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Syria Fighting in Sharp Focus; 2 U.S. Officers Killed in Afghanistan; RFK's Son Charged; Gas Prices Hit Americans Hard; A First for Black Oscar Nominee
Aired February 25, 2012 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN ANCHOR: Syria under siege. Dramatic new images from the front lines of Syria. A snapshot of life on the streets of Homs through the eyes of a rebel fighter.
Kennedy scandal. Lots of questions involving a member of America's most famous political family. What happened between the son of Robert F. Kennedy and two nurses at a New York hospital?
Dare to question Einstein? E equals MC squared. Maybe not. Accusations that Einstein may have gotten it wrong could actually be wrong. Enough already. It's not like it's rocket science. We put the laws of physics to the test once and for all. That and more right here, right now on CNN.
Hi there, I'm Susan Hendricks. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
We begin in Syria, where evacuations are on hold after talks between the Red Cross and Syrian officials failed. At least 100 people were killed today alone. Half of those in the City of Homs.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
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HENDRICKS: Armed groups fighting against the government say Syrian troops are shelling homes and terrorizing residents with snipers. Humanitarian groups and aid workers say the situation is getting worse.
And at the moment, CNN has no reporters and no cameras inside Syria. The government strictly limits access right there. But I do want to show you one way we are able to bring you images of the fighting.
Freelance film makers, sometimes amateurs with video cameras, release their material for the world to see. Watch this amazing footage, it was recorded in Homs by a very brave French film maker. He name is Manny.
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(MACHINE GUN FIRES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Urban guerrilla warfare like this is relentless and terrifying. The fighters appear fearless and take crazy risks. But they still find time to look out for Manny.
(GUN FIRE CONTINUES)
Back at Muhabarat (ph) headquarters, the battle is raging. Free Syrian forces have detonated a bomb below the roof top position where government snipers are trapped. After more than 12 hours, the snipers are still putting up a fight.
(GUN FIRE CONTINUES)
Casualties are mounting. Free Syrian fighters have entered the government's security building.
(GUN FIRE CONTINUES)
It's room-to-room fighting now. Stairwell-to-stairwell.
(GUN FIRE CONTINUES)
It's a humiliation for President Assad. With bullets still flying, fighters make off with boxes of much-needed ammo.
(GUN FIRE CONTINUES)
The morning after, in the Muhabarat (ph) secret police building has been gutted, as has the local post office. Down the street, there's a long queue for bread. With parts of the city besieged, you can no longer get to shops in neighboring districts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A couple of blocks away, and you're in Sabil District, where many belong to the president's alewife sect. They have not been attacked. Homs, now a patch work dividing along sectarian lines. This doorway is as far as Sunni Muslims can go. For them, one step into the street and they're in sniper alley.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: It is truly unbelievable what's going on there in Syria. We also want to tell you that CNN has learned that American journalist Marie Colvin, who was killed Wednesday in Homs, will likely be buried in Syria. That is according to her mother who said aid workers have been trying to get Colvin's body out of the country but it's just too dangerous right now.
Two American officers shot dead in Afghanistan, not on the battlefield but in a place where they should have felt most safe. At their office inside a highly-secured government building. And the person who pulled the trigger is still out there. Our own Nick Paton Walsh is standing by in Kabul where this all occurred. Nick? NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A day of much confusing, at times, contradictory information. What has emerged is two Americans have been shot dead on the Afghan Interior Ministry compound, apparently calling to an Afghan police source on a secure part of that compound where western forces have some of their training personnel.
The Taliban have leaped forward to claim responsibility saying that the gunman was working for them, naming him as Abdul Rahman, and saying he was acting in revenge because of the burning of a Koran that happened about a week ago on a U.S. air base. Unintentionally, the Americans say, just east here of Kabul.
That, of course, not something which ISAF can confirm at this time. They say the gunman was not a Westerner and he is at large. He escaped from the scene of the crime. This may suggest he is perhaps an Afghan, and we have heard from across the Atlantic, a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense that the Afghan Defense Minister has pledged to cooperate in this investigation and apologize for the incident that may hint perhaps that Afghan security personnel was somehow involved in it.
But really this plays into the larger issue of trust between Americans and Afghans. NATO, in a real rush here, to get Afghan security forces ready to take over security of the country so they can begin to withdraw. An instance like this just really damaged that vital relationship.
