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More Toss Up States; Syrian Government Troops Bomb Hospital; West Nile Virus in Texas; Reports: Syrian V.P. Has Defected; Obama Pitches His Plans
Aired August 18, 2012 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Alison Kosik, in for Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Here's a look at the stories making headlines:
President Obama spent the day in New Hampshire talking about the budget and blasting Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan's plans for a Medicare overhaul. In Florida, Ryan brought his mom along to defend his Medicare plans before an audience of mostly senior citizens. We'll have the latest on both campaigns ion just a few minutes.
For the first time in 45 years, Dallas County, Texas, is spraying mosquito pesticide from the air trying to end a deadly outbreak of West Nile virus. The virus has already claimed 21 lives in Texas and made at least 550 others sick. Many in Dallas are opposed to the spraying.
The EPA says the pesticide isn't harmful to humans or pets.
Federal officials say cantaloupes from southwestern Indiana are making people sick and killed two people. The cause: salmonella. The FDA says if you have any cantaloupes from that part of the country, throw them out. More than 140 people came down with salmonella infection in 20 states.
Firefighters are catching a break this weekend. Slightly cooler temperatures are helping them tamp down wildfires, scorching much of the western U.S. In California and Washington state, people who fled the area are being allowed to go back home and see what was spared.
Indiana police say weather is to blame for a deadly multivehicle pileup this morning. At least 16 cars and trucks smashed into each other on Interstate 65 in Jasper County. One person was killed. Two others were badly hurt. Police say fog plus smoke from a nearby fire made it tough for drivers to see.
The vice president of Syria may have defected, left the country and joined the revolution trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. He's Farouk al-Sharaa. And officials inside the rebel Free Syrian Army insist he's the highest level member of the regime to quit.
No confirmation yet, but as Nic Robertson reports, we may find out for sure in just a few hours.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, perhaps the best indication where Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa really is may come Sunday at prayer service in Damascus for the end of Ramadan, for the Eid holidays. Normally, the vice president and the president will be in attendance.
If Farouk al-Sharaa isn't there, that will be an indication that belies what the government has saying that he's never thought about leaving the country, that he's in his job, that he's quoted by officials as commenting on the sort of ongoing conflict, praising the choice of the new U.N. representative to Syria, backing what the representative has called for, for unity at the U.N. Security Council.
All the government's efforts indicate the vice president is still in his job. If he's not at the prayer service, that will be a strong indication the government doesn't control him.
The Free Syrian Army is saying that they're helping him get across the border to Jordan. However, they've said they've lost contact with the commanders that are helping him try to escape. And for that reason, they say they're not quite sure where he is, that he hasn't made it to Jordan yet. They say they're afraid that if some of his family members are captured, he may be forced into surrendering.
We've also heard from Free Syrian Army spokespeople who said that he could be, could be an important figure in the future. They talk about the fact that he hasn't been involved that much in the conflict, that he had two relatives killed in the town of Daraa, close to the border with Jordan fairly early on in the conflict. That he hasn't been supporting Bashar al-Assad as much as he might have been. The government, of course, has run pictures of him attending a funeral service for senior government officials back in July.
But he is a very, very important figure -- a number of years as vice president, more than six years as vice president. Before that, more than 20 years as foreign minister. So a hugely important figure for Bashar al-Assad.
That would be very damaging for the Syrian president, coming on a day when the Syrian government has had a cabinet reshuffle. There's a new health minister, new minister of justice, all of this indicating that Bashar al-Assad appears to be losing the support of some of his most important senior and influential government members, an indication that his leadership does not have much longer to go.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: President Obama made two campaign stops in New Hampshire today, pitching his plans on taxes and the budget, and criticizing Republicans on Medicare.
CNN's Athena Jones joins me now from the White House.
Athena, the president spent a lot of time at both of his rallies, hammering Romney and Ryan on Medicare.
Exactly what did he say?
