good evening, everyone. there is breaking news in the heartbreaking story of a brain-dead woman being kept on life support in texas against her and her family's wishes because she's pregnant. it's a major development that could change the way a lot of people see the case. also on the program tonight, you already know washington is broken, but tonight, when it comes to trading money and power, you'll see how it got broken without anyone actually breaking the law. "keeping them honest." also, it's not over yet, millions digging out from the snow or hunkering down against the brutal cold. and also, a little boy, his story is incredible. he went to save lives, he gave his own life. he was 8 years old. we begin with breaking news and a story that's set off a national debate over life or death and whether being pregnant takes away a woman's right. marlise munoz collapsed of an apparent blood clot and her family says she is brain-dead, which means under the law in all 50 states, including texas where

this is happening, that she is dead. well before she fell ill, both she and her husband discussed being precisely in this situation, according to her husband. neither wanted to be kept alive like this. they're both paramedics. however, under texas law, because she's pregnant, the hospital is refusing to take her off life support until a baby can be delivered. tonight, though, the family is releasing new information about the fetus's condition. it is disturbing. ed lavandera has late details and joins us now. what have you heard now from the attorneys representing the family of marlise munoz? >> anderson, just a little while ago, we had this statement. it's a lengthy statement, but in part, it reads that "according to the medical records" that the attorneys received "we have been provided that the fetus is distinctly abnormal. even at this early stage, the lower extremities are deformed to the extent that the gender cannot be determined." the lawyers also go on to say that they have information that suggests that the fetus is also suffering from hydro cephelus,

which is abnormality on the brain, and other abnormalities, including a heart problem that cannot be specifically determined because they're unable to move marlise munoz's body. so, all of this going on, and this is exactly the kind of situation and details that the family says they do not feel like they should have been compelled to share with the world, but they say that in this case, because of all of the talk surrounding whether or not erick munoz, the husband of marlise munoz, wanted to have this baby come to term, if there was any hope for this baby, but they have been saying all along that they did not think this fetus would be in any kind of condition. despite all that, these attorneys are saying that it does not matter, marlise munoz is dead, and because she is dead, they should have honored her husband's wishes back in november when she collapsed. >> now, i mean, her husband has filed an emergency motion. where does that stand? because obviously, the clock is ticking on all of this. >> well, they did that about a week and a half ago, i believe, and we just found out today as

well that the emergency hearing has been scheduled for this friday afternoon in ft. worth, and this is an emergency motion. the family wants marlise munoz disconnected from the ventilating system there at the hospital at john peter smith hospital in ft. worth. they go on to say in this statement also tonight, anderson, that "quite sadly, this information is not surprising, due to the fact that the fetus, after being deprived of oxygen for an indetermine nate length of time, is jestating within a dead and deteriorating body as a horrified family looks on in absolute anguish, distress and sadness." and what the family asks for in this emergency hearing is that marlise munoz's body be disconnected knrefrom the ventilators and turned back over to the family so they can bury her body. >> has the hospital responded? >> the hospital is represented

by prosecutors for the district attorney's office in ft. worth. we've reached out to both of them and they told us tonight they would have no comment before the hearing on friday afternoon. >> all right. ed, i appreciate the update, as disturbing as it is. i want to bring in legal analyst sunny hostin and mark geragos, also on the phone is nationally renowned ob/gyn lisa masterson, host of the health and heels broadcast. mr. masterson, according to the statement, it may impact this court ruling. the fetus's lower extremities are dewformed to the extent tha the gender can't be determined and there are further abnormalities, including fluid on the brain and more. can you explain how serious these issues are, what it means? >> they're very serious for the fetus. actually, just the fetus, we don't have that many studies of fetuses living in, you know, mothers who are brain-dead that actually do well without any

problems at all. usually because of the setting, it's very different to replicate the female physiology with machines. and so, they're usually born with -- if they're born alive, they're usually born with some kind of deformities anyway. so, the fact that it's starting off with these things that they've seen, now, they can also do blood tests and they can also check the a.mnionic fluids, but there is a low chance that this baby will be born without some form of deformity. >> would these abnormalities that already exist, would they be a result of when she passed out and cutting off oxygen to the fetus or to the mother's brain? do we know what would have caused them? >> no, no, because that's a very acute event, and hydrocephelus,

