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UPS Cargo Plane Crashes; Details Of Kidnapping; Two Stars And Tax Evasion; Prison Term For Jesse Jackson Jr.; Gunfire Explosions Rock Cairo; Wounded Bank Hostage Dies; Real Housewife Goes To Court; Rowe Saw Jackson Use Propofol; Booker on the Rise; Clashes in Egypt

Aired August 14, 2013 - 13:00   ET

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

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thanks guys. I'll take it from here. Thank you. NEWSROOM starts right now.

A UPS -- a UPS cargo plane crashes in the street near an airport in Alabama. We are live on the scene.

And then, her mother and brother were allegedly killed by the man who kidnapped her and now Hannah Anderson is sharing the details of her kidnapping online.

And they're charged with fraud and tax evasion. Now, two stars of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" are back in court. Their possible fate coming up.

This is CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Pamela Brown. Suzanne Malveaux is off today. Thank you so much for being here with us on what's shaping up to be a very busy Wednesday.

And this just in, former Illinois congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. has just been sentenced to 30 months in prison for misusing about $750,000 in campaign funds. He pleaded guilty in February to using campaign money for personal expenses, including buying Michael Jackson memorabilia, furs and a Rolex watch. The judge said the sentence should be served at a facility in Alabama. And his wife, Sandra Jackson, will also be sentenced for filing false tax returns, and we are still waiting for her sentences to come down.

Well, gunfire and explosions are echoing across Cairo today and the city is now under a curfew. Egyptian security forces are battling supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsy. The violence there erupted when security forces raided two camps filled with Morsy supporters. Egyptian state T.V. says at least 149 people have been killed there and more than 1,400 wounded. The Muslim brotherhood, however, giving much higher numbers than that. The White House has condemned the violence and we're going to have much more on this escalating situation at the bottom of the hour from some of our reporters there monitoring the situation in Cairo.

Meantime, closer to home in Birmingham, Alabama this morning about 6:00 a.m., a large cargo jet slammed into the ground near the airport there. Now, this is half a mile short of the runway. At Birmingham- Shuttlesworth International Airport, the plane, owned by UPS, is an air bus A330, a wide-bodies built-to-haul cargo. Two people were on board, the pilot and the co-pilot, and they are both dead.

Our David Mattingly is in Birmingham right now at the scene of the crash. David, what can you tell us? What do officials know about why this plane missed the runway?

DAVID MATTINGTLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's quite a mystery right now. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are on the ground. They will, no doubt, first order of business is to recover those all-important cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders.

And looking at the wreckage, the forward part of the plane seems to be relatively intact, though the plan was in several pieces on the ground. That suggests that these flight recorders should be in working order and should be retrieved fairly easily. So, we're waiting to hear from those investigators about what they are able to get quickly here at the scene.

In the meantime, a lot of speculation from local officials here. There was some weather in the area. Nothing severe. Nothing that would ever be thought of to be able to bring down an aircraft. And people here are also saying that they heard the plane go over and some strange noises from the engine. I actually spoke to one man who is a member of the civil air patrol, lives nearby, a former airline mechanic, was telling me that he thought that he heard a backfire from one of the engines. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER TORRES, CIVIL AIR PATROL: I got up very fast from the back and I went to the windows on the backside where I hear this aircraft and look in the sky. And I saw the flash from the -- in the (INAUDIBLE) here. My house moved. I hear the shake of the house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: And as that plane was going over his house, he says he heard what sounded to him like a backfire from one of the engines, following by a rush of engine noise, suggesting that the pilot may, at the very last minute, had been trying to give the engines as much gas as possible possibly trying to gain some altitude before the crash.

Adding to this mystery, I spoke to the mayor of Birmingham, William Bell, who tells me that the pilot made no emergency call to the tower here. That's something else we need to get some details on as this investigation goes forward -- Pam.

BROWN: And you know that NTSB will be looking into the cargo on that plane as well as part of the investigation. David Mattingly reporting for us from Alabama. Thank you so much.

Hannah Anderson, the teen kidnapped by a family friend who allegedly killed her mother and brother, has talked about her horrible ordeal online. The chat came just a few days after the FBI shot James DiMaggio and rescued her in the Idaho wilderness. The father of one of Anderson's friends confirms that Anderson fielded anonymous questions on the Web site, AskFM. At one point, she was asked, did you want to go with DiMaggio? And Anderson posts, no, not at all. And she was asked, well, why didn't you run? She says, he would have killed me. The questioner kept pushing asking, why didn't you tell your parents he creeped you out? Anderson replied, in part, he was my dad's best friend, and I didn't want to ruin anything between them.

