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Behind the Rampage, Shooter's Girlfriend Interviewed; Independence Day: U.N. Meeting on Kosovo; Biggest Beef Recall Ever in U.S.

Aired February 18, 2008 - 09:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: First off, record recall. Millions of pounds of beef. What's wrong with it and did you already eat it?
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also Pakistanis at the polls. What today's elections mean for a critical American ally in the fight against terror.

HOLMES: Also the campus shooter's girlfriend. A CNN exclusive here. The Steven Kazmierczak she knew, in the NEWSROOM.

NGUYEN: All right. First up, the safety of your food. A record beef recall is under way right now, and it follows allegations of animal cruelty at a slaughterhouse.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here to explain exactly how this recall is supposed to work.

But first off, the abuse they're talking about, exactly what was done?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. And that's actually connected to the food safety issue.

NGUYEN: Yes.

COHEN: There is a video that has been out there on the Internet that shows downer cow. These are cows who can't walk, who are prodded. This is the least icky of the videos that's out there, if you can believe it. The problem with downer cows, they're not supposed to be slaughtered, because there is a possibility they could have BSC or mad cow disease. And so that's why right now everything that was processed at this plant in the past two years is being recalled.

Now, the company has issued a statement. This is the Westland Hallmark Meat Company saying, "I want to reassure our customers and consumers that our company met the highest standards for harvesting and processing meat under the Federal Meat Inspection Act."

NGUYEN: I find it so interesting that it's called a recall because this goes back as far back as 2006. So a lot of people have all right eaten this food including students, because a lot of it went to schools.

So what do you do now? I mean, it's not like you can give it back. You've already eaten it.

COHEN: No. No, you can't give it back. And of course, much of this was eaten. And as you said, this was part of the school food program. So probably -- we know that some students did eat this. There is nothing that can be done right now. But I want to be very clear that the USDA says that they instigated this recall out of an abundance of caution. They said they have no reason to think that these cows did have mad cow disease.

In fact, they have every reason to think they didn't because there's all sorts of safeguards built into the system so that cows don't get this disease. But when they see that this slaughterhouse processed these downer cows, it certainly leaves room for doubt, but, really, I mean, some of this might be sitting in people's freezers.

NGUYEN: Yes.

COHEN: But really for the most part, the damage has been done.

NGUYEN: Right. Already. You know, so how do you find out -- this just leads to a bigger problem. How do you find out all the stuff that is recalled? We keep hearing about this periodically and it makes you wonder, well, maybe I should check my freezer.

COHEN: Right.

NGUYEN: I've already eaten it, OK, that's one thing. But another thing, what about the other things out there?

COHEN: Well, you know, usually we go on television and we read the lot numbers...

NGUYEN: Right.

COHEN: ...and we read the brand names of things that need to be recalled. But we're not going to be doing that now because the list is so long. So if you go to CNN.com you will see a link there where you can get the entire list. As I said, it is very long, but it is worth checking and worth looking in your freezer.

NGUYEN: It's the largest in U.S. history.

COHEN: That's right.

NGUYEN: And much of it has already gone down the pipes.

COHEN: That's right. Well, you know, imagine what a slaughter can do in two years.

NGUYEN: Geez, a lot. All right, Elizabeth. Thank you. Do appreciate it.

COHEN: Thank you.

HOLMES: We got severe weather to talk about this morning. High winds and hail in the forecast today from the mid-Atlantic to Florida. Storms and tornadoes stretch across the southeast yesterday. The hardest hit area, Prattville, Alabama where a tornado injured about 30 people, destroyed 200 homes and businesses, knocked out power to thousands as well.

One employee of a tanning salon talked about what happened when the roof collapsed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID SHOUPE, STORM VICTIM: We're standing there, like, we saw cars going across the parking lot and then we saw things start flying, and one of our customers came (INAUDIBLE), like, you all run, and as soon as he said that, we all took tack off down the hallway. We opened the door in the laundry room door and dove in. And as soon as we dove in, Kate was on the ground. I got on top of Kate. And I was covering her up and then Melanie was behind and Ken did the same for her, and then everything just started falling through at that time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And meanwhile, snow and freezing rain were the big problems in the Midwest. Parts of Missouri and Wisconsin got up to 10 inches of heavy snow, of course, forcing Kansas City International Airport to close for almost six hours.

NGUYEN: Goodness. Storms throughout a lot parts including here in Atlanta.

HOLMES: Yes.

NGUYEN: Saw them yesterday. Jacqui Jeras joins us now at the severe weather out there. I understand tornado watches in some areas, still?

