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Deadly Violence in Mexico; After the Revolution: What's Next?; 4 Dead after NYC Rampage
Aired February 12, 2011 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, the search is on for a hip-hop singer accused of killing a woman by injecting her with toxic buttocks implants. Are there more victims?
Confronting Muslim stereotypes head-on, starting with the name of a movie. Critics say it's a groundbreaking film, but will it change hearts and minds? My conversation with the director in just minutes.
And why wait for tomorrow night to know what's happening at the Grammys. We're going behind-the-scenes tonight. We get the inside scoop from the award's only official blogger and he knows everything.
Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. First, we want to get you caught up on the day's news, though.
Here are the top stories. A gunman opened fire today in a bar inside the tourist district of Guadalajara, Mexico, leaving six people dead. Police said the suspects also threw a grenade into the bar after the shooting. Another 37 people were hurt in the attack. Violence has escalated in Guadalajara in recent weeks, which officials say maybe the result of a dispute between drug cartels. We'll have more on this story in just minutes.
A warning that this next story has some disturbing images. Police swarm Times Square today and arrested a man wanted for allegedly stabbing three people to death, killing a fourth victim with his car and slashing at least five others. Officers say 23-year-old Maksim Gelman also hijacked two vehicles. This is the knife Gelman allegedly used on his stabbing spree. Among the dead, Gelman's ex- girlfriend, her mother, and Gelman's stepfather.
The attack started in Brooklyn, Friday morning. Investigators say Gelman seemed incoherent after his arrest 28 hours later. We'll have much, much more on this story coming up later in this newscast as well.
An Amtrak locomotive caught fire tonight in a Washington maintenance yard. No one was injured, but the D.C. fire department had to shut down power in the area just as a precaution. Fire officials told CNN that Amtrak service north of Union Station was delayed, but only for a short time.
Egyptians will soon wake up to their second full day without Hosni Mubarak. The long-time president abruptly stepped down on Friday after 18 days of non-stop and sometimes violent protests demanding that he quit. Egypt's defense minister is now in charge. The nation faces many uncertainties as it struggles to build a functioning democracy.
On their first day of freedom, Egyptians tackle the hard work of cleaning up the aftermath of their revolution. Clean-up crews collected garbage and towed away the burned-out shells of car used as barricades in Tahrir Square. Egyptians of all classes came together to clean up the site of the 18-day uprising.
Protesters in Algeria hope their nation could soon be the next uprising. They clashed with riot police in the capital today. But their demonstration was put down with overwhelming force. The Algerian League for Human Rights, which is organizing these rallies said 100 protesters were detained.
The chief negotiator for the Palestine authority is stepping down. Saeb Erakat resigned today after an investigating committee learned that some leaked documents originated from his office. The papers were controversial because they suggested just how much land and other concessions negotiators were willing to give to Israel in talks dating back to 2008. Erakat has been a senior member of the Palestinian negotiating team since the mid-1990s.
For the second year in a row, Congressman Ron Paul is the winner of the presidential straw poll at CPAC. The nation's largest gathering of conservative activist. Mitt Romney was second at 23 percent. Florida Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie tied for third. And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was fifth. Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota congressman Michele Bachmann and Indiana governor Mitch Daniels all had 4 percent. And former Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, received just three percent.
If you have any Borders gift cards, well, you may want to use them and use them soon. Reports say the bookseller will file for bankruptcy protection as early as next week, meaning thousands will lose their jobs. "The Wall Street Journal" says the company will try to close more than 200 of its stores.
Hollywood Legend Elizabeth Taylor is in the hospital being treated for symptoms related to congestive heart failure. The 78- year-old actress checked into a Los Angeles hospital this week. Her publicist says it's an ongoing condition, and Taylor is resting comfortably. In 2009, doctors repaired a leaky heart valve, one of many health problems Taylor has faced.
The lawlessness in Mexico has claimed another six victims. They were killed in a bar in Guadalajara's tourist district in a brazen attack involving gunfire and a grenade, that's according to state media. Even more troubling here, the attack comes just months before the city welcomes athletes and tourists to the Pan American games.
Our Nick Valencia is here with more.
Nick, what is going on here?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Like you said, Don, this is lawless. It was brazen. What happened today, what state prosecutor for Jalisco state is saying, there was a dispute among bar patrons. One of the members of the group left the bar, threatened to come back, the rest of them followed. They did come back just as the bar was closing, about 4:00 a.m.