Our Casey Wian joins me now from Los Angeles. And, Casey, what else did she say? It's pretty incredible she's speaking out so soon after the ordeal.

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're learning a lot about that night 10 days ago when this all began and when James DiMaggio allegedly murdered Hannah Anderson's mom and brother. Here is one of the questions that was posed to her. How did he separate you from your mom and brother? She responded, he tied them up in the garage. Then someone else asked her, how did he keep the fire a secret? She said, he had it set where it would catch on fire at a certain time. Then she was asked, are you glad he's dead? And she said, absolutely. One final thing that I think we should point out. She said, one of her big regrets is that she couldn't have done more to help save the lives of her mother and younger brother -- Pamela.

BROWN: And to think that she has to return home now and work on planning their funerals. It's so horrible to think the trauma she has been through. Any explanation as to how this could actually help her in the healing process to be speaking out so freely online?

WIAN: Well, it may not be. In fact, one of the people who was online questioning her said, please tell your father that you are online doing this. And she responded saying, he knows. One psychotherapist we spoke with said, this is a real big concern for someone who has gone through so much so recently.

BROWN: Understandably. Casey Wian, thank you so much for sharing that report.

And there has been a tragic development following last night's hostage standoff in St. Joseph, Louisiana. One of two hostages shot by a gunman at the bank there has died we've learned. Police say the gunman opened fire on both hostages as a SWAT team moved in. He was then shot and killed by police. The second hostage is hospitalized in critical condition at this hour.

And now, to New Jersey where "Real Housewives" stars, Teresa and Joe Giudice, are headed to court in just about half an hour from now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: All right. Hopefully it won't end up like that. And I should make a correction, in an hour and a half, we're expecting them to make an appearance in court. Our Nischelle Turner is in New York following this developing story. So, Michelle, how is the couple expected to plead to mortgage and other fraud charges that they're facing?

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Pam, as many times as I've seen that video, I can act that scene out by now. But the Giudice's attorney is telling CNN that their clients will plead not guilty.

Today, they're scheduled to be in court, like you said, about an hour and a half at 2:30 to face these allegations. Teresa and Joe Giudice, they are alleged to have conspired to forge W-2 forms, tax returns, pay stubs, and other documents to trick banks into lending them money. Now, they are also accused of perjury in their 2009 bankruptcy proceedings. And if they are convicted, Teresa and her husband, Joe, could each face up to 50 years in prison.

Now, Joe, Pam, is an Italian citizen. Prosecutors say he could actually be deported as a result of either this case or another one where he's charged with using his brother's identity to obtain a false driver's license. But at the very least, the Giudice's public claims of massive personal wealth have shown to be pretty much a fraud. There are documents that show they were in hock for at least $10 million to banks, credit card companies, attorneys and construction businesses.

BROWN: Wow, not looking good for them. And we have briefly (ph) seen some outrageous behavior from them. Any idea of what we expect from them in court today?

TURNER: Well, actually, last time they were in court, I was there and it was a bit of a media frenzy around them. But they didn't say anything. Now, Joe's parents were with them and his mother did take a swipe at the camera on the way into the courtroom. But Teresa and Joe said absolutely nothing. They went into court. The only time they spoke in there is when the judge asked if they understood the charges against them? They said, yes.

They also -- Joe also was made to acknowledge that he knew that he was an Italian citizen and that he could possibly be deported. But that's the only thing we heard from them. On the way out, I peppered them with questions. They didn't say a word. So, we'll have to see what happens today. I suspect the only words, again, we'll hear them speak is not guilty.

BROWN: Very different behavior we're seeing in this video from what we're seeing on the show. Nischelle, thank you very much.

TURNER: Absolutely.

BROWN: We will be watching --

TURNER: When it gets real -- reality T.V. is one thing but when it gets real, it gets real.

BROWN: That's right. That's a good way to sum it up. Nischelle Turner, thank you for that report. We appreciate it. And of course we are going to be watching for this at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time when they appear in court.

Meantime, Anthony Weiner's former sexting partner is apparently enjoying her 15 minutes of fame. Sydney Leathers was hosted at a Manhattan strip club last night. Her stage name, discuss it, Mrs. Danger, of course. The "New York Daily News" says the 23 year old did a little more texting from the club but that's just about all she did.

Coming up, she's the mother of Michael Jackson's two oldest children. And she's rarely talked about her relationship with M.J. Now, we're going to hear from Debbie Rowe as she testifies in the wrongful death trial of AEG live. We'll be right back.

