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Obama Promises To Finish The Job In Afghanistan; NFL Players Suspended; Activists Left U.S. Embassy Today; Eleven Dead In Cairo Clashes; Newt Gingrich Officially Ends Run For White House; Charges Expected In Hazing Death; Sex, Lies And Campaign Cash; Obama's Afghanistan Trip Exposed; NFL Team Signs Paralyzed Player; Not In The Prostitution Business; Backstage.com Fights Sex Ad Ban; Deion Sanders, Pilar Divorce Gets Uglier; Jessica Simpson Names Daughter "Maxwell"; 2 Dolphins to be Freed into Wild; Mother in Trouble Allowing Daughter in Tanning Booth; Al Green Talks Obama Singing.

Aired May 02, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Top of the hour, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Let's get you up to speed.

The commander in chief has returned home from the Afghan war zone. President Obama marked the first anniversary of the killing of Osama Bin Laden with an unannounced trip to Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will not keep Americans in harm's way a single day longer than is absolutely required for our national security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Within two hours of the president's departure, a suicide bomber rocked Kabul. At least seven people were killed. The Taliban is claiming responsibility for the attack.

The NFL suspended four players from the New Orleans Saints today. Anthony Hargrove, Scott Fujuta, Fujita rather, Will Smith, and Jonathan Vilma were all named in the so-called bounty gate scandal. Players were allegedly offered bonuses for intentionally hurting opponents. The four players are all suspended without pay, the league has already suspended Sean Payton for the 2012 season.

And Hillary Clinton is in China. She's there to talk economic strategy, but the name on everyone's lips is Chen. That's Chen GuangCheng. Hilary is now, we're told, at a hospital in Beijing. Chen is the blind human rights activist who was convicted and thrown in jail for leading protests against the government. He spent six days under American embassy protection after escaping house arrest. It's not clear if he left the embassy by choice. A friend of the activist says Chinese authorities threatened the family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE.) (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And this is central Cairo in Egypt today. Angry protesters are rioting because a candidate for president is not being allowed to run. Demonstrators have camped out in Cairo for several days. Today was especially violent, at least 11 people killed by rocks and firebombs.

Newt Gingrich officially ending his run for the White House about two hours from now. His campaign was a roller coaster ride from the very start. Gingrich is expected to signal his support for Mitt Romney and talk about defeating president Barack Obama come November. A spokesman says plans are under way for a formal endorsement of Romney later.

In less than an hour, charges are expected to be announced in that suspected hazing death of Florida A&M drum Major Robert Champion. The 26-year-old student died after being beaten on a school bus following a marching band performance in November. A source says several people will be charged in the case. During a news conference last month, Champion's father expressed frustration at the lack of arrests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT CHAMPION SR: There's anger because my son has been passed away now for five months, and no one has been arrested. No one has been charged. It's hard on my family because everybody wants to know what is going on and what happened, and we don't have any answers for that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A former aide who was there when John Edwards met his mistress, Rielle Hunter, is expected to testify next in the Edwards trial. His testimony comes after Cheri Young's turn on the witness Stand. She is the wife of Edwards' former top aide. Edwards is accused of illegally using campaign cash to cover up his affair. Diane Dimond is a special correspondent for "Newsweek" and "The Daily Beast," and she's joining us right now from Greensboro, North Carolina with an update on what's happening in court today. So, fill us in what's taken place this morning thus far, Diane.

DIANE DIMOND, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, "NEWSWEEK" AND "THE DAILY BEAST": Well Fred, so far, the Youngs are in the history books. Cheri Young, there was about 20 minutes of some cross-examination with her ending with a big flourish from the defense attorney, you agreed to have your husband do the paternity -- claim paternity for Edwards' child. You went on the road with Rielle Hunter. You did all this he said for the money, and she said, no, sir, we did not. And that was that. The next witness on the stand was Josh Brumberger.

And let me tell you, Fred, all the tension in this courtroom, this is day number eight of testimony, it just left the room. You know, the Youngs were very nervous. They answered everything with yes, sir and no, sir, but Josh Brumberger, a former staffer for Senator John Edwards early on in his career, from 2002 to 2006, he ambled into the room. He has a mop of dark hair, a big smile, dimples, and he didn't say yes, sir, and no, sir, to everything. He said, yes, that's right. That's the way it was, yes. And the jury really seemed to be engaged with this young man, because he was telling a narration of something that he really didn't have anything to do with. He was just a bystander to watch how Rielle Hunter first came into John Edwards' life.

