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Static Kill Starts Today; Same Sex Marriage Battles Goes On; Charles Taylor Trial
Aired August 05, 2010 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM: an up close look at the treatment of women in the Middle East; this case in Iran, an example of medieval punishment possible in the modern world. In Afghanistan, a wife's punishment for running away, her nose and ears cut off. We're digging deeper at 10:15 Eastern.
All right. It's the top of the hour now, let's talk about Naomi Campbell. You might know her as the supermodel with the bad temper. But did you know she's a star witness in a war crimes trial? Campbell testified today in the trial of Charles Taylor.
Let's talk about him first. Taylor is the former ruler of Liberia. And he's accused of stirring up a civil war across the border in Sierra Leone. This war raged on from 1991 to 2002 and it was brutal. About 50,000 people killed. Civilian, men, women and children murdered. Their arms and legs hacked off and tortured in other ways. A lot of the attackers, teenagers forced to kill, rape and plunder and given drugs to make them even more violent.
Charles Taylor believed to be a major player behind all of it. How did he pay for it? With the region's precious natural resource. Diamonds. That's what prosecutors claim.
All right. So where does Naomi Campbell fit into all of this? Let's connect the dots, or shall we say in this situation, the diamonds. Naomi said that two mystery men gave her rough, dirty diamonds back in 1997 during that war. Campbell assumes they came from Taylor. Here's why her story is so important.
If prosecutors can link Taylor to those diamonds, they could link him to the atrocities. It would help prove that Taylor had contacted the currency that paid for the death and chaos. Taylor has always denied he handled diamonds during that war.
So the trial is happening in the Hague, Netherlands. Prosecutors rested their case more than a year ago. But when they learned about the Naomi Campbell connection, they reopened it. Here's a bit of what she said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Since that time or later that night, have you had any other contact?
NAOMI CAMPBELL, WAR CRIMES TRIAL WITNESS: No contact. Never seen him again since the dinner table.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And Miss Campbell, I notice again that you are answering before I finish.
CAMPBELL: Sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you a bit nervous?
CAMPBELL: No, I didn't really want to be here. I was made to be here. Obviously, I want to get this over with and want to get on with my life. This is a big inconvenience for me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you said you didn't want to be here, why didn't you want to be here?
CAMPBELL: I really don't want anything to do with this. And I care about the protection of my family. And as I said on television before, I didn't want to have anything to do with this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And why would you be concerned about the protection of your family?
CAMPBELL: Because this is someone that I read up on the internet that's killed thousands of people, supposedly. And I don't want my family in any danger in any way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: CNN's Phil Black is following the story for us. He joins us now from the Hague. Quite a spectacle, world famous supermodel, sauntering in to give testimony like this, Phil.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed, Kyra. Naomi Campbell had avoided giving evidence here for close to a year. She simply refused to return the calls of prosecutors. In the end, they subpoenaed her. And so she came, as you heard just there, somewhat reluctantly.
The prosecutors had hoped that she would establish a definite link between Charles Taylor and a gift of rough diamonds that she had received following a dinner at Nelson Mandela's home 13 years ago. But she didn't quite go that far. She admits that she attended the dinner that Charles Taylor was there but afterwards, after going to bed, she was awoken in the middle of the night, by a knock on the door. She said she received the gift. Wasn't told who it was from and didn't ask who it was from. And so she doesn't know whether or not for certain they were rough diamonds, whether or not they did in fact came from Charles Taylor.
PHILLIPS: And Phil, another part of the interesting twist to this is the fact that they were all at the dinner table with Nelson Mandela. A lot of people wondering why was Nelson Mandela even having Charles Taylor at the dinner table?
BLACK: It was certainly an eclectic mix. You had Nelson Mandela as the host, Quincy Jones, the music producer was there. Mia Farrow, the actress, other celebrities from further abroad as well as Naomi Campbell and of course, Charles Taylor. At that time, Charles Taylor had not long been the president of Liberia, so at the very least, these were two fellow heads of state.
But even at that point, Charles Taylor was a very controversial figure and had been known to have gotten after some things in his own country, let alone the activities in Sierra Leone that were not particularly tasteful. To the point where this court has heard evidence that Nelson Mandela's partner was very unhappy to be entertaining him at the dinner table in their own home. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Phil Black, thanks for following the story for us. We'll definitely stay on top of it.
