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Minister's Wife Trial; Green Zone Bombing; Murder In New Orleans; Gerri's Top Tips; Supporting Insurgents?; Activists Want Don Imus Fired; Longevity Hot Spots

Aired April 12, 2007 - 10:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The suspect, his wife. Mary Winkler goes on trial this hour. The murder shocking a rural Tennessee community.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Civil rights leaders pressing CBS to fire radio talk man Don Imus. Racially charged comments already ending TV's simulcast on NBC cable.

HARRIS: An apparent suicide bomber getting through one of the world's tightest security rings? A cafeteria in Iraq's parliament building, a scene of lunchtime carnage.

It is Thursday, April 12th. And you are in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Straight to our top story now this hour. She was a teacher, a minister's wife, a mother of three. Now Mary Winkler is on trial for first degree murder. Lawmakers make their opening statements this morning and our Thomas Roberts is following the developments in the small town of Selmer, Tennessee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Mary Winkler seemed to have it all, a loving husband, three adorable young daughters, a job as a substitute teacher and a house on a hill provided by the church where her husband, Matthew, was a minister.

BILL SMITH, FAMILY FRIEND: I don't know of a couple who, from the very start of the relationship, loved each other more. And after 10 years of marriage, loved each other more. More excited about their life. More excited about their future.

ROBERTS: But that future changed for the Winkler's last March when by her own admission Mary killed her husband with the family shotgun.

CHIEF ROGER RICKMAN, SELMER POLICE: Mary Winkler has confessed to the murder of her husband, Matthew Winkler, shooting him in March 22, 2006, leaving Selmer with their three daughters.

ROBERTS: The case is ready to go to trial and a jury of Mary's piers has been seated. Their job, determine why Mary shot her husband in the back and how should she be punished, if at all. Winkler's defense attorneys say they will take a multilayered approach to her defense. Winkler's family says Matthew Winkler was verbally and possibly physically abusive to his spouse, which led her to snap. But family friends say if that was happening, it was well hidden.

PAM KELLINGSWORTH, FAMILY FRIEND: Never saw any signs of domestic abuse. Mary never -- she never said anything. And as much as I was with if children, nothing was ever said. There were no actions. Usually they'll be tell tale signs.

ROBERTS: The secrets of the Winkler's seemingly perfect marriage will play out in her first degree murder trial that the lawyers say will last about five days.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Thomas Roberts joining us now live from right outside that courthouse.

Thomas, I'm wondering if the attorneys have given any indication as to how they plan on defending Mary Winkler.

ROBERTS: They prefer (ph) to, Heidi, in their opening remarks. Up until now, they're really playing with their cards close to the vest and not giving too much information out to the media, except to say that we'll understand more when the case gets underway. And we're just moments away from those opening statements right now.

I did have a chance to catch up with a couple of the attorneys on the way in the door, but they were really tight lipped about how they want to go forward with this. But just saying that some assumptions will be broken.

COLLINS: Well, what about, Thomas, the sympathy that she might be getting from the community? I mean, is it obvious that there is some support there, or not so much?

ROBERTS: There really is support here in the community for Mary Winkler. There have been church members that have been here every day that have been in court. Many people here have also spoken about the forgiveness that the community has shown to this woman.

You know, Heidi, when she was in jail, behind bars, and some of the church women came to visit her, Mary asked them to relay a message to the congregation of how sorry she was, asking for their forgiveness.

The family also of Matthew Winkler, sitting just two rows behind the prosecution. And it's not what I would imagine to have seen from a family that's coming in where they've lost a family member in such a way. They're not crying. They seem very composed. And they seem as if they're showing compassion toward Mary Winkler.

COLLINS: All right. Thomas Roberts will be following the story for us there from Tennessee.

Thomas, thank you.

HARRIS: A suicide bomber infiltrates Baghdad's heavily-fortified green zone, detonating in Iraq's parliament building. Lawmakers are among the casualties. Live now to CNN's Kyra Phillips in the capital.

Kyra, good to see you.

I suspect we will be asking this next question often today. How does someone infiltrate one of the most heavily-guarded locations in Iraq?

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think that's what we're all asking, Tony. That's what everybody's scratching their heads trying to figure out. And very rarely can we bring you close to the scene like this because of security reasons. But right above my shoulder here is where the convention center is, in the fortified green zone, where the Iraqi parliament meets during the sessions.

