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Transportation Secretary Seeks End to FAA Flap; No Default, But Fear Aplenty; Debt Deal Impact on Jobs; Prosecution Rests in Warren Jeffs Trial
Aired August 03, 2011 - 13:57 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: A new hour starts with an anguished plea from the secretary of transportation. Ray LaHood wants Congress to get moving.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAY LAHOOD, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: That's why I'm here. I'm calling them back. Come back to Washington, leave your vacations, just for a couple of hours. Come back, Congress. Help -- help your friends and neighbors get back to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: If you thought all was well after Washington steered clear of default, think again. The standstill LaHood is so livid about is the failure of Congress to re-up funding for the FAA before it left on a month-long recess. Thousands of workers are on unpaid furlough, others are working unpaid, and millions of dollars in taxes aren't being collected at least until Labor Day.
All the while, fears of another recession are driving stocks into historic slumps. The Dow had seemed to be on track for its ninth straight losing session, but started heading upward in just the past few minutes. We haven't had nine straight days of blue chip losses, in fact, since 1978.
And that brings me to Alison Kosik, she's at the New York Stock Exchange.
Alison, how's the Dow looking right now?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The Dow is looking a lot better than it did earlier. Right now it is down only 18 points, so it is coming back a bit.
This is after the White House came out and said just a few moments ago that it does not expect that the economy is going to fall back into a recession, though it does acknowledge that there are challenges, as the markets see that there are challenges as the Dow trades solidly below the 12,000 mark.
And yesterday, the S&P 500, Randi, fell into negative territory for the year, and many of the 401(k)s, the closely mirror that index. So, you know, it may not be a great time to look at your investments tonight.
The Nasdaq, by the way, is also near that breakeven level right now.
Now the debt deal, that's behind us now, so the focus is all about what's happening in the broader economy. And Americans are worried about what kind of direction the recovery is headed or lack of a recovery.
We learned earlier that the service sector, that's where 80 percent of Americans get their paychecks, that weakened in June. So you add to that a report showing that people are spending less and saving more, something in theory is good for people to save money, but this time around, the reason is not so good because they're worried about job security. They're not sure where the economy is headed.
What we really need is to see people have confidence in their personal financial situation and actually pump money into the economy. You know, traders I talk to, despite what the White House says, they're very concerned.
I'm hearing more talk from people here at the New York Stock Exchange that we could be headed for a double-dip recession. Many prominent economists, they're also raising the odds that the economy will fall back into a recession, even though most of them are hedging that a bit, still saying it's unlikely to happen -- Randi.
KAYE: Yes, but even just the talk of a double-dip recession certainly is going to have investors spooked, right?
KOSIK: Exactly. And that's why you see the numbers fluctuating as much as they have today. That's why you see the 266-point drop on the Dow that we saw yesterday.
It's because all of these economic reports, these are indicators about the health of our economy, indicators like GDP. That's the best measure of overall growth of the economy. That's weak.
Manufacturing is weak. Consumer spending is weak. Activity in the service sector is weak. And this is why there is this sort of belief, this underlying belief, these whispers that are growing louder about whether or not we could be headed for another recession.
Whether or not that's the case, I hate to use this phrase, but it really is only time will tell -- Randi.
KAYE: All right. Alison Kosik, we'll let you use that today. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
KOSIK: Thanks.
KAYE: Now back to the funding standoff that's costing thousands of government workers their paychecks and costing the government itself some $30 million a day in uncollected airline taxes.
Kate Bolduan is on Capitol Hill. And Kate, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood came out today with some pretty strong words. He wants members to get back to work pronto. Is there any sign that that might actually happen?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not quite yet. And we've been asking. Not quite yet, but as you know, up here things can change very quickly, Randi. So we'll keep tabs on that.
But this is a fight that has been brewing but has been largely overshadowed recently, of course, by the debt ceiling debate, but is now out in absolutely full effect and out in the public. This being a battle over funding for the FAA.
There seems to be -- the issues of this fight are twofold, having to do with a short-term extension in funding and a long-term funding package for the FAA. But it really is coming down to a ideological fight between the two parties and their differing views towards unions.
Democrats generally support union efforts. Republicans, very generally, if I have to be that general, oppose union efforts, which I'll dig into a little bit more in a second.
But listen here to Senate Majority Leader, the top Democrat in the Senate, Harry Reid, earlier today, when I asked him about the short-term extension that's on the table. Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Why not just accept this short-term extension and live to fight another day?
