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Congress May Avoid Government Shutdown; Penn State Molestation Scandal; Republican Presidential Candidates Take Aim at Newt Gingrich; Department Goes After Sheriff Joe Arpaio; John McCain's War of Words with Russia's Vladimir Putin; Does Banning Cell Phones Cause Fewer Crashes?

Aired December 16, 2011 - 11:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Want to get you up to speed for this Friday, December 15th.

Two former Penn State officials will soon know if they face trial in the child molestation case involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. A hearing is going on today in Harrisburg.

Former athletic director Tim Curley and former university vice president Gary Schultz are charged with lying and failing to report the suspected abuse. Assistant coach Mike McQueary, he is the star witness. Now, he says he told Curley and Schultz that he had seen Sandusky raping a boy in the showers, and McQueary testified there is no question in his mind that he fully described what he saw.

Prosecutors say Sandusky sexually abused 10 young boys. He has pleaded not guilty to more than 50 charges.

Back from the brink of a government shutdown. Sources are now saying that Democrats and Republicans have reached a deal to keep the federal government running after midnight tonight. Now, the House and Senate, they're expecting to vote on that plan today. Negotiators are still trying to agree on extending the payroll tax cut. If they don't, your taxes are going to go up by an average of $1,000.

Republican presidential candidates are making their closing arguments to Iowa voters. Now, the candidates met last night in their last debate before the Iowa caucuses. While some took aim at President Obama, current front-runner Newt Gingrich found himself defending his conservative credentials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think on the conservative thing, it's sort of laughable to suggest that somebody who campaigned with Ronald Reagan and with Jack Kemp, and has a 30- year record of conservatism, is somehow not a conservative?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RON PAUL (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Fortunately, for the Republican Party this year, probably anybody up here could probably beat Obama. So the challenge isn't all that great on how we're going to beat Obama. I think he's beating himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: We're going to have more highlights from the debate ahead in a live report.

Well, there was a startling discovery at Moscow's main airport today. Russian Customs agents found more than a dozen radioactive metal objects in the luggage of a passenger bound for Tehran. They say the material registered radiation levels that were 20 times above normal. Now, Russia's atomic agency says the material is used exclusively for medical and scientific research. That countered earlier claims it could only come from nuclear reactors.

Quick-witted author and journalist Christopher Hitchens has died at age 62. The British foreign author had developed complications from his battle with cancer of the esophagus.

Hitchens wrote for "Vanity Fair," "Harper's," "The Nation," and "Slate," among many publications. He was known for taking strong, well-argued and controversial positions in support of the Iraq War and atheism.

Academy Award winning actor Christian Bale is used to plenty of action on a movie set. Right? He's played the comic book hero "Batman." But he experienced a dose of real-life drama in China.

That is right. Bale was traveling with CNN when he was roughed up by Chinese security as he tried to visit the home of a prominent human rights activist.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIAN BALE, ACTOR: Why can I not go visit this man?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Well, after Bale and the CNN crew were turned away, Chinese security kept harassing him. Bale was in China promoting his new film, which is China's entry for the Foreign Language Academy Award.

The Army private suspected of being behind the biggest intelligence leak in U.S. history wants the investigating officer in his case to recuse himself. The hearing for Bradley Manning went into recess just a short time after it started. Why? His attorney says the Army reservist presiding over the case has a conflict of interest because he has a job with the Justice Department, which is investigating WikiLeaks.

That is the site where Manning's alleged leaked material was posted. Manning faces charges ranging from stealing records to aiding the enemy, and could get the death penalty if found guilty.

Baseball legend Barry Bonds is now waiting to hear if he's going to serve time for giving misleading information back in the 2003 steroid investigation. Just hours from now sentencing is scheduled to begin in San Francisco.

So, in April, what happened? Jurors found Bonds guilty of obstruction of justice. Prosecutors want him to serve 15 months in prison.

