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Mark McGwire Admits Steroid Use; Nuclear Scientist Murdered in Iran

Aired January 12, 2010 - 15:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Making news right now on your national conversation.

MARK MCGWIRE, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: I can't believe I did it. It blows me away.

HOLMES: Everything you thought you knew, erase it, didn't happen. He was juicing. He admits it. And now Mark McGwire's image is changed forever. Or is it?

MICHAEL BREWER, BURN VICTIM: Cold stuff all over my clothes, and all of the sudden, stuff burning.

HOLMES: A child relives the attack that burned 65 percent of his body -- new evidence released in the case.

Also, this cleric is a wanted man with ties to the Fort Hood shooter and the Christmas Day plotter. Now his father speaks to CNN.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: "He lived his life in America. He's an all-American boy."

HOLMES: Now an all-American manhunt in the mountains around Yemen. We will take you the .

Your conversation for this Tuesday, January 12, starts right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And hello, everybody, T.J. Holmes here sitting in today for Rick Sanchez.

I want to start with a breaking story. We're getting news out of -- just outside of Atlanta actually in Kennesaw, live picture here of a scene where five people have been shot and two are dead. This shooting happened at a Penske Truck Rental facility in Kennesaw, Georgia. That is a little northwest of downtown Atlanta.

You are seeing live pictures still of the scene, as police continue to work that scene. We are told, the news here, that the suspect is in custody. So, they don't believe that someone is out there on the loose and still a danger to the general public, but this Penske Rental Truck place, we don't know what exactly might have down there that had caused this person to open fire, but according to police, now we have five people shot and two are dead and the suspect is in custody.

This is a story that just broke a few minutes ago right before we got on the air. We are getting these live pictures in now still of the scene. Again, you can see a car there and you can see police checking this out, but we are not exactly sure if it happened outside, if it happened inside, and certainly what sparked this whole incident, but do want you to know that the suspect is now in custody, five people shot, two dead. We will continue to follow that breaking news story and continue to update you as those updates come into us.

Want to turn now into the other stories of the day, including some sound you are about to hear now that for a lot of people is going to be difficult to hear. It is not exactly something new, but it is new to all of us. We are hearing it for the first time. This is a voice recording that you are about to hear. And it belongs to that boy you just saw in that video.

He is a teenager. He's the victim of that cruel attack that left him burned over two-thirds of his body. You will remember this story out of Florida. This is Michael Brewer, his name -- is his name. And he is 15 years old. Now listen to Michael telling police about that day in October that he was set on fire. Take a listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MICHAEL BREWER, BURN VICTIM: He came to my house. He tried to take my dad's bike. He threatened me. He threatened my sister.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HOLMES: And I want you to know that some of the video you were seeing there of some of the suspects, but you were actually hearing the voice of the victim. We're going to play more in just a second.

Again, the audio here is from a police interview with Michael that was recorded back in November. It was just released to the public yesterday. Now, Michael said he had a beef with some boys in the neighborhood. This had to do with some money that he possibly owed them for a video game. According to reports, they then tried to show up at his house and steal a bicycle.

Well, whatever was the case, next thing you know, they showed up at the house. He was surrounded. Then something splashed on his back. Take a listen to the rest of this now.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BREWER: Cold stuff all over my clothes. And all, of the sudden, stuff burning. And somebody poured something on me and lit me on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

BREWER: Then I started running. (END AUDIO CLIP)

HOLMES: Yes, he started running, and he was able to run to a nearby swimming pool. He jumped in, but still that wasn't quickly enough to keep him from being badly injured. Listen to him continue to tell the story.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BREWER: This guy comes running out, too. He tries to pull me out of the water. I said, no, leave me, leave me, because my skin was like hanging.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

LEMON: Can you imagine that? His skin was actually hanging. The pictures you're seeing now are some of the most recent. That's the first time we have heard his voice, of course, since he was hurt.

But these are the most recent images of him. The kid is going through it. He has been in and out of the hospital burn unit, been in and out of physical therapy, several skin grafts as well.

