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Syria Now in Full-Scale Civil War; Markets Getting Relief Bounce; Holder Not Resigning; Star Witness Testifies in Sandusky Trial; Children Hit By Rocket Shells in Syria; One Dead in Raging Colorado Wildfire; Tip on Auburn Suspect Comes Up Empty; Stranded Couple Survives Wilderness; Sisters Die in Recalled Rental Car

Aired June 12, 2012 - 14:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Good to see all of you. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Hate, though, beginning the show with this.

Just in to CNN here, we're talking about Syria. It is now in the middle of a full scale civil war. In fact, that word coming down just moments ago from the U.N. peacekeeping chief. Take a listen.

If you hear this, you're watching this, this wave of violence rocking the country as more and more innocent people are dying. And the Syrian regime denies killing them. I want to go straight to Richard Roth. He's live for us at the United Nations.

Richard, when we're hearing these two words here, civil war, this is the first time we've heard this description coming from the U.N. Can you give me a little context and what exactly does this means?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And this was not an official declaration ala the way the U.N. normally does it with statements. To go over how this wording happened, it was two reporters from a wire service in a prior arranged interview with Herve Ladsous, the U.N. peacekeeping director. And they asked him about -- is this being a civil war. And, quote, he says, "yes, I think we can say that." Clearly what is happening is that the government of Syria lost large chunks of territories, several cities to the opposition, and want to take -- retake control. I asked the peacekeeping director spokesman, Kieran Dwyer, about whether this is a civil war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIERAN DWYER, U.N. PEACEKEEPING SPOKESMAN: Escalation that we've seen in the last four to five days has Syria right on the brink of civil war. Whether we call it all out civil war, whether we call it partial civil war, civil war in some places, the point is that it's hugely escalated, that it's across nearly all parts of the country, and that the civilians, ordinary Syrian people, are the ones that are suffering. The military route by the opposition and by the government has been escalated in the last four to five days. And what we're saying is, that needs to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROTH: Yes, the spokesman for the peacekeeping department saying the escalation has been dramatic in the last three to four days. And elsewhere the U.N. reporting that some of its observers going to another town in Syria were obstructed and then, when their three vehicles were fired at, source unknown. Clearly the situation in Syria worsening by the day.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: Richard, we've been reporting on the deteriorating situation, the slaughter, really, the last 15 months. He mentioned the escalation the last four days, though. When we say the word civil war, even if we don't use the word civil war, bottom line, it's getting worse. And, to me, when I hear that, it sounds like it will even worsen. So what now?

ROTH: Yes. Sometimes the U.N. is not the one and the place to determine what is or what isn't a civil war. It's the people exactly on the ground who are more neutral observers. It doesn't always work that way.

What's happening is, as long as the major powers remain divided, and there's no interest in going in militarily and the Russians are still backing the Assad regime, or at least is elements of the regime, it will get worse. No one has offered any clear, immediate situation that may switch the way events are headed in that country.

BALDWIN: Sure. Richard Roth, we appreciate your reporting there at the U.N. And I just want to remind all of you, we're going to share some -- it's horrendous, the pictures here, of some of the children because of this U.N. report specifically talking about the kids, the alleged torture in Syria. So just an early heads up, if you have kids in the room, you may want them to leave. That's coming up in about 10 to 15 minutes from own.

Also unfolding in New York, for a look at the big board, look at the Dow. It is -- we'll look at the Dow here in a moment. The Dow is up, up, up despite any kind of fears. Here we go, up 100 points here as we are just about two hours to the end of the day despite the fears that Europe's economic crisis is about to hit the U.S. very hard. So, why are the markets looking good? Why are they feeling good today? Let's go to Alison Kosik with that -- with that answer. She's live at the New York Stock Exchange.

So, no news equals apparently good news for investors. Why?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Brooke, because no negative news is seen as a positive on Wall Street, especially when you look at the debt problems happening in Europe. They're seemingly endless. Also, there's speculation that as things get worse overseas, central banks will actually take steps to throw money at the problem in the form of stimulus. And though Spain got its rescue package for its banking system to prop it up, many are questioning if it's enough. Also, the Fed is meeting next week. So investors, at this point, are hopeful there's going to be stronger language pointing to a possible stimulus. Want more proof of how tough it is out there? There's a new report showing that the typical American family is poorer today than before the recession. Look at this. A family's median net worth, meaning what you own minus what your debts are, fell to $77,000 from $126,000 between 2007 and 2010. The biggest reason, Brooke, home values tumbled. That is people's biggest assess. Also, massive layoffs took away income.

