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Former IMF Chief Pleads Not Guilty; Five U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq; Reducing U.S. Troops in Afghanistan; Santorum to Enter 2012 Race; Source: Prison Doomed Edwards Plea; Europe's E. Coli Mystery; New Drugs Boost Skin Cancer Survival; Yemen's President Vows to Return; Yemen Inches Closer to Civil War
Aired June 06, 2011 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVAGE, CNN ANCHOR: Banker accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid. Dominique Strauss-Kahn is the former chief of the International Monetary Fund.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Strauss-Kahn, you have a right to be present at all of these proceedings including the trial in this case, and you have an obligation to be present.
If, for some reason you fail to appear, when the case is on for trial and people are ready to proceed then in addition to any other consequences, such as having a bench warrant issued, facing possible bail jumping charge.
You would also be forfeiting your right to be present in your own trial and participate in your own defense. I take you under that, sir?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVAGE: After his arraignment, Strauss-Kahn returned to the luxury townhouse where he is currently under house arrest.
We're going to begin this hour in Baghdad where U.S. forces have suffered their single deadliest attacks since 2009. This morning a mortar strike on the U.S. base is part of a wave of deadly strikes across the country.
For the very latest, we turn to Michael Schmidt. He is a reporter for "The New York Times" and he joins us now from Baghdad. Michael, what more do we know about this?
MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT, REPORTE, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": We know that earlier today, there was a rocket attack on an American base in south eastern Baghdad.
It was three rockets that were fired from a Kia pick-up truck and we know so far that five Americans have died and several more have been wounded including what could be at least a dozen U.S. soldiers.
SAVAGE: And any idea, you know, who is behind this?
SCHMIDT: No. We don't know who is behind it and no one has claimed responsibility yet. But the Americans have said, over the past few months that they expect violence to increase against them, as they prepare to withdraw by the end of the year. So this sort of fits that pattern.
SAVAGE: And this comes at a time, I believe, when the Iraqi government is considering whether or not to allow Americans to stay longer with the military presence?
SCHMIDT: Correct. The Iraqi government is currently debating what they want the United States to do after the end of the year. And, on one side, you have the Shiites, who don't want the United States to stay, but there are many other Iraqis who do.
SAVAGE: All right. Michael Schmidt, thanks very much. T hat's the boots on the ground view as to what is happening.
Let's go now to the Pentagon and CNN's Chris Lawrence. Chris, what does it mean about the threat against the troops in Iraq? Because I think many Americans said sort of, I won't say have forgotten about those troops there, but certainly it's on the back burner of their minds.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: No, that's because violence has dropped to such a low compared to where we were say back in 2006, 2007. Of course, there are a lot more U.S. troops than 177,000 at one point.
Now we're down to about maybe 46,000, 47,000 troops remaining in Iraq. I think the thing that really hits hard about this, is the fact that it happened at 5:30 in the morning. It was on a base that the U.S. shares with Iraqis, as many of the bases are there in Iraq now.
Some of those U.S. troops, we're told, were sleeping at the time when these rockets hit. So -- that's just a very hard thing to digest. Big picture, when you look at it, it shows that violence is still possible in Iraq. This was just one of many attacks that was carried out around the country today.
It sort of reinforces outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates' view when he says he hopes that the Iraqis at the end of the year, before the end of the year, asked the U.S. to keep some troops in country and Defense Secretary Gates says, I would hope that my, you know, you successor and the administration, would say yes to that request.
SAVAGE: Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon. Thanks very much.
President Obama is meeting with his National Security team this hour, actually, talking about Pakistan and Afghanistan in the future of our troops there.
CNN's Dan Lothian is at the White House. Dan, Osama Bin Laden is gone now. So I suppose the question is, how has that death affected what these guys are going to the talk about today?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, right now, I think it's unclear as to whether or not that will indeed change the time line in terms of troop withdrawals, from Afghanistan, but one thing it has done is really sort of revved up the debate on that issue, along with the fact that there's this ongoing high cost of the war.
There are about 100,000 U.S. troops on the ground now in Afghanistan and that drawdown expected to begin next month. The White House, though, has not given any specifics as to how many troops will come out in that first wave, but we heard from Secretary Gates who was in Afghanistan over the weekend.
And he cautioned about quick withdrawal, saying that he could under mind some of the gains that have been made in Afghanistan. Senator John McCain, and again, I guess referring to some of the outside pressure that we've been seeing.
Senator John McCain, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee said that he hopes that President Obama will not withdraw more than 3,000 troops, in that first wave. One other thing I should point out, this is not just a meeting on Afghanistan, but also Pakistan.
