Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Casey Anthony's Mother, Brother Testify; Leads From Bin Laden Cell Phone; House Doesn't Approve Libya Action; Casey Anthony's Brother Testifies; The Help Desk; Talk Back Question

Aired June 24, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Let's get you up to speed.

Casey Anthony's mother, Cindy, has been on the stand today at her daughter's murder trial in Orlando. Prosecutors cross-examined her about access to the family pool. It is there the defense claims Casey's daughter, Caylee, accidentally drowned. Casey Anthony's lawyer tried to show the toddler could have climbed the pool's ladder and fallen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSE BAEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Mrs. Anthony, what does the photograph depict that you are looking at?

CINDY ANTHONY, CASEY ANTHONY'S MOTHER: It shows me attempting to go around Caylee, as I usually did. We used to have Caylee sit once she got to the platform with her feet on the first step in the water, and then whoever was with her would get around that way. We would get in the pool before her and then receive her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Casey Anthony's brother later testified stains in the trunk of a car his sister drove were there when he bought the vehicle. Prosecutors claim that Casey hid Caylee's body in that trunk. And just before that lunch break, you also saw the brother, Lee Anthony, very tearful and expressing how hurt he was that it became a family secret that Casey Anthony was pregnant with Caylee more than two years ago.

So, David Mattingly have been following the Anthony trial for us and is at the courthouse.

So, David, this is really interesting, not over two years ago that she was pregnant, but that Lee Anthony was so upset that there was this family secret that, while Casey was carrying Caylee, he didn't learn of it until well into the pregnancy.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And we're learning just the way the questioning is playing out that this family, perhaps, had some problems that haven't been clarified yet.

But we do know that the defense has claimed in their opening remarks that Casey Anthony was a victim of sexual abuse from her father and brother. And it was revealed that the FBI did paternity testing on Caylee Anthony to determine who the father might be, and they were able to rule out that it was her grandfather and her uncle that was the father. So they were able to rule that out.

But we're not exactly sure where the defense is going with this. We are seeing a lot of tears today. Very difficult testimony for Casey's brother and her mother today, as they are looking back at these days and years before Caylee Anthony died.

At some point today, it was also very emotional for Casey Anthony. She shed quite a few tears when they showed a video of Caylee when the grandmother was talking about how big she was and how well she minded her, and also showing photographs of the grandmother helping Caylee climb the stairs into the family swimming pool. Of course, that playing into the prosecution's claim that this was an accident, that little Caylee died by accident drowning in the family's above-ground pool.

And there was a lot of time spent asking questions to Cindy Anthony, the mother, about the child's clothing, trying to establish how much time she spent at that family home, et cetera.

Did the defense accomplish what they set out to do by calling Cindy Anthony on the stand one more time?

MATTINGLY: Well, she was very clear in her recollection, so that was good for the defense. They were able to make a very strong point that this swimming pool ladder she noticed was on the pool and that a gate was open.

But then the prosecution comes back under cross-examination and says, could little Caylee have opened that door by herself? And the answer was no, she couldn't have. Would she have been able to put that ladder up on the pool by herself? And the answer, of course, was, no, she couldn't have.

So it's all going to depend on what the jury sees here as important. But after days of listening to very minute detail in the forensic examination of this tragedy, they are now seeing some very human testimony. And you can bet that this is going to resonate with the jury in one way or the other much more loudly than a lot of this expert testimony has.

WHITFIELD: So, David, likely, after the lunch break, Lee Anthony will be called back on to the stand to finish up. Who might be next?

MATTINGLY: That's hard to say. We really don't know.

The defense knows what they are doing. They make changes day to day. But that's the big question every single day.

Sometimes people with inside sources are able to determine what's going on. Sometimes we're able to determine what's going to be next by who is waiting out in the hallway to testify. But at this point, we know only the family is involved in testimony today, and we're waiting to see just like everyone else is.

WHITFIELD: All right. David Mattingly, thanks so much, in Orlando. Appreciate that.

And 10:00 p.m., beginning tomorrow evening, CNN has a special on the Casey Anthony trial, a NEWSROOM special. That's tomorrow night, Saturday night, hosted by Don Lemon, 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He could kill you for a good reason. He could kill you for a bad reason. He could kill you for no reason.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Notorious mob boss Whitey Bulger, he is expected to be extradited to Boston today. He's due in court four hours from now.

