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New Terror Probe Details; Americans Remember 9/11; Major Ruling in Knox Appeal; Jury A Big Focus on Murray Trial; Celebrating the Volunteer Spirit; Honoring the Heroes of Flight 93; Troops Remember 9/11; Healing After 9/11; Edwards' Trial Delayed Until 2012; Fashion Designer: Guilty; Who Gets the Winnings?; Bachmann Returns to Iowa; Perry and Romney Dominate Polls; Passport Protocol

Aired September 10, 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: All right, meantime security is stepped up across America this weekend after what officials call a credible but unconfirmed report that terrorists may be planning an attack on U.S. soil. Tomorrow will mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Afghanistan's Taliban movement issued a statement accusing the West of using 9/11 as a pretext for a war on Muslims. It threatened to send America to, quote, "The dustbin of history," unquote.

According to a senior U.S. official, intercepted communications suggest the possibility of a terror attack on New York or Washington.

CNN's senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is standing by in New York, and our Athena Jones is in Washington. Allan, let's begin with you, with new details on the alleged terror plot.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Ten years on, the threat of terror remains ever present, especially here in New York City. And the latest details come from a U.S. official, confirmed by my colleague, Susan Candiotti.

Three people supposed to be involved in this possible effort at an attack, two of them American citizens, both of Arab descent. They are believed to have entered the country last week, having begun their travels in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region. They apparently have common names, common Arabic names, which makes it difficult to track them down. A third individual believed to have been traveling in Europe recently, it's unknown whether that individual actually has entered the United States.

But the alert, again, has been for the possibility of a vehicle bomb, which is why here in New York City the police have checkpoints all over the city. They've been checking vehicles, particularly large vehicles and rental vehicles. They've been checking them with extreme caution - Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. And what can you tell us about how this has impacted travel? I see people are getting around, seemingly without troubles, behind you. CHERNOFF: Right. Well, of course, keep in mind, this is a Saturday. Not all that many people traveling along here. We're on West Street, just north of Ground Zero. I think many people know not to go too close to this area.

But, as you can see, the traffic here is moving along, although I should mention, the people who are traveling by us have just gone through a police checkpoint about three blocks north of where we're standing and they will meet another checkpoint further downtown. So the police are all over the place.

Let's head down to Washington, D.C. for further details from my colleague, Athena Jones - Athena.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We're here outside the FBI Washington field office. You can see behind me a bomb squad truck, also there are mobile command centers. This is a public show of force, but, of course, all across this city, the law enforcement presence this weekend has been increased.

There are a lot more officers on the street, whether in uniform or in plainclothes, whether it's the Metropolitan Police Department or the Capital Police or the parks police or the transit police. A lot more police are out patrolling on foot, on motorcycle. They have more specialty units out as well, and there's been a real emphasis on public engagement, on the need for the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity.

I spoke with the assistant director of this field office here, Director James McJunkin, a little while ago. Let's listen to what he had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES MCJUNKIN, ASSISTANT FBI DIRECTOR: We should and do give a lot of credit to the public for - for what they do because I think the public understands what they do, what's - what their surroundings are, you know, what - what it looks like when they go to work in the morning, what it looks like when they get on the trains in the morning, what it looks like around their neighborhoods. And they're the best people to know when there's something out of place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And so this has been key, as the director said. He estimated that about 85 percent of the tips that the FBI gets come from the public, which is a pretty big number, a notable number. It's of course an estimate, but clearly the majority of their tips come from people just paying attention.

We also spoke with the D.C. Police Chief Lanier, who said that after their 4:00 P.M. press conference yesterday, they saw a big surge in reports of suspicious activity. They'd already seen that during the day, but it increased even more after 4:00 P.M. She estimated this morning they've been getting about 29 or 30 reports of suspicious activity every hour. Normally, that number is about seven to 10. So people are paying attention. She told me that this community is on it. They know what to do, they know what to look out for, and they're calling it in.

D.C. police authorities are running these leads down. They haven't found anything, which is a good thing, but they want to see the public be engaged and keep calling in.

Back to you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. And Athena, for you as well, what - what are we looking at when it pertains to traffic and how people are able to get around, whether it be by metro or car or even walking in D.C. this weekend?

