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Protesters Told to Clear Capitol; Fleeing Libya; Will Voters to Respond to GOP against Collective Bargaining, Will Obama Support Unions; Pirates Kill Hostages after U.S. Negotiators Fail to Follow Procedures; Apple to Roll Out iPad 2; Charlie Sheen Lashes Out Against Producer
Aired February 27, 2011 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: A defined governor digs in as Wisconsin prepares to evict protesters, some of whom say they are willing to risk arrest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CATHERINE PANDUR, FLED LIBYA WITH TWO SMALL SONS: It's nice to be home -- just to be so afraid and to hear gunfire all over your house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: An emotional home coming for one American family returning from the Middle East. I'll talk with Catherine Pandur about what she's calling utter chaos in Libya.
And out with the old, in with the new. Apple gets ready to update one of these. You know it, you love it. It is the iPad. And we'll preview the new version with our tech wiz, Katie Linendoll coming up.
But, first, let's get you caught up on the day's news.
(MUSIC)
LEMON: And we start in Libya. A strange sight in Tripoli today as hundreds of people lined up outside banks to receive free money. The government authorized each family to receive about $400. No strings attached. It supposedly was meant to help offset rising food prices. But some banks closed early saying there were too many people looking for the handout.
Not everyone accepted the money. Those who refused said the Gadhafi regime was giving away cash to try to pacify protesters. Many who accepted the handout said it was a matter of survival.
Libya provides employment to thousands of day laborers and migrant workers from neighboring African countries. The unrest has sent them fleeing to the borders in any way that they can, often with only meager belongings. U.N. estimates the violence has resulted in about 100,000 of these refugees racing to Tunisia and Egypt.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS) LEMON: That is Chile and it's a candlelight vigil today, held to mark the one year anniversary of the catastrophic earthquake that killed 521 people. Chile's president told mourners he remembered the disaster as if it had happened just moments earlier. But he also said Chile is moving forward and that nearly half of the hundreds of thousands of destroyed homes, schools and hospitals have now been rebuilt.
Pack it up and get out. That's what police are telling protesters at Wisconsin's capitol building. Demonstrators have been occupying the capitol for nearly two weeks, angry over the governor's plan to strip collective bargaining rights for public workers. Officials say the building is in bad need of cleaning. We'll have a live report from Madison in just a minute.
Would you retire early for $10,000? Hundreds of Texas teachers say yes. They are accepting an offer from the financially struggling Dallas school district to take the money and retire at the end of the school year. The district is bracing for a possible $253 million loss in state funding and layoffs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
CLAUDIA RODRIGUEZ, DISD HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR: This process is certainly a less painful process than sitting in front of somebody and telling them that you have to let them go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's time to go. It's time to let some young people come in. I've done my job well, so I leave with a big smile.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
LEMON: About 500 teachers have accepted the offer so far. Once $7 million is given out, the incentives end.
Shocking new details now about the deaths of four Americans hijacked by pirates. The source says two of the pirates left instructions to their colleagues to kill the hostages if they did not return from negotiations with American officials aboard a Navy ship. The two pirates were taken into custody, not standard negotiation practice. Hours later, U.S. forces boarded the hijacked yacht and found the four Americans dead. We'll have a live report straight ahead.
Back now to Wisconsin where the deadline for protesters to leave the capitol building has come and it has gone.
Our Ted Rowlands has been in the crowd all day for us.
So, Ted, is anybody leaving?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A couple folks have left, Don, but the deadline is now an hour passed. And as you can see, there are still people here. Hundreds of people are still here at the capitol, some of them sitting here in anticipation of getting arrested.
The people in the gray shirts say that they are willing to be arrested and they want to be arrested first. Now, what we've just found out, though, from the police chief is that it doesn't look like any of these people are going to be arrested anytime soon because the strategy now for law enforcement is to, quote, "concede" with what is going on now and try to convince people one by one to leave the capitol so that they can clean it.
I just talked to the police chief and he said, "People are going to have to try real hard to get arrested. We don't want anybody arrested and we are willing to spend the night here and then try to convince these people to leave, let us clean it, this capitol building, and then come back tomorrow."
But people aren't willing to leave for a number of different reasons.
Mahlon Mitchell is with the professional firefighters association here in Wisconsin.
And your union is not affected by this, but the union has been here in solidarity. Why are you here now after the deadline. And why are your unions not leaving the capitol?
