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Two Sisters Safe, Fugitive Dead; Clooney Raises $15M for Obama; JPMorgan Chase' $2B Trading Loss; Interview with Representative Randy Forbes of Virginia; Inside Al Qaeda Plane Bomb Plot; Romney's Pitch to Evangelicals; Prince Charles Gives Weather Forecast
Aired May 11, 2012 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Soledad.
Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM, they found alive. The manhunt is over. The dramatic moments as SWAT teams rush in saving two Tennessee girls held captive for almost three weeks.
High school hijinx. Mitt Romney apologizing for a prank nearly half a century ago but says he doesn't even remember what happened.
He's known for his wild hair, even wilder tats and his antics on the court, but it's what's happening off the court that's getting attention. The birdman's bird nest is being combed through by cops at the Internet child porn unit.
Are you mom enough? "TIME" magazine wants to know. This cover spurring shock and talk about attachment parenting and if it's really the way you should raise your child.
And good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello. They are alive. Alexandria and Kyliyah Bain are safe and sound and we've just learned they have now been released from the hospital. The two Tennessee girls turned up in a wooded area in Mississippi after a nationwide manhunt.
The FBI says their kidnapper Adam Mayes is dead. He shot and killed himself as police closed in. Mayes is also suspected of killing the girls' mother and their older sister in a bizarre case of violence and obsession that first exploded three weeks ago.
Martin Savidge is in Alpine, Mississippi, with the latest.
Good morning, Martin.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. It is good news in an otherwise very bittersweet tale that at least the two youngest daughters have been found alive and well. This all played just about a hundred yards down the road here in a wooded area and it began around 5:30 last evening local time when federal authorities say they got a tip. Somebody said they saw Adam Mayes right down the road here.
As a result, there happen to be a heavily armed SWAT team that was in the area. Thirty-one member team. It was divided in two and they began pushing into this wooded region. It was shortly after they began moving into the woods that they found one of the young girls laying on the ground and then a short distance away they saw Adam Mayes.
He, according to authorities, jumped up, took a semiautomatic gun out of his waistband, put it to his head and pulled the trigger, he died a short time later. And the young girls were rescued and they were taken to a nearby hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where they were undergoing basically a review to see how to they were doing.
Now we're told that they were dehydrated and we're told they were suffering from being in the out of doors but otherwise they're OK, Carol, and that's wonderful news now.
COSTELLO: So the girls were found in a wooded area. Were they living in a tent? Was it an old cabin? Do we know?
SAVIDGE: We don't know at this particular point. The crime scene is still considered just that, a crime scene. The investigation is only now really getting under way. Authorities say this doesn't end anything. That there is still going to be a prosecution and they are still looking to see if there are other people who may have assisted Adam Mayes while he was on the run. And anytime that they do find additional people, they'll be prosecuted.
But it appears by just the condition of these young girls, that they were living out in the open. They had mosquito bites, they had poison ivy. So they were found deep in a heavily wooded area. It doesn't look like at that particular time they had a shelter of any kind.
COSTELLO: Martin Savidge reporting live from Mississippi this morning.
It is the high school hijinx that won't go away. Mitt Romney has apologized but he can't quite move past an incident that has haunted some of his high school classmates for decades. They're dredging up an incident from 1965 when Romney was 18 and the governor's kid.
Supposedly Romney and some of his buddies chased down a fellow teenager, held him down and cut off chunks of his hair. One former classmates, now an attorney, says the boy was terrified. And this was not only bullying but criminal assault.
Romney's staff dismisses any talk that the incident speaks -- speaks to his character and the candidate himself will only say that he apologizes for any childhood prank that went too far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't recall the incident myself. But I've seen the reports. And I'm not going to argue with that. There's no question but that I did some stupid things when I was in high school. And obviously if I hurt anyone by virtue of that, I would be very sorry for it and apologize for it. KERRY HEALEY, ROMNEY CAMPAIGN ADVISOR: What people really want to hear about is, does he care? And I can tell you that he cares deeply. He's a deeply compassionate person and that bullying is not something that he has ever knowingly engaged in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Romney's campaign has been busy batting down the story. They've released a statement from other former classmates who said Romney was never mean spirited and never a bully. The alleged victim in this case died several years ago.
President Obama scores another first. He starred in the biggest single campaign fundraiser ever. His co-star, George Clooney. The actor known for his political activism hosted this campaign raising event in his Hollywood mansion.
