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From Capitol Hill to Hollywood?; Tax Cut Vote This Week?; First MasterCard, Now Visa Hacked?; Vice President Biden Talks Taxes for Second Straight Day; Texas Death Penalty Statute on Trial
Aired December 08, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And now this, the Feds busted another terror plot right here at home. The target, a military recruiting station and we're told the suspect is a young man who wanted revenge. There is a disturbing trend here. We're all over the story in 60 seconds.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN (voice-over): Looking for that magic diet pill to shed pounds? The FDA is considering a new one, but do risky side effects outweigh the benefits?
Chris Dodd may be saying sayonara, Senate, hello, Hollywood. So is he bringing the A-list to K Street? That is today's "Political Pop."
A Colombia drug bust, no, no, not Medellin -- Manhattan. Wait until you hear about the guys involved in Operation Ivy League.
Nothing gets students fired up like a spike in tuition.
So, what got these lawmakers fired up?
And why the anger in the streets of Haiti? We will go "Globe Trekking."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Top of the hour. I'm Brooke Baldwin.
A lot of news happening right now, rapid fire. Let's begin with this.
An alleged bomb plotter appearing in federal court today. The 21-year-old suspect is accused of trying to detonate a truck bomb outside this Maryland area military recruiting station. The suspect is a recent Muslim convert and a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia.
Law enforcement agents have been watching this guy, apparently for months. They say he was given a dummy bomb as part of the sting separation. Next, within the past hour here, Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid said he expects a test vote on the tax cut deal perhaps as early as the end of this week. He also said there may be some changes, his word. Also, our own Dana Bash reporting that congressional Democrats may be warming to this deal. The deal's two-year extension of tax cuts to the wealthy sparked unusually harsh sniping between the president and his own party.
Next, American Airlines canceling all flights to and from Haiti today as violence erupts in Port-au-Prince. Protesters -- look at this -- yelling, speaking out against the country's presidential elections, taking to the streets there, and also setting fires.
By the way, we have just learned Spirit and Delta are the other two U.S. airlines that fly to Haiti's capital city and we are now told the airport, the whole airport in Port-au-Prince closed.
Next, this is a bizarre one, folks. Follow me here. Police in Illinois have stopped searching for this woman. This is Tanya Shannon. She's the 40-year-old mother of four who disappeared after a car crash that killed her husband. Now, the Shannons were last seen leaving a party Saturday night, where these pictures were taken.
The officer who found the wreck hours later saw footprints in the snow leading away from that car. And that is the last clue anyone has. Officers say they're going to start searching again when the weather warms up.
Next: Tony Blair sitting in a hot seat yet again, the former British prime minister expected to testify soon before an independent board investigating the war in Iraq. If you're keeping tabs, this marks the second time he's done this. Back in January, Blair admitted there was not enough planning for a post-Saddam Hussein world in Baghdad.
Next, want to take you to South Korea, where politics not always a civil discourse. Look at these pictures with me. This is what happened during a session of Parliament there today, a little bit of pushing and shoving, would you say. Lawmakers were hotly debating next year's budget when hundreds of opposing politicians started shouting and shoving. This happens occasionally, we're told, in South Korea's National Assembly, where the style of debate is slightly more, dare I say, passionate than in other countries. At least one lawmaker, we're told, had to go to the hospital.
Next, you see that guy? That is a 19-year-old college sophomore, political science major. And how is this for practical experience, folks? He was just appointed a member of the city council in a small city in California. He is the city's youngest ever city councilman who stepped up after his predecessor suddenly stepped down. The student says he's going to keep a full course load at school while serving on the city council board and will hold the council seat for the next four years.
Good luck. Next, take a look at this scene there, French television. It says that the region of France that includes Paris is -- includes Paris is paralyzed. Looks lovely, but if you're trying to get out of town on that plane, a bit of a headache. Several highways are closed, Eiffel Tower closed, air travel disrupted -- four inches of snow falling in Paris today. It may not sound like a whole heck of a lot to you, but it is the heaviest snowfall there in some 20 years. Can we say snowball fight?
Next, a 12-year-old in Arizona raising money for a stranger who desperately needs a liver transplant. Listen to this. Doctors were literally getting this patient ready for this new liver when the state stopped paying for the program that helps the poor get transplants. Budget cuts, they're to blame here. But that kid you just saw holding up that big sign says his dad also has liver problems, so he is scared that one day his own father will need a transplant.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARLOS OLIVAS, RAISING MONEY FOR TRANSPLANT PATIENT: They're just shocked because I'm only 12 years old and trying to help some guy a liver transplant, trying to help him live another day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: How about that? His goal, 25,000 dimes. We're told that's the amount necessary to cover the needed transplant to save a man's life.
Next, how much cold hard cash would you pay for some ratty old cash? This $10 bill you're looking at there on your screen, it is up for bid on eBay. Asking price, wait for it, $50,000. What? It reportedly was printed a hundred years ago. That is when the government made bills for each bank. This one was printed for the Mesa County National Bank in Grand Junction in Colorado. That's a lot of money.
