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Arrest in Detroit Serial Rapist Case; President Obama Meets With Chinese President; Positive Signs for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords; Man Buried Alive in Mud Rescued; NFL Fight Goes to the Hill; Dish on Tonight's State Dinner; Alleged Abortion Murder Case
Aired January 19, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Now, at the top of the hour, take a look at this.
A student brings a gun to school. Somehow it goes off, and now a young girl is fighting for her life. We're learning more about what happened inside that classroom.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
They are competitors, they are rivals. They need each other, but is the U.S. losing to China in the battle of the superpowers? I'll tell you why many Americans are scared stiff.
Also, look at this. Look who showed up to greet the Chinese president. We'll share this fascinating moment.
It is one of the most violent cities in America, but suddenly nearly half the police officers in Camden, New Jersey, are off the streets.
Now, there are fears this city will turn into a criminals' playground.
And someone asked an elderly woman for cash. When she goes for her purse, the driver hits the gas. You will see the shocking video.
Hello there, once again. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for watching.
A lot of news happening right now. Rapid fire, let's go beginning with developing news here, word of an arrest in the hunt for a monster. Seven women have been raped in the city of Detroit since New Year's Day. Another woman was attacked. The crimes obviously putting the city on edge, but now police telling CNN there is a person of interest in custody. If we get any updates, we will pass them along.
Next, we're just getting word that a vote on the health care overhaul could happen any minute. House Republicans want to repeal it, and this is obviously a huge move against President Obama. We're monitoring breaking news on Capitol Hill. For now, let's move along to this next. China's President Hu Jintao is the toast of official Washington today. The Chinese leader begins the state visit and a big, big dinner planned for this evening. At a joint news conference, President Obama said disputes over trade and human rights should not disrupt the search for relations.
Next, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords heading to rehab. Her office says she will be leaving Arizona for Houston a little later this week. Remember, it has only been 11 days since she was shot in the head during that rampage in Tucson.
Next, a gas main explodes in Philadelphia, killing one worker. Look at this video. Look at that. Crews responding to a broken line were obviously blown back in the blast. Four other utility workers and a firefighter are injured, some of whom seriously. Still no word yet as to what sparked that explosion.
Next, two people are dead after a small plane crashes into an R.V. park, this whole thing happening near North Myrtle Beach. We're told the plane clipped a tree, hit a vehicle, then landed inside a trailer. Police are telling us the pilot was killed, along with the woman inside the camper. One witness says the plane's engine was -- quote -- "screaming full-tilt" before that crash.
Next, take a look at this with me. It's a laser. It is blasting a bright green image at an aircraft. Look, it may seem harmless, but that light can temporarily blind a pilot, putting everybody on a plane or in a helicopter at risk. The FAA released some stats today saying the number of laser incidents doubled last year to more than 2,800. Los Angeles and Chicago reporting the most incidents there.
Next, how about this story, 200 cows just found dead on a farm in Wisconsin? Now, police are blaming a virus. The farmer blames pneumonia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY KRUPKA, FARM OWNER: That's probably $300,000 worth of cattle we lost. That's just something that, you know, there's no insurance for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Tough. Police say the virus not a threat to people there.
Next, a massive cocaine bust in Spain. Police are calling it the largest coke lab in European history. This is video. It shows agents raiding a farmhouse. This is outside of Madrid. It turned up more than 600 pounds of cocaine, 400 cell phones and $2.6 million in cash.
Next, that is even more cocaine than you see laid out here, nearly 640 pounds, worth about $33 million. It was seized recently in Hong Kong, found in a shipping container arriving from South America. It's not the largest cocaine seizure in Hong Kong history, but it is the biggest haul ever made by Hong Kong customs. Next, a suspect turns police's frowns upside down as he corners himself in a McDonald's. You get it? Police chasing a carjacking suspect watched him tear down highways and side streets. They say he was driving for 45 minutes at high speeds.
Next, a woman in Ohio gets not one, not two, but three speeding tickets in all of an hour, her worst offense, doing 55 in a 35. The speedster told police, sorry, wasn't paying attention.
Next, homes in America are shrinking. Builders say they are cutting the square footage of new homes over the next couple of years. The reason, buyers want to pay less for houses and power bills. First things that have got to go, formal living and dining rooms.
Next, no more tardy bells at one school in North Carolina. The principal says he want to treat the kids more like college students, so he is hoping this new rule will give them a little bit more responsibility. Kids, we will see how long that holds up.
Next, the happiest place in the world is getting bigger. Walt Disney World adding several new rides, including a Seven Dwarves indoor roller coaster. Kind of cool. I'm a big fan of Space Mountain myself. We're told the expansion will double the size of Fantasyland. The new park is scheduled to open in phases next year.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
BALDWIN: And I want to show you some shocking video that caught our eye, shocking video. This is of an elderly woman being dragged by a car. You see what happens next? We're going to show you and hear what the driver asks her just before hitting the gas. Look at this. That is ahead.