Here's a glimpse of the star studded guest list. Actor Robert Downey, Jr., comedian Billy Crystal, actress Salma Hayek, singer Barbra Streisand, and the comedian Jack Black. The total take for the night, $15 million. A single event record in a presidential campaign fundraising event.
Dan Lothian is at the White House to tell us more.
Good morning, Dan.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. That's a lot of money. You know, Hollywood has always opened its wallet to President Obama and this time it was a big one. A hundred and fifty people ponying up $40,000 each for this event. But the bulk of the money really came from the sweepstakes that was held by the campaign where anyone for $3 could enter this contest to win a night rubbing shoulders with the stars, eating this fancy dinner there by Wolfgang Puck.
The two winners, a teacher from New Jersey and a utility worker from Florida. President Obama during this star-studded event was -- did have a chance to joke with some of the Hollywood crowd there, but he talked about the decision coming out and making his public feelings known about same-sex marriage saying how he made news on this event but in addition to that, the president also expressed a little bit of reality talking about how this campaign against Mitt Romney will be much -- much more difficult, rather, than it was in 2008, saying, quote, "This is going to be harder than it was the last time, not only because I'm older and grayer and your hope posters are dog eared, 2008 in some ways was lightning in a bottle. That's not going to be replicated."
Now I should point out that this fundraiser was set before the president came out and talked about same-sex marriage but no doubt this is an issue that Hollywood has been very sympathetic to and so we can only expect that the money will continue flowing from the West Coast because of what the president did.
COSTELLO: Dan Lothian reporting live from the White House. Vice President Joe Biden has apologized to the president for igniting this week's firestorm over gay rights. Senior administration officials tell us Biden acknowledged his comments supporting same-sex marriage put his boss in a tough position. During that Sunday morning interview, Biden said Obama's own views were evolving. And as you know the president officially came out in support of gay marriage a few days later.
More than 200,000 Americans will not receive unemployment checks as a federal extension of that benefit expires this week. Eight states are affected including California, where more than half of the recipients live. Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Colorado, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Texas also on the list.
To be eligible states must prove their jobless rate is at least 10 percent higher now than in one of the last three years. But those rates have been falling as the unemployed find new jobs or leave the workforce for good.
It's a big "I told you so" from bank reformers like -- as JPMorgan Chase, rather, discloses a trading loss of $2 billion in just six weeks.
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange.
So, how does this affect the rest of us?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's what's interesting in this whole story that's unfolded since last night, Carol. You know $2 billion, it's just a drop in the bucket for JPMorgan Chase. This company is going to get through this and it should not affect customers. But no doubt about it. This is still a big deal. Because what JPMorgan did, it's a gamble.
It made bunch of risky bets and it lost. Ironically, though, the bets were meant to protect against possible losses on JPMorgan's other investments but clearly it backfired and the bets produced losses of their own. So all of this came out last night when CEO Jamie Dimon had this surprise conference call with analysts saying the losses were caused by what he calls errors, sloppiness and bad judgment.
And the way Dimon sees this is it tarnishes JPMorgan's reputation and also tarnishes his own reputation as well because because especially since JPMorgan is regarded as one of the healthiest banks on Wall Street, you know, you have to remember this is the bank that weathered the recession better than most. It took over Bear Stearns, it took over Washington Mutual.
Dimon is a very well respected CEO. He's been called the king of Wall Street. But at this point Dimon says that $2 billion loss that you mentioned at the top, Carol, that loss could grow -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, there are some Democratic lawmakers coming forward saying, see, this proves that we need more regulation of these big financial institutions. So will anything happen? KOSIK: And this is going to give them more fuel for that fire definitely. It raises a lot more questions about oversight. New regulations by the way are expected to go into effect on July 21st. What these regulations look to do are limit how much banks trade with their own money that would eventually affect their customers.
Now Dimon ironically has spoken out against these regulations so it's kind of interesting. Now he's kind of caught with his hand in the cookie jar yet he's speaking out against having these kind of regulations. But, you know, as Wall Street sees this overall, this is a huge shock to Wall Street.
You know, the big players down here are getting hit hard. Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, all of those shares down 2 to 4 percent. JPMorgan share is down 8 percent in the pre- market. Wall Street is also worried about, you know, what about banks? What kind of bets are they making that if the healthiest and regarded as cleanest bank is making these kind of risky bets, a lot of people are wanting to know what about these other banks out there, are they doing the same -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I thought we were supposed to solve this problem a long time ago but apparently no.
