Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Senate Divided Over Violence Act; Syrian Family Massacred; Neuman Guilty in Day Care Murder; Adopted Girlfriend Takes Stand; New Scare Campaign Unveiled; Quitting Smoking: The Health Benefits; Blago Goes to Jail; Did Mississippi Murderers Get Privileges Before Pardons?; Obama Stops in for BBQ

Aired March 15, 2012 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Let's continue on, top of the hour. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

A couple stories we're working.

First, that verdict in the day care murder trial, that is in.

Also, Afghanistan's president makes a big demand of U.S. troops. And new rules in the security line at the airport.

Let's play "Reporter Roulette."

George Howell, let's begin with you. We heard that verdict read not even an hour ago. It sounded like a pretty emotional jury foreman as well. Tell us the verdict.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Guilty, but mentally ill, that is the decision of this jury.

As you mentioned, it sounded like a very difficult decision for the jury to reach, again a two-day deliberation. We will now see Hemy Neuman go to prison, but he will get mental illness treatment while he's in prison. Again this was a case that happened back in November of 2010 when Hemy Neuman admits to pulling the trigger killing Rusty Sneiderman, just after Sneiderman dropped off son child to day care in Dunwoody, Georgia.

Again, Hemy Neuman alleged he heard voices, that he heard voices from Barry White and Olivia Newton-John encouraging him to pull the trigger. But there's one thing that's really interesting. Prosecutors -- rather defense attorneys made this case. I will quote the defense attorneys saying the gun in this case was in Hemy's hand but the trigger I respectfully suggest was pulled by Andrea Sneiderman, so implicating Andrea Sneiderman, the wife of the victim.

And both prosecutors and defense attorneys accused her of having an affair with him. She denied that and has not been charged with anything.

BALDWIN: Could she face charges, though? HOWELL: That's a possibility. Clearly nothing has happened at this point. She's not charged with anything, but just the other day, she hired two new attorneys possibly to protect her if prosecutors come with any criminal charges for her.

BALDWIN: We will watch it. This isn't over.

George Howell, thank you.

Next on "Reporter Roulette," Afghanistan's president says U.S. troops should stay on U.S. bases in his country and get out of the villages. This is obviously more fallout after that American soldier allegedly massacred 16 civilians in the country just this past Sunday.

And the military source tells CNN the staff sergeant is now in Kuwait.

Let's go to Pentagon to Barbara Starr.

Barbara, tell me a little bit more about what Hamid Karzai told Defense Secretary Panetta today.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: According to the Pentagon, Secretary Panetta is saying after this meeting it was one of the best meetings he ever had with the Afghan president.

But, look, this comes really just a couple days after this tragedy, this atrocity in Afghanistan when a U.S. soldier killed those Afghan civilians. So the best meeting? Maybe not from the Afghan point of view. Hamid Karzai is now saying he wants all foreign troops out of Afghan villages really sooner rather than later.

He wants them to go back to their main bases across Afghanistan. That will pose a very fundamental challenge to the U.S. strategy, which is to have troops in the villages working with the people, convincing them that they can be safe and trying to help them get on with their lives and fight the Taliban, which of course exists all across Afghanistan still.

So this is going to be a little problematic. You know, the U.S. isn't going to keep troops in the country if they're not wanted, but that hasn't been what the strategy is. It was to get everything wrapped up by 2014. Now it looks like the Afghans want to speed it up.

BALDWIN: It's tricky. And then also back here at home, you have this alert from the Department of Homeland Security regarding concern here. What's that about?

STARR: Well, this one's a little peculiar, but perhaps not unsuspected.

Apparently, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issuing a joint bulletin saying they don't have a specific threat. They're not even sure it would be likely but they just want people to be aware that there could be a threat here at home as a result of this situation in Afghanistan, that it could basically embolden, if you will, people with extremist tendencies who want to make some sort of move because of that situation.

Still, they say, they don't think it's likely, and over the years, of course, we have seen the federal government issue these types of warnings when things become very sensitive on the international front. Good to be aware of, but probably the advice is don't change your daily life anytime soon.

