Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Alabama Man Murders 10 and Kills Self; School Shooting in Germany Claims Two, Several More Injured; Madoff Expected to Plead Guilty, Faces 150 Years in Jail; Cramer vs. Stewart: Jon Stewart Faces Off With CNBC Anchor; Outrage Over Nickelodeon Honoring Chris Brown; Checking Obama's Promise on the Obamameter
Aired March 11, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Thanks for being with us. It's Wednesday. It's the 11th of March, and some breaking news just coming in to CNN.
A school shooting in Germany. It happened in the southern part of the country, a town called Winnenden, it's near Stuttgart. At least two people are feared dead; several more injured. Our crews in Germany are working this story. More on that as we get it.
Apparently, according to some reports, the gunman still at-large. A town near Stuttgart, Winnenden, two people dead in a school shooting there -- Kiran.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And we're also following here at home some breaking news as well. Another shooting, one of the big stories we'll be breaking down for you this morning.
CNN learning some brand new details in a shooting rampage that happened in Alabama. At least 11 people now confirmed dead, including the gunman. Right now, police say they're working several different crime scenes. The victims include the killer's family members and the wife and child of a local deputy. We're live on the ground in Alabama with breaking details.
Also, the clock is running down for accused swindler, Bernie Madoff. His attorney says that the former money manager is ready to plead guilty to criminal charges in an alleged multibillion dollar investment fraud. He is not cutting a deal. Prosecutors say the plea practically guarantees Madoff will spend the rest of his life behind bars. The maximum sentence, 150 years. We're going to get details and also reaction from Madoff's alleged victims.
And President Obama facing a growing number of Democrats concerned about his financial fix. In fact, one lawmaker pleading "whatever you're doing, please hurry." And that's not all, Democrats are taking aimed at. We're going to be live in Washington to break down some concerns.
ROBERTS: We begin with breaking news. And right now learning details of a brand new shooting or brand new details, rather, of the shooting rampage in southern Alabama yesterday. At least 11 people dead, including the gunman who police have now identified as Michael McLendon.
The trail of bloodshed claimed victims in several homes in the small towns of Kinston, Samson and Geneva, and along the highway connecting them. Police say McLendon fatally shot members of his own family and apparent strangers. And this morning, it's not clear what his motive was.
CNN's Sean Callebs is live for us in Samson, Alabama, this morning. What else are we learning this morning, Sean?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, not a whole lot at this hour. We can tell you that the shooting spree actually spread over two counties, beginning basically at the Florida/Alabama border.
We're right now in a small neighborhood in the town of Samson, where seven people were shot and killed. As you mentioned, authorities are trying to piece together exactly what happened in what appears to be a simply senseless, violent rampage. At this hour, they don't have a motive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the worst tragedies in recent memories.
CALLEBS (voice-over): The suspected gunman, Michael McLendon of Kinston, Alabama. Police say he started his killing spree near the Florida/Alabama border by shooting his mother and her four dogs. He left the home in flames. And from there, he took his rampage on the road across southeastern Alabama firing shots as he traveled down State Highway 52.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he puts five or six bullet holes in the truck and then he took off.
CALLEBS: The shooter, also targeting the family that raised him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four adults and one child were found shot to death at one residence. One adult was found shot to death at a second residence and another adult was found shot to death at a third residence.
CALLEBS: The county coroner says the victims included McLendon's grandfather, grandmother, aunt, uncle, and a sheriff deputy's wife and child who lived across the street. Unsuspecting residents, some sitting on their porches witnessed it all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard about ten shots and I saw someone with a gun and I turned and went the other way.
CALLEBS: Then two more people shot and killed apparently at random at a gas station and a Samson pipe and supply store. The horrible tale came to an end at the Reliable Metal Products plant. First he fired a 30-round burst. A police chief shot and wounded, but saved by his bulletproof vest. Then, McLendon went inside and apparently turned the gun on himself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Within minutes, shots were heard from within Reliable Metal and law enforcement officers found him dead from what are believed to be self-inflicted gunshots.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: The crime scene cleanup has been out here. They were out here yesterday evening basically removing any visible sign of the carnage. We know that he worked at Reliable Metal but we don't know if the suspected gunman in all this was fired or if he left his job voluntarily.
And, John, one other ironic note, the deputy who lost his wife and child in the shooting was also involved in the shootout at Reliable, but at the time had no idea what he was facing back at his house -- John.
ROBERTS: Yes, continuing the pursuit without knowing. Any ideas at this point of a motive? What set this guy off?
CALLEBS: Absolutely none. The authorities that are out here right now, a lot of them, have been on the job probably for close to 24 hours. We know some were actually involved in the gun fight. We know a news conference is coming up later on a few hours from now. It's not going to be anywhere near here. It's going to be in the state capital of Montgomery, because state police have taken over this investigation.
