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President Obama in Iowa; Meter Reader Testifies in Anthony Trial; Your Privacy at Risk

Aired June 28, 2011 - 14:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour in a small state with huge importance to people who want to be president. Moments from now, President Obama will step on a makeshift stage at a metal plant in Iowa, where the nation's first presidential nominating contests are only seven months away.

He'll talk about the economy, jobs, manufacturing, in a place that's doing quite a bit better than the nation as a whole. But he won't have the state to himself.

Sarah Palin has a date today in Pella, Iowa, for the premier of a documentary about her rise to the governorship of Alaska. The Republican VP candidate in 2008 still hasn't decided, or at least hasn't revealed, her plans for 2012.

Some people who have, have made Iowa their home away from home. A Web site that tracks candidates' travels says Michele Bachmann, who declared her candidacy just yesterday, has been to Iowa a half a dozen times this year. Herman Cain, whom we talked to live just last hour, has been there 18 times. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, 13 times each. And Tim Pawlenty, 17 times.

All that travel has to be good for the state's economy, which, as I mentioned, is the envy of many other states. Iowa's GDP grew by a healthy 3.1 percent last year, half a percentage point more than the national GDP. And its jobless rate is lower -- much lower, in fact -- six percent versus 9.1 for the nation.

One final number to show you now. The Hawkeye State will award a total of six electoral votes in the 2012 presidential race, one fewer than in 2008. Iowa's losing a House seat after the 2010 Census.

Now I want to bring in CNN's Jim Acosta, who is following the only candidate who can fly to his appearances on Air Force One.

Jim, what does the president really hope to accomplish in Iowa today?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, Randi, I should note to you that the White House insists this is just an official visit, that this is official presidential business happening today, not a campaign stop here in Bettendorf, Iowa.

The president is now touring this Alcoa factory behind me. He'll be making some remarks in just a few moments. He is going to be talking about manufacturing jobs and this administration's commitment to this industry.

Having said all of that, just a few moments ago, before he arrived at this factory, he stopped at a local burger joint which caught his attention four years ago, or almost four years ago, when he was running for president. And as you know, Randi, this state -- and the White House will even admit this -- is near and dear to this president's heart.

You'll remember back in the '08 campaign, that the president pulled off what was a major upset over Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, winning the Iowa caucuses here. So he's back in this state.

It sounds like, if I'm hearing correctly, that the president is getting ready to make some remarks here. And this does come at a curious time. The White House says it's purely coincidental that he is here at the same time that Michele Bachmann made her announcement yesterday, that Sarah Palin is here this evening.

Randi, the state is only going to get more busy, politically speaking, in the months to come.

KAYE: All right. Jim Acosta, thank you so much. And as you mentioned, the president has started to speak there at this metal plant. He was doing some "thank yous," but let's get to him now and hear what he has to say in Iowa today.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And Jeff Grindle, mayor of Riverdale, is here.

(APPLAUSE)

The chairwoman of the National Association of Manufacturers, Mary Andringa, is here.

(APPLAUSE)

The CEO of Alcoa, Klaus Kleinfeld, is here.

(APPLAUSE)

Vice president and general manager of Davenport, Malcolm Murphy, is here.

(APPLAUSE)

And an old friend of mine who actually drove me around a couple times while I was driving around Iowa, Skip McGill is here, president of the local USW.

(APPLAUSE)

You know, I know you've been seeing a lot of politicians around lately. Something tells me that you may see a few more before February is over.

But Iowa, you and I go a long way back. And those of you who are coming over from the Illinois side, we go even longer back.

(APPLAUSE)

So we've got some history together. And together, we're going to make some more history for years to come.

And that's why I'm so glad to be here at Alcoa. All of you are showing the future we can build here in eastern Iowa and all across the country.

Almost every airplane in the world has some kind of Alcoa product in it. Think about that. Every airplane in the world you guys have something to do with.

(APPLAUSE)

In fact, it turns out that you're responsible for the wings on Air Force One. So I want to thank all of you for getting me here in one piece. It was a pretty smooth ride thanks to Alcoa.

