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2013 Pop Culture Winners And Losers; Officials Warn Of Drug Resistant Superbugs; Licenses Pot Shops To Open In Colorado; Top Crimes And Trials Of 2013
Aired December 27, 2013 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PHILLIPS: You also said Robert Redford. No one else made that pick.
SMITH: It may seem out of the ballpark, I have a 23-year-old and a 77-year-old, but I'll tell you why. He made a movie called "All Is Lost." It was him alone in a boat, no dialogue, and he was fantastic. He kept your attention for 90 minutes. On the flipside, he's celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Sundance Film Festival and that influence on film cannot be underestimated. It's incredible what he does.
PHILLIPS: He's pretty amazing. All right, Loni, who were your winners?
LONI LOVE, COMEDIAN/HOST, CAFE MOCHA: the pope is a winner, OK?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
LOVE: All day long.
SMITH: Yes.
LOVE: I love this man and I'm a Baptist, Kyra, OK? So I love him also --
PHILLIPS: What is it about him?
LOVE: You know what? He used to be a bouncer. Anybody who used to be a bouncer and could become a pope is a winner in my book, all right? He does his birthday, and he eats with the homeless. I have a birthday. I don't even eat with my family, so God bless the pope. We need this right now. I love that man. He deserves everything that he gets.
PHILLIPS: Our girl is leaving the Southern Baptist Church and going Catholic. You're going to be our new Vatican correspondent. I love it. David, now's your opportunity, losers.
DAVID BEGNAUD, JOURNALIST: All right, here we go, Paula Deen. I think, Kyra, the rebound, what she tried to do to make up for it, to say she was sorry was, you know, just continuing of what she did that was bad. I think she had a bad year. I think she can rebound. We like people who are able to rebound and start over. I think there's hope for her in the future, but she was a loser of 2013.
Alec Baldwin, he finally got his butt tossed off the network. Look, how many things can this guy say without getting in trouble? He kind of reminded me of George Zimmerman. He was like the Teflon man, nothing stuck to him and finally something caught up with him. Both of them are losers for 2013.
PHILLIPS: It was like he was playing his real character in "Blue Jasmine." Krista, you weren't too thrilled with the twerking dance craze, right?
KRISTA SMITH, ENTERTAINMENT COMMENTATOR: I wasn't, and I have to say, I need twerking to be done. Unless you're a certified twerk instructor, I don't want to see your twerking. I have had enough. The other thing is I was a big proponent of selfies. I was excited about it in the start of 2013, and now I'm done with selfies. I don't want to see any more duck-lip selfies. I don't want to see anybody's behind anymore. All right, Obama got into it, the pope got into it. I think that's OK, but enough already. No more selfies, please. And I would have to agree --
PHILLIPS: Is it OK, Loni, the pope got in on selfies?
LOVE: I love it. Whatever the pope does is fine.
PHILLIPS: Right.
BEGNAUD: That's right.
PHILLIPS: All right, big losers for Loni? I know you want to take Paula Deen downtown. Not too happy with your man Kanye, either.
LOVE: Yes, that video, that video with him and his little honey, we could have dealt without that, OK, Kanye? You can do better than that. The whole Kardashian clan right now --
BEGNAUD: Preach, preach.
LOVE: You know who are the winners --
PHILLIPS: The winners or the wieners? You want to bring Robert Wiener and his selfies?
LOVE: The real winners from the Kardashian clan are Bruce Jenner and Lamar Odom because they got out of there. And also, another loser, Kyra, is that foam finger for that, you know, Miley Cyrus was using. That foam finger, that was abuse to the foam finger. That was a loser. That's mine.
PHILLIPS: Every mascot can no longer use the foam finger. Every football fan, forget it. You just can't go there anymore. Loni, David, Krista, thanks, guys, and happy New Year.
LOVE: Happy New Year, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Here's a headline. Could a cow kill you? It's the concern of one congresswoman who said the new FDA guidelines for antibiotics in our meat are not strong enough.
And on your mark, get set, smoke. The first businesses got their recreational pot licenses today. We're one week away from the grand openings.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: How a cow could kill you? That headline grabs your attention, right? It's the title of an op-ed on CNN.com, and it got us talking this morning, too. Here's the bottom line. Bacteria, the germs that cause infections, are getting used to super powerful antibiotics and becoming resistant, growing stronger. Now doctors and scientists are warning that minor infections and illnesses could become deadly.