ROBERTS: Sean Callebs for us this morning on this tragic shooting. Sean, thanks so much.
CHETRY: And we're following another developing story for you this morning. Disgraced money manager Bernie Madoff expected to plead guilty to 11 felony counts, and that could carry a sentence of 150 years. Madoff is charged with operating a massive Ponzi scheme that allegedly bilked investors out of nearly $65 billion. Some former Madoff clients will be allowed to speak at Thursday's plea hearing. Madoff arrived in court yesterday wearing a bulletproof vest.
Allan Chernoff is following the story for us. You know, usually when we hear guilty plea, we think plea bargain but prosecutors say not this time.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. It's not happening this time. What is happening is that tomorrow, Bernard Madoff intends to plead guilty at a hearing. But he's not cutting a deal with prosecutors, not agreeing to cooperate with government investigators.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF (voice-over): Bernard Madoff now prepared to plead guilty to operating the biggest investment fraud in history, a plea that could carry a sentence of up to 150 years in prison.
Ronnie Sue Ambracino (ph) is among the 4,800 alleged victims who had a direct account with Madoff. She says she invested all she had, $1.6 million. She and her husband, Dominic, were traveling in their RV when they learned of the fraud and they've had to live in it ever since, unable to afford to drive the gas-guzzling vehicle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I never planned that Madoff would pull the rug out from under us. We wanted to have a long retirement together, and our thoughts were, we'll save as much as we can today, put it in with Madoff and that money will carry us through.
CHERNOFF: The losses are staggering. Madoff, a former chairman of the Nasdaq stock market, reported to clients around the globe in November that their accounts were worth a total of nearly $65 billion, according to a government court filing. In fact, Bernard Madoff investment securities had only a small fraction of that amount.
Since the 1980s, prosecutors alleged, Madoff used new funds from investors to pay redemptions to other investors. Apparently, the biggest Ponzi scheme ever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No comment. No comment.
CHERNOFF: Madoff's attorney, Ira Sorkin, who has received death threats and anti-Semitic hate mail, refused to elaborate on the planned guilty plea. But Sorkin and prosecutors have made clear that Madoff is not cutting a deal to help the government investigate. Pleas in victim Helen Louis Chaitman who feared Madoff might get off easy.
HELEN LOUIS CHAITMAN, MADOFF VICTIM: My reaction to the fact that there's no plea agreement is actually one of relief.
ROSS INTELISANO, ATTORNEY FOR MADOFF VICTIMS: He's trying to protect people, very likely his family, his wife, Ruth, by not having to point fingers to other family members who might have been involved.
CHERNOFF: Bernard Madoff has claimed he committed the fraud on his own, but prosecutors say Madoff directed his employees to keep the fraud going.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF: The government is continuing to investigate to determine who else may have to face charges. Now Madoff will not be sentenced right away. Judge Denny Chin says it could be a few months before a sentencing hearing is actually held that would probably send Madoff to prison for the rest of his life. But until then, as you know, he remains in that luxurious Upper Eastside Manhattan apartment under house arrest.
CHETRY: And what is the potential for any of these and swindled investors to get some money back?
CHERNOFF: Well, the government is saying that it wants to pursue as much as $170 billion, the amount that it estimates was actually put into Madoff. Good luck finding all that money. The trustee, thus far, has been able to find $940 million. But this investigation, I can assure you, has only just a gun. They are going to search the globe.
CHETRY: Right.
ROBERTS: A lot of news yesterday, you know, on Madoff and at the same time, the markets were up and up almost 400 points. It was a good day on Wall Street. That's two rallies in a row, right?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I know. It was a good...
ROBERTS: Is this a trend?
ROMANS: It was -- oh, boy.
ROBERTS: Can we be hopeful?
ROMANS: I would say it was a bear market rally. But you know, it was a bear market. It's still a bear market. It was a very nice rally.
And you look inside the rally yesterday, and everything looked pretty good. I mean, all the Dow components were up. You had a lot more stocks advancing than declining. The big question this morning is, will the rally last, of course? And we went through and looked in 2009.
You know, the Dow has gained 200 points in a single day, five times in 2009. Each time the Dow was lower the next session twice by triple digits. So the problem with this market is it's been having a difficult time holding on to things.
Asian markets are up, as you pointed out. Europe was up. Now, stocks in the U.K., the FTSE index is down, so there's a little -- a little concern about whether we can follow through here today. But what happened yesterday was there was some optimism about the banking sector.
ROBERTS: Yes. Citi stock was up.
ROMANS: Citi stock was up big. Remember, the stock doubled --
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: Exactly. Exactly. So there was some optimism about that. But the optimism there is that it had been brief and hard to keep a hold of, so we'll watch those again today.
