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Egyptian Protests Intensify; Lindsay Lohan in Court; Largest Gathering of Top Republicans Meet Tomorrow; 'On the Case'
Aired February 09, 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: Right now, terrorists are plotting to attack the U.S., and that threat is now the greatest it's been since 9/11. That urgent warning coming from the U.S. government.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
JANET NAPOLITANO, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: The threat continues to evolve.
BALDWIN (voice-over): The people who hear the plots tell Congress what they know, and they are naming names. Find out who is most dangerous and where they are hiding, and it's not Osama bin Laden.
They already own the city square, but now protesters in Egypt are marching straight to government headquarters. The only thing standing in their way, armed troops.
Plus, does the Muslim Brotherhood want power? The group now has an answer.
Also, a young woman walks into a hotel to get surgery to enhance her rear end, but hours later, she dies, so who is responsible here?
And somebody pointed a laser light into the eyes of a pilot just as he was landing a plane. Now a teenager is in custody. Is he behind dozens of other laser incidents?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Here we go, kicking off hour two. Hi, everyone. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Rapid fire is minutes away.
But, first, want to get to two stories unfolding this very second. Story number one, Lindsay Lohan. She's about to get yet another mug shot. The actress is expected in this L.A. court any minute, and you see the media presence. Look at it on the ground there, dozens of reporters and photographers. Lohan is accused of stealing an expensive necklace, but will she land behind bars? That is what we're about to find out.
Also, we're going to take you back to Egypt, and as we reported today, the uprising appears to be spreading. So right there, look at these crowds, you see thousands upon thousands of anti-government demonstrators back on the streets of Cairo, and that part is key.
The unrest appears to be spreading to other parts of Egypt. Take a look at the map. You see all these different cities there, certainly beyond Cairo. And precisely who is protesting and against what still isn't quite clear at this moment, but just in case you had not heard, many people seem to believe that this resurgence of the movement may be linked to the release of the man you just saw on the left-hand side of your screen. His name is Wael Ghonim. He's the activist whose efforts helped spark the protests now going on more than two weeks.
What's today, day 16 now?
Ivan Watson is the one who spoke with Ghonim. He's live for me in Cairo.
And, Ivan, is he surprised by his sudden fame now that he's out of custody?
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. He says he's proud of what he saw, because he had been in solitary confinement for a week-and-a-half. He'd been blindfolded the entire time, and was brought out, released on Monday, and realized that a protest that he helped organize on January 25 had turned into a full-fledged revolution.
Now, I asked him, was there any room to negotiate with the Egyptian government now? Listen to his answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WAEL GHONIM, GOOGLE EXECUTIVE: I just posted it on Twitter yesterday. This is no longer the time to negotiate, unfortunately. We -- we went on the street on 25th, and we wanted to negotiate. We wanted to talk to our government.
We were, you know, knocking the door. They decided to negotiate with us at night with rubber bullets, with police -- police sticks, with, you know, water hoses, with tear gas tanks, and with arresting about 500 people of us.
Thanks. You know, we got the message. Now, when we escalated this and it became really big, they started listening to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So, Ivan, I mean, I heard him say it. I wrote it down. No longer time to negotiate. You talk to people in Tahrir Square and elsewhere. Do they share that same view?
WATSON: Many of them do. They say -- also they go on to say that this isn't about Hosni Mubarak, the president, anymore. Now what they want is this regime that's been in place to be dismantled completely.
BALDWIN: How significant also, Ivan, because we talk so much about Tahrir Square, Liberation Square, in Cairo, but now we're seeing other points on the map within Egypt where these protests tend to be spreading today, and how significant is that spreading?
WATSON: Well, so much attention has been focused on the square here, but, yes, there are ripple effects. It's harder for us to see. Some of our colleagues in other news organizations were detained and turned back by the military when trying to go to another key city, Suez, but there's definitely unrest in other places.
It shows that this is not just one loud and vocal minority in this square behind me, that there -- this idea has spread much further and really has shaken to the core the government in this country.
BALDWIN: Ivan Watson in Cairo on this day 16 of the demonstrations -- Ivan, thanks to you.
Also breaking this hour, Lindsay Lohan. She will appear in court really in just a couple of minutes to face this felony grand theft charge. She is accused of stealing this necklace worth, they say, about $2,500, and this is the most serious legal challenge the 24- year-old actress has faced thus far.
And she has faced quite a few in her past.
Kareen Wynter is live in thick of things outside of that L.A. County courthouse.
And, Kareen, when are we expecting Lindsay Lohan? And just set the scene for me.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, she better be on her way and be close because she's expected here at 1:30 local time, and, you know, we spoke the last time, and you can hear the choppers hovering above me.
