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Chicago Honor Student Beaten to Death; Nukes in Iran?
Aired September 28, 2009 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Citizens take to the streets in a country in crisis, as a deposed president digs in.
You snuck into the country in a car.
We had him on live. Now Jose Manuel Zelaya says Israeli agents are trying to poison him.
Satellite pics show Iran's nuke site. But we've been foiled by sat pics before. Should you be skeptical? We're asking for you.
The thugs who killed this honor student, this man's grandson, must brought to justice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This thing that happened to him is so horrific that we just don't know what we're going to do.
SANCHEZ: Insult to injury. The memorial at the site where he was beaten to death is torched.
Roman Polanski arrives in Switzerland to receive his lifetime achievement award and is thrown in jail instead for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old. And there's a Jack Nicholson connection.
Your national conversation for Monday, September 28th, 2009, begins right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Hello, everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez with the next generation of news. This is a conversation. It's not a speech. As always, it's your turn to get involved.
As we begin with this breaking news story, we're hearing that there is even more developing information that's coming in. It appears that there are now three people who have been charged in that Chicago beat down, where a young man was killed. What you're about to see, by the way, with your own eyes, is what happens when human beings show themselves at their absolute worst.
Stay with me here. Three teenagers have just been charged in Chicago with the beating death of this 16-year-old honor student. Now, normally this kind of thing is hardly news, even in Chicago these days, where dozens of children have been killed over the last year. But this time, this time somebody took out a camera and they captured this for all the world to see. This time it's not just another picture of a place where a murder may have happened the night before. No, this time, it is the murder as it happens, as it plays out.
And somebody better pay. All right, let me set this up for you. What you're about to see is a 16-year-old Derrion Albert. That's what he looks like. He's an honor student, great kid. He was walking home from school on the South Side of Chicago. One of his friends is in trouble. And he tries to help his friend, as anyone would.
As you watch this -- and, trust me, it's going to make you angry as hell just to watch what these guy, these thugs do to him -- you're going to see him on the bottom left of the screen. He gets hit with a two-by-four. Then he's kicked and he's punched. Then he's hit again. And then he's stomped repeatedly.
Finally, you will see him -- and, again, the left side of the screen -- as you watch this you will see him dragged from the scene. The hope is that enough people will see this so it will lead police to all of the people who did this to him. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get out the car. Put it (INAUDIBLE)
(SHOUTING)
(HORN BLARING)
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Zoom in, zoom in, zoom in. Zoom in!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damn!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.
(SCREAMING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God. Get closer.
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damn. Damn.
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damn.
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need help. We need an ambulance.
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damn.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: I don't know if you can describe this as anything other than just a murder, plain and simple.
Ronald Holt has been a Chicago police officer for 18 years. This is what's interesting about his story. His own son was killed in 2007, not in a way too dissimilar for -- from what you just saw right there, a victim of random violence in the streets.
Mr. Holt, thanks so much for joining us, sir.
RONALD HOLT, CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT: Hi. How are you?
SANCHEZ: Listen, I understand that three people have been arrested in this case, are described as, what, juveniles but they're going to be charged as adults. Do you agree with that?
HOLT: Well, if the charges were administered to these individuals -- I don't know how old they were -- or shall I say how old they are. I don't know if they're 16 and under, which would make them juveniles, or 17 and older which would make them adults. So, what you're looking at is...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: We understand one of them is 16 years old. And after watching that video, simple question. Do you think somebody who's capable of doing something like that should be charged as an adult?
HOLT: Yes, unequivocally.
SANCHEZ: I tend to agree...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLT: Because if that individual was -- no matter how old he was, and he dealt the death blow of that two-by-four plank that caused the death of young Derrion Albert, then he should be charged, because just as in using a gun if you're 16 years old or 17 years old in the streets of Chicago and across America, every individual at that age, they know what a gun is. They know how to use it.
And in this case, this was a plank that was very large, very big and it was used as a deadly weapon. So, obviously, it was used for malicious intent and to cause bodily harm and unfortunately it caused the death of Derrion Albert, irregardless of how old the individual was...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Although you could argue, look, this kid was hit repeatedly. I saw him get hit with a plank. I saw him get kicked. I saw him get punched. I somebody stomping on his head several times. And I'm only hoping that guys like yourself and police officers are going to look at this video and pick out every single one of the people who did this to this kid.