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: Live to fight another day in September 15th and -- what will the hostages be then? Next, they'll go to something else.
This is a subterfuge for the number one issue. They refuse to go to conference unless there's a pre-arrangement that they've issued legally within the confines of the law, they get rid of that. We're not willing to do that, and that's what this is all about.
And the sooner you folks focus on it, the better off you are and the American people are. This issue has nothing to do with essential air service. It has everything to do with a labor dispute between airlines and the American worker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Now, digging into this just a little bit more, Randi, this is what's going on here. House Republicans are pushing a provision in this funding fight that would reverse a recent change to federal regulation that would make it easier for unions to organize in airlines. And Republicans are trying to reverse that.
Democrats are fighting very hard against that, organized labor, unions, being a very key constituency that support Democratic members of Congress. So this is now becoming a lot of finger-pointing, Democrats at Republicans, Republicans at Democrats. It does not seem at this moment and this late date, as we have missed the deadline on this one to pass some funding extension, that no one is blinking quite yet.
Democrats, they are trying to push a clean extension. Republicans are opposing that. And it's going back and forth and back and forth like that -- Randi.
KAYE: And there's still the question, is this dispute really about rural airports, or is this about labor rights?
BOLDUAN: So, the rural airport part of this has to do with the short-term extension. This is very complex. I'm trying to not overwhelm all our viewers on all of this, but what I'm hearing is that it is not about the rural airports. At least Democrats say it has nothing to do with that.
They say that is just kind of a proxy fight, if you will, for this dispute over labor rights and union rights. So they say that it has nothing to do with the rural airports and subsidies for rural airports, which is part of this short-term extension. Of course, this is becoming a bit of a messy fight, and a lot of members are simply out of town.
KAYE: A messy fight with a very clear explanation from you.
BOLDUAN: I'm trying.
KAYE: Kate Bolduan, thank you. You did it.
BOLDUAN: Thanks, Randi.
KAYE: This just into CNN -- the prosecution has rested its case in the sexual assault trial of polygamous leader Warren Jeffs. Gary Tuchman is getting out of court, making his way to our camera in Texas right now. We'll go to him live as soon as he gets to that camera.
Keep it here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Under the newly signed debt ceiling agreement, unemployment benefits will not be extended. So with the official unemployment rate at 9.2 percent, some of the 25 million Americans out of work will be getting squeezed.
Today, we take an in-depth look at whether the debt deal will mean more job cuts.
Sandra Endo joins me from an unemployment center in Los Angeles.
Sandra, how do to people there think that the debt deal might impact them?
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Randi, I can tell you the debt deal obviously averted a massive default for the country, but it's not creating any jobs. And, in fact, with the spending cuts in the deal, a lot of people here who are looking for work say that actually may make jobs even harder for them to find, and that may mean less jobs out there in the workplace. And some people here like Dianeri (ph), we talked to, has been out of work for two years now.
What's the process been like for you trying to find a job?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been very overwhelming. I've been looking for two years and I still haven't found one.
ENDO: And you're just looking for an entry level job, anything to pay the bills?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes. But they want people with experience, and I don't have any.
ENDO: And you're finding more people with more experience who are out of work are also applying for the jobs you're looking for.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. And they have a better chance of getting it than me.
ENDO: A very tough situation. Good luck out there.
And let's talk to also Steve, Randi, who runs this place.
You've been seeing people come in and out of here every day. It's very busy. How would you say the debt deal affecting people looking for a job?
STEVE MAGALLANES, MANAGED CAREER SOLUTIONS: Well, I think it affects them negatively because it creates a lot of uncertainty in the economy. You have small business owners that want to hire people, but they are not sure what the demand for their goods and services are going to be. So they're hesitant to hire people, which creates more unemployment.
ENDO: There could be less jobs out there, even layoffs, perhaps?
MAGALLANES: Less jobs, layoffs. You know, all contributed by the uncertainty that's going on in Washington right now.
ENDO: Yes. We'll see where the spending cuts actually fall. But give some advice, some tips out there for people who are looking for a job.
MAGALLANES: Well, I think they should definitely access a center such as ours. We have 18 centers operated within the city of Los Angeles and 13 operated within the county of Los Angeles. So, definitely, there are services out there that can help people look for work.
ENDO: Any other tips, advice?
MAGALLANES: Yes. Obviously, new training in in-demand occupations would be quite beneficial. And we do have services that work towards that. And also, they may wish to consider unpaid work experience so that they can a hold in an industry that they like, and might be considered for employment that way.