I think there are four now in the air. Look at the media activity here, all the photographers, all the reporters waiting in line. This is the type of crowd that you know you can expect whenever it comes to Lindsay Lohan and her legal troubles.
But, Brooke, the entrance that you're probably seeing right now, this is the back of the courthouse where everyone is stationed here. There's also another shot that will take you to the main entrance, where I'm told there's quite as much -- as much activity on the other side. There's a third entrance that one official told me earlier today that they take prisoners through.
It's not sure, it's not clear whether or not they will lead Lohan through that. You can't see that, but it's basically an underground driveway and would, of course, restrict our opportunities to take photos.
And someone is yelling there she is.
BALDWIN: Yes.
WYNTER: Brooke, we are going to try to get you that shot of Lindsay Lohan coming in.
BALDWIN: We have the shot.
WYNTER: We're hearing she's here.
BALDWIN: We have the shot.
We don't know for sure if this is her, but we're looking at live pictures from one of these helicopter shots of a black SUV, tinted windows, seems to be escorted right around the courthouse by police or maybe members of the sheriff's department. There they go, pulling up, and let's just sit on this shot.
We will sit on the shot. We lost that shot, but we will sit on it and we will see if Lindsay Lohan steps out of this SUV. A couple of people taking a peek inside.
Kareen, while we're waiting on this shot, tell me, what should we expect inside this courtroom?
WYNTER: We're told it's going to be very quick, Brooke, a matter of just technicalities, about 10 minutes. The DA filed those charges earlier today, so we know that's official, so she will just appear in court, she will face the judge, she will hear these charges. She will be booked. She will have her photo taken. I believe this is going to be her fifth photo, if you can believe it.
And then she will post bail, and then she will be free to go. We will have to see when that next court date is, but something that we found that's also interesting, we traced a timeline, Brooke, and if you can believe this, in the -- within the last four years, there have been 25 incidents where Lohan has either been in court, rehab, jail, or arrests.
That's huge, significant, so that could have some bearing on this current case, whether or not they look at this grand theft felony case as a felony or a misdemeanor. A felony, she's looking at about three years, at least, and if it's a misdemeanor, if they decide to rule in that direction, about a year, so it has big implications for this actress either way.
BALDWIN: And just for people who are tuning in and wondering what we're looking at, we could be looking at tinted-windowed black SUV that is carrying Lindsay Lohan. Today she faces felony grand theft charges.
This is all related to this $2,500 necklace. And there we go. The doors are opening. And there we go. There she is. A lot of people in the way of our camera shot, but you can see that blonde ponytail, and there she is in a white dress and sunglasses, walking.
WYNTER: And, Brooke, if I could just...
BALDWIN: Go for it.
WYNTER: Brooke, if I could just chime in, I don't know if you heard that chaos. We have photographers falling all over themselves right behind me. This is really typical. This is what you can expect when it comes to Lindsay Lohan, the madness.
Someone just fell. As for Lohan, I was able to catch a shot of her. She was wearing a fitted white dress, someone yelling, you look gorgeous. So, again, absolute madness out here, Brooke, absolute madness, as you can see those photographers jockeying for position trying to get a shot at Lohan, and this is really a good thing for her.
She arrived early. There was some speculation that -- because it's happened in the past, that perhaps she would not make it on time for court here today. Shawn Chapman Holley, her defense attorney, probably giving her some much-needed advice. Let's show up early to avoid this madness.
And my producer is telling me now that it appears she's in the elevator, and she's headed up, headed up to court, and I will try to not get run over here -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: Yes. Please don't get run over, Kareen Wynter, but we saw her for just moments there in a pretty tight-fitting white dress. We're going to go.
Kareen, we will check back in to you in minutes.
But, again, Lindsay Lohan in court now officially, L.A. County Court, on this felony grand theft charge. We will get more from you, Kareen, and also talk to Mark Geragos here in just a couple of minutes, but let's move on.
There's this video game. It's causing a big, big stir. Why? Because players can round up undocumented immigrants. That is ahead.
Plus, a pretty disturbing warning from Homeland Security: The threat of terror against the U.S. may be the greatest right now since 9/11. But this is no generic warning here. They know who wants to attack and they know where they are coming from. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: If it's interesting and if it's happening right now, you are about to see it. Rapid fire. Let's go, starting with live pictures.
That's not Michelle Obama, but I promise you she is in this room. First lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to speak at this church in -- outside of Atlanta in Alpharetta here any moment now. She is in town promoting the Let's Move campaign, which teaches kids about healthy eating.