BALDWIN: Thank you for putting it into perspective, Barbara Starr. Thank you.

Next on "Reporter Roulette" staying in Washington, Lizzie O'Leary with some details that will make it easier for your elderly relatives to get through the security line at some busy airports.

Easier? How so?

LIZZIE O'LEARY, CNN AVIATION AND REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is yet another program, Brooke, that starts on Monday. The idea is for people 75 and older to be able to go through security lines a little faster.

So the TSA is going to let them do a couple of things. They can keep their shoes on in some of these target airports. They can keep on a light jacket, and to avoid doing extra pat-downs to folks who are over 75, they can opt to go back through a screening device. They can take another pass through before a pat-down. This is a pilot program. It's going to be at four airports.

It will be at Chicago, Denver International, Orlando International, and Portland, Oregon, airports. These all start on Monday. Remember TSA has been rejiggering the way it does security programs for kids under 12 to go through, for military members to go through. They call it risk-based screening, but essentially saying we think people over 75 are less likely to be a threat, Brooke.

BALDWIN: I guess this is the time when you really want to be 75 and older and you hold up your license and you say here you go, I'm not taking my shoes off.

O'LEARY: Right, exactly. They say TSA agents will do a visual assessment. But I'm sort of waiting for that moment where someone says, ma'am, are you 75?

BALDWIN: No, I'm 52. Thank you very much.

O'LEARY: No, I'm 52. I want to go through like a normal person. But, yes, that's the way this is going to work starting on Monday.

BALDWIN: Interesting.

Lizzie O'Leary, thank you.

And that's your "Reporter Roulette" here on this Thursday. Meantime, George Clooney has just wrapped up a meeting with the president at the White House. We caught up with him. Hear what he's saying next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Women's issues keep popping up in politics this year. Right now in Arizona, they are considering whether employers should be allowed to cut birth control from their health plans.

And on Capitol Hill just a couple hours ago, female senators took to the floor there urging the renewal, the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. This bill passed last time around with plenty of bipartisan support. But this time there's trouble and here's why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: Yet, there are some who refuse to support it because it now includes expanded protections for victims.

And let me put this on the table. The bill includes lesbians and gay men. The bill includes undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic abuse. The bill gives Native American tribes authority to prosecute crimes. In my view, these are improvements.

Domestic violence is domestic violence. I ask my friends on the other side, if the victim in a same-sex relationship is the -- is the violence any less real? Is the danger any less real because you happen to be gay or lesbian? I don't think so. If a family comes to the country and the husband beats his wife to a bloody pulp, do we say, well, you're illegal, I'm sorry, you don't deserve any protection?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let me bring in congressional correspondent -- senior -- forgive me -- congressional correspondent Dana Bash.

We saw all the women on the Senate floor. But there's quite a fight over this. Why?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, Democrats, as you just heard, they are saying they're trying to improve the bill, bring it up to date, so to speak, by including gays and lesbians and including illegal immigrants.

But some Republicans say what Democrats want to do is drastically expand and alter the original intent of the Violence Against Women Act. For example, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says the Democrats' version of them measure would expand the number of immigration visas to this country without mechanisms to ferret out fraud.

I know this will shock you, Brooke. A big part of this is politics. Democrats believe that they're scoring points big-time with what they call the Republican war on women. That is what mainly drove the female senators to the Senate floor this morning to keep this issue going by adding another wrinkle in the theory that they would -- this would infuriate women that Republicans are trying to stop the Violence Against Women Act.

And just sort of back that up, right before I came on air with you, Brooke, I got an e-mail from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, those who try to elect Democrats trying to raise money on this issue. I can tell you that Republican Senator Jon Kyl, who is the number two Republican, he told our Ted Barrett in the hallway this afternoon it is "reprehensible" to suggest the Republicans are against the Violence Against Women Act.

They say they just have to come together on some of the differences surrounding it.

BALDWIN: It's amazing, all these women issues forefront in politics right now. You have Republican Lisa Murkowski, she is joining the Democratic women. Let's listen to just a little bit of what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R), ALASKA: Unfortunately in as beautiful a state as I live in, our statistics as they relate to domestic violence and sexual assault are horrific. They're as ugly as they come.

