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Moammar Gadhafi Says To Prepare To Defend Libya; Tripoli Protesters Fired Upon; Ferry From Libya Nears Malta; Democrats Cry Shame At Budget Vote; Four Amish Children Killed in Kentucky; New Drama From Charlie Sheen; Wisconsin Dems Defy Deadline; Dems Cry Shame At Budget Vote; Budget Woes Threaten Teachers; Questioning Role Of Unions; New Social Secretary; Betting On Kings in the Middle East; The Price We Pay: Oil & Gas; Reports: Deadly Fighting in Tripoli; Outrage in Iraq

Aired February 25, 2011 - 13:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Suzanne. This Libya story really ratcheting up. We saw it during your hours and we're going to be following. It is 1:00 p.m., here, on the East Coast. 8:00 p.m. on the Libyan capital. Scene of the surprise speech, just an hour ago.

Shouting from a rooftop above Green Square, Moammar Gadhafi told his supporters to prepare to defend Libya. We will fight and we will fight them, if they want. We will kill them, if they want. In the next breath, he told everybody to sing, dance, be happy. You've got to wonder what's going on through the Libyan leader's mind, today. A week and a half into a populary (ph) vote. He has lost control of one city after another, along Libya's crucial coast. All that area, in red, that you see right there, taken by the opposition, now pushing towards Tripoli, his home, and capitol.

And we just saw the city center, there, filled with adoring crowds. But earlier, protesters filters into the streets after Friday prayers, trying to mount demonstrations. They quickly ran to Gadhafi supporters.

And live gunfire. New video in to CNN. In just moments, we will bring it to you live. We'll show it to you, here. And, obviously, a very dangerous place to be, right now. That goes without saying.

And a boat load of Americans and other evacuees must be thrilled to have shoved off from Tripoli. They're due to arrive in Malta at any moment, now, and we're going to show that to you as well.

CNN's Diana Magnay, you see her there. She is live in the capitol of Voletta. What's going on?

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Don. Well, they're going to be here in just under two hours time. (INAUDIBLE) just spoken to the managing director of the ferry company. Through the U.S. Embassy has charted to bring those Americans and other (INAUDIBLE) over from Tripoli. They're going to be here at 8:45, so just under two hours time. We know that there are around 300 people on board the boat. Two hundred of them, over half are known to be Americans. Other nationalities, there, also. We've had a few conversations with them. Sorry, the light has just gone on, sorry about that, Don, I'm having a few technical problems.

We've had quite a few conversations with them. They've been sitting in the harbor, in Tripoli, as you know, for the last 36 hours waiting for the seas, here, to calm down. And they say that the atmosphere, on the boat, has been calm. They've been well looked after. They've had enough food. They feel relatively safe. But, of course, they are going to be extremely pleased to have finally got sailing and to be arriving here in Malta in the next couple of hours -- Don.

LEMON: All right. CNN'S Diana Magnay. No matter of the technical problems, we are glad to have your presence, there. And, again, we're going to continue to follow this story. Get some video in from the scene, in Tripoli, when Moammar Gadhafi spoke moments ago

And, also, protesters, they're saying they're being attacked, there. And Americans on their way to safer shores, all of that should happen within the next few hours, here on CNN, we're going to bring it to you.

In the meantime, we're going to go closer to home, now. And I'm reminded of the line about laws and sausages. You may like both, but you don't really want to see them being made. Here's how a so- called budget repair bill got passed overnight in the Wisconsin state assembly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All in favor, say I. All opposed, say nay. The I's have it. The bill is in the Senate. The assembly is adjourned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. The people you see in red are Democrats who had been holding a floor and stalling a vote for 61 straight hours. It took just seconds for Republicans to act, though. Most Dems were out of the chamber, that's when they acted. But get this. It's all for nothing unless and until the Wisconsin Senate votes, which can happen so long -- so long as all the Democratic senators are in Illinois. That cannot happen, so long as they're in Illinois.

Now, the sticking point, as you may know, is bargaining rights for public employees, and it's not unique to Wisconsin, I have to tell you. We'll go live to Madison, and CNN's Ted Rowlands, about eight minutes from now, here on CNN.

In other news, four Amish children are dead after flood waters, in Kentucky, swept them away. It happened last night in the southwestern part of the state, near the town of Dublin. A family was attempting to cross a creek in their horse drawn buggy, when the flood waters were just too much for the buggy and toppled it. Now, some family members escaped, but four children, all under the age of 12, were swept away. All their bodies have been recovered.

