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CNN Sunday Morning

Southwest Planes Grounded; Death Toll Goes Up in Japan

Aired April 03, 2011 - 06:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good Sunday morning, everybody.

Some flights are on hold, hundreds actually. Southwest Airline has to cancel hundreds of flights and they are keeping dozens of planes on the ground while they try to find out why one of them blew its top.

Also, we have been seeing the death toll go up in Japan. Thousands of bodies have been found. But now, the focus is on two bodies in particular that were found in the reactor basement at that troubled plant. Could their discovery now answer questions about radiation leaks in Japan?

Also, bad sports in Egypt. Take a look at that. Soccer fans storm the field. As they're running unto the field, opposing team is running for the exits.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is your CNN SUNDAY MORNING for this April 3rd. Thank you for spending part of your weekend here with us. I'm T.J. Holmes.

I do want to start with what's happening at Southwest Airlines, had to cancel a few hundred flights yesterday. They pulled almost all of their 737s from service after one of the planes lost a chunk of its roof on Friday mid-flight. Federal investigators are trying to figure out how in the world something like this could happen.

But as CNN's Ted Rowlands now reports for us, this is not the first time Southwest has been on this end of an investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The plane is sitting in Yuma, Arizona, as investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board try to figure out what happened.

ROBERT SUMWALT, NTSB BOARD MEMBER: It's very important to find out what happened in this event. We don't want this to happen again and airplane structures should not fail and rupture as it did yesterday here over the skies of Arizona.

ROWLANDS: Passengers say the hole opened up shortly after takeoff.

DAVID SMITH, SOUTHWEST PASSENGER: It sounded like explosion at least. But, all of the sudden, there's a big sun roof in the middle of the plane. A big, old hole. You see daylight running through it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of a sudden, oxygen masks dropped and everyone was just trying to get the masks on and it was scary.

ROWLANDS: This isn't the first time a Southwest 737 ended up with a hole in it.

In 2009, a similar incident took place when a Southwest plane lost cabin pressure and was forced to land in Charleston, West Virginia, with a football-sized hole in it. The cause of that hole was found to be metal fatigue.

In 1988, a flight attendant was sucked out of an Aloha Airlines 737 after an 18-foot piece was blown off its fuselage.

SUMWALT: We'll be going back and looking at those other events to see what we've learned and if the corrective solutions from those events, if they did not work, why they didn't work.

ROWLANDS (on camera): Investigators say they expect to spend several days here in Yuma, combing over the aircraft. They've also sent the data recorders and a piece of the fuselage to Washington to analyze it there. And they have sent another team of investigators to Southwest's headquarters in Texas to go over all of the maintenance records of this aircraft.

(voice-over): In 2008, Southwest was penalized by the FAA for not keeping up with mandatory inspections for skin cracking in their planes. In that case, Southwest discovered its own error and reported itself to the FAA. After the latest incident, Southwest elected to ground 79 of its 737s to check them for cracking. An effort the company says to make sure their passengers are safe.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Yuma, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: An update now from Japan, where the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami disaster has now topped 12,000 this morning, we also want to tell you that the bodies of two nuclear plant workers that have been missing since the quake hit have been found.

CNN's Martin Savidge is live for us in Tokyo.

Martin, hello to you.

Investigators are hoping that they can learn anything from the discovery now of these two bodies?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, T.J.

Well, as you reported, these were two men that were missing. They were ages 21 and 24, very young. And they had been in that facility, actually found in the basement of the turbine room of building number four, where they had apparently been working at the time when the tsunami struck on March 11th. And it's, of course, where they died.

They had not been seen for quite some time, and their discovery was actually made on Wednesday. But corporate officials decided, of course, that notifying the family was the most important thing. And so, they did not reveal the fact that they had been found until today. So, that ends what had been somewhat of a mystery at the facility.

Meanwhile, the investigation is going forward on this crack that they've been trying to deal with, and it's really proving to be a very frustrating project. As we told you yesterday, they were trying to use cement to fill this tunnel that has an eight-inch crack in it, through which highly radiative water is getting into the ocean. They poured a bunch of cement, put some more cement, let it sit, and it didn't do a thing. The water continued to pour out at quite a high rate into the ocean.

So, then, today, it was a new tactic, high-tech polymer. It's a very fine powder that when you inject it and get it exposed to water, it just expands dramatically.

So, they used that. They threw in some sawdust and chopped up newspapers for good measure as well. That didn't work either. The leak is still continuing at this hour, T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Martin Savidge, again, it sounds like a lot of work still ahead trying to find answers. Martin, we appreciate you as always.

We want to switch from Japan over Libya, where we've been keeping a close eye for some time. And there's a mortar attack by government troops that apparently hit a hospital. A doctor at a clinic in Misrata says the building was shelled and when people went to the scene to try to help the people who have been injured from that shelling, there was a second blast. At least one person dead, 15 others wounded.

Meanwhile, rebel forces are pulling away from the city of Brega. Our Ben Wedeman reporting for us that there was some sort of an ambush, and opposition fighters need to pick up more ammunition before trying to retake the city.

A little later on this show, we'll be taking a closer look at the rebel forces. But experts are saying now that some of the fighting forces there, they need a lot to get them to the same fighting level as some of Moammar Gadhafi's troops.

We'll turn back here at home now, and House Republicans want to do something huge and politically risky -- make deep cuts to Medicare and Medicaid in next year's budget.

Now, keep in mind here, I said next year's budget, the 2012 budget. This is different from the current budget battle that's going on for last year's budget that the sides have been going back and forth about, that's threatening a government shutdown. We're talking about two different things here. We'll get back to the 2011 budge in a second. But the 2012 budget proposal calls for an end to Medicare enrollment in 10 years and instead, eligible seniors will get vouchers for private insurance. Medicaid, which is aimed to helping lower income families for health care, would be cut by as much as $1 trillion. We won't get the full details of this new plan until at least Tuesday, we expect.

Meanwhile, President Obama trying to get things moving on, like I mentioned, the 2011 budget. This was the one that was due at the end of September last year, and they keep passing continuing resolution after continuing resolution, trying to find some kind of an agreement. He called -- the president called Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner yesterday about a possible compromise deal. Democrats and Republicans are at an impasse over how much to cut from the current budget. We could have a government shutdown if no deal is reached by Friday.

We've been telling you so much about some of the Republicans possibly getting into the race for 2012. Well, now, we can tell you about a Democrat that's getting into the race for 2012. Barack Obama, he is expected to as early as tomorrow to give us some information about his re-election bid for 2012. He is expected to send maybe a text message or an e-mail to some of his supporters saying, in fact, that he is running.

