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Lawmakers Suing Over Libya; Collective Bargaining Law Upheld; Pakistan Arrests CIA Informants; Judge Denies Acquittal of Casey Anthony; Pandora's IPO Launch; John Edwards' Mug Shot; June Marks 30 Years Since AIDS Discovery; Adventurer to Row to North Pole; Dome- Shaped Homes May Be Key to Energy Efficiency; Huntsman Avoiding Iowa

Aired June 15, 2011 - 13:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Suzanne, thank you.

Well, things only seem to be getting worse for New York representative Anthony Weiner. In the midst of his fellow Democrats and Republicans calling for his resignation, former porn star, Ginger Lee, held a news conference just moments ago in New York City to discuss her interactions with the embattled lawmaker in saying he coached her to lie to the media.

Listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINGER LEE, FORMER PORN STAR ACTRESS: He asked me to lie about our communications. I put out a three-sentence communication that he told me to say. My statement to the press said, quote, "I haven't met Representative Weiner. I follow him on Twitter because I support him and what he stands for. I have been hounded by his political opponents, but that has not changed my view of him and what he fights for."

I didn't want to say anything further. I refused to lie, so went silent and went into hiding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And I want to get straight to CNN's Mary Snow who was at that news conference. She joins us now from New York.

Mary, first of all, what was the reaction there when she dropped this bombshell on reporters?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Randi, there had been the reports out on TMZ that perhaps she had gotten coaching from Anthony Weiner after the scandal broke. So, it was -- there wasn't a huge surprise that she came out and said this. Exactly why she came out and said this today with an attorney, a celebrity attorney, Gloria Allred, is still unclear.

When Gloria Allred was -- you know, cracked about, why are you doing this now? She said that she just felt that it was time to break her silence. She also had mentioned that there was someone, an unnamed person, who has threatened to come out with an unauthorized statement and she says that is why she had turned to an attorney. And you heard from Ginger Lee, that statement, that was the only time we heard from her. She was reading from that statement.

And in this, you know, it's unclear exactly where the help -- the help that was offered to her. I had asked Gloria Allred about whether or not Congressman Weiner had offered to coach her, and she said that he did offer PR help, but it was unclear who would provide that PR help, because there had been a report on TMZ that he said somebody on his team, it's unclear what that meant, his legal team, political team or staff.

That was unclear and she did not clear it up. She said there were 100 e-mails and that they began communicating about March 13th, and that the communications stopped about two weeks ago, and she said that the one, according to Gloria Allred, the attorney, that they did have one phone conversation and that was on June 2nd after the scandal broke.

KAYE: And Mary, just to be clear, the two of them, at least according to Ginger Lee at today's press conference, they never met in person.

SNOW: Correct. She said that she never met and that it was just the one phone conversation was the only time that she had spoke to him. Again, she said she started following him, I guess, back in March, and that's when they started communicating. So, another, you know, really surreal twist in the story.

KAYE: I want to keep you here because I want to ask one more question, but I want to bring in just one more sound bite from this press conference for our viewers to listen to first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: Many people asked me about what my feelings are today about Representative Weiner. I think that Anthony Weiner should resign because he lied to the public and to the press for more than a week. It might have never turned into this if he had told the truth, but he kept lying. If he lied about this, I can't have much faith in him about anything else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Now Mary, she is talking there and saying that she should -- he thinks -- she thinks that he should resign. We know that his wife, his pregnant wife, returned home last night from her trip abroad with Hillary Clinton. We don't know what his plans are at this point, but did she mention his wife? Would she talk about his wife at this press conference?

SNOW: She did not and she was asked about that. A couple reporters had asked her about that and there was no comment. And you know, there was very awkward pauses at several times, Randi, at the press conference, when Gloria Allred was asked a couple of questions, because she was speaking for Ginger Lee. There were some times when she really kind of hesitated before answering anything, including the question about why now? Why are you having this news conference in New York?

KAYE: All right, Mary Snow for us there at this press conference with this former porn star, Ginger Lee, coming out with very interesting allegations against Representative Anthony Weiner.

