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Pentagon Delays Shooting Down Satellite; Obama Trounces Clinton in Hawaii; Teamsters to Endorse Obama; Radical Iraqi Cleric May End Ceasefire
Aired February 20, 2008 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CO-HOST: Well, it wouldn't be the first time a missile takes aim at a problem satellite but it doesn't happen every day, either. Will today be one of those days?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CO-HOST: And a day after two more wins for Barack Obama, the road ahead looks a whole lot steeper for Hillary Clinton. We're going to check out all the twists and turns.
Hi, there. I'm Brianna Keilar, in today for Kyra Phillips at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is heading right our way with almost 1,000 pounds of poisonous fuel: a spy satellite on a collision course with Earth. The Pentagon's ready and it is aiming, but it may be -- may be holding its fire, at least for today.
Let's go straight to CNN's Kathleen Koch. She's at the Pentagon for us -- Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, the problem is the weather. The Pentagon had hoped to be able to shoot a heat-seeking missile from the USS Erie. That's in the western Pacific Ocean just west of Hawaii.
But they -- a senior military official who briefed reporters this morning said right now the height of the seas, the waves, are very bad, and it's not enough to say it's a no-go, but it's looking much less likely.
Now as you mentioned, the concern is this 1,000 pounds of toxic, frozen hydrazine propellant. It's rocket fuel, essentially. And the military believes that, if it crashed with the satellite onto land somewhere, that it could disperse toxic, potentially deadly fumes over an area the size of two football fields.
But they're optimistic, the military saying they have basically nine days to try to shoot the satellite down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEOFF MORRELL, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: We have a pretty wide aperture in which to take this shot, and I think that the commanders who are evaluating this are looking at all the conditions that could impact this to make sure that when we do take this shot, it can be a successful as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now for that shot to be successful of the conditions have to be perfect. The military says they'll get one window every day. It will be a short window, a matter of seconds. The weather will have to be perfect. They need it to be daylight.
The satellite will have to be in the right place at the right time, not only so that the missile can hit it, but so that any debris, then, that falls to earth, the remaining -- the 4 1/2 hours after the strike, will fall into the water, harmlessly into the ocean and nowhere on land.
And it's going to be a tough -- a tough target to hit. Now the satellite itself is the size of a school bus. But the military is aiming for that fuel tank. And that's only three or four feet long. So it's going to be tricky, but they're optimistic, Don.
LEMON: OK. So it's got to be sort of the perfect storm. But a storm is actually the thing that's causing problems for them today. OK, Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon, thank you very much for that.
It is definitely a long shot, as Kathleen said, but it's also -- is it also a lost cause? We'll look at the odds of nailing this wayward satellite with one of our very own CNN team members who's also a retired Navy captain.
KEILAR: And also, our Chad Myers is watching all of this from the CNN weather center.
And Chad, the Navy is really not alone, right, in keeping a close eye on this?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. I mean, the whole area here, this is a giant storm up here just near Alaska and up near Juneau. And the pressure is 949 millibars. We talk about that low of a pressure -- we talk about that low of a pressure in hurricane season, not in severe weather season. But there it is.
And it's spinning. It's making huge waves here, although right now the waves are only six feet. Tonight they're expected to go eight feet. Let me show you why that's a problem.
You're going to zoom in here. And this red line is the track of the satellite. In three minutes from right there, 0327 Zulu Time to 0330 -- that's three minutes' time -- this satellite is going to travel 800 miles.
So the ship is going to be in here somewhere launching it into this oncoming satellite. Well, if you have waves rocking the ship, can you imagine that that missile maybe not be going as straight or as accurately as they hope. That's just a very small area here that they're going to work with. The Hawaiian Islands never going to be in any danger. But this is the time they want to do it because the weather is not going to get any better. The waves aren't going to be better until probably Friday night or Saturday from here -- Brianna.
KEILAR: All right. We love it when you talk Zulu time. So much fun. All these little details. Really appreciate it.
MYERS: It's the time that they use on all military notice to mariners. Everything that they're going to use today is all going to be this Zulu or Greenwich Mean Time.
KEILAR: All right. And we'll keep an ear and an eye on it. Thanks so much, Chad.
MYERS: Yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Main gear touchdown.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Space Shuttle Atlantis glided home this morning, wrapping up a 5-million-mile, 13-day mission. Its crew delivered and helped install a new European laboratory to the International Space Station, and it also brought back astronaut Dan Tani, who spent four months aboard the space station.
