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USDA: Tainted Beef Reached 36 states, Guam; Senate Kills Military Sexual Assault Bill; Former NFL Star Facing Murder Charge May Now Be Charged In Jailhouse Fight; What's Up With All The Court Crashers?; Gupta "Doubling Down" On Medical Marijuana

Aired March 07, 2014 - 14:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Bottom of the hour, I'm Brooke Baldwin. Just in to us here at CNN. The USDA now believes tainted beef recalled from a California-based meat producer reached 36 states and Guam. And that includes thousands of retailers. Want to go straight to CNN investigative correspondent, Chris Frates here. Chris Frates, what do we know?

CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIVE UNIT: We know that this is not good news for meat lovers. The list of retailer who is got this meat has grown. The USDA believes that there were 35 states that have purchased this meat from Rancho Feeding Corporation. Now remember, like Rancho recalled nearly nine million pounds of beef last month and they initially believed that the meat had only gone to a handful of states.

So now we are seeing that it's going to most of the country and it's impacting a lot of really well-known stores here. We are talking Wal- Mart, 7-11, Kroeger and Target. Now important -- it's also important to remember that it may have gone to these stores. They don't know for sure. That's something to let folks know. We these stores. They don't know for sure and so that's something to let folks know. We don't know for sure, but you need to be aware.

BALDWIN: So that's a lot of states and stores impacted. How do I know if I have gotten some bad meat?

FRATES: And this is part of the problem, Brooke. You know, we called the USDA and they said, you know, consumers can go on to our web site and you see the complete list of stores. That's thousands of stores --

BALDWIN: That's it.

FRATES: Then you have to ask your retailer, you know, did you guys from Rancho? Should I be concerned? So there is no way for consumers to know for sure that they got that meat. You have to look up your store, your grocery store and ask the manager there, do I have reason to be concerned here?

The other thing that is starting to happen is that companies that had used to meat, Nestle used it in some of their Hot Pockets. They are putting recalls on those particular products, but there is no way to know for sure about the meat.

BALDWIN: OK, so just a heads up. I'm sure we will put more information on our web site for folks who are still scratching their heads. Just go to cnn.com. Chris Frates, thank you.

Now to this next story that really just sums up the military's trouble with sexual assault cases because you have this Obama administration official telling CNN that the Army's top sex crimes prosecutor is now being investigated over allegations he groped a female lawyer.

There is more because he was allegedly at a sexual assault conference in 2011. Also yesterday to overhaul the Pentagon's approach to sexual assault cases died in the Senate and on its way down seemed to spark an inner party fight for the GOP. Here is Senator Lindsey Graham.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: People wanting to run for president on our side, I will remind you of this vote. If you want to be commander in chief? You told me a lot today about who are as commander-in-chief candidate. You are willing to fire every commander in the military for reasons I don't quite understand. So we will have a good discussion as to whether or not you understand how the military actually works.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So that was Senator Graham. That was a jab at 2016 contenders. The likes of Senator Ted Cruz and Rand Paul who supported the bill. Let me bring in our chief political analyst, Gloria Borger, to just explain. Why the parting jab from Graham? What was he going for there?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, look, what he is clearly saying is that these folks are political opportunists. That they are playing to women and that he believes quite strongly that this undermines the chain of command of the military. And if you look at the history of Graham and Paul and Cruz, you know, I wouldn't say that Graham is best friends with either one of those folks.

They've disagreed on everything from the government shut down to the use of drones. Graham is a very strong militarily and he believes very strongly that you need to keep the chain of command in place. Because you know, at the heart of this issue and what Senator Gillibrand was talking about here is that she believes that women cannot go to their commanders directly.

That they don't report as much sexual abuse as they might because the commanders know both them and the people they are accusing of abusing them and so it holds them back.

BALDWIN: It's tough and then --

BORGER: It's very difficult, difficult promise. It's splits the party you know, Brooke. BALDWIN: That too because the Democrats here, we are talking about the Senate. The bill died in the Senate that is a Democratic majority. I mean, were they not united on this either?

BORGER: No, they weren't. You know, 10 Democrats voted against it. For example, Karl Levin, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Another woman, Claire McCaskill also on the Armed Services Committee led the fight against Gillibrand. Seventeen of the 20 women in the Senate voted for this. But you know, it was really a fight not only along party lines, but also you know, it's a sense of can you upset that chain of command in the military.

Gillibrand and others feel very strongly that if you want women to report sexual abuse, you have to make it easier for them and not harder for them. So this issue will be revisited. You can be sure of that.

BALDWIN: Good. Gloria Borger, thank you.

Coming up, new troubles for ex-NFL star, Aaron Hernandez who is currently in jail accused of murder. Now, he could be facing assault changes for throwing a punch in jail. More on that.

Also ahead, did you see this video? Court crashers. Recently fans have been rushing on to the basketball court during the game. What's going on here? We will discuss that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Ex-NFL star, Aaron Hernandez may get slapped with a new criminal charge for his involvement in this jail house fight. You see Hernandez got into a brawl inside the very same Massachusetts jail where he is locked up on first-degree murder changes. The former New England Patriot allegedly punched an inmate who was handcuffed. No one was seriously hurt in last week's jail fight.

