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Al Qaeda Mission: Terror; National Security Drill; Kidnapping Suspect Still on the Loose in Florida; Eight Iraqi Police Officers Killed Near Baghdad Airport

Aired February 24, 2007 - 09:59   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And we've got breaking weather news in to the CNN Severe Weather Center. This is happening right now.
Tornado watches in effect in four states of the nation's midsection. We'll have a lot more detail on this breaking weather story. That's coming your way in just a moment.

Texas already seeing some tornado action. This was yesterday, a funnel cloud since in north Texas. The National Weather Service received reports of two twisters there, but so far no reports of damage or any injuries.

And we do want to check on those advisories and the severe weather. Reynolds Wolf has been keeping an eye on this for us.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Next in the NEWSROOM, al Qaeda fighters allegedly building bombs. The chilling new video placed on a Web site for all the world to see, but wait until you see what else is on this video.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, has this popular music genre lost its way? A hip-hop deejay says it is time to steer it back in the right direction. He is going to join us live.

HOLMES: And from the CNN Center, you are in the hip-hop NEWSROOM this morning.

Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.

NGUYEN: Turning it out today.

Good morning, everybody. I'm betty Nguyen.

Thanks for being with us.

Well, al Qaeda still has lots of fight in it. That seems to be the explicit message of a short video newly posted on the Internet. The video aims to show that al Qaeda is growing larger, bolder and deadlier. CNN cannot verify the authenticity of the minute-long video, but CNN's Anderson Cooper explains what it shows.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Crude and chilling -- you are looking at what is purportedly videotape of al Qaeda fighters building a bomb. The nails are put into the IED to create maximum destruction.

According to IntelCenter, a terrorism monitoring group, this terror tape was made by al Qaeda in Pakistan along the Afghanistan border in early 2006. U.S. intelligence officials say, al Qaeda's influence in the area is increasing, and they are teaching their deadly bomb building and suicide bombing techniques to the Taliban.

The flash point for both groups is an area known as Waziristan, a province in Pakistan. It's a haven for al Qaeda and the Taliban, a base, U.S. military officials say, to conduct cross-border raids into Afghanistan.

Pakistan says it's an ally in the war on terror, but recently signed a peace deal in Waziristan with pro-Taliban militants -- this after dozens of Pakistani soldiers and tribal elders were killed in this area. On the tape, we see what purportedly are members of al Qaeda openly conducting training exercises in Pakistan. Guns are fired and rocket-propelled grenades are launched.

Then, at night, they leave their position for what IntelCenter says is an attack on a Pakistani military outpost. First, we hear the pops of gunfire. They're followed by explosions -- then, the apparent aftermath. We see what appears to be the bodies of Pakistani soldiers, as al Qaeda fighters take weapons and ammunition.

The tape ends with al Qaeda setting fire to the outpost -- the flames and the bodies a bloody testament to al Qaeda's growing strength.

Anderson Cooper, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Meanwhile, Vice President Dick Cheney is talking tough on Iran today, Cheney, nearing the end of a trip to Australia, says Iran must not deal out (ph) to pursue a nuclear weapon. And while suggesting the U.S. will begin with a carrot approach toward Iran, the stick not too far away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But I've also made the point and the president's made the point that all options are still on the table. We believe it would be a serious mistake if a nation such as Iran were to become a nuclear power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Iran maintains it wants nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

Meanwhile, violence in Iraq of course a daily reality, especially the infamous IEDs -- you know, the improvised explosive devices. Well, imagine those same bombs going off in the U.S. The White House is imagining that today with a national security drill.

CNN White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano joins us now live with more on this.

Good morning to you, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, T.J.

That's right. Well, this morning, behind closed doors, members of the president's homeland security team are meeting to discuss how they would respond if, in fact, terrorists did try to use IEDs, improvised explosive devices, here in the United States.

