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New Hope For the Euro; 23 Days Until Higher Taxes; Candidates Campaigning In Iowa; Wake For Murdered Georgia Girl; Troops' Ashes Dumped Like Trash; Militants Destroy Tankers In Pakistan; Former FBI Agent In Iran Hostage Video; Water On Mars?; Ron Paul: Serious Contender?
Aired December 09, 2011 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in today for Randi Kaye. It's 1:00. Let's get straight to the news.
Well, even if you've never seen or held a Euro in your hand, you have a stake in the European debt agreement hammered out today in Brussels. E.U. leaders signed on to a plan that would force their country to balance their budget or pay a steep price. The goal is avoiding unsustainable debt that puts a drag on the whole group potentially undermining the common currency and threatening global recession. But one E.U. member, the U.K., is refusing to give up any of its budget powers. We'll get details from our own Richard Quest just moments from now.
And still no agreement in Washington on the future of payroll tax cuts. Both parties say they want to prevent what amounts to a tax hike on 160 million Americans come January 1st, but they differ on how to pay for it. Democrats want a surtax on millionaires, Republicans want spending cuts.
Well now, Republicans in the House want to tie a tax cut extension to approval of a controversial oil pipeline. If nothing passes, anybody who draws a paycheck will pay 6.2 percent into social security in 2012. All this year we paid 4.2 percent. And that tax cut extension is on the lips of the GOP candidates campaigning in Iowa today. Front-runner, newt Gingrich, is not there. He's signing copies of his book in Washington, D.C., and just four weeks until the Iowa caucuses we're seeing more attack ads. Now, Rick Perry is being attacked for his attack ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK PERRY, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in schools. As president, I'll end Obama's war on religion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: There was apparently division even within Perry's camp about that ad. Liberal activists call the ad anti-gay and Perry desperate. We'll get an update on where the candidates stand at the bottom of the hour in "Fair Game"
Family and friends are holding a wake later today for the seven-year- old Georgia girl who was murdered just north of Atlanta. The suspect, Ryan Brunn, made his first court appearance yesterday. He was wearing a bulletproof vest. His court appointed lawyer says that Brunn will plead not guilty. Brunn is charged with beating, sexually assaulting and killing Jorelys Rivera after abducting her last Friday. Her body was found Monday in a trash bin outside the apartment complex where she lived and Brunn was a maintenance worker.
The Air Force says it regrets having caused any additional grief by the way it once disposed of unidentified or unclaimed body parts of fallen troops. The military acknowledges that for years, before 2008, it cremated partial remains that arrived at Dover Air Force Base and dumped them in a nearby landfill. Since 2008, unknown or unclaimed partial remains have been cremated and buried at sea.
Investigations are under way and just yesterday, on this program, a member of Congress accused the Pentagon of, quote, "unwillingness to face the extent of the dishonor." The Pentagon rejects that attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON SPOKEMAN: I don't think there is another federal agency in this town, I don't think there is another institution in the country that doesn't understand more than we do about how to properly treat the remains of our fallen troops.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And later this hour, I'll speak live with an Army widow who helped bring the landfill disposal to light. We'll also give you a phone number to call if you want more information from the Air Force.
And these images just in to CNN. Militants in Pakistan attacking tankers carrying fuel to U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Militants reportedly armed with rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons destroyed at least 22 oil tankers. The trucks had been strand there had since Pakistan closed the border to protest coalition air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani troops. About 30 percent of supplies for the U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan travel through Pakistan.
And this urgent plea, a retired FBI agent missing in Iran for nearly five years appears in a video posted online. Robert Levinson says he is not in very good health and is running out of diabetes medication. He says he is being treated well, but he urges the U.S. to, quote, "please help me" to get home. Levinson's family posted the video on its Web site, helpboblevinson.com. Last hour his wife told CNN why the family released that video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE LEVINSON: Since we received that video, we've tried to get in touch with the group that's holding Bob. Unfortunately, we have not received any response from them, and we feel that this is a way to try and reach them with our plea and the video to get them to let us know what the family needs to do to get Bob home alive and quickly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Levinson went missing on Iran's Kish Island March 2007.
