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President Propose Budget; Teenage "Lingerie Night"
Aired February 14, 2011 - 16:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Now, watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE (voice-over): Protesters fill the street of Iran. Have events in Egypt re-inspired the green revolution? CNN can't get inside to tell you, but we're getting every detail we can from the region.
How did this 84-year-old man survived in the desert for nearly a week? He ate leftovers and drink windshield wiper fluid, but hat's not all.
RANDY FOLTS, HANK MORELLO'S FRIEND: It was cold in the evenings, so he laid in the sun during the day.
KAYE: You'll hear all of Hank Morello's amazing story.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it just fits ever so perfectly.
KAYE: What's the problem with members of Congress sleeping in their offices? Oh, you'd be surprised. We'll tell you who's complaining.
Plus, the caffeinated truth about those high-energy drinks your kids gulp down to get through cram sessions. The news starts now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE (on-camera): I'm Randi Kaye. Brooke Baldwin is off today. A lot of news happening right now. Let's get you up to speed in rapid fire. President Obama makes his formal budget pitch. There's lots of chopping on more than 2,400 pages. About half of all government agencies would have their funding cut from last year's levels. Republicans say the president's, the $3.7 trillion budget has too much new spending, too much in new taxes and does nothing to reduce the nation's debt.
San Antonio, Texas, aerial pictures here of a parking garage that's under construction and a section suddenly collapsed today. Two workers are hurt. Fortunately for them, the parking garage is part of a medical center so help was close by. A hospital spokesperson says some columns and beams failed in the unfinished parking garage.
Seven men, two of them American citizens, all charged today with trying to help sell, store and move weapons and smuggle drugs for the Taliban. That's according to the Department of Justice, which announced the arrests and indictments just today. We're watching this for more development.
LaGuardia Airport today on the tarmac. A fuel truck ran into a parked delta airlines jet. The plane was full of passengers and crew. Nobody on board was hurt, but the fuel truck driver went to the hospital, and the plane was damaged. No word on what caused that.
Tiger Woods in trouble again. Watch what he does right here. Yes, he spit on the green while lining up a putt yesterday during a tournament in Dubai. Well, that spit will cost Tiger Woods some money. Tour officials call it a breach of the code of conduct and are saying that Woods will pay a fine. How much, of course, we want to know. Well, they're not saying.
Woods is apologizing on his twitter account today. He writes, quote, "The Euro Tour is right. It was inconsiderate to spit like that, and I know better. Just wasn't thinking, and want to say I'm sorry." Woods finished the Dubai Desert Classic in 20th place.
Want to know who else had a bad day at work? Well, this guy. Take a look at that. 300 bottles of red wine go perfectly with gravity. They teach you this on day one, of course, of shelf-stocking class. Obviously, he missed that class. Balance your bottles carefully. Now, who's going to clean up the mess?
Oh, no! Did this really happen? A Hookah bar in Denver advertised a lingerie night with free admission for teenage girls who, quote, "dressed up," seriously. The manager of the club which caters to the under 20 crowd and does not serve alcohol says the lingerie night was innocent and went off without a problem, but you better believe some parents not so thrilled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
"Chrissy," Mother Of Teen Invited To Party: Just looking it up online after I found out about it and seeing the pole, you know, the dancing poles, and they're inviting 16, 17-year-old girls to come in there dressed in lingerie with, you know, in hopes that they're going to dance on those poles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The club owners defend their lingerie night saying it's safer than a house party because there's no drinking or drugs allowed there.
And listen to this. A black freight train stopped in the middle of the night at a railroad crossing with no lights and no gates. That, of course, is an accident waiting to happen and it did. Four passengers are now recovering from injuries after their cars slammed into the train. The crashes happened just minutes apart on opposite sides of the track.
Heading overseas now, we've got new details about the royal wedding. Prince William's younger brother, Harry, will be the best man, and Kate Middleton's sister, Philippa, will be maid of honor. In case you haven't heard, the royal lovebirds will tie the knot in April. It's getting close.
How can anything bad happen at the "Playboy" mansion? Well, public health officials in L.A. are trying to figure out what causes dozens of people to get sick after attending a fund-raiser there earlier this month. The "L.A. Times" says people complained of respiratory problems, flu-like symptoms, and pneumonia.