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. So, he gave two pretty fiery speeches today in New Hampshire, Alison. As you know, this is a small state, only four electoral votes. But in a close race, it can play an outsize role.
So he was answering charges from the Romney campaign about what they say he would do to Medicare. Let's listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My plan saves money in Medicare by cracking down on fraud and waste and making sure insurance companies aren't getting unfair subsidies.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Their plan makes seniors pay more so they can give another tax cut to rich folks that don't need a tax cut.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: So there you have him, you have the president combining these two big issues that have been the themes, not just of today but the last several weeks, the Medicare and tax cut issue. He's saying the Republicans are accusing the president of having a plan that would slash Medicare by $716 billion and use that money to help fund his health care law. He says that's not the case.
The independent fact checkers PolitiFact say that's not the case. So the president was saying, the plan you should fear is the plan being put forward by Romney and Ryan on Medicare, because changing it to this voucher program would change the whole system as we know it, Alison.
KOSIK: Athena, you know, what about the budget? I'm guessing he had some pretty tough talk for Romney on that issue, too, on the budget.
JONES: Well, certainly. When it comes to the budget, when it comes to taxes and how each side thinks government money should be spent, the president slammed Romney and Ryan. He said that Romney's tax plan, Romney's economic plans would give rich people a tax cut that make middle class families pay for it. He said the average middle class family would see their taxes go up by $2,000, the average middle class family with children, and that Romney wouldn't be using that money to cut the deficit, but really just to fund more tax cuts for people like him.
So, it's the same themes we've been hearing about. Maybe a little more fiery, a little more aggressive tone today, Alison.
KOSIK: And the back and forth I'm sure will continue. Athena Jones, thank you.
JONES: Thanks.
KOSIK: Republican Mitt Romney is on the road but off the trail today. No public events but he held several private meetings and fundraisers in Boston.
In Florida, his running mate Paul Ryan tackled the Medicare issue head on at The Villages, often referred to as the world's biggest retirement community. And he brought along a special guest, his mom. She's a retiree and part-time Florida resident. Ryan said she's a perfect example of why he and Mitt Romney will preserve, not destroy the Medicare program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Medicare was there for our family, for my grandma when we needed it then. And Medicare is there for my mom while she needs it now, and we have to keep that guaranteed.
(CHEERS)
RYAN: My mom has been on Medicare for over ten years, and I want to tell you exactly how many years over 10 years she's been on it. She plays tennis every week. She exercises every day. She planned her retirement around this promise that the government made her, because she paid her payroll taxes into this program, when she made -- when she had this promise with. That's a promise we have to keep.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: And most analysts consider Florida a must-win for Romney and Ryan. President Obama won the state four years ago.
A deadly police shooting sparks controversy in Michigan. Coming up next, exclusive video of officers shooting a homeless man dozens of times in a matter of seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: We must warn you that this next story is very graphic. It contains CNN exclusive video that shows Saginaw, Michigan, police officers shooting a homeless man dozens of times. The case has now drawn the attention of civil rights investigators with the Justice Department. Police say the man threatened them with a knife.
But witnesses and family members say it didn't have to end this way.
Here's national correspondent Jason Carroll.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A joint investigation is under way into the shooting. Amateur video details what happened during the final moments. I do have to warn you, the video is graphic. (voice-over): This amateur video, purchased by CNN and not made public until now, captured the confrontation between six Saginaw police officers and Milton Hall, a 49-year-old man who his family says suffered from serious mental health issues. Hall, seen in the middle of your screen, police say, had just had a run-in with a convenience store clerk. He was in a standoff with police and holding some sort of knife.
A female officer is heard shouting.
FEMALE OFFICER: Put the knife down.
MILTON HALL: (INAUDIBLE) ain't putting (EXPLETIVE DELETED) down.
FEMALE OFFICER: Put the knife down.
CARROLL: If you listen carefully, Hall is heard continuing to yell at police.
HALL: My name is Milton Hall. I just called 911. My name is Milton and I am pissed off!
