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CNN Saturday Morning News
Secret Service Agents Sent Home; Plains States Brace For Storms; The Birth Of A Campaign Issue; CNN Hero; Obama Releases 2011 Taxes; Cezanne $100 Million Painting Found
Aired April 14, 2012 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this is WEEKEND EARLY START. It's Saturday, April 14th. Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye.
Allegations of a shocking scandal send U.S. Secret Service agents home from the president's trip to Colombia. We'll bring you the details.
Also, remember these images from Tuscaloosa last year? Meteorologists are bracing for another tornado outbreak as devastating as this one, likely just hours from now. We'll talk live with a storm chaser on his way to tornado alley.
And our weekend in focus today, madam constituent. Throughout the morning we take a look at what women want this November and what it means for the candidates.
And later this hour, a celebrity breakup of massive proportions? No, not them. But wait until you see.
WEEKEND EARLY START begins now.
A problem with President Obama's Secret Service detail is overshadowing his trip to Colombia this morning. He's there for the Summit of the Americas. Bu before the president stepped off the plane in Cartagena, a dozen of his Secret Service agents were sent packing and replaced by a different set of agents. According to "The Washington Post," the problem stems from at least one agent's involvement with prostitutes while in Cartagena.
And here's what the agency is saying to CNN. Quote, "there have been allegations of misconduct made against Secret Service personnel in Cartagena, Colombia, prior to the president's trip. Because of this, those personnel are being relieved of their assignments, returned to their place of duty and are being replaced by other Secret Service personnel." The agency says the president's security was never compromised.
We all got a quick reminder of how important security is for a trip like this. There were four explosions in Colombia yesterday. Two in Cartagena, where the president is, and two near the U.S. embassy in Bogota.
Joining me now on the phone is journalist and bestselling author Ronald Kessler. He's written extensively about the inner workings of the Secret Service. And he actually broke this story about the agents being sent home.
Mr. Kessler, good morning to you.
What is your understanding of what these Secret Service agents were allegedly doing in Cartagena?
RONALD KESSLER, JOURNALIST/AUTHOR (via telephone): They're actually, all 12 agents, involved in this situation involving prostitutes. And one of the agents did not pay one of the prostitutes and she complained to local police and that's how this all started.
Police went to the State Department. The State Department told the Secret Service. The Secret Service recalled all the agents. It is clearly the biggest scandal in Secret Service history.
The only thing that comes close is the penetration of the state dinner by the Salahis and the third insuiter (ph), which I also broke. And it goes back to a culture of laxness in the Secret Service, which I revealed in my book, "In The President's Secret Service." Corner cutting. Just a lax attitude which contributes to this kind of thing.
KAYE: Do we have any idea of how many? I mean if all 12 were sent home, do we know how many were actually involved in this?
KESSLER: My understanding is all 12 were, you know, to one degree or another, whether actually doing it or covering it up, and they're all going to be investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility. And it's (INAUDIBLE) black mark.
KAYE: And just to be clear, soliciting prostitution in Colombia is not illegal, correct?
KESSLER: Right, as long as it's in certain designated areas. But, of course, it's totally inappropriate for Secret Service agents to be going to prostitutes, especially on a foreign trip when they're protecting the president. And it subjects them to possible blackmail because, you know, one of these prostitutes, knowing that this -- an agent is with the Secret Service, could blackmail him. Many of them are married. Could blackmail them by insisting that let's say a terrorist be allowed into a secure area, which could result in an assassination. So it's really shocking.
KAYE: So what do you imagine is going on, given your extensive coverage of the Secret Service? What do you imagine is going on inside that organization this morning? What are they doing to investigate this?
KESSLER: Well, it's a tremendous embarrassment. They certainly didn't want it to come out. I was able to get the story. They never would have revealed it. And -- but it's the same situation as what happened with the Salahis, nothing ultimately happens. President Obama expressed his confidence in the Secret Service director, Mark Sullivan, who's presided over all these fiascos. And the Secret Service goes back to limping along without enough agent, cutting corners, letting people through to secure areas without putting them through dilatometer screening, not keeping up to date with the latest firearms, bowing to political pressure.
For example, when Dick Cheney's daughter, Mary Cheney, wanted the Secret Service to take her friends to restaurants, they refused, as they should. They're law enforcement officers. They're not taxi drivers. But she got her Secret Service detail leader removed. So what kind of message does that send to agents that management will not back them when they're trying to do their job?
