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Target Hacked Linked to Malware; Carol Costello On Life After 50; New Reality Show Follows Small Kids Playing Texas Football; Gun Control Stats and Studies Conflict; Family of Northridge Earthquake Baby Reflects on Anniversary
Aired January 17, 2014 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR: According to a cybersecurity firm called iSight who contributed to the investigation, they used highly sophisticated and nearly undetectable malware named "Kaptoxa."
That's a computer program that's surreptitiously placed in a company's system to corrupt point of sale systems.
That means at the register itself, your information was being grabbed.
iSight says many retail organizations may not know they have been infected.
The software infests retail processing systems, allowing the hackers to manipulate the malware from outside, and most troubling of all, it's using new technology that makes it virtually undetectable by all security software.
ROBERT SICILIANO, MCAFEE ONLINE SECURITY EXPERT: It's an unknown exploit, one that they haven't seen before.
ROMANS: Just who are the hackers? There are clues. Part of the code is written in Russian.
"The Wall Street Journal" cites an unnamed U.S. official who said these details suggest the attack may have ties to organized crime from the former Soviet Union.
Target's still dealing with the fallout this morning. In a new e-mail by target to it customers, they said the cyber attack stole more than pin numbers. It stole names, mailing addresses phone numbers and email addresses as well.
SICILIANO: Consumers need to be aware right now paying very close attention to their statements. You can check your statements on line every day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Target will testify before Congress in early February.
No federal laws exist that set out rules for when and how companies must report these breeches to customers and law enforcement.
Officials say the objective of the hearing will be on how customer can protect themselves.
Brooke?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Christine, thank you.
And have you heard about who is 50 and fabulous today? Check her out. She is first lady Michelle Obama, poking a little fun, actually, at her age.
She tweeted this. "Ecstatic to join Barack in the 50-plus club. Check out my AARP card.
The president, of course he is, throwing a big old bash at the White House. It's called "Snacks and Sips and Dancing and Dessert," and rumor has it Beyonce will be singing happy birthday.
And just a short time ago, I got to sit down with my fabulous colleague, Carol Costello, fellow anchor here at CNN.
And she who wrote this opinion piece on CNN.com. And she said, you know what? Articles about women turning the big 5-0, they get under her skin. Here's our conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: I love this in your op-ed.
"Honestly, I never think about being 50 until I read articles either informing me, quote, 'I can still be sexy at 50 if I do a little something-something or become a proud cougar and date a younger man."
Are we to blame for this? Who is to blame for making this an issue?
Are we society as we grow older and why aren't we talking about men? Why aren't we saying are you into yoga? Do you like Botox?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEWSROOM": When President Obama turned 50, no one asked him to pump up his cheeks and stop playing basketball.
BALDWIN: Double standard.
COSTELLO: I must say a lot of the articles that I read about women who can still be sexy at 50 are written by women. That disturbs me.
BALDWIN: Shame on them?
COSTELLO: Shame on them. Why do we have to be sexy at 50 or 40? Why do we have to be sexy at all?
It's great if you are, right? But as a professional woman, don't you want to be known more for what's up here than what's down there?
Then there is all of this pressure to continue being a sexual being. Helen Mirren, doesn't she look sexy at 60?
BALDWIN: You care about being attractive. Healthy. And you are.
COSTELLO: I take care of myself because that way you can live a better life. I care about the way I look because it's important. It sends out the right self-image and something I want to project.
I don't get filler shots in my face and Botox. I was 30 once and it was great and a lot easier. It was easier looking good at 30 than at 50.
I will never be 30 again and I will never look 30 again. I'm serious about this. I want somebody to be interested in me, and when you turn 50, people pay more attention to what you are saying, frankly.
BALDWIN: Amen to that.
And final question to you since you brought it up, what would you at 50-something tell your 30-something self, one piece of advice?
COSTELLO: Oh, my god. Eat. It's not a bad thing to be bad skinny. It's not true. Eat and enjoy your life. Eat healthy and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
BALDWIN: To quote you at the end of the piece, "You go, girl."