Today, already we see a reaction from ISAF's Commander General John Allen, withdrawing all his military advisers from ministries in and around Kabul as a precaution. If that goes on, it could begin to impact that vital training mission. But the real impact is going to be psychological on U.S. and NATO soldiers. They've already seen over the past few months an increase in instances which men on Afghan army uniform turn their weapons upon the ISAF soldiers who where training them. This isn't going to help, because it's in a much more secure area or place where ISAF personnel should have felt safest and it's occurring in this climate of protests across the country.
Again, today, protestors violently approaching the U.N. building in the northern city. They're called (INAUDIBLE), clashes there resulting in the lost of life of five protestors, to be honest, and many others injured. And really this instance happening in the secure Afghan interior ministry is going to play really heavily on the psyche of many NATO soldiers here.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kabul.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENDRICKS: Former South African president Nelson Mandela is said to be recovering comfortably after undergoing hernia surgery. Mandela was hospitalized earlier today. The news sparked fears that the 93- year-old icon was seriously ill.
But a family member insists the surgery was planned and Nelson Mandela will likely will released by Monday.
Nelson Mandela is beloved by his nation and around the world, as you may know. He gained notoriety after enduring 27 years in prison for battling apartheid. After his release in 1990, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1994, he went on to become South Africa's first black president, serving one year as promised. Mandela retired from public life eight years ago and since then has remained in virtual seclusion.
The compound in Pakistan where U.S. Special Forces killed Osama Bin Laden last May is now being demolished. The work is being done at night using flood lights. If you look close here, you can see heavy machinery knocking down the walls around the compound and the three- storey building where Bin Laden had been hiding. A Pakistani official said they didn't want to turn it into a shrine for would be followers of Osama Bin Laden.
A member of America's most famous political family is at the center of controversy tonight. What happened between the son of Robert Kennedy and two nurses at a New York hospital? That report is next.
Also, take a look at this.
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HENDRICKS: People are out of control. Guess why? Because of sneakers. We will show you and tell you more about what the fuss is all about.
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HENDRICKS: Welcome back. New details are emerging in a really bizarre hospital incident involving the youngest son of the late Senator Robert Kennedy. Douglas Kennedy is his name. He is facing misdemeanor charges after he apparently got into some sort of altercation with two nurses as he tried to take his newborn son outside of the hospital for a walk. Earlier CNN's Susan Candiotti told me how it all went down.
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SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Susan, the question is, was he defending his rights as a parent and protecting his child or refusing to follow a nurse's order?
Douglas Kennedy was visiting his wife, Molly, in the maternity ward about two days after her C-section and said he wanted to take his baby outside for some fresh air. It was about 7:30 on a Saturday night last month in a hospital in a New York City suburb. Baby Beau was swaddled in his blanket and cap. Kennedy says some nurses were willing to let him go. But when others disagreed, things took a nasty turn. And sworn dispositions to police, nurses say they convinced Kennedy to leave an elevator, then he headed to a stairwell. The nurses say that's when things got physical.
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ELLIOT TAUB, NURSES' ATTORNEY: This particular father grabbed her wrist, her arm and twisted it so severely that she had tremendous pain in her arm. She then backed off with the other nurse standing right there. This gentleman proceeded to kick her and kick her so hard with so much violence that she flew through the air and landed in the middle of the corridor.
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CANDIOTTI: Kennedy's lawyer says Kennedy was trying to protect Baby Beau, and used a knee, not a foot to stop the nurses who were grabbing for his baby.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only aggressors were the nurses. And in fact, initially, the nurses said that he could go outside and it only changed when another nurse and then another nurse after that became aggressive and blocked Douglas from walking with his baby outside to get fresh air.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: The nurses told police the baby's head was, quote, "shaking violently from side to side." Well, Kennedy's lawyer denies it, adding the baby slept through the whole thing. Attorneys for both sides agree the baby was not injured. An emergency room doctor who was visiting Kennedy and saw what happened defended his boyhood friend in a statement. Quote, "I can state unequivocally that the nurses were the only aggressors. To charge Mr. Kennedy with a crime is simply incomprehensible."
