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Harrisburg Storm Was A Monster; Tornado Outbreak Kills 12; American NGO Workers Leave Egypt; Andrew Breitbart Dies at 43; Google's New Privacy Policy in Effect; Syrian Rebels Withdraw from Homs; Interview With FEMA Head Craig Fugate; Romney Involves Self in Contraceptive Debate; Santorum Not on Virginia Ballot; Congress Holds Hearings on Cruise Ships

Aired March 01, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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

ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Zoraida Sambolin. It's 1:00 on the East Coast, 10:00 on the West Coast. We've got a very busy hour ahead. Let's get straight to the news.

The pictures speak for themselves. One day after a monstrous outbreak of Midwest tornadoes, the numbers are almost as staggering. We now know that the twister that laid waste to the town of Harrisburg, Illinois, killing at least six people. Packed winds of 180 miles an hour. It is a path of destruction 250 yards wide and more than seven miles long, encompassing well over 200 homes and 25 businesses. Harrisburg's mayor joins me live in just a few moments from now.

Meanwhile, three people are dead in the aftermath of storms in Missouri, three more in Tennessee. And Steven Vaught is amazed that he was not killed when a storm flipped his mobile home in Kentucky.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN VAUGHT: I got up and took two steps off the couch, and then me and the two dogs that I have and the trailer started rolling down the hill. And you can see what is left. After I rolled five times, I mean, I can remember everything about it, I was -- once it hit the ground on the fifth time, everything just -- I saw daylight. I don't know how I'm here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: Hard to watch there. In just a few moments, a tornado survivor in Illinois remembers his mother who did not survive.

And we are just getting word that a plane carrying American and British pro-democracy workers has left Cairo. They were accused of cementing unrest in Egypt. Sixteen Americans were among the 43 workers for nongovernmental organizations, also known NGOs, who were the target of a government crackdown last December. All face charges of fraud. The crisis further strained ties between new Egyptian government and the United States.

Meantime, in Syria after weeks of fighting against government forces, rebels of the free Syrian army today pulled out of the Baba Amor district of the embattled city of Homs. And that did nothing to stop the heavy shelling of Homs. Troops backed by tanks are now in Baba Amor. Dissidents described the situation as a blood bath with bodies on the streets and residents without food, water, or medicine. Desperately need supplies could soon be on the way. The international Red Cross says the Syrian government has given it permission to enter Homs tomorrow.

He made his name as a pugnacious critic going after government corruption. And what he saw is slanted media coverage of conservatives. Today, Andrew Breitbart's outspoken voice has been silenced. He died unexpectedly of natural causes early this morning in Los Angeles. Breitbart was on CNN just a few days ago talking politics on "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT."

He rose to prominence with controversial tactics. Targeting former agriculture department employee, Shirley Sherrod, and igniting the scandal that led to the resignation of Congressman Anthony Weiner. The Sherrod report backfired when it was revealed the video of Sherrod which made her appear to say racially inflammatory remarks had been edited. In fact, she had said just the opposite. Andrew Breitbart got his start working on the drudge report and later "The Huffington Post." He was just 43 years old. I'll talk to Breitbart's editor in chief in just a few minutes from now.

And late this morning, the Senate did away with a Republican measure that would have undone the government's contraception insurance mandate and then some. It would have let employers refuse to cover just about any drug, product or treatment they disapprove of on moral or religious grounds. The vote to table was close, 51 to 48. And while most Democrats are gratified, Mitt Romney is not, we think. Romney came out yesterday strongly in favor of the so-called conscious amendment, but only after telling a reporter that he opposed it. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not for the bill, but, look, the idea of presidential candidates getting into questions about contraception within a relationship between a man and a woman, a husband and a wife, I'm not going there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: Team Romney now says the presidential hopeful misunderstood the question. Much more on this and our Fair Game segment, that's a little later in this hour.