Carol Costello, thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Love her. Love her! Carol Costello, read her piece, CNN.com/opinion.
Also, tonight, make sure you tune in to a CNN Special, "EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY -- MICHELLE OBAMA TURNS 50." It airs at 10:00 Eastern and gives you this unique view from the south side of Chicago all the way to the White House.
Coming up, there is no crying in football, but what about Pee Wee football? A new show focuses on 8- and 9-year-old player who show no mercy on the field.
It's called "Friday Night Tykes," and some are slamming its no-holds- barred approach to Pee Wee football.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Some teams are told to win at all costs, practice in 100-plus degree heat, coaches cursing or maybe yelling. I'm not talking grown men in the NFL. I'm talking about boys in TYFA. This is the Texas Youth Football Association.
These are 8-year-olds, these are 9-year-olds. They're starring in this new reality show and, once you see this show, it's called "Friday Night Tykes," you will understand why one youth sports advocate calls it, in a word, "horrifying."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have the opportunity to rip their fricking head off and let them bleed. If I cut them with a knife, they are going to bleed red just like you.
You go out there like Junior Broncos, you play Junior Bronco football and you can do it.
If you believe in yourself you can do whatever it is you want to do in life. Do it now, though. Do you understand?
KIDS: Yes, sir!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do it now!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the Texas Youth Football Association, one of the elite football leagues for kids in America, and the 8- and 9- year-old rookie division features the best of the best.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't give me that soft crap. There should be no reason why y'all don't make other teams cry. I could care less if they cry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The teams are ultra-competitive, demanding commitment --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where you earn your (inaudible)!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- sacrifice and intensity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can do this. You are stronger than this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But it's hard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five teams.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We come out screaming and yelling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five heated rivals.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got to fight! We've got to fight!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only one can win.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are so worried about winning that you're not playing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't care how much pain you're in. You don't quit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You guys forget that they are babies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If that kid comes across, I want you to put it in his helmet. Do you understand?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't care if you don't get up. Let's go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: I'm sorry. No matter how time I see that, it's like jaw, put it back up.
Esquire Network defends its series, saying it's authentic and, quote, "We believe 'Friday Night Tykes' brings up important and serious questions about parenting and safety in youth sports, and we encourage Americans to watch, debate, and discuss these issues."
So, we will with chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Coy Wire, former NFL player, so, guys, welcome.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Thank you.
BALDWIN: I was watching your face as we were watching that.
You focus on "Friday Night Tykes" tomorrow, "SGMD." And when I heard, I wrote down what the coach was saying, "If I cut them with a knife, they will bleed." He's saying that to 8- and 9-year-olds.
You talked to a mother.
GUPTA: Look, I had the same reaction you did. I think just about everybody does.
But I wanted to get the explanation, if you will, from the parents who put her son in this league, the Broncos. You just heard about that team in the piece. Her name is Lisa Cannell.
Listen, I asked her, Is this just too much? Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA CANNELL, MOTHER: It is an intense activity and our kids are pushing themselves, but it's because they have potential for that greatness.
And for our family, in particular, and Colby, specifically, we just felt that he wasn't being challenged where he was, so we wanted to put him in a place where he could grow as an individual and really work on those skills.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA: We had a lot of back and forth. She went on to say, I don't want my son to be in the "everybody-gets-a-trophy" league, which has been something I've heard from a lot of parents.
But this is the alternative that she has been offered and it's hardcore. Her son actually, he was one of the ones that was hit. He vomited after he got hit.
That's something that anybody would worry about, certainly from a medical standpoint. BALDWIN: Yes, Mr. Neurosurgeon, I want to get to the medical ramifications of this in just a minute.
But as a former pro player, just react to what you saw and also just help us understand. This is Texas football, even this big, Texas football.
COY WIRE, FORMER NFL PLAYER: These coaches and the parents who condone this behavior are not ignorant. They are evil. There's no question after watching those clips that those coaches are -
BALDWIN: Evil, huh?
