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On Alert For Tropical Storm Isaac; West Nile Outbreak; No Police Entry After 911 Call; Prince Harry Naked In Vegas; Man With "Locked-In" Syndrome Dies; Man With "Locked In" Syndrome Dies; Home Sales Up 2.3 Percent In July; Ultra Definition TV Unveiled; Democrats Fan Akin Flames; "Who's Your Daddy?" DNA Tests; Mars Rover Takes First Drive

Aired August 22, 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: Hello to all of you. I'm Brooke Baldwin, live in New York today.

What a story we have with the West Nile outbreak. It's officially become the largest in U.S. history. The virus now detected in 47 states. This year, more than 1000 cases. And the government says the number is going to rise. We're going to break down exactly how bad its gotten, what you need to do to protect yourself. So stay tuned for that.

But first, this tropical storm, we have to talk about, in the Atlantic, could welcome a hurricane by tomorrow. You can see here, there it is, churning slowly but surely closer to us. Obviously it has folks in Florida wondering where it might make landfall and if it will affect the Republican National Convention, which, as you know by now, begins next Monday in Tampa.

Let's go to Chad Myers. He's been tracking Isaac.

Chad, we were talking yesterday, it was tropical depression number nine. Now officially Isaac.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right.

BALDWIN: Tell me how nervous we should be.

MYERS: Much more nervous than yesterday. Yes, significantly. I think now that with Tampa being in the center of the cone, although it's probably only going to be a category one hurricane, that's more significant than we were yesterday where it was kind of on the outskirts of the cone. Plus, we're now a day closer. Yesterday we were six days away. The day before that, wouldn't (ph) even make a prediction. Seven days away, that's just too far away.

Now as we get closer, the models are becoming a little bit more organized. They're approving of what the middle of this cone is saying. And right now there's the storm. Leeward Island is right there. Very close to Dominica (ph). I will show you that in a little bit -- in -- on the Google. You'll be able to see it a little bit better where the center is. That's just a large mass out there. You can't really tell where it is. But the center of the cone takes it very close to the Florida Keys and somewhere in here, between this line here and this line here. And that is Monday morning. And that is Tuesday sometime up there for Tampa. But, remember, now this can go all the way to Texas or all the way to the east and turn to North Carolina. That's how many days we are away. And at that time, when you take six days out there, the cone gets wider and wider and wider because the air really continues to get bigger and bigger as we go out farther and farther. The computers just simply aren't that good.

They're not that good, they're not even as good as we have over the United States when it comes to regular weather, because there's nobody living out there to put up weather balloons, to put up all of this data that we get from America into our computer models.

BALDWIN: Right.

MYERS: We just can't do very good in the middle of the ocean.

BALDWIN: Well, you're doing as best as you can right now. We are watching you very closely. I know folks in Tampa and really either side, either side of Florida people are watching --

MYERS: Certainly.

BALDWIN: The farther north you get.

Chad Myers, thank you very much, talking about Isaac.

MYERS: You're welcome, Brooke.

BALDWIN: As we mentioned, from weather to the politics here itself, we want to begin with the countdown. It's on. RNC starts in five days. And the presidential election is just 76 days away. With little time left, the GOP ticket very much so in a full court press. Mitt Romney in Iowa. We're going to get to that there in just a moment. But his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan, is in Virginia rallying small business leaders there. And one of the featured speakers -- have you heard this guy's story yet? He is a Roanoke baker by the name of Chris McMurray. There he is, the guy on the right in the checkered shirt. And what was his recipe for so much attention today, you ask? Well, he recently said, thanks but no thanks to the vice president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS MCMURRAY, OWNER, CRUMB & GET IT COOKIE COMPANY: I (INAUDIBLE) a little attention for telling the vice president that though I respect him very much, I would not like to be used as a photo op for his campaign. Nothing personal, but I just happen to disagree with the president and the vice president on a few things. You may remember a month or so ago our president stood in this very city and he proclaimed the message that if you have a business, you didn't build it. We are gathered here today to send the message to the Obama- Biden team that we did build it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: McMurray declined a request from the vice president's advance team last week to allow Vice President Biden to visit his bakery. He alluded to that, you just heard him there. McMurray was reacting specifically to this statement in the recent past from the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested roads and bridges. If you got a business, that -- you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Here's a little tidbit for you now. Our affiliate WDBJ reports since news of McMurray's turning down the vice president, not having that photo op happen in his bakery, business, apparently, has been booming for him.

