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Rick's List
Atlanta Bishop Accused of Sexual Coercion; Payback Time in Bell, California?; Iranian President Speaks Out; Vick to Start as Eagles' Quarterback; New Panel of Judges Announced for "American Idol"; Woodward's New Book on Obama Administration Highlights Internal Conflicts Over Afghan War Policy
Aired September 22, 2010 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed, we do have breaking news as we begin.
Hello again, everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez. Here we go once again.
We reported you here yesterday exclusively on CNN that the Bishop Eddie Long, an Atlanta pastor who's got a congregation of some 25,000 people, a television show, and many followers around the country, is being sued by two different men, both of them young men, apparently parishioners who started associating with the bishop when they were 14, and, at the age of 16, they allege, 16, 17, to 18, they started having sexual relations with the bishop.
They say they were coerced with the bishop -- by the bishop. They go on to say that, in fact, the bishop had used much of his parishioners' funds to travel with them, to take them around the country, to buy a car for one of them, put them in houses.
It goes on. They are startling accusations. And, interestingly enough, to this moment, we have still not heard from the bishop about these accusations. However, as we prepare this newscast, to move forward, we have just learned there is, in fact, another person who's also coming forward and making similar accusations, another parishioner, apparently, at this church.
Ed Lavandera, our correspondent, has been working on this story diligently now for the past -- probably the last 48 hours, and he joins us once again to bring us up to date.
What is -- what is this -- what is this latest lawsuit, this latest person, and what do they allege?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the -- his name is Jamal Paris (ph). He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, now.
He did live here in the Atlanta area and was a member of this church and that sort of thing. The allegations levied in this -- in this latest lawsuit very similar to what we have read yesterday...
SANCHEZ: Yes. LAVANDERA: ... in those two previous suits, so kind of follows that -- that -- that -- that same line. The young man is now 21 -- 23 years old. He alleges that the relationship had started when he was 17 and lasted until about last year, so probably like -- almost like four or five years.
SANCHEZ: So, he -- he was still a minor, although -- and -- and this is important. I know you have made this distinct.
LAVANDERA: Right.
SANCHEZ: He's a minor at 17, but, in the eyes of the law, he...
(CROSSTALK)
LAVANDERA: In the state of Georgia.
SANCHEZ: ... he can have consensual sex.
LAVANDERA: Right. At...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Yes.
LAVANDERA: The legal age of consent in Georgia is 16.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: So, it's not -- in other words, criminally, it couldn't be considered sexual assault...
LAVANDERA: Right.
SANCHEZ: ... rape, or...
LAVANDERA: And that's why you're seeing...
SANCHEZ: ... or molestation.
LAVANDERA: And that's why you're seeing civil lawsuits filed...
SANCHEZ: Yes.
LAVANDERA: ... and that sort of thing.
But we do have some -- some late news now. We have been told by a spokesperson for Bishop -- for Bishop Eddie Long that he will hold a press conference tomorrow morning. So, we're waiting to get exactly all the details on...
SANCHEZ: You know...
LAVANDERA: ... when that is going to happen, but it sounds like Bishop Long is going to speak out publicly now. SANCHEZ: You know, it's funny, because I have been hearing a lot about this throughout the day. And a lot of people are asking, you know, if -- if someone made unbelievable allegations against me or you or anyone in our audience who's listening right now, why would you wait to come forward to deny these things?
Why would you have spokespersons talking for you? Why is the first move to get -- assemble a team of lawyers to deal with it? Why not just stand on top of the highest mountaintop and say, no, these things are categorically false?
LAVANDERA: Well, that's -- I -- I can't answer that for him.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: No, of course not.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Of course not. No, I understand.
(CROSSTALK)
LAVANDERA: But I can tell you, I spoke with his attorney last night.
And when I asked him -- I said -- you know, I just -- I let him know. I said, look, we want you to know that the bishop is welcome to come on CNN any time.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Absolutely.
LAVANDERA: We want to talk to him, give him an opportunity to refute these claims.
And his response to me was, I would much rather that he -- I would much rather that I speak for him for now.
So, it sounds like...
SANCHEZ: Huh.
LAVANDERA: ... you know, the old -- the old term of being lawyered up, and perhaps that's -- that's what happened here.
I would imagine -- I know that, over in the offices for the people who are working with Bishop Eddie Long today, there has been a -- it's been a frantic day-and-a-half. And there's been a -- and I'm sure this has been highly debated within -- within their organization and the bishop himself.
And, you know, coming out tomorrow morning, it sounds like he's going to be talking about it.
