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Barack Obama Prepares For Trip Abroad; Life After Layoff; U.S. Families Mourning War Dead; Sex Slavery in Moscow; Fit Nation

Aired July 18, 2008 - 15:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: OK. So, how far will Barack Obama go to boost his foreign policy credentials?
Well, to look presidential on the world stage, how far will he go to shut down a near constant attack from John McCain? We're about to find out all of that. Obama is about to embark on his first trip abroad as a presumptive Democratic nominee for president, England, France, Germany, Jordan, Israel all on the itinerary. Whether he will also visit Iraq and Afghanistan or save those for later, that remains to be seen.

McCain's been pushing for that trip for months.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm glad today that Senator Obama apparently is going to sit down for the first time -- for the first time ever -- with General Petraeus, our general over there, one of the great generals in history. He's never asked for a briefing to sit down and get a briefing from him. I'm glad he's going to Afghanistan for the first time. He's never been to Afghanistan. And I'm astonished.

I'm really astonished that he should give a policy speech on Iraq and Afghanistan before he goes to find out the facts. Remarkable. I have never seen that before. I usually go to the place and find out the facts, and then develop a policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, joining me now with more on the policies and politics is CNN's political editor, Mark Preston.

Thank you very much for joining us, Mark, today.

So, what are the expectations of this overseas trip for Barack Obama?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, look, Don, the fact is Barack Obama has to go over to Europe. He has to have an error-free visit. He doesn't necessarily need to make any news. He just needs to look presidential.

And by making this trip, he is checking the box that John McCain has been very critical of Barack Obama, of saying, look, Barack Obama doesn't have the foreign policy experience. Barack Obama, by going on this trip, he's checking that box.

LEMON: Well, you said something very interesting. You said he needs to have an error-free visit. So, why do it now? Why even put yourself in this position?

PRESTON: Well, because he has to do it. If you look at recent polling right now, you know, John McCain has a great lead over Barack Obama when Americans were asked who would be a better commander in chief.

Clearly, it is Obama's Achilles' heel at this point. And he really needs to fix it with the American people. So, he has got to do it and he has to do it sooner rather than later, because we are getting closer to November. He's got to pick a vice presidential running mate. There are a lot of things that have got to happen soon.

LEMON: OK. Here's what everyone is talking about as well. Why doesn't Senator McCain get this much attention when he goes on overseas trips? The three anchors of the big networks all going. Why doesn't McCain get this kind of attention?

PRESTON: Because this isn't anything new for John McCain to make an overseas trip to meet with these world leaders. This is something new for Barack Obama.

You know, look, this campaign has been a marathon, Don. You and I both know that. The American people know it. So, when you see the networks going over and doing their newscasts from there, everyone is looking for a new storyline. And it is very interesting to see and to hear what Barack Obama's going to say to these world leaders.

And, look, he could slip up. And I think people want to be in place if that's the case.

LEMON: OK. So, you said a new storyline and maybe looking for a slip, but no double standard here, Mark?

PRESTON: Look, the McCain campaign will say that there is a double standard. They will say that they made up trips to Canada, that they made them down to Mexico and to Colombia. I don't necessarily think it is a double standard. I just don't think John McCain would have made news.

LEMON: Mark Preston, we appreciate it. Thank you very much, sir. Have a great weekend.

PRESTON: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: So, do stamps on the passport means votes on Election Day? We will continue this discussion in just a few minutes with GOP strategist Leslie Sanchez and Democratic strategist Keith Boykin. That's at a quarter past the hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Saving America's auto industry was John McCain's focus today as he took his economic message to the battleground state of Michigan. The presumptive Republican nominee spoke to General Motors' worker at a town hall outside Detroit.

The troubled company announced just this week that it's slashing jobs and benefits to try to regain its footing. Among other things, McCain laid out a plan to support energy-saving innovations in the industry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: We have to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil as a national security and economic and an environmental issue. My friends, America can do this. America can do this. And anybody that says that we can't does not understand the history of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Michigan, with its troubled economy, is a focal point for both campaigns fighting for its 17 electoral votes.

