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Serial Killer in Los Angeles?; Tax Cut Compromise Passes; Some Soldiers Returning Home for Holidays; North Korea Threatening South Korea; Some Military Personnel Returning Home For Holiday; A Young Man Is In Need Of A Kidney Transplant; President To Sign New Tax Legislation Into Law; New Tax Legislation May Have Created Rift In Democrat Party
Aired December 17, 2010 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: I have a stunning crime story I want to tell you all about. That's in about 30 seconds.
But, first, I want to keep you in the loop here. We are waiting for President Obama to appear live there at the White House. He is expected to sign that tax cut deal, that deal that the House finally decided to pass late last night. He's going to be signing that into law today. We are going to break down how this affects you, your paychecks, and how it does indeed add to America's debt problem.
We are going to bring that to you live as soon as we see the president, but, first, this.
We have this chilling story. This is out of Los Angeles. Listen to this story, if you would. The police in L.A., they have tried and failed for months and months to find scores of women, these women, about 160 in all. Now, this is what the women have in common that makes this case really so -- so unsettling.
Their photographs -- and here are some of them -- their photos were found in this home, in this trailer, actually, of this alleged serial killer. And just yesterday, police released the photos to the public in hopes of finding, locating, talking to some of these women.
I want to show you now this is the alleged serial killer. Have you heard of this guy? His name is Lonnie Franklin Jr. He's -- his nickname is the Grim Sleeper. I will explain that in just a moment.
But Franklin is accused of 10 murders. But, since his arrest last July, police have suspected he may have committed many, many more. But how many more? Well, LAPD decided to release these photos, more than 150 in all, because, as we said, they cannot find these women and their photos were found at Franklin's house.
So, were the photos taken possibly off the Internet? Police say, no, they don't think they were. They believe they were taken by Franklin himself, who is -- whose suspected victims include prostitutes he allegedly lured into his home.
So, are these women -- the women in the pictures, are they prostitutes? The authorities are not saying, but here's what they are saying about these photos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DETECTIVE DENNIS KILCOYNE, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: The fact that we have gone to great lengths to show just facial photos here is indicative of what type of images we have been viewing for months on end now.
These are clearly photos of women that Mr. Franklin had contact with, not the rest of his family. And -- and we will let it go at that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: I want to bring in staff writer with the "L.A. Times" Joel Rubin.
Joel, I read your piece this morning. I know you cover police there.
And learning about this story, learning about all these pictures, I have to ask, are the police at all suggesting that they may possibly be looking at 160 murder victims here?
JOEL RUBIN, "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES": We haven't heard any indication that they suspect the numbers are that large. They -- they really don't know. They -- they say very clearly, though, that they won't be surprised if at the end of the day, when they make heads or tails of who these women are, if they find that several of them -- they won't put a number to it -- actually are victims of -- of this alleged serial killer. They have already gotten a few phone calls indicating as much.
BALDWIN: Before we talk about exactly who police think these women may be, I want to ask you. I know you have had a chance to look through some of these pictures. What do these women seem to have in common, just by looking at them?
RUBIN: Well, they definitely fit into the M.O. that police say was Lonnie Franklin's -- what he was attracted to. They are --
BALDWIN: What was that?
RUBIN: -- predominantly, almost exclusively, young African- American women. He lives in a part of town that is predominantly or at the time when he was most active as an alleged killer was predominantly African-American.
The age range -- age range of these photos does range from what looks like teenagers up into 30- and 40-year-old women. And the known victims of -- of this person who police say is Lonnie Franklin fits right into that mold.
BALDWIN: And then, Joel, it's the who. Are these potential victims? Are they friends? Are they witnesses?
Let's listen. This is some sound from a police detective addressing that particular issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE BECK, LOS ANGELES POLICE CHIEF: This is very important. There is somebody's photo among these 180 who is a victim.
KILCOYNE: but our main concern right now is the welfare of these individuals and their identity. And our best wish is that we get a phone call from each and every one of them and that -- that everything is OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So, Joel, they're hoping to get phone calls. They want happy endings each of these women, but it -- could it be possible that some of these women, they may not want to come forward?
RUBIN: Yes. As one detective on the team that has been investigating this case said to me, you know, if I'm one of those women, and I open up "The L.A. Times" and see my picture there, I wouldn't want to talk to me either.
But what they're really hoping is that at least some of the women, if they do see themselves, will come forward and just check in and say, hey, I'm OK. And police say they have no intention to cause them any -- any harm or any -- any problems. They do want to talk to them, if they're willing to talk.
