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Losing an Uphill Battle; New Year's Eve Celebrations; Invasion of the Jellyfish; 'On the Case'
Aired December 31, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
KEILAR (voice-over): Twelve-year-old Jonathan Foster disappeared on Christmas Eve. His burned body turned up in a ditch four days later and this woman admitted dumping him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is a cold, soulless murderer.
KEILAR: But why hasn't she confessed to the killing?
Federal agents close in on a biker charged with murder. But he won't go without a fight.
Why is South Carolina's governor telling Oprah Winfrey to stay out? Nikki Haley versus the queen of daytime talk.
How would you feel if an ATM gave you stamp instead of cash? What if the bank wouldn't refund your money?
And who needs a gun when you have a really big stick? Keystone crooks straight ahead.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: I'm Brianna Keilar. And we have a lot of news happening right now.
"Rapid Fire" -- let's go.
Monitoring breaking news: The FAA confirming to CNN, two people were killed in a mid-air collision at Shenandoah Valley Airport in Virginia today. And according to Jim Peters of the FAA, this is an accident that involved a single engine Cessna 172 and a Medevac chopper. The dead there were on the Cessna. The chopper managed to land safely without injuries. We will have updates for you as we get them.
And more breaking news: we're monitoring that hostage situation in Texas. This is ongoing. A suspect, possibly suspects, inside of this Chase bank and there are also hostages. We'll bring you details.
Firefighters in suburban Seattle rescued six people from the rooftop of a house that was engulfed in flames. And according to CNN affiliate KIRO, an elderly woman jumped off the roof into the arms of a firefighter and a policeman. She is in critical condition but is expected to recover. Two people inside of the house managed to escape. All eight have been taken to the hospital for treatment. The cause of this blaze is still under investigation.
And next, take a look at this amazing police dash cam video. This was reported over the summer in coastal Maine. I'm going to let you hear this in a second. This is a shootout between federal at and man they came to arrest. And when the ATF agents pulled up, the suspect was waiting for them and opened fire. Watch and listen.
(VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Investigators say that Thomas Mayne fired six shots at the agents before he was killed by returning fire. Mayne was a member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club and was named in the multistate sweep of organized crime activity. The state released the video after determining that the agents were justified in returning fire and killing Thomas Mayne.
Next --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh (EXPLETIVE DELETED) he's done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the way!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, damn.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: What can you do, right? Except get out of the way. Oh, bad stuff there. Snowy and icy conditions overwhelming drivers.
Where is this? In Colorado Springs, Colorado. And in just a minute, I'll talk to the guy who shot this video. Bad language there. He said he tried to warn people but he just gave up.
Next, we have ugly weather blamed for a massive pileup near Fargo, North Dakota. At least 100 vehicles were affected by the chain reaction wreck. One person critically injured. Snow, ice, and rain created a triple whammy there, making conditions so bad that sections of two interstates in North and South Dakota were shut down. Clearing the roadway yesterday proved so difficult the highway patrol asked everyone to stay home.
And up next, throughout China -- sadness, anger, and a nationwide demand for an explanation. It is about the gruesome death of a village leader in remote eastern China. The official government story here: an unfortunate traffic accident. But witnesses tell reporters they saw masked men hold this man to the ground while a truck ran him over.
He was an outspoken critic of the government's land acquisition policy, and public sentiment is growing that he was murdered. Beijing officials are sticking to the traffic accident story.
Up next, police in Clarksville, Indiana, looking for a robber who may be having second thoughts about a life of crime. They say the thief was apologetic about pulling a pistol at a cash-advance loan office. And as you can see, the robbery was caught on the store's surveillance camera.
The man then made off with more than $1,200. And according to witnesses, the man said he had to, quote, "feed his kids." Police believe the suspect may be linked to the robbery in a nearby town of Jeffersonville.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD HARRIS, JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA POLICE: Our report shows the suspect here was apologetic to the victims, saying that he didn't want to hurt anybody. He also said something along the lines that he was only doing this to get his heat turned back on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Next -- be on the lookout for this stick here? Tuesday. This is Manassas, Virginia, not too far from D.C., a robbery suspect armed with a big stick there taking on a convenience store clerk who fought his way back.
What's he holding there? That's a hammer. This is store surveillance video catching it all. The hammer, though, doesn't stop the robber from getting away with an undisclosed amount of money.
Next, a 12-year-old girl gets a tablet computer for Christmas. Nice gift, right? Yes. Well, the problem is she finds porn all over it. Her parents bought her a Coby Kyros pad, which is similar to an iPad. And her dad says when he called the company to complain, he was told those adult apps are part of each tablet they sell.
