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FBI's Biggest Mob Roundup; Sports Training for Toddlers; Will China be New Superpower by 2020?
Aired January 20, 2011 - 13:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: All right, let me bring you up to speed with one of the biggest stories we're covering right now.
The FBI has been at war with organized crime since the days of Al Capone in the 1930s. Hey, that's his mug shot right here behind me. Over the past decade, though, past couple decades, especially after 9/11, other priorities have gotten more attention, but G-men and women haven't ever stopped fighting the mob, and today they made history.
More than 800 federal agents, state police and local cops carried out the biggest mafia roundup ever. More than 110 arrests in New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island targeting bosses, captains, soldiers and petty crooks from seven different families. Those are the Gambino, the Genovese, the Lucchese, the Bonanno, and the Colombo families in New York. The DeCavalcante family in New Jersey and the Patriarca family in New England.
Now, the charges read like a season's worth of "The Sopranos" -- murder, extortion, racketeering, loan-sharking. Some of them, by the way, dating back to the 1980s. Many stemming from the Mob's deeply- rooted interests in construction, the waterfront, and gambling.
The U.S. attorney general himself, Eric Holder, briefed reporters this morning. Here, he talks about the alleged murders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Some allegations involve classic Mob hits to eliminate perceived rivals. Others involve truly senseless murders.
In one instance, a victim was allegedly shot and killed during a botched robbery attempt. And two other murder victims allegedly were shot in a public bar because of a dispute over a spilled drink.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: I want to turn now to a colleague who knows a thing or two about putting Mob bosses out of business. Before he was the governor of New York, and New York attorney general, Eliot Spitzer was the head of a labor racketeering unit at the Manhattan D.A.'s office. In 1992, he put an end to what he called a Mob tax on every garment delivery in New York City.
Eliot joins me now with his thoughts on La Cosa Nostra.
Eliot, good to see you.
Before we get to some of the specifics that you were involved in, I think there were a lot of people surprised by this news today. I think there were a lot of people who thought in 2011, we wouldn't see a headline of 100 Mafioso rounded up. We thought this was sort of an anachronistic thing of the past. I guess we were wrong.
ELIOT SPITZER, CO-HOST, "PARKER/SPITZER": You know, you are exactly right. A lot of people think Mob prosecutions are of a different era.
And it's funny. You mentioned "The Sopranos." You can almost date people in the Mob by what movie genre they watched.
It began with "The Godfather," then it went to "Good Fellows," then it went to "The Sopranos," sort of three different generations of movies made, three different generations of mobsters. But it hasn't been there for a couple years, people thought, because as you said, after 9/11, the FBI, in particular, focused on terrorism, as it rightly needed to, but, of course, the Mob never really goes away. Not only traditional La Cosa Nostra, the traditionally Italian Mob, but other ethnicities.
You had sort of the Caribbean Mobs, you had East Asian gangs, everything has been there festering beneath the surface. And today, of course, the big announcement, 127 defendants, about 91 of them claim to be members of the Mob. This is big news.
VELSHI: And whether we go back to the gangster era, or more recent times, the Mob or any kind of organized crime tends to be very, very hard to catch and more difficult to prosecute. Give us a sense of your experience with this.
SPITZER: Well, look, you are so right. It depends what type of activity you're going after.
Some of the street level extortions and drug stuff you can get through traditional law enforcement mechanisms. In the case that I brought -- this was back in '90 to '92, so it's 20 years ago now, virtually -- we actually had to run a series of sting operations. We ran an undercover trucking company, we ran a sweat shop, a little garment factory, to catch what we saw as organized crime infiltration in the garment sector where they owned and controlled all the trucking companies. And we were able to send a big message there and extract them from that sector.
But they have controlled the fish market, they've controlled concrete. As you mentioned in your introduction, the Longshoremen's Union, the folks who work on the docks, have for many, many years believed that that union is believed to be under the control of the Mob. And so this case has elements of all of this. Everything from murder, to gambling, to drugs, to extortion, to union extortion, it's all here in the many, many indictments announced today. VELSHI: Eliot, we talk about how the FBI has, in recent years, focused on terrorism, both in organized crime or terrorism. It really turns on whether or not you can find people on the inside to both give you information, and then, in the proceedings, offer testimony.
Is that still the way it's done? Is that how they get these arrests? And is how they're going to try and get prosecutions?
