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Switzerland Freezes Assets of Hosni Mubarak; Community Activists Call for Houston P.D. to Be Cleaned Up; Some States Reduce Penalties for Sexting Teens; Egyptians Tidy Up Site of Revolution; Egyptians Ponder what's Next After Revolution; Ron Paul Wins CPAC Straw Poll; New York Congressman Quits after Web Flirting Scandal

Aired February 12, 2011 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Another video surfaces of an apparent police beating in Houston. This one is from 2008. Does Houston police have a problem? Our legal contributor Sunny Hostin joins me to go over the details.

The fall of another politician involving infidelity. A congressman caught shirtless sending his risque photos over the phone lines. What's going on? Our Wendy Walsh will talk about psychology of exhibitionism.

And what's next for Egypt and what is the United States doing now that President Mubarak has stepped down?

We start with today's top stories. A new day has dawned in Egypt. A day one -- day one of an Egypt without Hosni Mubarak. The news inspired jubilant celebrations across Egypt and around the world. The nation's defense minister is now in-charge of the government, a man known to the U.S. Pentagon officials. It's not at all certain what will happen in the weeks and the months ahead. The country must feel that its way through the uncharted territory in the quest for democracy.

After the celebration in Egypt comes clean-up. Crews tackle the aftermath of the revolution in Tahrir Square today. They collected garbage and towed away the burned-out shells of cars used as barricades. Egyptians of all classes came together to clean up the site of the uprising that lasted 18 days. The military presence was less obvious than it had been in recent weeks. A report on what people in Cairo are saying today just ahead here on CNN.

Here's a question, is Algeria next? Riot police clashed in the capital with anti-government protesters today. The Algerian league for human rights, which is organizing these unauthorized rallies, said 100 protesters were detained. More than 3,000 demonstrators were met by 30,000 police officers in today's protests. Now, earlier this month, state media reported that Algeria's president would end a state of emergency which has lasted for nearly two decades.

The chief negotiator for the Palestinian authority is stepping down. Saeb Erekat resigned today after an investigation committee learned that some leaked documents originated from his office. The papers were controversial because they suggested just how much land and other concessions negotiated for willing to give to Israel in talks dating back to 2008. He has been a senior member of the Palestinian negotiating team since the mid-1990s.

Former Republican Congressman Connie Mack today called Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a quote, "thugocrat." That's right, a thugocrat. Mack also calls for wootie (ph) called a "full-scale embargo" of Venezuela. The congressman made his remarks at CPAC, a gathering conservative activist in Washington. The conference wraps up soon with a presidential straw poll and we'll take you there live and we'll bring you those poll results just minutes from now here on CNN.

If you have any borders gift cards, you may want to use them and you may want to use them soon. Because reports say the book seller will file for bankruptcy protection as early as next week, meaning thousands will lose their jobs. "The Wall Street Journal" says, the company will try to close more than 200 of its stores. Borders has mounting debts and didn't compete strongly online or in the e-book world.

It's the kind of violence that we're used to hearing about in Juarez, Mexico, sadly. Now, the tourist area of Guadalajara, has been the scene of a mass shooting. Now, authority say, gunmen opened fire on a bar killing six people and injuring several others, several dozen others. And the gunman also threw grenades into the business. According to a local news agency, the violence may be related to a dispute between drug cartels.

Police swarmed Times Square today and arrested a man wanted for allegedly stabbing three people to death, killing a fourth victim with his car and slashing several others. Officers say, 23-year-old Maksim Gelman stabbed one of the surviving victims of the train in Times Square subway station. They also say Gelman hijacked two vehicles. Among the dead, Gelman's ex-girlfriend, her mother and stepfather. The attacks started in Brooklyn Friday morning.

We're going to talk about Cairo, Egypt tonight where clenched fists have given way to rolled-up sleeves. Crowds of ordinary Egyptians returned to Tahrir Square today to clear away the trash, burned out vehicles and debris left behind by 18 days of revolution.

