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CNN Saturday Morning News
High Gas Prices Raise Tensions; Polls Open In New Orleans; Analysis of NBC Playoffs; Top Intelligence Analyst Mary McCarthy Fired By CIA; Today Marks 36th Annual Earth Day
Aired April 22, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Take a look at those prices.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, man.
VERJEE: Gas is just going up and up, Tony.
Pump prices hover around $3 a gallon. Some stations are charging even more and others have simply run out of gas.
HARRIS: Outrageous.
Right now in New Orleans, voters are heading to the polls. It's time to pick a new mayor or maybe reelect Ray Nagin. It could take them all day to get through the ballot, though. Nagin is opposed by 20 other candidates.
We will go live to New Orleans in about four minutes.
VERJEE: A fired CIA officer could face possible criminal charges. The Associated Press reports senior intelligence analyst Mary McCarthy leaked classified information to a reporter. The information that story is about a network of secret CIA prisons.
Our national security correspondent, David Ensor, has more details in about 30 minutes.
HARRIS: In Nepal, scenes of thousands of protesters march in Kathmandu demanding an end to the king's absolute rule. The angry demonstration brought out riot police with tear gas and rubber bullets. Police estimated the size of the crowd at 200,000.
VERJEE: In Baghdad at this hour, what may be a pivotal moment in the political process. Shia lawmakers are proposing a new candidate for prime minister. Jawad al-Maliki would replace current leader, Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Al-Jaafari agreed yesterday to step aside after pressure, also, from the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. It's hoped that the move will jump start the stalled political process in Iraq.
HARRIS: Did I take care of you? Hazel nut latte, no sugar.
VERJEE: You took great care of me, in fact. That was considerably already.
HARRIS: You sure? Anything else? Anything else you need?
VERJEE: I'm sure there will be over the next few hours...
HARRIS: OK.
VERJEE: I'll be hungry in about an hour.
HARRIS: Well, keep a list.
VERJEE: Eggs sunny side up...
HARRIS: Sunny side up?
VERJEE: Whole wheat toast.
HARRIS: Whole wheat toast.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 6:00 a.m. in New Orleans, where polls just opened and voters are casting their ballots.
Good morning, everyone.
I'm Tony Harris.
VERJEE: And I am the spoiled Zain Verjee, in for Betty Nguyen.
Thanks so much for being with us.
HARRIS: My goodness, we begin with the perfect storm at the pump. International tensions, corporate greed, speculative trading, ethanol additives, peak driving season. Mix them all together and you get crude oil overflowing at $75 a barrel and gasoline averaging $2.86 per gallon. Can you say ouch?
VERJEE: Ouch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a whole bunch of people that's out of the hole and can't kind of before, but I just had to do what I had to do. I need gas, so I had to buy it I guess, right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: CNN's Kyung Lah is at a station on Capitol Hill in Washington -- Kyung, good morning.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.
You can see for yourself -- and I'm going to quote you, back to you, you said ouch. Look at that. It's over $3 here. And not just at this station, but at numerous stations across Washington, D.C.
Toss into that switching over to summertime blends of ethanol and you have spotty shortages in the Northeast.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAO (voice-over): From bad to worse, say dozens of gas stations in the Northeast. Pumps bone dry as refineries make the mandatory changeover to cleaner burning ethanol.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We ran out of gas like yesterday, 1:00 p.m.
HAO: In the West, prices are soaring past the $3 mark.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I'm just going to wait.
HAO: In the South, some pawn shops report brisk business from drivers hawking anything to fill their tanks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm selling it for gas money. I mean it's not food or anything like that. I mean it's just strictly gas.
HAO: Analysts say the rising prices reflect escalating tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear program and blame dwindling supply, in part, on China's growing appetite for fuel, competing with America's own insatiable needs.
Blame who you will, big oil's profits are under fire by congressmen on the Hill, and environmental activists in California.
JAMIE COURT, PROTESTER: And every time you see the price of gasoline go up at the pump, you can hear ka-ching, ka-ching in the bank accounts of the oil companies.
HAO: But here's reality to most Americans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, they say quit driving, but no one is going to quit driving. No one is going to stop driving. That's -- it's the American drug.
HAO: But with prices smashing records weekly, the way Americans fill up may soon change.
JOHN TOWNSEND, AAA SPOKESMAN: You're going to see more people traveling on a tank of gas. So if you can make a day trip with a tank of gas, more people will do that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAO: Two Democratic congressmen have already called for investigations into price gouging and Republicans on Monday will be sending the president a letter, asking, also, if there needs to be an investigation opened into possible price gouging.
Live from Washington, D.C. I'm Kyung Lah -- back to you, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, let's see where that goes, Kyung.
