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Attack in Kabul Finally Ends; New Planets, New Super Rocket; Target's New Offering Crashes Web Site; U.S. Expands E. Coli Testing; Iconic J. Crew Brand Hot Again; Talk Back Question

Aired September 14, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We're at the top of the hour here now. It's time to get you up to speed. Let's start over in Afghanistan.

This attack that dragged on for nearly the American Embassy in Kabul, finally over. And the six Taliban militants responsible are now dead.

This is new video you're seeing here. Yes, those are children, frightened. They're crying because a rocket-propelled grenade just exploded near their school van. This was not far from the abandoned building that the Taliban used to fire on the American Embassy. The attack and others around Kabul Tuesday killed seven Afghans.

Our Suzanne Malveaux has been inside that building that the insurgents used as their staging ground. She joins us once again live from Kabul.

Suzanne, tell us once again. Part of this, a lot of people are amazed that this building wasn't as secure as it should have been, and they were able to walk in there and essentially set up their own base for an attack.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure. I mean, it's rather surprising, rather alarming.

A lot of people scratching their heads and thinking, what next here? There's a lot of blame to go around here, T.J.

Obviously, the international community is trying to hand over power and security to the Afghan police and the army. Big question about whether or not they are really up to the task of doing that.

They're turning around and looking at the international forces, saying we need better communication here. But either way, you had a chaotic situation yesterday. You had a standoff that lasted for nearly 20 hours.

We went to this building this morning. We were quite surprised. They were actually taking out a dead body. This was the body of the sixth terrorist insurgent who was inside of that building.

We got a real close-up look, T.J., of what actually transpired in that building, how this came about, and perhaps some suggestions and answers at the other side of it in terms of how to do better next time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Six guys in a vehicle pulled up. Five of them were wearing burqas to try to disguise themselves as women to bypass security. They took the burqas off, brandished their weapons, and then they all entered this building.

Six police officers guarded this building. You can see this is where they stayed -- the television, the remote control. You also see the bedding here.

This is where the terrorists on the second floor first confronted the police. They shot one officer and then they threw him over the ledge.

This is the sixth floor. And when the terrorists got up here, you can see they cut all the power lines, the phones, the lights, to make sure that it was dark, that they didn't have any communication with the outside world. Also, we're told one of them was injured here and tended to his wounds while waiting for help.

Here on the 12th floor is where the final showdown was. There's evidence of it everywhere.

You've got the spent shell casings, you have got pieces from explosive grenades. And if you take a look around, there are hundreds and hundred of holes on the wall here. Clearly, a fierce firefight that went on here for hours, well into the morning, to get the terrorists.

I'm told this is where the last terrorist was killed. You can see the old scarf that's left behind, holes in it, an empty water bottle, an old shoe with bloodstains. And on the wall, evidence of him being shot here, even splattered brain matter in the gravel.

Now, I want to give you some perspective. We are in the building on the 12th floor on the east side. Here's what the terrorists saw.

If you take a look and you go beyond, about a half-mile, you see that orange building? That is the U.S. Embassy. If you go over to the left, the white building, that's the NATO compound. This essentially gave them a clear shot to continue firing throughout the evening.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: So, T.J., the reason why the police, the Afghan police, even allowed us in that building, and really kind of ushered us in, gave us a tour, is because they're trying to show the image here that, look, we did a good job. We managed to capture and kill these insurgents and things could have been a lot worse. You have got the American ambassador here, too, Ambassador Crocker, essentially saying the same thing -- look, these guys did a good job over here, it could have been a lot worse.

They're invested in that line, in that message that things are getting better. You talk to some other folks -- you talk to the Afghan folks, you talk to some government officials -- and they're looking at this saying, look, this was a terrible situation, it was a chaotic situation, and there is a lot of work that needs to be done.

Either way you look at it, Afghanistan is going to change, it has to change, because U.S. and combat troops, NATO troops, are going to be coming home. That is the plan by the end of 2014, and the Afghans are going to be responsible for their own security -- T.J.

HOLMES: All right.

Suzanne Malveaux for us in Kabul.

Thank you.

We turn back here to some presidential politics.

The president pitching his jobs bill at a small business in North Carolina as we speak. Later, the president will press Congress to pass that jobs package when he speaks at North Carolina State University. North Carolina, the second 2012 battleground state the president has visited in the past two days.

