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Entering the Dot-Anything Era; Another GOP Candidate Enters Presidential Race; Casey Anthony Trial Adjourned; Talk Back Question; Money Lessons Learned Early; Japan's Green Tea Crisis

Aired June 20, 2011 - 11:59   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Suzanne Malveaux.

Want to get you up to speed. Calmer winds and moister air could help firefighters in Arizona today. The fire has burned five dozens homes and other buildings, and forced more people now to evacuate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES SHEPARD, FIRE EVACUEE: We didn't lose our family. That matters. That's important. You know, when you look at 40 homes, really all that matters is your family, really. The other stuff is trivial.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: A 15,000 acre wildfire in east Texas has destroyed at least two homes and six hunting cabins. It's burning in Trinity and Polk counties 100 miles north of Houston. Now, today's forecast for the area calls for gusty winds and highs near 100 degrees.

There is a risk for dangerous storms again today from Texas to Minnesota. There were 13 tornadoes reported yesterday. Several funnel clouds made for some scary skies around north Platte, Nebraska.

In Orlando, the judge in the Casey Anthony murder trial canceled testimony for today. He spent the morning scolding the lawyers for what he called gamesmanship. Each side accuses the other of not being forthcoming about witness testimony today. And Anthony is charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, ORANGE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT: Enough is enough. And both sides need to be forewarned that exclusion, even at the price of having to do it all over again, exclusion may be the property remedy if it continues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: A chemical fire in St. Louis today chased 500 people from their homes, shut parts of Interstate 44 down through the city. Tankers and rail cars containing chemical solvents caught fire.

Children protest against the Syrian government. YouTube video shows boys on the streets of several Syrian cities chanting, "Bashar al-Assad, go away!" The Syrian ruler addressed the nation today, his third speech since street protests erupted in March.. Now, he suggests a national dialogue and constitutional changes might be possible. He blames the violence on what he calls armed gangs.

Well, today marks the 91st day of NATO's military campaign in Libya, significant because of the War Powers Act. Top Republicans say that President Obama had to get congressional approval for the operation by day 90. Well, he didn't. The Republican-led House could vote this week to limit money for the Libyan operation.

Well, forget dot-com, dot-org, dot-net. In the new world order it's going to be dot-whatever you want it to be. Really. Internet regulators today finalized rules for a major expansion of domain names.

So, let's talk about these changes and what this all means. Our CNN Silicon Valley correspondent Dan Simon, he's joining us from San Francisco.

Dan, there is a lot of talk over this, this morning, among our team. People are asking, is it a way of becoming the king or queen of your domain, an opportunity to own yourself on the Internet? What is it?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, I think that's a good way of looking at it. It's a way for companies and individuals to brand themselves differently online.

So let's give you an example. Say you're Pepsi, and right now their Internet address is www.pepsi.com. Well, in theory, under these new rules, they could takeover dot-Pepsi, and then use that in a variety of ways. What it essentially means is that the dot-com era that we all know and appreciate is coming to an end.

MALVEAUX: So what does it mean? Like, if I wanted to do a dot- Suzanne Malveaux? I mean, can we all start creating our own dot- whatevers, or is there a cost involved?

SIMON: Well, you better have the money if you want to do that. It's $185,000, plus $25,000 each year. But yes, it would allow anybody to essentially get their own Internet suffix. But again, it's going to be expensive.

And also, these could be quite complicated. These could be 65 letters in total. So, the way we search the Internet could change a little bit, but that's obviously why we have Google, because we can go in there and essentially look for whatever we want -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Dan, does it make it messier and massive, the Internet, because you can potentially have more than 60 characters in your domain?

SIMON: You know, I think it has the potential to do that. It could also become messy because you could have fierce composition for the same Internet extension. So, to use another example, say the apple industry might want to have dot-apple. Well, presumably, Apple Computer would want it as well. So, in that case, it would go in front of an auction, and then the highest bidder would win out. But it could be messy in that regard, because you could have different parties trying to get the same extension. So, you know, it's really going to be up for grabs.

