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Dangerous Street Races; NIU Shooting Victims; Superdelegates; Eavesdropping Extension

Aired February 16, 2008 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: All right, straight ahead, a very serious story. It id dangerous, it is illegal, and it's growing in popularity across America. Overnight street racing claimed the lives of seven onlookers in Maryland. Let's get straight to CNN's Kate Bolduan who joins us now from a small town that's less than 10 miles away from the nation's capital -- Kate.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, hi there. Yes, we're very close to the nation's capital, but this is what is being described as a rural area, A very sad day, here in Maryland. Now, police right now, they're trying to plot the scene. The bodies have been taken away. They're trying to figure out how and why this car plowed through a crowd of people.

Now, they're -- what that we've been told is how this happened is a Crown Victoria, a white Crown Victoria, was traveling north on this road and where that green rooftop building is, is where the crowd of people was gathered. For some reason, that car lost control, hit -- plowed through that crowd of people and that is where the injured and the dead were left.

Now, police say it's still not clear if this accident happened during a drag race, which they say was going on here, or if it happened after the fact. They say they have a lot of details to go through and many witnesses to talk to before they can make a firm determination of that.

Now, the Prince George's County police spokesperson says this area in Maryland is unfortunately a very attractive setting for illegal activity such as drag racing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's a rural road, of course, as you notice the traffic signals are fairly far apart. So, it is very enticing for individuals to want to race on this road. However, it is illegal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: It is illegal. Now, this whole tragic accident has left seven dead, one of the dead was a passenger in that white car that caused all of thiS. The driver of the car and three others were taken to area hospitalS. Their condition isn't known, but we do know that families have been out here today, Fredricka, trying to find out information. Police say the bodies have been taken away and now they're going through the process of identifying the dead and, of course, notifying at least seven families -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And so, Kate, is this like a straightaway? We know it's fairly rural, even though it's just 10 miles outside the nation's capital, but a straightaway where it's not very residential and clearly overnight there aren't a whole lot of car, that why this activity were to take place there?

BOLDUAN: Yeah, the key is and the key to this is that it's not a very well-lit area and that's what the spokesperson, the police spokesperson, pointed out is there aren't a lot of -- there aren't street lights here and there aren't traffic lightS. The traffic lights are very far apart which is why it is so attractive for this kind of illegal activity. People can gather, there's a lot of space between the roads and then the trees to our right, so this is a pretty barren area, but clearly still not safe to do that kind of activity.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kate Bolduan, thank you so much from Accokeek, Maryland.

Meantime, let's check in with our Reynolds Wolf because there is some expectation for some fairly serious weather in some parts of the country, today.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, you're right and all different types of severe weather. We're talking about the potential of some blizzard-like conditions, we're looking at the potential for some icing on roadways and then (INAUDIBLE) the potential for flash flooding, large hail, damaging winds, maybe even some tornadoeS.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: We appreciate the warning, nonethelesS.

WOLF: You bet.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, ReynoldS.

Well, two days after the fact and still a university in mourning and families very much grieving and new details today about the man who went on a shooting rampage killing five students and himself at Northern Illinois University, Thursday. Sixteen others were wounded, three remain in critical condition.

Last night a solemn vigil for the dead. We not only know who he they were, but we're learning more about their dreamS. Our Don Lemon is on the campus at Northern Illinois University and I see the makeshift shrine behind you which really is heart wrenching.

DON LEMON, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: It is heart wrenching. And Fred, you said that you have some new detailS. We actually have some exclusive information about the investigation that we are going to share with you in just a little bit and we're also going to talk about this memorial, but here's what I want to tell you. The new details about the shooter, 27-year-old Steven Kazmierczak, apparently just after high school, he spent some time in a psychiatric group home, according to published reports and to the "Associated Press" and our affiliate, here in Chicago. He spent time in that group home. His parents apparently sent him there after high school because he was acting unruly, acting erratically, and that he refused to take his medication.

And according to the manager in that group home, he was sent there because he would cut himself and that the medication he was taking was for depression and also for panic disorderS. He also did a short stint as a prison guard and also was fired or left that job shortly because, very abruptly because he refused to show up for work -- didn't show up for work one day and also did a short stint back in 2001, 2002, only six months he served in the Army and apparently he got a psychological discharge from the Army.