Barring that, they hope family members will come forward or acquaintances and say, yes, I -- I know who that person is. She lives in Topeka, Kansas, now, and last time I knew she was doing fine.
They're just trying to connect the dots on who these women are. And, unfortunately, if somebody does call and say that was my sister or that was my daughter and she was killed 15 years ago, and they never solved the case --
BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.
RUBIN: -- cops really do want to talk to those family members and try to see if there is any connection to this alleged serial case.
BALDWIN: Joel, let's back up just talk about this alleged serial killer, Lonnie Franklin. Why this nickname?
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Why Grim Sleeper? What does that signify?
RUBIN: The Grim Sleeper was a -- was a nickname that was dubbed by another local paper here in L.A.
And it refers to the two distinct periods of time when Franklin was allegedly active. Police first connected the dots to -- to there being a serial case in the mid-'80s, when they used ballistics testing on a gun to -- to link seven bodies, seven females being killed back from '85 to '88. After '88, the trail goes cold.
BALDWIN: Hmm.
RUBIN: And it's not until 2002 and 2003 when DNA testing, which wasn't available back in the mid-'80s, links two more bodies.
And -- and then again using ballistics testing and DNA testing, they link them back to the earlier set of killings, and then again in 2007, another body, the most recent and last known body. So these two periods of time, they -- they -- they dubbed him the Grim Sleeper for his long period of alleged sleep.
BALDWIN: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
RUBIN: It should be noted, though, that police really don't believe that it is -- it is likely that he was, you know, asleep, and think that it is very likely that he was active during that long period of time, and that --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: And perhaps that's why they're --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: -- releasing some of these photographs, because some of these women could be victims in that gap of time.
And let me just also ask you this --
RUBIN: Very likely.
BALDWIN: -- Joel, because I'm covering a different accused serial case for a separate story, and I have been reading a little bit about serial killer M.O.s. And we know this guy is not convicted. He is just accused.
But one of their M.O.s is really kind of keeping mementos of some of their -- some of their killings, and in this case, perhaps, perhaps some of these pictures. How were they found? I mean, get into the nitty-gritty details.
RUBIN: Yes.
BALDWIN: Were they found all on poster board or individually? Do you even know?
RUBIN: Yes. They were found -- well, we know that they were found predominantly in a trailer that didn't Franklin had in his backyard. He had a small house in South L.A. that he lived in with his wife.
In the backyard, there was a trailer and a garage and several cars in various states of disrepair. He was known as sort of the -- the local fence where you could go and -- and get a part for your car or a TV or a washing machine. And, so, the backyard was very jumbled with various, you know, appliances and cars. And -- and, in the trailer, they found this trove of upwards of 1,000 still photographs and hundreds of hours of videotapes.
BALDWIN: Hmm.
RUBIN: And, on those, they -- they estimate there was about 160 individual women shown in -- in various states of -- of -- of nudity and provocative poses. And there really is --
BALDWIN: Right. And we know we're only -- we're only seeing just the tight shots of their faces. They're not -- they're not releasing that -- the full -- obviously, the full nude shots or whatever else -- whatever the photos may have been.
But, Joel Rubin, I really appreciate you coming on. Appreciate you writing about this. And, hey, do me a favor. If you break any -- break any more news on this story, do me a favor and hop back on our show.
Joel Rubin with "The L.A. Times," appreciate it.
RUBIN: Happy to do it.
BALDWIN: Now to this.
First -- do we want to go to those live pictures? Let's go to those live pictures.
This is Camp Pendleton. This is California.
No, this is a courtroom brawl. We will take you to Camp Pendleton in just a moment.
This a courtroom. Here we go, Camp Pendleton. We're going -- here's Camp Pendleton, some families very, very happy now that their Marines are home. This was the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit just coming home there to California. We will get a live report from Casey Wian. But they have been gone. They have been deployed for seven months, many, many of our men and women coming home today. We're going to share some of those moments, tearful moments, I imagine, sprinkled throughout our show.
But now to this, a courtroom brawl caught on video. Here it is. And the whole thing happened as the judge sentences a man convicted of murder. That's ahead.
Also, Julian Assange is threatening to release more secrets -- the defiant founder of WikiLeaks refusing to hide hours after being released from jail. And now he has got some very choice words for the U.S.
That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM.