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: The road to the White House. Kissing babies, you know, that makes for pretty good photo. But you know, the real clout comes from who's giving you that affection.

Yes, the embrace from some of those power brokers out there. We got some endorsements to tell you about now. First, on the Republican side, next hour former President Bush will back John McCain. Bush was Ronald Reagan's vice president, and that could bolster McCain's claims to be a Reagan Republican. Also Democrat Barack Obama has met with former rival John Edwards. He's reportedly torn about whether to endorse Obama or Hillary Clinton.

Meanwhile, the former first lady is (INAUDIBLE) Wisconsin today, a sign of tomorrow's presidential primary. Also going to the polls tomorrow voters in Hawaii, is what it is.

NGUYEN: Is that what you're trying to say?

HOLMES: I think I need a vacation to Hawaii.

NGUYEN: Apparently.

HOLMES: Obama was born there and spent most of his childhood there as well. Also something in Wisconsin today. Republican long shot Mike Huckabee. He continues to ignore some calls from those on the GOP side that he needs to drop out of the race since he is mathematically out of it in delegates.

Well, let's turn to Wisconsin now for the last-minute campaigning. Our Mary Snow is in Milwaukee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Senator Barack Obama slipped off to North Carolina without the press to meet privately with former rival John Edwards, more than a week after Edwards had a similar sit-down with Senator Hillary Clinton. The fight for his support and his endorsement is about as heated as the fight for Wisconsin on Tuesday.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're not taking anything for granted. We want every single voter out there to come out. And by the way, not just Democrats but also independents and maybe some disenchanted Republicans, we want your votes as well.

SNOW: Obama took to the low airwaves after bad weather derailed campaign stops in Wisconsin. Clinton, too, had to change gears canceling some appearances but making ring an impromptu shop at a grocery store in Milwaukee. She's been looking ahead to Ohio and Texas but has been criticizing her rival for not debating her in Wisconsin.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that fact that he won't debate me says a lot about his campaign.

SNOW: Obama's camp says they've debated enough.

On the Republican side, frontrunner Senator John McCain took a break from the campaign trail but made a promise on ABC's "This Week" not to raise taxes if he's elected.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST, "THIS WEEK": So on taxes, are you a read-my-lips candidate? No new taxes no matter what?

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No new taxes.

SNOW: It's a promise his Republican rival says is old news. Mike Huckabee claims he made the same pledge last year. He's advocating abolishing the IRS altogether. Huckabee campaigned in Milwaukee last night and said he's staying in the race to try rally the traditional base of the GOP.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. And our Mary Snow joins us now from Milwaukee. Good to see you. Tell us on both sides, really, how important the contests are in Wisconsin, because on the Democratic side, you got -- really everybody's looking ahead to Texas and Ohio in March, and also on the Republican side, you know, McCain is the presumptive nominee. So how important really is tomorrow?

SNOW: You know, T.J., it's important enough that all four candidates, two Democrats, two Republicans, all have events here in Wisconsin.

On the Democratic side, there's 74 delegates at stake, on the Republican side, 37. While it's important, as you mentioned, candidates are looking ahead on the Democratic side, particularly Senator Clinton, to Ohio and Texas on March 4th. But she is certainly trying to slow down Senator Barack Obama's momentum, his eight-state winning streak. So she wants to have a strong showing here.

On the Republican side, of course, Senator John McCain is far ahead, the likely Republican nominee. Still, he doesn't want to lose any states at this point, because it would be seen as an embarrassment as Mike Huckabee is defiant, remaining in the race, trying to say that he is the real conservative of the two. So it is important enough to bring all of the candidates here and make their last final pitch before tomorrow's primary.

HOLMES: All right. Well, we also -- of course, they're voting in Hawaii, and I bet you wish, Mary, they were campaigning in Hawaii so you could cover them there.

SNOW: Yes.

HOLMES: But you're there in Wisconsin. We...

SNOW: I certainly do.

HOLMES: We appreciate you. Mary Snow for us in Milwaukee. Thank you so much.

NGUYEN: Definite a different climate.

HOLMES: Yes.

NGUYEN: Let's take you now to Pakistan. Polls closed a couple of hours ago in Pakistan's high-stakes election. The parliament that's chosen today could very well determine the political survival of President Pervez Musharraf, who has stood with President Bush in the war on terror. CNN's Reza Sayah is in Islamabad and joins us now.

Reza, has the vote count begun?

