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Violence Outside Florida Movie Theater; Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing; Snow Chaos in New York City; Earthquake in Indiana?
Aired December 30, 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: Let's talk about fact that the holidays bring out the best in us, don't they? I'm being a tad facetious there.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: I want to begin the show with three different pieces of video. They're all, you know, showing people, everyday people, just like you and me, in extraordinary circumstances.
And I want to first begin with this video in Texas. Take a good look. We don't normally see surveillance video this clear. This is an armed robbery in progress. This is a tobacco shop in Waco. You see the two clerks? They get down on the floor. They hit the floor. They give up about 150 bucks.
But you saw as the bad guys turn for the door, the clerk -- and we will -- we will loop this again so you can see it -- the clerk sneaks out a gun and fires on them. You see them. They hit the ground. Then reaches up, fires at the guy as he's trying to leave. Now, the clerk who fired the revolver says he's pretty sure he hit one of the guys, but apparently they managed to get away.
Now, from Texas, I want to take you to Florida, where the beating of a homeless man was caught on tape. This is outside of a bar. Look at this with me. Look at the guy in the red hooded sweatshirt. He hauls off on the man in the great shirt from behind. You have to wait for it here.
See, there he goes, hauls off on him. So, the guy goes down. The homeless guy is out. He's on the ground. And then the guy who threw the punch, he's so pumped up that, when he turns around and heads back in the other direction, he punches someone else standing nearby.
Wait for that. There he goes. But now here's the twist. The man on the cell phone video throwing the punches, his dad is a police officer. His name is Justin Collison. And CNN has just learned an arrest warrant has now been issued for his arrest.
So far, we have been trying and unsuccessful in our attempts to reach him or his father. But when reporters questioned police at a news conference, here's what they said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. JERRY HARGRETT, SANFORD, FLORIDA, POLICE DEPARTMENT: We're not trying to protect anyone. We're not trying to sweep it up under the rug. We're just -- we're going to get to the bottom of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Now, we have learned that police commanders are disappointed with the way officers handled this case the night of the beating, which, by the way, was December 4.
Now, the police captain says he first saw the video on TV.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Listen to them yelling -- on TV, even though it was collected in evidence the night of the incident.
Now, Collison's father, a lieutenant with the Sanford, Florida, Police Department, apparently was not on duty that night.
And now to a story anyone who goes for a night out at the movies can relate to. This is about a U.S. Marine on leave for the holidays. He goes to the movies with his wife in Bradenton, Florida. And when they try to shush some teenagers in a couple of rows in this movie theater, all hell breaks loose.
Here is Summer Smith from our affiliate Bay News 9.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUMMER SMITH, BAY NEWS 9 REPORTER (voice-over): Federico and Kayln Freire say they will never think of Bradenton the same again.
FEDERICO FREIRE, BRADENTON, FLORIDA: I'm a proud Marine. I love this country. I love serving it. I'm just disappointed in the town that I grew up in.
SMITH: Freire just returned from a tour in Iraq and is visiting family for the holidays.
On Saturday night, Christmas, he and his wife went to the movies at the Carmike Royal Palm 20. As they were watching the film, they asked a group of noisy teens to be quiet. It was a request that led to a surprising reaction.
KAYLN FREIRE, BRADENTON, FLORIDA: They cussed at me and said words that I would never even repeat.
SMITH: Things got much worse. After walking out of the movie, the two were surrounded by a large group and attacked. F. FREIRE: He was saying, "I'm going to hit your wife." And I couldn't get to her on time. He knocked her out and then I started chasing him.
SMITH: Freire's wife says the group was about to start kicking her when a good samaritan stepped in to help.
K. FREIRE: They swarmed around me, a whole group of them, and the guy with the guy got his gun, and they all backed off.
SMITH: Deputies arrived pretty quickly, but, as you can see in this video shot by Freire's wife, the chaos didn't stop.
At one point, hundreds of people were outside just watching.
(on camera): The couple says they didn't see any security guards here the night of the incident. They say theater management told them, typically, they have one to two off-duty law enforcement officers here. However, on Christmas night, no one was available.
The couple says they are now considering filing against the theater because of the lack of security.
(voice-over): A night they say they will never forget and ruined their holiday vacation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Well, as we all know, there are two sides to every story.
I want you to listen to another report -- this is actually from the same reporter -- as she catches up with one of the teenage girls here involved in that melee outside that theater in Bradenton.
Again, Summer Smith from Bay News 9.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH (voice-over): Standing beside here parents, 14-year-old Brittani Collins says she is not the bad girl she has been portrayed.
BRITTANI COLLINS, ACCUSED OF MOVIE FIGHT: We were not doing anything. We were just saying stuff about the movie.
SMITH: Collins says she and her cousins exchanged words with Federico Freire, a Marine, and his wife, Kayln, at the Carmike theater in Bradenton on Christmas night. Management kicked them out.
