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Consumer Electronics Show Is Overrun With Multiple New Electronic Tablet Devices And That Is Good For Tech Junkies; Two Sisters Freed; Twitter Subpoenaed; John Wheeler's Neighbors Interviewed; Sudan Pivotal Vote
Aired January 08, 2011 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Martin Savidge, in for Fredricka Whitfield today. Thanks for joining us.
Here is what is happening.
Today is the first full day of freedom in 16 years for Gladys and Jamie Scott. I worked on that story yesterday.
The sisters headed straight for Florida to see their families after being released from a Mississippi prison yesterday. CNN was the only network there for the reunion.
A lot of people are still talking about what led to their release. Listen to what the sisters told Soledad O'Brien in this exclusive interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GLADYS SCOTT, RELEASED FROM PRISON: We're free!
JAMIE SCOTT, RELEASED FROM PRISON: We're free!
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: So how does it feel to be free?
GLADYS SCOTT, RELEASED FROM PRISON: Oh, it's great, because I don't got to worry about no wakeup call. No body, have to go ask somebody I got to go to the bathroom. Oh, it just feel great.
O'BRIEN: How are you feeling? You look tired.
JAMIE SCOTT, RELEASED FROM PRISON: I am tired. But I feel great. You know, it's, like I say, it's just a dream come true. You know, how you dream for so long and then when it finally come, you scared to wake up, because you scared it's not real. And it's just wonderful.
O'BRIEN: When did you first get sick?
J SCOTT: Well, they told me January of 2009.
O'BRIEN: So you thought you might die in prison?
J SCOTT: Yes. I thought I was going to die in prison. And so they came -- went and got my sister, because she talked some sense into me. She came into the room and she was crying and she said, you know, we going to beat this think, we going to beat this. She said, you can have one of my kidneys. She said that's not a problem. You can -- she said I'm healthy, you can have one of mine.
G SCOTT: I told her, I said, I can't do the same, I can't live without you. I said I want you to know -- I want up to see your grandkids raised. I said, Jamie we going to walk out of this door. She was like, no, no I don't want to go into dialysis. So I was begging and I was crying, I was crying. She said you going to give me your kidney? I said yeah, we both going to have one kidney walking out of prison.
O'BRIEN: Part of the condition of release is you give your kidney to your sister. What happens if your kidney is not acceptable?
G SCOTT: Well, from my understanding, I don't think nothing is supposed to happen. But, we have other people lined up that's willing to donate, to be tested, if I'm not a match.
O'BRIEN: Plan B?
G SCOTT: Yeah, plan B.
O'BRIEN: Some people said to make the donation of your kidney to your sister as a condition of release is barbaric, is unfair. Do you think that's true?
G SCOTT: Yeah.
O'BRIEN: You do? Even though you're willing to give the kidney anyway?
J SCOTT: I think that a lot of people looking at it as a organ for your freedom.
O'BRIEN: But, is it?
G SCOTT: Yeah.
J SCOTT: You can look at it like that, you know, because that was a condition of her release, but I think that I'm not agreeing with that, because I'm not agreeing within my mind because she was going to do it, regardless.
O'BRIEN: Many people focus on the fact of the condition about the donation of the kidney, and not even what you guys talk a lot about, which is you say you didn't do it. Is that frustrating?
J SCOTT: I don't too much focus on that, because everybody played their role and it amounted to one thing, we're sitting in front of you today.
O'BRIEN: Why do you think now? I mean, you have filed for petitions for release before, so why now?
J SCOTT: I think there's a time and purpose for everything.
G SCOTT: I believe it was our season. God said let them go.
J SCOTT: I believe, yes, I believe that wholeheartedly. No matter how much we do, I believe there's a time and season for everything.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVAGE: The sisters say that they are grateful to Governor Barbour for releasing them, but they will not stop fighting until their names have been cleared.
The Justice Department is apparently using a new tool in their investigation, WikiLeaks that's the site that leaked thousands of government documents; a federal court has reportedly issued a subpoena demanding Twitter account information for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and several other people.
CNN's Kate Bolduan joins us live now with details from Washington -- Kate.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey there Marty. A very interesting development in this case that we've been following for, seems like, so long, now. As you mentioned, a federal judge ordered the social media site, Twitter, to hand over information about the people, many of the people, linked to WikiLeaks, Julian Assange being one, being the founder of WikiLeaks. But also U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning who's under arrest and suspected of leaking information to WikiLeaks. Birgitta Jonsdottir in another person they're actually looking for information from, she's a supporter of WikiLeaks and also a member of the Icelandic Parliament.
Now, CNN verified it but they have not yet obtained the court documents from Jonsdottier, but has not yet independently verified the authenticity of the documents with the Justice Department, we should, of course, note that.