And there are a lot of concerns about the U.S. involvement there in terms of providing financial assistance to a country that held Osama Bin Laden. So, those issues will be discussed at the meeting here that is ongoing here at the White House today and we should be getting a readout sometime later on. Martin --
SAVAGE: All right, Dan, we'll look forward to getting more updates, appreciate it.
All right, you can add another name for a list of Republicans planning a shot at the White House in 2012. It's not like it's been a big secret though.
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum made it official, on ABC's "Good Morning America" revealing what everyone has expected, he is in. He's got a long, long way to go.
Out latest CNN/Opinion Research poll shows him behind eight other announced then possible Republican contenders. Still Santorum says he's ready.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANTORUM (R), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: We're ready to announce that we're going to be in this race and we're in it to win and very excited about, you know, what the future holds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVAGE: Santorum plans to take part in the New Hampshire Republican presidential debate. That's Monday, June 13th. And you can watch the back and forth among the candidates only on CNN.
Well, we're learning why John Edwards didn't take a plea deal. In his criminal case, the former presidential candidate was indicted last week on charges that he broke campaign finance laws to hide an affair.
The source tells CNN that talks between Edwards' team and prosecutors broke down when prosecutors insisted Edwards serve six months in prison. Edwards being a single parent now wanted a deal that would let him be with his school-aged children.
Spanish cucumbers were blamed then they were cleared. Then scientists pointed the finger at German bean sprouts, but Europe's E. coli mystery is still continuing today.
We just heard that tests from a sprout farm suspected of being the source came back clean. Max Foster has been following the story and coverage. Max.
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's all about sprout, today, Martin. It's not the end of the story for that German farm as we understand it because it could have been the case that the bad batch had gone out in the system. It left the system and could be at the center of it.
They got another 20 tests to do on samples there. So wait to see what happens there. All of the debate is really about where the source is and there's a wider debate. Let's have a look at the "Herald" in Scotland. Health scares should give the west food for thought.
Of course, it's important to identify the course of this outbreak, but since E. coli can be avoided by very simple precautions by consumers themselves. Raising to introduce sterner regulation would be a clumsy and damaging response suggesting that consumers should take responsibility here not just the government.
The "Guardians" saying the reason why this deadly E. coli makes this apparent strain is resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics. Among all urgent issues raised by this outbreak, drug resistance should ring the loudest warning bells.
Certainly, there is a concern, Martin, this could happen again and the medicine isn't there to cover it. So that's the big concern for the "Guardian."
SAVAGE: All right, Max. Thanks very much. What are they, eclectic morning, I mean, E. coli. We appreciate all of it. Thank you.
An embattled president is wounded. His countrymen celebrate. Just ahead, we'll have the very latest from Yemen as the U.S. ally inches closer to civil war.
And two drugs might give people with the deadliest form of skin cancer, more time to live that, just ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVAGE: Here's a look at some news from across the country. Plaxico Burress, the NFL star who served nearly two years in prison on a weapons charge is now a free man. He left the New York prison this morning.
Burress got in trouble back in 2008 when he took a gun to a Manhattan night club and accidentally shot himself in the leg. He reportedly wants to play football again.
Tents are popping up in Madison, Wisconsin. Organizers trying to keep alive the spirit of the huge protest we saw during the winter. The tent city is called "Walkerville" for Governor Scott Walker. His collective bargaining law inspired those protests.
And rains in forecast in South Dakota, but that is about the last thing that area needs right now. The Missouri River is already bloated. More rain could send it out of its banks and into hundreds of homes.
Firefighters in Arizona battling one of the worst wildfires in that state's history. So far nearly 193,000 acres have burned and fire official say that it is completely uncontained. That fire is being fuelled by dry brush and strong winds. Now forecasters say those winds could pick up putting more of the state at risk.
Twenty two hundred people have been evacuated. Others could be told to leave their homes today. It is just one of several wildfires that is burning in Arizona right now. Reynolds Wolf has been following what is a very situation.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You see it's ridiculous out there. It's interesting, how we have two different issues around the country. One place we have a surplus of rainfall and the other place we have a deficit. They could use the rain in parts of Arizona, but that's not going to be in the forecast.
What is very interesting is in the four corners, again, not just the four corners, but also back into parts of Texas, in the Oklahoma even in the Kansas, we have the threat of fires. The perfect recipe for this would be weak winds and possibly some heavy rainfall. What's interesting in that scenario, we have this area of low pressure that brought some heavy rain to parts of central California just yesterday through the weekend.
