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UN Reports More than 1,000 People Killed in Libyan Unrest; Budget Battle: Raging in Wisconsin; Program Helps Autistic Children for Flying; Public Safety Department Asks Officers for Facebook Passwords; No Charges Filed in Sacramento Assault Case; All the Women Want to Work with Actor Colin Firth; Obama Says Gadhafi Has Lost Right to Rule
Aired February 26, 2011 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Terror in Libya. Residents brace for the possibility of more bloodshed. We're live in Tripoli for you.
Workers' rights. Protesters return to the state capitol in Wisconsin after a bill is passed in the statehouse that would take away collective bargaining rights of workers. We're live in Madison.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: I have a disease? I cured it with my brain, with my mind. You have the right to kill me but you do not have the right to judge me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Oh, Charlie's rant. Well, they lead to the cancellation of his CBS show for the rest of the season and our very own Jane Velez- Mitchell joins me and she says his rant is proof that his addiction is out of control.
And we have exclusive access with the TSA. Susan Candiotti has a special report on passengers with autism getting through airport security. Again, it is a CNN exclusive report.
I'm Don Lemon. But first, we want to get you caught up on the day's news. And we start with this. Defiant demonstrators in Libya marching through Tripoli after Friday prayers. Moammar Gadhafi vows he'll stay in power, by force if necessary. President Barack Obama says that is proof that Gadhafi has lost the legitimacy to lead Libya and it's time for him to step down. The United Nations estimates more than 1,000 people have died in the unrest. The U.N. Security Council is considering fresh sanctions against Gadhafi and whether to refer Gadhafi to the International Court for alleged crimes against humanity. A vote will come at anytime now, we'll bring that to you live as soon it happens, live report from Tripoli, again, just moments away here on CNN.
Thousands of foreign nationals are fleeing Libya as quickly as they can. The U.S. government has warned Americans to depart immediately. Those who can't book flights are leaving by ship. France, Britain and Turkey were among those who had hundreds of citizens getting out today. China has a very large population in Libya. So far it has evacuated 12,000 Chinese nationals from Libya.
The unrest in Libya is helping to cause unhappiness for many of us at the pump. Gas is up, an average of 17 cents a gallon just in the past week. And analysts say, the turmoil throughout the Middle East is causing crude oil and fuel prices to rise, and they worry increasing energy prices will hinder the U.S. economic recovery.
Congress could soon have a deal to avoid a government shutdown, at least for another two weeks. Lawmakers may pass a fifth short-term funding bill to keep Washington running. The last short-term bill they passed expires on Friday. Congress keeps pushing these extensions through because it never passed a budget for the current fiscal year.
A different budget battle is raging in Wisconsin this weekend. It's snowy, it is cold, but that's not stopping thousands of protesters from rallying at the state capitol. Yesterday the state assembly passed Governor Scott Walker's bill which would strip public workers are most of their collective bargaining rights. The bill still has to clear the state senate. The Democrats have fled to Illinois to prevent a vote. We'll have more on this in a live report in just minutes from now on CNN.
The school board in Providence, Rhode Island has voted to fire all of its nearly 2,000 teachers and staff at the end of the school year. It doesn't mean all of them will lose their jobs, but the teachers will have to reapply. By law the board has to notify teachers of changes to their employment by March 1st. City officials say this action will give them more flexibility in making budget cuts.
There was something a lot more really precious than money inside a Georgia bank vault. Pay attention to this story. A toddler wandered into the vault at a Wells Fargo branch in Conyers. A time lock trapped the 14-month-old girl inside. Firefighters arrived and began pumping fresh air into the vault. They called in a locksmith to get the child out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON SNIVLEY, LOCKSMITH: This is what I do all the time, so it's -- other than a child being in there, it was a routine job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: It took about three hours to get the little girl out of the vault. The bank says, she was safe the entire time.
It's looking a lot like winter in California. Snow and slush coated San Francisco and made driving treacherous in Nevada County. The city by the bay hadn't seen snow flurries since 1976. Temperatures hit a record low of 37 degrees. Even southern California got a dusting of snow along the Golden State Freeway, north of Los Angeles. New York Police say, a Brooklyn woman was just looking for good luck which she gave $300 to a witch doctor for a voodoo sex ceremony, but the result was last weekend's deadly fire that killed one person, injured 20 firefighters and left dozens of people homeless. Well, police say, the voodoo priest put candles around the bed. They tipped over while the couple was getting intimate. Wind gusts of more than 40 miles an hour then ignited a five-alarm blaze.
