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Angers Grow in Joplin; Senate Rejects Medicare Reforms; Alleged War Criminal from Serbia Caught; Coffee Prices Rise; Air Show Pilot Takes Flight

Aired May 26, 2011 - 09:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out West. I'm Carol Costello, sitting in for Kyra Phillips. Good morning to you.

Serbia's president says police have finally arrested Ratko Mladic. He is the highest ranking war crime suspect still at large from the Balkan wars. He's been on the run since the war ended in 1995.

New pricey digs for the former head of the International Monetary Fund. Dominique Strauss-Kahn is under house arrest and he faces charges of sexually assaulting a hotel maid. A source says he's been moved to this luxury townhouse that recently rented for $60,000 per month.

And just minutes ago, new unemployment numbers last week, 424,000 Americans filed for jobless benefits for the first time. That's an increase of 10,000.

In Joplin, Missouri, this morning, the heartbreak builds and the uncertainty grows unbearable. In just a couple of hours, officials there will release a list of people still missing from the tornado zone. Many families are now entering a fourth day of agonizing questions and exhaustive searches.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

MIKE HARE, SEARCHING FOR SON: He still hasn't been found. We have been to every place, missing persons to the morgue and there back to here. And we can't just stand by anymore and wait.

JENNIFER PEREZ, SEARCHING FOR FATHER: I just want closure. I just want to know something, you know. I don't want to go back home hours away from here and not know where my father is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have another son and a daughter to take care of. We need to have some closure one way or the other, to be able to move on.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

COSTELLO: Can you just imagine?

CNN's Jacqui Jeras is in Joplin.

So, Jacqui, why is it taking emergency workers so long to find these missing victims?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, there's a lot to go through and many different reasons for that. You know, Carol, there are 8,000 structures that have to be searched through in a grid pattern. And you look at all the rubble.

So, each and every one of these individual homes and businesses has to be searched by rescue workers and by dogs. And they have to take all of this debris out of here.

In addition to that, communication has been difficult among people, as well as, you know, emergency personnel. They have come in and brought a mobile unit in. So, that communication is continuing to improve.

It also takes a long time to help to identify some of these bodies. Governor Jay Nixon yesterday heard the frustration of some of those people and said he's going to bring in an extra 20 state troopers to come in and help in terms of identification, as well as helping people locate those loved ones.

Now, we've heard some unconfirmed numbers of how many people may be missing or accounted for. That was up to 1,500. Yesterday, the city manager, Mark Rohr, said that that number was elevated. It's lower than that. But he didn't say exactly just how much lower -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So, Jacqui, I understand authorities are going to hold this news conference later this morning. What should we expect to hear?

JERAS: Well, apparently, they are going to be releasing a list of the names of some of the accounted for. And, hopefully, that will help to let people know a little bit more what the process is going on. They are also going to tell us what kind of steps they are going to be taking in the upcoming days to help to hopefully locate some of these people.

You know, some of them, they think, could possibly be around the region, staying with relatives or possibly at other hospitals across the region. And some of them possibly just haven't been located yet either.

COSTELLO: Thanks, Jacqui Jeras, reporting live from Joplin.

Of all the jaw-dropping video we've seen over the last few days, this clip may be among the most memorable. This is a tornado. Watch as it buzz saws into a semi head-on. You see that? But the semi virtually disintegrates into a cloud of metal and debris.

And get this -- the driver survived. He actually talked to Piers Morgan. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMIAH MORRISON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: I believe very strongly that if it's your time to go, it's your time to go, and there's nothing to do. So, I just pretty much held on to what I could and when I felt the cart go over -- my words were, "here we go." (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Morrison son says when he first saw the tape, he was sure it was someone else's truck. He says only after getting a better look at the video, he realized just how lucky he is to be alive. Amazing.

Today, there is a new measure of the high stakes and high emotions over one of the nation's most popular social programs. I'm talking about Medicare.

In a bit of political theater, the Senate voted on Congressman Paul Ryan's plan to essentially privatize Medicare. It failed. But five Republican senators did cross the aisle and voted against Ryan's plan.

The bigger picture here: the impassioned fierce of older Americans and how they may reshape the political landscape right up to the presidential election.

Dana Bash is on Capitol Hill.

