Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Tapes of Terror Suspect Interrogations Destroyed; Barry Bonds Waives Preliminary Hearing; 911 Tapes Released of Nebraska Mall Shooting
Aired December 07, 2007 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: CIA interrogations caught on tape by the agency itself. Terror suspects in the hot seat, and I do mean hot.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Congress, of course, the 9/11 Commission, all would have liked to have seen those tapes, but they never will. Some call it an outrage or even worse.
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.
Straight to Pennsylvania, to area of Salisbury, this coming to us via our affiliate, WPVI, live pictures. As you can see, members of the police department, guns up.
A reported shootout took place right here outside Lehigh County Shopping Mall. Armored car guards, we are told, were reportedly involved in this shootout, as an attempted robbery near the Lehigh County Shopping Mall.
Police have confirmed that there were reports of shots fired outside that mall. It was in Salisbury Township. We are told that police right now are searching for a suspect or suspects that have been involved in this.
Unknown man in custody, not sure if he was involved in the attempted robbery or not. The mall was on that lockdown following the incident, but now it has been re-opened.
And it looks like those pictures are around an apartment complex versus that mall. Believe that that's where they're looking for the suspect. We're following it.
LEMON: Also another breaking news story happening, this one coming from Chicago. We want to take you there to these pictures now, this live pictures coming from our affiliate WGN.
What is going on here is an overpass accident, and they're trying to shore that overpass up, because they believe some parts of it are in danger of collapsing.
Here's what we're told is happening, from one of our affiliates there. A semi truck struck a support pillar at the 15th -- 115th overpass. This is on the Bishop Ford Expressway.
It caused severe, severe structural damage here. They are urging people not to take the Bishop Ford and to take alternate routes. The vehicle involved in this crash, they believe, is a dump truck. That is according to Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford there.
They said that the expressway will be closed for at least the rest of Friday, and Friday a very busy day there. The Bishop Ford Expressway one of the main arteries in the Chicago area.
As soon as we get more information on this -- you can see just amazing pictures there, coming out of Chicago, an accident on an overpass. They're trying to shore it up. You can see part of it has already collapsed.
Well, they might be America's least funny home videos, but we'll never know it. We will never know it.
It seems the CIA recorded its interrogation of two top terror suspects. That was back in 2002. And they destroyed those tapes on its own authority in 2005. That's straight from the top at the CIA.
Some members of Congress and the 9/11 Commission say they've been kept in the dark, and today they certainly want answers.
And our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, joins us now with the very latest on that -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, this revelation that the CIA destroyed an undisclosed number of videotapes which showed the enhanced interrogation techniques used against two al Qaeda operatives back in 2002 has raised some serious questions about whether the agency should have provided those tapes to Congress, the courts and the September 11 Commission and whether the techniques involved may have crossed the line into torture and abuse.
With the story about to break yesterday in "The New York Times," CIA director Mike Hayden released a letter he sent to CIA employees, he said was to head off misinterpretation of the facts.
In it he said the tapes were destroyed, in part, to protect the identity of CIA questioners. He said, quote, "Were they ever to leak, they would permit identification of your CIA colleagues who have served in the program, exposing them and their families to retaliation from al Qaeda and its sympathizers."
At least one person on the tape was as Abu Zubaydah, captured back in 2002. Under normal questioning, Director Hayden said, he was found to be defiant and evasive. The CIA authorized enhanced interrogation techniques, believing he had information that could save innocent lives.
Now, government officials have confirmed independently to CNN that Abu Zubaydah was one of the suspects subjected to the controversial technique of water boarding, a technique that makes it appear that you're drowning.
Now, this revelation has prompted big concern on Capitol Hill. Here's a sample of some of the reaction that we've heard in response to the suggestion that the tapes had to be destroyed to protect the identity of CIA officials.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), MAJORITY WHIP: The defense of the CIA is that they wanted to protect the identity of those CIA employees who were engaged in the interrogation.
