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Five U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq; Casey Anthony Trial Continues; Congressman Anthony Weiner to Hold Press Conference; Trial of Dominic Strauss-Kahn to Commence; New Documentary Released Paints Sarah Palin in Positive Light; Former Senator Rick Santorum Announces Candidacy for GOP Presidential Nomination

Aired June 06, 2011 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And hello to all of you all.

Want to begin this hour with some news we have just learned here at CNN. We are learning that New York Congressman Anthony Weiner will be addressing members of the media at the top of the next hour. Subject, we don't know. We don't know what he will be talking about, but we will bring it to you when we see him, 4:00 Eastern hour.

Meantime, it is the deadliest single day for U.S. forces fighting in Iraq in two years, five American troops killed today in Baghdad in an explosion reportedly while they slept. No more details are available from military leaders in Iraq, but I just want you to remember we are just six-and-a-half months from the date when almost all U.S. service members will be out of Iraq.

We want to touch on that here in just a second. But that deadly attack was one of several explosions today across Iraq. Here in Tikrit, a suicide bomber drove into an Iraqi army and police checkpoint -- 11 people were killed there. Keep in mind, this is the same day Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in country. He is traveling. This is his farewell tour face-to-face here with U.S. troops deployed in Afghanistan.

And I want to go straight to the CNN's Pentagon correspondent, Chris Lawrence with more on that.

And, Chris, before you I talk about what Secretary Gates actually told U.S. troops today in Afghanistan, and he -- he got a little teary-eyed -- I do want to talk about withdrawal from there. Specifically this upcoming Wednesday, we have now learned today that President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai will be speaking.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: That's right. They're going to talk by videoconference.

And I'm sure obviously that the pace of the withdrawal and some of the pressure that the U.S. has been wanting to put on the Afghan government are going to be on the table. Look, there are two voices out there. One says that this needs to be slow and steady, that all of these gains that the U.S. has made or supposed made are very fragile and they can be reversed at any time. There is another set of voices out there that is saying the strategy really has not worked, that Afghanistan is not on the way to being a stable country that can exist on its own and there is no reason to expend tens of thousands of troops to go after the Taliban, when really a small could just target al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.

BALDWIN: And we know today that Secretary Gates was there. He was addressing questions on precisely that, on troop drawdown, also some policy questions, but, as I mentioned -- I have seen the sound -- he got -- it got personal for him. Let's watch Secretary Gates in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Probably more than anybody, except the president himself, I'm responsible for you being here. I'm the guy that signed the deployment orders that sent you here.

That has weighed on me every day that I've had this job for four-and- a-half years. And so I've taken it as my personal responsibility to make sure that you had what you need to accomplish your mission, to come home safe and, if you get hurt, to be medevaced as quickly as possible and get the best possible care.

I think about all of you every moment of every day. I feel your hardship, your sacrifice and your burden more than you can possibly imagine -- and that of your families as well. I think you're the best America has to offer.

My admiration and affection for you is without limit. And each and every one of you will be in my prayers every day for the rest of my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Chris, we know this is the 12th and final trip there to Afghanistan as defense secretary, and really not surprise that these men and women overseas are in his thoughts every single day.

LAWRENCE: No, Brooke, he is one of the longest-serving defense secretaries in American history. So he has a long stretch of time with this war and also now the realization that although he is leaving, he's already, you know, sort of contributed to getting these troops over there.

But now he is not going to be one of those voices in the room when it comes to developing strategy and trying to weighing in on things that the president has to decide. And, so, there had to be a little bit of that feeling as well, knowing the troops are going to be there, but he is no longer going to be in a position to sort of influence what happens to them.

BALDWIN: Finally, Chris, I know we will see you a little later this hour. Talk to me about this piece, what is happening as you have -- you have spoken to some of these troops. They are coming home. And some of them are hooked on pills.

LAWRENCE: Well, we have been talking about Iraq, Afghanistan now for the better part of nine, 10 years, so what has happened is these troops who have gone through so many deployments, the toll mentally and physically has just been incredible. And a lot of them are turning to prescription drugs.

