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Casey Anthony Murder Trial: Week 5; Talking With the Taliban; Food Allergies on the Rise for Children; Major Win for Retail Giant Wal-Mart

Aired June 20, 2011 - 11:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, want to get you up to speed. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. It is Monday, June 20th.

A major win for retail giant Wal-Mart at the Supreme Court today. The justices ruled a massive gender discrimination lawsuit had too many plaintiffs and too many sets of facts to be lumped together as a class action. If the court had ruled the other way, the case would have become the largest class action in U.S. history, with perhaps more than one million plaintiffs.

Arizona fire crews are hoping today's weather forecast pans out. Winds are supposed to die down while humidity levels creep up. The U.S. Forest Service calls the massive fire near Sierra Vista, Arizona, the nation's number one priority. It's burned five dozen homes and other buildings in the border community.

In Orlando, Casey Anthony's defense team could wrap up its case this week in her capital murder trial. A forensics expert has testified that Duct tape found on her daughter Caylee's remains had been placed there long after her death. Prosecutors claim Casey Anthony suffocated the 2-year-old by sealing her nose and mouth with Duct tape.

Well, the New York State Senate could vote today to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill easily passed the state assembly last week, but supporters are one vote short in the Senate. Today's the last day the legislature meets this year, but the governor has the power to extend the session.

Georgia's tough new immigration law is on the line in federal court today. Civil rights groups are asking a judge to put on hold on the law while their case works its way through the courts. The measure lets police check the immigration status of suspects who can't show a valid I.D.

Outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates confirms to CNN that the U.S. is reaching out now to the Taliban. Gates describes talks as preliminary and predicts it will be some time before any negotiated settlement is possible. President Obama begins a troop drawdown in Afghanistan in July.

Promises and threats from Syria's president today. Bashar al-Assad addressed the nation for the third time since a popular uprising began. He raised the possibility of amending the constitution and even a national dialogue, but he pledged to track down what he called the armed gangs that whipped up street violence.

Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. Today's question: What, if anything, can be gained from the United States holding talks with the Taliban?

Our Carol Costello, she joins us from New York with more.

And Carol, it's a very controversial proposal, but it looks like it's happening.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It does look like it. You heard from Secretary Gates there, it is happening.

Osama bin Laden's pal, Mullah Omar, is still free somewhere. But we do know, because the Taliban told us, that he's alive and well and leading Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, just like all those years ago when he was sheltering Osama bin Laden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The people who think they can provide them safe havens will be held accountable. The people who feed them will be held accountable. And the Taliban must take my statements seriously.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But that was then. Oh, the United States still wants to arrest or kill Mullah Omar, but U.S. diplomats say he's different from other Taliban. See, there are really bad Taliban like Mullah Omar, and some Taliban that are less bad, who the United states believes would be willing to renounce al Qaeda and help bring peace to Afghanistan.

So, what's wrong with that?

The United States has negotiated with some vile people in the past, like insurgents in Iraq, the very people who killed our soldiers. The problem with the Taliban is it's still the Taliban when it comes to things like religious extremism. Not even a moderate Taliban thinks girls ought to read or write or marry who they wish.

So, the "Talk Back" question today: What, if anything, can be gained from holding talks with the Taliban?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.

MALVEAUX: And the great question, Carol, I remember covering Bush, asking the former secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, whether or not they were talking to the Taliban. They were very skittish about that, because obviously there are points where they feel like, yes, perhaps we can talk with the Taliban. Other times, they're like, this is a losing proposition. Very interesting that we're back where we were just some years ago.

COSTELLO: Well, Secretary Gates said that maybe now is the time not for hard negotiations, but if our military, with the help of the Afghan military, I would guess, weakens the Taliban enough, then the Taliban would be willing to negotiate, and willing to maybe help bring peace to Afghanistan and stop blowing up roads and stuff like that, or setting fires to schools that educate girls. We'll see.

MALVEAUX: All right. Carol, thanks. Good to see you.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories ahead.

First, more courtroom drama this morning in the Casey Anthony murder trial.