Seven weeks later, the local D.A. charged Kennedy with a misdemeanor for child endangerment and harassing the nurses
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: Our thanks to Susan Candiotti for that report.
News out of Pennsylvania now. An official with the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is asking a court to throw out child endangerment charges against him. Attorneys for Monsignor William Lynn say a 1994 memo shows he created a list of problem priests, but a cardinal destroyed it. Lynn is accused of keeping priests who abused children in the ministry and transferring them from parish to parish. This is the first case in the U.S. that charges those who were accused of failing to stop the abuse, not just those accused of abusing.
Is Washington feeling our pain at the gas pump? A report on what Congress is doing to bring those prices down. That's next.
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HENDRICKS: In an election season, headlines become key ingredients for campaign promises. But with the price of gas skyrocketing these days across the country, can our government do anything to lower the price that you are paying? Our Athena Jones looks at if and when Washington may be able to get you some relief.
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ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As prices at the pump rise, so does the political rhetoric on the campaign trail.
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They are saying by the summer drive time in areas of this country it will hit $5 a gallon.
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've developed a program for American energy so every American can look forward to 2.50 a gallon gasoline.
JONES: And in Washington -
REP. JOHN BOEHNER, HOUSE SPEAKER: Gas prices more than doubled since the president took office.
JONES: Average gas prices have risen some 40 cents a gallon over the past year and boosting domestic energy production is an increasingly important topic of debate on Capitol Hill.
NATHAN GONZALES, ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT: Gas prices are so important because it's such a tangible and real impact on people's lives. They can feel it. It affects their everyday life. And that's why it's such a political issue when it comes to fighting between the two parties.
JONES: The Republican-controlled House passed a bill that would increase offshore drilling, open the Arctic National Wildlife refuge to drilling, develop U.S. oil shale resources and fast track approval of the keystone XL pipeline.
These would not bring down gas prices immediately. Experts say the only way to do that would be to cut the gas tax. But they say that's not necessarily a reason to reject them.
JOHN KINGSTON, PLATT'S ENERGY: To judge the merits of a long- term project on the basis of whether it would have short-term impact is not saving for retirement now because you're not retired.
JONES: The measure, part of a larger transportation bill that is yet to reach the house floor, faces stiff opposition in the Senate where democratic law makers are working on their own bill without the drilling measures.
President Obama has touted what he calls an all of the above approach energy policy. One focused on increasing domestic production, improving car and building efficiency and developing alternative energy sources. He says America can't drill its way to lower gas prices.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: While there are no short-term silver bullets when it comes to gas prices, I directed my administration to look for every single area where we can make an impact and help consumers in the months ahead.
JONES: On Wednesday three house Democrats sent the president a letter asking him to develop a, quote, "Aggressive strategy for releasing oil from the strategic petroleum reserve to ease oil prices." The White House says they've taken no response off the table.
Athena Jones. CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: Our thanks to Athena.
And gas prices, as you know, will be a big topic Sunday morning on "STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY." President Obama senior adviser Robert Gibbs joins Candy. She will ask if the president successfully made his case to fight rising fuel prices or $5 a gallon will become the norm. "STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY" begins at 9:00 Eastern. Don't miss that.
Just three days to go before a pair of key primaries in Arizona, also Michigan. And Rick Santorum's national lead has shrunk to a single point in the latest Gallup Daily Tracking Poll. It's that close.
The survey shows Santorum leading Mitt Romney 31 percent to 30 percent. Santorum had a ten-point lead in the same poll just three days ago. It's ever changing.
In Arizona, the news for Romney could be better. He is still ahead of Santorum in the New American Research Group Poll, 39 percent to 35 percent. But his lead has dwindled by three points over the past 10 days. And here's where Romney has real trouble. In Michigan, where he's from. The latest ARG Poll has him trailing Santorum 38 percent to 34 percent. Factor in here margins of error and it's very much a toss up in both Arizona and Michigan.
Losing Michigan would be embarrassing for Mitt Romney, considering he was born there, raised there. His father was governor there. Our Joe Johns is standing by for us in Troy, Michigan.
And, Joe, many thought this would be a slam dunk, as you can imagine, for Romney just a few weeks ago. What is he doing now for a last ditch effort?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Susan, he's had problems with evangelicals, with social conservatives, who viewed him with suspicion somewhat. But he's also had problems connecting, connecting with audiences.
