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Government Shutdown Deadline; Medical Marijuana Market; Jaw- Droppers From Bernie Madoff Tapes; States at the Head of the Class; Sheen's Wild Ride; Gas: $3.37 and Rising; Toddler Locked in Bank Vault

Aired February 28, 2011 - 14:00   ET

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

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: It may be Monday to you, but Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill are already looking to Friday, because if Congress fails to reach a spending agreement by then, the government will basically have to shut its doors.

On the table right now, a two-week extension that would allow negotiations to continue without a government shutdown. We'll go live to Capitol Hill in just a moment for the politics on this, but first, let me tell you how we got here.

Usually lawmakers pass 12 appropriation bills for the president's approval. These fund federal agencies and let them pay their bills. But the last Congress failed to pass a single one, passing the burden on to the new Congress, and not one of them was ever approved to the Senate or got to the president's desk last year.

Lawmakers have been relying on continuing resolutions like the one that's being proposed right now. And if you're wondering what a government shutdown would mean, the last major shutdown was in 1996. Then, national parks, museums and monuments were closed; passport applications went unprocessed. The National Institute of Health stopped accepting new research patients. Health care services for veterans were cut.

However, essential services like air traffic control and anything that pertains to national security, that would remain operational. The post office also would stay open. The post office is self-funded.

CNN Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar joins me now for today's "Two at the Top."

Brianna, as I mentioned, on the table is a two-week extension. The House will take that up tomorrow, but it contains $4 billion in spending cuts.

Are Senate Democrats going to go for that? Will they do that to avert a government shutdown on Friday?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's very likely that they're going to, Christine, at this point, and that's because if Senate Democrats were to make any major changes to this, it's very likely then signs are pointing to a government shutdown. And you have to consider this, that in this two-week spending bill, this stopgap measure to keep the government running for two more weeks so that the House and Senate can use that time to negotiate a longer- term measure, House Republicans have kind of called the bluff here of Senate Democrats.

They have put a lot of cuts in here that President Obama has already proposed. So there's kind of this thought of, how do you really say no to something you already support?

ROMANS: So they have this couple of weeks. And they have got to negotiate a permanent solution to this, otherwise we just keep pushing this thing down the road, two weeks and two weeks and two weeks. I mean, isn't this their job, Brianna, to actually be working under a budget and have all this settled?

KEILAR: Well, certainly. And they're expected to be working out this longer-term solution for the rest of the budget year. I mean, that's really what's hanging before us here.

And they're expected to be in these discussions soon. We're talking about Senate Democrats, House Republicans, the White House having to work something out. But it gets harder from here, Christine, and that's because, as I just said, this short-term measure has things that are palatable to both Democrats and Republicans.

House Republicans have already passed a bill for long-term cuts that they want, and there's a ton of cuts to things that Democrats absolutely loath, to Democratic priorities, big cuts to the EPA, and cuts to programs for the poor. For instance, nutrition assistance for women and children. Those kinds of things are going to be very difficult for Senate Democrats to swallow.

ROMANS: Brianna, what if there's no deal after two weeks?

KEILAR: If there's no deal, then we're here again, right, looking at the possibility of a government shutdown. Now, there's been discussion on the House side among House Republicans that there could be yet another short-term measure. Maybe you pass a bill for another couple of weeks, or just enough time to continue negotiations.

It's not really palatable, though, Christine, to this big Republican freshmen class who has really been driving this fight for spending cuts. I spoke with one Tea Party-backed member who said, "We're really going to start to lose our patience after one, certainly two of these stopgap bills."

ROMANS: All right. Brianna Keilar at the Capitol.

Thank you, Brianna.

Now to the Texas panhandle, where firefighters are trying to contain some fast-moving wildfires that have burned more than 120,000 acres. Since noon yesterday, forestry officials and local departments have responded to some 25 fires in 15 counties. But these hard numbers don't touch the heartbreak of homes burned, memories turned to ash. Juan and Rosemary Sagovia left their home for 20 minutes yesterday to return to nothing. They're today's "Sound Effect."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUAN SEGOVIA, LOST HOME IN FIRE: It's not explainable. You can't know that everything you worked so hard for, it's all gone in 20 minutes. I wasn't even gone that long, you know. And we come back -- I mean, but all that counts is my family's still here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROMANS: The farmer's market in your neighborhood is probably all about vegetables, maybe some locally grown fruit. But we're going to take you to one that's all about weed, as in marijuana. You heard me right. We're going to take you to a marijuana farmer's market inside two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Seattle's known for having some radical ideas from time to time. This one is no exception, dozens of marijuana growers at their own farmers market.