Then, confirmation from the defense secretary right here on CNN. The U.S. is talking with the Taliban.

And children's food allergies are now on the rise. What foods to look out for, and a new theory of what could be to blame.

Plus, no Republican-bashing at this GOP conference, but Mr. Obama didn't get the memo.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's terrible to be looked down on and considered a second-class citizen. That's really what it is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What he said.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: This story, hope after 61 years for a gay couple waiting to marry in New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Word just in the Casey Anthony trial is in recess until tomorrow. This is week five of the murder trial that got under way today in Orlando, and the defense is trying to discredit a key piece of prosecution evidence, Duct tape found on the remains of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony. Well, the toddler's mother Casey is charged with the murder. Prosecutors say she used Duct tape to suffocate the little girl.

Our CNN's David Mattingly joins us from Orlando.

David, bring us up to speak on what happened in the courtroom today.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, we got absolutely nowhere today. No one was called to the stand. There was no testimony.

In fact, a fight that started on Friday in the court -- actually, on Saturday in the courtroom -- carried over today. The prosecution, continuing to complain that the defense is putting witnesses on the stand that they're not prepared for.

There's an agreement early on in this case that both sides are supposed to let the other side know what their witness is going to say so they can be prepared. Well, today is the second day that the prosecution is saying, we haven't had enough time to look at what these witnesses are going to say to prepare a proper rebuttal and to prepare any sort of cross-examination.

Well, the judge apparently agreed with that somewhat today. For the second time, an expert witness for the defense was not allowed to take the stand today so the prosecution would have more time. Also, the judge came back after a lengthy recess this morning saying, look, that's it, we're not going to go forward any more today. We're going to come back at 9:00 tomorrow morning.

He didn't exactly say why. But earlier today, he did admonish both sides for the way things are going.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, ORANGE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT: Enough is enough. And both sides need to be forewarned that exclusion, even at the price of having to do it all over again, which I don't think I will have to do it all over again because of repeated violations, exclusion may be the proper remedy if it continues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: So, you heard the judge there warning both sides that if you put a witness on the stand that the other side is not prepared for, then I'm going to ask that witness to step down, even if it means a mistrial, which he said he doesn't think that that would happen. So, he's clearly laying down the law here, but the fact is, here we are on Monday, the defense essentially dead in the water, waiting to be able to put new expert witnesses on the stand. We're waiting until 9:00 tomorrow morning now for this trial to continue -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Wow, David. I can't imagine starting from the very beginning, this trial. There have been so many twists and turns.

But, tell our viewers, first of all, just what the significance is of the Duct tape here. Defense witnesses have focused on Duct tape evidence that was presented by the prosecution. What is the importance of this back-and-forth over this witness taking the stand and testifying over Duct tape?

MATTINGLY: There is no clear evidence in how Caylee Anthony died. So, it's a circumstantial case. And the prosecution has come forward with the scenario that Caylee Anthony was murdered by her mother when she placed Duct tape over her mouse and nose, causing her to suffocate. So that would make it a murder weapon for the prosecution.

The defense is claiming -- and they are bringing experts onto the stand who are testifying, in fact -- that this Duct tape was not something that you could read anything into. And there's one expert on Saturday who actually testified that this Duct tape, he believes, was placed on the baby's skull after some period of decomposition. He speculates that it was there to hold the jaw bone in place by someone who was attempting to move the body.

So, the defense trying to build their own case here before the jury to try and make it plausible that this is not a case of murder, but, in fact, a tragic drowning, that this child drowned in the family pool, and then a panic, the family tried to cover it up. But the prosecution each time trying to stay front and center with the idea that this child was murdered.

MALVEAUX: OK. Now I get it. I get it now.

And any word whether or not Casey Anthony is going to take the stand? Do we have any idea if that's going to happen this week?

MATTINGLY: None whatsoever. Not a hint at all that the defense will try to put her on the stand at this time.

They are clearly trying to chip away at this circumstantial case by bringing their own experts on to refute portions of the case of the prosecution that they see as weak. And that's what we saw on Saturday. That's what we expected to see today, but we're not seeing any testimony at all. That's going to have to wait until tomorrow.

