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American Morning
Northwest Plane Overshoots Landing; More than 300 Arrested in Drug Bust; Kids on Reality TV, Microsoft-Burger King promo in Japan; Ludacris Advocates for Community Involvement; Reaction to "Latino in America"; Judge Rules for Craigslist on Web site's Adult Services Section; New Orleans Man Provides Free Music Lessons to Poor Children
Aired October 23, 2009 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning once again. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING on this Friday, October 23rd. We're coming up on 8:00 here in New York. I'm Kiran Chetry.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. I'm John Roberts. Thanks for being with us. Here are the big stories we'll be telling you about in the next 15 minutes.
Federal officials trying to determine whether a Northwest Airlines flight crew fell asleep at the controls, their Minneapolis- bound flight overshooting its landing by 150 miles, the pilots unreachable by radio for well over an hour.
CHETRY: Well, after being shut down by one committee, is the government-run health care option now alive and well? Our John King, host of "STATE OF THE UNION", is going to be joining us what the Senate struggled to reach a compromise on the reform.
ROBERTS: First it was called "erotic services," then it was called "adult services." Now, just call it a victory for Craigslist -- a judge throwing out a lawsuit against the site filed by a sheriff who calls the services prostitution. The sheriff, Tom Dart, is going to be coming up live with reaction for us this morning.
We start the hour, though, with the odyssey of Northwest Airlines Flight 188. It has people across the country wondering, once again, just how safe we are in the air. The plane overshot its destination by 150 miles last night. Authorities now want to know if the pilots fell asleep at the controls.
The flight path was supposed to be a relatively straight shot from San Diego to Minneapolis. It ended up being a chaotic loop-de- loop, spanning two states, leaving some officials worried that the crew had been hijacked.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS (voice-over): Five-forty-one p.m. Eastern Time, Northwest Airlines Flight 188 departs San Diego bound for Minneapolis. The takeoff is routine. As the Airbus A320 flies at an altitude of 37,000 feet over the Rockies, the crew makes radio contact with Denver Center air traffic controllers. A short time later, when Denver Center tries to re-establish contact, there's no response from the cockpit.
Controllers try texting the crew. Nothing. Seven-fifty-six p.m. Eastern, the FAA designates the flight NORDO status, short for "no radio communication." Denver Center hands off tracking responsibilities to Minneapolis Center. Controllers in Minneapolis can't make radio contact either.
So, fighter jets are mobilized in Madison, Wisconsin, fears mounting that Flight 188 might have been hijacked. CNN's Chad Myers, one of the first reporters on the story, tracking the flight minute by minute.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: This plane was supposed to start to descend. It never did. It never took the power off. It kept flying. Flew over Minneapolis and kept right going.
ROBERTS: Flight 188 overshoots Minneapolis airport by 150 miles. There has been no radio contact for more than an hour.
Finally, at 9:14 p.m., air traffic controllers are able to connect with the crew. By that time, the plane was already well past Minneapolis and over Wisconsin. Controllers asked the pilot to make a 180-degree turn and then order him to perform a series of maneuvers to make sure he's in control of the aircraft, not hijackers.
The pilot's explanation for overshooting Minneapolis? The NTSB says, quote, "The crew stated they were in a heated discussion over airline policy and they lost situational awareness."
10:02 p.m., the plane finally lands safely in Minneapolis one hour and 14 minutes late.
MYERS: This was a crazy little flight and I think the NTSB will have a lot to say about this. They have the voice recorder and they also have the flight data recorder. They had taken those out of the plane. They've taken them back to D.C. They will download all the data and they'll know by tomorrow what actually happened in this cockpit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Delta Airlines, which owns Northwest, says that it's cooperating with the FAA and the NTSB investigation and has launched one of its own. And the airline says that the pilots have been grounded until investigators determine exactly what happened onboard Flight 118 last night.
CHETRY: All right. Well, we wait to hear.
But meanwhile, it looks like Senate Democrats just won't let the government insurance option go. It turns out this morning that it could actually be back on the table. Sources are telling CNN that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is leaning toward putting the so- called public option into the Senate bill.
To weigh in on that and more, we're joined again by our chief national correspondent, host of "STATE OF THE UNION," John King.
John, thanks for being with us.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
CHETRY: So, we're talking about Harry Reid here and talking about the possibility of putting this option in and leaning toward it, but maybe allowing some states to opt out. How is that working? And does he have enough votes?
KING: Well, this could change during this conversation, which is how frustrating this debate has been for the leaders trying to put it together. Harry Reid would like that way.
Most Democrats would like some public option, even that way, allowing -- having a public option and allowing states to opt out is not strong enough for some more liberal Democrats. But they thought that might be the best proposal.
The problem is, if they do that, they lose the one Republican, Olympia Snowe of Maine, who voted for the bill in the finance committee. And they want to keep her so they can brand this bill bipartisan. Even if it's just one Republican, they want to be able to say it's bipartisan. So, they had a meeting at the White House last night. They're going back and forth.