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has begun, but the election commission tells us that it's going to take until Thursday for some kind of idea who came out victorious. But this is certainly was a historic day here in Pakistan, perhaps the most important election day in Pakistan history. Pakistanis went into this day with fears of vote rigging and violence. The polls closed about two hours ago. We can tell you there was some disruption, some incidents of violence, but certainly not the disastrous scenario that some people feared. The worst incident took place this morning, 9:30 a.m. local time in a gunfight. One person died when two rival party workers got in a gunfight. And before the poll stations opened, very early, there was several bombs placed in empty polling stations, possibly to scare voters.

But we went in to polling stations throughout the federal capitol, Islamabad, today. We talked to people. They were upbeat, they were still skeptical, but certainly happy that they could come in and have their say.

Again, the election commission says that it's going to take until Thursday to reveal some definitive results, but we may get some idea who's doing well in the next 24 hours -- Betty?

NGUYEN: All right. We'll be on top of that. Reza Sayah joining us live from Islamabad today. Thank you, Reza.

HOLMES: Now the Illinois campus shooter, his girlfriend now in a CNN exclusive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA BATY, ILLINOIS CAMPUS SHOOTER'S GIRLFRIEND: He was not mean. He was -- he had the biggest heart ever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Figuring out Steven Kazmierczak. She says he was not a monster. That story ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Welcome back, everybody. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Betty Nguyen.

Well, beef has been recalled. In fact, millions of pounds of it. Find out why coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, the former first lady, Nancy Reagan, is in the hospital after falling at her home. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

Well, hello to you. How's she doing?

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: T.J., I can tell you that she's doing absolutely fine this morning. Her spokesperson said yesterday that they initially thought that she had broken a hip. She was brought here to St. John's Health Center. Doctors examined the 86-year-old former first lady and determined that, in fact, she has not broken any bones. Now she was rushed to the hospital yesterday after falling in her Bel-Air home, and she was kept overnight, just as a precaution, they say.

Nancy Reagan, who said to be in good health, was last seen in public back in January at the GOP debate at Reagan Library in Simi Valley. Her spokesperson said that she is in good spirits here at the hospital. She was joking with friends who came to visit her in her room yesterday. And incidentally, it is the same room where her husband stayed after he had broken his hip back in 2001. And she is expected to be just fine. Back to you, T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Well, that is good to hear. She didn't break anything, she's in good spirits, she's cracking jokes.

GUTIERREZ: Yes.

HOLMES: That's good to hear. Thelma Gutierrez for us. Thank you so much.

NGUYEN: President Bush is in Africa and on the offensive against deadly malaria. Today in Tanzania he toured a factory that makes mosquito netting. The insect-borne disease kills 100,000 people a year just in that country alone. The president called those deaths needless. And today he announced an international effort to hand out millions of bed nets in the east African nation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today I'm pleased to announce new steps in the bed net campaign. Within the next six months, the United States and Tanzania, in partnership with the World Bank and the Global Fund, will begin distributing $5.2 million free bed nets.

This ambitious nationwide program will provide enough nets to protect every child between the ages of one and five in Tanzania.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: During the president's six-day trip, he is planning to visit five countries on the impoverished continent.

HOLMES: Well, a United States top diplomat and calling for an end to bloodshed in Kenya. The Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is lobbying for peace talks between Kenya's government and opposition leaders. She met with former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He's there mediating talks between the two groups.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: And there needs to be a government arrangement that will allow real power sharing that will allow a coalition, indeed a grand coalition so that Kenya can be governed. The election was a difficult, difficult circumstance for the people of Kenya, and it's now very important, as that will be examined in another form to deal with the fact that that election did not produce an outcome that can lead to the governance of Kenya. And so now that outcome has to be produced by negotiation and by goodwill. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Kenya erupted in ethnic violence after its presidential election in late December. Opposition leaders say the vote was rigged and refused to recognize the president's re-election as valid.

NGUYEN: Well, in "Minding Your Business," the disc format wars. Yes, Blu-ray trumping its rival just as VHS beat out Beta. Remember that? A generation or so ago?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, Sony's Blu-ray technology emerging as the likely winner in a format battle for the next generation of DVD players.

Stephanie Elam, my dear lady, she is "Minding Your Business," and I need you to mind my business right now because I got problem, Steph.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You need help. You need help.

HOLMES: I got a problem.

ELAM: You do, T.J. It's good to talk with you. But this is a case of basically VHS versus Beta round two, obviously, because we would do this in '80s. And now it's came down to the sort of same situation where you had HD-DVD, which is made by Toshiba, and then you have Blu-ray, which is made by Sony. And these two were duking it out. We didn't know which one was going to win. But now it looks like Sony's going to win.