And within the past hour, we have heard from both presidential candidates. We'll begin with President Obama. The president, not a presidential candidate, he spoke to students on the topic of education at Canyon Springs High School in Las Vegas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: An education is not something you receive passively. We don't just tip your head over and pour education into your ear. You've got to want it. You've got to be engaged and curious and interested and be willing to ask questions and push yourself. And especially when subjects are hard, you've got to be willing to work at it. It doesn't come easy. That's the nature of a good education. And that will last you your whole life. That will last you your whole life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Today was the president. You also had Mitt Romney. Here he is. He just began speaking. There he is about to begin speaking, Bettendorf, Iowa. In fact, we just caught these remarks moments ago. Romney also speaking to the next generation and talking about government taking its cues from business.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's the nature of the private sector where, if you stand still, people will end up rushing by you. It's also true in the public sector, they just don't know it. If a nation doesn't change the way it does things and improve and find ways to have government become more and more efficient and hold down the spending and balance the budgets, why other nations will run right by them. We have a nation right now that's got some real challenges. We've now had four years in a row with a president that's built trillion dollar deficits. It's bad economics. It's the wrong course for America. And I believe it's immoral for us to pass on our burdens onto the next generation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Next week I hope you join me. I'm be anchoring this show live from Tampa, where Republican are holding their national convention. That kicks off next Monday. And then in primetime you have Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, Candy Crowley, Wolf Blitzer and John King, all part of the CNN special coverage, of course, of the RNC. That starts Monday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, right here on CNN. We'll see you there.

New numbers -- new numbers released today. They paint a very grim picture of the latest outbreak of the West Nile Virus the Centers for Disease Control says this is the largest outbreak of this virus ever in the United States. I want to bring in CNN's senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, following this development.

This is serious, serious stuff.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is, Brooke. To see such a huge spike in just one week, it really is serious.

Let's take a look at the specific numbers. Last week the CDC telling us that there have been 26 deaths from West Nile Virus in the United States. And now those numbers, 41. So 41 so far this season. That's many more deaths just in one week. If you look at the number of illnesses due to West Nile, 693 last week. Now 1,118 illnesses due to West Nile.

Now, there are West Nile cases in most states in this country, but there are five states that you can sort of call the West Nile hot spots. Seventy-five percent of the cases are centered in these five state, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Louisiana and number one Texas has the most cases and the most deaths.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: How frightened -- when we hear these numbers, it's easy to be frightened. How frightened should we be? And also in terms of prevention, what can we be doing to protect ourselves?

COHEN: Right. It is very easy to hear these numbers and to freak out because none of us can really control mosquitoes. So I want to put it in perspective. First of all, even in areas where there is West Nile, about maybe 1 percent of mosquitoes carry it. Most mosquitoes don't carry it. So if you've got bitten, that mosquito probably didn't have West Nile. But if you do get bitten by an infected mosquito, 80 percent of people don't get sick. Eighty percent of us would be just fine. We wouldn't even realize we'd been bitten by an infected mosquito. Twenty-five percent of people would have mild symptoms, like fever or nausea. Don't even necessarily have to see a doctor. One in 150 would have severe symptoms, like coma or paralysis or even death.

BALDWIN: And in terms of prevention, we talk about the D's.

COHEN: Right. The four D's, right.

BALDWIN: Yes.

COHEN: These are especially important to remember in those West Nile hot spots. So, first of all, use a repellant with Deet if you are going to be outside. Look in the ingredients. Make sure you see Deet. Also, drain any standing water, like a kiddie pool or a bird fountain. That's where mosquitoes like to breed. Dress in long, light colored clothing, long pants, long sleeve. And try to stay inside, if you can, at dawn and dusk, especially, again, in those hot spots. That's when mosquitoes tend to be out in full force.

BALDWIN: Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much.

COHEN: Thanks.