JONES: Well, we've seen no indication that there are big issues in terms of people being able to get around. We're in a - a less traffic area right now, but there have been road closures. The road closures we've seen have been for big events that are going on this weekend, whether it's a - there's a triathlon scheduled, a few festivals around town.

And the D.C. mayor and the police chief have told the public to go - go out. Get out. Do your normal thing. Parks police told me yesterday people should come on down and see the monuments and the memorials.

So we don't expect to see - we haven't seen, so far at least, a lot of problems in terms of people getting around, but we're keeping an eye out, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Athena Jones in Washington. Thanks so much.

All right, amid the tightened security, Americans are marking the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Take a look right now, a live video from Ground Zero, the site where the World Trade Center stood.

Thousands of New Yorkers grasped their hands near the site this morning to form a human chain. Participants were also invited to post messages on a Wall of Remembrance.

And in Washington, former President George Bush and his wife, Laura, laid a wreath at the Pentagon at the 9/11 Stone. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was also there. Panetta then headed to Fort Meade, Virginia to take part in a 9/11 National Day of Service event with military families.

And in New Jersey this morning, a memorial there was dedicated as well. The Empty Sky Memorial displays the names of 746 New Jersey residents killed in the 9/11 attack. It is located in Liberty State Park in Jersey City, just across the Hudson River from the site of the World Trade Center.

A 9/11 memorial is being dedicated in Shanksville, Pennsylvania today. That's where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed. CNN's John King is there, and he'll have a live report coming up in just a few minutes.

And Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is in New York. In about an hour, she will speak at a Voices of September 11 ceremony. And then, later today, she'll also be attending a memorial service at St. Patrick's Cathedral honoring the 343 New York firefighters.

And, as a backdrop of this weekend's ceremonies, the "USS New York" is docked in New York harbor. It was built with steel recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center.

CNN's special coverage of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 begins tomorrow morning at 6:00 A.M. T.J. Holmes will be in New York, overlooking Ground Zero. He'll be focusing on how America has changed since the attacks.

Then, at 8:00 A.M., CNN will have complete coverage of all the remembrance ceremonies in New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Also, straight ahead this hour, Amanda Knox's family is hopeful that she'll be on her home - on her way home soon. We'll tell you the reason for their optimism, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Amanda Knox could be a free woman in just a few weeks. The American student is appealing her murder conviction in Italy, and this week, she scored some major victories in court.

Let's bring in our legal guys. Avery Friedman, a civil rights attorney and law professor in Cleveland. Good to see you. And Richard Herman, a New York criminal defense attorney and law professor, joining us from Las Vegas.

All right, gentlemen. Good to see you both.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hi, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Hello.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Good to see you.

HERMAN: How are you?

WHITFIELD: All right. I'm doing pretty good.

Avery, let me begin with you. You know, prosecutors wanted to retest this DNA that was used in the trial, but the judge rejected it. Is this a small victory for the defense? And, if so, in what way?

FRIEDMAN: Well, it's - it's not a small victory. It's an enormous victory, Fredricka. What it really means is that the prosecutors understood that these court-appointed experts essentially blew up the DNA evidence, which is the centerpiece of - of the Amanda Knox conviction. And so, what they want to do is go back, retest it. Judge Patillo Hellmann, who's the appellate judge re-evaluating the evidence, said, I've heard enough. Instead of permitting the prosecution to go forward, he said, come on back in about two weeks. We're going to have closing argument. And I think there's a lot of reason for Amanda Knox to be very, very optimistic about what's going to happen here.

WHITFIELD: So, Richard, this is very different from what people may be accustomed to here in the States. There, in Italy, they - DNA experts are able to challenge the evidence that may have been used in trial in a very different way than they would during the appellate process. We're seeing that happen here.

HERMAN: Yes. Actually, in Italy, they have hearings in the appellate process. In the United States, of course you can challenge a DNA during the course of the trial and perhaps on appeal, but in Italy, you actually have hearings and they take additional testimony.