A New York landmark doubles as a wedding venue for a day. This lucky couple was one of 14 from around the United States who got married at the Empire State Building today. How romantic. Stephanie Hull (ph) and John Woo (ph) got hitched this morning at 7:00. This one day a year wedding extravaganza at the Empire State Building has been going on for 17 years.
Unrest is rapidly sweeping through the Middle East. Today, the scenes in Iran eerily echo what we watched in Tunisia and Egypt. Reporting from Iran is extremely difficult. The Iran regime sharply restrict visas to journalists, even journalists legally in the country were denied access to cover today's protests. That's why what you're seeing is actually video from protesters and CNN i-Reporters linked on to the web.
The Iranian government has slowed the internet to a crawl in an apparent attempt to limit communications. You get the picture how difficult it is to cover the protests in Iran, but CNNs Reza Sayah has some extraordinary details from our Iran desk in Islamabad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Dramatic developments in Tehran today. Many wondered if Iran's opposition movement was dead, the so-called green movement that burst on to the scene in 2009 after the presidential elections. We hadn't heard much from them for the past year because of a brutal government crackdown, but on Monday, they made a comeback. According to witness accounts, at one point, the crowds grew into the tens of thousands.
Video clips of Monday's protests have been posted on YouTube. It was often the cat-and-mouse game that we saw more than a year ago. Security forces chasing protesters away. Video clips showed protesters chanting anti-government slogans like death to the dictator. That chant we've heard before, but we heard a new one on Monday. There was a clear sign that this protest was sparked by the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHANTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAYAH: The protesters there are essentially chanting the former leaders of Egypt and Tunisia are gone. Now, it's time for Iran's supreme leader to be gone. Based on witness accounts, these protests were largely peaceful, but it did get ugly at times. This was a man who tried to protect the poster of Iran's supreme leader. He was beaten by a group of men who a short time later burned that poster of Ayatollah Khomeini. Witnesses tell us that at least two dozen people were detained in Monday's protest.
Remember, this was a rally that was called for by Iran's opposition movement. It's two leaders in support of the uprisings in Egypt. The government rejected their request. They warned people not to come out. Clearly, this opposition move in Iran defied those warnings, and clearly, they were energized by the uprising in Egypt. Where this movement goes from here, it's not clear. The two leaders are under tremendous pressure.
It doesn't have much of an organization or much of a structure, but clearly, they made a statement on Monday that they still have a heartbeat, they still have numbers, and a lot of grievances against the government.
KAYE: Reza Sayah for us there in Islamabad.
Now that the Egyptian uprising has ousted President Mubarak, what will the protesters demand next? It turns out it's something that a lot of folks can relate, to better pay. We'll talk about what's happening in Egypt now that a lot of the international attention has turned to other places. Plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES SHEEHAN, HANK MORELLO'S FRIEND: He took a rock, opened the hood of his car, and broke the windshield wiper fluid, and was using that with a napkin to keep him hydrated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Up next, one of the most incredible survivor stories we've heard in quite some time featuring an 84-year-old man who kept his wits about him in the desert for five days. We will bring you his story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: This is a story of survival, of smart, creative thinking, and an Arizona community that's just glad to have Hank back. Watch this report from our Phoenix affiliate KPHO and Amanda Hernandez.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were in the cave creek area, desert hills, new river.
AMANDA HERNANDEZ, AFFILIATE, KPHO (voice-over): Frantic and desperate but filled with hope, riends of Hank Morello mapped out their search plans knowing the 84-year-old had spent his fifth night lost somewhere out there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's known by everybody up here. We've had over 100 people here this morning, had in all different directions looking for him.
HERNANDEZ: A few hours later, hikers found Morello next to his car miles from his home in Anthem because he missed the exit.
SHEEHAN: And he wound up at the bloody basin exit, and he believed he went down 17 miles of dirt road and then turned off of the dirt road, and that's where the car got hung up.
HERNANDEZ: For five nights, Morello fought through frigid temperatures proving with age comes some creative wisdom.
FOLTS: It was cold during the evenings, so he laid in the sun during the day, stayed near his vehicle, never left his vehicle and utilized some things from the vehicle to help him survive.
HERNANDEZ: Like the mats from his car to cover up with at night, but during the day, Morello proved inventive when finding water.
SHEEHAN: He took a rock, opened the hood of his car, and broke the windshield wiper fluid, and was using that with a napkin to keep him hydrated. HERNANDEZ: His friends call it a Miracle Morello was found in such good condition, but they say his amazing survival is just Hank being Hank.
