problem. the first thing that comes to my mind, what would motivate him to have to do that? >> apparently, he was just a few days on the ground in los angeles before turning back around and getting to lax and wanting to fly across country. there are an awful lot of layers that all of us as travelers have to go through to make sure the id is there, and make sure the boarding pass is legit. are you concerned about some of the cracks in the layers? >> well, yes. the first crack is with the transportation document checker, where that person is supposed to be looking at identification, government-issued identification matching the boarding pass. it would appear that system did not work. again, when he got to the jet bridge and was required to submit the boarding pass to the airline representative, he did, and that system, i understand now the airline admitted a mistake, in that they did not notice the alert indicating that the boarding pass didn't have the correct date for the flight, so they did admit the mistake. and then unfortunately, after getting to los angeles and being investigated here and released, he then took that same identification with another boarding pass that didn't match and was able to get past a transportation document checker. >> you see a problem within the system? >> i see a huge problem within the system, because the system depends on human beings to vet other human beings. >> you are an advocate of the trusted traveler system. explain what that is and how that may have made an impact if instituted here? >> i am fortunate to work with other nations that are using technology to vet human beings. we're looking at a global secure traveler system that is able to use biomatrix and able to have people go through the system, so we know that be it a ira scan or a pin number so we know the person holding the boarding pass is the individual. what it does is give the scarce resources in staffing, they could focus on people that are not in the system, and that's where the risk is greater. we're reducing the risk. what happened at the airports here where a person is looking at identification and pass and they don't much, it's inexcusable. >> this person is charged with just being a stowaway. do you suppose investigators are still trying to figure out, and how might they go about figuring out exactly what his business may or may not have been? why would he try to maybe even test drive this system to see how easy it is to get through security with a bogus id and boarding pass? >> well, i don't know the details of this investigation. but like other instances, where citizens report suspicious behaviors or activity, we have to assume that there was something going on behind the scenes in terms of the law enforcement looking into this matter. so trust me that if he were an imminent threat when he you rooifed in los angeles last week and was investigated by the fbi, he would not have been released. so these investigations take time and patience. i would assume it's on going. it will be look into him and perhaps any other associates or activities that happened while he was on the ground and what happened before he was in new york and where he was going to go after he departed from los angeles >> thank you so much and always good to see you. appreciate it. our sound effect is a pat on the back from the president of the united states. this is the last day on the job for defense secretary robert gates. president obama wouldn't let him go without some fanfare. mr. obama is the eighth president gates has worked for at the pentagon, the cia, the national security council and the white house. you may think a guy that like would be hard to surprise. but president obama surprised him. take a listen. >> i can think of no better way to express the gratitude of the nation for bob gates than with a very special recognition. bob, this is not in the program, but i would ask you to please stand. as president, the highest honor that i can bestow on a civilian is the presidential medal of freedom. it speaks to the values we cherish as a people and the ideals we strive for as a nation, and today it's my great privilege to present the presidential medal of freedom to america's 22nd secretary of defense, robert m. gates. >> i am deeply honored, and moved by your presentation of this award. it is a big surprise. but we should have known a couple months ago you are good at this covert private opposite stuff. no recess after all for the u.s. senate next week. they are canceling the july 4th week break this year to cut the deficit. lawmakers must raise the nations trillion-dollar borrowing limit by august 2nd or risk runny out of money to pay the bills. the senators will take the fourth of july off but return the 5th. and bulger is back in court. they are focusing on the murder charges. at a separate hearing today, a magistrate will decide who will pick up bulger's legal tab. he was arrested last week after 16 years on the run. new york mayor michael bloomberg warns that terrorists groups like al qaeda are looking for loopholes in american gun laws. congress is unwilling face the fact that the second amendment doesn't protect terrorists. i don't think anybody thinks that al qaeda was in the minds of the founding fathers. they have a gun show loophole where if you say i am a casual seller, you don't have to do the background check that is required to meet the first set of requirements. >> he is airing a public service announcement about illegal guns. and then today, they're talking about their harrowing ordeal. >> translator: i could listen to the bbc world service. and then i was taken to a place where i could not get reception, so i had no news. apart from what stephen could tell me when we could see each other. but from what he was telling me, i really understood that we had this amazing support back home from our colleagues, and we knew even if we were going to stay for six months, things were happening. >> the two were kidnapped on december 30th, 2009, in northeastern afghanistan. no ransom was paid for their release. casey anthony's dad and his alleged affair. what he told his reported mistress about caylee's death. the explosive new details coming up. er-delicious strawberry toaster strudel yeah but now i have nothing to eat sure you do. hey! you can have the pop tart! pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat [ slap! slap! slap! slap! slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum tum tum tum tums personal pricing now on brakes. tell us what you want to pay. we do our best to make that work. deal! my money. my choice. my meineke. a day after george anthony's emotional and damaging testimony in his daughter's murder trial, the defense went into attack mode today. casey anthony's family all back on the stand, but not before they brought in crystal holloway, who is a key witness for this reason. >> i did have an affair with george. >> keep in mind, casey's dad has repeatedly denied having an affair, but holloway gave explosive details about their alleged intimate relationship and george's confession, all of it could put george's credibility on the line and call into question how caylee died. this stunning turn comes as the defense wraps up its case. we're hearing the trial could be in the hands of the jurors by the end of the week. let's bring in holly hughes who is a former prosecutor. you have been listening to the testimony. george's allege mistress claiming that he told her this about caylee's death. just take a listen. >> i didn't think that he could raise somebody that was capable of harming her child. that's when he said it was an accident that snow balled out of control. but i was caught off guard with it, and by the time i looked up he had tears in his eyes, and i -- i -- i didn't say anything after that. >> holloway goes on to talk about a text message from george that, quote, said, i need you in my life. how will jurors see this? what is important here is context as well. >> absolutely. and i have to tell you, i find her, despite some of the problems that she had, i find her to be credible. i do. i think that george anthony should have admitted, yeah, i did have an intimate relationship. we forgive people of. unless you are married to george, it's really not your business. >> what does the affair have to do with this murder case? why would the defense call her? >> they are saying george anthony is a liar. if he is lying about an affair, which by its nature, it must be deceptive in order to get away with an extra marital affair. they want to be anyone to call him a liar, and they put up crystal holloway to be able to say something opposite of what george said, so they can say, if you believe her, then he is the liar here. that's what they are doing here. >> isn't that a risky move for the defense? might have backfire? >> it very well may backfire. george anthony, if you saw him on the stand when he was talking about how much he loved that little girl, and how he was willing to commit suicide, fredricka, he was going to kill himself to go and be with that little child. when you watch that raw emotion, that was real. you know he loved that child. and i don't belief that there is any way -- even crystal holloway said, i don't believe that he did cover it up. i don't think he knew anything about the drowning. what she said was, i think it was an accident, i believe it was an accident, and she covered it up, "she" meaning casey. that's something she said in her original statement to the police. on the stand, there was confusion about that. jeff