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The Message For the U.S.; Insurgents Released In Afghanistan; Police Have Not Identified Bodies; Facebook Sales Pitch Today; Romney Returns To Ohio; Putin Pledges Respect For Democracy; Memories Of The King
Aired May 07, 2012 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I'm in for Brooke Baldwin today. Let's run through everything making news this hour. We'll start with "Rapid Fire." Let's go.
Here's how it starts. Militants retaliate after a senior al Qaeda operative is killed in an air strike in southern Yemen. Security officials saying that militants attacked government military posts, killing 26 soldiers and taking another 16 hostage. Militants also escaped with weapons, armored vehicles and tanks as well. Fahd al Quso was killed while riding in a vehicle yesterday. He was wanted for his role in the USS Cole bombing. That was back in 2000.
Also making news, Tennessee investigators looking for a mother and her three daughters. And they now face the grim task of identifying two bodies as well. They're not saying who those bodies might be that they discovered in Mississippi, but they do say that they believe this man, Adam Mayes, is, quote, "responsible for their disappearance." And he is on the loose. Mayes landlord says he told people he thought one of the three missing girls was his.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY PATTERSON, ADAM MAYES' LANDLORD: He thought one was, but that was all he -- they ever said, that he thought that one was. But as far as actually knowing for sure, he didn't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Also in top stories, "my life is in your hands, Mr. President." That's what an American man abducted in Pakistan says in a video that was posted on several Islamist websites. His name is Warren Weinstein and he's making an emotional plea to President Obama, saying if the president meets eight demands, really wide ranging demands that were set out by al Qaeda's leaders, that he'll be released. But if those demands are not met, Mr. Weinstein says that he is going to die.
U.S. Army investigators now say that there is no foul play and no gunshot wound involved in the death of a soldier who just collapsed during a Skype chat with his wife. Army Captain Bruce Kevin Clark was in Afghanistan and his wife says her husband just simply fell forward as they were talking live. She says she saw what appeared to be a bullet hole in the closet behind him. But military officials say there were just no wounds on his body that support any kind of foul play like that.
Also making news, another member of the Obama administration coming forward today and saying he supports gay marriage. This endorsement by Education Secretary Arne Duncan is coming on the heels of the vice president, Joe Biden, saying that, quote, he's absolutely comfortable with two men or two women marrying. Here's how Mr. Biden addressed his opinion and compared it to the president's on NBC's "Meet The Press."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Look, I am vice president of the United States of America. The president sets the policy. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men and women marrying are all entitled the same exact rights, all the same civil rights, all the civil liberties. And, quite frankly, I don't see much of a distinction beyond that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney is making a battleground cameo, hosting a town hall today in Ohio. President Obama was just there over the weekend just so he could kick of that official campaign. The re-election bid beginning in earnest. And a just released "USA Today"/Gallup poll is showing about six months ago, before election day, Obama and Romney, dead heat. And that in about a dozen swing states to boot. So, buckle up.
Also making news, Prince Harry going to visit some wounded U.S. and British military members during a quick U.S. visit. They took part in what's called the Warrior Games. It's an annual event. It's awesome. It's for wounded and injured troops. It's hosted by the U.S. Olympic committee. The prince is also going to receive a humanitarian prize tonight in Washington, D.C. That because of all of his work with wounded warriors.
All right, "Harry Potter," step aside. And while you're at it, every other major blockbuster, step aside because a superhero summit destroys box office records. And when we say destroy it, we mean completely obliterate, like this. "The Avengers" took in an estimated, are you sitting down, $200.3 million just this weekend, just in the good old U.S. of A. Wow. This is a massive win for Disney. And it's the culmination of its five year plan to bring each character to life on the big screen and then do this, team them up. It was really good stuff.
All right, so austerity is quickly becoming kind of a bad word, you might say, in parts of Europe, as voters are going to the polls and saying mm-hmm. Voters in France and Greece electing new leaders. So, is there going to be a ripple effect in the United States? What does it mean to you? And does it even matter to you? We're going to break that all down. You might be a bit surprised, in fact.
And then, later, there is a lot of criticism about the Obama administration reaching out to the Taliban. And now we're learning Taliban prisoners are being released. It's all coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: All right, globe trekking now. So-long Sarkozy. That's kind of what they said. The French have dumped their staunchly pro- American president after a single term in office. And that's a bit rare over there because they usually keep their presidents around a little longer than that. So it's out with Nicolas Sarkozy and in with the new guy. He is French socialist leader Francois Hollande. And here's the big part of the deal. Hollande has vowed to scale back the debt problem by cutting on Europe's most challenged economies. Example A, Greece.
So, by the way, the Greeks also voted yesterday. They rejected the leaders who agreed to swallow the debt-cutting measures Sarkozy helped to sponsor. The parties that surged in Greece are those that rejected severe budget cutting, in particular the far left parties. Sounding a big familiar. Looks like the Europeans don't like it when they have to cut back.
