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Herman Cain Rising; Virus Infects U.S. Military Drones; Beauty Salon Massacre

Aired October 13, 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: When she got out, the 23-year-old woman says Harry wrapped her with his towel to keep her warm. She met up with Harry and his friends the next night for drinks.

And now hour two. Watch this.

Welcome back. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

The president getting grilled on the economy, jury deliberations in a gruesome murder trial, and a computer virus infects U.S. drones.

It's time to play "Reporter Roulette" on this Thursday.

Want to begin with Jessica Yellin live at the White House with a story just in to CNN.

Jessica, what do you know?

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Brooke.

A senior administration official tells CNN that a senior member of the Haqqani Network has been killed. It happened overnight earlier today in North Waziristan, Pakistan. A man by the name of Janbaz Zadran, we're told, played a central role in helping the Haqqani Network attack U.S. and coalition targets in Kabul and in southeastern Afghanistan, that he was killed in a part of Pakistan called Miram Shah.

And this is considered a safe haven for the Haqqani Network. They say that he is the most senior Haqqani leader in Pakistan to be taken off the battlefield. As you know, the Haqqani Network considered a terrorist organization linked to the Taliban and blamed by U.S. officials for the attack on the U.S. embassy in Kabul, as well as an attack on U.S. troops in the Wardak Province, Brooke, among other attacks.

BALDWIN: Let me ask you about something else as well here. I know the president greeted his counterpart from South Korea today, talked about the new trade deal, right, that went through last night.

But you hit him hard, Jessica Yellin, with some questions about not only Iran, but also the U.S. economy. On the economy, you asked him why he is not sitting down with Congress and compromising to get people back to work. What did he say? What was his answer? YELLIN: He said he will meet with Republicans basically any time any place if they come ready to negotiate. But he does not want more political theater. He doesn't basically want a repeat of what happened during the negotiations over the debt ceiling. Not his words, mine. So if they're willing to compromise, he will do it. Sounds like not likely to happen, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Also we learned today the State Department has had direct contact with Iran about the alleged plot to attack the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. on U.S. soil. You asked the president who in Iran knew.

YELLIN: You know, he would not link it to the highest levels. He would not definitively say the supreme leader or the president of Iran knew. But he did say definitively that at high levels of government, there was knowledge and that the case in the U.S. is solid and so all of the Iranian government will be held accountable and the U.S. is pressing allies to tighten sanctions and take more action against Iran -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Jessica Yellin at the White House -- Jessica, thank you so much.

Next here on "Reporter Roulette" I want to bring you in Deb Feyerick in New Haven, Connecticut, where jurors are deliberating a second day here in the trial of Joshua Komisarjevsky. He's the man charged with murderer three members of the Petit family.

Deb, what, six hours of deliberation and counting?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Now we're up to seven, as a matter of fact.

There are a lot of counts. There are 17 of them. Six of them are capital felony. That means that the jury needs to find that the defendant, Joshua Komisarjevsky, intentionally caused the death of these three family members, the mom, Jennifer, and her two daughters, Hayley and Michaela.

The defense tried to put on a very good argument, but in the end there is a 90-minute taped confession by the defendant in which he really describes what can only be called a sexual fixation with the 11-year-old girl. He calls her by her nickname almost as if they are friends.

The jury looking at all this. They did ask for some evidence, including the bat that was used to beat the father, Dr. William Petit. He is the sole survivor. He is in the court right now along with the parents of his wife, of his deceased wife. And they are waiting like everyone else -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: And we were talking about the initial accomplice who was tried, Steven Hayes. That jury deliberated, what, for five hours over the course of two days. So this jury taking a little longer.

FEYERICK: Taking a little bit longer. Certainly the stakes are very high. He could find himself on death row. So they are taking their time.

Again, the defense, they took a different tack than the first case by really saying it's about intention, it's about intention. Did he intend to kill these people when he set out to rob their home? The question is does intention mean that it was a day before or an hour before, Brooke?

BALDWIN: Deb Feyerick, thank you very much for us in Connecticut.

Next on "Reporter Roulette," Chris Lawrence live at the Pentagon talking about this virus attacking computers, controlling military drones, but the Air Force's downplaying this whole thing.