Back now to the U.S. where it's a scorcher. Heat advisories in place in 19 states. No record in Atlanta today. But it's heading to 94. The heat's changing how people actually go about their work or play today. High school football practices are off the fields and into the gyms.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, higher temps mean more demand for water, and that's straining the city's water system, rather. There were at least seven water line breaks yesterday. Residents are being asked to conserve their water now.
And listen to this, in Little Rock, Arkansas, a temperature of 160. That's how hot it got on the airport tarmac. Crews are working to fill a football length pothole. As one worker says, there's just no place to hide.
Rob Marciano not hiding from anything, that's for sure. He's following the heat and all the temps for us. He's live in Piedmont Park here in Atlanta. What is it, about 94 today, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: At least it will get that way. It feels like it's there now. You know, we talk about temperatures. And remember, they're recorded in the shade. That doesn't include humidity. So that 160-degree tarmac temp is probably pretty accurate. If you're standing in the sun, it certainly feels a lot warmer than the thermometer actually tells you.
And you know, heat exhaustion can sneak up on you if you're doing any sort of work outside. So just be aware of that. You start getting shortness of breath, you start getting a rapid pulse. You might want to take a health check and get inside or at least some shade and some water.
All right. This record temperatures are startling again today. Let's take a look at some of them. Arkansas, this may go down as one of your warmest summers on record. July is certainly was a hot one. And yesterday, in Hot Springs it was just that. 108 for the high temperature. In Pine Bluff, 107. And the century mark plus heat goes all the way as far north as Louisville, Kentucky, where it was 102.
Right now, the feels like temperature or the heat index, 97 in Shreveport, 100 in Memphis. It already feels like 100 in Memphis. Just six months ago, we were talking about record-breaking cold. Talk about extremes. And in some of these areas, where there's a lot of concrete in the urban areas, you can get what's called the urban heat island effect where the sun bakes the cement and the buildings during the day. And it just isn't allowed to release at night. This kind of keeps everything cooking like an oven. And that's what makes it so hard to cool things off at night. And that's probably our biggest problem.
Heat index is 105 and 115 in those pink areas. But the advisories go all the way to New York, where it will get up into the mid-90s and you'll cool off just a little bit over the weekend. Who else will cool off? Well, it won't get as far south as the deep south as we go through the next couple of days. But some spots in the mid south will get a little bit of less humidity. And that certainly would be welcome. By at least another day, maybe two, Kyra, of dangerously hot temperatures and just be on guard and take necessary precautions and please check on your elderly neighbors. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Rob.
Day 108 of the gulf oil disaster and BP says it's ready to move ahead in the next step of shutting down the ruptured well permanently. Sometime today, the oil giant says it will begin pumping cement down the well in hopes of permanently sealing the leak from above.
But the government is also demanding that BP continue work on plugging the leak from below as well. The relief well, and this second procedure could get under way in another week or so. BP is also fighting a public relations battle. The company is trying to lure angry customers back to their local stations by lowering gas prices by as much as two cents a gallon.
And California's ban on same-sex marriage overturned. The judge ruled that "moral disapproval is not enough to save Prop 8." The voter-backed ban that defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. This is the first ruling in the country to strike down a marriage ban on federal constitutional grounds.
The lawyers on both sides expect this case to go all the way to the Supreme Court. So changes could be on the way for state by state patchwork of gay marriage laws. Some that allow it, some that recognize it and some that ban it outright.
Ted Rowlands live in Los Angeles. Ted, what's next today?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this week, today, the appeals process is starting from the folks that lost. The pro-Prop 8 folks there vowing to go to the Ninth Circuit. But they also have to prepare arguments for Judge Walker, Vaughn Walker. This is the judge that released this decision. And he is hearing arguments on the stay, which is in place here, which is basically barring same-sex couple from getting married for now.
Both sides will argue it this week. And then the judge will come up with a plan as to how long this stay will be in effect. Of course, the other thing that's happening today is the hangover from both sides partying last night. The folks that won and the folks that lost were very bitter yesterday as well. Reacting to it, here's a sample of some of the reaction to the judge's ruling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANITA ZUBERE, SAME-SEX MARRIAGE SUPPORTER: We're in it to the end. If it's going to go to the Supreme Court. And I think Americans are going to understand that we are people. We lead exciting lives, boring lives. We love our family, our friends, our children. And so it is a great day.
