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Pennsylvania Arson Cases; Banned on YouTube

Aired January 25, 2009 - 17:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: In the NEWSROOM -- a city's desperate cry for help after more than a dozen homes burned. Police suspect arson -- the 14th suspicious fire this month.

Also -- video of a mother breastfeeding her child banned from YouTube? A growing protest against the popular Web site.

Plus this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, KCAL)

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I threw a tantrum and I threw my teddy bear, and then my mom went down to get it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: All right. Here's what happened: A child throws a tantrum and a mother risks her life to save his teddy bear. Moms, dads, what would you do?

Hello, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen for Fredricka Whitfield. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, almost 30 suspicious fires in just 13 months. A small town is living in terror. A state of emergency was declared today in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, hours after yet another case of apparent arson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN (voice-over): It was an all too familiar sight. A seven-alarm fire in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, a city of just 11,000 people west of Philadelphia. Residents got out safely, but they could only stand and watch as their homes burned down.

FRANCIS DORSHEIMER, COATESVILLE RESIDENT: I just came home from picking up my sister and aunt from work and we came home, just getting ready to settle down. I go in my room and everybody tells me we have to get out of the house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is my daughter's house that's on fire. You know, just glad my grandkids wasn't in there. Yes, she's just coming home from work and got a call coming home from work that her house was on fire.

NGUYEN: By the time it was over, 15 row houses had been destroyed, and arson is suspected. Last year, there were 15 suspected arsons in Coatesville, including a fire that killed an 83-year-old woman. There have been 14 more suspicious fires just this month.

JANET JACKSON, COATESVILLE RESIDENT: It's really scary. You know, I mean, it's just been going on like every other week or every two weeks. I mean, we're all afraid to even be in our houses right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't get a good night's sleep because you don't know.

NGUYEN: Police think the fires may be part of a gang initiation. Three people were charged with arson in December. They are still in custody, but the fires have continued. There's a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of people are getting hurt over this. A lot of people are getting out of their houses with nowhere to go. Need to stop this.

BEVERLY RIVERA, COATESVILLE RESIDENT: I never thought Coatesville would be on the map for something like this. It's just awful. This is awful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Yes, it is.

But let's get you more now on this arson epidemic in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and the state of emergency that's under way there. City spokeswoman Kristin Geiger joins us now by phone.

Kristin, have you gotten a better idea of exactly what is behind or who are behind these arson fires?

KRISTIN GEIGER, PR SPECIALIST, COATESVILLE, PA (through phone): No, not since earlier. We still don't have any suspects identified at this time. We do have persons of interest, which we are actively interviewing, and we're still asking for the community's assistance in reporting any suspicious activity.

NGUYEN: All right. So, you have persons of interest. Do you believe that the fires last night, which set -- what -- 15 homes ablaze, were, indeed, the act of arson?

GEIGER: We believe that they are suspicious in nature. The county fire marshals have not yet ruled this fire as arson. However, they have stated that it is consistent with other fires that occurred earlier this year.

NGUYEN: Yes, let's talk about those other fires. You've had -- what -- 14 since the beginning of this year. You had a few last year as well. Three people are in jail for that. What is going on there? I mean, is this an epidemic situation? Is this a copycat situation or are gangs involved? We're hearing all kinds of stories.

GEIGER: You know, I can't confirm the speculation of the public. What I do know is that it is an emergency situation. And we're just in dire need at this point for everyone to come together, to do what they can to prevent fire in their homes -- to look out for their neighbors, remove anything from their porches that could be flammable, keep those porch lights on, practice safety evacuation routes from your home.

NGUYEN: Obviously, a lot of people living in that city are fearful because, really, they don't know exactly what's going to happen next, whose home is going to be up in flames, if you will. So, what are you doing to really quell some of that fear?

GEIGER: Well, we're literally working day and night. Many of us had been on site since last night, actively investigating this incident and the others. We've been calling on county resources, state resources -- the federal has also offered some support. So, we are reaching out to every arm that can possibly help us and today, we've declared a state of emergency.

NGUYEN: All right. Kristen Geiger -- joining us live by phone -- thank you so much for your information today. And best of luck to you as you try to get to the root of all of this.

GEIGER: Thank you so much.

NGUYEN: And from that house fire to this story. A house actually exploded this morning in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The owner is a police officer. And a neighbor had to pull him out of the debris and he was taken to a Boston hospital for treatment. Look what's left, not much. The home is obviously, destroyed. Authorities are looking into whether a gas leak caused that blast.

Well, just a few days in office. How is President Obama doing? Well, so far, he is getting a thumbs-up in the polls.