But, here is the new information, the exclusive details we have about the investigation. The travel lodge hotel, here in DeKalb, searched yesterday a room there was searched, apparently police are looking for a laptop computer, a Toshiba computer. Now, here's the information exclusively to CNN called in by the manager of that hotel. On Monday, a man checked in, said his name was Steve, and on the guest registry, the last name was illegible. So, he paid in cash, declined to have his room cleaned. He wasn't seen after that. His check out date was on Friday. Well, the hotel manager could not identify the man, said he only spent about two minutes with him and he was wearing sunglasseS. Said police called the hotel to inquire about a man staying there named Steve in one of the rooms there, asking about a Toshiba computer. The hotel manager sent his wife to the room, knocked on the door, no one was there and they went into the room and they found this Toshiba computer and also the bomb squad swept the room and came in. They're apparently investigating this computer, looking into the computer, not sure exactly what they're going to find. They may find some new information on this Toshiba computer that they took with them, that the confiscated from the hotel.

Other things that they found in the hotel, a pile of men's clothes, an open can of Red Bull, a black wallet, a small black suitcase, small bottles of Gorilla Glue, Gold Bond lotion and apparently a burned red candle tin. So, again, that's the new information about the investigation, not exactly sure if it's the shooter, but it certainly sounds like police have a very serious investigation. They would not have called the bomb squad and not gone to that hotel if they did not have some new information.

In the mean time, this is what we want to honor here, the victims in all of this, five victims, six people dead, including the shooter. This memorial is around campus and there are more memorials like this around campuS. Family members are sending us information, statements about their family members, friends talking about it, and here is just some background on the victims here that we want to share with you about these people.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice over): Twenty-year-old Danny Parmenter was studying finance and sold ads for the campus newspaper. Friends say he was always offering people rides to class, helping with homework and doing community service. He was described as a gentle giant. His adviser says the last time she saw him, he was stretched out on an old beat up couch in the newspaper's officeS. She teased him about having his feet on the furniture.

Catalina Garcia, also 20 years old, was the youngest of four siblings in a family from Guadalajara, Mexico. They settled in suburban Cicero, just west of Chicago. She wanted to become a teacher. Her family said she was adored because she wanted to become somebody in life. A high school teacher said she was shy, very bright, and a good student. Michael Perry said, "She always had a smile on her face, such a positive attitude and outlook on life. It was contagious."

Ryanne Mace's mother said they thought they were have ago boy and named their own child Ryan, pronounced the like the boy's name. The 19-year-old sophomore was studying psychology at the university. Her mother says: "She was beautiful and brilliant and caring. She wanted to start a career helping people. She was in psychology to become a counselor. She was our only child, the light of our lives."

Thirty-two-year-old Julianna Gehant came to Northern Illinois University after a stint in the U.S. Army where she taught construction. Records show she was deployed to Kosovo and left active duty just last year. But, she really wanted to become an elementary school teacher. In her 2007 Christmas card, she wrote, "I have four more semesters until I'm qualified to teach second graders." She is remembered as an openhearted young woman with a keen sense of humor and warm laugh.

Gayle Dubowski Gail was a sophomore at NIU. Friends say the 20- year-old was a good person with a big heart. She sang in the high school choir and her principal said she worked as a teacher's aid. He says she was a very positive student, she touched people. A fellow NIU student saw her Thursday before the shooting and says she was sort of shy, but always had a big smile on her face.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And we are honoring the victims here on CNN and we'll be following the latest on the investigation throughout the day -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Don Lemon, thank you so much.

Off to Africa. President Bush is now in Tanzania. He arrived in the capital of Darussalam just over an hour ago. It's part of his six day tour of the continent. The president and MrS. Bush will visit five African countries, none of them hot spotS. The first presidential stop earlier today, the small west African nation of Benin, where the president told a news conference he's using the trip to draw attention to Africa's success storieS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a large place with a lot of nations and no question, not everything is perfect. On the other hand, there's a lot of great success stories and the United States is pleased to be involved with those success storieS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Staying oversees, a suicide card bombing just outside an election office in Pakistan has killed at least 37 people and wounded more than 90. If comes just two days before parliamentary elections there. The blast happened in front of the office of the opposition, Pakistan People's Party. That's the party of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in December. Parliamentary elections had been delayed in part because of her death.