Ben Bernanke said that perhaps there could be a recovery by the end of this year. People like that. Also some talk about limiting short -- there's a short sale, but I won't get into. There's too many of the technicals of it but trying to prevent some short selling that had this people thinking it exacerbated some of the problems in the financial sector over the past year. Lots of little different things out there kicking around. We'll see if it could last.
CHERNOFF: One day does not make a rally.
CHETRY: That's exactly right, Allan.
ROBERTS: If we get Citi up another $26, I'll break even.
ROMANS: Yes, exactly. Exactly.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Christine.
And stay tune to CNN all next week for unprecedented reporting on the money meltdown that's changing your life. We're utilizing the global resources of CNN. "Road to the Rescue: The CNN Survival Guide" begins Monday on CNN and CNN.com.
CHETRY: Also this morning, there are some new questions from some skeptical Democrats from the economy to the budget. We're going to hear the concerns that lawmakers are taking straight to the Obama administration.
It's 10 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
ROBERTS: Twelve and a half minutes now after the hour, and let's fast forward to stories that will be making news later on today, a story that we'll be following all day on CNN and CNN.com.
Breaking news, the shooting rampage in southern Alabama. We're expecting more news conferences throughout the day. Here's what we have learned this morning.
Police say the killer, Michael McLendon, took his own life after killing ten people. Among the fatalities, his mother, his grandparents, aunt and uncle, and the wife and child of a sheriff's deputy.
It's all systems go for tonight's planned launch of the space shuttle "Discovery" set to lift off at 9:20 Eastern from the Kennedy Space Center. The Discovery astronauts will deliver a final set of solar arrays to the International Space Station.
And at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, First Lady Michelle Obama joins Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department to celebrate International Women's Day. They'll present the third annual award for International Women of Courage to eight women from around the world.
And those are the important stories we'll be following for you today -- Kiran.
CHETRY: John, thanks. Well, you know, this morning investors are cautiously optimistic after the biggest single rally we've seen on Wall Street this year. Yet despite yesterday's spark, it's not just Republicans but some Democrats who are concerned about the president's financial fix. So much taxpayer money at stake, they want answers. They want explanations and mostly, they want to know when.
CNN's Jim Acosta is following this story for us live in Washington this morning. So, you know, as we saw the members of President Obama's administration paying a visit to Capitol Hill trying to reassure some jittery Democrats as well that they do have things under control.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kiran. And the congressional Democrats we talked to were careful not to criticize the administration. But the White House, you're right, is apparently getting an earful these days from anxious leaders inside the party. Consider the plea from one congresswoman who simply told the White House, "please hurry."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice-over): With the White House comparing the nation's economy to a house on fire, some congressional Democrats are asking, where's the fire truck? One New Hampshire congresswoman said as much to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner on Capitol Hill?
ACOSTA: And you said what?
REP. CAROL SHEA-PORTER (D), NEW HAMPSHIRE: I said, hurry, please hurry, because people are waiting and they are hurting, and they need the help now.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This afternoon I met with members of my economic team.
ACOSTA: She's one of a growing number of nervous Democrats on edge or at odds with some of the Obama's administration's plans on the economy. Some are taking aim at the president's budget proposals that would curb popular tax deductions for wealthier Americans.
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I don't think ultimately the criticism is surprising. That certainly happens and is all part of the process.
ACOSTA: As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Democrats to stay on message --
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Word of the day is a word that is important to our economy every day. And that word is confidence.
ACOSTA: She said top economists told her a second stimulus package may be necessary.
PELOSI: We have to keep the door open to see how this goes. ACOSTA: Budget hawks in our party don't like the sound of that.
Are the votes there for that right now, do you think?
REP. EARL POMEROY (D), NORTH DAKOTA: I mean, if we were to take a vote this afternoon, the stimulus package would probably fail. If they want substantial, more public funds committed, they're going to have to go out there and explain precisely how this is going to work.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
ACOSTA: Democrat Carol Shea-Porter says she's simply on the message she's getting at town meetings back home, a message that's also aimed at some in the media.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Obama, are you listening?
JIM CRAMER, NBC/CNBC ANALYST: Whatever money you may need for the next five years, please, take it out of the stock market right now.
ACOSTA: Who she accuses of fueling the flames.
Is that having an effect?
SHEA-PORTER: Yes. It's terrifying people. Before, people were very optimistic and the leaders were optimistic. Then we hit a spell here where we're hearing a lot of media...
ACOSTA: So called experts.
