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Syria Nearing Collapse?; Paul Ryan Firing Up GOP Base

Aired August 14, 2012 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Trains in the area also have been halted. So, just a heads-up if you're in Port Deposit. We will keep an eye on this, again, live pictures from WBAL.

Now this: We continue on here, top of the hour. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Dramatic video shows the frantic moments just after shots rang out near Texas A&M University. This medic not only gives CPR to one of the officers, but also to the gunman. He also shot this video you're seeing here just on his smartphone. You will hear what the suspect told the man as he lay dying. That full report is ahead.

But, first, I want to begin with Syria. The former prime minister saying the regime he once helped lead is on the verge of collapse but the deadly violence showing absolutely no signs of slowing.

Opposition groups say at least 70 people have been killed across Syria today, including 10 women and three children. Activists say the relentless shelling of rebel strongholds in recent days is just adding to the misery. Just within this last hour, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey, they were asked whether al Qaeda might be playing a role in this violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. MARTIN DEMPSEY, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN: There have been reports that al Qaeda is present but not aligned with the opposition. Al Qaeda is opportunistic. And I think it's on that basis that they are trying to find inroads into Syria, but not aligned with the opposition in a way that the Iranian influence is aligning itself with the regime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Syria's former prime minister, who fled the country just last week, is speaking out. And he insists the Syrian regime is falling apart. He says he knows this because he saw it firsthand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIYAD HIJAB, FORMER SYRIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I can confirm to you given my experience and the position I had that the regime's morale, economy and military has completely collapsed and is only in control of no more than 30 percent of Syrian lands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And reports coming out of Syria, they reveal the troubling and even horrifying use of sexual violence against civilians, both women and men.

These reports, they're hard to confirm, of course. It's not like gunfire that you can see and hear in the streets. But it's happening. It's a hard subject to talk about. We warn you some of the details of this conversation I'm about to have are very graphic.

But it's also important that we discuss this.

On that note, let me bring in Lauren Wolfe. She's director of the Women's Media Center's Women Under Siege project. It's her group that's been documenting sexual assaults inside of Syria.

Lauren, welcome to you. I really appreciate you coming on.

I read your piece. I read a piece in The Daily Beast this morning, both talking about rape really as a weapon of war. So, sparing the graphic detail, what is allegedly happening to these women?

LAUREN WOLFE, WOMEN'S MEDIA CENTER: It's something we're still Really mucking through and trying to figure out. Reports have been coming out slowly but surely. We're seeing everything from rape of women, rape of men to sexual enslavement.

We have heard reports of girls who are being held for months at a time are injected with certain substances that are paralyzing them and then they are being raped repeatedly. So it really runs the gamut and it's really very horrific.

BALDWIN: It's horrific indeed when you read some of these accounts.

Just to say again, you cannot independently confirm these stories and CNN cannot either. But I just want to read a quote. This is from Jamie Dettmer. This is the Daily Beast article I also read this morning. He's in Syria. He spoke with a woman who says her neighbor was killed and raped.

He asks this woman how she knew she was raped. To quote, she said, "It was obvious, gesturing weakly toward her groin. She doesn't want to be explicit. They raped teenage girls she says almost in a whisper claiming that the next day she saw naked girls in the hospital piled up dead and bearing obvious signs of sexual abuse."

Lauren, does that corroborate with stories you're hearing and how long has this been going on?

WOLFE: It's been happening since the very beginning of the war which was over a year ago now. In the analysis that my team has done at the Women's Media Center in conjunction with Columbia University, we found out that 20 percent of the women who have been raped have also been killed in our data.

And again these are stories that are mostly second- and third-hand. We can't confirm them right now. But what we can say is we're seeing so many pattern that it would be highly unlikely that this isn't happening. So I think we can say pretty clearly that something very terrible is happening to Syria's women and men. It's something that will take a long time to sort through as these stories don't come out easily.

