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CNN Live Today

Air Marshal Shooting at Miami Airport; Air Marshals On Duty; Winter Blast in Chicago; Grammy Nominees Announced

Aired December 08, 2005 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If it's cold, we probably have the camera there or radar. We're talking rain, sleet and snow just piling on to the problem. Live coverage and the updated forecast from the CNN Weather Center ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.
First, though, let's take a look at the headlines happening "Now in the News."

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of Stanley "Tookie" Williams' final hopes. Schwarzenegger today holds a clemency hearing with attorneys trying to save the life of a convicted killer. The crips gang founder is scheduled to die next week. Advocates for Williams want his sentence to be commuted to life in prison due to his work toward keeping kids out of gangs.

This hour at the White House, President Bush is meeting with the chancellor of Austria. The Oval Office meeting got underway about a half hour ago. Mr. Bush and Wolfgang Schussel will hold a news conference at the bottom of the hour.

The five key suspects in the London terror bombings appeared in a court hearing this morning via video link. All are charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. None has entered pleas. Today's proceeding focused largely on technical issues.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has been released from a London hospital saying she feels fine. The 80-year-old was hospitalized overnight when she felt faint. Thatcher was once known as the iron lady. She has been in frail health since suffering a series of strokes over the past few years.

Good morning to you on this Thursday morning. I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta.

We're going to start this hour with the latest on the investigation into the air marshal shooting death of a passenger. Police are trying to determine whether the use of deadly force was warranted. Authorities say Rigoberto Alpizar ran off the plane on Wednesday saying he was carrying a bomb. Two air marshals confronted him in the jetway. Officials say Alpizar appeared to reach for his bag and that's when air marshals shot and killed him. We begin our coverage with CNN's Kathleen Koch at Miami International Airport.

Kathleen, hello.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, as you said, Miami-Dade police are indeed investigating this incident of whether or not that use of deadly force was indeed appropriate. And, of course, dead today is 44-year-old Floridian Rigoberto Alpizar. Again, after he claimed apparently to have a bomb and then refused to obey orders to put down the backpack in which he said he had that bomb. A spokesman for the Federal Air Marshal service said that this was actually a textbook example of a passenger acting suspiciously, making threats and refusing to follow air marshal's orders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE ADAMS, SPOKESMAN, FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS: The only thing we know is the gentleman claimed he had a bomb in his bag, was reaching into the bag and we have no way of knowing whether or not there was a detonator in there and he was ready to push the button when the Federal Air Marshals were approaching him. Again, this is all based on training and the air marshals acted by textbook on this situation. You can't try to judge a situation. You have to do it by textbook and training and they acted appropriately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: And one passenger says that she heard Alpizar's wife say that he was mentally ill. That he was bipolar and not taking his medication. And the same passenger said that the couple was acting strangely from the start.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had seen them before we boarded the plane. They were definitely suspicious. The lady, the wife, had received a phone call right before we went on the air -- I mean right on the airline. And she was frantic. She was nervous. And we knew there was something going on back in the cabin and apparently they had an uproar. They had a fight and there was some sort of energy happening. And I identified with -- because there was an airline pilot sitting right next to me. He showed me that there was an air marshal on the plane right there. So we were kind of comforted. I was telling the passengers around, there's an air line -- or, you know, an air marshal right there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: The two air marshals were both based in Miami and joined the ranks of the Federal Air Marshals back in 2002. According to the Federal Air Marshals service, one of them had four years of experience as a border patrol officer prior to joining the air marshals, the other two years of experience as a customs inspector.

Now both men, Daryn, are on paid administrative leave while the investigation into the incident continues.

KAGAN: And, Kathleen, so this flight was coming from Ecuador into Miami. Was it a continuation then on to Orlando? It was the same flight?

KOCH: No, this was a separate flight. Again, Alpizar had flown from Ecuador to Miami and then gotten off and gone through customs as you do have to do when you fly into the United States from outside the country, and then was getting ready to board this flight from Miami to Orlando. He lives near the Orlando area in Maitland, Florida, and that was when the incident occurred.

KAGAN: So it's interesting that on this little short flight that would be from Miami to Orlando, which I can't imagine would be more than a half hour, they have an air marshal onboard.

KOCH: I was wondering about that, too, Daryn. But, you know, the ranks of the Federal Air Marshals have really expanded significantly since 2001. Their goal is to keep them on as many flights as possible. Flights from major airports. Flights where they have any concerns, though. Apparently the Federal Air Marshals service said they do not believe there was any terrorist tie here. They didn't mention any particular reason why those air marshals were on this flight.

