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Wisconsin Protesters Stay in State Capital Past Closing; Foreign Workers Marooned in Libya; Western Journalists Take Curious Government Tour of Roiled Libya; Program Helps Children with Autism; Iman Discusses Her Work; Getting Ready for Oscars

Aired February 27, 2011 - 17:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And no one seems to be budging in the budget battle in Wisconsin. The new governor is pitted against state workers and the unions. Our Ted Rowlands is at the state capital where demonstrators have been told to pack it up and leave. But it doesn't look like they have or will.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It seems like a lot of them are still here, Fredricka. This is the hour where they are supposed to leave, the capital is technically closing in about a minute here and we will see what happens. A lot of the folks here say that they will leave when they're asked to leave, but then there are a handful that say they absolutely will not leave and they are willing to be arrested.

One of the people that claims he's not going to leave is Tyler (ph) here. Tyler, they say they want to clean the building. It has been occupied for the better part of two weeks, and they just want to clean it. Why not just leave and come back tomorrow?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because you smell it, look around, it doesn't smell like urine or pee or whatever, whatever the -- some media networks are claiming it smells like. The protesters are actually cleaning the buildings themselves. We have agreed to move out of certain section while protesters have actually mopped the floor and cleaned up.

It is not a matter of leaving and coming back, it's just a matter of free speech and standing up for workers' rights. And it's just another order from the governor that the people of Wisconsin are simply not going to listen to.

ROWLANDS: And you are willing to be arrested?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am willing to be arrested. However, the shirt that I'm wearing signifies that I am going to be a leader in this protest and set an example for everyone else here that we can show freedom of speech without being violent, and we can do things in a peaceful manner here.

ROWLANDS: And you are -- are you anticipating anybody causing any trouble from what you know? Or are there pockets here that could cause some trouble? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so. This whole thing so far, this is day 13, I personally have been here every single day. I have slept on the capital floor, underneath the Liberty Bell myself. I have yet to see anything happen here violently or -- I don't anticipate any violence or any hostility at all.

ROWLANDS: All right. Fredricka, we will see what happens. There are a lot of police officers here from a number of different agencies from around the state, and in the next few minutes they are going to start to try to clear these people out, see what happens.

WHITFIELD: All right. Very good. Thanks so much, Ted Rowlands, for that update.

And now the latest on Libya, the pressure is mounting from the international community for Libya's Moammar Gadhafi to step down. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attends a ministerial-level meeting of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights tomorrow in Geneva in large part to discuss Libya. She is on her way there right now.

Before leaving, she echoed President Barack Obama's and now the British foreign minister's sentiments that it is time for Gadhafi to go. U.K. officials have also revoked the Gadhafi family diplomatic immunity in Britain. And we learned today that the British government is freezing their assets.

And our crew in Libya says they have seen armed civilians taking positions on rooftops in a protester-controlled town near Tripoli. They are reportedly preparing to face troops loyal to the Libyan government in case they try to retake that town.

And now this from Benghazi, our senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman reports on migrant workers from South Asia and Africa who are stranded with no way out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pandemonium as volunteers throw bags of bread and juice to migrant workers from the back of a truck. Thousands of workers from South Asia and Africa are stranded in Benghazi's port, waiting for someone to take them home.

Bangladeshi Marouf Khan worked in a furniture store here. He has heard help was on the way.

MAROUF KHAN, BANGLADESHI: (INAUDIBLE) maybe two planes, maybe one ship were sent here, but not working.

WEDEMAN: Nationals from wealthier nations were quickly evacuated from Libya, but for workers from some of the world's poorest countries, there is no guarantee of a speedy journey out to safety.

Construction worker Anis Burhan, also from Bangladesh, says pleas for help are falling on deaf ears. ANIS BURHAN, BANGLADESHI: Embassy don't know this place, he don't care, he don't care. Some of the people call to the embassy, embassy don't listen. Don't care, he say, I don't know what I do.

WEDEMAN: The Bangladeshi government says it's organizing an evacuation. This room at the port is packed with workers from Thailand. At least it's warm in here, but there's little to do to pass the time.

Thai truck driver Samer Pudphong worked for a Turkish construction company called Techfen (ph), which pulled all of its Turkish workers out days ago.

