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New England Patriots Owner Claims Putin Stole His Super Bowl Ring; Obama To Join Other World Leaders For G-8 Summit; Supreme Court Expected To Rule On Contentious Issues Soon

Aired June 16, 2013 - 16:59   ET

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. Happy Father's Day. I'm Fredericka Whitfield. A look at the top stories right now in THE NEWSROOM, a diamond-studded NFL Super Bowl ring is on display inside the Kremlin in Moscow. But how did it get there? The previous owner said it was stolen and you won't believe who he says took it. A live report straight ahead.

A huge wildfire in Colorado cut in half. Firefighters have been going nonstop battling these flames for almost a week now. We'll ask them how they decide which homes to save.

And they're not in love. They're not married but they're raising children together. Straight ahead, we'll introduce you to a new kind of modern family.

When New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft visited Russia back in 2005 he came home without one of his most prized possessions. A NFL championship Super Bowl ring. The $25,000 ring with 124 diamonds is now on display inside the Kremlin. Kraft says he never intended to let Russia have it. CNN's Alino Cho explains what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the theft heard round the world or was it? The real story's still a mystery. Did Russian president Vladimir Putin steal a super bowl ring from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft? Kraft says, yes.

ROBERT KRAFT, OWNER, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: I'm tremendously humbled by this great honor.

CHO: This is Kraft at an event in New York last week accepting the Carnegie hall medal of excellence and bringing up the story which first surfaced in 2005. That's when Kraft met with Putin in St. Petersburg. Kraft said he showed Putin his shiny new $25,000 diamond encrusted super bowl ring engraved with his name on it when Putin said, according to Kraft at the gala, quote, "he goes, I can kill someone with this ring." I put my hand out and he put it in his pocket and three KGB guys got around him and walked out.

So Putin swiped it? Not according to one aid who says he was a witness. In a statement to CNN, Putin's spokesman said, I was there when it happened. So what Mr. Kraft is saying now is weird. I was standing 20 centimeters away from him and Mr. Putin and saw and heard how Mr. Kraft gave this ring as a gift.

According to "the New York Post" which first broke the story, Kraft said that White House officials actually urged him to say it was a gift in the interest of U.S.-Soviet relations. And in a statement back then, Kraft said the same. A spokesman for the Kraft group now adds it's a humorous anecdotal story that Robert re-tells for laughs. He loves that his ring and is now at the Kremlin and as he stated back in 2005, he continues to have great respect for Russia and the leadership of president Putin which still doesn't answer the lingering question of whether the ring was a gift or a lift.

2005 was the Bush administration and on Sunday we caught up with former vice president Dick Cheney.

DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't know anything about it. I just heard the brief blurb on it this morning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Oh, my, my. OK, Alina Cho is joining us now in New York.

So, the Kremlin has it but where specifically is it?

CHO: It is on display right now, we're told at the Kremlin library, Fred. And while Bob Kraft continues to dodge this question of which version of the story is true, I mean, was this ring a gift or did Putin take it, Putin as you know in London today, he held a conference with the UK prime minister David Cameron, a lengthy one by the way, and there were many, many questions about Syria but not a single one about the super bowl ring. I was waiting for it. So, the mystery continues.

WHITFIELD: We all were. And I wonder if Putin ever wears that ring, if he ever borrows it from the library from time to time and sports it.

CHO: Well, apparently, he at least tried it on and put it in his pocket back in 2005. Now, it's at the Kremlin library.

WHITFIELD: For all to see or at least all those who go to the library there to enjoy.

All right, Alina Cho, thanks so much.

CHO: You bet.

CHO: All right. Overseas, more protests in Turkey. Police clash with demonstrators during a funeral procession for a slain protester in the capital city of Ankara. Authorities used water cannons and teargas to disperse the crowd. Meanwhile, thousands cheered on the Turkish prime minister at a rally in Istanbul. It was held near the square where protesters gathered earlier.

And tomorrow, President Obama and other world leaders gather for the G8 summit. They are meeting at a seclude golf resort in Northern Ireland. On the agenda, what to do about the civil war in Syria, the global economic crisis and international trade. So who's at the table? Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Britain and, of course, the United States.