As the patrons were leaving, they tossed a fragmentation grenade into the bar, drawing out more victims and then they open fire injuring 37 people and killing six others.
LEMON: Usually in this situation, and correct me if I'm wrong, is this about gangs and about turf here?
VALENCIA: It usually is. And we don't want to speculate. Right now, it is a possibility and that is part of the investigation of the state prosecutors. This area is largely disputed by three main cartels -- Los Zetas, the Sinaloa cartel, as well as the Pacific cartel as it were. It's made up of a collection of smaller groups.
This area, again, has become under a large dispute after a July incident where one of the heads of one of the Sinaloa cartel, a top lieutenant, Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel, he was killed in a shootout in July in Jalisco State causing a power vacuum there, Don. And now you see some of the results.
LEMON: And this, again, a big tourist area. And in just months thousands of athletes are going to come for the Pan American games and thousands of tourists. This isn't good.
VALENCIA: What makes this shooting all the more tragic is that, this is Mexico's second biggest city, 4.4 million people. This is the home of celebration. Mariachi music. It's a haven for Catholicism. And now you have this drug violence spilling over into what was once thought as one of the safest cities of Mexico.
LEMON: So, is there a concern among the tourists, among the athletes. Will these gangs lay low during the games?
VALENCIA: Well, if there's not a concern among tourists right now, there certainly is. And actually, something that we wanted to talk about before we came on. I saw this message on the U.S. consulate page of Guadalajara. This is a message from the warden, warning of an escalation in criminal activities there. Warning U.S. residents residing in that area to keep from traveling to that area. So actually the U.S. government is very aware of the issues going on there in this part of the country, Don.
LEMON: Yes, it's sad that it happened. You used to see it in places like Juarez, but now it is going into tourists areas, it is concerning, especially to the U.S. and people who travel over there. Thank you.
Nick Valencia, we appreciate that.
We move on now and talk about a revolution in Egypt. With Hosni Mubarak ousted, now comes the hard part, creating a new democratic government. Next, we're talking to some of those who protested against the old regime.
Police searching tonight for a singer suspected of murder. Get this, she is suspected of killing a woman during a buttocks enhancement surgery.
And if you're going to get held up, hopefully, you'll get a robber like this one. He apologized the whole time. You'll hear his apologetic words, coming up.
And I'm online. I know you are, too. Make sure you check out my social media accounts. We want to connect.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Welcome back, everyone.
CNN has been receiving videos from around the country of Egyptian-Americans celebrating the end of Hosni Mubarak's 30-year regime, including rallies in New York, Washington and right here in Atlanta.
Their joy mirrors the euphoria that swept over Tahrir Square and elsewhere, Friday, when it was announced that Mubarak was no longer in power. Many of the revelers said they never thought it would happen in their lifetime.
Well, getting Mubarak to quit may have been the easy part. Now comes the hard work of trying to create a democracy. And will this now spread to other countries in the region?
With me now are Sameh Abdelaziz, you're becoming a regular. He's a head protester from Egypt and you've been leading the protest here in Atlanta. And then Yasmine Jandali from Syria and Ali Gebril from Libya.
Thanks to all of you for joining.
SAMEH ABDELAZIZ, PROTESTER FROM EGYPT: Thank you.
ALI GEBRIL, PROTESTER FROM LIBYA: Thank you very much.
LEMON: Real quickly, we were talking when this happened.
You know, before I get to that, how are you feeling? How are all of you feeling now?
ABDELAZIZ: Well, I will start, and I know it will go from there. It's beautiful. I never felt as proud in my life. I think I'm proud as Egyptian. I'm proud as American. I'm proud as a human being.
LEMON: Yasmine?
YASMINE JANDALI, PROTESTER FROM SYRIA: Exhilarated.
LEMON: Exhilarated.
JANDALI: Absolutely. Just standing there in the living room watching CNN on TV, and wishing with every fiber of my body that I was in Cairo even though I'm not Egyptian, but for that moment we were all Egyptian, and it's just unbelievable. Unbelievable.
LEMON: Ali?
GEBRIL: Same thing. You are going through the history and the making of history, watching history unfold before your eyes. And you cannot think it's real, but it's real. It's amazing.
LEMON: OK. So we have Libya, Syria, and Egypt represented here.
ABDELAZIZ: Yes.
LEMON: You're watching the situation happening in Algeria.
GEBRIL: Yes.
LEMON: Is this going to go beyond? Do you believe that? Is Egypt sort of a symbol to the nations in that country that there can be democracy?
