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Activity At Iranian Test Site; Unemployment Claims Increase; House Passes Jobs Act; Huge Solar Storm Bombards Earth; Royal Milestone; "Joe The Plumber" Runs For Office; James Cameron Taking Extreme Dive
Aired March 08, 2012 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi to all of you. Let's get you caught up on everything making news this hour, "Rapid Fire." Let's go.
First up, unexplained movement at an Iranian test site. Take a look at this with me. What does this mean? Western diplomats alleged it may represent some kind of cover up of work on nuclear weapons. Now Iran says that is -- First up here, unexplained movement at an Iranian test site. Take a look at this with me. What does this mean? Western diplomats allege it may represent some kind of cover-up of work on nuclear weapons. Now Iran says that is ridiculous. We're going to try to get to the bottom of this one coming up within the hour.
Also, if you are one of those people -- right here perhaps -- who needs a GPS to help you get around sometimes, you might have a little trouble over the next couple of days. Why? Two massive solar flares erupted from the sun late Tuesday that sent billions of tons of highly charged particles headed our way. And they have the potential to disrupt electronics, power grids and those crucial GPS satellites.
Jobs. A four letter word that Democrats and Republicans can agree on. Jobs, as in, we need more of them. The House passed the Jobs Act today -- and the vote was 390-23 -- after weeks of positive talk -- positive talk between the White House and House Republicans. The bill contains several measures aimed at removing barriers to small business investments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I think this bill will make it easier for businesses and startups to put the capital that they need together in order to grow jobs in our country. I welcome the administration's support for this measure and I hope that the Senate Democrats will take this up in an expeditious fashioning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: And heads up if you do drive a Toyota. A huge recall to tell you about. Six hundred and eighty thousand cars and trucks including Tacomas, Camrys and Venzas. The truck recall involves these Tacoma airbags. The cars are being recalled because of some kind of brake light switch problem that could leave them stuck in park. And Apple making headlines again today. Nope, not talking about that new iPad. "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting that the Department of Justice is planning to sue Apple, along with five major publishers, for allegedly teaming up to fix the price of eBooks. Some publishers reportedly in settlement talks now with the DOJ and that could lead to cheaper eBooks for all of you.
Cindy McCain says she will not be watching the new HBO movie called "Game Change." McCain told Piers Morgan she believes it will give an inaccurate portrayal of her husband, Senator John McCain, and his former running mate, former governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. Mrs. McCain says Palin has been unfairly criticized.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CINDY MCCAIN, SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN'S WIFE: Sarah Palin is a remarkable individual. And whether you agree or disagree with Sarah, she has served our country loyally. She has been a good stalwart for many, many years. And I think any depiction of any woman particularly that is unfair in that way is just -- it's wrong. It's wrong.
I lived this. And from what -- from everything I've read and heard, it doesn't even resemble what took place. So I can go to Disneyland for fiction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Will Sarah Palin be watching the movie? No, she will not be. The movie is set to premiere this coming Saturday.
To Indiana now and an up-close look at the damage from Friday's deadly tornadoes. All that is now left behind. In fact, this is what remains of a gym at Henryville High School. The restoration company that is rebuilding the school says from a structural standpoint, much of the school is intact and can be salvaged despite some of these pictures.
And Wells Fargo customers in six more states can kiss their free checking accounts good-bye. Beginning May 4th, the bank's new $7 monthly fee will be kicking in and it will affect customers with, quote unquote, essential checking in Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. This new fee went into effect in Western states last year.
And in North Carolina, a woman fainted during the president's speech at an auto plant there on Wednesday. The president did take notice. Actually called for paramedics and joked around with the crowd just a little bit right afterward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Think about that, 15,000. Looks like somebody might have fainted up here. Have we got -- somebody -- EMS? Somebody? Don't worry about -- folks do this all the time in my meetings. I mean I -- hey, you always got to eat before you stand for a long time. That's a little tip. But they'll be OK. Just make sure that -- give them a little room.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Eat before you stand, so says the president.
We are just getting started here. A lot more for you in the next two hours. Watch this.
Imagine a building twice this size built in just two weeks. How would you feel about staying there? We have this incredible time lapse video. I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
An unemployed woman wins a million dollar lottery. Sounds great, right? Well now we've learned she was still getting welfare, food stamps, after her big win. We'll hear from her this hour.
Plus, a massive amount of energy smacks into Earth. Find out how we're feeling the effects of these solar flares right here on our planet today.
Also, a New York soccer mom by day, allegedly a high paid madamee by night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was trying to set up a dating website which would rival match.com.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: We'll tell you about her big arrest, her home in the 'burbs, and her apartment in the city.