Thank you.
LAH: We'll see. HARRIS: You know, you can expect this story to become more political if gas prices remain high.
With that in mind, President Bush today will be at the California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento, which is developing hydrogen technology for automobiles. That's a long-term solution, at best.
But what about right now? Are you satisfied with how the president is dealing with the situation?
A resounding no, according to this ABC News/"Washington Post" poll. Only about one out of four people surveyed say they approve of Mr. Bush's handling of gasoline prices.
So that brings us to our this morning's e-mail question. Who gets the blame? Who is to blame? Who is to blame for high gas prices?
Tell us what you think in an e-mail to weekends@CNN.com and we will read some of your responses on the air later in our program.
And how about this? Grab a pen and paper. In just a few minutes, we will talk to a AAA spokesman for practical tips for saving at the pumps.
VERJEE: It's decision day in New Orleans and it's happening right now. The polls just opened, though some early voting has already happened. Mayor Ray Nagin has 20 challengers for his job. But this is no ordinary election. It's all about the best person to lead the city's post-Katrina come back fight.
CNN's Sean Callebs is the best person for us, outside the University of New Orleans -- Sean, set the scene for us this morning.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, if you look behind me in the glass doors in front of the gymnasium door here at the campus of UNO, you can see a number of people. I would say there's somewhere between 60, 65 people lined up to be among the first who will cast their ballots.
Dawn is just breaking here and this race has got a great deal of attention, clearly, a great deal at stake. How is this city going to rebuild? How will its leaders lure the hundreds of thousands of people who evacuated after Katrina blew through here, how will they get all of those people back home? How will they deal with the federal government, the levee system?
Just a whole host of important questions.
Well, the voters are facing a whole host of potential mayoral candidates. There are actually 23 on the ballot. Among the leaders, of course, the current mayor, Ray Nagin; Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, whose sister is a U.S. senator and whose father was the last white mayor of the city, back in 1978, and is credited, in large part, with integrating the system -- the city, rather; and also Ron Forman. Those are just three of the people who appear to be the frontrunners at this point. But, of course, so many people on the ballot and really so much at stake, but if one candidate does not get more than 50 percent of the vote, Zain, then we will do this all over again on May 20th. There will be a runoff among the two top leading vote getters. And most experts expect that is going to happen here -- Zain.
VERJEE: How do black and white residents see the future of New Orleans? Do they see it differently?
CALLEBS: You know, if you talk to the candidates, if you talk to the pollsters, race and social status are playing a big part in this election. So many of the people who were the most adversely affected by the storm were mostly poor, mostly African-American, those who left the city for Houston, Atlanta and other areas. They are trying to find a way to come back home. Still, no clear guidelines for how people can rebuild in areas like the Lower Ninth Ward.
But clearly both black and white, people of all color, their main goal is trying to breathe some economic life back into this city, in a way, expand its economic foundation from tourism to other industries, such as construction or medical care or the oil fields.
So a lot of -- a lot is at stake. There are a lot of people looking at this as really the one good shot at the future if this city is going to rebound quickly.
VERJEE: Sean Callebs watching a very important election for us this day, not only for New Orleans, but for the rest of the country.
Thank you so much, Sean.
Some Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Atlanta are taking a road trip to cast their votes. They loaded onto buses last night for a quick there and back trip. Organizers call it the Freedom Caravan. The buses drove through the night so displaced residents can make their voices heard. More than 16,000 people who couldn't make the trip to New Orleans requested absentee ballots.
HARRIS: Gas prices, yes, that's the pain in the morning.
VERJEE: Yes, exactly.
HARRIS: Gas prices...
VERJEE: Pouring (ph).
HARRIS: Outrageous. It may only get worse. So if you're feeling pinched at the pump -- we all are -- grab a pen and paper. We've got some tips to help you make the most of each gallon.
VERJEE: And it's Earth Day, but you don't have to install solar panels on your house to be kind to Mother Nature.
Coming up, there are a few simple ways to create a healthy home. So many things you can do year round without breaking the bank.
HARRIS: Thank you.
Thank you.
I need that -- Reynolds, good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: Today is Earth Day, whoa, oh, yes.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(WEATHER REPORT)
VERJEE: High gasoline prices could put the brakes on many summer vacation plans. Gas is up about $0.35 in just the past month and about $0.60 from a year ago.
For more on the for more on the bumpy road ahead for motorists, John Townsend joins us now from Washington.
He is the manager of public relations and government affairs for AAA.
Thanks so much for being with us.
JOHN TOWNSEND, AAA SPOKESMAN: Thank you.
VERJEE: We're not happy this morning. Many motorists are suspicious, upset. Gas hovering around or above $3 a gallon.
How long is this going to last?