A Gallup survey finds 68 percent of Americans approve of how Mr. Obama is handling his job. Only President Kennedy had higher numbers. Twelve percent of Americans, though, disapprove of his early job performance.

Now to put it in perspective, in 1993, President Clinton had an initial disapproval rating of 20 percent. George W. Bush in 2000 was slightly higher at 25 percent.

Well, tops on the new president's list of challenges -- the economy, of course. House leaders were talking about how to get together on this proposed $825 billion stimulus plan today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D) HOUSE SPEAKER: Yes, we wrote the bill. Yes, we won the election. But that doesn't mean we don't want it to have sustainability and bipartisan support.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) MINORITY LEADER: While we appreciate the chance to work with the president, it appears that House Democrats are going to continue to barrel ahead without any bipartisan support.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: All right. So, also looking for changes in the economic recovery plan, President Obama's former rival, that being Arizona Senator John McCain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: I think there's been an outreach to Republicans by the president. Obviously, we always like to see more of that. I just want to say that I'm very concerned about the stimulus package. There's so much unnecessary spending that will not stimulate the economy.

The tax cuts, we need to cut the payroll tax. We need to cut business taxes. And we need to have a permanent moratorium on new taxes.

And we also need to provide -- not to spend money on programs that will not have an immediate effect on our economy. And it's filled with billions of dollars worth of spending that will not stimulate the economy. It's just the old spending practices of liberal Democrats.

So, I hope we'll be able to sit down and negotiate. But right now, I could not vote for the stimulus package as it's been presented. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And with that, there's this. Another dose of bad news may be bound for Wall Street this week. A big batch of company earnings reports are on the way. And they could be the worst in a decade.

CNN's John King goes looking for some sorely-needed confidence in the market.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is a breathtaking morning commute -- a glimmering sunrise, and the daily glimpse at the majestic symbol of American freedom and optimism.

But then comes the walk-up Wall Street. These days, David Henderson finds it hard to keep his spirits up. He's looking to the new administration in Washington for help, and, yes -- hope.

DAVID HENDERSON, INDEPENDENT BROKER, NYSE: We definitely want them to rebuild trust and confidence in the system. The capitalist system does work and it does reward people for, you know, hard work.

KING: A Henderson has been working the floor for nearly 150 years now. On the big highs, like when the Dow cracked 14,000, Dave knows his joy is shared by millions.

HENDERSON: It's euphoric. Everyone loves it. You know, everyone loves an up market.

KING (on camera): And many of those Americans who loved being part ...

HENDERSON: Yes.

KING: ... have now lost 40 percent, 45 percent, some 50 percent more of what they had.

HENDERSON: Most definitely. A lot of trust and a lot of confidence in the marketplace itself has gone out the window.

KING (voice-over): It is the morning after the market ended up. But early on, signs this will be yet another down day.

HENDERSON: Microsoft came out with their earnings this morning and it's worse than expected. And I think, I'd, you know, put a big damper on things. And it doesn't look good.

KING: Henderson paces the floor to get his bearings.

HENDERSON: Check out the dollar and see what's going on with the dollar. And check out the oil markets.

KING: Maybe even collect a few tips.

HENDERSON: AIG selling?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

HENDERSON: UBS buying.

KING: An instant messaging system keeps him in touch with clients looking to trade. Vital for business, but also a sad reminder of how much things have changed.

HENDERSON: I still carry a paper around with me, buy-and-sell pads. And, you know, so when the computer goes down -- which they do occasionally -- you have a buy-and-sell pad. It used to be a lot more exciting, a lot more fun. And it's a total daily thing from 9:30 to 4:00 o'clock. We wouldn't stop. We'd be running around and doing things.

KING: Now, traders spend much of their day staring at computer screens. The market, Henderson says, has been corrupted by greed and risky new products.

HENDERSON: All these, you know, whiz kids, computer whiz, have decided, you know, hey, develop these new products and stuff. And the world seemed to accept it, OK? Credit default swaps and what have you.

And the government seemed to let everything go the way it was going. They take the investor out of this equation. And it's just, you know, you might as well be in Las Vegas or Atlantic City or wherever and, you know, playing on the slots.

KING (on camera): The government says it's going to step in and have a more heavy hand. HENDERSON: Yes.

KING: Do you trust that?

HENDERSON: Well, not really, not really. Usually, when the government gets involved in something, they sort of mess things up even more so.

KING: Does simply the fact of having a new president change anything down here in terms of the mood, the psychology, sometimes the market goes on momentum?