WIRE: -- solipsistic, self-aggrandizing, egomaniacal individuals who care more about wins and losses and their own reputation than they do about the well being of those kids.
This needs to stop. This needs to change.
GUPTA: I was also struck by the fact they say it's authentic. Like part of me said, OK, look, they're hamming it up for the cameras and this is a reality show.
They say this is authentic. The gentleman that was sitting next to Lisa Cannell in that clip there, he's actually the head of the league. And he says, yeah, this is pretty representative of what's happening there. That was shocking.
BALDWIN: And the kids say, Mom and Dad, I really want to play, and the parents say, We really want you to play, we want you to be challenged. Is that how that works, I assume?
GUPTA: And these are 8- or 9-year-old kids. These are young kids. They are pretty impressionable and then you obviously have the parents as you just heard.
BALDWIN: Can you get your bell rung at 8?
WIRE: Oh, absolutely, yes, you can get your bell rung at 8.
And probably you are worse off to have it rung that young when you're in the formative stages of your life.
And the thing about this is, where are the parents? You talk about the leadership of the coaches or --
BALDWIN: We just saw one.
WIRE: -- lack of leadership.
This is a form of neglect and of abuse. If you subject your children --
BALDWIN: Not according to that mom who said she wanted her kid challenged. WIRE: But how is it different subjecting her child to that sort of atrocious behavior, poor tackling technique, the possibility of experiencing death because of head trauma.
BALDWIN: What does it do, Sanjay?
GUPTA: First of all, it's probably worse this children than adults. You are creating the injuries to the brain. A concussion is a brain injury. That's what it is.
You call it that, your perspective changes. You can call it problems and bleeding in and around the brain. You can have long-term problems.
I don't know what the regulations are specifically in terms of letting them return to play. Those would qualify as significant blows to the head.
The point I talked about is, in many ways, we are moving in a better direction. This seems to take it backwards. That was really concerning.
BALDWIN: You are the living dream of so many of these little kids. You played on these fields as a professional.
Did you do this as a kid or anything anywhere near that?
WIRE: I was blessed to have good coaches, great role models who caught sportsmanship in sport. I didn't hear one word that symbolized sportsmanship.
BALDWIN: Talking about cutting.
WIRE: Talking about cutting and bleeding and I don't care if the other kid is hurt.
That's not the right way to do it. There is a right way to lead. There is a wrong way to lead.
I implore the NFL to get involved with Texas Youth Football Association. I implore them to put a stop to that atrocious behavior and put an end to that leadership that's taking place, the poor tackling techniques that are being taught and imposed upon these young kids.
It's wrong and it needs to change.
BALDWIN: I will be interested to see what kind of viewership they get and if the NFL gets involved.
Coy and Sanjay, thank you very, very much.
We'll be watching, most definitely, this weekend on "SGMD," Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern and Sunday, 7:30 in the morning, right here on CNN.
Thanks, guys, very much. WIRE: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Coming up here, news for Snapchat fans, anyone, that is a little not-safe-for-work here.
Some users of the photo-sharing app have been spammed with porn, and that's not all.
Snapchat's porn problem after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: All right, we wanted to take the time today just to update something that we discussed yesterday on the show.
We talked about a big-name Hollywood producer and his comments about "taking down" the NRA and the gun industry.
Harvey Weinstein has produced successful movies, like "Shakespeare in Love," "Pulp Fiction," "The King's Speech."
During a conversation on Howard Stern's radio show, he said he plans to produce a movie -- this is about an hour into this clip -- plans to produce a movie with Meryl Streep to take the issue of gun control, quote/unquote, "head on."
So we had a couple of guests on the show to discuss Weinstein's plans and if he could make a difference in gun violence.
So we had on to people. We had Emily Miller. She's a senior opinion editor of "The Washington Times" and the author of the book "Emily Gets Her Gun."
And we also talk to Arkadi Gerney, a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress.
