Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Some Egyptian Demonstrators Continue in Liberation Square; Egyptian Vice President Meets With Anti-Government Protestors; Heavy Security Prepared For Super Bowl; Video of Police Beating Prone Suspect Released; Mailman Saves Elderly Woman; Celebrities Tying Themselves to Super Bowl; Bad Weather Continues to Hit South
Aired February 05, 2011 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
A much calmer Egypt today than we've seen over the past few days, but President Obama is pressing Egypt's leaders to begin the transition to a new government now. The administration calls today's meetings with opposition leaders a positive first step.
Also in Egypt, terrorists are being blamed for blowing up a critical gas pipeline that services Jordan and Syria. The attack happened earlier today in the northern Sinai town of El Amish.
And here at home, the Super Bowl hasn't even begun yet, but six people were injured when ice fell from the roof of Cowboy stadium. One man was hit in the head, another in the shoulder, none of the injuries life threatening. The high in the Dallas area expected to be a balmy 42 degrees. It's early and we're on it.
From CNN center, good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. This is CNN Saturday morning. It's February 5th. So glad you're with us. It's 10:00 in the east coast, 5:00 p.m. in Egypt.
And also coming up over the next 60 minutes as we gear up for the biggest one-day sporting event in the country, security will be tighter than ever for fans and the teams. We'll take a closer look at some of the measures Homeland Security puts in place for big games like the Super Bowl.
And it's not just cold for Super Bowl fans. The entire country is digging out or chipping off the ice following a nasty storm that affected millions from Texas to main. The blizzard left folks without power, stranded on the sides of roads and more cold, believe it or not, is on the way.
Take a look at this. A high school soccer player is out on bond after being arrested for his part in a post game fight in Suwane County, Florida. One of the guys we're about to see, he's facing a felony battery charge for hitting another player in the mouth. He allegedly knocked out the other player's two front teeth. We'd love to show you that. This is the video we wanted to see. We had a little video trouble there. It happened when insults were traded during the post game handshake. It got ugly fast as you can see there
Several new developments in Egypt to tell you about this hour. The Egyptian military is overseeing security for anti-government demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square. No reports of the violence that was so evident earlier this week when pro government demonstrators clashed with anti-Mubarak supporters.
Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei is in the square. His national association for change movement tells CNN he'll speak to the crowd, but we don't know exactly when that will happen. Vice President Suleiman has been meeting with several groups, no details on what they discussed.
Also protesters today formed a new opposition group to represent the anti-Mubarak demonstrators, among the group, the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization officially banned in Egypt.
There has been some confusion over reports of a possible, possible assassination attempt against Egypt's new vice president. It came up at a security conference in Germany, but the Egyptian government is now saying that it never happened. CNN's foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty joins me from the State Department. Jill, what do we know for sure at this point?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: We want to make sure that what we are reporting is correct. There's a lot of confusion about what happened. As you mentioned, at that security conference, the former German ambassador to the United States, Wolfgang Ischinger said that there had been an assassination attempt, unsuccessful, on the vice president, Omar Suleiman of Egypt, in which several people died.
Now it turns out that he's retracting that. He was led to believe that there was a confirmed report but, in fact, we did not have that report, the ambassador's -- the former ambassador says, and, again, he is retracting that report.
The Egyptian authorities said that it was not correct. They were denying it. And as you remember, Secretary Clinton commented on it, but she was referring to the comments by the ambassador.
So again, it's a confusing situation. We will definitely get to the bottom of it and continue to report, get back to our viewers to make sure we have the facts straight. But at this point there is a retraction of that report that there was an assassination attempt.
KAYE: And let's talk about the transition. President Obama said that he wants a transition to begin right now. He wants President Mubarak to begin handing over power. What does the U.S. need to do at this point to move that along?
DOUGHERTY: What the U.S. is doing, you're hearing from secretary Clinton today, is encouraging both sides, number one, to sit down and that apparently is beginning. That is, the government and the opposition, that everyone has to get together and begin to work on the structure that is going to lead to free and fair elections. That means there has to be constitutional change.