Yesterday, he was pushing his jobs fix in Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Maybe there's some people in Congress who would rather settle our differences at the ballot box rather than work together right now. But I've got news for them. The next election is 14 months away, and the American people don't have the luxury of waiting that long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, the latest CNN/Opinion Research poll asks, "Who do you trust more to handle the economy, Barack Obama or the Republicans in Congress?" Well, 46 percent say the president, 37 percent say the Republicans, 15 percent say they don't trust either one of them.

Well, Elizabeth Warren announced on her Web site today she is in. She's running for Senate. Democrats see the Harvard professor as their best chance to beat Republican Scott Brown and retake the seat once held by Ted Kennedy. Warren led the panel that oversaw the bank bailout program. President Obama wanted her to lead a new Consumer Protection Bureau, but Senate Republicans prevented that from happening.

Also, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, he's shrugging off those boos he got at the presidential debate Monday night while explaining his views on the reasons the U.S. was attacked on 9/11. Paul suggested America's intervention abroad led to the terrorism. Some say Paul was blaming America for 9/11, but he rejected that characterization when I talked to him just a few minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. RON PAUL (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In order to justify our policy in the Middle East, Islam has to be the enemy, and I think that's wrong. There are radicals in the Islamic community and the Muslim community, but that is not the sole reasons why we have this problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, Democrats might be a little rattled today. They have lost two House elections. Queens businessman Bob Turner will take the House seat for New York's 9th District. This is a pretty big upset because a Democrat has had that seat since 1923.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB TURNER (R), NEW YORK CONGRESSMAN-ELECT: This is an historic race. We have been asked by the people of this district to send a message to Washington. And I hope they hear it loud and clear.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Also, Republican Mark Amodei won in Nevada, holding that seat for Republicans. The special elections in both in New York and Nevada were necessary due to sex scandals.

Well, the federal government released its final report on the BP oil spill just a short time ago. Not a lot of surprises in there.

The government spreads the blame between BP and subcontractors Halliburton and Transocean. The report found all three companies violated federal safety regulations. Eleven workers died when a BP oil rig exploded in April of 2010. Two hundred million gallons of oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico.

Also, freedom for two Americans held by Iran in doubt today. A lawyer for Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer said bail had been set and that the men would be released once $1 million was paid. But today, an Iranian news agency reports the judge is only considering bail. Fattal and Bauer say they accidentally strayed into Iran while hiking two years ago.

And have you seen this video yet? These folks came together to save someone.

They pulled a motorcycle rider from underneath a burning car on Monday. Are you seeing this? The bystanders actually had to lift the car then pull that man out.

Now, of course, that car was on the fire. They were putting their own lives at risk. They didn't know if that car would explode, what would happen. But listen to them now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANVAR SUYUNDIKOV, RESCUED TRAPPED MOTORCYCLIST: When I saw it was a fire, an accident, I didn't think about myself. I thought about this poor guy underneath the car. And I thought the car was going to explode.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, the motorcycle rider is 21-year-old Utah state student Brandon Wright (ph). And despite his appearance in the video, he only has a few broken bones and a roll rash. Brandon posted a great big "thank you" to his rescuers. Of course, where else? His Facebook page.

And time for you to get the chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. And today's question: Is government responsible for those in need?

Carol Costello joins us once again from New York.

Hey there, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, T.J.

Here are some depressing numbers for you this morning. America's poverty rate has jumped to 15.1 percent. That's over 46 million people.

What defines poverty? If a couple has two kids and a family income of $22,314 per year, they are poor.

Ann Valdez is living in poverty. A single mom, she gets by thanks to food stamps and Medicaid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANN VALDEZ, LIVING IN POVERTY: We are in poverty. We have educations, we have abilities, we have aspirations, we have families. We have the same thing that apple pie America has.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: Maybe you sympathize with Ms. Valdez. Maybe that's the best you can do in these tough economic times.

Personal responsibility is hot these days. Government aid is not. You certainly heard that in the Tea Party debate when Wolf Blitzer asked what should happen to a hypothetical 30-year-old man who had been injured in a car accident and had no insurance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RON PAUL (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's what freedom is all about, taking your own risks. This whole idea that you have to prepare and take care of everybody --

(APPLAUSE) WOLF BLITZER, MODERATOR: But, Congressman, are you saying that society should just let him die?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes!

PAUL: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: You heard the cheers there. There are some in America who ask, why should we, the taxpayers, help those who don't take responsibility for their own lives? Why should the government dish out long, long-term unemployment benefit or food stamps or welfare?