Now that low is going to track a little bit more to the north, but right towards the bottom we have that frontal battery. That's going to really enhance the winds coming in out of the southwest, winds anywhere from 30 to 40, some gusts pops possibly in excess of 50 miles per hour. That's going to help fan the flames.
But that's only just one part of the story. The other part, you have to look at mountains through parts of northeast Arizona. As we zoom in with our Google earth, we're going to go through a couple of frames. You're going to get an idea what these firefighters are dealing with.
Not just with the blaze itself. Not just with the, of course, the high mountains, but also some of the ravines where you have that air that goes right on through, and it really accelerates through those mountain passes and helps fan those flames. They're really have a difficult time battling this.
Thankfully it is not just an issue for firefighters in parts of Arizona. They've got help from people to come together to battle this blaze. They are going to fight it on the ground. Of course, they've got some help from above. Spider Aircraft and also they've flame retardant that is drawn from a variety of aircraft. It is really going to be a team effort. No question, Martin. Back you to.
SAVAGE: We wish them well. All right, Reynolds. Thanks very much.
There has been a medical breakthrough with people with the deadliest form of skin cancer. Researchers have announced two new treatment options. That announcement comes during a weekend conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Taking the two drugs gives people a 63 percent reduced risk of death that compared with the chemo treatment. The group tells us how they work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. GEORGE SLEDGE, PRESIDENT, ASCO: These are two very different drugs. One drug boosts the immune system to help fight the cancer. The other drug is a drug that interferes with the critical growth pathway for the cancer.
Melanoma is a disease that starts in the skin, but spreads outside the skin to other organs and once it does so is uniformly fatal. These two new drugs are the first drugs in decades that have significantly altered the course of the disease.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVAGE: That is bound to give a lot of people hope. The head of the Melanoma Center at the University of Pennsylvania says that there were no other treatment options for melanoma patients until the announcement of these two new options.
Steve Jobs is leaving his medical leave. Again today, he is introducing the world to Apple's new technology. Just about three more hours until we know exactly what I-Cloud is. We'll have more on that story coming up a little later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVAGE: Yemen is on the edge of civil war. The president, Ali Abdullah Saleh is in Saudi Arabia recovering after an attack on his compound and the people of Yemen apparently couldn't be happier about it. Celebrating, setting off fireworks as a cease-fire there apparently is holding, but there is a lost anxiety in the United States where there are worries that al Qaeda will rise up to fill the power banking.
Mohammed Jamjoom is live in Abu Dhabi. And you know, when I first heard this newsm, Mohammed, about him leaving the country, I thought at last it might be a break in the cycle of violence. Now that may not be the case?
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Martin. In the past 24 hours, we heard that there was a cease- fire that had been negotiated between the tribesmen that have been battling it out for the last two weeks in the streets of the capital of Yemen with the security forces.
But this morning, there was disturbing news, a spokesman for the tribesmen saying that in fact three of their fighters have been killed by sniper fire. They've come under fire from Republican guard in that country.
Now the government denies this, but this just really points out how tentative any ceasefire is in Yemen and how much volatility there is in the streets. You know, one other worrying factor in the past couple of days, we've heard from officials there that have acknowledged to us that now al Qaeda is actually among the list of suspects in this attack that happened on the palace.
Initially the government there was blaming the tribesmen that they were fighting. Now they're considering maybe al Qaeda had something to do with it. So there is just so much strife and so much chaos that's going on and it really adds to an already volatile situation where at any moment people feel that, you know, it could descend into all-out chaos.
There really is still the concern over there that even Saleh has left that that country could really be on verge of all-out civil war. Martin.
SAVAGE: And of course that is a concern for the United States because of its ongoing counterterrorism operations there in conjunction with the Yemeni government. What does this mean to what the U.S. goal is in that country?
JAMJOOM: Martin, there's so much concern on the part of the U.S. as far as what's going to go on in Yemen in a post-Saleh world now. You know, we're hearing from Saudi officials today and Yemeni officials that Saleh will be coming back. In Yemen, the protesters and the tribesmen don't want him to come back.
But the concern is, what's going to happen? Because al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is the most active wing of al Qaeda and the dangerous wing deemed by the west of al Qaeda is based in Yemen. Even though they only have maybe 700 to 1,000 fighters by most analyst estimates, they are resurgent and emboldened group.
They've learned from the mistakes that other al Qaeda wings have made in the Middle East. They've been able to try to launch spectacular attacks against the west, against Saudi Arabia, against the U.S. in the past few years, very sophisticated attacks that took a lot of planning.