And what's happened here is the - the judge, as Avery has said, says, look, this DNA was contaminated. We have video of the way they collected it, of the way they handled it. It should not have been entertained by the judges. Therefore, it's going to be stricken.

So the prosecution says, well, let's get more independent investigators to look at the DNA, and the appellate judge has said, no way. That's not happening. And you can't have any other witnesses testify either.

This case is going to hear summations. Fred, she still does not have an alibi. I don't think it's open and shut. I'm not so sure she's going to be released very soon.

WHITFIELD: All right. Real quickly on that, Avery, do you agree that she may not be released or you think otherwise?

FRIEDMAN: Either the conviction is going to be reversed or she'll be walking very soon. We disagree.

WHITFIELD: All right.

All right, let's move on to Conrad Murray. We're talking about the personal doctor of superstar Michael Jackson, who sadly left us a couple of years ago. So 160 potential jurors now are - are being considered. How tough, Richard, is it going to be to whittle this list down?

HERMAN: It's going to be virtually impossible to prevent stealth jurors for getting on this jury, Fred. The money that the jurors will make afterwards is going to be off the charts, with business companies like TMZ and these other magazines going after them. It's going to be off the charts, Fred.

Social media sites are going to be watching this trial. HLN is going to have a field day. Nancy's going to have a field day with this trial. This is going to be a spectacle like we have never, ever seen.

You thought O.J. was big? Wait till you see this trial, Fred. It's going to be off the wall.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness - that's funny, off the wall. OK. So are you seeing - Avery -

HERMAN: Michael Jackson -

WHITFIELD: Yes, yes. We get it.

So, Avery, you know, are you saying that this jury selection could be like two weeks long? There are some trials that last that long and a resolution is made. Is this kind of -

FRIEDMAN: Oh, yes.

WHITFIELD: -- the prelude to a trial that is going to be weeks, if not months, long, in your view?

FRIEDMAN: Well, it's - the trial itself will be four to six weeks, but the - the reason I think that Richard's right on this thing is that the defense team wanted to sequester the jury and they basically argued, interestingly enough, Casey Anthony. Well, there's no money in California. The fact is that Michael Pastor had a weigh in balance, so there's not going to be sequestration.

So, the question is, will these jurors be honorable? Will they assign value to the oath that they're taking and not to look at outside influences? That's a tough thing to happen. I'm hoping they'll be honorable enough to do that.

This is going to be a tough case. It will last four to six weeks, but I think the two-week period in the selection of jury - selection of jurors will be longer than that because I think it's going to be tough to get impartial ones.

HERMAN: Fred -

WHITFIELD: Yes?

HERMAN: Fred, these jurors are going to come home every night. They're going to have access to their computers, access to television -

WHITFIELD: Is that a big mistake that this is not sequestered, real quick?

HERMAN: It should be sequestered. I think it's a mistake.

Fred, judges ask jurors on these trials every day when they come in, have you seen, heard or read anything about this trial outside the courtroom? And jurors look up at the judge -

FRIEDMAN: They're going to say no.

HERMAN: -- and say, oh, no.

I've seen jurors with newspapers in their hands coming into court in the morning and answering no. It's unbelievable.

FRIEDMAN: (INAUDIBLE).

HERMAN: This is going to be a tainted jury. You watch.

WHITFIELD: OK. We will see.

All right. Well, we're not done with you guys. We're going to see you again in about 20 minutes or so. We're going to talk about two very interesting cases involving lottery tickets. This involving whether, you know, you go in with your office to have like a lottery pool. And then another case underscores, you know, one person's trash is another's treasure. So we'll see you again in a few minutes on that.

All right, meantime, the 9/11 terror attacks renewed the American spirit as neighbors helped neighbors. That spirit lives on, thanks to a CNN Hero. See his work, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: On the eve of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, we honor a New Yorker who was determined to build a positive legacy from the aftermath of the day of destruction.

Jeff Parness was deeply moved by the outpouring of his hometown that it received after the attacks. Since 2004, he has been saying thank you by giving back to communities across the country, and that's the reason he is a CNN Hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: September 11th was a very tough time for the fire department. I lost some friends, guys I went to the academy with.

