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Seven People Arrested in U.K. Terror Investigation; Temperatures Near 120 in Las Vegas
Aired July 02, 2007 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Condition critical for the United Kingdom, an island on edge facing a major terror threat, and it's rippling all the way to America -- British investigators on the fast track, conducting raids, making arrests, focusing on foreign-born doctors.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: All this after a fiery terrorist attack in Scotland a thwarted attack in London.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A lot of new developments this hour.
Let's get straight to CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh. He's at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland -- Alphonso.
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, a lot of developments going on today, a lot of developments going on today.
Let me just tell you the latest that we know at this moment. Within the last two hours, police are lifting a safety cordon on this hospital property you see behind me. As you mentioned, the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
Why is that? Well, Kyra, today, we had bomb-disposal units. It's part of the investigation team into these series of attacks, taking a look at what we understand to be a suspect vehicle on this property. That's according to sources that we have been talking to through the course of the day.
There were two controlled detonations during the course of the day. But we recently heard from authorities that the bomb disposal team is finished for today, and that safety cordon back on up.
But we -- excuse me -- that safety cordon is back on down. What we do know also at this point is that investigators were taking a closer look over my shoulder at the doctors' quarters on this property. Those doctors' quarters are accommodations where physicians working at the hospital can spend a little time to rest up after spending a lot of time in the operating room. What we don't know at this point is what, if any, connection there is between these developments. But what we do know is that patients that need to get treatment at this hospital, according to hospital officials, well, they are now more than welcome to come in, as they have been all day.
Now, one of the patients that we do know is behind me on that property is one of what police say are two suspects responsible for that Jeep Cherokee crash into Glasgow International Airport over the weekend. Now, those details as to how these -- this patient is doing are a little bit sketchy, but what we do know at this point is that patient is in critical condition, that he suffered severe burns, and, at this point, he is under armed guard -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Alphonso Van Marsh, live from Scotland, thank you.
LEMON: As we mentioned, one of the U.K. terror suspects is identified as Dr. Mohammed Asha. He's said to have been a top medical student in Jordan.
CNN's Cal Perry is in Jordan, and he's been talking to Asha's family members -- Cal.
CAL PERRY, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: We just came away from the house of Mohammed Asha. I sat with his brother. His family IS really in disarray. They're worried about the health of Mohammed's youngest son, a 2-year-old baby who was born in the U.K. -- of course, Mohammed detained by British police.
Now, when we went to the house, we were shown pictures of Mohammed in medical school. He's a top student here in Jordan. His brother simply could not believe that he could carry out such acts -- the family, as I said, in complete disbelief. The father was too upset to speak to us, although, earlier in the day, he did make a plea to the king of Jordan for any information.
This is a family that's really void of any information when it comes to their son, to their stepdaughter, and to their grandchild. They have heard nothing from the British authorities. They have heard nothing from the Jordanian government. The family, as I said, is literally glued to the television -- Don.
LEMON: So, Cal, did you get the feeling, as a Western journalist, personally, did he fit the profile of someone who could be responsible for this?
PERRY: Well, I have to tell you, I did speak a bit about religion Ahmed with his older brother, Ahmed (ph). And Ahmed said he was the first to say he was not a -- quote, unquote -- "strictly practicing Muslim." He pointed to the fact that Ahmed, his older brother, is married to a Christian.
He said that his brother has spent years now in the U.K. as a neurosurgeon. He spends hours a day at the hospital. He studies all the time. He sends photos back to Jordan of how much he's enjoying his time in the U.K. From what his brother said, it doesn't sound at all like he would fit the typical profile of a sort of radical Islamist or that -- what we have seen sort of in the past in the U.K. and in the West -- Don.
LEMON: CNN's Cal Perry -- Cal, thank you for your report.
Terrorists are chattering, and U.S. authorities are listening. The U.K. terror threat has sparked extra security at U.S. airports. But there are other reasons for concern.
The homeland Security chief says we're seeing increased activity by al Qaeda and that the terror group wants to launch another major attack on the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "AMERICAN MORNING")
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We know al Qaeda is still very interested in carrying out attacks against the United States and western Europe.