And this is what we know right now. We've been able to confirm, as you said, it's a suicide bomber that somehow made his way into that fortified green zone. I mean we're talking about an area that has blast walls and barbed wire and armed guards and checkpoints. So for someone to be able to get through like that is truly amazing.

Now, a number of different checkpoints with a number of different authorities guarding those checkpoints. I mean you have some with U.S. troops, you have some with Iraqi armies, some with Iraqi police, some with private security. It just depends on which way you go through and what checkpoints you're going through at what time. But I can tell you that members of parliament go through about six checkpoints before they finally make their way inside the convention center.

Now the explosion went off in the cafeteria. That's right next to where the parliament meets. They had just finished the session. They had gone in there and that's when the explosion took place.

We confirmed two deaths, a Shiite lawmaker and a Sunni lawmaker. About 20 injuries at this point. That coming to me just a few minutes ago from a military source inside the green zone. All the entrance points have been blocked off. Nobody can get in and out of the green zone right now. And because of the interest in this suicide bomber, how this happened, how he was able to get in there -- or her. It could be either a male or a female -- each one of the members of parliament have been detained for questioning right now because they don't know if somehow this was an inside job or how this individual infiltrated the parliament, was able to get into that area where they eat, know what time they were going to be there, and explode.

Now, Tony, this is the first time this has ever happened. It's unprecedented. However, the concern about security in the Green Zone has been an ongoing problem for months now. There have been mortar attacks weekly. You'll remember the one mortar attack when the U.N. secretary-general was speaking with the prime minister and how it shook the building. That happened right there in the same building where this suicide bomber exploded. And then just two weeks ago, Tony, two suicide vests were found inside the Green Zone. Now we're seeing an actual suicide bomb.

HARRIS: CNN's Kyra Phillips for us in Baghdad. Kyra, as always, thank you.

COLLINS: Want to get ahead and get some information out to you now that we are just learning here at CNN. Apparently a U.S. citizen, a man by the name of Christopher Paul (ph), he is 43-year-old of Columbus, Ohio, is now being charged with joining al Qaeda and conspiring to bomb a tourist resort where it was known that Americans would go and visit, both in Europe and U.S. government facilities and military bases. Federal indictment issued today.

Here's what the charges are. This man is charged with providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy to provide support to terrorists and conspiracy to use a weapons of mass destruction. He is accused of traveling to Germany back in April 1999 to train co- conspirators and use explosives to attack these European and American targets.

So we are watching this story for you. Apparently there will be a press conference coming up next hour on Christopher Paul. And we will bring you that information should we learn any more when it comes our way.

HARRIS: And the hits keep coming for radio shock jock Don Imus. The latest, MSNBC pulling the plug on its simulcast of his morning radio show for his racially charged remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team. Imus responded this morning during his annual on-air clarity fund-raiser.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON IMUS, "IMUS IN THE MORNING": As you all know, MSNBC yielding to enormous pressure, which I do understand, canceled the simulcast of this program and so we move on. Somebody was talking to me about the outrageous level of hypocrisy among everybody who knows better. And I said, well, you know, I shouldn't have said it. And then somebody else said, well, you got caught in a slow news cycle. And I said, sometimes it doesn't snow on Christmas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: CBS Radio has suspended Imus for two weeks starting on Monday. Civil rights leaders say he should be dismissed permanently.

COLLINS: Rough landings at two midwestern airports. In Traverse City, Michigan, a jet overruns the runway. The plane took a long skid in very snowy weather. It finally came to rest about 300 feet beyond the end of the runway. The airport says none of the 53 passengers and crew members were hurt. The accident, though, is under investigation, but appears that the landing gear just collapsed.

And in Wheeling, Illinois, look at this, a similar incident involving a private plane. Five people aboard. The FAA says it has received no reports of injuries and no word on what caused this incident. But as we look at the snowy pictures, I'm thinking it probably has a lot to do with trying to bring an aircraft in.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

Chad Myers, most folks are ready for this snow -- get it out of here. Heidi Collins, our Heidi sees this as an opportunity . . .

COLLINS: I got the moon.

HARRIS: And (INAUDIBLE) to do. Yes.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And you're still here.