No surprise at all, folks. This is just making all official. He is expected to file papers with the Federal Election Commission tomorrow to officially launch his campaign.

Well, a lot of people are getting some better weather in some parts of the country, especially here in the South, where we are in Atlanta. But if you're planning a cookout like so many others, you need to listen up because we got some recalled meat we need to tell you about. Turkey burgers bought at Sam's Club, you need to be on the lookout for. These are Jennie-O. They are recalling more than 50,000 pounds of the product over salmonella concerns.

USDA believes there may be a connection between the burgers and recent outbreaks of salmonella in at least 10 states. You can head over to CNN.com to find out all the states we're talking about here. And if you have those burgers, you are told: do not eat them. You need to return them for a full refund.

Well, losing is not an option. That's what Charlie Sheen says, but all accounts we are getting from his official comeback? He lost in a big way. He, of course, the 45 year old Charlie Sheen, a lightning rod of controversy, he kicked off a 20-city comedy tour last night in Detroit.

Initial reviews of the show which is called "Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option," that's the name of it. Initial reviews say this thing bombed and bombed badly. A lot of people, it was sol out, we're told. At least the theater was full. Many people booed. Many people were yelling they want a refund. Many people got up and walked right out. This is supposed to be some kind of a variety show, a comedy show of some kind. People are trying to figure this out. You, of course remember that Warner Brothers fired Sheen from his hit show "Two and a Half Men" last month. Warner Brothers is owned by Time Warner. That is CNN's parent company.

Oh, save the penguins, please. Right now, in a remote part of the south Atlantic, a massive rescue effort underway to save thousands of penguins. We'll tell you what's threatening them.

Chad, can we save the penguins?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I think they are working on it. You bet. You might want to save yourself today. Make sure batteries are in that NOAA weather radio. If you don't have one, go buy one. I'll tell you where the storms are going to be all week, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Eleven minutes past the hour now on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Volunteers are trying now to save tens of thousands of penguins that are coated in oil. It was a spill that happened near Nightingale Island. You're just getting an idea here of where it is, about 1,500 miles west of Cape Town, South Africa. Officials there say 300 of these penguins have died so far.

The oil comes from a cargo ship that ran aground. It's spilling oil and diesel fuel. Rescue operation has actually been going for more than two weeks now. Around 5,000 penguins have been evacuated from the spill zone.

Also, a lot of people know what these are, you've seen them every once in a while. They don't look so dangerous, these dust devils. Well, authorities in Tucson, Arizona, are blaming one of those for lifting an inflatable jump castle some 15 feet in the air. Of course, these little dust devils are strong whirl winds where it lifted this thing up, hurling this thing onto a busy thoroughfare. This happened yesterday. Two kids were in it at the time. Their injuries now considered serious, but not life threatening.

You may remember as well, it was about seven weeks ago, two girls injured in a similar incident when a bounce house was blown out of a backyard into a neighbor's house just north of Tucson.

Chad Myers, good to have you here with us, in for our Reynolds Wolf.

We see these dust devils. We see them all the time. They kind of look cool that we don't think they are that dangerous.

MYERS: They can be 60 miles an hour.

HOLMES: Wow.

MYERS: OK. So, that's not a tornado because it's not attached to a big cloud bringing it all down. But it's enough in itself obviously lifting those things up. You know, my kid -- people rent these things.

HOLMES: Yes.

MYERS: And you need to make sure that there are some sandbags and all that. I know you think it's OK, but just a bunch of air.

HOLMES: That's what happens sometimes. Maybe, I'm not saying it's the case here, but it can be some operator error. You don't make sure those things are down the way they are supposed to be.

MYERS: People like to put them in a parking lot because it's nice and safe. The kids get out, not in the grass, it's not wet. The best thing to do is to get the big dog cleats. You know, those things that look like a big spiral, you spiral those things into the ground, you hook them up all four corners in dirt. And they don't do that when there is no dirt because it's on asphalt. They just lay sandbags on top of the wire and then that's not enough.

HOLMES: You are such a wealth of information.

MYERS: I have 6-year-old, he tells me everything I know. Everything I know, I learned from him in kindergarten. It's not a book.

It is going to be one blistering hot day through the central part of the country -- 88, 90, somewhere in there, and humidity, too. The only problem, you got to see this, there's a cold front coming through. When a cold front comes through and it pushes warm air like we're going to have in Kansas City away, you get severe weather. We could get tornadoes all the way from Kansas City through the quad cities and even late tonight into Chicago. Then that entire area slides off to the east over the next couple of days.

I get this out of the way and I'll show you what I'm talking about. There's Kansas City, there's Iowa, there's Chicago. So, the biggest threat right here today, right here tomorrow, and then, even for Monday into Tuesday, it slides farther off to the east.

When the storms get into the nighttime hours, they will get smaller. They will lose some of their intensity, because they lose their heat. But when the cell is running at you or maybe at your neighbor or your mom and dad, whatever, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00 p.m., that's the hottest part of the day, that's when you're going to have to be watching it because that's when cells could probably be rotating. They'll make some hail and they could be the most severe.

But watch out for watches and warnings, and like I said, go get the NOAA weather radio. You'll need it for the spring anyway.

HOLMES: Yes. We know so many people so happy for it not to be cold. We're going into the spring time. But this is -- can be a dangerous time when it comes to weather.

Chad, good to have you here with us. MYERS: You're welcome. Nice to be here.

HOLMES: Thanks so much, buddy.

We want to turn to Egypt now, and sports and politics colliding, in an ugly way. Fans of an Egyptian soccer club, they stormed the field in the closing minutes. Take a look at this, folks. This is a critical African champion league qualifying game. The Egypt, this club was playing against Tunisia.

Now, many of the people you are seeing here are reportedly part of a fanatical soccer group. A group of fanatic soccer fans who reportedly played a key role in Egypt's revolution.

Now, they planned to use demonstrations at the game to try to push their political agenda. But organizers lost control after a crucial goal was disallowed, watching helplessly as protesters disrupted the match, destroyed part of the stadium in this rampage. And according to "Reuters," nine people injured.

Egypt's prime minister has apologized.

Well, things we much calmer. They weren't out of control, if you will, at last night's Final Four, the national semifinals. So, we do know who's going to play for the national championship on Monday. We will get to that in just a moment.

But this was the darling of the two games, the two little guys, VCU versus Butler. This was a wonderful game, but VCU's run is over. The 11th seed that everybody got on board with, they played a great game for the most part, but eighth-seeded Butler finally pulled away, put the game away, 70 to 62.

