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Sex, Lies and Campaign Cash; Ten More Years in Afghanistan; Snowstorm Threatens Northeast; V.P. Spotlight Shining On Rubio; Sex, Lies And Campaign Cash; Bribery Investigation Hits Wal-Mart; George Zimmerman Free On Bond; Baby Boomers Find Love Online; Single Moms: Superheroes

Aired April 23, 2012 - 12:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from New York, where it's 12:00 noon, 9:00 a.m. on the West Coast, I'm Suzanne Malveaux.

I want to get you up-to-speed for this Monday, April 23rd.

The man who killed Trayvon Martin is out of jail, back in hiding. George Zimmerman walked out of the correctional facility in Sanford, Florida, around midnight. He was released on a $150,000 bond.

Now, Zimmerman is going to have to wear a GPS monitor and check in with authorities every three days until his murder trial.

Just a short time ago, President Obama marked Holocaust Remembrance Day with a visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum, that's in Washington. The president pledged to do whatever he can do to prevent genocide and he talked about his administration's strategy to respond to mass atrocities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So I created the first ever White House position dedicated to this task. It's why I created new Atrocities Prevention Board, to bring together senior officials from across our government to focus on this critical mission. This is not an afterthought. This is not a side light in our foreign policy.

The board will convene for the first time today at the White House, and I'm pleased that one of its first acts will be to meet with some of your organizations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: In New York, detectives looking for clues about what happened to 6-year-old Etan Patz have ended the search of a basement. A source briefed on the investigation told us that no human remains were found. An FBI team is going to will check the site and evidence found there to make sure that investigators didn't miss anything.

Patz disappeared 33 years ago while on his way to the bus stop. His picture was the first to be posted on the side of a milk carton.

After more than a decade of war, the U.S. and Afghanistan are reaching an agreement, spelling out details about American involvement going forward. Well, the big headline here, the U.S. will still be helping both financially and militarily for 10 years after troops formally withdraw in 2014. In a couple minutes, we're going to talk to former Defense Secretary William Cohen. We're going to ask him what is next for the troops as well as the families.

Almost 900 dolphins are dead. That is just the number that have washed ashore on the coast of Peru. A virus is the likely cause but more research needs to be done before we actually know. Earlier this year, dozens of dolphins washed up in the United States and Brazil.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been forced into a runoff after Sunday's elections. That's right. Socialist candidate Francois Hollande came in first, beating Sarkozy by a little more than one percentage point. The two are going to go head to head in a May runoff, rather. Far right party attracted more votes than ever before in France, but it's not enough to get their candidate on the final ballot.

(BEGIN VIEO CLIP)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's going to make the trees heavier. The trees are going to start to collapse and bring down power lines. It's already started to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Wow. OK. That's not old video from January. That's actually today in Pennsylvania.

This is after the warmest March ever recorded. As much as 16 inches of heavy, wet snow expected to fall in parts of the Northeast. Don't expect it to last long. Temperatures are likely to rise into the 40s and 50s this week.

Covering John Edwards' campaign back in 2008 revealed one bombshell after another about this man. Now, he was once the presidential candidate with a very bright future. Then had an adulterous affair that led to a secret child, all while his wife was battling cancer. Ultimately, he fell from political prominence to now public scorn. That's the story playing out today.

Edwards' trial in Greensboro, North Carolina, he's facing six felony and misdemeanor accounts, accused of using illegal campaign contributions to cover up this affair.

Joe Johns tells us how it all unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This political soap opera started at a bar in New York City where Edwards met self-proclaimed filmmaker Rielle Hunter in early 2006.

She was quickly hired by Edwards to film, "Webisodes," casual online videos of the former senator. The video showed just how close Edwards and Hunter had become.

JOHN EDWARDS, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's a great speech.

REILLE HUNTER: I'm so glad you like it.

EDWARDS: I loved it. Wait until you hear me give it live.

JOHNS: Immediately, those close to Edwards suspected an affair. Behind the scenes, the government argues that Edwards was orchestrating a massive cover up.

Loyal and wealthy donors paid for his pregnant mistress to relocate and personal aide, Andrew Young, would claim paternity.

In the fall of 2007, a tabloid published a story on the affair. Immediately, the campaign went into defense mode.

REPORTER: When you were running for president, you flat-out denied having a relationship with Rielle Hunter. Did you give me a truthful answer? Were you telling me the truth then?

EDWARDS: Yes.

JOHNS: After being chased by reporters, eventually he admitted personal failure.