And at one point in this conversation, it took a turn. Each were making claims about different statistics and, in total transparency, I don't have all this data in front of me. I couldn't correct them in this and the nuance on the fly.
So we wanted, though, to take a moment and dig for you and find the truth, because I think it's important for us to get you the right information to fact-check our guest's statements.
So, first, here's what they said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMILY MILLER, SENIOR OPINION EDITOR, "THE WASHINGTON TIMES": The only issue is who's going to see it.
And I don't think -- I think I can assure you that the 5 million members of the NRA are not going to see it.
BALDWIN: Arkadi, let me hear your opinion. MILLER: And, you know, we'll see.
ARKADI GERNEY, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: There are 300 million Americans who are not members of the NRA.
And the reason to make this movie is not because NRA members have been doing things that lead to violence.
It's because the NRA has blocked policies to cut down on gun violence.
And Emily is wrong when she says there's isn't evidence that gun laws lead to reducing gun violence.
MILLER: Name one, then.
GERNEY: There's a mountain of evidence that shows -
MILER: Name one.
GERNEY: -- for example that for the 10 states with the strongest gun laws in the country, if you compare that to the 10 states with the weakest gun laws in the country, you see gun deaths that are half, half the rate of gun deaths in those 10 states.
MILLER: Cite where you're getting that information.
GERNEY: That's a report that I wrote and published last year.
MILLER: Oh, it's yourself.
GERNEY: You can find it on the Web site of the Center for American Progress.
MILLER: OK, so your leftist organization and your own information?
Well, the CDC did a government research study -
GERNEY: Well, it's a report that was published in "The New York Times," as well.
MILLER: OK, well, for the viewers to know, the CDC is government research -- is a government arm.
Centers for Disease Control did a study of all firearms laws --
GERNEY: Which is the data we used.
MILLER: OK, so you're saying you're correct. The government is wrong and you're correct. That's fine.
GERNEY: No, no, no. We used the government data, along with looking at gun laws and looked at -
MILLER: And you just came to a different result?
GERNEY: -- the correlation between strong gun laws and lower gun death.
MILLER: OK.
GERNEY: And there's a very strong correlation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: OK. So, a couple of things here.
You heard Gurney mention a study he helped author from his group, the Center for American Progress.
He basically said that the 10 states with the strongest gun laws have about half of the gun deaths compared to the states with the weakest gun laws.
We checked and Gerney correctly cited the study published by his group in April of last year. It was based on data from a number of organizations, including the CDC.
You heard Emily Miller, and she cited a CDC study of firearm laws and contended that information did not correlate with Gerney research.
Take a look at this, because a 2003 review conducted by a CDC task force found insufficient evidence to determine effectiveness of gun laws and reducing gun violence and called for further research.
And FBI figures do show a substantial drop in the number of murders committed by firearms from more 17,000 in 1993 to just over 10,000 in 2012.
So, just again, we wanted to make sure we checked out the facts just so you had the full picture and the correct information.
Let me move on here, breaking news. At least one person has been injured at a Philadelphia charter high school after shots were reportedly fired from outside the school through the school window.
That information we're getting from a representative of the Philadelphia fire department, telling CNN.
We also know at least one person is being taken from -- this is Delaware Valley Charter High School to a hospital, injuries at this point unknown.
Obviously we're working this one to get more information and as soon as we get it we'll pass it along to you here on CNN. Another shooting at a school.
Coming up, one of the worst earthquakes of the century happens just as a new mom goes into labor. Her husband rushes her to the hospital in the middle of the night.
There are fires, flooded streets, powerful aftershocks. This actually happened. CNN caught up with them, their unforgettable story, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Here we go, back to the breaking news. And now we have some pictures. Let's show those live pictures if we have them, guys.
We can tell you at least one person -- here we go, aerial pictures from our Philadelphia affiliate, as I can tell you that one person, at least one person, let me be clear, has been injured at this Philadelphia charter high school -- this is the Delaware Valley Charter High School -- injured after shots were reportedly fired from outside the school through a school window. That's what we're getting from this person with Philadelphia fire.