ENDO: All right. Steve, thank you so much. I know you're very busy here at this job center.
You can see, Randi, people are beefing up their resumes, they are looking at job databanks, looking for employment, sending out those resumes. It's a long and arduous process for a lot of these people who have been out of work, but millions of Americans are in their similar situations. And so that's some good advice from Steve, as people are out there looking for work -- Randi.
KAYE: All right. Sandra Endo, appreciate it. Thank you for bringing that story to us.
The prosecution, meanwhile, has just rested its case in the sexual assault trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs.
Gary Tuchman just got out of court in San Angelo, Texas. He joins me now.
Gary, tell me what happened there today.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The key piece of evidence just shown to the jury -- actually, the jury just listened to it, because it's nothing they could see. It was an audiotape of a 50- year-old man allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old girl.
It was very hard to listen to, it was disgusting, it was vile. But it was key for this prosecution trying to prove that Warren Jeffs, the leader of the largest polygamous sect in North America, is guilty of sexually assaulting this girl who was 12 years old and one week when he married her.
And Warren Jeffs doesn't deny that he married this girl at all. He doesn't even deny he had sex with her.
He's his own attorney in this case. All he's saying over and over again -- and he's objected to different things about 80 or 90 times during this trial -- is this violates his religious freedom. But on this audiotape that was just played -- it was 20 minutes long -- you hear Warren Jeffs going to this 12-year-old girl who he had just married, a spiritual marriage -- "That hat feels good. How do you feel?"
And the little girl, in this little girl voice -- and it was very emotional -- said, "Very good." And then, Randi, when it was all over, Warren Jeffs said to this girl, "How do you feel?" And she said, "I feel fine."
And one thing I should tell you, this girl was described earlier in the trial -- and this is so touching, too -- she was described by witnesses as a little girl with red hair and freckles and that she looks like Pippi Longstocking.
KAYE: Oh my.
I have to ask though, how did the jury respond to this? What did they do while this tape was being played?
TUCHMAN: It was very tough for the jury. One juror in the front row, a female juror, there were tears coming from her eyes. She was wiping her eyes with a Kleenex. Others looked appalled.
They had headphones. It was very hard to listen to. We actually have a transcript of it. Without the transcript, we wouldn't know what it says.
So I think what's very notable and what's very important is Warren Jeffs has not denied any of this. And these are the charges against him.
This is very important. You can't, no matter what religion you are, no matter what kind of leader you are, even if you say you're a prophet, like Warren Jeffs, you are not allowed in the United States of America to say, because I'm a prophet, because I'm a religious person, I can do whatever I want with children. That is not allowed in any way, shape or form.
KAYE: So now that the prosecution has rested, he'll pick it up from here. How much longer might this trial last?
TUCHMAN: Wow. We don't know, because Warren Jeffs, there is no indication -- he doesn't know how to be an attorney, he doesn't know how to be a lawyer, but he has legal advisers.
He has indicated just minutes ago that he may call a witness or witnesses on this behalf. What that will mean we don't know, because it's been kind of a circus, this trial, already. But we're going to know at 4:00 Eastern Time when court resumes. But we think -- and we can't guarantee this, but we think it will go to the jury sometime today.
KAYE: Today. OK.
Gary Tuchman, thanks for bringing us up to date. Boy, were those some disturbing details, but we certainly appreciate it. Thank you.
Thousands of troops are expected to return home from Afghanistan over the next year. But there is still work left to be done.
Jason Carroll shows us some of the challenges still facing U.S. troops in Afghanistan, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: First Sergeant Randy Shorter was one of thousands of soldiers sent to Afghanistan, and as part of last year's troop surge. His deployment is coming to an end, but before he returns home, Shorter wants to do everything he can to finish the job. As part of an exclusive weeklong series by Jason Carroll, he goes out with Shorter and his men on one of their final missions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys ready?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This village in southern Afghanistan is a known safe haven for insurgents --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was a nervous feeling whenever you come to this village.
CARROLL: -- where just days ago, these soldiers came under fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go. Go. Go.
CARROLL: First Sergeant Randy Shorter and his men are back --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watch that alleyway there.
CARROLL: -- on one of their final missions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five, two, we're clear.
CARROLL (on camera): So we just cleared that area?