There's no reason for women or men to come forward and say they were raped.

BALDWIN: And part of that is the stigma, which I want to get into

You point out, Women Under Siege points out it's tough to assess the rape allegations for these organizations such as yours. Those on the other side of the battle say it's the rebels, they are just crying rape and to get the media talking about it and part of program. It's increasingly difficult to track because you point out people don't want to talk about it. Talk to me about the stigma here in countries like Syria.

WOLFE: What is interesting is all around the world you have different kinds of stigma. In Guatemala, women are shunned from their homes.

In Darfur, they are told to go build their own hut and live by themselves. In the Middle East, what seems to happen is that families are entirely shunned when one woman has been raped. It's really a way to get at an entire family. Often in the reports I have seen officers will come to a home looking for a man who perhaps is a Free Syrian Army soldier and then they will rape his wife to send a message to him.

After that, what incentive does she have to speak out about this? She's not going to get medical care and she's not going to get psychological care. She potentially faces incredible stigma in her own community.

BALDWIN: Sadly, this is nothing new. You look at other conflicts. Your group I know still trying to assess rape used as weapons of war in Libya.

What is -- other than trying to cover these stories and try to figure out what's happening on the ground, what is being done to help these women and men?

WOLFE: In Syria specifically, through mapping the instances of sexualized violence, we have a multifold hope. Much of it is about figuring out where this happened so we can get survivor services on the ground as soon as possible to try to help these victims.

A lot of our documentation is also a way to build evidence hopefully as we move forward so that if they will be international war crimes trials, we will have some kind of documentation base to start with.

Also, just putting these women's stories on the map literally, giving them a voice, so that they are not sitting there suffering with nobody listening to them, to me, that's a crucial thing to be doing in the world, that humans are out here listening to other humans and their pain. These are stories that are too often forgotten.

BALDWIN: I'm glad we gave them a voice today.

Lauren Wolfe, director of Women's Media Center's Women Under Siege. Lauren, thank you for your work.

WOLFE: Thank you.

BALDWIN: A lot more news unfolding this hour. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: As shots rang out near Texas A&M, nearby, a man waits to save lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got an ambulance here yet? I'm a medic.

BALDWIN: You will hear from this medic and what the suspect told him as he lay dying. I'm Brooke Baldwin, and the news is now.

(voice-over): Danger in the Everglades. A monster python discovered in Florida sets a record.

Plus, a mom sees herself on porn sites after shooting an instructional video on breast-feeding. Now she's suing and she joins me live.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Dramatic new video of what happened shortly after the deadly gun battle with police near Texas A&M University. The story was unfolding right around this time yesterday. Army medic Rigo Cisneros shot the video on his cell phone. He stood by as police rushed this home waiting to help this downed constable, this police officer who was trying to serve an eviction notice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's killing me to wait.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a medic over here if we need help. Hey, hey. Wait until it's clear.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm trying to get his attention.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't know if the house is empty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on. Every minute -- he's been down for like 20 (EXPLETIVE DELETED) minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Settle down.

Andy, is that house clear? All right, go. House is clear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Police say 35-year-old Thomas Caffall shot Brazos County Constable Brian Bachmann and a civilian bystander. Police Chief Jeff Capps says his officers arrived on the scene and exchanged gunfire with the suspect for multiple minutes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF CAPPS, COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, POLICE CHIEF: Our officers were contacted and they were arriving to the scene. On their initial arrival they started taking gunshots at them. They returned fire. That went on for several minutes back and forth. And then officers were able to actually treat the suspect and stop the threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I spoke with Rigo Cisneros, the Army medic who took that video. I talked to him just a short time ago. He's an Afghanistan veteran whole told he watched part of the gun battle happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIGO CISNEROS, EYEWITNESS: Shortly after actually I figured out that there were actually real gunshots and not construction noises, I could see the College Station police officer crouched behind the car taking fire. Once that happened and I informed 911, I went back to see if there was anything I could do, and then I saw the downed constable.