Well, moving on now, it's not just Republicans putting pressure on President Obama about the war in Libya, today a bipartisan group of lawmakers plans to file a suit challenging the U.S. participation in the nearly three-month-old mission. They contend the Obama administration is violating the war powers resolution which sets the deadline for the president to get the authorization of Congress when involving U.S. troops abroad. House Speaker John Boehner says the 90- day deadline expires this Sunday. The White House says President Obama is set to get a report to Congress to address this situation.

A controversial law that targets state workers in Wisconsin has been reinstated. And that brought protesters back out to the state capital yesterday.

(CROWD CHANTING)

KAYE: The state supreme court ruled the law that curves the collective bargaining rights and most state employees does not violate the constitution, but opponents aren't ready to throw in the towel. They now plan to hold recalls next month against sex-tenders (ph) who voted for it.

You may recall the heated protest over the law all but shut down the Wisconsin legislature for weeks, earlier in the year.

New York could become the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Governor Andrew Cuomo has unveiled a plan that would give same-sex couples equal rights and benefits. His proposal says a marriage license should not be denied on the grounds that the couple is of the same sex. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia currently grant same-sex marriage licenses.

Another big story developing this hour. There is a new troubling development in Washington's strategic relationship with Pakistan. Pakistan's military spy agency known as ISI has arrested informants who allegedly fed information to the CIA in the months leading up to the U.S. raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. Sources tell us that one of the people arrested own the safe house rented to the CIA.

And the "New York Times" reports that five people were detained, including a Pakistani army major who copied the license plates of cars visiting bin laden's compound. The case is the latest example of fractured ties between Washington and Islamabad. The Obama administration views Pakistan as a key player in trying to broker an end to the war in Afghanistan.

CIA director, Leon Pennetta, discussed the arrest in Pakistan last week in meetings with top military and intelligence officials. A Pakistan military spokesman says the arrests were made immediately after the raid on Bin Laden's compound. All this comes at a time when many in both the Obama administration and on Capitol Hill are raising serious questions about the state of the relationship with Pakistan.

Some lawmakers continue to insist that they believe either the Pakistani government or the ISI or both knew about of Bin Laden's whereabouts. And some accuse the ISI of aiding the Afghan Taliban in their fight against the Afghan government.

Lawmakers and other critics also questioned whether the U.S. should continue to giving Pakistan $2 billion a year in military aid.

And joining us now for more on this, Christine Fair with Georgetown University center for peace and security studies. Christine, thank you for coming on. What do you make of the arrest of these CIA informants?

CHRISTINE FAIR, CENTER FOR PEACE AND SECURITY STUDIES, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: On some method, it just underscores how divergent the priorities are of the Americans and the Pakistanis. I think that the Pakistanis found it to be a much higher priority to go after and arrest those people who facilitated the capture and killing of Bin Laden rather than it would seem prioritizing finding those who enabled Bin Laden's stay in Pakistan for so long, really does illustrate the divergent priorities that both countries seem to have.

Now look, that being said, this is all appearance, right? We don't know what they are or are not doing with respect to trying to figure out who helped Bin Laden stay in the country and it is Pakistan's sovereign duty to discern who is it that is helping to facilitate operations on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency.

And I think this is particularly important when one considers that while the ISI and the CIA have collaborated in going after some targets, mostly centered around Al Qaeda and some of the terrorists groups targeting Pakistanis, we really do differ when it comes to groups like Washber Ashiaba (ph), the Haqqani network, the Afghan Taliban which the CIA would like to see go away in which the ISI continues to rely upon.

So, the Pakistanis aren't stupid. They know full well that there are going to be people working with the CIA to find and eliminate Bin Laden, but there must also be assets that we've cultivated over the last 10 years that are also working with us to go after those groups like Washber Ashiaba (ph), the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, which Pakistan views as an asset.

KAYE: Does it seem to you though --

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Does it seem to you that there is this troubling disconnect in Pakistan, though, between the civilian government and the military?

FAIR: Well, you know, I am not sure what the disconnect is. No state undermines its own strategic interests. And the civilian government has come under a lot of pressure from domestic politics. Pakistanis themselves are feeling pretty frustrated. It would be an under-statement about their vexation with U.S. policy. The average Pakistani was humiliated by the American raid on military atonement (ph) town to take out Bin Laden. In fact for many Pakistanis, that was more humiliating than the fact that Bin Laden was in fact (inaudible) in a military atonement (ph) town.

