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Shuttle Discovery Heads Home; Big Crime Case, Little Town; U.S. Pledges $15M in Aid; Secretary Gates Visits Afghanistan; Wisconsin Democrats Want Meeting; Gas Prices Up; Poll: 95 Percent Use Gadget Before Bed; America's Most Admired Women; Michael Moore Joins Protests; 'On the Case'
Aired March 07, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Is It Bill Richardson? Is it someone like that who can actually go there and tell Gadhafi it's over? So, we'll see what he has to say, but I'm curious in what Bill Richardson has to say. I know you will be watching 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room."
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Of course, as always. And before then, we'll see a little bit next hour, we got a little surprise for you also, Wolf Blitzer. So, stand by for that.
BLITZER: I'm nervous.
BALDWIN: I like to put you on the spot there. Wolf, my thanks to you. We'll see you next hour.
Also here, we'll get another political update in about half an hour, and you can always get online and see what's cooking on the "Political Ticker," just got to CNNPolitics.com or go to Twitter @PoliticalTicker, and as we our now at top of the hour, take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: A violent gang rape shocks an entire town. Police say more than a dozen young men have attacked an 11-year-old girl, and investigators are looking for possibly more suspects after this attack has gone viral. I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
BALDWIN (voice-over): Civil war in Libya. The defiant regime dropping bombs on its people, and protesters are fighting back. One Libyan says they will capture Moammar Gadhafi, put him on top of a car and parade him around the country, but when?
The race for 2012. The Republicans who could challenge President Obama will share a stage tonight in Iowa, and one expert says the event is so big, if someone stumbles, it could mean the end.
And a waiter has just seconds to save one man's life. You will see how the dramatic scene plays out.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN (on-camera): Hi, everyone. I'm Brooke Baldwin. If it's interesting, if it's happening interesting right now, you are about to see it. "Rapid Fire," let's go.
It is possible. American troops could be sent to Libya. That is a surprising statement from the White House Press Secretary Jay Carney today, although, at this point, he says it's not at the top of the priority list. Libyan leader, Moammar Gadhafi, continues to attack protesters, and those protesters are fighting back. President Obama says the violence is unacceptable. Gadhafi and his regime will be held accountable. We'll get a report for you from the ground minutes away.
Also, this is an ugly, ugly picture. An oil production platform 50 miles offshore from Louisiana there. Something, as you can tell there, caught fire Sunday, and the coast guard hurried out to rescue the two men who'd escaped in a life capsule. Fortunately, neither was hurt, and the fire is now out.
And here's a lesson for all of us. We all need to be nice to our waiters and waitresses, but if you need a little bit more incentive. Take a look at this. You're going to see a guy chowing down at a Mexican restaurant there in Atlanta. All of a sudden, this guy is choking. He gets up. See him kind of being patted. That is when the waiter, Matthew McDonnell, comes over and gives this guy, there you go, the Heimlich maneuver. The man he saved, obviously, calls him a hero. McConnell says nah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF MATTHEW MCDONNELL, PERFORMED HEIMLICH MANEUVER: Hero might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but I think anybody would have stepped in and did the same thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's definitely a hero, and if it wasn't a broke college student, we probably would have tipped a lot more than we did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to do the Heimlich with enough force to lift them off their feet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Nice. By the way, even though he was a broke college student, apparently, McDonnell says the tip was a very good one.
Now, take a look at this. This is a face of an American college student who went missing in Spain one week ago. Austin Bice from San Diego is doing a semester in Madrid. He was last seen February 26th leaving a nightclub. His friends and classmates are posting fliers with his picture on him, and now, Bice's father has traveled all the way to Madrid helping to find his son. Austin Bice, 22 years of age.
And this woman, Nancy Cooper, killed in 2008. Today, the trial began for the only suspect in her death, her husband. Take a look at the family here, the Cooper Family with Bradley Cooper there on the right, their two young children, obviously, with their faces blurred. Now, Bradley Cooper insists his wife went jogging and never returned home, but he has been since charged with her murder. He has pleaded not guilty.
Space shuttle "Discovery" now detached from the international space station and coming on home. The shuttle crew flew a victory lap around the orbiting space station this morning before their long trip back, and they also got a pretty amazing wake-up call this morning from William Shatner, as in Captain Kirk. "Discovery's" landing is scheduled for Wednesday morning.
And now, watch this surveillance video with me. This is a typical day behind the counter for this worker at a dry cleaners in Georgia. Until that happens, boom. Truck into window. Smashes through the front entrance. Glass, cement, wood, all flying, as can you see. Amazingly, the worker behind the counter is OK other than a broken leg. It turns out the driver, a regular customer. Employees say he accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake. The business is open, but customers got to go through the back entrance this time.