An Oklahoma sheriff says three children may never fully recover from the alleged abuse they suffered at the hands of their adoptive parents. John and Sonja Kluth are accused of beating, burning and forcing their nine, 11 and 15-year-olds to eat cat and dog food. Other allegations include this. Confining the older children, the older child, in a plastic dog carrier, burning the kids tongues with a hot spoon for lying. Beating them with a mallet, a can opener, and the buckle end of a belt. The sheriff calls it the worst case of child abuse he has seen. He says all three kids have stunted growth and are illiterate. The Kluth's were receiving fifteen hundred dollars per child each month, but those payments have stopped, at this point. And they are charged with three counts of child abuse and three counts of child neglect. They've each been released on a $9,000 bond.

If you want to tell us about this story, we, certainly, want your input. Make sure you join our discussion on Ali's blog at CNN.com/ali, and we'll use some of your comments a little bit later on in this show.

Let's go to Maryland, now. Maryland has moved a step closer to legalizing gay marriage. After hours of debate, yesterday, the state Senate voted 25 to 21 approving legislation that recognizes same-sex marriage. The Civil Marriage Protection Act would, effectively, legalize marriage in the state, but not force religious leaders to conduct the ceremony. Now, that legislation, now, heads to the State House for consideration. If it passes, and the governor signs it into law, Maryland would become the sixth state to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.

When you're the highest paid actor on television, starring in the number one sitcom, you shouldn't have much to complain about, right? And you know who I'm talking about. Charlie Sheen. Taping was supposed to resume last week on "Two And A Half Men" after an unplanned break, while Sheen got treatment for a so-called hernia and underwent some sort of rehab, but then, he decided to call in to a radio show and unload on his show's creator and Executive Producer Chuck Lorre. Some call it a rant. We call it "Sound Effect."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: I embarrassed him in front of his children and the world by healing at a pace that his un-evolved mind cannot process. I've spent, I think, close to the last decade, I don't know, effortlessly and magically converting your tin cans into pure gold.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK, so it turns out, Sheen is not a fan of Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, either. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SHEEN: There's a bootleg cult, you know, arrogantly referred to as Alcoholics Anonymous. It, now, supports, like, five percent success rate. My success rate a 100 percent. Do the math. Another one of those stupid mottos, Alex, is don't be special, be one of us. News flash, I am special, and I will never be one of you. I have a disease, but I cured it with my brain, with my mind. I cured it. I'm done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, CBS is done, too. Sheen was barely off the phone when the network put out a one-sentence statement -- one-sentence statements. Not good, usually. It says, quote, "Based on the totality of Charlie Sheen's statements, conduct and condition, CBS and Warner Brothers Television have decided to discontinue production of "Two and a Half Men" for the remainder of the season. That's four episodes for which Sheen, at least, won't be paid. And we don't, yet, know about the rest of the cast and crew. Make sure you stick around next hour. Our screen team, sorry, none other than Dr. Drew Pinsky, will look at whether there's a method to Charlie Sheen's madness. That's at 2:45 eastern.

Time is running out for Wisconsin to close a budget gap, but a fight over labor rights is still going strong. Are layoffs the next step? We're live at the capitol, when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: They can hold up a vote, but Wisconsin's Senate Democrats can't stop the clock with their out-of-state boycott. And the governor says, today is the deadline for closing this year's budget gap and avoiding state layoffs. There may, in fact, be some wiggle room, though. But the Democrats say there's no room for compromising on the union bargaining rights of Wisconsin's teachers and other public workers.

And, so, we go to Madison, Wisconsin, now, where CNN's Ted Rowlands tells us what's going on and what's not. So, Ted, I want to start with the governor. What's he doing to put more pressure on AWOL Senate Democrats?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's going around the state, today, to a number of the districts of these 14 Democrats that remain in Illinois. At this hour, he is in the town of Kenosha, which is just south of Milwaukee and he's targeting that district. He held a little bit of a press briefing about an hour ago, here. Here's a little bit of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SCOTT WALKER (R), WISCONSIN: Now, I'm not asking people to agree with me on every single part of this budget bill, but what I am asking for is for 14 state senators to do what their colleagues in the assembly have done, over the last several days, and that's come back and have a vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: Still no movement, though, from those 14 Democrats that remain in the state of Illinois. There was movement on the bill in the assembly side, last night, and all of the civil discourse, kind of, went out the window in some tense moments. Last night, Don, and you talked about it earlier, basically, the Republicans did the old quick vote. The Democrats thought they were still arguing this bill. They got up, took a very fast vote, 27 members, actually, didn't have an opportunity to vote. They passed it, and as they walked out of the chamber, the Democrats in their t-shirts screamed at them, shame, shame, shame.

