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Philadelphia Abortion Doctor Charged With Murder; Huge Mafia Bust; Kidnapped as an Infant; Online Character Assassination
Aired January 20, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And now just about the top of the hour here, I want you to watch this.
She was a mother, a wife and a patient. Her family will never see her again, but they're determined to see justice. She is just one victim we're learning about in the case of this doctor accused of illegal abortions and now murder.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
(voice-over): It is one of the biggest Mafia busts ever, dozens of mobsters slapped in cuffs. And these aren't just the gangsters. They are high-ranking members of the Mafia. The charges?
ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Gambling, extortion, arson, murders.
BALDWIN: And this good fellas bust is decades in the making. We are all over it.
A world leader accused of paying for sex with a minor, and why is Italy's prime minister talking about Superman and parties in the bedroom? The alleged sex scandal that threatens to take him down.
How about this fire engine red gown everyone is talking about? Monte is back to share his two cents on the first lady's designer dress.
And is the end of the world coming in Virginia? Apparently.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: A lot of good stuff today, folks. Hello once again. I'm Brooke Baldwin.
A lot of news happening rapid-fire. Let's begin with this. We are waiting for this big, big moment in California. A massive rocket expected to launch any minute now from Vandenberg Air Force Base. In fact, these are pictures inside mission control. They're all waiting and watching with us. What this rocket is doing is, it's carrying a spy satellite for the U.S. government capable of pictures clear enough to identify cars thousands of miles below. This is the base's tallest rocket at 235 feet. And apparently it's so big that crews are concerned the blastoff will shatter windows nearby. And there she is, live pictures of this very tall rocket. Apparently, the sound wave will be as loud as a freight train. We're watching for the blastoff. We will bring that to you live.
Next, alleged made men, consigliore, Mafia bosses and union chiefs, that is how the feds describe the people busted today by the FBI in one of the biggest takedowns in the law enforcement agency's history -- 127 people are charged with crimes, ranging from classic mob rub-outs and drug trafficking to murders over insignificant arguments, one of them over a spilled drink. Arrests stretched from New York to Italy and touch seven organized crime families.
Next, two police officers are dead after this shoot-out in Miami. Their unit had been looking for a guy wanted in a murder case. And when they knocked down his door, bullets started flying, broad daylight. You can see by the pictures. A third officer was also hit. He is still in the hospital. The gunman died during the standoff.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARLOS ALVAREZ, MAYOR OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY: It's shocking. It's hurtful. Really I can't put it into words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: The mayor says these particular officers went after the worst of the worst.
Next, check this out. This is what happens when a school bus and snowplow collide. The bus was filled with elementary school children in Upstate New York. Several children and the bus driver were injured. Many of them were taken to hospitals by ambulance or by helicopter. Still no words this hour on their conditions, but this whole collision happened this morning in the town of Savannah, which pretty close to Syracuse.
Next, a volunteer firefighter has died after battling a four- alarm blaze in Maryland. Firefighters had just rescued a woman. They were up there searching the upper floors of an apartment building for more survivors when the building just totally erupted in flames.
One fireman did manage to escape from one of those windows, but the other did not. He was only 43 years of age, and a father of two.
Next, invasion of the cutouts. Look at this. What is this, you ask? This is dozens of life-size plywood figures. They're popping up in and around Dallas. The group launching the projects wants to boost concern for the homeless. So on street corners, highways, sidewalks, homeless family images hold signs with emotional messages.
For example, one says you could buy shoes for almost 600 people for the cost of a single iPod.
Next, if you burn down my hotel, hey, I'll give you $65,000. That's what the owner of this California residential hotel is accused of offering someone to torch the place. The feds say he wanted to collect insurance money. And now, you guessed it, he's facing felony charges.
Next, if you are a repeat drunk driver, get ready to give up your car; at least that's the case in New Mexico. The state's governor wants to take away cars and give offenders more prison time. She's pushing for a law that, if approved, would go into effect just in time for the summer.
Next, what is the best way to fight crime at rail stops? Beethoven and opera, apparently. A lawmaker in Oregon wants to play classical music at transportation hubs. He says the tunes will have a calming influence.
Next, called it panda diplomacy. Two giant pandas dazzling visitors at the National Zoo in D.C. will stay for at least five more years. That's the word today from President Obama today after last night's dinner with Chinese President Hu Jintao. These little guys are on loan from China in a diplomatic gesture that started actually 10 years ago.
Next, they say your doctor carries a lot of germs. Did you know that? From the white coat to a necktie. So a doctor in Canada is telling all physicians to get rid of the ties. He says there's strong evidence that the ties are bacteria magnets.