Butler is now going to the national championship for back-to-back years. You remember they came within a half-court heave of beating Duke in the national championship last year. Butler is 28-9. They will take on UConn on Monday night. UConn ended Kentucky's dreams of another college title, beat them 56-55. Wildcats had to claw their way back into this when they went down early by 10 points, but the third-seeded Huskies, 31-9 now, in the championship game.

UConn-Butler, Monday night, happening around 9:00 Eastern Time.

Well, Charlie Sheen, he might not have an acting gig, but he still took his act on the road last night in Detroit. And why did many people who paid good money to see him end up booing him?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We are 19 minutes past the hour on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Charlie Sheen might have to go sit down somewhere and work on his standup. Reviews are in after Charlie Sheen kicked off his "Torpedo of Truth" road show in Detroit yesterday. And by pretty much all accounts, it was a rough night. Some fans were so unimpressed that they actually walked out of the show.

Here's the official version from some of the people who were there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Chicago, don't waste your money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's losing, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get lost.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, I like the guy, but it was so bad. Chicago, save your money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chicago is done.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was so bad. It was -- I mean, I love Charlie Sheen, but I thought it was going to be something more than it was.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A total waste of money.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, honestly, I felt really bad for him. Everyone was booing. And they wouldn't give him a chance to talk. And it was actually really sad.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

HOLMES: Yes, you heard her there, and some of the reports were that he was heckled and disrupted so much that he couldn't continue with his show.

Our Kareen Wynter has the rest of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Charlie Sheen, oh, boy, he was definitely not winning on his opening tour night. His highly anticipated "Violent Torpedo of Truth" tour, look, name up in bright lights, center stage in the Motor City, but Sheen bombed in a big way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Worst show ever.

WYNTER: The thousands of fans inside Detroit's Fox Theatre, they let him have it. They booed. They chanted refund. They called him loser.

Sheen basically spoke in troll language and warlock language all night long saying he was here to stay (ph) again. He also rolled out like a presidential like podium and gave a nonsensical speech. There were clips, believe it or not, from Charlie's recent news interviews, that was one big mess of montages. He also had his goddesses -- that's right -- his goddesses on stage, and they burned his iconic "Two and a Half Men" shirt. This show -- you know, it's just a show where he never ever managed to connect with the audience. He even chalked it up as an experiment. The question is, with all of those tour dates remaining over the next month, will fans really want to pay to se a less than stellar performance?

Kareen Wynter, CNN, Detroit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Just decided to check -- you know, a lot of people have been following him on Twitter. He only signed up not too long ago, has about 3.5 million followers here. And he said, "The moment of truth is upon us." This is apparently before the show last night. "The moment of truth is upon us, Detroit. Do not fear, the Sheenius is here." Just want to share that with you.

Well, Warner Brothers fired Sheen, you may know, from the hit comedy "Two and a Half Men." Warner Brothers owned by Time Warner, which is CNN's parent company.

We are at 22 minutes past the hour. We have been watching those uprisings across the Arab world. They seem to continue to spread. So, what is it about the revolt in Syria that has U.S. leaders so concerned?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Twenty-five minutes past the hour now, as we continue to keep an eye on a region in revolt. Just moments ago, the Syrian government named a new prime minister. The old one was swept out as a result of ongoing anti-government protests -- protests that have been met by a strong response from government troops.

And as CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom reports, this is unlike other uprisings we've seen, and may be a game-changer for the entire region.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Arab Spring, when seeds of regional revolution were sown. First, in Tunisia, then, Egypt. And now, those winds of change are sweeping through North Africa and the Middle East -- Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, Jordan, just to name a few.

Protest movements taking root in countries with authoritarian regimes have never seen such defiance. But, now, what some thought unthinkable.

Syria, it started with citizens taking to the streets demanding more economic prosperity and political freedom -- a shocking development in a country known as a police state, where demonstrations are banned and emergency law has been in effect since 1963. President Bashar al-Assad has ruled Syria through a combination of nationalism and repression. He has offered concessions to demonstrators, but cracked down on them at the same time, fueling anger.

Now, a call for regime change has begun reverberating throughout the country -- a frightening scenario not just for Syria's leaders but for regional neighbors, and the U.S., too. Turmoil in Syria could have far reaching consequences in the Middle East.

Allied with Iran, Syria has helped Hezbollah gained power in Lebanon, a move that challenges Israel's power in the region. And while Syria is still on the U.S. State Department list of state sponsors of terror, there has been a recent warming of relations between both. The U.S. knows there can be no comprehensive peace between Arabs and Israelis without Syria.

But, now, thousands of Syrians are risking their lives by taking to the streets to defy al-Assad's regime, demanding freedom and dignity.

Syria is a potential game-changer for the region. These protests suggest that no amount of nationalists or religious credentials can be enough to head off real demands for change.

(on camera): Meaning, there isn't a regime in the Middle East -- not Syria's ally, Iran, not even America's ally, Saudi Arabia -- that can afford to ignore the potential power of its people.

Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: There's also a new fighting in Libya we are keeping a close update -- a close eye on. We have a live update from the eastern part of that country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We're at the bottom of the hour on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Thank you for spending part of your weekend with us.

I'm T.J. Holmes. Give you a look now at some of the stories still making headlines.

Southwest Airlines saying it is conducting a thorough inspection of dozens of its Boeing 737 jets after one had to make an emergency landing Friday in Arizona because of that. A nearly four-foot long gash appeared in the fuselage of that aircraft. An initial investigation of the ruptured plane suggests structural failure.

Also, grim news out of Japan in that ongoing nuclear crisis. Today, an official from the Fukushima Power Plant revealed that the bodies of two plant workers who have been missing since the March 11th earthquake tsunami have been found. The casualty count from this catastrophe now counts 12,000. Still, some 15,000 missing.

Also, a recall of burgers. These are Jennie-O Turkey Burgers that were sold at Sam's Club stores. Some 55,000 pounds of product listed are now being recalled for possible salmonella contamination. Illnesses in 10 states have been tentatively linked to patties. The company suggests returning those burgers for a refund, but do not eat them.

Well, we have seen some time that disaster can be good for business - particular businesses. So are you in the market for a bomb shelter?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, 33 minutes past the hour now.

How's this offer for you? You want to buy an arc? You know, like Noah's? Only this one is made of steel. It's just one of the orders being filled right now by a company that makes bomb shelters.

And as our Christine Romans now reports in the wake of the disaster in Japan, business is booming.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN CAMDEN, HARDENED STRUCTURES: We got a new contract day. The name of the project is Surefire Survival Community.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you want to prepare for disaster, Brian Camden is your man. The 55- year-old civil engineer is the owner of Hardened Structures. He's been in the business of building bomb shelters for 20 years and right now that business is booming.