Next, how much money would you pay for a cup of Joe? I drink a tad in the morning. Maybe you do as well. A Canadian coffeehouse in Calgary, Alberta, charging $25 per cup, 25 bucks for a blend -- oh, boy, I can't believe I have to say this -- for a blend commonly called cat poop coffee. The beans get their flavor by passing through the digestive tract of an Asian palm civet. That is a dwelling -- a tree dwelling feline in Thailand, and then they're collected from the -- you know, the waste.
And, finally, a Wisconsin woman has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation after allegedly biting off her husband's tongue. The man says they were just out caroling. 'Tis the season. The wife went in for a little good night kiss and ouch.
Police say, when they arrived, the woman threw coffee at them -- maybe that coffee we were just talking about -- and blew a party horn. The 79-year-old man is undergoing medical treatment to reattach his tongue.
Many people dream of a pill that helps them lose a little weight. Well, now the government could be closer to approving that one. That is ahead.
Also, cocaine, LSD, pot, Adderall, that is all part of this massive, massive drug bust at an Ivy League university.
And a retiring senator apparently wants to go all the way to Really, Hollywood? It's true. "Political Pop." So says Joe Johns coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM.
It may seem like a bit of an unlikely place for a major drug sting, fraternity row and dormitories at a prestigious Ivy League school, but police did indeed arrest five Columbia University students in this sting that officials dubbed Operation Ivy League, and caught in their net, a member of the university student council, a Georgia student on a scholarship supplied by Bill Gates, a student who was salutatorian of his high school class.
Prosecutors say each of the five was caught on tape trafficking drugs during this five-month undercover operation.
Whew.
I want to bring in Sarah Darville. She is on the phone. She is the deputy editor of "The Columbia Daily Spectator."
And, Sarah, I just kind of ran through some of the guys. But what more do you know about these five students? Good guys, good students, studious?
SARAH DARVILLE, "THE COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR": Sure.
A lot of them were really well-known on campus for a lot of different things. Like you said, one of them was on a full prestigious scholarship that Gates -- he was a Gates Millennium Scholar, Stephan Vincenzo. Adam Klein was on the fencing team last year. Another one of the students was a former member of the engineering student council. So, these are people who were very well- known on campus.
BALDWIN: Pretty well-known on campus.
Do we know, Sarah -- we know they're accused of this, but some of this have come forward. They have said, yes, we did it. And they actually -- some of whom have said why. Tell me why.
DARVILLE: A couple of the students, who all did plead not guilty, but two of them when they were being arrested said that they were selling drugs to pay tuition.
BALDWIN: Selling drugs to pay tuition.
Just curious, what's the cost to go to Columbia for a year?
DARVILLE: It's about $50,000, but a lot of people are on financial aid, so that's sort of a misleading figure.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Got it. Got it. Just wanted to ask.
And, also, we were also curious to see sort of what kind of drugs they're accused of selling. And I want you to stand by. We have a sound bite I want to play. This is from the prosecutor in the case. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIDGET G. BRENNAN, SPECIAL NARCOTICS PROSECUTOR: The marijuana was sold in the half-pound or the pound, cocaine sold in large quantities, and LSD actually dropped on little Altoids or SweeTarts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: LSD-laced SweeTarts and Altoids.
Were you aware at all of any of this before this big sting, before this bust?
DARVILLE: No, I wasn't. That was pretty surprising to me as well.
But, yes, it was a wide variety of drugs. And each of the students were sort of known for their own specialty. But, yes, there was cocaine, marijuana, Adderall, ecstasy, so ran the whole gamut.
BALDWIN: Ran the gamut.
And what is, Sarah, the reaction on campus and also where are they accused of selling this stuff? I mean, they're accused of selling it out of -- from campus, correct?
DARVILLE: Yes, from campus.
So they were accused of selling it from out of three different fraternity houses and two other dorms on campus. So, it was definitely happening on campus. And the campus reaction, people have been pretty shocked. A lot of these people were well-known. It's gotten reaction from different campus groups. It's definitely something that's on people's minds today.
BALDWIN: And I -- officially -- I want to read this statement. This is what we got from Columbia university. Read it with me.
"The alleged behavior of the students involved in this incident goes against not only state and federal law, but also university policy and the principles we have set and strive together to maintain for a community. Please rest assured we are taking this matter very, very seriously."
That is from Columbia's dean of students.
Sarah, let me ask you this. Do you know how police were tipped off here to this big ring?
DARVILLE: I did hear that some -- it did come from some Crime Stoppers tips. And also this had been an ongoing investigation. It started in July with one student. It eventually expanded through the special narcotics prosecutor's office.
So this is something that had been ongoing and sort of more students got roped into it as it went along, but it definitely was a long-term investigation that the NYPD had been working on for a long time.