And here's the reason why. Last week Wal-Mart said it's phasing out HD-DVD over the next few months. It's also going to remove it from Sam's Club as well. And they're saying that their customers just overwhelmingly were choosing Blu-ray. Same thing happened to Target and Blockbuster as well. Now no formal decision has been made yet from Toshiba but they are expected to pull out of this whole format battle here, maybe even as early as this week, T.J.

But the one thing here that we do definitely need to point out is that it's not just those companies, it's also the movie -- the home movie rental business. Netflix saying it's going to go with Blu-ray as well. Then you got companies like Walt Disney and 20th Century FOX, MGM, and also Warner Brothers, which obviously is a sister company to CNN under the Time Warner label.

But all of that, all of those companies saying they're going to go with Blu-ray. Do you hear that, T.J.? They're all going to go with Blu-ray?

HOLMES: Stephanie, why? Why did people start choosing Blu-ray? Why did people just gravitating towards that?

ELAM: Well, here's the thing. When you look at them, they're both offering clear, crisp sound...

HOLMES: Yes.

ELAM: ...and high-definition video. I mean it's all very pretty, it's (INAUDIBLE) work.

HOLMES: Yes.

ELAM: They don't work together, however, and the way they were built is HD-DVD was a little bit cheaper but if you take a look at what Sony's Blu-ray was offering, it had more space on it. So overall people just -- they just went with it.

HOLMES: OK.

ELAM: So if you happen to have purchased HD-DVD, like, let's say, like last week...

HOLMES: OK, look.

ELAM: You might want to work that out.

HOLMES: I was given a DVD with an HD-DVD format. So I just thought it was a good excuse to go ahead upgrade. So yes, Thursday, I bought a Toshiba...

ELAM: Thursday.

HOLMES: ...HD-DVD player.

ELAM: Why didn't you talk to me first? You know, I will help you out. Give you the business information you need, T.J.

HOLMES: But still, a person like me now, do I wait for them to just cut the prices on the HD-DVDs, go buy all of those up, so at least I'll have a collection. I can still use my HD-DVD player down the road.

ELAM: OK. Well, here's one thing that I should help you out with.

HOLMES: OK.

ELAM: Your old DVDs?

HOLMES: Yes.

ELAM: They should be able to work on Blu-ray.

HOLMES: Yes.

ELAM: Because those are so widely across the market that they know it'd be stupid for them to make something that we can't use. So that is expected to happen. Your old one's fine. But your HD-DVD ones will not run on your Blu-ray one.

And as things move forward, if you want to watch something in HD on your TV at home, now that everyone's moving up to these big digital things, you're going to have to use Blu-ray more than likely, because that's what the major companies are using. Do you understand what I'm saying? The major companies have decided.

HOLMES: But you're telling me I just wasted a couple hundred dollars?

NGUYEN: Oh yes.

ELMA: Yes. And you know what you? You know how to -- you can e-mail me. You have my cell number. I'd help you out. I'd help you out. But you know I have to tell you one other thing, T.J.

HOLMES: OK.

ELAM: I'm going have a little prophetic moment here.

HOLMES: OK.

ELAM: The markets are going to change today. There will be no up, no down. They're closed today for Presidents Day.

HOLMES: OK. They're close.

ELAM: So I do need to point that out.

HOLMES: She's good, I think.

NGUYEN: She's a real (INAUDIBLE) goddess, isn't she?

HOLMES: Gosh, she's good. Stephanie Elam, my bad. I'll call you next time.

ELAM: Next time, all right.

HOLMES: All right. See you, girl.

ELAM: Bye, T.J. Bye, Betty.

NGUYEN: Good-bye.

Hey, T.J., if it makes you feel any better, I bought a, what, Dreamcast? Remember that? Remember those? Two years ago?

HOLMES: Oh my goodness.

NGUYEN: They don't make them anymore. Those games aren't worth anything so don't feel too bad.

HOLMES: OK. We've all been there. Technology just changes too fast.

NGUYEN: So quickly. And let's talk about this, out of control, an illegal street race in Maryland takes a tragic turn with eight spectators killed.

CNN's Kathleen Koch has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Memorials now line the stretch of flat four-lane road where neighbors say the lack of traffic signals has attracted racers for more than 20 years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Drag racing on a state highway is wrong. It's just completely wrong and it should not ever happen.

KOCH: So why does it happen? Police say the racers are well organized, often moving from site to site and using police radios and lookouts to avoid getting caught.