KAYE: Now the agency is saying, though, the president's safety was not compromised. Maybe not in this case. But, still, that does concern you.
KESSLER: Yes. You know, even in this case, the agents who were sent in did not have time to acclimate themselves and do full advance work. So it's clearly not as good a security situation as it should have been. But beyond that, there's just one problem after another, that much of it is covered up.
You know, one other example, recent example, is, they don't do physical tests that they're supposed to do and firearms training tests that they're supposed to do. One agent, who's overweight, out of shape, and happens to be a supervisor, couldn't even open the door of the president's limousine. So what was the solution? The Secret Service said, try to park the limousine in a way so that you can get out easily, rather than having her removed.
Just shocking to me. What could be more important than the protection of the president? It really goes back to upholding democracy. Because if you have an assassination, that nullifies democracy. And yet they're cutting corners right and left.
KAYE: Ron Kessler, your insight in this is terrific for us to have this morning. We appreciate your time. Thank you.
KESSLER: Thank you.
KAYE: People living in the Plain states are on alert for a likely tornado outbreak later today. A tornado touched down late yesterday in the Norman, Oklahoma, area, ripping off roofs. There were no serious injuries. High winds in Yuba City, California, caused damage at this car dealership. Nobody was hurt there.
Meteorologist Alexandra Steele is in the severe weather center this morning for us with a look at the high risk areas for tornados today.
You have a busy day ahead of you, don't you?
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, a busy day.
Well, we're looking at some storms this morning, but really kind of the access of the most severe weather. Potentially some long lived strong tornadoes really tonight and after dark, which is really the most problematic.
So, want to get to the current radar picture. And again, the quadrant of the country, the Plains, the biggest threat today. And I'm going to kind of detail the cities.
Right now here's a look at the radar, Oklahoma City to St. Louis, now we do not have any tornado warnings at this point. This I-44 corridor, that's where we're going to see kind of the threat this morning for some strong storms. Here's where the tornado watches posted this morning until 9:00 a.m. Central, including Tulsa, mostly Oklahoma, kind of just southeastern Kansas this morning.
But here's the problem. All the ingredients coming together today, and especially tonight and tomorrow, for severe weather. Warm, moist air coming up from the south. This very strong jet stream moving into this warm sector. So we're going to see winds turning with height. So the potential certainly is there.
And this is the quadrant, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Kansas City, Des Moines and Omaha, today for tornadoes, large hail, gusty winds potentially 70 miles per hour. So the threat the biggest cities today, Des Moines, Wichita, KC, Oklahoma City and Abilene. We're talking about 5 million people potentially. A thousand miles long. It's -- the axis of this is really great.
Sunday, as we head toward tomorrow, the threat not even over. Look, as far north as Green Bay, down to Texas, including Chicago, St. Louis, Little Rock and Houston all under the gun tomorrow. Again, for tonight, the biggest threat, after the sun sets. And here's the quadrant where the severe storms are.
Northeast, Southeast, beautiful conditions. Sunny and mild and really just where we should be this time of year.
So, again, Randi, we'll keep you posted as these tornado watches and warnings come out throughout the morning.
KAYE: OK. Thank you very much.
Well, there is a salmonella outbreak that we want to tell you about this morning. The CDC says at least 116 people in 20 states and the nation's capital have gotten sick. Investigators believe a frozen raw yellow fin tuna product is the likely source of the outbreak. The tuna meat may be used in sushi, sashimi and similar dishes.
Here's a rundown of some stories that we're working on this morning. A hero mayor, that's how many are describing Newark's Mayor Cory Booker, who ran into a burning home and rescued his neighbor. You'll hear from him just ahead.
Plus, we're taking a closer look this morning at the mommy wars, sparked by something Democrat Hillary Rosen said on the air.
And we're talking to a storm chaser who's on the hunt for tornadoes that could hit the Plains states today.
Who do you think paid a lower tax rate last year, President Obama or Mitt Romney? We'll tell you who coming up. You're watching CNN WEEKEND EARLY START, where news doesn't take the weekend off.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: What a beautiful shot there. Good morning, New York. Glad you're waking up with us here on WEEKEND EARLY START. And good morning, everyone.