EDWARDS: There's no question that I've done wrong and I take full responsibility for having done wrong. And I will regret for the rest of my life the pain and the harm that I've caused those.

JOHNS: Once a prominent politician preaching two Americas, Edwards himself was living two lives. He had fathered a child with his mistress while his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, was dying of cancer.

It got worse. In 2011, the government indicted Edwards on six counts, including conspiracy, issuing false statements and violating campaign finance law. He faces up to 30 years in prison.

EDWARDS: We're conditioned to say the same things, we're conditioned to stay what we say, and we're conditioned to be political. And it's hard to shed all of that.

JOHNS: Edwards has spent the last year preparing for his trial, shuffling his legal team and undergoing surgery for a heart condition.

Former top aides are expected to testify at his trial. Rielle Hunter has immunity.

EDWARDS: I did not break the law and I never, ever thought I was breaking the law.

JOHNS: Experts say the government has a tough unprecedented case to prove in the arena of campaign finance, but no matter what the outcome, it is the ultimate fall from grace for Edwards who was once adored as a son of the South.

Joe Johns, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: I want to bring in our legal contributor Sunny Hostin.

And, Sunny, let's talk about the counts against Edwards. We know that in covering him, it really was kind of the fall of somebody who had a lot of potential, a lot of power here. What specifically is he charged with?

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: He has -- and I have the indictment here, Suzanne. He has specifically been charged with five counts of illegal -- making illegal -- rather receiving illegal campaign contributions in addition to making false statements. And so, six counts altogether.

They're felony counts, and so each count exposes him to about five years in prison, cumulatively. We're talking about 30 years in prison. Plus, a $250,000 fine.

But let me say this, after looking at the indictment that was filed in June of last year, this is unprecedented because, yes, there is -- of course, it's against the law to receive illegal campaign contributions, but it hasn't ever been done in this way. This is usually something that you see in a civil case. You don't usually see this in a criminal case, and I think it may be very difficult for the government to show that this money that he received was, indeed, to protect and save his campaign rather than to protect and save his marriage to Elizabeth Edwards, who we knew at the time was suffering from cancer.

MALVEAUX: Edwards says that at no point does he think that he was actually breaking the law. Sunny, does that matter?

HOSTIN: You know, I think certainly the defense will say that it does matter, the issue of intent. But, again, it's going to be difficult for the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt because, again, this is a criminal case, beyond a reasonable doubt that he took this money not as a personal gift to protect his marriage but rather he took it to protect his campaign. So, somehow it was -- he knowingly took it as a campaign contribution because we know under federal law the cap is $2,300.

MALVEAUX: Right.

HOSTIN: He is alleged to have received $900,000 from Bunny Mellon, who was 101 years old and Fred Baron.

And I think, Suzanne, people are struggling with this because there's no question to be sure he behaved badly. You know, he cheated on his wife who was dying of cancer. He fathered a child with his mistress who was a staffer.

I mean, all around he behaved badly. The question really is did he behave criminally, illegally.

MALVEAUX: Right.

HOSTIN: And I think that's going to be a difficult case to prove.

MALVEAUX: And, Sunny, real quickly here -- a key witness for the prosecution is Edwards' former aide, Andrew Young. He is the one who initially claimed to be the father of Rielle Hunter's child. Why is he so important in this case?

HOSTIN: Well, he certainly is person number "A." He's listed on the first day of the indictment, but because -- his importance is because he really can, I think, give a lot of insight into what was going on at the time.

As you mentioned, he himself was asked by Edwards to claim paternity of Edwards' child with Rielle Hunter. So he can give some insight into what was going on inside of the campaign and what was going on inside of John Edwards' mind.

And so, I suspect he's going to be the first witness that will be called by the prosecution in this case.

MALVEAUX: All right. Sunny Hostin -- thank you, Sunny.

HOSTIN: Thanks.

MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories we are covering.

First, what a new diplomatic deal in Afghanistan would mean for U.S. troops and their families after the pull out.

And a loud booms wake up millions of Californians up. We're going to tell you what scientists think it is.

And twice as many women as men are starting their own businesses these days. Hard to keep these startups going. Our money team has got some good advice.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: After more than a decade of war, the U.S. and Afghanistan are reaching an agreement spelling out details about American involvement going forward.

Well, here is the big headline. The U.S. is still going to be helping both financially and militarily for 10 years after troops formally withdraw in 2014.

The agreement is not a done deal yet. It has to go through several levels of review, including President Obama's approval. But the president wants an agreement signed before the NATO summit on the May 21st.