(on camera): And where is Techfen? Where is...

SAMER PUDPHONG, THAILAND: Techfen go back to Turkey now.

WEDEMAN: Techfen go back to Turkey and leave you here?

PUDPHONG: Yes, yes. Leave me here.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): A spokesperson for Techfen tells CNN the Turkish government will send ships.

Later in the day, lunch arrives. A meal of plain rice, juice, and water. Local businessmen are providing the food for these workers but there's a problem. Benghazi is not being re-supplied and the city only has two months' reserves of food.

One of those businessmen, Wanis Gardiz, is anxious to send the workers home.

WANIS GARDIZ, LIBYAN BUSINESSMAN: We have the money. We can give them money for the ship, you know? But today we have food, but tomorrow, everything, we don't have food for ourselves, you know?

WEDEMAN: Millions of migrant workers are spread across Libya and many are headed here.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Benghazi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Now that is the situation in eastern Libya. On the other side of the country, non-Libyan workers, by the tens of thousands, have fled across the border into Tunisia.

CNN's Ivan Watson is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These are just some of the estimated 40,000 people who have fled across the border from Libya, here to Tunisia, in just the last week. Most of these people are Egyptian migrant workers, day laborers, who are fleeing the bloodshed and the violence in Libya. And it's difficult to even call this situation a camp, because some of the men we've spoken with say they have spent two, three, four nights sleeping out here in the cold, out on the streets.

Sir, you've been here one day, two days?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One day.

WATSON: One day? Sleeping right here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two. Two.

WATSON: Two days?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we come from Tripoli to Tunisia, they take our six laptops in the same bus, take my mobile, take my...

WATSON: Who took your laptops and mobile?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The military.

WATSON: The military?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The military, yes.

WATSON: Libyan soldiers?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Libyan soldiers, yes.

WATSON: The Tunisian military say they need more help, perhaps from the United Nations, from aid organizations, to help deal with this exodus of humanity. Tunisian civil society is stepping forward.

We've seen convoys of Tunisian vehicles, volunteers coming in, bringing in help, bringing in support, and even organizing demonstrations here against Moammar Gadhafi, where they've even been waving the pre-1969 Libyan three-color flag that has become a symbol against Gadhafi.

We're seeing a show of support from Tunisia, the first Arab country to launch this pro-democracy movement, support for Libya's own democratic uprising.

But as you can see here, the numbers of people just get bigger and bigger day after day. And the fear is if the bloodshed gets worse, that these scenes could get worse as well if Libyans join the flow of refugees escaping the violence in their country.

Ivan Watson, CNN, near the Tunisian-Libyan border

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: An American woman fled Libya with her two young sons in tow and she spoke to our affiliate KYW when they arrived back in Philadelphia this weekend. Her husband works for Coca-Cola. He stayed behind to look after his employees, but she received a call from him during her trip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CATHERINE PANDUR, JUST RETURNED FROM LIBYA: I just got the phone call before I left that he is out now. He is out now.

The feeling of trying to get out and you can't do it -- I'm sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Pandur waited 12 hours at the Libyan airport before she and her boys were able to get to out.

And one more voice about Libya for now is Arizona Senator John McCain. Listen to what he told CNN's Candy Crowley this morning about Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's future running Libya.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I think his days are numbered. The question is how many people are going to be massacred between now and when he leaves? We ought to shorten that timeframe as much as we possible. I believe we can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Senator McCain appeared on this morning's "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley. See the rest of his interview about Libya on our Web site, cnn.com/sotu.

Well, you already know that gasoline prices are up, but have you heard about coffee?

And then take a look right now, the red carpet. Many folks poised, ready to go there in Hollywood for the Academy Awards tonight. They are awaiting a lot of the arrivals of the stars in minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Unrest in the Middle East causing uncertainty in oil markets and pain at the pump. Gas prices jumped 17 cents a gallon over the past week. That as oil prices surge more than 9 percent. The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is now $3.33. Analysts expect prices to continue to rise.