I think the most compelling thing he said, Fred, was three times, three separate times, he said to John Edwards himself, senator, we have a perception problem with this new videographer that you have hired. The woman you first met in a bar in New York City, and he said the senator just sort of glossed over it. The last conversation they had was in an airport. They were all supposed to go to China, and John Edwards had found out that Josh Brumberger had gone to other top staffers and said, I'm worried about this relationship. And John Edwards chewed him out with F bombs which were said in court, which I will not repeat here, but he said he was red in the face, very angry, and he seemed sort of surprised that it didn't end in a fistfight.

WHITFIELD: Was there any eye contact, you know, between John and Josh today?

DIMOND: Yes, there was, and, you know, John Edwards sits at the defense table with his chin raised as if he's ready for the next photograph to be taken of him. But Josh ambled in and he looked over and, you know, said hello, and Edwards nodded back at him. It seemed like during the testimony, especially when Josh Brumberger was talking about going to visit the uber billionaire, very wealthy Bunny Melon at her Virginia estate. When I looked at John Edwards, he was fully engaged in this description of a meeting that they had had with bunny as if, Fred, he was back in that time. He was back running for president of the United States. He was back meeting in the wealthy parlors of supporters and lining up money for the next run for president. It quickly turned pretty ugly with Josh's descriptions of all the other conversations they had. And I think, my opinion, John Edwards looked pretty sad when we took the lunch break.

WHITFIELD: Lunch break for now, but, you know, prior to Josh's testimony, you know, the attorney representing -- or at least one of the attorneys representing, you know, John Edwards was trying to paint the picture of the Youngs. You know, that they were opportunists, that they were schemers. How well do you think that went over?

DIMOND: Well, you know, we were talking about that earlier this week and last week with Suzanne during this time period. Andrew Young was very stiff. He was very nervous. He looked like a deer in the headlights, frankly. Many times he just answered, you know, I don't recall, I don't know, and that was that. His wife, Cheri, brought a real human element into the courtroom, I thought, because here is this little tiny woman, she maybe weighs 100 pounds, mother of three, criss-crossing the country with the pregnant mistress of a presidential candidate, and trying to keep their lives together, you know? So, in her telling the story, I think there was more compassion and more humanity. Today with Josh Brumberger backing up the things that the Youngs said, I don't know that the jury will remember precisely what the Youngs said. What -- you know, what you last hear is what is top of mind. And I think that's what the feds are hoping for here.

WHITFIELD: After the lunch break, what's the expectation?

DIMOND: Well, we're going to have more Josh Brumberger. We're not sure exactly when but we did hear, right as we left, that there are two more people waiting. I have not caught sight of them, but they are two staffers, I believe, Christina Reynolds and Matthew Nelson. We have heard about Matthew Nelson being the driver for many of the senator's campaign stops and campaign rallies. He is the one who took everybody to Bunny Melon's that day that they had such a fabulous time. By the way, Matthew drove back to New York but Josh Brumberger and the senator got in Bunny Melon's private plane and took off from her front yard going to North Carolina. Josh made a big fun story out of that, and the jury, again, seems really engaged with this young man.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And in the end, trying to establish that much of that $925,000 given to John Edwards, in large part by Bunny Melon, was given by bunny was to cover up the affair with Rielle Hunter and the allegation here, too, is that he was using campaign funds. So, in the end, we'll still yet to see whether this was indeed campaign money or whether this was money separate from that, private funds. All very confusing, but fascinating nonetheless. Go ahead, Diane.

DIMOND: And what was John Edwards' intent? You know, all we've heard so far is that John Edwards had checked with financial advisers, campaign finance people, and he was told that it was perfectly legal to take this money. Prosecution is going to have to get over that hurdle. I think they need somebody to come forward and say, oh, no, no, he knew that this was a risky business. So, we haven't heard that yet.

WHITFIELD: All right, Diane Dimond, thanks so much, from Greensboro, North Carolina.

DIMOND: You bet.

WHITFIELD: Keep us posted.

All right, here is a rundown of some of the stories that we're covering over the next hour. How social media almost blew the president's cover by talking about his trip to Afghanistan.

Also, a major NFL team signs a football player who was paralyzed. We'll find out why.