BALDWIN: Right. I think I had read that the police had bought something like $11,000 worth of drugs from these students since this summer, and then finally were able to arrest them today.
Finally question. We see these five guys being taken away in handcuffs. But they're not the only -- those were not the only arrests yesterday. There were also some off-campus suppliers who were arrested as well.
DARVILLE: Right. Yes, the investigation did lead to some of the students' suppliers, including some, one -- I know one man is also facing kidnapping charges. So, yes, it did reach beyond campus in that way, but they were arrested -- one was arrested over the weekend. A few were arrested before that, so it didn't happen all at the same time.
BALDWIN: I imagine this is quite a shock there in Manhattan at Columbia University.
Sarah Darville with "The Columbia Daily Spectator," student paper there -- Sarah, thank you.
We have some new video I want to pass along to you. It is connected to the Taliban. It shows a U.S. soldier who was captured in Afghanistan some 18 months ago. We're going to have a live report from the Pentagon on the significance of this bit of video ahead.
Also, where do some politicians go when they're sick and tired of Washington politics? Hollywood? Really, Joe Johns?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
BALDWIN: He's here to explain what that means in our "Political Pop." Joe is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: When we're looking for questions that are not getting answered we turn to our guy in D.C., Joe Johns with the "Political Pop." And, Joe, I lived in D.C., I heard this as well, this little saying that Washington, it's kind of harsh, Washington is Hollywood for ugly people. And apparently Ash (ph), our producer, the segment -- he did a little digging and found it was Paul Begala, our own Paul Begala who apparently said this in the early '90s. You live there, you've lived there for decades. True?
JOHNS: Well, pretty close. I don't know, it depends on which people you're talking about. But I mean you go up on capitol hill and everybody is dressed on pretty well and have on a lot of makeup so you'd never know it. Anyway --
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNS: -- for what it's worth.
BALDWIN: Continue.
JOHNS: All right, so what we're talking about here is this issue of the connection between Hollywood and Washington. We all know they have a pretty close relationship. It's not just fundraising, some of the best-known politicos essentially have no problem going on the big screen in cameo roles.
So, Brooke, we have a couple of clips. Want to see if you can pick out the stars from Washington politics, let's roll the tape, would you, guys?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATH LEDGER, "JOKER": You know, I'll settle for his loved ones.
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: We're not intimidated by thugs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Now, who is that, Brooke?
BALDWIN: I can't tell -- I can't tell by his back.
JOHNS: Let's see --
BALDWIN: Who is that, Dick Cheney? No.
Oh, "Wedding Crashers."
JOHNS: Oh, we should have frozen it. It was Senator Patrick Leahy.
BALDWIN: Oh, Senator Leahy.
JOHNS: There we go. Who is that?
BALDWIN: Oh, I know this one. This is John McCain. This was hilarious, "Wedding Crashers."
JOHNS: Right, and who was standing next to him?
BALDWIN: Was is James Carville? I saw it quickly, I saw his head.
JOHNS: Did you see it.
BALDWIN: I'm going to go with James Carville and John McCain for the win.
JOHNS: James Carville. There you go. There you go, exactly. Incomplete list. Carville is actually here in the green room, by the way.
BALDWIN: Oh, nice.
JOHNS: But the buzz is not about the cameo appearances, OK.
BALDWIN: What's the buzz about?
JOHNS: It's about behind the scenes -- right. It's a job, a movie industry job that's sort of the hookup between Hollywood and Washington. That would be the head of the Motion Picture Association of America lobbying, essentially, for the big six movie studios.
BALDWIN: so what does the job do? Sounds like a big title. Big responsibility?
JOHNS: Well, it's a glamour job for one thing. There's a lot of, obviously, film industry policy stuff in there. But what we certainly like to talk about motion is the part that involves mingling with movie stars, throwing high-profile parties, not to mention a six- figure salary. Also, you know, this is a guy who does tax breaks, trade deals, all that for the movie industry. Apparently, it's been open for a long time.
BALDWIN: Well, A, if it's so glamorous, who is up for it and what are we talking about? Who are we talking about?
JOHNS: Yes, OK. Well, first, a little bit of the background. Jack Valenti was the first guy. This was a legend in Washington. He was here for 40 years in that job and he died. A lot of people still miss him.
The next guy to have the job was former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. He left earlier this year. They've been looking for a permanent replacement ever since.
Among the people that we've been hearing about, of course, is Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut. Now, this is in no way a done deal and there's a pretty long list as a matter of fact.
Senator Dodd of Connecticut is retiring, people have said he might be a very good fit. But it's interesting, when I was calling around about this, there were some people who are were saying there's probably like a $1.2 million salary and they're saying, Dodd, though, might not want that. He might actually want more money. But fact of the matter is a lot of people saying he is going to wait until he gets out of office and talk about his options before deciding what to do.
BALDWIN: Well, he's almost finished. Are there a couple others, not just Chris Dodd?