Plus, there is quite a story developing right now. A doctor is accused of doing some horrific things, including murder -- at the center of it all, illegal abortions. I'm going to speak with a prosecutor in this case. We're going to talk some tough questions. It's disturbing. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: OK. Having your purse stolen, yes, it's bad enough, but what happened in South Daytona, Florida, takes purse snatching to a whole new level here.
I want you to watch this with me. The car is dragging a woman. She's 78 years old. You see her there finally laying on the ground. The victim says two women stopped and asked her for gas money as she was walking into a store. This was yesterday. Watch it again, hanging on to the car. Now, when she started to give them cash, she says they grabbed her purse and drove off.
You saw she hung on as long as she could. Today, she is in the hospital. She is in critical condition. The two suspects at least have been arrested. They are 29-year-old Lacey Joan Robertson, been in jail since early today. Her alleged accomplice, 25-year-old Sarah Lynn Higbee, was arrested just before noon today. Investigators say the pair preyed on victims who can't fight back. They were also suspects in a similar attack involving women in a wheelchair.
Now, I want to take you -- these are shocking allegations, and I want to warn you I find this story disgusting, and I'm going to guess you will as well. Here's the story.
A doctor in Philadelphia facing multiple murder charges in what can only be described as a barbaric crime. Dr. Kermit Gosnell is accused of performing hundreds of illegal late-term abortions. Prosecutors say the 69-year-old doctor severed the spinal cords of viable, healthy babies with scissors once they were taken from their mothers.
Gosnell is also accused in the death of a woman who died from an overdose of anesthesia. He's accused of unethical behavior in almost every part of his practice. The charges stem from a year-long investigation into practices at Dr. Gosnell's clinic described as a house of horrors.
It has operated for 30 years. Nine of Dr. Gosnell's associates and staffers are also facing murder charges.
So I want to get into all of this with a man who has made a little time for us today, and we appreciate it, Philadelphia district attorney Seth Williams announcing these charges today, pages, and pages and pages of charges. We will get to that in just a moment here.
But, Seth, I appreciate you joining me.
I want to just begin with the obvious. How was your office first tipped off about this man?
SETH WILLIAMS, PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It's a very good question, Brooke.
This started initially as an investigation into a pill mill. This doctor was the number one supplier for illegal prescriptions for OxyContins and other painkillers. So in February of 2010, detectives from my office executed a search warrant just to find this pill mill and to stop it, and it wasn't until then did they discover the disgusting, squalid, horrific abortion clinic that he was running for late-term abortions.
BALDWIN: Let's talk about your words, squalid clinic. I want you to paint the picture of what these investigators, once they went into this clinic, paint the picture of what investigators found.
WILLIAMS: Right.
And, again, you know, people can debate the morality of abortion. This isn't about that. This is about women being allowed to die. This is about the murder of children that had been born alive.
So this doctor performed late-term abortions for people who could not get abortions this late from anyone else. They would go there. They would pay a sliding scale based on how large the baby was, what the gestation period was and how much anesthesia they wanted.
This doctor was the only person there with any medical training, but he was not a board-certified obstetrician or gynecologist. He had a high school student serving as an anesthesiologist, if you can believe that, making a cocktail of Demerol.
BALDWIN: Wow.
WILLIAMS: But when this search warrant was executed, there were jars and jars and jars of severed feet that this doctor kept. He kept pictures of the women's genitalia.
There was fetuses and body parts in bags all over this building, and even in the same refrigerator that the staff had their lunch in. What's most disturbing, of course, and what the jury found most problematic was that this doctor would induce labor. So this wasn't the normal abortion that people think of for people in their first trimester.
This was a doctor giving medicines that would induce the labor. The women would have the babies. The babies would squirm, would cry like any baby born. Then this doctor would perform a procedure he called snipping -- it has no medical basis -- where he would take scissors and put them in the back of the skull.
BALDWIN: I want to stop you. Let me stop you --
WILLIAMS: -- of the newborn.
BALDWIN: -- because I don't want to continue. We don't know this for a fact. I know this is just based upon what investigators are finding inside this office.
And I hate to even have to say this. Just to be fair, we are trying to reach out to the doctor. We have yet to hear from the doctor.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: But if I can just ask you, I think you made this point, Seth, and I want to just reiterate it.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: Well, Brooke, this is the testimony that was given to the grand jury. This is the grand jury's report.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Wow. This is the testimony.
WILLIAMS: Correct.
BALDWIN: And you said -- he has not been convicted. Just to be clear, he has not been convicted. This is just the testimony. This is what people are saying.
But you said he is -- is he an actual M.D., sir?