That means that political parties have to be set up that are peaceful, that are nonviolent. So there are many steps that have to take place. And what the U.S. is saying now, clarification, they want this. They're encouraging the Egyptians to do it as quickly as possible. But that said, there are things that have to happen, hurdles, constitutional, legal, et cetera, that have to be taken care of before President Mubarak steps down.
So they want an orderly process. And from the sidelines and actually directly in talks and meetings with a number of officials in both Egypt and European, et cetera, the U.S. is working very hard to try to encourage them to do this correctly. It's a tense situation, but there does appear to be now some progress with these reports with the vice president. Mr. Suleiman is beginning to meet with some of the opposition.
KAYE: All right, Our Jill Dougherty for us this morning in Washington. Thank you, Jill.
Time for our weekend wheel, a look at other stories we think you need to know about. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki takes a pay cut. The Iraqi leader agreed to slice his salary in half. The pay cut is meant to show solidarity with Iraqis upset with poor public services and food and water shortages. Nearly half of all Iraqis are unemployed.
Bank of America will pay $410 million to settle a lawsuit over overdraft fees. According to the "San Francisco Chronicle" the bank is accused of manipulating debit card transactions in order to boost the number of overdrafts and in turn the penalties paid by debit card users. Bank of America was just one of several major banks named in this lawsuit.
Astronaut Mark Kelly is a go for launch. There was some speculation that Kelly would skip his scheduled space shuttle mission to be with his wife, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. She's recovering, as you may recall, at a Houston rehab clinic from injuries suffered in last month's shooting in Tucson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK KELLY, NASA ASTRONAUT: I started to think about STS-134, about the mission, my crew, the fact that I've been training for it for nearly a year and a half, and considering a bunch of other factors including how -- what Gabrielle would want me to do and what her parents and her family and my family would like, I ultimately made the decision that I would like to return and command STS-134.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Commander Kelly will resume his training Monday for the scheduled launch which is set for April 19th. It's the next to last scheduled flight on NASA's launch schedule.
Disappointment for the followers of a Vietnamese General who fought alongside Americans. General Vang Pao died January 6th in California. His family wanted him buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, but the secretary of the army denied that request. The general led thousands during the Vietnam War.
And take a look at this guy. He has been arrested for messing with the Super Bowl. He's accused of inserting x-rated images into the cover of the big game two years ago. Prosecutors say he interrupted the Comcast cable broadcast in Tucson for 37 seconds. He faces fraud and computer tampering charges.
And speaking of the Super Bowl, falling ice is putting a chill on the big game's festivities at cowboys stadium. Gusty wind blew chunks of ice from the roof injuring six people. Officials hope the ice will melt before Sunday's showdown between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
(WEATHER BREAK)
KAYE: Let's take you back to Egypt now. We're keeping a close eye there. If President Mubarak leaves, who will take over? We'll get a breakdown of the possibilities just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It's 13 minutes past the hour. Welcome back.
Whether he goes now or next September when elections are scheduled, there's been plenty of speculation about who could succeed Hosni Mubarak. Potential successors include Vice President Omar Suleiman and Mohamed ElBaradei. And where does the Muslim Brotherhood fit into any new government?
Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst, and he's in Washington with us this morning. Good to see you, Peter. Let's talk about the Muslim Brotherhood. What do we know exactly about them and how influential would you say they are in Egypt and the region?
PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, in Egypt, I think they're quite influential. If it was a free election tomorrow they would get a quarter of the vote and perhaps up to a third of the vote. They're in the position to sort of be kingmakers and whatever the next political arrangement is, but they're not in the position to actually dominate the government.
So whatever the coalition that emerges out of this, which I'm sure there will be a coalition government of some kind, whether it's before September or in September or whenever free and fair elections are held, the Muslim Brotherhood will be an important part of that coalition, Randi.