The most likely option when you talk to people behind the scenes, they think, ultimately, will be the trigger. That there'll be no public option, but a state can opt in. Instead of being able to opt out, you would opt in because that would keep Senator Snowe. And you would have a proposal that if insurance companies don't perform, if premiums don't come down, if cost and affordability isn't better in three or four years, then here would be a trigger for public option to kick in.
But it's a very complicated debate and it's very different math in the House and the Senate. And everyone keeps saying we're getting closer and closer, but this is a big hurdle in the end.
CHETRY: I was reading a couple of articles yesterday saying if they're going back and forth on some of these smaller, you know, issues in the bill, are they going to run out of time? I mean, they're trying to get this done by Christmas recess, right, for political reasons and you got 2010 elections that people are going to be gearing up for.
So, how are they looking at the timing of this, especially, in the Senate in figuring out whether or not they can get it done?
KING: It looks incredibly messy right now. And in the House, people have seen public support -- public polling for a public option has gone up. So more liberals said, "See, we can pass this." So, they have gone back a little bit to the left. But even then, when they count the votes, there's not enough for a big robust public option.
Look, Congress works like this every year, in a sense that if they have a week, they will take a week and a couple hours or so. When they get to the final point, when they have to get it, most Democrats believe they will do something.
The question is; do we know today what the final product is going to look like? No, we don't because public opinion polling will change it, people will go home for the weekends and find out what people think back home. I can tell, in my travels, that the public option, people say, maybe, but what will it cost? Where's the government getting all this money?
So, the other concerns about health care cost will affect the debate about the public option and every other big question they have to answer.
CHETRY: Another big thing for the administration this week, of course, is the politics of pay.
KING: Right.
CHETRY: And for these big seven banks and institutions, like AIG, that got billions of taxpayer money, how much control will the White House exert over how much they can pay their CEOs and some of their other big, big people in the companies? How is this playing out in Washington?
KING: In Washington, there's t-ball in the sense that you have a chance for the president to say, "I'm outraged. I see these big bonuses, this is taxpayer dollars that go to some of these companies, I'm outraged." In the country, it's good politics for the president.
I was in Nebraska yesterday. It's a pretty conservative state, and sat down with a lot of people and all of them said, "You know, wait a minute. So, these companies are too-big-to-fail and so, I'm too small to save. You know, where's -- how come I'm still having a hard time getting a loan for my farm?"
And so, there's an outrage that these big companies get billions from the federal government and then have these big bonuses. Every now and then, though, you do pick up the concern, as outraged as people are about these big bailouts being paid, especially to the bailout companies that received tax money is, do I really want the government micromanaging every piece of the marketplace? There's a little bit of that.
But the president condemning these bonuses -- easy politics.
CHETRY: Yes. Well, as if there's not enough domestic problems and issues to deal with, the issue of Afghanistan and the growing chorus of debate about whether or not we're going to send more troops and when. Is the administration, I think, quickly enough or are they dithering, as we heard former Vice President Cheney said? How is that playing out right now?
KING: This is a source of incredible tension in Washington. A lot of it is under the surface, but there is great tension in the town right now, because the president has said, "I want to be deliberative." The president has said, "Let's see how this runoff in Afghanistan, it must be the first week of November. We need to know what the leadership of Afghanistan is before I decide whether to send 40,000 more U.S. troops."
There are others who say, "No, you don't. If you're fighting the Taliban and al Qaeda, it's almost irrelevant who the president of Afghanistan is, or whether there's a working government or not."
And so, this is a big debate right now. And there's tension within the administration. You've had the White House chief of staff say, "We're going to wait until after the political situation." You've heard the generals and people in the Pentagon saying, you know, we need to get moving here because it's winter, and if we're going to send thousands of more troops, if they made the decision today, most of them wouldn't get there until January or February because of the logistics involved.
And so, there's a lot of pressure on the president here, but they're going to take a little bit more time -- a little bit more time. You may see some pieces of it before the runoff election so the president can counter the argument that, "I'm not dithering. This is a very big, momentous decision and I'm going to get it right."
ROBERTS: Who's on with you this weekend?
KING: We got Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, who, of course, is the candidate in the runoff against President Karzai.
We want to talk to him because one thing the administration would like for -- there not to be a runoff, for them to negotiate some deal on a coalition government. But there's been a lot of tension between the two camps right. And we'll have members of the United States Senate to go through the Afghanistan debate but also this whole question about putting together the very difficult pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that is health care reform.
ROBERTS: Looking forward to it. Good to see you.
KING: Get up early on Sunday.
CHETRY: We will. We get up early on Sundays (ph).
(CROSSTALK)
KING: I suspect you might sleep in on Sundays.
ROBERTS: Yes, we're actually getting up early for most people sleeping in late for hours.
CHETRY: Thanks, John.
KING: Thank you.
CHETRY: And again, don't miss the next generation in Sunday talk, "STATE OF THE UNION" with John King, this and every Sunday, 9:00 a.m. Eastern. That's not early, that's sleeping in.
ROBERTS: Are you kidding? They're not. They could be in a drive to Florida between the time we wake up and 9:00 a.m.
Also new this morning, the United States has formally asked Switzerland to hand over Roman Polanski. The Oscar-winning director was arrested there a month ago. The Swiss justice ministry says the U.S. filed an extradition request late last night. He's wanted in California for having sex with a 13-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty back in 1977 and then fled the country.