And an up close seat to see. The Reverend Al Green charmed the crowds at this year's New Orleans jazz fest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, time for today's Punch Line at Jay Leno on the president's trip to Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": President Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan. He's in Afghanistan right now. And of course, the secret service is not happy. You ever been to Afghanistan? Booze is illegal, there's no hookers. Oh, my god, you got to do your job and guard the president. No! Well, have you heard about these new rules? The secret service announced that agents will now be assigned chaperones on certain trips. What, are you 14? What is that? I thought the secret service was the chaperone? How does -- yes. In fact, did you see who President Obama brought along with him to keep an eye on the secret service on this trip? Tim Tebow. He's going to be watching.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, the commander in chief is home from the war zone. He arrived back at the White House about an hour ago after his trip to Afghanistan. The trip was unannounced for obvious security reasons, but by use of social media, his cover almost blown. Bryan Monroe joins us live here in the Atlanta studios. Good to see you, Brian.

BRYAN MONROE, EDITOR, "CNNPOLITICS.COM": Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: So, an Afghan news organization apparently tweeted out once learning that the president had arrived or was about to arrive?

MONROE: Well, they tweeted out that he had arrived but he had not yet arrived, and very quickly it caused a big kerfuffle, a big drama in the -- in the media world. And other people picked it up, "Huffington Post" retweeted with a question, is it true? Then some other publications -- "The New York Post" wrote a story about it, put it up on the Web site and then it disappeared.

WHITFIELD: So, the White House has to anticipate, to some degree, that word might get out, that somebody might slip up on the embargo. Yes, the U.S. mainstream organizations agree not to reveal what they know until the White House says so in a case like this, but the White House can't really control the whole communications world. It's quite the quandary, isn't it?

MONROE: Yes, especially in the world of social media, in Twitter, and all the other things going on. We had our Nick Paton Walsh in Afghanistan reporting earlier that day at the presidential palace in Kabul that they were told to clear it out. They didn't know why and it started the buzz about a VIP visit. And you know, whether or not that led to the (INAUDIBLE) news report, that then led to the tweets, that then led to the story, and then all that had to be taken down or undone.

WHITFIELD: So, give us an idea of how this transpired. What was said exactly and, you know, how potentially dangerous was this?

MONROE: Well, it's always very dangerous when you have a head of state, you have a president, going into a war zone. Afghanistan is still a very hot war zone. And the president coming there has to come under cover of darkness. Air Force One is blacked out. We heard our John King talk about his trip with President Bush a few years ago where he had to come in and they almost had to corkscrew down to make the landing. On this trip, according to our pool reports, the landing was almost a straight down to come onto the runway and then everything was very dark. So it's very dangerous. There are still thousands of shoulder-mounted grenade launchers out there unaccounted for in Afghanistan. So it's a scary place.

WHITFIELD: Do we know anything about -- once the Afghan news report went out -- whether there was any effort, you know, by the White House or anything to kind of dispel, kind of throw a curve, anything like that for the kind of information that had already been tweeted?

MONROE: You know we saw, for instance, a "New York Post" piece that went up around 9:30 or 10:00 that very quickly the embassy in Afghanistan, in Kabul, said, no, he is not in Afghanistan and made a point of saying that. What we didn't know at the time that he was on his way, but he had not yet landed. So the White House, one of the spokesmen, Tommy Vietor, who's the spokesman for the National Security Council, contacted several news organizations that put things out, and according to a story that we have up on cnn.com right now and BuzzFeed and some others reported it, that they -- he specifically asked them not to report that at the moment.

WHITFIELD: All right. Bryan Monroe, thanks so much. Fascinating stuff. It's going to be very difficult to control from this point forward because the world of social media only seems to expand and people's dependency increases as well, doesn't it?

MONROE: You can't put that genie back in the bottle.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Bryan. Always good to see you. Appreciate that.

MONROE: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, a pastor tells his congregation to beat their kids if they think the child might be gay. And now he says he was just joking, but no one's laughing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, making it to the NFL, it is every college player's dream. Well, today, that dream came true for Eric Legrand, an athlete who was paralyzed after a devastating on-field injury during his junior year at Rutgers University. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the signing of Legrand. The coach says Legrand's character, perseverance, and spirit are an inspiration. Legrand showed that tenacious spirit during a news conference last November.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC LEGRAND, PARALYZED FORMER RUTGERS PLAYER: You know, my doctors, you know, I just tell myself, I can't stay down. There's someone out there that's always worse than you. And that's what I tell myself. If there's somebody out there that's worse than me, why am I sitting here complaining, why am I crying? I have a whole world behind my back that is waiting for me to get up out of this chair. I've got to keep on going.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And joining us now by phone, "Sports Illustrated" writer Jon Wertheim.

So, Jon, what role exactly will Legrand have within the Buccaneers? Why did they make this decision?