SGT. 1ST CLASS RANDY SHORTER, U.S. ARMY: Yes, we cleared the two main structures. Now we're engaged in the -- actually elders that actually live here.
CARROLL: It's pretty tense when you go there and do that.
SHORTER: It is.
All right. Hey, this is the last time in the state.
CARROLL (voice-over): It was August of last year when we first met Shorter, just one of thousands of soldiers at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, having to say good-bye. Part of the so-called surge into Afghanistan, Shorter was leaving behind his wife and two girls for this fourth deployment, his second to Afghanistan.
SHORTER: Whether it's one week, one day, it doesn't matter. Saying good-bye is hard.
CARROLL: Shorter will soon see his family again, but first --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gone left, gone right.
CARROLL: -- finishing the job. After hundreds of missions rooting out insurgents and reclaiming villages once under Taliban control, Shorter's deployment is coming to an end.
SHORTER: Tell them I have friends. I brought friends with me.
CARROLL: One of the biggest challenges before leaving, making sure the Afghan army and AUP, the Afghan Uniform Police, can lead security before more soldiers like Shorter pull out as part of the expected drawdown in U.S. forces.
SHORTER: That's how you do it. You got it? From now on, always have (EXPLETIVE DELETED) AUP. Tell your boys to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) slow down.
As you can see, you know, there's little rough spots in the beginning, but, you know, they're coming along.
CARROLL: And by AUP, you're trying to get --
SHORTER: The Afghan Uniform Police to, you know, take the lead. Sometimes they're just a little disoriented on exactly what we want them to do, but it only takes a few minutes, and the next thing you know, they kind of catch on.
CARROLL (voice-over): Shorter is confident in how he has trained his Afghan counterpart, Police Commander Saheed (ph). Saheed (ph) says he is ready to take over, but he tells me he still worries about fewer U.S. troops.
(on camera): Are you leaving feeling like you've done all that you can do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you know, Jason, at first, you know, I felt like I didn't do enough. You know? I can't change the whole Afghanistan. You know? If I do one small piece, I did my part.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And Jason Carroll joins us live now from New York.
Jason, still many questions about whether Afghan police and the Afghan army are ready. Based on what you've seen, are they ready?
CARROLL: Well, you know, that's a good question. And I was there last August, and definitely, there was a lot of work that needed to be done with the Afghan police and Afghan army.
But since being back and seeing how Shorter has worked with them and the other soldiers who were there, I've seen some improvements. And I think some of the soldiers would readily admit they've seen improvements as well. But having said that, there's still a ways to go with some of the police -- Afghan police who are there on the ground.
KAYE: Jason Carroll, thank you. Appreciate that series.
We want to take you now to listen to some sound that we just got in. It just happened moments ago, President Obama speaking with his cabinet at a meeting that is under way right now, speaking about the debt ceiling and some other topics.
Let's listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And we now have a committee process in Congress that is charged to find additional savings. It's going to be challenging work, and I'm encouraging Congress to take it with the utmost seriousness.
In the meantime, the American people have been continuing to worry about the underlying state of the economy, about jobs, about their wages, about reduced hours, about fewer customers. The economy is still weakened, partly because of some things we couldn't control, like the Japanese earthquake and the situation in Europe, as well as the Arab Spring and its effect on oil prices.
Unfortunately, the debt ceiling crisis over the last month I think has had an unnecessary negative impact on the economy here as well. So, I'm meeting with my cabinet here to make sure that even as they have been throughout these last several weeks, they are redoubling their efforts to focus on what matters most to the American people.
And that is, how are we going to put people back to work? How are we going to raise their wages, increase their security? How are we going to make sure that they recover fully as families and as communities from the worst recession we've had since the Great Depression?
A good example of how undone work here in Washington can have an adverse impact on that economy is what's going on with the Federal Aviation Administration. And I'm going to be hearing from Ray LaHood about the situation that is looming as a consequence of Congress not acting.
Some of you may be aware of the fact that the FAA routinely gets its authorities extended through Congress. It's happened 20 times since 2007. This time, Congress has decided to play some politics with it, and as a consequence, they left town without getting this extension done.
Here's what this means -- thousands of FAA workers being furloughed, including safety inspectors. It also means projects all across the country involving tens of thousands of construction workers being suspended because Congress didn't get its work done.
And that means folks who are on construction sites, doing work, bringing home a paycheck, now potentially find themselves going home without one. And important projects all across the country are left undone.