Now, this company was founded by a college student named Charles Martin Hall 125 years ago. And back then it produced about 50 pounds of aluminum a day. And it was so hard to sell, that folks kept on telling Charles that it was pointless even to lock up the plant at night, because nobody wanted the stuff.

But when the Wright brothers -- you heard of them, right, the Wright brothers? When they need a lightweight material for their plane, they turned to Alcoa. And this company hasn't looked back ever since.

When President Kennedy challenged America to go to the moon, your engineers produced the alloys that helped get a man on the moon. In Afghanistan and Iraq, you've helped provide our troops with the armor they need to protect their vehicles from roadside bombs and IEDs. And let me tell you, when I go to Walter Reed or Bethesda, and I think about all the lives you guys have saved, it makes me proud of what you do right here.

And today, your new aluminum lithium alloy is making some of the world's most advanced airplanes lighter and tougher and more cost- effective than ever. So you know that times change. You've seen times change. Alcoa has grown as America has grown.

Now, also know that sometimes change can be tough. Sometimes the old ways of doing things just won't cut it anymore.

I was just talking to Klaus. He was talking about some sheet metal that you guys produce, that for a while you guys lost market share completely, you got your team together, redesigned it, and now you have 80 percent of the market back. That's adapting to change.

(APPLAUSE) And see, when change happens, you've got a choice. You can either keep on doing what you were doing and hope things work out, or you can make the decision that not only you can meet the challenges of the future, but can you help set the pace. That's true for this company, and it's true for America.

For better or for worse, our generation has seen more than our fair share of economic change. Revolutions in technology have changed the way we live and the way we work. A lot of jobs can now be located anywhere there's an Internet connection. And companies have become more efficient, so they get by with fewer workers.

Now, in some way these changes have made our lives a lot easier. It makes products cheaper. You can produce them faster. But for a lot of our friends and neighbors, these changes have also caused a whole lot of pain.

Today, for example, a high school diploma no longer guarantees you a good job. I met a couple of guys here whose fathers had worked at the plant. Now, when the previous generation came to work at this plant, it didn't matter what kind of education you had, it just mattered whether you were willing to work hard. But these days, it's hard to find a job without a high school diploma, and in a lot of cases it's hard to find a job without a college diploma.

Over the past 13 years about a third of our manufacturing jobs have vanished. It's not just that they've gone overseas, it's also that you guys are just better at producing stuff now than you used to be, so you use fewer workers. And meanwhile, a lot of workers have seen their wages not keep out with rising costs.

So I spent a lot of time thinking about these issues when I ran for this office in the first place. When I ran for president, before I came to Iowa, when I was still a senator in Illinois, I kept thinking about all the folks I would meet in my travels who were feeling that squeeze of wages flat, costs going up. And then in the closing weeks of the campaign, the bottom fell out of the economy and the middle class got hammered some more, and I know talking to Klaus Alcoa got hit pretty good, too. That demanded that we make some tough decisions, decisions that we now know have pulled our economy back from the brink and put us on a better path.

We've created more than two million new private sector jobs over the last 15 months alone, including almost 250,000 in manufacturing. That's in the last 15 months.

(APPLAUSE)

And here at this plant, the workers that were laid off during the darkest days of the recession have all been hired back. And, in fact, you guys are telling me that you're thinking about hiring some more folks in the near future. That's worth applauding.

(APPLAUSE)

But, you know, for a lot of Americans, those numbers don't matter much if they're still out of work, or if they have a job that doesn't pay enough to make the mortgage or pay the bills. So we've got more work to do, and that work's going to take some time.

The promise -- the problems that we developed didn't happen overnight. We're not going to solve them overnight either. But we will solve them.

We'll solve them because after all we've been through, we are still the United States of America. We've got the largest economy. We've got the best --

KAYE: And you've been listening to President Obama there speaking in Iowa, sort of a pep rally about jobs and the economy, pointing out that the plant that he is speaking from, the Alcoa plant there, has already hired back some of their workers and plans to hire more workers in the future.