I talked to one man in this audience here in Troy, Michigan, where Romney appeared today, who said he feels as though Romney can be canned, if you will. And he compared him to Rick Santorum who he said sounded more spontaneous, more authentic. So what the Romney campaign has been trying to do is find ways to help the candidate connect.
One of the big ways is bringing out one of their so-called not so secret weapons that would be Ann Romney, who is the wife of the candidate. They brought her out here in Troy, Michigan, and she really warmed up the audience and connected with them. Listen to the sound bite.
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ANN ROMNEY, WIFE OF MITT ROMNEY: A year ago when we were making that final decision whether to step forward and do this again, it was a tough decision, let me tell you, because I told Mitt four years before, I was never going to do this again. He laughs and said, you know what, Ann? You said that after every pregnancy.
Maybe I should just do all the talking and let him just stand here and watch me. I've also decided no more debates. If we're going to do another debate, he's going to sit in the audience and watch me. And that will be it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: She does have an advantage, though. She, like Mitt Romney, grew up here in Michigan. So she was going to be received warmly, especially in this place.
HENDRICKS: Joe, I think that was a great move. Ann Romney very funny, kind of warmed up to the audience there. And I know they're trying to humanize Mitt Romney, but it seems like he almost has so many missteps you want to just cringe. He was talking about being from Michigan, loving the trees. Then he talked about the cars that he drove and the quote, unquote "cars that his wife drove," right?
JOHNS: Right, right. Exactly right. And the thing about that, I was in the room there at that cavernous football stadium, where he gave that speech. And the message he was trying to send was, he and his wife, Ann, really love cars. But I think the message that some people might have received was that they're really, really rich. So that's a problem for him.
And as you said, there's never a time where he does any huge damage to himself. But it's just a bunch of little cuts and a lot of times it's about the way in which he sort of refers to things, the way he talks about things. Truly a problem for Mitt Romney going forward, especially if he gets the nomination, because he's going to be up against a guy who tends to connect with audiences when he has to, that would be Barack Obama.
HENDRICKS: Yes. As we have seen before, Joe, anything can happen in Michigan and in Arizona. Joe Johns, in Michigan, thank you.
And, Tuesday, two more opportunities for one of the Republican presidential candidates to separate from the competition. Our coverage of the Arizona and Michigan primaries begins at 6:00 Eastern with a special edition of "JOHN KING USA," followed by complete live coverage of the results starting at 7:00 Eastern. You know, the Oscars are this weekend and one nominee could become the first African-American filmmaker ever to win Best Documentary. Next, hear how his film about a high school football team rose to the top of the pack.
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HENDRICKS: Welcome back. Exciting stuff here.
A young African-American film maker is making his first appearance at the Oscars this Sunday. His documentary about a high school football team that went from all losing seasons to undefeated was picked up by heavy hitters. If he wins, he would make history. Kareen Wynter has this amazing story.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For almost 14 years, we never won a football game.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Manassas high school in West Memphis, losing football games was a decade's long tradition until they became undefeated.
T.J. MARTIN, DIRECTOR, "UNDEFEATED": We took the title "Undefeated" because it speaks directly to the subtext of the film. The idea of Brazilians.
WYNTER: T.J. Martin and Dan Lindsay filmed the 2009 season when the Manassas Tigers went from ultimate underdogs all the way to the playoffs. With its unflinching action, heart wrenching emotion, and the unwavering determination of a beloved coach --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody says, when you get these inner city kids down, they'll lay over and you'll beat them by 40. Not us!
WYNTER: The documentary is now Oscar nominated.
MARTIN: We go up to take the photos and the risers, and I get up there and I recognize kind of these two voices talking behind me. I turn around and to my left is Steven Spielberg and to my right is Martin Scorsese.
WYNTER: Rubbing elbows with industry icons has become somewhat of a habit for the 32-year-old film maker. First, Harvey Weinstein bought the film. And then Sean Combs and became an executive producer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I truly related to the film, because the first time I felt defeated really truly in my life was when he got injured in my senior year playing football. I wish I had a coach that would have believed in me and would have help rehabilitate me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anybody can be a champ.