The voices of hundreds of Florida A&M students could be heard as they lined up on the front lawn of the governor's house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: We are FAMU!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: They are outraged over Governor Rick Scott's recommendation for Florida A&M trustees to suspend the school president because of hazing and fraud allegations. Scott got out of bed to actually answer this crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: Hopefully when this investigation is finished nobody can question that he's done all the right things. That's what all of us hope. But why would he put himself and the university in a position that is clear? There's nobody questioning how thorough this investigation is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's where we have a disagreement. We don't think that's in the best interest of our student body, to have a leave of absence of our president. That's where we disagree. So we are not going to leave until you rescind your recommendation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Last month, a Florida A&M drum major died in a suspected hazing incident. And just this week three band members were charged in another suspected hazing that left a woman badly beaten.

All right. So here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. In the wake of the hazing allegations, Florida A&M's famous Marching 100 was suspended indefinitely. That is the same punishment that would have followed hazing at a fraternity or a sorority.

So, our "Talk Back" question today is: Does the suspension of Florida A&M's band go too far? Is it actually punishing the good students by taking away a great college opportunity?

I want you to tell me what you think by posting a comment on my Facebook page. That is Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN. We're going to have your responses later this hour.

And more now on the last-minute deal by Congress to prevent the government from shutting down at midnight. Now, this is after months of negotiations, days of partisan finger-pointing. Negotiators have now, we understand, reached a compromise.

I want to bring in our congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan, in the middle of all of this on Capitol Hill.

Kate, once again, it's almost like Groundhog's Day, right? You get on the brink of disaster, and then Congress takes action. What happened?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It sure seems like that's exactly what happened yet again. They needed the pressure of coming very close to another deadline, on the brink of government shutdown, for both sides to come together to hash out their final differences and reach agreement. And that's basically what happened last night.

Negotiators, congressional leaders, last night, they were able to finalize this massive spending bill. It's hundreds and hundreds of pages to keep the government funded and fund the government through the end of September, really through fiscal year 2012.

So they hammered out the deal. They signed off on it last night. And they'll be moving forward to kind of rubberstamp it and push it through with votes hopefully today.

But it is a bit of good news. And hey, I think we should take what we can get, that they were able to reach a compromise on this. It's all the partisan bickering that we really have been seeing of late. So, they are moving forward with that, and a government shutdown has been averted -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Well, we'll take the good news, Kate.

Give us a timeline. I know this isn't the last that they're going to be actually voting on the spending bill. What are we looking forward to?

BOLDUAN: Well, the House, they already have the bill on the calendar. They're going to be voting on this conference report, as you call it, later this afternoon. And the Senate, they will either try to vote on it today. If not today, it would only be because they still have some paperwork that they have to do. And they may take the vote into tomorrow, but that won't have any impact on any potential government shutdown issue again. They said that it's been averted and the votes will be happening.

MALVEAUX: And Kate, I know there's still some outstanding issues on the table, the payroll tax cut. Has there been any progress on that?

BOLDUAN: The negotiations are continuing. And we're told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, he said on the floor that he and the top Republicans in the Senate, they met to continue discussions this morning. Both really continuing their new optimistic tone and upbeat tone, saying they're making significant progress and they're working together, and they're working on this negotiation. But they're not there yet.

There seems to be still some outstanding issues that they need to overcome to extend the payroll tax cut and the other major end-of-year issues that are set to expire. But they're working towards an end game. The Senate will likely continue that work into the weekend.

But let me quickly add that in light of it, they have not reached agreement yet. Senate Democrats started floating a short-term extension as something that they're considering, something in the area of two months, but that seemed to fall quickly pretty short on the ears of House Speaker John Boehner.

If we have that sound bite, we can listen to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: The House has done its work. We're waiting on the United States Senate.

But these rumors that are floating around here about a two-month extension, I'll just say this -- if that bill comes over to us, we will make changes to it. And I will guarantee you that the Keystone pipeline will be in there when it goes back to the United States Senate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: The Keystone pipeline being one of the major kind of obstacles that have been a contentious point in these negotiations. But besides the fact that they're floating this idea, Suzanne, I'm assured by top aides that they are still working towards a full deal to extend the payroll tax cut, along with thee other issues. And these negotiations continue today -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Keep us posted on the end game there, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Of course.

MALVEAUX: We appreciate it. There's going to be a lot of working hours on the weekend as well. Thanks again, Kate.

Here are some of the stories you're going to see this hour.

First, new courtroom developments in the Penn State sex abuse case. Assistant coach Mike McQueary testified just a short time ago.