HENDERSON: No, I don't think -- the changing of the guard doesn't change anything down here. You know, the place is going to keep operating and trading (ph). Hopefully, Obama can do something. But it's going to probably take time because the damage that's been done already for all the institutions. It's going to take awhile to bounce back from this one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, there may be some court action in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race. Actually, there will be. And it's going to happen just a few hours from now. The contest between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman, that is still undecided.

Franken has a 225-vote edge but Coleman is disputing the recount. A three-judge panel begins hearing his lawsuit on Monday. And it could be tied up in court for weeks.

Talk about a meet-and-greet. Take a look at this. This picture is taken just a few hours ago in New York. Governor David Paterson sits down with new Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the woman designated to replace her in the Senate, that being Representative Kirsten Gillibrand. Also at the table, New York's other senator, Charles Schumer.

Well, he may soon be out of a job. But embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich isn't going away quietly. Blagojevich says he won't be on hand tomorrow when the Illinois Senate begins its impeachment trial. He says the trial rules are unfair and stacked against him. And among other things, Blagojevich is accused of trying to auction off President Obama's former Senate seat. He has hired a public relations firm and is launching a media blitz tomorrow.

And speaking of that media blitz, it includes a chat with CNN's Larry King. See it tomorrow night, 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

But right now, we do have some news to tell you about -- breaking news, in fact, out of Florida, near Orlando. We are getting reports from our affiliate WESH that a prison shooting has occurred there.

Here's what we know: Ambulances and five medical evacuation helicopters were sent to Coleman Federal Prison after gunshots were reported after 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Now, initial reports say there were 10 trauma alert patients, including one man who had been shot in the chest with a high-powered rifle.

Again, this news is just coming into CNN. We're getting some more details on it. What we know is there has been a prison shooting, and five medical evacuation helicopters have been sent to the Coleman Federal Prison. We'll stay on top of this story for you.

In the meantime, though, you've heard the call from President Obama to shut down the prison at Guantanamo Bay. And it begs the question: Where will all the prisoners go?

Plus this -- a child has a temper tantrum and his mother risks her life to console him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: The CNN international desk, they are working hard. Let's give you this news. Israel's government today took action to protect its military from possible war crimes charges. The prime minister says a team of legal experts is ready to defend Israel's 22-day targeting of Hamas forces in Gaza. Several human rights groups have called for a war crimes investigation.

Now, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says the country will, quote, "fully back those who acted on its behalf."

Well, Iran questions President Obama's promise of change. State television quotes the country's parliament speaker. He says he doubts that President Obama's Mideast policy will be any different than that of the Bush administration. The speaker says Mr. Obama's stance on Gaza and U.S. support of Israel have, quote, "created many doubts about the change theory."

Also today, claims of a break in Sri Lanka's civil war with Tamil Tiger separatists. A Sri Lankan army commander says the war that has plagued the Indian Ocean nation since 1983 is almost over. The claims come after government forces capture the last major stronghold today confining the Tamil Tigers to a narrow strip of jungle. Now, some analysts warn the ethnic tension that fueled this conflict remains unresolved.

Let's take you to Ethiopia where it says it has withdrawn all of its troops from Somalia. Now, this comes one day before the Somali legislator is scheduled to vote for a new president. Last week, as Ethiopian troops withdrew from Somalia's capital city, militant Islamist groups took control of the area the Ethiopians abandoned. The withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops is part of a wide-ranging peace and power-sharing deal.

Well, back here at home -- let's get a look at the weather outside because it's awfully frightful for many folk around the nation. Jacqui Jeras is staying on top of that.

Hi, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Betty. Yes, we've got a lot of cold air out there but unfortunately, it's going to hook up with some moisture and a big ice storm is developing. We'll have the latest on that, and some -- also, some new interesting science news you're going to want to hear about.

NGUYEN: Oh, I'm looking forward to that. And you may also be looking forward to this, Jacqui. Star gazing on the red carpet. We're going to bring you live pictures from the SAG Awards.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: I want you to take a look at this -- a deadly accident at a ski resort in Turkey. An avalanche slammed into a group of 17 hikers, killing 10 of them. Rescue workers struggled through deep snow to carry the injured off the mountains. Two of the hikers were hospitalized. Five actually walked away unharmed.

Also this -- a warning to hikers in Scotland following a deadly avalanche yesterday in the highlands. Police are warning there is an increased risk of another avalanche over the next few days. Two brothers were among the three climbers killed yesterday.

Well, back here at home, maybe not avalanches, but an ice storm possibly is something that folks may need to be on the lookout for.

Jacqui Jeras has been following that.

Hi, Jacqui.