CARROLL: Hall seems agitated. But not intimidated by a police dog.
HALL: Let him go. Let him go. Let the mother (EXPLETIVE DELETED) dog go.
CARROLL: Heard on the tape, a witness describes what he sees.
WITNESS: He's in a karate stance, about to go ham on them.
CARROLL: Then, as Hall appears to take a few steps, everything comes to a head.
(GUN FIRE)
CARROLL: Local media report 46 shots fired. CNN counted the sounds of at least 30 shots on the videotape.
Anthony Baber witnessed the shooting.
ANTHONY BABER, SHOOTING WITNESS: All of a sudden, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, and he drops. You know, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow and he drops.
I was about where that blue van is. I was parked in my van.
CARROLL: Tabitha Perry saw it, too.
TABITHA PERRY, SHOOTING WITNESS: I heard one of the officers say something to the fact where, put the knife down or I'll let the dog go.
CARROLL: Do you believe the officering were justified in what they did?
PERRY: No, I don't. No, I don't, because what they did, there was a better way to do it. I think their judgment was off.
CARROLL: Perry is not alone. Hall's mother says Saginaw police overreacted.
JEWEL HALL, MILTON HALL'S MOTHER: Emotionally, I have a lot of page, and I'm stunned. That six human beings would stand in front of one human being and fire 46 shots. I just don't understand that.
CARROLL: On the day of the shooting, July 1st, the Saginaw police chief defended his officer's actions.
GERALD CLIFF, POLICE CHIEF: This is someone from our understanding has a long history. Not only with police, from our department, but with the county, known to be an assaultive person.
CARROLL: Over the last month, members of the community have voiced outrage about the Hall shooting, not satisfied with the police investigation into the officer's response.
We showed the video of the shooting to city councilman Norman Braddock.
NORMAN BRADDOCK, SAGINAW CITY COUNCIL: I can see why people are traumatized at looking at something like that. And we need answers.
CARROLL: Braddock has been critical of what he calls the slow pace of the shooting investigation.
(on camera): Could it be that investigators are just trying to make sure they're doing a thorough job and that's why the investigation is --
BRADDOCK: I'm sure that has something to do with it, but at the same time, it should be a top priority.
CARROLL: Where you are in terms of the investigation.
(voice-over): The Michigan state police lead investigator would not discuss the case. Instead, referring us to the Saginaw County prosecutor, who told us, "I can't tell you when the case is going to be completed. The matter is being thoroughly investigated by an independent police agency, the Michigan State Police, along with the Michigan attorney general's office."
Hall's mother already feels she knows the answer to the question of whether police used too much force.
J. HALL: It appeared to be a firing squad dressed in police uniforms. And there was another way. They did not have to kill him.
CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, Saginaw, Michigan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: The Justice Department had previously declined comment on the Milton Hall shooting case. But just yesterday, a spokesman for assistant attorney general Thomas Perez of the Civil Rights Division, told CNN, quote, "I can confirm the Justice Department now has an open investigation into the Saginaw shooting."
My next guest works with law enforcement, preparing them to handle very dangerous situations. We're going to have a look -- we're going to have him look at that disturbing video and see if that confrontation could have ended differently.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: I'll tell you what I look for in a teacher. The first thing I look for is that they love children.
Another one, I want winners. I want people who really want to win. And that means that they're going to do what they have to win. Winning in education is making sure the child knows how to do something.
And the third thing I also look for is that a teacher is attractive. Now, I'm not talking about being cute or that they have a way about them that makes you want to listen to what they have to say. There's a certain swagger they have about them that commands attention. Because children's attention needs to be commanded and if this person is a shrinking violet in front of the classroom, bad thing also happen.
So I'm looking for the total package. I'm looking for somebody who loves kids, I'm looking for somebody who wants to win and they're just attractive.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: OK. This just in to CNN: A passenger jet headed to Germany from Newark, New Jersey is headed back to Newark after a fire in one of the engines.