Charlie Sheen is taking one big hit to the wallet now that his show "two and a half men" has been shut down. The actor will lose $1.2 million per episode. Producers' initially suspended production as Sheen underwent rehab but now they have cancelled the rest of the season after the actor publicly railed against them. You'll hear much, much more in Sheen in my interview with CNN's Jane Velez- Mitchell, that's coming up just before the half hour here on CNN.
And in Rockford, Illinois, two of the original Tuskegee airmen helped celebrate black history month. They urged young people to learn how to fly. The two World War II pilots are reminded the audience that African-Americans played a big part in the war, something they say young people do not know much about.
After more than 40 years of absolute power in Libya, Moammar Gadhafi's days may be numbered. Bloody and deadly clashes with Gadhafi's armed mercenaries have claimed more than 1,000 lives. That's according to the United Nations. Opposition forces now control large parts of the country, but in Tripoli, Gadhafi's son says, life is normal. The embattled leader shows no signs of weakening or giving up.
And CNN's international correspondent Nic Robertson is live in Tripoli for us. Nic, hello to you, the U.N. Security Council could vote on the sanctions. At any moment now, we're standing by with that, so what's happening and what has happened where you are?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I had reaction to that possible vote from the foreign minister who said, the U.N. Security Council shouldn't rush to decisions, they should send a team in here to see for themselves that they're misjudging the situation. I asked him about the deaths of a thousand people here and he said, that figure is wrong. I said, OK, well, how many people have died? And he said, well, I can tell you that tomorrow.
What we're seeing here on the streets of Tripoli, and I've been here a few times before, it is much, much more quiet than it would be normally. No people walking around when we were driving through the streets about 10:00 tonight. Far fewer cars than you would expect to see. Police at most of the intersections, they don't appear to be armed, but they're also a groups of young men wielding sticks at the intersections. It's clear if you're not supposed to be on the streets, you're not going to get very far in the city right now -- Don.
LEMON: All right. Nic Robertson, Nic, thank you very much. Stand by. Again, we're waiting on the U.N. to vote at any moment now and we will check back in with our Nic Robertson. We want to check in now with CNN's Ben Wedeman, he is in Benghazi joining us by phone. So, Ben, again, as you heard, we're waiting on the U.N. as well. What are you hearing and seeing where you are?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're hearing is that despite everything that's coming out of Tripoli, the rest of Libya seems to be getting ready for a post-Gadhafi era. In fact the city councils of the towns and cities in eastern Libya have chosen the former justice minister, a man by the name of Mustafa Abdel-Jalil to head an interim government that will represent all of Libya according to a spokesman here. And that this government will, it's said, ultimately be based in Tripoli once the capital is liberated. So, it appears that while Gadhafi is still holding tightly on to power in a small part of the country, the rest of the country seems to be getting ready for the day when he steps down -- Don.
LEMON: Ben, again, as we talk every day, I remind you and our viewers that you have covered this rest on for a very long time. These sanctions that we're waiting to hear about, what effect might it have on the situation there?
WEDEMAN: Well, it certainly will in a sense tighten the noose on Moammar Gadhafi and his immediate family. It involves sanctions of freezing of assets of key people within the inner circle of the regime, including Moammar Gadhafi, his daughter and several of his sons. It will make it very difficult for them to do anything outside a very small part of the -- of Libya. Most people do believe that his days in power are severely numbered -- Don.
LEMON: All right. Ben Wedeman reporting from Benghazi. Thank you, Ben.
Charlie Sheen declares war against CBS after his show, "Two and a Half Men" gets cancelled. If you haven't heard what he said on the radio by now, I don't know, you want to hear it. We'll going to play it for you.
And protesters continue their fight for workers' rights at the state capitol in Wisconsin. A live report just ahead on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Let's go now to the protests in this country. Outrage on the snowy grounds of the Wisconsin state capitol building. Thousands are protesting a budget bill that would strip public workers of most of their collective bargaining rights.