Also, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords is starting to speak. Her spokesman announcing the great news today more than a month after a gunman shot Giffords in the head in Tucson. She is currently in rehab. We're told Giffords, when she did speak, she asked for toast. So far, she's only regaining part of her ability to speak. Also developing now, the girlfriend of a beer tycoon died accidentally, the medical examiner announcing that ruling just a short time ago. Adrienne Martin was found dead inside the home of August Busch back in December. We're told she overdosed on oxycodone.
And in this crazy winter weather, it seems like everything is collapsing, right, including this, ice and snow leveling a canopy over this gas station. This is Connecticut. The driver of a AAA tow truck was filling up his truck, filling up his tank when everything came crashing down. Look at part of his truck. Amazingly, everyone is A- OK.
And a college baseball coach has gone way, way beyond the call of duty. Have you heard the story? Wake Forest coach Tom Walter has given a player a kidney. Freshman outfielder Kevin Jordan needed it because of this rare autoimmune disease. The transplant took place Monday at Emory University in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN JORDAN, KIDNEY RECIPIENT: I will just say, I thank everybody at Emory, all the doctors I had before here, and, of course, coach, because I didn't ask. He -- he kind of asked. He volunteered.
TOM WALTER, KIDNEY DONOR: Certainly, no, I don't consider myself a hero in any way, shape or form.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Amazing, isn't it?
To Philadelphia, police there are investigating the death of a woman who died after receiving a butt implant in a motel. Huh. The dead woman is a 20-year-old college student who traveled to this country from Britain for this particular procedure. Doctors blame her death on a botched silicone injection. Investigators are looking for two women they say gave this injection and whether those women are licensed.
In Houston, take a look at this sinkhole, a public works dump truck ended up with its nose there in the air after the ground opened up and swallowed the back end of that thing. The crew had been trying to fix, of all things, a pothole. No one was hurt. The sinkhole is blamed on a broken water main.
And take a look at this. A new video game on illegal immigration causing an uproar. Here's a story. A player has to round up immigrants and then get them across the border. The images show people flying from the truck and dying in the desert. Critics, they're furious, they're blasting this saying it trivializes human life. The people behind the game say they're listening to the concerns, but the public has only seen a preview. It could end up on iPhones next month.
Speaking of ithings. Apple is hard at work on the new iPad. That's according to the "Wall Street Journal" today. The new model was reportedly -- will reportedly feature a camera. So far, Apple has sold nearly $5 billion worth in iPads. No word on a release date for the sequel.
In Iowa, school wants to get rid of traditional letter grades, so no more As, no more Bs, Cs, Ds, Fs. They said they want to use letters on report cards like E or X. Apparently, those letters would show whether students are meeting expectations and mastering different skills. One kid says, X, really, the whole thing? Kind of confusing.
The threat of terrorism maybe at the highest level since the September 11th terrorist attack, at least, that's a headline coming out of this Congressional hearing where several Homeland Security officials testified. Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has been listening to that, and she has the details. And Jeanne, from what you heard today, is United States making progress in the fight against terrorism?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, the officials today said that there has been progress made in the U.S.S. ability to detect and deter terrorists, but the secretary of Homeland Security was very frank in assessing the current terror threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: There is no question that we have made many important strides in securing our country from terrorism since 9/11, but the threat continues to evolve, and in some ways, the threat today may be at its most heightened state since the attacks nearly ten years ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Napolitano talks specifically about the growing issue of home-grown terrorism, noting that terror groups are increasingly recruiting and training Americans and other westerners to carry out attacks. They're also encouraging individuals in the west to do their own planning and act on their own, and when these people have no known ties to terror groups and minimal or no communication, they are very hard for law enforcement to detect.
The director of the National Counterterrorism Center actually said quite bluntly, we do our best, but we cannot guarantee 100 percent safety -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: So, Jeanne, why is the terror threat high? Is it have anything to do with al-Awlaki?
MESERVE: Well, he was mentioned today, and Mike Leiter, the head of the National Counterterrorism Center said that al-Awlaki and the group he belongs to, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, is probably the most significant risk to the homeland. One of the reasons al- Awlaki, he says, is such a threat is that he is, of course, American- born. He speaks English, and he's very effective on the internet. And so, he's inspiring an unfortunate number of people to acts of violence. BALDWIN: So, that's obviously frightening, but one other major concern here also is home-grown terrorists, and there is some news today about one of and tell me about Daniel Boyd.
MESERVE: Yes, Daniel Patrick Boyd, 40 years old, U.S. citizen born in North Carolina. When he was arrested two years ago along with two of his sons and some others who authorities allege were part of a terror cell, they said, they alleged that this individual had some 27,000 rounds of ammunition, possibly a sniper, and lookout perch in his backyard. Jihadi literature. What authorities alleged was that he had gone over to Afghanistan and gotten training at terrorist camps there and fought in Afghanistan in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and then they said he came back here and was training others.