Let's talk to our national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, who has been following the Hernandez story very closely. Here's my question because I know he could be facing a misdemeanor charge for this. This guy already faces first-degree murder. So why add this charge?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's what happened, Brooke. After the sheriff conducted an in-house investigation after that jailhouse brawl, he is asking the judge to charge Hernandez with yet another crime, assault and battery. Now it's a misdemeanor in part because of a lack of serious injuries, but here's the allegation.

That Aaron Hernandez was in the common area of this high risk unit at the jail. At the same time another inmate in the unit who was in handcuffs was being escorted in the very same area. Now Hernandez was who not in handcuffs was able to land a hit or two before jailers broke it up.

Now the sheriff said there was no actual video of the physical fight, but there was video of the time that happened around it. Now here's what the sheriff is doing about the incident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF THOMAS HODGSON, BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS SHERIFF'S OFFICE: No matter what, any one person that comes out cannot be any cells open or anyone else allowed out at the same time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Susan, it's up to this judge to approve whether or not Hernandez faces this misdemeanor charge?

CANDIOTTI: That's right. The sheriff wants a judge to do it, but first a magistrate has to hold a hearing, Brooke. That could include witnesses including Aaron Hernandez. It's not until after that that we will find out whether this assault and battery charge will go through.

We've reached out to his lawyers, but we've had no response. So in the meantime, the sheriff is taking some disciplinary actions against Hernandez chopping down, cutting down his daily time outside of the cell from three hours a day to only one -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: OK, Susan Candiotti, thank you very much. Coming up here, President Obama expected to speak any minute now and again live pictures here in Homestead, Florida. What we are really watching for. He has the message, of course, about strengthening the middle class. Will he mention, will he touch on the ongoing crisis in Ukraine? We'll let you know. We will keep an eye out for that.

Also ahead, our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, I mean, he shocked everyone when he apologized for supporting medical marijuana. Now after reaction, he said he is doubling down on the new special. He will me why here. He will join me in Studio 7.

But first a lot of people say they support the troops, but actor, Gary Sinise, goes way above and beyond to show his commitment to our nation's veterans. Chris Cuomo explains how Sinise and his iconic character, Lt. Dan, are impacting your world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY SINISE, ACTOR: I thought I would try out my sea legs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ain't got no legs, Lieutenant Dan.

CHRIS CUOMO, ANCHOR, CNN'S "NEW DAY" (voice-over): Long before Gary Sinise played Vietnam veteran, Lieutenant Dan, in Forrest Gump, he was a passionate supporter of the military.

SINISE: I have a long history with working with veterans, starting with the relationships with my own personal family. My dad served in the Navy and my two uncles were in World War II and my grandfather served in World War I.

CUOMO: With the success of Forrest Gump, wounded veterans began to identify with Sinise.

SINISE: How many veterans we got here?

CUOMO: He formed the "Lieutenant Dan Band" and has entertained troops around the world with the USO. The actor said his call to action became very clear after 9/11.

SINISE: When our men and women started deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, they started getting hurt and killed and having Vietnam veterans in my family, it was troubling to think my men and women would come home to a nation that didn't appreciate.

CUOMO: So he started his own charity dedicated to veterans. The Gary Sinise Foundation helps build customized homes for the severely wounded and helps vets find civilian careers.

SINISE: I have met hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of wounded veterans who continue to not let their circumstance get them down. Countless Lieutenant Dans out there that inspire me every day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: I don't know what's going here. This is a trend or what, but in sports, another case of this out of line, maybe inebriated fan running on to the court. It's happened Thursday night, the man reportedly a UC Santa Barbara fan walked right up to the coach of the opposing team. Look at him. I don't know what he's saying. I don't need to know. I would say it's pretty brazen.

This follows a fan last week who broke out on to the court to touch Cleveland Cavalier Irving and then just day before that, Utah Valley University fans storming the court postgame and got into it with New Mexico State players. The Western Athletic Conference reportedly suspended two New Mexico state players because of this melee.

Let's talk about these court crashers with Rachel Nichols, host of unguarded, joining me now. I don't know what's going on. We were talking about this in the morning. I don't know if people are just feeling it, but I can't say the words. Feeling it. Drunk. How could this guy been sober last night?

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I don't think that he was. Look, he hurdled out of the stands and on the court. So you can't really blame security for not seeing him coming. But once he got there, he was on too long. The situation quickly escalated and got dangerous and all these incidents really underscoring that arenas are maybe not taking these situations as seriously as they should be.

Even when it's supposed to be for a happy reason, when the fans stormed the court after a big win, you saw what happened with them getting into it with the other team in New Mexico and even last month in South Carolina, fans stormed the court after a big win.

We have seen in those situations sometimes fans getting trampled or injured. But in South Carolina, the university president was one of the ones running on to the court. These kids, they are following in some cases, the examples of their supposed mentors. It is a problem -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: I mean, obviously there was no problem with my UNC Tart Hills storming the court after we've beat Duke, just saying. Can we switch gears and I feel like I need a little bit of -- can we talk Boston Red Sox, please. I cannot wait for your show tonight.