And this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CAMERON, DIRECTOR/EXPLORER: This is the last unexplored frontier on the planet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Seven miles under the sea, movie mogul James Cameron planning a monster record-breaking trip to the world's deepest point. We have incredible access to Cameron's ship during test dives this hour on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: There is some funky stuff basically happening in an Iranian test site. At least maybe. And that's the thing because it's really hard to say precisely what these satellite photos mean. Take a look at this. This is a base near Tehran suspected of carrying out research on nuclear weapons triggers. Western diplomats are telling us today that if you look at these pictures closely enough, really, really closely, you will see earth moving vehicles. And what that means, say these diplomats, is that Iran is trying to cover something up. What is that precisely? That's not clear. Iran is saying the notion is, quote unquote, childish and ridiculous.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI ASGHAR SOLTANIEH, IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE IAEA: This is a childish, ridiculous story that some are making. Does that answer your question?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are there -- is there any kind of construction activity going on at the site?
SOLTANIEH: I said, this is a ridiculous childish story they are making out of something which is nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Now, there is a lot of talk today in Vienna. That's the headquarters of the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency. And that's where we find our Matthew Chance.
So, Matthew, if -- and this is a big if -- if Iran is covering something up there, is anything or anyone really prepared to venture a guess as to what that might be?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's no real secret that this is a military facility used to test and develop weapons. The accusation is that in 2003, or sometime before then, it was used by the Iranians, this site, to test explosive triggers for nuclear bombs, essentially. That's never been proven, of course. IAEA inspectors, U.N. nuclear inspectors, in January this year, and February, last month, tried to get in to inspect the facility. They were denied access by the Iranians because the Iranians said they basically hadn't come to an agreement as to what exactly they're going to look for. But it all kind of fuels this suspicion, doesn't it, that Iran has something to hide. If it didn't have something to hide, they should have just let them in perhaps and let them have a look around.
BALDWIN: Something though, Matthew, that, you know, that is kind of getting overlooked in all of this are the usually positive comments today from the supreme Iranian cleric. You have Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying recent remarks by President Obama represent a quote, unquote, "window of opportunity" for diplomacy. And he said that the president's comments at that news conference on Tuesday appear to indicate that he is no longer being in delusion. I want to play some sound just quickly as to what the president said this past Tuesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At this stage, it is my belief that we have a window of opportunity where this can still be resolved diplomatically. That's not just my view. That's the view of our top intelligence officials. It's the view of top Israeli intelligence officials.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So, Matthew, you have the president, you have Iran's supreme leader speaking of this, quote, unquote, window of opportunity to resolve this dispute over the nuclear program in Iran. Might there be momentum building in that direction?
CHANCE: There is, definitely, momentum building in that direction. In fact, the five permanent members of the security council, including the United States, of course, along with Germany, the so-called P5 plus one group, have already announced that they've -- that they're going to resume negotiations with Iran about its nuclear program. They haven't said where that's going to take place yet or when it's going to take place, but the expectation, Brooke, is it's going to happen perhaps as early as the end of this month or the beginning of next month. And so there has been this decision taken by the U.S. and its allies and Iran as well to get back to the negotiating table to try and hammer out some kind of agreement. Now, whether or not this is another delaying tactic by Iran is something that we're just going to have to wait and see about.
BALDWIN: We will. Matthew Chance for us in Vienna. Matthew, appreciate it.
Back here, some not so great unemployment numbers out today. This all comes as the House of Representatives voting on a jobs bill. We're going to get you live coverage from both the New York Stock Exchange and Capitol Hill after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: First time claims for unemployment, they are up. Numbers released just this morning by the Labor Department show 362,000 people filed for benefits in the week ending March 3. That is 8,000 more than the previous week. Alison Kosik live at the New York Stock Exchange.
And, Alison, I thought we had a pretty good trend lately job- wise. Is this a reversal?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, you're not wrong about it. You know, the trend, Brooke, it has been pretty good lately. And just, you know, the people that we're talking about are people who were signing up for government unemployment benefits for the first time. And you're right because new claims have been around or below that 400,000 mark since October. And being below 400,000 pretty much signifies a healthier job market.
But, you know, there's been a change in the past few weeks. Last week new claims rose by 8,000. The week before they were up 1,000. You know, these aren't huge increases. But we're also not seeing any major moves down either. So what you really see are claims kind of stuck. Stuck in neutral. Even Fed Chief Ben Bernanke, last week, said the job market is far from normal.
Brooke. BALDWIN: Well, as we talk far from normal, we know tomorrow's a big day. The government's, you know, monthly employment report is due.
KOSIK: Right.