MAHLON MITCHELL, PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS OF WISCONSIN: Well, we are here to make sure we show support to our fellow brothers and sisters. This is not just about us. This is a movement that's bigger than anybody, one individual that's here.
We are here because we want to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters. We have to make sure that worker's rights are taken care of. The middle class in the state of Wisconsin is taken care of.
And what you see here is people making sure that their First Amendment right is taken care of as well. It's our constitutional right for free speech. The last 14 days, we have been exercising our constitutional right. The firefighters as well as the police officers are going to continue to be here until the job is done, until every person's voice is heard and so every worker has the rights that we have for 75 years with collective bargaining.
ROWLANDS: If Police Chief Tubbs comes up to you and says, 'Please leave," will you leave?
MITCHELL: If Police Chief Tubbs comes up to me and says, "Will you leave?" I will say, "Are you sure?"
But I think we will come to a general consensus, and we should be able to stay. We have the right to be here. This is the people's house. This is the house of labor. This is the house that Wisconsin built.
So, I think we should be here, firefighters, police, as well as AFSCME, our brothers and sisters in solidarity, and we will continue to be here until the job is done.
ROWLANDS: All right. Don, another one of these deadlines seems to have come and gone in this ever-ending stalemate here in the state of Wisconsin for now at least. Protesters remaining inside the capitol rotunda. LEMON: And I'm sure, Ted, you're having a little bit of time -- a hard time hearing. But we want to continue with this for a little bit because it's very interesting what's happening. You guys can pan out and we can look at the crowd.
And, Ted, let's just talk here. As you were speaking it was hard to hear what they were saying? Were they saying, "We won't go home"? What are they chanting there?
ROWLANDS: Well, they have been chanting a number of different things throughout the evening, as you might imagine. When there was an announcement that the capitol was closed, the chant was, "Hell no, we won't go." And from there, it has gone to, "This is what democracy looks like," et cetera, et cetera.
And, basically, what you're seeing is people that are committed to staying until they are forced to go. But you have this sort of total turnaround from the police here saying, you know what, we are not going to let you force us to pull you out. We are going to try our best to try to convince you.
The one thing that they have been able to do is clear the top floors of the capitol building. Those floors were filled with people for the last week and a half, and they have successfully convinced people to at least move down to what this is called the first floor. There's another floor below us, the bottom of the rotunda, and for the most part, the bottom floor and the top floor has been completely cleared out in terms of protesters.
A lot of people have left, but at this point these folks, and there are hundreds of them, say they are not going anywhere.
LEMON: All right. Ted Rowlands, stand by. I'm sure we'll be coming back to you.
It's interesting. This has been going on for about two weeks now. As you can there, people in people in Wisconsin say they are not going, even though they've been told to leave. They said they need to clean the building. So, we are going to continue to follow this developing story.
And that's not the only protest going on when it comes to this situation. The protests in Wisconsin are inspiring similar scenes all across the country, in New Hampshire, in Colorado, in California -- thousands of union supporters in a show of solidarity on Saturday. There were counter-protests in many areas, but on a smaller scale in general. We'll continue to follow that.
Let's go to Libya now. As tensions rise there, thousands are fleeing the country, including some Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PANDUR: It's nice to be home -- just to be so afraid and to hear gunfire all over your house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Straight ahead here on CNN, I'm going to talk with a mother who just returned from Libya with her two young sons. She says she was worried they wouldn't be able to get out.
Plus, the stars are coming out for Hollywood's biggest night. Look at that live pictures now from the Oscars, the red carpet. That's the beginning of the red carpet. This is just the beginning of it. So, we are going to take you live there.
Also, I'm online. I know you are, too. Make sure you check out my social media accounts and let's connect.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Deadly violence in Libya has sparked a mass exodus of foreign nationals. Thousands are living by planes and ships. But the United Nations now estimates a vast majority, about 100,000 laborers and migrant workers have fled over land to Tunisia and Egypt.
CNN's Ivan Watson is at one crowded border crossing in Tunisia.
(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. Two.
WATSON: Two days?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we come from traveling to Tunisia, they take our laptop, six laptops, (INAUDIBLE) take my mobile, take my --
WATSON: Who took your laptop and mobile?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Military.
WATSON: The military?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WATSON: The 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 signal against Gadhafi.