KAYE: Should the U.S. be at all concerned about the Muslim Brotherhood? Is there any type of relationship there?
BERGEN: Yes, I mean, democracies are going to throw out people that we may not completely agree or we may disagree with fairly violently. We can't have our cake and eat it, too. If you want to have a democracy, you're going to get substantial numbers of Islamic fundamentalists who will win seats in Egypt because parts of it are very conservative, an Islamic country.
There are other forces. ElBaradei is sort of a secular politician, Ayman Nour is a sort of liberal politician. So they're not the only game in town, but they're going to be part of Egypt's future. They're already part of Egypt's present.
KAYE: Their role could affect the rest of the region. I'm talking about Israel. The Muslim Brotherhood is anti-Israel. They're against the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. So if they do play a role in the new government, what could this mean for Israel?
BERGEN: Well that's right, Randi. I think that's a little unclear. Hamas itself is a Muslim Brotherhood movement, the government in Egypt, and so there's quite a lot of hostility between the Muslim Brotherhood and Israel.
But there's a cold peace between Israel and Egypt since 1979. The Muslim Brotherhood is not in the position where it can simply change Egyptian foreign policy because it just doesn't have the numbers to do that.
KAYE: And what about stability in the region as a whole? Do you have some concerns about Yemen or Saudi Arabia and where this is all going to lead to?
BERGEN: I think Yemen, President Saleh has had -- because he's weaker than President Mubarak, has allowed political parties a little more leeway historically. So we're not seeing the violent protests in Yemen as we see in Egypt because there has been an escape valve for political Islamists and others in the political parties that have existed in Yemen for some period of time.
Jordan, you know, the Hashemite monarchy in Jordan, King Abdullah is not popular with the Jordanians. However, his monarchy has been around for a while. There's a fair amount of tribal support for the monarchy. And Saudi Arabia, similarly, the Saudis have sat on the -- have controlled Saudi Arabia one way or another since the 18th century. They also have a religious position in Saudi society and have allied themselves with the key religious families.
And so, you know, the Saudis seem pretty stable. Jordan, a little bit of a question mark. Yemen, you know, even before all these protests Yemen is a government that doesn't exercise a lot of control. There are a lot of problems in Yemen, running out of oil, running out of water, two wars, Al Qaeda presence. Still, President Saleh seems to be holding on in a way that President Mubarak surely is not.
KAYE: Peter Bergen for us this morning. Peter, thank you, as always, for your insight.
BERGEN: Thank you.
KAYE: While the people of Egypt think about who their next leader will be, the final decision may not satisfy all the protesters. Our Fareed Zakaria says they're raging against the deep rooted power structure. Here's how he explained it to John King. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAREED ZAKARIA, HOST, "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS": The Egyptians are up against a wall. They've got to put food on the table. They've got to get back to work. These are people who the economy has shut down. There's almost no cash in the economy. And this is a sophisticated country. You need cash to operate.
So their hope is that at some point people will tire of all this and they'll have set up a few committees that will be charged with amending the constitution. But remember, Egypt is still under emergency martial law. It has been for 30 year. As I said, the military's still firmly in control.
And whether or not Mubarak steps down, that structure of power is what people are really protesting about. They may like the army on the street because it's a conscript army. The Egyptian army is part of the country. But it's the generals on top that are running things, and if they don't cede power, nothing really changes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: You can catch the rest of the conversation with John King and Fareed's interview with the face of the opposition, Mohamed ElBaradei. It all starts at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time, 7:00 a.m. Pacific.
And 100,000 fans make a pretty tempting target. We'll look at how authorities are securing the Super Bowl.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Gearing up for the biggest one-day sporting event in the country, but players won't be the only ones out in Cowboy stadium with their game faces on. Security teams also have a job to do, and they are on red alert for any potential threat. Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Sunday, 100,000 people will be in this stadium, 110 million watching around the world. That could make this a very tempting terrorist target.