CHETRY: An infamous serial killer already on death row has now been identified as the man who killed a 9-year-old girl back in 1984. Authorities say that DNA matched the man known as the "Night Stalker," Richard Ramirez, to a cold case in San Francisco. Ramirez is on death row after being convicted in 13 other murders.
ROBERTS: And throw a pie at someone today in memory of Soupy Sales. The legendary slapstick comic and television host who gave us 50 years of laughs has passed away. He was 83 years old. Best known for his long-running kid show in the '50s and '60s, he would later become a familiar face on game shows in the '80s. Soupy Sales claimed to have been hit by over 25,000 pies during his career.
And, of course, a lot of people say that he really paved the way for late-night comics like David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, people like that, really heavily influenced them.
CHETRY: Yes. He was loved by many. So, sad news today.
Meanwhile, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges -- he's a hip hop star, he's a rap star, and he is now going to be giving a big speech before the National Press Club, calling young people to action. Before he does that, he's going to join us and talk about why he thinks the time is now to care.
Ten minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
It is the largest U.S. drug bust in history -- a massive coast- to-coast sweep against one of Mexico's most dangerous drug cartels.
Our Jeanne Meserve joins us now live from Washington with more on this.
Who was the target, Jeanne?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, this was the culmination of a four-year investigation and the target was an exceptionally violent drug cartel whose trademark is beheading its enemies and whose specialty is trafficking methamphetamine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE (voice-over): In this surveillance video, a man removes methamphetamine from the wheel well of an automobile and hands it to a woman who wraps it in a blanket before picking up her child. This is part of the smuggling and distribution network of the Mexican cartel known as La Famalia, a cartel that just took a body blow.
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: This unprecedented, coordinated United States law enforcement action is the largest ever undertaken against a Mexican drug cartel.
MESERVE: Three thousand law enforcement officers made 303 arrests in two days in 19 states, including communities in Metro Atlanta.
BRITNEY MORRIS, NEIGHBOR: I'm actually kind of terrified. There's like three doors down and I know if there's drugs, there's guns, right?
MESERVE: Guns, drugs, cash and extraordinary violence -- all part of La Famalia's operations in Mexico, and now, the United States.
KENNETH MELSON, ATF: The problem is not just along the southwest border, it is all over our country now.
MESERVE: La Famalia is a major player in the methamphetamine trades and officials think this week's raids will have an impact on supplies. But few believe this coordinated enforcement action, as successful as it was, will do lasting damage.
HOLDER: We have to work with our Mexican counterparts to really cut off the heads of the snakes and get at the heads of the cartels -- indict them, try them, even Mexico or extradite them to the United States.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: Administration officials commended the Mexican government for progress in its fight against the cartels, but acknowledge it is waging a battle of almost unimaginable dimensions against ruthless foes.
John, back to you.
ROBERTS: A real wake-up call, Jeanne. Just how widespread this is in this country. It's not just along the border.
MESERVE: That's right. And when they talked yesterday at this press conference about how they're seeing this cartel kidnap people and hold them for ransom here inside the United States, even though their targets have been drug dealers, still very alarming.
ROBERTS: Jeanne Meserve for us this morning from Washington. Jeanne, thanks so much. Kiran?
CHETRY: John, thanks. Well, still ahead, Carol Costello joins us. Her just saying this week is about kids on reality TV. We've seen of course the "Jon & Kate plus 8" and now balloon boy. But what type of impact does it have on children when the lines between what's real and what's not, what's taped for everyone to see and what's private get blurred. 16 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: What a beautiful shot this morning. That's New York City. That is so gorgeous. I mean, if you didn't see the ball fields right there for a second that could be upstate.
ROBERTS: Could be the Adirondacks.
CHETRY: You could be half way to the Catskills. But no, that's central park this morning.
ROBERTS: I actually went to the boathouse yesterday afternoon for just a couple of minutes, sat outside the patio. You don't even know you're in New York City.
CHETRY: See that, it's a little oasis, except on Sunday morning brunch when everybody and their dog is there, literally. Anyway, 55 minutes past the hour. A little bit later, cloudy and 59. Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." American league championship series is heading back to the Bronx. The LA angels fighting off elimination after blowing a four-run lead, but a come- from-behind victory, finally, 7-6, they won over the Yanks in Anaheim last night. The Yankees still lead the series 3-2, but this is it. Well, hopefully, game six Saturday night, New York. Game seven, if need, Sunday. And the winner will go on to play the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.
ROBERTS: What do you have against dogs, by the way?
CHETRY: Nothing, they're just -- all over the place there, barking.
ROBERTS: Well, if you look at the Obama family portrait, no dogs there. We're getting our first look at the official White House portrait. Picture taken by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz. It shows the President and First Lady along with daughters Sasha and Malia in the Green Room of the White House. First dog, Bo, apparently might be camera shy, because he wasn't in that particular photo.