And before you make that PB & J there for lunch or for dinner, listen to this. Some skippy peanut butters are now being recalled because they may be contaminated with salmonella. I'm talking about two reduced-fat varieties, creamy and super chunk. They've got best if used by dates in May of this year. So, take good look at the label. They were shipped to 16 states. So, if you're not quite sure what kind of peanut butter can you have, you want to take a look, just go to our website, CNN.com. We've got all the info for you there.
And what's more distracting than a classroom full of elementary school students? How about classroom with students sitting on stability balls, perhaps? Bouncing up and down. These kids have replaced their chairs with stability balls, mostly use in exercise class, and according to the slim teacher, it's kind of fun. She does a bit of ballooning of the balls, helps the kid stay focus on their class work.
Florida's blood centers are keeping up a month-long campaign called "pint for a pint." All you have to do, show up, give a little blood, and they will give you a voucher for a beer from the Orlando Brewing Company. Officials say if it's successful, they may plan another one. Pint for a pint.
Coming up next, a horrific story that will infuriate you. Police say more than a dozen young men, some of them middle school students, gang-raped an 11-year-old girl. There's apparently video of this attack, and now, investigators are looking for more suspects. And you may not believe who they already have in custody. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: I'm going to tell you about a crime that's so terrible, so horrific and chilling, it may be impossible to get out of your head the rest of your day. This case is really, really big. It's ripping apart this tiny town in Texas. It's called Cleveland, just about 50 miles north of Houston. Eighteen men and boys have been arrested, thus far, in this alleged gang rape of an 11-year-old girl inside an old abandoned mobile home.
Now, this case came to light when cell phone videos of the attacks started trickling around, circulating around the girl's school. The case is so hot that child protective services is actually keeping the girl at a safe house. She can't even live with her family right now. Cindy Horswell, a senior writer for "The Houston Chronicle" newspaper, she also spoke exclusively with this 11-year- old's mother. Listen to what Cindy told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CINDY HORSWELL, SENIOR WRITER, HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Her mother is saddened because she's prevented from being with her daughter as is her brothers and sisters and father.
BALDWIN: Why is that?
HORSWELL: They are separated. She's in a -- you know, children's protective services will not discuss the case because there's a gag order, but -- but they;ve had some hearings, and -- and the parents tell me that she's been put in foster care as a safe house because as these names come out, as the trial goes on, that it's going to become, you know, dangerous for actually them, too.
They should move from the area, they believe, because there could be -- there are people calling the house and just saying, you know, like where is she, and they don't believe the mother that she's not there and then they cuss and get upset, and they're worried it could become worse than that, and so, they just kind of don't want any more pressure on her or the family.
BALDWIN: Understandable, understandable. I know you spoke with an attorney representing three of these young men. What did he say? What is his defense?
HORSWELL: Well, he believes that, you know, you can't -- he's not trying to say anything -- that whatever happened that anything would be good for an 11-year-old, but he said the little girl is not, you know, it wasn't like she was totally completely innocent in this case. It wasn't like she was kidnapped or something, and whether he was indicating that she might have been a willing participant.
BALDWIN: Yes. At age 11, as you point out, an 11-year-old cannot legally give consent.
HORSWELL: Right, and I -- and I do believe, at some point, a police affidavit says she was not -- that she was balking, and there were threats made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Now, two of the gang rape suspects did appear in court this morning. Two more are scheduled for court this afternoon. I promise we're going to stay on that story and follow that for you.
Also coming up here, there's brand new video of the attacks from September 11th, 2001. The never-before-seen footage shot from a helicopter circling the World Trade Center. That is ahead.
Plus, could American troops be on the ground in Libya? Might they be sent there? The White House says it's possible. "Globe Trekking" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: I know it's hard to believe, but this year, we will mark ten years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and it was the worst non-wartime terror attack in the U.S. 2,752 people died when those two planes flew into the twin towers in New York, and there is some new video we have just gotten, actually, shows the devastation from the perspective of an NYPD helicopter. Watch it with me, just for a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN (voice-over): I know it's tough to watch. I saw it this morning. It made me sick to my stomach, but the video shows the chopper flying close to and above the twin towers right after they were hit. You can hardly see the towers at some points in the video simply because of all of that smoke. One officer on this video is heard yelling "the whole tower is gone."
The video is about 17 minutes in length. It was obtained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology through a Freedom of Information Act request as par of the investigation still ongoing into the 9/11 attacks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN (on-camera): And now, we go "Globe Trekking." We're talking Libya, fighting intensifying there and also diplomatic efforts. They're heating up as well. Hala Gorani here to walk me through what's happening today. With regard to the U.N., you know, France, Britain, U.S.
