Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
MTV Show on Abortion Causes Controversy; Shunning Royal Treatment?; Bill Clinton Warned To "Butt Out" of Chicago Mayoral Race; Under Water Down Under; Frozen Northern Ireland; Fears of Grow of Mudslides; Teens and the Media; Rape Accusations and Doubt
Aired December 29, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Now watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: A teenage girl and her boyfriend staring down a difficult decision and a TV crew documents that decision to end a pregnancy. But you may be surprised the impact that this show is having on your kids.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: My job right now is to help bring focus to this.
BALDWIN (voice-over): George Clooney wants satellites to help stop violence in Sudan.
A warning to Bill Clinton: Butt out of the Chicago mayor's race. And it has to do with his relationship to the black community.
PRINCE WILLIAM, UNITED KINGDOM: It's really easy being with each other, and it's really fun.
BALDWIN: Prince William and his new bride will say no to household help. But how long do you think that will last?
And this puppy has a nose for trouble, and eyes and ears and neck, too, for that matter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Hello. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Good to be back with you on this Wednesday.
A lot of news happening right now. Rapid fire, I want to begin with the situation still unfolding there in Michigan. Emergency crews, they're out there looking for two people trapped still at this hour by an explosion at that furniture store in suburban Detroit. Wayne City manager John Zech says he was two miles away from the scene this morning, he still felt the blast when it happened.
He blames a natural gas leak. In fact, you can see the search- and-rescue here still under way, still digging through the rubble, live pictures thanks to our affiliate WDIV out of Detroit.
Now, the furniture store owner was pulled from the rubble this morning. He was taken to the hospital. We understand he's in critical condition right now. But, again, we are sitting here. We're waiting for a live news conference. And as soon as we get any information from that, I will most definitely pass that along to you.
Next, take a look at these police mug shots. These are all the same man. I know. Look hard -- 19 times in jail over 11 years for Gregory Favors of Atlanta. Five arrests this year alone, jail records say, for drugs, breaking and entering, stealing cars.
The family of a Georgia State Trooper is angry today that he was out of jail with such a rap sheet. But here's why. Favors is now charged with murder, accused of shooting dead trooper Chadwick LeCroy during a traffic stop. Investigators say Favors took off in the trooper's patrol car after shooting him not once but twice Monday night. He waived his first court appearance today in Atlanta.
Next to Utah, where a couple there, they get engaged on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, they leave to go offroading and never come home again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The vehicle crashed, but it rolled multiple times down the hill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The recovery operation was difficult just in the sense that they are about 300 yards down a very steep ravine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Crews found their bodies hours after the families had reported them missing. The sheriff says he knew the young couple.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they enjoyed being outside. And anybody who has ever been engaged and getting ready to get married, they are just incredibly happy right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Police say heavy snow could be to blame for that awful accident.
Next, a man in Oregon says he's been robbed not once, not twice, eight times, eight in the past 10 months. Thieves have taken everything from car parts, jewelry, even his wife's ashes. The guy says he is out about $50,000.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB FULLERTON, ROBBERY VICTIM: Every time you leave the house, you're robbed, every time. It's pretty disheartening when you walk into your home and you have got doors off. I would chain the locks and I would still get burglarized.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Beyond disheartening. Police are still looking for suspect, but the victim says he knows who is doing it -- quote -- "meth-smoking scumbags" -- end quote.
Next, the clock is ticking for Billy the Kid. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has until Friday to decide whether he wants to pardon the legendary outlaw for killing a sheriff. Yes, that's an old story, like happening a century ago. But critics say a pardon would glorify a killer. Governor Richardson must decide by midnight on Friday, because that's when his governor's term ends.
Next, a Wisconsin girls' choir got a special belated Christmas present today. They performed for the pope. This is the Badger State Girl Choir. They sang Pope Benedict's regularly scheduled audience, which, by the way, broadcasts all around the world. They were also scheduled to perform for the afternoon mass at Saint Peter's Basilica. The Badger State Girl Choir international tour is expected to last through the beginning of the year.
How about that?
Next, one of the world's happiest places not letting anyone else in. We're talking about Disneyland selling out two hours after opening its doors today. This is the second straight day the theme park turned people away. Disney says overcrowding during the holidays is typical.
Next, beginning next month, all first-class postage stamps will be designated forever stamps. What does that mean? It means they will increase in value with the price of postage. So when prices rise again, and you know they will, you will not have to buy those one and two cent stamps that's just annoying to have to post on your envelopes, right, to pay the difference. Incidentally, the Postal Service is hoping for another price hike in the new year.
Next, a waitress turns good Samaritan, providing a Christmas miracle for this man in Ohio. Here's the story. The waitress at Walt's Barbecue found a bank envelope containing $1,200 in cash on one of her tables. So, she did the right thing, turned it into her boss.