I want to bring in former Defense Secretary William Cohen. He joins me from D.C. And he is the head of the Cohen Group, international consulting firm that represents defense contractors and others.

Good to see you, Bill.

WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Good to see you.

MALVEAUX: First of all, we see that neither side is really releasing specifics about this agreement, but it does say that there is a pledge at least in principle here that there will be financial and military support for 10 years after 2014 withdrawal. How important is that to the Afghans?

COHEN: Well, I think it's important to send the signal that the United States, unlike Russia, is not simply going to depart and leave them to fend for themselves against the Taliban and others. And so, the signal being sent is, yes, we're there for a longer period of time.

I think that will be conditioned, frankly, upon others joining with us. The United States is not going to make a long 10-year term commitment without support from our allies. So I think that's why the president wanted to make sure this could be signed before May 10th, so that NATO allies could also be a part of this and also indicate their support.

But it does represent that we're going to be shrinking our forces. We're going to reduce them substantially so that we're not pursuing a counterinsurgency strategy anymore but one of counterterrorism, a much smaller footprint. It will keep us in the area but much smaller numbers and also able to go across border as we've been doing in terms of dealing with the Taliban on the other side in Pakistan.

MALVEAUX: Bill, is there a potential danger here that if we have our troops, even if they act as advisers, that they could get sucked into combat once again -- if you've got the Taliban once again resurging?

COHEN: That's always a possibility. And that's why it's going to be important that we also have the support of our traditional allies. Those allies have been cutting back their own defense expenditures. And so, the real test is going to be: are you going to make a comparable commitment to making sure that Afghanistan doesn't become the home or haven for terrorists who will once again launch terrorist attacks against either European cities or against the United States.

And so, we'll have to get a commitment from our allies. We're not going to be the only ones committed to countering terrorism throughout the world and specifically in that part of the world.

MALVEAUX: How significant is it you have the diplomatic agreement in light of the tension between the United States and the Afghan government and the Afghan people? The recent incidents where you have some U.S. troops who were urinating on corpses, they were burning Korans, and you had this sergeant who went after Afghan civilians. Does this say something significant about our relationship with Afghanistan moving forward?

COHEN: I think it says something significant about the fact that we've had our troops who have been committed, some as many as four or five tours, in an environment which is totally unique in terms of the kind of combat they have to wage. It's taking a toll on our men and women in uniform, and we're seeing the kind of excesses and breakdowns that can occur.

It's also a question of command control. It's very difficult when you have small numbers that are deployed in the most mountainous regions to have really solid oversight control. But there seems to be something of a breakdown in the command and control structure in Afghanistan, and that's wearing upon our troops.

And so, I think what we have to do is make sure that we don't overextend ourselves, don't put this kind of stress upon our men and women in uniform, try to reduce the number of deployments that they have to endure, and to make sure we take care of them and their families.

So I think that's really the nature of what's happened, and obviously, in Afghanistan you have people who are concerned. We are a foreign force in their country, and so that's another element involved.

And I think what's happened is the president has come up with a solution, namely, to really downsize the size of our commitment. We're going to go from $120 billion a year down to numbers that are talked about, $2.8 billion, maybe $3 billion or $4 billion. Quite a substantial reduction in terms of the commitment by the United States.

MALVEAUX: All right. Secretary Cohen -- Bill, good to see you, as always. Thank you.

COHEN: Good to be with you.

MALVEAUX: So, it woke up many Californians who were sleeping. They were so scared they called 911. Chad Myers is going to explain what caused this huge sonic boom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Keeping a close eye on the markets here. The market is down 140 points at least. We're going to have more details on that.

But we also want to talk a little bit about the weather. It was the warmest March ever recorded in the United States, so the last thing you'd probably think about for April is this.

Take a look at these pictures -- giant snowstorm blasting parts of the Northeast.

Well, our severe weather expert Chad Myers joining us.

Hey, Chad. How is this happening? Why is this happening? I don't get it.

CHAD MYERS, AMES METEOROLOGIST: This would be a major snowstorm in January or February. But right now, because it's already into April, it's warm enough that it really is more of a rain and wind event.

Now, there is snow out there. You get to DuBois, you get up toward the summits here. This is cold in New York, you get into Cattaraugus, Chautauqua County, even parts of Erie and Wyoming County picking up some snow. But the highest snow hold as we found down in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and that is Laurel Summit at 13 inches of snow.

