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Combat Mission Ending in Afghanistan Next Year; Sources: Donald Trump to Endorse Mitt Romney; Egypt's Football Disaster; American Airlines to Cut 13,000 Jobs; Outsourced Job Leaves Family of 5 Living on $15,000 Yearly; Stunt for Movie Has Super Heroes Flying Over New York; Georgia Girl, 15, Talks About Mistaken Deportation to Colombia
Aired February 02, 2012 - 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.
I want to get you up to speed for this Thursday, February 2nd.
New death toll in Egypt. Authorities now say 79 people were killed in yesterday's soccer riot. Back-to-back funerals are now under way. The nation is officially in mourning.
Many people are outraged at police, who say they simply stood by while fans stormed the field, attacking each other with rocks and chairs. Military leaders are investigating whether or not the riot was caused by sports rivalry or political tensions.
New scenes of the violence raging in Syria. This video posted online is said to show rebel fighters who have captured a tank in the city of Homs. The U.N. Security Council is again talking about how to end the bloodshed. Arab and Western nations want President Bashar al-Assad out, but Russia and China will not accept any suggestion of economic sanctions or military intervention.
U.S. troops will stop fighting in Afghanistan, start training and advising. The defense secretary says that is going to start next year. Some Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates not happy, saying Leon Panetta should not alert the enemy when combat will end.
We're live at the Pentagon in just a minute.
And Donald Trump now endorsing Mitt Romney for president. That is according to sources with knowledge of this endorsement.
Now, Trump promised a major announcement today. He's not elaborating just quite yet. He plans to make this announcement in Vegas just two days ahead of the Nevada caucuses.
We're going to have more on the story up ahead from our political team.
And Nevada, the place to be today for the Republican presidential candidates. As we mentioned, Nevada caucuses now just two days away. Newt Gingrich campaigning in Las Vegas as he's trying to rebound from that loss in Florida. Mitt Romney has stops in Vegas and Reno coming off of his big Florida win, you may recall. And Rick Santorum meeting with reports. That is in Fallon, Nevada. And Ron Paul campaigning in Reno.
A showdown playing out right now over the gun-running sting operation known as Operation Fast & Furious. The program allowed guns purchased illegally in the United States to cross into Mexico so authorities could simply track them.
Some of the guns though were lost. Two turned up at the site where a border patrol agent was killed.
Attorney General Eric Holder is testifying before a House committee, and Holder says that he is taking steps to make sure that the programs like this botched operation never happen again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: And that's why when I learned early last year about the allegations raised by ATF agents involved with Fast & Furious, I took action. In addition to requesting an inspector general investigation last February, I ordered that such a direct -- I ordered that a directive be sent prohibiting the use of such tactics. There have also been important personnel changes in the department.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: No Facebook stock for you just quite yet, but soon. The company took the first big step toward going public yesterday, filing its initial public offering. So, it will be a couple of months before Facebook shares start trading on the open market, and financial experts, they are putting the value of the company somewhere between $75 billion and $100 billion.
Most of the United States enjoying an unusually mild winter this year. That's how I like it. But the groundhogs, they are splitting hairs over what's ahead.
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning in Pennsylvania, so that means, of course, six more weeks of winter. In Georgia, cloudy skies kept General Beauregard Lee from seeing his shadow. His prediction, an early spring.
Those guys are kind of cute.
U.S. troops are going to stop their active combat part of the mission in Afghanistan. That is happening next year.
That is what Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters on a flight to Europe just a few hours ago -- no more combat, a shift to training, helping Afghan forces to get ready to take the lead in their own country. So let's talk some numbers real quick.
Today, there are almost 90,000 American troops deployed in Afghanistan. The withdrawal plan is to cut that by 68,000 by the end of this year. At the same time, the Afghan security force is getting bigger. It should be more than 350,000 troops strong this year.
Want to go straight to the Pentagon. Barbara Starr, she is there.
And Barbara, explain to us what this means on the ground. This timeline that Panetta is describing, is it any different than what we've heard before, this initial plan that he laid out?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Suzanne, yes and no, so like so many things. A lot of military politics, a lot of NATO politics involved in all of this.