Now, an update about the teenagers that are blamed for setting him on fire -- these are the three accused, Denver Jarvis, Matthew Bent, and Jesus Mendez. They're all now charged now with attempted murder. The last we heard, they will be tried as adults.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCGWIRE: What we have been doing for the last two months is just happening. There is no explanation for it. And it has been exciting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: "There is no explanation for it." Turns out it was an explanation for it. He was juicing. Yes, not really a surprise there to anybody. OK. Mark McGwire was, he on steroids. OK, he has come clean. But now what? What do we do now? And you know what? Why should you care so much? We are going to be getting into that.

Also, a murder mystery in Iran, a professor killed, not just any professor we are talking about here. This is a prominent nuclear scientist. Could this turn into a U.S. threat? That report is coming up.

And, of course, as always, the other way to participate in this national conversation, you can, of course, always write in to Rick on Twitter and on Facebook and all those ways, but, also, you can call in. If you're here in the U.S., the number, 877-742-5751.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: Hey, Rick, this is Doug from Tampa. Now that all of the steroid users are out of the closet, I think it is time for baseball to restore integrity to the game, set the home run record back to Maris' 61 and start over again. There's plenty of guys not juicing that can get it done.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, we were told there's a lot of guys juicing that can get it done. We are waiting to see it. And would you know in all Mark McGwire we're talking about and the home runs, you know he is not even the current home run record? Do you remember? It is actually held by Barry Bonds now, '73. He set the record in '01 after McGwire had done all that in '98. So, a lot of guys have actually broken that record, Maris' 61.

This conversation of course part of Rick's List here. I have lobbied to have it called T.J.'s List today, but nobody went for it. But, of course, we're having everybody get involved. They divulge every day what newsmakers are tweeting and what you're talking about, what you're tweeting out there, as always.

So, the access here on this show becomes your access as well. And the access today, I'm going to tell you about.

MLB.com, let's take you over here. Now, MLB.com, one of their reporters -- his name is Matthew Leach -- now, this is what it says today, says: "Just got a call from McGwire, Mark McGwire." And he said, "He is making rounds, calling media types, doing great, a lot better than yesterday."

Of course, that yesterday was the day we got all of this news, and we saw all the tears and we saw the interview, him admitting finally that he did juice, especially in the years when he did break the home run record.

Now we can go to the next screen here, as we can show you specifically from Matthew Leach, who talked to McGwire. And he said he might appear at warm-up today, but it is far from a sure thing, and if so, no media availability.

What the reporter is talking about here, there is some winter ball. Baseball pretty much goes on all year long. There is some winter ball going on with Saint Louis and their players right now. And, of course, Mark McGwire is now the hitting coach for the team. He might be at the warm-up for the game that is happening today in winter ball, but if he is there, he is not going to be taking questions.

Now, one more I want to share here from Kathleen Hessert, says she's a sports image media consultant. She helps out in situations like this, when they get in a bit of trouble, need some help out there in the media, says it means little, says "Nothing when Mark McGwire won't admit steroids helped him to achieve the record. Without injuries, he hit more."

Now, again, this is one who is out there and has done this plenty, but a lot of people are questioning what Mark McGwire said. And he is saying that the drugs did not necessarily help him hit all those home runs and a lot of people are getting on to him for that right now.

We're going to have much more on this particular story coming up in a bit with a guy who actually 25 years ago predicted that we would see an outbreak of drugs essentially in professional sports. He predicted it some 25 years ago. It turns out he might have been right all this time. That is coming up here in just a few minutes.

But, also, a bomb killed a nuclear scientist, and that is raising questions about the future of Iran's future nuclear program and a possible U.S. threat. That report is coming your way next.

Also, the search for a cleric in the mountains of Yemen -- he reportedly has ties to terror here in the U.S., but his father says that just ain't the case. That is just ahead. Stay here with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: And welcome back, everybody, T.J. Holmes sitting in today for Rick Sanchez.