It also brought back memories of another mission. Forty-six years ago today, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth.
LEMON: Let's talk politics, shall we? And leading our political ticker today, Barack Obama widens his lead over Hillary Clinton. In the all-important race for delegates to the Democratic National Convention he is leading.
Obama walked away with yesterday's Wisconsin primary in Hawaii caucuses -- and Hawaii caucuses. By CNN's estimate, that gives him 1,315 delegates to 1,245 for Clinton. The magic number for the Democratic nomination is 2,025.
On the Republican side, John McCain keeps his winning streak alive after yesterday's victories in Wisconsin and Washington state. McCain is looking ahead to the general election, apparently anticipating a race against Barack Obama. In an apparent slam at Obama last night, McCain said Americans should not be deceived by, quote, "an eloquent, but empty, call for change."
GOP challenger Mike Huckabee vows to stay in the race despite his string of losses. He says it's not about ego.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is about convictions. It's about principles that I dearly, dearly believe in. It's about believing that the message of pro life, standing firm and unflinching for a human life amendment is an important discussion that we must have in our Republican Party. And frankly must have in our nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, experts give Huckabee no practical shot at winning the GOP nomination. By CNN's count, John McCain has 918 delegates. Huckabee has 217. One thousand one hundred ninety-one is the magic number there for the GOP.
KEILAR: Democratic caucus day in Hawaii. It was hardly a contest. Barack Obama trounced Hillary Clinton by a 3 to 1 margin. Twenty delegates were at stake, and CNN's Suzanne Malveaux was there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of people went to bed not really knowing just how decisive this victory was going to be, but getting a sense that it would turn in favor of the native son, Barack Obama. It certainly did, and a lot of that had to do with how many people came out.
(on camera) Think about the numbers here. In 2004, about 4,000 Democrats came out to caucus across the island. This time around, 37,000. That's more than nine times that number. There was a lot of excitement. There was a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of participation. Clearly, a lot of support for Barack Obama.
But party officials also sensing an uptick for Senator Clinton over the last couple of days because of the visit with Chelsea Clinton crisscrossing the islands. But when it all came down to, when it was all said and done, there was a sense for Hawaiian voters that they were making history.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought there was going to be 30 people here. I really did. I thought it was going to be real quick.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it was a long wait. But it was worth it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had no idea the line would be that long.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is amazing. This is like Disneyland in Hawaii. Everyone's coming out. And everyone's excited.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is my first experience. And because of the tight race, that's why it made me come. We made sure that our votes counted.
MALVEAUX: in light of the big crowds, there was some confusion. There were some delays, registrations. This was something that took place across seven islands. There were some remote locations where cell phones weren't working so they had to use land lines.
But when it was all said and done, it came together and was a very decisive win for Barack Obama.
(on camera) What does this mean next for both of these candidates? Well, we heard them last night kind of testing out their messages moving forward, looking at their strategies. Of course that debate is going to be critical for both of the, and they're looking forward to the March 4 contest in just a couple of weeks. Texas and Ohio will be critical.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: We have some breaking political news on -- some news on the political front. Our Candy Crowley joins us by telephone to tell us about a huge endorsement -- Candy.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Don. The Teamsters union this afternoon is going to endorse Barack Obama in -- a breath (ph) of success in a lot of ways. And so coming on the heels of his tenth straight victory, this is good news for Obama.
Interestingly, it also is sort of the heart -- or has been the heart of working-class America, just as Obama and Clinton go into some key races two weeks from yesterday in Ohio and in Texas, where the working class will play a huge part.
But roughly one million Teamsters members. They can obviously put some muscle on the ground for him. So a good following, good for Barack Obama, Don.
LEMON: I remember in Vegas, Candy, I'm not sure if I have the name right, but the restaurant hotel workers endorsed Barack Obama. And now the Teamsters. We're talking about thousands and thousands of people here in this union.
CROWLEY: Absolutely. It was -- it's over a million in Teamsters. It was the Culinary Workers Union...
LEMON: Right, right.
CROWLEY: ... in Nevada. Now what we know from that is that Barack Obama lost Nevada. So you cannot -- this does not necessarily spell victory in any place. It simply is another mechanism for the Obama campaign to use to get out the vote, make phone calls, knock on the doors, that kind of thing. So it's no guarantee of success, but it's a help.