ashton went back and said, george said i know for a fact, i was present, i saw it, and crystal said, no, he didn't say that. >> crystal's credibility also on the line since she got paid $4,000 to tell the "national enquirer" about the affair. why is that significant? >> what the prosecution wants to do with that is show that she has a motive to make the story a little juicier than it normally would be. if you say i knew george anthony and was a voluntary on the campaign, and they would say you and 8,000 other people, lady, but if she says i slept with george anthony, suddenly that is salacious. if she can say that and get paid for that story, the prosecution is trying to say to the jury, she's making it up to get that money. >> the judge also gave instructions or guidance to the jurors on how to handle all of this. >> that is called a limiting instriction. there are certain purposes of allowing certain testimony in. hearsay is something that is said outside of court and you typically cannot bring it in, and when it's used to impeach, and that's a fancy word for prove a liar, so she said, hey, by the way, you know, he said this in another context, but this is what he said to me, they are using crystal to impeach gorge. the judge has to be clear to the jury, you can't take that to mean that an accident happened and he knows for a fact. you can't use that for this purpose. can you use it to say george is a liar because he made inconsistent statements, but you can't use it to say casey is innocent or george knows for sure. >> thank you. so here is a question for you. what is the most expensive college in america? is it your alma motter? hopefully not where your kids want to go. we'll tell you after the break. these days you can comparison shop just about anything online, but there has been one big hold out. colleges. that changes today because of a new government website. alison has details on that. alison, tell us about the new site and how it works. >> if you look at the website, you will look at the most expensive public school is penn state, and the most expensive private school is in maine. what it does is ranks the most expensive and least expensive but not anywhere in the middle. just so you are aware, the education department had to set up the sight after congress passed a law saying it had to. fredricka? >> what is the point, really? to help parents comparison shop? who is this helping the most? >> it's pretty much for two reasons. one is accountability. education secretary, aurnie duncan said it will encourage schools to make education more affordable, but it's about the comparison shopping for parents. it helps to make a more informed decision, because the site tracks how much schools have been raising tuition over the past several years and that's really good to know when you pick a school because some schools may be more prone to tuition increases and that would be good to know well in advance. we're seeing the biggest tuition increases at the four-year public colleges. northern new mexico college. tuition is up 51% over the last three years. and increases 40% or more at florida state, san diego, and california, and that's because of the state budget problems. in dollars and cents, what does that mean? if you pay $5,000 at georgia state, guess what? by the time you are a junior, you are paying an extra 2,500 a year. >> that doesn't seem fair at all. are their penalties when they jacket up at such a giant proportion? >> the schools that have the biggest increases, they have to submit a special report and explain why there will be the big increase. beyond that, there aren't any ramifications. government spokes people do say there are government regulations that will be considered in the future, but this website helps us as consumers when we're sending our kids off to college. 21 minutes after the hour. time to check in on some of the top stories we're checking for you. public workers going on strike today in the uk. the government is trying to slash spending in the face of huge deficits. the national union of teachers says the government is planning to cut pensions forcing them to work longer for less money. police in london say they have made 24 arrests as of this afternoon. mitt romney is in pennsylvania today. the same time as president obama in a political move to hit the president over his handling over the economy. the former massachusetts governor will hold a news conference outside allentown metal works, a closed down factory president obama visited in 2009 while touting the economic stimulus package. the president will attend two fund razors for the democratic national committee. on to new mexico now. firefighters made critical progress against the wildfire threatening the los alamos nuclear site. and then the first named storm of the season barrelled in with sustained winds of 65 miles per hour. the national weather service warned the storm could cause flash floods or mudslides. and we will show you the royal couple's itinerary after the break. and if we get lucky, really lucky, it dawns on us to go spend them in a world where a simple sunrise can still be magic. twenty-five thousand mornings. make sure some of them are pure michigan. your trip begins at michigan.org. soft! hard! 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[ male announcer ] old el paso. hard and soft tacos. ♪ feed your fiesta. is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. new citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. for the efficient absorption my body needs. finally, there's a choice for my patients with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, or afib, that's not caused by a heart valve problem. today we have pradaxa to reduce the risk of a stroke caused by a clot. in a clinical trial, pradaxa 150 mg reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin. and with pradaxa, there's no need for those regular blood tests. pradaxa is progress. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have kidney problems or a bleeding condition, like stomach ulcers. or if you take aspirin products, nsaids, or blood thinners. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem, ask your doctor if pradaxa can reduce your risk of a stroke. some of the heaviest fighting in the war in afghanistan is taking place in the rugged mountainous area swarming with taliban fighters. for some of the remote u.s. out posts in the area, deadly taliban attacks are part of daily life. nick is with the american troops at one of the bases and filed a report of a base under attack. >> reporter: everywhere you look at afghanistan's eastern border, the choices are not good. caught between hills full of taliban. if the americans leave, militants will flow through the valley, and if they stay, then ever few days this happens. the morters hit the base. the last attack was long enough ago that there's panic. they're worried the taliban has been preparing a big one. after days of nothing the insurgency are attacking from all side. they use more turz first. they arrange can you havy from heavy machine guns. but the bullets are too close. >> never mind! >> reporter: locals scatter. just before huge american firepower has the last word. >> for massive air strikes across the hills and then the taliban fall silent. america knew why it came here, but not sure why its staying. >> can we get a call from cigarette butts and stuff. >> reporter: sure. ten minutes later, jets swoop in to show a force, but the taliban are either now gone or dead. at least five killed by the soldiers' count. the next morning, it starts again. rocket grenades pound the base. for the second time in 15 hours the base is under attack, and it appears they have taken casualty ppz more air strikes. this valley is vital strategically, but doesn't want to be conquered. the medics fly in to collect one soldier, his injuries are not life-threatening. there's no real victory to be had here, though. just the question of how long they will stay growing louder. nick payne walsh, cnn, afghanistan. here at stateside, more of the casey anthony murder trial in orlando. we'll take you there momentarily. about fiberlk to me while you are eating a candy bar? you enjoy that. i am. [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one. bottom of the hour. let's update you on some of the news you may have missed. investigators charged a man with being a stowaway after he allegedly took a flight from new york to los angeles without a proper boarding pass. according to the fbi affidavit, the airline does not discover that he was onboard until the flight had taken off. he was not arrested until a few days later when he returned to lax and tried to board a different flight, this time bound for atlanta, with an expired boarding pass that was not in his name either. law enforcement officials told cnn there's nothing at this point to indicate terrorism is involved. after a slight recess now, testimony is about to resume in the casey anthony murder trial in orlando. george anthony's alleged mistress, crystal holloway, took the stand earlier today. she testified george told her caylee's death was an accident, and she also said she had an intimate relationship with george that lasted for a few months, a claim that george has repeatedly denied. with the defense expected to rest today, many people are wondering if casey anthony, the defendant, will be called to take the stand. if that happens can you see it live right here on cnn. and bulger is back in court this morning. officials want to focus on the