SANCHEZ: By the way, it sounds -- and I -- I'm going to read to the viewers just a little bit of one of the very first complaints that you shared with us yesterday.
There are two young men who have come forward. One of them is Anthony Flagg. And the other one is...
LAVANDERA: Maurice Robinson.
SANCHEZ: ... Maurice Robinson, right.
And now -- and now there's a third.
LAVANDERA: Right.
SANCHEZ: But let me just read a little bit of what the first complaint said, because then I will ask you the following question.
Here we go. According to the complaint: "Defendant Long has utilized his spiritual authority as bishop and the leader of defendants' ministries to coerce -- coerce -- certain young male members and employees of defendant New Birth" -- that's the church -- "and pupils of defendant LongFellows" -- that's the association of young men he ministers to -- "into engaging in sexual acts and relationships for his own personal sexual gratification."
And then it goes on to say, "Defendant Long has a pattern and practice of singling out select group of young male church members and using his authority as bishop over them to ultimately bring them to a point of engaging in a sexual relationship."
All right, that -- that's the allegation in its purest form. The question is, then, this third complaint, this third lawsuit coming forward, it follows pretty much the same lines as what I just read?
LAVANDERA: Right, very -- very similar, also talked about making it -- the -- part of -- remember, he met these young men in -- according to these lawsuits, in what's known as the -- the LongFellows Youth Academy, which is like...
SANCHEZ: Yes.
LAVANDERA: ... this -- this -- this youth organization that Bishop Long had created to help mentor young troubled kids starting at the age of 14. They're alleging that this is kind of like where he would meet them, kind of figure out -- where he talks about single -- singling them out.
SANCHEZ: And -- and we should -- we should ad there, because I just -- as a father, I think this is important. Some of these kids didn't have dads and were looking for...
LAVANDERA: Right.
SANCHEZ: ... a masculine father figure, somebody to play that role.
LAVANDERA: Exactly. And that's what -- and that's what they're alleging, that -- that he would kind of look for these young men who didn't have a strong father figure in their lives who might be susceptible to -- to -- you know, to looking for someone, a -- a spiritual father, if you will, which is what they allege here in -- in these -- in these complaints as well.
So, that's kind of -- and -- and the other -- and it says here that -- that, also, part of their spiritual development, that by -- what they -- what they say, and which is really fascinating in -- in -- in these documents is they say that part of a -- part of the spiritual development involved, being involved sexually with the bishop, according to -- according to these documents. So...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: In other words, if -- if -- if he wanted to be in -- in good with God, so to speak, he needed to have this relationship with -- the sexual relationship with...
LAVANDERA: Yes.
SANCHEZ: ... the pastor.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: That's what they allege.
(CROSSTALK)
LAVANDERA: Yes, exactly.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: That's what they allege.
(CROSSTALK)
LAVANDERA: They -- they -- it seems to take it a step further there.
SANCHEZ: Well, we have been talking to -- I know you have been talking to a lot of people. We have even had people here in the building who have been sharing their thoughts with us. This is a -- this is a huge scandal.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: And, obviously, we're going to continue to follow it.
A lot of people have actually been saying throughout the course of the day that they expected something like this would be coming. They just didn't know in what form. So...
LAVANDERA: And we have heard from a lot of people who are members of his church that they really want to hear from the bishop. I think that's key as we -- as we move forward here.
There are a lot of people who -- who still support him, who think that...
SANCHEZ: Yes.
LAVANDERA: ... who don't think these -- these allegations are true.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
LAVANDERA: And they really want to hear from -- from Bishop Long. And I would imagine that played a great part in him coming forward tomorrow to...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: And we should also mention, now that you remind me, that at least one spokesperson for him has come forward today in a telephone interview and said...
LAVANDERA: Oh, yes,
SANCHEZ: ... the veracity of the people who are making the accusations should be questioned as well, because of, you know, assorted reasons. And...
(CROSSTALK)
LAVANDERA: Well, they call it a shakedown.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Yes. We will -- we will get into this a little bit later when you and I have -- you're going to be joining us in a little bit?
LAVANDERA: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: We're also going to be talking to an expert on this type of congregation. And, hopefully, we're going to be reaching out to some of the folks who are parishioners in this church to get their reactions on both sides of this.
LAVANDERA: You got it.
SANCHEZ: Good job, Ed.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Appreciate it.
All right, also making the LIST right now; the day the people of Bell, California, have been waiting for, calling for. I want you to look at this. Eight people the citizens of Bell trusted to run their city, they are or were city officials. All right?
