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Three Climbers Found Alive on Mount Hood; Iraqi Insurgents Hit U.S. Outpost; Interview With LeBron James
Aired February 19, 2007 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips.
Breaking news out of Mount Hood to tell you about: Rescuers find three stranded climbers and their dog, all in good condition. Now the challenge is to bring them down safely in a blinding snowstorm.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: Top of the hour, and it's a good ending to a grueling search.
We got some breaking news just a short time ago about that rescue mission on Oregon's Mount Hood. Rescuers have finally reached three climbers stranded in a blizzard -- in blizzard conditions since yesterday.
Let's go straight to CNN's Dan Simon, who is at Mount Hood with the very latest for us -- Dan.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, this is the kind of conclusion everyone had been hoping and praying for.
Just a short time ago, search-and-rescue crews made visual contact with the three climbers, who were hunkered down on the south side of Mount Hood. They realized that the three climbers were in good shape. In other words, they were able to get up on their own and walk with the climbers.
Right now, at this hour, they are actually descending the mountain, getting here to the base camp. In terms of what allowed this search-and-rescue to be successful, Don, you have to look at a couple of factors.
Number one, those three climbers had access to a cell phone. The battery remained fresh, and they were able to stay in constant communication with those search-and-rescue crews. The second thing is, they had what are called MLUs, mountain locator units. These are little devices. They almost -- well, they look like pagers. They have little strings attached to them.
And, once you pull that string, it emits a tone. You need specialized equipment to hear that tone, of course. Rescue crews have that. And they were able to pinpoint the exact location, in terms of where these three climbers were.
Just to give you a little bit of background, in terms of how this all unfolded, this started on Saturday -- eight people scaling the south side of Mount Hood. Three of those folks actually took a bit of a spill. They fell about 200 feet. They were not able to get into a snow cave, because, basically, the terrain didn't allow them to build one.
So, what they did is, they got in their sleeping bags. They huddled together. They use every -- each other's bodies, in essence, to stay warm. They also had some food with them. The weather, meanwhile, kept getting worse. Over the last 24 hours, we have seen the conditions really go from bad to worse, whiteout conditions.
My photographer can kind of pan off now, and you can really get a sense, in terms of the -- of the conditions we are facing.
In any case, Don, rescuers were -- were able to get to those three climbers this morning. They started at daybreak, as soon as they had some daylight. They got to them. And now we have a successful conclusion, unlike what we had a couple of months ago, Don, where you had three -- three climbers tragically lose their lives on this same mountain -- back to you.
LEMON: All right, Dan Simon, breaking news, but good news. Thank you so much for that report.
And, just a short time ago, we talked to the rescue command officer for the Mount Hood mission. And he broke the news for us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSSELL GUBELE, SEARCH AND RESCUE COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR: Their condition is very good at this time. They were located in the area where their mountain area units suggested that they were.
And we finally got some of our rescuers down there to them. And they are fine. They are being warmed up right now and fed by our rescuers. And they will assist in their own rescue. They are going to walk down. We have got teams coming up from below at this time to help them out. We also have a Snowcat coming up from the bottom. If they can up the White River, then we will have that available, too.
LEMON: OK. So, you said they are going to assist in their own rescue situation, that they are going to come down from the mountain themselves.
So, again, explain the situation. What information and what tools did you sue in order to get to them? I understand that they're -- they were huddling with their dog inside of a snow cave.
GUBELE: They weren't inside of a snow cave. They were huddling with their dog. They had sleeping bags and a -- and a mat, and they were near some rocks, and huddled up, trying to keep warm.
The mountain locator unit they had allowed us to locate their position. They also had a cellular telephone, which we kept in contact with them all night long.
When I said assist in their own rescue, I mean that we have people with them that will help them to walk out. They are not badly injured. So, they can walk out and assist. And we will be helping them with that and hopefully be picking them up along the way with a Snowcat.
LEMON: OK. So, you were still in touch with them by telephone and talking to them periodically, checking on their condition; am I correct?
GUBELE: That's correct, sir.
LEMON: Yes.
And they were sort of helping out, because they knew the general region where they -- where they were. And, again, you said you were able to track them through...
GUBELE: We -- yes, we knew where they were. Weather was really bad, as we talked about earlier.
And it was a matter of getting the teams down there to them, which we were finally able to do, in these severe weather conditions and extreme avalanche conditions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And that was just moments ago, as the news broke. That was commander officer Russell Gubele.
Now, we will be checking in as the climbers and their rescuers make their way down that mountain.
Well, the weather, it is not making it any easier for rescuers on Mount Hood.
CNN's Jacqui Jeras in Severe Weather Center checking it out -- all out for us.
It seems to be going, at least the weather. This is good news about the climbers, but the weather...
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right.