The court, in this document, is asking for information including subscriber names, users names, screen names, mailing addresses, connection records, residential addresses, bank account information, even and more.
And it appears the court order was issued back on December 14, we're learning about this now as the documents were unsealed just earlier this week. But, with all this information that we're getting, it's still very unclear, Marty, what information, if any, Twitter has turned over, but according to Jonsdottir's Twitter messages, she says she has, "10 days to stop it," the illegal process before having to hand it over, and of course, it's probably not a surprise, she calls this request, this demand, if you will, the subpoena, "unacceptable."
SAVAGE: Well, as you point out, we've been following this story for a long time, now. So, why is this development significant?
BOLDUAN: Well, if we verify these documents with the Justice Department, this really offers us the first real look, little window into the government's investigation, how they're going about their investigation into the WikiLeaks site and the release of government information. Most recently as you know, the disclosure of all the thousands of diplomatic cables and documents.
Attorney General Eric Holder, he's been very careful, as you can probably expect, not to discuss the specifics of their ongoing investigation to this point. But, here's a little how he describes the U.S. government's efforts, this back in November. Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Let me be very clear, it's not saber-rattling. This is, as I said, active, ongoing investigation, to the extent we can find anybody who was involved in the breaking of American law and who has put at risk the assets and the people that I have described, they will be held responsible, they will be held accountable. To the extent there are gaps in our laws, we will move to close those gaps, which is not to say -- which is not to say, that anybody at this point, because of their citizenship or their residence is not a target or a subject of an investigation that's ongoing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: See their, Attorney General Eric Holder, very serious about this. They say it's a criminal investigation. Twitter for its part, I should say, Marty, gave CNN this statement saying that, "We are not," in their words, "going to comment on specific requests. But to help users protect rights, it's our policy to notify users about law enforcement and governmental request for their information, unless we're prevented by law from doing so. We outline this policy in our law enforcement guidelines."
So, this seems like it's going to be just the beginning of, as you can guess, a very long investigation. But, we're getting at least a little window of maybe a little bit of their strategy on how to go about investigating WikiLeaks.
SAVAGE: It's a story that just keeps on giving. Thanks.
BOLDUAN: It sure does.
SAVAGE: Very much.
Well, we wanted to ask our legal guys to weigh in on this story. Richard Herman is in Las Vegas and Avery Friedman is in my hometown, Cleveland, Ohio.
And Avery, I'm not going to start with you, so I don't look like I'm playing favorites to the hometown man.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTY: That's great, Marty.
SAVAGE: So Richard, tell me here, let's -- what do you think of this? The government is tipping its hand, here. I presume the government can really sort of do what they want to do. Is this legal, is it appropriate to go after this account? RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTY: Well Marty, first of all, we all know that our government is both humiliated, mortified and desperate over all this WikiLeaks. Can they do this legally? Yes, they can. We have empowered our government with wide latitude in criminal investigations to look at your bank records, to look at anything they want. And this is absolutely fair game. These people have accounts with a United States-based company. Twitter is based out of San Francisco, so these are federal subpoenas issued by a judge for these records.
Give it to Twitter, because the order that was served upon them precluded them from even notifying the customers.
SAVAGE: That's right.
HERMAN: Twitter went to court for the right to be able to notify the customer. They were granted that right, like the woman said earlier, they have 10 days now to try to get some sort of restraining order or block this. But I believe this information is going to be turned over. But again, it looks like a desperate attempt by our government to somehow, some way, make up some sort of because of action, here. I don't think one exists.
SAVAGE: Avery, do you agree? Is it desperation on the part of the U.S. government?
FRIEDMAN: Absolutely not. Let me tell you why, Marty. I think the approach by the Department of Justice is absolutely the right way to go. I mean, clearly when Eric Holder has a press conference about going after Brian Manning and going after Julian Assange, he didn't tip his hand. He's approaching this in the exact correct way.
The order came from a United States district judge out of San Francisco. That's where, indeed, Twitter is based. Actually, we would have never known except the member of parliament in Iceland went public on it.
Again, I think bottom line, if you're out there using social media, Marty, sooner or later if in a criminal investigation like this -- and again for Manning, it's treason, among other crimes, it's appropriate for that data to be made available, they are going to get it.
SAVAGE: Richard, do you agree on that, that anything out there it's fair game for the government to get?
HERMAN: Yeah, I mean, there's no expectation of privacy, Marty, and so it's going to be fair game, and it's a criminal, a federal criminal investigation. Again, I have to repeat it, it's a wide latitude for our government to investigate, to subpoena, to do a proper investigation prior to bringing very serious criminal charges. And look, they are doing what they have to do in order to see if they have a prima facie case to bring. Again, I don't think they have one, Marty. They're very desperate.
