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An Assault on Unions; Drama Boils in Wisconsin; Bieber Brouhaha; Amputee Golfer Gets New Clubs; Shots Fired at Bahrain Protests; Violence Flares in Yemen; Death Toll Grows in Libya

Aired February 18, 2011 - 10:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's fashion week in New York. It's the Super Bowl for design junkies and clothing connoisseurs. The fashions unveiled this week will determine the trends that will end up in department stores and ultimately in your closet.

Alina Cho has a lot of those fashions in her closet, and she's going to talk about that, maybe, live from New York -- Alina.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's my personal Super Bowl, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Isn't that the truth?

CHO: You know, we are going to show you all of the beautiful clothes on the runway from the top designers in this fashion special debuting tomorrow. You'll also hear from the top editors and stylists about trends so you'll get a look at what you may be buying months before the clothes hit the stores. We also sat down with Michael Kors, who is celebrating 30 years in fashion. He talked to us about his most memorable moments on his first year when he actually climbed inside the display windows at a department store to help dress the mannequins. It's a funny story.

And another interview you may not want to miss is my one-on-one with Victoria Beckham. Of course, she talked about her fashion line but she also talked about being four and a half months pregnant. Just listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHO (ON CAMERA): Obviously ,everybody you speak to will say I just want a healthy baby but you know, three boys, a girl would be nice.

VICTORIA BECKHAM, FASHION DESIGNER: It would be great, but if I don't have a girl this time, then maybe I will be lucky enough and have a girl next time.

CHO: The next time. This is your fourth. Really? How many children do you want to have?

BECKHAM: We'd like to have a big family.

CHO: There could be a fifth?

BECKHAM: There could be. Who knows. CHO: Or a sixth?

BECKHAM: Well, I'm not Angelina. I don't know. I mean, come on!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: You know, we also talked about her days as a Spice Girl. Does she miss singing and performer? She says, no, I'm not that good of a singer. But Kyra, a big family. You're pregnant with twins. I mean, I don't know how does six square with you?

PHILLIPS: Yes, I don't know. I'm barely ready for two. I don't know how she handles six and then her career and her husband and everything else, and all the media. Wow.

CHO: But she sure does dress nicely. That's for sure.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Alina.

CHO: Yes, she does.

PHILLIPS: Well, it is the top of the hour. 7:00 in California, 9:00 a.m. in Wisconsin, and this morning we're expecting more scenes like this in Madison. Thousands of teachers and other state workers protesting the governor's budget plan, as the state money crisis is coming to a boil. That is just one state. Yours could be next.

And it's 5:00 in Cairo. Take a look at Tahrir Square right now. Last week it was the scene of protests and violence. Now a huge celebration of victory. We'll get more in just a few minutes.

Well, the battle lines are being drawn in state capitols across the country. It's public workers versus some governors who want to take aim at union benefit. The flash point, Wisconsin.

Tens of thousands of public employees and their sympathizers have been flooding the state capitol. They are fighting to block a sweeping anti-union bill that could strip them of their collective bargaining rights and jack up their rates for benefits. Look at all these people. 14 democratic lawmakers, they're not there. They actually fled to Illinois to delay a vote on the bill. Schools in Madison closed again for the third straight day. Teachers say they won't go back to class until the governor agrees to open a discussion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very hard because I'm very passionate about what I do, and I feel attacked, and I feel that they're not listening.

GOV. SCOTT WALKER (R), WISCONSIN: And certainly the thousands of people here and outside the capitol have every right to be heard but I want to make sure that not for one moment are their voices drowning out the voices of the millions of taxpayers all across the state of Wisconsin.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: Well, this is bigger than just Wisconsin, and now even President Obama is weighing in. Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry bringing us up to speed on that in just a moment. But first let's go to Casey Wian. He is live in Madison, at the heart of this debate. So Casey, what exactly do these protesters want?

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what he want is the restoration, the protection, if you will, of their collective bargaining rights. We're expecting thousands of protesters here again today for the fifth straight day. They say that they're willing to give up money to help balance the state's budget. The governor says there is a $137 million shortfall by June 30th. A $3.6 billion shortfall over the next two years.