BALDWIN: How about this one? A woman screaming, pleading for help. The 911 call lasted more than 10 minutes. Now her family wants to know why police didn't do more than merely knock on the door. It's a chilling story. We'll share it with you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: What a story this is. This Texas woman tries to save herself. Picks up the phone. Calls 911. And for 11 excruciating minutes, the dispatcher can hear her screams, hear her pleas in what may have turned out to be her murder. But our affiliate, WFAA, reports the responding officers knew none of that when they arrived at this home back on August 17th. Dallas investigators say it first took them nine minutes to simply find this home, find the address since the call originated from a cell phone. When officers arrived, they knocked but they left without entering the home of Deanna Cook Patrick. It was her family who ultimately found her body two days later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHERQUENTIA CRAWFORD, MURDER VICTIM'S FRIEND: You know, they had to find the address. I understand all of that. That all makes sense. The timing that they got there. OK, I can understand that. But why didn't they go inside? Why didn't they make that next -- just go inside to check.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Our affiliate KTVT reports five hours before that 911 call Cook tweeted this. Quote, "true, that's why I made the first move now. Dude says he's going to kill me." Reporter Rebecca Lopez from WFAA spoke to the murder victim's family.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REBECCA LOPEZ, WFAA REPORTER (voice-over): Deanna Cook called 911 from her home on Friday as she was being attacked. Sources tell News 8, you can hear her screaming for help. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just deserve more answers than what we're getting.

LOPEZ: Her sister overheard a part of the 911 recording while at DPD headquarters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could just hear how loud she was screaming. I couldn't tell what she was saying, but I know that she was screaming for her life.

LOPEZ: Multiple Dallas Police sources tell News 8, you can hear Cook begging and gasping for help. In the background, you can hear the alleged attacker, her ex-husband, Delvecchio Patrick, saying he's going to kill her. She even calls him out by name. The call lasts 11 minutes before the line goes dead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) I just think something more could have been done.

LOPEZ: News 8 has learned officers in the field knew only that they were going to a domestic disturbance call and few details were provided to them. In fact, sources tell us the operator never relays that Cook is being attacked. The officers arrive at the home, knock and leave when there's no answer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they would have kicked the door down, maybe she could have been saved.

LOPEZ: The family says on Sunday they called 911 again because water was pouring out of Cook's home and all the doors were locked. They wanted an officer to check the house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The lady said, well, before we can send an officer out to check, you need to call the hospitals and I think she said the jails.

LOPEZ: The family knocked down the door themselves. Cook's own daughter found her body.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: That was Rebecca Lopez reporting from our affiliate WFAA. Now, CNN did receive a statement from the attorney of this murder suspect. The suspects name is Delvecchio Patrick. Here's what he said. Quote, "the beauty of the American justice system is that it assumes a person is innocent until they are proven guilty." Dallas Police say it will be at least several days before they release those 911 tapes. And I promise you, we're going to follow up on this one.

You never know what you'll find in a dusty beat up box in an attic. I want you to listen to what Stephon Tull found going through his dad's old boxes. This is Chattanooga, Tennessee. This is an interview he found with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, doctor, what effect are the sit-ins having on the progress of the southern negro and his struggle for equality?

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING: I think a tremendous affect. I am convinced that when the history books are written in future years, historians will have to record this movement as one of the greatest epics of our heritage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Tull's father was planning to write a book when he met Dr. King in 1960, three years before the civil right icon's "I have a dream" speech.

And the postal service, man, oh, man, as if it couldn't get any worse for them, they now have to figure out how to get rid of nearly 700 million stamps featuring, you see it, the Simpsons because 1 billion -- that is billion with a "b," stamps were printed in honor of "The Simpsons" 20th season, but here's the rub. Only a third of them sold. So that's more than $1 million in printing costs wasted.