So, the political discourse is starting to ratchet up a little bit, here. There haven't been any incidents, and there still are thousands of people inside and outside the state capitol, today. They say they're going to stay over the weekend or as long as it takes. Who knows how long this is going to last. You mentioned that deadline. The governor, yet, last night said, well, maybe we can push it until Monday or Tuesday of next week, sort of hedging his bet from that earlier Friday deadline.

LEMON: You're talking about the deadline -- the deadlines for layoff, right?

ROWLANDS: Well, there's two real deadlines, here. There's a debt restructuring deadline that they had thrown out as Friday. If they don't do it by Friday, we'll lose millions of state dollars. That's, now, pushed back into sometime next week and Democrats say, that's complete nonsense. That when they get to that, they'll get to it and still get the savings. The other is these layoffs. And the governor has, sort of, waffled a bit on that one, too, as we approach Friday. And there's still no movement, it was a hard deadline Friday, now he's talking more next week. Tuesday when he unveils his full budget.

LEMON: So, Ted Rowlands, you're telling us to stay tuned. It ain't over, yet. Thank you, Ted Rowlands in Madison, Wisconsin.

Budget pressures are squeezing schools and teachers all over this country. Last night, the school board of Providence, Rhode Island, approved the mayor's plan to send termination notices to every one of the district's public school teachers. They won't all be fired, but state law, supposedly, requires teachers be warned of potential job changes by March 1st.

Elsewhere, New York City is contemplating almost 5,000 teacher layoffs. Los Angeles, more than 7,000. And look at Texas. It may have to cut as many as 100,000. On hundred thousand school employees for lack of funding.

Several states are, also, following Wisconsin's lead in trying to roll back the collective bargaining rights of teachers, our public employees, in general.

You have heard opinions and debates about unions over the last few weeks. But, next, we compare the hard numbers. Yearly salaries of union versus nonunion workers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: No doubt you have heard a bunch of opinions and debates about unions over the last few weeks. Especially with what's going on in Wisconsin, right? But how do the salaries of union and nonunion workers compare.

CNN's Ali Velshi and Christine Romans spoke about this earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Less talk about numbers. Not scary, boring numbers, but simple dollars and sense about unions and union workers -- Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: OK. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010, Ali, a union worker earned about $917. A nonunion worker earned $200 less. Spread that out over all of last year, union workers earned $47,684 while nonunion workers earned $37,284. Bottom line, union workers earned 27 percent more than nonunion workers in 2010, Ali.

VELSHI: OK. So you and I discuss this a lot. These numbers are examples of unions doing what they were originally designed to do, increase worker protections, help their wages come up. Where does this leave us now? Because that now is used as ammunition against the unions.

ROMANS: Well, and here's the -- here's the other issue. It's not just union representation that is at work in the economy, right, in the labor market. There's also technology that's allowing for the outsourcing of jobs. There's also higher productivity that goes with the technology. There's also these big budgets that we're talking -- there's a lot of different things happening here. So when you compare union workers to nonunion workers, sometimes it's not a straight comparison.

VELSHI: Right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And you can catch this entire interview on "YOUR MONEY." It airs Saturday 1:00 p.m. Eastern and Sunday and 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Also, be sure to tune in to "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" each Saturday morning, 9:30 a.m. Eastern.

Want to check your top stories this hour.

Hundreds of Americans who have been stuck in Libya are headed out by sea right now. This evacuation ferry chartered by the U.S. State Department left Tripoli this morning with about 300 people on board. Their destination is a nearby island nation of Malta. They're expected to arrive in just over an hour and we'll be there when they get there. We'll bring it to you on CNN. Meantime, a defiant Moammar Gadhafi has addressed a crowd of people in Tripoli's Green Square. He told them he would defend Libya at all costs. The images were broadcast on state TV today. And earlier, witnesses told CNN that security forces aimed artillery rounds and sniper fire at protesters on the streets there.

Here in the U.S., Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says layoffs may start next week if a budget isn't approved. He had set today as the deadline, but the controversial legislation remains in limbo as senate Democrats continue their standoff over plans to strip state workers of their collective bargaining right. The bill did pass overnight in the state assembly.