While I have a different view than many Pakistanis hold about the drones, for example, I do not believe that they are killing the civilians as was frequently reported. We have had elaborate discussions about that. But for many Pakistanis, they do believe the drones are being done with some degree of unilateralness (ph) that they are killing civilians, they are not killing terrorists. So, the Pakistanis have pretty much had it with the United States, and the -- and the civilian parties and political leadership are also feeling the heat from that pressure.

So, we shouldn't necessarily buy that there is this big difference in terms of how the U.S. is viewed.

KAYE: Let's talk about Pakistan's military, I mean just briefly here, because it has suffered some really big embarrassments of the raid -- of the Bin Laden raid, obviously, the attack on its major naval base in Karachi, to name two. I mean, could this be a move, do you think, re-assert its authority and maybe even take a little revenge and do something back to the U.S.?

FAIR: Well sure, there's a part of it. I mean, the Pakistani army really has some big problems. The attack on the naval base involved a number of Al Qaeda sympathizers within the navy. That was still in the most recent attack on the military installation that involved infill infiltration of the armed services, but it's not the only.

The attack of the 2009 of the Pakistani army general headquarters, the 2007 attack on the dining hall where commandoes were dining in Tarbala (ph), and the attacks on General Pervez Musharraf, all of these and numerous others involve both civilian as well as uniform personnel in the armed services.

And in fact, General Kayani himself has said he's actually quite concerned about the degree of radicalization that may have happened within the ranks of the armed forces. And that's in addition to his padres helping the Americans.

All right Christine Fair, thank you so much, appreciate your expertise in this area. Thank you.

KAYE: And we want you to take a look at this, this is a mug shot we are about to show you of John Edwards, former presidential candidate, former U.S. senator. You may recall he pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and campaign law violations. His plea came shortly after the federal grand jury indicted him on six counts, including conspiracy, issuing false statement and violating contribution laws. Once again, this is his mug shot. A grand jury has been investigating whether or not money given to support Edward's mistress, Rielle Hunter, by benefactors of Edwards should have been considered campaign donations. And of course, that's is a contingent Edward's team has disputing. So once again, that is the first look at John Edwards' mug shot.

The defense tries to get an acquittal for Casey Anthony. The judge's ruling is revealing. You do not want to miss the latest, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: For four weeks prosecutors in the Casey Anthony murder trial have held jurors and viewers captivated with their experts in the stunning details about possibly what and, more importantly, who killed two-year-old Caylee Anthony. Today, the prosecution finished making their case. But Anthony's defense team fired back shortly after asking for an acquittal. The defense will begin presenting their side tomorrow.

So now I want to turn to B.J. Bernstein, who is a criminal defense attorney and a former prosecutor.

You've certainly seen both sides. The judge today denied the defense's request for this acquittal. But listen with me to what the judge said and then we'll talk a little bit more about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF JUDGE BELVIN PERRY: The court specifically finds that the state has presented substantial, competent evidence for this jury, who is the tried (ph) fact in this particular case, to decide this particular issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: So let me repeat that for you. Chief Judge Perry said the state presented substantial, competent evidence. It was almost as if the judge was giving jurors some insight into his opinion, don't you think? I mean what's your take on that?

B.J. BERNSTEIN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The legal ear says no to that, actually.

KAYE: OK, I'll go with your ear.

BERNSTEIN: And this is -- the -- what happens is, everybody's -- because everybody's dying to know with this case, you know, what does this mean? Really what he meant was, this is a standard motion almost in every case where the defense says there wasn't enough to even make it to a jury. You, judge, decide. The judge is saying, no, there's substantial, competent evidence to keep the trial going. He didn't say to warrant -- you know, to say she's actually going to be convicted. So we're at the stage and what he really was interesting today, and why everybody has got to keep tuning into this trial, is the talk about circumstantial evidence and the weight of that, because that is what the state's case was really about.

KAYE: Well, I'm glad you brought up the evidence, because, I mean, the assistant state attorney says the duct tape, the chloroform, just to name a few here, Anthony's car trunk, the searches on her home computer for chloroform and neck breaking, her tattoo, they say, the prosecutors say, that all of this points to her guilt. Do you think that they've proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt?