BALDWIN: Are today's numbers perhaps a foreshadowing of a lackluster unemployment rate?
KOSIK: You know what, the unemployment rate, you can expect it probably to be kind of stuck in neutral again. The unemployment rate's expected to stay at 8.3 percent. We'll learn for sure tomorrow. The Fed forecast from January, it only sees unemployment dropping to 8.2 percent this year with the expectation it will be in the low 7 percent range the next year.
So the takeaway with all these numbers I'm throwing at you is that the normal job market that we consider normal is years away. You know, before the recession, 5 percent unemployment. That was considered a sign of a healthy job market.
But let me leave you with some good news here. Employers are hiring. The expectation is more than 200,000 jobs were added in February. If that does come out tomorrow to be the case, that would be three months in a row of job growth above 200,000. But, guess what, it's not enough to move the unemployment rate down. We need to see this strong job growth month after month after month and it could take years before we kind of get back to normal.
Brooke.
BALDWIN: Speaking of strong job growth, Alison, thank you.
You know, the numbers here that Alison was just talking about, coming out as the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passes the Jobs Act. And what this is, this is a plan to help small businesses, startups and it has solid support from both sides of the aisle. Let's go to congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan there for us on The Hill.
And, Kate, to be clear here, this isn't the more ambitious jobs act that we've been hearing from the White House, correct? Same acronym, different initiative.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Same acronym, different initiative. But, I mean, we should not -- we should make sure we reinforce so people don't think that they're hearing -- they're having problems hearing well. There was a bipartisan -- there was bipartisan support for this bill. This, generally speaking, was a package of measures to help small businesses in several ways, including helping small businesses attract new investors, as well as helping small business and businesses to go public. And the thinking is, by helping small business, it will help create jobs.
And it was a bipartisan vote today. Three hundred and ninety to 23. That does not happen very much or at all up here anymore. But it will probably not surprise you that there's more to it up here than just that. It's not just bipartisanship. I think you could probably think of it as bipartisanship for pretty partisan reasons. If you can wrap your mind around that, this is what I -- this is what I mean.
Both sides, of course, want to help the economy. But through this vote, this does help House Republicans to rebut the ongoing criticisms and attacks from the president, as well as Democrats, who charge that they're not doing anything. That they are obstructionists. And by pushing a very popular and non-controversial set of measures, it does allow House Republicans in the majority to point to a success. Listen here to a pretty candid assessment from the number two House Republican, Eric Cantor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ERIC CANTOR (R-VA), MAJORITY LEADER: What we're trying to do is to regain the confidence of the people that sent us here. And by having a win like this, I think we can demonstrate that we really can work together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: And that they did. But, still, Democrats are -- like the top Democrat in the House, are downplaying still the significance of this vote, saying that it still does not go far enough to create jobs. Listen here to Nancy Pelosi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: Because it's so meager. You know, trumpet, ta-ta-ta-ta. Here comes the little king. This is -- this is -- yes, and it's bipartisan. Yes, it's a good thing. We've passed these -- four of them I think we've passed -- a number of them we've passed already with over 400 votes. OK already. We've done it. It's good. Let's do it again. But let's not mistake it for what we need to do for a real serious comprehensive jobs bill for our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: So, clearly, Brooke, the disagreements do continue up here, but something did happen up here that does not happen very much at all anymore, which is a bipartisan vote and a bipartisan agreement around a piece of legislation.
BALDWIN: I like that, Nancy Pelosi, ta-ta. But it makes sense. Bipartisanship for partisan reasons. We'll see what happens in the Senate. Kate Bolduan, thank you.
And now to something a lot of you are talking about, billions of tons of highly charged particles, they are bombarding the earth as we speak. No, this is not the end of the world, folks. But some of our modern conveniences, perhaps cell phones, could go on the fritz as a result. And the problem goes back to our sun. So I'm going to hop up and I'm going to walk to Reynolds Wolf.
Hello, sir.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You have to admit, though, on the face of this, doesn't it sound like the most daunting thing in the entire world.
BALDWIN: A solar flare.
WOLF: A solar flare. A solar storm.
BALDWIN: I'm not that worried. Is that OK?
WOLF: I think it's OK. I think we're going to be all right. Originally NOAA believed that it was going to be a bit stronger. They have a scale, just like a Saffir-Simpson scale that we judge hurricanes by.
BALDWIN: OK.
WOLF: It goes from G1 being very weak to a G5. They said in a statement earlier today, they think it's going to be closer to a G1. But the thing to remember about the sun, and this is an image that we have -- it's from the pulsing effects you have on the sun -- is that unlike say a light bulb that we have here in the studio or that you might have at home, the sun is not just a constant. It is a pulsating orb of energy.