He is a 27-year-old bachelor going for a good time in Vegas. The problem, he's a prince and now Prince Harry may be a little bit more than simply embarrassed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Britain's Prince Harry has people talking again, and not in a good way. To think this was Harry, as the royals would like you to see him at the closing ceremonies at the Olympics in London. But wait, because we have to fast forward 10 days and you get this. Ish (ph). This is a picture -- a picture of the prince naked playing strip billiards (ph). This is a hotel room in Vegas. Buckingham Palace confirms, yes, this is their Harry. And this is just the latest PR nightmare for the third in line prince. Over the years, do you remember the Nazi uniform he wore to that costume party. That was actually back in 2005. He was a mere 20 at the time. There are also photos like this Harry, not looking so royal in a bar. This is Canada in 2007.

Let's talk to Matthew Chance. He is in London for us.

And, you know, Matthew, this is a royal who has done serious war duty. We saw the picture of him. You know, very regal representing the queen at the closing ceremony of the Olympics. And now this. How are the British reacting?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, I think there's a certain amount of disappointment. I've spoke to a lot of people, Brooke, over the course of today about what they feel about this. And on the one hand, of course, many people understand that this is a 27-year-old bachelor, he's a playboy prince with plenty of money to do what he wants to do. And this is, to a certain extent, how he chooses to live his life, and that's fine. On the other hand, you know, he is a representative on many occasions now -- we saw it at the closing ceremony of the Olympic games here in London -- a representative of the queen and of his country. And so I think there's a sense in which, you know, people think in his country should be a bit more mindful of that. I mean these images, obviously they're -- they're embarrassing. They're -- it's difficult to chuckle at them. But they do raise serious issues as well about his judgment and about that -- the privacy of the exercise around himself.

BALDWIN: I mean, I get it. A lot of people go to Vegas. They have a good time. They think they're safe and sound in the comfort of their own private hotel room. But this is a prince. This is Prince Harry. There has to be security concerns because of this. Do we even know, Matthew, who took the photos, who leaked them, how much they paid?

CHANCE: Well, I don't know that information. Certainly it appears by the -- by the photograph that it was taken by somebody in his entourage. Whether it was one of his invited guests, somebody who was staying up there with him, it's not clear.

But what is clear is that -- is that, you know, he appears, the prince, to have exercised weak judgment on this occasion by not, at the very least, making sure that nobody was taking photographs during this game of, what was it, strip billiards, he said.

BALDWIN: Strip billiards.

CHANCE: I've only heard of that before -- I've not really heard of that before, but it must be --

BALDWIN: Nor have I.

CHANCE: You know, like a -- looked like a bit of fun. But, nevertheless, yes, I mean, there is a privacy issue. I'm sure that after the red faces have diminished a little in Buckingham Palace, you know, they will be looking at very closely how this could have been leaked, how it could have happened.

BALDWIN: Matthew Chance, we'll follow it. Thank you, sir, for us in London.

A young man with a promising future as a professional athlete loses it all when a judge hands down a sentence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE PAMELA BARKER, CUYAHOGA CO. COMMON PLEAS COURT: Second- degree , the court orders that the defendant shall serve a term of two years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And a former athlete, who was paralyzed, saying he was locked in his own body, sends a final tweet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A high school basketball star collapses, not on the court, but in the courtroom. One of Ohio's most recruited players drops down to his knees when he hears a judge's ruling. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE PAMELA BARKER, CUYAHOGA CO. COMMON PLEAS COURT: The defendant shall serve a term of two years in prison on that count. As to count three of that case in the robbery, which is also a felony of the second-degree, the court orders the defendant shall serve a term of two years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And there he goes out of frame. You can see him. Actually, you can't. He's behind be podium being picked up here. This is Tony Farmer, out of the camera's view. A judge in Ohio sentenced the 18-year-old to three years after Farmer pleaded guilty to robbery, assault and kidnapping for an incident back in April involving his ex- girlfriend. Now that ex-girlfriend, by the way, testified on Farmer's behalf. Our affiliate, WJW, reports Farmer had been recruited by schools like Xavier, Michigan State and Illinois.