And CNN's Arwa Damon takes us inside a traditional Egyptian coffee house with the question on everyone's mind is now, what?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the most traditional of Egyptian settings, there are already subtle changes. The state newspapers, for example, that used to propagate the government message now praise the revolution. Conversations center around topics untouchable three weeks ago. No one was bold enough to openly express their dissatisfaction. As Hanni (ph) at 61, he's the eldest among this group of friends. They would head to the demonstration site on a near daily basis, and gather here afterwards to debate. We will talk about corruption and the need to dissolve parliament completely and have free and fair elections, Hanni says. The coffee shop is right in between Tahrir Square and state TV headquarters where Fadaht Harishat (ph) works as a studio director. I am happy and sad. I am sad because this is a president who carried us through wars and tough times, Fadaht (ph) explains. He demonstrated against his own network on Friday, realizing he had to make a decision between right and wrong. His breaking point was the day that pro- Mubarak thugs stormed through the crowds on horse and camelback, unleashing violence that claimed hundreds of lives.

I am happy because we've been freed of things that were forcibly imposed on us, Fadaht says. The people were so repressed, it was as if we were buried alive. The bubble of oppression burst, they joke, and we don't know how to clean up the mess. Egypt is like a newborn baby that needs to be protected, Fadaht adds. And then after a year or two, he can stand on his own. Everyone in society has to do their part. Of course there is anxiety, because we're in an unknown transition right now, Fadaht elaborate. Is this going to be for the better or what's going to happen?

There's no anxiety or fear, Hanni jumps in, disagreeing. The power is now with the military, and the military is a very respectable force. They have the ability to choose the ones who are intellectual. Politicians who can inject the country with major change. The country has, without a doubt, already changed. With so many unknown pieces thrown into the mix, no one is entirely sure how it's going to play out. Arwa Damon, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right. CNN has been receiving videos from around the country of Egyptian Americans celebrating the end of the Mubarak regime, including rallies in New York, Washington and Atlanta. Their joy and their exuberance mirror the euphoria that swept over Tahrir Square and elsewhere yesterday when it was announced that Mubarak had stepped down. Many of the revelers said, they never thought it would happen in their lifetimes.

With long time U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak suddenly out of the picture, the question now is who is in charge of Egypt? Let's go to CNN senior State Department producer Elise Labott, she is in Washington. Hello, Elise.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Hi.

LEMON: Does the Obama administration at least know who to deal with now?

LABOTT: The short answer is yes and no. Well, actually, he know that the U.S. knows the military players in this supreme high council in Egypt, especially the defense minister, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi which Secretary Gates we understand talked to today. But the State Department, the White House, no one really knows who to deal with. They don't know what the pecking order is, and so there hasn't been a whole lot of communications between the U.S. and Egypt over the last 24 to 48 hours because the Egyptians are really trying to work this through themselves. So, the U.S. is hoping over the next couple of days there will be more clarity.

LEMON: Yes. That's him. The Egyptians are trying to work it out so how would we know if they haven't worked it out.

LABOTT: Exactly.

LEMON: How do the allies in the region at least view the way the U.S. has responded to this crisis?

LABOTT: I think there's a little bit of disappointment, Don. Because if you see, this is an ally Hosni Mubarak of 30 years of the U.S., one of the best friends really in the region. And when these allies in the region see the U.S. abandoning someone like that, in the words of some diplomats, throwing him under the bus, it kind of makes them wonder what about me? If my publics don't like me, if people get on, on the streets, what is the U.S. going to do to me? What does it really mean to be a friend to the U.S. right now? So, I think there's a lot of diplomatic outreach going on right now. My understanding is that everybody at the State Department is calling every foreign minister right now, they're reaching out to.

Secretary Clinton has been making calls and then President Obama spoke to in addition to the prime ministers of Britain and Turkey, also calling King Abdullah of Jordan. There's a lot of nervousness in Jordan right now because we've seen a lot of protests. And that's why they're sending the top three state department official, William Burns who used to be the ambassador of Jordan, he's on his way to Jordan right now and also Admiral Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is heading out. All the U.S. is trying to do is reassure these allies that the U.S. is not going to abandon them because it could have fundamental consequences for U.S. policy in the region -- Don.

LEMON: Yes. And some very real concern, I'm sure at least, that revolution will spread throughout the region. Elise Labott...

LABOTT: Very much so.

LEMON: Thank you very much. We appreciate it.

LABOTT: Sure.