BALDWIN: OK.
WOLF: It changes quite a bit. So these are some of the more grand fluctuations that we'll notice. We'll also notice in this image, get a mock-up of some sun spots which show, again, some of the unequal heating or cooling of the sun. Obviously these are some of the hotter spots. And if you're wondering what precisely it can do, you're talking about the interference with the GPS.
BALDWIN: That's what I want to know about, GPS.
WOLF: It can happen. Absolutely it can happen.
BALDWIN: So over the course of the next couple days?
WOLF: I would say possibly through Monday.
BALDWIN: Wow.
WOLF: And it's weird how it can effect obviously radio blackouts, especially in the northern half. At least the -- I would say the part of the globe that is closest to the sun. High power grid outages certainly a possibility. Here's the thing you were talking about, the GPS and satellite interruptions.
BALDWIN: The GPS.
WOLF: We don't want that to happen. But, yes, you could make a drive to Tullahoma, Tennessee, this weekend and then all of a sudden you find out, wait, my GPS is not working. BALDWIN: Wait --
WOLF: You can blame the sun for that.
BALDWIN: Are you telling me to print out my back-up Google map version of directions?
WOLF: We don't need you to go back into the days of Lewis and Clark in terms of navigation. But, yes, it might be a good idea to have a backup.
There is one cool thing, though. The opportunity --
BALDWIN: Yes, pretty pictures.
WOLF: Pretty pictures.
BALDWIN: Talk to me.
WOLF: But, well, to talk to you about the pretty pictures, we've got to find decent weather. And it appears the best place in the country to see them, mainly up in the northern tier states. Maybe into Chicago, if you're lucky. Minneapolis, Billings, maybe even Denver. The problem with that is going to be, though, we have a full moon. And with a full moon, it's going to be really hard to see --
BALDWIN: Bright lights.
WOLF: Yes, picture perfect conditions for this. Probably not going to happen.
BALDWIN: And, quickly, about when? Midnight?
WOLF: It's going to be on and off through Monday.
BALDWIN: OK.
WOLF: Obviously through the weekend and into Monday even you might have a shot of seeing it.
BALDWIN: OK, Reynolds, thank you very much.
WOLF: You bet.
BALDWIN: Now to this. Coming up next, two kids, 11 and five years old, found living in filth in this school bus, all while their parents are sitting in jail for stealing money from hurricane victims. This is a heartbreaking story out of Texas. We can do better, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: There is a story out of Texas that should remind all of us that we can do better. I want to show you a picture. It's a picture -- here it is -- of a bus. Take a close look here. Two children live there. A five-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl. And we're not naming them, but you can imagine them walking around the property, which, by the way, is full of trash. The kids' parents are in a federal prison for fraud. Their great-aunt lives there, but she works 12 hours a day. And the kids say, in the bus, they're being home- schooled. Yesterday morning someone tipped off authorities -- this is Montgomery County, Texas -- and deputies moved in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONSTABLE ROWDY HAYDEN, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TEXAS: Their living conditions did seem quite deplorable. It's tough. The children are obviously unkempt. There's an odor about the residence and the children. It's frustrating both as a parent and as a law enforcement officer in the community to see this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: It should be frustrating for each and every one of us to see this. There are so many more questions you can ask. How about when the parents were carted off to prison, was no one assigned to check up on these two young children, a five-year-old and 11-year-old? No one? They were just left with a relative. Was no one else involved with the parents' case assigned to check to see where that relative lived? No one? The kids say they were being home-schooled. Did anyone check up on that? If we can't do better than this, then what can we do? Just a thought.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: A New York mother raising two kids in the suburbs allegedly moonlights as a madamee in the city. Authorities say she wanted a website as big as match.com. Coming up in 60 seconds, how police say they brought down this erotic empire.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: I'm going to give you three words. You can piece them together: soccer, mom, madamee. That's right and this story is getting morning headlines in New York. Soccer mom busted as this alleged madame of a high end upper eastside brothel.
Here is Tony Aiello of our New York affiliate WCBS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIN DAVIS, FORMER MADAME: She tended to be sort of old school and kept a low key profile, dollars everything pen and paper. So I doubt there's much of a paper trail.
TONY AIELLO, CNN AFFILIATE, WCBS (voice-over): Former madame, Kristin Davis, who once procured prostitutes for former Governor Eliot Spitzer. Davis says Anna Christina had a reputation for offering a rotating cast of beautiful young women from the U.K. and Europe.