And, Dana, the sad thing about this is that something -- this is something that really needs to be talked about in this country. This is worthy of serious conversation. And it's now devolved into this ugly political fight.

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It has. It is a political fight. And you know what? From the perspective of Democrats, they are absolutely eager and giddy to have it.

That's why they had this vote in the Senate yesterday, Carol. They feel they have had so much success hammering Republicans in the House for their vote for this Medicare plan. And, obviously, they feel that they had a lot of success on Tuesday in that special election in New York. But they wanted the Republicans in the Senate to get on record about it, too, so that they could hold it against them as well.

But former President Bill Clinton, while he said publicly, yesterday, Carol, that he does not think that Paul Ryan's plan which effectively takes Medicare and allows people to -- actually forces people to get private coverage instead, he doesn't think that's a good idea. But he also said that he doesn't think his party should punt on the issue.

Listen to what ABC News captured behind the scenes between Bill Clinton and Paul Ryan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I told before you got here. I said I'm glad we won this race in New York, but I hope the Democrats don't use it as an excuse to do nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, I talked to an annoyed Democratic congressional source, Carol, who said that the Bill Clinton who outfoxed Newt Gingrich in the 1990s probably would have thought differently. But the reality is that both parties have used the medi-scare tactics against one another. Most recently, Republicans used it against Democrats in the last election. And it is sad but true that it is not looking like it's going to change.

COSTELLO: OK. So, is the issue dead in the water? Why are we even bothering to talk about it anymore?

BASH: You know, it's not necessarily dead in the water because even though all of these politics are going on, there are discussions that are happening. The vice president has meetings going on with Republicans and Democrats. They are broad discussions on how to reduce the deficit. They haven't gotten to the entitlement issue yet. But they could possibly get to it.

You know what? It is actually going to be pretty hard. Republicans realize, Carol, that they really bungled this message and they are trying to turn the tables and say, well, OK, Democrats, where's your plan?

And they do have the point, the Democrats, so far, have not released anything close to what Paul Ryan has in terms of the details as an alternative to that. The president has said that he wants to have some savings in Medicare.

But Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, yesterday said, it was hard to get him to answer a question on it. But he also said that he thinks Democrats did this in the health care bill, that they cut, waste, fraud and abuse and maybe that's enough.

COSTELLO: That's the same old, same old. Dana Bash, live on Capitol Hill. Many thanks.

It's a big buzz in Scottsdale, Arizona, right now, surrounding Sarah Palin -- the possible presidential candidate. She just might have -- I think she did buy a home there actually, because we have a picture of it.

CNN's Jim Acosta following the story from Washington.

What does all of this mean?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What does it all mean? Except perhaps she likes the dry heat, Carol. That is the big question this morning.

We don't know, but "The New York Times" seems to have the best reporting on this this morning. They have confirmed through sources that would like to remain anonymous at this point that she has purchased a home. She and her husband, Todd, have purchased a home in Scottsdale, near Phoenix, Arizona. We have some pictures of it right here from an affiliate that went out to the neighborhood to take some pictures of the property.

And in this video, there appears to be, for just a brief moment, an image of a couple that looks very much like the Palins on the property. A couple of other affiliates in Phoenix have captured images of vehicles going to and from the property with Alaska license plates, sort of stirring the pot a little bit even more and making people believe that perhaps the Palins have, indeed, purchased a home here.

Now, what does this all mean? That is a very good question.

Now, the speculation is that Sarah Palin is not running for president. She has not had a big presence in Iowa or New Hampshire. I was in both of those states last week. When you talk to Republicans officials there, they have not really heard very much from Sarah Palin.

However, as we know, she is an unconventional politician and unconventional candidate. And this could be a situation where she is looking at the field of candidates right now and saying, hmm, wait a minute, maybe I could come in late in the game here and perhaps, you know, do some damage when it comes for running this nomination. So, it's all very speculative.

COSTELLO: The reason she might have bought this house, you know, (a), her daughter moved there and maybe they want to be closer to the daughter.

ACOSTA: That's right.

COSTELLO: But, (b), it's hard to get places from Alaska. This house is closer to an airport.

ACOSTA: Exactly.

COSTELLO: And she can fly all over the country. So, that's you know, kind of like mystery point number one.

So, let's go to mystery point number two.

ACOSTA: That whole Anchorage to Manchester connection I don't think is quite established there.