And you probably also noticed a rise in the price of another critical fuel, coffee. Many of us just can't get started without it. And as our Stephanie Elam reports, you may have to pay a little bit more before you get coffee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This might give you a jolt, coffee lovers. The cost of that cup of Joe is about to go up some more. JOSE SETTE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL COFFEE ORGANIZATION: Prices have been rising steadily over the last four or five years, but these price rises have accelerated since May of last year.

ELAM: And roasters are passing some of the cost on to you. Last fall, Starbucks said it was raising the price of large and labor- intensive drinks to offset the cost of coffee beans, while the price of packaged and Dunkin' Donuts and Folger coffee products sold in retail outlets rose by 10 percent this month.

And with coffee prices hitting a 14-year high, and rising more than 100 percent in the last 12 months, more hikes could be on the horizon. So what is behind the boost?

SETTE: Coffee prices are high primarily because we have had three disappointing harvests in Colombia in a row and Colombia is the biggest producer of fine-quality coffee.

ELAM: But while prices are high, this isn't the worst we have seen.

SETTE: If we talk about adjusting for inflation, then prices are not as high as we have seen in the past. But in nominal terms we are at the highest level since 1977.

ELAM: It is hard to pinpoint when prices will go up at the store, but consumers should get ready.

HECTOR GALVAN, SENIOR TRADING ADVISER, RJO FUTURES: The sticker shock they may think is bad now will be nothing compared to, you know, what they will have in the next six to eight months.

ELAM: So will the price hikes stop folks from hitting up their local barista?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If it really gets that high, then I'm definitely not going to like get coffee every day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to stomp my feet and stop buying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, not at all. I mean, coffee is important.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can't.

ELAM: Stephanie Elam, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And some scary moments for people who attended Jon Stewart's rally on the National Mall. More on this newly released video, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Time to go cross country and check the stories our affiliates are covering. Interstate 5 was shut down near Sacramento, California, last night. Why? A herd of goats wandered onto the freeway. Several motorists crashed trying to avoid the goats. One woman was actually taken to the hospital for treatment. At least 30 goats were killed.

And the D.C. Metro system has released this video of an escalator collapsing last fall. It happened after the Jon Stewart-Stephen Colbert rallies on the National Mall, if you remember that. There was heavy foot traffic in the area and several people were actually injured. Transit officials blame the escalator's braking system. As a result, they are conducting more frequent inspections and improving maintenance standards.

And a rather noisy end to one of the nation's first federally funded public housing projects. The Roosevelt House in Atlanta was imploded this morning to make way for a new mixed-use development.

All right. Many unemployed workers are looking for ways to reinvent themselves or put their skills to use in new careers. But if you have done one job for years, how do you uncover your hidden talents and market yourself? Our next guest has some tips. Career expert Paula Caligiuri joins us now from New York.

So sometimes this means kind of looking at yourself and your talents differently and you say you need to, A, identify what it is that you are good at.

PAULA CALIGIURI, CAREER EXPERT: And it also means some self- reflection, a little bit of self-awareness.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

CALIGIURI: And we can really do this by a really straightforward approach. All we need to do is write down those top pride experiences, those times in our lives when we were incredibly proud of our accomplishments. And then for each of those, really think through what was it about us that made us so good at that moment, that made us so successful?

It could be something about our personality. It could be something about our skills or abilities, whatever they are, just really write all those down. And then what's most important is to step back from that and really see whether there's a pattern.

Oftentimes, if he is there a pattern, we are probably starting to see one of our natural talents.

WHITFIELD: And then, you need a little reinforcement on that, right? Sometimes you need to ask around. Did I kind of nail it here, friends, family, maybe even reach out to other experts in various industries?

CALIGIURI: Isn't it the case that sometimes people who love us, they care about us, they see things in us that we don't see in ourselves. And they know us in ways that we don't know ourselves.

So, you can almost do the exact same approach. You can ask them to reflect on your accomplishments and what was it about you that made you successful in those moments?

The other thing about experts, if you do talk to a teacher or a mentor, someone who might have an expertise in a certain area, they are often able to see that diamond in the rough. They can see some natural abilities, maybe before they are even sort of those surface talents.

WHITFIELD: And you say there are some tools out there, they are called assessment tools, and you might find them online to kind of help you fine-tune some of these skills. How do you go about that?