The company is reportedly denying that. Their theory, somebody probably downloaded porn and returned the computer to the store.
Next: need postage stamps instead of cash? Two men say they used an ATM to withdraw money but got stamps instead. After a few attempts to retrieve cash, they went to the branch manager, only to find out they would have to file a complaint with the debit card company. The bank said they would have refunded their money if they had accounts at the bank, but they didn't.
You know, what could be better than a legendary streak? Breaking one.
(VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: The sound of victory and an upset there. The Stanford women's basketball team ending the University of Connecticut's 90- game-winning streak. Number nine Stanford beat the top ranked Huskies last night. The UConn's streak, the longest in college basketball history, including the men's record.
And look who joined in on the celebration. Former secretary of state and Stanford alum Condi Rice cheering on the team in the audience.
And, finally, let's take a look at the big board. The last trading day of the year just ended.
Alison Kosik live in New York. What's going on?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Brianna.
It has been one crazy year. You know, the markets made some big dramatic swings. But, you know, we are closing near the highs for the year. The Dow this year got off to a good start.
Then, of course, we had that flash crash in May and a really tough summer here for the markets. And then, Fed Chief Ben Bernanke gave a speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he hinted at new stimulus measures coming around the bend. After that, the markets took off from there, finishing with a really strong December today, with the S&P 500 really making a nice run of it, up 17 of the last 22 seconds.
In the end, when we look at the figures for the year, the Dow wound up gaining 11 percent for the year and NASDAQ adding 17 percent and the S&P 500 tacking on almost 13 percent.
And, you know, Brianna, investors, you know, gosh, they really needed a good year after their 401(k)s were crushed during the recession. Some of the people I talked to on the floor here at the New York Stock Exchange, they think that 2011 could be even better -- Brianna.
KEILAR: You know, there's something else that kind of caught our eye today, Alison. And that is the future of the Internet on your living room TV. So many people I talked to said that they got something like this for Christmas. It seems like it's getting pretty popular.
KOSIK: I don't know how popular it is. But, you know, this all comes from this new survey from NPD Group that says that 21 percent of TVs that were actually sold this year could be connected to the Internet. It means that they can access services like Google Plus or Wal-Mart, Voodoo. But, you know, the thing is with this, not many people are actually using this Internet feature. This --
KEILAR: Really?
KOSIK: Yes. The survey says, listen to this, less than half of the people who buy these TVs actually use the Internet features. So, it's just sitting there.
You know, it may say more about the services actually. A lot of these people like to use the services like getting the streaming movies or the TV shows, but many of these users say it is really maddening or unsatisfying if they do go ahead and use it.
You know -- so, the fact is it's out there and there's more of it on the way. But, you know, there are a lot of kinks to work out before people turn to their TVs to use the feature as a whole that I'm talking about, actually surfing the Net on your TV, something these people just aren't doing. They are barely using the services to watch the TV shows and the movies. So, it's kind of interesting -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Yes. Maybe the technology isn't up to snuff there. Alison Kosik for us at the stock exchange -- thank you.
KOSIK: We'll see.
KEILAR: And developing now, the clock is ticking for millions of people who could lose that your local TV stations tonight. There is a bitter stand-off going on between Time Warner Cable and the Sinclair Broadcasting Group. Both sides are basically playing a game of chicken here over fees. Sinclair owns ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, and NBC affiliates in 35 local markets, the bigger cities, including San Antonio, Pittsburgh, and Tampa.
So, if they don't make a deal, here is what happens: more than 8 million homes could see a sudden blackout. We are keeping an eye on this and we'll have updates as we get them.
Oprah Winfrey -- this is interesting -- denied by the next governor of South Carolina. Nikki Haley will not let Oprah interview someone. So, who is it? That's ahead.
Plus, that redheaded Russian spy and the U.S. exposed her as a secret agent, you'll remember. Well, now, she's speaking out on television. And just wait until you hear what she wants to do in the future. We'll have that next.
But, first, we may be hours away from midnight, but millions around the world are already ringing in the New Year. Take a look at the scene in Moscow. These are celebrations at Red Square. Beautiful.
Stay right there. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: Russian spy Anna Chapman is breaking her silence. She is the woman accused of bag sleeper agent in the U.S. You'll remember she was arrested and deported to Russia. But now, back home, she seems ready to exploit her celebrity status. And in her first television interview since the controversial spy swap, she promised to reveal secrets.