We thought this was worth noting. The U.K. actually bans all doctors from wearing neckties.
Next, the sign reads zombies ahead, and, no, it's not Halloween. So what's going on? It's one of those official warn signs that's warning drivers in Hampton, Virginia, to watch out for zombies. So whether it's the work of a prankster or zombies themselves, the sign has been reset to its intended message concerning pipeline construction -- No zombies.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
BALDWIN: And some thieves go into a warehouse. They know exactly what they want. All of it is worth $10 million, the entire heist caught on video. We will share that with you ahead.
Plus, new developments in the murder case against the doctor. He is the man accused of running this house of horrors, crimes involving illegal abortions, but one woman who went to his clinic never came out alive. Up next, I will talk to her family's attorney. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: We just got the warning, T-minus 30 seconds. Here's the big rocket. We have been watching this for you. We want to bring you the blastoff live. This is from Vandenberg Air Force Base. It's just near Santa Barbara. It is carrying a spy satellite, apparently for the U.S. government. Let's listen to the cod. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six, five, four, three --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have ignition of the main engines. We have liftoff, liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying the NROL-49 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.
This marks the first West Coast Delta IV Heavy launch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. We're going to pick up post-lift (INAUDIBLE) net 15.
BALDWIN: Pretty interesting, because they had delay the liftoff just by two minutes to avoid some sort of object that was in space, could have been in the path of the rocket.
Also, interestingly, look, this is California. And so they had to let a lot of people in the area know this is not going to be an earthquake. Apparently it sounded kind of like a freight train, but, no, it was a rocket launch. And so far it looks like a successful one.
I want to show you now some surveillance video. And you can see a truck backing in and a couple of people wandering around. It looks pretty normal. Nothing seems amiss. But what you're about to see here is a heist. Police say burglars loaded $10 million worth of cell phones into large semitrailers. Now, here is what got police miffed.
They say the thieves took all weekend to fill the trailers. They even had time to eat, wipe the place for prints and disappear. Police say there are four suspects, but the video only shows a brief glimpse of them before they knocked out the security cameras.
Oh, and there's this. Even the trailers used in the heist that we showed you were stolen as well.
Now to this. This is an update on the barbaric story we brought you this time yesterday. This is about women seeking medical care and entering what's been described as a house of horrors. And this man, Dr. Kermit Gosnell, was arraigned today in Philadelphia. He is charged with multiple counts of murder for medical procedures that went on at his women's health clinic.
Gosnell is accused of killing a patient and viable newborns who were the result of illegal abortions. And among his victims was a woman 41 years of age, Karnamaya Mongar. Now, prosecutors say the Nepalese immigrant and the mother of three died from a drug overdose administered by an untrained member of this clinic's staff.
Yesterday, I spoke with the Philadelphia district attorney about what allegedly went on in this clinic. I want you to watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SETH WILLIAMS, PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY: What the jury found most problematic was that this doctor would induce labor. So this wasn't the normal abortion that people think of for people in their first trimester.
This was a doctor giving medicines that would induce the labor. The women would have the babies. The babies would squirm, would cry like any baby born. Then this doctor would perform a procedure he called snipping
The medical examiner actually had the bodies that -- where he had severed the spinal cords of live children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: I know, it's tough for all of us to listen to the details, but it's part of the story here.
And I want to bring in Bernard Smalley, the attorney for the Mongar family in Philadelphia.
And, Bernard, I thank you for coming on.
And, if we can, just begin --
(CROSSTALK)
BERNARD SMALLEY, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF KARNAMAYA MONGAR: Thank you for having me.
BALDWIN: Tell me about Karnamaya Mongar.
SMALLEY: Well, she was, as you've indicated, along with her family, she was allowed to immigrate here after spending 18 years in a refugee camp in Nepal. The family was originally from Bhutan. And for exercising the rights that we all accept as every day, voting, et cetera, they were kicked out of Bhutan, remained in essentially a bamboo hut as a family for 18 years before allowing -- being allowed to immigrate here to the United States.
BALDWIN: And we know she ultimately wound up I think it was Woodbridge, Virginia, correct?
SMALLEY: That's correct. That's correct.
BALDWIN: Now, why then -- tell me why she went to this clinic. I think the dates from your -- the criminal complaint I read, this was November of 2009. Why did she go?
SMALLEY: Correct, correct. Less than six months after arriving here, she came to Philadelphia. She was actually referred by a clinic in Washington, D.C.
The facts, as I'm sure you're aware, are still developing. We just filed suit against Dr. Gosnell and his practice yesterday. So during the course of the discovery in our case, we'll be able to determine more fully exactly why she was referred here, who did it, and most importantly why.
