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Atlanta, the Snowstorm and the Super Bowl; Super Bowl Is Sunday; Woman Gives Birth to Baby at Home With Help of 911 During Snowstorm; CNN's Jake Tapper Interviews Obama; Pope Francis on Cover of "Rolling Stone"; Amanda Knox Found Guilty -- Again

Aired January 30, 2014 - 15:30   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Let me read this to you. This is from Tommy Tomlinson, a contributor to Forbes.com -- Forbes.com.

He writes this: "I suspect that after watching the news Tuesday, Roger Goodell," the NFL commissioner, "got out his list of Super Bowl cities and crossed Atlanta's name off.

"Imagine if a couple of inches of snow fell and people couldn't even get to the game. Could you imagine a Super Bowl with empty seats? That's the NFL's horror movie."

Atlanta, getting a new, big, pretty stadium. Obviously, we'd love to host -- the city of Atlanta would love to host a Super Bowl.

Do you think this whole thing could jeopardize -- Mo, first to you, and then Katie -- that possibility?

MO IVORY, ATTORNEY & V-109 RADIO PERSONALITY: Absolutely, I tweeted that out a couple of days ago as soon as it happened.

And I said to myself, not only are -- we built this whole stadium -- where we're going to build this whole billion-dollar stadium in order to get a Super Bowl, it's the main reason.

All the other reasons are ancillary to getting a Super Bowl.

Imagine them watching it, only days away from the Super Bowl with snow in the north, and this is the way we handle snow.

BALDWIN: Katie, what do you think? Do you agree?

KATIE LESLIE, ATLANTA CITY HALL REPORTER, "ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION": I must say this is a little bit out of my wheelhouse.

I have written about the Falcon's stadium deal. I haven't studied how the NFL makes decisions for where they put a Super Bowl, but I will say that our columnist, Jeff Shultz, with the "AJC," wrote a piece this week, saying this isn't going to make or break us in the future.

The stadium is going to open in 2017. By that time it will have been four years since this debacle.

And, by then, certainly, it will give politicians the opportunity perhaps to encounter another snowstorm and say, we got it right this time, if that happens.

BALDWIN: Let's hope so. Katie Leslie, with the "Atlanta Journal Constitution," Mo Ivory, V-109, thank you -

IVORY: Thank you.

BALDWIN: -- very much, ladies.

Coming up next, thousands were stranded when the southern states were slammed by the winter storm this week.

My next guest had a particularly challenging time, because she was stuck at home nine-months pregnant and then went into labor.

We will talk to the new mom about her story, coming up next. Don't miss that.

Also ahead, Pope Francis, have seen the cover of "Rolling Stone?" Look at that. An honor typically bestowed for musicians and famous folks of that ilk, and now the pope?

Why "Rolling Stone" decided to put Pope Francis smack dab on the cover.

Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Past the bottom of the hour, I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for being with me here on CNN.

You know the biggest sports TV advertising event of the year is all of three days away.

Super Bowl XLVIII will be played at MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Don Lemon joins me now live with a preview from Super Bowl Boulevard in Times Square.

I will be there this time tomorrow. I cannot wait. And introduce me to your friend next to you, covered, what, like 40 years worth of Super Bowls?

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, my gosh. This guy is a sports legend. And I said that to him. And he goes -- Brooke, he said, no, that just makes you -

LEN BERMAN, VETERAN SPORTSCASTER: That just means you're old.

LEMON: Means you're old.

BERMAN: If they call you a legend or whatever, that's old.

LEMON: This is Len Berman. And I hate it. People are telling me now this. I grew up watching. And I go, oh, my god. That means I'm getting old. BERMAN: I'm excited to be on with the great Don Lemon.

LEMON: What were you saying before? I'm Don Lemon and --

BERMAN: I'm Don Lemon and this is CNN.

BALDWIN: Nice.

LEMON: So, this is Len Berman. As you said, he's covered sports for, what, 40 years now you've --

BERMAN: Brooke seems totally underwhelmed.