JOHNS: Right, Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, no comment from his people just like Dodd. They didn't even call me back, the Richardson people.
And there's been a lot of buzz, interestingly enough, about former Virginia Congressman Tom Davis. This is the former head of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Haven't been able to reach him, but "The Hollywood Reporter" certainly a source on reporting on things in Hollywood says he is a frontrunner.
BALDWIN: Interesting. Well, stay on it and see who gets the big gig with the big $1.2 million salary. Not too shabby, I say, Joe Johns. Not too shabby.
Joe, thank you with the "Political Pop" for us today.
Hey, do you remember the woman who said the Taliban -- on the cover of "Time" magazine, there she is -- cut off her nose and ears? Well, guess what, there is now an arrest in this case. Hala Gorani is going to take me "Globe Trekking." That is next.
And John Lennon, it was 30 years ago today he stopped breathing. Now "Rolling Stone" is releasing his final interview. This is audio here, audio interview. This is fascinating, you have to hear it.
But first speaking of "Rolling Stone," the magazine is out with it's the albums of the year. Did your favorite artist perhaps make the list, maybe the top five? Check it out.
Coming in at number five, Jamey Johnsons, "The Guitar Song."
Number four, Arcade Fire with "The Suburbs."
Number three, rock legends Elton John and Leon Russell's album "The Union." Number three.
So who is the top two? Find out after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: "Rolling Stone" has named the top five albums of 2012, but who gets the honor of being named the album of the year? Take a look with me.
Number two, you have The Black Keys with "Brothers."
And the number one album, according to "Rolling Stone," of 2010 is Kanye West "The Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." In fact, you see we kind of had to blur the album cover. It was so controversial, it was banned in the United States, so we're showing you our PG version of that. So congrats to Kanye.
Topping the "Trending" list today, it was this day 30 years ago in 1980 that John Lennon was gunned down and murdered outside his Dakota apartment building there on Central Park West. As a tribute on this 30th anniversary, "Rolling Stone" magazine is publishing John Lennon's final interview, hitting stands and their digital archives this Friday. And during this interview, Lennon, you can hear him explaining that he has no desire to be a rock 'n' roll martyr and Yoko Ono also describes her final hours with John.
We have the final interview here, I want to play you a portion courtesy of "Rolling Stone".
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JOHN LENNON, MUSICIAN: This is a job, you know.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Well, I don't know -- It's whatever, but --
LENNON: I mean, I don't mean a job like a nine to five. It's -- it's more painful to try and not be a star, you know, in a way. It's harder to try -- you know, people do spend a lot of time trying to be somebody else all the time and I think it leads to terrible diseases and things like that. You know --
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: It comes out later on.
LENNON: Yes, like sort of maybe a cancer or something -- a lot of tough guys die of cancer --Wayne, the last one McQueen. Yes, I know. Because I think it something to do -- I don't know, I'm no expert, I just think it has something to do with living and getting trapped into an image or an illusion of themselves of something and suppressing some part of themselves at least the (INAUDIBLE).
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BALDWIN: And now to "Globe Trekking," it is where we look at what's making news outside the United States today. And I want to bring in Hala Gorani here with me again, she's an anchor/correspondent for CNN International.
And the first story, this is the first story I woke up and read this morning, and I just remember her face, Bibi Aisha, on the cover of "Time," she was mutilated.
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and it was the mutilated face that shocked the world.
BALDWIN: Absolutely.
GORANI: You know, when you see this type of -- the human consequences of war and in this particular case of tribal custom because Bibi Aisha was mutilated by members of her husband's family. BALDWIN: Her own family, her in-laws.
GORANI: Her in-laws. Now her father-in-law has been arrested.
BALDWIN: That's the news.
GORANI: That is the news, but the issue here with Afghanistan is that there's so much corruption in that country that some of the family members of Bib Aisha are saying it doesn't mean that in one way or another he won't find a way to be released.
Now Bibi Aisha is in the United States. Thanks to an NGO, and non-governmental organization in Afghanistan, she was flown to California and received reconstructive surgery. But it's not the happy ending story that everybody necessarily talks about. She still has a lot of adjusting to do, this young woman.
BALDWIN: She has a lot of adjusting to do. And also, you know, it was a father-in-law arrested, but still, other members family --
GORANI: Not.
BALDWIN: -- not full adjusted, like you said.
GORANI: Absolutely.
BALDWIN: Story number two, I also heard about this this morning, Chile, huge fire at a prison.
GORANI: Yes.
BALDWIN: What happened?
GORANI: Two thousand inmates in a facility designed to hold about a thousand. Look at this inferno. And, of course, in a prison you can't just allow people to sort of stream out. In this particular case, you have at least 83 dead. The mayor of Santiago, Chile, this happened in Latin America, said that the fire started during the prisoner riot.
BALDWIN: So the fire started somehow during the riot, we don't know specifically how.