A college professor in Tehran killed right outside of his home, but it is making headlines across the globe. Why? Because Iran blames the United States for it. And the fallout could have an enormous impact on world affairs. It turns out the man who died this morning, the professor, Masoud Ali Mohammadi, was a nuclear scientist.

There is also the issue of timing. His murder comes just as Iran and members of the United Nations Security Council are waiting to see who blinks after both sides threw down ultimatums to each other over Iran's nuclear program. Now, the professor was killed by a remote- controlled bomb. All right, that is something that the Iranian government calls an obvious assassination. So, who had motive?

The regime is already pointing fingers, building international intrigue by placing the United States, Israel, its own people on the list of suspects. Now, here is what the Iranians said in their own words.

They say that the attack -- and I am going to quote here -- "revealed signs of the involvement of the Zionist regime, the U.S. and their allies in Iran" -- end quote.

Now, they vowed to use the murder as a motivation to speed up their nuclear program, which is already shrouded in secrecy and controversy. Iran says it wants to use nuclear fuel to power a medical reactor in Tehran, but the West and their allies believe it is something more sinister, that achieving nuclear weapons capability is Iran's true objective, which is, of course, a very real and direct threat to Israel and other allies in the Middle East.

There is also a little something to throw into this mix. There is a political angle here. According to some Iranian news agencies, the professor, his name was on a list of prominent academics that backed Mir Hossein Mousavi. You remember that name? That was the main opposition figure against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the presidential elections last summer.

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians protested. You see some of this video, remember some of it. They were protesting the result of the election that resulted in a deadly government crackdown. Some people think openly supporting an opposition figure may have made the professor a target.

Iranian media also reporting that an obscure domestic terrorist group has claimed responsibility.

So, who did kill him and why? The U.S. government calls Iran's accusations absurd. Israel has not commented just yet. We, of course, will be monitoring that story for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCGWIRE: I can't believe I did it. Can you?

(LAUGHTER)

MCGWIRE: You know, it's just -- it blows me away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Can't believe he did it. That was in '98, folks. He was talking about can't believe he broke the record. Now we can't believe he used steroids. You remember that summer, 1998, the home run race, Sosa, McGwire? We were all caught up in it. And that was before we even got into all this steroid mess, with all these players coming out. We just felt good this summer. But how do you feel now? We are going to look back at the year that likely saved baseball. And you know what? That summer actually didn't happen.

Also, a violent hit-and-run caught on camera, you are going to see this thing play out. And police right now need your help.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: Hey, Rick, this is Ray from Massachusetts.

I got a message for Mark McGwire. You are a bum. Why don't you crawl back in a hole and cry with the rest of the rats, you big baby? You are nothing more than a dope addict and a bum. End of story.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCGWIRE: Asking me or any other player to answer questions about who took steroids in front of television cameras will not solve the problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: That caller was upset. We should re-queue that and play that again, shouldn't we?

Well, you heard Mark McGwire there. You probably remember that scene five years ago in Congress. That is what he said then. This is what he is saying now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCGWIRE: I apologize to everybody in Major League Baseball, my family, the Marises, Bud Selig. Today was the hardest day of my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: All right. So, after years of silence, baseball's Mark McGwire finally admitting he also used performance-enhancing drugs, steroids, also used human growth hormone.

Now, the reference to the Maris family, that is Roger Maris' family, the late Roger Maris, baseball's single season home run king, until McGwire came along in '98. A lot of people would argue that Maris is still the rightful owner of that record.