DAVIS: Dutch girls and London girls come here for a month and work and then go back home. So she was known for having more transient girls. AIELLO: The DA says ran an erotic empire from this non-descript building on East 78th Street. The indictment charging her with promoting prostitution includes a co-defendant whose name has been blacked out.
Multiple media outlets identify the co-defendant as Janie May Baker, a model who once worked for a high-end match making service. She's now reportedly being sought by police.
The name of the Morgan Stanley banker Cristina met with on the day of her arrest is also out, David Spencer Walker.
PETER GLEASON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: She was trying to set up a dating web site, which would rival match.com.
AIELLO: Defense lawyer Peter Gleason says Cristina was seeking legitimate funding for an internet business. At her home in Orange County today, her husband, Kelvin Gord, drove off in his Range Rover without comment.
Kristin Davis says if the DA is the correct and she made Cristina made millions over a decade or more, it was truly risky business.
DAVIS: To be in business for 10, 15 years one means you've got somebody tipping you off and two, it means you're a little bit delusional because this isn't a profession. This is just quick and easy money, get in and get out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Tony Aiello with WCBS. Next hour, we're going to talk more about the case. Is there a case to be had with legal analyst Sunny Hostin, next hour?
Meantime, the United Kingdom celebrating 60 years of Queen Elizabeth on the throne. Today, the queen begins her official tour. Max Foster, tough gig, in Jamaica with the details after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: A big day for Britain's royal family, no, no, there's no baby news to report yet, but the queen is celebrating 60 years as the head of the British monarchy.
Her husband, Phillip, the duke of Eden Borough and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge joined her majesty today for the start of her big diamond jubilee tour in the U.K.
The first stop, Lester England, Prince Harry is handling the overseas portion in the Caribbean where we find Max Foster still out and about where you've been to the Bahamas and Belize and now, sir you are in Jamaica.
Nice gig, as I said, but talk to me about the diamond jubilee tour. What's the significance? MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the queen is not just head of state in the United Kingdom. She's the head of state in 15 other countries, as well, and Jamaica is one of them. She wants to mark her diamond jubilee, 60 years on the throne by visiting all those countries where she's head of state.
She can't make it around the whole of the world, all these different countries from Asia to the Caribbean to South America. So she's just focusing on the U.K. tour, but she's sending her children and her grandchildren around the world for her.
So Prince Harry visited Belize, the Bahamas and here in Jamaica to represent her. So that's the idea of all of this. Lots of tours, every country where she is queen, but they'll get a sense of her through her family.
BALDWINL: Max, we'll talk about your quick catch up with Prince Harry in a moment. But I do want to ask you, how old was the queen when she took the throne, and what are her official duties?
FOSTER: Well, she was just 25 years old. So she was younger than William and Harry are now. They often talk about how remarkable that is. And if you imagine her first prime minister was Winston Churchill. She's met every president in living memory really apart from one, U.S. president that is.
So she's had an incredible insight on history really. That's what's so interesting when you look into her story. She doesn't have any political power. It's a purely ceremonial role. There was an example recently when she went to Ireland, a country where a British monarch who never visited since it became a republic.
She healed wounds really. She went in there as a guest. And there are huge sensitivities about the British in Ireland, but she healed wounds there. She does have a role in diplomacy, but no political power.
BALDWIN: I'm still back on, you know, thinking of where you are when you're 25 and becoming queen. That's stunning. We also, Max, have noticed the Duchess of Cambridge. She's more it seems in the public eye shopping with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the queen, as well.
FOSTER: Yes, most interesting. A source in Buckingham Palace did tell me they're in the legacy business now so the legacy business of the queen. And in a way, you could look at these recent visits where she's included Camilla and Kate as a way of handing over the role of royalty and helping through, teaching them the ropes.
Just today, Kate and the queen were in Lester, and there were huge crowds, and I don't think it does the queen any harm, Brooke, to have Kate there, as well. She's one of the most famous people in the world and it's a great way to start that U.K. tour, much of it she'll be doing on her own.
BALDWIN: People love seeing Kate. People also love seeing Prince Harry. Max, she's in Montego Bay representing the royal family. In fact, you caught up with him. How is he doing down there?
FOSTER: He's all right. I mean, he's had this amazing experience. He's done incredible things. He raced the fastest man in the world and beat him, Usain Bolt. It's been an extraordinary tale.
Just yesterday in a town here, he was on a walk about and they had to cut it short because he was moved. He's a huge star here it, bigger star than before he came here.
Last night to finish things off on this tour, he went to a beach party on an island off the coast here in Jamaica. I did join him feeling a bit touchy as eye witness, but I did meet up. He's thrilled the way it's gone.