CPL. CLINTON COPELAND, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY POLICE: It's something that we're working on and we continue to monitor this situation. We continue to use our resources.

KOCH: At least some neighbors agree that police are trying.

KELLY CANAVAN, NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: We do get the responses from police, but I guess it's something that's very hard to control.

KOCH: Police say they have yet to determine if they received complaints Saturday morning, when witnesses say at least 50 people showed up to watch the races. The gruesome accident happened when some of the spectators apparently rushed on to the highway to get a better look at the passing cars.

CRYSTAL GAINES, FATHER KILLED IN ACCIDENT: Two race cars went on down, and the race was over, and all of a sudden I looked back and I saw this white thing coming, but it didn't have no lights, no nothing on it.

KOCH: That white car was this Crown Victoria. They say the driver was not involved in the race but plowed into the crowd likely after being blinded by smoke from the screeching tires. People who live in the area say they hope something good will come out of this horrific scene.

CANAVAN: Hopefully it will raise some of the racers' awareness also and they'll realize that this is not all fun and games.

KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Accokeek, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: We got a new round of winter tornadoes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was the scariest thing I've ever been through in my entire life, and I just finally got in touch with my parents and I walked through our neighborhood and it's destroyed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Digging out in the deep south. Coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Hello, everybody. Welcome back. I'm T.J. Holmes.

NGUYEN: Yes, good morning on this Monday. And I'm Betty Nguyen.

And we are learning more about the man who killed the five students at Northern Illinois University. Steven Kazmierczak remembered by his girlfriend in a tearful CNN exclusive. Investigative correspondent Abbie Boudreau reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA BATY, STEVEN KAZMIERCZAK'S GIRLFRIEND: It says you were the best Jessica. You've done so much for me and I truly do love you. You will make an excellent psychologist or social worker someday. Don't forget about me. Love Steven.

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Jessica Baty is reading the last words her boyfriend of two years wrote to her, a note that she got on Valentine's Day, the same day Steven Kazmierczak killed five students and himself at Northern Illinois University.

Do you still love him?

BATY: Yes. I do still love him.

BOUDREAU: Is it hard to love him now?

BATY: No. It's not. Because I know the real Steven.

BOUDREAU: In the two-hour interview, Baty describes the man she thought she knew.

Looking back, are there any warning signs?

BATY: The person that I knew was not the one that walked into the school hall and did that. That wasn't the Steve I knew. He was anything bought monster. He was probably the nicest, most caring person ever.

BOUDREAU: She says he had a troubled childhood, and spent time in a group home as a teenager. Battling depression.

BATY: He did cut himself and, you know, he showed me the scars on his arms. I made him promise never to do that, and that if he was feeling bad, you know, he needed to talk to me, maybe, you know, get through it.

BOUDREAU: She says NIU officials were wrong when they said Kazmierczak was acting erratically after he stopped taking his medication.

BATY: It's Prozac.

BOUDREAU: She says he used to battle anxiety and excessive compulsive tendency.

BATY: He was on medication and he did stop taking it, and he stopped taking it because he said that it made him feel like a zombie and he just, like lazy. That's why he stopped taking it. He didn't behave erratically.

BOUDREAU: They lived together for the past year, and she says she knew he had guns in the home.

BATY: I knew about the shotgun and I knew about one of the handguns. I think I knew about the highpoint, but the other two he bought on a day while I was at work. So I had no idea until I read about it, and I was like, my god. He did this while I was at work.

BOUDREAU: She describes the last time she talked to him, the night before the shooting. She thought he was visiting his godfather who was sick. She had no idea he was in DeKalb near the school campus.

BATY: I talked to him on Wednesday, Wednesday night, early Thursday morning, about midnight he called me before he was going to go to bed, and he said that, you know, he told me not to forget about him, and he told me that he would see me tomorrow and then when we got off the phone he said, good-bye Jessica, and he never said good-bye, Jessica. He always said you know, see you later, Jesse, or it was never good-bye Jessica and I thought that was strange.

BOUDREAU: In the days after the shooting, she says police told her they confiscated packages Kazmierczak had sent to her. One contained these textbooks she wanted for school and a new cell phone. He also sent her "the anti-Christ." Then she revealed what another package contained.

BATY: A package with some ammunition and a gun holster in it.

BOUDREAU: After all of this, she says she's not angry. She's just hurt and confused.

BATY: I can't believe he's gone. I can't believe he took other people with him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Students packing heat can conceal weapons stop school violence. We're going to debate that later this morning.