LEMON: ... is going from bad to worse.
JERAS: Right. Yes. They are not out of harm's way yet either, Don.
You know, until they are back down in Timberline Lodge area in a safe place, we will feel a lot better about things. But it's great to know that they have been found. But it's really going to be treacherous for them making their way back down to the lodge, because conditions are still very terrible at this time. There, you can see the storm system making its way inland. Here's the Mount Hood area. And visibility is really down to near nothing. You know, the farther down that they get in elevation, the lighter the winds are going to be, and also the intensity of the snow is going to probably be a little bit lesser, But frigid cold conditions, very steep terrain -- so, still some obstacles to get around -- the snowfall accumulation here today between one to two feet, blowing and drifting snow, and that visibility down to near nothing at -- at times.
And, you know, their window of opportunity closing, as our storm system gets worse throughout the afternoon hours for tonight, and then, also, after sunset. So, hopefully it won't take them very long. You know, it's 4:00 Pacific time yesterday that we talked to officials there. And they said they thought they would be able to get to the location of the climbers within an hour.
Then, we heard that same thing around 7:00 Pacific time. They thought it would happen within an hour. So, it took them a lot longer than they had anticipated to get to that site, actually locate these guys and get them. So, hopefully, it won't be quite as problematic for them to be able to bring them on down -- Don.
LEMON: Jacqui Jeras, thank you so much for that.
A lot of breaking news happening today.
Let's check in now with T.J. Holmes. He has got a building fire, an unusual building fire, in Maryland.
T.J., what's going on?
T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yes, more to it than just that. We thought it was just a breaking news fire we were going to show you. We will show you these pictures that we have. This is out of Frederick County, Maryland.
We do have a live picture here we are showing you from our affiliate. But this is at a strip mall in Frederick County. What happened here is that this started after an armed robbery. Police tell our affiliates there that an armed robber went into a liquor store there. A shot was fired at least -- at least one shot was fired. Don't know if anyone was hit by that bullet or who that robber might have been firing at.
But armed robber goes in. The building, the surrounding shops are evacuated. And then the robber, armed robber, barricades himself in, in a standoff with police. And then the fire breaks out. We have been watching this for the past half-hour to an hour or so. It looks like they may actually have this fire well under control by now.
We saw several flames and a much bigger situation, fire-wise, at least, a short time ago, where this fire certainly spread from the liquor store, where the armed robber was barricaded, to other shops in that area. Don't know where the armed robber is right now, if he got out, or if he is still in there, or if he might have perished in this fire.
But we understand -- police are telling our affiliates that everybody else was evacuated out of the building. But the armed robber was the only one still in there, barricaded himself in. But the result was a fire. Don't know how it started, if he -- if it started accidentally, if it was something that the armed robber did intentionally.
But the -- the live picture here shows that maybe the fire now under control -- and a lot to go through now, a lot of stuff to be answered about exactly what was going on inside, not just the liquor store, but inside the head of that armed robber, and what happened with the fire.
So, we have been keeping an eye on this one. As we get more information, we will certainly keep the viewers updated, as it warrants -- Don.
LEMON: All right, T.J., you keep checking, and we will check back with you.
It's a holiday, but it doesn't stop the breaking developments from coming in to -- to the CNN NEWSROOM.
The stock market is closed, but not big news about a merger.
Susan Lisovicz, this is a big deal. What's going on?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a big deal.
And I think it's something that a lot of people can understand. This is, you know, a whole new development in radio. It's the satellite radio. It's subscription-based. You pay money for it, just like you would pay for cable TV. And now the only two players in it are merging.
It had been rumored. We reported it before, that there was talk about it. But now XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio are going to get together. This is like the -- basically like Coke and Pepsi being the only game in town, and they are getting together. They were arch rivals and now they are get -- now they're getting together. At least that's what their intention is, announcing today an all-stock merger of equals, a value of approximately $13 billion combined.
The two of them have about 14 million combined subscribers. These two have been advertising like crazy. You know Sirius because Howard Stern, the so-called king of all media, is something that comes along with Sirius Satellite. He makes hundreds of millions of dollars, and Sirius is not yet profitable.
Ditto for XM Satellite Radio. What do they have? Well, they have artists such as Bob Dylan and Snoop Dogg. They also have a lot of sports, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, live games from them. And Sirius has also content from National Football League and NASCAR. So, they are announcing their intention to merge. Of course, the government will weigh in, because these are the only two games in town, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite.
LEMON: Yes.
LISOVICZ: Back to you, Don.
LEMON: And XM -- I think XM is Oprah. So, that's...
LISOVICZ: That's correct.
LEMON: That's huge.
LISOVICZ: So, Howard Stern...
LEMON: So, you have got Howard and Oprah.
LISOVICZ: ... and Oprah together.