So let's sort through all of this, because it might be a lesson for all of us here in the good old U.S. of A. Michael Santoli is with "Barron's Magazine." He's the senior editor.
So, I guess the question, Michael, is, how similar are they to us? We are all struggling in this global economy.
MICHAEL SANTOLI, SENIOR EDITOR, "BARRON'S MAGAZINE": Yes.
BANFIELD: But do we need to look at what's going on in Europe and take a lesson?
SANTOLI: In a broad sense, yes, we have governments over there, as here, with too much debt relative to the size of the economy. Obviously a chronic or at least a stubborn unemployment problem in varying degrees. And clearly you have conflicting goals here, right? You want to, long term, get the government budgets back in balance, at least on some level, and kind of get the trajectory right. At the same time, you don't want to starve an economy that's already fragile. So that's the tension I think that's similar here. And where it's different though is in France and in Greece.
BANFIELD: Because it sounds exactly the same.
SANTOLI: Yes.
BANFIELD: It sounds like there's no difference in the philosophy. How do you make this thing go tick-tick again?
SANTOLI: And it's really balancing the short term needs with the long term budget realities.
Now, where it's different, though, is that, in France and in Greece, they were rebelling against the idea that people from outside the country, whether it's European Central Bank bureaucrats or Germany -- BANFIELD: Germany or France, yes.
SANTOLI: Were basically telling us -- making these decisions and basically approving our budgets and setting the terms for getting some kind of help, whereas here we don't have that problem. We don't have a third party authority sort (ph) of saying what our budget has to look like and essentially having any say of what we do. It's much more of an internal issue.
BANFIELD: Not yet.
SANTOLI: Not yet.
BANFIELD: But a lot of people say, my goodness, how long is it going to be before we have to start answering to people, like China?
SANTOLI: Well, what we're going to have to answer to would be -- would be the markets. And so far the markets are giving the U.S. a pass. They're not raising our costs of borrowing.
BANFIELD: Or China?
SANTOLI: Well, China is, because they're a lender to us, that's the one that we would have to think about.
But I do think it means that, when you have high unemployment, when you have benefits being cut (ph), government benefits, you know, raising the retirement age, what would the voter response here be if -- without a vote, without really a discussion domestically you said, OK, retirement age goes higher for Social Security. That's kind of what they're dealing with over there. You would see a similar kind of dissatisfaction I think here.
BANFIELD: So a lot of Americans look over to a country like Greece and they hear the stories about, oh, you can retire at 40 and you can still draw your benefits and you can double dip and you can do all these things.
SANTOLI: Yes.
BANFIELD: Are the Europeans -- and I'm not going to single out Greece and I'm not going to suggest we can do the broad brush stroke either, but if we can generally look at the euro zone, are they asking for too much or do they need more?
SANTOLI: Well, they're not necessarily asking for too much in the short term to sort of kind of buy themselves time. But, yes, there has to be a -- I think a general agreement. There's a rethinking of exactly what you're entitled too. You know, I mean, the -- you always say --
BANFIELD: A rethinking or a complete, you know, attitude adjustment?
SANTOLI: A rethinking. You have to adjust. And, you know, people keep saying, and even, you know, the candidate who won in France said, we have to think about growth alongside austerity. Well, how do you define growth? You know people who, from a more capitalist, private sector centric view would say, well, here's how you get growth, you loosen labor and regulations and basically allow your economy to be more flexible than it is right now. What they're thinking is, no, let's keep the government keeping people on the payroll, keeping pensions strong so you have that demand there. The difference is, in France, the government is half the economy. Here it's about a quarter. So that's why the argument takes place.
BANFIELD: So what does this mean to Angela Merkel? Does this mean she's kind of a -- she's alone on her island now to try to wield her very financial stick around the euro zone?
SANTOLI: I don't know about alone, but clearly she has to -- she had established a very close relationship with Sarkozy and now, obviously, she has to kind of force a -- but she holds, obviously, the cards, though, right. It's easy to be a candidate and say, I want to renegotiate the European pact that set the terms for the bailout and reducing debt and all the rest of it. It's another thing to actually be the leader of a country and having to go to somebody and say, look, this is a settled deal. It's not as if you can blow up the agreement just because you told the voters that you could do that. So I do think she has to establish some kind of trust and rapport. She's probably going to have to make some gestures in the language of the agreement that says, yes, we want to foster growth as well as austerity.
BANFIELD: Let me ask you this. People who read "Barron's" know everything what you're saying and more. People who are going to work, trying to feed their kids and watching what's going on in Europe and those people who like long vacations and really great benefits aren't really sure what this means to us in the United States, other than us watching and maybe trying to learn lessons.
SANTOLI: Right.