The day afterwards, people came from everywhere to help us out. It was incredible. You knew you weren't alone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, guys.

JEFF PARNESS COMMUNITY CRUSADER: For a New Yorker to see that outpouring of kindness and generosity was more powerful than the terror that happened. That really changed me.

I'm Jeff Parness, and I just want to show the world that New Yorkers will never forget what people did for us following 9/11.

Every year on the 9/11 anniversary, we take volunteers from New York and send them to some part of the country where they had a disaster and help folks rebuild.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice to meet you. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You pull into town and the tallest thing there is a grain silo. It's definitely a bit of a culture shock.

PARNESS: Rebuilding homes or barns or churches; it's our way to say thank you. Now, more than half our volunteers are not from New York. People from all the small towns that we've helped, they keep showing up to help the next community. They're from Louisiana and California and Indiana and Illinois. Every year you keep seeing more T-shirts from more locations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to pitch in as much as we can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After Katrina, we just jumped on his bandwagon. This whole paying it forward thing is just contagious.

PARNESS: It's like this big dysfunctional family reunion of all these disaster survivors who get together and do a barn-raising.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're banging nails and building something, but it's the relationships that'll help you heal.

PARNESS: It's about using the 9/11 anniversary to celebrate that volunteer spirit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We'll see you all next year.

PARNESS: People say thank you for doing this. I say, you want to thank me? Show up on the next one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Jeff's group has also restored an American flag from Ground Zero, now known as the National 9/11 Flag. They're in Joplin, Missouri this weekend, helping that town rebuild, and you can see more of their work as part of our 9/11 commemoration tomorrow morning, right here on CNN.

And to find out more about Jeff's work, or perhaps you want to make a donation, go to CNNHeroes.com, and be sure to join the conversation on CNN Heroes' Facebook and Twitter pages.

All right, investigators have been searching Fort Bragg Military Base in North Carolina. We'll explain why, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now.

Opposition forces in Libya have launched an assault on one of Moammar Gadhafi's last strongholds, Bani Walid, southeast of Tripoli, but they have met stiff resistance and some of them have actually pulled back. The fighting broke out after a deadline for the town to surrender passed without a deal.

Opposition leaders believe key members of Gadhafi's regime, including two of his sons, may be hiding in the area. And tensions in Cairo, Egypt have settled down a day after protesters attacked the Israeli embassy. At least three people were killed and hundreds more were hurt in clashes between the protesters and security forces. Tensions between Egypt and Israel have been building since last month, when Israeli forces killed five Egyptian police officers along the Israeli/Egyptian border.

And authorities are searching for 14,000 rounds of ammunition missing from the Fort Bragg Military Base in North Carolina. The small arms ammo is used in M-4 and M-16 assault rifles. An investigation is underway.

A hacking group known as the Script Kiddies is claiming responsibility for posting a false and frightening message on NBC's Twitter account. The fake message reported a new attack on Ground Zero in New York.

NBC says it's working with Twitter to make sure the situation does not happen again.

And tomorrow will mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. This is a live picture right now from Ground Zero, where New York's World Trade Center once stood. Memorial observances are being held this weekend in New York, Washington, D.C. and across the country.

In Shanksville, Pennsylvania today, the dedication for the first phase of a memorial honoring the 40 passengers and crew who died on United Flight 93, that ceremony beginning just minutes from now. Vice President Joe Biden and two former presidents are there.

CNN's John King joins us from the memorial site right now. So, John, give us an idea of what's happening right now.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, you see the band playing some music here in the early parts of the ceremony. The families are down in front, some VIPs and dignitaries as well, members of the general public filling some space in behind.

You mentioned - and you can see the white wall behind me, and I know we have a closer shot of this from other cameras. On the short section of that wall, a very simple etching, September 11th, 2001. On the longer portion, where you see the sheets over the top, that there, behind each of those sheets, is a name of one of the 40 victims on Flight 93. They will be unveiled as the dedication unfolds.

Forty passengers on that flight, where we know history was changed and remarkable heroism happened on a day that so scarred our nation. Those passengers voting, taking upon themselves to storm the cockpit and fight back against the hijackers, one - some of the passengers using air phones on the airplane that day were told by family members what was unfolding across the country.