But '98, do you remember that summer? We want to take you back now. That is when Mark McGwire hit a record-breaking 70 home runs. But he did this in such dramatic fashion because he did it up against, going neck and neck with the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa, who also hit 66 that year, but it was neck and neck to see which one of these guys would actually get to 62 and break the record first. And, oh, my goodness, that was a great summer. We all felt good, got caught up in it. Let's take you back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gone! There it is, 62! Touch first, Mark. You are the new single season home run king.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is the change on the scoreboard, number 62 for Mark McGwire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Swing. And -- get up, baby. Get up. Get up, get up, get up. Home run. He has done it again, 70 home runs!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love him. I think he is wonderful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he is just what baseball needed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Saint Louis Award for 1998 is presented to Mark McGwire, the individual who more than anyone else has brought credit to Saint Louis.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) MCGWIRE: And we have been going back and forth, and it has just -- it has been a tremendous ride for he and I. I mean, everybody has been asking questions, when he hits one and you hit one; are you guys pushing yourself?

I mean, we're two guys that enjoy playing this game of baseball.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: It is amazing to look back now. We all felt so good that summer to watch that race. And did you hear something like that, the Saint Louis Award? That goes to the person who as the man said has brought credit to Saint Louis more than any other.

He was cheating the whole time he was doing that, and he has now admitted that. Now, some say that '98, that was actually the year that saved baseball. You remember the strike back in 1994 that canceled the World Series? People were not feeling baseball at the time. Now fans are wondering, was it all an illusion? Did it really happen?

Hoax, that's out there. Fraud, cheat, those are words you are hearing. That was the summer that got us back into baseball. And we learn now that it was a fraud. Now, McGwire had admitted using steroids. Sosa has been accused of using. Barry Bonds, of course, who hit 73 home runs, he is currently the record holder. He hit that in 2001. He has also been accused of using steroids.

Now, Roger Maris hit 61 back in 1961. That raises the question now, is the home run king really Roger Maris now? We shall see what will happen. Can't wait to talk to our guest coming up, Dr. Harry Edwards. He's a renowned sociologist, a sports sociologist, who some 25 years ago predicted we were going to see an issue in professional sports. He is standing by right there right there. We're going to talk to the doctor here in just a second.

See you in a second, my man.

Also, you out there, you can join the national conversation whenever you visit Atlanta. You can call 1-877-4CNN-TOUR. Rick will show you around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. Want to share more from T.J.'s -- excuse me, Rick's List today, comments coming in from all over.

Staying with the Mark McGwire angle at least for now. And one of on Rick's List chiming in right now is Mr. Walton here. This is a blogger for the Saint Louis Cardinals. And this is what he had to say.

He says, "Mac" -- or "McGwire's communication plan by Ari Fleischer, bad guidance on no impact on strength and performance with steroids. It overshadowed other gains." What he is referring to there is some are criticizing McGwire for coming out and saying that his steroids, he kind of downplayed how much they actually helped him. Also, it said, "McGwire said he came out for himself to coach, not for the Hall of Fame. Why should his view on steroids matter for that? Isn't the apology enough?"

Of course, he is eligible for the Hall of Fame. I believe, the past two years, he has barely gotten about 25 percent of the vote on the ballot. He needs 75 percent to actually get him into the Hall of Fame. Some are saying at this point he will never get in.

Now, when Mark McGwire admitted using steroids, it came as no surprise to a lot of baseball fans out there, but now that the story is out in the open, it started some pretty good conversations.

Excited to have a good conversation now with that guy, Dr. Harry Edwards, sports sociologist, professor at the University of California at Berkeley, and a man who has a wealth of knowledge.

Dr. Edwards, it's good to see you again, young fellow. You're looking good for a retired guy.

But let's...

DR. HARRY EDWARDS, SPORTS SOCIOLOGIST: All right, T.J.

HOLMES: Let's talk here. Some 25 years ago, you came out in an article and predicted that we were going to see a culture of drugs, a pervasive culture of drugs, to take over professional sports.

So, here we are all these years later. Would you say that your prediction has come true?

EDWARDS: Oh, absolutely. I don't think there is any question about it.

You look at baseball and the state of that sport, you look at track and field and the state of those arenas. We have a major boxing match, one that could perhaps be one of the richest boxing matches in history, which has been forestalled over drug issues.

HOLMES: Yes, you're talking about Pacquiao-Mayweather there.

EDWARDS: Absolutely.

HOLMES: Yes.