ABDELAZIZ: There is no stopping. I believe I described it that Egypt -- the boiling in Egypt had been brewing for 30 years. It was like being in a dark room looking for a door. Country like Tunisia showed Egypt the door. I think Egypt now showed the whole world the door and it is going to continue.
LEMON: So we said the easy part, the vote was hard. Maybe I should have said the easier part may have been getting Hosni Mubarak to step down. The tough part is going to be establishing a democracy, Yasmine.
JANDALI: Yes, absolutely.
LEMON: So what happens here?
JANDALI: Well, that's up to the Egyptian people again to decide. It's really in their hands. They're going to have to work on their constitution and get it ready and prepare for general elections. And, of course, that's a time consuming process. It's not going to happen and should not happen overnight. And really the hope is that people around the region will take this and run with it. And see that they can live with the freedoms and democracies that they deserve.
LEMON: What is Libya? What of the people of Libya? And as you speak to people back home, what are they learning from Egypt, Ali?
GEBRIL: They're watching second by second. And as everybody else. And I'm sure there will be implication. There will be some effect. Not necessarily a regime change the way we saw it in Tunisia.
LEMON: Why don't you think that can happen? GEBRIL: You cannot just copycat everything that happened everywhere. But I'm sure, I'm sure, definitely sure that there will be implications, there will be changes, there will be deep impact in society of the people and their feelings and they're getting back their confidence, believing in themselves. They see people doing changing regimes. And may also affect the regime itself and rethink about the way it does things, maybe they have to change in itself.
LEMON: Maybe now protesting -- there will be peaceful protests.
You know, I saw, I read something today that said that the protests there in Egypt were in part inspired by the civil rights movement and Dr. King and watching the non-violent protests.
And, you know, I have been saying that on radio all during the protests. And people said, why you are saying that, Don? I said, well, this is Egypt's sort of civil rights movement. Do you agree with that?
ABDELAZIZ: Totally, it's a beautiful example. This is where really we're saying that there's no stopping. There is no going back.
LEMON: Do you think the people of Libya, Syria, Lebanon, all over - Algeria -- are they going to be supportive and will that help Egypt establish a democracy? Are they going to be supportive of what's going on?
GEBRIL: I have no doubt in that, because people are very inspired. They're very compassionate about it. They see that. Remember, Egypt is the soul and the heart of the Arab world. And we're educated by the Egyptians. We saw movies made by Egypt and we saw everything good in life made by Egyptians in Egypt in the early days. And people will remember always. This is the heart and the soul of their region.
LEMON: So Ali, I want to ask the lady, how old are you?
GEBRIL: I'm 53.
LEMON: How old are you?
ABDELAZIZ: 51.
LEMON: 51. I want to ask you age. But in your lifetime, did you ever think that you would see something like this in Egypt or in the Arab world?
ABDELAZIZ: No, we dreamed about it. And sometimes the lines between dream and reality disappear. But I don't think we ever thought it would happen.
GEBRIL: Yes.
JANDALI: No. And I am a younger generation than these two gentlemen.
ABDELAZIZ: Of course.
JANDALI: But even my generation, I don't think we really ever expected this or believe we would see it. I think, unfortunately, we were just resigned to that idea that these guys would be around for another 20, 30, 40, 50 years. And it's good that we were proven wrong.
GEBRIL: It took us by surprise. It took us by surprise like everybody else.
LEMON: Ali and Sameh, thank you.
ABDELAZIZ: Thank you very much.
LEMON: This guy has a crazy sense of humor.
It was such a pleasure and an honor to get to meet all of you. And I hope we get to see each other more, not just here but outside as well.
JANDALI: Thank you, Don.
ABDELAZIZ: Thank you very much.
GEBRIL: Thanks so much.
LEMON: Thank you so much. I hope it's not the last time.
Talk about picture perfect. Next, the ending to a high speed chase that all police department should copy.
And a jewelry store heist foiled by a grandma. Wait until you see what her weapon is.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, time for viral videos. We've seen lots of high speed chases, but they almost never end like this.
Police had pursued a stolen white car through two Georgia counties before finally making their move in Atlanta. The capture was pure textbook.
Police cruisers boxed in the vehicle then brought it to a quick and safe stop. You can be sure that this video will be shown at police training academies everywhere as a perfect example of how it's done.
All right, we're pretty sure that you have seen a gas station robbery. You have never seen, I should say, a gas station robbery like this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much. I appreciate it. And I really am sorry. And if I ever get back on my feet again, sir, I'll bring it back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That was a robbery. Almost makes you feel sorry for the guy.