KOSIK: Not yet.
COSTELLO: Alison Kosik live at the New York Stock Exchange.
A Republican congressman fighting defense cuts. Why he says our national security and economy will be at risk if automatic spending cuts kick in.
He's known as the mole and now we're getting new details on why al Qaeda picked him to carry out their plan to bomb a U.S. bound plane. A live report from London.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Thirteen minutes past the hour. Checking our top stories this morning.
John Edwards' defense team is expected to ask a North Carolina judge to dismiss the corruption case against him. Federal prosecutors wrapped up their case by detailing how hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on Edwards' former mistress and the mother of his child. They allege Edwards use donor money to cover up the affair. Prosecutors did not call Rielle Hunter, the mistress, to testify.
Just hours after Egypt's first ever presidential debate, people are casting early ballots in the first free and fair presidential election in decades. Right now only Egyptians living abroad can vote. The election will be held in Egypt starting May 23rd.
Turns out the Mayan calendar does not predict the end of the world in 2012. Scientists in Guatemala have discovered what could be the oldest known Mayan calendar. They said their research shows Mayan's measured time in cycles of 13 parts, each representing 400 years. You got that? Well, they say we're just at the end of one cycle. And the Mayan calendar will continue for trillions of years. So don't worry, the world most likely will not end this year.
A battle royal is shaping up over deficit reduction again. Remember last year when a congressional super committee was supposed to find a way to trim $1.2 trillion from the deficit and it failed miserably? Well, because of that failure, automatic spending cuts will kick in next year. Hit hard, the military. It would lose billions of tax dollars in general something Republicans say will put the country at risk. Lawmakers in the Republican controlled House of Representatives passed a new bill replacing those scheduled defense cuts with cuts to programs like Medicaid, food stamps and mortgage programs for struggling homeowners.
COSTELLO: Well, because of that failure, automatic spending cuts will kick in next year. Hit hard -- the military. It will lose billions of taxpayer dollars in general -- something Republicans say will put the country at risk.
So, lawmakers in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives replaced a bill with scheduled defense cuts with cuts to programs like Medicaid, food stamps and mortgage programs for struggling homeowners. A bill that will not pass the Senate and will most likely be vetoed by the president if it did.
And then there's Leon Panetta's position. He's concerned about budget overrun, compromising national defense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: There is no free lunch here. Every dollar that is added will have to be offset by cuts in national security. And if for some reason they do not want to comply with a budget control act, then they would certainly be adding to the deficit, which only puts our national security further at risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That's right. That House backed bill that passed the House of Representatives, according to "The New York Times," would add $8 billion to the defense budget so it would make it bigger.
So joining us now, Congressman Randy Forbes. He's a Republican. He's also concerned about what cuts in defense spending will mean to national security and our economy. The congressman is embarking on a 20-state tour to prevent defense cuts.
Welcome.
REP. RANDY FORBES (R), VIRGINIA: Thank you, Carol. It's great to be with you this morning.
COSTELLO: What are you planning to tell people?
FORBES: Carol, just the facts. That is in just a few months, we're going to have a trillion dollars the cuts to national defense.
If you ask the Air Force, they will tell you that puts them on the ragged edge. That's their words. Ask the Navy, we'll have fewer ships than we've had in a hundred years. We'll be giving 200 pink slips to active men and women in the military today and according to secretary of defense.
And according to secretary of defense, it will cost 1.5 million jobs across the country.
But the biggest concern is we're moving dangerously close to a point where we'll no longer be able to guarantee the security of the United States or U.S. interest, and I think that's something the American people don't want us to do.
COSTELLO: Isn't it Congress's fault for putting us in this position?
FORBES: Well, I don't think so, Carol. I think, first of all, I didn't vote for the sequestration bill. But the second thing is, most people in Washington realize the reason we got here is if you look at the stimulus bill that was $825 billion and $347 billion of interest that came from that, that's an exact overlay of what we're taking out of defense.
What essentially happened is the administration spent this money in one year on a failed stimulus plan, and now, they are taking it out of defense over the next 10 years. We don't think it's right to balance that on the back of men and women in uniform, or on our veterans or even on the taxpayers of the United States.
COSTELLO: Well, actually, that was the debt ceiling deal, right? I mean, if Congress didn't find a way to find these cuts, these things were going to happen not only to the defense budget but to cuts in social programs and the like.