Here's what also happens. It turns out that this extension gives the authority to collect fees from airlines. The airlines are still collecting these fees because it's priced into their tickets, but they're not turning them over to the federal government. And the federal government stands to lose $200 million a week.
That would be $1 billion at a time when we're worrying about how we pay for everything from education to Head Start. And we don't anticipate it's going to be easy to get that money back. Even though the airlines are collecting it, they're keeping it.
So this is a lose-lose-lose situation that can be easily solved if Congress gets back into town and does its job. And they don't even have to come back into town.
The House and the Senate could, through a procedural agreement, basically do this through unanimous consent, and they could have the fights that they want to have when they get back. Don't put the livelihoods of thousands of people at risk. Don't put projects at risk. And don't let $1 billion at a time when we're scrambling for every dollar we can get left on the table because Congress did not act.
So I'm urging the House and the Senate to take care of this. This is an example of a self-inflicted wound that is unnecessary. And my expectation, and I think the American people's expectation, is that this gets resolved before the end of this week.
All right? Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
OBAMA: I've made calls to key leaders, and I am urging them to get this done. But this is, as I said, not the kind of situation that is complicated.
All they have to do is do what they've done 20 times since 2007. There's not a big issue in terms of drafting legislation or arguing about the details of policy. Just do what they've done in the past to make sure that these folks are on the job, including looking after the safety of our airlines.
All right? Thank you very much.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
OBAMA: I'm going to get advice from some around the table about how to handle this milestone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And there you have it. President Obama speaking with the members of his cabinet, certainly talking about jobs, wages, higher wages, people getting back to work.
He's now shifted his focus to that. The goal of the meeting, he said, was to make sure that they're redoubling efforts on how to do exactly that, get people back on the job.
One of his main focuses there you heard, it was talking about the FAA shutdown, which we've been talking quite a bit about today. He's going to meet with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
He pointed fingers at Congress for leaving to go on recess, to go on vacation, when you have 74,000 people now out of work. They're not on vacation. They're not collecting paychecks while they try and figure this out.
He did give Congress a pass though. He said, you don't have to come back to work. You can fix it while you're on vacation, and then fight about it when you come back to Washington.
So that's what he said they can do.
So we'll continue to follow that FAA story for you and all of those people out of work joining the many, many others.
"Shocking," it is a word that is overused in the news business. But sadly, it is exactly what our next story is. "Horrific," another word.
A California man beaten to his death, allegedly by police officers, in front of a group of people on a city street. People are sickened by what they saw and they want answers.
I'm talking with the D.A.'s office investigating right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: I want to warn you, the story that I'm about to share with you is tough. The image you will see is graphic. The event, brutal. It has already sparked a public outcry and protest in California. A young man, homeless and schizophrenic, beaten to death, kicked, Tasered multiple times, hogtied facedown, smashed against concrete. His head slammed with a flashlight.
And again, a warning before we show you this photo, this is what happened to Kelly Thomas. Strangers who watched, helpless, say the violent aftereffects you see here happened at the hands of six Fullerton, California, police officers.
According to "The Los Angeles Times," this all began when police got a call that someone was trying to break into cars. Officers reportedly found things in Thomas' backpack that didn't belong to him. Police say Thomas tried to run and resisted them.
But I want you to watch what just one observer recorded as police responded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's down on the ground already. (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: You just heard Thomas, the victim, screaming for his dad, who happens to be a former Orange County sheriff's deputy. "Dad! Dad!" he was saying. Those were among Kelly Thomas' last words before he fell into a coma. He died of his injuries that we showed you five days later.
Thomas' dad, Ron Thomas, as we just said, was a former sheriff's deputy. Speaking about his son's death, he told reporters at a protest, "His death was gang-involved... a gang of rogue officers who brutally beat my son to death. The only thing we have left of our son is the blood in the gutter. That's all we have left." That's his quote.
We'll hear from the Orange County D.A.'s office in just a moment. We reached out to the Fullerton Police Department. Their spokesperson, Andrew Goodrich, agreed to do an interview with me on air, confirmed that he would answer our questions. But at the last minute, the Fullerton Police Department has backed out of their interview with us.
Instead, they issued this brief statement from police chief Michael Sellers, who says, "This is tragic for our community. We are in the midst of an investigation. "
In a previous press release, the department says, quote, "Immediately after the incident, Fullerton Police requested the Orange County district attorney to take over the investigation." Chief Sellers said then, "The department believes it is in the best interest of everyone, the police department, Mr. Thomas' family, and the Fullerton community as a whole, to have a thorough and independent investigation conducted by an outside agency."
