hare. started out strong. >> tomorrow, we continue to cover the story of the kidnapped children in cuba and following developments in north korea new room with carol costello begins now. >> happening now in the "newsroom," escape to cuba a florida father characterized as anti government, accused of kidnapping his two children and fleeing to the communist nation. also, newtown comes to washington. >> i stand before you now and ask you to stand with me. with also faemmilies. >> gun control front and center. it's called the accidental racist. >> relationship between the mason dixon. >> brad paisley's new song with ll cool j out today. confederate flags, southern

pride and lots of controversy. >> the white man, i wish you understood what the world is really like when are you living in the hood. >> and spring snowstorm. a massive system stretching from colorado to illinois. snow, sleet, even tornadoes. live in colorado, and you're live in the cnn newsroom. good morning. i'm carol costello, thank you for being with me. we begin with what could be an emotional crecscendo in the nation's gun control debate. these families will share their heart break on capitol hill. they will call on senators that have not called for tougher gun laws. we begin our coverage with white house correspondent briana keilar. >> if he can't convince congress

to take up stronger gun control legislation, perhaps they can. newtown residents personally ushered off air force one. >> sometimes the waves of sadness are so great they threaten to drown me, i stand before you now and ask you to stand with me. with all the families. >> hockley had earlier introduced the president as he began a week long white house push for a gun bill. obama criticized republican senators for trying to block a measure from coming to the senate floor. >> in the wake of a tragedy, you would think this would not be a heavy lift. and yet some folks back in washington are already floating the idea that they may use political stunts to prevent votes on any of these reforms.

>> not minority leader mitch mcconnell plans to join the 13 senator who's wi senators who will filibuster a bill. they are hoping for bipartisan compromise that will call for background checks for almost all gun purchases. >> we have to tell congress it's time to require a background check for anyone who wants to buy a gun so that people who are dangerous to themselves and others cannot get their hands on a gun. let's make that happen. >> that really was just the beginning of a full-court press here at the white house, carol. vice president joe biden and attorney general eric holder will take part in an event here at the white house today, focusing on law enforcement, and first lady michelle obama heads to chicago, where they will talk about kids needing opportunities, including safety from gun violence, carol. >> let's talk about that filibuster threat. 14 republicans have signed on.

don't want any kind of debate over any gun bill on the floor of the senate. republican senator peter king on "early start" this morning. what he said about the filibuster idea. >> i believe we should have universal background checks, but even if i did not support the legislation, i would say let this come to debate this is an issue which has grabbed hold of the american people. an issue which has to be resolved, and even if it doesn't go down the way i want it to, the american people are entitled to a debate and to me to use senate rules to block a debate on an issue of this importance is just wrong. >> okay, peter king isn't the only republican senator. john mccain said yes, people deserve a debate on the floor. rudy giuliani on piers morgan say yes, people deserve a debate on the floor. what is this? what is stridriving the divisio among be republican lawmakers.

>> they are experiencing different pressures. rand paul from kentucky, leading the effort to have a filibuster, and on the other, have you john mccain, peter king and, of course, they there are republican who's feel that way, but maybe aren't saying it, there shouldn't be a filibuster. some republicans, biggest concern may be a primary from the right. you know, rand paul, for instance, could be concerned about that. even mitch mcconnell. if they come out, say they will allow something -- a gun bill to move forward, they could face a challenge from the right that could be successful. so on the other hand, have you people like john mccain, even if ultimately some of the folks aren't going to want to vote for a gun bill, it doesn't sit well with constituents that it wouldn't even be allows to come up, so they are trying to take a more measured approach. democrats hope to enlist the help of people like senator mccain to overcome the 60 vote threshold to overcome the issue. >> crazy, crazy politics.

briana keel ar live from the white house this morning. a group howill grade law maingers on gun issues. once again, the face of the campaign will be the parents who lost children at sandy hook. >> i got a 911 call that there was a shooting at sandy hook elementary school. >> the nonprofit group, backed by deep pockets by mayor michael bloomberg. it will spend $1 million to air the new ad. it targets a dozen lawmakers and asks constituents to contact them demanding action. we're committed to staying on the story all day today, all day tomorrow. cnn going indelt and exploring the issue of background checks, calls guns under fire. a special report. we'll debut new polling, explore the politics of background

checks, all day tomorrow on cnn. two little boys abducted from their grandmother's home in florida last week are believed to be in cuba, in cuba, with their parents. a florida sheriff's department, actually a florida sheriff's deputy has received information that the family fled the united states, possibly using a sailboat, joshua and sharon hokken lost custody of their boys last year and parental rights terminated a week ago. a state department tells cnn that u.s. officials in cuba are aware of the situation. fears of military action rumbling across the korean peninsula and beyond. japan bracing for the possibility of a north korean missile test by setting up patriot missile batteries in and around tokyo. south korea has predicted a launch could come as soon as tomorrow. in the meantime, north korea is

warning visitors in south korea to take action in case war breaks out. here is more. >> another threat from pyongyang, but this time building wasn't aimed just at south koreans. north korean state tv warning foreign institutions, companies, and tourists for their own safety, take shelter and evacuate seoul and the rest of south korea, warning the korean peninsula may be headed to thermo nuclear war. >> i am concerned. not enough not to make the trip. >> this atlantian is in seoul for business, but the threat did get her to register with the embassy, the latest warning? >> this particular threat doesn't heighten the sense of danger i feel more than everything that's just been occurring for the past couple of weeks. >> reporter: it has been a long couple of weeks coming to a head now.