WYNTER: If Martin is a champ come Oscars, Sunday, he'll make history as the first black film maker to win for best documentary, but he doesn't want this to overshadow another important point.
T.J. MARTIN, DIRECTOR, "UNDEFEATED": This film is 100 percent a collaboration between myself and my film-making partner, Dan Lindsay. So I want to make sure that he gets recognized for being the 10th director of Irish-American descent to get -- to also win an Oscar, as well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's nothing else to be said except for one thing. Don't quit.
WYNTER: Kareen Wynter, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: That looks amazing, doesn't it? Be sure to tune in Sunday night as "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" A.J. Hammer hosts our special live coverage of the Oscars, the road to gold, Sunday at 6:30 Eastern.
Checking our headlines for you now. Two American officers have been shot dead inside the highly secure Afghan Interior Ministry, and the gunman is still at large. The Taliban is claiming responsibility, saying the shootings were in response to the recent burning of Korans at a U.S. base. The burning has sparked riots across the country, but the military says it was a mistake.
Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters took to the streets for a fifth day across Afghanistan to demonstrate against the burning of the Korans. Four civilians were killed, 50 injured, including 12 police officers during the protests. The head of the intelligence of the town says the protesters tried to burn down the U.N. building.
A relative of Nelson Mandela says the former South African president is in satisfactory condition after undergoing hernia surgery. Mandela was hospitalized earlier today, sparking fears the 93-year-old anti-apartheid leader was seriously ill. We are told Mandela is comfortable and could be out of the hospital by Monday. We wish him well.
A judge has dismissed the corruption case against former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. He was charged with bribery, but the judge ruled that the statute of limitations had expired in the case. Silvio Berlusconi survived a series of political corruption and sex scandals over his many years in power.
The compound in Pakistan where U.S. Special Forces found and killed Osama Bin Laden last May is now being demolished. If you look closely at the building, cranes and heavy machines are working through the night, knocking down walls around the compound and the three- storey building where Bin Laden had been hiding. A Pakistani official says they don't want the place to become some sort of shrine for people who may still be followers of Osama Bin Laden.
How about this, coming up next, a $220 pair of sneakers has people doing this.
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HENDRICKS: All right. So who doesn't like a stylish pair of sneakers? Nike's latest, the galaxy, it's pricey, it's more than $200. But still people can't wait to get their hands on them. Our Martin Savidge looks at the chaos that has ensued because of it.
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MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what all the foot fuss is about. The Nike Foamposite 1. The shoe retails for $220, if you can find it, and it's finding the shoe that has led to problems.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Leave the property, do it now, or it will lead to arrest.
SAVIDGE: In Orlando, home to this weekend's NBA all-star game, more than 100 sheriff deputies wearing helmets and holding riot shields to guard outside the Florida mall as a crowd waited for the shoe to go on sale there. They eventually had to move in after authorities say shoe fans became disorderly.
Outside a mall in suburban Washington, D.C., the crowd began growing Thursday for the shoe to go on sale, Friday. When the number of people got to 1,000, the shoe store cancelled the release out of safety concerns.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Huge disappointment. I mean, I was out here at least seven hours waiting on the shoes. And no shoes. So it's pretty sad.
SAVIDGE: Elsewhere in other cities, there were reports of long lines but no real problems. Nike issued a statement calling for calm, saying, "We encourage anyone wishing to purchase our product to do so in a respectful and safe manner."
In Miami, they resorted to name calling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two more times, Michael Bradshaw.
SAVIDGE: As in a lottery system to keep things orderly.
This guy managed to get his hands on a pair, but they aren't for his feet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you go right now online, they're going to be worth like $1,000 or $2,000.
SAVIDGE (on camera): We decided to look online and see what the shoe was going for. This is eBay, and pretty hefty prices. $1,700, $1,200.
Take a look at this, I don't know if this person is a capitalist or just an optimist. If you want to buy the shoe right now, $10,000. That's Canadian by the way, even more in the U.S. There's one customer put it, the Foamposite 1 is the most anticipated shoe of the year. At least until the next must have sneaker comes along.
Martin Savidge, CNN, Atlanta.
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HENDRICKS: I'm truly perplexed over that sneaker and the price of it.