HOLMES: Overseas in Afghanistan, worst violence since the fall the Taliban. Police say a suicide bomber killed at least 35 civilians today at a market in the southern city of Spinboldak, near the border of Pakistan. Police say the bomber was carting a Canadian military convoy. The attack after a suicide bombing outside Kandahar. The bombing targeted spectators at a dog fighting match.

NGUYEN: Back here in the U.S., severe weather is really still on the forefront of a lot of people's mind. Talking tornado watches in some areas. Jacqui Jeras joins us.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's been a really busy 24-plus hours. Thirty-four tornado reports yesterday. Today, zero. We're hoping to keep it that way. The threat of tornadoes is diminishing this hour. We still have kind of a sliver left of the tornado watchbox that includes parts of southern Georgia and into north Florida.

What we're concerned about, this squall line moving from Gainesville and it's just starting to push through the Jacksonville area. No warnings on this right now, but you could see strong, gusty winds and also maybe even small hail with that line as it pushes on through.

We're also watching the Outer Banks here in the Carolinas for that possible threat as these storms roll on through. I think once that line gets out of here, we'll watch for better conditions. Although it's still going to be kind of a rainy overcast day and tough on the roadways. You see the watch moving offshore from the Virginia area.

Into the northeast we don't have any severe weather here, but severe airport delays. We've got really some really gusting winds. That in addition to low clouds is really holding things up. Look at Boston, 32 miles per hour. That's going to be difficult even on some of the roadways, kind of white knuckling it. Watch out for that. And a ground stop now in effect.

Boston, ground delays over an hour. That's a new one. Boston a new one getting in on the delay action. It's been kind of quiet there this morning but now that picking up at La Guardia. Delays getting a little bit better right now in Newark. They're about 40 minutes. And San Francisco, a new delay for you around 40 minutes. We've got some low clouds and fog. We think things will improve in San Francisco by this afternoon.

Now, the northern tier of this storm system caused quite a bit of snow yesterday. Blizzard conditions in parts of Iowa and southwestern Wisconsin; very difficult for the candidates in Wisconsin yesterday to try to get around and today they're still dealing with snow showers from Madison towards Milwaukee. But snow accumulation there today is going to be relatively light as people get out to the polls there, tomorrow temperatures only in the teens. Going to be really cold. Cover up and get out to the polls.

NGUYEN: OK.

JERAS: That was me tying up the scarf.

NGUYEN: Thank you, Jacqui. A little extra there for us.

Well, our I-reporters sending in photos of the tornado damage they witnessed. Check this out. Rain in the Summerfield area, Dallas County in Alabama. Man, the damaged cars on top of each other. Says she didn't hear anything, although there were tornado warning. The damage was only about three miles from her home.

When the weather becomes the news, remember to send your I- reports in to CNN. Go to CNN.com and click on I-report or type I- report at CNN.com into your cell phone. Remember, stay safe doing it.

HOLMES: Hey, bartender, give me a Black Label and Coke and a 1040. An accountant sets up shop in a pub.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Try to make it look as if they were in the office, but they're actually standing next to a full table, a foosball table and dart boards.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: No drinking on the job. Really?

NGUYEN: That's a pretty good job, though.

HOLMES: Really want your taxes done in a bar while you're twisted?

NGUYEN: I'd be afraid of getting audited after that.

HOLMES: We'll be right back.

NGUYEN: First, diversifying stocks and bond is an important part of building a strong portfolio. Or so would you think. CNN's Christine Romans takes a look at an off the wall investment that could be right on your money.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL MOSES, CO-FOUNDER, ARTASANASSET.COM: This is the first painting I ever bought.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael Moses looks at art a little differently than most people. As co-founder of the Met Moses Fine Art Index he can appreciate art's beauty and also determine how its value has appreciated over time.

MOSES: From 1950 on, you could see that the growth rate, the slope between the two lines, is about the same.

ROMANS: On Moses' Web site, artasanasset.com, potential investors it crack value of 12,000 works of fine art sold at Sotheby's and Christie's. A valuable tool for those interested in investing beyond the stock market and real estate.

MOSES: We have given people the information that allows them to assess art versus other assets that they hadn't had that ability to do before.

ROMANS: According to Moses, art has traditionally stacked up pretty well against more conventional investments. MOSES: Compared to the traditional assets, of total return for the S&P 500 has been a little over 10 percent over the last 50 years, and the return for our index over the same period has been about the same.

ROMANS: But he says there's more to it than just dollars and cents.

MOSES: Art is an enjoyable thing to invest in, because it has beauty outside of its investment potential.

ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: A world record attempt interrupted in the worst kind of way. Take a look at these pictures off the coast of New Zealand. That is a capsized yacht. Ten French sailors went overboard. Rescue helicopters reached them this morning and then pulled them out of the ocean. There were no serious injuries, and the yacht is actually a trimaron. The sailors were about half way through in thin attempt to break an around-the-world sea record, which is just over 50 days.

HOLMES: Try that one again.

The U.N. Security Council meets today to discuss Kosovo's declaration of independence. Russia and Serbia are leading that opposition but that's not stopping the celebration.

Here now, CNN's Alessio Vinci has the story.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a day Kosovo and Albanians long waited for and fought for. Their prime minister who helped lead the fight made the announcement.

HASHIM THACI, KOSOVO PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The day has come and from this day onward, Kosovo is proud, independent and free. My family as your family and all families in Kosovo never hesitated and never lost trust in us, trust in god, justice and power.

VINCI: The streets of the capital quickly turned into a giant party. I am waiting for the whole world to recognize us, she says. Many waved American flags recognizing U.S. and European support for Kosovo's independence. This man says he came here all the way from Australia to celebrate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are very happy to be here. We have traveled all the way from Australia for the big day and festival.

VINCI: Leaders here asked the people to celebrate with dignity, mindful that not everyone is happy with the move. To the 100,000 Serbs living in Kosovo, this was a day of tragedy. Kosovo is Serbia's historical and cultural homeland and say it will always be a part of their nation. Serbia says it will not oppose with violence but protesters clash with police outside the U.S. embassy.

VOJSLAV KOSTUNICA, SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We will do the most to bring the province of Kosovo to where it rightfully belongs. Politics have now triumphed and nobody will prevent the Serbian people from realizing their freedom.

VINCI: Celebrations in Kosovo continued all night long. But people here will wake up to their old everyday problems, which independents will not magically disappear.

Half of the people celebrating here tonight don't have a job to go back to. Unemployment stands at 50 percent. There is rampant corruption and no real function in the economy. It has been tough to get here. It will be even harder to turn this province into a prosperous nation.

Alessio Vinci for CNN in Kosovo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Toys, toys, toys. Yes, new ones on display but sellers are playing around with safety. We have that story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, the largest beef recall in U.S. history but the government says it's only a remote chance anyone could actually get sick. Westland Meat, a company out of California, recalling 143 million pounds of beef. It was produced over the past two years. So most of the meat has already been eaten.

Now, this all started with accusations from the Humane Society of the United States last month. It releasing this video you're seeing of inhumane treatment of cows that could not walk. That led to animal cruelty charges against two former plant workers and it got the USDA's attention as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. KENNETH PETERSEN, USDA: We did an investigation obviously for what you see on the tape which is just clearly unacceptable handling practices. And then during the course of the, during the investigation we did uncover some evidence that after my inspectors looked at animals prior to slaughter and they look at them to make sure they're healthy and they look at them in motion.

After that, on rare occasions, an animal may have gone down. And the plant is obligated to notify us so that we can come out and re- examine that animal. They did not do that. That's a serious violation, and that's really what led to the recall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And check this out. Some of the beef used in school lunch programs. The school systems in 36 states were warned to stop using it two weeks ago. NGUYEN: Well, they are not playing around. American toy sellers are putting a new premium on safety, and CNN's Allan Chernoff has the story now from the New York toy fair.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Behind the fun and games of toy fair this year is a sober obsession with safety. Manufacturers are trying to assure buyers and retail chains their products are thoroughly tested, especially important in young children's toys.

The toy ice cream looks delectable and I'm sure plenty of toddlers would love to put it in their mouth. Is it safe?

NURIT AMDUR, CEO, ALEX TOYS: Extremely. You can source very good toys in China; safe, high quality, beautifully designed.

CHERNOFF: China is now the manufacturing capital of the toy industry, from classic toys and the latest in technology inspired play; a necessity, executives say, to turning a profit this highly competitive business.

Gross out toys are back in a big way. These are mad balls. They first came out in the late '80s. Now they've made a revival and, of course, they're made in China. They are just incredibly disgusting.

ALAN DORFMAN, PRESIDENT, BASIC FUN: Thank you. We worked hard at that.

CHERNOFF: There must be some kid who tries to gross out their friends saying, look, I'm going to eat this thing. You have to be careful about safety there, right?

DORFMAN: We're very concerned about the safety. These are tested extensively. It's a big deal. Especially coming after the year we came off in the industry.