So, if you've been on Google lately, and who hasn't, right? You know today's a big day in the field of cyber privacy. From this day forward, Google is changing the way that it handles all of the stuff it learned about its users and account holders. It's not collecting any more data than it ever did, but instead of creating separate user profiles on each of its sites and services, it's actually combining them. If you object, you can still edit or clear your browsing history, and if you don't sign in to begin with, Google will not know who you are. We'll return now to the horrific scene across the Midwest, 750 miles across seven states hit by a massive storm front. The hardest hit area, Harrisburg, Illinois. You can see, devastated by an EF-4 tornado. We'll talk with the town's mayor and with FEMA straight after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: This time yesterday, the town of Harrisburg, Illinois was learning how much damage an EF-4 tornado can actually do. EF-1 would be the smallest tornado, 5 is the maximum. Today, Harrisburg is starting to think about what it will take to rebuild. Eric Gregg will be front and center in that effort. He is the mayor of this community of some 9,000 people. It in the southern end of the state. And he's going to join me shortly.

But first, from Washington, I'm joined by the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Craig Fugate. Thank you so much for being with us today.

CRAIG FUGATE, ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: Good afternoon.

SAMBOLIN: Can you tell me what -- good afternoon. Can you tell me what you can do for the people of Harrisburg?

FUGATE: Well again, we're in support of the governors and the local officials. Right now, they're still focused on the initial response, getting power back on and starting to do the assessments. And as we work with the states to see what assistance may be needed to help the community recover, it could be everything from small business administration's disaster loans, to possibly requesting us to join them and doing damage assessments.

SAMBOLIN: And Mr. Fugate, at what point do you actually jump in with assistance?

FUGATE: When the state tells us they need us. We were contacted yesterday, and, again, I think is -- with these tornadoes, as devastating as they are in the communities, in most -- in the cases of all of the states, they were able to meet the initial response needs and focus on that part of the response. We've been in contact. We've been able to keep up to date from the states. And so, when they have requested us, we're ready to go. But it's really -- the good news story, as strategic as these are, is that the local and state officials were managing that response, did not require federal assistance for that, so the next question will be, what federal assistance may be needed for recovery operations?

SAMBOLIN: You know, as we look at these images, we're totally devastated by what we see. And I know that you've covered a lot of tornadoes and a lot of hurricanes in your time. What do you think of in a situation like this? Do you think, gosh, we ended up lucky here, because this could have been much worse.

FUGATE: Well, I think, you know, we've heard from the stories about the sirens going off, people getting a notification, but some people, because it was -- you know, some of these tornadoes were early in the morning, it reinforces why people need to have a plan, and again, things like NOAA weather radios so they can get these alerts when they're sleeping. Not all tornadoes are going to occur when we are awake, so it reinforces that.

And unfortunately, the National Weather Service is looking at potentially more severe weather tomorrow across parts of the Ohio and Tennessee valley areas. So this threat, again, as we move in the springtime, should be a reminder for everybody else to get your plans ready, make sure you know how to get warnings, and know what to do if a tornado warning is issued. We may not be able to prevent the damages, but hopefully we can reduce the loss of life.

SAMBOLIN: And what should survivors be doing right now to shore up their own situations?

FUGATE: Well, in many cases, if they have insurance is to get with their insurance companies to find out what the next steps are going to be. But really for right now is a lot of the immediate needs are being provided by the volunteer faith-based communities. And so, again, as they work through those first hours, first days, the questions will be their insurance, what's not insured, and also what assistance our volunteers partners are providing in those communities.

SAMBOLIN: And Mr. Fugate, I don't know if you're looking at these images as we are right now, but you're intimately familiar with the situation. What do you think their needs are going to be?

FUGATE: Well, it's going to really come back to how many people didn't have insurance. I mean, the one thing we can't even begin to address with any assistance is, you know, the loss of life and tragedy there, and our hearts are with the folks that are dealing with that today. And that won't be an easy thing to get through. But for the financial impacts, it really comes back to what were the uninsured losses and what will be the extraordinary loss that local governments and states may be facing? And so, we'll do those assessments as we're requested. But really, the first steps right now is our thoughts with the families who have lost loved ones and those who have been injured by the storm.

SAMBOLIN: No, absolutely. And as we listen to the folks speak, I've got to tell you that their resilience is just incredible. But they are going to considering, you know, some major expenses and, you know, they've incurred a lot of loss. So, do you -- does your organization also help with that?

FUGATE: Well, it's always done by each state and what the impacts are, that's why we'll work with the state as they formally request assistance to determine that. The biggest focus, again, was always on the search and rescue life safety which was done by state with local backups. Several of the governors have looked -- have looked at additional resources that may be needed. So, we're really transitioning from that response and recovery and looking at what may be needed to support the recovery.