All right, coming up, it's the kind of story that's difficult to hear. A child is abandoned and left homeless in a big city. For a Washington man, it's not a story, it's his life. Until the age of 10 when he found his calling. Today he is on the verge of becoming a real life million dollar baby.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And new light heavyweight champion of the world --
LAMONT PETERSON, LIGHT WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION: It's something I've been working for, for a long time. 18 years now. Just all the hard work paying off is a great feeling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once down and out and forced to fend for himself as a little boy homeless, 28-year-old Lamont Peterson is now about to make his first $1 million pay check as the reigning light welterweight champion.
PETERSON: I just feel blessed. Just blessed to be living my dream.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENDRICKS: He's certainly living his dream. CNN's Martin McKay will have more of Peterson's story tomorrow night, 10:00 Eastern, and we will meet the boxing champ in person, too.
Ahead, a man you have to see and meet. We'll introduce you to a doctor who makes his house calls by boat to some of the world's most remote areas for free. He is this week's CNN Hero.
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HENDRICKS: All this weekend, CNN NEWSROOM goes in-depth, sharing the stories of unique individuals across the country. People who are proud to say "I Am America." In addition to asking our 1 million iReporters, we also turned the camera on the one and only Don Lemon, the regular anchor for this show. Listen as Don tells his story.
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DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Don Lemon. And this is where I work. I spend more time here than at my home. It's the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, and it is in the south.
As a matter of fact, I grew up in the Deep South in a place called Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Back in the 1960s and '70s, growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was pretty much all about black and white. People, I'm talking about. And when I turned on the television or opened a magazine, there were very few people in the media who looked like me.
And when I got old enough, I decided that I wanted to change all of that. Imagine that. An African American man who grew up with a mom, a single mother, who raised three kids successfully, working for one of the biggest news organizations in the world as a national anchor. That's pretty amazing. I'm Don Lemon and "I Am America."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: It is really amazing, Don. Thanks so much for sharing your story.
I want to tell you about a CNN hero. He's a doctor who makes his house calls by boat, traveling into some of the world's most remote areas to treat more than 10,000 patients in the last two years, all for free.
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DR. BENJAMIN LABROT, MEDICAL MARVEL: My name is Dr. Benjamin LaBrot. I don't have a private medical practice. I make no salary. I started an organization called Floating Doctors to use a ship to bring health care to communities that have fallen through the cracks and been denied access to health care.
Floating Doctors has a 76-foot 100-ton ship that we refurbished from a completely derelict hull, and we use that to transport all of our supplies. Since we set sail about two-and-a-half years ago, our mission has been continuous. We were two months in Haiti. We passed to Honduras. And we've been working in Panama for about the last eight months. In the last two years, we've treated nearly 13,000 people in three countries.
OK, we're on our way. We should be there in, like, 15 minutes.
I'll find patients who have never seen a doctor before in their lives.
That was about as good a result on that ultrasound as we could possibly hope.
Typical community is usually living with no electricity, with no running water, with no sewage, essentially living with none of the basic requirements as we understand it.
We've built schools. We've done community projects. We've provided health education for thousands of patients.
Floating Doctors is an all-volunteer organization. Nobody gets paid. All of our medical supplies are donated. I had to postpone many aspects of my own personal life. I don't have a home somewhere. I had to give up a lot, but I gained everything.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: Remember, CNN Heroes like Dr. Benjamin LaBrot were all chosen from people that you tell us about. To nominate someone who is making a difference in their community, tell us about it. Just go to CNNHeroes.com. Your nomination could help them help others.
It seemed impossible last fall, the science world freaked out because it looked like Einstein had been proven wrong. Some European scientists said this simple image showed things could go faster than the speed of light. But it seems they made a mistake, not Einstein. And you won't believe what went wrong. That's next.
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HENDRICKS: I love that. It is time to get mysterious. Jacqui Jeras is here with our "Saturday Night Mysteries."
What do you have this week? Favorite segment.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I love this segment. It is so much fun. And the first one we have for you is kind of off the beaten path from the typical mysteries maybe. It has to do with some chimpanzees.
Take a look at this picture. This is Flora. She is a 29-year- old chimpanzee who was living at a sanctuary in north-western Louisiana. And on Valentine's Day, caregivers found her with a new baby, which sounds normal, right? To you and me, anyway. But the thing is, this is a sanctuary for research chimpanzees to basically retire. And all of the male chimpanzees have had vasectomies.