COLLINS: Yes, I know. This show goes till noon, they tell me.

MYERS: You don't -- you look pale. You can leave now.

COLLINS: I know, I'm not feeling to good.

HARRIS: There you go. Plans are being made.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: The Duke lacrosse case, all charges dropped against three former players. The bombshell 13 months after the men were first accused of sexually assaulting a stripper. North Carolina's attorney general says an investigation showed no evidence that an attack ever occurred. Roy Cooper says the players were victims of a "tragic rush to accuse." That focuses scrutiny on the local prosecutor who first filed the charges. The state attorney general blasted Mike Nifong as a rogue prosecutor. Nifong faces ethic charges and could be disbarred.

COLLINS: A happy couple. Their union shattered by gunfire. Now the husband and police want to know why. Murder in New Orleans. An exclusive CNN report coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Also, in the field and on the home front. Soldiers and their families dig in for a longer stay in the war zone.

COLLINS: And globe trotting to find the fountain of youth. Researchers head to blue zones to unlock the secret to a long and healthy life. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And good morning, again, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

Her husband, the preacher, shot in the back. Prosecutors say the wife pulled the trigger. A closely-watched murder trial getting underway this morning in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins.

The Hamburgler who couldn't cut the muster. A would-be robber floored by a customer at McDonald's. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I like punched him like right on the face.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then he went to the floor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Just one punch?

HARRIS: Man.

COLLINS: Fast food takeout, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM, everybody.

Uneasy in the big easy. Already this year, close to 60 murders in New Orleans. In all of last year, there were 160. Keep in mind, the population is half now of what it used to be. It's believed a lot of the killings are in retaliation of other murders. But the case of Helen Hill, a wife and mother living in New Orleans, has police stumped. CNN's Randi Kaye joining us now live from New Orleans with a preview of an exclusive interview. You will see it tonight only on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."

Good morning to you, Randi. What's the story here.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Heidi.

Helen Hill was a filmmaker. She was married with a little boy named Francis. But, for some reason, one morning last January, she was gunned down in her own home. Her husband and son were also in the house at the time. Her husband called 911 after he was shot three times himself. This is the first time he's agreed to be interviewed on national television about the final moments of his wife's life. I spoke with him earlier this week. And here is just a portion of the interview that you will see tonight on "Anderson Cooper 360."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL GAILIUNAS, WIFE MURDERED: I woke to the sound of her voice struggling and screaming, don't -- get out. Don't hurt my child. Get away from my child. Get away from my baby. And I saw that she was lying next to the front door and there was blood next to her head and she wasn't moving.

KAYE: So when you got to Helen, were you too late?

GAILIUNAS: As I understand, she died instantly, within a few seconds. A man walked towards me through the house and I saw him walk through the kitchen holding a gun towards me. And he stopped about four feet away or so from me and -- and there were about three gunshots. And I had no idea where I was shot, but I knew my hand started to hurt and felt blood pouring on the ground beside us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Helen's husband Paul was hiding in the back bathroom with his son, clutching him from the gunfire. Little Francis was not hurt, although we were at the house yesterday and you could still see the bullet holes in the cabinets. Paul was hit in the arm, his hand and even his face. A bullet skimmed his cheek, actually. The two of them have since left New Orleans, Heidi, and are now living in Canada.

COLLINS: Boy, when you hear him talk, you can still, of course, see the pain and sort of disbelief all over his face. Do they have any idea, Randi, where this guy came from or why he picked their house in particular?

KAYE: Well, when Paul finally had a chance to call 911, he was surprised at how quickly police came. And that's because police were actually just around the corner. They were investigating an attempted armed robbery and they think that the same guy who was involved in that is also the guy who might have killed Helen Hill. So they were just around the corner, came by. Paul thinks that maybe this guy was look for somewhere to hide. He entered the home. And then when Helen fought him off, he panicked and ended up killing her.

COLLINS: Had Helen and Paul talked amongst themselves about the growing violence in New Orleans after the storm? We've done so many reports on it. I just wonder if they were very aware, something that was talked about in their community.

KAYE: They were very aware. And they had actually evacuated New Orleans during Katrina and so they had been gone -- they had been back, actually, just about five months. They were gone for a year and had actually just returned about five months earlier. And Helen really wanted to come back. She wanted to rebuild the city. She thought it would be a very exciting time to be here. Paul, of course, was a little more apprehensive. He was very concerned about the crime. Little did they know that in her efforts to try and save the city, she would lose her own life.