TOWNSEND: Well, unfortunately it's going to last for the next couple of weeks or so, maybe months. As a matter of fact, it may extend until the summer driving season and it probably will not end until around Labor Day, unfortunately.
VERJEE: There have been gas shortages in places like Delaware and the Philadelphia areas.
What explains that?
It's not a shortage, necessarily, of supply of gas, but in the way it's been distributed, right?
TOWNSEND: Well, some of that is due to the fact that there is a switch over to a different blend this year, an ethanol-based blend, which was mandated by the Energy Bill of last year. And so you have some disruption along the supply chain. And that's what's happening. As a matter of fact, it's not only in Delaware and in Pennsylvania, but also in parts of Virginia. And last night in Maryland I saw a couple of stations that had covered some gauges because of a shortage and because of shortfalls.
And what's happening is the way the new ethanol blend has to be transported, it cannot go along the pipelines. It has to be transported by trucks, by tankers and by those means. And so that means that until the switch over is complete, you're going to have some spot outages in several parts of the country.
VERJEE: OK.
So people shouldn't panic if there's not...
TOWNSEND: No, you shouldn't panic at all.
VERJEE: OK.
OK, and how is the high gas prices going to have an effect on people's driving habits, on people's vacation plans?
Any?
TOWNSEND: I think it will. I think you already see that. I think people have changed their behavior. And that's happening in terms of people are now carpooling. People are now taking mass transportation and mass transit. And you see that people are complaining and that's where it really hurts, as far as consumers are concerned. It's at the visceral level because we cannot tolerate $3 gasoline. It does something to our psyche. It does something to our sense of well being and it makes the consumer angry.
The motoring public is very angry about this. I've never seen this kind of outrage before in terms of the way the motoring public feels about what's going on. They don't understand the price increase. All the explanations they've heard from the industry, all the explanations they've heard from experts do not add up.
We've seen a $0.65 increase in the price of gasoline since the first of March and you -- if you took out Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita...
VERJEE: OK.
TOWNSEND: ... you'll have the highest prices in American history.
VERJEE: People don't like it. People are angry and upset...
TOWNSEND: Right.
VERJEE: ... as we're all pointing out.
What can we do to help? What kind of tips can you give people to save on gas? TOWNSEND: Well, one of the things that we can do is to change our driving behavior. Number one, we should slow down in traffic. Number two, we should remove excess weight from our trunks and from our bicycle racks, if we have them on the car. Remove those. And then avoid excess idling. And when you're on the highway, use cruise control.
And another tip that people recommend is to turn off your air conditioner. I don't make that recommendation because I think that if you have sinus problems or allergies, that could pose more health problems for you. But make sure your car is tuned up and buy the right gas for your car. Most people buy the wrong blend. And so, for example, you see that more than 20 percent of drivers in this country use premium when only 10 percent of the cars require premium. So save money that way.
The most important tip is to shop with your steering wheel, because there are still some bargains out there. Let me give you some examples. Going from neighborhood to neighborhood, you may save as much as $0.05 to $0.10, and, in some cases, $0.15.
In the Washington metro area, for example -- and this is true in other parts of the country, there's a huge swing -- as much as $0.25 or $0.30. You have to look around, be diligent about that, keep your eyes peeled and be very open about going from neighborhood to neighborhood to look at the gasoline products.
VERJEE: OK.
Some sound advice from John Townsend from our Washington bureau, a AAA spokesman.
Thank you so much.
TOWNSEND: Thank you very much.
HARRIS: That's good.
VERJEE: Are you going to take those tips?
HARRIS: A list. A list. A list. Full swing there. That was helpful. That was helpful.
VERJEE: There's some good tips there.
HARRIS: Yes, I know.
VERJEE: I mean you want to slow down the driving, Tony. No crazed mad driving down 85.
HARRIS: Still ahead, here was the face behind big oil, helping Exxon earn massive profits. But now he's retired, with a massive multi-million dollar pension.
Outraged? Well, that's no shock. We'll tell you why some people are not outraged. VERJEE: Plus, the 2006 NBA playoffs are missing something, missing something big. Our sports business guru Rick Horrow tells us why there may be a lack of bling-bling on the court.
HARRIS: Hey, what are you doing?
VERJEE: Clean shave.
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Good morning.
HARRIS: Yes.
VERJEE: Good shave.
HORROW: Primping.
HARRIS: Yes, OK.
But first, CNN's Miles O'Brien shows us a promising alternative for fueling our future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On my daily commute, it's not so much what I see, it's what I smell of the pollutants. Riding my bicycle changed my perspective on the environment. Automobiles are a very large source of our pollution. We really need to make a big step in improving our overall fuel economy standards.