BANFIELD: Is there going to be a domino effect and is it going to affect my 401(k)?
SANTOLI: It shouldn't be a big domino effect immediately. In fact, people thought that the markets would be more upset than they were today. What we have to watch is whether you have the confidence in the European bailout structure undermined, which would have markets and the banking system kind of freeze up again, which we saw the last couple of years. That wouldn't be good for our markets or our 401(k)s.
BANFIELD: You know Christine Romans --
SANTOLI: Sure.
BANFIELD: Said this morning, everybody's going bananas over how the markets are going to tank today. She didn't think they were going to.
SANTOLI: Yes.
BANFIELD: So what's your assessment today? SANTOLI: No. You know, look, I think, first of all, the electoral results were pretty much well transmitted ahead of time. We really knew this was going to be the case. And I think the markets are in wait and see mode to see if this really means anything to the economy.
We weren't expecting much out of economic growth, if anything, from Europe. So it's not as if it changes the economic picture for U.S. companies or consumers. So right now we have to just see what the broader implications are going to be once these folks are in office.
BANFIELD: And I was just looking at the ticker live. It actually doesn't look half as bad as we thought.
SANTOLI: Just flat, yes.
BANFIELD: Yes. Well, not bad. Gosh, nice to talk to you, Michael Santoli.
SANTOLI: My pleasure. Thank you.
BANFIELD: You sure know your stuff. That's probably why you do what you do. Thanks for coming in.
SANTOLI: Appreciate it.
BANFIELD: OK. So prisoners being released so the Obama administration can talk to the Taliban. Is that the kind of bargain that people are going to go for? Is there any value to it? Great questions. We've got answers. It's all coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Twenty high level insurgent prisoners are now free men. U.S. officials confirming that over the past two years they were release from NATO custody, all in an attempt to boost peace negotiations with the Taliban. Our Nick Paton Walsh is in Kabul live with the very latest on this.
So I got a lot of questions on this one, as I'm sure most Americans would. Why are we finding out about this now if this has been going on for two years? And, good Lord, 20 people. Isn't this dangerous?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of confusing elements to this. I mean basically we should understand, this is happening on a local level. And apparently when, according to U.S. officials, when a commander in a particular battle space, a particular part of Afghanistan needs some sort of traction or leverage when he's talking with Afghan officials, and more importantly the insurgency, these high-level prisoners have been suggest sometimes and sometimes released to try and sort of smooth negotiations. Occasionally, as a bridge towards some sort of peace talks to try and stop fighting there. Sometimes, in other occasions, according to U.S. officials, just to boost the whole sort of Afghan government in that particular area. But, yes, they do say up to 20 have been released in the past couple of years. Suggestions that most of them may have happened at the beginning of that two year period. Only two in the past nine months or so.
And I think the concerns are brushed away by ISAF and U.S. officials. The concerns are they're people who might rejoin the insurgency or might provide leadership that gives it extra strength. But U.S. officials make it absolutely clear, in their opinion, they vet all these people beforehand and therefore they don't pose a risk.
Ashleigh.
BANFIELD: But we have seen this happen before, Nick. We've seen releases from Guantanamo of people who were considered to be innocuous and they just go right back to their insurgency groups or they form new ones or they actually spearhead new movements themselves. What makes this any different. And are we watching these guys after we let them go?
WALSH: Well, it's interesting you say that because, I mean, the Americans here say, at the end of the day, the benefits outweigh the risks in these circumstances. They think that by putting this person back in the community, they can use him or they can use the gift of his return to perhaps an insurgency or a group of people hostile to the Americans to try and win them over and increase some possibility of peace or cooperation with them.
Yes, there are concerns that they may go back towards the insurgency or (INAUDIBLE). I can think of one particular guy in relation to Guantanamo recently who was subsequently killed by the Americans who thought he was funding (ph) al Qaeda.
But there's other questions here really as well. There have been military objections to the whole idea of releasing much higher level detainees from Guantanamo Bay and that's one of the conditions the Taliban have had for a long time in trying to begin peace talks with the American government on a much higher level. People are asking today if it's possible for the U.S. military to release some of these mid level or even high level Taliban detainees to assist peace talks from the ground, but local commanders here in Afghan, why do they have an objection to the U.S. State Department and Obama administration trying to perhaps secure the release of some other Taliban detainees to get this peace process rolling on a much higher lever.
So, so many questions here as a result of these revelations today, Ashleigh.
BANFIELD: Such a fascinating strategy. Nick Paton Walsh live for us in Kabul. Thanks so much for that. We appreciate it.
Millions of people use it to stay in touch and now Mark Zuckerberg is taking FaceBook on the road. He's going to try to recruit investors before a big IPO. That's an initial public offering for the rest of us. So, is it going to work? How's it going to work? Can you get in on it? Plus, a mother and three girls missing. A suspect on the loose. Considered arm and dangerous. What is behind this story?