And strong new evidence that there was once water on Mars. Scientists say NASA's Mar's rover, Opportunity, has found the most convincing evidence yet that water flowed on the surface of the red planet long ago. The rover discovered what appears to be veins of the mineral gypsum, a hydrated calcium sulfate that was formed when water passed over it.
And standing on the top of the face of this crater may help unlock the history of the earth. Scientists say the Beranger meteorite crater near Winslow, Arizona could help them get a better understanding of how the planet was formed and may also help in the planning of future missions to the Moon or Mars. This giant hole was formed when a space rock slammed into earth some 50,000 years ago.
Euro zone leaders reach a deal but will this new agreement help stop the global economy from bleeding even more? Richard Quest joins me next on why Americans should be paying close attention.
But first, deployed in Afghanistan, thousands of miles from home, Marine Corps Master Sergeant Robert Allen wrote a Christmas song for his wife. It's moving and it's heartfelt and it resonates with a lot of military families and you can check it out on YouTube. Sergeant Allen and the thousands of men and women deployed this holiday season, thank you for your service and you are all Rock Stars.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, if you're used to watching gridlock in Washington, you might be pretty impressed by what happened today in Brussels. The latest in a series of do-or-die summits aimed at saving the Euro and ending the European debt crisis could have been just another photo-op.
Instead, at least 23 of the 27 countries that make up the European Union, including the 17 countries that use the Euro, agree to strict and enforceable new caps on deficits. Three other countries said they would think about it. Britain is not on board, but the deal is done and the markets are relieved, European shares are up sharply. Wall Street, too, is bouncing back from yesterday's sell-off, up 159 points on the Dow. My colleague, Richard Quest, had a front row seat for the ear bending and the arm twisting. So Richard, who wins, who loses in this agreement?
RICHARD QUEST, HOST, CNN INTERNATIONAL'S "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS": In the short term, the mere fact that they managed to do a deal to have stricter rules on deficit, the way they're going to do their budgetary conditions, all that sort of stuff. There's no question, the Euro zone has made good progress today. But they're not going to be able to do it in the way they wanted to, and that's because Britain basically said, you're not giving us anything for what we want, we're outside the Euro, we're outside of all of this thing, go your own way. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, firmly and decisively said, no.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAMERON, PRIME MINISTER, BRITAIN: It's not easy when you're in a room with many other people who all want to press ahead, who all say, forget about your safeguards, forget about your interests, let's all just sign up to this thing together. It's sometimes the right thing to say, I'm afraid I cannot do that, it is not in our national interest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: So, that's the way it seemed from the British. The problem is the British say, no, the rest are all going to continue with their plan. The British are going to be classically like that person sticking spokes in the wheels of everybody else, because they're saying it is not a European deal. The potential, Fredricka, is for a mess, but the principle is clear.
WHITFIELD: OK. So meantime, you know, we have an exclusive poll from the eurozone. More people than not actually say their country should use the Euro, 49 percent, and a huge majority say the eurozone should ensure the Euro survives. So, do you think then today's E.U. action will be popular overall?
QUEST: I think that anything that creates the stability that's required and that sort is going to be highly welcome in the ordinary bars, the taverns, the brasseries and the beer houses across Europe. There's no question, people love the idea of the Euro. They just hate the fact that there is this super national body called the European Union. Look, it's very similar -- ask Americans what they like and what they think about Washington, D.C., and they'll give you a very short, sharp answer. It's the same when you ask Europeans, what do they think of Brussels? They hate the bureaucracy, they hate the money and the perceived waste, but the reality is, to gain the benefits you have to have the Euro and there has to be stricter rules.