The teachers say they're willing to talk about concessions but they don't want those collective bargaining rights to be eroded and the teachers here are very angry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN RADEMACHER, MADISON COUNTY TEACHER: Like other families, we have a mortgage to pay every month. We got electric bills, and what I've heard is it's about a 13 percent net drop in income with the benefits and the wages. That's what we'd be losing every month, and so then we have to start picking and choosing how we're going to make our house payments and still do other things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIAN: Teachers say, in fact, they believe this is not about money. They say it's about an effort to bust theirs and other unions. But we've encountered some counter protesters who are not at all sympathetic to their argument given the high rate of unemployment in this and other states.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Same on you for abandoning our children today. At least there's a few teachers out there who have the guts to stand up against you union thugs and actually teach our children! You're AWOL! You're AWOL! You're AWOL!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIAN: Meanwhile, many schools throughout the state remain closed for a third consecutive day because many of those teachers are coming here to the state capital to protest, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We will follow it, Casey. Thanks.

Ant it's not just Wisconsin, 40 plus states are facing major budget shortfalls. The darker the red, the bigger the problem, and the effort in Wisconsin is beginning to spread across the rust belt and beyond. President Obama has given his two cents now.

Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry has that. So Ed, the president actually had strong words for the governor?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Republican Scott Walker, the president did a couple of local interviews earlier this week and invited some affiliate reporters in from states like Wisconsin and when he spoke to this Milwaukee TV station, he was direct in saying "look, you can't let some of these teachers, these public employees lose their collective bargaining rights and he took a direct aim really at the governor. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of what I've heard coming out of Wisconsin where you're just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain generally seems like more of an assault on unions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: "An assault on unions," the president really taking on the Republican governor there, and that's why you have Republicans here in Washington, like speaker of the House John Boehner, pushing back and saying that the president shouldn't be getting involved like that and should realize that while workers might have to give up some collective bargaining rights may have to give up some benefits but those are some of the sacrifices that are going to need to be made if, in fact, budget deficits on the local level but also on the national level are going to be solved. And so this is really just the beginning of this battle. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. And the significance of the political group getting involved.

HENRY: Organizing for America, it's the president's political arm. They have now gotten involved. They're making calls. They're trying to build the crowds by spreading the word, working with labor unions on the local level but also on the national level. And I think that's very significant for this reason. This is not just about Wisconsin.

As you noted a minute ago, and Casey was saying as well, this same kind of fight may brew in Ohio, New Jersey, all around the country, and may really be a precursor to march forth here in Washington. That's when current funding for the federal government runs out and there's going to be a showdown between Speaker Boehner and other Republicans on the Hill, this president, democratic leaders as to whether they're going to continue funding the government or shut it down. You're going to see a lot of protests probably in the run-up to March 4th, and again what the Republicans are saying, is look if the president is going to side with labor unions and say we can't make cuts or we can't give up some rights, then where's the sacrifice going to come? How are you going to balance the budget. So this is going to be a battle. This is really just round one in Wisconsin, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Ed Henry, live at the White House. Ed, thanks.

HENRY: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: And this morning, we have been following protests across much of the Arab world today. Take a listen.

(VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Actually, this was the funeral procession that happened, but it was just moments ago that we heard gunshots. Our crews there in the square tell us that those shots were fired upon the massive demonstrations. Witnesses tell us that soldiers opened fire on the protesters, and a number of people were wounded, according to our crew. Just yesterday morning, Bahrain's U.S. backed government launched a brutal crackdown on the protesters who were sleeping in an encampment.

Also, facing a major challenger today, the U.S.-backed regime in Yemen, today those protests are growing larger, angrier and more violent. This is an outburst over the stone-throwing that we saw yesterday, and today, apparently, the bloodshed is getting even worse. Our CNN crews confirmed that grenade attack in southern Yemen where more than 10,000 people massed to demand that the president resigned.

Then the volatility is rising in Libya. Anti-government organizers today say more than 100,000 people have turned out for protests, and the crowds came under fire there as well. CNN can't confirm the claims or those of the government. It's reporting that seven people were killed in yesterday's day of rage. Human rights groups say that death toll is going to be much higher.

We've got Egypt, where this all began, just after Tunisia, and it's an ancient land that's not demonstrating today, but, rather, celebrating a new beginning. Right now, thousands and thousands of citizens are back in Tahrir Square with a so-called day of victory. Exactly one week ago, they achieved the unthinkable. Through sheer will and staggering numbers, they ousted an unpopular president.

Senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman live once again in Tahrir Square. Quite a different scene, Ben, from what we're talking a week ago.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, an incredibly different scene, Kyra. This has been a huge celebration in Tahrir Square. It's impossible to calculate the number of people. Egyptians are talking about millions of people coming here, and, certainly, this is the most crowded we have seen Tahrir Square yet. This is a day of celebration, a day when Egyptians - it's the weekend - when Egyptians can take stock of the fact that in just 18 days they were able to overthrow in a relatively bloodless revolution, President Hosni Mubarak who was in power for 30 years.

What we've seen today is that at mid day there were prayers. The square was incredibly quiet and solemn as hundreds of thousands of people joined in the Muslim Friday prayers, and then afterwards, it became a street celebration. There's dancing. There's singing. People are making speeches. It's an incredibly festive atmosphere. Certainly, when you compare it with the situation in places like Yemen and Bahrain and Libya.

So Egypt, at least, is basking in this new found freedom.

Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ben Wedeman once again live from Tahrir Square. Ben, thanks. More from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: OK. We are continuing to follow those protests in Bahrain. As you can see, there were thousands of people that have continued to turn out for anti-government protests. This was the funeral procession for one of the protesters killed, and it wasn't long after this our crews there in Bahrain actually heard shots fired into the crowd.

Both our Arwa Damon and Nic Robertson are there. Nic, I know the two of you are sort of sharing a phone there in the middle of all the protesters. I'm getting word that you were tear-gassed. Is that correct?

ROBERTSON: What had happened, Kyra. We heard a group of protesters - it doesn't seem as far as we know they were connected with the funeral marches earlier in the day but attorney group of protesters they decided to walk back to the roundabout, the place where they were camped and the police charged them out of there almost two nights ago.

Now, they tried to return there. There is a security cordon at the center of the roundabout. There were shots fired. It's not clear if they were fired into the crowd or over the heads of the crowd, but live rounds, and an ambulance worker reported that four people were killed in that first volley.

Arwa and myself arrived there a little bit after that first incident. The crowd tried to move forward, they stopped to pray, and they tried to move forward, and the police fired more tear gas. The second time when we were there and they fired tear gas, the crowd, protesters ran away from the police. The police charged down the road and there was an absolute barrage of tear gas flying over the heads of crowds as they were trying to run away. We saw people being picked up and put into ambulances. There were about 10 ambulances there when we first arrived, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Now, Nic, as we saw things get violent in Cairo, President Hosni Mubarak finally had to come out and say something publicly. Has the king addressed the people yet at all?

ROBERTSON: The king has addressed the people. He talked to them earlier in the week and he said that he was sorry for the death of the protesters earlier in the week. People took that very much at face value, but in the subsequent days, of course, there have been the violent confrontation and people now feel that the king's words are empty words. They've also heard from the foreign minister and the foreign minister and the new Bahraini representative to the United States, and he said that "proportional force" has been used and the prime minister says threat was used and they were staring into a sectarian abyss and used the minimum force necessary to maintain the security of the country and the economic interests of the country and for the stability and safety and security of the country.

So the government has addressed these issues. It seems to have drawn a very clear line in the sand. There are places where it will not let the protesters muster and gather, and in the statement, two days ago, he warned people not to gather in large numbers because it could be potentially dangerous and destabilizing. That's what appears to be what's happening now, protesters are not being allowed to go to through some of these, what are now becoming sensitive locations where people have gathered so far, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, your equipment was confiscated yesterday. Did you ever get your equipment back? And have you been able to shoot any video of what's taking place there?

ROBERTSON: Well, we have been able to get some of our equipment back. Some of it remains with the customs authority. The foreign minister has been providing assistance to try to get some of that equipment to us, and we have some equipment available to us. We are being able to report the story and no military has stopped our access to locations around the city or events. Some of the events are dangerous at the moment.

PHILLIPS: Nic, it looks like we're losing you on the sat phone. Could you try moving in a different direction and give me a test once again on that sat phone.

ROBERTSON: We are moving around all of the time at the moment here. So it is a little tricky for me, perhaps, to give you a better test. But basically this is the best we can do at the moment.

PHILLIPS: I can hear you now. I can hear your perfectly now. Do you want to pass the phone over to Arwa, and I can ask her a couple of questions as well.