And then just a quick note for you. If you're heading out the door, you can continue to watch CNN from your mobile phone. I kid you not. You're welcome. Or if you're heading to work, you can also watch CNN live from your desktop. Shhh. Just go to cnn.com/tv. Tell your boss it's all for, you know, work and stuff like that. Yeah. Back in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Right now the FBI is searching for a man who's suspected of kidnapping a mother and her three daughters. Her name is Jo Ann Bain and her girls are Adrienne, Alexandria and Kyliyah. And they all disappeared on April the 27th. But here's the mystery. There's a man suspected of kidnapping them and they say, police, that he was a family friend. His name is Adam Mayes. Our CNN affiliate WBBJ reports that Jo Ann Bain's car was later found after the suspected kidnapping. And then just over the weekend, terrible, terrible news. The bodies of two people were found in Mississippi about 50 miles from the Bain's home. In Tennessee, again, 50 miles away, and yet there is a strange connection. Our CNN's Martin Savidge is following this case.
So, Martin, I think a lot of people are saying, if two bodies were found, but we have a mother and three daughters missing, what's the connection and why is there any connection between these bodies and these missing young women and their mother?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the first thing we have to know, Ashleigh, is, who are the two bodies that were discovered. And authorities have not revealed their identities. They will only say that the bodies are tied to the investigation over the missing mother and her three daughters. However, it's worth pointing out that we did not have an Amber Alert until these bodies were discovered.
So what does that really tell us? There's a lot of speculation out there as to whether or not it could be the missing mother or her children or any combination therein. Or could it be other people that are somehow tied into this very unusual story.
We simply don't know. I talked to the FBI a short while ago. They say that they are waiting for autopsy results to come in before they make the positive identifications. No, they wouldn't describe the bodies, are they children, are they adults? Nothing like that.
We just don't know at this point other than this story you being to paint for us, which is on April 27th, it is Gary Bain who calls up and says that his wife and three daughters have gone missing. Initially it appears that authorities thought perhaps this was a case where the mother and daughters had gone off willingly with Adam Mayes. However, now, with the discovery of the bodies, this has turned the whole story and the whole investigation upside down. They believe the girl and the mother are in extreme danger.
BANFIELD: So, Marty, what's odd about this is that the police say there is a connection between Mayes and this family. And not just a small connection. A close connection. And yet here's this loving family and a very dangerous man. What is the connection there or are they just leaving that real -- under the radar at this point?
SAVIDGE: No, it appears that they had a family relationship. In other words, that Mayes had a very close relationship with the girls and with the family. In fact, there were photographs that he shared on his FaceBook page. We're told also, according to reports of local television, that he would come and have the girls visit with him where he lived in Mississippi. So it appears that this family trusted Mayes. That there was no reason to doubt or worry about him. But something -- something went terribly wrong in the last 10 days, we don't know, and if authorities know, they aren't revealing to us.
BANFIELD: And then what's this very strange word that there might be some suspicion that Mayes though one of these young girls actually was his daughter? Is there any truth to that or is that just rumor?
SAVIDGE: Right. Well, this is coming from neighbors who knew Mayes. And almost all of his neighbors, and his landlady, say that he was a very nice guy and they never saw anything like this coming. And they also say that he was very close to the girl and, yes, told one of the neighbor that he believed one of the girls was his.
Now, does that mean biologically or does it mean in some other way, we simply don't know. But it is clear he felt very close to this family and they reciprocated. At some point apparently they were in Arizona all together. So it shows that they had a close relationship. What it doesn't tell us is what changed.
Now, authorities do believe that the appearance of the missing mother and her children may have changed. That they have cut their hair and maybe dyed their hair. Again, authorities aren't revealing how they know this. They just put this out for the public's awareness as this major manhunt is underway.
BANFIELD: And the supposition here is that this was not a willing change of appearance because they're calling it a kidnapping at this point.
I've only got 20 seconds left, but what's this connection to several other southern states? This is a Tennessee story, but the police are talking about other places where he's connected to?
SAVIDGE: Yes. Well, of course, Tennessee is where the family that's missing was from. Mississippi is where he is from. It's also where the bodies were found on his property in shallow graves. Then he has connections to a number of other states here in the south, which is why it's a very broad net that's been cast out there and a very urgent one.
BANFIELD: Marty Savidge, keep on it for us --
SAVIDGE: We will.
BANFIELD: And let us know when there's a change in that, if there's a change, or if the police talk a little bit more about it. Thanks so much, Martin Savage, reporting live for us this afternoon.
Got another mystery for you and it is also bizarre. It involves the Kentucky Derby, police, a barn, a body. And we are waiting for autopsy results. So why was a man found dead under feed at Churchill Downs. You'll find out in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: In 11 days, we just might see financial history unfold. I think we probably will no matter what happens because Facebook is going on sale. It could be the largest initial public offering ever with each share going somewhere between $28 and $35.