SAMBOLIN: Well Mr. Fugate, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today and good luck to you.

FUGATE: Thank you.

SAMBOLIN: And I want you to listen now to a Harrisburg man who lost his mother in the tornado.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, your mother was she rescued out of -- I mean, obviously, there was no building here. Did they find her in the rubble here?

DARRELL OSMAN, HARRISBURG, ILLINOIS: I'm not really sure. The officer that I've seen yesterday morning that told me she was in the ambulance, at that point in time, I was so relieved that she had been found so quickly that I didn't even ask. So, I don't know if she was like laying in the street or dug out of the rubble. I honestly don't know.

O'BRIEN: They were able to put her in an ambulance and your wife who is a nurse was able to go on that ambulance ride.

OSMAN: That's correct.

O'BRIEN: She had a gash on her forehead but did you think that she was sort of OK?

OSMAN: At that point, we had no clue that her injuries were life threatening. We felt at that point, that she was going to be OK, you know.

O'BRIEN: When did you realize that she was not going to be OK?

OSMAN: Oh, approximately an hour later when my wife came out of the hospital from the emergency room and said the doctors told us it doesn't look good. I mean, that was a pretty severe blow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: That was CNN's Soledad O'Brien. And to find out how you help those affected by the Midwest tornadoes, visit our Web site, CNN.com/impact. There you will find all of the organization and ways that you can help those in need. Again, that is CNN.com/impact.

And he was one of the most influential conservative bloggers out there. Now fans and readers alike are reacting to Andrew Breitbart's death. Up next, his friend and colleague, Joel Pollak joins me. He was at the hospital where Breitbart died just last night. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: As we've been reporting, conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart has died. He was just 43 years old. A hero to the political right for promoting what he liked to call citizen journalism. Breitbart had plenty of critics as well. So let's talk about his life and his legacy with Joel Pollak. He is the editor-in-chief and in-house counsel for the Web site breitbart.com.

Joel, thank you for joining us. I know that this is a friend of yours, so our condolences to you as well. I just think it's incredible that you're taking the time to spend some time with us today.

If you can, please, tell us, what do you know about his passing? Were you there at the time? Was he ill?

JOEL POLLAK, EDITOR IN CHIEF, BREITBART.COM: Andrew was not ill and it was very unexpected. In fact, I had been speaking to him throughout the day and the evening. Had he been e-mailing story ideas, new leads, new tips and very much engaged in the Web sites that are going to continue and to relaunch and grow stronger in the coming days. Andrew was putting his heart and soul into the Web sites and it was just a normal, hardworking day at breitbart.com. And it was very unexpected. And I went to the hospital as soon as I found out something had happened and, unfortunately, Andrew had passed away.

SAMBOLIN: I know everybody is shocked. I mean I've been reading all of the social media. They're just shocked by his passing. Had he been ill at all?

POLLAK: Not at all. And, Andrew, in fact, had called me earlier in the day to tell me his scooter had broken down at the gym and so he was getting a lift with somebody else back to the office. I mean Andrew was very active. He was having a competition with a friend of his as to who could lose more weight on the Atkins diet. I mean he was taking care of himself. He looked great. He was active and engaged in everything we were doing. So it was just sudden and unexpected.

SAMBOLIN: All right. So let's talk about his life. He seemed to enjoy the spotlight. Did he revel in all of the controversy?

POLLAK: No, Andrew reveled in the people that he was standing for and he used the controversy as a tool to advance their stories. Stories that were often being forgotten in the mainstream media. That's how we met.

I met him in 2009 when I brought him a story that I had found about how the political blue print for rolling out Obamacare had been written in federal prison. And Andrew saw this story and thought, why hasn't the media found this. And we got it into the media. And it's now part of the history of Obamacare.

He was like that with so many stories and so he got controversy going because often the mainstream media would look the other way when there was a story they didn't want to report. But Andrew was very much a happy warrior. He didn't court controversy for its own sake and he was always willing to step aside and let other, new voices come forward.

SAMBOLIN: He was quite a controversial figure also. A lot of people are talking about the Shirley Sherrod incident and, you know, how he handled that. What do you think -- do you think that he ever rethought his tactics on that issue?