LEMON: CNN has the most comprehensive coverage on the Egypt revolution and it continues later this evening with a special edition of "The Situation Room" with our very own Wolf Blitzer, it begins at 6:00 p.m. Eastern right after this broadcast. And Wolf is back at 8:00 p.m. Eastern as well for a CNN special called "Revolution in Egypt." Don't miss it.

Who's the early favorite? The early favorite for the republican nomination for president in 2012. We're about to find that out. We're live from CPAC in Washington. The straw poll results are just ahead.

LEMON: And a lawmaker in one state thinks DUI laws are too tough on teenagers. Too tough for drinking and driving?

And I'm online, I know you're online too. Make sure you check out my social media accounts. Let's connect.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. This just in. We have some information. We're going to bring in our Mark Preston at the nation's largest gathering of conservative political activists. That's why their presidential straw polls really gets everyone's attention.

Our senior political editor Mark Preston is at CPAC. He is in Washington where the straw polls are just now being announced. Mark, this is just in. What do you have?

MARK PRESTON, SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: This is, Don. And, look, at this conservative political action conference they do a straw poll every year, 11,000 activists. What I can tell you and what the audience does not know behind us is the fact that Ron Paul, the Texas congressman, again has won the straw poll. Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, has come in second and Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker has come in third. Now, the American Institute of Union tends to give the results early to conservative news organizations such as human events.

They have it up on their Web site. Let's confirm it that in fact, this is the top three. Ron Paul, who does very well with young kids, who seem to populate annually CPAC, he has won the straw poll. Now, what does this mean, Don? For bragging rights, Ron Paul can go out and say that he won and he can go out and try to raise money off of it but some of the more established candidates such as Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Haley Barbour will just be dismissive of this straw poll which will be announced very shortly right behind me -- Don.

LEMON: You know, we said this is big just in. I remember doing this with you last year and the year before. How big a deal is the straw poll? Does it really help or hurt anyone?

PRESTON: Well, what's going to do is he's going to help Ron Paul to send out I suspect an e-mail in the next 24 hours touting his win here at CPAC. And what he'll do is try to raise funds off of it. What Mitt Romney's folks will do, quietly, they'll say, look, we didn't put a whole lot into it and we were still able to get the backing of the 11,000 conservatives that are here at CPAC. What we don't know, Don, is the percentage of people who attended the conference who actually voted. But again, a lot of people are going to be dismissive of this poll, especially those who have not done well, and they're going to point to Ron Paul and say, he is actually not somebody who can win the GOP nomination in 2012 -- Don.

LEMON: Who would you have expected to do better, any surprises here?

PRESTON: Well, you know, I think we were talking about this with some of our colleagues here before the results were announced. And what we suspect is that Ron Paul would win it. There are a lot of young kids here, a lot of anti-war kids, college kids who are very active and who will actually vote. We weren't too surprised by Mitt Romney. He tends to be OK at this. And of course, Newt Gingrich is an iconic name in the conservative movement, so we're not surprised by the talk. Again, we don't have all the results in.

LEMON: Mark, that was the same thing. Ron Paul last year -- Ron Paul, did you say Ron Paul won last year? It's just kind of loud where you are. Did you say that? Didn't he win the straw poll last year?

PRESTON: Yes.

LEMON: It was for the same reason that you're saying now?

PRESTON: Yes. Well, I mean, look, again, what he can do with this is to say, I am a viable candidate, that people want to support me, Don, so he is going to tout it. He did win it last year. And it helps, propel his tenacity. Now, he hasn't said if he's going to run or not but I can tell you in the last week he has reenergized his political operation and in the last 17 hours has raised more than $100,000. I suspect with the win of the straw poll, he is going to raise a lot more money. Certainly from folks who are very supportive of Ron Paul.

LEMON: OK. Listen, you know, I've got to ask you about Sarah Palin. I saw, you know, some people were critical of her because she didn't show up and she goes, what's the big deal? I didn't go last year, I didn't go the year before. Does this going to help or hurt her or does it really matter at all that she didn't show up?

PRESTON: I think it's the last comment, Don. I don't think it's really going to matter. Sarah Palin is beloved in the conservative movement, no matter how well she does or does not do at CPAC or whether she appears here or does not appear doesn't really matter. The fact of the matter is, out of any of the candidates that are now considering running for the GOP presidential nomination, she is going to do well with the conservative base, especially social conservatives. There are a lot social conservatives right here. And I bet if given their threaders, if they had a poll, a ballot for Sarah Palin, on Election Day they would pull it for Sarah Palin -- Don.