south korean's capital bracing itself to see if the unpredictable leader will carry out the threat of a missile launch. >> reporter: it's hard not to be worried, she says, but i doubt they will attack. south koreans are numb to the son lawsuit of threats, but also well practiced in living with them. monthly civil defense drills, where people in seoul practice citywide emergency evacuations. seoul is the city of 11 million people. one hour from the dmz. what all of the people know, if there is some sort of attack, they know to head underground. shelter, or the subways, which double as underground bunkers, seoul is a maze of underground concrete halls, but most residents don't believe they will ever have to use them. why south african native wayne seta isn't worried. hoping the talk even as loud as

it gets, stays just that, talk. cnn, seoul. other top stories for you this tuesday morning. nine minutes past the hour. parts of the west bracing for more intense weather today. that's incredible. you see some of the hail already rained down on kansas. you can hear the hail as it hits the ground. and in colorado, storm chasers captured what appear to be a possible tornado touching down last night and right now, snow is falling, parts of the state could see blizzardlike conditions and before the day is done, denver could see up to a foot of snow. schools closed and more than 460 flights canceled. recording stars beyonce and jay-z back from the caribbean, but still taking heat over their trip to cuba the communist nation remains off-limits for americans only looking for a tropical vacation there.

the legality of their trip is murky at best, and completely wrong from an ethical point of view. >> i wish they would have a little more common sense and understanding and solidarity with the suffering of the cuban people and they ate at great places and stayed at beautiful hotels, none of which the cuban people are allowed to eat or stay, were they able to afford it, if ch they can't. it doesn't send the right message to the suffering cuban people. they want freedom and beyonce and jay-z are there to have a good time. they should go somewhere else. reuter's cites an unidentified source says the u.s. treasury department says it did not violate the u.s. trade embargo and was fully approved as a cultural visit. rob johnson out at jcpenney at ceo. he was hired to revitalize jcpenney's 1,100 department stores. got rid of sales and coupons,

opened specialty shops inside the stores, still, sales last year fell 28%. christine romans has more for you. >> ron johnson, the now ex-ceo of jcpenney learned the hard way, turn off loyal customers and they'll turn their back on you. that's what happened when johnson came in to resurrect the company. he created the formulas for hyper successful apple retail stores and target. selling ipads very different than selling curtain sets and sweat suits. >> i told you, transformations are unpredictable and can be bumpy and this one has been. were in a risky series of moves, he eliminated coupons and discounts, hallmarks of the success. sales fell 28%, including a 40% drop over the holidays, stock followed, dropping 55% in the

past year. cutting the retailer's value in half. johnson's pay was slashed by 97%, but that was from the original $58 million salary and stock package that lured him to jp penny in 2011. at a recent investor meeting, johnson owned up to his miscues. >> as much as we accomplished last year, we also made big mistakes, and i take personal responsibility for these. >> johnson cut 13% of jp penny's workforce to raise profits. the drum beat for his outster got louder by the day. jp penny as a life-style brand rather than a discount brand fell flat. johnson and jcpenney were pitted in a bitter legal battle against macy's over martha stewart's signature life-style line. he has been replaced by mike ullman, the man who ran the company from 2004 to 2011.

the question now? can jcpenney get its customers back? carol, just a stunning leadership changeout. when people who study this, kids getting their mb as will study this for years on how not to lose customers. he tried to redefine jcpenney and lost the essence of jcpenney. quiet now, can the former ceo turn it around and lure customers back and bring it up. staggering what has happened there. >> not kidding. i'm still getting over the $58 million thing. christine romans, thank you so much. first courtroom showdown to get under way in philadelphia in a concussion lawsuit against the nfl. nfl lawyers will ask the judge to toss the suit that blames the league for concealing long-term

dangers of concussions. among the 4,000 people suing are families of dave duerson and junior seau. their brains showed signs of concussions and both took their own lives. we are following in this morning. >> reporter: good morning, carol. and i am right in front of the courthouse. i've got to tell you, this will be quite a showdown there is a long line at the courthouse this morning. they started lining up at least half an hour ago. the hearing isn't until 10:00. and what's at issue here is not necessarily the facts which makes is so fascinating. it's whether the lawsuits will even continue. the nfl is saying, listen this is not the right place to litigate this case, because everyone, all of these players, part of cba, collective bargaining agreement. this case should be ar by traited and players are saying, uh-uh.

this is a case of fraud. the nfl knew -- knew -- about the risk associated with concussions and hid it. so fraud case, the proper place right here in federal court. that really is what is at issue in front of senior this senior judge. what is also fascinating, the big guns, carol, out today. paul clements, who i know are you familiar with, he argued that doma case about a month ago in front of the supreme court. he is arguing on behalf of the nfl and you also have david fredericks, representing the players, someone who has argued many cases in front of the supreme court. have you a supreme court showdown with big guns right here in federal court. it's going to be an amazing day for the legal geeks like myself. >> i was going to say, i'm sure you will have an update for us. just ahead on the "newsroom," not a happy time at rutgers university. now the scandal that consumed

the basketball team is sitting at the feet of the school president. many say he should be fired. oh, he's a fighter alright.

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rutgers university in the middle of quite the middle of controversy. mike rice was suspended and later fired after video of him physically and verbally abusing players during practice. governor chris christie didn't mince words about rice. >> what parents would let this animal back into their living room to try to recruit their son? after this video? >> governor christie stopped there. he did not berate the rutgers president for not firing rice immediately. governor christie stood by the president, despite the fact that a number of rutgers professors want robert barci resign. he defends himself. >> it was not recommended to me, and i didn't overrule anyone regarding dismissal. it may have been internal discussion with the legal people

who were present, whatever. but it wasn't recommended to me, and i didn't reverse or push back on any decision like that, and i had say that absolutely categorically, and i have to tell you, i'm not covering up for anybody. >> that is not good enough for a history professor at rutgers, beryl stoddard. >> did you read about the governor's news conference yesterday? >> i read about the governor christie news conference. >> he has come out strongly, is that enough? >> that's a completely noncontroversial position to take. he didn't come out strongly against president barchi, which is the person responsible keeping coach rice in contact with our students for months

after his abuse was known to president barchi. >> the coach has been fired, the athletic director fired. it's time to move on and put this behind rutgers. >> of course. let's bury it is what he is saying. we don't need to examine why this abuse was allowed to continue. the reason it was allowed to continue is because president barchi allowed it to. it was his job to say this coach must go. but he didn't. there is a broader context here which is a -- a more institutional disdain for diversity that has permeated rutgers university because of president barchi, because of his values. this is why he allowed this to continue this is why the faculty at rutgers university has been