MALVEAUX: All right. David, thank you so much.

We're going to break down the latest testimony in the Casey Anthony trial in the next hour. We have criminal defense attorney Holly Hughes, who is going to be joining us with her insight on this case. That's coming up at 12:30 Eastern on CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, talking now with the enemy. Defense Secretary Robert Gates tells CNN that the U.S. is reaching out to the Taliban. We're going to bring you a live report from the Pentagon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Our big story of the day, the United States government in talks now with the Taliban. Confirmation coming from Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

And our CNN Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, she's joining us live to talk about this.

And Barbara, we heard Secretary Gates say that these talks have now been ongoing for weeks. What do we know about the talks, and what about the timing of this? Why now?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, these talks are very preliminary. He says it's preliminary contacts. And, in fact, they still need to make sure that the people they're talking to really do represent the Taliban. Very early days in all of this. Gates is pretty cautious, even in his last days in office -- he's scheduled to step down by the end of the month -- about whether it can all work. And I want you to listen to a little bit of how he laid it all out for CNN's Candy Crowley on "STATE OF THE UNION."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Real reconciliation talks are not likely to be able to make any substantive headway until at least this winter. I think that the Taliban have to feel themselves under military pressure and begin to believe that they can't win before they're willing to have a serious conversation.

We've all said all along that a political outcome is the way most of these wars end. The question is when and if they're ready to talk seriously about meeting the red lines that President Karzai and that the coalition have laid down, including totally disavowing al Qaeda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, this couldn't be more important, of course, for the U.S. troops still fighting on the front lines, about 100,000 of them. They are waiting in the coming days to see what President Obama announces in this much-anticipated decision about when troops can come home, how many troops can come home.

That decision could come, that announcement could come at any time. Competing pressures, getting the Taliban to fall in line. But on the other hand, many will say Osama bin Laden is dead. If he's dead and gone, why are 100,000 troops still fighting there?

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: So, Barbara, help us understand this, because the same day that Gates confirmed talks with the Taliban, you had a suicide bomber who was targeting a NATO convoy in northern Afghanistan. There were people who were killed. I mean, can we really trust the Taliban?

STARR: Well, I think this is the essential dilemma. The Taliban are a very diverse group, to say the least. They have many factions, different leaders, different loyalties. But they're only one insurgent group in Afghanistan, of course, aren't they?

You know, there's the Haqqani network, there's a good deal of other insurgent activity. Many divided loyalties.

So, who is the U.S. really talking to? Who do they represent? And if you reach some accommodation with one faction of the Taliban, what about everybody else out there that continues fighting?

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Do we have any idea what their incentive is, the Taliban, for talking now? If the U.S. is going to leave, troops are going to leave fairly soon, are they simply buying time? Is there anybody who suspects that? STARR: Well, you know, I think -- yes, I think a lot of people suspect that, to be very clear. The Taliban, you know, their operational memory, if you will, their thought process is a lot longer than the U.S.'s. A lot of people think they're just going to sit it out and wait.

What Gates is talking about is, you have to take away their ability to come back. You have to make the Afghan government and the Afghan security forces so strong, that when the Taliban decide they're ready to reemerge at some point, there's nowhere for them to grab hold and take power. But it may be very problematic for the Karzai government to ever be that strong in the near future -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Barbara Starr, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Well, now it is time for to you "Choose the News." Here are your choices.

First, Japan's green tea crisis. Could radiation from the crippled nuclear power plant end up in your cup?

Second choice, tough times for small businesses. They're supposed to be the engine of economic renewal, but the recession is hitting the little guys especially hard.

And third, drop dead diva. She wanted to go to the prom with her girlfriend. Her high school said no. Now the controversy has landed this young woman a role on a television show based on her own life story.

You can vote for your favorite story by texting 22360. Text 1 for "Japan's Green Tea Problem"; 2 for "Hard Times for Small Businesses"; or 3 for "Drop Dead Diva."

The winning story will air in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Now for stories our affiliates are watching across the country.