murder charges. a magistrate will decide who should pick up his tab. bulger was arrested last week in california, along with his long-time girlfriend after 16 years on the run. two french television journalists held hostage for over 500 days in afghanistan were returned home today. they spoke to reporters this morning in paris. >> translator: i'm very well. i'm good in mind and body. we had no idea how long we would were going to be kept in captivity, but we could have kept going. but i can tell you, we're happy to be back. >> the circumstances surrounding the release are still not clear, but friends insists no ransom was paid. tiger woods has been hired as the pitch man for a japanese heat rub used to relieve muscle and joint pain. this is his first endorsement deal since his 2009 sex scandal. injured boston red sox pitcher is also a spoke man for the product. woods has not paid in a professional tournament since 2009. he said tuesday that he has no planned timetable for his return to golf. so here's a question for you. what is your favorite fast-food? consumer reports released its first ever fast-food survey today. some of the top names ranked near the bottom of the list. mcdonald's, burger king, and arby's was a few of the franchised that received low marks. in-n-out burger, and chick-fil-a were among some of the tops. the survey was ranked on the speed of service to the quality of food. a blossoming latino population thriving. where is it? we'll take you there next. this just in, and back to the casey anthony trial there in orlando. the judge, you are looking at him, he just gave instructions for casey anthony, the defendant to make a decision, whether she will indeed take the stand. apparently she has refused that privilege. she will not be taking the stand. will the defense be resting soon in this case? many analysts said the defense would be resting this weekend, and we'll find out about those instructions. as for now, casey anthony refuses the opportunity to take the stand, she will not take the stand as the defendant in this murder trial. on to san antonio, texas. the seventh largest city in america and has a growing latino influence. what makes the city tick? where do they plan to go from here? >> reporter: it's fitting for almost 300 years this very spot in the cathedral has been the epicenter of san antonio. here rests the tombs of the heroes there like davey crocket. and the mayor says that puts his city on the cutting edge today. >> there has been a terrific confluence of cultures. and it provides a back drop of a city that is one where people live well together, and work well together. >> my family, my father started the restaurant. >> reporter: when his grandparents immigrated to the united states, they looked fok work in the historic market square. >> it's like the island of san antonio. >> reporter: it's where they launched their restaurant empire, and they now have 600 employees. a large mural hangs on the inside. >> i had an american dream to do something to honor this american dream of my father. >> reporter: cortez says you will see the latino population blossoming. >> i feel we need to vest and reinvest in this american dream. i feel that the latinos are going to have a lot to do with what this great country is all about. >> reporter: that influence is only growing. san antonio is now the seventh largest city in the country, 63% of the population is latino. >> i think we're the best kept secret in america. >> reporter: the chamber of commerce says it's the business spirit driving growth. 85% of the city's jobs are created by businesses with fewer than 20 employees. >> if anything, we're hungry as a marketplace, and i believe that that's what is sustaining us for -- and will sustain us for years to come. >> reporter: but the player says san antonio still has big dreams to reach. >> what we want for san antonio is for this city to be a brainpower community that is the liveliest city in the united states. >> and ed, what does this population boom in places like san antonio mean for a nation as a whole as well as for the upcoming election? >> reporter: we'll take a look at that tomorrow as we take a look at defining our look through texas. it has created a population boom in the census. four extra congressional seats, and so that creates quite a redistricting fight here in the state of texas. democrats say it was a minority growth in the state that have driven the growth, and republicans are saying this is's a conservative state and we deserve most of the seats, and so it be a battle in the redistricting. any minute now, prince william and his new wife, katherine middleton are expected in canada. [ marge ] psst. constipated? phillips' caplets use magnesium, an ingredient that works more naturally with your colon than stimulant laxatives, for effective relief of constipation without cramps. thanks. [ professor ] good morning students. today, we're gonna... you want that? you want a warm, super-delicious strawberry toaster strudel yeah but now i have nothing to eat sure you do. hey! you can have the pop tart! pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ look at that car, well, it goes fast ♪ ♪ givin' my dad a heart attack ♪ [ friend ] that is so awesome. ♪ i love my car [ engine revving ] [ male announcer ] that first chevy, yea, it gets under your skin. ♪ want to update you on what is taking place in orlando. you are seeing procedural things taking place in the courtroom. the defense says it has rested, but the trial is on going. the jurors have been dismissed from the room. right now a few procedural things. defense resting after testimony from the defendant's father's alleged mistress. george anthony himself, and her brother and her mother all called by the defense. the defense says its resting, but unclear whether there will be rebuttal witnesses from the prosecution. we will update you as the proceedings carry on. meantime, britain's royal newlyweds will spend eight days crisscrossing the country. and we are joined by max where he is part of the accredited journalists following kate and william's every move. what is on the schedule today? >> well, it's going to be busy. this is really being used by the canadian government to showcase these young members of the royal family who are also big showbiz stars in a way as well. and the politicians are lining up to be next to them and so case them around the country, and to showcase the country to the world. hundreds of journalists following their every move. william has visited canada before. he was a huge hit as a young boy. this seems to be all about the young duchess, and everybody is fascinated how she is going to be. when you meet her in real life, very poised and beautiful. people will be struck by that. she doesn't want to do any public speaking. she's not ready for that. it will be interesting to see how the canadians connect with her. they love the royals, and generally very supportive. >> how excited are the canadians? what do they plan, you know, for the rolling out the welcome mat for this couple? >> well, i have to say they are keeping them very busy. as soon as they land at the airport in around 15 minute's time, they will go to the war memorial, and mark the death of veterans there. big crowds expected there. and then the governor general's office to meet the prime minister and meets lots of young people. the public will be allowed in there. and you will see a inform royalty, really. you will see them chatting with young people, the next generation of royals and interacting with people, and you do not have to call them by their proper titles, but there is formality as well. eight days crisscrossing the whole country with several events every day. they will be exhausted, and i am sure by the end of it, katherine will be more comfortable in front of the councilmembameras. a look at the top stories now. greece's parliament passed a law needed to implement a crucial austerity package. the move was demanded by the union and opens the way for more loans. the austerity package has tax hikes and pay cuts. it has sparked violence around the country. and then a square for nichol nichol nichol nicholas nicholas saw car sea. and then suspended, mark halperin. he apologized on air after describing president obama with the word that starts with a "d." he is an editor at large for "time" magazine, a cnn sister publication. what country had a brand-new high-speed train that is twice as fast as any u.s. train? the answer, and we'll take you aboard, right after this. followed by 1 of 7 delicious entrees and finish with something sweet all for just $15. right now at red lobster. all for just $15. when an investment lacks discipline, it's never this obvious. introducing investment discipline etfs from russell. visit russelletfs.com r a prospectus, containing the investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information. read and consider it carefully before investing. oh, we call it the bundler. let's say you need home and auto insurance. you give us your information once, online... [ whirring and beeping ] [ ding! ] and we give you a discount on both. sort of like two in one. how did you guys think of that? it just came to us. what? bundling and saving made easy. now, that's progressive. call or click today. every day we do a segment called "the big i" all about big ideas and innovations and solutions to problems. today we're going to china where the world's fastest train issic making its debut, completed in three years for $229 billion. the high-speed rail will link