MALVEAUX: And does it make it harder or easier for somebody to break in and assume your domain identity?

SIMON: Well, according to the governing body -- this is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers -- they had this meeting in Singapore -- they say this is going to be harder, that there's going to be a real vetting process to make sure that companies that are licensed or trademarked get the name. So, in the '90s it gave rise to the term "cybersquatting." So, individuals would go in and snatch up these well-known names, like Nike, for example, or Coca- Cola, and then in some cases they would sell those names back to those companies.

Well, in this case, presumably -- again, we'll use the Pepsi example, only Pepsi would have access to that name. But critics are worried that this could open up a whole new level of cybersquatting and it could get awfully messy.

MALVEAUX: All right, Dan. Well, if you and I, if we pull together our resources, $185,000, maybe we'll create a domain and see how it goes. Really fascinating stuff here. It could change everything.

Thanks so much, Dan.

Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. Today's question: What can, if anything, be gained from the U.S. holding talks with the Taliban? That's right, the Taliban.

Carol Costello, she joins us from New York with more.

Great question, Carol. And looks like this is happening.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It looks like it's happening.

According to Secretary Gates, negotiations are under way, at least superficially, oh, superficially, let's say.

Osama bin Laden's pal, Mullah Omar, is still free somewhere. But we do know, because the Taliban told us, that he's alive and well and leading Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, just like all those years ago when he was sheltering Osama bin Laden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The people who think they can provide them safe havens will be held accountable. The people who feed them will be held accountable. And the Taliban must take my statements seriously. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But that was then. Oh, the United States still wants to arrest or kill Mullah Omar, but U.S. diplomats say he's different from other Taliban. See, there are really bad Taliban like Mullah Omar, and some Taliban that are less bad, who the United states believes would be willing to renounce al Qaeda and help bring peace to Afghanistan.

So, what's wrong with that?

The United States has negotiated with some vile people in the past, like insurgents in Iraq, the very people who killed our soldiers. The problem with the Taliban is it's still the Taliban when it comes to things like religious extremism. Not even a moderate Taliban thinks girls ought to read or write or marry who they wish.

So, the "Talk Back" question today: What, if anything, can be gained from holding talks with the Taliban?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.

MALVEAUX: Carol, I remember in covering Bush, asking the former secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, you know, what could be done here, are they talking to the Taliban? Not a popular idea at all, but it was one that they thought, hey, if it gets to a point where the Taliban are cooperating, perhaps it will work. But here we are back at the same place years later.

COSTELLO: Well, it's just -- I don't know. It's just so awful to think about, because the Taliban made it possible for Osama bin Laden to attack the United States.

MALVEAUX: All right. Carol, looking forward to your responses. Thank you very much, Carol.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories ahead.

First, that's hail, not snow, that is clogging up the highways in Colorado.

Then, understanding Jon Huntsman, the politics of the president's former ambassador to China, who now wants his job.

Also, crossing the line at a GOP conference. An Obama impersonator goes too far with the Republican jokes.

Plus, Casey Anthony's murder trial adjourned until tomorrow.

Then --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think one of the most important things that I've taught both of my children about money is that more money, more problems. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Preparing children for the road ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Now for stories our affiliates are watching across the country.

First and foremost, the wildfires in the South and Southwest. The worst, by far, in Arizona. More than 760,000 acres are burning there, but firefighters are getting a bit of a break. That is happening right now. The winds seem to be dying down, and the humidity now is picking up.

Well, conditions are still critical in New Mexico and Texas. Now, over the weekend, a fire chased about 200 families from their homes. That happened in Midway, Texas. Now, that fire is about 15 percent contained, but three others are burning just outside Houston.

And check this out: hail so heavy it looks like snow. This was in central Colorado over the weekend. Can you imagine what these cars look like?