Today, he pled guilty in a courtroom to two charges, one to providing materials support to terrorism, and the second charge, conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure persons in a foreign country. Potential penalty, life in prison.
BALDWIN: Jeanne Meserve, thank you.
There is some big, big news on a major scandal unfolding right now. The prime minister of Italy accused of having sex with an under aged prostitute, and now, prosecutors want to fast track a trial. They say they have evidence. We have that.
Plus, we're getting ready to take you inside the courtroom where Lindsay Lohan is about to face a judge. Coming up next, high-profile defense attorney, Mark Geragos, joins me. There he is live, right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: OK. We're watching the courthouse there in Los Angeles. Quite the media presence. All of this over Lindsay Lohan. She's now inside. We saw a live picture of her a couple of minutes ago walking inside with that white dress facing felony grand theft charges, and we'll take you inside the courtroom here in just a moment. But First, I want to go straight to Mark Geragos. He's a high-profile defense attorney. I know you recognize his name. There he is for me in Los Angeles.
Mark Geragos, let's say you're Lindsay's defense attorney right now, you're walking into court with her, what's the first thing you tell her?
MARK GERAGOS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: You tell her that be calm. Don't do anything that's going to antagonize the judge, and let's go. Let's go inside and be ready that they're going to try to seek to put you in jail, because that's always a possibility when you got a new charge and you got a probation violation.
BALDWIN: Now, if you look at Lindsay's previous accusations, there are some allegations that she has some sticky fingers. There were reports that she swiped an $11,000 mink coat, you know, a model accused her of stealing thousands of bucks in clothing, Dior jewelry went missing, and these are accusations, you know, never charged, but under California law, can these previous accusations be brought up against her in this particular court?
GERAGOS: They can try to do it. The D.A. will try to do it, and they generally do it under a code section that says, if it shows a kind of a modus operandi pattern, so to speak, that's what they will tell the judge why they want to bring it in. Then, it's up to the judge to make a decision. He's going to look at each or she's going to look at each one of those instances and see if it really truly is -- will help a finder of fact or a jury to hear about it.
I don't know, however, if they're ever going to get to that point, because this is a case where the probation -- potential probation violation in Judge Fox's court may end up driving what happens in this case. In other words, if he decides that he's had enough or he wants to take this case, and they want to combine this case with his existing probation matter, he may just say, look, I'm going to find new violation or do a hearing on the violation, and you may never ever see any kind of a trial on this matter.
BALDWIN: Never see a trial. What about the fact, though, that she was at least -- she wasn't even on time. She was ahead of time today, but we watched her walk in. I don't know if we have the shot if we turn it around, but she's wearing this very -- there she is, getting out of that SUV. Very what we'll call it form-fitting white dress. I would have been wearing a suit, but, you know, different strokes for different folks. Is this appropriate, though, for court on such a serious charge? We're talking felony here. What do you think?
GERAGOS: I don't -- I generally give a limited fashion advice to the clients. I don't mind the white. White in color is always good, white, pure, innocent in terms of the clothing.
BALDWIN: Wow.
GERAGOS: Itself for, you know, that's generally what the thought is. You don't want to come in --
BALDWIN: Wearing black.
GERAGOS: Like you're going to your own funeral.
BALDWIN: OK.
GERAGOS: Looking like you're dressed for a funeral.
BALDWIN: Every little thing perhaps could sway a judge, but if she is convicted, we're talking, you know, potentially several years in prison, correct?
GERAGOS: Yes. If she's convicted of a felony grand theft, she could do up to three years in state prison. The likelihood of that is infinitesimal. Nobody is going to sentence her on a $2,500 jewelry escapade to a state prison sentence that I can think of, unless, somebody really decides they want to hammer her. BALDWIN: So, what do you think will happen? You think she won't be booked on that?
GERAGOS: Actually -- well, I think that they probably will ask for bail. The D.A. will ask for a bail. They may ask to have this case sent over to Beverly Hills to Judge Fox's court since Judge Fox has been dealing with her. It doesn't make much judicial economy sense in having one case at the LAX court, another one over at Beverly Hills.
The sheriffs will probably encourage that as well. Let's combine both cases, and my guess is that that Judge Fox is not going to let the case go back over to LAX. That he's going to instead ask the both cases come to him or that new case comes over and gets combined with the probation violation.
BALDWIN: Trying to get all this straight here, Mark Geragos.
GERAGOS: Right.
BALDWIN: Mark, thank you so much. Live in L.A. Trying to sort this whole thing out for us.