However, Collins says the couple caused the problems and cussed and threatened them.
L. COLLINS: Yes, I was scared.
SMITH: The couple and his wife left the movies as well. Outside, they all met up again. Collins says she was hit in the lip. Collins' parents say the Freires were in the wrong.
LEON COLLINS, FATHER OF TEEN ACCUSED OF MOVIE FIGHT: These are the bunch of teens. They're going to have teenage mouths. They're going to say teenage things. But we, as adults, we have to be the ones to look over it, especially a Marine.
SMITH: Shortly after, large crowds gathered and law enforcement arrived. Five people were arrested. Twenty-year-old Destiny McNeil was one of them.
DESTINY MCNEIL, ARRESTED OUTSIDE THEATER: I just felt like I was embarrassed because I was plastered all over the news, like I was a criminal.
SMITH: McNeil says she knew nothing about the fight and was only outside because the theater kicked everyone out.
Her mother is furious.
KATINA MCNEIL, MOTHER OF ARRESTED WOMAN: The situation with the Marines and his wife, that should have been handled and dispersed before these kids were let out of the movie theater, putting them -- it put them in jeopardy.
SMITH (on camera): The Freires were not arrested the night of the incident. And the sheriff's office says, as of now, they are not facing any charges. However, the investigation continues and detectives say they are taking every complaint very seriously.
(voice-over): The Freires deny the allegations and say they'd never hurt a teen and are still shocked over everything that happened.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: How about that? Summer Smith from our affiliate Bay News 9.
Again, the Marine and his wife are considering legal action, filing a lawsuit against the theater for lack of security.
Look at this now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vengeance is mine. Vengeance is mine! You rot in hell!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Whew. Police say that man's 12-year-old stepson was kidnapped on Christmas Eve, his burned body later found in a ditch. Well, now you just heard him. That stepfather is speaking out. He wants revenge. The emotional story is ahead.
And a former world leader is convicted of rape and sexual harassment, and his crimes happened while he was in office. We will get you those details ahead as well.
And we're also following breaking news out of Colorado: a Delta flight forced to make an emergency landing. And for the second day in a row, this involves a 757. We will get you an update on the breaking story next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: A couple of quick stories right now.
Want to get you to this story. That Delta plane, a 757, it is now on the ground in the Colorado Springs Airport there in Colorado. But it was not where it was supposed to land. Let me set this up for you.
The airline says the captain had to divert to Colorado Springs after an indication, you know, one of the lights went on, of engine trouble. All of the passengers evacuated on those -- you know, those inflatable slides? Delta is not yet confirming if there was, indeed, engine trouble or a fire on board.
And I want to bring in Chad Myers.
Apparently, according to Delta, they got two indicator lights while he was flying, one with regard to the possible problem with the engine, the second with a rear wheel overheat.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Right. When the --
BALDWIN: And --
MYERS: When the brakes were applied on land --
BALDWIN: Yes.
MYERS: -- on the surface, that's where the rear wheels overheated because the brakes were only used -- the wheel brakes were used to stop the plane.
That's what I --
BALDWIN: Got it.
MYERS: If -- the pilot said, OK, if I have a problem with my engine --
BALDWIN: Yes.
MYERS: -- I'm not going to use the reverse thruster on that side.
BALDWIN: Not a lot of people realize, when you're landing, the pilot kind of tosses it in reverse, right --
MYERS: Yes, essentially.
BALDWIN: -- upon landing.
MYERS: Yes.
BALDWIN: Yes.
MYERS: Exactly. He -- he puts the throttle full-throttle forward, but, in the back of the jet -- and you can only see this if you're behind the wing -- the engine turns itself backwards.
And there's these little -- these wings that come back. And they are called reverse thrusters.
BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.
MYERS: And they make the jet gas, the jet engine, push here, hit this, and then around and push -- push backwards, a lot like a jet- boat.
BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.
MYERS: That's how a jet-boat can back up, because you put this little cap on the back of the jet --
BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.
MYERS: -- and the jet pushes the water forward. This pushes air forward using the engine as the brake.
The pilot did not want to do that. And, hey, if I have a problem with my engine, I don't want to be using it as a brake.
BALDWIN: Right.
MYERS: He used the wheel brakes, and the wheel brakes overheated. Therefore, he got the light on the wheel brakes. And they're -- right now, we think that they're -- we -- we're told by Delta that there was a fire.
BALDWIN: Well, according to the FAA, they have confirmed there was a fire in the main landing gear.
MYERS: In the gear.
BALDWIN: That's just what I got on my note.
MYERS: Right.
BALDWIN: But that was once it was on the tarmac.
MYERS: The brakes got too hot.
BALDWIN: Got it.