And check out all of today's big political happenings on CNN's "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer. That's coming up at the top of the hour.

LEMON: Well, the White House until today staunchly against talking about deadlines and timetables for pulling troops out of Iraq. Well, the phrase used today is general time horizon, referring to a rough estimate as to when the United States will begin withdrawing forces.

President Bush and Iraq's prime minister spoke by teleconference and agreed to seek a broad time frame. Iraqi officials have asked for a specific date for the removal of specific units. The two countries have to make an agreement soon. The U.N. mandate allowing U.S. troops to stay in Iraq expires at the end of the year -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, six Arab men are in jail in Israel today. This comes after Israeli security officials found chat room discussions and videos and bomb-making, all pointing to the planned assassination of President Bush. It was all on a Web site frequented by supporters of al Qaeda. The six men arrested today are all charged with belonging to a terror organization.

LEMON: In North Carolina, the parents of a murdered mother of two are asking the killer to come forward. Police still haven't said how Nancy Cooper was killed. She vanished last Saturday. Her body was found Monday, not far from her home. Her parents spoke at a news conference this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONNA RENTZ, MOTHER OF NANCY COOPER: I would like to know why.

I'm sorry.

GARRY RENTZ, FATHER OF NANCY COOPER: As I said yesterday, and I would say again, that I think this is an act of extreme cowardice by whoever -- person who did this. And I think if they have a shred of decency in their body, that they would come forward and acknowledge their guilt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The victim's husband has taken a DNA test amid reports the couple's marriage was troubled.

PHILLIPS: Don't expect the National Guard on the streets of Chicago any time soon. A dramatic offer from Illinois's governor drew a chilly response Thursday from Chicago's top cop. On the other hand, he said he welcome extra state troopers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JODY WEIS, CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: I would welcome a partnership with the Illinois State Police. They have a professional, top-notch law enforcement agency. And if they're willing to send some more folks down here and work with us, I would say, please, come on down.

DONNA ROSE, RESIDENT OF CHICAGO: I think that's a sad alternative to communities being strengthened and empowered, I mean, because we can look at Iran, Iraq, and they have got all kind of military, and the violence isn't controlled that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, for the first half of the year, Chicago homicides are up 13 percent. The city maintains that is similar to other big cities.

LEMON: Flash floods, landslides, crashing walls of water. The people of southern Taiwan are dealing with the direct hit of a huge tropical storm. At least 14 people are reported dead, including some children buried in a home covered by an avalanche.

Emergency officials say parts of the island registered 44 inches of rain in just 24 hours. The storm knocked out basic utilities to more than half a million households in Taiwan.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

PHILLIPS: The modern progressive capital of a nation flush with promise and progress, but Moscow has a sinister side, young women forced into a life of slavery, sex slavery. CNN's cameras see it firsthand. We are going to look at what police are doing about it.

LEMON: From job loss to life gain -- how a layoff can be the best thing that has ever happened to you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: So, being laid off doesn't have to be the end of your world. It can be the beginning of an even better one.

CNN's Ted Rowlands shows us how two women turned job loss into success. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kitty Wiemelt says she wouldn't be fly fishing on a weekday morning with her husband Jerry if she hadn't been laid off, not once, not twice, but three separate times.

KITTY WIEMELT, AUTHOR, "LAID OFF? DON'T STRESS": It's an awesome life because I have been able to have some control.

ROWLANDS: Wiemelt said she gained that control by reinventing herself after losing her job. Instead of looking for another marketing job in the medical field, she started her own consulting firm. She always wanted to be a public speaker. So she joined Toastmasters. And now she gets paid to speak on a number of subjects, including getting laid off. And she authored a book. Laid off, don't stress. How to get from mad to glad. A compilation of success stories after job loss. Lynne Behringer's story is in the book. She was laid off after working for the phone company for 23 years. Her first job out of school.

LYNNE BEHRINGER, OWNER, TEETER HOUSE: It was the best thing that ever happened to me.

ROWLANDS: Behringer said she always wanted to be a chef, so she went to culinary school, and now nine years later, Behringer owns the Teeter house, a quaint authentic Phoenix tea house.

