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Police Search for Serial Killer in Midwest; Georgia Expands Concealed Carry; Death of Murder Suspect Under Investigation
Aired July 01, 2008 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Two states, a string of murders, and an urgent manhunt. Is there a serial killer on the loose?
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, the No. 1 auto maker in America might not be an American automaker. Big losses for the big three.
Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live in New York.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon live in the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: And we begin with breaking news out of the nation's heartland right now. A manhunt for a suspected serial killer whose crimes could stretch across two states. Illinois police are searching for this man, 28-year-old convicted felon Nicholas Sheley. He's wanted for questioning in at least eight killings now in Missouri and Illinois.
Susan Candi -- Susan Roesgen, rather, is live in Chicago with the latest on the investigation.
Hi, Susan.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
This one is really a pressing investigation right now for law enforcement in both states: the state police in Missouri and in Illinois. Lots of different police departments. They are looking for a guy who could be a killer on the move.
Eight killings in just the last week. It started on June 25 -- here's the breakdown -- with a 93-year-old man who was killed in Sterling. Sterling, Illinois. His body was stuffed in a trunk. This could be, Kyra, a very vicious killer. Because then on June 30 in Galesburg, Illinois, a middle-aged man was found dead behind a grocery store.
Then -- get this -- on June 30 in Rock Falls, Illinois, four people -- two men, a woman, and a child -- were found dead in an apartment. And they say -- investigators say that those four may have been related to the 93-year-old guy who was stuffed in the trunk.
So it could be here that we have a situation in which this killer gets some sort of information about his future victims and maybe some stolen cars involved. He could, for instance, have killed the 93- year-old man in Sterling on June 25 and then, just five days later, killed some relatives, perhaps, or acquaintances. He might have gotten their information in Rock Falls from the 93-year-old man.
Then on June 30 in Festus, Missouri, two men were found dead behind a gas station. And Kyra, in this case, investigators were led to the two men by two bloody dogs found that were wandering around that gas station. So we don't have all the particulars on how these people died, but the police do believe that a person of interest, a person they say is armed and dangerous, should be considered armed and dangerous, is this 28-year-old Nicholas Sheley.
We don't know a whole lot about him, except that in 2006, a couple of years ago, he was involved in a beating. Apparently, allegedly involved in some sort of beating, and he was accused of stealing six bags of cocaine. So this guy could be -- this person of interest, there's going to be a news conference in a couple of hours. We hope to get more information.
But I can tell you, Kyra, that certainly law enforcement in two states are sort of watching the pattern of this man, trying to figure out where he might be next, if he is a killer on the move.
PHILLIPS: All right. Susan Roesgen, I know you'll track it for us. Thanks so much. We'll show that picture once again. Illinois police searching for this man, 28-year-old convicted felon, Nicholas Sheley. We are expecting a news conference, 3 p.m. Eastern Time with the Illinois State Police. We'll bring that to you live.
LEMON: As we wait on that press conference, let's talk some politics now. We're waiting for Barack Obama to deliver what his campaign calls a major address on faith and religion. The Democratic presidential candidate has taken his outreach to religious voters to a community ministry in Zanesville, Ohio.
We'll listen in live when the speech gets underway. We'll bring it to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Let's talk the Republican side now. John McCain' focus today is an issue that hasn't gotten a lot of air time this election season, and that's crime. IN a speech seen live here on CNN, the presumptive Republican nominee addressed the National Sheriff's Association. He did that in Indianapolis. Among other things, McCain vowed to take a tough approach with violent criminals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We still hear -- we still here some academics and politicians speaking as if a rising rate of incarceration and a reduction in crime were unrelated facts. But, of course, when the most violent and persistent criminals are in prison, crime rates will go down, and they have gone down. And this is exactly what happened through the 1990s and most of this decade.
The progress our country made against crime was the result of smart policies, bipartisan cooperation, and above all, high quality work by the men and women of law enforcement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, from Indianapolis, McCain is flying to Colombia, a key U.S. ally in South Africa. Trade is expected to be a major issue when he sits down with -- this evening for meetings with Colombia's president and other government officials.
PHILLIPS: Driven down, way down. The numbers are coming in right now, and it doesn't look good for U.S. automakers.
Ford says that its June sales plunged nearly 28 percent, battered by high gas prices, low demand, and a struggling economy. GM and Chrysler could also post double-digit losses this afternoon. And GM, the biggest U.S. automaker, could fall behind Toyota in U.S. sales for the first time ever.