Across northern Africa and in the Middle East, presidents are falling while kings are holding on to power. CNN's Ed Henry will explain how this pattern is influencing the White House. It's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Developing news to tell you about in politics coming from the White House. The White House has announced a new social secretary and our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry joins me live with details.

So, Ed, it's a twist here. It's interesting and it's a first.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is. It's going to be the first male and first openly gay person to serve as the White House social secretary. Jeremy Bernard. Somebody who's just been most recently serving as a top official at the U.S. embassy in Paris. So someone who's got a little diplomacy, which you need as the White House social secretary when you're planning all the events around here, which some of them are just fun, little events. Others are big state dinners, which you'll remember from the Desiree Rogers era, becomes a pretty big deal when there's maybe a party crasher or something like that.

And you know Desiree Rogers from Chicago and she took a little bit of heat from maybe being a little to flashy as the first social secretary in this administration. Then you had Julianna Smoot come in. She's highly respected, a Democratic operative. But really it was a kind of Democratic fund-raiser who came in, tried to steady the ship and is now heading, frankly, back there to Chicago to be a big player in the 2012 reelect campaign.

So interesting that Jeremy Bernard is going to get this job. It's going to make a little bit of history. And I think, obviously, the Obamas, they had a big event last night, for example, honoring Motown. They do a lot of these events and the social secretary has a big role in putting all that together.

LEMON: Yes, not that this is a reason he got his job but early on -- earlier on, I should say, the president, the administration was criticized for not keeping promises to the gay community. The gay community believed they weren't. HENRY: Certainly.

LEMON: But now we heard -- we had the news on DOMA yesterday.

HENRY: Earlier this week.

LEMON: "Don't ask, don't tell" back in --

HENRY: Exactly.

LEMON: Yes. And so now we have this. So, we'll see. Reaching out, it appears, to the gay community but --

HENRY: It certainly does.

LEMON: It's probably not the reason he got it, but it's interesting.

OK. So with massive protests forcing Tunisia and Egypt's presidents out of office, Ed, it appears the White House is looking at a new strategy for dealing with leaders in the region. So what are your sources telling you about this?

HENRY: Well, it's interesting, "The New York Times" has a piece today talking about how there are some people inside the administration who believe that essentially any of the countries that have a king in charge are going to -- you know, those leaders are going to survive and presidents may fall in the Mideast. And if you look, as you mentioned, Egypt, Tunisia, the presidents did fall.

But it goes beyond just that sort of symbol on the outside. It's something deeper from what I've talk to about to senior officials here is that they believe when you compare, for example, the monarchy in Jordan, King Abdullah, what he did was he reacted very quickly when there were protests in his country. He didn't dig in like President Mubarak. Instead, he embraced some of the reforms, fired some of his cabinet ministers and made clear to the people that he was going to listen.

Some of the presidents haven't done that. Some of the monarchs have. And people here inside the White House have noticed that and think it's kind of a lesson, frankly, to some of the presidents in the Mideast and North Africa who, you know, obviously some are presidents in name only and are really dictators, but that are just digging in and not listening to the people.

LEMON: So, Ed, you know, I'm a little bit worried about you because I know Ali's not here, but I understand Jay Leno has thrown both of you, at least you, under the bus for the second time in a week.

HENRY: Yes, literally. Yes, you know, it's interesting. You know, you hear the beeping now a little bit. It's faint. But there's all this construction going on behind me. And so we've had a couple of comical incidents recently and Jay Leno decided to poke a little fun at us last night. Take a watch. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": A couple of days ago we had some fun with CNN reporter Ed Henry outside the White House and they showed the thing we did on "The Tonight Show" on CNN and they talked to him about it also. Here, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: Last time you and I were talking, I was a little bit fearful for your safety because there was a truck going forward and backward right behind you.

HENRY: I appreciate that.

VELSHI: Jay Leno caught that exchange and also was fearful about it here.

HENRY: I heard about that. Yes.

VELSHI: Here's what he put on his show.

HENRY: Because they say that they're updating --

VELSHI: Well, you're right by the driver. Why don't you just tell him you're in the middle of a live news shot. Yes, I'm in the middle of a live shot. He just waved at me and basically said, I don't care.

VELSHI: I'm glad to see you're OK. Is that beeping I'm hearing behind you?

HENRY: Yes, there's beeping. I've moved upstairs. I used to be down there. And now Jay Leno has convinced me to move upstairs. I'm a little more safe up here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LENO: Oh, tough break.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: You can't catch a break, can you, Ed?