Nearly one in two Alaska women have experienced partner violence. Nearly one in three have experienced sexual violence. Overall, nearly six in 10 Alaskan women have been victims of sexual assault or domestic violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Now, those statistics, they went over last time. But as you mentioned, the issue with immigrants, gay couples here, what are the odds this thing will fail because of those sort of addendums here?

BALDWIN: You know, this is just the beginning of the fight. The truth is that this doesn't need to be extended I believe until the end of the fiscal year. But obviously, this is the beginning of the politics. We're very deep into politics here.

A subplot of what we just heard that you just played from Lisa Murkowski who is a Republican is that on this issue of women and politics, remember the whole issue of contraception and allowing women to have free contraception -- there was a vote on the Senate floor last week. She voted with her party against allowing women to have free contraception and she later said she regretted that.

She told me in an interview yesterday on a different subject that her party, meaning the Republican Party, is in an unfortunate place right now and viewed by many women in the country as they're feeling very anxious about how Republicans are viewing women. So it is probably not a coincidence she joined with Democrats on the Senate floor really on this issue relating to women.

BALDWIN: Hmm. Dana Bash, thank you for us in Washington.

Meantime, George Clooney was on the Hill yesterday, was at the White House last night, just wrapped up a visit with the president at the White House just now. He's been calling on Congress to do something about the crisis in Sudan. He calls it a campaign of murder. Take a listen, George Clooney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: What is most striking and most devastating again is the absolute vulnerability of a certain group of people. It is ethnic in nature and it is again the things that the Geneva Convention considers war crimes, which is indiscriminately bombing innocent civilians.

That is -- there is no -- we have satellite imagery to prove it. We have eyewitnesses to prove it, we have tons of reports and evidence to prove it. And we also have firsthand view and videotape to prove it -- videotape. I'm old. We have film of it to prove it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: George Clooney wants lawmakers step in and help do something there in Sudan.

Moving on, while he allegedly ordered the slaughter of his own people, Syria's president talked iTunes, "Harry Potter" and shopping. You will not only see President Bashar al-Assad's private e-mails, but also that of his wife's.

Plus, this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Suddenly on another floor, a tiny whimper.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: A house full of people thought to be dead when suddenly a discovery behind the walls. Please don't miss this gripping story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Over the past month, video has emerged from the Syrian city of Homs and many killings, other atrocities apparently committed by Syrian security forces in opposition neighborhoods.

CNN has now obtained footage that is among the most disturbing yet. About a dozen family members apparently killed in cold blood in this one single house in what appears to have been an act of sectarian brutality.

And, as always, I just to have warn the report you're about to see, this is from Arwa Damon, includes scenes that are tough to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAMON (voice-over): The men crouch as they move across rooftops. Crawling through holes smashed through the walls. It's taken them nearly a week to get this far, to reach a house on a sectarian fault line that runs through Homs.

We're rescuing the bodies of the martyrs, the voice from the video narrates. They have heard that a family has been killed. What they find, shocking beyond description. The first body, that of a woman.

In the room next to it, bodies crowded into a back corner, as if they were trying to hide, the dead child's face, a mask of fear. Blood splatters the walls. Let the world see, the voice claims.

Look at this massacre in just one house. He curses the Shias and Bashar Al-Assad. The video is said to have been shot in the neighborhood of Sebid early in February.

Look, people, look, he says. Overcome with emotion as he too curses the regime, and the world. The camera pans over to show more bodies slaughtered in the bathroom. Suddenly, on another floor, a tiny whimper, the child cries out, clearly terrified.

He comes into view, having to crawl over a body lying in the doorway. He must have been hiding for days. Don't be afraid, you're safe now. Don't make a sound, one of the men tells the boy.

It's not known who killed his family or why, but the men who found the bodies are sure this was a sectarian massacre carried out by thugs allied to the regime.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: You witnessed in Arwa's piece a lot of the massacre that is in Syria. The number killed over the past year somewhere between 8,000 or 9,000.

But while of this has been going on, Syria's president and his wife order "Harry Potter" films and buy songs on iTunes. This is all according to this investigation by "The Guardian."