SHEEHAN: He's doing fantastic. If you know Hank, he's a survivor, and that's why he survived.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Hank being Hank. Got to love that. Hank's friends say that he's resting at a Phoenix-area hospital. He spent five days alone in the desert.
Up next, is Egypt just the tip of the iceberg in the Middle East? We'll take a look at what's happening across the region right now.
Also, as thousands take to the streets in Italy to protest Prime Minister Berlusconi, a judge is deciding if he should go to trial immediately to face charges of sex with an underage prostitute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. Seventeen minutes past the hour, and this is when we go "Globe Trekking," and look closely at events making news overseas. Michael Holmes from CNN International is here with us. How are you, Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The sofa, true comfy, isn't it?.
KAYE: It is.
HOLMES: A comfy (ph), though.
KAYE: You look kind of lonely over there, actually. (LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: I know. They just told me to move, too.
KAYE: Move further away?
HOLMES: Yes, they did.
KAYE: Let's move from the couch and talk Egypt.
HOLMES: Let's go to "Globe Trekking." Yes. Egypt, of course, this story, we kept saying last week, too, it's important to realize this is chapter one in what could be a long book and nobody knows the ending either. There's still demonstrations, ones that you see on your screen there, mainly from people who have found their voice through all of this, and they're protesting about other things, about corruption, but also about things like salary.
Cops were out in the street protesting today. Meanwhile, the military saying, all right, enough, enough. Everybody go home now because we're doing what you wanted to do. Knock it off. Go home, and they actually pulled out a string of rules saying that if you're misbehaving, then you're going to be in the bad book. So --
KAYE: It's amazing to see that the cops actually had their salaries doubled in all of this.
HOLMES: Not bad. I mean, we should go on strike.
KAYE: That's what they needed.
HOLMES: Yes. A lot's happening there.
KAYE: And what about Yemen? That seems to be, you know, there's so much concern about this ripple-effect from Egypt and more and more protests in Yemen, too.
HOLMES: Algeria, too. Algeria today.
KAYE: Iran.
HOLMES: And Iran, of course. But Yemen is a big one and Yemen, of course, is very important to the United States because of the role it plays in the war on terror. Al Qaeda is entrenched in Yemen. The government is on side with the U.S. in fighting al Qaeda, but it's a very fractious country. It's a secession movement in the south and rebellion up north.
They have 2,000 people on the streets today in Sanaa protesting, and Mr. Saleh, the president, he's been in power since 1978. His place (ph) just kept down in (INAUDIBLE) but he set up a four and gone back on it. So, these people all demanding his resignations, and they will see how that evolves.
KAYE: Got pretty violent there.
HOLMES: It did, yes.
KAYE: Machetes and sticks, all kinds of things.
HOLMES: That's right. We just got some video (INAUDIBLE). Pretty nasty.
KAYE: Yes. Well, moving on. Let's go to Italy, shall we? Berlusconi --
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: He certainly is. Berlusconi in a bit more trouble, it seems.
HOLMES: Yes. Of course, we heard last week about -- about Ruby, the 17-year-old as she was at the time prostitute who he was alleged to have had improper relations with. They both deny it, blah, blah, blah, but the thing that he's in trouble for with her is she got locked up in jail for a theft and called him on his personal mobile, as one does.
KAYE: But nothing happened.
HOLMES: No way. Might it (ph) call to the cops, and anyway, that goes on. So, he's in trouble with that. Now, what you're seeing there is people are fed up, women in particular. Hundreds of thousands of Italian women on the streets, 230 Italian cities, went out to demand that he steps down. Shaming Italy, shaming the Italian women as well, and so, they were out there in big numbers calling for him to step down.
KAYE: Are they going to put him on trial?
HOLMES: Well, we're waiting for the judge. He's going to decide this week what happens with this abuse of power and the sexual misconduct allegations as well. It could a couple of ways. It could be fast-tracked and could get back for more investigation. There's a couple of ways it goes. I just had to read this quote. He came out -- he dismissed the demonstrations, as he often does as being politically motivated, and then he added that he actually loves women and he has the knack of making them feel special.
KAYE: Isn't that special?
HOLMES: He's a sweetie, isn't he, on the Valentine's Day?
KAYE: So romantic. That's the one bit of Valentines we're going to have today. All right. Michael Holmes, always a pleasure.