But let me end on some good news here because I feel like Debbie downer today.

BALDWIN: Please do.

KOSIK: You know it's getting -- it's getting a little better. Americans net worth, it's been recovering since 2010. People are finding work again. Housing prices, housing values are coming back. But, you know, it's going to take years and years if these families are even going to get close to where they were before the recession. That's my little bit of good news.

BALDWIN: Little silver lining. We'll take it from you.

KOSIK: Yes.

BALDWIN: Alison Kosik, thank you so much.

And now, "Rapid Fire." Roll it.

Here we go. Right now, as we speak, the prosecution's star witness here is testifying in the Jerry Sandusky trial. Mike McQueary says he saw Sandusky raping a boy in that Penn State locker room, in that shower. That was back in 2001.

Also, another major development in this case here. A former Penn State vice president is now accused of withholding evidence, a file with dirt on Sandusky.

And I'm not going anywhere. This is what Attorney General Eric Holder is saying after yet another Republican has called on him to resign. Holder was defending himself to the Senate Judiciary Committee today on really everything from recent intelligence leaks to the botched fast and furious gun-running sting. Let's go straight to the Capitol to senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash.

And I know it got pretty heated in that room today, did it not?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It sure did, Brooke.

Look, all the Republicans were pretty tough on Eric Holder, but nothing compared to the Republican senator from Texas, John Cornyn. Listen to part of the exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: You violated the public trust, in my view, and by failing and refusing to perform the duties of your office. So, Mr. Attorney General, it's more with sorrow than regret than anger that I would say that you leave me no alternative but to join those that call upon you to resign your office.

ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: With all due respect, senator, there's so much that's factually wrong with the premises that you started your statement with. I, you know, -- I -- it's almost breathtaking. I don't have any intention of resigning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, Brooke, Cornyn has been a long time critic of Eric Holder. He voted against him for the job in the first place. But I really can tell you that I've never seen him like this. You can sort of see it in that sound bite. He appeared to be almost shaking in the five minute plus rant.

And the other thing I should point out is that he's not just the senator from Texas, he's also in charge of getting Republicans elected to the Senate, which gave Democrats very quickly a reason to say that that was political and a lot of other very harsh criticism from Republicans was also political, according to Democrats. It was pretty tough in there.

BALDWIN: Now -- yes, you could tell. And with Eric Holder, I know he testified about recent intelligence leaks. And Senator John McCain introduced a resolution to bring in this special outside council, right, to investigate this. Where does that stand now?

BASH: That's right. This is the resolution. It's pretty simple. It's about three and a half pages. It was, just as this hearing was going on, it was simultaneous, Brooke, Senator McCain introduced this. And it does simply say that he -- that the Senate would want the attorney general to appoint somebody independent of the Obama administration. We don't expect it to go anywhere. Democrats run the Senate. And, you know, it -- they immediately were able to block it from coming up on the Senate floor.

But just the idea that Senator McCain has been really leading the charge saying that this -- and we're talking about investigating what senators call a cascade of leaks of classify information that has hurt -- believe this on a bipartisan level, that it's really hurt national security. What they don't believe on a bipartisan level is the reason for it. John McCain and some other Republicans say that they believe it's political, just to help the president. Others say that they're not so sure and they really are split down party lines, Brooke, at this point over whether a special council is really need.

BALDWIN: OK, Dana Bash. Thank you so much. We'll follow it with you there on Capitol Hill.

BASH: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Got a lot more for you in the next few hours, including this.

A mother loses her two young daughters in this fiery wreck and it turns out the rental car they were driving in had been recalled. We're going to speak live with this mother about what she is now begging the government to do.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.

Kids, blindfolded, shot, burned with cigarettes. A shocking new report on Syria, begging the world to wake up.

Hope you like your job, because one group warns the retirement age must rise or America is in big, big trouble.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right, happening right now, the prosecution's star witness is testifying in the Jerry Sandusky trial. He is Mike McQueary. He says he saw Sandusky raping a boy in the Penn State shower. That was back in 2001. Now this boy has never been identified. He's only been referred to as, quote/unquote, victim number two. And this is just really the latest here on a day full of major developments in this case. We want to go straight to Susan Candiotti. She's been following all of the ins and the outs for us. There she is outside the courthouse.