What you have to understand now, there are leaves on some of the trees, and the trees with that weight of the snow, the branches are bending, some breaking, and some power lines are down. A little bit ago I just looked, about 10,000 people right now without power because of that heavy, wet snow that's been coming down.

Something else that's going on, it's a very windy day as well. I want to take you to WJW, our affiliate out of Cleveland, Ohio. They have a shot. This is not that far from Lakefront Airport.

Watch as a wave just comes in and hits this break water. Where the wave is generated right there, there's a walkway. You would be able to walk there on a normal day. Today, you wouldn't want to be anywhere near those what's at least 10 to 15 feet in some spots. Winds are 40 in some spots and around Youngstown 50 miles per hour.

Here are the snow totals: from Newfield at 10 inches, and even Ridgebury in Pennsylvania at eight inches of snow.

Now, we are seeing a little bit of airport delays, but not that bad, at least this point. Only an hour Newark and Philly. I expected it to be higher than that. What I think is happening is some of these airplanes are actually getting canceled rather than being delayed. And so they don't show up as delays if you cancel the flight, doesn't show up as anything. But you're still getting backed up in some of the airports.

There is where the snow is from Buffalo, right down the Alleghenies and all the way down even into parts of Garrett County, Maryland, and the West Virginia.

MALVEAUX: So, Chad, do you think my flight is going to be delayed coming from New York back to Atlanta? Do we know?

MYERS: I'm going to go with yes.

MALVEAUX: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: And tell us a little bit about this. This is incredible, this meteor shower out west creates this sonic boom that shook people's houses.

MYERS: Yes, just like a jet fighter that's going too fast, faster than the speed of sound. We had some of these Lyrid meteors coming out of the sky going faster than the speed of sound. They were so large they created sonic booms just like an airplane would, and people were just -- 8:30 in the morning, they were rocked out of their house. They just sat down for a little bit of breakfast and they were calling the police. These sonic booms were so large and so loud out there in California over the weekend.

MALVEAUX: Wow. Glad everybody is safe. It's an exciting weekend, exciting weather period. Thanks, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

MALVEAUX: Sex, lies, money, and a battle for the most powerful office in the nation. We are talking about day one of the John Edwards' trial.

But, first, more than 8 million businesses in the U.S. are owned by women. Our Christine Romans spoke to the founder of Take Our Daughters to Work Day about how women entrepreneurs can kick start their businesses in a tough economy, tough times. It's this week's "Smart is the New Rich."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: All right. Women are starting businesses at a rate of, what, two to one?

NELL MERLINO, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, COUNT ME IN: Yes, absolutely.

ROMANS: But growing those businesses is the hard part. You've got a down economy and it's also getting them from employing yourself to employing other people. How do women get over the hump?

MERLINO: I think they have to really set some goals for themselves because you can get started and be happy because you're making a living and you're not living by someone else's schedule. But if you really want to make some money, you've got to go beyond yourself. You've got to start looking at bringing other people into the business and making sure you have something to sell that people want to buy. It can't be a nice to have. It's got to be a have to have it.

ROMANS: So, don't think status quo, think grow.

MERLINO: Yes.

ROMANS: If you've got the demand, think grow. How do you do that?

MERLINO: How do you do that? First of all, you have to see yourself as a CEO. You cannot do everything yourself. Women do this at home, and we do it because we have to.

In our business, we have got to get beyond that. We have to have people that work with us and help us, people who are good at stuff that we're not. So we make a team of people that are --

ROMANS: Outsource.

MERLINO: Yes, outsource, hire. Whatever you need to do.

ROMANS: Revenue for women-owned businesses is --

MERLINO: It is almost 80 percent of women-owned businesses are $50,000 a year in gross revenue.

ROMANS: That's making your own job. That means you're making a job for yourself.

MERLINO: Exactly. So, how do you go from it being your job to being a going enterprise? And it is mentally thinking about yourself as a CEO and thinking about yourself as running an entity, not doing -- not being a photographer, not being a baker. It is -- it is a different mindset and an understanding that you really can take control.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Mitt Romney takes Florida Senator Marco Rubio on the road with him. Could this son of Cuban immigrants be his likely V.P. pick?

Then, George Zimmerman made bond out of a Florida jail. He's now got an ankle bracelet and lots of advice to lay low.

And in 20 minutes --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's less intimidating than going out there and trying to meet someone at a -- you know, bar.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Find out how millions of baby boomers are choosing to meet their mates these days.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, he is in the spotlight today. Rubio campaigns with the presumptive Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, in Pennsylvania. The event set to begin near the top of the hour. Sure to set off another round of the V.P. guessing game.