It's just an absolutely heinous act. I'm just wondering -- my condolences to you. You lost your son in a situation like this. What do you think when you looked -- when you first looked at this video, what was going on in your head, sir?
HOLT: When I first saw the video, which I probably only looked -- I have seen it one time and don't ever want to see it again. It does take me back to May 10, 2007, when Blair and four other young, innocent, defenseless human beings were the victim of gun violence on a CTA bus, Blair heroically saving the life of one of the -- his friends and classmates.
And again you see an outbreak of teen violence, youth violence, a culture of violence that has caused unrest -- civil unrest -- in certain areas of our city. And it just sent me back to that time. I have spoken with Derrion Albert's grandfather, Mr. Joseph Walker, who I extended my condolences and expressed my heartfelt sympathies to him and the rest of his family.
I know what he's going through. We have talked several times since the incident. And -- and Mr. Walker is just torn up. I even -- I felt his grief, his pain, the sorrow, even the tears. Sometimes he had to put the phone down to really gather himself, and just to be there and support him, even just through the phone calls, which -- I will be seeing him later on today. But it's horrible. It just takes me back. It's very painful.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Let me just -- a programming note here. I have just been told there's a possibility -- not a possibility -- actually, a probability that we're going to be hearing from Derrion's mother here shortly.
The victim's mother is going to join us live to speak out perhaps for the very first time. I understand she's having a tough time. She's grieving.
HOLT: Yes.
SANCHEZ: She may be joined by her aunt -- or Derrion's aunt as well. But stay with us, because that's going to be happening very soon here. While we wait for that, let me just ask you this as well.
HOLT: Sure.
SANCHEZ: Why does this happen? Why are we so damn violent? And especially children, 15, 16, 17, 18 years old, what would cause them to have this much rage, this much hate?
HOLT: Well, one thing you have to look at, and the core of the problem is the at-risk parent, along with their at-risk children. A dysfunctional parent can only develop a -- a dysfunctional child within a dysfunctional home. And that's where the core of the problem has to be approached, attacked. And you have to find a cure for that parent, who doesn't -- who lacks the life lesson skills and management to pass along to those children.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: But are you saying the kids who did this, it's their parents' fault?
HOLT: A lot -- education, saving lives, having good socialization skills, your first known teacher is your parent or grandparent, whoever that person is, whoever that caretaker is that you knew as a child growing up.
Now, keep in mind, again, as I say, that goes back to the child- rearing years with the parent. Who is the parent? What type of adult are they? Are they equipped with life lesson skills to pass on to those children to raise them properly?
So, when you talk about shifting the blame or laying the blame, you have to go back to the core of the problem, and you have to treat it there. Some of these children, they grow up. They grow out. They're not nurtured at home. They are miseducated. They get out here in the streets. They don't have a male -- a positive male role model in their home or in their lives. So, they're being raised by a single parent...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: I just have got to ask you, though...
HOLT: Yes.
SANCHEZ: ... because at that moment where you have that brick or where you have that two-by-four and you're about to bust the skull of a fellow human being open with it, and you're about to crush him or kill him or stomp him or kick him, when he's on the ground bleeding already, something's got to be real wrong with a person who at that moment continues to do something like that and almost revel in it as I saw in that videotape that goes beyond parenting and social skills, does it not?
HOLT: It goes beyond that, but it has to start somewhere. And that's the nucleus of it.
You have individuals like that who prey on good kids like Derrion Albert, individuals, violent individuals in Blair's case. You have unfortunately an unsalvageable criminal element out there that has made crime and violence a daily reality for a lot of law-abiding citizens in our country.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: I'm going to stop you with that word. Unsalvageable is what you just said. Unsalvageable. HOLT: Yes, unsalvageable.
SANCHEZ: And you know what? I think you're right. I agree with you. I think there are people out there who could possibly very well be unsalvageable. And maybe we as a society need to start treating them as if they are just that, unsalvageable.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Let me let you go, because I understand we're going to have the mom coming up here in just a little bit.
HOLT: OK.
SANCHEZ: My thanks to you for taking us through this. We will have more conversation about this, Ron. Appreciate it.
HOLT: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Roman Polanski raped a 13-year-old girl more than 30 years ago, and now he is busted for it. Look, there's no lifetime achievement for him here. This is what you are talking about all over the country. That's ahead.