upset with president barchi for months, since he first took office. >> president barchi would say, look, i didn't see the tape until the last minute. i regret not looking at the tape. had i looked at the tape, the coach would have been gone immediately. do buy that explanation? >> i don't buy that at all. it's obvious if somebody comes to you -- athletic director comes to you and say we have reports of an abusive situation and we have the tape to back it up, the logical and responsible thing to do is say i need to see those tapes. president barchi didn't do that. president barchi has shown a disdain for diversity in more ways than one. a disdain for diversity. possibly more importantly than in this case in how he has allocated financial resources within rutgers university. this is something he has been doing for months, way before the basketball scandal. this is whyith not surprising that he didn't take action when you have a situation in which

our students were at risk. >> beryl satter, many thanks to her. still ahead, our talk back question, should republicans allow a vote up or down on gun control? facebook.com/carolcnn o or @carolcnn. oh, hi thehey!ill. are you in town for another meeting? yup, i brought my a-team. business trips add up to family time. this is my family. this is joe. hi joe! hi there! earn a ton of extra hhonors points with the daily grand promotion and feel the hamptonality.

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now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. the question this morning,

should republicans allow a vote up or down on gun control? mitch mcconnell, the powerful senate minority leader boarded the filibuster bust, along with 13 others. if it hits the floor, they will pull a rand paul. >> i will speak until i can no longer speak. i will speak as long as it takes. >> paul filibustered like a champ and got what he wanted, information on drones. this time, a little different. republicans, including paul, have vowed to filibuster away any debate on guns, as in we don't want to talk about guns, period. >> i don't understand it. the purpose of the united states senate is to debate, to vote, let people know where we stand. >> you would encourage republicans not to filibuster. >> i not only encourage it, i don't understand it. what are we afraid of?

>> rudy giuliani, republican peter king and the president surrounded by stunned newtown families wondered the same thing. >> i know that some of these proposals inspire more debate than others, but each of them have the support of the majority of the american people. all of them are common sense, all of them deserve a vote. >> if you're looking for an answer from the 14 filibuster loving republicans, they say it's simple. the second amendment trumps debate, compromise, even an up-or-down vote. talk back question for you today, should republicans allow a vote up or down on gun control? facebook.com/carolcnn. or tweet me @carolcnn. ] are youd waiting for your wrinkle cream to work? neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair has the fastest retinol formula. to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week.

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good morning. thank you so much for being with us. i'm carol costello. stories we're watching on the "newsroom," stock futures steady ahead of this morning's opening bell. investors weighing first quarter earnings. aluminum producer alcoa turned in mixed results. results later this week from jpmorgan and wells fargo. guns, guns, and more guns. we keep talking about guns and we'll probably keep talking right past each other. the newtown families, still grieving over last children, will get something done. the families flew to dc aboard air force one with the president to try and convince lawmakers to take an actual vote on some gun bill. most want some form of gun control passed, they are not unanimous, however. mark mateao, who lost his 6-year-old son james in sandy hook stood up for the nra and its plan to boost school safety

by putting armed guards in every school. >> politics needs to be set aside here and i hope this doesn't lead to name calling, but, rather this is recommendations for solutions. real solutions that will make our kids safer. and that's what we need. >> he's talking, they are talking, but no one is really listening, too busy play iing politics. jason johnson, politics 365, and john avlon, senior political on list for "newsweek" and the daily beast. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good to see you, carol. >> let's talk about the filibustering republicans. 14 republicans say they will filibuster any gun bill that makes it to the floor of the senate. here are the 14 senators. they don't even want debate on a gun bill. they don't want any bill reaching the floor. what is that about, john? >> it's about an attempt to

undermine representative democracy. you got a vast majority of americans who support the modest proposal in the gun bills. the controversial stuff like an assault weapons ban has been removed. why not have a vote? if the vast majority of americans, we're not talking narrow 54-46, but 80%, 90% say universal background checks a good idea. why not have debate? an attempt to block that shows a certain degree of contempt to the vast majority of americans. >> not contempt for those who live in states that have those who don't want gun control. >> if they think what they are representing is a better way for america to move forward with gun policy, they shouldn't be

afraid. the reason they are afraid, they know the vast majority of americans, including those within their own district think these proposals should be brought up for vote. i think it's disgusting and cowardly on part of the republicans. >> voters don't vote on gun issues like that. i mean, in the end, they won't care whether those republican senators filibustered or not. >> i think that's wrong. i think that they are playing a dangerous game here. rand paul's filibuster of the drones was heroic. about educating the american people on a policy issue that some haven't heard of. this is about blocking debate, and when you have the vast majority of the american people saying yes, we're not talking about an aggressive proposal. we're talking about universal background checks, if we can't agree on that, when the vast majority of people agree, if there is that much of a disconnect in washington and main street america because of the power of lobbyists and

activists that will infuriate people in mainstream america. it should. >> one of the newtown family members, a mother who lost their child. knocks on rand paul's door and says please don't do this, what will rand paul say? will he even answer the door? >> first off, he would meet her at the door with a gun. here is the thing. you know, i don't think that this is really about gun policy anymore. i think this is about certain republicans, wanting to block a domestic policy victory for barack obama. that's what the problem is. forget the sandy hook families, gabriel giffords, a member of their own congressional family shot. if that didn't move these people, it clearly is not an example of ideology, it's just resistance and cowardice. >> jason johnson, john avlon, many thanks to both of you. ll cool j has become one of his best, best friends, but a song made with the rapper and

country superstar brad paisley is causing a lot of controversy. it's called "accidental racist." ♪ red flag on my chest somehow is like a twirl in the south ♪ ♪ i was just walking right in the room, just a proud rebel son ♪ without the suit. well, this is my weekend suit. weekend getaways just got better. well, enjoy your round! alright, thanks! save a ton on our best available rate when you book early and feel the hamptonality. how old is the oldest person you've known? we gave people a sticker and had them show us. we learned a lot of us have known someone who's lived well into their 90s. and that's a great thing. but even though we're living longer, one thing that hasn't changed: the official retirement age. ♪ the question is how do you make sure you have the money you need to enjoy all of these years.