(voice-over): Sniffing out danger. Security is a critical part of this Super Bowl and an integral part of this stadium.
(on camera): And I'm wondering when building this stadium if they were thinking about security.
JERRY JONES, DALLAS COWBOYS OWNER: Oh, yes. As a matter of fact, all of the --
MESERVE (voice-over): Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spent millions on security features, including vantage points for law enforcement sharp shooters.
JONES: We've got a lot of places for sniper shooters in here.
MESERVE: Multiple entrances allow faster screening and faster evacuation if needed. And surveillance cameras record virtually every inch of the venue. But more, much more is being brought to bear. Special radiological detection teams will be seeking out threats like dirty bombs.
DEBBIE WILBER, NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: There were 10 hits at last year's Super Bowl, all of them were determined to be medical isotopes.
MESERVE: When it comes to security, preparing for the game looks a lot like preparing for a war, with specialized equipment and personnel from all over the country on hand to detect and deal with a wide variety of possible threats.
And on game day, air space within a 30-mile radius of the stadium will be tightly restricted, patrolled by NORAD fighters.
(on camera): What's the price tag?
MILT AHLERICH, NFL SECURITY: Well, we can't put an exact figure on that because it's a little hard to define what an F-18 costs protecting the skies, but it's over $10 million I would say when it's all said and done. And from our side alone, it's $5 million.
MESERVE (voice-over): There is no specific credible threat to the game, officials say, but the Tucson shootings and a rash of homegrown terror events are very much on officials' minds.
JANET NAPOLITANO, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: And that's one of the reasons why we have the "If you see something, say something" campaign because we want everybody to be part of our security. That's a shared responsible.
MESERVE: That message is being spread well beyond the stadium. But despite all the preparations and precautions, officials admit they are still on edge.
(on camera): What's your biggest worry?
JAMES SPILLER, CHIEF, DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT POLICE: You know, the biggest concern always is that people see something and don't say anything.
MESERVE: Organizers are trying to strike a balance. They want security to be visible enough that it's a deterrent, but not so visible that it makes this less of a party.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, on the field at Cowboys Stadium.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Heavy snow and ice causing problems across the country. I'm talking about big problems. This one definitely fits into our extreme pictures of the week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Glad you're with us. It's just about 25 minutes past the hour. This is time of the show when we take a look at some of the extreme pictures that we've seen this week and we want you to see. It's the snow edition this week. In Salem, New Hampshire, the snowy roads got pretty slick leading to several accidents including the one that you see here. Yes, that is a car stuck nose-first in a snow bank. Amazing. That's something you don't see every day. Don't worry, no one was seriously injured.
But that is nothing compared to this. And there it goes. That is what happens when you've got too much snow on the roof. It happened in Easton, Massachusetts. Luckily the people there and inside heard the creeks and they all got out of the building before the roof and the walls caved in. Amazing.
Finally, check out this snowman or maybe we should call it a snow giant. The Skoble family in Champion, New York, builds a big snowman every year. But this time, yes, you can see they've outdone themselves. This one is 35 feet tall. But it's not just snow. His buttons, because he's so big, are actually racing tires and the hat, well, where do you find a hat to fit a 35-foot-tall snowman. It's actually a plastic swimming pool. It took 50 people to build this snowy master piece. What do you do next year to top it? I guess we'll have to wait another year of cold weather to see.
Protesters form a human chain in Cairo. More tense moments in Tahrir Square.
And closer to home, questions about police conduct in Houston. We'll take a closer look at a very controversial incident caught on tape.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It is just about half past the hour. Welcome back. I'm Randi Kaye. Thanks for starting your day with us.
Here are some of the new developments out of Egypt this morning. Protesters are gathering again in the main square, the same place they've been now for 12 days.
Also there one of the most recognizable member of the opposition, Mohammed ElBaradei. He announced this morning he's now part of a group of ten. They are leading opponents to the government who say they represent anti-government demonstrators.