The catch here is that it's been the military and the VA that has been prescribing them. And some of these concoctions just are not working at well.

BALDWIN: Look forward to that. We will see you a little later on this hour. Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon -- thank you, Chris.

LAWRENCE: Yes.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, prosecutors try to use a sample of air, air here, in alleging Casey Anthony killed her 2-year-old daughter, air from her car trunk.

We are going to tell you how it is being used in this trial under way right now there in Orlando. We are live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Before we talk about Casey Anthony and the trial under way there in Orlando, I do have a little bit more information on that speaking engagement.

New York Congressman Anthony Weiner to be speaking from a Sheraton Hotel. Do we know the city, guys? In New York, speaking at the top of the hour, so 4:00 Eastern. And of course we will bring that to you.

And, again, we don't know what he will be speaking about. As soon as we have an idea, we will let you know.

Back to Orlando, inside the Casey Anthony murder trial, testimony turns from emotion to science, prosecutors at the halfway point now in this case against the Florida mother who is accused of killing 2-year- old daughter Caylee.

Who can forget this moment? It was last week, Casey Anthony's mother breaking down on the witness stand as prosecutors played frantic a 911 phone call.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is something wrong. I found my daughter's car today. And it smells like there has been a dead body in the damn car.

911 OPERATOR: OK. What is the 3-year-old daughter's name?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Caylee, C-A-Y-L-E-E, Anthony.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Jean Casarez is an attorney and a correspondent for "In Session" on truTV. She's joining me live from the trial in Orlando.

Jean, what is today's testimony all about? Is it about the smell, the smell of death, as we have heard described, in Casey Anthony's car?

JEAN CASAREZ, TRUTV: That is a very big part of it.

It is fascinating to listen to this and to listen to the cross- examination, but Dr. Arpad Vass is on the stand. He is the foremost expert in this country for decomposing bodies. He has studied them for 20 years.

And, Brooke, this has never come into the courtroom before, but he testified today that he got a tin can filled with air from Casey Anthony's trunk. They sent it to him in Tennessee from right here in Orlando. He said he opened up that can. He said he jumped back one to two feet, that it was so strong, the smell, the odor.

And when asked, is the odor of decomposition, he said it was. And, Brooke, furthermore, then he did chemical analysis. And he said the chemicals were that of a decomposing body in that trunk. But for the first time, we also heard chloroform coming into this trial, because he said when he measured the chemicals that there was a huge peak as compared to the other chemicals for chloroform, above and beyond what a decomposing body would put out.

BALDWIN: It is amazing hearing now, with these samples, they can take a sample of air, as you mentioned, put it in a can. And I know, Jean, one of the issues is, will the judge decide if prosecutors will actually be allowed to give the jury a whiff of that can, a whiff of the air sample collected?

Do we know when the judge will either say yes or no?

CASAREZ: We don't know. But prosecutors have mentioned this. They even mentioned it during jury selection. They have got some tin cans left. The judge seemed to be skeptical, because what you are doing is, you're taking a jury and you are making them witnesses, in a sense.

So, we will see what the judge does, but if he allows it, that is the first time that has ever been allowed in a courtroom, too.

BALDWIN: That is amazing.

Jean Casarez for us covering the case in the Anthony murder trial there in Orlando -- Jean, thank you.

CASAREZ: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Coming up, we were all over this when it first happened last week. You remember Sarah Palin's comment about Paul Revere? It made us do a little bit of a double-take here at CNN. And now she is defending what she said. We are going to hear from her. the is next. Also ,again, we are just getting word that Congressman Anthony Weiner now plans to address the media 4:00 Eastern time this afternoon.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Again, just to remind you, as I am sitting here watching the clock right along with you, we are about 45 minutes away from hearing from New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. He will be addressing members of the media top of the hour, 4:00 Eastern, from the Sheraton Hotel out of Manhattan. Again, we will bring you the latest developments and what it is he has to say. Thus far, we don't know yet specifically what it is he will be addressing.