SAVAGE: All right. Well, go ahead, Avery. FRIEDMAN: Yeah, bottom line, there is something there. The issue in the case is jurisdiction, not whether or not there's a claim. You have to get your hands on Assange. But remember, there are other actors in this conspiracy. So, you know, we'll talk about this further, but there is a claim, I believe there is, and I think the government is taking the appropriate approach.
SAVAGE: How come it's not harassment?
HERMAN: Marty, it may very well be harassment. I mean, she's an Icelandic citizen, non-U.S. based citizen who has enrolled in a company that's based in the United States. The material is absolutely discoverable and should be investigated by the government as it is.
FRIEDMAN: So how is it harassment? I don't see it as harassment at all. It's an appropriate -- look, a subpoena is a court order. Turn it over. Now, she's got 10 days to assert her right to see if they can quash the subpoena. I don't think she's going to succeed. She's a supporter of WikiLeaks, I don't see the grounds upon which there's a quash. I think it is appropriate and I don't see it as harassment in the least.
SAVAGE: All right, we've got to end it there. We're going to talk about Twitter later in the program. We're not finish with Richard and Avery. They will be back in a few minutes with several topics including can you defame someone on Twitter. We'll discuss the first of its kind defamation case that involves Courtney Love.
Well, we have exclusive new details about that mysterious murder of a Washington insider. Plus, we'll get reaction from his baffled neighbors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you see all these pieces nothing fits together.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It certainly is unbelievable. You just -- it's a story that you might expect to see in the movies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVAGE: The final hours of John Wheeler, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVAGE: New exclusive details about the movements of a former Pentagon official who was found murdered New Year's Eve. CNN has learned that John Wheeler apparently called for a taxi ride to Philadelphia two days before his body was discovered at a landfill in Delaware. But he disappeared before the cab ride. Our national correspondent Susan Candiotti spoke with Wheeler's neighbors about this case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT DILL, NEIGHBOR OF WHEELER: That's really all I know about him.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Robert and Phoebe Dill are as baffled as anyone about the mysterious and bizarre final hours of their neighbor, John Wheeler. They called him "Jack."
R DILL: Well, what do you think? I think, gosh, you know, what's he doing? You know, but, obviously, I've never seen him like that before.
PHOEBE DILL, NEIGHBOR OF WHEELER: I mean, obviously, something was wrong.
CANDIOTTI: Seeing him apparently disoriented, wearing only one shoe on a parking garage video two days before his death, has thrown them for a loop.
R DILL: I mean, it's got us totally confused. When you see all these pieces, nothing fits together.
P DILL: It certainly is unbelievable. You just -- it's a story that you might expect to see in the movies, but you would not expect to see it with people that you know.
CANDIOTTI: Mr. Dill dropped off Wheeler at the Wilmington train station heading to New York, Christmas Eve, in his briefcase, an antique dish, a Christmas present for his wife. It was the last time Dill saw his friend.
R DILL: Helped him get his stuff out of the inside of the car and said, "See you, Jack." And that was it. I was out of there.
CANDIOTTI: Like investigators, the Dills cannot figure out how Wheeler got from this office building in Wilmington to a dumpster in Newark at least five miles away.
R DILL: Somebody had to be up to something.
CANDIOTTI: But what?
R DILL: I just hope they solve this thing and figure out what happened to him.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): Police now say Wheeler changed his clothes from when he was roaming around that parking garage to when he was wandering about that office building on the final night of his life, one more open question, one more gap in the time line leading to his death.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, New Castle, Delaware.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVAGE: In southern California, a serious problem after so much rain, recently. At least half a dozen homes in San Clemente are threatened by a mudslide. The homes are on a hillside overlooking a golf course. Reports say that four of those homes have been tagged unsafe. Talking about snow in the northeast and the southeast bracing for snow and ice, Reynolds Wolf joins you now. I have a personal stake in this, because it looks like I'll probably be out there in that weather come Monday.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I wish I could tell you different. But yes, all signs are pointing to a very busy day for you and a tough for people across the southeast trying to get from point A to point B. Just the simple things are going to be difficult, and it's all going to stem from a system actually in the Gulf of Mexico.
But, this morning the first thing we're going to see are some scattered snow showers in places across parts of the northeast, in Boston we find some snowfall, find some in Buffalo. But some of the heaviest we've seen in the past hour, south of New York, actually southwest, in Philadelphia where the snow continues to come down. We got a little bit of a break in the action, possibility for more development will exist towards the west.
In Philadelphia, believe it or not, is where we happen to have one of our delays. Right now, grand delays about 90 minutes. But we also have some delays in the West Coast. San Francisco, Los Angeles, even in Anchorage, Alaska. Look at that, a 30-minute arrival delay.