Now, the White House is strongly emphasizing this is a fictional scenario only and not based on any threats to the United States. The government, in fact, calls this a tabletop exercise, and it's being led by the president's homeland security adviser, Fran Townsend. Also taking part, officials from a number of agencies, including the FBI, the Justice Department, and the Pentagon.

Now, this is the fourth time in a little over a year that the Bush administration has held a drill like this. Other exercises have focused on a pandemic flu outbreak, hurricanes, and a smallpox outbreak.

And T.J., we don't expect any pictures or even a real readout on what took place in this exercise. And President Bush himself is not taking place -- taking part, rather, in this drill. The bottom line here, T.J., the White House doesn't want to panic people, but certainly they want to assure that government officials are prepared just in case -- T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Our Elaine Quijano for us from the White House.

Thank you so much, Elaine.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And a tornado watch continues until 4:00 for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, even into Arkansas, as well as Louisiana. We'll give you the very latest in just a few moments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some guy just pulls up in a red truck and tells the kid to get into the truck or else he's going to shoot. He pulls out a gun, the kid gets in the truck, and they take off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Also coming up, a kidnapper remains on the loose this morning. Get your pencils ready, because we're going to show you how you can help bring him in.

(MUSIC) HOLMES: Yes, some call it the demise of hip-hop. Gratuitous sex, violence, that was never the plan. We'll hear from a deejay. We'll put that negativity on ice.

Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: The hunt is on for a suspected child abductor in Florida. There is some relief at least this morning, a lot of relief, that the 13-year-old boy managed to escape, but there's a lingering fear because a dangerous man still on the loose.

Peter Bernard of CNN affiliate WFLA has this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER BERNARD, REPORTER, WFLA (voice over): Five hours after being abducted at gunpoint from his school bus stop, a Manatee sheriff deputy gave a relieved looking Clay Moore a ride back to civilization and the people who care for him. Deputies say a man who looks like this is responsible for this crime. They say he's likely from the area, judging from the remote location where he took Clay.

DAVID BRISTOW, MANATEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: When he took the child, Clay, out to the remote area, it appeared he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew the area.

BERNARD: While deputies won't confirm it, Clay's aunt tells our coverage partners at the "Sarasota Herald-Tribune" his abductor used Duct tape and some of Clay's own clothes to tie him to a tree by his feet and hands. The aunt says the man stuck Clay's sock in his mouth. She says her nephew used a safety pin to work the binds loose, then walked some distance to flag down a farmer for help.

Students at the bus stop who saw the armed abduction say they ran behind a house to hide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some guy just pulls up in a red truck and tells the kid to get in the truck or else he's going to shoot. He pulls out a gun, and the kid gets in the truck, and they take off.

ALEXIS JAFFAL, WITNESS: He told him to get in the car and he had a gun in his hand. And then he wouldn't get in the car. So they were like -- Clay looked like he was ready to cry.

BERNARD: At a quickly-setup command post, clay's frantic parents waited on every development, fearing they would hear the worst. But around 1:30 in the afternoon, Sheriff Charlie Wells told everyone...

SHERIFF CHARLIE WELLS, MANATEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Well, we've got good news. Clay Moore is OK. And he's with my deputies right now out in East County.

BERNARD: After a checkout at Manatee Memorial, Clay returned to his Kingsfield Estates home. His family asked the media to let them be for now.

BRISTOW: They've been through by far the most traumatic day they've ever been through, and hopefully will ever go through.

BERNARD: Looking athoed Monday, if the attacker isn't caught, residents will see more activity around this area.

MAJ. CHUCK HAGAMAN, MANATEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: And we're going to beef up patrol and have more patrol units out roaming the areas of the bus stops in the hours the kids go to school.

BERNARD: Because cases like this so many times end in tragedy, everyone is relieved this one didn't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we're all feeling very happy that this child is sleeping in his own bed tonight and that he's safe and that he's unharmed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And Dave Bristow of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office joins us now on the phone with the latest on this.

Sir, thank you for giving us a minute. We know you are relieved and happy to have the 13-year-old back. He's safe, that's great. But you know you've got a dangerous guy running around out there somewhere.