FORBES: Well, Carol, remember the president started these cuts. He started with $100 billion of cuts which he said he was going to reprogram.
COSTELLO: Yes, but that's not where we are now. Let's concentrate where we are now. I think Democrats don't want that much cut from defense either. So, then you have to find a solution.
So, House Republicans push through this bill and it's the same old, same old. You know, you offer cuts to social programs like Medicaid knowing that Democrats will never sign onto this bill and knowing -- why not sit down and negotiate and come up with a solid plan?
FORBES: And, Carol, you know, that would be great. In fact, one of the things you know in Washington today when you just reduce the level of increases in spending, people call them cuts but the second thing is recognize -- at least the House has come up with a plan an sent it over to the Senate. The Senate hasn't come up with a budget in years as you know, for 1,000 days. You can't negotiate --
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: According to "The New York Times," the budget that the House passed would actually add $8 billion in moneys to the Defense Department. It wouldn't cut any military spending at all.
FORBES: Carol, we're looking at capacity reductions. It doesn't matter about the number of terms. You have to ask the American people if they really want a situation where the Chinese will outnumber us two in one in subs in just eight years, do you really want a situation where you lose 1.5 million jobs across the country? Do you want a situation where we lose 150,000 to 200,000 people in the military, which would be the equivalent of doing away with the entire Marine Corps in one fell swoop? I don't think they do, Carol.
COSTELLO: I will say this. There was a survey that was recently conducted in part by the Center for Public Integrity. It shows that 90 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of Republicans want less spending at the Pentagon.
So are they wrong?
FORBES: Well, there's two different things, Carol. What we're talking about is do they really want a reduction in capacity?
I think when they hear the president and many in the Senate talk about the fact that they can some of these cuts but maintain security of the United States, I think any of us would want those reductions. But I think when you ask the American people do they really want to reduce security of the United States of America, that answer comes back they don't. They want to make sure that we're maintaining and guaranteeing that security.
If the Senate is serious about this, let them pass a budget so we can do what you said. Sit down at a conference table and try to negotiate some sort of agreement. But if they don't pass a budget, you never get to that table.
COSTELLO: Congressman Forbes, thanks so much for being with us this morning.
FORBES: Thank you, Carol. Have a great day.
COSTELLO: You too.
New details in the al Qaeda plot to bring down a U.S. plane, including how ties to the United Kingdom made a would-be bomber their ideal recruit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: A British passport and knowledge of Arabic just two things that al Qaeda thought made one man the exactly right choice for their plan to try and bomb a U.S. plane.
Nic Robertson is live in London.
Nic, tell us more about this mole.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he was of Saudi origin but had a British passport meaning he would be attractive to al Qaeda. He was recruited though by Saudi counterterrorism agents. They spotted him because he was sort of moving in Jihadist circles. They persuaded him to go to Yemen where they told him, just go to an Arabic language school there and let al Qaeda come to you and let them pick you up.
He was baited if you will. This is sort of a lesson learned from the underpants bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, because that's how he got into al Qaeda in Yemen by going to an Arabic language and Islamic study center, and was picked up by al Qaeda.
So, this was a really sophisticated effort to have al Qaeda think they found this guy because he had the passport that they needed and it was a clever trick duped on them.
COSTELLO: Yes. Just -- I'm constantly amazed when I think of this man, how courageous he was. I know he's probably in some safe place. I hope he is. Every day of his life he now lives in fear.
ROBERTSON: At the moment, nobody is talking about his name. We have a vague idea of his nationality and where he may come from. It's now a very well-kept secret where he is. We've heard he was spirited out of the country, perhaps with a handler through several countries and ultimate destination is not entirely clear.
It does seem very clear, however, he's not going to be able to go back and penetrate that al Qaeda cell. And, look, the lessons that are being learned here with now this information that spilled out are lessons being learned on both sides. Al Qaeda now knows that it is being baited and that it probably recognizes it may have other people inside its organization who have been similarly put out there to get in and spy on them. So, al Qaeda is learning from this as we learn from them in the past.
So, this man is probably safe as long as his name doesn't come out but al Qaeda will know who he is. But he's probably not going to bump into these people. He won't walk the streets of Yemen any time soon we can be pretty sure of that.
COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live for us this morning.
Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning: what does attachment parenting mean for our kids? We have now moved beyond helicopter parenting and onto attachment parenting. If you don't know what that is, look at the cover of "TIME" magazine. Yes, a 3 years old breastfeeding. It's an image that caused outrage, confusion. But if you are into it, it's caused understanding.
See, attachment parenting means breastfeeding into toddlerhood, sleeping in the same bed as your child, it means never leaving your child alone -- a tall order.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are single male parents supposed to do? They can't breastfeed and they say you should sleep with your children.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's really hard because --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Somebody like Octomom or the Dugards, are they supposed to sleep with all their children? What size bed are we talking about here?
(END VIDEO CLI)
COSTELLO: That would be a tall order.
According to "TIME" magazine, attachment parenting dogma is every baby's whimper is a plea for health, no baby should be left to cry. "TIME's" editor says that appeals to the perfectionism in many mothers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BELINDA LUSCOMBE, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, TIME: You need to work harder at what you do and be better at it. And I think women have brought all that energy and engagement and education and said, "I'm going to be the mother of all mothers, especially if I'm giving up, you know, my job and whatever. I'm going to mother the heck out of this kid." I think that's part of what it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: As for the baby, experts have long hailed the benefits of physical closeness and affection between mother and child, but how much is too much?
So, the talk back question for you today, what does attachment parenting mean for our kids?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Happy Friday to you. I'm Carol Costello. It's 30 minutes past the hour.
Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM:
JPMorgan Chase multimillion dollar trading blunder dragged down bank stocks this morning, which would set up a rough session for trading today.
In the news this morning, two young Tennessee girls are out of the hospital after a three-week kidnapping ordeal led to a nationwide manhunt. Alexandria and Kyliyah Bain were found in a wooded area in Mississippi.
Their kidnapper is dead. The FBI says Adam Mayes shot and killed himself as police closed in. Mayes is suspected of killing the girl's mother and their older sister.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is apologizing for a high school prank that got out of hand. Some classmates say the incident was worse than a prank. Supposedly Romney and some of his buddies chased down a fellow teenager, held him down and cut off chunks of his hair. Romney's campaign is releasing statements from former classmates. They say Romney was never mean-spirited and never a bully.
Shock and outrage this morning over the breastfeeding cover on "TIME" magazine. We talked a little bit about that just a few minutes ago. The topic: attachment parenting. Here you see a 26-year-old mother breastfeeding her 3-year-old son. The headline, "Are You Mom Enough?"
"TIME" chose them to symbolize and mark the 20th anniversary of a book based on attachment parenting.
It's actually a growing trend for mothers who keep their kids very close and establish a more prolonged and deeper physical bond.
But there are many against this type of parenting. Actress Alyssa Milano tweeted, "Time, no, you missed the mark. You're supposed to be making it easier for breastfeeding moms. Your cover is exploitive and extreme."
"TIME" is owned by Time Warner, which is a parent company of CNN, just wanted you to know.
But we do want to ask this question. Is the article in "TIME" extreme? I mean, does it outline a difference in opinion in parenting?
Let's talk with Deb Feyerick. She's been looking into this story.
Hi, Deb.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Carol.
Well, you know, it's fascinating when you read the actual article, it's about the man who invented what's called attachment parenting, Dr. William Sears. He wrote the baby book about 20 years ago.
But, look, let's face it. What sells more magazines, an attractive blonde exposing her breast for a suckling child or a cover with a 72-year-old pediatrician? No matter good looking he might be.
Look, moms have been debating this for two decades, not only the philosophy, but really how far to take it. The heart of attachment parenting is that babies develop a strong emotional bond and feel secure the more they are held, the more sensitive parents are to the child's needs that includes extended breastfeeding until the child is about four, bringing baby into bed, co-sleeping, wearing the baby in slings, so that baby is close and continues to feel the mom's rhythm.
We spoke to a mom Heather McFadden, whose 3 1/2-year-old son continues to nurse. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATHER MCFADDEN, BREASTFEEDING MOTHER: He still wants to. And, yes, it is a decision -- you know, breastfeeding, it is a relationship between the mother and a child. And so as long as both are happy doing it, then why not continue? It's only good for the child.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: You know, and she makes the point that other cultures have done this for centuries. It's sort of this American puritanical ethic that sees it as something worse or sees it as something wrong, or worse, they see it as something sexual. But what makes "TIME" magazine cover so striking as well is that it throws down the gauntlet saying, are you mom enough? Like proving your personal worth as a mom involves going the distance.