Prince Charles and the queen have both complimented him. Interesting that he also has been getting texts from William during the tour, bits of advice all the way through. So William's been helping him along here, as well. These are brothers. They're a team, not just the heir and the spare.
BALDWIN: Dodgy, dodgy assignment as you say, on an island for a party with the prince. I am a little jealous. I wouldn't exactly say Prince Harry beat Usain Bolt in that race today. I think Mr. Bolt let him win.
Max Foster, thank you very much. If you want to keep up with the royal family, there is an official royal web site, royal.gov.uk and there's also a link if you want to follow with the diamond jubilee schedule and if you would like to send a message to the queen, you can do so.
It is not just regular folks that occasionally head to the pawnshop. The uber wealthy also need cash from time to time. Find out exactly how they do it, how much they get back.
But first, everyone has something in their home that bugs them. Maybe it's the alarm clocking that keeps going off at all hours, the kitchen light that keeps flickering. Whatever it is, chances are you have complained about it and you're not alone.
The Consumer Protection Safety Commission has released a list of the product categories that American consumers complain about the most. Here's the top five. Number five, your microwave, maybe it's the blinking clock, I don't know.
Number four, dishwashers, forcing many of you to clean the plates the old fashioned way. Number three, footwear, maybe more serious than broken heels or blisters. But what could be the top two products we are complaining about? Stand by for that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: We were talking before the break about the top five product categories that drive American consumers crazy. We talked about troublesome microwaves, dishwashers, footwear. So here you go, number two, refrigerators, and finally we really get annoyed with our electric ranges and ovens according to the CPSC. Top five product categories we complain about.
And now flashback to 2008, Barack Obama was a Democratic presidential candidate out and about on the campaign trail going up against John McCain.
And while on that campaign trail, remember Samuel Wurtzelbacker better known to many of us as "Joe The Plumber?" Remember him?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMUEL WURZELBACHER, "JOE THE PLUMBER": I'm getting ready to buy a company that makes 250, $270,000 a year. Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: That was quite the moment. That was the start of a cordial conversation about candidates Obama's tax plan. Four years later, President Obama is up for re-election and "Joe The Plumber" is a Republican candidate for Congress in Ohio backed by former GOP presidential candidate, Herman Cain.
And during an appearance on CNN's "EARLY START" this morning, Wurzelbacher got a little testy with my colleague, Zoraida Sambolin when she challenged him on some 2009 comments he made about the gay community.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: In your interview in 2009, in Christianity today, you made comments about gay people. We're going to put them up here for everybody to see.
Queer means strange and unusual. It's not like a slur. Like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You also said, I've had some friends that are actually homosexual.
I mean, they know where I stand and they know I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people and they're going to do their thing. Have you changed your positions on this at all?
WURZELBACHER: So this is TMZ. This isn't CNN is what you're saying.
SAMBOLIN: These are things that you said that I would like to know if you still stand by them or if you have changed your positions on them.
WURZELBACHER: No, I want everybody to have a job, Americans, as far as that goes.
SAMBOLIN: What about these comments that you made? Do you stand by these comments? WURZELBACHER: Listen, in my dictionary, in everyone's dictionary from the 1970s, the word queer did mean strange and unusual. There was no slur to it. Do you challenge that?
SAMBOLIN: No, I'm questioning whether or not you still stand by these positions.
WURZELBACHER: I'm trying to get where you're coming from.
SAMBOLIN: -- on homosexuality.
WURZELBACHER: What context are you using this in?
SAMBOLIN: The context that I'm using is --
WURZELBACHER: You're trying to do a gotcha moment. It's quite obvious.
SAMBOLIN: No, it's not a gotcha moment. These are things that you said. I think people who are voting for you should have an opportunity to understand whether or not you have changed your positions on these two issues here.
WURZELBACHER: I tell you what, I have spoke with Jimmy over at Go Proud and him and I are in agreement I'm going to work towards all Americans, homosexuals, straight. They want jobs. That's what it comes down to.
I'm allowed to have my opinions as an American. But it seems the left becomes very intolerant when you have an opinion other than what they state.
SAMBOLIN: Well, when you decide to run for political office and all of your opinions actually come back. Sometimes you need to explain them. I appreciate your time this morning.
WURZELBACHER: My opinions are mine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Zoraida Sambolin, Samuel Wurzelbacher, Wurzelbacher will be facing off against Democrat Marcy Captor in November to represent Ohio's 9th Congressional District.
You know, just yesterday, we told you that the world's richest man is $3 billion poorer this year. Not to worry, still, has $69 billion.