We have just some of the snippets from these revealing e-mails. In fact, take a look at this here -- iTunes, some of the orders here of some of the music here, these e-mail records show that Assad went by the name of Sam and ordered iTunes from a phony New York dress, some of the songs, "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO, "Look At Me Now," by Chris Brown, "Hurt" by Leona Lewis here. He even sent a file the country song "God Gave Me You" to his wife.

Speaking of his wife here, I will put this up. Assad's wife writes in late November, "Are you coming around the 2nd or before? If so, please can you bring the 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' part two released on the 2nd of December?"

Assad himself also had ordered "Harry Potter" apps from iTunes that same month. And then in late December here, you see the date, Assad tells a adviser to check out a video on YouTube. The one it shows is toys representing cakes in Homs and cookies as buildings made by an Assad supporter. The media adviser's response right here, "Ha- ha, OMG. This is amazing."

One more for you. This is part of a private e-mail and this is between Assad and his wife. He talks about the reforms he promised in Syria, revealing a bad attitude towards them. He wrote this -- quote -- "This is the best reform any country can have, that you told me where you will be. We are going to adopt it instead of the rubbish laws of parties, elections and media."

Again, just to hit this home, this is the man accused of ordering the massacre of thousands and thousands of his own people.

New information about a security scare involving Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. We are now hearing more about this guy who drove a stolen vehicle onto the runway as the defense secretary was landing in his plane in Afghanistan.

Plus, Apple's new iPad. By the way, it is just called iPad, not iPad 3, hits shelves tomorrow. We will give you a sneak peek next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BALDWIN: And the new iPad, it goes on sale in just a couple hours. If you're looking to camp out, because people are already doing so, by the way, or if you're just curious if it lives up to the hype, my friend and tech expert Katie Linendoll, she got her hands on one of these early and take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE LINENDOLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As you can see here, you might not even know which one's the difference.

This is an iPad 2. This is the new iPad in hands a little early. You can't see on your TV screen, but one of the big features that is being touted is this retina display. It's so -- they have actually doubled the resolution on the iPad 2. You can't even see how clear and crisp it is because it won't come through on your TV.

But that is one of the notable difference. And I just want to really quickly for the consumer out there tell you what's different about the new iPad and should you purchase.

BALDWIN: Yes, walk me through.

LINENDOLL: We talked about that display, double the resolution. Also a big one for me is the camera, five megapixel camera right now. I will show you some photos that I actually took. Makes a big difference for me, 4G LTE capability -- that will get you faster speeds when you're on that cellular signal. Also, a new faster processor, hot spot capability.

And I'm not even really going to go into it, but a tiny bit thicker and a tiny bit heavier, which isn't even notable. See, this is video I took on my iPad 3.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: That was iPad video. That was pretty clear. That was pretty clear.

LINENDOLL: I took that video so this is -- I'm going to look like Satan's sidekick, but I took it with the new iPad watching people as they're waiting in line for it.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Look at them camping out already.

LINENDOLL: Yes.

BALDWIN: What about this upgrade? I know the upgrade costs money. Is it worth it?

LINENDOLL: It's a good question. It depends on the user.

I would say if you haven't had a tablet before, you have been looking to research the iPad, perfect time to do it, in short. If you're an iPad 2 user and you're a power user, probably also can justify making the upgrade.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Want to take you now back live inside this courtroom.

Hemy Neuman, the defendant who was just recently found guilty, but mentally ill in the murder of Rusty Sneiderman, is now addressing the judge. Take a listen.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

HEMY NEUMAN, DEFENDANT: ... loss of a beloved son-in-law, family, friends for who Rusty was dear deservedly so miss him and hurt for it.

It is also a tragedy for three other children. For Lee, Tom, and [INAUDIBLE] and countless family and friends who saw a person they loved, admired, and respected who saw him arrested in shame, charged and now convicted.