And we're keeping close watch on Kosovo and a potential explosive situation. The prime minister says Kosovo will declare independence from Serbia tomorroW. Kosovo is the province of Serbia and is under U.N. control, right noW. The European Union has given the final go- ahead to send an 1,800 member task force to Kosovo to help with security and administration. The majority ethnic Albanian population wants independence. The minority Serbs are adamantly against it.

Russia and Serbia also opposed the move and although Serb leaders called for calm, they said they would organize protests in several Serb-held towns in the province on Monday.

Superdelegates: Why they may be the real superstars in this presidential election.

And the U.S. Navy taking aim at outer space. A planned shoot down in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK).

WHITFIELD: It's the primary season and good to a superdelegate. Just about everyone who's anyone wants to be your friend. Our special correspondent Frank Sesno reports it's kind of like being the candy man.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK SENSO, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): What if you were the kid who, like Willie Wonka, suddenly had all the candy? You'd probably have a lot of new friends, kids who ignored you before, but think you're cool noW.

What if the Democratic convention is like that, where the superdelegates are the cool kids, the ones with the candy, the votes that will decide the nominee? It started, superdelegates are suddenly very popular, lots of attention and e-mails and phone callS. Gosh, Madeleine Albright's been dialing for Hillary, Tom Daschle's been working the phones for Obama. Chelsea and Bill have been on the line.

NANCY LARSON, SUPERDELEGATE FROM MINNESOTA: They're all trying to say why they're electable and which one would be the better president.

SENSO: What if you were going to the convention as a superdelegate? You might already be losing sleep over it. SAM SPENCER, SUPERDELEGATE FROM MAINE: I just feel uncomfortable with the idea the superdelegates could play a decisive role in the election.

SENSO: But, if the primaries don't produce a clear winner, you'll have to decide. Will you go with your personal favorite, the candidate you think can win the White House, or the person your district or your state supported? And what if you're accused of overturning the will of the pledged delegates? You may be accused of tearing the party in two, maybe even along racial or gender lines.

LARSON: They never anticipated that we would have two superstars locked in a dead heat. I'm hoping the decision gets made before we have to step in.

SENSO: You may already have had visions of the divisive '84 convention when superdelegates helped Mondale beat Hart. And Democrats know what happened after that.

Remember Willie Wanka, sometimes having candy is no fun at all.

Frank Sesno, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And better BALLOT BOWL is back this weekend. It's your chance to see the candidates unfiltered in their own wordS. CNN's BALLOT BOWL comes your way today 2:00 p.m. Eastern. And here hear Democratic candidates talk about the issues, it's the CNN Univision Debate this coming Thursday night. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama face off in Austin, Texas, 8:00 Eastern.

The Senate has extended the government's eavesdropping plan. Now, it's the House's turn. But House Democrats aren't too keen on one key change. We'll break it down for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: President Bush says your security could be at risk when a controversial eavesdropping law expires tonight. House Democrats accuse the president of fear mongering, at issue, a bill that makes it easier to spy on foreign phone calls and e-mails that pass through the U.S. The president said that it's essential for uncovering terrorist plotS. And although the Senate has passed an extension of the eavesdropping law, the House has not acted. Many Democrats are upset about one provision in particular. It grants immunities to companies that cooperated with previous government surveillance. CNN justice correspondent, Kelli Arena explainS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): According to this man, after 9/11, big brother was watching. Over keystrokes, text messages, numbers dialed, as U.S. Intelligence agencies hunted for terrorists without court approval. MARK KLEIN, FMR AT&T TECHNICIAN: AT&T provided the government spy agency, National Security Agency, with everything, everything that ordinary Americans communicated over the Internet.

ARENA: Mark Klein is a former AT&T technician. He says he stumbled on a secret room at the company's offices in San Francisco set up specifically to allow the government to surveille (ph) customer communicationS.

That's the most detail we have ever heard about any company's alleged involvement in the government secret domestic surveillance program in the wake of 9/11. So, what do the companies say? Nothing. Verizon, Sprint, AT&T won't even talk about it. Why the silence over a program so huge? Well, it's partly because the surveillance program remains classified, but also because the companies are facing dozens of customer privacy lawsuitS. Those lawsuits may hold the answers if they're allowed to go forward.

SEN CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: We will never, ever, every know whether or not these actions were legal or not, whether or not the privacy of millions and millions of Americans were invaded.

ARENA: But most Republicans argue if the suits do go forward, companies will stop cooperating.