CNN's Susan Candiotti is monitoring the situation from New York.
Susan, witnesses are describing quite a frightening sight. What happened here?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and it must have been scary to the passengers, as well. We're told this is United flight 96. It's a Boeing 757. And it was headed, as you said, to Berlin, Germany, taking off from Newark.
The FAA tells us it is currently flying around and around, burning off fuel, making its way back to Newark Airport after according to a spokesperson, a tire blew on takeoff and flew into the left engine. Now, the FAA says the left engine is now operating again properly, but they've got to take their time to burn of the fuel before that plane can land safely, they hope and expect at Newark International Airport.
But witnesses talk about seeing fireballs, that's how they describe it, coming out of the plane before -- when they saw this happening. In fact, this federal law enforcement spokesman said to me that she happened to be driving by when she saw the plane flying overhead with that left engine on fire.
So, again, we have no reports of injuries on board the plane at this time. United Airlines has not gotten back to us. We are following this on a Web site called Flight Tracker, as well. And seeing the route and it's going around and around, burning off fuel before it lands, possibly as early as 7:40 Eastern.
KOSIK: Susan, did one of the engines actually go out during flight?
CANDIOTTI: Well, it had just taken of when people describe seeing flames coming out of the left engine and hearing popping noises. And so, this happened in the left engine. We don't know exactly at what point this occurred. It appeared to take off to happen when the flight was taking off when one of the tire engines blew and flew into the engine, one of the engines according to this federal law enforcement spokesman.
KOSIK: Any idea how long it will have to circumstance toll burn off the fuel?
CANDIOTTI: No, we've had one report it could take a few hours. However, we are also told by the FAA that they expect it to land in about 20 minutes or so. So we'll have to see exactly what develops.
KOSIK: OK. We'll be eager to hear when that plane lands safely. Susan Candiotti, thank you.
CANDIOTTI: You bet.
KOSIK: All right. You've seen the disturbing video of 49-year-old Milton Hall being gunned down by officers in Saginaw, Michigan, last month. Police shot him dozens of times in five seconds after they say he threatened them with a knife. Family members say Hall had a history of mental health issues.
Behavioral scientist Dr. Bill Lewinski joins me now live from -- by Skype from Minnesota. He trains the law enforcement agencies on how to handle the mentally ill in lethal force encounters.
Dr. Lewinski, you've seen the video. What do you think?
DR. BILL LEWINSKI, BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST: I think it's very tragic, very difficult situation to watch. But it's very classically representative of many of the crisis situations that police officers face with mentally ill in the street almost every day.
KOSIK: What do you tell officers when they're dealing with the mentally ill? Is there a certain way to deal with this kind of thing?
LEWINSKI: Well, one of the most important things that officers need to do is they need to establish contact, build a rapport in some way and some way get the person listening to them and what they're saying so they can form a persuasive relationship. Without that ability to establish contact, build rapport, the officer then has little influence other than the use of force.
If you look at this instance, the officers are pleading for Mr. Hall to drop his knife. They threaten the use of force and he challenges them back. This is truly a difficult, challenging issue for officers from the point of view of communication, a resolution in any way other than force.
Now, even well-trained mentally -- well-trained individuals who are skilled in negotiating and relating to individuals in the middle of a crisis would have difficulty with this type of situation.
KOSIK: Is it a situation where the officers just may have gotten so caught up in the moment? I mean, so many shots fired, so quickly?
LEWINSKI: Well, if you look at the number of shots fired, and it appears to be an issue in the case, the duration of firing is for a short period of time and with today's hand guns, the average officer is going to fire a quarter second a round. So, in one second, you have five pilots fired, and the duration of shooting was very short period of time. You have six officers firing.
Usually in this type of situation, each officer is making their judgment individually. And so, each officer is going to be starting to fire and then ending fire individually. But as a group, it is a large number of rounds.