MYERS: They got -- brakes got too hot. And that's when the pilot said, everybody out. We're not waiting for the gate. We're not waiting for -- we're not going any farther. Get on the chutes. And then two people were injured because, when you -- when you get off these chutes, and it's an emergency landing, you want to jump out and then on to the chute to land. And that's -- your brain doesn't want to do that. You just want to kind of slide, and you hit your bottom on the --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Well, that's what we imagine. We just know definitively --
MYERS: Yes.
BALDWIN: -- two injuries during the evacuation.
MYERS: It could have happened on the bottom --
BALDWIN: Yes.
MYERS: -- as well.
BALDWIN: Yes.
MYERS: But this is typical.
BALDWIN: All right.
Chad Myers, the expert on this today --
MYERS: Today.
BALDWIN: -- and jellyfish later. We will wait for that.
MYERS: I will be back with jellyfish.
BALDWIN: That will be interesting.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: That's right.
BALDWIN: Also, some other news unfolding right now.
A guilty verdict for the former president of Israel. The convictions include rape and sexual harassment for Moshe Katsav. Three women accused Katsav of assaulting them while he was president and also when he was a cabinet minister. Katsav had at one time agreed to a plea deal, but later changed his mind. He was Israel's president from 2000 all the way up to 2007 and resigned when these allegations emerged. Sentencing should be happening next month.
And a tragic follow-up to that blast. Remember, we brought this to you this time yesterday. It destroyed that Detroit-area furniture store, been in the community for some 44 years. Well, now we can tell the bodies of two store employees have been pulled from the rubble. The owner was injured in yesterday's blast. He was rescued. He is now in the hospital.
The update on him is the fact that he's in serious, but stable condition. So that is some good news. The cause of the explosion still under investigation, but it is believed to have been sparked by a natural gas leak. Crews are using heavy, heavy equipment to remove the heavy chunks of concrete and other debris there from that massive scene.
Her daughter was killed when she took her eyes off the road for seconds. That's all it took. You are going to hear a mother's desperate plea, a message to you and to me -- coming up.
Plus, folks in New York, they are still angry. Snow is still on the ground. So, will the city meet today's deadline to clear everything? We are just getting word why that cleanup effort may have started off so slow. Wait for that. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Well, here is a developing story for you out of New York City. We have been following the snowy saga.
Well, a possible explanation as to why the city's blizzard response appeared to be so slow, so inadequate, why the streets weren't plowed, why the buses weren't running.
Mayor Bloomberg was asked about that again today. Here is his response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (I), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: We went into this with the same plan, the same training, if not better, the same resources, if not more. The results were very different. That's what we're going to take a look at afterwards.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Well, listen to this.
Here is what we have just learned. CNN has learned of this possible slowdown, an intentional slowdown, by transportation and sanitation workers, a slowdown ordered from high above. CNN has learned that five workers have admitted to one city council member that their supervisors ordered a slowdown to protest impending budget cuts.
They say cleanup efforts were intentionally delayed, intentionally delayed. Rumors to this effect have been swirling all day long. The mayor was asked about that this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLOOMBERG: I don't think it took place. But we're going to do an investigation to make sure that it didn't. It would be an outrage if it took place. But I just don't know. John, do you want to add anything?
JOHN DOHERTY, NEW YORK CITY SANITATION COMMISSIONER: There's been a lot of speculation on that.
And, as a commissioner, I'm very concerned about it. But, as the mayor said, we're going to look at it. I have not seen that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Now, you heard the mayor say it would be an outrage. You also heard him say this charge is being investigated.
And now, as I have told you, we have five city workers coming forward saying supervisors ordered, intentionally, the slowdown of the snow removal to protest impending budget -- budget cuts. Well, we will have more on the story a little later.
But, on the topic of snow removal, you have to see this. And I'm going to play this audio here for you. This is a New York City snow plow driver backing into a car, getting himself stuck -- watch him go -- all the while, cursing out a crowd of onlookers.
Let's -- let's (INAUDIBLE) the sound up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How is he supposed to get by? (EXPLETIVE DELETED) How is he supposed to get by? (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Don't tell me -- don't tell me. (INAUDIBLE) (EXPLETIVE DELETED) (EXPLETIVE DELETED) holiday shopping. (INAUDIBLE) all came back the same time. (INAUDIBLE) (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: That's kind of colorful. It's New York, right?
Well, today, the sanitation chief said the need to remove the snow was so pressing, that he put desk workers on snow plows, put garage workers on snow plows, put garbage truck workers on snow plows. Perhaps that explains this one driver's performance at the wheel.
Something else I want to show you. As you know, the ball drops tomorrow night. Can you believe it? It's New Year's Eve tomorrow. And today they tested the ball -- there it goes, up it goes -- in Times Square. They did that right around noon Eastern today.
But here's the thing. They're still removing snow. And now they're down to 24 hours, give or take, until, you know, the big ball drop and to clear this path to Times Square for hundreds of thousands of people to revel in the new year. Will they get that done? Will they clear the path?