LEMON: Yes. We've got these folks on our side, so maybe you should join our side, basically, is how it kind of how they would play it. Right, Candy?
CROWLEY: Exactly. That and it's just -- it's good structural help. Obviously, the Teamsters have a built-in mechanism to talk to their members. They can galvanize members to go out and do the knocking on doors and to show up on election night, make phone calls.
LEMON: Candy Crowley, part of the best political team on television. We appreciate that breaking news on the political front from you.
CROWLEY: Thanks.
KEILAR: The next big state contest, 13 days from today: Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont. Ohio and Texas, the big prizes here on March 4, especially for Hillary Clinton in her bid to overtake Barack Obama.
And Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are going to face off in another debate ahead of the big Texas and Ohio primaries on March 4. You're going to want to check out this face-off tomorrow night in Austin, Texas. Our special coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern, and you can only see it right here on CNN.
LEMON: Cautious optimism. The U.S. hopes a fiery anti-American cleric in Iraq can keep his line. But it's keeping a wary eye on him.
KEILAR: Plus the graveyard shift. That schedule might be truly -- might be a truly grim reality for patients in some hospitals.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Fifteen past the hour. Three of the stories we're working on for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Ready, aim -- fire? Not just yet. Tonight the Navy was planning to shoot down a faulty spy satellite that's hurtling towards Earth with a tank full of poisonous fuel. But choppy seas in the Pacific today might delay that attempt.
St. Peters College in Jersey City, New Jersey, now locked down. That's after school officials say they found a possibly threatening note taped to a wall. St. Peters has about 3,000 students.
A high school lockdown in Louisville, Kentucky, is now over. Police tell CNN a student reported seeing someone with a gun on campus. They went from class-to-class to look for weapons but found nothing. Parents are now being allowed to pick up their kids.
KEILAR: An anti-American cleric is hinting he may send his militia back into action in Iraq after a six-month lull. CNN's Arwa Damon has details from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Radical Shia cleric Muqtada al- Sadr is threatening not to extend his Shia militia's six-month ceasefire according to a spokesman, who is warning that, if Sadr fails to issue a statement by Sunday, the Mehdi militia, believed to be responsible for much of the sectarian violence that has plagued this nation, could take up arms once more.
The spokesman says that the Iraqi government was, quote, "hindering and not helping" the decision to extend the freeze.
(voice-over) Now both the U.S. military and the Iraqi government have been in negotiations with Sadr's representatives amid concerns of renewed violence, should the ceasefire come to an end.
Now, the U.S. military credits the ceasefire as one of the main factors contributing to the reduced levels of violence in Iraq, but Admiral Smith in a press conference today said that coalition forces would be ready regardless.
REAR ADMIRAL GREGORY SMITH, U.S. MILITARY SPOKESMAN: We'll deal with the contingencies of the "what if" when it occurs, but as of today the ceasefire remains in place, and we would hope and expect it to continue.
DAMON: U.S. military intelligence believes that Sadr's control of his militia is shaky, at best, and that the cleric's army is fractured...
(on camera) ... saying that al Sadr is trying to flex his political muscle.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: A roadside bombing in Baghdad has claimed the lives of three U.S. soldiers. That brings the U.S. death toll in Iraq to 3,966.
Another roadside bombing, also in Baghdad, wounded Iraq's deputy industry minister along with three security guards and also two civilians. And a mortar attack that killed three children playing soccer outside a military supply area about 50 miles north of the capital.
LEMON: Blowing up a wayward spy satellite? Is it a shot in the dark? We'll shed some light with a CNN team member here who's also a retired Navy captain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: After a snowy night, slippery roads lead to a grinding crash in northern Indiana. Police in LaPorte say about a dozen tractor trailers and ten cars mixed it up in this morning's chain reaction crash on Interstate 94.
No one was seriously hurt, but westbound lanes between LaPorte and Michigan City are closed and likely will be for the better part of the day.
Oil prices have shot up to another intraday record. Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with the latest.
Not such good news, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, and that has been -- well, it's been a trend that I've been reporting for some time. Unfortunately, Brianna, we're two for two this week. Oil, of course, closing above $100 a barrel for the first time ever yesterday.
And today, after a reversal in the morning, oil turned around, is higher, reaching an intraday high of $100.40 a barrel. Sky-high, no matter how you cut it. Right now just up 13 cents.