Fundamentally, there is no change, because NATO had long ago decided, with the Afghan government, all foreign troops would be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014. And, of course, that means you have to start early in shifting towards this training of more Afghan forces so they can look after their own security just like happened in Iraq.
So, fundamentally, this is what people had anticipated. But it's the timing of what Panetta said.
No one expected him to get into this level of detail right now. This is something that had been thought would be announced later in the year, so already we're seeing the Pentagon step back a little bit and say there's nothing new here, this is going to be a phased transition, nobody is talking about a cold stop to combat. But the reality is this transition is going to happen.
They are going to eventually stop so many combat operations. You will see the tipping point shifting from the majority of operations being combat to the majority of operations being training just like we saw in Iraq -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Barbara Starr, thank you.
I want to talk to someone who once commanded all the NATO forces, retired Army General Wesley Clark.
General Clark, good to have you here.
GEN. WESLEY CLARK, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Thank you, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: We heard from the defense secretary and, quite frankly, he's getting slammed by some critics who say that he is revealing a timeline here to the enemy. Is that the way you see it?
CLARK: No, I don't see it that way. I see it as a smart statement.
As Barbara said, it makes sense in the context of his meeting with the Europeans to lay this out publicly. It helps our European allies deal with their own concerns about how long they will be there.
It's well known we're coming out. And Suzanne, the fundamental point is we went into Afghanistan to get Osama bin Laden. We got Osama bin Laden. Now it's a matter of getting out smoothly. We're transitioning, we're training, and simply putting out this timeline for the training and the transition is nothing more than common sense. Everybody knew this was going to happen, and there's nothing given away here to the enemy.
MALVEAUX: I want to play a bit of sound here. This is from Mitt Romney, who went after the president, as well as the secretary. Let's listen real quick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Why in the world do you go to the people that you're fighting with and tell them the day you're pulling out your troops? It makes absolutely no sense. His naivete is putting in jeopardy the mission of the United States of America and our commitments to freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: I'm assuming you don't agree with that statement, but is there anything like, say, come November, and say President Obama doesn't win re-election? Could Romney or could the Republicans reverse course here?
CLARK: Well, I think they could certainly talk about doing it, but you'd have to go back and talk to the military commanders. They would ask you, OK, what's the mission? What are we trying to do there?
We don't have enough troops to occupy the country. We don't want to occupy the country indefinitely. We're never going to be able to totally eliminate everyone who ever contemplated violence against a neighbor in Afghanistan. What we are trying to do is train Afghan security and military forces for their own responsibilities to take care of their own country.
We know this is a tough neighborhood. There's a lot of diplomacy going on behind the scenes that you don't see and that Secretary Panetta didn't talk about, but Pakistan, Iran, China, lots of countries have an interest in what's going on in Afghanistan. They all have to be worked with.
So, what a future president might do is always open to speculation, but two-thirds of the American people can see the handwriting on the wall here. We understand what this is about. We've accomplished our mission. It's time to transition and move on.
MALVEAUX: And one of the things that I noted when I was in Afghanistan, in speaking with the president, Hamid Karzai, there is agreement that's on the table, right, with Afghanistan and with NATO about when U.S. troops are allowed to stay and when they are coming home? Is that something that a new president or even President Obama would have to renegotiate if he decided we're going to pull out earlier, or even stay longer, for that matter?
CLARK: Well, not necessarily. I think it's very clear what the 2014 date is. I think the question would be, if we stay longer, what are the conditions? What's the status of forces agreement for U.S. troops?
You'll recall in Iraq we had the same issue. The question was, would we have immunity for U.S. troops when they are conducting operations? And the Iraqis said, no, you're in our country, you should be under our court and legal system.
So we said we can't do that. I think that same issue is going to come up after 2014. It will have to be discussed, and it's a question really of, does the United States -- is it in our interest to stay there?
MALVEAUX: Right.
CLARK: We've got interests around the world. We have accomplished the mission substantially because we got rid of al Qaeda and Osama.
MALVEAUX: All right. General Clark, thank you so much. Appreciate your time.