Happening now, other opposition leaders are meeting with Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman. Those leader had originally refused the invitation to meet, but late yesterday changed their minds. President Obama praised the move as an important step forward.
A major gas pipeline has been shut down on the Sinai Peninsula. It was supposedly the target of a terror attack. It supplies natural gas to Jordan and Syria.
Let's see what's happening in Cairo's Liberation Square. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is there for us this morning. Fred, can you describe what you're seeing for us?
FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Randi. There's a bit of rain falling here in Cairo right now, and that's certainly toned things down in Liberation Square, although I'm still hearing a lot of chanting coming from there, a lot of speeches coming from there. There still are 45,000 people there gathered on the square.
Now, I'm also overlooking one of the major barricades into the square. The protesters have barricaded themselves off. I see they're making some fires there. There seems to have been a scuffle with the military a little earlier on. I think the military wanted to remove some of those barricades and move them back a bit. However, that isn't happening. People have formed a human chain around that as well.
As you said, the mood is actually much calmer here today than it was over the past couple of days. One of the main thoroughfares around Tahrir Square which over the past couple of days has been a battleground between pro and anti Mubarak supporters is not back open to traffic. It seems that the military is trying to get a little bit of a semblance of normal life back here into the Egyptian capital.
KAYE: Fred, we've said that Mohamed ElBaradei said was to be there in that crowd, expected to address the crowd. What is the word on that?
PLEITGEN: He hasn't done that at least that we've seen. I'm not sure if he's still in the square. He is, of course, as you mentioned before, a member of one of the new groups that's springing up claiming to represent the people who are on the square, the anti-government protesters.
However, I'm not really sure that the anti-government protesters feel the same way about him representing them. I certainly spoke to a bunch of the guys who are actually on the front lines who have been wielding the rocks and had rocks thrown at them. I spoke to one man who had his nose broken in the process, and he says he doesn't want anyone speaking for him. He says the young people who started this movement, who carried the revolution, as he put it, and he doesn't want anyone speaking, at least no one that's been decided on by the people in Tahrir Square.
So it's not really clear what all of these groups springing up claiming to represent the opposition movement if they really do so. And the leaders of the established opposition party meeting with Omar Suleiman, those talks haven't gone very far, either. It seems as though both sides are still pretty far apart.
KAYE: That is certainly not what the administration of the United States wants to hear. Fred Pleitgen for us, thank you. In Houston a high profile police beating case in back in the news after a secret tape of this incident was leaked to a local TV station. A warning, some of the video you're about to see, you might find disturbing.
There's a 15-year-old suspect running from police. You can see him there. He was clipped by the police car. You can see what happens next. Here are some of the facts. This happened last March. Since then the suspect was convicted of burglary. You can see the police officers beating him on the ground, kicking him. Seven of the police officers were fired. Four of them were also indicted on charges of official oppression.
The judge in the burglary case ruled that the tape should stay secret so the officers could get a fair trial. Houston's chief of police says "I have already taken disciplinary action and will have no further comment until the last case is adjudicated and/or appealed."
So let's bring in our legal analyst Sunny Hostin who contributes to "In Session" on our sister network, TruTV. She joins us live from New York. Good morning.
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, Randi.
KAYE: So when you look at that video, it is so disturbing. But these officers are charged with official oppression. Is that a fancy way of saying assault?
HOSTIN: It isn't. It actually is a misdemeanor and it's a fancy way of saying they sort of abused their position as officers on that day.
Many people, Randi, are outraged that assault charges weren't brought in this case. I've been sort of trying to reach out to people in Houston. What I'm learning is that assault charges may have been presented to the grand jury, but the grand jury failed to indict on that. Of course, grand jury proceedings are secret, so I haven't been able to confirm that. But my understanding is that prosecutors were looking at assault charges, and for whatever reason they were not indicted on those charges.
But misdemeanor charge in this case, especially after seeing this video, I think certainly is disconcerting to so many people because it is, after all, just a misdemeanor.