JON WERTHEIM, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED" WRITER: Yes, well, the new coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Greg Schiano, was Eric Legrand's college coach. The coach when he was injured. So he has seen Eric Legrand deal with this adversity. And, you know, I think his role is obviously to be determined, but I think that this is really an extraordinary figure.

We did a piece for CNN with him a few months ago and the whole crew, we were just absolutely blown away how charismatic he was, how relentlessly upbeat he was. And he's this magnetic force. And it's really easy to see him probably -- obviously not a playing role, but it's easy to see him actually having a role with this organization.

WHITFIELD: So a role in that he is one to help encourage, you know, verbally. Someone who not necessarily just on the sidelines during a game, but one who really invokes some sort of, you know, team spirit?

WERTHEIM: Yes, exactly. I mean this is someone who could be a motivator. This is someone who could work with some of the young players. This is a guy who's really mature beyond his years. He knows football. Maybe there's a coaching capacity here (ph). Eric's very outspoken, if he'd like to be a broadcaster. So I think this is obviously a nice gesture from his former college coach, but this is a player who really could certainly add value to that franchise.

WHITFIELD: What kind of physical condition, by the way, Jon, is he in right now? What has transpired with him in the last few months?

WERTHEIM: Yes, I mean, I think it's a cautious optimism. He updates his status on his Twitter feed sometimes multiple times a day and it's gradual. There's still a lot of question marks. But there has been incremental progress and he's very -- he's very -- he's relentlessly optimistic. He's also relentlessly realistic. He knows what he's up against, and, you know, he takes a great deal of satisfaction and optimism in these sort of incremental steps and improvements. He's come a long way from when he was injured in the fall of 2010. But, you know, he still has a ways to go.

WHITFIELD: And so, you know, the Bucs, you know, that they are doing this, this really says a lot about the team, it says a lot about the coach you just mentioned. You know, what are they hoping, you know, to really gain from this kind of relationship that they have just forged?

WERTHEIM: Yes, I mean, you know, obviously they've helped Eric a great deal. He can now say that he signed a free agent contract in the NFL. And, you know, there's probably -- cynically there's some good publicity at play here, too. But again, this is a -- this is a figure who really could help this organization. I think -- I wouldn't be surprised at all if Eric takes on a real significant role with the -- you know, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

WHITFIELD: Have you ever heard of an NFL team doing this before?

WERTHEIM: No. It's funny, someone asked me that, too, and I was remembering that last year the Texas Rangers drafted a player, a baseball player, from the University of Georgia, Jonathan Taylor, who had been injured during a game very similar to Eric Legrand. And I think he was the last player picked with their final draft choice with Jonathan Taylor, this baseball player. But I had never heard about a free agent contract like this. That's a new twist.

WHITFIELD: Well, congratulations to him and the Bucs both for showing a lot of courage. Jon, thanks so much, Wertheim, appreciate that, of "Sports Illustrated."

A North Carolina pastor issues an official retraction after telling parents to hit their children if they showed signs of being gay. Pastor Sean Harris was preaching about marriage ahead of a vote on an amendment to the North Carolina Constitution. It would define marriage as the union between a man and a woman. Here's part of what he told the congregation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PASTOR SEAN HARRIS, BEREAN BAPTIST CHURCH: Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch, OK? You're not going to act like that. You were made by God to be a male, and you're going to be a male. And when you're daughter starts acting too butch, you rein her in. And you say, oh, no, oh, no, sweetheart, you can play sports, play them, play them to the glory of God, but sometimes you're going to act like a girl and walk like a girl and talk like a girl and smell like a girl, and that means you're going to be beautiful, you're going to be attractive, you're going to dress yourself up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: In an official statement, Harris says he retracts any words suggesting that child abuse is appropriate. He also said, quote, "I apologize to anyone I have unintentionally offended. I did not say anything to intentionally offend anyone in the LGBT community," end quote. But then he went on to say this, quote, "I do not apologize for the manner in which the word of God articulates sexual immortality, including homosexuality," end quote.

All right, as you can imagine, the pastor's comments set off quite a reaction -- quite the bit of reaction on Twitter. One tweet simply saying, quote, "shame on you." @Capricorn1226 tweeted this, "get with the times. What one chooses to be is none of your business." And from @BitTwysted, "Pastor Sean Harris, you weren't joking and you should be arrested for promoting violence against children."

Thanks so much for your tweets on that issue.

