our workforce that's critical. Those jobs have come to feel like call it a vocational consolation prizes. We are simply not celebrating their contribution. That's why you have a skills gap right now at the same time as you have unemployment.
ROMANS: According to the Department of Labor, skilled labor, like plumbers and steam fitters will see a 16 percent increase in the number of jobs available by year 2018.
Skilled construction workers, a 19 percent bump. The problem, finding workers with the right qualifications to fill the jobs and an aging workforce that will retire soon.
ROWE: All my other suits are made out of rubber.
ROMANS: This problem brought Mike all the way to Capitol Hill where he testified in front of the Senate Commerce Committee about the skilled labor crisis.
ROWE: We need a national PR campaign for skilled labor, like a big one, something that addresses the widening skills gap head-on and reconnects the country with the most important part of our workforce.
ROMANS: They are the quote, "dirty jobs" and while not glamorous, they are essential to keep the country running.
ROWE: It is not about, no, the poor tradesmen. They are going to be fine. They are going to be great, in fact. It is the rest of us who rely on their work. We are going to take it in the neck.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: I so agree with him. Christine Romans joins us from New York. Have you ever looked for a great plumber? They are hard to find and plumbers make good money by the way. Welders make great money by the way.
I know, and people don't realize that. There is this big push by President Obama and the rest of our lawmakers. You know, go to college. Get a college degree.
So how do you get beyond that? And how do you try to convince kids to go to vocational schools of which you don't have enough of in this country.
ROMANS: Right, well, we don't have enough vocational training and you know, high schools used to have a lot more vocational training they do, but they have been losing that of the last 10 or 15 years because they deemphasized it because of budget cuts.
Look, my electrician did go to college and has a lot of other electricians that did work for him. That's why I call it a ladder job. A lot of the jobs that you're growing in the economy and health care, on the lower end of health care, they are not ladder jobs.
You are not going to climb up them. These skilled labor jobs are ladder jobs. You can climb up the ladder and be a boss someday and hire other people. That's why they are such a great mobility tool in the economy.
In terms of pay, you know, mean pay is in the 50s, $50,000 a year or so, but the top paid skilled tradesmen are making well over six figures. So if you have got it up here and you got it in here and you are moving up the ladder, you can make a lot of money in these industries.
COSTELLO: I know. You and I talk about this all the time. So I love your story. Thank you Christine.
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ROMANS: You can't be outsourced either Carol. You cannot outsource these jobs. I mean, that's one place. If you talk about some of these -- these new thought and innovation jobs those can be outsourced pretty easily, these are -- you can't outsource the plumber, the electrician, the steam -- the steam fitter or many of these other ones. So -- there you go.
COSTELLO: That's right because we need them to do work right here for us, for fellow Americans.
Christine Romans, many thanks.
All week, we'll continue to partner with CNNMoney and "Time" magazine to dig deep on America's job hunt and to learn where the jobs are and how to get them and how to keep them. Check out the all-new CNNMoney.com, powered by CNN, driven by you. I like that slogan.
So why don't we take the guess work out of it, right? There are now companies offering DNA test to determine if your kid could become the next Kobe Bryant or Tom Brady. But do the tests really works? We'll check it out next.
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COSTELLO: Well, imagine this, your child says they want to try out for the tennis team. But wait. You have a DNA test that says they are best suited for football. That is not an Orwellian fantasy. Companies are now selling DNA tests they claim helps match your child with the sports they are genetically programmed to play best. I'm not kidding.
Here is how it supposedly works. You mail a swab of your kids' saliva to one of the companies. And then for about $200, they analyze a gene controlling the protein making muscles that produce quick bursts of power. The test reportedly tell you if your kids would be better at a sprint or at an endurance sports.
The ethics questions certainly jump out at you. So we wanted to bring in the director of the Masters of Bio Ethics Program at Columbia University, Dr. Robert Klitzman. Welcome doctor.
DR. ROBERT KLITZMAN, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Thank you. A pleasure to be here.
COSTELLO: Ok there's some -- we are glad you are here.
This sounds so strange to me. I mean is there any proof this actually tells you anything?
KLITZMAN: It shows you very, very little. It tells you about two percent of the chance that you may be an Olympic athlete. That is to say there is a particular marker that 30 percent of all of us have and when you look, though, at Olympic sprinters, 50 percent of Olympic sprinters have it.
So that means that it -- gives you some slight advantage but half of Olympics sprinters do not have it. So it's not very complete. And we know that there are many, many other factors involved in whether you will be a good athlete.
