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Government Violence in Bahrain; Wisconsin Union Showdown; Grenade Hurled at Yemen Protestors; 'Day of Victory' Rally in Egypt; New Bloodshed in Bahrain; Young Designers Show Off; NASCAR's Vickers Back on Track

Aired February 18, 2011 - 11:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: You, too. Happy Friday, Kyra.

Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Let's get you up to speed for Friday, February 18th. Police opened fire on protesters in Bahrain just a short time ago as two crowds neared Pearl Square. Reports say at least four people are dead. Our CNN's Arwa Damon -- she is there. She joins me. Arwa, give us a sense of what we are seeing on the ground.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, it appears as if a small group of demonstrators, a few hundred of them, were trying to move back into Pearl Square. We heard the initial gunshots when we were not at the location just yet. When we arrived there, we were talking to a man who was covered in blood. He said that it was from the person who had been standing next to him who he said had been shot in the head, saying that the military standing there was using live ammunition. An ambulance worker was telling us that four had been killed in the initial volley of gunfire.

As we were having this conversation, a second barrage of gunfire erupted, people scrambling, trying to run away from the military, the ambulances that were already on scene moving in, creating a shield between the military and the demonstrators.

Ten minutes later, the demonstrators decided to make another push forward. They were stopping, praying, and then moving forward, one man we spoke to saying that they were going to keep this push up. I asked him if he wasn't afraid that he would be killed, and he responded saying, There would be nothing more honorable than to be killed fighting for freedom for my country, those words barely out of his mouth when a massive volley of tear gas, ammunition. We could hear gunshots. And everybody began running back. It was quite a sustained tear gas assault.

We also saw tear gas being fired into a neighboring a residential neighborhood. In the chaos, there were bodies that were being thrown into ambulances, this very much a clear indication that it seems that both the military and the police are not going to allow the demonstrators to retake Pearl Square, and of course, very concerning as to what is going to happen next, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Arwa, these -- this crackdown, these attacks now by the military, by the police, do you think it is going to bolster these demonstrators? Are they going to go home? Or does it look like this has emboldened them now?

DAMON: Well, Suzanne, from everything that everyone who we have spoken to has said, when we see this type of violence being used, it only serves to further galvanize the demonstrators. The more violent the authorities are, the more determined they become to stand their ground first and foremost because they don't want the blood that has been spilled to be lost in vain, but also because many of them here in Bahrain feel as if this is their last chance. They have to make a stance right now.

There have historically been demonstrations in this country. They have not led to much change. And so people really feel as if it is now or never. We speak to many mothers, parents who are down at the demonstration site, saying that they're willing to lay down their lives so that their children don't go through what they are going through right now. Remember that the demonstrators...

MALVEAUX: Arwa, explain to us a little bit who's actually on the ground. And what do they want?

DAMON: Well, they want a number of things, and their demands have changed slightly since the authorities began to go -- or use increased force with them. Initially, they were asking for amendments to the constitution. They wanted economic reforms, political reforms. They wanted to have a prime minister who was elected by the people.

Now they want -- many of them are saying that they want the entire regime brought down, this regime that has ruled this country for so long, the al Khalifa family. They want to see parliament dissolved. They want the constitution dissolved. They want to start from scratch. They say they want equal opportunities.

Remember, most of these demonstrators are from Bahrain's predominantly Shia population. Seventy percent of the country is Shia. It is, however, ruled by the Sunni minority. The Shia feel as if they have largely been alienated by the government, not given equal opportunity. There are some Sunnis who are, of course, standing with them. But right now, they're saying it is time for Bahrain to begin to change just as other countries in the region have, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And describe for us who is actually on the ground. You mention that there are mothers. Are there children, families, working class? Give us a sense of who is actually on the streets.

DAMON: Well, what happened this evening -- the crowds there were largely male. They were all male, in fact, at least all that I saw. They were there. It seemed like they were trying to take the square, initially tried to take it back from the military, from the police, and then see if they could bring greater numbers into the area.

But in the past, what has happened is that we've seen entire families down in Pearl Square. In fact, the night that the police launched their assault onto the square, women and children were among those who were sleeping. When we were at the hospital last night, we were talking to a woman who said that she was there sleeping in a tent with other mothers and their children. She was with her two daughters, ages 6 and 8, when all of a sudden, she says, they woke up coughing, choking on tear gas that the police were firing. She says at that point, they did not evacuate the premises. They were trying to stand their ground. Then she claims that the police actually set the tent they were in on fire.

