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Dozens More Killed Across Syria; Jobless Claims Go Up; Solar Storm Battering Earth; House Passes Bipartisan Jobs Bill; U.S. Weighs Syria Options; Ending Violence Against Women; Interview With Vagina Monologues Writer Eve Ensler

Aired March 08, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour, this is Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed.

A report published today in the "New York Times" said Osama Bin Laden lived his final days in the house filled with fighting and bickering among his three wives. That is according to interrogators who interviewed all three women. They apparently didn't trust each other, and one wife blames the other for giving up a hiding spot in Pakistan. Also today, we hear that the Pakistani government has charged all three of Bin Laden's widows with illegally entering the country.

The head of the U.N.'s emergency relief mission finally got to see for herself the shattered neighborhoods in the Syrian city of Homs. That is where at least 47 people were killed just today in fighting between the government troops and the protesters. One argument on Capitol Hill today, should the United States get involved in Syria militarily and win?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I understand the strain on American military. I understand the sacrifices made by American families. But I also understand the proudest part of Americans' history is when we have tried to help other people achieve the same goal that we so passionately articulated when we declared our independence.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I think you have to lay some groundwork here. I mean, the United States can't just jump up one morning and say, OK, let's go drop some bombs on the Syrian tanks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: I want you to stay right here. Fran Townsend, she's going to be here in a couple of minutes. She is the national security contributor. We're going to talk much more about military options in Syria.

Iran appears to be playing a dangerous cat and mouse game with international inspectors and the world. Two western diplomats are telling CNN that they are concerned about what is going on in the Parchin military base. The diplomats say they've seen imagines that show Iran trying to clean up the sight before the inspectors come in. The nuclear watchdog agency is also worried that Iran may be working on triggers for nuclear weapons.

Not a good sign. The number of people now filing for unemployment benefits for the first time actually went up last week. Three hundred sixty-two thousand people filed claims, that is 8,000 more than the prior week. And economists thought that number would actually go down.

If you're checking your account with Wells Fargo, get ready to pay for it. The bank now gradually eliminating free checking. Wells Fargo started charging $7 a month for checking out west, well now it is taking on six more states. The states are getting the new fees, they are Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

Cindy McCain, senator McCain's wife, is weighing in on the new movie about Sarah Palin. That film airs this weekend on CNN's sister network, HBO. McCain told my colleague, Piers Morgan, she doesn't plan to watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CINDY MCCAIN: Sarah Palin is a remarkable individual. And whether you agree or disagree with Sarah, she has served our country loyally. She has a been good solid worker (ph) for many, many years. And I think any depiction of any woman particularly that is unfair in that - in that way, is just -- it's wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: You can't feel it, but we're actually getting clobbered right now by a major storm spit out by the sun. It happened a couple hours ago. So, what could we see? Maybe your GPS might go haywire. Your flight could be delayed. You might see the lights flickering. There's also some cool stuff that's happening as well. This is also about a solar storm. And our own Reynolds Wolf, he's here. I understand this is a brand new severe solar weather center. Yes?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's a - it's a - it really is a mouthful, isn't it? I mean, it really is something that's amazing that's happening.

MALVEAUX: Show us what you got here, I want to see it.

WOLF: Well, what we have is something that really is nothing new. This is something that is a process that's been happening on the sun ever since it first began. The sun formed five billion years ago, and we've seen this kind of activity.

What we have, of course, is we've had is a solar storm. The good news and the breaking news we have on this is that it's not quite as strong as we had originally anticipated. NOAA came out with a statement about an hour or so ago saying that we thought it would be severe. They used a scale from G1 being a moderate or very weak one. So, a G5 being extreme. They expect this to be closer to the G1 range.

Let's take a look at this first. Of course, you've jotted (ph) the sun. You see some darker images here and there. Those are your sun spots where places where you have a great deal of solar output. And what we anticipate in this situation, if you take a look at this imagery, it shows some of the big solar flares that we have.

This is quite a distance, obviously, from the sun to the earth ,it's about 93 million miles. But still, obviously, we can be impacted. High frequency radio blackouts, you can expect that. Also, you can expect grid outages, especially in parts of the northern half to the globe. GPS and satellite interruptions can occur. So, if you're just trying to get from one side of town to the other, yes, you could have issues. Not just for today but possibly through the weekend with your GPS device.