And then, with the Republican race, candidates debate one last time before the Iowa caucuses.

And now candidates playing the marriage card, why you might be seeing more of their wives on the trail.

And later, the feds recommend bans on talking on your phone while you drive, but do bans actually lead to fewer crashes?

And then, 11:30 Eastern, NASA is looking for a new generation of astronauts. Do you think you have what it takes?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: We're learning more about the Penn State child molestation scandal involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Two former university officials, they're in court today. They are accused of lying.

The key witness in today's hearing, assistant coach Mike McQueary.

CNN's Susan Candiotti, she's live from Harrisburg.

And Susan, I understand that he was in the courtroom and he explained his side of the story and what he saw. What do we know? What did we learn?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, his testimony just wrapped up. And it lasted two hours long, Suzanne. And let's get right to the heart of this.

At issue, as you said, is what mike McQueary told these two Penn State officials. And he has testified this morning that he made it very clear to these two Penn State officials, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, that in fact he did see something of a sexual nature, something that he believed was sexual intercourse. That's what he said he told them, and that it was wrong, and that it was over the line, that he saw Jerry Sandusky in the showers allegedly attacking a young boy.

That's what's at the heart of this, because those two Penn State officials disagree that McQueary said that this boy was allegedly being raped. In fact, McQueary said, "I never used the word 'rape' or 'sodomy,'" but he said, "I did make it very clear to them that something extremely sexual was going on."

Now, as to the particulars, we are hearing for the first time from Mike McQueary what he says he saw. And he said he went to a locker room in 2002, saw a boy in the showers with Jerry Sandusky.

Now, the boy was facing the wall, with his hands on the wall, shoulder height. And he testified that he saw Jerry Sandusky, allegedly with his hands around the boy's waist, and, "They were as close as they could be."

He said that he eventually did make eye contact with them, and afterwards left the locker room in shock. He admits that he didn't call the police. He said he called his dad first because he respected him.

And he said that eventually, when he told Joe Paterno, he also did not use the term "intercourse," but told Paterno that something extremely sexual in nature was going on between Sandusky and the boy. It was not until nine days after that that that McQueary testified that he was called to a meeting with the two Penn State officials and told them what was going on.

He did face a somewhat tough cross-examination by two defense lawyers, but remember, at a preliminary hearing, they're not allowed to attack his credibility. And so they didn't get very far in that regard, but they did say, "Did you believe that a crime took place?" McQueary said, "Yes." And they said, "But you didn't call police?" And he said, "No."

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Susan, the Penn State officials, they reported -- testified in the grand jury testimony under oath that it was horseplay. Explain to us how their version of the story is different than McQueary's.

CANDIOTTI: Well, perhaps we will hear that as the hearing goes on, and perhaps their testimony to the grand jury will be entered into the record and we'll get more particulars. But they believe -- or they testified, according to the grand jury, that, as you indicated, McQueary wasn't specific with them about what he saw, that something sexual was going on, but they didn't believe it was anything serious and, therefore, that's why they didn't report it to police.

MALVEAUX: All right. Susan Candiotti, thank you. We'll come back to you as you have more details.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Newt Gingrich playing defense in the latest Republican debate. Last night's showdown was the final debate before the Iowa caucuses.

Jim Acosta is joining us live from Sioux City, Iowa, with some of the highlights.

Jim, it was fascinating. The candidates all taking aim at Newt Gingrich, even including Michele Bachmann. What was the main point? Where did they hit him the hardest?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they were hitting him almost on all pressure points last night, this debate, Suzanne.

I have to tell you, we're inside of a steel plant, so I just want to prepare our viewers in case they hear any unusual noises. Mitt Romney just wrapped up an event here.

He's having a good day today. He picked up the endorsement of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and basically emerged from that GOP debate last night virtually unscathed.

That was not the case for Newt Gingrich. You just mentioned that Michele Bachmann was really tearing into him. And she went after him on a couple of different subjects.

One of them, on all of that money he took advising the mortgage giant Freddie Mac, and also on social issues. She hit him on his position on abortion.

And it got to a point late in the debate where Newt Gingrich had basically had enough and accused Michele Bachmann of not having her facts straight. And then they got into a pretty testy exchange. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRICH: Sometimes Congresswoman Bachmann doesn't get her facts very accurate.