I do want to revisit a piece of history, last Thursday to be exact. We were tracking the Sarah Palin bus tour as it took the former Alaskan governor to Boston. Let me pick up there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Word got out today at Boston that she was walking the sites along Freedom Trail.

And so there she is. She's signing hats. She's signing some T- shirts. And I want you to take a listen to something. She's doing a little riff on the midnight ride of that original, the original Tea Party patriot, Paul Revere. Listen.

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 that we were going to be secure and we were going to be free and we were going to be armed.

BALDWIN: History lesson from Sarah Palin on the midnight ride of Paul Revere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So, again, that was last Thursday. And as it turned out, we were not the only ones to notice Sarah Palin's take on that storied piece of American history.

This story has since taken off. And some other media even offered history lessons on Paul Revere's ride.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As schoolkids across the nation learn, Paul Revere warned the colonists that the British were coming and is remembered not for bells, but lanterns, one if by land, two if by sea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So, Palin's version of Paul Revere's bells vs. lanterns may have raised a few eyebrows, but in an exclusive interview on FOX News Channel, where, by the way, she is a paid contributor, Palin held her ground. Here is what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, FOX NEWS CHANNEL)

PALIN: You know what? I didn't mess up about Paul Revere. Here is what Paul Revere did. He warned the Americans that the British were coming, the British were coming, and they were going to try take our arms.

And it wasn't just one ride -- he was a courier, he was a messenger. Part of his ride was to warn the British that we're already there, that, hey, you're not going to succeed. You're not going to take American arms.

I answered candidly. And I know my American history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The Palins are off of the road now making a pit stop at their new vacation home in Arizona.

And later this hour, we will tell you about the new Palin biopic out this week debuting in Arizona's neighboring state of Nevada, plus Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

And, again,one last time, just because we can, for good measure, Palin maintains she is not running for president.

It is back to square one here after tests show another vegetable is not the source of that deadly E. coli outbreak. So now what?

And wife by his side, the former head of the IMF pleads not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting a hotel maid. Well, many of the hotels in New York still planning on giving their housekeeping staff panic buttons. Have you heard about this? Coming up, I'm going to ask the head of the Hotel and Lodging Association if he thinks that's a good idea and if it will actually work.

And, again, we are just getting word that New York Congressman Anthony Weiner plans to address the media from Manhattan 4:00 Eastern today.

A lot of news happening on a Monday -- be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Again, just a reminder, 40 minutes away here from this press briefing that will be given by New York Congressman Anthony Weiner.

There he is speaking with our own Wolf Blitzer. I believe that was just from last week. The congressman will be speaking top of the hour. We will bring that to you. And, again, we don't yet know specifically what he will be addressing.

Here are some other top stories we're keeping a close eye on here at CNN. In Germany, scientists investigating that deadly E. coli outbreak are now saying the source is probably not bean sprouts. That is a reversal from what we heard yesterday, when agriculture officials said sprouts from a farm in central Germany probably did make people sick. At least 21 people in Germany and one in Sweden have died after being infected with this toxic strain of E. coli which can cause kidney failure. Four people in the U.S. have gotten sick. Three of them are still in the hospital.

And a big deal for patients with the deadliest form of skin cancer -- for the first time, there are two new treatment options that prolong survival. Research on the two new drugs was presented at a national cancer conference just over this past weekend. The drugs both cause these tumors to shrink and prolong survival for patients with melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body. Doctors are calling the results of clinical trial involving the drugs striking and remarkable.

Eman al-Obeidy, who fled Libya after saying she was gang-raped by Moammar Gadhafi's forces, has arrived now at a refugee facility in Romania. She fled Libya after making the claims in March and was waiting to be settled as a refugee in Qatar when she was deported last week and sent back to Libya.

A high-level State Department source tells CNN the U.S. very worked closely with officials in Europe and Libya to get al-Obeidy safely out of country and that they will provide her with whatever help and whatever support she needs.