First and foremost, the wildfires in the South and Southwest. The worse by far are in Arizona. More than 760,000 acres are burning there, but firefighters are getting a bit of a break right now. The winds seem to be dying down and the humidity is picking up.

Conditions are still critical in New Mexico and Texas. Now, over the weekend, a fire chased about 200 families from their homes in Midway, Texas. Now, that fire is now just 15 percent contained. Three others are burning just outside Houston.

And check this out. This is hail so heavy, it looks like snow.

This was in central Colorado over the weekend. And we're looking to see if we've got anything like that. Our own Bonnie Schneider, keeping an eye on all these things.

Unbelievable when you take a look at the weather across the country. What's going on?

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's a lot of extreme weather, Suzanne, you're absolutely right, from fires to flood watches, and even snow that looks like hail in some areas.

All right. We're going to start off with some severe weather.

We had reports of a tornado in Nebraska, and we have some incredible video to show you of what it looked like there. Really incredible pictures of a tornado. It actually started out, of course, as a funnel cloud, and then touched down in an open field. And just some real rough weather in Nebraska.

I'd like to say that the threat is over for severe weather in Nebraska, but it's not. We still have some strong thunderstorms rolling through the plains states and in the Midwest.

Chicago getting hit hard with some thunderstorms. There was severe weather popping up across much of Iowa throughout the afternoon. And now we're seeing a lot of that slide to the east.

Some of the watches have expired, but still heavy downpours and frequent lightning strikes. We're actually in Lightness Awareness Week according to NOAA, so this is a good time of year to just be safe. If you see flashes of lightning, you hear thunder, get inside immediately. It could be a very severe storm.

So, heavy rain sweeping across much of the nation's midsection, and we're of course monitoring what's happening with the fire threat. Very dangerous, critical conditions once again due to gusty winds and hot temperature for today across Texas, across New Mexico. But changes are ahead, I'm happy to say.

There's a cold front that's coming in. It's a fairly weak one, but it will make a difference and improve things slightly for Tuesday. So I don't think we'll see the critical conditions on Tuesday.

But for today, the winds will be very gusty, mostly out of the Southwest, and then they'll change direction as that front drops down. We'll see the temperature, the really hot weather, just kind of cling to more central and southern Texas. And then temperature just cool down a little bit, the winds lessen, and we'll start to get slightly cooler air.

I say slightly because it's still going to be very warm across the area with temperatures in the 80s, 90s. And, of course, the heat indices all climbing well into the triple digits across much of the South. The mid-South particularly dangerous and oppressive like in Vicksburg, Mississippi/ It will feel like it's 105 to 108 degrees today.

For those of you that are traveling, of course we do have some airport delays to tell you about that are happening right now. I mentioned the severe weather in the Midwest. It's impacting Chicago. Some severe weather popping up there.

Also, Cincinnati, New York, LaGuardia, some departure delays after a nice weekend. Chicago, again, ground dray delays at O'Hare. So both airports impacted by some storms today.

And don't forget, of course, I didn't mention, we still have the winter weather advisories for the mountains of Colorado. Snow is expected. It is June, but we're still looking at wintry weather there.

MALVEAUX: Amazing. Bonnie, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Well, children's food allergies are much higher and possibly more dangerous than we even previously thought. We're going to discuss that with our senior medical correspondent, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: A study published in "Pediatrics" suggests more children suffer food allergies than previously believed. And as parents know, sometimes these reactions can be pretty severe.

Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us.

And Elizabeth, I love the display here. I mean, I always love these displays. We learn so much.

How widespread is this problem?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, previously studies -- a lot of studies pointed to maybe two to five percent of kids had food allergies. And this study, which was a really big, well done study, eight percent. So, a tad higher than what we thought.

And what's interesting is that a third of these kids with allergies had allergies to multiple foods.

MALVEAUX: Really?

COHEN: It wasn't just one food, it was multiple food. And about 40 percent of them had severe reactions. You know, they didn't get just a little itchy, they had problems breathing. Things like that.

MALVEAUX: So what kind of foods actually trigger these allergic reactions?