We are seeing a show of support from Tunisia, the first Arab country to launch this pro-democracy movement, support for Libyan'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)
LEMON: All right, Ivan, thank you very much. And among the Americans who had to flee Libya, the Pandur family from Philadelphia. Catherine Pandur arrived back home Saturday with her two small sons. And our affiliate KYW was at the airport when they arrived.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PANDUR: It's nice to be home -- just to be so afraid and to hear gunfire all over your house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You can just imagine why anyone would be emotional. Catherine Pandur joins us now live from Philadelphia.
Catherine, first of all, thank you for joining us. How are you doing?
PANDUR: I'm good. Thank you.
LEMON: Why were you living in Libya?
PANDUR: My husband works for Coca-Cola over there.
LEMON: Yes. And your two young sons, four and six, correct?
PANDUR: Correct.
LEMON: How are they doing?
PANDUR: They are holding up pretty well. I think they have internalized a lot of things that they saw. So, I'm just really watching them to see how they're doing. LEMON: They have internalized, you said, a lot of things that they saw like what? What were the terrifying moments?
PANDUR: Well, I mean, on Monday, we had saw helicopters all over the sky, and they thought that was really neat to see helicopters. And then Monday evening is when Gadhafi had his speech. And after that when we went back to the house, I had put the children to bed, and you could hear the gunfire around the house.
But then on Tuesday, we had actually tried to fly out on Tuesday, and we were supposed to go by a charter flight. And what happened is the charter flight could not get any approval to land, so we waited and waited and waited at someone's house, we were waiting for the phone call that the plane had arrived. But the plane could never get any approval to land. So, we decided to just regroup, go home, sleep the night.
But when we got back to the house there was -- as soon as dusk fell, there was machine gunfire all around us. I mean, there was cars honking, there was people chanting, they were beating drums. And it was machine gunfire everywhere. So, the children definitely heard that, and we just kept saying that it was fireworks going off and, you know, because people were really happy.
So, we --
LEMON: Did they understand? Did they -- did they buy that, that it was fireworks?
PANDUR: I think -- they really weren't sure what was going on. They saw that everyone was really tense. We definitely were watching the news the whole time.
LEMON: Yes.
PANDUR: But -- and I think they were picking up on different things, but I don't think they really grasped the whole situation of really what was going on at all.
LEMON: You described a scene in the airport that you said was terrifying as you were waiting -- I think it was like a 12-hour wait. And you saw --
PANDUR: Right.
LEMON: -- what did you see?
PANDUR: Well, we had started our journey. I got a phone call at 2:30 in the morning on Wednesday morning that said that hopefully the charter plane was coming and we had to leave for the airport at 6:00 a.m. So, I said, OK, fine, but then, oh, I got a phone call at 4:15 that said we're leaving in a half hour, we need to go now. So, we all regrouped at 5:00 in the morning and we drove in a convoy.
And it was really quiet on the streets, which we thought was strange, but when we got to the airport, there was a sea of 10,000 people, easily 10,000 people that we had to get through, and there was pushing and shoving and yelling and screaming, and then the children were being pushed. So we got actually into the airport through a secondary check.
And when we got in there and we were standing there waiting to see if our flight was ever going to come in, there was this chanting started outside, this very loud, loud chanting. And then people started screaming and then you heard pops of gunfire, and everyone in the airport where the ticketing counters were just froze. And then a rush of people came toward us and they were actually carrying a body and it was covered in blood.
So, we're not sure if the children actually saw that.
LEMON: Yes.
PANDUR: We are hoping that they didn't. But just to experience something like that -- I mean, it was maybe 15 feet away that they carried the body through from us.
LEMON: Yes. And, Catherine, as you were talking, we are looking at pictures from the airport where people are just waiting and waiting and waiting. And they don't know when they are going to get out. It is just unbelievable to see those pictures.
And as we understand, your husband is now in Egypt, that's where he's from. So, I'm sure you're happy that he's there. There's unrest there, but you're happy he's out of Libya.
PANDUR: Right. Exactly. He actually had a real harrowing experience on Friday.
They flew out Friday. They were able to get flights out on Friday, and there were 61 people of them working for Coca-Cola.
And they were pelted by rocks. They were hit by sticks. They were punched. They were kicked, trying to actually get into the airport.
LEMON: And as I understand, Catherine, you didn't know that he was OK until you got a phone call when you arrived at the Philadelphia airport and that everything is OK now.