LEMON: Yes. All right.
Thank you very much, Susan Lisovicz.
(LAUGHTER)
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
LEMON: We will check back.
A base attack in every sense -- ahead in the NEWSROOM, Iraqi insurgents get increasingly daring and deadly.
And whenever there's trouble, they are on the double. But doesn't anyone else have anything to say about black issues? Ahead in the NEWSROOM: looking beyond Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
And his fans call him King James. And he's hoping to provide them inspiration with a new Web site announced right here in the NEWSROOM. NBA All-Star LeBron James joins us live in the NEWSROOM with the inside scoop on a new way he's trying to inspire kids to reach higher.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. We have a developing story happening -- happening in Maryland.
T.J., is that what you're going to update us on today?
HOLMES: Yes. This -- this fire that we're seeing out of Maryland, Frederick County, Maryland, we do have an officer on the line with us. And, forgive me, sir. If you can, give me your name. I didn't catch it, but, if you can, give me your name. And tell me what you know is the situation there with this armed robber.
LIEUTENANT THOMAS CHASE, FREDERICK, MARYLAND, POLICE DEPARTMENT: Lieutenant Chase with the Frederick Police Department.
At about quarter of 1:00 this afternoon, the subject walked into a liquor store at the Antietam Plaza. He displayed a handgun, told the owner of the liquor store to get out. The store owner left the business, went to an adjacent business, and contacted us.
The initial responding officers who got to the scene as they were approaching this store were fired upon from inside the store by the suspect. So, of course, they secured the store. And responding units, as well, did the same. And, while we were negotiating with the suspect, the building was set on fire.
HOLMES: Do you know how he -- I assume you -- he started that fire intentionally. Do you know how he did it?
CHASE: No. Well, I mean, one can draw the conclusion that, in a liquor store, there are lots of boxes. And he set the boxes on fire, which, of course, spread to the remainder of the building.
HOLMES: And, sir, you said you were talking to him. You were negotiating with him. Your officers were. Do -- did -- any idea what he wanted?
CHASE: We're not -- we're not able to -- to disclose that at this time. We're still working on the investigation. We believe he perished in the fire.
And, obviously, that will result in a full investigation by our agency, in cooperation with the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Unit...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: And, sir, were you able to...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Were you able to get everybody else -- patrons and employees of the surrounding businesses, were you able to get everybody out of that strip mall?
CHASE: Yes.
And once -- once we recognized that he had set the building on fire, we were able to successfully evacuate the adjacent stores from the strip mall. That's correct, all the stores from the strip mall.
HOLMES: And, sir, do you know, did he at all make an attempt to try to get out of that store, if -- essentially, it sounds like he just sat in there and burned up. CHASE: Based on what occurred -- and I was standing out front the whole time -- that's the conclusion that we draw. We had the rear of the business secured with officers. I was out front. He never came out front. We had officers who had been speaking with him on the phone, both before and after we realized that the building had been set on fire. And, consequently, we draw the conclusion that he perished inside.
HOLMES: And -- and, again, sir, you believe this -- this all started by him going in, and -- and -- he was just after money initially at the liquor store?
CHASE: Well, I can't confirm that -- that...
HOLMES: OK.
CHASE: ... that this was a robbery, that -- the investigation will proceed, and we will -- we will hopefully come to some conclusion.
Right now, my detectives are -- are interviewing members of the family, because of information that they may have as -- that can help us, because we do know that, during the course of this incident, he -- in addition to our negotiators, he spoke with family members.
HOLMES: OK.
And, sir, I want to check with you, as well, and confirm. You said he did fire on your officers when the officers got there, none of your officers were hit, and all of your officers are OK?
CHASE: That's correct. Thank you for asking.
HOLMES: All right.
CHASE: All of our officers were -- were -- were OK. And -- and, so, that part of it, we don't have to deal with.
HOLMES: All right.
Lieutenant Thomas Chase there, sir, I do appreciate you. I know you have got a lot to sort out there. Appreciate you taking some time and updating us and our viewers...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: ... on the situation there. Thank you so much, Lieutenant Chase.
CHASE: Thank you. It's been my -- been my pleasure.
HOLMES: All right, Don, there you have the...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: ... the update, the official update about what happened there.
Just it's kind of a strange occurrence, strange situation, an armed robbery leading to this huge -- this massive fire at that strip mall. But the news is, no one there hurt, and believe that the armed robber did perish in that fire, so, still, I'm sure, more questions to be answered here.
LEMON: All right. Thank you very much, T.J.
HOLMES: Mm-hmm.
LEMON: Brazen, brutal and tragically effective, a deadly assault on an outpost of U.S. troops and Iraqi police near Baghdad, it comes as a string of bombings and other attacks rattle the Iraqi capital.