Also look at these pictures. These are satellite shots from Iran. Is it a nuke site? Is it a nuke site? We're going to take you through all of these pictures and we're going to nail this down for you.
Also, the birthers are back, and, this time, they're taking donations, $25 a pop, to show you how much they hate Barack Obama. The after- show at 4:00 as well. Stay with us. This gets good.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: That video we just showed you obviously had the same effect on you as it did on many of us. Let's go to our Twitter board, if we possibly can. We call this a national conversation. We want to get you involved in it as much as we possibly can
Look at the very first one there. It says: "That was quite possibly the worst thing I have ever watched in my life. That boy did not deserve that."
And just underneath that, CyrusWebb writes: "Rick, the incident in Chicago just shows how important that we all work together to combat the evil in this world. So sad."
I think everyone would agree with that.
All right, I want you to look at something now. Ready? Take a look at this. See that? That's important. That's a long-range missile rocketing off the launch pad today -- today -- in Iran. Is it just a training exercise, as Iranians claim, or is Iran sending a clear and strong message to the United States, a message that goes something like this: Look, President Obama, we can shoot our missiles whenever we want, whether you like it or not? Now, remember, the president called a news conference Friday to put Iran on record and on notice that the international community knows that they are lying about their nuclear program. So, that may have been the genesis of all of this.
I have got something else I want to show you. The Iranians launched missiles yesterday as well. But these you're looking at here are more of a short-range variety. Now let's show you the other one again. This is the one they shot today. Take a good look. That's a long- range missile.
Why is that important? Why does it make a difference? Here's why. Because it could conceivably hit targets in places like Russia, southern Europe, and, of course, the big one, Israel.
When I come back, I'm also going to be showing you something else. I'm going to show you those satellite pics that everyone's been talking about. But, remember, we went to war in Iraq over satellite pics that turned out to be generally bogus claims. So, this time, let's all take a real good look. That's next. Jim Clancy is going to be here. He's going to be taking us through this.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: I never quite heard a police official use that word. But as we were doing that segment out off Chicago a little while ago, my guest used that word and I jumped on it. And I asked you what you thought of it. And it's interesting, because we're getting a lot of reaction on it right now.
Let's go to the Twitter board, if we can. There's Marcus. And Marcus says: "Unsalvageable?" which is the word that was used by the guest. "I completely agree.,"
Some people then might be dispensable? I don't know. You tell me.
All right, let's go to this now. A couple of days ago, we see a new uranium plant in Iran. Over the weekend, Iran shoots off some short- range missiles. Today, it's a long-range missile, as I just showed you in the previous block.
Well, Thursday, the guy who heads up Iran's nuke program is due to meet with six world powers. Now, what is going on here? All right, about that newly surfaced nuclear plant, John King this weekend -- you know there's nobody like John King on our little magic wall, right? He went to the magic wall to actually lay out the pictures that have been coming in so far. These are these satellite pictures.
So, let's pay close attention to what they are. And then Jim and I are going to be talking about them on the way back. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There are 17 nuclear sites in Iran that the world has been watching for quite some time, but the interest in current days has been on this site here just north of the city of Qom. You see the dots up here. This is some satellite imagery, as we zoom on in, of what this site looked like about three years ago.
Relatively little construction, two buildings there. Now let's fast forward to January, 2009, this takes a minute to develop. Just stay with us and watch this zoom in. Look at this, much more significant development, clearly underground construction here with some steel, underground construction here and again over here.
This is eight months ago, now we want to give you this dramatic image we received just yesterday. Watch this, as this develops, again, that is January. Now we come over to today. They have completely changed the site.
A building here, a structure with a roof in that underground. they have covered this up, tunnels in to the mountain hillside here. Covered this up, tunnels in here. There are ventilation and egress up here. And this is all very remote, as you watch the road follow down.
A location right nearby Iran's Revolutionary Guard down here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: All right. The first thing I think about when I see that is why would anybody put something so many feet underground unless they're trying to hide something from people that they don't want the world to know? That's the obvious.
But, at the same time, as you look at those pictures, you hearken back, don't you, to Colin Powell at the United Nations also showing us pictures? And then we find four or five years later that, well, maybe it wasn't quite the truth. So, these satellite pics make all of us, including me, as an American, say, hold on a minute. Let's ask some questions before we start reporting this as the gospel truth.