Now, the slumping auto sales driving people out of a job. Chrysler's closing one plant in late October and cutting a shift at another in early September. The reason: shrinking demand for bigger vehicles. Both plants are near St. Louis. One makes minivans. The other makes pickup trucks. In all, about 2,400 people will lose their jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How long have I been working here? I've been working here 37 years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifteen years. Going on 15 years. I would to have loved to have retired from here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twenty-four years. So it's kind of devastating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And here's why many of you don't want a bigger car. AAA says that gas prices rose to another record high overnight, the national average for regular now topping $4.08 a gallon.
Crude oil prices are also on the rise again, nearly $143 a barrel in trading today. Prices spiked to an all-time high yesterday, approaching $144 a barrel before edging down later.
Now, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, we're all over issue No. 1. The latest numbers from the big three automakers and the latest insight into their slump.
Plus, paying your student loans just got easier. We're going to tell you why. It's your money; it's issue No. 1 today.
LEMON: Locked, loaded, and legal. In much of the country, there are concealed carry laws in effect, meaning any number of people you encounter throughout your day may be -- may be -- carrying a gun. The guy driving or riding next to you on your morning commute, co-workers, your lunch break buddies, pedestrians on the street. Other shoppers at the mall, other drinkers at the bar. Supporters of concealed carry say picking in public promotes public safety. Now opponents say there's just no need for everybody to be carrying, a deadly weapon permit or no.
The rights to bear arms clearly a loaded issue today. And Georgians today getting the right to bear arms in more places. The state's expanded concealed law took effect at midnight. Licensed handgun owners can now take them into most state parks, restaurants, and on public transportation.
Speaking of public transportation, let's go down to CNN's Brooke Baldwin. She has been talking to commuters at the MARTA station train -- the train station right here in Atlanta.
What have they been saying to you, Brooke? Obviously, this is a very heated law and people have very strong passions, emotions on all sides.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, and as you said, it's a very loaded issue. You know, people are split, Don, between the passengers, between police, city officials, state legislators.
But first, I just want to show you around. We are here, as you said, in downtown Atlanta. This is a pretty popular MARTA station. And by taking a look around, do you see any signs? Would you know anything has changed? No, we have not seen a single thing. MARTA police probably not exactly publicizing the fact that people can now, as you said, starting today if they have a concealed weapons permit here in the state of Georgia, they can carry a concealed weapon on the trains, on the buses, in restaurants, in state parks.
People seem to be split. Some people are worried that this new law is simply tempting fate, that they're inviting an accident to happen, say on board the train.
Other people say if you're actually taking time to jump through the hoops and get this permit -- you know, an FBI background check, fingerprinted, pay the fees -- then you should be allowed to carry a gun.
The story, Don, gets sticky because here we are. This is MARTA property. You hop on the train -- a lot of people do this -- you head down to Hartsfield international airport. You step off the train, that is airport property. That is a completely different jurisdiction.
Now, the city of Atlanta, including Mayor Shirley Franklin, spoke earlier at Hartsfield. And she essentially reiterated the city's point, the fact that they vehemently opposed this new law. But the sponsors, you can imagine, says, you know what? If someone gets off MARTA and if they are arrested for carrying a gun, even though they have a permit, he says he will sue the city. Let's listen to what he's saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TIM BEARDEN (R), GEORGIA STATE HOUSE: We have a state law in place. We just had the United States Supreme Court decision coming down, saying it's the individual right for safety to defend themselves, individual right to own a firearm. Our constitution in Georgia states you have the right to keep and bear arms.
And the state law just opened up some more places on public transportation. There's 44 other states that allow public transportation carry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: That is Republican Congressman Tim Bearden.
One question also here. Let's say you want to put a gun in a purse, in a jacket. If you have that permit, that is perfectly legal. The question a lot of people seem to be asking is how will this be enforced? Don, we will just have to wait and see how this whole new law plays out.
LEMON: All right. Here we go. Thank you very much, Brooke Baldwin, reporting to us from the MARTA station...
BALDWIN: Sure.
LEMON: ... right here in Atlanta -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Florida is another state with a new law that's coming under fire. Starting today, you can take your gun to work as long as you leave it in the car.
Specifically, the law allows workers and customers to keep guns in their cars when parked in lots owned by private and government employers. Now it's being challenged in court.
And one other note, Illinois and Wisconsin are the only states that do not permit carrying a concealed weapon. Most states allow it under certain circumstances as long as you have a permit.
Now we'd like to know your questions, your comments, or concerns on concealed weapons laws. Just e-mail us at CNNnewsroom@CNN.com. We'll read some of your comments on the air. Maybe we can use them with some of our guests.
Also next hour, we're going to look at some of the legalities of concealed carry with former U.S. attorney Kent Alexander. That's at 3:15 Eastern. We'll get reaction from Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington, as well.