LEMON: Mark Preston. Good to see you on a Saturday.

PRESTON: I know, man. Good to see you.

LEMON: Take it easy.

PRESTON: You know, this is something that does not surprise me because according to a new survey, nearly 10 percent of men say spending on Valentine's Day gifts or dinners is out of control. It is a pain, but they do it anyway to avoid disappointing their valentines. Yes, people are looking at me like what? Just three percent of women said the same.

And our Christine Romans has more on this holiday that sometimes seems more about money than love, Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, love it or hate it, Valentine's Day, it's Monday. According to the American express spending and saving tracker, Americans plan to spend an average of $181 on Valentine's Day this year. That's a lot of money at a time when cash is tight in so many households. And quilted into it or not, men seem to be doing the bulk of the spending. Almost 70 percent of men in relationships plan on spending money on their spouse or their significant other. Just a little more than half of women in relationships plan on buying gifts or dinner or something a little special for their other half. If you do the math, that adds up to some awkward moments. We asked Lizzie Post, the great-great granddaughter of Emily Post, the woman who literally wrote the book on manners and etiquette, what do you do if you get an unexpected gift or an unexpectedly expensive gift?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIZZIE POST, "THE EMILY POST INSTITUTE": Just thank them for the gift, focus on the gift and that gesture. Because the moment that you feel like you have to explain why you don't have something or why you don't have something more, the focus goes to that and not to what this person has taken the time and sometimes the money to do for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Maybe that's a good problem to have getting an expensive gift, but Post says, don't run out and buy something to try even the score. Gift giving shouldn't be quid pro quo on Valentine's Day or any other day of the year. Post says, the Valentine's gift doesn't have to break the bank. An experience like a romantic dinner out makes for a great gift. If you're tight on cash, she recommends an inexpensive dinner in and she says, of course a handwritten old fashion Valentine will probably mean more than a store box of chocolates or bottle of perfume. If you want to go all out and make the spouse stunner, go for it. But don't spend yourself into the poor house especially, especially if you're still paying off holiday purchases from late last year. Your honey doesn't want you to go into debt -- Don.

LEMON: Right. Good advice, Christine. Thank you very much. Do you really need a holiday to say, I love you to somebody?

ROMANS: I do or I'll forget.

LEMON: Oh, made up holiday.

All right. It may be the fastest resignation from Congress in history. Just hours after this picture of Congressman Christopher Lee went public, he packed up and he left Washington. Next, we're asking a human behavior expert, this is Wendy Walsh, I can't wait to hear what you have to say. Why men sometimes do so really stupid things?

And last week we showed you a video of a teenager allegedly beaten by Houston police. This is not the same video. It is another one. Again, involving Houston police, our legal analyst Sunny Hostin is here to talk about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. Let's talk about this one. It got overshadowed because if you blinked, you may have missed this scandal last week. It got overshadowed by Egypt. Less than five hours after this picture went public, Christopher Lee resigned as a republican congressman from New York. Lee is married. However, this picture was not sent to his wife but to a woman seeking a date on Craigslist. Now, you know what you're thinking, I know what everybody is thinking, what was he thinking?

So human behavior expert, Dr. Wendy Walsh, joins me now. OK, you know, Wendy, this is a monumentally dumb decision, I'm sure, it's a stupid decision, he would admit it. Why do men -- usually men do stuff like this? Why would he do that?

DR. WENDY WALSH, PSYCHIATRIST: You know, we can't know exactly what Christopher Lee was thinking but I can tell you that sometimes people could be deluded with power and think they're completely invincible and uncatchable. They could have an attachment injury and just have the need for constant attention from many women. They could just have low self-esteem. But I've noticed Don...

LEMON: It could just be -- it could just be libido and testosterone.

WALSH: It might be. But the fact that if he just wanted to get laid, he wouldn't have used his real name. The fact that he used his real name tells me that maybe he had some unconscious reason he wanted to get caught. He was looking for boundaries. Because people who aren't good at self-regulating often are attracted to organizations, like the police, the military, the ministry, conservative politics, organizations that have very strict rules and boundaries because they look outside of themselves to stop themselves, so here he used his real name. It's like he was asking to be caught.