CALIGIURI: Right. The ones I like the most are from the Department of Labor. They are available at onetcenter.org. So onetcenter.org. They are wonderful. You are able to assess your skills, your interests, your work values. And then you can go on to that site, after you have done that assessment, you can actually look at that profile relative to different occupations at different education levels. Wonderful, wonderful tools. And best of all, they are free. A wonderful opportunity...

WHITFIELD: People like free.

CALIGIURI: ... to uncover some -- people do like free.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: We all like free. All right. Paula Caligiuri, thanks so much. Appreciate that.

CALIGIURI: My pleasure.

WHITFIELD: All right. A growing chorus of world leaders now calling for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to go. After the break, the latest moves to isolate Gadhafi from his power and money.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. A quick check of our top stories right now. Hollywood's biggest stars are getting ready for this year's biggest event, the Oscars. Ten films are up for best picture including "The King's Speech," "The Social Network." We'll have a live report from the red carpet in just a few minutes.

And now to the budget battle in Wisconsin. Protesters who have called the capitol rotunda in Madison kind of home for the past couple of weeks are being asked to leave now. Many protesters say they won't go, so we could see arrests in the next few minutes. The building is set to be closed this hour for cleaning and maintenance.

And some former government security forces have switched sides in Libya, joining rebels in a town about 35 miles outside Tripoli. Meanwhile, more international leaders calling for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to go. The latest is British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

And our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Tripoli. I spoke to him last hour about reporting on the turmoil where he is not 100 percent free to go where he and other journalists want to go.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Rather difficult for a lot of Western journalists to be able to report from that area. You and a number of other Western journalists had some very unique circumstances, right, where you were being taken around various cities. But this is what the government wants you to see?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, one would think that this is what the government wants us to see, but when government officials today took us to the town of Zawiyah, which is an important oil-refining town just 35 miles from the capital here, Tripoli, what we discovered was something that wouldn't be very pleasing for the leadership here.

The government officials, when they let us out of the car, let us out right by what is effectively the front line in that town. And we crossed over and there was a huge anti-government demonstration, some 2,000 people demonstrating against the government.

They said that 16 people have been killed at the intersection where we saw them. They were standing on top of tanks. They had anti-aircraft guns there. Some of them were armed, and on the top of buildings. There were soldiers that had deserted the government forces, joined the opposition.

And they told us they wanted the government of Moammar Gadhafi to be overthrown. They called him a blood sucker. They also said that they wanted more weapons. They were calling for more guns.

So this is not really something that the government officials would necessarily want to take us to see, but they took us to town and that's what we found there.

The government officials afterwards took us to see some pro-government rallies, two much smaller rallies, both apparently organized by government officials. When I asked somebody from the -- one of the government officials later why -- why did you take us -- if you are the government, why did you take us to see an anti-government rally?

And they said, well, that wasn't quite the plan, but that is what you wanted to do and that's what happened. So, they are not putting strict controls on us, but they are taking us around to places were they think we should go -- Fredricka.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And voices in this country are calling for Gadhafi to step down. Let's get straight to CNN's Kate Bolduan in Washington. Kate, what's being said?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Fredricka. Well, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, she is on her way to Geneva, Switzerland, right now, for a meeting tomorrow of the U.N. Human Rights Council and also to consult with allies on really the next steps in dealing with the situation in Libya.

But before she left, she reiterated the message that we have heard for the first time yesterday from the Obama administration, that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has lost the legitimacy to rule and simply needs go.

Still today, two top senators are criticizing the Obama administration's response to the crisis so far. Republican John McCain, the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, and independent Joe Lieberman, the chair of the Homeland Security Committee, tell CNN's Candy Crowley that the U.S. needs to, quote, "get tough and do more."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: Every place we go, they are looking to America for leadership, for assistance, for moral support, and ratification of the sacrifices they have made in defense of democracy. America should lead.

LIEBERMAN: I wish that we had spoken out much more clearly and early against the Gadhafi regime. And we have lines of communication certainly through the foreign ministry, and we could have told them at this same time we were condemning Colonel Gadhafi's brutality that if he laid a finger any American who was there he would pay for it and pay for it dearly. The fact is now is the time for action, not just statements.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And White House officials, they defend President Obama's response, they have been, saying that he remained kind of low key, offering a bit of a more muted response early on because of concerns simply over the safety of Americans trying to get out of Libya.