POLLAK: I'm going to do an Andrew Breitbart and ask you if CNN has rethought its tactics on the issue. CNN brought Shirley Sherrod on in the wake of what happened and invited her to say whether she wanted to shut his Web site down and what she wanted to do to get back at him.

And Andrew used to joke that if he had a life story, he would call it the Anderson Cooper story, because he felt like Anderson Cooper had set up a narrative about the Shirley Sherrod incident that was completely contrary to what Andrew had done. So Andrew would throw that challenge back at you and say, when CNN rethinks the way it covered that story, maybe Andrew would have some rethinking to do.

SAMBOLIN: Well, unfortunately, Andrew is not here right now to talk about this. How did he see himself?

POLLAK: Andrew saw himself as a happy warrior. A guy who was mostly happy-go-lucky, who loved British new wave music, who loved southern California, even though he was conservative in a liberal community. But he also could be rightly indignant. And that's the title of his book, "Righteous Indignation." And he did get angry when he felt that people were being drowned out by the mainstream media or, in some cases, victimized by the mainstream media. And Andrew felt a passion about standing up for them. And that's what he was doing.

There was no story too small, no person too small. Andrew was taking calls from people with stories all day and all night. And that's how he saw himself. A person who could have been living an easier existence, but who chose to be out there because he didn't see anybody else doing it and he wanted to help people get their stories heard. Whether they were from the right or from the left, Andrew had friends on the left who came forward and joined him and were part of what we're doing and are still a part of what we're doing because they realized that Andrew was a person who would fight for them when they were struggling to be heard.

SAMBOLIN: Well, certainly gone too soon. Joel Pollak, thank you very much for joining us today.

Syrian rebels driven out of the opposition stronghold of Homs. Desperate residents without food, water, medicine. The death toll soars. We are going to have a live report from that region coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Rebels of the Free Syrian Army have been fighting government forces for weeks in the Bab Amr district of Homs. Today they pulled out. They describe the move as a tactical withdrawal for the sake of some 4,000 civilians still in Bab Amr who the rebels say are without food, water, power, or medicine.

But look at that. The rebel move did not stop the relentless government shelling of Homs. So far today, dissidents say 22 people have been killed in Homs and 15 others elsewhere in the country. CNN's Nic Robertson is covering developments from neighboring Lebanon.

Nic, how significant is a rebel withdraw from Bab Amr?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's hugely significant. They've been holding onto that area, protecting what was, in the beginning, tens and thousands of civilians down to 4,000 now.

This is an indication for the Free Syrian Army and for all of the opposition supporters that rely on the Free Syrian Army in other parts of the country for their protection. This is an indication that they cannot hold out against Bashar al-Assad's forces when they're as isolated and cut off as they became in Bab Amr. So it is going to be a very worrying message for opposition activists all round the country, particularly in those areas and communities that the government already surrounds and can easily cut off.

And, of course, it's going to be a grave concern now. Activists are telling us, for all the civilians they've left behind, they want guarantees that they're going to be treated well and safely. But all they know so far is that the government forces are going house to house hunting people down. So there are a lot of concerns. Very significant at many levels.

SAMBOLIN: Nic, there's word that the International Red Cross says it has permission to enter Homs tomorrow. What do you know about that?

ROBERTSON: Well, what they say they have agreed, though what they describe as intense negotiations involving the government and opposition elements, is to go into Barb Amr. They say they should have their ambulances there as early as tomorrow morning. The International committee for Red Cross and the Syrian Red Crescent Organization, a partner organization of the International Committee for the Red Cross, said they should be in a position to go in early tomorrow morning.

They're going to bring medical supplies, relief supplies. But they say they have no idea what they're going to find or what the security situation will be for them to operate in. They don't even know what exactly they'll be able to do when they get there. They don't know how many casualties to expect. They don't know who severe those casualties will be or exactly what they're going to be able to offer on the ground. And they don't know where they're going to be able to take the people that they might be able to evacuate from there. So a lot of unanswered questions still at this time.

SAMBOLIN: All right, Nic Roberson live for us in Lebanon. Thank you very much.