BERNSTEIN: Well, that is all interesting evidence if someone had seen it, had it been direct evidence. I saw Casey put the tape on her. That's not what it is. It's circumstantial evidence. And what the judge talked about earlier today is something in law that, as a defense attorney, I argue a lot to jurors, which is, when the case is based on circumstantial evidence, it's not just enough -- you're inferring something. And so you usually have to exclude any other reasonable explanation. And that's why Jose Baez's, the defense attorney's opening argument now is kicking into play.

KAYE: So, just very quickly, tomorrow, the defense will start making their case. What should that strategy be then? They've already laid out what they say happened, that it was an accidental drowning in the backyard pool.

BERNSTEIN: And now they have to back that up. And they're going to back that up by probably -- I can't see how they're going to get around the mother not testifying. She's going to have to be in there and talk about what that explosive things that we heard for the first time in opening about the supposed sexual abuse in the family, explaining why she lied consistently and then showing how it could be that the child had an accidental death.

KAYE: Everybody is wondering if Casey Anthony is going to take the stand. If you were Jose Baez, would you put her on?

BERNSTEIN: I think he has no choice. By what he said in the opening, he lead to it. Because who else -- so far the parents denied any sexual abuse in the family. He has got to explain to this jury why, by admission, Casey -- you know, she lied over and over and over. So why is it should they believe her now? And that is a tough road, but it's one where I know everybody's dying to make a decision now.

KAYE: Sure.

BERNSTEIN: We have to hold on.

KAYE: And no doubt on cross-examination you would bet that the prosecutors would try and trip her up in a lie, because that's apparently what she's known for, at least in the courtroom.

BERNSTEIN: Exactly. And that's one of a prosecutor -- when I was a prosecutor, you know, client -- folks who lied to try to get a hole of them and dance them through the lies was my favorite.

KAYE: Right. Well, that sounds fun. Listen, we're going to talk with you much more about this coming up in our next hour, so you'll stick around for us, right? BERNSTEIN: Absolutely.

KAYE: OK, good.

And our sister network, HLN, is your destination for complete coverage of the Casey Anthony trial. You can watch special coverage of the trial throughout the day on HLN.

The Internet music streaming service Pandora has its first day of trading today. How's the stock fairing so far? We'll go live to Wall Street next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back.

Last month, LinkedIn wowed traders when its shares doubled on the first day of trading. Now another Internet company is jumping into the fray, Pandora. Pandora is an Internet music streaming service that is ad supported. So you can pay a subscription fee and get rid of those ads. So, how is the first day going? Well, let's get straight to Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange.

Alison, how's it doing?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Randi, it wasn't as strong out of the gate as LinkedIn was, but, you know what, you can call this a success, definitely. Pandora's initial pricing was at $16 a share. Shares are up about 17 percent to 19 percent right now. We saw it go as high as $26 a share. If you ask me, pretty good for a company that's yet to even turn a property. By the way, it's trading under the letter P here at the NYSE -- Randi.

KAYE: And, Alison, we're hearing about a lot of IPOs in the tech world these days, but many of these companies aren't profitable or they aren't making that much money. I mean, are we seeing the beginnings of a bubble forming here, do you think?

KOSIK: And, you know, you hit on a really good question because it reminds a lot of us when that tech bubble burst back in 2000. But the difference is, most of the companies today at least have a big stream of revenue coming in, even if they're not turning a profit. LinkedIn made money in only two of its eight years. Groupon is also going to be going public but lost money last year.

But investors, they're still throwing money at these companies. So the big question is, are these companies really kind of riding that wave. We asked the CEO of Pandora, Joe Kennedy, that. He says, no. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE KENNEDY, CEO, PANDORA: An IPO is planned months and months in advance. So we had no idea what exactly the market conditions would be like when we'd actually become affective as we did today. KOSIK: But Pandora has yet to turn a profit. You're having a great banner day here today on Wall Street, but you've yet to turn a profit. What kind of business model do you have at this point?

KENNEDY: The business model of Pandora is a lot like radio historically, in that most of our listeners listen for free, supported by advertising.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Now, the truth is, Pandora's going to need a lot more ad dollars to keep on growing. Executives even said it expect to keep losing money through 2012. You know, part of the problem for Pandora, Randi, is that the more users it gets, the more it pays out in music royalties. We'll certainly see if it uses the capital that it earned today to go ahead and grow the company and see if it will help over the long term.