CNN's Patrick Oppmann takes us there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN ALL PLATFORM JOURNALIST: We're outside Seattle's newest farmers market, and it's a little bit different because they only sell one crop -- medical marijuana. It's happening here past this door, and we're going to take you inside to take a look around.

(voice-over): Thirty minutes before the market opens, and people are lining up. To get in, all that's required is a recommendation from a health care provider that they take marijuana for a medical condition.

JOHN MUISE, MEDICAL MARIJUANA USER: I'm actually standing upright on my feet today because of cannabis. There's nothing else that I found in the medical field that would help me with my chronic pain issues.

OPPMANN: Marijuana is for sale. A lot of it.

(on camera): You know, this is the first Sunday market for marijuana in Seattle. It's already filled to capacity. Organizers said they get very little publicity, but people from all over the state, hundreds of people, packing in to buy marijuana in just about every conceivable form.

(voice-over): Vendor Ken Bell (ph) grows marijuana and takes it, he says, for back pain and a blood disorder. KEN BELL (ph), VENDOR: Well, a lot of people think that it's just a bunch of guys sitting around getting stoned, where it's actually patients. Like I said, both my patients are in their 60s. They're using it for medication, not the actual effect itself, the euphoric effect, but the pain-killing effect and the ability to eat again. A lot of them have real problems with -- gastrointestinal problems, and they just can't eat.

OPPMANN: The growers here operate in a murky legal world. Unlike Colorado and California, selling marijuana for legitimate medical reasons is not legal in Washington. But under state law here, you can use what is called the "Medical Marijuana Defense" if prosecuted for marijuana possession.

Market organizers are pushing for full legalization, citing the tax revenue it would bring.

PHILLIP DAWDY, MEDICAL MARIJUANA FARMERS MARKET SPOKESMAN: They've fought budget gaps in Colorado with money from medical marijuana.

OPPMANN (on camera): do you think you can do that here?

DAWDY: Oh, yes. We want to do that here. We want to pay our taxes. We want to be taxed. We want to be regulated and taxed and be like, frankly, any other industry or business.

OPPMANN (voice-over): Organizers say they plan on holding more marijuana farmers markets in Seattle, but next time in a place that can fit more people.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Seattle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. We're just getting some word in that the U.S. government has frozen $30 billion in Libyan assets under U.S. jurisdiction. This, according to a Treasury Department official, blocking $30 billion in Libyan assets because of sanctions enacted on Friday. This is the largest amount ever blocked under any sanctions program by the U.S. government, $30 billion in Libyan assets.

We'll continue to follow this and what it might mean for the Libyan regime.

Meanwhile, Bernie Madoff, swindler of the ladies, bankrupter of charities, and a good person. No, really. That's what Madoff says. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. More on his new jaw-dropping interview, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: You have a collect call from Bernard Madoff, an inmate at a federal prison. Imagine picking up your phone hearing that out of the blue. That's exactly what happened to a contributing editor at "New York" magazine. It was the first of more than a dozen calls between the Ponzi king, Bernard Madoff, and Steve Fishman, the writer. Their conversations, producing a cover story and some absolutely jaw- dropping quotes.

Steve Fishman joins us live now from New York.

Steve, great piece. Maybe the quote that will blow people's minds the most, these five little words: "I am a good person."

Does Bernie Madoff really think that he's somehow understood?

STEVE FISHMAN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: I think that's true. I think that, as Bernie told me, his view is that he's a good person who made a mistake. He's a good person who got trapped -- and I think that's his word -- into this.

ROMANS: He said he allowed himself to be talked into it, and I thought, allowed himself to be talked into what? I mean, he is the mastermind of this whole thing.