KAYE: If we can look at the tape again, you actually see him, after he gets clipped by the police car he gets right down on the ground. Watch it here. He gets on the ground immediately. He puts his hands out, then actually puts his hands his head and they continue to kick him in the head and beat him. How do you think this video will affect the police officer's case and their defense?
HOSTIN: I mean, the video is just so graphic, Randi, and it's very clear that an assault took place, in my view, when I look at this. And I think it's going to be very difficult to defend. However, we do know that he was convicted of burglary, we do know that they were chasing him. But on the other side of this, we also see that he was laying prone. He was surrendering sort of in that classic position. So I don't think that police procedure allows for the behavior that you're seeing on this tape.
KAYE: And you have to wonder how will the police defend their actions with that videotape out there now as evidence?
HOSTIN: I've been thinking about that. You know, I try to sort of put my defense attorney hat on, and I can't really come up with it, other than thinking perhaps that because of what happened off tape, what we don't see, they responded in this way. That would probably be the defense. It will be the officers testifying, Randi, as to what happened before the tape, before what we see.
KAYE: All right, Sunny Hostin breaking it down for us this morning, we appreciate it. Thank you.
So of course we've been talking a lot about the Super Bowl and the weather. We want to know will the weather cause any more trouble for those trying to get to the Super Bowl. We'll get the very latest on conditions in Dallas straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It is about 20 minutes to the top of the hour. You might be planning to watch the Super Bowl from your nice warm comfy couch, but lots of folks in the Dallas are going to freeze it out.
(WEATHER BREAK)
KAYE: As you might imagine, it hasn't been easy for both Packer and Steelers fans to get to tomorrow's big game before leaving for Dallas. Wisconsin cheese-heads had to weather blizzard conditions earlier this week only to find much of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area snowed in yesterday. Steelers fans, of course, they didn't fare much better.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably another -- yes, four or five hours. We've already been here since 4:15.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The flight's delayed right now. We need to get down there and start partying and get a Steelers victory. My boss told me we better rent a four-wheel-drive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Somehow I have a feeling you'll be down there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll get there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Sarah Palin's trademark bravado didn't go over well at the patent office. We'll tell you what happened.
But sometimes all it takes is a good old heave ho. That remarkable story is ahead as we take you cross country.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Time now for a look at the top stories crossing the CNN Political Ticker.
Don't even think about changing your name to Sarah Palin. "Politics Daily" reports that Palin's attorney filed papers to trademark the name. Her daughter, Bristol Palin, did the same thing right before she appeared on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."
Congress wants to know more about Facebook's privacy settings. Leaders of the House bipartisan committee on privacy wants to hear from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. They want to know more about the company's abandoned plan to make people's cell phone numbers available to third parties. Not first time the committee has demanded answers from Zuckerberg.
Conservative Republicans want House Speaker John Boehner to stick to his word. The GOP promised to cut $100 billion in spending from the budget. But now looking like it will be hard for them to meet that mark.
Remember, for more on these stories and the other political headlines, you can check out the politics page at CNN.com.
And let's go cross country now for stories our affiliates are covering. We start in Suwannee County, Florida, where a soccer game erupted into brawl after the game. Seems someone insulted someone else. That's usually how it starts. And then a fight broke out. The goalie for one team, the guy in orange there, was arrested and faces a felony battery charge.
A mailman in Guilford, Connecticut, is getting the hero's treatment after helping to save an elderly woman's life. Paul Jarrett noticed the mail was piling up in one box. He saw the meals on wheels deliveries were also piling up at the front door. He called police. Inside the house, there was an 88-year-old woman who had fallen and she couldn't get up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL JARRETT, MAILMAN: I opened up the box, her mailbox. I noticed she hasn't picked up her mail all week. So at that point, I thought things didn't -- you know, I was a little concerned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Well, a little concern certainly goes a long way. The woman had been stuck for three days and she was badly dehydrated. But she is OK now.