COSTELLO: There's also this movie coming out this month, which kind of adds to the mystery aspect of this.

ACOSTA: That's right. This was just reported a couple of days ago by our friends over at "Real Clear Politics." They came out with an article confirming that a filmmaker has put together what appears to be a pretty slick production about Sarah Palin, a movie about Sarah Palin. The plan is to debut this movie in Iowa next month.

Getting back to this idea that Sarah Palin is a very unconventional candidate, this would be quite the launch to show this movie in Iowa to sort of launch the beginning of the campaign.

COSTELLO: Tell us what the movie is about, because that is priceless. What's the movie about?

ACOSTA: It's essentially is about her. It's about her life. You know, not a whole lot is known about the movie. I think it is also going to examine, you know, one of her big beefs, which is the way the media has covered her. She has, obviously, a big problem with some of the interviews that were done during the 2008 campaign when she was the vice presidential candidate for John McCain.

So, I think it's supposed to delve into that a little bit. We've made contacts to that filmmaker. But not a whole lot is known.

But, just so you know, there is a new Gallup poll out, Carol, showing that Palin doesn't do too badly in this field right now. If you look at it, she is at 15 percent in this national Gallup poll among Republicans who they'd like to see run for president. Mitt Romney at 17 percent, Palin at 15 percent. So, she is still poised and positioned if she wants to make a go with this, certainly enter the waters and do so. It's not out of the realm of possibilities at all.

COSTELLO: OK. I'm sure you'll keep an eye it.

ACOSTA: I will.

COSTELLO: Jim Acosta reporting from Washington.

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.

The man who might have carried out the biggest massacre in European sense World War II is finally in custody. Ratko Mladic was a Serbian military commander during the Balkan wars. He allegedly oversaw the killing of about 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, Bosnia, and was a wanted man for nearly 16 years

Let's head to London and Zain Verjee. She's been looking into this.

So, where did they catch him?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was a dramatic announcement today by the Serbian president. They caught him on Serbian soil. That's what he said. And he refused to give us any more details other than that.

What Boris Tadic said was that what needs to happen first is that the Serbian security forces need to investigate the situation and only then they will tell us how it happened, where it happened and what exactly went down in Belgrade today.

The thing here to remember too is that this is a man who is wanted by The Hague for genocide, for crimes against humanity. And he was able for years to hide in Belgrade under everybody's noses that it's believed that he had a small hard core group of loyalists that protected him and moved him around.

But we are going to wait for more details about what happened. But Belgrade has been under a lot of pressure to find this guy and hand him over -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Did the United States have any role in this, Zane? VERJEE: Well, the United States definitely has an interest this outcome. You are going to hear one word a lot today and that's Srebrenica. You described. It's a place where a massacre happened of almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys in 1995. And the commander in charge of that was Ratko Mladic.

What happened at that time is that U.S. was getting all this satellite data. And they realized what was going on in Srebrenica. And that was the moment when the former President Bill Clinton decided to kick into action. What he did was he went on a five-day tour to Europe and he insisted that the world has to take action immediately.

So, there was a big NATO bombing campaign. And the U.S. was heavily involved in that. They targeted Bosnian/Serb military targets and the army in India. And the U.S. had to send in something like 20,000 peace-keeping troops.

So, it was a really big deal for the U.S. and many say that it defined President Clinton's, you know, legacy on a foreign policy platform.

COSTELLO: Zain Verjee, live in London, thank you.

A federal judge has found the alleged Tucson gunman mentally unfit to stand trial. So, what does that mean about justice? Will it come quickly for the six people killed, the 13 people wounded, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords?

We'll talk to a survivor who still carries a bullet from that January day and find out what she thinks about the judge's decision.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The man accused of killing six people and wounding 13 others, including the Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords might not face justice for a very long time. A federal judge has found Jared Loughner mentally unfit to stand trial.

Ted Rowlands is in Tucson.

Ted, you were inside the courtroom for this rolling and I understand there was a lot of drama.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, very dramatic day inside the court, not only because of this ruling. But at one point, Loughner was pulled out of the courtroom after he disturbed the judge. He yelled out for whatever reason, "Thank you for the freak show," and started to continue to yell at the judge, two marshals were on either side of him. They pinned him down onto the ground and literally dragged him out of the courtroom.