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rap meets country or should i say country meets rap in a collaboration making headlines, but probably not in the way brad pacely and ll cool j had hoped. the song, called "accidental racist" inspired by a moment that paisley was called racist by wearing a confederate flag t-shirt. ♪ i'm just a white man coming to you from the southland trying to understand what it's like not to be ♪ ♪ i'm proud of where i'm from but not everything we've done and it ain't like you and me can rewrite history ♪ >> ll cool j then responds with a rap about stereotypes and how they don't just affect white

men. ♪ dear mr. whiteman i wish you understood ♪ ♪ what the world is really like when you're living in the hood just because my pants are sagging doesn't mean i'm up to no good ♪ . >> so the song has dwon viral now, and the reviews, well, not so kind. "the atlantic," brad paisley and jj cool j show how not to sing about the confederate flag. "grandland." the road to "accidental racist" is paved with ll cool j and brad paisley's good intentions, but not much else. joining me now lz and a.j. hammer. lz, you have written a lot about race relations, racism and country music. you have listened to the entire song what is your take? >> first of all, let me just say i actually preordered brad paisley's new cd, i'm a huge fan of his, and i know brad's music.

i know brad's personality, and i know brad is not a racist, but this is a god awful song. it's a god awful song, not just lyrically, and it's really stuffy and below the type of music i'm used to hearing from brad in terms of instrumentat n instrumentation. it's a bad song for him and a horrible rap for ll cool j. it gloss es over the fact that racism is not a relic from the confederacy. it still impacts society today. socioeconom socioeconomically, educationally. the way it's handled is really clumsy. with all that being said, though, it's important that -- i know, i trashed the song, but it's important they did it because it allows to us have the conversation. >> even the title of the song, "accidental racist." there is nothing accidental

racist. >> well, accidental racist to me, i think perfectly sums up is how brad was feeling. he did something that he didn't realize was offending people, that was not his intent and what was communicated was an accident. i don't have a problem with that title. i just have the problem with the title of how he is trying to communicate his feelings. >> another bit of song. ll cool j. a bit of the lyrics that ll cool j sang. now my chains are gold, my chains are gold, but i'm still misunderstood. i wasn't there when sherman's march turned the south into firewood. i want you to get paid, but be a slave i never could. feel like a new fangled jango, dodging an invisible hood. what? >> it's bad. it's really, really a bad song. grant landers writes, the road was paved with really good intentions, but, my gosh.

the execution. would you have thought two mega stars. i mean, ll cool j, one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time, brad paisley, will be remembered as one of the greatest country artists of long time. would you have thought someone along the road, someone listening to the demo, hey, guys, you sure you want to say that? it didn't happen. >> a.j. hammer is here to make sense of it all, because this song, all over the internet, has been pulled from many sites, i don't know who pulled it or why. go ahead. >> no, no. as far as it's being pulled. it's interesting, if you go to the site where it's pulled, there is a message saying it was pulled for copyright reasons. we're looking for an official explanation, but right now, we are getting there were some stills or artwork used there that wasn't supposed to be. the truth is, maybe the record label wasn't happy with it, maybe there is backlash and

wanted to back off and come up with a game plan. both artists are standing behind it, and i'm totally with what l.z. is saying. a lot of the criticism out there, great intentions, poor execution. ll cool j says we need to be provocative with art, and it was important to do that if it's not interesting, it's not worthwhile. and brad brad paisley making very clear, by the way, telling "entertainment weekly" this was not a stunt. he didn't do this to draw attention and get attention. he didn't set out to do that just to facilitate a conversation. >> brad paisley will be on "ellen" later on today. >> that's right. he will say this is an issue that is important and wanted to get going through his art. we have a sneak peek we can look at right now. >> it was ll cool j who has become one my best friends in the world and it sort of deals -- i don't know if you noticed, there are some racial

tension here and there, and it deals with that, and i felt like when we were writing the song, it wasn't necessarily up to the media or i don't really trust sort of i guess hollywood, sorry, or the -- >> i represent hollywood? >> yes, she does. she runs it. or sort of talk radio, anything like that, to sort of deal with that it's music's turn to have the conversation. >> it's about the art as far as brad paysl pays paisley said. >> well, at least he tried as l.z. said. a look at how louisville won the ncaa men's basketball championship. it was dramatic.

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at 49 minutes past the hour. time to check top the hour, timo check our top stories shall two moising brothers believed to be in cuba now. the father is accused of kidnapping the boys after he and his wife lost their parental rights. they think the family may have fled to cuba aboard that boat. a fire has already burned is 7 178 acres in california. getting to the ballpark proves to be a challenge for the new manager. he lives two blocks away but got

lost more than once on the way to the opener. >> i got lost three times. even when i got to the garage, two people that work here say hey, do you know where you're going? i'm like nope. i think cleveland is the nicest people i ever met. everybody i did walk by was like hello. everybody i walked by said hello. so that was a little different than i'm used to. >> a lot different from box ton, right? maybe he should ask those friendly people for directions. he has 80 more games, though, to get his directions straight. the louisville team is celebrating this morning. celebration in louisville got a bit out of hand according to the university of louisville.

talk back question for you to today. should republicans allow a vote up or down on gun control. tweet me @carol cnn. so let's break down this play. charles? uh, charles couldn't make it. his single miles card blacked him out here and here. he should have used... the capital one venture card. he's coming to us from home. hey fellas... hey baby, you want mama to iron your undies? nice tightie whities. i didn't know mrs. barkley made quilts. really? looks like a circus tent. is that the best you got? now if you put this, with this, you have a sailboat. what's in your wallet? you have a sailboat. oh, hi thehey!ill. are you in town for another meeting? yup, i brought my a-team. business trips add up to family time. this is my family. this is joe. hi joe! hi there! earn a ton of extra hhonors points with the daily grand promotion

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sixteen hundred dollars back or 12 months deferred interest on select lennox home comfort systems. offer ends june 14th. and download our free lennox mobile app. lennox. innovation never felt so good. talk back question for you this morning. should republicans allow a vote up or down on gun control? this is a tweet. i can never read the tweet tags, but any way. voting has always identified americans for decades, and not allowing a vote on the gun control is truly un-american. the phrase shall not be infringed seems to be getting lost. this from ricardo, yes, yes, yes. i'm tired of this congressional

stand still. the good of all americans outweighs the wants of one person or small group. and another tweet -- no. take texas for example. just because something happened in connecticut doesn't mean we want gun control down here. tweet me @kacar pro. governor of getting it done. you know how to dance... with a deadline. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. this is awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is, business pro. yes, it is. go national. go like a pro.