BEHRINGER: It's hard. No doubt about it. It's very hard. But it's very rewarding.

ROWLANDS: Both women say getting laid off changed their lives for the better. And both have similar advice for people who lose a job. BEHRINGER: : This is not your fault, first of all. And don't despair, think about what you really like to do in your life. And maybe you can make a career out of it.

WIEMELT: If you wouldn't have been pushed out of that job, maybe you would have never looked at anything else. But here you have an opportunity to think what do I really, really want to do?

ROWLANDS: Ted Rowlands, CNN, Phoenix.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Your money, your concerns. Be sure to check out CNNMoney.com for in-depth coverage and analysis. And every day noon Eastern, it's "ISSUE #1" with Ali Velshi and Gerri Willis right here on CNN.

PHILLIPS: More now on the political mileage that Barack Obama is hoping to rack up with his first trip abroad as the Democratic nominee to be.

Keith Boykin, a Democratic strategist, commentator and editor of "The Daily Voice" newspaper, he joins us our discussion from New York. Also Leslie Sanchez, a Republican strategist, founding CEO of a market research firm. She joins us live from Houston.

Great to see you both.

(CROSSTALK)

KEITH BOYKIN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good to be here, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Keith, let's start with you.

I have been bringing this up all afternoon because I think it's fascinating, that this writer in "The Guardian" and some other foreign writers are likening Obama's Europe trip is the Beatles' first trip to North America.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: I know. I just -- I can't get enough of that. I just think it's fascinating they're writing about this. Is that over the top, or are expectations that high? And is that dangerous.

BOYKIN: I think it's a little over the top. It's understandable, though, after seven years of George Bush's failed diplomacy and failed international relations. The international community is desperately looking for a change. They're happy to see Barack Obama enter onto the world stage as a possible presidential -- as a candidate and a possible president.

I think the American people are happy to see that we might finally be greeted across the world with the respect that we deserve. And we haven't gotten that during this administration.

PHILLIPS: Leslie, he is getting a lot of criticism, too, that this is a little too much; it looks like a campaign trip more than a fact-finding trip. But do expectations need to be high? McCain has done this trip a number of times. He hasn't.

LESLIE SANCHEZ, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: It's a dangerous balance. But you have to remember, he's not running for president of the world. He's running for president of the United States. There are many really strong domestic issues at home that people want to know that he can address and not be out of touch.

And look at the fact the threshold is really high. There are many, many risks. He set basically an argument that he's ready to be a statesman, that he's going to be revered around the world. But the real question is, if he doesn't match JFK in the 1960s in West Berlin, it's really a disappointment. So, I think there's a lot more risks than there are benefits.

PHILLIPS: Interesting, because some of those foreign writers have been comparing JFK's speech in Berlin to this trip. That's interesting that you bring that up.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: It's a fair observation. (CROSSTALK)

BOYKIN: This is not a JFK event. This is a Barack Obama event. He's not going to there to campaign. He's not going there as a president. He's going to there to meet with our closest allies and countries that are important to us.

And the American people understand the relationship between what's going on abroad and what's going on at home, especially with gas prices at $4 a gallon, oil at $140 a barrel. People see the connection. And they're not happy with what John McCain has done. When he's been abroad, he's made mistakes, like confusing the Sunnis with the Shiites, not once, not twice, but three times during his trip to Iraq.

SANCHEZ: You're exactly right, Keith. And I'm glad that he can afford to go on this really nice, lavish, glamorous vacation and go around the world and see what is going on, when a lot of us had to tighten our budgets and cannot take that extra vacation this year.

I mean, that's going to be the big contrast.

BOYKIN: He's going to there to make you get good gas prices and energy policy.

SANCHEZ: He's a global candidate who is very glorified. It's good that he's going to Iraq and Afghanistan to finally put boots on the ground and understand what our men and women in uniform are facing every day. We will give him that respect and credibility. It's critical that he goes.

But it's going to be a question of, does his position change? Is this more than a photo-op? And will the press kind of give him the scrutiny that really needs to be here for a Democratic presidential candidate?