And two college students were crushed to death when tons of coal spilled out of this derailed train in Maryland. Elizabeth Nass and Rose Mayr, both 19 years of age, actually tweeted in their final moments, tweeting about drinking on a bridge. They were sitting on the bridge when the trail derailed. So, we may not know the exact cause of the accident, at least for a while.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM SOUTHWORTH, NTSB INVESTIGATOR: Exhaustive effort to find the rail that's up there, put it back together in a sense, much like a puzzle, where the pieces belong. There's a lot of forces in a derailment, so we need to look at all those pieces of rail and exam each one of them. That's an exhausted effort that's going to take some time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And that train derailment right around Ellicott City, Maryland, delayed a terrorism trial in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for accused 9/11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others. That wreck damaged fiber optic cables and disrupted Internet services at the Naval base in Guantanamo.

And we have talked about this man before. His trying story. Tony Nicklinson locked in his body by a debilitating stroke. He was totally aware, totally unable but unable to move or speak. And today he is finally free. He died at home early this morning, less than a week after losing his court's (ph) battle to overturn Britain's ban on euthanasia. And he desperately -- he wanted a doctor to legally end what he was calling a living nightmare. Atika Shubert's been covering his story and she's live with me in London with these details.

I mean, Atika, just the timing of all of this. First, what do we know about the circumstances of his passing?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know from his lawyer, who spoke for the family, that he died with his family by his side. He died peacefully. He had contracted pneumonia some time ago. And a number of years ago he had refused any life sustaining treatment. But then after the decision by the high court rejecting his appeal to have the law changed, he then began to refuse food. And so his condition deteriorated very quickly. But he was supported by his family throughout the end. So even though he wasn't able to win his legal battle, he was able, in a sense, to end his fight in a way of his choosing.

BALDWIN: And I do have a question for you about that appeal here. Do we expect to hear, you mentioned his family, should we be hearing at all from his wife?

SHUBERT: We do expect to hear from his family. In fact, they put out a few Twitter feeds today his daughter saying that he was the best father to have. That they would fine.

But they asked the press not to speak to them yet. They said they might be able to speak in a few days time. We do understand from the family lawyer that the wife, Jane, is expected to continue to support his battle for assisted suicide.

BALDWIN: We do have some sound from that lawyer. Michael, let's roll that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAIMO CHAHAL, NICKLINSON FAMILY ATTORNEY: After he received the draft judgment on 12th August refusing his claim the fight seemed to go out of him. He said he was heartbroken by the high court's decision that he could not end his life at a time of his choosing with the help of a doctor. He could not understand how the legal arguments on his behalf could not succeed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So Atika, after the verdict just last week, Nicklinson indicated he did plan to appeal. So will the first to overturn Britain's euthanasia ban, will it continue without him with us?

SHUBERT: Well, the fight will continue, but his own appeal will end with his death. His lawyer made that clear today. However, there are a number of other cases still pending. And so in that sense the fight does continue.

And the very fact that he was able to bring his story out to the British public and not just to hear from him personally, but to hear from his daughters and his wife who all supported his decision really brought this issue to the forefront.

BALDWIN: Yes, not just the British public, really the world, the world now. Atika Shubert, thank you, in London for us.

Coming up next, the housing market gets a bit of a boost as the government sounds out a big warning about the economy.

And just when you thought your TV couldn't get bigger and brighter and better, just wait because one manufacturer says take a look at this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Americans are apparently snapping up homes while the bargains last. Sales of existing homes dropped more than 2 percent just last month.

Alison Kosik not too far from me now that I'm sitting here in New York. Hello, at the New York Stock Exchange. Let's talk about the housing market. Specifically as we've been talking these mortgage rates, they are very, very low so why the increase here in sales in July?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And exactly you nailed it right there. That's one of the reasons. Economists at the National Association of Realtors, Brooke, point to a couple of reasons why you're seeing this surge in existing home sales.

One reason is because of those record low mortgage rates. Also rents are soaring so you know what? More people are figuring it's cheaper to buy than rent.

Plus prices of homes are rising. The national median price right now is up to $187,000. That's up 9.4 percent compared to a year ago. So what you're may also be seeing is people trying to grab up those homes before those prices get any higher -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: And you have more positive news for us, positive signs in the housing markets. Do tell.

KOSIK: Yes, this is positive because we are seeing momentum with the companies that build new homes. In fact, luxury homebuilder, Toll Brothers, released their earnings this morning. It reported a surprisingly strong profit in the latest quarter.