That's why I have had Jim Clancy come out here to talk to us.
You've made some phone calls. What do you know about these satellite pics?
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we know about them is they are consistent, Rick, with the stated purpose here. And that is uranium enrichment.
We know that the Iranians have been threatened by Israel directly. We know that they want to preserve this nuclear program. Not unexpected that about three years ago, they started to build all of this underground to give it some amount of protection, at least. The experts tell me they look at it. No, they haven't been on the ground. They can't tell. Nobody could until you get in on the ground exactly what it's for.
SANCHEZ: Are the Iranians saying they're going to let them on the ground; they're going to let the inspectors... (CROSSTALK)
CLANCY: ... because your biggest proof here is the Iranians themselves. The Iranians have said that's what it is, nuclear enrichment.
SANCHEZ: But is it nuclear enrichment for use for energy or nuclear enrichment for use for weaponry?
CLANCY: Well, they say for energy, peaceful energy. But they are they putting it underground because they fear the attacks.
SANCHEZ: Well, but that -- but, again, that doesn't make any sense. Why not just be completely clean and say...
CLANCY: Well, they have been threatened.
SANCHEZ: Well, I know, but will the Israelis -- if they go to the Israelis, who are the ones who really are the ones who have the biggest problem with this, and say, look, we need energy, we want to use nuclear energy just like other countries? France, for example, has it. And we're using a French and Soviet system. We're not going to use this as weaponry. Come and see it as much as you want. Be transparent. Why won't that work?
CLANCY: That's what these talks that come up on the 1st of October, Thursday, that's what they're all about, Rick. Are we going to know pretty fast are we able to get the Iranians to agree to a regimen of sanctions?
It was Reagan that said trust, but verify.
SANCHEZ: Right.
CLANCY: I think the case of Iran is mistrust and double verify because they have a long record of deception.
SANCHEZ: But when I heard our president Friday along with the British prime minister and Sarkolof -- I mean Sarkozy -- it didn't sound like they were saying they thought this might be legitimately being used for energy. It sounds like they were saying, we know you're using this for something other than energy.
CLANCY: Well...
SANCHEZ: Isn't that the charge on the table right now, that they have to disprove?
CLANCY: The charge on the table is that they were building an underground facility that was not necessarily going to be revealed to the West. That's what the charge is right now.
The Iranians say, look, we're nowhere close to putting our nuclear material in there. We are required by the rules of the IAEA to do that within 180 days.
SANCHEZ: Right.
CLANCY: So, we're in compliance.
SANCHEZ: But just to go back to our original point, you can tell our viewers that for the most part these satellite pics that we're seeing are not a misrepresentation of what they're doing in any...
(CROSSTALK)
CLANCY: No.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: They're not?
CLANCY: And the Iranians say the same thing. The experts look at it and they say, this is consistent. They also say this, Rick. They say there's got to be more sites around there. There's got to be more sites.
SANCHEZ: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Not just the one in Qom, but perhaps...
(CROSSTALK)
CLANCY: One experience pointed out to me -- Charles Vick of Global Security pointed out to me that there's a dozen sites we know about. And there may be some that we don't know about that aren't public yet.
SANCHEZ: Final question. These long-range and short-range missiles that we just showed our viewers -- maybe we can put them up one more time and we can talk about them a little bit -- coincidence that this would be happening right after the big threat made by President Obama on Friday, or was this something that was actually scheduled?
CLANCY: Well, it's Sacred Defense Week, after all, in Iran. But they have these to trot out. And they do this on a regular basis. These were long-planned.
SANCHEZ: That doesn't mean that these are capable of having a nuclear warhead on them. They're just missiles that could be used for any type of defense, right?
CLANCY: That's right. That's right.
(CROSSTALK)
CLANCY: And they had the war of the cities. That's what this week is all about, their war with Iraq.
SANCHEZ: Right. So, it would be irresponsible for us or any member of the media to say what they're trying to do here is show, not only do we have nuclear capability, but, look, we have these rockets we could then use that on?
(CROSSTALK)
CLANCY: The experts are connecting the dots there, because if you -- a weapon of mass destruction is the combination of something like a nuclear weapon or a chemical weapon with the technology to deliver it. That's what we're seeing this week. I'm talking about this week with Iran.