Mr. President, that is not a credible defense. We know that it is possible -- in fact, easy -- to cover the identity and faces of those who were involved in any videotape. Something more was involved here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: The CIA insists that there was no cover-up intended or carried out, that the appropriate oversight committees were notified on Capitol Hill. And Director Hayden said in his letter that the agency only destroyed the tapes after it was determined they were no longer of intelligence value or relevant to any internal legislative or judicial inquiries -- Don.
LEMON: Jamie McIntyre. Jamie, thank you very much for that.
And we want to tell you that that exact issue that Jamie just spoke about was mentioned in the White House briefing today. Our Brianna Keilar will bring us the very latest on that in just a little bit.
PHILLIPS: Well, it's probably the first time that Barry Bonds would have loved an international walk. Baseball's home-run king was in court last hour to enter a plea of -- on perjury charges, stemming from a government investigation into steroids.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez, live in San Francisco with the latest -- Thelma.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, I can tell you that Barry Bonds left the courthouse just a short time ago. As expected, he pleaded not guilty to four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to a grand jury back in 2003.
Now, when Bonds arrived at the courthouse early this morning, he was mobbed by photographers. He came with a team of attorneys. Now, the hearing was expected to last about an hour, but it happened quickly.
The U.S. district court judge asked if he understood the charges against him, and if he waived his right to a speedy trial. Bonds stood up, and he said yes. Now, because it is a federal courthouse, there were no cameras allowed inside, but my colleague, Ted Rowlands, was inside the courtroom at the time. He says that Bonds smiled at some of the fans who were in the courtroom. They were wearing baseball attire at the time. Other than that, Ted says that he showed no emotions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN RUBY, BARRY BONDS'S ATTORNEY: For today, Barry Bonds is innocent. He has trust and faith in the justice system. He will defend these charges, and we're confident of a good outcome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTIERREZ: Now, the next court date is set for February 7, and at that time, we're told that Bonds may not likely have to appear.
Now, the prosecutor had argued that Bonds should be limited to traveling in the United States only, but the judge sided with the defense team who said that he should be able to move freely about the country and outside of the country, so that he could continue to play baseball.
Back to you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll continue to follow it. Thelma Gutierrez out of San Francisco, thank you.
LEMON: Well, you can hear the shock, the fear, the confusion and the disbelief, as well as the gunshots. Nine-one-one tapes from inside the Von Maur department store during Wednesday's rampage in Omaha, Nebraska. When it was over, nine people were dead, including the gunman.
Here's CNN's Ed Lavandera.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those emergency 911 calls offer the first glimpse of what it sounded like inside the Von Maur department store when the shooting happened.
In the first call you couldn't hear anyone talking, but you could hear the sound of gunfire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello?
(GUNFIRE)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Omaha police say Robert Hawkins may have fired off as many as 60 rounds on the third floor of the Von Maur department store.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That can't be, because I'm still hearing stuff. Hello?
LAVANDERA: Shoppers trapped inside the store called 911 as they hid to survive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. We're up in the women's bathroom. There's a bunch of us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. There's a lot of people there. Stay safe. Let the police do what they got to do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm at Von Maur, and I think there are shots being fired all over the place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we are on our way out there. Anybody been hit?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't seen anything. I'm hiding in a clothes rack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. We're on our way out there, ma'am.
LAVANDERA: Investigators have seen the security camera video of the attack. They say it only lasted a few minutes, not enough time for officers to save any victims. Shooter Robert Hawkins was dead by the time police arrived.
CHIEF THOMAS WARREN, OMAHA POLICE: It appeared that the shooting victims were randomly selected. It didn't appear as if anyone was specifically targeted.
LAVANDERA: Nebraska health officials say Hawkins spent four years in state care and was treated for drug abuse and in mental health hospitals. He was released in the summer of 2006.
TODD LANDRY, NEBRASKA CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES: This tragedy was not a failure of the -- not a failure of the system to provide appropriate, quality services for youth who need it.
LAVANDERA (on camera): Investigators say they're still retracing the final steps that Robert Hawkins took before arriving here at the mall in Omaha. They're analyzing text messages and phone calls that he had made to family and friends.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Omaha, Nebraska.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. Our thanks to Ed for that.
And we want to tell you coming into CNN, CNN has just obtained some of the surveillance photos of that shooter entering the mall. It is just in to us. We will get that to you in just a little bit.