And after three straight days of violence in northeastern Syria, today is the deadliest. Opposition protesters clashed again with government troops in the Syria's northeast. The government-run television station says 120 security forces were killed, ambushed by what they call armed gangs who also reportedly set government buildings on fire.

We are working to get confirmation on those figures and more details. So stay tuned for that.

To Arizona now, where crews are fighting the third largest wildfire in that state's history. Look at these images with me. The massive fire near the Arizona-New Mexico border has already destroyed just about 200,000 acres, pushed along by strong winds, dry temperatures.

But here's -- here's the tough number here. Right now, the fire is zero percent contained, zero, the winds picking up even more. More than 2,000 people have had to leave their homes. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer calling this fire horrific -- we do know there are also a couple of other fires burning in the southeast part of the state.

But, Chad Myers, I want to bring you in, because as I was reading about this fire today, so, it is the northern half of the state, right, where they have this -- the red flag warning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

BALDWIN: Which means what, that the winds are picking up, that it is great -- it's great conditions for a wildfire?

MYERS: Well, certainly no burning, no outdoor burning, no campfires, that kind of thing. Those are things kind of fall under red flag warning. Simply don't do it.

BALDWIN: Yes.

MYERS: But the other thing is, the winds are blowing about 25 to 30 today. So, this containment that they are trying to make, they had some relief from the wind in the overnight hours trying to make some backfires...

BALDWIN: Yes.

MYERS: ... which means you actually -- you take a dozer. You make a road and then you try to burn the fire away from that road, so that when the real fire gets up to that road, you have a buffer where it can't burn anything else, because it has already burned in overnight hours. That's -- you do that when the wind is one, two, five miles per hour.

You certainly don't try that when the winds are 25 or 30. You just make more fire. And that's what happens. When the wind gets over 20, sparks and embers go downwind and they can start new fires ahead of where the firefighters already are.

So it is very dangerous. It's a difficult situation when the fires are in a big tough terrain area like here and if the wind is blowing like that.

BALDWIN: Chad, I want you to join me in this conversation.

I want to bring in Brad Pitassi. He is a fire information officer out there in Arizona, in Springerville, Arizona, to be precise.

Brad, you with me?

BRAD PITASSI, FIRE INFORMATION OFFICER, SPRINGERVILLE, ARIZONA: I am. Thanks for having me.

BALDWIN: Hey, we're just -- we are talking about this fire. And one of the issues I have read is the fact that this burn path is very unpredictable, and so that is even making a more difficult situation for some of the guys and gals out there fighting this thing.

PITASSI: It is. It is unpredictable.

This is a very complex fire and we have a lot of different factors that are playing into play on how massive this fire is getting. We have the terrain, the weather that Mother Nature is serving us, and also some of the rugged areas that the firefighters are trying to work in.

And it is right now, wind is giving us our biggest headache. And there were some forecasts earlier that there is a potential for some dry lightning strikes out here. And that would be just another element of fire we would have to handle.

MYERS: This area has gone through -- Brad, this is Chad -- a very difficult drought situation and points to the east of there as well where the fire could be burning into. What are -- what is the outlook here?

PITASSI: Well, the outlook, this is going to be a long-haul fire. We are going to be in for a long duration. We're going to be very excited when the monsoon rains come and help put this fire out.

But until then, we have many plans in place. We have known for a while that, in Arizona and throughout the Southwest, we had all the markings and makings of a very dramatic wildfire season. And, unfortunately, sometimes, we don't like our predictions to be correct, but they have been.

But with those predictions also have come the tactics and strategies we have needed to ramp up. And we are not taken off guard by these -- these weather conditions or the situation on this fire. We are just trying to -- to keep up with Mother Nature.

BALDWIN: Brad, I feel like it is not often I sit up here and when we talk about wildfires and I sit here and say a fire is zero percent contained. But that number just really jumps out at me.

What is the biggest challenge, other than some of the conditions you were just describing, to try to get this thing, to begin to get this thing contained?

