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Libya Rebels Make Key Gains; Revolt Spreads in Syria; Nuclear Crisis in Japan; Jimmy Carter Returns to Cuba; Threat of Body Scanners; Couple Could Get Death Penalty; Bond's Ex-Mistress Testifies; Screaming Woman's Fate Unknown; Reporter Put in a Closet at a Biden Gig
Aired March 28, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And now, top of the hour. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: A woman in Libya burst into this hotel full of journalists. She's screaming. She's crying. She's desperate to get her story out.
And today, suddenly it is. And now, it's created this whole new firestorm and a world of rage.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
(voice-over): She claims more than a dozen men raped her and held her prisoner. Those men, she says, are members of Moammar Gadhafi's militia. Now, they are responding.
Hours from now, President Obama tells the country his plans for Libya. But will he convince critics this is not another war?
Plus, scary new estimates of just how much radiation is leaking in Japan. It's no longer the air that has experts concerned. It's the sea.
And a deadly cobra on the loose in America's biggest city -- venom so powerful it can kill a human in mere minutes. The hunt is on.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: And hello to you once again. Hour two, I'm Brooke Baldwin.
And the civil war in Libya is a much different affair today for several reasons here.
First, the opposition forces -- those are the mostly amateur, less sophisticated soldiers fighting to remove Moammar Gadhafi from power -- well, we hear today they are close to a place that is very, very symbolic to this whole struggle, and that is Colonel Gadhafi's hometown. They are already claimed complete control of several key cities here. You have Benghazi in the east, it's the first rebel stronghold, second most populated city. Also, the oil cities between there and the capital.
Now, the rebels say they are able to gain ground relatively easily only because of those coalition airstrikes have paved the way over the course of the past week. But now, the different part here. You have the opposition fighters saying they met tough resistance today near Moammar Gadhafi's hometown of Surt, and those U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, that's now a NATO mission.
We want to go right to Benghazi now and CNN's Reza Sayah.
And, Reza, what are you hearing about the fighting west of you?
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the first time these opposition forces have seen some resistance over the past 72 hours. It was a pretty impressive three days for them. They have made it look relatively easy, gaining about 200 miles in territory, at least five key towns, until they came to Surt, Colonel Gadhafi's birthplace, his hometown. He's got a lot of supporters there, his tribe, the Gadhafa tribe, is based out of this location.
When we talked to the opposition leaders, they anticipated a fight here because of those reasons, and they are getting it. According to rebel fighters who were talking to us, Gadhafi forces and loyalists using subterfuge trickery to fight off the opposition forces. One rebel fighter is telling us that Gadhafi forces have armed civilians with weapons, civilians who are shooting at rebel fighters. Another rebel fighter telling us he was approaching Gadhafi forces who were waving a white flag, the universal signal for surrender, as they were approaching them, they came under fire, he says.
These accounts we can't independently verify, but we've heard these types of stories over and over again. It's an indication of some of the challenges these opposition forces face. At this point, rebel forces say they have pulled back from Surt. They are regrouping, strategizing for their next move into Surt, that could come within the next 24 hours, Brooke.
BALDWIN: So, quickly, just so I'm understanding, we're talking Sirte. Is it about 100 or so miles from Tripoli, the capital, where you have Moammar Gadhafi's compound? And is that the next big battle for sure?
SAYAH: Yes. It's a little more than 100 miles east of Tripoli. It's about 225 miles east of Tripoli. If they get Surt -- if rebel fighters get Surt, the next stop would be Misrata, which is just about 100 miles east of Tripoli. That would be the logical staging ground for what would be the final attempt to go into Tripoli, which is the ultimate destination for these rebel forces.
So, it's too early to talk about Tripoli. I think it's a long way off, but two more stops in this progression west. It's Surt, Gadhafi's hometown, Misrata, and then you have the ultimate target which is Tripoli, Brooke.
BALDWIN: So, we know, they are moving towards Surt as you're reporting. We know over the weekend they captured both al Brega and Ras Lanuf, two key oil cities. Once they get into the cities, Reza, are the Gadhafi forces already pulling back because they are decimated or because preparing perhaps back in Tripoli for a major battle down the road?
SAYAH: We're hearing different accounts. Some of them are dying in battle, but we're hearing all sorts of accounts, that they are jumping into civilian cars, SUVs, unmarked cars and taking off back west. It's unclear where they are going, but it's an indication of surrender. Some of them might be going to places like Misrata, to Tripoli, to regroup.
But, again, until they got to Surt, the rebel forces making it look easy. Over the past 72 hours, about 200 miles in territory they gained. And one of the keys, they acknowledge, are these airstrikes. They are hoping for the airstrikes to continue, the airstrikes facilitating this push west.