CAMDEN: Right now, it's probably a new project every other week. Our biggest seller is a six-person, prefabricated steel shelter that sells for about $38,000.

ROMANS: Demand for all kinds of survival supplies is up. There's the ordinary, like these 55-gallon barrels, sold by Shelf Reliance for water storage.

And the extraordinary. Like this order for a 900-ton steel arc, which can hold 185 people and food for five years, this in the event there's - well, water everywhere.

CAMDEN: Obviously picked up with the - the earthquake in Japan. There is the - the unrest in the Middle East. I think the economy has a great deal to do with it.

ROMANS: Costco has seen a surge in sales of freeze-dried food and the company Underground Shelters has had inquiries jump by 400 percent since the earthquake in Japan.

ROMANS (on camera): This isn't the first time there was a boom in bunkers in the U.S. During the Cold War, there were no less than 200,000 bomb shelters across the country, many of them home shelters.

According to "The Wall Street Journal," an article from 1961, one Chicago company received 1,000 orders in one week for fabricated steel shelters.

ROMANS (voice-over): Nowadays, Camden says he sees two types of clients.

CAMDEN: Some of the clients who feel like the threat is imminent and then you have the other clients who are starting to prepare, move forward.

ROMANS: It's impossible to predict if the current demand for bomb shelters will last, but for now -

CAMDEN: A hardened structure by nature is basically asset protection. And most people identify their family as their number one asset.

ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Thirty-five minutes past the hour now. When I talked to Chad - we were just talking about that story. He gave me an interesting detail.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

HOLMES: There's some houses that do have these bomb shelters in them.

MYERS: Yes.

HOLMES: But some people like yourself don't necessarily use them for those kinds of purposes.

MYERS: Well, I had a bomb shelter in a house that I had in bulkhead (ph), built in 1961, height of the Cold War. Big spent (ph). And it was great to put wine in because it was safe down there. You probably put a big door on it, you're in good shape. Nobody's going to steal it. It's nice to have if you ever have to go down into the shelter, too.

That's today. That's Sunday, Chicago, Kansas City, quad cities, all the way down even to Oklahoma, tornadoes, damaging winds and, yes, large hail. Hail big enough to put some dents in cars, maybe even break windows. And then it charges into Arkansas.

You have to realize that this is - this is an event that keeps going. It's just not - always during the day, it's gone during the night. No. It kind of charges, moves ahead, moves ahead. Now, during the heat of the day, the storms are bigger, the hail is larger and the tornadoes are more deadly. During the night of the day, the tornadoes are maybe smaller but they're harder to see and they're harder to get warnings on, and so people die in the middle of the night, even with smaller tornadoes.

And then the middle part of the day on Monday and then the middle part of the day on Tuesday, that's not even drawn here, those storms will eventually head to the East. This is just very typical for springtime. This Tornado Alley, right here today, and the rest of the Southeast and even up the Northeast will be a typical spring-type day.

Warm air in place, cold air says, hey, wait a minute, I know you want to be summer here, but I don't want to give up my cold air yet. And a cold front pushes the air away, pushes the warm air up like a hot air balloon. The cold air is heavier so the cold front is heavier. It goes down, pushing the hot air up. When hot air rises, you get clouds. Some clouds make storms. Some storms will get warnings on them. We'll keep you advised.

HOLMES: All right. It looks like it might be a rough week.

MYERS: It will be.

HOLMES: All right. Chad, we appreciate it. It's good to have you here this weekend as well.

We'll turn to some politics here now. President Obama made a couple of calls yesterday, trying to get things moving on the budget. Reaching out to the House Speaker John Boehner and also the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, talking to them about a possible compromise on how much to cut.

Our Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser has more on what could happen if no deal is reached by this Friday.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, good morning, T.J.

The clock is ticking towards a possible government shutdown. Democrats and Republicans in Congress are trying to reach a budget agreement to fund the federal government for the rest of this fiscal year, which goes through September. But if there's no agreement by Friday, then the current funding for the government ends and there could be a shutdown of nonessential government offices and services.

You know, most Americans say a shutdown would be a bad thing for the country. Look at that, 6 and 10 feel that way in the most recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation National Poll. But, you know what? There's a partisan divide. Check it out. Democrats say a shutdown would be a bad thing. Republicans and especially Tea Party supporters, well, they don't agree.

But, you know what? One thing most Americans agree upon, they're pretty much frustrated with this whole process - T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Thanks to our Paul Steinhauser.

And we have been telling you so much about the possible Republicans throwing their hat into the ring for the presidential contest. We can tell you about a Democrat now expected to throw his hat into the ring. We're talking about, you know, just Barack Obama, here. No surprise here. He's expecting to make all of this official and file all the papers this week. No big surprise there. But exactly who could he be facing in 2012? CNN taking a special look at the contenders, the political and personal baggage they carry with them and how it could affect their status as presidential hopefuls. "The Contenders," starting tomorrow, right here on CNN.

We turn to sports in this country. A lot of people keeping an eye on the baseball season just kicked off last week, and also the Final Four is going on. But in this country here, if we don't play it, well, networks don't air it. We don't watch it.

Case in point here - cricket. Played in far-off countries, people wearing uniforms. We don't really recognize, but more than a billion people were in a frenzy this past week. There's a World Cup that just wrapped up you need to know about.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Forty-two minutes past the hour now.

In Libya, rebel forces are trading ground with government troops. They're battling in cities that have changed hands several times over the past few weeks.

And as our CNN Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence now reports, it's going to take time and training before opposition troops can really stand toe to toe with Gadhafi's Army.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Libya's rebels say they're fighting tanks with trucks. Using rifles when what they need are heavy weapons, like more rocket-propelled grenades.

MAHMOUD SHAMMAM, INTERIM NATIONAL COUNCIL: We don't have armor (ph) at all, otherwise we finish Gadhafi in - in a few days.

LAWRENCE: Maybe. Maybe not. Experts say Gadhafi's army has proven it wouldn't give up after a loss or two.

FRANK ANDERSON, PRESIDENT, MIDDLE EAST POLICY COUNCIL: In order for the rebels to succeed in a series of battles, they have to have fire power that can be brought to bear enough to destroy formations of the Libyan Armed Forces.

LAWRENCE: Frank Anderson served 26 years in the CIA. He ran the Afghan Task Force and helped arm Mujahidin fighters there. So we know what he's talking about when he says -

ANDERSON: Well, you can train someone to use a shoulder-fired antitank weapon in a matter of hours.