I want to listen first to something that he told you about what his motive was. Listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BERNARD MADOFF, CONVICTED FOR FRAUD: If you think I did this, I woke up one morning and said, well, listen, I want to be able to buy a boat, a plane, and this is what I'm going to do, that's wrong. I had more than enough money to support any of my lifestyle and my family's lifestyle. You know, I didn't need to do this for that. I just allowed myself to be talked into something, and that's my fault.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

ROMANS: You know, he spent a lot of time saying that he's not trying to justify what he did. But it sounds like he's trying to justify what he did.

FISHMAN: I think you're exactly right. That's the line that he tries to walk. And people, after they read the article, will decide if he does that at all.

I mean, listen, Bernie says he's remorseful. He says he -- there's nothing that justifies it. But Bernie has a lot of compassion for his own situation. That is true.

ROMANS: Well, he destroyed his own family, and he told you that. I mean, his son committed suicide. His wife is angry and upset, no question. His other son doesn't talk to him.

I mean, he literally destroyed his family. What does he say about that?

FISHMAN: Bernie takes that to heart. He was a family guy, and he is -- he tells me that he's very sad about that. He tells me that after his son Mark committed suicide, he stayed in his cell and cried and cried.

You know, I think what people need to keep in mind is that these are all one set of true things and, on the other hand, Bernie is somebody who's trying to tell himself that he's not a bad person. And can you have your cake and eat it, too?

ROMANS: Well, especially after the death of his son, who obviously could not cope with the chaos that surrounded this family in the two years after it became clear what Bernie Madoff was doing.

He doesn't have -- it's interesting as well. He doesn't seem to have much sympathy for his victims. And he doesn't call them "victims," he calls them "clients."

I want to play another little piece of the sound.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MADOFF: All of my friends, all of my -- most of my clients, the individual clients, all are not losers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

MADOFF: So I made a lot of money for them. I was making a 20 percent return for them during all this rise.

Did people lose profits that they thought they made? Yes. You know, but did they lose capital? I'm sure, I'm confident that when this thing is all finished, very few people, if any, will lose their principal.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

ROMANS: So he's even denying the victims their victimization in a way.

FISHMAN: I think that's true. I think that Bernie is out there trying to, as he would say, correct his record, reclaim his legacy. And one of the things that he wants to claim is that he was a legitimate trader who, not until 1992, became a criminal. And so, to Bernie, it's important that people know that he made lots of people money.

Now, what's very clear is that he does not understand the destruction that he's caused, that he destroyed his family. Yes, he's aware of that, he's aware of the facts. But clearly there's not a deep emotional resonance to the suffering that he's caused.

ROMANS: There's a "New York Times" reporter who he had talked to for some jailhouse interviews for a book that she's writing. He called you collect and made these phone calls.

Do you think that Bernie is trying to sort of reach out? And what does this say about him and his personality, that he -- I guess that he even cares what we think about him? I mean, he's going to be in prison 150 years. He'll be long gone before that sentence is done.

FISHMAN: Right. Well, I think he reached out to "The New York Times." He had a kind of specific business point to make. And, you know, I had gone after him for a long time. I actually -- it's not that Bernie's gotten gabby lately.

ROMANS: Right.

FISHMAN: Our conversation was really a long one in which he seemed to want to both set the record straight and, I agree with you, he has a stake in this. He wants his, as he says, legitimate legacy resurrected.

It's obviously the loneliest, most hopeless pursuit in history, but he does care what people think. And, you know, more specifically, I think he cares about what his family thinks.

ROMANS: Right.

FISHMAN: And obviously, nobody will feel sorry for Bernie Madoff, but I had the impression that he was trying to speak to his family through me. And as everybody probably knows, his family has totally cut him off.

ROMANS: That's right.

Well, Steve Fishman, thank you so much. I mean, other things in the piece that are just fascinating. The idea of him going to therapy to try to struggle with his own identity about whether he's a narcissist or a sociopath, or just whether he's, at core, a good or bad person, something that certainly doesn't keep up his victims at night, whether he's good or bad. They've made their determination on that.

Steve Fishman, "New York" magazine.

Thanks so much.

Checking our top stories now, the Treasury Department says the U.S. has frozen at least $30 billion in Libyan government assets which are under American jurisdiction. That's the most ever blocked under any sanctions program.

