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Future of Apple; President Obama Holds Press Conference; Massachusetts Murder Case May Involve Death Penalty; Prostate Cancer Screening Often Problematic; Shakira Named to a Presidential Advisory Committee
Aired October 06, 2011 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hour two. I'm Brooke Baldwin.
President Obama lashing out at a surprise news conference this morning. Also, the future of Apple after Steve Jobs. And it is now cheaper to buy a home than ever before.
Time to play "Reporter Roulette" on this Thursday.
And, Dan Lothian, let's begin with you there at the White House.
Dan, we listened to the president this morning answering many questions and not only did he take on Republicans, right? He's taking on, again, millionaires.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
And what we are talking about here is that surtax to pay for the president's jobs bill, which Senate Democrats are pushing and it's 5.6 percent on those making over a million dollars. We did not see or hear a full-throated endorsement of this from the president. In fact, though, what he said was that he was comfortable and that he thought that this approach from Senate Democrats was fine.
The president supporting this as a means of paying for this jobs bill, which, of course, that's been the big issue, how to pay for all of this.
BALDWIN: President Obama, though--
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Will Congress do something?
If Congress does something, then I can't run against a do-nothing Congress. If Congress does nothing, then it's not a matter of me running against them. I think the American people will run them out of town.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LOTHIAN: Of course, that was the president talking about how he wants Congress to make some movement on his jobs bill and he wants to see this passed in one piece.
But he's also I guess realizing that that's -- it is possible that that may not happen and so the president says that he will continue to hammer away at Congress until all of those other elements do get addressed, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Yes, that's what I was going ask, if he needs the whole thing or perhaps in part. Dan Lothian, thank you very much at the White House.
Next our "Reporter Roulette" we want to talk a little bit about the death of apple founder Steve Jobs.
Casey Wian in Pasadena, California, for us this afternoon.
And, Casey, Apple customers they are very much so known for their loyalty. But why is that? What makes them so loyal to a man many of us certainly never knew?
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, in the words of one customer we spoke with this morning, it is because the products work. He put it as simple as that.
It is very unusual when you see the CEO of a company pass away that you will see that customers -- that company's customers pour out in tributes as if it was a member of the family or a member of the community has passed away. Over here you can see since Steve Jobs' death last night, people have been leaving flowers, little notes in Apple stickers. Thanks for all the magic. We will miss you, Steve. RIP. Even a quote from Dr. Seuss. Don't be sad because it is over. Smile because it happened.
Someone even left a card here for Steve Jobs. Let me read it to you. It is real brief, but it's very, very telling. "Dear Steve, we will all miss you very much. My dad bought me my first Apple II in 1977 when I was 12 years old. Your vision and commitment to the extraordinary is both inspiring and magnificent. God bless you. Love, John S." -- from an Apple customer. Pretty much says it all, Brooke.
BALDWIN: It does. It's amazing how much he and his innovations touched so many people. Casey, thank you so much in Pasadena.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
BALDWIN: Still ahead, a pretty stunning report from the group that advised against mammograms for women. Do you remember that news? Pretty controversial at the time. Find out now what the same group is saying about men and what you should not be doing.
Plus:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is my son (INAUDIBLE). Today would have been his 17th birthday. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: A mother begs for change after her teenage son suddenly dies. We will tell you what she is demanding.
Also, just in to us here at CNN, we are getting word on a major development involving the raid that killed Osama bin Laden -- what Pakistan is now doing to the doctor who helped lead the CIA to the world's most wanted terrorist next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: This just into us here at CNN.
The doctor accused of playing a key role in the U.S. assassination of Osama bin Laden now facing a charge of treason by Pakistan. The man allegedly set up this fake vaccination campaign to allow U.S. intelligence to acquire DNA that helped locate the al Qaeda leader.
Let's go live to Reza Sayah in Islamabad with more.
Reza, what else do you know?
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, I think it is important to clarify that these are simply recommendations made by a commission set up in Pakistan.
These are not binding recommendations. It is not clear if actually this doctor is going to face treason charges. But this was a commission set up in Pakistan to find out how Osama bin Laden managed to live here for apparently years and they also were charged with investigating the U.S. raid on the bin Laden compounds.
They made three recommendations. One of them is for this doctor -- his name is Shakil Afridi -- who allegedly tried to help the CIA locate and identify Osama bin Laden. They are recommending that he be charged with treason. You will recall this was a doctor who allegedly set up a fake vaccination campaign and he got two nurses and the nurses went around the town of Abbottabad giving vaccinations to children.