One great aspect, thought, we have to mention. There's certainly a good side, a silver lining if you will, that you will be able to see some of this if you happen to be up in the northern plains and skies are relatively clear, you might see a beautiful example of the Aurora Borealis. So, there is a good part to this, no question about it -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Are we going to get more of this these do you think?

WOLF: Well, the problem is -- probably yes. We could see it on and off throughout the weekend. But again, when you think about the age of the sun, five billion years old, they've had these kind of storms many times, and there's no question we're going to see more of them in the future.

MALVEAUX: All right, Reynolds, pretty cool stuff. Thanks.

WOLF: You bet.

MALVEAUX: Today is international women's day. We want to hear from you. Is it really time to celebrate? Are things really all that better for women now? Here's the big picture. Women do two-thirds of the world's work, produce half of its food. But when it comes to payday, they get just 10 percent of the world's income, and they own just one percent of the land.

So, how far have we really come? Talk Back, what is the single most important thing that has to change for women? Send us your thoughts at Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN or on Twitter @SuzanneMalveaux. We're going to get to air a bit of those at the end of the hour.

Here's a rundown on stories we're covering over the next hour. First,. a fund to help endangered gorillas is getting a million dollar boost. Courtesy of CNN founder, Ted Turner, we're going to show you exactly where that money is going.

Also, this is interesting. What do televangelist Pat Robinson and people in favor of legalizing marijuana, what do they have in common? A little more than you might think.

Then, who gets custody when the kids are conceived after the parents separated?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: All right, this just in, Democrats, Republicans getting together. When is the last time you heard something like that? Well, it's happening. The House has just passed a bill to help small companies grow and go public. It's called the Jobs Act, it stands for jumpstart our business startups. What it does, it removes obstacles that get in the way of small businesses seeking investors. The Senate is also expected to take up a similar bill, and that's going to happen next week. And we understand the president will support it.

So, our big story, what is Iran trying to hide? Two western diplomats say that Iran is apparently trying to clean up one of the nuclear sites before letting the inspectors in.

The latest developments, they are unfolding as world leaders are getting together, trying to restart talks with Iran about the Nuclear program. I want to bring in our CNN national security contributor, Fran Townsend. She's also a member of the C.I. external advisory committee.

Fran, we've seen this before, this kind of cat and mouse game, most notably with Iraq. First deny the inspectors, and then you see the images of the movement taking place at the Iraqi military bases. Ultimately, right, the IPA's suspicions of nuclear weapons did not pan out. So, how do we know what is real on the ground in Iran?

FRANCES TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it -- a lot of this has to do with what is your access, whether it's overt or covert. Remember, you know, there was a time when we engaged during the Bush administration with North Korea who renounced their nuclear weapons. And yet, we found through scientific testing that that was not the case. There were trace materials on documents that had been turned over to the U.S. government.

And so, I think what the right answer is, you've got to look at all of it. You look at the imagery, you also look at what testing you can do, whether overt and covert through sources and cooperation. But you can't - you've got to move very deliberately down a path that gathers enough information you to make judgments.

And I also think, you know, the way the intelligence community goes about assessing the information that they do collect is different than when we went to war in Iraq because of all the weaknesses we found in that system. And so, I think we're in a better position today than we were when we had to make the judgments about Iraq.

MALVEAUX: And then talk about intelligence. The chair of the House Intelligence Committee weight in on this, what he thinks the next course of action should be. I want you to listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SOLEADAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: And what do you think the next course of action could be, and do you think that an attack by Israel is imminent?

REP. MIKE ROGERS (R-MI), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: I believe that if this is going to work, we have to have a credible military option. Meaning, Iran has to believe that we'll do something, if they continue to pursue down this path. So, continue sanctions and then show that the United States is serious when we say all options on the table. We can't say all options on the table. Oh, by the way, Israel, we don't want you to do anything. That's not credible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Fran, what do you think? Do you think the administration is striking the right tone here? The balance with Iran, emphasizing the sanctions here, international diplomacy, while keeping the door open for possible strikes?