EDWARDS: And this was predictable. And, in point of fact, it was inevitable.

The thing that amazed me about the home run race between Sosa and Mark McGwire was people were -- so many people were buying it. It was absolutely inevitable that we would end up where we are now.

HOLMES: We had a reason to buy it at the time, though, didn't we? We have had so many athletes come out now. But, at the time, we just wanted to get caught up in it, and everybody was excited about it. And Major League Baseball was all for it at the time. These owners were all for it at the time. The these were for it at the time.

EDWARDS: Yes, that is all very true. And those were all reasons to buy into it and to celebrate it and so forth.

But the reality that, long before then, we had already become a substantial drug culture. America uses more over-the-counter prescription and illicit drugs than any other nation on Earth. We are literally a high society in that regard.

When we look at sports, which are competitive, the rewards have escalated phenomenally. The rewards for achievement have escalated monetarily and in terms of social status. It was inevitable that people were going to begin to use performance-related drugs in order to achieve those awards. That was not only predictable. It was inevitable.

HOLMES: Are we at the point now where the most important person in an athlete's life coming up and maybe getting into professional sports is not his momma, his daddy, or his coach; it's his pharmacist now? Have we just relied on these drugs, this is what it takes to get the edge, and is that still the direction we are going?

EDWARDS: Well, we are still in that mode.

And every time something is added to the list of prohibited drugs, you have people with chemistry backgrounds who have the organizational ability to create a stealth drug that is beneath the radar and that somebody is going to use, because the rewards are just that great.

Also, drugs become viral. That is to say that, once somebody uses the drug and their statistics goes up, somebody else figures in order to compete, they are going to have to use the drug. And inevitably you get to the point that anybody who is performing at a high level whether in fact they're using the drug or not becomes suspect, and the integrity of the very sport, itself, goes by the boards.

And we get into these questions about whether somebody should be in a hall of fame, what is the real homerun record, and so forth.

HOLMES: Now, you hit on this a second ago, but talking about the glorification of sports in a such way on television and especially when it comes to the Olympics and these big events like that, that kind of culture and glorification of sports pushes and encourages parents to kind of push the seven, eight, nine, 10, 11-year-olds to be the super-athletes.

So in that same vein, with what we saw in Sosa and McGwire in the summer of '98, in that same vein, did that race push all these younger baseball players to see all of that acclaim, all that glory, all that money thrown at those guys and say, well, that is what I want, so that is what I am going to do? EDWARDS: Well, it is not just what they want. It is projected as what they have to do in order to reach those heights.

It happens not just at the professional level where these models are set, but if someone at the high school level or the college level knows that somebody is dosing, is using drugs, and they have to be competitive to maintain a scholarships which are given one year at a time.

If they have to do that, then it moves beyond I want that glory, I want that achievement, to if I'm going to get that glory, if I'm going to get that achievement, I have to d that, because that becomes the standard that is set.

HOLMES: Well, Dr. Edwards, how do we discourage it? Isn't it almost worth it -- and stay with me here for a second, because it might offend some people -- if you are telling me that I can take this stuff and get that multimillion dollar contracts and in some cases hundreds of millions of dollars these contract are worth, and you are telling me the only repercussion is I have to get on TV a few years later and cry a little bit, that sounds like it's worth it?

EDWARDS: Well, unfortunately, the problem is so complex that stopping it is going to be extremely difficult to stop. Even if you came down with the rule that if you are found to be using performance- enhancing drugs, you are out for life and you can never participate and you will be wiped from the books.

Someone inevitably is going to come up with some stealth drug that flies beneath the radar of testing and detection that somebody is going to take in order to achieve those rewards.

It is simply the nature of what we are up against in a society where if -- it is a common saying, geez, you would think they have something for this. After all, they put a man on the moon, so they would create something to help this pain or discomfort. That is what we are up against in this society.

HOLMES: And doctor, it was years ago. You told me something when I was working out there at NBC in California, you told me something that stuck on me, and you said if the batter is on steroids and the pitcher is on steroids, then we might actually have a fair playing field.