SPITZER: Sure. In reading indictments -- and I don't know if you can see this. I'm going to hold them up, and you can see there's a whole pile of paper here. I haven't read through all of it, but there is reference to a lot of wiretapping, a reference to -- obviously, you try to turn witnesses.
We turned somebody into a cooperating witness. But to make somebody into a cooperating witness, normally you need to catch them in the act of doing something, have evidence against them. It's a long, difficult process.
That's how we did it back when I was a prosecutor 20 years ago, doing organized crime cases. That's what the FBI still does, a lot of surveillance, a lot of electronics, a lot of moles buried inside these organizations, and a lot of legwork in the street tracking down leads that may have been forgotten.
VELSHI: Eliot, when you think of 100 arrests, you've got to think that's got to be a big, big blow to these crime families. Is it?
SPITZER: Well, yes, and no, Ali. I mean, the reality is, as I was joking with some fellow prosecutors earlier this morning, this is the 18th obituary of the Mob that I've read.
I mean, it is always the case when you have a big announcement like this that the attorney general, whoever it is, and rightly so, wants to stand up and take credit. But it's also the case they say, now we have finally put the stake through the heart of organized crime.
You know what? Five years from now, it will be back. It may have a slightly different form, a slightly different group of people, but the reality is there has always been some element of organized crime preying in different sectors where it can find often a chokehold. And understand what organized crime has traditionally done is find a chokehold where it can extract a price for people to do business.
That is why they go after cement, they go after trucking. They go after the ports. And that is the very clever, smart way they want have of extracting a fee for other people doing business.
It will continue to come back. Obviously, the traditional stuff, stuff of extortion and drugs and loan-sharking, but also the more insidious, or just as insidious stuff, where they insinuate themselves into sectors of our economy. And so, yes, this is a big blow, certainly to the Colombo family. If you read the indictment, one of the five traditional families here in New York City took out the whole leadership of the family. You wonder, will it regenerate like the nine-headed Hydra monster of mythical lore? It has a way of rebuilding itself over time.
VELSHI: All right. Eliot, thanks very much.
SPITZER: My pleasure.
VELSHI: Eliot Spitzer is a former Mafia prosecutor, former attorney general in New York, and former governor of New York.
Don't forget, Eliot's show, "PARKER/SPITZER," airs every weeknight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
Our "Sound Effect" today, pure elation, 23 years in the making. On August the 4th, 1987 Joy White took her 3-week-old daughter Carlina to a New York hospital because the girl had a fever. The child was admitted. The mom went home to rest, came back to the hospital.
Carlina was gone, and she stayed gone year after year, birthday after birthday, until January 4th of this year. That's when Joy White answered her phone and Carlina, now a young adult, was on the other end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAT CONWAY, CARLINA'S AUNT: Carlina was a missing link, and we have gotten her back! In the name of Jesus, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!
ELIZABETH WHITE, CARLINA'S GRANDMOTHER: She was just like she had been around us all her life. She wasn't no stranger. She was just -- you know, just fit right in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Well, what about all those missing years? It turned out Carlina was raised under a different name in a family she never really felt she belonged in.
She got suspicious when her mother couldn't show her birth certificate. So she went on the Internet, found the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A few phone calls and a DNA test later, Carlina was back where she did belong. And the investigation into her kidnapping goes on.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: We've been preparing a series for this week called "Extreme Parenting," when out of the blue, a woman who calls herself a "Tiger Mother" blasted on to the scene, literally. This Chinese- American law professor's memoir about her ultra-strict parenting techniques has triggered a national debate and has led CNN to try to define extreme parenting.
Basically, you know you're an extreme parent if -- well, we'll have plenty of stories to help fill in the blank, and some parenting experts as our guides.
That said, we began with a look -- and I love this -- at athletic training for teeny, tiny tots.
Christine Romans is in New York with more -- Christine.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Ali, it gives new meaning to the term "training your toddler," sports training for the diaper set. According to the woman you're about to meet, you can never start sports training too soon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DOREEN BOLHUIS, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, GYMCO: Hey, you guys ready?
We would not leave academic education to chance and hope that children figure it out. We cannot leave physical literacy education to chance.
ROMANS (voice-over): At Gymco Sports in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Doreen Bolhuis trains tykes, some of them only a few months old, to kick, throw, climb, and balance. Bolhuis's goal is to get kids moving earlier than ever before.
BOLHUIS: That's very good balance.