TOWNSEND: Well, you know, it's funny. I think Mike Rogers on the House Intelligence Committee has it right. They're saying the right things, right. You do want to give sanctions more time to work. They are having an impact. You do want international diplomacy. You want to give it a chance. Although Russia and China have not been particularly helpful on this.

And then, you do want to keep the military option on the table. But you have to do more than words, right. Whether that is making sure that they under - that the Iranians understand we're working very closely with the Israelis on a potential military option.

That we're going through what would be the necessary planning to have a credible military option. And they have to understand, it's not mere rhetoric. It's -- this is not just words, but we're going through the paces to have a credible military option on the table, for the president, if he decides at some point he needs it.

MALVEAUX: And Fran, I want to turn the corner to Syria, because the president earlier this week, he made the case that this is a lot more complicated than carrying out air strikes in Libya. He has been taking on his Republican opponents who say that they're beating the drums of war to make the case for puts boots on the ground. Do you think the president has the right strategy here when he resists doing more in Syria?

TOWNSEND: Well, let's start with, it is true to say, Syria, doing an air campaign there is a much more complicated mission than the NATO mission in Libya. We know that the Russians have continued to arm the Syrians, the Assad regime with surfaced air missiles. And so, this is -- they have serious air defenses and they -- they're strengthening them every day, including now. So, this is a much more complicated thing, and that is correct. Here's the problem. The president comes out about a week or 10 days ago and says the U.S. can't be with bystanders. And you see these videos coming out, the inhumanity, the genocide, the murder that the Assad regime's (INAUDIBLE) on their people is horrific.

And you can't just say we're going to -- not going to be bystanders and then not be willing to talk about what you're willing to do about it. And I think that's the problem the president's having. I think he's right, it's more complicated. But I think he does have to be willing to say what we're willing to do with the international community to stop the murdered of the regime on their own people.

MALVEAUX: Well Fran, what do you think he should do? I mean, what do you think he should be doing more?

TOWNSEND: Well again, Suzanne, I do think this is a matter of going through, and that may be happening, the military planning, to take action like John McCain has suggested we should take. You know, this week General Jim Mattis, the commander of CENTCOM, when asked the question about whether or not he had been asked to go through - planning for Syria didn't want to answer it in public, instead he'd answer it in closed session.

That may be the signal that they're actually doing this sort of planning. But I don't -- I think the president's got to be willing to say that he's willing to consider it and he's got them doing planning and he's looking to his military advisers for advice. That would be at least a step down the right path, I think, to having a credible military option in Syria.

MALVEAUX: Do you think, Fran, he should say it publicly? You say that you think there might be some discussions taking place behind the scenes. What's the advantage of him saying that publicly?

TOWNSEND: Well, because I think it does signal to the Assad regime that its days are, in fact, numbered. It has gotten sort of safe harbor and support from Iran and from Russia. Russia is putting weapons in there. We've heard the reports about the Iranians giving them advice and -- military advice. And so what we need to do is show that we're not just standing idly by, but we are prepared to act with the international community if they're going to continue to kill their own people and get the support of Russia and, you know, and Iran.

MALVEAUX: All right, Fran, thank you very much. Appreciate it, as always.

TOWNSEND: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: CNN founder Ted Turner has just given a cool million dollars to help save endangered gorillas. Now the money goes to the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund. It's going to pay for conservation efforts in eastern Congo, where many of those gorillas are threatened by illegal hunting, disease and logging. Now scientists say there is only a few thousand eastern lowland gorillas left on the planet.

We're checking stories our affiliates are covering across the country.

Police in Montgomery County, Texas, found two children living in this old school bus in what they call deplorable conditions. They say the bus smelled, the children were left to fend for themselves for much of the day. These kids, they're just five and 11 years old. Their great aunt had to care for them after their parents went to jail on wire fraud charges. Now police say there were no signs of child abuse, but the kids are now in foster care. The D.A.'s office has not decided on whether or not to file charges.

And, check this out. This is a train derailment. This is in South Carolina, forcing dozens of families to evacuate their homes early this morning. One of the train's cars was leaking a hazardous chemical. It is now contained. There were no injuries. It is not clear what actually caused that train to go off the tracks.