COLLINS: Wow. How is their little boy? He's just two, right, Francis? How's he doing?

KAYE: He's doing well. As well as he can be according to Paul. Paul has told him that his mom is in heaven, although Francis still seems to ask about her and wonders why she's still living in the house in New Orleans. He thinks she might still be here. But he does shows her these -- he shows Francis these pictures of his mom every night when he tucks him into bed and he says often Francis will just lean over and kiss his mom's face. So he is getting some therapy, but he said that he is doing well.

COLLINS: That's a tough story. All right. Well, you can watch Randi Kaye's report coming up tonight on CNN. Once again, it will come your way at 10:00 Eastern on "Anderson Cooper 360."

All right, Randi, thanks so much. And Rudy Giuliani now taking on a controversy that has tested and hurt Republican presidential candidates before. Will his remarks about the confederate flag haunt him? Tell you about it ahead in the NEWSROOM.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gerri Willis.

Squeezing the most tax benefits out of your home. That's coming up next on "Top Tips" in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Checking out the big board now. Down 17 for the Dow Jones Industrial average. Resting at about 12,469. We're hearing that the Nasdaq is down about one point or so, but we'll check in a little bit later on with Susan Lisovicz and talk more about the world's richest person and some directory assistance and Google testing, some 411 stuff and all kinds of business stories out there. We'll get them to you.

HARRIS: Your home. It is probably your most valuable possession and it may offer some of your best tax perks. Here to tell us how you can best cash in at tax time, CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis. She joins us from New York.

Gerri, great to see you.

WILLIS: Hey, Tony, good to see you.

HARRIS: I've got to ask you something here. I wouldn't think you would have to tell folks -- I'm getting right to tip one as you can see here.

WILLIS: I see that.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes. I would think you wouldn't have to tell folks to take advantage of their buyer tax benefit, but I guess we do have to remind folks.

WILLIS: You know, it's not as simple as you think. Everybody knows about the mortgage deduction, I think. That's the big deal. Mortgage interest, hey, it's deductible. That's a great thing. But there are plenty of tax benefits for people who just bought a home.

For example, you should be able to deduct the points that you paid on your mortgage when you took it out. And those points are just the cost that your lender charges you when you take out your loan to reduce your rate. So if you refinanced last year, the points that you paid on that refinance loan are usually stretched out over the life of the loan. So a little break there.

HARRIS: OK. What about the exclusions? Walk us through those so we don't make any mistakes here.

WILLIS: OK. If you were selling your principle residence at a profit, you may be able to avoid paying taxes on what the experts call the capital gain. That's the profit you made when you sold your house for tax purposes. You can exclude from federal income tax from up to $250,000 or $500,000 if you file jointly.

But, of course, Tony, there are some caveats. You must have used the home as your principle residents for two out of the five years before the sell. And hold on to receipts for any home repair or improvements you make, like finishing the basement or remodeling the kitchen. This can also cut the amount of taxes you pay when you sell your house. So you've got to save up all those little receipts.

HARRIS: That's great. You know, I think I'm pretty sure I remembered this next tip, but it's a great reminder to deduct your moving expenses.

WILLIS: Right. Weather you rent or buy. If you have to relocate because of your job, you may qualify for a moving deduction. You'll qualify for this deduction if your new job is at least 50 miles away from where you live presently. You may also be able to deduct expenses like moving services, the use of storage facilities of, heck, even any hotel rooms you had to stay in while making the move.

HARRIS: Have you got any help, tax help, if you suffer some uninsured losses?

WILLIS: Well, it's tricky. If your home was damaged in a tornado, a hurricane, or any other what the tax people call sudden, unusual or unexpected losses and your insurance doesn't pick up the tab, you may be able to claim a casualty loss tax deduction. You can deduct your casualty loss in the tax year of the event or the prior year's tax return. Remember, for the loss to qualify, it has to happen quickly. Slow losses like termite damage, rust, forget about that. That doesn't count. Keep in mind, you'll need to show evidence that this happened, so you'll need some pictures, some real hard-core info to back up your claim.

HARRIS: That's always helpful.