HOLMES: Good to see you.
KAYE: Good to see you as well.
Up next, if Jeb Bush decided to run for president in 2012, how would he do against President Obama? A new poll says it wouldn't be close. So, who would win? Well, we'll tell you next. Also, did you know that more than 30 congressmen sleep in their offices in Washington, D.C. to save money and to put in some longer work hours. Well, now one group is actually trying to put an end to that. We'll tell you who it is, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Time now for the latest "Political Update." Gloria Borger is watching that for us. Gloria, what's crossing in D.C.?
GLORIA BORGER, SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, let's talk a little bit about Chicago politics. We know the mayoral race with Rahm Emanuel is just eight days away, but the real circus is about to get to Chicago, and that's the retrial of the former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, affectionately known as Blago. That's going to take place on April 20th. And today, now here's the good part, his lawyers have filed a motion that they be allowed to play 100 excerpts of secret FBI recordings that were made in which the former governor discussed Barack Obama's Senate seat.
They say it will prove their client's innocence. So, let's hope we get to hear those things in court, huh? That will be interesting. And speaking of the question of money. We got some news today that the inspector general who oversaw the bank bailouts, affectionately known as TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program is going to leave his post.
He says he leaves with things in order, that he achieved his goals in the job, making sure that the process was transparent, and I can also tell you that while TARP was a huge issue during the mid-term elections, almost all of the money used in the bank bailouts has been repaid to the American taxpayer.
And finally, I heard you talking about it a little earlier. The question of what would a presidential campaign be with another Bush in it? This time Jeb Bush. He says he's not going to run. Lots of Republicans, of course, want him to run, because they see him as the candidate that can unite the tea party faction of the Republican Party with the more establishment part of the party.
He says, no. I don't think I'm going to do it, but Fox News had a poll in which it showed Barack Obama up against Jeb Bush, and guess what? Barack Obama beats Jeb Bush quite handily, 54 to 44, but it's really, really early, isn't it?
KAYE: Yes. Although, that seems to be all we're talking about, but all right, we'll leave it there.
BORGER: Well, it's fun.
KAYE: Gloria Borger, thank you.
BORGER: Sure.
KAYE: Well, high winds are affecting air travel. We'll tell you where the big delays are right now. Also, do your teens ever turn to those energy drinks, you know, the kind that help you stay awake maybe to hit the books? You are not going to want to miss the results of a new study, if so. That's next in our "Reporter Roulette."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: There is a lot going on today, and CNN has correspondents covering all of it. Time to play "Reporter Roulette." We begin with Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill. Brianna, the president's budget proposal arrived today. Are his cuts deep enough for the members of Congress that you're hearing from?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, if you talk to Republicans, Randi, they will tell you no way. I just came from a press conference with the chairman of the House Budget Committee, Paul Ryan. He really attacked this budget proposal saying that President Obama is punting on this, that he's not cutting enough, and all of this happening as there's a spending cut showdown going on in the House.
House Republicans proposing $60 billion in cuts, really, just for the fiscal year that's currently underway, and certainly they are trying to draw a contrast between that and this proposal, budget proposal, Randi.
KAYE: So, are either of their plans enough, really, to put a dent in the debt?
KEILAR: Well, when you look at it in terms of numbers, $1.6 trillion. That is the forecast for the deficit for this year. President Obama's proposal would take off about $1.1 trillion over ten years, so in the scheme of things, can you see that's just a fraction.
Republicans, as I said, $60 billion for the current fiscal year already underway over the next seven months. These are really just fractions, especially when you look at what the debt commission said that it was going to recommend to be done. These are really just fractions in terms of that, but obviously both sides trying to say that this is just part of what they want to do overall.
KAYE: Sure, and isn't the real budget relief going to happen anyway when they find a way to cut entitlements? I mean, that's the big cut.
KEILAR: Definitely. When you look at defense and when you look at entitlements, that is two-thirds of government spending. So, the conventional wisdom is that unless you're going to look at those areas, this discretionary -- so-called discretionary spending, really isn't going to do it.
You heard today Republicans who were really clobbering President Obama over this and some other fiscal critics saying that he's just not doing enough there, but the White House is saying this is a down payment on more that they are going to do. And Republicans today in a very vague way promising that they are going to tackle entitlements. But we didn't get specifics, Randi.