He ended up watching the rest of the hearing via a television monitor. But the judge moved on. This decision he made was in conjunction of a couple of reports that had been done on Loughner, basically saying that he didn't understand what was going on in court and couldn't help with his defense. So, the judge said at this point in time, he is unfit to stand trial. So, he has sent Loughner to a medical facility in Springfield, Missouri. He'll be evaluated there and treated and then will be brought back to Tucson in September to see if his mental capacity has changed at all.

But at this point, the criminal proceedings against him on the federal level have been put at a halt. They haven't stopped entirely until September.

COSTELLO: I was going to ask you. It seems unlikely that his mental illness will simply go away in just a couple of months. So, might this mean that he'll never face a judge. Might it be years, weeks, months, what?

ROWLANDS: Well, you know, it's interesting. Yes. At first, you think, well, how is a guy going to change in three months sitting in a hospital in Missouri?

But talking to court officials and lawyers that have dealt with this before, they say that sometimes -- and keep in mind, all they have to do is rehabilitate him to the point where he understands what's going on and can assist with his own defense. They say with basic drugs and therapy, they can change him and he can get rehabilitated to that point.

Now, that doesn't go to his potential conviction down the road and whether insanity will come into the equation, which I'm sure it will, at that point. But just to get the wheels moving again, people will say there's actually a fairly good chance that he'll be ready to roll either in September or the judge could send him back for a couple more months after that.

But don't be surprised that if he is found competent in the near future.

COSTELLO: Ted Rowlands, reporting live for us -- thank you.

As I said, six people were killed in that shooting rampage. I'm sure you remember. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was one of the 13 people wounded. She is now recovering in Houston.

And as you know, just last week, doctors replaced part of her skull.

Mary Reed was also injured in that shooting rampage. She was shot three times. She was shielding her daughter from the gunman at that time. And one of the bullets still lodged in Mary's back.

She and her husband, Tom, are on the phone with us.

And thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

MARY REED, SHOOTING VICTIM (via telephone): You are welcome.

TOM MCMAHON, SHOOTING VICTIM'S HUSBAND (via telephone): You are welcome. COSTELLO: And, Mary, I just want to show a picture of what happened to you that day, because you pushed your daughter up against a wall and you can tell you had your arms out and you were shielding your daughter from the gunshot. You were shot from both arms and once in the back.

And, first of all, I just want you to tell folks how you're doing.

REED: I am recovering very well. I am a sturdy woman. I have issues right now because the bullet is developing scar tissue around it and I get phantom pain in my leg from that.

But other than that, I am recovering well. My entire family was there at the shooting. And we are very close as a family. And we are all working towards recovery, complete recovery.

COSTELLO: Can you have closure if Jared Loughner never goes to trial?

REED: Well, I think we have to broaden our belief in justice to say that if somebody is mentally ill, a hospital setting is where they belong and that is justice for where they are right now.

I am hoping that he is competent and we can go through a trial. But if not, I will be at peace with that, yes.

COSTELLO: When you see that awful picture of him smiling and you hear about these strange outbursts that he has in the courtroom, what goes through your mind?

REED: Well, I think that a mentally ill person can't be judged by sane people's standards. You have to just believe that an illness of the mind is like an illness of the body, and allow them the treatment they need in order to come back and face what they did.

COSTELLO: Some people, Mary, might be listening to this and saying, you are such a kind person. I don't know if I would have it in my heart to be this reasonable and logical about it. Where do you get that from?

REED: Well, I believe we live in a country of law, and that in order for all of us to get along, we need to obey the law. I would hope -- and I'm glad that the judge is protecting Loughner's civil rights as much as I expect my civil rights to be protected. I don't know. I just believe the system needs to work and he needs to be able to help in his defense. If he isn't able to help in his defense, then he truly is not competent to work within our system.

COSTELLO: Tom, I have a question for you and I'm curious about this, because after the shooting, we thought that all of the vile political rhetoric out there would die down. And to some point, it has. Do you think the country was fundamentally changed after that shooting happened?

MCMAHON: For a time, I believe the nation reached out and came together in shock over this event. I don't think it really has fundamentally changed how politics work or rhetoric and how people argue. At least for a while, we were unified.

COSTELLO: At least for a little while.