I am so, so, so sorry. I can't say it enough. I can't say enough to all of you. To the precious children, all five of them, to the Sneidermans, to the Greenbergs, my parents, the family friends and community at large. I am sorry from the deepest part of me, your honor. That's all I have. JUDGE: You may be seated. Let me hear from your lawyer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Fairly emotional defendant there again. Hemy Neuman found guilty of murder but mentally ill. Just last hour here in this Dunwoody, Georgia courtroom. He said he's sorry to all five children of the family of the man he was just found guilty of killing and also to his own family. We're going to talk a little bit more about this case and where it could move next right after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right. On the case with us today, we have Joey Jackson. We saw the news. It was just last hour on in this Dunwoody, Georgia, courtroom in which the jury found Hemy Neuman guilty of murdering Rusty Sneiderman but mentally ill, found him guilty of murdering him just outside of Sneiderman's son's daycare in the Atlanta area back last November. Bring us up to speed as far as these two counts.

JOEY JACKSON, LEGAL ANALYST: Sure. What happens is is that the guilty verdict in terms of the mental illness, jurors think that's a compromise verdict, though it's widely understood that it is. It's actually a conviction. And it's sort of the compromise because when you're found to be insane, that's a determination you didn't know right from wrong. When they say you're mentally ill, it's that you're laboring under an impairment of mood and judgment that you committed an act. Therefore, the guilty verdict as to the murder, he'll be sentenced and incarcerated in an actual jail as opposed to if he was found insane, he would go to a mental institution then released when he was deemed to be fit.

So it's a big win for the prosecution to have gotten the guilty conviction even though he was deemed to be mentally - -

BALDWIN: Mentally ill.

JACKSON: Yes, mentally ill. On the second issue, dealing with the gun, what happens is is under the law he possessed a gun. As a result of the possession of a gun, the jury had to make a determination whether he possessed it during the commission of a felony. They made the determination. There was nothing to do with mental illness. Therefore he's guilty as to both counts.

BALDWIN: There are all these allegations of this alleged love triangle and the widow of the man killed. Might she face charges?

I do want to move along to this next trial, this polo mogul adopts his girlfriend to protect his assets just before his DUI manslaughter trial. He is John Goodman, he is in court today accused of drinking while driving his $200,000 Bentley which crashed into another car. The driver, a 23-year-old recent college grad, died. Goodman's girlfriend, now his adopted daughter, took to the stand. Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When was it that you first met him?

HEATHER COLBY HUTCHINS, JOHN GOODMAN'S GIRLFRIEND: January of 2009.

FEMALE: Okay, you starred dating when?

HUTCHINS: Then.

FEMALE: At that shortly thereafter?

HUTCHINS: Yes.

FEMALE: When did he become your boyfriend?

HUTCHINS: Shortly after the accident.

FEMALE: That would have been in February of 2010?

HUTCHINS: Somewhere around there.

FEMALE: Did you receive a call from Mr. Goodman at approximately 1:52 a.m. on February 12?

HUTCHINS: Yes.

FEMALE: And were you asleep when you received the call?

HUTCHINS: Yes.

FEMALE: And you answered the phone?

HUTCHINS: Yes.

FEMALE: And it was Mr. Goodman?

HUTCHINS: Correct.

FEMALE: And what did he tell you?

HUTCHINS: He said that he had been in an accident and he wanted me to call Carlos to come help him and to give Carlos the number that he was calling from.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He called you about I think we've established about 1:52 in the morning.

HUTCHINS: Uh-huh.

MALE: Is it fair to say your number is the only number he knows by heart?

HUTCHINS: Yes.

MALE: All the other numbers are in his phone? HUTCHINS: Correct.

MALE: How is it that he knows or has memorized your number?

HUTCHINS: His children were erasing it out of his phone so he had to memorize it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So yes, that testimony and then you have this picture. Remember the Bentley? so today, jurors walked outside the courtroom to see the damage to the car from the crash. The other car here, they were totalled. But they were, you know, reassembled to just show what they looked like at the moment of impact. He's trying to protect his assets from any lawsuits. Joey Jackson, how did things go for him today?