Now put down the phone if you're driving in California. Under a new law taking effect today, California drivers must now use a hands- free device if they talk on their cell phones behind the wheel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know how they would be able to catch you. Like make a law saying you can't text on the phone. You can't really see somebody doing that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands-free is not risk-free.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, California is also banning drivers under 18 from talking on the phone or text messaging, unless it's an emergency. The new law doesn't specifically prohibit texting for adults, though. But police say that's generally covered under statutes aimed at distracted drivers.
LEMON: Two grim milestones in the war in Afghanistan. Militants killed more U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan than in Iraq for the second straight month. Forty-six coalition troops died in Afghanistan in June, 31 in Iraq.
Also the numbers of allied troops killed in June was the highest monthly death toll since the U.S. invasion in 2001. The Pentagon says that recent militant attacks underscore that the Taliban has regrouped into a resilient insurgency.
Robert Mugabe's spokesman says western critics of Zimbabwe's one- man run-off election can, quote, "go and hang a thousand times." He was referring to the UK, in particular. Remarks came during the final day of the summit of African leaders in Egypt.
Publicly, they haven't criticized Mugabe for widespread campaign violence that the opposing candidate says drove him to drop out. But behind the scenes, they are said to be pushing Mugabe to accept a power-sharing agreement.
PHILLIPS: A man armed with a knife stormed a police station in the Shanghai area today, killed at least five officers and wounded four others before he was arrested.
Police say that the 20-year-old set a fire outside the building's gate, then rushed inside and began his attack. Police say that he wanted revenge after officers at the station investigated him last year for allegedly stealing bicycles.
Now, it's been more than a year since Madeleine McCann vanished while on vacation with her parents in Portugal. Police there have turned the case over to prosecutors so they can decide if authorities should keep looking for the little British girl. At least two Portuguese newspapers say the 14-month investigation is going nowhere and will be ended.
LEMON: It is a case that is stirring emotions in a Maryland town. The suspect accused of killing a police officer dies in custody. The question now: who killed him? We've got a live report for you.
PHILLIPS: And you're heading to the beach this Fourth of July with sunscreen in hand? But will it really protect you and your family? You'll want to hear what a new study has to say.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Let's talk now about dying in custody. He was suspected of killing a Maryland police officer. Now he is dead, while in solitary confinement. His family and the community, well, they want answers. And our Jeanne Meserve is on the investigation in Washington. And she joins us now with the very latest.
What is everybody saying about this, Jeanne?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Don, they're calling it a case of vigilante justice.
Ronnie White, 19 years old, was in solitary confinement in the Prince George's County jail in suburban D.C., charged with murdering a police officer, when he was strangled. This morning, his family's lawyer called for a thorough and exhaustive investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOBBY HENRY, ATTORNEY FOR WHITE FAMILY: A yet-to-be-identified person or persons took it upon themselves to be both the judge, the jury, and the executioner for Mr. Ronnie White.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: When White was found unresponsive in his cell Sunday morning, officials initially said there was no indication of physical trauma. But preliminary autopsy results indicated he had been asphyxiated and had two broken bones in his neck.
The state's attorney will prosecute anyone charged in his murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLENN IVEY, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY: Unfortunately, we've got a fair amount of experience with investigations of -- into law enforcement. And I think the public's pretty comfortable with the way we've handled those so far. And I think we'll continue to do a good job for them in this case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: According to county officials, only seven corrections employees and their supervisors would have had access to White's cell area. None have been placed on leave. So an official with the Prince George's Officers' Association says two were approached by the Maryland State Police for questioning yesterday.
A county official says police are not suspects, though White was charged with murder for allegedly mowing down Corporal Richard Findley in the Prince George's Police Department on Friday. Findley was approaching a truck with stolen tags, displaying his badge when, according to charging documents, the driver intentionally accelerated and ran him over. The Maryland State Police are heading up the investigation into White's death. The FBI is simultaneously launching a civil rights investigation.
Don, back to you.
LEMON: Jeanne Meserve, thank you very much.
A suburban Chicago man has been charged with possessing a deadly neurotoxin, 1,200 times more lethal than cyanide. Federal agents arrested Edward Bachner yesterday. Hazmat teams scored his home -- scoured his home, rather, looking for clues as to what he'd planned to do with that toxin.
Bachner allegedly claimed that he was a doctor when he ordered it from a New York chemical company, which alerted the FBI. Now, the poison, tetrodotoxin, is a muscle paralyzer, normally found in Japanese puffer fish.
LEMON: So many fires are burning in California. One fireman compares it to, quote, eating an elephant: you have to take it one bite at a time.
Fire crews are shifting their efforts to the bigger fires near populated areas. Fourteen-hundred firefighters are on the front lines around the town of Big Sur. It is getting smokier around Phoenix, Arizona.