WHITFIELD: But in very short circumstances, very short term here, there was a consensus, maybe not everyone is on-board but the great majority is.
QUEST: They are moving forward. The most immediate question that needs to be watched, and keep an eye on this next week, is have they got enough firepower to put out the fire of contagion of problems from Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy? They think they have so they believe that they're leaving here having solved the immediate crisis, put in place reforms for the future, but they have got this troublesome relative. You know, the miserable uncle that's going to sit in the corner and tell you why everybody's doing wrong, and if only you'd done it their way. That uncle is uncle England and the U.K. ain't going anywhere.
WHITFIELD: So Richard, what can Americans learn from this process or why should they feel like what is taking place in Europe, impacting this global economy, should indeed be something that they care about?
QUEST: If they don't care about it, then they're foolish. The European Union is the single largest economy in the world. It makes up 20 to 30 percent of global trade. It's a huge, huge trader with the United States, over $180 billion a year in trade -- exports go from the U.S. So, anybody in the U.S. who thinks this is just some European nonsense is delusional. Unfortunately, the core message is, if there's problems, they are similar to those that you've got in the U.S., there's the deficits, they have to be addressed, and when you come to address them, it usually is a mess.
WHITFIELD: All right. Richard Quest, thanks so much, from Brussels.
Back in this country now, some prescriptions for Oxycodone, Percocet, and other pain medicines won't be filled at one pharmacy chain. We'll tell you why it's refusing to dispense potent prescriptions to some.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
WHITFIELD: If you're in Florida, the next time you drop in to get your prescription filled at a local CVS, you might not get it. That's today's "Under Covered" story. The CVS pharmacy chain has told some doctors in the sunshine state that its pharmacies will no longer fill certain prescriptions. Specifically prescriptions written for some potent, powerful and highly addictive painkillers. Let's bring in Joseph Califano Jr. from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, also known as CASA.
So, Joseph, CVS says the move is in response to the growing addiction to pain pills across Florida. A letter was sent to what CVS says is a small number of Florida physicians. And this is what the letter says. "CVS Pharmacy Inc. has become increasingly concerned with escalating reports of prescription drug abuse in Florida, especially Oxycodone abuse. CVS will continue to review information, and will alert you if CVS pharmacy stores may fill these Schedule II narcotic controlled substance prescriptions in the future."
All right, so what's the real objective here, Joseph?
JOSEPH CALIFANO JR., NATL. CTR. ON ADDICTION AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE: Well, I think, Fredricka, the objective is that they obviously seen some physicians who are prescribing these drugs in a promiscuous way. I mean very frequently. Too frequently for what they -- their -- whatever their screen is in terms of medical practice. And they've decided not to fill the prescriptions of those physicians.
This is understandable. Remember, Oxycodone and Vicodin, and pain killers in particular, are important to (INAUDIBLE) virtually all (INAUDIBLE) drugs (INAUDIBLE) cocaine, heroin, (INAUDIBLE). So this is a big problem.
WHITFIELD: OK, so Joseph --
CALIFANO: They're also concerned about their own liability, I'm sure.
WHITFIELD: OK, now your (INAUDIBLE) a little clearer. OK, so, real quick, let me just show you a statement from CVS saying that, "while we regret any inconvenience this may cause for our customers, we treat the dispensing of controlled substances with the utmost care and seriousness. CVS pharmacy is unwavering in its compliance and measures to prevent drug abuse and keep controlled substances out of the wrong hands. We support federal and state law enforcement in their efforts to combat issues of abuse.
Now, again, Joseph, CVS is saying they're targeting specific doctors where CVS believes there has been a pattern of over-prescribing these drugs. Can a pharmacy chain legally do this, single out certain doctors whose prescriptions will not be filled by them?
CALIFANO: Oh, of course they can. Of course they can. And what they're looking at here, you know, they're now in possession with all the computerization of prescriptions, they possess enough knowledge to know when doctors are say prescribing too many Oxycodone pills to the same patient, or prescribing them in ways that seem abusive.