Hey, Gerri, the big "Open House" show coming up this weekend. What are you working on?

WILLIS: Well, we've got great stuff. More stuff on taxes. I know people are thinking about that right now with April 17th just a few days away. Learn how to allergy proof your home. It's that time of year. And should you buy or should you rent in this market? We'll break it all down for you. That's 9:30 a.m. Saturday, "Open House." You can also catch us on Headline News at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Tony.

HARRIS: Allergy-proofing your home. Can't wait. All right, Gerri, great to see you. Have a great day.

WILLIS: Thanks a bunch.

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins and Tony Harris.

HARRIS: And good morning again, everyone. Welcome to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins.

Two big explosions rocked Baghdad. One in the heavily fortified Green Zone. A suicide bomber detonated inside a cafeteria in the parliament building. An official says the blast killed two lawmakers and injured at least 10 other people. The U.S. embassy is located inside the Green Zone. A spokesman for the embassy says no Americans were injured.

The other big explosion happened on major bridge. An Iraqi interior ministry official says a suicide truck bomber killed at least 10 people, wounded 26. Chunks of the steel structure collapsed, causing several cars to plunge into the Tigris River.

HARRIS: More than 100,000 U.S. soldiers are preparing to spend more time in Iraq and Afghanistan with the military stretched thin. The Pentagon has announced all active duty soldier will serve 15-month rotations. That's three months longer than before. Previously, the Army was extending tours on a unit by unit basis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. PETER PACE, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: Is it an additional strain to go from 12 months to 15 months? Of course it is. Is it in combat and therefore even more difficult? Of course it is. And that's why the entire nation should be thankful that we have such incredible young men and women who, knowing that, volunteer to serve this nation in a time of great need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted the extended tours. She called them a "unacceptable price for troops and their families."

COLLINS: Supporting insurgents. The U.S. says Syria and Iran are now playing a larger role in attacks in Iraq. CNN's Barbara Starr explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): So far this month, more than 40 U.S. troops have died in Iraq and there is new intelligence that Syria and Iran are providing the training and money for many of those attacks. Despite recent operations on the Syrian border, the U.S. believes the Damascus regime still is allowing its territory to be a staging ground.

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ: Still continue to see the number of foreign fighters that are able to flow through Syria into Iraq occurring -- various (ph) levels of 40 to 60 a month. STARR: Two detainees recently told interrogators they received their training inside Syria. And there is new intelligence that Iran is providing more bombs that can shred U.S. armor.

CALDWELL: The fact that we know that they're being manufactured and smuggled into this country and we now know that training does go on in Iran, for people to learn how to assemble them and how to employ them, and we know that training has gone on as recently as this past month from detainee debriefs.

STARR: Caldwell also revealed disturbing new details that Iran may be expanding its effort beyond its traditional alliance with Shia groups in Iraq.

CALDWELL: We have, in fact, found some cases recently where Iranian intelligence services have provided to some Sunni insurgent groups, some support.

STARR (on camera): The support from Syria and Iran comes at a time when U.S. fatalities remain high. If it all continues at the current rate, April may well turn out to be one of the deadliest months of the war.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Another protest scheduled against Don Imus for later this morning.

I'm Allan Chernoff and I'll have details coming up in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Also, furious winds, major damage parts of central Indiana, on the mend after powerful spring storms, extreme weather, in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Globe trotting to find the fountain of youth. Researchers head to blue zones to unlock the secret to a long and healthy life. Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports.

COLLINS: And saving the president's life. How Forbes' CEO became a hero. Just joking. You're plugged in to the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The hits keep coming for radio shock jock Don Imus. The latest, MSNBC pulling the plug on his simulcast of his morning radio show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE CAPUS, PRES., NBC NEWS: Within this organization, this had touched a nerve. And the comment that came through to us time and time again was, when is enough going to be enough? And this was the only action we could take. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Imus responded just this morning during his annual on- air charity fund-raiser.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

VOICE OF DON IMUS: As you all know MSNBC yielded to enormous pressure, which I do understand. Canceled the simulcast of this program and so we move on. Somebody was talking to me about the outrageous level of hypocrisy among everybody who knows better. And I said, well, you know, I shouldn't have said it. And then somebody else said, well, you got caught in a slow news cycle. I said, sometimes it doesn't snow on Christmas.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COLLINS: CNN's Senior Correspondent Allan Chernoff is at CBS Headquarters in New York. That's where the Reverend Al Sharpton is scheduled to hold a protest rally. Allan, what does Sharpton hope to accomplish today?