We like to do things that we're good at, so when we teach children how to move well, they're going to keep moving and choose to be active.
ROMANS: Nora Cares is an acolyte. Her now middle school kids have been training since they were two.
NORA CARES, PARENT OF FORMER GYMCO STUDENTS: I think it set them apart in that they have built their confidence a lot sooner than other kids their age.
AVA CARES, FORMER GYMCO STUDENT: I remember when I was really young, I'd like to go on the balance beams.
GEO CARES, FORMER GYMCO STUDENT: I remember jumping on the trampolines.
ROMANS: But doctors like NYU's Dennis Cardone worry about pushing kids into specialized sports too soon.
DENNIS CARDONE, SPORTS MEDICINE, NYU LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER: We are seeing injuries in younger children that we had never seen before. We're seeing overuse injuries, which were exclusive to adults, and now we see them in seven, 8-year-olds.
ROMANS: The government now classifies more than 10 percent of preschool age children as obese.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Swing forward. That a boy, land in the blue. Perfect!
ROMANS: Everyone agrees kids need to be more active. It's the how that's the question. There's organic play, and then there's specialized sports. Where do you cross the line?
CARDONE: Unstructured activity is probably -- will lead to less of these overuse type injuries that we see. It's not until you introduce a parent or a coach into the activity that it leads to these overuse type injuries.
ROMANS: It's one thing to encourage babies to stretch and roll, say psychologists like Wendy Walsh, but toddler sports training is extreme parenting, she says, especially for kids who may not be ready.
WENDY WALSH, BLOGGER, MOUNTLOGIC.COM: You want to be a good parent? Go to the playground. Climb the monkey bars with your kids. You can get in shape with them. I used to do pull-ups on the bars and sit-ups in the sand box, OK? That's what kids need.
ROMANS: The Mayo Clinic concludes unstructured physical activity, not training, is what's best for kids up to age five. But tell that to a thriving gym full of two, three, and four-year-olds.
BOLHUIS: I understand that there are skeptics and there are concerns, and every good thing can be done in a harmful way. But the fear of that should not keep us from doing the good things that we know are important for our children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go for it!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBINSON: Ali, the bottom line, every child has their own developmental timetable. And this is one thing that Doreen, Wendy, Dr. Cardone, everyone we talked to in this piece agreed on -- don't ever aim to live vicariously through your kid or push them to be like any of their peers. Sure, they may learn different skills sooner or later than you'd hope or expect. The playing field will even out by the time they enter grade school -- Ali.
VELSHI: I would have been a different guy if my parents had put that kind of energy into my physical training as a child. And God bless you folks for not doing that.
All right. It's 20 -- 19 minutes after the hour. Let me bring you up to speed with some of our top stories right now.
(NEWSBREAK)
VELSHI: "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS," and so do I. We are here together in the CNN NEWSROOM around the world.
Hello, Richard. RICHARD QUEST, HOST, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS": And a good day to you, Ali. Good afternoon.
Each Thursday, Ali and I bring you the world of business, travel, and innovation. I wish I could say it was easy. It's not, because nothing is off limits.
Now, with that backdrop of President Hu Jintao taking a three-day trip in the U.S., today we're all about China.
VELSHI: Specifically, Richard, China's future. We're playing prognosticator.
The question of the day is: Will China be the new economic superpower by 2020?
Richard, you go first, and you've got 60 seconds.
QUEST: It is tempting to think that China is already the number one, certainly if you had heard the analysts talking about it. But the reality is, even though today China had GDP numbers up 10 percent in 2010, and high inflation, if you just take a nominal number, yes, China has a bigger population, is a bigger country, and it will be a bigger economy, probably by 2020.
But that ignores the fact that U.S. GDP per capita is $47,000. China's is just $7,500.
The core question is not just who is the biggest. Size has really never meant much in most cases. No, the core question is, how does competitiveness fall out? And on that scale, the U.S. needs to export more to China.
Finally, who is the biggest? The European Union is the biggest economy, beating China and the U.S.
(BUZZER)
VELSHI: Interesting point, Richard. You pointed out that the U.S. is not the biggest economy in the world, something a lot of people don't know. But let me take it from here.
(BELL RINGING)
VELSHI: The U.S. Is a superpower by the way we define the world. China is a superpower, too, but the Chinese are loath to advertise it. Hear me out on this.