And what they're also concerned about is their liability. I mean it's protecting themselves because, you know, there are -- for example, you recall the actor, Kurt Douglas and Ann Douglas, their son who died of an overdose in New York City. The doctor there was prescribing these pills to their son and Ann Douglas, his mother, brought action against the doctor and finally had the doctor disbarred in California.
CVS is concerned, I'm sure, in addition to their desire to help prevent prescription drug abuse, the most rapidly growing drug abuse in our country, is also that they don't want to be liable. Somebody comes along and sues a doctor who promiscuously prescribed these pills to a child or spouse who was badly damaged or even died from an overdose, because in addition to the doctor, it's the pharmacy that's going to be sued these days.
WHITFIELD: All right, Joseph Califano, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.
CALIFANO: Nice to be with you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And apparently these days meth can be made just about anywhere. Even at a retail store where police say this woman was caught trying to cook the illegal drug. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: When news broke around this time yesterday of a shooting at the Virginia Tech campus, it was hard not to remember the 2007 shooting there. Then 32 had been killed by a gunman. Yesterday, one was killed. For many, the death of Officer Deriek Crouse was no less tragic than the slaughter four years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF WENDELL FLINCHUM, VIRGINIA TECH POLICE: I'm not sure I have words to describe how I felt and the emotions I went through when I was told. Deriek was a friend to many in our department. Deriek was a husband. Deriek was a father. Deriek was a son.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A U.S. Army veteran, Officer Crouse was 39 and married with five kids. And a memorial fund has been set up to help his family. Police say Crouse and the apparent gunman did not know each other. It's believed that man who was not a Virginia Tech student used the same gun that killed Crouse to take his own life. A vigil was held on the Blacksburg campus last night. Another is planned for tonight.
Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky is at his home now. He's under house arrest with an electronic monitoring device clamped to his ankle. He posted $250,000 bail and left jail on Thursday, one day after getting arrested on 12 new charges of molesting children after two new accusers came forward. His wife, Dottie Sandusky, says this. Quote, "as the mother of six children, I have been devastated by these accusations. I am also angry about these false accusations that such a terrible incident ever occurred in my home. I continue to believe in Jerry's innocence and all the good things he has done," end quote.
And this time of year, retailers want you to feel right at home. Spend a little time in their store. Well, a 45-year-old Tulsa woman did just that and allegedly started building a meth lab in an Oklahoma Wal- Mart. Workers say she went between aisles mixing together different cleaning supplies, tipping a bit of one container into her bottle, then putting it back. Employees then called police. And by the time officers arrested her, they say she had already mixed two containers of sulfuric acid. Tulsa police say she has been jailed on drug charges in the past.
All right, Newt Gingrich is now the man to beat, but there's one candidate who could be his biggest threat, and it's not Mitt Romney.
Plus, Rick Perry is out with a new attack ad that just about everyone else seems to be attacking and poking a lot of fun at as well. We'll show that to you next in "Fair Game."
But first, our political junkie question of the day. In 2001, the annual salary of the president of the United States was raised to $400,000 a year. But do you know how much George Washington was paid? The answer on the other side of the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Before the break, we asked you how much George Washington was paid as president. The answer? $25,000. That's roughly $320,000 a year by today's money standards.
He is leading the pack in the national polls and now he is even ahead in Iowa. But with less than four weeks until the caucuses, could Newt Gingrich's lead be threatened by yet another come-from-behind candidate?
The race for the top spot out of Iowa is "Fair Game" for my guests today, CNN contributors, Maria Cardona and Will Cain. Good to see you guys.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Take a look right now at this new CNN/"Time"/ORC poll. Gingrich on top, but just three points behind Romney is the surging three-time presidential candidate, Ron Paul.
Will, you first.
Could Ron Paul ultimately take Iowa?