PHILLIPS: Well, Leslie, I will tell you right now, there is no Ritz Carlton in Afghanistan or Iraq.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: But I want to get your reaction, McCain now pretty much hammering on Obama and his trip. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: I'm glad today that Senator Obama apparently is going to sit down for the first time -- for the first time ever -- with General Petraeus, our general over there, one of the great generals in history. He's never asked for a briefing to sit down and get a briefing from him. I'm glad he's going to Afghanistan for the first time. He's never been to Afghanistan. And I'm astonished.

I'm really astonished that he should give a policy speech on Iraq and Afghanistan before he goes to find out the facts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Keith, what does Obama need to talk to General Petraeus about when he sits down with him finally? I have to say, I was pretty surprised to find out that there had been no briefings to this point with Petraeus. But what is it he needs to ask? What does he need to get from the general?

BOYKIN: Well, first, it's important to understand that Barack Obama has met with General Petraeus before. Barack Obama is on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And General Petraeus has appeared several times and testified...

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: But that's different than a 101, Keith. That's totally different from a 101 briefing.

(CROSSTALK)

BOYKIN: It's different. I understand that.

But it's not fair at all for John McCain or anyone to say that General Petraeus has never met Barack Obama, or Barack Obama has never met him. Barack Obama has been running a campaign for the past year- and-a-half. But, at the same time, he's also been doing his duty on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He's actually attended the meetings and attended the votes that John McCain didn't.

(CROSSTALK)

BOYKIN: And I think that John McCain has a credibility problem on these issues too, because, you know, on the one hand, he can't go around and say that he's the guy who is the most credible, he's the guy who has all the foreign policy experience, at the same time, not take responsibility for the mistakes he has made on the trail as well, like confusing a Sunni with a Shiite.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Keith, I gave you your time. I really wanted to hear what you had to say with that. And I think you're looking at trying to get it both ways.

The truth is he has not been at a lot of those briefings because both of these candidates are running for president. We know they have missed important votes. He has not been in this situation for over 900 days. And he's talking about a 16-month withdrawal window, when he has never talked to Petraeus and seen -- and like I said, seen those folks, boots on the ground, what is really happening.

That makes it political theater. It's important that he goes. I think all of us are looking at it as an important step for America's interests abroad.

(CROSSTALK) PHILLIPS: And, just quickly, an ABC/"Washington Post" poll says that Obama lags well behind McCain in confidence to be the commander in chief, 72 percent with McCain, 48 percent with Obama.

Keith, will this trip help make up the deficit?

BOYKIN: I think this is just one trip out of many different experiences that Barack Obama offers. If you remember, the past two presidents who came into office never served in the Senate, never served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Barack Obama has that experience. I think that helps him.

I think he's obviously running against John McCain, who is a war hero, who has been in Congress for decades and decades. And people appreciate that. But this is about change. This election is not about the past. It's about moving ahead in the future. And there are people who have been to Iraq and have been to Afghanistan and have met with General Petraeus and others who are coming to the same conclusion that Barack Obama is coming to, the same conclusion that the American people have come to, which is that this war in Iraq has gone on too long. We have taken our eye off the ball in Afghanistan.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: We have got to leave it there.

SANCHEZ: You have got to get past the spin and understand he's somebody who has been on the world stage for three years vs. John McCain with 35. Substance, experience, and life experience matter in a president.

PHILLIPS: All right. We have got to leave it there, guys. We will follow it. We will talk again, I promise.

Keith Boykin, Leslie Sanchez, always a pleasure. Thanks, guys.

BOYKIN: Thank you.

LEMON: Keith and Leslie, always a good combination. Enjoyed that interview, Kyra.

OK, pass the biscuits and gravy. A new obesity tips very heavily Southern style.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, he said he wouldn't mind a permanent vacation. Well, we will tell you why this man more than a little happiness to return to the job.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello, everyone.

I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips in New York.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It's 3:30 Eastern time and here are some of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Eighteen million dollars -- that's how much the family of a 92- year-old woman shot and killed in a botched police raid want from the City of Atlanta. Katherine Johnson's family has given the City of until August 31st to respond. Otherwise, the case goes to court. Three officers were charged in that shooting.