BALDWIN: Reza, I know that a lot of the opposition forces were elated once the no-fly zone was in place and there was this international intervention here. But how is the news about NATO's takeover today being received by the rebels?
SAYAH: Well, I think, like much of the world, they are anxious to see if this changes the complexion of this operation with NATO taking the lead. There are some member states in NATO, namely Turkey, who is probably not as enthusiastic about these aggressive airstrikes as other countries. So, they are waiting to see once NATO takes full control of the military operation what this means.
Openly -- even today at a news conference, they said they want these air strikes to continue. When you look at these tank units, these Gadhafi tank units, it's not the rebel forces' weapons that are destroying the tanks. It's these airstrikes, that's clear. And that's an indication that without these airstrikes they wouldn't be moving forward.
BALDWIN: We will all be watching to see what happens next in Surt.
Reza Sayah in Benghazi -- Reza, my thanks to you.
And, you know, as we wait to hear from the president tonight, specifically talking about operation in Libya, there's another country in turmoil. Coming up, why witnesses say people are sitting home in Syria afraid to walk outside. You're going to hear about the men outside their windows. That is ahead.
Plus, many Americans are thinking about their taxes this time of year, but there is one group out there that apparently is prone to cheating the IRS. Who might that be? Got a guess? We'll give you the answer, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: If it's interesting and happening right now, you are about to see it. "Rapid Fire" -- let's go.
Beginning with one man accused of trying to blow up the home of former President George W. Bush. He pleads not guilty in Texas. Investigators say the college student from Saudi Arabia bought chemicals and equipment to build a weapon of mass destruction. We're told his other targets included New York City.
And a drug-resistant superbug is spreading through health care facilities in southern California. A soon-to-be published report by the Los Angeles County Public Health Department says it's striking primarily older patients on ventilators. The bacteria, for short, called CRKP has been around for a while, thought to be rare. But roughly 350 cases were reported just in the last six months of 2010.
And damning testimony over the weekend from a star witness in the Amanda Knox case in Italy. Knox, you know, she's American college student serving time for the murder of her roommate. And a according to "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" is saying a witness who placed Knox near the scene of the crime now admits to using heroin when the killing happened. The witness also claims he saw students in costumes the night he placed Knox and her boyfriend near the victim's cottage, but the defense pointed out Meredith Kirchner was killed November 1st, the day after Halloween.
And try this one, here's a recall you probably haven't heard about before. Volkswagen is saying the new Jettas could shut down from the driver honks the horn. Honks the horn. The company is now recalling 70,000 of those cars.
And you go to church on Sunday? Apparently, it could be making you fat. According to a new study, Americans who go to religious activities are more likely to gain weight than those who don't go too often. The people who did the study say it's probably because church- goers have a bigger social network, you have more friends, you have more opportunities to eat and drink.
And -- love this story -- check out the surprise from Jillian Sharp (ph) from Kettering, Ohio. This is what she got at school on Friday, big hugs. Her dad, Master Sergeant Phillip Sharp, wasn't due back from Iraq until later that night, but alas, he managed to get home a little early and surprise her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Daddy, I'm five now. I used to be four.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know, you're five now.
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I'm this much happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Daddy, I'm five now. I used to be four. Precious, hugs and tears flowed through the school gymnasium. The other reason daddy and daughter were happy, it was pizza night, of course.
In New York, they have a bit of a -- a big of a snake problem. We're talking about a 20-inch poisonous snake just like this one seen there. It's missing from the reptile house at the Bronx zoo. Zoo officials say it is confined to an enclosed non-public area of the building. Wildlife expert Jack Hanna says things like this, they do happen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK HANNA, ANIMAL EXPERT: The Bronx zoo is one of the finest in the country and my understanding is that the cobra escaped behind the scenes. And, you know, I must say, snakes escape behind the scenes in zoos throughout country, not very often obviously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Not very often, we hope. Take a look at the sign. The reptile house now closed indefinitely.
OK, parents. Should 7-year-old girls be wearing push-up bikini tops? Hmm. Think about it. One clothing chain thinks so.
But, first, who is most likely to cheat on their taxes?
Alison Kosik is live in New York.
And, Alison, we're talking about some bad, bad boys here.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are. But I want to point one thing out straight away. We're not bashing men here. I tweeted this story earlier and I'd just been getting harangued on Twitter.
BALDWIN: Oh, no.
KOSIK: This is from -- yes, so I want to put this out. This is not about male-bashing. This survey was done by DDB Worldwide Communications Group. That's an ad group.
And here's what he said. The typical American to cheat or their taxes is young, under 45, single, and male. Yes, that's what they found.