HENRY: I can't catch a break. And I'm just not going the take any chances around here anymore. Jay Leno has convinced me. I want everyone to know that I'm all right, but, you know, my daughter was running around a couple of days ago telling all my friends that I got run over by a truck in front of the White House and they were really concerned about me. I'm fine. But I'm not going to take any chances any more.

LEMON: We're going to have to get you a little orange vest and everything to make sure. I'm waiting for something to happen. I'm like, is this a skit in the making?

HENRY: I think I'm all right.

LEMON: All right. Be careful, Ed Henry.

HENRY: Have a good weekend, Don.

LEMON: All right, we need you.

HENRY: Be careful this weekend.

LEMON: All right. You, too.

OK. Let's move on now. We know gas prices are rising, but listen to this. If prices rise just one cent, it will take $4 million out of your pocket every day. We'll explain next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We're going to check your top stories right now.

Americans are getting out of Libya. A ferry carrying about 300 people left the north African nation this morning heading for the island of Malta. They should arrive there next hour and you'll see it here on CNN.

And Libya's defiant leader says he will fight to the death. Gadhafi addressed supporters in the capital of Tripoli during an appearance on state TV today.

They have been protesting for more than a week now in Wisconsin over plans to strip public workers of their collective bargaining rights. Now, Governor Scott Walker says layoffs may start next week if a budget isn't approved. He had set today as the deadline.

In a new segment, "The Price We Pay," we're examining the changing prices of important goods and services. So today, we're looking at the rising price of oil and gas.

Oil hit $97.28 a barrel at yesterday's close and prices went as high of $103 earlier in the day. Wednesday was the first time in more than two years prices went above $100 a barrel. Yikes.

Christine Romans joins us now from New York to help us break it all down.

And that's right, I said yikes, Christine. Why are we seeing oil and gas prices rising and what does it mean for our wallets? Not good news.

ROMANS: No, it means fill her up today, top off the tank on your way home, Don, because probably gas prices are going to keep moving higher because gas is made out of crude oil and crude oil prices have been moving up.

Now, right now, they're up by about 25 cents, 97.50 here in the U.S., but there are a lot of analysts who are saying they are expecting a return to above $100 oil. And that's because you're still having concerns in the Middle East.

Libya is a producer of oil. We know there are satellite pictures showing that its oil infrastructure is at work. It is pumping oil still, but we generate about 87 million barrels a day of oil; we use about 88 million barrels a day of oil. So you can see, every drop that's coming out of the ground is accounted for.

Libya has the largest oil reserve in Africa. It exports to the United States, but more importantly it exports to Europe, which is now scrambling to make sure that they have the right kinds of supplies.

Gas prices up last night six cents overnight, Don. In one night, up six cents, so you're feeling it right away. And there are analysts who are telling me they expect prices to keep rising over the next week or two.

The last time we had $100 oil, we had gas prices at $3.64. So think about that, we're even below where we were last time we had $100 oil. And every penny increase at the gas pump takes $4 million out of our collective pockets every single day, that's according to Peter Beutel from Cameron Hanover. Listen to his explanation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER BEUTEL, ENERGY ANALYST: The 30-cent increase that I expect we will see between next week and this week, there you're talking about $120 million each and every day that it remains in place out of American consumer's pockets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Did you catch that, Don? He said 30-cent increase. He's expecting a 30-cent increase.

Now, the price of everything we pay is going up. It's not just oil, but gold is going up. Grains are going up. Meat prices are up 10 percent year over year. A lot of money has been flooding into these commodities as interest rates have been low. So you're hearing people talk about the fact that there are investors who are helping drive things up as much there are consumers and geopolitical risk. All of these things coming together here, Don.

LEMON: And it's all doubly so because we're in the middle of a global recovery, at least we're trying.

ROMANS: Right.

LEMON: And if it was good economic times, it would be a different story, but this has the possibility to drag the entire world economy down. So we're paying close attention to it.

Thank you, Christine Romans. Have a great weekend.

ROMANS: You're welcome, Don. You, too.

LEMON: By plane and ferry, Americans fleeing Libya as witnesses report fierce fighting in the capital of Tripoli. The latest on the revolt against Moammar Gadhafi right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Welcome back, everyone.

Witnesses in Tripoli say Moammar Gadhafi's forces opened fire today on antigovernment demonstrators. There are unconfirmed reports of people killed and wounded.