CNN's Arwa Damon is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. military is calling it a coordinated attack that was initiated by a suicide car bomber, targeting one of its combat outposts north of Baghdad.
The attack left two U.S. soldiers dead and another 17 wounded. At this point, the U.S. military is declining giving out any more details, saying that the incident remains under investigation.
But Iraqi security officials from that province are saying that the attack took place about 25 miles north of Baghdad in a predominantly Sunni area, and that the combat outpost was also home to the Iraqi police headquarters.
They are saying that the attack involved three suicide car bombers, followed by 50 gunmen that were using small-arms fire and grenades to try to storm this location. The attack also left eight Iraq policeman dead.
Violence throughout Iraq claimed the lives of at least 20 Iraqis and wounded dozens more, this the day after a devastating attack in Baghdad, where two car bombs exploded on Sunday in a busy commercial district that left at least 60 Iraqis dead, just days after the Iraqi government announced an 80 percent decrease in violence in Baghdad that it attributed to the new crackdown that we are seeing in the capital -- the U.S. military now saying that it wished that the Iraqi government had not made such a premature statement.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Iraqi roads can be and are often almost literally mine fields. So, Americans travel, whenever possible, by air. But now American helicopters are being attacked like never before. The White House says it's more proof of an adaptable P.R.-savvy enemy.
CNN's Rick Sanchez takes a look. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Few things in war make a heart-stopping impact on the television viewing world like a burning, crashing, flying machine. Few people are more aware of that than the armed insurgent groups in Iraq. They shoot. They kill. Then, they brag on Internet videos and on bombastic claims of responsibility.
In a span of just 19 days, seven U.S. helicopters -- seven -- were shot at, shot up, or shot down, transport helicopters, attack choppers, civilian contractor aircraft hit by small arms, rockets, and missiles, never before so many aircraft incidents, never before so many casualties from ground fire -- 28 fatalities, more helicopters, we're told, down in those 19 days than in all of 2006.
It almost looks like a plan, an organized, studied and focused plan to hit anything flying.
And now we learn that it probably is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER")
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Here's what "The New York Times" reported today. I will -- I will read to you from the story.
"Documents captured from Iraqi insurgents indicate that some of the recent fatal attacks against American helicopters are a result of a carefully planned strategy to focus on downing coalition aircraft, one that American officials say has been carried out by mounting coordinated assaults with machine guns, rockets and surface-to-air missiles."
Is that true?
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Without confirming or denying, it shouldn't surprise anybody that an enemy is going to look constantly for ways, not merely to -- to kill Americans, but also to attract media attention.
There have been a number of occasions now where our -- our helicopters and our aircraft have been brought down by enemy forces. And they have, in fact, adopted tactics that are designed to do that. We're going to have to adjust.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: And adjust, they are -- or trying to. A U.S. two-star general in Iraq says his commanders are shifting tactics to meet their shifting enemy, their adapting enemy, in his words, their thinking enemy, an enemy that knows that one helicopter down has implications far, far beyond the crash site.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And that was our Rick Sanchez reporting. Despite brutal condition, technology and training come through. Three stranded climbers and their dog are find in good condition on Mount Hood. There's a news conference under way there. And we are taping it, and we will bring it to you just as soon as we have it.
And King James, well, he loves the kids. NBA superstar LeBron James joins us later in the NEWSROOM to talk about his new Web site and what he hopes it will accomplish.
Stay with us. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Atlantic City casinos have been on a winning streak since gambling began there three decades ago. But, this year, the tables might be turning cold.
Susan Lisovicz is in New York with all the details on that.
Now, that's big news.
LISOVICZ: Yes, there's always cold for me. That's why I just don't gamble, Don.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Yes.
LISOVICZ: I would rather just blow my money on a good pair of shoes.
(LAUGHTER)
LISOVICZ: But for those of us who have a winning streak, we should know Atlantic City has had a long one. Its casinos could report their first annual revenue decline since gambling began there in 1978.
Harrah's, Caesar's, Bally's and the other famed casinos and hotels in A.C. are struggling with new competition, as more and more slot machine parlors pop up nearby. At least two slot casinos have been built in nearby Philadelphia. And those casinos are targeting the traditional A.C. crowd.
The numbers suggest they are making inroads. Overall revenue for A.C. casinos in January slipped 3 percent, and slot revenue alone is down more than double that -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Susan, so, is this good news if it's turning cold -- if it's turning cold for gamblers?
LISOVICZ: Well, it is in the sense that there's more competition.
You know, way back when, when Atlantic City first allowed gambling, it was pretty much the only game in town in the Northeast. It was Vegas and Atlantic City, so much more competition now. What's bad for the casinos may be good for the customers, at least in the short run. Many insiders say we can expect the Atlantic City casinos to be more aggressive about offering incentives, such as free rooms and show tickets.