Watch this from our Matthew Chance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Exposed as a secret agent in the U.S., back in Russia, she's a celebrity, often exposing a lot more. Now, Anna Chapman has appeared on one of Russia's most popular chat shows, reinforcing her star status with her first TV interview since being deported from New York in July.
"I think integrity is a person's main qualification," she tells the Russian host. "If someone can be corrupted, they're not decent," she adds.
Unlike her more low-key colleagues, traded in a Cold War-style spy swap between the U.S. and Moscow earlier this year, Anna Chapman has reveled in her notoriety. She's been given a position in the youth wing of Russia's main political party, fueling speculation the 28-year-old could follow former spy Vladimir Putin, Russia's prime minister, into politics.
"Will you do creative work in the future?" she's asked. "Just watch television," she smiles. "Next year," she promises, "I will reveal my secrets."
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Police say some people will refuse a breathalyzer in the hopes of beating a DUI conviction. But in a couple of states, they won't have the option. That is ahead.
And South Carolina Governor-elect Nikki Haley just told Oprah a bug N-O. She will not let the talk show queen interview someone in prison there in South Carolina and you're going to recognize the inmate.
Jim Acosta standing by. He's got that and our political pop -- next.
And we're monitoring breaking news out of Texas, a hostage situation unfolding right now. We have updates on the standoff -- ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: We are monitoring breaking news right now. These are pictures of a Chase Bank in Pearland, Texas, where a hostage situation continues. This has been going on for three-plus hours, started as a bank robbery.
And there was a passer-by who saw inside of this bank that there were at least one masked suspect, maybe more, went ahead and called 911 even before the silent alarm could be tripped from inside of the bank. Some hostages have been released. A suspect, at least one, maybe multiple, and some hostages still inside. We're going to bring you details as this story unfolds.
You know, now, to the political pop. You know what that sound means. The political and entertainment worlds, you know, they collide at times. And in political pop today, they certainly do.
She's arguably the most powerful person in television. And what Oprah Winfrey wants, right, Oprah Winfrey gets. No, not always. Not so fast here, because for more than 10 years, Oprah's people have been trying to get an exclusive interview with the woman whose infamous crime sent her to prison for life in South Carolina, always denied these requests.
Now, there's about to be a new governor in South Carolina, a woman. Maybe now Oprah will get her interview, could it be?
Jim Acosta in Washington -- let's talk about this story. Oprah wants her interview. Is she going to get it?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She is not going to get it, Brianna, according to the new governor-elect of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, takes office next month.
A spokesman for Nikki Haley says that, no, Oprah Winfrey will not be allowed to interview Susan Smith. It does not matter how many viewers or how many cable networks Oprah Winfrey has. South Carolina has a policy, has a law down there that says that people who are in prison cannot give interviews.
You and I have seen many of these interviews over the years. Perhaps we have done some of these interviews behind bars over the years. They make for good television and explains why Oprah wanted to do this.
But the law is the law down in Susan Carolina and Nikki Haley is going to enforce it.
KEILAR: I think it's interesting, too, Jim, because Oprah has a reason for why she wants to interview Susan Smith. And she's saying it's not just about the ratings, but it kind of has to do with how this case changed the way we perceive parents.
What did she say?
ACOSTA: Yes, I mean, you do have to understand this from, you know, a newsstand point. I mean, this story rocked the country when it happened, you know, 15, 16 years ago in the mid-'90s when Susan Smith killed her two children. She blamed it on other people, did this on television. It turned out to be a bogus story and she was ultimately convicted. And what Oprah says is that essentially, you know, Susan Smith changed the paradigm, in Oprah's words, and now, when children go missing or children are abducted or children get killed and in many cases, the authorities suspect the parents first or put them at the top of the list because of the Susan Smith case. And so, parents are no longer given the benefit of the doubt automatically because of that case. That's Oprah's answer for that. And I think that's not an unreasonable one.
KEILAR: Yes, no, it's an interesting one.
ACOSTA: Yes.
KEILAR: And the other thing here, this isn't Governor-elect Haley saying, oh, you know what, Oprah, I'm not fan, right? I mean --
ACOSTA: Right.
KEILAR: -- this -- you said there's a long standing policy here.
ACOSTA: Yes.
KEILAR: She's not thumbing her nose at Oprah.
ACOSTA: No.
KEILAR: She's just saying, I know you're very important. I know you always get the interviews, but I can't make an exception for you.
ACOSTA: Yes, that's right. I mean, the statement from her spokesman is pretty strongly-worded. I think it's interesting. It says, "While Governor-elect Haley has great respect for Oprah, let's be clear: Ms. Smith got enough press when she killed her two children and lied about it to the country." I mean, that's a strongly-worded statement.