The FBI finally caught up with him in southern California this week after 16 years on the run. Agents say Bulger had $800,000 and a lot of fake IDs in his apartment. He'll face 19 counts of murder once he arrives in Boston.

And U.S. terror investigators link Osama bin Laden to militants allied with Pakistan's spy agency. "The New York Times" reports Bin Laden's top courier had cell phone contact with the group Harkat-ul- Mujahideen. Its leaders have strong ties to al Qaeda and Pakistani intelligence, according to The Times, but the paper says the courier's phone produced no smoking gun that proves Pakistani spies helped hide Bin Laden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: President Barack Obama backs equal rights for gays and lesbians, but he stopped short of supporting same-sex marriage. The president told a gay advocacy group in New York last night state lawmakers debating the issue are doing what they are supposed to do. He says that's how democracy works.

And it's still unclear whether New York State senators will vote today on a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. The New York State Assembly has already approved the bill. Governor Andrew Cuomo has been negotiating with Republican senators this week in an effort to pass the bill.

The House is expected this hour to take the first of two votes on Libya today. It would give congressional approval to Libyan -- to the Libyan operation for one year. And another measure severely restricts Pentagon spending on the NATO mission. Republicans are pushing to defund the NATO operation because they say President Obama has not complied with the War Powers Act.

All right. So here is your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. What does the taxpayer protection pledge mean for negotiations on Capitol Hill?

Carol Costello joins me now from Washington with more on this.

Carol, hello.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello.

It seems everybody is signing pledges these days, doesn't it, Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: I guess so.

COSTELLO: You got that right.

The two Republicans involved in our nation's debt limit talks walked out of the negotiations. Democrats brought up tax hikes, and Congressman Eric Cantor and Senator Jon Kyl won't go there, so they said we're out of here.

For the GOP, raising taxes of any kind is off the table. Ending tax credits for oil and gas companies? No way.

Curb tax deductions for the very wealthy? Not a chance.

Ending the Bush tax cuts? Don't even go there.

See, Cantor and Kyl cannot agree to tax hikes because they signed a taxpayer protection pledge offered by the influential advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform. Here's the pledge. Take a look.

Cantor and Kyl signed this pledge in front of two witnesses. According to the tax group's founder, it is the very same no-tax hike pledge George H. Bush signed back in the day. It gave him courage to say this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Read my lips: no new taxes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Oh, but President Bush had to break that promise, and voters made him pay. He lost a second term. And therein lies the problem.

When you sign a pledge, it is difficult to compromise, because if you change your mind for whatever reason, there is written proof that you lied.

So the "Talk Back" question today: What impact does the anti-tax pledge have on debt talks? Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.

WHITFIELD: Oh, talk of taxes always get people fired up. Expect a bucket load full of replies.

COSTELLO: I am expecting it, and I'm expecting anger and passion.

WHITFIELD: All right, Carol. We'll look forward to that.

COSTELLO: OK.

WHITFIELD: All right. Here is a rundown of some of the stories that we're covering over the next hour.

First, a cell phone at the Bin Laden compound throws Pakistan's claims of not knowing about his whereabouts into question again.

Then, a fugitive on a motorcycle leads police on a wild ride in Texas.

Also, empty store fronts blight an upscale African-American neighborhood. Critics say it's classic red-lining.

Then, women tattooed as property, the latest twist in gang activity. We have a revealing CNN report.

And then, later, more tears on the stand as Casey Anthony's mother and brother are questioned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A cell phone seized in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden may show ties to Pakistan's intelligence agency. "The New York Times" reports the cell phone belonged to Bin Laden's trusted courier, who was also killed in last month's raid.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh joins us live now from eastern Afghanistan.

So, Nick, the phone contained contacts to a militant group with deep ties to Pakistan's spy agency, yet U.S. officials are saying it's not a smoking gun.

Help explain.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely.

This is Osama bin Laden's courier. Key, because the signals from his telephone led the Navy SEALs to that compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan for the raid.

Now, also in this cell phone appears to be numbers of people linked to a group called Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. Now, that's a militant organization inside Pakistan, said by some to have been organized, created, fostered by elements of Pakistan's intelligence services, some kind of a black (ph) stopper, a rogue element they might use in a conflict with India.