They're in court. They are accused of using the city's tax money as their personal piggy bank, exorbitant salaries, fancy homes, big pensions, all this to the tune of $5.5 million.
We have been all over this story since it broke in July. Now, remember this? Let me show you something. This is from a city council meeting when this story first broke and we shared this with you. And you reacted big-time. Let's watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You all need to go to jail, so that we don't have to pay you back with...
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... one penny.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want you guys to resign. Do the city a favor. We don't want you here. And we aren't your people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope that I say goodbye to you people tonight.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're a bunch of crooks. We don't want you around. Even if you offer to work for nothing, you were a crook yesterday, you're a crook today, and you will be a crook tomorrow. You're all crooks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: All crooks, he said. Remember that? Well, it's payback time. It looks like the problem could be going far beyond Bell. Listen to what the attorney general of California -- I reached out to him yesterday, and he joined me here on our prime-time edition of RICK'S LIST. This is Jerry Brown. Listen to what he says.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY BROWN (D), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not stopping with Bell. I have subpoenas out for the city of Vernon. I have a further investigation looking at salaries in excess of $300,000 in dozens of other cities throughout California.
SANCHEZ: Really?
BROWN: This is a matter of (AUDIO GAP) is an outrage in Bell, but there's smaller outrages in many other communities. And I think we have got to rein this stuff in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Casey Wian is all over this story. He's been in Bell today following it.
What's the latest out of this specific case in Bell today, Casey?
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest is, those eight defendants, current and former city officials of the city of Bell, were in court today.
And there was supposed to be an arraignment. They were supposed to try to figure out if these defendants would be able to be released from jail and get out of bail. One of the issues at hand is, they wanted to make sure that some of these defendants weren't using ill- gotten gains from city taxpayers to post their bail.
Now, three of the defendants have satisfied those requirements. And they're expected to be released on bail, as long as they're able to pay it, after a hearing that has been scheduled for later this afternoon. The other defendants, including the former city manager, Robert Rizzo, the man who was making a salary of around $900,000 a year, his attorney requested a continuance of this arraignment, because he says this case is so complicated that Mr. Rizzo does not want to enter a plea right now.
And so they asked the judge -- and the other attorneys conferred -- to delay this -- this arraignment, and they have agreed to do that. So, the arraignment is actually going to be held on October 21. They are still going to have, though, the bail hearing this afternoon to see if they can satisfy the requirements that any money that these defendants will post to get out of jail is not coming from the city taxpayers.
SANCHEZ: I'm reading some of the information that's coming out of there, "L.A. Times" just a little while ago. And I'm wondering if you have been able to ascertain some of the same information.
For example, they write in their headline that, in fact, the officials of Bell would raise the citizens' taxes for no other reason other than so that they can give themselves a boost in -- in -- in salary, and that's just one of the things they found that they were doing.
I -- I guess I ask you this because a lot of folks are wondering specifically, what -- what is being alleged that they were doing that they might be able to get nailed on?
(LAUGHTER)
WIAN: Well, there's 53 allegations, counts, facing Robert Rizzo, the former city manager. So there are a lot of things that these folks can get nailed on.
And just today -- and I think that's probably what you were referring to...
SANCHEZ: Right.
WIAN: ... that "The Los Angeles Times" was writing about -- the controller of the state of California, John Chiang, just released an audit just this morning. SANCHEZ: Uh-huh.
WIAN: It was requested by the folks who are filling in, running the city of Bell, now that these folks are -- are in jail. And this audit has some absolutely stunning revelations in it.
SANCHEZ: Now you're talking.
WIAN: And when you talk about these salaries, hundreds of thousands of dollars a year., that's probably just the tip of the iceberg.
What this audit found was, for example, the former director of city planning in Bell was also the owner of a company that was doing $10 million a year in business.
(LAUGHTER)
WIAN: So, he was overseeing the contract that he was personally benefiting from, according to this audit by the state controller.
There were $50 million in bonds. Now, we're talking about a city with fewer than 40,000 residents -- $50 million in bonds that were issued, and the audit couldn't figure whether the money was even spent for its intended purposes. They don't know where that money went...
SANCHEZ: Oh, my goodness.
WIAN: ... essentially.
So, the -- the fact that these -- these officials were making exorbitant salaries is just the tip of the iceberg. And, as the attorney general mentioned in that clip that you played, there are other cities that they're looking at.
So, this story is going to continue to be...
SANCHEZ: Yes.
WIAN: ... at the top of the agenda among state officials here in California for quite some time, Rick.