And Our Ted Rowlands has been out there for all of the shouting and all of the slogans. So, Ted, hey, yes, it looks like you've got a big crowd there standing behind you. What's the turnout like today?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the estimates are about 70,000 people, so a huge turnout when you factor in the weather. It's been snowing and fairly cold here, about the same crowd as last week. Of course the reason they're here is that the impasse is still here. This wide divide between the Governor Scott Walker, who wants to limit collective bargaining rights, and the 14 democratic senators that fled the state to Illinois so that the governor can't push the legislation through. You take a look around there are tens of thousands of people still here, not only outside the capitol but inside the capitol. People have been sleeping there as well. We talked to some folks that came down from Minnesota, some nurses. Here's what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN ROSS, NURSE FROM MINNESOTA: What they're doing here is trying to kill unions, period. There is no reason for what's going on to be going on. They have created a fiscal crisis and then blame the victims. Well, we're all victims here.
LAURIE BAHR, NURSE FROM MINNESOTA: We have to stick together. We all work hard, every single day for what we do for the people that we care for and the jobs that we do. And what Walker is doing is very unjust and wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: And most of the folks out here, Don, have a sign of some sort. And some of them are very creative. A lot of them of course against Governor Walker and a lot of them -- or most of them pro union. My favorite one was "I Blame Brett Favre" but they run the gamut. No problems in terms of security. There's almost 100,000 people out here, no security problems, so that says something about the civil discourse that we have seen over the past week.
LEMON: Yes, and you know, I see there's a sign behind you that says, "Wisconsin doesn't need a dictator," but there's also one that says, we stand, I think Ted, if you can read some of the signs, "We stand with Walker." So are there supporters of Walker in the crowd as well?
ROWLANDS: Well, there have been a few, but they have been wildly outnumbered. Last week there were some Tea Party folks here but today we saw two or three literally folks with signs and that was about it. Obviously, they knew if they came down here, they would be severely overwhelmed, so that said, there are a lot of folks at home who didn't come down here who absolutely do support the governor and this stalemate is going to extend at least until next week it looks like.
LEMON: All right, Ted, stay warm. Those folks are not letting the inclimate weather affect them, they're still out there, thank you very much Ted Rowlands in Madison, Wisconsin.
And don't underestimate the influence of Twitter everyone. It has the power to bring families together. And you'll going to see what I mean, coming up.
And as Charlie Sheen gone too far and bitten the hand that feeds them? You know that old saying, don't bite the hand that feeds you. Looks like Charlie is doing that. Our Jane Velez-Mitchell joins me to talk about it, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH RIVERA, FOUND BY DAD VIA TWITTER: Get to find my dad after 11 years. I don't even know how to feel right now. I'm just very, very happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: They are very, very happy. And since getting started on Twitter, Morales has more than 3,000 followers from around the world. Let's wish them luck.
OK, so while we continue to keep a close watch on Libya and the unrest rippling across the Mideast, another drama has been unfolding this week in Hollywood. Actor Charlie Sheen lashed out at his long-time Executive Producer Chuck Lorre, this week. And I spoke about it with the host of HLN's issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Jane, we have to start here with Charlie Sheen. Every day it seems to be something else. He keeps tripping over himself. I want you to listen to his most recent comment and then we'll talk about it.
SHEEN: 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 can into pure gold. And the gratitude I get is this charlatan chose not to do his job, which is to write. Clearly someone who believes he is above the law. Well, you've been warned dude, bring it.
LEMON: All right. So Jane, he's talking about the executive producer of his number one hit show, Chuck Lorre. But he refers to him as heim, has he gone too far?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN ANCHOR: Yes, he has gone too far and the suits have cracked down and they have pulled the plug on "Two and a Half Men" for this season and I say bravo. This guy is so deep in his disease. And he's got this bubble because of all the money that he makes from this very TV show that he doesn't suffer the consequences that the average person would suffer. So, he still has his house and his car and his porn stars and all of his other material goods. So it really increases his denial. It's like a fortress around which his denial has grown. And so that's why it's harder for him to hit bottom than an average person.