Following the safe departure of many Americans that we covered, the president announced unilateral sanctions against Gadhafi and top members of his government. The U.N. Security Council has also approved a draft resolution of sanction. And is Secretary Clinton told reporters traveling with her today that the U.S. is now reaching out to opposition groups trying to organize in Libya.

She also added that it's way too soon to say how this is all going to play out. And, Fredricka, I think that is probably the one certainty in this very fluid situation with historic change unfolding before our eyes in that region.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kate Bolduan, thanks so much, in Washington. Appreciate that.

Her iconic name is synonymous with beauty and fashion around the world. Iman is giving back and she says that is at the core of who she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IMAN, CEO, IMAN COSMETICS: I was lucky enough in this lifetime to have been helped by non-government organizations when I was a refugee in Kenya.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Face-to-face with Iman about her charity work and her special attachment to the people of Africa, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: For children with autism, an airplane flight can cause so much anxiety. The seat belt, the engine noise, tough security lines. Well now a Philadelphia hospital has helped pioneer a program to help autistic children better handle the ins and outs of flying. CNN national correspondent 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 Omaechevarrias 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.

CANDIOTTI: 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.

OMAECHEVARRIA: 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. 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.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 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 principle thing is to give live normalcy to these families, to these children.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): How is the plane today?

ANDER OMAECHEVARRIA, HAS AUTISM: Good.

CANDIOTTI: Good? Where are you going tomorrow?

A. OMAECHEVARRIA: To a Disney.

CANDIOTTI: His fantasy flight might make that real one a bit easier. Susan Candiotti, CNN, Newark, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, we're going to talk about some pretty nasty weather and potentially dangerous weather that's churning. Karen Maginnis in our Weather Center.

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: This just popped up in the last 30 seconds or so, our tornado warning. This in effect for several counties in Tennessee, tornado warning until 6:15 local time. I'll just kind of scroll through this a little bit. Houston County could be housed in, I'm not certain on that. Dickson County, Humphreys County, also Montgomery County. This is pretty much in central Tennessee, it's kind of difficult on this particular map to pick it out, but here he's the Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama border. And it is right here, where you see that pink cone. But we will continue to monitor that.

What we have right now, for the most part, is information regarding all this severe weather and we are looking at the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms coming up as we look into the next several hours. Take a look at this from Little Rock all the way to Paducah, but I will tell you that right now, right around Kansas City and Wichita, there are severe weather watches which are in effect so this has actually developed a little bit further to the north and the west of our moderate area.

Let's take a live look at what's happening in Kansas City right now. Kansas City, I vote you the strangest weather in the last 24 hours. We have got temperatures in the 30s, you are under a severe thunderstorm watch, a flash flood watch and you could see snow tomorrow. All that snowfall on the ground and we could see the potential for severe flooding when that rain comes down, so Fredricka, looks like a lot to watch over the next six to 12 hours.

WHITFIELD: Wacky weather this winter.

MAGINNIS: It is crazy.

WHITFIELD: Yes, it is. All right Karen, thank you.

She says her $25 million cosmetics business is her proudest legacy, but former fashion model now business exec and fashion designer Iman is multifaceted. Her legacy includes her low and medium-priced cosmetics, affordable accessories and fashion designs and the new launch of her home designs. She tells me face-to-face at her New York 7th Avenue office, this is all part of what she calls fashion democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IMAN, DESIGNER: Everything you see on Global Chic is less than $100. Everything,

WHITFIELD: Accessible?

IMAN: Everything is under $100. This is really an inspiration from my mom. My mom used to wear this kind of star burst broach. So that was an inspiration from her. But everything from sunglasses to bags to, you know, shoes, boots, jeans, all that.

WHITFIELD: And you wear all of them?