And this week, we expect to hear more about the national security agency's surveillance programs. A lot of people still have a lot of questions about the NSA leaks including whether the data collecting programs actually help thwart any terrorist plots.

Our Athena Jones is live for us now in Washington.

So Athena, it is driving a lot of conversations involving U.S. lawmakers, even today.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredericka. Ever since this NSA story broke, we have heard opinions on both sides of the issue and it has also put a lot of pressure on the administration especially from privacy advocates to explain to the American people just how these programs have worked, how they continue to work, and whether they've been able to thwart any plots. I had a chance to speak this morning with the former director of the NSA general Michael Hayden about this whole story. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. MICHAEL HAYDEN, FORMER NSA/CIA DIRECTOR: I understand the sensitivities. I have some of them myself. But I do think what's been done, as the president said, is a fairly light hand that really gives us some significant returns in making us more safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And so, there you heard from General Hayden. They believe that the program made Americans more safe. One bit of information we have now about a plot thwarted with the help of these surveillance programs is that plot back in 2009 to blow up the New York city subway system. We're told that we learned in a declassified document I should say received over the weekend, a document given by the intelligence committee to Congress, that through these programs tracking the phone calls of the plotter, (INAUDIBLE), they were able to stop that plot. And so, we expect to hear a little bit more about other plots that were also thwarted but this may not be enough for some people like Colorado Senator Mark Udall who has some big concerns about these surveillance programs. Let's listen to what he had to say this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK UDALL (D), COLORADO: I don't think collecting millions and millions of Americans' phone calls, now this is the meta data, this is time, place, to whom you direct the calls is making us any safer and I think it's ultimately perhaps a violation of the fourth amendment. I think we ought to have this debate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So there you heard the senator Udall saying we ought to have this debate. Well, that debate is definitely still raging. Udall will get the wish and a lot of discussion about this, is it making Americans safer? Should there be more limits placed on the programs? That conversation's going to be continuing this week and beyond, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Indeed. Thanks so much, Athena Jones, appreciate that.

JONES: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right. Guess what. The countdown is on. Just hours away now from the premier of all new morning show right here on CNN called "New Day." It begins Monday morning 6:00 a.m. eastern time. Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira will start your day with everything you need to know. You don't want to miss it. 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, bright and early.

All right, one home destroyed by a wildfire but the home across the street not a scratch. What goes in to this fighting? Whose home can be saved? Next.

And a CNN investigation in to where your charity dollars really go. We pushed for answers from a charity owner. Now he's speaking out.

And remember this girl who gave the judge a -- let's call it a one- finger salute? Well, she was given 30 days for contempt of court. But, what she did in those 30 days will surprise you and amaze you even more perhaps.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Flash floods washed cars right off the road and put drivers in a really dangerous situation in Missouri. Up to ten inches of rain fell in two hours around Springfield yesterday according to our affiliate KLOR. That was enough to turn roads in to rivers in the blink of an eye. Rescue crews say they were busy nonstop with calls to help drivers who got stuck in the floodwaters.

Firefighters in Colorado now have most of the destructive wildfire under control. It jumped from 55 percent contained to 65 percent today. This fire has destroyed nearly 500 homes and for firefighters caught in the middle of the flames, leaving a home to burn is a very tough decision.

Here's Martin Savidge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No firefighter wants to let a house burn but sometimes there's no choice.

LIEUTENANT CHRIS BENOIT, FALCON FIRE DEPARTMENT: And that's the hard part. I mean, it is a gut check doing this job but you don't go in to a home, there might be something you just can't save.

SAVIDGE: Other than life or death, one of the hardest decisions of firefighter makes is whether or not they can save a home. And in a big fire like this, it's a decision they have to make a lot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got an address for you.

SAVIDGE: Todd Legler has to make that call from his truck while riding in the fire. It's based on training, experience and how do you reads the land.

You can quickly read that terrain potentially dangerous for firefighters?

LEGLER: Correct.

SAVIDGE: This terrain over here, simply different topography safer.

LEGLER: Correct.

SAVIDGE: That house could be saved?

LEGLER: Yes.

SAVIDGE: This one you might have to let go?

LEGLER: Yes.