What kind of information, leads are you getting? Are you getting closer to this guy? And what are you doing for this search?

BRISTOW: Well, we continue to search for the suspect. The leads have slowed down a little bit overnight and this morning. We're hoping they pick back up as people get up and hopefully read about this in the paper, see it on television this morning. We're hoping that generates some more leads. But right now we're still just searching the Manatee County area and surrounding counties.

HOLMES: Well, sir, you have any reason to believe that this guy could have been a guy just going through the area, and could have just been passing through, or do you have reason to believe he's maybe a local guy and he's running around your area somewhere?

BRISTOW: We think he is local based on what he did after he took Clay. He went to an area that not too many people would really know about, a very rural area on a big ranch and seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go.

HOLMES: Do you have anything, any cases in the past, anything similar to this, think this is not the first time this guy may have done this? You often hear people say it's usually not the first time. But do you have any similar cases to this you're looking into?

BRISTOW: Well, you know, there's been a lot of rumors, a lot of people talking that they've spotted this truck in the last couple of weeks, but none of those reports were given to us. So we're hearing all of this now.

And that happens a lot when you have an incident like that. People tend to step forward and say, oh, yeah, I think I saw that truck a couple of weeks ago. But we don't have anything documented.

HOLMES: All right. And, sir, what would you like people to do? We got you here. We would certainly like to get the word out. But if folks think they know anything, or recognize that sketch at all, what can they do?

BRISTOW: Well, they need to take a good look at that sketch. And also we think the suspect vehicle is still, you know, an almost important link to catching that guy.

And again, it's an older model dark red metallic pickup truck, possibly with four doors. In other words, an extended cab. We're pretty sure that's the case.

Also, it has a blue cloth seats and a faded yellow or white pin stripe. Those are pretty good identifying factors. And, you know, we've stopped a lot of red pickup trucks since yesterday, but so far we haven't hit pay dirt.

HOLMES: And sir, finally here, can you tell me, what do you think his intentions may have been by grabbing the 13-year-old? He was left bound somewhere. Do you have any idea what his intentions toward that boy might have been? And finally, can you also give us a phone number for people listening in and want to give you a call?

BRISTOW: Yes, that's the million-dollar question, what the motivation was here. And we're not sure what the motivation was.

We just know that this is an extremely fortunate young man. Unfortunate, of course, that this happened to him, fortunate that he was able to get away, because who knows what would have happened if, in fact, the suspect would have returned to where Clay was tied up.

And anyone with information can call the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. We have a special tips line set up. It's 941-747-3011. And then once you get through, you just hit 3596 -- 3596, and that will get you through.

Or we've got an 800 Crime Stoppers line where you can remain anonymous, and if, in fact, we catch up with this guy, you can also earn yourself a little money. And that's 866-634-TIPP. 866-634-TIPS.

HOLMES: All right.

Well, Dave Bristow of the sheriff's department, Manatee County Sheriff's Department.

Sir, we're writing those numbers down and we're going to get them back up for our viewers. But good luck to your community there. And certainly good luck to you all in trying to catch this guy you're after.

Thank you so much.

BRISTOW: Thank you.

REYNOLDS: And a tornado watch continues for parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana until 4:00. Take a look at this video that we have from Kansas showing you already some tornadoes and funnel clouds popping up there.

It's going to be a busy, busy afternoon and evening, no question about it. And for the very latest in weather information, keep it here on CNN.

NGUYEN: Also ahead, that voice -- the incredible journey of an Oscar nominee who was once told she just wasn't good enough to make it. Guess she told them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Tornado watches in four states right now to tell you about, and a scary moment Friday for many in McLean, Texas. This funnel cloud that you see right there in the middle of the screen coming through the north Texas town on the front edge of a severe weather system.

High wind advisories in place right now. And the National Weather Service received reports of a few tornadoes in Texas and Kansas on Friday.

HOLMES: We now head to Nebraska, where residents got a short break in the ice and snow in favor of heavy rains, actually. You can see it's ice from the frozen river being swept along by the floodwaters.