(WEATHER REPORT)

MALVEAUX: It is time for to you "Choose the News." Here are your choices.

First, Japan's green tea crisis. Could radiation from the crippled nuclear power plant end up in your cup?

Second choice, tough times for small businesses. They're supposed to be the engine of economic renewal, but the recession is hitting the little guys especially hard.

And third, drop dead diva. She wanted to go to the prom with her girlfriend. Her high school said no. Now the controversy has landed this young woman a role on a television show based on her own life story.

You can vote for your favorite story by texting 22360. Text 1 for "Japan's Green Tea Problem"; 2 for "Hard Times for Small Businesses"; or 3 for "Drop Dead Diva."

The winning airs at the end of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Another candidate joins the race for the Republican presidential nomination. That is tomorrow. It's not exactly a household name, but Jon Huntsman did surprisingly well on a poll over the weekend.

Our CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley has more on Huntsman and where he stands. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Texas Congressman Ron Paul can pack the house with passion, so he frequently wins straw polls like the one this weekend at a Republican Leadership Conference in Louisiana.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ron Paul, 612 votes.

(APPLAUSE)

CROWLEY: But look who plays second. Even the vote counter seems surprised.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jon Huntsman, 382 votes.

JON HUNTSMAN (R), FMR. UTAH GOVERNOR: How are you?

CROWLEY: Jon Huntsman is a former Republican governor with a bipartisan twist to his resume.

DAVID AXELROD, SR. STRATEGIST, OBAMA CAMPAIGN: Well, I know him because he was President Obama's ambassador to China.

CROWLEY: And as Huntsman prepares to officially launch his campaign, his former buddies on team Obama's just want to hug him to death.

AXELROD: When we were in Shanghai, we got a chance to talk, and he was very effusive -- this was in the fall of 2009 -- about what the president he was doing. He is encouraging on health care, he was encouraging on a whole range of issues.

CROWLEY: With no imagination whatsoever, and the help of President Obama's top political consultant, you can hear how an Obama/Huntsman race would play out.

(on camera): Do you think that Barack Obama has had a failed presidency?

HUNTSMAN: On the economic side, there are no signs of success. Very little.

CROWLEY: You think he has failed on the economic side?

HUNTSMAN: Failed on the economic front.

AXELROD: That is in conflict with what he communicated to us in 2009. And if he had suggestions on the economy, he had an excellent opportunity to suggest them then, when we were all together in China.

I think that what has changed is not his view of the economy, but his view of his own chances to perhaps win the nomination. And I understand. That's politics. He's a politician, and he sees an opportunity. CROWLEY (voice-over): Huntsman also favors civil unions for same-sex couples, entertained but did not enact the idea of mandated health care insurance, thinks the U.S. ought to get out of Afghanistan, and believes in the science of climate change.

You think Democrats will be rough on Huntsman? Sample a Republican.

JOHN E. SUNUNU (R), FMR. U.S. SENATOR: Everyone knows that Jon Huntsman has weaknesses on some substantive issues. But the fact that he served in a Democratic administration makes it a little tough in a Republican primary. And he understands that himself.

But look, he fawned --

CROWLEY (on camera): Tough, but you're acting like it's a nonstarter.

SUNUNU: He fawned over Obama to the point where he sounded like he should have been on MSNBC.

CROWLEY (voice-over): In political world, bipartisan ship is nice in rhetoric. It can be darned toxic in the primary season.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Well, seeing President Obama on stage at a Republican Leadership Conference, that would be strange enough, right? But what happened with an Obama impersonator, equally bizarre. The comedian Reggie Brown was escorted off the stage. Brown's act was cut short when he started making jokes about Republicans after first taking on the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REGGIE BROWN, OBAMA IMPERSONATOR: We're more than halfway through June already. Now, my favorite month is February, Black History Month.

