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Cracks in Assad's Regime; Olympic Opening Ceremonies; Security At The Olympics; First Lady In London; Mogul Wants Movie Violence Summit; "Serial Infector" Had Lost His License; Woman: Horrifying Attack Was Very Real; Kids Bullied Because Of Their Looks

Aired July 27, 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: And, here we go. On this Friday, welcome. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

A lot to get to. But first, all eyes on Syria. We've been showing you the map. It is so important to talk about here really the lay of the land. And more cracks today in the Syrian -- really in the armor of Syrian butcher Bashar al Assad.

We have told you about the city here in the north, Aleppo. Syria's largest city. It's New York City, if you will. This commercial hub. Syrian government forces are amassing around Aleppo for a showdown with the rebels there. But now the rebels in Aleppo claim to have captured this army installation. You see it here. This is video released today via YouTube. They also claim to have captured yet another police station. Remember the burnt out, charred police station earlier in the week. This is yet another one.

And the expected government push against the Aleppo rebels still has yet to happen. It hasn't happen and there are suggestions the Syrian army is stretched so thin it cannot yet enter this city of Aleppo, at least not in the numbers it really needs to take on these insurgents.

That aside, what you're about to see here is just disturbing. This is the aftermath of government shelling. This is near a roundabout in Aleppo. You see the blood on the streets. Unconfirmed reports say this attack killed 15 people and wounded more than 20. Government forces continue to shell parts of the city from their positions in the south.

And I want to just play this for you. This is -- we're going to call it an ominous -- because that is what it is -- an ominous warning from the U.S. State Department. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTORIA NULAND, STATE DEPT. SPOKESWOMAN: We have grave concerns about the situation in and around Aleppo. And this is the concern, that we will see a massacre in Aleppo. And that's what the regime appears to be lining up for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Did you hear the word she used? Interesting terminology there. She says massacre. If you remember, the Obama administration justified action against Libya, trying to bring down Moammar Gadhafi, to prevent a massacre there. Specifically in Benghazi. We're going to touch on that a little bit later.

But first, CNN's Ivan Watson. He has reached a town outside of Aleppo. He is there with the rebels.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Syrian rebel fighters show off captured weapons of war. These are the largest guns we've seen yet in rebel hands. A vehicle mounted motor that fires giant 120 mm rounds, an armored personnel carrier, and an anti-aircraft gun mounted on a pickup truck. This one's gotten use in battle.

"A couple weeks ago, I shot down a helicopter," says Jimal Awar (ph), a bus driver who's now a rebel. "Momentums later, a helicopter flies high overhead."

WATSON (on camera): So we're looking at a helicopter that's circling over this town right now. And we're hearing gunfire. And this is what scares the fighters that most. This is what has been killing the most rebels that we've come across. The most casualties.

WATSON (voice-over): This chopper came from the embattled city of Aleppo, located just six miles away from the rebel held town of Anadan (ph).

WATSON (on camera): The Syrian rebels say they're fighting for freedom from the Assad regime. And they've succeed in pushing out government security forces from this town of Anadan. But look at the cost. There isn't a single civilian resident left in this town. It's been blasted and is almost completely deserted, except for fighters.

WATSON (voice-over): The town is scarred by artillery fire and eerily empty.

WATSON (on camera): This is why this town is so deserted. Two days ago, three people, Kurds from out of town, were driving this small vehicle, small truck, up this road. And they were hit from a military check point. It looks like right about here. It still smells like rotting flesh right now.

WATSON (voice-over): A fighter tells us there's a government army base out in the farm land just a few miles away and the soldiers there fire at us. Bullets whiz overhead as we film a defaced statue of the current Syrian president's father, Hafez al-Assad.

Nearby, in the mansion of a wealthy businessman, we find a squad of rebels taking up temporary residence. They show me an entire armory of weapons that say are captured from Syrian security forces. It's a small arsenal stacked up next to the original house owner's gilded chairs and dainty pillows.