BALDWIN: But specifically, she went in for a procedure, it's called a dilation and evacuation.
SMALLEY: That's correct, D and C.
BALDWIN: Can you explain what that is?
SMALLEY: Yes, that's where the -- a person who was not late term, she was 19 weeks at the time and she decided to not go forward with the pregnancy, and it's a fairly simple procedure if it's done in the proper hands and with the proper safety -- safety restrictions in place.
BALDWIN: So what happened? What happened? I see dates, November 18th and November 19th. What happened on those says, how did she die?
SMALLEY: There are three specific things that we think went wrong in this situation that caused this tragedy.
Number one, the medications that were administered to sedate her were medications that in fact were administered by an unlicensed high school student, not by a health care practioner. Direction was giving to her, based on what we know at this point, by Dr. Gosnell over a cell phone. He was not even in the facility at the time.
BALDWIN: I see -- in this criminal complaint, you see "by cell phone 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 7:36, 8:14, 10:45.
SMALLEY: Yes.
BALDWIN: So you're alleging he was never there. He then communicated to this woman, Linda Gayle Williams, how to then administer these drugs, correct?
SMALLEY: Absolutely, absolutely. That is the allegation that we have raised in the complaint.
And thereafter, during the course of the procedure, one of the things you must have in place, if there is a problem, you will only know that if you're monitoring the vital signs of the patient. From what we have learned so far, there was absolutely nothing done during the course of this procedure to monitor her vital signs.
So towards the end of the procedure when there was a problem, there was no forewarning on the part of Dr. Gosnell, he didn't know, and at that point it was too late. And then when there was the opportunity to resuscitate her, there was no equipment to resuscitate her on the scene. And he wasted --
BALDWIN: I see -- I see -- right, and I see here, you know, no monitoring, according to your criminal complaint, of pulse, respirations, blood pressure, anesthesia level.
Ultimately, she died in that clinic.
SMALLEY: She did.
BALDWIN: And the medical examiner did rule her death a homicide.
Can you be more specific about this drug cocktail that you allege this -- this woman, Linda Gayle Williams, gave and she was unlicensed, you say, in giving it?
SMALLEY: Yes, yes. The cocktail, as was referred to by Dr. Gosnell in some of the publications that were there in his office, and he charged different rates for different levels of cocktail. We are trying to determine as we speak because the records, which includes the autopsy as well as the death certificate, were only unsealed yesterday at the time that the grand jury and, of course, the district attorney here, Seth Williams, made his pronouncement and the arrests known to the public.
BALDWIN: Right, and we spoke with Seth just yesterday --
SMALLEY: That's what I understand.
BALDWIN: -- and a lot of these details really are still emerging.
SMALLEY: They are.
BALDWIN: And I want to be clear, we did reach out to Dr. Gosnell's attorney. He had some sort of scheduling conflict, couldn't come on. We are hoping he can come on and speak about this tomorrow. But for now, Bernard Smalley, I thank you so much for coming on you and talking about this case.
SMALLEY: I thank you and I thank you for allowing us to talk about their story.
BALDWIN: You are welcome. Thank you, sir.
SMALLEY: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Now just in here, we have news on Google. Let me go to Poppy Harlow, CNNMoney.com.
Poppy, what are you learning?
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Well, Brooke, we all know the company Google, we use it every day. The CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, he has been at the helm of this company for 10 years, just announcing, their earnings came out and this is in the filing, the he is stopping down as the CEO of Google.
And this is big news because this is sort of an iconic leader of it's the last decade of the tech sector for the last 10 years. He has consulted many times with President Obama. He led Google, this start- up company a decade ago through their growth, huge growth on the web, through their growth on mobile, through their growth in television.
He's stepping down, he's not leaving the company. I want to tell you, he's going to still on the board of directors and he's still going to be the executive chairman. So he'll still advise the company. But what's interesting in this move, Brooke, is that Larry Page, he is the cofounder, the cofounding CEO and president of Google, he and Sergey Brin, who started the company, Larry Page is going to take over that top spot as CEO. That's important. Sergey Brin, also one of the founders, is going to focus on this strategic development.
And what's interesting about this is certainly was not expected. We're trying to find out more behind this, why this is the case. But Eric Schmidt is a leader who we sat down with for about an hour a year ago in an in-depth interview --
BALDWIN: I remember that interview.
HARLOW: -- you can just see in him the leadership. Talking about -- I remember him telling me, you know, as Google and working with television more, et cetera, we should have televisions know what you want to see, know how you think. Google is innovative in that way. He's always trying to push it a step further, very passionate about education and teaching sciences, math, technology and really pushing that in U.S. schools.