Romney picks up wins in Arizona, Michigan and Wyoming, but could his latest comment on contraception turn off the right?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not for the bill, but, look, the idea of presidential candidates getting into questions about contraception within a relationship between a man and a woman, a husband and wife, I'm not going there. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: But he went there anyway. Romney makes another gaffe at a pivotal moment. Could his comment on contraception stunt the momentum that he has gained from his recent wins? That's "Fair Game."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: These are live pictures of President Obama speaking at Nashua Community College in Nashua, New Hampshire. He will talk about energy policy and the economy and possibly comment on the wave of storms that swept across the nation's heartland. We're going to continue monitoring this and bring you developments as warranted.

Meantime, Mitt Romney is having a winning weekend. He's won Michigan, Arizona and Wyoming and has a head start ahead of Super Tuesday. But listen to what he told an Ohio reporter. He was asked if he supported a controversial amendment allowing employers to deny insurance coverage for birth control on religious grounds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, (R), FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not for the bill. But, look, the idea of presidential candidates getting into questions about contraception within a relationship between a man and a woman, a husband and wife, I'm not going there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: But you see, he did go there. So could this gaffe cost him next week? That question is "Fair Game."

I'm joined by Robert Zimmerman, here in New York, and Gentry Collins, in Washington.

This isn't the first time Romney's bungled just when he's had the momentum going for him. Let's listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: I drive a Mustang and a Chevy pickup truck. Ann drives a couple of Cadillacs actually.

I'm not concerned about the very poor.

I like being able to fire people who provide services to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: The Romney campaign was quick to clarify his statement to the Ohio report and say he is for the amendment. But will this blunder hurt him and will it be seen as flip-flopping, Gentry?

GENTRY COLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST & FORMER POLITICAL DIRECTOR, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: No, I don't think it will be seen as flip-flopping. It will be seen for an error, which it was. This is not a flip-flop.

He's been very clear that he does not support forcing religious institutions like the Catholic Church that oppose contraception. But he was also trying to say that that doesn't mean we should get into our bedrooms and say to married men and women that they can't use it. He is simply saying, as most Republicans are, that the Catholic Church shouldn't be forced to pay for it.

SAMBOLIN: Robert, do you think that there --

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Actually, Gentry --

(CROSSTALK)

SAMBOLIN: Go ahead.

ZIMMERMAN: Sorry, Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: No, go ahead.

ZIMMERMAN: Actually, I'm going to say, he may not be in our bedrooms but he's peaking through the windows. Because the Rubio/Blunt amendment that he supported would give any employer, despite religious background, any employers, not religious necessarily, the right to deny a person receiving health insurance, the right to not just contraceptive care, mammographies, cervical cancer screening.

It would allow any employer to block any health care that they block for his or her own employees. But what really will hurt Romney is not that he flip-flopped but is taking the position to appeal to the extreme right wing of its party. Ultimately, he may have to do that to win the nomination, but it loses him all credibility in the general election.

SAMBOLIN: The Santorum campaign says that proves that Romney is not a real conservative. Are they justified in attacking Romney over this?

COLLINS: No, they are not justified. As I said, Governor Romney has been very clear about his position. Let me be clear with respect to the general election. This is not a right wing issue. Religious freedom is a mainstream issue.

No modern president has won the popular vote for president without winning Catholics. And I tell, among Mass attending Catholics, who are the voting Catholics in this country, 63 percent, regardless of their views about contraception, outside of religious context, 63 percent of those voting Catholics believe that the church should be given an exemption in this case.

SAMBOLIN: Gentry?

ZIMMERMAN: You know something -- you know something, Gentry, the reality is, let the Republican Party make this the key debating point. But when you have Rick Santorum who said he would throw up on President Kennedy's speech, or Newt Gingrich who wants to abolish child labor laws and believes the president should overrule the Supreme Court, or Mitt Romney who is advocating forced deportation or voluntary deportation of documented workers, you have a Republican Party in it's great tradition of Reagan or George Walker Bush playing to a right-wing fringe. That's not in keeping with the mainstream of our nation.

SAMBOLIN: Gentlemen, let's switch gears. Santorum is not on the ballot in Virginia. Will that help Romney?

COLLINS: Of course, it's going to help Romney.

(CROSSTALK)

ZIMMERMAN: It couldn't hurt him, I'll tell you that.

COLLINS: We're in a delegate fight at this point. The delegate fight will not be wrapped up on Super Tuesday. When it's mathematically possible for any candidates to have bound delegates to secure the nomination is April 24th. Mitt Romney won three quarters of the delegates this week and next week he gets a head start with Massachusetts, with Virginia.