WATSON (on camera): Have you even captured armor? This (INAUDIBLE). What happened to the guy you captured this from?

WATSON (voice-over): "He died," the rebel commander says. "God willing, he went to hell."

Unlike Libya, these rebels don't show off by constantly firing their weapons in the air. Syria's rebels aren't getting nearly as much help from the outside world. For these firefighters, every bullet is precious.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Anadan, Syria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Ivan Watson, thank you.

We are also just now getting word that we have a correspondent on the ground somewhere. We can't tell you specifically where, but somewhere here in northern Syria. We're working on getting a connection with him. We will bring him to you after the break.

A lot else happening here on this Friday. Watch this.

One of Hollywood's biggest producers behind some of the most violent films in history says, in the wake of the Colorado massacre, it may be time to look in the mirror.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.

Bath salt bust. More than a hundred city, millions of dollars and the chase for a deadly drug.

Plus, the countdown is on. Olympic fever officially beginning tonight. I'll tell you which moments keep an eye on.

And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love thin chins.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Kids bullied for their looks getting free plastic surgery. Right or wrong? Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins me live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right, I want to take you back and talk more about Syria. And as we promised before the break, we now have a journalist on the ground. He's with El Mundo. His name is Javier Espinosa. And this is really where all eyes are, Aleppo. This city. It's really the commercial hub of Syria. Many people call it the cradle of civilization. Arguably, one of the oldest cities in the world. And within Aleppo, incredible old landmarks, history, but also potentially a massacre could be unfolding. At least that is the word we heard from one of the U.S. State Department spokespeople.

I want to bring in Javier Espinosa, who is in Aleppo.

And, Javier, just begin with, tell me what you see on the ground as far as rebels and also as far as government forces.

JAVIER ESPINOSA, EL MUNDO REPORTER (via telephone): Well, what I have seen is almost half of the city is in the hands of the rebel forces who control all the avenues, control everything in that part of the city to the east and some parts of the north and south as well. The army, the army from Bashar, is controlling the airport and the west. They are just running the city. I mean they are running the police. They are running the hospitals. They are running the (INAUDIBLE). They're running everything.

And for the moment, in the past two days, I've been two days already here, the shelling has diminished a little bit. It's not like the days before. But the tension is increasing because they're expecting an major offensive tomorrow. There are a lot of rumors that the army will launch a huge offensive tomorrow. They say they have already seen 80 tanks arriving nearby the city and they are expecting this attack tomorrow.

BALDWIN: Javier, let me jump in because you say tomorrow. And I'm just curious because yesterday we had been reporting today. I know the anticipation really has been building for this offensive, for this attack. Do we know why it's taking so long for these government troops to get to the city?

ESPINOSA: Well, those troops were coming from Italy in a long convoy that left that area some days ago because it was there in (INAUDIBLE) actually before coming here. And I saw the tanks moving.

But they were ambush in the way. So they went slow (ph). They didn't arrive in like until last night (INAUDIBLE) what the rebels are saying, that they arrived last night. And also special forces.

But, in the meantime, what is happening in the city is that they are still a lot of helicopters shooting against the buildings. Shooting around randomly. They are not shooting against the free Syrian army. They're run -- they're shooting against all the buildings without any purpose. Maybe to make afraid the people and to make them to leave. But, as I said, the shelling -- the shelling from tanks, from artillery is less than couple of days ago.

BALDWIN: Javier, and we've seen these pictures of the helicopters and the shelling. I can't imagine -- I'm sure you were talking with civilians there on the ground in the city of Aleppo. The fear and the anticipation of what will be must be palpable.

ESPINOSA: Yes. This is something visible. I mean they are just collecting food, they are collecting medicines, they are setting up new hospitals. I was in one today. They are setting up sand bags all over. Barricades (INAUDIBLE). I mean the people are really, really afraid of what is going to happen.