HALA GORANI, CNNI ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Right.
BALDWIN: They're talking about a possible resolution with language to include a no-fly zone.
GORANI: Right. But then, we have to be very careful with that because nothing is imminent. This is potentially language being included in a resolution. You have to keep in mind that Russia and China, both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, are likely to oppose any kind of military intervention. In fact, the Russian foreign minister today said the Libyans are going to have to solve their problems by themselves, and importantly, this language would be trigger-based, not timeline-based.
In other words, there would have to be an increase in the problems on the ground for them to consider it.
BALDWIN: Tangible catalyst.
GORANI: Right.
BALDWIN: OK. What about the countries -- there are some countries who are calling for it?
GORANI: And they are calling for it with some urgency. I'm talking about the gulf countries. This would include the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, whether it's the UAE, Dubai, Qatar. Those countries are saying the United Nations has to act quickly in order to protect civilians in these battle zones in northern -- in northwest and in Northeast Libya as we're now seeing that.
BALDWIN: And now, just this afternoon, we're hearing from NATO, they're out surveying the country.
GORANI: Exactly. And it's important because if a no-fly zone, in fact, is voted upon and everybody agrees on the concept of a no-fly zone which, by the way, is really not a battle that has been won in any way, in that case, what happens? Who enforces it? because inforcing a no-fly zone --
BALDWIN: That's an excellent question.
GORANI: Right. You know, it would be NATO, but that would mean that you are willing to shoot planes out of the sky if somebody actually breaks the no-fly zone over the skies of Libya. So, this is not an easy thing. It's not something diplomatically people are agreeing on, countries are agreeing on, and it's not something militarily that's easy to implement and get everybody on board, especially with a country like the United States that's already engaged in two war zones, in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Despite the scale down in Iraq, there's still a military presence there. There appetite inside each country, all those are questions that are still hanging out there.
BALDWIN: Given the fact, there is a military presence in these two countries, there is also now the quote (ph) from Jay Carney today in White House briefing an option, an option of sending American troops to Libya. What does that mean?
GORANI: Just means nothing is off the table.
BALDWIN: But?
GORANI: But not high on the list. That's also what he added after saying not ruled out. We're talking about ground troops. So, if the no-fly zone is something difficult to agree on, you can imagine --
BALDWIN: Troops on the ground.
GORANI: The possibility of ground troops as well being something really further down the line. And it's important that the trigger- based -- the based on triggers, that language is important. It just means we're not setting a timeline. We're not saying in six weeks, if things don't improve, we' are going to impose a no-fly zone. It means if things escalate, and there's a huge difference between those two things.
BALDWIN: It will be interesting to see what information we can get from NATO after they have taken a survey of the scene.
GORANI: Right. They're saying that this is something that's going to give them a more accurate idea of what's actually going on the ground in Libya.
BALDWIN: In real time. Hala Gorani, thank you.
GORANI: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Several of the Republicans who could run for president next year, they are getting ready to share a stage tonight in Iowa, and one expert says, if they mess up at tonight's event, it could mean their campaigns end before they begin. That is next.
Also, get this, 95 percent of Americans apparently use a gadget just before they go to bed. Do you do that?
GORANI: Yes.
BALDWIN: Yes, I totally do, too. Are you one of them? Coming up, why that could mean big health problems for all of us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Several potential Republican presidential candidates will be appearing tonight in Iowa. Five of them are speaking at the faith and freedom coalition event. CNN's senior political analyst, Gloria Borger, live at the CNN Politics desk there in Washington. Gloria, let's talk people, first of all. Who will be in Iowa tonight? And how important are events like this?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, some of the usual suspects are going to be there. Newt Gingrich who kind of announced that he was running for president last week.
BALDWIN: He announced it at the website.
BORGER: Right. Tim Pawlenty who I'm told is going to announce an exploratory committee within the next two to three weeks. He'll be there. Former senator Rick Santorum, he'll be there. Also, businessman Herman Kane and ex-Louisiana governor, Buddy Romer, but the important thing, Brooke, is really who is not there tonight because Mitt Romney is not there. Sarah Palin is not there.
And so, you know, those are two of the -- sort of the big candidates we're all waiting to hear from in Iowa and see what they're going to do. We don't know if Sarah Palin is going to run. We assume Mitt Romney is going to run, but these are values voters that you have to appeal to if you're going to win the Republican primary in that all important state of Iowa.