We'll need to see what the investigation comes up with each officer's shooting duration and frequency of shot. But that's not uncharacteristic of a large number of situations in which the officers, as a group, are responding to a threat.
KOSIK: All right. Dr. Bill Lewinski, thank you for your insight.
LEWINSKI: You're welcome.
KOSIK: Now that the Republican ticket is complete, how does that change the strategies of both parties in the campaign? We're going to take a look at that, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: Bottom of the hour now, let's take a look at the headlines.
Federal officials say cantaloupes from southwestern Indiana are making people sick and two people have died. The cause: salmonella. The FDA says if you have any cantaloupes from that part of the country, throw them out. More than 140 people have come down with salmonella infection in 20 states.
In Dallas County, Texas, they are spraying pesticide to kill mosquitoes to counter the West Nile virus. The virus already has claimed 21 lives in Texas and made at least 550 others sick. It's the first time Dallas has sprayed pesticide from the air in 45 years.
In a few minutes, you'll hear from the mother of a teen who caught the virus two months ago. Firefighters are catching a break this weekend. Slightly cooler temperatures are helping them tamp down wildfires scorching much of Western U.S. In California and Washington state, people who fled the area are being allowed to go back home and see what was spared.
The battle for the White house always comes down to those all- important battleground states and CNN has just moved a crucial state in the upper midwest into the toss-up column. It's a state that we once rated to be leaning towards President Obama. Let's check in with our chief political correspondent John King.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: We had Wisconsin and its 10 electoral votes leaning towards the president. But now because of our new poll, because of the Paul Ryan pick, because of our reporting in the state, we're switching Wisconsin to a true toss-up state, which makes the math a little bit closer. It takes 270 to win. The president now has 237 electoral votes. Those are the dark and the light blue states. Light blue leaning democratic, dark blue solid Obama.
Governor Romney at 206 right now. A little bit behind but moving Wisconsin tightens the math a little. So look at what you have left, under any scenario, people tell you Governor Romney has to win Florida to get to the White House and probably has to win Ohio. If he can do those two and he can add Wisconsin, look at that would do. That would give you a much more competitive race and in fact, would give Governor Romney the advantage, if he can do Florida, Ohio and now Wisconsin, if you look at the math. That's one way to look at it.
Here's another way to look at it. If you come out to the national map and you go back to 2008, if you look at this part of the country, the midwest was absolutely pivotal to President Obama's huge electoral victory. Look all that blue here. Why are the Romney forces confident that they can do better in the region this time? Well, look - let's go to 2010. Look at the Senate races across that same region, all red meaning all Republican. That's why they think the Ryan pick plus the economy helps them out in the midwest region. And again, if you come back to the electoral map, finally as we finish up, if you can put Wisconsin in play, you can put Ohio in play for the Republicans, if Governor Romney can carry Iowa as well, look at that, that would dramatically change the map from 2008. The midwest key now, key now, part of the Ryan pick and key to Governor Romney's strategy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: All right. That was CNN's John King. Let's go ahead and talk about the presidential race and the shifting political map with Lynn Sweet. She is the Washington bureau chief for the "Chicago Sun Times." Lynn, CNN has put Wisconsin back in play with Ohio and Iowa still up for grabs. How realistic is it for Mitt Romney to think he can make a serious run in the midwest?
LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF "CHICAGO SUN TIMES": Well, we have the history from 2010, as John king just pointed out. So it's not impossible. And even though Wisconsin had been seen as light blue for the very reasons we talked about, they think it could be a pickup. The situation, though, still very close. Every poll shows that it's going to be too close to call for a bit of time. The issue here is, again, as John laid out so well, the battle right now is really over just 70 electoral votes, because many of the states are already in one camp or another. You know, either that blue or that red. That's why you have all these visits to the states where they have relatively small number of electoral votes, because the battle now is for 70 more votes to get to that 270.