The customer who lost it says it was money for his Christmas shopping. At first, he didn't know where he left it, but then he retraced his steps and, aha, it was there at the restaurant. And to his amazement, the money was at the restaurant waiting for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUKE KUCHTA, NEW PARENT: This is one of the, if not the most important, significant time of your life. So, to not have pictures is kind of crazy.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN: Moms, dads, do you agree? That guy was talking about the birth of his child. And now one hospital in Maryland is banning new parents from having cameras in the delivery room. Instead, the deal is this. You have to wait five minutes until after the baby is born to hit record. The hospital says it gives doctors and nurses a chance to focus on the delivery, kind of important. Obviously not everyone agrees, though, with the rule.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE BANKS, MOM-TO-BE: I would hate to wait five minutes. That would be way too long.
We don't know what we're having. So to kind of capture that -- that's what we have been waiting for all this time by not finding out what we're having, is that moment when the doctor's holding the baby and tells us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Well, one hospital says some hospitals might not want cameras out of a fear of being sued.
And, finally this. They say curiosity killed the cat. Forgive me. It's a cliche. But what does it do to the dog? Well, apparently curiosity not too kind to this canine. Look at this poor guy. This is Desert Hot Springs, California. The pooch is in a bit of a predicament, you could say.
How did this happen? Animal control officers responded when the 8-month-old German shepherd, Rebel, got its stuck in a block wall. Is it just me or is he kind of looking a little embarrassed? Happy ending, though. After a little nudging, tugging and 30 minutes of patience, officers got Rebel loose.
And now they are taking questions in Wayne, Michigan. There was that massive explosion this morning at the furniture store. The building collapsed. The owner is out, in critical condition, two people still missing. Let's listen.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They now go through each individual home, check for any gas that may be inside of homes, anything like that.
And once we're confident that those homes are clear for them to be able to return to, at that point then we will allow residents back into their building -- their homes.
QUESTION: Could that be today or tomorrow?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I suspect it's sometime this evening, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Greg, you want to come up and join us? Come on, Greg. Sure. Come on up.
QUESTION: Could you please talk first about the type of search this is in this kind of building. (OFF-MIKE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me just give -- yes. It is a very meticulous, a methodical search that goes on.
The structure has basically collapsed down, roof on to the floor. Therefore -- and the sides are leaving void spaces. The urban search and rescue team, they are in shoring up the surrounding edges and searching those void spaces to see what they can find inside of those void spaces.
They have utilized sounding equipment. We have dogs on scene to try and locate any potential victims that are inside of there. It's a very slow and tedious process. A lot of the debris removal is being done by hand. We have a lot of fire personnel on scene hand by hand removing debris in search of any potential victims.
QUESTION: How confident are you that you will be able to find these people alive? (OFF-MIKE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Want to join us, Don? Come on up here.
BALDWIN: All right. So here is potentially -- and perhaps I'm just trying to be optimistic here at this hour. They mentioned dogs on the scene as they are still out there sort of looking for these two missing people. Perhaps this is really, truly still a rescue mission.
Remember, they pulled out Mr. Franks from Franks Furniture. The store has been there for 44 years. He's in critical condition. But the big question this hour is what has happened with those two people who apparently are still inside.
And you heard the guy describing the place. I mean, the roof has totally collapsed to the floor. But they have dogs out there, rescue crews combing the scene. As soon as we get information, hopefully good information, positive information, about those two individuals, we will bring it to you live here on CNN.
Meantime, switch gears. Let's talk California, a devastating scene there, heavy rains putting homes and people who live there totally at risk, and now urgent fears of more mudslides. We will get a live report from the ground. That is ahead.
Plus, tens of thousands currently zero water, no water. It's been like that, apparently, for eight days. And now crews are warning this. It's going to take a lot longer to fix. That is coming up.
And how will Prince William and Kate Middleton, or Katherine, live as a married couple? Apparently not a thing like his father. A royal watcher joins me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: News from Great Britain's royal family today, the family that is preparing to expand by exactly one princess. And the news today, it's not about the wedding. It's actually about William's and Kate's married life after the honeymoon.
And British newspapers are reporting today that the prince and princess are planning to live not very regally at all, no butlers, no maids, no chauffeurs. No private chefs? What kind of royal life is that? Come on.
We didn't believe it, so I reached out to Katie Nicholl. She covers the royal family for the newspaper "The Mail on Sunday." And she is on the phone with me right now.
Katie, is it true, no chefs, no servants? And, if it is, why?
KATIE NICHOLL, "THE MAIL ON SUNDAY": Well, Brooke, it is absolutely true.
They don't want to have all of the paraphernalia I think that comes with being a royal. I have written a book about these two. I have studied them. I have watched them over the last 10 years. And the one thing that I have to say about the pair of them is that they are so normal, they're probably so (AUDIO GAP) you and I, you just wouldn't believe it.