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR & REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: You know what? I don't want to say no because -- obviously, the traditional analysis is to dismiss Ron Paul. That's what everyone does so easily. But for months, Ron Paul's had a pretty consistent polling number in the teens. Now it is climbing up into the high teens. Ron Paul delivers a consistent principled message over and over. It obviously passionately appeals to some people. And as more people get exposed to it, I think more and more like it. The traditional analysis is, no, he can't win Iowa. The bigger question is can he win the nomination because he goes much, much beyond Iowa.
WHITFIELD: Maria, Paul or Gingrich for Iowa?
MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR & DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I'm going to somewhat agree with Will here because, first of all, this season, this political season has been so bizarre that anything can happen.
(LAUGHTER)
And in general, a day is a lifetime in politics anyway, and anything can happen. And I think what you're seeing with Ron Paul is that voters are really trying to look at the candidates and feel who is it that they can trust. And you know what? Will's right. Ron Paul is the only candidate in the field right now that has never put up his hand to the political winds and changed positions because it benefits him politically. Gingrich and Romney have huge instances of that. They have more flip-flops than the International House of Pancakes.
(LAUGHTER)
And I think voters, when they go into the booth to vote for somebody who's going to potentially be their commander-in-chief, at the most basic gut level, they want to be able to trust that person. And I think for those voters, they're taking another look at Ron Paul. I'm not going to say that he's out.
WHITFIELD: Will, what's this mean for Romney in Iowa?
CAIN: You know, let me say this about Mitt Romney. Everyone wants to panic from Mitt Romney. Everyone wants to say, what should he doe, what should he do, Gingrich has this strong lead. Look, Mitt Romney has a ton of money. He has the support of the conservative establishment, at least the implied consent of people like Tom Coburn and George Will and Joe Scarborough, at least to the extent that they are willing to say Newt Gingrich is not the right guy. Newt Gingrich has, what? Newt Gingrich has the support of a group of people who have shown a finicky interest in now, like, three different candidates. I'm not saying that won't stick with Newt Gingrich over the long haul, but it would be, I guess, over last six months, unique.
WHITFIELD: We're kind of assessing where all these candidates are just a few weeks away from Iowa. Rick Perry, he once enjoyed being at the top. Now he's very much at the bottom. and he's been rolling out these new ads. Look at this one. It's getting a bit of traction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK PERRY, (R), GOVERNOR OF TEXAS & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian. But you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school. As president, I'll end Obama's war on religion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Maria, is this going to change things? The tone of that ad, will it change things for Perry? Will it get him back out in front like I would imagine he wants? Or is this going to keep him at the bottom?
CARDONA: I think it is backfiring and we are already seeing it. We know from reports that this was an ad that was fiercely debated within the Perry camp. And, unfortunately, those who thought it was a good one won. And I think that is going to backfire on Perry because, frankly, I think the majority of people don't think that there is a war on religion in this country. There is a White House Christmas tree in the front lawn of the White House. There are 13 Christmas trees within the White House. Most people in this country are not afraid or ashamed to admit they're Christians. So I just don't think it resonates with a whole lot of people.
It might resonate with the most extreme of evangelical voters in Iowa and perhaps that will change their minds and go for Perry? But I just don't see it happening for him right now.
WHITFIELD: Will, real quick, you get to button this one up. What happened here? Because there was some in-fighting within Perry's camp even before rolling out this ad.
CAIN: I don't think it can backfire on him that much. If you're down by five points, you're sitting on your own 20, 30 yard line, and the clock's ticking down on you, what do you do? You throw the Hail Mary. And if it doesn't work, you don't blame the Hail Mary. The game was already lost. With Rick Perry, the game is kind of already lost. This ad really can't sink what's already been sunk.
WHITFIELD: That's "Fair Game."
Thanks so much, Will Cain.
Maria Cardona, always good to see you.
CARDONA: Thanks, Fred.