So the "Talk Back" question today: What is our government's responsibility to those in need?

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

HOLMES: All right, Carol. We'll see you here shortly.

And here's what's ahead "On the Rundown."

First, another food safety issue. The government tries to stop new strains of E. coli from making people sick.

Also, new planets discovered outside our solar system. Could they support life as we know it?

Also, President Obama's re-election team goes after online rumors with a new Web site to track the attacks.

Also, a U.S. businessman being held in Aruba hires the defense attorney of Casey Anthony.

And finally, American fashion label J. Crew is once again hot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: A quarter past the hour now. Your chance to "Choose the News." You can text "22360" for the story you want to see.

Text "1" for China's invisible workforce. Not everybody in China is benefiting from the country's massive economic growth. Get an inside look at living conditions for some of China's migrant workers.

Also, you can text "2" for border tours. Want to witness the harsh realities of the U.S.-Mexican border? Now it's as simple as buying a ticket for an up-close look of your own.

And you can text "3" for the bathroom wars. Why not go to the bathroom in style? An online contest is rating America's best restrooms. Again, you can vote by texting "22360." Text "1" for "China's Invisible Workers"; "2" for "Border Tours"; "3" for "The Best Bathroom."

The winning story will air shortly.

We've got some big space news today on a couple of fronts.

Scientists have discovered 16 new so-called Super-Earths outside of our solar system. And also, NASA unveiling plans to have a new super rocket that will blast American astronauts farther into space than ever before.

CNN's John Zarrella joins me from Miami.

All right, John. You and I were just talking last weekend about, what are we going to do now? How are we going to -- not so many liftoffs to cover. You know, that excitement you get from watching something blast off.

Now we've got a super rocket. When does this thing take off?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but we're going to have to wait a while, T.J.

HOLMES: OK. Sorry.

ZARRELLA: It's going to be 2017 at the earliest before the first launch of the new super rocket, that -- NASA had said right along, look, we have to stop shuttles so we can build this new rocket. So they ended the shuttle program.

Now they have finally announced the new rocket, which in my respects, is kind of, sort of going to look like a shuttle, except that the capsule is going to be on the top. It will have a huge engine tank in the middle, engines on the bottom and boosters on the sides. And ultimately, NASA says this rocket will be able to take humans first to an asteroid by 2025, and then to Mars in the 2030 time period. We're going to have to wait and see if that all pans out.

One of the principal sponsors of this program, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, during the news conference today, said, look, this will ensure that we do not become a second-rate, space ferry (ph) nation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON (R), TEXAS: I don't want to raise the hopes that everything is going to go exactly in a box, by an outline that has been put forward, because we are pushing the envelope. We're going to the next iteration of space leadership. And this, today, I believe is the commitment that America is making to assure that we're not going to be the also-rans. We are going to continue to be the world leader.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ZARRELLA: Now, the total cost over the next five, six years, $18 billion for the rocket and for the Orion capsule that will go on top of it. About $3 billion a year is what NASA is going to ask for to start building this thing.

And, you know, T.J., it's the beginning. It could be we're going to Mars pretty soon.

HOLMES: OK. Wait though. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Before we get too excited here, you just mentioned a few billions in there. So you said they have to ask for -- what's the chance of them getting this money? And if they do get this money, this is going to -- I mean, you could hire a lot of people and a lot of work needs to be done.

ZARRELLA: That's the key, putting the workforce back to work, all of the skilled labor that was losing its jobs after the shuttle program. And Kay Bailey Hutchison and Senator Bill Nelson both said there seems to be broad support within Congress to fund this major program. Seems to be broad support.

But you're right, until that money is actually appropriated, just going to have to wait and see.

HOLMES: All right. Don't get me too excited here.

ZARRELLA: Yes.

HOLMES: John Zarrella, good to see you, as always. Thanks so much.

And on the big space news we're talking about, astronomers say they've discovered 50 new planets outside our solar system, including 16 that are larger than Earth. They're calling these Super-Earths. One of those planets in particular could be home to life with an atmosphere similar to ours. You're looking at here an artist rendering of what this Super-Earth could look like.

Chad Myers, we don't have any idea what it really looks like.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: No.

HOLMES: But still, to hear this is pretty cool. A Super-Earth. What makes it a Super-Earth? They're just talking size here?