KAYE: All right, Brianna, thanks. Next on "Reporter Roulette", Alison Kosik in New York at the stock exchange. Good news for some autoworkers today.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes, Randi. The bonuses are back at General Motors. I'm talking about $4,000 each for factory workers who work there. It's actually the most ever paid to blue-collar employees. Before this, the biggest that union employees got was about $1,800, but that was back in 1999.
GM is calling this a really good example of sharing success of the new GM. Now, non-union white collar employees, they are also getting bonuses, too, and I know this kind of sounds familiar. We heard a similar announcement from Ford earlier this month.
And this is really a big deal, Randi, because GM has really come back from the brink. You'll remember General Motors received a $50 billion government bailout. It went bankrupt, slashing costs, killing brands. Now it's repaid some of the bailout. It's a publicly traded company again, and it's turning a profit and passing a little on to the employees as well. Randi?
KAYE: What's this about newer, cheaper smartphones today?
KOSIK: Yes. This is actually coming out of the "Wall Street Journal." Apple is working on a new line of cheaper iPhones. Right now the current model sells for about 200 bucks, but this new line is expected to sell for half that. And by the way, it is supposed to weigh half of what the current iPhone weighs as well.
But back to the price, with carrier subsidies, Randi, it could end up being free with your rate plan. What Apple is really trying to do is kind of bring the iPhone to the mass market. Right now, it's a really expensive phone and it's very popular but only makes up three percent of the broader cell phone markets. So, this is more about staying in the competition, remaining competitive and being an attractive cell phone to people who can actually afford it. Randi?
KAYE: Well, consumers like the word free, so it may work. Alison Kosik, thank you.
KOSIK: So do I.
KAYE: An next on "Reporter Roulette" Jacqui Jeras, who has some air travel delays for us.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's real ugly out there right now. Look out your window and think it's not too bad of a day across parts of the Northeast, but the winds are really causing some issues. Washington Dulles, we've got arrival delays of over an hour, so this is impacting people all over the country.
Different airports that are trying to get into the northeastern corridor. Laguardia 55-minute delays. 35 minutes at Newark. Even some delays in Canada. Montreal, 55 minutes, and ground delays in Toronto as well. Our map here will show you that there's a little weak front in terms of getting much for rainfall or some snow flurry. That's going to be moving into the big cities for your rush hours, so that's going to be a little bit of a nuisance for you, as well.
So, unfortunately, Randi, we expect those delays to get worse, not better, as we progress through the next couple of hours.
KAYE: What are we seeing in San Francisco?
JERAS: Yes. We saw those delays in San Francisco, on my map, over two hours late right now for people getting into that city. We've got low clouds and rain, and, boy, it's going to be an ugly week for folks across the West. The I-5 corridor right now socked in with that weather. We could see several feet of snow into the Cascades as well as the Sierras in the next couple of days. And you can see, we've got a series of storms just lined up there in the Pacific. Things are lousy out West, but awfully nice across parts of the southeast, Randi.
KAYE: All right, they'll take that. Jacqui Jeras, thank you.
Next on "Reporter Roulette" Elizabeth Cohen, our senior medical correspondent, on the illnesses associated with those energy drinks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: If your child is nauseous or dizzy, you probably think well, it's just a virus. And it may be, but it could also be that they are drinking too many energy drinks. And for some kids, too many can be just one.
Here are the symptoms. When kids drink energy drinks, they can become nauseous and dizzy. Their heart rate can go up, and also they can even have seizures. So, the American Academy of Pediatrics is telling parents to be wary of these drinks.
Now, they are not Powerade and Gatorade, those are sports drinks that are different. Parents want to look for this on the label: caffeine, guarana and torine are all stimulants in these energy drinks.
Now, the folks who make these drinks say, lots of drinks have caffeine in them, like Coca-Cola. But pediatricians say these drinks have much more caffeine, plus those extra stimulants.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Thanks, Elizabeth, and that is today's "Reporter Roulette."
Up next, when you think of members of Congress, I bet you don't picture them sleeping in their offices to save money and work those long hours, but many do, believe it or not. And now a watchdog group is actually trying to put an end to it.
Joe Johns has more in the "Political Pop" next. But first, could you be living in one of America's most ticked off towns? A new report by "MensHealth.com has ranked the angriest U.S. cities, and we've got list. Rounding out the top five, Newark, New Jersey. Number four, Sin City. Las Vegas, Nevada. Number three, St. Petersburg, Florida.