those occur early and those could be due to just a genetic aberration or exposure to certain materials, but that was not the cause of the blood clot, which is something that can occur in pregnancy, because clotting is very -- it happens a lot more in pregnant women because of the high levels of estrogen. >> i want to turn to sunny and mark, our legal analyst. sunny, all along you have said this belongs in a court. you have said that you don't believe this pregnant mother really would have wanted to be taken off life support, had she known she was pregnant and going to be in this situation. does what appears to be the medical condition of the fetus, does it change your opinion at all, that the mother maybe should be taken off life support? >> it doesn't change the legal analysis. it really doesn't. and this belongs in a courtroom for a judge to decide, because the law, we know, is very, very murky, it's unclear. her wishes weren't in writing. even if they were in writing, though, according to the law in

texas, they would have been disregarded. and so, my analysis of this case doesn't change. it is tragic to hear that this baby is deformed, but her very lawyers who released this statement said the same thing that i'm saying, which is we believe it has no legal relevance to the pending litigation. so you know, while tragic, it just doesn't change the analysis. >> mark, to you, does this change the analysis at all, or where do you stand on this? >> no, the analysis isn't changed to the extent that the hospital has taken a completely unreasonable and unlawful position here. she is not live. she is not alive, and therefore, the hospital has no duty even under this crazy texas law, the way it's written, they have no duty to keep her alive because she's brain-dead under any state of the union. in terms of -- what does change, knowing now about the abnormalities, which were obvious to anybody who's ever

studied anything along these lines, what does change now is there is no longer any argument that this is nothing more than a back door into abortion. that's why this law was passed. this is precisely kind of the gravomen of what they were trying to get to in texas, is redefine abortion and viability and things of that nature, but i will make the prediction -- you can save the tape, sunny -- the judge, if they're in a courtroom that's not an elected judge, is going to rule that she is going to be taken off of these artificial measures to keep -- >> oh, i don't think that's clear at all, mark. >> because this is an end-of-life decision, and these are medical decisions that hospitals and doctors deal with, unfortunately, a lot more often. and without something in writing -- this is why i also agree that it is a legal decision -- without something in writing, you do not know what this woman's wishes are. a lot of times, women's wishes change when they're pregnant.

>> it doesn't matter. you're wrong. you're absolutely -- [ everyone talking at once ] >> so, everyone's wrong, mark. >> no one knows what this mother would do. >> let me insert some actual fact, rather than just argument. her wishes are actually in writing, not about what would happen in the event that she's pregnant and this occurs, but she was a paramedic, her husband and her discussed this, and apparently, her wishes are in actual writing about wanting to be taken off life support. it doesn't say if i'm pregnant, i want to be taken off life support, it doesn't have every permutati permutation, but it is in writing. does that affect anything? >> i think context is important in this case, and i think the doctor will agree. women have different opinions about -- >> but sunny, you're projecting yourself into this woman's head -- >> yes. >> -- despite what she has written down -- >> no, we're not. >> we're not. >> the problem is, a lot of families will project what they want for the patient and we have to be advocates for the patient. without clear instructions from the patient -- >> the patient is dead. the patient -- >> -- in difficult situations --

>> doctor, the patient is dead. >> -- without knowing exactly -- >> one at a time. >> -- what that directive would be in the best way that we can as physicians. >> mark, you're saying she is dead, it's not a question of -- >> everyone's wrong to mark. >> -- taking her off life support, it's a question of -- >> yes, everyone -- i hate to, you know, news flash. >> whatever you say. >> i don't know everything. i know how to read a statute. i know in every state of the union, if you are brain-dead, you are dead. i don't know what state this doctor practices in, but she ought to look at the code section there, because when you're brain-dead, this is not a vegetative state or a coma. this is somebody who is dead. this is somebody who, as anderson has pointed out and no one seems to want to accept it, has already left her written instructions, so there isn't an issue here. >> there is -- >> for people who want to argue the abortion issue. >> the statute is less than clear, mark. you're talking about the brain-dead statute. >> let me jump in here with just another fact. in the statute, which i've read and got in front of me here, it says taken off life support such

that it will terminate life, that it will cause the death of the patient. isn't the patient already dead, sunny? >> well, and that's why i say this is murky, because i've read the statute as well. i mean, who is the statute directed to, just the pregnant woman or perhaps the fetus? is the fetus also the patient? >> it doesn't matter! >> but the family's attorneys are saying, sunny, by your argument, that any woman in the state of texas who dies should have a pregnancy test then done on her in case she has a fetus inside her, and then she should be somehow artificially kept alive until the fetus is born. >> that is a really facetious argument. lawyers love to say stuff like that but that's just taking it to an illogical conclusion -- >> right. >> why? why? >> that's why it needs to go through the process of the legal system. >> that's right. >> if the legal process arrives to the point where everybody's in agreement that this woman needs to be taken off life support, that's where it arrives at -- >> this woman is not. >> -- because it is in a