LEMON: And so, you don't think it was -- I don't know if I can say that word, you know, we call them horns, you don't think it was just him being a guy?

WALSH: A dog?

LEMON: A guy? And he's like, hey, I look pretty good, I work out, I've got, you know, I'm attractive, I'm going to send it to this chick, she's going to go, yes, baby. You don't think it was just that on some level?

WALSH: Of course he was just being a guy and it would have come out -- his psychology would have come out in a different way were he a woman. But the fact that he used his real name and took these risks tells me that there's a psychological underpinning to it.

LEMON: OK. Doctor, here's what every guy, I'm not kidding you, said, when we were talking about this. Why did he put his face on it? And I went, OK. Really.

(LAUGHTER)

WALSH: Not only his face but his name. And the answer is, I think on some level, he wanted to be caught. And I think he was looking for someone to stop him and we did.

LEMON: All right, all right. OK. So one split second, in an instant, a little click can ruin everything.

All right. Switching from -- let's switch from bad boys to bullies. A new study Dr. Wendy from UC Davis found that popular but not the most popular kids are often the bullies. Kids who are social climbers, aggressively trying to be part of the in crowd are the ones who torment their peers. So it kind of makes sense, it's kind of like the -- what do we call it, mean girls, right? You want to be part of the in crowd so you have to, like, make fun of other people to make yourself look better.

WALSH: Exactly. You know, we used to think, Don, though, that it was more this social outcasts or the lower economic bullies who didn't have the cool sneakers, right? Actually this is not true at all. The most fascinating thing about this study to me is that there was no correlation between bullying and single parent households, education of parents, and whether the kid was academically had, you know, quite gifted or not. So what they're saying is that it's really about social climbing. Because the kids that want to get to the top of the heap will be more aggressive.

LEMON: This is what I really want to talk to you. I can't let Valentine's Day, you know, it's Monday, and you know, without talking to the author of boyfriend -- "The Boyfriend Test."

WALSH: That's right.

LEMON: And you have some tips on finding Mr. Right. So, give us, you have three of them?

WALSH: First of all, I want to remind women that you are not trying to get -- you know, win his test. You've got an egg, he has fast- swimming sperm. That's basic biology. You're taking applications so you should be interviewing. So, one of the things you want to ask a guy is, what kind of relationship does he have with his mother? And let me tell you this, if he hates his mother, I promise you it's only a matter of time before he starts to hate you. On the other hand, if he loves his mother too much and he's still having dinner with her three times a week and she does his laundry on Sundays, he's already got a wife, you'll only ever be the mistress. Then let's think what else. His ability to delay gratification. If you give this dude your phone number and he calls you back within an hour and you've just met, like cool it, chill. Because in long term monogamy, guys have to be able to cool it while you're pregnant, while you're nursing, when somebody might be unemployed. They have to have good impulse control. Very important, Christopher Lee.

LEMON: I'm thinking the same thing.

(LAUGHTER)

WALSH: And then the last thing is such an obvious question but women never ask it on dates. Ask about their relationship track record. Is it strewn with the bodies of disappointed women? How long has his relationships been? If this guy is over 30 and he hasn't had a relationship longer than nine months, the length of a pregnancy, he ain't giving birth to a marriage, trust me, OK? This guy has to have some long-term relationships in his history. Yes, Don.

LEMON: Here's a standard guy response. There was no one else before you. And that's all I'll say. Dr. Wendy, Happy Valentine's Day. Thank you.

WALSH: Same to you.

LEMON: All right. Hosni Mubarak, no longer the president of Egypt. So, where is his money? The billions of dollars he's believed to be worth.

And every parent says, well, they would do it. This one really did do it. Meet the mom who literally took a bullet for her child.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Let's check your top stories on CNN. A new day has dawned in Egypt, day one of an Egypt without Hosni Mubarak. The news has sparked jubilant celebrations across Egypt and around the world. The nation's defense minister is now in charge of the government, a man known to U.S. Pentagon officials. It's not at all certain what will happen in the weeks and months ahead. The country must feel its way through uncharted territory in the quest for democracy.