Just in, amateur video we're told was taken today. During an apparent peaceful anti-Gadhafi protest and march, western Tripoli suddenly gunfire erupted; listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(GUNFIRE)

(SCREAMING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Again, this video is just in to CNN. It is amateur video and we're told it was taken today during a apparent peaceful, anti- Gadhafi march in western Tripoli. And suddenly, we're told, gunfire erupts, gunfire erupts.

Now, because CNN and other western reporters are banned from Tripoli, we are unable to verify this video, and we don't have any information on the number of possible casualties. Again, this is all just in. We want to bring you the very latest information.

So as we look at that video, we want to move on today and tell you about Gadhafi. Also, today, addressed a large crowd of supporters in Tripoli's central Green Square urging them to fight back at the protestors and defend the nation.

At the same time, opposition forces are tightening the noose around Gadhafi. CNN's Ben Wedeman is there, he is in the eastern city of Benghazi, he is checking all the latest developments and we will check in with Ben Wedeman in just moments.

In the meantime, elsewhere in the region, anti-government protests erupting across Iraq today. Our map shows some of the hot spots, take a look.

Anyway, it shows -- there we go. That shows demonstrators clashing with security forces in Baghdad and several other cities. At least five people were killed and many others wounded in the various protests held throughout the country. Security forces have been on full alert in the capital since Monday and large numbers of troops were deployed in the streets before today's protests.

Clashes were very fierce in the northern city of Mosul; two people were killed, 20 wounded. Police say it happened when security forces opened fire on demonstrators who tried to force their way into government buildings. Now, to Fallujah, the western city there, protests there also erupted. Demonstrators say they're fed up with corruption, high unemployment, restrictions on freedom of expression, and poor government services.

Let's get back to our man in the region, CNN's Ben Wedeman.

Ben, we've been talking about a lot of unrest in the region and also in Libya. What are you witnessing there now?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, what we're witnessing, Don, in the eastern part of the country is the obvious complete control of the anti-Gadhafi forces over the situation here.

There was a large demonstration in Benghazi against the Colonel Gadhafi. Thousands and thousands of people braving some very windy, cold and rainy weather to come out and not only demonstrate against the leader in Tripoli, but also to express their support and solidarity to the people in Tripoli, many of whom tried today to participate in demonstrations against the regime, but we were told by eyewitnesses there that those demonstrators came under what they described as intense gunfire coming from the Libyan security forces.

What we also saw today on Libyan state television is that Moammar Gadhafi came out to Green Square, which is the main square in Tripoli. There, he gave a short address to his supporters where he called upon them to protect and defend the dignity and oil resources of Libya.

He also said that he would open up the state's arsenals to tribes loyal to him and other supporters in order to allow them to, what he said, defend the revolution. Which, of course, if you read it the right way, means to attack his opponents. So that's a somewhat disturbing development for those in the country hoping to see him overthrown.

LEMON: Hey, Ben, you talked about this and I want to play this video for our viewers and I want you to listen as well.

This is amateur video taken today during an apparent peaceful anti-Gadhafi protest march when suddenly, gunfire erupted. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(GUNFIRE)

(SCREAMING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Now, again, As I said, you mentioned this, Ben, and these people said they were going there to protest peacefully.

And I want to say also, we can't confirm any of this because the information, there are a number of possibilities here, a number of casualties, but again, because other western reporters are banned from Tripoli, as you well know, we're unable to verify some of this video. But we have -- you are able to get in now, but it's hard to verify as journalists are just starting to get into country and starting really to get their footing, Ben.

WEDEMAN: That's right, Don. But of course, we're in the eastern part of the country, which is essentially liberated from Gadhafi's rule. The western part of the country, apparently, the government is organizing very tightly controlled visits by foreign journalists to Tripoli.

They're trying to create the impression that everything is normal. We've been hearing from our sources that they spent a lot of time trying to paint over and cement over the bullet holes in the walls in many of the areas they plan on taking journalists to. That they've removed some of the bodies that apparently have been left in the street.

So yes, it's very -- we, for us and our team to go to Tripoli, would be almost certain death or imprisonment since the Libyan authorities have made it clear they consider those journalists who entered the country from Egypt to be outlaws -- Don.

LEMON: CNN's Ben Wedeman reporting to us from Benghazi, it is the opposition-controlled eastern city of Benghazi. And as you heard Ben say -- Ben, please be careful -- you heard him say, the opposition pretty much in control of the eastern part of the country. It's the western part that they're still fighting to get control of. And you heard Moammar Gadhafi just moments ago saying they will fight to the bitter end, and then telling people after that, go ahead, sing, dance and celebrate.