JACKSON: Well, you know what, I think it's a tough case for the defense in general. Why? because there are disparities in this case. We're talking about a Bentley which hits a Hyundai, a $200,000 car, a $20,000 car. That rings. It resonates with the jury. We're talking about someone very wealthy compared to someone who's just starting out their life, a 23-year-old graduate. Ultimately we're talking about someone deemed to be drunk from first responders and other people he associated with who first came to the scene and someone who was sober.

I think it's a very difficult case, you know, and when you look at the witnesses who will put on the stand the things that they mentioned to him in terms of how he smelled of alcohol, how his concern was about the first one he talked to was about look, do I look drunk, do I smell drunk? When the jury hears testimony like that, it really doesn't like it. I think it's an uphill battle for him. Nonetheless, Brooke, I think what the defense is trying to do is establish there was a malfunction with the Bentley and had a concussion at the time and that ultimately he may have smelled drunk because he did it to ease the pain back at the bar after the accident, not before it.

BALDWIN: Amazing how they reassembled those cars for jurors to see them. Joey Jackson, thank you.

JACKSON: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Coming up, the government really doesn't want you to smoke. So how far would health officials be willing to go to convince you? We just found out a short time ago with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He is standing by. Hear his thoughts on this new scare campaign next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: An ad campaign so harsh, it demands we warn you ahead of time just how graphic it really is. This is not about a movie, it's not about a video game, it's about the effects of smoking and it's brought to you by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which just unveiled the campaign. I want to play you one ad. Again, the images may disturb you. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm Mary. And I used to be a smoker. I want to give you some tips about getting ready in the morning. First your teeth. And then your wig. Then your hands-free device and then I'm ready for the day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Wow. Are the ads effective? That one looked pretty effective to me.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT, She started smoking when she was 17. She said just a few months after she started smoking, she developed a sore in her mouth that would not go away and that led to a diagnosis of mouth cancer. Radiation. You see all she's been through over the last several years. It's really remarkable.

It's hard to tell how effective these ads are. We talked to Dr. Frieden, who is the head of the CDC, and asked him that directly. He says there's data from other countries, in Europe they've used pretty shocking ads like the one you just saw there for some time. They think it makes a difference. It's a difference that's hard to measure for sure. But they say it increases the people's likelihood to want to quit. He thinks there's fewer smokers as a result of these ads, as well. But yes, it's shocking stuff to watch for sure, Brooke.

BALDWIN: It is. So you have these ads. Then you have other people who suggest anti-smoking laws, cigarette taxes. Hit them in the wallet where it hurts. Maybe that would be more effective. Do you agree?

GUPTA: Yes, you know, it's interesting because the health director in New York City where they have laws on this sort of thing, and there's a couple of things. First of all, laws can be very effective. That doesn't necessarily quit someone's wanting to quit smoking but it does makes them stop smoking or minimize smoking as a result of the laws. And it's easy to measure the impact when it comes to taxes, for example, it has the greatest impact among younger people probably they don't have as much disposable cash. For every 10 percent increase in the cigarette tax, you can decrease smoking rates by 3 to 5 percent.

Again, These things are easier to measure for sure. Frieden, when we asked him about that, he says he really thinks all three things together will make the biggest impact. The shocking ads, new legislation and perhaps these sin taxes, or cigarette taxes, all in combination.

BALDWIN: If you're looking at these ads and you say today is the day, I'm quitting smoking. Are there immediate benefits?

GUPTA: Yes, and I'll tell you what they are. And let me just say before that, that this is sort of the debate, always. Should we shock people and tell them what will happen to you if you do not stop smoking? Or could it be more beneficial to focus on the positives and say, 'Hey, look at all the positive things that will happen if you do stop smoking?'

That's a little bit of an unanswered question. Take a look at the list here, Brooke, and anyone else who is a smoker out there. You get immediate benefits. 20 minutes you can start to modulate heart rate, just 20 minutes of not smoking. 12 hours of not smoking, reduce your carbon monoxide levels. Two to three weeks, you can decrease your risk of having heart problems. So these are the acute sort of benefits.

But there are long-term benefits as well. One year cuts heart disease risk by 50 percent. The list goes on. Ten years, eventually, lung cancer risk cut by 50 percent. Starts to approach baseline shortly after, meaning if you were a smoker but you quit smoking and not smoking for a long time, your chance of developing lung cancer can come back down to what the average person in the population has.