Of course, the government here has come out and has said that they used minimal force. They have said that the measures that they have taken thus far were necessary...

MALVEAUX: OK...

DAMON: ... that the country stared into a sectarian abyss and that these measures had to be taken to try to save the country and save the economy here, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Thank you, Arwa Damon. We certainly hope to speak with someone, a special envoy to Bahrain, certainly within the next couple of hours to get the latest take on what is taking place there, turning ugly, peaceful into ugly now demonstrations out of Bahrain.

In Yemen, there are rival demonstrators that are going at it again. Government supporters threw rocks and swung sticks as they plunged into a crowd of protesters at Sanaa University. Someone tossed a grenade at protesters holding a separate rally. Crowds want Yemen's long-time ruler to give up power.

And this, a carnival atmosphere in Egypt today. The masses -- and we mean masses -- returned to Tahrir Square to mark one week since President Hosni Mubarak gave up power. You are looking at live pictures right now, just a sea of humanity there. Today's rally is also meant to keep pressure on Egypt's new military rulers, who have promised a transition to democracy.

And protesters on the march, lawmaker on the run. These are dramatic developments that are playing out in Wisconsin right now. Teachers and other state workers are staging more rallies today. Now, what they're doing is they're protesting Republican governor Scott Walker's "budget repair" bill. And as we mentioned, some Democratic lawmakers actually left the state to delay a vote on the bill.

Our CNN's Casey Wian -- and he's at the state capital, Madison. Casey, give us a sense of the mood today. How big are the protests? Do they -- are they going to stay?

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, you can see behind me some of the protesters who have gathered here for the third straight day. Many of these protesters are teachers angry about proposed legislation they say would basically do away with their collective bargaining rights. Let's let you take a look at what they're saying, some of the signs, some of the images, some of the sounds of what they're saying. They're saying this is what democracy looks like.

They're very upset that the governor here, Scott Walker, has proposed legislation without, they say, consulting the unions about the impact it's going to have on their collective bargaining rights. What this legislation would do is require the workers to pay more money for their health and pension benefits and stop them from being able to directly bargain with the state for pay increases.

Now, we had a lot of vocal protests here. Schools are closed because so many teachers have descended on the state capitol to protest this potential legislation. But I got to tell you that not everyone is in support of these teachers' position. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are 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!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN: Those are clearly the minority voices. Most of the people here at the state capitol very upset with the proposed budget. What they have succeeded in doing is stalling this legislation, preventing it from moving forward. People thought that the legislation might pass as soon as today, but Democratic lawmakers, who are supporting these teachers, and other union sympathizers have left the state, so the legislation cannot move forward. They're basically at a standstill right now legislatively, but there's a lot of loud voices here at the state capitol protesting what they see as an infringement on their union rights, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Casey, very quickly, what do we anticipate after this walkout by the Democrats? We know that it's stalled. Do we get a sense that perhaps the governor -- either he can move without them, or they are simply buying time, they are stuck?

WIAN: Well, the Democratic lawmakers say they're trying to slow this process down. The governor says he's not going to budge. There is some talk that the house of representatives here may actually take action on the legislation today, but they can't do anything without the senate acting. And until those lawmakers come back to the state of Wisconsin and act on this bill, it's not going anywhere, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Casey Wian, thank you so much.

Well, from tackling childhood obesity to tax benefits for breast- feeding mothers, some are criticizing Michelle Obama for creating what they say is a nanny state, which brings us to today's "Talk Back." Our Carol Costello -- she joins us from Washington. Carol, what is the concern here? What is the complaint?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the concern is with this -- these allegations that Michelle Obama wants to create a nanny state. It all started with Michelle Obama's little garden at the White House. She invited children to plant vegetables to encourage kids to eat healthy. It was the start of her childhood anti-obesity campaign, a campaign many said was a no-down-side issue. Wrong. Turns out some conservatives say that garden planted the seeds of Mrs. Obama's, real goal, to create a nanny state, an allegation that gained steam when Mrs. Obama championed breast feeding because some studies suggest breast feeding leads to slimmer adults. That came right around the same time that the IRS agreed that breast pumps could be a tax deduction.

Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann says, "To think that the government has to go out and buy my breast pump for my babies, I think you just got the new definition of the nanny state." And yesterday, Sarah Palin jumped on that bandwagon again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH PALIN (R-AK), FMR. GOV., FMR. VP NOMINEE: It's no wonder Michelle Obama's telling everybody, You better breast feed your babies because -- and I'm looking and I'm going, yes, you better because the price of milk is so high right now!

(LAUGHTER)

PALIN: Regardless of the political -- you know, do it for economic reasons!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So it turns out there may be a down side to the first lady's Let's Move campaign. So "Talk Back" today. Why has Mrs. Obama's anti-obesity campaign become so controversial? Give me your feedback on my Facebook page, FaceBook.com/carolCNN. I'll read back your answers a little later in the hour -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Carol.

Well, here is what's ahead on the rundown. Fighting for her rights in the middle of a budget battle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY RIESCH, MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND DIRECTOR: I'm here for everybody's rights, all union members! I'm here for my students. I'm a teacher. Sit down with us, Scott Walker! Come on! Partnership! Partnership!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: I'm going to be talking to this passionate middle school band teacher in just a few minutes.

Caught on video, a passenger goes off on a bus driver, even smacks him. We're going to show you what all that commotion was about.

And a high school wrestler refuses to go up against a female component -- opponent, rather. He says it would be against his faith to grapple with a girl. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: More now on the budget showdown in Wisconsin. Protesters say the "budget repair" bill is an attack on unions and collective bargaining. It also requires teachers and other public workers to pay a bigger share of their pension and benefit costs.

Well, Nancy Riesch -- she is a middle school band director. She's been on the front lines protesting this bill, and she joins us from Madison. I want to thank you for joining us. Obviously, your passion, when we saw you yesterday really sparked our interest in talking to you again today. You've been out there for days now protesting this budget, and a lot of kids are out of school. We heard from some teachers who think you should be in the classroom. How long will you be out there? Tell us why.

NANCY RIESCH, MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND DIRECTOR: I'm out here for my students. I would love to be teaching, but I'm out here for their rights. I'm out here for their voice. If I don't be out here for them, we're going to lose this. We have started collective bargaining in 1959. For 52 years, we've been out here. And now all of a sudden, Governor Scott Walker wants to say, Forget it, no voice.

We are not out here about the pay and the benefits. We are out here for our voice. He is trying to bust our union. He is trying to not give us a voice. We need a voice for everyone. We're not just speaking about Wisconsin unions, Wisconsin schools. We're speaking about America. America. And if it starts here, it will be going to other states. So we need to have a voice...

MALVEAUX: Ms. Riesch, let me ask you this. Excuse me. Let me just as you this.

RIESCH: Yes.

MALVEAUX: If the governor came back with a deal...

RIESCH: Sure.

MALVEAUX: ... and he said, Look, you're going to have to contribute more to your pensions, to your health care plan because the state just can't afford it, but we will allow you to continue the bargaining, the bargaining rights, would that be acceptable?

RIESCH: That would. That would be acceptable. We are willing to give up something. We want to have a partnership. He does not want to have a partnership. He will not come to the table. We will come to the table. We will talk about things. Yes, we are willing to bargain with him. We have no rights for that. If we cannot do that, then we will not come to the table. We need to have the collective bargaining struck from this proposal.

MALVEAUX: What do you...

(CROSSTALK) RIESCH: ... own proposal. He thinks this is about health insurance, pensions. This is about a voice, collective bargaining. He needs to be man enough to come to the table. He needs to be a leader. He needs to show us that he is willing to form a partnership.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: Ms. Riesch, I want to ask you really quickly -- you talk about being man enough to come to the table. I want you to react to the Democratic state senators, who have not been at the table, no- shows in this -- voting for this budget.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: We understand the tactic here. We understand the tactic...

RIESCH: ... civil rights!

MALVEAUX: Sure. We understand the tactic that they're using, but do you think they should come to the table, as well?

(CROSSTALK)

RIESCH: ... and for every state. And we thank the people who've come here from other states today. And we want to be with them also.