And also, hopefully get some perspective on those photographs from someone who's involved in this investigation. We'll bring that to you, new surveillance pictures of the gunman himself entering the Von Maur department store.
In the meantime, one of the victims, Janet Jorgensen, she was one of six employees killed in this. She was 67 years old. She had three children, nine grandchildren, and had worked at the store for 14 years.
A grandson spoke today for the family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN HUSK, VICTIM'S GRANDSON: It's going to be really hard because Grandma and Grandpa were the definition of true love. They were the epitome of true love. They had been married for 50 years and really showed and brought the family together.
The situation is obviously going to bring us tighter, but one thing that Grandpa and Grandma have always instilled in us is that family is the most important thing. We've always had family get- togethers and have taught us, you know, never to take anything for granted. Grandma knew that we loved her.
It's just difficult, obviously, with the timing. Graduations and weddings, and we're just going to miss everything about her, because she was the most loving, caring person in our lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: This should be a very happy time for most people, and sadly it's not for the folks involved in this.
A friend of the family adds that Jorgensen had helped her husband through cancer and cared for her 94-year-old mother in the past year.
PHILLIPS: Severe storms in the Midwest, Chad Myers getting a lot of snow in parts of the area, too.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Good for skiers, I guess. It's not too much of a blizzard.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: All right. Chad, thanks.
MYERS: You're welcome, Kyra.
LEMON: By now you've heard plenty about the 19-year-old gunman who went on a shooting spree in an Omaha, Nebraska, shopping mall, but what about his victims? We'll have their stories.
PHILLIPS: Police get more time to question Britain's canoe man, John Darwin, about his disappearance, and Darwin's wife begs for forgiveness. Just what did Mrs. Darwin know, and when did she know it?
LEMON: How about this? Two kidneys from one donor for two 10- year-old twins? It's never been done before. We'll find out how the doctor did it. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Just one of the developing stories we're following for you here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Look at that. That is an overpass in Chicago with severe, we're told, severe structural damage because of an accident this morning that involved a dump truck.
This is the Bishop Ford Expressway at 115th Street. Things are so serious here they don't believe that this interstate -- this section of it will be open any time today. They're sending in structural engineers to check out just how bad it is, and they fear that it may be closed for some time.
Again, this accident happening in Chicago, involving a dump truck. It hit a support beam there on an overpass, and they're checking on that to see if they can open it and just how bad that damage is.
We don't have any word of any injuries, but as soon as we get more information, we'll bring it to you right here in the NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: It's 1:17 right now, Eastern Time. Here are some of the stories that we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Barry Bonds says it's not so. Baseball's home-run king pleads not guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice charges linked to steroids. He's free on $500,000 bond.
Forty-six stories above New York City, a scaffold collapses. One window washer is dead; another one has life-threatening injuries.
And a major defeat for prosecutors investigating the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway. A judge in Aruba has ordered the release of the only suspect still in custody, Joran Van Der Sloot.
LEMON: Just a short time ago, our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, talked to us about those White House -- about those tapes that were destroyed, the CIA tapes.
Well, now the White House is responding to all of this. Following this developing story is CNN's Brianna Keilar. She's standing by at the White House now with the very latest on that.
Dana Perino talked about it just moments ago. Right, Brianna?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, she did, Don. And what's interesting is, as you recall, this story broke yesterday in the early evening, and it wasn't until the noon hour briefing today that the White House responded. So the White House taking its time on this.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said the president had no knowledge of these tapes and, thus, had no knowledge that they were destroyed. That is, until he was briefed yesterday by General Michael Hayden during his regular intelligence briefing.
Perino said that President Bush supports Hayden in his explanation that basically these tapes were a security risk, because if they had been leaked, then the identity of the interrogators would have been revealed, setting up those interrogators and their families for possible reprisals by al Qaeda. So she said the president supported Hayden's explanation that this was a security risk.
Now, at this point she says the CIA is gathering facts. She says the White House is going along with this. If the attorney general decides to pursue this, she said the White House will cooperate. But at this point she said it's very preliminary in this process, and so it's sort of inappropriate to speculate about that specifically -- Don.