HENDRICKS: I think one was hiding when that went on.
JERAS: And who's the daddy, right? That is the big question. There are five possible candidates. Take a look at the pictures. We've got Merv on the left, Conan in the middle, Jimoh on the right, and then the other candidates, we'll go to the next screen, Magnum and Mason.
HENDRICKS: This is like the bachelorette, because of the rose. They all have roses.
JERAS: They've all got roses, because it was a Valentine's Day baby. But it turns out, let's go back to the first one, take a look at Conan.
HENDRICKS: OK.
JERAS: Because Conan's got a little history to him, believe it or not. Five years ago, Conan fathered a different baby at the sanctuary. It turns out his vasectomy didn't work, so they gave him another one. So he's the one I'm going with. Of course, they're going to be doing DNA tests to figure out who's the daddy.
HENDRICKS: I think there's some Conan O'Brien jokes in there somewhere. I'm sure, he'll use those.
JERAS: Anyway, all right, let's move on. The next one. Time to vindicate Albert Einstein, right? So we've heard about this, a big deal was made about this last in the fall by this theory of relativity, right, E equals MC squared. We'll go back to the beginning. And they were kind of trying to say the results in this, were saying that the speed of light may not really be the speed limit of the universe. So these -- we'll go back to the beginning.
The research experiment had to do with this lab in Italy, all right. They sent these tiny little subatomic particles to a lab in Switzerland. And this is a lab you probably heard about, the CERN lab. That's that big particle collider thing, where they are trying to figure out how the whole universe was basically formed. Well, it turns out as these subatomic particles were sent out, some of them arrived faster than a beam of light.
So take a look at the image. Do we have the image that shows the little spread of all the little particles? Do we have it? No. Speed of light, 186,000 miles per second.
(CROSSTALK)
HENDRICKS: Do we have a shot of Einstein there?
JERAS: There it is. There's the shot. That's the shot that I'm looking for. So see the out layer on the left there? That's 60 nano seconds faster than the speed of light. So scientist are like, what, how was this possible? They even question their own. They said there is no way. This changes the laws of physics. This can't happen. So they did the experiment again. Same result. So this was all in the fall. They've been trying to figure out since that time what happened. It may all come down to a single wire. It turns out a connector between a GPS and the timer system that was a biographic cable, they think it was loose.
HENDRICKS: And I think Conan, the chimp, may have been involved in there somewhere.
JERAS: It was in their mess of things. All right, we got one more. One more has to do with the moon for you tonight. New moon pictures have scientists wondering whether or not there could be an earthquake that took place there.
Plus, I've got my 3D glasses out. I'm going to tell you how to make this, and why you might need them for some of these images. That's coming up. "Saturday Night Mysteries," will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HENDRICKS: All right, queue the music "Saturday Night Mysteries."
Jacqui, we have two great ones so far. What's your third? It has something to do with the moon, right?
JERAS: Right. It's kind of a two-part last mystery, actually. First of all, we've been telling you the last couple of months about this LRO project, which have to do with the moon. It's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, OK? And they've been taking some stunning images and pictures of the moon that we've never seen before. And take a look at what they found.
You are looking at a picture of what NASA is calling Graven. And that's basically a fancy word for a deep valley. And in this deep valley, it was created by expanding crust on the moon. And you might say, OK, when we have that happen here on earth, but we've never seen this happen on the moon before.
The whole idea of the moon is that, you know, it was this hot mass, basically, millions of years ago that's been contracting as it's been cooling over these years. So it's the first evidence of any kind of separation going on of the crust. So that means that geologically, things are happening there, which of course then kind of begs the question, does that mean can you have earthquakes on the moon? Or would you call it a moon quake, I guess, right?
HENDRICKS: I think, moon quake sounds good.
JERAS: Yes, kind of interesting.
HENDRICKS: I'm fascinated by the shots, by the way.
JERAS: I know. And the shots had been so incredible. And, in fact, LRO also recently released some 3D images of the moon. And take a look at that. And you need glasses to actually see this. 3D glasses, I'm not kidding.