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it's outrageous to continue to say over and over through the debates that I don't have my facts right when, as a matter of fact, I do. I'm a serious candidate for president of the United States, and my facts are accurate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And to back that up, she cited Politifact in saying that Politifact has even gone back and looked at what she has said during these debates and rated her statements as accurate.

I should tell you, Suzanne, that later on, after the debate was over, the Politifact Web site came out and said, no, no, pants on fire, Michele Bachmann. You have not gotten all of your facts straight and all of your statements in these debates.

But the night really was toughest for Newt Gingrich -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Gingrich, how did he respond to all of those challenges from his rivals, particularly the attack that he's not electable against Obama?

ACOSTA: Well, this was a scorched earth strategy this week for Mitt Romney. They really went after Newt Gingrich every way that they could. And even Mitt Romney called Newt Gingrich famously, as we all heard it earlier this week, "zany."

Well, Newt Gingrich basically had no opportunity to go back at Mitt Romney, because during the debate it was hands off. He was staying very positive when it came to Newt Gingrich. And so Gingrich seemed to concede at one point during the debate that, you know what? Maybe I can be a little bit over the top at times. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRICH: I sometimes get accused of using language that's too strong. So I've been standing here editing. I'm very concerned about not appearing to be zany.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: So, Gingrich would probably like to go back and edit out some of those moments from the debate if he could actually do some of those -- do some of that editing. But as we all know, Suzanne, you can't go back and do that.

MALVEAUX: No. We're too smart for that.

And what about Rick Perry? I know he might want to do some editing as well. How did he do last night?

ACOSTA: Well, he was trying to throw that "Hail Mary" pass. There are only two weeks or so left before the Iowa caucuses, and he needs a Tim Tebow-like moment if he hopes to win the caucuses here.

So, wouldn't you know it? Twelve minutes into the debate, Rick Perry played the Tim Tebow card. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There are a lot of folks that said Tim Tebow wasn't going to be a very good NFL quarterback. He won two national championships. And that looked pretty good. We were the national champions in job creation back in Texas.

So, am I ready for the next level? Let me tell you, I hope I am the Tim Tebow of the Iowa caucuses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And if Rick Perry's going to pull off a Tim Tebow-type comeback, he better hurry up. We're at about the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter when it comes to the Iowa caucuses, Suzanne. A process you know all too well.

MALVEAUX: Yes. We'll just take that sports analogy. Thank you.

NASA is looking for the best of the best. The space agency is recruiting its new crop of astronauts, but to get the job you've really got to know your stuff. We're going to fill you in on the requirements and speak with an astronaut live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: All right. So here's a job with some really great benefits: travel, fantastic sightseeing, but you've got to be the best of the best to get hired here. We're talking about NASA recruiting its next generation of astronauts.

So, I want you to check out some of these requirements here. You have to be between 5'2" and 6'3". Your blood pressure cannot exceed 140/90. You have to pass a swimming test in a flight suit with tennis shoes. And if you get the job, you're going to have to learn Russian and how to cook in space.

NASA astronaut Rex Walheim is here with us from Houston.

Rex, I can't even cook on Earth, so I'm not really sure if this is going to work out for me. But tell us -- these requirements, pretty tough stuff. What are some of the other ones you guys are putting out there?

REX WALHEIM, NASA ASTRONAUT: We're looking for people who are very well rounded, have a little bit of an adventure streak, and have a good, solid academic background, and are good working for people. So we're looking for an all-around person that's got the qualifications, plus, and are easy to work with.

MALVEAUX: All right. I'm bringing in our Reynolds Wolf here, who I think is just a little too tall for the --

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I think so. Right at 6'4", Rex. Yes. I might be a little bit too big.

But one question that Suzanne and I both have has to do with vision. I know that you mentioned that 20/20 vision is a requirement. But what if you have bad eyes that were corrected Lasik? Can you still be an astronaut?

WALHEIM: Yes. And that's a recent change, that you can have some of the vision correction surgeries, as long as you have had it done and you don't have any adverse symptoms after about a year. So there are ways now we can accept corrected vision.