But I want to bring you the story of this country's richest, the so-called 1 percent and how they too are adjusting to tougher times. I understand maybe you're not feeling their pain. Here is CNN's Poppy Harlow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wonder if you guys are interested in an autographed album I have by Elvis Presley.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Maybe it's the TV shows like "Hardcore Pawn."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This thing is worth some bucks.
HARLOW: Or maybe it's the economy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a beautiful tiffany's pin.
HARLOW: But even rich folks are pawning stuff these days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did a $20,000 loan on this.
HARLOW (on camera): Who's coming in here and trying to get a loan from things like this?
JOSE CABA, U.S. GOLD BUYERS: A lot of people like to call them the 1 percent. We call them our client base.
HARLOW: These are rich people?
CABA: These are people who are well off who have extraordinary toys, but unfortunately are not liquid enough to keep them.
HARLOW (voice-over): And it's more expensive stuff than you might expect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a Rolex. It's about $90,000, platinum Rolex.
HARLOW: There's cognac, coin collections, and torahs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is actually 250-year-old torah.
HARLOW: Yes, the holy scroll.
GENE FURMAN, OWNER, PAWNQ.COM: This is one of the most outrageous items we very loans again. We are nothing more than your neighborhood branch of chase, which is easier to get a loan from.
HARLOW: Lender Jose Caba says the average loan they gave out is $20,000.
(on camera): What do they need the cash for?
CABA: I've heard everything from estate maintenance. They have to pay the butlers. They have to pay the grounds keeper.
HARLOW (voice-over): Rich folks just trying to keep up with the Jones and then there are the entrepreneurs like Howard Matola.
(on camera): Did you ever think that you would be pawning your grandmother's diamond necklace to start a seafood restaurant?
HOWARD MOTOLA, ENTREPRENEUR: No, no, but it's not easy being an entrepreneur starting your own business these days, and it was difficult for me to get a small business loan.
HARLOW: It's appraised at about $54,000, the loan you gave out.
FURMAN: It's $30,000.
HARLOW: It's $30,000.
FURMAN: That's what he needed.
HARLOW (voice-over): Motola will pay 3600 bucks in interest at the end of his four-month loan. Here's the upshot. No credit checks, no extensive applications and no knocks to your credit report if you default.
CABA: Just because you own a Ferrari and you have an estate with acres does mean that you have 700 or 800 credit.
HARLOW: But it will cost you 4 percent a month at the two lenders we visited. The maximum interest by law here in New York. That's 48 percent APR a year.
But in other states like Alabama, Nevada, and Georgia, it's much higher, as much as 25 percent per month. Experts warn treat it as a negotiation and never make the first offer.
Don't tell the lender how much you paid for the item and make sure you know the actual value before lending it.
FURMAN: The main thing we tell our clients, do not borrow more than you need. Do not go deeper into debt. Just borrow what you need and borrow what you can afford to pay back.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Poppy Harlow, OK, a lot of questions for you. If you're talking about more affluent folks, these are folks who can get a loan, go through the bank. Why turn to a pawn store?
HARLOW: Well, first of all, what I was surprised here is a lot of these folks might be really rich, but they don't have the great credit. They're having a hard time getting a loan through the bank.
Some of these folks run businesses and they need a lot of cash on hand for payroll. If you walk into a bank, even if you got 800 credit, you're not going to walk out with $20,000 in cash that day.
You can if you pawn, if you go through a collateral loan. Interestingly, 90 percent of the folks that pawn this stuff off the lenders told me come back for it a few months later.
And pay that pretty high interest rate, but if they don't, then by law, this stuff is auctioned off and then actually, if you've pawned it, you get back the difference.
If it is auctioned off for more than, say, you pawned for just minus the interest. That's something you need to know if you're going to do this so you don't get ripped off.
BALDWIN: Looking at the headline over your shoulder pawning torahs and diamonds for loans. Poppy Harlow, thank you.
Now you know this guy, movie mogul, James Cameron. He is planning a trip to the last frontier on planet earth. We are talking seven miles beneath the ocean, world's deepest point. We have a behind the scenes look at this extreme dive. Don't miss this next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: A dangerous and unprecedented mission to a place only two people have ever seen ever. We're talking about the deepest point on earth. This is an extreme dive to the bottom of the Marianna Trench. This is off the coast of Guam.
Seven miles down under within the Pacific Ocean, essentially uncharted territory and home to life forms we have likely never ever seen. So in the coming weeks, "Titanic" filmmaker, James Cameron plans to go back underwater.
Only this time he's not searching through historic wreckage. He's going to be exploring the unknown. CNN's Jason Carroll was the only reporter invited on Cameron's ship for his test dives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): James Cameron is on a mission, and what you're seeing is another step, or better to say, dive towards reaching it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It goes by fast. No, it does. It's so exciting. Every second you're seeing something cool. I'm telling you, I'm wiped out after the dive because your brain is going 1,000 miles an hour.