This is all denied by Pakistan's intelligence services entirely, who say they have no comment on "The New York Times" story, and are still cooperating with the Americans by passing on intelligence. But also in this "New York Times" is a suggestion that this militant group was in touch with Pakistan's intelligence services. Now, that means the courier was in touch with the militants, and the militants were the Pakistani intelligence services.

As they say, there is no smoking gun, there is no direct link between the two groups. And clearly, had such a direct link been established between the courier and Pakistani intelligence, that would be a hugely significant deal for the Obama administration -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, what's interesting here, also, though, this Harkat group had a relationship with the Pakistani government at its founding, but all of that changed over the years. So, kind of explain for us its origin and how it evolved into something else.

WALSH: Well, it's one of these many militant groups which is said to have been created by Pakistani intelligence as part of their kind of rogue operation that many say they have to have militants who could launch a symmetrical operation against India in the event of a larger conflict between the two. Now, Pakistan has always denied it retains those strong links that began at the origin, and suggests now that this is simply negative propaganda to try and make Pakistan look like an accomplice of terrorists in their own midst.

Pakistan's intelligence services say clearly they are very much victims of terror inside Pakistan, and fighting the same fight as the Americans. In this particular case, it's clear -- we should really be clear to point out, the Americans officials in "The New York Times" piece do not say there's a link between Bin Laden's courier and this militant group -- sorry, and the Pakistani intelligence services. Mainly, the militant group were in contact with both -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And so how is it believed Bin Laden or the courier may have used this group for support?

WALSH: Well, the suggestion is -- it's not entirely clear, the scale of support, or what exactly the details of this relationship were. But simply, people have been asking for a long time, how was it that Bin Laden was able to hide out in Abbottabad, a key Pakistani military garrison town, for quite so long? Perhaps has long as six years.

Now, a suggestion may be the courier had some kind of local militant network support might explain how he was able to hide such a wanted man in the midst of the Pakistani military. It is speculation that this group then had a link with Pakistani intelligence, but that speculation is of course adding to the conspiracy theory there's been quite a while in the speculation that somehow, the Pakistani intelligence establishment knew Bin Laden was there.

There's been no evidence really to suggest this so far. And frankly, most American officials, when pushed, say they have not found that smoking begun, because if they had found it, it would have been enormously damaging significance to that American/Pakistani relationship -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Nick Paton Walsh, thanks so much. Appreciate that from eastern Afghanistan.

All right. So we're going to turn our attention to Syria. New demonstrations today. A live report from the capital of Damascus.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The House of Representatives just voted on a resolution supporting U.S. involvement in Libya -- in the Libya offensive.

Let's get straight to CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash on Capitol Hill.

Tell us more, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN SR. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the answer is that the House does not support authorization for the president's mission in Libya. It failed pretty dramatically, 123-295.

And the president's fellow Democrats were interestingly pretty split, pretty split on this. But Republicans overwhelmingly voted no, no to the question of whether or not Congress should authorize limited force in Libya. This is something that Republicans, Fredricka, put on the House floor in order to show that, to show that the president does not have support for this mission, this NATO-led mission in Libya, because of the way, from many people's perspective here, that he has dealt with Congress, not come to Congress and sought authorization.

This is the first of two votes we're going to see today. In probably in a little bit more than an hour, we're going to see another very important vote, and that is going to be on whether or not to actually defund, sharply defund, parts of this military mission, at least the combat part of this mission.

That also is expected to be a blow, a big blow, to the president, because it is expected to actually pass. So this is sort of a double whammy we are expecting to see here today from the U.S. Congress, from the House of Representatives, at least, to send a message to the president that they are not happy with the way he has handled the mission in Libya, but more specifically, not handled the way he has not consulted enough with Congress.

WHITFIELD: So, Dana, how meaningful are these votes?

BASH: Well, this particular vote that just happened, it is meaningful because it is a message to the president and really to the world that the House of Representatives does not support this mission. The second one -- this is a resolution, so it's not binding. But the second one that we expect to see, it does technically have teeth. It does technically, if it passes, as we expect, say that the money will not come from Congress to support key parts of this military mission. So it's going to be a very -- many people who are voting against it are going to say that it sends a very, from their perspective, bad signal to the world, and particularly NATO, which is leading this mission.