BALDWIN: I'm so impressed with you guys.

LEMON: But you know what we've been talking about, Brooke? We were sitting here talking about what if the Super Bowl was in Atlanta this week.

BALDWIN: Let's not talk about that.

BERMAN: And everyone was bitching about the traffic and how terrible it was.

And they said, that would be bad for the Olympics. But I covered the Olympics in Atlanta and they handled it well.

But can you imagine? And that's what I was worried about this. I'm a native New Yorker, but I wasn't in favor of a cold weather Super Bowl site, not only for the game, but what's going on here.

The crowds would be twice as large as they are right now, if the weather were decent.

LEMON: And I spoke to someone who tracks tickets, a company that tracks tickets. They are down about 25 percent.

And one reason is because of the cold, because of the weather. And people don't want to sit outside, especially if you're paying that much for a ticket.

BERMAN: It's also the run up during the week, but the NFL is going to dodge a big bullet. It's going to be in the 40s Sunday. They will be OK.

LEMON: What do you think of this whole -- we are sitting here on what's called Super Bowl Boulevard. This is a first for Times Square.

This is like having New Year's Eve for a week here. They've blocked off, what, 34th Street (inaudible) all the way up to 47th Street, maybe a little bit beyond.

BERMAN: I spent the last hour looking for Kathy Griffin and Anderson. I couldn't find them.

LEMON: We are. We are the Super Bowl version of Kathy and Anderson. But what do you think of this? This is -- for some New Yorkers, it's an annoyance, but for people who are visiting --

BERMAN: Right.

LEMON: -- this is quite -

BERMAN: No, it's quite a spectacle, but New York being New York, if you go block over to 6th Avenue, they don't know this is going on.

LEMON: Right.

BERMAN: So I mean this is such -- what they say about the Super Bowl is it will do a 40-rating in New York City on television, which means 60 ain't watching. So, there's a lot going on.

LEMON: So, you excited about this? Who do you think is going to win?

Sherman has been getting a lot of attention. Of course, Manning always gets the attention.

What do you think about the game, your expertise?

BERMAN: Here's how I phrase it. Defense always wins the Super Bowl, so it's got to be Seattle.

And then the experienced quarterback is going to hold sway, and that's Peyton Manning.

So, there you go.

That's it? Got any other questions?

LEMON: You are not giving me anything.

BERMAN: You know why I don't love making predictions? Because there could be one tip of the bowl -- can you imagine that Super Bowl when the guy just misses the field goal if you'd made a prediction? What? That he's going to miss the field goal right? No.1

LEMON: And you know what else, Brooke, that we have talked about, and you know this, the drama goes on. It has been going on since Lady Liberty.

Who actually owns the Statue of Liberty? Is it Jersey or New York?

Is this a New York Super Bowl or is this a New Jersey Super Bowl?

BALDWIN: That's a good question.

BERMAN: This is off the record. With all due respect to my friends from New Jersey, this is a New York Super Bowl. If New York City didn't exist, New Jersey would be a turnpike going to Philadelphia.

BALDWIN: The former mayor would disagree with you. He would be saying no, no, this is a New Jersey Super Bowl. LEMON: Brooke is saying it's a New Jersey Super Bowl, but you know --

BERMAN: Did we ask her?

BALDWIN: It's my show, gentlemen.

LEMON: She said, it's her show, so we'll let her have it.

Brooke, if you say it's New Jersey, you can say it. I will say it's a New York Super Bowl, because it's the media capital of the world. All the focus is here.

New Jersey, we love you, but come on.

BERMAN: I will defer to Brooke.

BALDWIN: Len, thank you.

LEMON: See you tomorrow.

BALDWIN: Yes, I will be there with you in Times Square tomorrow. Gentlemen, thank you very much.

And, coming up next, the story back here in the South, the cold, the snow, the mess, a mother stuck at home because of the storm, she couldn't make it to the hospital.

Nine months here, almost with child, and then, whoop, went into labor and delivered it little one.