And of those who admit being tax cheats, they had this kind of air about them like they are entitled. In fact, the survey quoted them as saying that they are special and that they said that they deserve to be treated that had way compared to the people who said they don't cheat. Now, one thing to point out, the survey did not limit -- said that the cheats are not limited to rich or poor. That people who cheat generally have the same income levels as those who don't.
The survey goes on to say, you know, these tax cheats, they show a similar sneaky activity in the other parts of their lives, and they fessed up to cheating on their taxes. Yes, they are likely to keep the wrong change if a cashier gives them too much money, have a friend pretend to be a former boss for a reference check. And they are also likely, more likely, to wear clothes and return them and file false insurance claims.
But once again, I'm just the messenger here, Brooke.
BALDWIN: I know. But, come on, gentlemen, that's a no-no.
Now to this story. KOSIK: Yes.
BALDWIN: This is a story -- I read about it this morning, we had to get on. We're calling it the bikini backlash.
Parents, what do you think about this? Abercrombie & Fitch introducing padded bikini tops but the store is selling them in the children's section. Alison, what?
KOSIK: Yes. So, the way this bikini was originally marketed, it was originally marketed as a push-up bikini top and they took off the words "push-up" and now are calling it striped triangle. But the fact is the top is padded, and, you know, this is marketed to like second grade girls, 8-year-olds.
And a sociology professor came out and said, you know what, this would encourage girls to think about themselves in a sexual way before they are ready. But, you know, Abercrombie, kind of par for the course for them.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: What are they saying? Have they said anything today about this?
KOSIK: They haven't. But here's what I have to say. I'm a mom of an 8-year-old girl, and they can advertise and sell this bikini all I want. And this is one opinion -- I have a choice. I don't have to buy it for her, right?
BALDWIN: Right. Walk on, walk on by. Your little one wants it, walk on by.
KOSIK: Walk on by, exactly.
BALDWIN: Alison Kosik --
KOSIK: Say no, just say no.
BALDWIN: Say no. Say no to the busty bikini for the little ones. Alison, thank you.
And now to this -- I wanted to take you back to the Middle East and specifically here, Syria, where with the situation is escalating by the second. One witness says there are men in black shirts -- this is a description we're getting -- roaming the streets, terrorizing civilians. He says they're attacking homes and firing shots.
But who are these men and will the U.S. get involved there?
Hala Gorani just walk night studio here. She's been monitoring every single development in Syria, and we will chat, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Time to go "Globe Trekking" now and let's not go to far from Libya. We're going to go to another country and another leader dealing with a nationwide uprising.
Hala Gorani is here to discuss Syria, where thus far it's not at all as desperate as Libya, but dare I ask does it have the potential?
HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it has the potential. It's an entirely different situation. It's in the Middle East as opposed to North Africa. There, we're seeing protests in more isolated pockets in several cities. It's a completely different power structure.
You're seeing the newest video we have from the south of Syria, Daraa there, where the uprisings began, you'll remember, Brooke, just about a little more than a week ago. We've seen dozens of deaths there. This is amateur video.
CNN can't independently vet and confirm but it cross-checks with information we're getting from eyewitnesses.
BALDWIN: Let's pause and just listen here.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
BALDWIN: I know we can't independently confirm it, but it looked to be -- I don't know, bodies, people, gunshots. Who are these people, and what are they demanding?
GORANI: Well, the demonstrators want very simple things. They want economic opportunity. They want an end to corruption, to cronyism. But most importantly, they want the freedom to be able to say things publicly, to criticize the regime publicly, to assemble freely. And today, according to eyewitnesses who have spoken to CNN, and I want to emphasize to our viewers, CNN has been repeatedly requesting journalist visas to report out of Syria.
BALDWIN: You'd like to go to Syria?
GORANI: We have been denied, absolutely.
BALDWIN: Yes.
GORANI: So, we do hope that situation changes.
But our eyewitnesses are telling us that in Daraa today, hundreds of army troops have been deployed, which is significant. That's a new development over the last 48 hours, and that security forces have cleared the central part of the town, the Omari Mosque, that's been the epicenter and the organizational sort of structure of these protests. And now, people are kind of holed up at home, watching developments on TV. There's a very tense situation in Daraa today.
BALDWIN: So, Daraa is one city.
GORANI: Right.
BALDWIN: There's another city. It's a coastal town where we're also seeing crowds. GORANI: Right. Latakia, the same situation. Army troops deployed there and we're hearing, and you said before the commercial break, Brooke, that armed men --
BALDWIN: The black-shirted men.
GORANI: Right. Now, who are they?