Catherine, thank you so much. We're glad that your family is OK and we appreciate you joining us here on CNN.
PANDUR: Thank you. Thank you very much.
LEMON: All right. Let's move on now. In just a few hours, Hollywood recognizes the best movies and actors. We'll take you to the red carpet for all the Oscar preview action live tonight. You're looking at live pictures right now.
Is that Catherine Zeta-Jones? Who is that? I can't see. It's a small monitor here. No, it's not.
Oh, it's a girl -- she used to be one of the 90210 or something like that? I don't know.
OK. New diet for lovers. We'll take you -- talk about the foods that are said to heat up your bedroom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: -- for your pretty role as Alice Ward in "The Fighter." But you've been here before. This is your second Oscar nomination. A couple years ago, we talked with you. You starred in "Frozen River," another excellent movie.
You're considered a favorite here this year. Does that make you any less nervous or does it make you more nervous?
MELISSA LEO, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS NOMINEE: I don't quite really know what to think about it because I don't know if I could pick who was my favorite of the four performances from the other women in my category. It's a funny thing we do, but it sure helps the movie business an awfully lot. So, I'm thrilled to be here at the Academy Awards representing --
ANDERSON: Give (ph) you and the movie business a lot of exposure. One of the other women in your category is your co-star, Amy Adams, who also did a tremendous job. Is it friendly competition? Have you and she been talking about this going head to head?
LEO: Completely friendly. No competition whatsoever. She was an angel by my side as we shot in Lowell. I learned all kinds of things about her about acting and life and all kinds of things.
ANDERSON: I'm sure she learned a lot from you as well. You're very modest.
LEO: I don't know. But --
ANDERSON: Well, we have been soliciting questions from your fans on our "Showbiz Tonight" Facebook page. And Christine wants to know -- and this maybe a little bit presumptuous, but a lot of us think you're going to win tonight. But Christine wants to how long have you worked on your acceptance speech that you will be delivering tonight?
LEO: Well, I'm not so sure as Christine that I will win tonight. So, if Christine's got a speech and she can get it over the thing to me before I go up --
ANDERSON: I will run it in to you if I receive it.
OK. Tell me about what you're wearing tonight?
LEO: This is a Marc Bouwer dress.
ANDERSON: Custom-made for you?
LEO: Yes, custom-made for this event and for me to wear after Mark had gotten to know me a little bit. He put it on a dummy. I saw it that way first and had it on a few weeks ago for the first time. So, I'm pretty sure what I would wear today. I love it. I hope everyone else does.
ANDERSON: Well, enjoy yourself tonight. You look lovely, and such an incredible talent. Melissa Leo, always a pleasure.
LEO: Thank you. Thank you so much.
ANDERSON: Love the jewelry, too. My goodness. Bling-bling, Don --
LEO: Forevermark.
ANDERSON: -- bling-bling all over the red carpet.
LEMON: Yes. Hey, listen, Brooke, I hear it's going to be a hipper show tonight. How so?
ANDERSON: Yes. The Oscar producers want it to be hipper. They want it to feel fresher, younger. You know, it's the 83rd Oscar. So, it's been around a while. And they want to attract younger viewers.
James Franco, 32 years old, Anne Hathaway, 28 years old, very youthful hosts. They're going to be doing a lot of singing and dancing, comedy, of course, which we see every year. But, hopefully, they're going to bring an edge to it for the telecast this year.
Also, no more long montages. I was really relieved to hear that. Short film clips, yes -- but no more long brutally boring montages.
Also, it's going to be like a virtual set. They are going to utilize a lot of projection screens. And I think you have been talking a little bit about this as well. They're going to have so called mom- inees --
LEMON: Yes.
ANDERSON: -- the mothers of nine nominees. They're going to be tweeting throughout the telecast. They're going to use those.
So, they're really making a concerted effort this year to give the show a livelier pace.
LEMON: All right. Thank you very much. By the way, you look lovely. And Brooke Anderson and her "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" co-host --
ANDERSON: Thanks.
LEMON: -- A.J. Hammer will be reporting from the red carpet tonight. Their "Road to Gold" coverage begins at the top of the hour at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. The live coverage continues at 11:00 p.m. Eastern on our sister network, HLN, with all the Oscar wins, the losses and later-breaking scoop. So stay tuned.