SANCHEZ: And look at the -- look at these -- Dee, put -- do me a favor. Put that shot up one more time. It's just interesting, the way the shot is composed.
I guess, back in J. school, they used to call this fortunate or unfortunate juxtaposition. They're not really behind bars, but the way those bars end up there in that courtroom, it almost looks like they are, and they're in those jail uniforms. And these are people that used to be the bigwigs in the city of Bell.
A lot of residents watching this right now, they're going to be sending us messages as well.
(CROSSTALK) SANCHEZ: You want to just wrap this up, Casey? You want to say something?
WIAN: Yes.
Well, I just wanted to say that, you know, some of the -- some of the things you hear about these officials and that -- that this former city manager, Mr. Rizzo, ex-employees have said he ran that city like his own personal kingdom.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
WIAN: And it's quite a comeuppance for -- for the residents to see their former officials behind bars and -- and paying the price for these allegations.
SANCHEZ: What a story.
Casey, thanks so much for being on it.
Yes, go -- go -- that would be -- that would be really cool, if you could do that. Go through that audit. I know it just came out a little while ago. Go through that audit. And if you can find some specifics, I'm sure people around the country would be interested in seeing exactly what they were doing, not to mention the people who live in the city of Bell, who are probably as frustrated as you can get right now.
Casey Wian...
WIAN: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: ... working on this story for us, and we appreciate it.
Also, another car chase. Don't they know that they're always going to get caught? Wait until you see the ending on this one. That's just the beginning right there.
We will be right back with more on RICK'S LIST. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
I want to show you something now. You would think, right, you would think that, when people run from police officers, they would know that the odds are not very good. In fact, like, 100 percent of the time, police officers get the bad guys in these cases.
Well, another case. This one is Miami -- in Miami. It happened early today. It -- it's not so much the chase that makes the news, but the visual impact of how they ended the chase, with one of those pit stops where they roll the car, and then the guys on top of that try and make a run for it by running from police. This involves dragging, chasing, and, yes, something I know a little bit about, Tasering.
Let's watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RALPH RAYBURN, PHOTOJOURNALIST: Still pursued by -- by officers of Broward Sheriff's Office, this chase beginning. The first we heard of it was up on I-75 coming southbound.
He's going to pull in here. It looks like a bailout is occurring here. Door was open. Door is open again. Police officers now -- a collision there between a Broward Sheriff's Office vehicle as it makes a right-hand turn here.
And I'm just looking for landmarks here to give folks at home an idea of exactly where this chase is continuing on. Almost involved in an accident there with another Broward Sheriff's Office vehicle.
Now we're having the vehicle making a left turn, and now coming northbound. Again, it looks like we're going to get a little bit of what is called a tip -- a tip here, the police officer trying to get up to the back corner of the vehicle and just tip it slightly as it's continuing in high speed to get the vehicle to spin out.
Here you go. Watch it now. There it goes. There's the tip drill. Collides with two other vehicles. There are people inside. There's going to be a bailout. There's one person running, another person with their hands up. The driver is still in the vehicle.
We're going to back out here and see. We have got the police officers taking this guy down here. We're going to stay with this just for a second here. We don't want to lose -- OK, they have got guns drawn. He is on the ground. That's the subject in custody there.
We're going to swing back over -- well, we will stay on this for a second. Hang on. He's complying with police officers to stay still as they cuff him now. More officers showing up here on the scene. Another officer running over.
OK, we have got the vehicles -- the suspects in the vehicle being dragged out here. We have got one guy being dragged by his heel. He's complying with the police officers, too. He doesn't look like he's in too good shape. He's over.
We got more guys trying to force the driver here out of the vehicle. A lot happening here, folks. We're trying to show you everything that we can. We're bringing the camera back out here a little bit wider. There, you can see everything that's happening here.
We're going to give you an address as soon as I can take my eyes off the screen here. We're East Fifth Avenue and East 68th. East -- I think we got that address out there? OK. Yes, East Fifth Avenue and East 68th Street in Hialeah. This chase is over, a chase...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: And there you have it. The chase is over, as -- as explained by my former colleague Ralph Rayburn -- Ralph Rayburn, who taught me every single thing that I know about police reporting while we worked together back in South Florida.
The streets of Miami can become mean. And there you saw a description. At times, by the way, the suspect's car was traveling, we're told, in speeds of up to 90 miles an hour.
All right, a lot of news coming your way on this day. Obviously, we're going to have the very latest on Eddie Long. I know a lot of you have been very interested in the story. A lot of you have varied opinions on the story. I'm reading your tweets. I'm reading what you have to say.