COHEN: You know, it's only sort of a relatively short list of food trigger reactions in most of these kids. And here three biggies.

So we have peanuts, which were responsible for about 25 percent of the allergies. So peanuts as we all know are big. And 21 percent of the kids with allergies were allergic to milk. And about 17 percent were allergic to shellfish. So, peanuts, milk, shellfish, those were the three biggies.

MALVEAUX: And why do we suppose it's increasing, it's on the rise now? Why is that happening?

COHEN: Lots of theories out there. And one of them is the parents are too clean.

MALVEAUX: You're kidding, really?

COHEN: Really. It's really true. You probably know parents who are always worried that little Jimmy or little Susie is going to get dirty, and if something falls on the floor, they wash it right away whereas in the old days, you know, if something fell on the floor, you might give it to your kid --

MALVEAUX: Ten second rule.

COHEN: Ten second rule. Exactly. Or for some people the 10 minute rule or 10 hour rule. And so when kids -- the theory is, is that when kids don't get all those germs because their parents are so fastidious, their immune systems aren't able to sort of give a good defense. You know, their bodies don't learn how to deal with germs. That's one theory.

MALVEAUX: What with should parents do?

COHEN: Parents need to be on the lookout for these things. And a lot of parents ask, well, how would I know if my kid has a food allergy, because sometimes a kid will eat something and will feel a little sick.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

COHEN: Or will eat something and the next day will be itchy. And so one thing that's important to remember that if your child has a food allergy, you're going to know it probably within minutes, maybe an hour, but usually within minutes. So, it happens quickly.

Once you think there's an allergy, get to a doctor. And if your child really does have an allergy, you're going to have to become a really good label reader, you know, looking for those things. Things like peanuts and milk are in so many different things. It's tough.

MALVEAUX: Right. Right. A lot of things, yes.

COHEN: Yes.

MALVEAUX: Elizabeth, thank you so much.

COHEN: OK, thanks.

MALVEAUX: Appreciate it, as always.

Well, an Obama impersonator's act is cut short. Find out why he thinks he got escorted off the stage at a Republican conference. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Seeing President Obama on stage at a Republican leadership conference would have been strange enough, right? But what happened with an Obama impersonator, equally bizarre. The comedian Reggie Brown was escorted off stage. Brown's act was cut short when he started making jokes about Republicans, after first taking on the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REGGIE BROWN, OBAMA IMPERSONATOR: We're more than halfway through June already. Now, my favorite month is February -- Black history month. You see, Michelle, she celebrates the full month, and, you know, I celebrate half.

My father was a black man from Kenya. And my mother was a white woman from Kansas. So, yes, my mother loved a black man and, no, she was not a Kardashian.

You got your front-runner, Mitt Romney. Now, don't get me wrong. He might make a great president, along with his first lady, second lady, third lady.

It's unfortunate that Tim Pawlenty couldn't make it here. But cut him some slack. He's having his foot surgically removed from his mouth. Oh, no, don't worry. Luckily for him, it's covered under Obamneycare.

Now what can I say about Michele Bachmann she hasn't already said about herself?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: In an interview today with CNN's Kyra Phillips, Brown was asked if he was yanked because his act was running long, or because of the content.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Well, I was at the Republican Leadership Conference and I was just entering my set where I started to, you know, have some fun with the Republican candidates. So, I do believe that I was over my time by a few minutes. And I also believe that the material was starting to get to a point to where maybe they started to, you know, feel uncomfortable with where it was going. But, you know, I was just doing my thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Well, you don't see many Obama impersonators in this country. I was equally surprised to find one in Indonesia last year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ILHAM ANAS, OBAMA IMPERSONATOR: Hi. Yes, we can. inspect .

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Soon he got offers to travel to other countries to play the U.S. president.

Like this, I walk into the crowd and then people say, hey, is that the real Obama? People call that I'm Mr. President you are good people.

MALVEAUX (on camera): You get this all the time?

ANAS: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Well, President Obama has been known to poke fun at himself, but what does he think about these look-alikes?

Brianna Keilar, part of the Best Political Team on Television live from the White House.