So he is someone who reaches beyond the boardroom, beyond the company. As I said, he's been at the White House, spoken many times with President Obama. Now leaving that top spot, you wonder what this could mean, what is next for him. More advisory role in government? We don't know any of that yet, but it's going to be interesting to watch his steps.
You can see a lot more of it, we're tracking it right now for you on CNNMoney.
BALDWIN: CNNMoney.com. Well, at least, like you said, he'll still be on the board so that --
HARLOW: He'll still be there.
BALDWIN: -- way he can still share his innovation, just from a different post.
HARLOW: Absolutely.
BALDWIN: Poppy Harlow, thanks for the news, the breaking news from Google. Thank you, ma'am.
By the way, today marks 50 years since JFK's inauguration and there are never-before-seen pictures of the president along with his wife. Who best to talk about that? Joe Johns in his "Political Pop. That's next.
Also this, did you see the dress that everyone is talking about? Who was behind the first lady's gorgeous red gown. Monte Durham from "Say Yes To The Dress: Atlanta" tells me what he thinks. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: Tongues are wagging about the first lady's dress. Did you see it? It was bold. There she is. It was red, fashion forward, and it's got a lot of people are talking today after that state dinner last night at the White House.
And Monte Durham, he is officially our go-to guy on fashion. He's the stylist for TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta." I got him on the phone from Washington, D.C.
Monte, I thought she looked stunning. What say you?
MONTE DURHAM, HOST, TLC'S "SAY YES TO THE DRESS: ATLANTA" (via telephone): Yes, I mean, what a way to kick off a party.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Right.
DURHAM: She looked incredible. I mean, there's rumors that this dress was, as said, designed by McQueen, but Sarah Burton, one of his lead designers, took over after his untimely death. And apparently, she's pulled out all stops.
And the sleeves had been adjusted on this gown. It was originally designed as a long-sleeved dress, apparently, and it got a little bit of adjustment the first lady.
BALDWIN: It did. And we looked at a picture, and maybe we can go back to it, of her from that that inaugural ball when she looked stunning in her white. I mean, what do you make of solid versus bold versus -- I mean, last night it was a bit of a pattern, but she seems to make it all her own unique style.
DURHAM: Totally. And we see she does not shy away from pattern. We saw it on -- you know, in a lot of her clothes, whether that be street or formal wear.
And I think she really came to the occasion last night, red being of Chinese and Feng Shui of power and energy and success, standing up so extremely tall and erect there and with her hair up, as she made truly a goddess in that red dress.
Interesting enough to see the folds and the pleating and the gathering on those gowns. You know, in the mid '90s pickups were very big. So I think what we're seeing now is a transcend into a different form of a soft billowy skirt.
BALDWIN: And you mentioned the color red, and yes, perhaps it was a nod to the Chinese president being there, Hu Jintao, but also, you know, Nancy Reagan, it was her favorite color. We saw Barbara Bush was in a lot of red.
What is it about red with these first ladies?
DURHAM: Well, I think, you know, Washington is very conservative. You know, we now taupe, we know navy and we know black here in Washington extremely well. And I think red is a safe bet for a politically appointed woman. They seem to wear it in their suits and in their clothing very well.
Reagan, as you know, during their term, it was dubbed "Reagan red." And he official White House portrait, she is in a red gown. So I think they feel strong and confident, as that color does give you confidence to step out. And remember, you're not only stepping out to entertain, you're stepping out to be criticized.
DURHAM: You are, and I'm sure people have criticized just as they have praised. But I mean, I think she looks stunning. Would you say, though, you mention Washington, it's very conservative. Do you think her look, and we've seen her in everything from J. Crew to Alexander McQueen in that gown last night, is she fashion forward or is she more simple?
DURHAM: You know what? Coming from a law background, I would think in my first initial thought would be she would be conservative and careful about her choices, but we can surely see she's thrown that out to wind -- the window.
I think the sleeves being taken where is was able for us to view the beautiful arms our first lady has. So I think she's stepping out of the box and has done quite often.
BALDWIN: Monte Durham, our pal from TLC "Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta," thanks for calling in. I appreciate it. Come back to Atlanta.
DURHAM: My pleasure. I look forward to talking and seeing you again. Have a great day, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Thank you, Monte.
DURHAM: OK, my pleasure. Talk soon.
BALDWIN: Deal.
And staying in Washington, so the 50th anniversary of JFK's presidential inauguration. And we have a bit of a treat for you, rare, unseen photos from that day in history. This is all from Life.com. And Joe Johns has this "Political Pop."