LEMON: CNN's Brianna Keilar. Brianna, thank you very much for that.
PHILLIPS: Well, a White House [sic] couple gets into a fight with a group of black teenagers. What happened? And does it amount to a hate crime? We're following it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, that's a nice picture. That is of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. And NASA wants to launch Space Shuttle Atlantis tomorrow afternoon, but only if -- only if engineers figure out what's up with the fuel tank gauges.
Yesterday's launch attempt was scrubbed when two sensors failed a preflight test. They showed there wasn't any fuel in the tank when, in fact, it was loaded. Engineers hoped it's just a spliced line or maybe a bad connector, something easy to fix.
Three of the four sensors needed to be working in order to do that launch.
PHILLIPS: The monthly jobs report came in better than expected. Stephanie Elam on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with the reaction from Wall Street.
Hey, Steph.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
Yes, that's right. We've got the November jobs report, and 94,000 jobs were created during the month. That was better than expected. Of course, it's nothing near the October number, when almost 170,000 jobs were created, but still it was a little bit of a surprise here. A little bit better than, I should say, than expected.
Also the unemployment rate held steady at 4.7 percent. Analysts were looking for a light -- slight uptick there, but it didn't happen. So all in all, it was a little bit of good news here today, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, was job growth strong across all sectors of the economy?
ELAM: No, actually, it wasn't. Most of the job growth came from the service sector. And if we're looking for a place where there was weakness, it was in the construction sector, which is not really that much of a surprise, if you take a look at the housing crunch. They actually lost about 24,000 jobs.
Manufacturing also lost another 11,000.
But another little silver lining here, wages were on the upside by about 8 cents, and that's the biggest one-month percentage gain since April of 2006. So, some good news there, as well. And good news for workers, obviously, because they're out there pulling in those extra 8 cents.
Taking a look at what this could mean for the Fed cut, well, see, if it looks like employment is holding steady, that's not going to give the Fed a lot of reason to go ahead and cut interest rates. So that's why we've seen the market kind of tepid today, because people are really hoping that that's going to happen.
Most people are betting that the Fed will cut interest rates when it meets on Tuesday. The idea, though, the question is, how much will that cut be? So we'll be keeping our eyes on that.
(STOCK REPORT)
ELAM: Now, coming up, we've heard about this new mortgage rate freeze. Just one day ago we heard about that. Now people are complaining about it. They're not so happy about it. And we will talk about why that is.
Until then, Kyra and Don, back to you.
PHILLIPS: Sounds good. See you in a little bit, Steph.
ELAM: Thanks.
LEMON: It is a day that's lived in infamy for 66 years now. Today is the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the U.S. into World War II.
This was in grainy black and white. For survivors, it's a vivid color memory they've carried ever since 1941. About 50 survivors are attending the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the USS Arizona memorial.
This is video from Honolulu affiliate KGMB now. And we'll monitor the service throughout the afternoon here on CNN.
This year, they're also dedicating a memorial for the USS Oklahoma.
More than 2,300 Americans were killed in the attack. Almost 1,200 -- 1,200 -- were hurt. PHILLIPS: Police in Britain get more time to question the man that they'd thought that was long dead. We're going to tell you why they also want to speak to his wife.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live in the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Some calls were panicky and confused, others seemed downright calm under the circumstances. 911 tapes from Omaha take you inside the mall where a gunman killed eight people. One thing comes through and that's the confusion, loud and clear, and the sound of gunshots.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DISPATCHER: 911. What's your emergency? Hello? 911.
CALLER: There is someone with a gun shooting people in Von Maur at Westroads.
DISPATCHER: OK, we are on our way out there. Have you seen anybody that was shot?
CALLER: No.
DISPATCHER: OK, we are on our way out there. Did anybody see the person shooting?
CALLER: There's a bunch of people shot.
(END OF AUDIO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: That just gives you chills. Six employees of the Von Maur department store were killed along with two customers. Two others are still in the hospital. Police still don't know why the teenage gunman picked that store as his target.