Trouble is still looming in Congress. Lawmakers have yet to approve a spending bill that will keep the government up and running. How close are they to an agreement? Well, we'll check in with our senior political editor Mark Preston.
And we've all seen a big jump in gas prices this week. But if you have an iPhone, you might be able to save some money. So, stick around for the top three free apps to help you save at the pump.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Welcome back, everyone.
Congress returns to work tomorrow, and it's faced with a very pressing matter. Without an agreement by midnight Friday, the government will shut down. There are two ways to prevent that. Either finally pass a budget for this fiscal year or push through another short-term fix to keep Washington open for business.
So, let's bring in now our senior political editor, Mr. Mark Preston.
So, Mark, we are hearing that Congress is close to an agreement on a short-term spending bill. What's the status on that?
MARK PRESTON, CNN SR. POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, they are, Don. They actually haven't sat down and carved out an agreement to at least keep the government open for two more weeks. But what we heard today on the Sunday talk shows and what we're hearing from leaders here in Washington on both sides of the aisle is that they want to try to get an agreement done.
Don, if they are not able to get an agreement done and the government were to shut down on Friday, here's what would happen: air traffic controllers would continue to keep their jobs. They would continue working. Border control agents would continue working.
However, nonessential federal employees would not be working. In addition to that, passport applications would go unprocessed.
So, there's all these moving parts of the government that would have to stand still. But I tell you politically, Don, neither Democrats nor Republicans want to see that happen.
LEMON: Let's talk about the lead story. We spent most of our first block in this broadcast covering Wisconsin and how it is shaping the 2012 race, Mark. That's what I want to talk to you about. Will voters respond to the GOP hard line against collective bargaining? And is President Obama doing enough to back unions, which are the Democrats' bread and butter? After all, he said -- I think, it was 2007, when he was running. He said, if the union was ever out on -- you know, had issues, I would be the first one out there on the picket lines with them. He hasn't been out there.
PRESTON: No, he hasn't been out there. In fact, Don, let's take the first question first. The fact that Republicans, Republican governors are taking a hard line on spending in the states, we seeing Republicans take a hard line in Washington, D.C., that is absolutely helping with their base. What their base is going to want, Don, is that they continue to keep this hard line all the way through 2011, through 2012. That will help them on Election Day. At the same time, what Democrats need to do is continue to keep fighting. President Obama did make that comment. He made it in South Carolina when he was running for president. He got a little bit coverage today from a major union, had on one of the Sunday shows. However, I will tell you, activists are very frustrated. They don't think he's doing enough. They want to see him up in Wisconsin. That's very unlikely to happen. In the very least, if they don't see President Obama in Wisconsin, they want him to send somebody to Wisconsin to at least show that, in fact, he is on their side.
LEMON: OK, Mark, let's listen to the governor, Scott Walker, this morning, pointing the finger at Democrats and then we'll talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT WALKER, (R), GOVERNOR OF WISCONSIN: We fail to pass this bill by Tuesday, we lose $165 million worth of savings. If we continue down that path, we start seeing layoffs. I know that was one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make when I was a county official was considering layoffs. I would go to almost any ends to avoid that. My hope is that at least one of those 14 state Senators feel the same way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: He's pointing the finger at Democrats. But they're saying really this is about collective bargaining. And the Democrats feel that he's not getting the point.
PRESTON: Yes, and they say, in fact, that he is trying to union bust. And some Republicans are saying, at least Republican strategists are saying this is great for us, because heading into 2012, let's try to break the Democratic base as much as we can.
I will tell you, what we are hearing from activists, they like what they are seeing from the likes of Scott Walker from Wisconsin, from Chris Christie from New Jersey, from Rick Scott from Florida, all fairly new governors. Chris Christie has been on the job for of couple years. Still, these are new Republican governors doing their best to hold the line on spending. And by doing so, Don, they are taking on the Democratic establishment and Democratic-backed unions.
LEMON: Thank you, Mark Preston. We appreciate it.
PRESTON: Thank you.
LEMON: New information about those four Americans who were killed when pirates hijacked their yacht near Somalia. We now know U.S. officials went against standard negotiation practices. Did that impact the deadly outcome?