Actually, they told me, because as I told you, these two past days have been a little bit quiet. Let's say -- let's call it like this. They said they were very afraid about this. They don't understand why the army has stopped shelling and they think that maybe they will launch a huge attack tomorrow to demolish everything. So a lot of people are leaving. Actually I saw lots, lots of civilians leaving every day, every day. When we were entering, there was a huge convoy of cars, dozens of cars leaving. And every day we see civilians packing and leaving, packing and leaving.

BALDWIN: What are they telling you? And again, just if we can, guys, lets pull back out to the map. So you have Aleppo here. Are you telling me that they are -- they're fleeing north. Are they heading into Turkey?

ESPINOSA: They are heading into Turkey. Yes, they're heading north. Most of them are heading -- also to Iran. Iran Aleppo (ph). Because what's happening is that from Aleppo to the north, to the border, all that area is being free (ph) as well. So, I mean, the (INAUDIBLE) Iran. That means they don't feel safe enough they go to Turkey.

BALDWIN: OK. Javier Espinosa, a journalist with El Mundo, inside Aleppo. And he is saying that this offensive will happen tomorrow.

Javier Espinosa, please stay safe. We appreciate your reporting inside the country of Syria.

Coming up, another big story we're watching overseas. Today's the big day. Opening ceremonies at the Olympics. We're going to take you live to London, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Forget Republican versus Democrat, Yankees versus Red Sox, Coke versus Pepsi. Forget about that. This is the time, every couple of years, where we could all root for one team, that being the United States. The Olympics start today.

The Olympic torch is on its final leg and the bells are sounding. Forty chimes from Big Ben. All of it is building up to a pretty exciting event tonight, the opening ceremony for the London Olympics 2012. It is less than two hours away. TV viewers, though, cannot see it until tonight. But I can show you right now the lay of the Olympic land.

So here is London. And I've been to London a couple of times. But just recently I was so thrilled to be able to go to cover the diamond jubilee for the queen, Queen Elizabeth. And so let me show you around.

First, you have, of course, you know, Buckingham -- not Buckingham, Buckingham Palace. The Victoria statue right here. One little fun tidbit I learned when I was there, it's the royal standard flag. So you know when the royal standard flag is flying high above Buckingham, you know the queen is in residence. So that's Buckingham Palace.

Big Ben, remember recently renamed Elizabeth Tower. Talking to Londoners, no one will probably really call it that, but in honor of the diamond jubilee this year, her 60th, since becoming queen. That's why you have the Elizabeth Tower. The London Eye, Parliament, Westminster Bridge. Of course, The River Thames.

And this is what we need to talk about. So, six miles this way, you have the Olympic Park and you have this. So this the Olympic Stadium. This is what we're all going to be sitting at home, right, watching tonight because this is where the opening ceremonies will be. And then I saw this and I thought, what the heck is this? This is this red structure. This multimillion dollar Orbit Tower is that they're calling it. Some 377 feet in the middle of all of this that will stay here and sort of be this landmark for the Olympic games in London. This is the Aquatic Center, where we'll be watching our swimmers compete, of course. And then the big Olympic village. This is where, what, 10,500 or so athletes, they'll be staying.

And then, one more thing I want to show you, because we all love watching Olympics and the gymnastics, right? So down here, if you've ever been to a concert, this is this huge arena. The O2 Arena. It will be hosting the gymnastics events. So we'll be watching for that.

So now that you know London, the city has really been preparing for this summer for years and years. And so here's a little time lapse for you of the metamorphosis. But not everything has gone flawlessly today. Specifically for the British sports secretary. See how his enthusiasm got away from him. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY HUNT, BRITISH SPORTS SECRETARY: When there are things that don't go according to plan, London will cope in the way it always has. Oh, my goodness, dear (ph), are you all right? Here we go. We -- a terrible move there. Help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Oops. I hope the bell didn't hit anyone. Let's go to our team of reporters covering the world's largest sporting event for us. Up first, we have CNN sports correspondent Alex Thomas with all the details that we can, you know, really know about this whole opening ceremony that we'll be watching this evening. The man behind it is Oscar-winning director of the hit movie "Slumdog Millionaire."