Well, tomorrow looks like we might be seeing delays in a different part of the country, that would be in the extreme southeast and the reason why is very simple. We've got an area of low pressure that is developing right now in parts of Texas and it's that low that's actually going to pull its way to the northeast. And just over the next 24 to 48 hours, we can expect that low to interact with moisture from the Gulf, the Atlantic and with that cold air coming in from the north, we got the potential for fairly heavy snow in terms of, say, parts of the Carolinas back into Georgia, even into Alabama. Could see three to six inches, higher elevations might see a bit more with a coating of ice, too, which should cause widespread power outages and obviously some issues on your roadways.
Something else we want to show you, is how things might look. This iReport we've got for you is actually up in parts of Connecticut, Trumbull, Connecticut. This was sent in by Adrina Sosakiefer (ph), she shot this just in her backyard. She had about six inches of snowfall in about three hours. It covered everything, a beautiful winter wondereland. It's great if you don't have to get out there and shovel it.
But remember where that happens to be, that's in the southeast, either that kind of weather, that kind of snowfall in parts of the southeast, it brings everything to a standstill. Widespread delays can be expected.
Mr. Savage, it could be rough for you, who, I understand, might have to get out and brave the elements, might be somewhat cold for you.
SAVAGE: I've also got my shopping list together. The Georgia list is always the milk, eggs and the bread, on the way home.
WOLF: You know the drill.
SAVAGE: Yes, I do. Thanks very much, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
SAVAGE: Floodwaters as far as the eye can see, but now in some areas of Australia, the high water is starting to go down. We'll get an update.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVAGE: Sudan, is a country that's been racked by decades of civil war. It's now gearing up for a pivotal vote that could split that nation in two. There are concerns, though, that that split could trigger another round of violent conflict. And thousands of refugees who have been living in the northern part of Sudan for years are now pouring back into the south.
Joining us from Juba, that is, on the telephone, in southern Sudan, is CNN's David McKenzie -- David.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey Marty, yeah there are thousands of southern Sudanese who lived in the north, some of them their entire lives, streaming back into the south. I want to show you some video, now. We just took this moments ago, it's of a fairy coming down on the arduous journey up the river Nile from Khartoum into Juba in southern Sudan. Hundreds of refugees -- well, not really refugees, hundreds of Sudanese on this vote crammed in there. They arrived and they were singing and dancing, a sense of jubilation, Marty, as the Sudanese streaming onto the shore and tonight they're going to be sleeping on little more than a blanket under mango trees.
Marty, this vote starting tomorrow is a seminal moment in African history. We could see southern Sudan, an area the size of France split from the north after decades of war between the African Christian south and the Arab Muslim north -- Marty.
SAVAGE: Those are remarkable photos and clearly people seem to be very happy. But I'm wondering, is that the feeling of everyone you come across, there, or are there, perhaps, people who are anxious about what may come after this vote.
MCKENZIE: There's a sense, by the people, particularly like Thabo Mbeki, the former South African president, and others that negotiated, there is a sense of anxiousness, what happens the day after this referendum, what happens once the south is independent -- many feel that that's a almost foregone conclusion.
But, if you think about a year, might be, ago, we were looking at the potential far more worrying than it is now that there could be conflict returning. That they wouldn't get their act together to get to this vote of self-determination. We are a lot more optimistic right now about southern Sudan. What happens after that last (INAUDIBLE), is anyone's guess. But what we should be seeing, if all goes well, is the world's newest nation bein formed later this year.
SAVAGE: David McKenzie, we hope all goes peacefully. Thanks very much.
Floodwaters in the state of Queensland in Australia have started to recede in some areas, but other places they are still waiting on rivers and streams to crest. Across the region, there has been devastation on a massive scale. CNN's Phil Black has an update.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard visited Rockhampton and other flood affected areas in Queensland today, and what she saw were communities experiencing all the different stages of the flood crisis.
(voice-over): There were those where the floodwaters have came and receded, leaving behind homes, communities devastated by water and mud, where people are just beginning to clean up.
Then there are places like here in Rockhampton where the floods have come up and they're sticking around, they're receding very, very slowly. So, for the next week or so, people will be living amongst all this waist-deep water, getting around by boat. The water is stagnant; it's getting a bit smelly. Mosquitoes and other insects are a really big problem, so is access to food and water. And it's difficult getting access to food and water. It's hard living here in the moment.
And still yet, there are communities where the water is yet to peak, where it is raining heavily and they're desperately building defenses to try and protect their homes. The cleanup is expected to take months, probably years.
(on camera): Not just homes, towns and cities, but tot the all important transport infrastructure which links this enormous state.