BALDWIN: What's the best way to try to quit?

GUPTA: Well, you know, if you keep in mind that in addition to the fact that if you're an addict to nicotine -- to use things like patches and nicotine gum, they can be effective in terms of trying to curb your desire for this.

But also keep in mind that anxiety is often a large component of this, just the oral fixation with cigarettes. Sometimes anti-anxiety counseling, even anti-anxiety medications. And then what a lot of people say is those two things in combination with some sort of group support or somebody in your family or an advocate who sort of helps you keep on the program seems to help the best.

It's tough. Look, I don't want to sound preachy here because people who are smokers say, look: I've tried hundreds of things. It's not like I don't want to quit. But those three things in combination seem to be the most beneficial.

BALDWIN: Before I let you go, Dr. Gupta, I just have to say congratulations on your novel "Monday Mornings."

GUPTA: Oh, thank you.

BALDWIN: I was tweeting earlier. I'm like, 'This guy's a neurosurgeon, chief medical correspondent, an author, a dad, a husband. Dude, do you -- do you not sleep, Sanjay Gupta?

GUPTA: Dude, I love it. You know, where I write a lot is on planes. Which -- that's even more dubious perhaps than not sleeping. Yeah, I take a lot of plane trips and did a lot of writing on planes. I do a lot in the evenings and on weekends. Writing fiction, Brooke, can be a lot of fun, too. It can be very cathartic. So I enjoyed a lot of the process.

BALDWIN: Right on.

GUPTA: Right on, dude. BALDWIN: Right on, dude. Thanks Sanjay, appreciate it.

GUPTA: You got it, Brooke. Thanks.

BALDWIN: Coming up here, Rod Blagojevich spending his second hour behind bars. So what should the former governor expect in his first night tonight? Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff has a little advice. You're going to hear it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: It is hour two and counting of a 14-year prison term for former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. He's now officially in Denver. In some jeans and a blazer, looking pretty relaxed.

Blagojevich convicted of 17 charges, including trying to sell president Obama's former seat in the Senate. Former governor didn't leave Chicago without a little fanfare. Had a news conference.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORMER MAYOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), CHICAGO: I have to go do what I have to go do, and this is the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

No send-off would be complete without a run-in with the media. Here he is in Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLAGOJEVICH: Saying good-bye is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. (INAUDIBLE) but I have high, high hopes for the future, and among the hopes is now you guys can go home and our neighbors can get their neighborhood back. I'll see you guys when I see you. I'll see you around.

REPORTER: What time is your flight?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: His next stop Denver, vintage Blagojevich. Here's what he had to say when he got there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLAGOJEVICH: You know, I'm leaving and doing something that I never imagined would ever be possible. So hopefully in the future I'm still, as I said yesterday in the same place as I was when I -- I talked to the judge back in December. And that you know, among the things I take with me is a real sense of pride in what I was able to achieve for people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Blagojevich, obviously not camera shy, remember he was on "Celebrity Apprentice." The camera followed him by air, by ground, all the way to the doors.

And while that may be part of who he is, convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff has this warning. All this celebrity is not going to play well with him in prison.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK ABRAMOFF, CONVICTED LOBBYIST: All this Basically he has to keep his head down. If he plays to the celebrity, plays to the attention, plays to all the hoopla made about him, he will wind up in trouble in prison. The authorities don't like that. They want inmates to be inmates, not celebrities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Speaking of celebrity, former Enron president Jeff Skilling is also in that very same prison in Colorado where Blagojevich is now.

BALDWIN: CNN, we have our hands on some of these documents that show inmates who got those pardons from former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour may have also gotten special treatment. An investigative report, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Quickly here, just into CNN. Here he is, Hemy Neuman, he was just found guilty of murdering Rusty Snyderman in that Dunwoody daycare trial. Found guilty but mentally ill, we have now learned he's been sentenced to life without parole.

Investigative documents obtained by CNN lead to new questions around Haley Barbour. At issue now, did two prisoners receive special treatment before Barbour issued those pardons?