MYERS: Bigger than the Earth.

HOLMES: It's bigger than the Earth.

MYERS: About 3.6 times bigger than the Earth. And you know, we have never seen it. We won't even see it until next year, when they build a bigger telescope.

HOLMES: That's right.

MYERS: How do we know that it's there? Because the sun that it's going around is actually wobbling because of its gravity. And that's how these telescopes know that there's actually something going around a sun --

HOLMES: Something.

MYERS: -- and something. But, how big is it? But the thing is, I know it's like HD 1185 (ph), something -- this thing needs to be called Goldilocks.

You know why?

HOLMES: Why?

MYERS: Because it's not too hot and it's not too cold, it's just right.

HOLMES: It's just right.

MYERS: It's 77 degrees. That's what they predict. They know how hot the sun is, they know how far it is away. They think it's 77 degrees, so that makes liquid water, not ice and not steam.

How about that?

HOLMES: All right.

MYERS: Something else to worry about, UARS satellite. Guess what? It's falling from space.

It was decommissioned about five years ago because we have better satellite, but now it's falling, and it will eventually splash down, or maybe crash down, depending on where it goes. There it is.

It's an upper atmosphere research satellite. It started in 1991. It was kind of there to look at the ozone layer.

Twenty-six pieces of debris. The heaviest piece could be 300 pounds.

The chance of this hitting is better than you winning the Lotto tonight, believe it or not. This thing is as big as a bus, a school bus.

It's going break up and it's going to be scattered around. But the path, the fall of this -- the debris field could be 500 miles long. The biggest piece, at 300 pounds, that will leave a mark.

HOLMES: Should I stay inside tonight? What should I do?

MYERS: No, it's not tonight. It won't come down until late September or October. And it will be on my Twitter page as well, ChadMyersCNN, and I'll have where you can link it, you can see where it is and all that stuff.

HOLMES: Make sure you remind me and give me a heads up about that.

MYERS: The likelihood is it splashes in the ocean, but there's a lot of ocean.

HOLMES: But still --

MYERS: But I'll make sure.

HOLMES: OK. Thank you, Chad. Appreciate you, buddy.

Well, coming up, what in the world did Target offer on its Web site that got everybody to that Web site and caused it to crash? Alison Kosik will tell us all about it.

Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, Target's Web site crashed. Why? Well, an Italian designer's popularity is getting the blame. Apparently, the retailer wasn't prepared for all of those shoppers who rushed online to buy -- what, Alison Kosik? What were they after?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's the fashionistas after Missoni. They absolutely stampeded Target.com yesterday, T.J. And you said it -- the Web site crashed for a short time.

You know, some people had trouble getting on again this morning, even though they wanted to get their hands on this new Missoni for Target line. It's only being offered for a limited time, only until mid- October.

You know, some people actually lined up at Target stores as well yesterday, too. But some Missoni items, they're already out of stock. So, if you still want to get them, you may be out of luck.

And I know a lot of people are questioning me, at least on Twitter, who the heck is Missoni? So, Missoni is known for those crazy patterns that you see, the sort of zigzag patterns that you see on a lot of dresses and shirts.

The items usually retail for hundreds of dollars, but the Target line includes sweaters for $40 to $60. Target has also had other high- profile designers. But I'll tell you what, nothing hasn't sparked this kind of interest. Target says demand yesterday, T.J., was bigger than Black Friday.

Recession? What recession?

HOLMES: I think I was probably one of those questioning you on Twitter, asking, what in the world is Missoni? So thank you for clearing that up for me.

Now, what about Wal-Mart? They have to be watching this and they have to be -- something has to be percolating?

KOSIK: Yes. They are actually launching an initiative, T.J., to support women. What Wal-Mart is planning to do is spend $20 billion to buy more products from women-owned businesses. They're going to train women in factories that are Wal-Mart suppliers and push its suppliers to use more women on their Wal-Mart accounts.

Now, they hope to meet these goals within the next five years. And you know what? If you ask me, it's not such a bad marketing idea. Because guess what? It's women who do most of the family shopping. So, I would say, it's a good idea to keep them on the company's good side, especially after Wal-Mart won a controversial sex discrimination case this summer.

You know how it is. They don't want to alienate their main company base. You think, T.J.?

HOLMES: Well, ain't that the truth?

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HOLMES: All right. Alison Kosik, thank you for all that. We'll see you again soon.