Brianna, do we have any reaction from the administration on this, this guy getting pulled from the stage?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Nope, no reaction from the administration, Suzanne. But it's an interesting story that's certainly been dominating our coverage this morning.

At the Republican leadership conference you have this impersonator, Reggie Brown, who's a somewhat convincing impersonator. I thought he definitely had the voice down. But he was telling jokes at the president's expense, of course.

At one point he did tell a joke, putting up a picture from the 1970's "Sanford and Son Show," saying this is what the President and Michelle Obama will look like after they leave office. He moved on after that to talk about Republican hopefuls and making jokes at a expense of a number of Republicans, as well as Speaker John Boehner and it was at that point that organizers, I guess, felt that he was getting inappropriate and sort of ended his performance.

MALVEAUX: There are not a lot of Obama impersonators, I notice, but every once you'll get one of those guys coming up and making some jokes.

I understand, Brianna, there's some news about the president tweeting. Is that right?

KEILAR: Yes, that's right. So, as you know, Suzanne, the president has had a Twitter handle for some time. I think since 2007. It's @BarackObama on Twitter. You can follow his tweets. But the thing is, it's been his staff that's been maintaining his tweets.

Well, the announcement coming this weekend that his re-election staff will now be managing his Twitter account and also his Facebook account and we're, for the first time, going to be seeing the president himself, we're told, tweeting.

So how do you know if it's the president versus his staff? If it is the president, it's going to be signed with his initials. Obviously, they're trying to generate ahead of the 2012 election a lot of traffic and some re-tweets by doing this. Because, you know, people are going to pay more attention if the president, himself, is tweeting versus one of his staff members, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Absolutely. We're looking forward to seeing that.

All right. Brianna, thank you so much.

For the latest political news, you know where to go, CNNpolitics.com.

But don't forget to vote for your Choose the News story you'd like to see. You can vote for your favorite by texting 22360.

Text 1 for Japan's green tea crisis. A look at how Japan's nuclear disaster is affecting the country's crops.

Text 2 for small businesses hit hard. Hard times rippling through smaller companies.

And text 3 for drop dead divas. When the high school said she couldn't go to prom with her girlfriend, she fought back. Well now she's got a role in a television based on her own life.

The winning story is going to air in the next hour.

Well, in this tight job market, prospective employers aren't just glancing at your resume. They're taking a long, hard look at your skills, your experience, your work history, and one thing that jumps out, gaps in employment.

Alison Kosik is here for more of the tips for jobs seekers.

Those who want jobs, Alison, what should they do?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, and you said it. You know, Suzanne, with so many people out there who are out of work, you know, there's more competition. In fact, the Labor Department says about six million Americans, they've been unemployed for six months or longer. That's more than 45 percent of all unemployed Americans.

Now, employers know it's not easy to land a job right now, but the fact is, you've got to be prepared to talk about any large gaps you have on your resume. A layoff, of course, is understandable in this economy, but if you quit a job, that may show a lack of commitment or it could indicate you act compulsively. If you've had any good reason for leaving, if you went back to school, or if you've had a personal hardship, the advice is explain it. Remember to be brief, keep the language professional and, of course, stay on topic, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Alison, hopefully somebody -- a potential employer would want to know about your work experience, not what you've done during the times that you weren't working.

But if they do ask, how do you actually use that to your advantage?

KOSIK: Well, we talked with career coach Ellen Gordon Reeves and she says the biggest mistake that people make, Suzanne, when they're looking for a job is thinking that it's all about them, that it's about finding their dream job. Well, the fact is, it's not. It's about being a good fit for a prospective employer.

So, when you're asked about gaps in your career, talk about what you've learned from them. If you've taken a part-time job to pay the bills, how has that helped you learn to juggle responsibilities? If you enrolled in a computer course, explain how those new skills would help on the job. And if you're volunteering even for just a few months -- a few days a month, go ahead and talk about how that sort of leadership could translate into the workplace.

It's all about playing up those strengths, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And another question a lot of folks have. If you took a couple years off the workplace to raise kids, well, what happens next?