Freddie Mac is hitting back. The mortgage company plans to raise $5.5 billion by selling common and preferred stocks. That should settle some fears that taxpayers will have to bail it out. Freddie Mac registered its stock with the FCC today.

And the White House says President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki have agreed to include a "general time horizon" in talks about various U.S. goals in Iraq -- goals that include reducing U.S. combat forces. The two men also agreed there would be no arbitrary date for troop withdrawal.

LEMON: Well, the coalition death toll from the war in Afghanistan continues to rise. A NATO soldier -- we won't yet know his name or his nationality -- died yesterday of what's being called a non-combat-related cause. It is the 21st military death in Afghanistan this month alone -- at least 15 of them American. Seven U.S. soldiers have died this month in Iraq.

Well, no word yet from the Pentagon on what caused the miscommunication failure that proceed a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan in which nine U.S. soldiers were killed. That happened last Sunday. The shattered families of those nine soldiers are preparing for funerals today, sadly. And we have learned a little bit more about those nine heroes.

CNN's Josh Levs joins us with what we have learned -- josh, and they are heroes.

JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they are. They're heroes.

And you know what happening?

It's our top story on CNN.com today. It's right here behind me right now. And what's happening is a lot of people are checking in on this story. It's our number one story.

They're learning who these people are that gave their lives for the country in what was the deadliest attack on U.S. troops in Afghanistan in three years.

I just want to close in on this picture right here so you can see one of them and then we'll show you some more pictures. This right here is Corporal Gunnar Zwilling, 20 years old, one of the nine.

And if we could pan over to the right a little. Oh, there you go. You've got his photo. This is great.

I want to show you photos of three of them that we've received today from the families. This is him right there. That's Corporal Gunnar Zwilling.

Let's go now to the next one, because you're going to see a real family moment here. That one is Lieutenant Jonathan Brostrom. He was 24 years old, of Hawaii. And we see him there holding his 6-year-old son, Jase (ph).

Let's go to the third picture now I want to show you, Corporal Matthew Phillips. He was 27 years old from Jasper, Georgia. You see him there during a light moment while he was on duty there in Afghanistan.

A lot of people are tuning into this story, checking out this story on dot-com right now. And I want to show you why.

First of all, the drama. Part of what you're learning is what it was like for these guys in the last few days before this attack happened. We're hearing that Zwilling talked to his father and said that he -- that it's going to be a bloodbath. You know, that's what he was expecting. That was his final conversation ever with his father.

You can also see more photos and learn more about who they are and their backgrounds over in our photo section here.

There's two more things I want to show you before I go, because I have some things that I think are important. First of all, people have the opportunity here to weigh in. And what I'm going through now are places that people have weighed in. We are getting so many responses to this, Don.

This is at the bottom of the story, where it says sound off. And this is the mother of someone in the 173rd who says, "Our souls grieve with the families and friends of the soldiers who gave everything.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you. God bless our soldiers and protect those in harm's way."

And there's just one more thing I want to get to here before I toss this back to you. It doesn't come out that great on your TV screen, but what this traces to right here are deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. The top line shows the deaths in Iraq, the bottom line is the deaths in Afghanistan. And what you see is that very recently, in June, the Afghanistan line jumped above the Iraq line. That's critical to all foreign policy discussions we have right now.

But, obviously, Don, a lot of people tuning into this story right now purposefully just to learn about who these heroes are, these nine people in this incident who gave their lives for their country.

LEMON: Tuning in for the people, not for, you know, the plot lines of whatever we have on there.

LEVS: That's right.

LEMON: Although that's terrible, as well.

LEVS: Yes.

LEMON: Thank you very much for that, Josh.

LEVS: Thank you.

LEMON: Kyra?