And remind us, I mean I remember reading the multipage grand jury report. I don't know how long that was, two months ago perhaps. Remind us again who is Mike McQueary and what it is he says that he saw.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Brooke.

Well, we can tell you that what we heard back then from grand jury testimony is matching pretty much exactly word for word what we heard him tell the grand jury as he's now testifying on the stand. That back in 2001, he was telling jurors how he, late at night, went into a Penn State locker room shower and saw, he says, something sexual going on and that he believed he saw -- what he saw was Jerry Sandusky allegedly raping a boy. A boy who had -- was facing a wall and had his hands up against the wall. He said he locked eyes with Sandusky before he left and then testified that he went and told Joe Paterno the very next day about what he saw, and that he also was called a week later by one of two Penn State officials about what he saw. And that's pretty much the last he heard about it.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: Let me just ask you, Susan, just because I'm curious. Seeing him on the stand, how did he appear? Did he appear to just be telling the story very matter of factually? Did he get emotional at all?

CANDIOTTI: Well, he wasn't emotional during his grand jury testimony, and we don't have -- in the preliminary hearing rather. However, I have -- was not in the courtroom myself and we're still waiting for a description about how he appeared to tell his story.

BALDWIN: Got it.

CANDIOTTI: He has always been straightforward in his testimony in the past.

BALDWIN: Got it. Let me get to other testimony here in a minute, but, first, tell me about these allegations that this former Penn State vice president withheld evidence here in this case.

CANDIOTTI: Well, it sure appears to be that's the case here. What we're hearing is a motion that was filed from the attorney general's office. And this has to do with a perjury case and charges they have filed against Gary Schultz, who was the head of security for Penn State at the time all this was happening, and the former director of the athletic department, Tim Curley. This claims -- this document claims that Schultz, in the words of the attorney general, "maintained, created and possessed a file having to do with incidents involving Jerry Sandusky." They've been asking for this information and just now was given this information. Something they've been after for a very long time. And they also indicate that they have e-mails that were exchanged among Schultz, Curley and others -- we don't know exactly who they are -- also relating to grand jury testimony. And they say it contradicts what they told the grand jury.

BALDWIN: OK. What about this trial here? Is about this first accuser coming forward? What did he say? What did he share?

CANDIOTTI: Well, now we've heard from two alleged victims in this case. The one today is only 18 years old, Brooke. And in riveting testimony and testimony that I did hear, it was painful to listen to it. He discussed in graphic detail how he was allegedly raped time and again and molested by Jerry Sandusky and how he tried time and again to get away with him, to break away with him -- from him. And he cried at times. He was taking a lot of breaths, sobbed at times with his face in his hands as he told -- made -- testified, rather, before this jury.

BALDWIN: Susan Candiotti, we appreciate you and we appreciate your reporting.

Coming up here after the break, this is something we talked about here at the top of the show. And again just want to warn you, this is going to be very tough video to look at. It's going to be video from Syria that we're going to share with you on the other side of the break which shows the absolute brutality suffered by these children in the government crackdown, the shelling, the gunfire, nonstop. And no one is safe from the wrath. You're also going to hear the heartbreaking details of this U.N. report released today about how children in Syria are being tortured and killed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We have a horrifying story today of children in the war in Syria allegedly being tortured at the hands of the Syrian government. So I want you to just first listen to this. This United Nations report today is charging that, quote, "children as young as nine years of age have been victims of killing, maiming, arbitrary arrests, detention, torture and ill treatment, including sexual violence and abuse as human shields." Again, this is from a U.N. report released just today. Now, I want you to hold that thought. We're going to talk a little bit more about that report in just a moment. But I want now, if you would, just consider this. Consider your own children. Should they be in the room right now because the clip we're about to air might not be right for them to see. So just a little context before we show it. We got the video this morning. We have concerned its authenticity. And after a great deal of discussion, decided we -- we decided we needed to air this because it illustrates the atrocities occurring each and every day in Syria's brutal war. Just one more warning, this is tough to watch. But let's roll it, because this is amateur video there recently shot in the Alepo province.

And what you're seeing here, not just one, but two toddlers. It's tough to look at. Clearly wounded. We're told three children were there in that particular room. And, sadly, I can tell you that two of the children died, as did a man and a woman. Their mortal wounds were caused by government shelling. And keep in mind, this is the only portion of the video we have elected to air. It's tough to look at, but it tells the story.