Valuing Facebook at $77 billion to $96 billion with a "B" dollars. It's probably not a surprise when you hear billion when you talk about Facebook, but today what's being called the road show, got under way in earnest.
Company officials and investors got together across the country to persuade them to buy the stock. Company leaders have been pitching online though since Thursday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ZUCKERBERG, FACEBOOK CEO AND FOUNDER: I think we're going to get to this point that almost every app you use is going to be integrated with Facebook in some way.
Because the developers of those apps are going to want to make it so you can interact with your friends and that you can share content back to Facebook to help grow those apps.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Well, and now there's news a small investor has a better shot at getting in on the game. That would be you and me. Not so much Poppy Harlow because she is a big ordeal here.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Not really. I'm not a big investor.
BANFIELD: She literally bated breath, heavy breathing because she's just been like charging back from the town of Manhattan. You were there, you ran, you got in on the road show? Give me the lowdown.
HARLOW: So the press were not in this meeting. This is the day that Facebook kicks off its IPO road show. It means it goes around the cities like today in New York, Boston, et cetera.
It convinces big Wall Street heavy hitters, institutional investors to buy the stock. It puts on a talk. Mark Zuckerberg was there. I saw him on their way out, walking out about half an hour ago along with COO Sheryl Sandberg. I said Sheryl do you have a minute? She didn't, but I said congratulations. She seemed very excited, big, big day for Facebook. Talking about the small investors, here's what changed, Ashleigh. A lot of people are saying how do we get in on this?
The answer you and Christine Romans and Ali Velshi were always giving is you're probably not going to have a shot. But you may now. So what happens is the company files a prospectus with government regulators.
And last week they added e-trade to the list of 33 underwriters. So e-trade you may use at home. This is what a lot of people use to do regular stock trading on regular folks like me and you.
So e-trade is one of the underwriters. So this may mean you have a better shot of getting into that initial public offering depending on how many shares that they're going to offer, which could be millions at that price.
Another way to do it though is if you are investing in a fund like T.Rowe price or Fidelity. Those already hold shares in Facebook. So there's a change you may get into the action that way as well.
You're still going to see the institutional investors get more of a percent, but the "New York Times" is reporting some citing some on Wall Street this morning saying 20 percent to 25 percent of the Facebook shares may go to more of the average investors.
So it's not impossible and you got to think about, do I want to get into this company. You can't just buy in because of hype.
BANFIELD: That's my next question. I love that you talked about the e-trade thing. I was going to ask you if it was kind of a gimmicky think and regardless. Look, you have Warren Buffett saying I wouldn't do this.
HARLOW: Yes, Warren Buffet I talked to this weekend in Omaha at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting that he holds every year and you know, he is a sage investor, the oracle of Omaha.
So I asked him about Facebook. We might have some sound to play for you there, guys. Let me know if we do, but basically he told me, well, take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WARREN BUFFETT, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY: We never buy a new offering. I can't recall in my life buying a new offering. The idea that something coming out, we'll say on a Monday, that's being offered with significant commissions, all kind of publicity and everything.
The seller electing the time to sell is going to be the best single investment that I can make in the world among thousands of choices. It's mathematically impossible. So we're not a buyer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: All right, Warren Buffett, not a buyer of Facebook, but he did tell me he would not short Facebook, which means he wouldn't bet against it, either. He said Facebook, Apple, Google, all brilliant companies he's not want to invest in, but once said he wouldn't sure it's either.
BANFIELD: And I always listen to what the oracle says. I guess who wouldn't, but at this point also, he said something that I thought was very telling.
He said I don't invest in stuff I don't know about that. He has always said that, but this is the new age. Zuckerburg is doing the online tour. That's a very new kind of industry.
Does that tell you at all that maybe this isn't something he doesn't understands, doesn't mean it isn't great?
HARLOW: I think he knows how it works. I think he understands it. I think he sits back and he thinks about his investments. If you think about what the company invest in. Coca Cola, big banks, Bank of America, General Electric, they own Dairy Queen. They own Shaw Paint. They own housing companies.
They own very traditional things that are there are very, very, very diverse. He does invest in IBM. So that's a tech company. He's not totally out of tech.
I think he will be, you know, wise and sit and watch, and see what happens. But at this point this is not something that he's so interested in.
BANFIELD: OK, so last question and it's really simple one, if you -- and Christine was talking about this as well, Christine Romans. If you don't already have an online trading account, is this the time to set one up and go wild on Facebook or should you really be that more savvy before you get in?
HARLOW: I just don't think you should go wild on anything because you don't know. You can put a little money in, test it out if you want. You can put whatever you want in, but what happens let's say you set up a new trade account or a different trading account.