We know that there have been an increase in public statements by al Qaeda leaders recently which suggested they are raising some of their profile. And we know that, traditionally, the attacks that they have planned are very significant and are intended to cause a huge amount of damage as witness the airline plot of last August which, had it been successful, would have resulted in the detonation of bombs on multiple airliners.
Finally, I would say, we have seen over the past two summers, and now this summer, an attack in England. All those things put together do cause us to be concerned going into the summer. But we do not have any specific information about a particular attack at this point.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Authorities say al Qaeda terrorists tend to favor the summer months for their attacks.
PHILLIPS: It happened at a strange time in a strange location in Disney World. And that's got police scratching their heads about a pipe-bomb-type device that went off overnight.
CNN Sean Callebs reports from Orlando.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of attention on Disney World today, local sheriff's officials investigating what they call a suspicious incident, this after workers noticed a small explosion just after midnight last night at a Dumpster.
When they went over, authorities began to investigate. They found what they say the caps of what looked to be a pipe-bomb device. However, the local sheriff is calling this a very unsophisticated device.
I want to show you just how remote an area this is, when you think about Disney World and just the giant, sprawling complex it is. Now, this incident occurred in a remote parking lot near one of the golf courses, also near a facility that houses the Cirque du Soleil performance.
Now, the local sheriff here described exactly what happened just after midnight.
KEVIN BEARY, ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA, SHERIFF: We have recovered a very crude, homemade, low-level device. Because of the time and location of the event, we do not believe this incident was designed to cause significant property damage or injury. We also believe this is an isolated incident.
CALLEBS: A couple of Disney employees actually heard the explosion. They went over and found the doors of the Dumpster actually blown off. There was a small fire that was extinguished pretty quickly, according to authorities.
Now, one reason this is getting so much attention today, simply the timing, right before the July 4 holiday, a busy summer holiday here in the U.S., and also the international terrorist incident over in the U.K., but the Orange County sheriff doing everything he can to downplay this, say -- saying that it appears in no way to be a sophisticated device that could have been planted by a terrorist.
What they suspect it is at this point, perhaps, a prank here in a state that sells a great deal of fireworks.
Sean Callebs, CNN, Orlando, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Accused murderer Bobby Cutts appeared in an Ohio court today in the Jessie Davis case, but it was just briefly to confirm that he had voluntarily waived a preliminary hearing.
Cutts' friend Myisha Ferrell appeared a short time later, also waiving a hearing -- then, a bit of news. After her lawyer asked for reduced bond on her obstruction-of-justice charge, prosecutors revealed that Ferrell is suspected of Cutts help move Jesse Davis' body. The judge then denied the defense request.
Through it all, Jessie's mother just sat behind the lawyers and suspects silent, until afterwards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATTY PORTER, MOTHER OF JESSIE DAVIS: So, I have chosen just not to say anything because -- because of my grandson, because of the community, I think for the other families involved. I want a fair trial. And I -- I don't want it done out here. That would be very easy to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: A funeral for Davis and her unborn daughter was held Saturday in Akron. Cutts, a police officer, is believed to be the baby's father.
LEMON: A stunning turn of events today in the deaths -- in the deaths of professional wrestler and his family. Chris Benoit's physician is charged in a seven-count indictment. Dr. Phil Astin turned himself in to federal authorities in Atlanta today. Investigators raided his office last week. Astin is accused of improperly dispensing painkillers and other drugs to Benoit. Police believe Benoit killed his wife and the couple's 7-year-old son, before taking his own life last month.
PHILLIPS: Well, the rain stopped, for the most part, and the sun's out. The floodwaters, though, keep rising in southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri.
In Coffeyville, Kansas, the situation's going from bad to worse, those floodwaters now contaminated with thousands of gallons of crude oil. It spilled when the refinery flooded. About a third of the homes in Coffeyville have been evacuated, surrounded by oily waters. And that includes the mayor's house.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIRGIL HORN, MAYOR OF COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS: It's devastating. It's seriously disturbing. Individuals work all their lives and then, overnight, it's gone. You have heard that story before.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With a hurricane.