CLARK: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: Thank you.
Tonight at 6:00, former defense secretary Robert Gates, he is sharing his thoughts with John King on the announcement U.S. forces will end their combat role in Afghanistan next year. That is "JOHN KING USA," CNN, tonight, 6:00 Eastern.
All right. Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day.
The president, he is a Christian. So why are his rivals accusing him of waging a war on religion?
Carol Costello, she's joining us from Washington.
And Carol, it's no surprise. Religion -- the president's religion, his faith, it was a big deal in the campaign, 2008. People are bring it up again this go-around.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, of course. Actually, there was a National Prayer Breakfast this morning, Suzanne, and President Obama addressed the National Prayer Breakfast audience telling the crowd he believes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have fallen on my knees with great regularity since that moment, asking God for guidance not just in my personal life and my Christian walk, but in the life of this nation and in the values that hold us together and keep us strong. I know that he will guide us. He always has and he always will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But some religious leaders across the country are accusing the president of waging a war on religion. Why? Because the Obama administration will continue to require employers to include birth control in their health care plans. That includes employers like Catholic hospitals and Catholic universities.
The Catholic Church is angry over this policy because the Church opposes contraception for religious reasons.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARCHBISHOP DONALD WUERL, WASHINGTON: Our Catholic institutions that serve this nation well are being told you, who find these things offensive, you should pay for them. In fact, you must pay for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Republicans take Mr. Obama's decision one step farther.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The Obama administration is engaged in a war against religion. Their decision last week that they would impose on every Catholic institution, every Jewish institution, every Protestant institution the Obamacare standard of what you have to buy as insurance is a direct violation of freedom of religion and an example of the increasingly dictatorial attitude of this administration. And Cardinal Dolan (ph) has said this is a direct assault on freedom of religion on America and a complete violation of our First Amendment rights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The Obama administration, in essence, says it's not waging a war against religion. The point here, not everyone who works at a Catholic university or a Catholic hospital is Catholic. To deny them insurance coverage because of someone else's religious beliefs would amount to discrimination.
So, the "Talk Back" question today: Is the Obama administration waging war on religion?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your responses later this hour.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Carol.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Mitt Romney's campaign gets a boost from Donald Trump. That's right. Sources tell CNN that Trump will endorse Romney in an announcement today.
Our political director, Mark Preston, is in D.C. So, Mark, is this a surprise? Did we suspect that he would endorse Romney?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, you know, in the last 12 to 14 hours there had been speculation that Donald Trump would back former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and that's where things were going. However, as you said, we've learned this morning that that endorsement in just a couple of hours will be made public, and it's going to go to Mitt Romney instead. And I don't think we should be too surprised by that for a couple of reasons.
One, Mitt Romney and Donald Trump are both businessmen. They have had wild success in the private sector. And Donald Trump has really been a big proponent of that.
And in the last couple of weeks we've seen Mitt Romney really turn a leaf when it comes to the debates and the ability to go on the attack. And Donald Trump has been very vocal in saying that, you know, the candidate from the Republican Party that needs to take on President Obama really needs to take on President Obama. So I don't think we should be too surprised by that.
MALVEAUX: Did Romney go after his endorsement? Did they meet at some point?
PRESTON: Well, they did. You know, all the Republican presidential candidates, Suzanne, did the pilgrimage to New York, and went up and held a private meeting with Donald Trump.
What was interesting about Mitt Romney's meeting though is that, afterwards, Mitt Romney kind of did a duck and fake of the reporters who were waiting to talk to Mitt Romney after that meeting last year. We're surprised to learn that he went out a side door, and a lot of people thought at the time that that was kind of a slight on Donald Trump, that Mitt Romney would come out and say nice things about him. But, look, apparently, it didn't matter and Donald Trump is going to back him.
MALVEAUX: Do we think it's going to make much of a difference for the campaign? Is it really going to be a boost?
PRESTON: Well, here's the thing. Let's just put it in these terms.
Donald Trump is a carnival barker. He's the best person at getting attention for himself. And of course that's what's happening today. He also has his reality show that will be coming on line in a month or so. But here's where it matters.