China's economic clout in the world is huge. Last year, China beat out Germany to become the world's largest exporter, China beat out Japan to become the world's second largest economy. China's got a way to go to beat out the number one economy whether it's the U.S. or the European Union, but its economic output is still only a third of that of the United States and four times the population.
China's economy is going to catch up, as you pointed out, probably within the next decade or two. But in Asia, China's economic expansion goes hand in hand, Richard, with political and military expansion. It directly challenges Japan and, to a big degree, America's influence in that region.
Along with China's huge foreign currency stockpiles, it's breeding confidence on the world stage, Richard. That encourages China to take more aggressive stands in favor of its national interests in trade rules, in climate change, energy security, or the matter of North Korea.
(BUZZER)
VELSHI: And Richard, bankers carry more clout than bullets do today. So China is already a superpower.
QUEST: All right, Ali. You took another four seconds there, I do believe.
Something tells me Ali and I both agree at this particular point that China's talk is a little bit overblown.
But now we come to the difficult bit, Ali.
VELSHI: This is the time when "The Voice" comes in and separates the men from the boys -- Voice.
THE VOICE: Good afternoon, gentlemen. Nice to be back from a well-deserved hiatus. Let's jump right into it.
Question one: China and Japan are the largest holders of U.S. debt as of the end of October. But which country is the third largest holder of U.S. treasury bonds? Is it A, Brazil; B, Russia; --
(BELL RINGING)
THE VOICE: Richard?
QUEST: Amongst that list, it's the United Kingdom.
(BELL RINGING)
THE VOICE: Correct.
VELSHI: We must be on some kind of time delay, but I'll let him have that one.
THE VOICE: He's right. The United Kingdom is third, with over $477 billion of held U.S. debt. China holds over $906 billion, while Japan holds over $877 billion.
Let's go to question two.
Good luck, Ali.
VELSHI: Thank you. THE VOICE: China and the United States have by far the highest carbon dioxide emissions. China emits over 6,000 metric tons, while the U.S. emits over 5,900. But according to the U.S. Department of Energy, which country is the third highest emitter of carbon dioxide emissions? Is it A, Brazil; B, India; C, Japan; or D, Russia?
(BELL RINGING)
THE VOICE: Ali?
VELSHI: India.
(BUZZER)
THE VOICE: Incorrect.
Richard?
QUEST: I would say -- it's between Brazil and Russia, and I would say --
VELSHI: Yes, Brazil.
QUEST: Brazil.
(BUZZER)
THE VOICE: Incorrect.
VELSHI: Ha ha!
THE VOICE: The answer --
VELSHI: You've got to stop taking advice from me, brother.
THE VOICE: The answer is actually Russia.
VELSHI: That was going to be my answer. Don't I get to ring the bell for that?
(BELL RINGING)
THE VOICE: Well, we have a third question, so calm down. Here we go.
According to the World Gold Council, the U.S. has the world's biggest gold reserves with over 8,000 metric tons. Which country has the second largest gold reserve? Is it A, China; B, France; C, Germany; or D, Italy?
(BELL RINGING)
THE VOICE: Ali?
VELSHI: China.
(BUZZER)
THE VOICE: Incorrect.
Richard?
QUEST: You see, that will teach you. I buzzed first, but "The Voice" chose you. The answer is simply Germany.
(BELL RINGING)
THE VOICE: That is correct. Good job, Richard.
VELSHI: Maybe we could have a clean competition next week, Richard.
THE VOICE: Well, that ends my part.
QUEST: Oh, was he still talking?
That will do it for this week for Ali and myself. Remember, we are each here Thursday. I am here on "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS."
VELSHI: And I am in the CNN NEWSROOM, 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
Keep the topics coming at our blogs. You can go to CNN.com/QMB, for Richard, or CNN.com/Ali. Tell us each week what globally interesting question you want the two of us to talk about.
Richard, see you next week, brother.
QUEST: See you next week.
VELSHI: A government falling apart. Troops and tanks outside government buildings. We're taking you there right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Happening now, more than 100 accused mobsters are under arrest after raids today in New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island. The Justice Department says arrests targeted seven organized crime families. Charges include murder, extortion, drug trafficking, gambling and racketeering.
In Miami, police officials say two Miami-Dade officers have been shot and killed while serving a warrant. One of the officers died at the scene. The second died at the hospital. A suspect was also killed at the scene.