happening now in the newsroom. >> you have to go, sir. you have to go. please. >> the rutgers community unloads on their president as the school's fired athletic director gets a million dollars settlement. plus eight years to pay off

that new ride? yes. the brand new eight year car lone. and the navy has a new weapon, lasers that can on lit rate drones. plus. >> i want a player who's got the guts not to fight back. >> changing history. jackie robinson's story opens in theaters this woke. and robinson's kids share memories of their father. you're live in the cnn newsroom. good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for being with me. we begin this hour with what could be an emotional crescendo. these people will knock on lawmakers' doors on cal capitol hill and share their heart break. each lost a loved one at sandy hook elementary. and they'll call on snalters who have not committed on stronger

gun laws. >> connecticut, this is not about me. this is not about politics. this is about doing the right thing for all the families who are here that have been torn apart by gun violence. it's about them and all the families going forward, so we can prevent this from happening again. that's what it's about. >> we're covering all the angles of the obama offensive. dan lothian is in washington. how important is it for these families to be part of this campaign? >> well, for many of them, it is very important. we heard from one mother yesterday. and this is a really a healing process. there's a great loss that they're dealing with. but something that helps them through this is that their child did not die in vain. the president putting presh

usual on members of congress in order to embrace, move forward on some of these gun policies, these gun proposals. but the thing about it is it is somewhat of an uphill battle and it's not everything that the president initially set out to do. remember, the president wanted that ban on assault weapons. now we're talking about limited background checks if in fact this moves forward, but the president hoping that these family members can help to put some pressure on congress so they can take some action. take a listen to what the president had to say yesterday. >> we have to tell congress it's time to require a background check for anyone who wants to buy a gun so that people who are dangerous to themselves and others cannot get their hands on a gun. let's make that happen. >> of course, there continues to be that resistance from law makers, also from gun rights groups. 14 or so republican lawmakers

say that they plan to filibuster or block any measures on these gun control measures. big concerns for what this mean does their second amendment rights. the president pushing very hard. the vice president will be holding meetings at the white house. the attorney general will be there saying that it's time to deliver on the promise that these lawmakers made in order that another mass shooting like this doesn't happen again. >> let's talk about those filibuster loving republicans. these 14 republicans don't want a bill to reach the floor. they don't want to debate this issue at all. what's going on here? >> the republicans who signed the letter to the democratic leader harry reid simply do not believe that any new gun measures are needed. i will say that whether or not they're going to follow through

on their decision to filibuster or not even as you said, allow a vote to come to the floor is really going to dough pend largely on what is going on behind the scenes with two very key senators, republican pat toomey of pennsylvania and democrat joe mansion. they are work being toward some kind of compromise with regard to background checks. it would just be to respond to gun shows and to internet sales. my understanding is that those two senators are coming back today and meet and we will determine whether those senators will back down and will allow something that is less stringent than what they're fill bussering right now. >> do you think gabby giffords -- and i know you talked with her and her husband -- will they call these republican senators and a, look,

loosen up? at least let us debate the issue. at least let us have a national conversation on the floor of the senate? >> they have been. i spent two days with dwaby give orders and her husband, mark kelly in arizona late last week. and that's exactly what they're doing. they have a new organization where they are pushing for new gun restrictions. when it comes to back ground checks they seem to be willing to take baby steps just as the white house is. but we should remember that it has been more than twro years now since giffords was shot in the head. she's doing extremely well. i can report that to of first hand. but the brain injuries from being shot make speaking very difficult. she has become an active spokes woman. but the irony is that she hasn't lost her appreciation for gun culture. it's something that i saw with her and her husband at home in arizona.

>> reporter: target practice is still a form of entertainment at gifford's mother's house. husband mark kelly using planting pots and water bottles as targets while give orders watch the from the patio with her mother cheering him on. >> excellent. >> excellent. >> reporter: and kelly isn't shooting with just any kind of gun. >> this is the same kind of gun gabby was shot with, a glock. but in that case it had a mag sheen that held 33 rounds, this, when it's full holds 17. every round hits somebody, we think. >> reporter: how long have you had this gun? >> well, i gave this to fwaby as a gift. >> reporter: when? >> a number of years ago. she's a gun owner. she's from the west. >> reporter: still, we asked the question, a lot of incredulous people seeing this scene would ask.

really, this guy gets his kicks or recreation for him is shooting a gun after his wife was shot through the head? >> well, fwaby used to like shooting a gun too, occasionally. >> yes. >> reporter: giffords and kelly told me that it's because of their appreciation for guns and the culture that they have credibility in this fight that they are waging to expand background checks. lobbying giffords' former colleagues to support some kind of background checks. we're going to have a lot more on her recovery and her bone chilling experience coming face-to-face with her shooter. >> i'll be there. thank so much for being with me this morning. we are committed to stay on this story and all day tomorrow cnn is going in depth exploring the issue of background checks. called guns under fire. tweel' explore the politics of background checks and follow the money frail both sides of the

issue. that's all day tomorrow on cnn. a search for two little boys turns its focus to cuba. officials now believe 2 and 4 year old brothers kidnapped from their grandmother's home in florida may now be in cuba with their parents. their parents lost custody last year and their parental rights a week ago. the family may have fled in a sailboat. the state department tells officials that cuban officials are aware of the situation. but they don't think they will help bring those boys home. >> unfortunately those parents and those poor children, those innocent ones will now be in a country where there are no laws. there is no redress, and where it has been a refuge for finaltives and for wanted criminals for many years. victor blackwell is in tampa