So that airplane, Flight 93, originally headed for Newark, New Jersey to California. Then it detoured and took aim directly at Washington, D.C. It came down in this field, at 500 miles an hour. Fred, it was a fireball. And one of the things we need to remember is this is not just a memorial site. It is solemn, hallowed ground because, sadly, the remains of the victims were nearly impossible to identify. And so this is not only where they passed, it is where they rest. And it makes this site that's in a remote rural area, you see that gate there - only the family members can go through the gate and down onto the area in the crater where their loved ones remain to this day and will remain forever buried.

And you have the site in the foreground at the beginning of the crater where that 757 came down, and as the dedication unfolds today, you mentioned the vice president of the United States, two former presidents, Clinton and George W. Bush, will be here, dignitaries as well, part of the solemn weekend of reflection.

And at this remote site, also a reminder, Fred, of that day that so scarred us, that, 10 years later, as we remember the pain and the suffering, we should also celebrate. It feels like an odd word, but celebrate the heroism aboard that flight. Forty people died here. Because of the heroism aboard their plane, countless others were saved.

WHITFIELD: All right, John King, thanks so much.

And about 10 minutes from now or so, the official welcome will take place there in Shanksville, followed by a parade of colors as well, and the program will be underway. We'll check back with you momentarily. Thanks so much, John.

And tomorrow morning, starting at 6:00 A.M., CNN's T.J. Holmes will be in New York, overlooking Ground Zero. He will be examining how America has changed in the decade since 9/11.

And then, at 8:00 A.M., CNN will have complete coverage of all the remembrance ceremonies in New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

All right, when we come back after the break, fashion designer John Galliano is found guilty of making anti-Semitic comments in France. Find out his punishment, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Some of the troops who sprung into action at the Pentagon on 9/11 are still fighting the war that followed. They mark that somber anniversary halfway around the world.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux spoke with them in Kabul, Afghanistan. Suzanne joining us now after a decade of witnessing the tragedy at the Pentagon, continuing to serve, these memories are still very fresh, aren't they?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, they absolutely are. You think about it. It was 10 years ago, the September 11th attacks. That is really what brought the men and women here to Afghanistan, but their memories, still very fresh, their emotions, still very raw. Tomorrow, there's going to be a ceremony marking the occasion. It involves now 35 different countries as is indicated by the flags behind me and the flag staffs there. This is going to be a somber occasion. It is also going to be a time of reflection.

And, Fred, we had a chance to actually sit down and talk with some of the soldiers not just about how this compelled them to get involved in the mission, but also how it impacted them personally.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Thomas Carter was in room 4D 131 of the Pentagon when it was hit.

COL. THOMAS CARTER, U.S. AIR FORCE: I heard a loud, sonic boom, and then after that boom, it was like an earthquake had actually hit the Pentagon. That massive building actually literally shook. It was a feeling of surprise and shock and then anger.

MALVEAUX: Colonel Todd Key was also inside the Pentagon on the other side. He had just gotten off the phone with his wife.

COL. TODD KEY, U.S. ARMY: I swear, I thought she was dead. I just had that feeling that she was dead.

MALVEAUX: Key realized she was alive, when he reunited with her after escaping the burning building.

KEY: I realized, too, that everyone who died in the Pentagon, has a family and it made it real to me that was a -- it was different at that moment, it was different.

MALVEAUX: Colonel David Komar was thinking about his five and two-year-old children when he began carrying out the toddlers at the Pentagon day care.

COL. DAVID KOMAR, U.S. ARMY: What was painful was the thoughts that went through my head that, perhaps, some of those children's parents had perished.

MALVEAUX: For Captain Jason Gracin, the pain of 9/11 was different. He had to leave his pregnant wife to identify the Pentagon bodies.

CAPT. JASON GRACIN, U.S. AIR FORCE: I was the one who was taken all the x-rays on all the victims and trying to match dental records. To be honest the toughest part was at the end of the day, they would take the victims that were ready to be transported back to the families --

MALVEAUX (on camera): It's OK. Take your time.

GRACIN: The hearse.