PHILLIPS: It's official now -- the United States' diplomatic approach to Iran is new, it's very different and it includes potential for resurrecting relations between Washington and Tehran that flat- lined three decades ago. The secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said today that potential hinges -- or that potential, rather, hinges on one big if.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: It is, in fact, a strong signal to the entire world that we have been very serious about this diplomacy and we will remain very serious about this diplomacy. It should be very clear to everyone the United States has a condition for the beginning of negotiations with Iran. And that condition remains the verifiable suspension of Iran's enrichment and reprocessing activities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: One of Rice's top diplomats is to attend a meeting with Iran's nuclear negotiator this weekend in Switzerland.

LEMON: More long dormant diplomacy may get a shot in the arm next week. The secretary of state is reportedly set to sit down for talks with her counterpart from North Korea during a multinational security gathering in Singapore. If they do, it will be the highest level meeting between the U.S. and North Korea in four years.

PHILLIPS: Well, people are for sale in Moscow -- women, young women forced into lives of human trafficking, organized crime and prostitution. And as Russia's economy and prosperity grows, so does its dark and violent skin trade.

CNN's senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, investigated the story in Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The dazzling lights of a city that never sleeps. Moscow is at the center of Russia's staggering economic boom. But the glamour this prosperity has brought has a dark side. In dingy back streets across the city, we recorded young women lining up to sell themselves. They're lit up by the car headlights of potential customers. Aid workers say girls at these illegal flesh markets are often forced into prostitution, unable to escape the ruthless criminal gangs who traffic them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are these girls from?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russia. Russia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much do you charge?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six hundred dollars for two girls.

CHANCE (on camera): Well, we've just told them we're going to go to the ATM to get the cash for the girls. But, you know, obviously, we're not going back. It's incredible how many young women there are there -- girls, even -- that are selling themselves. What aid organizations say is that many of them were tricked into coming to Moscow, or even kidnapped from their home countries and brought here. They are, in effect, modern day slaves.

(voice-over): Russian police say they do what they can -- raiding brothels suspected of forced prostitution, arresting the gangs who run them. But the problem, authorities say, lies elsewhere.

LT. COL. ALEXANDER KRASNOV, RUSSIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY (through translator): First of all, we have virtually open borders and badly controlled migration flows from nearby countries. Secondly, we still don't have a basic law that defines victims' rights. At the moment, it's mostly aid agencies that deal with it.

CHANCE: And victims are often deeply traumatized by their ordeal. Christine is now 27. She told us she was lured to Russia from Nigeria four years ago by her own uncle. He promised to give her a college education, but instead, she says, she was sent to a Moscow brothel and harshly beaten, when she refused to have sex.

CHRISTINE, VICTIM: It made me to know that if I don't cooperate with him, something bad will happen to me. If I make an attempt of running away, it might end up in of taking my life. So I was really scared about that.

CHANCE: Aid workers say Russia has witnessed a dramatic increase in forced prostitution, that the country is now a prime destination for trafficked women from Africa, the Far East and former Soviet states.

AFSUNA KADYROVA, ANGEL COALITION: Even before it was the main country of origin for all of Europe and U.S. and all the rest of the world. But right now, we see that Russia is getting more of a destination country, also.

CHANCE (on camera): Would you say that the economic boom that Russia has been experiencing over the past several years is actually driving this surge in prostitution? KADYROVA: Yes. It is driving it. Yes. That's why people are coming here, because of the economic boom.

CHANCE (voice-over): For millions, Russia's new prosperity has been a blessing. But for those caught up in this appalling sex trade, it's a curse. Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And here's your Friday Cliff Hanger. A parachutist coming in for a landing, getting ready to strike up the band like never before.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Granny's got a broom and she knows how to use it, too. Guys with stealing on their minds get a knock on their noggins.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Seconds on biscuits and gravy, anyone?

Well, the latest CDC survey on obesity shows a definite Southern tilt. Mississippi again leading the way for the regional flab title, with 30 percent of its people considered obese. Tennessee and Alabama ranked second and third. And the least weighty state, in Colorado, well, that's where 19 percent of people are considered obese. In all, the study finds a quarter of all Americans obese, which is defined as having a body mass index of 30 or above.

Well, you can shed those pounds by counting calories.

CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, introduces us to one man who lost more than 40 pounds.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sujit Bhattacharya was always thin. But a busy job and eating unhealthy on the run eventually caught up with him.