Meantime, the Pentagon confirms it's repositioning U.S. naval and Air Force in the region to be prepared for any move they might have to make.

Tributes are pouring in for Frank Buckles, who had been the last surviving American veteran of World War I. Mr. Buckles died yesterday at the age of 110.

Today, President Obama celebrated what he called "a remarkable life that reminds us of the true meaning of patriotism and our obligations to each other as Americans."

High winds and dry ground proving a can costly combo in west Texas. More than 20 wildfires in a dozen counties flaring up, and now they've now burned over 120,000 acres. This, according to the state Forest Service. As far as structures, the latest number we're hearing, 80 homes and buildings destroyed.

Last hour I spoke with Michael Oher, the man whose rags to riches story inspired the book and the movie "The Blind Side." He talks about his new book venture and how he hopes it will inspire others.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL OHER, STORY INSPIRED "THE BLIND SIDE": You know, I was in one of the worst situations there was, coming from the neighborhood I grew up in. And there were so many others out there, and I grew up with them, not just athletes, doctors and lawyers. And just let them know that it is possible.

ROMANS: You weren't the only one who got -- so you're saying there's a lot of different things that you can become. You don't have -- if you're not going to be a professional athlete, there are other things that can happen for you.

OHER: Yes. There's so many other doors that can be opened. I mean, teachers, anything. Just anything not to get caught up in a cycle of growing up, dropping out of school, and getting involved in gangs, drugs and the violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: To see the full interview, go to Ali's blog, CNN.com/Ali.

The Discovery astronauts are on a spacewalk. Chad Myers will tell us about it in "Off the Radar."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: There's the radar.

ROMANS: Let's go "Off the Radar," shall we?

MYERS: Let's go away from it now, way up in space. Great live pictures. Here are the pictures we're talking about.

They are thousands of miles on the International Space Station. The spacewalk is today.

If you remember a couple of months ago, there were these space -- actually a capsule. ISS was in trouble because they couldn't cool it. The ammonia pump had failed.

They're out there for six hours today --

ROMANS: To swap it out.

MYERS: -- to swap it out. They're going to take out the old ammonia pump, they're going to put a new ammonia pump in. That's the cooling system.

It's a lot like the cooling system that works in your RV. Maybe not your RV or my RV, but in RVs. It's not like a compressor in your car, but it pumps this ammonia. You always wonder, how can you get a refrigerator to work in an RV that works by propane gas? How can gas --

ROMANS: I always wonder that. I always wonder that, Chad.

(CROSSTALK)

MYERS: I know. It's in the back of my mind all the time.

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: It's always been a mystery.

MYERS: It's the ammonia pump that's going to make this thing last forever.

ROMANS: All right. Cool. Very cool pictures.

MYERS: Good stuff.

ROMANS: All right. Chad Myers.

Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: Sure.

ROMANS: All right. A man and his girlfriend got into a fight. The girlfriend went to jail. The man goes free. Did we mention the man was a state senator?

It's part of "What You Missed" coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: In case you're just joining us now, here's some of "What You Missed."

Look at this remarkable surveillance video showing what happened after an escalator collapsed in the Washington, D.C., subway. This happened last fall as a huge crowd was leaving the rally that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert held on the National Mall.

The video has only just been released. Four people were hurt. You can see people tumbling over each other in this video. Wow. The D.C. subway officials blame the accident on a failure of the escalator braking system and they have stepped up the frequency of brake tests.

A huge landslide has left at least 800 families homeless in Bolivia. A hillside collapsed into a low-income neighborhood after weeks of heavy rain and sudden seismic activity. Authorities were alerted by cracks in roads and bridges and managed to evacuate the area ahead of the landslide. Afterward, the president visited a school that's serving as a temporary shelter. He promised government help to rebuild the neighborhood.

Investigators are trying to find out what started this fire at an abandoned mill in Woonsaukette, Rhode Island. The police department is calling it suspicious. The building was supposed to have been demolished two weeks ago. Fire departments from a half-dozen communities managed to keep the flames from spreading, but nearby residents had to be evacuated because of thick smoke.

A powerful Arizona state senator allegedly used his legislative immunity to avoid arrest over the weekend. Police say Arizona senate majority leader Scott Bundgaard got into a fight with his girlfriend on a local freeway. Both apparently suffered minor injuries. But while the girlfriend was jailed on suspicion of assault, police let the senator go.