To talk about that more, I want to bring in our political panel: Democratic strategist Estuardo Rodriguez, and conservative commentator Tara Wall.

Senator Rubio has said he has no interest in running with the president, even suggest another person for the job.

Here is what he told Candy Crowley about Jeb Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: Well, it's very nice of Jeb. I hope he'll say yes if future President Romney asks him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: But let's take a look at this. This is Rubio just last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUBIO: Three, four five, six, seven years from now, if I do a good job as vice president -- I'm sorry.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys all got that, right?

RUBIO: As a senator.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: All right. Tara, so what should he do? Is he kind of playing with us a little bit here, is he toying with us, or does it really -- does he want Jeb Bush to go for this?

TARA WALL, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: Look, I think the good news is -- I mean ,the field is wide open. There are plenty of I think great candidates that Republicans have to pick from as far as it goes with VP. I don't think folks should read too much into this.

I mean, Marco Rubio I think you can expect will be on the trail with Governor Mitt Romney for many, many states to come, and so it's part of the process, part of them taking their message out there. This message of economics and wanting to remind voters of what the true issues are.

And that is, you know, economics and remind voters about the broken promises and what they say is some of the failed policies of this administration. I think that Rubio smartly is deferring this question.

Because, look, it's way too early in the process to answer anything like that and, you know, look, the field is wide open and there are plenty of candidates out there that I think Mitt Romney is going to have to pick from. MALVEAUX: How dangerous, how threatening would this be if you have Rubio jump in as the VP?

ESTUARDO RODRIGUEZ, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I don't think it's dangerous. Well, let me rephrase that. I think it's dangerous for Rubio and it's dangerous for Romney probably because, you know, the campaign has admitted at least quietly as admitted they have a huge problem with the Latino voters.

The polling that came out about a week ago showed that adding Rubio doesn't do anything outside of Florida for his campaign. It doesn't move the Hispanic voters, which is going to be a huge -- an important critical voter to make sure is being driven out there and is excited out there.

Rubio doesn't do it. His legislative background, where he stands on a variety of issues, the fact that he didn't support Sonia Sotomayor, he doesn't support the ambassador of El Salvador. He didn't support the dream act.

The bipartisan dream act that's ten years old and is looking at a new dream act that doesn't have the dream, I don't think it hurts -- I think it hurts them more than helps them.

MALVEAUX: Tara, I want to talk a little bit about the trial of John Edwards here that got under way in North Carolina. Covered him during 2008 campaign, and this is obviously he's being accused of illegal campaign contributions to cover up the affair and the child that he had with his mistress all this while his wife was battling cancer.

This is a tough case for the prosecutors, but the details are pretty salacious here. What do you think this says about the mix of money and politics, especially looking at now 2012?

WALL: Yes, absolute power corrupts absolutely. We know that saying. No one takes any pleasure to seeing anyone come down like this and fall from grace, if you will. I think it raises issues about campaign cash and things like that.

I think that at the end of the day though the bottom line is the violation of the American trust, and I'm no legal expert. I think you had your legal expert weigh in on where this might fall at the end of the day, whether it is going to be prosecuted in a criminal way.

But I think at the end of the day the question boils down to the public trust and that violation of the public trust and the taxpayers who he is held accountable to. I think most Americans believe that our legal system will vet out those who do wrong and do wrong by the people.

MALVEAUX: Estuardo, do you believe all that money does lead to corruption?

RODRIGUEZ: Well, you know, I think that what we're going to see here is more fuel to the fire of the public sentiment and anger towards the way money has continuously played a huge part in influencing politics, and this case is just one that is a reminder of what's happening today.

These "Super PACs" are out of control. The commitments from the conservative side, the $300 million to be put into the presidential elections and on the Democratic side as well, the effort to try to ramp up the "Super PAC" fundraising.

You know, we're going to continue to see the public frustration with how money is being -- it's overshadowing the will of the people.

WALL: But I think at the end of the day, too, you have to look -- no matter what processes you put in place and how many reforms we go through, at the end of the day, it's the integrity of the individual to do right and to do right by the public.

I think that's what's at stake here and that's what we have to look at no matter what those reforms look like in terms of "PACs" and "Super PACs" or donations and campaign cash and all of that. We can ask the question and have that discussion, but at the end of the day it boils down to the public trust.

MALVEAUX: All right, whether a Democrat or Republican.

WALL: That's right.