SANCHEZ: Right. That's not the reality, but it's certainly the fear.
CLANCY: It's connect the dots. You have to extrapolate. But you're looking at the convergence here of what would be a weapon of mass destruction.
SANCHEZ: That's why I would feel much better if the inspectors get in there and start to ask some questions.
(CROSSTALK)
CLANCY: That's what important. That's why you don't want to have a military strike first, because that will keep the inspectors out forever. What you want is to get in there, get a close look, impose a very strict regimen.
SANCHEZ: Right. Good stuff. Thanks, Jim. Appreciate it.
CLANCY: All right.
(CROSSTALK)
CLANCY: ... Rick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wolf Blitzer, I challenge you not to show your obvious disdain every time Rick Sanchez throws to you and calls you his buddy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Time for a red state update. Time to connect with the people. And these are my people. If you don't have a sense of humor, change the channel now. If you like a good laugh from time to time, stay tuned.
Also, the Army shipped him out in his pajamas. But imposed Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya has snuck back in. And now he says Israelis are trying to kill him with a poison gas that is being seeped into the Brazilian Embassy.
Well, as you know, I have been speaking to Zelaya during his ordeal and I will bring you the very latest on that when we take you live to the Honduran standoff next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Boy, the conversation continues about this question we asked earlier about after -- seeing that video in Chicago -- are some people just not salvageable? We asked you for your comments. And you have been responding. Let's go to the Twitter board again.
"Why do some people believe parents are to blame for children's wrongdoings? Teenagers decide what they want to do, not the parents."
Also, we have got: "Everyone is salvageable. Some need more help than others. And, in this case, this particular area of Chicago needs a lot of help."
And finally: "Correct. Some people just can't be saved, no matter how much you try."
All right, there's more unrest in Honduras and it isn't going to stop until they figure out who is the president of that country. And while the ousted president hides or at least tries to stay holed up in the Brazilian Embassy, the citizens of the country, citizens of Honduras, are continually getting more restless.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: This is a virtual newscast.
This comes on Twitter.com/RickSanchezCNN.
What do you mean by that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That means you are the antichrist, Sanchez.
SANCHEZ: No, no, no, no, no. You are no longer just joking, a private person.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rick, we both know who number two is.
SANCHEZ: Who?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The biggest tent of all is the tent of freedom.
SANCHEZ: What the hell does that mean? The biggest tent is freedom? Freedom?
JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": Sanchez!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Some of the segments we've done over the last year.
Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez, here in the world headquarters of CNN, as usual. In our "Conexion" segment today, imagine a president being kicked out of a country and then he sneaks back in, hiding in the trunk of a car, as he tells me. Well, now he's holed up in the Brazilian Embassy and the country is coming unglued.
If you'll remember, last Thursday I spoke to the two men who both claim to be Honduras' rightful leaders -- Jose Manuel Zelaya, ousted three months ago today, and forcibly flown from the country in his pajamas, no less. And Roberto Micheletti, de facto president who's ruled ever since.
Well, remember this -- Micheletti told me that he would let CNN enter the Brazilian Embassy where Zelaya is holed up when he returned to Honduras hidden in the trunk of a car.
All right. Let's listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Mr. President, will you allow CNN's crew, CNN's cameras to go into the embassy and film an interview with Mr. Zelaya? Will you allow that?
ROBERTO MICHELETTI, DE FACTO HONDURAN PRESIDENT: Please, please, I beg you, come down here. Find out the truth. But don't stay only in the Brazilian Embassy. Go to all of our country and find out the real truth of our country.
SANCHEZ: Mr. President, thank you, sir. We will take the invitation. We will relay that to our correspondent who's there in Tegucigalpa now. We will make sure that this permission that you have so kindly granted will then be issued so we can tell the whole world the story of what's going on over there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: And we're continuing to tell the whole world what's going on over there. And there's nobody better to do that with than our own John Zarrella. He's still in Tegucigalpa.
When last I spoke to Micheletti, he said that he was going to allow you to go in to talk to Zelaya, who's in the Brazilian Embassy. Now making some crazy story -- well, let me not judge it. Let me just say, who's telling a story now about the Israeli agents trying to force poison gas into the embassy to take him out.