So everybody has wondered if Saleh who is considered to be a key ally to the U.S. in their fight on terror, if he's gone who will step up and fill those shoes and at this point, there's so much confusion. Nobody knows and it's really adding to the concern on the part of the U.S. as to what's going to happen in that country. Martin?
SAVAGE: Mohammed Jamjoom, thanks very much.
Spain's Rafael Nadal making a bid to become the king of play. The results of the French Open and other sports coming up in about 20 minutes.
Also coming up, it looks like a great party. The teenager's Facebook friends and friends of friends turn out for her sweet 16, 1,500 of them. She wanted maybe 15. Details ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVAGE: It is time for "Political Buzz," a rapid-fire look at the hottest political topics of the day. Each of our brilliant political observers gets 20 seconds to answer three probing questions.
Cornell Belcher is a CNN contributor, Cheri Jacobus is a Republican strategist who leans right and comedian, Pete Dominick is a satellite radio host.
OK, first question, Rick Santorum makes it official today. He is running for president. The GOP field is getting a little crowded. So what is Santorum's selling point, Cornell?
CORNELL BELCHER, DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER: I guess the selling point is, make me a nominee because I was rejected for re-election by voters in a very important key battleground state. You have to think with Huckabee out, he thinks he has an entry to the religious right who still make a large part of the Republican base. So he may have a shot at this thing.
SAVAGE: All right, Sherri?
CHERI JACOBUS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: All right. I'm sorry, I was not able to hear what Cornell said, but my feeling about Santorum is he could be the sleeper candidate.
In the one South Carolina straw poll, he's very well established with the base. He's got a lot of energy. He's young. He did well obviously in Pennsylvania where he was elected statewide where that's tough for a conservative Republican to do.
So he could surprise everybody. He'll do well in Iowa where he has got a good organization.
SAVAGE: Just beat the buzzer. Pete.
PETE DOMINICK, HOST, SIRIUSXM'S "STAND UP! WITH PETE DOMINICK": Rick Santorum, I think is going to do well because he's got Mitt Romney's face and Sarah Palin's world views so we'll see.
Unfortunately, I just found out this morning. Rick Santorum has a huge Google problem. Go ahead viewers, search Rick Santorum right now. Look at that top hit. That's going to hold him back. We'll see what happens. Hopefully, he can overcome that.
SAVAGE: I can hear all those fingers now on the keyboard already. Second question, Speaker Boehner and President Obama will be playing golf, June 18th. So is it real bipartisanship or just a photo op, Cheri?
JACOBUS: I think these are two guys that like to play golf and will use any excuse to do it. If they can say it's for bipartisanship and other people buy that, fine. If they can tell their staff that it's an important meeting, fine.
But I really think these are two guys that just really, really like to play golf and they're finding an excuse to do it. Sometimes it happens, more power to them.
SAVAGE: I'm wondering who is picking up the tab, Cornell?
BELCHER: I actually like to -- discuss to play golf. I 'm not mad at them. I think what the American people like to see this sort of thing because they like -- they realize they have to get along with people in their workplace. They realize why Washington, we don't get along at all. It's a good photo op, but it's also good politics.
SAVAGE: Pete.
DOMINICK: Well, both these guys love to smoke. Apparently, the president quit. John, the speaker of the House has not yet, but I can hear it now, the speaker of the House saying Mr. President, the American people want us to knock the ball in the woods to grab a cigarette.
The real photo op, Martin, I don't know how good the president is at golf. I like to hear him challenge the speaker at basketball. You know, he could Obamacare, repealing it. We'll see what happens with that one.
SAVAGE: Third question and time for the buzzer-beater. Ten seconds only. Come gather around, children, a story you'll hear, listen to Sarah Palin's take on Paul Revere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: He who warned the British that they weren't going to be taking away our arms, by ringing those bells and making sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVAGE: The Americans are coming, apparently is what Paul was saying, so make sense of it, for us, Cornell.
BELCHER: You know what is frightening is depending on which poll we look at. She is either number two or three for the nomination for the Republican Party. Please, Sarah, run please.
SAVAGE: All right, Cheri.
JACOBUS: She cannot get away with making these off-the-cuff gaffes. It might not be fair. But Sarah Palin of all people, no politician can really get away with it. She needs to be better prepared. This is an insult to the voters if she's speaking off the cuff and making these mistakes.
SAVAGE: Pete.