GERAGOS: You're very welcome.
BALDWIN: And you know what, we'll take you inside that courtroom because there are cameras, and we can, in just a minute.
But take a look at this video. The officer here in this story just wants to talk, but the driver slams on the gas dragging the guy with him. You will see how it all played out.
Also, does President Obama dye his hair? His wife is addressing the rumors. That is next, as is my friend, Michael Holmes, here in Globe Trekking. Stay put (ph). Hello.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: All right. Let's see what's happening beyond our borders. Michael Holmes with CNN International here, and, of course, we have to talk today about Egypt. And we're talking specifically about the position of the Muslim Brotherhood.
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: First of all, explain for people who is the Muslim Brotherhood?
HOLMES: You know, a lot of people think it's some Islamist extremist group, and they have been portrayed that way, not least of all by Hosni Mubarak over the years. In fact, it's an umbrella group of Muslims. Some are extreme, by all means. Some of them are liberal. Some of them are intellectuals. It's a very broad-based sort of outfit. It was set up in 1928. They are in different parts of the region. The Egyptian branch is seen as being very moderate, and so there's a big feeling that this has been blown out of proportion in terms of the threat.
BALDWIN: But the reason why we're talking about them today after you've given the background is they said today they won't be seeking the presidency in Egypt.
HOLMES: Exactly. That's right. They will take part in the -- in the elections.
BALDWIN: The process.
HOLMES: The Democratic elections, the parliamentary elections, but yes, the Muslim Brotherhood are not seeking power. That from Mohammed Moisi (ph), who is a member of the media office there. He made it very clear. We will not have a presidential candidate, but we'll participate and help. He also significantly rejects the notion of a religious station, which has been the big boogie man raised by a lot of people.
And let's remember, Muslim Brotherhood has maybe 15 percent, 20 percent support in Egypt. It's not massive.
BALDWIN: Making huge news here in the U.S. is the op-ed in "The Washington Post" by Jackson Diehl. And he talks about the White House ignoring warning signs from this bipartisan group based in D.C. called The Working group of Egypt.
HOLMES: Yes --
BALDWIN: They were calling for a change in policy.
HOLMES: For some time, it appears.
BALDWIN: Yes.
HOLMES: And, I mean, there was a little bit known about them publicly, but they were writing letters to the president, writing letters to the secretary of state, basically outlining the risk of what we're seeing now, you know, a couple years ago.
And so, there has been a lot of controversy that -- that their assertion that Egypt was approaching a turning point, the status quo was untenable, was pretty much ignored. So, there's been a bit of an outcry about well, why? And they're still there, still making suggestions now. Now, but are they being heard? Well, not yet.
BALDWIN: Second story, Silvio Berlusconi --
HOLMES: He's a character.
BALDWIN: -- prime minister of Italy. There appears to be allegations that he had these sex parties and he had sex with an underaged girl. And so now, prosecutors want to fast track this trial.
HOLMES: Yes, they reckon they've got enough evidence to put it in the fast track. The judge has gone away to think about that for a couple of days and decide whether that's a good idea or whether there should be more investigation or whether there should be a shift in jurisdiction.
The case itself is remarkable. This happened back in December. He's famous or infamous for having these sort of naughty parties, and he's prime minister of a country.
BALDWIN: Right.
HOLMES: Anyway, the allegation was that young lady there --
BALDWIN: Ruby, right?
HOLMES: Ruby, or Ruby of the Heart, depending on if you want to be formal or not. She -- she was 17 at the time, allegations that there was sexual misconduct there. She's now 18.
She denies it. He denies it, but she did tell a friend allegedly that there was a little bit of funny business going on.
That's not the big issue. She gets arrested. She's locked up in a jail, at a police station. Apparently, Mr. Berlusconi picks up the phone and says let her go. Now, that's where a charge of abuse of power comes in, far more serious in terms of the political implications.
BALDWIN: But he says or his party -
HOLMES: Oh, this is beautiful, yes.
BALDWIN: -- is saying he thought that she was Hosni Mubarak's niece! She's not.
HOLMES: The niece of Hosni Mubarak.
BALDWIN: Of all people.
HOLMES: No, she's not.
BALDWIN: Why did he think that? We don't know.
HOLMES: Because then he could say he's trying to avoid a diplomatic incident and that's why he picked up the phone.
She is not his niece and apparently, yes -- Silvio Berlusconi has faced so many charges. Facing a bunch of other unrelated charges at the moment from bribery to all kinds of things. He'll still in power.
I love the Italians, their attitude. There were two recent surveys that had more than 50 percent of people who said he should step down. And then the second question was, do you think he will? And more than 50 percent said no. He won't.