Phil black, CNN, Rockhampton, Australia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVAGE: Since 1868, anyone born in the U.S. has been guaranteed citizenship in this country. Now some state lawmakers want the 14th Amendment changed to exclude children of illegal immigrants, and a congressman wants birth rite citizenship repealed.
Our legal guys are back, civil rights attorney, Avery Friedman in Cleveland, and criminal defense attorney, Richard Herman in Las Vegas, another fine city.
Thank you both, gentlemen, for being with us. You know what, I want to start off though, I'm going to read the first line of the 14th Amendment, it's always a good place to start with the Constitution, here.
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States and of the state where in they reside." Pretty straightforward stuff. So, let me start, Richard, with you and say what is the basis here and is there any grounds on which they will try to fight this?
HERMAN: You know, Marty, out of frustration over the failed immigration policies of the federal government we saw Arizona take the lead earlier, states are just frustrated and they're doing anything they can to try to block the flow of illegal immigration. I think a couple years ago there was recorded 380,000 children born from parents who are not in the United States legally.
SAVAGE: Oh.
HERMAN: And therefore, states are saying we've got to stop this. We're going to take a shot, we're going to see if we can get this passed statewide and then by the government.
SAVAGE: Avery, I mean, there is a legitimate concern, of course, when you see large populations of people appearing in your nation through a birth program, here. And I guess I'm wondering that , yes, I see the Constitution is very clear-cut, but can you in any way see the case these lawmakers in Arizona are trying to make or their concerns at least?
FRIEDMAN: None. Wait, wait. You asked two questions. Yes, their concerns, but in terms of the Constitution, not a prayer. Actually, I'm offended by the very concept of looking at the first sentence of the 14th Amendment and say, you know what, we want to litigate this case. Well, in 1898, Marty, the Supreme Court made it clear if you're born here, you're a citizen. As late as 1982, in a case of a child by an undocumented worker, the Supreme Court said unanimously that child is a citizen. The idea of looking at an attack of the 14th Amendment by litigation is frivolous, it is exaggerated, I think it's prejudicial and frankly it will go nowhere. The only way the Constitution ever gets changed...
SAVAGE: I think it's pretty clear-cut.
FRIEDMAN: ...is by an amendment.
SAVAGE: Yeah. I agree. I think it's clear-cut. So, let's move on, because I like this case. This is Courtney Love, Twitter deformation suit. Well, I like this case because it raises a very fundamental issue, when you tweet, is that fact, or is that opinion? And I've had people who tweeted some very unkind things about me and naturally, I never thought of suing them...
FRIEDMAN: They did?
SAVAGE: But, here's the question, can you go after somebody, Richard? What do you think?
HERMAN: You know, Marty, bringing a lawsuit for deformation is one of the most difficult cases to prove in the United States. Regardless of what state you're bringing it in, it's very, very difficult to prove. Here, besides all the elements that they have to prove, they have to prove that the person was damaged. Were they damaged in some way, shape, or form by statements made by Courtney Love. Well, that supersedes the point that Courtney Love has any legitimacy or she has the ability to damage someone and that's what her lawyers are arguing that basically she's a nut, no one takes her serious, so there can't be damages.
SAVAGE: Well, it's easy to laugh. But Avery, are there serious issues, here?
FRIEDMAN: Well, there are, although I can't believe anybody would tweet anything negative about you, Marty.
HERMAN: Absolutely.
FRIEDMAN: The legitimate issue here is this, among the words that Courtney Love used was, you know, "hose bag," "dirt bag," any kind of, you know, bag you'd choose, I would suppose. But this is clearly opinion. I'm surprised that the judge even permits this case to go to trial. I think generally, as opposed to a filtered medium where you have standards and practices, very different than social media, I actually think that the judge should have thrown the case out. I think a jury will throw it out. It is serious, but it is opinion and nothing more.
SAVAGE: Right, it's been postponed. We'll find out what happens.
Avery, just to hear you say the word "hose bag" I think was worth the price of admission.
(LAUGHTER)
Is there enough evidence against Michael Jackson's doctor to go to trial? Richard and Avery will be back with the answer to that question in just a few minutes.
The newest tech gadgets on display this weekend. We'll head to Las Vegas to show you the latest and greatest gadgets to hit the market.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: How many times has someone told you, hey, there's an app for that. We heard that a lot this year. That's why app has been chosen as the word of the year by a group of linguists. App beat out 32 other words during a debate at a annual meeting of the American Dialect Society. What a thrilling debate it must have been. It beat out the word "nom", something to do with the pleasure of eating.
All righty, then.
Now to some of the cool new offerings at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Among them, touch screen tablets that are, of course, poised to flood the market. Our tech writer Mark Milian, joins us live from Vegas.
Mark, the tablets are everywhere in Vegas. How soon can we find one to touch here?