And, you know, Nikki Haley is a Tea Party darling. The Tea Party movement at times likes to stick it to the media. So, is there an element of that perhaps in this sort of abrupt answer to Oprah Winfrey? Probably not. But, you know --
KEILAR: Yes, because, you know --
ACOSTA: -- I think the governor has a good reason to say, no, we can't do it. It's the law.
KEILAR: Sometimes you hear some Tea Party folks say, you know, they just say -- they call it the "lamestream media."
ACOSTA: Right.
KEILAR: We heard, for instance, Sarah Palin use that, that there's -- you know, they don't want to kowtow to the mainstream media. And certainly, Oprah is one of the most powerful people.
ACOSTA: Absolutely. And on one of her -- you know, final remaining shows of her program, she made a personal appeal to Nikki Haley. So, this was definitely an interview that Oprah wanted. And she has had so many gets over the years. I mean, you can't even count 'em in the time that we have for this segment. But this is going to be one of those gets that gets away, I guess, you could say.
And Nikki Haley was not about to begin her term in office with this kind of controversy to, you know, give this one exception to Oprah Winfrey. I don't think Nikki Haley was going to do that.
KEILAR: Yes. That -- I mean, that makes some sense. How often do you get to say no to Oprah? Jim Acosta for us --
ACOSTA: Not very often. You won't catch me doing it.
KEILAR: No, no. Jim Acosta for us in Washington -- thanks for that.
ACOSTA: You bet.
KEILAR: You know, what's posted on the Web, it usually on the Web forever. And Katy Perry, well, she's learning that lesson, people. Wait until you see what her husband, Russell Brand, posted on Twitter. It's pretty bad. I wouldn't want to see that.
Also, check out this crazy pileup. The hits, they just keep on coming. This is our favorite video of the day, kind of like a broken record. I'll be talking to the college student who shot it -- next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Well, well, we know who may not be getting a kiss tonight. It is time for what's "Trending" and today, one pop princess's picture made the rounds on the Internet. Hubby Russell Brand, well, he's probably going to be sleeping on the couch tonight. Certainly started off the year on the wrong foot with his wife, because we're used to seeing her, Katy Perry, look like this, right? Gorgeous, all glammed up. Yes.
But blogs are buzzing after her husband tweeted a picture of Perry looking like this. Yes. She looks surprised. Who wouldn't be? Brand quickly removed the picture from Twitter but not before it went around the Web for all to see.
And up next, another celeb ending the year on a down note. Apparently, Marc Anthony, singer and husband to Jennifer Lopez, well, he owes the IRS some big money. Reportedly, he owes around $3.4 million in back taxes. Papers filed in New York show the IRS demanding at least $1.8 million of that be paid by the end of March.
Anthony's publicist released this statement saying, "Marc Anthony, his current management and financial team have recently reached an agreement in principle resolving all of Mr. Anthony's federal tax liabilities. The taxes underlying the reported tax liens are part of the IRS agreement. No further comments will be issued about this matter." And last, but oh, certainly not least, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, star of MTV's "Jersey Shore" -- well, she's going to be dropped in a ball tonight in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The network was denied permission to do the Snooki drop in Times Square.
And take a look at this video. We have been watching this in disbelief, an icy uphill stretch of road in a residential neighborhood. Driver after driver after driver attempting to make it all the way up the street, but alas, their wheel lock and this happens.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, damn.
(EXPLETIVE DELETED)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't get to the street. You're not getting into the street.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This guy is hitting every car coming down. Oh, (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
Watch out! Watch out!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: And the hits just keep on coming. Joining me now, the man behind the camera who was just as in awe as we were at the sight of this, Ian Smith.
Ian -- I mean, how many cars did you track on this crash course yesterday?
IAN SMITH, SHOT VIDEO OF PILE-UP (via telephone): There was about -- like 30 cars up and down the whole road. It was crazy.
KEILAR: OK. So, 30 -- I mean, here's the thing, though -- I mean, did you talk to any of these people? Why did they keep doing this? It's like stupidity on parade or something.
SMITH: Yes. It was -- it was pretty crazy. They were all very mad.
I mean, there was this guy in the Jeep. He was very mad. He was not looking happy at all.
And they just weren't listening to anybody. We were trying to stop them. At the bottom of the hill, we were saying, don't come up. There's a bunch of people all along the side. And we're saying, don't come up. At the top of the hill, there are people saying don't go down.