Police quickly identified and arrested the man. But don't feel too sorry for him. It turns out he's a 65-year-old ex-con with a long rap sheet including forgery and armed robbery. In case there was any doubt, police say he was using a real gun.
And in North Hampton, England, a brazing smash and grab of a jewelry store in broad daylight. Then super granny saved the day. She started whaling on the robbers with her purse causing them to flee on their motorcycles. Look at her go. Granny even managed to knock one of the guys off of his bike.
Thanks to her, everyone was captured just a short time later. Go, granny, go.
This 23-year-old man is accused of going on a rampage in New York stabbing three people to death and killing a fourth with his car. Wait until you see the weapon he allegedly used. That report -- next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: A little warning for you. This next story contains some graphic images. The arrest of this 23-year-old man this afternoon in New York City ends a rampage that is baffling -- as baffling as it is bloody.
New York police say they don't know why, but in the span of 28 hours, Maksim Gelman committed three fatal stabbings, a deadly hit- and-run, and at least five other knife attacks. This was the knife Gelman used according to the NYPD. Among his victims who survived, a driver of a Nissan that Gelman allegedly carjacked.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHELDON POTTINGER, VICTIM OF STABBING AND CARJACKING: When he came in the car, he looked crazy. He looked like a crazy guy. And I said, oh my, this is it, but at the same time, I was fighting. You know, I'm fighting all the way up. As soon as he reached my car door, he pulled the door and pulled out a knife. And start pushing, and said get out of the car, I'm going to kill you. He was cursing, get out of the car and I'm going to kill you.
At the same time, I was shocked. I didn't know what to do. So I pushed myself over into the passenger seat and I was trying to kick him to get him out, but he forced himself in. I held on to his hand and he stepped on the gas and the car took off. And I was holding his hand and he was trying to fight so he go stabbed me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are these knife wounds?
POTTINGER: Yes. This hand I held on to the knife. And right here, the knife sliced me right here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Investigators say Gelman began the stabbing spree after an argument with his mother because she wouldn't let him use the car.
Hazel Sanchez from our affiliate WCBS tracks him from there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAZEL SANCHEZ, WCBS REPORTER (voice-over): Police say Gelman's madness began Friday morning inside his parents Sheepshead Bay Home, where the suspect stabbed his stepfather 54-year-old Alexander Kuznetsov to death. Then he headed to East 24th Street where Gelman stabbed and killed his 24-year-old girlfriend, Yelena Bulchenko and her mother.
While trying to get away in this Lexus, he rear-ended a Pontiac Bonneville, stabbed the driver and took the car. Then as he sped away, he struck and killed a pedestrian near Avenue R. Just before 1:00 in the morning, police say Gelman struck again on Eastern Parkway stabbing a livery cab driver who refused to give up his car. So the suspect allegedly targeted the driver of a black Nissan Maxima, stabbing the driver and forcing him out of his car.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That driver got away after he fell out of the car. Police say among the other survivors was a man who tried to shield Gelman's ex-girlfriend from his slashes.
Then this morning police began getting calls about Gelman on the train in Manhattan where they say he knifed another person who will survive.
These three officers along with the civilian wrestled the unemployed graffiti artist the ground. Since his arrest, Gelman has been incoherent except saying, quote, "She had to die," according to the police commissioner. But investigators don't know who she refers to.
Egyptians unite to topple their leader. And social media played a big role for the protesters. Is this the start of a new trend?
And the biggest stars up for the biggest honors in music tomorrow night at the Grammys. We're talking to a couple of experts to find out who has the edge to take home a trophy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Many people credit the collapse of the Mubarak regime to social media such as Twitter and Facebook. It makes a good sound bite. But truth is, it's more complicated than that.
In fact, social media can be a two-edged sword for pro-democracy protesters. Evgeny Morozov is the author of "The Net Delusion," and we spoke with him about how governments can turn social media against their opponents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVGENY MOROZOV, AUTHOR, "THE NET DELUSION": One interesting example where a government actually went to social media Web sites to learn more about protesters was in Iran in 2009, immediately following the big wave of protests there. They asked people to identify anyone that they could recognize in those photos. And apparently they arrested, they claim to have arrested 40 people based on the tips they received from the public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Journalist David Kirkpatrick writes and reports about social media for "The Daily Beast." He is also the author of "The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company that is Connecting the World."
