An Eruption of Gunfire and Death in Syria
KAYE: Time now for a CNN political update and decision time is just about here for some possible Republican candidates. Joining me now from Washington is Wolf Blitzer, anchor of "THE SITUATION ROOM." Hi, Wolf.</s>WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Hi, Randi. You remember four years ago at this time there were dozens of candidates running for president of the United States. I remember some of those early debates. Right now there are a few in the exploratory committee mode, but more are expected on the Republican side right now. Haley Barbour has suggested that by the end of this month he will be ready to decide whether to go forward. There are signs he will in fact go forward. Donald Trump, he says by the end of May after the season is over for "celebrity apprentice," he'll make up his mind. But he says he a's very, very serious. Don't be surprised, he says, if he runs. Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, she says if she runs she'll form an exploratory committee in June. Tim Pawlenty, he's already formed an exploratory committee. Later this spring he says he'll decide whether to run. But he's got that exploratory committee. Newt Gingrich, he's exploring right now whether to form an exploratory committee. He says he's serious about doing so. Mitt Romney, he's created that exploratory committee already. He'll announce in the coming months whether he's going to go forward. All indication are Mitt Romney will. Somebody who's on the fence right now, the Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. He says he remains muddled in his decision making process as whether or not to run. He told "The Washington Post," "I don't want to leave a misimpression. If we get in, we will go all out. We know a little about how to do that. So reluctance or hesitation about running doesn't mean we would be a reluctant candidate if we got there." So Mitch Daniels still on the fence right now. A lot of people are waiting to see if, in fact, he does run. Rick Santorum who apparently is running, he's created that exploratory committee. He's going forward with this process. He does acknowledge now that a vote as a U.S. Senator back in 2003 that he cast was a mistake, a vote in favor of the Medicare prescription drug benefit for seniors. He says the mistake was wrong providing a universal benefit and not paying for it at the time it's very expensive as you know for U.S. taxpayers to go -- it's a popular program but it's very expensive and given the budget deficit problems right now, he says that vote was a mistake. So presidential politics very much in everyone's mind right now here in Washington. On the Democratic side, Randi, as you know, the president of the United States is running. He's formed his re- election committee already. It doesn't look at least right now that any serious Democrat wants to challenge him for the party's nomination -- Randi.</s>KAYE: All right, Wolf. We'll see you today at 5:00 p.m. Eastern for "THE SITUATION ROOM." Thank you. And your next update from the Best Political Team on Television is just one hour away. In Syria, an eruption of gunfire and death. Thousands of security forces crackdown on anti-government protesters in the southern city of to Daraa and other areas. Witnesses say troops fired indiscriminately, in some cases shooting into homes as the people slept. Unconfirmed reports say at least seven civilians were killed. Witnesses also say numerous people were arrested. The government blamed the violence on armed criminal groups saying they killed 12 martyrs. The White House condemned the violence and says it's considering sanctions against Syria. And Britain and three other countries are calling on the U.N. Security Council to condemn the attacks on civilians. Turning now to Asia. A young woman risks her life fleeing North Korea in hopes of freedom in neighboring China. Instead of freedom she's forced into a nightmare world of slavery. Just one victim of China's slavery gulag. Stan Grant has the story, part of CNN's yearlong Freedom Project aimed at helping to end modern day slavery.</s>STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Stan Grant in Beijing. I've been covering stories about slavery, about kidnappings, about women being forced into prostitution for some years now, from the Thailand- Myanmar border, to China and the border with North Korea. And it was there a few years ago I met a lady we can identify only as Miss Kim. Now, she escaped that repressive regime in North Korea, fled across the river into China. But it was then that her real horrors just began. Have a look at this. (voice-over): If I die, I die, she says. if I survive, I survive. (on camera): Picture this. A woman afraid comes down to the river's edge under cover of darkness. She knows she must make it from there, North Korea, across to this side, China. (voice-over): In the darkness she is seized by people poachers waiting to kidnap women crossing the border. They are sold to the highest bidder as wives or maids. Miss Kim was once planning to marry. She was pregnant but forced into an abortion. She says her husband dumped her when she became sick. (on camera): Well, what became of Miss Kim? I really can't tell you. She is one of the potentially tens of thousands of women each year who are sold into slavery or forced to work as sex slaves. It also happens to the mentally ill or the tens of millions of migrant workers who flood across China every year. Some of them forced to work in appalling conditions, hour after hour for little or no pay, effectively as slaves. They've also been rescued on occasion. It is something the government has to be vigilant about. Slavery is not a new issue to China. It dates back thousands of years. It wasn't until the early part of the 20th century that it was actually outlawed. But as we've seen with the case of Miss Kim and others, that is just riveted underground.</s>KAYE: To find out more about the CNN Freedom Project, be sure to check out our Web page at CNN.com/freedom. All right, we have all been there. Right? Stuck in traffic. And there are apps to help get us out of those jams. But let's face it, that up-to-the-minute info often comes in too late. So, what if you could avoid jams before it's too late. Well, guess what? There may just be an app for that. Yes. So, you know all that red stuff which shows you where the really gnarly traffic is? Well, you might actually be able to predict it with this new app. We'll explain in our "Big I," next.