And Joe, we were sitting around in the morning meeting and thinking, gosh, how is this possible. Years and years, we've seen all these pictures from the Kennedy inauguration, how are there still pictures we have not seen?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's pretty simple, if you think about it. "Life" sent a bunch of photographers out to cover the Kennedy inauguration, of course, took a ton of pictures, hundreds if not thousands of these pictures never saw the light of day.
So the magazine obviously has now gone away, but we still have Life.com. And frankly, whenever there's a big anniversary or whatever, they go out to their warehouse, I think it's in New Jersey, they dig out all the old pictures from the event and see what they've got that they never published, then they put it up on Life.com.
They have a full gallery of these pictures up, some are pretty amazing. And you sort of just get to see some of the pictures of Camelot that got left on the editing room floor, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Yes, so they pull these out, so precisely people like you and I can say, "hey, have you see these never before seen JFK pictures?"
So -- I know you looked through some of the pictures. Do anything, Joe, in the pictures stand out to you?
JOHNS: Yes, I mean, the most obvious thing that we missed in a lot of the other pictures was the misery. I mean, there are a few of these pictures that actually show how miserable people were in the weather during the inauguration. You can see all the clothes they were there wearing, Jacqueline wearing the coat.
Now look, there is the president --
BALDWIN: Look at his hair.
JOHNS: Right. I think that is Robert Frost, the poet, and that was the president blowing his knows.
Well then there are things from like the gala the night before.
There's another one. Look at the people wrapped up in blankets there.
BALDWIN: Freezing.
JOHNS: Well, see, there was this huge snowstorm the night before the 19th. A freak snowstorm, and it just covered Pennsylvania avenue, which is where they have the parade. The Army Corps of Engineers actually had to come in and just clear all the snow off of the parade route. Nonetheless, this was a long day for people to be outside. And you know inaugurations can be really cold.
BALDWIN: It was cold two years ago.
JOHNS: Absolutely, it was.
BALDWIN: What about the photographers? Where are the photographers?
JOHNS: Brilliant pictures and brilliant guys who took the pictures, and they're all deceased, according to Life.com. The main guy was a guy named Paul Schutzer, really a premier photographer of Camelot, if you will. He was actually killed in Israel in 1967. Died on assignment, which in itself is a little bit eerie.
BALDWIN: It is. But it's amazing seeing these pictures. Life.com, if you want to check them out. Joe Johns, "Political Pop." Thank you sir. Appreciate it, as always.
It is one of the biggest Mafia busts ever. More than 100 alleged mobsters in custody today, and they're facing a litany of charges, including murder, extortion, illegal gambling. They're lining up now. "Reporter Roulette" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: There is a lot going on in the world today. Time to play "Reporter Roulette." I want to begin with Mary Snow on the major, major Mafia bust in the New York area. Mary?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As one FBI official put it, it is a myth that the mob is a thing of the past. And attorney general Eric Holder said it was the unprecedented scope of this investigation involving local, state and federal agencies that brought him here to New York to announce more than 100 arrests. Those included mob bosses and their associates.
The arrests took part in three states, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island. And there were arrests in Italy. The charges range from murder to racketeering, extortion and illegal gambling. Dating back decades in some cases.
The attorney general wouldn't go as far as saying that there's a resurgence of Mafia families, but he says they still pose an ongoing threat.
Mary Snow, CNN, Brooklyn.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Mary, thank you. Next on "Reporter Roulette," we have Eddie Lavandera for us in College Station, Texas, where a former president is marking an important moment in history and his administration. Eddie?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, hard to imagine 20 years ago this week, the first Gulf War actually started. And to commemorate that event here on the campus of Texas A&M University, where the first President Bush has his presidential library.
There will be a roundtable with some of the faces that were so familiar back in the day during that war. James Baker will be here. Colin Powell, Brent Scocroft, and former vice president Dan Quayle will also be participating in a roundtable discussion, which is about to start off here in about 30 minutes or so.
King of looking back and talking about the memories and the experiences that those men who were so influential in organizing that war had, and a lot of people expecting to turn out today, including more than 400 veterans of that first Gulf War. Brooke?
BALDWIN: Veterans, you mentioned a number of key players. Will president George H.W. Bush be there?
LAVANDERA: Well, we've been told he will be kind of introducing everybody, welcoming everybody to the arena here where this event will be taking place. It will be interesting, we haven't seen him at a public event like this in quite some time. Several months. I think the last time might have been when he was throwing out the first pitch in the World Series in November. So, it will be interesting to see. He's not participating in the roundtable discussion, if you will, but we're told he's been here to welcome everybody to this event.
BALDWIN: Ed Lavandera, College Station, Texas. Thank you, Ed.
