so the ways in which dna is different, this search is different from fingerprints, number one, they re trying not to identify you to make sure you are who you say you are, but rather to connect you to other random crimes that they haven t yet been able to solve. that s completely different function than fingerprinting is used for when you re first arrested and as you note, alex, when you haven t been convicted of anything. that s first thing. the second point is fingerprints are essentially a unique pattern on your skin. dna is the fundamental blueprint for who you are, your heredity, your ancestry, your genetic frailties. it goes to basic issues of identity. it s a huge amount of information as the technology evolves. but in terms of evolving, alan, sure, we have this technology now, but can we look back to fingerprinting? that must have seemed like a shocking technological advancement when it was invented. so can you make an argument this is just science advancing? well, that s c
0 intr national concern. often times it s nonstate actors who are engaging in these issues as well. reporter: now, president obama was pressed on whether the recent revelation that the surveillance programs by the u.s. government undercut his argument to china s program, he says he does not believe that is the case. he sees these as two separate issues. those are just some of the issues on the table today, and i also think north korea will be another topic under discussion. you can expect that. kristin, the president is also defending the government s secret surveillance programs. let s take a listen to what he said. when it comes to telephone calls, nobody is listening to your telephone calls. that s not what this program is about. as was indicated, what the intelligence community is doing is looking at phone numbers and come with this story. are you getting any frustration from inside the white house because the obama administration didn t start this program. it started under
there s been a lot of progress. no question. here in louisiana, mississippi, other areas that were so devastated by hurricane katrina. but there still remain a lot of problems, even charges of discrimination in the recovery effort. we re going to get to all of that this morning as we mark the fifth anniversary of hurricane katrina roaring into louisiana. all of that coming up in the next three hours. but first, let s go back to carol in new york. can t believe it s been five years. thanks, john. here s a quick look at what else is new this morning. new video released 3693 miners in chile trapped half a mile underground. a first look at their survival shelter. you can clearly see, it is dark and cramped and it s hot down there. dirty. and the 25-minute video we see where the men sleep, where they play cards, where they brush their teeth. the men each sent a message to their families. we ll have much more on this later. former president jimmy carter is on his way back to
journalists but to relieve the tensions between our two countries. here is what he had to say. i don t believe in, you know, cowboy diplomacy and i know this would not be that case but yes, if he could sit down with the north koreans and convey a message from the administration and the congress to be more reasonable when it comes to verifying their nuclear program and getting away from the development of nuclear weapons it would be a good thing. well, obviously we have not heard from the white house whether or not bill clinton would be carrying any other kind of message, again, if you look at what robert gibbs said, he referred to it as a solely private mission. this is interesting, not the least of which bill clinton s own past with north korea, a big name, a big card to play. he almost went to north korea actually back in 2000, and of course, in a deal with them, a nuclear deal in 1994 that ultimately fell apart in 2003, but there s a history there and there s recent hi