Evacuations a possibility today. Parts of the state also on alert for a possible blizzard.

NGUYEN: And these new pictures making news today, just coming in to us. You can see the storm in the background. Severe thunderstorms, to be exact, and a lot of large hail in Gray County, Kansas.

Listen to that, part of the hail coming down. There are also reports of a possible tornado in the area.

HOLMES: Yes. Our Reynolds Wolf keeping an eye on all this stuff for the past little bit for us.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Well, hip-hop music -- fresh, edgy, or just out of control?

(MUSIC)

HOLMES: Yes. Next in the NEWSROOM, we've got a hip-hop deejay here who says the music genre might still make you bob your head, but maybe it's lost its way.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN PIPELINE ANCHOR: And with that in mind, what do you think, is hip-hop art or poison? You be the judge.

Cast your ballot in our "Quick Vote." Log on to cnn.com/paulazahn, and I will have the results for you next. That's from the .com/DESK.

HOLMES: Thank you, Veronica.

But first, in this morning's "On the Go," a huge money-saving tip for anyone who rents a car. It's a suggestion that could keep you from being taken for a ride.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM PARSONS, BESTFARES.COM: The number one definitely don't do if you have an empty tank, is bring it back to the car rental place and say, "You fill it up." When I was on a recent trip in to Florida, it was $6.99 a gallon to refuel.

In my case, by filling up the gas tank -- and it was pretty empty -- it was $35, $40. If they had done it, it would have been over $140. This is where it's truly highway robbery.

It's the way the car rental companies take advantage of you. And the policy I take every time is, when I leave the airport, I'll mark down the first exit where I see a group of gas stations, because there's usually never a gas station anywhere near the air airport. And then I'll come back, and there is where I'll just pull over, make sure it's filled up.

In my opinion right now, it's best that you fill up the car. Don't ever bring that car back empty unless you'd like to refinance your home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, we've got news now from Iraq that's just coming in to CNN. Eight Iraqi police officers have been killed. They were killed when heavily armed insurgents ambushed their checkpoint near the Baghdad airport. What we understand happened here is that the gunmen were in two vehicles, anywhere between eight to 10 gunmen, actually hopped out of one of the lead vehicles and started firing with assault rifles and throwing hand grenades at the policemen at this checkpoint. U.S. forces had to actually be called in to help the Iraqi police. Air support was also called in.

To give you a better idea where this is, on a road that's about around two miles south of the Baghdad airport. This happened at noon local time there in Baghdad. But again, eight to 10 gunmen hopped out, started attacking this checkpoint and now eight Iraqi police officers have been killed. Another two were wounded. Also report is that at least two militants were also killed in this. I believe that possibly a second vehicle that was with these insurgents or was with these militants was actually -- could have been a suicide car bomb, but this is the situation we're keeping an eye on in Iraq. We'll continue to follow it, bring you the details as we get them.

Also in the news now we got breaking weather news in the Midwest. Tornado watches issued in parts of four states. This follows the sighting of a couple of funnel clouds in north Texas yesterday. Also heavy snow and rain is expected in other parts of the Midwest. Our meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is going to be along here shortly to take us through some of those trouble spots. He's going to be here in about 15 minutes.

Also al Qaeda posts what it calls a new training video on the Internet. The terror group apparently wants to show that its fighters are more sophisticated and better trained than ever. CNN however cannot independently verify the authenticity of the material.

Vice President Dick Cheney putting Iran on notice during a news conference today in Australia. Cheney said the U.S. is keeping all the options on the table to prevent Iran from continuing to enrich uranium. Iran maintains it wants nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

Also a Florida manhunt going on right now. A Manatee County sheriff's official told us just minutes ago that the search is intense rather and widespread in a county just south of Tampa Bay. A man wielding a gun abducted 13-year old Clay Moore from a school bus stop on Friday. The teenager was driven to a remote area. He was left bound, but he was able to free himself and able to go for help.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: When hip-hop first came on the screen it was fresh, it was edgy. It gave a voice to a whole new generation. Thirty years later its influence continues to grow. But it's the image that's getting a bad rap. CNN's Paula Zahn explores hip hop, art or poison?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA ZAHN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thirty years and counting. Hip-hop with its hard driving beat, rhythmic in your face lyrics and street-wise attitude launched a look, an industry and gave voice to people who didn't have one.