MALVEAUX: Ms. Riesch, can I ask you -- you talk about coming to the table, the governor coming to the table. Do you think it was the right tactic for the Democratic senators...

RIESCH: United we stand!

MALVEAUX: ... not to come to the table?

RIESCH: United we stand! United we stand! United we stand!

MALVEAUX: OK. Ms. Riesch, thank you very much. I'm not sure she can hear me. But Ms. Riesch, we appreciate your time. And obviously, very passionate about this particular issue.

We're going to have this debate. We're going to be keeping a very close eye on what is taking place there because this is playing out across the country as various states have to grapple with these very serious questions about balancing their budget and who do they balance the budget, on the backs teachers, the union leaders? That's what we're talking about.

In the next hour, we're going to talk to state senator Mark Miller. He is one of the Democrats who left the state to delay this vote on the budget bill.

His fight to save whales has forced Japan to cancel the rest of its whale-hunting season. We're going to reveal our "Most Intriguing Person of the Day."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Our "Most Intriguing Person of the Day" has forced Japan to stop hunting whales. Captain Paul Watson heads the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and he and his team went to war with whalers. Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries now says whale hunting is temporarily suspended due to dangerous attacks by Watson's group. And that makes him "Most Intriguing."

Well, Dan Wallrath was honored as a top 10 CNN Hero for building mortgage-free homes for injured Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and that caught the attention of the TV show "Extreme Makeover Home Edition." Together, they helped a soldier who survived the Ft. Hood shootings find his way home, and that episode airs Sunday on ABC.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is my honor to present CNN Hero Dan Wallrath!

DAN WALLRATH, CNN HERO: Being a top 10 CNN Hero was just very humbling. The true heroes are servicemen and women who answer the call. Since the show aired, we've been getting phone calls and e- mails and donations from all over the world. It's just been incredible.

GEORGE VERSCHOOR, "EXTREME MAKEOVER HOME EDITION": We had seen Dan on the CNN Heroes tribute, and we thought that's a perfect guy we got to team up with.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning, Patrick and Jessica!

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "AC360" (voice-over): ABC's "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" joined forces with Dan to build a home for an Iraq war veteran wounded in the 2009 attack at Ft. Hood in Texas. Thirteen soldiers died, but Staff Sergeant Patrick Ziegler pulled through.

WALLRATH: He was shot four times, once in the head. He's just made a remarkable recovery.

COOPER: For Dan, who normally works with around 200 people, it's a chance to help build a home on a much larger scale.

WALLRATH: It has been 4,000 or 5,000 volunteers involved. We have tons of military folks helping us.

Bless you.

This house is going to be built in about 100 hours, where normally, we take about six months.

COOPER: At an event at Ft. Hood honoring Patrick and his fiancee, Jessica, Dan made a special announcement.

WALLRATH: We have established a Ft. Hood victims' fund to reach out to all the families affected by this tragedy. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

WALLRATH: I feel so good all the time about seeing these lives change. Now we're going to be able to change a lot more.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Again, you can see the entire "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" episode featuring CNN Hero Dan Wallrath Sunday on ABC. And if you know another amazing person like Dan who's making a difference in your community, let us know at CNNHeroes.com.

Well, now it's your chance to "Choose the News." We're going to tell you about three stories, and you vote via text message for the one that you want to see in detail in our next hour.

So here are your choices. It was the tragedy that changed the face of NASCAR. Ten years ago, after the death of Dale Earnhardt, a look at how it's affected the racing world. Also, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords battling back from a gunshot wound to the head. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, our own Dr. Sanjay Gupta, spends a fascinating day in the life of a rehab patient. And 5th graders from Staten Island take their glee club on the road, all the way to the Oscars.

So here's what you got to do. Vote by texting 22360. Vote 1 for NASCAR after Earnhardt, 2 for Gupta in Giffords's shoes, or 3 for 5th grade Oscar choir. The winning story is going to air in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's a look at what's ahead on the rundown. Darth Vader becomes a believer. James Earl Jones uses the force on a teen idol's hit song. That is going to be our "Guilty Pleasure."

And a couple of designers are creating a buzz as the youngest to debut at New York's Fashion Week.

And a high school wrestler forfeits a match. The reason? He will not compete with a girl.