CHERNOFF: Well, Reverend Al Sharpton, black activist, is calling on CBS to fire Don Imus. And as you said, he has scheduled a protest here about a half hour from now. We'll see if it actually happens.

It is absolutely miserable outside here in New York, raining hard, pretty cold as well. But the protest is scheduled to begin in about a half hour. As I said, he has been calling for the past few days for CBS to fire Mr. Imus.

What CBS has done is it is suspending Don Imus without pay for two weeks, beginning on Monday. And the company's not exactly giving a vote of confidence to Mr. Imus either. I've asked public relations people here for CBS Radio whether Don Imus, in fact, will be coming back on the air after that two-week suspension. And they say they're not going beyond their statement, which essentially says the company is going to be monitoring the situation during that two-week suspension.

In addition, at least one member of the board here at CBS is also calling for Don Imus to be fired -- Heidi?

COLLINS: We've been trying to provide, you know, as much perspective on this story as possible, Allan. So I wonder, how important are Imus and his show, particularly to CBS?

CHERNOFF: Well, Don Imus does his radio show for WFAN, which is a CBS-owned station. Remember, CBS actually owns 144 stations throughout the country. WFAN is one of the top ten billing stations in the nation. And a major reason is Don Imus. He broadens out that station because other than Imus, it is entirely a sports station. So he brings in many new listeners. It's estimated that he generates more than $20 million for that station. And, of course, he's also syndicated through the West One Radio Network and CBS owns a chunk of that company, Westwood One as well. COLLINS: All right, CNN's Senior Correspondent Allan Chernoff, we know you're watching this story. Let us know if anything happens. Thank you.

HARRIS: As Allan mentioned, CBS board member Bruce Gordon says Imus crossed the line and should be fired. Gordon, former president of the NAACP, he shared his views about Imus on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE GORDON, CBS BOARD MEMBER: Clearly I have a reaction and a responsibility as the director of CBS and I'm carrying that through. I think I've been fairly clear.

As an African-American man in this country, Don Imus violated our community. He attacked beautiful, talented, classy women. And when those women showed themselves to the country a couple days ago, I think that his words matched with their images made it clear to America that Don Imus was wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Gordon says he is confident CBS management is taking the Imus matter very seriously. Civil rights leaders looking to pull the plug on Don Imus. We will talk with the Reverend Joseph Lowery (ph), that is straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: She was a teacher, a minister's wife, a mother of three. This morning, Mary Winkler is on trail in Selmer, Tennessee for first degree murder. Opening statements under way this hour. Winkler has admitted killing her husband, shooting him in the back with a shotgun. You see our live pictures now of those proceedings.

The jury will be asked to consider how and why it happened and if she should be punished. The trial could reveal family secrets hidden behind what church members viewed as a perfect marriage. We're going to have live reports from outside the courtroom throughout the morning.

HARRIS: And cleaning up from the storm this morning, possible tornado damage, downed trees and damaged homes. This is central Indiana where damage is reported in at least three counties. A funnel cloud was reported near one community. Authorities suspect a tornado but have not confirmed that. Still winds in one Madison County community were clocked at up to 80 miles an hour. There are no reports thankfully of injuries. Several other parts of Indiana reported large hail.

COLLINS: Those are some unbelievable pictures.

Chad Myers standing by now. Chad, what can these folks in the same area expect over the next couple days?

(WEATHER REPORT) COLLINS: So, the snow is not going to go to the mountains where the ski resorts are? It's going to go to the roads in the middle of Denver?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. This is an up-slope storm so as you push the air up the hill, because you go from Kansas to Colorado, it goes up hill, as soon as it hits the front range, all that snow is going to get squeezed out. Now, a basin will get some snow. You're just not going to get a whole bunch back into Aspen. It just won't go over those fourteeners (ph) to get there.

COLLINS: A basin trying to stay open year-round, trying to do that for a long time.

MYERS: I thought maybe they were going to put those cooling things in, just like a hockey rink in there because they're the first to open and the last to leave.