CARROLL: Though Cameron may be best known for directing two of the highest grossing films of all time, "Avatar" and "Titanic." He is also known in the scientific community as an accomplished deep sea explorer.
And after working for several years, Cameron and his team of scientists has created a technologically advanced sub to take him to the deepest know point on the planet.
In a joint project with National Geographic Society, Cameron sets his sight on the challenger deep. It's carved in the Marianna Trench, some 36,000 feet below the surface, nearly seven miles down.
JAMES CAMERON, EXPLORER/DIRECTOR: I want to get down there and look around the image and use the 3D cameras and bring it all back so people can see what's there. You know, I mean, it's the last unexplored frontier on the planet.
CARROLL: Cameron has taken his sub, aptly named "Deepsea Challenger," on a series of test dives. Already they've collected strange looking organisms at depths so extreme it would crush a man. It's a treasure trove for scientists, and on this day, our cameras are invited for a key test dive.
CAMERON: We're going to 26,000 feet, we, meaning me and the sub.
CARROLL (on camera): Good.
CAMERON: Tomorrow afternoon. No, you're not coming. It's a one- seater.
CARROLL (voice-over): But the test at 26,000 feet cut a little short.
CAMERON: Deepsea Challenger is requesting permission to send, over.
CARROLL: Deepsea Challenger made it to a little more than 23,800 feet then had to come back.
CAMERON: Good news is. It's now officially the deepest diving submersible in the world. Bad news is never saw the bottom. Had about five major systems failures that prevented me from going on.
CARROLL: But Cameron and his team did go on to reach a point beyond 26,000 feet. Their next step, challenger deep.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Jason Carroll, already back in New York after we showed the map, whatever it was out in Papua New Guinea. This is amazing you got to go. It must have been a total rush.
CARROLL: Completely. Look, this was once in a lifetime type of opportunity. It was amazing to be out there with Cameron and his team of scientists and the folks from National Geographic.
Everyone passionate, Brooke, about what they were doing, the submarine engineers, the biologists, the scientists, everyone group effort, you know, it takes a village. It takes a village if you're going to do an expedition like this.
BALDWIN: I guess, if someone has to have the village, it is James Cameron. I mean, it's amazing though. You have to look at history. I know he's gone deeper than any other human on a solo mission what was it, back in 1960?
CARROLL: Right, it was back in 1960, two men on the Tryest went down in a submersible. That was Don Walsh and Shack Picard, but you know what happened there, Brooke. They were down there for 20 minutes.
Because what happened was they hit the seafloor and all the silt came up and blocked their view. They didn't really have an opportunity to see what was down there. Let alone collect samples.
Cameron, his goal is to get down there, not only see what's going on, take 3D images of what's going on, take stills of what's happening and retrieve samples. He's trying to do all three. The bottom line it's really about science for him.
BALDWIN: How long can he stay down there? CARROLL: Well, the goal is to spend a minimum six hours, but on a previous dive, Brooke, he spent 10 hours. So if he gets down there, I'm not going to say he's going to spend 10 hours down there at the bottom of the Marianna Trench.
But, you know, if he gets down there and six hours, he still feels as though he's got things left to do, you know, he might go 6- 1/2, maybe 7. You don't know. He's going to have to feel his way through that particular part of the process.
BALDWIN: Gosh, I feel like I'm getting claustrophobic in my older age. You mentioned the risk factor, the pressure on him potentially.
CARROLL: Well, look, he knows that there's risk involved, but this is a man who is an experienced deep sea diver. He's dived many, many times in the past. He knows what the risks are involved in something like this.
But he's so passionate, so driven about exploration, so dedicated to improving science and learning more where what forms of life might exist at those depths that that is what's moving him forward.
He's relying on the science and the technology of the submersible he's built with his team of scientists. It's going to prove to be a really, really interesting scientific expedition.
BALDWIN: Assignment of a lifetime for you. We can't wait to see it when he pulls it off. Jason Carroll, thank you very much.
CARROLL: You bet.
BALDWIN: And now we are getting breaking news coming out of Pennsylvania and here's what we know. These are pictures courtesy of affiliate WPXI. This is the Pittsburgh area.
There has been a mass shooting at a hospital in Pittsburgh. According to one of our affiliates, as many as seven people may have been hit. Reportedly, at least one person is dead. This is at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. We're making phone calls. We're trying to get information.
As soon as we get any more details here on this potentially fatal hospital shooting in the Pittsburgh area, we will bring them to you live right here on CNN.