We sent Susan Candiotti out in the snow to try to find out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They have been bringing piles and piles of snow, frankly, by the truckload. All of this stuff is coming from Times Square.
And it's far from all of it. They keep bringing it in and bringing it in and bringing it in. Why? Because, of course, they want to get it out of there before the celebration tomorrow night. So, it's coming in by the truckload nonstop all day. And it will be going on all night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Will be going on all night, indeed.
And I want to remind you, before I move on, look, we're continuing to follow the -- this story. It's developing. We're getting updates sort of hour-by-hour here. And New York City transportation and sanitation workers say they were told by supervisors to slow down the snow -- snow removal, slow down to -- to protest these impending budget cuts.
And the union leader says, no, denying this whole thing. In fact, we invited the sanitation department to join me here live. And, so far, they have delayed responding to our request. So, we are going to stay on that. I have got people working the phones through this show to see if we will have that guest on the show live on CNN. Stand by. We will wait for it together.
Donate a kidney, and get out of prison -- that is what's happening to these sisters in Mississippi. It's an unusual move by the state governor. We are going to explain that coming up.
Plus, one person said it was like an explosion under your feet, an earthquake rattling Kokomo, Indiana. Wasn't the president there recently? I'm talking Indiana. How rare is this? We have some brand-new video I want to share with you of these tense moments, the rattling in Indiana -- next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Well, some people in Indiana got a bit of a shaky wakeup call today.
An earthquake hit the north-central part of the state near the city of Kokomo. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was about three miles deep. It was originally reported as a 4.2-magnitude quake. It's been downgraded now to 3.8.
And you're looking at the surveillance video that we just have turned around for you. This is inside of and obviously outside of as well a grocery store. And I was told you can kind of see some shaking, some shelves trembling.
Chad is nodding, yes, he sees it. I'm -- maybe my eyes are just bad.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: But no damage or injuries were reported because of this. But apparently people as far away as Kentucky and Wisconsin reported feeling the quake.
MYERS: You had to be really, really still.
BALDWIN: You have got to be really still.
What does this guy say?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your toys, did they move?
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Yes. These toys fell off. And that one fell over. I thought it was a tornado and a bulldozer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is the house going to fall down now? You know, I -- you know, you don't know what's going to happen here. I mean, we don't get earthquakes in Indiana.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: His -- his -- his toys fell, Chad Myers.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: So, I guess that tells me this wasn't too bad of a quake, if your toys are falling.
But I was trying to do some reading. I'm sure you're -- you're our seismologist today as well --
MYERS: Yes. Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: -- wearing a lot of hats.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: But apparently Indiana has most definitely gotten quakes, but it's the fact that it's so far north in the state that's so odd.
MYERS: Right. There's a Wabash Valley Seismic in --
BALDWIN: I was in Wabash two weekends ago.
MYERS: Well, then you were right there.
BALDWIN: I know. I could have --
MYERS: And you missed it.
BALDWIN: -- participated in the quake.
MYERS: You missed the earthquake.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: But it -- that's not where it was.
BALDWIN: Right. Right.
MYERS: This was -- this is north up near Kokomo, up -- Port Anderson. And the shaking, they said -- I talked to the USGS. And they said this could happen anywhere, literally.
This might have been a one-mile-long seismic fault that can be anywhere across the country --
BALDWIN: Hmm.
MYERS: -- and not along any long line. You know, like we -- we know the New Madrid fault. We know all these -- where the big faults are.
BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.
MYERS: But these tiny ones, we have no idea where they are. The only way we know where they are is after something shakes.
BALDWIN: Is when the earthquake hits. Right.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: So, now we know there is something there underneath there.
BALDWIN: OK.
MYERS: It might happen again.
BALDWIN: And -- and just curious, why was it downgraded? It was a 4.2 to 3.8. Because they did a later assessment and decided it wasn't as bad?
MYERS: Yes. USGS --
BALDWIN: You're looking at me like, oh, I have got a really technical explanation. I'm going to hold back.
MYERS: No.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: The USGS will normally err on the side of being high --
BALDWIN: Yes.
MYERS: -- originally, and then downgrade. Rarely do we ever upgrade, from a 6.8 to a 7.2. Usually, it's 7.2 to 6.8.
BALDWIN: The other direction.
MYERS: After all of the other recorders are put together and the seismologists look at it and they see the depth and they see how much shaking happened, and they -- then they can see, how far did it go? Who felt it? Did you feel it here, feel it here?
BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.
MYERS: Then they will bring it down or -- or level it off to some real number.
BALDWIN: OK.
MYERS: That's 3.8.
BALDWIN: Well, interesting enough --
MYERS: Yes.
BALDWIN: -- for us to report it, right, 3.8 in Indiana?
MYERS: Waking up -- waking up with your --
BALDWIN: There you go.
MYERS: -- toys falling off the shelves.
BALDWIN: There you go.
Chad, thank you. We will see you back here in just a little bit.
MYERS: All right.