WILLIAMS: He is a graduate of a medical school in Philadelphia, that's correct, but he was not a board-certified obstetrician or gynecologist.
But the medical examiner actually had the bodies that -- where he had severed the spinal cords of live children. So, this isn't just speculation. And we have the physical evidence.
BALDWIN: I understand. And I also understand here I have one page of charges, this is just the list here for Dr. Gosnell, and then we have listed one page, two pages, three pages, single-spaced here, for these eight other women who are also facing a litany of charges.
Who are these women, Seth?
WILLIAMS: Well, there's a total of 10 defendants, one being Dr. Gosnell and nine co-defendants, one is a man. They are all employees of Dr. Gosnell. People that were like a receptionist, but he had the receptionist would double as a person who gave IV, intravenous drugs, for the painkilling.
So these are all people that were part of what we believe was a corrupt organization for this criminal conspiracy of running an illegal abortion clinic. And it's just horrific the barbaric procedures that these women had to endure.
BALDWIN: Let me jump in, because we know this clinic, it was called the Women's Medical Society, opened up back in 1979. How was this doctor able to fly under the radar for all these many decades without anyone noticing or taking action?
WILLIAMS: And that's equally disturbing and the grand jury reported on such, that this doctor's office had not been inspected by the State Department of Health since 1993. So they found that unbelievable, that we have more regulation for women's hair salons than abortion clinics.
BALDWIN: Philadelphia D.A. Seth Williams. Tough story, appreciate you coming on, Seth. Thank you.
WILLIAMS: I'm very sorry. Take care, Brooke.
BALDWIN: It is the world's most expensive yacht topping a billion dollars. So what does this get you? Apparently, it gets you a floating city. I'm not making this up. I'm going to tell you what the lucky passengers will be doing onboard.
Plus, President Obama and the Chinese president shaking hands right along the rope line, there they go, today. Sure made for a fascinating moment, especially when one of the president's daughters -- there she, is white jacket, white scarf -- showed up.
Joe Johns has the "Political Pop." He has all these new juicy details about the big dinner, the big state dinner tonight. Joe, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: What do you buy or should I say build when you already pretty much have everything? A yacht, of course. This is not your average, everyday million dollar yacht, peshaw (ph) to that. This is the most expensive yacht in development. That's right, a yacht worth roughly $1.1 billion, folks.
This island yacht, not your typical floating city. It's modeled after a section of Monaco with a maximum speed of 15 knots, roughly 17 miles per hour. It can carry 70 crew and 16 guests. So do the math, I did. That's 4.3 crew members per guest.
Of course, there's a spa, there's manicure, hair salon, private massage suites, saunas, steam rooms, relax after the big long hard day at the pool and the bar or -- keep looking -- you can glide up the marble staircase and elevator to the mezzanine where you can enjoy your cafe bar and magnificent views of the gardens below, gym, ocean views.
Go upstairs, enjoy the grand atrium, the central hub of the yacht where you find another bar, the VIP suites. Of course, you have to differentiate VIP from just normal rooms on this yacht. Library, office, movie theater, casino, dance hall -- I really could keep going.
Price tag again, $1.1 billion. Necessary? You decide.
Time now for "Globe Trekking" with a look at the stories happening outside of the U.S. Hala Gorani, CNNi anchor.
What do you think of that yacht?
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: First of all, I want to say, has it been sold or is this just in development?
BALDWIN: It is in development. It's being built.
GORANI: OK, 1.1 billion, that's more than the GDP of most countries, I think.
BALDWIN: Thank you very much.
Tunisia, your favorite topic.
GORANI: Once again -- it's my favorite topic because of the impact it has potentially outside of the Tunisian borders. Today was much calmer in Tunis. Demonstrators did not go out on the streets, and most importantly security forces didn't fire tear gas today.
Now, there is still tension though percolating under the surface because this interim government, this temporary government that is promising a clean break with the past is not at all popular with these demonstrators.
Now we saw some pictures from today, but I wanted to show you, our Ben Wedeman --
BALDWIN: We have crews in the middle of it.
GORANI: Exactly, in the middle of this tear gas situation, and the producer there on the ground as well were caught up in it.
Let's take a look at what they had to go through in order to bring us the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOMMY EVANS, CNN PRODUCER: It's a little peppery. Stings the nose and eyes, but --
BEN WEDEMAN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And we're walking in the wrong direction.
EVANS: We're walking towards it. The protesters are still up by the church.
WEDEMAN: I'm used to tear gas, but this stuff is kind of getting to me. And we, as Tommy said, we're working towards it not away from it, so it's only going to get worse from here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: I love how he says he's used to.
GORANI: He's used to it. But you know, we've all -- all of us who have covered demonstrations in Europe --
BALDWIN: Have you been tear gassed?
