for a brutal attack where police say a man chewed off the face of his victim. let's go outfront. i'm erin burnett. the latest syrian pictures of 49 murdered children in syria have made people ask whether america must step in. the uprising has left more than 12,000 syrians dead. today the only response was symbolic. eight countries including the united states expelling syrian diplomats. in the year when the president is running on his foreign policy victories syria is becoming a lightning rod. >> this administration has a foreign policy which abandons american leadership. i know because i visit with these people that they are ready to help these people and they are helping them some. it cries out for american leadership. >> and today mitt romney said the president's lack of leadership has resulted in a policy of paralysis and we should work with partners to arm the opposition. now, that is something a lot of people -- that's a lightning rod in itself. and the obama administration is holding firm on its stance of no military action. >> no military action is always an option. and we haven't in this case removed options from the table. we do not believe that militarization for the situation in syria at this point is the right course of action. we believe it would lead to greater chaos and greater carnage. >> but will american intervention stop blood shed? that is the key question. let's look at the last time. it was a year ago in libya the united states spent more than a billion dollars on air strikes with nato. today the weak government says it has to delay elections and tribes are fighting and al qaeda and islamists say they created their own country. getting rid of him got -- bought more than 10% of all russian arms. reuters reported a russian ship was expected to arrive. russia signed a deal to sell fighter jets to syria which flies fighter jets. russia has nearly 5,000 tanks including the t-72 which has a gun with a range of about 6,000 feet. add the 4,000 plus surface to air missiles syria's military is one of the largest in the region thanks to russia. let me start with you, jamie. russia has -- there is a means question and a will question. let's talk about the will because sure they have come around to condemning the massacre of children. but they still seem to be with a ship going in reportedly now with weapons very much still supporting assad. >> i don't see a lot of evidence that the russians feel pressure from the world from these crisis and the massacres on the ground to suddenly do what i know washington and some of our al allies in europe are hoping which is to engage and convince the leadership that they need to change assad and move him out. what they are calling the yemen option where the united states was able to do in yemen was to help with the saudi arab yn involvement to get that leader out and that caused a civil unrest. i don't see russia having what you mentioned the will to do this. they have as you said a good military relationship with the syrians. they don't feel the pressure that we feel when they see people being killed. they blame both sides. >> they have repeatedly blamed both sides. what about the means? it's one thing to sell and be reliant on syria for 10% of your weapons sales. that is a powerful incentive. even if they stop what means does russia have to stop what is happening in syria? >> the theory is russians have assets inside the syrian military to convince the generals to oust the assad family and eject them from the country. that would be similar to the yemen plan. yemen wasn't a minority dominated regime. they hang together especially when under pressure. i agree with jamie. i don't think we see any sign that the russians intend to do that. that is the hope. that yemen option is an old plan. it was recently respun in the newspapers. it goes back six to nine months. most of it has been discredited. >> what will the obama administration then end up doing? this puts them in a tough spot. it looks like they can't force russia to do it or get russia to do it with them. as these images continue to come in it does continue to put pressure on the president or does it not? >> i think it does and it doesn't. it does in the sense that syria has been going on for a year now. now there are over 10,000 people dead. the part that i think people haven't begun to focus on is what i would call the major difference between this and libya. libya served a moral purpose. we helped the people avoid a massacre. after gadhafi was gone the middle east did change. if asohn goes if we contribute to the overthrow of assad that would be a dramatic plus for the rest because assad and syria and iran's only entry point into the middle east. that would go away instantly with the end of the assad regime. >> if we knew who was coming in afterwards. >> almost anyone afterwards would not have the relationship that assad has developed with the iranians. >> thanks very much to both of you. we appreciate it. andrew and jamie. it's a tough one. a moral and financial and military cunonedrum for the u.s. two americans held in the death of a foreign national. and what in the world is holding up the john edwards verdict? this has been going on and on. we get updades every day. and apparently all kinds of bizarre stuff is going on. the judge made an unusual warning. we have it and then this -- >> i think if you look at the birth certificate and you analyze the birth certificate. there are many people that don't agree with that birth certificate. >> when you say many people don't agree -- >> many people. >> give me a name of an authority who says it. >> there are many people. i don't give names. >> donald trump doubling down on the birther issue just before taking the stage with the presumptive gop nominee tonight. . he was just... 