It matters to people who are not paying attention to the presidential race, to people who are not as tuned in as you are, as I am, and people who might look at Donald Trump, Suzanne, and say he's a successful businessman, maybe there's something to it. So, yes, of course it matters. No doubt.
MALVEAUX: All right. Mark, good to see you. Tune in to CNN Saturday as Nevada joins the race to decide the Republican nomination. Coverage beginning at 6:00 p.m. Eastern with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer, followed by CNN's complete live coverage of the caucus results at 7:00 with Wolf, Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King, and more.
A soccer match turns into a bloodbath in Egypt. The nation is now turning to prayer and protests.
Want to talk to our correspondent in Cairo about what was behind all the violence after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Egypt is reeling now from one of the worst sporting disasters in the world. Seventy-nine people killed in a soccer riot.
Protesters are voicing outrage over the handling of that riot by police. Nationwide, there is a mourning period that's under way.
Our Ben Wedeman, he is live in Cairo.
Ben, I remember what it was like to be at the World Cup when I was living in Cairo. The whole country is obsessed with soccer, but this we have not seen. Was this about soccer rivals or was there something a lot more sinister going on?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly it's hard to sort out exactly what happened there. Speaking to supporters of the Ahly team, the Cairo team that was there, they say the fans were outnumbered by 10-1, that there was a good deal of hostility, some skirmishes during the game.
They say that when the game ended with 3-1, Port Said against the Ahly team, that the Port Said fans poured onto the field and started to attack the players and then the fans. And they accuse the security forces of simply standing aside, unlocking the gate that separated the two sides, and just letting those Port Said fans go after their rivals from the Ahly team.
Now, some Egyptians are saying that this is part of some dark, sinister plot hatched by Mubarak, Hosni Mubarak, and his close associates who are still behind bars in -- just outside of Cairo. Others are pointing the finger at Israel and the United States. Others saying that these are elements who have been paid off simply to cause chaos and disorder in the country.
But certainly it has electrified a country that's already in a state of almost constant political agitation, reigniting demands for the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to step down, hand over power to a civilian government -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Ben, how did so many people die? I mean, were they trampled? Were they beating each other? I mean, how did that happen?
WEDEMAN: Well, it's a combination. According to eyewitnesses, the fans did go after one another with clubs, rocks, sticks, bottles, flares, fireworks, some even saying firearms as well. We're also hearing reports that some of the fans were thrown from the bleachers, others were crushed, suffocated in a stampede.
It's clearly -- clearly was an utterly chaotic situation. We have Ian Lee. One of our correspondents is in Port Said. He said that there's blood all over parts of the stadium, shoes that were discarded by people running away, trying to get to safety. And clearly, we understand that the hospitals in Port Said, utterly overwhelmed by the number of wounded that ended up in their wards -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: We're going to talk to Ian in the next hour, Ben. Thank you so much.
Obviously, very disturbing, bloody pictures there. A lot of lives lost in a country that is now in mourning today because of the senseless violence.
Thank you, Ben.
Thousands of people are going to lose their jobs under a new plan from American Airlines. We're going to have reaction from the unions and what the job cuts mean to you, the passenger.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: American Airlines says it plans to cut 13,000 jobs. The move comes after American filed for bankruptcy protection in November. The unions, not happy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA GLADING, PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: The term sheet they put down today is not where we're going to wind up. It was absolutely outrageous. It brought up issues and made proposals that were never discussed in our four years of bargaining. It was so far-reaching, that even I, who was expecting a very, very outrageous proposal, was completely shocked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIM SMITH, AMERICAN AIRLINES SPOKESMAN: It's a very difficult day for all of our employees, no question about it, from the senior management to every -- to the newest employee of the company.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Lizzie O'Leary is CNN's aviation correspondent.
Lizzie, welcome to the network. Great to see you.
Give us a sense. What is American hoping to accomplish by cutting so deeply? LIZZIE O'LEARY, CNN AVIATION AND REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, because they have filed for bankruptcy protection, that sort of gives them the legal muscle to try to push those cuts through against their unions. You heard the flight attendants talk about it.