situation where there is another life at stake. and that's where it becomes murky. >> mark, go ahead. >> it isn't murky at all. i don't know what statute anybody's reading except the one that anderson read, which says when it is on life support. there is no life. she is clinically dead, okay? >> the baby's -- >> she is legally dead. so, you've got that statute, you've got her wishes. it is over. this is such nonsense where people what they really want to talk about is over ruling roe versus wade. if that's the discussion, fine -- >> that's ridiculous! we're not talking about abortion. >> i don't think that's it at all. >> yes, you are. >> mark. >> this is all a proxy for abortion. that's all this argument is. >> mark, in fairness, and just to argue sunny's side here for a moment, look, i've got a lot of tweets from moms who are saying, look, you don't understand. if this mother knew she was pregnant and going to be in this situation, she would do anything to bring that fetus to life. >> that's right.

she might have actually changed her mind in this situation. we don't know that. >> go ahead. the doctor's saying she might have changed her mind. >> questiwe do know this is som who is a paramedic, her husband and father say she's had this discussion and now i have two females here and i know i'm going to be accused of not having a uterus -- >> here you go, mark, you're crossing the line. >> but the fact remains that she did have this discussion, unless you're calling the father, the husband liars, and you're saying posthumously, after this woman is dead, that her wishes don't matter. but sunny sitting in new york should make the decision for her. >> context matters. >> yes, context matters. all this is is an abortion debate couched in the end-of-life -- >> that's ridiculous. and the point is, and i think this is the point that the doctor is making as well. you know, the decision and the discussion was not made in this context. context really matters, especially when you're talking

about advanced directives and you're talking about a pregnant woman. >> okay. >> that's right, and it's a hard decision, but we have to look at everything. >> well, and certainly -- mark, just in terms of the legal aspect, friday there is an emergency hearing. will a decision be made and that will be final? >> well, the emergency ruling will be made. whether it's final is a completely different issue, because you've always got appellate relief. and the end game here by the hospital, as i said before, is to try and get this into an abortion stance in terms of the weeks of the fetus, the age of the fetus so that they can make another argument, because this is just a trojan horse argument for abortion. that's all the statute was originally, that's all the way that they've misinterpreted it right now, and you'll see that come friday. >> all right, we'll see what happens on friday. we'll cover it. dr. lisa masterson, mark geragos, sunny hostin, appreciate it. difficult situation. talk to me on twitter, #ac360. just ahead, the "keeping

them honest" reports from money and politics. and see the story that got chinese thugs so mad at our cnn correspondent, they attacked him on the street. we'll show you. ( bell rings ) they remind me so much of my grandkids. wish i saw mine more often, but they live so far away. i've been thinking about moving in with my daughter and her family. it's been pretty tough since jack passed away. it's a good thing you had life insurance through the colonial penn program. you're right. it was affordable, and we were guaranteed acceptance. guaranteed acceptance?

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about a plan that meets your needs. so, what are you waiting for? go call now! we'll finish up here. moving on tonight, we're beginning a year-long "keeping them honest" investigation into money, influence and politics. having just seen the indictment of virginia's former governor on corruption charges or the federal investigation into new jersey governor chris christie, you might think we're talking about laws being broken. in fact, when politics and money mix, they can be, but not

necessarily. as michael kinsley wrote about washington, the real scandal is not what's against the law, but what's legal. what you're about to see, the extortion game, played for personal game some say by the very politicians who make the rules, is all perfectly legal. the question is, is it also perfectly fine? that's for you to decide. drew griffin is on the money trail. >> we talk about corruption in third world countries. in this case, the corruptors have written the law to make it legal to the corruptees. and i consider that atrocious in the name of democracy. >> reporter: what's got former shell oil president john hofmeister so worked up is what many people in this town simply call business as usual. it's not only that money buys influence, it's also pay up, or else. it sounds cynical, but just look around and you see it everywhere, like this typical thursday morning. it's just after 7:00 a.m., and

already, the rush for the morning money is on. this is a breakfast fund-raiser for florida's republican governor rick scott. want to contribute? it will cost you. the invitation says it's $2,500 to get in. want a picture with the governor? that will cost you $5,000. his host, the principe group. remember that name. governor scott is in d.c. on the business of raising money, and once this event is done, he'll race across town to his next event, another fund-raiser. it's all pouring in to his political action committee, a pac. political action committees are one of the main ways politics gets paid for. from pacs, the money flows into campaigns, often through washington, where politicians always seem to have a fund-raiser under way. just down the street, this dcc food restaurant will hold four fund-raisers in the next 90 minutes.