People in Henryville, Indiana, they are working fast to rebuild their schools after last week's deadly tornadoes. Dozens of engineers say that despite the damage, they can restore the elementary, the middle school, the high school, all by the start of the school year this fall.

And, Oscar winning movie maker telling the story of the president. A new film traces the election and term of President Barack Obama. It's being released in a few days. The trailer is out today. First look at "The Road We've Traveled." That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Punchline time. Rush Limbaugh has been getting slammed and the hits keep coming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONAN O'BRIEN, "CONAN": Rush Limbaugh has lost more sponsors do to his slut comment. Yes, more sponsors (INAUDIBLE). Yes, today -- today Rush Limbaugh said losing his sponsors is like losing a couple of french fries. That's what he said. Yes. In other words, Rush Limbaugh is devastated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Senate set to vote today on a bill to approve the Keystone pipeline. President Obama opposed it. But the vote is expected to be closed. Dana Bash, she is live in Washington.

Dana, how close is it?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, we're not sure. But Democrats are working it hard. This is a big one for the White House. A big one where you're looking ahead to the 2012 election because, as you well know, President Obama has made very clear he does not want the Keystone pipeline to be approved right now and Republicans have completely blasted him, saying that he's against jobs by doing this. So this is a vote that some Democrats are having a hard time with because they're hearing from their constituents back home that perhaps they might be able to get a job or two with this.

So the president is actually making calls to some wavering Democrats. What the Democrats have to do is make sure that the Republicans don't get 60 votes on this. And Republicans are working it as well. So, we'll see how it goes. But this is absolutely a key, key 2012 issue. MALVEAUX: And we know that the Obama campaign in full swing here, obviously. But there's something that they're releasing. A trailer for a 17-minute documentary -- campaign documentary. What have you seen so far?

BASH: This is really something. Not only are they releasing a campaign documentary, which is 17 minutes, they actually released a trailer, very Hollywood style. We'll play part of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A time of standing patent (ph), protecting --

AUSTAN GOOLSBEE, FORMER CHAIRMAN, COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS: The president-elect is here in Chicago, and he's named the members of the economic team, and they all fly in for the first big briefing on the economy.

ELIZABETH WARREN, FORMER SPECIAL ADVISOR, CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU: If the auto industry goes down, what happens to America's manufacturing base? What happens to jobs in America? What happens to the whole Midwest?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: So that part was obviously about the auto bailout. The whole thing in its entirety talks about what the president did on the economy, what he came in during the economic crisis, the auto bailout, obviously, and the fact that he got Osama bin Laden. So it really sets the tone for the themes that the Obama campaign is going to be focused on. And it does include national security, which obviously hasn't been front and center. But when you're the guy to get bin Laden, it would be probably pretty foolish not to campaign on that. This is going to be not only online, but it is going to be shown at house parties around. It's also a way to try to galvanize the base and get people, as he would say, fired up for his campaign again.

MALVEAUX: Oh, yes, a very media savvy group over there.

BASH: Oh, yes.

MALVEAUX: Thank you, Dana. Appreciate it.

BASH: Thanks.

MALVEAUX: For the latest political news, you know where to go, cnnpolitics.com.

So, First Lady Michelle Obama joining Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in honoring women of courage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown on some of the stories we're working on.

Today is International Women's Day. And we're live in Paris next to talk about the One Billion Rising Project.

And then, did Pat Robinson really say he wants to see marijuana legalized? He really did.

And later, a lottery millionaire caught on camera using food stamps. She says she wasn't doing anything wrong. After all, she's not working. What do you think? We're going to tackle that next.

And, moments ago, First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton observed International Women's Day by honoring women of courage. But even on a day that celebrates female achievement, we are learning some startling statistics about women and abuse, including the fact that one in three women worldwide will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. My next guest, she is doing her part to try to stop the violence. She is award-winning playwright and activist Eve Ensler. She wrote "The Vagina Monologues." And she joins us to discuss her latest project, One Billion Rising.

Eve, great to have you here. Can you explain what you're doing next? What is this new initiative about?

EVE ENSLER, PLAYWRIGHT, "THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES": Yes, I'm happy to be there -- be here and happy Women's Day.