Chris, what are they saying?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: They're calling it a nuisance now, Brooke.

The Air Force doing a bit of an about-face. For weeks they wouldn't touch this story. Wouldn't come out and say anything public about it. Now they're coming out and trying to explain exactly what went on. They're calling this virus a credential stealer. They say it is not designed to transmit information or video to an outside source. It is not designed to corrupt files or data.

So what exactly does a credential stealer do? The Air Force isn't exactly saying that. They do say that this had to do with some of the computers that are associated with that unmanned drone program. So all of the Reapers and Predators that are flying in places like Afghanistan and Libya, well, they're controlled by Air Force pilots at a U.S. base in Nevada. And that's where they have the problem with the computers, Brooke.

BALDWIN: So if they're calling this a nuisance, Chris, does this mean they're not so concerned?

LAWRENCE: It doesn't sound like they're concerned. In their statement, they say the virus has been detected and quarantined. But when we followed up with a question to ask has it been expunged, because one of the things that "Wired" magazine reported when they first broke this story was that they had a real hard time getting this virus out -- we asked, have you gotten rid of it? Has it been expunged from the system? They were not able to answer that yet.

BALDWIN: Chris Lawrence, keep asking the questions for us. Thank you so much.

And that's your "Reporter Roulette" for this Thursday.

Still ahead, forget the electric chair. How about a spray of bullets? One lawmaker says death row inmates should just line up in front of a firing squad. We will tell you why and where.

Plus, a father accused of opening fire at a beauty salon and killing eight people. Wait until you hear what his neighbors have to say about him.

Also, this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why does it take a kid dying for somebody to really step up and say, OK, this is wrong?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: A look at homophobia and bullying in schools. Hollywood star Lily Tomlin will join me live to talk about why this affects her personally.

And ahead, he is not a former governor or a senator or even a congressman, but Herman Cain is the new front-runner in the Republican race. At least that is according to one new poll. So with the primaries around the corner, can he sustain this momentum? Stay right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BALDWIN: Move over, Mitt Romney. There's apparently a new front-runner in town. So, Herman Cain, what's your plan for America?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Nine-nine-nine plan, 99.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Nine-nine-nine, you got it. It's a slogan that the Republican brings pretty much everywhere he goes. But is it enough to win over conservatives and knock off the other GOP candidates? Gloria Borger is standing by. She has some great insight on this in a piece she just wrote on CNN.com. That's next.

Also, get this. Move over, Mitt Romney. Apparently there's a new front-runner in town. So Herman Cain, what's your man for America?

9-9 plan.

9-9?

You got it. A slogan the Republican brings everywhere he goes. Is it enough to win over conservatives and knock off the other candidates? Gloria Borger is standing by. That's next.

Also, get this. Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks In space? Wait until you hear about this rendezvous. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan meet up in space, sort of. The actors have asteroids named after them. And those space rocks both got the closest to Earth in September, giving a rendezvous to the romantic comedy duo. Asteroids, if you didn't realize, are named after other famous names including Robin Hood and Stephen Colbert. I guess that's when you know you make it.

First, Michele Bachmann, then Rick Perry, now Herman Cain has suddenly caught fire among Republican presidential contenders. At least one new poll putting Cain at the top of the field ahead of -- here it is -- ahead of Mitt Romney. The poll you see there was done for "The Wall Street Journal" and NBC before this week's Republican debate in New Hampshire.

Let's to go Gloria Borger, our CNN chief political analyst.

And, Gloria, would we be wrong to dismiss Herman Cain as just the latest flavor of the week among these hopefuls?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I don't think you're wrong at all. I think it's completely accurate. As you pointed out lie, you look at the history of this race, we have gone from favorite to favorite to favorite. You forgot Donald Trump. Remember when he was number one in the poll? Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, now Herman Cain.

And I think what happens now though is he becomes the new favorite and he starts to get the scrutiny that someone would get who is leading the presidential field like on his economic 999 plan that you have heard so much about. And you're beginning to hear conservative Republicans say you know what? This is something we don't like because we don't like a national sales tax. So Herman Cain has got to get ready for the scrutiny that he will get both from the media and from the other candidates.