My wish for the future is that we balance our existence on Earth.
We have all of the tools available to us today and if we don't do something to change it, we're not going to have a world to change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: When it comes to transportation, oil has become a dirty word. National security concerns, high gas prices and threats to the environment have us all scrambling for alternatives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): By now, you've probably heard of alternative fuels. From hydrogen gas to biodiesels, the list of energy sources is long. Nathaniel Green of the Natural Resources Defense Council says his money is on ethanol, an Earth friendly fuel that's cost-effective, too.
NATHANIEL GREEN, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: There are so many ways that we can make it -- switch grass, corn kernels, wood chips. One of the exciting things about this next generation of ethanol technology is that they have the potential to be not just cost competitive with gasoline, but actually cheaper.
O'BRIEN: Something Brazil is already embracing. In fact, 75 percent of Brazil's new cars burn both gasoline and ethanol. And Green says it can happen here, too.
GREEN: Ethanol is great. But it's not a silver bullet. We need to have more efficient vehicles, as well, that we're putting this fuel in. We need a government commitment to do this and do it in a smart way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): The NBA might be the gold standard when it comes to the business of sports, but big bucks don't necessarily get you the playoffs payoff. Some of the league's megastars didn't even lead their teams into the first round.
Conversely, Kobe Bryant clenched his first NBA scoring title, leading the L.A. Lakers back into post-season play.
So who's in and who's out?
Surprisingly, five of the bottom 10 teams on the payroll scale are in the playoffs. The New York Knicks, with the league's highest payroll, ended the season next to last.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Huh.
Sports business analyst Rick Horrow is the author of "When the Game Is On the Line."
In today's "Beyond The Game," just who's getting the business in the NBA playoffs?
Rick joins us live from Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- what are you, sponging some free golf? You're not in your usual site.
What's going on? Anything I should know?
HORROW: Sponging comes -- yes, well, you should know a lot you're not going to know.
HARRIS: Yes.
HORROW: But the sponging comes later. The speaking comes early.
You just did that introduction...
HARRIS: That's right.
HORROW: ... and your analysis ended with uh? Is that the best you can do?
HARRIS: That was the best I could do. VERJEE: It is.
HORROW: I don't think so.
HARRIS: It's 7:30 in the morning.
HORROW: Oh.
HARRIS: Hey, I've got to ask you...
HORROW: Yes?
HARRIS: All right, so we've got a number of teams here that have spent a lot of money to not make the playoffs. And the Sixers come to mind. The Knicks come to mind.
Is this just a massive waste of revenue here?
HORROW: Well, it is for general managers...
HARRIS: Yes.
HORROW: ... who now are going to have to figure out what their next job is going to be. And add the Rockets to that list, by the way.
HARRIS: Right.
HORROW: But look at the flip side of it. The Chicago Bulls, the Denver Nuggets, the Seattle Supersonics, the L.A. Clippers and the Washington Wizards are all teams that really are spending very little to make the playoffs.
The bottom line is money doesn't guarantee success. But now, for the first time in the NBA, you don't have to have a lot of money if you manage it well.
And, by the way, a new study says that the NBA has had more teams in the conference finals over the last 10 years, more different teams than the NFL has. And, you know, Paul Tagliabue, the commissioner of the NFL, talks about parity, everybody being able to get in. The NBA's report looks even better from that score.
HARRIS: Hey, Rick, it looks like a number of NBA franchises will be moving.
What's that about? Is that a lack of support? And what's next on this front for the NBA?
HORROW: Well, a number of the NBA franchises will have arena issues. If they don't get them solved, then they may be moving. You know, the Nets are building a new arena in Brooklyn and that's probably going to get done, even though there's a capital call for $30 million from their partners.
But look at Seattle. They've got to get a deal done with Key Arena by the end of the legislative session, the first quarter of next year, or they may be gone. The Portland Trail Blazers, Paul Allen is trying to sell them unless they get some public money and a public- prevent partnership.
You've got Sacramento and Orlando that also have arena issues, as well.
David Stern and the NBA loves stability. They want to keep their franchises in their current markets. But unless they get arenas done, there may be musical chairs again.
HARRIS: OK. And, once again, you went over some of the teams that are doing well, that aren't spending a lot of money on players, what, Washington and Denver making the playoffs.
HORROW: Right.
HARRIS: There are a number of players who are getting paid big bucks and aren't delivering the playoffs for their teams.
HORROW: What rhymes with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady of the Rockets? How about Stephon Marbury and the New York Knicks? Their payroll over $100 million, and almost the worst team in the NBA, maybe in its history. Great going, guys.