BALDWIN: What is going on with Chris Brown? He is the single who went to anger management after his brutal breakup with Rihanna. Well, now he's in the middle of apparently this huge Twitter war, and his words so disturbing, we can't even repeat them. I can't read you his tweets on air. That's ahead.
Plus, two sisters have spent 16 years in prison for stealing 11 bucks -- 11 bucks. Now they're about to get out, but the whole thing involves a kidney. Martin Savidge is standing by. We will talk to Martin, break down the story, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: It has been a rallying call for justice in Mississippi for 16 years now: Free the Scott sisters. Talking about Gladys Scott, age 36 -- here they are -- and her older sister, Jamie, both sentenced to life in prison for an armed robbery -- this happened back in 1993.
Well, we learned something about their case today. It's something pretty significant. The Scott sisters will be released from prison very, very soon.
But that is not giving away the really unusual piece of this story, Martin Savidge. And that has a little something to do with a kidney.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right.
BALDWIN: Explain, please, sir.
SAVIDGE: It has a lot to do with a kidney.
BALDWIN: Yes.
SAVIDGE: And -- and it's seldom that you ever hear that a kidney is a get-out-of-jail-free sort of card, but that's kind of what the governor of Mississippi is implying here.
You have two women who have been incarcerated for 16 years. We're talking about Jamie and Gladys Scott. As you point out, they were put in because of armed robbery. There's been a lot of hue and cry about their case for a long time, because many thought that that was too much punishment for the crime.
BALDWIN: Because it was life in prison.
SAVIDGE: Life in prison --
BALDWIN: Life.
SAVIDGE: -- for both of them, because it was armed robbery.
BALDWIN: For 11 bucks.
SAVIDGE: Now they're coming out of prison because the governor says he's going to suspend their sentences. It's not really a pardon, not a parole. He's suspending their sentence.
BALDWIN: Hmm.
SAVIDGE: We don't know exactly when they're coming out. But of course that was a great relief for their family and all of their supporters.
We have got a sound bite here from the attorney who represents the two women. He sorts of sums why he thinks this happened.
BALDWIN: Hmm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHOKWE LUMUMBA, ATTORNEY FOR SCOTT SISTERS: I have been asked a lot of questions of, did the governor do this for political reasons? My -- my -- my guess is he did, doing this for political reasons.
But, on the other hand, I want to commend him for a movement which bespoke humanity. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: So, what he says there is, essentially, yes, did the governor act out of political motivation? He did, but it was still the right thing to do. The governor did the right thing. They're glad he did the right thing, regardless of motivation.
BALDWIN: And it's Haley Barbour. There is speculation that he's interested in running for president, so that could be part of that -- that --
(CROSSTALK)
SAVIDGE: Well, that's all of it in many -- many people's minds --
BALDWIN: There we go.
SAVIDGE: -- because what they say is that, look, it's how he released him here, because he might worry that, if he set them free simply because he thought that their crime was too much or their punishment was too much, then perhaps, later in the campaign somebody would come back and accuse him of being easy on criminals.
In this particular case, he's saying, no. It has nothing to do with the sentence. It has to do with humanitarian need. And one he's stipulating is that one daughter must donate a kidney to another who is suffering from kidney disease.
BALDWIN: It's not just the sister's attorney saying, good call, Mr. Governor, albeit possibly politically motivated. Also the NAACP chair Ben Jealous. But I'm just curious, Martin, is there anyone today saying, Mr. Governor, why did you do this? This was the wrong thing to do? Anyone?
SAVIDGE: We haven't heard that yet. It's early. But the governor himself did not come out and hold a news conference today, perhaps fearing he might get asked that sort of question or asked any number of tough questions.
It also should be pointed out that even though the governor says you've got to donate the kidney, he says, wait a minute. It's understood that Gladys was willing to donate this kidney. She said this back in January. She loves her sister and she'd do anything for her.
BALDWIN: Final question, when do they physically walk out?
SAVIDGE: That remains to be seen. Some say it could be as quickly seven days, some say it could take 45 days. Basically they have to set up a parole system in Florida, which is the state where they are going to live.
BALDWIN: Wow, a kidney. How about that? Martin Savidge, thank you so much.
SAVIDGE: Your welcome, good to see you.
BALDWIN: Good to see you.
A mother -- I want everyone to listen to this one -- a mother begging people to put away their cell phones when they're behind the wheel. Why? Because a phone took the life of her young daughter the day before she was supposed to graduate high school. You're going to hear her emotional story, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: According to one magazine -- I want to stress that, one magazine -- Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married in Africa. Really? Even though they have repeatedly said they would not get married until same-sex couples are allowed to do so? Coming up, we have the truth.
Plus, have you heard about the Discovery Channel's special? It's on Michael Jackson's autopsy. It will show a reenactment of the autopsy. As you may imagine, his family is outraged. That is trending ahead.