Joining me now from Washington, Hala Gorani of CNN International.

And, Hala, I'm almost speechless, because there really aren't words to describe the images that we just aired. I want to go back to this U.N. report that was released today and I just want to quote it a little bit further because it speaks of the children as young as 14 years of age being tortured while in detention. I want to quote. "Most child victims of torture describe being beaten, blindfolded, subjected to stress position, whipped with heavy electric cables, scarred by cigarette burns and, in one reported case, subjected to electrical shock to the genitals."

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL: Right.

BALDWIN: I mean we're talking about kids. What in the world?

GORANI: Right. Yes. Well, what in the world. That's a good question. It's something that's shocking people and observers of conflict zones.

We've covered wars. We've covered civil conflicts in the past over the last several years. And even the U.N.'s special representative for children in conflict zones is calling this absolutely extraordinary. That is her word. Her adjective to describe the situation, "extraordinary."

I had an opportunity to speak with her just about an hour ago about this report. It's an annual report, by the way, for the U.N. secretary-general on children in conflict zones. There is that portion of the report on Syria, some of which you just read there. Here's what she told me about the extent of the horror faced by Syrian children every day. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RADHIKA COOMARASWAMY, U.N. SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE: We've never seen this scale of torture. All the scale -- the 49 children under the age of 10, some were really executed. No, I don't think I've seen that anywhere else.

GORANI: As you say, it's not something that's seen in other conflict zones and the worst types of war zones. What specifically do you think about this conflict is making it -- is making it so deadly for children?

COOMARASWAMY: Well, I think what has happened is the line between civilian and combatants has become completely blurred. And basically whole communities are being attacked. And, you know, in international humanitarian law, for us absolutely the distinction between a combatant and who is a civilian is the basis of that law. But where you attack whole community, the women, the children, the men, then that's going completely against humanitarian principles. And that is what is happening where the community is being attacked and terrorized.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Radhika Coomaraswamy there talking to me earlier.

And, Brooke, what's important to note is that this report is highlighting the idea that, you know, kids are caught in the crossfire in conflict zones. That happens. It's expected. But in this case, there are specifically targeted. They are being tortured. And, in some instances, they are being used as human shields. There were reports from witnesses that kids were forcibly removed from their homes and were used in a bus, used by military personnel, put in the window so that rebels wouldn't shoot the bus, wouldn't target the bus itself because they could see the children were inside.

BALDWIN: Because of the children. Because of the children.

GORANI: Right. So this is a new level of horror. And new absolutely other level that we hadn't seen in any conflict zone before as far as kids are concerned.

BALDWIN: You know, we've been covering this story for 15 or so months. I feel like it's long since past that point of violating, you know, humanitarian principles and rules. And then we hear -- I was talking to Richard Roth at the United Nations at the top of the show saying that, you know, a U.N. peacekeeping chief was talking to wire reporters and essentially saying that the situation there has dissolved into this state of civil war. Those were his words. When I hear civil war, I fear that this becomes even worse, including worse with the kids.

GORANI: Well, the fact that it's been a civil conflict in some pockets in Syria has been the case on the ground. We've heard it from witnesses. We've heard it as well from the accounts of U.N. observers. There is clear sectarian violence directed at some Sunni villages. And, according to them, and according to witnesses from some of the Alawite neighbor villages. So around in the Homs province and in other areas in Syria. So that is no surprise.

The question is going to be right now, are we going to descend into a full scale civil war. That isn't the case yet in Syria. In other words, the whole country is not in a state of war. But there is a definite situation right now where in some pockets controlled by the rebels, there are sectarian attacks that are being organized by the Shabiha and the Syrian army and massacres as we've seen.

BALDWIN: Right.

GORANI: But on the same day, which is interesting, Hillary Clinton is now saying that Russia is supplying arms that are being used to sort of fight rebel fighters -- fight against rebel fighters in this civil conflict. Something that Putin has denied. So there are several angles and layers to this story coming out all on the same day.

BALDWIN: Hala Gorani, thank you.

They watch as their homes are being destroyed here by this massive wildfires. Colorado firefighters are doing pretty much everything they can, but the flames are spreading just too quickly. Look at these pictures. I-reports we've been getting. We're going to talk with one man behind this camera who saw the approaching wall of fire and smoke.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: An out of control wildfire is now racing through the mountains of Colorado. You see the pictures. You can see the flames are as high as 20 feet in some places. Look at this. Fueled by dry trees and brush and gas. This huge plume of smoke is rising from the fire. Thousands of people have been evacuated. Some had to just simply watch as their homes were engulfed in these flames.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Why is it taking so quick?