And the plan was for these nurses to use the syringe or the blood samples from the bin Laden children and match them with bin Laden's sister's DNA, bin Laden's sister, of course, passing away last year. That plan didn't work. Nevertheless, it caused a lot of outrage here in Pakistan. The question why was a Pakistani doctor helping the CIA behind Pakistani authorities back? Now this commission recommending that he be charged with treason.
Another recommendation, Brooke, by this commission coming down tonight is for the three wives of Osama bin Laden and his daughters to be free to go home. Two of the wives from Saudi Arabia, one from Yemen, and the commission saying they should be free to go home and they questioned them and they don't need them any longer.
It's not clear if that will happen. It is not clear yet what Washington thinks about this or if they have weighed in on this matter -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: OK, OK. So these are recommendations, as you explain. One of the issues you mentioned, the commission wanted to find out how long bin Laden managed to live in Abbottabad for so long. Did they find an answer to that?
SAYAH: Well, that's one of the things they were charged with. And based on the recommendations here, they didn't come up with any answers as to how bin Laden managed to live in Pakistan for so long. Of course, there was a lot of outrage from all sides coming after this raid, a lot of people outraged why and how he was living here. And they were outraged by the U.S. raid on the bin Laden compound.
And it seems with this recommendation, these three recommendations coming down, this commission only addressing the concerns, the outrage about the U.S. raid on the bin Laden compounds, not so much on the outrage as to why he managed to live here for so long.
BALDWIN: Got it. Reza Sayah, live for us in Pakistan, Reza, thank you.
(NEWS BREAK)
BALDWIN: And listen to this. You own your home fair and square, or so you think. Thousands of people in danger of losing their dream homes because the government says they don't own the land. Could this nightmare scenario actually happen to you? I will talk to one of these frustrated homeowners who is scared straight right now. Don't miss that conversation.
Be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Thousands of homeowners in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, are furious and they're worried sick, this after learning that the land they legally bought might not be theirs after all.
They have been told that their dream homes, their dream condos sit on land owned by a utility company by the name of Ameren. Ameren manages the shoreline at the Lake of the Ozarks. So this lake was made in 1939 -- excuse me -- '31 as part of the Bagnell Dam project. And now the Federal Regulatory Commission regulates the lake, the dam, and the hydroelectric plant.
So, when Ameren renewed its license to keep managing the project in 2008, they submitted this plan to make the lake -- to manage the lake and the shoreline. Federal regulators want to keep a handle on development in the resort area. But a lot of these homes, gazebos, structures, docks they are considered inside the project boundary built to close to the shoreline and they could be in jeopardy.
Federal regulators want all these structures removed. That has a lot of homeowners there in limbo, including Karen Walker, who is good enough to call in. She is calling me from Saint Louis. And, Karen, just so I understand this, you and your husband, you know, you're retiring and you buy this dream condo on this lake, what, 10 years ago. You're paying your taxes. You are taking care of it. And then someone walks up to you, Karen, and what do they tell you?
KAREN WALKER, HOMEOWNER: Well, they said don't do any improvements on it because we are not sure that you own the property. So we had purchased it.
The building was built in 1984. And it had had several owners. You know, we felt relatively safe and we were conservative in what we purchased. We financed it and we got title insurance and all of the things that responsible people do. And then after nine years of being there, now we find out that we may not own it.
(CROSSTALK)
WALKER: Go ahead.
BALDWIN: Take me back, though. So, 10 years ago, when you are doing all the appropriate things, as you have just outlined, were there any red flags, anything that said to you maybe that land wasn't owned by who you thought?
WALKER: No, no. Absolutely not. We are pretty conservative people and we, you know, we picked up the property because it was in a small community, small condo community. And it was well maintained.
They had a strong reserve. So, you know, we thought we were doing everything correctly, and then to find out, you know, nine or 10 years later that potentially you are going to lose that total investment, it is really unsettling. It is like there's nothing beneficial that I can see that would come out of tearing those condos down. And a lot of things would be detrimental to the financial health of the people who own those properties, as well as to the community and the lake itself.
BALDWIN: And you were telling me when we were talking in the commercial break this is or what you thought would be your little slice of heaven.
Tell me, Karen, how many people are in the same situation as you?
WALKER: I'm sorry. Can you repeat that, please?
BALDWIN: How many people are in the same situation as you, in limbo?