BALDWIN: And this all goes back to Mitt Romney, does it not? I read your column at dot-com. And just to quote you, you say: "There's a teensy problem he can't just seem to beat. Conservatives don't like him."

What is the issue with him not connecting with the party's base?

BORGER: Right. Well, they don't like him because they don't trust him. They go back to the 2008 race and the social issues. They don't trust him on his health care plan. They don't like the fact that he said, for example, in the last debate that he was in favor of the bank bailouts.

But let me give you a cautionary note here, which is, Republicans generally early on don't like their presidential nominees. It wasn't as if they rushed to embrace John McCain. They didn't even rush to embrace Ronald Reagan. There were people running to the right of Ronald Reagan. So eventually, you will probably see people come on board because they're going to want to beat Barack Obama.

But it's not as if Republicans run to the first candidate out there. They like to kind of sample the field a little bit.

BALDWIN: And let me also just mention sort of an aside. I know Erin Burnett actually just sat down and interviewed Herman Cain, so we will work on turning some of the sound around. We will have to hear about how he feel about being number one now right at the top of this poll.

Where though, Gloria, does the Tea Party movement play in all this? Wasn't this supposed to be the year they broke through to challenge the GOP's so-called elite?

BORGER: It was, it was. It was what they wanted to do. But the problem with a movement that considers itself pure and is very new is that it is often very difficult to find kind of the perfect torchbearer. The perfect torchbearer might well have been Sarah Palin, for example. But she has many flaws. Maybe it was Michele Bachmann. She has many flaws and on and on.

So, what you see with the maturation of this political movement which is I think what you're seeing is that we talk to some Tea Party people. They said, look, they don't love Mitt Romney. But in the end, he seems like a plausible candidate. They want to beat Barack Obama. Those people from the Tea Party who won't be able to sign on with whomever the nominee is will just look for somebody else they can support next time around. It is the way it moves with new political movements.

BALDWIN: Read Gloria's column, "Will Tea Party Purists Back Imperfect Romney?"

BORGER: Thank you. Thank you.

BALDWIN: Go to CNN.com/opinion.

Gloria Borger, thank you very much.

BORGER: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Now this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I knew Scott through just being a neighbor. He would come over, help out. My dad passed a couple years ago. He took the trash out a couple of times. And he was a great guy as far as I can tell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: A great guy, that's how one neighbor describes the man who is accused of walking into this beauty salon and opening fire. Now eight people are dead. We're now hearing about a motive and seeing new video of that scene. Plus, some alarming video, what one guy did on a subway train that is not only dangerous. It could be deadly. Don't miss this video.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Eight people dead in a single shooting rampage. At this hour, police in Seal Beach are preparing a list of the victim. The scene unfolding just yesterday just after we left you.

The man you see on the right, he allegedly opened fire on this hair salon where his ex-wife worked. The two have been involved in some sort of child custody battle and the suspect, Scott De Kraai, was served a restraining order Tuesday. Six people died at the scene. Two were pronounced dead later on. The suspect's ex-wife is reportedly among those dead.

And now to this piece of video that is shocking, unbelievable. You fill in the adjective here as you look at this. This is video. This is a man clinging to the outside of a New York City subway as it is moving. This actually has a name. It is called subway surfing. The video was taken by stunned passengers, posted later on YouTube.

And it seems like if you listen to this, it looked like this guy was having fun, grinning at the people inside. This certainly is not the first incident of subway surfing. And if you're thinking this is illegal, you're right. The MTA issued this statement regarding this video, saying, and I'm quoting here, "The illegal act shown in this video is ill-advised and extremely dangerous. MTA New York City Transit has referred it to the Transit Bureau of the NYPD for investigation."

New York City subway riders are not at all happy about surfers either.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it is stupid and crazy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no. Hell no, not even for a million dollars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How stupid can you get?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just crazy. It puts everybody in fear and panic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Why? Why would you want to do this? Surfing has become so bad, it has caused the MTA to launch a campaign warning riders not to try this, something you would think would be just common sense.

Listen to this now. One lawmaker in Florida says instead of giving criminals a lethal injection, he wants to give them -- quote -- "lead cocktail." In other words, bring on the firing squad. Find out why he wants this and, of course, the backlash against it as well.