David Kirkpatrick joins us tonight from New York.
David, thanks for joining us. How are you doing, sir?
DAVID KIRKPATRICK, AUTHOR, "THE FACEBOOK EFFECT": Good to be here, Don. Thanks for having me.
LEMON: So is it really a double-edged sword here? Because I heard Mr. Ghonim, who started the January 25th helm thing on Twitter, he really said, "I credit Facebook. I have to give a lot of credit to Facebook. I want to meet Mark Zuckerberg."
What do you believe about that?
KIRKPATRICK: Well, I think the odds are in the favor of the individual in the era of Facebook. So even though it is a double- edged sword, I think we are going to continue to see enormous changes in the world, because Facebook effectively gives every individual a broadcast platform with all kinds of viral distribution that's possible if they say the right message at the right time.
And while it's absolutely true that governments can do all kinds of surveillance, infiltration, sabotage and, you know, harassment and arresting people because of what they find in Facebook, particularly Facebook, I still think on balance, overwhelmingly, this is a positive tool for the political changes that we're seeing in the world.
LEMON: It's really interesting. You know, when people talk about Facebook. My social medium of choice, and I use Facebook, but is Twitter, and I find that it's much more immediate. And I'm surprised that people don't think that it was more effective, especially in this situation than Facebook. Because Facebook you have to be connected to the person in order to get, you know, their feed or whatever you call it. Twitter, it's out there for everyone to see and it's instant.
KIRKPATRICK: But that's exactly why Facebook was more important. See, for people like you and me, Don, who are public people and a journalists, Twitter is a natural thing for us to use. We can fairly easily accumulate followers. But the ordinary person doesn't by sort of natural order of things have a lot of followers on Twitter.
So in a situation where ordinary citizens are suddenly becoming political activists, the fact that they already have a lot of friends on Facebook gives them an audience to make a political statement. And then that can result in a rebroadcast of their opinions through Facebook's viral redistribution system, when you click a like or you make a comment. That rebroadcasts somebody's comment to their friends.
LEMON: Very interesting.
KIRKPATRICK: So Twitter becomes very -- Twitter becomes very important -- sorry, my thing is falling out here -- Twitter becomes very important after the revolt begins because political leaders, media figures, all are using Twitter. And it's hugely valuable. But until you have a bunch of followers, Twitter doesn't matter. Facebook allows someone to join just to meet their friends at the mall. But then when they begin to have a political opinion, they can use it.
LEMON: All right. OK, let me ask you this then, because during Iran, social media very important. Then during this story, very important. And many say that people in Egypt, in Tunisia and Arab countries, they see how people live elsewhere. And they want that sort of life. And that's why the Internet was shut down, they believe.
So listen, where do we go from here when it comes to social media? Is social media going to be at the heart of uprisings and other countries? Is this the new way?
KIRKPATRICK: Well, it seems right now we're seeing it kind of virally spreading from country to country. I don't think you can really say for sure what the answer is to your question. And certainly, you know, there's been a tremendous visibility by the poor of the world into the lives of the rich for a long time.
TV started that. The Internet has accelerated it. And we are seeing tremendous dissatisfaction among the deprived, the disenfranchised, the people living in non-democratic regimes. And so many hundreds of millions of them are using social media. And particularly Facebook.
Facebook is -- you know, Facebook's number two country is Indonesia. People don't realize how truly global this thing is. So you're going to see more and more countries, unless they find a way of turning off the Internet like they've done today in Algeria which frankly is pretty untenable for the long term, and where people have this power and yet they have the dissatisfaction of not having either political rights or any affluence and they're going to speak out.
And people will find a way around it, around -- even if they do shut it down. David, that's going to have to be the last.
David Kirkpatrick, thank you so much. KIRKPATRICK: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: Up next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get some coffee and put it on your head.
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Yes, sir.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A new movie portraying Muslim life in America is getting a lot of buzz. The director tells why it was so important to make this film and the reaction he's getting. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: In tonight's "What Matters," a cinematic call for tolerance and understanding. I had a chance to talk with the writer and director, Qasim Basir. His new film is called "Mooz-Lum." It's about the experience of growing up in America as a practicing Muslim before, during and after the 9/11 attacks.
I started by asking him about misconceptions that shadow Muslims in America.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QASIM BASIR, WRITER/DIRECTOR, "MOOZ-LUM": In an average person's mind who does not know anybody that is Muslim, it's like you see Muslim you think terrorist. You hear terrorist. You think Muslim. And what we're trying to do with this film is separate the two. And get people to realize that there are Muslims and there are terrorists. There are extremists. There are people that do horrible things and then there are Muslims.