CNN's Ed Lavandera has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Just days before these two Mississippi killers were pardoned by Haley Barbour, CNN has learned that David Gatlin and Charles Hooker within issued brand-new driver's licenses even though they were still technically incarcerated, working as trustees at the governor's mansion. Which begs the question -- how do they get driver's licenses while they're still in custody of the prison system?

LAVANDERA (on camera): Haley Barbour's chief security officer tells CNN he personally drove both men from the governor's mansion over to the driver's license office himself.

(voice over): Barbour's security chief suggests the licenses would help them find jobs. But why else would either of these men need driver's licenses? To drive their newly purchased cars, of course. CNN has obtained these investigator's reports from the Mississippi attorney general's office, which detail how Gatlin and Hooker also had cars ready for them the day they were pardoned. According to the report, Haley Barbour's wife called a salesman at this car dealership. It says, "Marsha Barbour contacted him regarding the purchase of vehicles for Hooker and Gatlin,"

The salesman allegedly told investigators that the inmates had been brought to the dealership on January 6th, 2012 in a black Ford Crown Victoria to complete paperwork for the sale.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

BALDWIN: These allegations have obviously upset some victims' family members, some calling them disturbing. Others say they were simply disgusted.

BALDWIN: Time now for a little political pop for you.

Talking about energy policy in Maryland this morning must have left the president in need of some good fueling, as in barbecue. The president making an unscheduled stop at Texas Ribs and Barbecue, (INAUDIBLE) placing a to-go order for: not just one, mister president, two slabs of ribs. Also, didn't he get a brisket sandwich with some fries? I wonder if the first lady knows about this. Obviously she does. (INAUDIBLE) The president greeted supporters gathered outside, even had a little fun with the cashier. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CASHIER: And how about yours?

OBAMA: Hot sauce. It has got to be hot.

CASHIER: Is that it?

OBAMA: That's it. All right. Want to ring me up now or do I pay when the order comes up?

CASHIER: Later.

OBAMA: All right. But I am going to have to pay, so don't try to get sneaky with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I tell you, I was just in Austin for South by Southwest. I did not eat enough barbecue. That makes me hungry, just thinking about it.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes you were. Sixth street just amazing. You walk up, and just eat year way all the way through America.

BALDWIN: Best city ever.

MYERS: You did a lot of good work out there, too.

BALDWIN: Thank you. It was a blast. A lot of work, but a blast. So, while I have you for a minute. It's hot in a lot of places.

MYERS: Chicago is Austin hot.

BALDWIN: Really?

MYERS: No kidding, over 80 degrees. Record-breaking heat. 400 cities yesterday broke records in America.

BALDWIN: What's going on?

MYERS: Well, we have a big ridge of high pressure that allows all of the heat to come straight up. Now, there is another cold front, a low pressure that will come out of the best.

And, Brooke, when we get this much heat and it's not yet even spting, we can get severe weather. That will happen Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week, when you get humidity and all of a sudden it's not yet spring, not yet summer.

Look at this. 52 should be the high in Philadelphia today, it's going to be 72. Pittsburgh should be 49, it's going to be 75. Cincinnati, 53, 76, though it's been showers. They're keeping things a little bit moist, wet. We even had a couple of flood warnings across parts of Ohio earlier today.

Now, here are the big ones, Des Moines, you should be 49 degrees today, your high will be 82. Minneapolis 25 degrees above normal. There's no snow anywhere. The snow is gone, gone all the way from the upper Midwest through Ohio, through Minnesota, all through the Dakotas.

Only one good news, only one piece of good news with this, Brooke, there will be no spring flooding due to snow melt. We have not been able to say that now for almost four years in a row. Big flooding last year. Remember how the Mississippi was way out of its banks, all the way down to Louisiana? That will not happen this year, because there's no snow to melt.

BALDWIN: Thank goodness. It is warm. Chad Myers, thank you. We'll be back at the same time tomorrow. In the meantime we'll hand you over to Wolf Blitzer. "THE SITUATION ROOM" starts right now.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN'S THE SITUATION ROOM: Thanks very much.