CHETRY: You can always Photoshop him after the fact. Well, seven quarter-pound patties, more than 2,000 calories. Want some fries with that? Microsoft teaming up with burger king to bring people in Japan the new windows 7 whopper, just a little subtle promotion, right? Didn't go unnoticed, it cost 777 yen or a little under $9.00 in US. And our Kyung Lah, native Kyung Lah, decided to take on the big beast of a burger, even though it's about half the size of her head. So, how did she do? There you go, take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
They look good, but I don't know if I can keep all that down. I went with the double whopper.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: My turn. In case you're wondering, 2,120 calories. A whole day's calorie intake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Unbelievable.
CHETRY: That's amazing.
ROBERTS: Next up, the hot dog eating contest in Coney Island. Absolutely. Also this morning, amazing video out of Puerto Rico. A massive explosion and fire at a gulf oil refinery outside of San Juan. Authorities say the blast blew out windows in passing cars. They're still not sure what triggered it. At least 11 of the plant's 30- plus tanks have exploded and firefighters say it could take days to put out the flames.
CHETRY: We have an AM follow up for you now. He says that his medical bills amount to more than $1 million a year. He was on the verge of losing his health care coverage, but after our report aired, an about-face from his insurance company and an apology. Here's our Jim Acosta.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, earlier this week we introduced you to Ian Pearl, a disabled man with muscular dystrophy who was just weeks away from losing his health insurance. One day after our story aired on "American Morning," that insurance company, Guardian, announced it is reversing its decision. In a statement to CNN, Guardian's president Dennis Manning said, quote, "Insurance companies are comprised of human beings and sometimes we make mistakes. This was one of them, but we also learn from those mistakes and we seek to correct them. This is the right action to take because it is consistent with our values as individuals and as a company."
Guardian also apologized to Ian for an internal company e-mail that refer to the Pearl family policy as a dog that the company could get rid of. As for the Pearl family, Ian's mother told me over the phone she is speechless. Then she went on to say, I am very encouraged that Guardian is releasing this statement and is acknowledging its misconduct. Guardian's reversal means that Ian can keep his insurance policy, which pays for his in-home nursing care, the same care he credits with saving his life. And we understand from talking to state lawmakers in New York that right now they are drafting legislation they call Ian's law, something they hope will prevent insurance companies from dropping high-cost insurance policies -- John and Kiran.
ROBERTS: Jim Acosta for us this morning. Jim, thanks so much. You remember back in the summertime, there was that big dustoff between sheriff Tom Dart of Cook County, Illinois, and Craigslist over the erotic services section and Craigslist finally capitulated, took all those ads out. Well, a big blow against Sheriff Tom Dart was handed down yesterday when a judge said, sorry, you can't hold Craigslist responsible. It's not their fault. So what happens now with all these adult ads? The sheriff joins us, coming up in just a few minutes. Twenty-three minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Children on reality television shows. Authorities say the so-called balloon boy's father went to great lengths to get his family on the air.
CHETRY: Now some people are asking, is it really good for kids to walk around all the time with cameras in their faces? Our Carol Costello joins us now from Washington with more on that. It seems like, you know, it's pretty obvious that it can't be great for the kids, but, you know, have they been able to look into whether or not there are lasting effects from what, you know, happens sometimes on these reality TV shows?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Plenty of people are looking into that, Kiran. And, you know, there are plenty who say Falcon Heene will be forever known as balloon boy. It sounds silly, and it may even be funny to you, unless, of course, you're Falcon Heene. Just sayin', is it time we re-evaluate how children are used on reality TV and figure out exactly why we're so interested in watching kids stumble and sometimes fall on shows we see as Hollywood and they see as real life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Peter!
COSTELLO: On the reality TV program, "SuperNanny," children steal the show. Kids at their very worst on national television with parental consent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you know how stupid you are?
COSTELLO: Also, mom and dad can get advice on how to parent from super nanny Jo Frost. The show's a hit. As are so many others that feature children. Some say Richard Heene used his adorable assets for a shot at adult fame. And remember Octomom? She and 14 kids are currently in production. Just saying', should kids be reality stars?
SCOTT STERNBERG, REALITY TV PRODUCER: I don't use children in any of our reality programs.
COSTELLO: Scott Sternberg produces reality TV shows like "The Academy."
STERNBERG: Once you put a child in any kind of a serious situation where there can be repercussions, then you're changing those children's lives forever.
COSTELLO: Children like the Gosselins of TLC's "Jon & Kate plus 8." when the series began, mom and dad were bickering, but affectionate. Now they're in the midst of a bitter public divorce. Part of the fight, whether those cute kids can remain reality TV stars.
JON GOSSELIN, REALITY TV SHOW ACTOR: I don't think it's healthy for them. And I think my kids should be taken off the show.
Don't fight!
COSTELLO: But both the kids' mom, Kate Gosselin and TLC, want the kids to remain on TV, without dad. Even though Kate Gosselin was quoted in Vanity Fair Online that her kids have been "acting out" because they miss their dad.
LESLIE ABBOTT, "TRADING SPOUSES" MOM: I think people are blinded by fame and lose perspective, lose perspective of reality.
COSTELLO: Leslie and Carl Abbott along with their teenage son starred in "Trading Spouses," a reality show now on CMT. The Abbotts say they survived reality TV because of one thing, a strong, intact family.