But first matter at hand, have you been allowed or will you be allowed to go in to talk to him?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rick, the day after you asked President Micheletti, I asked President Micheletti in a one-on-one sit-down, and he told me that, well, we actually have to ask the supreme court, the district attorney here, that he couldn't give us that permission to do it. So, the short answer, Rick, no, we have not been able to get in to see the ousted president. SANCHEZ: What are these reports I was reading last night from my friends and your friends down there, our buddies at "The Miami Herald," who apparently have secured an interview with Zelaya where he says that the Israeli agents are trying to take him out with poison gas? What the hell is this all about, John?
ZARRELLA: You know, we talked to -- well, this is what it was. The other day, on Friday, there was talk that they has been lobbing tear gas into the embassy compound and that people were getting sick, they were bleeding from their noses and vomiting.
And actually, a human rights worker who is in Tegucigalpa went in the next day, on Saturday, and said he could find no evidence of that. And when I interviewed President Micheletti that afternoon, after these accusations had been made by the ousted president, Zelaya, Micheletti, of course, denied it vehemently, saying, absolutely, we are not doing anything. There's no Israelis, there's no nothing. He is in there and he can stay there. But as soon as he comes out, we're going to arrest him.
SANCHEZ: Well, I guess final question, is there any signs pointing to a possible solution to this thing? I know it would be -- it would involve at least three parties that I can think of -- the Brazilian government, the Micheletti government, and I guess the post-facto Zelaya people, right? I mean, at some point, they need to say we're either going to storm this place and drag him out, or come to some kind of agreement with him.
What is it?
ZARRELLA: Here's a couple of things. I'll try to get through it as quickly as I can.
First of all, the Micheletti government, yesterday, gave the Brazilian government 10 days to get him out of there, resolve all this, or they would no longer declare this sacred ground, the Brazilian Embassy. But, they said, we're not going to storm it, we're not going to forcibly take him out. We're just not going to recognize this land anymore.
The Brazilians immediately said, we don't take any kind of threats from people who staged an overthrow. Yesterday, also, the government here turned five of six OAS members away, told them they could not come into the country because they "weren't ready to receive them."
And then they said, also, because there were some low-level talks going on here. And then former President Zelaya, ousted President Zelaya, issued a statement last night saying he wanted his people to take to the streets today, that this was going to be the final encounter, the day that they take back the government.
Well, the street that I'm standing on here you see is wide open now, Rick. An hour ago, it was packed. About 2,000 people.
They were all allowed to leave here and go down to a funeral. But it's been peaceful here, but those remarks by Zelaya led the government here to basically cut off many of the constitutional rights that the people are afforded here.
They were not allowed to gather, although this group was allowed to gather. Police can arrest you. They shut down one radio and one television station late last night and today. We saw the police and the military around those facilities today because they are pro- Zelaya.
So, certainly a crackdown, certainly a lot of tension here. But to their credit, so far, on both sides, it has remained peaceful -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: All right, John. You're doing a great job covering that story for us there. Thanks so much. And we'll continue to keep on top of it.
Thanks again.
This is unbelievable. I mean, this is what much of the Philippines looks like right now. Imagine something like that not far from your front door.
People's homes, their businesses, everything is being taken. They're trying to rescue people who are literally floating on top. They take their belongings to see what they can do.
And then later, many people love his movies, but Roman Polanski was convicted of raping and sodomizing a 13-year-old girl, and then running from U.S. justice for more than 30 years.
You've been talking to me all day long. I've asked you questions. You've responded. Harshly, I might add.
The story of Polanski, facing the music, when we come back.
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SANCHEZ: Sometimes the pictures just tell the story -- natural disaster, too much water, a super-dense population. This is bad.
It's the villages surrounding Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It does rain there all the time, but not like this.
Thirteen inches of rain in six hours turned streets into killer rapids. Watch this amazing piece of tape with me.
Let's roll it.
Some of these people just hanging on for dear life and stuck on that floating pile of junk that's flying down out of control in the middle of the river. Others are just trying to get away from their homes. They slammed into a bridge, and we have no idea what happened to some of those folks.
We have a death toll now of at least 140 people. And, of course, that number is going to soar when the cleanup really begins.
We've been watching and monitoring pictures coming in all day long. Here's what one neighborhood looks like.
The water is down but not gone. The mess, staggering.