Do you still believe that there is some way that maybe we got so many guys using this stuff that it is one, yes, juiced, but a fair playing field?

EDWARDS: No, you have to separate out. It is fair for the person who's pitching on steroids or on performance-enhancing drugs and the person who is batting on performance-enhancing drugs. But what about that individual who hits 424 home runs clean? He doesn't reach the 500 homerun level, but he did what he did clean.

That person is being cheated as well, not to speak of those people, the Hank Aarons and Roger Marises of the world who set what we believe to be legitimate records, what have proven to be legitimate records.

I think what is going to happen is we are going to have the records on one hand and then the standard of excellence on the other. A lot of people who hold records may never get into the hall of fame. The standard of excellence is going to be a guy who hits 62 homeruns clean, that hits 756 home runs clean. That will be the standard of excellence.

Historically, we have assumed that the records and the standard of excellence are seamless and indivisible, but we're going to have to divide that now.

HOLMES: Dr. Edwards, I knew you would be great on this topic. I have to let you go on this subject, but I actually can't let you go without asking you this. A lot of people might not know that you were instrumental in 1968 in Mexico City when those two athletes, Tommy Smith, John Carlos, those sprinters got up and held up in protest the black gloves with their fist in the air, a show of black power.

You were instrumental in that happening, so I want to ask you, what did you think, a guy who has been a part of quite frankly civil rights movement in this country, what did you think about Harry Reid's comments?

EDWARDS: I thought that Senator Reid made a statement that was poorly worded. I think a good deal of what he said was true. I think that there are people who did find a President-elect Obama more acceptable because of his skin color and his language skills.

And I think there were black people who found him unacceptable for those very reasons -- he wasn't black enough, and for those who covered the election campaign, you may remember that.

I think that it is time for us to realize that we can use the word "negro" because people thought an honorable struggle under that nomenclature -- we don't have to go nuts every time somebody mentions race or has a gaffe. It's going to happen as we work our way through this.

And I think that Senator Reid has done no disservice to either himself or his office in this regard, and I am personally not offended by it, and I hope we can move on from it.

HOLMES: Well, Dr. Edwards, if you weren't retired, we would use you more on the air here.

(LAUGHTER)

You say you're retired. I know you are still busy, but...

EDWARDS: You can always hook up with me, T.J.

HOLMES: I sure will. Dr. Edwards, good to see you again, my man. You enjoy that retirement out there in California.

EDWARDS: Thank you very much. HOLMES: We will see you again soon.

Now, we want to share with you Rick's List. We have a couple other bloggers we always keep up with. Yardbarker is one that's coming in. This is a top sports blogger here.

He says "blaming steroid era equals not here to talk about the past. If McGwire takes full responsibility, the media has nothing left to say," saying essentially we have more to say, because, if you heard, Mark McGwire, he sounded like, he said I could have hit these 70 homeruns without this stuff. So he it seems like he was taking all of the credit on himself for his god-given ability and saying that the steroids didn't help one. Again, that is from yardbarker, one of the bloggers we have.

And we appreciate all of you participating in the show today. Keep it coming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She wakes up in the night like with nightmares, and like she tells me in the nightmares and calls me and tells me to hold her hand. I hear her, and it hurts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Oh a mother grieves over a young daughter who is the victim of a hit-and-run. The incident caught on camera. Police are asking for your help. Now, you are going to see it for yourself.

And also, don't forget the way to participate in this national conversation. You can write, but you can call. There's a number, 1- 877-742-5751.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right, I want to update that breaking news story we told you about at the top of the story, a shooting in which five people were shot in Kennesaw, that's just outside of downtown Atlanta, actually about northwest of downtown Atlanta. Five people were shot.

We are now getting an update from police saying now three are dead. Just a few minutes ago at the top of the hour we were told that two had been killed. Now police are saying three dead and five shot altogether, and five shot altogether again and three of them dead, a suspect now in custody.