MALVEAUX: Take your time. It's OK. Take your time. You want to join him? It's OK. It's OK.

GRACIN: The hearses would come, the military escorts, we would all line up and render that final salute. And you do that enough times, it wears on you. You know that could have been me, it could have been one of these guys, and they all had families and that was the worst part. That was the worst part.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Fred, you can see that they are all very close. They take a great deal of comfort in supporting each other during this time. Jason Gracin, one of the men I spoke to there, he says still to this day he might listen to a song that comes on the radio or smell a smell and it takes him back to that moment to that very did I feel time in his life.

But it is good that they all have each other here. One of the things that's going to happen tomorrow is they will mark the occasion. It will start at 5:00 p.m. local time and then they will mark a moment of silence that is at 5:16 p.m. local time. That is the time on the east coast that that first plane hit the Twin Towers -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much from Kabul. We'll check back with you throughout the day and of course tomorrow during CNN's comprehensive coverage of 9/11.

Straight ahead, John Edwards, well, he won't go on trial in January. The former presidential candidate is charged with violating campaign contribution laws and providing false statements.

His trial was set for October, but Thursday a federal judge granted a defense request to push the date back so Edwards could have more time to prepare. If convicted on all counts, Edwards could face up to 30 years in prison.

And fashion designer John Galliano was convicted of making anti- Semitic insults against three people in a Paris cafe. Could that happen in the U.S.?

Our legal guys are back, Avery Friedman in Cleveland and Richard Herman in Las Vegas. All right, good to see you gentlemen again.

So Richard, this really underscores France's zero tolerance. He didn't have to have a credible threat or make a credible threat against anyone.

All he had to do was utter the words that were anti-Semitic, which is the same as any kind of hate speech that he may have been spewing. He would soon find himself in court just as he did like in this case.

HERMAN: Yes, it's like when you walk down the street, Fred, and you see a piece of garbage and you kick it and little bugs crawl out, that's like this Galliano.

In France, with respect to free speech, the speech is free except when it does not uphold the common good, inflicts pain or drives a wedge through segments of the community. Now our first amendment used to be like that about 25 years ago.

But it has evolved to the point today where we take our first amendment very serious. We want people to have freedom of speech. And as long as your speech is not -- is not -- does not provoke immediate violence or is not a threat to someone constituting an immediate threat to someone.

You're going to be allowed to say pretty much anything in the United States, but this guy, this is lower than dirt. He's just a horrible person. Taking a page right out of Mel Gibson's book and look, the off with him.

WHITFIELD: My goodness. Harsh, Richard! OK, so, Avery, Christian Dior fashion house fired him. Now he's actually facing some other penalties in the form of big money. Will he also see jail time?

FRIEDMAN: The potential in France was $31,000 in criminal fines and six months in jail, but the judge in Paris said, I'm going to suspend it. If you do it again, then you're going to be subject to that.

She did order about $19,000 in civil damages to the individuals and the organizations. Look, the big difference here in France and in many European countries, because of the history of those countries in the 20th century, they have very reactionary laws about speech.

In America, we would look at a guy like Galliano as just an idiot. The truth is Dior fired the guy. That's part of the penalty. But in terms of expression, most Americans would be appalled that someone would go to jail, unless you're going to hurt somebody, Fredricka. You basically can say whatever you want.

WHITFIELD: All right, very strong. Al right, let's move on to --

FRIEDMAN: In America.

WHITFIELD: In America, yes. Right, the incredible contrast between how the U.S. might handle it and how France has handled it.

All right, let's move on to something else. This is really interesting. Two fascinating lottery ticket kind of cases. Let's begin with the one where one person's trash is another's treasure.

Richard, this young woman says finders, keepers. Sharon Jones finds what turns out to be a winning lottery ticket in the trash of the store that actually disposed of it. And the store says, wait a minute, no, we want a piece of that, you should not get all of the earnings. And a court is actually taking this. The judge said, we're going to put the money in escrow until we resolve it.

Where next? How will this be resolved, Richard?

HERMAN: Apparently, this was a discarded, half scratched-off ticket in a gas station. And when the patron took it and finished scratching it off, saw it was a winner, she told the owner of the store and the owner made statements, congratulations, you deserve it.