RANDY THOMASSON, SAVECALIFORNIA.COM: The judge has dealt a terrible blow to natural marriage, the voters' rights, the Constitution and this republic we call the United States of America. You mark my words, if marriage can mean anything, then marriage ultimately will mean nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: And, Kyra, obviously, this is the first step in a long process, heading towards that collision with the United States Supreme Court that most everybody on both sides agrees this will be decided. The next real decision is the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. It will be a three-judge appeal likely to start.
Then, from there, does it go to a full panel or does it then go to the U.S. Supreme Court? And that will dictate some of the timing and that will also bring into play this question of the stay. There are same-sex couples here in California that want to get married right now. Whether or not the judge will allow that to happen before the Ninth Circuit chimes in, remains to be seen. We should find that out in the coming days.
Most people watching this believe that this judge will most likely keep the stay intact at least until the Ninth Circuit is engaged in the argument.
PHILLIPS: Ted Rowlands, appreciate it.
And our Prop 8 coverage does continue throughout the day. Coming up at 12:15, a CNN exclusive. Plaintiffs in California gay marriage speak out a day after the courtroom win. You're going to hear from Paul (INAUDIBLE) and also Jeff Cirilo (ph) coming up in about two hours right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Death by stoning. A woman in Iran faces a barbaric execution or possible reprieve. At any moment, the court could decide this woman's fate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: This morning, we're taking a hard look at violence against women in the Middle East. Three stories have come to the forefront, capturing our attention and pulling at our heartstrings. They're realities, tough to face. But the hope is that their stories can bring about change for millions of women.
In Afghanistan, a woman runs away from home and pays the price. Mutilated. Left to die. This case, extreme. But the U.N. says 90 percent of women in Afghanistan suffer domestic abuse. Then in Turkey, a wife's face burned. Her head in bandages and her husband hasn't served a minute of jail time.
Four in 10 Turkish women say they've seen the victims of abuse at the hands of their husbands or boyfriends. And in Iran, a mother of two, an accused adulterer, sentenced to be stoned to death. There are no reliable statistics from Iran on just how common domestic abuse is.
A mother of two sentenced to death by stoning after she allegedly committed adultery in Iran. Last month, an international outcry put the case on hold. But a final verdict is expected today. And this woman's life or death lies in the balance.
Now, her attorney is seeking asylum in Turkey, as his client waits for word on her fate. Iran said it stopped stoning executions for now. But she could still face execution by hanging. Now, to Turkey, a women's right activist on the hunt for a man who authorities say beat his wife and put her in the hospital twice in one month.
Ivan Watson goes along for that search.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) is on the hunt pounding down the dirt roads of this remote village in eastern Turkey, looking for the man who Turkish authorities say beat his wife and put her in the hospital twice in less than 12 months.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Have you seen Farouq (ph), she asks the village mayor's daughter? He disappeared with his car. No one has seen him, the woman replies.
WATSON: The man he's looking for is Farouq Platen, filmed here several months ago, with his two children and his 30-year-old wife, Sadique (ph). This was Sadique (ph), outside a hospital last September, almost unrecognizable because of the bruises and bandages that doctors put on her ear after part of it was sliced off.
A court sentenced Sadique's (ph) husband to 15 months in prison for assault. But officials say he did not serve any jail time because he, "showed remorse." Sadique (ph) also dropped the charges against him. So after two months at a state-run women's shelter, the prosecutors sent Sadique (ph) and her children back to live with her husband.
Women's rights activists like Hamide Yeni say they watched helplessly as Farouq took his wife back to his village.
HAMIDE YENI, WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST (through translator): This kind of thing is happening in every village, Yeni tells me. There are thousands of women like Sadique (ph) out there. WATSON: In fact, according to a 2009 government report, 42 percent of Turkish women surveyed say they have been victims of either physical or sexual abuse by their husband or partner. Despite progressive laws to combat domestic abuse, activists point out there are only 52 state run shelters for battered women in the entire country.
PINAR ILKKARACAN, WOMEN FOR WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS: Because there's a lack of will on the part of the government to implement those, to have a program, a coordinated action program to stop violence against women, and also training - training for judges and prosecutors, which is nothing.