But it's just -- people thought that their cars were that great that they could, you know, do better than the person that did it before them and they --
KEILAR: I mean, I think we've all been on some -- a lot of us have been on icy roads where you don't realize it is that much of a grade until you just figure it is not going to be problem. But when it's is that long -- I mean, is that kind of the sense you got that people thought, oh, it can't be that bad?
SMITH: Yes. I think they -- yes, they thought it was than going to be that bad. It doesn't make sense because these cars all along the side of the road. It's just -- they must have thought that their car was superior to the rest on the side of the road. It's just crazy. I mean -- it's slippery. It was slick.
KEILAR: I don't know if there's any video anymore in, taking a look at this video. But, you know, it begs the serious question, too, though, there are some people watching here. Were they concerned that they were in danger?
SMITH: Yes. There was -- earlier in the video, there was these two women that were sitting in front of one of the cars at the very bottom. I think it was in the beginning. They were sitting there, and then this truck comes down, I'm, like Oh, man, please don't have this truck just smash in because one was laying down on the ground because she had just slipped. And I was just really hoping that the truck wouldn't start sliding out of control. But thank God, the truck -- that truck in the beginning just went straight through and didn't kill anybody. That was -- it was pretty scary for a second there.
KEILAR: So what happened at this point? I mean, did the police come out? Did they -- I mean, obviously, reports needed to be filed. What happened?
SMITH: Oh, yes. I'm sure there was calls to the cops, like, left and right. But nobody -- like, I was there for 30 minutes, just hanging around, talking to people, shooting videos, and there was no cops there. And then I came home and I told my parents that I just witnessed a huge car pile-up in the middle of the street. And I was showing them the videos and stuff.
And then they're, like, Oh, man, so we're going to go check it out. So they -- because it was, like, right down the street from my house. So they went up there, and finally, like, hours later -- I mean, I guess there was accidents all over the city. But hours later, they say that two cops showed up and then they quickly just turned around and left. But me and my sister were talking and we were thinking maybe it's because they got a call for a more important accident that maybe somebody was injured. But they didn't stick around.
KEILAR: All right. Ian, before I let you go, I got to give you hard time because we had to bleep you out a lot on this video!
(LAUGHTER)
SMITH: Yes.
KEILAR: Come on!
SMITH: I mean, I was just -- I honestly didn't think this was going to be on the news. So I was just --
(LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: I'm sure you didn't. OK, well, you know what? We have a new year's resolution for you. Thank you so much for providing this video of the day for us. Happy new year to you. Yes, amazing stuff. And thanks, of course, to KMGH for sharing your story with us so that we could bring it to all of our viewers. Happy new year.
Well, you know, we are hours away from the famous ball drop in Times Square. But in other places, they drop other things, including a drag queen. We're going to be live in the Florida Keys next.
Plus, I've got a special guest joining me. She's going country tonight. "Reporter Roulette" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: There is a lot happening this last day of 2010. Time now to play "Reporter Roulette." And we begin with Allan Chernoff in New York, where Times Square is preparing to transform for tonight's New Year's Eve celebration. And one obstacle at least has finally been cleared away, all of that snow.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, the big ball has been tested and retested. The excitement and anticipation are growing here in Times Square. In a couple of hours, the music will begin. And before long, we'll be saying good-bye to 2010 and welcoming in 2011. Happy new year.
KEILAR: And happy new year to Allan Chernoff there in New York. Next on "Reporter Roulette," John Zarrella. He's in Key West, Florida, where they're preparing for the annual drag queen drop. And John, this is your thing. I mean, how many years have you been covering this now?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, we were trying to figure that out. It's at least nine, maybe ten -- hey! How are you? And of course, you know, they do things a little bit differently here in Key West. And by about 10:00 o'clock tonight, this entire street will be packed. There'll probably be about 10,000 people here. And you can see I'm wearing the shoe (ph). Well, that's appropriate because Sushi (ph), the drag queen, will be in that big shoe up there. And at the stroke of midnight -- they tested the time, checked the time out so they know they're synchronizing right on it -- Sushi'll come down in that shoe.
And this year, I understand, Sushi is wearing silver and gold. And every year, she tries to wear a little something different. And it's quite the party. You can see beautiful short-sleeved weather in the Keys. Don't mean to rub it in --
KEILAR: Oh! ZARRELLA: -- but it is nice down here, Brianna.
KEILAR: I'm so jealous! But you know, to be clear, the drag queen isn't the only thing falling in Key West tonight, right?