And after months of anticipation, Apple is expected to unveil the iPad 2 this week. Oh, my gosh, I have to spend more money. We will have a sneak peek at what's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK, there are a lot of unanswered questions to what happened to four Americans found dead on their yacht this month after hijacked by pirates. We are now learning two pirates apparently told their colleagues to kill the Americans if they did not return from hostage negotiations on a U.S. Navy ship.
CNN's national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, she joins us now from New York with the latest on that.
Susan, that threat to kill the hostages if the negotiators didn't return to the yacht, what does it mean, given what we are learning now about those negotiations?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I tell you, that instruction from the pirates to their fellow hijackers back on the ship, according to a maritime source, kill the hostages if we don't come back, coupled with other new details only raises new questions, Don, about what happened here.
Bit by bit more details are emerging. For example, two separate sources now are telling CNN that the two pirate negotiators were taken into custody aboard a Navy ship, but it's not clear whether their fellow hijackers knew that happened. If they did, would that have gotten them riled up enough to harm the four American hostages who eventually were killed?
We have an animation that reminds you of what happened. U.S. Central Command says the pirates fired a rocket propelled grenade at the Navy ship's steer, about six football-lengths away from where negotiations were going on. The grenade missed. CENTCOM says small gunfire then erupted and then Navy SEALs then quickly stormed the yacht where the Americans were being held. The four American hostages were found dead or dying. It's not known whether they were executed or killed in the cross-fire, Don.
LEMON: So are they saying, the people in charge, anything about whether detaining those two pirates was a good idea, Susan?
CANDIOTTI: There's a difference of opinion. One maritime source says taking the two negotiators into custody goes against standard operating procedures. The theory being that if one side is trying to show good faith, why risk a reprisal by detaining the negotiators?
But a U.S. government official tells CNN that, in this case, it was clear that the two pirates, quote, "had no authority to negotiate anything." In that official's words, it would have been, quote, "unfathomable" to send back the pirates where they could have harmed the hostages.
Now that same U.S. government official had no comment on a "New York Times" report that taking the two men into custody on the Navy ship may have caused a meltdown among the other pirates. That same U.S. official tells CNN the pirates were made another offer and they told U.S. negotiators that they would sleep on it. And it was sometime after that that the rocket was fired at the Navy ship. Now, CENTCOM is not commenting because of the ongoing Justice Department investigation.
LEMON: All right, Susan, so what's happened to the pirates involved in the hijacking?
CANDIOTTI: Well, two were found dead below deck and two were killed by a Navy SEAL team. and 14 others were captured. The Justice Department is still deciding where to send them for prosecution. Among the likely choices, New York and Norfolk, Virginia -- Don?
LEMON: All right, Susan Candiotti, thank you very much for that.
With gas prices going up, we are all looking for some relief. And, of course, there's an app for that. But which one will give you the best prices? Coming up, the top-three free iPhone apps.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Now to our correspondents, from Washington to Wall Street, with their preview of the big stories of the week ahead. We begin at the White House.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Lothian at the White House. Monday, President Obama and Vice President Biden will meet with a bipartisan group of governors. They'll touch on a whole host of issues but, in particular, the economy and jobs. Later, the president will sit down with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to talk about the issues in Libya. On Thursday, President Obama will host his monthly meeting with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan, also will welcome the president of Mexico, Calderon. And on Friday, President Obama heads to Miami where he will continue his sessions on innovation and job creation in the U.S., and host a fund raiser for the Democratic Party.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dana Bash in Washington where it will be a dramatic week on Capitol Hill because, if House Republicans and Senate Democrats can't make up their differences over spending cuts, a government shutdown will be triggered on Friday, because Friday is the day a measure currently funding the government expires. The House Republicans say they won't support anything without cuts. They are going to hold a vote to cut $4 billion and keep the government running for two weeks. The cuts they are proposing are from programs the president has supported. So Senate Democrats are making clear, they may be able to live with that and, if so, a government shutdown could be avoided for now.
POPPY HARLOW, HOST, CNN MONEY: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. Well, Wall Street is awaiting a slew of important economic reports this week. We will get the December pending home sales report as well as construction spending and auto sales numbers. But all eyes will be on that monthly jobs report that comes Friday morning. Economists are expecting that about 180,000 jobs were added in February, but the unemployment rate is expected to tick up slightly to 9.1 percent.
And investors and Apple enthusiasts around the world are expecting to see the debut of the latest iPad at an event in San Francisco. No details yet. But we will see if that happens and track it all for you on "CNN Money."