And it's been a wild ride for oil. We're only in mid-February. And you think about it, oil was very close to $100 a barrel at the beginning of the year. Just two weeks ago, oil was $13 a barrel less than what we're seeing now.
There's a lot of speculation, of course, that always goes on in the oil pits. Among the talk there, recently concerns with the unrest in Nigeria, talk that OPEC may cut production, concerns about the refinery fire that we were reporting on Monday. So that has certainly fed oil prices.
But stocks, I'm happy to report, have turned around, Brianna. We were looking at losses at the opening bell, and HP really helping to power the Dow higher. Its shares are up 6 percent on a good quarterly earnings report and also good guidance for the year. Check it out, the blue chips right now up 36 points. The NASDAQ is up nine -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Yes, and I don't want to be Debbie Downer, but I guess I'm going to be, because stocks obviously up, but inflation is still a concern. Right?
LISOVICZ: That's right. And I forgot to mention, Debbie -- I mean Brianna -- that we did get a read on consumer prices right before the opening bell this morning, and it was higher than expected, even when you took out energy and food, two areas that tend to be volatile.
Inflation is a concern. It concerns everyone. Because when you see oil prices, for instance, it affects so many other things: transportation costs, energy to make things, all sorts of products. It can feed upon itself.
And, it puts the Fed in a tough position. The Fed has been cutting interest rates to ease the credit crunch, to try to get -- to rejuvenate the economy, to get consumers to start spending. But what you do when there is inflation, when it heats up, is you raise interest rates. We will be getting the minutes from the last Fed meeting in less than an hour now, so we'll be talking about that.
In the next hour we'll also be talking about, well, inflation in the form of college tuition. One school, one well-known school, is putting the brakes on that. I think we'll want to listen to that, Brianna. And that is good news.
KEILAR: Yes.
LISOVICZ: So I'll be talking about that in the next hour, Brianna.
Back to you.
KEILAR: Definitely looking forward to that. All right. Susan Lisovicz at the NYSE for us, thanks.
LISOVICZ: Thank you.
LEMON: President and Mrs. Bush are guests of honor tonight at a state dinner in Ghana. That's their second-to-last stop in Africa. Earlier today Mr. Bush tried to assure African leaders the U.S. is not planning to build new military bases there. He said it may open an office for Africom, the new U.S. military command that will focus on aid to African nations.
KEILAR: A 7.5-magnitude earthquake rumbled western Indonesia today. It's the same region devastated by the 2004 quake and tsunami. Fortunately, no mega waves spotted this time around, but at least three people were killed and damage is reported.
An assessment team should make its way to the epicenter, Simeulue Island. That should take place sometime tomorrow.
LEMON: Danger stoves. Is there one in your kitchen? Hear what one company plans to do for millions of customers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Breaking news in the CNN NEWSROOM. This is a big endorsement on the Democratic side of the race for the presidency. The Teamsters union is going to be endorsing Barack Obama.
We just heard from CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley a short time ago on the phone from Austin that this is going to happen this afternoon. And she said that this could really breed success because the Teamsters union, of course, very representative of the working-class Americans, ahead of a key race -- two key races, actually, Texas and Ohio, on March 4. And the working class, the union vote really going to pay -- play a major role then.
So again, big endorsement for Barack Obama. The Teamsters union endorsing him, expected to be made official this afternoon.
And Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, they're going to be facing off in another debate ahead of the big Texas and Ohio primaries on March 4 that we just told you about.
You're going to want to watch their face-off tomorrow night in Austin, Texas. Our special coverage is going to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern. And you can see it right here on CNN, only here on CNN.
Well, are politics and the government ruining the environment? CNN -- CNN's Miles O'Brien investigates: "Broken Government: Scorched Earth." CNN tomorrow night right after the debate.
LEMON: Well, have you ever seen a shot, a hole in one? Well, that's nothing compared to what the Navy is planning to do. It's taking aim at a wayward spy satellite hurtling toward Earth with almost 1,000 pounds of toxic fuel.
Today, though, choppy seas off Hawaii could force a stand-down on this one. So we may have to wait.
Alec Fraser is a retired Navy captain. His last command was the USS Cape George, a guided missile cruiser. And Captain Fraser is now a member of the Turner broadcasting team, and he joins us now.
OK, so you've been on a ship just like the one they're going to use, if we can get the ship up here. How do you think -- do you think that this is doable? Is it -- can this work?