ZARRELLA: No, that's exactly right. There is a conch shell drop just up the road, and then there is also a pirate wench. And not to be undone, earlier today, they had a dachshund parade. And of course, it was very short parade because the dachshunds have, of course, very short legs. But it was very cute. one -- a couple of them riding around in their little Red Baron airplanes and some of them -- oh, there you go. So it's quite the party down here in Key West on New Year's, Brianna.
KEILAR: I love it. It's, like, weirdness, weirdness, weirdness. Very nice, John Zarrella. Thank you so much.
ZARRELLA: Yes, indeed.
KEILAR: And next on our "Reporter Roulette," check this out, a special surprise from Nashville, Tennessee, Brooke Baldwin joining us now by phone. She is preparing to ring in the new year country style. What is this, Brooke, with a guitar drop?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Happy new year, Ms. Keilar!
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Greetings from Music City. Yes, I will see John Zarrella's drag queen drop and raise him a guitar drop. I am on the main -- if you know Nashville and downtown Nashville, I'm on the main street, which is Broadway. And they basically end at the river. And that is where the Hard Rock Cafe and the city of Nashville are hosting this awesome guitar drop. It's actually the second year they've ever done it. And this guitar drops at the stroke of midnight. So I will be up and at 'em with John Zarrella and Gary Tuchman and Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin late, late tonight, ringing in the new year here on CNN. It should be a ton of fun.
KEILAR: OK, but the big question, Brooke, is are you prepared? I mean, are you going to be wearing the proper attire for this event?
BALDWIN: Well, Brianna, you're my friend and a gal after my own heart.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: And I know you own a cowboy boot pair or two. But I've got my boots on, and I have just gone into --
KEILAR: (INAUDIBLE) hat.
BALDWIN: And my hat! So I don't know if you can see the picture --
KEILAR: Oh, yes, we can.
BALDWIN: -- but I was inside -- I was inside the boots and more here on Broadway, and I was checking out -- they actually have pink cowboy hats. Who knew? I think it may be a little too girly for me. And then I tried on a camo hat. So if you want to roll, like, you know, camo style, you can do that. Or I think I -- I think I'm going to go with good, old-fashioned black cowboys, so --
KEILAR: Awesome --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: What do you think?
KEILAR: We have that -- we've seen you in both. I'm going with camo. Oh, no, wait. There's pink. I'm going with pink.
BALDWIN: No!
KEILAR: Pink all the way. All the way!
BALDWIN: Well, I guess -- I guess everyone will have to wait to see which cowboy hat I will be wearing live on TV. And I will be wearing that cowboy hat because we are all crossing our fingers. It's a little bit ominous here, the skies of Nashville. It is supposed to rain. But hopefully, that will hold until the guitar drops and we and the thousands of other revelers scatter away.
KEILAR: Well, get your boots there. I love those places because it's "Buy one, get two free" or something like that!
BALDWIN: Oh, I'm staring at a big, old sale sign right now! Lovin' it!
KEILAR: Fantastic. All right, thanks so much, Brooke. And of course, do not for get --
BALDWIN: Happy new year.
KEILAR: Happy new year to you. And don't forget to check out Brooke Baldwin tonight. She will be live with Anderson Cooper.
And you know, this is a weird invasion, yes, of the jellyfish. Dozens of people have been stung in Hawaii. We have this video. And wait until you hear how the whole thing involves a full moon. It's true. We have that next.
But first: There was a baby boom in Hollywood this year. That prompted our next list from the folks at Baby Center. It's the worst celebrity baby names of 2010.
And coming in at number five, Krishna. This is the baby son of I wonder if Padma Lakshmi of "Top Chef" fame. I got to tell you, I wonder if this isn't a little culturally insensitive. I actually -- I like this name, Krishna.
But anyway, number four, Axel, son of Will Ferrell and his wife, Viveca. Yes, what were they thinking?
And then number three, Cosima. That is the daughter of supermodel mom Claudia Schiffer and Matthew Vaughn.
So you're probably wondering, OK, well, what are the worst baby names of 2010, the very worst, the top two? We'll have that after a quick break.
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KEILAR: Back now to our list of worst celebrity baby names for 2010. This is according to Baby Center.
Number two, Egypt Daoud, the daughter of Grammy Award-winning Alicia Keys and Swiss Beats (ph).
And check out number one, Buddy Bear Maurice. I mean, who would name their child that? Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his wife, Jules (ph), did. Something is wrong with that. You can only know other kids are not going to let Buddy Bear -- I just don't even know what to say. That's a very interesting name, isn't it.
