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U.S. Border Patrol Agent Killed; Gunman Opens Fire at Florida School Board Meeting; Emanuel on the Hotseat in Chicago/Asylum Seekers Drown Off Australian Coast; Officer Rescued by Woman; Cady Coleman Heads to Space Station; 'On the Case'
Aired December 15, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A police officer under attack. A traffic stop takes a disturbing turn and a woman just passing by comes to the rescue. You will hear from the cop.
And a man opens fire at a school board meeting.
WILLIAM HUSFELT, SUPERINTENDENT, BAY COUNTY SCHOOLS, FLORIDA: When he turned around with that gun, you could see in his eyes that he had -- he just had that look.
BALDWIN: Who was he? What did he say? And how about that board member that came back into the room with her purse? I will talk to Ginger Littleton about her split-second decision.
Murder along the border. A U.S.-Border Patrol agent shot to death, and now an urgent manhunt is under way.
Plus, outrage over bailouts and pay cuts.
Angry protesters lobbing Molotov cocktails into the street. Police fight back with tear gas and stun grenades. And the chaos is putting an entire society at risk.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Here we go, hour two. I'm Brooke Baldwin, a lot of news happening right now, rapid fire coming at you.
Let's begin with this. The U.S. government is suing BP and eight other companies for damages relating to this year's enormous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Attorney General Eric Holder says today he intends to hold them -- quote -- "fully accountable."
Next: a disturbing report today, this one out of the Council of Europe. It names the prime minister of Kosovo as a key figure in a crime ring involved in the black market sale of human organs. A report says he ran a syndicate that killed and sold the kidneys of prisoners and political rivals during Kosovo's independence fight with Serbia. No comment from the prime minister's office, but a government statement calls the report defamatory. Next, a firefight on the southern border ends with one U.S. Border Patrol agent dead. His name, Brian Terry. Here he is in this photo. The FBI says it all went down last night right near Rio Rico in Arizona.
Several suspects are in custody. One of them was injured in the gunfire, but the Border Patrol, they are still out looking for one more suspect. The agent killed last night is the third Border Patrol officer killed in the line of duty this year.
Next to Mexico. The most dangerous city there has surpassed a grim milestone. You know I'm talking about Ciudad Juarez. It has seen its death toll skyrocket over this past year -- 3,000 people have been killed in the last 12 months. There are at least two weeks left in the year 2010. Most of the deaths of course have been linked to drug-related violence. Just -- I say that loosely -- just three years ago, the annual death in Juarez was 300.
Next, in Bangladesh, the death toll from Tuesday's fire at a garment factory has risen now to at least 20. That is news we're getting from the country's national news agency. The fire crews are searching this gutted building looking for possibly more victims. Witnesses say many of the dead were trapped workers who jumped to their deaths.
Next, former President Bill Clinton is in Haiti. He is down there hoping to draw attention to the deadly cholera outbreak 11 months after that devastating earthquake. Thus far, the outbreak has killed more than 2,000 people, made about 100,000 sick. We're told the former president will also address efforts to rebuild.
Next, Harlem police, they are looking for two men who allegedly followed a 90-year-old man from a grocery store all the way to his apartment. They choked him. They robbed him. Folks, this man was 90. But here's the kicker. Listen to what he says happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And then I think it's a combination of doing what Tony said, getting the --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Oh, and that was Bill Clinton's voice and not the right man.
I will move on and just tell you that Jessie may be 90, but he still has the heart of a Merchant Marine. That is the job he had before he retired. Glad he's all right.
Next, call it a good economic indicator for this holiday season. AAA expects more Americans to travel this year than last, about 3 percent more, in fact. What does that mean? Crowds on the roads -- 92 million Americans will crowd the roadways and the airports. Most of them, though, will be driving. But if you are flying, you could be in for a deal on airfare. Hmm. That is expected to drop about 3 percent.
Next, today is the day that they are changing the rules at Amtrak. So, you are now allowed to travel with firearms and ammunition in your checked baggage. But you will have to register those items at least 24 hours prior to departure and you must be traveling on the same train as your checked firearms and ammunition.
Next, here is something you don't exactly see every day at your local gas station, crack pipes for sale. A gas station in Los Angeles is accused of selling all kinds of drug paraphernalia just a block away from a middle school.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL REEL, EDITOR, REELURBANNEWS.COM: This is what you have to forward to. When you graduate Markham, come on back. We have got crack pipes here for you, so you can start your drug career and not further your education.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Huh. How about that? Police say they're investigating this, but the gas station owner has agreed to remove those crack pipes.
Next, here's a story that is lighting up my Twitter account. Have you heard? Michael Vick, he wants a dog. The football star is telling reporters he misses being a dog owner and would like to have a pet some day. Vick says he wants to show people he can be responsible. Remember, Vick spent 18 long months in prison for bankrolling a dogfighting ring.
Dogs were killed if they did not perform well. Now, as part of Vick's sentence, a judge banned the quarterback from ever owning a dog again.