There's more information coming in. For those of you just now joining us, the case has expanded. There's now a third person that is suing this millionaire pastor in Atlanta, also saying that he was coerced into having sex as a young man with this powerful pastor.
Also, "American Idol" has kind of jumped the shark, right? But maybe if they just get some different judges, things will come back together for this classic show. Who are the new judges? Well, we have got the new list. In fact, we have got the picks.
And what is Iran's President Ahmadinejad threatening to do now? He's in the United States. And he's doing an interview only with CNN and Larry King.
So, stay right there. We will have more for you. This is your national conversation, your LIST. I'm Rick Sanchez.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: The outspoken, sometimes flamboyant leader of Iran is making our LIST today as he prepares to address the United Nations. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad explains why American hikers are still jailed.
Here he is talking to my friend and colleague Larry King.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": You did release one. Is there any chance, in the name of goodwill, that you release the others? They were two hikers who made a mistake.
MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): In fact one person was released on bail because of mercy, compassion, and as a humanitarian gesture. As for the others, yes, there is a chance, but the judge has to take care of the case.
KING: Do you know when?
AHMADINEJAD (through translator): It depends on the judge who will need to handle the case, issue a verdict. There's a process that must go through.
KING: Do you have any influence in that process?
AHMADINEJAD (through translator): I have no influence over it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: By the way, Larry continues the conversation. And he asks him if -- Ahmadinejad -- if he would be willing or interested in talking to the president of the United States. Here is what he says.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")
KING: With President Obama here, and you're here, would you meet with him, if the opportunity arose?
AHMADINEJAD (through translator): It depends.
KING: On?
AHMADINEJAD (through translator): We have announced that we are prepared to freely talk with him at the U.N. General Assembly. I think it would be very good to sit before members of other states and the media and to discuss our views, to have an exchange at the United Nations.
I think that would be very positive, so that everyone can hear what we have to say, and it could help resolve many problems.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: And, by the way, you're going to be able to see all of Larry's interview tonight after RICK'S LIST in prime time. We're going to be on at 8:00 tonight, as usual, as many of you know, and then Larry follows with that interview with Ahmadinejad at 9:00 Eastern.
Usually, when a kid sees his teachers outside of school, it's for tutoring or athletics or, what, a bake sale or something like that, right? Well, not in the case that we're looking at today. Wait until you hear who's on my list that you don't want to be on.
Also, this pastor has preached before presidents and leads a massive congregation. There he is once again. He is what many all over the country are talking about on this day.
Three members of that congregation, three now, two last night, three now accusing him of really unspeakable acts. Their attorney breaks down the lawsuit. That's ahead right here on the LIST.
Stay with us. We're coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: We were having an editorial meeting earlier today, and we all gather in a big room, and we talk about the news of the day, which is what we get paid do, and then present it as best we can.
And we were, in and of itself, I mean, saddened by some of the stories that are in the news on this day, all the people who seem to be falling, as it were, pastors, politicians, et cetera, et cetera. And we're going to be telling you more about this.
In fact, listen to this one. Why is it that, suddenly, Jesse Jackson Jr., a young man, politician, in his prime, makes our most intriguing list on this day? Wait until you see the pictures that could very, very much jeopardize his political future.
And many of you say, what a shame. Well, let's consider it first.
Also, before you brag about Indiana's public schools, maybe you would want to take a spelling lesson? Why?
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Check out that picture right there? Yes, there is supposed to be an L. in public, last time I checked. I ain't the best speller in the world, but I know that one.
We will be right back. Stay with us.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: This is RICK'S LIST.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Ah, we love police dash cams, don't we? Is there no end to the joy they bring us on any given day? Let's do "Fotos."
Hey, you, big hairy guy on four-wheeler, pull over, will you? This is either the most bizarre bigfoot sighting ever or some guy monkeying around with an ATV in the middle of the night. Yes, it's a guy monkeying around with an ATV in the middle of the night. Police in Wadsworth, Ohio, responded to a complaint that a gorilla was zooming around their town.
The joker in the ape suit fled police for awhile, but it turns out Wadsworth's finest don't share the same sense of humor. Busted. Reckless driving, and no bananas for you.
Next, also in Ohio, bad sportsmanship on the part of these college football mascots. Again, Ohio U mascot suddenly tackles Ohio State's mascot. We could show that every single day, it's that good. It doesn't look like he's playing ball. At least they kept their big heads on them.
Moving on to more photos, I'm not going to say this out loud, but feel free to read this highway sign for yourself. This is a public school, and they've got -- what? Can you believe nobody caught this mistake before putting it on an enormous billboard? Yes, the "l" is missing, kids. And the most amazing part, it's a ad campaign for the city's educational system. The sign stayed up for five whole days.