We'll turn down to President Obama here in a moment. He wants to stop personal attacks before they even get going. A new Web site is the president's weapon against rumors and smears.

Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Here's A rundown of some of the stories we're working on next.

President Obama's reelection team asks for your help to fight off rumors with a new Web site.

Also, the man who has defended Casey Anthony has another new high- profile client.

Also, in 10 years, after a year of E. coli food scares, the government is cracking down. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will tell you what action they're taking to protect you.

So, first, President Obama's campaign is out with a new Web site aimed at stopping what it calls online rumors and smears before they start. It's a Web site called AttackWatch.com.

And CNN political contributor Hilary Rosen is with us from Washington.

Hilary, good to see you once again.

Explain to us how this thing is up to work.

HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, the name of the site is called AttackWatch.com, not Attack.com. And that's kind of a key difference, because it's sort of unseemly for the president's own campaign to be out there attacking opponents.

But what they do have to do is make sure that no charge goes unanswered. That's kind of the first rule of politics. And one of the ways that they will do that is to make sure whenever somebody is out there attacking the president on any issue, that they have got an answer.

And you're going to see the other campaigns do the same thing much more aggressively as well.

HOLMES: OK. This is a pretty good idea. The president, it sounds like you're almost building up a new following of people to fact- check. And you have got all of your supporters keeping an eye on those blogs which are endless and rumors online which are all over the place.

ROSEN: You have hit the nail on the head. Politics has totally changed. It's a very engaged sport right now. A lot of what we have seen over the last several years in sort of that we think of in the media as kind of gotcha politics really has happened because some citizen out there has noticed their candidate doing something and has brought it to somebody's attention.

And, so, feeding in stories, whether it's to your Democratic candidate or your Republican candidate, feeding in the YouTube moment that you have captured at a town hall meeting or while he's sitting at the deli eating a sandwich, those kinds of things are things that like make campaigns now.

HOLMES: Hilary, let's turn to New York and that election. Republican Bob Turner won that special election, a heavily Democratic district here. A Democrat hasn't held this seat -- or excuse me -- a Democrat has held this seat since the 1920s.

So is it a lot going to be made of this, too much made of this that this is a signal that Obama's in trouble? Or is this really a signal that Obama might be trouble next year?

ROSEN: Well, my instinct is that there's too much made of it.

First rule is, like, don't tweet pictures of yourself without your underpants because you will turn all your constituents kerflooey.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: Yes, that's rule one.

ROSEN: That was Anthony Weiner's seat. It was a Democratic seat before. And it wasn't a particularly liberal Democratic seat. So, I think the Republicans, while they will try and make a lot out of this, this is a district that barely supported President Obama the last time around, and not in the sort of maelstrom of kind of political liberal New York.

Having said that, the fact that it's an isolated seat, and there will be a lot of media around the Republicans taking charge, you know, the White House is going to have to pay attention to this because members of Congress who are being asked to go out on a limb for the president, we want to get this economy moving, we want to pass the president's jobs bill, you know, they're going to want to make sure that the White House and the Democratic Party has their back.

And so if the party can't support their candidates in these races, that's going to give members pause. So, the White House does have to pay attention.

HOLMES: And last thing here, is Elizabeth Warren the right person, the person, the best chance for Democrats to unseat Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts?

ROSEN: I love this race. I'm going to be watching it so closely.

Here you have somebody who's sort of the anti-politician in Elizabeth Warren, really just a phenomenal consumer advocate, a professor, perceived to be the kind of nice lady truth-teller who really is smart and accomplished and almost single-handedly brought some of the Wall Street reforms to Washington to encourage them to be enacted -- and President Obama embraced them, of course -- against an another anti- politician, Scott Brown, who sort of came out of nowhere, was in the state legislature, but not particularly noteworthy. This is going to be sort of a matchup of the Senate, I think. This is the race of the year.

HOLMES: People are already drooling over covering this. This is going to be a good one.

Hilary Rosen, it's been a while. Good to see you again.

ROSEN: Great to see you.

HOLMES: All right.

We're just past the bottom of the hour now. And the lead defense attorney in the murder trial of Casey Anthony has gotten another high- profile client. He will be helping an American businessman in jail in Aruba in the presumed death of a woman he was traveling with. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right, 37 minutes past the hour.