WALKER: Well, I don't know. They say that there's 1,200 residences. And in my building or my building, there are nine units. And the building that is adjacent to it is also has about nine people. And then along Screech Owl, which is the name of the street, there are people who have put all of their retirement funds into their homes. Now they need to sell them and move to where their kids are and they can't.
BALDWIN: Why can't they? Why can't you just sell and get out? WALKER: Because nobody is going to buy it. The banks don't want to loan money. The realtors don't even want to show it because, you know, they are concerned about the liability of showing something and selling something where there's a disputed title.
BALDWIN: You sit and you are stuck. I'm sure you never thought, Karen, in a million years that this could happen to you. As you say, you and your husband were conservative from the get. I guess it just got us wondering maybe this could happen to someone else. What would your advice be to someone looking to buy property?
WALKER: I really -- I don't know. I mean, I think we did everything right. I guess that, you know, just make sure that there is no easement of any kind that is attached to that property.
You know, at our home, we have an easement for the utilities to come and fix their wires and cable to fix things. You know, you just have to really do your homework I guess on easements.
BALDWIN: Well, Karen Walker, I guess enjoy the lake as long as you can. And we are going to check back in with you and see what ends up happening here to you and these 1,200 I guess other residences. Karen, thank you very much. Best of luck to you.
WALKER: Sure. Be happy to stay in touch.
And I just think that the -- it is not even a commonsense answer to say to remove the structures. They are well-maintained and they add to the economy of Lake of the Ozarks. They are good, hardworking, decent people, and to have their homes destroyed is just nonsensical.
BALDWIN: Karen Walker, thank you. Good luck.
Coming up here, more of our breaking news here from the medical world. The same group that told women not to get mammograms now has a warning for men. We have the reasons you need to hear.
Plus, this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: To watch the president of the United States give up on governing, give up on leading, and spend full time campaigning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Strong words from the speaker of the House. John Boehner and other Republicans ramping up criticism as President Obama's campaign season heats up. In fact, campaign season is actually speeding up. Why some voters will get their chance in the booth sooner than they thought. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Let's go to Paul Steinhauser now with America's Choice 2012 politics update.
And, Paul, let me get this straight. First, there could be votes for 2012 actually this year?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, 2011, right? Wait. This is supposed to be a 2012 election but the first votes may be in December.
BALDWIN: How?
STEINHAUSER: Brooke, here we go again. Four years, it was the America old story, this kind of mad dash by some of these states to move ahead.
Let's go to the calendar and I will explain the play-by-play. It all started last Friday when Florida announced, guess what, guys, we are holding our primary on January 31. Well, the four states that are supposed to go first that didn't sit very well with them.
Earlier this week, South Carolina announced they will hold their primary on the 21st. You can see right there last night Nevada said guess what, we will hold our caucus on the 14th of January. Brooke, that leaves New Hampshire and Iowa, two states that will go first. Well, New Hampshire might have to go as early now as January 3. If that happens, Iowa may have to move up until December.
So everything getting accelerated. For people like me who cover this, I guess Christmas vacation and -- is out the window. But for voters, it is important, too, because they are going to have less time to actually meet and greet and understand where the candidates stand on the issues.
BALDWIN: Who other than you and many people out of D.C. who will not be getting their Christmas and Hanukkah, et cetera, vacations, I guess, who benefits from this or maybe hurts from them shifting earlier?
STEINHAUSER: Well, that's a good question.
Here is who I think maybe it benefits. Maybe Mitt Romney, right? He's the front-runner in the polls right now. Why Mitt Romney? Because he's basically -- some people say he has been running for president for five years now. He did it last cycle. He's doing it again. He already has the ground game, the teams, the squads in those early states.
Somebody like Rick Perry, though, who just started his campaign about eight weeks ago, he is trying to get those people into the states and organized there. Now he will have a lot less time to do it -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: OK. Paul Steinhauser, thank you very much there in Washington.
Still ahead here, he is on trial for a brutal home invasion, left a mother and her two young daughters dead. Today, lawyers for Joshua Komisarjevsky made a huge move. Plus, a manhunt under way for a guy police say broke into a car and then posted a little something on his victim's Facebook page. Wait for this one.
Also, Sunny Hostin is on the case.
But, first, want to show you a rare look at Apple founder Steve Jobs, who died last night at the age of 56. This is the Jobs we are used to seeing, the master of the stage who could bring the audience to its feet. But everyone has to start somewhere.
And we want to share some video with you taken of Jobs getting ready for his very first television interview, the year, 1978. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOBS: God, look at that. Look, I'm on television.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey.