Listen to what a mom blogger Jennifer Levinson has to say. She has five kids under the age of 5.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER LEVINSON, MOTHER OF FIVE: The one thing that really struck me as being upsetting about it was the notion was -- the notion was that I was not mom enough, because I was not an attachment parent. And again, it just goes back to the judging one another.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: You know, and really, it is all about judging. Moms can be really harsh to one another, even if they don't mean to be. But the question is, how far do you have to go to prove you're good enough -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I'm just thinking back at how my mother raised me. I should be a total complete absolute mess, but I'm not. So, I don't know.
FEYERICK: That's part of it. That's part of it. And, look, none of this is necessarily scientific. There's no scientific proof in sense of the holding, there's no empirical data.
But there's enough that suggests that this really is the way. It's just about showing your child love and expressing that love, expressing holding that child. And who's to say how long that should last? You know, what you experience is your normal. That's why your normal in your family.
COSTELLO: Well, you're a mother. I'm not a mother. This whole breastfeeding -- I mean, it's controversial, right? Some mothers actually can't breastfeed, so when they see things like this on the cover of "TIME" magazine, it must make them feel unbelievably guilty.
FEYERICK: It does. Guilt is a big part of it. Guilt is a big part of that.
But I think, you know, as moms, we have to stop feeling guilty about what we're not doing. Let's look at the things that we are doing. If you are raising kids that are happy, if you are raising kids that are well-balanced, there's no one magic answer. You just have to parent your child really in my opinion the best way you know how.
You know, I haven't done this before. It's trial and error. But you try to do the best so that your child when they walk out of the house is happy and that's the bottom line.
COSTELLO: So, you're OK that you didn't breastfeed your kids until they were three, Deb?
FEYERICK: Correct. Yes. Correct. Correct. I asked CNN whether I could do it on set, they said no.
COSTELLO: Deborah Feyerick, thanks so much.
That's actually was our talk back topic today. We're asking you the question what does attachment parenting mean for our kids? Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your responses later this hour.
Plus, Mitt Romney continues his attempts to woo conservatives by taking his pitch to one of the nation's largest Christian universities. Will students welcome him or walk out?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Maybe you remember, last week, "Vogue" said it was banning skinny, twiggy-like models.
Well, now Janet Jackson is speaking out against them, too.
A.J. Hammer is host of "Showbiz Tonight."
What's up?
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Well, Carol, "Showbiz Tonight" caught up with Janet last night. She came out to an exhibit of fashion photographs.
And I first need to point out that she just looked fantastic. I mean, look at her. She's been battling weight issues by working with Nutrisystem. And while she's looking and perhaps more importantly feeling great, she's applauding the recent move by "Vogue" to ban models who are just too skinny. She thinks that women look good with some curves.
Watch what she told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET JACKSON, SINGER: I like a little meat on the bones. It's nice. And, you know, we thought that Christie and Cindy and Iman and Naomi were small back in the day, but gals now are even smaller than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, hopefully, "Vogue" has started a trend, Carol, that is going to get some traction and stick around for a while.
COSTELLO: I hope so. Let's talk about Sasha Baron Cohen. I understand he showed up at the London premiere of the movie "Dictator" in extravagant style, but he also brought controversy with him.
HAMMER: Well, that seems to follow him. I don't know that Sacha Baron Cohen ever wants to do a movie that doesn't involve controversy, Carol. But there are some people who think that Cohen's role as the top Middle Eastern dictator, over-the-top Middle Eastern dictator perpetuating all kinds of dangerous stereotypes about Arabs. Although compared to some of the controversy that Sacha was dealing with from previous movies, this one hasn't gained a whole of traction.
I would actually argue that people who are making complaints about the film probably need to see the film first which isn't out. Early clips that were released with Cohen as this over the top dictator portrayed a different story that some of the later clips I've seen. Cohen is playing the same character working in a New York City grocery store.
His films always tend to have a fair amount of nuance and while characters certainly are buffoons, they usually wind out pointing out the ridiculous behavior of the rest of society.
Carol, Sacha Baron Cohen is a bright and creative guy. Even he knows that his films aren't everyone's tastes.
COSTELLO: I'm sure he does. A.J., thank you.
In the next hour, find out what country music legend Zooey Deschanel is going to play on Broadway.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Mitt Romney's bid to court conservatives will take him to Liberty University this weekend where he'll deliver the school's commencement speech. But the appearance is not without controversy. As some argue Romney who is a Mormon is not the right person to speak at one of the nation's largest evangelical Christian universities.