Randi.

KAYE: Thank you, Alison Kosik, at the stock exchange for us.

Well, for all the latest financial news, of course, be sure to join Christine Romans for "Your Bottom Line" each Saturday morning 9:30 Eastern. And don't miss "Your Money" with Ali Velshi Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, Sundays at 3:00.

Inmates in U.S. prisons converting to radical Islam, then posing a terror threat once they're free. That is the topic of a hearing going on right now on Capitol Hill. Next, I'll talk to the leader of a Muslim group who will tell you why he thinks these hearings are a great idea.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Congress held the second in a sequence of hearings today about violent Islamic radicalization in the U.S. Those hearings are underway right now. The committee on Homeland Security, led by New York Republican Peter King, is discussing how inmates in U.S. prisons may turn to radical Islam, then pose a terror threat once they get out of prison. However, the Congressional Research Service studied 117 homegrown Jihadist terrorists from the U.S. and the United Kingdom and only found seven cases in which prison had a significant impact on an individual's radicalization process. Something that Representative Bennie Thompson talked about today at the hearing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D), HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: Opportunities for radicalization a few, and the evidence bares that out. According to the Congressional research service of the 43 violent attacks carried out by Muslims since 9/11, there were only two clear cases of radicalized released prisoners plotting a terrorist act. Judging from this evidence, I think it's safe to conclude that the risk of terrorism originating from Muslim converts in U.S. prisons is small. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Well, you may remember those two cited examples. One was the targeting of synagogues in the Los Angeles area, and the other a 2009 plot to shoot down military planes and bomb synagogues in New York.

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser joins me today from Phoenix. He's the founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. Dr. Jasser testified in front of the committee at the first hearing in March.

Doctor, thank you so much for coming on the show. I want to just point out here that less than five percent of federal prisoners identify themselves as Muslim.

So tell me why you believe these hearings are, in fact, a good idea.

DR. ZUHDI JASSER, AMERICAN ISLAMIC FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY: Well, I think it's a very important idea. So far we have been having a whack a mole program in protecting our country. We haven't had a strategy, we haven't had an offense and it really is frightening for me to hear the comments from Mr. Thompson.

This is not a political issue. We have over -- of the 220 arrests by the Department of Justice on terrorism charges, over 180 had been Muslims. And, as a Muslim, I'm telling as somebody that loves our faith, we have a problem that needs a solution, needs a Muslim solution. The prisons are one place in which Muslims can be radicalized. And if there's one place that we have control over the ideology, it's there.

Mr. Thompson and others that want to stick their heads in the sand want to ignore the fact that there are imams -- there was an imam in New York that had picked and selected over 45 imams that was on tape from the IPT basically saying that he wanted them to lead violence, Jihad, that the 9/11 hijackers were martyrs.

There was also the case of Mr. James who's being discussed at these hearings who basically talked about forming an Islamic cell in prison and there was no process once he got out to monitor what he did on parole and otherwise.

And there is no process to monitor patrol and otherwise. So we aren't addressing the problem. We've had no strategy. And if there's one place we should stop the spigot of radicalization it's is in the prison systems.

KAYE: Well, what do you say, though, to critics who say that this radicalization isn't taking place in the prisons? I mean, they say the mail is vetted the chaplains are vetted and it's not really a problem.

JASSER: I think they could not be more wrong. They have no evidence that they're vetted. You have this, as I mentioned, Imam Umar who had basically said radical things and there's no process, there's no demonstration that we vet them, that we demonstrate that they're teaching them an Islam that is modern, that's moderate and that's not separatists in its ideology, that is free of Wahhabis information and anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism.

These ideas of just these two cells did not come out of a vacuum. They came out of a system that is radicalizing. Remember, the violence is just one part of it. There's a bigger ideology that they're being taught, some of the Muslims that -- and again, Islam can be a very positive force for preventing criminal behavior.

But we don't have any process for vetting them. And those that tell you there are, I would ask them to show me the evidence, to show the process that our prison systems and our police systems and others have been monitoring this and actually creating boards that create and promote counter-radicalization. And we have not been doing that.

KAYE: All right. We're going to have to leave it there.

Dr. Jasser, thank you so much for coming on and talking about this. We certain appreciate your input on these hearings. Thank you.

JASSER: It's a pleasure. Thank you.