Well, he may be best known as mayor of Newark, New Jersey, just across the way there from that lovely shot, but now Cory Booker is also being called a hero after he ran into a burning building and rescued his neighbor. Firefighters say the mayor's actions likely saved the woman's life, but not before they caused some tense moments with his security team. Here's what Booker told our Piers Morgan about that and the scene inside that burning house.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR CORY BOOKER, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: I got there as the last person was coming down the steps. I went in and the mother was just saying that my daughter's still in the house, daughter's still in the house. So me and Detective Rodriguez went up to the top of the steps. And at that point something exploded and shot sparks and embers all over us. And my security detail just said, you've got to get out of here, mayor. And we had a little bit of a back and forth. And his job is to protect me and I appreciate that, but we had a bit of a tussle and I finally just said, you've got to let me go or this person's going to die. And I'm grateful that he let me go.
And I just went through the kitchen, which was on fire, and got into a back room and at that point things got kind of bad because the smoke I entered into was just really thick. I couldn't see anything. Couldn't locate the woman. And then I realized that it looked like my exit was blocked as well. And when -- actually fear and terror started sinking into me, almost as if by rescue she -- I heard her voice call out to me one more time, was able to find her, grabbed her up on my shoulder real quick and just sprinted through the kitchen. And that's where she sustained some injuries. But we got out of the house. And I feel lucky and blessed that she and I are here today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: What a hero.
And from saving his neighbor in Newark, to taking over the Twitter verse, the legend of Cory Booker has taken on the life of its own. Here are some of our favorites courtesy of the hash tag #CoryBookerStories.
"Cory Booker can win a game of "Connect Four" with only three moves."
"Cory Booker isn't afraid of the dark. The dark is afraid of Cory Booker." You know it.
"Superheroes dress up as Cory Booker on Halloween."
"Billy Joel didn't start the fire, but Cory Booker put it out."
Even the folks at Tumbler are getting into the act, where a new blog is also handling Booker's heroics. "Call 911. Nah. Call Cory, Super Mayor."
And this one featuring actor Ryan Gosling, who made news in New York last week after saving a woman from a close encounter with a city cab. Ryan to Mayor Booker, "saved her from a taxi. Mayor Booker's response, saved her from a fire. Ha." Pretty good stuff there.
The birth of a campaign issue, Ann Romney is now in the spotlight. So just how did stay at home moms become the focus of the 2012 presidential campaign? We'll put it in focus, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Wake up, everybody. It is time for WEEKEND EARLY START here on CNN. And good morning to Washington, D.C. What a beautiful shot there of the Capitol.
This morning in focus. The role women are playing in the upcoming election. They are a wanted group by both sides. And that's why a single comment by a political analyst became big news and why those words gained another life as a campaign issue. CNN's senior correspondent, Joe Johns, follows the trail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 8:43 p.m. Eastern Time, CNN contributor Hilary Rosen, a prominent Democratic strategist on "Anderson Cooper 360," goes after Mitt Romney's wife.
HILARY ROSEN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Guess what? His wife has actually never worked a day in her life. She's never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing in terms of, how do we feed our kids, how do we send them to school and how do we worry -- and why do we worry about their future.
JOHNS: Twitter lights up almost immediately and the future of American presidential campaigns is suddenly here. Now, like it or not, Rosen is a campaign issue. Tweets are flying about the 35 times she visited the White House, the firm she works with that's linked to other prominent Democrats.
At 10:11, Rosen tweets, "my point is that he," Romney, "should stop saying she is his guide to women's economic problems."
At 10:18, Ann Romney herself weighs in. "I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me, it was hard work."
At 10:58, Rosen is actually tweeting Ann Romney, no apology yet, but complementary. "Please, I admire you, but your husband shouldn't say you are his expert on women and the economy."
Thursday morning, Hilary Rosen, under fire, was back on CNN, still not backing down from her original point.
ROSEN: This isn't about whether Ann Romney or I or other women of, you know, some means can afford to make a choice to stay home and raise kids. Most women in America, let's face it, don't have that choice. They have to be working moms and home moms. And that's the piece that I am not hearing from the Romney camp.
JOHNS: At 10:42 in the morning, Ann Romney was on Fox News. In just 12 hours, the controversy had gone full circle from cable news to social media and reemerged on TV with new power.
ANN ROMNEY, WIFE OF MITT ROMNEY: My career choice was to be a mother and I think all of us need to know that we need to respect choices that women make.
JOHNS: At 12:00 noon, First Lady Michelle Obama even tweets, "every mother works hard and every woman deserves to be respected."
