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Huckabee Criticizes Obama; End of Privacy Online; 'On the Case'; Bomber Kills Six U.S. Troops; Holbrooke "Fighting" Aftere Surgery; Maddoff Barred From Son's Funderal
Aired December 13, 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 top of the hour, this --
President Obama's health care overhaul is in sudden jeopardy. A judge ruling a single piece of this legislation unconstitutional. So, should you be required to have health insurance? I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sounded like you were going o run for a second term.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I finish this one first?
BALDWIN (voice-over): Will Michael Steele run for a second term as the Republican national chair? He announces his decision tonight.
A "New York Times" critic pokes fun of a ballet dancer's weight. Is he out of line? Wait until you hear his comments and how he's responding to the criticism.
Plus, a terrorist targets Christmas shoppers. Now, we're hearing what he warned before blowing himself up.
And a woman sues Starbucks after she spills hot tea on her leg. So, is the coffee chain in hot water? Sunnoy Hostin is on the case.
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BALDWIN (on-camera): Hello once again. I'm Brooke Baldwin. A lot of news happening right now. Rapid fire, let's begin with this.
A suicide attack in Afghanistan killed six American service members yesterday. Taking a look at the map. This happened in the Kandahar area. A military spokesman said the attacker drove a mini-bus packed with explosives into a joint NATO Afghan army base and just set it off. NATO forces have reportedly detained several people believed connected to that attack.
Next, Richard Holbrooke is absolutely "fighting" in an unbelievable way. That is a quote. That is precisely what the state department source is telling CNN about the U.S. special representative to both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Holbrook had emergency surgery to fix a tear in the main artery of his body. We're told he is in critical, but stable condition.
Next -- wow, look at what is left of this -- was a Chevy Impala. This was a fatal accident that ended a high-speed police chase near Houston yesterday. The vehicle apparently flipped, you know upside down, landed upside down, killing the driver, but can you believe in the backseat, a baby girl, three months old. She survived, thank goodness. She started crying, police found her hanging upside down in her car seat. They had to cut her out of the wreckage. The baby survives and is now in the hospital. Unbelievable.
Next, all right. Another frightening car crash for you. Take a look at this one carefully. This is an SUV off the road, upside down, the only thing -- look closely -- the only thing between that truck and a 70-foot drop is that teeny tiny tree. Bring in a crane, rescue crew, and one very tense hour later, the lucky driver back on solid ground. He should go back and hang some decorations perhaps on that tree.
Next, Bernie Madoff may be forbidden here from going to his son's funeral. His oldest son, Mark, hanged himself this weekend. Bernie Madoff is serving life in a North Carolina prison for what's been called the biggest financial scam ever. Inmates to this prison are reportedly allowed to attend funerals if they only have less than two years remaining on their sentence. Mark Madoff insists that he had nothing to do with his father's scam.
Next, apparently, Kim Jong-Il's second son is big fan of Eric Clapton. So big, in fact, North Korean leaders apparently suggest that the U.S. send the singer to perform in the country. Why? As of way of building goodwill, of course. This according to a 2007 document released by, you guessed it, WikiLeaks.
Next, a former food network chef sentenced to nine years in prison in a murder for hire plot targeting his wife. You remember this? This is Juan Carlos Cruz. He had pleaded no contest to soliciting two homeless men to kill his wife. The plan totally fell apart, and one of those guys who eventually (ph) hired went to the police. A court spokeswoman says Cruz's wife was in the courtroom for the sentencing.
Next, the boyfriend of a 33-year-old swimsuit designer whose bruise body was found in a hotel bathtub has been charged with attempted murder, but Nick Brooks' attorney says he thinks at least one of the person other than his client was in that very room. Brooks has pleaded not guilty in the death of Sylvie Cachay. And our affiliate, WABC, is reporting authorities are treating her death as a homicide. Brooks cannot be charged with murder unless the medical examiner was determined that death was, indeed, a homicide.
Next, security officials found ammunition in the carry-on luggage of boxing promoter, Don King. Spokeswoman says King was stopped at a security check point and that is when the amo (ph) was found. It was confiscated. King was allowed to hop onboard that flight. No charges were filed. King was headed out of Cleveland after attending his wife's funeral. His wife Henrietta died at stomach cancer last week. She was 87.
Next, talk about frightening. Look at this truck here. See the broken glass in the hole there, in the front windshield? A man says he was cruising down the freeway in Simi Valley, California when someone threw a chunk of a brick at his truck. There's the gash. It went straight through the glass, hit his teenage daughter in her chest.
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LISHELL CANALE, HIT BY BRICK: After the brick hit me, I was like wiping my face and I just saw glass on my hands and I got freaked out because I didn't know where it was coming from.
JEFF HOLMES, LISHELL'S FATHER: Driving 70 miles, 65 miles an hour down the freeway and a rock coming at you, I mean, it's like 100-mile- an-hour impact. And you know, if it would have gone up a couple of inches, it would hit her in the head and I would have a dead daughter in my passenger seat.
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BALDWIN: Ah, thank goodness that is not the ending.