with more on this story. why cuba? >> reporter: well, this, up to this point there had been no mention of cuba. these are not cuban americans. there is no scleer connection to cuba. the first sign that deputies here at the hills borrow county sheriff's office that cuba could be involved that they received information that the family had arrived in cuba. they're not elaborating on who gave that information. it's important to say that cuban officials say they are not aware of this and the u.s. has not asked them for any information. we want to say that a u.s. official says here in the u.s. that officials in havana are aware and are involved. the father is described by law enforcement as having antigovernment views. and it's very likely that if he yen deed planned this and is in cue pa that he knows that extra

dixs between the u.s. and cuba are inconsistent and unpredictable. sometimes finaltives are extradited back to the u.s. the fbi estimates that there are about 70 there now. some are there for decades and are not being extradited to the u.s. the same goes for the u.s. and extraditing fugitives to cuba. so if this was a plan to take his children and take them to a place where no one could take them from him then cuba would be a place that would make sense. >> from that standpoint, i totally get it, but going to a communist -- well, okay. that aside, why did these parents lose custody of their kids? >> reporter: well, for that we've got to go to sly dell, louisiana. they went to a hotel room and there the parents the two boys but also inside that hotel room,

guns, drugs, alcohol, they say that joshua wasser rattic and they were on a journey to the end. a jurn see to armageddon. and because of thatter rattic behavior, these confuses statements they took the children and placed them into foster care. two weeks after that in hammond, louisiana we're told that joshua showed up at the foster home with the gun, trying to take the children. he faces charges for those two incidents. and now this list is growing here in florida for the accused kid flapping and false imprisonment of his mother-in-law and then taking those children and running off. we're still waiting to find out, hopefully find out today if sharon, the mother here, is also being charged those charges, have not been released. >> what a strange, strange story. victor blackwell reporting live from tampa. other stories, fears of military action rumbling across

the korean peninsula and beyond. >> japan bracing for the possibility of a north korean missile test. a launch could come as soon as tomorrow. in the meantime, north korea is warning visitors to south korea to take action just in case war breaks out. parts of the west are bracing for more intense weather today. here you see some of the hail that's already rained down on kansas. you can hear it as it hits the ground. ooh. nasty. in colorado storm chasers capture whad appeared to be a possible tornado. snow is falling. parts of the state could see blizzard conditions. schools are closed. more than 400 flights have been canceled. margaret thatcher's funeral will be next wednesday. buckingham palace say that

prince william does plan to be there. they will have a funeral with military honors. if you are in the market for a brand new car, you may be thinking about a two year, three year, mable even a five year lone to pay off that car, but eight years? an eight year car lone? alison kosik is at the stock exchange. >> it's the foesh ever lone. it goes on and on and on. >> just like a house. >> so the reason people are taking out these long car loans is because you get a lower monthly payment. but these are so long that the lengths are at record highs. 65 months, 65 month car payments. that's about 5. 5 years. the most popular is the 61 to 2 month car lone. another

another 17% is 73 months. those loans typically go on and on forever and they come with the higher interest rate. but once again it also means a lower monthly payment. and that's attractive for people who have bad credit. as a result of that sub prime borrowing is back. loans to prime borrowers, those loans are down. these longer term, looser credit. that's good for banks. it helps to attract borrowers, but it's also a sign of ha improving economy. there really needs to be a medium ground when it comes to credit. kind of like it goldilocks. you don't want it too tight, too loose, too much free and easy money. who can forget that led to the housing bust. >> yes, who could forget. live from the new york stock exchange. thanks. coming up in the newsroom. the rutgers president under fire. calls for him to lose his job. and a community meeting, let's

just say he wasn't the most popular person there. >> this is a town hall meeting. we have been waiting for 25 minutes to have a chance to speak to you. >> so, will the president of rutgers step down? we'll talk. this is america. we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn.

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and feel the hamptonality. it's 18 minutes past the hour. time to check our top stories. a wildfire forces people to leave their onlies near los angeles. it has already burned 170 acres. no injuries reported. two structures have been damaged though. the l.a. times says the fire started after a power line came down in strong winds. beyonce and jay-z are back from the caribbean. >> the communist nation remains off limits form people looking

for a tropical vacation. the reuters news agency claims the u.s. treasury department did okay the couple's trip. the couple did not violate the oust trade embargo and was approved for their visit as a cultural visit. the bible now the top selling tv mini series of all time. the history clanle dock u drama sold 525,000 copies in the first week. it also makes it the best selling tv show och dvd in years. the rutgers scandal has people asking for the president to step down. you recall mike rice out of a job after that video surfaced of him physically and verbally hay busing his player. last hour i talked to a professor who wants the president out. >> the reason it was allowed to

continue was because president barchi allowed it too. it was his job to say this coach must go, but he didn't. >> there are a lot of faculty at rut girs who think that way. and it made for a very heated town hall meeting with the president. pamela brown was there. >> you have to go, sir. sir, you have to go. please. >> reporter: it was anything but a warm reception for rutgers university president robert bar chi as he failed students, faculty and staff since this video emerged, showing former coach mike rice beating and berating his players with slurs. >> there is a complete lack of transparency.

>> reporter: people said give him the boot and questions about what he knew and when. >> what has been done since then to change the climate and culture? because what i see from what happened in december, nothing was done. in fact, it was covered up. >> i have to tell you that i'm not covering up for anybody. >> reporter: adding fuel to the fire, both former athletic director tim pernetti and mike rice will receive payouts of more than $1 million each according to these settlement contracts obtained by cnn. >> why don't you pay the next basketball coach half of what you pay now, mr. president. please. you have to do something about this inequalities. you have to. >> reporter: some students feel there's a double standard when it comes to academics versus athletics. >> they would have been fired right away, because i mean, i feel like a coach is more need offed than a teacher.

>> reporter: that's what this whole controversy has made you feel? >> yeah. >> reporter: chris christie answered when asked about the former coach. >> what parent would let this animal back into their living room to try to recruit their son. >> reporter: all rutgers tapes are to be reviewed and an independent review is to be of of how the situation was handled. should republicans allow a vote up or down on gun control. facebook or tweet me. when the conversation turns to knowing where you stand, turn to us. wells fargo advisors. but lately she's been coming in with less gray than usual. what's she up to? the new root touch-up by nice'n easy has the most shade choices, designed to match even salon color in just 10 minutes.