JOBS: Hey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn't that amazing?
JOBS: Yes, it is.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- New York, too.
JOBS: What's that?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- New York, too.
JOBS: No, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you are.
JOBS: Am I really. Are you serious?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. They have got you in New York.
JOBS: God.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- your own ear and just -- you see what it is? It's a--
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are going to talk to you.
JOBS: Yes. Now, this is not the real thing, though, right? You just want a picture of me now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. They are going to sit you. They will sit you here--
(CROSSTALK)
JOBS: Gosh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whenever you would like some water, Steve, or--
JOBS: Well, I'm going to not have to sit here until you are ready, right? You are going to let me go away and then come back? Or--
(CROSSTALK)
JOBS: This is it?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, if you have got to do anything, do it now, OK?
JOBS: Oh, yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to go in the bathroom or anything?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Both sides arrested in the trail of the man accused of killing that Connecticut mother and two young daughters in a brutal home invasion. Sunny Hostin is on the case.
And Sunny, the defense tried to portray Joshua Komisarjevsky as the defendant as a victim here -- childhood abuse, multiple concussions, self-mutilation, drug use. Is that the crux of the defense?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: I think so. Certainly they are trying to make sense of the monster to this jury because we know how horrific these crimes were, Brooke. I think that they are also trying to say he was unable to make decisions because of his limited cognitive functioning based on the fact he was abused as a child, based on the fact that he was adopted and abused as a child by a foster kid that was taken in by his parents and never received psychological counseling, was instead asked to pray on it, that sort of thing.
Did they get very far with that defense? I don't think so, Brooke. It was a very quick defense case, about a day and a half. This is such a horrific, horrific crime, I doubt that that really scored a lot important the defense, trying to explain the monster, trying to get empathy from the jury. I don't think that worked.
BALDWIN: Speaking of horrific, have you the evidence, photographs, his statement to police. Was the defense able to mitigate any of that? HOSTIN: Not in my view. I mean, bottom line is this is -- I have always said not a case about guilt or innocence. We know Joshua Komisarjevsky is guilty of these crimes. He confessed to the majority of them, Brooke. This is a case about the death penalty. This is a case about whether or not he will be put to death. So I think we will hear a lot more of mitigation next week when perhaps we go into the penalty phase here. But right now, this is not really about guilt or innocence. This is about trying to save his life for this defense team.
BALDWIN: Do you think that his life will be spared?
HOSTIN: You know, having sat through the first trial, Brooke, Steven Hayes' trial, he was convicted and sentenced to death, I just don't see it. They tried to play the game -- the blame game here and tried to say really Stevens Hayes was the more guilty of the two. Will that rule the day, win the day? I just don't think so. I have spoken to so many people who are against the death penalty in Connecticut, and they told me if ever a case qualifies for the death penalty, it is this one.
BALDWIN: OK, second case, kind of a lighter note, I guess, cautionary tale for criminals. This man in Georgia who steals this woman's purse. Who knows why he did this, but he pulls her cell phone out of the purse, snaps his own picture. Here it is. What he didn't realize is that this woman's phone was set to automatically upload photos to this woman's Facebook page, which didn't even realize could you do that. Obviously the police are thrilled about this. When did they bust this guy, like today?
HOSTIN: Probably. I mean, that's a pretty clear picture. The police feel pretty confident they are going to find this guy. Bottom line is, I mean, that's one of the best mug shots I have ever seen. It is so clear. Perhaps it is one of Steve Jobs iPhones. In a homage to him and show you how technology has helped law enforcement. I have my iPad with me every day here on the set. This is just another example of the legacy of someone like Steve jobs that has been brought into our world.
BALDWIN: Hash tag, stupid criminal. Sunny Hostin, thank you.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Now this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Obviously I heard of and it seen it on television. I think that it expresses the frustrations of the American people feel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: As these voices, these cries get louder, protests grow, President Obama talks about whether he will push for prosecutors -- prosecutions, I should say, against Wall Street power players. That's ahead.