She loves cooking. He loves her cooking, which is a good thing. They like to make British dinner parties. Their favorite dish is something called toad in the hole. I don't know if you've ever heard of it.
BALDWIN: No.
(CROSSTALK)
NICHOLL: It's a it's a thoroughly -- well, it's a thoroughly fattening Britain dish which keeps you warm in the winter.
And they love all of this. They love the normality of a life in (INAUDIBLE) and Wales, and they don't want to have staff. They don't want to have chauffeurs. I think I have seen it's been a quite a thing for Kate Middleton to get (AUDIO GAP) having a protection officer.
This is something she's never had to have in her life before. Now she has one. And I think what they're both trying to do is preserve as much normality as they can while they can still have it. And at the moment, they can still have it.
BALDWIN: And perhaps a life without all these servants means normalcy. And I did read your book, Katie Nicholl. And you talk a lot about the modern royals. And perhaps this is just the perfect example of that.
But, reportedly, her -- his father, Charles, has like 109 -- I think 149 staffers. I wouldn't know.
NICHOLL: Yes.
BALDWIN: Maybe the life of a royal is demanding. Would it be possible to live life as potentially, eventually, king and queen without help?
NICHOLL: No. No, it won't. It absolutely won't.
And I think what is so fascinating, and again, something I talk about in the book, is when Diana married into the family and she had William and Harry, she didn't want to have nannies. She didn't want to have someone that looks after her children. And she went out of her way to work into her times to pick the children up from school and everything else. And she, of course, need help. She was doing the official duties, but she was determined right from the start that she wanted to interact with her family.
And I think Prince William is very like his mother in that respect. I think this is his way of retaining a sense of being ordinary. And I think when you are royal, the one thing that you want to be is probably the thing you can't be, which is normal and this is a way of him enabling that.
And you point out that his father has a huge amount of staff. And actually, over here in the U.K., Prince Charles is often criticized for having too many much staff. There's famously a valet who actually puts the toothpaste onto his toothbrush.
BALDWIN: Oh, no.
NICHOLL: And I don't think William wants that. He wants to be far more independent. And I certainly respect him for that and I think British public does as well.
BALDWIN: But perhaps part of that independence, and I think it's lovely and I applaud them for not needing all this help and wanting to live a normal life, but there's also the issue of privacy. And I imagine, Katie, they have to have some kind of -- I don't know if help is the right word, but people, security watching out for them. Perhaps a lesson they would learn from their mother, Princess Diana.
NICHOLL: They absolutely do, Brooke. And I know quite a few of the people that look after them security-wise and they give them an awful lot of space and privacy. I mean, especially for Kate.
You must remember, she's never had a full-time protection officer, so having someone that's next to her in the car, accompanying her to the market, sleeping next door, it's very, very difficult.
So Kate has had a lot to get used to in a short space of a time, and I think perhaps if she was to have a chef and a butler and a team of staff, I think that might be quite difficult for her to get used to. So I also think that this is William's way of protecting Kate and making sure that her entry into the royal family is as gentle and as palatable as he can possibly make it.
But yes, of course, they need security and they need protection, they are royals.
BALDWIN: Of course. They are. They are, lest we have to all remember that. Katie Nicholl, author of "William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls." It's an excellent book. Katie, thank you. I don't know having a chef, I don't think that would be too difficult to have. Maybe that's just me. Katie, thank you.
Coming up next, I want to talk about George Clooney setting up surveillance to stop bloodshed in Sudan. We'll tell you how you can check in on the situation there. That is ahead.
And did you think that the race for mayor of Chicago would be boring? First, Rahm Emanuel takes the stand to defend his residency and now someone is out there warning Bill Clinton, his words exactly, to butt out, and it has everything to do with race. Brianna Keilar is standing by for me and she has the "Political Pop." That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: You know, Bill Clinton was so popular with African- Americans, author Toni Morrison dubbed him "the first black president." Well, now Clinton will campaign for the guy who helped elect the real first black president, Rahm Emanuel.
But one of the opponents in the Chicago Democratic mayoral race call it is an effort to, quote, "thwart the legitimate political aspirations of Chicago's black community." Danny Davis is telling Bill Clinton essentially to butt out, but butt out of what?
To help me answer that question, I want to bring in Brianna Keilar for our "Political Pop."
Brianna, good to see you today.
We're talking about butting out. What is he supposed to butt out of?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, butt out the Chicago's mayor race because you have two black candidates who are also in this race contending against Rahm Emanuel.
This is Danny Davis, he is a congressman from Illinois. He is saying this to the former president in a very strongly worded paper statement. And this is because Clinton is planning to going to Chicago to campaign for Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff, as you mentioned. He is the frontrunner ahead of the two black candidates. You have Davis, you also have another Democratic contender here, former Senator Carol Moseley Braun.
And Clinton is, as you know, he's got a lot of support in the black community and Davis is saying, check this out, that that relationship may be fractured or even broken if Clinton comes to Chicago to, quote, "participate overtly in efforts to thwart the political aspirations of Chicago's black community."