GORANI: Somehow during the riot and as a result, 83 dead at least if not more. That's the latest figure we have.
BALDWIN: Final story, and we showed a little bit of this earlier, these protests at the University of San Juan in Puerto Rico.
GORANI: Right, in Puerto Rico. So these are students protesting an exceptional $800 annual fee proposed by the university. You can see in these images clashes between the protesters and some of the security guards and some of the barricades that have been erected to keep them away from a certain perimeter. And it lead to injuries, nothing serious, no deaths or anything, but it just gives you an idea of the tension there in that particular part of Puerto Rico. BALDWIN: A lot of spots around the world students protesting tuition.
GORANI: You know, when times are tough economically and somebody says you are going to have to pay a couple hundred -- $800, $600 more -- it causes issues with people where they have issues, especially students who don't necessarily have a lot spending money to begin with. So in Puerto Rico, we're seeing it. We saw it in the U.K.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: People here can relate as well.
GORANI: Absolutely.
BALDWIN: Absolutely.
Hala Gorani, thank you, "Globe Trekking."
Also, this just in, possible big-time hacking story. Poppy Harlow is live for us New York.
Poppy, you and I were just talking about MasterCard's website last hour, now what do you have?
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Yes, now this is Visa.com. So if you go to Visa.com, you may see this, which is what you normally see, or you may not, you may see an error message.
What happened is the Twitter feed of "Operation Payback," the group that is claiming responsibility for the cyber attack on MasterCard.com, tweeted within the hour that in half an hour, Brooke, which is right about now, they were going to do the same thing to Visa.com, and it looks like that could be what they have done.
What Netcraft, which is a web trafficking -- web traffic monitoring website had said is that it looks like some requests to Visa are not working. So it doesn't look like it's completely down, but partially down.
Just to be clear, this isn't going to affect, at least it appears now, anyone's credit card use of their Visa cards.
But, Brooke, as we were talking about, this could be related to WikiLeaks, because just how MasterCard stopped services donations to WikiLeaks on their site, Visa Europe did the same thing, they stopped servicing these donations.
So Operation Payback, which is claiming to be a supporter of WikiLeaks, said we're taking matters into our own hands and this is what they have claimed to have done, we can't confirm it to MasterCard and what they are now claiming to do to Visa.
But again, Visa.com obviously having some issues, some redirect issues. Apparently, if you go to USA.Visa.com, you can get there. But Operation Payback, again, on Twitter updating every few minutes that they are doing this in response on what they claim would be an attack on WikiLeaks.
BALDWIN: Sure. And to underscore your point, they're saying it doesn't affect your debit or credit cards but it the sites that's specifically affected.
Poppy Harlow, thanks for the quick update there. Visa Web site. Thank you, Poppy.
And now to this. Let's talk about diets, right? Who hasn't been on one? Could a single pill perhaps help you lose a little weight? The government may be close to approving one. You've got to hear this.
Also, not just three. We've got four reporters today joining us for "Reporter Roulette." We're going to see how this goes, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: It is now the bottom of the hour. We'll talk about Taliban, WikiLeaks, diet pill and space travel. Let's go, playing "Reporter Roulette." Want to begin with Barbara Starr there for us at the Pentagon. And Barbara, we've been talking about this newly released Taliban video that shows a U.S. soldier captured in Afghanistan more than a year ago. Have we confirmed, Barbara, if this is in fact Bowe Bergdahl?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The family of Specialist Bowe Bergdahl, U.S. Army, says it is indeed him. These are pictures. We don't know when or where exactly they were taken, but we have not seen these images of Bowe Bergdahl before. He is outdoors, dressed in a very thin shirt, which suggests it is not the wintertime -- cold wintertime in those mountains. The U.S. military says even though he was taken in Afghanistan, they have every reason to believe he's being held by extremists in Pakistan.
Brooke?
BALDWIN: So, you say we don't know specifically when it was shot. Do we know his condition looking at the video? What's his condition?
STARR: Well, he has appeared in previous videos. He has spoken. He says he's fine, but he makes very much an emotional plea he wants to come home. He wants to be back with his family. The U.S. military says Pakistan or not, they continue to look for him.
BALDWIN: Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon. Thank you, Barbara.
Also to this. The army private accused of leaking the U.S. military secrets to WikiLeaks could be declared a hero in Berkeley, California. Up next, CNN "Reporter Roulette," we have Dan Simon joining me in San Francisco. And Dan, what's the deal here? What's in this resolution to honor this 23-year-old?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, this is classic Berkeley. The city of Berkeley likes to take a stand on issues that really don't pertain to the city. In this case, they passed a resolution or a commission -- it's called the Peace and Justice Commission - they passed a resolution calling for the support of PFC Bradley Manning, who as you said, he provided all these documents to WikiLeaks, as well as a video.
And that's really where things stand right now. The city council needs to decide whether it will support the resolution. It's in front of the city council right now.
BALDWIN: Dan, do we know when the vote would be?
