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Suarez Accused of Biting at World Cup; FBI Seizes Website Involved in Child Exploitation; Diane Sawyer Leaving ABC News; Did Death Save Michael Jackson from Financial Ruin; Little Girl Hoax at KFC, Go Fund Me Campaign in Question.
Aired June 25, 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: A, sports brings out the best of us and sometimes the worst. We have seen punching, kicking. More recently on the basketball court, blowing in the ear. And unfortunately, our superstar athletes are once again biting. Allegedly, of course. Uruguay's soccer superstar Luis Suarez, 27 years old, in a biting controversy. He allegedly chomped on his opponent's shoulder during yesterday's match against Italy. Defender Giorgio Chiellini tried to show the red marks on his shoulder. FIFA is investigating.
Just a short time ago, Suarez's teammate says it may be blown out of proportion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIAN STUAM, URUGUAY SOCCER PLAYER: I think we are going to continue. In other matches, they have turned a blind eye, but now they have magnified this event.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: If found guilty, Suarez, who is one of the best players, could be banned for two matches and up to 24 months. Suarez, as I alluded to a second ago, has been punished twice before for biting other players in club-level games.
So Rachel Nichols, host of "Unguarded," as FIFA is investigating, they are full of knowledge, knowing this guy has bitten in the past.
RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN HOST, UNGUARDED: Yeah, this morning a FIFA spokeswoman said the disciplinary committee can take in any elements they wish into account. And as you note, someone with the nickname "Cannibal," you've got to think they're going to take the other incidents into account. This is such a problem with Suarez, Brooke, that you know how in Europe you can pretty much bet on anything, right, in the gambling halls there. You can bet on how many times the ball might hit the post in a match. Something like that.
BALDWIN: I know where you're going with this.
NICHOLS: A Swedish gambling parlor apparently took bets before the World Cup even started on whether Suarez was going to bite someone during a match. And they had to pay out yesterday. That's how common an idea this is with this guy.
BALDWIN: Crazy. Although I was reading, it's been a whole year, Rachel, a whole year since he has been bit someone.
NICHOLS: Yay! For him! Yay!
BALDWIN: Yay. Exactly.
Speaking of things one may not have been able to bet on, did anyone anticipate -- we have been seeing this reporting from BBC that Ghana is sending this plane with $3 million in cash to its players in Brazil? Why?
NICHOLS: Yeah. The people running that plane hopefully were not involved in anything that went poorly with the Malaysian Airlines plane. Because I know that there is a lot of people with eyeballs on the Ghana plane. Look, we don't know what goes on in these federations. There's all kinds of issues with when and whether they pay their players, governments, that maybe don't follow through on their word. So the players were concerned they weren't going to get paid as they were supposed to for this World Cup. They threatened to hold back in training the past few days. So the government put the money on an airplane and said, hey, here you go. In cash. Let's play that match against Portugal tomorrow, which is what they need to do. And then when Ghana gets paid out from FIFA, they will with hold that money. This is basically considered an advance -- Brooke?
BALDWIN: Alleged biting, $3 million of cash on a plane, what will tomorrow bring?
Rachel Nichols, World Cup.
NICHOLS: We'll have it for you.
BALDWIN: OK, Rachel, thank you so much. We'll talk tomorrow. Big match with Team USA.
This just in, news just into CNN. The feds shutting down this website linked to child prostitution in another big development on the crackdown across the nation.
Pamela Brown, let me bring you in live from Washington.
What have you learned?
PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Brooke. This is really disturbing, learning about this website called myredbook.com, and it allegedly advertised children for sex, exploiting children. And the FBI today, Brooke, shut down this website. It has been seized.
We have learned that on this website, there were pictures of children of minors and descriptions of them, and they were being advertised. And the FBI, we have learned, executed several search warrants, arrest warrants today. Sources tell us two people have been arrested according to sources. A man and a woman have been arrested for allegedly operating this website, myredbook.com. Also, as you mentioned, this is sort of a -- of a broader effort by
the FBI to crack down on child prostitution, Brooke. In fact, we learned on Monday that the FBI just over the past week rescued 168 children, and made 281 arrests, and we have learned that some of the victims that were recovered as part of this operation, called Operation Cross-Country, actually were identified through this website, myredbook.com -- Brooke?
BALDWIN: All of the news of these different busts with the FBI, it just shows how widespread this problem is.
Pamela Brown, thank you so much for sharing that.
Just ahead -- listen, I'm a female in broadcast journalism. This makes me sad. Diane Sawyer announcing today she is leaving "World News" at ABC. In the thick of this massive ratings win? The streak she is on? Why is she leaving? We have the scoop, next.