Joining me now are Cody May, Liberty University Student Body President and Thomas Turner, the senior class president. Welcome to both of you.
CODY MAY, STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY: Thank you, Carol.
THOMAS TURNER, SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY: Thank you, Carol.
O'BRIEN: It's great you're here. And Thomas, congratulations. You're going to be in the audience on Saturday. What do you want to hear from Governor Romney?
TURNER: What I want to hear from Governor Romney is a message how we could enter into the new world, into the real world and just talk about business experience and how we can become successful and how he worked hard and what were some his struggles that he had.
COSTELLO: And Cody, you realize that some of his speech will involve some political themes. Do you think it should?
MAY: I think it -- it may. There's the potential for it obviously he's a presidential candidate for the GOP nomination.
You know if he does, that's fine by me. It's a -- it's a big stage. And if not, you know as Thomas was saying just his success as a -- as a businessman and as Governor I think would just be -- would be good enough for every graduate here. So --
COSTELLO: Got you.
You know a few weeks ago your school paper published opinions both for and against Mr. Romney's appearance. I want to read an excerpt from those, again this is from your paper. "If Liberty were a secular institution, this would not be a big deal -- but it is not. Romans 12:2 says 'Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind'.
Liberty is conforming to the pattern of the world. It is cool and progressively academic to have a potential future president speak at commencement but is it Christ honoring?"
Do you think Romney's selection goes against biblical principles, Thomas?
TURNER: No, I don't. This is a -- we are electing a commander- in-chief and not a pastor-in-chief. This is a -- we are looking to see who is going to be the right leader for our nation. And as the Bible says, we're supposed to choose able men first and that is supposed to be above all. And so I don't see this as going -- conforming to the way of the world.
We have an opportunity to look at both Governor Romney and President Obama and let the American people decide who they want as their leader.
COSTELLO: I did hear Cody, in fact some -- some comments were posted on Facebook a couple weeks ago that some students planned to get up and walk out during Governor Romney's speech. Do you think that will happen?
MAY: No, ma'am. I do not. I think -- I think the majority of students are very excited to have Governor Romney speak. Like I said earlier, he's -- he's a very established individual, very well known.
I think the majority of students will -- will enjoy his speech and those that maybe don't like this idea probably won't even show up. So I believe there won't be any problems, so no, ma'am.
COSTELLO: And so Thomas, did you know as a school leader, did you have any conversations with your fellow students about Romney speaking at the -- at commencement?
TURNER: Yes, I did. Many students have come to me and say they are honored to have a -- the potential next President of the United States come to their campus and speak. The Student Government Association went a step farther and wrote a resolution supporting the Chancellor's decision to bring Governor Romney to campus and we passed that at our last senate meeting of the year.
COSTELLO: Did you talk Cody at all about Governor Romney as being Mormon? Some students objected because they think Mormonism is a cult.
MAY: Ma'am like I said earlier, there seems -- of course there's those few individuals that don't agree with the decision but majority of the students do. Yes as far as that, there's -- there's a lot of different opinions out there as to what's a cult and what's not, you know. I'm not a theology major so I can't answer that question for you, but you know I think the majority of students are very excited for this atmosphere.
COSTELLO: Cody and Thomas, thank you so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.
TURNER: Thank you, Carol.
MAY: Thanks Carol.
COSTELLO: And Thomas, again, congratulations. Going out into the real world.
TURNER: Thank you so much.
COSTELLO: You're welcome.
TURNER: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Prince -- Prince Charles got an invitation to read the weather forecast at a TV station but imagine how the writer must have felt when the Prince said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE CHARLES, PRINCE OF WHALES: The potential for a few flurries over Balmoral -- who the hell wrote this script -- as the afternoon goes on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: We'll show you the rest of the royal weather report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We asked you to "Talk Back" on one of the stories of the day, the question for you this morning, "What does attachment parenting mean for our kids?"
This from Paul, "There is no reason there needs to be a difference between holding your child and showing affection and also teaching them responsibility and independence. I think we can achieve both."
This from Jill. "This is more for the mother than the child. No child would want to be told this as they get older. Where in history did they feed children for this long? Another case of parents who feel guilty."
This from Andy. "It means trophies for everyone at the end of every competition, four or five year-olds that don't know how to calm themselves down, and children with huge separation anxiety due to overbearing parents. Also, really, really tired parents."