LAWRENCE (on camera): But just knowing how to shoot wouldn't win a war. And Anderson says it could take a couple of weeks to teach battle tactics to small units. And right now there's no coordination between these various rebel groups.

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: There's really no critical mass to - to work with, perhaps outside of Benghazi.

LAWRENCE (voice-over): Maybe a thousand have military training, one-tenth of Gadhafi's Elite Forces. The disparity really shows in the wide open desert spaces, where rebel guns were no match for the regime's long-range firepower.

ANDERSON: My experience is that Darwin works very quickly in war.

LAWRENCE: The ex-CIA officer says if the allies gave rebels more anti-tank weapons and consistent air support, they could survive enough battles to teach new recruits.

ANDERSON: And that's an army that will grow in skill very, very quickly.

LAWRENCE: But Anderson offers a warning from his own experience of American's Army in Afghanistan's Mujahidin.

ANDERSON: They turned out to be corrupt and rapacious and I mean rapacious in the sense that they were literally guilty raping citizens, and they've brought on the Taliban.

LAWRENCE: Chris Lawrence, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now, we're a quarter of the top of the hour now.

We're showing you this video a little earlier. A kind of an ugly scene that took place at an African League game. This is between Tunisia and Egypt Soccer League. Some fans stormed the field. They weren't happy with the call that took place there. It's kind of the ugly side of sports.

But let me tell you what happened in India yesterday. Players and fireworks there, telling a different story. A celebration. Nearly 30 years coming, India has won the Cricket World Cup. What? You weren't paying attention here? I knew the spirit of sportsmanship and the joy of the game could ease tensions as well between rival nations.

Our CNN Producer Nadia Bilchik joining me with this, this morning. Cricket, that's just not something (ph) -

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Cricket.

HOLMES: -- that the U.S. pays attention to.

BILCHIK: No. But interestingly enough, cricket and baseball have the same origins and they have - if baseball is the national pastime of the United States, then cricket is the international pastime of many countries, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan. In fact, it's more than a national pastime, it's a religion.

HOLMES: OK. So it's more than just the similarities are a stick and a ball and you hit. There's more to it, isn't it (ph)?

BILCHIK: Oh, it is so much more to it.

But let's start off, yesterday, a huge game, because India beats Sri Lanka. But first, let's look at similarities and differences between -

HOLMES: From the two.

BILCHIK: -- baseball and cricket. So to start off with, baseball has a strike zone, whereas cricket has three physical pegs called wickets.

HOLMES: OK.

BILCHIK: Baseball has a pitcher, cricket has a bowler. Baseball has a round bat, and cricket has a flat bat, which changes the form. Baseball, the field is a diamond, cricket is a rectangular shape.

But one of the most important is baseball has a slugger and can only hit the ball forward, whereas in cricket the batsman can hit the ball anywhere.

HOLMES: I did not know that last part. Now, this is the one I'm always fascinated, because the pitcher or bowler, you say, they always seem to wind up in a major way. And I don't understand how those guys make contact with anyone.

BILCHIK: And they are so talented - so extraordinarily talented. But why the game is so significant, in order for India to play Sri Lanka, they had to beat Pakistan.

HOLMES: That was the game, yes.

BILCHIK: And on Wednesday, the India/Pakistan game. You had the Prime Minister of India sitting next to the Prime Minister of Pakistan. If you remember the Mumbai bombings in 2008 -

HOLMES: Yes.

BILCHIK: -- an entire high in the acrimony between the two countries, where, in fact, India even blamed Pakistan or was concerned that Pakistan was involved. And here have you this great conciliatory gesture of the two prime ministers sitting together during that game. The countries both came to a standstill.

One company announced that only three of 75 employees showed up to work that day. I mean, can you imagine? Yes. People just - one man was about to have surgery, and he says he's not having his surgery. He's going to watch the game.

But yesterday, India beat Sri Lanka, and we're going to have to wait until 2015 to see something like this.

HOLMES: OK. Wrap this up for me really quickly. This was a nice moment. The two countries paused. But can this lead to actual, some real diplomacy and a real changing of relations?

BILCHIK: The power of sport. And one thing I will have to tell you about is Sachin Tendulkar, the man who made history by winning India's second World Cup.

HOLMES: All right. Cricket. We're all getting an education in cricket this morning and who else to give it to us, Nadia Bilchik. Thank you so much. We'll talk to you again.

And here's the - we're going to turn back to Japan here in just a moment, where there is outrage growing toward the company that owns those damaged nuclear plants. In fact, some company executives say they now fear for their lives.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We're about nine minutes to the top of the hour on the CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

In Japan, there is growing anger against TEPCO, that's the utility company that runs that troubled Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. In fact, Japan's nuclear disaster has some TEPCO executives fearing for their lives.

CNN's Kung Lah reports for us now from Tokyo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tempers flare at a TEPCO company housing unit for workers. This man is upset that we've showed up on this public street, trying to talk to TEPCO employees. Tokyo police officers, six of them, quickly arrive. And the man who identifies himself only as a company officer for TEPCO, explains why.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The people who live here are nervous, he says.

LAH (on camera): Are you worried about the safety of the workers?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There's a lot of threats on the Internet, he replies, not just angry threats, but death threats on numerous Japanese Internet chat sites.

LAH (voice-over): One threat is titled, "How to execute a TEPCO executive." This comment one says, "put them in the pressure vessels," referring to the nuclear plant. And another, "Death is too easy for them. They should go into the plant."

More alarming, the TEPCO executives who have held news conferences are now seeing their home addresses posted all over the web. Their salaries and criticism for how much top executives make, are also on numerous sites. TEPCO says 40,000 complaints from the public are coming into their offices every single day. Police officers are now posted around their Tokyo headquarters. Public criticism toward TEPCO has grown almost daily. The company goes back and forth on data, and the crisis now threatens to stretch into months. Sympathy growing for the workers, while rumors the company is forcing families to stay quiet about their health and work conditions inside the plant is fueling resentment against TEPCO.

Which is why at the TEPCO Company housing unit, tensions are so high at the mere sight of a TV crew. A picture of the front of this building appear on a blog, reposted on other blogs. The blog then posted this picture with the words TEPCO on the building were covered with black tape. Today, the sign simply states neighborhood, and the word "dormitory."

This is all because of the Fukushima incident, says the TEPCO officer. The Tokyo police officer says we can't air any of this tape, even though we're on a public street and in no violation of the law.

LAH (on camera): We're going go, all right. Arigato.

LAH (voice-over): An embattled energy company, facing not just a nuclear emergency, but a crisis of public confidence.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Food prices and energy prices are soaring. And a lot of people will be watching the Federal Reserve this week as they consider raising interest rates to try to fight inflation. Poppy Harlow will tell us all about that.