Here's how it all happens. Strong antibiotics are placed in feed for animals, all in an effort to keep them plump and healthy. Those animals are then used for food or their waste gets used on fertilizer on vegetable farms. Then in the form of meats, poultry or vegetables, one or another, those antibiotics make it to your dinner table and inside your body. Scientists say those never before seen super powerful antibiotics are actually causing bacteria to grow stronger and immune to treatment.
Joining me now from Rochester, New York, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. She wrote the op-ed that we're actually talking about here. So Representative Slaughter, you're not only a member of Congress, but a microbiologist as well. Forget the politics all of this for just a second, OK --
REPRESENTATIVE LOUISE SLAUGHTER (D), NEW YORK: I can do that easily.
PHILLIPS: I know you can. So here we go -- go into microbiologist mode now and tell me how I am, my family, not protected enough by these FDA guidelines.
SLAUGHTER: Because there's an absolute crisis that almost nobody knows about, and it's tragic. We have been trying now. This is about the eighth year we have been trying to pass this bill. We can't even get a hearing on it. Congress, they don't care much, either. But scientists who know tell us that within ten years or maybe less, that a scratch or a strep throat could become fatal.
The overuse of antibiotics by the medical profession is part of it, but 80 percent of the antibiotics produced in the United States are used every day in the feed of animals. Now, not because they're sick, but as you pointed out, so they'll be worth more at the market. The harm that that's causing is almost incalculable.
Let me give you an example of what that could mean. Anytime someone has a joint replacement, organ transplant, dialysis, dental work, you get antibiotics to cut down the infections. What if they didn't work anymore? What if all that science couldn't be used anymore?
Now over 2 million people a year get sick from the fact that these animals are causing this -- bacteria rather, are still on the meat and are resistant to the antibiotics. The latest outbreak, over 500 people went to the hospital. A larger percentage than normal died. Many had sepsis, blood poisoning. The people who perused the chickens that were at risk here, claimed they didn't cook it.
They blamed the victims, not themselves, and the way they processed the chickens. But what happened is Costco did take some of that chicken and cooked it more than the recommended 160 degrees to 180, and still had to throw out 40,000 pounds because it was resistant to bacteria.
PHILLIPS: Let me address --
SLAUGHTER: How do I address it?
PHILLIPS: No, let me ask you about the political side of this.
SLAUGHTER: Absolutely.
PHILLIPS: This has been a concern since the '70s, right?
SLAUGHTER: In 1977.
PHILLIPS: OK --
SLAUGHTER: So the FDA itself said it was a problem.
PHILLIPS: It found antibiotics to food animals at low doses both to promote growth and prevent disease could contribute to a health crisis. Here's my question. It's almost 40 years later.
SLAUGHTER: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Why wasn't anything done?
SLAUGHTER: I have 400 outside groups supporting this piece of legislation I have been touting for three or four sessions of Congress, seven or eight years. They all are saying the same thing. Scientists all over the country are saying we have watched Europe do away with the use of antibiotics in cattle feed and they're doing extremely well with it. But the lobbying against this bill, 12 percent of about 2 million -- $190 million spent in lobbying against this bill, comes from the growers and the producers.
And the new guidelines that the FDA put out for people who produce the animal antibiotics, which are often the same as we use for people, have said it won't affect their bottom line at all. They're right. The FDA guidelines have no teeth. They're asking them in three years would they kindly stop using antibiotics as a daily feed? There's no penalty if they don't and really no way to check, no metric to see if they do.
PHILLIPS: That's because they're voluntary guidelines, right?
SLAUGHTER: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And the FDA says that's the fastest most efficient way to make the changes. I assume you disagree with that.
SLAUGHTER: Totally, I disagree with that. So does all the medical professionals, most have all signed on to our bill and helping to support us. If we can't get the public aroused and if they need to be, I would like them to look on "Washington Post" article they printed about six or eight months ago on how chickens are inspected and ask themselves is that what they want for dinner tonight?
PHILLIPS: Point well made. Representative Louise Slaughter, appreciate your passion and thank you so much for being with me today.
SLAUGHTER: It is a crisis, and thank you for your attention to it.
PHILLIPS: You bet.
Well, it may not be as bad as last year, but flu season is starting to kick into gear. The Centers for Disease Control said today the number of states reporting widespread flu activity jumped from four states last week to ten this week. Widespread means more than 50 percent of a state is reporting flu activity. Flu season usually begins in the winter months and peaks in January or February.