CAIN: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: Coming up next, we're going "Globe Trekking." This country is a theocracy with clerical elders holding the ultimate political power. Archeological discoveries here indicate human activity dating back more than 100,000 years. Many dynasties have ruled this country. Its terrain featuring deserts and mountains. So where in the world are we? That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Let's go "Globe Trekking."
We start in Iran. Real or fake? U.S. officials can't seem to agree on whether video that aired on Iranian TV features images of an American stealth drone that went down in Iran last week.
CNN's Pentagon correspondent, Chris Lawrence, has details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, the U.S. and Iran both agreed that the drone was not shot down. They also agree that Iran does have whatever is left of that drone. But, is what Iran is showing in that video, is that what they really pulled out of the wreckage, and that's the question.
One expert I spoke with says he can see a scenario where the drone came down and sort of a falling leaf pattern, and it would have landed relatively intact. Most of the damage would have been underneath.
But another expert says that's just not the case, that when you look at that drone, the wings are pointing downward, compared to a picture of what we know to be the drone in which the wings are positioned higher for greater stability.
And one U.S. official says they have satellite footage of that crash site and it shows that the drone suffered significant damage -- Fred?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon.
Finally, to Libya and the violent civil war that unfolded there. You may recall the heart-wrenching story of Eman al Obeidi. Last March, Eman burst into a crowd in a Tripoli hotel room, screaming that she had been raped by Moammar Gadhafi's soldiers. Government security forces dragged her out of the hotel to an unknown destination and attacked the journalists who tried to help her.
Well, now Eman is in the U.S., facing a different struggle. She sat down for an exclusive interview with our Suzanne Malveaux.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMAN AL OBEIDI, ALLEGED LIBYAN RAPE VICTIM (through translation): When I came, I never imagined life would be this hard. There's nothing easy. You have to work. You have to work. I mean, as we say in Libya, you have to kill yourself working just to survive. And I wish there even was work. The state I'm in seems cut off. There are no work opportunities. I've been going to the employment office for four months.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Eman says the pain is too great right now to go back to Libya. Suzanne will have more of her exclusive conversation with Eman al Obeidi Monday in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Also still ahead, the U.S. Air Force's secret practice some are calling a national disgrace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think any family thinks that human remains in a garbage dump is appropriate disposition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: At least 274 U.S. troops' remains dumped into this Virginia landfill. Up next, I'll speak to the Army widow who blew the story wide open.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We have new information on a shocking story we told you yesterday, the Air Force dumping the remains of more than 200 U.S. troops in a Virginia landfill. That number is far more than the military originally acknowledged. Newly obtained records reveal that during the years of 2004 to 2008, the remains of at least 274 American troops cremated at Dover Air Force Base were dumped in this landfill in King George County, Virginia. The practice was first reported by "The Washington Post." The Air Force has said that the practice was dignified and respectful. A spokesman for defense secretary, Leon Panetta, says Panetta is comfortable with the way the Air Force has handled this.
Relatives and loved ones directly affected are expressing some outrage. One joins us right now by phone. Gari-Lynn Smith's husband, Army Sergeant Scott Smith, was killed in Iraq in 2006. Some of his remains were dumped in that landfill.
Geri-Lynn, do you agree with the military's explanation?
GARI-LYNN SMITH, WIDOW OF ARMY SGT. SCOTT SMITH (voice-over): Absolutely not. I believe the military's explanation is a means to not own up and take responsibility for the actions that they've been dumping our soldiers and service members' remains in a landfill. And I am very disappointed they are taking this stand. WHITFIELD: The military had expressed to family members that the remains would be managed and handled in a dignified, respectful manner. What did you expect that would entail?
SMITH: I always pretty much assumed that they would be cremated and have the ashes spread at Arlington because that's what made most sense to me as far as a dignified, honorable way to discharge the remains that were either unidentifiable or that family's request was not re- notified on.
