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CNN Sunday Morning
Armstrong May Admit Doping; Assad Makes Rare Speech; Congress To Tackle Gun Policy; Missing Fashion Mogul
Aired January 06, 2013 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is EARLY START WEEKEND.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been coming to this show for years. This is one of the biggest crowds I've ever seen.
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KAYE: Gun dealers ignore protesters as they continue with an arms expo in Connecticut.
The fashion mogul who dresses the Hollywood elite, missing. Now a desperate search for his airplane.
And, it's a new year. So, how's that budget going? Our financial practical gives practical advice on how to get your money in order.
It is Sunday, January 6th. Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye.
We start this morning in Stanford, Connecticut, where a gun show went on as planned despite the tragedy in Newtown just a short drive away. The gun show featured antique weapons, but that didn't stop protesters from calling it insensitive. Gun shows have come under scrutiny since some say loopholes allow guns to be sold at gun shows without proper background checks. Stanford's mayor had asked organizers to reconsider having the event, but some gun enthusiasts were eager to attend.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anybody who has no feelings for what happened up there, something's wrong with them. OK. I do. But yet, if you look, this -- I've been coming to this show for years. This is one of the biggest crowds I've ever seen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was an elementary schoolteacher. I have a seven-year-old granddaughter. I am certainly sensitive to the idea of people with weapons entering public places and all the killing that's been going on. It's horrendous. I am not in favor of people having guns. I don't see the need for it. On the other hand, in this case, it's art.
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KAYE: After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 20 children and six adults, at least three other gun shows in the surrounding area were canceled.
In Aurora, Colorado, police are investigating the circumstances around a deadly six-hour standoff. Police shot and killed the gunman who was on the second floor of a house. They only fired after the gunman shot at officers. Police also found the bodies of three other people inside. Authorities say a woman managed to escape uninjured earlier in the standoff.
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SGT. CASSIDEE CARLSON, AURORA POLICE DEPARTMENT: There was a fifth person inside who was able to escape. And that is who we were obtaining information from. We were informed that as this person was leaving, that she saw three other people that were in the home that appeared to be lifeless. So at that point, early on, we did believe that there were three deceased people inside.
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KAYE: No officers were injured. And as you may remember, Aurora was the scene of a mass shooting last July when a gunman killed 12 people, injured 58 more in a movie theater. James Holmes, the man accused in that shooting, due in court tomorrow.
Off the coast of Venezuela, crews are searching for the plane that was carried Italian fashion mogul Vittorio Missoni, his wife and four others. Shortly after takeoff, the plane vanished Friday morning over Venezuela's Los Roques Islands. The Italian foreign minister has asked Venezuelan authorities to do all they can to locate the missing plane and those onboard. Vittorio Missoni runs the family fashion house with his two siblings. We'll have more on him and his impact on the fashion world a little bit later on this hour.
Now to Steubenville, Ohio, where protesters returned for the second time in support of an alleged rape victim. Outrage is building in this small town over how authorities handled an alleged rape case. It involves two 16-year-old boys from a popular high school football team. Both are charged with raping a girl back in August. There's also a video showing local teens joking about the alleged incident. City officials have now launched a website to keep the community updated amid social media pressure and allegations of a cover up. The trial is set for next month.
Lance Armstrong making headlines again. This time, "The New York Times" reports that the disgraced cyclist is considering admitting that he used banned substances. It's something that he has always denied. CNN Sports Mark McKay following this story for us.
MARK MCKAY, CNN SPORTS: Randi, it's a question many are asking this morning, is Lance Armstrong about to come clean? "The New York Times" is reporting the disgraced cyclist may be thinking about doing just that concerning his use of performance enhancing drugs. You'll recall Armstrong has consistently denied through the years ever doping. That didn't stop him, though, from being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and being banned for life following a damming report last October from the U.S. Anti Doping Agency that stated Armstrong led "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that the sport has ever seen."
"The New York Times" story says that Armstrong has told associates and anti doping officials that he is considering publicly admitting that he did use performance enhancing drugs and blood transfusions during his cycling career. But in an e-mail to CNN Sports, Armstrong's Austin, Texas, based attorney, Tim Herman, said his client is not in discussions with U.S. or world anti doping agencies about a possible admission.
So, what would be the 41-year-old's motivation to come clean? According to "The New York Times," it's to persuade anti doping officials to restore his eligibility so he can resume his athletic career. Armstrong is hoping to compete in triathlon. That's a sport that upheld the ban against him taking part in sanction events.
Experts believe any confession would bring with it potential, legal minefields for Armstrong, who did testify under oath that his cycling greatness was not tainted by illegal substances.
Randi.
KAYE: Mark McKay, thank you very much.
This weekend means one thing for NFL fans, playoffs. Post season action began yesterday with the AFC's Houston Texans knocking off the Cincinnati Bengals, 19-13 to book a meeting with the New England Patriots. And then in Saturday's other game, I hate to even say this, the Green Bay Packers cruised over the Minnesota Vikings, 24-10. That was a heartbreaker for me. They were led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who matched a playoff record, connecting with 10 different receivers for 274 yards and a touchdown. The Vikings starting quarterback was out with an injured elbow. I should just point that out. The Packers face the San Francisco 49ers next weekend. Today, the Ravens play the Colts, while RG3 and the Redskins play the Seahawks.
This just in. Hockey fans can rejoice. The NHL is reporting that a tentative agreement has been reached which would mean the end of the lockout. The National Hockey League and the NHL Players Association have been negotiating, you may recall now, for about six months. Well, this morning, the two sides agreed on a framework for a new collective bargaining agreement. This year's lockout was the second longest in the league's history.
We are now hearing from retired General Stanley McChrystal for the first time since he resigned more than two years ago. In his new memoir coming out tomorrow, he takes blame in the "Rolling Stone" article that ended his career, but also questions the fairness and accuracy of the piece. McChrystal was the top commander in Afghanistan at the time of his resignation. He stepped down after the article quoted him criticizing President Obama and Vice President Biden. The magazine stands by its reporting.
And now to Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad addressed his nation in a rare speech just moments ago. Since the embattled president's last address in June, tens of thousands of Syrians have been killed and even more have fled their homeland. In nearly two years of fighting, more than 60,000 people have been killed across the country. And the new year looks to be ushering in the same bloodshed and violence. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom is watching things from Beirut.
Mohammed, good morning to you. If you will, break down for us what he had to say.
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Randi.
Well, what we heard today was a very defiant and still entrenched Bashar al Assad repeating a lot of the same rhetoric that we've heard from him when he's given speeches. Rarely he's given them in the last couple of years. But when he's given them, or when he's given interviews. In fact, he disputed the notion that there was even a revolution going on in Syria. He talked about how there was no fight in Syria between the opposition and government forces, rather it was between Syria and its enemies. Here's more of what Bashar al Assad had to say specifically on that point.