IMAN: I'm wearing my jeans, I'm wearing my jeans, just $89.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So from fashion modeling to fashion design to philanthropy, the Somali-born beauty also cares about people and issues globally.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IMAN: First of all, at the root of it is Islam and Muslim, so we were always raised on a life of service, very important. It's like hand in hand, I was taught from when I was two, three years ago, life of service, life of service, life of service. So that's part and parcel of how I grew up. And then I was lucky enough in this lifetime to have been helped by non-government organizations when I was a refugee in Kenya after we fled to Kenya. These non-government organizations who are tirelessly helped people, refugees, make sure that you are going to school, set up in the right places and they keep on checking on you and who are, like, these, you know, heroes, unsung heroes, really.

WHITFIELD: So what happens when do you travel and you do happen upon an African nation when you go took Kenya or Somalia, maybe not Somalia recently, difficult for anybody to go there right now, but is there something that happens emotionally to you when you get on African soil?

IMAN: Yes. The joy of the people is contagious in a way that it's uplifting, you see people who don't have much but at the same time there is joyfulness to them so that is very -- that constant hope that's feeling. And then the constant reminder as a woman when I go there is that the whole continent actually would not be functioning if it wasn't for the women. It wouldn't.

WHITFIELD: The entire continent.

IMAN: The whole entire continent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And if you've missed any of my face-to-face conversations with Iman, you can catch them any time on my blog at CNN.com/Fredricka.

All right, here is a question for you. Would you ever give out your Facebook password even if it means getting a job or keeping your job? Our legal guys weigh in next.

But first, let's take a look at the red carpet. Folks are ready. You are also looking at the big old boulevard where a lot of fans have lined up along the boulevard waiting for a sight of a star soon to arrive on the red carpet, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, CNN Equals Politics and we're keeping an eye on all the latest headlines on the CNNPolitics.com desk. And here's what's crossing right now. A Democratic senator says a Republican plan to keep the federal government working for at least two more weeks is acceptable but "not the way to go." Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad told CNN's Candy Crowley there should be a longer term agreement, hopefully through the end of the year. And President Barack Obama caught heat today from Senator John McCain over what the senator calls Washington's lack of leadership toward the upheaval in Libya. The Arizona Republican noted that the British and French leaders didn't hesitate to address the crisis there. And the liberal advocacy group moveon.org threw rallies in all 50 states yesterday in a show of support for public workers in Wisconsin.

All right. About 15 more minutes before the top of the hour, you know what that means, Don Lemon will be joining us at the top of the hour. Of course, as a prelude, he's joining us right now. What's straight ahead?

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: You sound so excited by that. I'm glad you are.

WHITFIELD: It's always great to see you, yes.

LEMON: What a crazy news cycle we have been in, right? It's just unbelievable.

WHITFIELD: It's true.

LEMON: We have been following the events that are happening in the Mideast, North Africa and of course in Libya. I'm sure you have done this story, we did the story about the woman who just returned there from Libya with her two kids.

WHITFIELD: Two boys.

LEMON: Yes, her husband was working there for Coca Cola, her boys are four and six. Her husband is Egyptian. They were there for the chaos, managed to get out, but it was an ordeal and you heard her talk about being in the airport, seeing bodies gone through and her husband being stuck there. As soon as she got on a plane, finally, after a 12-hour wait, she got word from her husband, a phone call, that he had made it out, he is in Egypt now, which is interesting because there is unrest there as well. So she is OK. She is joining us. I say all of that to say she is going to join us live to talk to us about it in just about 15 minutes, in the 6:00 hour here in the CNN NEWSROOM. And Fred, so it will be interesting to see what she says. She is very emotional at the airport and I want to talk to her live.

Twenty years, this is when you and I, we can say probably news freshmen, we were just starting our careers in news.

WHITFIELD: Sure.

LEMON: Back in -- won't say it but it has been 20 years, 20 years, do you remember seeing that video of Rodney King being beaten by the police officers?

WHITFIELD: Who can forget? LEMON: And then everything that fell out? For the last couple of months, I have been in L.A. interviewing Rodney King and many of the people associated with that case. So I go to talk to Rodney King. I said, Rodney, will you go -- will you please go with me back to the scene and just sort of walk me through it. We go back with him. As he was driving me there, he stops, he gets out and he re-enacts the whole thing. Take a look, Fred.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RODNEY KING, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Three steps back, he said lay down. So when I laid down, I laid down like this and my face was facing this way, so I could see him and then said, no put your F'in head down, face down. When I finally face down, bam, took the blow, bam, a real hard blow to the temple. When he did that, I just looked and then I went up like that, I ran this way, with my hands up, showed no threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So this, unbelievable. And then I sat down, a long interview with him. But we went through, we also talked to prosecutors, attorneys on both sides, people who were involved. It's going to be a very interesting hour. That's going to air this Friday --

WHITFIELD: Do people see things differently 20 years later?