SHEA-PORTER: ... media people who are frightening without necessarily giving both sides.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: For now, the White House says it has no plans for another stimulus, arguing its plan needs time to work. In other words, the fire is not out yet, Kiran. But I have to tell you after talking to some of those Democrats on Capitol Hill yesterday, they do sense there's a little breathing room after that rally on the stock market yesterday. Who knows how long that will last, though.
CHETRY: That's right. Because our business people are cautioning us, a day doesn't make a rally.
ACOSTA: That's right.
CHETRY: But, you know, fingers crossed.
Jim Acosta, great to see you this morning, thanks.
ACOSTA: You bet.
CHETRY: Also for the first time since leaving office, former vice president, Dick Cheney, is speaking, and only to CNN. You can see the exclusive interview. It's this Sunday, 9:00 Eastern on "STATE OF THE UNION WITH JOHN KING" -- John.
ROBERTS: We're following breaking news right now. A shooting rampage in Alabama. At least 11 people dead. We are live on the ground, and we'll talk to a state trooper just a few minutes about the suspect and what could have set him off.
Avoiding (ph) violence in their home country, a growing number of Mexican citizens are seeking asylum in the United States. We'll talk with two Mexican journalists in hiding because they fear for their lives.
Seventeen minutes now after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
An explosion of drug violence in Mexico getting a hearing on Capitol Hill amid new fears that it could spill over into the United States. Border officials grilled at a House hearing on Monday. One member made it clear that he think the U.S. is not doing enough to stop the violence and drugs from coming north into the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAL ROGERS (R), KENTUCY: I think we're conveniently hiding our head in the sands of Cancun Beach, and we're not seeing what the real problem is. And it's a real problem for the United States of America. Every major city in this country has legs of the Mexican drug cartel, do they not? Anyone want to dispute that? I didn't think so. And yet, I don't see us taking it seriously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Meantime, the Mexican government says mass desertions by army soldiers have hampered efforts by police drug cartels and other Mexican citizens are looking to the United States as a safe haven.
CNN's Ed Lavandera has got that story for us this morning.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, Mexican citizens fearing the escalating violence in their home country are trying a new way to escape, by asking for asylum in the United States.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): From a tiny restaurant in El Paso, Texas, Jorge Aguirre and Emilio Gutierrez agreed to meet with us -- two Mexican reporters in hiding. They say their articles criticizing Mexican government officials were met with death threats. The fear never ends, Emilio told me. I had become a source of frustration for them.
Aguirre runs a Web site called Lapolaka.com. He was on his way to a friend's funeral last November in Juarez, a fellow reporter who was assassinated when his cell phone rang.
JORGE LUIS AGUIRRE, MEXICAN JOURNALIST (through translator): They called and told me I was next, Jorge says. I went into shock. I thought I was going to die right there on the street corner.
LAVANDERA: Aguirre says he knows where the threat came from. He rushed his family in El Paso and hasn't been home since.
Gutierrez has already requested asylum. Both men say politicians controlled by drug traffickers want them killed. Mexican government officials have denied this.
If I go back, they will kill me, he says.
U.S. immigration officials say the number of Mexican citizens asking for asylum, because they fear violence, has jumped from 54 in 2003, to 312 last year. The applicant must show they're being persecuted for social or political reasons. There are business owners, even law enforcement agents including three Mexican police chiefs who refused the bribes of drug cartels. One of those worked in the small town of Palomas on the border with New Mexico.
SHERIFF RAYMOND COBOS, LUNA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO: It's pretty hard to fight that -- that type of situation by yourself.
LAVANDERA: Sheriff Raymond Cobos knew the Palomas chief. He heard the chief was denied asylum and is hiding somewhere in Mexico.
COBOS: I thought it was interesting in surviving and living another day and taking care of my family, protecting my family. I would have to give up my post, because I wouldn't have anybody else to rely on.
LAVANDERA: And now we've learned the American attorney for the two Mexican reporters says he's being threatened for taking their case, saying he's been followed on the U.S. side.
(on camera): Do you view this as a threat on your life?
CARLOS SPECTOR, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: Yes. I've taken it very seriously. I've grown up in Mexico. I've lived in Mexico. I've lived on the border my entire life. I know how they function. It was clearly a threat that if I don't stop, something will happen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: But asking for asylum based on fear of violence isn't a sure bet. Less than half of those cases were approved last year -- John and Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Well, there is a change now to a travel ban in Cuba. The Senate lifting some restrictions on families and trade, but there are many who say the changes won't mean anything. We're covering the story from Washington to Havana, and asking the question, could this be the beginning of the end of the embargo?
It's 24 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
A lot of attention being paid to the earmarks that were stuffed into the spending bill that President Obama is about to sign. But the measure is also good news for many Americans with family in Cuba. Jim Acosta is following that story from Washington for us this morning.
Jim, your family is from Cuba. What's this all about?