MALVEAUX: All right, Estuardo, thank you. Good to see you.

Wal-Mart dealing with allegations of bribery and cover up. We're going to head over to the New York Stock Exchange to see how the company is holding up in today's trading.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Retailing giant Wal-Mart caught in a huge multimillion dollar foreign bribery scandal. The company is accused of buying its way into Mexico, blowing past the competition, years of payoffs.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. Well, Alison, what is this all about and how is Wal-Mart responding?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: OK, so this all came about after the weekend. "The New York Times" ran this story over the weekend, so now Wal-Mart is coming out and saying it's not going to tolerate this kind of illegal activity.

In fact, Wal-Mart is saying it's doing its own investigation. It met with officials from the Justice Department, from the SEC because here is what "The New York Times" story says.

It's alleging that there was widespread bribery and a cover-up in 2005 at Wal-Mart with the story going on to say that Wal-Mart paid $24 million in bribes over the years to get construction permits in Mexico.

Meaning zoning approvals, getting sort of the building permits moved through the red tape much faster to get these Wal-Marts to be built in Mexico.

Now, here is the cherry on top with this story. Wal-Mart of Mexico, Suzanne, told Wal-Mart headquarters in Arkansas about this alleged bribery, but "The New York Times" says the Wal-Mart headquarters concealed it from officials in the U.S. and Mexican authorities as well.

They just wanted it to basically go away. Well, now you have Wal-Mart trying to repair its image, coming out with a statement in part saying many of the alleged activities in "The New York Times" article are more than six years old. That if these allegations are true, it's not a reflection of who we are or what we stand for -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: How is Wal-Mart shares doing?

KOSIK: Shares are getting hit pretty hard right now. Wal-Mart shares leading the declines. Shares down about 5 percent. Wal-Mart of Mexico shares are down 12 percent. That's on the Mexican Exchange.

The problem here, Suzanne, is that investors really aren't sure how far this thing is going to go. There are a whole host of concerns. Everything from legal ramifications to fines, executives could be fired.

Another issue here is that Mexico is seen as a huge growth area for Wal-Mart. In fact, sales were up 25 percent in 2005. That's the year of the alleged bribery. It now has 2,000 stores in Mexico.

But the problem now is the question, will Wal-Mart continue to be able to expand without the alleged bribery that allegedly took place -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Wow. And Alison, I understand Wall Street not having a good day today. There are other companies not going so well?

KOSIK: A lot of red on the screen. Take a look. The Dow is down 135 points. The Nasdaq also lower right now. This is after a weak manufacturing report out of China showing that China's economy continues to slow.

Also there's a lot of political uncertainty in France. There's a race for president going on there. French President Nicholas Sarkozy is going up against a socialist candidate and the way Wall Street sees it, it's concerned because it sees Sarkozy as a guy who kind of helped the eurozone, kind of kept the eurozone together during the debt crisis.

Of course, the debt crisis is going on even though we don't talk about it every day. The concern is that a new leader could have big implications for the economic stability of the EU. You're seeing that kind of nervousness play out on the board today --Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right, Alison, thank you.

George Zimmerman walks out of jail wearing a life jacket holding a brown paper sack. So where is he allowed to go? We'll look at Zimmerman's restrictions and we'll show you how this ankle monitor works.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The man who killed Trayvon Martin is free right now. George Zimmerman was released from jail in Sanford, Florida, just after midnight.

He was taken to an undisclosed location. This is another heart break for the parents. A lawyer for the boy's family spoke earlier to CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DARYL PARKS, ATTORNEY FOR TRAYVON MARTIN'S FAMILY: They continue to be very devastated. Certainly, they anticipated that this would happen. Through his lawyer, we thought it would be midweek. But we learn now he was able to do it over the weekend.

This is tough for them. Think about the crusade they've had to finally have Mr. Zimmerman arrested, and now he walks free again among all of us.

It's tough for them to see their son's killer walk free again, but they do understand that the court was bound by the Florida constitution, which does give a person a right to bail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So here is a look at the terms of Zimmerman's release. His family had to post a $150,000 bond. Zimmerman is not allowed to have alcohol, drugs, or guns. He's got to serve a 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew. He's been fitted with a GPS monitor and he has to check in with authorities every three days until the trial.

HLN law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks, he's joining us from Atlanta.

So, Mike, I would imagine, right, that the number one priority for Zimmerman's lawyer is to keep his client safe. How do they do that?

MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: It's going to be tough. It's really going to be hard. And I think that's one of the reasons you heard Mr. O'Mara at that hearing, Suzanne, ask about out of state. Now, did they work something out with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office to say, hey, we will let you go out of state? I would say most likely they did. That's why they have on this GPS ankle monitor. So -- because we know that he was out of state before he turned himself in to federal law -- to the FDLE, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, because they knew exactly where he was. But it's going to be up to the bail bondsman and his attorneys to keep him safe. If you recall, Suzanne, during Casey Anthony, we saw the man who bailed her out, Mr. Padilla, he and his people were the one that would take Casey Anthony to and from the attorney's office, to and from her appearances. So maybe his bail bondsman will have -- will play some role in that, too.

MALVEAUX: So let's talk a little bit about this GPS device that he is wearing. How does that work?

BROOKS: There's a number of different kinds. But what he has, he has -- it's an ankle monitor. It goes right on your ankle. And it's -- and they can track him anywhere in the country. And, Suzanne, it's real time. So it's not, if he goes outside a certain area, goes out a certain area outside his house, than an alarm goes off. Someone can sit there and actually monitor where he is at all times.

Now that's going to be up to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. A lot of times they'll have an outside vendor who actually makes these bracelets do it for them. But They're going to make sure that they know where he is at all times and to make sure that he doesn't violate any of the conditions.

MALVEAUX: And I imagine that he's probably keeping a low profile here until the trial. I mean what do his attorneys, what do the folks need to do around him to make sure that he is safe, that he is not attacked?

BROOKS: Well, we've heard the judge say that they're going to keep his location, and any of the court records, they're going to keep that very secure. And I think he's just going to have a few people around him while he is wherever he's going to be, Suzanne. He might not even have his family members around. Because when you have someone like this who -- lot say he's the most hated man in America, just like Casey Anthony was the most hated woman in America back then. There's some people out there, you never know, that will try to track him down and find out where he is for whatever reason. They're going to make sure that that doesn't happen. But it's going to be a tough task. But I think that they can do it and nobody will know where he is. He might never -- he might not even go outside. If he does, maybe some disguise. But it's going to be tough.

MALVEAUX: And, Mike, is there any way that somebody could actually figure out where he is based on the monitoring of that ankle bracelet, like somehow break into that system, somebody who wants to do him harm?

BROOKS: Well, you know, we've heard a lot of different groups breaking into the FBI database. Could they? Yes. But I'm sure that they have safeguards in place to make sure that that doesn't happen. So -- because his safety is of the utmost importance to the bail bondsman, to Seminole County.

MALVEAUX: OK. All right, Mike Brooks, thanks. Good to see you.

BROOKS: Thanks, Suzanne. Yes. MALVEAUX: Many baby boomers finding love the second time around online.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STACI DANSEY, DIVORCED AT 61: The more people I meet, the greater my odds are that I'll meet a guy that wants to have like a loving, warm, committed, serious, monogamous relationship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Dating sites for those 50 and up are growing faster than any other. Up next, the first in our week-long baby boomer special "Age Against The Machine."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: They are the children of post war boom. Baby boomers born from 1946 through the early '60s have had a huge impact on society. Right? Well, all this week our series "Age Against The Machine" looks at this amazing generation. We're going to start off with marriage, kids, divorce, love, second time around? Wow. Casey Wian talks to couples who are finding love online.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Suzanne Forman is on a blind date with Todd Gradni, who she's only met on the phone.

TODD GRADNI: I feel like I do know you, you know?

SUZANNE FORMAN, SINGLE AT 55: Yes. Well, there's still quite a bit to get to know.

WIAN: Like many unmarried baby boomers, Forman considers companionship more important in her 50s.

FORMAN: I can't believe I'm 55. I still feel like I'm 20 or 30 something. I still have that energy. I still have, you know, that spark. But I do have a lot of candles on my cake.

WIAN: Introductions through friends and relatives haven't worked.

FORMAN: They kept trying to set me up with friends of theirs. And each one was just worse than the next. I was a vegetarian and one of the guys they set me up with took me to a Moroccan restaurant and ate raw meat in front of -- next to me.

WIAN: So Forman and a growing number of singles over 50 are going online to find potential matches.

FORMAN: It's like being in a candy store.

WIAN: Staci Dansey is a 61-year-old real estate agent.

STACI DANSEY, DIVORCED AT 61: I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life alone.

WIAN: After her marriage ended, Dansey's daughter-in-law made a suggestion.