Your psychological state, your drive, how interested you are this in the sport, your nutrition. And the problems are that there could also be a lot of pressure on kids one way or the other. So little Johnny may be interested in being on the football team and his parents may say, no, you don't have the gene for that. Don't do it. Or Johnny may have no interest in football and be told, yes you have to go out for football.
So these are problems.
In addition some of these companies are testing for genes that are associated with heart disease and a gene that's associated with Alzheimer's disease. So we face the prospect of companies telling little Johnny at eight years old that he has increased risk of getting Alzheimer's disease.
This could lead to discrimination in the work place. You can imagine -- this is absurd obviously. It can lead to problems with getting health insurance or disability insurance or long term care insurance. So we could need more education --
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COSTELLO: I know but if more and more of this stuff is done we can have a problem -- I was just wondering going back to the sports question, like an athlete like Bo Jackson who was great at both baseball and football, what was he -- what would his DNA show?
KLITZMAN: Well, again, it may show nothing. We find that some athletes have none of these genes and are obviously incredibly successful. So they don't -- they give you may be at best a slight increased chance, but there are many, many other biologic factor, other genetic factors as well as psychological factors --
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Right.
KLITZMAN: -- your coaching, your drive, how much you enjoy it et cetera.
COSTELLO: So bottom line here, don't do it?
KLITZMAN: I think there is very, very little reason if any to do it and potentially a lot of problems. I think it speaks to the need potentially for the government to get involved and see -- should we companies be selling all these genetic tests that give very little information and in fact may confuse a lot of people out there causing more harm than good.
COSTELLO: Dr. Klitzman, you've helped a great deal. Thank you so much. We appreciate your being here this morning.
KLITZMAN: My pleasure. Sure.
COSTELLO: Vancouver Canucks gets what the hockey fans call a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick". We'll show you the highlights on last night's NHL playoff games. Sports coming up.
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COSTELLO: Let's take a quick look at the day ahead. Of course, we'll be covering the President's big Middle East speech at 11:40 Eastern.
Also making news, mobile privacy. In the next hour, executives from Apple, Google and Facebook will testify at a Senate subcommittee hearing on keeping information safe in the mobile marketplace.
At 11:30 Eastern, doctors in Houston will hold a news briefing on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' condition and the next step for her rehab.
And the Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1st and at 11:30 Eastern this morning NOAA will offer up its prediction on how many hurricanes are expected to hit this year.
We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with White House correspondent Ed Henry live in Washington.
HENRY\: The stakes for the President's speech on the Mideast so enormous for the people all around the Mideast. What is the President going to say to try to meet those high expectations? We'll have details at the top of the hour.
CANDIOTTI: And I'm Susan Candiotti. Will the newly-resigned head of the International Monetary Fund be sprung from his jail cell at Riker's? He's making a plea deal and I'll tell you all about it coming up in the next hour.
GUTIERREZ: I'm Thelma Gutierrez in Bakersfield, California. Well, I'll have the latest on the woman who has been identified as Arnold Schwarzenegger's one-time mistress. More at the top of the hour.
COSTELLO: Thanks to all of you.
Also have you been putting off that spring yard work? Well, maybe you can consider putting it off one more weekend because the doomsday movement says that this weekend, expect the rapture. The end of mankind. Details next hour.
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COSTELLO: LeBron James said he wanted to go to Miami because he wanted to win a title. Jeff Fischel from HLN Sports is here, maybe he should have gone to Chicago.
JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes because right now it's kind of looking like a better choice going into last night. The Bulls took game one in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat. And of course, the Heat looking to get back but game two -- oh bang, the one shot at the end of the first quarter put Chicago up seven, Chicago feeling at home at United Center.
But here comes Miami. In the fourth quarter, they completely deflate stifling defense and LeBron James hits the three. He had 29 points. He was the offense down the stretch. Hits this shot, as well the dagger in the final minute. Miami wins 85-75. Series is tied at one.
Let's do hockey highlights, Vancouver's Kevin Bieksa pulls off what they call, Carol, the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick".
First he scores the goal. That actually turned out to be the game winner against San Jose. The same period, he gets into a fight with the Sharks' (INAUDIBLE) to win it. The fight also -- that's part two of the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick". And then he also gets the assist later on in the third period. So Bieksa, huge part of the Canucks win. They skate away with a 7-3 win. They lead the western conference finals two games to none.
COSTELLO: Awesome. Thank you, Jeff. We appreciate it.
FISCHEL: OK, Carol.