LEMON: And some people are reading into that, you know, calling him heim instead of Chuck saying, oh maybe there's a little anti-Semitism going on here. Is that the read you thinking from people in Hollywood?
MITCHELL: I think it's vicious, it's nasty, it's very possibly anti- Semitic. And I think that everything he said crossed the line into hateful, derogatory speech. I mean, this is addiction in all its glory. LEMON: I'm sure you've heard about this Georgia representative, his name Paul Broun, holding a town hall meeting on Thursday. An elderly gentleman stands up and says, who is going to shoot the president? Who is going to be the first to shoot the president? Well, Paul Broun doesn't respond right away and goes on to say, hey, there's going to be an election, hopefully when the next election we'll get someone who believes in smaller government and a lot of people are disappointed about the president. And this came later, his office released a statement, he said, I was stunned by the question and chose not to dignify it with a response. Therefore, at that moment I moved on to the next person with a question. After the event, my office took action with the appropriate authorities, I deeply regret that this incident happened at all. And furthermore, I condemn any sort -- he goes on to say any such action.
MITCHELL: He's an elected politician. He is used to speaking in public. And he's got to know that something like that warrants a reaction. And now, he's pretending like oh, it happened spontaneously, I didn't know, I didn't know what to say. Come on, this guy has been in the public eye for long enough to know that he really dropped the ball. And again, shame on him for not reacting more appropriately.
LEMON: Jane, you're so passionate and I know you cover the stories that you're passionate about. What are you working on for your show for next week?
MITCHELL: We are working on this amazing sweat lodge trial. And it's a manslaughter case. Three people died in this horrific sweat lodge situation in Arizona, and it's a full-fledged trial kicking off on Tuesday. On Monday on "Issues" on HLN, we are going to do an entire look at this very, very complex case. And it's just a horrific case where people are literally dying inside this sweat lodge. And they had gone there to find spiritual enlightenment.
LEMON: All right. So, watch and set your DVR because "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell" airs 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, 4:00 p.m. Pacific on HLN.
Straight ahead here on CNN, a new program helps children with autism get through airports. It's a CNN exclusive report.
But first, if you could pick anywhere in the world to live, where would it be? Probably depends on what the city offers, right? Cost of living, great night life, all sorts of things. Maybe it's easy to get around. Well, the marketing folks at the economists ranked 140 cities in composing its list of the world's most livable cities. Vancouver is -- Vancouver with the beat (ph), tops for the fifth straight year. Melbourne, Australia, number two and Vienna, Austria, number three. How about the U.S. cities? What are the most livable cities right here in the U.S.? Well, here they are, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. I'm not sure if I go along with all of these because just before the break, we showed you the most livable cities in the world. That's according to the London-based, the economist magazine. Vancouver was tops followed by Melbourne, Australia, and Vienna, Austria. I can say Melbourne is fantastic, so I agree with that one. So, what about U.S. cities? Well, coming in at number 34 was the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. Honolu, Hawaii, came in at number 30. What? And what was the highest ranked U.S. city? Pittsburgh at number 29. This was from a London-based magazine, I have to reiterate.
(CROWD CHANTING)
That's defiant demonstrators in Libya right there demonstrating, of course, you know against Moammar Gadhafi marching through Tripoli after Friday prayers. Moammar Gadhafi vows he'll stay in power by force if necessary. President Obama says, that is proof that Gadhafi has lost the legitimacy to lead Libya and it's time for him to step down. The United Nations estimates more than 1,000 people have died in the unrest. The U.N. Security Council is considering fresh sanctions right now against Moammar Gadhafi and whether to refer Gadhafi to the International Court for alleged crimes against humanity. A vote could come at any time and we'll going to bring that to you live as it happens here on CNN.
Congress could soon have a deal to avoid a government shutdown, at least for another two weeks. Lawmakers may pass a fifth short-term funding bill to keep Washington running. The last short-term bill they passed expires on Friday. Congress keeps pushing these extensions through because it never passed a budget for the current fiscal year.
A different budget battle is raging in Wisconsin this weekend. It's snowy and it's cold but that's not stopping thousands of protesters from rallying at the capitol. Yesterday, the statehouse passed Governor Scott Walker's bill which would strip public workers of most of their collective bargaining rights. The bill still has to clear the state Senate but Democrats have fled to Illinois to prevent a vote.