Well, coming up --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Money does grow on trees and it's called the cannabis plant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Business is about to be booming in Colorado, where next week recreational pot is legal.
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PHILLIPS: The business of pot in Colorado is about to get a lot bigger. State-licensed medical marijuana shops are set to open their doors to recreational smokers. Today, the city of Denver handed out the first licenses issued by the state of Colorado. That means no prescription need. Just walk into the store and buy your weed. The demand for legal weed is expected to be pretty darn high. CNN's Ana Cabrera has the story from Denver.
ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The countdown is on. Marijuana becomes legal to sell for recreational use here in Colorado in less than a week. The state hoping to generate tens of millions of dollars in new tax revenue. Businesses are seeing green as well as certain pot shops already operating as medical marijuana dispensaries open their doors to a whole new clientele.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CABRERA (voice-over): The green rush here in Colorado is about to get even bigger. This week state licenses went out to local businesses giving them the green light to start selling recreational marijuana. TONI FOX, MARIJUANA RETAILER: And money does grow on trees and it's called the cannabis plant.
CABRERA: January 1st recreational pot sales are legal and heavily regulated by both state and authorities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to do some profit.
CABRERA: Anyone over the age of 21 will soon be able to buy marijuana, 136 medical marijuana dispensaries now have state licenses to sell it and 178 businesses can now grow it for recreational use.
MORGAN IWERSEN, OWNER, CANYON CULTIVATION: They kind of say we're sort of like the United States Amsterdam.
CABRERA: Morgan Iwersen runs Canyon Cultivation. They make marijuana edibles, drops and candies. She expects business to at least double in the New Year.
IWERSEN: I really hope that people are responsible with it and don't mess it up for the rest of us.
CABRERA: But Canyon Cultivation like most companies here won't be ready on January 1st. Retail outlets had major hurdles to get state approvals. Fingerprint based background checks and fees up to $15,000. Toni Fox said she has more than $1 million invested in her medical marijuana facility 3D cannabis center. Her store is only one of a handful expected to be ready for business on that first day.
FOX: A year ago I would have said I wish I hadn't done it. Now I'm very excited that I've done it and I'm looking forward to the future.
CABRERA: A future she and the state hope will pay off that massive investment.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CABRERA: It was medical marijuana that paved the way for this new retail surge, so a lot is rolled out on the existing infrastructure surrounding or supporting medical marijuana. Including how the state plans to regulate or safeguard this product. And there are even stricter rules when it comes to recreational sale of marijuana. But keep in mind, the federal government still considers all of this criminal. Ana Cabrera, CNN, Denver.
PHILLIPS: Ana, thanks so much. Victory today for the Justice Department as a federal judge rules that the National Security Agency was within the law when it collected massive amounts of data on Americans' phone calls. Next hour, our legal panel weighs in on whether this decision paved the way to a Supreme Court fight.
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PHILLIPS: Super model killed by her famous boyfriend on Valentine's Day, a teenage athlete suffocated inside a gym mat, a shooting spree inside a military base, we can't close the books on 2013 without a look at the year's most notorious crimes, trials, and mysteries. Here's "Legal View's" Ashleigh Banfield.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Number ten.
CHRIS CUOMO, ANCHOR, CNN'S "NEW DAY": We have a report that shots have been fired at the Washington Navy Yard.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. Navy is telling us three shots were fired. They tell us an active shooter is still inside that building.
BANFIELD: Former Navy Reservist Aaron Alexis, a military contractor, gunned down 12 people before police shot and killed him. Number nine, the mysterious death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Got some questions about the Kendrick Johnson case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not going to discuss that with you.
BLACKWELL: Why not, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because our case is closed.
BANFIELD: His body found upside down in a rolled up wrestling mat in the high school gym last January. Local authorities ruled it an accident. Kendrick's parents believe he was murdered. Now federal authorities are investigating.
JACQUELYN JOHNSON, KENDRICK'S MOTHER: We are Kendrick Johnson. That's my child and we're going to fight until it's all over.
BANFIELD: Number eight, Oscar Pistorius, the blade runner, a double amputee, beloved South African Olympic athlete, indicted on charges of murder in August for the shooting of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. He admits he shot her on Valentine's Day, but says it was an accident. His trial starts in March.
Number seven. California teen, Hannah Anderson rescued after a week-long hunt for her abductor in August. Family friend James Dimaggio killed her mother and her brother and the family dog. Their bodies found in his burned home. FBI agents killed him in a shootout.