JERAS: Hey, Betty. Yes, avalanches are always a concern around here, though, too, especially when you are in the back country -- which is why we tell you to stay on those groomed slopes. And we do a lot of avalanche prevention here in the U.S. as well.

OK. Our big story, the ice storm as you mentioned. We've got cold arctic air coming in from the north and we've got a Pacific jet coming in here, bringing in mild air and moist air. Couple that with a little tap into the Gulf of Mexico bringing in additional moisture and we're going to be seeing a big ice mess. We think freezing rain where it comes down as liquid and then freezes on contact.

The storm is still in the early stages right now. We don't think we'll start to see any of this freezing precip until probably Monday afternoon and continuing through Tuesday. But this is going to be a big enough storm that we want to give you the heads up now because it only takes 1/4 inch of ice to produce a lot of tree damage, have power outages, and have a lot of hazardous travel.

Winter storm watches have been posted from Oklahoma all the way up into West Virginia. Look at that. Moisture out west and it's been there throughout the weekend, heavy snow into the higher elevations. We've had well over a foot of snow in parts of the Wasatch and also into the Colorado Rockies.

Cold air out there. Look at those single digit temperatures up here to the north: 7 degrees in Minneapolis, 19 in Kansas City, 17 in St. Louis. And those cold temperatures are really gripping the nation's midsection over the next couple of days. All right. That's what's happening with your weather. We've got some other exciting scientific news we want to tell you about.

Check out these pictures. NASA just released these. They are the first pictures ever seen of the far side of the sun. They are twin spacecraft orbiting the star and they move far enough apart now that 3/4 of it can actually be seen. And this is really exciting news to scientists because they monitor these solar eruptions and space storms and it could lead to better forecasting.

Variations in the sun behavior can interfere with communications and power systems here on earth and those twin spacecraft are continuing to move farther apart so that by 2011 we should be able to see the entire sun at one time.

NGUYEN: Wow.

JERAS: And, you know, Betty, we've already been able to see all of the sun because it spins in orbit, but we've never been able to see all of it at one time before.

NGUYEN: That is a cool picture, though.

JERAS: That is really going to make a lot of progress. Isn't that beautiful?

NGUYEN: Yes. It really is. And you can almost feel the heat just looking at it. I mean, it definitely looks hot ...

JERAS: Oh, yes.

NGUYEN: ... from the vivid colors that you see in that picture. And let me ask you this ...

JERAS: Yes, you see the gas coming off there, too.

NGUYEN: Yes, right there.

JERAS: Look at that.

NGUYEN: Look at that. All right. Let me ask you this, though, Jacqui.

JERAS: Sure.

NGUYEN: Do you know what nimby means or what it stands for?

JERAS: Nimby?

NGUYEN: Nimby, N-I-M-B-Y.

JERAS: I don't know.

NGUYEN: Well, it is short for "not in my backyard."

JERAS: OK. NGUYEN: And I'm telling you this because a chorus expected to grow as the close of the Guantanamo prison draws near. Here's CNN's Susan Candiotti.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like it or not, some Gitmo detainees are heading to the U.S. Any volunteers to play host?

REP. MIKE COFFMAN, (R) COLORADO: It's just like saying, "Well, you know, there's a toxic landfill and I want it in my backyard."

CANDIOTTI: Possible homes include Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where the military has a maximum security prison. How about military bases? North Carolina's Fort Bragg or California's Camp Pendleton? "Not in my district," says Congressman Duncan Hunter.

REP. DUNCAN HUNTER, (R) CALIFORNIA: I don't think that they ought to be placed in military bases whose primary role is to train marines and soldiers for military action.

CANDIOTTI: Some have even suggested reopening San Francisco's Alcatraz. Florence Colorado's supermax federal prison is an obvious possibility, already home to convicted terrorists including Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman and the Unabomber. The town's mayor says bring them in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's probably not a more secure place in the nation.

CANDIOTTI: Suspected terrorists have been tried and convicted in at least six states since 2001, 145 times.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They've already been handling very dangerous people, and the cases have gone forward and the public's been safe.

CANDIOTTI: Yet, relatives of 9/11 victims who went to Guantanamo last week and saw the accused in court are dead-set against the transfer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's homeland security to protect us from people like this coming into our country. Why would we bring it into our country?

CANDIOTTI: Back home, relatives have now written a letter to the president saying no more delays -- no more confusion over what to do with the suspects.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Find out how we feel and how these people are standing in there saying how proud they're they killed my son.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): No matter where detainees wind up, there's no guarantee they'll see the inside of a courtroom. In some cases, there may not be adequate evidence to try them, others may be acquitted and set free in someone's backyard.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, when it comes to politics, some people like to sit on the sidelines and watch. Others like to get in the game and be a part of history and that includes the 100 Black Men.