GORANI: I've been tear gassed in Paris. Well, I was not sort of specifically targeted.
BALDWIN: You were a bystander.
GORANI: Honestly, you need a bottle of water, because what you need to do right away is rinse your eyes. That's really what ends up being a problem is if you let it sort of seep in and then it becomes extremely painful.
BALDWIN: Kudos to our crews.
GORANI: Kudos to our crews who really have to put up with a lot in order to bring us the story. And we're going to keep around Tunisia because if the government that is currently the interim government in charge in Tunisia does not last, if it collapses, if once again we see a vacuum in the leadership in Tunisia, then we could see real instability.
BALDWIN: Story number two we've been talking about a couple of days as well, that is Brazil.
GORANI: Yes. BALDWIN: And a lot of talk about, you know, we talk about the death toll and it continues to rise, and a lot of that is sort of nebulous because we don't know about the people who are trapped under the landslides and the mud.
GORANI: Absolutely, but there is sometimes sort of happy outcomes to rescue stories. And let me tell you, here is a man, Manuel Fonseca, 42 year old trapped for 16 hours.
BALDWIN: Sixteen hours in a landslide.
GORANI: Yes.
BALDWIN: In the mud.
GORANI: Exactly, in the mud. He fell over -- he fell over frontwards, so he was able to survive for 16 hours because there was a tiny air pocket.
BALDWIN: That's amazing.
GORANI: Otherwise, of course, he would have been suffocated by the mud. He is in intensive care. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Here's what's interesting, the video, this is of course cell phone video or handheld video, maybe one of those handheld video devices, but a friend of his was shooting this the entire time and didn't realize it was him until he was removed completely from the mud.
BALDWIN: How could he tell? I mean, he's caked in mud head to toe. Little did he know it was his friend.
GORANI: Yes. And first an arm comes out, then the back of a head. And the entire time Manuel Fonseca's friend is filming it not knowing who is going to be pulled out.
BALDWIN: And then I love, as you watch the whole thing, the big applause.
GORANI: The big applause, because you need these types of happy stories in disaster situations where it's really death and destruction all around them.
BALDWIN: Good stuff today, Hala Gorani, thank you. See you back here tomorrow.
And we want to keep you updated here. We are hearing that a vote on a health care overhaul could happen any minute. House Republicans, you know the story, they want to repeal it. This is a huge, huge move against President Obama. We're keeping a close eye there on what is happening on Capitol Hill.
Also coming up, will President Obama be going to the Super Bowl? He says he will, if one thing happens. What could that be? Find out next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Look, I don't need to tell you this, you know this. Congress has a lot to worry about -- terror threats, jobs, nuclear weapons, but you now can add football to the list of worries.
Here's the deal, NFL owners want to cut back on players' salaries. Now players are obviously none too thrilled about that, so if both sides don't agree on something, Sundays will be quieter this year. And today, they are taking that fight to Capitol Hill. The players want lawmakers to intervene, the league wants lawmakers to steer clear of this discussion. Several players are meeting with congressional staff so we're going to have to see what happens next.
Speaking of football, President Obama says he will go to the Super Bowl if his hometown team makes it there. Of course, hometown being Chicago, the Bears. If the Bears beat the Packers this weekend, they head to Dallas for the big show.
And time now for a little "Political Pop," keeping with the presidential theme here. We have some fun stuff on the slate today. Joe Johns is in D.C., as always, and we're been talking, Joe, a lot about this big state dinner tonight with President Obama and the president of China, Hu Jintao.
And we now have some new video. This is just in here from inside the House. Want to walk me through it?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Well, to the extent I can because I've gotten a lot of information myself.
BALDWIN: I can help you.
JOHNS: Yes, we've gotten a brief e-mail from some of our producers over at the White House. We're being told, among other things, the little details. Dinner is being held in the Blue Room, Red Room and State Dining Room. As we told you yesterday, there's not going to be a tent where entertainment is. It's all going to happen inside the White House.
There's 225 guests apparently coming to this thing.
BALDWIN: You see these pictures, Joe?
JOHNS: Yes, very beautiful.
BALDWIN: I think this is obviously the Red Room with some funky red/pink lighting. Looks kind of lovely.
JOHNS: Yes, fantastic stuff. These things are always Cinderella-like in many ways.
Some of the other details we've gotten, we do know, according to our people over at the White House, that among the performers that are confirmed for this thing, the well-known, almost legendary jazz performer Herbie Hancock who has --
BALDWIN: Oh, wow.
JOHNS: -- something like 12 Grammys, I think, as well as Lang Lang.
There's also been a lot of buzz out there about a very, very well-known jazz performer, Diane Reeves is the name that everybody will know, along with pianist Peter Martin who apparently posted a tweet -- now these things are not confirmed -- posted a tweet earlier today talking about how he was getting a tuxedo for the big gig at the White House.