The trick is to think outside the casino. That is true for Atlantic City. Try to lure more casinos.
LEMON: I wonder if that means like looser slots or something.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Well, any other wild cards -- couldn't resist that -- for the casinos?
LISOVICZ: Yes.
Well, you know, this is one of the things that has really hurt Atlantic City, too. Not only are they losing a bit of revenue now; they have also had to spend more. Starting in April, casinos must designate three-quarters of their casino floor space smoke-free. That means they might also have to pay millions to install special ventilation systems.
No one is placing any bets on Wall Street today. All financial markets are closed, of course, for President's Day. But we do have a very interesting story that we just -- that we just reported about 10 minutes ago.
XM and Sirius Satellite Radio have agreed to a $13 billion merger, the new name and headquarters not been determined. But Mel Karmazin, currently CEO of Sirius, will head the combined company together. They have about 14 million subscribers.
Now let's go back to Don.
LEMON: All right, Susan, thank you very much for that.
And we told you in the NEWSROOM here at the top of the hour about those climbers on Mount Hood who have been found. A press conference held a short while ago -- let's take a listen to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: ... heard a couple teams had to crawl out because of avalanche conditions. (OFF-MIKE) Mount Hood (OFF-MIKE) That is of concern, major concern?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Major concern is always the avalanche conditions up there. That is why the one team is not going to try and go out the way they came in, because of the avalanche danger and the snow piling on top of the crust just creates more avalanche danger. And they are going to have to come down the White River Canyon.
QUESTION: So, the east side of the -- of the canyon is not snow- packed? It's not windblown snow? Is that why you are going on that side?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They believe it's not as bad.
QUESTION: Not as bad?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
QUESTION: So, the snow loading is on the west wall?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Primary, yes.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) west (OFF-MIKE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Well, east -- east facing...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: East side.
QUESTION: I'm sorry. East facing west side, right.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) clarify is that they are not going to go over to Mount Hood Meadows; they are going to come down Highway 35 in the Snow Park?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. They are going to come down to the White River Canyon Snow Park.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) mean they have to sort of go up to get on the ridge, and then follow the ridge down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe they will come down the canyon, but on the...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All righty, you are looking at tape, a press conference held a short while ago, rescuers and police officers there talking about exactly how they are going to get those climbers down.
But we have heard those climbers that went -- can't really say they went missing on Sunday, but they fell down a shelf on Oregon's Mount Hood. They had a tracking device with them -- tracking devices -- and also a cell phone. So, the rescuers were able to track them and get a ping, as they call, on this tracking device for them. And they were also able to stay in touch with them periodically by cell phone.
But they have been found. And they will be coming down that mountain very shortly. Hopefully, the weather will oblige, and they can get down.
You are watching the CNN NEWSROOM -- more coming up right after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. Standing tall on, now and off the court. The NBA could sure use a hero just about now and LeBron James gets our vote for his new project aimed at helping kids. He'll be here live to tell us all about it. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, they are cold, they are tired. But they have finally been found. We are following breaking news from Mount Hood, Oregon. Amid blinding snow and raging winds, rescuers have finally reached three climbers who were standing on the mountain since plunging into a canyon yesterday.
Now since then, the two women and one man huddled in sleeping bags with their dog, a Labrador retriever. Now they have a long walk ahead of them. We talked just a short time ago with rescue commander officer Russell Gubele.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSSELL GUBELE, MT. WAVE SEARCH & RESCUE: Their condition is very good at this time. They were located in the area where their mountain locator units suggested that they were. And we finally got some of our rescuers down there to them. And they are fine. They are being warmed up right now and fed by our rescuers.
And they will assist in their own rescue. They are going to walk down. We've got teams coming up from below at this time to help them out. We also have a Snowcat coming up from the bottom. So they can get up the White River. Then we will have that available too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And we will keep checking in as the climbers and their rescuers make their way down that mountain. And just a short while ago, the rescuers held a press conference. And let's take a listen to that.
Apparently we are having some technical difficulties with that. We will get back to that just as soon as we can get that prepared for you. It is a rule to live by when you are climbing down a mountain. Make sure people down below know where you are. And as we mentioned, the stranded climbers on Oregon's Mount Hood do have locator devices. Without them, an already grueling search could have been a whole lot tougher.
Here's CNN's Dan Simon from Mount Hood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON (voice-over): Listen for a moment. That simple beeping sound could mean the difference between life and death.
(on camera): Have you seen a case where this has actually saved somebody's life?
ROCKY HENDERSON, VOLUNTEER RESCUER: Oh, yes, I've personally been on three missions that we've used this technology to find subjects that needed to be found.
SIMON (voice-over): Rocky Henderson is a volunteer rescuer for people trapped on Mount Hood, and a big believer in this device.