Also up next, are prostate exams dangerous? That is what one group is now suggesting, the same group that caught fire for advising women against mammograms. CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has the breaking news here. It's a CNN exclusive. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Last hour we broke the news on CNN we can expect new recommendations coming from the group of scientists telling men not to get screened for prostate cancer. Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here with the story and here to explain no screenings.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I know that is confusing to people. They don't screen for cancer. This is the same group were telling women in their 40s don't need mammograms. The Prostate Cancer Foundation when they saw the piece that you and I did, we talked to them, and they said this is a tremendous mistake for men to be told not to get prostate cancer screening.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: This group as well as many other respected doctors say look, prostate cancer is usually a very slow growing and not going hurt you. So you might find the slow growing prostate cancer when you go to look for and it you treat it and you can make a man impotent and incontinent when the treatment when the cancer would never hurt him to begin with. A very slow growing cancer, much of the time.
But sometimes it is a fast-growing cancer. The problem is you can't tell. And so men who have had fast-growing cancers say how can you say not screen? Screenings saved my life. Other men where they found a slow growing cancer and now today are impotent and continent they say I wish I never knew. Just knowing led me to become impotent and incontinent.
BALDWIN: OK, so then ultimately, what's the best advice.
COHEN: I wrote a column about this called "what to do to do" because I think it is a huge question. And I think all a man can really do is look at the statistics. When you screen for prostate cancer there is less than one percent chance you are going to find a really threatening cancer. You're 47 times more likely to find a cancer that's never going to harm you but that if you treat it the treatment could harm you. So you just have to decide --
BALDWIN: So awareness?
COHEN: Yes, awareness and having -- this is probably the single most important time to be an empowered patient. It is a difficult decision to make whether to screen for prostate cancer. You have to sit with your doctor and talk to them about what you want to do.
BALDWIN: Where do we read "What to do to do?
COHEN: We are going to put it up on CNN.com/empoweredpatient.
BALDWIN: Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.
Still to come here, a noisy scene at the occupied New York protests today. A large crowd of protesters gathered outside of police headquarters, shouting "We are the 99 percent."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: We are the 99 percent!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: From New York to Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Washington, D.C., these Occupy Wall Street movements really now spreading to more cities across the country today. In fact, these are images now from -- this is Philadelphia and Nashville. Anywhere from a couple of dozen to a couple of hundred people are showing up and multiple cities to protest, a variety of issues, issues such as calling an end to the Fed, asking to boycott standardized testing, do something about a variety of issues protesters consider social and economic inequalities, and to prosecute Wall Street executives over the whole financial crisis.
In fact, just this morning, if you were listening to the president, he was asked about this. He addressed these Wall Street protests today. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: On the issue of prosecutions on Wall Street, one of the biggest problems about the collapse of Lehman's and subsequent financial crisis and the whole subprime lending fiasco is that a lot of that stuff wasn't necessarily illegal. It was just immoral or inappropriate or reckless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Last night in New York, some of the protests did get a bit rowdy. A handful of protesters cried to crash through a police line to get there on to Wall Street. There were other scuffles between police and protesters. About two dozen people, we are told, were arrested.
Coming up, word of an apparent feud at the White House. Find out why the first family is fighting. Who could this be over?
Plus, some of the biggest names in sports in the buff from tennis to hoops. Stars are showing off their bodies completely nude. Coming up next you're going to say, the racy pictures and hear why they are getting naked.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Now to those racy pictures again. They are trending all over today. Soccer superstar Hope Solo and other top athletes getting totally naked for the world to see. They're featured in "ESPN the Magazine's" body issue. It's out tomorrow. And we're talking baseball players, snowboarders, gymnasts -- 22 of the world's best sports athletes completely in the buff. The issue celebrates their incredible -- look at that -- physiques.
Tomorrow's news today -- let's fast forward. The government releases the jobs report for the month of September after a month of roller coaster swings on Wall Street. Also, Mitt Romney may be campaigning on his economic record, but the presidential candidate is talking foreign policy at the Citadel tomorrow.
Plus, Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband holds a news conference to announce he's for mayor of Los Angeles. Prince Von Anhalt says he wants to tackle homelessness and unemployment.
Also, better late than never. The 1985 Chicago Bears will be at the White House. The legendary team never went on the visit because of the Challenger explosion soon after.
Still ahead, President Obama gets a new celebrity adviser, and let's just say hips don't lie. Plus, this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, U.S. FIRST LADY: You took Scott. You took Scott. That's not fair.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: A family feud of sorts brewing at the White House. Apparently, the Obama family fights over Secret Service agents. Joe Johns has the Political Pop, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: "THE SITUATION ROOM" coming up in a matter of minutes with Wolf Blitzer. He's going to join me, as always, with a preview. And Wolf, Ron Paul today.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Ron Paul, let's talk Twitter, as I know you like to do sometimes -- @RepRonPaul. And guess who else is joining me?