beijing and shanghai, china's political center and commercial hub in less than five hours t.runs at 186-mile-an-hour, more than double the average speed of america's fastest train. while the white house has earmarked $8 billion for rail projects for fiscal year 2012, the chinese government plans to pour more than $400 billion in its program in the next five years. here's an early look at china's new ride. >> reporter: fast, quiet, comfortable. one of the world's most modern trains linking a political capital to a financial hub. no, we're not talking about washington and new york. this is the first high-speed train between beijing and shanghai, in china. on average, this train travels three times quicker than the fastest in the u.s. at about 300 kilometers or 200 miles an hour. that cuts the travel time in half to under five hours. while america's high-speed program has stalled over a lack of financing, in china it's full steam ahead, and next five years the government plans to spend over $400 billion to create the world's largest high-speed rail network, keeping the investment and jobs coming. >> makes china more competitive. it gives people more options to move and to move around. gives people more options to move to where the jobs are. >> reporter: and it's attracting increasingly affluent and discriminating passengers in china's richest region: this is a second class cabin. seats are pretty comfortable. i can recline. there's quite a bit of leg room. i can watch tv or a movie, if i want, and all of it for only $85 which is a pretty good price when you consider how expensive it is to fly here. but like in the u.s., many here worry that china's plans could be derailed. the government has taken on massive loans, and with tickets still pricey for many chinese in poorer provinces, the trains aren't expected to make money any time soon, if at all. for now rail authorities have slowed down some of the bullet trains. strategically we can talk about a great leap forward in the industry, he says, but tactically we have to do things step by step to ensure china's railway ambitions and the nation's competitiveness stay on track. >> so for more on china's high speed rail, check out randi kaye's facebook page/randily kaye cnn and don't forget to tune in tomorrow for the latest "big i" of the week, same time, same channel. >> he's still not officially running for president, but governor rick perry is making a second swing through donor-rich california. shannon travis will tell us what this all means. ♪ [ male announcer ] what is the future of fuel? the debate is over. ♪ lexus hybrid drive technology is designed to optimize any fuel source on the planet. even those we don't use yet. because when you pursue perfection, you don't just engineer a future-proof hybrid system. you engineer amazing. ♪ soft! hard! [ male announcer ] how do you decide between crunchy and soft tacos? why don't we have both? [ male announcer ] old el paso. hard and soft tacos. ♪ feed your fiesta. with new extra-strength bayer advanced aspirin. it has microparticles, enters the bloodstream faster and rushes relief to the site of pain. it's clinically proven to relieve pain twice as fast. new bayer advanced aspirin. all right. team now for a cnn political update. shannon travis, part of the best political team on television joining us right now from washington. so what's hitting the ticker right now, shannon? >> reporter: well, hey there, fred. today what we're watching is a very big day in the presidential race. why? because this is the close of a very important fund-raising quarter for the presidential candidates. president obama, he's hitting two fund-raisers in pennsylvania. democratic officials, dnc officials, to be specific, tell us that an afternoon event, ticket prices start at $200, and officials say that another event at a private home, that those ticket prices start at $10,000. now, former pennsylvania governor ed rendell, he said on a conference call today that he predicts that possibly president obama after these event could haul in $2.5 million. fred, another person that we're watching who could possibly face off against the president is current republican texas governor rick perry. now our kevin bond, cnn producer kevin bond is reporting that governor perry is in california meeting with politicians and some businessmen who could potentially, potentially be backers to a perry campaign, should perry decide to run. we, of course, know that he's seriously considering running. kevin bond reports that he yesterday met with a co-owner of the san diego chargers and that today he'll be meeting with politicians and businessmen throughout california. perry's spokesperson says that this is not, this is absolutely not connected with a possible presidential run, but one gop consultant told cnn that perry, quote, charmed the birds right out of the trees. fred? >> okay. why else would he be in california? the texas governor, if not putting out feelers for the national race? >> reporter: you know, that's what we're wondering, but his spokespeople say that he's there to try to drum up more jobs for texas. you can't be mad at that, of course, but any time a sitting governor who is thinking about being a presidential candidate visits like a large state like california, it's got to fuel speculation, fred. >> oh, yeah. all right. shannon travis, thanks so much. appreciate it. your next update from the best political team on television is just an hour away. all right. the defense has just wrapped up in the case of the casey anthony murder trial. still, the trial is ongoing. live pictures right now. discussions between the attorneys and judge perry there. we now know that casey anthony will not be testifying in her own defense. >> do you understand that your decision to testify or not testify is solely your decision and your decision alone? >> yes, sir. >> and it is your decision >> right now live pictures again. there are still proceedings ongoing right there in that orlando courtroom, but the jury, we understand, has been dismissed temporarily while this goes on. so the defense again resting its case. prosecutors are preparing now for their rebuttal witnesses before their closing arguments, not yet in the hands of the jury just yet, but we are hearing that they could be deliberating as early as the end of this week, maybe even into the weekend. the defense called anthony's family back to the stand before all these latest developments and then brought in a key witness today. george anthony's alleged mi mistress who they hope delivered a bombshell. >> i did have an affair with george. he said it was an accident that snowballed out of control. >> holly hughes is a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor. you've been following this trial very closely. we'll talk about george's alleged mistress and what she said in a moment, but, first, let's talk about casey anthony saying no, will not take the stand. >> wow. this is huge. what this does, fredericka, this puts the defense at a disadvantage because they stood up in their opening and they promised that jury, jose baez, this was a simple accident. the baby drowned in the pool. george knew all about it and casey acted this way. >> none of the defense witnesses have explained that. >> there is no evidence, and one of the jury charges that the judge is going to read to them about the law is, hey, what the lawyers say is not evidence. opening is not evidence. closing is not evidence. the questions that the lawyers ask are not evidence. the only thing that's evidence is what the people in the witness box testified to. that's the only thing you can consider. it's not there. >> but the burden of proof is on the prosecution. >> it is. >> and has the prosecution done a good job of painting a picture of all of the events, what may or may not have happened? did they eliminate certain things? did they include certain theories about what happened to caylee? >> absolutely. what we have here is a circumstantial evidence case. basically there's two different kinds of evidence. you've got circumstantial evidence and direct evidence. direct evidence is somebody's videotaping, okay, here you go, jury. this is the crime on film, all right. what we have is nobody saw what happened to this little girl when she went missing, but the prosecution has taken and woven together a picture, and when you look at that picture as a whole, you really can only arrive at the one conclusion, that casey anthony is guilty. she was the last one seen with the child. all of these prior chloroform searches, and i think what we're going to see in rebuttal, is the prosecution proving that cindy lied. she wasn't really the one -- >> the mother. >> cindy said i did the chloroform searches, i don't think that will bear out. >> the rebuttal witnesses could be in the form of somebody at cindy anthony's workplace to try to corroborate whether she was at home at the time that this search for the core fill, chloroform took place at home. >> that's exactly what's happening, and as a matter of fact we know the jury is not in the room, and you and i have been watching the live pictures. they are having sort of a little tiff with the judge right now. cheney mason has made a motion to have linda drane burdick and the state sanctioned because they are saying discovery violations, she gave him, prosecutor gave cheney mason these records showing that there was phone activity on cindy anthony's phone at work at the time that she claims to have been home, so he says, judge, we should have gotten these