BALDWIN: It's amazing. We're not done with that story! Thank you very much, Michael Holmes.
HOLMES: Good to see you.
BALDWIN: We've been talking about the first lady. She's in the Atlanta area promoting Let's Move, he campaign. And there she is speaking in suburban Atlanta. She's marking her first year of her Let's Move campaign. She's bragging about the changes in eating and exercise the program has inspired. In fact, let's listen, just for a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: You see, you asked for more fresh nutritious food in your communities. So, that's why we're working to bring more grocery stores into underserved areas. You wanted healthier more affordable --
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: -- options on those grocery store shelves. So food manufacturers have made a healthy weight commitment pledging to cut 1.5 trillion calories a year from their products.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And Wal-Mart has promised to sell products with less sugar, salt and trans fat and to reduce the prices on healthy items like fresh fruits and vegetables.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Michelle Obama in Atlanta just moments ago.
Now, to Jessica Yellin who joins me with the latest news from the political ticker. And Jess, I hear President Obama had lunch with several, several top Republican leaders, did he not?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Brooke, and it seems they left all singing from the same sheet music, or what's the phrase -- singing the same tune.
He met with top House Republicans to talk about the budget, about spending cuts. It's this big looming fight, and both -- from the White House and from the Republicans afterwards, there were common words. They said there's plenty of common ground and they can work together to bring down spending.
But, of course, Brooke, this is all before the president releases his big budget next week, on Monday, and we'll see if there's as much of a kumbaya spirit after they get down to the nitty gritty and the specifics. So, the jury is out on that one, but it seems like a promising start. In other spending news, one of the Republican heroes for his cost-cutting, straight talk, take-no-prisoners ways, is New Jersey governor Chris Christie. He has some new poll numbers that show that even though he is taking the ax to all sorts of spending and interest group needs in his state, he -- his poll numbers are actually going up. His approval is above 50 percent, and he has new wind in his sails today, in some sense, but not necessarily good news for the state. SMP has downgraded his state's rating, his bond rating, which is bad news for the state in a fiscal state, but it gives Chris Christie new reason to say, listen, we've got to get tough and slash our pension and benefits. And that is something that's coming to that state. But he's one to watch in the political world.
And then finally, this is the story you've been waiting for. You teased it had earlier. President Obama, does he dye his hair?
BALDWIN: Oh, I know the answer.
YELLIN: Everybody wants to know.
BALDWIN: I watched this morning, I watch every morning.
YELLIN: Oh, good girl!
BALDWIN: Matt Lauer. Go ahead.
YELLIN: So, his wife, Mrs. Obama, says -- told Matt Lauer, no, he does not dye his hair, and she said something. But look at that. See? Right? It looks like it's a different color.
BALDWIN: It kind of looks it's a little sketchy.
YELLIN: Although he looks grayer in 2011 than he did in 2009.
BALDWIN: It's also brighter lighting.
YELLIN: British newspapers -- we can look at it in all different sorts of ways. I mean, one could parse it, definitely. But his wife says -- Mrs. Obama told Matt Lauer, if he knew he would be president, she's pretty sure he would have started dying his hair ten years ago.
BALDWIN: It was a cute interview. And she was also asked about, weren't you eating, like, a lot of kielbasa and hamburgers and everything for their Super Bowl menu? And she said everything in moderation, everything in moderation.
Jessica Yellin, thank you so much.
And let's take you back. Live pictures to Los Angeles. The media circus continues, of course, because Lindsay Lohan is officially inside that court, but she is facing some pretty hefty charges. I'm talking felony here, so will the judge put her behind bars? We'll take you there live inside the courtroom next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: Okay. Let's take you back to the story. Lindsay Lohan, she's back in court. This time, she's accused of stealing this $2,500 necklace from a jewelry store in Venice, California. There she was just from a couple of minutes ago walking inside this L.A. County courthouse.
Her lawyer says Lohan is innocent, and she's ready to fight the case in court. I want to go to Kareen Wynter. She's been in the midst of this media circus out there in L.A., and Kareen, I know we're waiting for the signal and the camera to be switched on inside the courtroom to get those live pictures inside.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
BALDWIN: But for now, just set the scene for me and tell me why she's in court today.
WYNTER: Yes, and we're also keeping our eye on the live feed, and she's in court because the D.A. moved forward and filed charges against her for grand theft for allegedly stealing a $2,500 necklace, one that we've been showing viewers all afternoon, from a jewelry store in Venice, California. We're told it's a rare piece of jewelry, a one of a kind.