DOMINICK: I think Sarah Palin thinks when her daughter asks for a drink of water it's a gotcha question. I remember when Thomas Jefferson cut down his father's apple tree. It reminds, Martin, when he said I cannot make an apple pie, or was it -- I forget.
SAVAGE: All right, thanks to all three of you for making politics fun, which it is not always. So thanks very much.
Let's check top stories now. Tear gas fired at pro Palestinian protesters. This was Sunday on the border between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights.
Ten people were killed trying to cross that border. Their demonstration coming on the anniversary of the six-day war in 1967. The Israeli military today blamed the protesters for those deaths saying they threw fire bombs that set off land mines.
Casey Anthony returns to an Orlando-Florida courtroom last hour, today begins the third week of her trial on charges that she killed her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee in 2008. On Saturday, jurors heard detailed stories from her mom and her brother about her business trips to Tampa and visits to an old flame that later proved to be false.
Katie Couric said goodbye to CBS in April, word is, she could soon be saying hello to ABC. Several sources report the former CBS primetime news anchor will be doing a daytime talk show.
In New York, hotel workers protest outside the arraignment of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. A few weeks ago, he was one of the most important banker in the world. Now he's accused of preying on someone relatively powerless, a hotel maid who said he sexually assaulted her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AUDIENCE: (CHANTING) Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: CNN's Deborah Feyerick is there. And Deborah what happened inside of the courtroom last night?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it was very quick. The judge really wasted no time. As a matter of fact, the arraignment was over even before it had been scheduled to begin. It started at 9:23. It was over by 9:27. Dominique Strauss-Kahn denying the charges against him. His lawyer saying he's going to defend the allegations vigorously.
However, that drew some defiance from the housekeeper's lawyer, the one who is making the accusations against Strauss-Kahn.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN BRAFMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Once the evidence is reviewed, it will be clear that there was no element of forcible compulsion in this case whatsoever. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply not credible.
KENNETH THOMPSON, VICTIM'S ATTORNEY: The victim wants you to know, that all of Dominique Strauss-Kahn's power, money, and influence throughout the world will not keep the truth about what he did to her in that hotel room from coming out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: And that is the lawyer for the 32-year-old woman from Guinea, from West Africa. The lawyer said that she wants to testify. She wants her voice to be heard. And a hotel union said a number of workers, more than 50 down, shouting chants of "Shame on you, shame on you." As a matter of fact, when Strauss-Kahn left his vehicle, he looked almost startled by the reaction, by the boos and by the screaming against him. He walked arm-in-arm with his wife, the famous TV journalist, Ann Sinclair. She's the one bank rolling the $200,000- a-month cost for the private security. He had two private security guards with him.
He left court just a little while ago. We had expected him to return to the luxury townhouse which is not too far from here. However, we're told he has not yet arrived. That could indicate that he's either gone to meet with lawyers or perhaps some other doctor's appointment or other religious services. Those are the only reason he's allowed out aside from appearing at court.
And the judge said that he expected him to be at all court hearings, the next one being July 18th. At that time, the lawyers for Mr. Strauss-Kahn will have had a chance to review all discovery material. They want scientific and forensic reports. They want to hear the testimony of the housekeeper, what she says, how she said it. And the prosecutors will give them that information. Martin.
SAVIDGE: Deborah, thanks very much. Now let's check in with CNN's senior legal analyst, Jeffery Toobin. And Jeff, what do you make of this?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Martin, this is a routine early appearance in a criminal case. But I think it underlines something to keep in mind about this case, which is how much we don't know about the evidence.
This is the case, the physical evidence is going to be very important. Were there wounds, injuries on either party? Was there DNA under either person's fingernails? Are there photographs of injuries? Is there any DNA evidence? I mean, this is extremely important stuff in a sexual assault case, and that material is simply not public yet. So, anyone who thinks they can predict how this case is going to turn out is really not operating in reality, because the key -- a lot of the key evidence is simply not available yet.
SAVIDGE: So there is a lot that we still do not know. But I'm wondering, of the little we do, has anything surprised you?
TOOBIN: Well, not really. I mean, obviously, the testimony of the alleged victim is going to be crucial here. And there have been suggestions that the defense will arrange somehow that she will not want to testify. I mean, if she would not want to testify, that would present the prosecution with probably insurmountable difficulties if they still wanted to proceed with the case.
So, as we heard from her lawyer today, she's very anxious to testify, but the trial is likely months away. And that's a very important fact to keep an eye on, whether the alleged victim, the maid in the Sophie Tell (ph) hotel is still cooperating.