CHERNOFF: Two thousand and seven was the year of the recall for major toy companies. Lead paint and other potentially toxic materials caused stores to pull popular toys from their shelves, almost all made in China, with some factories less than exacting. Wal-Mart and Toys "R" Us say they have tightened their buying standards. Now the toy association is finalizing a new safety assurance program to toughen safety testing.

CARTER KEITHLEY, PRES. TOY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION: Companies make toys. Countries don't make toys. The responsibility for building safety into the toys resides with our manufacturing companies.

CHERNOFF: The selling video games starring a personalized stuffed animal or the most old-fashioned of toys, manufacturers are well aware profiting for fun requires a careful eye for safety. Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HOLMES: Pay your taxes. It may drive you to drink, but now, you don't have to go far to get that drink. The story now from Marci Rubin from News 12, New Jersey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARCI RUBIN, NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY REPORTER: Joe is enjoying a beer at the lounge in Hoboken this Sunday afternoon. It's more than a trip to the local pub. Joe is here to get his taxes done.

JOE: Undoubtedly, it's always stressful. The fact that you can sit here, drink your beer, watch the game, kind of makes it nice.

CARMINE SODORA, TAVERN TAX: Did you get a 1098C by any chance?

RUBIN: Meet Joe's accountant Carmine Sodora. Monday through Friday he works at a CPA office. During tax time, he hits the bars for something called Tavern Tax.

SODORA: Tavern Tax is an on-site tax preparation service. We go to your establishments, could be a bar or restaurant anywhere and we will prepare people's tax returns while they enjoy your services.

RUBIN: Carmine usually sets up shop in the back of the bar where it's more quiet. A desk complete with a printer, a computer, even a picture frame, all to make it feel a little more like an office, even though we are still in the back of a bar.

SODORA: Try to make it look as if they were in the office, but they're actually standing next to a pool table, dart boards.

RUBIN: Replacing coasters with calculator seems to be working. In his third year at Tavern Tax, he sticks to soda on the job has seen referrals and repeat customers to enjoy a less taxing tax time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had a really great experience. It's great service. It's very convenient. I live in town. I'll come back and do it again.

RUBIN: In Hoboken, Marci Rubin, News 12, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: I don't know about that. I mean seriously. Would you be able to legibly write your name after seeing what your tax return isn't?

HOLMES: Depends if you start the return when you first get to the bar, or after you've been at the bar.

NGUYEN: And then after a few drinks he tells you that you owe $10,000.

HOLMES: You'd be like fine. Whatever. It doesn't seem so bad.

NGUYEN: Write a check right now. Well, the south is cleaning up today. A tornado ripped apart a small Alabama town. That's in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Latino voters turning away from the Republican Party over immigration. Can John McCain win them back? CNN's John Zarrella has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Senator John McCain's moderate views on immigration reform don't sit well with everyone in the Republican Party.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: On the issue of illegal immigration, a position which ...

ZARRELLA: On the other hand, his party's hard line does not sit well with many Hispanics. It is not McCain they dislike. It's the party. Therein lies the dilemma says the Reverend Samuel Rodriguez.

REV. SAMUEL RODRIGUEZ, NATL. HISPANIC CHRISTIAN COALITION: Will Latinos be able to look at John McCain and say we'll support the party because of you and in spite of your party? The question answered November 4th.

ZARRELLA: Rodriguez, a conservative, is president of the National Hispanic Christian leadership conference. As president, Rodriguez of Puerto Rican decent, has ties to 18,000 Latino evangelical churches. He is young and powerful, and he is not happy. He calls immigration reform a debacle.

RODRIGUEZ: Who's responsible? The Republican National Party. Who will pay in the 2008? The Republican National Party.

ZARRELLA: The party's tone has turned off many Hispanics admits Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen but the Republican Cuban-American from Miami believes McCain can bring them back.

REP. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN (R), FLORIDA: In John McCain, we have someone who can expand our base. President Bush, the father, President Bush, the son, did it. They got a good chunk. Ronald Reagan did as well. A good chunk of the Hispanic vote, but we've lost that now, because of that nasty rhetoric.

ZARRELLA: But Hispanics need persuading on a whole range of issues and immigration is not always number one.

MARYTZA SANZ, LATINO LEADERSHIP: When you talk about issues about the health, the jobs, the issues I have, the issues that you have.

ZARRELLA: Puerto Rican born Marytza Sanz is a Democrat. She's founder of Latino Leadership in Orlando which registers Hispanics to vote. SANZ: I think that it's more than the immigration situation. Right now our community is desperate with the economy.

ZARRELLA: And that may not help McCain. Connie Morales is from Colombia. She was raised in New York.

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