And so you look at its report, it not only built more homes, but it sold those homes at higher prices. That is a good sign for the report we're getting tomorrow on new home sales.

When we talk about new homes these are homes built from the ground up. Also you look at Wall Street. Wall Street has been showing a lot of confidence in homebuilders. It shows there are some sense that the builders are out kind of on the edge of the recovery here.

The big winner this year for these homebuilders though is Pulte Homes. Shares doubled -- more than doubled this year. Toll Brothers is up 62 percent year to date as you can see. Other home builders are up as well anywhere from 50 percent to 100 percent. You know, the hope now, of course, Brooke is that the momentum continues.

You don't want to see the jobs market take a step or two back from even where it is because the jobs market and the housing market go hand in hand -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: And they're also saying CNN Money I know writing that psychology has changed as well so that's a good thing in terms of buying. Alison Kosik, thank you very much for me at the New York Stock Exchange.

You know, when it comes to size, it very much matters to a lot of you when it comes to your TV sets. So just when you thought you had a big TV, check this bad boy out.

LG Electronics is unveiling this new 84-inch set in South Korea today, 84-inch set. This is seven feet, if you draw a diagonal line from corner to corner.

High definition, that is so 2011 because this TV display has more than 8 million pixels pushing into the next generation ultra definition territory.

So what is that UD? You're going to have to wait until this fall to get your hands on one of these TVs in the states. The cost that might hurt because it is a whopping $22,000 for a TV? Come on now.

Back here in the U.S., just days before the big convention, the GOP getting bogged down on the abortion issue and the man at the center of the controversy is blaming, wait for it, the media.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Todd Akin says the mess he's in is the media's fault. (Inaudible) of Team Romney, the Republican Senate hopeful says he will stay in that race in Missouri despite the blow up over his statement.

That's for biological reasons rape rarely leads to pregnancy. Now Akin has dropped this tweet. Let me read it for you, quote, "I apologized, but the liberal media is trying to make me drop out," end quote.

Of course, his fellow party members are the ones begging Akin to quietly go away. They include these guys, Mitt Romney, his number two, Paul Ryan and talk radio titan, Rush Limbaugh. Another Republican explains why Akin is making the party squirm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK MCKINNON, REPUBLICAN MEDIA STRATEGIST: This is a time when the Republicans were trying to ramp up to the convention. Want to have a message of tolerance, diversity, big tent and want to have a focus on economic issues.

So suddenly now we're having the focus drawn back into issues that Republicans really don't want to be talking about except for somebody like Todd Akin who has, you know, fairly prehistoric notions about some of these social issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: For their part, Democrats, and their backers are doing all they can to portray Todd Akin as well just another Republican. In fact here is CNN's Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Republican Congressman Todd Akin's refusal to drop out of the Missouri Senate race has given Democrats an opening to talk about abortion when Mitt Romney would rather focus on the economy.

(on camera): Do you guys see Missouri as being more in play now because of Todd Akin?

BEN LABOLT, OBAMA CAMPAIGN SPOKESMAN: Well, we certainly think that the discussion that Mitt Romney and the Republican Party have had about women's issues over the course of the past year sounds like something that you would have heard in the 1950s.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Inside Obama re-election headquarters in Chicago, campaign aides are not only pointing to Akin's initial comments.

AKIN: If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.

ACOSTA: But also Iowa Congressman Steve King's comments to TV station, KMEG, which reported he questioned whether victims of statutory rape could become pregnant.

REP. STEVE KING (R), IOWA: Well, I just haven't heard of that being a circumstance. It's been brought to me in any personal way.

ACOSTA: King released a statement saying his words were being twisted adding, quote, "I never said nor do I believe a woman including minors cannot get pregnant from rape, statutory rape or incest. Suggesting otherwise is ridiculous, shameful, disgusting and nothing, but an attempt to falsely define who I am.

Anti-abortion advocate Dr. John Willke raise the issue in this article in 1999 when he wrote that a rape can, quote, "radically upset a woman's possibility of ovulation, fertilization, implantation and even nurturing of a pregnancy adding so assault rape pregnancy is extremely rare."