They didn't want to see cuts this big. And when you look at sort of who is being cut here, these are kind of across-the-board cuts, so you're talking about some 13,000 jobs overall -- about 400 pilots, some 2,300 flight attendants, 4,600 mechanics. So you are going to see certainly some questions about the maintenance division.
A lot of these though are about reducing costs, right? Remember, this is expensive. These are union jobs with union health care plans.
That's what the airline is trying to do, is cut those costs down. And one of the most expensive things, sad to say, are jobs. That's why we start to see these cuts target people. Then they target other things as well -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And Lizzie, tell us about this big flight that's playing out here over who is going to have to pay for these pensions.
O'LEARY: That's the other cost component here. The other thing that's very expensive is all these retirement plans that American essentially said they would pay a long time ago. So you had people contributing to their own pension plan. Well, now American is saying, gee, we're going into bankruptcy, we may not be able to pay those. We don't want to pay those.
That sets up a fight between the federal government and the great big airline. The government has already said, if you don't contribute, American, we're going to come get your stuff. They essentially put the airline on notice that they would try to essentially foreclose on planes, buildings, a bunch of other things that American owns to make them make good on those retirement obligations.
MALVEAUX: Right.
O'LEARY: That's a fight that will play out as we see the job cuts go forward.
MALVEAUX: Going to go get their stuff, as you said. What does it mean for travelers?
O'LEARY: Right now, it means American would like you to fly. Have a lot of cheap fares. Further down the road it means you could se different kinds of planes flying and certainly some routes that get eliminated when airlines go into bankruptcy, and American is the last big one to do it. They consolidate. This is in their mind about being leaner, meaner. For consumers, it might mean you have less choice for a little while in the airline figures out what you're going to do next.
MALVEAUX: Lizzie, thank you. Appreciate it.
Imagine a family of five trying to make it on $15,000 a year. Well, this is one of those stories about one of those families. And what is even tougher is the father used to make six figures until his to be was exported to India.
Poppy Harlow has their story. The family has asked that their faces be concealed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had a 401K, savings plan, money here and there. We were doing fine.
POPPY HARLOW, MONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: And how dramatic was the decline?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was almost instantaneous.
HARLOW (voice-over): unwilling to show their faces on camera but wanting to share their story, this New Jersey family went from living on $130,000 a year to just about 15,000 now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. We went completely off of the charts. Our decision is do we go out for a date, or do we pay the electric bill?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't have our home phone anymore. It's definitely cooler in the House.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quicker showers. It's amazing that this is dinner.
(CROSSTALK)
HARLOW: This father watched as his six-figure telecom job of 20 years went to India.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like I remember the first time they told us about the situation.
HARLOW: Then, the unemployment ran out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first thing we talked about food and how we would be eating more macaroni and cheese.
HARLOW: And the savings went.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trying to make everything last a little longer.
HARLOW (on camera): Do you wake up in the morning and wonder if today is going to be the day that you're going to get evicted?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes.
HARLOW (voice-over): Unable to sell their house, they stopped paying the mortgage. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where I came out of was, you know, a white collar world, and the white collar world for two years or two and a half years, I banged my head against it, doesn't want me back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After a while when you keep getting all the nos, you feel like -- you feel like what can you do? What good am I?
HARLOW: Now, mom works part-time in a bakery for $9 an hour and dad sells shoes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have teenage salaries, both of us.
(LAUGHTER)
We have teenage salaries running a home and a family.
HARLOW: United Way calls it ALICE, asset-limited, income- constrained and employed, in other words, the working poor.
JOHN FRANKLIN, CEO, UNITED WAY OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY: They are the people we know. They are the guy that works across the street behind the meat counter. They are the mechanic that works on your car, the person that takes care of your kids. More and more middle class families are falling into that category of I can't make it.
HARLOW (on camera): Morris County, New Jersey, about a quarter of the population falls between the poverty line and just getting by, and United Way says it costs roughly $60,000 for a family of four here, in Morris County, New Jersey, just to make it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Only one box feeds like two or three people so --.