But first, this. As the year winds down, CNN reporters are looking back at how some of the biggest stories unfolded, including the very memorable characters in the world of politics. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Jessica Yellin at the CNN political desk. This was a year of some memorable characters and interviews. At the top of the list, Alvin Greene in South Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.
We tried interviewing him at his campaign headquarters, which was actually his dad's house. He wouldn't open his screen door, but he did show us the one big political speech he was about to give, which was handwritten in pencil on lined notebook paper.
This year also saw the rise of Tea Party candidates, Republican insurgents who unseated some long-time establishment politicians. One of the most fascinating was Sharron Angle in Nevada who ran against Harry Reid. She was notoriously press shy, so much so that one time we went to an event she was holding, stood outside to try to get an interview. But when her campaign car with her in it saw us waiting there, they floored it, sped away, hid behind a bush, and snuck her in the event through a back door.
We eventually got to talk to her, but that was definitely a career first for me.
And then finally, my most memorable interview with an activist, because we talked to lots of activists and organizers, was David Kirkham, the head of the Utah Tea Party. He has some interesting political ideas, but what I loved, he runs this car company. He makes custom-made race cars, roadsters. I got a ride in one. I guess it's a perk of the job. (END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The day before her graduation, my daughter drove to go meet a boy, and she never made it. Today she would have been 19 years old exactly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mariah never wanted a minute to go by that she wasn't doing something. She wanted to do everything all at one time with friends and family, and just having a good time. That's what she loved.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Friends would tell me from school that, you know, the best part of the day at school was Mariah coming down the hall because she'd stop to give everyone a hug.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: "Where you at?" Three small words with major, major consequences. That was Mariah West, just one of the tragic stories in this AT&T documentary. It's called "The Last Text." AT&T is one of a lot of companies to tackle this issue by launching an "It Can Wait" campaign on the dangers of texting and driving. Mariah's mom joins me via Skype to share her story.
Merry, thank you for coming on. I got to tell you, I think you're so brave for coming on and sharing your story. And I just want to begin with those three words that took your daughter's eyes off the road for a second meant you lost your daughter. And this was just before her graduation?
MERRY DYE, PARENT AGAINST TEXTING AND DRIVING: Yes, just the day before.
BALDWIN: The day before. It was her high school graduation. Who was she texting with? Can you tell me that story?
DYE: She was on her way to a ball game in Springfield, Missouri, for a minor league ball game at the cardinals. And she had made friends with one of the ball players. And so he had invited her as a graduation present to come and see his game.
BALDWIN: And so they were texting back and forth. Was it a text from him? Was he the one who texted, "Where you at?"
DYE: Yes.
BALDWIN: That's what she glanced down at?
DYE: Yes. She was getting directions. And so she started to respond to that and lost control of the car, crossed the median, clipped the bridge and flipped the car and then came -- and then the car came down into oncoming traffic. BALDWIN: And you talk about this in this documentary. She made it to the hospital. And apparently one of her friends was texting her incessantly. You had to actually text him back, "Stop texting my daughter. She's in the hospital. She could die." Is that right?
DYE: Right. Right. In fact, my phone was going off all -- at all hours. And hers was as well. But, yes.
BALDWIN: Yes, yes. One of the friends described Mariah as "sunshine." She was hugging everyone in her path in the hallways at school. Why share her story in this PSA? Why come on CNN today and talk about this?
DYE: Well, Mariah was, you know, your typical teenager. And she thought she was ten foot tall and bulletproof. And even though we had worked on trying to educate her about the dangers of texting and driving, she didn't think it could happen to her.
BALDWIN: And it did.
DYE: No parent wants to get that call.
BALDWIN: And it did. And -- but I have to share this tweet. I'm not going to name the person who was tweeting it. I tweeted out the fact that I'd be talking to you today and the person tweeted this. "Many of us do it without thinking of an accident. Emotional PSAs help, but the millennial generation, driving and texting is not going to stop." What is your response to that?
DYE: Unfortunately, I hear that a lot. And the only way I can figure is that we need to educate and we need to educate young. This was a technology that took us al by surprise. And so we're just now learning the affects of it.
DYE: And you lived through the affects of it, losing your daughter. The state trooper, I thought it was pretty poignant, they bookended this documentary with the state trooper responding to your daughter's accident. He didn't even learn until later that she was about to graduate. He found the gown in her back seat.
And he says, "What is worth losing your life over? A text message." I want you to look into that Skype camera, Merry, and just -- here's your moment. Just tell everyone, give them your message.
DYE: It is not a matter of if you will have an accident. It's a mart of when. You're 23 times more likely to have an accident if you are texting and driving. Those statistics are worse than drinking and driving. It took decades to educate people that that is not socially acceptable. And so that's what we're hoping to do with this documentary.
BALDWIN: Merry, I thank you. I've tweeted out this full documentary. I encourage everybody to sit down with their kids and themselves and watch the ten minutes. Merry, I thank you. You are so brave for coming on. Thank you.