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BALDWIN: She is the first woman to anchor ABC's "World News" all by herself and today we learned she is stepping aside as anchor of the network's evening newscast. Diane Sawyer. She took that chair in 2009, and she undoubtedly had a role in the network's recent surge in ratings, beating NBC in some areas. But in September, "World News" weekend anchor David Muir will replace her. In a statement, she said, "After wonderful years at 'World News,' I decided it is time to move to a new full time role at ABC News."
Brian Stelter joins me now with more on this.
And when I saw this -- and we know David Muir has been groomed, a fantastic journalist -- but it just seemed too soon. What's going on?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Maybe because she was starting to make progress in the ratings and was able to say "World News" was number one in April and May. Maybe that played into her thinking. But ABC says she started thinking about this last year, approached the head of the network last December about this. And I do think it's a major generational transition, because you're talking about a 68-year-old woman, a trail blazer in television news, being replaced by a 40-year-old man. Whether it is entirely her choice or not -- no reason to believe it's not her choice -- definitely the end of one era for nightly news.
BALDWIN: And women at the 6:30 spot. Because now you'll have three networks, three white guys, and they're wonderful men, but it's like -- as my executive producer was almost saying during commercial, it's almost the 1970s again.
STELTER: You're right. Five years ago, Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer both anchoring at 6:30 p.m. I think if you're a television executive and making this all-important choice, you're much more focused on who the best and most popular anchor is going to be, and less focused on gender or race or anything. But I to think for a lot of people it's disappointing that, at 6:30 p.m., you're on these three newscasts, you're not seeing the diversity of the country, necessarily reflected at 6:30 p. m.
BALDWIN: Such a highlight, getting to meet Diane Sawyer. The first things out of my mouth, "Fellow tall girl." She's gorgeous and brilliant.
(LAUGHTER)
Brian Stelter, thank you so much for that update.
STELTER: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Just ahead -- you know this story -- KFC now saying the claims that this restaurant worker kicked out a little girl for scars on her face are lies? So what happens to all the cash the good Samaritans donated to her cause? You may be surprised.
And five years now after the death of Michael Jackson, the pop superstar making more money than ever. We will tell you about the financial life after death.
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BALDWIN: Five years ago today, the king can of pop, Michael Jackson, died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic, Propofol he used to help with his chronic insomnia. At the time, Jackson was struggling financially, and some say his death actually saved him from financial ruin.
CNN entertainment correspondent, Nischelle Turner, takes a look at how Jackson's family is now profiting after the pop star died.
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NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson's shocking death didn't end his legendary career. Five years later, whether it's resurrecting the king of pop via hologram for the Billboard Music Awards --
(SINGING)
TURNER: -- or keeping him alive through a music video with Justin Timberlake, Michael is on track to become even more successful in death than he was in life.
ZACK O'MALLEY GREENBURG, AUTHOR: Since his death, Michael Jackson has out-earned any musician, living or dad.
TURNER: And while health and financial struggles towards the end of his life were not secret, Zack O'Malley Greenburg, author, says the Jackson estate has pulled in more than $700 million since his death, making him the top earning dead celebrity of 2013.
GREENBURG: Elvis Presley is the next closest dead artist and he makes about $50 million a year. And M.J. is usually in the 100 to 150, 200 kind of range. TURNER: Michael's popularity doesn't seem to be fading. His
posthumous album debuted at number two in Billboard 200 chart in May, selling more than 150,000 copies its opening week.
(SINGING)
TURNER: And Jackson's influence reaches beyond his iconic hits like "Thriller." His estate is cashing in on the theme shows like "Immortal."
(SINGING)
TURNER: And Michael Jackson's stake in Sony ATV Music Publishing that continues to rise in value today.
GREENBURG: 1995, Sony pays him $115 million for the privilege of merging their inferior catalog with his incredible Beatles catalog. And that formed Sony, the entity. He controls half. So today, not just the Beatles, but Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga and, you know, you name it. Any time you hear Taylor Swift on the radio, that's Michael Jackson from beyond the grave cashing in more.
TURNER: Fans are fueling the late artist's fortune. And while he may not be here to enjoy, Greenberg says it is going to the people he cared about.
GREENBURG: The estate collects all the money that comes in. They pay off what needs to be paid off through the estate, the kids are taken care of and the mom is taken care of.
TURNER: Nischelle Turner, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Nischelle, thank you.
A quick reminder, tomorrow night, CNN's original series "The Sixties" returns with stories of the Freedom Fighters, men and women who never fired a shot but blazed the trail for civil rights. Take a look at this, a preview, a long march to freedom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever.
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hundreds and thousands of Negro citizens of Alabama denied the right to vote.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're willing to have democracy. And you have refused democracy in the street.
JOHN F. KENNEDY, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think you can keep Birmingham in the
present situation of segregation?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I may not be able to do it, but I'll die trying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I without thought we were going to be arrested. And he said troopers advance. I thought I was going to die stop hey what's that sound
(SINGING)
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe the time has come for the president to step in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all of us who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice.