But, ultimately, it has to go to the Senate to actually pass, and we don't expect that to happen. So, we don't expect it to actually become law, but just the fact that this is happening today is a political message, a powerful one, that the White House, I can tell you, they are making calls here. They are trying desperately to stop that from happening, but it doesn't look like, according to the people we're talking to, that that's going to be successful.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dana Bash from Capitol Hill.

Thanks so much for that.

(NEWSBREAK)

WHITFIELD: Low-income neighborhoods usually struggle to bring in supermarkets and stores, but some upscale Chicago suburbs are having the same problem. Residents say retailers are ignoring them because of the color of their skin.

Randi Kaye has the story in this week's "What Matters" segment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chicago's south suburbs seem to have it all -- a world-renown golf course, beautiful homes in nice neighborhoods, which celebrities like R. Kelly call home. But what they don't have --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Class A retail in the community. We have to travel quite a distance to get the upper-scale stores and restaurants.

KAYE: And that has prompted four towns to band together to fight what they call retail red-lining, claiming the predominantly African- American communities are being ignored.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're approximately 60 percent African- American. And I think the perception on the part of retailers is that we're poor and undereducated, high crime rates. And all of those are untrue.

KAYE: Rebekah and Leslie (ph) Moore have to drive nearly 30 minutes to get the basics.

REBEKAH MOORE, RESIDENT: There's nothing within our town that I can go to get a bag of groceries or anything that I need on a weekly basis.

KAYE: But the inconvenience is not the biggest issue. No shopping means no sales tax revenue going back to the towns for public use like police and fire departments. A study is under way by a community planning firm to figure out how to attract upscale stores and residents to the area.

MIKE HOFFMAN, TESKA ASSOCIATES: When there's a drop in sales tax revenue, that revenue has to be made up somewhere to provide the basic services that the residents want. That usually, at least in this area, ends up going back on the burden of the taxpayers and the property owners in the community, so it will increase their local property taxes.

KAYE: Just one shopping development could bring in more than $17 million in tax revenue if it's completely occupied.

The Moores are expecting their first child this summer and say they have considered moving across the border to Indiana, but would rather see retail move in.

MOORE: I think a grocery store is the biggest thing. It would lighten the burden on lots of people here, which would also cause them to want to spend more.

KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: More deadly protest today in Syria.

Our Hala Gorani is in the capital of Damascus, joining us live right now.

So, Hala, every Friday, prayers and protests lately in Syria has become the norm. What is the situation today?

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're in Damascus right now. We were invited in. We have been here about 36 hours.

For three months, we asked to gain access to Syria, and finally we have it. However, it comes with a certain number of conditions.

We are accompanied by government minders when we film outdoors. We're right now indoors, so we are away from the earshot from government minders. But what we're seeing now is a little bit of the Syrian regime trying to take back the kind of control, the PR message, if you will.

They guided us to the old city outside of the Umayyad Mosque, and there was a small pro-Bashar al-Assad demonstration. That's the president of Syria.

Many of the demonstrators were telling us that what's happening inside of their country is in fact controlled by foreign agents. This fits right into the narrative of this regime. Now, we heard as well over the last 24 hours that the European Union is increasing the sanctions on Syria. That might have an impact, but what will probably have the biggest impact on Syria, Fredricka, is the economy.

Right now, tourists are not coming into Syria. We saw empty streets and alleyways. One street vendor told us that the square where we were filming would normally be packed. It was almost completely empty. And once you have the middle class here suffering economically, that could really mean and spell trouble for the government here -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So I wonder how the president there is responding to that. What is the explanation that he is willing to give to people, or what kind of assurances is he giving to people given all of these components?

GORANI: Well, he has given three speeches since the beginning of the unrest more than three months ago now. And it's always sort of been this mixed message.

On the one hand, promising reform that activists and human rights groups say the regime is not going to deliver on. And on the other hand, according to activists, cracking down violently on these pro- democracy demonstrations in Syria.

Essentially, after three speeches and more than 100 days of unrest, many observers from the outside are saying Bashar al-Assad has his legitimacy, he's lost his credibility. The question is whether these demonstrations can bring down this government. And really, they are in rather isolated pockets, they're not here in the capital, they're not in the second largest city, Aleppo.

So that's very much an open question, whether the demonstrations in their current form and size can do damage to the regime -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Hala Gorani in Damascus area. Thanks so much.