BALDWIN: But you have the Republican Party which is divided somewhat between the social conservatives and the fiscal conservatives. So, how would all these candidates then try to position themselves and how might that potentially complicate the race, you know, for the nominee when it turns to general election time?
BORGER: Right. It's very difficult. Look, social conservatives are very, very important constituency in the Republican Party, particularly, in that early state of Iowa. But then, you have the tea party constituency which is largely comprised of fiscal conservatives. Most of these candidates are going to try and run as a little bit of both, but then the problem is for any candidate, Republican, when you want to take that turn to the general election you've got to appeal to independent voters.
Independent voters are much more interested in the economy than they are in social issues. And remember in the last race, John McCain tried to do both. It didn't really work out for him very well. Mitt Romney tried to do both. It didn't really work out for him. So, I think, in this race, you're probably going to end up having to choose.
BALDWIN: Well, you mentioned Mitt Romney, Gloria, who, you say of the people who won't be there tonight. We know Mitt Romney will not be, but we also know that he had a pretty important speech over the weekend where he tried to confront some questions, people within his party have these questions about the health care plan within the state of Massachusetts when he was governor, right?
BORGER: Yes. It's very interesting. Mitt Romney this time -- last time he ran as kind of a values conservative. This time, he's running as a businessman who knows how to manage the economy, except he's got one problem and that is health care reform. The state of Massachusetts, as you know, when he was governor, had health care reform, and in that health care reform bill was an individual mandate, the kind of mandate that Republicans rail against now, and that's going to be a real problem for Romney as he heads into the general election.
What he says now is that, look, you know, I passed health care reform in Massachusetts. Some of it was good. Some of it was not so good, but what I would not have done is pass a national health care reform plan because that tramples states' rights, and so that's how he's now differentiating himself from Barack Obama, but people in the White House like to say, you know, we took some good ideas from Mitt Romney's Massachusetts health care plan.
BALDWIN: Yes.
BORGER: And you can be sure that Obama would remind candidate Romney of that in a general election if he becomes the nominee.
BALDWIN: Yes. Sure he would. Gloria Borger, thank you so much.
BORGER: Sure.
BALDWIN: Live in Washington.
And you know, here at CNN, we never go too far from what's happening in Libya. Thousands of people fleeing Libya each and every day, and as many Libyans stay behind within the country to fight the country's regime, President Obama is offering some big help.
Also, some brand new developments in the standoff in Wisconsin. Did you hear what the Republican governor actually said today? "Reporter Roulette" times four is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Refugees fleeing Libya, Secretary Gates in Afghanistan, gas prices skyrocket, and a show of support for Wisconsin's embattled governor. We have correspondents covering all of that. Time to play "Reporter Roulette." I want to begin with Becky Anderson on the Tunisia/Libya border. We know President Obama just pledged some $15 million in refugee aid for the growing humanitarian crisis there. Becky, to you.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, the sun has gone down here on the Tunisian/Libyan border, and the 17,000 men who occupy the tents behind me at this U.N. temporary camp will be hoping that it won't be many more days before they are evacuated from here. We're seeing less people coming over the border. About 3,000, we're told, an average a day.
Now, at its height, it was about 1,000 male migrant workers an hour. So, it sounds as if things are improving somewhat, although, we still don't know what's going on on the other side of the border.
It was mainly Egyptians here to begin with. Now the majority of men who are here are Bangladeshis, and tomorrow we are told there will be seven flights laid on for the next 10 days in order to get these thousands of men back home to Dhaka.
For those who remain the situation is slightly unclear. For many western and sub-Saharan African men their government is doing very little. So the U.N. says they will try and relocate those men. They will become refugees at this point.
It is not the humanitarian catastrophe that the U.N. had feared, but certainly things are grim here. It's fairly desolate, but it's better than perhaps it might have been. Brooke --
BALDWIN: Becky Anderson, my thanks to you.
Next here on "Reporter Roulette," Barbara Starr at Pentagon. Barbara, we know the Secretary Of Defense, Robert Gates in Afghanistan today, talking to American forces there, but he also spoke specifically about that attack that killed those nine young Afghan boys. What did Secretary Gates say?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, he called it heartbreaking essentially, Brooke, apologizing yet again to the Afghan people and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Karzai basically accepted the apology which is a 24-hour turnaround.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) STARR (voice-over): Yesterday on Sunday Karzai met with General David Petraeus who apologized and said that apology was not accepted. Very grim words from the Afghan president saying he was fed up with all of the civilian casualties, and he wanted it stopped.