For children with autism, an airplane flight can cause so much anxiety it can keep many of their families grounded. The seat belt, the engine noise, and think how tough a security line would be. Now, a Philadelphia hospital has helped pioneer program to help autistic children better handle the ins and outs of flying. CNN's national correspondent Susan Candiotti, Susan Candiotti, shows us how.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For any family, flying can be a hassle, starting with airport security. For Ander Omaechevarria and other children with autism, it can be sheer terror.
(on camera) He was showing signs of anxiety. How did that manifest itself?
MERCEDES OMAECHEVARRIA, ANDER'S MOM: He was telling me no, that he didn't want to board the plane. CANDIOTTI (voice-over): The Omaechevarria are is in a pilot program coaching families with autistic children on how to better deal with flying.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: We all know there are lots of changes that can happen in the airport.
CANDIOTTI: At Newark International Airport, TSA employees are getting special training.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Sensitivity and education is the best tool.
UNIDENTIFIED FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Continental Airlines flight 13.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This flight is all pretend, but invaluable practice for five families of children with autism.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're doing an excellent job.
CANDIOTTI: Walking down a closed-in jetway can spark panic.
(on camera): Once on the plane, there can be more things that can be difficult for autistic children, things that we wouldn't even think twice about. For example, changes in lighting, engine noise, something as simple as getting a snack.
MERCEDES OMAECHEVARRIA, ANDER'S MOTHER: Good job, Ander.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): So far, so good, for Ander and for 5-year-old Brian. But the real thing can be a disaster.
DIANA WITTLES, BRIAN'S MOTHER: I've had planes held at the gate for Brian because he refuses to put the seat belt on.
CANDIOTTI: For 9-year-old Matthew, the flight to nowhere is taking its toll.
(SHOUTING)
CANDIOTTI: It's heart-breaking, but these families understand.
WITTLES: It can be a complete disaster and I end up being that mother that everybody ends up staring at.
CANDIOTTI: But the goal of this practice is not a perfect flight.
DR. WENDY ROSS, DIRECTOR: The goal is to sort of have these sorts of problems so we can help the family's problem solve, so in my mind they all did great.
CANDIOTTI: Families exchanged tips. A picture book can help kids remember each step.
(voice-over): Having done it, this makes him remember, ah, yes, this is where we are.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, right.
CANDIOTTI: Project supporters would like to see more of these programs.
SEN. FRANK LAUTENBERG, (D), NEW JERSEY: The principal thing is to give live normalcy to these families, to these children.
(on camera): How is the plane today?
ANDER OMAECHEVARRIA, HAS AUTISM: Good.
CANDIOTTI: Good? Where are you going tomorrow?
OMAECHEVARRIA: To a Disney.
CANDIOTTI: His fantasy flight might make that real one a bit easier.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Newark, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: I have a question for you. How far are you willing to go to get a job? Would you share your Facebook information, your private information? You'll hear about a guy who put his foot down, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, you want a job these days? You may have to hand over your credit report and your driving record, along with your resume. But one applicant put his foot down at his Facebook password. Can you believe that? A former corrections officer, Robert Collins, told our affiliate, WUSA, that the Maryland Department of Public Safety asked him for his Facebook information as he was trying to get recertified. He had taken a leave of absence. So Maryland Public Safety officials say the request, quote, "Is an effort to make sure the safety and security of our staff and inmates inside our correctional institutions is not compromised."
So I asked our Sunny Hosting, attorney and contributor to TruTV's "In Session," I asked her if it's legal for employers to request your Facebook user name and password. Pay attention.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST, TRUTV: Well, they can ask, certainly. I don't think it's the smart thing to do. I think it's sort of toxic for morale. But they can ask. But you don't have to provide it. You don't have to take the job. You don't have to provide the password.
But I will say, if you volunteer the password, it is not illegal then for that employer to go snooping around your Facebook account. So you really do have the power to just not allow it. LEMON: Let's go from getting a job to being on the job, because there was a television crew -- I want you to look at this video. A television crew gets attacked at a makeshift memorial.
Let's take a look and we'll talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you going to do?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What you going to do? What you going to do?
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If he do, huh?
(SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right, Sunny, so you saw that. Here's the thing. The Sacramento police are not filing any charges because they say the people from the TV station aren't going to file any charges. Do you need the victims to file charges in order to do that?
HOSTIN: No, you don't. It's a common misperception that the victim files charges. The victim doesn't file charges. Even the police don't file charges. It's the district attorney that files charges.
And I will say this. I've tried cases as a prosecutor without a victim. In murder cases, the victim is dead, and so you never have the victim's testimony. But certainly you prove your case with other evidence, through other evidence.
And I saw this tape and it looks like a felony assault to me, so why not have an investigator get on the witness stand? Why not put that video right in front of a jury? I think that you can prove this case. So I was very surprised to hear the police say, well, we don't have a complaining witness so we can't go forward with a referral to the district attorney's office. That is not how it works. And I really -- I think it's a cop out.
LEMON: Let's move on now and talk about something that was actually caught on a sketch pad. I want to get this right, especially because there's a quote here. This is in Arvada, Colorado. There's a little 11-year-old boy who was drawing stick figures. He has ADD. He psychiatrist tells him to express himself and to draw. And so he does. He draws. And here's what he does. He draws some stick figures pointing a gun pointing with four others with the words that say, "Teachers must die." He was encouraged to do this. The school saw it. They turned it over, police saw it. They turned it over, police saw it. He was questioned by police. His parents said they could question him. Questioned by police, without an attorney. What's going on here? Should he have ever been questioned in the first place?
HOSTIN: I don't think so. I mean, of course, parents can give police permission to speak to their children. But in a case like this, when you know that the police are at your door, when a school has referred the police to your home, I would say absolutely not. You get an attorney. You bounce off of your attorney what the attorney thinks is appropriate. But you don't let your child be interrogated by a police officer.
LEMON: But, Sunny, he's being charged with a misdemeanor. It's for interfering with school staff, from a drawing in which he was encouraged to do. I mean, he's 11.
HOSTIN: I think it really is overreaching. It's really inappropriate. For some reason, I think that certainly people are concerned. We've heard of Columbine. We've heard of Virginia Tech. People are concerned, certainly, about this type of thing. I get it. But it's still inappropriate, I think, for police to question a child in an investigation without an attorney present.
LEMON: A popular book, it's called "The Help," and it's by Katherine Stockett. And it's about a maid. The maid is called Abline (ph). But the maid in the book kind of is similar to an actual maid. The names are spelled differently, but that maid is now suing the author because she's saying they're talking about her in this book, and that's drawing quite a controversy.
HOSTIN: It really is. And I read the book "The Help," and I just thought it was a wonderful book, really interesting subject matter. But this real-life maid, Don, is saying that she was told that her likeness would not be used. She doesn't say in the complaint anything about who told her that or whether or not there was something in writing. But we know that verbal contracts oftentimes are valid and are binding. And so if she was told it would not be used --
LEMON: So she has a case?
HOSTIN: She could have a case. I know there are a lot of legal experts that are disagreeing with me, but I think she could have a case because, again, there are a lot of similarities, very, very significant. So to say it's just fiction, I think is probably not quite right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Sunny Hostin, thank you.
Colin Firth is one of the front runners for an Oscar this year. Could that be one of the reasons why so many women want to work with him? A report from Hollywood coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: This weekend, Hollywood celebrates the Best in Film at the Oscars. And there's one front runner that all the women want to work with. Come on, ladies, stop it, I'm only one guy. All right, no, I'm talking about Colin Firth.
CNN's entertainment correspondent, Kareen Wynter, tells us why all the ladies love Colin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fans want a piece of him.
(CROSSTWALK)
WYNTER: Some actresses would jump at the chance to work with him.
JULIANNA MARGULIES, ACTRESS: There's Colin Firth, who I would die to read a phone book with.
WYNTER: And others might just lose it in front of him.
(on camera): If you rub shoulders with him, what are you going to say to him?
JENNIFER LAWRENCE, ACTRESS: I'm probably going to scream in his face. So let's just be honest -- am I drooling -- I don't know.
WYNTER (voice-over): Move over L.L. Cool Jay because the ladies are loving cool Colin Firth. So what is it about this year's front runner for the best actor Oscar that makes him so appealing? Perhaps it's the charming characters he plays.