Now, let's bring in Susan Kang Schroder, who is the chief of staff at the Orange county D.A.'s office. Susan, thank you for coming on the program.
The way these officers appear to have responded in this case was absolutely brutal. Honestly, it's very hard to watch that video and certainly to look at that young man's picture. Where are you in this investigation?
SUSAN KANG SCHROEDER, CHIEF OF STAFF, ORANGE COUNTY D.A. OFFICE: Well, as a parent, anybody who hears what Mr. Thomas said, your heart goes out to the family. And unfortunately nothing will bring Mr. Thomas back.
But we have to put our emotions aside in the Orange County district attorney's office and make sure we do a thorough and fair and a complete investigation. We have assigned 24 - or I'm sorry - we've assigned more than two dozen police officers in our agency to investigate this case. The district attorney has made it very clear, it's a priority in this case. And we have interviewed over 80 witnesses. We will probably interview more than 100 when we're all said and done. And we're awaiting some important scientific information such as toxicology reports and also the autopsy report, which will determine the cause of death.
KAYE: Any idea when you might get that autopsy report? SCHROEDER: You know, we don't know yet. But we have a lot of investigation left to do. We will make sure that the truth will come out.
And the truth will come out in one of two ways. If there is a trial and there are charges filed, the truth will come out during the trial. If for whatever reason, charges are not filed, the office will issue a complete, fact-finding report that describes everything that happened, all the laws that apply to this case, and why we made the decision not to file.
We haven't made up our mind. There's still a lot of investigation left to do.
KAYE: I want to ask you about these videos. We played one of them earlier. Now, there are some other videos that people there who claim to be witnesses, videos that they've taken that your office is not releasing despite requests by city council members to do so. Why is that?
SCHROEDER: If there is a trial, the witnesses who come to testify will be under cross-examination that what they are testifying to -- they're testifying based on what they actually saw, not what they saw in the media. We want to make sure that the truth comes out. And if we release videos and they suggest to witnesses that came forward -- and we're still seeking witnesses to come forward -- to testify to what they saw in the media rather than what they actually saw and what the truth is.
KAYE: And can you tell us, even though you're not going to release the videos and show the video, can you give us any insight as to what might be on them?
SCHROEDER: I can tell you that it was a video that was taken at the depot. And it was controlled by the Fullerton Police Department. There are things that you can see and there's things you can't. There are many - it is -- your heart -- your heart is sad watching what happens in the case. What we have to be objective and decide the case based upon the facts.
KAYE: I understand you have to be objective. But you look at the video, you look at what appears to be happening there, you look at that man lying in that hospital bed. He's unrecognizable, quite frankly. What will it take -- what does it take to bring charges in this case?
SCHROEDER: I don't want to talk about what it will take because it will make it look like we've already predetermined what decisions we're going to make. I can tell you that it will be reviewed at highest levels. The district attorney is going to make the final call. And it will be based upon the facts and the evidence and the laws that apply in this case. Not by public sentiment and not by any pressure by anyone.
KAYE: Let me ask you this - I mean, we certainly know there are six officers that were allegedly involved in this. Are there any other suspects?
SCHROEDER: Well, I don't want to call anyone a suspect. What I can tell you --
KAYE: Is anyone else being questioned - anyone else being question as playing a role in the beating itself?
SCHROEDER: We are investigating and conducting interviews with many, many people, like I said. We will be investigating and interviewing approximately a hundred witnesses. And we certainly would want anyone who has any information on this, anything they observed, to come forward and tell the D.A.'s office what they saw and observed that night.
KAYE: Susan Kang Schroeder, we certainly do appreciate you coming on and talking about this. It is just a brutal story and really just heartbreaking, honestly. And we wanted to bring to it our viewers, and we're glad you did make the time to give us some new information and join us on the show today. Thank you.
SCHROEDER: Thank you.
KAYE: An NFL player has been rushed to the hospital in the middle of practice. We'll have the details for you next.
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KAYE: Seventy-two people have been charged in an online global child pornography ring. According to the U.S. attorney general's office, 52 of those charges have been arrested -- 52 of those charged have been arrested. The charges stem from an investigation launched in December 2009 that targeted more than 500 individuals around the world. Those accused allegedly took part in a private, members-only online bulletin board operated to promote pedophilia and encourage sexual abuse of very young children.