ACOSTA: Well, John, you're not to hold the mojito for just a moment. This may not be as much change as we are all expecting. Tucked away in the giant spending bill was a provision that changes long-standing American policy toward Cuba. The question this morning is, will it really change much?
First, let's talk about what the bill is supposed to do. American businessmen would love to be able to travel to Cuba to sell medical and agriculture goods. And they may be able to do that but here's where it gets tricky. The bill defunds U.S. enforcement of a rule requiring Cuba to pay U.S. companies up front before food is even loaded at American ports. It also defunds enforcement of a Bush administration rule limiting Cuban-Americans to one two-week trip to Cuba every three years. So while this bill doesn't actively grant permission to ease travel and trade with Cuba, it does take away money that has been used to restrict it in the past.
For Cuban-Americans wishing to travel to Cuba, it means you can travel there a lot more frequently without fear of being prosecuted or fined. If all of this wasn't confusing enough, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, who has been awfully lately, persuaded two Democratic senators to drop their objections to the Cuban measure by essentially telling them in a letter that the bill really won't change U.S. trade policy with Cuba and that it would still be tightly monitored on both ends.
And, John, I can tell you who those two Democratic senators are. They are Bob Menendez from New Jersey, who is a Cuban-American, and Bill Nelson from Florida. So you can see where this is going here.
Cuban-Americans in the exile community were very concerned about some of these provisions, that it was too much change too fast. We talked about this on a story not too long ago here in AMERICAN MORNING. It is all about how much change and how fast with respect to Cuba. All of this is not doing away with the embargo. We're not talking about the embargo, but Cuban-Americans may be able to travel to the island a lot more frequently without worries of running afoul of the law, John.
ROBERTS: And they'll be able to stay longer as well, won't they Jim?
ACOSTA: They should be able to. And I think what is also mentioned inside this bill is it sort of -- it sort of loosens what a relative is. You may be able to go visit those tios and tias, your aunts and uncles there in Cuba, as opposed to strictly your parents, which is how the policy was enforced previously.
And one thing that is very interesting about this and some of the talk that's happening with respect to this letter from Tim Geithner is that some people are saying, wait a minute, is this sort of like those signing statements back in the Bush administration where President Bush would say, well, there are certain things in this law I don't like, so we're not going to follow that part of the law? And some people are asking the question, well, is that letter to those two senators an indication that President Obama is going to do the same thing with respect to this provision, John?
ROBERTS: All right. We'll see. So, some people concerned about this. Good news for others, though.
ACTUALLY Hold the mojito.
ROBERTS: For the moment.
ACOSTA: Yes.
ROBERTS: Hey, Jim, thanks so much.
ACOSTA: You bet.
ROBERTS: It's coming up now on the half hour. We're following breaking news this morning. Right now, police are searching for a motive after a lone gunman went on a terrifying rampage across southern Alabama killing 11 people including himself.
Police say Michael McLendon first opened fire at his mother's home in the town of Kinston yesterday afternoon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just came up. She was in the kitchen cooking, and he came up and he just started firing and most everybody was on the porch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Some of those killed included members of McClendon's family and a local deputy's wife and 18-month-old daughter.
One million people in the U.S. are now in the U.S. government's terror watch list. The 32 percent increase in the number of entries since 2007. "USA Today" reported the new figures from the director of national intelligence. That rise comes despite the removal of some 33,000 names last year by the FBI's terrorist screening center. One million people on the no-fly list.
And this morning, a call for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate debt collectors who coax families to pay their dead relatives outstanding bills. Under current law, families are not legally obligated to pay. But it is not a crime for collectors to ask for the money. In a letter to the FTC, Senator Chuck Schumer said the practice may violate the fair debt collection practices act.
CHETRY: Well, returning to our breaking news this morning. Out of southern Alabama, at least 11 people are dead this morning after a gunman went on a seemingly random killing spree across several towns yesterday.
Joining me now on the phone is James Cook. He's a reporter for the "Dothan Eagle."
And thanks for being with us this morning, James.
JAMES COOK, REPORTER, DOTHAN EAGLE: Hi. No problem.
CHETRY: So take us through how this started. Apparently, police discovered that his mother was shot when a passerby noticed the home on fire and called authorities. What happened next?
COOK: Apparently, after what happened in Kinston, he came to Samson, and he apparently went to a neighborhood and, you know, opened fire on, you know, some folks who were sitting on a porch and killed some other people before just going through town and just kind of shooting at random. He killed this lady at a local convenience store and then another person at a, I think a pipe and supply store just outside of town. And he also, you know, he also shot up a hardware store in town. And just really engaged in just some, you know, his random violence before the police chased him to Geneva, which is another town nearby. And he took his own life.