The fire threatening the town of Crown King has burned 5,300 acres of forest and at least three homes.
The big question, of course, any relief in sight for these fire crews. Chad Myers joining us now from the severe weather center -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Still very hot, Don, and no rain. If that's what relief is, is rain, then no.
But we start to lose a little bit of the heat. Vegas today, 106, Phoenix, 110, and even San Francisco, that's an onshore flow that you have. That means the wind coming off the cool ocean blowing on land.
And how does that help? Well, it brings up the humidity a little bit. And so you don't get that desert dry brush to actually go up in flames as easily. But we don't get that wind all the way to Vegas or Phoenix. Here's tomorrow, still very hot, again, all the way through the west into Salt Lake City, 97.
We also, though, are not expecting any more dry thunderstorms. And that's what caused most of these things in the first place. A dry thunderstorm doesn't mean that it doesn't rain. It just doesn't rain enough to put the lightning fire out that it started, or the rain moves away and then leaves that fire to go and leaves it burning, obviously. And that's how most of these fires have been starting.
Down here in South part of South Florida, another completely different situation. An awful lot of rain coming in. And also the potential today for what we call down burst thunderstorms. They go up. They live for a while. And then they go down and they crash. And when they crash, the wind goes out because it hits the ground. It can go out at 50, 60, or 70 miles per hour. A few storms. Look at that 665, 66 lightning strikes just in the past hour, Don.
LEMON: Wow. That's why they call it down bursts. Right? Coming down.
MYERS: They would love to keep going, but it hits the earth. It hits the earth and it has to go out.
LEMON: Chad Myers, thank you very much, sir. We'll check back -- Kyra
PHILLIPS: Well, talk about lucky. A Minnesota man survived a lightning strike that knocked him out and could have easily killed him. Kent Lilyerd got the shock of his life when a bold hit him -- get this -- right on top of his head.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENT LILYERD, STRUCK BY LIGHTNING: It sounded just like I got shot with a deer rifle. Pow, it was that loud. And it hurt. It hit me hard right here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Clean living, brother. Lilyerd doesn't hesitate to show his survival scar. As a matter of fact, he's pretty proud of it. He says he ran outside during the storm to keep his new gazebo from blowing away.
Fewer days at work, fewer trips to the pump. The mayor of one southern city has an answer to record gas prices, and thousands of his workers now have a shorter workweek.
Plus, a look at the cities with the safest drivers in America. Is yours included?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, it's a new month and a new quarter, but Wall Street is dealing with the same old problems, right, Susan Lisovicz?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, and we see it play out almost on a daily basis, on, you know -- I'm watching the numbers here, problems, the concerns about the economy, about high energy prices. And we have examples of that.
Oil's back up $2 today. The Dow has been down three quarters in a row. And we've got auto sales, we have two big numbers right now. Ford's June sales down 28 percent. Toyota sales in the U.S., Toyota makes the Prius hybrid, which has been so popular. Down 21 percent.
GM shares, Ford shares, getting slammed. And we're expecting GM sales any moment. We'll bring that to you. Also airlines are getting slammed today, American shares down 10 percent, United down 14 percent.
So a new -- a new month, a new quarter, but the same trends, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, any hope for this quarter at all?
LISOVICZ: Well, we've had a rough start today. The bulls tried to rally off a surprise uptick in manufacturing. That was not expected.
But when Ford's numbers came out, Kyra, you saw the market retreat once again. There you see it, the big board, Dow is down 120 points, the NASDAQ is down 21.
One bright ray of hope is that we saw the NASDAQ actually gain about half a percent in the last quarter. A lot of tech companies do a lot of business overseas. And that's true of many multi-national companies, many of them in the Dow.
But, of course, we have a lot of financials and auto stocks in the Dow, as well. And they benefit from a weak dollar. So things may improve in the second half. Some analysts say it could happen first day, not a good indicator so far, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Susan.
All right, Susan. We're going to follow up and talk to Neil Bordette (ph) with the "Wall Street Journal" Detroit. He's a bureau chief, actually, there. So I'll talk to him more about what this means for consumers. And we'll continue to check in with you.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Susan.
LISOVICZ: I'll be back with some numbers, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Perfect. I'll need those numbers for the interview.
LISOVICZ: I'll e-mail them to you immediately.
PHILLIPS: Thank you -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Kyra. OK, so drivers listen up. This affects just about everybody. If you want to drive in one of the nation's safest cities, you might have to hit the road.
According to a ranking by Allstate insurance company, here's what they say. For the third year, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has the safest drivers. Motorists there have an accident on average once every 14.6 years. Wow.