Next, it's not quite clear if actor Charlie Sheen is off the hook for a bizarre incident that unfold at New York City's ritzy Plaza Hotel back in October. Remember this? Now, some media reports are indicating that the NYPD does not plan to charge Sheen here, file charges against him.
You are going to remember he was accused of this wild rampage by an adult film actress and had to be hospitalized. But according to a "New York Post" report, the Manhattan district attorney's office has not said case closed just yet.
Next, a different story for the Biebs. Justin Bieber, the teen heartthrob, will be facing charges for an alleged scuffle back in October. He will not be facing charges. Bieber was accused of punching another teenager at a laser tag park. And police tell CNN there is no evidence to support the allegations. And in this case, the case is now closed.
Next, we all sing it, right? We all sing aloud. You don't want me singing aloud. But I know you know the song and you know the man. Well, now Neil Diamond is going to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. The rest of the 2011 inductees include, drumroll, Alice Cooper band, Dr. John, Darlene Love, and Tom Waits. The 26th annual ceremony will happen at the Waldorf Astoria in March.
So who was the man who took all of those hostages at a school board meeting in Florida? Remember I was telling you about this breaking news this time yesterday. Here are pictures from inside. He pulled out this gun, lectured the board, opened fire. There he goes. One of the members tried to end the standoff herself. You're going to hear from her next.
And most people thought it could not be done, but someone managed to rob the uber-ritzy Bellagio Casino in Vegas. Folks, this guy is still on the loose. There he goes. So, how easy is it to pull off this kind of thing? Coming up next, I'm going to talk to someone who knows the ins and outs of casinos in Sin City. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: It sounds like a plot from a Hollywood heist movie. A man has robbed one of the most recognizable hotels and casinos in Vegas of a cool $1.5 million in chips.
And much of it was caught on surveillance video. I want you to look at this with me. You see the gunman. He actually -- this is inside -- rides up to the Bellagio on a motorcycle, runs on through. You see him dressed head to toe in black with a motorcycle helmet on. Pulls out his gun at the craps table, then runs back outside, with all these chips, hops on his motorcycle and away he goes.
Now, police say the same man may have tried this before, robbing a different casino of about $20,000 in cash just last week. How about that?
Joining me now by Skype is Dave Schwartz with UNLV's Center for Gaming Research.
And, Dave, OK, I have been to the Bellagio. I have only been there for like half a second. And it's a pretty ritzy spot. I would imagine the security would have been on him. Instead, we see him racing out with no security guards. Are you surprised by that, that security did not act faster?
DAVE SCHWARTZ, DIRECTOR, UNLV CENTER FOR GAMING RESEARCH: No, I'm not surprised.
First of all, it happened so fast. I don't think anybody foresaw somebody coming in like that and robbing a table that way. Second of all, even once they were on him, they were not about to start a firefight with him in the middle of the casino. I think once he showed that he had a gun, their concern was just getting him out of there as quickly as possible.
BALDWIN: Their priority probably making sure everyone in the casino was safe, not necessarily chasing out after that guy. Maybe that was not priority number one. But obviously he has got their chips. And let's talk about that. It's being reported he has like $1.5 million in these chips, which I guess means nothing until he cashes them in. My question to you, Dave, is does he have to go back to the Bellagio to do that, to get his money?
SCHWARTZ: Yes, he does, or somebody does. He either has to give them to a friend to do it or he has to do it himself. Anywhere else in the world, they really don't have any value. They are just little pieces of clay and plastic. So he's got to cash them in at the Bellagio.
BALDWIN: Are they, Dave, pieces of clay and plastic, though, that have -- I don't know. Would they have serial numbers? Would they be able to track him back to these chips?
SCHWARTZ: Well, eventually, they might be able to. Each casino has different precautions like that. So some of them do a serial number. Some of them don't. Some of them have RFID tags inside the chips that are able to track them.
So eventually if he tries to cash them in, he probably will get caught.
BALDWIN: Do you know if the Bellagio, if they have the serial numbers on these chips?
SCHWARTZ: No, I don't know what their exact security specifications are. They usually don't like to make that public, so people would try to find a way around it. So, I can't tell you exactly what they do.
But there are so few of these things, these high-value chips circulating around there, that if he tries to cash them, he probably will get caught.
BALDWIN: Is this kind of thing, running into a casino and actually being successful in stealing chips or even cash, I thought it was impossible. Perhaps this guy has proven me wrong, but are there more instances of this that simply go under-reported or is this pretty rare?
SCHWARTZ: It's happened before.
Several years ago a few gentlemen did this at Treasury Island and got away with some cash. And that was pretty widely reported then. But in recent years, it's happened a couple times, but it's usually not that reported, because honestly it's not that spectacular. It's just somebody coming in with a gun, grabbing $1,000 or so, a few thousand dollars in cash, and getting away, nothing like $1.5 million in chips on a motorcycle at Bellagio.