KAGAN: Kathleen Koch live at Miami International Airport. Kathleen, thank you.

Let's learn now a little bit more about air marshal who do work under cover. They are armed and anonymous. They are put through rigorous training guided by the principle to dominate, intimidate and control. CNN's Jeanne Meserve went behind the scenes to profile an air marshal on duty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police officer, drop the gun!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll help! I'll help!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sit down!

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): On a mock aircraft, Tom practices for the day he hopes will never come, the day when he, a federal air marshal, has to deal with a terrorist.

TOM, FEDERAL AIR MARSHAL: Let me say this, nobody wants to use a firearm onboard an aircraft. It's not going to be a good day for anybody. There's a lot of downside to it. But if that's what's needed, that's what you do.

MESERVE: Because he works undercover, we cannot show you his face or tell you his full name.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, I'm a Federal Air Marshal. You need to turn around and put your hands behind your back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not going do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hands behind your back.

MESERVE: He once worked for the Secret Service, but his life, like so many others, was changed on 9/11. TOM: The question runs through your head, you know, what could I have done had I been on one of the aircraft?

MESERVE: Though he may look like any other traveler, Tom carries a loaded 357 magnum. At Washington's Dulles Airport, he boards his JetBlue flight to Fort Lauderdale before other passengers to search for weapons and explosives and to meet and brief the flight crew.

TOM: There are no specific threats again this airline or any others at this time.

MESERVE: Though air marshals never fly without at least one partner, as passengers board, Tom scans for potential allies.

TOM: I just size people up and I guess, in a nutshell, I'm looking for help. Worst case scenario, who I think I can count on. You look for a face and what you see in that and the eyes and I'm looking for, perhaps, military uniform. I'm looking for things of that nature. Something with a military haircut, possibly. Maybe somebody with an NYPD t-shirt on.

MESERVE: He is also on the lookout for terrorists.

TOM: We're looking for any suspicious behavior. Anybody who's acting irregular, abnormal.

MESERVE: Tom notices a restroom right next to the cockpit has been occupied an unusually long time. At Tom's suggestion a flight attendant knocks. A man comes out. Tom goes in to see if weapons or explosives have been hidden. He finds nothing. Tom has never arrested a suspected terrorist, but wonders if he has seen them rehearsing.

TOM: Certainly, yes, there's been times when I've been uncomfortable, had a not so comfortable feeling and wonder if it was perhaps a test run. That's rare. Very rare. There's a tremendous amount of monotony in this and it's much like Groundhog Day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that was our Jeanne Meserve reporting that story. Some of the high profile deployments for air marshals include flights into a Super Bowl city the week of the game and flights wherever President Bush is headed.

Well those who knew Rigoberto Alpizar say they are shocked over the events surrounding his death. Alpizar was a naturalized U.S. citizen. He lived with his wife in a ranch-style home in a Orlando suburb of Maitland. A neighbor says Alpizar was on his way home from a missionary trip to Equador. Alpizar worked at a home supply store. Neighbors described him as very friendly and helpful. He moved from Costa Rica in 1986 and became a U.S. citizen six years ago. His mother-in-law tells CNN affiliate, that's WKMG, that he suffered from bipolar disorder. But his brother-in-law tells CNN he was unaware of any mental health issues that Alpizar may have had. You can find out more on the air marshal shooting at our Web site. Log on to cnn.com to see pictures from the incident and learn more about U.S. air marshals. And be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

And this just in to CNN concerning possible troop withdrawal out of Iraq. CNN is learning that the Pentagon is considering withdrawing as many as 30,000 troops from Iraq after the December 15th elections. This disclosure would be an additional 10,000 troops beyond the 20,000 troops they had talked about withdrawing. And that kind of talk has been coming for several months. So perhaps an additional 10,000 troops being withdrawn from Iraq after the December 15th elections. More on that just ahead.

Now more on the fight for Iraq. It, once again, is taking a large civilian toll. Earlier this morning, a suicide bomber detonated inside a passenger bus in Southern Baghdad. Thirty people were killed. Another 25 were wounded in the blast. Authorities say the bus was packed with passengers headed home to Nasiriyah for the weekend. Officials have warned that such attacks could increase as next Thursday's parliamentary elections approach.

In fact, Iraq's government has closed its border with Syria because of those concerns. The crossings between Syria and Iraq's volatile Anbar Province are closed to pedestrians, vehicles and railways. Iraq says similar measures may be implemented in other areas as well.