We have breaking news. In neighboring Libya, we are just getting word now from a medical source that 20 people were killed and 200 wounded when anti-government protesters came under attack by security forces in the city of Benghazi. About 100,000 protesters marched through the streets carrying the bodies of those killed in this week's clashes. An opposition leader says the crowds were fired on by government operatives in civilian clothes.

Now, CNN does not have crews in Libya. We cannot confirm these accounts or those of the government. But state TV is showing pro- government demonstrations. Human rights groups -- they are urging Libyan authorities to stop using lethal force.

Want to go live to Yemen, that is where our Mohammed Jamjoom is in the capital there. I understand that there are protests that are taking place there. They are using rocks, sticks, even a grenade to attack each other.

What is happening in Yemen now?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, Suzanne, today is the eighth consecutive day of protests here, anti-government demonstrations in Sanaa. Also, the eighth consecutive day that there were clashes between anti-government demonstrators and pro-government demonstrators.

Earlier today, just outside of Sanaa University, about 1,500 anti-government demonstrators, mostly students, began marching through the streets. They were demands that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down. They were chanting "Peace," they said it was a peaceful protest calling for regime change here.

Now as they were marching, a group of about 100 pro-government demonstrators, these were gangs, they came in, they started attacking the anti-government demonstrators. They were hurling rocks at them, some of them were carrying daggers, some of them were beating the anti-government demonstrators over the heads. At least 30 injured in those demonstrations. Those disbursed earlier in the day.

Also today, not just in Sanaa, in the city of Taiz, 10,000 protesters at a peaceful sit-in, assailant with a grenade threw the grenade the crowd. We have confirmed one person died from the injuries due to that grenade and at least 12 people injured as well.

Now also protests today in the city of Aden. Not just anti- government demonstrations there today, also a separatist movement that's gaining momentum there.

So across Yemen, we are seeing a lot of concern from security forces that this protest movement is gaining momentum, that it could cause a serious threat to the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in power for 32 years here in Yemen -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: A chaotic scene there in Yemen, across the country.

Thank you, Mohammed Jamjoom.

Now we'll want to go over to Egypt, that is where it is a very different kind of mood. It is very festive. Our Fionnuala Sweeney, she is live in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Fionnuala, we have been watching, obviously, Tahrir Square over the last three weeks or so, back at the center of that movement. What is it like today?

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have more people in the square today, Suzanne, than at any time since these protests began on January 25th. It is really a mood of joy and exultation. People thrilled that this time last week Hosni Mubarak, the president of Egypt, stepped down from power. People still really can't believe that they managed to achieve the unthinkable, but they have. And we've been seeing people crowding into the square since early this morning and after Friday prayers, more people came to the square. They listened to a sheik, Qaradawi, who was exiled for many years in Qatar (ph), he was not allowed to speak in public in Egypt, and he spoke to the crowd. This was a huge deal here in this country, he had returned to Egypt after many years, and he said that this revolution belonged to everybody but that it had only just begun.

And I should just say that while these celebrations are continuing and the atmosphere is festive, there are troubling days ahead for the Egyptian government, particularly as it decides how to deal with the continuing wave of strikes and protests over pay and corruption that are continuing not only in Cairo, Suzanne, but throughout the country.

MALVEAUX: Fionnuala Sweeney there in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt. Thank you so much.

I want to go to Bahrain now. That is where our Arwa Damon, she is there, she is joining us on the phone with some breaking news.

What is taking place there?

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, Suzanne, what we witnessed in about the last hour, hour and a half is that it appears that a small group of demonstrators, a few hundred of them were trying to retake Pearl Square. We heard gunshots being fired as we were heading towards the square itself.

When we arrived there we were told by an ambulance worker that four people had been killed. We were in the middle of speaking with a man covered in blood when the military opened fire, shooting rounds over the heads of the demonstrators.

It would appear there were a number of people who were wounded in that. The demonstrators running back, taking cover behind the ambulances that moved in in between the military, effectively creating something of a barricade.

The demonstrators were relentless, though. They continued to try to push forward, stopping and praying along the way, and that is when the military and the police opened up a barrage of tear gas and gunfire, driving everyone back.