Check out this shot at a high school game in Corcoran, California a full-court no-look toss that just beats the buzzer. Bam, there I goes right in the basket. That's Marvin LeFridge rebounding and then launching that hail Mary 90-foot bomb. Yes, the crowd, as you can imagine, look at them jump from their seats. They went wild.
The Super Bowl is starting to look like a convention for reality stars. Who has made it to Dallas when we enter "The Gray Zone" with my good pal Jack Gray.
And ahead at 11:00, what happens when your two-income family suddenly has to live on one paycheck?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: This week we take a trip to "The Gray Zone," getting the juiciest pop culture scoop from CNN producer Jack Gray. Lots to talk about from Hollywood to the Super Bowl. So Jack, let's get started. Should we start with Charlie Sheen? He might be going back to work already?
JACK GRAY, CNN PRODUCER: Well, here's thing with Charlie sheen. By the way, I like that you gave the segment a name. I feel like we have our own "Cafferty File," only I'm not as cuddly.
(LAUGHTER)
Anyway, Charlie sheen is reportedly in rehab at home where he had his hernia issue. I don't know what the deal is with rehab at home. Frankly addiction is no laughing matter. But what is a laughing matter is the fact that CBS apparently, the show's on hiatus, which is too bad for the crew which makes their living off of it. But the show's on hiatus, the episode that CBS has in the can to run Monday night, Randi, I swear I'm not making this up -- it is called "Three Hookers and a Philly Cheese-steak." I'm not making that up.
KAYE: No!
GRAY: You can't make that up. That's the episode of the show -- the title of the episode that's scheduled to run on Monday.
KAYE: Somebody really needs to fix that.
GRAY: It's very bizarre that that's the episode they have running. Of course, I love that.
But, yes, and Charlie Sheen put out a statement this week. He said he kind of compared himself to Errol Flynn, the famous swashbuckling movie star. I feel like Errol Flynn, the ghost of him at that cemetery is like, dude, leave me out of this.
KAYE: I don't want anything to do with you.
GRAY: Yes, exactly.
KAYE: The other big story this week, the Super Bowl and celebrities, some kind of mix there. We have "The Jersey Shore" cast members. Snooki's going to the game? GRAY: Your favorite show "Jersey Shore." I know D.J., Pauley D., The Situation, the man with the best abs on television besides David Gergen, so they're down there partying.
And it's not just the parties in Dallas, but the commercials this year are big for reality stars. Kim Kardashian has a big ad out for Sketchers apparently that will air. I'm not saying she's a bad choice. I'm just saying I would kind of want a second opinion. I don't know if Kim Kardashian's good enough for me. If it was Khloe, let's face it, she's the brains behind the whole operation.
KAYE: Sure What about J. Lo? I hear she's going to the White House to watch the Super Bowl?
GRAY: Right. She's invited to the president's Super Bowl, her and Marc Anthony. I have no idea why. He's invited about a hundred people, bipartisan, Republican, Democrat, Congress and staff. I don't know why they are there. Maybe they're friends or maybe, you know, Vice President Biden is trying to get on "American Idol." Maybe he does a Katy Perry cover that we don't know about.
KAYE: That's a bad image.
GRAY: Yes, Joe Biden doing "California Girls"? Yes, but I don't know if Katy Perry -- I mean, Jennifer Lopez is performing at this party. I don't know what her involvement is, but this is a White House. It's not American music awards. No lip syncing, you know what I'm saying?
KAYE: We'll have to leave it there, Jack Gray in "The Gray Zone." That was fun, though. Maybe next year we'll be invited to the White House, who knows?
GRAY: Seriously, you and me, together again.
KAYE: If not, we'll have our own Super Bowl party. Jack, great to see you. Have a great weekend. Thank you.
We've seen a lot of wide shots of the crowds in Cairo, as we call it. John King is going to show us what's going down there on with a special bird's eye view.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)