COLIN FIRTH, ACTRESS: You see the problematic thing is I love you.
WYNTER: We first came to know Colin as the dashing Mark Darcy in the "Bridgette Jones Diary" series, a man willing to fight for his girl and forgive her her foibles.
(MUSIC)
FIRTH: (INAUDIBLE). You're going to pay for it.
WYNTER: We grew to love Colin as a writer trying desperately to communicate with his Portuguese love interest in "Love Actually."
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
FIRTH: Ah, yes.
FIRTH: But Colin says his Oscar-nominated role portraying King George VI, who struggles with a stutter in "The King's Speech," hasn't won him any sex appeal.
FIRTH: The swoon factor hasn't been very big after this one.
WYNTER: So maybe it's Colin's British accent and humor that make us swoon --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Colin Firth! WYNTER: Or his admirable humility as displayed when he recently got a star on the Walk of Fame.
FIRTH: I came here in 1972 as a 12 year old, you know, checking out the names, and I would never have imagined that these stones that I was stepping on, one of them might have my name on it.
(SHOUTING)
WYNTER: Whatever the reason for Colin's allure, his name is one the ladies will likely be shouting for some time to come.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Colin?
WYNTER: Kareen Wynter, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: I'm going to take you cross country right now for stories CNN affiliates are covering.
A driver in Massachusetts creates her own drive-through lane at this coffee shop. Look at that video. She said she had just put the brakes on when the van suddenly accelerated. Police call it an accident and she will not be charged.
A Naples, Florida, woman is charged with battery after allegedly attacking her roommate over a box of Girl Scout cookies. The roommate says the woman began hitting her after accusing her of eating her Thin Mints. The roommate says she didn't eat them. She gave them to the woman's children.
OK, and a California man feeling fresh air and freedom for the first time in 18 years. Karimad (ph) Conley was wrongfully convicted of a double murder. He was ordered released at the end of January. Conley calls life on the outside a challenge and he says he's learning to send text messages and use the Internet from his 5-year-old niece.
And check out this dash-cam video from Ft. Myers, Florida, police. Kind of hard to tell, but this officer is helping several ducklings that were a bit reluctant to cross the road. The officer said, when he saw the baby ducks, he thought of his own daughter. He told our affiliate he could hear his daughter saying, "Get out and save those ducks." How cute. And that's just what he did. OK.
I tried not to laugh on the Girl Scout cookie story.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Up next, a woman who believed AIDS was a punishment from God until she became HIV positive. What she did next is why she's this week's "CNN Hero."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: This week's "CNN Hero" used to believe that HIV and AIDS are a punishment from God, but an unexpected revelation about her own health not only forced Patricia Sawo to re-evaluate her beliefs but to launch a crusade in Kenya to end the stigma of HIV and take care of children impacted by the disease.
(CNN HEROS)
LEMON: And remember, all of this year's "CNN Heroes" are chosen from people you tell us about. So to nominate someone you know who is making a big difference in your community, go to CNNheroes.com.
"The Situation Room" is straight ahead here on CNN.
Wolf Blitzer, what do you have for us, sir?
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM: Don, thanks very much.
We're all over the revolt in Libya right now. Nick Krzysztof, the columnist for "The New York Times," will join us with his assessment, what should the U.S. be doing, what can the U.S. be doing. I'll ask him if the U.S. should go ahead and try to assassinate Moammar Gadhafi.
Also, we have new information on those four Americans hijacked by pirates. What exactly happened that resulted in their death?
All that and a lot more coming up in "The Situation Room."
Don, back to you.
LEMON: All right, looking forward to it. Thank you, Wolf.
Protesters remain defiant in Libya. An update coming up next.
But first, it is the end of an era. Shuttle "Discovery" lifted off on its final mission on Thursday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "Discovery" is the fleet leader, having flown more missions than any other shuttle, 150 million miles.
So we want to test your space knowledge here on CNN. Do you know what year "Discovery" blasted off on the first voyage? Was it 1977, 1984 or 1991?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Man, it was a beautiful sight. Did you see it? The shuttle "Discovery" took off for its final mission on Thursday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
All right. So before the break, we asked you when "Discovery" embarked on its first voyage.