A situation in Kabul where there was a demonstration, anti-American, Karzai under a lot of pressure from Afghan civilians about this whole question of Afghan deaths, and of course, as we've talked about, it is the Taliban and the insurgents who are responsible for the majority of those deaths.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Barbara, big picture here. Looking at Afghanistan, is there any movement in terms of the time frame for keeping U.S. troops in country?
STARR: Well, you know, Gates is sticking very close to the president's plan, as you would imagine, that in July of this year the withdrawal of U.S. forces will begin, and the NATO plan, the overall plan, of course, is to have combat forces essentially out of Afghanistan by 2014.
But Secretary Gates today let that little bit of wiggle room creep in yet again, saying that the U.S. would continue to have a security relationship with Afghanistan if they wanted one, and by all accounts, they will.
Unlikely the Afghans will be able to fully look after their security, so whether U.S. troops are really out of there by the end of 2014, of course, remains to be seen.
BALDWIN: Still to be determined, Barbara Starr. Thank you.
Now I want to take to you Madison, Wisconsin, where our own Ed Lavandera is. Ed, what is this? Here we go, what is this, week three into week four.
The 14 state senators, the Democrats in Illinois, they want a meeting with the governor, Governor Scott Walker, to work out their differences on the state budget. What are the Democrats saying, and how is the governor responding?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, those Democrats led by Senator Mark Miller works the minority leader of the Democrats here at the statehouse in Madison, Wisconsin, sent a letter to the governor, and the majority letter requesting a meeting somewhere near the Illinois/Wisconsin border.
The governor of Wisconsin responded by saying that's simply a ridiculous idea so really negotiations and any kind of talking seemed to have really stalled out. Spoken to several other senators in Illinois right now, they said that the talks really broke down last Thursday and there hadn't been much movement.
There had been a report out there saying that they're suggesting that the Democrats would be willing to come back at some point this week, but almost everyone we've been able to speak to so far says that's not the case. They are willing to get out much longer to try to get some compromise here and so far that doesn't seem to be happening.
BALDWIN: So as the political stalemate continues quickly, Eddie. I mean, I don't see anyone behind you, the protesters has their presence lessened?
LAVANDERA: Well, there have been several hundred here throughout the day. You know, it really has changed dramatically since they are no longer allowed to stay inside the capitol 24 hours a day, but inside there's still 100 or so.
There are still protesters who have been outside the capitol grounds here walking around throughout the day. So the presence is still here, but clearly not as strong as it was in the early on or in the early days of this showdown.
But we anticipate as it gets closer and perhaps the vote gets closer, if indeed it does happen, that that would change intensely as well.
BALDWIN: Yes. Let us know if you hear anything new with regard to those negotiations and any budging. Eddie Lavandera for me in Madison, thank you.
Lastly but certainly not least, Alison Kosik in New York with the check of the ever increasing price of gas. I had a buddy sent me an e-mail, Alison, from L.A., 4.50, 4.50 in L.A.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, California is actually paying the most when you're talking about gas. Gas prices overall soared 34 cents in 13 days, Brooke, the national average sitting at $3.51 for a gallon of regular.
Like I said, you're paying the most in California, the least in Montana. Of course, it's all tied to this surge in crude oil which gained another dollar today. You know, Americans are having a tough time already and analysts say get ready the prices could keep climbing maybe to $3.75, $4 a gallon and that's pretty likely. Brooke --
BALDWIN: And then to the issue people have been e-mailing me about, the number of people who use a gadget before they go to bed. If you do it, you're not alone. The number is 95, 95 percent of Americans do that according to this new poll.
But, Alison, apparently this could mean some big health problems so what does that mean when I'm on my Blackberry? What does that mean about me?
KOSIK: Yes, exactly. So this is coming from the National Sleep Foundation, so keep in mind if you're going to sleep an hour before you go to sleep, step away from the electronic gadgets. I'm talking about your cell phone, you know, the video games, the internet. You know, those are the kind of things that kind of play with your brain and make it really tough for you to wind down and go to sleep. TVs less interactive, and you may have an easier time of going to sleep since it's sort of a more passive activity.
But, you know, doctors are saying what happens here is the artificial light exposure that you have between dusk and the time we go to bed at night winds up suppressing the sleep promoting hormone melatonin.
I can think of a few ways to wind down and none of them include cell phones and video games so the idea is, you know, an hour before bed, just don't be on the internet.
BALDWIN: It's a good thing. Step away from the electronics. I'll do that tonight, Alison Kosik. I'll let you know how it goes. Thank you so much and that is today's "Reporter Roulette.
And we told you about the latest stand from the governor of Wisconsin. Just then with Eddie Lavandera, but did you hear which celebrity is joining forces there with union workers there in Wisconsin? That is ahead.