MCMAHON: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you. Thank you both for joining us this morning. We really appreciate it.

MCMAHON: You are welcome.

Just ahead, disgraced IMF head, Dominique Strauss-Kahn is living in a 6,800 square foot town home in New York City with a private gym and a theater, even a bar and a spa. We'll take you inside his new detention digs. That's next.

And some of the biggest names in the coffee industry are raising prices. We'll have details for you, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Let's check on stories cross-country now.

Elizabeth Smart comes face to face with her abductor in a Utah courtroom. Brian David Mitchell was sentenced to two life sentences for kidnapping and raping Smart in 2008. Smart said Mitchell robbed her of nine months of her life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH SMART, KIDNAPPING VICTIM: I told Brian David Mitchell today in court that whether he received his just sentence here on earth or after this earth life, that one day, he will have to be responsible for his actions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Smart was just 14 when she was kidnapped.

Frightening moments for five passengers aboard this small jet in Arizona. The plane skidded off a runway and over a cliff while attempting to land at a Sedona Airport. All those aboard walked away unharmed.

And some relief may be ahead for New York drivers. The state Senate voted to eliminate the gas tax for three holiday weekends this year saving drivers 33 cents per gallon. But the plan still has to pass the state assembly, something many doubt will happen.

Disgraced former IMF chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has some lavish new digs this morning -- I'm talking really lavish and large. Strauss-Kahn moved into the 6,800 square foot town home where he'll wait for his sexual assault trial to begin. This three-story posh pad sits in New York's upscale Tribeca neighborhood and comes complete with a spa, a gym, a home theater and -- yes, even a bar.

Deb Feyerick joins me now from New York. It might be kind of hard for some people to see this as punishment, although this man has not been convicted yet.

DEB FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, he's certainly not getting the sympathy vote, not from New Yorkers. You know, arguably, though, there were very few places for him to go. These luxury apartment buildings that would have taken Dominique Strauss-Kahn in a heartbeat just a few weeks ago -- they don't want the crowds or negative publicity that he now brings.

Last night, though, about 7:30, word came that DSK was on the move. And he left his temporary digs looking almost presidential. The former French contender walked out surrounded by police and private security. He stepped into a waiting black SUV to drive him a mile north to trendy Tribeca and that townhouse which normally rents for $60,000 a month.

The townhouse boasts a huge living room with sky light framed by a roof top deck complete with grill. There are four bedrooms. The state-of-the-art in-home movie theater and a wet bar in the master bedroom in case he gets thirsty. There are also great restaurants that deliver any kind of food you want.

Now, to be fair, Strauss-Kahn was turned down by one building and then kicked out of another. He is fighting the sexual assault charges against him and plans to plead not guilty at his next hearing, June 6th.

But if you add on the cost of home security, Carol, Strauss-Kahn is now paying a quarter of a million dollars a month to live. It's not including food and it's not including the cost of his lawyers, Carol.

COSTELLO: Wow, this is kind of a strange twist to the story. Prosecutors are lawyering up?

FEYERICK: Well, you know, it's so interesting -- they had a prosecutor who have handled all the preliminary hearings, the preliminary, sort of ministerial stuff, the little logistics and details. But in a different yes, the district attorney has now added some senior prosecutors to the team. Not something that's usually done.

But then, also, the alleged victim, she has added lawyers as well in consideration of a civil suit.

So, everybody is sort of getting the power behind them.

COSTELLO: So, the lawyers will be making lots and lots of money off this case, essentially, that's the bottom line.

FEYERICK: They always do.

COSTELLO: They do. Deb Feyerick, live from New York. Thank you.

The most wanted man from the wars in the former Yugoslavia is finally in custody. This is a man accused of mass murder and genocide and extermination, one of the worst massacres in Europe since World War II.

Apparently, his 16-year-run from justice is over. More on this breaking news, coming up.

Plus, inside the mind of a stunt pilot. What will they be thinking as they risk their lives with dangerous dives during those holiday air shows this weekend. We will ask one of America's best when he joins us live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Serbian police have arrested a man believed to be behind one of the worst massacres in Europe since World War II. Former Serbian military commander Ratko Mladic is accused of leading the Siege of Sarajevo and the massacre of Srebrenica during the Balkan Wars. He's an alleged war criminal and he's been on the run for 16 years until now.