ROBERTSON: Absolutely. Arwa was at the front and had a much better view than me.

PHILLIPS: Hey, Arwa. OK, you heard what Nic had to say, you also got inside the hospital and actually got to see how many people had been injured. What kinds of wounds they were suffering from. You know, it's so hard for us to get the real picture and so we got the chance to talk to you and Nic. You know, we do have some video here of the funeral procession and the protests but with regard to the violence, give us a reality check. How bad is it? How bad were the hospitals and what's your take on how violent it could get today.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, we went to the hospital last night and there we were taken and in the morgue we saw three bodies, most of them have sustained numerous wounds caused by this pellet bullets that the police were using and one man appeared to have had a bullet fired into his head at close range. that is what people working in the morgue told us. Another young man while we were there also bled out from wounds that he sustained. The doctors were unable to save him. When we arrived town, just outside Pearl Square tonight, we were in the middle of interviewing a man who was literally covered in blood. He said it was after the first volley of gun fire we heard where he was describing how the soldiers out front actually went down on one knee, and he says, they were firing into and over the crowd.

The man standing next to him took a bullet to the head. He was trying to help him. That's why he was covered in blood, and in the middle of that interview was when the military opened fire once again. The crowds went running back, using the ambulance for cover. The ambulances were moving in front forming something of a barricade between the demonstrators and the military.

Eventually, the demonstrators decided to move forward once again, as Nic was describing, stopping, praying, moving forward. One man I was talking to in the middle of all these process, and I was asking him how long they were going to keep it up. Were they afraid of getting killed? He said, even if I do get killed, there would be nothing better than to die for my country and that was when we had the very intense volley of tear gas, and as Nicholas said, we had to leave the scene.

PHILLIPS: Arwa Damon and Nic Robertson following those protests that have gotten deadly and violent in Bahrain. We will continue to follow this story with both of them as they are right there in the center of the square. More from the CNN NEWSROOM, straight head.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK).

PHILLIPS: We have been following these protests that have gotten deadly and much more violent in Bahrain. And we want to go once again live to the square there where are now talking with Rima Maktabi, as you know, Nic Robertson and Arwa Damon are there covering this as well. We are not talking with Rima Maktabi. As you know, our Nic Robertson and Arwa Damon are there covering this as well. Rima, what can you tell us from your vantage point and how intense these protests are getting?

RIMA MAKTABI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're we're so close to the roundabout where the protests have been happening, and the whole day had been going well until this protest started, and we hear about gunfire and gunshots and live ammunition, and a lot of police presence in the roundabout along with people killed. So far it's four. And many injured. There are many ambulances around there, and the whole thing started with two groups going into the center when the clashes started. This has been building up throughout the day. It's Friday. It's the Friday prayers for Muslims across the Middle East and there were many funeral processions during the day for protesters who have been killed in the past days. Two days ago. So this anger and sadness has been building up throughout the day, and it's reached this level and his point, Kyra

PHILLIPS: And Rima, is there any way, or have you heard in any way, shape or form, if the king is going to come out and address the recent violence? Obviously, we haven't heard, the protesters have not heard from anyone within the royal family for days.

MAKTABI: Well, we know from sources that the royal family is watching what's happening closely. They are very worried. Yesterday, there was a major meeting for GCC (ph) countries, countries like UAE and Qatar and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

There are a lot of worries building up here. It is seen here as different from what I've seen in Egypt or Tunisia. This was about poor living conditions, however, it is a sectarian strike against Sunnis and Shiites, lesser extent.

Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Rima Maktabi there, live from Bahrain. Rima, thanks. I'm going to take a quick break. More from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Half past the hour, much more this morning as we have been following the protests across the Arab world. Just minutes ago CNN crews in Bahrain tell us that shots were fired onto a massive demonstration there. Witnesses say that the soldiers opened fire on the protesters. Ambulance crews say at least four people confirmed dead. You know, just yesterday morning, Bahrain's U.S.-backed government launched against protesters who are sleeping in an encampment.

Then in Egypt, quite the opposite. The mood is festive. Thousands of people jamming into Tahrir Square right now to celebrate, their so- called day of victory. One week ago today the anti-government movement toppled President Hosni Mubarak.

In Libya, anti-government organizers say that more than 100,000 people have turned out for protests today, and the crowds came under fire. CNN can't confirm the claims or those of the government. It's reporting, though, that seven people were killed yesterday in the day of rage, but human rights groups are going against that saying that they believe the death toll is much higher.