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now it's your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. should republicans allow a vote up or down on gun control. make that 14. mitch mcconnell just boarded the filibuster bus along with 13 other republicans who have absolutely no interest in allowing any gun bill to hit the senate floor. if it does, they'll pull a rand paul. >> i will speak until i can no longer speak.

i will speak as long as it takes. >> oh, and that he did. paul filibustered like a champ and he got what he wanted. information on drones. this time it's a little different. republicans, including paul have said they will filibuster away talking about guns. >> i don't understand it. the purpose of the united states senate is to debate and vote and let the people know where we stand. >> so you'd encourage republicans not to filibuster. >> i would not only encourage it. i don't understand. what are we hay frayed of. >> former republican candidate giuliani surrounded by stunned newtown families wondered the same thing. >> i now that some of these proposals inspire more debate than others. but each of them has the support of the majority of the american people. all of them are common sense. all of them deserve a vote.

>> if you're looking for an answer from those 14 filibuster loving republican, they say it's simple. the second amendment trumps debate, compromise even an up or down vote. talk back question, should republicansal louf a vote up or down on gun control. tweet me. alec, for this mission i upgraded your smart phone.

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[ electricity zaps ] ♪ you requested backup? yes. yes i did. what's in your wallet? good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you for be being with me. checking our top stories at 30 minutes past the hour. bonded in grief, united by cause these newtown families visited capitol hill. each one lost a loved one at sandy hook. two boys abduct fwrd their

grandmother's home are believed to be in cuba with their parents. a florida sheriff's depsy says i've received information the family fled the united states possibly in a sailboat. the parents host custody of their boys last year and lost their parental rights a week ago. a state department official tells us officials in cuba are aware of the situation. star wars on the open sea. the u.s. navy employing a laser that can bring down aircraft and sink small boats. their dreams could have been broken when kevin ware broke his leg, but their morning, the louisville cardinals are national champions, they beat

michigan. what a celebration. >> reporter: yeah, carol, it was. and what a game we had. what a thrilling national championship. the big story this week obviously is how we followed kevin ware, the injured guard from louisville. but last moment ha freshman named spike really stole the show. a lot of people talking about him. he had averaged one point per game coming in last night. but he scored 17, which gave michigan a big lead. but then the moment tum shifted. louisville finished strong. they won the game. and pitino the first to win, when they lowered the bass kelt so injured guard kevin ware could cut down the net. afterwards, rick pitino, when he spoke with our rachel nichols about how proud he is of this

squad. >> you don't know sometimes, we have a lot of discipline in our program. and anytime you struggle and you have to fight for things in your life, you become very close e and the spontaneous emotion from that event today makes mow as proud as any moment i've ever had in coaching. to see the love of my players for an injured player, to see the courage of the injured player to say forget me. it's not about me. we have to win, just as a teacher of the game, it's just the most special moment anyone could ever have. >> reporter: all right. so now it is the women's turn. they'll play u con tonight. >> if you haven't heard of the shimle sisters, it's a great story. they grew up on an indian reservation in oregon.

only two dozen native-american. they're also sisters. and they're a big reason why their louisville team is just one win away from winning a championship at the sport's highest level. now if louisville does manage to win tonight. that means the both the mens and women's teams will have championships. so all things are good for the louisville cardinals right now. >> all things are good for the state of kentucky. the fab five, by the way, were also at the georgia dome. jalen rose, jimmy king, they all sat together. missing in that seating arrangement, chris weber, but he was in the building. he even tweeted an of picture of himself sporting his wolverine colors. weber's time-out call ended michigan's chances of winning the title. schools closed.

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let's head to northwest kansas now where a camera crew is chasing severe thunderstorms. they have got caught up in this huge cloud of dust. this is near the colorado state lines. at times the storm chasers could hardly see what was in front of them. the strong wunds also triggered tornado warnings. parts of the rockies could see wild weather today. we're talking heavy snow,

tornados and hail. you can hear the hail hitting the ground in colorado. it storm chasers capture whad appeared to be a possible toshd touching down last night. it looks beautiful there. >> yeah. it's spring break in colorado. this is golden, just outside of denver. it's been snowing for hours here. the plows go up and down, trying to keep the roads clear. about 470 plows out across the state. there really is a silver lining, because we need this moisture. we need this water. last year terrible wildfire season. now this unexpected pockly up to a foot of snow really could be helpful for that. so that's good. plus kids get the day off, this is the first snow day in denver the whole year in april of all

things. so they're enjoying it. so if they can stay safe on the roads, stay safe in the air and parents can keep from going crazy with the kids at home the snow is a good thing for colorado. >> that's a good way of looking at it. question for you this morning. what is accidental racism? the country music star brad paisley wrote a song about it. we'll explore the issue next. it gives us 5x the rewards on our internet, phone charges and cable, plus at office supply stores. rewards we put right back into our business. this is the only thing we've ever wanted to do and ink helps us do it. make your mark with ink from chase.

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to the politics of music. rock stars usually stump for democrats, countrystars usually stum. tor republicans. and sometimes it gets ugly. hanks williams jr., remember the last election? >> when john boehner played golf with president obama? >> oh, yeah. and biden and kasich, yeah, uh-huh. >> what did you not like about it? it seems to be a really pivotal moment for you. >> come on. that would be like hitler playing golf with netanyahu. >> enter brad paisley. he performed at president obama's inauguration, although he did not endorse president obama for president. phasely's next step, a song

performed with l.l. cool j. he calls it accidental racist. listen. ♪ i'm just a whiteman ♪ coming to you from the southland ♪ ♪ trying to understand what it's like not to be ♪ ♪ i'm proud of where i'm from ♪ but not everything we've done ♪ ♪ and it ain't like you and me can rewrite history ♪ >> l.l. cool j then responds with a rap about how certain clothing can also lead to stereotypes, not just of white men, but black menace well. ♪ dear mr. whiteman, i wish you understood ♪ ♪ what the world is really like when you're living in the hood ♪ >> okay. so let's just say accidental