We're going to talk to her about the story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Back to that southern snowstorm -- say that five times, fast -- and the thousands who were stranded in it, amid all of the slip- sliding going on in Birmingham, Alabama, something else was getting ready to happen right as the chaos was building there, as the roads became increasingly congested and the traffic ground to a halt. The labor pains began for one mom.

She was stuck at home, and so home was where little baby Winter was born. You heard me right, appropriately named. Here she is, baby Winter.

And now mom, Darshay Jones, joins me on the phone from Birmingham. And, Darshay, little baby Winter is asleep you were telling me during commercial break.

How are you feeling?

DARSHAY JONES, MOM GAVE BIRTH IN SNOWSTORM (via telephone): I'm doing good.

BALDWIN: Take me back to how this happened.

I understand that the ambulance that was en route to you got in an accident, a weather-related accident?

So what happened next?

JONES (via telephone): They got in an accident. (Inaudible) for them to get there.

And when I called them back, she told me the paramedics and she asked me, she was like, you at home by yourself? I was like no. And she was like, let me speak to the person who's at home.

So we had put the phone on speakerphone, and she told my boyfriend, she was like, get ready because you about to bring a baby into the world.

And we was all like chaotic like, What? I'm not going to deliver a baby.

So she started just giving him the instructions on everything to get so he could prepare himself to bring the baby into the world.

And he got everything and he followed directions that she was telling him. She was talking to him, telling him what to do, and she was also talking to me to keep calm so he wouldn't panic.

So he did everything.

BALDWIN: He did not panic?

JONES (via telephone): Ma'am?

BALDWIN: He did not panic?

JONES (via telephone): He didn't panic. He was saying the baby's head is coming out. He brought it and he said I had to get the baby. I pushed and after the third push she came out.

They instructed him how to get the placenta out and I got the placenta off. We had a shoestring and we had to wait until they come and helped them arrive until like 4:30.

We went to the hospital via the police car. We got here.

BALDWIN: A shoestring cutting the umbilical cord.

I am glad and kudos to the boyfriend of yours to help you walk through that whole thing.

I wish you and baby Winter well. Thank you for sharing your story with us here on CNN.

Coming up next, he just wrapped his exclusive interview with the president of the United States. I'm talking about our own Jake Tapper, host of "THE LEAD."

He is live in Wisconsin where the president visited today. We will talk with Jake about the big interview, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The president of the United States taking his State of the Union message back on the road today.

Earlier today he spoke in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Jake Tapper, anchor of "THE LEAD" is live there.

You just sat down with the president, my friend. This is the interview we have been promoting all over this network.

I am sitting here with bated breath. How did it go?

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR, "THE LEAD": It went well.

You never have enough time to ask the questions that you want to ask, but we spoke at length about what he intends to do for this new push where he says, if Congress doesn't act, he'll go it alone with executive actions and executive orders.

He gave us a preview of what he's going to announce tomorrow, which sounds very significant. We're going to have that for you in a few minutes on "THE LEAD."

We talked about the National Security Agency and Afghanistan, immigration reform, marijuana, and, of course, during our walk and talk, a few lighter subjects as well.

So it was fun and interesting. You always wish, oh, my God, even after 20 minutes, I wish I had 20 more minutes, but I think we got some interesting news out of him, and I hope you agree, Brooke.

BALDWIN: I'm sure the 20 minutes flew by, and you were begging for more time.

Jake Tapper, I cannot wait to see. We'll see a little preview, and we'll look for you in 10 minutes on "THE LEAD."

Ad, of course, we'll be tuned in for this first exclusive interview since the president's State of the Union speech tomorrow morning on "NEW DAY," 6:00 a.m., and then, of course, on your show, Jake Tapper, on "THE LEAD," tomorrow at 4:00.

Thank you and nice work there.

You know you've made it big when you got a picture on ""Rolling Stone" Cue the song.