There is a guy. He's a cartographer. His name is Jeffrey Ambroziak, and he created this algorithm to take those 3D images and make them like pop out. You know, like you go to the movie theater and you need your 3D glasses to be able to see that. These will help you do that with that image. And you can make them at home, it's really, really easy.
HENDRICKS: You can really make them at home?
JERAS: This is a jewel case from a CD. That's all that it is. You take a red square, you take a blue square. You color it in and you hold it up to your eyes and look like just like I do right now and you'll see it pop out.
HENDRICKS: Something to do with the kids.
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: I know. And, you know what, I'll put the Web site and the images, by the way. I'll put it on my Twitter account and my Facebook account so you can kind of dig into it more in detail.
HENDRICKS: All right, Jacqui, thank you. JERAS: And you can keep this one so you can get a look.
(CROSSTALK)
HENDRICKS: All right, thanks, Jacqui.
Checking some of the headlines now for you. A relative of Nelson Mandela says the former South African president likely will be discharged from the hospital by Monday. He's recovering after from what we're told was a planned hernia operation. South Africa's president says the 93-year-old anti-apartheid leader is fine and he's fully comfortable.
The youngest son of the late Senator Robert Kennedy is in some legal trouble. Douglas Kennedy is facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly knocking down one nurse and injuring another as he tried to leave a New York Hospital with his newborn son. Kennedy was trying to take his son for a walk outside, he says, when the nurses tried to stop him. An attorney for the nurses says they didn't recognize Kennedy and were trying to protect that baby.
How about those gas prices. They are spiking even higher. The cost to fill up the tank climbed for the 18th day in a row jumping three cents overnight. AAA says the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is now $3.67.
The new darling of NASCAR, Danica Patrick walked away from her second crash in three days. But she is still in it. That is her in the green car, number 7, in the nationwide series, opener, Daytona. Watch as her own teammate nudges her from behind and its swirling out of control. Very scary stuff, especially after Danica suffered another nasty crash on Thursday. Again, she is OK. She'll be there tomorrow for the Daytona 500, the big race.
You may think that CNN's Rob Marciano as a guy who just chases hurricanes, stands out in knee-deep snow to do the weather for us. But he's a big sports fan and fan of NASCAR, as well. He is also been getting ready for tomorrow's big race, the Daytona 500.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST (on camera): We're out in racing where they're prepping three teams for Daytona. Today, we get to spend time with the Card Edwards 99 pit crew to see how they make it happen.
That was fast. What is the goal here, how many seconds?
ANDY WARD, ROUGH FENWAY RACING PIT CREW COACH: We can shoot about 11.50 out here in practice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Squirrel is going to be your instructor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You'll have your left hand here. And then when he pulls it out, just --
MARCIANO: How much does that tire weigh?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 65 pounds or so.
MARCIANO: Yes, I've been changing diapers for three months. If that's more than nine pounds, I can't lift it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got the job already. Jack man leaves, take off with him. Too traffic, playing Frogger.
MARCIANO: Playing Frogger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 25 seconds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You look a little intimidated running out in front of a race car.
MARCIANO: It's coming hot. I wasn't sure he was going to stop. Seventeen team now in for pit practice. The 99 team in the weight room.
At last here, the strength guy.
LES EBERT, ROUGH FENWAY RACING STRENGTH COACH: I am the strength guy.
MARCIANO: I need some help.
EBERT: OK, have a seat here.
MARCIANO: How often do these guys train?
EBERT: They train twice a week, doing full body strength training workouts and they train two other times a week doing conditioning workouts.
MARCIANO: Oh, that hurt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First and foremost, their best ability is their durability. Well, obviously, NASCAR is a long season, they do a lot of pit stops.
MARCIANO: I can see why you can build a championship team.
All right. This is one of the cars that Carl is going to be running in Daytona. What are the things that we're working on today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, we're working on the setup stuff. I'm going to have you check the air pressure. We're going to set the heights and we'll get this thing dialed in.
MARCIANO: All of what you're showing me is incredibly precise, serious engineering. A lot of people say you're just driving around in circles. I mean, that's got to drag you banana.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To make a 3,400 pound car to turn left at 120 miles an hour, I mean, it takes some work to make that happen.
MARCIANO: What kind of tricks you got up stake for Daytona this year?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I can't say.
MARCIANO: Come on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: I'm Susan Hendricks at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. Have a great night.