SAVIDGE: And we heard from the attorneys on both sides in this case today. I'm wondering who exactly were they speaking out to. Potential jurors, eventually?
TOOBIN: I think potential jurors. The -- in high profile cases, it is a common belief among lawyers on both sides that the jury pool starts to get ideas. You saw Benjamin Brafman, the lead lawyer for the defense, say -- in an unusually direct way, what the defense will be here. He didn't say there was no sexual contact between them. He did say there was no nonconsensual contact between them. So, apparently, they are at least starting to put forward a defense of consent on the part of the maid.
That, frankly, is probably likely to be a tough sell with the Manhattan jury. Why would a hotel maid who had never met Dominique Strauss-Kahn before be swept away by his charm, by his passion and decide to have a sexual encounter with him and then complain about it? I mean, that's a tough argument to make. But it may be that the forensic evidence, the physical evidence, doesn't give the defense any other choice.
SAVIDGE: Jeffery Toobin, thanks for the legal context.
Friends came, strangers came. And then the police came. The girl's Facebook mistake goes viral with 1,500 friends showing up for her sweet 16. The story coming up. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Post it, and they will come. A German girl will never forget her sweet 16 birthday party. And then she'll probably never, ever forget to check those Facebook settings.
Max Foster is here with poor Tessa's story. Good to see you again, Max.
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a disaster, Martin. Basically, she organized the event. It was meant to be a private party fort her 16th birthday. I'm not quite sure how this works, but she got a setting wrong. So, she made it a public event. Before she knew it, she had 15,000 (sic) acceptances.
In a bit of a panic, she went to her parents, and her parents say cancel this party, of course. But it was too late. Fifteen hundred people, as you reported, turned out at this party. Look at these scenes. This was outside of her house. The police managed to keep all of these party-goers away. But there were 100 police. Anyway, people were partying away in the streets --
SAVIDGE: It looks like it was a very peaceful event. I mean, it looks like, despite all of the people --
FOSTER: It was apparently -- yes, absolutely. But they needed 100 police, including some police forces to control it. They were singing a song they wrote for her. I love the lyrics to this. "Teresa, Teresa, we don't know each other, but it doesn't matter. We're celebrating you anyway."
SAVIDGE: What a lovely -- and the way you read it, especially Max. It was just delightful. So, thank you so much for joining us for that insight from Germany.
All right. Let's take a look at stories that were making news across the country.
A dream came true. This is a wonderfully inspiring story for a high school grad in Michigan. Angeline Levasseur was born with spina bifida and grew up in a wheelchair. But look at that! As you can see, she took her first steps yesterday. Walked across the stage and grabbed that diploma. Mm-mmm!
Okay. This next story, not quite that. But James Tate, the Connecticut teen whose larger-than-life prom invitation got him banned from his high school prom finally got into the big dance. School administrators had a change of heart, allowing Tate and his date to attend the dance. He was even voted prom king.
And then in New York, a gust of wind picked up three inflatable bouncy houses and threw them around with kids inside. It happened at a youth soccer tournament on Long Island. Thirteen people were hurt but fortunately none seriously.
If you are a die-hard Apple fan, just about two more hours of waiting and you and the rest of us will know exactly what iCloud is. We have some idea what this new technology is. It's supposed to be another game-changer. We'll have more on that story coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: If iTunes changes the way we listen to music, iCloud is supposed to change iTunes. Maybe. Icloud is part of Apple's new software introduction that is expected today. Until Steve Jobs tell us what it is, we can only speculate. But it is believed iCloud will take iTunes and all of the stuff you have stored on it and move it off your computer and on to a cloud or the Internet. You can then sync your Apple gadgets like your iPhone through iCloud.
CNN's Dan Simon is in San Francisco for Apple's announcement. And I'm wondering, Dan, are people more interested in the technology or Steve Jobs making an appearance to talk about it?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think it's both, Martin. You have the Worldwide Developers Conference here in San Francisco. You really got thousands of people from all over the world. People started lining up yesterday afternoon to see Steve Jobs. You can see behind me people behind me getting ready to go inside here at the Moscone Convention Center in downtown San Francisco.
In terms of iCloud, Apple is normally so secretive about their launches, but in this case, they took the unusual step of pre- announcing what Steve Jobs is going to be talking about. Today it is expected he will unveil iCloud. And as you put it, Marty, this is a way that, we believe, that you'll be able to access the iTunes content on any device, no matter where you are, through the Internet. Through the cloud. So, we believe that's what he's going to be talking about today.
He's also expected to announce new software that powers both Macs and iPhones and iPod Touches and iPads. Also a lot of interest with this crowd well.