BALDWIN: They are stinging words coming from, as you pointed out, an Illinois congressman. I'm just curious, Brianna, any response yet from Clinton's camp? KEILAR: They haven't responded yet. I think, obviously, a lot of supporters of Clinton think that he has a lot of support in the black community and in the long run this wouldn't be a problem for him.
BALDWIN: And in reading about this, this is not certainly the first time that Clinton has dealt with actually push back from the black community. He was there in '08 campaigning for his wife and experienced it then as well.
KEILAR: Yes, that's right. In 2008, you'll remember, he had some of the sharpest criticism against Barack Obama. He was questioning his competency and he saw his approval ratings drop there among the black community.
The black community really thinking that some of those sharp words that Clinton had for Obama, I mean, they just did not sit well for sure, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Switching gears, topic number two, tell me what is the Charles B. Rangel Legal Defense Trust? What is that?
KEILAR: Well, this is the story that will never end, first off. This is a fund that people can donate to and they donate it expressly for purpose paying Charles Rangel's legal fees.
We've talked so much about Charles Rangel, right, Brooke? He was the veteran New York Democrat.
BALDWIN: You have.
KEILAR: I know, I've been covering this for -- I mean, it's been years now. He stepped down this past year from one of the most powerful posts in Congress. He was the chair of the House Tax Writing Committee, amid, of course, the ethical concerns. But yes, this is to pay his legal fees.
BALDWIN: So there has been, correct me if I'm wrong, some sort of complaint filed with regard to this trust, correct?
KEILAR: Yep. That's -- well, actually, it's not with regard to this trust. Because of a complaint that has been filed, that's why sources say that he has this trust.
BALDWIN: Got it.
KEILAR: So there's been a complaint filed by a Republican group that has had complaints about him in the past. And the complaint that was filed said that Rangel was using campaign donations to pay for his legal fees.
Because remember, this whole ethics thing that went on and eventually led to him to be censured by the whole House, this is something that went on for almost the entire last Congress. It cost millions of dollars. And so this group is saying that they used campaign funds. They've lodged a complaint with the FEC. And you have sources with the Rangel camp now saying, OK, he needs more money to pay for legal fees to address this allegation, even though these sources are saying that he's done nothing wrong, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Well, Brianna Keilar, we're glad we had you back today. You've been talking Charlie Rangel for years. We're going to make you talk about it at least one other day.
Brianna, thank you so much. Thank you.
KEILAR: Major parts of Australia declared disaster zones. Flooding there wreaking havoc. Some locals are being evacuated by helicopters and it is not over. That's ahead.
Plus, there are growing fears that Sudan will be pushed into a civil war now just weeks from now. And of all people, George Clooney wants to prevent the violence using satellite. How will that happen?
Hala Gorani has the new details on these developing stories. We'll hit up Hala and go "Globe Trekking" next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Come with me now, one of my favorite segments, "Globe Trekking," checking the news all around the world today. And, of course, we love having the lovely Hala Gorani with CNN International.
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Just speak into the mike there.
BALDWIN: Very quick, quick readjustments.
All right, Hala, we've been talking a lot about the weather here in the United States, you know, gosh, we're talking Utah and California, Northeast, but you have news out of -- Australia?
GORANI: First in Ireland and second -- and I know you guys will be talking Moscow a bit later, and it's really a worldwide stories these weather stories that are affecting everyday life in Australia.
We're talking about half of the state of Queensland -- just to give you an idea, that's the size of Texas -- that is declared a disaster zone. Three times the size of Great Britain. One town's residents evacuated via Blackhawk helicopter. We're talking about hundreds of people evacuated, tens of thousands of people affected. And economically, this is going to be a disaster. Crops are ruined and businesses are not able to make the kind of money that they would be making right now. It's summer in Australia.
BALDWIN: It's summer. Yes. And some of the towns -- see where the towns are under the water and you feel for the businesses.
GORANI: And they're not out of the woods yet, because coastal areas in Queensland are next. BALDWIN: Oh, no.
GORANI: Experts are saying, look, we're not out of the woods, it's going to continue raining, precipitation is still going to be an issue. So look out for that.
BALDWIN: Speaking of water, this is what I had in my head, but a different kind, Ireland, 40,000 people --
GORANI: Too much water in Australia and not enough water in Northern Ireland here. This is Belfast, people lining up for what? Just drinking water.
They had a major freeze in Northern Ireland and then a sudden thaw. So as a result, pipes burst and 40,000 people are left without water. And in fact, it's so bad that Scotland is having to ship drinking water to Northern Ireland.
BALDWIN: How long is this going to last? Do we know? Do they know?
GORANI: At least another few days, at least. People --
(CROSSTALK)
GORANI: Exactly. And look at that little baby, absolutely.