CHETRY: Yes. I want to start with the beginning part of this apparent killing spree where his mother was shot, her house set on fire. Then, he also drove, as you said, to another town and killed his grandparents and an uncle. And so, again, these are people he knew. Then, after that is when police say that he apparently then started randomly shooting, hitting, as we said, a wife and also a child of a sheriff's deputy that lived nearby.
So part of it seemed that it was targeted toward the family and then, after that, it was more random. Is there any indication of a motive as to what possibly motivated this individual to do this?
COOK: Yes. There's still a lot of speculation going on at the time. And nobody has really said anything official. But, you know, we have heard anything from he lost his job, to there was an argument within the family. Right now, the details are just still very sketchy.
CHETRY: All right. We do know that apparently according to authorities, he was armed with a semi-automatic weapon. And as you said, he eventually took his own life after police pursued him to business reliable metal products.
All right. Well, thanks for being with us, James Cook, from the Dothan Eagle this morning.
We are continuing to follow this story as we get more details. Just such a tragedy out of Alabama. A lot of people in that community just saying it's utterly shocking that they've never seen anything like this, even the nursing staff at the hospital. They thought they were going to be helping treat some survivors. And that wasn't the case. And many of them broke down in tears when they realized they had actually, all these people had passed away.
ROBERTS: And the story of this police trooper as well. He was involved in the chase of this guy, McClendon, not knowing that at the time that McClendon had killed his wife, 18-month-old daughter and wounded their six-month-old child.
CHETRY: Right.
ROBERTS: I just can't imagine.
CHETRY: It is shocking. And that baby, by the way, is still being treated, airlifted to a hospital in Florida.
ROBERTS: (INAUDIBLE) go out to that baby, too.
Nickelodeon facing a fierce backlash this morning over a decision regarding Chris Brown. If you're a parent you want to hear why the cable network is standing by him despite the serious allegations that he faces.
It's coming up now on 35 minutes after the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Radi Kaiof was paralyzed from the waist down 20 years ago. An Israeli soldier shot in the spine, went on patrol in Lebanon. Now he can walk, thanks to some hi-tech assistance. He still has no feeling in his legs, but that makes no difference with the ReWalk.
Radi tells me standing changes my whole environment. I don't have to look from the bottom up, now I am eye to eye with everybody. The ReWalk is the brain child of Dr. Amit Goffer. After he became disabled in an accident in 1997, Dr. Goffer focused on developing an alternative to a wheelchair. By 2007, this robotic suit or exoskeleton was ready for testing.
DR. AMIT GOFFER, REWALK INVENTOR: Because this is maybe the -- number one problem with sitting in a wheelchair leaning to. And secondly, tremendous (INAUDIBLE) and health.
HANCOCK: The robotic suit has advanced motion sensors and on board computers. And crutches keep the patients upright. It's not on the market yet. ReWalk is still going through clinical trials. But if it's approve the device could be available in 2010. I'm Paula Hancock in Haifa, Israel.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Thirty-nine minutes after the hour. If you are a parent, you want to hear this next story. Outraged this morning after Nickelodeon, a trusted children's television network, seems to be turning a blind eye to the serious allegations that singer, Chris Brown faces. As of this morning, the network says it has no plans to remove Brown as a contender for the Kids' Choice Awards despite charges that he brutally attacked his girlfriend, Rihanna.
Here's Kareen Wynter with that story.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: John, Kiran, pop star Chris Brown has a new audience of critics. They are concerned about the example he could be setting for children.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER (voice-over): It was once hard not to like Chris Brown, the 19-year-old fresh-faced R&B singer wooed kids and their parents with his clean lyrics and polished good looks.
But that was then. Brown now stands accused of viciously beating his equally famous girlfriend, Rihanna. He faces arraignment next month on charges of assault and criminal threats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say Chris Brown -- you wouldn't expect Chris Brown to do that because I like his music and how he act.
WYNTER: And now, the latest wrinkle in the ongoing case involves the upcoming Kids' Choice Awards on Nickelodeon. Both Brown and Rihanna are up for two. A growing community of angry parents is calling on Nickelodeon to remove Brown's name from nomination.
DR. CARA NATTERSON, MOMLOGIC.COM: We're telling our children it is OK to behave this way. It is OK to break the law and to hurt someone.
WYNTER: An online petition linked to from sites like TwitterMoms.com and Momlogic.com gathered thousands of signatures in its first days up, and has been adding hundreds of new Web signatures every hour. In part, it reads, "To say that either of these people are setting a suitable example to be held up as winners is preposterous."
But Nickelodeon isn't backing down, telling CNN, quote, "Like all our Kids' Choice Awards nominees, Chris Brown was nominated by kids several months ago, and the kids who vote will ultimately decide who wins in the category."