BALDWIN: We're talking Vegas. Maybe you're a betting man. Let's say you are. Would you bet that this guy eventually is going to get caught? SCHWARTZ: I bet that he would, especially since he's done it before. A lot of times people might be able to get away with something once or twice at a casino. But when they keep on trying it, eventually they will get caught. The concern is that he has got a firearm. And that makes it really a public safety concern. But I think if he keeps on trying to do this, he's eventually going to get caught.
BALDWIN: And we have all kinds of pictures of him. Granted, he's covered head to toe, but lots of cameras in those casinos, nonetheless.
David Schwartz, thanks for your perspective out of UNLV. Appreciate it. Thank you.
SCHWARTZ: Thank you. Thank you very much.
BALDWIN: Rahm Emanuel on the hot seat. He is fighting for his right to run for mayor of Chicago. But did you hear some of the questions they asked him? It is safe to say President Obama's former chief of staff none too pleased by this. Joe Johns, he has the "Political Pop." That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: When we are looking for questions that aren't exactly getting answered, we turn to our guy in Washington, our veteran, Joe Johns, for the "Political Pop."
And Joe, today we are talking about Rahm Emanuel. He is in the hot seat in Chicago over whether or not he actually fits this whole residency requirement, you know, to be elected mayor there. What's the story?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, this segment really is about questions today. It's amazing. This guy leaves his job as chief of staff at the White House because he wants to be mayor of Chicago. A "Chicago Tribune" poll out today shows he's the front- runner in the race by a wide margin, but he's stuck in a marathon hearing over whether he meets the city's residency requirement.
And the questioning at the hearing has just ranged from the ridiculous to the almost bizarre. If we can put up some of the questions? "Vanity Fair" on line actually compiled some of the questions that he's getting from just average citizens who have actually challenged him. There's one. "Have you ever heard the term `smiling like a butcher's dog?'" I mean, what's up with that?
BALDWIN: What?
JOHNS: Yes. "Have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?" Now, that takes us all the way back to McCarthy, of course. "With all that money, why would you need to rent out your house?" Actually, that's not such a bad question, really, although, I mean, how else do you make money, other than doing things like renting out houses? The last one that -- I think the last one -- "You had a job in D.C. It was a 9:00 to 5:00, right?" Like, come on, folks!
BALDWIN: Come on!
JOHNS: Right.
BALDWIN: But lot of people know -- you know, you don't have to be in the Beltway to know that Rahm Emanuel, a guy known with pretty -- pretty sharp tongue.
HOLMES: Right.
BALDWIN: So how was he able to sit there? He's facing these people asking him questions like the ones you just saw. He must have been really gritting his teeth just a little bit.
HOLMES: Yes. Looked to me he was kind of swallowing his tongue a little bit. He's not a guy who is known to have a lot of patience for this kind of thing. But you know, you had two dozen people out there, maybe more than that, closer to 30, I read somewhere.
The problem is that he rented out his house in Chicago while he was working at the White House in Washington. He's voted in Chicago. His car is registered in Chicago. But the question is whether he made it clear he intended to return to Chicago after the stint at the White House. For the record, he's said a lot of times he wants to run for mayor. And that poll shows something like 32 percent of Chicago voters support him right now.
BALDWIN: To be continued. Next topic --
JOHNS: You bet.
BALDWIN: You're working your people there in D.C., and I want to talk about this pretty well known super-lobbyist who has now really officially paid his debt to society in full. And I'm not talking campaign contributions.
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNS: Yes, that's right. Yeah, Jack Abramoff.
BALDWIN: Yes.
HOLMES: This is a name we heard over and over again a few years back, went off to the slammer for fraud and corruption violations while he was playing the influence game in D.C., has now finished his federal work release and halfway house supervision and is no longer a Baltimore pizza man. A lot of people didn't realize he was working at Tow (ph) Pizza in Baltimore.
BALDWIN: Had no idea. Had no idea.
JOHNS: Right. Right. It's amazing, isn't it? Earlier this year, I actually went up to visit him in June. I did. And he wasn't allowed to do any interviews at the time, but I did talk to the manager of the place. He said he discovered Abramoff had a real knack for marketing, so that's what he put him to work doing, you know, on- line marketing and such, and apparently, did a pretty good job, really sort of increased the bottom line there for the pizza place. Now Jack is off on his own.
BALDWIN: So we don't know what is next. Pizza gig is over.
JOHNS: I have no clue!
BALDWIN: No idea. No idea.
JOHNS: But I would love to know.
BALDWIN: Yes.
JOHNS: And although, you know, I'm sure he wants to be, like, left alone by us by now.
BALDWIN: Sure.
JOHNS: He's gotten more than his 15 minutes of fame.
BALDWIN: I'm sure he doesn't want people like Joe Johns showing up and wanting a slice of pepperoni. But --
JOHNS: Yes, we have other fish to fry.
BALDWIN: We do.