SEN ORRIN HATCH (R), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: They voluntarily, patriotically, cooperated so that we could protect our country from terroristS.

ARENA: intelligence officials say they're already suffering the ramificationS.

MIKE MCCONNELL, DIR OR NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Where we find ourselves now, even with a court order, some are saying we'll take it to court to verify.

ARENA (on camera): The U.S. Senate has voted to grant immunity to the companies, but the House has refused. And so far neither side shows any sign of blinking.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The just U.S. Navy aiming for the stars and hoping to hit a falling object, satellite shoot down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Using a house hold product to fill up your tank on this week's "Modern Living." If you're tired of paying too much at the pump, companies like Lovecraft Bio-Fuels may have a solution. Using vegetable oil, new or used, in the tank much your diesel car.

TACEE WEBB, OWNER LOVECRAFT BIO-FUELS: Our system is the one tank system where you can put biodiesel, diesel or vegetable oil or waste vegetable oil all in one tank.

WILLIS: This system can only be used in diesel carS. The gas tank is converted so that can run on vegetable oil. Converting your tank costs between $800 and $1300, depending on the vehicle. So, long-term it may be easier on your wallet and better on the environment.

With this week's "Modern Living," I'm Gerri Willis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Twenty-nine minutes after the hour. Here's what we're working on this hour: a gruesome scene in Maryland. A car plowed into a small crowd watching an illegal street race just sought of Washington, D.C., at least seven people were killed on the spot, four others were taken to the hospital.

The latest now on that shooting at Northern Illinois University. We're learning more about the suspect in the rampage that killed five students and wounded 16 others. Witnesses say Steven Kazmierczak recently stopped taking some medication and was behaving erratically.

With the campus in mourning, police say they found another weapon in Kazmierczak's apartment. The "Chicago Tribune" says the family posted a statement saying they're shocked with the loss of lives. Campus authorities responded within minutes to the shooting. But could it have been prevented?

Our Allan Chernoff takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Students pay tribute to their fallen classmates as a candlelight vigil on campus after a senseless tragedy Northern Illinois University says it had tried very hard to prevent.

JOHN PETERS, PRESIDENT, NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY: We were dealing with a disturbed individual who intended to do harm on this campus.

CHERNOFF: The gunman, 27-year-old Steven Kazmierczak, entered a geology lecture and shot 21 people, killing five, before turning the gun on himself.

GEORGE GAYNOR, WITNESSED SHOOTING: I looked up and I saw him enter the room. He just walked in, no expression on his face. But it seemed like he had intent and knew what he was going to do.

CHERNOFF: Kazmierczak received his bachelor's degree from NIU and had been a sociology grad student last spring. So far police say they found no message from the gunman and see no apparent motive.

CHIEF DONALD GRADY, NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY POLICE: He was someone that was revered by the faculty and staff and students alike, so we had no problems, we've had no indications at all that this would be the type of person that would engage in such activities.

CHERNOFF: The shooter, police say, carried three handguns and a shotgun hidden in a guitar case. All had been purchased legally at the same store.

KEVIN CRONIN, ATF: The shooter purchased two of those firearms just six days ago from a gun dealer in Champaign.

CHERNOFF: Kazmierczak purchased two handgun magazines and a holster online from a Web site owned by a dealer that the Virginia Tech killer patronized.

(on camera): After this tragedy, the entire campus is mourning. Seven victims remain in area hospitals. Three in critical condition. I'm Allan Chernoff reporting from DeKalb, Illinois.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Total outrage. Take a look at this. Surveillance video showing a sheriff's deputy apparently right there dumping a paralyzed man out of his wheelchair, then frisking him. The tape was shot at a Tampa, Florida jail last month. The disabled man had been brought in for a traffic violation. The deputy, Charlette Marshall- Jones turned herself in this morning. She was later released on $3,500 bond. She could face five years in prison for felony abuse.

The U.S. Navy taking aim at a fall be satellite. Pentagon officials tell CNN the effort to shoot it down will cost between $40 million and $60 million. But they say the expense is justified because of the threat from an unspent load much toxic fuel on board. Here's CNN's Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sometime next week, a U.S. Navy standard missile fired from the AEGIS Cruiser USS Lake Erie in the Northern Pacific will for the first time attempt to hit a satellite the size of a bus that's tumbling toward earth laden with 1,000 pounds of toxic hydrazine. The U.S. spy satellite never used the fuel because it failed almost as soon as it was launched 15 months ago. Usually satellites just fall to earth or are guided by their thrusters safely in for the ocean. That's not an option this time.