Don't forget, you can vote for today's "Choose the News" winner. You can text 22360 for the story you want see. Texas one for China's invisible workers. See the reality behind the made-in-China label. Text two for border tours. You can, yes, buy a ticket to see the daily drama of immigration battles on the U.S.-Mexican border. And text three for the best bathroom. Floor director's hoping that one will win for some reason. It's an online site that rates the best restrooms in the country.

The winning story will air in just a few.

Also the attorney best known for defending Casey Anthony has now found himself high-profile case. That's top our law-and-order segment.

Sunny Hostin is a legal contributor with "In Session" on our sister network truTV.

Sunny, good to see you as always.

Jose Baez, he was in the news constantly there for months and months. Now he has another high-profile case. How in the world did these two get hooked up?

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Isn't that something?

Well, apparently, he's now representing Gary Giordano. And Gary Giordano's father here in the States hired and retained Jose Baez. There's been a big dustup about this. The other thing I should mention is that he's actually meeting with Gary Giordano right now in Aruba in an Aruban jail.

And we know that Gary Giordano has been held for quite some time now on the suspicion of having something to do with the disappearance of his then-girlfriend that went with him to Aruba.

I think, T.J., it's really interesting, because we know that Jose Baez can't really practice law to Aruba. He's not admitted to practice law there. The legal system is really different. But apparently he's been retained just in case there are some sort of legal proceedings that may take place in the United States.

And so many people, T.J., are saying, who would hire Jose Baez? People hate him now just as much as they hate Casey Anthony. So, a jury is likely to hate him as well and then perhaps, you know, sort of transfer those feeling onto Gary Giordano.

But there's another school of thought that I may be a part of. Perhaps now Jose Baez is making a name for himself as the attorney that takes on people that aren't necessarily guilty, for those people that perhaps think that Casey Anthony indeed is innocent of the charges, even though we know she was found not guilty.

And so it's quite possible that he's just making a name for himself as the go-to attorney when you're really in some big trouble. And I think everyone can agree that the case against Gary Giordano, at this point, looks pretty significant.

HOLMES: For people who are not necessarily...

HOSTIN: You're looking at me funny.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: Yes, I am, because you said for people who aren't necessarily guilty.

This reminds me -- you will probably remember this -- something Chris Rock said. In one of his stand-ups, he was talking about Johnnie Cochran. He said, you say, you can't hire Johnnie Cochran because then you look guilty. But he said, yes, but you go home.

So, is that what Jose Baez... HOSTIN: Yes, you go home.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: You go home.

So, will that be the case? You say maybe now people will look at Giordano and say, well, maybe, something's a little sketchy there if he has to get this guy to defend him?

HOSTIN: Look, I think so. That's sort of the conventional wisdom, right?

If you're in trouble, when Johnnie Cochran was alive, you hired Johnnie Cochran. And I think Jose Baez now has taken that place. We saw some real magic in the courtroom from Jose Baez. I think we saw some really masterful moments. He really connected with the jury. And he's very much the reason why Casey Anthony is a free woman today. And perhaps he is building that Johnnie Cochran reputation for himself with this case.

HOLMES: All of that criticism he got, though, at the end of the day, he turned out looking brilliant to some people.

Let's go quickly, last one we have to get here to is Conrad Murray, the doctor of course accused in the death of Michael Jackson. How in world do you find a jury that is not familiar with this case?

HOSTIN: I don't think you can find a jury that is unfamiliar with Michael Jackson, that is unfamiliar with Conrad Murray.

I think the most you can hope for is finding a jury that can be fair. And I do think that that certainly is possible. I have said it before and I will say it again. I think it was a wrong move by this judge not to sequester the jurors here, because I think there's going to be a lot of media coverage.

But I do believe in our jury system, T.J. You know this. We have spoken many times about this. And I believe they can find a jury that is fair. Finding a jury that knows nothing about this case, impossible.

HOLMES: All right, didn't mean to look at your funny there for a second, though, but every once in a while you perplex me.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: OK, good to see you, as always, Sunny Hostin.

HOSTIN: I saw that.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: Talk to you soon.

Coming up here, we will be checking in with the good doctor. Every year, hundreds of Americans get sick from eating food contaminated with E. coli bacteria. But Dr. Sanjay Gupta will tell you about the government's new plan to stop that from happening.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: So, the U.S. government says it's going test for six more strains of E. coli that in some cases got into foods on the market and got Americans sick.

Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is talking about why the government didn't check for them in the past -- Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., this is a fascinating process overall.