WHITFIELD: Why were you so suspicious about the handling of the remains of your husband? You pressed the military for four years before you finally received a response from them explaining what had happened.
SMITH: I was furious, because I was initially told by a chief warrant officer at the mortuary that no one wanted my husband so he was cremated and thrown in the trash. And when I demanded an apology and that this person be disciplined and not allowed to interact with family members anymore, nobody really seemed too appalled that that's what they told me. So I started thinking what had they really done, because nobody had given me a straight answer. That's when I put through those requests and finally met up with Trevor Dean and finally received the letter.
WHITFIELD: What did they say in that letter to you specifically?
SMITH: They said that, up until 2008, the policy was that they incinerated -- cremated ashes, and then handed them over to a medical contractor where they were further incinerated and then dumped in a Virginia landfill in King George County.
WHITFIELD: At the end of that letter -- I just have a copy which says they stated, quote, "I hope this information brings some comfort to you during your time of loss." Did it do that?
SMITH: No, it did not. I don't even know how they could have been so insensitive to put -- that they said it would bring comfort. They just told me my husband's remains went into a garbage dump, and then ended the letter, "I hope this brings you comfort." It was insulting and just added more injury.
WHITFIELD: So now the Air Force has also set up a call center so that families, loved ones, such as yourself, can call to get more information about what may have happened to their loved ones' remains. Do you like this option?
SMITH: I don't like this option. I believe that it is the Air Force's responsibility to call the family members themselves. This is not -- our husbands went over there. Our sons, our daughters, they went over there and freely sacrificed their life for this country. And all that they asked for in return was to know that their family members would be taken care of. It is not our job and our responsibility to make sure that they're doing the right thing. They should want to do the right thing. And the right thing is to notify these family members and own up to the fact that they have grossly failed up.
WHITFIELD: And what would you like to see happen next, if anything?
SMITH: I would like to see real disciplinary actions, not people moving from supervisory positions to non-supervisory positions or a different pay grade. I think that people need to be held accountable.
The secretary of the Air Force stated to Congressman Holt that they're pre-committing themselves to our service members. And my response to that is there should never be a need for a re-commitment at Dover Mortuary. If anyone has lost the commitment that worked there, they should have the integrity to stand up and request to remove themselves from that position.
WHITFIELD: Geri-Lynn Smith thanks so much for your time.
SMITH: Thank you. I appreciate it.
WHITFIELD: Many towns put up Christmas decorations but one group is fighting a town over where they put this holiday tradition.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: In a battle over a Christmas staple, this nativity scene is one that is apparently sparking a lot of debate now. Take a look at it.
All right, well, apparently, some people are a little upset that this nativity scene is taking place in this small town in Texas. We'll bring you more on it in a moment.
Meantime, in Arkansas, a death row inmate gets a second chance because of a tweet. The state supreme court rules that Ericson Demas Martinez (ph) deserves a new trial all because a jury tweet, "It's over," along with other comments before the verdict.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURENT SACHAROFF, ASSISTANT LAW PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS: If he's disregarding the judges' instructions now to tweet, and repeatedly disregarding them, then he may well be disregarding other instructions, instructions such as, you have to find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, or you should listen to all the evidence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Prosecutors are the tweets were about his feelings and not details about the case.
In a battle over Christmas staple, this nativity in front of a courthouse in Anderson County, Texas, is starting a heated debate over separation of church and state. The atheist group, Freedom from Religion Foundation, says it is unlawful and wants it removed. To makes its point, the group said it may put up a sign that says, quote, "There are no gods," right next to it. Now to the streets of Brooklyn, New York, where a movie is taking on some difficult but important topics about identify family and acceptance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Your daughter is turning into a damn man right before your eyes and you can't --
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UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I'm broken. I'm broken open, breaking and springing, broken and springing. I'm not broken. I'm free.
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WHITFIELD: "Pariah" is already receiving critical acclaim. The director was recently named Breakthrough Director of the year at the Gotham Awards. The movie's director, Dee Rees is on the phone with us right now.