SAVIDGE: Mike Garman also has a say, (INAUDIBLE), it's his crew fighting the flames. He reads the house itself.

MIKE GARMAN, ENGINE BOSS, BROADMOOR FIRE DEPARTMENT: Stuck co, wood, wood roofs, tile roof. You know? If it's combustible materials, it definitely is going to be harder to defend.

SAVIDGE: May sound cold or insensitive but in the past, firefighters have stayed too long simply because it was a home and died trying to save it.

Another deciding factor is the big picture. Balancing say, saving a home versus saving a subdivision. That's James Schanel's call.

JAMES SCHANEL, FIREFIGHTER: Even though a single resident and his property is dear to that person, we have to look at the overall picture of the community in general.

SAVIDGE: And remember all of this from Todd to Mike to James is all done in just minutes in the heat and chaos of a roaring blaze. And they say it's never, ever easy. It's going to be the difference in some cases of whether a homeowner comes home to a home or not.

LEGLER: It is a tough decision to make. Because you don't ever want to see anyone lose their home. But the tougher decision is will all the firefighters come home at the end of the day?

SAVIDGE: If they could, firefighters say they would save every home. The greatest pain is knowing they can't.

Martin Savidge, CNN Black Forest, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A shocking investigation in to cancer charities. The charity owner refused to talk with us about where your money might be going. But today, he's got something to say, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: CNN investigative correspondent Drew Griffin along with the "Tampa Bay Times" investigated a Tennessee family that controls five cancer-related charities in the U.S. The charity has promised to use the money you donate to help people with cancer. But after we found out otherwise, we tracked down the owners to get answers and now he's finally speaking out. You will hear him in a moment, but first here's Drew Griffin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Drive down the country roads outside Knoxville, Tennessee and in to the small industrial park and you'll find the headquarters of a family conglomerate of cancer charities that return lavish salaries to the owners. But according to their owned track records donate very little to dying cancer patients. And the last thing the people running this charity want to do is answer questions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't turn your camera on me. OK?

GRIFFIN: Across the country, in mesa, Arizona, another outpost of the conglomerate. It's called the breast cancer society. Its CEO and executive director, the man escaping in the truck, James Reynolds Jr.

Excuse me, sir. Mr. Reynolds? Hey! Excuse me? Mr. Reynolds, right here, buddy. Mr. Reynolds? Hi, can you stop for a second. Where are you going, Mr. Reynolds?

Back in Knoxville, there's another cancer charity, the children's cancer fund of America. And this one run by yet, another member of the family, Rose Perkins.

(On-camera): Hi, is. Rose Perkins in?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is not available and she not doing any interviews.

GRIFFIN: Why won't she go to any interviews? She is running a charity for kids with cancer, right? That seems like a good idea.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is. I've been told to tell you she's not doing interviews.

GRIFFIN: Can you tell us what you guys do? Any positive things you do?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can send your questions to her e-mail. GRIFFIN: OK. What is that e-mail?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we will answer it.

GRIFFIN: If you were asking us for money, what would you say you did with your money?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We help children with cancer.

GRIFFIN: How do you do that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you mean how do we do that? We help children with cancer.

GRIFFIN: Yes. How? In what way?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We provide them financial assistance.

GRIFFIN: Financial assistance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you have any other questions, please send them to her e-mail.

GRIFFIN: OK. My question --

(Voice-over): Rose Perkins did e-mail us and tell us her charity has a clear conscience because we feel we are making a good difference in people's lives. But also told us an interview is not something we can consider. That may be because of the questions we'd like to ask her and the other members of her extended family who are essentially making a living on your donations.

Rose Perkins, the CEO of the children's cancer fund, is paid $227,442 a year. Her ex-husband, James Reynolds Sr. is president and CEO of cancer fund of America. He gets paid $236,815. And James Reynolds Jr., president and CEO of the breast cancer society has a salary of $261,609.

It is money that comes from donors like you who in 2011 sent these three charities $26 million in cash. How much of those donations actually went to helping cancer patients? According to the Charity's own tax records, about two percent in cash.