LEMON: Why should I see this movie?
BASIR: Because most likely, it is a view that you have not seen before of Muslims in America. And given what we're facing today, the amount of ignorance surrounding Muslims and Islam, I feel that it's necessary for people to see this and for people to say like, you know, I've never looked at it that way before.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are no terrorists here. What are you talking about?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASIR: Let me think about, because this ignorance is what creates fear. And fear, there is so much more that happens when that is in the picture. So we're just trying to erase and clear up some of this ignorance, you know. LEMON: So Tariq is the character.
BASIR: Yes.
LEMON: Is he kind of like you? Is that semiautobiographical? Did you experience some of this -- the things that he does?
BASIR: You know, yes. The film is actually semiautobiographical. Like most of the situations in the film are true and -- definitely dramatized for the film, but for the most part, yes, it's basically a true story, sort of. So, yes. Tariq is me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: It's an important film. But it's not necessarily a subject that earns a film-wide distribution. So Qasim tells me he is using some unconventional techniques to promote his work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, again, how has social media, Facebook, Twitter, or what have you, how has that helped your film?
BASIR: It enabled us to get to the film without traditional marketing. Before this, before this whole social media thing, you absolutely had to have billboards everywhere. You had to have trailers playing on TV. You had to have this stuff. Otherwise, there is no other way other than like word of mouth. And we really don't know how far that can go.
While it is powerful, this stuff here like this, you know, going on somebody's Facebook page and saying so and so likes "Mooz-Lum" the movie, and then their friend being like, "what is "Mooz-lum" movie? They go watch the trailer, then they will spread it to their 400 friends. You know, it just grows to the point that it is now.
LEMON: All the problems, all the prejudice that surrounds Islam and Muslims, are you still hopeful?
BASIR: Absolutely. We always prevail, man. This is America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: To learn more about the film, log on to Mooz- LumTheMovie.com. That's m-o-o-z-l-u-m -- Mooz-LumTheMovie.com
The Grammy awards will celebrate the best in music this weekend and we'll get a preview from a music blogger who sat in on the rehearsals, but first this.
We want to introduce you to a woman who is literally saving lives by planting millions of trees in rural Guatemala. Anne Hallum is this week's CNN Hero, and she's dedicated her life to protecting people from deadly mudslides one tree at a time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANNE MOTLEY HALLUM, CNN HERO NOMINEE: In Guatemala, it's typical tragically to have hundreds of mudslides. The rains come in downpours. The mountainside will simply give way and collapse. Houses are washed away and people have been killed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): All three die here. They were like my children. The rains came. The mud took them away.
HALLUM: They just live with it and make the best of it, but I say, here are some things you can do. I'm Anne Motley Hallum. I'm helping the people in rural Guatemala protect their families and their fields from the dangers of mudslides.
Pine trees with tap roots hold a mountain together, but the trees are cut for firewood and to make room for the crops. And without realizing it, they've taken away their protection.
We started to teach the villagers how to use the trees. We'll start with little seed bed and we'll build that, and then we transplant those seedlings on to the mountain slopes.
We watch the seeds grow. That's why we stay for five years. We notice that the mudslides aren't happening here. We say, all right, you got it. You know how to do this now.
I can go back to areas that were nothing but mudslides and soil erosion, and now I see forests and they're still there and they're beautiful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK, Lady Gaga, Mick Jagger, Eminem, the world's biggest music stars all in one place, the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards happening tomorrow night in Los Angeles. But you know what? We're going to tell you what's going to happen tonight.
And that's where we find Arjan Timmermans. He's an official blogger for Grammy.com. he also runs his own popular music blog called Arjan Writes. Arjan Wright.
And with me here in the studio is Grammy voter Robert Watson. Robert is laughing here. Robert is also the head of his own media buying and planning company.
So let's start with Arjan.
So you got to check out some of the rehearsals. And don't be cagey, Arjan, we want to know what happened. Who did you see perform? And what did you see?
ARJAN TIMMERMANS, BLOGGER, GRAMMY.COM: Well, I saw a performance rehearsal for Maria Lambert, which is going to be a really moving performance that I love. I also saw a medley that's going to be performed by Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae, one of my favorites and BOB. And all of them are Grammy-nominated artists. So that is something to really look forward to. And I also saw rehearse Rihanna and Drake. And Rihanna sounds fantastic. There were some worry that she was not feeling that well, but she sounded great during rehearsal and Drake was smooth, as usual. That's really one of the performances to look out for tomorrow.