And finally here on "Reporter Roulette," we have Karen McGinnis in the CNN Severe Weather Center. And Karen, I know we've been talking a little bit about snow. Now we're talking snow in the Midwest. How bad is it?
(WEATHER REPORT)
BALDWIN: Oh, brother. Here we go again. Karen, thank you.
And do you remember those old-fashioned posters and pictures of celebrities smoking? Well, there is a push to censor them. You know, just Photoshop cigarettes out? Well, Hala Gorani will break it down for me. She joins me live, next with "Globe Trekking."
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Time to take you "Globe Trekking" with stories happening all overseas. Hala Gorani, CNNi. I don't need to introduce you anymore. You know who this gal is.
We're going to begin with Tunisia. What's new there today?
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: On CNN International, we've been covering Tunisia really from the beginning. And what's happening today is the interim government that is composed of many of the old guard facing more pressure from the streets saying OK, we will release all prisoners and will recognized all banned parties.
Will it be enough, though, to quiet the streets is the big question.
BALDWIN: What is the U.S. saying?
GORANI: Now, President Obama through Hillary Clinton, who is of course the U.S. secretary of state, is saying we support the will of the people. All of those kinds of statements you get from the State Department during times of political upheaval.
But for instance at "The Washington Post" editorial today by Jackson Diehl today, found interesting. Saying you know, President Obama reportedly spoke to President Mubarak of Egypt, another autocratic government in the Arab world. And according to his sources, did not bring up change.
This is really a frustration that many in the Arab world have felt with the U.S. Not just this administration, but the Bush administration before it as well. That you talk a lot about wanting change, but when it's your ally, you don't really push for it.
BALDWIN: Second place, this story does not seem to be going anywhere. Italy prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, and Rubygate.
GORANI: Rubygate. And this is a young lady who is 18 who was 17 at the time that some prosecutors are alleging she was paid for sex by the 74-year-old prime minister. He went on television and angrily denied all of it. She denies having sex with him, but an investigation is open. And the Vatican is weighing in, saying our public leaders must be moral and are, quote, "worried about this sex scandal."
BALDWIN: And allegations that he had big parties at his house. What's the bit about Superman. Is he calling --
GORANI: Well, there is -- here's the thing. Of course, there are things he calls himself or things that have been said about him. What he is saying is essentially these young ladies, regardless of their age, are being prosecuted for just having had dinner at my house, for having participated in dinner parties.
But this young lady, Ruby, who is really Karima El Mahroug, she's originally Moroccan. Not too far from Tunisia by the way. We're spilling over there. She says, no, I absolutely did not have sex with him, and I was not paid to have any kind of sexual intercourse with him. So, it's not going away.
BALDWIN: We'll wait and see. Also, I saw this story in France and thought you would be perfect about smoking and the olden days of the celebrities and the cigarettes and the poster.
GORANI: There's a quite Draconian French law that's 20 years old this week that's called (SPEAKING IN FRENCH).
BALDWIN: Can you say that again?
GORANI: (SPEAKING IN FRENCH). E-V-I-N -
BALDWIN: I love it.
GORANI: It's an antismoking law that outlaws the use of tobacco products in advertising. So, it's created some laughable situations where French icons have had their cigarettes or even their pipes Photoshopped out.
BALDWIN: Is that common knowledge that its Photoshopped?
GORANI: It is common knowledge. But some people are saying it's part of our cultural regard heritage, and a French parliamentarian proposed the law to relax the legislation currently in effect. I was trying to think of names of some celebrities that Americans may know. (SPEAKING IN FRENCH) -- these have these iconic pictures.
BALDWIN: Puffs away, and now they want to propose at least those older pictures --
GORANI: You know Coco Channel -- and now I can't remember the name of the actress that portrayed her?
BALDWIN: Aubrey Hepburn?
GORANI: No, a French actress. They refused to put these posters up in the metro because Coco Chanel was a very heavy smoker. And on the poster she was holding a cigarette. So, they completely abolished the advertising campaign altogether rather than alter the photo. Those types of situations --
BALDWIN: Don't so many people smoke in France anyway?
GORANI: So many people do, but let me tell you, anti-cigarette groups are upset about this possible change.
BALDWIN: I'm being told by the brilliant people it was Marie Cotilliere (ph).
GORANI: Marie Cotilliere (ph)! Sorry. Absolutely! Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: I actually do not. Do not.
GORANI: Well done!
BALDWIN: Thank you, Hala.
GORANI: You're welcome. Such a pleasure.