So, what are the top two angriest cities in the U.S.? Don't get mad, but we're going to make you wait until after the break to find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Does your city have a high rate of aggravated assaults or high blood pressure? If so, you might be living in one of the angriest cities in the U.S., according to "Men's Health" magazine. I've got the ticked off towns topping that list right now for you.
Taking the number two spot, Baltimore, Maryland. And the number one angriest city in America -- given the current state of economy there, of course, may have good reason to be upset -- it is Detroit, Michigan.
Now don't get mad at me, guys. I'm just the messenger on this one.
All right. Ever wonder what it's like to be in Congress? Maybe a little glamorous, you think? Well, not always. In fact, more than a few representatives actually sleep in their offices. Joe Johns here now with the "Political Pop." Hey there, Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Hey, and they are not angry about it.
KAYE: Well, that's good. That's very good. So, I hear there's this group that's saying they are cheating taxpayers with these Capitol Hill sleepovers. What's going on with that?
JOHNS: Yes. I approach that with some skepticism and you, Randi, having covered that story also know full well it looks pretty pedestrian. So, we asked Melanie slogan of Crew about this and she says the issue here really is there's never been more members doing it than now. The first time I got wind of it was back in 1995. There were six or seven, perhaps. Now, believe it or not, there are 32 or so members of Congress who are believed to be sleeping --
KAYE: Really?
JOHNS: Yes! Thirty-two, and that's just the ones we know about. Could be more.
KAYE: Yes, but, you know, D.C. is expensive. I remember I went to see Jason Chaffetz - Congressman Chaffetz's office. And he has his little cot in his closet there. And you know, he says he's not going to live in a hole in a role for two grand a month or bunk up with other Congressmen.
So, why do they care? I mean, doesn't Crew have something better to do? I mean, who cares if they are sleeping in their offices?
JOHNS: Well, they do have better things to do, but they say a member of Congress actually came to them with a complaint about this.
And, I mean, look at it. It is turning a congressional office into a dorm. The truth is some members actually get good press out of this, believe it or not. People back home say well at least the guy I elected is in his office, not going native with all the corrupting influences in D.C. or whatever. But I --
KAYE: That guy must have seen one of these Congressmen walking down in their flip-flops to the gym or something or to shower.
JOHNS: Yes, exactly. Well, think of the women in the congressmen's -- and it's mostly men we're talking about, here -- staff office. If you walk into the office early to go to work and your boss is standing there in his bathrobe, it's kind of weird, I would think.
KAYE: Yes, but you know, if you think about it, the president. I mean, he sleeps in government housing. So, why not members of Congress?
JOHNS: Sure. The thing about that is you're talking about the White House as the official executive mansion, and it has complete living quarters built in. These are members of Congress setting up cots and sleeping bags. And in at least one instance I heard about a crock pot cooking a chicken all day in the office, so that's kind of bizarre.
KAYE: So, is this going to go anywhere? Does this have any legs? Will they all be given the boot?
JOHNS: Well, look. I called a bunch of congressional offices to try to get comments, and as you might expect, there were not very many profiles in courage. Not a lot of comments. I actually thought about threatening to camp out in their offices all night long until I got an answer, but I figured that may not work.
So, some of these offices are saying what is the harm? You know, so what if the boss sleeps in the office? The truth is there's never been a ruling, as far as we know, from the Ethics Committee that really set a precedent on this.
I asked Melanie Sloan over at Crew about this. She said she wasn't able to find one. So, you know, perhaps if the ethics committee rules on it, then these guys are just going to comply with the rules, and every office I talked to that gave me any comment at all said yes, we get a ruling, we'll do what they say.
KAYE: Maybe they make a rule about the crock pots, and everything would be fine.
JOHNS: Yes. That would be better. I know, you know what? Depends on what you cook in that thing, you know. Could be pretty smelly. KAYE: That is -- that is true. That is true. Maybe they should just stick with takeout.
JOHNS: Yes.
KAYE: All right. Joe Johns, great to see you.
JOHNS: You, too. Take care, Randi.
KAYE: Cops on the beat, citizens armed with cell phones taping them. How is that working out? One city finds out, and there is a $40,000 pay-out involved.