Then you've got a situation with some of the others -- Allen Iverson, a scoring leader with the Sixers; and, of course, you have other players, like Kevin Garnett of the Timberwolves. This year has been an interesting year, though. For the first time in a quarter century, Tony, we have three guys -- Bryant, Iverson and Lebron James -- who scored over 30 points a game. So it's been the year of the superstar. Some guys made it through their teams and other guys clearly didn't.
HARRIS: Well, you are our sports superstar.
I had to say it.
Good to see you, Mr. Horrow.
HORROW: All right.
HARRIS: It pained me to do it, but I've done it.
See you next week, sir.
HORROW: That's your first good judgment call today.
I will look forward to seeing you next week.
HARRIS: Thought you'd agree.
Thanks, Rick.
HORROW: Mr. Harris?
HARRIS: Yes, sir?
VERJEE: Tony, thanks.
It's a rare move, but the CIA fires one of its own.
Coming up, we're going to tell you what landed this worker in hot water.
First, though, let's say hello to Veronica -- Veronica, hi.
Good to see you.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Zain.
It's good to see you.
She makes everything sound so good, doesn't she?
Gas prices, Zain, are going up, up and up. But you out there, can you catch up? We're going to show you how a little love online might lessen your gas pump pain.
That's next.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm meteorologist Reynolds Wolf.
And here's your Fairway Forecast.
Now, again, it's a great Saturday. Conditions are perfect, you know, in many places in the country to play golf. But the best spot perhaps would be Houston, where we're expecting a mix of sunshine and clouds and temperatures mainly into the mid-80s.
Now, into the afternoon, though, the breeze is going to kick up just a little bit from the south, around 10 to 15 miles per hour. So get out there, enjoy yourself, put on the sunscreen and hit them straight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: No relief in sight from soaring gas prices. Crude oil hit another record high yesterday, plowing past $75 a barrel. Scattered gas shortages along the East Coast are adding to consumers' concerns. But the shortages are being blamed on seasonal changes in gasoline formulas.
President Bush promotes his energy ideas in California today. Now, he will be focusing on fuel cell technology for the future, but his plans don't provide any short-term relief from high gas prices.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: Hey, hey, ho, ho, Bush and Cheney have got to go!
(END VIDEO CLIP) VERJEE: More than 500 demonstrators beat drums and called for the president to resign. They staged a noisy but peaceful protest before his speech in Silicon Valley yesterday.
Election day in New Orleans -- polls have been open for about half an hour. Voters are deciding who will oversee the rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. Twenty candidates are challenging incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin. Some displaced residents are returning to the city to v. Thousands cast absentee ballots.
The Iraqi parliament meets this hour to consider a new candidate for prime minister. It's a move that could jump start the political process that's been stalled for months. Shia lawmakers have selected Jawad al-Maliki to replace Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Al-Maliki also has the support of a top Sunni Arab politician.
Another attempt at immigration reform. An aide says Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will bring the stalled legislation back to the floor by Memorial Day, on May the 29th. He'll propose another $2 billion for border security. The bill includes a guest worker program and earns citizenship for some illegal immigrants.
HARRIS: And good morning, everyone.
Another CIA leak investigation to tell you about. The CIA has fired one of its officers for leaking classified information to an unauthorized person. The Associated Press identifies her as top intelligence analyst Mary McCarthy.
As CNN's David Ensor reports, the firing could just be the beginning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The individual was fired Thursday, a CIA spokesman says, for leaking classified operational information to a journalist. Sources say Dana Priest of "The Washington Post" had more than 13 contacts with the individual while working on a story about secret prisons. Government officials say the Justice Department is initiating an investigation into whether the accused leaker should also face criminal charges.
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: It is unusual for someone to be fired for leaking, but it is illegal to leak information. That's what you sign up to when you join an intelligence service.
ENSOR: The firing came after the person failed a polygraph test being given to a wide range of intelligence officials and then confessed. It came as U.S. intelligence and law enforcement tried to figure out who leaked two major stories, stories for which only days ago the journalists who wrote them won Pulitzer Prizes.
In "The Washington Post," Dana Priest reported that the CIA used secret prisons in Europe to hold and interrogate top al Qaeda prisoners, people like Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11. CIA officials say the leak investigation and another into a "New York Times" story about domestic surveillance, are just beginning.
In recent testimony, CIA Director Porter Goss said he also wants to force reporters to name all their sources.
PORTER GOSS, CIA DIRECTOR: It is my aim and it is my hope that we will witness a grand jury investigation with reporters present being asked to reveal who is leaking this information.
ENSOR: Another reporter, Judy Miller, formerly of "The New York Times," spent over 80 days in prison trying to avoid identifying her source to prosecutors investigating another CIA-related leak.