Also, this -- the photo everyone is talking about. Want you to zoom in for a crystal clear image of the people. Look at that.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Check it out.

NGUYEN: That's the inauguration. The guy to show us it all, of course, is right there -- Josh Levs.

LEVS: Yes. And coming up in just a couple of minutes, we are going to hear from the man who put this up online. He'll tell us not only how he did it but how you can, too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: It's a natural act for a mother, breastfeeding her children. Well, a little too natural for Facebook. This woman has been banned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: News across America right now. Let's take you to East Texas. The mother of the late Branch Davidian sect leader, David Koresh, has been stabbed to death. Police say that a woman has been charged and that woman is her sister. The body of 64- yer-old Bonnie Clark was found Friday at the home of her 54-year-old sister, Beverly Clark. Police haven't revealed a possible motive.

A high school football coach charged in the death of one of his players is expected to be arraigned tomorrow. In his first public comment since being charged with reckless homicide, Coach David Stintson (ph) says he is heart broken over the death of 15-year-old Max Gilpin. He collapsed during practice last August in sweltering heat. Stintson's (ph) attorney says the coach is innocent.

And here she is. The new Miss America, Katie Stam from Indiana. Despite a throat infection and a recent bought with laryngitis, she drew loud applause when she belted out a song for her part of the talent portion. The 22-year-old college student is the first Miss America from the state of Indian and she says hopes to be a TV anchor one day.

Good luck to you. It's a great gig.

They were part of the presidential electoral process, and that is important to the 100 black men of America. Important because they mentor young African-American children all around the world. So regardless of who won the election, the group strives to set an example and show it's important to simply get involved.

Our Fredricka Whitfield has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was last year in Nevada when we caught up with members of the 100 Black Men of America on the presidential campaign trail. The non-profit organization was one of the sponsors of a Democratic debate.

Although the group never endorses candidates, it was clear there was excitement about the presence of Barack Obama in the race.

DR. WILLIAM HAYLING, PRESIDENT EMERITUS, 100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA: Let's say you go back to the new Negro. In the old Renaissance period, he talked about the new Negro. He's like the new Negro in the 21st century.

WHITFIELD: Fast forward one year to inauguration.

BARACK OBAMA, (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So help me god.

JOHN ROBERTS, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT: Congratulations, Mr. President.

WHITFIELD: That excitement over now president Barack Obama has grown, particularly for 100 black men because of the impact this could have on young African-American males who are the focus of the mentor-based organization.

AL DOTSON JR, CHAIRMAN, 100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA: Young people can now see themselves achieving and succeeding. More importantly, they realize that there's no magic wand. It's not going to change their lives overnight. But the magic will happen when the young people come together, focus on their future and make sure they, too, can become contributors to our society.

WHITFIELD: One of the founding fathers of 100 Black Men spoke passionately about a conversation he had with one of his grandchildren. She is 2 years old.

NATHANIEL GOLDSTON III, CO-FOUNDER, 100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA: Even a 2-year-old, lives in Israel, was called on election night and said, "Grandpa, this -- what does this mean?" I said it means that when you come back home, that you can do anything you want to do as long as you dedicate yourself to it.

WHITFIELD: Although the jubilation here was palpable, many in attendance make no assumptions that Obama's election is the end of the civil rights struggle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think people need to move beyond just saying color and saying, OK, Barack is the first black president. We really need to work together as a country to provide the same type of opportunities to people regardless of race, gender, ethnicity and all of those things.

WHITFIELD: So with the presidential election process complete, the 100 Black Men take pride in the fact they didn't just sit back and watch history. They helped make it. THOMAS DORTCH, FORMER PRESIDENT, 100 BLACK MEN OF AMERICA: I think it's going to change the total perception for black men in every facet and every corner, not only of the United States but the world. But one election is not going to change that. It's what we do every day. What we continue to do. I think more importantly, it's going to change the perception of young people. That's what we're concerned about in 100 Black Men, that believe more that they can. They'll look at him and see an image in the White House that many never dreamed would ever happen.

WHITFIELD: Fredricka Whitfield, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: So we've seen a lot of beautiful photographs of President Barack Obama's inauguration. But an exceptional panoramic has really intrigued many of us because you can zoom in to see almost any face in the crowd.

To get a better look, our Josh Levs has more on the photograph and the photographer who took it.

Hey, josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN NEWS CORRESONDENT: Isn't this amazing, Betty?

NGUYEN: It really is.

LEVS: It really is.