So many people need so much help, and will for a long, long time. Relief agencies today are trying to get supplies and water and medicine to the hundreds of thousands of people who have now lost their homes.
I'm going to be showing you some of the pictures as we go through this. These are some of the shots we've been getting.
There you see what happens when officials come in with what little supplies they have and try and hand them out. That's one of the makeshift funerals that's been taking police as officials try and get some of the folks out of there.
There's the sign from a little boy asking maybe the only way he can for someone to help him. And that's what happens when the waters rise and vehicles are left untethered, one completely on its back next to some of the logs in the area.
The populace essentially taking to the streets. The streets becoming rivers, the people growing desperate. And everything you can get your hands on suddenly becomes a way out.
We'll stay on top of that story for you. Unbelievable pictures. As we get them, we'll share.
A quick break. And then I've got the agony of defeat. Do you know what a faceplant is? Well, you're about to find out in "Fotos."
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SANCHEZ: You've probably heard them all. It's not how you start, its how you finish. And then there's, of course, the story that we would always tell our children, mine included, the tortoise and the hare, oh wait one over use crochet (ph). Are you ready? Slow and steady wins the race, I got a million of them and we're working on a million "fotos." How can you not love that music? You're going to see a woman in the center of the screen right there, she id on her way to a big win, big win but like I said earlier, it's not how you start, oh, this according to my staff, is how you finish and that is called a face plant. There you have it, twitters, ouch.
Different venue now, different way to not finish, 20 nights aaa 400 at Dover, Delaware, NASCAR Rookie Joey Logano gets clipped, then bumped, then launched right into the air. The car rolls seven times before finally coming to a stop, Logano was fine. He said the whole thing scared the heck out of him. Yes I think.
When my two best friends go to NASCAR, that's exactly what they want to see, action. And when it comes to politics and watching news coverage, they also want action. So who do they watch? Is it Shepherd Smith, is it Wolf Blitzer, is it Beck, is it O'reilly? Is it Captain Kangaroo? Maybe but their number one choice, I'm happy to report, is this show on cnn every day between 3:00 and 4:00 eastern. In "fotos," number 3 here's Jackie along with his buddy Dunlap with another red state update.
DUNLAP: Wolf Blitzer, I challenge you not to show your obvious disdain and every time Rick Sanchez throws to you and calls you his buddy.
JACKIE: Yes, Rick Sanchez, I talk to him every day. I like him, yes.
DUNLAP: You talk to Rick Sanchez?
JACKIE: Well, not personally. But I'm sure he gets my messages.
RICK SANCHEZ: Hey, this is Rick Sanchez, thanks for calling.
JACKIE: Hey, Rick. I reckon I better let you go. Take care now. Bye. Hey, Rick. This is Jackie. Just called to see what you were getting into. Holler at you later. Hey, Rick, it's Jackie. Something that just, it gets on my nerves and burns my bridges, people killing dogs. I'll talk to you later. Yes, I tell you what, that Rick Sanchez, always going to be able to lend an ear to you.
DUNLAP: Sounds like everybody watching this owes Rick Sanchez a phone call right now. Just talk about whatever. Remember, Sanchez is waiting to hear from you.
JACKIE: Oh, yes.
SANCHEZ: Didn't pay them a penny, swear to god. By the way, Wolf Blitzer and I are great friends. He may be the only friend I have in this joint. One more thing, let me know what you think of red state update. And I'll share as we go on. Twitter me, as they say.
Here's the story that's got so many of you incensed today. Movie Director Roman Polanski is in custody after fleeing the law for more than 30 years. But if he raped a 13-year-old girl, why are so many people in the international community acting like he's the victim?
If you thought the nonsense about President Obama's birth certificate was over, you were wrong. We're going to show you the latest appeal from some birthers. Get your wallets ready, folks.
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SANCHEZ: I asked you if you liked it, I guess you do. Look at this, Red state update getting all thumbs up as they say in the movie world. Those two "red state" guys look like my in-laws, only my in-laws aren't that funny. They were great ps, wonder if they we're single, well Mel and then there is one right under that, you see it one, can you get it there without me moving it? Love the red state update, dudes. Burnt out on the "fotos" jingle. I like it.