People are lining up just to be able to take a shower in town halls and leisure centers and things like that. And for drinking water, they are allowed a few liters each, a gallon or two each household, per day.
BALDWIN: OK. And finally, we're talking about Sudan and there's a big -- it's a referendum in January.
GORANI: A referendum. The southern part of the country might declare independence, Sudan would be split in two. There was, of course, between north and south -- the mainly Christian south, the mainly Muslim north.
We hear the word Darfur most often associated with the Sudan.
BALDWIN: Right.
GORANI: In this case, the worry by George Clooney and his group "Not On Our Watch," he is now collaborating with the United Nations --
BALDWIN: Google, too.
GORANI: -- with the Harvard Humanitarian -- absolutely -- the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Google and experts that are going to look over satellite images and see are there signs of, you know, forced displacement, of villages being razed or raided, that kind of thing.
So he is saying, you can't say you didn't know. What this group is hoping to do is to publish these satellite images much quicker than they normally are. It normally takes about 15 days. They're hoping only 36 hours
BALDWIN: Who pays for this? Is it his group?
GORANI: This is the money raised by his group, "Not On Our Watch." And it costs about $750,000, up to a million dollars. And then if it continues, of course, in the future, it will continue to be funded.
BALDWIN: And isn't it just a website? I mean, anyone could eventually see the images, I think.
GORANI: Yes, anyone could see the images, but it takes experts to analyze them.
BALDWIN: Right, to figure out what it is you're looking at.
GORANI: And that is the hope. And George Clooney said something very powerful, look, if you had a camera in Auschwitz, say in 1943, you know, you would know what's going on. You could shoes to do nothing, but --
BALDWIN: But that's when you see it -
GORANI: -- but then you can't say did you not know. That is kind of the message. And this is also great when you think of the power of celebrities. Celebrity activism has become so big over the last decade.
BALDWIN: But perhaps in this case, it's a good thing.
GORANI: Yes.
BALDWIN: It's a good thing. Hala Gorani, thank you so much.
GORANI: Thank you.
BALDWIN: We are also monitoring the scene in California. Apparently, locals are being evacuated as heavy rains threaten homes and now, new fears. Look at this muck. New fears of this stuff, mudslides. We are live on the ground. That is ahead. And you thought the anger at the airport is bad in the U.S.? This is what Hala was just talking about. Wait until you see what's going on overseas. That is next in "Reporter Roulette."
But, first, this -- as the year winds down, CNN reporters are looking back at how some of the biggest stories, you know, unfolded, including the Times Square bomb plot. Remember that? Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Candiotti. It was May 1st, Mayday, warm, sunny and routine. But at dinnertime, everything went haywire. That's when a street vendor here in Times Square noticed a smoking car parked just about there. It was filled with explosives.
Fortunately, a bomb maker made some critical mistakes and New York bomb squad was able to diffuse the homemade contraption.
Two days later, naturalized U.S. citizen Faisal Shahzad was snagged on an airplane, about to leave the country. Eventually, he pleaded guilty, defiantly.
But what happened here in Times Square serves as a reminder that no one can let their guard down when it comes to keeping an eye out for would-be terrorists.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: All right. We have mud, we have snow, and angry, angry air travelers -- time to play "Reporter Roulette."
And I want to begin in California with Casey Wian in Highland -- where, Casey, they have already experienced quite a mess with a lot of rain. And now, more rain is imminent.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Actually, it's been raining on and off all morning, Brooke. But it hasn't rained that much. You wouldn't know it from looking at these pictures behind me.
Look at all this mud and muck, and that is because this ground is so saturated, left over from the devastating rain, storms that hit this area last week. Residents are just beginning to go back into their homes and try to clean up the mess from last week. Some of these backyards at these homes behind us have four to five feet of mud in their backyards. But we are now seeing a tapering off of the rain.
Residents here and local officials hope that the storm has passed. But what you're telling me is, because this ground is so saturated, any rain over the next couple of weeks could have devastating consequences -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: Casey, before I let you go, what kind of help have these people gotten thus far?
WIAN: Lots of help. In fact, you can see some of these folks behind me, the sandbags behind me, they have been laying these sandbags all morning and trying to shovel out some of the areas there. They are from the California Department of Corrections.
They are volunteers who normally go out and fight fires. But they're also enlisted into this kind of duty. And they provided a lot of assistance to residents in this community, laying sandbags, putting up K-rails, and trying to clean out the storm drains to make sure that the disaster that happened here last week doesn't happen again, Brooke.
BALDWIN: I cannot get over those muddy pictures. Casey Wian, thank you so much. And next on "Reporter Roulette," we have meteorologist Chad Myers who's watching an avalanche watch in Utah. Watching a watch.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Watching a watch.
BALDWIN: There you go.
MYERS: Waiting for it to be a warning. Yes, watching a watch.