JOHNS (on camera): By the afternoon, Hilary Rosen had apologized in a written statement asserting that, as a mom, she knows that raising children is the hardest job there is. And she said that while her words on CNN Wednesday night were poorly chosen, as a partner in a law firm full of women, as well as stay-at-home mothers, gender equality is an issue she lives with every day.
Joe John, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And it didn't stop there. President Obama later came out and talked how hard stay at home mothers work, even talking about his own mother. And the Romney campaign posted this online, "Stand With Ann." A new fundraising effort for Mitt Romney.
Coming up next hour, we'll focus on how women are leaning so far in this election and how both campaigns are trying to court their support.
Also ahead, Secret Service agents sent home. The president is in Colombia this morning. But some of those supposed to protect him are in hot water. We'll get in that.
Plus, a man loses his balance, beware here, falls and impales himself on a metal stake. You can see part of it still right there in his back. His incredible story right after the break.
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KAYE: We are just waking up everybody this morning. Good morning, Miami. A little bit of Elvis for you this morning as you start your day with us. It is 23 minutes past the hour. Time to check out some of the stories making news around the nation.
Vermont's governor sharing one frightening story about a close encounter with four bears.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. PETER SHUMLIN, VERMONT: I came close to being dinner. And I got to tell you, to be candid, I sleep like many Vermont boys, without too much clothing at night. I'm not a big pajama person. Bottom line is, the bears were dressed better than I and they could have done some real damage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Governor Peter Shumlin says that he was in bed the other night when he heard the bears in his backyard. He tried to chase them away, but when he ran outside to grab his bird feeders, that's when the bears charged him. And as you just heard, he managed to outrun them. Incredible.
All right, this one's a tough one this morning. In California, paramedics transported this man to the hospital with parts of a metal stake still in his back. Officials say Ben Smith impaled himself while picking avocados. He fell. His grandmother says he's lucky no vital organs were hit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNA LOU SMITH, VICTIM'S GRANDMOTHER: It is amazing that it didn't hit any of the other organs. That's what the doctor said, it didn't hit anything vital. Just the one thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: That one thing was a small tear to his intestines. Smith's family says surgeons have removed the piece of metal. He's expected to make a full recovery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: A Civil War veteran has finally been laid to rest near Portland, Oregon, 88 years after his death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For 88 years later to be able to do this for him, is just really awesome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Peter Naps (ph) cremated remains and those of his wife sat in a storage container all those years until a relative, researching her family tree, discovered them. It's not clear why the remains were never interred.
Anyone who's gone through the adoption process knows how hard and how long that journey can be. And if you're gay, that road becomes even harder. This week's CNN Hero struggled for more than a decade to fulfill his dream of becoming a parent. And now he's helping others do the same.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was adopted and I felt that I wanted to adopt a kid that needed a home. My son was in foster care for four years. That was his 12th home. But from the minute Michael and I met, I knew right away that we were going to be a family.
I thought everything was going great. But after a month, Michael was removed from my house. I was instantly cut off from him.
DAVE WING-KOVARIK: Finding that family for that child, it's nothing short of a miracle.
Let's go. We need to get ready for the horses.
And sometimes families are faced with barriers because of a myth or a misunderstanding causing the kids to stay in the foster care system longer.
Being a gay or lesbian individual or couple makes it much harder.
My name is David Wing-Kovarik. I adopted from the foster system, but now I help other gay and lesbian individuals realize their dream of becoming parents.
We're working together with you on that.
And I want to make sure that you've got that family to family kind of support.
I've worked hundreds of cases side by side social workers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We covered a lot of information last week.
WING-KOVARIK: I've trained thousands of foster parents. It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight. And we do it for free.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He figured out how to get us over that finish line. Our family wouldn't have adopted each other if it hadn't been for David.
WING-KOVARIK: I'm fighting for the right of that child to have that family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Daddy, is tonight movie night?
WING-KOVARIK: It's why I keep doing it every single day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Remember, CNN Heroes are all chosen from people that you tell us about. So to nominate someone who is making a difference, go to cnnheros.com. And your nomination could help them help others.
On the road and headed straight for danger. A storm chaser who took these pictures of an Oklahoma tornado is now on his way to capture other severe weather in the Plains. We'll talk with him right after the break.