That is "Fotos." And by the way, if ever you want to see these things for yourself, show them to your wife and kids or your husband and kids, Brooke, see my entire archive. Go to my blog, CNN.com/ricksanchez.
And 16 months ago Michael Vick walked out of prison for bankrolling a dog-fighting ring. It had to easily be the worst experience of his life. Guess what. The guy's made a comeback, a big-time comeback for the NFL. As of this morning, it's trending and Brooke Baldwin is all over it, because if it's trending and people are talking about it, if it's exciting, if people are talking about it, if it's being Twittered, e-mailed, if it's being Skyped, Brooke Baldwin's on it. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Wow, have we got a lot of folks talking to us today. It's one of those days where I feel like my Twitter is about to explode here.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You've been very tweety and people have responded.
SANCHEZ: I have, with all the scandals and the troves and everybody wants to say or be heard, which is good, because this is a conversation, not a speech.
BALDWIN: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: So Brooke, I love this -- you know, I love -- this story about Michael Vick. Are you doing that?
BALDWIN: I am doing it.
SANCHEZ: I can't wait. I love the idea that people can make a comeback in their lives.
BALDWIN: He is. We'll get to it in a moment.
Speaking of a real quasi comebacks. The story about "American Idol," they've been teasing us, new season, new judges, they've been teasing us about this big announcement. If we can walk through this, we have judge number one --
SANCHEZ: Also called "Lips."
BALDWIN: Also called "Lips," yes. He does have some large smackers.
(LAUGHTER) Aerosmith's Steven Tyler is the new judge number one. Here's the big reveal today. And judge number two, there's her back, J-Lo. Do we have sound? No, we don't have sound for her.
So we're back to the original judge three, so Steven Tyler and J- Lo, they're the only replacements for Simon Cowell, Kira Duguardi, and Ellen Degeneris, who all announced they were leaving "AI" at the end of the last season. We do have J-LO. Let's go to that shot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome the total package, the triple threat. Ladies and gentlemen.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So there's this huge deal, this big reveal today.
SANCHEZ: "The total package, the triple threat"?
BALDWIN: The trifecta, if you will. Randy Jackson, the only original judge left. Look at her emerging through the smoke and the lights.
SANCHEZ: She emerges.
BALDWIN: And there she is. See host Ryan Seacrest. Of course he was tweeting about this. Let's roll over to the Twitter board and see what he's tweeting. "This was one of our powwows leading up to today. New Idol judges producers. We had sea bass. This is the crowd hanging out, ready for "AI" season ten. Some people are still watching."
SANCHEZ: Some people are still watching. They've been watching ever since. They won't vote in presidential elections --
BALDWIN: But they'll vote on "American Idol."
Story number two, the one you're excited about -- Michael Vick. I thought it was newsworthy. Michael Vick, here he is, officially bumped up to starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles this week. Head coach Andy Reid, he made this big announcement last night which really was an about-face because it was the night before he said the previous QB he had suffered this concussion -- are you jealous?
SANCHEZ: He's amazing. He's just amazing. He's once in every 50, 60 years an athlete comes around who's as good as that guy. Look at this.
BALDWIN: Let me read you what the coach just said. He said "Michael Vick will be the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. He's just in a situation where he's been this ex-super star who's now regained his abilities, it's really that simple. Michael Vick is playing out of his mind right now." There you go. Michael Vick back to be the star player status he enjoyed prior to 2007, the dog-fighting conviction, remember all that? I want you to take a look at this newspaper.
SANCHEZ: "Top dog."
BALDWIN: "Top dog," really? Some people --
SANCHEZ: He served his time, he paid the price, he did what you're supposed to do, and in this country, we forgive and we move on.
BALDWIN: And we're moving on and we have a couple of tweets to show how some of these players are moving on. Let's go to one tweet. Shawn Merriman. "Happy to see Michael Vick starting again. Love to see people bounce back from adversity."
Andy Reid gives a serious QB update. "He should wear clown make- up. He's now a laughing stock, reversing field more than Michael Vick."
SANCHEZ: He suddenly realized that Michael Vick is a superstar quarterback who could do very well in the NFL.
BALDWIN: He traded Donovan McNabb, right, to keep the other guy. The other guy is going away and Michael vick is starting.
SANCHEZ: He's not going away but he's hurt.
BALDWIN: He's hurt.
BALDWIN: And he's apparently benched.