After the celebration in Egypt comes the cleanup, of course. Crews tackled the aftermath of the revolution in Tahrir Square today. They collected garbage and towed away the burnt-out shells of cars used as barricades. Egyptians of all classes came together to clean up the site of the uprising that lasted 18 days. The military presence was less obvious than it had been in recent weeks.

Here's what everyone wants to know, is Algeria next? Riot police clashed in the capital with anti-government protesters today. The Algerian League for Human Rights, which is organizing these unauthorized rallies, said 100 protesters were detained. More than 3,000 demonstrators were met by 30,000 police officers in today's protests. Earlier this month, state media reported that Algeria's president would end the state of emergency, which has lasted for nearly two decades.

He is no longer the leader of Egypt, but former President Hosni Mubarak can fall back on what is widely believed to be an enormous fortune. But he does have some trouble with the Swiss, who yesterday froze assets that may belong to him or his family.

As our Stephanie Elam explains, it's not clear how much of a dent that will make.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Don, when it comes to Mubarak assets, we don't know how much money he has. Most people agree that he's a very wealthy man. You hear estimates all the way from $1 billion to $70 billion. Now of that money he has, we don't know how much of it could be in these Switzerland accounts. What we do know is they have made this move to freeze these assets simply because they want to make sure that none of the assets that should remain in Egypt are embezzled while this transition is occurring.

Keep in mind, this news did not come out on Thursday when we thought that Mubarak was stepping down. It didn't happen until Friday. At that point, when we found out Mubarak left the capital, that's when they went ahead to freeze the assets. They've done this before. It's been done with the Tunisian leader most recently. So they're saying this is their normal operating procedure.

And if you remember, in the most recent years, we've seen even Switzerland come under heat from the U.S. government for protecting assets of people who owed back taxes in the United States or for other criminal actions that they have handled. So because of that, the Switzerland government trying to get ahead of this.

But at this point we don't know how many accounts there are. We don't know how much money is in them. So, in some ways, Switzerland is still protecting the information there. It's just a move on the front end.

Keep in mind, Mubarak could have plenty of accounts in other places around the world, Don.

LEMON: Stephanie Elam. Thank you, Stephanie.

Last week, we showed you the video of a teenager allegedly beaten by Houston police. Take a look at this. It's not the same video. This is another alleged beating, again involving Houston police.

Our legal analyst, Sunny Hostin, is here to talk about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. Let's talk law and justice now. Sunny Hostin is here in person.

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: It's so good to see you.

HOSTIN: Good to be here.

HOSTIN: She's a contributor to "In Session" on our sister network, which is called TruTV. You're going to be seeing her every at this time.

HOSTIN: Yes.

LEMON: Right here with us.

HOSTIN: Yes.

LEMON: So thanks for joining us.

HOSTIN: I'm happy to be here. LEMON: So let's talk now. Let's talk about Houston, because another video surfaced that appears to show a Houston police officer beating a suspect as he takes him into custody. This incident reportedly happened about two years ago inside a hospital, Sunny. Last week, you and I discussed a different video from Houston that showed an apparent police beating during a different arrest. Community activists say the Houston P.D. needs to be cleaned up. Do they have a point, Sunny Hostin?

HOSTIN: They could have a point. I will say I'm not convinced that this is systematic from seeing this second video. It doesn't compare to the first video that was released. But I think it's interesting, Don, that they keep on sort of trickling out these videos.

LEMON: Yes.

HOSTIN: Drip, drip, drip. Is there more to come? If there is more to come, then perhaps they do need to be cleaned up. Perhaps we need to see what we saw in L.A. Perhaps we need to see what we're happening in other jurisdictions, Detroit, I don't know if it's there yet.

LEMON: OK. We want to get every side here so let's get the perspective, the city's perspective here, Sunny. Houston's mayor says, "We are reviewing this video and continuing to gather information about this incident. I reiterate that police abuse will not be tolerated."

And then the Houston Police Department has issued a statement which says, in part, "When we obtain a copy of the tape, we will review it and the case files to determine the facts of the particular incident."

So, Sunny, at what point does the Justice Department, if at all, get involved in this?

HOSTIN: Well, they are charged with looking at police misconduct. And it is a federal crime. And so perhaps, if it's found to be systematic, perhaps if it's referred to the Justice Department, they will start an investigation and that is when police monitorships are put in place, like in L.A., like in Detroit. I don't know. I've called around. I don't think that the Justice Department is looking at the Houston Police Department yet. But it could happen. It could happen.