Plus, relief may be in sight for millions of U.S. drivers. And it has something to do with those three little numbers that you see at the gas pump. I'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It is about half past the hour. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. Thanks for starting your day with us.
A problem for the Secret Service, a dozen agents sent home for alleged misconduct. This was while they were supposed to be preparing for the president's arrival in Colombia. The "Washington Post" reports the problems involved at least one agent and a prostitute.
CNN White House correspondent Dan Lothian is traveling with the president and he has reaction from the Secret Service and more on why the president is in Colombia in the first place.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, later this morning, President Obama will be taking part in the CEO summit, highlighting trade and jobs, a chance for U.S. companies to expand across Latin America. Kicking off the summit, a lavish dinner, a leaders' dinner last night. But even as that was getting underway, two distractions to this carefully-crafted summit.
First of all, there were four explosions, two here in Cartagena, two in Bogota. Those two in Bogota were near the U.S. embassy. Law enforcement officials saying that there was minor damage, no injuries, no one claiming responsibility and those two devices in Bogota, according to law enforcement officials, were home-made.
The other distraction involved the people who are charged with protecting the president, a Secret Service official confirming to CNN that some of those agents who were here in Cartagena were sent home because of misconduct. Spokesman Edwin Donovan telling CNN "there have been allegations of misconduct made against Secret Service personnel made in Cartagena, Colombia, prior to the president's trip. Because of this, those personnel are being relieved of their assignments, returned to their place of duty and are being replaced by other Secret Service personnel."
Spokesman telling CNN that none of this interrupted the president's security plan.
I'm Dan Lothian reporting from Cartagena, Colombia. Now back to you.
KAYE: Dan Lothian, thank you very much. And we'll hear from Dan a little bit later on in the show as well.
Getting a check now of the top stories. Syrians are once again under siege. Just a couple of days after the start of a ceasefire, government troops opened fire on protesters in (INAUDIBLE) where human rights group says at least 20 people have been injured.
Meanwhile, the city of Homs was hit again by another round of shelling from forces loyal to the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. It all comes as the UN Security Council is expected to vote soon on a draft resolution which demands access to Syria for outside observers and calls on both sides to end the violence.
An Oklahoma man accused of shooting five people in a deadly rampage one week ago says he does not hate African Americans, in a jail house interview, Jake England says that he grew up with friends of all races and "always got along with everybody." On Friday, prosecutors filed murder and hate crime charges against England and another man, Alvin Watts. All of the victims were black while England and Watts are white. Three of those victims died, two others were wounded.
And for everyone frustrated by the amount of money it costs to fill up your car these days, well, we have some good news. Gas prices have been falling. Yes, I said falling, for the past seven days. AAA says the decline has shaved nearly four cents off the price of gas bringing the national average to just above $3.90 a gallon. A slight drop in crude prices, plus Iran's decision to negotiate over its nuclear program have helped push prices lower and its all leading analysts to say gas prices may have peaked for the year. Wouldn't that be nice.
Well Tony Laubach is not like most people. When tornado sirens sound, most people run for cover. Tony goes at it. He chases the storm. Tony shot this video yesterday of a tornado touching down in Shawnee, Oklahoma. And Tony is on the road again today, in Kansas now. Heading to Nebraska with more severe storms expected in the region and he joins us now on the phone. Tony, where are you now and how does it look to you?
TONY LAUBACH, STORM CHASER/METEOROLOGIST (on the phone): Good morning. We're in Salina, Kansas, heading up to Nebraska today. Today looks very, very potent, very reminiscent of many of the outbreaks that we saw back in 2011.
KAYE: How many storms, I mean, is this something that - what are we expecting in terms of the storms? I mean are you expecting to find what you might call a super outbreak?
LAUBACH: Today has the potential to be a super outbreak with tornadoes possible from Nebraska all the way down into North Texas. Many of those tornadoes could potentially be very, very strong, impacting a lot of people from Lincoln, Nebraska all the way down to Wichita Falls, Texas.
KAYE: And what kind of gear do you take with you on a trip like this when you're going to take on a tornado?
LAUBACH: We are equipped with satellites and mobile internet for radar services. We also have GPS, all of our camera equipment and of course a trusty vehicle to insure that we can get in and out of there safely.
KAYE: I know when you spoke with one of our producers you said you have more food and Mellow Yellow than you can shake a stick at. So I guess you have some pretty good supplies?