Plus, John Wayne Gacy, one of America's most notorious serial killers, now decades later, some of the clown killer's victims are being pulled from their graves. Sunny Hostin is on the case. She is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A Florida lawmaker says death row inmates should choose between the electric chair and what he calls a lead cocktail.

Republican state Representative Brad Drake wants to bring back the firing squad. In a statement released to the media, Drake says -- quote -- "We still have old sparky. And if that doesn't suit the criminal, then we will provide them with a .45-caliber lead cocktail instead."

Sunny Hostin is on the case. She joins me from New York.

Sunny, obviously that is some strong language from the state lawmakers. He says he wants to end the debate over lethal injection in Florida, but is he opening a can of worms here?

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, he certainly is.

He is doing this, I think, to restart the conversation, because there has been that repeated conversation in Florida and all over our country about the death penalty and about whether or not lethal injections are cruel and unusual punishment. And so he wants to sort of almost restart that conversation, I think probably stop the conversation and offer these alternatives.

What really interesting about it, though, Brooke, is that Florida would not be the only place in our country that kills people by firing squad. It is still legal in Oklahoma. It is still on the books. And, in fact, even though it was taken off the books as an option for execution in 2004, there have -- there are about a handful of prisoners on death row that could still choose death by firing squad because the law that was enacted in 2004 isn't retroactive. We still do have this means of executing people in our country.

BALDWIN: And also I remember the case, right, in Utah not too long ago. It was Ronnie Lee Gardner who was the last person executed by a firing squad in the whole country.

And just using that case here, what sort of, I don't know, legal implications did that execution have?

HOSTIN: Well, you and I talked about that execution last year, just last year.

BALDWIN: We did.

HOSTIN: And he chose -- yes, he chose to -- Gardner did choose death by firing squad. And those that observed his execution were really horrified by it, because he was alive even after -- for a bit after the firing squad shot him.

And so it certainly opened up a can of worms then and I think it will open up a can of worms now, this bill that is supposedly going to be passed.

BALDWIN: In Florida.

HOSTIN: Yes.

BALDWIN: Case number two, Sunny Hostin, authorities in Chicago are hoping that new DNA and technology that has really only been around for a couple of years will help identify the bodies of eight of John Wayne Gacy's victims. He was one of those prolific, if not the most prolific serial killers. He killed 33 men, boys back in the '70s.

He was executed in '94. And the Cook County Sheriff's Office, who I talked to just last hour, they're exhuming these bodies to hope to find a match, to hope to identify some of them. They're using DNA samples to compile profiles, now seeking family members who had a male relative who just up and vanished 30 years ago and are willing to donate a DNA sample for comparison.

My question is this, though. In hearing a case like this, it is 30 years old. How unique is it to use DNA to hopefully give some of these victims' families closure?

HOSTIN: Well, you know, I think it is being used more and more, right?

There have been such strides in DNA. This type of testing is fairly new. As you mentioned, it's just a few years old. But I think it is a wonderful thing, because these boys and men that are missing and that are dead

HOSTIN: This type of DNA testing is fairly new. As you mentioned, it's just a few years old. I think it is a wonderful thing, because these boys and men that are missing and that are dead, let's face it, this is someone's brother, father, son. And the victims and their families deserve this. They deserve the identification.

So it's just a wonderful use of DNA and I think we'll be seeing even more uses for DNA because they still make a lot of strides. The Innocence Project in particular has really used DNA in extraordinary ways. And I think we're going to see a lot more, discussing and researching this with DNA experts. And they really do believe we'll see more ways of using DNA in the near future.

BALDWIN: The Cook County sheriff told me, I think it was the last 24 hours, he said they had gotten multiple hits. Some of the guys investigating to see if they got matches just this hour.

Sunny Hostin, thank you so much.

HOSTIN: Thank you. BALDWIN: Now this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm in the office right now. There were shots fired in a classroom. We need somebody here immediately.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. We have the call and we have someone. We're getting somebody on the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That is the call moments after a student on the right side of your screen walked up to his classmate and pulled the trigger. Police say he targeted him because the boy was gay. Coming up next, a look at homophobia in our nation's schools and how bullying can turn deadly. Hollywood star Lily Tomlin is involved in this new documentary. It is called "Teach your Children Well." She will join me well to talk about why something in her family has personally invested her in this project. Don't miss that interview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: I'll speak live with Lily Tomlin in just a moment. But first living green is become increasingly popular and some home designer were cashing in by thinking outside the box. So we'll look at how some are breaking down the traditional four walls in this "Solutions."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Deep in the woods of upstate New York, a strange building is confusing residents.