records way back. cindy said in her deposition she did these searches so they are fighting. he wants them to be held in violation of that discovery order so the defense is really kicking and screaming. they don't want this in front of the jury and i don't blame them because now they have nothing and they will get beat up even more and prove when they called cindy to the stand she lied and claimed the chloroform searches as her own. it's not looking good. >> this is interesting. are you seeing that, of course, after their rebuttal witnesses immediately there will be closing arguments. >> yes. >> something that will be carried out straight into the weekend, perhaps just blow right through the fourth of july hollywood. >> absolutely. judge perry has already indicated when the closing arguments are over, and they will either happen tomorrow or saturday, we're that close. he asked the prosecutor linda drane burdick, and she says less this a day. we though we'll hear the closing arguments, and the judge has said i'm going to put the option before the jury. do they want to start deliberating sunday? do they just want to dive into this, work on sunday, work on monday and just push through? because they are sequestered. these poor folks, not only do they have a very big task ahead but they have been away from their families for 31 days, you know what, fred? 31 days, that's a number we've heard over and over and over in this case. 31 days before cindy anthony found out for sure that little girl was missing, called and reported it. 31 days where casey anthony partied like a rock star and didn't tell anybody her baby was missing, and the defense rests their case on the 31st day. >> wow, very significant here. >> among the witnesses the defense called, this alleged mistress, why is that considered a bombshell testimony today? >> what the defense is trying to do is prove that george anthony is a big fat liar. that's essentially what they want to be able to argue to the jury in closing, so when george took the stand and said i did not have a romantic affair with this woman, there was no relationship, she says nothing different. she puts her on after george denies it. he send me these text messages. these are all the things he said to me, and she's really critical because she claims that george made a statement to her while the baby was still missing, before the bones were found, this was an accident that snowballed out of control, and the defense wants to spin that like george knew for sure this was an accident. the prosecution was able to show that in a prior statement you gave to law enforcement, number one, you denied the affair. you said there wasn't one, and then secondly what you told the police, george, actually said was it must have been an accident, that got out of control. she tried to cover it up. she, meaning casey. casey tried to cover it up. >> you have to wonder if the attorneys on both side really do run the risk of confusing the jurors, because this is so sordid. there is no straight line here, an even though there's this circumstantial evidence, you're leaving an awful lot of great responsibility up to the jury to try to make sense of all of this, and it seems as though this is risky on both ends. >> well, it's not risky for the defense because the defense wants to confuse the jury, okay? they want them discombobulated. they don't want them listening to the state's evidence and saying it's very linear and laid out and the only conclusion i can reach is she's guilty, dang it. they want them confused. it only takes one to hang. so if they can even hang this at this point in time, they are happy with that. so that wouldn't be a bad thing for the defense. the prosecution, because they have the burden of proof. they have the ones that have to bring it. they to come to the table with that evidence. this is a case that is going to be tied up in closing argument, and what we're going to see is a master litigator standing up there and stitching all these pieces back together, now that the defense has attempted to scatter them, through cross-examinations, through all of that, through direct of their own witnesses. the prosecutor, and i'm betting it's going to be jeff ashton. that will be quite the show. the viewers have to stay tuned to that, and what we'll see is we'll see jeff ashton who is a master in the courtroom and he'll say okay now. y'all heard a bunch of stuff that frankly doesn't matter. let me tell you what does matter, and he's going to begin to pull back into focus for that jury what he believes proves beyond a reasonable doubt casey anthony is guilty. >> we will see how that happens. again, the defense resting today. there may be rebuttal witnesses for the prosecution and then, of course, the closing arguments. we'll see what coined of theater we see in that. holly hughes, appreciate it. >> thanks so much, fred. a sound effect is a pat on the back from a president of the united states. this is the last day on the job for u.s. defense secretary robert gates, and president obama wouldn't let him go without some fanfare so mr. obama is the eighth president gates has worked for at the pentagon, the cia, the national security council and, of course, the white house. so you may think a guy like that may be hard to surprise. well, president obama did surprise him. >> i can think of no better way to express the gratitude of the nation for bob gates than with a very special recognition. bob, this is not in the program, but i would ask you to please stand. as president the highest honor that i can bestow on a civilian is the presidential medal of freedom. it speaks to the values we cherish as a people and the ideals we strive for as a nation, and today it is my great privilege to present the presidential medal of freedom to america's 22nd secretary of defense, robert m. gates. >> i'm deeply honored and moved by your presentation of this award. it is a big surprise, but we should have known a couple of months ago you've gotten pretty good at this covert ops stuff. >> a little shaken up there, a little teary-eyed. gates will be succeeded tomorrow by outgoing cia chief loepta. all right. no recess for the u.s. senate next week. they are cancelling the july 4th week break to work on legislation to increase the debt ceiling and cut the deficit. lawmakers must raise the limit by august 2nd or risk running out of money to pay the nation's bills. mitch mcconnell made a public invitation to the president to come on over to the capitol. senators will take monday july 4th off and return to work on july 5th. whitey bulger is back in court in boston. the judge is considering a proposal to drop racketeering charges against bulger and focus instead on the murder charges. at a separate hearing later today, a magistrate will consider who should pick up bulger's legal tab. bulger was arrested last week in california, along with his longtime girlfriend after 16 years on the run. and a bit of a scare today for french president nicolas sarkozy. look right there. a man grabbing the french leader by his shoulder and then pulling him against the barricade. it happened at sarkozy visited the southwest town of brachs. four bodyguards moved in and wrestled the man to the ground. he's identified at a 32-year-old employee of a local music school. the man was taken into custody. hundreds of thousands of british teachers, air traffic controllers and public sector workers went on strike today and their labor action could spell chaos for air travelers and schoolchildren in the uk. striking workers marched peacefully in london passing near the prime minister's office at ten downing street. union work remembers upset over the british government's plan to reduce pensions for public employees. and it's not always easy to get on a plane these days, even if you pack the right way and your paperwork is in order, all that, and that's what makes this case of a nigerian stowaway so incredible. i'll show you exactly what happened when we come back. ♪ my only sunshine ♪ you makes me happy ♪ when skies are grey ♪ you'll never know, dear ♪ how much i love you ♪ please don't take my sunshine away ♪ [ male announcer ] as long as there are babies, they'll be chevy's to bring them home. ♪ 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[ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. personal pricing now on brakes. tell us what you want to pay. we do our best to make that work. deal! my money. my choice. my meineke. all right. checkpoints and pat-downs, bag inspections and body checks, all an aim to make sure that homeland security knows exactly who is getting on airplanes and putting potential evil-doers off, so how did a man with no valid id and someone else's boarding pass fly across the country last friday? the nigerian national was arrested five days after his virgin tlanchtic flight from jfk to l.a.x. when he tried to get on delta flight to atlanta. again, he allegedly carried a bogus boarding pass and authorities say they found several others in his luggage. the transportation security administration says it can't say much because the fbi is investigating, but a spokesman did say this, saying, quote, every passenger that passes through security checkpoints is subject to many layers of security, including thorough physical screening at the checkpoint. tsa's review of this matter indicates that the passenger went through screening. it is important to note that this passenger was subject to the same physical screening at the checkpoint as other passengers, end quote. at least for