LUKE ABBOTT, "TRADING SPOUSES" SON: I don't need to be on another one. Once is enough, but I don't have any regrets about going on the show at all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: It's important to keep in mind the Abbotts' kids were older. They were in their later teens when they starred in that reality TV show. I asked you to comment on my blog. Gil did and he wondered why I didn't consult a psychologist for this story. Well, Gil, I did. Dr. Jamie Nizman counsels kids who have been on reality TV. He told me, children need the ability to be safe and to have boundaries. Parents whose kids are brought up in front of a camera have an agenda. It means keeping kids safe becomes secondary. Nizman told me it's best that kids not be on reality TV, but if they are, extra care should be taken so the child doesn't become known for their faults or bad behavior. The feelings associated with those things last a lifetime and can have long-lasting negative effects on a person's self-esteem -- John, Kiran.
CHETRY: You can see how that would happen, for sure. Carol, thank you. And we also want to know, as you said, we just read one of the comments. We would like to hear from you. Should kids be reality TV stars? We would like you to comment on Carol's blog. It's at cnn.com/amfix.
ROBERTS: Crossing the half hour now and checking our top stories this Friday morning. Investigators are trying to determine why the crew of Northwest Airlines flight 188 overshot their landing not by a little bit, but by 150 miles.
Air traffic controllers unable to contact the pilots for well over an hour on the San Diego to Minneapolis flight. For a time they feared that the plane had been hijacked. The crew now grounded while investigators determine whether they fell asleep at the controls.
CHETRY: NASA being told to aim higher. Experts reviewing the space program telling the White House that the agency should skip the moon. They suggested it would be a better use of resources to explore a nearby asteroid or perhaps one of the moons on mars.
ROBERTS: Pirates, meet your worst enemy. Two new Navy warships are topping out at 50 miles an hour. One of them, the 378-foot "Freedom" is set to be deployed next year, two years ahead of schedule according to the AP.
The military reportedly put it on a fast track because of its ability to operate in coastal waters and chase down pirates.
First they called them "erotic services," then they called them "adult services," but whatever you call them, Craigslist this morning is calling it a victory because a judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by Sheriff Tom Dart.
He says that Craigslist has been hijacked for criminal purposes, specifically prostitution. And Sheriff Dart of Cook County, Illinois, joins us this morning from Chicago.
Sheriff, good to have you back this morning. The U.S. district court, though, dealt you quite a blow, saying it's not Craigslist's fault if people use it improperly, basically saying to you, if you're looking for criminal activity here, go after the perpetrators, not the Web site.
SHERIFF TOM DART, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS: Yes, and John, we do go after the perpetrators. The problem is the Web site allows the really evil people, the ones that are trafficking children and trafficking adults who we have made arrests on, the evil people get to hide behind the Internet and we can't get to them because of what they've set up.
And to me it's puzzling if for some reason if an apartment owner is allowing gang bangers and dope dealers to use his apartment building, we can take that we from him, but if a Web site is allowing it to be used by traffickers and pimps, they get a free pass because somehow they're immune to the rest of the laws of the world.
ROBERTS: So what are you saying about this judge? Do you believe his interpretation of the law was just incorrect?
DART: I can't believe the legislators, and I'm a former legislators myself, ever thought that if you have a Web site that immunizes you. That means that -- like Craigslist. They are painfully aware that their site is being used for illegal purposes. They know it. I've sent them photographs. They have all the evidence of all the arrests, the 300 arrests I've made.
And John, mind you, just last week off a different Web site, similar to Craigslist, I got three women from Thailand who were being moved around the country with their passports being taken and being shopped on the Internet, and we were able to save them. But were we able to get the people behind them? No, because they hide behind the internet.
ROBERTS: Right, OK. So this judge went so far to rule that these ads may have limited protections under the First Amendment. What do you with say about that opinion?
DART: Well, once again, I can't understand how the First Amendment shields people involved with criminal conduct.
And I think, John, some of this has to do with our culture's view of prostitution. If this was a Web site that was allowing other people to put ads on for murder for hire or ads on for selling kilos of cocaine, I think everyone would say, First Amendment's all good and fine, but this Web site is allowing people to seek out other folks to commit homicide or to purchase large amounts of cocaine. We would all say, well, you can't shield that.
But somehow because it's just prostitution, and somehow just because we're just trafficking in children and adults, it's OK for some bizarre reason.
ROBERTS: Now, you won a victory earlier this year, and we covered this extensively, had you on a number of times, when Craigslist agreed to get rid of its so-called erotic services, put some of those advertisements that were in erotic services in an adult services section, and try to institute safeguards to ensure that criminal activity would not take place. Were now not satisfied by what they've done?
DART: John, no, because, John, there was all of a nanosecond when I thought they were being sincere. And then once we saw -- we're still making countless arrests.
And John, every time we show up at one of these ads, we make an arrest for prostitution. We have not had one where we've walked in and it was a legitimate masseuse and we have had to apologize and leave. It has never happened.
And I asked them, I said guys, if you're being sincere, will you tell me just the basics of how you're monitoring this. Do you have a college student doing the entire country, or do you have a former law enforcement officer in each town looking at these ads?