VERONIQUE VENCAT, HOMEOWNER: Every time people show up here, wow, what is that structure in the woods?

BALDWIN: It looks like UFO, but really it is a home in the round, a dome home. It's not just for looks. The arrow dynamics and off the ground build help protect the structure from hurricane strength winds and earthquakes. It also allows home owners like the Vencat family to take full advantage of the sun's energy.

VENCAT: Economically, it is also very profitable because we use so much less energy.

BALDWIN: In the sum when the sun changes its position with just the push of a button, the house follows along, allowing to it capture heat in the winter and keep cool in the summer.

VAN KAMP: OK, stop.

BALDWIN: While the exterior protects it from night's elements, the interior is inspired by it mimicking the swirl of a sea shell.

DAVID FANCHON, DESIGNER: People are adamant about doing something innovative and doing something positive for the environment as well and for themselves.

BALDWIN: Putting a new spin on living green.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: And now this. A touching new documentary is putting a harsh spotlight on the problem of school bullying. It is called "Teach your Children Well." It is a short film that explores harassment, bullying, and violence endured by thousands of students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered. Some of the students do the unthinkable, taking their own lives. In fact, a mother of one gives a quite emotional account about how she found her son.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I went out to the garage and I saw him over by the palm tree. And I thought he was picking a plum. So I walked over to him, and there was a ladder next to him. And I saw his feet were about four inches off the ground. And there was a cord coming from the tree. So I grabbed him. And I yelled for my youngest son to come and get scissors. I was trying to hold Seth up while my youngest son cut him out of the tree. And he fell to the ground and he was dead.

LILY TOMLIN, ACTRESS: Seth Walsh died as the result of bully- cide at age 13 on September 27, 2010, after nine days in a coma.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Bully-cide. A powerful story and the voice you just heard is that of Emmy Award winning actress and comedian Lily Tomlin. She narrates this documentary which is she can as one of Kat Kramer's films that changed the world. And I have both Lily and Kat live with me in Los Angeles. The film premiers there this week. Ladies, good to see both of you.

Lily, I just want to begin with you. How and why did you get involved in this film? I understand you weren't bullied yourself, as you talk about it. You had the gift of gab growing up. But your brother was.

TOMLIN: Yes, my younger brother Richard was bullied relentlessly, you know, to the point that he stopped going to school. He would hide out. He was terrified to go to school. And my brother was fun-loving and energetic and industrious. He is fine -- he is fine today. I don't want to even suggest for a moment that something happened -- something fatal happened to him. But he had a terrible childhood and adolescence until he got to be at an age where he realized that he was a totally worthy human being.

But bullying really dismisses and discounts kids and people. But kids, we're talking about here. They take it so hard. They want so desperately to be accepted or to fit in. If they don't have the right support group around them, or people at school really intervening and helping, and reinforcing the fact that they're meaningful, worthwhile, decent, good human beings, they just absolutely can disintegrate. And I didn't want -- I'm tired of that happening to any kids.

BALDWIN: You're tired. A lot of people are tired of it. I want to play just one more piece of this if I can, a number of kids just talking quite candidly about being bullied. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, at home everything was great, but in school, it wasn't. I guess like kids could just tell that I was different.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't want to come to school because I just didn't want to deal with what they had to say. I didn't know what I was up for. I didn't know what new students were coming in. So it was really difficult.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have yet to meet anyone who is asking to be raped. I have yet to meet anyone who asked to be abused physically, verbally, emotionally, spiritually.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And you know, Lily, clearly we're sitting here talking about this. Bullying hasn't diminished with time, and I think one of the, perhaps, sad pieces of this whole story is, you know, one of the reasons, if a kid is bullied at school nowadays, it just doesn't stay at school. People can text and Facebook, and that's part of the problem.