You see, Michelle, she celebrates the full month, and, you know, I celebrate half. My father was a black man from Kenya, and my mother was a white woman from Kansas. So yes, my mother loved a black man, and no, she was not a Kardashian.

You've got your frontrunner, Mitt Romney. Now, don't get me wrong. He might make a great president, along with his first lady, second lady, third lady.

It's unfortunate that Tim Pawlenty couldn't make it here, but cut him slack. He's having his foot surgically removed from his mouth. Oh, no, don't worry. Luckily for him, it's covered under Obamneycare.

Now, what can I say about Michele Bachmann that she hasn't already said about herself? (END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: In an interview today with CNN's Kyra Phillips, Brown was asked whether he was yanked because his act was running long, or because of the content?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Well, basically -- well, I was at the Republican Leadership Conference, and I was just entering my set where I started to, you know, have some fun with the Republican candidates. So I do believe that I was over my time by a few minutes, and I also believe that the material was starting to get to a point to where maybe they started to feel uncomfortable with where it was going. But I was just doing my thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: You don't see many Obama impersonators in this country, let alone anywhere, but I was really surprised to find one in Indonesia just last year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ILHAM ANAS, OBAMA IMPERSONATOR: Hi. Yes, we can. And that's all.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not bad.

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Soon, he got offers to travel to other countries to play the U.S. president.

ANAS: Like this, I walk into the crowd. And then people say, "Hey, its that the real Obama?" And there's people -- they call it, "Mr. President, you are good people." And I go --

MALVEAUX (on camera): You get this all the time?

ANAS: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Well, here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are working on.

Next, Casey Anthony's trial adjourned. Find out why and when to expect them back in court.

Then, gratitude in Turkey from those who made it out. A look at Syria's most vulnerable refugees.

And later, calling it like it is. We test politicians' statements on the Truth-o-Meter.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We're watching several developing legal stories today.

A same-sex marriage bill is close to passage in New York State. Today is the last day of the legislative session, and the bill needs the support of one more state senator to pass. A recent poll found 58 percent of New Yorkers support same-sex marriage.

Supporters and opponents of Georgia's new immigration bill are squaring off in court today. The law allows police to ask about immigration status when questioning suspects in certain criminal investigations. Critics say it's unconstitutional.

And jury deliberations resume today in the federal trial of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. He is accused of trying to sell President Obama's former Senate seat. Now, last August, another jury deadlocked on 23 out of 24 charges.

Well, arguments over witness testimony brought the Casey Anthony murder trial to a halt today, a screeching halt. Anthony is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter. Now, the judge was clearly frustrated, and the trial is now in recess until tomorrow.

Joining us to talk about the latest developments is criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, Holly Hughes.

And Holly, if you would, it seems to me as if this judge is just like, I've had it, I've had enough from both lawyers on both sides here.

What are they doing that is frustrating him so much?

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: What's happening here, the big violation on the part of Jose Baez, who is the lead defense counsel for Casey Anthony, is that he is not turning over all of the information he wants his experts to testify to. Now, there were a lot of pretrial hearings in this case, Suzanne. We have had three years of hearings leading up to this trial.

And in February, it came to a head, and Judge Perry, in an effort to ensure a smooth trial, signed an order. And what he said was, OK, guys, both sides are playing games, so I'm being fair here. I'm going to put this order out, it applies to everybody. If you want an expert to testify to something, they have to render a report and they have to say, these are my opinions and this is what I'm basing it on. What Mr. Baez is doing is he's turning over reports, and then when the expert gets on the stand, he asks them questions that were not in the report, a clear violation of the judge's order.

MALVEAUX: So he's breaking the rules.

Why is this important, this witness that he's going to -- that he put on the stand before, that was dismissed earlier, this anthropologist, regarding what he had to say about some Duct tape?