In Washington, Chinese president Hu Jintao spoke at a business forum a short time ago. He met with congressional leaders earlier today where he faced questions about human rights, North Korea and other contentious issues. President Hu arrives in Chicago later this afternoon where he'll attend a gala dinner with business leaders.
Deadly flood waters are receding in Brazil, but the death toll continues to climb. Officials describe the flooding and mud slides and flooding as the worst to hit the country in decades. Take a look at these pictures. Look at the force and the power of that raging water. At least 765 people have been killed since the disaster was triggered by torrential rain last week.
One of the hardest hit areas is Rio de Janeiro state. Numerous homes have been destroyed by rivers of mud. More than 200 people are missing. And officials predict the death toll will climb much higher.
The political crisis in Lebanon is growing at an alarming rate. Police have taken up positions around the government palace and other buildings. This after the government of prime minister Saad Hairi collapsed last week after ministers loyal to the militant Hezbollah group pulled out of the unity cabinet. Hariri has on as caretaker prime minister.
He spoke out today about the crisis. In a televised speech, he told the nation today he vowed not to give up Lebanon's gains over political infighting. His speech came as Turkey, Syria, and Qatar announced they were suspending efforts to broker a new government.
The heart of the crisis has to do with the man in these pictures. Is he Hariri's father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in 2005. A U.N.-backed tribunal investigating the killing is expected to indict Hezbollah, and many fear that could trigger a violent reaction.
Nearby in Iraq, more deadly bombings. At least 118 people have been killed in attacks just this week. 450 people have been wounded. The latest attack today in Karbala, south of Baghdad. Explosions targeted Shiite pilgrims. Thirty-two were killed, 150 wounded. Pilgrims were also targeted in an attack in Baghdad. One person was killed, nine wounded there.
And in another attack in Baqubah, a suicide car bombing targeted a police checkpoint, killing at least four people. The deadliest attack was on Tuesday. A suicide bombing targeting a police recruitment center in Tikrit killing 65 people and wounding 160. Overall, violence is down in Iraq from previous years, but this week's attacks have increased fears that militant groups might be regaining the ability to launch terror strikes throughout the country.
Well, whether you like it or not, China is primed to be a major world power. So, we're telling you one of the smartest things you can do is prepare your business and children for the 21st century. Tell you about that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: In today's "Chalk Talk," we are looking at a rapidly growing trend in schools across the United States, teaching Mandarin. By the way, we normally show you that "Chalk Talk" logo that we've got. Have we got that, Michael? We can show our viewers today?
Decided to change it up a little bit. That's chalk talk in Mandarin - in Chinese. I'll explain to you why we call it Chinese supposed to Mandarin in a second. The number of students enrolling in Chinese language and cultural programs has tripled in recent years, and for good reason. China, as we have been discussing endlessly, has become am economic powerhouse in terms of trade and commerce. It is now the world's second largest economy.
Some schools are paying for Chinese classes on their own. Others getting help through an interesting program called the Confucius Institute. It's a nonprofit Chinese program aimed at promoting Chinese language and culture internationally.
Joining me now to explain the program are three people who have been a part of it for the last four years. On you extreme right, Robin Hall is the executive director of Atlanta public schools. Closest to me is Tonya Saunders, the principal of the Sammy E. Cohen Middle School here in Atlanta. And March Wong is in the middle, a Chinese teacher at the Cohen Middle School.
Thank you to all of you. Welcome. What an interesting topic. This is an area that is really growing in popularity. Dr. Saunders, let's start with you. Why did you make this decision to offer Chinese language courses to kids in the Atlanta system?
DR. ROBIN HALL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: I'm Dr. Hall.
VELSHI: I'm sorry, Dr. Hall. Let me start with you, Dr. Hall, and then I'll come back to you.
HALL: Well, the district saw this as a tremendous opportunity to enhance the foreign language program as well as expose our children to the Chinese language and culture. So, we jumped at the opportunity to making this an offering.
VELSHI: All right. And how does it work at the school?
HALL: At the school, the children are involved in Mandarin Chinese every day. It is a connections course.
VELSHI: And do they choose this? Are they in it? What grades is it offered to?
HALL: Six through eight. But we've developed a K through 12 pipeline where the children can actually begin it at kindergarten take it all the way through grade 12. So, they come out being global competitors in that language.
VELSHI: That's kind of the issue, isn't it?
March, you're an instructor -
MARCH WANG, MANDARIN INSTRUCTOR, COHEN MIDDLE SCHOOL: Yes.