MALVEAUX: And the swimming part, I think Reynolds and I, we can deal with the swimming part. But what about that part where you're, like, with strangers for three to six months at a time and you're ready to kill each other? Is there some sort of component of a test that says, look, we don't think these two should be in space together?

WALHEIM: Actually, there are. We have to learn those, and they're kind of coping mechanisms and how to deal with being in a confined space.

And what we liken it to is camping skills. You have to have good camping skills.

You have to be able to get along with others in adverse environments. And little things, like you have to be able to keep track of your stuff.

As you can imagine on a camping trip, when stuff gets out of place when you're trying to pick up camp and move, it gets to be a challenge. So, you can imagine somebody who is disorganized here on Earth. If you get in space with zero gravity, it becomes quite a problem when things are floating around, and it's easy to lose stuff up there.

WOLF: So, Rex, I would imagine that if -- say, for example, speaking on my behalf, taking a minivan across the country can be sometimes a nightmare scenario. So I would imagine being in a confined space up in space, up in orbit, would also be -- if you can't handle a minivan, you probably can't handle space shuttle.

WALHEIM: That's right. You have to be able to deal with those adverse circumstances, dealing with little children or something like that. It's actually good practice.

And we actually take our astronauts out to do what we call outdoor leadership school training. And so we take them backpacking or sea kayaking, where we teach them how they develop those skills of dealing with adverse environments, and coping with it, and keeping their humor and their team-building (ph) skills together. MALVEAUX: Rex, I understand astronauts will be spending more time in space, maybe years. How do they treat serious illnesses in space? Has that changed?

WALHEIM: Yes, it has. When we're staying up there for six months, have you to have better medical training. We train our long- range astronauts, we train them how to deal with medical emergencies. How to stabilize things. There always is the way to get back to earth via the Soyuz (ph), our life boat, if you will. That's not going to be the case when we go deeper into space, beyond the space station. That's where we're going to have to rely on telemedicine to a certain extent. With all of the medical training, you can call home and get advice. The farther we go away from earth, the stronger your medical training has to be.

WOLF: Rex, it is amazing to see how the requirements have changed. When you look back to the Mercury 7 astronauts, the primary qualification was to be a greatest test pilot. Now it seems like you not only have to have this criteria, but you also need to be a diplomat, especially in terms of speaking Russian, right?

WALHEIM: You bet. We don't have to be able to speak Russia when we get here, but we have to be able to learn Russian. That is very important. The diplomacy skills are very important also. But we take a wide variety of the background. Just like you said, one of the neat things about NASA is we have the steely-eyed test pilots, the medical doctors, the engineers, the professors. We all come together to form a great team that we also interact with the international partners. It's a great opportunity. It's wonderful job.

MALVEAUX: Let's say the scenario is that Reynolds Wolf and I both get accepted to the space program. We're up there, spending a lot of time in space. I understand with zero gravity, your muscles can atrophy, things change. How would we change spending a lot of time in space?

WALHEIM: We do have problems that you encounter in long duration and zero gravity. We're studying that in the space station, how the body reacts, what happens to it, and how do you develop counter measures? You get muscle atrophy because you're not using your legs. You're kind of like a bed-rest patient to a certain extent. So we have a stringent exercise routine. We have our astronauts exercise about two hours a day to keep their muscle mass. In addition to that, you also lose some of your bone density. That can be dangerous. It's like osteoporosis. We have ways of trying to combat that. We also studying ways to combat that, which are also applicable here on earth, how we can help people who have similar problems on earth. Those type of things are things we have to combat. Then when we go beyond that, we need to deal with more of the radiation hazard too because it gets worse the farther away you get in space. It's a tough environment. We have a lot of smart engineers and doctors here at NASA that help us out to solve those problems.

WOLF: It's interesting seeing how many things have changed in NASA in terms of trying to find the perfect candidates for these jobs. Suzanne was talking about just the what-if scenario of someone applying for this and if they had been accepted. I actually sent in an application when I was 12 years old.

(LAUGHTER)

I haven't heard anything back, Rex. Is it safe to say that you guys chose to go in a different direction? Maybe I ought to look for something else?

WALHEIM: No, I'm going to go back and look at that. Reynolds, I'll take a look at that and see if I can dig that up. Has anything changed since you -- since you turned 12?