Philadelphia Eagles player Mike Patterson collapsed from a seizure on the practice field today, according to team officials. He was taken to Lee Valley Hospital where he's being tested. It's unknown if the seizure was heat related. But it does come at a time when many states are dealing with extreme temperatures. The temperature in the area was 81 degrees when Patterson collapsed.
The state of Texas rested its case today in the sexual assault trial of polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs. Last night, the jury heard audio recordings that prosecutors said showed Jeffs instructing a 14-year-old victim and his other young wives on how to sexually please him in order to win God's favor. Jeffs, who is representing himself, repeatedly objected to the playing of the recordings. The judge overruled him every time.
Jackhammers, table saws and Frank Sinatra tunes, really? These are all sounds that could be heard coming from the Second Avenue subway project in New York. Isn't that entertaining? Each day during his 30-minute break, a worker named Gary Russo sets up his karaoke kit and serenades residents near the $4 billion construction project. Russo stands in front of a sign that reads, quote, "Forget all the noise, traffic and the impact of the second subway. Enjoy the music."
Afghan spies. What they knew four years ago about Osama bin Laden's hideout, and Pakistan's reaction when given detailed reports. We'll have a live report for you up next.
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KAYE: He ruled Egypt with an iron fist for decades. Today, former president Hosni Mubarak went on trial on charges of ordering the killing of his own people and corruption. The former president was wheeled on a hospital bed into a cage into the courtroom. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Mubarak, who is 83, is being tried with his sons, who also deny the charges against them. If convicted, Mubarak faces the death penalty.
Mubarak was forced to step down in February after days of massive anti-government protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Hundreds of people were killed then. Today's trial, which many Egyptians believed would never actually happen, was adjourned until August 15th.
For years, top Pakistani officials insisted they had no idea where Osama bin Laden might be hiding, despite U.S. intelligence indicating he might be in Pakistan. After bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces a short distance from the Pakistani capital, the Pakistan officials expressed shock, but again denied no knowledge that he was holed up in their back yard.
Now the former Afghan spy chief tells CNN that his spies had leads four years ago about bin Laden's whereabouts and shared that information with Pakistan. CNN's David Ariosto spoke with him and joins us now live from Kabul. David, what is the former spy chief saying?
DAVID ARIOSTO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPODNENT: Well, Amrullah Saleh basically saying he knew long ago that Osama bin Laden was not hiding in Pakistan's tribal areas. During a meeting in 2007, Saleh said he presented information reports gathered from a network of spies and informants throughout southern Afghanistan and Pakistan that indicated there were at least two al Qaeda safehouses in a town called Monsherra (ph). Now, that's a short drive from Abbottabad where bin Laden was eventually killed four years later in a U.S. raid.
He presented this information so he says, to both Afghan president Hamid Karzai as well as the former Pakistani president, Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf, what - in his reports, says that Musharraf slammed his fist down, could not believe that bin Laden could be hiding in such a prominent part of the country, and then refused to investigate.
Now again, this is coming only from one source, but it is a very high-profile source. Amrullah Saleh ran the Afghan intelligence agency from 2006 to 2010, some of those formative years of the war. Randi?
KAYE: That is fascinating. Why did the former spy chief step down? Dd it have anything to do with this?
ARIOSTO: This is not the first time - at least, he had threatened to step down in prior times, at least two other times. And each time, someone came in on his behalf. We're told Americans came in on his behalf and told him basically to stay on.
This third time, however, he has -- he resigned last year over what he initially described as loyalty issues. In the interview we conducted just earlier with Saleh, however, he said that Karzai has become, quote, "too soft and too concerned with appeasing the Taliban."
Now, Karzai, to his credit, has been searching a way to end this conflict that has spanned nearly ten years now. And has been working in terms of, at least from what Saleh and others say, working in terms of negotiation efforts. We heard from Secretary Gates -- former Secretary Gates in June. Said that initial negotiations were underway with the Taliban.
The concern that Saleh has, however, is whether this will turn into a power-sharing deal that could eventually will fall apart or whether the Taliban will truly be integrated into the constitutional framework of this country. Saleh, if you remember, fought against the Taliban during the 1990s, during that civil war. So, he is a staunch anti-Taliban fighter and is concerned about the future of his country.
KAYE: David Ariosto, appreciate it. Thank you, David.
She was found guilty of killing her children by reason of insanity. Now she's remarried and may become a stepmom. So, should she be allowed to raise kids after killing her own? Our Stream Team weighs in on this topic, next.