NATTERSON: The network is for kids, but the network is not run by kids. And we don't allow children to make their own decisions in many different facets of the world. So it is important for us to step in and tell kids what is right from wrong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER: Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards will air later this month. The network has said neither of the two stars has indicated they plan on attending. Brown's next court appearance, by the way, is set for April 6th - John, Kiran.
CHETRY: Kareen Wynter for us this morning. Thank you.
Well, right now, the space shuttle "Discovery" is set to lift off this evening. The question though is, will the weather cooperate? We're live in the weather center with the answers.
Also, President Obama made a lot of promises on the campaign trail. So, after 51 days in office, has he kept them? We're breaking out the truth-o-meter to keep the commander-in-chief in check.
It's 42 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: I got a little choked up there by U2. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
They're keeping a close eye on the weather at the Kennedy Space Center this morning. "Discovery" is on the launch pad right now, counting down to launch which is at 9:20 Eastern tonight. And Rob Marciano is at the weather center at Atlanta tracking things for us.
What do you think? How is it looking for a launch tonight?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Looks good. Have you ever seen a launch?
CHETRY: Only on TV.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: Have you?
MARCIANO: No, no. It's on the list. It's on the list before I kick it.
(WEATHER REPORT)
CHETRY: Hey, they're a hardy line out there. That's not going to stop them.
MARCIANO: No, no problem.
CHETRY: All right. Send in the iReports, by the way, if you happen to catch the shuttle launch, right? If you see it anywhere you are, that will be neat to see. All right, Rob, thanks.
MARCIANO: All right. You got it.
CHETRY: John?
ROBERTS: We'll talk about your economic fallout. Jon Stewart giving CNBC and its loudest pundit a daily pounding. Our Jeannie Moos takes a look at what has him fighting mad.
It's 47 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, one of them is a loud and loquacious analyst on a financial network, the other one is a late-night comedian who loves to get us laughing about any way he can. So, what happens when those two people go to war with each other? Our Jeannie Moos has got a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You know that movie about the bitter divorce...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "KRAMER VS. KRAMER," COURTESY COLUMBIA PICTURES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kramer vs. Kramer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Well, this is Cramer versus Stewart. It started as a "Daily Show" rant against the financial network, CNBC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE DAILY SHOW," COURTESY COMEDY CENTRAL)
JON STEWART, HOST "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": If I'd only followed CNBC's advice, I'd have a million dollars today -- provided I'd started with $100 million dollars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: In an eight-and-a-half minute tirade, Stewart ripped, eviscerated, vaporized CNBC -- mostly by showing clips of seemingly bad prognostication.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TODAY SHOW," COURTESY NBC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bear Stearns is fine. Do not take your money out.
Bear Stearns is not in trouble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Stewart mocked how CNBC interviewed now disgraced CEOs back when they were still riding high.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE DAILY SHOW," COURTESY COMEDY CENTRAL)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it fun being a billionaire?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, yes. Yes. I have to say it is fun being a billionaire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Stewart responded with two words you didn't have to be a lip reader to get. And when Jim Cramer lashed back, saying he'd been taken out of context, Stewart attacked again.
In "The Today Show" with Cramer listen on a split screen as he smile faded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE DAILY SHOW," COURTESY COMEDY CENTRAL)
STEWART: He's not saying, literally, I'm asking you to buy Bear Stearns. For that, you'd have to go back a full seven weeks before the stock completely collapsed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TODAY SHOW," COURTESY NBC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm asking people who are watching this video to buy Bear Stearns.
(LAUGHTER)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TODAY SHOW," COURTESY NBC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you make a mistake?
JIM CRAMER, CNBC ANCHOR: Did I make a mistake?
OK, well, first of all, anytime you recommend a stock and it goes down, you've made a mistake. Here's the shocker -- almost every stock is down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Stewart even bashed the financial networks on "Letterman," saying first they act like they know what's going on on Wall Street, then they don't.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN," COURTESY WORLDWIDE PANTS INC.)
STEWART: It would be like turning on the Weather Channel in a hurricane and they're just doing this -- why am I wet?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: CNBC wouldn't comment, but the network's supporters say Stewart is cherry picking mistakes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TODAY SHOW," COURTESY NBC)
CRAMER: This is a terrible market, which is why I told people to sell everything. But you think he's going to run that tape? No, because he's got a comedy show.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MOOS (on camera): Yes, well, since this isn't exactly a comedy show, we might as well run the clip illustrating that Cramer was right about something.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TODAY SHOW," COURTESY NBC)
CRAMER: Whatever money you may need for the next five years, please take it out of the stock market right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS (voice-over): Since then, the Dow has plunged several thousand points.