We have been doing V-Day for the last 14 years. It's a movement, as you know, to end violence against women and girls across the world. And we've had amazing victories and amazing results, but we're still seeing enormous violence everywhere.

And what we've decided to do for our 15th anniversary, which is next year, next February 14th, 2013, is to really push the issue further and say, the time has come for women and all the men and people who love them to rise up and say, we don't accept, we don't allow, we don't want any more violence against women and girls.

And for people to walk out of their jobs, walk out of their homes, walk out of their schools and gather with their friends, gather with their posses, gather with whoever in stadiums, in churches, in mosques, in synagogues, in streets, in beaches, on deserts and dance.

Because one of the things I think we haven't yet come to see is that violence against women is the central issue of our time. If women are desecrated, raped, mutilated, burned, acid burned, destroyed as babies, the list is endless. The future is destroyed (INAUDIBLE) and undone (ph). And I think there's so many people who were joined with us now.

MALVEAUX: Eve, why hasn't it improved? Why hasn't it gotten better? Like, I mean, one in three. That's a startling statistic. Why is it still that bad?

ENSLER: Well, it's hard to tell whether it's gotten worse or just more women are talking about it now. When we started V-Day 14 years ago, we couldn't even say the word vagina. We couldn't talk about these issues. We couldn't -- women weren't breaking their silence. And I think many more women now are coming forward. It's changed in the sense that we now talk about the issue. But we still haven't ended patriarchy. The idea that somehow men dominate, men determine the agenda, men have the authority and women come later. I think violence is the mechanism that keeps it in place.

MALVEAUX: Eve, what do you think of the violent language that we've heard recently. The controversy around Rush Limbaugh and Georgetown student, Sandra Fluke? What do you think about the fact that there's a big debate going on about this popular radio host calling this young woman a slut?

ENSLER: I find the whole thing incredibly disturbing. I find it very disturbing that a young woman who came forward to talk about why we need health care and support and birth control should be even thought of being attacked. But to call her a slut, to demean her, to say things, like she should send in sex videos of her sex as pay back, that's a form of attack in itself. And I think Rush Limbaugh should be put out of business. I think people shouldn't support Rush Limbaugh. Furthermore, we need to look at a dialogue in this country around women, how easy it is somehow for the dialogue to slam and degrading and undermining, and a language that reflects the kind of violence that lives in the culture.

MALVEAUX: Do you think there's a double standard here? Some folks have said, look, this goes both ways, Republicans and Democrats, who have used violent language in describing women?

ENSLER: I suddenly feel somehow -- I was laughing the other day. I suddenly feel like we've somehow entered a new terrible vagina monologue that's been seized by men. And just the images we had of a line of men determining the future of women's bodies. We all have to look at the language we're using about women. And we all have to start thinking about really why aren't women determining the agenda for their own bodies? Why aren't we coming forward to say what goes on inside us, what kind of contraception we use, what kind of health care we are entitled to, what kind of insurance we should have, the future of our bodies and the future of our lives, which are always connected with our bodies.

MALVEAUX: Eve, good to see you. As you said, happy International Women's Day.

(LAUGHTER)

Thank you.

ENSLER: And I hope everybody will come next year and rise up.

MALVEAUX: And here's something you wouldn't expect Evangelist Pat Robertson to say, but he did -- Marijuana should be legal. Hear him explain why.

And also to a different kind of smoking, we have the message that cigarettes can kill you but a new report now says that young people are not listening. Why a thousand a day keep picking up this habit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Televangelist Pat Robertson has said a lot of controversial things throughout the years. Just this week, he said tornado in the Midwest could have avoided their fate by praying more. Some say this statement, this one, is the most surprising however. Yesterday, Robertson told "The New York Times" marijuana should be legalized and that the war on drugs has not succeeded. The 81-year- old has made similar comments throughout the years on the Christian Broadcasting Network. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAT ROBERTSON, EVANGELIST, CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK: I'm not exactly for the use of drugs. Don't get me wrong. But I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot and that kind of thing, it's costing us a fortune. And it's ruining young people. The young people go into prisons, they come out -- they go in as youth and they come out as hardened criminals. And it's not a good thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: People want to legalize marijuana say they hope Robertson's passion on the issue will sway conservative voters and other religious leaders to their side.