Now also facing a major challenge, the U.S.-backed regime in Yemen. Today, the protesters are growing larger and much more violent. This is an outburst of stone throwing that happened yesterday. Today, the bloodshed is worse.

CNN crews are confirming that a grenade attack in southern Yemen happened where more than 10,000 people had massed to demand that the president resign. Now, the protests in our country, well, totally different story. We're talking about deep budget cuts, state money crisis coming to a boil in Wisconsin. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): It's the third day of protests there in Madison. Thousands of teachers and other state workers are saying that Governor Scott Walker's budget bill will slash their benefits and collective bargaining rights. Well, not happy about that either and where that will go.

Now, Wisconsin's budget, as we know, is broken, and the governor says some tough choices had to be made. Here's how broken it is. The state is facing a $3.6 billion budget shortfall, the controversial repair bill, offering up $300 million in cuts. So what does that mean to an individual?

Well, the average salary for a state worker in Wisconsin is $48,000. Each worker would pay about $3,300 out of their pocket per year for benefits. Let's talk more about this with Carl Asuz. She's with CNN's Student News.

This is something - I mean, the bummer part is the kids really suffer when this happens. Schools are closed and teachers are out there protesting. You want them to have, you know, what they want, but at the same time, the students really lose out when they can't go to class.

CARL ASUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Well, especially, too, when you see smaller class sizes. I have a couple of examples of how budget cuts are affecting some of the bigger school districts in the country and you'll see it does spell out to what could be a bigger challenge for students and for their teachers.

I want to start off by showing you a comparative salary chart. We're looking at the salaries between experienced teachers and those at the entry level. You see in the state of Maryland because I'm going to tell you about Baltimore in just a moment, starting salary for public school teachers around $37,000.

The ten-year salary is $49,000 on average. You are looking at a 32 percent difference, 42 percent in Georgia, and 22 in Washington. As a reaction to that, many school systems throughout the country are looking to eliminate the jobs of the more experienced teachers and fill those jobs with teachers at the entry level.

And one example is something we're seeing in Baltimore. They are offering teachers a buyout, the experience teachers I should say are being offered a buyout about 75 percent of their salary for the next five years.

During this time, they could substitute teach and work other jobs, and, of course, this would save school systems money if they replace those experienced teachers with teachers at the entry level. But there are some pretty big downsides to this.

I mean, for one thing, there is the potential for smaller class sizes and especially if they do not fill all of those teachers slots with entry level teachers. In addition to that, you are looking at losing your experienced teacher, those classroom veterans who have been in there for a while if they take the buyout would then vacate their classrooms.

PHILLIPS: And so how long do you think this could last, could take? I mean, it's been a really -- we were talking that you see crowds like that at Lambeau Field, you know, Packers' stadium. You don't normally see protest like this in Wisconsin. It is usually a very friendly education state.

ASUZ: I think - I mean, I think you hit an interesting point when you're asking how long this could take. I mean, we don't know. When I started reporting on this a few years back, we were talking about school budget cuts in terms of bus routes being eliminated.

In terms of some students losing out on field trips, and now we're looking at possible teacher buyouts in Wisconsin. We're looking at massive layoffs in New York City. It just makes my earlier reports on cuts seem so insignificant.

PHILLIPS: We will stay on top of that story. Carl, thank you so much.

ASUZ: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You bet. All right, something else that we're talking about today. It seems the whole world has Bieber fever. He is only 16 years old, but he has millions, I'm talking teens and adults, of fans swooning over this kid.

It's probably why he landed a "Rolling Stone" cover. It's on newsstands now. You know, his videos are among the most watched on Youtube. He's got 7.3 million followers on Twitter and more than 21 million Facebook friends. Not to mention a hit movie at the box office. "Never Say Never" you can say that again.

So he's not normally money associated with controversy until now. He is actually talking health care, women's rights and politics. To weigh in on these comments on Bieber and the "Rolling Stone" magazine, and what we've heard, of course, we turn to Pete Dominick, comedian, radio host, regular contributor, totally insane man. I had a feeling --

PETE DOMINICK, HOST, SIRIUS XM'S "STAND UP WITH PETE DOMINICK": I got Bieber fever, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Yes. You're Bieber-licious this morning.