DYE: Thank you. And thanks to AT&T for being involved in this.
BALDWIN: Absolutely. It's a fantastic documentary that they put on. Merry, thanks.
DYE: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Police find a woman dead in a bathtub at a posh New York City hotel the suspect, the son of an Oscar award winner. And now we are hearing how she died. That murder case is ahead.
Plus this --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vengeance is mine. Vengeance is mine. You rot in hell!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Police say that man's 12-year-old step-son was kidnapped on Christmas Eve. his burned body, found in a ditch. Now you heard the step-father. He is enraged. He is speaking out. He wants revenge. We'll tell you that emotional story, next.
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BALDWIN: A Houston, Texas, family is nowhere near comes to terms with the death of their 12-year-old son now positively identified by police, after his burned body was found in a drainage ditch. This woman, arrested just yesterday and charged with murdering Jonathan Foster, who was last seen Christmas Eve at his family's apartment complex, Mona Nelson is a maintenance worker there and an acquaintance of the family.
And police say surveillance video led them to her arrest and to charging her. The arrest gives obviously though no comfort to this boy's family.
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DAVID DAVIS, JONATHAN FOSTER'S STEPFATHER: How -- who -- what kind of monster is this? Burned my baby in a ditch? Burned my baby on Christmas? There's no more Christmases. They're done for this Christmas. What kind of monster is that? You get her.
I just don't know. I don't know her. But I want vengeance for my boy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Vengeance for his boy. Investigators say the woman in custody made a statement that places her with the boy on Christmas Eve, but she has not admitted to killing him. She is the only suspect in this case.
And now time for what is trending today. It seems there are some rumors about a Hollywood royal marriage flying all around. And also a reenactment of an autopsy on TV has some people just a tad disturbed. Plus, a Twitter war of words heating up between two hip-hop musicians.
I want bring Kareen Wynter, joining me from Los Angeles with all the details. And Kareen, I want to first begin with Brangelina, and there is one magazine reporting this. This is the truth? Do we know?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: It is not true, Brooke. No wedding bells just yet for Jolie and Pitt, despite this report. It came from a celebrity magazine that they got hitched over the holidays. It said it was a secret wedding that it happened on the beach of the Indian Ocean. Back up a bit. Not true. A rep for Jolie told CNN it's entirely untrue.
But, Brooke, a lot of people are just watching, waiting for this couple to see if they're over going to tie the knot. They've been together for about five years. Jolie has six kids, three adopted, three with Brad Pitt. And, you know, they say we're not in a hurry. We're happy with our current situation. So happy they are.
BALDWIN: Can't believe everything you read. Let's talk about this, the discovery channel in Europe, they're airing a show. Part of it shows a reenactment of Michael Jackson's autopsy, which you can understand the family, none too pleased.
WYNTER: They are absolutely upset. And we all know there's still so much interest in M.J. after his death. This is one piece of work that I don't think fans are going to want to see, Brooke. I sure don't want to see it.
It has the trustees of Michael Jackson's estate furious. Discovery Communications Network, they want to air a documentary which reenacts Jackson's autopsy. And the folks at M.J.'s camp, they've don't want this to see the light of day. They called this production sick, they've called it insensitive, offensive. You get the point here.
They even fired off on open letter to the network, but not really sure if this is sure, Brooke, that this is going to help. The special set to air the middle of January.
And even Jackson's fans, they are disgusted, they have launched an online petition. They want this canceled.
BALDWIN: Yes, they say no to reenacting an autopsy. You can kind of understand why.
Finally, there has been this huge, developing through the day here this twitter war of words between a couple of people. Explain some of these people to me, because I'm not entirely hip who all these guys are. So, Kareen, to you.
WYNTER: I will try. We know Chris Brown. He was linked to Rihanna.
BALDWIN: Yes. WYNTER: This is a guy, Brooke, who he needs all the good press he can handle these days after his legal troubles with his former girlfriend. But nope, Chris Brown making headlines again. There he is in court earlier this year in a very bad way.
Here is what happened, he posted racial and homophobic-laced tweets. He's duking it out online in a tweeting war with the R&B singer Raz B from B2K. In short, Raz B tweeted he doesn't understand how Chris Brown can disrespect intelligent people like Rihanna.
Brown fired back using the "n-word," making reference to Raz B's past admission he was once molested by another man. Brooke, it got ugly, Chris realizing, oops, this was downright stupid. He apologized, not homophobic. It is just absolutely foolish on his part. People are a little disappointed.
BALDWIN: Gosh, Kareen Wynter, we couldn't read the tweets so laced with words we cannot repeat on air not repeat. Kareen Wynter with "Trending" today. Thank you so much.
You know how police publicly identify sex offenders they list their names, addresses. So the same go for drunk drivers? It is happening. That is coming up.