PITASSI: It is the weather. And right now, we are having a lot of spot fires.

And as it was described so well before, when we have fire that is crowning or working the tops of the trees, one small ember can be thrown three miles and start a big run of fire. That happened a couple days ago. We had embers thrown three miles. And it lit up 60,000 acres.

So, that's not just in one area of the fire. Every area that is -- this fire is burning in has that growth potential. So we have evacuated some communities. I can't emphasize enough how great the community support has been in cooperation. These folks are a very tight-knit community and it's a very devastating for them.

BALDWIN: Been reading some of what they have been saying. It feels like I'm suffocating. That's what some of the area folks say. A lot of them have been evacuated. Also thinking of the firefighters as well.

Brad Pitassi, thank you so much for jumping on the line. Appreciate it.

Chad, thanks to you as well.

(CROSSTALK)

MYERS: Just hope they get the assets they need to get this under control.

BALDWIN: Absolutely.

And I'm sure folks from different parts of the country, if they need to jump in, they will, as always.

Chad, thanks.

Did you see this? Take a look. I know it is kind of hard to hear. We listened to it. And some of folks there are chanting "Shame on you" as the former head of the IMF walks into court this morning. We're going to tell you what happened once he got inside and hear what the maid accusing him of sexual assault is now saying. That is next.

Plus, it is confirmed. We now know what TV's Katie Couric plans to do next and where. We will tell you coming up.

And, again, we are waiting to hear from New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. He plans to address members of the media at 4:00 Eastern. We don't know yet what he will be talking about, but our own Kate Bolduan is on Capitol Hill. She's gathering some information now. She is going to join me here in just a moment.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right, just into us here at CNN, we have been reporting that Congressman Anthony Weiner is going to speak in New York City at the top of the hour. We do not know the subject matter but we are aware of a new photo being made public this afternoon. Take a look. Here it is. We believe it does show a shirtless Anthony Weiner, and according to the conservative blog, biggovernment.com it came from a woman who was exchanges messages with the congressman online.

The site says it was sent 20th of May via e-mail. That e-mail does not show any evidence of Photo-Shopping, and it is difficult to be absolutely certain however that image is congressman Weiner since the face is partially cropped. We have reached out to the congressman's office for comment, but no word yet.

We will go the Kate Bolduan on Capitol Hill who is also reaching out to folks from congressman Weiner's office, and we will take her live momentarily.

If there was ever any doubt that the media circus would get out of control with the Dominic Strauss-Kahn sex case, look at this with me, look at this video, dozens of maids outside of the courthouse. And look at what happens when the French presidential hopeful arrived.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have anything to say to the hotel worker?

CROWD: Shame on you. Shame on you. Shame on you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Now you can hear it clearly the chant "shame on you" to IMF Dominic Strauss-Kahn who pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a hotel maid. His lawyer says that what happened was consensual. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN BRAFMAN, STRAUSS-KAHN ATTORNEY: Once the evidence is made clear, there is no element of compulsion here. And any suggestion to the contrary is simply not credible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: On the other side, the maid has a lawyer as well, and he says she will testify.

KEN THOMPSON, ALLEGED VICTIM'S ATTORNEY: The victim wants you to know that all of Dominic 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)

BALDWIN: So, in the wake of the Strauss-Kahn case and another case reported to the media, some hotels in New York are equipping maids with panic buttons. I want to bring in Joe McInerney. He's president and CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Joe, how often do hotel guests sexually assault or maybe even attempt to sexually assault hotel maids?

JOE MCINERNEY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMERICAN HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION: Well, Brooke, thank you for having me on. I have been in the hotel industry for 50 years, and 35 of them managing hotels and president of three hotel companies, and I can count on one hand the amount of sexual assaults of not only maids, employees in hotels. This is a very rare instance, and unfortunately, we have had two cases within, you know, three weeks.