now, the man is charged only with being a stowaway. authorities say there are no indications for now of terrorism. i spoke last hour with errol sothers, a former spokesperson for the tsa, now a consultant and adjunct professor at usc, i asked him whether he sees this as a problem with the system. >> i see a huge problem within the system, because the system is now depending on human beings to vet other human beings without the capabilities of technology enhancing that performance. >> and so you -- you're also an advocate of this trusted traveler system. explain what that is and how that might have made an impact, if it were instituted here. >> well, i'm fortunate to be working with a couple of other nations that are using technology to enhance the skillsets to vet human beings. we are working on a global secure traveler system that is able to use biometrix and is able to have people go through the system so we know that be it an iris scan, palm print, a smart passport and even even a p.i.n. number so we know the person holding the boarding pass is the individual. what that does is gives us the scarce resources and staffing. they can focus on people that aren't in the system, and that's where the risk is greater, so we're reducing the risk, but what happened at the two airports here where a person is looking at an identification and looking at a boarding pass and they don't match is inexcusable. >> the feds say the suspect is a u.s. citizen 24 years old. he is due to appear in federal court tomorrow. a well-known political commentator is suspended for comments that he made about the united states president. we'll tell you what he said. that's next. even though i'm a great driver, and he's... not so much. well, for a driver like you, i would recommend our new snapshot discount. this little baby keeps track of your great driving habits, so you can save money. 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[ cackling ] he's my ride home. how much can the snapshot discount save you? call or click today. all right. new video into cnn of new mexico governor susana martinez taking an aerial tour of los alamos. you can see the smoke coming through the tree line. foyer has burned nearly 93,000 acres and at this point is only 33% contained. how will the weather be affecting fire fighters' efforts. let's check with chad myers. a clottal task for fire fighters. everything is working against them, period. >> when fires get so large, fred, your front line becomes your back loin, is your side line, and all of a sudden we have 90,000 or more acres burning, and you're miles around and that is burning can be 10 or 15 miles where men and women digging with shovels and bulldozers trying to put that foyer out. today the winds aren't bad, 13, 14, 15 miles per hour, but along ridge lines what we're going to have today will be dry thunderstorms. thunderstorms that go up just like a regular one, but it's so dry out there, that when the rain tries to fall back down through the dry air, the rain actually evaporates on the way down. it can never make its way all the way down, but the lightning comes down and that lightning could spark more fires. you can actually now even see the fire. there's los alamos. can you see the fire on the satellite, smoke blowing on up towards northern mexico and even into southeastern colorado. it's been so very dry. this has been a record-breaking drought across a lot of the south all spring long. texas now declaring that this drought, the last eight months, is as bad as it's been since 1895. that moans it's worse than the dust bowl. they haven't seen all that have land be torn up by the tractors and the dust blowing around, but it is that bad. there are literally that many crops that just don't even exist this year across parts of texas and even into oklahoma. we had the potential for arlene, a tropical system in the bay of campeche in cancun to maybe come up and bring in some moisture. that didn't happen. it will move right into the pacific and pass by. it will take at least three more weeks for any significant rain to come into new mexico. fred? >> thanks, chad. a rate it. a look at other top stories at this hour. msnbc today suspended political analyst mark halperin after he used a four-letter word that starts with the letter "d" to describe president obama. >> oh, my god. >> delay that. >> delay that. >> what are you doing? >> i think the president. >> i can't believe -- >> i was joking. don't do that. >> did we delay that? >> halperin apologized on air to viewers and to president obama for his remarks. it happened on the "morning joe" program. halperin used the insult when criticizing president obama for attacking republican lawmakers during a news conference. halperin is an editor at large for "time" magazine, a cnn sister publication. take a look at this. we told you that prince william and princess kate would be making their way from the uk to canada, and there they are. new pictures of them arriving there, their first stop. in ottawa, canada. they are going to be on a nine-day tour looking ever so lovely there. this is their first official abroad trip together, and we'll have much more on their trip coming up in our globe trekking segment. greece's parliament today passed a law needed toismman an austerity package. the move was approved by the international monetary fund and opens the way for more loans between those two groups. the austerity package which includes tax hikes and pay cause has triggered violent protests and riots across the country. myspace, struggling social media site is being sold to an ad targeting firm and mr. sexy back himself mr. justin timberlake. news corporation purchased the site for $580 million. unfortunately, this site lost a lot of its popularity to its competitor facebook. timberlake has invested an undisclosed amount to that company. all right. we all deal with them and very few of us understand them or even like them. richard quest and ali velshi tackle airline fees in this week's "q&a" next. when an investment lacks discipline, it's never this obvious. introducing investment discipline etfs from russell. visit russelletfs.com r a prospectus, containing the investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information. read and consider it carefully before investing. a network of possibilities. in here, the planned combination of at&t and t-mobile would deliver our next generation mobile broadband experience to 55 million more americans, many in small towns and rural communities, giving them a new choice. we'll deliver better service, with thousands of new cell sites... for greater access to all the things you want, whenever you want them. it's the at&t network... and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. quest means business and so do i. we're here together in the cnn newsroom around the world. hello, richard. good day to you, mr. develop shy. each thursday ali and i coming to you from around the world. we discuss a business innovation, and today travel. nothing is off limits, so we're talking about airlines, and the huge amount of money they are taking and making and taking from you and me on fees. >> here in the u.s. we've just heard 5.7 billion last year, some of it coming from extra bag fees, foods, charging for pets, almost anything that they could think of to make some money off of that. more than $1 billion just from change and cancellation fees so the question, richard, for our viewers is flying a good deal, or are we being taken for a ride? richard, you have more frequent flyer miles than i do, so, please, go first. you've got 60 seconds. >> it sounds like such a good idea. pay for what you use and leave the rest behind, and indeed when it started, the idea of paying for baggage or for speedy boarding or for those little extra perk like entertainment and food on board did actually work. but it wasn't long before the fees went up and so did the feds. the latest report from american express shows year on year fares are up by 10%, and now back to pre-recession levels. the fares go up, the fees go up, and some airlines here in europe come up with imaginative ways. things like booking confirmation fees, legal protection fee, or credit card and debit card fees. my rule is simple. if it is something that can be avoided, like baggage, meals or entertainment, all fair and good, but if it's anything else, it should be included in the price. i'm not being taken for a ride by anyone. >> richard. let me take a go at this, all right? it's easy toe rip on the airlines, the delays and cancellations and all those annoying fees you just listed. seems like any day now in europe you could be paying to use the loo, but here's where it gets drowned out by all of our complaining. flying is a remarkably good deal. you compared it to pre-recession levels 15 years ago. here in the u.s., the average domestic airfare was $288, 15 years ago. last year, even adjusting for inflation, it was $236. 