Folks, I'll tell you. This is so cool. I have never seen anything like this. What I want to start off doing is zoom in. This is a shot of the inauguration. Looks like just a nice shot of the inauguration. Well, go over here and you can zoom in to a crystal clear image of basically anyone there.

And the man who took this is on the phone with us now. David Bergman.

David, are you with us?

DAVID BERGMAN, PHOTOGRAPHER: How are you?

LEVS: Thank you for being here. Now tell me how is this physically possible?

BERGMAN: Well, actually, it was taken using a system called the gigapan. It's a combination of 220 individual still frames all stitched together to make one massive photo.

LEVS: So basically what it does -- you can see what I've got now. I've got a close-up here. So the secret to all of this is that this shot, this distance shot was actually never taken. Instead your camera takes lots of close-ups like this and then a program marries them together into one big image.

BERGMAN: I've got my camera on full zoom and I'm zoomed in as tight as I can get with my camera from my position. I've taken them in sequence sort of like as a grid across the entire frame over a period of time and they're all put together after the fact.

LEVS: This is the audience. Among the hundreds of thousands of people this is our Fredricka Whitfield, who was there with her husband and her Dad. She told us how to find him because he was wrapped up in the big yellow sleeping bag. We just had to zoom from a distance for the yellow sleeping bag. We could close in on them. You can see how close it is. This robot takes your camera.

You said you have a normal camera.

BERGMAN: I shoot professionally with a lot of very big expensive equipment. This photo was taken with a simple point and shoot camera. The excellent Canon G-10. It's crazy.

LEVS: Amazing. Well, look. I want to ask you quickly. Obviously, no one has a reasonable expectation of privacy in an event like this. You're concerned about privacy issues with this?

BERGMAN: This is sort of the most public event you can be at, maybe in our lifetime. Finishing, you were out there on the lawn you expect there will be a lot of photos of it.

LEVS: I showed this one quickly yesterday. Since then we've gotten so many calls from people asking for specific links where they can see this. I'm new to Facebook -- I'm going to go run, as soon as we are done here I'm going to jump over there and give out one of the links. They can check it out themselves.

David Bergman, thank you so much.

BERGMAN: Thank you, Josh.

LEVS: Betty, so cool, right?

NGUYEN: That is fascinating technology. I think everyone who is there wanted some kind of memento to show them that, hey, I was here when history was made. This is a new way to do it.

LEVS: They can prove it forever.

NGUYEN: Thank you, Josh.

LEVS: Thanks, Betty.

NGUYEN: A new administration, new reasons to visit the nation's capital.

CNN's Richelle Carey is "On the Go."

(CNN ON THE GO)

NGUYEN: OK. I want you to think about this for just a moment. Your $70,000 diamond ring falls into a restaurant toilet. What do you do? Find out. Plus, breastfeeding banned from Facebook?

(COMMERICAL BREAK

NGUYEN: We want to update you on breaking news near Orlando, Florida. We're heard about a prison shooting there. We're getting some new information from the Orlando Regional Medical Center where it has confirmed that they've received four patients and they are expecting three more. We also know that five helicopters were sent to the scene to bring patients to that level one trauma center.

At this point, according to people in the hospital, they say that they've heard this was a stabbing/shooting victims that were being taken to the hospital. They also heard initially that most of the people being taken to that hospital are inmates. But again, they could not confirm all of that as of yet.

But again, a prison shooting near Orlando, Florida. It's actually at the Coleman Federal Prison. We understand that at least seven people are being transported to the Orlando Regional Medical Center. We're going to stay on top of this story and bring you the latest as soon as we get it.

Well, there is a -- there is nothing like a mother scorned, as the social Internet site, Facebook, is finding out when it comes to breastfeeding.

CNN's Kara Finnstrom clues us in on this controversy.

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KARA FINNSTROM, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Show me some of these pictures at issue here.

(voice-over): Photographs of women breastfeeding. Natural, or obscene? The answer depends on who you ask. The question is putting Facebook, the social networking web site, in an uncomfortable place.

DMITRI WILLIAMS, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: If they are playing the role of community police, they have to try to respect the will of the majority while protecting the minority. That's a tough line to work.

FINNSTROM: USC Professor Dmitri Williams is talking about Facebook's ban and removal of certain breastfeeding pictures.

(on camera): Is it hard keeping up with this?

KELLY ROMAN, ONLINE PROTESTER: Yeah, it is.

FINNSTROM: Young mom, Kelly Roman, is leading an online protest asking other mothers to post their breastfeeding pictures.

ROMAN: It's called hey, Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene. When we first started we only had a few hundred members. Within a few weeks we had 20,000. FINNSTROM: For Roman, it's about changing the cultural norm.