BALDWIN: We don't know yet.
GORANI: We don't know. I mean, possibly security apparatus belonging to the state, secret police. We're hearing reports that overnight, they are going door-to-door. It sounds like typical intimidation tactics coming from the security forces.
BALDWIN: Let's listen to this.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
BALDWIN: So, what are the chances Syria could become another Tunisia?
GORANI: OK, that's the question that everyone is asking, of course. What are the chances? Is this the next domino to fall?
BALDWIN: Right.
GORANI: Certainly, the regime is trying now to quiet the demonstrators -- one, by repressing them. But, two, we understand in the next two days the president, Bashar al-Assad, is going to go on television and address his compatriots and offer concessions and reforms. Will that be enough?
Also, there's such contradictory information and gestures coming from this regime. On the one hand, they say these are outsiders fomenting the unrest, they are stoking, you know, these uprisings. On the other hand, they are offering concessions, freeing some political prisoners. So, you know, people are asking -- well, if this is coming from the outside, why are you offering concessions and proposing reforms? So, it's just a little bit confusing, as far as protesters go.
And the big question is, (a), will the demonstrations start in earnest again over the next couple of days? And, (b), what will the reaction be to Bashar al-Assad's address to his people?
BALDWIN: Exactly.
GORANI: Big questions.
BALDWIN: What will he offer? What will he say exactly?
GORANI: We don't know. And over the weekend, of course, we were expecting him to speak on television. He didn't. Now, we're thinking two days, possibly three days.
BALDWIN: We kept getting e-mails he's going to speak, he's going to speak. GORANI: That was my BlackBerry action all weekend as well. But we do understand over the next 48 hours or so, we should be hearing from him.
BALDWIN: OK. We'll continue talking Syria. Ms. Gorani, thank you very much.
GORANI: OK. Thank you.
BALDWIN: Still to come here though, we want to talk Japan. Urgent situation there after weeks and weeks here of talking about the threat of radiation, really I should say, about two weeks, from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. We are now hearing of some frightening discoveries now in the soil. That has developed today. That is ahead.
Also, we're getting closer to President Obama's major address on the situation in Libya. That is tonight. How will he convince his critics that this operation overseas isn't just another war? Stay right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: And now, for the latest news hot off the CNN Political Ticker.
Let's go to Jessica Yellin live for me in Washington.
And, Jess, item number one, the big speech tonight, President Obama's speech.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brooke. And, you know, a lot has been made of the fact that he's not delivering it from the Oval Office or even from the White House. A lot of analysts and outsiders interpreting this he might be downplaying it or what does it mean?
Well, in my count, during President Bush's eight years in office, he gave at least five nationally televised speeches about Iraq, the war in Iraq or war in terror from places outside the White House, like Atlanta, Georgia, Cincinnati, Ohio and Fort Bragg. President Obama himself gave a speech about Afghanistan from West Point.
So, I don't know how much to read into exactly the location. The -- maybe that's one of the reason because it seems a lot of people are playing politics with all of this. Maybe that's one of the reasons we have the following poll numbers.
We asked folks, do you approve of the way members of Congress are handling their job? Guess what the poll showed? The polls showed 34 percent of Americans approved of the way Republicans are handling their job, not so good. And Democrats, 35 percent approve of the way Democrats are handling their job. In case, you were wondering, that's within the margin of error.
Not so much approval for either party, Brooke. BALDWIN: OK. We'll be watching beginning, of course, with John King at 7:00 and we'll be watching the speech live at 7:30. Thank you very much, Jessica Yellin.
And here, if you haven't heard about what's happening in Japan today, now, there are some new disturbing developments there. With had three types of plutonium found at that troubled nuclear plant. Folks, this is huge, huge news there. This is a report from Tokyo. We'll get you a report straight ahead.
Also, I'm just getting some brand new information about our safety in the airport. Just how harmful are those body scans in the security line? A revealing new study has enough just been released. We'll get you to the news, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: OK. Today we have a disturbing discovery in Japan, Jimmy Carter visits Cuba and some news just into CNN on the threats of body scanners at the airport. Time to play "Reporter Roulette."
We want to begin with Martin Savidge in Tokyo.
And Marty, what are people finding now there?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: TEPCO tells CNN that it found traces of plutonium in five different locations at the Fukushima nuclear facility. Three different types of plutonium. These were as a result of soil samples the company said they took on the 21st and 22nd of March so roughly one week ago.
It says that none of the samples came back at any level that would be a threat to human life. Still, it is disconcerting and the company couldn't say whether or not it came as a result of problems at the nuclear plant. There's only one nuclear reactor that uses plutonium, and that's reactor number three. It has a mixture of uranium and plutonium.