All right, well, as you know, the president's out in Hawaii, his home state. He's taking a little vacation. And we don't mean to suggest this is a national security issue, but should the president switch from golf to swimming, he could rub up against something pretty ugly, kind of gelatinous. Hawaii shores -- they have been invaded by jellyfish. Yes, ouch. More than 200 stings in the past few days since the jellyfish invasion began.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Feels like you put your hand -- like, you were to put your hand on a pan just out of the oven. It hurts really bad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was swimming. Then I saw this strand. And it came on and it went on my forehead. It still stings a bit on my face. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you want to go back in the water?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. What's wrong with that?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: What's wrong with that? And again, you know, not to be alarmists, but there are rare cases in which these stings can be fatal.
And Chad Myers, I know -- I've been stung by a jellyfish. It was sort of a -- just a light sting. It is most unpleasant. What is going on here?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And the jellyfish that are in Hawaii, on the south shore, are called box jellyfish. KEILAR: That's -- that's --
MYERS: That's a big one.
KEILAR: That's a big one.
MYERS: Well, it's a big stinger. It hurts. And it looks kind of like a square. And it kind of looks like a box with tentacles dangling off at about two or three feet long. The problem? They come every month, 10 days after the full moon. You think, Wait a minute, a jellyfish doesn't have eyes. Jellyfish can't think. But you know what? A box jellyfish does have a slight eye, couple of them around the box. And what they do with it, they move into the shallows 10 days after the full moon, and then they breed. That looks good. But if you get stung, so far the best thing, vinegar.
KEILAR: Oh, gross.
MYERS: Ooh, that looks bad. Yes.
KEILAR: Yes. And they come up looking kind of like little clear goo balls.
MYERS: And they are clear. Part of the problem, they are clear. You can't see them.
You see a Portuguese man-of-war, they're kind of blue, some of them have other colors. These things are clear, and their sting truly, truly hurts.
They think that they got there, to Hawaii, in the 1800s on sailing vessels. Now, the theory was that it came in the bilge of a vessel. You know, because there's water in the bilge.
KEILAR: Yes, interesting.
MYERS: The problem is, in 1800s there wasn't water in bilges or stones. They used, like, rocks. So that didn't happen.
KEILAR: OK. That's wrong.
MYERS: So all of these little theories here, how did they get there? They think they just get stuck on the hulls of the ship. The hulls of the ship came from the Caribbean, which is where they are native, and they landed in Hawaii. And now there's really a month where they don't show up 10 days after the full moon.
KEILAR: That is so bizarre.
And then, OK, so we saw people with the vinegar, spraying the vinegar. I remember, I think when I was -- I mean, I was little, I was 6 or 7, but I was stung by a jellyfish. I think it was vinegar as well that my grandma used on my leg.
MYERS: Sure. Yes.
KEILAR: Why?
MYERS: It breaks down the toxins that are on your skin. The toxins that are burning, it will break that down and kind of wash them away.
Now, people have used -- and there's all -- you can go -- it's called 808jellyfish.com. I don't know what it means. It's just there.
But some people put meat tenderizer on. Some people put cold packs. Some people put hot packs. It's just kind of all what you like. The only thing that we know that really helps is vinegar.
KEILAR: Meat tenderizer? All right. Weird.
MYERS: Meat tenderizer. They say to put that Adolph's meat tenderizer on a bee sting as well.
KEILAR: Good to know.
MYERS: I haven't been stung by a bee in a really long time.
KEILAR: Good to know. Home remedies.
Chad Myers, thank you very much for that.
A pregnant cow gets stuck in a well. Yes, I just said that.
You've got to see this video.
Plus, how did bulls get in this neighborhood? You will see how this chaotic scene played out next.
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KEILAR: It is time "You Gotta See This!"
Firefighters, sheriff's deputies, animal control, they all showed up in force. Why? To rescue this one lucky pregnant cow from a 12- foot well.
Yes, they drained the well, they brought in a crane to pull her out. Lucky thing. And she's now safely grazing on greener pastures.
Where is the beef? Well, apparently, it is running around wreaking havoc in New Holland, Pennsylvania. Thankfully, the 13 bulls were rounded up, put back in their pens, and authorities spread throughout New Holland as they attempted to corral -- and they did corral -- all of these animals.
We're used to seeing a truck take out a tree, right? Well, not in this case. This huge tree in southern California takes out the truck. Winds have ripping through the southern part of the state over the past few days, toppling trees and knocking out power.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The business is mine. The business is mine! You rot in hell!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: This is a shocking, very serious story. Police say that that man's 12-year-old stepson was kidnapped on Christmas Eve, and his burned body later found in a ditch.