50 bucks cheaper than it was 15 years ago, richard. now, in exchange for those low fees we've had to suffer some other things. the truth about airlines, richard, you know this, they need the money, and the last decade in the u.s. the industry had only three profitable years, count them, three. it slashed 160,000 jobs, and look at this fuel price. one cent in a gallon of jet fuel costs them $175 million a year, so while paying for something that used to be free like checking a bag is painful, let's face it, richard. without all that nickel and diming, they would have to raise their fares. a la carte pricing, i'm all for it. >> i'm all for it. when did you become an apologist for the industry? >> i just want the planes to keep flying. >> the voice. hello, time for takeoff. time for question number one. you're both frequent flyers so this one should be fairly easy. according to luggage source, what is the usual maximum weight allowed for a carry-on bag? a, 20 pounds, b, 30 pounds, c, 40 pounds or, d, 50 pounds? >> ali? >> richard, wouldn't know the answer to this because he's all fancy and doesn't have to pay for luggage, it's 50 pounds, d. >> incorrect. >> mr. quest? >> the maximum weight allowed for carry-on is 20 pounds. >> no, sir, mr. develop shy? >> 30 pounds. >> incorrect again. >> richard? >> 40. >> took you long enough. >> the answer is usually 40 pounds, but some airlines cap it as low as 26 poun. on to the next one. we're on the plane, according to worksalaries.org, which country has the highest paid airline pilots? is it a, germany, b, taiwan, c, kuwait, or, d, the united states? >> trick question, richard. >> richard? >> it is a trick question, and i'm for germany. >> that is correct. germany is tops, followed by taiwan. russian pilots, by the way, rank near the bottom making ten times less than their german counterparts. question number three. let's pick up the pace, ali. we're in our first class seats waiting for foie gras. back in coach they are hoping for peanuts. which country produces the most peanuts, a, china, b, india, c, the united states or, d, nigeria? >> ali? >> peanuts are a hot climate thing. i would say india. >> incorrect. >> richard? >> i would say nigeria. >> incorrect again. redeem yourself, ali. >> the united states. >> wrong again. >> richard. >> this thing is rigged. >> china. >> that is correct. china produces the most, but the majority of their peanuts aren't eaten. they are made into oils or other things. the u.s. produces most peanuts for actual consumption, so richard, you win 3-0. alley, i expect better out of you next week. >> ali. >> i'll be ready. >> i -- i'm going to make a hostage to fortune here. i want to know the other things that peanuts are made into. that will do it. >> that's right. >> edible peanuts versus what? >> remember, we're here each week thursdays on quest means busines business. >> and in the cnn newsroom, 2:00 p.m. eastern, keep the news coming on our blogs. tell us each week what you want to see us talk about. richard, have a good week. >> have a good week. s s s s ] ♪ [ cat meows ] ♪ [ whistle ] ♪ [ cat meows ] ♪ [ ting! ] [ male announcer ] travelers can help you protect the things you care about and save money with multi-policy discounts. are you getting the coverage you need and the discounts you deserve? for an agent or quote, call 800-my-coverage or visit travelers.com. 34 minutes after now. let's update you on some of the news that you missed. investigators may have charged the man with being a stowaway after allegedly taking a flight from new york to los angeles without the proper boarding place. according to the fbi affidavit, the airline did not discover that he was on board until the flight had already taken off. he was questioned when he landed but not arrested until he returned to l.a.x. a few days later and tried to board a different flight, this time on the way to atlanta with an expired boarding pass, and, by the way, it wasn't in his name. a law enforcement official told cnn there is nothing at this point to indicate that terrorism is involved, and take a look right now. live pictures of the courtroom in orlando in the casey anthony murder trial. the defense now rested today without calling her to the witness stand. casey informed the judge of her decision not to testify in her own defense after the lunch break. jurors will now hear testimony from rebuttal witnesses offered by the prosecution. closing arguments could be heard soon, and a big sendoff today for u.s. defense secretary robert gates. in his last full day on the job, gates was honored with the presidential medal of freedom, america's highest civilian honor. gates is stepping down after four decades of public service. he is succeeded by outgoing cia director leon panetta and taking panta's place at the cia will be general david petraeus who will -- who was just overwhelmingly confirmed rather by the u.s. senate. okay. william and kate crossing the pond for their first overseas trip as newlyweds. the latest from ottawa, canada, plus the flap over a "newsweek" magazine cover showing kate side by side with a rather aged princess diana coming up right after this. on to afghanistan, a bold and deadly attack on a major hotel in the heart of kabul. toys tuesday's attack killed some 22 people including nine suicide bombers, and it's raising even more questions about the ability of afghan forced to fight the taliban and other militants once all u.s. forces are pulled out of that country, so here to talk with us now, cnn international john voss, very interesting because this, too, might be very telling about how this country might be able to manage security once the troops move out. >> 2014, not just u.s. troops are pulled out and nato troops are gone as well. that's the big date. that's when the afghan national security forces have to stand up for themselves. a lot of people looking at this attack at this hotel in kabul, intercontinental, saying, hey, look, they are not ready. reports that a lot of afghan police guys didn't fire their weapons, that they ran away and that -- they were simply overwhelmed by the taliban or the al qaeda network or whoever was responsible for this attack. the reality is that these insurgents are working for a timetable and something like this attack at the intercontinental hotel in kabul was always going to happen. president obama said you can expect another attack like this. won't change the drawdown. the troops are still coming out. the concern is, we've heard this from the outgoing u.s. defense secretary robert gates, last time the americans left afghanistan too soon was back in the 1980s when they were supporting the mujahadin against the soviet union and that ultimately led to 9/11. that's a concern. the other argument though is, hey, look, you know. it's easy to run away when you know you've got 140,000 nato troops backing you up, and that's kind of what happened on the intercontinental on tuesday. come 2014 and after that when they got to stand up and fight and they had no other choice, well, then they might just have to do it similar to what's happening in iraq right now and the security of this hotel, i've stayed there. it's very secure but it's still in a very dangerous part of the world and the security, well, it's kind of very afghan, you know. they search you but they don't search you properly. you walk through the metal detector and set off the alarm. >> this was not secured by nato or isaf anyway. >> exactly. >> it could have happened at any time because this was an attractive location. >> yeah. >> suppose a target area because a lot of dignitaries and journalists, been there as well. >> yeah. >> go there. >> most of the journalists and most of the ngos you'll stay at the serena hotel. this one is a few journalists will go there if they are meeting governors or high-ranking officials. on tuesday night there was a wedding party under way and another gathering as well. it's for the locals and this is essentially afghans attacking other afghans and the security, they say it's good, but not that good. >> let's move on to libya now and now some criticism that france is getting that they are supplying weaponry to the rebels there in libya. is that appropriate? is it right? is it violating any rules set by nato? >> again, it comes back -- >> comes back to who you talk to. this story came out of the newspaper, and it turns out that earlier this month the french decided to airdrop some anti-tank weapons, as well as some assault rifles. other missiles, rocket launchers, into a mountainous region southwest of tripoli. >> okay. >> and what happened is that that really turned a battle for the opposition. there was a bit of a stalemate there. no one really knew what happened because suddenly the opposition fighters got the upper hand. now we know what happened. they got a lot of help from the french. nato made it clear they had nothing to do with this. french are saying we had every right to do this because under u.n. resolution 1973 we can take any action necessary to protect civiliansch the problem is there's an arms embargo on all of libya, directed at gadhafi, but for all of libya, and the concern here is that this is a country already awash in weapons. >> yeah. >> and we're hearing now from the spanish when the interior minister that a lot of weapons in libya, and ending up in the hands of the al qaeda affiliates, in the northern part of africa. >> getting a little too murky. >> let's kind of end it on a little bit of a happy note with the newlywed, british royal couple making its way to canada for this nine-day tour of canada. >> god love them. >> yeah. >> a nice looking couple, aren't they? just arrived a short time ago, and this is their first trip away as the duke and duchess of canterbury and, of course, a lot of comparisons are now being made to the trip that charles and diana made back in 1983. do you know that princess diana was only 22 at the time when -- >> i think people forget that. >> that she was so young? when she made the first trip. we see the pictures now, kate, very stylish, a good looking couple, and the one thing about kate, you know, she's gorgeous looking, but she