At least one person is being taken to the hospital, injuries at this point unknown. Obviously a lot of question marks as we're making phone calls.
As soon as we get more information on this shooting at this Philadelphia charter school, we'll pass it on to you right here on CNN, so stay with us.
Let me move on for now, though, and tell you that the nation's costliest earthquake struck 20 years ago today in Southern California.
This 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit in the wee hours of the morning. Nearly 60 people died. Thousands more were injured.
And on this 20th anniversary, an ironically rude twist, people woke up to a 2.6 earthquake five miles north of Hollywood.
It was the latest in a series of quakes, several quakes in the last 10 days, and many Southern Californians cannot forget the frightening details of what happened in the San Fernando two decades ago, particularly, one woman who was pregnant at the time, went into labor in the middle of the earthquake.
And Stephanie Elam, she spoke with her.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Imagine seeing this as you're rushing to the hospital to give birth.
PEGGY O'DONOGHUE, IN LABOR DURING EARTHQUAKE: We just saw flames coming out of the street.
ELAM: It was the reality for Peggy and Tom O'Donoghue, 20 years ago, the morning a deadly 6.7-magnitude earthquake rocked Los Angeles.
It struck at 4:31 a.m.
Eight days overdue, Peggy was awake, counting contractions.
P. O'DONOGHUE: It sounded like a train was coming. I got on my hands and knees on the floor, so I was crawling through glass.
ELAM: So were you all caught up? P. O'DONOGHUE: My knees were pretty cut up, but I didn't feel anything. I think adrenaline was going through me like crazy.
ELAM: Within five minutes, the O'Donoghues were driving through these flooded streets. The only light, fire erupting from broken gas lines.
TOM O'DONOGHUE, EARTHQUAKE EXPECTANT FATHER: There's this big line of flames that we had to drive through and it was just so surreal.
ELAM: At the hospital, they were told to hunker down in a storage room.
T. O'DONOGHUE: The one thing you said to me is, am I going to die?
P. O'DONOGHUE: That was early on.
T. O'DONOGHUE: Am I going make it? And I just lied through my teeth. Of course you will.
ELAM: Then they heard their doctor's voice, a big comfort, until he told them the hospital was unsafe. They had to evacuate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a collapse.
ELAM: Now during the daylight, the O'Donoghues were back on the streets with their doctor, searching for a hospital.
They drove past this demolished one and another that had no space.
P. O'DONOGHUE: We were seeing more and more destruction everywhere we were going.
ELAM: After a nearly hour long journey, the trio arrived at Northridge Hospital, but there were no more beds.
P. O'DONOGHUE: I looked at him and I said, I'll have him on the floor. I don't care.
ELAM: Her doctor found a gurney and wheeled her into a makeshift delivery room.
T. O'DONOGHUE: So I was really worried, and I just said, Lord, this is in your hands.
ELAM: Thirty minutes later, and four and a half hours after his parents were shaken from bed, Ryan O'Donoghue was born.
Two decades later, Ryan is still awestruck at what his parents endured.
RYAN O'DONOGHUE, EARTHQUAKE BABY: Just going through an earthquake itself is insane.
Going through childbirth during it, it had to be absolutely mind blowing.
ELAM: And if there's another big one, Peggy has a plan.
P. O'DONOGHUE: I would want to go to the hospital and see if there were any women that just had babies, knowing that I could relate to what they are going through.
ELAM: Stephanie Elam, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: And finally here, the woman ticketed for driving while wearing Google Glasses is free to go.
It is believed to be the first case of its kind. Cecilia Abadie was found not guilty of distracted driving for wearing the high-tech device.
The judge dropped the charge because the police could not prove that it was turned on when she was pulled over.
The ruling does not mean it's legal to turn on your Google Glass and drive.
And make sure you stay with us here at CNN, as I'm sure Jake Tapper will have more on the shooting outside this charter high school in Philadelphia.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so much for being with me.
"THE LEAD" starts right now.