And queen may be getting ready for Prince William's wedding, but what about great grandchildren? That wait is over. I will explain that coming up.
And he is one of the most outspoken lawmakers in all of congress, so why is Dennis Kucinich worried his seat might just go away? The CNN Political Ticker is next.
But first this, as the jeer winding down, CNN reporters are looking back at how some of the biggest stories unfolded throughout this year, including not only the big story not that long ago, the plot to bomb cargo planes coming into the U.S. and Europe. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: One of the biggest stories this year the ongoing Al Qaeda terror threat, the roots coming back here to Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, more homegrown terrorists being found in the United States and Europe.
And one man, Ahmed Sidiqi, an Afghan-German who came here from Hamburg, picked up here in Kabul in the summer in U.S. detention, provided information about Mumbai-style attacks across Europe. That led to a U.S. travel warning for Germany, for Britain, for France, a major impact.
That and Al Qaeda now developing hidden printer-type bombs, explosives hidden in packages, shipped, sent out on aircraft, flying into the United States.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BALDWIN: Of course, CNN = Politics. I want to bring in one of our top D.C. guys. Paul Steinhauser joins me with the latest from the CNN Political Ticker. Paul Steinhauser, nice to see you. What do you got today?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Brooke, I've got something brand new. In fact, you get it first, you and your viewers even before we get it up on the ticker. And I'm talking about political history. We just learned, our Kevin Bond confirmed that officials in Alaska just certified that Senate election up there. And that means Lisa Murkowski, the Republican incumbent who ran as a write-in candidate after she lost the Republican primary, they're certifying her as the winner.
It makes her only the second person in the history of our country to win a Senate election as a write-in candidate. The guy she beat, Joe Miller, the Republican nominee, he still has until tomorrow to decide if he wants to keep this case going in the federal courts. We will see.
And some other brand new stuff today on the CNN Political Ticker, and that is the war in Afghanistan. Check out these brand new numbers, poll numbers, CNN/Opinion Research Corporation, a national survey. And look at these numbers here on support for the war, down to 35 percent among all Americans, down from 48 percent back in March.
One reason for the slip, because more Americans think the war is not going so well for the U.S. And look at the partisan divide. This is interesting as well. Republicans, a majority of Republicans, 52 percent support the war, but when you look at independents it gets a little less and all the way up to the Democrats, only a minority of Democrats, about one in four of the president's own party support the war.
You teased it before the break, Dennis Kucinich, the congressman from Cleveland Ohio, ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, he is concerned that his congressional district, which is in the Cleveland area, may disappear for the next election. Why? Because Ohio is losing two congressional seats due to the redistricting from the census results and Kucinich thinks, well, his seat, his district maybe on the chopping block. He sent out an e-mail to supporters saying, help me, give me ideas here, think about this let's talk about it. Brooke?
BALDWIN: Kucinich's future aside, Paul, all is not lost in Cleveland, correct?
STEINHAUSER: All may not be lost for the city that rocks, according to that song, "Cleveland Rocks." Here's why. Next month, the Democrats will decide where to hold the 2012 presidential convention. I will zoom in here to the Ticker.
Democratic officials announced last month we couldn't wait, asked Democrats across the country in a poll where do you think the convention should be held? Of the four final cities there was no frontrunner really, but Cleveland on top, 29 percent of the people said hold it in Cleveland. Second place was Charlotte followed by Minneapolis and finally St. Louis. Brooke there you go.
BALDWIN: Paul, thank you very much. And you can always get latest political news at CNNpolitics.com and on twitter. Go to at Political Ticker.
And just in here to CNN, let me check my e-mail, we are just learning, this is out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, according to department of public safety there, it is investigating an suspicious package, not at the airport, per se, but the DFW international cargo center. Apparently reported around 12:15 Dallas time.
DPS officers have established some sort of security perimeter around this cargo center. The building was evacuated, some 50 or so people inside. They are also cordoning off streets, stopping traffic in that neck of the woods as well. And DPS has deployed is explosive ordinance disposal robot to try to dispose of the item.
Meantime, top of the hour, watch this.
A city is trying to scare smokers by showing them shocking and disgusting pictures but a judge says you can't do that. Wait until you hear who he says has to make the ultimate decision. I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Two months ago, Christine O'Donnell was running for national office. Now the defeated Senate candidate reportedly is under investigation. Did she pay represent with campaign money?
CHRISTINE O'DONNELL, (R) FORMER DELAWARE SENATE CANDIDATE: These are false accusations. There's a vendetta to stop this movement in its tracks.
BALDWIN: Who does she think is behind it? Would you believe the vice president?
A homeless man is knocked out. The whole thing caught on camera. But police don't arrest the attacker. He is the son of an officer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not out to protect anybody's child.
BALDWIN: We are on the case.
Remember this guy, the one who took off with $1.5 million in chips from the Bellagio casino? Well, if he is gutsy enough to cash it in, he better do it fast. We will tell you why.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