racist has become controversial. welcome to you both. and thanks for being willing to talk about this, because it's kind of a -- >> it's a pivotal moment in race relations. >> see, you scoff, but i think brad phasely and l.l. cool j really pent it to be that. the song begins with brad paisley walking into a starbucks with a tee shirt with a confederate flag on it. and he says that's an example of being an accidental racist. does that make sense to you? >> no, it doesn't make any sense to me. and i hadn't heard of brad paisley before their happened. i think his part of the song was perfectly fine. it was very sincere. if you wear a shirt that's got a

confederate flag on it, a lot of people are going to associate that with racism and abuse of black people for 700 years. that's crazy of them. he is sincere in saying he wants to open up a dialog. it's l.l. cool j's part that is ridiculous. if you forgive my gold chains, i'll forgive the iron chains. he's obviously of auditioning for a role at c pack. it sounds like a 14 year old's black history month project. >> he said dear mr. whiteman, now my chains are gold. but i'm still misunderstood. i wasn't there when sherman's march turned the south to firewood. i want you to get paid, but be a

slave, i never could. really? i'd love to buy you a beer and conversate. >> should i speak up for l.l. cool j. >> i think that, i guess i would just say this. i think that it is, the song is not a great work of art. i agree that it includes many ridiculous and borderline phrases, particularly in the l.l. cool j portion. on the other hand, i do sort of agree particularly for brad paisley the lean about i'm proud of where i'm from but not everything we've done. race is a very fraught topic in american life. and the fact that this seems sort of stupid and dumb and rye dickless and so on to a lot of people it also just reflects where a lot of people are. most people are not steeped in the historical literature about the civil war and reconstruction and slavery. they have sort of vague and general ideas about the subject.

you have a lot of white people whose attitude was basically, that was what my great, great grand parents did and i shouldn't be blamed for it. and a lot of black people saying their is a huge shadow over america even now. and the whole thing seems stupid to us, doesn't mean it's a bad conversation to have. >> i sort of agree. because i think brad paisley's heart was in the right place. >> it's, it's -- >> i think ll cool j's heart was in the right place too. the two men are friends. >> yeah. i think l.l. cool j's heart was in the right place. i just wish his brain was in the right place. i think he should stay out of politics. the problem with it is the false dichotomy. this suggestion that wearing a do rag is the same thing as wearing a confederate flag.

i think brad was sincere. i think ll was sincere. he's just sincerely wrong. >> i would just say, you know, if you're ll and you're dealing with, you know, what do you say to a guy who comes up to you and says, man, i just wore this confederate flag because i'm a huge skin ard fan. is the best reaction to that to say well, you're just a racist? i'm not trying to defend the specific content of the l.l. cool j rap. i'm saying the attitude toward that thing, when brad paisley wore whatever he wore into starbucks, he was trying to make ha statement about bringing back the con fed rasy, right? >> i'm sure this conversation will continue online, off and on entertainment tonight. thank you very much. breaking major baseball's

color-barrier. up next jackie robinson's son and daughter talk about their dad and the new movie about him, 42. >> you give my the uniform, you give me a number on my back, i'll give you the guts. you'll have the knowledge to make an impact in your company and take your career to an even greater place. let's get started at capella.edu. as well as they could because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption.

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it took 30 long years to

bring his story to film. but the movie will open in theaters nationwide. 42 shows the bravery it took for him to suit up in a uniform during the time when segregation was the norm. this is how robinson reacts when he's injured on purpose. >> the next guy up, you hit him right in the head. >> get me up. just get him out. just get him out. understand? game's too important. >> i'm joined now by robinson's two surviving children. sharon robinson and his son david robinson. welcome to you both. i'll start with you.

i assume you've seen the film. what did you think? >> six times. i love it. it's a powerful film. the acting is great. there's many special moments in it. you laugh. you, you're silent, stunned, silent at points. it moves very quickly. you know, it's great. >> does it capture your dad? >> i feel it does. you know, he comes off strong and very determined. and you know, you see his character, the full strength of his character in the film. chadwick does an amazing job. >> david, your father is depicted as a hero. many people in this country think of him as a hero. would he consider himself a hero? >> he had a challenge. and an opportunity that was presented to him. and stepped-up to that challenge in a courageous way.

succeeded in the objectives that he and the game had set forth. and that has to be considered heroic. he was not a man to, to enhance his own thought about himself or other people's thought about himself but an honest evaluation and reflect shun would have to say it was a heroic challenge that was successful. he would be the first to say that the film is excellent in terms of pour trafing a year and some of the dynamics and success, but that he would hope, i believe, the film to be inspirational for people to challenge the more complex social problems that exist today that are the not as easy to see

as the white only sign on the bathroom as depicted in the film. but are equally holding back human potential today. so that's really the challenge, and hopefully the film can inspire people today to become jackie robinsons of this era. >> and sharon, none of us know what it was like for jackie robinson. none of us could know what that was like. did he ever come to peace, do you think, with all that he endured in his baseball career? >> you know, he moved, as he retired from baseball, he moved very smoothly into the civil rights movement, and felt, was always surprised -- i remember when the little rock nine called and we were having dinner. and he was surprised that they said that he inspired them, because he thought they were so courageous. so as david said, he was a humble man. he didn't focus so much on what he accomplished, more on what he

could continue to do to move the, to move us forward. >> and just a last question, sharon, for you. i think that many people would be surprised to know that your dad was a republican. i've seen a lot of articles written about it. >> well, actually, he was independent. he supported the candidate he felt was strongest. he made some mistakes. 1960, it was a big mistake. but he, he wasn't a republican. he was an independent. and he felt that african-americans had to have a voice in both parties. >> yeah, because we always read that he supported richard nixon. is that what you're talking about when you say a mistake. >> that's what i was talking about. i was ten years old. and i begged him to change. ive had to go to school and say my dad was supporting nixon. and it wasn't pleasant. and he later acknowledged that he read the signs wrong. >> thank you both for be being with us. jackie robinson's kids.

sharon and david. we'll be right back. this is my family. this is joe. hi joe! hi there! earn a ton of extra hhonors points with the daily grand promotion and feel the hamptonality. the battle of bataan, 1942. [ all ] fort benning, georgia, in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto-insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve.

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