the man hurrying past our camera is utah democrat jim matheson. his ski pac is holding one of them. it's a $5,000-a-plate breakfast, a fund-raiser for a guy who would soon announce he's leaving congress. around the corner, a steakhouse is holding a breakfast fund-raiser for the republican chairman of the house ways and means committee, dave camp of michig michigan. for $5,000, the invitation says you'll be a star of his re-election campaign. on this thursday morning, a dozen or so fund-raisers will be held before a single congressional vote is cast. it's all status quo, says author pet peter schweitzer, businesses and politicians shaking hands and shaking down anybody who wants to do business here. >> it is a feeding frenzy going on, and i think we need to somehow break the back of the ability of politicians to leverage their position to

extract donations. >> reporter: if that sounds like he's accusing politicians of using the power of their office to shake down constituents for cash, well, he is. schweitzer is a fellow at the conservative hoover institute and with the government accountability institute. he's also just written a book called "extortion." >> the politician, particularly one in leadership or one that's powerful, can really make or break a company. so, companies and other entities are put in a situation where they have to play ball, because if they don't, bad things are going to happen. >> basically, instead of buying votes, they are selling decisions. >> yes. i think the model, the way we always think of the influence market in d.c. is that it's like bribery, that you have these outside interests that are, in effect, bribing our politicians, and that certainly can take place. i think the bigger problem is more akin to extortion, where

the politicians identify with companies or industries, and they basically mark them for extortion. they introduce pieces of legislation or they threaten certain things that put those entities in a position to where they have to play ball. >> reporter: one person who knows all about this fully legal form of extortion is the former president of shell oil usa, john hofmeister. >> i realize that there is a price to participate in the political process. what i never know was what a huge price it was and how it was an endless process of continuously being hit up for money. >> reporter: in 2008, when oil prices were skyrocketing, hofmeister was hauled before committee after congressional committee, 18 different hearings. some members of congress even threatened to nationalize his industry. the televised hearings all political theater, he says. when the camera lights turned off, some of the very members who criticized him in public were asking for money in

private, and he says you'd better pay. >> there's a huge price to not pay the price of the campaign request. >> really? >> there is a price in terms of access, there is a price in terms of interest by the member. and so, if you haven't paid your price of entry, who are you? i've actually been asked by a member, who are you, because i've never met you before. now that the election's over, you're coming to ask me for something? where were you before the election? and to me, that is just, puts a sickness in my stomach, to realize that it's all about the money. >> what i think you're describing to me is wink and a nod extortion. >> it's pay to play, and i agree with the word extortion. as harsh a word as that is, it's an atrocity, but nobody seems to care about it, because it just goes on and goes on and goes on. >> reporter: we wanted to ask

utah democratic congressman jim matheson about fund-raising at his breakfast, and specifically why he was raising money for his political action committee at the same time he was deciding to leave congress. he wasn't interested. we also wanted to ask michigan republican congressman dave camp why he needed so much money. he raised nearly $4.5 million in his last campaign. his opponent raised a paltry $37,000. camp has blown out his closest challengers for years. so, what's all this money for? no comment. and then there is florida governor rick scott. remember that first fund-raiser he was having? it was hosted by the principe group, a company founded by former veterans administration secretary anthony principe. two days before hosting this fund-raiser for the governor, the principe group gave $10,000 to governor scott's political action committee, which is called let's get to work!

it turns out, the principe group did get to work, at least in florida, where in 2012, the group won a $1.8 million contract to help stop the closure of military bases. like the two congressmen, governor scott wasn't exactly interested in talking about the relationship between fund-raisers and contracts and doing business with the state of florida. >> you have to go talk to let's get to work! >> last question -- >> reporter: we did ask the pac, let's get to work! but we got an answer back in an e-mail from the florida republican party, which says "the inference in your question is invalid and not worthy of a response. governor scott makes all decisions based on what is best for the people of florida, what will create jobs, careers and opportunities for its citizens." in other words, that d.c. fund-raiser, the $10,000 donation, the $1.8 million contract, it's all just a coincidence. >> drew griffin joins me now. now, drew, there is all this