And they won't even respond to my letters. This has been going on for months now.
ROBERTS: One thing we can do, we can sort of give our folks at home an example of some of the ads that are in the adult services on Craigslist.
A couple here were taken from the New York City Web site. This one from Leona says she "makes all the other girls jealous. She's highly regarded by customers, is always open."
Natalie, another ad posted, says she's "attentive and honest, has some rates posted for it as well, $250 an hour, $200 for a half hour, quote, "out calls only."
So you're suggesting that these ads are not legitimate for personal adult services, massages, companionship, whatever? DART: Yes, you know, John, I guarantee you, if I could send my folks out to New York right now, I would go to those two ads and I guarantee you within about ten minutes I would be arresting those people for prostitution.
It's the same thing in the ads that we have here in Chicago. It's no different, because people always ask me, how many arrests have you made? And I always say, how many do you want me to make? Because every ad is for prostitution, it's just a question of how many guys I have that night to go out and do this.
And it's not a good use of my resources, a, and, b, the ads aren't always honest, so I never know when someone that's advertising as an adult is actually a 14-year-old child which is what we've had, or 15-year-old child, which is what we've had, or someone who is being forced to do it because someone's holding their passport.
ROBERTS: I take it you'll keep fighting?
DART: John, we are not going away.
ROBERTS: All right, Sheriff Tom Dart from Cook County, good to catch up with you again, Sheriff. Thanks for coming on.
DART: Great talking to you, John. Thank you so much.
ROBERTS: Take care.
CHETRY: Just shows what a conundrum he's in.
ROBERTS: I saw some of these ads, and I don't know what they're missing.
CHETRY: There it is.
Still ahead, we'll be talking with Ludacris. He joins us. He's actually giving a speech today before the National Press Club and he's going to be talking about why he wants young people to know that they have to give back and that it's a call to action in some ways. He'll be joining us to explain why.
It's 36 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning.
You know, the world needs its heroes. One man is making a big difference getting kids off the tough streets of New Orleans.
Here's Grammy Award winner Wyclef Jean introducing us to one of CNN's top ten heroes of 2009.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WYCLEF JEAN, MUSICIAN: How y'all doing. My name is Wyclef Jean. At the first annual "CNN Heroes" tribute show, I had the honor of performing and helping to recognize the great works of everyday citizens changing the world.
As a founder of Yelli Haiti, an organization that helps to improve lives in my native country, I am thrilled to help CNN introduce one of this year's top ten honorees.
Now more than ever, the world needs hero.
DERRICK TABB, CHAMPIONING CHILDREN: Life after Katrina is really hard for a kid. You have violence, the drug life. I'm just tired of it.
My aim is to get kids off the streets. My name is Derrick Tab, and I started a free music education program for the kids of New Orleans.
We do more than just teach music. We offer transportation, we offer instruments. I feed you so you're not hungry, give you tutoring. I call it the "no excuse policy." You don't have no excuse why you're not here.
You don't have any experience. We meet five days a week. We're constantly learning something new. And that's what keeps the kids coming back every day.
I don't say that I'm saving lives. I say I'm giving life, a whole different life of music.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Thousands of people from all over the world were nominated as CNN's hero of the year, but there can only be just one. Who inspires you the most? Who's making the biggest impact on the world? Who do you think should be named CNN's hero of the year?
Go to CNN.com/heroes to cast your vote. All of the nominees in the top ten will be honored at an all star tribute hosted by Anderson Cooper on Thanksgiving night. You'll see it here only on CNN.
CHETRY: Still ahead, we'll be joined by Ludacris. He's talking to the National Press Club today about why young people need to take action, and before that, he'll stop by for a chat with us. We'll see you back here in just one second.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: There's a lot of excitement in our NEWSROOM this morning over our next guest. At just 32 years old, he's got quite a resume: Grammy Award winning rapper, producer, and actor.
CHETRY: Yes and we're talking about Ludacris but he's also the founder, chairman and CEO of the Ludacris Foundation. Today's he's going to be in the nation's capital. He's talking to the National Press Club and he wants people just like you to get more involved in your community. So joining us from our D.C. Bureau, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, great to see you this morning. Thanks for being with us.
CHRIS "LUDACRIS" BRIDGES, GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING SINGER AND ACTOR: Thanks for having me and great to be here.
CHETRY: So you're giving this address to the National Press Club today. Very exciting. Tell us what you're going to be talking about.
BRIDGES: Really, just about the call to leadership that President Obama has asked everyone about. And just being, you know, a part of the community and being very much well involved in the community, just calling people to bridge this generation gap and come up with new ideas so that we can solve some of these issues that are going on all across the United States of America and abroad.
CHETRY: You know, a lot of kids really idolize you, listen to your music, watch you in movies. If they're watching today and they're thinking, what is it that I can do, you know just little old me and maybe I'm 10 years old, maybe I'm 15, what can I do in my community to make a difference.
What are some of the things that you might tell them?
BRIDGES: No matter how much power or influence that you have, no matter what level, I felt like everybody can do something. I feel like I'm leading by example right now and I just feel like you can give back in any way.