LEMON: Especially, as you said, with this community activist going drip by drip by drip.

HOSTIN: It's dripping. It's dripping.

LEMON: Yes.

HOSTIN: We may be hearing more about the Houston Police Department.

LEMON: This is something, when the story first started to happen, I was like, OK, it's not a big deal, and then it starts to be a bigger and bigger deal. Let's talk about sexting now. There's a move under way in some states, like Texas --

HOSTIN: Yes.

LEMON: -- to reduce the criminal penalties for teens who use their cell phones to share explicit photos of themselves. Why are the states reducing the penalties for this?

HOSTIN: I think because it's such an epidemic. I've been calling it sort of the 21st version of 'you show me yours, I'll show you mine." It's something -- I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but it's something that kids do. And so prosecutors really need tools to deal with this because it's a federal crime to do it. It's sort of tied to child pornography laws. Do we want to put kids in jail federally with felonies and have them register as sex offenders for this kind of behavior we know goes on? To reduce the penalties to misdemeanors makes a lot of sense, because they'll be held accountable, but it won't ruin their lives.

LEMON: Yes, with age comes wisdom. Well, sometimes.

HOSTIN: Sometimes.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: You don't realize when you're young the consequences of putting a picture out there. And then someone will spread it and spread it, and it's there forever.

HOSTIN: And it's there for ever. And let me say this. There was a study done by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Do you know that over 20 percent of teens have said that they have sexted? That's one in five. When I say epidemic proportions, it's significant?

LEMON: Yes, it is. That's why I'm saying. Also in Washington State, the school board there decided to ban sexting, Sunny. They say they're going to confiscate the student's phones, not randomly, but when cases are reported to the school. So can they really do this? Is this legal?

HOSTIN: They can do it. They certainly can ban texting during school hours. They have that government interest and they can do it. I'm a little bit uncomfortable with the confiscation of phones. We know -- there's a case out of New Jersey, the PLO case, where you can look into a kid's backpack if you have a reasonable cause, reasonable suspicion. I don't know that if you snatch somebody's phone that their parents have given them and start scrolling through their phones whether or not that's really too much of an invasion.

LEMON: OK. Let's talk about another penalty, another call for penalties to be reduced. I believe this is a Utah state, a lawmaker saying the laws are too tough when it comes to teenagers for DUI laws. What's going on here? Too tough for DUI laws? HOSTIN: Yes, the laws are pretty tough there. Basically, what they're saying is we want to reduce it because once a kid gets pulled over, even for a drop of alcohol, their license can be taken for up to five years. This is the problem I have with that. You're not supposed to drink if you're under 21.

LEMON: Right.

HOSTIN: So it's against the law to drink anyway. Drinking and driving kills people. And so if you are stupid enough as a teen to drink when that's against the law and then drive when that's against the law, I think you get the book thrown at you. I do think that you lose your license because then perhaps there's some wisdom that will come with age.

LEMON: Yes, and there are consequences. It's not just like you're going to get a time-out. It's like, no, this is serious.

HOSTIN: Yes. This is serious. You can kill someone by drinking and driving.

LEMON: Sunny Hostin, it's so good to see you.

HOSTIN: It's so good to see you.

(LAUGHTER)

It's Valentine's Day weekend. We've got the red going on.

LEMON: Happy Valentine's Day.

HOSTIN: Happy Valentine's Day.

LEMON: And to your husband.

She's married.

HOSTIN: Thank you. Thank you. I am.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Every parent says they would do it. Ahead, meet the mom who actually did take a bullet for her child.

(SINGING)

LEMON: OK. That wasn't the mom, that's someone else.

First there was Ted Williams. Now a soulful singer living on the streets has been discovered.

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LEMON: Now some stories from our affiliates across the country. Investigators in San Diego want to know why a taxi veered onto the sidewalk early today in a popular entertainment district. 25 people were injured. 25 of them. Six of the victims are in critical condition. Doctors had to amputate one woman's leg after she was pinned against a wall. The driver was taken to the hospital with a broken nose. Police say alcohol wasn't a factor in that accident.