TOMLIN: And then it spreads even wider. Everybody, then, if they want to bully or they want to side with a bully person, then they, the news is out there, and it is so prevalent, and in your face. And there is no escape.

At least a kid in my day, kids used to be able to go home. For 10 or 12 hours, however long they were home from school, they had some respite, some relief from it. But it's constant. Then when you have images coming ought, disparaging, demeaning imaging and words, I don't know how a lot of kids put up with it. I don't know how as many as do.

BALDWIN: How many kids put up with bullying?

TOMLIN: Seem to roll over it.

BALDWIN: Each and every day.

All it takes in terms of solutions, one kid in a community mark the school, coming forward, showing that they're bold, they're brave, and that can really turn the tide.

TOMLIN: You can stop a bully in his tracks, his or her tracks if somebody will speak up and you show some kind of united front. Just one kid saying, hey, I don't like that. That's not nice. Stop that. Or he's my friend, or she's my friend, because a bully is really a coward. And as long as they get away with it, or they, if they can intimidate, they might bully if you are. They'll just carry it as far as they can. And amazingly, one voice can really put a stop to a particular bullying incident. And make those kids maybe turn around even. You have to educate. You have to educate the parents. You have to educate the kids.

BALDWIN: And the teachers, the onus fall on the teachers as well.

TOMLIN: Teachers -- right. This is a terrible problem in the schools that teacher don't intervene. That's why I'm so glad that Kat, who is sitting here with me, her film series, Kat Kramer's films that changed the world, this is the fourth in the series and we're having a screening on Sunday here in L.A. And it gets the word out. It makes people, it gives -- the film becomes a tool to educate teachers and students.

BALDWIN: Kat, let me bring you into this conversation. Why do you want this film to be part of your project, Kat Kramer's films that change the world? Why?

KAT KRAMER, PRODUCER, "KAT KRAMER'S FILMS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD": It's one of those things. I look for films like my father Stanley Kramer made films with social issues. I'm trying to carry on his legacy by having the screening series. And I wanted to do something on the bullying crisis. It is out there every day, and especially about homophobia and school violence.

This film not only had Seth Walsh's mother, Wendy -- it is the only interview she would do two weeks after he committed bully-cide. Lily narrates the film. I have to say I was bullied through grade school, middle school. I'm even bullied now. But when you're very young, you're bullied not only by the students but also by the teachers, in my case, I was bullied by some teachers.

And what Lily brought up earlier about the teacher being part of the whole thing, that's really the cause of a lot of it, because the students, if one of them stands up, yes. If the teachers are bullying the students know they're going to mimic what they're doing. It is totally besides the students, the teachers and the parents they have to look at these issues.

BALDWIN: Hopefully this film is played the schools and PTA meetings and churches, et cetera. So like lily said, it takes that one person. And that will really spread the word. Ladies, best of luck to you with your film. Thank you so much.

TOMLIN: Thank you for having us.

KRAMER: Thank you.

BALDWIN: And breaking news now. We are just getting word of a verdict in the Connecticut home invasion trial. Deb Feyerick is live in New Haven. Deb, what do you know?

FEYERICK: Brooke, the verdict is in, just a few moments ago, as a matter of fact. As a matter of fact right now they are bringing in the defendant, Joshua Komisarjevsky. The jury also preparing to file into the courtroom. It took them just about eight hours, twice the length of Komisarjevsky's co-conspirator, or I should say accomplice in this terrible crime, the home invasion of Dr. William Petit, his wife and two girls, all three dying obviously in this brutal fire.

We're waiting to find out what the verdict is. I'm reading some notes here coming through. It says jurors do not think to be looking at the defendant. Some people take that as a sign that it means it did not go in his favor. Also I'm hearing in fact the Petit family, the sole survivor Dr. William Petit, he and his in-laws are in court, they're ready to hear what the verdict will be. The judge doing this very quickly.

Usually it's a 30-minute break. Everybody gathers. They are doing it right away. We have our producer Brian who is in that courtroom and he is sending us details as they happen. We'll bring you more, Brooke. But right now it does appear they've reached a verdict and it will soon be held in court.