JOHNS: Or pizzas to bake.
BALDWIN: Joe! You're making me hungry, Joe Johns. Thank you -- with the "Political Pop" on this Wednesday. Thank you.
And I'm sure, Joe, you have seen this. The scene had to be one of the most frightening things Ginger Littleton has ever witnessed in her life. We're going to show you some of the video. I want to warn you, it is disturbing to watch.
Let me set it up. The fellow school board member, the ones sitting there on the lefthand side of your screen, held at gunpoint. You can see his arm stretched, gun in hand, but what appeared to be a very vengeful gunman. So what is the only woman -- the only woman on this school board in Panama City, Florida -- what's she going to do to try to help things? Well, take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, Ginger! Ginger, no. Ginger --
(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN: The Ginger is Ginger Littleton. You saw her. She walks around from the corner, tried to whack the guy with her purse. I want to point out, though, amazingly, none of the board members were killed. The gunman did eventually take his own life. Why did Ginger do it? What was she thinking? Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINGER LITTLETON, BAY SCHOOLS DIST. (via telephone): Time was of the essence. So the longer I could stall, the better I thought it was. And so whatever happened, (INAUDIBLE) or tear (ph), I wanted to divert him somehow. Was it a smart move, and was I successful? Well, probably not. But maybe it took enough time so that we could get the troops in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So we have a tweet for you. And I'll sit up and read this. Here we go. Let me look. This is from -- this is from Piers Morgan. And Piers tweets, "Never mind Mark Zuckerberg. My person of the year is Ginger Littleton." You know how "Time" came out today, and he is obviously praising ginger Littleton, who whacked this guy with her purse. Piers Morgan, of course, about to be the host of "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT" in our 9:00 o'clock hour starting next month.
Well, here's some more video I want to share with you. Have you seen these violent protests in Greece? Look at this. The outrage is all over bail-outs and pay cuts, and the chaos is threatening banks, it's threatening airports and courts, as well. That is ahead.
Also, a dramatic rescue on dangerous waters. Dozens of people apparently seeking asylum packed into what was a boat crashing into these cliffs, but some did not make it. Michael Holmes, our favorite CNN International anchor, joining me now in the studio. He's going to take me "Globe Trekking" coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Time to take you "Globe Trekking," take a look at some of the stories happening outside of the United States. This has certainly caught our attention. CNN International's Michael Holmes good enough to come join me and help me out. Hello, sir.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNNI ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Only for you. I don't do it for just everyone.
BALDWIN: Hello, Holmes. I appreciate that.
HOLMES: Good to see you, ma'am.
BALDWIN: Good to see you. Let's begin with these pictures -- wow! -- out of Greece.
HOLMES: There's a couple of big stories (INAUDIBLE) in Greece, these were the protests, the latest round of austerity measures that have been introduced. All of this -- you might remember, there's been European countries in financial strife, and Greece was one of them. They were just approaching the risk of defaulting, actually, and they had an IMF and European Union bail-out, a $145 billion package.
Well, that's involved a lot of cuts, a lot of reorganization, a lot of pay cuts, that sort of stuff. So people are annoyed. This is actually the seventh general strike of the year, and this one's been a biggie. Flights have been grounded, ports closed, train services, government offices, schools. And you can't even find out about what's going on by reading the paper because the journalists are out, as well.
BALDWIN: Oh, my goodness.
HOLMES: You can see what happened there. There was --
BALDWIN: Look at the crowds.
HOLMES: Yes, tear gas, there were firebombs thrown. A couple of -- an ex-minister was actually beaten up by the crowd. It was very tense stuff.
BALDWIN: Where does it stand now, I guess, in terms of the austerity plan and the cuts?
HOLMES: It's going ahead.
BALDWIN: It's going ahead?
HOLMES: This is round two. They have to. They have to do it under the terms of the deal.
BALDWIN: Look at the fire!
HOLMES: Yes, no, the cops, they were pretty lucky, landed right at his feet there.
BALDWIN: Wow!
HOLMES: But yes, no, they're going ahead. They've got to do it. They've got to do it. The country's in dire financial straits.
BALDWIN: Secondly, a story out of Australia.
HOLMES: Yeah.
BALDWIN: A bunch of people on a boat --
HOLMES: I've been --
BALDWIN: -- presumably seeking --
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: -- asylum. You've been there?
BALDWIN: I've been to Christmas Island. It's about 1,200 kilometers --
BALDWIN: That's right, Aussie!
HOLMES: -- that's 1,200 miles -- yes -- off the coast of western Australia, my home state. And refugees have been a big issue in Australia. They come by boat. They come from Indonesia. Christmas Island is actually where this boat came. It came in overnight, and at dawn, the engines failed. The seas were huge. And you can see what happened. This boat just got pounded against the rocks. There were 70 or 80 refugees on board from Iraq and Iran --
BALDWIN: Any survivors?
HOLMES: Thirty dead so far --
BALDWIN: Oh!