You know this man here. He's the man behind WikiLeaks. And guess what? He is talking to reporters today. This is just one of the movies -- stories that is moving this hour, Julian Assange out of jail in the United Kingdom pending extradition proceedings. He tells CNN he regards the sex allegations against him as a calculated effort to divert attention away from his organization's whistle-blowing practices. And he admits it's working.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIAN ASSANGE, FOUNDER, WIKILEAKS: I have been accused all over the world of a double rape allegation. And I'm the founder and most visible public face for this organization -- a very successful smear campaign -- 3.3 million Web pages out of 4.5 million Web pages that mention my name also mention the word rape. That's a -- a serious issue and a serious -- seriously successful smear campaign.
But, I mean, I hope, when this process is over, that we're going to be very heavily armored in the -- in the public view.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Assange was let out of jail on condition that he remain near London and wear a locator tag. He is wanted in Sweden on sexual misconduct charges.
Air-to-ground missiles struck what are being called terrorist hideouts in Northern Pakistan today, killing at least 21 suspected militants. One of the places hit described as an extremist training center. Witnesses say the missiles were launched by drones, those unarmed unmanned aircraft. That has not been verified by the U.S. officials. The U.S. is the only known country capable of using drones, though, to hit targets inside Pakistan.
And some good news for victims of the Bernie Madoff fraud -- a lump sum of more than $7 billion -- billion with a B dollars -- going back to those people who were swindled by Madoff. That's after the widow of Jeffry Picower agreed to release the money. Picower, who died just a year ago, was a prominent beneficiary of Madoff's Ponzi scheme.
Federal prosecutors say this is the largest forfeiture in all of U.S. history and that there is still more Madoff money to recover.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PREET BHARARA, U.S. ATTORNEY: This settlement is the most substantial step to date in the ongoing effort to make the Madoff victims whole.
Combined with the approximately $2.6 billion Irving Picard has, through Herculean efforts, already recovered to date, along with the funds my office has gathered through criminal and civil forfeiture proceedings, today's settlement marks a major milestone. With close to $10 billion now recovered, we have together collected close to 50 percent of the principal that victims lost to Madoff's Ponzi scheme.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: And now this, a dramatic rescue, look at it, caught on video. One guy accidentally hit drive instead of reverse in his car, crashes into Biscayne Bay. As his car is sinking, crews have mere seconds to get him out. You are going to see it all unfolding on video. That is ahead.
And, again, we're waiting and watching for you for President Obama. He is expected to sign that tax cut deal into law today, within this hour, after weeks and weeks of bitter fighting and debating between Republicans and Democrats. But there is another fight on the Hill. That is over spending. Jessica Yellin is standing by. She's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: All eyes on the White House this hour. In fact, let me show you a live picture of the White House there.
In case you haven't heard, your taxes will not -- I repeat -- will not be going up on the 1st of the year, because President Obama is about to sign that bill that we have been talking about for weeks and weeks now that extends those Bush tax cuts into the year 2012.
So, we're going to be bringing you this signing live as soon as we see the president pull out that pen and that bill.
But, first, I want to bring in Jessica Yellin for us in Washington.
Jessica, we have been talking about this for quite some time. Would it be fair to say this is a pretty -- a major moment, a defining moment for Obama's presidency?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, you know, it is. We look back on this as an important change in his relationship with both Democrats and with Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Some people are convinced this is a positive turn in the presidency. He worked with Republicans, reached a compromise, took on his own base. Many of his supporters are deeply disappointed. I would only caution that we shouldn't look at this as a template for exactly how he is going to govern the rest of his term.
My sources make clear that the White House doesn't plan to side with Republicans and fight with his own party every step of the way for the next two years. And that was always his plan, to take on his own party sometimes, side with Republicans, vice versa.
And we have seen him finally side with the Republicans, but liberals are still going to have his support on some issues that are important to them in the time to come -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: And again I want to remind everyone we should be seeing that, hopefully within about a half-an-hour or so from now.
But let's talk about what happened with regard to the Senate, Jessica. You know, we and I were talking about this yesterday, that the spending bill, there was a big blow really last night in the Senate. They could not move that bill to fund government operations for a year.
So, my question to you is, how would this thing work going forward? Do they do it piecemeal, if at all?
YELLIN: Yes, they will punt. So they will pass a smaller measure that keeps the government funded temporarily and basically let the next Congress tackle the big spending questions.
So, let the next ones deal is their attitude right now.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: What else is on the docket, Jessica? I mean, this lame-duck Congress may not be so lame here, a lot of action coming out of Capitol Hill in the last just couple of days. What else is on -- what is on tap?
YELLIN: Well, as Dana and Brianna are reporting, there's -- don't ask, don't tell could be voted on. There's the DREAM Act, which is an immigration measure that could get a vote.