Example, the cancer fund of America raised $6 million through its fund raising campaign in 2011 and gave away just $14,940 in cash. But that is not what you would hear from the telemarketers hired by the cancer fund of America run by James Reynolds Sr.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. How much of my $10 will go to -- who is this to?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cancer fund of America support services -- 100 percent.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of your donation goes in to the fund where we purchase medical supply for these cancer patients. We also do the hospice care for the terminally ill and we supply over 600 hospice offices with medical supplies all over the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But how much of my $10 will --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It goes 100 percent toward the charity itself. I'm calling directly from the charity and not a telemarketing agency.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's great then.

GRIFFIN: According to the Iowa attorney general's office which gave us this recording, those phone call statements are one great big lie. The callers were telemarketers being paid to make the call. The state of Iowa fined the telemarketing company $35,000 for making false representations.

As for donations to other charities, the cancer fund of America claimed on the 2011 tax filings, it sent $761,000 in so-called gifts in kind, not actually cash, to churches, some hospitals and other programs around the country. When we called or e-mailed those other charities to check, many of them said they did get something, things like these supplies. But several of the groups told us they never heard of the Cancer Fund of America or don't remember getting a thing.

The cancer fund also takes credit for serving as a middleman, brokering transfer of another $16 million worth of gifts in kind to individuals and other charities, many of them overseas. Those contributions double up both as revenue and donations on the same tax forms.

Back at the Cancer Fund of America's corporate office, even the chief financial officer who by the way has a salary of $121,000 couldn't explain what was happening.

We just have all the -- north Mississippi medical center, never heard of you. Yolando Marco Oncology Institute, nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's within of the ones we looked up but again you have to talk to him.

GRIFFIN: The him is James Reynolds Sr., the founder that told us in an e-mail his board thought it unwise to talk to CNN. Even though in a different e-mail he called the news of phantom donations, quote, "most disturbing." As for his son, James Reynolds Jr. and his charity in Arizona --

(On-camera): How are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The camera needs to stay outside.

GRIFFIN: OK. Can he stay right there? Is Mr. Reynolds here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry. He's not in right now. (Voice-over): The public relations officer for Breast Cancer Society, Kristina Hixson, who by the way is married to James Reynolds Jr. Sent us e-mail telling us the Breast Cancer Society's guiding mission is to provide relief to those who suffer from the affects of breast cancer and that we have made a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of men and women, but declined our request for an on-camera interview.

And when our camera found James Reynolds Jr., he made sure we got the message, with a single-fingered salute.

Drew Griffin, CNN. Knoxville, Tennessee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And Cancer Fund of America CEO and president, James Reynolds Sr., responded to this investigation through our affiliate WBIR. Reynolds gives his take on why so much of the money raised doesn't go to cancer patients.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: They call me up and say I'm the Cancer Fund of America, you know? I would like to get a donation from you today and I'd give them a dollar. How much of that dollar ends up benefiting a cancer patient?

JAMES REYNOLDS SR., PRESIDENT, CEO, CANCER FUND OF AMERICA: About 20 percent. The most that we have ever been able to raise is about two percent more than our best fund-raiser gives to us. Plus, we have all of the headaches.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: As for Mr. Reynolds, six figure paycheck, he says his board approves that $217,000 a year salary.

A 13-year-old girl caught in a terrible world of sex trafficking finally gets out but she ended up in handcuffs. We talked to her about what she wants New York to do to help change that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The NFL's New York Patriots owner Robert Kraft was in Russia back in 2005 showing off his NFL super bowl ring to president Putin. Well, he never got the ring back. At the time, Kraft said it was a gift. Now he says Putin just put that ring in his pocket and walked away. Putin denies it. He says Kraft gave the ring to him. A spokesman for Kraft down played the dispute saying it's a funny story Kraft tells and he is glad the Kremlin has it.

Arming Syrian rebels likely be a hot topic when President Obama meets with Russian president Vladimir Putin tomorrow. Russia provides weapons to the Syrian military battling the rebels. President Putin questioned a U.S. proposal to arm the rebels saying the rebels' alleged atrocities do not match humanitarian values. The Obama administration had suggested giving weapons to some Syrian rebels in retaliation for Syrian forces allegedly using chemical weapons.

And more protests in Turkey today. Police clashed with demonstrators during a funeral procession for a slain protester in the capital entourage. Authorities used water cannons and teargas to disperse the crowd. Meanwhile, thousands cheered on the Turkish prime minister at a rally in Istanbul.