also seems to be very accessible. she has that diana quality, and diana had a lot of people talking on this trip to canada back in 1993, or was it 1981, but whenever it was, because she actually knelt down and spoke with the kids and picked a few things up. >> lots of comparisons. >> and we have that "newsweek" magazine as well. >> yeah. >> and it makes a few comparisons, too, in a way that kind of a lot of folks are feeling a little unsettled. >> personally i find it creepy. look at this cover here. can see diana digitally enhanced, looks older, looks great. >> walking side by side. >> yeah. >> and if you read the context of the magazine, this has got a few people upset, they talk about diana using botox, twice divorced and 10 million twitter followers and a lot of people think let the poor woman rest. >> john voss, appreciate it. >> appreciate it. >> here's a question for you. what are the most expensive colleges in america? is your alma mater on the list? we'll break it down two minutes from now. these days you can comparison shop with just about everything online, cars, flights and insurance, but there's one big holdout, clemens. that all changes today because of this new government website, collegecosts.ed.govch the department of education's interactive list of the country's most and least expensive colleges, so how does it work? well, let's just say that you want to search for the most expensive public four year college. you choose the tab and select the highest college and choose it right there, and then you're going to see a list of all the universities right there and generate your search and then you have this. perhaps you want to find out more about pennsylvania state university, see right there, tuition is $14,000 but you see the national average is $6,000. so let's get a little bit more information on that, a bit more on that university, and then you perhaps want to learn a little bit more about a private university. you can follow the tabs, same way. find out exactly what the options are for a public university, four-year, privates, et cetera, just about all the information you need about campus living except where to get the best pizza for late-night study sessions, et cetera. do the same search for both public, private clemens. if you are curious the most expensive private college is bates, and that's at $52 n 300. that's the tuition. and the sharpest increases over three-year periods, northern new mexico college had a 12% increase, followed by florida state and san diego state university. by law those offenders are now required to submit records to the government explaining why costs have gone up so dramatically and how they plan to address rising prices. there's a lot to look at so you want to check this website out for yourself and learn a little more about the colleges that are available for your kids. an author says that we should give criminals a choice of flogging in lieu of prison sentences, and he joins our extreme team today after the break. >> announcer: this past year alone there's been a 67% spike in companies embracing the cloud-- big clouds, small ones, public, private, even hybrid. your data and apps must move easily and securely to reach many clouds, not just one. that's why the network that connects, protects, and lets your data move fearlessly through the clouds means more than ever. e all right. live pictures right now of prince william and princess catherine there. they are at a wreath-laying ceremony at the national war memorial. they are in ottawa. they just arrived maybe just under an hour or so again, embarking on their nine-day tour of canada, and this ceremonial duty taking place right now. this is their first out-of-country visit together as a married couple. hall we listen in a moment? all right. the royal couple there in their visit to canada over the next nine days. we'll keep you posted on their travels. all right. here's a question being asked. to flog someone is to beat them with a whip, strap or cane as a form of punishment. is it right? well, a new book is raising a few eyebrows because it advocates flogging as an alternative to a traditional prison sentence. the idea is to give all but the most dangerous convicts a choice, imprisonment or two lashes for every year of the sentence. and don't think that americans don't have the appetite for this. we tend to associate flogging with nations like singapore and malaysia, but as recently as 1952, the state of delaware administered 20 lashes to a convicted burglar. remember, michael faye, the american teenager who was flogged after being convicted of spray painting cars in singapore? well, according to the author of the book advocating flogging, a 1994 newspaper poll was taken in ohio which is where faye's father lived, and the author says that respondents supported the punishment by a 2-1 margin, so the question for today's stream team is this. should flogging be an alternative to prison in this country? john koppelman hut is a sirius xm radio host and we know what you're going to say and daniel manville is an attorney and joins us on the phone and the author of "in defense of floggi flogging" joins us as well, the book that has us tacking right now. i'm going to begin with you. this is your book, peter. this is your premise. where did this come from? >> it came from a prison system that's gotten out of control. 1.3 million americans behind bars, and we have no alternatives, so i say we give convicts the choice to take lashes instead of going to prison. i think it would be better for the convicts and for all of us and would really save us money. we need something radical to get the debate started for real about what we're going to do about this prison industrial complex. >> is this debate for real? you've written about it, but who is starting this debate? is a lawmaker on board saying let's seriously start considering this. >> well, the debate is starting right here. the debate is starting in my book. i do -- i do say it's sort of like throwing a hand grenade in the bank. this is all about prison reform and people have been talking about prison reform for 40 years. during that time we've started a war on drugs that won't work and now we have more prisoners than china and they have a billion more people than we do. something has gone horribly wrong. >> let me bring in daniel, a prisoners' rights advocate. daniel, what's your response to this suggestion? >> i think it should go nowhere. it should be buried, okay, dope down, because it doesn't serve any purpose. there are alternatives to incarceration. the problem is that because the economic situation of the states, the states automatically start, you know, reducing educational programs, reducing other programs in prison, drug programs, mental health programs, all these programs that would help individuals change themselves while in prison so that once they leave prison that they will not return, and i'm a good example of that. i went to prison. i came out and i developed myself in a clinical program at a law school in the state of michigan, okay, so people can change. >> so you're saying prison can be a good thing? >> well, people commit crimes for many reasons. we have a bad economic situation. a lot of people cannot afford rent, food, things like that, so they will commit a crime, and they should be flogged because our -- because of the way our legislators, our congress people, are running this country the way they let wall street get carried away? we should be flogging the people on wall street. maybe if we flogged them, they would not have put us in this position so why not limit it only to prisoners. >> absolutely. >> jennifer, let me get you in on this. you nodded your head already that you don't agree with this idea. >> look. this is what i think. peter, you're clearly a smart man, and smart people can make convincing arguments about just about anything, but flogging, really? i mean, flogging is so barbaric and so inhumane, and ridiculous, and even if we were to take the route that it weren't this way, giving a convicted criminal the option whether he or she wants to be flogged versus be incarcerated for another year, i don't think they deserve that option exactly. >> okay. >> and i know that the prison system needs a lot of -- >> okay. jennifer, sorry to cut you off. running out of time. jennifer, peter, daniel, thanks to all of you. appreciate it. i know we'll talk about it again. straight ahead, our wolf blitzer has just interviewed former president bill clinton. we've got a clip coming your way after this. [ tires squeal ] an accident doesn't have to slow you down. introducing better car replacement, available only from liberty mutual insurance. if your car is totaled, we give you the money to buy a car that's one model year newer, with 15,000 fewer miles on it. there's no other auto insurance product like it. better car replacement, available only from liberty mutual. it's a better policy that gets you a better car. call... or visit one of our local offices today, and we'll provide the coverage you need at the right price. liberty mutual auto insurance. responsibility. what's your policy? former president bill clinton is talking about president obama's re-election bid and the 2012 vote. president clinton sat down for a one-on-one with our wolf blitzer. >> how worried are you right now about president obama getting re-elected? >> i would be surprised if he won't get re-elected. i think people understand that the recession is more severe than the one i had, and if you look at what's going on in