It is illegal, by the way, if it happens on a street corner. Taking a big turn here. But what about on a website? We'll hear more about the battle to end online prostitution.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here is a rundown of some of the stories that we're working on. The battle to end online pimping and the website that's coming under fire for it.

Also, details of a messy divorce made public by former football and baseball stair Deion Sanders. Even the athletes kids are getting dragged into it.

And, love and happiness with the Reverend Al Green. No one can sing it like him at the New Orleans Jazz Fest and beyond.

And, a major battle is going on between legislators, mothers, and a website called backpage.com. It advertises adult entertainment services, but some argue what's behind those ads is illegal and leading to the exploitation of young women and girls. Deb Feyerick takes a deeper look at what's going on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How would feel, for example, I mean, as a mother, if you saw an ad like this or an ad like this, or -- I mean this -- this girl, she says she's 19. If you saw your daughter in this -- like this, what --

LIZ MCDOUGALL, GENERAL COUNSEL, VILLAGE VOICE MEDIA: I would be horrified. And I am -- I'm horrified for those mothers and my heart goes out to those mothers and to their daughters who are victims of exploitation.

FEYERICK: Am I wrong? Isn't prostitution simply illegal?

MCDOUGALL: Prostitution is illegal and we don't permit illegal activity on the website.

FEYERICK: But what are they selling? What are they selling?

MCDOUGALL: We have -- there are legal adult entertainment services.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are playing a role in this problem.

FEYERICK: As backpage.com's lawyer, Liz McDougall has an especially tough job, trying to convince people that what's advertised in the adult section is legal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCDOUGALL: There are legal adult entertainment services.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are playing a role in this problem.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Backpage.com's lawyer, Liz McDougall, has a tough job trying to convince people what is advertised is legal, not only the services for sale but the ages of some of the girls selling it. Tough, too, because prosecutors nationwide are demanding Backpage shut down what they call a hub for the sex trade.

JOHN CHOI, RAMSEY COUNTY ATTORNEY: When we get a case involving the trafficking of prostitution, usually the story is going to start on backpage.com.

DAWN, MOTHER OF SEDUCED GIRL: The daughter I know is a kid that likes to color.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: For Dawn, that's exactly where the story took her 15-year-old girl, a child who apparently ran away with a man who seduced her online. Within days that man had posted pictures of the child on backpage.com, selling the girl into prostitution, allegations detailed in a criminal complaint.

DAWN: He officially took her and beat her into submission to raping her and then held her into prostitution. It totally, totally crushed me to know that somebody actually did this to her.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: The accused pimp in that case has pleaded not guilty pending trial. It's one of more than 50 cases in 22 states of people charged with advertising under-aged girls for sex on backpage.com.

The classified ad web site, similar to Craig's List, let's people post all kinds of ads in different states. When you look at the escort section there's little doubt what's for sale.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Some would say all you're going to legitimizing prostitution, that you're in the prostitution business.

MCDOUGALL: We're not in the prostitution business when we're doing everything possible to impede prostitution, to impede the exploitation of women, children, boys, men, labor, sex trafficking. We -- the Internet is, unfortunately, the vehicle for this. We are trying to be the sheriff.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Backpage is the leading website for adult service ads in the U.S. McDougall argues it's better to have these ads on a web site that works with law enforcement to stop child exploitation than it is to drive it underground or off shore where U.S. laws don't apply.

Keeping them honest, we asked Backstage if they considered themselves part of a problem. MCDOUGALL: If we had a silver bullet to eradicate it, we would. In the meantime, we will be the best allies possible with law enforcement.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Isn't the silver bullet shutting it down?

MCDOUGALL: No, I wish that it were. As you can see, when Craig's List shut down, people had said that was the silver bullet, and that made no difference.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No difference because people simply moved their erotic ads over to backpage.com. And that's meant huge dollars, almost $27 million last year according to AIM, an Internet research group.

(on camera): You benefited, you picked up the slack, you filled the void.

(CROSSTALK)

MCDOUGALL: You're right. A tremendous number of the ads came to us.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Adult service ad sales were $3 million in March, up more than 30 percent from a year ago. Backpage says they monitor ad content, targeting some 25,000 terms and code words used by traffickers. It then checks ads manually before posting. Yet ads like this are not hard to find.

(on camera): I'm having a hard time with this, too. Make me beg, smack me, spit on me, degrade me, choke me.

MCDOUGALL: If that's online, that's a mistake. That should never be permitted. It violates our terms of use and our policies.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The policy prohibits ads selling sex for money, yet ask this mom we'll call Violet.