GEN. JAMES CARTWRIGHT, JOINT CHIEFS VICE CHAIRMAN: That's what distinguishes this particular activity is very with no way to communicate to invoke the safety measures that are already on board the bird (ph).

MCINTYRE: With three quarters of the earth water and with large parts uninhabited, the chances are slim the satellite would kill anyone, but there is a danger. The problem is not so much the 5,000 pound satellite, but the 1,000 pounds of unburnt fuel which could cover 200 yards. MICHAEL GRIFFIN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: It's hard to find areas that have any significant population to them where you could put a toxic substance down and not have somebody at risk.

MCINTYRE: Some experts think the U.S. may have another motive, keeping wreckage from one of its newest spy satellites out of enemy hands.

JOHN PIKE, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG: This is the first of a new generation of imaging radar and intelligence satellites. It has advanced technology on it. They may just want to keep it off of eBay.

CARTWRIGHT: That is really not an issue. Once you go through the atmosphere and the heating and burning, that would not be an issue in this case.

MCINTYRE: And even if the missile missions, there's no real down side.

GRIFFIN: So there is almost nothing we can do here that makes it worse. Almost everything we can do technically makes it better, which was a very strong factor weighting the decision.

MCINTYRE (on camera): The Pentagon says the odds at scoring a direct hit are high and that the satellite is in such a low orbit, all of the debris will fall to earth within weeks. Unlike last year when China blasted an old weather satellite to bits sending some 150,000 pieces of space junk into orbit for decades. Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, now Texas is sort of in the bull's-eye so to speak. Reynolds Wolf there in the weather center. Bull's-eye because we've got the upcoming primaries in Texas, you've got the CNN Democratic presidential debate, and then that's where you come in. Bad weather.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's always about Texas. Isn't it?

WHITFIELD: I know. It's so huge.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you.

WOLF: You bet.

WHITFIELD: All right. From pitcher's mound to Capitol Hill. Our legal guys are here ready to talk about baseball's latest steroid suspect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD (voice-over): It could be a home run of a vacation. CHRIS MCGINNIS, EXPEDIA.COM: Spring training has become a big if phenomenon recently because it's inexpensive, families love it because you're up close and personal with the teams.

WHITFIELD: Reasonable hotel rates and cheap tickets have many people headed south and southwest.

MCGINNIS: Arizona is typically more expensive in the spring because there's just not as many flights headed in that direction. Florida, on the other hand, has low fair carriers that are flying to just about every Florida city.

WHITFIELD: For hoops fan, scoring the best travel deals for the NCAA Final Four games may be a bit pricier, but still possible if you're willing to take one for the team.

MCGINNIS: It is expensive to go to the final March Madness games in San Antonio. Package prices are anywhere starting at about $1,000 going up to about $1,500 dollars. This includes three nights at a hotel plus tickets to the game.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Taking a look at news across America, a ninth grader is killed in what Nevada police are calling a drive by shooting. It happened less than a block away from his high school where he was walking with three friends. Police are looking for four suspects, three boys and a girl.

Eight and nine-year-old Florida boys dig up a dangerous Valentine's Day surprise. A live World War II grenade found buried in their backyard. Folks at Eglin Air Force Base took the grenade off the family's hands, but they let one of the boys keep the top, which will not explode.

And on the Vegas Strip, the Monte Carlo is back. It reopened door to the public yesterday three week after a fire poured through a top section.

Roger Clemens, from the mound to Capitol Hill. One of baseball's greatest pitchers faced congress this week to answer one question, is the power in his pitching arm fueled by commitment and training or something else. CNN's Larry Smith reports on the latest sports hero turned steroid suspect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Roger Clemens has made a name for himself by throwing heat. Wednesday he tried to save that name by withstanding the heat from lawmakers who wanted to know if he's ever taken steroids.

ROGER CLEMENS, BASEBALL PLAYER: I'm not saying Senator Mitchell's report entirely wrong. I am saying Brian McNamee's statements about me are wrong. Let me be clear. I have never taken steroids or HGH.

BRIAN MCNAMEE, PEROSNAL TRAINER: I told the truth about steroids and human growth hormone. I injected those drugs into the body of Roger Clemens at his direction.