This month, Pope Francis takes that honor, and we'll talk to the "Rolling Stone" reporter that wrote the article, contributing editor of the magazine, about the decision to put the pope on the cover, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Sex, abortion, homosexuality, I'm not talking about some drama on television. We're talking about the very real issues that Pope Francis is taking head-on.

Since being elected pope in the spring of last year, we have seen things from this pope that we have not even from any other.

You know, out for a walk around Rome, baby lamb around his shoulders. He stopped to pick up a friend, go for a spin.

But pictures in issues like this is not exactly why people see this pontiff as larger than life. Some would even suggest a superhero.

"Time" magazine named the pope their Person of the Year, and now the man who loved dancing the tango as a teenager has another honor. He is on the cover of ""Rolling Stone"" magazine. Pope Francis, the times are a-changing.

The man who penned this article joins me live. Mark, welcome.

MARK BINELLI, WROTE ARTICLE ON POPE FRANCIS FOR "ROLLING STONE": Thanks so much for having me.

BALDWIN: Great article.

Something that stood out to me, a couple of 'graphs in and then the final 'graph of your piece is you compare Pope Francis of, of all people, President Bill Clinton.

What do you see is the similarity there?

BINELLI: There are obviously lots of differences. The main similarity is the way he thrives on being out with the public.

I went to one of the pope's general audiences on Wednesday at St. Peter's Square and he spent about an hour talking to everyone and it was kind of astounding to watch, and it's very different from the previous popes, for sure.

BALDWIN: You get into homosexuality, specifically. The pope was asked about the existence -- this was all on that flight -- the existence of the gay lobby within the Vatican, and you wrote that the pope said that it's important to distinguish between lobbies, which are bad and individual gay people, who are well intentioned and seeking God.

And, when responding to the latter, you write, what he actually says, when you're really looking at that transition, "Mah, who am I to judge?"

Can you tell me what he -- what we think he meant by that?

BINELLI: Well, you often hear, who am I to judge? That's the part of the press conference on the plane that's often quoted.

But "Mah" is -- it's sort of an untranslatable Italian -- little Italian phrase and it kind of means, who the heck knows? But maybe substitute a stronger word for heck.

And, I mean, just even if you watch the video footage of the press conference, you see him pointing his fingers like this in a very Italian way and doing that.

And just that extra stress, really, for me, summed up how sort of human he seems compared to previous popes and how, you know, just how genuine he is.

And, yeah, conservatives do rightly point out that he's made no specific doctrinal changes on any of these issues, but I think just leading from the top in his behavior, this more tolerant language, is a huge, huge change.

BALDWIN: Mark Binelli, thank you for joining me. Read the article, cover story of "Rolling Stone."

Forgive me. I need to pull away from that to go to this breaking news in my final minute and a half with you.

Amanda Knox verdict has just been read, guilty here, guilty.

Erin McLaughlin is joining me now from Italy.

And, just to remind everyone, she had been acquitted of this murder conviction a couple of years ago. Then the supreme court there in Italy decided they needed to take it up yet again.

And, so, guilty there where you are in Florence?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Brooke. After nearly 12 hours of deliberation, six jurors and two judges reached this guilty verdict finding Amanda Knox guilty, sentencing her to 28 years and six months in prison for the death of the 21-year-old British student Meredith Kercher.

Her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito found guilty, as well, sentenced to 25 years in prison. His passport has been confiscated.

Now, this decision is not the final word, is not the end of this legal battle. It'll take this court about three months to write up this decision. They have, rather, until three months to write up this decision before it goes to Italy's supreme court.

The defense will have an opportunity there to appeal it. If, ultimately, Italy's supreme court ratifies this decision, Italy could request Amanda Knox's extradition from the United States.

Brooke?

BALDWIN: And the question is, will she actually have to leave Seattle and go back to Italy for this? A lot of legal questions coming out this.

Stay tuned to CNN for more coverage here on the aftermath of this verdict in the Amanda Knox case there in Italy.

But I have to let you go. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for being with me.

To Jake Tapper, fresh off his interview with the president of the United States, live in Waukesha, Wisconsin, starts now.