CNN's Nic Robertson on the phone with us right now.

Nic, I know you have met this man. So give us your thoughts on this.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, it's a huge moment in terms of taking out, if you will, out of commission, the people that have perpetrated the war crimes in Bosnia. He is the last of the big once.

It is believed that Serbian nationalists have really been helping him stay hidden and protecting him from being picked up by Serbian authorities for many, many years now. He is seen here with some of these nationalists. But, of course, he is responsible for tens, if not many more thousands of deaths of a quarter of a million people that were killed in Bosnia.

It was his forces under his command that stood on the hills around Sarajevo for three years from the spring of 1992 until the end of the summer, 1995, barraging the city with mortars, with tank shells, killing civilians indiscriminately in the streets in Srebrenica.

If anything was a worse horror when in the summer of 1995, he and the head of the Bosnian Serb army, swept into the city, rounded up more than 7,000 men and boys, carted them off and mowed them down at gunpoint in nearby field, burying them, hiding the evidence in mass graves.

So it is a huge moment for Bosnia that he has now been picked up and will go to the tribunal. And it will bring some closure for some people. But, of course, it will never heal the pain of all those families who did lose loved ones. And we can expect to see these Serbian authorities now following the letter of the law in Serbia to make sure that he has no comeback on them for his extradition to the Haig. And again when he gets to the Haig at the International Criminal Tribunal of Yugoslavia, following the letter of the law, cautiously making sure he has no legal loopholes to wriggle out of the charges.

Carol?

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live. Many thanks.

Checking our top stories now. About an hour and a half from now, officials in Joplin, Missouri, will release a list of people unaccounted for after Sunday's tornado. The death toll stands at 125. The governor has ordered more state troopers to Joplin to help with the search.

At this time yesterday, we told you that Joplin was in the danger zone for another tornado. Well, consider this a near miss in scientific circles. The massive funnel cloud you see there appeared about 30 miles from the devastated city.

And this just in, jobless numbers are up, 424,000 Americans filed for the first week of benefits last week. It is the seventh straight week that first-time claims have topped 400,000.

Did you watch it?

Fans who stayed for all of the Reds-Phillies game last night really got their money's worth. The game lasted into 19th innings. And Philadelphia fans went wild when second baseman, Wilton Valdez came in to pitch. Valdez hit one batter. He retired the other three. He even waved off his catcher once like a veteran pitcher. Valdez becomes the first position player to be a winning pitcher in 11 years when Jimmy Rollins scores. You see it there. He scores the winning run in the bottom of the inning.

The game goes six hours, 11 minutes, ending after 1:00 a.m. No time for rest, though. The two teams play again this afternoon. If you think 19 innings is long, we have got a 23-inning game to show you.

Plus, the Mavs punch their ticket to the NBA finals. We will have more sports in 20 minutes.

And coffee gives a kick, but it is not the kind of jolt we would like to see. We are talking about prices and their rising. Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange.

Oh, how much?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know, I know. It is true, you know. And some of the biggest names, Carol, they are raising their prices. You know, for one Starbucks, it is raising its prices on the package coffee that it sells at its stores by 17 percent. That's a lot.

Folgers and Millstone, they are raising their prices about 11 percent. Dunkin' Donuts coffee, they are also raising prices of the coffee that is sold in the grocery stores. The same thing for Green Mountain. We are seeing this really across the board with so many brands.

You know what, Carol, it is not stopping us from drinking coffee, though. Coffee consumption actually hit a record last year. So, a, we got to get our fix no matter what the price. COSTELLO: I know. I have mine right here. It's my fifth cup.

KOSIK: There you go. Oh, my god. Are you nuts?

COSTELLO: Oh, what's behind the increase? I am curious about that. I was just thinking -- I was just feeling sorry for myself for paying more.

KOSIK: Well, you know why we are seeing these prices go up. It is because supplies are tight, because we are seeing poor growing conditions. You know, bad weather in South America. But as I said, demand is still strong. Remember, coffee is a commodity. It is traded on the open market, you know, just like gold is, just like crude oil is.

So when investors see a supply crunch, they think, hey, good investment. They see, you know, the supply crunch, they see rise in demand, so they buy. So what you get is the price of coffee futures, it is doubled in the past year and that means the price you pay right off the shelf, that retail price is up more than 50 percent.