But I want to you notice, in Utah right here, yes, it's snowing there. But look at the West. We've been talking about rain in L.A. and I'll show you that in a second. But look at all the way from Fargo, down to about North Platte through Denver, that entire western half of the United States is either under a winter storm warning, a r some type of watch, or a winter weather advisory.
So, what was an East Coast storm yesterday and the day before has moved away and another storm has certainly moved into the West and it's continuing now all the way from L.A. and eastward, although the rain is just about over from where Casey was, we're seeing snow back up here into Utah, heavy, heavy rain into the Valley of the Sun. There's no sun though in Phoenix (INAUDIBLE) today. And it's going to be one wet and white week depending -- weekend depending on where you are.
Let's go to some pictures right now -- this is in northern Utah where it has been snowing up on the benches and snowing in the ski resorts as well.
BALDWIN: What is that? Clouds?
MYERS: That is clouds all the way to the ground and then inside that or a little bit higher than that would be the snow that's coming all the way down to the ground and piling up, especially through those passes east of Salt Lake City.
BALDWIN: Watching the watch in Utah.
MYERS: There you go.
BALDWIN: Chad, thank you.
MYERS: Sure.
BALDWIN: And next on "Reporter Roulette," Matthew Chance is in Moscow, where angry passengers there went on the attack all because of the weather as well.
Matthew, to you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Brooke. With all this snow and ice for months on end every year, you might think Russia's airports would be used to dealing with all this freezing weather. But just like in the U.S. and elsewhere, I see conditions in Moscow caused major disruptions as well. With hundreds of flights canceled. Thousands of stranded passengers here have been voicing their frustration.
One video clip posted on YouTube shows crowds of people sitting on the floor of one of Moscow's biggest airports, banging on makeshift drums in protest at the delays. Freezing rain's of the weekend left a thick layer of ice on runways, roads, and aircraft, causing all of this havoc.
Russia's state news agency says angry passengers who have left with that information about their flights attacked airline staff and at one point, even stormed passport control at one airport.
Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, has ordered a full inquiry into the delays and how they were handled by the airlines themselves. Airport authority say the backlog of flights is now being cleared, but hundreds in the Russian capital are still marooned (ph).
Back to you, Brooke.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Matthew Chance for us -- Matthew, thank you.
And that is today's "Reporter Roulette."
And coming up: the provocative documentary that perhaps you've seen as a parent -- maybe your teenagers. It follows a teenage couple for their decision whether to abort their second pregnancy. So, the question we're asking is: do these types of TV shows influence teens to make good choices or bad choices.
And what would you think if this was your neighbor's house? What is that? This guy apparently has a little something to hide.
But, first, this -- if your number one goal is to get a boozing buzz on New Year's Eve, you will be interested to hear this next list from our friends over at "The Daily Beast." I saw this morning, had to get this on the show -- the top five drunkest cities in America. Can you guess?
Here we go. Let's start at number five: Reno, Nevada, where they drink an average of 12.13 drinks per person per month.
Number four: this is a nice little party down, college town, Austin, Texas, home of U.T. It maybe makes sense.
Number three: San Francisco, close to Wine Country. I have friends from Wine Country in the studio right now. They are nodding their heads, yes. Nearly 20 percent of adult there is are binge drinkers.
So, which cities drink the rest of the cities under the table? That answer when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: All right. Take a look at my friends. Wave, you guys. You guys look so unhappy in the studio. These are my friends from Amum (ph), from a high school here in Atlanta, some of whom live in Wine Country. And she was nodding her head when we were saying, yes, Wine Country, San Francisco, number three drunkest city.
But before -- thanks, guys. Before you uncork on Friday, I want to finish this -- hear the Irish music. Very nice, guys.
Let's finish this list of America's drunkest cities courtesy of "The Daily Beast." And we mentioned, Reno, Nevada, Austin, Texas, also, San Francisco.
So, number two, would have guessed, Fargo, North Dakota. It's kind of cold there, you got to warm up. More than 21 percent of adults there are binge drinkers.
And the number one, come on now, Milwaukee's best. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, renowned beer capital of the world. Average drinks per month, 12.76. Congratulations, Milwaukee.
All right. Now, to a very serious topic. Last hour, we talked to you about this new TV documentary that follows this teenage couple facing their second unplanned pregnancy. And they kept the baby the first time around. But this time around, the second time around, they considered ending the pregnancy. I want you to watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARKAI, SINGLE MOTHER: If we have this other child, just imagine how bad it will be. Like, I don't want, (INAUDIBLE) girl like me-- I mean, I was born and since I was 8 years old, learning about money, how are we going to get it, are we going to stay in the streets, or are we going to be evicted or are we moving?
JAMES, SINGLE FATHER: I've been without no water, I've been without no lights, I've been without no food and house. And it's like I'm not going to put nobody else through that if I can.