But first, our Alison Kosik has details on the jobs report we got on Friday, and it shows unemployment at its lowest level in some two years.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, T.J.

The job market took a big step forward last month, 216,000 jobs were added in March and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.8 percent. Analysts say it's a sign that the labor market is gaining momentum and that's expected to continue.

It could take a while to get your car fixed. Toyota is rationing 200 types of parts that come from a Japanese supplier affected by the disaster. Toyota and Lexus dealers will only be able to order a part if a specific vehicle needs it. No stockpiling allowed.

Poppy Harlow has a look at what's coming up in business news - Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Thanks a lot, Alison.

Well, this coming week, we're going to hear from the Federal Reserve when it releases the minutes from its last meeting and analysts, will, of course, be looking for any talk of inflation. Food and energy prices are soaring, and one Fed official tells "The Wall Street Journal" that an interest rate hike is coming this year.

Meantime, on Monday, Google gets a new CEO. Co-founder Larry Page reclaims that title Monday. Page handed the reins to Eric Schmidt in 2001, but now Schmidt is stepping down to focus on the role of chairman. We'll follow it all for you all week, of course, on CNNMoney. T.J., back to you.

HOLMES: Well, my thanks to Poppy and Alison this morning.

We do have an update for you on the so-called sign board guy. You might remember this guy. MIT grad took to the streets of New York with a sign board, trying to find a job. Well, now he's found a way to turn signage into a job.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We're getting close to the top of the hour here.

The tough search for jobs has forced some people to get creative and swallow their pride, sometimes both.

As our Poppy Harlow now reports, that was the case for one guy who took to the street corner to find work.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSHUA PERSKY, JOB SEEKER: I'm Joshua Persky. I was known for a while as the sign board guy who went out to Park Avenue wearing a sign, saying "Experienced MIT grad for hire. I knew I had to just smile and keep my chin up. It was very embarrassing, and - and difficult. I certainly felt a bit defeated at that time.

My wife and two little children went to live with her parents in Omaha. It leads to a lot of questioning. How to rebuild. How to get things back together and we've been really fighting and struggling and doing what we can to try to remain together.

I actually found a job five months later, after I went out with my sign board. But, unfortunately, that position only lasted five months, and the day I lost that job, I filed for unemployment. I - I never expected to be the poster boy for the great recession. I would go from limo to green room to interview, then I would say good-bye and go back to my sister's couch.

I don't want to remembered as the sign board guy. So I've gone from sign board guy to digital signage. I came up last summer with the idea for LED signs which display real time Twitter screens. I always expected to be an entrepreneur but I'd always ended up working for other people. It's a new story and new era that we're entering and we're going to, you know, help this economy get rolling.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: And, you know, T.J., when we hear the president talk about innovation and how we really need to out- innovate other countries to put Americans back to work, Josh is the perfect example of that. He says his company is on the brink of a big break. So, we're going to keep up with him, follow that, and see how he does. And as for he and his family, they are now living back together here in New York City, after having to be apart and basically moving out of their apartment because he just couldn't find work.

So, you can see more of his story. We got a lot of it right here on CNN Money -- T.J.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

HOLMES: Good Sunday morning to you all.

The concrete did not work. That was plan A. In Japan, they are now turning to plan B in an effort to stop radioactive water from leaking into the Pacific. But is this going to work?

Also, Southwest Airlines grounding dozens of planes, trying to make sure those planes are safer than the one that lost a chunk of its roof mid-flight.

Also, we're talking to a guy this morning that is one in a million, one in a few million actually. He picked all four of the Final Four teams in his NCAA bracket. How did he do it? Also, how did he do with the final two? We'll ask him this morning.

From the CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING for April the 3rd. Glad you're spending part of your weekend right here with us. I'm T.J. Holmes.

So, let us start in Japan where the death toll from the quake and tsunami disaster has now topped 12,000. And this morning, we can tell you that the bodies of two nuclear plant workers missing since the quake hit have now been found.

CNN's Martin Savidge is covering everything for us in Japan. He's live for us in Tokyo.

Martin, hello, once again. What can you tell us about these two workers whose bodies have now been found?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, T.J.

You know, every time you say that number, 12,000, it's such a staggering figure. But we're talking specifically about two employees at TEPCO. They have gone missing ever since the day of the earthquake and tsunami that's back in March 11th. They had been unaccounted for.

And, unfortunately, it turns out that their bodies have now been found inside of the turbine building number four, in the basement of that structure and it's quite clear they were victims of the tsunami, unable to get away before that whole area was pulverized by what was described as a 30-foot wave. Some actually suggest that because of the wave, the bay, that area, the topography has laid out, that it was even worse than that, but they were a victim.

Moving on to this crack, which is proven to be such a frustration because this is the area by which highly contaminated water is leaking from land, from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear site and getting into the ocean. We've known that for over a week now. What they didn't know exactly where the crack was. Well, they identified that yesterday, and they wanted to immediately try to fill it.

So, they began pouring in all sorts of cement. They did one pour. And then they did another one. And the water kept coming out. So, they realized it didn't work.

Now, step two, what they have been working on today, is a very high-tech polymer. They've been pumping that in and try to see if that will stop the leak -- T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Martin Savidge, on the story for us with the update -- we appreciate you as always.

We turn to Libya and the retreat by rebels this morning, pulling away from the city of Brega. Our Ben Wedeman reporting there was some sort of ambush and opposition fighters needed to pick up more ammunition before trying to retake that city. Opposition and government forces have been essentially trading control of this city for weeks now.

Brega is also the site of a NATO airstrike that's under investigation. This was a rebel convoy. Opposition leaders say NATO hit this rebel convoy, killing 13 people.

Back here in the U.S. now, Southwest Airlines canceling hundreds of flights as they investigate the strength of some of their planes. They are looking for weak spots on dozens of 737s, like the one that lost part of its roof on Friday. The NTSB is taking a closer look at that plane and the flight data recorders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT SUMWALT, NTSB BOARD MEMBER: It's very important to find out what happened in this event. We don't want this to happen again. And airplane structures should not fail and rupture as it did yesterday here over the skies of Arizona.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, Southwest Airlines says it could take several days to check out the 79 planes they pulled out of service.

We do have a potential for some severe weather across the country tonight and also into the beginning of this week. You'll need to hear this. Chad Myers with it, coming up.