LEMON: OK. So Bruno Mars performing with --
TIMMERMANS: With BOB and Janelle Monae.
LEMON: OK.
TIMMERMANS: Yes.
LEMON: All right. Let's talk to Robert now.
Eminem, Rihanna, there is a duet, right? Record of the year.
ROBERT WATSON, GRAMMY VOTER: Yes.
LEMON: But you didn't vote for it. Who did you vote for? Why didn't you vote for it?
WATSON: Cee Lo. I mean, the last time we sat here, I told you that Cee Lo was my favorite. Although, you know, Vegas and everybody says that Eminem is going to win, I'm going with Cee Lo.
LEMON: You're going with Cee Lo.
WATSON: I'm going with Cee Lo.
OK, let's listen a little bit.
(VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You know, he's not -- if you can tell that look, he's not saying forget you.
WATSON: Hey, it's worth doing lying.
LEMON: But isn't it Eminem and Rihanna, that's a popular one. And that's what everyone thinks is going to vote for. Did you want something fresh? Or you're just like --
WATSON: I mean, around the world, that is a world song. You know, just number one around the world.
LEMON: We want to check some of your other votes.
Best New Artist, let's see, Justin Bieber, hands down. What do you think? Did you go with Justin Bieber?
WATSON: He's hands down, he's going to win, but I voted for Florence and the Machine. LEMON: You did?
WATSON: I think he's the Best New Artist.
LEMON: All right, you know what? I have to shake your hands. I love Florence and the Machine.
WATSON: Thank you.
LEMON: She has a song -- I forget what the song is. She performed it I think on SNL.
WATSON: Dog Days?
LEMON: I forget the name of the song. That's it. Let's listen.
(VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: I love her voice. It kind of reminds me a little bit of Annie Lennox. And I like that she is fresh.
You know, I do like The Bieb, right?
WATSON: You can't ---
LEMON: I do have to say that that The Bieb, though, is -- what do you call it -- overexposed. Every time I turn the television on, I see him. And I'm like, you know, I like that kid, but he's on way too much everything.
WATSON: Overkill. Absolutely.
LEMON: So, Arjan, listen, did you see -- what did you see besides who you told us about performing? Anything else?
TIMMERMANS: Those are the three that I saw yesterday. And actually that was amazing. I mean, all of those artists are top notch. And they're really going to deliver a great entertaining show. People really should be looking out for the Rihanna and Drake performance. It's really splashy. It's going -- it is a stomping performance, I can say. It's going to be really great and they're going to be performing, and both are Grammy nominated.
LEMON: OK, without giving too much away, I know that you are the official blogger for Grammys.com, so we get that.
Why is this performance so different? What makes it unique? How does it stand out?
TIMMERMANS: You know, I love what happens at the Grammys is that people take the songs that people know and they make -- they give it a new twist. And that's exactly what Rihanna and Drake are doing to the song that they are performing. It's completely new vibe. There is a new percussion. There is a new rhythm and track. And it's just -- it really sizzled. So it really puts a new spin on that track that people already know. And I think you will see that with a lot of the Grammy performances.
LEMON: OK, I'm going to hit you on your BlackBerry after this and get the real scoop. And see if you took any cell phone video.
Hey, real quickly, let's talk about with you, Robert.
Contemporary R&B album, you're saying that Chris Brown really has a chance.
WATSON: I mean, if it hasn't work for Comeback Artist of the Year, it will be hands down Chris Brown. He has completely transformed his image. You know, number one records around the country. He is performing everywhere, you know. But he's going against Usher in "OMG," which was the number one song rated by across the country. I mean, it's a big record. So I don't know. What do you think?
LEMON: All right. We have to run. I've got to say, but I love that song. You know, Usher, is my guy right here in Atlanta.
WATSON: Exactly.
LEMON: He's a cool cat.
TIMMERMANS: Arjan, I'm going to hit you up after this. Hey, why don't you forward me the video that you took at the rehearsals, because I know you have it.
And make sure, will you bring me one of those gift bags with, you know, trips to China and all that, tickets and --
TIMMERMANS: I'll bring you something nice, Don. Don't worry.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, Arjan. Thank you, Robert. Appreciate it.
TIMMERMANS: Thank you.