(on camera): What was your initial reaction when you clicked on escorts?

VIOLET: I was actually disgusted. All I saw was naked behinds, naked breasts.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her 14-year-old daughter ran away. And police say she was prostituted by a man she met at a bus stop who advertised her on backpage.com.

VIOLET: The worst part was the torture I had to hear about, the torture she endured from different people along her way.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: Her daughter was missing for more than three years.

(on camera): It just seems morally wrong to have this as a business model, no?

MCDOUGALL: To me, it would be morally wrong to have the opportunity to rescue women, children, boys out of exploitation and to walk away from that opportunity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: McDougall says backpage.com alerts the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of about 400 a month, a figure which CNN has confirmed with the center. But prosecutors we spoke with say they have never been directly approached by Backpage to investigate any suspicious posting.

A lot of celebrities like to give their babies offbeat names. This one is no exception to the rule. We'll tell you who just named their daughter Maxwell.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It's a real-life war of the roses between former NFL and baseball star, Deion Sanders, and his wife, Pilar.

Nischelle Turner joins us from Los Angeles.

OK, Nischelle, what's the latest on this very public and nasty divorce?

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: This is ugly and it's getting uglier. The battle between Deion Sanders and his wife, Pilar, is drawing more attention after he gave an interview on "Good Morning, America." He has been tweeting about the battles going on in the marriage, including a recent domestic dispute that would up with police citing him for misdemeanor assault and Pilar for simple assault. She was actually taken into custody as a result of an encounter.

Listen to what Deion told "Good Morning, America" earlier today when asked if he assaulted his wife.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEION SANDERS, FORMER NFL & BASEBALL STAR: None whatsoever. I mean, this has been going on for quite some time. Unfortunately, the court sees people that are separated and going into divorce being in the same house, I don't understand how that works. This is a very volatile situation. But I have kept my peace. I have honored my children. I can say my kids have never seen me yell, scream, hate on, call a name, or provoke my soon-to-be ex-wife.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TURNER: You know, he has now been scrutinized for tweeting about the dispute and putting his kids publicly in the middle. After this domestic dispute he tweeted, quote, "Pray for me and my kids now. They just witnessed their mother and a friend jump me in my room." He later sent out pictures of himself and his two sons, 10 and 12, filling out paperwork about the assault. He later removed those pictures, Fred.

While some people think this is over the line, Deion says, in this day and age, when allegations are spread everywhere, he feels like he needs to be public about what's happening to protect his image and his livelihood.

He's an analyst for the NFL network. He still makes a lot of money from endorsements.

As for Pilar, she says she hasn't been giving a fair shake by authorities. Her attorney says the whole story will come out in court. Pilar and Deion have been going through this for a while. In February, she filed a suit against her husband and his aunt, Laura Jones, alleging the aunt attacked her while Deion watched.

They have both refused to leave their suburban home. It's a 29,000-square feet, but they're both living there. The sheriff's department has served Pilar under an emergency protective order. She's forbidden from returning to the home in 61 days. If you got all that, you understand how crazy that is.

WHITFIELD: This is messy.

Meantime, there was a fire that broke out Tyler Perry studios in Atlanta. What do we know about that? How significant was this fire?

TURNER: This was a big fire. It tore through part of his multi- million dollar film studio last night. According to the fire department, the blaze caused one building to partially collapse. No one was hurt. Perry was at the complex Tuesday night, and he just released a statement to "showbiz tonight." He thanked the firefighters for their quick response. He also says that 99 percent of the damage is limited to a back lot facade. It looks like and it sounds like this could have been a lot worse.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then good times, happy times for Jessica Simpson. She had her baby. Give up the scoop.

TURNER: Yes. Yes.

You know what? Let's end this on a good note, shall we? We'll give congratulations to Jessica Simpson. Jessica and her fiance, Eric Johnson, they have a new baby girl, Maxwell Drew Johnson. She announced the news on her web site Tuesday, proudly proclaiming the baby weighed in at 9 pounds 13 ounces.

(SHOUTING)

TURNER: They said, quote, "We are so grateful for all of the love, support, and prayers we have received." Simpson wrote that this has been the greatest experience of their lives. And I have to tell you, people are wowed, you even were wowed about that 9 pounds 13 ounces. I was 9 pounds 15 ounces.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Really? Oh, your mama. Bless her.

(LAUGHTER)

That's tough. You know, Jessica Simpson is so petite. That was a big little baby. But congratulations to her.

TURNER: Indeed. Indeed.