You can make what's called the conditional offer. So that would mean you would say I want to buy up to x many shares and up to x price. You may or may not get it. It depends on what happens on that offering.
So you're not necessarily going to get the amount of shares you put the offer in. I'm a little more conservative so I wouldn't go wild on anything, but you know if you like it and you believe in the company then you can put your money behind it. If you want to sit and wait and watch and see what happens, it's not going away right now.
BANFIELD: Like the way the rest us losers have been getting on Apple? Last question, I told you the last question was the last question. Here's the real last question.
It's $28 to $35 I think that was the figure I quoted. Is that likely to be close to the price if you want to get in, say through e-trade? Is that likely what you're going to end up with?
HARLOW: You have no idea because -- what we've seen recently with Google, what we saw with Groupon is that they actually end up trading much higher on the first day than what that target price is at.
We'll likely get a much more exact target price on May 17th, the day before that IPO. Of course, we'll be covering that live at the Nasdaq, a few blocks from here. That would be on May 18th.
So if history tells us anything, probably a little higher, but really no way to tell. All the investors walking out, try to talk to them. They're carrying those Facebook pamphlets. They don't want to talk to the media at all.
BANFIELD: They're just being coy. You know they have a crush on you. Poppy Harlow, thank you. Great work.
Awesome job. So Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is in Ohio. You've got a live picture up on your screen right now. He is finishing up a town hall meeting in that battleground state and you know what?
He's right on the heels of President Obama who kicked off his big old campaign right in that same state. Think Ohio is a big important place? You got that right. Talk about it in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm referring to page 169 of your 2010 income tax return where you took over $1.5 million in foreign tax credits in 10 years, appreciate your comments.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'll look at it. I'm not familiar with that. I didn't think I paid any foreign income tax, but I would be happy to look at it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: I'll be honest. I'm with you, Mitt. I have no idea what the various pages of my tax return say, but good for you for at least telling him you'll do it. This is moments ago because the presumptive GOP nominee, Mitt Romney will take a name at the president at a town hall in Ohio.
But somebody stood up and was giving him the gears. Paul Steinhauser is live with us now to talk about these details. So it's -- I love you're already smiling because I love these kinds of uptown hall where people actually, you know, go after the candidate and give a tough question as opposed to a love fest.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes, surprise, surprise, Mitt Romney. That was actually a pretty interesting -- the most interesting moment I think and I think the most unscripted moment of that whole town hall.
And of course, where was it, Ohio. Romney says I'll have to get back to you on that one. Of course, you know, Ashleigh, the Democrat criticize, they attack Mitt Romney for his wealth and his Swiss bank accounts.
So who knows it will be interesting to see who supports that man who was asking the questions. Ashley, Mitt Romney is trying to make this a referendum on Barack Obama, his performance in office and the job he's doing on jobs. Mitt Romney says he's not doing a very good job. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: He is now very excited about the fact that the unemployment rate is gone from the high of 10 percent down to about 8.1 percent. Of course, we won't forget the fact that when he was putting in place $787 billion of borrowing in the first few months in office that he said that the borrowing would keep the unemployment rate below 8 percent. Then 39 months later, it's still not below 8 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: You're going to hear a lot more of that from Mitt Romney tomorrow from Michigan. Another state where he hopes he can take a "D" come November, Ashleigh.
BANFIELD: We're hearing a lot of it out of Europe, too. So there may be some reverberations. Maybe he'll be able to tie things together or maybe that's that too arcane for Americans. I don't know.
Talk to me about how the president is going to deal with this. He was just in Ohio, Ohio because I think we just always say it three times, but also Virginia.
STEINHAUSER: Exactly. I was there on Saturday when the president had his first kickoff rally. And then again on Virginia the next day and this morning they released a new campaign commercial. They say it will start and put up $25 million over the next months. That's a lot of money. Take a listen to a snippet of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: America's economy spiralling down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The biggest point drop ever seen in a day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All before this president took the oath.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some said our best days were behind us, but not him.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Don't bet against the American worker!
(END VIDEO CLIP) STEINHAUSER: You can see the theme right there. The president inherited a horrible economy and tried to turn things around. They also out to the achievements on the Iraq war and the killing of Osama Bin Laden.
You're going to see a lot more than that. That's the narrative from the Obama re-election team. Where do things stand right now? Take a look at this.
This is one of two brand-new polls out today and basically is the same story on both polls pretty much dead even. You can't get much closer than this.
This is George Washington/Politico basically dead even. It was dead even on the "USA Today"/Gallup poll in the battleground states.
Ashleigh, six months until Election Day and Ashleigh, didn't you and I chat this morning at 5:00 in the morning?
BANFIELD: Well, it looks like you and I both pulled the same hours. One more question for you. You can't leave before I work you even harder. When I see polls like that I think goody that will be a barn burner. I'm kind of wondering if that showing on the campaign trail right now because I heard this President Obama's kickoff event was two thirds full.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, the rally in Ohio State is the arena holds about 18,000. They had about 14,000 there according to the fire department. So yes, they didn't fill it and the Romney campaign is touting that.