It's all unfolding, new developments are coming really at any moment. And you saw the new video there, we're going to continue to bring you the latest on what's happening in Egypt and around that region coming up on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: One of my favorite segments here on the show, it's called "The Big I." And today, it's about a shirt that tracks your heart, your breathing, the amount of g-force and horsepower you're pumping out and the position of your body while you work out. It's called the E-39 compression shirt. It's under development by Under Armour.

They're debuting the shirt tomorrow at the NFL scouting combine. That's where hundreds of the best college football players in the country are invited to test out their skills. And tomorrow, the shirt will be worn by 10 to 30 prospects, including Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Cam Newton.

Now, attached to the chest of the shirt is a removable sensor pad that collects information and either stores it or broadcasts the info via Bluetooth to smart phones, iPads and laptops. What will they think of next?

And here to tell us about the data collected is Kevin Haley. He is the senior vice president of innovations for Under Armour.

So, Kevin, first of all, pretty cool stuff. What are you guys hoping to measure with this technology?

KEVIN HALEY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF INNOVATIONS, UNDER ARMOUR: Thanks, don. We're really excited about it. We can measure heart rate, breathing rate and most importantly, what we call triaxelometry. So, precisely, the movements of the body, up and down, side to side, and forward and backwards, with real precision.

LEMON: And so, this is being used on really -- talked about impact and really what stress, just how much stress your body is under. These athletes, we've heard about them. They have died, some have died from overworking themselves in practice. They've had heat exhaustion and on and on. Do you see this being used on high school and college campuses, and maybe even in professional sports?

HALEY: Absolutely. The technology was proven by Zephyr on the U.S. special forces, so we know it has the ability to really measure people with precision. And the ability to monitor an entire team of athletes, understand their baseline, where their heart should be before, during and after strenuous activity is a huge asset for the coach, trainer and even the athletes, to understand where their body is and how much more they can push it.

LEMON: OK. Can we see that shirt, Kevin? I'd like to take a look at it. Do you have it with you?

HALEY: I do! I do.

LEMON: Yes, so tell us, what is that? Is that the actual sensor in the middle? Explain to us.

HALEY: Yep. So, what you see in the middle, the round bug with the flashing light, that's where the data is collected, and also broadcast to a smartphone or laptop or a pad. On the sides here, you have breathing rate sensors and heart rate sensors that kick that information to that the bug. Inside the bug is where we have the very precise triaxelometry that tells you you're generating 4 Gs on that vertical jump or on your 40-yard dash start. You can measure that all the way down to the tenth of a G. It's a great tool for the athlete.

LEMON: Are you finding people open to this?

HALEY: Absolutely. One of the things that's most exciting about this is as we put this on the athletes -- these guys are training with professional trainers, they're some of the best athletes in the world. They've seen it all, they've tried everything. They come over and look at that screen and say, how did I do? Did I do better than I did last time? Because they really want to know with precision where their body is. It measures their posture, their breathing rate, their heart rate and also how much force are they generating. How much horsepower they're generating. So, it's a fantastic tool for them.

LEMON: A weekend warrior like me would like something like that, too. HALEY: Absolutely.

LEMON: So, hey listen, you have just a short time here. You're at an event tomorrow where you'll be showing this off, but when do you expect this shirt to hit the market?

HALEY: We'll be in the market in 2012. It'll gradually move from the professional athletes to the teams, and then out to the public in late 2012.

LEMON: You know, I hope this saves lives. Thank you so much, Kevin Haley from Under Armour.

HALEY: Thank you, Don!

LEMON: All right.

And to get linked up to the E-39 shirt and the NFL scouting combine, make sure you head to Ali's blog, CNN.com/ali.

All right. It's time now for a CNN political update. CNN's senior political editor, Mr. Mark Preston, is part of The Best Political Team on Television. He joins us now from Washington.

And, Mark, the union battle is spreading all across the USA.

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: It sure is, Don. You know, we talk a lot about Wisconsin and the focus has been on Wisconsin, but the fact of the matter is, the fights between the unions and the governors and the legislatures is taking place all across the country, including Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, California, Michigan, Alaska, Iowa, New Jersey. A lot of fighting over efforts to try to eliminate tenure for teachers, efforts to try to make some of these states right-to-work states and, of course, the collective bargaining issue we're seeing up in Wisconsin.