All right. Welcome back. It's only a matter of time before some of the folks pushing the falsehood that President Obama is not a native born American would want your money and here it is. An opportunity to turn people's ignorance into a full-flown cash machine. Voila. This is Bill Keller of something called liveprayer.com and his deliciously named sidekick, you ready, know what this guy's name is, Gary Crete, he is an attorney. He says, no I can't make this stuff up. Here's their pitch. You send them $30 and they will make sure that your hate for President Obama, by golly, goes rewarded.
You will receive a specially greeted got a birth certificate bumper sticker. Also, you can help the United States justice foundation in their efforts to force President Obama to produce his birth certificate by making a gift of $30 that will enable us to send a fax on your behalf to all 50 state attorneys generals and u.s Attorney General Eric Carter demanded they force President Obama to supply his official state of Hawaii birth certificate. Go to your phone and call 1-800-321-3247. Don't sit back and do nothing. Act now. Tell President Obama to prove where he was born.
Imagine all that for 30 bucks. What a deal. Wait, we did a little digging and guess what we found out about Mr. Keller, this guy who wants your money. For starters, he's $80,000 in debt, as we speak, but wait, it gets better. Bill Keller was convicted in 1989 for insider trading and spends two and a half years in prison, so a guy charged with fraud is asking little old ladies to send him money, and where do you think we found that information about Mr. Keller? His own website. He cops to it. Making money by getting people riled up about the President of the United States. Let's see. Anybody else out there doing something like that?
My blog at cnn.com/ricksanchez. Let me know what you think. There's always twitter.
He's a giant of the film world but he's also a fugitive from the u.s. justice. That's because Roman Polanski drugged and raped a 13-year- old girl back in the 1970s. Now Swiss police have arrested him with the intent to deport him back here to face the music, but will he actually be deported, and what will happen to him if he is? And why are some people in the international world saying, ah, it's in the past, let it go.
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Roman Polanski may be one of the most celebrated movie directors of our time with classics under his belt like Chinatown and rosemary's baby but he's also had a tragic and troubled past and guess what? It may have finally caught up with him. Well, let me set this up for you. This past weekend he arrived in Switzerland expecting to receive a lifetime achievement award but what he got instead wasn't in the script, he was arrested for a crime in the u.s. That he had been ducking most his life, drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Polanski fled the country before he could be sentenced, and has been living in comfort of Europe over the last three decades until that old warrant caught up with him and supposedly neutral Switzerland. You know, that's amazing. Interesting facts about Polanski. His mother died in a Jewish concentration camp. His pregnant wife Sharon Tate was stabbed to death by members of the Manson family. Back to the child he raped in the '70s. That victim, she's now 45, she settled with Polanski for an undisclosed sum and he said that she wants to put it behind her, but is it still up to her in the case has taken on a life of its own? Tom O'nel was a Senior Editor of In Touch Magazine. Man, so many angles to this thing. First of all, why now? I've been trying to figure this story out all day long. It's taken this long for someone to finally say, okay, we're going to move in now. Why not 10 years ago, why not 20 years ago, Tom?
TOM O'NEL, SENIOR EDITOR, IN TOUCH WEEKLY: They were trying all that time, but nobody was paying attention to this little Switzerland angle, and what's interesting there is that he has a house there. They could have nabbed him many times in the past, but because this was the big news event and there were announcements that went out and said he's going to be in Zurich for this film festival, that's how he got caught.
SANCHEZ: What he did to this 13-year-old girl which by the way he did in Jack Nicholson's bathtub right, and Nicholson had nothing to do with it, he was just borrowing his place, his pad, right?
O'NEL: Right, right.
SANCHEZ: But she was 13, and it wasn't a pretty scene by any stretch of the imagination. I mean, if you read, it it's too graphic to explain to our viewers right now, but this is a bad guy.
O'NEL: Yes, you could you say that it was also a pre-meditated. You could also say, that look, he after this was so unapologetic. He then went on to have a 15-year-old girlfriend with Natasha Kinsky, remember that?
SANCHEZ: Yes.
O'NEL: There's a strong case that you can make here but the bottom line is the case is un resolved.
SANCHEZ: All right. Herr's where we have to do. We have a piece of tape where he's actually asked in a documentary does he like young girls and he answers that. We also have information about what's going on in Europe. For example, why are some leaders there backing him, and why did he stay in Paris all those years? Let's go to the Situation Room now. We'll continue on the back end here on cnn.com live.
Here now, Suzanne Malveaux.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Rick.