LEMON: Two days after the massacre in Omaha, Nebraska, the picture is getting clearer, not just of the rampage itself but of the final years of the young shooter's life, years marked by torment and despair.
CNN's Gary Tuchman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first call to 911 had no voice at the other end.
DISPATCHER: 911. What's your emergency?
TUCHMAN: Just the chilling sound of gunshots. The operator couldn't be sure what was going on, but then he heard the voices.
CALLER: There is someone with a gun shooting people in Von Maur at Westroads.
DISPATCHER: We are on our way out there. Have you seen anybody that was shot?
CALLER: No.
DISPATCHER: OK, we are on our way out there. Did anybody see the person shooting?
CALLER: There a bunch of people shot.
DISPATCHER: Ma'am, ma'am, get away from that lady so I can hear what you're saying.
CALLER: She said there are a bunch of people shot inside of Von Maur.
DISPATCHER: OK. The rescue squad, the police are on their way.
TUCHMAN: One of those gunshots was a self-inflicted one that killed 19-year-old Robert Hawkins after he murdered eight other people. The question is why? Flags were at half staff all over Omaha, including the McDonald's where Hawkins worked before apparently being fired this week. People who knew him, including friend Shawn Sanders, said he long suffered from depression.
SHAWN SANDERS, HAWKINS' FRIEND: I'm not sure the level of his depression. I just know he was on antidepressants for the last couple of months, and I just -- I guess it was just getting worse over time, with the loss of his job and I guess he had issues going on with a girlfriend at the time.
TUCHMAN: Hawkins was placed in a mental health treatment center in 2002, after making homicidal threats against his stepmother. He spent much of his teenage years in treatment centers. In a police report filed last year, he alleged he was molested by a roommate at a group home. The state defends its treatment of him.
TODD LANDRY, NEBRASKA CHILDREN FAMILY SERVICES: Based on our review, we believe that this tragedy was not a failure of the system to provide appropriate, quality services for a youth that needed it.
TUCHMAN: He wanted to join the army, saying he wanted to leave Omaha, but was turned down by recruiters.
SGT. EDWARD DUST, ARMY RECRUITER: I wouldn't say that I even had the perception that he was troubled. I would say that I had the perception that, you know, he had some difficult -- a difficult past, to say the least.
TUCHMAN: In the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska, Hawkins went to Papillion-La Vista High School but dropped out. The principal said he did not appear to be bullied but was uninvolved in school. And added he met with Hawkins many times but just couldn't inspire him.
JIM GLOVER, PAPILLION LA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL: While he was at Papillion La Vista High School, he had a number of infractions that were minor. Robert never, ever showed any hostility toward our staff or to our students.
TUCHMAN: Hawkins no longer lived with his family, moving into this home with a friend and the friend's mother.
DEBORA MARUCA KOVAC, ROBERT HAWKINS' LANDLORD: He was a depressed person. He had been very depressed, but it looked like he was getting better. He had gotten a job, he got a car, got his driver's license so things were looking better for him.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Neighbors we talked with say they would see Hawkins going in and outside the house. They say he seemed like a nice kid, no problems whatsoever. They assumed he was part of the family. Now, they know differently.
GLOVER: You know it is tough because somewhere along the line, somebody failed, and probably all of us.
TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN, Omaha, Nebraska.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. This is just in to the CNN NEWSROOM and I want to warn you here it may be disturbing to some people, so if you are easily disturbed or if you have kids in the room, you may want to get them out because these are the new surveillance pictures of that gunman going into the Von Maur department store. This is just in to CNN. Surveillance images of mall shooter, 19-year-old Robert Hawkins in the department store. They have just been released. This first picture, the one you just saw was him walking into the mall before, without a rifle.
Right there, if you can take that just in down, in his right hand, which would be on the left side of your screen, that would be the rifle in his hand. These were just released. Then there's another one, you can put that back up. There's another one, this is a very disturbing one, of him actually with the rifle, looks like he is shooting at someone or at least holding it in position there.