Gang members tattoo young runaways like property. The latest twist in sex trafficking. Hear the stories of girls who got away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Forecasters in North Dakota are increasing their predicting crest of the Souris River by a foot. That means the river could rise six, perhaps eight feet beyond the level in Minot. Twelve thousand people have left their homes in Minot because of the flood that is on the way.

Alexandra Steele is also watching things. Several residents have left their homes because of the investing. So, this cresting could happen when?

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's going to happen Sunday morning, about 1:00 in the morning. But you know, Fredricka, under the world and under the headlines of the extreme as the new normal in the world of weather, this fits exactly under that. We're talking about centuries-old records once again being elapsed. So, it's incredible what we're seeing.

This is different than what we were seeing in the Mississippi River, and we'll talk about why. So, the worst is yet to go. We have two incredibly rough days for Minot. You know, as Fredericka just said, a quarter of the population is being evacuated and already has been evacuated with more steadily being added.

Now, six-and-a-half feet above record stage. We're talking about this eclipsing centuries-old record. So, it's really quite notable what is happening.

But why? It's about the rain and terrain. What we've seen in the last week, four to six inches of rain coming to Minot, already saturated. But the key to this, so much different than what's happening with the Mississippi River. The terrain here -- Minot sits in a valley at the base of this valley. So, all the water has nowhere to go but just down. And about 100 to 300 foothills to the side of it, but all the water just crests and stays right and just kind of moves in this one little valley area, saturating the region. Unfortunately, more rain is expected.

Now, negligible in terms of not four to six inches of rain, but here is Minot. In the next couple of days, a few isolated showers or storms expected, so we could see maybe a half an inch of rain. But any rain just exacerbates the scenario.

I-94, you can see thunderstorms possibly there around Bismark. But again, today's forecast, more rain unfortunately for Minot. Obviously doesn't need it. And you know, the last couple days what we have seen is incredible flooding also around New York state. Right around New York City. We have seen incredible flash flooding there. More potential -- what we have seen is kind of this bowling ball of low pressure. Move to the east. It will stay here in the Northeast today and tomorrow and then finally, Fredericka, by Sunday the Northeast clears out but the Southeast stays unsettled with showers and thunderstorms.

WHITFIELD: Of course, we're still watching what is going on in Minot, too, along the way.

STELLE: Sure.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Alexandra. Appreciate that.

CNN In Depth. A new disturbing crime trend in California. Once warring gangs are laying down their weapons and instead of competing over turf, they're joining forces in the sex trafficking business.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports the victims are young runaways.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

"JESSICA": If I wanted to post an ad.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Each day, this young woman we'll call "Jessica" spends hours on the Internet, posting provocative photos of herself and fishing for clients. People who would pay her to have sex.

"JESSICA": Mine (ph) used to say Latina, variably 18 years old.

GUTIERREZ (voice over): "Jessica" worked as a prostitute in the booming Internet sex trade. But she didn't work for herself. She says she had a pimp who set a quota of $1000 a day. Money that took about 10 days to earn. "Jessica" told me she was afraid of her pimp. But, if she didn't work, she didn't eat. Faint, she once went five days without food.

"JESSICA": I thought I was going to die of starvation.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): You had to work not for pay, but to get fed.

"JESSICA": To get fed.

GUTIERREZ (voice over): "Jessica" is afraid to be identified because she says her pimp is a gang member. Two years ago when she was a 19 year old runaway she said she became the physical property of a California gang. Where prostitutes, many of them underage, are often branded with tattoos, bearing the gangs insignia or their pimps' names.

Lieutenant Valencia Saadat says law enforcement is beginning to look at prostitutes as potential victims of sex trafficking.

VALENCIA SAADAT, LIEUTENANT, OCEANSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT: Rather than just focus on the -- the women that are out here in the streets, focus on the reason that they're here. The people who place them here.

GUTIERREZ (voice over): Three warring gang factions in Oceanside, California, laid down their weapons to form, what investigators say, is a profitable business enterprise. To traffic and prostitute women and girls throughout California.

ADAM KNOWLAND, SERGENT, OCEANSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT: This is one of the biggest investigations we've had in Oceanside's history, actually.