Of course, we'll pay very close attention to how Steve Jobs looks. We last saw him back in March. He's been on an indefinite medical leave. But we last saw him in March when he unveiled the latest iPad. He looked very thin at that time, very frail. So, a lot of attention, of course, how Steve Jobs will perform on the stage this morning. Martin?
SAVIDGE: Cloud computing is not exactly brand-new. And so, I'm wondering how is Apple's version going to be different from what competitors have been doing?
SIMON: You know, it's interesting. Apple got into cloud computing back in 2007. It released a product called Mobile Me. It's considered a rare flop for Apple. Didn't work particularly well, but it enabled the wireless syncing of context, e-mail, calendars, things of that nature.
Apple's competitors, Google and Amazon released a cloud streaming music service within the last few weeks. Theirs is a bit different in the sense that if you want to be able to stream your music on the device, you have to physically upload that media to Amazon servers, to Google services, and get it that way. It's believed, at least what analysts saying that with iCloud, that will just happen by itself. In other words, the cloud will sense all of the content that is on your computer, it will mirror what is on your computer in the cloud and you'll be able to stream it that way. So, that's where it will differ, Martin.
SAVIDGE: Dan Simon as we wait to hear the announcement. Thanks very much.
Spain's Rafael Nadal making a run at becoming the King of Clay. Nadal beat Roger Feder to win his sixth French Open title. That ties him with Bjorn Borg -- there's a name from the past -- for the most French Open titles ever. And he's only 25. So, we could certainly see him in center court for some time to come.
And then in Dallas, it was hot, and the Heat was on top. 88-86. Game three of the NBA championship. Dwyane Wade was all over the court scoring 29 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. But it was Chris Bosh's last shot that clinched it. That coming despite Bosh getting poked in the eye in the first quarter. Miami takes a two-game-to-one lead.
Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off next month on the final mission of the space shuttle program. Next, we'll talk to Sandra Magnus, one of the astronauts onboard that flight. She'll reflect on the mission and on the legacy of the 30-year-old space shuttle program.
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SAVIDGE: Next month's space shuttle Atlantis will lift off on the last mission of that 30-year-old space shuttle program. Liftoff set for July 8th. It will be a proud but it will also be a bittersweet moment for the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis.
One of the astronauts on board will be mission specialist Sandra Magnus. Earlier, we talked to her about the mission.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Thank you very much for joining us this morning. You'll have a remarkable seat on history as part of this last shuttle mission. Have you thought about that lot?
SANDRA MAGNUS, NASA ASTRONAUT: It's been hitting us a little bit as we have gone through the preparation. But I think the reality will sink in while we're in orbit and we're finishing each of these major tasks we have to do. And definitely when we land, we'll be sitting on the flight deck looking at each other, going, oh, wow, this is it. But right now we're very focused on learning what we need to learn to carry out the mission.
SAVIDGE: What do you think the legacy will be for the entire space shuttle? MAGNUS: You know, the space shuttle is an incredible vehicle. As you know, our goals now as and organization are to move out of lower earth orbit. The shuttle is very much a lower earth orbit type of vehicle, and I don't think we'll see anything like it for a very long time.
If you look at how versatile it has been over the last three decades and the types of things we asked it to do, you know - deploy and retrieve satellites. Repair satellites. Strict science missions. And most importantly, build and construct the space decision. It really has carried out a lot of different roles. And it's paved the way, I think, for where we go in the future, and that will be one of the largest legacies.
SAVIDGE: And one of the things it has paved the way for is women in space. And I'm wondering there too if you can think about the legacy.
MAGNUS: Actually, the shuttle provided not just an opportunity for women to fly in space but scientists and engineers and international astronauts as well. If you look at how the shuttle program has evolved over the years, we really broadened the type of people that we need, the skill sets we need. And because the shuttle flies so many people at one time, we've been able to bring international partners in. And some of those relationships actually paved the way for what we're doing now on the international space station.
So, the shuttle provided an opportunity for a wider range of people to be able to fly in space. And I think that's probably, when you talk about legacy, that's one of the legacies we can look at.
SAVIDGE: And what's next for you, and what is next for Atlantis?
MAGNUS: Well, for myself, post-mission, I'm not really sure. I've had one long-duration mission, perhaps I will have another. It's something that I'm worried about after the mission, actually, since we're so focused on getting our jobs done here.
And of course, Atlantis will be remaining in Florida at the space center down there. That's where it was assigned to go in its retirement. And we're very excited to be able to take Atlantis back to Florida after the mission, and we're looking forward to that.