I had to see if I could help, but the gunfire kept exchanging, so I couldn't get out there.

BALDWIN: Let me begin with this constable because we hear in the exchange, you do ask permission to approach. You eventually get that permission. You crawl toward that one constable, police officer who had been shot. How bad had he been hit?

CISNEROS: When I approached him, one of the fellow officers that had raided the house was trying to talk to him, and he was nonresponsive. I tried to take vitals, but I found none.

And so we immediately started to do two-man CPR.

BALDWIN: Were there any signs of life?

CISNEROS: All we could identify was a single gunshot to his chest.

BALDWIN: We now later learned he passed away in the hospital. All of this happening, we should point out you have been to Afghanistan. As we said, you are a medic. You know exactly what you're doing. Not only do you approach this downed officer, you then decide to approach the shooter who could have been playing dead.

Rigo, why do that? Why take the risk?

CISNEROS: That's not really what happened.

What happened is I was first on the scene. So before the ambulances could arrive to do their job, I was working on the constable. Once they arrived, they took over and started working on the constable and the suspect needed attention.

That's when I started working my attention, until the rest of the paramedics showed up to start giving their level of care on the suspect. He was handcuffed and he was brought out by the police. And they wouldn't let me approach him until they had cleared him.

BALDWIN: He was handcuffed. You approach him. And I understand he told you something, that he wanted you to relay a message to that officer. What did he tell you?

CISNEROS: Right. He did ask me to apologize to the officer he had shot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Rigo Cisneros, thank you.

Wall Street becomes the U.S. Olympic fab five and also a famous vampire star treatment at the New York Stock Exchange. That is next.

And speaking of stars, Hollywood has lost another actor from "Welcome Back, Kotter." Horshack, whose laugh was contagious, has died -- more on his life, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Remember that? Another TV Sweathog has died. Ron Palillo, the actor who played Arnold Horshack on "Welcome Back, Kotter," died of a heart attack this morning at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He was 63. Horshack was the member of the Sweathogs best known for his goofy class clown antics. Palillo's "Kotter" co-star Robert Hegyes, who played Juan Epstein, died of a heart attack early this year.

In case you needed any reminding, Congressman Paul Ryan has made a big slash as Mitt Romney's running mate. And our political director, Mark Preston, is introducing this new tool to help track the race for the White House.

Here is Mark with the Facebook CNN Election Talk Meter -- Mark.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, Brooke.

Paul Ryan was relatively unknown until Mitt Romney introduced him this weekend as his vice presidential running mate. Now he's becoming a household name and people on Facebook are taking notice.

You know, 160 million people, more than half other country's population, is on the world's largest social network. CNN is teaming up with Facebook to present the Election Talk Meter, which measures buzz and attention around a specific person, specific topic or an even event.

If Romney was looking to create chatter with his vice presidential pick, he certainly did it. On a scale of one to 10 right now, Paul Ryan is the most buzzable politician on Facebook.

But why is he? Well, Facebook looks at the increase in chatter around the person as well as the number of people who like their fan pages. To give you some perspective about how popular Ryan has been in the past couple of days, he's just one point below what Michael Phelps reached on the same scale when he became the most decorated Olympian of all time.

Ryan's fan page has grown from zero to over 500,000 people in just a few days. And it continues to grow by the hour. Let's look at the data a little bit deeper. This is the public data that Facebook has analyzed.

The average person of the person who has liked President Obama's fan page, probably no surprise, 28 years old, Mitt Romney 46, Paul Ryan 43, Vice President Biden 35.

As for gender, it is pretty much split down the middle among Obama, Biden and Romney how it's all split out. But check this out right here; 63 percent of Paul Ryan's fans are men; 37 percent are women.

This is all interesting data that CNN is starting to analyze as head into the November elections, Brooke. And if you want to see more of it, go to CNNPolitics.com -- Brooke.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BALDWIN: CNNPolitics.com, Mark Preston, got it. Thank you very much for us in Washington.