KYLE ELLIS, LOST HOME IN FIRE: Fire burns hot. It's real fast, real dry. Hopefully, they save those houses. What happened to our house?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Burned down.

ELLIS: Yes, it did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: My goodness, how do you explain that to little ones? As many as a hundred structures or buildings have been lost or damaged. In the ashes of one home, firefighters found the body of a 62-year-old woman, the first victim of this fire.

CNN I-Reporters, we are so grateful for you. You're sending us these remarkable pictures here from the fire. In fact, joining me by phone from Leveland, Colorado is our I-Reporter Lonny Garris.

Lonny, I, you know, clicking through your photos and the only way I could seem to describe it, it looks like this wall of smoke and fire. Is that appropriate? Tell me what you see today.

LONNY GARRIS, CNN I-REPORTER (via telephone): Definitely. It was a big wall of smoke. You could see the flames up on the hill and 40- mile-per-hour wind winds. It was terrifying and (inaudible) to be up there.

BALDWIN: Terrifying, what does it smell like? What does it taste like to be that close?

GARRIS: Well, right now, you know, we're covered in haze. I can't even see our mountains right now. I woke up this morning with a raspy voice due to the smoke. It really just smells like a big old camp ground throughout the whole city area.

BALDWIN: Where exactly is your home, I guess, in conjunction to where this line of fire is? Is your home OK? Are you worried about it?

GARRIS: No, my home is safe right now. I'm down in Loveland about 20 miles south of the fire. Those photos were across from the fire. I had my wife drag me around and take photos, but they're safer.

BALDWIN: Don't do that to your wife. How many years have you lived in this area?

GARRIS: I've been in the area about 15 years now.

BALDWIN: In these 15 years, I know Colorado knows their fair share of wildfires, have you seen anything this grand?

GARRIS: No, nothing like this. This is our third fire this year. We've had our share of smoke, but nothing as dramatic or as close to where we usually go and hang out. It's quite scary.

BALDWIN: I know you mentioned your wife. You have a dog inside. I also read you're a nurse. You're an R.N. Have you had to use your skills here?

GARRIS: The fire happened on my days off. I'll be going in today and see what's going on and hopefully catch up with my peers at work and see what's they've been experiencing.

BALDWIN: They're lucky to have you. Best of luck to you. Thinking about you and everyone here in Colorado, those affected and those precariously close. Lonny, appreciate it.

GARRIS: All right.

BALDWIN: New twists in the man hunt for that Auburn shooter. Why police thought they were close to capturing the gunman.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Authorities in Alabama thought they were closing in on him, but the suspect in the shootings near Auburn University still on the loose. Desmonte Leonard is on the run at this hour and police believed he opened as this off campus party, killed three people including two former Auburn football players.

So this tip led police to a home in Montgomery. They shot tear gas inside, used thermal imaging. You name it. They searched inch by inch, but after six hours, they left with absolutely no sign of Leonard.

David Mattingly is with us. You know, I imagined, they were sort of scratching their heads, but they did this close or just missed him or what?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's what they are thinking today. They think that they just missed him. Because when they went into that house, they thought they heard somebody up in the attic, somebody moving around, somebody coughing. So that's why it took hours out of abundant caution to go through there methodically. Finally, they figured out he was went there.

But they did get some credible calls, three of them they say. One in particular a man who says he dropped Desmonte Leonard off at the house and then another one coming the homeowner herself who said he's here. He's on my coach.

So she fled the house and made the 911 call in her car leaving her house. It took about 15, 20 minutes for police to get there. They think that he might have left in that very small window from the time the homeowner came by to the time she left.

BALDWIN: Any idea where he might be? I mean, I'm sure there's -- I know there's a sizable reward.

MATTINGLY: The reward has been bumped up to $30,000 now. But right now, there's so much pressure on authorities because they raised expectations so high last night when they were outside the house saying he's in there.

Here is what we're doing. We're going to get him out of there and that drama playing out for hours only to find he wasn't there. They were talking a lot today trying to defend their actions last night saying if they got the same calls again and same situation tomorrow, they'd do it again.

BALDWIN: Quickly, what do we know about him?

MATTINGLY: What do we know about Desmonte Leonard? Well, he is considered very dangerous. He killed -- allegedly killed three people after shooting six at a pool party outside of Auburn University.