WATSON: Not long after Sadique moved back home, neighbors and one village official say there were fresh signs of trouble.
(on camera): Social services worker, security forces and volunteers repeatedly came here to Sadique Platin's (ph) house to answer reports that she was being repeatedly beaten. And in every nearly every case, her husband ordered them off his property and frequently denied them access to his wife.
It wasn't until she was hospitalized for the second time in two years that doctors found such extensive wounds across her body that she believe she was tortured.
(voice-over): Doctors say Sadique arrived in the hospital on July 15th in a catatonic state, covered with fresh bruises and burns. Sadique's mother has little hope her daughter will ever recover.
That man has been beating my daughter since the day she put on her wedding dress, she says. I wished he killed her long ago to save her all of these suffering.
Turkish police now have an arrest warrant out for Sadique's husband. But activist Hamide Yeni says that just isn't good enough.
YENI: The state is guilty, the system is guilty, she says, because it failed to protect the victim.
WATSON: Ivan Watson, CNN, (INAUDIBLE) in eastern Turkey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: In Afghanistan, an iconic portrait of a teenage girl now on the cover of "time" magazine. It's hard to look at this 19- year-old. She was forced into marriage at age 16 but ran away from a life of abuse. Her nose and ears cut off as punishment after she was caught. And she was left to die by her husband. But now, a new chance. She's bound for California for months of reconstructive surgery.
A cop had to car jack a suspect right where he wanted him, trapped with nowhere to go. Suddenly, the cop has nowhere to go. All he can do is duck under the dash.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Routine traffic stops rarely make the news. This kind of stuff does. We've seen a lot of dash cam video in our day. But this one's a real doozie. A trapped car jacker throws the SUV into reverse. Caught the cop off guard. Heck, caught us all off guard, too.
Well, the chase happened last month in Maryland. The video was just released and thankfully, that officer survived to tell the story. Sam Ford with WJLA tells us about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM FORD, REPORTER, WJLA (voice-over): Montgomery Officer Seth Carson and his wife, Terry, watched the video at police headquarters of a July 22nd chase.
A dashboard camera and his cruiser captured the image of the pursuer who turned out to be three D.C. teens in a Ford SUV car jacked from Prince George's country. He pursued them to an area he knew well, the one-lane Talbot Bridge between Bethesda and Silver Springs and thought it was about over when he saw a car blocking them. You can hear on the tape, but watch closely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're heading over the bridge. There's a vehicle on the bridge. He's going to hit a vehicle (INAUDIBLE) There's a vehicle there. Standby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. (INAUDIBLE).
SETH CARSON, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: (INAUDIBLE) this is great, because the driver's side door is pinned on the car, the driver's side is pinned on the bridge. I thought, they can't get out. They can't even run. Then I see the reverse lights. I thought, this is good. They came out at me. At first I thought they'd hit me. I didn't think it would drive over me like big foot.
FORD: With backup, Carson and other officers caught and arrested the three suspects. Only one suffered a minor injury. He said the first thing he did afterward was to call his wife so she wouldn't worry.
CARSON: My daughter is the very first thing that popped it my head. I just ducked. I want to make sure I was as low as I can possibly be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: No one was seriously hurt. Police arrested three teens, and they face a long list of charges.
We've been telling you about Arlington National Cemetery and how it's done a real disservice to some of our heroes that are buried there. Now, maybe the first steps towards change will take place, giving the dead, their families and their descendants some respect.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Checking top stories. Day 108 of the gulf oil crisis. BP plans to start pouring cement down that well. It's the next stage of the static kill operation designed to make a permanent seal. Louisiana officials say coastal areas are still affected by patches of oil.
In northwestern Pakistan, intense monsoon rains have let up allowing aid groups to reach more flood victims. At least 1,500 people have died last week. Thousands of homes have been destroyed. And many bridges and roads have been washed out.
The battle over same sex marriage in California is far from over. A federal judge ruled yesterday that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. Prop 8 is the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. The case is expected to be appealed and could finally wind up before the Supreme Court.