Some people don't have the money to necessarily give back, but sometimes you can dedicate your time, there's so many different things that you can do. For more information, you can go to my Web site the Ludacris Foundation.org and check out some of the things. But I feel like that's something that we all have to - we have to take responsibility for what's going on and that's why I'm here to talk to you today.
ROBERTS: You know Luda, you've really got your finger on the pulse of the youth of America. And there are so many kids who really are doing a lot of good, but then you see what happened in Chicago with this beating death of this teenager. There was this teen in Florida who was set on fire. There are these young people out in Palo Alto, California, four of whom have jumped in front of trains to commit suicide.
And you sit back and you wonder, what is going on with some of the youth in America these days.
BRIDGES: That is exactly why I'm sitting in front of you today, man. We can talk about the problems all day, but it's time to sit here and talk about some of the solutions and how we can come together to talk about these things and at least open up some discussions on how we can solve some of these problems. So I agree with you 100 percent.
ROBERTS: You supported the president. You supported President Obama in his campaign to become the President of the United States. Do you think that he is doing enough on this front?
BRIDGES: I think that he is doing his job and that's why he is calling for everyone to do something, because he can't do it all by himself.
CHETRY: That's right. And he really has opened up the White House to a whole new generation when you see who he decides to bring in for musical guests and to hold some of these barbecues, picnics, luaus outside. It's great to see more young people getting engaged.
And that's really what we saw with this 2008 election. Also the First Lady, she's really trying to put a good message out there as well for the kids when it comes to healthy lifestyles. You probably saw the pictures of her out there hula-hooping on the lawn with some of the young kids.
When it comes to obesity, we do have a big problem. And you know, in some communities, particularly, a big issue in African- American communities. Some 35 percent of the kids under the age of 19 are considered overweight or obese. And I know you've been working with kids about healthy lifestyle choices.
Are we making progress on that front?
BRIDGES: I think we are making progress. Just like you said, what she's doing, I support her initiative. The Ludacris Foundation, my organization, has the same kind of initiative for healthy lifestyles and trying to get kids to eat healthier, to learn how to cook for themselves, all these different things.
So like I said, it's just about us coming together and trying to make a difference.
ROBERTS: So as we said, Luda, you've supported the president, you did whatever you could to help his campaign, the president says he's got you on his iPod, but there's one rap that you did "Politics," that the president said you should be ashamed of those lyrics.
He said that, he worries that his daughters are listening to your music and what kind of image of themselves that they might get from listening to your lyrics. And I'm wondering, how do you reconcile what you're doing with the youth of America to try to encourage them to be better citizens and yet at the same time, you've got the president saying, well, I'm worried about my daughters listening to your raps.
BRIDGES: I've since spoke to the president's campaign and everyone involved and unfortunately, I can't -- it's confidential what we spoke about, but I wouldn't be here in front of you today unless I felt like I was trying to take responsibility for everything that I've done, sir.
ROBERTS: All right. Ludacris, good to talk to you this morning and good luck this afternoon and really good luck with this program of yours and the Ludacris Foundation, some really good work that you're doing. BRIDGES: Thank you.
CHETRY: Thanks for being here.
Still ahead, we're going to be talking with Rick Sanchez, "LATINO IN AMERICA" reaction. He shared his personal story yesterday about what it was like being first generation, coming to this country from Cuba.
And we're going to talk a little bit more about some of the big issues involving Latinos that are taking shape right now in our country. It's 49 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. You saw the groundbreaking documentary "LATINO IN AMERICA" right here on CNN the last two nights; the program opening up a new dialogue about the changing role of Latinos in this country.
CHETRY: It's got a lot of people talking, both in English and in Espanol.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Spanglish, don't forget Spanglish.
CHETRY: That's right, Rick Sanchez is joining us live, because it was simulcast in CNN en Espanol.
SANCHEZ: It was.
CHETRY: I love the way you say se, ene, ene.
SANCHEZ: Ce-Ene-Ene en Espanol.
CHETRY: So there you go, you say it better than I did.
But a lot of great reaction from taking a look at so many aspects of Latino culture and the impact on the U.S.
SANCHEZ: What's amazing was that after I was on the air yesterday with you all, the phones just lit up because we gave the telephone number.
CHETRY: Right, right.
SANCHEZ: And suddenly, everybody and their mother from all over the country was calling and wanting to give an opinion. And what was interesting about the phone call and I think what's really important was, that people who were used to debating the Hispanic issues, which can't be talked about without talking about immigration, by the way and often time using bludgeoning tools to have that discussion were taking a step back and taking a look at it from another perspective.
Because we had, you know, non-Hispanics calling in who had a very strong opinion about what we need to do in this country. And then we had a lot of Hispanics calling in as well and saying, well, let me tell you what my experience is. And it becomes a sharing process.
And I thought it was fantastic. It's the kind of thing we should do more of.
ROBERTS: One day in the not too distant future, Hispanics will be the majority in this country. And when that day happens, how does the debate change?