Tell me, what will Danny Boyle do tonight? I heard it has a little something to do with horses, chickens and geese. Do explain.

ALEX THOMAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brooke, that's just the buffet menu. No, in all seriousness -- in all seriousness, I can't give away the surprise. They've had a very effective social media campaign with the hashtag save the surprise. So although ourselves and all the world's international media capped out around the Olympic Park have been hearing and seeing some of the rehearsals all week on the big screens poking up above the Olympic Stadium behind me, we're not really allowed to give too many details, although organizers have leaked some.

You said that Danny Boyle is overseeing it. It's called "The Isles of Wonder." That's the title for the opening ceremony. It's inspired by the Shakespeare play, "The Tempest." And you mentioned those farm yard animals. Well, let's face it, England and the U.K. does have a reputation for being a green and pleasant land. And I'm sure that's going to feature in the opening ceremony somewhere. All opening ceremonies like to tell the tale of a country's history, its past, its present, maybe its future.

And, Brooke, what else is the U.K. famous for? Well, you know, we can turn out the odd good pop song now and then. Think of The Beagles, The Rolling Stones, all those sorts of tracks have been blasting out of the Olympic Stadium all week. That's not giving the surprise away. If you were just walking past outside, you could hear that. So those are a few little hints about what we can expect later. I know people have been inside and they say it's simply mind blowing.

BALDWIN: Very good. Very exciting. And also a pimscup (ph), which I learned all about. Of course, after you're done working, Alex. Enjoy the pims. Thank you so much.

And, you know, he's talking about how we're so excited for tonight and the opening ceremonies. But a lot of talk really has been on security there in London. And Dan Rivers has more on that. More than 18,000 British troops are helping protect the athletes and fans.

Dan.

DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke the Olympic security operation is well underway across London and all the other Olympic venues around Britain. We've been touring around the capital on this open-top bus to get a kind of perspective on all of the different security forces that are in place. We're told that nine and a half thousands extra police have been deployed around the capital, on top of the 30,000 who'd be there anyway. And then there's the mobilization of 18,200 soldiers and service personnel, as well as several thousand private security guards who've also been called in.

There was controversy, of course, about a week ago when it transpired that the private security firm was unable to provide all the guards that it should have done. Now the army has stepped in. the authorities here are trying to reassure everyone that they've done everything they can to make these games safe and secure.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: Dan Rivers atop a bus there for us in London. Dan, thank you.

Now to the U.S. delegation. Leading the way, the first lady, Michelle Obama. She is in London showing how the stars and stripes are supporting the Union Jack. Zain Verjee covering that part of it for us.

And what did Mrs. Obama tell the Brits?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Brooke. She's the cheerleader in chief, OK. And she said when she met the team, basically, just try and have some fun. She said relax and breathe a little bit. Well, they're all taking a deep breath before they start their competitions.

She also said that she's in awe of them and she's been really inspired by them. She also said that she kind of grew up watching the Olympics on TV and was just always amazed by the athletes and would watch the competition all the time. So it was pretty amazing she said for her to actually be here as well.

She also spent a little bit of time at Winfield House, which is basically the name for the U.S. embassy here in London. And she met kids from the U.S. who are from military families, as well as kids from London and sort of lower privileged areas too. So she is going to be here at the Olympic Stadium along with 137 other heads of state. People are excited. They're beginning to gather. And there's a good track flow now into the stadium.

And you know what else, Brooke. You're going to appreciate this. We're feeling a little bit of rain on our back.

BALDWIN: Oh, no. The British summer is back.

VERJEE: Oh, yes.