And would you do this to your dog? Even puppies, of course, need to stay in shape. But it turns out this terrier actually loves the treadmill.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: What's worse than taking a face plant into a huge pile of snow? Your friends catching it all on tape. Yes, you've got to see this. Note to self when attempting a swan dive off a deck, make sure it's sturdy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Ouch. That has got to hurt. What makes it worse, your friends laughing hysterically at your pain. Must have been a nervous laugh, but then again, that's what friends are for.
Next, check out this helmet-cam. Pretty cool, right? Also useful if something should happen, like getting rear-ended while stopped in traffic. Yikes. Luckily the driver is OK, but that's definitely going to leave a mark.
Next, we showed you this earlier, but it really is video you've got to see. Ever dropped a glass jar in the grocery store, broken glass all over the aisle? Yes, pretty embarrassing, right? Well, multiply that by I don't know, say 300. There it goes, and you've got that poor guy. Talk about cleanup on aisle three.
And in case you missed it, Donald Trump dropped in on the show to talk about the president's budget proposal, but I had to ask him whether he would run in 2012.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: If you do run, do you cub describe to the notion that the government can and should be run like a business?
DONALD TRUMP, REAL ESTATE MAGNATE: Well, it certainly should, but a business with heart, because I'm a big believer in heart. People -- some people have real problems, and they should be helped, and I love helping people, but it should be done responsibly, and we should run the country responsibly.
I will tell you that, you know, you asked me before what would be the first thing I do. One of the very early things I'd do is tax Chinese products, because what they have done is manipulated their currency.
KAYE: When do you plan to decide, or are you here to break some news today?
TRUMP: Well, I'd love to give you great news, but frankly we need something -- this country needs something quickly, and I will decide to run one way or the other by June.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: In Iran, one person is dead in clashes between security forces and demonstrators. The demonstrators have been protesting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government. Tens of thousands of them marched down Revolution Avenue to Freedom Tower in downtown Tehran today. Witnesses say uniformed officers and plain-clothed pro- government militia rushed crowds that were chanting "Death to the dictator." The demonstrations come on the heels of huge protests and political upheaval in Egypt.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have chosen their wedding party. Prince Harry is set to be the best man, no surprise there. Kate's sister will be her maid of honor. The couple also named four bridesmaids and two page boys, all very young, under the age of 11.
Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is speaking. She's answering questions, and she's holding her own in conversation. That's what her astronaut husband Mark Kelly tells NBC news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK KELLY, REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS HUSBAND: The communication is getting better every single day. It was reported a few days ago is that that she said, you know, a single word and what the word was. But, you know, since then, you know, this is really accelerated so you can have, you know, I guess what would be a relatively normal conversation with her on some level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And don't forget what today is, besides Valentine's Day, I mean. This is the first day this year that the IRS is accepting itemized tax returns. Usually you can go ahead and file them much earlier, but the agency postponed the dates so they could update their software after Congress' last-minute tax deal.
Up next, a judge who has to take not one, but two breathalyzer tests every day so he can continue to work? Should he really be presiding over cases? That's what we want to know. Sunny Hostin is on the case. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: A young woman jumps off a bridge 40 feet into a lake to save her own life. It is an incredible story of bravery. Listen to what happened. Bianca Vera was in a car accident on a bridge north of Atlanta. She got out to check for some damage. Then she saw a tractor trailer skidding on ice. Imagine how horrified she was. It was heading straight towards her, so she jumped to the lake below from a height of about four stories. She says she did the only thing that she could do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIANCA VERA, JUMPED OFF BRIDGE TO AVOID TRUCK: I just jumped. I remember being in the air and I heard the impact of the car hitting my car.
KAYE: Oh, wow, so you knew you had made the right move. Did you realize how far you were falling? We're looking at video of the car. We see the freezing cold lake that you jumped into. Did you realize how far what was it, about four stories, I guess, and what did it feel like once you hit the water?
VERA: No, I mean, I absolutely did not have any time to think about how far I would be falling down, but, I mean, once I hit that water I had the wind knocked out of me. I had to quickly collect myself and come back to the surface.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Bianca Vera eventually made it to shore by herself. She's out of the hospital now and recovering from a broken vertebrae and some bruises as well.
Now, tomorrow's news today, so let's fast forward. President Obama honors the Medal of Freedom recipients at the White House. The nation's highest civilian award is being presented to 15 people, including President George H.W. Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and poet and activist Maya Angelou.
A House subcommittee holds a hearing on net neutrality and competition on the Internet, and the annual Westminster dog show wraps up in New York City.