Singing sensation Joss Stone's life may have been in danger. The frightening details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. A look now at some of the news you may have missed.

We just received these mug shots just a short time ago of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. Take a look. He pleaded not-guilty earlier this month to conspiracy and campaign law violations. The grand jury has been investigating whether money that benefactors gave to his mistress, Rielle Hunter, should have been considered campaign donations and reported as such. Edwards admits he's done nothing wrong -- or actually, he's done wrong but says that he's never broken the law.

Pakistan's intelligence agency has detained people suspected of giving information to the CIA before the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. A Pakistani source says the person who rented a safe house to the CIA before the raid on bin Laden is among those being held. As of now, we don't know the exact number of arrests. CIA Director Leon Panetta spoke with Pakistani officials on Friday, but offered no details on the matter. The arrests, first reported by the "New York Times" are likely to further strain relations between the U.S. and Pakistan.

Former porn actress Ginger Lee held a conference today in New York just moments ago to discuss her communications with Congressman Anthony Weiner. She stood with her attorney Gloria Allred and spoke about her interaction with the Congressman.

Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: When the scandal broke and people started e-mailing me, I didn't know what to do. I asked Congressman Weiner. He asked me to lie about our communication. I put out a three-sentence communication that he told me to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And she went on to say that they talked about politics before Weiner started sending inappropriate e-mails to which she did not respond, she says.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of trying to rob and murder singer Joss Stone. Police tell the BBC that the men were arrested near Stone's home in England and were armed with swords, rope and a body bag. It's not clear if Stone was home at the time, but according to the BBC, Stone said she is absolutely fine and getting on with life as normal.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: This month marks 30 years since AIDS was first identified. In the U.S. alone more than 576,000 people have died from the disease since the epidemic began. Federal health officials say 18,000 die still each year in the U.S. One man at the forefront of fighting this deadly disease is Dr. Seth Berkley. He is the founder of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.

Dr. Berkley, thank you for joining us today on the show.

More than one million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, but 21 percent are unaware of it. What more do you think can be done to encourage people to go out and get tested?

DR. SETH BERKLEY, FOUNDER, INTERNATIONAL AIDS VACCINE INITIATIVE: Well, the critical thing is people have to be comfortable knowing their status. And one of the greatest problems for testing is stigma. And this is particularly a problem for the highest groups, men who have sex with men, people living in the black community and in the Hispanic community, prisoners, IV drug users. And what we have to do is encourage groups working with these populations to educate them and make sure that they get tested because they do have suspicion about government programs.

KAYE: And your organization has been working around the world to help develop HIV vaccines. You recently wrote an article for our web site, CNN.com, saying the prospects for HIV prevention have never looked better.

Can you expand on that a bit?

BERKLEY: That's correct. I mean, the big problem worldwide, but also in the United States is the fact that right now, for every person we put on treatment, there's two new infections. So to be able to slow down the AIDS epidemic, we have to do a better job of prevention. And the problem is, it's hard to get people to change behavior. We have to keep trying but it's difficult.

Now what's happened is, there's lots of new prevention tools that have come forward. A microboside, which is a gel that women can use to protect themselves, a study in South Africa showed about a 39 percent protection. More recently, pills that people take, anti- retrovirals have blocked transmission about 44 percent in men that have sex with men. And, a couple of years ago, for the first time, a vaccine showed protection in humans, at a rate of about 31 percent.

Now, none of these three are ready for primetime now, but we soon hope that they will be and that's the critical issue is keeping up the research so we have better tools to prevent this disease.

KAYE: And when it comes to research, is funding still an issue?

BERKLEY: Funding still is an issue. There was an increase in funding over the last decade and that's why we've had the amazing breakthroughs coming onboard. But during the financial slowdown, some of the finances for research have slowed down.

For example, in vaccines we've seen a 10 percent reduction in the last two years. That's a problem because with all of these exciting breakthroughs, we need to take it to conclusions so that we have these new tools.

Kaye: And you also said they were on the verge of a revolution in the AIDS prevention. Is that because of these new findings or is it something more than that?

BERKLEY: Well, that's correct. And so I believe that we will have a bunch of new tools and (INAUDIBLE) in the future. In addition, people are beginning to ask the question, is it possible to cure somebody from HIV? HIV actually integrates in somebody's chromosome and it's been very difficult to figure out how to do that. But, a lot of research is going on on that, as well.