So, once again, pointing out that the economy is on the mend, though still much more work to do.

Our "Sound Effect" today is a side-effect of an economy in crisis. This is Athens, Greece, on the eve of a parliament vote that could affect all of Europe.

At issue is a five-year program of tax hikes and spending cuts allowing Greece to win more European financial help and avoid bankruptcy. Greek union leaders say a two-day strike that began today closed government offices, schools and courts, and halted transportation. Last we heard, three police officers and one demonstrator were hurt in these protests.

Reputed mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger was expected in a Boston courtroom at this hour after spending the past few days in jail. He was arrested in California last week after 16 years as a fugitive.

A federal judge must decide whether Bulger is entitled to a court-appointed lawyer. Bulger says he can't afford to hire his own lawyer even though lawmen found more than $800,000 in cash in his apartment.

George Anthony's alleged affair, Lee Anthony's word versus his mother. A whole lot of family drama in the Casey Anthony trial today.

These are live pictures of that trial under way right now in Orlando, Florida.

Plus, the defense goes after the man who found little Caylee's body. You don't not want to miss the riveting details. We will get you up to speed right after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Back in Orlando today there was a lot of Anthony family drama over little Caylee and the search for her body. Casey Anthony's dad, mom and brother all returned to the stand. The defense grilled George Anthony about an alleged affair and pitted mom against son. Now, that was just some of the drama before Anthony's attorneys turned their focus to this man, the meter reader who found Caylee's body.

You're looking at a live picture now inside the courtroom. The trial still under way this hour in Orlando.

The defense is still questioning Roy Kronk. He is the meter reader, as we said, who found Caylee's body.

So, to weigh in all of this, Holly Hughes, a former prosecutor and now a criminal defense attorney. She's here with me in studio.

We'll get to the Anthony family in a moment. I first want to ask you about Roy Kronk, the meter reader.

He found the body, he called it in. We have the 911 calls that were just played in court. The defense is claiming that he took little Caylee's body and hid it.

How do you think he did in court today?

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think he's holding up pretty well. It's pretty safe to say he doesn't come across as a criminal mastermind. OK?

So he is thinking very carefully about his answers. And I think he comes across as not having any guile.

This is not a man who is trying to trip anybody up. He's thinking very carefully. He's being deliberate. He's saying, I might have said that, but I'm not sure.

KAYE: Because the defense is basically just trying -- all they have to do is confuse the jury, right by trying to --

HUGHES: That's exactly right.

KAYE: -- maybe raise that maybe he was involved and it wasn't Casey?

HUGHES: Right. Exactly. And if they can do that, if they can convince somebody on that jury that Roy Kronk put the Duct tape on those remains, they take the murder weapon out of Casey's hands. And that's what they're going for.

They also are trying to go for a little confusion. You know, confusion creates reasonable doubt, is what we hear. And so they're hoping that if they can throw enough mud at the wall, something will stick, and it will, at the very least, hang up the jury on those major counts, those first-degree murder charges.

KAYE: So how do you think they did? Do you think he helped the defense today?

HUGHES: I don't think so. He just does not come across as somebody who was going to involve themselves in this.

You know, that's just my opinion, but I've seen a lot of people testify in my trials, and these high-profiles trials that I've commented on. And he's doing what he's supposed to be doing.

He says, I called, I report that I see this body. Nobody does anything about it, so I go back out there a couple months later, because that's my route, that's where I am.

It's not like he went 80 miles out of his way to do this thing. It's just where he happens to be. He goes back and he goes, it's still there. I mean, somebody should really do something about this.

KAYE: So he calls again.

HUGHES: So he calls again and they go out and they find that it's there.

KAYE: Another key witness on the stand today, George Anthony, Casey's father. They were really grilling him. The defense was really grilling him about his alleged involvement, an affair with one of the volunteers who was out searching for Caylee, suggesting that he had an affair with her.

How critical was that testimony?

HUGHES: Well, it's important because it goes to some of the defense's main theories, which are, number one, George is a liar and capable of deception. And number two, this family is so incredibly dysfunctional, that any strange behavior on the part of their client is not her fault.