HUGHES: Right. Dr. Rodriguez, the anthropologist, started to testify Saturday morning, and he went on about the bones, which is fine. That's his opinion, that's what he is qualified as an expert in. But when Jose Baez, Casey's attorney, tried to get into the Duct tape, the placement of the Duct tape -- and this is critical, because the prosecution is alleging the Duct tape is the murder weapon -- Mr. Baez wanted this witness to testify that it couldn't possibly have been around the head.

That was not in his repot. He's not an expert in that type of thing. And so, therefore, the prosecutor rightfully said, Judge, this is in violation of the order. In his opinion, he said he was going to talk about the bones, he did not say he was going to talk about the duct tape. And this is the central issue in this case. Was that the murder weapon.?

MALVEUAX: And what do we expect the defense to present this week? Do we think Casey Anthony will take the stand?

HUGHES: I think that, you know, constitutionally we know that she doesn't have to. The defense does not have to put her up. She's got that Fifth Amendment right to remain silent that we hear about in all the TV shows. However, since they promised in opening this big bombshell that they were going to say the baby drowned and she was sexually abused -- she being Casey, the defendant in this case - she is the only one that can testify to that. So, if he wants what he said in opening to be considered by the jury in deliberations, she has to take the stand and testify about it, absolutely.

MALVEAUX: And watching this case, there's been some predictions that this could be wrapped up this week. Is that kind of fast for the defense to like, do all of their presentation in one week?

HUGHES: Actually, it is. Because remember, bear in mind, in our legal system, the prosecution is the one who has the burden of proof. They have to present so much evidence that they can say beyond a reasonable doubt we have proven her guilty.

Basically, all the defense needs to do is poke holes in all the work the prosecution has done. All they need is one to hang that jury and they cannot get a unanimous verdict.

MALVEAUX: All right. Holly, thanks. We'll be watching very closely.

HUGHES: Thank you.

MALVEUAX: Thanks.

Don't forget to vote for your "Choose the News" stories you would like to see. You can vote for your favorite by texting 22360. Text 1 for Japan's green tea crisis, a look at how Japan's nuclear disaster is affecting the country's crops. Text 2 for small businesses hit hard. Tough times rippling through small companies. And text 3 for drop dead divas. When her high school said she could not go to the prom with her girlfriend, she fought back. Now she's got a role in the television show that is based on her own life. Winning story will air at the end of the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: The violence in Syria is forcing refugees across the Turkish border. Arwa Damon takes a hard look at what this conflict means for Syria's youngest refugee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This baby was born a refugee. He's just a day old and named (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) after the Turkish prime minister. His parents say it's out of gratitude to the country they believe saved them from imminent death in their homeland.

His father, who did not want to be filmed, angrily states it's better to die in Turkey than a Syria ruled by Assad. Ahmed Abdul Aziz (ph) faltering as he stands, is 103 years older than the baby Ardwan (ph). After just a few questions about his life, he starts to cry. He is from (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE), one of the towns that has been the focal point of the Syrian military crackdown in recent weeks.

Thousands of refugees have streamed into Turkey. The media until now officially kept away from them. Turkish authorities allowed the press limited access to the refugees in this camp on a carefully coordinated tour. We are able to break away and briefly hear some of their harrowing stories of survival.

This four-day-old baby's uncle says he was born on the border before an ambulance could arrive. It was a miracle, he told us. Nine- year-old Jamia (ph) remembers how she could hear the gun fire and could see smoke before her family fled.

Row upon row houses terrified families. They live in bare tents. Most fled with just the clothes on their backs.

The refugees are provided with food, water and other basics. As the tour progresses, a small demonstration. Chants of "Thank you, Turkey," coupled with cries of, "The people want the downfall of the regime." As we depart, children perched on their playground chant anti-government slogans. All the parents that we spoke to tell us they dream of going home. But it's a dream that cannot be realized they say until Assad leaves.