SUJIT BHATTACHARYA, LOST 40 POUNDS: I was living happily and blissfully ignorant about the fact that I was becoming overweight and getting unhealthy.

GUPTA: Sujit feared he wouldn't be around to watch his daughters grow up, so he decided to make a change. He began counting calories and it paid off.

BHATTACHARYA: I have a budget for how many calories I have and I know how to spend it. I can spend it on Hershey bars. I can have a few Hershey bars and eat an intelligent lunch. I was able to lose a pound every three days. It's by gradually eating smart and then the weight would come just right off.

GUPTA: And he no longer uses a busy lifestyle as an excuse. BHATTACHARYA: We all get busy in our day-to-day lives and we forget simple things about eating right and exercising. But I'm still just as busy as I was back before I was heavy.

GUPTA: Sujit says it's all about making small changes.

BHATTACHARYA: I went from a 2 percent glass of milk to a 1 percent glass of milk. And if you look at the calorie difference, that's 20 calories. But if you do that once a day over a year, that's 7,000 calories. That's two pounds you've lost in a year by doing almost nothing to your lifestyle.

My name is Sujit Bhattacharya and I lost 40 pounds.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Dallas, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Is there such a thing as genetic predisposition to becoming a criminal?

Researchers at the University of North Carolina say yes. In a study involving thousands of adolescent boys, researchers say they discovered variations in three specific genes that may play a role in anti-social criminal and violent behavior and that 1 percent of people have it.

PHILLIPS: Well, remember the Christmas season shooting at an Omaha mall?

Eight people died at the hands of a young gunman who then killed himself. Well, today, a postscript. One of the workers that the gunman wounded is finally back on the job.

That story now from Naba Molie (ph) of CNN affiliate KPTM.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NABA MOLIE, KPTM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His right arm is still in a brace, but that didn't slow him down.

FRED WILSON: It was not hard to come back.

MOLIE: Six months after the Von Maur shooting, Fred Wilson returned to the aisles where it happened.

WILSON: I came back almost as if I had just been gone for the weekend. I remembered numbers. I remembered my employee number, my locker number.

MOLIE: But there was one thing he forgot he still had in his locker.

WILSON: That was dated December 5th, "The Omaha World Herald," the newspaper that I planned to take with me when I went to lunch later in the afternoon on that Wednesday (INAUDIBLE). MOLIE: He keeps it as a reminder.

WILSON: I think I'm always aware that something like December 5th can happen at any time.

MOLIE: That's the reason Wilson says he came back to work. Even with his arm in what could be a permanent brace, Wilson wants to prove that tragedy won't stop him from living, especially with the support employees and customers have shown him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) very good, really sweet (INAUDIBLE).

WILSON: Thank you.

The reception from -- among our customers has just been overwhelming.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now, Wilson says that time and faith have aided his resiliency and his ability to forgive.

LEMON: Well, there are honors today at Arlington for a medical innovator, Dr. Michael DeBakey, known as a pioneering surgeon. Dr. DeBakey's innovations include the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals, known far and wide as MASH. Among those attending his burial, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who presented DeBakey's family with an American flag. Michael DeBakey died a week ago today at the age of 99.

PHILLIPS: Well, daddy's gone from the front seat to the hot seat.

Does this guy look like he's in any condition to drive his kids around?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A Florida father has some serious explaining to do.

Why was he passed out cold in the car with his three kids in the back seat?

CNN affiliate WFTV was there as 37-year-old David Novak's friend, as well as police, tried to wake him up. But not even a slap to the face, not even having his kids taken away, stirred him out of his stupor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dave, they're taking the kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Police say Novak's blood alcohol level was more than .15. He is charged with DUI and child neglect, and went to a jail on a $30,000 bond.

PHILLIPS: Ooh. Well, there's a case where the band could not play on. A parachutist in Kansas got a little off track, needless to say, at the start of a military review. Well, you saw what happened. Not a pretty sight. And he pretty much took out the brass section. All the players here are going to be OK, including the parachutist, but two of the tubists didn't make it.