Number six, a woman who needs no introduction --
JODI ARIAS: Could have at least done your makeup, Jodie, gosh.
BANFIELD: Her outrageous behavior in the interrogation room, the brutal murder of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, and ex-rated details of their sex life gripped the nation. Jodi Arias convicted of first degree murder, but the jury could not decide if she should live or die for the crime.
Number five. A gang of bikers taking on an SUV driver on a highway in Manhattan, his wife and 2-year-old daughter inside. It started with a bump. And moments later, this terrible scene. The driver runs over one biker. His wife says he was left paralyzed. Eleven other bikers, including an undercover cop, are indicted.
Number four. Edward Snowden, branded by some as a hero, by others a traitor, for exposing the NSA's spying programs in May, perhaps the biggest intelligence leak in U.S. history, charged with espionage, granted asylum in Russia.
Number three. George Zimmerman, found not guilty in July of murdering Trayvon Martin.
UNIDENTIFIED 911: Do you think he's yelling help?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Yes.
BANFIELD: A tragic case that ignited questions about race.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trayvon Martin put race in this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't think that creepy ass cracker is a racial comment?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
BANFIELD: A 17-year-old in a hoodie with a pack of Skittles, enduring images from a case that's prompted cries for civil rights charges and an emotional debate, even the president weighed in.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.
BANFIELD: Since Zimmerman's acquittal, he's had a few other run-ins with the law. Number two, inside a Cleveland house of horrors. Three girls kidnapped, raped, and held captive for more than a decade. But on May 6th, Amanda Berry, Gina De Jesus, and Michelle Knight finally broke free.
MICHELLE KNIGHT: I will not let the situation define who I am. I will live on. You will die a little every day.
BANFIELD: Ariel Castro sentenced to life in prison plus more than 1,000 years.
ARIEL CASTRO: I am not a violent predator, a monster. I'm not a monster.
BANFIELD: Ultimately, he would do himself in, killing himself in his cell. That was ten through two. This is number one.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Apparently, there's been an explosion at the Boston marathon. I am told.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN'S "SITUATION ROOM": A 26-mile, 385-yard marathon and it was wrapping up. Wrapping up when you look at these devastating pictures right at the finish line. These are pictures that were shot just moments ago.
BANFIELD: Double-bombings at the finish line of the Boston marathon on April 15th. Three people were killed, 264 others were wounded. And days later, a police officer would be killed. Another wounded. Within four days, one suspect, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, shot and killed by police. Then the manhunt for his brother, Dzhokhar, that shut down the city.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, CNN'S "AC 360": We believe that the suspect is cornered in a boat.
BANFIELD: Tsarnaev arrested April 19th and later charged. Now, the U.S. attorney is deciding if he'll face the death penalty. The attack knocked the city down, but it was far from defeated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I kind of feel like we're all Boston.
BANFIELD: The whole country united with one re-sounding message.
(on camera): Strong. Not just strong, Boston strong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Our Ashleigh Banfield, thanks so much. You can vote on the top ten overall stories of 2013. Go to CNN.com/yir for year in review.
And good afternoon, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips in for Brooke Baldwin. Let's get into it. New this afternoon, Target with a stunning turnaround, they say the personal information numbers or PINs were in fact compromised along with credit and debit card information. When Target stores were hacked earlier this month, we talked about this massive data breach with more than 40 million accounts affected. This has huge implications now for anyone who shopped at Target using a debit card.
For more now, we go to Zain Asher at the New York Stock Exchange. Just yesterday, we were reporting that target was saying, not to worry. Your PIN was not stolen. Now we have the complete opposite that we're telling folks today. What the heck is going on?
ZAIN ASHER, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE/BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. You know, Target basically is in full-scale damage control mode right now. They're sort of walking this tightrope between having to tell the public the truth and trying to prevent a full-scale panic. Yes, they're now coming out and saying pin data was in fact compromised, but it was encrypted and they don't believe these hackers will be able to unscramble that data.
Let me give you an analogy. Imagine thieves stealing a safe with your life savings in it but not having the combination code. That's what we're dealing with right now. The hackers did steal pin data, but target does not believe they'll be able to unscramble the data. It's very different from what we heard from them-yea yesterday. We reached out to them yesterday and asked what the deal was with PINs.
Here's what they told us. They said to us yesterday, to date, there's no evidence that unencrypted PIN data was compromised. No evidence is what they told us yesterday.