This was on Saturday. He ditched his car a little bit west of the area. They know he lives in Montgomery. They served warrants on two people. One is for leaving the scene with him and another for having contact with him and not telling police.

BALDWIN: How awful for that community. I know it's just tight nit in that part of Alabama. David Mattingly, let us know hopefully when they find him. Appreciate it.

Take a look at this. Take a look at what happened when an inmate tried to escape after a court hearing. This is Louisville, Kentucky. Listen to this. Not so much. The inmate was trying to escape a holding cell only to push himself and a deputy right in the middle of a courtroom. He didn't get too far he was tackled. He is facing attempted escape and assault charges.

Chances are you have rented car, but just how safe was it? One mother says her two daughters died because a recall rental car wasn't off the road to be fixed. She is in Washington. She's begging for changes before someone else loved one are hurt of killed. We're going to talk to her live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Two students from Wisconsin survived a snowstorm in the New Zealand soaking up heat from natural hot springs and rationing what little bit of food they had. Aleck Brown and Ericka Clintworth were rescued after some nine days in the rugged terrain and the conditions there. Here is New Zealand CNN reporter Jessica Rowland.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA ROLLINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The rescue helicopter hones in on the spot where Wisconsin, Aleck Brown and Ericka Clintworth toughed out last week's big snowstorm by lying in natural hot polls. They received criticism they were unprepared.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were in hoodies and not the type of thing you want to have when we were stuck in a mountain storm. But I think when it came to it, we were a lot more prepared than everybody thought.

ROLLINS: They were walking when the bad weather came in. The snow came down thick and fast, and temperatures dropped as low as minus 8 degrees. Unable to cross the swollen river, the couple was stranded. They hunkered down by keeping warm and spending hour after hour lying in the natural hot springs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were pretty comfortable where we were and survived it, no problem. We had all the right gear to get through it and have clean fresh water and stay warm and dry.

ROLLINS: It was not until yesterday that river levelled dropped low enough for them to safely cross and walk out of the bush by themselves. It could have been avoided if they had been properly prepared for the forecast.

SEAN JUDD, SEARCH AND RESCUE: It's frustrating. There's a lot of work going into this operation, taxpayers' dollars, the use of a helicopter and the volunteers that we used. A lot of time has been used up by the weekend. You know, perhaps needlessly.

ROLLINS: The couple spent last night at the Gray Mount pack packers are our expected back this evening. Jessica Rollins.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Meryl Streep said it on screen back in 1988. We find out it is in fact true.

That was Streep playing Lindy Chamberlain Craton. Her 2-month-old daughter disappeared from their tent in the Australian wilderness. This was back in 1980. She always maintained that a dingo took off with her child. It wasn't until today a coroner finally gave her total vindication.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH MORRIS, CORONER, NORTHERN TERRITORY AUSTRALIA: The cause of her death was the result of being attacked and taken by a dingo.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Throughout this decades long ordeal, Lindy Chamberlain Craton was under suspicion for slitting her daughter's throat. At one point in time she was sentenced the life in prison. She served three years before her daughter's torn bloody jacket was found near a dingo den.

Two sisters on their way home from their mom's hour died in a fiery wreck. The car they were driving a rental that had been recalled. Now the mom is begging the government to do something. We'll speak with that mom live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We have all rented a car at some point. I just dropped off a rental yesterday. What I'm about to tell you, I can almost guarantee it's going to make you angry. Here's the story.

These two sisters driving up the California coast coming home from their mom's house in a rental car. Suddenly the car crosses the median and slams head on into big rig and bursts into a flame that crash killed them.

Richard Halk just 24 years old, Jacqueline 20 then a shocking revelation, the rented PT Cruiser they were driving had been recalled. The problem, power steering fluid could leak and ignite under the hood.

The "Santa Cruz Sentinel" reports that PT Cruiser, the one the sisters were driving in had not been repaired. In fact, the company rented it out three other times since that recall. The sisters became the fourth and the last.

Now, eight years later, their mother is joining forces with U.S. senators begging the government to do something. Joining me now from Washington is the girl's mother. Ladies, welcome.

I just want to begin with you. Take me back to this day. Your girls, as we mentioned, they had been at your home. Can you tell me about the moment when you found out they had been in that accident?