BALDWIN: And I do want to ask you about the panic buttons in a minute, but in reading different articles about this, the official word from the hotels is that they absolutely don't condone this inappropriate behavior. But when you read about the housekeepers they will say that the mantra is that the customer is always right, especially if the customer is a rich, powerful man paying thousands of dollars for a hotel suite every night.

MCINERNEY: Well, that is not really true, because the safety and the security of our employees and our guests is a primary responsibility of the hotels. It is the number one priority for us. That doesn't matter if they are rich or they are poor, whoever they are.

If one of our associates is attacked either verbally or physically, management is going to react to that in a positive way. You know, the customer may always be right, but in a case like this, you need to investigate it and make sure that the employees are taken care of. We can't have the employees worried if we are there to protect them.

BALDWIN: OK, Joe, explain the panic buttons to me. How would they work?

MCINERNEY: Well, the panic button and we have heard that the Pierre and the Sophia hotel will be putting them in and also the Savoy suites and the Carlisle suites hotels will put in panic buttons with a locator area so they know when the maid hits the button where she is located.

One of the problems in New York City with a lot of the older hotels is that the walls are so thick, and very hard to hear some of these. Now if you are into be 27th floor of one of the major hotels, and you have, you know, security trying to get there even if you do hear it, it is really a problem.

The important thing is that the union unions are working with the hotel association of New York City to see what are some additional policies they should be implementing. You know, since this --

BALDWIN: Forgive me for interrupting, but the onus, when you talk about the panic buttons, whether it is male or female, the hotel maid to push this button to trigger authorities or perhaps whoever is on duty at that moment. But I imagine that some of the housekeepers and the maids would say, look, the onus should fall on hotel management that there should be some culture change if this kind of thing happens not regularly, but just that it happens at all.

MCINERNEY: Well, it shouldn't happen at all. But we have four million people every night staying in hotel rooms in the United States. So, that's an issue. But the important part here is that the hotel companies have been reviewing all of the policies and the procedures to make sure that we are doing the right thing for our maids.

They are reinforcing them with the staff at all levels of what should be done if something does happen and how to contact the authorities immediately. And because one of the important things is that these are our employees, they are part of our family, and they are there with us 24/7.

BALDWIN: Yep, yep. Joe McInerney there for me from New York. It is something that a lot of people are surprised about and some folks aren't at all. Joe, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

And we have been talking about how we will be hearing from the New York Congressman Anthony Weiner here in about 25 minutes speaking from a hotel in New York. I want to go to Capitol Hill to the congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan who is I'm sure trying to get in touch with folks from the congressman's office. Any luck?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So far today, no luck at all, Brooke. I have reached out personally and multiple times and many of my colleagues have, too, and more than one of the district offices in C.C. and New York and we have gotten no response at all on the latest photos released on the website, released on the biggovernment.com website by conservative blogger and activist Andrew Breitbart.

BALDWIN: We are the picture from biggovernment.com, and here it is again. Again, we cannot confirm the authenticity of the photograph, but nonetheless, this is the picture. Kate, please continue. BOLDUAN: And of course, Brooke. To reiterate, we are not 100 percent sure and we can't identify the photo that you have, but we don't know if it is Anthony Weiner.

We do know we will have this press conference and Anthony Weiner will be holding a press conference and we don't know the topic of the media availability, but we know that the media availability was announced about an hour before it is actually supposed to happen. So it falls under the definition of hastily called press conference coming only hours after all of these new photographs have been posted on this website.

So we will have to find out exactly what the congressman has to say, if he will be making an announcement or trying to explain himself. But you know that the congressman's efforts, Brooke, up to this point to explain himself have kind of come across as more evasive than actually any of us getting answers.

And this is relating to the other photo that we have been talking about for a couple of weeks now, and the photo sent to a college student via his twitter account in Washington state. He came out and sat down with network anchors and our Wolf Blitzer, and while we as a network and other networks have asked clearly for specific answers, is this photo of you? And did you send this photo, he has been more evasive than clear, and it has created more questions than answers, because that line that we all remember now, "I cannot say with certitude if this is my photo or not." And now we have more photos to ask about.