This hasn't been confirmed, of course. Still waiting for an e- mail. The White House loves to keep all of this stuff under wraps until the last minute because it's supposed to create a special experience for the guests.
BALDWIN: OK, so perhaps then you won't be able to answer my next question, which is I just have to talk food when we talk state dinner. Do we have any idea what's on the menu or not yet?
JOHNS: Not yet, I don't at least so far. I've been asking the White House for that information.
We do know a little bit more about people we suspect will be guests at this dinner.
BALDWIN: Who is that?
JOHNS: Jackie Chan, the movie actor.
BALDWIN: Oh, wow.
JOHNS: Steven Chiu, the energy secretary. Interestingly, we heard Vera Wang, the very well-known designer was in town, but there were some reports she was just in town for the state lunch that occurred earlier today. Not clear as to whether she's going.
BALDWIN: Here's the menu. I'm going to jump in because I have my director in my ear, who's very excited about the poached Maine lobster. It' kind of hard to read. Orange glazed carrot cake. Continue, guys, I'm listening. Black trumpet mushrooms. Lemon sorbet. Dry aged prime rib. Thank you, Roger.
JOHNS: It's very hard to read.
BALDWIN: Buttermilk crisp onions -- this is hilarious. This is how I get information from my director.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Stuffed potatoes and creamed spinach. OK, let's stop, because you're making me hungry, Roger. So, that's the skinny, that's the latest as we're just now getting it here. So, you didn't get the e-mail, but we're getting the video. Apple pie, Angie is telling me, apple pies for dessert. That is a total slice of Americana. And look at everyone putting the final pieces together. You mentioned Cinderella. There's no glass slipper but there's glass chairs. I don't know. What do you think of the glass chairs, Joe Johns?
JOHNS: As long as they don't fall over, fine with me.
BALDWIN: Wow. Pretty fancy schmancy. This looks like the kind of shindig you would be invited to.
JOHNS: Oh, right. Not so lucky. Maybe one of these days.
BALDWIN: Not so lucky. Well, listen, before we let you go, do we want to show you the video? We have one of the little Obama girls along this rope line. It was so cute. We noticed this today. Do we have this video. I think it was Sasha.
JOHNS: Yes, There she is.
BALDWIN: Is it Malia?
JOHNS: Yes, it's Malia, apparently in the rope line with a group of small children, and she was holding an American flag, we're told. But during the time she was there and being observed by the media people, she actually traded and got a Chinese flag. So, the president walking along the rope line there with President Hu Jintao apparently pointed at -- his daughter out as one of the people as shaking hands with the leaders of these two superpowers.
BALDWIN: Yes, I think we just saw Sasha do the little switcheroo on the left-hand side of the screen from the old red, white and blue to the Chinese flag, but loved it.
Joe Johns. I like that. Getting things on the fly. Getting my director to tell me what's on the menu at the state dinner. Excellent.
Joe Johns. Thank you. See you back here tomorrow.
JOHNS: There you go. Thanks. You bet, bye.
BALDWIN: Moving along here. A student bringing a gun to school. It goes off. Now a teen is fighting for her life. So how did this happen, and why are there suddenly more arrests in the case? That is next.
Plus, it is already one of the most dangerous cities in the whole country. Now Camden, New Jersey, just got rid of nearly half of its police officers. So will criminals run wild? Lining up now, "Reporter Roulette" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Today we have a vote to repeal health care, a city losing half of its police force, and more arrests in a school shooting we brought you as breaking news this time yesterday. Time for "Reporter Roulette."
Dana Bash, I want to begin with you on Capitol Hill. I know we're watching and waiting for the vote on the President Obama health care overhaul repeal. What are you learning?
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's very interesting. With a couple of exceptions, one glaring exception, Brooke, the Republicans and the Democrats have by and large kept to their promise to keep the rhetoric to the issue. The issue at hand which, of course, is health care, the law, the policy differences, and the very deep philosophical differences that these two parties have.
John Boehner, for example, the House speaker, just went to the floor and said it's important to keep this campaign promise because it costs too much and it adds to the deficit from his perspective.
Democrats, Brooke, are doing something that most of them admit they did a bad job of during the campaign and that is explaining why this health care law is good for people, and they are doing it by telling some personal stories.
BALDWIN: Dana Bash, thank you so much on Capitol Hill. Next on "Reporter Roulette," I want to go to Mary Snow on how Camden, New Jersey, cutting half of its police force. Mary, is it possible, perhaps, that some of these workers could get their jobs back?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, both sides are hopeful that this might happen. The mayor has said she's hopeful that she may be able to bring back as many as 100 of the police officers who were laid off.
But here's what's happening. There's been a package of concessions. The union is talking to its members this afternoon. They are hoping that something can be worked out after nearly half the police force was cut yesterday.