KOSIK: So then why are Obama and Romney spending so much time in small states like Iowa and New Hampshire with so few electoral votes?
SWEET: Well, because they need them now to get to that magic number of 270. so Obama is in New Hampshire on Saturday, making two stops there, just a few, just a handful of electoral votes. But if you're trying to cobble together just another 70 from the base 230 that each man thinks they may have going in, you can see why all these states are critical, even though they're not the mega wealthy electoral state rich states like New York or California or Illinois.
Those states, with the exception of Florida, are taken, and Pennsylvania. That's why you see both candidates spending time in these places where a small number of electoral votes are up for grabs, as we get closer to election day though, they will narrow in and spend most of their time, their most precious commodity in the states where they can get the most electoral votes for the time spent.
KOSIK: OK. So there's a handful of sometimes very small battleground states like New Hampshire and Iowa. And we're told, you know, there's only a tiny number of people in those states who haven't made up their minds. So are all of these ads, all of these speeches targeting just a tiny percentage of the electorate?
SWEET: Absolutely. In fact, for so many people out there, their minds are made up. You can almost say all this election, all the conventions, the debates, this isn't for you, because probably nothing is going to make up your mind. Yes, this whole enormously expensive campaign we're seeing right now is focused really on a handful of voters in a handful of these battleground states.
KOSIK: All right. Lynn Sweet with "The Chicago Sun Times," thanks for joining us.
SWEET: Thank you.
KOSIK: All right. I mentioned just moments ago the steps Dallas County is taking as it deals with an outbreak of the West Nile virus. Next, we're going to Dallas and talk with someone who knows first hand how horrible this virus is. The mother of someone who contracted it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: I want to tell you about a developing story involving a United Airlines passenger jet, flight 96. It was headed from Newark, New Jersey to Berlin. Right now it's circling over New Jersey burning off fuel after a tire blew during takeoff and flew into an engine on the plane. This is according to an FBI spokeswoman.
The FAA isn't able to confirm at this point that there was a fire, but the agency does say the engine on the Boeing 757 is now operating properly. Still, it is headed back to Newark. It's circling, waiting to land as it burns off this fuel. An eyewitness told CNN she witnessed fireballs near a wing on the jet and heard a loud popping sound. Another witness who lives near the airport reported hearing an unusual noise and saw fire but not smoke coming from the aircraft's left engine. Stay with CNN as we monitor the situation.
As we reported, the decision to spray pesticide in Dallas County, Texas, to combat the West Nile virus was controversial. But officials hope it will put an end to the outbreak that's killed 21 people in Texas. But it will be too late for Jordan Conner, the 14-year-old suffering from a rare strain of the virus and even now two months after she was infected, Jordan is still coping with the effects. Her mother Ebony joins me now from Dallas.
Thanks for joining us, Ebony. How is your daughter doing?
EBONY CONNER, MOTHER OF 14-YEAR-OLD WITH WEST NILE VIRUS: Today is a better day. Thank you for asking. But because the symptoms are so vague and she does have a neuro-invasive version of it, it just can change at any moment because it runs its course through her brain. So it triggers, it triggers on and off at different times.
KOSIK: How did you first figure out that something was wrong? What were her symptoms?
CONNER: Again, they were really vague. Just a fever every now and again, mild, nothing major. It was real minor. But when the mention of a headache came into a complaint of a headache and then the headache began to include vomiting, that's when I knew something was wrong.
KOSIK: And I heard there was a special moment between you and Jordan when she was in the ICU. Can you tell me about that?
CONNER: It took the doctors three or four days to tell us what was wrong. When they did, it kind of threw me off. I wasn't prepared for it. And right when I left to go get my son, Max, and bring him to the hospital, the hospital called and said she was in the ICU. She wouldn't wake up. I was able to get her to wake up and we just connected and I was able to tell Jordan she had to stay alive. She had to stay alert. And she had to stay active. Because she did not realize what was going on. She didn't realize she was dying. She just thought she was going to sleep.