NICHOLS: Your favorites, of course, it was spring training, we had to go down and see the world.

BALDWIN: Of course.

NICHOLS: I sat down with really some of the guys at the heart of that clubhouse. Jonny Gomes, Mike Napolee, David Ross and I want to you take a listen. Here is Gomes talking about statistically one of the most incredible turnarounds in the history of the sport of baseball going from being dead last in their division the year before to winning the championship. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONNY GOMES, PLAYER, BOSTON RED SOX: We are the second team in the history of the game to go from worst to win the World Series. So we've already covered almost impossible. I mean, to be on a roll in the spring training with the worst record in the A.L. East and set a goal to win the World Series is either stupid or you guys are awesome. It turns out we are awesome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOLS: Got to love Jonny Gomes. We talked to the Red Sox about all kinds of topics and what it was like for them after winning the series and also about the Boston marathon. Because as you know, Brooke, that marathon is going to happen again next month, very special to all those players.

They really feel that by winning the trophy and look, that doesn't change things for the people, who are injured or killed in that incident, but they were able to lift the spirits of the city and when they had the championship parade, they actually stopped in the middle of the parade and put the trophy down on the marathon finish line and Gomes had a great line.

He says, look, he goes now in people's heads when they pass that spot on the street, they can point to it and say that's where the championship trophy was as opposed to that's where the bombing happen. And just being able to give people that vocabulary change, they feel like they've made a difference, really great interview.

BALDWIN: It's an incredible story line and I feel like I see a little stubble. Maybe the beards are back perhaps --

NICHOLS: We talked beards.

BALDWIN: OK, good. Rachel Nichols, we will tune in "UNGUARDED" tonight at 10:30 Eastern Time, 7:30 Pacific here on CNN.

Coming up next, a community absolutely in shock after learning a body was found inside a car, inside this garage. The woman dead for six years. We will explain how no one noticed and what eventually led to that gruesome discovery.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Well, did you know that the country's very first medical marijuana commercial has hit the airwaves. It is being played in the state of New Jersey and here it is. This is an ad from marijuanadoctors.com. It's recommending that medical marijuana users buy the drug online and not from the black market. It shows this guy sort of walking this this alleyway trying to sell, you see it here, sushi on the street.

So what they are trying to suggest is if you wouldn't buy your sushi from this guy, why would you buy marijuana from him? This ad comes as Dr. Sanjay Gupta is out once again. You are not only back on your stance on medical marijuana. The science of it, but it's interesting as we look ahead to your documentary early next week. So your point is we were talking with so many countries around the world have legalized cannabis.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You have a medication out there for MS, multiple sclerosis, a very difficult thing to treat, a medication out there that is a whole plant extract. It's a cannabis-based drug. It's available in 25 countries around the world that's being used. I met patients who have benefitted from this medication. It's not available in the United States.

I think I only bring that up by way of example to show how far things have gone astray here, you know, with regard to the fact that we still call it among the most dangerous substances in the country with no medicinal benefit and yet you have a medication that's available in 25 countries. It's so divergent in terms of the views.

BALDWIN: The fact as you point out that still in this country politics is trumping science. Let me go out there and say do you think lawmakers are being irresponsible because of this.

GUPTA: There are people for whom this cannabis medication works when nothing else has. We introduce to you a child in the first documentary who, look, she had been through the modern medicine and seven different drugs. They literally wanted to compound a veterinary medication to help treat her seizures.

BALDWIN: Veterinary medication?

GUPTA: For dogs because nothing was going to work for her. Nothing was working and then when the idea of cannabis came out, everyone was like, let's take a step back. Seven different drugs, any of which in too high dose could have killed her. A potential dog medicine, but cannabis was considered to be so fringe. We know now at the end of that story, it worked. They got it for her and it worked. So you know, when you look at that, you think that child would have no other options. Is it irresponsible to provide this as an option?

BALDWIN: And also I think it's a misnomer. Listen, a lot of people want to smoke pot to get high. When you are doing this medicinally, I'm sure in the case of this child, there strands of medical marijuana minus the THC.

GUPTA: There are strains that are very low in THC and high in CBD, which is a therapeutic ingredient for seizure control. It's an oil that they squirt into their mouth. It doesn't make them high. I don't want to be naive. There people who fain ailments to get high. That's a real concern. But the flip side of that is are you going to deny a legitimate therapy for an ailment they have no treatment for. It's a tough question. It's a question that really need to answer.

BALDWIN: Let's watch a clip. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: The federal government says marijuana is among the most addictive drugs with no medicinal value. Many scientists say they are wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a medicine.

GUPTA: It's the politics of pot. Pitting policy against patients. Trapped in the middle is sick, qualified people who want medical marijuana, but can't get it because it's illegal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Final thought from you?

GUPTA: You know, I try not to be injecting moral equivalency in all of this, but the idea is in this country, we take 80 percent of the world's pain medications, narcotics, 80 percent of the world's pain medications are consumed in this country.