DANYEL SMITH, VIBE MAGAZINE, EDITOR & CHIEF: There's this idea that finally in rap music, we have the microphone and we can speak.

MARY J. BLIGE, SINGER: The freedom to actually show people what it is that you've come from, how you've come through it and if you're still in it, to share with people what you're living.

REV. AL SHARPTON, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: Hip Hop started with saying fight the power and you're going to deal with our real kind of defiant kind of urban street self-identity, self-definition.

ZAHN: It started in the '70s, New York south Bronx and exposed what life was really like on the streets. In the '80s, artists like Run DMC, the Beastie Boys and LL Cool Jay exploded onto the music scene and soon crossed over on to the pop charts. In the '90s, Tupac Shakur, Notorious BIG and JZ (ph) helped hip hop go mainstream.

Hip hop's impact is undeniable, infiltrating not just music but pop culture. It's a multibillion dollar industry accounting for one of every five records sold in America. Eighty percent of buyers are white. And Latino and white hip-hop artists have consistently topped the charts.

EVE, RAPPER: It was a fad when it first started, and here we are, it's winning Grammys and winning American music awards alongside country music stars. That to me is the most amazing thing.

ZAHN: Hip hop today encompasses many styles, party rap, gospel rap, socially conscious rap, but the most explicit music is often what sells the best and that's what gives hip-hop a bad rap. Some critics call it violent, materialistic and exploitive of women. Others worry that it's lost its socially conscious message.

GRANDMASTER CAZ, RAP PIONEER DJ: All these guys were out talking black nationalism and then here comes gangster rap where we're shooting and talking about liquor and drugs and this and that and the whole black movement went out the window.

BYRON HURT, FILMAKER: I'm concerned about the direction of it.

ZAHN: Byron Hurt grew up in the hip-hop generation and his new documentary critiques the music he loves, especially its depiction of women.

HURT: What you're seeing mostly, though, is you're seeing repetitive images of women as boy toys, as sex kittens, as sex objects, and I think that's a problem.

ZAHN: But hip hop mogul Russell Simmons maintains that rap simply mirrors the problems in the real world.

RUSSELL SIMMONS: We're a violent and over-sexed country. That's all sad truth, you know. That was our reflection sometimes, a reflection of our sad truths.

ZAHN: In spite of that, some hip-hop artists are trying to send a positive message with their music.

SMITH: It's right up there with jazz. It's right up there with so many other great things that African-Americans have contributed to American culture. I say again, hip hop is not a perfect art form, but I don't know what it is.

ZAHN: The battle for the soul of hip-hop isn't over. It's an evolving genre with a remarkable history and unpredictable future.

ICE-T: When I got off into it I was like this is the new music where I can say whatever I like on the mike? This is (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is very damaging and it's gone to a serious extreme. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The wrong black people seized the microphone. That's the problem with hip-hop. The people who have neglected now have spoken back to us and we don't like what we hear.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: So is that the problem? Let's talk more about the state of hip-hop with Cory Condrey, a deejay on hot 107.9 here in Atlanta and a founder of a nationally syndicated radio show, the spirit of hip-hop. He is with us this morning. Thanks for being with us.

CORY CONDREY, FOUNDER, THE SPIRIT OF HIP HOP: Thanks for having me.

NGUYEN: You know what I find is really fascinating about you is you've take a stand. You've done it personally. You left the number one show to be on this new show. Tell me why.

CONDREY: It needed a change. It got to the point where I wasn't really agreeing with all the things I was doing.

NGUYEN: And that's hard because it's your job to play the music.