LAUBACH: Yes, I have been on the road for the last seven days, and food and drink on the road is very handy to have in the back seat, and we'll make sure I never run out of that.
KAYE: So how do you know when it's too dangerous? Is there ever a time where you won't chase a storm?
LAUBACH: My goal is to try to tell the story, not become the story, so I try to keep a safe distance in front of the storms so that I don't end up in any kind of trouble. Obviously, some of the better pictures come from a safe distance and as I said, I don't want to be the story in these. I just want to tell the story as it happens.
KAYE: Yes, and how close can you actually get?
LAUBACH: We've been within half a mile of many tornados, of course I have been called hail boy by a lot of my friends, for my love of hail. I'll typically try to find hail up close and personal, but tornadoes I typically like to stay half a mile or about a mile away.
KAYE: And I don't know if you have a family or not, but if so, what do they think of what you do?
LAUBACH: My family has been very supportive of me all through the years in doing this, and certainly followed me in my career. They love it, my wife, everybody is very supportive, enjoys what I do, and you know, I come home every time and I think that's what counts.
KAYE: Was there ever a time where it felt, maybe I got just a little too close?
LAUBACH: Over the past few years, I worked with a research team with Tim (INAUDIBLE) and part of that a lot of times was to put instrumentation in the path of these tornadoes and many times I got quite close to that. Certainly a thrilling experience and I've got results with it. So back in the day I would say yes.
KAYE: And I mean, a lot of people who might be watching might think "Well, that looks pretty cool, this guy is pretty cool. I wanted to go try that." What do you recommend to folks at home when it comes to storm chasing?
LAUBACH: Storm chasing is very intense, time-consuming, money- consuming hobby and without any kind of proper experience, it is very dangerous and very costly. We recommend you talk with your local national weather service office to learn about the spotter training offered in your area, and read a lot of weather books, a lot of information online, talk to chasers that are in the community. They would be happy to help you out, give you some advice and take you along so you're safely experiencing this without going out on your own.
KAYE: Well, Tony, I'm going to let you get back to driving. Please do stay safe and we may be talking to you tomorrow again, who knows, depending on what the storms turn up overnight. So Tony Laubach, thank you so much.
LAUBACH: Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
KAYE: That is one brave guy. I would run the other way.
All right. Stick around, we got some of the craziest videos of the week plus my favorite, Giant George. He is the world's tallest dog. You do not want to miss this. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Well every weekend we take time for a little R&R. Well, today, Reynolds is off so I'm on my own.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, HOST "THE DAILY SHOW": Shut up I'm going to miss R&R!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: I'm sorry, Jon, I know you're upset about missing our appointment viewing, but Reynolds is fishing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Yes, even comedian Jon Stewart from "The Daily Show" loves R&R. So here are some stories to hold everyone over until next weekend.
You got to meet this guy. Giant George, the Guinness World record holder for tallest living dog and tallest dog ever. He lives in Tucson, Arizona. Can you imagine being his owner. The Great Dane is 43 inches tall from his paw to neck and about seven feet, three inches long. He weighs in over 245 pounds. Look at the size of him. He is six years old. He was born in 2005, and yes, he sleeps on a queen size bed all by himself.
How much does he eat? You're probably wondering? Well, he eats about 110 pounds of food. 110 pounds of food every month. And he actually has to bend over to drink out of the kitchen sing, he sits on a chair like a human. And he is very popular. Apparently, he has 100,000 Facebook fans as well.
All right. I don't know if you ate these when you were a kid, or you may still be eating them but the popular candy Mike and Ike, they are splitting up. Yes, say it isn't so, after 72 years! New boxes hitting the shelves with one name scribbled out. It's kind of cute. The new campaign comes from the Elevator Group, an advertising company that apparently thought it could boost sales by announce the two guys are breaking up. Also part of a social media ad campaign
Apparently Mike is leaving to pursue a music career, who knew Mike had a story and life. Ike will focus on his art. Really, is this for real? I don't know, I'm not buying this. Mike also claimed that Ike was loafing around too much playing words with friends. OK. We're going to stop here.
All right. Finally, check this out, a bizarre story from Sherman, Texas a convicted sex offender caught on camera breaking in a goodwill store. Yes, check him out. He put on a dress, a pair of heels, and a purse. $30,000 worth of damage by the time he left, before he headed to Goodwill he broke through the glass window of a nearby motel, then cut himself on the head, on the arm and made quite a mess over the donation barrels. Donations actually had to be thrown out. So quite a mess there to clean up. About $8,000 in damage. Police says it's one of the most bizarre things that they've ever seen caught on tape. Here too, I will agree with that one.