LEMON: Thanks, guys.
Let's go beyond our borders here in the U.S. International editor, Azadeh Ansari joins us now.
But the big stories that we are covering around the world and a lot of stories really didn't get a lot of attention because of the unrest in the Middle East and North Africa.
We start with a story that really was a huge story and it involves some antiquities.
AZADEH ANSARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL DECK EDITOR: That's right, Don. This is a story we are going to hear more about going into next week. It has to do with the Buddhas that overlook Bomyan Valley (ph). The world watched in horror as the Taliban destroyed these two beautiful Buddha statues back in 2001. For the last ten years, there's been a lot of debate as to how are we going to fragment this World Heritage site back together. For the first time, German scientists have come out and said it's possible to put the smaller Buddha, reconstruct it and put it back together.
LEMON: Wow.
ANSARI: And the size of this -- I just want to put it in perspective -- it is about half the size of a football field. Imagine that.
LEMON: Oh. Yes, that's huge.
ANSARI: And so they are going to have a conference in Paris to talk about how this is going to all take effect.
LEMON: OK. The Tokyo Marathon, iPhones and live streaming. What's up with that?
ANSARI: That's right. This guy who has been called japans' marathon man -- take a look at this.
(LAUGHTER)
He has strapped himself up in this outfit he's wearing. Weighs about ten pounds. And he has iPhones all strapped onto him and he's streaming every step as he's running. Despite this, he still finished the marathon in six hours and 28 minutes.
LEMON: What's that thing on his head? Is he powering himself --
(LAUGHTER)
-- or is it just because he wants something --
ANSARI: He just wants to draw attention. A more eye-catching effect.
LEMON: Hey, as they say, more power to him.
Thank you, Azadeh. We appreciate it.
All right, we heard about the iPhone there, streaming. Apple is expected to be rolling out the iPad 2. Well, this is the iPad One, I guess. Maybe that's the iPad 2. Up next, we will check in with our favorite tech wiz for what's new and what's not so new about the iPad 2.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: If you watch this newscast, you know when I'm on set my iPad is always within arm's reach. I'm always like, where's my iPad? I'm leaving it some place. But it may be time for an upgrade. On Wednesday, Apple is holding an event in San Francisco and the company is strongly hinting that it's going to unveil the iPad 2.
Tech wiz, Katie Linendoll, is very excited.
Katie, Apple infamous --
(CROSSTALK)
Is that the iPad 2? Tell me it's -- is it really?
KATIE LINENDOLL, TECH WIZARD: No. I wish.
LEMON: OK.
LINENDOLL: Nobody has the iPad 2.
LEMON: So the infamous are keeping a tight lid on the details. What are some of the guesses the iPad 2 will do? What are the updates?
LINENDOLL: Not a ton of new features. Ones we are expecting, the obvious ones and the obvious one. We are going to see it come down in size. It's only half-inch thick and only 1.5 pounds. But Apple loves, on upgraded versions, to come down. Even if they shave off a few millimeters, it will be sleeker and lighter weight. Any tablet entering the marketplace that expects to be competitive, iPad 2 will have a front-facing and a rear-facing camera on the back. It will give you the capability to not only take photos but also to video conference. Apple loves their face-time proprietary video chat feature.
Also we'll see nerdy things like more RAND and probably more processing power. IPad 2 will stay on AT&T and Verizon. And I don't think -- you know, if you are looking for an original iPad, you probably can get a sweet deal if you want to wait it out without all the bells and whistles.
We could also start the rumor. I want it in colors like a Nano. That would be pretty exciting, wouldn't it?
(LAUGHTER) LEMON: It would. I'm sure you have seen the little cartoon spoof about the people with the other tablets. They're like, but we will give you this one for free. It's smaller. It's like, no, must have iPad.
LINENDOLL: I know, yes.
LEMON: There are other tablets on the market. Why is this iPad in particular so popular?
LINENDOLL: I know. It's an incredibly tough marketplace to enter and to really cut through the noise. I don't think people realize there are over 100-plus tablets on the marketplace. I don't think people can name three.
One that has done a good job. This is the Samsung Galaxy Tab. This came out in November. It sold about two million. Remember, Apple sold 15 million in nine months. The Galaxy Tab is more portable. In size, it's a seven-inch version as opposed to the ten-inch iPad version. Runs off of Google's operating system Android, can play hi- def video. This is a nice little pocketable one. It's 250, but you have to sign into that two year mobile contract that people don't like.