The Omaha Nebraska Police Department released these photos taken before and during Wednesday's shooting spree, in which nine people, including Hawkins, were killed. Again, they show exactly what happened and that AK-47, the first one was him walking in without it. The second one, sort of hidden in his right hand and this one is of him pointing that rifle. We're going to try to get more guidance on this, hopefully from someone from the Omaha Nebraska Police Department coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And also, during our coverage, right when this was breaking, we had our Dan Simon on. Dan is from Omaha, Nebraska, and he is there in the area now working on some stories and he's going to talk to us about this as well. But that's the video -- or the pictures, I should say, surveillance pictures just in to the CNN NEWSROOM. We'll show you more of those a little bit later on.
Also we want to tell you, check out CNN.com if you want to read more about the victims of Wednesday's shooting. They're all described as innocent people going about their daily lives. The story has been the most popular on the site today, and you can also share your memories of victims by sending us an i-Report.
PHILLIPS: Just look at this, more than 2.5 million gallons of crude oil gushing from a tanker off the South Korean coast. The tanker sprang a leak after colliding with a barge, creating a oil slick for four and a half miles. That's more than a mile wide. The oil could hit South Korea's west coast tomorrow, threatening an area known for its beaches. Migratory birds and a maritime park, dozens of boats are trying to contain that gunk.
LEMON: Another 36 hours, that's how long a judge in England has given police to question Robert Darwin. Darwin is a man who was thought to have been drowned, or thought to have drowned five years ago, but suddenly he re-appeared last week. Police also want to know about him and they want to speak to his wife.
CNN's Paula Hancocks has the very latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His first court appearance over, John Darwin is whisked back to this police station in northern England, his home until at least midnight Saturday. But his wife, Ann, is proving to be more elusive. Police know she left her apartment in Panama and flew somewhere. They're just not quite sure where. Ann Darwin has been talking to a British tabloid newspaper but not as yet to the police.
ANDY GREENWOOD, CLEVELAND, ENGLAND POLICE: The last information that we had that she was in North America, but of course, that is unconfirmed. I'm certainly not going to be chasing Mrs. Darwin around the country. Again, I'll just repeat the fact that if she wants to come forward and speak to me then I'm willing to speak to her.
HANCOCKS: Ann Darwin begged forgiveness from her sons Friday, after admitting in a tabloid she knew her husband was still alive but didn't tell them. The sons publicly disowned their parents Thursday, saying they feared they had been victims of a huge scam by their own parents. Ann Darwin insists she only recently learned of her husband's return from the dead, but a boat seller in Gibraltar, the British territory on Spain's southern tip, says John Darwin tried to buy a $90,000 boat from him in 2005, using a fake name and a fake passport. And he received e-mails and a deposit from Ann.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When he flew out to Gibraltar and I spent time with him on board the boat, showing him around the boat, he indicated that his idea was to -- was for him and his partner to go and go off sailing around the world and live on the boat long term.
HANCOCKS (on camera): The police say they are in daily contact with the Darwins' sons, Anthony and Mark, and at this point they are just trying to keep their heads down. The police also said that Thursday's statement from Anthony talking of their anger and their confusion shows just how badly they have been affected.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Cleveland, Northern England.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Teen birth rates are on the rise. So what's behind the increase? The debate right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Identical twins who shared practically everything since birth that includes a rare disease and months of dialysis. Even now, first ever transplants. We're going to talk to their surgeon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Tis the season for sniffles, fever, chills. In other words, it is flu time. This year, there's plenty of vaccine, and for many of you, a choice. Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen looks at the shot versus the spray.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The big news about flu vaccines this year is that the cost of the flu mist, that's the nasal spray, has come way down. For many it used to be prohibitively expensive. So let's take a look, now that the price has come down, which should you get, the shot or the nose spray? Let's take a look at a comparison.
First of all, the shot is a dead vaccine. The flu mist is a live vaccine. An actual virus so there are some safety questions that come with that. The cost, well, the shot is a bit less expensive, about 10 or $11 compared to the flu mist, which is $17 or $18. We saw places that wanted $20 for it.