We saw bodies being thrown into the backs of ambulances, everybody scrambling to get to safety, to get away from the tear gas. We saw tear gas also being fired into a residential neighborhood in the area.

It really does appear that the authorities here are determined that the demonstrators are not going to take back Pearl Square, that they are going to do all that they can, use all power within their means to make sure that that does not happen, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Arwa, do you think they have been successful if dispersing the crowd, keeping them away, or has this only agitated people and made things worse?

DAMON: Well, we left the scene as soon as we could get to a safe place, around 45 minutes, an hour ago, so I'm not entirely sure what's going on there now. But based on talking to people there, based on the conversations I have had last night with -- with families at the hospital, every single time the government takes this kind of an action, it only serves to further galvanize the demonstrators, make them even more determined. Many of them feeling this is their last chance. That they have to make a stance now or else they are going to lose whatever momentum they might have to bring about change in this country.

Now, that being said, earlier in the day, we were at a pro- government rally with many people chanting slogans in support of the royal family, the prime minister. The authorities here saying that they were acting within their rights to maintain stability in Bahrain, and that's the other side of the story here.

MALVEAUX: Arwa Damon there in Bahrain, thank you so much.

Obviously things developing very, very quickly in the middle east as violent protests are erupting throughout the region.

We'll have more after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: How lovely?

It's Fashion Week in New York, and two young designers who are sisters, they're getting a lot of attention. They are the youngest duo to show at Fashion Week.

Our CNN's Poppy Harlow got a behind the scenes look at their debut.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM (voice-over): Welcome to the glitz, glamour and managed chaos of New York City Fashion Week, the place to see and be seen.

(on camera): How important is it to show here at New York City Fashion Week?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, you've made it. You are going to get all of the fashion influencers and experts coming through here.

HARLOW (voice-over): Sisters Alley and Kristen O'Neill are among the youngest designers here. Today is their Fashion Week debut for their 4-year-old label Porter Grey, and it's a chance to make their stiletto heel marks on the industry.

KRISTEN O'NEILL, PORTER GREY: It's let's people know, OK, we're a real line, that this collection took seven months to put together. So seven months and 45 minutes, basically. HARLOW: But getting here doesn't just take months of work, it takes deep pockets.

KELLY CUTRONE, FOUNDER, PEOPLE'S REVOLUTION: Even like a super cheap fashion show is a minimum of $80,000.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's casting, it's stylists, it's models, it's invitations, it's everything else.

ALEXANDRA O'NEILL, PORTER GREY: It is just us. We do everything ourselves.

Well, this is our shipping center.

HARLOW (on camera): Your apartment?

A. O'NEILL: Yes.

HARLOW: How do you do it with costs being so high?

K. O'NEILL: We spent just shy of $45,000, and we were able to cut about 35 percent of the cost using sponsorships.

HARLOW (voice-over): Those include free shoes, hair, nails and more, a bartering of sorts to bring costs down.

(on camera): So what have you gotten from making this big investment?

K. O'NEILL: I think we hope to create more brand awareness, more of a presence in publications.

HARLOW: Now do you feel established?

K. O'NEILL: We definitely feel more established.

A. O'NEILL: Maybe not established yet. We have a long way to go I think.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: And, Suzanne, I have to tell you, it is truly just the two of them. They have their brother, who is a film student, film all of their shows, so that's free, they cut costs that way. Their mother was backstage hemming models pants. I mean, this is really a two- woman operation.

But one thing I thought just really stood out to me about these girls, they insist on manufacturing here in the U.S. They do all of their manufacturing in New York City and they said it costs them three times more than if they were to do it in China. But to them, there's no question, they're not going to outsource. And that's interesting for a label just starting out trying to make it.

MALVEAUX: Absolutely. And it sounds like a family affair as well. Everybody's involved in this? HARLOW: Absolutely, absolutely. I think the family gets a little free clothes here and there for their help.

MALVEAUX: That's good. That's a good tradeoff.

Thanks, Poppy.

Tune in tomorrow to see all of our special reports on Fashion Week. Alina Cho hosts "FASHION WEEK BACKSTAGE PASS." It debuts here on CNN this Saturday at 2:30 Eastern.