HARLOW (voice-over): Wednesday evening, at the food pantry, they have been coming for two years.
ROSEMARY GILMARTIN, DIRECTOR, INTERFAITH FOOD PANTRY: It's never occurred to them that this could possibly happen to them. If I put a sticker on the forehead of every client that comes here that works within a 10-mile radius, you would be walking around, and you would say all these people with big purple stickers on their forehead.
HARLOW: They are certainly not alone, but they are also not without hope.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, the upside is that our family is stronger, you know. We're stronger. You have to as a result of it.
HARLOW (voice-over): If you could give your parent anything right now, what would you give them?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vacation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was going to say the same thing. A vacation somewhere, just together, to leave and just do something without having to worry about anything that's going on. HARLOW: In Morris County, New Jersey, Poppy Harlow, "CNN Money."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Why did this teenager run away from Texas and end up deported to another country? We've got more on this bizarre story. We're going to hear what she says happened.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. So that looked like super heroes flying over New York. That happened this week. There was actually a stunt to promote a movie.
Jeanne Moos found out how these advertisers were able to pull off this flyover? Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a city full of oddball sights, what's three more? Prepare to launch flying people.
(MUSIC)
MOOS (on camera): Look, up in the sky.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a bird.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a plane.
MOOS (voice-over): It's a light-weight foam, 3.5 pounds, six foot, fake person.
JAMES PERSOLAY, CO-FOUNDER, THINK MOTO: This thing is basically a glorified toy.
MOOS: Twice in the last few days, flying people have flown over Manhattan.
PERSOLAY: The hands and feet move, and they act as flaps.
(MUSIC)
MOOS: Propelled by small motors, remote-controlled, spectators weren't remotely aware of what they could be if it stayed around the Brooklyn Bridge and even --
(MUSIC)
MOOS: -- the Statue of Liberty.
(on camera): Now you would think in security-crazed New York City, the police might try to shoot down super heroes buzzing the Statue of Liberty. But the organizers had a permit.
(voice-over): The stunt was dreamed up by a viral marketing agency called Think Moto, co-founded by James Persolay.
PERSOLAY: We see ourselves as the special ops of advertising.
MOOS: And what they were advertising was a new movie --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AD NARRATOR: "Chronicle".
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: -- in which three teens have super human powers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Watch this.
(SCREAMING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: And they can fly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: We can't screw around with this. It's too dangerous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Which explains why the characters Andy, Matt and Steve were airborne over Manhattan.
PERSOLAY: The hardest movement was the back flip.
MOOS: The flying people came from a one-man outfit in Oregon called R.C. for remote-controlled super hero. Greg Tanyas considers his creations to be flying sculptures. The kits sell for 340 bucks but, by the time the viral marketers assembled and souped them up, each one costs a few thousand.
The pilots practice for three days at an airport on Long Island before attempting the four-minute flights over New York. Unlike Superman, who lands on his feet, these guys land on their bellies.
The goal was to create buzz with these ethereal, lightweight, delicate objects.
PERSOLAY: This is like flying three potato chips in the air.
MOOS: It reminded us more of people disappearing in the rapture.
Jeanne Moos, CNN --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Faster than a speeding bullet.
MOOS: -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: That's pretty convincing.
Fireball crosses the skies over Texas and Oklahoma. We're going to tell you what had people wondering if they were seeing a UFO.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Time for stories making news across the country.
Two New Jersey police officers are being hailed as heroes today after they pulled a man from a burning car. It was all caught on video. Check it out. The man said he was listening to Johnny Cash and had no idea that the car was on fire. He was treated for smoke inhalation.
Fireball streaked across the skies over Texas and Oklahoma last night, but it was not a UFO. The FAA says it was possibly a meteor.
And in Massachusetts, rescuers are trying to save nine dolphins that washed ashore after the -- off the coast of Cape Cod. Stranded dolphins have become a problem in the area in recent weeks. Many of the mammals have died.
Newt Gingrich is questioning the president's faith because of a new policy dealing with birth control. So we asked you what you think about it. Is the Obama administration waging a war on religion? We'll have your responses in "Talk Back."