(on camera): OK. So to turn this on, all you do is just pull the cord?
HENDERSON: Just pull the cord.
SIMON (voice-over): It is called a mountain locator unit, or MLU for short. When it's turned on, it emits a sound and can be heard from 20 miles away.
(on camera): But I'm not hearing anything.
HENDERSON: You are not going to hear anything. It's not -- there are no speakers here.
SIMON (voice-over): To hear, it requires a directional antenna and a receiver.
HENDERSON: It is just like tuning your car radio, OK? And what I have here is the -- kind of the tuning of that -- various frequencies.
SIMON: The MLU was born out of tragedy right here at Mount Hood. In 1986, seven high school students and two teachers died of exposure after being hit by bad weather while climbing here. By the time rescuers got to them, it was too late. Henderson and others here at the time felt something had to be done.
HENDERSON: Through a lot of research and testing and so forth, we came up with what we call the mountain locator unit. And it's similar technology to wildlife tracking. It works, you know, the same sort of way.
SIMON (on camera): And I'm just going to hunker down here...
(voice-over): We decided to put it to the test. I positioned myself in a tree well.
(on camera): This offers pretty good protection.
(voice-over): And wait to see if Henderson and his partner can find me. A little game of hide and seek.
HENDERSON: Now we are going to go and see if we can find Dan.
SIMON: Within seconds Henderson has a read.
HENDERSON: just sweep back and forth, back and forth, listening for kind of the strongest signal.
SIMON: And finds me in about five minutes.
HENDERSON: Dan, you OK? SIMON (on camera): There you guys are. Thought you'd never come.
HENDERSON: This thing works great. We came right to you.
SIMON (voice-over): MLUs can be rented here for just $5 and are widely used on Mount Hood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was CNN's Dan Simon. And again, just a short while ago the rescuers on Mount Hood held a news conference. Let's listen in to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. NICK WATTS, CLACKAMAS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: We have found the three climbers. All three climbers are mobile. Nobody is ambulatory. We have a team from Portland Mountain Rescue up there, team one. We have two other teams in place to help them if they need any help coming down.
Right now the way the conditions are. We still have whiteout conditions up there. We have 40-mile-an-hour winds. And there is still an avalanche danger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That was rescuers on Mount Hood.
Robbery gone wrong. Police in Frederick, Maryland, say this fire at a strip mall was apparently started by a man in a liquor store, a man who had gone to rob that store and then barricaded himself inside. Now here's what Lieutenant Tom Chase told CNN's T.J. Holmes just moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. TOM CHASE, FREDERICK, MD., POLICE DEPT.: ... Frederick Police Department at about quarter of 1:00 this afternoon, the subject walked into a liquor store at the Antietam Plaza. He displayed a handgun, told the owner of the liquor store to get out.
The store owner left the business, went to an adjacent business, and contacted us. The initial responding officers who got to the scene as they were approaching this store were fired upon from inside the store by the suspect. So of course they secured the store and responding units as well did the same. And while we were negotiating with the suspect, the building was set on fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, police say everyone in the surrounding stores made it out OK. As for the gunman, no one has seen him since he went into that liquor store. Well, whenever there is trouble, they are there on the double. But doesn't anyone else have a thing to say about black issues? Ahead in the NEWSROOM, looking beyond Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
And his fans call him "King James." And he's hoping to provide them inspirations with a new Web site. NBA all-star LeBron James joins us live in the NEWSROOM with the inside scoop on a new way he's trying to inspire kids to reach higher. That's next, right here on the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hot shots at the NBA all-star game and a few verbal foul shots after a former player announces he's gay, pro basketball players making headlines. But one all-star is also trying to make a positive difference with a project he is debuting today. It is an interactive Web site launched by Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James. You hear that basketball there.
And at the age of 22, James is already one of the most accomplished players in the league breaking all kinds of records and earning millions in endorsement deals. He hopes this site will be a slam dunk with kids and teenagers and inspire them to reach higher and do more. There he is. LeBron James. "King James" as they call him, joins me live fresh from the all-star game in Las Vegas this weekend to talk about this.
Sorry you guys got your clocks cleaned. But you know, this is a good thing you are doing here.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: How was your weekend?
LEBRON JAMES, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS, NBA ALL-STAR: Oh, it was fun. You know, the opportunity to come to Las Vegas, a city that doesn't have an NBA team, but it definitely felt like they did. And they really embraced us here this weekend.
LEMON: Yes, you are in Las Vegas, but you do a lot of stuff with the community involvement. We are going to talk about that and the Web site. Now you actually have one family who you relocated to Las Vegas after Hurricane Katrina. And you've been doing a lot of that stuff.
Let's, as we talk about, tell us why you are doing this and why it's so important to you as we take a look at your Website here, LeBron.