HOLMES: -- and they're still looking. Forty people were saved. Absolutely dramatic stuff, too. You can see what the waves are like there.
A bunch of locals heard the screams at dawn, came running down with ropes. They got life jackets from a dive shop nearby and threw them into the water, which saved some lives. They could not get the people out via the rocks there. It was just too dangerous. The navy came in with a couple of inflatables and was able to rescue about 40 people. But just horrible stuff. People were talking about, you know, families being separated and screaming and people praying in the water. It was absolutely horrible.
BALDWIN: You've been there. The cliffs, just from the video, looks treacherous.
HOLMES: Yes. And as I say, Christmas Island's a place where there is a detention center, where refugees are held while they're processed.
BALDWIN: Oddly enough, that's --
HOLMES: And that's where they were headed --
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Well, they were going in there because it is Australian territory.
BALDWIN: Yes.
HOLMES: Very controversial issue in Australia. Australia's got one of the toughest asylum programs in the world. These detention centers -- well, they're pretty much like prisons. They are like prisons. And whole families can be locked up there, sometimes for years, while they're being processed. So it's just raised that whole controversy again in Australia. The papers down there are full of it. I was reading them just before I came up.
BALDWIN: I just can't imagine being --
HOLMES: Horrible!
HOLMES: -- a local (ph) and being accustomed to them seeking asylum and perhaps being accustomed to hearing the screams --
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: -- of people --
HOLMES: Yes, unbelievable. Just a horrible, horrible incident.
BALDWIN: Michael Holmes, thank you.
HOLMES: Yes, sad news today, huh?
BALDWIN: Gee, I'm sorry for the sad news. We'll get you back with some better international news, all right?
HOLMES: All right.
BALDWIN: Deal.
HOLMES: Good to see you, Brooke.
BALDWIN: We want to remind you back here at home, we're waiting for this single measure going through the House, debating now on "Don't ask, don't tell." It could happen soon, this final vote, so we're keeping a close eye on that.
Also, are more teenagers -- you have kids? Are they smoking pot, or are they smoking cigarettes? We have the disturbing new trend. The answer is ahead. Also, they are lining up now (INAUDIBLE) a couple. Reporter (ph) elect (ph) is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: There is a House vote scheduled to happen any moment now here on the government's policy regarding gays serving openly in the military. Also, more on an alarming trend among teens and a daring casino robbery.
Time to play Reporter Roulette. I want to begin with Barbara Starr there live for us at the Pentagon. Barbara, talk to me about what is happening right now in the House of Representatives.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, all eyes on the House floor. It's a wrap-up debate on this measure. They are going to take it to a vote. It could lead to very significant step in repealing the ban on gays openly serving in the military. The House is set to vote on repealing that ban. If it passes, then it all shifts to the Senate. Brooke?
BALDWIN: And then once to the Senate, what would be the next step? STARR: Well, if it was passed by both houses, it is certain President Obama will sign it. He wants to see this ban lifted. And then the military will start moving toward implementing it, training the force, educating the force about this change in their service. It would be a very significant step lifting the ban after 17 years. Brooke?
BALDWIN: Indeed, Barbara, from the Pentagon. Barbara, thank you again. We're watching that vote very closely.
Also, next here on Reporter Roulette, senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is looking at a disturbing new trend in pot smoking and ecstasy use. Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Researchers asked 46,000 high school students whether they had smoked pot in the past month, and among the high school seniors, 21 percent said yes they had. Also among those seniors, 19 percent said that they had smoked cigarettes. So more high school seniors smoking pot than cigarettes.
Here's another interesting statistic. They asked these high school students whether they perceived pot smoking to be risky. And what they found is that every year, that perceived risk has gone down. They are not exactly sure why, but they think recently, it may have to do with last month's election there were votes about whether to legalize marijuana. And perhaps these young people thought, well, if they're thinking of legalizing it, how bad could it be?
Brooke?
BALDWIN: How about that? Elizabeth Cohen for us. Elizabeth, thank you.
Next in "Reporter Roulette," Casey Wian is in Vegas, where police are still looking for this guy, this daring bandit, who made off with more than a million dollars worth of chips from the Bellagio Casino. Casey?
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, there have been ten robberies of casinos here in Las Vegas so far this year, and police say this one was easily the most brazen and the most unusual. Here's why.
The robber pulled up to the Bellagio Hotel, the valet parking area, about ten minutes to 4:00 in the morning, parked his motorcycle outside of the doors of the casino and simply walked in. He walked past the cage where all of the cash is kept and walked up to a craps table, held up a gun and demanded that everybody stay still. And he took $1.5 million worth of chips.
Police also suspect that this robber is the same man who committed a robbery at the Sun Coast Casino off the strip about 20 minutes away last Thursday. In that instance, he was also on a motorcycle. He was also wearing a helmet. This time, though, he walked up to the cage and took somewhere in the neighborhood of $20,000 in cash.