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

BALDWIN: Today, we are hearing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will give the keynote at the Republican National Convention. Figure it would be a good time to play some of his greatest hits -- Chris Christie in his own words next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We noticed just a little while ago, and we talked about this with CNN's Peter Hamby, that Paul Ryan seems to be really firing up the base, the Republican voting base the last couple of days.

I want to just play this clip. And listen to this, because this is the reception he got just this morning at this appearance in suburban Denver.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So Paul Ryan is firing up the Republicans at least for now.

And let's do keep in mind he's the flavor of the week.

Joining us from Washington, CNN contributor Ryan Lizza, Washington correspondent for "The New Yorker" magazine and wrote this recent profile of Congressman Ryan. I read it through twice now, twice. This is just fascinating.

RYAN LIZZA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: I have people on. I like to know what they write.

By the way, I want to ask because the date on this is August 6. We know they knew August 1. So did you just get lucky on the timing of the profile?

LIZZA: I got lucky, I have to say.

I did not write the piece assuming he was going to be chosen as Romney's running mate. I wrote the piece trying to think through what would a President Romney do if he were elected? And the idea was you want to understand that, if you want to understand what the Republican Party is all about right now, Paul Ryan is the guy you have to understand.

I noted in the piece that he was a long shot to be Romney's running mate. To be totally honest, Brooke...

BALDWIN: You were shocked.

LIZZA: I was shocked.

The more I looked into it -- the more I thought about what Ryan brought to the ticket vs. what Romney's strategy appeared to be, the more I thought that it was actually less likely that he would pick him. I continue to be pretty surprised.

I think this debate that we have had the last couple of days is why. We're moving -- the whole campaign is now a discussion about entitlements and fiscal issues and Medicare. I didn't expect that that's where the Romney campaign wanted to be at this point.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: That obviously is where they are. Romney now, he is having to respond to Ryan's plans.

My question is when is the last time you had a potential present who's had to respond to a barrage of questions about a potential vice president's policy?

LIZZA: This is the thing.

Because of Romney's lack of definition on policy and partly out of -- that was a strategy. He wanted to be light on policy specifics because he wanted to keep the focus on what he would call Obama's failed record. It's a pretty classic strategy if you're a challenger taking on an incumbent.

Because he had that sort of policy vacuum, immediately by choosing Ryan, that vacuum gets filled by Ryan's policy basket. And Ryan is a guy that's defined by his ideas, by his policies. It was inevitable that if you make this guy your running mate, it's not just this guy from Wisconsin, it's all of his ideas and his budget plan that come along with him.

The Romney people obviously knew that. They're out there on offense trying to deflect the criticism especially on Medicare. But, Brooke, when was the last time the debate was about Medicare that Republicans won that debate? It just doesn't happen.

It's an issue that Democrats own. So, that's why I was surprised. I didn't understand.

BALDWIN: And also -- yes. So, and, also, though, it's like clarifying, I guess, where they both stand now, because, I mean, I think Romney sort of does have this 55-point plan, or -- you know, more or less.

LIZZA: Yes.

BALDWIN: And then you have the Ryan plan and how they sort of mesh. So we're watching to see how that gets clarified. But it is important to see remember something you, Ryan, was to point out is the fact that Paul Ryan voted lock, stock and barrel and this is in the front of your piece for the Bush II policies. In fact, I think the word you used is it "embarrassed" him, right?

It ate up the surplus. It drove the deficit, sky high. Now, he's the face of deficit reduction. How does he square that?

LIZZA: I mean, that's something -- you know, and he -- I brought that up with him and he told me that he was, quote, "miserable" during those years under Bush and the Republicans that were in charge at the time.

And, you know, the suggestion was that even though he was a fiscal conservative, he was forced to go along with a number of votes that contributed in a big way to running up the deficit.