But first, time for "Travel Insider." CNN producers, reporters, we often have a chance to get the inside scoop on the great places to go.
Our entertainment reporter, Kareen Wynter, shows us where she likes to satisfy her sweet tooth in her hometown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, everybody. Welcome to my neck of the woods, Sherman Oakes, California, in San Fernando Valley. And everyone who knows me knows I have the biggest sweet tooth ever. And when I get the killer cravings, I just have to make a run here to Blizz Frozen Yogurt for some of my favorite treats. Let's dig in.
Here in L.A., there seems to be a celebrity tie-in to limp everything. In Blizz, it's no different. It's owned by Dr. Paul Massive (ph), the renowned plastic surgeon and husband to Beverly Hills housewife, Adrienne Maloof (ph).
Blizz is known for its great frozen yogurt but crepes, smoothies and waffles are also on the menu. I'm going to give you a little taste.
All right. I'm no expert in the kitchen, but today I'll show you just how well I like my crepes, with a little help from Tom.
And then we use the spatula. All right. We got half of it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Perfect.
WYNTER: Voila. Now we go in for the kill. Some of my favorite toppings, chocolate and, of course, raspberry sauce.
We're ready. Let's go.
And this is my favorite part, time to dive in. Delicious.
Kareen Wynter, CNN, Sherman Oakes, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. Of course, CNN brings you the best political coverage of the presidential election, but leave it to the late-night comedians to be the funniest.
Stephen Colbert summed up Mitt Romney's win in Florida like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, COLBERT: Folks, Mitt didn't just beat Newt Gingrich. He stomped him by a devastating 14 percent margin. 14 percent. That's higher than Mitt's tax rate.
(LAUGHTER)
Yes. Romney kicked Newt to the curb like a plant manager whose job he just moved to another country.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: You've been sounding off on the "Talk Back" question: Is the Obama administration waging a war on religion? Carol Costello has your responses.
Carol, religion obviously touches everybody. It's very political, very potent here. Not surprising this is coming up during the campaign.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes. And, of course, this all has to do with the Obama's administration's decision to make -- like the Catholic Church, it if runs universities or hospitals, to pay for insurance for contraception for women. So the "Talk Back" question today -- I talk too much without taking a breath. This is the question: Is the Obama administration waging a war on religion? Maria says, "Yes, because our country was founded on freedom of religion. And now we're being forced to pay for something that is against our religious beliefs"
Jay says, "No. It would be more accurate to say that the Republicans are waging a war against intelligence."
And Jackie says, "No. If all of its hospital staff and all of its teachers were of the same faith, it would be different. If the Catholic organization doesn't want to pay insurance for contraception then hire only members of that same religion. What the Catholic organization is doing is forcing their religion on others."
This from Kathy, "Perhaps not intentionally, but it is a direct result of its policies."
From Lonnie, "Waging war on religion, yet attending and addressing the National Prayer Breakfast? What did I miss here?
Keep the conversation going, Facebook.com/carolCNN. I'll be back with you in about 20 minutes with more "Talk Back."
MALVEAUX: All right. Keep it going and going and going, because you know what today is, Carol?
COSTELLO: Oh, yes, Groundhog Day.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: It's Groundhog Day. I want you to check out the movie clip where Bill Murray keeps repeating this day over and over again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL MURRAY, ACTOR & COMEDIAN: Rita, if you only had one day to live, what would you do with it?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Honestly, Bill, what are you dying of?
MURRAY: No. The whole world is about to explode. What do you do?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Carol, what do you do? You got us thinking. What day in your life would you want to repeat and do over and over and over again?
COSTELLO: Well, that's so easy for me. The day I got married.
MALVEAUX: Ah.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Yes, I'd marry my husband again and again and again. I know. He's a great guy. MALVEAUX: That's so sweet.
COSTELLO: What about you?
MALVEAUX: Personal and professional, I'll do a personal one. The day when I was a kid, was in the Junior Miss Pageant and my talent was -- I did a karate routine and I broke three different boards, a front kick, side kick, and elbow smash, Carol, and the audience went wild. I love that moment.
COSTELLO: Did you win?