I would say the answer has to do with the amount of E. coli that they're taking about here. They have been testing for all these various strains of E. coli in the past. They said, there's one common strain. There's six strains that are more in trace amounts; they're not a big deal. That's what they thought.

But now, obviously, the attitude is changing. They're saying if the food tests positive for any of these strain of E. Coli, it can't enter the food supply.

Now this, you know, again, reflects a change in attitude. You know there's this Food Safety Modernization Act passed at the end of last year, allows the FDA and the USDA to issue recalls with regard to food. It also amped up inspections at lat of these plants and facilities. Again, trying to keep the food from getting into the supply in the first place.

Now, one thing I'll point out is that, you know, with regard to these six strains, not everyone thinks that this is a terrific idea. I mean the American meat industry, as you might expect, thinks, look, this is just going to cost lots of money. Those costs are going to be passed on to consumers and it may not lead to a significant public health benefit. So you see sort of the two sides at play there as well.

One quick update as well, T.J., listeria is a different bacteria. It's also been leading to some problems lately. And they think they've traced this back to cantaloupes, specifically in the Rocky Ford region of Colorado. Sixteen people have become sick. A few different states there involved. But what's fascinating, I think, T.J., is just how you sort of trace this back. Trying to figure out who got sick where. What did they eat that was in common. And tracing it all back to a specific place. It's a real medical mystery sometimes. In this case, they think they got it figured out.

Listeria, a potential problematic bacteria, especially for people who have weakened immune systems, also pregnant women. You know, the basic rules apply, T.J., though, wash your hands, wash the produce, try and take the peels off the produce and the food as well.

So, again, though, T.J., some potentially good news as far as E. Coli goes in terms of keeping our food safer.

T.J., back to you.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thanks as always to our Sanjay Gupta.

And, by the way, you can catch Dr. Gupta's special on 62-year-old Diana Nyad's attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida. It's called "Xtreme Dream," this Saturday night, 8:00 Eastern Time.

And at a quarter till the top of the hour, we can show you a live event taking place right now. That's the president of the United States. He is on the road, like he said he would be on the road in his joint session speech to Congress. That was last week he was talking to jobs. Well, he said he was going to go on the road and sell that $4447 billion package. And he is doing it right now.

He's in North Carolina. Another battleground state. He's already been to Ohio, Virginia to sell this thing and he could tell you probably he's just getting started. But he's there at NC State talking to the young people there. Part of the wolf pack. But talking to them. We will see the president often probably in the next few days and weeks selling that package directly to the American people, trying to get Congress to, as he said, pass the bill right now. We are monitoring the president's remarks.

Also, one day you're in, the next day, you are out. That's model Heidi Klum's rule of the fashion word and that was the case for iconic American label J. Crew. But the brand is back again and it's all thanks to one man. Here now, Alina Cho, with your "Fashion: Backstage Pass."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I have your attention, please.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet America's merchant prince.

MICKEY DREXLER, CEO, J. CREW: Anyone can just bring in best-sellers.

CHO: He's Mickey Drexler, CEO of J. Crew. When he speaks --

DREXLER: Things that are new. Any trend.

CHO: The racks come rolling in.

DREXLER: Show me. Bring them in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The green is doing half of the sales of the (INAUDIBLE). This is the number one style.

CHO: Why the intercom?

DREXLER: Why the intercom? This is why you don't see any walls here. Because I think most organizations are fortress oriented. CHO: Not at J. Crew, where Drexler's mantra is, no profit, no fun. Once a catalog company for college kids a decade ago, J. Crew was in a slump. That's until Drexler came aboard nine years ago, picked up after being abruptly fired from The Gap.

CHO (on camera): Who was your biggest competitor?

DREXLER: You know, I could say anyone with a sewing machine.

CHO (voice-over): He's been credited with inventing casual Fridays by changing the way Americans dress, elevating J. Crew to affordable luxury.

CHO (on camera): They really are the iconic American brand, aren't they?

CINDI LEIVE, EDITOR IN CHIEF, GLAMOUR: J. Crew has made itself into something magical. I mean I know women who can afford anything in the world, and they will literally go through the J. Crew catalog and just order those outfits right off the page.

JENNA LYONS, PRESIDENT, J. CREW: He wanted to talk about Italian cashmere. He wanted to talk about our Italian shoes. He wanted to talk about quality. We hadn't been having those conversations.