MARK MILIAN, TECH WRITER, CNN.COM: Hey, Marty. There's a ton of tablets at this show. New ones from Samsung, LG, from-here we have this new Motorola Zoom tablet. We can see kind of a movie playing on this one. They have a bunch of tech demos that they can show on this demo unit they have here.
This is a new one for Verizon Wireless. They are not showing the software yet, so that's kind of what we say, when we can't really touch all these, we can't really get therein and play with them. This one is expected to come out in the next 30 days -- 90 days, excuse me. We don't have a price on these yet. A lot of these new tablets are expected to come out in the next few months. We don't know a whole lot about them, how they will work, which types of app they have. The majority of these run either versions of Google's Android Operation Systems, which is on a lot of smart phones or Microsoft Windows, which as you know is on many, many computers.
SAVIDGE: Michael (sic) Milian. All right.
I know a lot of people obviously like them. The iPad has done extremely well. So tablets are bound to be heading to me, at sometime. Thank you very much. We'll talk to you later.
Beatles fans can now get their fill of Fab Four memorabilia in Argentina's capital. A fan of the famous singing group collected thousands of Beatles related items over the last few decades. They were in his home. Now he's decided to open a museum, probably much to the relief of his wife. More than 8,000 items are on display.
We'll take a break and come right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: That food word, by the way, was not "nom". It's "num", as in num, num, num, Cookie Monster. In case you were wondering. I stand corrected.
Well, the jobless rate falls to 9.4 percent, that is the lowest level since May of 2009. But the numbers reflect many part-time workers are still searching for full time jobs. Our Mary Snow follows a part-time caterer searching for an event planning position with the Morgans Hotel Group.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's hard took find signs the economy is improving by looking at this line, that goes on and on and on. Some 2,000 people waited in the cold to apply for 250 jobs and a new hotel opening in New York.
EARL NEWKIRK, JOB SEEKER: It made me think of what it must have been like during the Depression, people standing out there waiting soup.
SNOW: 38-year-old Earl Newkirk waited four and a half hours to get inside with more than 600 people ahead of him.
Once inside -- UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If anyone has an application filled out you can step on over --
SNOW: More lines. They Morgans Hotel Group held the job fair for its new hotel, The Mondrey (ph) in Soho that is opening in March. Newkirk is hoping to land an event planning position, similar to his part-time job in catering but much different from the full time job he lost last April, working for New York City Social Services Department.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to call you in a moment.
SNOW: After hours of waiting, Newkirk's moment of truth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What steps do you take to make sure the work you've done, is done correctly?
NEWKIRK: I'm very detail oriented.
SNOW: Newkirk says this group interview was some of the most contact he's had with employers since starting his job search.
SNOW (on camera): How many resumes would you say you've sent out?
NEWKIRK: 1,000.
SNOW: 1,000?
NEWKIRK: Easy.
SNOW (voice over): Because Newkirk works part time he doesn't collect unemployment. Economists point out that counting part-time workers changes the jobless picture.
WILLIAM RODGERS, FMR. CHIEF ECONOMIST, U.S. DEPT. OF LABOR: People are focused on the 15 million Americans who are unemployed, actively searching. But we have another 9 million Americans who are working part time, but want to work full time.
SNOW: And that hope for fulltime work is keeping Newkirk trying what he can to land a job. He says emotions are a luxury. That he must focus on getting a job. But he couldn't hold back tears talking about the impact this has had on his sisters.
NEWKIRK: They both felt so bad, so for Christmas they gave me money. This is-I mean, it is-I'm not going to cry on camera. Really, not good. Not good.
SNOW: Have you gone through savings?
NEWKIRK: Pretty much.
SNOW: (on camera): Earl Newkirk says that's the first time he's gotten emotional since he was laid off last April, that he's just trying to stay focused. There is some hope, though, in December's jobless report. It shows the hospitality industry actually gained jobs last month. Mary Snow, CNN, New York. (END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: So difficult for so many people. We'll be back with more news in just a moment.
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SAVIDGE: Looking at top stories now, we are learning a man in New York that police wanted to question in a gruesome hotel killing is in the hospital undergoing a mental examination. Police say that Renado Sevabra (ph), a male model from Portugal, is now in custody at Bellevue Hospital. He's considered a person of interest in the beating death of a multinational -- of a Portuguese reporter and columnist at a posh New York City hotel. That took place yesterday.
Verizon appears to be getting set to unveil its iPhone. The company is holding a press event Tuesday. A source tells "The Wall Street Journal" it is likely to be the iPhone announcement. Numerous media outlets have confirmed with sources that the iPhone would come to the Verizon's network early this year. The move would end AT&T's four- year run as the iPhone's exclusive carrier.