ROMAN: As long as pictures are still being classified as obscene, there will still be those small percentage of people who think it's nasty and obscene and going to send people dirty looks and messages.

FINNSTROM: A breastfeeding group, Le Leche League, says it has used Facebook as an educational tool.

LORETTA MCCALLISTER, LA LECHE LEAGUE: We've had to have photos specifically to show positioning. That kind of picture would help some mother that lives out in a rural area, has internet connection but doesn't have mothers in her community to go and talk to.

How am I going to show that with being all covered?

FINNSTROM: Professor Williams says Facebook's actions aren't so much about censorship as about a new commercialism.

WILLIAMS: The content of Facebook isn't made by a Hollywood studio or a production crew. It's made by the users of Facebook itself. In essence, the company makes money by selling the people to each other. If the people don't behave to each other the way everyone would like to, the company can lose money.

FINNSTROM: Facebook's management refused CNN's request for an interview, but did offer a statement saying, in part, "We agree that breastfeeding is natural and beautiful. And we take no action on the vast majority of breastfeeding photos because they follow the site's terms of use. Photos containing fully exposed breast do violate those terms."

Facebook also says almost all photos banned were flagged by complaining users.

Roman just wants to promote breastfeeding. But she's also testing the boundaries of internet authority in a growingly web connected world.

Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles.

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NGUYEN: Well, parenting can be a slippery slope, shall we say? Take it from a California couple. Their 10-year-old son did some pitching while pitching a fit last night.

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UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I threw a tantrum because I threw my teddy bear and then my mom went down to get it.

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NGUYEN: Yeah, that was a bad idea. She ended up slipping over the side of a steep hillside. Look at this. Then dad slipped trying to save her, falling some 80 feet down. The boy actually redeemed himself when he ran to a house nearby. People there called 911 and firefighters plucked mom and dad out. Now everyone is doing OK. And, yes, the boy got his teddy bear back.

UNIDENTIFIED: I wonder if he got in a little trouble for that.

Forget the teddy bear. Stop your crying and get in the car. Kid.

UNIDENTIFIED: How old is this kid?

NGUYEN: 10 years old.

UNIDENTIFIED: Come on.

NGUYEN: He decided to pitch that teddy bear down and mom went after it. Then dad went after mom.

If you think that story say riot. Listen to this. This woman in Arizona had a beautiful 7 carat diamond ring. She goes to the bathroom and starts, you know, after she does her duty. She flushes. I guess the ring is so big with that rock on it, it goes down the toilet. And so, I mean, what do you do? I would be in complete panic.

UNIDENTIFIED: It's a $70,000 ring. You put on a rubber glove and you go down with it.

NGUYEN: Thank you. They couldn't do it so what the restaurant tried to was basically flush it out. That didn't work. So they had to call in a man called Mr. Rooter, and he had to take an infrared camera, go down in and find it. Luckily, they found the ring. But it cost the couple, what, $6,200 to repair the pipes and all of that.

UNIDENTIFIED: It's worth it.

NGUYEN: Hey, for $70,000?

UNIDENTIFIED: Heck, yeah.

NGUYEN: We're not talking money. We're talking the memories that come with it, of course.

All right.

UNIDENTIFIED: Would you go in and try to find it?

NGUYEN: Absolutely. I would pay the $6,200 no problem.

UNIDENTIFIED: Let's move on to the next one. The Beanie Babies.

NGUYEN: Speaking of money, the White House is not so happy with Ty. This is a company that makes the Beanie Babies, because they are trying to make a profit off these new dolls which they say are not like the first daughters.

UNIDENTIFIED: Look at them.

NGUYEN: I mean, I don't know. I finishing you look at them and don't know the dolls names, you wouldn't put two and two together.

UNIDENTIFIED: They are called Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia. The makers say they are just beautiful names and beautiful dolls and have nothing to do with the first daughters.

NGUYEN: Ty, the company, says it would not be fair to say they're exact replicas of the dolls.

UNIDENTIFIED: Mama Obama not so happy.

NGUYEN: She issued a statement through her press secretary saying, quote, "We feel it's inappropriate to use young private citizens for marketing purposes."

Just some of the other names they are using in this Ty girls dolls, Lindsey, Britney and Paris. I wonder if that's just a coincidence as well.

UNIDENTIFIED: And Paris? I'm sure there's no likeness at all. They are cute, though.

NGUYEN: They are cute dolls. But the names are not so cute, according to the White House.

You have seen it on your favorite TV shows. Expect to see it soon in the courtroom.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick reports on a high-tech forensics tool.