Also, you remember the "Jeopardy!" champ Ken Jennings. Well, there's now word a couple of high-profile lawmakers asked him to run for office and challenge a longtime Republican. That is next in "Political Pop."
But first this, "Newsweek" has just released the results of a new study of the American women most admired by other women. Any guesses who may be on that list? I've got the top five for you and here's a hint. It is not Lindsay Lohan or Snooki, thank you very much.
Rounding out the number five spot, you have former first lady Laura Bush. Number four on the list, former Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice. Number three. Most admired women by women, first lady Michelle Obama. So that leaves the top two. Who might that be? That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: OK. Here we go. Did you think about this? The results of the new "Newsweek" survey rating American women most admired by their fellow women is out. Some people in here in the studio guessing on this one and they might have gotten it right. We've Got the list for you.
A lady you admire be in the top two. Let's find out. According to "Newsweek," the second most admired woman in America is the Secretary of State and former first lady, Hillary Clinton. And the number one and most admired woman in America, last-minute guesses, anyone, anyone? There she is, naturally, Oprah Winfrey, of course.
So a lot of fun, political items happening over the weekend makes for a great story, great segment for "Political Pop" and for that we go to Joe Johns in Washington.
Joe, we have this "Jeopardy!" champ, of course, we all remember Ken Jennings, right, asked to run for senate and filmmaker Michael Moore in Wisconsin. First, what exactly does Michael Moore, kind of know, what was he up to in Madison?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a speech and it was really pretty incredible. Have you seen it by the way?
BALDWIN: I have not seen it, I just read about it.
JOHNS: Yes, I mean, it was riveting, whether you're a supporter or a critic or somewhere in between, and it's really gotten enormous buzz on the internet. So rather than talk too much, let's just listen to a chunk of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL MOORE, DIRECTOR: That's right, neither is Wisconsin. America is not broke. Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you'll give up your pension, cut your wages and settle for the life your great grandparents had, America is not broke.
The country is awash in wealth and cash. It's just that it's not in your hands! It has been transferred in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber rich.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So perhaps, Joe, foreshadowing to another documentary. I mean, we know he's a huge movie producer. He's great at drumming up excitement for his films. What's different here?
JOHNS: Well, you know, I've seen him a couple of times in Washington, and, yes, he's been drumming up excitement for his films, but this was bigger. This was sort of a Michael Moore manifesto, you know, very big audience, well received by a supporting crowd.
He said all of this happened kind of spontaneously. He was in New York and apparently started out writing the blog and by the time it was over he decided to hop on a plane from New York to Wisconsin and read it to the people.
And now he's just sort of added his voice to those on the left who said Wisconsin is the start of something really big. One of the lines that's been quoted a lot from him there is that Wisconsin has aroused a sleeping giant, so we'll see.
BALDWIN: We will see, and then we have the news, the report about, you know, uber star on "Jeopardy!" Ken Jennings. What's the news about him today?
JOHNS: Well, first of all, we're trying to track down some of the details and nobody is calling back. Ken Jennings is the guy who won millions of dollars on "Jeopardy!" though he wasn't able to beat the IBM supercomputer named Watson.
Anyway, last week he's answering questions on readit.com and somebody asked him some of the interesting job offers he's gotten and Jennings says Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, both called him personally in 2004 to try to get him to run for Senator Orrin Hatch's Senate seat in Utah.
OK, flow chart. Ken Jennings, the "Jeopardy!" star, says Democratic Senators Schumer and Reid asked him to run against Orrin Hatch in Utah, and there you see what the exchange was. Jennings says I'm not making this up, went on a game show. You can apparently run for the U.S. senate. That is when I realized the Democratic Party was expletive deleted in 2004, fascinating stuff.
BALDWIN: It is interesting. How about that? "Jeopardy," you never know where you can go. Joe Johns, thank you. Stick around because I don't know if you've been following the Charlie Sheen saga, but I've got some breaking news for you. Here we go.
This just in to CNN, Charlie Sheen has been fired from his sitcom. Warner Brothers TV gave us this statement. Let me read it for you, quote, "After careful consideration Warner Brothers Television has terminated Charlie Sheen's services on "Two and a Half Men" effective immediately."
He had been making something like $1.8 million per episode. In case you are curious, here I am spying on my laptop, Charlie Sheen tweeted about 41 minutes ago. And his tweet is, "I'm looking to hire a winning intern with tiger blood. Apply here." And then there's a link.
I'll check that link in the commercial break. But there you go, Charlie Sheen fired from CBS's "Two and a Half Men."