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BASHAR AL ASSAD, PRESIDENT, SYRIAN (through translator): They call it -- they call -- they are calling it a revolution, but it is not a revolution. Revolutions need intellectuals. Where are their intellectuals? Is there any thinkers for this revolution? Revolutions need leaders. Who is the leaders of this revolution?
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JAMJOOM: Now, at the end of this speech, he did offer an initiative in which he said there should be a dialogue conference in Syria. That there should be a national charter created. A referendum for a new constitution and, possibly after all that, asylum for prisoners in Syria. But he said that could only come after they continued their military campaign. Essentially, al Assad is saying that he is going to continue to go after rebel fighters there. He continued to deny that there's any home-grown opposition or any grassroots opposition in Syria, which he said so many times the last couple of years, and he said that he would only try to implement this new initiative after they were able to vanquish the terrorists in Syria.
He also, many times, heralded the sovereignty of Syria. He thanked Russia, Iran and China for being steadfast allies of Syria and not allowing any kind of foreign intervention there, and said that there could be no foreign-backed peace plan for Syria. That any peace initiative in Syria had to come from within Syria.
So, once again, a rambling speech. One in which he, at one point, said that the Syrian government was looking for a political partner the way a husband to be might look for a wife. But they were not able to find one. A rambling speech, a meandering speech, one in which he was still entrenched and defiant.
KAYE: So, why now?
JAMJOOM: Go ahead, Randi.
KAYE: I mean why come out now and give this speech?
JAMJOOM: He's been under intense, intense international pressure to try to address the fact that the U.N. and so many countries are waiting to see if he will agree to any kind of a transitional plan, a transitional government. The last couple of weeks, there's been a flurry of diplomatic activity. Lakhdar Brahimi, who's the joint U.N. and Arab League envoy to Syria, was in Syria, then he was in Russia, then he was in Egypt, trying to forge a path towards peace. They were waiting to hear a response from Bashar al Assad.
Well, they got it today. Today he remained defiant. He said the only kind of initiative that will be of use in Syria is a Syrian initiative.
KAYE: Yes.
JAMJOOM: This is not the kind of rhetoric that world powers really will have want to have heard from al Assad.
KAYE: Right. Right.
JAMJOOM: There was no agreement to any kind of a transitional plan. So, yes, it's -- as far as Syria goes, the fighting still remains. And just a few days ago we heard that now at least 60,000 people have been killed as a result of fighting there in the nearly two years of fighting.
Randi.
KAYE: Right. Mohammed Jamjoom, thank you very much. And we'll see you at the top of the next hour for more on this speech.
The new Congress is stepping up on gun violence with a flurry of new bills already introduced. But some of those bills may actually increase the number of guns around schools. We'll explain.
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KAYE: Welcome back.
On the first day of the new Congress, lawmakers introduced nearly a dozen bills related to gun violence. They come in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting and promises from President Obama to take concrete action to prevent a repeat tragedy. But big political obstacles remain. CNN's Athena Jones reports.
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ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As students at Sandy Hook Elementary return to class, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, nearly killed in a mass shooting two years ago, visited Newtown, Connecticut. And on Capitol Hill, lawmakers arrived to began a new session of Congress, with members in both chambers taking aim at guns.
SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: This is a fight that the American people are going to have to stand up and stiffen their spine.
JONES: California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein plans to introduce a bill to ban more than 100 assault weapons, eight years after the old ban she championed expired. Another Senate bill would ban high-capacity magazines. And among nearly a dozen gun bills introduced on day one in the House, are efforts to ban online sales of ammunition and to require background checks for all firearm sales, including at gun shows.
Two bills from freshman Republican congressman would allow more guns around schools. Echoing the position of the National Rifle Association.
WAYNE LAPIERRE, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, NRA: The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are better than 32 more gun murders every day.
JONES: Pro-gun control groups plan to keep pressing for action. But what are the prospects for their success?
JOHN GRAMLICH, CQ ROLL CALL: If you're talking about stuff around the edges, like maybe banning high capacity ammunition magazines, that might be possible. The NRA is the big issue, but I wouldn't say it's necessarily on the Republican side only. It's on the Democratic side also. You have fully half of your new Senate as an either A plus, A or A minus rating from the NRA. So if you want anything to happen on gun control, you're going to have at least half of the Senate upsetting the NRA. And so that's a -- that's a very difficult proposition.
FEINSTEIN: There is no more uphill fight than this. The question is, do we fight or do we knuckle under.
JONES (on camera): President Obama says he wants action on gun legislation this year. He's asked Vice President Biden to lead a task force to come up with recommendations on gun policy. They're expected this month.
Athena Jones, CNN, Washington.
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KAYE: A fashion mogul has gone missing. We'll tell you more about Vittorio Missoni and how he helped run a multi-billion dollar fashion brand.
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KAYE: Twenty minutes past the hour now. And here are some of our international top stories this morning.
Indian troops raided a Pakistani military post in the disputed Cashmere region, killing at least one soldier, critically injuring another. India says Pakistan started firing first, but Pakistan accuses Indian troops of crossing the line of control, the border between India and Pakistan.
In France, a French Moroccan family of five flying to Morocco were killed Saturday when their plane crashed near the French Alps. The cause is not immediately clear to investigators, but emergency workers responded quickly after a resident reported the crash.
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LEO, WITNESS (through translator): Around 1:00 p.m., we felt a big shake. The crash happened just below my house. At the beginning, I did not know what it was. We found out after firemen arrived that it was a plane crash. We did not see the wreckage.
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KAYE: The family had been returning to Morocco after spending their holiday in the French Alps.
He dresses Madonna, Katie Holmes and Jennifer Lopez and is a favorite of stars from New York to Hollywood. But now he is missing. A plane carrying Italian fashion mogul Vittorio Missoni and his wife disappeared Friday off the coast of Venezuela. The search is on to find the plane. The Missoni brand, known for its multi-color zigzag designs, has been a familiar name thanks to recent business deals that brought the House of Missoni to homes across America.
And joining me now for much more on this is Nadia Bilchik. So, oh great (ph), good morning to you.
So there are reports, though, that he was heading back home to Italy and possibly even to unveil some new designs.
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Yes. Brand new male designs. In fact, the men's wear was going to launch in Milan later this month. But an amazing group of designers that he's managed to accrue. His sister, Angela, his brother, Luca. So it's a family business that started, in fact, in 1953. His parents started the company.
KAYE: We know they're looking for them. They haven't been able to find the plane. But how did he become such a popular brand? How did the brand Missoni become so popular?