ENSOR (on camera): Such a move against the reporters of the two major stories currently under investigation could have a powerful chilling effect on the amount of information that Americans get, not only about the U.S. intelligence community, but other parts of the government, as well.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: While drivers are spending record dollars at the pumps, big oil execs are banking it by the millions. And many consumers are blaming their pain at the pump on them.
CNN's Ali Velshi has this report from THE SITUATION ROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): You probably don't know this man, but for years, he was the face of big oil. If you're a driver, he might be the face you want on your dartboard. You see, Lee Raymond retired in January as the head of ExxonMobil, the most profitable oil company in the world.
American drivers currently shell out $212 million more per day for gasoline than they did a year ago. A lot of money, right? Well, so is $168 million. That's the about the value of Lee Raymond's compensation as he retired from ExxonMobil after 42 years, the last 12 of them as chairman.
Justified or not, it makes Raymond and ExxonMobil easy targets. And with unleaded gas averaging about $2.80 a gallon, drivers are looking to someone to blame. Renewed frustrations about gas prices have led to renewed calls in Washington for investigations into the oil industry and for a windfall tax on oil companies.
Lee Raymond doesn't want to hear it.
LEE RAYMOND, FORMER CEO, EXXON MOBIL: Back in 1998, when prices went down to $10, I don't recall anybody in Washington calling me up and saying, are you guys having a hard time? What can we do to help? I am not interested in hearing from them when prices are $10. And I'm not interested in hearing from them when prices are $40 or $50. VELSHI: Most oil execs have downplayed the profits. Raymond's not so much for the low profile. He called the criticism short- sighted and politically motivated.
RAYMOND: A single quarter or a single year, which may be interesting from a political circus point of view, is not really all that significant in the time frame that we operate in.
VELSHI (on camera): Ten might be a better time frame. In fact, over the last decade, ExxonMobil's shareholders have seen their investments increase by more than 200 percent. But if you're a driver, you probably feel like your wallet is running on empty.
Ali Velshi, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: Note to this programming timing. Join Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM on weekdays at 4:00 p.m. Eastern and for a live prime time edition at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
HARRIS: Is it 8:00? I'm sorry to sound like a broken record here. Just -- just -- just give me...
VERJEE: Are you?
HARRIS: Just, you know, just...
(CROSSTALK)
VERJEE: Tony...
HARRIS: ... to do that...
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: Sorry.
VERJEE: Tony, I guarantee you I will...
HARRIS: For the gas prices?
VERJEE: But...
HARRIS: You will do that?
VERJEE: Yes, I will.
But you're always so good and always so on the mark...
HARRIS: Right.
VERJEE: ... there's absolutely no reason for me to do that.
HARRIS: Well, here's the latest outrage by the price of gas these days that we're all paying. So, what we've done is we have enlisted our Veronica de la Cruz of the Dot-Com Desk to give us a bit of a lesson here to help us all sort of lessen the pain we're all feeling at the pump these days -- Veronica.
DE LA CRUZ: Oh, that's right, Tony.
Of course, you're talking about the pain, that pain, that pain at the pump is, what, oh, $2.85 a gallon? And in some parts of the country, it's over what? $3? Well, we've been asking users at CNN.com how are rising gas prices affecting your daily routine.
And here are a few of those e-mails.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): Toby in Minnesota goes: "I plan to sell one of my vehicles. The money from that plus the amount saved on insurance for it will buy gas for the other one for a couple of years."
Richard in California feels avenged: "Three years ago, I bought a Gem electric car and was ridiculed for it. As they say, he who laughs last."
Well, Scott in Austin isn't laughing. He writes: "I tried saving gas by going without my air conditioner, a difficult thing to do in central Texas, where we've already had 100 degree temperatures."
Check out this interactive to calculate how much you'll likely spend on gas in a year.
And could corn be fueling your vehicle any time soon? Well, this gallery explains the major alternatives being produced.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DE LA CRUZ: And you can find it all online at CNN.com/gasprices.
And, Tony, going back to that calculator you just saw, just a second ago?
HARRIS: Yes, yes?
DE LA CRUZ: OK, let's go in and try to figure out how much money you will be spending in one year with gas prices looking the way they are. OK?
HARRIS: OK, you ready?
You want to do it with me?
You want to do this with me here?
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, let's...
HARRIS: OK. No, I'm game. I'm game.
DE LA CRUZ: I mean do I have any choices?
I would go with Reynolds or Zain, but it looks like I'm stuck with you.
HARRIS: OK.
How do we begin?
DE LA CRUZ: OK, let's go ahead and find out how much a gallon of gas is going for in your area.
On that page, CNN.com/gasprices, if you scroll down the page...
HARRIS: Yes?
DE LA CRUZ: You click on gasbuddy.com.