Even in Ohio, where he's running neck and neck with Senator Santorum, Senator Santorum, not on the ballot in three congressional districts. Doesn't have a slate in three congressional districts. Governor Romney has a leg up on Super Tuesday with respect to delegates, which is what this fight is all about now.

(CROSSTALK)

ZIMMERMAN: Actually, shall the real --

(CROSSTALK)

ZIMMERMAN: I'm sorry.

(CROSSTALK)

SAMBOLIN: I want to talk about President Obama because we were just watching him there. He's in New Hampshire today. He's talking energy and the economy. It's not an official campaign stop but how important is this visit for President Obama?

ZIMMERMAN: I think the visit is very critical. Certainly, because as we deal with the issue of rising gas prices and the issue of our slow but building recovery, he's got to keep Congress very focused and the nation focused on the steps to rebuild our economy and keep the economy going.

I think he's outlined a very comprehensive agenda to do so. Not just domestic oil drilling but also the development of alternative sources of energy, green job development as well. Let's not forget New Hampshire is a swing state. That doesn't hurt either in these visits. COLLINS: Not only is New Hampshire is swing state, Obama's approval numbers as low as they are, maybe lower than they are in any other swing state in the country. This stop is too little too late. He calls it an official stop but I think the country sees through that. This is on the same day that he's going to have the 100th fundraiser of the year. He's becoming a campaigner-in-chief, and what we really need is leadership on this economy.

ZIMMERMAN: And you know, Gentry --

(CROSSTALK)

COLLINS: This president is not providing that.

(CROSSTALK)

SAMBOLIN: I'm going to sound a ding, ding, ding, because it's time to end. I could let you guys go on all day and I could just walk away.

(LAUGHTER)

Gentry Collins, in Washington, Robert Zimmerman, in New York, thank you very much, gentlemen, for joining us.

ZIMMERMAN: Great to be with you.

SAMBOLIN: With all the bad news on cruises lately, many are beginning to wonder how safe they are. Just last month, the "Costa Concordia" capsized off Italy's coast. This weekend, its sister ship, the "Costa Allegra," caught on fire, relying on a tow to back into port. Would you book a cruise after these disasters? Some folks want answers, and they're in Washington today to get some.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Right now, the cruise ship industry is under intense scrutiny by Congress. A series of accidents raising eyebrows about safety. The latest mishap, in Florida, where a passenger vanished from the Bahamas Celebration cruise ship. According to several local reports, the FBI, Coast Guard, and other authorities are currently scouring the ship's route from Grand Bahamas Island to West Palm Beach where it docked.

Then there's the "Costa Allegra," which had to be towed to the Seychelles today. The ship drifted for three days in the Indian Ocean after the engine room caught fire and the ship lost power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARI-ANNE THON, PASSENGER: We were up on the deck and it was extremely black smoke, so we knew something was going to happen so -- excuse me. They sounded the alarm.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SAMBOLIN: That was sailing in pirate-infested waters. But perhaps no other image elicits more fear and raises more questions about cruise ship safety than this. The majestic "Costa Concordia" capsized. It's operated by the same company as "Costa Allegra," but unlike "Allegra," 25 passengers aboard "Concordia" never made it out alive. And in its wake, the cruise ship industry is under a microscope. Congress is holding hearings right now on this issue. Lawmakers heard from "Costa Concordia" passengers on Wednesday. This was the statement on Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIVYA SHARMA, COSTA CONCORDIA SURVIVOR: The first announcement came on telling us that it was nothing but an electric failure and everything was under control.

SAMEER SHARMA, COSTA CONCORDIA SURVIVOR: So we felt very betrayed, very much lied to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: Lizzie O'Leary is on Capitol Hill and she's been closely watching this congressional hearing.

Lizzie, today is day two of the cruise ship hearings. Who did lawmakers hear from today?

LIZZIE O'LEARY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Zoraida, today is an overview. They are getting a sense from the Coast Guard of where the "Concordia" disaster sits. Also the industry making its point that cruise shipping is very safe. The investigation is being handled by the Italian authorities but the Coast Guard is keeping in touch with them.

One of the things the admiral testifying is saying is look, these ships are enormous. When you think about the "Concordia," it had 13 decks. It's like a moving apartment building. So while there were technological leaps and bounds, they can't always control the human factors. And that's what they're looking into, like who said what when, and how passengers were informed about what to do on board.