Should kids be paddled at school? I know, it sounds like a debate all the way back from the 1950s, but at one high school the punishment is still very much so alive. And many students are actually coming out in support of that.
We are "On the Case." That is ahead.
Also, lava shooting some 80 feet in the air. Look at these pictures. This is a volcano in Hawaii, erupting at one of America's most beautiful, most popular vacation spots.
We'll get you some more of that video coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Get a little bit more information for you on Charlie Sheen.
We've just learned Charlie Sheen has been fired, according to Warner Brothers. "After careful consideration, Warner Brothers Television has terminated Charlie Sheen's services on 'Two and a Half Men' effective immediately." And I want to pull up this tweet for you. I just read it to you a second ago, but I want you to take a look at a tweet. This is his last tweet as of just about 45 minutes ago.
"I'm looking to hire a winning intern with tiger blood. Apply here."
And when you look at the link, as I have just clicked on this link, it is a Charlie Sheen internship link. At the very bottom he says, "You'll learn how to promote and develop the social media network of Hollywood's most trending celebrity, Charlie Sheen."
By the way, CNN did just get a phone call from CBS, and they said they have made no decision regarding the future of "Two and a Half Men." So the show, very much so may continue. It's just that Charlie Sheen will not be a part of it.
That just in from CBS.
Now it is time for "You Gotta See This!"
Over the weekend, one of the most active volcanoes on the planet, Kilauea, put on quite a show. Look at this.
The volcano is located on the big island of Hawaii, and this stunning video of the eruption was taken after the Pu'u O'o crater collapsed Saturday afternoon.
Some reports suggest the lava shot something like 80 feet into the air. No lives, no homes are threatened. It just makes for amazing video.
Also, I wanted to get this on the show. Cyndi Lauper fans, anyone? Look at her. She thrills a crowd, impromptu style, at the airport in Buenos Aires.
She busted out an a cappella performance of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." Listen.
(SINGING)
OK. Lauper tried to cheer up bored travelers whose fights had been canceled or delayed. Can you imagine hearing her in the airport?
Lauper was in town on a stop for her world tour. She actually sounded pretty good if you listened to the whole thing and not everyone screaming.
OK. Bad kitty, but talk about timing here, the bobcat was caught on cam in Brevard County, Florida, hours after attacking a woman. She was bitten three times in the leg and had to be tested for rabies. Yikes.
The bobcat may be the same one that's also attacked several animals.
And now to Wolf Blitzer.
And Wolf, I hear you have Governor Bill Richardson coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM" today.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
BALDWIN: And I also promised you a little surprise, so here we go. Before you tell me about that and that interview that's coming up, let me show you what the governor said to Candy Crowley about you and the governor's recent trip to North Korea.
Let's play that, guys.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": So what was the best part of traveling with Wolf, and what was the worst?
BILL RICHARDSON (D), FMR. NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR: Well, the best part of traveling with Wolf is that he is very persistent. And he makes you think about what you're going to ask the North Koreans and what came out of the meeting, because you know Wolf is going to ask you. So Wolf forces you to be more organized.
The bad part of Wolf? There isn't any bad part of Wolf, except when you're with him, you're with him 24 hours a day. He doesn't leave you alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: You're everywhere.
Wolf Blitzer will not leave your side.
I mean, I know the trip --
BLITZER: Well, let me just say this.
BALDWIN: Go ahead.
BLITZER: We spent six days in North Korea and Pyongyang in December, and I've spent a lot of time with politicians and leaders traveling all over the world. Bill Richardson is a very good guy to travel around the world with.
He likes to have a little fun, also does some substance, and it was just a great opportunity to see North Korea with Bill Richardson. We did that documentary that was on CNN. We're going to re-air it at some point down the road. But it was a lot of fun and very important during an extremely tense time on the Korean Peninsula.
BALDWIN: I know. I remember the time when you were there and I was just waiting for some quirky Wolf Blitzer oddity as a travel companion, but he said nothing. So you're good to go there.
BLITZER: I thought you were going to ask me about my major motion picture debut this weekend. I thought you saw -- how could you not ask me about Matt Damon and me? What's the matter with you, Brooke?
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Come on. Give it to me, Wolf.
BLITZER: "The Adjustment Bureau." You didn't see my cameo in there?
BALDWIN: No, I didn't. It will be my homework by the time I finish with you.
BLITZER: Somebody on your staff -- I thought you, for sure, when you said an hour ago, "We've got a surprise for you," you were going to run the clip from "The Adjustment Bureau," Wolf Blitzer. You know, it's the big screen. Finally, I'm on the big screen, and you don't even have that?
What's the matter?