HARRIS: OK.
DE LA CRUZ: And basically what that does is people can report how much gas is in their area everything time they fill up. So what's your zip code?
HARRIS: Three -- make something up.
DE LA CRUZ: Three-0...
HARRIS: Three-0-0-8-0.
Let's do that.
Let's do that.
DE LA CRUZ: Three-0-0-8-0.
HARRIS: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: OK.
HARRIS: Well, what community comes up there?
DE LA CRUZ: You live in the State of Georgia. It looks like you live in Smyrna.
HARRIS: Smyrna. The home of Julia Roberts of "Pretty Woman."
DE LA CRUZ: Right. OK.
So $2.78 lowest gas price right now. That's at the corner of Concord Road and North Cooper Lake.
HARRIS: OK.
DE LA CRUZ: The highest is at Highlands Parkways at South Cog (ph), $2.90.
So let's go right and go somewhere right in the middle.
HARRIS: All right.
DE LA CRUZ: Let's pick this Citgo right here, $2.89.
Now, remember that number, OK?
HARRIS: $2.89. $2.89. OK.
DE LA CRUZ: $2.89.
HARRIS: I'm writing them down.
DE LA CRUZ: That's what you're paying.
OK, going back to gas prices, that page, we have that calculator and taking a look at that, what kind of car do you drive, Tony?
HARRIS: A Windstar. A Ford Windstar minivan.
DE LA CRUZ: Tony, you don't! Isn't that your Ferrari out in the parking lot?
HARRIS: No, no, no, no. This is -- why is everyone laughing that I'm driving...
DE LA CRUZ: Hey, you know, I...
HARRIS: ... a minivan?
DE LA CRUZ: I got Zain to play along and asked her what kind of car she drives. She has a chauffeur. Let's see, Reynolds, he has the...
VERJEE: Veronica, I told you not to tell people that.
DE LA CRUZ: ... Prius ...
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: Wait, wait a minute.
I'm going to plug in my doggone Windstar.
DE LA CRUZ: All right, what did you say? OK, he's making up the car. It's the Ford Windstar. And what is that, like a minivan?
HARRIS: It's a minivan. Why is everyone...
DE LA CRUZ: All right, Ford Windstar. There we go.
HARRIS: Right.
DE LA CRUZ: So you're going to average about 17 miles a gallon, Tony.
Now, how many...
HARRIS: That good?
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, that good.
HARRIS: OK.
DE LA CRUZ: Sorry.
HARRIS: All right.
DE LA CRUZ: It looks like it's time to go look for another make believe car for you.
HARRIS: Yes. You don't like it.
DE LA CRUZ: OK. How many miles do you drive per year?
HARRIS: Let me go with the national average of 15,000.
DE LA CRUZ: All right, 15,000.
now, what was that figure you just said? What do you pay for gas in your area?
HARRIS: $2.89.
DE LA CRUZ: Thank you.
HARRIS: $2.89 is an outrage.
DE LA CRUZ: And you know that...
HARRIS: Per gallon.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, you know that you're among one of the lucky ones, because, you know, $3.
HARRIS: Right.
DE LA CRUZ: So calculate that. Tony, in one year, you're going to be spending $2,550 and, get this...
HARRIS: Yes?
DE LA CRUZ: The number of barrels of oil that you will consume, 21.01.
HARRIS: On my own?
DE LA CRUZ: On your own.
HARRIS: Twenty-one...
VERJEE: Wow!
DE LA CRUZ: Yes.
HARRIS: Now, you look at it that way...
DE LA CRUZ: Now, go talk to Reynolds about the Prius.
HARRIS: Yes, OK. Will do.
Hey, that's good.
Zain next hour, OK?
We're going to take a look at someone else up here, all right?
VERJEE: We like to pick on you.
HARRIS: And then Reynolds.
Thank you, Veronica.
VERJEE: Have you checked around your house lately, your paper towels, laundry detergent, some cleaning agents? Are they eco- friendly?
HARRIS: Well, if not, we're going to show you how to be kind to nature and your home without breaking the bank.
More CNN SATURDAY MORNING when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: It's a day to be green today, not green with envy, but green to be environmentally conscious. Today is marking the 36th annual Earth Day. And we've got some tips for you on how to make your home more eco-friendly. Now, that doesn't mean that you have to go out and install solar panels on the roof or buy a hybrid car. There are some really, really easy ways to create a healthy home.
Joining us now from New York is eco-designer Danny Seo.
He hosts -- he's the host of Lime's "Simply Green."
Thanks so much for being with us.
DANNY SEO, ECO-DESIGNER, HOST, LIME'S "SIMPLY GREEN": Hi.
Happy Earth Day to you.
VERJEE: Yes, thank you.