BILCHIK: Well, started by his parents, and in the beginning it was really contour. But what Vittorio and his siblings have managed to do is popularize it. And I'm sure you remember the Target deal where Missoni became available to everyday people at affordable prices.
KAYE: Yes. People jumped at that.
BILCHIK: Yes. Their website crashed in 2011.
KAYE: But it -- it must have boosted sales.
BILCHIK: Boosted sales. And it's very popular around the world. I mean he's managed -- Vittorio Missoni is known as the ambassador of the brand. He's taken it all over Asia and to France. So he's really popularized what was originally inaccessible fashion.
KAYE: And he comes from a real fashion family.
BILCHIK: Yes. His parents started it. And, interesting enough, his father, who is 91, is still very involved. His mother, Rosita, still designs some of the housewares. His sister is one of the designers. And her daughter has brought a whole new, fresh sense of fashion to the company.
KAYE: I mean you can spot it in a minute, you know, because that -- the zigzag and the crazy design, you always know it's his.
BILCHIK: Exactly. Exactly. But what's, you know, happened, we don't know.
KAYE: Right.
BILCHIK: They were on Los Roques, which is a very famous resort and a place, frankly, very romantic. And then to end -- and 10 miles outside of Los Roques, the plane, we understand, went down.
KAYE: Yes.
BILCHIK: The 71-year-old pilot, apparently, lost contact. Just 10 miles off. That was the last he was heard of.
KAYE: Well, we don't know. And we -- there were several people onboard with them, as well. So we don't know any word on their whereabouts, but hopefully they'll find them safe and sound.
BILCHIK: Hopefully they'll find them. Well, don't know about that. But hopefully they'll find the black box and at least see what happened. But this island in 2008, 14 people disappeared off the island and only the pilot, in fact, was washed ashore. All the other people disappeared. So there have been several accidents off Los Roques.
KAYE: All right, Nadia, thank you. Appreciate that.
All those holiday gifts probably showing up right about now on your credit card bill. So in the spirit of the new year and new year's resolutions, we're giving you some tips to get your finances ready for 2013.
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KAYE: Welcome back. And thanks for starting your Sunday morning with us. And a special welcome to our troops watching on the American Forces Network. I'm Randi Kaye. It is now just about half past the hour.
One hundred and thirty trained mountain rescue workers are searching for a skydiver who went missing four days ago in Washington state's Cascade Mountains. Organizers say they were getting a signal from his cell phone, but not anymore. Kurt Ruppert was wearing a winged skydiving suit so he may have glided far away from where he was actually deployed. Authorities say Ruppert was not prepared to stay overnight in a cold forest.
In Florida, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a plane crash that killed three people. Homeowner Susan Crockett dove through a glass window to escape her burning home after the plane crashed into it. She was getting ready to leave her house when something, she said, told her to stop, otherwise she would have been hit.
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SUSAN CROCKETT, PLANE CRASHED INTO HOME: God is good. He really is. As you all can see, that -- that's amazing. And I got out without a scratch on me. A little bruise from taking a tumble through the window. But other than that, I'm fine. I'm blessed. Truly God was with me. There's no way anyone else should have got out of there. But God has other plans for me. And made sure that I got out. Couldn't stop the plane, but he could stop me, because I was headed to that exact spot where the plane crashed.
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KAYE: Amazing that she jumped through that window to safety. The pilot reported mechanical problems and was trying to make an emergency landing at an airport a mile away. He said the plane was shaking uncontrollably when it crashed.
Shell Oil says the drilling rig that ran aground off Alaska's southern coast is ready to be towed away. The company says there is no evidence of leaking oil and the fuel tanks appear intact. The rig was being towed back to its winter home in Seattle when it ran into a severe storm and grounded just over a week ago.
A Michigan man was remodeling his home when he found a treasure- trove of love letters sent to a World War II veteran. Hubert Sawyers found them hidden above a heating duct in his basement. The love letters from a couple of women belong to a war veteran who used to live there. Here's what one letter said.
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HUBERT SAWYERS: "Sweetheart, it was hard to see you go this morning knowing that it may be the last time I shall see you for a time. Which we don't know how long it is going to be before we see each other, again."
When we saw this, we were just hoping it was, you know, it would be like a bag of bonds or a bag of money.
(LAUGHTER)
SAWYERS: But, honestly, it was - it was just really cool.
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KAYE: So cool. The letters were from women named Violet and Pat. Sawyers discovered that veteran later had married a woman named Sadie. Maybe that's why the letters were hidden away perhaps.
There is a new era dawning in the U.S. Navy. It was 20 years ago that women were first allowed to serve on service ships and just over a year ago they were cleared to serve on submarines. But now three women have made military history. CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence has that story.
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CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a new frontier for female sailors. Submerged for months, no sun, no space, no sleep.
LT. JG MARQUETTE LEVEQUE, U.S. NAVY: (inaudible) dive.
LAWRENCE: Lieutenant Junior Grade Marquette Leveque is one of the first women to qualify for submarine duty.
(on camera): Was it everything you expected?
LEVEQUE: I got a lot less sleep than I imagined I would.
LAWRENCE (voice over): We met Leveque a few years ago when she went by her maiden name, Reid.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Marquette Jay Reid (ph)
LAWRENCE: She was a cadet at the naval academy when the Pentagon opened sub duty to women.
LEVEQUE: At the time, I was flying. I was a pilot. Selected to be a pilot after graduation.
LAWRENCE: Leveque decided her future was under the water, not soaring above it. And she wasn't afraid of breaking a barrier.
LEVEQUE: I see us being just like our male counterparts and I think that we'll be accepted the same way.
LAWRENCE: We reminded her of what she said then and read some of the reaction from fellow and former sailors. "Way to go, Ladies! Welcome to the pride of the fleet. And wear those gold dolphins proudly. " But also, this is about giving feminists what they want. "Glad I got my dolphins pinned on before the Navy went PC and keep the eye candy upwardly mobile."
LEVEQUE: There's always going to be an aversion to change. And, so, best way to deal with that is to just go and do my job like any other officer would. LAWRENCE: Male and female officers do not sleep in the same state room, but that is about it.
(on camera): I mean I can't imagine there is very much room for separating men and women.
LEVEQUE: Honestly, I didn't even notice it.
LAWRENCE (voice over): Since all officers share one bathroom, they use a sign to warn each other.
LEVEQUE: We just have a sign that we put back and forth if (inaudible) occupied right now or occupied by female.
LAWRENCE: This month, Leveque earned her dolphin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations, great job.
LAWRENCE: A gold chest device that means she's mastered submarine operations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sign the book.
LEVEQUE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been a long time coming, right?
LEVEQUE: Yes.
LAWRENCE: It took a year of nuclear training, three more months at submarine officer school.
LEVEQUE: Dive make adept two five zero feet.