The Islamist militants who are holding four Christian aid workers captive say they are extending the deadline for their execution. The group calls itself the Swords of Justice Brigade. It has threatened to kill the workers if their demands weren't met by today. But just before midnight, the deadline was extended by two days. A new video of the captives was released yesterday on an Islamist Web site.

A roadside bomb has killed a U.S. soldier in Eastern Baghdad. Three other soldiers on patrol were wounded. Since the start of the war, 2,132 U.S. troops have died in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Japan has extended the Iraqi deployment of its troops yet another year. Japan's prime minister says a withdrawal would have bolstered terrorists. The deployment of 500 troops had been set to expire this month.

We're going to focus back here in the U.S. Is it a winter wonderland? Hardly. Snow and bone-chilling temperatures are the norm across much of the country this morning. Live coverage from CNN Weather Center and from blustery Chicago. That's ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.

Plus, life on the devastated Gulf Coast. Students suddenly having to balance school with helping their family recover from tragedy. We found it is not an easy balancing act.

And a grandmother Tasered inside a police station. Why police resorted to such a measure and what she is now doing about it. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A winter storm that blew in from the Rockies continues to dump several inches of snow over parts of Kansas and Missouri. Salt trucks are on the move today but the areas first major storm of the season closed schools and created nightmare traffic jams. Roads are littered with ditched cars and tractor trailers that have either jackknifed or stalled.

It is a story of fire and ice in Oklahoma City. Temperatures in the teens and high winds combined to freeze water hoses during an attempt to put out this two-alarm blaze. Firefighters could do little but watch the house burn to the ground. Crews say they would have saved the home if they could and that they think everyone got out of the house. There were no reports of any injuries.

That brings us to the topic of weather. Bonnie Schneider is with us today to talk about a lot of cold places.

Bonnie, good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's just one of those days where you want to stay inside, you know?

KAGAN: Yes, well, unfortunately, that's not what's happening for Sean Callebs today.

SCHNEIDER: No.

KAGAN: Thank you, Bonnie.

Oh, there he is. Look at the hat. I'm loving the hat, Sean. He is in Chicago, Illinois. Bundled up. Are you feeling it?

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Feeling it. Feeling it. What was the term, raw that was used over and over and over?

KAGAN: Raw, yes.

CALLEBS: Raw, bitterly cold. I'm here, Daryn, to confirm it's raw and bitterly cold in Chicago at this hour.

You know, we've seen it all this morning. Black ice. There were some snow flurries down. Now the alleged sun is trying to peek through the sky, but I don't think that's going to last long. They're expecting snow here.

And you'd think the hearty folks in the Chicago area would be used to conditions like this. But even by Chicago standards, this blast of arctic air has come early and indeed, as we heard from Bonnie, much of the nation is in a deep freeze.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's my emergency button up here. I only button this in very cold weather.

CALLEBS, (voice over): The burst of bone-chilling cold caught even winter savvy Chicagoans by surprise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Judging by the first part of this month, it's been ungodly cold.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact that we went immediately from Indian Summer to the dead of winter is even more difficult to handle. And I think my car is probably reacting to that reality as much as anything else.

CALLEBS: The nation's bread basket is feeling more like an ice bucket. In Iowa, record low temperatures caused power outages in and around Cedar Rapids. While the cold may be a shock to the system, not everyone seemed to mind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The cold, the crispness, the snow. There's nothing bad about winter.

CALLEBS: The mercury plunged to 11 degrees below zero in Denver on Wednesday, 45 below in West Yellowstone, Montana. The arctic cold hampered firefighters in Oklahoma City as water hoses kept freezing.

The deep freeze extended deep into the heart of Texas. Dallas- Fort Worth International Airport cancelled hundreds of flights, about half of its departures through this morning.

For commuters here in the windy city, this is pretty much par for the course.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I usually drive everywhere. So I just blast the heat. But when I have to walk, it sucks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chicago weather, what can you say? It's wintertime. A little bit earlier than usual, but, you know, we have to do what we have to do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS: Indeed, earlier than usual. A live picture here in Chicago. People making the mad dash for the curb, inside. They may only be outside for a couple of seconds, but, boy, when it's 15 degrees, you can still feel it.

And if you look over my right shoulder, I hate to put these people on but, you know, no matter how cold it is, people will stand out here and do whatever they can to get that last cigarette before they have to get on the plane for who knows how many hours. Just one more way to cope with the weather out here.