Renowned author Anne Rice says the Christian rights stance on gay rights and women's issues now force her to leave the church.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNE RICE, AUTHOR: I read scripture every day of my life. I can't find a basis there for most of the stance that churches and denominations take today on the civil rights of gay people, on women and reproductive rights, on the question of how you vote in our society. I mean, I can't find it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Hear the rest of Rice's interview coming up in the next hour, 11:40 Eastern time.
And maybe only hours.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: A story now that we are going to keep telling you about until some something is done. We're talking about the disgraceful mistakes at Arlington National Cemetery. The secretary of the Army has now ordered the cemetery to overhaul its business practices. A report that, well, there wasn't a whole lot of financial oversight is what it actually said, among other problems. We told you about tombstones tossed into a stream, urns dumped in dirt, dated record keeping, faulty maps and mismarked graves. A Senate panel last week set up the 6,600 graves might be marked wrong or not marked at all. Talk about unjust rewards for those that sacrificed so much for us.
Now to our heroes who are coming home. U.S. troops, wounded in battle, but alive. Their sense of mission hasn't been abandoned; it has just merely changed. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr takes us on the long journey home.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (on camerae): This is really what it's all about in the world of the air medical evacuation community. You can see the plane now is full of the combat wounded from Afghanistan. These troops have all suffered injuries from IED, roadside bomb explosions. Mortars, artillery. Small arms fire. Gunshot wounds. They have gotten their initial treatment here in Germany. Now we are about to make a nine-hour flight back to the United States.
Finally, they are getting back home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Remember that other guy that we put the antibiotics on?
STARR (voice-over): Air Force medical teams tend to every need on the final leg of the journey home. Captain Chris Watkins, a nurse, has worked evac flights for seven years. He sees the rising number of wounded first hand.
CAPT. CHRIS WATKINS, U.S. AIR FORCE: Unfortunately, it's a lot of blast injuries. We have a lot of amputations. We had a lot of significant trauma case that require some sort of continuous monitoring care or obviously, surgical treatment. IEDs are probably our number one players, followed by small arms and indirect fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just wanted to see it drop.
STARR: Private first class, James Darlington, hit by a rocket- propelled grenade in the arm just a few days ago, now hours away from seeing his family. Doctors have eased initial worries he may lose his arm.
PFC. JAMES DARLINGTON, U.S. ARMY: I didn't think I was going to have an arm, the way, it was just skin attached to it. So, yes, I was amazed when I woke up and seen an arm there. I had feeling in it and everything. So --
STARR (off camera): So the medical care is pretty amazing?
DARLINGTON: It's really amazing. I was really surprised.
STARR (voice-over): Twenty-two wounded on stretchers. Some just hours off the battlefield. There's constant worry about infection. Many still on morphine for pain. Some in extremely critical condition on ventilators.
WATKINS: We haven't sat down since about 8:00 this morning, Germany time. That was almost 11 hours ago. It's hard seeing these catastrophic injuries.
STARR: On some flights, the most critically wounded can be kept home long enough to be brought home so the families can say good-bye.
Sometimes, the best care, just being together. On this flight, three young soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division, hit in the same attack just a few days earlier. Specialist Aaron Knuckols and his buddies were on patrol in eastern Afghanistan when their vehicle hit a 300-pound roadside bomb.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything got red, and we went upside down.
STARR: After a near-death experience like that, Specialist Knuckols said he could not imagine going home without his friends.
SPEC. AARON KNUCKOLS, U.S. ARMY: We've been together the whole trip.
STARR (off camera): Yes. Keep an eye on each other.
KNUCKOLS: Yes, ma'am. I know my two guys back there, I can't see are getting the same care I'm getting. It's a very good feeling. I can't see them, but I know they're getting taken care of.
STARR (off camera): Fellow soldier Private First Class Mike Garcia broke two vertebrae in his back, his knee and his ankle in the attack. But his priority, his brothers in arms.
PFC. MIKE GARCIA: Ma'am, what makes it personal. Because we go over there. A small group to begin with and we see pretty much nobody else for the year we are over there, and we just bond. A lot of bonding pretty much, especially when you get hit.
STARR (voice-over): The third man, Staff Sergeant Benjamin McGuire's broken jaw, is wired shut. But he doesn't need to talk for us to understand how grateful he is that they are all together.
(on camera): It means a lot to you. Do you think it helps?