And the way this all went down is Lohan apparently visited the store on January 22nd. The store owners allege when they contacted police, they say she walked out with the necklace, that there's surveillance video that actually shows the her trying it on in the store, that she was the last person. Not just that, the paparazzi snapped photos of Lohan around town a few days after that. So, that could be some incriminating evidence, if presented in this case.
As for where things stand right now, we do know from our CNN wire reporter Alan Duke that Lohan is, of course, in court. A short time ago, her defense attorney Sean Chapman Holly, as well as the D.A. on this case, Jeanette Myers, they went behind closed doors. They went in the judge's chambers for a conference, and we're told Lohan is sitting at her defense table smiling.
Don't think this is a case that involves any laughing matter, because if convicted here, if she's found guilty, she faces up to three years in prison. I heard your conversation a short time ago with Mark Geragos and while he said that's unlikely, whatever happens here, it doesn't look good for the actress if she's found guilty. And also the other DUI case that still hangs over her for violating her probation. She will be back in court on February 25th, Brooke, and we have no idea what's going to happen on that end, too.
BALDWIN: Kareen, thanks so much. Again, we're waiting for that live picture inside the courtroom. We'll bring it to you as soon as we get it. Kareen, for now, thanks.
To Washington. CPAC. It is the place where conservatives all get together and apparently call each other out. Did you hear what one fellow high-profile Republican said about Sarah Palin and her decision to skip the conference? Joe Johns knows all about it. He's our D.C. go-to guy with the "Political Pop." He is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Would you like to know the who's who of Republicans? Well, the largest gathering of is conservatives really in the whole country is called CPAC. It starts tomorrow, and you're going to see a lot of them there at this particular conference.
Joe Johns is here with the "Political Pop," as always.
And Joe, set the table for me here. I mean, why should people care about CPAC?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, you were just talking about food and the first lady and all. This is great stuff for political junkies. It may be junk food to some degree right now, but at the end of the day, it's a big deal, because this conference is seen by many as the kickoff to the 2012 presidential race for Republicans.
A bunch of potential White House contenders are expected to be there, top names on the conservative and Republican side. There's going to be something like 15 names on the straw poll that CPAC takes at the end of the week. And 11,000 attendees, many of whom are likely to vote, so the straw poll, at the very least, is going to get some real bragging rights -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: Yes. I know the straw poll, of course, always, of course, makes some news. And also who makes news is the person who gives the big speech. And people were hoping that that would be Sarah Palin. We know she's not going to be there. But do we know who will give it?
JOHNS: Well, yes. That big speech was supposed to have been given by Sarah Palin, at least some people were hoping. It turns out she had some scheduling conflicts. There's controversy about that.
And it turns out they went to Congressman Alan West, African- American congressman from Florida, just a Tea Party darling who really raised his profile in the last election. He's going to be giving the speech at end of the week, and he's quite happy about it.
He actually tweeted it out several hours ago, letting people know. I think you can safely say Alan West is still a rising star in the party right now.
BALDWIN: Yes, giving that big speech, he would be.
And then though, Joe, you touched on some drama, this boycott. Has it taken any kind of foothold yet on the eve of CPAC?
JOHNS: Well, you know, it really hasn't. And this is talk about a boycott at CPAC over social issues -- gay marriage, abortion -- and whether that should take a back seat to the fiscal issues because the economy has been suffering for so long. Well, that hasn't gone anywhere, but what they have basically settled on, these people who were talking about boycotting to make sure that social issues remain at the forefront, what they have settled on essentially is things like Internet ads, an open letter to conservatives, calling on them to keep social issues in the forefront, basically an acknowledgement that at CPAC, the show is definitely going to go on
BALDWIN: And then I want to get to this, some news from our CNN political unit. They just found out that one of the key people at the whole CPAC is actually leaving. Who is that?
JOHNS: Right, OK. Not exactly household names, but in the conservative universe, these guys are a big deal.
David Keene, the outgoing head of the American Conservative Union, is just a real fixture in conservative politics. There he is. Been around a long time. Very much connected to CPAC.
He's now being replaced by a guy named Al Cardenas, who has been around a long time, too. But frankly, our people had a tough time finding pictures of them in the background file --
BALDWIN: Yes.
JOHNS: -- because it's been so long. But there they are.
This is a big deal for CPAC and the country as it changes, and there's been a lot of swirl around the organization. People are hoping that might come to an end.
BALDWIN: Joe, quickly, most definitely a household name, Michelle Obama.
JOHNS: Oh, yes.
BALDWIN: Talking about her Super Bowl party, and the Super Bowl menu -- hamburgers, kielbasa, et cetera, et cetera. What's new with that?
BALDWIN: She has, taken a lot of criticism. On the one hand, she's been pushing Americans to eat healthier, just did this thing in Atlanta today. I think that might still be going on, in fact.