SIMON: The vote is going to take place next Tuesday. We really don't know how the council will vote on this. The commission passed it by a pretty - decisively by a 7-3 vote. Whether the council decides to pass it, we just don't know.
BALDWIN: Dan, you said at the top, this could be classic Berkeley. I mean, isn't this the same city that declared the Marine Corps unwanted intruders a couple years ago?
SIMON: Exactly. You know, a few years ago at the height of the war in Iraq, the city actually had a recruiting station, a Marine Corps recruiting station came in downtown Berkeley, and the city council didn't like that. So they passed a resolution calling the Marines "unwelcome intruders." Well, they faced a little bit of a backlash over that and got about 25,000 e-mails protesting it. So the city council wisely reversed course.
BALDWIN: Dan Simon. Thank you, Dan.
Also, a new prescription diet pill appears to be on the verge of approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Next on "Reporter Roulette," I want to bring in senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Elizabeth, tell me how would the pill work?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: All right. This is a lot of people waiting for this pill because other diet pills have been taken off the market because of problems. This pill is called Contrave. And it basically messes around with your brain chemicals so that your appetite is suppressed. And also, and this part is really interesting, you don't perceive yummy foods to be as yummy as they really are. So it kind of tricks you into thinking, oh, I don't really want that ice cream sundae. It's not so delicious.
BALDWIN: Hmm. So, what about side effects? Would there be any?
COHEN: Oh, yes. There are some possible side effects on this drug. In fact, I'm going to consult my paper because it's a bit of a list. This drug can increase your blood pressure, your pulse, people taking it have a higher incident of seizures and also a higher risk for suicide and depression. So, you can bet that would be on the label if that does get passed.
BALDWIN: That is quite a list. Final question, do we know when the FDA will make a final decision, would vote? COHEN: Oh, we are expecting a final vote and the end of next month.
BALDWIN: End of next month. Elizabeth Cohen here in Atlanta. Elizabeth, thank you.
And we just got the first picture of the private space capsule that splashed down today. So want to go on our "Reporter Roulette" wheel to John Zarrella at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. We'll show the picture, John, but just give me the latest word on the splashdown? This is the Dragon space capsule. We see it there in the water. Tell me about it.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's exactly right. You know, Brooke, an old rocket scientist once told me flying records is not like flying 747s. These are complicated vehicles.
Well, in three hours and 19 minutes today, Space X, a commercial company made it look easy. They launched here from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Splashing down. And it is the first time in history that a commercial company has launched a rocket with a capsule on top, orbited the capsule around the earth two times, and then successfully splashed down.
That picture from the Pacific Ocean about 500 miles off Mexico. Everything went perfectly, better than they could have expected. And what this does is it turns a page in history. Really setting the stage, Brooke, for commercial companies to start taking over flying cargo and humans for NASA under NASA contract to the international space station.
BALDWIN: So, then I have to ask, would it lead to possibly other missions, though, John, beyond NASA?
ZARRELLA: Yes, you know, what's really, really interesting, a couple of things that came out. Press conference just concluded with Elon Musk, who is the CEO of Space X. He was saying the way his vehicle performed today that he has no doubts -- he said it would be very, very good alternative to other vehicles being proposed now. An alternative when it comes to going to Mars or going back to the moon, the way his vehicle performed.
So setting the statement for a real battle with some of the big, big aerospace companies that still want a piece of that action from NASA. So, you could definitely see that as a possibility down the road.
BALDWIN: How about that? Pretty cool pictures. Z, thank you. John Zarrella for us at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
That was your "Reporter Roulette."
Now to this question, will President Obama push to change parts of the tax cut deal or will Democrats get on board? All developing this minute. Gloria Borger, she has the skinny. That is next.
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BALDWIN: And now, CNN's Gloria Borger joins me with the latest from the CNN Political Ticker. What's crossing?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: We have lots of developments today from both the White House and Capitol Hill on this tax cut deal.
First, some very interesting comments, Brooke, from the outgoing National Economic Council director, Larry Summers. He told reporters in an off-camera session and let me get this right, he said, "If the tax compromise is not passed, it would significantly increase the risk of a double-dip recession in this country and the economy stalling out." So, that's pretty serious lobbying for this tax cut deal from the White House.
Now, over on Capitol Hill, we've heard lots of doubts about this deal from both liberals and conservatives. Today, I'm going to give a plug for my friend Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM." He's got an interview with senator-elect Rand Paul. And Rand Paul says to him while he doesn't get to vote on this because he's not in Congress at this point, he doesn't sound real enthusiastic about this deal because it does not include deficit reduction. And he says when he comes to Washington, that's what he's going to do first.
Now, talking about spending, Senate majority leader Harry Reid made it very clear today when it comes time to raise the debt ceiling, he wants to be sure Republicans are part of that. And that's why he wants to hold off on raising the debt ceiling, which expires sometime in February, until the new Congress comes in.