SAVIDGE: Mission specialist Sandy Magnus. Good luck to you and the shuttle Atlantis and crew. Thanks very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: All right. Taking a quick look at the headlines making news later today.
Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum will officially announce he is running for the GOP presidential nomination.
An our later, and with no relation, Air France will inaugurate its daily Airbus 380 service between Washington Dulles and Paris' Charles De Gaulle airports. The Airbus 380, if you don't know, is the world's largest passenger jet with seating for 516 passengers.
Then at 1:00 -
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SAVIDGE: -- excuse me. One p.m. Eastern, Apple CEO Steve Jobs will take the stage in San Francisco to unveil the company's newest product. It is called iCloud. And while we don't know what it is for sure, it is being described as a radically new service that has the potential to make Apple's iTunes even more powerful.
Coming up all next - new, next in the hour of CNN NEWSROM with Suzanne Malveaux, a major wildfire. It is forcing more than 2,000 people out of their homes in Arizona. Hear from a firefighter on the front lines about the strategy they are using to try and get the 190,000 acre blaze under of control.
Plus, testimony resumed today in the murder trial of Casey Anthony. Evidence last week showed that she lied to police. A defense attorney talks about how he would defend the mother accused of killing her toddler. That and more, new, in the next hour of NEWSROOM with Suzanne Malveaux.
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SAVIDGE: A little housekeeping here in the studio, which is why the cameras are moving about. In just a couple minutes, though, Rick Santorum is making what just about everybody knows, and that's the announcement he's entering the race for the White House.
Jim Acosta joins us again from Washington. And Jim, how is the former Republican senator from Pennsylvania looking early?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he doesn't show very well in the recent polling on this race for the Republican nomination, Martin. He's polling somewhere around two percent in the latest CNN poll of the Republican field among Republican voters who they would like to see run for president against Barack Obama. So, he's got a lot of catching up to do. His announcement coming up just a in a few minutes.
You know, he is really banking on Iowa. A lot of social conservatives out there. And that is how he's making his appeal to those evangelical conservative voters. And he has a chance, according to some conservatives I talked out there in Iowa a couple weeks ago. They're taking a hard look at Rick Santorum.
But there's a certain former Alaska governor also appealing to those voters. We're keeping a close eye on her today because if you talk to Sarah Palin supporters, there's a certain movie coming out this summer. Not "Super 8," although that looks pretty coo. Not "The Hangover Part 2." It's something called "The Undefeated" that Sarah Palin watchers are going to be looking of later this summer.
It is a movie about the former Alaska governor, and we've got a sneak preview. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first 90 days of Governor Palin's administration were insane. We worked like dogs. Seven days a week, 15-hour days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unlike many states, the governor in the state of Alaska is a CEO for the state. When the constitution was written, the founders decided we need a CEO. One person that would be responsible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Now, you'll notice there at the top the screen that that clip is courtesy of the Victory Film Group. You can read into that as you wish. But the filmmaker behind this movie, a guy named Steve Bannan, he is a conservative filmmaker. He held a screening over the weekend and talked to various reporters about his.
And he told them this is not an objective, PBS-style documentary on the former Alaska governor. It's based on her book "Going Rogue" and it is about her time as governor of Alaska. He's hoping to show viewers out there, show Republicans a different side of Sarah Palin, Martin.
SAVIDGE: And just quick, Sarah Palin and Paul Revere. How is that going?
ACOSTA: Ah, yes. Now, this is another clip that her supporters are probably going to wince at this morning. Last week, Sarah Palin was touring Boston and was asked about how her trip was going. And she chimed in that one of the things that she liked about her trip was learning about Paul Revere.
And here's a clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN (R), FMR. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He who warned the British that they weren't going to be taking away our arms by ringing those bells and making sure, as he's riding his horse through town, to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be secure and we were going to be free.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALIN: You know what? I didn't mess up about Paul Revere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: And there she was on "Fox News Sunday" yesterday, telling Chris Wallace there that, in her mind, she did not get that wrong. Of course, a lot of people are saying, no, the basic thrust, the historic significance of Paul Revere's midnight rise was to warn the Americans that the British were coming. And now her supporters out there are warning Sarah Palin that the media is coming, reporters are coming because of the controversy over that clip -- Marty.
SAVIDGE: Yes. It's a very interesting story.
Jim, thank you very much for your indulgence.
ACOSTA: You bet.
Suzanne Malveaux takes over for me now. I am done.
Thanks very much -- Suzanne.