(reading from McGuire's notepad): Yes, ma'am, without a doubt in my mind, it made my injuries seem not so bad.
(on camera): You went to Afghanistan together, you fought together. Got hit together. Now you're coming home together.
(voice-over)For many of these soldiers, the journey home is almost complete. Many we have spoken to have already re-enlisted and are anxious to get back to Afghanistan to stand beside their fellow soldiers, even as the cycle of war wounded continues.
Barbara Starr, CNN, Andrews Air Force base.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Just in. BP has announced that it started moving ahead in the next step of shutting down the ruptured well permanently. Last hour, BP says it began pumping cement down the well with the hope of permanently sealing that leak from above.
Unbearable hot temps stretch from the South to Midwest and the North. That's prompted heat advisories to be issued for at least 18 states, and this heat is deadly. So far, health officials report at least nine suspected heat-related deaths. The witness chair, not the runway, for supermodel Naomi Campbell. Campbell testified at the war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor. She was question about some diamonds she apparently received as a gift from Taylor in the late 90s. Prosecutors called Campbell to support their allegations that Taylor used West Africa's rich diamond wealth to fund a brutal civil conflict in neighboring Sierra Leone.
Social insecurity. You've paid into the program your entire working life. Will there be any money left when you retire? Today, we'll find out some answers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: DUI laws that failed. Immigration laws that failed. A system that failed. And a criminal who fell through the cracks with tragic results.
An alleged drunk driver crashed into another vehicle last weekend in Virginia. Let's tell you just a bit about the suspect, Carlos Montano. Prosecutors say he'd been convicted twice for DUI. Once for reckless driving, twice for speeding, once for public drunkenness and other violations, all while being an illegal immigrant. He'd had his license revoked more than a year ago.
And the lady that was killed in the crash? A nun. A woman who devoted her life to serving others.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SISTER ANDREA VERCHUCK, FRIEND OF VICTIM: I could practically quote Sister Denise -- if she had been conscious at the time that she was taken from the wreck and if Carlos had been there, she would have said, "Carlos, I forgive you."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS; Well that nun might forgive. God might forgive. But the law, it needs to be a lot less forgiving. For one thing, why was he still driving? And for another, why was this guy still in the country? CNN asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano exactly like that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Why is it that this individual was still out driving? He was in removal proceedings, why were the removal proceedings taking so long? I do not, obviously, as of today, have the results of that, but I will get it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Let's talk now with the head of Prince William County board of supervisors, Corey Stewart, about this.
So, Chairman, tell me what you're doing on your end to make sure this never happens again.
COREY STEWART, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: Well, I'm just absolutely confounded at Secretary Napolitano's remarks. She knows darned well why this guy was back on the streets. We handed him over to immigration enforcement twice before. And twice, they turned around, knowing that he posed a public safety issue, and released him right back into our community --
PHILLIPS: So, why did that happen?
STEWART: We're very angry about this.
PHILLIPS: Why did I.C.E. Release him back into the community?
STEWART: This is not a surprise. It's not unique by any stretch of the imagination. This happens every day across the United States. Local enforce -- law enforcement agents hand these dangerous criminals who are illegal aliens over to immigration officials, and they turn them out and release them back in the neighborhoods because Congress hasn't given the funds necessary to Immigration Enforcement to even detain these individuals while they're awaiting deportation.
And Secretary Napolitano knows that. The administration knows that, but they're simply trying to hide the truth here.
PHILLIPS: Now, you're the chairman of the county supervisors, so what are you going to do? Are you going to go to Congress and seek more information? Stricter laws? Are you going to demand answers? I mean, do you even know how many of these guys who are repeat offenders are let back into the community? I mean, this could happen again.
STEWART: We've been placed on a gag order not to release this information. But what we're going to do, and I want to announce this today, we're seeking a congressional subpoena to get those are -- that information released to the public. And if the public understands how many individuals who are illegal aliens who have committed crimes everything from taking indecent liberties with children to assaults and here in a DUI case, when they release -- realize how many of these individuals are being released into their neighborhoods by immigration enforcement, they're going to be disgusted. And the administration is going to have to come clean with all of this.
PHILLIPS: But here's my question. Obviously, there are two sets of laws here that failed this nun who was killed in this drunk driving accident.