JAMES: Well, definitely -- I'm doing this definitely for kids. And they get opportunities to see the things that I went through as a kid. And to see the accomplishments that I've had to this point. And see what the struggles that I went through to get to this point. So you know, just to try to inspire those kids that they do have a dream and that they can become what they want to be.
LEMON: Yes, why is this so important to you? I know you talk about your mother and being raised by a single mother.
JAMES: Right.
LEMON: And you talk about those issues. Is that why this is so important to you, for children?
JAMES: Well, definitely. I think every child these days should have a dream. And they should believe that their dream can become true. So I think me being a role model and some kids looking up to me, a lot of kids looking up to me should have an outlet. And they should have someone to talk to.
And I think that lebron.msn.com, a site that is definitely going to have an outlet for them to look at and explore some things that I've done and then see that a dream is possible.
LEMON: Yes. And this here, on your Web site, it says if you click on it -- it's very interesting. You can click on your mom's picture on the Web site and then your mom comes up. And you say, doing it for my mother.
And what I thought was interesting too, LeBron, is that you are doing this again, you said, because it's important for children. It's important for, I guess, people to give back. Why did you pick this medium? You know, as we go through here and we look at, you have a blog where kids with write in and talk to you about issues.
One kid wrote in and said he can't -- his parents can't afford to buy him certain things. And he asks you for advice. Why this medium?
JAMES: Right. Oh, definitely because every -- I think every kid these days -- in one shape or form as a kid when I was younger, I've been through a lot of things where I wasn't happy. But I never hung my head low. I think my -- one thing my mother did was always made sure that I was happy about something.
And sometimes I didn't understand it, but right now, as I got older, I appreciate everything that she's done for me and how she raised me.
LEMON: A lot of people are going to say that you are doing this for image. Because the NBA, you know, for the most part, many players don't have a good image. The NBA doesn't have a good image according to some. Some people are going to say you are doing this just for your image.
JAMES: No, why -- it doesn't make sense for me to do this just for image. I mean, I think most kids at the end of the day, doesn't even know what image means. So, it doesn't make sense for me to do a Web site for kids and talk about image when they don't even know what it means. I mean, I know I didn't as a kid. Knowing about guys' image on NBA or in the sports world. So that is definitely not true.
LEMON: Well, let's talk about that -- about the NBA. Because there has been a lot of controversy lately about former NBA player John Amaechi coming out of the closet. Some mixed reaction from players and also then also from the commissioner, David Stern. And then Tim Hardaway had this to say on a radio show.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
TIM HARDAWAY, FORMER NBA PLAYER: Well, you know, I hate gay people. So, you know, I let it be known. I don't like gay people. I don't like to be around gay people. I don't -- you know, yes, I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world for that -- or in the United States sports. So yes, I don't like it.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEMON: You have said that it's a matter for you, a matter of trust. Explain that.
JAMES: Definitely. I don't get involved in player's or teammate's personal lives. So whatever your personal life is, then so be it. I think, you know, at the end of the day we have a trust code in the locker room. And I would think that my teammates should trust me enough to allow me to be a part of their personal life. But at the end of the day, hey, if you can go out there and play hard for me as a teammate, I'm all for it.
LEMON: Do you think that many others in the league feel that way?
JAMES: Yes, I think so. I think so. I mean, no one is getting bad credit about what they do off the court. It's all about what you do on the court. And if you can take care of business on the court, everyone loves you.
LEMON: Yes, anything you want to say to the kids who may be watching you today, because you are launching this new Web site. Lebron.msn.com. What do you want to say to kids about this Web site and about your effort?
JAMES: Oh, wow. Definitely. All of the kids out in America, I'm very excited that you guys are going to be on our Web site. We are going to have a lot of fun. We are going to play a lot of video games. We are going to do everything that, you know, as a kid, you know, like to do. So I am looking forward to seeing you guys in the near future and talk to you soon.
LEMON: All right. LeBron James. Thank you so much. Sorry about last night though.
(LAUGHTER)
JAMES: We'll make it up. We'll make up for it.
LEMON: All right. Take it easy, thank you.
JAMES: All right, thanks.
LEMON: Well, whenever there's trouble, they are there on the double. But doesn't anyone else have anything to say about black issues? We are going to talk about that ahead in the NEWSROOM. Looking beyond Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Today we kick off a network-wide look at conflicts and controversies effecting minority in groups in this country. It's called "Uncovering America." And we're asking provocative questions about race and intolerance and its place in our lives. Today we focus on black leadership.
When it comes to African-Americans, do two famous reverends have the first, last and only words? Here's CNN's Soledad O'Brien.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A high profile police shooting. It's Reverend Al Sharpton leading the protest march down Fifth Avenue.
REV. AL SHARPTON, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: No justice!
CROWD: No peace!