So, Dee, the title "Pariah" is really telling. First of all, congratulations on the accolades you've most recently received.
This movie is exploring some deep topics and some very personal ones. Explain.
DEE REES, WRITER & DIRECTOR: Yes, I really a story about identity. So in this story, we meet a gay 17 year old who knows her sexuality but is having problems trying to be that. So she's in a tug of war between who her best friend wants her to be and who her parents want her to be. And we come to learn that she should be herself.
WHITFIELD: Was it difficult getting "Pariah" off the ground?
REES: It was. Actually, the most difficult part was the financing. I first wrote the script back in 2005, so it's been a six-year labor of love. So the producer, she's a trooper, worked tirelessly and got a lot private investment. We sold our apartment in Brooklyn, New York, to invest in the film ourselves. We truly felt the story needed to be told. And I knew it had (INAUDIBLE).
WHITFIELD: So what was it about the story, the experience of being a lesbian in America that you felt that need to be portrayed in "Pariah"? What was the real arc that you're trying to convey?
REES: Well he -- the biggest things in the film are about not checking the box and not keeping your life to others' expectations. In this film, she comes to discover herself and transforms the people around her as much as she transforms her. Support in that people have freedom and they're allowed to proclaim and live in their own identity.
WHITFIELD: So you apparently used some rather unconventional methods into which you get your actors to get inspired to tell the story. For one, I understand you didn't have any traditional rehearsals. What do you mean?
REES: Yes. I don't like typical lined readings because for me as a director it's more important the actors understand the why of what they're saying versus what they're saying and have clearnesses about the relationships and dynamics. I sent the two lead actors in costume to Dave & Buster's Times Square so they could feel what it is like to be a lesbian woman in a strange environment. I also sent them to lesbian clubs so they could feel what it's like in that environment. It gave them a chance to walk in the characters' shoes and really immerse them in the world. Similarly, I had the four actors who play the family members go to psychotherapists. I had mock therapy sessions where they could sit on the couch and bounce off each other and have talking points that this family was struggling with. In that way, they were able to relate to each other as a family.
WHITFIELD: Writer and director, Dee Rees, of "Pariah."
Congratulations on a thought-provoking project.
REES: Thank you so much. I'm exciting for people to see the film and really believe it transcends race and sexuality. No matter who you are or where you're from, there's going to be something everybody will be able to relate to in this film.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dee, thanks so much.
Now some politics with Paul Steinhauser.
Paul, let's talk about this debate that Donald Trump was going to be moderating. Is it up in the air now?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, I guess this is something Donald Trump is not used to hearing -- no.
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I guess that's what's happening. We've put a graphic together. Here's this proposed debate Trump wants to do December 27th in Iowa with "News Max," which is a conservative reporting outlook. Look at this. Five candidates now saying no. The two that are in, Newt Gingrich, the front-runner right now, and Rick Santorum, the former Senator from Pennsylvania. Who's not coming? Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, most recently, yesterday, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, the congressman from Minnesota, and also Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor, all of them say thanks, but no thanks.
Trump is upset, especially with Bachmann, who has met with him four times this year. Take a listen to what he told our Wolf Blitzer yesterday.
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DONALD TRUMP, REAL ESTATE MOGUL: People are afraid that I'm going to run as an Independent candidate and some of the people that are supposed to be in the debate have expressed that. And I don't want to give up that option because it certainly is an option if the Republicans pick the wrong candidate or if the economy and everything continues to be bad and we have the wrong candidate. That would be the worst thing.
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STEINHAUSER: Stay tuned here with Donald Trump. You never know what's going to go on --
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-- what's going to happen or not -- Fred?
WHITFIELD: Never a dull moment.
All right, thanks so much, Paul. I appreciate that.
We're going to have much more in the NEWSROOM straight ahead with Brooke Baldwin.