WHITFIELD: To the whole family.

Nischelle Turner, thanks so much.

TURNER: Sure.

WHITFIELD: For all the latest entertainment news from Hollywood and beyond, watch "Showbiz Tonight," 11:00 eastern on HLN.

All right. After years of swimming in a shallow filthy swimming pool, these two dolphins are about to be set free.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Good news. Two dolphins are finding freedom after years of captivity in Turkey. But they have to be trained to live in the wild again.

Our Ivan Watson introduces us to Tom and Misha.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet Tom and Misha, two male bottlenose dolphins on a remarkable journey. Originally captured in the wild and now after years in captivity, they're about to get their freedom.

JEFF FOSTER, DOLPHIN EXPERT, BORN FREE: What we're trying to do is right a wrong. We're trying to bring them back and give them an opportunity to be wild again.

Hi, Thomas.

WATSON: Tom and Misha first attracted the attention of animal rights activists two years ago.

(CROSSTALK)

WATSON: They were being kept at this Turkish resort where tourists paid to swim with the dolphins in a shallow filthy pool.

FOSTER: The bio load and fecal material was growing up on the bottom. The water was turning green like a stagnant swimming pool basically. They were living in their own feces.

WATSON: Activists successfully campaigned to rescue the dolphins and brought them to this sea pen of the Turkish coast. For more than a year, the animals have been in the care of a team from the wildlife conservation group Born Free, led by Marine mammal expert, Jeff Foster. (on camera): How did they look when you first met them?

FOSTER: They were really thin and --

WATSON: Not nearly as strong?

FOSTER: Yes, you could see and feel how muscular they're becoming.

WATSON (voice-over): Born Free's plan to reintroduce Tom and Misha into the wild is ambitious, controversial, and risky.

FOSTER: It's like taking your dog -- for years you trained these animals to interact with people and to depend on people, and we have to retrain them to be wild.

WATSON: One of the biggest challenges has been teaching these dolphins how to hunt for their own food.

FOSTER: We had literally thousands of fish and they would just look at them. They've been so used to being hand fed in a captive situation they didn't recognize fish as a food source.

WATSON: But now Tom and Misha somersault and flip like pros in pursuit of their prey. They'll be fitted with satellite trackers in a couple days so that Foster can monitor these animals after their release.

(on camera): Your dream for this guy when he's released is what?

FOSTER: Is a lifetime in the wild, if possible.

WATSON: Scientists say if Tom and Misha join a family of wild dolphins, like these living off the coast of Istanbul, it will be a huge success. But their biggest danger in the wild will come from human beings, from their fishing nets, their motor boat engines and propellers, and from the pollutants that come out of cities like this, from the very same species that had held them captive and that have fed them for years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Ivan Watson joining us live from Istanbul.

Ivan, is there a time table for returning Tom and Misha?

WATSON: Well, right now, Fredricka, the Born Free Foundation wants to keep that secret to protect the dolphins from boats and curious onlookers and the threat of poachers who might want to recapture them.

There are very few successful cases of reintroducing wild dolphins or whales back into the wild. One famous case that same expert, Jeff Foster, worked on was Kako (ph), the killer whale, from the movie, "Free Willie," who died a year after his release 10 years ago. They think these guys have a better chance because there are two of them and they can work together.

One thing nobody knows is how they will interact with wild dolphins, especially females, which they haven't seen for years.

WHITFIELD: And be accepted by those wild dolphins.

All right. Ivan Watson, thanks so much for bringing us a nice inspiring story of Tom and Misha.

Back in this country, a mother with an obsession for bronze skin allegedly letting her 5-year-old daughter join her in a tanning booth. We'll take a look at how dangerous a tanning salon can be.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A New Jersey mother, who likes to stay tan, is now in trouble with the law. Police say she took her young daughter to a tanning booth and the little girl suffered some serious burns. Patricia Kentsill (ph) is due in court, facing child endangerment charges. She says her daughter got burned while playing outside.

Let's go to our senior medial correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.

So New Jersey law bans kidding from under 14 from being in tanning booths. It is potentially dangerous for their tender skin, right?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. U.V. rays are dangerous for all of us, but particularly kids. A kid gets one sunburn, whether outdoors or in a tanning bed, but it more than doubles their chances of getting melanoma later in life. And the tanning beds, the U.V. rays are 15 times stronger in the tanning beds than outside.

WHITFIELD: So people think they're getting a safe tan in the bed.

COHEN: I don't know why people think that. It's actually 15 times stronger.