You, too.
Let's talk a little bit about some of the really basic things people can do to be environmentally conscious. I'm guilty of a lot of things. Let's start first with phosphate-free laundry detergent that people can buy.
What exactly is that and what -- how can it help?
SEO: Well, phosphates are something that used to be in detergents. It was used to soften water. But the good news is that the industry has gone a long way to remove phosphates from detergents. What you want to look for now is something called super concentrated detergent. It's those bottles where you use just a little bit of detergent that goes a long way. So it's a really good thing and a good alternative to find.
VERJEE: You recommended buying distilled water, as well.
SEO: Yes, not to drink. Distilled water is something that I love to use around the house. You know those expensive linen misters and air fresheners? You can actually make your own right at home. Just put some distilled water in a -- like a regular plant mister...
VERJEE: And maybe lavender.
SEO: Lavender essential oil, and you've got a fabulous, inexpensive natural air freshener.
VERJEE: And what about different cleaning items, you know, you also recommend buying one purpose cleaner, you know, rather than shower sprays and kitchen counter cleaners and glass cleaners and so forth?
SEO: Well, the good thing is, when you go shopping for eco- friendly cleaning supplies, the choices now, there's a lot of competition, a lot of choices. And it can actually be kind of overwhelming. In my own home, I use just one all purpose cleaner from Method Home. And you can find that at Target stores, at a bunch of discount stores. And I find that works on everything.
The only thing it doesn't work on is wood surfaces.
VERJEE: Well, as I...
SEO: So you need like a separate one for wood surfaces.
VERJEE: OK. OK. Thanks for clarifying that.
Now, what about recycled paper towels? I have paper towels but I don't have the brown ones, right? Those are the ones I should get?
SEO: The browner it is, the greener it is, if you think about it. Paper towels, even though they are disposable, you shouldn't be too concerned about using them. They're hygienic and they use paper that you put out for recycling. The one thing you want to keep in mind by using recycled paper towels, you don't want to use them in the microwave.
VERJEE: Why? SEO: The reason you don't want to use them in the microwave is that when you recycle your magazines or newspapers or whatever, sometimes staples get into the mix, which means little specks of metal are in the paper towels and could cause problems in the microwave.
VERJEE: Well, when I -- that's not funny. No, I'm teasing.
What about, you know, when I leave a room, for example? I don't unplug my adapters. I leave everything running. I leave the lights on. I mean, presumably one ought to unplug all of that, right?
SEO: There are several things you can do and you can actually save money and save the environment. And, by the way, there's a lot more tips on saving money and saving the environment on our Web site at lime.com. There's a free Earth Day tips. Today, being Earth Day, go to lime.com, download the tips and start practicing them everyday.
But the one thing you can do at home is that when you're charging your cell phone, unplug the adapter when it's in the wall, when you're not charging your cell phones, because when you unhook the phone, it's actually still charging and you're wasting money on electricity. So just unplug it out and you're good to go.
VERJEE: Excellent tips.
Will it really help and will it make a big difference to the environment, to our Earth?
SEO: You know what? Everything really matters. And it's all about simple things that are truly effective, truly green and things that you should make a habit of doing every single day.
VERJEE: OK.
Simple and effective advice from eco-designer Danny Seo.
He's the host of Lime's "Simply Green."
It was simply marvelous having you this morning.
SEO: Oh, thank you.
Happy Earth Day.
VERJEE: And you -- Tony.
HARRIS: Well, stay with us as you enjoy your morning coffee.
We will read your e-mails and have your complete weather forecast straight ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: This cheerful this early in the morning?
HARRIS: Well, I'm happy you're here, first of all. VERJEE: All right.
HARRIS: Hey, Reynolds and I, you know, we do this and, you know, we get up first thing in the morning, we get here and we do this thing...
(WEATHER REPORT)
VERJEE: Most kids dread their math homework. I know I did. But this teenager is an Einstein in the making, scoring top honors at a major science competition.
Coming up, how his winning research could help in the design of airplane wings.
But first, Gerri Willis has your real estate "Tip of the Day."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You may be tempted to do some home renovations yourself, but beware of a common pitfall. Many homeowners try to save money on renovation projects by becoming their own general contractors. But they often end up spending more money than if they had hired a professional in the first place.
Here's why. Subcontractors give general contractors a good rate on services. But homeowners will likely pay retail. That's because subcontractors see you as a one time deal. So for minor home improvement projects, an experienced general contractor will probably be the most cost-effective route.
I'm Gerri Willis and that's your Tip of the Day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Just a reminder. We're going to get to your e-mail responses in the 8:00 hour. Here's the question. Who is to blame for the high gas prices? Weekends@CNN.com. And the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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