So in an ideal word, we'd have prevention technologies that would stop the infection and ultimately new ways to treat or cure those that are infected.

KAYE: Dr. Berkley, we know you have a very busy schedule. We thank you for taking the time there to talk with us. Thank you.

A new spin to row, row, your boat. How about all the way to the North Pole? Yes, how about that? We'll talk to an adventurer who aims to be the first ever to do exactly that. Right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Forty-five minutes past the hour. Checking some of our top stories for you.

Turkey's prime minister is meeting today with a special Syrian envoy in a bid to stem the growing flow of Syrians into Turkey. More than 8,000 Syrians have already crossed the border to escape a crackdown by the Syrian military. Hundreds if not thousands remain on the Syrian side of the border afraid to return to their homes. The Turkish government says Angelina Jolie is expected to visit some of the refugees on Friday.

Tough words from House Speaker John Boehner warning President Obama he could be in violation of the Wars Powers Resolution. The bone of contention? U.S. involvement in Libya. In a letter to Mr. Obama, Boehner says he must get congressional authorization by Sunday for American participation in NATO's military mission in Libya.

Adventurers are not like you and me. Certainly not like me. They seem to thrive on attempting amazing, some would say foolish feats. Take Jock Wishart. He and five colleagues hope to row a boat all the way to the North Pole. A few dangers they may encounter include icy waters, icebergs, and yes, polar bears. Jock Wishart is not new to the adventure business, though. He joins us from New York.

Jock, welcome to the show. A very ambitious plan you have. What inspired you?

JOCK WISHART, ADVENTURER: Well, I mean, I suppose I was inspired by my mother in the past who always said if you're going to try something, you always do it 100 percent.

And we have got to look at this as being (INAUDIBLE) being an expedition, and it's a global first. And if we make it, we will be classified as one of the greatest ocean (INAUDIBLE) of all-time. And as I like to say, we are attempting what everybody thinks is impossible, only possible because the impossible is happening, and the climate change is causing a dimuniation (ph) of the polar ice shell.

KAYE: When do you plan to start this and how long do you think it's going to take you to row there?

WISHART: Well, we plan to start at the end of July when the first part of the journey is due to be free of ice, and we have to complete it by the end of the first week in September when it starts to freeze again.

KAYE: And tell me about your boat, you row boat. Is it specially equipped or is it just your average row boat?

WISHART: It's a very, very special boat. We call it the ice boat, because the underside is designed a bit like a sledge so we can actually jack it up onto the ice. And if we're in open water and we can see a lead, we're jammed in by the ice and we need to get to some open water, we can actually drag it behind us. So six people will attempt to drag the 824-kilo machine across the ice.

But it's also good to sustain us in one of the most harsh environments in the world. It will be powered by solar panels as far as our computers and all of our communications, activities are concerned. It's classified as what is a triple skeler (ph), so three people at once will be pulling on the ores with the another three people resting.

KAYE: And how cold -- when you say the elements are going to be pretty tough, how cold is it going to be for you?

WISHART: It will get down to minus 15 at times, but we hope a lot of it will be in the plus range.

KAYE: And from what I understand, you are married with a couple of kids. How does your family feel about this very risky undertaking?

WISHART: Well, my wife is -- I have done a few things in the past, you know. I have held the around the world power record, I've rowed across the Atlantic, I was first to walk unsupported to the Geomagnetic North Pole. I always joke about my wife who was once asked what does she dream about while I'm out doing these things, and she looked and she said, well, I dream about spending the insurance money, actually. God bless her.

KAYE: Well, you know what? Hey, I'm glad she has a sense of humor about it. We certainly wish you the best of luck and we'd love to talk to you when you get back, so keep us in mind.

WISHART: Well, I certainly hope to be back here very soon in good New York.

KAYE: All right, well, thank you very much for coming on. We appreciate it.

So when you picture air travel in the future, what comes to mind? One company just released what it thinks the future of air travel holds. We'll take a look at it with you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: In today's "Big I," we take a look at the future of air travel as presented by Airbus.

It's all about customization and ease of use. Check in simply requires holding your palm up to a screen. Pretty cool, right?