CALLY HOUCK, DAUGHTERS KILLED IN RECALLED RENTAL CAR: Well, it was a parent's worst nightmare. Officers showed up at my back door at 3:00 in the morning. It took that long. They delivered the bad news.

BALDWIN: When you found out -- it's one layer as you mentioned being the parent's worst nightmare, and then finding out they were in this rental car that was under recall. What was your first thought?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the manner in which we found out was through our family resources that notified their father and I that the car was rented, the car was recalled. Enterprise never gave us any information about the status of that vehicle, didn't give us any information at all.

BALDWIN: So Senator Boxer, let me bring you in. I know this happened in your home state. How could this have happened in the first place and what are you hoping to change?

SEN. BARBARA BOXER, D-CALIFORNIA: Well, I'll start with your last question. I have asked the rental car companies to simply make a pledge, make it in writing and make it quickly. That pledge says effective immediately our company is making a permanent commitment to not rent out or sale any vehicles under safety recall until the defect has been remedied, very straightforward, very simple.

The reason I decided to do this, Callie is working with me on getting legislation through. The way things go around here, it takes too long. We want the companies to sign this pledge. The great news is that hertz rent-a-car has done so. They are the only ones to do so. Enterprise has not.

BALDWIN: What's the reaction? What's the explanation from these other car companies, these rental companies to you, based upon this pledge?

BOXER: I don't know what their explanation is. I'm not interested in their explanation. If Hertz rental car can do this and by the way, they sell their fleet, all these companies sell their fleet almost between 67 percent and 100 percent of the cars they rent, they sale.

They're selling a lot of those in a defective situation so the only ones to sign the pledge is Hertz. They have about 18 percent of the market. Enterprise has 52 percent. Avis hasn't sign and dollar has been absent.

So bottom line is we're going to keep the spotlight on them. Why did I do this? Cally is any constituent. Her children were my constituents. Bottom line is I'm a mom, I'm a grandma. If anyone took them away from me in any way that could be averted or avoided, I would do what she is doing. I'm happy that Hertz has signed this.

BALDWIN: Let me throw this up on the screen. This is what the senator is hoping the car companies will agree to. My question is, if you're asking for this blanket pledge that maybe it's taking it too far. If there's a sticker that's misspelled that determines it's under recall, does that merit the cost and the time to change that. What do you say, Cally?

HOUCK: What do I think? I think the rental car industry would like to pass the rest of defective cars on to the consumer.

As far as a recall, the National Highway and Safety and Transportation Administration as well as the motor vehicle act indicates if a car is under a safety recall, that car presents an unreasonable to safety and to risk of injury.

Why should the industry be able to evaluate whether a recall is important? Just fix the car. It's quite simple. If the car is under safety recall, take it to the manufacturer and the manufacturer, free of charge, repairs that vehicle. There's no excuse.

BALDWIN: Sure. I think perhaps people watching right now had no idea that you could be driving a recalled car that you rent and could have no idea.

Final question to you, Cally, until perhaps all these car companies sign Senator Boxer's pledge. What advice do you have for people renting cars?

HOUCK: Go to Hertz.

BALDWIN: Go to Hertz. Thank you both very much.

The girlfriend of mob boss James Bulger headed to the federal pen. She's just learned her fate in a Boston courtroom for helping her fugitive lover evade police.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Atlanta Megachurch Pastor Creflo Dollar accused of beating his daughter. The first time we're hearing the 911 call that led to his arrest. You can hear his 15-year-old daughter accusing her dad of choking her and beating her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is your emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: I just got in an altercation with my father. He punched me and choked me. This is not the first time it's happened. I feel threatened by being in this house. I don't know what can be done but I'm scared. I'm shaking. I don't know what to do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is there any weapons involved?

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: No, ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any drugs or alcohol?

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: No, ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have any visible injuries?

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: No, ma'am.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN: Dollar denies he attacked his daughter. He is out of jail after posting bail on Friday.

Whitey Bulger's long time girlfriend sentenced to federal prison for helping the reputed mob boss. CNN affiliate WCBB in Boston is reporting Catherine Crigg was sentenced to 96 months in prison. She has to pay $150,000 fine

They were on the run for 16 years. They were found hiding in plain sight not too far from the beach. Bulger is accused of 19 murders during his rule as a mob boss in the '70s and '80s. He is still being held in federal prison.

His trial is scheduled for November. His defense has asked for more time to prepare for his case. His girlfriend just sentenced to eight years and $150,000 fine if her role for hiding him for all those years.