Now the stepfather is speaking out, and he wants revenge. But what was the motive in this tragic case? We are on this case, ahead.
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KEILAR: Now, next year's news today. Let's do a "Fast Forward" to 2011.
The 112th U.S. Congress goes into session next week. Expect freshmen photos and legislative activity right away. Republicans will be in charge in the House, and they don't want to waste any time getting to work on things like a repeal of health care reform.
Also next week, Michael Steele will debate his challengers in the race for the chair of the Republican National Committee.
And then on Tuesday, a preliminary hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician accused of administering that lethal dose of prescription drugs to Michael Jackson.
And an interesting development today. Discovery Networks announced it is canceling a medical documentary that would reenact the Michael Jackson autopsy. In a statement to CNN, Discovery cites the legal proceedings that begin next week and a request from the Jackson estate as reason for cancellation.
DUI checkpoints in some states about to look a whole lot different. No longer will drivers be able to refuse breathalyzers. Instead, there will actually be waiting for someone waiting around to force to you take the test.
We're "On the Case' next.
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KEILAR: We are monitoring this bank robbery going on in Texas. This is in Pearland, not too far from Houston. And as we understand it, from police, there is still at least one suspect inside of this bank, along with some hostages. Some hostages have been released.
But this is something that has been going on now for about four hours. It began when a passerby saw someone or more than one person with masks inside of this bank, called 911, alerting authorities even before the silent alarm could be tripped inside of the bank.
We're going to continue to monitor this, as this is an ongoing hostage situation. And we'll bring you details as soon as we get them.
Before you make a toast tonight, consider this -- police will be out at DUI checkpoints across the country. And in some cases, a judge will be there, too.
It's called a no-refusal checkpoint. Every driver passing through has to take a breathalyzer.
And if you blow higher than .08, you are arrested on the spot. If you think you can just refuse to take the breathalyzer, think again. That judge can issue a warrant right on the spot and force you to give a blood test. No court delay, instant check of your blood alcohol level.
Now, I know you may be wondering, is that even legal? So let's bring in Midwin Charles. She is "On the Case" for us today.
So, Midwin, is this legal?
MIDWIN CHARLES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I could certainly see how there are going to be some challenges to this, Brianna. I mean, we do have a Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure. And this, to me, sounds a little bit extreme.
I understand that law enforcement has to do what is necessary, or at least attempt to try to solve the problem of DUI. There has been many fatalities. And over the years, they have really stepped up in terms of regulation and laws, and also advertising and promotions to let people know that this is a serious, serious crime. But I think that this goes a little bit too far in trying to achieve those goals.
KEILAR: All right. So let's play devil's advocate here, Midwin.
What about the benefits? Because on one hand, you have Mothers Against Drunk Driving groups like that. They're applauding these no- refusal checkpoints. They say, look, they cut down on drunk driving fatalities.
Does that point outweigh the potential court challenges, or you think not?
CHARLES: See, I don't think it does, because, remember, when someone is stopped for DUI, they are stopped based upon that law enforcement or that police officer's probable cause. It's not as though it is proof that they have committed the crime.
That police officer could always just arrest that person and bring him to the station. Why go through this entire process of having a judge issue a warrant and actually sticking the person with a needle? There are other ways to deal with the problem. Most importantly, simply arresting that person and bringing them down to the station.
KEILAR: All right. That's an interesting point.
And this is a -- let's talk about another case here. This is a really sad story from Texas.
A 12-year-old boy, he was found dead. His burned body was left in a ditch there. A woman has been arrested.
What do we know about this woman, who's confessed at least to leaving his body there?
CHARLES: Horrible, horrible, horrible. I mean, I believe this woman may have been involved with the family and may have known this small little boy. But to do something like this to a child, to a young person, it just, I think, baffles the mind. And I think we are now living in a society we see children and women constantly being victimized, Brianna.
KEILAR: Yes. So she is a maintenance worker near the family's home, or around the family's home. She's also an acquaintance of the boy's family. Police found materials in her home that led them to believe that she killed the boy in her home and then dumped his body later.
What did she find? What did they find?
CHARLES: Oh my goodness. I believe that they found evidence that linked her to the boy. You know, unfortunately, Brianna, oftentimes the victims of murders know the person who did it. And that seems to be the case here.
KEILAR: Yes. And this -- and certainly police obviously thought there was some connection there. She has been arrested. This family, of course, just devastated.
Midwin Charles, thank you so much.
CHARLES: Thank you.
KEILAR: And it is time now to head to Washington, D.C., and to "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Suzanne Malveaux today -- Suzanne.