LEMON: Yes. And this is what is known as a white cloud burglary. The white cloud is from a fire extinguisher. Police in Orange County, Florida say robbers blasted the white mist toward security cameras. This helps cloak their identities as they plunder a video game store. Well, there have been at least three similar robberies in the Orlando area.

PHILLIPS: Well, Ann Withers rose to the challenge when robbers charged into her store.

Reporter Tim Rogers of Britain's ITN has her pretty amazing gumption of a story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TIM ROGERS, ITN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If these open doors seemed like a tempting invitation, the two armed thieves who barged in soon found they'd picked the wrong store. Springing an attack on the shopkeeper, who defended himself with his stool, they weren't reckoning on a surprise flanking movement from a grandmother armed with a brush. Ann Withers, who works in the store, was having none of it. And when Ann weighed in, they ran out.

Defeated by the elements of surprise and after a swift belt around the ear, the two hoodies realized the game was up.

ANN WITHERS, BEAT ROBBERS WITH A BROOM: They weren't going to get anything from out of this shop at all. If they want money, go and earn it like everybody else has to do. And, plus, I was worried about my boss, Dale (ph), because they were attacking him. And I thought no way are you going to do this.

ROBERTS: Ann's determined stand has been praised by her boss, although he says after the shock, he's thinking of selling out. As for Ann, well, she still has the brush, indomitable spirit and when it comes to the thieves, the quiet determination that they shall not pass.

Tim Rogers, News at 10.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: I've got it waiting for you right here when you come back, Kyra.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: You know, that's how I get Wolf in gear. I just give him a few whacks with the broom and he just, you know, he tells me what's coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Lots coming up, guys, right here in THE SITUATION ROOM at the top of the hour.

I've just come back from the State Department, where I had an exclusive one-on-one interview with the secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. She explains why the Bush administration is not willing to talk about nuclear issues with Iran for the first time. We also spoke about today's major development in Iraq -- the U.S. and Iraq finally agreeing to some sort of discussion about a time line or a time frame for troop withdrawal. She explains what's going on.

Also, Barack Obama is set for his first trip abroad as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. We'll have reports from Iraq, Afghanistan, right here in Washington about the trip and what he might accomplish.

Plus, there's no one -- no one is immune from the economic crisis. Get this -- the queen of England is having trouble and it's affecting Buckingham Palace.

All that guys, and a lot more, coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- back to you.

PHILLIPS: That sounds good. We look forward to the interview, Wolf.

LEMON: The closing bell and a wrap of all the action on Wall Street straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, it's about that time. The closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.

PHILLIPS: That's right.

Susan Lisovicz is standing by to look at the final trading.

What -- how does it look -- Susan?

LISOVICZ: It looks very good for the week.

LEMON: Hey, Susan.

LISOVICZ: I know, Don.

LEMON: I want to ask you. So you went last night. Tell me.

LISOVICZ: I saw "The Dark Knight" and Don asked me what's his name?

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: It's "Batman." It's "Batman" "Dark Knight" is fantastic, I do have to say. Of course, it's from our parent company, Time Warner.

There was a scene outside the movie theater. Fandango, the online ticket seller, sold out 1,200 showings of the movie in advance. There's actually 6:00 a.m. Showings.

I mean I -- I'm used to like a 3:00 a.m. Showing, but, you know, 6:00 a.m.?

That's kind of unusual. And Heath Ledger trying to follow in Jack Nicholson's footsteps is fantastic. He is fantastic, guys. I know that's being not objective.

LEMON: I've got to ask you, though, is it weird, you know, knowing what happened, it's kind of serious.

Is it weird kind of seeing him up there on the screen playing such a dark, diabolical role?

LISOVICZ: Yes, it is. I mean it's a very dark film. I actually was kind of -- you know, I was brought down by it at the end. But that's the tone of the movie and Heath delivers. It's a great cast, too. I mean everybody's in it -- Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Eric Roberts -- you know, a big cast.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Aw -- thanks, Susan. You have a great weekend. We're going to take it now to Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM"

BLITZER: Thanks very much, guys.