But, again, the company couldn't say for certain whether this is some plutonium that came from somewhere else, or whether it actually came as a result of the problems they have been having at Fukushima.
In the meantime, there were other developments today. Large quantities of water, highly radioactive water. Some of it found at the turbine room of reactor number two and also then found in tunnels for electric cables outside of reactor number two.
What they would like to do is put that water somewhere else, pump it out of the areas they found it, but they have no more space in any containers in which to place it.
The discovery of that highly radioactive water though in the electric cable tunnels could also explain why there are high levels of radiation in the seawater surrounding the plant. It's possible that that may be the way that it's getting into the ocean, but again, TEPCO, the operators of the facility couldn't say for sure.
In Tokyo, I'm Martin Savidge. Back to you.
BALDWIN: Marty, thank you.
Next here, Jimmy Carter lands in Havana, Cuba. But is he there just to talk about relations between Cuba and the U.S., or possibly more.
Maybe to free an American sentenced to 15 years in a Cuban prison.
Next in "Reporter Roulette," I want to go to Shasta Darlington in Havana.
And Shasta, let's just begin.
Tell me, who is Alan Gross and why might he be on President Carter's agenda?
SASHTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, Brooke, officially this visit is very much about bilateral ties. The timing is crucial here. Cuba has announced the biggest shake-up to its Soviet-style economy in decades. It has released more than a hundred political prisoners in the last year, but expectations are high that Carter will try and secure the release of gross. He was a subcontractor for USAID.
The United States says he was just trying to help the Jewish community connect to the Internet, but Cuba says his work was subversive and illegal. That he brought in this illegal satellite equipment to help connect people to the Internet, but that the ultimate goal was to destabilize the government. And this is why this issue has become so loaded, so politically important, and we will really have to see how it plays out over the next three days.
Brooke?
BALDWIN: Now, we know when President Carter last visited Cuba. It was 2002. He was greeted by then President Fidel Castro. And it was current President Raul Castro not there at the airport. So who was there this time, and what does that really mean?
DARLINGTON: Well, Brooke, that's a good question because there was a stark contrast. Back in 2002, as you mentioned, Fidel Castro, who was then the president, greeted President Jimmy Carter, ex-President Jimmy Carter. They played the national anthems and they gave speeches. There was a lot of pomp and circumstance.
This time Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, was at the airport. It was a pretty official receiving ceremony. They handed both Jimmy Carter and his wife a bouquet of flowers. And then they directly went to their cars, got in and drove off.
Jimmy Carter headed to a meeting with U.S. diplomats. He was then headed to the center of the city to meet with Jewish leaders, which again is an important meeting given the context here of this U.S. contractor Alan Gross who the United States says was helping the Jewish community -- Brooke. BALDWIN: Shasta Darlington in Cuba.
Sashta, thank you.
And now we want to get you some information just into us here at CNN. It's about this revealing new article highlighting the risk of those body scanners. I just went through one of them yesterday at the airport.
Elizabeth Cohen here to explain.
And I know you've just gotten this information.
Do we need to be worried? What's the news?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: What this research says is there is a tiny winy, winy, winy risk when you go through one of these scanners.
BALDWIN: That's not their term --
COHEN: They didn't use those words. That is not their term. That's my term. That's an Elizabeth term that is obviously not they're using there, but I'm just going to put it in perspective here.
BALDWIN: Please.
COHEN: And give you the data that they had. And we're talking about this backscatter machines that there's been so much talk about.
So what they found is that if you go through one of these machines, you're getting the equivalent of two minutes of radiation that you would get on an airplane. Because when you're in -- anytime, you and I are getting radiation right now as we speak. When you're in an airplane you get even more. So two minutes in an airplane is equal to one of these backscatter machines, or to put it in another way, to translate this into real people.
OK, follow me here. There are 100 million passengers. Let's just say there's 100 million passengers and they each take seven one-way flights per year.
BALDWIN: OK.
COHEN: So not frequent flyers, this probably what a lot of people do. Over the course of the lifetime of those 100 million people, Brooke, you would see six extra cancers because of the backscatter machine.
BALDWIN: Six extra cancers of the 100 million.
COHEN: Of the 100 million, because of, or could be attributed to the backscatter machines. That's sort of an approximation that they give there.
BALDWIN: Is it what a small probability?
COHEN: Is it at risk? No, but it's a teeny, tiny risk.
BALDWIN: Does the risk change at all when you're talking children versus adults.
COHEN: Yes, it does, because children, of course, they are -- you know, they are growing.
BALDWIN: Smaller.
COHEN: They're smaller, and also they're growing.
BALDWIN: OK.