Then the owner spoke to her lawyer and came back and said, no, she does not deserve it. We have the sign right above the trash can that says, please don't touch these discarded lottery tickets. So based on that sign, the store claims it was fraud, it was stolen from the store and she should not be entitled to the money.

This case is going nowhere. This person is going to get $1 million.

WHITFIELD: So Sharon is going to get her money. Wait a minute. Avery, the sign is there. This is private property. This is our trash. Don't mess with it. Was that enough?

FRIEDMAN: Except for one problem, the sign went up after she got the ticket. Secondly, there is testimony from other people that frequent this convenience store that the practice is once the owner throws it out -- you don't want to go through garbage --

WHITFIELD: It's a free-for-all once the trash goes out?

FRIEDMAN: That's the custom of this store. She got the ticket because that's been the practice. Sharon Jones wins this case, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Really? OK, fascinating. We'll see how it goes.

Let's move on to the other lottery case. This is an office, they go in together. They've been doing it for years. Everybody puts a few dollars in.

And this young man puts in $5 regularly for eight years, but then he's out sick one day and lo and behold, that office wins $99 million. And he says, what about me? And they say, no, you weren't here. Avery, this thing sounds like it stinks, too.

FRIEDMAN: Well, look, he missed three months and the other 22 co-workers that got the money said, you missed the payment. His argument is, when other people have missed, they've covered. That's his argument.

I don't know how he's going to prove it. The bottom line, he wants $2 million. At the end of the day, he's going to wind up with something, not $2 million. Then the case will sort of evaporate, go away. That's what's going to happen.

WHITFIELD: Richard, is this an issue of having a conscience? The guy's been dedicated all this time. Why would you not include him? That's going to be his argument. Might be mine, too, if I were in that situation.

HERMAN: The great Teddy Pendergrass had a song "Bad Luck." And this is just bad luck for this guy, $99 million for his co-employees. He was out three months. They sent him an e-mail, Fred -- WHITFIELD: He could also say, you got what I need. That's Teddy as well.

HERMAN: He's saying that, too. You got what I want. Let's do it.

WHITFIELD: You don't want to hear me sing. That's all I've got.

HERMAN: OK. He wrote to them. They e-mailed him. They said, look, you want to participate in this while you're gone and apparently there's an e-mail that says, no, I'm out for now.

FRIEDMAN: Three months out.

HERMAN: It's over.

WHITFIELD: Drag.

HERMAN: Yes, it's no good, Fred.

FRIEDMAN: He'll get something. They'll give him something.

WHITFIELD: Maybe a little something. All right, Avery, Richard, thanks so much. Always great to see you.

HERMAN: Fredricka, all best. Take care.

WHITFIELD: Straight ahead, which presidential candidate is mixing politics and football this weekend? The answer after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is returning to the site of her biggest campaign victory to date, Ames, Iowa, that's where exactly one month ago she won the Ames straw poll, critical test of a candidate's strength.

CNN's deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser joining us live from Tampa where CNN holds the first Tea Party debate Monday night.

Paul, I'm going to ask you about the debate in a minute, but first, you know, let's talk more about Bachmann and why she's in Iowa and if her star status has since changed.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, Fred, she's mixing a little football and politics, I guess you could say today. Iowa state, Ames, Iowa, they're home today and playing their cross-state rivals, the University of Iowa, big, big football rivalry out there.

And the congressman from Minnesota who, of course, she's running for the White House, she is there at the game doing a little campaigning and enjoying the game. As you said, it was a little over a month ago that she won that crucial straw poll in Ames, Iowa.

What's happened since then? That exact same day Texas Governor Rick Perry announced for president. Since then in the ensuing weeks, he's grabbed a lot of her support, it seems. He's jumped up in the polls and is a frontrunner in just about every national poll.

Her standings in the polls has dropped. She was on "John King USA" last night and here's what she told John King about where her campaign stands right now. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're doing very well. We're happy and very confident with the reception we're getting across the country. Don't forget, there's only been one true vote in this race so far.