And, of course, they have to figure out the spending resolution and how to figure out a -- how to resolve a food safety issue. So all these things, if they get voted on, and if some of them pass, this was actually a pretty active lame-duck session. If they don't, then it is sort of a lame lame-duck session.
(LAUGHTER)
YELLIN: We will see.
BALDWIN: Back, Jessica, back to the spending bill that died, how important was it that the Tea Party movement folks, you know, they got wind of people like Mitch McConnell stuffing that bill with earmarks?
(LAUGHTER)
YELLIN: OK. Well, Mitch McConnell's office wouldn't describe it that way, first of all.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
YELLIN: What they would say that this was an appropriations measure passed by the -- that the Democrats put -- brought to the floor.
But there were many, many, many earmarks in it, yes, by Republicans, too, including Mitch McConnell. And it was crucial, everything, that the Tea Party got wind of it and said that they will fight Republican who bring it -- who vote yes. I mean, that is the reason this failed, because the Tea Party pressed Republicans to vote no on -- to agree no earmarks, and they promised to issue -- to back primary challenges to these guys if they vote yes.
And so the bill died. It had a few Republicans who were going to support it. That support vaporized after the Tea Party got active. So, they should -- you know, I'm sure they're -- they're celebrating. Actually, they say they are celebrating today, Brooke.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: They say they are.
Jessica Yellin for us in Washington -- Jess, have a wonderful weekend.
I want to show you this video again. There was this elderly driver in his car waiting for help, sinking as his car is going down. Rescue crews, you see them bashing in that back window. They rush to the scene. We will show you more of that. But did they have enough time? That is ahead.
Plus, a fight breaks out in a courtroom, two women punching, kicking, all the while a judge is sentencing a convicted killer. We will roll out that video for you next. Ooh.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: I want you to take a look at this frantic water rescue. This is from Florida.
Here's what happened. A 77-year-old driver was pulled out of the water by paramedics -- they're all rushing in -- when his car crashed in Biscayne Bay. So, the man says he was parking his car, accidentally went forward when he was trying to go in reverse. The car goes in.
And then obviously you saw the car kind of sinking with him trapped inside. There he is. The good news is, he -- he does eventually get out. But, coming up next hour, we actually got one of the paramedics who helped save this man. He is going to join me with the details. He will walk me through how in the world this happens and how much time you really have before it is too late. That's coming up.
Also, thousands and thousands of service men and women are on their way home just in time for the holidays. And you can imagine the scenes playing out across the country right now. We will have reports for you all the way from the East Coast to the West Coast.
Also, North Korea warns South Korea about military drills near a flash point island. We are going to have a live report from the Pentagon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: OK. Wait until you see this video.
A sentencing in a courtroom with a murder case -- this is in a Kansas City courtroom -- turned very, very ugly. You have two women who interrupted the proceedings by punching and kicking each other. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, hey! Listen! Listen! Listen! Ladies and gentlemen! Ladies and gentlemen.
(SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Yowza, ladies. The two women apparently weren't even involved in that case. They had exchanged heated words in the hallway before their dispute obviously spilled out into the courtroom, in the middle of the courtroom.
Sheriff's deputies pulled them apart and had to take them outside. The judge -- it was Jay Daugherty -- was so outraged -- I think we heard the judge yelling -- yesterday's case was his last. He is retiring. And he had some pretty tough words for the courtroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE JAY DAUGHERTY, 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT: Any time during the hearing, if there is a statement, a remark, anything from anyone on either side, you will be removed from the courtroom. You will be arrested.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: When things did finally settle down, that judge sentenced convicted murderer Michael Gunn to 50 years for killing two people during a robbery. An accomplice who helped Gunn escape was given 16 years, and a third suspect in the case due to be sentenced in January.
And looking ahead to this weekend, it will certainly be one to watch the Korean Peninsula very closely. North Korea today issued a terse warning to its southern neighbor: Cancel those military drills this weekend, or else.
You remember those attacks on South Korea. Remember, that was just last month. North Korea warns, if the South holds those drills this weekend, its response will be worse than this one last month. Look at the damage. And you remember the casualties. Four -- four people died in that shelling.
Adding to the heat in this dispute, South Korea says, if the North attacks, it will retaliate harshly.
Barbara Starr has been following this one for us from the Pentagon.
And, Barbara, some are saying, look, the tensions between these two countries, the worst they have seen in quite a while. Is the south still planning on carrying out these military exercises?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, at this hour, the South appears very determine to go ahead.