So it's critical that they try to prove George Anthony is a liar, because if he's lying about covering up an affair, Randi, and he's lying about making this statement to that woman that it was an accident that snowballed out of control, then what else is he lying about? When he told the jury he didn't molest his daughter, was that a lie? When he said he didn't know anything about a swimming pool drowning, was that a lie?

So that's where they're going with this. And they're going to bring her up to the stand, that woman -- her name is Krystal Holloway, AKA River Cruz. They're going to put her on the stand and she's going to say the exact opposite of George Anthony. And it's going to come down to credibility. Who does the jury believe?

KAYE: Credibility and confusion. That seems to be what it's all about in Orlando these days, right?

HUGHES: It is indeed.

KAYE: Well, it should wrap up though. The defense, expected to rest by the end of the week? We think.

HUGHES: I think so. Yes, absolutely.

If their client does not take the stand, I think they're running out of steam. What's left?

They've challenged all the forensics, they've put the family members back up multiple times. They're now attacking Roy Kronk. If they put up Krystal Holloway, I think that's it, unless they're crazy enough to put their client on the stand.

KAYE: Which I know how you feel about that. We can't get into that now.

All right, Holly. Appreciate it. Thank you.

HUGHES: Thank you.

KAYE: Your computer is under constant attack, putting your privacy at risk. Well, we are going in depth to see how you can protect your identity.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: "CNN In-Depth" today, and we're looking at your privacy under attack.

Hackers are launching attacks all the time using sophisticated software. Their tricks of the trade make it surprisingly easy to steal your personal information, including, yes, your passwords.

So, how can you protect your identity? Our Dan Rivers takes a look at the growing problem and has tips on how to protect yourself.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Virtual attacks on computers are increasing dramatically each year. Computer security specialist McAfee says the first quarter of 2011 was their busiest ever.

Expert Alex Hinchliffe shows me a map with the distribution of just one of those malicious programs.

ALEX HINCHLIFFE, COMPUTER SECURITY EXPERT: The infection is spread across PCs ranging from West Coast to America East Coast, South America, even fairly remote parts of Africa. And then large clusters, or larger dots indicated on the map are either going to be more densely-populated cities or they're going to be were the malware has actually spread much faster or more widespread than other countries.

RIVERS (on camera): And this is just one piece of malware. And you're finding how many each day?

HINCHLIFFE: Around 50,000, 60,000 a day on average.

RIVERS: So it's a massive, massive problem.

HINCHLIFFE: It is, yes.

RAJ SAMANI, COMPUTER SECURITY SPECIALIST, MCAFEE: We've seen a steady growth in the password stealing type of malware. So, you know, for example, being able to install some software on to your computer, capture your passwords for sites that you may be using, and then using that for potentially identity theft or financial gain.

RIVERS (voice-over): Pete Wood is self-proclaimed ethical hacker who tests companies' cybersecurity by posing as the real thing, and knows plenty on the dark side.

PETE WOOD, "ETHICAL HACKER": There might be hacktivists, people who have a particular political agenda. They might be criminals who are out to make money, or they might just be showing off to their friends.

RIVERS: So, just to give you an idea of how vulnerable most computers are, let's just pretend I'm sitting here typing an e-mail to my bank, and Pete is over there trying to hack in and grab the information.

Just tell me what you've managed to do.

WOOD: Well, I've infected your computer with what's called Remote Access Trojan, or RAT, to its friends. And you might have got that through clicking on an e-mail link or going to a Web site.

Now I've got complete control of your computer. I can watch what you type, see what's on your screen, even steal your passwords.

RIVERS (voice-over): The solution, be very skeptical about unsolicited e-mails.

SAMANI: Always think to yourself, before I actually enter my details onto a Web site, before I actually click on this link, did I actually apply for this?

RIVERS: And be cautious about which Web sites you browse. McAfee, which sells Web security software, says it monitors 8,500 new malicious Web sites being set up each day.

Dan Rivers, CNN, Aylesbury, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Well, people in the flooded city of Minot, North Dakota, are now being forced to conserve water. We'll tell you why, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back.