Under Arizona state constitution, lawmakers generally can't be arrested while the legislature is in session. But they can face charges after it adjourns. The senator and his girlfriend says they're embarrassed and have now decided to break up.

This laughing baby video has become an Internet sensation. Ten- month-old Micah MacArthur of St. Louis apparently loves to see things ripped up. Ironically, this all started when Micah's father, looking for a job, tore up a rejection letter. Micah's laughter was so uproarious, his father started ripping up other papers. The Macarthurs got out their camera. The video has gotten more than 210,000 views. Some people have reportedly offered $300 for ownership of the video. But the Macarthurs says, no, no, no, it's just for fun.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: International pressure is mounting on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi as secretary of state Hillary Clinton today demanded that he stop killing his people and step down now. At the same time, rebel forces remain locked in a deadly fight against Gadhafi loyalists. But based on his latest comments, he remains unfazed, telling the BBC and ABC that his people love him and are willing to die for him.

Joining me now with his take, CNN International anchor and correspondent Michael Holmes. Michael, a lot of talk from the Obama administration, but just what can they do?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. There's not a lot they can do realistically at the moment. And they'd be wise to act unilaterally at the moment, too. U.S. has to be worried about putting its stamp on anything in that part of the world. It doesn't go down that well.

What could possibly be done? Well, there could be no-fly zones. That's been talked about before. There's also been talked about perhaps potential for no-drive zones, which is like using U.S. technology drones and the like, reconaissance, to stop some of those mercenaries that they're coming across borders to get to the region.

So, there's a couple of options there. But the economic sanctions will take a long time to bite, that's for sure. They're very short-term things. We've seen the freezing of assets --

ROMANS: -- 30 billion today. Yes.

HOLMES: I mean, what do you do with Gadhafi? He is the kind of guy you don't want to back into him into a corner and give him no options. You know, talking about war crimes and potential for that sort of stuff.

ROMANS: Right. Also, the U.S. has to be careful not to go out there unilaterally. There should be, right? A role for European allies.

HOLMES: They should probably -- a lot would argue they should take the lead. A majority of Libyan exports go to Europe, the majority of the oil goes to Europe -

ROMANS: To Italy, as a matter of fact.

HOLMES: To Italy and other European nations. So, a lot of people would argue that NATO, the Europeans, should be taking the lead on this. If there are to be no-fly zones or of the like or some other of these more direct options, it should be coming from them.

ROMANS: So, the U.S. has a presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Is there any scenario where -- under what scenario would the U.S. would be sending troops. Under what scenario would this escalate to a situation where the U.S. has to look at a commitment there?

HOLMES: Well, I think the only possible that time that could even be thought about is if U.S. lives are at stake. There are still U.S. citizens in Libya, which is another reason why people are being careful not to back him into a corner - Gadhafi -- because those people could theoretically be at risk. I can't imagine a situation where the U.S. would put boots on the ground. They're engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan. And as you said, fresh memories of Somalia, '91, '92 where things went wrong there. If you put boots on the ground in that urban environment, there will be casualties.

ROMANS: Let's talk about Oman. They're protesting there, demanding democratic reform. I mean, this thing - it started with a fruit seller in Tunisia, and the story has just grown and grown. What's happening in Oman?

HOLMES: Oman is interesting. The sultan there, he's trying to get ahead of this. There have been protests, couple of people have been killed, a few have been injured. But he's trying to get ahead of this. And he basically is trying to get ahead of this, gave money or is giving money to 50,000 jobless people. Basically unemployment benefits. One of the big complaints in Oman is unemployment. He's trying to get ahead of it. 50,000 people will be able to get unemployment benefits who weren't before.

ROMANS: Suddenly, some of these people are finding good uses for oil.

HOLMES: Yes. All of a sudden, yes.

ROMANS: And when the people demonstrators in the streets, the oil wealth hasn't come to some of the regular people. Suddenly they're getting the message. What about another Gulf state, Bahrain?

HOLMES: Yes, again, we have focused on Libya, but so much more is going on in the region. Yemen is -- Bahrain still going on. Protestors still out and about, focusing on the parliament building there.