BALDWIN: Take cover, Zain Verjee. I still think of you on the flotilla all day. Amazing reporting, but very, very cold. Zain, we'll be praying for sunny skies. Zain Verjee, thank you so much.

Hey, and a final FYI. If you look to these mascots through the years, the Olympics, and just kind of think, what is that, right? Well, here you go. You have Winlock and Mandeville, each depicting a drop of steel from one of the last beams used in the Olympic Stadium, of course. Wenlock, the one in Orange with the rounder head, is the mascot for the Olympics, and Mandeville represents the Para Olympics.

It is pretty unprecedented. A Hollywood power player known for violent movies says it may be time after all for the industry to take a look in the mirror. Sure, it's a debate we've heard before, but not from this guy. You will want to stick around to hear this conversation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: It is time for Hollywood to take a good long look in the mirror when it comes to on-screen violence. That is what a big name movie mogul is saying about the wake of the Colorado movie theater massacre. Mega producer Harvey Weinstein is calling for a summit of the world's top filmmakers to talk about how the violence in the movies really might inspire real life carnage. Yes, I am talking about the very same Harvey Weinstein responsible for movie moments just like these.

Now, Weinstein has a very long list of movie credits with violent themes, but he is also pointing the finger at himself. Listen to what he told "The Huffington Post." Let me quote him. "I think, as filmmakers, we should sit down -- the Marty Scorseses, the Quentin Tarantinos, and hopefully all of us who deal in violence in movies -- and discuss our role in that," end quote.

I want to welcome Michael Phillips, movie critic for "The Chicago Tribune."

And, Michael, welcome to you.

MICHAEL PHILLIPS, MOVIE CRITIC, "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE": Thanks, Brooke. BALDWIN: OK, so hearing this quote from, of all people, Harvey Weinstein, I mean, is he being hypocritical here or do you really think that this Colorado massacre will change the way he, other top name producers, will make movies?

PHILLIPS: It's probably a mixture. I don't know Harvey Weinstein, but it's probably a mixture of a little grand standing and a little bit of sincerity. It's a sobering moment in a funny way from a guy like this who is a consummate showman and never misses an opportunity to exploit anything whether for good or ill.

BALDWIN: You're not fully buying it is what I'm hearing?

PHILLIPS: I'm not against it either. I think right now, Brooke, the whole country in the wake of the Aurora movie theatre massacre it's polarized into this notion you either believe had everything to do with what is floating around in the popular culture and what is seen on our movie screens or it has nothing to do with it.

I think the truth is, I suspect, somewhere in the middle and I suspect Weinstein and others would say the same. Maybe something good will come out of it who knows.

BALDWIN: It was this time one week ago when we were reporting on what happened in Aurora. I just want to talk about the suspected shooter, James Holmes. You know, he had his hair dyed. We have now seen these pictures of flame red hair.

He told police he was the Joker. Do you think that violent movies truly inspire people, not just to think about ill things and acts, but to actually act and kill or do they just shape these horrible fantasies that are already there?

PHILLIPS: Again, I don't think it's necessarily either in a clear cut way. I think there have been plenty of cases of copy cat killings, plenty of very violent films from taxi driver to national born killers.

They have in some way or another ended up in the news as part of either some sort of stalking or killing or something. The trick and the difficulty is that you cannot legislate artistic quality.

I might find taxi driver truly brilliant and I might have next to no use for something like national born killers. Am I to say one did or did not inspire directly horrible real life events and the other didn't. I think there are more factors that work, Brooke, than just simply --

BALDWIN: The movie itself. "Dark Knight Rises" made $160 million, Michael, in that first weekend, that opening weekend alone. Presales do account for some of that. This is a market that makes these Hollywood types a lot of money for violence. Should we let one man here ruin going to the movies for the rest of us?

PHILLIPS: We shouldn't. The short answer is no, we shouldn't. The movie industry goes back and has a history of a very uneasy relationship with its own product.