Let me talk about stocks real fast. We've got a flat open. We've got some reports on economic growth in the job market. Unfortunately, they came in weaker than expected.

Carol?

COSTELLO: OK. Thanks, Allison.

KOSIK: (INAUDIBLE)

COSTELLO: OK. I think I need it now.

Thank you, Alison.

If you have been to a holiday air show, you probably have seen it. Stunt pilots risking their lives with twists and dives that boggle the mind. What are they thinking? We will ask one of America's best pilots after a break.

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COSTELLO: For decades now, Memorial Day weekend air shows have been used as a time to showcase the majesty of America's military air power. So expect the same across the country this year, especially on this, the 100th anniversary of the navy's aviation program on display at the popular annual air show in Long Island. It will be one of the nation's top aerobatics pilots, Lt. Col. John Klatt, the internal guardsman. He served three tours as an F-16 pilot in Iraq. And he's been performing an air shows for at least 10 years. Lt. Klatt joins us from Farmingdale, New York.

Welcome.

LT. COL. JOHN KLATT, AIR NATIONAL GUARD AEROBATIC PILOT: Good morning, Carol. How are you today? COSTELLO: I'm good. So you have been a crazy guy for a long time?

KLATT: I don't know how I got it but, you know what, I'm a crazy, lucky guy, that's for sure.

COSTELLO: You are not kidding. I want to show people just one maneuver that you do routinely that I would be -- actually, I would be excited to be a passenger in a plane that did this but I would also be quaking in my boots. So when you do a maneuver like that, what does it feel like? When you just roll over?

KLATT: Well, you know what, it is exhilarating. You know, it is really wonderful to represent the 107,000 men and women that make up the Air National Guard. It is a first class organization. And for me to be able to perform these maneuvers that I love is wonderful, Carol. And this weekend here at Jones Beach has become one of our favorite weekends of the year.

COSTELLO: So I am looking at a picture now of you flying upside down like what does that -- I just want to know what it feels like, because I know I will never get the opportunity to actually do that.

KLATT: Well, Carol, I will invite you to come out and fly upside down any time that you want. So you have a standing offer.

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COSTELLO: So do you realize that you are flying upside down?

KLATT: I do. And I'll you what, for me to fly the air guard extra upside down over Long Island on Memorial Day weekend, to honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice, to represent all of our armed services and specifically, the international guard, it is wonderful to fly upside down. It is my way to connect with the people that come out to the air show this weekend. And it is what I am passionate about. So air shows have fast becoming one of --

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COSTELLO: Yes, but I want to know it feels. Does the blood rush to your head? I mean, what happens to your body when you are flying upside down?

KLATT: It does. Well, specifically, when I fly negative Gs, sometimes it makes you feel like your helmet is going to fly off. All the blood goes to the top of your head. So it can be an incredible feeling, Carol. But you know what, I get to fly day in and day out, so, for me, it has become common place.

COSTELLO: That's why you are crazy. So invite people to come out and tell them why this is important.

KLATT: Well, I tell you what, everybody in New York and Long Island, there will be 500,000 people on the Jones Beach this weekend for the Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach. And I tell you what, I invite everybody to come out. Why is it important? Because we are celebrating 100 years of Naval Aviation, and there is many things to do. And the folks up here have found it to be a wonderful way to stay close to home. I heard you talking about gas prices earlier. I think a lot of people are staying close to home. And this is a wonderful way to enjoy one of America's greatest pastimes and that's air shows.

So much heritage, so much history. I tell you what, I'm happy to be an American. And for all the men and women this weekend that are in the armed services deployed all across this world, I have to say thank you. Thank you so much for defending our freedoms so that we can enjoy a day on the beach at the air show. And that's what America is all about.

COSTELLO: Yes.

KLATT: And that's what the air shows are all about and that's what the international guard is all about.

COSTELLO: Amen brother. Thank you so much. Thank you for joining us and I look forward to accepting that invitation. Thank you so much.

KLATT: I look forward to -- I look forward having you out, Carol. We'll have you upside down shortly.

COSTELLO: Awesome. Thank you so much.

Good-bye England, hello France. President Obama's European tour is now in its third leg. You thought I was going to say something else, didn't you? President Obama is in France with leaders of the world's eight biggest economies. We'll tell you how their talks might affect the United States.