WHITFIELD: Which is why you don't have to spend as much time.

COHEN: Right. Exactly.

WHITFIELD: It still defies logic, when you're talking about kids who potentially may be exposed to rays, or I guess anyone of any age.

COHEN: Right. Kids are just more vulnerable. They're biologically more vulnerable to those rays. And we're not only talking about problems with skin cancer, we're talking about other problems, as well. And this is for kids and adults. Too much U.V. rays can cause eye damage, can weaken the immune system. And if that doesn't do it, too much time in the tanning bed can cause premature aging of your skin. Why would you give yourself wrinkles? It doesn't make any sense.

(LAUGHTER)

You can go to CNN --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Especially when many of us spend so much money to make sure they don't go anywhere near us.

(LAUGHER)

COHEN: And we have more information about kids and tanning bed and how to talk about your teens about tanning beds.

WHITFIELD: So what about the tanning industry? It is big business. What are they saying about these potential dangers or restrictions?

COHEN: They say that tanning is not more dangerous for kids than it is for adults. Now, doctors beg to differ. Dermatologists will tell you it is more dangerous for kids. And the American Academy of Dermatologists wants tanning beds to end, period. They think there should be a ban on them all together because they're so dangerous.

WHITFIELD: Given free enterprise, that's not likely to happen.

COHEN: No, it's not likely to happen, but it is interesting that 11 states do ban tanning for kids. They just ban it all together. And you have on wonder if there will be more because this has been happening very quickly.

WHITFIELD: And a lot of times people are using the tanning beds in the off season, and then once the summer rolls around, they're out in the sun getting the same kind of exposure. Maybe not the same level of intensity, but this is year-round exposure.

(CROSSTALK)

COHEN: And when they're in those beds, again, 15 times stronger. The U.V. rays are 15 times stronger than sitting outside.

WHITFIELD: People, please be safe. And sunscreen is not going to do you justice in a tanning bed like when you're in the natural sunlight.

COHEN: Because it is so much stronger. That's right. It's going to do the same thing. That's right.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, our tanning bed 101.

COHEN: That's right.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Elizabeth Cohen, appreciate that. COHEN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: You heard the president's imitation. Sound familiar?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(CHEERING)

(SINGING)

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: No one can forget that, nor can the man who sings the real deal, the Reverend Al Green, making the crowd swoon at this year's Jazz Fest. I caught up with him.

(MUSIC)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is one of America's biggest cultural celebrations and weekend two begins tomorrow. There's so much food, music, a sense of community and it is 100 percent New Orleans.

I was this for weekend number one and talked to one of America's musical royalty about what makes Jazz Fest so special. I'm talking about the one and only Reverend Al Green. I also asked him what it feels like when the president of the United States sings your song.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Hey, Reverend Al Green.

AL GREEN, SINGER: Hi.

WHITFIELD: So great -- oh, thank you.

GREEN: Fredricka --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: It's so great to see you.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: I'm here in New Orleans. Is this will your favorite spot to perform?

GREEN: Yes, one of my heartfelt spots.

WHITFIELD: Really? Why? GREEN: Because it's so close to home. I'm a southern boy, so it's really unique for me.

WHITFIELD: We hear people already making requests.

GREEN: Yes. There's 130,000 folks. That's a lot of folks, a lot of requests.

(LAUGHTER)

We'll try to do our best.

WHITFIELD: I imagine that one of the requests has to be "Let's Stay Together."

GREEN: That's our national anthem. Come on.

WHITFIELD: President Obama gave his rendition.

GREEN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: What did you think?

(SINGING)

GREEN: I said, wow. He was good, though.

WHITFIELD: He was good.

GREEN: Honestly, he was good. He sounded great.

WHITFIELD: So how flattering is it for the President Obama to sing your song?

(CROSSTALK)

GREEN: I thought that was so unique. I never had that happen before. But when a president do it, then that's kind of -- that's kind of special.

WHITFIELD: What kind of grade would you give him?

GREEN: His singing would be a B plus, but I don't want him to take my job.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: So don't do it again.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: I don't think Al Green has anything to worry about.

Watch for all of my reports throughout the weekend. We talked to Al Green. We've got Irvin Thomas, the list goes on. Jazz Fest weekend number two, beginning tomorrow in New Orleans.

Right now, the CNN NEWSROOM begins with Brooke Baldwin.

(SINGING)

(CROSSTALK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: I love that, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: I'm going to challenge you and there you get it anyway.

BALDWIN: Brought it. I try to bring it to you.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)