BALDWIN: We want to get a quick break in. Deb, stand by. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: As promised, we have turned some sound around for you. Herman Cain, the now frontrunner in the GOP, running for president, top of this poll according to "Wall Street Journal"-ABC News. If I could just talk to my colleague, Erin Burnett. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: There is a lot of skepticism about your candidacy, and you refer to that yourself. The "Washington Post" recently said, the headline I'm reading, "Herman Cain, the Republican flavor of the month. Who will be next? "TIME" magazine - "Herman Cain, flash in the pan or serious candidate?" Are you for real?

HERMAN CAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am for real. This is Herman Cain. They will know that I am in this to win it. I am not in this to try to raise my profile or get a TV show. I wasn't at that point in my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And again, just a quick reminder. Eri's show "Outfront" is on at 7:00 eastern. Stay tuned for the Herman Cain interview.

As promised, I want to go back to Deb Feyerick who is live in New Haven, Connecticut, where she has just broken the news here that this jury has now returned with a verdict in the case of this second defendant in this home invasion, Joshua Komisarjevsky. Deb, how far away are we from getting that verdict read?

FEYERICK: Right now, the judge is talking to the jury. Usually he goes over a couple of rules and kind of takes a poll of the jurors. He also thanks them for their service, of course. They've been on this case for many, many weeks now. It took them a little more than eight hours over the course of two day to reach a verdict. There are 17 counts, Brooke. Six are capital felonies. That means that in fact, the jury would have had to find that Komisarjevsky intended to cause the death of Jennifer Petit and her two children Hayley and Michaela. The husband, sole survivor. He's in the court. We're waiting for more information. There was a serve of expectation because --

BALDWIN: Deb, I have to interrupt you. I have to interrupt you because we're getting news via twitter from Helen. She has been covering this trial very extensively for the "Hartford Current," and she is reporting via Twitter -- guys, can we -- from inside the courtroom. Count one, guilty with regard to the murder of Jennifer Hawke Petit, and count one guilty of murder of one of those daughters Hayley. Have we heard about the other daughter? Not yet. Go ahead, Deb.

FEYERICK: We're waiting on the -- that is count one and two. Those are counts one and two, that he aided Steven Hayes in the murder of the mother, also, the murder of the older daughter. He's guilty of that. She died of smoke inhalation. She was tied to her bed and the defense argued well, had she simply broken free then perhaps she could have helped the family. That was their argument.

We're waiting for count three. It's not until counts four and five that we get to the capital felonies. And again, Helen's been doing a good job tweeting during all of this. She covered the first trial extensively as well.

BALDWIN: I'm told three, guilty for Michaela Petit.

FEYERICK: OK.

BALDWIN: We're just doing this on the fly there.

FEYERICK: That was the 11-year-old daughter who it seems that Komisarjevsky had some sexual fixation with. He was talking about her as if they had been friends forever. He talked about how went into her room as she's tied up, had some kind of pillow case on her head so he wouldn't be able to identify her. And he's using her nickname. It's just so bizarre in terms of how he was describing her in his confession.

We are expecting some press conferences afterwards.

BALDWIN: Deb, I'm going to give you a second. Let us know with regard to the counts four and five, capital. I'm going to bring in Sunny Hostin, who also has been following this.

FEYERICK: Absolutely.

HOSTIN: So, Deb, you can do some info gathering yourself. And Sunny, no real surprise thus far, correct?

HOSTIN: No, this was expected. I've always said that the real issue here is whether or not he will get the death penalty. It did take this jury a bit longer than the Hayes case. They found him guilty of 16 out of the 17 counts. They found him not guilty of the arson. What's interesting also is that they came back in under five hours. This jury took a little over eight hours, and so that is fascinating to me.

BALDWIN: Why is that?

HOSTIN: I'm wondering what the hang up is. Is it the arson issue? Because Steven Hayes allegedly poured the gasoline and there's a question as to who struck the match. That is what the jury in the Hayes case really struggled with. I wonder what's going to happen here.

A very different defense team for Komisarjevsky, a very aggressive defense team. And we heard a lot during this trial about Joshua Komisarjevsky --

BALDWIN: Sunny, let me jump in. Forgive me. It's my job right now to interrupt. I want to get back and get the news from Deb Feyerick as we have results for counts four and five. Deb, what do you know?