And then, he was once rising in the Democratic Party. Now, Jesse Jackson Jr. star is burnt out. But there's another on the horizon, Cory Booker. How he is quickly becoming the one to watch.

And parents use monitors to watch their kids but are they safe? How a baby monitor was hacked and what you need to know to keep your family safe. We're going to tell you about this creepy story when NEWSROOM returns right after this break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: The Michael Jackson wrongful death trial heats up today when the late singer's ex-wife takes the stand. In just about 45 minutes from now, Debbie Rowe is expected to face personal questions about her former husband's drug use and the couple's marriage.

Our Ted Rowlands joins us from outside the courthouse in Los Angeles. Ted, the Jackson family is suing the singer's concert promoter, AEG, saying the company negligently hired the doctor who administered that deadly dose of anesthetic to Jackson. How can Debbie Rowe's testimony today help or hurt their case?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the AEG is hoping that it will hurt their case in that they're bringing Debbie Rowe on the stand. And she provides a unique window for them. Their story is that Michael Jackson was a drug addict for decades. And he was using propofol to go to sleep for decades.

Debbie Rowe was with him in Germany on a concert tour where he was using this. They want her to come up and detail his drug use but they also want to continue their narrative that nobody else knew about it, including AEG. And it's tricky. Debbie Rowe for them is that perfect witness to say, here is documentation that he was a drug user and used propofol for decades but nobody else knew about it accept for that very inner circle. Not even his family, and by no means did AEG know about it when they hired him to do this concert series.

BROWN: She could definitely offer that unique perspective. Also she's a nurse too. That's one factor to play into this. How much longer is the trial expected to continue given the jury has already listened to more than three months of testimony so far. ROWLANDS: It's dragged on. This is day 69 of testimony. And they are expecting it's going to go another month, maybe month and a half. They have more witnesses. Some doctors and Rebi Jackson they will bring on. This is an excruciatingly slow trial. Each witness is expected to go for an hour turns into a day. It's one of those trials and at stake is a lot of money, and that's why both sides are getting everything they can in front of this jury.

BROWN: Yeah, absolutely. Ted Rowlands, thank you for you reporting from L.A. We appreciate it.

He was once a rising star in the Democratic Party, now Jesse Jackson Jr.'s star is burnt out. There's another one on the horizon. And that is Cory Booker. How he is quickly becoming the one to watch.

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BROWN: A Hooters in San Diego says Mayor Bob Filner is not welcome there. The restaurant known for its scantily clad waitresses says that he should take his business elsewhere. This after 11 women, not from Hooters, have come forward claiming the mayor sexually harassed them. A sign posted on the restaurant reads, in part, as we see here, "It's imperative for people to have standards. The mayor of San Diego will not be served in this establishment. We believe women should be treated with respect."

One politician's career is on the rise while another nears the bottom of fall from a grace. A judge just moments ago sentenced former Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. to 30 months in prison and his wife to 12 months in prison for filing false tax returns. Jackson misused about $750,000 in campaign funds, and also his wife pleaded guilty to filing those false tax returns. And again, we'll be given a one-year sentence.

Meanwhile, Newark mayor, Cory Booker has won the Democratic primary in New Jersey's U.S. Senate race. He's considered the favorite when he goes up against Republican Steve Lonegan in October. Chief national correspondent, John King joins me now from Washington.

Nice to see you as always. Jackson's political career is over at least for now. Booker seems to be on his roll, though. What do you think is behind the popularity other than his massive Twitter following?

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is part of it. You mentioned Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, someone like Barack Obama, Senator Obama, now President Obama who used social media to help organize, to help build his popularity, to try show people he wants to keep in touch with them. He's been known to run into burning houses and pull people out of fire, so he's a mayor's mayor. He shows up at the ribbon cutting. Shows up at the fires. Shows up at the like. And let's be honest about this, he was in a crowded primary, and ss the African American candidate, and the mayor of the largest city in New Jersey, that certainly helped him. And as you noted, he's now the overwhelming favorite to keep this seat in Democratic hands. It was the seat, of course held by the late Senator Frank Lautenberg, a Democrat. So, the Democrats feel very confident that it will be Senator Booker after November.

BROWN: Even though he's graced some -- he's had some criticism recently for his recent financial dealings. Do you think that could hurt him or will he remain the overwhelming favorite as you say?