SMITH: Clemens wasn't the only one questioning McNamee's credibility. Congressmen came into the hearing in attack mode.

REP. DAN BURTON, (R) IN: I want to make sure I've got it straight. Your friend, Roger Clemens, you allegedly gave him these thought shots, you kept the pads and needles for five years and went on and kept working for him because he was your employer and then you said you felt bad, you felt bad about proposing -- giving these to the Mitchell Committee when you first started talking to them?

MCNAMEE: Yes, sir.

BURTON: Gee whiz. Are you kidding me?

MCNAMEE: No, sir.

BURTON: This was an equal opportunity bashing, meaning Clemens wasn't spared. There were even some fireworks. The star pitcher's attorneys sidestepped the rules and addressed the committee directly in defense of their client. But in the end, still no one is sure who is telling the truth.

REP. HENRY WAXMAN, (D) OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: They don't disagree on the phone call or one meeting. They disagree on whether over a four -- whether over a period of four years Mr. McNamee repeatedly injected Mr. Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone. It's impossible to believe that this is a simple misunderstanding. Someone isn't telling the truth.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. For some answers to this very twisted affair, let's turn to our legal guide, Avery Friedman. A civil rights attorney and law professor. Good to see you.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Richard Herman is a New York criminal defense attorney and law professor. Good to see you as well.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hi, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Richard, you first. What was this really about? Why in the world would Clemens want to be on the hill? Because he asked for this, right? And answer these questions.

HERMAN: He asked for this and the legal advice he got was almost as bad as his attorney's hair piece. I got to tell you, Fred, this was outrageous. He did himself no good. He destroyed his reputation. Look, who had the reason to lie? Who could be corroborated? You don't have to like McNamee, but he can be corroborated. Knoblauch, Andy Pettite, Clemens's wife. Clemens was at that Canseco party. Clemens looked like a fool. And 80 percent of the people believe he was lying during this. He did not do anything to help himself. He ruined his career. I don't think he's going to get in the Hall of Fame right now. Horrible, horrible legal advice.

WHITFIELD: And so, Avery, in addition to all of that, if you're in agreement, talk about hanging others out to dry including your wife, everybody was guilty except him he was saying.

FRIEDMAN: Yeah, everybody was -- you know what, in game two of the 2000 World Series, you may remember that Roger threw a broken bat at Mike Piazza his explanation was I didn't realize it was a broken bat, I thought it was a ball. A lie? Well, maybe it was the steroids. We don't know. Everything that my friend just said is 100 percent correct. He may say good-bye to the Hall of Fame.

HERMAN: The criminal IRS agents who prosecuted on BALCO, Barry Bonds were in the courtroom.

FRIEDMAN: Greg Anderson kept his mouth shut. And that's why Barry is kind of walking free. McNamee kept talking.

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's see if you guys are in agreement with this. Eighteen years after the fact, "Exxon Valdez," everybody remembers especially what it did to wildlife and to industries that rely on the wildlife there. So now the Supreme Court is going to decide whether, in fact, $2 billion, a judgment against Exxon, should hold. Avery, a chance?

FRIEDMAN: I hope it does. This is the biggest punitive damages judgment in American jurisprudential history, Fredricka. It is a very important case because after all, in one sentence, punitive damages are granted to teach the wrongdoer a lesson. Exxon knew that Captain Hazelton was drunk and it was a proper verdict. Actually the court of appeals cut it in half. It was $5 billion and so is the Supreme Court going to uphold 2.5? Environmental and consumer groups are saying we sure hope so.

HERMAN: There is no way the Supreme Court ...

WHITFIELD: Richard, who benefits from this $2 billion if it comes to that? We're looking at the pictures here. File pictures. Everyone remembers it's the wildlife that suffer the most. Does this mean money has to be promised to conservation efforts?

HERMAN: I'm sure, Fred, 3.4 billion has already been paid out. The Supreme Court has routinely shot down punitive damage awards. Here they're looking in to whether punitive damage awards can be awarded under the Clean Water Act and other maritime laws. I don't think it's going to fly. They paid a lot of money here. It was not deliberate. I don't think the Supreme Court is going to uphold that.

WHITFIELD: All right. And real, real quick, because we teased this one, MySpace, a case where someone on Staten Island reached out to someone they weren't supposed to because of restraining order. Turns out the court says, wait a minute, that's the same thing as being face to face. Avery, why?