Tell me how this works. Because it's so different from so many of the languages we traditionally teach in public schools where the letters are at least the same as everybody understands. Now you're teaching people Chinese characters. What kind of challenges do you have? WANG: Not much, really. The kids are extremely bright and have taken a liking to the course. They can actually pick up language fairly quickly. It's a misconception that Chinese is hard. But the truth is, it's actually very, very simple. And students, we teach them how to read, write, listen and speak Chinese.
We first draw them in by giving them interesting topics such as martial arts, food or something about Buddhism or comic books, even. And they can go from there.
VELSHI: Dr. Hall, was this an easy sell to faculty, to parents as to the relevance of it? Teaching Chinese?
HALL: Oh, absolutely not. We had a lot of energy generated around developing the Confucius Institute. And the partnership has been phenomenal between Atlanta public schools, Emory University and Nanjing University in China. And we have very good contacts with some of the schools in China. As a matter of fact, Cohen and the number one middle school in China is working on trying to become sister schools --
VELSHI: That's great.
HALL: And, you know, perhaps having some exchange programs for students. That's down the road. But we're really looking at providing a holistic approach to learning, to the teaching and learning of Chinese.
VELSHI: Do the kids in the school have any sense of the economic benefit of this in the future, or is this just an extra sort of interesting topic they're learning?
TONYA SAUNDERS, PRINCIPAL, COHEN MIDDLE SCHOOL: No, they are very, very aware. In fact, we talk to them on a daily basis about being global competitors and being able to actually have a hand over other students in gaining scholarships.
VELSHI: Interesting. OK.
Let me ask you this. Do you get any pushback from this? there are certainly a lot of people out there who say this whole China thing is overblown. China has all sorts of issues. We probably shouldn't be, you know, getting so ready to have China be the big economy of the future. Does anybody ever say why are you wasting my kid's time learning Chinese?
SAUNDERS: Absolutely not. In fact, we have to have total buy-in from the community: the parents, all of our the stakeholders involved with the total process of decision making at the school. And so, we get a lot - a lot of support from everyone involved.
HALL: As a matter of fact, we've had requests from parents, members of the community to be able to take classes.
VELSHI: March, when I look at that on the wall, when we wrote "Chalk Talk" there, I was having a discussion with somebody who say you can't say that's Mandarin. That's just Chinese. Right?
So, explain the difference between the language Chinese and the distinct - the dialects.
WANG: Basically, China has 56 different dialects. So, we all speak with a little bit of a northern or southern accent. However, our writing system is sort of like a pictographic. So, that's uniform. We call that the state sponsored Mandarin. That's our writing system.
VELSHI: If there are people watching who are interested in their kids learning Chinese, it is Mandarin that they want to be learning?
WANG: Absolutely.
VELSHI: What do you think the benefit of that is? Because there are kids across the country now who are going to be choosing between languages, French, Spanish, Latin, and other things. And maybe music and things like that. What's your best argument for learning Mandarin as a public school student?
WANG: Obviously, the economic factor is obvious. China is large -- very, very large economy. And if you're going to a meeting or doing business with Chinese partners, think about the difference that would bring if you could speak or understand what they're actually saying. There's a huge economic factor but also there's a culture aspect.
If you look at America, every major city, there is a Chinatown. Your neighbors are probably Chinese. Some of the people that you met are Chinese. So, to learn Chinese not just learn and understand about Eastern culture but to learn about something that's been sort of ignored in the past. It's about America, too. There's a lot of Chinese Americans in this country, and they're also part of society.
VELSHI: Dr. Hall, let just me ask you this question, because - and I got it right, right? You're Dr. Hall, you're Dr. Saunders, right?
Let me ask you this. We talk about education every day on the show, and we certainly have certain failings in the public school systems in this country about teaching people English adequately. How do you encourage people now to be concentrating on Chinese? Have we solved the English as a first language issue?
HALL: We're still working on that. But you have to establish parallel tracks. You don't want to the become stagnated. So, while we're still working on teaching proper English and Spanish and French, we want to add Mandarin, as well.
VELSHI: Great. It's not a zero-sum game.
HALL: Right.
VELSHI: Well, thank you all for being here and telling us. I can sort of feel the excitement and the energy that you bring to this. This is a program, by the way, that's going on in other places in the country. Thank you all for this.