KING: We'll see the tough ads and the Republicans try to make a run at Cory Booker. They will criticize his financial dealings, they will talk about perhaps you know, is his record as good as he says in Newark? What about the schools? What about the crime? But if you talk to Republicans privately, they'll make a run at this. They'll make a try at this because they'd love to somehow surprise people and take that seat away.

But whether you're talking to people in New Jersey, or you're talking to strategists here in Washington, Republicans have very low expectations, Pam that they can win that seat.

BROWN: Booker is friends with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie considered a rising star in the Republican party. What do you think the outlook is for Christie? And what's behind this friendship among political opposites?

KING: It is interesting. You know one of the thoughts a few months back was that would Cory Booker challenge Chris Christie's re- election bid? Would the Democratic mayor of Newark run against the popular Republican governor. He did not do so. And a lot of Republicans would say it shows he didn't have the courage to do so, because Christie is so favored, and now he has a much easier chance to get this Senate seat.

They do tend to get along. Why? Because they both say they're pragmatists. They don't agree philosophically, they don't agree on a lot of the issues, but Newark is the state's biggest city. Booker needs help from the governor. The governor at times needs to work with the mayor on education and other issues.

When if he gets to Washington, you see this in many states, a senator and a governor of a different party often can get along because in Washington he's representing New Jersey and wants transportation money. New Jersey wants help with its military bases. Or, if he were here after Superstorm Sandy he would be working close with the governor on that.

So, it doesn't mean that won't have differences, but they have struck up at least a civil -- I wouldn't call them best buddies, but they have a civil friendship.

BROWN: And of course, you kind of alluded to this earlier, a lot of people were saying that when Christie moved that special election so early to October, they he did it so he wouldn't have to run against Booker in 2016. So, a lot of people thought that was his strategy. Go ahead.

KING: All politics is local. Chris Christie heavily favored, now Cory Booker heavily favored and both of them are probably happy to be separate of each other. BROWN: I'm sure they are for good reason. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.

Coming up right here on NEWSROOM, forcing parents to pay for their kids sports and clubs at school isn't new, but one county is taking "pay to play "a step further. How parents are being hit with a double whammy right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: A crisis unfolding in Egypt at this hour. Egyptian police have gained control of the square that was occupied by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsy. That's according to the state-run media there. This has been a violent day in Cairo. The bloodshed started when security forces stormed two camps occupied by Morsy supporters. Gunfire and explosions echoed across the city an black smoke from fires filled the air. Arwa Damon has been right in the middle of it reporting for us. She joins me live from Cairo. Arwa, give us an update. What's the situation there right now?

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, a curfew just went into effect around 25 minutes ago, so the streets are significantly quieter than they would be on a normal day, and most certainly it seems slightly quieter than they were earlier in the day.

The riot police went in clearing those various sit-in sites. They managed to clear the smaller one that was in front of Cairo University fairly quickly. Although then, we did witness clashes breaking out in the various side streets.

At (INAUDIBLE), the larger of the two sit-in areas that you're seeing there, the Egyptian authorities announcing on state television that they had just cleared. Not only were they having to deal with trying to clear it, they were also having to deal with pro-Morsy demonstrators that were trying to break through the ranks of the riot police who were reinforced by a line of army soldiers trying to reach the sit-in site itself.

All that being said, though, Pam, these pro-Morsy demonstrators have established themselves in yet another area a few miles away from the Cairo University sit in. They most certainly remain just as determined and throughout the day we saw the clashes intensify and we saw them spread.

BROWN: This very well could be the beginning of a long bloody battle there. This has been building for weeks as we've seen, ever since the coup that forces President Morsy from power. What's likely to happen next? Do we see any side capitulating any time soon?

DAMON: It doesn't really seem like it, especially not after what took place today. There's a number of different death tolls that are out there. The lowest coming from the Ministry of Health putting it at 149 dead and that's an incredibly high death toll for Egypt. It's among the deadliest, if not the deadliest day here. Finding a political way forward that will be very difficult. BROWN: This could have a ripple effect. Arwa Damon, thank you for keeping us posted on that tumultuous situation there from Cairo. Stay safe.

Army Private Bradley Manning may get the chance to speak today on the record. It's the sentencing phase of his military court-martial. Today he's scheduled to take the stand while the judge considers what punishment to hand down. Even though he was not convicted of aiding the enemy, he was found guilty of spying. He could get the maximum penalty of 90 years in prison.

You'll remember this video. It got a lot of attention and shows a brutal beating on a school bus involving a 13-year-old victim. The bullies are being punished. They appeared in court yesterday. We'll have the latest after this break. Stay with us.

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