All right. What happened the day after Michael Jackson died? This week we have been hearing testimony against the personal physician. Many are watching this one very closely, including our legal guys, civil rights attorney Avery Friedman, in Cleveland, and Civil Defense attorney Richard Herman that joins us from Las Vegas.
So let's take a look at this case. I think, of course, the real question here is there enough evidence against Doctor Murray to move on forward?
Avery, what do you think?
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Yeah. That's the question, Marty. And the evidence this week was really overwhelming. Among other things a couple of doctors from UCLA Medical Center said, number one, Doctor Murray never said anything about the meds that were administered, the propofol, although he did mention razapan (ph). Didn't mention the propofol, which is the more important thing. Security guard, testifies among other things, Marty, that Doctor Murray said, hide the propofol, hide the IV bags. Oh, my goodness, even Doctor Murray's Houston-based girlfriend testified that she was on the phone with him for about 25 minutes before Doctor Murray even called 911.
So for purposes of this preliminary hearing, the defense lawyers are handling it right. They are listening to the evidence. They are not cross-examining. This case is going to trial.
SAVIDGE: Richard, the defense attorneys are going to counter, I guess that Michael Jackson injected himself. Could that be actually considered as possible?
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It could, Marty. But these preliminary hearings, these are a dream for defense attorneys. Because this the first time the defense really sees, for the first time, the outline of the prosecution's case.
So, basically they sit back, they watch, they evaluate the witnesses, and then prepare to attack them in the trial. The burden here is probable cause, not beyond a reasonable doubt, which you need for a conviction in a case. So the question is whether or not the government is putting together enough evidence to sway a judge that there is probable cause that a crime was committed, and therefore go to trial.
Here the two big issues are, as Avery said, whether or not it was gross negligence for Doctor Murray to fail to tell the emergency personnel and the people at the hospital that he had administered propofol to Michael Jackson. And two, whether or not it was gross negligence to administer propofol in a house setting. These are some of the issues coming up during course of this case, will be part of a trial.
Listen, Marty, just understand this freak was taking propofol for years and his family knew it. It's ridiculous, I'm telling you, Murray has a real good chance to beat this.
FRIEDMAN: What?
SAVIDGE: Obviously one of the messages is do not call your girlfriend before calling 911, reverse that order.
FRIEDMAN: That's a good proposition.
SAVIDGE: Another case here, the Anna Nicole Smith case. She passed away some time ago but this case lives on and on. As a result, so does she. Her companion, Howard K. Stern, a judge threw out a number of the convictions in the latest trial. I'm wondering, why did the judge do that? I'll get to the next question after that.
Richard, why do you think he did it?
HERMAN: He did it because there was no case. It should never have been brought in the first place. Obviously then District Attorney Jerry Brown, who was running for governor, decided to bring this ridiculous, frivolous lawsuit against Stern and these other people. It was ridiculous from the inception. They never could prove it. The judge made a finding under California law that Anna Nicole was not a drug addict. Once that finding was made as a matter of law, the judge followed up that the fact Stern filled prescriptions under different names was OK. It's a standard that is done in California, it was not done with any criminal intent. And, therefore, he rightfully dismissed this case. Instead of criticizing the judge, the district attorney should be apologizing to these defendants. That is what he owes.
FRIEDMAN: Oh, my goodness. Oh, please.
HERMAN: And he never apologized when they get blown out of court for frivolous prosecutions.
FRIEDMAN: Hold on. The district attorney is taking it to the court of appeals. The jury ruled correctly. Here is the defense was, here's the defense, Howard K. Stern is arguing, I am so stupid, I had no idea it violated the law. Look, I kept getting pantsed in high school, and then I got to hang out with Anna Nicole Smith. I was so blinded by my love I didn't really know what I was doing. The jury didn't buy it. The prosecution obviously pursued that case. Jury came back beyond a reasonable doubt. I understand only in Hollywood, only in Los Angeles, Marty, will a judge say, look, we are so star driven, we have media, therefore the privacy argument raised by Mr. Stern is a good one, I'm going to overrule the jury. That's why the DA is appealing the case.
SAVIDGE: Is this the end of it, Richard? I know you would like to think it is the end of it, is it legally going to be the end of it?
HERMAN: It's absolutely going to be the end of it. This appeal is going to be denied. It's going nowhere. The judge found she had chronic pain syndrome. She was suffering physically and emotionally as a result of the death of her son. The prescriptions were done properly. Nothing was done illegal here. He had a great attorney. My friend Steve Sadow (ph)from Atlanta. It was a brilliant, brilliant move by the judge. It's going nowhere, Marty.
SAVIDGE: All right. Richard, I'm going to stop you there. I do want to move on. I have to renew my tabloid subscriptions, because I'm really lacking here. Lindsey Lohan, now, this case, it boasts an incident at the Betty Ford Clinic, with an employee and the employee won't pursue charges. What about this? Could she end up back in jail?