COHEN: And so that presents two scenarios there that increase the risk.
So let's take a look at some numbers.
BALDWIN: OK.
COHEN: If you, they sort of invented two million 5-year-old girls. OK, so you got two million five-year-old girls. If each of them took a round trip flight per week, so 52 flights in a year, you would see one extra case of breast cancer over the course of their lives because -- again, because of the radiation due to the backscatter machines.
BALDWIN: But who has taken one roundtrip flight a week.
COHEN: I don't know, any five-year-old. I mean, my girls travel a lot, but they don't even travel that much.
BALDWIN: Right. I see what you're trying to do to just put it in perspective.
COHEN: Right.
BALDWIN: And finally you know, even though it's low, is there any way to avoid the machine all together?
COHEN: Yes, you know, it's interesting. I think people have different perceptions of risk. And so some people will see these numbers and go, what's the big deal? I'll go through one of those machines. And other people would say, well, it does lead to extra cases of breast cancer or cancers when you look at the big picture. I want to avoid these things. And you can always opt out, and what that is is you say to the security agent I want to go through the regular old x-ray machine and then you can pat me down with your hands. You can always do that.
And in fact on Thursday for my "Empowered Patient" column, I've actually asked doctors what they do.
What do you do?
BALDWIN: I was about to ask, what do you do, Elizabeth Cohen.
COHEN: Well, I --
BALDWIN: You've got little ones.
COHEN: I'll reveal that later. Maybe I'll reveal that in my column.
BALDWIN: OK.
COHEN: But I was curious to se what doctors, people who work for the American Cancer Society. You know, what do they do?
BALDWIN: So, again, quickly, where do we find your column?
COHEN: CNN.com/Health on Thursday morning.
BALDWIN: Got it.
COHEN: And you'll see what ten prominent doctors do.
BALDWIN: I'm curious.
COHEN: Including our own Sanjay Gupta.
BALDWIN: What is Sanjay up to? That's my litmus test.
Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much.
And that is your "Reporter Roulette" for this Monday.
Coming up, accused of horrific abuse, soaking a foster child in acid, killing his twin sister. We've told you this horrific story. This is a story out of South Florida. The couple now appearing in court today. We're learning even more about what went on inside this, quote, "house of horrors." And I'll tell you why the man is wearing a vest in the courtroom.
Plus, getting personal in Barry Bonds perjury trial. The player's former mistress takes to the stand and she is telling some pretty interesting secrets, and we can just leave it there for now.
Sunny Hostin is going to tell that whole story there on the case, but first this.
So you're thinking of moving to a new city, check out this list here. These are the fastest growing metro areas in the United States, this is according to the Census Bureau. So take a look here.
Running out the top five. Number five, you have Cape Coral, Florida. The Gulf Coast town grew 40 percent in the last ten years taking the number five spot there.
And then I don't know if anyone there calls it Raleigh wood. Stephanie thinks they do. I'm calling it RTP. Raleigh, North Carolina, the third here. The research triangle grew almost 42 percent since 2000. And number three here, or third fastest growing area in the United States, sin city, Vegas, growing nearly 42 percent in the last decade. So who, or I should say where are the top two areas growing by leaps and bounds? We'll give you the answers after the break. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Someone just tweeted me here saying, yes, he lives in Cape Coral, Florida. It's growing. The traffic is crazy and got all those snowbirds.
So where are the fastest growing cities in the U.S.? That was in the top five. Here we go. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 53 percent population growth since 2000, it is St. George, Utah. And the fastest growing area in the U.S. with a 92 percent population growth, you have Palm Coast, Florida. The small metro area just south of Jacksonville nearly doubled, doubled in the last decade. Florida, of course.
And it's a scene that sticks in your mind. Take a look at this with me.
A pickup truck parked alongside a Florida highway. The unconscious driver in the grass nearby. A boy with severe chemical burns in the front seat of that red pickup. The body of his twin sister stuffed in a trash bag in the back. That's why there was the tarp covered up there. An horrific scene. That was just the beginning of this story.
Today Jorge and Carmen Barahona were in court together for the very first time since being charged with killing the girl and torturing both of this children.
I want to bring in Sunny Hostin here on the case.
And Sunny, first, let's just begin with court today. What happened?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, certainly they pled not guilty today, Brooke, but I think the real issue here and the real highlight came from what the government had to say.
Take a look at what happened today in the courtroom.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your honor, at this time the state of Florida will provide to counsel the state's notice the potential to seek the death penalty as to Carmen Barahona. Further, the state will provide to counsel and to the clerk the state's notice of intention to seek the death penalty against Jorge Barahona.