BALDWIN: It happens every day. Tourists visiting the White House. Have you been? But what doesn't happen every day is a special surprise from Michelle Obama. We're going to share this video for you. Wait for it. Jessica Yellin is standing by. She's got the CNN political ticker, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Now for your "CNN Equals Politics" update, Jessica Yellin joining me once again here with the latest off the "Political Ticker."
And Jessica, I'm fascinated to hear what the first lady did today, but I have a feeling you're going to make me wait for it.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm going to make you wait, yes. That was a good tease. We have to get the meat and potatoes first.
OK. The House of Representatives, they have voted now to move forward with a new health care bill, drafting a new health care bill, to replace the one that was passed last year. As you know, they voted to repeal the last one, but now they're going to send four committees -- they're going to set up four committees to begin drafting legislation run under Republican principles for health care legislation.
They say it would be friendlier to business than the version that passed, but there is no timeline for introducing it or for voting on it. And Karl Rove writes today in "The Wall Street Journal," This will make health care reform a major issue through the 2012 campaign."
Moving over to the Supreme Court, well, there's an issue there that's a little unusual. A liberal group is saying that two conservative justices, Justices Scalia and Thomas, should recuse themselves, disqualify themselves from ruling on certain future campaign finance cases.
Why? Because both of those conservative justices were guests of Koch Industries when they've held private retreats. And Koch benefited from a ruling by the Supreme Court that let them give unlimited amounts -- lets private corporations give unlimited amounts to causes. Koch has been a major funder of conservative causes, but it's a long shot whether Justices Scalia and Thomas would even consider recusing themselves.
OK.
BALDWIN: Meat and potatoes aside, give me the glazed doughnut, Ms. Yellin.
YELLIN: You couldn't stand it. :That's so funny.
OK. This is the ultimate White House tour. I think you played the video. Let's show it.
A bunch of folks were on their normal White House tour that's open to the public. These people had no forewarning when Mrs. Obama popped in and gave them a surprise.
It's the two-year anniversary of the president's inauguration, and she said this was part of their effort to make the White House more accessible to the public. As you can imagine, it would be the ultimate White House tour.
BALDWIN: Can you imagine? I think I would be standing there, like, tapping my friend, "Gosh, she looks just like the first lady." No way. No way. You know?
YELLIN: Right? They send in a body double every tour, you would think.
BALDWIN: Right. You would think there would be multiples.
YELLIN: Pretty cool.
BALDWIN: That's pretty cool.
Jessica Yellin, thank you as always.
YELLIN: Good to see you.
BALDWIN: Just when a cold case could not get any colder, a 23- year-old woman suddenly discovers she was kidnapped as an infant. So what happens now to the people who raised her? We're "On the Case."
And we move pretty fast in the news business. Sometimes a little too fast. You've got to see how this news van became the news story, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: I feel like I shouldn't be laughing at this, because I know I am a newsperson. But have you ever wondered what would happen to a news truck, a TV news truck if it couldn't clear an overpass? Maybe not, but I bet you do now.
"You Gotta See This!"
Look at this news van. Whoops.
It toppled over 45 degrees on its side. Why? Well, you can probably guess by this picture. The mass did not clear the overpass.
A reporter and photographer were trapped inside. They were able to get out. No one was hurt, thank goodness. But usually when you work in the news, you want to cover the news, not be the news.
Next, while most of us have been complaining about this weather this winter and the snow that comes along with it, some people in Wisconsin are making the most of it. Hard-core Green Bay Packer fans are going to use it, spray painting green and gold, team spirit. Now, that is how you turn some lemons into lemonade.
And are you trying to get to the Super Bowl this year, you don't have a ticket yet? Apparently, you still have a chance, sort of. Cowboys Stadium in Texas hosting the big game, of course. The team says they will sell tickets to an outdoor plaza.
Fans won't actually be able to go inside the stadium, but you can catch it on the big screens. It will set you back about $200.
Parking at the Super Bowl not too cheap, either. Lots around Cowboys Stadium pretty much sold out, but one owner says he still has some empty spots. The going rate right now, nearly $1,000 each.
And now to the guy who I have a feeling could get into any Super Bowl he ever wanted to. I'm sure he's been invited to State Dinners, White House Correspondents Dinner, yadda, yadda. You know the guy, Wolf Blitzer.
Have you ever been to a Super Bowl?
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Yes, I have been to a Super Bowl. BALDWIN: Of course.
BLITZER: I've been to a State Dinner, too. And I know you will, too --
BALDWIN: One day.
BLITZER: -- one of these days, if you work really hard, play by the rules. You'll be invited not only to a State Dinner, but more importantly, the Super Bowl.
BALDWIN: I know. The big dance. I would love to go.
Meantime, let's talk politics. Who do you have coming up on your show?