No more for reaching for that overhead bin. Simply place your carry-ons onto a platform and the rest is taken care of those for you.

And what about those long flights where you need to get up and stretch those legs of yours? It's covered. You can easily select what you want to do. Golf? You got it. Last-minute conference? No problem. And of course, getting together around the bar. That's there.

But maybe, you'd rather see the clouds as you zip by. Head up to the vitalizing room where you can recline and see the sunshine or the moon in the full panoramic view.

Looks pretty cool, right? Well, don't get too excited just yet, as Airbus doesn't expect this to take shape actually until at least 2050. So you might have to hang on just awhile. While it looks like the UFO, a new round home design could be the future of energy efficiency in the home. CNN's Gary Tuchman takes a look in this week's "Edge of Discovery."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Deep in the woods of upstate New York, a strange spherical object is confusing residents.

VERONIQUE VENCAT, HOMEOWNER: Every time that people show up here, they're like, wow, what's this structure in the woods.

TUCHMAN: It looks like a UFO, but it could be a sign of a new wave of home design.

DAVID FANCHON, DESIGNER, SOLALEYA: It took us a couple years in research and development to come up with a truly innovative concept.

TUCHMAN: Which is breaking down the four walls and instead, giving homes a dome-like shape. It's not just for looks. The aerodynamics and off the ground build help protect the structure from hurricane-strength winds and earthquakes.

It also allows homeowners like the Vencat family to take full advantage of the sun's energy.

VENCAT: Economically, it's also very profitable because we use so much less energy.

TUCHMAN: In the summer, when the sun changes its position, with the push of button, the house follows along.

VENCAT: Three days more to go.

TUCHMAN: Allowing it to capture heat in the winter and get cool in the summer.

VENCAT: OK, stop.

TUCHMAN: While the exterior protects it from nature's elements. The interior is inspired by it, mimicking the swirl of a seashell.

The dome home concept is something designers think homeowners now find more welcoming.

FANCHON: People are adamant about going to something that's truly innovative, doing something positive for the environment as well as themselves.

TUCHMAN: Putting a new spin on living green.

Gary Tuchman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KAYE: Well, another Republican is thinking about running for president, and the latest on Representative Anthony Weiner right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Time now for a CNN Political Update. Our senior congressional correspondent Dana Cash joins me from Capitol Hill.

Dana, any word from New York Representative Anthony Weiner after this porn star's press conference of just about an hour ago? As you know, she said that he asked her to lie about their online communication. Any word there?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not a word at all. Everybody here is on pins and needles, as you can imagine, though, Randi. It's hard to imagine anybody pressuring him more to resign, though.

In fact, I can tell you, I got an e-mail from a Democratic lawmaker who has been saying that he should resign, and he said when everybody from the president of the United States to a porn star says you should resign, then you should resign. Pretty strong stuff there.

But one thing that we are looking at is the fact that Anthony Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, who was traveling abroad with her boss, Hillary Clinton, is now back in town. Why is that significant? Because Anthony Weiner has made it clear to several people who he spoke to, who we also spoke to, that he's not going to make a decision until she gets back, until they can look at each other eye to eye and figure out what is best for his professional and political fate.

So that is why everybody here is on pins and needles, to see whether or not that bears any fruit in the next day or two.

KAYE: I'm sure.

And, Dana, now on presidential politics. A former U.S. ambassador to China planning to hit the campaign trail next we're after he formally announces his candidacy for president, but he is leaving out one crucial state. What can you tell us about that?

BASH: Very interesting, Randi, you're right. He's going to start off in the home state of New Jersey, he's going to have the Statue of Liberty in the background. And then he's going to hit New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, Nevada, Utah. SO what's missing? That's right, the first caucus state of Iowa.

Now he has been very outspoken against having subsides for corn- based ethanol, that is something that is political -- at least historical political heresy in the state of Iowa.

But it's also interesting that he's skipping that because I could tell you that back in 2008 I was traveling around with another Mormon candidate, Mitt Romney, who spent a lot -- millions and millions in Iowa. Had a phenomenal organization and simply didn't do well, they think now because of the Evangelical vote.

And, you know, he's not campaigning there now, at least at the beginning, either is Jon Huntsman, another Mormon candidate.

KAYE: All right. Dana Bash, Capitol Hill for us -- Dana, thank you as always.