So I have a tax question for all of you. Who pays more the president or his secretary perhaps? We have the answer, next.
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KAYE: We're trying to wake up the first family this morning, the president, of course, is in Colombia, in Cartagena, but maybe the first lady and the kids are watching CNN this morning. So wake up, Washington, nice to have you with us.
Well, with tax day fast approaching, President Obama spent much of the week talking about a new tax on the very wealthy, it's called the Buffet Rule. The president made a stop in Boca Raton, Florida earlier this week to push that plan. It's named after billionaire Warren Buffet who famously said that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. Next week, members of Congress get their first chance to vote on the rule. A fact President Obama is highlighting in his weekly web address.
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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I hope you'll ask your member of Congress to step up and echo that call this week by voting for the Buffet Rule. Remind them in America, prosperity has never trickled down from a wealthy few. Prosperity has always been built by a strong, thriving middle class. That is a principle worth reaffirming right now.
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KAYE: The Buffet Rule is all about tax rates which is going to be a major issue too in the presidential election. CNN's Lisa Sylvester has more.
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LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Who is taxed at a higher rate the president, Mitt Romney, or the president's secretary? It might surprise you, but it's actually the president's secretary. She makes $95,000 a year. The Obama administration confirms her tax rate is higher than the president's 20.5 percent. The rate he paid on the $789,674 he made last year.
Romney's projected tax rate was even lower, about 14 percent. Yet Romney's projected income was more than $20 million. Democratic strategist Liz Chadderdon says the tax rate gap is an argument that is hurting Romney.
LIZ CHADDERDON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Does it look good to people four years after a terrible recession where most people in this country are struggling to make ends meet, no, in my business we call that an optics problem. He's got a serious optics problem around his tax returns.
SYLVESTER: President Obama has been driving the point home with calls for Congress to pass the so-called Buffet Rule, that would increase taxes on people whose earnings top one million dollars. Mr. Obama, who made less than that, wouldn't be included based on his 2011 returns. Neither would Vice President Joe Biden who last year made about $379,000.
But the Romney campaign is firing back, spokesperson Andrea Saul says "It's no surprise with the worst job creation record in modern history that President Obama would try to distract Americans from the real issues with a series of side shows."
Romney pays a lower rate on taxes because most of his income comes from interest on investment and savings as opposed to earned income from a paycheck. Conservative writer Stephen Moore says Romney has to do a better job explaining why personal success shouldn't be penalized.
STEPHEN MOORE, CONSERVATIVE WRITER: I think Mitt Romney has to make the point look, my money was investment income, this is from saving investment, we need more of that if we're going to have a growing economy, to raise taxes on the investment that people put into businesses is not a way to create jobs.
SYLVESTER: Romney is also under pressure to release his final 2011 returns. Which the campaign says he will do. Democrats want more, though. They want him to release tax returns going back into the last decade.
(on camera): The tax returns show generous donations from the Obamas, $172,000 last year. The majority of that was from donations from his children's book to the Fisher House Foundation, that helps military families receiving medical treatment, that was 22 percent of their income. The Romneys, for 2010 and projected returns for 2011, gave about 16 percent of their income. Joe Biden and his wife listed $5,500 of donations to charity, only about 1.4 percent of their income.
Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington.
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KAYE: Mitt Romney's taxes are going to be just a little late. While he had released an estimate of his 2011 taxes he filed for an extension. The Romney campaign says we should see the actual 2011 tax numbers in the next six months.
Going to the dentist may be good for your teeth but could the x-rays be hazardous to your health? Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the story, next.
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KAYE: There is some pretty alarming news about all those x-rays that we take at the dentist. People who get frequent dental x-rays may be 90 percent more likely to develop the most common type of brain tumor. In fact, according to the study released by Yale researchers, just one dental x-ray each year could be enough to put you at risk. So just how often is too often then to get dental x-rays? I asked CNN's chief medical correspondent and practicing neurosurgeon, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We over, you know, over prescribe these type of x-rays, and it's not just dental x-rays, lots of different tests, but I think with x-rays in particular if you look across society, especially here in the United States, it's probably the most common source of ionizing radiation that we get to our bodies.