LAWRENCE: And then her first sea tour.
LEVEQUE: It's a huge honor to finally really feel like I'm a part of the submarine community.
LAWRENCE: In fact, Leveque is one of only three women to qualify as unrestricted line officers. That's big because it means down the road she would be eligible to one day assume command of a nuclear powered sub. And it's pretty clear that whenever war is waged under water, women are going to be a part of that fight. Chris Lawrence, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Well, it's a new year and a time for new beginnings. And that includes your wallet. But that's not always as easy as it sounds. So to help, I'm joined by Karen Lee. She is the author of "It's Just Money, Why Does It Cause So Many Problems?" She is also a certified financial advisor. Good morning to you.
KAREN LEE, AUTHOR: Good morning.
KAYE: All right. So, it is the new year, a lot of people thinking about their finances.
LEE: Yes.
KAYE: So when trying to sort out our money issues, where is the best place to start?
LEE: Amazingly, Randi, the best place to start is with being honest with yourself. And this is tough for a lot ...
KAYE: Yeah, I was going to say.
LEE: When it comes to money, people love to stay in denial. And so, really being honest and what I recommend is put it down on paper. So, to start with, you need to, of course, the word every American hates, budget. So, you need to start looking at the budget. How much income comes in and add up the monthly and annual spending. And I will tell you, in my practice, this is where I get the most resistance. People don't want to add it up and come clean with what they spend. And then next is add up all your debt. And, again, people know they've got this on this card and this on that, but they haven't added it all up. I once had an older woman come to see me. She said I have 5,000 or 6,000 in debt. When she added it all up, it was 28,000. So add it all up and then add up all your savings account and write it down.
KAYE: That's one way to be honest. Sure. When you see it on paper, you know it.
LEE: That's right.
KAYE: Yes. All right, so, in terms of the debt, since you mentioned it, I mean that's certainly the hardest part to figure out, how do we lower it?
LEE: It is.
KAYE: You want to see that on paper.
LEE: Right. Well, the first thing is, take a look at that number and ask yourself, is this insurmountable. If it is, you're going to probably need to see debt consolidation help. If it's surmountable, and you know you can get that number down, but it might look like it's going to take five plus years, I'm going to recommend looking at ways to increase your income. Get a second job, even if it's - if it might just be for a short period of time. If you haven't had a raise for three years, go in and ask for a raise and anything you get, put it straight towards the debt. You might consider in the evening trying to gain some new skills so that you can increase your income earning ability.
KAYE: Online learning.
LEE: Yeah.
KAYE: Yeah. LEE: No, if you are overspending, still, of course, get a budget. And if you're just seeing that you're not saving enough, challenge yourself to increase the amount that you automatically save. So many people just save up to the match of their company 401(k). Go up one or two percent every quarter and see if you can adjust to that.
KAYE: All right. That's good advice.
LEE: Yes.
KAYE: But what about somebody who says, you know, they are listening and they say, but, I think I've been doing everything right and they're still not - they're still not getting on track.
LEE: Or they start every year with the same resolution.
KAYE: Yeah, and they break it.
LEE: And they can't ...
KAYE: Just like going to the gym.
LEE: Exactly. \ KAYE: So, what - are those people?
LEE: At this point I think you have to fess up that you need some help. And what you are going to need to talk about is are you repeating old habits and behaviors that you can't quit on your own? If that's the case, start with possibly seeing a certified financial planner. You might want to see a certified money coach. And, last but not least, and people always laugh when I bring this up, but you might have to go to therapy. Because people ...
KAYE: Financial therapy or ...
LEE: Well, go to a therapist who has a specialty in money issues. As you know, in my book I talk about all the time ...
KAYE: Right.
LEE: ... people have these deep seeded connections with money and sometimes the smartest people around just can't break those habits.
KAYE: Sometimes it's hard, too, because if you - and if you're married you and your spouse might have different ideas ...
LEE: You got it!
KAYE: ... on how to get back on track.
LEE: That's right.
KAYE: And you have to come together.
LEE: And if one person won't, the other one says, why should I?
KAYE: Yeah.
One is a spender and then the other one can't rein him or her in.
LEE: That is tough and the cause of many divorces.
KAYE: Yeah. I know you know all about that.
(LAUGHTER)
KAYE: Not personally ...
LEE: Right.
KAYE: But just from your book.
LEE: Right.
KAYE: So, all right, Karen. Thanks you very much. Great tips.
LEE: Great to be here, Randi.
KAYE: Nice to see you.
Social media playing a crucial role in the case against two high school boys accused of rape from disturbing videos to messages on Twitter. We'll take a look at how it can hurt or help each side.
But, first -- a big good morning to Washington. Lights are on. Nobody's home yet. Doesn't look like. There's a nice shot of Capitol building. Just waking up there in Washington, D.C. Glad you're with us on this Sunday morning.
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KAYE: More now on the disturbing story of two high school football players accused of raping a 16-year-old girl at a party in Steubenville, Ohio. Now, what makes this case stand out is the explosion of chatter on social media photos and even an online video showing some of the teens joking and laughing about the incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What if that was your daughter?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But it isn't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it was?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If that was my daughter, I wouldn't care. I'd just let her be dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice. Listen to yourself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm listening to myself fine. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In about ten years, I'm going to come back to this video.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten years. My daughter's going to be getting raped and dead in ten years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: I spoke with legal contributor Paul Callan and asked how this case may play out in courts since it's based largely on social media evidence.
It's so disturbing, especially that video on top of it. But the attorney general investigating this case says that this video is unfortunate and insensitive, but it is not a crime to be "stupid." However, two high school teens are charged with rape, and they are scheduled for trial next month, as you know. There is apparently, though, a lack of physical evidence and the case really seems to hinge largely on the witness statements, media images, social media images, cell phone grabs and videos like the one that you just saw. So, how damaging could video like this and other social media be to the defense?
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: It could be extremely damaging to the defense. And you know, this, the whole landscape has been changed by cell phones and the availability of video in cell phones. A crime like this in the past and this is, we only know that there are allegations that the girl was drunk, maybe unconscious when people, these two boys or maybe others were involved in sexual activity with her. Normally, she may never have known about this. She may never have known who engaged in the sexual activity. But now we have video of it because we have the availability of this technology. So, the answer is, yes. This crime can be proven through that technology in a way that never could have happened before. People got away with this in the past. They're not going to get away with it in the future.
KAYE: No. CNN spoke exclusively, Paul, with one of the defense attorneys who said that his client, Trenton Mays, received the text message from the alleged victim saying, I know you didn't rape me. At CNN I want to point out, we haven't seen the text, nor do we know what else she might have texted in that message. But could that affect the case and how so?