SAMBOLIN: You know, we know that these ships sail all over the world with people from a lot of different countries. Who actually ensures their safety?

O'LEARY: This is the big question. There are sort of three different camps you want to put this in. Remember, we're at the 100th anniversary almost of the sinking of the "Titanic." After that, there was an international law drawn up to keep passengers safe. There's also an international organization that oversees it. In the U.S., the Coast Guard looks at it. But again, you have ships that sail in many different countries and a lot of competing and conflicting regulations.

There are a couple of areas under real focus right now, and I want to highlight the ones that they are, because we may see regulations get tighter. Number one is that question of a safety drill. Right now, regulations say you've got to have one within 24 hours of setting sail.

The Sharmas, the American citizens you heard from, never got a safety drill because the "Concordia" crashed five hours into their trip during dinner. How do lifeboats deploy? Are there enough? There are lots of lifeboats on these ships but they are on each side of the ship, and they only dispatch when the boat has reached a 20-degree angle.

The "Concordia" had tipped more than that. It was hard to get them going. Then, evacuation. From the time the captain declares abandon ship, you're supposed to have half an hour to get off. Certainly, there were a lot of mixed signals about whether passengers on the "Concordia" ever got that signal -- Zoraida?

SAMBOLIN: I know a lot of people would like to see those safety drills actually happen the minute that they get on board as well.

All right. Lizzie O'Leary, thank you so much for that report.

The film "Bully" is meant to educate kids about the realities of bulling. Only thing is, kids can't see the film. It was given an "R" rating. But one girl is trying to change that. She has put together a petition and she's joining us live to explain why she did this. It's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Bullying -- we've seen it at work way too many times. The powerful painful force behind the senseless deaths of too many children and it has to stop. It's a subject of a new documentary, appropriately named "Bully."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They called him a geek. Some kids told him he was worthless, to go hang himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: This is some powerful stuff. The message this documentary sends is clear. But the Motion Picture Association of America, or MPAA, has slapped the documentary with an "R" rating, which threatens to keep out teens, the exact audience that stands to benefit the most from seeing this documentary. Some famous names and powerful people tried to get the rating changed to PG-13, including the film's influential distributor, The Weinstein Company. The MPAA rejected their appeal. Now it's the bullying victims who are taking action.

Katy Butler is leading the way, and she joins us live from Detroit.

Thank you so much for being with us, Katy. You actually posted a petition -

KATY BUTLER, PETITION ORIGINATOR: No problem.

SAMBOLIN: -- on change.org. And the support has been overwhelming. How many people have signed that petition so far?

BUTLER: Over 162,000.

SAMBOLIN: And I know you were bullied, too. Can you tell us your story?

BUTLER: Yes, I can. When I was in seventh grade, I identified as a lesbian, and I still do. And I was out in my school. And there were not a lot of people that were in support of that. And one day, I was putting my stuff away in my locker and a couple of guys came up behind me and started calling me names and using horrible derogatory language.

And I tried to get away because it was a really, really scary situation, like a lot of kids are put in now. And they slammed my finger in my locker and it ended up breaking my finger.

SAMBOLIN: Now, Katy, you saw the documentary. How did you feel when you saw it?

BUTLER: I think it's an absolutely powerful, wonderful movie because these are real kids, and they're telling their real stories.

SAMBOLIN: Now, there are some people who believe that this should be rated "R." When you watched it, did you feel that way?

BUTLER: No, I don't think this movie should be rated "R" at all. I think PG-13 is a very good rating for it.

SAMBOLIN: Well, actually, you went as far as to say, "By refusing to change the film's rating to PG-13, the Motion Picture Association of America is acting like a bully, too." That is a very bold statement. Why do you say that?

BUTLER: Because they're not letting the people who need to see this movie, the kids who are being bullied and the bullies, see the movie.

SAMBOLIN: Now, my understanding is that the problem with the movie is that it uses some foul language. So, the Motion Picture Association of America has issued this statement, they say, "The rating board has assigned 'Bully' an "R" rating for some language, not as an indicator of the quality of the film, but in order to provide parents with an adequate information on the level of content contained in the film. As with any movie, parents will decide if the film is appropriate for their child's viewing."