The weather is a little bad in this area. The exercises may now not happen until Sunday or early Monday Korean time. But the weekend here in Washington is likely to be tense, all eyes on the Korean Peninsula. We have learned from a military -- U.S. military official, in fact, just in the last few minutes, that the Obama administration has established contingency communications with the Koreans, the South Koreans, over the weekend.
What does that mean? The White House, the Pentagon, the State Department will be in constant contact with their South Korean counterparts in the government there, so if something does break out, there will be instant communication. Everyone will be able to talk. They will be able to discuss courses of action. They will be able to discuss next steps. Everybody can be on the same page.
Why do they want this communication? Because the U.S. military and the Obama administration do not want things to escalate. That is the major concern if these drills happen and, heaven forbid, things escalate out of control.
Listen to what the vice chairman, the number-two man, at the Joint Chiefs had to say just yesterday about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. JAMES E. CARTWRIGHT, JOINT CHIEFS VICE CHAIRMAN: What we worry about, obviously, is that, if that is misunderstood or if it is taken advantage of as an opportunity, if North Korea were to react to that in a negative way and fire back at that -- at those firing positions on the islands, that would start, potentially, a chain reaction of firing and counterfiring.
What you don't want to have happen out of that is for the escalation to be -- for to us lose control of the escalation. That -- that is the -- the concern.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: "Lose control of the escalation," you do not hear four- star U.S. generals say that very often. That's the concern on the Korean peninsula this week, Brooke, and that's why everybody will be watching and he have one will have in the government will have the ability to be in touch with the South Koreans 24/7.
BALDWIN: So they'll be able to be in touch with them 24/7. Have that constant contact. But what has the U.S. government said in terms of its stance? Do they feel if South Korea so chooses to carry out these exercises that that's perfectly legitimate? STARR: Absolutely. And I think you're raising a really good point. The State Department has repeatedly said in the last couple days, these are routine South Korean exercises. They've been notified to everyone. The North Koreans can't claim they don't know about it. They can't claim to misunderstand. They know that it a military exercise.
The concern is the live fire part of it to some extent. This is the part that has the U.S. concerned that it could be a bit destabilizing, be seen as provocative as the North Koreans.
But no mistake -- the South Koreans have every right to exercise, look after their own self-defense. And as General Cartwright noted yesterday, about 20 U.S. troops in fact will be on the scene for the exercises observing and keeping an eye on everything.
BALDWIN: Finally, just 30 seconds. We're hearing from Russia. The Russia foreign ministry stepping in saying what?
STARR: They, too, are voicing their concerns and objections. And that's another reason that we now know that the Obama administration has set up this contingency communication with the Republic of South Korea over the weekend.
Everyone will be looking at this -- Russia, China, Japan. Nobody wants to see another incident like the one you pointed out just last month where the North Koreans fired on this island, the South Koreans fired back. This is what they want to avoid. No incidents, no misunderstandings. No inadvertent escalation. He have one is looking for a nice calm weekend on the Korean peninsula.
BALDWIN: We'll be watching along. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you.
And now this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it's the reunion. There we go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: "It's the reunion." I love these stories. I love being there and getting to cover them. Not a dry eye around. You have servicemen and women coming home from the holidays, lots of hugs and tears. We'll show you the emotional reunions.
And we'll take you live to Camp Pendleton where even more families -- look at her -- even more families are anxiously awaiting their loved one's arrival.
But first this. Each and every week Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces to us someone overcoming major obstacles and going on to do amazing things. Today we meet a young man dealing with a life threatening illness but he is getting a little help from a friend who very much so understands his fight. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is 5:30 in the morning and Kiwane Clay is arriving at the hospital for his dialysis. The 16-year-old has been fighting an uphill battle with his kidneys since he was born.
GUPTA (on camera): He needs a kidney transplant.
KEIONNE CLAY, KIWANE'S MOTHER: Yes. I lost 30 pounds so I can give him a kidney.
GUPTA (voice-over): Like most moms, she wants to do everything she can for her son. Just paying for treatment is a real struggle.
KEIONNE CLAY: I just do what I have to do for my son. And I've been doing it for 16 years. So I feel I'm a good mama.
GUPTA (on camera): What about financially? How hard has this been on your family?
KIWANE CLAY: Real hard.
GUPTA: This is the sort of physical, emotional and if I know hardship that, he is just 16 years old. This is what he has had to overcome. He is about to get help from a pretty unusual source. Kyle over here, good morning, Kyle. He's 14 years old. Have a seat. How do you guys know each other?