They say they are going to be reinterviewing the witnesses at that craps table that night because as they say, the level of sobriety of some of those folks who were witnesses to that robbery at ten minutes to 4:00 in the morning in a Las Vegas casino was slightly questionable. Brooke?
BALDWIN: Wow. Casey Wian for us in Las Vegas, thank you.
And that is today's "Reporter Roulette."
And you know, we talked earlier about Rahm Emanuel and how he's trying to become the mayor of Chicago. But when it comes down to it, can he win? Jessica Yellin is next. She has your political ticker.
But, first, if you're on the job hunt, listen up. You don't want your resume to get overlooked, right? The blog LinkedIn says stay away from these five most overused words. It caught our attention. Wanted to pass it along to you. Here you go.
Number five, do not use dynamic. Number four, they don't like to see results-oriented. Number three, the word motivated. So, that's what they don't want to see.
What are the top two words, phrases that you should avoid on that resume? Stand by. The answers after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Are you looking for a job in the new year? Look, I know a lot of people are. LinkedIn has a tip. You need to avoid, avoid these overused words in your resume.
Topping the list, number two, do not say you are innovative and, number one, avoid that you have extensive experience. Those are the no-nos.
And with that, let's talk politics. Jessica Yellin joins me now with the latest news from the political ticker. Jess, what do you have?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I have innovative and dynamic news for you, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Oh, no! Failed!
YELLIN: So, first of all, the infighting in the Republican party over the tax compromise continues. The latest one to weigh on this is Senator John Thune from South Dakota. He is taking aim at Republican critics who oppose the tax cut deal, saying that criticizing this deal is quote, "politically expedient to stand on the sidelines and criticize the tax deal," he says. But advocating against it in his argument is push for a tax increase.
What is he really doing here? One of the people came out against the tax cut bill is Mitt Romney. Another one is Sarah Palin. Those are two potential 2012 Republican presidential contenders. So is John Thune, a potential 2012 presidential contender. It seems like folks who might run for the Republican slot in the presidential ticket are taking aim at each other already, using a tax cut deal as a proxy fight. So, we're seeing that one begin already.
Moving over to a local race in Chicago today. We've heard a little bit about how a former White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel is going before a judge and waiting to hear whether he will be deemed a legal resident of Chicago, so he can continue to run his race. That might be some tough time for him but some good news has come his way. A "Chicago Tribune"/WGN poll shows that in a very crowded field, Rahm Emanuel is a front-runner in that race. He has currently 32 percent of support from the voters there. Not a clear overall majority, but more than any other single candidate has because, again, very, very crowded race. So that's a little bit of good news for Rahm Emanuel.
And, okay, here is a different kind of Christmas war. Brooke, senators -
BALDWIN: Oh, yes.
YELLIN: You know this story? Senators Jon Kyl and Jim DeMint have said, look, Senate shouldn't go late arguging, go way into the holiday season arguing over this START nuclear reduction treaty because, quote, "it would be disrespectful to Christians and sacrilegious because it's the Christmas holiday."
Oh, well, they are taking some heat for that. Democrat Harry Reid called that sanctimonious, borrowing a word the president used recently. But now some faith leaders are also weighing in. They've sent out a press release calling it "a misuse of the Christian holiday," saying that there's no better thing to do during a season that is dedicated to peace on earth than to work towards the reduction of nuclear arms. So, it seems to be another war of Christmas developing at this time in the U.S. Senate.
BALDWIN: War over Christmas, war over words.
YELLIN: You never know what is going to happen.
BALDWIN: They just need to vote, vote, vote so they can get, I guess, out of there in time.
YELLIN: You are right.
BALDWIN: Jessica Yellin, thank you ma'am. Appreciate it.
YELLIN: Thanks.
It looks like a scene out of "The Office," you know the TV show. Couple of workers holding that Christmas cubicle contest. I have not seen the video. I wanted to wait and watch it with you. You've got to see that. You've got to see that. That is next.
We love these stories. Servicemen and women coming home, surprising their families for the holidays. They are awesome. We have yet another one. Here's a little peek to show you.
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BALDWIN: I know it's the holiday season. Some of you are getting really festive out there. Some people tend to decorate their work cubicles for the holidays but this one takes the prize. You've got to see this.
This is a company. This is St. Johns, Newfoundland. Did not exactly count on this guy when they announced the decorate your desk contest. He recreated the North Pole at his work space. Apparently stockings and tree and trimmings and all. Apparently, the guy even has a wood-burning stove. Look at that! Now, that is how you spread some holiday cheer.
Now take a look at this. This is not some super-secret government stealth plane. This is actually what happens when a plane calls through a Google Map satellite image in the making. Look at all of those colors. Kind of cool, huh? Wanted to pass it along. The plane, if you're curious, is flying over Hyde Park in Chicago.
And next, love these stories, the Hecker family know asthing or two about making the holiday special for others. Why? Well, every year they volunteer for Toys for Tots. You know, you have mom and daughter shopping for it.