MARKAI: I don't want you working two jobs. Like that's my dad's excuses for, you know, not being in me and my sister's life because he always had to work. Most likely, I'm going to have to get a full-time job and go to school. Our kids are never going to see us. Our kids are never going to, you know, grow up the way we want our kids to grow up.
JAMES: I understand. I mean, not only set ourselves up to fail, but on top of that setting up our kids to fail, and that's one thing I'm never going to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So that was a documentary called "No Easy Decision." And I wanted to talk quite a little further. It's pretty powerful stuff. You know, MTV has had some provocative programming about teens and sex lately, from this abortion documentary to the show that's actually a spinoff from "16 and Pregnant."
So, my question, or at least one of my questions is this: Do these shows glorify these difficult topics? I spoke with Amy Kramer. She's with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Here's what she told me.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMY KRAMER, NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT TEEN AND UNPLANNED PREGNANCY: No, it doesn't strike me as glamorous and truly nothing on any of these "16 and pregnant" episodes has struck me as glamorous. I think, if you watch the show, there's no way that you can look at the struggles that these young people are dealing with and say, oh, that's what I want. That looks great. That looks glamorous and sexy.
BALDWIN: So, instead, Amy, what's your takeaway listening to that clip? What did you make of the clip?
KRAMER: Well, I thought the whole special last night was rather extraordinary. You know, we rarely hear these kinds of conversations going on among people of any age when it comes to terminating pregnancies. And I think what the special did, which was what all of these "16 and Pregnant" episodes have done is show that once there's a pregnancy, every road ahead is really hard. Whether you choose to be a parent, whether you choose to make an adoption plan, which we've seen on "16 and Pregnant," or whether you choose to end that pregnancy. All of those decisions are really difficult.
BALDWIN: And, you know, I sat down, I watched the entire half hour this morning. And before we play another clip -- because there was one clip that really struck me, so wait for that -- but I just have to play devil's advocate, because, Amy, some may say, hang on, the mother -- her name is Markai -- she got herself pregnant and she talks about how she skipped her shot, her birth control shot. You know, onus is on her.
And here she is. MTV is putting her on TV, giving her perhaps a sliver of fame. What do you say to those people that still say, you know, having a documentary on abortion, their choice to have this abortion, it is -- still, those people say, it's glamorous? They are making her famous.
KRAMER: Well, we actually did some research earlier this year about that very topic, and 82 percent of teens who have seen the show say that it doesn't glamorize teen pregnancy. In fact, they say that it helps them better understand the challenges of pregnancy and parenting.
And that's really important, because teenagers, the vast majority of teen girls who get pregnant -- there are 750,000 girls who got pregnant in the U.S. this year. Most of them didn't think it would happen to them. So once you start personalizing these risks and these consequences, it helps you to make better decisions to actually prevent pregnancy.
BALDWIN: And this is very, very personal between Markai and James.
And I want to play this clip, because to your point about the 82 percent who really said, look, this began, a conversation, you see the challenges of becoming pregnant and how to avoid it, the couple, they opt for this abortion, that's what essentially this 30 minutes is about. And the day after the abortion, I want to play a part of it.
This is the part that really struck me. There's this whole discussion between the two about James having referred to the pregnancy, talking to Markai, first to the pregnancy as a "thing." Listen to that and then we'll talk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "NO EASY DECISION")
MARKAI DURHAM: A thing could turn out like that. That's what I remember. A thing can turn out just like that. Nothing but a bunch of cells can be her.
JAMES, SINGLE FATHER: This is not just a difficult decision for you, because if I did see 10 fingers, 10 toes, I wouldn't be able to do it. We agreed when we laid out all of our options that we weren't going to get too attached.
DURHAM: We made the decision, but, like, I wonder if we could have made a better one.
(END VIDEO CLIP, "NO EASY DECISION")
BALDWIN: "I wonder if we could make a better one."
I mean, Amy, when you watch -- this was after she had the abortion -- it's not like she walked away and said, oh, great decision, moving on. I mean, it's very clear, this weight on her. And I think to your point, it will show young girls and guys a window into the world of teen pregnancy and how to avoid it.
KRAMER: Exactly. Exactly. And I can't praise James and Markai enough for their generosity and their courageousness in allowing people to be part of this incredibly personal chapter in their lives. And I think that the way that they have discussed it and how they are experiencing it is exactly how millions of other women and men experience this very same issue. It's not an easy decision.
BALDWIN: Amy Kramer, my thanks to you.
And now this -- a college baseball star accused of rape during a trip to the Bahamas. Well, today, there was new information about what the girls involved told police.
We're "On the Case" coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: There is a law in California -- in fact, I'm sure you've heard of it -- it aims to keep sex offenders away from children. But one lawmaker is worried that that law has a surprise effect, and now he wants to change it. We are "On the Case" with Sunny Hostin, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: And now a quick peek at tomorrow's news today. Let's "Fast Forward."