CAPT. ALEC FRASER (RET.), U.S. NAVY: You know, it's really doable, but it's a new shot that has never been done before, sort of like putting a guy in space or putting a guy...
LEMON: Show us on the screen.
FRASER: So being able to detect it, track it and put the radar system in. Right there.
So the radar system is something that can detect the track, and then track it. So in the detection, the National Reconnaissance Association, our organization, will be able to tell the ship exactly where the satellite is. And then it has to track it.
Now most of the time people are aware that the tracking of a radar, tracking of an airplane is really something that you see those antennas going around back and forth outside the airplane window. That's about every five seconds. The AEGIS system is updating it several times a second. That's the accuracy you need to be able to intercept something going a closing rate of 22,000 miles an hour.
LEMON: They've done this before. But still, I mean, this is like -- is this like a needle in the haystack? I would think it is, obviously.
FRASER: Well, it's 150 miles high, and they have never done that before. And yes, it's sort of a needle. They have done a setup on a medium altitude and they've done setups on low altitudes, but nothing this high. So being able to go up above the atmosphere, intercept a satellite that's travelling 22,000 miles-an-hour closing rate is tough.
LEMON: Just looking at this and all the graphics and the animation, I mean, it's fascinating to think this is going to happen. And yesterday I asked Jamie McIntyre this, and I'm still getting e- mails from people who missed his answer -- what happens to this missile if it doesn't hit? I mean, does it pose a problem to Earth? Does it pose a problem to space? Could it actually blow up and cause some sort of problem?
FRASER: Well, once the missile is launched, it really becomes -- and the boosters go out, it becomes like a speeding bullet. But the bullet has an infrared sensor in the front.
LEMON: This is the missile, right?
FRASER: This is it. And so up at the front, up at the top is an infrared sensor that will hone in on the final terminal side when it's a few miles away from the satellite. That's the key. It is a bullet, but that will zero in on the satellite.
Problem is, the satellite's cold. It's not as hot as an intercontinental ballistic missile. So with those two things in mind, you know, there's a good chance that this thing will work because the missile system is good.
LEMON: But if it doesn't -- that's my question. If it doesn't hit its target, then what happens?
FRASER: It's a bullet. And so if it misses, it just goes up -- it's already up...
LEMON: Space junk.
FRASER: ... will probably burn up in the -- someplace or it becomes space junk.
LEMON: OK. All right, because people are worried. I mean, does the actual missile pose more of a problem than the satellite?
FRASER: Remember, this whole thing takes place west of Hawaii. So it's all out in the middle of the ocean, hundreds of miles away from the islands.
LEMON: All right, thank you. Appreciate it.
FRASER: Glad to be here.
LEMON: Brianna?
KEILAR: Just in to the CNN NEWSROOM, we've got some pictures for you from our affiliate WSOC in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to our affiliates there, firefighters are on the scene of a large brush fire. This is in south Charlotte, it has now reached at least two homes. As you can see right here, at least one house completely consumed. There's some burned grass around several other houses, and the Charlotte Fire Department saying that this is a three-alarm fire. That information coming to us from our affiliates.
So again, these pictures coming in to us from Charlotte, North Carolina. This is a brush fire that has reached at least two homes, as you can see there, completely destroying at least this one home. We're going to keep an eye on this fire in Charlotte, North Carolina and bring you any new details.
We want to move on to another story right now. How about thinking about your kitchen for just a second? Do you have a free- standing stove? Well, if so, you might want to make sure that it's secure. Those that aren't can tip over. A very scary thing.
And CNN's Greg Hunter has more on the danger, and also on a multimillion dollar fix.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Consumer advocates say stoves that tip over have been linked to more than 100 deaths and injuries. CNN has learned that Sears has settled a class-action lawsuit that will pay to install anti-tip safety brackets or provide other reimbursements for qualified customers. Sears has agreed to notify almost four million customer who may have Sears stoves dating back to 2000. One consumer group estimates fixing the problem could cost sears $545 million.
JOAN CLAYBROOK, PUBIC CITIZEN: This agreement by Sears and the lawyers for the consumer is a real deal. This is a fantastic deal for a lawsuit to make this headway and to get the protection for the consumer.