CALLAN: Well, it could affect the case because this is a case that is going to be proven or disproven with social media. If she sends him a text message saying, I know you did not rape me, a jury will be looking at that at some point in time and saying, you know, does that help disprove the prosecution's case? And it would sound like strong evidence. But we'd have to see the tape and with the text and, you know something, Randi, a lot more is coming out the more we hear about this story. How many phones were there? How many high school, drunken high school kids were close by and in a position to observe? This - we're going to find out a lot more about this story as the weeks go on. KAYE: And I do want to mention this Internet hacker group called Anonymous. They were the ones who posted a picture showing girl whose face is blurred being carried by her hands and feet by the two males. Now the defense attorney for one of the accused, Ma'Lik Richmond confirms to CNN that his client is in the photo, but said the image is taken out of context. Certainly, we can't tell from the photo whether the girl is conscious or not. Her lawyer told CNN that she was somewhat conscious, but what could the defense attorney mean by "taken out of context?" I mean does this photo help or hurt the defense team?
CALLAN: Well, the defense attorney is obviously saying, just because two boys are moving an apparently drunken girl, it doesn't mean anybody engaged in sexual activity with the girl. So, his context, of course, is going to be very different from the context that prosecutors talk about. But I think, you know, the thing, Randi, that interests me in this context argument is that these kids watching sexual activity like this and maybe a rape go on normally would not be guilty of any crime. People are shocked to know a group of boys can stand around and watch a crime. It is not a crime to do that. However, if they recorded the crime on their cell phones and they deleted what they recorded, they could be guilty of an obstruction of justice and they could be drawn into this conspiracy and this crime in a way that never was possible in the past before social media and this kind of technology. So ...
KAYE: So, even if they weren't participating, you are saying. If they were there ...
CALLAN: Yes.
KAYE: ... and they recorded it.
CALLAN: Yes, because they'll be involved in the cover up of the crime by destroying evidence. So, technology really is going to increase the liability of these kids and, you know, watching drunken high school football players talk about an incident like this is very, very disturbing. Usually we don't get to see it, fortunately. But, you know, with this new media, we do.
KAYE: Yes.
CALLAN: And it's going to wind up in courtrooms and people are going to be prosecuted.
KAYE: And that certainly was disturbing. That whole story. Paul Callan, nice to see you, though. Thank you very much.
CALLAN: Always nice being with you, Randi.
KAYE: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is supposed to be sworn in to his fourth term this Thursday, but the controversial leader is still in Cuba, "fighting for his health." We're taking a look at that and all the dates you need to know about in the coming week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: Time now to get you ready for the week ahead with our fancy Week Ahead calendar. First of all, on Monday, a lot of people are going to be talking about Aurora, Colorado, and James Holmes. He, of course, is the man accused of opening fire in a crowded Aurora, Colorado, movie theater. He is going to appear in court for preliminary hearing. He's charged with killing 12 people and wounding dozens more.
Also on Monday, a lot of focus on Hillary Clinton. As soon as tomorrow, the Secretary of State could be back at work. And as you recall, doctors discharged her from the hospital last week after getting treated for that blood clot that was found in her brain. She is expected to be at work some time this week. We're not sure if it will be tomorrow or not.
On Thursday, Hugo Chavez will be making news. He is supposed to be inaugurated to his first term, but his fragile health that we've been reporting on a weekend is casting some doubt on whether or not he's actually going to make it. According to Venezuelan officials, though, he is still in Cuba "fighting for his health.
And on Saturday, a big weekend of entertainment begins. The 2013 Miss America pageant, that will be live on ABC. That's always a fun one to watch. And the Golden Globes on Sunday, one of my favorites, Sunday Hollywood award, the ceremony, the 70th annual Golden Globe awards on NBC. And it's hosted this year by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. They're both very, very funny and to see them together, I'm sure will be a good time. So check that one out.
Well, as we mentioned, James Holmes is expected in court this week and we may hear about some of the evidence against him for the first time. Here's CNN's Casey Wian with more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Aurora, Colorado, just after midnight July 20th, 2012.
DISPATCHER: 315 and 314, first shooting at Century Theaters, 14 300 East Alameda Avenue. They're saying somebody's shooting in the auditorium.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He came down with his gun in my face. He was about three feet away from me at that point. And that instant, I honestly didn't know what to do. I was terrified.
POLICE: We need rescue inside the auditorium. Multiple victims.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy just standing right by the exit, just firing away. He's not aiming at a specific person, he's just aiming everywhere, trying to hit as many people as he can.
POLICE: I've got a child victim. I need rescue at the back door, theater nine, now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was just thinking, we just got to get out. Just - even though - I just got to get out the doors and even if I just fall dead, just get my kids out of here. It was just so horrible.
POLICE: Suspect is going to be a male, unknown race, black camo outside outfit, believed to be wearing a vest, gas mask and multiple long guns.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have a right to remain silent.
WIAN: That suspect 25-year-old James Holmes is charged with killing 12 people and wounding dozens more. Prosecutors are expected to call scores of witnesses before Arapahoe County district judge William Sylvester. He will determine whether the evidence is sufficient for Holmes to stand trial on more than 150 counts, including murder, attempted murder and weapons charges. The weapons included explosives allegedly used to booby trap Holmes' apartment. His attorneys are expected to present a diminished mental capacity defense.
RICK KORNFELD, FORMER PROSECUTOR: The governments can absolutely say that. The government is going to say, this guy wasn't crazy, he was crazy like a fox. He was conniving, he was premeditated, he was methodical and that all may be true. But at the same time, you could be all those things, but you could also have a mental disease or defect.
WIAN: He had been seeing a psychiatrist at the University of Colorado where he was a doctoral candidate in neuro science until dropping out in June. His attorneys say he was hospitalized in November after repeatedly banging his head into a jail wall.
The preliminary hearing is expected to last several days. The judge has issued a sweeping gag order, so this may be the first time the public hears much of the evidence against Holmes. Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: A plane carrying Italian fashion heir Vittorio Missoni still missing off the coast of Venezuela. We'll have the very latest on the search for him.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: In late December an oil rig owned by Shell was traveling from Alaska to Seattle for maintenance when it broke free of its tow and drifted on to an uninhibited island. Now, the grounded rig has reignited debate over oil exploration in the Arctic. Our Paul Vercammen has the report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These images of Shell oil's washed up Kulluk have reignited an often under the radar debate over planned U.S. oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean. JERRY BAILINSON: And for both the rewards and the risks, we really need a more open, public debate about what we really want and what risks we're willing to bear to get it.
VERCAMMEN: "Popular Mechanics" magazine's Jerry Beilinson boarded the Kulluk for four days during its exploratory drilling mission in the Beaufort Sea about two months ago.