You had in the early '30s you had Hollywood studios putting out arguing this violence content is not helping the country's crime rate. The image of gangsters and whatever and things sort of clamp down for a while, it was the same with the comic book industry in the '50s.

You had the comics code put into place. I don't know if we're ripe or due for something else, a new equivalent of that now. One good thing that could come out of a town hall meeting is keeping the discussion alive among filmmakers who have made violent films. I'd like to hear what they have to say.

BALDWIN: To have all these guys and gals in a room. We'll see if it actually happens. Michael Phillips --

PHILLIPS: I hope it does.

BALDWIN: I do as well. With the "Chicago Trib," we appreciate it. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Thank you, Brooke

BALDWIN: Thousands of people on edge waiting to be tested for Hepatitis C after this alarming outbreak. CNN is just hearing of a major development in the case against the man accused of spreading this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: You can feel it. Shoppers did. We didn't buy quite as many groceries, clothes or cars this spring. Today, the government reports the economy slowed in the second quarter.

The nation's gross domestic product, GDP here ruined an annual rate of 1.5 percent. That is down from 2 percent in the first quarter. Still that is slightly higher than analysts expected. That is fueling hopes for more stimulus from the fed.

Nearly a quarter of women in America experience severe violence at the hands of someone close to them. This week "CNN Hero" Joe Crawford is helping survivors fulfill their ultimate dreams.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JO CRAWFORD, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: When I was 13, my dad was very violent and attempted to murder my mom. It wasn't until I was 55 that I came to work in a shelter and met a woman who had fled Chicago with two young children.

She had no documentation. She did not legally exist. She said, can you help me? I need $40 to get all the documentation. It is totally forbidden, but I gave her the two $20 bills and I'm thinking I just changed three lives with $40. I had no idea that I had actually changed my life as well.

My name is Jo Crawford. I ask women survivors of domestic violence to dream their best life. I give them the means to accomplish the first step. This is what you want and this is what you deserve.

The women are all out of a relationship for at least six months. They have to be free of alcohol and drugs. They have got to have a dream. It's not a gift. She agrees to pay it forward to three other survivors.

These women need to know they deserve their dream and have the power to create it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got so much help which enabled me to buy a sewing machine and that made me realize I should be a person who not only receives help, but also gives help.

CRAWFORD: I am so proud of you. One woman can make a difference, but women working together can change the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: "CNN Heroes" are all chosen from people you tell us about. We need you to help us nominate someone you know in your community that is making a difference. Just go to cnnheroes.com.

Just in to us here at CNN. A major development in the case against the man accused of spreading Hepatitis C. Many states on edge today. We have learned something chilling about this man's past.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Just in here at CNN, this new development in what we're calling the "Serial Infector" case. This medical technician accused of spreading hepatitis to possible thousands of patients and not one, not two in eight different states.

Now CNN has learned that he lost his license in one state years ago, but guess what? He was able to keep working in the hospitals. CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is live. She's been digging on this one and my question to you is what?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I know. It is amazing that this could even happen. So, Brooke, let me go back for people who haven't been following this case completely.

Here is what happened. Federal officials say that David Kwiatkowski used drugs that were meant for patients, powerful narcotics and then gave the patients tainted syringes.

It's believed that 30 people in New Hampshire were infected with Hepatitis C, a potentially deadly disease because of him. What we've learned is that in these people were infected, Brooke, in 2011 and 2012.

Now we've learned that he was actually forced, he actually surrendered his license in 2010. In 2010, he gave up his license to practice as a radiologic technologist. This was after they started an investigation when a fellow employee found him passed out in the men's locker room. I'll read to you a quote from the investigation. I looked in, this is a fellow employee. I looked and found Dave lying on his back in the bathroom stall. I looked in the toilet and spotted a 5 cc Syringe and a needle floating in the water.