Now, that's -- he's going to probably need a better answer when he gets into a debate with Joe Biden, other than, well, I was miserable and being a good Republican soldier.

But, you know, and he's getting a lot of criticism in the last couple of days because of that. You know, the tax cuts, the Bush tax cuts, the Medicare Part D, TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Fund ...

BALDWIN: That's all the things that come along with him, as you point out.

Final question, 30 seconds, just, you know, we talk policy. Let's just have a little fun because we've now seen the frat guy picture with the turtleneck. And you have this quick thing about his working at McDonald's and the position that he was not allowed to have.

LIZZA: Well, that's right. He had to -- he told me he worked what he called the "quarter grill." I don't know exactly what the quarter grill is, but you know, it's the grill at grill at McDonald's.

And he said the manager at McDonald's told him he couldn't work the cash register because he didn't have the social skills. And he sort of laughed at this. He told me, look, now, I'm a politician, been elected seven times, but at the time, I didn't have the social skills to work the front cash register at Mickey D's.

BALDWIN: Fun, fun details in "The New Yorker" piece. Ryan Lizza, always a pleasure. Thank you.

LIZZA: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Thanks.

And, now, on to the other rising star here of the Republican party. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the man many had pegged to be Mitt Romney's running mate, has been chosen to deliver the keynote address at the Republican national convention in Tampa later this month.

And, look, it's a huge honor. The New Jersey governor, certainly, not one to mince words. So, here for you a brief "best-of" Governor Christie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: No matter who Governor Romney picks, if the people of the United States are not convinced that he's the right man to be president of the United States right now, no matter who he picks for vice president, they're not voting for him.

And, by the same token, that went for President Obama four years ago.

I mean, you really think that the people of the United States said, I'm not sure about this Obama guy, but, boy, I love Biden.

When I landed here today in Chicago, I stopped at the airport for a minute because I saw the president was going to come on the air to talk about the economy. And I said, what the heck. I've got ten minutes to waste. Why not?

You have (INAUDIBLE) like Reed Gusciora who put out a statement comparing me to George Wallace and Lester Maddox.

Now, you know, come on, guys. At some point, you've got to be able to call b.s. on those kind of press releases.

(INAUDIBLE), but let me tell you. You people disappoint me on Tuesday. You don't do what you're supposed to do on Tuesday for Mitt Romney, I will be back, Jersey-style, people. I will be back.

You know, I saw some of these news feeds we were watching upstairs of people sitting on the beach in Asbury Park. Get the hell off the beach in Asbury Park and get out. You're done. It's 4:30. You've maximized your tan. Get off the beach.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Governor Christie in his own words.

Hey, by the way, I'm so looking forward to seeing Chris Christie and so many others here in Tampa. I am headed to the Republican national convention where Republicans are holding the convention in Tampa, two weeks from today, kicking off August 27th, right here on CNN. Join me, live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there. Here on "The Help Desk" today, we're talking about credit. With me now, Liz Miller and Doug Flynn.

Liz, listen to your question.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do I get the credit if I don't have any credit history?

KOSIK: It really is the backbone for everything, isn't it, credit?

LIZ MILLER, PRESIDENT, SUMMIT PLACE FINANCIAL ADVISORS: It is. And, you know, years ago, you'd go get a Sears credit card. It was the perfect way and the best credit you could build.

Today, the first thing to do is go to your bank where you've got a savings account, build a bit and, usually, if you can't give a straight out credit card from the bank, they'll give you a reserve credit card. You put aside a little bit of your savings behind that care and, when you show a few months that you can use it wisely, then they'll start adding credit to it.

When you do have that credit card, you want to regularly go back to your bank and ask to extend it, so that you can show a record of paying it off on your credit report and getting more and more credit that you can manage.

Ultimately, a car loan is one of the best things you can get to build a wonderful credit rating.