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KAYE: We don't normally talk about custody battles on this show. But one fight in Oregon is opening up an interesting debate. Trisha Conlon doesn't want to share custody of her two teenage boys with her husband because his new wife. Why? Because the stepmother admitted to killing her own two children, ages eight and four in 1991. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was given ten years of treatment and counseling. Conlin challenged the custody order but lost.
Yesterday on NBC's "Today Show," she described the moment she had to drop off her boys.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRISHA CONLON, CONTESTING CUSTODY OF TEENAGE SONS: It wasn't easy. It was gut-wrenching. You know, it was -- I don't even have words to describe it, I guess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: There's another hearing scheduled later this month in the custody case, but it opens up a greater debate for our Stream Team today. Convicted murders who have served time, should they be able to get custody of their children?
On the team today from New York is "In Session" legal contributor Sunny Hostin. And clinical psychologist Jeff Gardere.
So, Sunny, let me start with you. Should convicted murderers who have served time be able to get custody of their kids?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRUBUTOR, TRUTV: I don't think so. And specifically in this case, it's inappropriate. The standard typically, Randi, in a child custody case is what is in the best interest of the child? Well, I can't imagine that a judge would say it's in the best interest of a child to be in a situation like this, being cared for by a woman who killed her own children. It just doesn't make common sense. And it certainly doesn't make legal sense.
I think that the system, once again, fails these children.
KAYE: Jeff, what's your opinion on this?
JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, I do agree to some extent with Sunny that we have to look at the best interest of the child always.
But there is a legal issue here. And that is that this woman, we're talking about Christine Cushing, was found to be not guilty by reason of insanity. She spent four years getting mental health treatment and four years in an institution. And then another ten years being monitored where they cleared her and they said she was in fact no longer mentally ill.
Therefore, the issue becomes when a person is convicted of a crime or even found not guilty of a crime by reason of insanity, if they've been rehabilitated, if they're being monitored, should they have their kids back? And I believe the answer is, yes, they should because if we don't do that, then we are not only breaking the law, but we're saying that there are no second chances for these parents who do rehabilitate themselves.
KAYE: Do you ever know, though?
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KAYE: Yes, Sunny, go ahead.
HOSTIN: Is it possible that she's rehabilitated? Bottom line, she was found to have been temporarily insane under the legal standard.
But let's talk about medicine, let's talk about psychology. I mean, somebody that snaps like that, for whatever reason, and they're required four years of treatment, I think I would be a little loathe to say this is a person that is cured.
I think you know better than anyone, Jeff, that mental illness is not necessarily something that is just cured. There's no indication that she's being medicated. There's no indication that she's currently on a treatment plan. And in my view, when I look at that sort of circumstance, I don't think it's in the best interest of the child, which is truly the legal standard in this case, to put those children in harm's way.
GARDERE: It's not a black-and-white issue, obviously. And you have to really feel for Trisha having to have her children with someone who actually killed her own two children. And that's why I think perhaps the law doesn't need to be involved in this. A judge who ruled that this stepmother is actually fine and sane and she's had custody of the kids since 2008. I think a mediator needs to step in because we have to look at the fact that, yes, this is scary for any parent to have to leave her children with someone.
HOSTIN: The law is there to protect these children! The law is there to protect them.
KAYE: Absolutely. Would it make any difference if these were her own children, Sunny?
HOSTIN: Not for me, no, absolutely not. I mean, I think it possibly could be even worse. Bottom line, she killed her own children, and imagine if she had more children and then put her under the same stressor, same circumstance. I don't think that I would ever as a judicial officer, take the chance that this could possibly happen again.
GARDERE: Well, Sunny, what you're saying is we have to supersede the law or change the law where we're saying that someone who made a tragic mistake in their lives --
HOSTIN: You don't have to do that. You don't have to do that in this case.
GARDERE: -- can never have the chance. Any parent who's been convicted of a crime or found not guilty of a crime by reason of insanity should never --
HOSTIN: We're talking about this particular type of crime, though, Jeff.
(CROSSTALK)
HOSTIN: This particular type of crime. She killed children.
(CROSSTALK)
GARDERE: -- looking at the best interest of the children. Perhaps for the best interest of the children is to have a relationship with both parents.
KAYE: I think we agree the best interest of the children is really at the heart of this matter. Thank you both. We are out of time.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with Brooke Baldwin right after this quick break.
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