WOLF: Let's see, this was back in '82. A few minor changes. A little bit taller, heavier, a few more wrinkles, but, hey, still good.

(CROSSTALK)

WALHEIM: All right, good deal. I'll take a look at that and we'll give you a call.

WOLF: All right. Good times.

MALVEAUX: Is there an age limit though, Rex? Really, is there an age limit to apply?

WALHEIM: No. No.

MALVEAUX: We're a little on the older side.

WALHEIM: Well, there's not a formal age limit. Actually, since I've been participating in the selection process, I've seen applications for people in their 20s, even younger, with Reynolds's application. But we've had people up in their 70s to apply. The problem is, as you get older, it's harder to meet all those stringent medical requirements. But we don't have an age limit, so people of all ages can apply.

MALVEAUX: That's good. We work out a couple hours a day, right.

WOLF: Absolutely.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: Thanks, Reynolds.

Thank you very much, Rex Walheim. Appreciate it.

The Justice Department is going after America's toughest sheriff. The feds say that Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio is too tough on Latinos. He is accused of racial profiling. And Sheriff Arpaio is now firing back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Senator John McCain is defending himself in a war of words and tweets with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Putin questioned McCain's sanity after the Senator from Arizona tweeted comments encouraging Russian protests in the name of democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRIME MINISTER OF RUSSIA (through translation): That he had been held not just in jail but was put in a pit where he was kept for several years. Any person under those circumstances would hardly remain mentally sane.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: McCain responded to being called nuts last night on "John King, USA." Take a look at what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R), ARIZONA: He said I was, quote, "nuts." But -- and in a way, it is a bit amusing, but it's also very serious. My point was that I have told -- you and I have discussed other times on this program, the Arab Spring is spreading around the world, to China, to Russia, to every country where there is an oppressive or repressive government and people want their freedom and they want their democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, McCain then took aim at Putin with another tweet. It said, "Dear Vlad, is it something I said"?

Well, he's no stranger to controversy. The Justice Department has released a scathing report, accusing America's toughest sheriff, Joe Arpaio, of violating the civil rights of Latinos. The out-spoken Sheriff Arpaio is firing back, calling the report a sad day for America as a whole.

CNN's Casey Wian has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Maricopa County sheriff, Joe Arpaio, often brags about being the toughest sheriff in America, especially on illegal immigration. Now, after a three-year investigation, the Justice Department says his policies and practices are violating the civil rights of all Latinos in this Arizona county.

THOMAS PEREZ, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: Our expert found that Latino drivers are four to nine times more likely to be stopped than similarly situated non-Latino drivers. The conduct that he observed involved the most egregious racial profiling in the United States that he had ever personally observed.

WIAN: A blistering investigative report accuses Arpaio's department of the unlawful detention and arrest of Latinos, unlawful retaliation against critics, and discrimination against Spanish- speaking jail inmates. The charges are civil. There's also an ongoing criminal investigation. The government says both have been delayed by a lack of cooperation by the sheriff's department. JOE ARPAIO, SHERIFF, MARICOPA COUNTY: I do have compassion. But I'll tell you one thing, enforcing the law overrides my compassion. That's as simple as you can get it. I took an oath of office. I am enforcing the state and the federal laws.

WIAN: The Department of Homeland Security says it will restrict Maricopa County's access to federal immigration enforcement resources. The Justice Department identified other areas of concern, including the use of excessive force against Latinos, lack of adequate police protection in Latino neighborhoods, and the failure to investigate sexual assaults.

(on camera): The Justice Department cites the Los Angeles Police Department as a law enforcement agency that has successfully reformed after allegations of civil rights violations. It has given Sheriff Arpaio and Maricopa County 60 days to show good faith cooperation or face these allegations in court.

Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Recommended you put down your cell phone when you drive, but do bans actually lead to if fewer crashes? One group says not so much. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The National Transportation Safety Board has just recommended that states ban all cell phone use while driving, but does it mean fewer crashes on the road?

Karina Huber is at the New York Stock Exchange.

What do we know about this? Nobody's allowed to use a cell phone? Does it make a difference?