(CROSSTALK)
HORN: With a hurricane, Katrina, and what have you. It's a real story. It's a hurting story. It's a mind-disturbing story. But -- but I do want to say this, that God is able, and that he will -- he will do things for us that we can't do for ourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Teams from the Environmental Protection Agency are in Coffeyville. The governor's on her way. She's already declared a state of emergency for that area.
LEMON: Well, it is supposed to be hot in the Southwest in the summertime -- that's no secret -- but not this hot. We're talking near 120-degree temperatures every day this week in places like Las Vegas, and Phoenix -- normally only gets up to about 104. And you definitely don't want to be in Death Valley. Temperatures there could soar to -- get this -- 130 degrees by 30 -- by Thursday.
It reached 134 back in 1913, so far, the hottest recorded temperature on Earth -- 130 degrees.
Rob Marciano, when it says, it's getting hot in here, we really mean it, huh?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We do. And what is scary is, my boss came to the Weather Center earlier today and said, they think we want to send somebody to Death Valley.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: And do you want to go?
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Are you going, Rob?
MARCIANO: I haven't volunteered for that duty just yet.
LEMON: OK. We will see.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: They call it Death Valley for a reason.
Exactly. You have got to pay the bills, right?
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: Hey, we have heat advisories out and excessive heat watches out. Basically, heat advisories are shorter term, meaning it's hot right now. Heat watches -- excessive heat watch means that dangerous heat has the potential of happening over the next 36, 48 hours, or even beyond.
So, these include places like Phoenix. You saw that shot, obviously, not a whole lot of cloud cover there, fairly low levels of humidity and heat that's definitely cranking up.
But, from Vegas, all the way to the beaches, almost, over the next couple of days, we're not going to have that strong sea breeze and the marine push that we typically get. So, it's going to be tough to escape the heat if you live in Southern California. Certainly, in Vegas and Phoenix, you're going to have a problem escaping the heat, as you typically do this time of year.
These are current temperatures. And, remember, these guys are not yet even at the noon hour -- 104 currently in the shade in Las Vegas, 100 degrees as measured in the shade in Phoenix, 98 degrees in Tucson. So, you get the idea. The red is building across the map. Yes, it is typical this time of year to get temperatures up at over 100.
But to get to 115 in Vegas, the all-time record high there is 117. So, that's why they are excessive heat watches that are posted for this part of the world -- hot, yes, but this could be historically hot. So, we will watch this as it develops.
This area of high pressure really has been here for several months, and it has pushed all the moisture up to the north. And that's why it's been so darn dry as well in L.A. Looks like they have had their driest year on record. In the 130 years of keeping records in L.A., it's been the driest ever.
And, as we have been reporting, Don, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, heavy rains there, so, from one extreme to the other, certainly the case. Good news in Oklahoma and Kansas is that the heavier rains are shifting down to the south. So, they should begin to dry out as those rivers slowly recede -- back to you.
LEMON: Rob, how does this sound: "CNN's Rob Marciano live in Death Valley with the very latest -- Rob"?
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: "It's hot -- back to you, Don."
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: Yes. "I'm going to back to the air-conditioned trailer."
We will see if that happens. Thanks, Don.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: All right, Rob, thank you.
MARCIANO: See you.
PHILLIPS: Well, they are trained to help people, but U.K. authorities believe some medical doctors had plans to hurt people, lots of people.
Straight ahead from the NEWSROOM, we are going to talk with a security specialist about the kind of person attracted to extremism.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: It's 3:16 Eastern time. Here are three of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM at this hour.
Seven suspects in custody right now in the U.K. terror probe -- two of them are identified as doctors, one an Iraqi, the other educated in Jordan. Now we're learning another foreign-born doctor is also part of the probe -- not clear if he's in custody.
A deadly attack on a tourist bus in Yemen today -- early reports say six Spanish tourists are dead and that a suicide bomber was to blame.
The Ohio policeman accused of killing a 26-year-old woman and her unborn baby appeared in court just a short time ago. Bobby Cutts gave up his right to a preliminary hearing, meaning his case will now go to a grand jury. Cutts is believed to have fathered the child that victim Jessie Davis was carrying. LEMON: Terrorists, are they shadowy figures who lurk in the dark, or they right next door in your neighborhood or in your hospitals, like these doctors? Since we have learned that doctors are part of the U.K. terror probe, those questions have certainly taken on some added urgency.