Raging wildfires have forced a mandatory evacuation for the town of Los Alamos, New Mexico. So far, more than 10,000 people are affected.

Meanwhile, just a few miles away, fires continue to burn near the Los Alamos National Lab. The nuclear research facility is closed for the second day in a row, as firefighters battle brisk winds and warm temperatures. Officials say all hazardous materials at the lab are protected and the lab faces no immediate threat.

Right now in Minot, North Dakota residents are under orders to conserve water a day after rushing floodwaters apparently broke a water main. Utility crews are working to repair the damage and restore normal water flow. Already 36,000 residents have been evacuated and homes and businesses still remain under water due to record flooding. A city spokesman says it will be at least a week or two before many residents can return to their homes to take a look at the damage.

Meanwhile in Nebraska, Nebraska's Fort Calhoun nuclear plant is surrounded by floodwaters. But the manager insists there is no likelihood of a disaster like the Fukushima meltdown in Japan. Officials say the floodwaters have not breached the walls of the plant. They say the necessary actions have been taken to ensure the safety of all that the material inside.

Sarah Palin is in Iowa today for a big movie premiere. We'll tell you all about it right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Thirty-two minutes past the hour. Let's check the headlines, shall we, and some other news you may have missed.

President Obama is in Bettendorf, Iowa today, where he visited the Alcoa plant and spoke about manufacturing and the economy. His visit to the battleground state follows that of former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who hammered the president on the economy Saturday. The president is looking to rally support on his policies and pointed to the Alcoa plant as a success story. The plant currently employs more than 2,000 workers, the same amount as it did prior to the recession.

The president isn't the only high-profile political figure in Iowa today. He's sharing the spotlight with Sarah Palin, who is in Pella, Iowa to attend the premiere of a new documentary about her political past. But it is her political future that has people scratching their heads. Like her bus tour around Memorial Day, her decision to attend the premiere is raising more speculation that she will jump into the Republican presidential race.

Lorenzo Charles, often remembered as the basketball player who scored the winning dunk for North Carolina State in the 1983 national championship game, died in a bus wreck in Raleigh, North Carolina yesterday. According to police, there were no passengers on the bus with Charles. Tire tracks at the scene showed the bus drove off the interstate and sustained heavy damage to its front end. Charles, who was 47 years old, went on to play for the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA after his time at North Carolina State.

In a time of violent protests, playing host to the Special Olympics has served as a rare bright spot for Greece. An enthusiastic crowd gathers at the Olympic stadium over the weekend to welcome 7,000 athletes from over 180 countries. They've come to Athens to realize their athletic dreams. The competition kicked off Saturday with an opening ceremony that featured performance by musician and songwriter Stevie Wonder. The games will last until July 4th.

So, what's behind the angry protests in Greece? We are going "Globe Trekking," next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Today's "Globe Trekking" segment begins in Greece where there were more demonstrations and a general strike today. Ralista Vessileva joins us from CNN International. We've seen so many pictures of the protests there. Remind us if you will what this is all about?

RALISTA VESSILEVA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's about a package of austerity measures that the Greek parliament must pass tomorrow or the day after in order for the country to be saved from default. It's creditors are the European Union, European Central Bank and the IMF. And they've said unless Greece passes those painful austerity measures, they're not getting this aid. So, that's what it's all about.

Today, they've been particularly violent. They've been out on the streets in front of parliament saying we are not leaving, we don't want you to do this. Because this is a second round of austerity measures for Greece. They say, enough. We've done enough, we can't handle this any more.

KAYE: And they have this two day strike now underway in protest. And it's certainly getting more violent. What are the chances that this package will pass, do you think, and they will get this bailout money they need?

VESSILEVA: Well, Parliament has no choice but to pass it. And they think they have enough votes. The ruling socialist party, the (INAUDIBLE) has a slim majority of five. And the prime minister reshuffled his government a few weeks ago because he had to have all the party on board for this. And they think it will pass.