DANSEY: She said, oh, you've got to get on one of those online dating sites. And I said, I don't think so.

WIAN (on camera): What was your concern about being on an online dating site?

DANSEY: I had heard horror stories.

WIAN (voice-over): Stalkers, scam artists and worse. Online dating sites say because they collect background information on customers, it's actually a much safer way to meet people. Dansey's daughter persuaded her to join Our Time, a dating site for baby boomers.

DANSEY: It's just a numbers game. You know, the more people I meet, the greater my odds are that I'll meet a guy that wants to have like a loving, warm, committed, serious, monogamous relationship.

DR. GAIL SALTZ, OURTIME.COM: There's been a perfect storm of a growing number of baby boomers who are single with a growing number of baby boomers who are using the Internet and discovering that it's a way to be connected.

WIAN: A 2010 eHarmony survey found the Internet is now the most popular way for people over 50 to meet and marry.

GIAN GONZAGA, EHARMONY. COM: I've always thought that idea that the older generation is afraid of technology is overblown, because they do seem to adopt it. And now adopt it in numbers just as much as everybody else does.

WIAN: Widow Vange Leclerc and divorcee Rob Foss met online in 2008.

ROB FOSS, ENGAGED AT 59: I had been married for so long, I had kind of forgotten the process. So like a duck out of water.

VANGE LECLERC, ENGAGED AT 51: It was scary.

WIAN: Both liked the idea of viewing and reading about potential dates before agreeing to meet.

LECLERC: I think it's less intimidating than going out there and trying to meet someone at a, you know, bar.

WIAN: Dating after 50 is different.

FOSS: We each have assets now. And when I was in my 20s, I owned a stereo and a used car.

WIAN: But the results can be the same. Foss and Leclerc are planning a Hawaiian wedding this summer. Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Good for them.

From taking care of parents, to the risks of anti-aging medicine, go to cnn.com/boomers and tune in all this week for "Age Against The Machine" special.

It's a VP guessing game. Just is who is Mitt Romney going to pick? We don't really know. One name floating out there, Marco Rubio. Coincidence or not, Romney and Rubio together at a campaign event this hour. We're going to bring that to you live up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Next hour should see Mitt Romney campaigning alongside Florida Senator Marco Rubio. They're appearing together at a campaign stop in Aston, Pennsylvania. That's ahead of tomorrow's primary in the state. Rubio's joint appearance with Romney sure to add some speculation about a possible vice presidential pick. We're going to have more in a live report right up ahead.

But first, let's face it, working moms, they've got two jobs. Navigating between the two, a tough balancing act. Well, now, what about moms who are doing it all on their own? George Howell finds out how they do it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TAMMY FINLEY, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Ten minutes. That's going to have to be the fastest shower of your life.

JEANNIE JOHNSON, INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT TEACHER: Go ahead. Put your shoes on. Your belt is right there somewhere. You see it?

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These are the everyday morning rituals for Tammy Finley and Jeannie Johnson. Our goal was simply to get a snapshot of a day in the life of single working mothers from different socioeconomic background. And for both women, the day starts very early with similar routines.

JOHNSON: I'm an instructional support teacher in Fulton (ph) County Schools. I have one son and it is very difficult to, you know, maneuver all the activities that he is involved in, the long commutes to get him to school every day.

FINLEY: I divorced in the last year and have found that raising two kids without immediate family close by has been very interesting transition.

HOWELL: So this seems like a very well-oiled machine, very quiet. Are you guys usually this quiet every morning?

FINLEY: I would say not. You don't get the drama because you're here.

I work for a design and construction company and I do business developments. I spend a lot of time traveling. But that creates another wrinkle in the schedule and the fact that I have to get people to stay with the children when I'm traveling.

HOWELL: It seems like there's so many minute details to your day.

JOHNSON: Yes. Yes. And I always do the routine of, "Caleb (ph), did you wash your face, did you brush your teeth." He's always like, "yes, ma'am," "yes, ma'am."

HOWELL: The morning starts with the mad dash to get out the door and get the kids to school on time. Then there's the commute to work, where both women put in long hours. It's when the kids get out of school that both Jeannie and Tammy have to find their own solutions to make it work.

FINLEY: My daughter's teacher from a couple years ago thank, Martha, had retired and was looking for an opportunity to make a little money. And she lives close by. And she is just so wonderful with the children.

JOHNSON: There's no way that I could do it without my family and friends, because it's absolutely not a choice when it comes to my son. He must have.

HOWELL: At the end of the day, the goal is the same for both of these working women.