HUNTER: For three years, Sears also agreed to install brackets on all new stoves for free. Sears told CNN, quote: The parties dispute many aspects of the case, including the value on this settlement, which Sears estimates to be a small fraction of what plaintiff's counsel estimates." Sears also told us that customers can visit www.searsrangesettlement.com for more information.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTER: It's important to point out that it's not just Sears- brand stoves that can tip over; it's almost any stove that doesn't have the safety bracket installed, but putting brackets on stoves is currently not required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Consumer advocates argue that the devices should be mandatory. But a CPSC spokesperson told us, quote, "We believe the voluntary standards are working." Keep in mind, 95 percent of stoves out there, according to consumer advocates, do not have the brackets -- Brianna.
KEILAR: And you know, it makes you wonder, because some people that this has happened to them or they're worried about this, maybe they're not comfortable just getting this anti-tip bracket. Can they just get money maybe to buy a new stove instead?
HUNTER: Actually they can get a coupon. I talking to Joan Claybrook about this. She's in Public Citizen. They're group that helped broker this whole deal, the lawsuit. And she says, listen, this is a great deal. You get a $50 coupon and for the next three years Sears has agreed to install the brackets for free. So if you need a new stove, that's a great deal.
Back to you.
KEILAR: All right, Greg Hunter, CNN's consumer guru, thanks for that report.
LEMON: In the right place at the right time. A nurse helps rescue children from a horrific school bus crash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was just like one kid after the other, just him handing them and me taking them an putting them, like, on the ground so they can go into the ditch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Some children on that bus were not so fortunate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Police in Reno, Nevada, say a serial rapist may be a killer and he may be trying to taunt investigators. Police found the body of Brianna Denison on Friday. She was a college student who'd been missing since January 20th. Police found a pair of panties with the body, but they didn't belong to Denison. Police say they may be a calling card from the suspect. DNA found on them was from the same man who committed at least two other sexually motivated crimes.
LEMON: The screams of children, the sight of a school bus on its side and drivers becoming rescuers. Well, the bus was carrying 28 students, kindergarteners to high-schoolers. It was hit by a van, then collided with a pickup in rural Minnesota. Four students were killed. At least 14 people were hurt.
Reporter Joe Friar (ph) of CNN affiliate KARE has the story of one woman who stopped to help.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREN MAHLUM, HELPED RESCUE STUDENTS: All of a sudden, there was, like, this big cloud of dust.
JOE FRIAR (ph), KARE REPORTER (voice-over): To Karen Mahlum it looked like a tornado at first.
MAHLUM: After the dust settled a little bit, then I could see, like, there was metal flying around.
FRIAR: But after seeing a school bus on its side, she quickly called 911, knowing this could be worse.
MAHLUM: The bus driver was hollering, "I need help, I need help, help me, I've got to get the kids off the bus."
FRIAR: The driver quickly handed kids to her through an escape hatch on the roof.
MAHLUM: It was just one kid after another, just him handing them and me taking them and putting them, like, on the ground so they could go into the ditch.
FRIAR: Those kids were not seriously injured, she said, but they were young. And some did not have coats.
MAHLUM: They were definitely shook up. They just had sisters or friends or, you know, the ones who complained about that their arms hurt, or they kind of just had to just wait because there were just too many people that were hurt worse.
FRIAR: Some of the worst, Karen says, were the older kids in the back of the bus.
MAHLUM: They weren't responsive or they weren't moving. And just as I was doing that, then the first ambulance came and actually got the door open and went in to tend to those kids.
FRIAR: From this point on, there wasn't much more this registered nurse could do.
MAHLUM: You just do what you have to do at the moment.
FRIAR: Karen Mahlum thoughts are now with the kids she tried so hard to help.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Classes at Lakeview School are canceled today, but grief counselors are on hand. We'll find out more about the crash investigation in a news conference later on this afternoon.
KEILAR: And we have some live pictures coming in to the CNN NEWSROOM here. You can see this is a fire in Charlotte, North Carolina. We've got pictures from our affiliates WSOC and WCNC. Firefighters on the scene of a large brush fire here. This is in south Charlotte. It has now reached two homes, one completely consumed by the fire. You can see some burned grass around the houses. I think you can make that out.
Charlotte Fire Department saying that this is a three-alarm fire. All of this information coming to us from our affiliates there in Charlotte, North Carolina. We're going to keep an eye on this.
You can see there's some smoke coming from the second house there on the right. So, certainly, there's some danger still, that house is still in danger. But again, this is firefighters on the scene of a large brush fire that has spread to two homes in Charlotte, North Carolina. We'll bring you more as it comes in to the CNN NEWSROOM.