KYLE COBB, KIWANE'S FRIEND: I was on this machine like he was for about three hours, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
GUPTA (voice-over): Kyle Cobb looks like any healthy teenager. But it wasn't always the case. In 2009, Kyle's kidneys failed and it took months of dialysis and a new kidney to save him. But Kyle never forgot his friend Kiwane.
GUPTA (on camera): What made you decide that after all that you had been through, you wanted to give something back?
COBB: I just want to help him in any way I can. It gives me a serve of joy that I'm thinking outside of myself for once. And to help someone else is a blessing to me.
GUPTA (voice-over): So far Kyle has raised $3,100 for Kiwane and his family with some help from the local motorcycle club.
KEIONNE CLAY: It helped we go that he needs.
GUPTA: He didn't really get a Christmas last year.
KEIONNE CLAY: No.
GUPTA: He will get a Christmas this year.
KEIONNE CLAY: Yes. GUPTA: Kiwane continues his fight with Kyle by his side, both agreeing that a kidney would be the best gift of all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: It is the week before Christmas, and a few places are busier than normal. I'm talking about the airports on the east coast and the west coast. They're full of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines and airmen lucky enough to be sprung from duty to be home with their families for the holidays.
I want to bring in Casey Wian who is at the marine corps base in Camp Pendleton, California. A busy day there for a lot of military families. Casey, hang tight for me. I want to hear from CNN's Reynolds Wolf. He's been at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. And Reynolds, to you.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Brooke, the scene here today has been incredible. We've been seeing one group of soldiers after another come up these escalators. They walk right past here. Here's a group of them. They go right past this USO desk and through those doors.
We're expecting about 2,000 today. Another 2,000 tomorrow. Then as we fast forward into Sunday, possibly another 5,000 service people right through these doors. And when you think about it, an entire year, they have half a billion that will step along the same steps we're walking now.
Obviously it is all decorated, the great holiday things. Also here, which I love looking at this, a check-in sheet, your sign-up sheet. If you look carefully, psych the states them come from places like Texas, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, as far away as even Alaska. And they're from all branches of the military, from the air force, from say the army, the marines, the Navy, coast guard.
And when they come in, they get the opportunity to kind of kickback, watch some TV, enjoy some game, check out the Wi-Fi or get a bite to eat. They got a little of everything from muffins to cookies to hotdogs. Great hotdogs, aren't they?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're great hot dogs.
WOLF: The best hotdogs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Especially made for our troops.
WOLF: There you go, especially made for everyone. It gives them a chance to kickback a bit.
Here you can see the guys enjoying video game and who wouldn't? Even a chance to get away from that excitement and go to places where it is a little more quiet, say back here. We've got some office space where they can just enjoy a little bit of solitude. Catch up on their e-mail.
That's the latest we've got. Brooke, let's kick it back to you.
BALDWIN: Reynolds, thank you.
Now to the west coast. I hear the screams. Casey, want to go right to you. Camp Pendleton, talk to me about what we're about to see.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, behind me you can see alpha company, the first battalion, fourth marines. They're just returning. And over here, you can see their family members waiting for their arrival. We've been seeing reunions happening all morning long. And it is just one of the most incredible experiences that you can witness, seeing some of these marines reunite with their families. In many cases they've seen their babies for the first time.
This group of marines has been deployed overseas for a little more than seven months. And during their tenure, they have provided close air support in Afghanistan. They've also provided flood relief to victims in Pakistan.
And back in September, you may remember when a group of Somali pirates captured a German cargo ship, this group of marines, they are the marines that actually recaptured that commercial cargo ship from those Somali pirates, rescued the civilian crew. So they provided many important operations that we often don't think about. There's been so much focus on Iraq and Afghanistan. But the U.S. military, obviously, is deployed all over the world.
And you can start to hear the screams of these family members who are just anxiously awaiting the arrival, their reunions with their loved ones.
BALDWIN: Casey, let me jump in and ask. Some people may be saying, why aren't these kids and mothers and husbands running toward each other? Explain the process. They have to hang back momentarily.
WIAN: Well, the process is fairly involved. They landed, they were on ships offshore. And they came to shore in smaller boats and rode over to the Camp Pendleton base in buses. And then they have to go check their gear and store their weapons.
And so many of them have been here for several hours. And the family members have been waiting anxiously for them to actually reunite. But it is quite a long process that they have to go through. Let's just listen to this.
BALDWIN: Deal. Here they go.