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HOSTIN: So that really was the headline, the prosecution. The government is seeking or could seek the death penalty against this couple accused of murdering their 10-year-old adopted daughter.
BALDWIN: But they are sitting there and they are listening to this, death penalty. I didn't see any reaction in either of the Barahonas. Is that common when a defendant is hearing prosecutors announce that they would want the death penalty?
HOSTIN: I wouldn't say it's common, Brooke. I wouldn't say it's uncommon. All defendants act differently when they hear that they may be subject to the ultimate punishment.
I will say this. Their defense attorneys likely prepared them for this possibility, and that may be a reason why we're not seeing any reaction from either defendant.
BALDWIN: So we see in this picture. You have Carmen Barahona, she's got the Roxbury, maybe it's a red prisoner's jumpsuit, but you see Jorge Barahona there in some sort of a padded vest.
What's the story with the vest, Sunny?
HOSTIN: That's right. A lot of people are reporting, Brooke, that this is a bulletproof vest because there have been so much outrage against these two defendants, but in my experience that looks like a vest that is perhaps sometimes used when an inmate is on suicide watch.
There has been a lot of reporting about his mental state. His own defense attorney says that he is just so emotional and just so out of it he can't really help in his defense. So I think that this could very well be a vest used for an inmate that is on a suicide watch rather than a bulletproof vest.
BALDWIN: We're going to stay on that case as we have since the very beginning with you, Sunny.
But I want to move on here to case number two. It's some pretty graphic testimony today in the perjury trial of homerun king Barry Bonds. He's charged with lying to this federal grand jury about his use of steroids. So his former mistress was on the stand today.
Sunny, what did she say?
HOSTIN: Wow, this was I think testimony that no person would want to be listening to in the courtroom today. Today, she testified about a lot of changes that she saw in his body. Changes that the prosecution says are direct to results of his use of steroids.
She says that he had back acne, balding, bloating and sexual dysfunction. And so certainly, this is evidence that the prosecution wants to show he was using steroids. And, again, this is a perjury case. He went in front of the grand jury, Brooke, and said, I didn't take any steroids. However, the prosecution now needs to prove that he did take steroids to prove that he is guilty of lying to the grand jury.
And so I think this is unfortunately very uncomfortable evidence for Barry Bonds and those that were in the courtroom today, but evidence that the prosecution has to bring forward.
BALDWIN: Yes, I know, her testimony -- you're being kind. It was much more graphic than that. And what about Barry Bonds? What's his defense here?
HOSTIN: You know, he has maintained his innocence all along for so many years. He says that he doesn't use steroids, didn't use steroids. What's interesting is that his long time trainer Greg Anderson refuses to testify and is now being held in jail on contempt charges from this judge, because he won't testify. So without that testimony, I think that perhaps his defense is not bad here.
BALDWIN: Not bad. All right, Sunny Hostin.
And welcome back, by the way. We've missed you.
HOSTIN: Oh, thank you.
BALDWIN: Good to have you back. Sunny, thank you.
And a woman in Libya, I'm sure you've heard about this. She storms into this hotel. It's full of journalists. This is in Tripoli. She is screaming, she is crying. Here she is. Desperate to tell her story and the whole thing caught on video. You will hear what she is accusing Moammar Gadhafi's men of doing to her in her own words. That's next.
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BALDWIN: What happens when rape becomes a weapon in a time of war? I want you to watch some video with me. It will take you back to Saturday, this was in Tripoli during breakfast time at a hotel where all these foreign journalists are staying in Libya.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no.
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BALDWIN: You see the woman there. She's being covered right now, sort of the right part of your screen. The woman says she was grabbed at a checkpoint. She says she was tied up, beaten, gang-raped for two days by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's thugs. Her face is bruised. She showed her ankles, her thigh bruised as well, and as reporters there try to intervene, the woman gets hauled off by men working for Libya's government.
The government now first calls her crazy, then they claim she's a prostitute, but I want you to watch.
This is when CNN's Nic Robertson questions the government's story.
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MOUSSA IBRAHIM, LIBYAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: Yes, Nic. NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The family of this raped law student, you have been on the rack yourself describing her --
IBRAHIM: Could we not -- Nic, could we not discuss her -- no, no. Listen, Nic -- Nic -- could we please, this is a very -- Nic, please. Could we just, to respect her, her daughter, her family, to respect -- this is a very conservative society. Could we not expose her in public, please?
If I said something, I said what I knew, OK? I don't want to repeat anything I said. I'm not withdrawing from what I said. I'm saying is I don't want to make it even more known, even more public. This is a criminal case.
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BALDWIN: So you heard Nic. It was Nic's voice there.