CONDREY: Sure. What happens is the deejay actually has to play what the program director says play. It got to point I was sitting back like should I keep playing this music? Should I keep doing it? I'm not saying that all hip-hop is bad. I watched the segment. Is it art? Is it poison? All hip hop isn't bad. Not all.

NGUYEN: But do you think some of the blame should not only rest on the artist, but also the producers, the execs that are pushing this music?

CONDREY: I think it's different places where it starts. It starts, one with the record execs. Then it goes to the community. If the community continues to embrace and support it, they're going to continue to dish it out. It's all about the dollar.

NGUYEN: How does your show differ from that number one rated show that was playing the music that we all hear all the time?

CONDREY: (INAUDIBLE) You still have the hip-hop field. You still have the hip-hop beat. You still have a person like a Ludicriss that will come on the show. He did a record that's called "Freedom to Preach." (INAUDIBLE) on that record and I believe that -- what makes our show so different is that we walk with the hip hop. We love one and we meet them where they are. One thing about hip hop --

NGUYEN: What do you mean by that, you walk with them?

CONDREY: We walk with them. We accept them for who they are, where they are and we just meet them right there.

NGUYEN: Do you try to change them, try to change those lyrics?

CONDREY: I don't try to change them. NGUYEN: ... message.

CONDREY: (INAUDIBLE)

NGUYEN: OK, so how does that make you feel because you go from such a great show to doing this. Do you feel like you're a better person? Do you get more out of your job now than say you did back then?

CONDREY: Sure. I don't go to work. I go to life and I think a lot of times, people get up in the morning and they go to work. I got to live. To see a soul get saved is like the greatest thing. Salvation is the biggest miracle that can ever take place. When you can sit back, radio is designed for the community. It was always designed for the people, for the community. And when you can sit back and take what we're doing with the spirit of hip-hop and go into the community and embrace the community, then the hip hop generation can change it.

NGUYEN: Should more deejays take on this responsibility do you think?

CONDREY: Absolutely. I believe what has happened with hip hop is hip-hop doesn't have father figures. It's a lot of people that have grown up in hip hop and they don't have dads in their life. So what happens is you have now a hip-hop generation raising that little girl, that little boy right now. And so what happens is when hip-hop is raising up and then you see the videos, you said that's it. That's what I'm supposed to be. How can you tell a man to be a man of God when there's no man in the house?

NGUYEN: And so what kind of reaction are you getting?

CONDREY: It's wonderful.

NGUYEN: As it goes for listeners, do you feel that you're reaching out to many more now? I mean are they coming on board?

CONDREY: Absolutely. When I left -- I used to do that. Let's go on the record for the people that's tuning in. I used to be that guy. I used to host the biggest parties with the TI's (ph), the Little Johns, the jocks.

NGUYEN: Living the life.

CONDREY: Absolutely. And I'm a living testimony that you can change. But you got to want to change. You can't just talk about it.

NGUYEN: Right.

CONDREY: You've got to do it.

NGUYEN: And with that change comes success because you're a syndicated show.

CONDREY: Absolutely. NGUYEN: And just the glory of all that. Thanks for being with us and sharing that story. I appreciate it, Cory.

CONDREY: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Best of luck to you. What a great story. We've got so much to tell you about coming up including cnn.com.

HOLMES: Yes. This issue, we've been talking about here, is going to continue online as well. Our Veronica de la Cruz joins us now from the dot com desk. Hello again Veronica.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: Hello to you TJ. I'm going to cover the hip hop debate in just a second. In the meantime, it is day 24 of black history month and in honor of the occasion, we've been asking our viewers to send in your i-Reports on what being black in America means to you. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA BILLINGS, OAK PARK, ILLINOIS: For me being black in America is the best of times and the worst of times. Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful woman in the world. My Senator Barack Obama may be president in 2009. But at the same time, a majority of our children are born out of wedlock. Many of our children and their mothers live in poverty. So being black in America is being joyful and angry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DE LA CRUZ: That was Angela Billings, one of our I-reporters from Oak Park, Illinois. She's sharing her thoughts on being black in America today. Take a look at this. We've been asking you what (INAUDIBLE) also looks like in your area. This photo sent into us by Kenisha Curtis, going to show you that. There we go. This is a Martin Luther King celebration on MLK Drive in Greensboro, North Carolina. That sent into us by Kenisha Curtis.