Alison has some tips on how to sell your parenting skills in an interview, right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Gaps in employment can be a red flag to companies that are hiring.

Our Alison Kosik, she's back with some of the tips that if you've been out of the work force for more than six months or so, what you should actually be doing.

Alison, what can you tell folks who are worried, particularly if they have been out of work because they've been parenting?

KOSIK: You know what, Suzanne, it's really all about the explanation.

Look, if you took a few years off to raise kids, talk about how parenting translates into the working world. You know, think about it. Multitasking is a huge part of caring for kids. Also, if you took on roles in, let's say, the PTA or your kid's activities while at home, point that out, too, especially if you chaired committees or organized events at schools because the fact of the matter s these are all experiences, Suzanne, that can show you -- that can show your prospective employer that you can lead, that you can solve problems and that you communicate well with others, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Any other advice, Alison?

KOSIK: You know, what the bottom line here is, when you're asked anything about your career on an interview, be honest and be sincere. Employers can afford to be selective right now. They're going to check your references. They will search you online, search your name. And if you don't tell the truth and you get caught, you can be -- you can almost bet that you're not going to get that job -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right, Alison, great advice. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

The Supreme Court is putting the brakes on a massive sex discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart. At the heart of the case is whether or not the largest retailer in the world intentionally passed over female employees for promotions.

Here to talk about the ruling is someone who is close to the case, close to me, as well, Catholic University law school professor, author of a case book on class action lawsuits and an article on the Wal-Mart case specifically for Harvard Law and Policy Journal, my sister, Suzette Malveaux.

Suzette, good to see you.

I know you've been following this. Explain to us what this court ruling means, both for big businesses and also those who've been wronged by a major corporation.

SUZETTE MALVEAUX, THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA: Well, as you mentioned, this is the largest employment discrimination case in the country and it has just been killed by the Supreme Court. So, this is really devastating for about 1.5 million women all over the country who were challenging gender discrimination -- or alleging gender discrimination at Wal-Mart in pay and promotions.

It's going to be much more difficult for them to go forward. Each one of them is going to have to bring their own individual case, which, of course, can be tough. It's expensive. They might be afraid of retaliation. It's kind of a divide and conquer. And so they're in a much tougher position than they were before.

Businesses are in an easier position. They will be able to defend themselves in the future from these kinds of very gigantic cases, because the court has raised the bar and said that it is now more difficult for these cases to be brought. Have you to have significant proof that there's enough glue to hold the case together and here the court said there was not significant proof, that it didn't make sense for this to go forward as a class action.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX: So, do these women have any recourse now that the decision has been made? What do they need to do as individuals, or can they get together as little groups?

SUZETTE MALVEAUX: Well, that's a good question. I mean, they can definitely bring their cases as individuals. The Supreme Court said nothing about whether or not there was, in fact, gender discrimination going on at Wal-Mart.

So, each individual woman is welcome to proceed forward if she can afford to do that and if she can -- you know, has the courage to do that, especially in this economy. And they might be able to put smaller groups together. I mean you can do something shy of a class action.

But for many individuals that do not have a lot of resources or small claims, the class action is the only realistic way of going forward and challenging a giant corporation like Wal-Mart. So those kinds of giant corporations are in better shape today than they were before this ruling. SUZANNE MALVEAUX: How significant is it for these companies, these big groups that they don't have to deal with a lot of people all at once? What does that mean for them? They potentially, I think, were going to lose billions of dollars?

SUZETTE MALVEAUX: Absolutely. I mean, in a class action the stakes are raised, everybody knows that. So that decision -- the entire case is really hinged on that decision. And usually after you get that ruling the defendant will want to settle, the company will want to settle, the plaintiffs will want to settle just because that is that a huge win. If you get the case to go forward as a class action.

Now that that's no longer true here in the Wal-Mart case, that is very good news for Wal-Mart, very good news for companies who may have very large workforces that are challenging them for some kind of discrimination. And Wal-Mart and those companies have a better shot at defending themselves from that kind of litigation.