And as they say, timing is everything. A new study finds a difference in the outcome of cardiac arrests across different hospital shifts.
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LEMON: We have some new information just in to the CNN NEWSROOM, and it's on a missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann. Remember she went missing from a resort in Portugal back in May of 2007?
Well, according to her press office -- there's been a press office set up for her, have just confirmed to CNN that there has been a possible sighting of Madeleine McCann in a restaurant in Montpellier, France. French police and Interpol are looking through the video footage.
Apparently, there's video footage from the restaurant at this time, and then Gerry and Kate McCann, who are her parents, will also look at the footage as soon as possible to determine if Madeleine is in fact the girl seen in Montpellier that restaurant. According to Dutch tourists, a dutch tourist made the call. And they expect to get more information in as soon as possible.
But again, missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann, she went missing on May 3rd, 2007 at a resort in Portugal just days before her 4th birthday. She was on vacation with her parents and her siblings. Well, she disappeared then and they believe they have a fresh sighting of her in a restaurant in France. Details to come here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
KEILAR: The medical technology industry getting some insurance today from the Supreme Court. Justices ruled 8-1 against the estate of a man whose heart catheter burst during a procedure. The estate was trying to sue the manufacturer in state court, but the high court says federal requirements trump state requirements and that barred state suits.
A potential red flag about code blue events at hospitals. According to a new study, patients who go into cardiac arrest during the overnight shift are more likely to die. So, why should the time of day make such a difference?
Let's bring in CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. I mean, this is just shocking. It really is.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know what? It is shocking unless you've spent a lot of time in hospitals.
KEILAR: Which you have, yes.
COHEN: Right, I was telling you, two of my daughters were born the Thursday night before Labor Day. And they, unfortunately, had to go to the NICU. I had a long stay at the hospital. So, I sort of always felt -- my husband and I always felt that hospitals were different places late at night and on holidays and on weekends.
And this study confirms some of that. What they looked at is what would be your fate if you had cardiac arrest at a hospital at different times of day. And they looked at hundreds of hospitals.
Here's what they found. The chances of surviving a cardiac arrest at a hospital if it happens on a weekday, Monday through Friday, 19.8 percent. But the chances of surviving if it's late at night, say midnight to 7:00 a.m., or on a weekend, are about 14.7 percent. That's a pretty big difference, that approximately five- point difference. That is a big difference.
And a lot of hospitals now are looking at this, how can they change things so that those numbers are the same?
KEILAR: But what's lacking on nights and weekends that could be causing these numbers to drop?
COHEN: Staff, really, staff is what's lacking. Eyeballs on the patients. The experts we talked to said there just aren't as many people there to monitor the patients. And certainly, there are far fewer doctors there. And that's what they point to. And that's what hospitals are trying to figure out how to fix that.
KEILAR: Yes, and it's a life or death situation there. And I think most people understand if it's late at night generally, any sort of place of employment is under-staffed.
COHEN: Right, right.
KEILAR: But it's life or death there. So, what can you do if you're a patient?
COHEN: You know, we talked with some experts about that. And they said there are some things that you can do. You're not completely helpless. If you have a loved one in the hospital in a fragile state, you need to be there. You need to be there and you need to be awake so you need to work in shifts yourself perhaps. And ask the nurse, what should I be looking for? My husband's in a fragile state. What should I be looking for that would be a sign that he is going downhill?
And Brianna, if things do start looking bad, these advocates said to us insist that they call the doctor. You know, nurses aren't crazy about calling doctors at home at 3:00 in the morning. You know, they get yelled at sometimes.
KEILAR: Yes.
COHEN: But insist, say I'm worried, you need to call the doctor now and you have the right to do that.
KEILAR: You have to be your own advocate for health care.
COHEN: You absolutely do.
KEILAR: All right, very helpful information. Elizabeth Cohen, thanks.
COHEN: Thanks.
LEMON: A big congratulations goes out to -- and Elizabeth Cohen, you'll like this since your the medical correspondent -- to Seattle, Washington. Guess what? "Cooking Light" magazine says you're the healthiest city in the U.S. Portland, Washington -- oh, Portland, then I should say Washington, D.C., Minneapolis and San Francisco followed.
"Cooking Light" based its rankings on 15 categories, including overall health, exercise rates, restaurant ratings, parks and recreation. Sounds like the Pacific Northwest may have something there.