Tiger Woods in trouble again. Watch what he does right here. Yes. He spit on the green while lining up a putt yesterday during a tournament in Dubai. Well, that spit is going to cost Tiger Woods some money. Tour officials called it a breach of the code of conduct and said he would pay a fine. They are not saying how much.
Woods apologized on his Twitter account, writing "The Euro tour is right. It was inconsiderate to spit like that, and I know better. Just want thinking and want to say I'm sorry." Woods finished the Dubai desert classic in 20th place.
You've seen them on the news and can see them on YouTube, videos of police in action taking down a suspect. Sometimes they do it legally. Sometimes the video shows rights being violated. A case in Atlanta is highlighting the growing tension between police and citizens armed with cell phones. Sunny Hostin is on the case for us. Sunny, good to see you.
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL ANALYST: Good to see you, Randi.
KAYE: Atlanta police actually stopped a man from taking pictures of an arrest? They took his camera phone and told him that he had no right to record them and the police were wrong on this, right?
HOSTIN: They were wrong, and they were wrong to the tune of $40,000 in damages, which is what they are going to have to pay that gentleman. Interestingly enough, Randi, he's a member of cop watch, which was an organization that was started in about 1990 in Berkeley, California, and the goal of the organization is to do just that, film police activist to short of try to avoid wrongdoing by the police.
And that is the, you know, the guy who got his phone taken away from him.
KAYE: Yet this wasn't even a questionable arrest, right?
HOSTIN: Oh, no, not at all. I mean, apparently he was filming police activity. It was a public area. He had his, you know, cell phone camera, which so many citizens, so many of us have. And the police officer really took the phone, yanked his arm, and then I guess deleted the images that were on the cell phone.
So on all accounts, just inappropriate conduct by the police department.
KAYE: Yes. I guess they wouldn't even give it back to him until they got his password to delete the images. Is there a lesson here, I guess, for other police departments?
HOSTIN: Well, certainly. I think the lesson is that police departments need to know that citizens can film their activity if it is taking place in a public -- on public property, public site. That is what we are allowed to do.
Of course, you are not allowed to interfere with police activity. You're not allowed tonight fear with them doing their job. You shouldn't compromise an undercover investigation. But what was done here is completely appropriate, and I think police departments across the country need to watch out and behave, because there are cell phones in almost everyone's hands today.
KAYE: OK, let's get to this other issue. This Maryland judge, he's been ordered to take a blood-alcohol test -- this is so unbelievable -- twice a day, once before he goes on the bench in the morning and then again after lunch. This directive coming from the Maryland commission on judicial disabilities. Does this mean that Maryland has a judge on the bench, Sunny, who can't be trusted to stay sober for any length of time? HOSTIN: Well, I think it's pretty clear that Maryland certainly has a judge on the bench with a substance abuse problem. This judge, Randi, pled guilty to DUI. His car hit another car carrying a 25- year-old woman and a three-year-old baby. The baby was not injured. The woman had minor injuries. And he blew a 0.18, which is twice the legal limit in Maryland.
He has been allowed to keep his job with the caveat that he submits to these breathalyzers twice a day, as you mentioned, once in the morning, once after lunch. I mean, this is almost unheard of.
KAYE: I've certainly never heard of anything.
HOSTIN: People are very outraged. I haven't either, and I'm a member of the Maryland bar, and I've never heard of this.
KAYE: So what if he has to hear a drunk driving case? Should he be allowed to hear a case so close to home?
HOSTIN: You know, that's such a great question, and it's something I called a couple of lawyers about today, and most of us agreed that if he is to hear this sort case, I think a savvy prosecutor or defense attorney is going to ask that he recuse himself and not listen to this case.
So at least in a drunk driving case, he just can't be a judge. I mean, it just doesn't make sense so this is a very awkward situation.
KAYE: Quickly, let's not forget that this is the same judge who referred to three black female defense attorneys as "The Supremes."
HOSTIN: Yes, he sure did. Apparently he referred to three African-American female public defenders as "The Supremes." He was reprimanded for that, Randi, and that happened before this drunk driving incident. And so this is a judge, he's 68-years-old, and the mandatory requirements for retirement is 70, so he's going to be there for a little while.
KAYE: Sonny Hostin, we'll have to leave it there.
On the case, thank you so much.
I'm Randi Kaye.
Glad you're with us.
THE SITUATION ROOM with Jessica Yellin starts right now.