There you go. There's a picture of it.
BALDWIN: Yes, there are live pictures. Shaking some hands.
JOHNS: Sure, yes, at the Super Bowl party. I mean, listen to the menu -- bratwurst, kielbasa, cheeseburgers, deep dish pizza, buffalo wings, German potato salad, twice-baked potatoes. It goes on and on.
BALDWIN: Yum.
JOHNS: So, she got asked about -- it sounds great to me, but -- don't you think? BALDWIN: What did she say about it?
JOHNS: Well, she said what she is talking about here is moderation. You know. And I can relate to that.
On the other hand, nobody is really saying that she was entertaining a crowd from Wisconsin and Pittsburgh and they are from Chicago, and it's not like you can serve bean sprouts in this environment, you know.
BALDWIN: People, it's the Super Bowl. It's the Super Bowl.
JOHNS: It's just not right. Absolutely.
BALDWIN: Everything in moderation, Joe Johns. Everything in moderation. Thank you very much. We'll see you back here tomorrow.
And several lawmakers trying to crack down on sexting, so they are introducing a new bill that goes after your children. We're "On the Case." That is ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Have you heard about this? Police are calling it a dangerous trend.
You have people pointing laser lights at planes just as the pilots are trying to land, and it happened yet again. Now a teenager is in custody. So could a kid be behind dozens of these laser incidents?
Sunny Hostin is "On the Case." We'll have that conversation next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Those little laser pointers, you can buy them online. They are becoming a big, big problem for airlines and pilots, because for whatever reason, some people think it's OK to shine these lasers into pilots' eyes. Obviously think again.
Sunny Hostin is "On the Case."
And Sunny, police are taking this very seriously, as they should. Tell me about what happened last night.
SUNNY HOSTIN, "IN SESSION," TRUTV: Really unbelievable, Brooke. This is sort of in the "What were you thinking?" file.
I mean, a 14-year-old gets arrested last night for shining a laser at the pilot of a Boeing 737, a very large plane, flying into Los Angeles International Airport. Really quite unbelievable.
BALDWIN: How did police catch this teenager?
HOSTIN : Well, get this, Brooke. This is something else. The police pinpointed his home, the location of his home. They have something -- apparently some sort of technology that allows them to do that. They flew to his home in a police helicopter, and as they landed there, he sort of shown this laser light into that pilot's eyes, and, of course, promptly was arrested.
BALDWIN: Not a very genius move, but good for police. They can catch this kid. Let me ask you the obvious, which is danger in aiming these lasers at pilots, yes?
HOSTIN : Well, absolutely. I mean, possibly catastrophic, of course.
What I learned today, Brooke, is that this could cause permanent eye damage to a pilot's eyes. It could also temporarily blind a pilot. It distracts the pilot and, while it hasn't led to, you know, an accident, a plane crashing, let's face it. This is sort of a tragedy just waiting to happen.
BALDWIN: You want to pull away.
Let's pull away from the story for a moment because, Sunny, good thing I have you on, Miss Attorney here.
We see Lindsay Lohan. Apparently, this hearing has just gotten under way. And according to our writer, our producer in court, her defense lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, along with the D.A., and the judge have returned to court after this 23-minute meeting.
Let's listen. The judge is speaking.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- only requesting $20,000 on the probation violation. You now have a pending felony case.
So, in the interim, while this case is percolating, until a resolution is reached, if you violate the law, I will remand you and set no bail. And your attorney won't be successful this time on the habeas petition they ran before, because a felony is a different situation, and you're not entitled to bail.
So what I'm telling you is you need to follow the laws just like everybody else. Look around this room. Everyone in this room has to follow the law -- the court, the D.A., your attorney, the sheriff's deputies, everybody.
You're no different than anyone else, so, please don't push your luck, because I'm telling you -- well, your attorney can tell you what I said, but I'm telling you things will be different. Do you understand what I'm telling you?
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your Honor, I have one other concern.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, please?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would ask that as a condition, if Ms. Lohan makes bail, to stay away from the victims in this case, that store. It is my understanding that subsequent to this happening, the store received some --
BALDWIN: Sunny, I want to bring you back in. Apparently, what we missed, the judge was saying, "I'm going to be as polite with you as I can."
What do you make with his words? And they should be.
HOSTIN : They are stern. I mean, I think all judges are aware of sort of her track record. This judge is aware of her track record. And they are letting her know, it's too much. You've gone too far. I'm going to hold your feet to the fire.
BALDWIN: They say don't push your luck.
Sunny Hostin, I thank you.
For now, I thank you for watching.
I'm Brooke Baldwin.
Now to my colleague Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