It's five minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Eight minutes past the hour here on the CNN SUNDAY MORNING. A lot of people, Chad Myers, as I bring you in here, are relieved that the temperature is starting to warm up. We're getting into springtime, but that's what we get oftentimes springtime.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: When you get a big south wind, you can bring up humidity, but you can also, in a desert, you can bring up very dry, dusty air, and you can make fires. Look at Albuquerque, wind warnings, 70 miles per hour, all the way into Kansas.

Any fire that gets started today could literally be out of control in just minutes. When you have wind going 50 or 60 miles per hour, the embers just fly around. And that's what's going to happen today, all the way from Kansas through parts of Colorado into New Mexico and even into Mexico itself. Texas, too.

Here are some pictures of what's going on right now as they are fighting fires in parts of New Mexico, with winds yesterday only 40 they had a problem. Today, the winds will be 30 miles per hour, faster than that, and that will be blowing right on through south of Albuquerque down in the (INAUDIBLE).

But I'll tell you what, you can see how much fuel is there. This isn't just some grass fire. There are trees burning as well in the chaparral and all those other dry things that haven't got any rainfall yet.

And then to the east of there, there's going to be severe weather, where the humidity does get to Chicago, does get all the way to Kansas City, to Quad Cities, all the way through Missouri, right on the I-70 there. There could be tornadoes there, and tornadoes in Florida a couple of days ago.

Here's what finally running off in Florida, some pictures of the flooding from Tampa. No, that's not supposed to be there. I know that's -- look how nicely she's going through the Everglades. No, that's a neighborhood, and the water is still there.

Water is up everywhere across there. And it's been so dry across parts of south Florida. And then this is real central Florida over by Tampa, south Florida really didn't get much rainfall. It tried, but didn't get that record-breaking or that drought breaking rainfall.

So, here we go, here's what we have for you for today, tomorrow, and the next day. Sunday, that's today. If you live anywhere from Chicago back on down to Kansas City and Texas, by tomorrow morning, it's all the way through in parts of Arkansas. By tomorrow evening, into the southeast and by Tuesday, it's even up the East Coast.

So, a charging cold front is pushing away the warm air. Warm and cold don't mix, just like vinegar and oil. They always want to separate when you try to make a salad.

HOLMES: OK. So, we're just getting started with this. We can expect -- this is just April. This is normal.

MYERS: Normal. You're going to have 1,000 tornadoes to go before we're done with the season.

HOLMES: Yes. Chad Myers --

MYERS: That's an average season.

HOLMES: Chad Myers, appreciate you as always. Thanks for being here.

Well, we're asking that question. Everybody is asking, nobody who could have really predicted this year's final Four Teams. Well, yes, somebody did. A couple of people did. And we've got one of the only people in the country who dared to put VCU and Butler in the Final Four. He's going to tell us, Chad, how he did it.

Eleven minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, start out with 68 teams. We are down to the Final Four. And now, yes, we are down to the final two. Basketball fans -- college basketball fans certainly having a blast this weekend.

And last night, the game does not disappointment. Battle of the Cinderella teams, even though you can question whether or not Butler is still Cinderella. But VCU and Butler, the eighth and 11th seeds here, close until the end.

But Butler winning this game, 70-62, is going to back-to-back national championship games. They just came within a half court heave of beating Duke in the championship game last year when you could probably, actually, really call them a Cinderella.

And then, in a late game that probably should not have stayed up for, but you couldn't help but watch Kemba Walker. UConn held on to beat Kentucky, 56-55. Kentucky was able to fall back into this game. Connecticut put up some space between the two. They're up by 10 in halftime actually early on. Third-seeded Huskies end up winning this game close down the stretch.

So, now, you got the Bulldogs and you go the Huskies going at it on Monday night for the national championship. Now, for a lot of folks out there who might not be big college basketball fans, the thing that matters to you is your bracket. That's what a lot of folk does. Not even college basketball fans, you fill those things out.

Not many of you had VCU, Butler, UConn and Kentucky in your Final Four like most folks out there. But get this -- there were some 6 million people who filled out brackets on ESPN.com right before the tournament started. Out of those roughly 6 million, just two -- two people picked all four teams in the Final Four correctly. The winner of the ESPN online tournament gets a prize of 10 grand. So, that's a big deal. Second place gets $5,000.

But one of the two to pick the Final Four correctly is on the line with me now. He's from East Brunswick, New Jersey. Joe Pearlman is his name. He's with me now. Sir, thank you for being here. Tell us how you did this. I understand it was a -- it was a careful study on your part. It was skill and analysis. Do you I have that right?

JOE PEARLMAN, PICKED FINAL FOUR (via telephone): Thank you for having me on. Analysis was very quick. It was the teams I liked, and I picked them in about 10 minutes. My son had just filled out a bracket and set up a group of his friends from high school, and then from there, I just said, let me do it, too.

HOLMES: Now, it sounds like -- because, again, you see all of these commentators. They watch basketball all year long. They study these teams. They say they know what they're talking about. But it seems like all of them got this incorrect.

So, are you telling me you didn't really study that hard it sounds like? Did you watch much college basketball during the year?

PEARLMAN: I don't watch much. I do enjoy the tournament and watch it each year along with other sports. I would have to say that those people do know what they are talking about. But just that this is a game of chance I would have to say. With all of the last-second happenings, you just never know.

HOLMES: Now, what was it about VCU, though, that you did like to put them in your Final Four?

PEARLMAN: Well, that was also a bit accidental. I did select UConn, Kentucky and Butler. I like the coaches. VCU happened to be in the playing game with USC.

So, when I went down the bracket looking and I saw that USC was there, my alma mater, Rhode Island, didn't make it this year. So, I said let me go with a team I follow sometimes in football. That it was. And then VCU won, so it was locked in. And I had -- so, they had a great ride. What a team.

HOLMES: Well, sir, the other thing, people are hearing this, that you're one of only two to pick the Final Four. It should put you in pretty good standing to possibly compete for the big prize. But it turns out now your final two, who did you have?

PEARLMAN: Yes, my final two were Kentucky and VCU, with VCU winning. And, of course, that's kind of a different way to say it, but my brackets are broken now.

HOLMES: Well, it took a while for them to finally get broken. But, sir, this is a really cool story. This is something that, no matter what, everybody is interested in every single year, whether they are college basketball fans or not. So, interesting to hear how you're able to pick your Final Four.

Well, sir, thank you for spending just a few minutes here with us this morning. Congratulations at least of being only two of the 6 million. But, sorry, you weren't able to bring home the big prize. But we appreciate your time. PEARLMAN: A lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to Monday night, very much.

HOLMES: To Monday night, as we all are. Joe Pearlman, sir, thank you so much. You enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Well, here we are at 19 minutes past the hour now.