GUTIERREZ (voice over): Sergeant Adam Knowland says Oceanside vice Detectives led the 18 month long investigation into the Crips' enterprise and found the business was moving away from selling drugs to selling women. And, the Internet was there most powerful tool.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): This is new territory for the gangs,

KNOWLAND: Yes.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): Profitable? KNOWLAND: Very profitable. If you sell your drugs you have to go replenish your supply. Here you have a girl that you're prostituting out; you don't have to find another girl.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: FBI, search warrant, open up.

GUTIERREZ (voice over): The investigation resulted in the federal indictment of 38 people, including suspected gang members, their associates, even hotel owners where the alleged prostitution was taking place. Suspects were indicted on multiple charges including racketeering and sex trafficking.

As for "Jessica', the turning point came after she witnessed another prostitute, who was her friend, being beaten by their pimp. She says she watched horror as he sprayed mace in her mouth and forced her to swallow it. Then, she says, she knew she had to escape.

"JESSICA": Nowadays people seeing prostitutes, they call them names. They don't know what we're going through, if we were fed last night. If we're being raped.

GUTIERREZ (voice over): "Jessica" says she was abused as a child and never would have resorted to this life if she would have had a family who protected her.

"JESSICA": I don't have a dad. I have never had one. I think I waited like 18 years or 19 years for him to call me on one of my birthdays and never did. It's painful.

GUTIERREZ (voice over): "Jessica" says she worries about all the other vulnerable women and girls who get trapped in a life they can not escape.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Oceanside, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Young women and girls in Nepal bought and sold for sex. They are all victims. And on Sunday, the survivors get a voice. Demi Moore joins the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year to take you inside the fight to end this modern-day slavery. "NEPAL'S STOLEN CHILDREN," CNN Freedom Project, 8:00 Eastern on Sunday.

Casey Anthony's mother and brother get emotional on the witness stand. Find out what brought on the tears.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Casey Anthony's mother and brother take the stand in her murder trial. The defense is trying to prove two-year-old Caylee Anthony was not murdered but instead accidentally drowned in the family pool. Casey Anthony's brother, Lee, got very emotional after he was asked why he did not go to the hospital when his sister gave birth to Caylee. He said Casey and his mother hid the pregnancy from him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE ANTHONY, CASEY ANTHONY'S BROTHER: I was very angry at my mom, and I was also angry at my sister. I mean, I was just angry at everybody in general that they didn't -- they didn't want to include me. And - and didn't find it important enough to tell me, especially after I had already asked.

So I was -- I was very hurt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Holly Hughes joins me now. We heard Casey's mother, Cindy, talking about everything from the clothing of Caylee's in the home to the pool to the ladder. And then the emotional testimony from Lee talking about this family secret.

What was accomplished here by the defense with the kind of questioning that took place with these two witnesses?

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: This is the defense finally, finally coming to the table with something that might prove their theories, and here is why. They don't have to have the exact words that they want to argue come out of a witness' mouth, because the law tells us, Fredericka, that you can argue reasonable inferences from the evidence.

So, if Jose Baez can show the jury that this family had secrets, this family was odd, they were a little off, then he can argue what other secrets were there? Now you know why Casey was a liar, and he can start to back up some of the things that he said in his opening statement.

WHITFIELD: But he will need for those witnesses to take it further, to be able to say that, yes, this little girl fell into the pool. They either saw it or they saw her body or that somebody tried to resuscitate her. They have to go there, don't they?

HUGHES: They absolutely do. If he wants to argue that is factually what happened and he wants the jury to consider that, somebody has to take the stand and say yes, I saw this. You cannot just say, hey, the ladder was up. Maybe it happened. You have to have a good faith basis for what you are arguing, and you have to make reasonable inferences.

So, we're still looking at - he's going to call George back to the stand. You better believe it. That will be explosive. And Lee has yet to be cross examined. So, we'll see what the prosecution does to him, and then maybe Mr. Baez will come back and ask him some more questions.

WHITFIELD: But doesn't there need to be some sort of forensic science that comes behind to support these kinds of inferences?

HUGHES: It would be great if there was, but that's when you have a circumstantial case. And that's what we're looking at here. Even the prosecution doesn't have all the science they would like to have. You know, we heard tons of great experts testify, but basically what they're going to ask the jury to do, because we have no cause of death, we have -- they're going to say, based on what you did here, pull it together.