BEILINSON: I felt perfectly safe, but the Kulluk is a round ship. It doesn't have any keel, it doesn't really have a bow and it does ride very rough in the waves.
VERCAMMEN: That's one under tow, officials report when the unsecured Kulluk was grounded, wind gusts at 65 miles per hour swells up to 30 feet. When it's anchored, the Kulluk is designed to push down and break up ice. The diameter of this conical rig is 266 feet from the main deck and it has an unusually thick three inch steel hull. There is now 150,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board.
This Native Alaskan woman told CNN in July she lives in fear of an oil spill and more shipping in the Arctic.
ABIGAIL NASHUPUQ, POINT HOPE ALASKA RESIDENT: (inaudible) for the winter, it all comes from the ocean, the fish (ph) and the whale and it's going to ruin our ocean.
VERCAMMEN: The abundant oil and natural gas under the Arctic Ocean floor is luring more energy firms including ConocoPhillips and Statoil to the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Booming Pacific Rim trade is increasing commercial shipping in these waters and less sea ice means expanding routes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This guy is just below the ...
VERCAMMEN: The U.S. Coast Guard is tasked to cover an area that spans the equivalent of the continental U.S. Rear Admiral Thomas Ostebo flew over the Kulluk.
THOMAS OSTEBO, REAR ADMIRAL, USCG: Our response and our interest has been, how do we position the Coast Guard and all the federal agencies to better respond to the likelihood of a maritime incident, and clearly that's what we have here.
VERCAMMEN: So, now the Kulluk has become a lightning rod for controversy over Arctic drilling. It was given its name by a school girl in northwest territories. In her native tongue Kulluk means thunder. Paul Vercammen, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Some of first Australia's most popular beaches were closed this weekend after several sightings of sharks close to the shoreline. This ten-foot long tiger shark was spotted off one beach this morning. And it took some time for lifeguards to order swimmers and surfers out of the water after being alerted by a news helicopter. Look at that guy, wow. It's believed the sharks were following schools of fish seen at the beaches there.
Thanks so much for starting your morning with us. We've got much more ahead on CNN "Sunday Morning" which starts right now.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. It is 7:00 on the East Coast, 4:00 out West. Thanks so much for starting your morning with us.
Take a listen to this.
That is an audience in Syria cheering for their President Assad. He made a rare speech in Damascus and at one point the crowd was cheering and shooting, quote, "Blood and self must be sacrificed for you, Bashar." Since the embattled president's last address in June, tens of thousands of Syrians have been killed and even more have fled their homeland.
CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom is watching things from Beirut.
Mohammed, break down for us what he had to say.
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Randi, Bashar al-Assad remained defiant and entrenched today. He gave a rambling speech in which he blamed a conspiracy for what was going on in Syria. He denied that his military was the cause of the violence that has engulfed the country for 21 months.
He called the opposition there terrorists and traitors. He said that any solution for any kind of peace or political solution in Syria must come from within Syria and must be the solution that he delivers. He stood firm against calls by the international community and the Syrian opposition for him to step down.
And, by the end of it, he did offer what he was calling an initiative in which there would be a national dialogue, a conference, a new charter for a new constitution, then possibly a referendum for that constitution and maybe even honesty for prisoners in Syria. But what he did not offer was that he would be stepping down.
And that's the key thing there. That's certain to be rejected by the Syrian opposition who, from the beginning, said they would not negotiate with the government, that they would not agree to any kind of transitional government if Bashar al-Assad were to remain -- Randi.
KAYE: A lot of people, I think, were waiting with bated breath for him to say something meaningful. Why did he come out now?
JAMJOOM: There's been so much international pressure put on Syria, especially by the U.N. Arab league envoy Lakhdar Brahimi who just last week was shuttling between Syria and Russia and then Egypt, trying to forge some sort of path towards peace there to come up with some sort of a political solution.
Even the Russians who had been the steadfast allies of the Syrians, they have been perceived to be distancing themselves somewhat from the al-Assad regime. Recently, they called for all the parties in Syria to come to some sort of an agreement for a transitional government. So, everybody was waiting for Bashar al-Assad to speak, to see what he would agree to, if he would agree to a transitional plan, if he would agree to step down.
Well, he came out today, he said, absolutely, he is not going to step down. And once again, a lot of the rhetoric that we heard from him today, we've heard from the beginning of the uprising there. In fact, he even denied that there was a resolution there, denied that there was a fight going on between the government and the opposition, saying only a fight between Syria, the homeland there, and its enemies -- Randi.
KAYE: Denied a revolution, that is amazing. But still no real solutions. And in June when he spoke, he called for unity.
But, you know, as we said, certainly the Arab League envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, who you mentioned, I mean, he is saying that 2013 could be the bloodiest yet, right? He said this, in fact, "Do not expect just 25,000 people to die next year. Maybe 100,000 will die. The pace is increasing."
So, do you expect that we will get a solution to this soon at some point?
JAMJOOM: There's no end in sight right now to the fighting, unfortunately. This is fighting in the nearly two years since the uprising there began that assumed the lives, according to the U.N. this past week, of at least 60,000 people. And the U.N. said, in fact, they believe that number to be an underestimate. That coupled with the remarks you just mentioned, Randi, of Lakhdar Brahimi saying that he believed that thousands more could die next year, that it could be as high as 100,000 people it just looks more and more grim in Syria every day -- Randi.
KAYE: Yes, certainly does. Mohammed Jamjoom, thank you very much, reporting from Beirut for us this morning.
To other news now, search crews are searching for the plane that was carrying Italian fashion mogul Vittorio Missoni, his wife and four others. Shortly after takeoff, the plane vanished Friday morning over Venezuela's Los Roques Islands. The Italian foreign ministry has asked Venezuelan authorities to do all they can to locate the missing plane and those on board.
Missoni runs the family fashion house with his two siblings. We'll have much more on him and his impact, later on.
Lance Armstrong may want to make a comeback. That's what "The New York Times" is saying. The paper reports that Armstrong has considered admitting to doping and is in talks with anti-doping agencies.
But his attorney tells CNN that the cyclist is not involved in any talks with anti-doping agencies.
Late last year, CNN's Amanda Davies spoke with a former masseuse for Armstrong's USPS cycling team about what she saw of the alleged drug abuse. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EMMA O'REILLY, FORMER U.S. POSTAL TEAM SOIGNEUR: Like I knew stuff was going on from, kind of, when we had to back-date the prescription for the cortisone, when Lance asked me to go to Spain to pick up something, when Lance gave me syringes to get rid it for him, then you know for definite.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Are you in any doubt from your time with the U.S. Postal team of what you saw, what you think was Lance Armstrong a drugs cheat?
O'REILLY: Yes, I mean, no doubt of that at all. Two of the medical program is the drugs program, you know? So, that is what it was always called.