GOVERNOR BOB MCDONNELL, GOP PLATFORM CHAIRMAN: I applaud the committee's work in affirming our respect for human life. Well done.

ACOSTA: Down in Tampa, where Republicans will hold their convention next week, the party approved language in its platform that calls for abortion to be banned outright even in cases of rape and incest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Both Romney and Ryan back proposals to outlaw abortion even in cases of rape and incest.

ACOSTA: This Obama campaign ad accuses Romney of holding the same view, but Romney aides say that's false insisting the GOP contender does support exceptions in the case of rape, incest and the life of the mother.

(on camera): After declining to do so a day earlier, Mitt Romney called on Todd Akin to exit the race. An aide said the GOP contender wanted to give the Missouri congressman enough time to, quote, "do the right thing." Jim Acosta, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Jim Acosta, thank you. Jim mentioned Tampa. That's where I will be this time next week anchoring this show live where Republicans will be holding their national convention for a couple of days. That kicks off August 27th. I will see you there.

And now to a story many you have are a Twitter over. There are city buses. There are tourist buses, but one bus in New York City is turning plenty of heads.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is crazy.

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BALDWIN: It's the "Who's Your Daddy" bus and the owner joins me live, next.

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BALDWIN: DNA testing is hitting the road. A truck called "Who's Your Daddy" is roaming the streets of New York. Check it out, offering paternity test for uncertain fathers. All it takes, a quick cheek swab and a couple hundred bucks.

"Who's Your Daddy" owner, Jared Rosenthal, joins me live here in New York. So we were talking in the commercial break. You said this thing has been rolling around the streets for a number of years, but it was the changing in branding that really, you know, created this uptick in interested. You started this. Why?

JARED ROSENTHAL, FOUNDER, "WHO'S YOUR DADDY?": Well, Health Sheet is a drug testing and alcohol testing as well as a DNA testing company. So we did mobile drug and alcohol testing. Originally, the RV was painted up with that sort of messaging.

That kind of made people run away. We'd pull up at a job site and we would hear the tires screeching and people pulling out saying I'm calling out sick today.

We decided DNA testing was a message that we're getting a ton of calls about DNA testing from all over the country. It's not just in New York. We have affiliates with clinics nationwide.

So we wanted to put that message out there. You know, something about DNA testing, it's almost like a silent need out there. People don't talk about it a lot, but I can tell you first hand we have hundreds --

BALDWIN: You have crazy stories. I want to ask about that in a second. But first in terms of dollars and cents it's somewhere between 300 and 600 bucks you can have one of these tests done. How exactly does it work? You come up to the bus. Your cheek is swabbed.

ROSENTHAL: Right. Basically it's nothing more than a cheek swab and some paper work. Of course, we take photo I.D. The RV is set up as a mobile office. So, you know, we have everything you have in a clinic, you know, Wi-Fi and computers and printers.

But the DNA test itself is very simple. It's nothing more than a cheek swab with a Q-tip that's packaged up and sent off to a professional laboratory where doctors analyze the results.

BALDWIN: So then you offer either, dads we can send you the information or we can physically roll up and find you and give you the news. You have all these stories. First, give me a good heart warming story of dad who is saying this child is mine.

ROSENTHAL: Well, you know, what people see on TV on talk shows is really unusual compared to the vast majority of what we see at health streak. The vast majority are dads that come into office sometimes they literally changing diapers of the baby in the office.

They are hoping and praying that this child who they love is theirs. Those are always heart warming especially if the child has their last name. Let's say the parents are not married and they give the child the last name. Sometimes it doesn't work out.

BALDWIN: I imagine the reverse happens as well where the father is under the assumption that the child is his because the mother said so, but it isn't. How many tears have you seen in "Who's Your Daddy" bus?

ROSENTHAL: Quite a bit. You know, there are some devastating moments both in the clinic, on the phone, you know as well as out in the RV. It's not just paternity that we test for. There are all kinds of relationships.

We had a phone call just today from a 43-year-old woman who had been looking for her father all her life. He contacted her and she wanted to let us know -- people don't realize how available this type of testing is.

What we do by being out in the street is make it for available, accessible, affordable for folks and it's probably only a click away on Google, but when they see the RV, they come up to us and then they start to tell us stories.