So to be fair here, Katy, isn't the MPAA just doing its job? Shouldn't I have a right as a mother to decide whether or not my 13- year-old should be seeing that movie? BUTLER: Yes, I also think you, as a parent, have the right, if the movie is rated PG-13 or if it's rated PG, no matter what it's rated, the parents still have the right to decide whether their child gets to see the movie or not.

SAMBOLIN: All right.

BUTLER: I think the language in this movie is part of what makes it so powerful.

SAMBOLIN: It's something that I would imagine kids your age can actually relate to.

For the record, I think you're doing an amazing job. Congratulations to you, and good luck.

BUTLER: Thank you so much.

SAMBOLIN: And coming up, this leggy blonde posed for "Playboy" and was in very high demand. She wasn't just a supermodel. She was also a super donor. Her incredible story coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Women looking for donor eggs often seek out someone young and good looking. Kathryn Havran fit the description perfectly.

Thelma Gutierrez has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the world of egg donation, she was a pioneer. Kathryn Havarin was a tall, healthy, leggy blonde who had some of the most sought-after eggs in southern California. Fertility Specialist Dr. Arthur Wisot called her a super donor.

(on camera): What made her a super donor?

DR. ARTHUR WISOT, FERTILITY SPECIALIST: It was the number of times that she donated. She was in great demand. Take one look at her. She's an actress, a model. She's beautiful. She's tall.

SAMBOLIN (on camera): She was a Playmate.

WISOT: She was a "Playboy" playmate, and she got everybody pregnant. That was the bottom line.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): I met Dr. Wisot's super donor 11 years ago when the industry was still in its infancy. Kathryn Havran was married with two children of her own. She told me she wanted to help other couples become parents. In doing so, Kathryn would donate her eggs, a part of herself that carried the same DNA as her own kids. Babies born of those eggs would be half hers biologically but raised by strangers she would never meet.

During one of her many egg retrievals with the doctor, Kathryn allowed me to witness the delicate procedure.

WISOT: The needle goes into the follicle.

GUTIERREZ: That was more than a decade ago. I was curious to know just how many of those eggs became babies and if she thought about it much.

(on camera): Do you ever think about the potential children that you could have out there?

KATHRYN HAVARIN, EGG DONOR: All the time. It's amazing, like when you're walking down the street and you see somebody that looks something like you, with blonde hair and green eyes, and, yes, could be.

GUTIERREZ: If we do the math and you went through 10 cycles and each cycle netted 36 eggs, you're talking about nearly 400 eggs out there. How many live births that you know of?

HAVRAN: I believe there's 10. And there's a set of twins.

GUTIERREZ: So there's at least 10 that we know of.

HAVRAN: Right.

GUTIERREZ: But with the potential for many more.

HAVRAN: Right.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Back then, there were few restrictions how many times the woman could donate. Now the standard is three for the safety of the donor. Today, women are paid on average $10,000 a cycle. It was much less for Kathryn.

HAVRAN: It wasn't a lot at that time. I think it was maybe $1200, if that.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): $1200. You're having to give yourself the shots, having to go through retrieval. That is not an easy process sewed no one could ever say you got rich off of it.

(CROSSTALK)

HAVRAN: No, no, no.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): But now she's a bit more wistful. My son was killed five years ago. That will really flooded back to this. It would be great if my daughter did have a brother. Not that I want you know them to go looking for him. No one will ever take his place, but to know maybe she would have a brother or sister out there.

(on camera): Does that strong urge ever come to you?

HAVRAN: It's a strange urge, like you want to in one way but, in the other, I don't want to intrude on anybody.

GUTIERREZ: Several years ago, a child who wanted to meet the egg donor did reach out to Dr. Wisot.

WISOT: We did contact Kathryn and she was open to it, and then the patient never followed up.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): So there is that curiosity there.

HAVRAN: Yes.

GUTIERREZ: You wouldn't shut that door.

HAVRAN: No, I would not. Absolutely not. I think it's very important to keep it open.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Looking back, she says she's glad she was able to help so many couples.

HAVRAN: I've never felt any regrets.

GUTIERREZ: She says her only hope is that the children are living wonderful lives.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAMBOLIN: We thank you for watching. CNN NEWSROOM continues now with Brooke Baldwin.

Hi, Brooke.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Zoraida, thank you so much.