And you make fun of this hat, Daryn, but I will tell you, it's keeping me warm and it actually does one of those things that pulls down so you only see about that much of my eyes. Maybe I'll pull that one out later on today. KAGAN: I was going to say, maybe for our next live shot we'll be treated to that. I have to say, meanwhile, I'm impressed, Sean, because your facial muscles are still moving and you're able to talk. And maybe that means you've been making the mad dash inside the terminal in-between live shots, but we don't need to know the details.

CALLEBS: Mad dash inside the satellite truck.

KAGAN: Oh, very good. You say hi to everybody in there as well.

CALLEBS: That's right.

KAGAN: Stay warm if you can. Sean Callebs live in Chicago.

We're talking music. Some of music's biggest names are sing a happy tune this morning. Grammy nominations are out and one performers comeback just gained some footing. We are live with the list of who's up for music's biggest honor. That's ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.

And how fans are remembering a fallen Beatle 25 years after John Lennon was gunned down. A live picture from Strawberry Fields in Central Park. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And that is a live picture of Strawberry Fields in Central Park. For some Beatles fans, it's the day the music died. It was 25 years ago today, if you can believe that, that John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York apartment building. And as with every year, fans gather at Central Park's Strawberry Fields just outside the Dakota apartment building. Lennon was gunned down by a deranged fan just steps away from the entry to his building. Mark David Chapman had just asked Lennon for his autograph a few hours earlier.

Another former Beatle is in the news today, among the nominees for album of the year at the Grammys. Paul McCartney is among the list of nominees announced just about 90 minutes ago. Our entertainment correspondent, Brooke Anderson, was on hand for those nominations and joins us from New York City.

Brooke, good morning.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

Yes, Paul McCartney nominated for his latest CD "Kayos and Creation in the Backyard." He's up for album of the year, as well as Mariah Carey and Kanye West. They're among those nominees as well. The big nominees of the day include Mariah Carey, Kanye West and John Legend. They are each up for eight nominations a piece.

I want to start with Mariah Carey, because this is really the comeback story of the year, the comeback story of a few years, in fact. About four -- in the past four years she hasn't -- she's had projects that haven't fared too well. You may remember the film "Glitter," the soundtrack that went along with that, the CD charm bracelet. But her latest release, "The Emancipation of Mimi," has done incredibly well. Sold more than 4 million albums. And as I said, she is up for album of the year.

I spoke with her just moments ago. She says she feels very blessed, very fortunate to be where she is and to have had the success that she has had with this latest disk.

One of her competitors in that album of the year category, as I mentioned, Kanye West. He is up for his latest disk. His sophomore effort. It's called "Late Registration." It is being considered a hip-hop classic. Now this comes just one year after his debut CD, "College Dropout," earned him ten Grammy nominations and three wins. He did win album of the year last year. He did win best rap album. So he's really hoping to win the big one, album of the year, this year. He even told us earlier this year that he is fully confident that he will get that one. So we shall see about that as well.

Also, Kanye is known for spotting talent. For having an eye for talent. And John Ledge is his protege. John Legend also up for eight Grammy nominations, including best new artist and best R&B album for "Get Lifted." Now just moments ago I spoke with John Legend about, you know, what this means to him and also what Kanye West has done for him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN LEGEND, GRAMMY NOMINEE: He's a friend and he's given me great advice through the years. He also really helped me get to this point as a champion for my project. He was the one that was meeting with record labels trying to convince them to sign me and get them to believe in me. He believed in me before they did. And he's a person with vision and creative genius and he's making great music. And I'm glad to be part of a team of people that's making great music. And for us to both be nominated so many times today is -- it's just so satisfying for our crew. We lovemaking music and we dream about these kind of moments where we're getting recognized for these kinds of things. And it's beautiful that we can all share the wealth and enjoy these great nominations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: He is being recognized now for sure. He also told me he is on cloud nine right now.

Daryn, the Grammy Awards will be handed out in Los Angeles on February 8th.

KAGAN: All right. We're looking forward to it. Brooke, thank you. Brooke Anderson in New York City.

We're talking holidays just ahead. Tough, the kids eating all those sweets. Might be hard to control their behavior. Have no fear. One of the best at calming your kids, Nanny Joe, super nanny, has some advice and she's ahead this hour. Also, a life of innocence and no responsibility is over earlier than planned for children in the Gulf Coast. Along with school work, now comes real work.

And a homemade video that has gotten a San Francisco police officer suspended. You're not going to believe what was going on in his video.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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