BALDWIN: Angie Massey (ph), are you listening to this? She said she knows -- we're going to maker it up to you. She says she's in trouble. We know we're in trouble.
BLITZER: All right. All right.
BALDWIN: We're going to make it up to you.
BLITZER: Because if this motion picture thing works out, the news, the small screen, forget about it. I'm going all the way.
BALDWIN: No, we can't lose you. Yes. She's saying there could be an opening --
BLITZER: A major motion picture.
BALDWIN: -- in "THE SITUATION ROOM." So we don't want to lose you though. You can do both.
BLITZER: All right. OK.
BALDWIN: OK. Seriously, here, let's talk about Bill Richardson, because you're talking about who could potentially come in to Libya, right?
BLITZER: Somebody's -- at some point down the road, somebody is going to have to go meet eyeball to eyeball with Moammar Gadhafi and say, Colonel, it's over. Over. You've got two choices, and they are both bad.
Who is that person going to be? Is it going to be an Arab leader, a king, somebody else who has got a relation?
Is it going to be Hugo Chavez of Venezuela? He's got a good relationship with him. Or Fidel Castro will call him up on the phone? He's got a good relationship with Fidel Castro.
Who is going to tell Gadhafi it's over? I'm going to ask Bill Richardson for some ideas. And I'm going to ask him, "What about you? You've met with world leader, thug types over the years."
So maybe it's Bill Richardson who is going to go to Tripoli and say to the colonel, you know what? It's over? Maybe.
BALDWIN: OK. All right. Well, we'll see you in minutes.
Writing down right now, "Adjustment Bureau" tonight.
OK?
BLITZER: Go see it.
BALDWIN: OK. Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right.
BALDWIN: See you in a couple of minutes.
Lindsay Lohan says she did not steal a very expensive necklace, but the jewelry store accusing her of theft may have proof.
Sunny Hostin is "On the Case." That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: The Santa Monica jewelry store where Lindsay Lohan allegedly stole that $2,500 necklace reportedly has made $35,000 selling the video in still pictures to media outlets. And a software company says it's bought the rights to the video. It plans to stream this whole thing online.
So what impact could all of this have on the case against this actress? Lohan heads back to court this week, keep in mind.
We're "On the Case" here with Sunny Hostin.
And Sunny, let me just pose that to you. Does this hurt -- would the video hurt the prosecution's case?
SUNNY HOSTIN, "IN SESSION," TRU TV: It really does. The fact that they sold it for $35,000 really hurts their case because it's the jewelry store's credibility that's at issue.
Lindsay has always said that this was a loan to her, and that this jewelry store was trying to trade on her notoriety by making these false allegations. And now that they have made so much money, $35,000, if I were the prosecutor here, I would be livid. This almost torpedoes their case.
BALDWIN: So how would the release of the video work in Lindsay Lohan's favor? HOSTIN: On so many levels, Brooke. I mean, first of all, I haven't seen the video, but those that have seen it are reporting that she has the necklace on. She's walking around the store.
She's talking to the jewelry store owner. She doesn't look like someone that's sort of trying to sneak out with the necklace. So, on that level.
And I think on another level, these videos are usually pretty grainy, and so there's no sound to it. And on the third level, I think that she could take a plea or maybe the prosecution will sort of just withdraw the plea because it really lends credence to her position.
BALDWIN: OK.
And then case number two, we have the archbishop of New Orleans wants to end paddling as a punishment at St. Augustine High School. But he has opposition from current and former students. They rallied in support of corporal punishment on Friday.
In fact, here's what two students had to say. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What can never be argued is the fact that St. Augustine High School, since the 1950s, has produced successful black men. This cannot be argued. This cannot be changed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not just taking away a form of discipline. You're taking away a form of life at St. Augustine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So it sounds like it's a bit more about tradition perhaps, Sunny. But hasn't paddling been abolished like everywhere else?
HOSTIN: It certainly has been abolished in the Catholic school system. I mean, there have been so many studies about this and how it's just not -- it's an inappropriate way of discipline.
And I've got to tell you, when I heard about this story, I was kind of like, really, kids want to be beaten? It just doesn't make any kind of sense to me.
BALDWIN: Yes. Well, would there be any chance the school would keep corporal punishment?
HOSTIN: You know, there was a very heated debate about this issue. I hope not. I don't think so. But because the student body has been so reactive, and they want the corporal punishment to remain, who knows? It's quite possible.
BALDWIN: OK.
Sunny Hostin, "On the Case."
Sunny, thank you.
And now to my colleague who has a cameo at "The Adjustment Bureau" -- everyone go see it, including myself -- Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
Wolf, to you.