Our special report can be found at cnn.com/roadtoequality. There you'll find commentary by the dean of civil rights, Joseph Lowry (ph). You'll also see how the experts rate the U.S. in equality. And coming in this week on pipeline I'll be interviewing former Secretary of Defense William Cohen and his wife Janet Layheart (ph), authors of "Love in Black and White." You'll find that next Wednesday in the 1:00 Eastern hour on pipeline.

Now getting you back to our quick vote of hip hop, is it art or poison, well right now about 52 percent are saying it is art, 48 are saying it is poison. So it's pretty much split right down the middle. More than 10,000 people have cast their votes in our unscientific poll and you can cast yours at cnn.com/paulazahn. TJ, back to you.

HOLMES: All right. Thank you so much. That's hip-hop. We'll continue our special coverage tonight at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific. From DJ, rappers themselves, CNN's MC Rick Sanchez looks at the trouble with hip-hop. You want to stick around for that. NGUYEN: A different kind of music and boy what a sweet song it is. Next an Oscar nomination for her first acting roll. Who needs Cinderella and Snow White when you have Jennifer Hudson? The Hollywood gold rush, next in the NEWSROOM.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And a tornado watch continues for parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma until 4:00 Central time. We'll give you the very latest coming up in a few moments right here on CNN.

HOLMES: Plus a three-year-old girl step office a school bus and dashes into a busy street. We will show you what happened next. That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOLF: I'm Reynolds Wolf at the CNN weather center to give you the very latest weather information on this unfolding situation. It's becoming an explosive situation, in fact. Here's the latest that we have for you. It's a tornado watch that is in effect for parts of Arkansas, into Louisiana, Texas, even into Oklahoma. It will be in effect until about 4:00 this afternoon but I would not be surprised at all to have the storm prediction center post more of these farther to the east as the storm system rolls eastward.

Something else to mention about this particular watch is that the storm prediction center considers this to be a particularly dangerous situation. They always do that with many of these tornado watches that come out. Of course, every tornado is particularly dangerous, but in this situation, they're expecting some of the tornadoes that could and may form to be the strong variety. We're talking about F-3, F-4, potentially even an F-5 tornado could be spawned from this system as it comes on through. But take tornados out of the mix altogether. If you were to take those out of the mix, this is still dangerous because we're looking at potential of the winds, very high winds up to 80 miles an hour.

OK, let's say you take the tornadoes and the winds out. You still have the potential for large hail, anywhere from one to two inches in diameter. And then even if you take were to take the hail out, you have the potential for flash flooding because many places like Little Rock, Arkansas, have been inundated with heavy rainfall. They'll get more as the (INAUDIBLE) for the rest of the day, afternoon and evening. You're going to have some flash flooding in low-lying areas. So this is going to be a big mess and something you're going to want to stay on top of. We certainly will throughout the day and into the afternoon, through the rest of the weekend.

(INAUDIBLE) right now certainly (INAUDIBLE) some strong storms farther to the north. In St. Louis you've had some rain. You're going to get a little bit of a break. But farther back out to the southwest, another round is going to come through. And up in the twin cities, forget about rain. We're talking about snow. Some of it will be very heavy, possibly up to a foot of snowfall as we make our way through the weekend and into early next week. Let's send it to you at the news desk. NGUYEN: She's been the bell of the ball for the majority of the awards season and now Jennifer Hudson looks like the favorite to add Oscar to her trophy case. It wasn't always easy for the Academy Award nominee. CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIBILIA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It would appear they do. And for Jennifer Hudson, what a journey it's been.