However, there are some who are wavering from the socialist party, saying, we're not sure. We're still thinking about it, but -- they expect it will pass.

KAYE: Yes. They certainly need it because it could have a worldwide effect.

VESSILEVA: Absolutely. They say if the Greek banks -- if Greece defaults, that creates a perception for sovereign debt in Europe, the European banks, particularly the French banks are exposed to Greek debt. And the U.S. is also interconnected and exposed to the European banks.

So, some are even using the word Lehman Brothers, the 2008 collapse that that this could have a contagion. It's perception, and that's what they're worried about. How will the markets perceive this?

KAYE: I want to ask you now about what's happening in Afghanistan. This story, I found so disturbing. That's why I have to ask you about it. This eight-year-old girl was used as a suicide bomber in Afghanistan unknowingly. She had no idea what she was carrying.

VESSILEVA: Yes, that's what the Afghan authorities say. They gave this little girl a bag and said, why don't you go and give this bag to those nice police officers over there? And as she approached their vehicle, the insurgents detonated the explosives in that bag by remote control. It killed the little girl, it did not kill anybody else. Nobody else was injured.

And this is a very disturbing development, Randi, because it's relatively new. They have not really used children in that way.

KAYE: Because probably because they're so unsuspecting, right? You see a young child approach you, you're not going to think that something like that would happen?

VESSILEVA: Yes.

KAYE: On a lighter note, one of my favorite stories of the day, is Kate Middleton and the dress.

VESSILEVA: Yes.

KAYE: First of all, I love Wimbledon, love to see them there. She's wearing this gorgeous off-white dress. That's the tradition at Wimbledon to wear white. Right? The next thing you know? it sells like crazy.

VESSILEVA: In 30 minutes, they sold all their dresses online, this boutique called Temperley. In 30 minutes, they were sold out. But you know, she paid full price, $1,200. And now it's half-price. So, they're not sure if she paid the full price or the half price.

KAYE: So, even at Wimbledon, I mean, every designer is going to be clamoring to dress her. Whatever she wears seems to get scooped up.

VESSILEVA: Exactly. She has the golden touch.

KAYE: Apparently! She made quite a showing there, I know she met with Andy Murray as well. One of the players.

VESSILEVA: And he won!

KAYE: And he won! And he was all sweaty and concerned about hugging her, being all sweaty with the dress. It was very interesting.

All right, Relista, thank you.

VESSILEVA: Pleasure.

KAYE: Pleasure to have you on the show today. Well, next, we are talking to the director of a preschool that is trying to shatter all gender roles. The school actually avoids using words like him or her, encouraging students to address each other as, quote, "friends." You're not going to want to miss this story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: We told about you this right before the break. There's a preschool in Sweden that is fighting gender-related stereotypes in a, well, very interesting way. They encourage the staff and students to avoid using terms like him or her, addressing each other as friends. They put building blocks near the kitchen to show there's no difference between construction and cooking. No predetermined expectations for the kids, and no emphasis that historically male or female roles are better than the other.

For more on this, Lotta Rajalin is the director of the Egalia Preschool. She joins me now from Stockholm. Thank you so much for coming on the show. This program that you have there really caught our eye today, and that's why we invited you on today. Tell us what inspired you to make this school the way it is?

LOTTA RAJALIN, DIRECTOR, EGALIA PRESCHOOL (via Skype): Of course, it's a lot of things. But the most important thing is I want to give all the children the whole life. The whole spectrum of life. The whole world, not just half.

KAYE: And do you feel that other schools are not doing it right in how they teach the students and how they treat the students, or was this just something you felt strongly about trying?

RAJALIN: I have been working in primary schools and ordinary schools for 30 years. And I can see that we (INAUDIBLE) treat boys and girls in different ways. And, of course, that is not good for them. They should have the whole world of opportunities.

KAYE: And how do you explain it to the students? How do you explain to them what your program is all about and what you're trying to do? And do they understand it?

RAJALIN: We don't have to explain for small children what we do and why we do, we just do it. And that is what is so important of the school, that the teachers there, they use methods -- that doesn't make difference between boys and girls. We treat them in the same way.