And North Korea reportedly wants high level talks with the U.S. the country's state-run television made the offer today. It said nuclear issues could be part of the discussions. Washington has not responded by a senior administration official says the U.S. will discuss it with Japan and South Korea.

This week the U.S. Supreme Court could hand down some major decisions, decisions that may impact every American.

Let's bring in CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser with a preview.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, Fred.

The Supreme Court is back in the spotlight tomorrow as it issues more opinions. By the end of the month, the high court expected to rule on contentious issues such as affirmative action, same-sex marriage and voting rights.

The voting rights act passed in 1960s to stop some state and local governments from preventing black Americans from voting. Forty-nine percent of people questioned in a recent CBS news/"The New York Times" poll said the law is still necessary with 44 percent saying it wasn't needed anymore. More big votes expected by the full Senate on immigration reform bills supported by a five partisan groups of eight senders. If immigration reform eventually passes through the democratic-controlled Senate, it will face an even bigger hurdle in the Republican dominated house based are action are their owned bill this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Immigration reform, it's a very difficult issue. But I will intend to bring an immigration bill to the floor that violates what I and what my members of my party or what our principles are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: So, what do you think? Should undocumented workers given an eventually pathway to citizenship? Most of the latest polling including this one from NBC News and "Wall Street Journal" indicates a majority say yes -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Paul Steinhauser. Appreciate that.

Hey, football players smack each other on the rear all the time on the field, right? Well, when a former NFL wide receiver by the name of Chad Johnson did it to his lawyer in a Miami courtroom, well, the judge quickly smacked him down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE KATHLEEN MCHUGH: He's an excellent attorney and he did a great job for you.

You have any questions of Mr. (Inaudible)?

This isn't a joke.

CHAD JOHNSON, FORMER NFL PLAYER: I didn't do it as a joke.

MCHUGH: Everybody in the courtroom was laughing. I'm not accepting his plea negotiations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Oh boy. So that gesture ended up earning Johnson 30 days in jail.

And you may remember a young girl who was especially rude to a judge, she got so upset that she swore at the judge and then flipped him off. He immediately slapped her with a criminal contempt. It may be the best thing that ever happened. Lin Martinez of affiliate WSVN reports it that way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ms. Soto, congratulations.

PENELOPE SOTO: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think lots of things have changed for you.

One, you smile now, which we didn't see before. And I wish you well in the program. Congratulations.

(APPLAUSE)

LIN MARTINEZ, WSVN (voice-over): That's a switch, 18-year-old Penelope Soto getting compliments even a round of applause in a Miami courtroom.

SOTO: (Inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you say (inaudible) to me?

SOTO: Actually I --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you say that?

MARTINEZ (voice-over): That was our first introduction with the teenager earlier this month. She was facing a judge on charges of possession of a controlled substance when she flipped the bird in open court.

The judge responded in kind, charging her with contempt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, you did say that? I find you in direct criminal contempt, 30 days in the county jail.

MARTINEZ (voice-over): Penelope didn't spend 30 days in jail. She stayed for five after she tearfully apologized to the judge.

SOTO: My behavior was very irrational and I apologize not only to the court and you, but to my family.

MARTINEZ (voice-over): He ordered her to a drug treatment program and released her. And judging from her latest court appearance, seems to be working.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you doing, Ms. Soto?

SOTO: Good, thank you.

MARTINEZ (voice-over): A kinder, gentler, more polite young woman faced a different judge on Monday morning. He seemed impressed after learning Ms. Soto had passed all of her drug tests and is regularly attending Narcotics Anonymous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight out of eight, perfect, that's very good news. (Inaudible).

(APPLAUSE)

MARTINEZ (voice-over): If Penelope can keep up her good work, the drug charge will be dropped.

Penelope works part time and told the judge she plans to go back to school. Well, upon hearing that, coupled with the other good news, the judge felt compelled to applaud her again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wish you well in the program. Congratulations.

SOTO: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow. Lucky girl, I guess, in the end.