DOMINICK: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: I tell you what. This is one of those things that, OK, I just -- he has so much influence on so many young kids, and I just want to throw it out there. When you don't really know what you're talking about at the age of 16, should you be addressing controversial issues like abortion?

I mean, let me just read the quote, and I want you to, you know, tell me what you think about this. When the reporter asked about abortion, he said, it's like killing a baby. He goes on to say, well, I think that's really sad but everything happens for a reason.

I don't know how that would be a reason. I guess I haven't been in that position, and I wouldn't be able to judge that. I mean, that's talking about if someone were raped and had to have an abortion, it just seems like something this young kid shouldn't be talking about. DOMINICK: Well, absolutely. You're absolutely right, Kyra, but he's a 16-year-old kid, and he's going to answer the questions that his mom who handles him, his manager and his publicist tells him to answer. But apparently his publicist didn't pay any attention to General Stanley Mcchrystal's interview with this same magazine, "Rolling Stone," which I'm a huge man of. There's a great article on that Taibbi in the same issue.

That being said, his people should have known a little better than to put him down with a "Rolling Stone" reporter and having him answer those questions which, of course, he should not be answering. I will say this, Kyra, you have the other quote that he said about universal health care too, right? This is very interesting.

PHILLIPS: Here's what he says, you guys are evil. Canada is the best country in the whole world. We go to the doctor. We don't need to worry about paying him, but here your whole life you're broke because of medical bills.

DOMINICK: Yes. Here's what we can learn. There is something that we can learn about this, those of us in the media that talk about this. The labels conservative and liberal, they don't always apply. This is a Canadian kid. He's what we consider in America to be very liberal with universal health care.

Most people in Europe and Canada support this, but on the issue of abortion, he's pro life, so he aligns with social conservatives. So these labels don't always apply. We learn that from who? Justin Bieber.

PHILLIPS: OK, so he talks ability abortion in this article. He talks about politics. He talks about health care. Now on politics, it's about Korea, and he says, I'm not sure about the parties, but whatever they have in Korea, that's bad.

DOMINICK: Yes. No risk there. He doesn't get hurt on that one at all. That was a safe answer and fairly obvious. I think he makes it through on that one.

PHILLIPS: So you think this was just kind of a PR person kind of dropping the ball and should have prepped him better and say, you know what?

DOMINICK: Yes, absolutely. He's a pop star. He's a musician. He's a dancer. He shouldn't be commenting on politics. He shouldn't be asked to comment on politics. It's only going to hurt his career, his numbers. I mean, it can't hurt him too much, right?

He's one of the most famous people in the world, but there's no place for him to be comment -- he's 16. What does he know about the world with all due respect? He's a great singer and dancer. I guess, my daughters still don't know who he is. I'm sure they will at some point, but, no on politics. Stick to what you know.

PHILLIPS: There you go. Still very young, a lot of growing up to do, a lot of experiences to have, and then maybe when he matures a little bit he can talk about these issues. Definitely raising eyebrows. All right, Pete Dominick, thanks for joining me. Appreciate it. You always have an opinion.

DOMINICK: If I could get some of his Twitter fans, I wouldn't mind.

PHILLIPS: Yes, no kidding, 7 million, my goodness. All right, we'll try and hook you up with the Beib.

Well, if this Vietnam vet doesn't inspire you, no one will. He's proof that ability is far greater than disability. He just needed some better clubs to improve his golf score. Thanks to the folks at Nike he should have an even better game this summer. You're going to love this story coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, for months, we've shown you how hard it is to be a veteran. VA hospitals that can't seem to keep their equipment sterilized, putting veterans at risk, too horrific wars, injuries, PTSD, a record rate of suicides, homelessness, Arlington cemetery even dropping the ball there.

But at the same time, we're always looking for stories to inspire our men and women that are coming home from war and we found that in this man, Vietnam Vet Mike Reeder. He inspired us when we first met him last year, and now he's inspired the golf experts at Nike as well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): Tiger Woods, Lucas Glover, Stuart Sink, elite golfers you might see at Nike in Fort Worth, Texas. The place where skilled craftspeople forged the tools that keep these champions on top of their game, not a place the average golfer will ever see, but Mike Reeder is not an average golfer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on in. Welcome.