SANCHEZ: What's interesting is, it depends on the level of assimilation. Every study that's been done, including the most recent study that was done by the group out of Princeton University of New Jersey, seemed to show that the level of assimilation that is being experienced by this group, this new wave, the Hispanics that are coming to America, is exactly the same as the assimilation levels that have taken place with Germans and Irish and Norwegians in Minnesota and the Dutch and everybody else.
That is to say, first generation only speaks their language. Second generation speaks their language plus English. Third generation tends to speak only English and they have forgotten the mother tongue.
So if the assimilation levels continue as they're going right now -- and remember, we're not talking about just one time and place, one generation. What we're talking about is the gradual assimilation of the group -- the Cubans who came in the 1960s; many of the Puerto Ricans who came much prior to that; the Nicaraguans, as you and I were talking about yesterday, that came in the 1980s and 1990s.
So because they've all come in different groups, the assimilation levels, let's say, 20 years from now, will have caught up and our country will gradually assimilate into an American culture, not really a Hispanic culture.
I think it's wrong when people say the problem is they're changing traditional America. No, they're not. It's just because you're looking at it through a microscope in one moment. If you go down 20, 30 years, it's going to be the same level of assimilation that we've all experienced no matter where we come from, generally speaking.
CHETRY: It is a fascinating -- you guys probably ran out of time. You had an hourlong radio show.
SANCHEZ: We could have gone for five hours.
CHETRY: Right. Exactly. As we talk about the immigration debate as well, that really has been on the back burner of late, as we discuss issues like health care. And then there are those that say that you really can't take immigration out of the health care debate, because when you talk about the uninsured, many of them are immigrants.
SANCHEZ: Well, If you want to combine the health care debate with the immigration debate, then you have to ask yourself, thinking as a conservative, why do you want people who are getting free health care and not paying for it?
If you want the illegal immigrants and everybody else in this country to have health care, tax them. I mean, doesn't it make all the sense in the world? Every time you buy a stick of gum, we're going to take two pennies from that and put it into a health care pot that when you get sick, we're going to use those two pennies to pay for when you get sick, Mr. Illegal immigrant, or Mr. Person that doesn't want to have insurance, because they think it's too expensive. You can run that argument both ways. I'm not sure it goes that way but I think you could probably run that argument both ways.
ROBERTS: So after spending so much time to listening people call in, talking about their background, talking about their heritage, their pride in being Hispanic, Latino in America, have you thought anymore about teaching your kids Spanish?
SANCHEZ: I knew you were going to go there. Talk about a bludgeoning tool, right?
CHETRY: Well, you know, it is important.
SANCHEZ: Look. Let's talk about this.
CHETRY: As we lecture him on his parenting skills.
ROBERTS: Come on, you're on television doing -- you're CNN English in America doing a promo in Espanol and you don't teach your kids Spanish? What is that about?
SANCHEZ: I was just talking about the assimilation process. And I go back to what I was telling you yesterday and whenever you and I have talked about this. I work eight, nine, ten hours a day. When I'm done at the end of the day and I get home at 7:00 and I want to have dinner...
ROBERTS: Oh, half day.
SANCHEZ: Compared to you right?
CHETRY: Oh, so you work half days here. We're just teasing you here.
ROBERTS: Now we know.
SANCHEZ: But when I get home, I swear, I want to be a dad. I don't want to be a Spanish instructor. I don't want to sit down with Savannah and Remy and Ricky and Robby and say, "OK, guys, everybody grab your pencils and books, dad's going to teach you Spanish.
ROBERTS: I'll tell you what. You can be a Spanish teacher with me, because I wish I were fluent.
SANCHEZ: Yes. You know a lot of people say that, people on both camps, by the way.
(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) SANCHEZ: You know, there's a difference, though, between Spanglish and Spanish. You guys are a little more Spanglish than real Spanish.
ROBERTS: You want to call in to Rick this morning, here's the number, 877-266-4189. Your second chance to see our groundbreaking documentary showcasing Latinos and how they're changing America. "LATINO IN AMERICA" see it again in its entirety, Saturday and Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.
Don't forget, I grew up in a country where you had English and then Quebeca (ph), which wasn't really French.
SANCHEZ: And you spent time in Miami, so that pretty much makes you one of those in-betweeners.
CHETRY: We're not at the Sanchez level, but know a little bit more than yo quiero Taco Bell.
SANCHEZ: Oh, very nice.
ROBERTS: Fifty-eight minutes after the hour.
SANCHEZ: You guys are great. Thanks for having me on.
CHETRY: Rick, great to see you, as always.
We're going to take a quick break. Fifty-eight minutes after the hour.
ROBERTS: There you go. It's Friday. Don't go to work, just bang on your drum all day.
Continue today's conversations. You can bang on that drum, the political drum. Go to our blog at cnn.com/amfix.
CHETRY: Yes, it was great having you here all week.
ROBERTS: I'm always here all week. I was talking to them, but then I looked at you.
It was great having you all here all week.
ROBERTS: Hey, it was great having you here all week as well.
CHETRY: It was real nice meeting you as well.
ROBERTS: Come back again next week, we'll continue to pay you.
CHETRY: Let's do it again. How about Monday?
ROBERTS: There you go.
That's going to wrap it up for us. Have a great weekend.
CHETRY: The news continues now with Heidi Collins.