SAUNDERS AND HALL: Thank you.
VELSHI: All right, 45 minutes after the hour. Let me bring you up to speed with top stories we are following this hour.
Attorney General Eric Holder calls it one of the largest single- day operations against the mob in U.S. history. This morning, federal agents carried out raids in a major sweep across New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island. They arrested more than 100 alleged members of seven organized crime families. Charges ranging from murder and arson to extortion and narcotics trafficking. And more arrests are expected.
A tough and tense day for Miami's law enforcement community. Two Miami-Dade police officers are dead after being shot executing an arrest warrant. The department called it a high-profile warrant that had the officers working with the U.S. marshals. Fugitive task force. At least one suspected gunman was shot and killed by Miami-Dade officers.
And today is the second anniversary of President Obama's inauguration. I guess that means it's time to ramp up for the re- election campaign. That's up next in our political update.
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VELSHI: Time now for a CNN political update. CNN's chief national correspondent and our good friend John King joins me from the CNN political desk in Washington. Two years on the job for the president, John, is the beginning of the next campaign, is it not?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly right. It's two years right at the midpoint today. Ali, if he wants another four years after the next two years, he's got to get his campaign up and running. That involves number one, raising a lot of money. Number two, putting the headquarters. They announced officially today will be based in Chicago.
Number three is some personnel moves. Tim Kaine, the former governor of Virginia, he has been the Democratic National Committee chairman for a little bit now. They say he will stay on for the next two years. David Axelrod and Jim Messina, two top aides to the president in the White House right now, are among those who be heading to Chicago, Ali, mighty quick to get the re-election campaign up and running.
Another big campaign getting attention. Just yesterday, Joe Lieberman announced -- the Democrat turned independent senator from Connecticut - announced he won't run in 2012. Well, that field is already getting crowded. Representative Chris Murphy says today he'll get into the Connecticut Senate race. The former secretary of state, Susan Bisowitz, already says she's in. A number of others looking at Lieberman's seat, including on the Republican side, Linda McMahon, who just lost in a Connecticut Senate race. A different seat, obviously, this past campaign. And Ali, this is the 50th anniversary of the John F. Kennedy presidential inauguration. There's some celebration and reflection today here in Washington. On "JOHN KING USA" today, we will have Patrick Kennedy.
Now, he is the last Kennedy to serve in the Congress. He decided not to run for re-election, so he just left the Congress. This is the first Congress, Ali, since the Truman administration that does not have a Kennedy. So, Patrick Kennedy will be with us to reflect on that little piece of family in American politcal trivia, to talk about his uncle the president, his late father, of course, the senator, and his current cause, raising awareness of mental health issues.
VELSHI: Quite a legacy. John, thanks very much. Your next update from The Best Political Team on Television is just one hour away.
And just days after hosting the Golden Globes, comedian Ricky Gervais since down within Piers Morgan as premiere week continues. This is Gervais' first TV interview since those controversial jokes at the expense of Hollywood's A-listers at Sunday night's awards show.
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RICKY GERVAIS, COMEDIAN: They hired me for a job and if they didn't want me, they shouldn't have hired me.
PIERS MORGAN, CNN HOST, "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT": Someone asked me, you know, what do you think as a fellow Brit on TV, what do you think happened to Ricky? I said it's a bit like inviting a hammerhead shark to dinner, and then when he eats all the guests you start complaining. You kind of know what you're going to get.
GERVAIS: That's one thing. But also, as I said, I don't think I did anything wrong. I honestly, you know, those were like jibes at these people. And I'm sure they got a sense of humor.
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VELSHI: Piers' premier week wraps up tomorrow night with one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, George Clooney. That's "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT" and every night at 9:00 Eastern.
VELSHI: OK. If you have seen the movie "The King's Speech" you probably loved it. I'm confident saying that. If you haven't seen it, you are probably thinking what I was thinking before my friends and my wife forced me to see it. Why on earth would I watch a movie about a dead guy with a stutter.
Well, let me tell you, it is not about a stutter. It's about friendship, it's about courage, it's about empathy and royalty and by the way, a stutter. Listen.
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HELENA BONHAM CARTER, ACTRESS (acting): My husband has seen everyone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Insert into your mouth. Enunciate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He hasn't seen me.
GEOFFREY RUSH, ACTOR (acting): I can cure your husband, but I need total trust. What was your earliest memory?