KOSIK: OK, that's what I was going to ask. You know, you sort of have to show through action, don't you? Don't make any late payments, right?

DOUG FLYNN, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER, FLYNN ZITO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: Absolutely not. You don't ever want to be more than 30 days late and you always want to make sure that you can handle the monthly payments.

The car loan is absolutely a great way to get started, something reasonable, and you can usually get car loan. The car dealers want to find a way to get you in that car.

Another good thing to do is look at a gas card from any gas company. They usually have a small limit. They'll give you chance, if you have a card, to charge some stuff and pay it off. Charge some stuff and pay it off and that's how you build some credit.

KOSIK: OK, great advice. Thank you.

And, if you have an issue you want our experts to tackle, upload a 30-second video with your "Help Desk" question to iReport.com.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Alison, thank you. My next guest just wanted to help other new mothers who were having a tough time learning how to breastfeed, but what she did and what has become has her steaming mad. Her story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Admit it. At some point or other, you have Googled yourself. Well, when on New Jersey mother did just that, she saw her good deed twisted into something she fears will haunt her and her little daughter for the rest of their lives.

Let me take you back to January of 2010. MaryAnn Sahoury agreed to be filmed doing this breastfeeding instructional video, absolutely free of charge. So, she signed this release.

She says the producer for Parents TV told her Sahoury's last name would not be used, but later, Sahoury did this Internet search on her name and what popped up? website after website of pornographic videos with her full name and that of her little girl.

Someone had pirated this video, spliced it into X-rated footage featuring a woman that looked like Sahoury, so now, Sahoury is suing Meredith Corporation which owns Parent TV for breach of contract.

Her lawsuits states, quote, "had the defendants not used MaryAnn's last name, the creator of the pornographic video would not have been able to link up the breastfeeding video and the pornographic video with MaryAnn and A.S. -- that's her daughter connecting them to pornography.

Wow, MaryAnn Sahoury and her attorney, Fred Pisani, join me live from New York, so welcome to both of you. And, my goodness, I mean, you think you're doing something -- you think you're going this good deed and then you see website after website of porn.

When you first see this, what the heck did you think?

MARYANN SAHOURY, BREASTFEEDING MOTHER SUING MEREDITH CORPORATION: I was -- it really took a second to hit me. And, as soon as I saw it, I just sort of froze and felt really paralyzed. I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't know where I was going to go. And I just -- at the time, I just felt really sick to my stomach and, you know, feeling very vulnerable.

BALDWIN: Yeah, so, there are basically these two videos. One, this video, this instructional breastfeeding video that you did for Meredith, in which they used your last name. The other is this porn video. So these are two different videos. For video number one, MaryAnn, you did sign some papers and I just have to ask, did you read what you signed?

SAHOURY: I did not read the paper. I had signed it based on the representations that were made to me before I did the video, so I didn't think there would be any surprises, really.

BALDWIN: OK, so, you're doing this good deed. You don't exactly read it. You sign your name. Fred, to you, what is your case against Meredith now that we know she signed the release?

FRED PISANI, SAHOURY'S ATTORNEY: The release is a nonissue. Had the release been enforceable, the court would have dismissed our case. The court didn't and we're here. It's an unenforceable release.

BALDWIN: So, you are here and let me just tell you, of course, we reached out to Meredith and here's what Meredith told CNN.

Quote, "We took immediate action, hiring leading law firms and online specials to file take-down demands, clear online caches, create positive references. We took these actions even though Miss Sahoury signed a release, authorizing use of the video across all media platforms, giving Parents, TV the right to use her full name and holding Meredith harmless for any potential misuse of the video by a third party. We are continuing the good faith efforts even after Miss Sahoury filed her lawsuit."

So, you know, Meredith saying, of course, they did nothing wrong, nefarious with this footage. So, obviously, Fred, someone pirated this instructional video. Can you not go after the guy behind these porn videos?