Most of us remember being told on television and in school, smoking cigarettes will kill you. Well, despite the efforts, still, a thousand young people a day start up the habit. The new surgeon general's report puts the blame on advertisers.

Our Elizabeth Cohen is joining us now.

And this is a report for the first time in some 18 years that we're taking a look again at young smokers.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Because kids are still smoking. And if you -- the tobacco industry knows that if you start the habit before the age of 25, you're much more likely to keep it up through adulthood. And so there are anti- smoking advocates who say that the tobacco industry is aiming its marketing to underage smokers, something that the industry denies.

But let me show you a couple pictures that explain what these smoking advocates have to say. For example, this is at a convenience store. This is at a convenience store and you have Marlboro advertising next to the ice cream snacks. There's been accusations that the convenience stores and the tobacco industry work together to make this placement happen.

Look at this. That cute Slush Puppy guy in front of the Marlboro sign.

(CROSSTALK)

This next one, you have to look closely because it's a little hard to see. But in the back, do you see those vertical sticks there that are fruit favored, those are little cigars

MALVEAUX: What? Those are Cigars?

COHEN: Yes, those are -- those are little Cigars. They are tobacco products. They're fruit flavored. You know. I don't think it takes a genius to know that kids love things that are fruit flavored and brightly colored and colorful, and they're next to the Easter eggs.

(LAUGHTER)

Now, you can't put Joe Camel on a pack of cigarettes. That's illegal. It's considered overt marketing to kids. But there's some concern that some of this more subtle placement is having an effect on kids.

Let's me tell you what the tobacco industry has to say about this, because they've talked about it quite a bit.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

COHEN: So R.J. Reynolds says the marketing of tobacco products should not be targeted to minors. And the spokesman for Alturia (ph) and Philip Morris says, our tobacco companies market to adults who use tobacco.

MALVEAUX: It's amazing. If I saw those Easter eggs as well as the cigars, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Are there other ways they're trying to market to underage folks?

COHEN: The anti-smoking advocates have really pointed a finger at menthol, mentholated cigarettes. They say that they're really popular among kids because the menthol works as an anesthetic. So if you're just starting to smoke, it helps the harsh smoke go down your throat more easily. And if you look at middle schooler who is smoke, Suzanne, half of them smoke mentholated cigarettes. So advocates say that menthol should go off the market. They should get rid of it entirely because it's basically a kid magnet.

MALVEAUX: Wow. All right. Elizabeth, thank you. Don't pick it up. Don't pick up the habit in the first place.

(CROSSTALK)

COHEN: Right.

MALVEAUX: All right, thanks.

Check out this story. A woman gives birth to twins by in-vitro fertilization a year after separating from her husband. But the court says he still has to pay child support. It's one of the headline- making stories coming up in our legal segment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: All right, we got two things grabbing our attention on the docket in our law and order segment today. The first change is court-ordered child support. Here's the twist. The twins were conceived through in-vitro fertilization. That happened a year after the couple separated.

I want to bring in our CNN legal contributor, Paul Callan, who is joining us to sort this one out.

These babies were born using donor eggs and the husband's sperm, and she decided that she would go ahead and have these babies after she separated from her husband, right?

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, those are the facts. And the husband said, basically, that he would coerced by her into paying -- into agreeing to this and paying child support on the threat that she would have him deported from the United States. That's the only reason he went along with allowing a child to be born from his donated sperm. And that case went into court in Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts court has ruled that he has to continue to pay child support. They don't care about his claim of fraud.

MALVEAUX: Do we expect that we're going to see more cases like this? Because in-vitro fertilization is a lot more common now. I suppose it's a pretty murky area, the legal fight over child support custody issues when you're talking about conceiving that way.

CALLAN: Well, Suzanne, it's a fascinating area where technology is really affecting the law. But in the end, the court always goes back to this bedrock philosophy, and that's the best interest of the child. And they really don't care, you know, that the woman tricked him into having the baby. In the end, the court is looking and saying, who is going to support the baby? The state of Massachusetts can, or the biological father. So they're not going to put much stock in the claim that he shouldn't support the child. So I think it's a clear cut case.