So, let's bring in someone who can answer them for us. His name is Paul Cruickshank. He is with the Center on Law and Security.
And, Paul, you have done lots of reporting on this, lots on al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. When you hear three doctors are involved, and we just heard a third doctor, what do you think? Is this typical?
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, FELLOW, CENTER ON LAW AND SECURITY: Well, doctors are meant to take their Hippocratic oaths. But, for would-be al Qaeda operatives, it seems to seems to be more a hypocritical oath.
This is very worrying. Doctors are in a position of trust. It's not the first time we have seen this from al Qaeda. Al Qaeda's number two, Ayman al-Zawahri, is a doctor. I was just speaking to Zawahri's uncle in Cairo, Egypt. He told me how skilled a physician Ayman al- Zawahri was. So, this is not news for al Qaeda. Al Qaeda have used people with a lot of skills, people who are more likely to be able to put explosives together, to sort of launch successful operations.
We don't know yet, of course, if this is actually an al Qaeda- directed operation, but it has a lot of the hallmarks of that sort of operation. Now, additionally, the fact that doctors seem to be involved here raises more concerns, because, you know, doctors in hospitals, obviously, they are caring for patients. Patients earn their trust.
But doctors in hospitals also have access to all sorts of materials, chemicals, but also very, very concerningly for officials on this side of the Atlantic, on the British side of the Atlantic, access, perhaps, sometimes to radiological, radioactive materials, which they use in irradiation techniques...
LEMON: Right.
CRUICKSHANK: .. .and also in cancer treatments, and for sterilization.
So, you know, those sorts of materials can be used, you know, one would think, to maybe create a primitive dirty bomb. So, there's large concerns about who seems to be responsible in this operation.
LEMON: And not to mention very personal information, information that would be classified.
Regardless, you brought up al Qaeda in all of this. And, just moments ago, my colleague Kyra Phillips spoke with John O'Connor, who's the head of the police over in the U.K. at 10 Downing Street. And he says that, you know what? This was so amateurish, that he doesn't believe that it's any type of organized terror group.
Let's take a listen to what he has to say, and then I want to talk to you about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN O'CONNOR, FORMER SCOTLAND YARD COMMANDER: I mean, this was a hopeless, incompetent terrorist attack. I mean, when you see the ludicrous situation where none of the bombs were able to be detonated, and these guys are then trying to set fire to petrol, when all they did, they didn't get a detonation at the doors of the airport lounge. All they got was a bonfire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, again, he was the former head of Scotland Yard, I should say. And he's saying that they're too amateurish to be al Qaeda. Do you agree with that?
CRUICKSHANK: Well, I think he's got a point.
The fact that this operation was sort of primitive, the fact that it failed maybe means that it wasn't al Qaeda. But there have been lots of al Qaeda operations which have also been quite primitive in the past and which have also failed in the past. Some succeeded despite a catalog of errors.
For example, the 1998 African Embassy bombings, which killed all sorts of people in two embassies, in U.S. embassies in Africa, there were a lot of mistakes made by that team during that operation. We have seen other attacks, plots in the U.K., where there have been sort of a catalog of errors which have...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: We were talking about the 7/7 attack that happened July 7 there. What are the chances that these folks are the same people who were responsible for that, or at least they're connected?
CRUICKSHANK: Well, I mean, the working hypothesis initially was that this was the same sort of operation, an al Qaeda operation, perhaps with links back to Pakistan. The arrest of a lot of people from the Middle East in this operation maybe is changing that thinking a little bit.
It doesn't seem to be British individuals this time. It mainly seems to be individuals who have been parachuted in from aboard, from the Middle East. Certainly, the fact there is an Iraqi doctor involved in this has raised rather large concerns.
Obviously, Iraq, you know, there is obviously a U.S. -- quote, unquote -- "occupation" over there right now. And there's a large concern that, you know, around 40,000 refugees are expected to arrive in Europe in 2007, according to the U.N. There's a concern that some of these refugees might be radicalized, that some of these refugees might have had contact with al Qaeda, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group. Of course, he's now dead.