The woman's family says she's a law student. She's not crazy. She's not a prostitute, but right now the biggest concern is we don't know where she is. The Libyan government says she has been released. She is with family, but her family says that's not true. Her parents say she's being held hostage at Gadhafi's compound there in Tripoli, and because of a high interest in this story, she is trending in the newscast today.
Coming up here in mere minutes, "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer, and I know, Wolf, you will be looking ahead to the president's big speech tonight at 7:30.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Two-and-a-half hours, a little bit more than two and a half hours. From now we'll be assessing what the president needs to say to clarify the U.S. mission over Libya. We'll, of course, have all of our reporters on the scene in Libya, elsewhere in the Middle East.
We'll speak with our military analysts and get a full sense of what's going on. The stakes as we've been noting all day certainly are significant for the president right now. He's got some explaining to do.
What is the exact nature of the U.S. Mission? Is it simply to do what the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 laid out, namely to protect civilians and enforce a no-fly zone, or is the mission more significant, namely what the president of the United States has repeatedly said is the U.S. policy in Libya, namely the overthrow, the removal regime change of Moammar Gadhafi.
So all of these issues are up for grabs tonight. We'll see how the president handles it all. We'll, of course, have full coverage, before and after.
Brooke?
BALDWIN: Wolf Blitzer, we'll see you in five minutes on "THE SITUATION ROOM." Thank you, sir.
And I'm sure Wolf has heard about this story, perhaps she have as well. Let's get this straight.
Vice President Joe Biden's team puts a reporter in a closet at a fund- raising event. A guard even stands outside this closet door, apparently. Well, now that the vice president's team now apologizing, but what's the story behind this? Joe Johns is all over it -- next.
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BALDWIN: Now to an odd story making the rounds here. The story of a reporter who went to cover a fund-raiser attended by the vice president that ended up in a storage closet.
Joe Johns is here with the "Political Pop."
And Joe, what happened?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's hard to do this with a straight face.
BALDWIN: I know.
JOHNS: The guys name Scott Powers. He is a pool reporter. I talked to him on the phone. He seems pretty harmless. A pool reporter is somebody who goes to cover an even for a bunch of news organizations. This was a fund-raiser and typically at fund-raisers, politicians don't always want the media mingling with the crowd.
I mean, I've personally have covered presidential fund-raisers, where the pool reporters are kept in a holding area, living room, dining room, across the street so they can listen to the audio feed or whatever of the speech. Apparently, Scott Powers' holding room was a storage closet.
He actually took a picture of it. There you go.
BALDWIN: There he is.
JOHNS: The glamorous side of political reporting right there. They did give him a bottle of water, though.
BALDWIN: Bottle of water in a storage closet. I was handed his most recent article. He writes, "I was kidnapped. That was some news to me." (INAUDIBLE) calling it Closetgate.
So what did he say on the phone to you?
JOHNS: Well, you know, first of all, it wasn't really a guard outside the closet. It was more like a kid, like somebody just right out of college. He doesn't seem to be too upset about it. The Biden Press Office has apologized, and he pretty much chalks it up to inexperience, you know, advanced people right out of college. Again, they give him a bottle of water so all is fair.
BALDWIN: Well, from one vice president to one vice presidential hopeful. Geraldine Ferraro, she passed over the weekend.
JOHNS: That's right. And really just an icon, an amazing figure of history, the first woman vice presidential candidate on a major party ticket. The female trailblazer who came long before the likes of Sarah Palin or Hillary Clinton.
It's almost hard to imagine the kind of what some people would call double standard treatment she had to face.
Here's an example of it though, a question from a debate on "Meet The Press," all the way back in 1984.
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MARVIN KALB, HOST, MEET THE PRESS: Miss Ferraro, could you push the nuclear button?
GERALDINE FERRARO, FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can do whatever is necessary in order to protect the security of this country.
KALB: Including that?
FERRARO: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Interesting question. You can read the full memorial tribute to Geraldine Ferraro written by Suzanne Carol online at CNN.com.
BALDWIN: You have all these anecdotes of all these people you talked about, but Joe, you said Geraldine Ferraro was before your time? Is that right?
JOHNS: Yes, well, before I started covering politics. I was here in Washington, and I was still running around on the police beat on those days. But I remember her very well, and she was an amazing figure. A lot of people really looked up to her.
BALDWIN: Yes. Joe Johns, thank you so much and thanks for coming down to Atlanta and filling in for me last week. I appreciate it.
Sir, I missed you.
JOHNS: It was my pleasure. I had a great time. You have a great team there.
BALDWIN: I know, I do.
Thank you, Joe Johns.
And now to Wolf Blitzer, in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
Wolf, to you.