KAYE: And does it affect mostly children or adults?
GUPTA: Well, children are more susceptible, in part because their bones are just thinner so when you're actually x-raying, you can actually penetrate more easily, but also because their brains are still developing. So they are a little bit more susceptible to these problems. So it's a little bit of a double whammy. They are younger and they have this susceptibility and they're probably getting more x- rays more frequently as it is. And also, you know, kids are getting braces, for example, get a lot of the panoramic x-rays and stuff like that, again ask the doctor does he really need this, does she really need this. And they will probably cut down on them.
KAYE: How often is too often to get dental x-rays?
GUPTA: Well, the difference between kids and adults is kids probably a little bit more frequently because they are more at risk for cavities. But maybe one to every two years. But a lot of that can be done by physical examination, really getting in there and looking as opposed every time the kid goes to the dentist in every six months, whatever, getting another set of x-rays which happens too often.
As you get older you can probably spread it out even more so, maybe every two to three years. But again I think the question that a lot of people and it's a perfectly legitimate question to ask, do I really need these x-rays.
KAYE: Right, are they safe?
GUPTA: Yes. Every time you go to the dentist's office you don't probably necessarily need them unless there is something specific going on.
KAYE: So when we talk about these tumors, what kind of tumor are we talking about?
GUPTA: The tumor that they talked about specifically was something known as the meningioma and basically, it's a tumor that grows from the meninges of the brain. It's the outer layer of the brain, and it can grow inward. Now these are typically benign tumors, in the sense that they don't spread. They don't metastasize throughout the body but having removed these tumors myself, they can grow large and they can push on certain areas of the brain and that can be the concern. So when you talk about a meningioma, a lot of times you observe it but it could potentially need surgery.
KAYE: All right. Let's switch topics here, I want to talk to you about your show coming up, in just a short time here "SGMD." You have a guy on your show who claims to be the healthiest man alive -
GUPTA: He's trying -
KAYE: I thought you were the healthiest man alive.
GUPTA: No, I mean and I'm saying this to Randi Kaye. You know, this guy, he literally said, you know, he describes himself as the guy who looked like a cobra, who swallowed a goat. You know, skinny-fat, it was actually a perfect description. But he said "Look I want to follow all the advice out there. I want to talk to every expert and do everything and see where I land with all that." It's pretty fascinating. I can tell you as you might guess you don't need to do everything, there are much simpler ways to get very healthy. But a fascinating story that we'll have.
KAYE: So we'll have the answer.
GUPTA: We'll have the answer and hopefully some take away tips that a lot of people can use. Randi doesn't need it because she is so fit as it is, she doesn't need it.
KAYE: Look who is talking.
GUPTA: A lot of people can benefit it.
KAYE: I have tried it all, too, you know, I tried the paleo diet. I've tried the vegan. I've tried the raw, so I'm very curious to see what the answer is.
GUPTA: He tries gadgets and definitely the different diets, the best kinds of exercise, standing at your desk, standing in a treadmill when you type, we'll go through it all.
KAYE: That is overkill.
GUPTA: We'll see. I tend to agree with you, but we'll see what he has to say.
KAYE: All right. Sanjay, thank you.
GUPTA: Thank you.
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KAYE: Secret Service agents and prostitutes have led to an embarrassment for the agency, but did it also compromise the president's security? We'll find out.
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KAYE: Now let's get you caught up on news that may have been off your radar. Apple is pushing back on a Justice Department lawsuit which accuses the tech giant of conspiring to raise e-book prices with several publishers. The suit deals with a 2010 launch of the iPad when Apple made a deal with those publishers to release books on its iBook store. A move, the DOJ says it caused e-book prices to jump. In a statement to CNN, an Apple spokesman said in part "The DOJ's accusation of collusion against Apple is simply not true, the launch of the I- Bookstore in 2010 fostered innovation and competition.
Arizona joining a very select group, opening a school for students who have been bullied or faced other issues due to their sexual orientation. The school called Q High is the first of its kind in the state and one of only a handful nationwide. Fourteen students are currently enrolled.
And finally, a stolen painting by artist Paul Cezanne has been recovered. Thanks to the work of Serbian police. The piece titled "Boy in a Red Waist Coat" was one of several taken from a Swiss museum at gunpoint four years ago in what was one of the largest art heists at that time. Four men have been arrested in connection with this. The Cezanne painting is reportedly worth more than $100 million.