It's the Iowa straw poll. I won the Iowa straw poll. And it was a stunning victory, even more than people realize because I had been in that race a shorter period of time than anyone who had ever participated in the Iowa straw poll. I'm the first woman who have won that straw poll. We're very confident with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: And one other thing, things change in politics, no doubt about it. Four years ago at this time, Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and former Senator Fred Thompson, they were near the top of the poll in the battle for the Republican nomination. Of course, they did not end up winning the nomination, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, now, let's talk about Perry and Romney. They seem to really be duking it out as if they were only a two-person race. What's going on?

STEINHAUSER: Yes, we saw that Wednesday night for the first time Rick Perry taking part in one of those Republican presidential debates. This one is at the Reagan Library in California. He stood by his comments that Social Security was a Ponzi scheme.

That really started a fight between Perry and Romney who used to be the frontrunner in the polls over Social Security. We've seen it play out in the days since then and I have a feeling it will play out again Monday night at our debate right here in Tampa, Florida.

And here's another reason why, Social Security is such an important issue for seniors and people nearing retirement age and of course, there are a lot of them right here in Florida, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, and all expected -- all of the Republican contenders that we know of expected to be at that debate?

STEINHAUSER: Yes, we're going to see all eight that we saw on Wednesday right here. As you can see we brought the bus, the CNN Express is with us. We're on the grounds of the Florida State Fair. Everything happens Monday night at 8:00 Eastern.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Paul. Of course, we will all be tuned in Monday evening.

All right, since 9/11, the rules have changed significantly for U.S. passports. We'll tell you about the latest passport technology. Coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Passport regulations changed significantly as security tightened after 9/11. Ten years later, passport technology and rules are still evolving. Alison Kosik is on the go with details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than 103 million Americans have passports, according to the State Department. While that number has doubled in the last decade, it still leaves more than two-thirds of Americans without one. These days, going to Canada or Mexico, you'll still need a passport and that means everyone.

LORI VOELZ, ATLANTA PASSPORT AGENCY: It's important to remember that no matter how old you are, you need a passport. If you're a baby one day old, you're going to be asked for a passport at the port of entry.

KOSIK: Passports for adults are good for 10 years. For minors under the age of 16, it's only five years. If it's been awhile since your last renewal, you may not have the latest technology.

VOELZ: All passports issued since 2007 are what we call the electronic passport. They contain an electronic chip that contains certain biographical information to help detect impostors and prevent disuse for passport.

KOSIK: E-passport readers will help you get through customs faster and move you along to your final destination.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: NASA's newest mission to the moon is finally off the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 and liftoff of the Delta 2.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, straight ahead, we'll tell you what held up that launch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Another look at the top stories right now. New details about an alleged terror plot against the United States. A U.S. government official says at least two suspects of Arab descent are believed to have traveled to the United States last week.

Investigators believe they may have been planning an attack on New York or Washington this weekend to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Hundreds of people in Texas have lost everything in the state's record-breaking wildfires. Help is on the way from Washington. President Barack Obama has declared a state of federal disaster area. The biggest fire is in Bastrop County near Austin. It has destroyed nearly 1,400 homes and right now it is only 40 percent contained.

And floodwaters have started to recede in Pennsylvania and New York. But the crisis is far from over with nearly $100,000 people evacuated from their homes. Clean-up could take months. The flooding was brought on by remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. Some areas got more than 15 inches of rain.

And after two weather delays, NASA launched its so-called "Braille Moon Mission" this morning. The Delta 2 Rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, just after 9:00. The mission actually involves two satellites, Grail A and Grail B.

They will map lunar gravity and try to figure out how the moon was formed. Grail stands for gravity recovery and interior laboratory.

And each week in our 2:00 Eastern hour, we focus on getting your financial house in order. Today, we're going to focus on made in America, products that you could buying that are made in the U.S. and perhaps those you do buy that are not made in the U.S.

In the 3:00 Eastern hour, we're going to talk to the co-author of "The Power of Half." A young woman who convinced her family to sell their house and give half of the money to those left fortunate. Her book is now being used in a rather novel way in at least one public school.

And at 4:00 Eastern time, "At the Movies." We're going to get the grade on "Contagion."