CHO (voice-over): It worked. Under Drexler, J. Crew's sales have tripled to $1.8 billion. With the first family's seal of approval

JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": I want to ask you about your wardrobe. I'm guessing about 60 grand?

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: Actually, this is a J. Crew ensemble.

LENO: Really? Wow.

CHO (on camera): You call her an act of God?

DREXLER: Yes. You know, look, you can't argue with that kind of publicity.

CHO (voice-over): The secret, a big splash of color. J. Crew's signature.

DREXLER: When you buy something like this, you're competing with 50 other retailers and half of them have it on sale.

CHO (on camera): So that's why you've got this?

DREXLER: We've got this. Look, color is a competitive advantage for us.

CHO (voice-over): He created Crew Cuts for kids, bridal, jewelry, and everywhere there's sparkle. Two hundred thirty-three stores nationwide. They're in Canada and have their sights set on China, too. This season, for the first time, J. Crew presented its latest collection under the fashion tents. Six foot tall Jenna Lyons is the residents cool girl, J. Crew's president.

LYONS: I sort of joke that I'm like the road signs. I'm like, don't do that. Let's do more of that. Stay over here. No, stop. And, you know, it's maybe just a little bit of that that sort of keeps everything coming out the tunnel at the other end.

CHO: Cooky color combos, a touch of the unexpected.

LYONS: I wore these. I loved them. And here they are, back again. But like then you have to wear this sort of sequin skirt. You know, it's not about this with like, you know, a kilt.

CHO: Drexler's philosophy is quite simple and all American. Just like J. Crew.

DREXLER: Do it, do it right, pay close attention to the product and over time you will win.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now Alina have will many more inside looks at the runway shows, the designers, the fashions and the trends that you won't see anywhere else. Watch the CNN special "Fashion: Backstage Pass," airs Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, let us say hello to Carol Costello once again. She has been fielding some of your comments on the question of the day, is the government responsible for those in need?

Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A very passionate discussion generated by this question, T.J.

This from Chris. "If the government does not take care of our fellow Americans in need, what make this country different from the developing countries around the world who battle poverty and crime at extremely high levels."

This from Mike. "The real question that needs to be asked is, how is it we can provide aid to other country that we can't afford to be giving away, and yet debate whether or not to help our own citizens. It's pretty sad."

This from Jad. "For a party that prides itself on Christian values and for a radical offshoot that takes that to the extreme, the Tea Party, I find the lack of empathy and compassion for our fellow man displayed frequently to be not only hypocritical but downright disgusting."

This from Michael. "It is not the government's responsibility to take care of everybody. That's why we have private charities and churches. We should take care of each other and not rely on the government for everything. Government welfare only breeds dependency." And this from Mary. "If we believe in American exceptionalism, then we must take care of our poor. This is one of the things that sets us apart from third world countries."

Please, continue the conversation, facebook.com/carolcnn. And thanks, as always, for your comments. T.J. will be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, checking some stories making news cross-country.

A massive wildfire in northeastern Minnesota has grown almost tenfold in a days. It now covers roughly 100,000 acres. It's burning about 240 miles north of Minneapolis. The smoke can be seen from Wisconsin to the Canadian border.

Also, Vice President Joe Biden is going to northeastern Pennsylvania Friday to look at flood damage from Hurricane Irene and remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. He can expect to see a lot of what you're seeing. The flooding from the river there destroyed homes and scattered debris just about everywhere.

Also the small village of Point Play (ph), Alaska, thousands of walruses have parked themselves on the coastline. Forty million, really? Collective pounds (ph) of marine mammal. The local mayor thinks they're trying to get away from ship traffic. Government scientists think it has more to do with melting sea ice.

Well, as I get ready to hand this thing over to Randi Kaye, my apologies to our viewers, Randi. I feel horrible about this.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

HOLMES: I've been telling them the "Choose The News" for the past two hours, but we ran out of time.

KAYE: I know. I've been waiting.

HOLMES: Couldn't get it in. So now you have to go to Suzanne's FaceBook page, facebook.com/suzannecnn, to see -- to choose the news winner. I am so --

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: I can't believe it.

HOLMES: Randi, I'm sorry.

KAYE: You should be but that's OK. I don't blame you, you had a lot of news to get through today.

HOLMES: Yes, we did.

KAYE: So, I will take it from here.

HOLMES: All right, it's all yours.

KAYE: You have yourself a great day. HOLMES: All right.