LEMON: Some do.

WHITFIELD: Or are they holding their ground on how they experienced it then?

LEMON: Some do and some don't. And you remember, you know, there is an interesting fallout with the officers and you remember the trucker, Reginald Denny as well, who was beaten. It is one of the most interesting things I've ever done. It airs this Friday, again, and we're going to be talking about it today at 6:00, we're going to run a long piece so that you can see it.

WHITFIELD: We will look forward to that. Don Lemon, thanks so much. See you in a few more minutes, now 14 minutes before the top of the hour. Who is counting? We will see more of you. All right, thanks so much.

All right, here is a question for you and everybody else to out there, how many of you are on Facebook and would you give out your password in order to keep your job? Get a job? That's what one man is in Maryland is being asked to do and I asked our legal guys, Avery Friedman, Richard Herman about it yesterday. Here's what they thought.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So your employer says you got to give up your Facebook pass. Would you? And if you were not to do that, what's your legal ground in which to do so? RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTY: You know, it's a correctional facility. And what they've implemented is for any new employees or recertifications for old employees, they want to do thorough background checks and therefore they're asking for this information so they can go on and read all your e-mails and all your messages and everything. It seems really intrusive to me.

I don't know, Fred. I mean, look. It's a correctional facility. Can you imagine if they had some lunatic in there as a correction officer who got through their vetting process and turned out to be a bad person? They'd get hammered. So I don't know.

WHITFIELD: So Avery, you're shaking your head. You're not on Facebook maybe because you're a very private person, so is this an issue of privacy? Because that's what Robert Collins is saying it is.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTY: Yeah, Robert Collins is right. It violates the due process clause of the American Constitution's 14th Amendment. The fact is that he has already been checked out, there are plenty of ways to determine whether or not Mr. Collins is a member of a gang -- that's the underlying reasoning. But the fact is it's too much, too far, violates both privacy and due process.

Remember, Fredricka, this is government, we're not dealing with private parties. And so Mr. Collins has rights under the constitution. Ultimately Maryland will disband -- abandon this process. Some other local communities have tried it, they've dropped it. It's going too far. There's no way the courts would ever uphold that intrusive behavior.

WHITFIELD: Now, is Maryland saying this would be arbitrary, this is because of, say, Robert Collins, his background, or is everyone subjected to this treatment?

HERMAN: Everyone, Fred.

FRIEDMAN: No. 1, it is arbitrary, but No. 2 the fact that he is coming back to work, he's already been cleared, makes it especially arbitrary. But beyond that, I think it's too intrusive. I just don't think any court in America would ever uphold this kind of intrusiveness, there's just no way.

WHITFIELD: OK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: You can catch our legal guys every weekend.

All right, let's go to the red carpet now, L.A. They are all getting ready for the Oscars. Our Brooke Anderson is there as well. Oh, and there's food, too?

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is food, Fredricka. It is making me really hungry. Here is the famous chef, Wolfgang Puck. And he is in charge of satisfying all the nominees, all the presenters after they have been sitting for three, three and a half, four hours afterwards at the Governor's Ball with this wonderful food. We are going to talk to you after the break, but you are enjoying it yourself?

WOLFGANG PUCK, CHEF: I'm ready and I know everybody is going to be hungry.

ANDERSON: All right. We will talk to him after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The soon to be released movie, "The Adjustment Bureau" will get you thinking about free will versus fate. Is your destiny designed by a master plan or the choices that you make in life? Director George Nolfi and actor Anthony Mackie will both tell you it's a little bit of both. I sat down face to face with Nolfi and Mackie who said their successes came through some chance plus a lot of hard work and persistence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: If there's a real kernel to your path of success, what would you share with young people?