The union is also fighting on another front. Went to court today seeking an injunction to block these layoffs, but it was dismissed because of jurisdictional reasons. So, the union is planning going to a higher force.
BALDWIN: So, with half the police force gone, what does the city of Camden do now?
SNOW: You know, the police chief has said that he had been bracing for this day and that he had been in talks with county, state and federal agencies. And he's asked them to take an increased role in Camden, and that includes the FBI. And as you mentioned, it's one of the most dangerous cities in America. And also, you know, the Guardian Angels, which are civilian volunteers, have also been going down to Camden to patrol the streets.
BALDWIN: Taking it to the streets themselves. Mary Snow, New York. Mary, thanks.
And next on "Reporter Roulette," we have Casey Wian in Los Angeles. Brand-new information here on this bizarre school shooting yesterday. Casey, police are saying a student's gun - you reported this yesterday -- accidentally went off. Now, there's word though of even more arrests.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Brooke. Let's recap what happened yesterday. Police took in custody a 17-year-old student at Gardena High School. They say he set his backpack down inside a classroom. Inside the backpack was a gun that went off, shot and injured two students. They remain hospitalized.
But later in the evening, police continuing their investigation, arrested two more students, one male and one female. They say that what happened is after the suspected student who had the gun in his backpack ran out of that classroom, he exchanged clothes with one student, and another student tried to dispose of that backpack. And they are now being charged with accessory to a felony, Brooke.
BALDWIN: What about those two victims, the two 15-year-olds? How are they?
WIAN: A little bit of good news this morning. The one victim who is the female, 15-year-old student who was shot in the temple. She opened her eyes today. She remains in critical condition, though, and she is still on a breathing apparatus, not breathing on her own.
The other victim, he was shot through the neck. He is in much better condition and could be released as early as later today or tomorrow, Brooke.
BALDWIN: We wish them well. Casey Wian for me in Los Angeles. Casey, thank you. And that is today's "Reporter Roulette."
Okay. Let's talk about Senator Joe Lieberman. You know the news. He won't be running for re-election, but could he join the Obama administration? That is one suggestion now being thrown out there. Jessica Yellin standing by. She will get us the latest and greatest off the CNN political ticker, next.
But first, if you've turned on your television lately, cue the music, you've probably heard quite a few British accents on the air. Time.com noticed. In fact, they are calling it an invasion, hence the song, and they even have put together a list of the Brits who have stolen our hearts on the air waves.
So, let's go. Number eight, Britain's It couple, David and Victoria Beckham. Number 7, whether you're on Team Edward or not, there is no denying the star power of Robert Pattinson. Number 6, he has been a staple in America for so long, you probably forgot he's actually British. He is, Winnie the Pooh. Number five, he is the Brit many Americans love to hate: media mogul Simon Cowell.
So, who else from across the pond has taken over America? We'll have that for you, the names of those folks after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: Back to the British. Time.com, calling it a British invasion. They have got the list of celebrities from across the pond who we know and who have stolen our hearts.
Rounding out the top four. So, this is not technically a celebrity, but apparently a staple in the wardrobes of American women everywhere originates from Britain, the miniskirt. Huh. Number 3, the reason a lot of people spend a lot of hours in book store lines, parents, yes, "Harry Potter." Number two, just Monday night he won Oprah's heart in an interview that aired on our network. It is our very own Piers Morgan. And number one, a group who really changed music in our lives forever, The Beatles.
Jessica Yellin now with the political ticker. Jessica Yellin, the miniskirt is British. Who knew.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I know that. But I think David Bowie belongs on that list.
BALDWIN: Oh, David Bowie! I feel like there were a few people --
YELLIN: My favorite Brit.
BALDWIN: Winnie the Pooh, mini skirts, I don't know.
YELLIN: Winnie the Pooh, I didn't know either.
OK. Some non-British people to talk about here. People in the U.S. government.
Some political news, Brooke. John McCain tells our own Dana Bash he thinks Joe Lieberman would be a great defense secretary for President Obama. As you know, we talked in the last hour that Lieberman has announced he's not seeking re-election, and there will be a job opening at the Department of Defense since Gates said he's not going to stay on.
There are other people talked about in the Washington circuit for the job who might be more in line with President Obama's politics on foreign policy. Senator Kerry is thrown out there as a possible defense secretary. Even Secretary Clinton as a replacement, but John McCain likes his friend Lieberman for the job and also told Dana that he considered Lieberman very seriously to be his vice presidential running mate on the ticket. Obviously, it was ultimately it was Sarah Palin.
And some news in the filibuster world. Did you know there's a filibuster world?
BALDWIN: No, I just know there are filibusters. Continue.