(SINGING)
ANNOUNCER: "The Sixties," tomorrow night at 9:00 on CNN
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Tomorrow night here on CNN.
Coming up next, KFC says now there is no evidence that a little girl was kicked out of their restaurant because of her scars. Now accusations flying this whole story was a hoax? What about the thousands of dollars the family raised for the Go Fund Me site? We'll talk about that.
And also, I'll speak with a terror expert who says the group attacking Baghdad and much of Iraq right now did not learn the right lessons from Osama bin Laden. He actually has seven rules on being an effective terrorist. Don't miss that. Coming up.
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BALDWIN: Maybe this is something that you've given money to. How much trust can you put into these fundraising sites like Go Fund Me? This is what some folks who donate on that site are asking today, because this controversy involving this 3-year-old girl allegedly mauled by a pit bull gets even more mysterious. So this girl's family has raised thousands of dollars for her after telling everyone online that she was kicked out of a KFC in Mississippi because her scars were bothering customers. Well, KFC has a different take on what happened, and Go Fund Me is offering refunds.
Jean Casarez explains why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEAN CASAREZ, HLN LEGAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 3-year-old Victoria Wilcher, viciously attacked by pit bulls. Who would not want to help this little girl? Victoria's family posted her tragic story on Facebook and said, to make matters worse, they were asked to leave a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Mississippi, because Victoria's wounds were upsetting to other diners.
KELLY MULLINS, GRANDMOTHER OF VICTORIA WILCHER: I sit down at the table with her and started feeding her, and the lady came over, and she said that we would have to leave. We were disturbing her other customers. But Victoria's face was disturbing other customers.
CASAREZ: The family created a page on Go Fund Me to tell her story. And donations started pouring in. Even Kentucky Fried Chicken said they would donate $30,000 for her recovery.
But wait. Kentucky Fried Chicken did an investigation of their own to look at the validity of the family's claim, and found no evidence to support their story. Here is what they said in a statement to CNN. "Like the rest of America, the KFC family has been moved by the story of Victoria's injuries and recovery. After the alleged incident was reported to us, two investigations took place, including one by an independent investigator. Neither revealed any evidence that the incident occurred. And we consider the investigation closed. We are honoring our commitment to make a $30,000 donation to assist with Victoria's medical bills."
Despite repeated attempts by CNN to contact the family and its attorney, no calls were returned. The attorney did tell this to a local newspaper: "It is unfortunate that Victoria and her family are being vilified on what appears to be the result of an inconclusive investigation conducted by KFC and/or its agents that implies Victoria's story is a hoax."
Go Fund Me has now pulled Victoria's page.
Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: So, Sunny Hostin, let me bring you in on this one.
I want to get to the Go Fund Me site in a minute, because I'm thinking about the people who want their money back, possibly. But what about the family here? If this in fact turns out to be a hoax, could the family face charges?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: You know, it's possible. I think that we're all familiar with these sorts of internet hoaxes, right? The cyber fraud which is what I call it. And the FBI calls it that, as well. Where people are sending e-mails saying they are stuck in another country or stuck somewhere, can you please send the money. So it is quite possible, I think that if this is investigated and found to be a hoax, which is really important, that important part, if it's truly found to be a hoax, certainly, I think there could be some charges.
I think, though, Brooke, when you look at this, it's tough, because KFC did have this sort of independent investigation. We don't know much about the investigation. And they're still saying, listen, we're going to give $30,000. And so I don't know. I think this is a tough one in terms of charges because it's not really what happened as we always know. It's what can you prove. And I think this is going to be a tough one to prove that this actually did happen. Is there video? You know, we don't know.
BALDWIN: I don't know. And you brought up the money for the family, and so all these people, out of the goodness of their own souls, have hopped online, gone to Go Fund Me. And so they're saying, hang on a second, if this story stinks, I want my money back.
This is the statement from Go Fund Me. Quote, "With over one million campaigns created and over $330 million raised, it's not feasible for Go Fund Me to research the claims presented by each and every user. Accordingly, donors should only give to people they personally know and trust."
What's the takeaway for people who want to give?
HOSTIN: This is terrible. A couple of takeaways. One, Go Fund Me is being a good corporate citizen, saying, if this is a hoax, we're going to give your money back. We can't police everything, but we're going to fix it. But the big go-away is, you have got to self-help here. You have got to make sure that you're donating money to -- to people that you know.
And I want to say this. I think the horrible thing about it, Brooke, is, my goodness, what a chilling effect it has on charitable giving. I hate that part of this story.
BALDWIN: I know. I know, I know. Most people out of the goodness of their heart want to give, but you just have to really be a good -- be a good citizen.
HOSTIN: Verify.
BALDWIN: Verify, exactly. Thank you. Sunny Hostin, thanks very much.
HOSTIN: Thanks.