The flip side is you go to any Romney event, I think the largest crowd he's had this year is about 2,500. So both campaigns will argue over the size of the crowds. We've got a lot more arguing to go over the next six months.
BANFIELD: What no props on my hopy changy reference? What, seriously?
STEINHAUSER: Well, he did use hopy changy in the speech.
BANFIELD: It's a Palin thing just to get things excited again, Steinhauser. We're both working late. Good to see you. Thank you, I'll talk to you tomorrow.
All right, so meet your new boss, Russia. He's the same as the old boss. You're welcome. Yes, President Vladimir Putin is back in power. As you recall, he did four years on the sideline kind of, served as prime minister.
Under his handpicked predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev, they are essentially switching offices and Medvedev is likely to become Putin's prime minister. Follow?
Phil black does and he tells us, a growing group of Russians seems to think this is just a big old sham. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For the third time, Vladimir Putin entered the grand Kremlin palace to be inaugurated as Russia's president. He first served between 2000 and 2008 before stepping aside because of the constitutional limit on two consecutive terms.
He spent the last four years as prime minister and now me is back for potentially another two terms. After a grand entrance before opinion applauding crowd, he took the oath of office with one hand resting on a copy of Russia's constitution.
Then in a speech, he spoke about how serving Russia and its people is his meaning in life. He spoke on a familiar speech of what he believes is the some of the achievements as the dominant political figure in this country, restoring Russia's strength and dignity.
And he also spoke on a subject that some Russians will interpret cynically. He spoke about his desire to increase constitutional rights and freedoms about making the political process more inclusive. He spoke about democracy.
PRESIDENT VLADMIR PUTIN, RUSSIA (through translator): We want to live in a democratic country and we will where each person has freedom and use his talents and energy. We will live in successful Russia, which will be respected in the world as an open and predictable partner.
BLACK: While Vladmir Putin was swearing his oath, protests who oppose his continued rule were being arrested across Central Moscow. They turned out in small groups, many wearing the white ribbon that has become the symbol of the opposition movement.
That comes as one day after tens of thousands of people marched through Central Moscow, again angry with his return in what was easily the most violent of all the opposition protests this country has seen in recent months.
Analysts believe the ongoing challenge to his authority, as well as much needed and potentially difficult economic reforms are just some of the issues that will ensure Vladimir Putin's third term as president looks and feels very different to his previous time in power. Phil Black, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BANFIELD: And from Moscow right back here, a body found at Churchill Downs and all of it just hours after a big party, the Kentucky Derby. Police are calling this a possible homicide. One of the people trying to sift through the clues and solve this mystery will be my guest next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: A dark mystery hangs over Churchill Downs today after the story Kentucky Derby. The body of Guatemalan native 48-year-old Adan Fabian Perez was found on Sunday under feed bags in the back of a barn there.
Detectives say it is foul play. Investigators believe the groomer was involved in some kind of an altercation and that injuries from his encounter led to his death.
Joining me now on the phone is Lt. Barry Wilkerson who is a homicide detective from the Louisville Metro Police Department. Lieutenant, thank you for being with us.
I understand the autopsy has just been completed within the last few hours. Do you know anything? Or certainly anything you could tell us?
LT. BARRY WILKERSON, HOMICIDE DETECTIVE, LOUISVILLE POLICE (via telephone): Yes, we do know some of cause of death, the injuries, which we first had seen did suspect foul play.
We're going to hold some of the details back due to the notoriety this case has gained, just to keep those from calling in who are looking themselves are attempting to gain notoriety. We tend to keep most of that information just the case sensitivity and integrity.
BANFIELD: But at least does this cause of death as its official now support what you believed earlier, which was he died because of a fight?
WILKERSON: We do have some injuries consistent with that. We're going to hold some of the details on location of the body, but yes, it does appear to be some type of altercation.
BANFIELD: Do you have a murder weapon because in barns, you know, there are a lot of different accoutrements. Is there anything you found in there or anything the autopsy might have told you about a murder weapon?
WILKERSON: We did collect some evidence from the barn area supporting our facts, which we believe is any type of altercation.
BANFIELD: Any suspects, anybody that you're looking at right now? And certainly anybody brought in for questioning?
WILKERSON: We spoke to several people, more person of interest right now. Still sorting through all the fact that we have and again some of the language mostly of Hispanic individuals we are talking to them currently and hoping that we can sort some of this information out.
BANFIELD: So we're looking at a map on our screen of Churchill Downs and where the actual body was found. It looks like they're some ways away. Is there any connection that you can make or at least tell us about between the race that happened and all those people who were present and then that mysterious location of where the body was found?