HOSTIN: Counts four and five, those are the capital felonies that Komisarjevsky intend intentionally caused the deaths of two or more people. He is guilty of that capital felony. That means he could face the death penalty. He's also guilty of count five, guilty on count six. It's looks right now that all these counts, 17 of them right now, all guilty so far as we keep track of this.

BALDWIN: So, you're saying you have all 17?

HOSTIN: Count seven is also guilty. Still coming in. Count six, kidnapping of Dr. William Petit, he was found guilty. Count seven, kidnapping first degree, Jennifer Hawke Petit, he's been found guilty. We're waiting for eight and nine, the kidnapping of the daughters. He broke into the home and held these folks hostages for some seven hours, torturing them effectively while he tried convincing them all they wanted was money, and that wasn't the case at all it appears. We're waiting to hear on nine and 10. But the jury making their way reading each of these.

BALDWIN: OK, Deb, I'm going to let you keep reading your e-mail on your blackberry. Sunny Hostin, thank you so much. We're going to get a quick break here and continue this conversation as we're watching and waiting for all 17 counts to come down with the trial there in New Haven, Connecticut.

Also, minutes from now, South Korea's president will address a joint meeting of Congress. This is a big deal, especially after it comes one day after lawmakers sign on a new trade deal. And if this deal does everything lawmakers say it will, we could be looking at a big turning point for unemployment in America. John Park is our go to guy in America. He is standing by live in South Korea, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: So far in the latest in the Joshua Komisarjevsky trial, the jury has come back guilty in counts one through 11. The key point here, they have also found him guilty of capital felony, which means he is eligible for the death penalty. That comes next in the sentencing phase. Stay tuned for that.

Also, a big deal at the White House today with President Obama making a joint appearance with the president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak. The president welcomes a lot of dignitaries to the White House, but what makes this particular visit such a big deal is that the U.S. just signed a free trade deal with South Korea. The president, members of the GOP, big business, promise this agreement will mean more American jobs, but not everyone agrees.

And these are live pictures. We are minutes away, thank you. Live pictures from within this is what they call a joint meeting, minutes away. That's when both of the chambers meet and you have an international leader addressing both of them it's a joint meeting.

To understand the significance here, this trade deal, John I want to bring in John Park. He is our go to expert on northeast Asia and he is there in Seoul, South Korea. And John, first of all, President Obama today said that this deal will increase U.S. exports by $11 billion and support 70,000 U.S. jobs. True?

JOHN PARK, CENTER FOR CONFLICT ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION: Those are the estimates and those are remarkable figures. If you look at free trade deals that went through, South Korea, Panama, and Colombia, of the $13 billion, $11 billion is estimated to be generated in U.S. tax imports with the deal with South Korea. So this is welcome news at a critical moment. And also with the creation of 70,000 jobs, this is a key part of the recovery of the United States.

BALDWIN: John, also the president says the deal will level the playing field when it comes to U.S. automakers. My question is, are Koreans really ready to buy American?

PARK: Under the current circumstances with something as high profile as the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, I think a lot of South Koreans will revisit the whole package deal. If you walk around the streets of Seoul very easily you'll see a lot of the key dealerships of the Detroit automakers. So the infrastructure is in place with some good PR and the momentum created by the agreement I think a lot of South Koreans will give a second look to U.S. cars.

BALDWIN: But what about South Korea? I know some people here fear South Korea will find a way around this agreement.

PARK: There has been a tremendous amount of negotiations going on both sides. The deal has been in the works for over four years. So with that kind of time I think a lot of the fine tuning, a lot of the very specific details that raised concerns in the respective countries, those have been addressed. And so, I think right now, what the House and Senate has done, ratifying the free trade agreement, there is this momentum. The South Korean national assembly will be scheduling a review of it and review it and ratify it themselves. So there are some stumbling blocks there. But again, this momentum is quite strong.

BALDWIN: OK, John Park, thank you very much. Again, live pictures, joint meeting of Congress about to happen minutes away. The president of South Korea visiting with the president of the United States, one of multiple state visits under the Obama administration.

I'm going to go ahead and hand things off to my colleague Wolf Blitzer, who will certainly cover this one and many more. "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer starts right now.