COLLINS: All right, Chad, thanks.

MYERS: You're welcome.

HARRIS: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, see you later alligator. Well, that's what some south Florida neighbors would like to say to this big fellow. Man.

COLLINS: He's a hanger-onner (ph).

HARRIS: Yes, and he's hanging out with them. Not going anywhere. Why don't you hang with us? What do you have better to do? In the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Stopping for lunch under the golden arches. A suspected robber gets more than just a large order of fries. How about a punch in the face?

HARRIS: Clocked!

COLLINS: This story in the NEWSROOM.

SUSAN LISOVICZ: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. Forbes says he's the second richest man in the world and he's closing in on No. one. I'll tell you who he is next on NEWSROOM. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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HARRIS: A suspected armed robber, have you seen this video yet -- gets a punch for lunch. It happened in Alton, Missouri. A police say a man walked in, there he is, demanded money. Surveillance video shows 18-year-old, a customer, wow, did you see that? Brad Everidge (ph) hitting the suspect in the face. Have some!

Everidge kicked the suspect's knife away. And with the help of another customer, held the man down until police arrived. That suspect being held on an armed robbery charge. While the police called the teenager a hero, have some! They suggest to all of us that you don't try this. It can be dangerous. One more time. Slow motion, please.

To business news now, $52 billion is a lot of money. But it is not enough for Warren Buffett to hold his spot as the world's second richest man? Well, wait a minute.

Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange. Tell us who has taken his place. Susan, hello, good morning.

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HARRIS: And still to come this morning in the NEWSROOM, globe trotting to find the fountain of youth? Researchers head to blue zones to unlock the secret to a long and healthy life. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports in the NEWSROOM.

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COLLINS: All week our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is reporting on decisions we make every day that may add or subtract healthy years from our lives. It's the focus of his new book "Chasing Life" along with a special this weekend coming your way on CNN. Today, Sanjay takes a look at what you could call longevity hot spots.

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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN'S CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica, families are close, hard work is the norm, and there's no such thing as retirement.

Take this man, Evincio (ph), he's 80 and still wakes at 4:30 every morning to work on this ranch.

DAN BUETTNER, FOUNDER, QUEST NETWORK, INC.: This 80-year-old has the vigor of a 40-year-old.

GUPTA: Dan Buettner and his research team have found Evincio and other men here 60 and older are four times as likely to reach 100, as compared to their counter parts in the United States or Europe.

Buettner travels to longevity hot spots around the globe. He calls them blue zones.

BUETTNER: Because most of longevity is dictate bid our lifestyle as opposed to our genes, we believe that by going to these blue zones and methodically looking at what these people do, we can distill out and defact (ph) a formula for longevity.

GUPTA: Costa Ricans on the Nicoya peninsula eat a healthy diet. Plenty of vegetables and fruits like papaya and citrus fruits. The tortillas they eat are made using a special process that takes the husk off the corn and puts more calcium into it, helping to keep bones strong into old age. Buettner's team has also studied why people live so long in Sardinia, Italy, Okinawa, Japan, and Loma Linda, California. Buettner says the blue zones offer a recipe for healthy living that could add eight good years to your life. And he offers this advice.

BUETTNER: Eat a plant-based diet, mostly plants. No. two, regular low intensity exercise. And then, No. three, invest in family and friends.

GUPTA: Buettner hopes the blue zones will ultimately teach people how to extend their golden years.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

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COLLINS: Tomorrow our series continues with a look at the controversial human growth hormone, a drug originally designed to help short children grow. But now many aging boomers seem to think it's the fountain of youth. Sanjay takes a closer look at that. You can catch all of Sanjay's hour-long CNN special "Chasing Life" this Saturday and Sunday 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. And to win a free autographed copy of Sanjay's book, just go to CNN.com/chasinglife.

HARRIS: Her husband, the preacher, shot in the back. Prosecutors say the wife pulled the trigger. A closely-watched murder trial under way in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Three former Duke University lacrosse players cleared. Now the prosecuter who brought the rape case faces ethics charges.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This entire experience has opened my eyes up to a tragic world of injustice I never knew existed.

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COLLINS: Case closed, in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Don Imus canceled by NBC, getting static at CBS. A racial remark threatening a long career in radio. Coming unplugged, in the NEWSROOM.

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