PISANI: Well, first, let me say that it's our position that Meredith is responsible because they gave the individual the key by giving and using the last name of my client when they represented they wouldn't. They gave the individual the key to link her and her daughter to pornography.

Had they done what they said they were going to do, which was only use the first name and/or her image, they would not have been able to link up the pornography. There are probably thousands and thousands ...

BALDWIN: But let me just interject. Her face would have still been on the video, even if the last name ...

PISANI: That's true. But you would then actually have to view the video in some fashion or form to see her face and then say, oh, that looks like MaryAnn as opposed to, if you have the first and last name and you Google their name, when you're going for employment or you're going to school and you put in the name, you're then able to see the linkage.

BALDWIN: I understand, but then, to the point about these pornographic videos, have you tried tracking down this guy or gal, whoever's behind this?

PISANI: Meredith Corporation, the producer of "Better Homes and Gardens," "Parent" magazine and other publications could not locate this individual.

So, even if we tried, it'd be difficult, if not impossible for us to do it if this big conglomerate couldn't do it. BALDWIN: MaryAnn, we know it's the Internet. Videos tend to live forever there. How do you move forward?

SAHOURY: You know, it's been really difficult for me. It's been difficult for my family. It's hard to see yourself connected to these things and especially even harder to see my daughter.

But, you know, I really feel like there's a new wave for change and I think that, with this bringing some awareness, I feel like we can bring some change out there and really have these large corporations take better responsibility and care with their participants, as well as also bringing some awareness to the fact that there needs to be better laws and protection for people on the Internet.

BALDWIN: We will follow up with you both and see if anything changes. MaryAnn Sahoury and Fred Pisani, we thank you both.

PISANI: Thank you very much.

SAHOURY: Thank you so much.

BALDWIN: The widow of a man gunned down outside of his children's daycare center could face life in prison, but will there be enough evidence to convict Andrea Sneiderman? The police chief reportedly never thought of her as a suspect. We're "On the Case," next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Now, to the case of the father who was shot and killed at his kid's day care, brought daylight, Atlanta suburb here. Prosecutors say they will seek a life sentence for his widow.

Earlier this month, a grand jury indicted Andrea Sneiderman on charges of murder, conspiracy and perjury. They allege that Sneiderman plotted with her lover, Hemy Neuman, to kill Rusty almost two years ago.

A jury found Neuman guilty, but mentally ill. That was back in March. Andrea Sneiderman denied on the stand during Neuman's trial that the two were ever involved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREA SNEIDERMAN: I couldn't believe it. It wasn't even possible I thought I was being stupid.

Who would think that this would be happening right now? Whose boss kills someone else's husband? I don't care, affair or no affair. There was no affair. Who kills someone else's husband?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Well, now our affiliate out of Atlanta, WSB TV, reports that police may have lost key evidence against Sneiderman, some 1,100 text messages, because they didn't initially consider Sneiderman a suspect.

CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin, "On the Case" with us. Sunny, we've talked about this case a number of times. With the lack of texts, what kind of case do the prosecutors have here?

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: You know, I don't think it's a weak case because they certainly have one conviction under their belts. They have the conviction of Hemy Neuman under their belt.

They have now charged Andrea Sneiderman with conspiracy and they say that they've worked together. And they do have some evidence. I mean, they certainly have evidence from witnesses about this alleged affair. They have evidence that she gave Mr. Neuman, Hemy Neuman, her husband's schedule for that day that he was killed. And, so, there is some evidence.

But, my goodness, Brooke, it's like Investigation 101. Who do you look to when you have a murder? You look to those people that are closest and the fact that the police just completely overlooked this woman, knowing that there was a connection, that the man that killed her husband was her boss.

I mean, it's just remarkable to me that they didn't do more sooner, that she wasn't a suspect and that they are now missing over 1,100 text messages. I mean, who texts that much with their bosses? I don't know about you, Brooke, but I certainly don't.

BALDWIN: Right.