First of all, I want to ask you, the drunk driving laws, I mean, this would have been his third drunk driving incident. He had two other incidents where he was caught drunk driving. His license was even revoked. He got behind the wheel anyway. First, let me ask you, what you can do to enforce these drunk driving laws and hold people accountable?
STEWART: Well I completely agree with that. The commonwealth of Virginia needs tougher DUI laws. We're doing everything on the local level to enforce these laws, but unless we get tougher laws, these guys are going to go right back out and kill more people.
You got to remember that illegal aliens aren't just committing DUI crimes. They're committing the whole gamut of crimes and being released back in the neighborhoods. Again, everything from child predators to those committing assaults. And they're being released into the neighborhoods.
And I.C.E. knows darn well that some of these guys are going to go right back into the same crimes. They do it every day. And they're turning the other cheek and just letting these guys go --
PHILLIPS: But, Chairman, here's what I don't understand. Prince William jurisdiction has some of the strictest immigration enforcement laws. So, why aren't these guys with these long track records just being sent back to their home country?
STEWART: Well, it's a very good question. Because we, on the local level, we apprehend them. We identify them as illegal aliens. We make them serve their local jail sentence, and then we physically hand them over to Immigration Enforcement for deportation, assuming that they'll be deported. And now only find ought that I.C.E. is simply releasing them back into the community. It's just appalling.
PHILLIPS: So, what are you going to be able to do? Because obviously, people in this area, and people around the country, are pretty outraged at what has happened here. This is just one incident, I'm sure this happens a number of other times. What can you do to put a stop to this?
STEWART: I think we have to get that information released through this congressional subpoena. Congress needs to subpoena the administration for this information. I expect to go up there, release this information, and testify on Capitol Hill with regard to this incident.
It's not unique. And when the public understands and when Congress understands that these individuals are simply being released back into communities, perhaps they will allocate the funds for the detention center space necessary so that these individuals are never released back into the communities. That's what needs to happen.
PHILLIPS: We'd like to follow up on your efforts, Chairman Corey Stewart, so please keep us updated so we can follow up.
STEWART: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Chairman, thanks.
We're back in a moment.
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PHILLIPS: Superhero to the rescue. We know he can leap over tall buildings and pick up cars with his bare hands, but who knew that superman could save a real family's home from foreclosure? Yep. It looks like that's exactly what looks like is going to happen.
A New York family was in the process of packing up and moving out of their home when they discovered a rare copy of action comics. They actually found it in their basement. And the comic book, retirement of the comic book, that actually introduced Superman to the world. And considered -- it is considered, rather -- the holy grail of all comic books. And get this, it could rake in $250,000 on the auction block later this month. Luckily, bank officials said, "Okay, we'll wait for the money."
So, just how broke is Social Security. We're going to find out today when the program's trustees release their annual report.
Alison Kosik joins us now from New York. So, Alison, some young people will even be around for them.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I mean, and you make a really good point, Kyra. When payday comes and Americans take a look at their checks and see that portion of Social Security being taken out of every check. And the reality is, many people believe they're never going to see that money again.
Now, we are waiting for today's report that's coming out in an hour or two. But here's what the trustees told us last year. Take a look at this. They said Social Security will be able to be paid through full benefits through the year 2037. And after that, it will pay about three-quarters of benefits through the year 2083. Not so bad. In the short term, it's pretty stable.
But listen to what could be around the corner. President Obama's bipartisan debt commission is working on recommendations for cutting the deficit. And changes to Social Security will likely be on the list.
Now, one idea we could see is raising the retirement age. Right now, it's sitting at 66, although you can start getting a percentage of your benefits even earlier at the age of 62. The retirement age is scheduled to gradually rise to the year 67 by the year 2027.
But some people, including House Republican leader John Boehner, think it should be raised as high as age 70.
Now, there are other ideas on the table, and they include increasing Social Security payroll taxes. They're currently at 6.2 percent for both you and your employer. Or 12.4 percent if you're self-employed.
There's also talk about raising your cap on how much of your paycheck is taxed. Right now, the government stops collecting Social Security taxes after you've earned $106,000, around that area. The problem there, of course, for us who go to work every day, Kyra, is that means we'll be paying more money out of pocket. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Alison, thanks.