Here is probably the biggest difference. The shot is approved for pretty much everyone. The flu mist, because it is a live vaccine, is only approved for people ages 2 through 49, and also it's not approved for pregnant women and for people who have weak immune systems. But for everybody else, what the CDC says is get vaccinated. Make your choice and the most important thing is, get yourself vaccinated.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Angie and Nellie Polanco are said to be doing very well, a day after making history. The 10-year-old twins each received a new kidney yesterday from the same cadaver donor. Doctors in Chicago say this is the first time this has ever been done. The girls, born with a rare and life-threatening disease, are in stable condition today. Word is their new kidneys are functioning as expected. In the next hour, I will get a chance to talk with one of the surgeons who did the transplants. LEMON: We certainly wish them the best, don't we?
Teen birth rates are up for the first time in years. Some blame abstinence only programs. Others say not so fast. CNN's Mary Snow takes a closer look at the debate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 2006 birth rates for teenagers were first gathered by the Centers for Disease Control, the head researcher said she was so surprised by the results she wanted to make sure there wasn't a mistake. The numbers compiled by the CDC show a three percent increase in the teen birth rate, reversing a 14-year decline. Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood, blames the rise in part on the Bush administration's abstinence only sex Ed programs.
CECILE RICHARDS, PLANNED PARENTHOOD: Unfortunately what's happening is young people are sexually active, and they're not using contraception. I think that's what this new CDC study shows.
SNOW: Don't blame abstinence programs, says the conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, which explains the teen birth rate rise this way.
ROBERT RECTOR, SR. FELLOW, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION: They want to have children very, very much. They feel they ought to wait until they're a little older, but, gee, waiting isn't all that critical.
SNOW: Just whether abstinence only programs work has been the subject of debate since President Bush advocated them.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One of the parts of our welfare reform reauthorization is to promote abstinence. Let me give you a reason why we should. It works every time.
SNOW: The White House called the rise in teen pregnancy, "An unwelcome development, adding we will be interested to understand what are the causes for the increase and whether it's an anomaly, following a long decline in rates or a trend."
Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton touted family planning programs during her husband's administration for a steady decrease in the teen birth rate, adding under President Bush's leadership, we may be falling off track. Planned Parenthood says even during the decline, the teen pregnancy rate was higher than it should have been.
RICHARDS: We still have in this country the highest teen pregnancy rate of the most developed countries in the world, and in the 21st century I just think we could do better.
SNOW (on camera): The government points out that abstinence programs were funded on a state level during the Clinton administration. They were expanded to a national level during the Bush presidency and spending was increased. Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Was it a hate crime? Police are investigating a brawl on a Baltimore bus to see if it really was racially motivated. Sarah Kreager and her husband, who are white, were riding the bus Tuesday afternoon when they say some black teenagers picked a fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH KREAGER, BEATEN ON BUS: She said -- can you move because my home girl wants -- I want to sit next to my home girl.
TROY ELLIS, KREAGER'S HUSBAND: They called us white crackers, white m-f'ers ...
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Kreager says that when her husband talked back to the kids, the students fought back physically. The couple got off the bus, but Kreager says some students followed them and then attacked them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KREAGER: I felt kicks, punches, stabs, everything. Like I said, when they did this is when I started screaming. I could literally feel something crack in my eye. I was bleeding profusely from my nose. Blood was coming out of my eye. And blood was coming off my head. I have bruised ribs. I have shoe prints on my back.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, Maryland Transportation Police say another passenger and the bus driver were also injured. Nine students were arrested and are now being charged as juveniles with aggravated assault. Investigators are also looking at surveillance video from the bus and say the teens could face more charges.
LEMON: A popular cause is not so popular this holiday season for some reason. The Marines need your help. You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: She's got some pipes. Mary J. Blige, part of last night's all star tribute to CNN Heroes. CNN viewers from across the globe helped us find ordinary people who have done extraordinary things to make this world a better place.
Alina Cho tells us about three of the honorees.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The stories are heartbreaking and heartwarming, each and every one, highlighting a person who is making a difference. It was a star-studded night. Mary J. Blige, Norah Jones and Sheryl Crow were among the performers.
Those CNN honored you may not know their names, but their stories certainly are worth remembering. Take Pablo Fajardo, he sued for millions to clean up pollution left from oil drilling in the Amazon. Actor Jimmy Smits presented that award and I talked to Pablo and I talked to him back stage.