money being raised. do we know what it's for? especially when you have some of these congressmen who run almost unopposed in election after election. >> really, and some of these congressional districts so divvied up and gerrymandered that they really don't face any opposition. the money flows into these political action committees or pacs. and to be very blunt, the rules on what that money can be used for, they're so lax, they've become more or less slush funds for politicians. they can literally use the money to enhance their lifestyle, take trips, hold parties, even run up credit cards for daily expenses as long as it has marginally to do with the business of governing or politics. >> and you're going to be looking more at this? >> yeah, this and the actual business of getting rich in congress. why now are so many, anderson, the majority of our federally elected officials, millionaires? why are their sons and daughters and spouses in the lobbying business? why are so many government contracts going to firms where relatives work? peter schweitzer claims this is legalized extortion and this is what we plan to focus on in the

year ahead. >> good, look forward to it. drew, thank you very much. i want to clarify, the brain-dead woman in texas we were talking about in the previous segment, i misspoke when i said her wishes were in writing. they are not. her husband says she relayed her wishes to him that she not be on life-sustaining measures when brain-dead. she did not specify that when she was pregnant. we'll continue to follow this story with a hearing on friday. up next, bone-chilling temperatures hitting a big portion of the u.s. after a brutal snowstorm. we'll get a live report from chad myers. and a home goes up in flames. this is remarkable. six people are rescued. the hero dies, an 8-year-old boy who went in to rescue others and did so. his mother says he died doing just that. female announcer: it's time to make room

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well, when we left you last night, tens of millions of people from iowa to maine were getting dumped on by inches, and in some places, feet by snow. in the cool light of day, the impacts are plain to see and still felt in snow-covered streets, canceled classes, 1,400 canceled flights, and as chad myers reports, lives lost and many more facing what could be deadly cold temperatures. >> reporter: the monster winter storm of 2014 is being blamed for at least two deaths. the driver of this vehicle in virginia lost control, crossed lanes and struck an oncoming car, killing himself and his passenger. >> give me a j-hook! >> reporter: accidents littered much of the east coast, like this 18-wheeler in north carolina, its front end crumpled from a collision, and this truck that flipped on an embankment in maryland. but for those most affected by the storm, which stretched a whopping 1,000 miles, digging

out was the order of the day. philadelphia got hit with over a foot of snow. and despite the frigid air and high snow accumulations, some philly residents ventured out and turned the iconic steps of the museum of art into a sledding hill. in new jersey, where the governor declared a state of emergency, crews at metlife stadium plowed the field where the super bowl will be played in just 11 days. nfl officials say in the event of more extreme weather on game day, a contingency plan could include moving super bowl sunday to saturday or even monday. here on massachusetts's shoreline, wind gusts up to 35 miles an hour sent the windchill down to negative 7 and generated monster waves. just to give you some perspective on these waves as they crash onshore, the sea level at least 10 to 12 feet below me, but these waves have been pushed by winds for miles and miles, 35, 45-mile-per-hour winds making these waves bigger

and bigger. and down a little bit farther down to the south here, a lot of these waves are crashing over this sea wall as they come in at a 95-degree angle, and we're still one hour from high tide. and as the east coast continues to deal with the aftermath of the storm, temperatures in many areas are expected to remain 15 to 25 degrees below normal, at least until the weekend, and more surges of arctic air are expected next week. >> amazing pictures. chad joins us now from plymouth, massachusetts, again tonight. so, what's the biggest threat tonight? >> reporter: you know, it's cold, but it's not as cold to me because the wind isn't blowing. there is snow, there's a lot of it, so if you're walking through it or trudging through it, it's not heart attack kind of snow, but there's a lot. i mean, we're talking 18 inches right here. the issue i think today, and especially just watching people come out of this restaurant, when they went into this restaurant, anderson, a couple of hours ago, this street was wet because it was full of salt and sand, but now it isn't wet

anymore. the salt and sand not working. the salt doesn't work when it gets below 10 degrees. it can refreeze. and we are seeing the refreezing. so, what people think was a very easy-to-drive road just a couple of hours ago is going to turn into another skating rink, not just here in massachusetts, but it's all the way down even toward d.c. every place that it snowed, it melted in the sun today and it's refreezing at this hour. >> wow, all right. well, be careful on the roads if you're driving. chad, appreciate it. tonight, an 8-year-old boy from east rochester, new york, is being hailed as a hero, and i really want you to learn his name and hear his story. the story, unfortunately, does not have a happy ending. tyler doohan was staying with relatives when he realized their house was on fire in the middle of the night. he woke up six people, helped get them safely outside, and officials say tyler ran back into the mobile home to rescue his disabled grandfather. both were overcome by intense heat and smoke and died. another relative was also killed. tyler's devastated mom says her son and his grandpa were best friends. >> it makes me really proud, it