So, you know, but the jury is still out about the al Qaeda link. I think it's too early to discount that altogether.
LEMON: All right. They certainly have enough evidence to try to figure out who did it. So, thank you, Paul Cruickshank.
He's a member -- a fellow at the Center on Law and Security.
We thank you for joining us.
CRUICKSHANK: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead: the thrills, the chills, and the danger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She looked -- you know, looked bad. It was -- it was scary. It's something you don't want to see happen to your kid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And whoever would have thought it would have been the teacup ride. We will tell you what happened -- straight ahead from the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: Kwik-E-Mart? well, Bart Simpson shops there for Squishees and Buzz Cola. Now you can, too. We will explain this fiction-to-fact transformation -- straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, you may remember that famous episode of "The Simpsons." One of the characters sings, "Who needs a Kwik-E-Mart?" Evidently, the answer is, all of us.
Stephanie Elam at the New York Stock Exchange with the details.
Hey, Stephanie.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
Yes, it's a makeover, "Simpsons"-style; 7-Eleven is turning some of its stores, it's actually turning them into Kwik-E-Marts. That's the name of the fictitious convenience stores on "The Simpsons."
Now, the one dozen converted stores are decked out with the Kwik- E-Mart logo. One of the stores is actually here in Manhattan on 42nd Street. But none are actually in Springfield, Illinois, or Springfield, Massachusetts, for that matter. All 6,000 7-Elevens will include products mentioned on the animated sitcom. They include Buzz Cola, Krusty O's, and Squishees.
But, I'm sorry. For all you Homer fans out there, there's no Duff Beer.
(LAUGHTER) PHILLIPS: So, a Squishee, is that a Slurpee?
ELAM: Yes. I believe that would be the right translation.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: It sounds kind of good right now, because, I mean, it's at 100 degrees outside.
Now, why is 7-Eleven doing this?
ELAM: Well, actually, the makeover will tie in with late-July release of the "Simpsons" movie.
For years, the "Simpsons" have used the Kwik-E-Mart as a thinly veiled send-up, of course, to 7-Eleven. So, this shows 7-Eleven has a little bit of an ability to laugh at itself. The promotion will last a month.
And one product that our producer is really, really, really gunning to try is the WooHoo! Blue Vanilla Squishee. Say that fast 11 times.
(LAUGHTER)
ELAM: And you will be messed up; 7-Eleven reportedly expects to make up the cost of changing over the store in -- you know, with added sales. They're saying, hey, we will be OK on that point.
One potential risk, however, the fictitious Kwik-E-Mart owner has a really heavy Indian accent, and has drawn fire from those who feel the portrayal is ethnically insensitive. So, we will have to see if that has anything to do here.
But, as we take a look and move from Marge on to the markets, we're seeing a gain on takeover news, including the $49 billion acquisition of Canadian telecom company BCE.
Stocks are also getting a lift from a report which says manufacturing grew at a faster-than-expected pace in June. Today also marks the beginning of the second half of the trading calendar. Believe it or not, we're already there.
Taking a look at the markets right now, the Dow on the upside by 111 points, 13519. And the Nasdaq is up a cool 1 percent at this moment.
Now, coming up: Stocks have been providing some pre-Independence Day fireworks. Will the high flying continue, or will it flame out? We will find out when I return for the closing bell. Of course, that's right by the top of the hour -- until then, Kyra and Don, back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right, we will see you in a little bit. Thanks, Stephanie.
ELAM: Thanks.
LEMON: Two car bombs fizzle in London. Then a flaming jeep smashes into the Glasgow Airport. Were the same people behind both terror attempts? U.K. police say yes -- details straight ahead.
PHILLIPS: Then, they just won a national cheerleading contest, and they were planning a summer of fun before heading off to college. Now a circle of friends is coping with unthinkable loss -- straight ahead from the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.
A day of twists and turns in the U.K. as the terror plot thickens. Today news that several of the terror suspects are medical doctors.
PHILLIPS: We're going to bring you the latest developments from London and Glasgow.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: Revisiting our top story today, the United Kingdom, an island on edge, under its highest terror alert ever. New information, new leads, even new explosions. Here's the latest.