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>> a lot of people do not think it was an authentic certificate. many people do not think it was authentic. his mother was not in the hospital. there were many other things that came out. >> after that cnn contributor, david from took to twitter writing that was a big steaming plate of blank spaghetti. what does mitt romney gain by having trump with him tonight? mitt romney probably pretty upset right now. >> as well he should be. you remember the pitch for the dinner with trump and romney was the idea of reaching out to donors or making donations as small as $3. >> you win a dinner or something like that. >> who knows what would be served at this dinner. some trump stew perhaps. you are looking at $3 donations and mitt romney has not attracted small dollar donations. the reason the donations are important is those are voters who say i buy into this campaign. and then you have a list of people who are more active and engaged supporters. you can use that list for a variety of reasons. is donald trump the best way to gauge voters. >> that was the theory is that he would help raise money for the campaign. these low dollar donors. here is the point. donald trump made himself completely radioactive to the romney campaign. a guy whose name used to be sinonymous with success. he is a clownish conspiracy theorist who lit his hair on fire hours ago on cnn again. >> make a hair joke about donald trump. >> i will do it again. he wouldn't be doing more damage if he was a secret double agent for the obama campaign. he is making such a fool of himself. >> let me just to make it very clear for those watching where romney stands on this, his campaign put out a statement saying mitt romney said he believes president obama was born in the united states. the democrats can talk about donald trump all he wants. mitt romney is going to talk about jobs. mitt romney has said he doesn't agree with all the people who support him. does he need to come out himself and say something about this? >> he does need to come out personally and say something about this. but he needs to in general start standing up for common sense. he wouldn't stand up to rush limbaugh when he called that law student a slut and wouldn't stand up to rick santorum and now won't stand up to donald trump. at some point he has to put the loo loos back in the cage and tell them i would love to have your support but not under these circumstances. meanwhile the president of the united states spent the day with madeleine albright and bestowing medals on them. and mitt romney is with donald trump. it is a great contrast for the obama people. >> here is an ad the obama campaign is playing about this issue. here it is. >> good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. it is my distinct privilege. >> we are scared of an obama presidency. i have to tell you he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared as president of the united states. >> i have read about him. >> no ma'am. he's a decent family man, citizen that i just happen to have disagreements with. >> i've got to say one thing that frustrates me the same is there are decent family men who are arabs. that is a different issue. i think that here is the thing. when you are running a campaign it totally makes sense let's make mitt romney apologize for everyone who seems vaguely connected with conservatism in some broad sense rather than mitt romney allow him to make this case based on the state of the economy regarding whether or not president obama should be reelected. in 2008 there were folks to make barack obama apologize. >> he is choosing to campaign with him, appear with him. he is using the good things about trump then you are morally obligated that what this person is saying is ridiculous. >> absolutely. if this was a random -- >> i would say donald trump is not the ideal clois. also, look. there are a lot of people who are going to be surrogates. do i think romney made a bad call by campaigning? i think they might be thinking the same thing. >> this is not a self appointed surrogate. this is somebody who the campaign and candidate has chosen to embrace. it is a measure of leadership to say that is too far. that is appealing to the worst instincts. that does not represent me and therefore he will not represent me. >> having said that he opposes -- >> so good i thought you were going to finish your sentence. thanks to all three of you. now everybody knows how we go in. a brutal attack. a naked man tried to chew off another man's face. it happened in florida. the doctor on the case think tlz is a new drug that could have caused the attack for a specific reason. and then later post cards for richard bransen's memorial day wish. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 let's talk about fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 there are atm fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 account service fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 and the most dreaded fees of all, hidden fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 at charles schwab, you won't pay fees on top of fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 no monthly account service fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 no hidden fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 and we rebate every atm fee. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 so talk to chuck tdd# 1-800-345-2550 because when it comes to talking, there is no fee. the economy needs manufacturing. machines, tools, people making stuff. companies have to invest in making things. infrastructure, construction, production. we need it now more than ever. chevron's putting more than $8 billion dollars back in the u.s. economy this year. in pipes, cement, steel, jobs, energy. we need to get the wheels turning. i'm proud of that. making real things... for real. ...that make a real difference. ♪ [ woman ] it's like a magnet. pulling us together for different reasons. music. games. photos. shows. we share stories, laugh... and truly engage. it brings us closer and that is my happy place. ♪ [ male announcer ] the best family moments happen in an instant. capture them with internet explorer and a powerful dell pc. that could adapt to changing road conditions. one that continually monitors and corrects for wheel slip. we imagined a vehicle that can increase emergency braking power when you need it most. and we imagined it looking like nothing else on the road today. then...we built it. the 2012 glk. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. tonight. drugs known as bath salts being blamed for a gruesome scene in miami. this is a naked man gnawing off another man's face. that sounds horrific and it is. the pictures we are about to show you are very disturbing. 30-year-old was described to be in a zombie-like state when caught by police. president of the miami fraternal order of police asuspect heez was under the influence of bath salts. when he was found what he had done to this man's face victim was 65 years old. apparently all that is left is his gotee. his eye balls were gone. doctor, have you heard of anything like this? it is awful to talk about some of the things i just said that this man did to his victim's face. >> translato >> absolutely. there are many reactions that your brain can have with a substance like this. these are very cocaine-like substances. the behavior that comes out of it could be aggression to ripping off someone's face. severe, severe reactions. they are not able to be tested. we are putting substances in the our bodies that we don't know what will happen. >> we use the name bath saltchise is the street name. what would be in it? does it vary every single concoction? what is in bath salts? >> that is a really great question. these are not substances that have been properly studies. we just see the kinds of reactions and can kind of guess what chemicals in the brain they are reacting with. that is why the studies need to be done. and then we can make the testing that needs to be in place to be able to see if people have taken these or not. right now we could do a test and not know that they have taken them. >> my understanding is that eugene had been at a music festival and the police said these bath salts were something people were doing. is this something that is spreading. i'm thinking about when methwas an occasional story you heard out of the midwest and became a national crisis. >> absolutely. over the past year we have heard more and more i have had more and more patients with this type of issue. they are out there. i think there is a band if there isn't already in the availability of them until studies and tests can be developed. we are hearing more about it. >> where do people usually get them? the drug. >> most of the time they are sold at head shops under various names. >> one of the side effects that appeared in this case was the man was naked, the perpetrator. is this something that would go along with that? he was growling like he was some sort of a dog as he was eating the man. >> what is happening is you are putting substances into your brain and moving brain chemicals around and behaviors come from that from growling to animalistic aggressive behaviors. you could be looking zombie-like. you are in a trance and not in control of your own body. >> thank you very much. truly bizarre and horrific story. an irish national found strangled to death after a concert in japan. two american whose partied with her are being held right now for that crime. and the strange trial of john edwards. the trial is getting stranger. a warning from the judge. yes, this is america. now's the time to move from to where you want to go. look up. with u.s. bank let's get the wheels turning. use our strength & stability to open new opportunities. to lend, and lift ...every business...every dream... to new heights of prosperity. good things are happening. just look up. with u.s. bank. do you really think brushing is enough to keep it clean? while brushing misses germs in 75% of your mouth, listerine cleans virtually your entire mouth. so take your oral health to a whole new level. listerine... power to your mouth. we start the second half of our show with stories we care about where we focus on our own reporting. tonight ravi found guilty of using a web cam has issued a formal apology and says i accept responsibility for and regret my thoughtless, insensitive, immature, stupid and childest choices that i made. my behavior and actions which at no time were motivated by hate, bigotry, prejudice or desire to hurt, humiliate or embarrass anyone were the wrong choices and decisions. ravi turned himself in on thursday. he faces a $10,000 fine. a new study has found that blue fin tuna off the coast of california carrying radioactive contamination that leaked from japan's reactor are a concern. small amounts of the radioactive was found in the 15 tuna caught in august of last year. it is not enough to be harmful to humans experts say. tell us this is predictable and are a sign of things to come. there are a couple of big name tech companies that had a grim day. facebook still on that list. the stock fell by another 10% closing below $29 a share. research in motion had a business update. the company has hired bankers to explore options exploring whether it should be bought by another company and says it will lose money this quarter and going to fire people. the shares of the company fell. it's been 299 days since the u.s. lost its top credit rating. what are we doing to get it back? it was a good day for stocks. our fourth story. major tension in the john edwards trial. this has become a saga. everyone thought one way or the other and would happen quickly. it haze been seven days. they didn't want to be done the friday before memorial weekend. they will come back tomorrow. judge told jurors today many things could happen and that some aren't good. the judge held two closed door meetings with lawyers on