A Lassie he ain't, but a dog in Michigan is credited with saving a life. No, he didn't pull anyone from a burning building or alert authorities that someone was trapped in a well. You know what, I'm not going to tell you what he did. You're just going to have to watch the story.
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PHILLIPS: It's time to lift up one of our troopers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq or Afghanistan. We're going to tell you how you can actually be a part of our "Home and Away" program in just a minute.
But right now, we want to tell you about First Lieutenant Tyler Edward Parton from Mariana, Arkansas. He died when insurgents attacked his unit in Kunar province in Afghanistan in September 2009. Tyler's friend, Amy Ditto, shared these memories. "He was a man of God and always put his friends and family first. He knew he was the face of America to any Afghan civilian that he encountered. And he took that responsibility very seriously. He was also a remarkable musician and used to play the harmonica for children in Afghanistan. Tyler took a special interest in the welfare of those kids and other countries that he visited.
In honor of that, the Tyler Parton foundation has been set up to aid U.S. organizations helping children in third world countries. And our goal is to raise enough money to build a school for girls in Afghanistan."
We want to help out, too. We encourage you to check out the TylerPartonFoundation.com. Please take note of that. Check it out.
We'd like to bring you more stories like Tyler's, and here's how you can help. Go to CNN.com/homeandaway. Type in your service member's name in the right-hand upper search field, pull up the profile, send us you thoughts and your pictures, and we'll keep the memory of your hero alive.
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PHILLIPS: Well, dogs eat all sorts of things. Leftovers, trash, homework. But you don't want your pooch gnawing on people. At least that's the rule of thumb. Or the rule of toe. That's a different story, just ask Jeanne Moos.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Remember when Michelle Obama said this about first dog Bo?
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: He loves to chew on people's feet.
MOOS: Well, this is the story of a dog that didn't toe the line. He ate the toe. JERRY: My toe's gone. I couldn't believe it. It was gone.
MOOS: Jerry, of Rockford, Michigan had stubbornly refused to see a doctor for his badly infected big toe. Do you think it had an odor or something that attracted the dog?
JERRY: Oh, yeah. Because I went to my buddy's house and his dog came and paid attention to it too.
MOOS: Jerry and his wife Rosie had been out celebrating after at least six beers and two gigantic margaritas. He came home and passed out in bed. When he woke up, his dog, Kiko, was along side his foot with blood on his face.
JERRY: I started screaming for help, for Rosie. I went to the bathroom. I rinsed my foot off and the toe was gone.
MOOS: But just the bad part, up to the toenail.
JERRY: He ate the bone too.
MOOS: Sort of reminds us of the episode of "Weeds."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's the good little watchdog? You are. MOOS: But Jerry wasn't mad at his dog. After being hospitalized, Jerry found out he was severely diabetic.
JERRY: He's a national hero right now as far as I'm concerned because I would have never went in.
MOOS: There are studies that suggest dogs may be able to detect chemicals emitted by cancer cells. But a veterinary behaviorist says Kiko was probably just exhibiting normal exploratory behavior eating just the infected part of the toe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's possible that by the time he got to the normal part, the dog realized this isn't interesting anymore.
MOOS: They can detect cancer?
JERRY: That's what I'm afraid of next, he's going to look at my midsection.
MOOS: We wonder if Jerry's been sleeping with his tootsies covered since he lost his toe.
JERRY: Yeah, I wear shoes.
MOOS: In bed?
JERRY: Yeah, I'm wearing shoes because I just ain't going to take a chance.
MOOS: Kiko the toe eating dog was quarantined at home for a week and a half under observation to make sure he's not a menace. He's no devil dog. JERRY: He's a good dog.
MOOS: Who seems to love hot dogs but wieners aren't his favorite.
JERRY: His favorite food is Vaseline.
MOOS: Whatever you do, Jerry, don't put Vaseline on your toes. Jeanne Moos, CNN --
JERRY: What a great dog.
MOOS: -- New York.
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PHILLIPS: Brooke, there's so many different ways we can go with that.
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BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: I mean, how do you go with that? Vasaline and hot dogs?
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. See what happens when you drink too many margaritas?
BALDWIN: Dogs eat your toes. I have a dog. I'm frightened now. Sticking with my shoes on. Thank you, Kyra Phillips.
Where do I go with that?