This from Nicole, "Everyone is so gosh-darned sensitive and spoiled. Just because something isn't the society norm doesn't mean it's wrong. Attachment parenting has its right and wrongs just like any parenting."
And this from Crystal. "It's one thing to meet the needs of your child and to love your child but to never leave your child alone is doing more harm than good because it doesn't let the child learn independence."
Keep the conversation going. Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read more of your comments in the next hour.
We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Martin Savidge.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm in Mississippi, Carol, where a murder and kidnapping drama came to an end last night just down this dirt road. We'll tell you how the rescue happened, coming up.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. A U.S. Army soldier coming up on three years in captivity. His parents want him home. We'll have details at the top of the hour.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange. Do you own an iPad? Well, iPod actually. There's a good chance you may be suing Apple because you own one. Carol, I'm going to explain why in the next hour. COSTELLO: All righty.
Also a study out this week says 42 percent of Americans will be obese by 2030. An upcoming HBO documentary, "Weight of the Nation", is declaring war on obesity. And in 20 minutes I'll talk with Phillip Marino, the former President of Pepsi, he is one of the many people speaking out about the issue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: One of the Atlanta Hawks owners called Kevin Garnett the dirtiest player in the NBA. That slam motivated the Celtics' star. Garnett scored 28 points including this crucial turnaround jumper. There it goes.
Now that happened at the end of the game. He also scooped up 14 rebounds. The Celtics win in their first-round series with Atlanta. Afterwards Garnett thanked the Hawks owner for, quote, "giving me some extra gas tonight".
The 76ers Andrei Iguadala drives the lane for the winning basket against the Bulls, misses but then he gets fouled. He's been struggling at the free throw lines. A teammate told him to think of something he loves, so he thought of his son and he actually sunk both shots.
The Bulls could not respond. Eighth-seed Philly knocks out first-seed Chicago. The Sixers advance to play Boston in the next round.
Britain's Prince Charles is getting a lot of attention after stepping in front of the camera, but it wasn't for a royal speech. He was giving the weather forecast. And it was anything but dry. Here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was anything but low pressure when the anchor tossed to the weatherman by saying, "Your Highness".
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your Highness.
PRINCE CHARLES, UNITED KINGDOM: Well, it's an unsettled picture as we head towards the end of the week.
MOOS: The weather got the royal treatment.
PRINCE CHARLES: Cold, wet and windy across most of Scotland.
MOOS: As Prince Charles delivered the lunch forecast during a tour of BBC Scotland. Instead of someone holding the umbrella for the royals, the prince was holding the button to control the weather map.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just press it once.
MOOS: The princely meteorologist read smoothly off a teleprompter with the occasional ad-lib.
PRINCE CHARLES: Aha.
MOOS: As he read, he realized places where the conditions were highlighted were once frequented by the royals.
PRINCE CHARLES: The potential for a few flurries off of Balmoral -- who the hell wrote the script -- as the afternoon goes on.
MOOS: At least the prince know as high from a low.
PAUL LYNDE, COMEDIAN: Is H for hot or humid? It's both.
MOOS: And the prince didn't knock over any cold fronts.
LYNDE: What does that mean? What did that mean?
MOOS: As late comedian Paul Lynde did when he filled in at a Toledo, Ohio station back in the late '70s.
LYNDE: 26 percent centigrade, 79 Fahrenheit, 41 percent chance of twisters.
MOOS: Nor did Prince Charles adjust his bosom.
SNOOKI, REALITY TV STAR: Oh, my God.
MOOS: As Snooki did when she subbed --
SNOOK: Some light snow with some p.m. flurries.
MOOS: -- at a New York City station. At least the prince knew not to wear green.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the one color that we can't wear. There we go. See?
MOOS: Color wreaks havoc with green screen technology.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like this.
MOOS: When Ellen barged into a Chicago newscast, she was sort of a miming meteorologist.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at this area of low pressure that's behind Ellen. She's cloaking it very well.
MOOS: The weather dog resorted to his usual insults.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clouds are coming into the sky. Oh, poor Hawaii. You might have a cloud or two. Screw you, Hawaii.
MOOS: These two Playboy bunnies tried to pin a tail on the regular weather man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've already helped me more than you know. MOOS: How do you expect English speaking Tom Hanks to do the weather in Spanish-speaking Univision?
They're rising and falling faster than the barometer.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