KAYE: I would imagine that -- I understand that, you don't call them boys and girls, you call them friends or him and her. I'm curious what the reaction has been in the community. Has it all been positive? Are there any detractors there?

RAJALIN: No, it -- most is - most is very positive. We have also people who misunderstood the whole thing, and they think that we want to make - what? Yes. Turn boys to be girls and girls to be boys. And that's not what we are working for. Absolutely not. We are working with a social gender, not with the biological gender. That's a big difference. KAYE: And why do you want to do this? What is so important about it? What is the ultimate goal that you think these children will take away from this type of teaching?

RAJALIN: I think that all our - what? All our children, they get - they get self-confidence and they get a democratic view on themselves and other people. And this is the human way of learning. All people can get what they need, what they want. They get the same responsibilities, the same opportunities and the same rights.

KAYE: It is certainly an interesting program. Lotta Rajalin, thank you so much for coming on and telling us about it. We appreciate your time.

All right. So, now, you've heard how the school works but is it really a good idea? We'll put that question to our Stream Team. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Time now for a CNN political update. CNN political producer Shannon Travis joining me now from Washington.

Hi, Shannon! What's burning up the ticker at this hour?

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Well, hey there, Randi. Well, we know that presidential candidate Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is widely popular with a lot of Tea Party activists and what not. She's rising in some of the polls.

But there's a man named Ron Kerry, who's her former chief of staff who says that she is not ready to be president. Now, Ron Kerry wrote an op-ed in "The Des Moines Register." Take a listen at some of the things he says. He says he knows Tim Pawlenty, another presidential candidate very well and Bachmann, and that Bachmann isn't ready.

Here's one quote from this op-ed. Quote, "Our party is too important to entrust its nomination to a candidate not seasoned and ready to lead. Conservatives rightly state that our current president appears unprepared and inexperienced when facing difficult challenges. Let's not make the same mistake again."

CNN has reached out to Bachmann's campaign for a response. She hasn't responded directly to this, or they haven't responded directly to this. Earlier this morning on the "Today Show," she did say that you can expect a lot of negative attacks now that she's actually jumped in the race.

One other thing we're watching, Randi, a little bit of surprise to us, Sarah Palin has decided whether she'll run for president or not. But apparently, they're keeping it all in the family. Now, this concerns Bristol Palin. Her daughter told Fox News today that her mom has decided if she will run, but they're keeping it in the family for now. A lot of us anxious what that decision is, Randi.

KAYE: Yes, I wonder how long are they going to string that out. All right, Shannon, appreciate it! Thank you.

TRAVIS: You got it.

KAYE: Before the break we told about you a school in Stockholm, Sweden that has done away with all gender-related stereotypes. There's no him or her, just "friends." No labeling, no predetermined paths for the kids. It's up to them to make up their own minds, but is it really a good idea?

That's the question we're going to put to our Stream Team today. On the team is Jennifer Koppleman Hutt, XM Sirius radio personality and mother of two. Hello. And clinical psychologist Jeff Gardere.

Jennifer, I'm going to start with you. Is this a good idea? What do you think?

JENNIFER KOPPLEMAN HUTT, SIRIUS XM RADIO PERSONALITY: I kind of think it's ridiculous. So, with no pronouns being used in this Swedish school, let's make it American. Because I know they're using the word "hen," which is a made-up Swedish word.

So, here we would use the word it when calling our children. "It, can you go get this? It, can you do that? It, are you having a good time?" I mean, really? This is taking too far.

My mom, who I loved very much, used to say that sometimes people become overcorrected. This is an example of overcorrecting. I get that gender stereotyping is not a good idea, but to go this far in the other direction? Please.

KAYE: Jeff, I have to ask you to respond to that. What's your take on this. Is this a major over correction?

JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: I don't think it is. I think maybe the school is being a little rigid in the way that they are trying to destroy, as they should, gender stereotypes. But I think it's a very interesting experiment.

We've been seeing it here in the United States. If you remember the story of the couple that refused to identify the sexuality of their child. This isn't the first time it's happened. It's happening more and more.