If you go to CNNpolitics.com, Don, you can see the specific fights. There's a great story up there that details every one of those fights.

Speaking of the states, though, what's the most conservative state in the nation? Shouldn't come as a big surprise. A new Gallup survey using data from 2010 show it's Mississippi. In fact, little more than 50 percent of all the state's residents identified the themselves as conservative. Coming in at number two, actually tied for number two, Idaho and Alabama, both at 48 percent.

So, begs the question, what are the most liberal states? Where I'm standing, the District of Columbia, of course not a state, but folks here would disagree with that. And then Vermont comes in second. Rhode Island comes in third, Don.

LEMON: All right.

PRESTON: You know, one last thing, Don. You and I of course spend a lot of time talking politics over the weekends. We'll see the Academy Awards this weekend. Well, the Center for Responsive Politics has a new study out where they look at some of the Academy Award nominees and where they're giving their donations.

Well, Jeff Bridges who's up for the best actor in a leading role for "True Grit" has given $68,000 to Democratic causes. Annette Bening, who's in "The Kids Are Alright," she has given more than $26,000 to left-leaning politicians and Democratic Party committees.

Now, the Center for Responsive Politics, Don, looking at data from 1990 to where we are now for all the folks nominated. Shouldn't come as much as a surprise, but of the $1.3 million, $1.24 million benefited Democrats. So, the old adage is Hollywood more liberal than conservative? I think the numbers speak for themselves.

LEMON: You're saying most people identified as conservative in the country, but yet Hollywood, most people give to Democrats or liberals.

PRESTON: Democrats. Yes, no doubt.

LEMON: Thank you. Appreciate it, Mark Preston! Your next political update from The Best Political Team on Television just one hour away here on CNN.

You heard Mark just talk about the Oscars. Will - will - well - when my lips are working, I'll get that out! They're two of Hollywood's biggest stars. Will James Franco and Anne Hathaway make Sunday night's Oscar show golden? That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Are you ready for the Academy Awards? Well, get ready for an Oscar show Sunday night that promises to be chock-full of surprises. And if what you're about to see is any clue, it might even get a little odd because this year's co-hosts, James Franco and Anne Hathaway, are getting a little carried away promoting Sunday's show.

This a clip that Franco tweeted earlier this week. It shows the two stars reenacted the final carnival scene from the movie "Grease." Not sure what those two have up their sleeves. But it ought to be good. What do you call those, not tights? What do you call those? Not jeans. I don't know. It ought to be good!

Joining me now for a preview of Hollywood's biggest night is "Showbiz Tonight's" Brooke Anderson. So, Brooke, James and Anne, what's up with this?

BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": I think it's an inspired choice. A lot of people were shocked by it. It was unexpected, but it is I think the first major change that the Oscar producers tried to implement to really revitalize things this year. Give the Oscars a facelift, so to speak. Anne Hathaway, 28 years old, James Franco, 32 years old. Very youthful look on the Oscar stage this year.

We're taking a look now at the Oscars red carpet. I'm on the red carpet. We're looking at the tent above the carpet, Don, because we're expecting rain this year. So everything is protected, the Oscar statues are covered here. It's a chilly day.

But back to Anne and James, we caught up with them here at the Kodak Theater yesterday when they were rehearsing. They were having themselves a really good time. Anne Hathaway said she was excited, but she did not sign on to do this until she knew James was going to be her co-host. And James told us what he's planning to bring to the table on Oscar night. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES FRANCO, ACTOR: No, I'm not, because, you know, nobody thinks that I'm Chris Rock or Billy Crystal or Hugh Jackman, you know, who either come from comedy worlds or the dance and musical theater world like -- so I can try anything, and nobody has high expectations. So, like, it's fine if I'm not great.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Nothing really gets to that guy, Don. Anne, on the other hand, told us that her stress level about now is at about an 11. James also nominated for Best Actor for his role in "127 Hours." His grandmother is going to be tweeting through the telecast. The Oscar producer will use that along with the mothers of nine nominees and their tweets. So they're trying to modernize things, maybe have it a livelier, brisker pace this year, virtual sets using projection screens. It's going to be great.

LEMON: All right. Hey, thanks.

Listen, people love their Oscars. Somebody said, "I think the Oscars previews are hysterical. They look great, not odd." So I take that back. They look great, yes.

ANDERSON: Yes. It will be fun.

LEMON: All right, Brooke. It will be fun. Thank you. And we will be watching.