SHARPTON: No justice!
CROWD: No peace!
O'BRIEN: A rally for Darfur in Washington, there's Reverend Jesse Jackson. The Godfather of Soul dies, it's both Sharpton and Jackson preaching to the crowd. It seems like they're everywhere.
(on camera): There will be people who might think watching TV that you and Jesse Jackson are the only black leaders in this country practically. Every time there is an event, a shooting, something to be said, something to respond to in the black community, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are there in front of the microphones.
SHARPTON: Well, I think that there are those that don't understand that 99 percent of the time they see me if it's a police shooting or if it's corporate discrimination or whatever it is. We are called to come, so you get tagged as the ambulance chaser. In many ways we're the ambulance. People know we'll come when the ambulance won't come.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Sometimes Sharpton and Jackson are the ones being chased. Disgraced comedian Michael Richards sought out Jesse Jackson to apologize. When presidential candidate Joe Biden calls fellow Senator Barack Obama "articulate" and "clean," guess who he called next.
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D-DE), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I spoke to Barack today.
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": I bet you did. (LAUGHTER)
BIDEN: I also spoke to Jesse and Al Sharpton.
O'BRIEN: But do Al and Jesse speak for all African-Americans? One lawmaker says if it seems that way, blame the media.
REP. MAXINE WATERS (D), CALIFORNIA: The media has identified who black leadership is. They go to the same people over and over again. They're saying to the American public, this is the person who speaks for the black community.
BRUCE GORDON, PRESIDENT & CEO, NAACP: I think the media is lazy. I think that Al and Jesse are bright, articulate, compelling personalities. They've both run for president, so they've created a presence for themselves, and the media gets lazy and simply picks them because they always have. And they don't choose to cast a wider net.
O'BRIEN: NAACP President Bruce Gordon says there are plenty of leaders in the black community, but we don't always see them or hear from them.
GORDON: There are black folks in key leadership positions that influence policy, that influence how the community is ultimately treated or affected, but nobody knows about them.
O'BRIEN: Jesse Jackson, a former presidential candidate, says he wants to talk about all kinds of issues, but he is often pigeon-holed.
REV. JESSE JACKSON, PRESIDENT, RAINBOW PUSH COALITION: Well, no one speaks for everyone. No one would ever refer to a senator as white senator from X-state says, or white president says, so why call me black leader when my blackness is self-evident. Give me the freedom. Let my voice soar and don't limit my interests, that's reasonable and fair.
O'BRIEN: The criticism doesn't bother Al Sharpton, who says he is going to keep marching whether the cameras are there or not.
(on camera): A number of people have said, Al Sharpton, you know what, I'm black, he does not represent my views. He doesn't represent a lot of black America, but if I get shot, I'm going to call him.
SHARPTON: You're fighting people. You're confronting people. That makes people uncomfortable. And you understand that going in. You are not going to win the popularity contest, and you're not even going to get your due until probably after you're gone. But if you don't do it, you're not going to open the doors that need to be opened.
Soledad O'Brien, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Well, tomorrow, the new black leaders, from a maverick mayor in one of America's most troubled cities to the man many say could be the nation's first black president. More all American stories and faces all this week on CNN's special series "Uncovering America." Start your morning off right. Join Soledad O'Brien, Miles O'Brien on "AMERICAN MORNING." It starts at 6:00 a.m. Eastern only here on CNN.
Well, this is not the normal way to finish a race. Check that out. We'll show you the rest of the final lap action from Daytona next in the NEWSROOM. You don't want to miss that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well here's how it ended last night at Daytona. Kevin Harvick roared past the finish line, beating Mark Martin by the length of a hood. That is a photo finish. Now for the storied Daytona 500, that was the closest finish in memory. And not just that, it was the wildest too. The last lap featured all-out NASCAR wreck-fest. Rubber burning, sparks flying and stock cars spinning like tops. Finishing seconds behind the top two and doing so in style, number 7, Clint Bowyer. Look at that. Bowyer skidded across the finish line upside down. Seconds later, his car burst into flames. But the driver walked away unscathed. Unbelievable.
"Sopranos" star James Gandolfini lets the good times roll, he's not the only one too. Gandolfini led the crew of Bacchus Parade last night in New Orleans. And there is more where that came from between now and the end of Fat Tuesday. News Orleans is banking on Mardi Gras tourism as it recovers from Hurricane Katrina. But a crime wave continues there. A teenage boy was shot after that Bacchus Parade.
Well, somebody is serious business in Brazil. Thousands of dancers, singers and musicians Carnival into high gear last night in Rio de Janeiro. Thirteen groups tried to impress judges at the Sambadrome in such categories as music, parade theme, and proud reaction.
Well, that is it for the CNN NEWSROOM. We'll hand it over to Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much.
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