KARINA HUBER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne. This is a tricky question. Some groups are getting revved up about the proposal. There's an organization funded by auto insurers called the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. They studied crash rates before and after bans were enacted in various states. Their results found that while bans didn't result in fewer drivers using their phones, they did not result in a reduction in crash rates. They found similar results in states with text messaging bans. The lesson, according to this report, is that phones aren't the problems, drivers are.

The argument is that distracted driving is a much broader problem than phone use. You have radio, billboards to look at to keep your eyes off the road. How to reduce crash rates is a tricky business. The hubbub comes after the National Transportation Safety Board's recommendation that states ban all use of all not only hand-held devices but also hands-free phones while driving. Such a ban would be a big deal for automobile makers because they've invested heavily in hands-free system, which would be banned under the NTSB's proposal. There will be a lot of resistance to this recommendation -- Suzanne? MALVEAUX: Yes. You see people doing all kinds of things when they're driving, putting on makeup, eating, whatever, even watching videos. It's unbelievable

HUBER: Reading magazines. Right.

MALVEAUX: That' right.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: What do you think about -- how are the markets looking today?

HUBER: They're looking pretty good. We're up 38 points on the Dow. Investors are remaining pretty optimistic as we head into the weekend. We'll have to see where things stand closer to the close in the last hour of trading because today's quadruple witching day, which sounds exotic but really this is doing a variety of options and futures contracts expires, so traders make last-minute moves to square up their portfolios. So that can mean shopping, trading, especially in that last hour of trade -- Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: Karina, have a good weekend.

Campaign battle between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney has become now a family affair. Their wives are now in the spotlight. We're going to tell you why.

First, each week we introduce you to someone who has achieved remarkable things despite having to overcome major challenges. For Sarah Werner, fighting cancer was a challenge. It was her desire to become a mom that became her biggest fight. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has this week's "Human Factor."

(HUMAN FACTOR)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We're watching Michele Bachmann kicking off her Iowa state tour. That is in Sioux City, Iowa. She says she's going to nine counties in 10 days.

I think she's taking some questions. Let's listen in for a minute.

(BEGIN LIVE SPEECH)

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, (R), MINNESOTA & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- he has the most liberal record on illegal immigration. I have the most conservative record. Or he was for the $700 billion TARP. The same with Mitt Romney. I'm against it. So you have the Newt Romney and then you have Michele Bachmann. And they say it's a two-man race, and I would agree. It's Newt Romney versus Michele Bachmann. And I am your conservative alternative.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION). (END LIVE SPEECH)

MALVEAUX: There is just one last debate. Full speed ahead for the Republican presidential candidates towards the Iowa caucuses, and then New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary.

Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney are battling for front-runner status. And we are also seeing more of their wives.

Here's Joe Johns with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What usually doesn't work very well in a presidential campaign is for some guy to interrupt an event and start shouting embarrassing questions about a candidate's personal life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is seem like you have a problem --

NEWT GINGRICH, (R), FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: How would you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- with cheating on your wife --

GINGRICH: How would you --

(CROSSTALK)

GINGRICH: Other than -- other than -- other than personal hostility --

JOHNS: But it is the velvet glove approach that's harder to deal with, for example, the wife of contender, Mitt Romney, in a living room in Iowa with a few dozen supporters.

ANN ROMNEY, WIFE OF MITT ROMNEY: I look back and I think of how my husband has been, the kind of guy he's become, and that's the personal side of him that people don't know about.

JOHNS: How long has Mitt Romney been married to the same woman? By the time this is over, you might eventually have it memorized.

MITT ROMNEY, (R), FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE; I've been married to the same woman for 25 -- excuse me -- I'll get in trouble -- for 42 years.

(LAUGHTER)

JOHNS: Presidential candidates love to think of their spouses as secret weapons. Ann Romney is on the trail now to humanize her husband to try to make him seem more appealing.

But her appearances are also a bid for values voters, women voters, and voters for whom trust is a big issue.

ANN ROMNEY: -- and that he has strong family values and that's what matters to him and that's -- that's where his world is.

JOHNS: Contrasting Romney with Gingrich, who's had a much more complicated personal life.

PETER HAMBY, POLITICAL REPORTER: The Romney campaign is almost certainly putting Ann Romney out there to highlight the couple's 42- year marriage and her children and Romney as a family man, as opposed to Newt Gingrich who is right now on his third marriage.