British police conducted two controlled explosions at a hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, apparently on a suspicious device. One suspect in the weekend attack on the Glasgow airport is being treated for burns at the same hospital.
Seven people have now been arrested so far, as British authorities keep their terror probe on a fast track. At least two of those arrested are doctors. One of them is identified as Bilal Abdulla, an Iraqi. The other identified as Dr. Mohammed Asha, who was a top medical student in Georgia (sic) -- in Jordan, I should say. Also, authorities now believe the suspects in the Glasgow attack might have planted two car bombs found Friday in central London.
Heightened security. Airports here in the states keeping a closer watch as families travel for the busy Fourth of July holiday.
CNN's Jim Acosta reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At New York's JFK International, police stopped all passengers from entering this terminal for an hour on Sunday after finding a suspicious package that turned out to be harmless. Over at LaGuardia airport, massive lines of anxious travelers who nearly missed their flights due to slowdowns at baggage screening. REBECCA BLAKE, AIR TRAVELER: This is not security though. This is poor, poor management.
ACOSTA: But many passengers say they're willing to wait to stay safe.
MARCELL PEVSNER, AIR TRAVELER: In their case, they have about, what, a one-hour flight? We'll be on line for two hours to take a one-hour flight. It's almost like Disney World.
ACOSTA (on camera): The line is longer than the ride?
PEVSNER: Exactly.
ACOSTA (voice over): Armed police officers and bomb-sniffing dogs will stay visible at air terminals across the country until after the Fourth of July. One New York public safety official told CNN Saturday's attack at the Glasgow airport caught U.S. security experts off guard.
MICHAEL BALBONI, NEW YORK DEP. SECRETARY OF PUBLIC SAFETY: The way it was done really truly is bizarre.
ACOSTA (on camera): Not in the chatter, as it's called in intelligence?
BALBONI: We saw -- we didn't see anything that -- with a specific mention towards that.
ACOSTA (voice over): Despite the stepped-up security, we found this car sitting unattended outside departures for more than 10 minutes before the driver came along. We saw another vehicle left outside the terminal for several minutes. The pickup was nearly towed by police until the driver showed up just in time.
Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And CNN.com just got better. Now it has the most news video on the Web. Check out the enhanced CNN.com. You'll find tons of great new features, including free live video.
All the video you want, all free. See it at CNN.com/video.
LEMON: It is a campaign war chest that's surely the envy of all. Sitting on top of it? Senator Barack Obama.
Obama's aides say they raised a whopping $32.5 million in the second quarter. That's a record for a Democratic candidate at this stage in the race for the White House.
Now, it's steals the spotlight from Obama's main rival, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and all the other Democrats in the race. Clinton pulled in $27 million in the second quarter, followed by former senator John Edwards, who hauled in $9 million. At his heels, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, with $7 million.
On the Republican side, disappointing figures for the presidential candidate John McCain. His campaign says just over $11 million was raised in the last three months. That's less than $13.6 million raised in the first quarter. As a result, Senator McCain is shaking up his campaign, cutting staff in every department.
And once again, CNN is raising the bar on the presidential debates. On Monday, July 23rd, the Democratic candidates square off in a CNN-YouTube debate. Anderson Cooper hosts this first of its kind live, an interactive on TV and online. And you can see the Republican candidates debate on Monday, September 17th, only on your home for politics, at CNN.
PHILLIPS: It was supposed to be a week of graduation celebrations for a tight-knit group of cheerleaders. Instead, a New York town is in mourning after the five teens died in a fiery car crash.
CNN's Kiran Chetry talked with their friends and coaches as they shared memories and relived the horror of that day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Such a cute picture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I took it, actually.
CHETRY: You did? Where were you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Meredith's birthday party. We went line dancing at The Roof (ph).
CHETRY (voice over): It was a school year filled with fun, laughter and triumph. These best friends, most of them teammates on the Fairport High School cheerleading squad, had won the American Open Championship. Their future never brighter before a tragic night last week.
They were heading to vacation in the Finger Lakes, just days after graduation.
(on camera): And you were actually driving right behind them, Riley (ph). What do you remember about that night?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were just all screaming in the car, "Is that a truck? Is that a truck?" And then I slammed on my brakes. We ran to the car, but, like, we couldn't even get close to it the fire was so big.