Avery, what do you say?
FRIEDMAN: No. She's got four witnesses to Dawn Holland, who was the employee. The case is going nowhere, not going to trial, won't be a probation violation, case is over.
SAVIDGE: I do worry employees at these clinics would speak out. There is privacy at stake.
HERMAN: There is privacy. But what kind of clinic is this that she can sneak out at night, go join her friends, party at a hotel room, then sneak back in. What kind of facility is this, Marty. This is ridiculous. This is not rehab. This is pathetic. I hope he violates her. He's too soft, he probably won't do it. We'll hear from her again. It's two for two for the train wreck for Lindsay Lohan in 2011.
FRIEDMAN: We'll see. We'll see.
HERMAN: She could provides a lot of information.
SAVIDGE: I thought it was privacy, then I remembered it's Lindsay Lohan.
HERMAN: Well put, Marty. Well, put. SAVIDGE: Very good to talk to you. Thank you.
I know he's saying something wonderful about me. We'll listen to Richard later in the commercial.
A groom's take on the unique wedding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was really sloppy and the dancing was terrible. For that, it was perfect.
SAVIDGE: A flash mob wedding at a mall in Boston. What could be better? The story after the break.
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SAVIDGE: Time now for an update on politics. Here is the very latest from the CNN.com Political Ticker. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid is predicting the demise-yes, the demise-of the Tea Party movement. Reid said the recession created the Tea Party and now that the economy is improving the Tea Party will soon just disappear.
Rare praise for the Obama administration from Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell says that he likes the fact that the newly named White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley has real world business experience. He says that might be a sign the president plans to take a more centrist approach.
And an embarrassing oversight in Congress: Two House members voted several times before they were sworn into office Republicans Pete Session of Texas and Mike Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania were attending a reception while the oath was being administered. They have been sworn in properly and their pre-oath votes have been nullified.
A much different kind of vow in Boston. A couple decided to tie the knot in the most unusual of ways. They threw a flash mob wedding at a local shopping mall with guests breaking into a coordinated song and dance performance. A video of the dance steps came with a wedding invitation, but everyone in the mall was encouraged to join in. And yes, that video has gone viral, what a shock.
Another big day is coming up for Kate Middleton. Prince William's fiance turns 29 tomorrow. What do you get the girl who got the prince? CNN's Nina Dos Santos has some ideas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): She's young, beautiful and about to become a princess. As the fiance of the Prince William many Britains see Kate Middleton as the girl who has it all. And one who is fast becoming a fashion icon.
An enviable position, some would say, but spare a thought for her betrothed, who two weeks after Christmas now has to find her a birthday present. London Department Store Fulfridges (ph) is one of William's favorite shops. So we went with personal stylist Lizzie Edwards to investigate his options.
LIZZIE EDWARDS, PERSONAL STYLIST: I think what Kate needs is something a bit younger, a bit more fashionable. She's in danger of going-she could be a bit mumsy. For example, this kind of thing. It is a little bit more racy. It has a lovely drape to it. I'm sure that would just look fantastic on her.
DOS SANTOS: That may well mean chocolate is out-of-bounds at least before the big day.
Glitzy shoes it seems are a no-go.
EDWARDS: That's not really her style at all.
DOS SANTOS: And underwear can be easy to get wrong.
(On camera): So Lizzie, lingerie, is it a possibility? It's every guy's stand by, right?
EDWARDS: Yes, it's a brilliant idea for a present. I think the think is not to go too lacy. There is so much beautiful underwear out there that has go a really nice simple touch to it.
DOS SANTOS: Jewelry could also be a good choice. It would be hard to find something to outshine Kate's 18 carat sapphire ring, which was once adorned the hand of Princess Diana and is reported to be worth half a million dollars. Mind you, the sales are on.
(On camera): Thank you. When material possessions abound, one might want to think about getting an experience instead.
(voice over): With one of the world's most watched weddings to plane, Kate Middleton may well be in need of a bit of pampering. Then again she's already known for being impeccably groomed.
(On camera): Now that she's on her way to becoming one of the most photographed people on the planet, a pair of dark glasses like these may be just the ideal present for a person keen to avoid the paparazzi.
Not bad.
(voice over): But the best present some say William could give Kate is attention.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What more could he give her? When she gets all that stuff on her hand and feet, she only needs a little bit of love. It's priceless.
DOS SANTOS: In the meantime the fairy tale continues. Nina Dos Santos, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: Nothing beats the gift of love. Well, you won't want to miss our 2:00 o'clock show, especially if you enjoyed this one. One of our topics: Should you stay in the stock market or should you get out? "YOUR $$$," it will start right after this.
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