More complicated cases -- and this is what you have to worry about. Let's say you're donating sperm to some kind of a sperm bank, and then that is subsequently used by someone you don't even know for a child to be born. If the court was ordering child support in that case, it would be a tremendous injustice. So far, the courts have not done that in that situation. There has to be a connection between the parents and the child, and then they will order child support in the way that they always have.

MALVEAUX: That would be a complicated situation.

I want to talk about another story as well. There's this woman in Michigan. She won a million dollars in the lottery, but now she's continuing to collect money for food stamps, food assistance from the state. And the Department of Human Services today said she's no longer getting those benefits. Did she do anything illegal?

CALLAN: Well, this is an outrageous case, Suzanne. Here she is winning a million dollars and she's collecting welfare. There's been a number of cases across the country where people have continued to collect. And a lot of times the authorities never find out about it. But, yes, I think she's in violation of Michigan criminal law. She has an obligation to advise the welfare authorities as to her assets. And it's illegal for her to continue to collect. Most people don't do this, and they're really not going to be called to task unless it comes to somebody's attention, which is how she got away with this for a while. But she's breaking the law. Anybody who does this has to be aware she's breaking the law as well.

MALVEAUX: Could she be charged with anything?

CALLAN: I think she probably could be charged with a criminal law violation. I doubt it will happen because she'll pay back benefits. What happens usually is the agency finds out you collected a few checks you shouldn't have, you give the money back. Maybe you pay interest on it. Usually, there's not criminal prosecutions. Of course, she's going to say here she didn't know that she had a reporting requirement, but, of course, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Bottom line, I would be surprised if she gets prosecuted, even though theoretically she could.

MALVEAUX: Paul, thank you. Good to see you.

CALLAN: Nice being with you, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: You, too.

It's International Women's Day. We want to hear from you. What is the single most important thing that has to change for women?

Tiffany says, "More women in math and hard sciences. It's not always interest. It's also about the way we socialize little girls, the behaviors we award them for, the opportunities we afford them later in life."

More of your responses coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: You've been sounding off on the "Talk Back" question. Today is International Women's Day. What is the single most important thing that has to change for women?

Marian says, "Acceptance as being equal in the workforce and being paid equal salaries as men. Both sexes are doing the same job and have the same qualifications so why is this lingering gap always there"?

Beth says, "Two things need to happen internationally. All girls and young women need equal access to education and to birth control to space their children in order to stay out of poverty."

Tressa says, "Women are expected to work a full-time job, be a mother, housekeeper, shopper, accountant and a cook. Men work, come home, watch TV, take out the trash and go to bed. I want to see a woman as president since they are already trained to balance the budget, pay the bills, shop around for the best deals and be the diplomat of the family."

Wow. Great responses.

Keep the conversations going online. Facebook.com/suzanneCNN or on Twitter @suzannemalveaux.

So you think that the poor are the only people who pawn stuff? Not so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: What do they need the cash for?

JOE CABA, U.S. GOLD BUYERS: I've heard everything from estate maintenance, they have to pay the butlers, the grounds keeper.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The rich are hawking stuff, too.

So what are you complaining about? Every year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission lists the household items Americans yell and scream about the most. This year's list is out. Here's the top five: electric ranges, dishwashers, footwear. They made the list, but didn't get the most online complaints. We're going to reveal those up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We asked you to guess what household products Americans complain about the most. So we're talking about electric stoves, dishwashers, shoes. Don't even come close to refrigerators and microwaves. They get the most complaints. Consumer Product Safety Commission gets about 600 angry reports to their web site every month, mostly about just stuff you use, appliances.

And this is interesting. You might think that only people down on their luck pawn off their stuff. Poppy Harlow has found the wealthy now are turning in their Rolexes, the diamond necklaces to get the cash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wonder if you guys are interested in autographed album I have by Elvis Presley.

HARLOW (voice-over): Maybe it's the TV shows like "Hard-Core Pawn."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is worth some bucks.

HARLOW: Or maybe it's the economy.

CABA: Well, this is a beautiful Tiffany's pin.