I also want to show you this one that came out Thursday. At the Consumer Electronics Show this year, this won best in show. This Motorola's first tablet, called the Zoom.
LEMON: It kind of looks like an iPad.
LINENDOLL: It's running off -- it totally looks like an iPad, very similar in terms of size. It's hard to see. But, again ten-inch screen, front-facing, rear-facing camera, video chat, which is cool. It's running off Android Honey Comb, which might not mean anything to somebody who's not a techie. Its operating system made specifically for tablets. It's not made for a Smartphone. So it's intuitive, very fast, dual-core processor. But it's $800. 600 bucks if you sign a two year. I think everybody is kind of waiting to see what the iPad 2 has to offer before dropping some serious cash.
LEMON: Thank you.
Tell me your blog again, talknerdytome.net, is that right?
LINENDOLL: That's right.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, Kate. Talknerdytome --
LINENDOLL: Chow, chow.
LEMON: Chow, chow.
(LAUGHTER)
Speaking of Apple, maybe you've notices prices are shooting up at the gas pump. If you got an iPhone, there are apps out there to help you find the cheapest gas in your area. Mashable.com is highlighting three free apps on its web site, local gas prices, cheap gas, and Gas Buddy. They use GPS to map your location and guide to you the station where you'll get the best price. There's an app for everything.
If I told you there were certain foods that you can eat that would heat up your love life, would you believe me? Coming up, we'll take a look at some of the more interesting foods that made the list.
Has Charlie Sheen gone too far and bitten the hand that feeds him? Our very own Jane Velez-Mitchell joins me to talk about that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. Too late for Valentine's Day but we got the latest diet for lovers. It is just for you. Howstuffworks.com came out with a list of foods that will enhance sex. Write this down. Here's what made the list, oatmeal. It has a special fiber that lowers cholesterol to keep your heart healthy. Oysters, their high zinc content is vital for men to regulate testosterone and producer sperm. All the guys in here are paying attention. Bananas are high in folate, which helps increase blood flow. Gelatin helps your joints and connective tissue and keeps it strong. And chili peppers, they contain a compound that increases energy and they also heighten skin sensitivity. Now you know.
CNN is closely watching the unrest in Libya. And it's rippling across the Middle East. But we're also watching another explosive drama that unfolded last week in Hollywood. Actor Charlie Sheen lashed out at his long-time executive producers, Chuck Lorre, which is a huge no-no.
I spoke about it with the host of HLN's "Issues" with Jane Velez- Mitchell.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Jane, we have to start here with Charlie Sheen. Every day, it's something else. He keeps tripping over himself. I want to you listen to his most recent comments and then we'll talk about it.
(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 can into pure gold. The gratitude I get is this charlatan chose not do his job, which is to write. Clearly, someone who believes he's above the law. Well, you've been warned dude. Bring it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Jane, he's been talking about his producer of his number-one show, Chuck Lorre. But he refers to him as Chaim. Has he gone too far? JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. He has gone too far and the suits have cracked down. 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 suffers. He still has his house, car and porn stars and all his other material goods. It 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: Some people are reading in to that, calling him Chaim instead of Chuck. Saying, oh, maybe there's anti-Semitism going on here. Is that the read from people in Hollywood?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think it's vicious, nasty. It's very possibly anti-Semitic. 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, Paul Braun, 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 Braun doesn't respond right away and goes on to say, hey, there's going to be an election, and hopefully, when the next election, we'll get be somebody 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 says, "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 this incident happened at all. Furthermore, I condemn any sort --" he goes on to say any such action.
VALEZ-MITCHELL: He's an elected politician. He's used to speaking in public. 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 next week?
VALEZ-MITCHELL: We're working on this amazing sweat lodge trial. It's a manslaughter case. Three people died in this horrific sweat lodge situation in Arizona. And it's a full-fledge trial kicking off on Tuesday. On Monday, on "Issues" on HLN, we're 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, 7:00 p.m. eastern time, 4:00 p.m. pacific on HLN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Look, right there, I'm going to go to Hollywood. There's Scarlet Johannson. Go hang out with them.
I'm Don Lemon. A "CNN Showbiz Tonight" special, it's about to air, "Road to Oscars," it begins right now.