BALDWIN: And a man who is hip with twitter, and has not tweeted since last Thursday. This fantastic exchange went on for six or seven minutes with our colleague Dana Bash trying to get some answers from the congressman on Capitol Hill last week. But it has been interesting to watch as he has spoken quite a bit about it last week and essentially become radio silent.

BOLDUAN: And it is interesting. For the viewers who don't know of Anthony Weiner very well, what is such a head scratcher about this whole situation is that he is known to be one of the more media savvy members of congress. He is very as you said hip on the twitter and hip on the social media and he is fiery and never shies away from a fight on the house floor.

But he is also very media savvy, and during this whole controversy he came out, and said, look, I know you are doing your job but -- dot, dot, dot. So that is the head scratcher, if he is so media savvy, why hasn't he come out to give some clear answers which is what is befuddling a lot of people.

BALDWIN: It has befuddled many, many members of the media and a perhaps folks in his district and elsewhere. Kate Bolduan, thank you so much. And continue to dig. And hop back in front of the camera if you get anything else, and reminding all of you that we are expecting to see congressman Weiner at the top of the hour to address the media as Kate so aptly put hastily put together and not a lot of warning for this thing that happens at 4:00 eastern, and of course, we are working to bring it to you live when the congressman does in fact speak.

Also coming up, it looks like the rumors were true. So where is Katie Couric off to now? We have details of her new show next. And as the CBS replacement gets ready for the detail show tonight, Howard Kurtz will join me to talk all about this. And we will ask him what he really thinks of the future of the evening news. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Again, we are about 15 minutes away from hearing from New York Congressman Anthony Weiner speaking from a Manhattan hotel. The subject TBD because we don't know what he will be addressing, but he will be addressing members of the media. And we will take it live at 4:00 p.m. eastern time.

And here is something that people are talking about and trending around our office in particular -- two words, Katie Couric. Where, oh, where, will she end up? Well, long-running rumors ABC, and she will have her own show, but that is not all. There is a new time slot, and the replacement, and the Oprah factor.

Howard Kurtz, we were talking about this not too long ago and you said this is the worst kept secret in TV news, so alas, we know this she is going to ABC and what do you know about the deal?

HOARD KURTZ, CNN'S "RELIABLE SOURCES": I talked to Katie Couric a while ago and she said that ABC felt like the right fit for her. And more interesting, what is a syndicated show going to look like? Katy in 3:00 in the afternoon is different than Katie at 3:30 in the afternoon. And she said it is a newsy show, and she said serious stories and light and fun stories.

And the other twist is Katie being reunited by ABC with her old producer Jeff Zucker who was the chief executive at NBC until a few months ago.

BALDWIN: So when she is going to be popping up on air? Not this September but next?

KURTZ: Right, the syndicated show won't launch until 2012. But ABC spending a lot of money to get her does not want to hide her in the summer. So beginning this summer she will play a role at ABC news and do what we are told, anchor some specials and contribute big interviews and be a part of breaking or special event coverage. So it is in ABC's interest and of course Katie Couric's as well as a lifelong journalist to play a role in the news division while she and Zucker develop this show that will not air until next year.

BALDWIN: OK, so we know that, obviously, she has left the post at CBS, and we have talked about Scott Pelley, the "60 Minutes" man, veteran newsman begins at the 6:00 slot. What should viewers expect from him?

KURTZ: He's a no-nonsense in the trenches newsman who does not want to publicize himself. You could not have a greater contrast of the launch of Katie Couric, because her face was on the buses in New York city and the hype and the hoopla of the $15 million anchor, and Pelley who does not want his name in the program, but wants to be seen as a reporter at the desk tossing to other reporters. So they are taking a different approach to the CBS news and the anti-Katie of Scott Pelley succeeding Katie Couric.

BALDWIN: The "anti-Katie." And you also have another shuffle Meredith Vieira saying good-bye and there are so many change, and Americans are smart and engaged and lot of them on news getting it online, and do television personalities matter? This is where you say, Brooke, yes, they do.