(LAUGHTER)
YELLIN: For months, Senator Bernie Sanders gave that now famous filibuster on December 10th opposing the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. It was so popular that it crashed the servers in the U.S. Senate because people were watching it. We talked about it on air. It was all over op-eds. A lot of interest on it online.
Guess what? A publisher is picking it up and turning it into a book. And the beautiful thing for Senator Sanders is he doesn't even have to write anything, just a little intro. They are publishing the thing word for word. It is called, quote, "A historic filibuster on corporate greed and the decline of our middle class. It's the filibuster that keeps on going."
And that's your political news -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: It sounds very esoteric, Jessica Yellin. Thank you very much. Thank you.
You know the winner -- the second winner, I should say -- of that Mega Millions jackpot is facing a bit of a dilemma here. She and her husband are not divorced, they're separated. So, should she have to share that $190 million jackpot with him? We're on the case.
Also, why is this cat on top of a cactus? "You Gotta See This!" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: It is no secret Canada can be brutally cold in the winter months. Just how cold, you ask? Well, two girls and apparently a pot of boiling water will show you.
"You Gotta See This!"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you doing, Sam?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So what I've done is boiled water in a kettle, so it's boiling water. I'm going to pour it in here and then throw it in the air, and it's going to evaporate. Ready?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, wow!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Usually, if it was warm enough, it would go kerplunk in the snow, but --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's so cool.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like instant fog.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: That is kind of cool. There's your chemistry 101, liquid into a gas.
And from icy weather here in Canada to sunny Tucson, Arizona, look at this iReport. Just look at this.
You've got a cactus and you've got a cat. He somehow climbed up there and he's stuck.
Our iReporter was going down the road, saw the cat, as he put it, holding on for dear life. The cactus -- I don't know if you can tell how tall it is, but they say it's about 25 to 30 feet tall. The cat was up there for hours and hours, refused to come down until the owner's daughter arrived, and then the cat came down, safe and sound.
Next, when his business building mini historical wagons got slow, Kermit Brown (ph) did not wallow in his sorrows. This Imperial Beach man began placing advertising on the wagons and pulling them from his wheelchair -- there he goes -- day after day after day. Folks in San Diego apparently know him as "The Wagon Man," and rightfully so.
So, Michael Steele saw his RNC job go to his former friend and protege, Reince Priebus. His thoughts, a little, "Et tu, Brute."
Wolf Blitzer is in Washington.
And Wolf, I hear you are talking to him today.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: He's going to be here -- not Reince Priebus, but Michael Steele.
BALDWIN: Michael Steele.
BLITZER: He's coming in. We're going to discuss what's going on, what happened to him.
Does he feel betrayed? Does he feel let down? What happened?
The Republicans did so well in the most midterm elections, in the earlier special elections. Yet, he was effectively fired by the RNC. They didn't want him to stay on for a second two years, even though he wanted to stay on.
So we have a lot to discuss, any bitterness about what happened, was he treated fairly, all that kind of stuff. I think it will be interesting. I think you'll enjoy.
BALDWIN: And again, that health care repeal vote happening in the House, I'm hearing any minute now. Correct?
BLITZER: That's what we're told. Going to happen very, very soon. There's no doubt in the outcome the Republicans certainly have the votes to repeal the health care reform, the law. The question is, what happens next?
The Senate, they don't have the votes, and certainly even if they did, the president would veto it, so it's not going to go anywhere, at least in the short term. It will be a statement though that the Republicans will make.
A lot of them campaigned on repealing health care reform. They are going to do it in the House of Representatives. That statement will then be made, and we'll see whether they move on to other issues, or continue to try to whittle away at health care reform, move on to job creation and stuff like that.
So it's going to be a politically sensitive issue, and we'll have complete coverage in THE SITUATION ROOM.
One other thing you should know, in the 6:00 p.m. hour, Brooke -- and I think you'll be interested in this -- the arrivals will be taking place. The president of China, President Hu, will be coming in.
BALDWIN: Ah, for dinner.
BLITZER: The president and the first lady will receive them at the North Portico. They will all walk into the White House.
All the guests will be coming -- and I think starting during the 5:00 p.m. hour, in the next hour, so we're going to have extensive coverage of what's happening in the White House. It's always exciting to go to a -- I don't know if you've ever been to a State Dinner, Brooke. Have you ever been to a White House State Dinner?
BALDWIN: Wolf Blitzer, when do you think? I've been invited to a State Dinner?
BLITZER: One of these days you will attend a White House State Dinner, and you'll be very excited when you do. And I'm sure you'll wear that beautiful Oscar Vera Wang, whatever you'll be wearing, and you'll look fabulous.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Thank you.
Wolf Blitzer dropping the Oscar de la Renta fashion lingo.
Apparently, they are having lobster, which sounds lovely. So bon appetit.