HOSTIN: So, you know, a lot of missed opportunities here, but I do suspect that they have a pretty strong case against this defendant.

BALDWIN: Do we know if there is any one piece of evidence that really is a slam dunk for them?

HOSTIN: Yes, well, you never really have a slam dunk when you're prosecuting these kinds of cases, but they do have evidence to support their theory that there was a conspiracy. Smoking gun? Not necessarily. But there is evidence here.

BALDWIN: OK. Sunny Hostin, good to see you, "On the Case."

HOSTIN: Good to see you.

BALDWIN: Thank you so much.

And, now, to this one, where I feel like I might have to avert my eyes, telling this story. One-hundred-sixty-four-and-a- half pounds, 17.5 feet, we're talking about one very large, very dangerous snake and why wildlife officials say they need to get this creature out of the U.S. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Here is a story not for the squeamish. This is one of the largest Burmese pythons ever caught. But guess what? This thing wasn't found in the Amazon. It was caught right in the Florida Everglades.

And it gets worse because this snake was pregnant with 87 eggs. There are three of them. In Florida, this is obviously serious business. You have serpent hunters out there, trawling through the Everglades just to catch these pythons.

John Zarrella is back. He brought us the story of one of these hunters. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE WAZALUSKI (PH), REPTILE EXPERT: The next ten miles seem to be the hot spot for Burmese pythons.

JOHN ZARRELLA: Wazaluski (ph), a reptile expert, is one of a handful of men sanctioned by the state to hunt down and rid the glades of pythons, an extraordinary move in response to what scientists believe is a rapidly growing threat to the delicate ecosystem.

WAZALUSKI (PH): It's a large predator. And they're eating basically everything in sight. That's the problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Chad Myers is on the python beat for us today. This thing is 17 -- what, 17.5 feet long? How did this -- how did it even get here?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It was probably dropped off by an owner years ago that couldn't take care of it anymore. The first python they ever found in the Everglades was 1979.

BALDWIN: OK.

MYERS: Now, there were a few that got away in Hurricane Andrew. And that was the old myth.

BALDWIN: Right, everybody thinks of Hurricane Andrew.

MYERS: Yes, of course. And, of course, some did get away.

BALDWIN: OK.

MYERS: But this old? I mean, this is a mama.

BALDWIN: Obviously, 87 eggs.

MYERS: Yes, exactly. And they now believe there could be 1,000 to over 100,000 other pythons in the Everglades right now.

BALDWIN: So, when we're looking at this picture of -- I don't know if these are scientists. They're cutting it apart and removing the eggs, presumably.

MYERS: They actually tracked this thing. They found it. They tagged it. They've tracked it for 37 days trying to figure out where did it go, where are their others? Where are the males?

But they knew that it was going to be pregnant. They stopped the birth process here by taking the life of this python. And, so, when they did cut it apart, they found 87 eggs. They have never found that many eggs in one python before. That's how quickly these things can breed and multiply and multiply, 87-to-1, literally.

BALDWIN: How many non-native snakes are out there? What kind of impact are they having?

MYERS: According to the Florida DNR, they think there are 500 different types of fish or other species not native to Florida. Now, that includes cattle. There are cows that, you know, for breeding and all that, but that's one of them.

BALDWIN: OK.

MYERS: But, also, 1,300 other plants that are not native. And these things are literally taking over.

BALDWIN: That's incredible that they tracked this python for as long as they did ...

MYERS: Yeah.

BALDWIN: ... and have it. What do they do with the eggs?

MYERS: I suppose they cut them apart and look inside. I don't know.

BALDWIN: OK, I hope you're putting your lunch down as we're having this conversation, folks.

Chad Myers, it's been a pleasure. Let's not talk about pythons again. But it is sort soft squeamishly fascinating, all at once. Thank you very much.

And, on that note, that does it for me. I'm Brooke Baldwin here at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. Let's take you to Washington now. Your "Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer begins right now.