In Palm Beach County, Florida, a woman was shot and killed while saving the life of her 1-year-old son. Police say the 20-year-old mother shielded her child after the suspected gunman opened fire on a crowd. Witnesses say the shooter had complained that someone broke into his home. Two other people were wounded. Police are searching for the gunman in that incident.

(SINGING)

LEMON: All right, so you've heard of Ted Williams, right? He's everywhere. He's a homeless man with a golden voice, we learned all about last month. He was everywhere, over and over. Now here's Loda Soul, discovered by KGTV. She's also homeless, living in San Diego shelters, while she tries to recover from the effects of a difficult divorce. She had voice lessons as a child and she says singing gives her comfort during difficult times.

And in Minnesota -- check this one out -- this year's Social Ice is under way. The event is held in downtown Rochester and it features what's billed as the largest outdoor ice bar in the upper Midwest. The main bar is more than 80 feet long and features four satellite bars and 21 ice sculptures. OK.

A doctor overcomes a rare heart condition. Now she's back at work helping patients and some would-be doctors. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has her story. That's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A special edition of "The Situation Room" is just moments away and our Wolf Blitzer is here.

Wolf, this story in Egypt, big story. It's just the beginning there for democracy.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM: Just the beginning in Egypt. And you know, Tunisia one day, Egypt the next day. What country is next? It's fascinating, Don, if you look at what the Obama administration -- yesterday, both Robert Gibbs as well as Joe Biden, they really blasted Iran, calling for effectively demonstrations in Iran. Today, the national security adviser, Tom Donilon, issued a statement saying the Iranians have got to open up. It looks like the Obama administration is putting severe pressure on the Iranians to do in Iran what just happened in Egypt and Tunisia. We'll see how that works out. We're going to have major analysis on that coming up live at the top of the hour in "The Situation Room."

Plus, the Egyptian ambassador to the United States, Sameh Shoukry, he will be joining us live as well.

So we have a major show on the revolution in Egypt. That's coming up right at the top of the hour. LEMON: We'll see you at 6:00 eastern and again at 8:00 p.m. eastern. Wolf Blitzer will be live here on CNN with complete analysis of the situation of Egypt and that region.

We'll see you soon. Thank you.

BLITZER: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: It's a case of the doctor becoming the patient right now. In today's "Human Factor," Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to a doctor whose rare condition landed her in the very same E.R. where she works.

(HUMAN FACTOR)

LEMON: We have watched a call for change in Egypt result in a revolution. Now residents of another nation, taking to the street calling for change there.

And reports this evening that a major book store chain is about to file for bankruptcy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Let's check your top stories right now. A new day has dawned in Egypt, day one without President Hosni Mubarak. The news has sparked jubilant celebrations across Egypt and around the world. The nation's defense minister is now in charge of the government, a man known to U.S. Pentagon officials. It's not certain what will happen in the weeks ahead as the country moves through uncharted territory in the quest for democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Is Algeria next? Riot police clashed. The capital with anti- government protesters. More than 3,000 demonstrators were met by 30,000 police officers in today's protests. The Algerian League for Human Rights, which is organizing the rallies, said 100 protesters were detained.

Conservative activists, gathered in Washington, have picked their presidential favorite. For the second year in a row, Ron Paul is the winner of the CPAC presidential straw poll, with 30 percent of the vote. Mitt Romney was second at 23 percent. Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie tied for third. And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was fifth. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels all had 4 percent. Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin received 3 percent.

If you have any Borders gift cards, well, you may want to use them soon. I'm talking about the book store. Reports say the book seller will file for bankruptcy protection as early as next week, meaning thousands will lose their jobs. The "Wall Street Journal" says the company will try to close more than 200 of its stores. Borders has mounting debts and didn't compete strongly online or in the eBook world.

It's the kind of violence we're used to hearing about in Juarez, Mexico. Now, the tourist area of Guadalajara is the scene of a mass shooting. Authorities say a gunman opened fire on a bar earlier today, killing six people and injuring several dozen others. The gunman also threw a grenade into the business, according to a local news agency. The violence may be related to a dispute between drug cartels.

I'm Don Lemon at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you back here in one hour.

And you don't want to miss this, the story about a search for a singer who was allegedly involved in a cosmetic surgery death, botched buttock enhancements at a hotel near the Philadelphia airport.

But now I want to tell you there's a special edition of "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer.

Wolf, take it away.