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COSTELLO: President Obama is in France right now for the G8 summit. Leaders of the eight largest developed economies are there to discuss global issues for the next couple of days. And there is a lot to talk about.

CNN's Ed Henry is in France with the President this morning. So Ed, tell us about those meetings.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, a lot of people wonder how does what happens here really affect Americans back home. One way would be what really happens on the sidelines here when President Obama has a chance to meet with some key leaders like President Medvedev of Russia for example.

They just met a short time ago and talked about some major issues affecting Americans such as the war in Afghanistan. Russia has been helpful in moving personnel and vehicles and equipment in that war that is ongoing. So many American lives taken, so many Americans still serving in Afghanistan right now.

They also talked about Libya. A lot of questions back home, obviously, about how long will the U.S. be engaged in this military action with its NATO allies? They also talked about Iran, the threat of Iran potentially getting nuclear weapons, something that impacts our viewers a lot.

And this afternoon I will say that the President will also be meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Kan and they are going to be talking about the ongoing response that the U.S. has been helping on obviously with the tsunami that was so devastating, impacted many of our viewers and their families that may be in Japan. Number one.

And number two, the fallout from that nuclear plant and all of the awful things that happened there and what lessons have been learn that we could take to the United States and some of our allies in terms of -- of how to prevent something like that from happening -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ed Henry thank you so much. Live from France.

In the world of sports, the New York Yankees' Mariano Rivera does something no Major League pitcher has ever done before. Sports coming up.

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COSTELLO: Stories making news later today.

House Republicans unveil their so-called growth agenda later this morning at 11:15 Eastern. It's designed to revive the economy and encourage job creation.

At noon Eastern, both former President George W. Bush and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will speak at his presidential library in Dallas. Today's event is called early lessons from the Middle East.

And later at 2:00 Eastern, in Washington, former First Lady Rosslyn Carter speaks before the Senate Council on aging.

Also at 4:00 Eastern at Arlington National Cemetery the third U.S. Infantry places new flags on the graves of soldiers in advance of the Memorial Day holiday.

We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Brian Todd who is in Joplin.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, we're in Joplin where the process of finding those missing from the tornado and identifying bodies has turned very controversial. I'll have more on that at the top of the hour.

BASH: I'm Dana Bash on Capitol Hill where Democrats are openly giddy about putting Republicans in a political box on the issue of Medicare. But with all the politics can anything really get done to save Medicare and keep it solvent? We'll have more of that in the next hour.

VERJEE: Hi, I'm Zain Verjee in London. A war criminal has been arrested in Belgrade. I'll bring you details about Ratko Mladic.

COSTELLO: Thanks to all of you. Also in the next hour, call it faith if you will. A young hot, inspirational singer turns to a rookie director for his music video. But that rookie is a Baldwin. Corey Lamb and Steven Baldwin join us live in the next hour to show off their new video.

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COSTELLO: The Dallas Mavericks have made to it the NBA finals. Jeff Fischel from HLN Sports is here and you have to wonder, do they have revenge on their minds?

JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: Why wouldn't they, right? Five years ago they lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA finals. They could see Miami again this year. Miami's one win away. Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks did it last night.

He looked like a different player this post-season than he did back then five years ago. He struggled big time in that '06 finals but look at Nowitzki hit a three there. He had 26 points last night in game five against Oklahoma City Thunder. He got a lot of help from Shawn Marion. He was great.

He also had 26. The Mavs winning 100-96, they won the series 4-1. We'll we see Miami and Dallas in the NBA playoffs?\

NHL playoffs Tampa Bay, look at the perfect (INAUDIBLE) Tampa Bay against the Bruins. There's Marty St. Louis, to Steve Downy, back to St. Louis for the goal. It's the game winner. But Lightning forced a game seven tomorrow night in Boston.

Baseball, Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Chris Young makes the catch so good his pitcher says I'd like to take him out to dinner for this one. Times it perfectly to bring back (INAUDIBLE) blast -- the home run would have tied it. Young can also order dessert, perhaps and an adult beverage because he also had the game winning hit.

Nice day for Chris Young and the Diamondbacks. They pull off a 2-1 win.

COSTELLO: Jeff thank you.

FISCHEL: Ok.

COSTELLO: Many thanks.