Do we have a shot of it taking off? Was it August? Was it 1977, 1984, 1991?
There we go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NASA ANNOUNCER: We have engine start.
NASA ANNOUNCER: Five, four, three, two, one.
NASA ANNOUNCER: And we have lift off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. So obviously, that's a combination of "Discovery." The first one took off August 30th, 1984. Everyone who said 1984, you were right. At the time, it was the third operational shuttle. And today, it is the oldest one in service.
Now look at this. In honor of NASA's shuttle program winding down, CNN has condensed every shuttle launch, all 132 of them, into 132 seconds. You can watch all of it at CNN.com. Beautiful sight.
Just want to update you on the top stories before we get out of here.
President Obama says Moammar Gadhafi has lost the legitimacy to lead Libya and it's time to step down. The United Nations estimates more than 1,000 people have died in clashes between protesters and armed mercenaries working for Gadhafi. The U.N. Security Council is considering fresh sanctions against Gadhafi and whether to refer the Libya leader to the international court for alleged crimes against humanity. A vote could come at any time.
So with that in minds, I want to go to our own Nic Robertson in Tripoli now.
Nic, do you think these sanctions are going to make a difference of the actual situation that's occurring there on the ground?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the situation is very dynamic and fluid. and while we've been standing here the last hour or so, we've been able to hear gunshots less than a mile away from here. Whether or not it's going to have an impact on the government in the immediate turn and physically over what they do, really that's not clear. But we can already see it's having a psychological impact. When I sat down a couple of hours ago to talk to the foreign minister here, that was the first issue he addressed. He said the U.N., United Nations, is rushing to judgment here. They should send people here to view the situation for themselves, reach their own conclusions, not listen to other people.
So clearly, clearly, if that's on the top of his agenda to talk to us when we walked through the door, it is having an impact. But is it going to change anything we're seeing on the streets here? So far, perhaps not -- Don?
LEMON: And, Nic, it was a very interesting day yesterday. Before I do that, remind our viewers, at 10:00 tonight, we're going to do a special on Libya and Nic will be involved, as well as a lot of correspondents here domestically and internationally. But, Nic, yesterday, very interesting. We saw many Americans finally able to leave Libya, leave Tripoli. We saw -- and also from other countries. A lot of countries getting their people out. We heard yesterday, the press secretary talked about sanctions, telling financial institutions to be careful with transactions when it comes to leaders from North Africa and from the Middle East. So it's a very pivotal point in the story and we haven't seen anything like this in history. We really don't know where this is going to go.
ROBERTSON: We don't. And we saw a part of that sort of chaos of trying to get people out of the country today when we arrived at the airport. We saw thousands of people around the airport, some of them living outside the terminal in the rain and cold weather. They were under tarpaulins, huddled under blankets, being herded around by security officials.
Inside the terminal, we saw about five or six different groups of people all going through security to board their flights outside. We saw military aircraft from Turkey, from France. We saw commercial aircraft from Jordan, Bangladesh and Egypt, from many countries all trying to fly nationals and other people out of country.
So there's a huge effort and still thousands upon thousands and thousands of people still waiting to get out. and some of them appeared sort of -- they're so sort of camped out there. It appears they've given up hope of getting a flight. They're just camping at the airport for some sort of safety here -- Don?
LEMON: Our Nic Robertson is in Tripoli, and Ben Wedeman is in Benghazi. It's interesting because, before, we couldn't get journalists into the country and now they're in the country. It just shows you Moammar Gadhafi losing grip on his country.
Thank you, Nic Robertson. Be safe. We'll continue to follow this developing story on CNN to bring you much, much more.
I want to tell but this that we have coming up at 7:00 p.m. eastern. A Brooklyn woman gives $300 to a witch doctor for a voodoo sex ceremony but the results are fatal. And some amazing footage we want to tell you about from there.
And this, from a rodeo in North Carolina. A bull jumps into a crowd, scattering fans, knocking over drinks and causing pandemonium. We'll have the woman who shot this footage. She was in the crowd and experienced this. Can you image? So make sure you join us at 7:00 p.m. eastern for that and a live report again from Tripoli in Libya. I'll see you then.