Interesting seeing Shiite mourning flags. This is one we have been talking about not wanting to see it get sectarian and keep it on that national level. Yemen, still protests there, being planned tomorrow as well. Tunisia, there's a new prime minister there, still a lot of stresses they're dealing with people crossing the border from Libya into Tunisia. So, they've got an added stress there in Tunisia on that. Egypt --

ROMANS: What's new there?

HOLMES: Assets being frozen by Mubarak. Of course, that's important. A travel ban on him and his family as well. And still small protests are popping up every now and then, urging these reforms to continue and in a timely fashion, too. So, there's still a bit of pressure there as well.

ROMANS: All right. Michael Holmes, boy. There's a lot to "Globe-Trek."

HOLMES: So much to cover isn't there! Yes.

ROMANS: It's all there and all is related. Some are different, some are similar, but the thread that's going through there clearly a lot for you to cover.

HOLMES: Busy. It's head-spinning.

ROMANS: Michael Holmes, thank you so much.

The ten smartest states in the country. Do you live in one of them? find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Every day here on the show we give you a segment called "You Choose." We give you three story headlines, and you vote on which one you want to see. Your first option, a toddler spends hours locked inside a bank vault. How did the 14-month-old get there? You're going to find out. Your second option, a rodeo goes wild when a bull charges at a stand full of fans. The final option, forget the Oscars. We'll tell you who the big winners or losers were at last night's Razzie Awards.

Head to Ali's blog, CNN.com/ali. We'll bring you the winning story in about ten minutes. Once again, go cast your vote, CNN.com/ali.

Okay, has Charlie Sheen gone off the rails? Just wait until you hear what he's saying now about his fans and his bosses - his old bosses, I guess -- at CBS. Our "Stream Team" weighs in on Charlie Sheen. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: There's all sorts of ways to rank states: size, population, income. Those are three ways. But what if you wanted to rank the smartest states? States where citizens are the most educated? That's the subject of today's "Big Breakdown." The Kaufman Foundation looked at percentages of residents with advanced degrees and percentages of residents with at least some college education. The resulting map shows the 10 states with the most brainpower. How do they rank among each other?

There it is. New Jersey often gets ribbed by comedians, but it's the home of Princeton, and according to the rankings, it's the nation's tenth smartest state. Twelve percent of New Jersey residents have advanced degrees; 56 percent have at least some college education.

In ninth place, the state of Washington home to Microsoft and other high-tech companies, 10 percent of Washington residents have advanced degrees, 64 percent attended some college.

Minnesota is next, number eight, 9.9 percent of Minnesotans have advanced degrees and 63 percent spent time in college. In seventh place, Virginia where 13 percent of the residents have advanced degrees and 5 percent have some college. New Hampshire in sixth place has an advanced degree rate of 11 percent and a college rate of 60 percent.

Next door in Vermont, they're even brainier, 12 percent of Vermonters have advanced degrees, 57 percent have some college education. Another New England state comes number four, Connecticut, the home of Yale, 15.1 percent of the population can claim an advanced degree, 59.3 percent have at least some college education.

The third place state is out west, 12 percent of people living in Colorado have advanced degree, 64 percent have attended some college. Back east to Maryland for number two, thanks in part to nearby Washington, D.C., Maryland has an advanced degree of 15 percent and a college rate of 61 percent.

And in first place, America's brainiest state, of course, the home of Harvard University, 16 percent of people living in Massachusetts have advanced degrees and 61 percent have some college education.

All right, time now for our stream team. I can't wait for this one. When you think of Charlie Sheen, what words come to mind? Talented actor, great dad? How about train wreck?

He was at it talking to network morning shows. Of course, Sheen skipped CBS, the network that's home to his now shuttered "Two and a Half Men."

So how does Charlie explain his recent rants and his strange behavior? First, he feels psychologically battered and he wants a raise. Second, we'll let him explain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: Tired of pretending like I'm not special. I'm tired of pretending I'm not a total freaking rock star from mars. People can't understand me. You can't process me with a normal brain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you owe CBS an apology?