KOSIK: Most people don't think that West Nile virus continues for this long. I mean do doctors expect your daughter to make a full recovery?
CONNER: They don't know. It's a wait-and-see approach. They can't tell you how long it will be. If it will be a week, they just say it's indefinite and Jordan has a severe case of it. It's just wait and see.
KOSIK: All right. Well, we wish Jordan and your family well. And I want to tell people, if they want to donate money towards Jordan's medical costs, they can go to indygogo/jordancorner.com, if you want to donate money to help with her medical bills. We do wish you the best.
CONNER: Thank you.
KOSIK: You've watched her have the time of her life in "Dirty Dancing" and win the top prize on "Dancing with the Stars." Next, actress Jennifer Gray dishes about dancing and reveals big secret from the blockbuster film that helped define the 80s.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: Nobody puts the baby in the corner. Remember that from the '80s classic "Dirty Dancing." Can't believe it, it turns 25 this year. One of the big stars of the film Jennifer Gray sat down with CNN and she spilled some secrets about the movie, her time on "Dancing with the Stars" and how she took a big and potentially embarrassing risk while shooting the film.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER GRAY, ACTRESS: You have to wear pasties on our nipples. Because if we had a wardrobe malfunction, it wouldn't show your nipple. But I never wore mine. Hi, I'm Jennifer Gray and I'm here answering your CNN I-report questions.
KATHI CORDSEN, I-REPORTER: Congratulations on your winning "Dancing with the Stars." And I was hoping you could give us some juicy details about "Dancing with the Stars."
GRAY: Kathi, you vixen you. OK. Got it. When you wear your costume on the show night, the mic pack is shoved under your breast. One breast, just one. So therefore, it could be a little uneven. There's only one mic pac. You've got two breasts, and I found it a little uncomfortable. So sometimes I would wear it on my back.
ERIC KRASNER, I-REPORTER: There's no doubt that you come from a highly talented family. And I'm a huge fan of your grandfather (INAUDIBLE). I'm just wondering if he ever taught you how to do his famous glug?
GRAY: Such a great question. No, I can't do the glug justice - but I can do (INAUDIBLE) wait, I've got to warm up. Glug, glug. I don't know. He was really great at it. So I'm not good at it. He didn't really teach me, I just tried.
SOLON QUINN, I-REPORTER: I fell in love with "Dirty Dancing" when I was a senior in high school this scene with Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze when they were together in the song (INAUDIBLE) has endured as my favorite love song of all time. Did you believe the type of love that you were portraying in the film at that time? GRAY: When I was shooting that scene with Patrick, I remember that feeling of just him with no shirt on at night and that music playing on the record player and that sound that the needle would make on the record as it would go around. I remember feeling like, just being so present in the moment. I don't know that we were knowing what love was then. But I know what it's like to be present. And having little glimpses of being truly present in the moment with all the people I love. My husband, my daughter. I mean, love is love. And romantic love is love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: Want to hear more from Jennifer and find out who we're talking with next? Visit cnn.com/interview.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: This next story contains graphic images of the civil war in Syria. Government jets pounded the country's largest city of Aleppo this week, launching aerial assaults on homes and even a rebel hospital. CNN's Ben Wedeman witnessed one of the attacks and filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twelve-year-old Muhammad screams out in fear and pain. Shrapnel ripped through his right leg in an air raid on the (INAUDIBLE) hospital in Aleppo's Shah district. Three passersby including Muhammad were wounded in the attack. The task of treating the wounded here, harder by the day, this nurse Abu Ismail tells me.
ABU ISMAIL, NURSE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Half of our equipment no longer works, he says.
WEDEMAN: For almost an hour Syrian government jet bombed and strafed the area twice striking the clearly marked hospital. (INAUDIBLE) Rebels fired back fruitlessly at the plane. In an entrance way across the street from the hospital the blood is still wet where Muhammad, wounded, took cover. Nerves still on edge at the possibility the plane will strike yet again.