And we need to understand, this is not just about getting rid of gender stereotype. It's about opening the minds of our children to be more progressive, to look at equality more, which is what the name of the school stands for, by the way, equality. And to make sure that they are ready for the brave new world where the old family structure is now rapidly, rapid changing.

KAYE: Jennifer, you can have a quick response there.

HUTT: Here's my quick response. I agree with you, the family structure is changing, and that's terrific because there's so many different people and we should embrace all kinds of people. Everyone is equally good. But to have any sort of experiment like you just said in a preschool, I think can be damaging in general. Preschool is there for the kids to learn, play with blocks, play with toys, whatever that may be. But an experiment at any sort in a preschool, not great. Our kids are there to thrive, not to be an experiment that we look at later. I don't love that idea!

KAYE: Jeff, do you think it could confuse the kids for later on in life?

GARDERE: Well, I think if that was the only exposure they had, of course, there may be some confusion, because the world doesn't work in that way. We wish that it would.

But I think part of what's going on here is there isn't a balance in what these kids are getting. Of course, they're getting this kind of curriculum in their school. But at the same time when it comes to the outside world, when it comes to home, when it comes to media and television, they'll get more of that structured approach.

So, I think it's a very good balance. And as far as exposing kids at a very young age to experimentation, I think this is more than just an experiment. So, let me use a different term here. It's really about exposing them to new ideas. And the younger they are, the more that kids learn and are able to make choices later in life.

KAYE: Jennifer wants in bad here. Go for it.

HUTT: Yes. I just want to say, I think it is confusion. I have to disagree with you! Because if at school, you're referred to as an it and not a he or she or a him or a her, then you leave and someone calls you he or she, and it's like, wait, I thought I was an it.

GARDERE: Well, Jennifer, I absolutely hear how you feel about it, and I'm actually open to it. And I think that is what this school is about. And what it should be about, opening up our kids' minds to different ways of thinking, different points of view. I think it becomes dangerous when we only program them in one particular way and they don't see opposing points of view.

HUTT: Let me just say one more thing. It's not about programming at all. It's about the fact that typically, let's say men have more testosterone than women. And typically, women have larger breasts than men. Frankly, there are some gender differences, which is why we are given pronouns like he and she.

Of course, everyone should be able to play with whatever toy he or she wants to play with and to be able to be with whoever he or she wants to be with. But to deny that there's actual differences of any sort I think is ridiculous.

KAYE: All right, Jeff, you have the last 15 seconds.

GARDERE: All right. Well, I hope they're not trying to deny what a person is is as far as sexuality. Certainly you should be who you were born to be, and that's something that you should keep in mind. And Randi is correct about that.

KAYE: All right. Jennifer, Jeff, wow. We could talk about this for a long time. But we can't, unfortunately. So, thank you both for coming on. Great discussion. Appreciate it.

Well, some people will do anything -- and I mean anything to get a free upgrade to first class. But what one guy did, I find outrageous. I'll tell you all about it in my "XYZ," next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Time now for my "XYZ."

I've done a lot of stories about guys pretending to be military for attention or raise donations that they then spend on themselves. There are groups that actually track this stuff. And today's fake soldier story is no less outrageous than those I've reported on before.

"The New York Post" has a story about a guy from Long Island, New York who posed as a U.S. soldier so he could get a first class upgrade. Port authority police says the 22-year-old was arrested for dressing up as a GI Joe wannabe in fatigues, complete with the buzz cut so he would get the bump-up to first class from JFK on a flight to the Dominican Republic. Police told the Post the guys has a history of pretending to be military for V.I.P treatment. He once reportedly smooth-talked his way into an airplane's cockpit, where he was photographed sitting at the controls.

But on Friday when he took a crack at this again, a customs officer asked him his rank and uh-oh. Turns out his answer didn't exactly match the insignia on his uniform. Oops.

He also couldn't produce a military ID. Pretty smart, eh? He's been charged with second-degree impersonation.

That will do it for me. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Brooke Baldwin. Hi, Brooke.