So it does put them in a better position. I think it's interesting, with a 5-4 split, so it was a close decision. It was one of those very contentious ones between the Supreme Court justices. And nothingly (sic), the female -- all three female justices objected to this opinion, including Justice Breyer.

So it was a 5-4 split with none of the female justices going along with this decision.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX: All right. Suzette, thank you so much.

Suzette Malveaux on the case. Appreciate it.

SUZETTE MALVEAUX: Thank you.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX: Well, the U.S. government is in talks with the Taliban. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says it's nothing serious at this point, which brings us to today's Talk Back question and Carol Costello who joins us from New York with your responses.

Hey, Carol.

COSTELLO: It would be so handy to have a twin sister.

MALVEAUX: I knew you were going to talk about that.

COSTELLO: You can pass down --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: OK. Back to that Talk Back question. The Talk Back question today: What, if anything, could be gained from holding talks with the Taliban?

This from Becky, "The Taliban didn't attack us, al Qaeda did. After World War II, we made deals with Japan and Germany, too. At some point we need to bring U.S. troops home from Afghanistan and we can't do that without peace." This from Jared. "I thought we didn't negotiate with terrorists. We're giving them our troop withdrawal dates and now we're attempting to form talks with them. Sounds like we're setting ourselves up for a double cross."

This from Kara. "What could be gained? Maybe we could bring our soldiers, like my husband who is currently serving in Afghanistan, home to their families. The Taliban is evil but what choice do we have? We can't stay there forever and we can't change these peoples' culture overnight."

And this from Joseph. "The goals of the Taliban are the destruction of Israel and to kill Americans. How can you negotiate that? This is nothing like negotiating with Germany or Japan during World War II."

This from Adam. "If we want to call ourselves a civilized people, we must then act like it. Talking things over is better than bombing and killing regardless of your views on the Taliban. If we won't consider diplomacy then we are no better than the Taliban."

Keep the comments coming. Facebook.com/CarolCNN and I'll be back with you in about 20 minutes or so -- actually, 15.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Carol.

Might be me, might be my twin sister, you never know.

COSTELLO: She was good.

MALVEAUX: Yes, yes, she's great. She's great. She's got the law down. Much smarter than me.

All right. See you in a bit.

Well, they've been together for more than 60 years and they're still waiting, hoping to marry. New York might give them that chance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Well, New York could be on the brink of legalizing same-sex marriage. The state assembly passed it but the state Senate has yet to vote on it and the legislative session is ending today.

If it's approved it would be a life-changing event for many, including a couple who shared their story with our Alison Kosik.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They've been together for 61 years. And they'll never forget the first time their eyes met.

JOHN MACE: We didn't know each other. I had a part-time job at the Julliard to bring in money. And in walked this young man and I knew my life was changing right there and then. And it did.

KOSIK: Richard Dorr is 84 years old. John Mace is 91.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

KOSIK: At this tender age they both still teach. It was music that brought them together professionally and personally.

MACE: He would find excuses to come and sing for me.

RICHARD DORR: I want to sing for you, which really meant I want to be near you.

KOSIK (voice-over): They've been near each other ever since after years of pretending to be straight.

DORR: It was like a load off. No more making -- making believe that you're who you're not. That's -- that's a burden that people who are gay carry all the time.

KOSIK: Still, something is missing from their relationship.

MACE: I come from an Italian family. They're the marrying kind.

KOSIK: Richard and John first thought of getting married more than 40 years ago. Back then, gay marriage was unheard of. Now New York is on the brink of becoming the latest and largest state to legalize gay marriage.

MACE: Why not? Why not complete this relationship?

KOSIK: They dismiss those who say it will ruin traditional marriage.

DORR: The only sanctifying element in a marriage is what the two people bring to it. It's not by somebody saying words.

KOSIK: They hope gay marriage will be something the next generation won't need to worry about.

MACE: They deserve better than what we had. I mean, it was very difficult. It's terrible to be look down and considered a second- class citizen. That's really what it is.

DORR: What he said. KOSIK: No matter how the vote turns out, Richard and John say, their love will always be in harmony.

DORR: Thank you, John.

KOSIK: Alison Kosik, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)