DAVIES: That's what intrigues me. It was seen as acceptable -- it was an acceptable thing to do.
O'REILLY: Yes.
DAVIES: (INAUDIBLE)
O'REILLY: Yes. This was the '90s in cycling. That was the way, the normal way of doing things. The people who weren't on the program and who actually got results are like, what, Good Lord, how did that happen?
DAVIES: What were you asked to do?
O'REILLY: It was one of the time (INAUDIBLE) that he asked me to go, if I'd go to Spain and pick up something that he needed from the doctor that he couldn't get to, and they couldn't get it to him. So, I kind of said, yes, OK. So I did say to Lance when he said (INAUDIBLE), I would do it this once, but don't tell me what I'm picking up. I said I don't want to know.
DAVIES: Why did you do it?
O'REILLY: I always felt, believe it or not, kind of guilty in ways that I wasn't focused on -- by not getting involved in the medical program because traditionally (INAUDIBLE) to be involved in the medical program and I wouldn't. And at the time, I probably stood out a bit because I didn't. And so I kind of felt, here, I'll do it.
DAVIES: Did you see ever Lance Armstrong inject himself with drugs or take drugs?
O'REILLY: No, you don't -- you don't sit and do it in front of people. Couple of riders would do it because they would share rooms and things like that. But, no, you don't. If the door is shut, you don't go in that door.
DAVIES: There's also a famous quote which has been said a lot. Now, I mean, you know enough to bring me down? O'REILLY: The quote got a bit dramatized and history has shown that I didn't have enough to bring him down and I never wanted to bring him down, never, ever wanted to bring Lance down.
I'm hoping and I think in the long term, it will be good for cycling, and it will be good for riders involved in cycling because I think now, more than ever, this is the opportunity for riders to have the choice to ride clean and stay clean, if they choose to.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: We'll have much more on this story in our next hour. I'll be joined by an author who has followed Lance's career and says, when it comes to cycling, if you don't dope, you become obsolete.
Now to sports on the field and the NFL playoff. The Green Bay Packers cruise past the Minnesota Vikings 24-10. Aaron Rodgers led the way for the Pack while Minnesota was without their starting Q.B. who was out with a bum elbow.
In Saturday's other game, the Texans beat the Bengals.
Today, the Ravens play the Colts, and the Redskins play the Seahawks. A lot of great football going on right now.
And good news this morning for hockey fans. It seems that a tentative agreement has been reached that could save the season. The deal comes after an all-night negotiating session that lasted 16 hours.
Any new collective bargaining agreement still has to be approved by the players and owners before the puck drops, again. More than 500 games have been canceled, in case you're keeping track.
In politics. A major issue for the new Congress that mirrors the hopes of some new members. We'll tell you what to expect in 2013.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. Ten minutes past the hour now.
Women are not the only ones with record-breaking numbers in the new Congress. There's also record number of Latinos and they could shift the tone of immigration laws and reform.
Here's Athena Jones with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're the center of this nation's future.
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Vice President Joe Biden at a ceremony to welcome the largest number of Latinos in Congress ever -- a critical mass that could help efforts to pass sweeping changes to the immigration system. BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need to seize the moment.
JONES: It's a top priority for the president, who won more than 70 percent of the Hispanic vote in November. After the election, house speaker John Boehner signaled Republicans could support comprehensive action on legislation.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I'm not talking about 3,000 page bill. What I'm talking about is a common sense, step-by-step approach. But secure our borders, allow us to enforce the laws, and fix a broken immigration system.
JONES: Democratic Congressman Luis Gutierrez leads the immigration task force for the Hispanic Caucus.
REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ (D), ILLINOIS: When you deal with the fiscal cliff, this is where the Congress is at -- far apart. Guns, far apart. And immigration, much closer.
We all signed on the dotted line? No, there's a lot of work to be done. But the commitment is there to getting the work done.
JONES: So, what might comprehensive legislation look like? The president says it should include measures to beef up border security, punish companies that purposely hire undocumented workers and give their roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants here a way to obtain legal status.
Groups that want to restrict immigration are skeptical.
DAN STEIN, FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM: The president himself said he doesn't think these laws are enforceable. How on earth is Congress ever going to be convinced to pass a package of the kind he's talking about when no guarantees can be made to the general public that the laws will be respected?
JONES: Doubts that could signal a long road ahead for this legislation push.
JOHN GRAMLICH, CQ ROLL CALL: Right now, what's interesting on immigration, is that everyone is talking the talk and that includes Democrats and Republicans. But, again, there's a big difference between talking the talk and walking the walk on policy.
JONES (voice-over): A big question is whether the parties can agree to approach the immigration issue. Should it be one big bill which many Democrats are pushing or should it be several smaller ones which many Republicans favor because they say issue is so complex -- Randi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Athena Jones, thank you very much for that.
"Rolling Stones" calls it legendary. A comedian's emotional stand up set about her cancer diagnosis didn't just help her heal, it changed her life. My conversation with comedian Tig Notaro, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Turning tragedy into comedy. Comedian Tig Notaro didn't invent it, but she might have come close to perfecting it a few months back when she delivered what some are calling one of the most powerful stand-up performances in years.
Just days after being diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, she went on stage in Los Angeles and blew an audience away with her raw and honest performance about her struggles. "Rolling Stone" magazine calls the set legendary. Comedian Louis C.K. said it was one of the best performances I ever saw.
I spoke with Tig about her set and started by asking her how she's doing right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TIG NOTARO, COMIC, WRITER, RADIO CONTRIBUTOR: I had a double mastectomy and they feel they got all the cancer. So -- and I'm feeling really great.
KAYE: That's terrific news for all of us. It's hard to know, though, you know, in speaking to you where to begin with your story. But I'm going to try my best here. You had a tragic four months this year. You had pneumonia, a deadly colon infection, your mother passed away, your relationship fell apart, and then this, and you were diagnosed with cancer.
When in the midst of all of this did you decide you'll go back on stage to talk honestly about what was happening to you? Was this the only way you knew to deal with it?
NOTARO: Well, I mean, it's what I do. Stand up is what I do. So, it definitely felt natural to do it. I had a show booked that I didn't think I was going to do.
And then the day before the show, the owner of the venue, Largo, texted me and said, are we going to do the show? I said, yes. Then I thought, oh, my gosh, what am I doing? But I certainly didn't realize that it was going to take off the way that it did --
KAYE: Yes.
NOTARO: -- with all the tweeting and blogging that happened after the show.
KAYE: Well, the first words on stage from you were "I have cancer." What reaction were you expecting from the audience that night?
NOTARO: I don't think I had any expectations. I knew that I had so much to say and, so, when I walked out, I just, I didn't know how to get into the topic of having cancer.