Arwa Damon, CNN, at the (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) refugee camp in Turkey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEUAX: It's not just a problem in Syria. Globally, the number people of forced out of their homes is now at a 15-year high. That's according to a new report from the United Nations.

Michael Holmes goes beyond the headlines. And really, it's a very sobering look when you look at it. It looks like a worldwide epidemic. What is happening here? What is taking place?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We'll break down the numbers for you. And people don't realize just how big this problem is. This report was released actually in honor of World Refugee Day.

Now, the numbers are pretty astonishing. The United Nations calls them forcibly displaced people. That's the tag they have given the victims of conflict, persecution. Overwhelmingly from the world's poorest countries.

Now by the end of 2010, the U.N. estimates that - listen to this -- 43.7 million people worldwide have been forced out of their homes by war, disaster, persecution, that sort of thing. That's more than the entire population of California. Twice the population of Australia. That gives you an idea of the scale of the problem. It's huge. That number includes 15.4 million refugees, people who are being forced to leave their home, country, seek refuge elsewhere. And 27.5 who are internally displaced persons. They're called IDPs. Now, they're the folks forced out of their homes but remain within their country's borders.

MALVEUAX: So, Michael, what are they running from?

HOLMES: Well, they can be running from all kinds of things. There is a whole bunch of different reasons. They are trying - some of them -- to escape, say, a natural disaster. A war, often. Or being persecuted -- race, religion, social groups, political opinions.

I remember being in Jordan just a couple of years ago and doing a story on the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees, for example, that are in that country putting stresses on that country.

One thing that ties all these people together, they've they lost everything.

MALVEUAX: Where are they from, and where are they going to?

HOLMES: Yes, that's an interesting question. They are from the world over, really. I mean, you can IDPs and refugees from pretty much any part of the world. The report found, though, that Afghans account a third of the world's refugees.

As I said, Iraqis are right up there as well. Most of the in Syria and Jordan. Somalis, as well. Congalese, Sudanese as well.

And as for where they are going? This is the problem. Some of the poorest countries end up hosting huge refugee populations. As I said, Jordon, for example. They cannot afford to be hosting a million Iraqi refugees. Four-fifths of the world's refugees live in some of the poorest countries. Talk about Pakistan, Iran, and Syria, they host the most overall. Essentially, you know, these are people flooding into sometimes developing countries that cannot support them. Which is just a recipe for disaster.

MALVEUAX: You know, you listen to this story. You realize that it's a global epidemic. Is there anything that we can do to help people who are in this situation?

HOLMES: It's a tough call. Because a lot of these people are so desperate. They just fled from the horrors. And they are stuck. The U.N. Refugee Agency, of course. They are in there, working to give protection, shelter, food, clean water education, to health care in many cases. And you see the local, like, Red Crescent societies, as well. The Muslim version of the Red Cross. All of these people looking for volunteers.

But donations, really. Giving food and clothing doesn't really work. Money works because it can be put to work very quickly. You can go to www.unhr.org and find out more there about lending a hand.

MALVEAUX: All right, Michael. Thanks for shining a spotlight on the problem.

HOLMES: A lot of people, isn't it?

MALVEAUX: Yes. Thank you very much, Michael.

Well, as the campaign season heats up, you will hear a lot from politicians. We're putting some of their statements to the test. Truth-o-Meter up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Every day it seems another politician makes a statement that makes us stop and think. Is it really true?

Angie Holan is a reporter for the "St. Petersburg Times." She and others at Politifact.com have been putting some of those quotes through the Truth-O-Meter. Angie, tell us about this one from Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She's the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. And she said, "The Obama administration has cut taxes on small businesses 17 times." True or false? What do we know?

ANGIE HOLAN, POLITIFACT.COM: We rated this one mostly true. There are 17 tax cuts. About half were in the stimulus; the other half approximately were in a small business jobs bill. So, mostly true because some of them apply to all businesses, not just small businesses.