And so far, even with all the forensics the defense has put up, they have not in any way made enough headway to be able to argue that, because even their own medical examiner said, they said, well, how do you know she might have drowned. And he said, well, there was a pool in the backyard. OK, that is not enough, Fredricka, let me tell you that right now. Not even close, OK.

WHITFIELD: And then, of course, there was more Q&A with Cindy Anthony yesterday about the chlorophyll versus chloroform. What was established here by the defense, because they're the ones who pressed her on this, that her search for chlorophyll somehow lead to chloroform, but not by her doing?

HUGHES: What they're trying to do, because the prosecution has charged first degree murder and they're saying that Casey Anthony, the defendant in this case, premeditated it, they're using those computer searches of chloroform to prove that ahead of time she was looking up the chloroform, chloroforming her baby. By having Cindy take the stand and take responsibility for that, they're trying to defuse that premeditation.

But I'm telling you what, it's going to bite them, because the state gets rebuttal and they are going to go find the supervisor who will be able to say, I never forged a time card for Cindy Anthony. They're going to pull those old hard drives. I mean everything's backed up on hard drives. You know, corporations and businesses have to keep records. They're going to go do an exhaustive computer search on her old computer and show she was still at work at that time. This could, if they don't fire rebuttal evidence, really help the defense if Cindy takes credit. But if the prosecution finds a witness who will say what Cindy said was a lie and they can prove it, it is a huge torpedo.

WHITFIELD: So do you think that the prosecution needs that -- needs that in order to prove their case? Because right now, based on the circumstantial evidence you just laid out right there --

HUGHES: Right.

WHITFIELD: Is anyone convinced based on what the prosecution has already been able to deliver on?

HUGHES: Well, this case is going to be one in closing argument, because this is when the lawyers get up and they tie everything together. But I think the prosecution, at this point, does need a really strong rebuttal because I think the defense has done a good job. And I'm happy to see it, finally, because, you know, for the past week, it's kind of been a snoozefest.

WHITFIELD: So you're impressed with what the defense has done so far? HUGHES: I think they are making headway, yes. And I'm glad they have finally come to the table with something that may enable them to argue what they said in opening, because you don't want a completely inept defense team because you don't want it coming back ineffective if there is a conviction. So, yes, I think they're finally bringing it home. They're giving the jury a little meat and potatoes instead of the -- you know, forensics can be boring, let's face it. It's a little bit of a snoozefest, OK, when you have six days of scientists duking it out. And now we're back to the emotion. Now we're back to the possible secrets. Now we're back to the family drama.

WHITFIELD: And that may get the jury's attention?

HUGHES: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: All right, Holly Hughes, thanks so much. Good to see you. Appreciate it.

HUGHES: Yes, you, too.

WHITFIELD: So for more on this trial, you want to tune in to a CNN special tomorrow night, 10:00 Eastern Time right here on CNN. Don Lemon hosts this "Casey Anthony Trial" NEWSROOM special.

And today's "Talk Back" question, what impact does the anti- pledge have on the budget debate? Randal says this. "I guess if we raise taxes we'll have more money to bail out other countries and big oil and big banks." More responses straight ahead.

But first, here's some free money advise from the CNN "Help Desk."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARTER EVANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Greg McBride. He's a senior financial analysts at bankrate.com. And Lynnette Khalfani-Cox. She's the founder of the financial advice blog askthemoneycoach.com.

James in Colorado asks, "I recently went through a tough patch and my credit suffered a little bit. I'm getting things turned around now, but I want to cancel one of my credit cards. I'm current on payments but the lender is charging me a monthly fee of $8.25 just to have the card. Will my credit suffer if I cancel this card?"

Lynnette.

LYNNETTE KHALFANI-COX, FOUNDER, ASKTHEMONEYCOACH.COM: Wow, this is a great question because a lot of people want to know, will closing a credit card account hurt their FICO credit score. And the answer -- the short answer is, yes, it potentially could. I understand why this person potentially wants to close the card. They're paying almost $100 a year for the privilege of having this plastic.

But here's the deal. Two factors might throw off your credit score here. One is your credit utilization rate. It's a fancy little way of saying how much credit card debt you've charged, versus how much credit you have available. If you close that card, you might affect your credit utilization rate. It's a no-no and it hurts your credit score.