KURTZ: Yes, but they are not the cog in the great media machine the work for which, by which i mean the reason that Katie Couric can go into syndication is because she has a brand built up and shored up at NBC and CBS and then. So in other words that in the future we will see the well-known personalities in a multi-channel universe marketing themselves online, on twitter, on the air. They are going to be the stars, and not so much just the face of fill in the blank news division, and maybe that applies to CNN as well.

BALDWIN: It is a time of changing.

KURTZ: And you're a fan of twitter.

BALDWIN: I am. Howard Kurtz, thank you so much. See you Sunday morning on "Reliable Sources," right here on CNN.

And at the top the hour we should be seeing Anthony Weiner in New York speaking to this quickly put together media even. These are live pictures inside the Sheraton Hotel in New York. We do not know what he will be specifically addressing, but we will take it live right here at the top of the hour.

Also, a new movie paints Sarah Palin as the heroic governor from America's northwest frontier. We're going to look behind it and who the target audience is coming up.

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BALDWIN: I just want to show you one more time live picture, obviously we have crews inside a Manhattan Sheraton where within a minutes Anthony Weiner will be making comments. We'll bring it to you live. The flashes are going off and media is getting prepared. What he will be talking about, we don't know.

Paul Steinhauser is joining me now with the latest news off the Political Ticker. Paul, we have another candidate jumping in the GOP race for the White House this morning.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR: We sure do. That's fine. I like that. So let's talk about this -- we've got seven candidates, Rick Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania. He announced earlier today from his home state. Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RICK SANTORUM, (R) FORMER PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR: I'm ready to do what has to be done for the next generation with the courage to fight for freedom, with the courage to fight for America. That's why I'm announcing today that I'm running for president of the United States. Join the fight. Join the fight.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: Santorum is low in most national polls. But this is interesting. He's very conservative on family values, gay rights, abortion, and that is helping him with a lot of conservative activists. They are very crucial in choosing the Republican nominee. Brooke?

BALDWIN: Santorum is in it to win it, as we heard him say today. Also, another item, there is a pro Sarah Palin movie coming out soon. What do we know about it?

STEINHAUSER: It's called "The Undefeated." Yes, it is. And it's about Sarah Palin made by a conservative film maker. Palin kind of launched it in a way to change her perception among most Americans. Take a look at a clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The days of Governor Palin administration were insane. We worked like dogs, seven days a week, 15-hour days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unlike many states the governor of Alaska is the CEO of the state. When the constitution was written, the founders decided that we need a CEO, one person that would be responsible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All decisions must go through this CEO.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If things were to go wrong in the state, they wanted the ability to know where does that blame lay. Of all of the 50 governors in the United States, she was sitting at the desk of one of the most powerful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: Now, remember, Palin when she was Alaska governor stepped down halfway through her term in office. She hopes this film maybe sets the record straight. It's a very positive film that doesn't look at many of her controversies. Where will it premier - Iowa, the state that kicks off the race for the White House. Brooke?

BALDWIN: Yet still she says she's not in it so far. So I'm wondering, who is in it? We saw just last week Mitt Romney, coming under attack from a fellow Republican.

STEINHAUSER: Yes, Herman Cain. In an interview Cain was pretty critical of Romney, about Romney's money. Romney is the most well financed. So far in the race, he says we've got to beat Romney's money. He will be on Wolf Blitzer tomorrow. Mitt Romney, you don't even have to wait until tomorrow. He's on Piers Morgan. Brooke, back to you.

BALDWIN: Paul, thank you so much.

A quick reminder, before we go to break, let's show these live pictures inside of the Sheraton Hotel where we will be seeing New York Congressman Anthony Weiner speaking within a matter of minutes. We'll bring that to you live. This comes just one week after the congressman is answering some questions. He was doing a lot of talking after that lewd picture came from his twitter account. What will he be talking about here at the top of the hour? We don't yet know. We will soon find out. Stay here. A lot of news. We'll be right back.

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