MALVEAUX: OK. And Republican representative and presidential candidate, Michele Bachmann, has been going after President Obama. And she said when he was a U.S. senator, Barack Obama refused to raise the debt ceiling because he said President Bush had failed in leadership. What do we know?

HOLAN: We rated this one true. Both parties have played politics with the vote on the debt ceiling, and back when George W. Bush was, Obama voted with most Democrats against the debt -- raising the debt ceiling. So, true.

MALVEAUX: OK. A true. All right.

And finally, this comment from another Republican presidential contender. This is from former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum. He says President Obama has put up a stop sign against oil drilling, against any kind of exploration offshore or in Alaska. HOLAN: We rated this one false. It's just not the case. During the BP oil spill, there was a moratorium. But the permitting has continued and more than 40 since February of the deep water permits. So we rated this one false.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Angie, thanks for keeping them honest. Happy Monday morning, huh?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks.

MALVEAUX: Good to see you.

There's still time to vote for "Choose The News," the story you'd like to see. Vote for your favorite by texting 22360. Text "1" for Japan's green tea crisis. Radiation detected in a country's tea leaf crops. Text "2" for small businesses hit hard. There are hard times, obviously, on main street. And text "3" for drop dead diva. She fought back against discrimination. Well, now she's got a role in a TV show about her struggle. The winning story is going to air in just a few minutes.

And today's "Talk Back" question, what, if anything, is to be gained from the United States holding talks with the Taliban? Kenneth says, "these are enemies to the women and men of the U.S. and talks with them will give them more chances to kill Americans." More of your responses straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The U.S. government is in talks now with the Taliban, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates says it's nothing serious at this point but it brings us to today's "Talk Back" question and our Carol Costello, who joins us from New York with some of your responses.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne.

The "Talk Back" question today, what, if anything, is to be gained from the United States holding talks with the Taliban?

This from Michael. "We should most definitely not negotiate, talk or have anything to do with the Taliban. This is absolutely absurd. I thought we do not negotiate with terrorists? What's going on today in America?"

This from Henry. "As distasteful as it is to make deals with this enemy, our objective is to stop the loss of money and lives. Unfortunately, we choose to wage war and it has lasted far longer than any of us ever dreamed. Let's de-escalate. Talking with an enemy is much better than fighting with an enemy. View this as the Paris Peace talks of the Afghanistan War."

This from Chase. "Talking is better than fighting. Those of you who feel otherwise are welcome to go over there and do it for yourselves." This from Joey. "To negotiate with the Taliban is tantamount to negotiations with terrorists. You can't justify this action by defining t hem as a party or a displaced government. The fact that the current administration has made this choice sheds light on how well the war is really progressing."

Please, keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolcnn. And thanks, as always, for your comments.

MALVEAUX: Carol, really interesting responses. There are some people who say, look, you know, how many Taliban really are willing to talk now? There's this program, There's like, what, 20,000 Taliban insurgents and about 1,700 have said, OK, we'll give up our weapons. But how do we know these are like really the powerful folks, the bad guys, or just people with guns who are trying to take advantage of this program? It's really hard to say.

COSTELLO: It's hard to say because you don't know who to trust. I mean who leads these two groups of Taliban and are they the leaders or do they just want something from the United States or the Afghan government? And can you trust Hamid Karzai to really negotiate with the Taliban in a responsible way, you know, that will help the United States as well as his own hide? We don't know.

MALVEAUX: Yes, that's such a good point, Carol, because, you know, every once in a while he says he's going to join the Taliban, so you really can't tell which side he's actually on. That's a very good point. But, thanks again, Carol. Very provocative.

COSTELLO: And he hasn't said many glowing things about the United States lately.

MALVEAUX: Well, that's true. A provocative discussion, as always. Thank you, Carol. Appreciate it.