CHETRY (voice over): Their five friends swerved into the lane of an oncoming tractor-trailer. Bailey, Sara, Hannah, Meredith and Katie all died in the crash.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's no words to describe how -- what the feelings and emotion that you go through when you're told your best friends aren't coming back
CHETRY: What helps is remembering their friends.
(on camera): Who was the one you said was extremely competitive, had to win?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Meredith.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Meredith.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was so full of life. She just wanted to experience everything, no matter how crazy the idea was. She just wanted to do something.
CHETRY (voice over): Bailey.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just remember her joking around a lot, loving to get everyone laughing.
CHETRY: Sara.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She always called herself the bossy or the boss because she liked to have control -- in a good way.
CHETRY: Hannah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That girl never stopped smiling. Her smile went so far in life. She touched so many hearts, people she didn't even know.
CHETRY: And Katie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know I could trust her with all my secrets, and any time I needed her, I just knew to go to Katie, because she was just always there for you.
CHETRY (on camera): What is helping you guys right now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Being together.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Being together.
CHETRY (voice over): And also what they consider a sign from their friends that they're OK.
(on camera): Oh, my gosh. You're right. It does look like an angel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It sends chills through my body, and it just, like, tells us that they're looking down on us.
CHETRY: Kiran Chetry, CNN, Fairport, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: The thrills, the chills, and the danger. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONNIE JACKSON, FATHER OF INJURED GIRL: She looked -- you know, looked bad. I mean, it was -- it was -- it was scary, something you don't want to see happen to your kid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Amusement park peril ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
LEMON: It's summer, and a lot of families are heading to amusement parks, looking for fun. But sometimes they find something far different and far more dangerous.
Here's CNN's Sean Callebs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Thirteen-year-old Natayzha West remains at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital just north of Miami. She was injured on this seemingly innocent ride called the Mini Teacup at Boomers Amusement Park.
Apparently dizzy, the girl leaned back. That's when the handle from another tea cup hit her head.
JACKSON: You know, she's still unconscious. She's still sleeping, heavily sedated. She responds to -- you know, when you say something, she will kind of open her eyes.
CALLEBS: Boomers' parent company, Palace Entertainment, says the teacup passed inspection just two weeks ago. We were unable to confirm that with the Department of Agriculture, which inspects amusement park rides for the state of Florida.
Natayzha's father, a motorcycle cop with the Broward County Sheriff's Office, says more oversight is needed.
JACKSON: I would like to see, you know, these rides that they're putting these kids on, they need to be more -- they need to be more closely supervised.
CALLEBS: Nationwide, three serious amusement park accidents have taken place in the past 10 days.
At Six Flags in Louisville, Kentucky, a cable on the Superman Tower of Power broke loose. The result disastrous, severing both feet of a 13-year-old girl.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's scary. Like, I had seen that (INAUDIBLE) movie, and I've seen stuff like that, but when you see it in real life, it's just crazy. CALLEBS: And north of New York City, an employee of a popular park called Rye Playland died after being thrown from a ride. Authorities are still investigating, but another worker apparently started the Mind Scrambler while 21-year-old Gabriella Garron (ph) was kneeling in one of the seats.
The International Association of Amusement Parks and attractions says 300 million people visit parks each year. The organization says the chance of an injury is one in nine million, but the group knows accidents like the one on the Mini Teacup that injured Natayzha won't soon be forgotten.
JACKSON: She looked -- you know, looked bad. I mean, it was -- it was scary. It's something you don't want to see happen to your kid.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was Sean Callebs. And since that report was prepared, we have learned that Boomers Amusement Park was inspected by the Florida Department of Agriculture and passed those inspections.
PHILLIPS: From a rickshaw to an orphanage, temples to McDonald's, Don Lemon covered a lot of territory in India. Some of the highlights coming up. He's going to share them with us here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: This is the heart of Old Delhi. Everybody talks about this new burgeoning information and technology economy. Well, this is the old economy. These are shopkeepers and families.