Ft. Collins, Colorado, ranks second with 13.4 years between crashes. And Chattanooga, Tennessee, is third. Some big cities had much rougher rides: drivers in Chicago have an accident on average every 7.6 years. In Los Angeles it's just over 7 years. And in Philadelphia, well, it may be the city of Brotherly Love, but not behind the wheel. Motorists there have an accident every 6.6 years. That's an average.
PHILLIPS: Higher education, lower interest rates. If you're buried under student loans, you could begin digging your weight -- or digging your way out, rather. We'll tell you. It's starting today. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hello, everyone, I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips live in New York. And you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
1:31 Eastern time, here's some of the stories we're working on right now in the NEWSROOM. Starting off, is there a serial killer on the loose in the Midwest? Well, police are searching for a man in connection with up to eight murders in Illinois and Missouri. He's identified as 28-year-old Nicholas Sheley. He was last seen near St. Louis.
And we're waiting to hear whether GM will fall behind Toyota in U.S. auto sales for the first time ever. The big three U.S. automakers are starting to release their sales numbers this afternoon and things don't look so good so far. Ford sales plunged nearly 28 percent in June.
And hundreds of fires burning across California and other Western states, thousands of firefighters right now struggling to contain them. Fire crews are shifting their efforts to bigger fires now near populated areas.
LEMON: All right, so got a question for you, viewers: how does a four-day workweek sound to you? OK, sure, the days may be a bit longer, but Birmingham, Alabama, it means saving time, saving money, and also saving gas.
Straight now to Birmingham, the man in charge, the mayor there, Larry Langford. OK, I'm sure some people are happy about it. They get a shorter work week. I got to ask you though, is this your proposal? What gave you the idea? Are you sure about this, Mr. Mayor?
MAYOR LARRY LANGFORD, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA: Well, I'm 100 percent sure about it. What gave me the idea is this nation's preoccupation and dependency on gasoline. You know, sometimes, Don, I think we all are about three french fries short of a happy meal. We act like we -- we just got to have it. And have all of the opportunities in the world to break our dependence, but we won't.
LEMON: OK, but when you say, you know, I understand that you say that. But there are people who are going to say, you know what? I'm not so sure this is going to decrease our dependency on oil. Maybe people will just have a four day work week and they'll be less productive, there won't be enough police officers on the street. When I go to an office maybe on Friday, there won't be people there to take care of my needs. Services are already bad in many cities.
LANGFORD: Well, we will be operating five days a week. Some people will be on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Some will be on Saturday ...
LEMON: You're staggering it.
LANGFORD: That's right, and some will be on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. So, we'll be operating the full five days.
But let me just tell you, I have 3,500 employees here in Birmingham. If I can stagger their shifts, well, their mother and father will be with their children one more day a week and know where their children are, control their homes. It's not just about the gas, it also affects crime in the area because now, mommys and daddies can spend more time with their children.
LEMON: Yes, but also, I mean, you have to understand though, I mean, many police officers, police forces around the country are short-staffed now, crime is going up in many areas, and then when people go in for city services and government services, they say, I have to wait in long lines, there aren't enough people. So, are you going to have to hire more people to do this? What do you say to the critics who say you know what, productivity bad.
LANGFORD: I don't say anything to them because they don't know what they're talking about.
LEMON: As simple as that?
LANGFORD: I mean, it's really just that simple. You know what, if you're looking for a reason to fail, you can fail. And in this country, we looked for all of the reasons in the world to not be successful.
Let me be clear. It's more than just about gasoline and money. We are allowing the countries over 10,000 miles away to dictate the ebb and flow of our economy. Everything is based on a barrel of oil. And the fact of the matter is, we have to import oil, we can generate electricity because at the present time you and I are talking, I am moving here in Birmingham to put back in place free cars and trollies. We need to have high-speed rail in this country. We know what the solutions are. We just don't have the resolve to go do it.
LEMON: OK, well, I mean, all of that sounds good, but it's tough getting all of that passed.
Real quickly, my last question, I know that Utah did this, there in fact, many places closed on Friday. And so, it's a genuine four- day work week. What are your employees -- how did they responded to this?
LANGFORD: Oh, the response -- the employees, they're loving it. But let's be clear, it's tough to get it done, but change is always hard. I bet you one thing, when gasoline gets to $7 a gallon, I won't have to preach this song anymore.
LEMON: All right, Mayor Larry Langford, the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama. Never at a loss for words and your analogies are pretty interesting, sir. Best of luck to you.
LANGFORD: Thank you, take care, Don.
LEMON: Thank you.
LANGFORD: Bye-bye.
LEMON: Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Higher learning and lower interest rates, paying off your student loans and qualifying for financial aid gets easier today. How much money? Which loans? Who's affected?