A lot of people out there, you remember you watched those congressional hearings that took place on the so-called radicalization of Muslim communities. It happened last month. And it pretty much said it was basically a witch hunt, some were saying, that was targeting Arab Americans. But we're going to talk this morning to two filmmakers who spent time with an Arab/American community trying to gain acceptance some 10 years after 9/11. The producers of "Fordson: Faith, Fasting and Football" today in our "Faces of Faith."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, 23 minutes past the hour now.

In this morning's "Faces of Faith": an emotional clash of religion and politics on Capitol Hill, it took place last month during controversial hearings held by the House Committee on Homeland Security. The first in the series of -- a series of panels to examine the so-called the radicalization in the American Muslim community.

Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, a Muslim American, told the committee about a fellow Muslim who died in the Twin Towers on 9/11. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEITH ELLISON (D), MINNESOTA: Mohammed Salman Hamdani gave his life for other Americans. His life should not be identified as just a member of an ethnic group, or just a member of a religion, but as an American who gave everything for his fellow Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: We get some reaction to the poignant testimony this morning from two filmmakers. The executive producer Rashid Ghazi, he's in D.C. with us. And the producer, Ash-har Quraishi, in Chicago. We'll talk to both of them in just a moment.

They put together a documentary that hits home at the topic addressed during that congressional hearing. The film they put together is called "Fordson: Faith, Fasting, and Football." The film follows a predominantly Arab American high school football team in Dearborn, Michigan, trying to gain acceptance after September 11th.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your patriotism is always in question. It's always in question.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see myself on TV. And it says, is this is an act of terrorism, with a question mark.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is Ali Husayqi (ph). He is currently in an Ohio jail with Osama Sabiya Abdul Hassan (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His name is Ali. His friend's name is Osama. Of course. Of course, it's going to be discriminated against.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been called many names. We've been called an Islamic school or an Arabic school. We've been called Hezbollah high school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Camel jockey. Towel heads.

(EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ugly words and hate. And it's true hate. You can feel it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is an American high school. This is an American high school with people that just happen to be Muslim.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys can call us whatever you want. But when I'm on the football field, it's time for football, no matter what religion you are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Knock them down. Make a play.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's going to answer the call?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Again, the executive producer Rashid Ghazi here with me. He's in D.C.

Let me ask you first here. What were you going for in this documentary in the first place? What was the idea behind it?

RASHID GHAZI, DIR., EXEC. PRODUCER, "FORDSON": Well, I first heard the story of these kids who are mainly Arab American playing for a public high school back in 2003 and thought it was fascinating that they were fasting and dedicated to their religion, but dedicated to their all-American sport of football.

And what we're going for is really to tell a story about Americans, whether you'd be Arab Americans or not. We thought it was interesting, fascinating. And we also felt that Arab Americans and Muslims in the media are generally mistyped and stereotyped. So, this story could kind of tell a story about a community that not only has a religion and faith that they follow and a culture, but also is very American as well.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: And Ash-har -- yes, go ahead. Go ahead.

GHAZI: We thought football would be a phenomenal way to tell that story. So, that's kind of what we were going for.

HOLMES: And yes, I was bringing in Ash-har Quraishi here who is in Chicago, a producer of this film as well.

He just spoke there about this all-American sport and all American kids quite frankly who happen to be Arab. Do these kids feel like they're all American kids?

ASH-HAR QURAISHI, PRODUCER, "FORDSON": Well, it's really interesting. If you talk to some of these kids and some of them have been born and raised here. Some of them, their families have been here for generations. And yet, there is this divide.

I mean, most of the kids we profiled were fourth or fifth graders when 9/11 happened. But literally, they don't know a world before 9/11. And, you know, as little as they had to do with that, if anything, which they question -- I mean there, is this sense that they are other than American. They feel like that when they leave Dearborn, Michigan.

But in essence, when you get to know these kids, they're like any other all-American kid that could be living in your neighborhood.

HOLMES: And, Ash-har, on that point -- you said you feel like they are something other than all-American kids. Is that something within them or that's just a reaction to how they are viewed and treated?

QURAISHI: I think it's a combination of both. I mean, you know, what happened on 9/11 literally changed the way this community was viewed here. And, you know, the media even descended on Dearborn.

A lot of people that we talked to didn't quite understand what was that connection, they didn't understand that just because that they were Arab Americans or Muslim Americans, that they should have any other sort of insight on what happened on 9/11, other than that they were affected as all Americans were by that tragic event.

And so, there is a sense in that community that, you know, while they are Americans, they are looked at as other. And this is something that's externalized partially. But also, it's something that comes from within them as well.

HOLMES: Well, Rashid, I heard you had a tough time trying to get the school board to go along with this and allow to you all do it. What was their concern?

GHAZI: Well, I think the concern -- we started the process in 2004. It took us about six years. The old coach didn't want to us to do it. The new coach was a little apprehensive, and the school board was apprehensive.

I think the way that the community has stereotyped in the media, in the U.S., scared them. They didn't know who they were. They thought they got a lot of publicity about fasting and football and kind of just wanted to continue with their normal lives. So, it really, we got the coach to finally say yes in 2009. The school board said no. So, I ended up driving all night to Michigan for an emergency trip.

And once they found out who we were, what we had done in our past, and the story that we wanted to tell, they opened up their school to us, and I think the results were phenomenal. One of our photographers, Mike Shamis (ph), worked in Dearborn for 20 years. And he said, in 12 days of shooting with us, he learned more about the community than he had in 20 years shooting for anybody else.

HOLMES: Can this help, Ash-har? We seem to have -- well, there's congressional hearings or interviews, or whatever panels put together -- and we try to help people understand the Muslim/American community.

And if you can here for me in about 20, 30 seconds, we got to run, can this film help? Because we're showing a different light, an all-American game and quite frankly, all-American kids who happen to be Muslim?

QURAISHI: That's our hope and we think it can. I mean, I was on a panel a couple of weeks ago for the Society of Professional Journalists talking about covering Islam. And even though we went to this panel, we talked for an hour and a half, people there said to us, well, we still don't understand who Muslim Americans are.

HOLMES: Yes.

QURAISHI: Well, this film hopes to change that and I think that it will.

HOLMES: Well, gentlemen, I appreciate you both being here. Rashid Ghazi, again, the executive producer of it, and Ash-har Quraishi in Chicago for us, it's called "Fordson: Faith, Fasting and Football -- gentlemen, thank you so much for your time this morning. Really, interesting work you all have been doing. Congratulations on it.

GHAZI: Thanks for having us.

QURAISHI: Thank you.

HOLMES: We're at the bottom of the hour. Time now for the good doctor, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.