JIMMY SMITS, ACTOR: I'm really profoundly moved by some of them. People from all over the world, all walks of life. You get a sense of what an every day person can do with fortitude as Pablo.
CHO: Another honoree last night was Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe from Uganda. Now Sister Rosemary runs a school aimed at rehabilitating young girls she says were abducted by soldiers and made into sex slaves. She said she never expected to be recognized for her work. You sound more than worthy of this award.
SISTER ROSEMARY NYIRUMBE, CNN HERO: I feel very happy when I see these girls changing, but over time, there's no limit, we don't give them a limit. God is saying thank you, Rosemary, through the CNN people.
CHO: And then there's Wesley Autrey from New York. We call him the subway hero around this city. Autry risked his own life to save a man who fell onto the tracks, and New York Giants star Michael Strahan presented that award.
MICHAEL STRAHAN, NEW YORK GIANTS: When he says, you know what, I went down there to save that life but also with the intentions of coming back to the two lives that I left on that platform ...
CHO: That's really what you were thinking?
STRAHAN: Yeah, it's amazing.
WESLEY AUTREY, CNN HERO: That helped me stay calm, cool and collected. You know I got back to my daughters and went on.
CHO: In case you missed CNN Heroes last night, you can catch it again tonight, starting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.
I'm Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Well, it's not clear whether it's the economy or recalls of Chinese toys or maybe both but the toys for tots campaign for needy children, well it's coming up short. One of the sponsors, Toys "R" Us, says more toys are needed this year, but fewer are being collected. The shortfall could be in the millions. The retailer says it will try to help by accepting donations an extra week until December 16th. It's also matching donations dropped off at Toys "R" Us stores two for one. PHILLIPS: If you have heard enough about campaign themes for a while, how about campaign theme songs? A diva has been ditched and we will tell you who's replacing her.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, sorry, Celine, as in Dion. You have been bounced from the top of the Clinton campaign playlist. And a band named Big Head Todd and the monsters appears to have taken your place. CNN's Jeanne Moos explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What's wrong with this picture? What's wrong with the picture is the sound. Waiting for the day when Hillary Clinton ditches, dumps, drops Celine Dion?
It was the Hillary campaign's theme song picked by the people in a contest on Hillary's Web site that beat out songs like ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not what you want to do, is it?
MOOS: Folks even sent in their own campaign song suggestions.
The winner was announced in a critically acclaimed diner spoof of the "Sopranos" ending.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What looks good tonight?
BILL CLINTON: Anything look good.
HILLARY CLINTON: We have some great choices.
MOOS: Bill and Hillary flipped through the juke box, finally settling on the winner.
HILLARY CLINTON: Ready?
MOOS: They went to black. The same way the "Sopranos" ended. You had to go to Hillary's Web site to hear the winner.
But is anyone who follows the campaign hearing it these days?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lately, no.
MOOS: Chris Welch is a CNN producer in Iowa where a waitress brought him cocoa on a snowy day.
CHRIS WELCH: High above the mountains. Does that ring a bell?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It rings a bell but I don't really listen to a lot of her. I just know of the songs.
MOOS: These days as ABC News first reported on their blog, Hillary's new song seems to be by a band called Big Head Todd and the Monsters. WELCH: I feel like a loser for not having heard that before.
MOOS: Neither did we. It's called "Blue Skies" written at the request of astronauts as a tribute when the shuttle program relaunched after the Columbia disaster. You still hear some Celine Dion now and then at Hillary events.
(On camera): But if Hillary hasn't completely dumped Celine, she's at least cheating on her, which led to this posted comment. "I hope this doesn't mean we have to listen to Streisand now."
WELCH: I haven't heard any Barbara Streisand, no.
MOOS: Streisand did just endorse Hillary. The campaign didn't return our call asking for a comment on Celine Dion's diminishing role. Diminishing even if those who follow the campaign can't get Celine out of their heads. It was originally an Air Canada jingle.
Grounded. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Look at that little fun swoop, I'm the best singer in the world. Very funny.
OK. The next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