Stephen Colbert tried to soften all the bad news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "COLBERT REPORT," COURTESY COMEDY CENTRAL)
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST: Or, Jim, we could just have puppies and kittens behind you.
Jimmy?
CRAMER: I think this is a time when you want...
(LAUGHTER)
CRAMER: ...you want to try to put as many people to work as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: If you're going to fight like cats and dogs, you might as well look at them.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: And the fun could be just beginning. Go to the published reports. Cramer will be Jon Stewart's guest on the "Daily Show" on Thursday night.
CHETRY: Got to DVR that one, right? Because we'll be asleep.
ROBERTS: You know -- I mean, it's the same thing that, you know, the Sunday morning shows do, too. Videotape doesn't lie.
CHETRY: That's right.
ROBERTS: It's there.
CHETRY: All right. Well, I'm looking forward to that one.
ROBERTS: I didn't say that. Oh, yes, you did.
CHETRY: Yes. Here it is.
ROBERTS: Fifty-three minutes after the hour now.
Two-town killing spree. A man goes after his mother, his grandparents, even kills the family dogs. The stunned mayor gives you the latest, live.
And liftoff of shuttle "Discovery." Before tonight's launch of the space shuttle...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tile right here has not flown yet. This tile over here has one flight on them.
ROBERTS (voice-over): A view you've never seen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm standing on top of the launch pad here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: We take you inside the belly of the beast. You're watching the Most News in the Morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Fifty-six minutes now after the hour. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. As a candidate, then Senator Obama pledged to make a lot of changes. And after 51 days in office, we wanted to see whether he is sticking to those promises. We turn now to the founder of Politifact.com.
Bill Adair back again with his truth-o-meter and the Obameter this morning.
Good to see you, Bill. Thanks for coming in.
BILL ADAIR, FOUNDER, POLITIFACT.COM: Good morning, John.
ROBERTS: So you ran the first 50 days through the Obameter in terms of promises kept, promises not kept. How did he do?
ADAIR: Yes. I guess we would call this our halftime score. Halfway through 100 days. He had 17 promises kept so far and two broken. I think the 17 is a, you know, a pretty substantial start, but it's important to recognize these are the low-hanging fruit. These include many things that he was able to do simply by executive order. And so the really challenging ones are still to come, because he has got to get approval from Congress.
ROBERTS: But it is an indication, though, is it not, Bill? You know, we -- many people think that politician just get out there on the campaign trail to say anything to get elected. But the truth behind this is that, yes, they do promise these things and then they try to make good on those promises by and large. ADAIR: Absolutely. And many of the promises, we have about 513 promises in our Obameter database. And many of them are ones that we got from Obama's transition Web site, where he actually identified his campaign promises and said, I'm going to keep these. But many of them include things that he doesn't have any control over. And so it will be interesting for us to watch those in the coming months.
ROBERTS: And I know you'll continue to run all that through the Obameter. Let's look to the Truth-O-Meter now. And run a statement by Republican Senator Tom Colbert of Oklahoma through it. He was talking about the president's health care plan.
On Fox News, here's what he said, quote, "Under the Obama plan, all the health care in this country is eventually going to be run by the government."
What do the Truth-O-Meter say about that one. Truth-O-Meter gave that one a false. It probably sounds familiar. We heard this during the campaign. McCain and some of his surrogates made similar points about Obama's health plan. And the problem is it's just not true. Obama's health plan relies on the private health insurance system for the most part, but then seeks to expand coverage using government programs like Medicaid and the children's health insurance program. So that one gets a false on the Truth-O-Meter.
ROBERTS: All right. So we run a Republican statement through the Truth-O-Meter. We also want to run a liberal statement through the Truth-O-Meter. This one from the Americans United for Change. A new advertisement, which they suggest that Rush Limbaugh is the leader of the Republican Party. They talked about the president's stimulus plan and they say, quote, "Republican leaders said no to tax cuts for 95 percent of working Americans." What did the Truth-O-Meter say about that?
ADAIR: The Truth-O-Meter gave that one a barely true. And it's a -- it's a funny ad. It's set to kind of a can-can musical thing where Republican voices come in and say, no, no, no. And it is true that they did vote against the economic stimulus bill. As we know in the House in particular, there were no Republicans who voted for it. But it's not like Republicans voted against tax cuts. Quite to the contrary, the Republican alternatives were all about tax cuts, broad tax cuts that were even much more sweeping than what was included in the economic stimulus bill. So that one gets a barely true on the Truth-O-Meter.
ROBERTS: Bill Adair from Politifact this morning. It's great to check in with you. We will see you again very soon, my friend.
ADAIR: Thanks, John.
ROBERTS: Thanks - Kiran.
CHETRY: It's coming up on 7:00 here in New York.