People come here to be able to afford to be able to take care of their families, to send their children to school, to even take vacations. The shopkeepers tell me they make enough money in order to survive and to have a nice lifestyle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, our Don Lemon did more than just ride rickshaws on his recent trip to India. He's going to share some of his insights about that pretty fascinating country.
LEMON: That's the first time I've seen that on television. I was working so hard, I didn't get to see it.
You know, we talked about a lot of things, including bringing an American fast food icon, right, to a country where cows are sacred and it takes more than a little finesse to do that. But the reason you were going to do this when I first got back -- but you were on vacation last week, there was so much breaking news that we felt important do this. It's amazing to see the Western influence when you go to India. PHILLIPS: You wouldn't think you'd see a McDonald's in India.
LEMON: A McDonald's, right, in a place where cows are sacred. Imagine doing that.
So they had to adapt, obviously, to the way that they did business. They got rid of the hamburger, which is a McDonald's staple, and they have -- there's me on the rickshaw, which is kind of -- look at that -- which is a McDonald's staple. And so now they only do veggie and then some chicken, and that's it. And they are separated in the kitchen.
And the people who work on the veggie side wear green. People who work on the side where there's meet, they wear red. Lots of companies are coming in and doing the same thing.
But here's the interesting thing, Kyra. When you come in as a company in India, you have to supply your own support system, because the electricity goes out so much, they don't have the infrastructure to support all these companies up. So you have to generate your own electricity and you have to have your own backup after backup after backup.
So it's becoming expensive to do business there. Even the wages are rising.
PHILLIPS: And you also -- you were there not only doing these enterprise stories, but always a riot even took place while you were there. But it didn't get much coverage. Why?
LEMON: It didn't get much coverage on the domestic side, U.S., because it's not on our radar. And, you know, we were covering Lebanon a lot. But more people died in this attack that happened in Rajasthan, which is not far from Delhi, which is the capital, than died in Lebanon. But we didn't really cover it. It was a clash between castes.
Let's listen to some it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice over): The protests started Monday evening in Rajasthan. By Tuesday, it turned violent and had spread to several areas in the state.
In one district, when Gujars blocked a busy national highway which leads to the Taj Mahal and other popular tourist attractions, police opened fire, killing several protesters on the spot. The protesters overpowered police and began clubbing them and dragging them away, even hacking off the limbs of unarmed constables and torching police posts.
"Until and unless our demands are met," he says, "we'll continue to protest and demonstrate in the same way."
(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: It was the police officers that were doing that? So the rules of engagement are totally different.
LEMON: Yes. Well, the police officers were trying to step in. They opened fire to try to get the people back. And then the Gujars who were in this protest, which is part of the caste system there, well, they overpowered the police and, again, as I stayed, started hacking at some of them, setting fire to police posts. So a lot of people died in this.
It's kind of like America was in the '60s but much more violent. The Gujars and the Meenas and all of these other -- they call them other backwards castes -- that's the name for them -- they are fighting all to be put back at the bottom of the caste system so that they can get these jobs and they can get you to posts at universities and that kind of thing.
So, it was kind of amazing that this wasn't on the radar.
PHILLIPS: Well, and that leads us to just the issue of poverty in India. It's just tremendous.
LEMON: Poverty in India, and they have probably more, I would say, street children and homeless people than in Africa. It's just really amazing.
There are lots of kids who are on the street. One we've been telling this story for, you know, about a week now. We had this on our air.
This one young lady who is a college student here at Emory University started this home for street children in her freshman year of college, because she said she went wanted to do something. She wanted her education to do more than just enrich herself.
PHILLIPS: She's the American Mother Teresa, right?
LEMON: So she did this -- yes. And it's just amazing. And there were tons and tons of story after story in India like this.
As you know, it's in the East, but it's very close to what's happening, you know, the fighting and all of that's going on in the countries that are sort of at war now. But it's very close borders on those countries, so it's a hotbed that we should really pay more attention to.
PHILLIPS: Those assignments totally change your life, don't they?
LEMON: They certainly do.
PHILLIPS: I know.
Well, the closing bell and a wrap of action on Wall Street is straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
LEMON: Now it's time to turn it over to "THE SITUATION ROOM".
PHILLIPS: Suzanne Malveaux in for Wolf Blitzer.
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