SHEEN: No. They owe me a big one publicly. If people think I'm insane or whatever, I'm not interest td in their retarded opinions. I'm going to live the way I want, they can just find the most comfortable chair in their small house and sit back and enjoy the show.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: And this just in -- Charlie Sheen's publicist has quit. Stan Rosenfield tells TMZ that he cares about the star very much, but is unable to work effectively for him anymore. Let's bring in our stream team now, Attorney Lisa Bloom, Doctor of Psychology Wendy Walsh and HLN anchor and author Jane Velez-Mitchell.

Jane, let's start with you. Jane, what do -- he says he's special, he's special and he's cured. He's sober and he's special. I think a lot of people think Charlie Sheen is pretty special, all right.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, ANCHOR, HLN'S ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ- MITCHELL: This is classic addict thinking. What's so really educational about this entire episode is that we are looking inside the mind of an addict. Most addicts hide what they're really thinking. Charlie sheen's different. He lets it all hang out.

We can see classic alcoholic/addict thinking here, terminally unique. He thinks he's special. The rules don't apply to him. He can close his eyes and in a nanosecond cure himself of a disease. Nothing else works. He's also having a pity party. He views himself as the victim here and then there's the grandiosity.

I'm incredible. He thinks he's knocking it out of the park, doing such a great job. He has no concept of how he's being viewed. That is the insanity of addiction and frankly, Christine, I think this is only act two.

Act three is when the world finally abandons him once and for all and he goes into a corner and starts doing drugs until, I hope not, but until something very, very bad happens. ROMANS: Wendy Walsh, is this guy self-destructing before our eyes or do we just not understand how special and unique Charlie Sheen is? He's just different than the rest of us?

WENDY WALSH, DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY: Well, he certainly is different than the rest of us, but I think what we're seeing here, I mean, I'm leaning to the fact that maybe he has been doing some detox because once the physical detox starts to happen, then the emotional stuff -- remember, people self-medicate originally because they're trying to suppress feelings, uncomfortable, awful feelings.

As soon as you take away the medication, up come the feelings. Then those feelings are still as uncomfortable as always so now they get defended and now they get defended with narcissism and denial and repression, and all these kind of mania that he seems to be exhibiting, is kind of trying to suppress the awful feels that began the medication in the first place.

What I hope because this is a really vulnerable time for him is that he doesn't as Jane, you know, ominously suggested might happen, if he turns back to any substance at this time, remember, he thinks his body can handle a lot more it can. If he has, in fact, been detoxing for a while so he's in danger.

ROMANS: He says he's on a drug and that drug is "Charlie Sheen." No one else in the world can handle it, Lisa Bloom. He says that actually CBS owes him. He doesn't owe CBS. Isn't there a moral clause or something? I mean, in a standard kind of contrast, I mean, couldn't it be that CBS should be able to come back at him and say, look, this guy is it just off the reservation. I mean, this guy has really lost it?

LISA BLOOM, ATTORNEY: Right. In my law firm, I do a lot of entertainment law. There's almost always a morals clause. Now, somebody like Charlie Sheen who negotiated his last contract in May when he was at the top of his game could have negotiated that down to almost nothing.

That is a morals clause that says he can only be fired if he does something immoral and illegal, and I don't know if CBS fired him for any that allegedly illegal act like the drugs or the hookers. It seems they fired him because they just got tired of him especially bad-mouthing his own employer.

Guess what, even if you're rich and famous and powerful, you can't bad-mouth your employer that's (inaudible) come back to bite you and that's what I think happened to him. I think CBS is probably within their rights in getting rid of him.

ROMANS: When porn stars say that they partied with him with a like a suitcase full of cocaine, can't the police look into that? I mean, at some point, you can't just go around and live this life and not expect any kind of interface with law enforcement.

BLOOM: The celebrity exception, especially in L.A., it's shocking to me. ROMANS: Go ahead, Jane.

MITCHELL: What he's doing right now is white knuckling it. I believe he is apparently peeing clean as he loves to say, but that's very temporary. That's white-knuckling it. So he's trying to still get this in when he's not using.

When you're in withdrawal, you are incredibly -- I say this as a recovering alcoholic myself, you are incredibly irritable and you are very angry because more than anything else what you want is your substance of choice. All of that rage he's directing at CBS saying I'm violently angry and I will fight them. This is a war. I'm a warlock.