Let's ask our personal finance editor Gerri Willis what some of those changes are, how they affect students. Boy, this is something I would have loved to have heard about when I was in school.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Exactly.
PHILLIPS: It took me about 12 years to pay off my loans.
WILLIS: I know, it's a horrible thing for people that dogs them forever. But there's something in this for almost everybody.
Look, if you are an undergrad right now and you have -- and you're going to get a Stafford loan, say, to go to school, the rate goes down from 6.8 percent to six percent. You need to know that. If you are a Needs Grant recipient, you're not taking out a loan, you're getting free money from the federal government, a Pell Grant, you'll get more money, $4,700 rather than $4,300. That's always good news.
And if you're a parent out there who wants a Plus loan, that's critical too. You'll be able to qualify more easily for these loans, plus you'll be able to defer payments. Most folks have to start paying when their kids are in school, not anymore.
One important thing to understand here, this qualification, a lot of folks, they had debt because of the mortgage meltdown, all kinds of things going on. Guess what? Even if you're 180 days late with your mortgage, or maybe medical bills are keeping you past due on some of your loans, you can still apply and get one of these Plus loans.
PHILLIPS: Now, you had a chance to talk to one of the officers of the bill, right?
WILLIS: That's right, we talked to George Miller, Representative George Miller. He said folks need this help. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. GEORGE MILLER (D), CALIFORNIA: We know now that almost a quarter of a million students who are fully qualified to go to college are making a decision not to go because of finances. We think that this bill and the combination of benefits that it provides to these students beginning on July 1st will make it much easier for those students and they should not turn down the opportunity of a college education because of the expenses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: All right, so what's your advice to students?
WILLIS: Well, guess what? It's time to consolidate your debt. If you haven't done it already, I'm going to tell you, you never see consumer loan rates at these levels. If you are in your grace period right now for your loan, you've got six months after graduation, consolidate now, the rate you will pay will be 3.625 percent. I don't know anybody who is going to give you money for that amount. Also, let's say you're already in re-payment, you can get the loan re-priced at 4.25 percent if you consolidate.
I've got to tell you, these are good deals for folks out there. And I know a lot of people are suffering. So, take advantage of this stuff.
PHILLIPS: I think I could have done another year of college with the interest rates that I paid with my loans.
WILLIS: It's just sad that the prices are so high.
PHILLIPS: It is our education, it's tough. But this is some good news. Thanks, Gerri.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
PHILLIPS: All right, Don.
LEMON: All right, thanks, Kyra.
It is an annual ritual, beach ritual. You've heard it all the time: wear your sunscreen, wear your sunscreen. Slathering on the sunscreen, but is it -- does it help? Or is it just hype?
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PHILLIPS: And we're following a Barack Obama speech in Zanesville, Ohio right now. He's talking faith and religion. You know, it was just over the weekend that the Reverend Billy Graham and his son Franklin Graham met with John McCain. Now, Obama getting out on the trail talking faith and politics and religion. We're tracking it. We'll bring you the highlights -- Don?
LEMON: All right, Kyra, as we follow that, we want to talk about this. You've all heard the warnings, right? If you go out in the sun, remember to your wear your sunscreen, sunscreen, sun -- it's been drilled into us, but watchdog group -- a watchdog, just one, says you know what, you better be careful. Slathering on doesn't provide enough protection for some people.
Medical correspondent -- there she is, standing right here, Elizabeth Cohen joins us. All right, I'm in shock because this is what I use. The new stuff. I use this, I spray it on, and, you know.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: And many people will tell you that it's just fine.
LEMON: All right.
COHEN: So, you want to keep in mind, this is just one group.
LEMON: OK.
COHEN: But they raise some interesting issues.
LEMON: All right.
COHEN: This is the Environmental Working Group. They say that some sunscreens just don't do what they should and may actually be harmful.
LEMON: OK.
COHEN: So, let's -- this -- here's what they say is the bad. Here it is, this is a sample. So, for example, take this Coppertone product, they say that it doesn't protect against UVA, even though it claims to. They also say that it claims to bond to the skin and work even when you sweat and the Environmental Working Group says, uh-uh, that's just not true.
LEMON: OK.
COHEN: And let's move on now to this Neutrogena product. This Neutrogena product, according to the report says does not protect against UVA the way it should, and it also contains a chemical called oxybenzone.
Now, let's talk a minute about oxybenzone.
LEMON: OK.
COHEN: Because there's some controversy. Some folks like this group say bad ...
LEMON: OK.
COHEN: ...can cause cancer, can cause hormone problems. Other folks, other scientists say, no, there's nothing wrong with this chemical.