MALVEAUX: No, I didn't win. I didn't win.
(LAUGHTER)
But they loved my talent. I was just a little shrimp. I was a little kid. I had never broke all three of those boards in rehearsals. I'd do that day over.
COSTELLO: OK. Professional?
MALVEAUX: It takes too long.
(LAUGHTER)
OK. I had a great day when I was covering Bush. Traveling and we went and I met the queen. I went to Buckingham Palace, jumped on the helicopter, went across Britain, and I met Tony Blair, and we took Air Force One on the way back, and I was like, wow, is this really happening? That was a good day.
COSTELLO: I cannot match that professionally. So kudos to you.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: All right. That whole marriage thing is very sweet though.
COSTELLO: He's a great guy, my husband.
MALVEAUX: I know. I know. That's very nice. We'll work on that.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: You're not going to corrupt my husband, Suzanne. You've been trying, but you're not going to do it.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: All right, Carol. Enjoy this day. Groundhog Day over and over again.
COSTELLO: All right, then. MALVEAUX: Texas teenager deported to Colombia, even though she's never been there before. She's back home and now she's talking about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: A 15-year-old Dallas girl is back home after being mistakenly deported to Columbia. CNN's Ed Lavandera met up with the teen and learned some disturbing new details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So this is your room?
JAKADRIEN TURNER, GEORGIA TEEN MISTAKENLY DEPORTED TO COLOMBIA: It is.
LAVANDERA: Is it like you remember it?
TURNER: Yes are.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): More than a year ago, Jakadrien Turner ran away from home. We're trying to unravel how this story of how she was deported to Colombia. We sat down with Jakadrien's mother.
(on camera): The name Tika Lanay (ph) Cortez (ph), where did it come from?
JOHNISA TURNER, MOTHER OF JAKADRIEN: It was a name she made up.
LAVANDERA: Tika was Jakadrien's new street name. Her family says she was lured to Houston and forced into prostitution by three adult men. She was scared and trying to get away when she stole clothes from a mall to pay for a bus ticket home. She was arrested and the family suspects mall employees knew her as Tika and gave police the name. But Jakadrien's family insists the teenager never tried to fool law enforcement agents. They say she repeatedly tried to tell them that she was Jakadrien Turner.
RAY JACKSON, ATTORNEY: They didn't believe her. They don't her to shut up, keep her mouth closed.
LAVANDERA: Ray Jackson is Jakadrien's attorney.
(on camera): How many officers did she try to tell?
JACKSON: At least three.
LAVANDERA: Immigration officers?
JACKSON: Immigration officers.
LAVANDERA: How many of the Houston police officers?
JACKSON: She never told the Houston police officer that she wasn't a U.S. citizen so that never came up. LAVANDERA (voice-over): By this time, the teenage runaway was frightened, embarrassed, and confused. When a judge asked, where do you want to be deported to, she was told Puerto Rico. When the judge said Colombia, she thought it was Columbia, Ohio.
JACKSON: They told her where her mother was, where she was born, Colombia, and at what point she came to the United States.
LAVANDERA (on camera): Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say the Turner's family accusations, they say, are absolutely false. ICE says they have found no evidence that Jakadrien tried to give officers her real name or to claim that she was a U.S. citizen. ICE also says that her name matched a name scheduled to be deported. On top of all that, a law enforcement source tells CNN there are two jailhouse recordings of Jakadrien telling officers she is Tika Cortez from Colombia.
(on camera): ICE agents say that she was the one from the beginning who said that she was from Colombia. Are you saying that that's not the case at all?
JOHNISA TURNER: JACKSON: That's not the case. Because here you have a 15-year-old girl in a system that she's not familiar with and, as I said before, she did what she was told to do.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): it took less than two months for Jakadrien to get deported.
(on camera): You taught yourself Spanish?
TURNER: Yes. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
LAVANDERA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
TURNER: Si.
LAVANDERA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
TURNER: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Jakadrien Turner is now three months pregnant, and the fight over how she will be deported will probably be settled in court.
(on camera): Feeding OK?
TURNER: Yes, I'm feeling good.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