All right. Sex trafficking is not a faraway problem. It's right on the streets of New York. A lawmaker tells us her proposal to make a big change for the victims. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Modern day slavery is a critical, global crisis that CNN is committed to shining a spotlight on with our Freedom Project. The U.S. State Department estimates that 27 million people are victims of human trafficking around the world.

That's like the whole population of New York City times three. Well, if you think it's not happening in the U.S., think again. Even something as hideous as child sex trafficking happens in this country every day.

I'm joined now by New York Assemblywoman Amy Paulin who wants to change that with a proposed law in New York.

I'm also joined by a 17-year-old survivor who was kidnapped and forced in to sex slavery in New York when she was just 9. We're protecting her identity and for this story we'll be calling her Brianna.

So Amy and Brianna, so glad you could be with us.

Amy, let me begin with you. You're expecting a vote on your bill this week. If it passes, what are you hoping it would do?

AMY PAULIN, NY STATE ASSEMBLYWOMAN: We hope that it would do two things. The first is to stiffen the penalties. We recognize that sex trafficking means that a young girl would be subjected to rape over and over again. It needs to be a violent felony.

And so, we hope that, if we pass this bill, we would be stiffening the penalties to make sure that it's a violent B felony.

The second thing and equally important is that, you know, these are young girls. These are children. We need to treat them like children. We need to make sure that when they're brought in to court, typically they're arrested for prostitution, that they're recognized as children and they are converted to a PINS, a person in need of supervision and it's a decriminalized act and they get services.

So those are the two key provisions that we hope to enact into law this week.

WHITFIELD: So, in many cases, some of these young ladies initially arrested for prostitution but it's your hope and let me understand this, Brianna's hope as well, that these young ladies, these children really are victims and that they are treated as such.

And Brianna, you were just 13 -- if I got that correct -- when you managed to break free from the sex trafficking, but your journey began at a very young age, at the age of 9.

How did you get out? What made the difference to help you break free from sex trafficking?

"BRIANNA", NY SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIM: Well, when it happened to me, I didn't necessarily break free. It was more so that the cops found me. They broke into this closet that I was locked in and arrested me on prostitution charges.

WHITFIELD: And because of that, initially you did have to face prostitution charges, but how did you turn things around or let them know that you were a victim, this was not something you elected to do but something in which you were rather entrapped to do?

"BRIANNA": Well, I gave them most of the evidence that I could, mainly phones that we were using or anything that they found in the house, clothes or videos or eyewitness accounts and things of that nature. Eventually they caught this person and found out what was actually going on.

WHITFIELD: So in your view, if this bill is passed and it becomes New York law, how do you suppose it's going to protect anyone else, make sure that what happened to you does not happen to any other young person?

"BRIANNA": Well, my main hope is that if this bill is passed it would help girls not necessarily be criminalized the way I was the first time that I got arrested but treat them as victims because that's what they actually are. So that's my main goal with it.

WHITFIELD: Amy, this is a state bill, but are you hoping this is something that will have much greater reach, nationally, globally?

PAULIN: Well, we passed the first sex trafficking law in 2007 in New York. Since then, many states have done the same and -- but it's time that New York again becomes the leader, takes it a step forward. We have learned a lot. There's been prosecutions since then.

But we need to improve the law and, again, be the leader so that other states that this is happening, where this is happening, they also take the initiative and they improve their laws, as well.

WHITFIELD: Amy Paulin, thanks.

Brianna, thanks for your time as well. And thank you so much for courageously sharing your point of view on all of this.

PAULIN: Thank you.

"BRIANNA": Thank you.

WHITFIELD: To learn more about CNN's Freedom Project and what you can do, check out the website CNN.com/freedom. You can also get more information on the Facebook page there.

All right. They aren't married. They aren't in love. But they wanted to be parents together. Friends with kids. We'll look at a new type of modern family.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Increasing number of men and women are having babies and raising them together without ever being romantically involved. It's known as co-parenting or parenting partnerships. Poppy Harlow explains.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Fredricka. Well, you can call it the modern, modern family. Increasingly men, women, gay and straight are having babies and raising them together without ever being romantically involved. It is known as co-parenting or parenting partnerships. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don't we just do it? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?