That's all the rage that's happening because his body is in withdrawal from the drug. There's only so long he can hang on to that whole methods of just white-knuckling it until he loses it. That's when the next binge is going to happen and that's when the real danger point starts when that next binge begins.

ROMANS: Wendy, what's the point of sitting down with these reporters, spinning this stuff, I'm from Mars and your face is going to melt off if you try to -- what is the point of this? This is like that little kids. I mean, I don't know what the point is.

WALSH: Well, remember, part of his drug has been the Hollywood machine. You know, part of who Charlie is, is who Charlie is. Part of it is it that it's been enabled by the celebrity Hollywood industry that caters to these stars for so long. So they took away his show.

He wants to show them he still has a stage. He still has a mouth piece. He still has a spotlight on him. So he's going to still try to grab every microphone he possibly can, and my thinking is we need to stop having him on our shows so then he realizes that, you know, he's not as grand as everyone says.

ROMANS: For some reason, I have a feeling we'll be talking about this in the future, for some strange reason. Lisa Bloom, Wendy Walsh, Jane Velez-Mitchell, thank you ladies.

MITCHELL: It ain't over.

ROMANS: It ain't over.

All right, his gorgeous gowns are worn by some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, but can ugly allegations could have a bigwig fashion designer in big-time trouble. Wait until you hear what he said, what got him suspended and the new video that threatens his career. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Well, if you go to the gas pump today, you'll be glad you filled up last week because prices are higher. The national average has spiked now to $3.37 a gallon for regular and yes, that's quite a bit higher than we were paying to start the work week last Monday. Like almost 20 cents more a gallon and if you think that hurts, check out this math.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER BEUTEL, ENERGY ANALYST: Every penny increase at the pump takes $4 million per penny per day from the American consumer. So a 10-cent increase is $40 million a day as long as that ten-cent increase is in place.

The 30-cent increase that I expect we will see between next week and this week, there you're talking about $120 million each and every day that it remains in place out of American consumers' pockets.

ROMANS (voice-over): Why so high so fast? Well, analyst Peter Beutel says we kind of have a perfect petroleum storm going on, an economy recovery, up market, a down dollar, plus seasonal demand and of course, unrest in the Middle East and north Africa, the heart of world oil production.

BEUTEL: If we were to lose Libya and then throw out a name, Algeria, the Saudis could make that up so you have psychological trauma, but you don't necessarily lose any oil. But if on top of that you then lose another major oil exporter, then you've got real problems and $5 gasoline comes into the picture potentially.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Potentially 5 bucks a gallon. That would be pretty ugly. So just to dig a little deeper into what Peter was saying about the ripple effect of all this regional unrest, we saw Libya's chaos really shake up oil prices last week, the largest proven reserves in Africa.

It exports almost 80,000 barrels a day to the U.S. He also mentioned Algeria, which has seen anti-government protest. We get nearly 500,000 barrels a die of crude from them. For country number three, let's say the unrest were to get worst in Iraq, they export 450,000 barrels a day. Add those numbers up, it pretty much equals the oil we get from the big fish, Saudi Arabia, every single day.

That how these political question marks affect dollar signs and affect your bottom line in gas prices. Be sure to join me for "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" each Saturday morning at 9:30 Eastern and don't miss "YOUR MONEY" with Ali Velshi that's Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. Eastern and Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

Now back to our "You Choose" segment where we ask you vote on the news. Here's the winner, firefighters in Georgia have rescued a 14 month old girl who was locked in a bank vault.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Here's how the toddler got there. She was visiting her grandmother who works in the bank when she wandered into the open vault. It locked automatically at closing time. Authorities pumped air into the vault, firefighters struggled to free her, but it turns out they couldn't open the vault. Finally, a crack locksmith used a drill to break open the vault.

RON SNIVLEY, LOCKSMITH: She was crying before I got to her. She was scared of the drilling noise and all that, but once I heard her crying I knew everything was okay. It was just a matter of time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The baby was trapped in the vault for four hours after a diaper change she's doing OK. We're going to post the stories about the bull charging rodeo fans and also the winners of the Razzie awards, the other two choices for "You Choose." That's ought cnn.com/Ali.

All right, CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with my friend, Brooke Baldwin. Hi, Brooke.