LEMON: A woman is dead after being injected with implants into her buttocks. We'll talk to a plastic surgeon about the controversial procedure.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Pursuit of a perfect rear end left a woman dead in Philadelphia. And investigators are hunting down a reportedly transgendered singer who they think maybe responsible for it.
Police say the victim traveled from England to get an underground cosmetic procedure in a Philly hotel room. She received what she thought was an injection of silicone in her buttocks allegedly for $1800. Shortly after that, she died in a hospital. Now police are looking for the person they believe gave the injection, singer Padge Victoria Windslowe a.k.a. Black Madam.
"The New York Daily News" reports that Windslowe is a transgendered hip-hop singer. This is her music video.
Earlier a plastic surgeon explained to me how this procedure could go very wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. CONSTANTINO MENDIETA, PLASTIC SURGEON: There's three ways to really contour the buttock. Number one is by using your own body fat, which is perhaps the safest and the most sought-after procedure when it comes to gluteal contour and using your own body fat where we're able to create curves, waistlines, really sculpt the body and use that own fat to add volume to the buttock.
The second way to augment is really using implants through a surgical procedure. But what we're talking about here is actually illegal injections of substances that are not approved by the FDA. They're not approved in the United States, and they're being done underground, illegally in the black market.
LEMON: And a lot of these substances, Doctor --
MENDIETA: These injections --
LEMON: -- are proving to be, you know, dangerous and toxic, and that's why people are dying. What likely went wrong in this case?
MENDIETA: Well, more than likely, they probably injected the substance into the patient's gluteal vein, one of the vessels that provides blood supply to the buttock. And when you injected into the vein, it can travel up and go into the lungs and you get an embolism, much like you would get an embolism from a blood clot that goes to the lungs. But this is a silicone embolism.
What's important to distinguish here is that these fillers come in a variety of shapes. And there's usually three that are being used. Number one is silicone, which is the one that's drawing a tremendous amount of light and attention in our news because silicone -- there's a variety of grades of silicone that you can inject. There's a very pure that we use for retinal surgery.
And then another silicone that's being injected into the buttock which has a great amount of variations in terms of preservatives and quality of silicone that's there. The other product that's injected is PMMA, which is what we use actually for resurfacing of bone or recreating defects in the facial skeleton or different parts of the body.
And the third substance is hyaluronic acid, which is a natural occurring chemical in our body.
So, it's unfair to really categorize all three of these injections into one because they're very different substances. But when it comes to the silicone that's being injected, I think we need to make the public aware of the dangers that exist with this. These were being done by non-medical people, not people that are licensed. They are flying in from South America. LEMON: Right.
MENDIETA: And you're oftentimes getting nurses, perhaps physicians that aren't licensed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Let's check your top stories on CNN.
Gunman opened fire today in a bar in the tourist district of Guadalajara, Mexico leaving six people dead. Police said the suspects also threw a grenade into a bar after the shooting. Another 37 people were hurt in the attack. Violence has escalated in Guadalajara in recent weeks, which officials say may be the result of a dispute between drug cartels.
A warning this next story has some disturbing images. Police swarm Times Square today and arrested a man wanted for allegedly stabbing three people to death, killing a fourth victim with his car and slashing at least five others. Officers say 23-year-old Maksim Gelman also hijacked two vehicles. This is the knife Gelman allegedly used during his stabbing spree. Among the dead, Gelman's ex- girlfriend, her mother, and Gelman's stepfather. The attack started in Brooklyn, Friday, morning. Investigators say Gelman seemed incoherent after his arrest 28 hours later.
(VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Protesters in Algeria following the developments in Egypt. The last couple of weeks, hope their nation could see the next uprising. They clash with riot police in the capital today. But their demonstration was put down with overwhelming force. The Algerian League for Human Rights, which is organizing these rallies said 100 protesters were detained.
For the second year in a row, Texas Congressman Ron Paul is the winner of the presidential straw poll at CPAC, the nation's largest gathering of conservative activists. Mitt Romney was second. Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie tied with third. And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was fifth.
If you have any Borders gift cards, you may want to use them soon. Reports say the bookseller will file for bankruptcy protection as early as next week, meaning thousands will lose their jobs. "The Wall Street Journal" says the company will try to close more than 200 of its stores.
Borders has mounting debt and didn't compete strongly online or in the e-Book world.
I'm Don Lemon at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. Thank you so much for joining us this evening. Hope you learned a lot. I'll see you back here tomorrow night at 6:00, 7:00, and 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
Have a great night, everyone.