PHILLIPS: Mike lost both his legs in Vietnam. He's been playing golf for the last 22 years and playing well. In 2010, he got to live a dream. He played the fabled course at St. Andrews in Scotland.

MIKE REEDER, AMPUTEE GOLFER: My first few swings over in Scotland, last year, everybody said, you're a links player. You need to be here.

PHILLIPS: He shot a 79 on the old course. When he first shared his story with CNN, he drove a few balls live on the air. Well, Nike saw Mike's story, and the next thing he knew, the company invited him to "The Oven" for custom-made clubs. Mike played, Nike got to work.

REEDER: You know, I've always had to just make due, and I don't want to have to make due anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That makes sense.

PHILLIPS: Nike's club experts say no problem. MATT PLUMB, GOLF SPORTS MARKEITING, NIKE: The function of what Mike does with the golf club is the same as when we working with one of our tour athletes. It is just having the right tools and being able to be set up to Mike's specs.

REEDER: Always and forever, my mental picture is Payne Stewart. But I'm also a realist.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly, exactly.

PHILLIPS: After watching Mike on the course, Nike's Matt Plumb has an idea what he needs. It's back into "The Oven" to meet the craftsmen who will customize his woods, iron and putter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the fun part.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He even resembles Santa Claus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's got the red and green on today too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pretty?

REEDER: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go do it.

PHILLIPS: So how do the test clubs feel?

REEDER: Once bounce and check. I ain't used to that.

PHILLIPS: And it just keeps getting better.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Superb.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For distance, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we have a winner with the two wedges. Pretty much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good, good, good.

REEDER: I'm seeing the ball go where I want it to go, and that's making me very happy.

PHILLIPS: Nike then puts Mike through the putting lab, finding the perfect fit for his form.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a better roll.

REEDER: You guys are getting pretty creative.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we definitely do. That's what makes it fun, though.

PHILLIPS: Fun, creative.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're all pretty excited about it truthfully.

PHILLIPS: And for this disabled Vet, a lifetime experience like no other.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One thing is we like a good challenge around here.

REEDER: Well, bet I am. To have Nike already set up for me, to have a bunch of different heads, different heads, for me to try, and then plus the different shaft combinations, you know, I'm in hog heaven.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Mike is hoping to put up better scores this summer at his course in Franklin, Tennessee. Matt Plumb from Nike, you actually saw him in that story. He was Mike's host at "The Oven."

Matt, what was it like spending time with Mike? Because this was a totally different type of fitting that you usually do.

PLUMB: It sure was. It was great to meet Mike finally. We've exchanged so many e-mails leading up to the process and great to get him in there and kind of show him what we were able to do and provide him with some better equipment.

PHILLIPS: Now what stood out, Matt, about him? Because you're usually dealing with tour professionals, and you know, sometimes they can be a little, you know, not so easy to deal with all of the time. There could be a little drama.

Where you've got this Vietnam Vet, man, when he got the call from you, he was so excited and so humbled. What was it about him when you met him, when he came through "The Oven," and all of your skilled craftsmen and women met him, what was the reaction? What was the buzz? What did they say?

PLUMB: Everybody was inspired. We heard so much and talked so much about this visit before Mike got in there. Everybody was so excited to meet him and kind of see how he does what he does. Truly what stood out though was his passion for the game, his love for wanting to perform this sport and do what he does. It was great to see.

PHILLIPS: So what do you think? How did you see the clubs work in his hands and drive the ball, putt the ball? Do you think this is going to make a difference in his game?

PLUMB: Definitely. What Mike does is truly remarkable and truly inspirational for anybody who shares the love that he does for this game. You know, I think we made some big improvements in Mike's game. I know he was pretty excited about the irons that we got and the wedges that we made for him and we definitely picked up some distance on his drive. So that was great. PHILLIPS: That's great. We will definitely follow up. I'm hoping to get out there and play some golf with him and we'll see just how well he does. Maybe I can borrow some of those clubs.

Matt, thank you so much for hosting him. We thank you and we thank Beth Gass and, also, of course, your president who made this all happened for us. We really appreciate it.

PLUMB: Thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: You bet.

All right, we are also talking, of course, about the celebrations in Egypt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(voice-over): Right now, this is Tahrir Square. A day of victory, they're calling it. It's not like what we saw last week. There's no violence. There aren't people being beaten up, taken to the hospital.