BALDWIN: You bring up the TV show. I just have to go there. There's been all kind of comparisons with the "Who's Your Daddy. This is My Daddy." Let's roll this.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's probably going to help a lot of people out. They don't have to go to Maury.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is crazy. This is better than Maury.

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BALDWIN: I mean, they're laughing. Critics aren't laughing. They say you're cashing in on paternity. This is just a joke. You say what?

ROSENTHAL: Well, it's not just paternity. You know, the "Who's Your Daddy" slogan is more like an ice breaker. It makes people laugh. Just as if you met somebody for the first time usually a joke opens things up and then they start to tell us the reality. People don't know or realize just how big of a need there is.

BALDWIN: Did you not know who your father is? Why this idea for you? Is it personal?

ROSENTHAL: No, it's not personal. But obviously, everybody's family relationships are among the most important relationships you have in your life.

We tested one person. This is just an incredible story whose parents were separated. She traveled between two different states to be with her father and her mother and found out that not just was her father not related to her, but she had three half sisters on that side. She had aunts, uncles.

BALDWIN: Discovered a family she never knew she had. Quickly, can we just giveaway what I asked you in the commercial break?

ROSENTHAL: Sure.

BALDWIN: I asked if he had gotten phone calls from reality TV and you said.

ROSENTHAL: The phone is ringing off the hook. You know, people are interested in this sort of thing. We're hoping to break down the preconceived notions that people have about DNA testing.

It's not just people fighting that. That almost never happens. As a matter of fact, recently, we had a mother come in with both the possible fathers and a child. These were the happiest customers we ever had. There was absolutely no animosity whatsoever. BALDWIN: You could keep going with the stories. Jared Rosenthal, thank you so much. I'll make sure I tweet out the link if people want to know anymore about this bus. Thank you. Nice to meet you.

ROSENTHAL: You too.

BALDWIN: Now this happening right now. NASA, we're talking space, of course, taking its Mars rover "Curiosity" for a test drive. We're going to find out what works next.

Plus, a gentleman's agreement gone sour. Vice President Joe Biden plans to visit to, all of places, Tampa next week. Yes, just in time for the Republican National Convention.

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BALDWIN: Got something cool for you. NASA's Mars rover, "Curiosity" has been sitting on the red planet more than two weeks now. Getting ready to trial its wheels and today is the day to take it for a little red planet spin.

So John Zarrella has been watching this right along with the rest of us. So NASA just released new pictures. John, you have them. First spin, where did it go?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, you got to get a learner's permit right first. So that's kind of what they were doing today, the Martian learners permit.

Before I get to that, Brooke, NASA also announced at the news conference today, they have named the landing site and they have named it Bradbury landing in honor of the late Ray Bradbury, science fiction writer, wrote "Fahrenheit 451."

And of course, "The Martian Chronicles" so that's a pretty cool thing, Bradbury landing, it will forever be known as. You see the picture there. In the picture you can see the marks left by the rover's wheels.

Way back in the back of picture there. That's where the rover started. This is where it ended up. What they was they drove about 10, 12 feet forward then they turned around and kind of like parallel parked the rover.

For those of us that had to parallel park when we took driving lessons and everything worked absolutely perfectly. They are ecstatic. It looks like later this week, maybe early next week, Brooke, they will be off and running towards their first target rock in the distance.

BALDWIN: OK, so this is the animation, with the parallel parking. What I read, John, there are 16 drivers of "Curiosity," you know, back here on earth. How exactly do they drive it?

ZARRELLA: Right, well, you know, because of the time difference it takes 14 minutes for a signal to get to Mars and 14 minutes for a signal to get back.

You couldn't do it in real time. So what they do is they all get together and figure out where they want to go, the scientists. They tell the drivers. The information is punched in. They send all that data up to "Curiosity."

While you and I, and the science team are sleeping here on earth, "Curiosity" carries out the mission where they want it to go, what they want it to do and then it reports back to them the next day when they come to work the results of what it did.

BALDWIN: Very cool, each Martian day, otherwise known as Sol. John Zarrella, thank you for (inaudible) with me once again. Appreciate it.