Do you think drinking and driving is a big concern during the holidays? How about this? Now a campaign to make you think twice about texting and driving has been released, and it is just as bad. I want you to watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is her cell phone that she used in the accident. Four little letters, that's what killed her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: It's a pretty poignant PSA. I watched all 10 minutes of it. I encourage you to do the same. Tomorrow, I'm going to be talking to a woman whose family was forever changed by a texting and driving crash, and she's hoping this new ad campaign will strike a nerve in your family.
Also looking ahead here, what is the best resolution for next year, 2011? How about, dare I say, no resolution at all? Deepak Chopra will be on the program New Year's Eve to explain his philosophy for making yourself a better, happier person all year long, and not just on the first of the year.
Watch this now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We see that all the time with athletes. People are accused, accused, accused. So, for me, any kind of case like that, you have to -- for me, at least -- you have to prove it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He seems like a great guy and a great icon for the university.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: A star athlete accused of rape during a beach vacation. What really went on in the Bahamas and will the alleged victims' stories actually hold up in court?
Sunny Hostin is on that case. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Welcome back.
You know, a California lawmaker says a fix is needed for Prop 83. Maybe you don't know it as that. You've probably heard of Jessica's Law. Well, the law sets restrictions on where sex offenders can live. More than 30 states have some sort of iteration of Jessica's Law. It's named after this young girl, Jessica Lunsford, the 9-year-old who was abducted and killed by a registered sex offender in Florida. This was five years ago.
Well, now a growing number of sex offenders are now becoming homeless in California as a result of the law which bars them from living within 2,000 feet of a school or a park. Well, California State Senator Mark Leno says thousands of offenders, because of that, they have to go off the grid. They go underground, so they are not monitored at all.
Sunny Hostin is "On the Case" for us today in New York.
And Sunny, the law we know this, is supposed to protect little children, but perhaps it sounds like some communities are becoming less safe as a result.
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, that's absolutely true. And I think that a panel of experts recently said that these communities are really becoming unsafe because approximately 80 percent of sex offenders are homeless.
Those homeless people cannot be monitored, they can't be tracked, and are more likely to reoffend. And that's what the studies are showing.
I think the real question, though, is, Brooke, what is the answer to this? What politician, what voter is going to get behind a repeal of that law?
I think it's going to be very difficult to do anything about it. If anything can be done, perhaps the restriction can be lessened. Instead of 2,000 feet from a park or from a school, perhaps 1,000 feet in those communities that are really dense. But a total repeal of this very important law, in my view, is never, ever going to happen.
BALDWIN: Yes. That's a tough one. We'll follow up on that out of California.
But I want to switch gears and talk about this rising college baseball star, and also two friends. All of them have been accused of rape in the Bahamas.
Here's pictures of them playing baseball. Total stars there at FIU. Twenty-year-old Garret Wittels of Florida International University, of FIU, two friends, also were arrested in the Bahamas last week.
Now, FIU's star player and the two 21-year-olds are charged with the rape of two 17-year-old American girls down there on vacation, tourists. All three young men have been released on $10,000 bond a piece.
Now, this assault allegedly happened at the Atlantis Resort and Casino. And blood tests, Sunny, just to keep setting it up, they show the girls were not drugged, but there was evidence of alcohol. And in the Bahamas, the age of consent for sex is 16, but you have to be 18 to drink.
The girls say they don't remember what happened in this hotel room with these guys. The guys say the sex was consensual.
Now, so far -- and I want to get this out here -- so far, Florida International University, not talking about the case. The NCAA says any sanctions that might affect Wittels' standing on the FIU baseball team would have to come from the school.
All of that said, I want you to explain, Sunny, the rape charge since the girls were apparently too impaired to remember what exactly happened.
HOSTIN: Yes, the rape charge is really based on the fact that they were drinking and perhaps unable to consent, too impaired to consent. That is the basis of these charges.
I have to say, Brooke, our viewers know, you know I was a sex crimes prosecutor and I've dealt with cases like this. These are very difficult cases to prove because your complaining witness cannot remember what happened.
How does a prosecutor put someone on the witness stand and that person says, I don't recall what happened? And on the other side, you have the defendants saying, I recall what happened, she consented. This is a very difficult cases for the Bahamian authorities.
BALDWIN: Is there, Sunny -- 30 seconds -- is there any surveillance video here?
HOSTIN: There is a surveillance video. Apparently, the video is of the girls drinking at a lounge at the hotel prior to the young men approaching them. And the video allegedly also shows the young girls sort of gesturing for the men to join them.
And so that's probably going to be a very big piece of evidence here in this trial, should it go to trial. Apparently, there's going to be some sort of hearing in February.
BALDWIN: We will follow it, right along with you, Sunny Hostin. Thank you, as always, "On the Case."
HOSTIN: Thanks, Brooke.
BALDWIN: And with that, I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for watching.
I'm going to send it up to Suzanne Malveaux in Washington with "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- Suzanne.