You also want to keep the length of your credit history as long as possible. If you close that account, 10 years later that account disappears from your credit reports and then it's no longer tabulated in your credit scores down the road. So that's another reason your credit score could be impacted by closing an account.

EVANS: Yes.

KHALFANI-COX: Negotiate. Try to ask them if you can waive that fee. But generally speaking, I tell people to try not to close credit card accounts.

EVANS: Yes, and you don't want to operate at the top of your credit limit unless you absolutely have to, because that hurts you.

KHALFANI-COX: That's right.

EVANS: Bill in Connecticut says, "I am considering an annuity as part of my retirement revenue stream, along with Social Security, 401(k) and savings. How much of my totaled desired income should come from an annuity? Any tips on selecting an annuity?"

Greg.

GREG MCBRIDE, SENIOR FINANCIAL ANALYST, BANKRATE.COM: Well, when it comes to selecting an annuity, when do you need the money? If you need it right away, then you're looking at more of an immediate annuity. If this is money that you don't -- you don't need those payments to kick in for a while, then you're looking at something like a deferred annuity.

What I recommend is talk to a fee-only financial planner. They can really help you assess your needs in terms of when you need the money and how much you need so that you get -- pick the one that's best. They're also going to act in a fiduciary way so that you get the best annuity for your needs not based on some commission.

In terms of the percentage of income that you want to get from this annuity, here's one school of thought. Your Social Security and your annuity can cover your fixed monthly expenses. You can use your retirement accounts and other savings to cover the discretionary annual expenses.

EVANS: And it's always important to ask them if they're making a commission on that investment.

OK, so you have a question you want answered, just send us an e- mail anytime to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, you've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question. Carol Costello joining me from Washington now.

So, Carol, what are people saying? We know they're going to be fired up about taxes.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, always fired up about taxes. The question, what impact does the anti-tax pledge have on debt talks?

This from Michael. He says, "Republicans aren't stupid. They know the deficit must be attacked from both the expenditure and revenue side. This move was political theater and demonstrates that they hold partisan doctrine above the health of the economy, and the well being of the country."

This from Sergio. He says, "we have a spending problem, not a revenue problem."

This from Aaron. "Their approach to fixing the budget problem is immature and childish. Why must the Democrats now plead with and buckle to the Republican's will."

This from Johnnie. "It's all politics. Everyone knows it will take both. People are tired of people not moving to center and getting things done. Both sides overreach and the sad part, nothing ever gets done. When are both sides going to work on jobs instead of the next election."

And this from Diane. "What, are they 12?"

Keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolcnn. And thanks, as always, for your comments.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Carol. Appreciate that.

OK, so take a look at this, Carol, giving new meaning to the phrase "I'm going for spin," literally. Round and round and round. You'll see. Uh-huh, let me go grab my bike. Oops, no, can't grab it right now. Oh, it's out of control.

All right, so this crash took place during a race in France leaving two of the motorcycles kind of hooked right there -- you see right there just spinning around and around and around and when is it going to stop? OK. A little embarrassing, right? The racers did some fancy footwork, as you see right there, trying to regain control of the bikes. None of it worked. This went on for 45 seconds. Suddenly the motorcycles just stopped all by themselves. I think I would have tried that from the very beginning.

COSTELLO: I bet that was the longest 45 seconds of his entire life.

WHITFIELD: I know, how embarrassing. And then cannot even get back in the race. It's just too much. The bikes are battered and the biker is now heartbroken.

COSTELLO: Well, at least his body's not broken. He has that to be thankful for.

WHITFIELD: Right. I guess so. A little funny for this Friday there for you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Liking it.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We're wrapping up the hour with a look at the markets. Take a look. The Dow down about 99 points. A reason? It's reacting, apparently, to some tech losses. And, of course, you can read more about that at cnnmoney.com. And we're always watching your money.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with T.J. Holmes.

Feeling like a weekend, isn't it?

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: It does a little bit, doesn't it?

WHITFIELD: Although in reverse.

HOLMES: Not for us. Just quite.

WHITFIELD: Easier taught (ph) than me.

HOLMES: We're just getting started, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: That's right.

HOLMES: I will see you tomorrow, all right?

WHITFIELD: Sounds great.

HOLMES: All right. Thanks so much, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Have a good day.