They're basically just waiting to see the changes that they fought for so heavily last week when they got their president ousted there in that country. Quite a different switch from what we're seeing in Bahrain and other parts of the Arab region. We're going to take you there live in just a second.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: This morning we have been following protests cross the Arab world and just minutes ago, CNN crews in Bahrain told us shots had been fired upon a massive demonstration there. Witnesses tell us that soldiers just opened fire on the protesters.

Ambulance crews say at least four people are confirmed dead and then just yesterday morning Bahrain's government launched a brutal crackdown on those same protesters who are sleeping in an encampment.

Also facing a major challenge today, in Yemen, today those protests are growing larger, angrier and more violent. This is an outburst of stone-throwing that we saw yesterday. Today, well, the bloodshed even worse. CNN crews confirm a grenade attack in southern Yemen where more than 10,000 people had massive demand that the president resign.

Now, in Libya, anti-government organizers say that more than 100,000 people have turned out for protests today, and the crowds came under fire as well. CNN cannot confirm these claims or those of the government because we can't get crews in there.

It's reporting that seven people were killed in yesterday's day of rage, but human rights groups are saying that that death toll is much higher. We do have a protester in the area on the phone. For his safety, we are not identifying him. Sir, can you tell us exactly what you are seeing? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are coming from everywhere. I can tell you the last call was about 10,000. I guarantee there are a lot more than that. There are marchers coming from all sides of the city towards the courthouse, and they are asking people watching in their houses to come and join this demonstration. They are peaceful. Bring your kids, your family. Don't worry. There are no police, nobody in front of the courthouse.

PHILLIPS: So you are saying thousands of protesters are out on the streets there in Libya, but you have not seen any violence? There have been no attacks on those protesters?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. There is a lot of violence, but here in front of the courthouse, so far, there is no police, nobody. We know they are surrounding areas in the city, but there is nobody we can see beside the courthouse. So only protesters, and it's peaceful demonstration.

PHILLIPS: You are talking about in Benghazi?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Now, have you been able to talk to anybody in other parts of Libya somewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Do you know what it's like in Tripoli? Can you give us a feel for other parts of Libya and --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I can't tell you about the other areas. There is no police or any government forces there. All of the people controlling the street and the cities. All of the forces now are surrounding Benghazi.

PHILLIPS: Got it. OK, we sure appreciate you calling in. It's been hard to report from Libya, obviously, because we can't get crews in there to give us firsthand coverage. We appreciate you calling in, sir.

Well, the "Power of Pictures," a CNN documentary focuses on the work of civil rights photographer Ernest Withers. We'll get a sneak peek coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, pictures are said to be worth a thousand words, right? And you could argue some are worth just a little bit more. A CNN documentary premiering this weekend focuses on the work of civil rights photographer Ernest Withers. Here's CNN's special correspondent Soledad O'Brien.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Through one lens, Memphis and much of the American south was a frightening place to be. But through another lens, the lens belonging to budding photojournalist Ernest Withers, it could also be exhilarating, exciting, inspiring.

BILLY WITHERS, ERNEST'S SON: I don't think that he had the impression at the time that he was taking this for preservation of his people. But he had a sense of the purpose and importance of what he was doing.

EARL CALDWELL, FRIEND: If you look at his work, one of the things had he a feel for was the little guy, the poor guy that's working hard. He had a way of being able to photograph someone's face. It was almost like you were looking at the person's hands or something because you could see how hard their lives had been, and it was in their faces.

O'BRIEN: In 1960, black sharecroppers in Fayette County, Tennessee, were being evicted from her homes for registering to vote. Tent City was an emergency camp set up on donated land for those people who suddenly found themselves with no food, no shelter, nowhere to turn. Withers rushed there with the only aid he had, his camera.

BILLY: That was a sense of mission to him. I can remember him calling all of the different editors and reporters around the country.

O'BRIEN (on camera): To pitch the story?

BILLY: Right. That's what he would do on numerous occasions when he felt it was something that really need to be exposed. He had his own mission, purpose.

O'BRIEN: What was that?

BILLY: It's to expose things.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, the CNN documentary "Pictures Don't Lie" premieres Sunday night 8:00 p.m. Eastern time right here on CNN. Sure hope you have a great weekend. We'll see you back here on Monday.

Now, we'll take it over to Suzanne Malveaux for the next two hours, Suzanne.