ANTHONY MACKIE, ACTOR: Take as many classes as you can. You want to be bad in your personal time, not in your work time. I feel like a lot of people in this business think oh, Denzel is so good, I can do that. And it's like Denzel is good because he is good. Just because he's good does not mean you're good. So take as many classes as you can and be as bad as you can to get ready to be great.

WHITFIELD: You mean bad as in good.

MACKIE: Bad as in awful. I can think of a lot of time in school. Make as many mistakes as you can in your personal time. You don't want to get on set and make mistakes because those mistakes will live with you forever. Once it's on film, your great grandkids will go back and be like, yo, grandpa, you sucked. You don't want that to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Anthony Mackie and George Nolfi face to face next weekend as their new movie, "The Adjustment Bureau" hits theaters.

All right, back to the red carpet now. And Brooke Anderson and a guest with food, yum.

ANDERSON: That's right. Exactly. You know, a lot of these nominees, a lot of these presenters, Fredricka, probably haven't eaten all day. They want to get zipped up into their dresses, and so after the whole event is over with, they go to the Governor's Ball, and this is where they chow down on some of the highly regarded chef Wolfgang Puck's wonderful creations. What do we have here?

PUCK: We have some fantastic food. You know we have some traditions, like our smoked salmon Oscars. We're going to have our little tuna cones and a big sushi bar.

ANDERSON: I see caviar. And I've got to ask you though Wolfgang, it looks so delicious, but I'm sure you are going to have some picky eaters here tonight. I know Natalie Portman, she's pregnant and I believe she's a vegetarian. Do you have something special planned for her?

PUCK: We have this "Black Swan" paella. It's a vegetarian paella, so it's rice, vegetables and everything. She will love it. And for the people who are not vegetarian, they can have our English sole here with a confit of tomatoes with basil and a little olive oil. And for first course, we have a wonderful garden salad here.

ANDERSON: Can I come?

PUCK: You can have anything you want. As a matter of fact, I think I should give you an Oscar first. Everybody is going to get an Oscar from us.

ANDERSON: And you have what, how many of these, 4,000, 5,000?

PUCK: Five thousand chocolate Oscars covered in 24 carat gold. So everybody is going to be a winner with us.

ANDERSON: How long have you been working on the menu? There's a lot of pressure surrounding catering the Governor's Ball.

PUCK: We started Monday really to get organized, smoke the fish and do a lot of stuff. And we are really cooking everything fresh tonight. Like the fish is not even cooked yet. When I get up there, we are going to start cooking 1,600 English sole.

ANDERSON: How many people are you serving, 1,500, 1,600?

PUCK: Yes, we are serving 1,600 people so all the winners, all the nominated people, they will all come, great booze this year, great design of the ballroom.

ANDERSON: You have developed relationships with a lot of the celebrities here tonight. Who are you most looking forward to serving this delectable food?

PUCK: Well, I think we have so many friends. I couldn't mention just one. I met just moments --

ANDERSON: Name drop for me, Wolfgang, please.

PUCK: I hope that the guy from "The King's Speech," I forgot already.

ANDERSON: Colin Firth.

PUCK: Colin Firth, yes he was just at the restaurant. I hope that he wins and Natalie Portman, everybody expects here to win. So we will see when all the stars come. Jeff Bridges I like a lot.

ANDERSON: I'm sure they are going to enjoy it so much. And thank you so much for my chocolate Oscar. I'm going to love it.

PUCK: Thank you. Great to talk to you.

ANDERSON: All right. Fredricka, the stars are beginning to arrive. I saw Cheryl Hines. I also see best actress nominee Jennifer Lawrence, so I'll speak to her in a few minutes. It's going to be a lot of fun.

WHITFIELD: Oh lots of fun and good eats too. All right, Brooke Anderson, thanks so much. Yum yum, a little chocolate Oscar there. Join "Showbiz Tonight," A.J. Hammer and Brooke Anderson for live red carpet access at the Oscars. "Road to Gold," we're calling it, airing tonight 7:00 Eastern right here on CNN. And then at 11:00 Eastern, the most compelling moments from the Academy Awards show on our sister network, HLN.

All right and I'm Fredricka Whitfield. I'll see you back here next weekend. Don Lemon coming up next with more on the day's headlines.