(APPLAUSE)
WIAN: Welcome home. Can we talk to you for just a second? Tell me your name, your rank, and who you're with.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lance Corporal Ibarra. This is my wife Sarah and my daughter Alexandra.
WIAN: How old is she?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's 15 months, sir.
WIAN: So you've been away from her for how long?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About seven months, sir.
WIAN: What has it been like?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's tough, sir. I miss them a lot. Communication is not so good all the time, so it is good to finally see them, sir.
WIAN: And what is it like to have your husband back?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's amazing. It's so amazing. I was so excited to make sure he was back by Christmas. I can't tell you how excited I was.
WIAN: That's going to be a pretty good Christmas at the Ibarra house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
WIAN: Thanks for your time. Thanks for your service.
Brooke, it just doesn't get any better than that.
BALDWIN: It really doesn't. It was just total serendipity that they were able to catch this at this precise moment. Thank you so much. And please pass along our gratitude to these men and women for all of their duty, their duty overseas. What a wonderful moment to share with everyone.
WIAN: Will do. Will do.
BALDWIN: Casey, thank you.
Now moving on -- how about that? Amazing. I want to remind you, we're also waiting for more live pictures. Not more of that though perhaps we will see more.
We're waiting for President Obama. He is expected in to sign a tax cut deal into law minutes from now after weeks and weeks of fighting back and forth between the Democrats and the Republicans. So who will be standing by him when he signs that bill into law? And is this really a defining moment in Mr. Obama's presidency? That is next. Don't move.
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BALDWIN: Boxer Floyd Mayweather behind bars this hour. Police say they arrested the star at a Las Vegas just before midnight. He is accused of assaulting a security guard at his housing complex. The charge is misdemeanor battery. We're tell boxer is expected in court on Monday.
And I want to take to you Washington State now. A pregnant teenager was attacked on a Metro bus during rush hour. It's a story we first told you about last month. But now CNN has the video. I want to you look at this with me. Look, the punches being thrown, feet flying in the air at one point.
Police called this a vicious and unprovoked attack. This is a group of girls that begin arguing with this pregnant 17-year-old and her boyfriend. Then suddenly, you saw them throwing punches. It happened just seconds after they got on the bus in downtown Seattle. Look at them, back and forth, all around.
The driver did eventually pull the bus over and we're told the pregnant teen is OK but she did need a few stitches. Over the next minutes, and even days, police eventually slapped five girls in cuffs. We're told three remain in custody, the youngest suspect, 14, 14 years of age.
A quick reminder, we're waiting and watching for President Obama who is expected to sign that tax cut deal into law any minute now. We're standing by. We've got the a-team standing by as well, Candy Crowley, Dana Bash. They're going to walk me through who is there, who is not there, and why this is so, so significant. We'll be right back.
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BALDWIN: After weeks and weeks of back and forth between the Democrats and the Republicans and the president, we are minutes away from watching President Obama step up on that podium at the White House and sign that tax cut bill into law with the Senate who passed it Wednesday. The House worked late, late last night to pass it. It's up to the president to put his signature on that.
We have Dana Bash on Capitol Hill for us but also Candy Crowley. To Dana, you first, you covered this so extensively in recent weeks. And let's talk about the roster here. Who might we expect to be standing alongside the president as he signs this bill into law and who may we not be seeing?
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Those questions really speak to the dynamics, political dynamics of this tax cut bill. The answer to that question is, the top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell will be at the signing ceremony, Brooke. He is somebody who as far as his office goes and certainly from my memory has never been to the White House under president Obama for any kind of signing ceremony, for any legislation. So that is significant.
Equally significant is who we won't see. That is any member of the democratic leadership, either in the Senate or in the House. I contacted several other offices as did our house producer. We were told they have stuff to do. They're busy. BALDWIN: Dana, let's read between the lines there, Dana Bash. What kind of message is that sending here?
BASH: Exactly. It is abundantly clear Democratic leaders, those who actually voted for it, don't want to be associated with this. There are going to be Democrats in the room, make no mistake about it, from Capitol Hill, but there will be mostly Democrats from the House who are more conservative who voted for this package.
But the fact of the matter is it is highly controversial. Brooke, I was reading the breakdown of the house vote that timely approved this last night, 112 Democrats voted against it. Now, that's not as many as were threatening to, because it did pass, but 112 Democrats against it and 138 Republicans for it.
So that just shows you the dynamics here. And really how unusual and unique this is when it comes to the Obama presidency.