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DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NEWS CORRSEPONDENT: You may have seen it first on NBC's "Law & Order: SVU."

ACTOR: The lasers are capturing every detail in 3D.

FEYERICK: But this 3D laser scanner is no Hollywood prop, at least not in the hands of law enforcement agencies like the California Highway Patrol.

LT. DAVE FOX, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL: It enables us to do our job in a more efficient way. It's helped to open the roadways faster.

FEYERICK: In complex investigations like this tragic tunnel collision involving dozens of vehicles, no critical evidence is overlooked.

SGT. DON KAROL, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL: The tunnel was full of molten metal and debris everywhere. The scanner allowed us to be able to collect accurately the positions of all the vehicles we were able to establish diagrams and three dimensional models we wouldn't have been able to do without the scanner.

FEYERICK: That's because the scene was scanned with laser precision. Line by line, millions of points of data measurements are recorded. In mere minutes, a three-dimensional perspective emerges. DEP. STEVE TILMANN, L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Picking up things that you don't even think about or, that may have some bearing on the case down the road.

FEYERICK: And down the road in the courtroom, the ability to reconstruct and virtually revisit the scene of the crime may help jurors separate fact from fiction.

Debra Feyerick, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Sure, the winner's name inside the envelope at tonight's SAG Awards, is a big deal. But some of us want to know who's wearing what? We'll take you live to the red carpet, next.

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NGUYEN: Well some of Hollywood's best and brightest stars may soon add another hung ever hardware to their mantles. The 15th annual Screen Actors Guild show starts in about two hours at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

And our Kareen Wynter is there rubbing elbows, I suspect, with the stars.

KAREEN WYNTER: Hi there, Betty. The air out here, absolutely electric, even though we're a few hours away from the big show. And the red carpet that you see behind me, Betty, the very crowded red carpet, in a short time from now will be filled with a sea of famous faces. But amid all the glamour of the Screen Actors Guild, is still not negotiated a contract.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTER (voice-over): It was just months ago, Screen Actors Guild president, Allen Rosenberg, made this defiant pledge to the membership.

ALLEN ROSENBERG, PRESIDENT, SCREEN ACTORS GUILD: The Screen Actors Guild is still standing and it will not be defeated.

WYNTER: But now, on the heels of their annual star-studded awards show, comes marked division within the leadership. What Rosenberg called a heated internal debate among union heads regarding contract negotiations, with the Alliance of Motion Picture and television producers?

ROSENBERG: It's our responsibility in these hard economic times to increase our protection of our members. We don't want to strike, we want to bargain.

WYNTER: Actors have been working without a new contract for nearly seven months. While union leaders battle with the studios and networks, union members internal bickering has turned heated with the rank and file choosing sides on strike talk in a down economy. GREGG KILDAY, FILM EDITOR, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: There's real division within the guild. And it's an enormous, very large guild. About whether the actors should even consider calling a strike.

WYNTER: Stars like Kevin Spacey, George Clooney and sally Field oppose a strike right now. Mel Gibson, Blair Underwood, and Anne Hathaway reportedly say they would support the union if it votes to strike. SAG members have yet to vote on a strike authorization, since mediations with the studios have stalled.

One thing that hasn't hit a snag? Sunday's glamour event that will bring out Hollywood's brightest. As for the nominees at this year's Screen Actors Guild awards, Gregg Kilday of "The Hollywood Reporter" says all bets are on Heath Ledger, posthumously reporting in the supporting actor category for his performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight."

The late actor just won an award for his role.

KILDAY: This is an opportunity for Hollywood to acknowledge his work. And I think Hollywood does view this as an opportunity to give him a farewell sendoff.

WYNTER: In the male acting category, Kilday says it will come down to Sean Penn's moving performance as a gay politician in "Milk." And Mickey Rourke's riveting portrayal in "The Wrestler." Kate Winslet just clinched two Golden Globe Awards for best supporting actress in the holocaust film "The Reader" and best actress drama for "revolutionary road." Will she steal the show again Sunday with her double nomination?

KILDAY: It's possible that she'll repeat here. But I think it's really tricky. The odds are against her.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTER: Betty, so much to look forward to tonight. And the presenters, we have an impressive list, stars like Kiefer Sutherland, Anthony Hopkins, Marisa Tomei. We hope to catch some of them on the red carpet when they make they make their way into the Shrine Auditorium.

NGUYEN: Looking forward to it, thank you.

I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Fredricka Whitfield. I'll see you again next weekend with T.J. Holmes on Saturday and Sunday morning. Don Lemon is up at 7:00 Eastern. And "GPS" is next.

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