Watch your step.
Muhammad's brother Abdul fled the emergency ward in panic after the second attack on the hospital and is afraid to go back in.
The shelling and air raids have no rhyme or reason. The rounds smash into crowded neighborhoods far from the front lines. Muhammad (INAUDIBLE) was in a back room when his apartment was hit. He had sent his family away just a few days before.
"Thank god they weren't here," he says, "but what am I going to do? Where am I going to live?" His neighbors clear away the rubble with exhausted resignation. (on camera): The random nature of the shelling and the air raids on the rebel controlled parts of Aleppo means that any building, anywhere in this part of the city could be hit at any time. In fact, this building was hit just 20 minutes ago. For many of the residents of Aleppo it's simply time to leave.
(voice-over): Some go by foot. Most by car or pickup, taking the bare minimum. The shelling answered Abu (INAUDIBLE) when I ask why he and his family are leaving. "We don't know where it's coming from." Their destination is what they hope is a safer part of town. But here no place is truly safe.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Aleppo, Syria.
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KOSIK: There's plenty ahead tomorrow in the CNN "Newsroom" with Fredricka Whitfield. Take a look at a preview.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Alison, coming up in the "CNN Newsroom Sunday," a controversial new policy at a Denver University where undocumented immigrants can get a reduced tuition. Also, we're seeing a lot of negative presidential campaign ads. How do they stack up to some of the more notorious campaign of the ads.
And a talk with singer, songwriter Macy Gray working hard to maintain her individuality. All that and more coming up Sunday. Allison?
KOSIK: OK. Fredricka, trouble on a flight from the U.S. to Germany from Newark, New Jersey to Berlin. They've turned around now and are burning fuel over the East Coast. We're going to go to New York next for the latest.
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KOSIK: This just in to CNN. A passenger jet headed to Germany from Newark, New Jersey is now headed back to Newark after a fire in one of the engine. CNN's Susan Candiotti is monitoring the situation from New York. Susan, I understand you talked with some people who saw this plane in the middle of this?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and they described seeing after takeoff, the plane seemed to have what they described as "fire balls" coming out of at least one of the engines. Now, the FAA confirms to us that we're talking about United flight 96. It's a Boeing 757 from Newark to Berlin. This all started about two hours ago, about 6:30 Eastern time. The FAA is now saying they expect the plane to land at about 8:30 Eastern time. It's still burning off fuel circling around the Newark airport area.
Evidently, there's no problem with the plane now. The left engine had reported to have an issue, but is now working properly according to the FAA. Now, a federal law enforcement spokesman tell us that the problem was called when a tire blew into the left engine. However, the FAA tells us it is unable to confirm that information.
KOSIK: OK.
CANDIOTTI: We have not heard anything at all from United Airlines. We don't know how many passengers are aboard the plane. But it is expected to land at about 8:30 Eastern time.
KOSIK: All right. We'll come back to you for more information. Thanks, Susan.
Filmmaker Spike Lee has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind. And he doesn't hold his tongue in this interview with out own Don Lemon. Listen as he talks about his church experience as a child.
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SPIKE LEE, FILMMAKER: I didn't grow up in the church. My co-writer, James McBride, he grew up in the church. In fact, the church that you see, (INAUDIBLE) his parents found that church. It's in (INAUDIBLE) it's called (INAUDIBLE) Brown Baptist Church. The only time I went to church is when my parents shipped my black ass from New York down south to spend the summer with my grandparents. Because I needed a break. And so not just me, all of my siblings. School is out? All right. See you (INAUDIBLE) school starts.
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KOSIK: And you can catch Don's full interview with Spike Lee where he talked about everything from movies to politics to race relations tonight at 10:00 Eastern.
I'm Alison Kosik at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you right back here at 10:00 Eastern: CNN PRESENTS: "UNWELCOME, THE MUSLIMS NEXT DOOR," begins right now.