FRIEDMAN: I thought it was a big First Amendment case. Bottom line, it isn't. Judge said don't make contact. The individual used MySpace" to do it. She was wrong. No big deal.

HERMAN: This is what judges are going to be confronted with, Fred. Online contacts.

WHITFIELD: Yeah.

HERMAN: Do they violate restraining orders? That's cutting edge law right now. It is being made every day in the courts all over the country.

WHITFIELD: Case closed. Richard, Avery, thanks so much. You guys are awesome. Good to see you this weekend.

HERMAN: Take care.

WHITFIELD: All right. Hundreds of inmates face years for crimes that they didn't commit. Many struggling to prove their innocence. Well, thanks to the help of two famous attorneys and their decade long fight, some have been exonerated. Their stories are just part of a CNN special tonight, "Liberty and Justice for All." Join Tony Harris at 10:00 p.m. Eastern for a look inside the Innocence Project.

And we hear a lot of sad stories from Iraq. In a moment, a happy one. How one man made a difference for hundreds of Iraqi children.

(COLD & FLU REPORT)

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WHITFIELD: So we want to take a moment to show you kindness in the midst of war, kindness that is making such a huge difference to disabled children caught in the middle of all the fighting in Iraq. This story comes from CNN's Arwa Damon in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): All these parents know is hardship. None of their children can walk. They've been carried their entire lives. But that is about to change. Largely thanks for the efforts of this man, Brad Blauser, founder for Wheelchairs for Iraq Kids.

BRAD BLAUSER, WHEELCHAIRS FOR IRAQ KIDS: The wheelchairs keep the kids up off of the ground and that's a very important thing concerning health matters. It'll actually help extend the life of the child because the child's in a more comfortable environment.

DAMON: These disabled Iraqi kids get a shot at a better life thanks to Blauser with help from the U.S. military and a group started by Samida Elali (ph) which finds the children. Children like five- year-old Kufran (ph). "Whenever she tries to walk, she just falls," her father Ayad (ph) says. "All the other kids would laugh at her." He's not sure what's wrong with her. Doctors in Iraq simply said they couldn't help. But hopefully this will. A chair that adjusts to grow with her.

Khalid (ph) can barely talk when we ask about his kids. Doctors told him all three have varying degrees of polio. Seven year old Maryam (ph) can barely move. They simply don't know what to do other than love their children. "There are no programs here to teach the families how to deal with their children's disabilities," Samida explains. There's no support system."

Blauser started Wheelchairs for Kids in 2005. He's a civilian contractor here and asked a combat medic friend what more he could do.

BLAUSER: He surprised me with his answer. He says looking for pediatric wheelchairs. We have so many children out in the city disabled, the ones who can get around, are following their friends dragging themselves on the ground. Which is heartbreaking to see.

DAMON: Blauser took up the challenge partnering with the group reach out and care and using donations to buy the chairs for about $300 each, delivering nearly 250 so far. He shows us one of his favorite photos, taken during a delivery in northern Iraq.

BLAUSER: We watched them come toward us. People ran forward to take the boy from the man's arms. The man pulled back. And he told them no. He had been carrying the child all his life. I can carry the last 100 meters so he can receive his wheelchair.

DAMON: Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, take action. You can help make a difference in someone's life, as well. Just log on to Impact Your World at cnn.com and find out how. You can also see more of our Impact Your World stories. Just like that one.

What goes up must come down, but sometimes it takes a little help. With this story, you don't want to miss it. And you won't want to miss this little girl.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So an eight-year-old Arizona girl got more than she bargained for when she decided to climb a tree, she kept going and going. Next thing you know, she had climbed 50 feet and then, of course, got stuck. That's when the Fire Department was called in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNA MOORE, RESCUED GIRL: There is this big bucket and they used it and they brought it and they took it up to the tree. And then they got me down.

WHITFIELD: Pretty scary moments there. Fire officials say the kind of stunt can be dangerous, even deadly, especially when kids climb that high.

A look at the top stories in a moment. YOUR MONEY next. Here's a preview.

ALI VELSHI, CNN HOST: Thanks. Coming up on YOUR MONEY, why personality can trump economic policy when you're choosing a president.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN HOST: Also the foreclosure rescue plan that makes you do what you should have been doing anyway.

VELSHI: And the Fed says inflation is under control. Is it?

ELAM: All that and more after a quick check on the headlines.

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