really does, but i just want him back. i'm just so grateful that he went with people he loved, he didn't go alone, that he didn't cross over alone. i'm just so glad that he was with his best friends. >> so sad. fire officials say there was no working smoke detector in the house. jean casarez has been following the story. she joins us now. this little boy, the fact that he lost his life trying to save his family, it's heartbreaking. what do we know about what happened? >> it is so tragic. we've learned that there were nine people in the mobile home, and seven of them got out, including tyler. and then all of a sudden, this little boy, this little 8-year-old boy realized his grandpa was in there. and as you said, he was disabled. he was an amputee, anderson. and so, the little boy went back in, he had made a left-hand turn to go to the back bedroom, and the fire chief, chris ebmeyer, told me today that what they now realize, that this little boy

had his grandpa in his arms as if he was trying to lift him off the bed to take him out to safety. well, tyler's mother has spoken with some of the survivors. she now gives more of that story. listen to this. >> my sister had his hand, and i guess he let go of her and tried to get to my dad, and she opened the window and he wasn't there anymore. she couldn't see and she was going like this through the smoke, and all i could keep thinking about is how he couldn't breathe and how scared he must have been. >> a source close to the case tells me the autopsies are ongoing because two of the three victims cannot be identified because of the intensity of the fire. and anderson, they tell me dna may have to be used. >> do we know anything about the condition of the other people who were in the trailer? how are they? >> they are in the hospital and i'm told they want to interview them because this is an ongoing investigation and they haven't

been able to fully ask them all the questions they want to. the cause of the blaze is officially undetermined at this point because there is just a lot of things they want to look at. they do not believe there was any suspicious activity going on. neighbors are saying that they had given the family at least one space heater. that is not confirmed, though, by officials. >> all right, brave little boy. jean, appreciate the reporting. jean casarez. a fund has been set up to help the family pay for funeral expenses. to donate, you can go to ac360.com for the information. up next, cnn's david mckenzie roughed up by chinese police. we'll talk to him and see exactly why he was assaulted. it was all caught on tape. we'll also see if chinese authorities will cut off our signal in beijing when we talk to david. they've been doing it all day, so it wouldn't be the first time. also ahead, a top u.s. government official makes a serious suggestion about nsa leaker edward snowden, but does he have any actual evidence to back them up? female announcer: it's time to make room

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today in beijing, a chinese activist who leads a campaign to expose government corruption went on trial. he's accused of gathering crowds to disturb public order. the activist is a high-profile in china, so officials were intent on keeping the trial under wraps. however, cnn's david mckenzie was determined to cover it. for his efforts, he was roughed up by police as he and his crew approached the courthouse. that's the video right there. they recorded part of the assault on camera. this is what happened.

>> reporter: so, we're heading towards a court in beijing where prominent activist goes on trial today -- >> wait a moment, please. please! >> reporter: why? is this a public space. there is no need to shout at me. the courthouse is just behind us. the name of the activist is chu ji wong, and the reason he is on trial is because he had a gathering several times, one of the founders of the new citizens movement. that is why there are all these police surrounding me here. we're going to go try to look at the entrance of the court, which is just here -- >> hello. >> reporter: sorry, you can't stop me. >> it's all right. all right. >> reporter: this is a public place. huh? this is a public space. this is a public space. excuse me. you don't push me. do not push me. this is a public space. don't hit me like this. this is a public -- they're physically manhandling us. they're physically manhandling me. this is a public space. i'm allowed to report.

i'm allowed to report. you cannot do this. this is illegal. >> well, that's exactly what they did. by the way, our signal in china has gone black. there's some sensor in china watching the program right now. there you see us in china, a blank screen, so obviously somebody in china is watching us right now as we're talking about this and turned the signal off. david mckenzie, the fact that in the face of that kind of tlug eye thuggery you remained calm is remarkably impressive. just to be clear, chinese law allows you to shoot in public places, right? you were not doing anything illegal. >> reporter: well, look, anderson, there's a law on paper in china and then there's the law in practice. as foreign reporters, we can report on paper, they say we can report throughout this country and do effectively what we would do in the states, as it were, but in practice, in instances like this, sensitive cases like this, when thugs take it into their own hands to be the enforcers of the law, there is very little one can do about it, so the rights that might be on

paper get thrown out the window. >> it's fascinating. it's rare you see censorship in realtime happening, again, on the side, bottom of our screen there, you can see us being censored right now in china. it's kind of surreal. david, i want to play more of the video you shot. let's watch. >> they're now physically manhandling us. they're taking our press cards. this is not illegal what we are doing. we are reporters. we are reporting in a public space. ouch. these guys are physically manhandling us. they're not allowing us to do our work. we were just on a public space trying to tell a story. please do not hit me. i'm just trying -- hey, hey, hey, hey! do not physically manhandle us like this.