I talked to a senior Republican aide who said, guess what, that's what we want, too. Because we want to vote for significant deficit reduction at the same time. This, of course, after they're just supporting a $900 billion stimulus bill. But --
BALDWIN: That's right.
BORGER: -- that's Washington.
BALDWIN: That's right. Gloria Borger, interesting, though. We'll be watching it all with Rand Paul. Gloria, thank you so much.
BORGER: Yes, very interesting.
BALDWIN: Very interesting with the latest on the political ticker. We'll get you more political news. Hop online at CNNpolitics.com. On Twitter, @politicalticker.
And now I want you to consider this. Think about this one. Should your job have the right to place a GPS device on your car to prove that you played hooky from work? We're on the case with Sunny Hostin. That is ahead.
Also, a dramatic rescue captured on camera. You got to see this whole thing play out, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Would you say your job is stressful? Maybe. But if things around your office got this scary -- "You Gotta See This."
This is what we're going to call a death-defying work environment. Hello. It's a contractor braving dizzying heights, high winds, low temperatures, all to replace Old Glory.
The flag got tangled tattered. This atop Orlando's J.W. Marriott when they tried to lower it for Pearl Harbor Day.
So this guy there at the tip top shimmied all the way up the 80- foot pole, replaced the stars and bars. Hey, it's all in a day's work, right?
And now for your mystery fix.
Dee (ph), queue "The X Files" music.
What is this? This is amateur video taken over Stone Mountain, Georgia. Here are a couple of theories.
Theory number one, is it an optical illusion created by the setting sun and the jets? Heard that one before.
Theory number two, could it be an experimental military vehicle re-entering the atmosphere?
And theory number three, kids, what do you think about this, engine trouble during a test run on Santa's sleigh?
The FAA says there is no record of military flights, by the way, in that area.
And now for your cute fix. We're going to go to Noblesville, Indiana, for this one.
How is this for cute, or maybe just cold? See that furry guy? That is a golden retriever being retrieved from a freezing pond. Now he's OK and happy and dry and jolly. Everyone loves a good, happy, nice dog, happy ending story. Right?
Now to this, the National Archives set to release some never- before-seen White House records from Richard Nixon's presidency. So what do you think will be found in those?
And Jim Morrison. Will the famous singer get a pardon for an indecent exposure conviction more than 40 years ago? A decision is coming soon. That is next.
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BALDWIN: And now a quick peek at tomorrow's news today. Let's "Fast Forward." First, Wesley Snipes. He is supposed to be reporting to prison. The actor starting a three-year sentence for tax evasion. He has until noon tomorrow to turn himself in.
Also, police will be burning the so-called "Bomb Factory" house to the ground there in California. It is said to be the largest collection of homemade explosives in the U.S. ever. The homeowner is facing charges, and police are telling dozens of families this that neighborhood, get out of there.
And finally, the clemency board in Florida will consider pardoning Jim Morrison for an indecent exposure conviction back in 1969.
And the National Archives releases hundreds of hours worth of White House tapes from Richard Nixon's presidency. On top of all that, we're also going to see tens of thousands of records and official national security documents. That's pretty fascinating.
Also, Vice President Joe Biden talking to House Democrats on Capitol Hill for a second day today. Still trying to get them, you know, on board for this tax cut compromise that the president has brokered.
Wolf Blitzer joins me from "THE SITUATION ROOM."
I think it was Ed Henry who was also reporting that possibly the president may make his way to Capitol Hill, Wolf. I mean, the White House getting out this warning about what could happen if the deal isn't done.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, this is an enormous issue for the White House right now. The stakes, clearly enormous.
There's no doubt that the president is going to do everything he possibly can to get the votes in the Senate. He probably is going to get the votes in the Senate.
He's got a bigger problem though in the House of Representatives. Not necessarily from the Republicans, although there will be plenty of Republicans who will vote against this because they don't like the fact that none of it is paid for. But he's got a big problem with the liberal base of his Democratic Party, including a lot of the Democratic lame-duckers, if you will, the Democrats who lost, but they're still there, right now, until the new Congress is sworn in.
So they need 218 votes in the House of Representatives. They may get 218 votes. They probably won't get a lot more than 218 votes, but it's going to be a nail-biter. And that's why the president, the vice president, everybody is the White House is going to be deeply involved in the coming days to try to get that legislation passed.
BALDWIN: Also popping up today, the story in your neck of the woods, in Maryland. This American-Muslim is accused of plotting to bomb this military recruiting station. And Wolf, you're going to talk to someone in your show about what appears to be a trend in a growing number of cases.
BLITZER: And there's a lot of concern. Are there more American- Muslims now who are successfully being recruited for jihad?
We're going to speak about that and a lot more with Imam Faisal Rauf, who's been the spiritual leader of that very controversial Islamic cultural center and mosque planned to be built near Ground Zero. We have an extensive conversation with him. That's coming up in the next hour.