JOHNS: Not only married three times but Gingrich has admitted adultery, asked God for forgiveness and converted to Catholicism, which is the faith of his wife, Callista. She, too, is seen on the campaign trail, but not heard nearly as much.

CALLISTA GINGRICH, WIFE OF NEWT GINGRICH: Newt and I are determined to run a positive, issue-oriented and solutions-based campaign.

JOHNS: Republican political veteran, Mary Matalin, says some values voters might want to know more about the Gingrich personal story. But for many, it is news that's a decade old.

MARY MATALIN, REPUBLICAN POLITICAL VETERAN: People have discounted. They already knew about Newt's marriage history and they've discarded that as a concern about him.

JOHNS (on camera): For her part, Ann Romney says she's not trying to compare and contrast her husband's personal life with Newt Gingrich. But campaign insiders have said they think the former speaker's past personal life is one of his liabilities.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: You've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question: Does the suspension of Florida A&M's band for hazing going too far? Is it punishing the good students by taking away a great college opportunity?

Cynthia says, "Taking away a great opportunity for college students who have done nothing wrong may not be a good approach to this very sad incident. It may not be an inappropriate time to take a proactive approach to this very sad and unfortunate incident."

Farrah says, "The way I see it, the band is the team. If some of the members to reprehensible acts, the team has to deal with the consequences as a team."

Manuela says, "No, it does not go too far. We all seem to forget someone died. Where was the thought of wasting a great college opportunity when they were beating their band mate? It should be suspended at least until they can figure out a better way to avoid such incidents in the future."

Forrest says, "Why is it becoming more and more, when the acts of a few ruin things for the majority, the majority suffers? Sad thing is, the whole thing of hazing should have been addressed and dealt with years and years ago. It has been swept under the rug for too long. To suspend the band for the acts of a few that did it is uncalled for and not fair to the innocent."

Thanks for writing in and being a part of the conversation. Continue at facebook.com/suzanneCNN. More of your responses in the next hour.

The mode in these photos, breaking down barriers with a bra. Jeanne Moos explains. She takes it to the streets.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: In the world of sports, men and women don't generally compete with one another, but no longer the case in the world of fashion. Jeanne Moos tells us about a male model being used to boost the sales of push-up bras.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): How do you prove your push-up bra can push up even the most miniscule bust? Have man model it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's attractive.

MOOS: She's actually a man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not bad.

MOOS: She is a man actually.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really? OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She looks good.

MOOS: She is a man.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Then she looks really good.

(LAUGHTER)

MOOS (voice-over): Serbian-born model, Andre Pejic, is the latest "It" girl or boy. He got to be the bride in a John Paul Gautier fashion show.

(SINGING)

MOOS: "Out" magazine named him style maker of the year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's nice (ph).

MOOS: "Huffington Post" awarded him ultimate style game changer of the year.

And now he's changing how bras are sold.

(on camera): And she's advertising bras.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does she have breasts?

MOOS: No.

(voice-over): Pejic flaunts what he doesn't have, not shy about appearing shirtless. That's the point the Dutch department store, HEMA, is trying to sell, saying its mega push-up bra will bump you up two cup sizes, even if you're starting cupless.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If he can look like that, what can it do for a woman?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love it.

MOOS (on camera): Would that convince you that that's one heck of a push-up bra?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes!

MOOS (voice-over): You think busty sales lingerie? Move over, Victoria's Secret.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oops.

MOOS: Pecs rather than breasts are making waves.

"New York" magazine named Pejic male model of the year.

But even on the portfolio page of one of his modeling agencies, he's rarely seen dressed as a guy.

What a year it's been for him.

ANDRE PEJIC, MODEL: It's been an amazing year (ph).

(SINGING)

MOOS: He may leave some confused.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm mixed up on what's going on today.

MOOS (on camera): You're mixed up?

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

MOOS (voice-over): Even a woman who gave us an earful about being unable to get used to gender swapping, even she broke down.

(on camera): Would you buy this bra when you see what it can do for him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course.

(LAUGHTER)

Yes.

MOOS (voice-over): His cups may not runneth over but --

(on camera): -- when it comes to gender bending, there's no one more elastic. When it comes to selling bras --

(voice-over): -- we'll see if he really can can.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)