Erin Burnett OutFront -

Does Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" promote rape?

cnnleinzvales — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:05:46 +0000

Robin Thicke has one of the hottest songs of the summer. "Blurred Lines is No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Take a listen:

Listeners seem to think its catchy and has a good beat - remember it's No. 1.

‘Blurred Lines,’ Robin Thicke’s Summer Anthem, Is Kind of Rapey

But according to the Daily Beast, it's also quote "kind of rapey".

"The song is about how a girl really wants crazy wild sex but doesn’t say it—positing that age-old problem where men think no means yes into a catchy, hummable song," Tricia Romana writes.

OutFront tonight: Comedian and CNN opinion writer Dean Obeidallah, Comedian and radio show host Stephanie Miller and CNN Contributor and writer for the National Review, Reihan Salam.

Italy high court says evidence could support sex game theory in Knox case

cnnleinzvales — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:45:26 +0000

Was it a sex game gone horribly wrong? That's what Italy's supreme court wants to figure out.

The court explained its reasoning to retry Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend with the 2007 murder of her British roommate Meredith Kercher.

Knox was acquitted by an appeals court in 2011, but Italy's high court overturned the ruling and says the jury didn't consider all the evidence, including the prosecution's initial theory that Kercher was killed during a twisted sex game. A new trial could start as early as this fall.

Outfront tonight: CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney, Paul Callan.

Officials: Two held captive in Ohio for 2 years; suspects threatened victims with dogs and snakes

cnnleinzvales — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:32:37 +0000

For the second time in two months we are hearing about people being held against their will in Ohio. This time a woman and child were allegedly held for a period of two years.

Feds charge 3 in Ohio slavery case

According to federal authorities a disabled woman and her daughter were allegedly held in an apartment in Ashland, Ohio, which is about 60 miles south of Cleveland.

They say the two were forced to do manual labor while their captors kept them compliant by threatening them with dogs, and poisonous snakes. Three people have been arrested and charged with forced labor.

Outfront tonight: Steven Dettelbach is the U.S. attorney for the northern district of Ohio.

NSA Chief defends surveillance programs; cites thwarting over 50 terror plots

cnnleinzvales — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:18:44 +0000

The head of the National Security Agency told Congress that top-secret surveillance programs – like those leaked recently by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden were key to thwarting terror attacks against the U.S.

NSA leaker denies being a spy

Gen. Keith Alexander, the National Security Agency director, said information "gathered from these programs provided government with critical leads to prevent over 50 potential terrorist events in more than 20 countries around the world."

Among those 50 events , according to General Alexander, there were at least 10 "homeland-based threats" including a plot by a Kansas City man to blow up the New York Stock Exchange and a plot to bomb the New York City Subway system in 2009.

Officials cite thwarted plots, oversight in defending surveillance

But could those plots have been foiled using more traditional methods, or were these surveillance programs truly critical?

Outfront tonight: Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff - he sits on the Intelligence Committee, which held that hearing today at which General Alexander testified.

Ex-Hitman John Martorano testifies Bulger pulled trigger in hits

cnnleinzvales — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:49:11 +0000

Evidence continues to mount against ex-mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger.

The prosecution's star witness and former hitman John Martorano took the stand again today, telling the court for the first time that Bulger wasn't just an accessory to murder, but that the former head of Boston's Irish mom also pulled the trigger.

Bulger is accused of drug dealing, extortion and 19 murders committed while he was a prized FBI informant.

OutFront tonight: Boston Globe Reporter Kevin Cullen. Cullen is the author of "Whitey Bulger, America's Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt that Brought him to Justice."

Zimmerman jury pool narrowed down to 40

cnnleinzvales — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:40:21 +0000

The Florida judge in the George Zimmerman murder trial narrowed today the pool of potential jurors down to 40.

According to the Orlando Sun Sentinel:

22 jurors are white, 6 are black, 2 are hispanic, 1 identifies as mixed race and 9 are not racially identified. The 24 women and 16 men skew middle-aged.

Zimmerman, who identities himself as Hispanic, admitted to shooting black teen Trayvon Martin last year in self-defense and has pleaded not guilty.

OutFront tonight: Attorney Benjamin Crump is representing the family of Trayvon Martin.

The high cost of searching for Hoffa

cnnleinzvales — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:20:38 +0000

The FBI is digging up a Detroit-area field searching for Jimmy Hoffa.

These digs can be costly.

Erin Burnett explains.

Camel leather inspires French shoemaker

cnnleinzvales — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:13:21 +0000

A French shoemaker is now using camel leather to make high-end shoes.

John Defterios reports for OutFront.

Can ice cream keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon?

cnnleinzvales — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:35:59 +0000

Does ice cream keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon?

Erin Burnett reports on the impact of sanctions on Iran.

Miss USA contestant flubs answer on equal pay for women

stephmik — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:04:39 +0000

Miss Utah's answer to a question on the Miss USA pageant could, at best, be described as rambling.

Painful Miss USA pageant flub

But did she ultimately make a good point about equal pay for women?

OutFront: Radio show host Stephanie Miller, comedian Dean Obeidallah and syndicated talk radio host Michael Medved.