This year, it was their turn for a little holiday surprise. You can see all of the hugging in the crowds. Dad, Cliff, is in the military and on tour in Afghanistan until March. Or so they thought. Next March. The staff sergeant traveled for four days to make it home before Christmas and before the final Toys for Tots drive. What a great guy. Which he has directed it, by the way, for more than a dozen years.
Look at that. Talk about a Christmas miracle.
So a routine traffic stop in Dayton, Ohio, turned into a fight on the side of the road. I talked to Jonathan Seiter, who's the officer here involved in this fight caught on his dashcam, and I asked him what he was thinking when the driver initially slammed him up against his car.
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OFC. JONATHAN SEITER, DAYTON POLICE: Well, he was fighting to kill me. I've had resistings before, and he was not resisting. He was fighting to kill me.
BALDWIN: So you absolutely say he wanted to kill you? This wasn't to rough you up a little bit?
SEITER: That is correct. You don't grab and go for people with weapons or guns and trying to get away. I was fighting for my life.
BALDWIN: You were fighting for your life. How tough was this guy? How tough was he? How tough was it to resist him?
SEITER: It was tough, but I had the mindset that I was winning this battle and he was going to lose.
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BALDWIN: Well, he did ultimately lose after a couple minutes of fighting. This passerby, you see her jumping in. A woman helping the officer take this guy down. Her assistance helped turn the tide and Seiter was able to hold on until backup arrived.
Developing now, the government announcing the discovery of yet another drug tunnel. This one in Nogales, Arizona. Take a look at these pictures with me.
Here you go. We're told it's very, very short, only 13 feet long. Smugglers cut a hole in the road on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico.
Apparently, they parked a van over the hole to hide it and load the drugs in that hole. The fed seizing more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana.
She is not only a mom and a wife, she's an astronaut. An American woman heading into space, and CNN got unprecedented access into her amazing journey. You're going to see it ahead.
Also ahead, Larry King, he is ending his primetime run tomorrow night, 25 years in your living room, in my living room. We're going to get a preview of all of those years in three minutes, coming up.
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BALDWIN: And now to tomorrow's news today. Let's "Fast Forward," beginning with this.
Twenty states in all will be represented tomorrow when a judge in Florida hears oral arguments in another lawsuit against the new health care law. At issue here, the mandate that all individuals, all Americans carry health coverage.
Also, Swedish authorities will plead their case tomorrow to stop Julian Assange from being released on bail. The WikiLeaks founder is accused of rape, sexual molestation, and illegal use of force in Sweden.
And the White House will be releasing the official review of the Afghanistan policy, the war review, the war report. We're going to get more on that, of course, from Washington tomorrow.
And finally, a bittersweet day today for all of us here at CNN, and perhaps for you as well -- Larry King's last day on the air. Stay tuned throughout the day tomorrow for special farewells and highlights of his 25 years. Twenty-five years with those famous suspenders behind that famous desk. Now, with any luck, she will not be feeling the tug of gravity again until next May. American astronaut Cady Coleman embarked on the journey of a lifetime just a couple of hours ago on that Russian Soyuz rocket.
Where is she going? The International Space Station for a six- month stay.
And our own John Zarrella, he got this unprecedented access to her training.
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JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cady Coleman: mother, wife, astronaut. Later this week, space station resident.
CADY COLEMAN, NASA ASTRONAUT: I think just being up there and realizing that I really live here is something that you just can't really grasp until you get up there.
ZARRELLA: What you do grasp very quickly, the kind of person she is. For instance, a gesture of support for women with breast cancer.
COLEMAN: I have a roll of pink ribbon also rolled up, you know, wound up and squished in a zip lock bag. But I think it's a special way to think about the folks that are struggling with that down here on earth.
ZARRELLA: Listen to what she believes is important.
COLEMAN: One of the things that we can do up there is actually just be a presence that some, you know, little girl, little boy looks up and thinks, you know, she looks like a real person. Maybe I could do that job.
ZARRELLA: Cady has done this job before flying twice on space shuttle missions, but never this. She'll fly on a Russian rocket to the International Space Station and live there for the next six months conducting science and medical experiments. Bone loss, blood pressure studies.
JOSH SIMSON, CADY'S HUSBAND: I'm sustained through that, knowing that this is what Cady wants to do. This is what she lives her life to do.
ZARRELLA: And given the chance, this wouldn't be her last flight.
COLEMAN: I'm so ready. Would it be so terrible to go again?
ZARRELLA: Better get through this one first, Cady. She and her crew mates have been Russia for a few weeks now awaiting their ride. The rigorous training there and in Europe, Japan and the U.S. is over. Now until they fly, it's about ceremony and photo ops.
Press conferences. COLEMAN: So a little tiger just like this one is already onboard the station. So this one I will give to my son before I launch.