HARLOW (voice-over): Friends with kids. It's not just the stuff of Hollywood movies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We really want to have a kid. So share all the responsibility and just skip over the whole marriage thing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look what I have. Your new cup.

HARLOW (voice-over): Call it the modern modern family.

HARLOW: You say you broke all the rules.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bye-bye.

HARLOW (voice-over): Dave (ph) and Evelyn (ph) were co-workers before they were co-parents.

HARLOW: You were her superior?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was. But we weren't -- we weren't messing around.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we weren't breaking every rule.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not that.

HARLOW (voice-over): Heidi and David friends for 20 years joked in college if neither had a child by 36, they'd have one together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wanted a partner in parenting. So I circled back to David and I said, I'm ready. I -- all systems are go on my side and I would like to do this with you.

HARLOW (voice-over): They're parenting partners. Not romantically involved, not married but sharing the huge task of parenting.

HARLOW: Do you ever feel judged?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have heard a lot of comments, positive and negative, with respect to what we have done here.

HARLOW (voice-over): Heidi (ph) and David (ph) do it living apart.

HARLOW: Do you ever worry that this may confuse Nate (ph) when he's trying to figure out for himself what a loving relationship is?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thattaboy.

David (ph) and I have a loving relationship. We don't have a romantic relationship but we do have a loving relationship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just because he wasn't conceived as a result of a romantic interlude does not mean that we're going to be less than as parents. It's doesn't mean that we love him any less.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lunch bag all done.

HARLOW (voice-over): Evelyn (ph) and Dave (ph) do it living together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do think it is a little easier for a single woman to become a mother and not be looked down on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I found it different. I found it actually that people have a lot of questions and there's been more resistance than I expected.

HARLOW (voice-over): Darren Spidale (ph) has tapped into the trend by starting Family by Design, a website to match up co-parent hopefuls.

DARREN SPIDALE (PH), FAMILY BY DESIGN: Where I have seen this work the most successfully is where the people have taken the time to build that bond of friendship.

Where I have seen challenges is where people jumped in to this too quickly and didn't build that bond.

HARLOW (voice-over): Critics say parenting partnerships can confuse the child and feel like divorce.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To address the naysayers who might say you're doing something that's unnatural, and I take issue with that word, I would like to say more, something less than conventional, yes, this is a new paradigm in parenting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't have statistics to say how it will work. I think for me the hardest thing would be when one or the other loses interest in the arrangement and wants something different.

HARLOW (voice-over): Like dating other people, something all four parents want one day. Whatever the agreement, get it in writing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a disaster plan but we don't plan to use it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Protect yourself, because you don't know what the future's going to hold.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Now this is absolutely controversial. The Center for Marriage and Families at the Institute for American Values weighed in and sent us a statement that reads, in part, quote, "Parents who have been unwilling even to try to love or bond with one another are unlikely to be able to cooperate together throughout a child's lifetime. Other ties will draw them away from the co-parenting relationship whether for romance or work. Grown-ups are supposed to take on the job of making one family for a child. It's a hard job, but these parents are not even willing to try."

Interestingly, if you look at the numbers, we're seeing more and more young people, Millennials, focusing on raising children. A 2010 Pew Research survey found that 52 percent of Millennials age 18 to 29 said being a good parent is one of the most important things in their life versus just 30 percent who said the same thing of having a successful marriage.

Fredericka?

WHITFIELD: All right. Poppy Harlow, thanks so much.

Hey, Kim Kardashian's family is sharing a few details about her new baby girl on Twitter. Her sister, Khloe, said Mom and Baby are doing well, Khloe tweeted, "She's overwhelmed with love and the family will share more info when the time is right."

Kim's mom, Chris Jenner, tweeted in all caps, "Happy Father's Day, Kanye."

All right this very scary moment at the ballpark. A pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays gets hit on the head by a fast-moving ball. We'll check on his condition.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Major League pitcher Alex Cobb is out of the hospital. The Tampa Bay Rays player suffered a concussion in the game yesterday -- whoa -- from that moment right there.

Hit in the head by a fast moving line drive there. Whoa. Ball club officials say Cobb is now resting at home. He tweeted this, "Can't thank everyone enough for the prayers, was the only way for me to make it out of there OK. Looking forward to getting back out there."