BLITZER: Well, we have Donald Trump, who's not very happy with the way the Obama administration is dealing with China right now. He's really outspoken.
And as you know, he said publicly he's thinking of running for president of the United States. Always curious to hear what "The Donald" has to say. He's going to be joining us right at the top of the hour.
And a lot of other good stuff as well. We're also going to talk later -- you'll be interested in this, Brooke -- Piers Morgan, our own Piers Morgan, he spent some quality time with Ricky Gervais talking about those Golden Globe Awards. We'll have a little preview and some clips coming up as well. So we've got a lot of good stuff.
BALDWIN: I know. I heard about that. I will be watching tonight at 9:00, Wolf Blitzer. Thank you so much. We'll see you on "THE SITUATION ROOM" momentarily.
But coming up next here, a case that takes Internet gossip to a whole new level. A man is falsely accused of doing some horrible things, all by somebody posting anonymous messages. And the question we're posing is, could it happen to you?
Sunny Hostin is "On the Case." She is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Today, one story has us all talking. This young woman who was snatched from the hospital when she was an itty-bitty baby, she had some sort of hunch the family who raised her wasn't really her family.
So, she goes online, she literally finds herself on this missing children's Web site. So now she's reunited with her biological mother.
Sunny Hostin, I want to bring you in here "On the Case."
And Sunny, this woman apparently contacted New York police, proved who she was through these DNA tests. So what happens on the legal said of this story? No one's ever been arrested, so do police have a shot now in figuring out who abducted her?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: I think there's no question. I mean, she said that the reason that she became suspicious, notwithstanding the fact that she just didn't resemble the people that she was living with, was because she asked for a birth certificate from the woman who had been raising her. And that woman couldn't come up with it.
And so my guess is that if she is not the woman that abducted this baby, then perhaps she knows who did. And I'm certain that police are investigating and speaking with her and others. They have indicated that this investigation is hot now, and it's ongoing -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: It's a pretty amazing gut instinct to think that initially.
Is it, Sunny, too late to possibly to press charges? Is there a statute of limitations on these kinds of kidnappings?
HOSTIN: That is the terrific thing about this case. Kidnapping does not have a statute of limitations. And that means that any time someone is kidnapped, you can bring charges. And I think the theory behind that is to sort of discourage people from kidnapping children and others in the first place, because if you get caught, you can be charged with it.
BALDWIN: What happens if she says, "I don't want to press charges"?
HOSTIN: Well, you know, it's sort of a misconception. People think that citizens that press charges, but it's the government that presses charges. And although it would be very difficult to prove this case without her, the government can still proceed on this case.
BALDWIN: Second case, a man in Georgia has just been awarded $400,000 because of this character assassination campaign waged against him online. Apparently, a woman he barely knew posted this terrible posting, accusations online under a variety of user names. As a result, this guy loses his job, can't find work, family stopped talking to him. None of this stuff that was posted was true.
So, how can they, Sunny, figure out who was cyber-stalking this guy and posting these accusations?
HOSTIN: Well, they found this woman by tracking her computer and identifying her by her unique IP address. These people think, Brooke, that they can sit in their rooms and in their offices and hide out behind false names on computers. And that is not the case. People are very savvy now, investigators are savvy, and you can be found out.
BALDWIN: That IP address, that's how you can be tracked.
And aren't most Web sites quick to comply with subpoenas to identify their users? HOSTIN: You know, not typically. It's usually a long drawn-out process. But in this case, the Web site -- I believe it's Topix.com -- readily acquiesced and gave up the information, which was a really huge win for this gentleman.
BALDWIN: So, lesson learned here, again, be careful what you post online.
HOSTIN: That's right. Cowards, beware, because the bottom line is you will be found. You know, the Internet is not what it used to be. It's not sort of the Wild Wild West anymore. You will be found out.
BALDWIN: You will be found. They will track you down.
Would there be -- let me just ask this -- is there any chance the man will actually see any of the $400,000 awarded to him by the jury?
HOSTIN: I think that's the unfortunate thing about this. Apparently, she doesn't have much money, she doesn't have assets. But, you know, you can't get blood from a stone.
So they can try to get it, but they may not be able to get it, but I think it's still a pretty feel-good thing for him. I mean, he was finally vindicated. And there's something to be said about that -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: Sunny Hostin, "On the Case."
Thank you so much, Sunny. We'll see you back here tomorrow.
HOSTIN: Thanks.
BALDWIN: In the meantime, Wolf Blitzer was teasing us with the big interview with Donald Trump. He will deliver with that and so much more here in just a moment on "THE SITUATION ROOM."
For me, I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks so much for watching.
To you, Wolf, now in Washington.