well done, you broke the camera. [ bleep ] you broke the camera. [ bleep ] >> are you an angry man? >> calm down, please. >> what were they saying to you as they were basically assaulting you like that? >> reporter: well, the one gentleman there is, in fact, responding with an english swear word at us, but certainly, they were telling us to get out of the area. they wanted to see our press cards, anderson. when we gave them our press cards, they took them away, and our phones. they didn't allow us to call cnn, they didn't allow us to call the foreign ministry. the government has responded saying that they'll investigate this case, but really, they say that there was a police cordon that was very clear, but that was not the case, anderson. us and several other journalists were pushed out of the area. so, certainly not transparent in any way and not allowing foreign journalists to do their work. >> david mckenzie, glad you and your crew are okay. thank you very much. appreciate that. "keeping them honest" now.

extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, especially when those with the claims have extraordinary power. rogers is one of those privy to the nation's secrets. when he talks, people listen. when he said this on "meet the press" this weekend, suggesting that nsa leaker edward snowden was working for russian intelligence while still at the agency, raised a lot of eye bows. listen. >> i believe there is a reason he ended up in the hands, the loving arms of an fsb agent in moscow. i don't think that's a coincidence, number one. number two, and let me talk about this. this is important. >> do you think the russians helped ed snowden? >> i think there's questions to be answered there. i don't think it was a gee whiz luck event that he ended up in moscow under the handling of the fsb. >> now, you can consider snowden a traitor or a hero, whatever you want, for stealing and leaking classified information. you can wonder who, if anyone, he was working for. what you can do, however, is determine for yourself whether chairman rogers's implication is

true. that's because he gave no evidence to back it up. today, edward snowden from russia denied the implication, calling it "absurd." so, that leaves his word against congressman rogers. mr. snowed jen exiled in russia, so we're unable to talk to him. we thought we would have better luck with chairman rogers, so we invited him on to the program to tell us what he could on the claim, and he declined, leaving the claim out there totally unsubstantiated. we've taken public servants on their word before only to find out they weren't telling the truth or were exaggerating. listen to this exchange from senator ron wyden and director of national intelligence james clapper. >> what i wanted to see is if you could give me a yes-or-no answer to the question does the nsa collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of americans? >> no, sir. >> it does not? >> not wittingly. there are cases where they

could -- >> again, when the facts finally came to light, we learned that statement by director clapper was not true, it was false. this time, with the latest allegation, we're still waiting for facts. dana bash has been trying to figure them out, too. she joins us now with more. so, you actually tried to get in touch with congressman rogers. what were you told? >> a spokesperson told me that what he said on sunday is all he can say at this point, but she encouraged me to look closely at the transcripts. he was on the nbc program you just showed, but after that, he was also on cbs, and he was pressed. and there he suggested that he was deducing that snowden could have been a russian spy based on clues. one of them was that some of the information he says snowden got had nothing to do with privacy issues, but instead with the u.s. military capabilities and operations overseas, anderson. >> but i mean, what are your sources telling you about what the house intelligence committee, which congressman rogers heads, knows about this? because you could say, well, maybe he was told something by the house intelligence committee at a closed-door meeting.

>> exactly. well, i'm told that neither the committee he chairs, the house intelligence committee, or its counterpart in the senate, the intelligence committee there, has gotten any official indication that edward snowden was a spy for russia or anywhere else. the reason is because when these active investigations of a leak go on, the protocol, the counterintelligence protocol is to wait until the report is done to give these oversight committees the information. in fact, on sunday, you saw that there was also the senate intelligence chairwoman, dianne feinstein on with him. she was much more circumspect. she was asked about this allegation or suggestion that rogers made, and diane fine sta stein said well, he may well have, but we don't know at this stage. but mike rogers is also someone who may have his own sources inside the intelligence committee, and likely does. he also in the fbi, he was an fbi agent, a special agent himself before coming to congress. so, it's possible that he got a tip from an investigator that this is something they were looking at, but because he won't elaborate, we just don't know.