LEMON: OK.
COHEN: So, just something to lay on both sides there.
Now, the folks who make these products, of course, had something to say about the support. You can imagine it was not very good. Coppertone says that it rigorously tests all of its products in the lab and in the real world. Neutrogena says its sunscreen products have been embraced by dermatologists and consumers for their efficacy. The makers of Banana Boat, who are also criticized in this report, they did not respond to our request for comment.
LEMON: They were just like, yes, whatever.
OK, so listen, give us a good sunscreen.
COHEN: OK, here's some good sunscreens here. What's interesting is some of these are just drugstore brands. We have here just plain old Zinc Oxide. That's all this is. This is basically just zinc oxide and all of these according to the report protect against UVA and UVB.
So, here -- you know, you might hear this and think, well, what do I do now? Two thoughts for you, one, follow these recommendations.
LEMON: OK.
COHEN: We've got some very specific things that you should look for. One, you should be looking for products that protect against UVA and UVB that have an SPF of 15 or higher. Two ingredients to look for in the label, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide. Both excellent protectors against the sun. Thirdly, this surprised me, do not use an insect repellant and sunscreen combination. I do that for my kids all the time. Apparently, something in the repellant makes the sunscreen not work as well.
Now, the other thing you can do, go to CNN.com/health. We have a link to this report. You can put in the name of your sunscreen and you can find out if these folks liked it or not.
LEMON: OK, got a quick question for you because I actually use a product very similar to this zinc, on me because I'm brown, it's OK. But a fair-skinned friend were on the beach, total burned because of that. How much do we actually need to put on?
COHEN: Right.
LEMON: Maybe we weren't putting enough on.
COHEN: Your fair friend may not have been putting enough on.
LEMON: OK.
COHEN: This is how much you're supposed to put on your body.
LEMON: Oh.
COHEN: That is a lot. Now really, when was the last time ...
LEMON: Oh my gosh, come on.
COHEN: ...you put that? But it's true. When you put on just like enough that fits in the palm of your hand, that is not enough, it is not going to do it. So, you have to use quite a bit. Tell your friend.
LEMON: So -- all right, so moderation in this is not ...
COHEN: Moderation is not the key.
LEMON: Less is not more in here, right.
COHEN: Right, right, more is more.
LEMON: Probably the best sunscreen is shade.
COHEN: Right, that's true and clothing, right.
LEMON: All right, thank you, Elizabeth.
COHEN: Thanks.
LEMON: Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, mammograms in 3-D, it could benefit thousands of women at risk for breast cancer whose breast tissue is too dense for regular mammograms. Radiologists are now using 3-D glasses to check stereo mammograms, which are essentially two different X-ray angles on special monitors. Depth perception allows the brain to read the images as one 3-D view. And researchers at the Mayo Clinic are developing another potential aid, a high-tech camera that detects how tumorous tissue acts.
LEMON: Big losses for the big three. Sales numbers from U.S. automakers in and they're in the slow lane. Will foreign competition blow by them?
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PHILLIPS: Well, we're focusing on the state of the beleaguered auto industry today. The world's largest automakers are all releasing sales figures this afternoon.
Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with all the details. I don't think we have those GM numbers yet, do we?
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PHILLIPS: All right, we're going to talk more as I mentioned with Neal Boudette, he's the bureau chief for the "Wall Street Journal in Detroit. We'll go more in depth on that. Thanks for the numbers, Susan ...
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
PHILLIPS: ...we'll talk again in a little bit -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Kyra, Barack Obama is talking about faith and religion today. Live pictures of him right now. He's speaking in Zanesville, Ohio. He is trying to connect with Evangelicals and mobilize what some are calling the quote "Christian left."
Here's CNN's Jim Acosta.
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JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After 24 years in the pulpit, former Pastor Brian McLaren plays guitar, writes books, travels the world -- that's him in Burundi -- and now, he serves as an informal advisor to Barack Obama's campaign. His mission, to convince Evangelical voters to take a new leap of faith.
BRIAN MCLAREN, OBAMA CAMPAIGN ADVISER ON FAITH: I think there's a very sizable percentage, I think between a third and half, of Evangelicals, especially younger, who are very open to somebody with a new vision.
ACOSTA: A vision McLaren says isn't just focused on traditional social issues like abortion and gay marriage. These are Evangelicals who'd also like to see an end to global warming and the war in Iraq.
MCLAREN: We've watched the Evangelical community be led -- be misled by the Republican Party to support things that they really shouldn't have supported, so --
ACOSTA (on camera): Such as?
MCLAREN: Well, the blind support for the Iraq War when it was -- when it was launched on either mistaken or false pretenses.