HARLOW: But even rich folks are pawning stuff these days.

CABA: We did a $20,000 loan on this.

HARLOW (on camera): Who's coming in here and trying to get a loan on things like this.

CABA: A lot of people like to call them the 1 percent. We call them our client base.

HARLOW: These are rich people?

CABA: These are people who are well off who have extraordinary toys but are not liquid enough to keep them.

HARLOW (voice-over): And it's more expensive stuff than I might expect.

GENE FURMAN, OWNER, PAWNQ.COM: This is a Rolex. It's about $90,000, platinum Rolex.

HARLOW: There's cognac, coin collections, and Torahs.

FURMAN: This is 250-year-old Torah.

HARLOW: Yep, the holy scroll.

FURMAN: This is one of the most outrageous items we've ever loaned against.

We are nothing more than your neighborhood branch of Chase, which is easier to get a loan from.

HARLOW: Lender Jose Caba says the average loan they give out is 20 grand.

(on camera): What do they need the cash for?

CABA: I've heard everything from estate maintenance, they have to pay the butlers, the grounds keeper.

HARLOW (voice-over): Rich folks just trying to keep up with the Jones.

Then there are the entrepreneurs like Howard Motola.

(on camera): Did you ever think that you would be pawning your grandmother's diamond necklace to start a seafood restaurant?

HOWARD MOTOLA, ENTREPRENEUR: No, no, but it's not easy being an entrepreneur, starting your own business these days, and it was difficult for me to get a small business loan.

HARLOW: It's appraised at about $54,000. The loan you gave out.

FURMAN: $30,000.

HARLOW: $30,000.

FURMAN: That's what he needed.

HARLOW (voice-over): Motola will pay 3600 bucks in interest at the end of his four-month loan.

Here's the upshot. No credit checks, no extensive applications and no knocks to your credit report if you default.

CABA: Just because you own a Ferrari and have an estate does not mean you have 700 or 800 credit.

HARLOW: But it will cost you 4 percent a month at the two lenders is we visited, the maximum interest by law here in New York. That's 48 percent APR a year.

But in other states like Alabama, Nevada, and Georgia, it's much higher. As much as 25 percent per month.

Experts warn, treat it as a negotiation and never make the first offer. Don't tell the lender how much you paid for the item, and make sure you know the actual value before lending it.

FURMAN: The main thing we tell our clients, do not borrow more than you need. Do not go deeper into debt. Just borrow what you need and borrow what you can afford to pay back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Poppy, this is kind of a surprising story. Why do we suppose that rich folks are now turning to get a loan in this way and they're not actually going through a bank?

HARLOW: Right. That's what fascinated me. Part of it is what we said, keeping up with the Joneses. A lot of it has to do with the fact it's harder to access credit these days than it was in past years. Just because they're rich doesn't mean they have the good credit score to get the loan from the bank. Even if you do, it takes weeks and weeks from the banks. Entrepreneurs, wealthy people that run their own companies that need cash to keep up with payroll can literally go into one of these glorified pawnshops and walk out with $20,000 that day or the next. And that's exactly what they're doing.

What is very interesting when you look at this trend, it has increased so much. They told me it really picked up in the last year or so, but it has been happening more and more since the economic downturn since 2008. But the pawnshops are no longer just for folks in need of cash that you would expect. They're really for wealthy people, as well, that are going more and more to them. And part of it has to do with reality TV and the shows so popular now.

MALVEAUX: They are actually. I've seen a couple of those shows. Do they have any problems, counterfeit things coming in?

HARLOW: Yes. That's a great question. They do. What they told me is they have fake art come in. They have fake Cartier watches come in all the time. This shocked me. The most common faking that comes in is a woman will come in with her fiance or husband to pawn their engagement ring if they need the cash, and often times what they find is sometimes the ring is glass and not a diamond. I said, what do you do when that's the case. The pawnbroker told me, I sort of wink at the man and say this item is not for me. They have a lot of fakes come through the door, absolutely.

MALVEAUX: He's in trouble when they discover that.

All right, Poppy, great story. Nice to see you.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Brooke Baldwin.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Tricky, tricky. Check the bling, Suzanne Malveaux.

Thank you so much.