>> hmm, all right. again, no evidence of this in the public domain that we've been able to find. we'll obviously continue to look for it and ask for questions from rogers. dana, appreciate the reporting. before we go, i want to look at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen there. that is a shot of cnn inside china, the blacked-out -- they've blacked out our signal during david mckenzie's report. now as you see, it is back on again just ahead tonight. so, hello, china. what olympic officials reveal today about another terrorist threat to the sochi games, plus what toronto mayor rob ford said today about his latest drunken rant, which was naturally caught on video.

a bunch of other headlines, we check in with susan hendricks and the "360 bulletin pid. the u.s. olympic committee

and several other countries received an e-mail warning of a terrorist attack at the winter olympics next month in sochi, russia. the international olympic committee says it takes security seriously but adds that the e-mail is not credible and appears to be a random message from a member of the public. a cnn exclusive. iran's foreign minister says the white house is mischaracterizing the nuclear deal that took effect on monday. the agreement calls for iran to freeze parts of its nuclear program in exchange for eased sanctions. listen to what the iranian official told cnn's jim sciutto. >> what iran has agreed is not to enrich above 5%. we did not agree to dismantle anything. what we agreed to was not to enrich over 5%. we agreed that, and we're not enriching over 5%, but we're not dismantling any centrifuges, we're not dismantling any equipment. we're simply not producing -- not enriching over 5%. to toronto's infamous crack-smoking mayor now.

rob ford says he suffered a minor setback after this video was posted online this week, showing him battling with a jamaican accent about the city's police chief at a fast-food restaurant. ford says he was drinking, not taking drugs, and calls it a private matter. in hawaii now, up to 50-foot monster waves are expected to hit the north shore of oahu this week. of course, surfers will love this, but a surfing competition was canceled today due to high winds there. anderson. >> all right, susan, thanks very much. coming up, how not to celebrate martin luther king jr. day. what some college students did that you will not believe. the "ridiculist" next. but not, you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec-d®. powerful relief of nasal congestion and other allergy symptoms -- all in one pill. zyrtec-d®. at the pharmacy counter.

time now for the "ridiculist." so, monday was martin luther king jr. day and at events around the country, obviously, americans paid tribute to the civil rights leader's life and legacy, and with respect and solemnity celebrated his vision, honored his dream. there were memorials, parades, days of service, many volunteers spent the day making a

difference in others' lives. and then there's what happened at arizona state university, where members of the tau kappa epsilon fraternity threw what they call the mlk black party. what might that entail, you ask? just your average white kids dressed in basketball jerseys, throwing gang signs and drinking from, believe it or not, watermelon cups. now, i know, you don't want to believe that something so racist and asinine and ignorant could actually happen in 2014. frankly, it would be easier just to pretend that someone got this story wrong. and after all, there's no proof that this happened, right? well, there is. in fact, they posted pictures of the party on instagram with hashtags like #happymlkday, homies and #blackoutformlk. that's a woman with a watermelon cup. arizona state says the university will not tolerate this behavior and suspended the fraternity while it investigates and the school is planning action against the individuals

involved. the last time we did a story about frat brothers on the "ridiculist," it was about those guys who allegedly consumed boxes of wine through their posteriors with rubber tubing. those guys, they're freaking rhodes scholars compared to these mlk day frat bros. and that's the thing, we're just plummeting the depths of stupidity here. to me, it is terrifying that these people made it into college without learning anything about what is appropriate human behavior and terrifying that they've got such an astounding lack of awareness and are so mornionic about themselves and the world to actually post pictures like it's the spring formal or whatever. plus, it's the dumbest idea i've ever heard of. what happened to the good, old-fashioned toga party? that's still a frat bro thing, isn't it? scratch that, i would not want to see what this group of morons would do with a bunch of white sheets. look, i get some college kids are going to do stupid things.

i get this generation of college kids seems determined to document it all online, where it will live forever, a permanent testament to shameless idiocy. perhaps that fact is punishment enough, though, on the "ridiculist." hey, that's it for us. thanks for watching. "early start" begins now. "early start" begins now. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com new terror threat against the olympics, just two weeks away now. now there are new, serious concerns about whether the athletes and fans will really be safe. we're live with the latest. an al qaeda plot to blow up a u.s. embassy. new information overnight. we're live with the latest developments. and cold is a four-letter word. millions waking up this morning under a dangerous deep freeze. the bad news? it's frigid. the worst news? it's staying. indra petersons live outside in the cold, smiling still, but tracking the brutal weather. >> and that's the good news part of