COLIN FIRTH, ACTOR (acting): I'm not here to discuss personal matters.
RUSH: Why are you here then?
FIRTH: Because I bloody well stammer!
RUSH: Do you know any jokes?
FIRTH: Timing isn't my strong suit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Joining me now live to tell us about -- all about it is the producer of "The King's Speech," Ian Canning. I guess he talked about a stammer, and I said a stutter. You can inform me a little bit about the difference.
But I have to tell you, Ian, I was forced, kicking and screaming into this movie because I just could not from reading about it and being told about it why on earth this it was going to be interesting. And I came out thinking, everybody I know has got to see this movie. Tell me for everybody out there who has not seen it, what is so fascinating about this?
IAN CANNING, PRODUCER, "THE KING'S SPEECH": I think for us in particular as well when we first started putting the film in front of audiences, we didn't realize we had made a comedy as much as anything else. So, that was a huge thing for us.
But I think also the film really deals with this very key friendship between Colin Firth playing King George VI and Lionel Logue played by Geoffrey Rush and how one man is overcoming his fears while the other is being a good friend.
VELSHI: King George VI, known as Albert or Bertie as he was growing up, an accidental king. A resistant king. But he comes into -- he becomes the king at a time when Great Britain is going into war and is now called upon actually be able to speak to the nation and speak to the world. But he can't speak normally. He can't speak without stammering and without hesitating.
And so this story is one that hadn't really been told. People know the story, but it hadn't been told to this degree. Why did you decide it need to be told?
CANNING: Well, I think a lot of the history of King George VI has been forgotten and is not even that much taught in schools even though it's the current queen's father. And I think also what's been really interesting is how that story has resonated with people all over the world.
VELSHI: Do you know, by the way, whether or not the -- anybody in the royal family has watched this movie? The story is about the current Queen Elizabeth's father.
CANNING: I mean, you never know. As a film, when is you go through development and developing the script, you approach the palace and you ask them for any help. They're very strict in how they deal with drama in any form. With documentaries, they help; with drama, they really help you with fact checking. And in terms of whether anyone in the royal family has seen the film, we still don't know the whether the queen saw "The Queen." So, we may never know.
VELSHI: Right. But "The Queen," the movie "The Queen" was not nearly as complimentary, I didn't think. I got the impression that you made Albert -- King George VI a sympathetic figure.
CANNING: It's a very strange thing, and our director has spoken about it that usually when you're starting to make a film about characters that are true in real life, you normally get to speak to their family members. But that was one family which unfortunately, given their rules, we don't get to speak to.
VELSHI: Was it accurate? How much of this was dramatized, and how much of this was real history?
CANNING: A lot is real history. We had a royal adviser on set and looking at the script before we made the film. We had an adviser in terms of ceremony and how royal events are handled, and we also were lucky enough to find the papers that Lionel Logue, his diaries he had written just as we were starting pre-production. So, we were able to take all these wonderful facts from the diaries and re-create them in the film.
VELSHI: Ian, I really did enjoy the film. I don't offer that out too much. So, thanks very much for making it. Ian Canning is the producer of "The King's Speech," joining me from New York City.
All right. Coming up next, it's the question many of you have been asking me on Twitter and Facebook. I'm going to answer it after the break. It's important and it matters. I'll see you in two-and-a- half minutes.
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VELSHI: Time now for the "XYZ."
Last Friday, I revisited the plight the of the 99ers. Since then, a lot of you have asked me on social media who they are. They're jobless Americans who have been out of work for so long, they have exhausted the 99-week limit on unemployment benefits. While last month's tax cuts for unemployment benefits deal extended jobless benefits for many, it did nothing for the 99ers in some places. They're 89ers or 79ers. They've got nothing left. No job, no state or federal benefits.
There are members of Congress who are trying to help them. California's Barbara Lee, Virginia's Robert Scott introduced a bill just before Christmas to add 14 more weeks of unemployment to tier one extended benefits that would be available to 99ers retroactively as well as anyone getting extended benefits. That proposal is still in committee.
To highlight how serious it the situation is, Illinois representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. announced he would collect and submit the resumes of America's jobless into the congressional record to remind and compel his colleagues to take action. But unfortunately, adding another 14 weeks of benefits won't solve the increasingly dire problem of millions of people joining the ranks of the long-term unemployed. We still need long-term solutions.
But don't forget the 99ers. That's it for me. Brooke Baldwin takes it from here.