Boy. All the best to him.

And get ready for a new way of waking up in the mornings. Tomorrow the debut of CNN's morning show, "NEW DAY," with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira. Alison Kosik got a chance to chat with the anchors, Chris and Kate in particular, and they gave her a little preview of what to expect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: We know this -- here's the headline. News is back in morning news. When "NEW DAY" starts. We're really going to emphasize story count, having the broadest palette, letting people know what's going on, not just around here but around the world.

It's going to be an obvious emphasis right from jump.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And it is going to be a broader definition of news. Obviously the big headlines of the day, and those drive our -- will drive the show as it drives any show, but there's also going to be a variety of stories that maybe viewers haven't seen in the past.

And so there is going to be a little bit for everybody or I would actually argue a lot for everybody. Because everyone has a variety of interests. And we're going to pack it all in. We have three hours, as you well know, Alison, so there is a lot of time to pack a lot of news in.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Is this show going to redefine morning TV from what we know now?

BOLDUAN: I think that's setting a high bar for us. I think it's -- morning news is morning news. We're not going to be re-inventing the morning news wheel. I mean, we're not -- it is what it is.

But we're going to be doing it our own way. It is going to have a very different feel from other morning shows in the past. I think there is space in morning TV for that. Every show's got its niche and every show has got its own angle. And we're going to be finding ours as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And you will see for yourself. "NEW DAY" starts tomorrow, 6:00 am, don't miss it.

All right. You also don't want to miss my colleague, Don Lemon. He is coming up in a few minutes with the NEWSROOM.

What you got, Don?

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, it is a new evening here on CNN with a whole lot of stories.

True stories though, Fredricka, from the mean streets of Boston, reputed mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger is on trial for 19 murders, all while some say is he a rat. They're calling him a rat, ratting out his own friends as an FBI informant. We're going to talk with an ex- mobster who knew Bulger to get his take on the case and what some of the hitmen taking the stand this week might say.

And this mom, Fred, just wasn't having it when a would-be carjacker pulled out a knife. She's like I'm not having any of that. Find out what she did to get him out of the minivan and off the streets. Bold moves, no doubt.

We'll also be talking about -- it's Father's Day, by the way, so tell John I said Happy Father's Day.

WHITFIELD: I will, thanks so much.

LEMON: -- if he is not watching. But we're going to talk about just pot, does marijuana make you a better father? Some dads say it does. We're going to see if that's actually true.

WHITFIELD: A new twist on a Happy Father's Day greeting. OK.

LEMON: No, that's a new twist.

WHITFIELD: Surprised me on that one, Don!

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: OK.

Well, they got the message. Right?

All right. Thanks so much. We'll watch you in a couple minutes.

OK. Here's a little pop quiz for you. What do Kanye West, G8 leaders and dog lovers all have in common? They are part of the week ahead -- next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: President Obama meets with G8 leaders tomorrow in Northern Ireland and that tops our look at the week ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD (voice-over): The civil war in Syria will top the agenda at the G8 meeting. Obama administration officials say the U.S. will send military aid to Syria's rebels but the White House chief of staff is warning that there will be no rush to war in Syria.

Also happening Monday -- hearings for the alleged 9-1-1 plotters at Guantanamo Bay naval base. The so-called mastermind of the attack, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, and four alleged co-conspirators are facing charges.

Hip-hop superstar Kanye West is not only a brand-new dad, he also has a brand-new album dropping. His latest, "Yeezus," comes out on Tuesday. The album's title is a play on words combining his nickname of "Yeezy" with "Jesus".

Wednesday we'll be watching the Federal Reserve for news on whether it will raise interest rates.

And on Friday it is the world's ugliest dog contest in Petaluma, California. The top dog, so to speak, wins a $1,500 prize, a trophy and a catered dinner. We'll look forward to the results on that.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield. That's going to do it for me. My colleague Don Lemon, straight ahead with the NEWSROOM right now.

Hey, Don.

LEMON: All right, Fred. Hey, how are you?

There are no ugly dogs, by the way. Only cute dogs. That's it.

WHITFIELD: Aww. All dogs are beautiful.

LEMON: That's right. All right, Fred. Thank you, thank you, enjoy your couple days off.