SANCHEZ: That's arguable. Michael Vick is amazing to watch. We wish him well. Good stuff.
BALDWIN: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: You got this sports bug out of me.
Talk about a breach of trust -- teachers hosting parties and inviting young students, offering liquor and drugs. Those are just some of the allegations. That's ahead.
Also, more dramatic testimony inside a Connecticut courtroom, a mother and her two daughters murdered, their father and husband alive to face the man accused of doing it. What a story this is turning out to be. We're taking you back to Connecticut for this. That's next right here.
This is "RICK'S LIST." So glad you're here. We got a lot to go through. Stay with us. We're going to be right back.
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SANCHEZ: Hey, welcome back to "RICK'S LIST." I'm Rick Sanchez. A man accused of a horrific home invasion in Connecticut reportedly told police that he was just desperate for money. Steven Hayes is charged with capital murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, burglary, arson. We could go on and on.
Hayes allegedly kidnapped the Petit family, murdered the mother, set the home on fire. The two daughters died of smoke inhalation, the father had a beating and was left tied up in the basement.
Joining me now to take us through this unbelievable trial is Sunny Hostin. She's a legal contributor for "In Session" and TruTV.
Sunny, we went through this story last week with our viewers and we explained to them how this family was literally tortured to the very end. This story involves everything you can imagine from rape to murder to burning bodies afterward to a police department that's being called into question for not responding fast enough.
You were in court today. What happened in the courtroom?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: Well, this is a case, Rick, I think that really has captured America. And today the prosecution -- it was the prosecution's day. What they needed to do today was to tie this defendant to this crime scene, most importantly because Dr. Petit, as you mentioned, was hit in the head four to five times and could not see his assailant, and he is the sole survivor of the horrific, horrific series of crimes.
And so what the prosecution did today was they had several of the officers on the witness stand that testified that this defendant exited the house with the face -- wearing the baseball cap of Hayley Hawke Petit, one of Dr. Petit's daughters. So that tied him to the witness, to the crime scene.
The other witness they had on the witness stand --
SANCHEZ: I was going to ask you real quick, Sunny, because I'm hearing you tell about the father and what he saw or didn't see. You know, as a father, I'm just thinking to myself, this man's in a house, two men come into his house, they threaten his wife, they do horrible things to his wife, they force her to get money, they abuse his daughters, they killed his daughters, he's lost his wife, lost both daughters, lost his home.
What is his expression in the courtroom? What do you see when you look at him? Is he saying anything? Is he staring at these guys like he wants to kill him as most of us would think he would be?
HOSTIN: You would think that would be his demeanor. Dr. Petit is a remarkable man, Rick. He's been in the courtroom every single day. He was stoic on the witness stand -- today, same. He's there to support his family, to make sure that we remember Hayley, we remember Michaela, we remember his wife Jennifer.
And he is there surrounded by family members, surrounded by friends, but very much present and very much a stoic presence in the courtroom. I think that his family members are really drawing strength from him.
I will say this. Today the chief medical examiner of Connecticut, Dr. Carver, is on the witness stand. And it is the first time I've seen Dr. Petit leave the courtroom. He was not there for this particular testimony, because when this witness took the witness stand, the judge warned the jurors that they were going to see some very disturbing photographs. And right around that time Dr. Petit left the courtroom.
SANCHEZ: Sunny -- understandable. Thanks so much. We appreciate you following this story for us that so many people here on "RICK'S LIST" Have been asking us for updates on.
SANCHEZ: Meanwhile a viral member of the president's -- a vital member, I should say -- I misspoke. A vital member of the president's inner circle could be gone in a matter of weeks. What is Rahm Emanuel's next move? Most people think they know. That's not the only big story coming out of Chicago on this day.
Up next, today's most intriguing person in the news. The list scrolls on. Stay with us. We're going to be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Time to check the list of the most intriguing people in the news today. We're going to show him to you lickety-split. Here he is.
He's a 45-year-old U.S. congressman, Democrat, Illinois. That's right, his name, his father's name, Jesse Jackson, among the most recognizable in modern American politics. Today, though, he's got something to say about his personal life, he'd better, in what he calls a private matter between himself and his wife.
Show him -- that's right. That's Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. -- sorry, I thought we had the other picture that many of us and you were looking at in the news on this day.
A Chicago newspaper in a story about a fundraising probe made reference to a woman, a restaurant hostess, who Jackson arranged to travel several times between Chicago and Washington. There are also allegations of a deal that would put Jackson in President Obama's old Senate seat.