BALDWIN: Shakira? I don't know.
BLITZER: No, I wish Shakira would. Unfortunately, she's not going to be today. Instead, guess who we have? @SenatorSanders. Can you imagine how good is "THE SITUATION ROOM"? We got -- maybe Shakira will come in one of these days. And as you know, her hips don't lie.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: That they don't, Wolf Blitzer. We'll just leave it there.
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: As Wolf Blitzer mentioned, her hips don't lie. Grammy winning artist Shakira getting into politics sort of. We'll bring in Joe. You do know that Wolf has like a total crush on this woman, yes?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. It's a good day if you can show video of Shakira and talk about politics at the same time.
BALDWIN: What's the story?
JOHNS: All right, usually, people getting named to advisory commissions in Washington is right up there with watching grass grow in terms of excitement, but this is a little different. This time, it is Shakira. She's been named to the president's advisory committee on education excellence for Hispanics, and she has worked on a lot of efforts to sort of expand, improve early childhood care, education, around the world.
The White House put part of a resume up on the website. The first thing we got was her full name, which I didn't know Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll. She's been involved in a number of global educational efforts, founded the Barefoot Foundation in 1995, which operates schools, educational products, in Colombia, South Africa, Haiti.
Last year, she collaborated with the World Bank, the Barefoot Foundation, to start an initiative on developmental programs for children across Latin America. In 2008 she was the honorary chair for education's global action week. And it just goes on and on. She's actually been involved to some extent in politics for quite a while. Who knew?
BALDWIN: Who knew? I lived in Mexico City for a second studying there. I think her first album means Barefoot. Amazing.
JOHNS: She's a multitalented individual there.
BALDWIN: She is. Let's talk about Michelle Obama. There's a bit of a White House family feud over members of the Secret Service.
JOHNS: Absolutely. She went over to the Secret Service headquarters, spent a little time talking there with people who helped to protect the president of the United States and the first family, they do a lot of other things, they fight terrorism. And she sort of disclosed a secret that none of us knew and people in the White House specifically, the first family, do in fact have favorites among their Secret Service agents. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MICHELLE OBAMA: Sasha will come in, it's like, you took Scott. Malia's like, you took Scott, it's not fair. Then I'll say the same thing to Barack. Why did you get Beth? Dinner table conversation.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: So, there's a guy who worked for the Secret Service who definitely has employment security at least through January of, what, the year after next.
BALDWIN: I guess so. Do we know what it is about these guys that they love so much?
JOHNS: No. I mean, we do know that other presidents have certainly had their favorites and I assume other members of the first family, but I don't think they got all the way down into the details. But Scott seems to be --
BALDWIN: Fodder at the Obama house.
JOHNS: Interesting, isn't it.
BALDWIN: It is. Joe Johns, thank you very much.
And we're getting news into CNN. Take a look at these pictures. Obviously, helicopter flying, perhaps carrying some water. There's this grass fire in Oklahoma. They're dropping water on this mile long stretch of burning grass -- there he goes -- trying to help in this effort. Let me tell you where this is, Lincoln County, Oklahoma. Chad was telling me, the winds out of the south at 20 to 30 miles per hour.
I'm told according to Cushing Fire, the fire is ablaze along at least a mile long swath of land. There are homes in the area. Don't know of evacuations or homes that have burned yet, but multiple agencies there -- 30 mile per hour winds now I'm being told. Multiple agencies working to try to put this out in Lincoln County, Oklahoma.
Also developing now, the prime suspect in Wednesday's mass workplace shooting in California is believed to have been killed. The Santa Clara county sheriff says today officers shot and killed a man who matches the description of Shareef Allman, but a coroner still has to confirm the identity of the body. The sheriff says Allman yesterday went to his meeting at his job in a quarry in Cupertino and just began firing, killing three people, injuring a handful of others. Is still not clear why, but officials describe Allman as disgruntled. His co- workers are thankful for their lives.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happened fast?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very fast. Everybody was running.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just hit the ground?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ran.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did get reports back that one of my members is OK. When the shooting started, he jumped out the window.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Officers say after the quarry attack Allman also shot and injured a woman as he tried to carjack here.
Before we let you go, one more shot, live images of this grass fire in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, multiple helicopters trying to, trying to begin to douse this thing. National Guard here I'm told. National Guard offering help as well, multiple agencies trying to put this out. It's at least a mile long swath of land. This fire, we saw the flames a moment ago. I'm sure Wolf will keep his eye on this.