JENNIFER HUDSON, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS NOMINEE: When I was 19 years old, I cruised the seas working for Disney. When I was 21 I was on "American Idol," the number one TV show and I toured with the idols at 22, 23, 24 I was filming "Dream Girls". What am I 25 now? I'm a Golden Globe winner and now I have a record deal.

VARGAS: Long before "Dream Girls" made here a household name, seven-year old Jennifer Hudson got her start here, singing at (INAUDIBLE) missionary Baptist church in Chicago. Back then, the Oscar-nominated songbird was hardly the star attraction.

HUDSON: They never wanted to give me a chance I guess because I was so young. They didn't think I could do it. Eventually it went from no, you can't have a solo to now I can't walk in a church without singing.

VARGAS: Hudson grew up in Chicago's rough Inglewood (ph) area where she attended the same school as music greats Lou Rawls and the Staple sisters.

HUDSON: And that's one of the things that inspired me growing up as a kid, knowing that I could be in the presence of so that much must mean I can achieve it.

VARGAS: But not without tremendous difficulty. Including a very painful, very public seventh place dismissal from "American Idol."

SIMON COWL (ph): Let me sum this up for you. I think you're out of your depth in this competition.

HUDSON: Once again even at the Idol, there was absolutely nothing. It was like, God, what is next. What do I do?

VARGAS: Then came the call that would change Hudson's life forever. With no acting experience, Hudson beat out 780 actors for the part of Eppi (ph) White. The role has earned her a near sweep of this year's acting awards and catapulted her to stardom. Now strolling through the Roosevelt Hotel where they handed out the first Oscars, the once defeated dream girl is now on top, poised to take Hollywood's biggest prize.

HUDSON: I'm just a normal girl, just like the girl next door. I had a dream and went after it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, now, we'll move on to this actor.

NGUYEN: Who's that?

HOLMES: He's never got an Oscar. That is, you may recognize just barely, Ben Stiller.

NGUYEN: Oh, OK. What is he wearing?

HOLMES: He's got no Oscar. He's got no fashion sense but now he has at least what's been called a hasting pudding award to fall back on. The Harvard drama group honors people with this for their body of work and they honored Stiller.

NGUYEN: And quite a body of work that is.

HOLMES: And he's been honored for Zoolander, who doesn't love Zoolander, mystery man and of course, that thrilling remake "Starsky and Hutch."

NGUYEN: It's in my DVD collection, I'll tell you that right now.

HOLMES: I gave it to you for Christmas. I'm glad you held onto it.

NGUYEN: On a serious note, the child is quicker than the eye. We're going to show you how. But the bus driver even quicker, thank goodness.

HOLMES: Don't blink here. You've got to see this incredible save. That is next in the water cooler.

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NGUYEN: All right. Call everyone to the TV because we have some new video that you don't want to miss.

HOLMES: Yes. Brace yourself for the water cooler.

NGUYEN: Heart-stopping surveillance video you must see. Check it out very closely, every parents' worst nightmare. A small child cheerfully gets off the bus ahead of her mother and then, walks into traffic.

HOLMES: In a flash though, the driver reacted. Chris Lesley (ph) bolts out of his seat. He reaches the three-year-old just as a truck slams on its brakes. Springfield, Missouri honored the driver for his speedy (INAUDIBLE)

NGUYEN: Take a look at this. Right there on the right. That is Israel's defense minister. Watch him put up the binoculars. Something's wrong here. His host on the left showing him military maneuvers in the distance, but he apparently can't see them for a good reason.

HOLMES: The defense minister looked through the binoculars three times. He nodded his head as if he understood what he was seeing, but as you can see, the lens cap still on the binoculars.

NGUYEN: He didn't see a thing. Well, it's been one of the most intriguing mysteries of our time and now, new video to tell you about.

HOLMES: The assassination of President John F. Kennedy. We got some new video that has actually surfaced coming up next in the 11:00 Eastern hour. The burning question, does it offer any new information about that date in November? Stay here. We'll be right back.

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