KEILAR: Certainly, and off they go -- check this out, and into the wild blue yonder. How in the world do the legendary Blue Angels handle those G-forces? Our very own Dr. Sanjay Gupta's going to find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: OK, the man of the moment right now, Barack Obama, walking away yesterday with both the important Hawaii caucuses and the Wisconsin primary. I wish you could have seen the shot just moments ago when we were on break of the people trying to touch him and get pictures and autographs from him in the crowd. He's at a rally here in Dallas, Texas.
Let's listen in for a bit.
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SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ...Congresswoman, Eddie Bernice Johnson. Give her a big round of applause.
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OBAMA: Congressman Al Green. Give Congressman Al Green a round of applause. Congressman Chet Edwards, give Congressman Chet Edwards a big round of applause. And Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, thank you so much to all of them.
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OBAMA: To all the states and local elected officials who are here, I am grateful for your presence. I want to thank my great friend and one of the finest preachers in the country, Dr. Freddie Haynes. Give it up for Dr. Freddie Haynes.
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OBAMA: I want to thank some wonderful unions. Service Employers International, SEIU in the house. The United Food and Commercial Workers, the Transport Workers Union, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. All the grass-roots volunteers that have put in long hours and hard work, I'm grateful to you, guys.
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OBAMA: I want to thank Manuel (ph) for the unbelievable introduction and the great job he is doing. He represents the young people all across Texas who are making their voices heard in this election.
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OBAMA: I want to thank a great friend who didn't have any speaking programs today, but has been on the Obama train for quite some time ...
LEMON: OK, Barack Obama in Dallas, Texas, of course getting ready for the battle in Texas there, Texas a key state. I want to show you this video. I referenced it as we came to this event. Barack Obama in the crowd just moments ago. Everyone trying to touch him and get pictures with him and what have you.
He is clearly the man of the moment right now. That picture happening just moments ago. Of course this is in Dallas, Texas. He won both critical -- the caucus, the Hawaii caucus last night and also the Wisconsin primary.
And also, we want to tell you Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will face off in another debate ahead of the big Texas and Ohio primaries, they happen on March 4th. You'll want to watch their faceoff tomorrow night though in Austin, Texas. Our special coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, and you can see it here only on CNN.
KEILAR: It burned up the night sky and also a few telephone lines.
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911 DISPATCHER: 911.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just saw something fall out of the sky. I'm not sure if it was a plane or if it was fireworks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: More on that light show ahead in the NEWSROOM.
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KEILAR: Twists and turns, diving and climbing while pulling seven Gs. It is all in a day's work for the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team. And it's something our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is getting ready to experience.
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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This Lieutenant Frank Weisser. Call sign: Walleye, one of the nation's finest pilots. And this is his plane, the Blue Angels No. 7 jet. It's the only two-seater in the squadron. Yes, he'll be flying. I'll be riding along, up to 1,200 miles an hour.
Gravity-defying manuevers are a second nature for the Blue Angels, but to perform the high-speed turns, rolls, climbs, loops, the pilots need to fight gravity and physiology. Priority one: they need to make sure their brain is getting enough blood and oxygen.
Make no mistake, pilots are athletes, putting their planes to work in the air means their bodies work hard in the gym. And here's something that maybe you didn't know. Blue Angel pilots don't wear G- suits or gravitational suits. Instead, they rely on some simple technics.
LT. FRANK WEISSER, THE BLUE ANGELS: First and foremost, you need to learn a good, what we call a AGSM, an anti-G straining manuever. And what that entails is squeezing your legs, your rear-end and your stomach, such that it keeps the blood in your head.
GUPTA: Pilots also use a special breathing technique. WEISSER: Yes, so it sounds something like ...
GUPTA: Blue Angels, like other military pilots, need to withstand more than 7-Gs. That's more than seven times the force of gravity. At 4-Gs, blood flow to the eyes becomes a trickle and your vision dims. 4.5-Gs, you go temporarily blind.
And yes, you can pass out. There is motion sickness, that's when your brain gets conflicting signals from your eyes and your ears. Considering I get sick in the back of a New York taxi cab, this should be quite a ride.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, El Centro, California.
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KEILAR: And Sanjay is actually up in the air right now, probably hanging on for dear life. You can find out how he did, yes, the man who gets sick in the back of a taxi cab, tomorrow, right here in the NEWSROOM.
LEMON: We got a live shot from him right there in the plane.
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