Jackson denies the accusations about the public matter and is asking for privacy in a case he calls a woman he calls a "social acquaintance." Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., today, he is the most intriguing person in the news.
Personality clashes, name calling, secret forces, just some of what the president faced when he tried to come up with a new way to wage war in Afghanistan. These and other revelations are from a book by -- you guessed it, Bob Woodward. The rest, ahead.
Gloria Borger has been tracking today's other political news and other big stories crossing our ticker. And when we come back she's going to take us through those. We'll be back with "RICK'S LIST" and Gloria's list.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: It is it now time, welcome back, for a "CNN Equals Politics" update with Gloria Borger. She is with "The Best Political Team on Television," and she's good enough to join us now to bring us up to date on what's going on in the world of politics. What is crossing as we speak, Gloria?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, who says, Rick, there are no nice folks in the United States Senate? It seems that there's a reprieve for Senator Lisa Murkowski on Capitol Hill today. She's not very popular because she lost her primary and she decided to run as a write-in candidate in the state of Alaska. She may potentially hand that race to the Democrats.
Republicans on the Hill were going to strip her of her ranking membership on the powerful energy committee. Today they met. They're still angry, but they decided, you know what? What's the point of it? She'll probably lose anyway, who we'll just leave her alone for now. Isn't that nice of them?
SANCHEZ: I like that.
BORGER: And of course, you'll remember this, Florida, Florida, Florida, from the year 2000, Al Gore versus George Bush. It seems like Gore is going to return to the state of Florida. This time he's going to go to Tampa. And he's campaigning on behalf of you know who -- Kendrick Meek, who is running third in that race against Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist. So he's hoping he can help him out.
Barack Obama has already been there, Bill Clinton has already been there, and now Al Gore is going to try and help.
And last, we've got the campaign commercials. We've been seeing a lot of them in the midterm elections. And they're not just from the candidates. Because of the recent Supreme Court decision there have been a lot more of the ads, and they're from corporations and unions.
And so the Democrats are going to bring up a campaign finance measure on Thursday to try to rein in a little bit of that. Republicans say to them, you know you're not going to pass it because you tried it once before and it didn't go so well the last time. You're just bringing it up because of politics. Imagine that, politics.
SANCHEZ: Hey, speaking of politics, once again, I've got a question for you. I've been wondering -- we've been having conversations about this earlier down here in Atlanta. Bob Woodward, how's he doing? How does he get people in the Bush administration or people in the Obama administration or people in the Clinton administration, all of them that he's written about, to actually share inside information about what went wrong in some of the meetings that he writes about. How did you do that?
BORGER: It's interesting. First of all, I should say, I'm a big fan of Bob Woodward's, and I've known him for years. And I think the reason they do it is in a sense because he has such a good track record, and also they're sort of afraid. Is it better to talk to Bob Woodward and get your version of events out there, or is it better not to talk to Bob Woodward and let him get other people's version of events?
So, I think this White House made a very concerted decision to have the president and top advisors, top members of the cabinet, talk to Bob Woodward so they could get on the record.
SANCHEZ: Do you think it's a deal where he says something like everything is on the record that you talk about. However, because you've been kind enough to invite me to one of the staff meetings, if you come to me and make a viable enough argument, I will exclude that from my writings?
BORGER: I think you would have to ask Bob Woodward that. I doubt -- I honestly doubt that that is, in fact, the case. Although we did learn with the Valerie Plame issue in which she did interview somebody who had been the source for Bob Novak, and we didn't see it in the book. So, you know, you'd have to ask him that. However --
SANCHEZ: Some kind of proviso that he could enforce -- they could enforce. Pardon me.
BORGER: I would have to tell you that I don't think anybody gets a first read of Bob Woodward's books and gets to say, you know what, I don't think you should have put this in.
But I do believe that in the end, people make a calculated decision, which is he's going to write this book. People are going to treat it seriously because it comes from Bob Woodward. You're better off getting your version of events in there than not, which is why you make the president of the United States available to talk to him.
SANCHEZ: The president of Afghanistan, apparently, is on his meds and off his meds he writes about it in this book. Amazing revelations.
BORGER: Sometimes people forget. Sometimes people forget.
(LAUGHTER)
It's like driving car pool, the kids are in the back seat. They forget they're around.
SANCHEZ: You sound like my wife. Enough of this, Gloria. Thanks so much, appreciate it.
(LAUGHTER)
BORGER: I'll take that as a compliment.
SANCHEZ: It is, actually, it is. Your next political update, by the way, in about 30 minutes. Remember, for all the latest political news, just go to CNN politics.com, also on Twitter at Political Ticker.