And, of course, it's a reminder, your chance to "Choose the News." All you have to do is text 22360. Vote 1 for a look at NASCAR, a look at NASCAR a decade after Dale Earnhardt's death. Vote 2 for Dr. Sanjay Gupta spending the day in the life of a rehab patient. Or vote 3 for the fifth grade glee club from New York getting ready for their close-ups at the Oscars.

Now that winning story is going to air in the next hour.

NASCAR driver Brian Vickers has been in the winning circle many times, but a life-threatening illness almost but the brakes on his career. In today's "Human Factor," Dr. Sanjay Gupta, he shows us what he had to go through to be able to race again in Daytona 500 this Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Brian Vickers fell in love with racing at age of 8. By age 20, Vickers had driven his way into the record books, not only being the youngest NASCAR champion, but starting in the Super Bowl of stock car racing, the Daytona 500.

But a mere six years later, Vickers racing career came to an abrupt halt.

BRIAN VICKERS, RACE CAR DRIVER: I was having some tingling and some numbness, loss of color in my hand. And then I started becoming short of breath.

GUPTA: Suddenly, the 26-year-old was in the race of his life.

VICKERS: I had a clot in my left leg, I had a pulmonary embolism in both lung, and then I had a clot in my left hand.

GUPTA: Vickers was also diagnosed with May-Thurner syndrome, condition where a vein in the pelvic area is compressed, increasing the risk of blood clots. A battery of tests found something else, a hole in his heart. It was the perfect storm. A hole in his heart, the May-Thurner syndrome and the cramped quarters of his race car for hours on end. His health was at stake, and so was his career.

VICKERS: There were times that came along where it didn't look too good. It didn't look like I was ever going to race again.

GUPTA: Vickers had heart surgery and he was put on blood thinners.

Now, eight months later, he's clot free. There is a stint in his left leg keeping the vein open, but his doctors have cleared him to race. Vickers says he made one of the most difficult decisions of his life to get back in his car.

NASCAR ANNOUNCER: And we see the 83 out there. Brian Vickers, glad to have him back.

GUPTA: Back on the track, he is about to race in his eighth Daytona 500.

VICKERS: You can't give up. You just got to keep digging and you got to find your own path.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: This weekend on "SANJAY GUPTA MD," delivering your own baby. Would you know what to do? That's an incredible story. That's Saturday and Sunday 7:30 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: President Obama is on the West Coast today. He is pushing high tech wizards to create new jobs. Last night, he dined with dozen execs, including that freckle-faced young billionaire who presides over Facebook.

Here's the punch line coming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, TBS "LOPEZ TONIGHT")

GEORGE LOPEZ, HOST, "LOPEZ TONIGHT": President Obama will meet with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

I think it's great that the most important person in the world is going to meet President Obama.

(LAUGHTER & APPLAUSE)

LOPEZ: Because President Obama apparently is having trouble defriending Joe Biden.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Well, it's pretty good, right?

Well, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee moves closer to deciding on whether or not he is going to run. Our own Ed Henry, part of "The Best Political Team on Television," live from the White House.

Hey, Ed, tell us what's happening.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Great to see you.

Well, it's interesting, Tim Kaine, as you mentioned, he's the DNC chairman, he's a former popular governor of Virginia. President Obama now personally lobbying Tim Kaine to run for Senate because, as you know, Democrat Jim Webb has announced recently he is going to be retiring, not running in 2012.

Big priority for Democrats for a number of reasons. Republicans really want to take that state back, including George Allen, the former senator that Jim Webb knocked off almost six years ago now, knocked out of that seat. He wants it back, other Republicans seeking it as well.

We're told by aides to Tim Kaine he's going to decide by late February, early March on whether he will run. He may be the Democrats best hope of keeping that seat in Democratic hands.

And it matters to people all around the country because Democrats have a very slight hold right now on control of the Senate. If they were to lose Virginia, it would be one step closer to the Republicans taking over the Senate. That would obviously be a big deal in terms of the president's agenda and whatnot.

Secondly, interesting right now, that as we all talk about budget deficits and spending cuts, the Republican House now cutting into come projects that are getting a little personal. Specifically today, they targeted two programs that directly affect former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from California.

One is by voice vote today the House Republicans approved a measure to cut off funding for this greening of the capital initiative that then-Speaker Pelosi pushed, about $1.5 million a year.