The label was a blue fentanyl label. Fentanyl was a very powerful narcotic. He, meaning, Kwiatkowski then said expletive, I'm going to jail. Right after this happened, as I said he surrendered his license.

Brooke, I want to read you the letter that he wrote when he surrendered his license. He said, this is word for word. To whom it concerns, I, David Kwiatkowski is surrendering my Arizona license at will because I don't have the resources nor money to fight the accusations and willing to wait to be eligible for re-instated in three years. Signed David Kwiatkowski -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: So he surrenders his Arizona license, but then what next?

COHEN: Right, he surrendered his Arizona license. He left the state and a few weeks later, he starts working as a technician in a Philadelphia hospital.

I have to look at any list because the list is long. The next month he goes to work in Kansas. Five months later, he goes to work at a hospital in Georgia and six months later he goes to work in New Hampshire.

BALDWN: So how it is possible he goes from this different groups and states. Isn't that next hospital doing some kind of background check? How did this even happen?

COHEN: I mean, the way that it's supposed to work is when there's an incident like what happened in Arizona, it's supposed to be reported to the State Licensing Board. We spoke to folks there and they said yes, it was reported to us.

I said did you share this information with other states? Did you share this with the national organization that represents these boards?

The director of this group said I'm not sure. He said I'm not sure if I did or if I didn't. I don't know. So it's really not clear if this information stayed in Arizona or was reported out nationally. We don't know at this point.

BALDWIN: It's frightening. Keep digging. Thanks to you and your crew. Elizabeth Cohen for us in Boston. Thank you.

COHEN: Thanks.

BALDWIN: A Nebraska woman says masked men broke into her home, tied her up. She is breaking her silence. You'll hear from her next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: A Nebraska woman says three masked men tied her up and carved homophobic slurs into her body. She is Charlie Rogers. She breaking her silence because some people thought her story was a hoax. Even thought police called it a hate crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE ROGERS, VICTIM OF HATE CRIME: My world has been changed forever. People think it's a lie. It's hurtful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Thousands of people gathered at a vigil last night just to show their support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROGERS: I can never think in a way that I feel adequately expresses how much it has meant to me that people are standing with me and people are standing for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Rogers managed to escape Sunday's attack and ran to a neighbor's house naked covered in blood. Police say there are no suspected so far.

Should two kids here, any kids who are bullied over their looks take steps to get plastic surgery? Think about that. Next you'll hear how some doctors are doing that. Do you think it's right or wrong? Send me a tweet @brookebcnn.

And the good doctor, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to tell us the story and join me live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Most kids dread going back to school after their summer vacation. For one in five it's especially difficult because they face being bullied because of how they look.

Some of these kids believe the only way out is by getting plastic surgery. There's a group that's going to extra mile to help them. Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells one girl's story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's parent's nightmare.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I used to be very talkative when I was a kid. Now I'm shy and rather now talk to anyone. I'm anti-social now.

GUPTA: Children bullied for their physical appearance. For 14-year- old Nadia, the bullying started in first grade. NADIA ISLE, BULLYING VICTIM: There was this girl. She came up to me and says, you have the biggest ears I've ever seen. I'm like, I was speechless. I didn't think about it until she said that.

GUPTA: She's heard dumbo, elephant ears and much, much worse. Seven years of torment, so with drawn, and still so hard to talk about.

(on camera): Do you remember the worst sort of taunting or teasing?

ISLE: It happened a lot. It happened so many times that it all blends together that I don't remember.

GUPTA (voice-over): Nadia was just 10 years old when she asked her mom if she could have surgery to pin her ears back. She wanted them to stick out less all in an effort to stop the bullying.

(on camera): It's been dark place for you for some time it sounds like.

ISLE: Yes, it's been very depressing.

GUPTA (voice-over): Her mom desperate to help turned to the internet and stumbled across the "Little Baby Face Foundation." The non-profit organization offer free plastic surgery for children like Nadia who are bullied because of their appearance and can't afford an operation.