ZARRELLA: And paying tribute, laying red carnations at the grave of Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. Something called a fit check too where the crew and their space suits are stuffed into the capsule to as the name implies, to make sure they fit.
The next time they're inside will be at the launch pad.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: How cool is that?
According to one woman, a credit card company says she owes them more than $200 million. So what in the world would she have thought? That's ahead.
And could parents be head accountable for what their own children do? There is a new law you need to hear if you are a mom or a dad.
Sunny Hostin is "On the Case." That's next.
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BALDWIN: We went through a reading and tried to find the most fascinating legal cases to then bring to you "On the Case" today. And we have a couple I think you will appreciate here.
I want to bring in Sunny Hostin of "In Session" on truTV. Of course, as always, good enough to help me sort it all out.
And Sunny, I want to begin with this -- this battle over credit card debt, which maybe some people can empathize with. But this story has just gone ballistic.
So the story is this -- a Pennsylvania woman has filed a lawsuit claiming her Capital One credit card debt of just a couple thousand dollars now officially exploding. And I want to make sure I get this number right. She says Capital One says she owes $286 million.
So, Sunny, is this an error? What happened?
SUNNY HOSTIN, "IN SESSION," TRUTV: Well, it certainly is an error, although I will say, Brooke, with my love of fashion and shoes it's possible, but I could rack up a credit card bill like that if they extended me that much credit. But I will say this -- she certainly didn't rack up that sort of bill.
She was disputing a $3,800 credit debt. She got nowhere with Capital One, she alleges.
They went back and forth, and so she finally said, listen, I'm going to get an attorney to handle this for me. Please refer all of your communication to this attorney.
Well, Capital One didn't do that. They continued to call her. They continued to send her bills in various amounts. And then finally sent her a demand for payment of $286 million. And that is really what is at the heart of this dispute.
BALDWIN: That's a bill that gives you a heart attack, to open up and see that number. But let me ask you this -- in reading, the attorney for this woman said that this is terrorism.
So what is he basing that accusation on?
HOSTIN: He sure did. He called it financial terrorism, Brooke. And he's really basing it on the behavior of Capital One, the harassing phone calls, the lack of -- you know, the disregard for her lawyer's written instructions asking them not to contact her.
All of that he says was intentional and shows abuses within Capital One collection's office. And bottom line, he says in these economic times, these tough economic times, this amounts to financial terrorism.
And let's face it, who hasn't experienced perhaps harassment from a collection agency? There are laws to protect people from that, and she did the right thing here.
She sought help. She could have gone to the FTC. She could have gone to the Better Business Bureau. But she got an attorney. And Capital One has responded. They are saying --
BALDWIN: What are they saying, just to be fair?
HOSTIN: Just to be fair, they are saying that they can't really comment on this because it's a pending legal matter, but that human errors occur and they believe that is what happened here, and they are working to resolve it. And so they are working to resolve it, allegedly, but this lawsuit is out there pending. And let's face it, who can't get behind this plaintiff?
BALDWIN: Financial terrorism. I've never heard of that before. Interesting.
Let's talk, though, about -- let's go to California for this next one. This is a fairly new law. It's called the Parent Accountability Act.
So, does it do what it sounds like, hold parents accountable for their children's crimes?
HOSTIN: It doesn't do that exactly, but what it does do is it forces parents -- or it gives judges the authority to order parents to parenting classes. And I really love this law, Brooke, because in our country you need a license to drive, you take exams to get into school, but you can have a baby without anything.
You know, you don't need a license to do that, you don't need a class to do it. And it's arguably our most important job -- putting my mommy hat on for a while.
So, I will say that I think it's in the right direction. I think the hearts of the legislature was really behind this, and hopefully it will help.
The law is targeted towards parents of kids really that are involved in gang-related crime. And in Los Angeles County alone, there are 80,000 child gang members. And so this is a real problem there.
And instead of just star getting the children -- because they are certainly targeting the teens involved -- they are trying to help the parents. And I think what's really fascinating is they are not only giving parents the skills to deal with these issues and these teenagers, they are teaching them the warning signs for gang involvement. And that's something that I think we can all get behind.
BALDWIN: But, Sunny, it sounds like something all of us can get behind, except for maybe some of these parents. I mean, what if you have a mom or a dad that says, hang on a second, I'm not going to this parenting class? Then what?
HOSTIN: That's right. And they thought of that. And a judge can hold a parent in contempt of his or her order and send them to jail.
So this is a law that has teeth to it. And so the parents that are ordered to go, better go to these classes.
BALDWIN: How about that?
Sunny Hostin, "On the Case."
Sunny, thank you, as always.
HOSTIN: Thanks, Brooke.
BALDWIN: And before I let you go, before I hand you over to Washington, D.C., one final note. And take a look with me at the numbers on the screen.
Why are you looking at numbers? Because the official voting has begun within the U.S. House there on this whole single measure on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and possibly repealing this.
And, of course, they will have much, much more on that story on "THE SITUATION ROOM."