BALDWIN: Let's remind everyone while we're sitting waiting for the president, remind everyone what this bill entails. The fact none of our taxes will be going up the first of the year. They extended two years the temporary extension of the so-called Bush tax cuts. No one's tax go up come the first of the year.
Also, it will be extending the unemployment benefits for 13 months, cutting payroll tax by two percentage points, reinstating the estate tax to a lower level, and there is also a grab bag of other tax cuts.
But I know there was a bone of contention with the House Democrats, Dana, with regard to that estate tax and there were, you know, questions as to whether or not they would try to slip something in that bill that would at least raise the estate tax, and they were not successful last night in doing that.
BASH: That's right. They tried. They had to vote late last night to change that estate tax provision, make it less generous, so to speak, to wealthy Americans, and they did not succeed in doing that. That is why the package did not change and that controversial estate tax provision, which is just one of several controversial provisions as far as Democrats are concerned, stayed in the way the president and vice president negotiated it with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who's going to be in that room today.
BALDWIN: Dana Bash, stand by. We're going to try to sneak a quick break as we wait for the president in the White House. Stand by, folks. We will be right back.
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BALDWIN: Again, we are waiting, we are watching. See that podium? We're hoping to see President Obama any moment now walking there, officially signing that tax cut bill into law. It's a bill that passed the Senate on Wednesday, extending those so-called Bush era tax cuts. And then the House stayed up pretty late last night passing it as well, now it will be in the hands of the president to sign this and make this bill officially a law today.
We have Dana Bash standing by on Capitol Hill and also Candy Crowley for us in Washington. Candy, I'd like to tap into your political expertise, if I can, and just begin with the simple question, and that is, is this a victory for President Obama or is it more bittersweet?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, just purely politically it's a pretty good victory for him. The Democrats were upset about it. They're upset about a number of things president Obama has done. They're upset about losing in November. So it was a rough go.
But he actually put a lot of capital behind this. He pushed hard. He stuck with it. He didn't buckle when the left of his party and that is his base began to push back. It sounds like he's about to come in?
BALDWIN: We're listening. Do we know what the announcement -- let's listen. Ah, I'm told in my ear the program will begin shortly. So we will continue to tap dance, Candy Crowley. Continue your thought. You said this is victory.
CROWLEY: Yes. It's a good political victory for the president, which -- look, I think the story of next year is going to be how the left of his party deals with the president and how the president deals with the left of his party. And I think we saw the prologue to that play out over this tax cut debate.
It's going to be rough, and they -- they still look around and say we have a democrat in the White House, we have to stick to these things we believe and one of them is the wealthy don't need the tax cuts.
The president in order to get a compromise bow to reality of what's going to happen in January when Republicans take over the House and have a bigger minority in the Senate, went ahead and came up with this compromise.
It certainly made Democrats jus upset, some Republicans, but he had the biggest battle with Republicans. It's going to play out over the next year as we see the president trying to position himself against not just the political realities of the moment but about the fact the 2012 presidential race is about to begin.
BALDWIN: It is, indeed.
Candy, stand by for me. I want to go back to Dana Bash. Dana, my question is, if you can, explain the significance, the fact that none of those democratic leaders will be standing by the president as he signs this, yet ranking Republican Mitch McConnell will be there. What do you think of that? BASH: It's fascinating and speaks to the dynamic of this tax cut compromise. We talked earlier about all of the offices of the Democratic leadership us told us they were just busy but we know every Democrat here would drop anything to go to the White House for a signing ceremony for something they believed in. This is not one of those things.
And the fact of the matter is, as we mentioned earlier, this really is an illustration of something that is very new and, as Candy was pointing out, could be the beginning of the future or the beginning of the Obama presidency working with the Republican-led House come January and many, many more Republican senators in the United States Senate.
And Candy was talking about the fact that President Obama is -- this is sort of the first fight he's going to have with the left. Boy, you saw it really did bubble over. The mistrust among some of the more liberal members of Congress, the liberal wing of the president's party is unbelievable.
The word cave was used so many times on this compromise. And they're worried about what that portends for the future.
BALDWIN: But, Dana, was it just the far left? There were also some moderate liberals who were upset with the president.
BASH: Yes. Oh, absolutely, there were. I should point out that many of those, though, Brooke, did end up voting for this compromise.
So, at the end of the day, when you have an 81-vote -- 81 senators voting for this, it shows that a lot of the Democrats who we talked to early on as soon as this compromise came out who were really angry and really open about it, many of them came around at the end and decided what the president decided, which is you can't have everything; this is the best we can do.