WILKERSON: Generally on the backside of the track, it's mainly the workers who were back there and the trainers and groomers. No distinct connection between the Derby at all.
Maybe some of the festivities afterwards, but we're looking at this case as a homicide case as we normally would. Not just the fact that it's another individual who's a parent, a father a brother of someone that we need to hold someone accountable who has done this to this individual.
BANFIELD: And is it true that it was his own son who identified the body?
WILKERSON: That is correct. We were having difficulty identifying who he was and we had to use family members. Obviously, he knew his father had not come home and was vital in identifying who he was.
BANFIELD: I can't imagine what that's like. Just to -- tell me a little bit about the circumstances of how the body was discovered. The story is that Mr. Perez's body was under feed bags. Can you round that out and explain who found them, how they found him there and if that's actually an accurate description of the crime scene?
WILKERSON: I can't go into details, but it is a situation where the body was located in a barn. One of the training, I guess, groomers actually found the body back in the rear of the barn.
If you know the stable area, that's actually stalls within the barn itself. And this body was kind of out of the way of the general stalls where the horses are. And that's where the trainer had noticed some disarray and went back there and located the body.
BANFIELD: Is there surveillance video back there? Any witnesses that might have seen something unusual that would have been helpful?
WILKERSON: We have had some reports of altercations. We're trying to locate those individuals who had seen those. There are some surveillance cameras and we are currently reviewing those in the hopes of finding some information that we can use to lead us to this killer.
BANFIELD: So the eyewitnesses, I didn't even say your witnesses. But it sounds like you may have had somebody who heard something that was out of sorts at the time this man died.
WILKERSON: That's somewhat accurate. Again, there were some altercations at the track that night. We're trying to sort through was this individual involved? Could it have stemmed from that or is it a situation where those are separate events?
BANFIELD: That's a bit of a clue. You're saying altercations plural. There were fights going on, not in this location, maybe elsewhere? What do you mean?
WILKERSON: Well, during derby time, there are a lot of festivities. There will be some altercations that day. I wouldn't say all of them were on the backside of the track. But in that area, it's a very large area, very large crowds, large numbers. So, you know, we're trying to sort through exactly what people had seen and some of the stories that we're hearing.
BANFIELD: So let me ask you this, is this as much of a mystery to you all as it seems to us at this stage?
WILKERSON: I would say without question, it's a situation where we're kind of trying to backtrack from the events that took place when we found the body. And again, trying to sort through what is accurate.
And again, with the language barrier, find those who are willing to speak to us and get the information and try to sort some of this and find a piece of the puzzle we need to put this together.
BANFIELD: Lt. Barry Wilkerson, appreciate it. I really wish you luck in finding who's responsible for this.
WILKERSON: Thank you very much.
BANFIELD: Thanks for joining us live. Do appreciate it.
And just days before North Carolina voters decide on an amendment to ban gay marriage in that state, making some news, Joe Biden, the vice president along with the Education Secretary Arnie Duncan talking, making statements that are making news.
They are in favor of same sex marriage, period. But is this the new policy of the administration? First, though, a wallet, bank card and a gold belt. Now you know who it belongs to. Look at that photo.
And look at those baby feet pictures. It's Elvis Presley's memorabilia. We are bringing it to you in a way you have not seen before. One word -- awesome.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: And feast your eyes on some of the items that belonged to Elvis Presley himself. Graceland has opened up a trove of treasures of rare artefacts that would wow any fan.
Items from Elvis tours with legacy even his relationship with her baby daughter, Lisa Marie's baby footprints are all on display. Three new exhibits, all at Graceland.
All of them opening up brand new side of Elvis, one that even Lisa Marie made her gasp. A few of the items that grabbed our attention though, a wallet and a famous belt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN KERN, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, GRACELAND: He, too, had a picture of Lisa Marie in his wallet. Always kissing her on the head. We also see his BankAmericard, which is the precursor of -- bit it's signature -- no magnetic strip on the back.
And don't we wish there was cash in that wallet? Also, interestingly, there's an insurance card in there. Even the king of rock 'n' roll had insurance.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Can we show everybody the -- the belt? Tell me a little bit about the belt, that big gold belt that's -- to the right of that wallet.
KERN: Yes, we have -- this is our second of three new exhibits. And it's from "Elvis on Tour." Elvis would have worn this in this movie 1972 Golden Globe Award-winning film. And you would see this, Elvis wearing this in the movie, rubies, emeralds and diamonds.
O'BRIEN: Beautiful.
KERN: and a gold belt there. Elvis also famously wore this in a photograph with President Nixon at the Oval Office.
LISA MARIE PRESLEY, DAUGHTER OF ELVIS PRESLEY: I was a bit overcome by -- I don't even know how to explain it, how to sort of capsulize your whole -- your childhood, you know, in one room. I was a little overwhelmed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