And we will look for all of that play by play on your show here in a couple of minutes on "THE SITUATION ROOM," Wolf Blitzer. We'll see you momentarily.
Meantime, coming up next, a doctor is accused of doing some terrible things, including murder, and the charges include alleged illegal abortions. We'll get through some of those details here -- they are disturbing -- with Sunny Hostin. She is "On the Case."
Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: I want to talk a little bit more about that disturbing story out of Philadelphia. A doctor faces multiple murder charges for allegedly performing dozens of illegal abortions, some during the sixth, seventh, eighth month of pregnancy.
Sunny Hostin is "On the Case."
And Sunny, there are literally -- I've seen them all, I know you have, too -- hundreds of charges in this case, pages after pages, ranging from informed consent violations to murder and infanticide.
SUNNY HOSTIN, "IN SESSION," TRUTV: That's right. I mean, I've got to tell you, having seen so many terrible things during my career as a prosecutor, and just covering these kinds of cases, this case in particular took my breath away, Brooke. I mean, he is charged with murder and he is charged also with infanticide, and many people have the question, well, what is the difference? It really depends on the jurisdiction you're in.
But in this case he's been charged with infanticide because he failed to provide -- or withheld medical treatment to a baby born alive. And then the state goes a step further in saying not only did he fail to provide that medical treatment, he injured them. He killed them afterwards. And so -- after they were born alive.
And so that's where the murder charge comes in. Very, very disturbing allegations, something that has taken my breath away.
BALDWIN: Yes. Took my breath away as well, for sure.
And, you know, the D.A., who I spoke with earlier this hour, says health and licensing officials, they have been getting complaints about this clinic, which, by the way, opened three decades ago, back in 1979, yet no action was taken. Why would it take this long to investigate this place?
HOSTIN: I was floored by that. I mean, apparently, the last inspection of this clinic was in 1993, and so it's just clear that the ball was dropped here.
I saw your interview, and I think that it was -- you know, it was clear to me that that was something that the state was interested in. They were interested in pursuing why this was done, why the ball was dropped. But the bottom line is that the statute of limitations has run on many of those proposed charges against health official, so that won't happen here.
BALDWIN: Will this, Sunny, be a difficult case to prosecute?
HOSTIN: You know, any case like this, Brooke, is a difficult case to prosecute, but after seeing your interview with D.A. Williams, it is clear that the prosecution is ready, the government is ready.
This was a year-long grand jury investigation. My guess is, Brooke, with so many defendants and co-defendants, someone will flip, someone will turn, someone will testify against the other defendant, and that will make this case easier.
BALDWIN: We're going to follow it. You can mark my word. We're going to follow that story. HOSTIN: Absolutely.
BALDWIN: Also, though, case number two. This could really turn out to be the ultimate "What would you do?" situation.
You have one of the winners of the $380 Mega Millions lottery who might not have a choice here. She might be forced to share, legally here, her half of the winnings with her estranged husband, even though they haven't been together in years.
HOSTIN: Isn't that unbelievable?
BALDWIN: Yes. Why?
HOSTIN: She has to share because she got married in the wrong state. She got married in Idaho, which is a community property state. And in that state, every spouse -- each and every spouse is entitled to half of the assets that were acquired during the marriage. She didn't divorce this guy, and now she's going to have to share. Unbelievable.
BALDWIN: Note to self: getting married in Idaho.
All right. Could there be any exceptions? You mentioned the community property laws. Might there be any exceptions there?
HOSTIN: Not really. I mean, typically, in these states, if there was property brought into the marriage before you got married, that belongs to you. If you got a gift or inheritance, that belongs to you. But I don't see an exception here. I think she's going to have to give him half of her money, unfortunately.
BALDWIN: Let's throw those mug shots up, guys.
This is from a 2003 battery case. This is the two of them. With their marital history and any legal standing here, trying to keep her lottery winnings away from this guy, from her estranged husband --
HOSTIN: Not in Idaho and the other eight states that provide for community property. I mean, it just doesn't work that way.
Fault is not looked at, who did what is not looked at. All that is looked at is that there was a marriage. If you're still married, you share. I mean, that's -- I think that's the bottom line.
BALDWIN: Fifteen seconds. Does she just bite the bullet and go half, or does she take this to court?
HOSTIN: I think she is goes half. I think she bites the bullet.
I mean, Holly, if you're listening, you're watching, take your $40 million, get a really good divorce attorney, and enjoy the rest of your money. Forty million dollars is nothing to sniff at.
BALDWIN: Forty million, that's pretty nice.
HOSTIN: I'll take it.
BALDWIN: I'll take it as well.
Sunny Hostin, thank you so much, as always, "On the Case" for us each and every day.
HOSTIN: Thanks.
BALDWIN: And thank you so much for watching.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. I'm going to turn things over to Wolf Blitzer now in "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- Wolf.