JAMES DOBSON, CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVE: So, it seems that he is vastly confused ...
ACOSTA (voice-over): And when Christian conservative James Dobson accused the Illinois senator of twisting the Bible, Obama's Evangelical supporters took umbrage. The Web site James Dobsonw Doesn't Speak For Me was created by Texas pastor Kirby John Caldwell, who officiated at the wedding of First Daughter Jenna Bush.
PROF. JACQUES BERLINERBLAU, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: The evangelical community seems to be sitting on the fence to a certain degree.
ACOSTA: Georgetown professor Jacques Berlinerblau says that gives Obama an opportunity --
JEREMIAH WRIGHT, FMR. PASTOR OF TRINITY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST: So many folks are hating on Barack Obama.
ACOSTA: -- despite the Senator's pastor disasters.
BERLINERBLAU: If Senator Obama can get between 30 to 33 percent in those crucial swing states, he's absolutely golden.
ACOSTA: Not all Evangelicals are convinced.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When does life begin? ACOSTA: The president of the Family Research Council posted this web video, challenging Obama's position on abortion.
CHARMAINE YOEST, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL ACTION: Talking about faith issues, it's not about singing kumbaya. It's about the public policies that the person is going to put in place.
ACOSTA (on camera): This year, Christian conservatives don't have George W. Bush to get those value voters from the pews to the polls. It's a voting bloc many on the religious left, and, yes, even the right, see as up for grabs.
Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.
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PHILLIPS: A heroic act cements a new friendship. Find out how marshmallows played a role right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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PHILLIPS: Nine-year-old Ben Stanton was worried about making friends when he moved into a new neighborhood in Canton, Michigan. Well, he doesn't have that problem now. When a new buddy nearly choked to death, he sprang into action.
Steve Garagiola with our CNN affiliate WDIV has the story.
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STEVE GARAGIOLA, WDIV REPORTER: Nine-year-old boys like Ben and Sean, life is just a series of adventures, but who would have imagined their life-changing adventure would have started with a marshmallow?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ow, I'm about to fall.
GARAGIOLA (voice-over): Ben and Sean are best friends. Climbing, jumping, running, that's what nine-year-old boys do. Unless the weather is bad and you stay indoors to build a fort.
SEAN NEAL, CHOKED ON MARSHMALLOWS: The reason we made the fort is half of us were scared of storms.
GARAGIOLA: The fort made Sean think of the wilderness which made him think of a chipmunk which gave him an idea.
BEN STANTON, SAVED HIS FRIEND FROM CHOKING: He decided to put three marshmallows in his mouth because he was pretending like a chipmunk. On the third one, he put between his -- the other ones and it went down his throat.
GARAGIOLA: The third marshmallow got stuck. Sean couldn't swallow. He couldn't breathe.
STANTON: I started hitting his back. I thought he was just regular -- like regular coughing. And he like coughed up more marshmallow, then another marshmallow, then another marshmallow.
GARAGIOLA: Ben says he learned in school what to do if someone is choking. He didn't hesitate. It makes a mom proud.
JENNIFER GILMORE, BEN'S MOTHER: He's always like that, he's always jumping into action.
GARAGIOLA: It's hard to convince either one of these guys that what happened is a big deal. It's just what friends do, look out for each other. The only thing they don't like about all this attention was that picture in the newspaper.
NEAL: My eyes are like going up in the air, like --
STANTON: I know! And his teeth are like this, like coming down through his lips.
NEAL: And your teeth are like -- they're like ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's weird!
GARAGIOLA: Ah, the price of being a star. And we did learn one thing from all of this.
(on camera): How many do you put in your mouth at one time now?
(voice-over): Good answer.
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PHILLIPS: Well, Jennifer Gilmore, Ben's mom didn't know about the heroics until the other boy's mother expressed gratitude for Ben for saving her son. Just remember, only one marshmallow, folks.
The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
Eight bodies, two states, one possible serial killer. An intense search going on right now in the Midwest.
LEMON: On the subway, in restaurants, in parks. Licensed Georgia gun owners get more leeway to pack heat. We'll get the legal upshot on concealed carry.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live here at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips live in New York. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: All right, let's start now with that new law. Locked, loaded and legal. In much of the country, there are concealed carry laws in effect, meaning any number of people you encounter throughout your day may be carrying a handgun. The guy driving or riding next to you on your morning commute, co-workers, your lunch break buddies, pedestrians on the street, other shoppers at the mall. Other drinkers at the bar. Supporters of concealed carry say packing in public promotes public safety. Opponents say there's just no need for everybody to be carrying a deadly weapon, permit or no permit.
The right to bear arms. Clearly today, a loaded issue and Georgians today get the right to bear arms in more places.