(on camera): There may be people who say look, you don't need to do this. This is just who you are. It's the way you were born. People should love people for who they are. What do you say to those folks?

ISLE: I say that they are right, but it will never stop. It will just keep going and get worse and worse.

GUPTA (voice-over): The foundation flew Nadia and her mother from Georgia to New York City for an all expense paid trip to this hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This will be our target ear. I'll match the other ear, which is not as lateralized as this ear.

GUPTA: In her application she asked to have her ears pinned back, but Dr. Thomas Romo with the "Little Baby Face Foundation," recommended she change more than just her ears.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love thin chins. I don't want them as pointy as that chin. We talked about that. We looked at some pictures of some different people. Their chins come off a little more square. That's exactly what we're going to do too.

GUPTA: There was more.

DR. THOMAS ROMO III, MANHATTAN EYE, EAR AND THROAT HOSPITAL: When I looked up inside her, the whole septum is going off this way. As the septum, so goes the nose.

GUPTA (on camera): She never talked about the nose or chin before, right?

ROMO: She did not because she didn't recognize it.

GUPTA: Dr. Romo says with her ears pinned back her nose and chin would be more pronounced. He said all three surgeries combined are necessary to balance out her features.

ROMO: Any last thoughts as we're going into the O.R. here?

ISLE: Nervous. Excited.

GUPTA: In some ways this has been seven years in the making for Nadia. She just went under, but she's been dreaming about this day for some time and now it's all happening for her.

What Dr. Romo is doing is a reduction rhinoplasty, reducing the size of the nose and a mentoplasty here on the chin. What might surprise a lot people is that about 42 percent of otoplasties on the ears are done on people under the age of 18.

(voice-over): This four-hour operation would normally come with a price tag of about $40,000. For Nadia, it's free.

(on camera): Here in the operating room when you see what's happening it gives you a good idea how significant bullying can be. Kids become depressed. They can become anxious. She said it changed her entire personality.

(voice-over): But surgery alone won't wipe away the pain from the years of all that bullying. Nadia's mom hopes counselling will be the final step in the healing process.

Seventy two hours post-op. Nadia is still swollen, but cautiously optimistic as Dr. Romo removed the bandages and she sees her new self for the first time.

ISLE: I look beautiful. It's exactly what I wanted. I love it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Wow. Sanjay, I mean, the whole time I'm thinking I never want to go back to junior high. Kids are tough, but whatever physical flaw you have makes you stronger if you can get through it. Then you hear her saying I'm so beautiful.

GUPTA: It's hard to argue with that. I just saw her again because she still had swelling. I want to show you a more recently.

BALDWIN: wow.

GUPTA: What I would tell you, Brooke, I thought the same thing that you did and I asked her about that. And it's been a short time still, but she has absolutely no regrets.

What I will say is that it alone, the plastic surgery alone, does not erase the seven years of torment this girl got. She really had a tough time. She is going to be going through counseling as well to try and deal with some of what she experienced.

BALDWIN: It's a slippery slope.

GUPTA: It's a slippery slope. I think this notion that did she give in to the bullying? Did she change herself in response to the way the bullies were acting and might that influence the way that she perceives herself later on in life and her self-confidence and all those sorts of things, those are real issues. I think that's part of the counseling as well.

No psychologist that we talked to -- and we talked to several for the story -- said absolutely not. I would absolutely not do this. They all said kind of what you're saying. It's a slippery slope but they weren't against it either, which is the question I have as a parent.

BALDWIN: What a story. Tweet me @BrookeBCNN. I would love to know parents outside watching if you would do this or not. Sanjay, thank you very much.

GUPTA: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Again, a quick reminder. Watch Sanjay on the weekend right here on CNN. Dr. Gupta, thank you.

GUPTA: Appreciate it, Brooke. Thank you.