Well, managing financing later in life, it comes through lessons that are learned at an early age. "Smart Is The New Rich" author Christine Romans discusses that with Chris Gardner, a homeless single parent who somehow still found a way to teach his kids. Their story inspired a Hollywood movie.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL SMITH, ACTOR, "THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS": Don't ever let somebody tell you, you can't do something.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You'll recognize him perhaps as played by Will Smith in the movie "The Pursuit of Happiness." even after the Hollywood ending, Chris Gardener did not rest on his laurels. Every day he is hoping to pass on what he has learned.

SMITH: You got a dream? You've got to protect it.

ROMANS: It was based on his bestselling book of the same name. But even after the Hollywood ending, Chris Gardner did not rest on his laurels. Every day he's hoping to pass on what he's learned.

CHRIS GARDNER, AUTHOR, "START WHERE YOU ARE": You know what? I learned so much about money from my mom who often said, son, I have done so much with so little for so long that I can do anything with nothing. And it wasn't just -- it wasn't just something catchy that she said, I got to see her do it.

ROMANS: And that also means learning to manage expectations.

GARDNER: I think one of the most important things that I have taught both of my children about money is that more money, more problems. Just because you do acquire money does not mean that you're not going to have problems elsewhere in your life.

ROMANS: According to a recent survey by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, 42 percent of people polled say they learned the most about personal finance from their parents.

GARDNER: I think right now, again, after the dinner table conversation of how was school today, a very good place to start is, let's talk about money. Let's talk about what we're going to do to try and save money. Let's talk about the stock market. How is that affecting our retirement plans?

ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: For more tips on talking to your kids about money, check out Christine's book, "Smart Is The New Rich."

Well, you told us what you wanted to see. Your "Choose The News" story just moments away.

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MALVEAUX: And now your "Choose The News" winner.

The nuclear crisis takes its toll on one of Japan's prized exports, green tea. Kyung Lah reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Japan's green tea field sit gracefully as a harvest is underway, but a growing radiation panic brews below these bucolic hills. "I'm really worried," says this farmer. Just west of these fields, radiation was found on tea leaves exceeding government standards. Third generation tea farmer Hiro Yki Awashima (ph) doesn't understand how it could happen here in Shizuoka prefecture, south of Tokyo, and 400 kilometers away from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.

"We farmers can accept natural disasters, like typhoons and dough," says Awashima, adding, "the nuclear meltdown is manmade" impacting his livelihood. Japan's economy and global image. "It's unfair," he says. Fair or not, Japan's government has banned green tea from four prefectures. While Shizuoka is not currently under the ban, it might as well be, say farmers. It's crippled the entire country's tea exports, closely aligned with Japan's national character. One that primarily goes to high-end buyers in the U.S. and Europe and has seen a massive drop-off in orders since the nuclear disaster began.

JIM WALSH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: That's just the nature of the beast. And when people are fearful, they're not going to buy your products whether -- no matter how often you tell them they're going to be safe. So I think this is going to be an ongoing struggle for some Japanese products. Agricultural products in particular.

LAH: Even Japanese shoppers are more reluctant to consume the national drink. "We need to have access to all the (INAUDIBLE) information," says this shopper, a little more skeptical before she buys.

LAH (on camera): Farmers say also hurting them, the current government regulations regarding radiation and food are haphazard and don't make any sense. Let's say this is radiation contaminated green tea. You have to eat this amount of green tea leaves every single day for an entire year before you'd even come close to hurting your health. That's the equivalent of about 200 bottles of green tea that you'd have to drink every day for an entire year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are many tea lovers that they cannot drink good quality tea because of stupid regulation if it changed their no tea ban.

LAH (voice-over): Japan's health ministry says it will review radiation safety standards for food this summer, but by then it will be too late for this harvest, and the farmers who say their precious export and profits will have gone down the drain.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Shizuoka, Japan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: If your choice did not win or you just want to check out the runners up, we'll have them on my links on my page at facebook.com/suzannecnn.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye.

Hey, Randi.