And then secondly, they had a roll call vote to approve zeroing out federal funding for the Presidio Trust. Now that's a former Army base they're turning into a national park. It is right there in Speaker Pelosi's district in San Francisco. She is vowing to restore this money in a Democratically-controlled Senate. So it's going to be a big battle ahead, but it shows how Republicans now picking off some projects that affect Democrats near and dear to their heart , Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Sure. And onto another story we've been willing to out of Wisconsin, they do not like -- a lot of teachers don't like the new budget the government has introduced and the Senate Democrats, they basically left the scene here to prevent a vote from happening.

What -- what -- do we know where they are? Do we know what's going on?

HENRY: Well, they've gotten out of the state, you're right. And what's interesting is they don't want a quorum to be called so that they would be forced to vote on some of these cuts for teachers.

And what's most interesting, as you suggest, is now President Obama getting involved. He did his local interview in Wisconsin where he said that this is kind of an assault on unions, this legislation would take away some of their collective bargaining rights.

What you hear from Republicans is that they're frustrated that President Obama is now sending some of his political troops from Organizing For American to Wisconsin to protest some of these cuts and changes, saying, look, President Obama talked earlier this week at the White House at that news conference, you'll remember, about an adult conversation about the budget and the Republicans are saying, look, you have got to make some tough choices, not all of them are going to be popular.

But if these protests continue, it's going to be harder to have this adult conversation about exactly what to cut, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right, Ed Henry. Thank you so much, Ed.

HENRY: Good to see you.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

For the latest political news, you know where to go, CNNPolitics.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: First lady Michelle Obama told a group of reporters that she wants to promote breastfeeding as a way of reduce childhood obesity. Now there are some conservatives who say it's leading to what they are calling a "nanny state."

Well, it's your chance to "Talk Back." Our Carol Costello, she is joining us from Washington.

Carol, what is the controversy here?

COSTELLO: Well, it sounds so harmless, doesn't it, Suzanne? Pushing kids to eat healthy vegetables or talking about breastfeeding, you know, with mothers. But some conservatives say Michelle Obama's childhood anti-obesity campaign is really an attempt to tell us how to raise our children. You know, to use her husband's office to create a nanny state.

So the "Talk Back" today -- Why has Mrs. Obama's anti-obesity campaign become so controversial?"

This from Dennis. He says, "Hmm, let's see. She's black, she's pretty, she's smart, she's educated, she's successful, she's professional, she has good teeth...that's a perfect storm for the Tea Party. She could advocate for apple pie and they'd disagree."

This from Kim, she says, "Controversial because it's Mrs. Obama. If Laura Bush or Cindy McCain had proposed the same thing, it would have been hailed as groundbreaking."

And this from Gregory, "Have you ever heard of the expression the road to hell is paved with good intentions? It is not the place of Mrs. Obama nor any other person or agency to dictate to free people what we can do with our bodies."

Keep the conversation going, Facebook.com/carolCNN. I'll be back at the top of the hour -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: OK, thank you, Carol.

Well, a teen wrestler who was a favorite in his state's tournament refuses to wrestle a girl. It's one of our trending stories.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: A reminder about your chance to "Choose the News." You vote by texting 22360. Vote 1 for NASCAR after Earnhardt, vote 2 for spending a day in the life of a rehab patient, or vote 3 for the glee club headed for the Oscars. Now that winning story is going to air in the next hour.

This story, refusing to compete. A teen wrestler in Iowa gave up his chance to become a state champion when he wouldn't take on a female contender. That is trending online.

Sophomore Joel Northrup, who was one of the favorites to win, released a statement saying, quote, "Wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times. As a matter of conscience and my faith, I do not believe that it's appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner. It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most other high school sports in Iowa."

Northrup's athletic director later commented on the decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MAHMENS, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, LINN MAR: I'm sure it was hard for him, like it would be hard for anybody. But it's a decision that his family made, and that's what it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The freshman female, Cassy Herkelman, is one of only two girls to ever qualify for the state tournament.

Also trending, Facebook now recognizing civil unions. In the relationship status tab, users have the option now of saying they're in a civil union or in a domestic partnership. The move is being applauded by the gay community, GLAAD, saying Facebook has set a new standard of inclusion.