I think our viewers will be interested.
BALDWIN: Wolf Blitzer, we will be looking forward to it. Thank you.
A Texas judge puts the state's death penalty on trial -- the death penalty on trial. This is an unprecedented case in a state that has more executions than any other state out there.
Sunny Hostin is "On the Case" with those details. That's next.
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BALDWIN: Sunny Hostin is "On the Case."
And Sunny, I want to start with an unprecedented case in Texas. A judge in Houston has essentially put the state's death penalty on trial. And I just mentioned before the break, keep in mind, Texas has more executions than any other state. And the hearing is in the county that sentences the most -- the highest number of inmates to death.
So what's the basis for the case?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION," TRUTV: It's really fascinating, Brooke.
This judge was hearing a murder trial. It's a death penalty case. And out of nowhere, he decided that the death penalty was unconstitutional, rendered that decision.
Of course, the prosecution really pushed back, and he then decided to rescind that decision and hold a hearing on whether or not the death penalty in Texas was unconstitutional. This judge by himself, Judge Kevin Fine, out in Texas, decided to put the Texas death penalty statute on trial.
BALDWIN: So it's on trial. There was a hearing on Monday, but apparently it's already been put on hold. So what's the story there, Sunny?
HOSTIN: That's right, Brooke. The hearing began on Monday. The prosecution, of course, appealed the very merits of the hearing to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
That court stayed the hearing. And, in fact, I thought what was really fascinating about it was the prosecutors refused to participate in the hearing and stood mute at counsel table. And I thought to myself, that's probably the last time you're going to hear a lawyer not want to say anything. I know you're not going to hear that from me.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: I know, Ms. Lawyer, talking, talking, talking. No.
Once this thing though, assuming it resumes, could the eventual outcome affect not only Texas, but other states, as well?
HOSTIN: I don't think so. I mean, under the law, each and every state has the opportunity to legislate and decide whether or not that state will have the death penalty. And so what will happen in Texas will stay in Texas.
BALDWIN: Nice. All right.
Case number two has to do with a little something I'm sure you don't know anything about, playing hooky, nor do.
HOSTIN: No, never.
BALDWIN: It's a case that shows just how far some bosses will go to track their own employees. And I'm hearing about GPS. What's that story?
HOSTIN: That's right. In fact, lawyers -- not lawyers, but employers are tracking their employees when they're calling in for those mental health days. And it's been sort of a big boon for private detectives, because investigators are being hired by employers to follow these employees at their -- you know, during their off time, allegedly, to make sure that they really are sick.
BALDWIN: I know there was an article in "The San Francisco Chronicle" about employers who hire these PIs, these private investigators, detectives, to follow these workers suspected of taking mental health days, calling in sick when they aren't, really. But can they legally do that?
HOSTIN: You know, they can. Not only can they legally do it, they are doing it.
I mean, the bottom line is, you know, if you want to take the day off and you're not really sick, and then you up going to Adventure World and get on a roller-coaster, and some pictures are taken of you, there is no expectation of privacy there. So employers are not only following you around, they're taking photographs of you, and it's all perfectly legal.
BALDWIN: So the photographs, not just having a PI trail you, or having a GPS figuring out your location, but pictures, that's totally legal?
HOSTIN: That's legal if it's in a place that's sort of open. If you're on vacation, yes, that is legal.
But I will tell you, Brooke, some employers are going a bit too far. Some employers are using GPS to sort of track their employees.
I know there's one case that I'm following out of New York where an employer at the Department of Labor basically put a GPS on an employee's family car. And that GPS was on there for a month, and tracked his wife, tracked his children while they were on vacation.
And, of course, there is a lawsuit now that the New York ACLU, Civil Liberties Union, has filed because they're saying, can your boss sit in your backseat for 24 hours and follow you around? I don't think so. So there are some employers that are going a bit too far.
BALDWIN: Interesting. Note to self: don't play hooky.
Finally, though, I was a big fan of board game as a kid, loved Monopoly, Candy Land. Now there's the case of the Candy Land burglary. Say it three times fast.
What's the story?
(LAUGHTER)
HOSTIN: That's right. Three boys ages 2, 6, and one age 3 were found burglarizing someone's home.
And it was really just sort of sad when I heard about it, Brooke. I think you'll be really interested in learning what they took.
BALDWIN: I'm listening.
HOSTIN: They took two hammers, a board game, a box of fudge, some money, an unopened pack of cigarettes, and a jar of vegetables.
BALDWIN: Ten seconds, Sunny. Can they be charged, these kids? Can they be charged with a crime here?
HOSTIN: Well, the police made it very clear to their mother that kids under 10 cannot be arrested, but that their parents can be held responsible. So an investigation is still ongoing. No charges against the mother yet, but note to self -- parents, watch your kids.
BALDWIN: And watch your Candy Land game.
Sunny Hostin, thank you so much.
Now to Wolf Blitzer in Washington -- Wolf.