So, I just thought the best way to do it would be while I was introduced to just walk out and say, hello, good evening, thanks for coming. I have cancer. How are you?
KAYE: And did they think it was a joke?
NOTARO: Yes. I could tell when I was saying hello to the audience, I got this feeling, yes, these people do not think I have cancer.
KAYE: Well, in your set, you say that usually tragedy plus time equals comedy. But, quote, I'm quoting you here, "I'm just at tragedy." Did you find humor in al of this? Is that even possible? And if you did, how so?
NOTARO: I did find humor. You know, it took me a little while through losing my mother and some of the other events -- took me a while to find comedy and then as soon as I was diagnosed with cancer, again, this was maybe the fifth horrible thing that happened in four months. I think I just snapped and was like, this is now ridiculous. It -- I was almost embarrassed to tell my friends that I had cancer. It just seemed so over the top with everything I had already gone through.
So, the comedy just started appearing out of nowhere for me.
KAYE: Well, I know you put your set online recently. What kind of reaction are you getting?
NOTARO: I thought there was going to be mixed reviews. It was such a raw performance. It was Louis C.K.'s idea to release it as a C.D. and I thought the reviews would be mixed, but I've gotten really great reviews. At this point, it sold over -- well over 100,000 copies in just a few weeks. And, so, it's been really amazing how the response has been.
KAYE: As a comedian, as a stand up, anything you can say to anybody who might be watching, who might be in the midst of tragedy in their own life, that you can help them see the humor in this?
NOTARO: I mean, I think, as far as humor, I think it -- people, it might take a while. It might take months or years or it might appear immediately. But whatever is happening, just pushing through it and keeping going is what was helpful for me.
I certainly had moments where I was in fetal position, but, you know, it's kind of cliche, but just one step at a time. Just pushing through it was tremendously helpful for me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Amazing story there. To learn more about Tig and her stand up, you can check out her Web site, tignation.com.
Superstorm Sandy compromised some vital police evidence in New York. That could now have major consequences. Some criminal court cases may be in jeopardy.
But, first, here's Dr. Sanjay Gupta with a quick preview of what's coming up at 7:30 Eastern.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Randi, some surprising research shows that fish oil may help reverse the trauma from brain injuries. I also sat down with Deepak Chopra to learn how to de-stress and start the year off right. All these on "SGMD", 7:30 Eastern.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Superstorm Sandy just didn't disrupt millions of people's lives, it is also threatening criminal cases in the New York court system.
Mary Snow explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This flood damaged warehouse right on New York harbor could actually clog the city's overflowing criminal system for years to come. It sits in an area of Brooklyn devastated by superstorm Sandy. Inside it, there are thousands of pieces of police evidence ranging from DNA to narcotics to guns that right now can't be touched.
RAYMOND KELLY, POLICE COMMISSIONER, NYPD: Significant flooding has taken place. No question about it. We are still trying to sort through this and, you know, assess the total damage. It's a -- it's a big job.
SNOW: That was back in November. The police department says it still hasn't been able to get into this facility and a second one because sewage contamination has made them unsafe. But trials can't wait.
CNN legal contributor Paul Callan is a former prosecutor.
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: It could be a major problem if evidence that has been damaged is critical to proving a case.
SNOW (on camera): The NYPD says so far, there have been six criminal cases where police have said there is evidence but it's not accessible.
(voice-over): Those cases have not been dismissed. In cases involving DNA and narcotics, prosecutors rely on results from tests that are done on smaller samples of the evidence. Police say those results are kept at a different facility that was not surprised by the storm. (on camera): What about cases where there is, let's say blood evidence, where the physical evidence is in that warehouse but the test results are in a different location?
CALLAN: You would have the issue of if there is enough for the defense to fairly test the sample to determine whether it's the defendant's blood or not. So, I -- it wouldn't necessarily be fatal to a case but, you know, in criminal cases, beyond a reasonable doubt is a very, very high standard of proof. And if you eliminate the physical evidence, you can put a serious dent in the prosecutor's case.
SNOW (voice-over): The NYPD has consulted with its counterparts in New Orleans where evidence and records were destroyed following hurricane Katrina. The New Orleans Police Department says, one key difference is that flood waters remained at the courthouse for weeks where evidence was destroyed and they had the job of cataloging evidence that could be salvaged.
DEPUTY CHIEF KIRK BOUYELAS, NEW ORLEANS POLICE: It took years. It is not something that can be easily done. And in New York, you are looking at facilities that are much more vast than what we had here in New Orleans. So that compounds it even more.
SNOW (voice-over): New York Police Department says it expects to get into the evidence warehouses in the coming weeks to assess the extent of the damage. But already, the chief attorney for New York's Legal Aid Society is bracing for serious repercussions. He notes that there are more than 100,000 criminal cases in New York City every year.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Now to Syria where President Bashar al-Assad addressed his nation in a rare speech this morning. His last address was six months ago, but not much has changed in his eyes. He again stood firm against calls around the world for him to step down, blaming a conspiracy for his country's turmoil and incessant bloodshed. According to U.N. reports, in nearly two years of fighting, 60,000 Syrians have been killed.
Crews off the coast of Venezuela continue to search for a missing plane that was carrying famed Italian designer Vittorio Missoni, his wife and four others. The plane went missing Friday morning, shortly after takeoff over Venezuela's Los Roques Islands.
In Florida, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a plane that crashed. Homeowner Susan Crockett actually dove through a glass window to escape her burning home after the plane crashed into it. She was getting ready to leave her house and something she said told her, hold on a minute, stop right there. Otherwise she would have been hit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SUSAN CROCKETT, PLANE CRASHED INTO HOME: God is good. He really is. As you all can see, that -- that's amazing. I got out without a scratch on me. Little bruise from taking a tumble through the window. But other than that, I'm fine. I'm blessed.
Truly God was with me. There's no way anyone else should have got out of there, but God has other plans for me. And make sure that I got out. Couldn't stop the plane, but he could stop me because I was headed to that exact spot where the plane crashed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The pilot reported mechanical problems and was trying to make an emergency landing at an airport a mile away. He said the plane was shaking uncontrollably when it crashed.
All right. This could be my favorite story of the day. We bet that you have never seen anything like this before. This is a cat. You see him there, right?
He was caught by prison guards in Brazil and it was discovered trying to enter the prison with -- get this -- saws, drills, batteries and a cell phone all taped to his little body. Guards intercepted the feline felon before it could make its way inside. Officials say they don't know who the intended recipient was and that all 250 inmates are suspects. Pretty darn clever. A feline felon.
CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues at the top of the hour. I'm Randi Kaye. I'll see you then.
But, first, Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells how a father's desperation led to what might be a breakthrough treatment for severe head injury, using, of all things, fish oil.
"SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." starts right now.