This happened at the Penske truck rental store there in Kennesaw. If you are familiar with the area, it is just northwest, I guess you could call it maybe a suburb of Atlanta, but about northwest of Atlanta.

Don't know a motive for the shooting. Police also giving an update just a minute ago saying that the suspect, who is in custody, was actually in camouflage in the shooting. Don't know what the motive might have been, if the person was connected to this place, a random event, a possible ex-worker at the place -- we just don't know now.

But right now, we can tell you that they have upped the number of dead in this situation from two to three, and again, five shot altogether. We don't know the condition of the other two people who were also victims in the case. We'll continue to follow the story and bring you those updates as they come out.

All right, we try not to show a whole lot of car accidents, quite frankly, on the program, because usually there's not a whole lot to them, but making an exception because of this video here. We will tell you why we are making an exception.

First, we want to tell you that might want to hold on and brace yourself a bit for this video because it shows two people being hit by a car. They are thrown in the air. I just want to warn you about that.

OK, we want to show you this to you now and break this down for you. We are showing you this, because police need your help here as well.

That is in real time. Now, this is in downtown Los Angeles. And then we slow it down a little bit as well. You will see a white two- door sedan, and you see two people fly in the air. It hits two pedestrians, a 14-year-old and her niece, a three-year-old. They are thrown some 40 feet, you see that.

And the reason we're showing this, again, and slowing it down is because police want you to get a good look at the vehicle. The driver does not stop to help. You see that again. More so, the police just want you to see this and take a look at that car. It doesn't even appear so much they hit the brakes a whole lot.

And the police want everybody to see this video, the entire world, hoping that somebody will recognize that car and speak up.

So, what happened to the two girls that were hit? Well, listen to this, they survived, both of them survived even after that horrible scene that you saw. They are both pretty badly hurt. The three-year- old has casts on both of her legs, skull fractured as well.

A surveillance camera captured the accident. Police say the driver was an older woman they believe, and the car probably damaged some from that impact. But they want to hear from you if you have any information on this hit-and-run.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tribe issued a statement saying if anyone touches one hair on al-Awlaki's head, the tribe will respond with force.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Yes, he is referring to the cleric in Yemen, Anwar al- Awlaki. Now, he has ties to terror in the U.S., being calling the new Osama bin Laden. But his father says they have the wrong guy. An exclusive report you don't want to miss, that's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Oh, boy, they have got a mess going over at NBC right now. You know the whole Conan-Jay shakeup. Well, Conan said he is not going for it. We are just getting word that Conan O'Brien is saying he will not, he will not accept any kind of offer to move from his 11:30 timeslot to make room for Jay Leno to come back.

I know you have been following this story, and essentially the ratings for Jay Leno's move to the 10:00 hour have not been exactly what NBC had hoping for. So they are now planning to move him back to his regular slot at 11:35, then move Conan to 12:05, and then Fallon after that.

Well, Conan has just put out a letter, kind of a lengthy letter here, and we won't read it all to you here, but it is a lengthy letter saying he will not go for that. He makes a comment here saying that he thought he would have some kind of rating support from the networks, some degree of ratings support from the primetime schedule.

"I was hoping to build a lasting audience at 11:30, and it's impossible to do that under the current situation."

So, what will happen now? Who knows? We are getting a couple of comments from "Rick's List" here, some of the folks we follow. Let's start with Brian Stelter here. He is a writer from the "New York Times," saying "Conan loves the "Tonight Show," but says I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction."

So Conan, a long letter, you might want to hop online. We'll put a link up to it here in a second as well, but you might want to read this letter, but saying he is not going for what they are selling right now over at NBC. That saga continues.

Well, the Harry Reid story seems like it might be simmering down a little bit. I want to show you a quote from Senator Tom Coburn here now. He is a Republican from Oklahoma. Here is what he has to say on this whole Harry Reid situation.

He says "It pains me that Republicans are saying Harry Reid ought to step down. When you point a finger in Washington, you have four fingers pointing back at you."

Coburn goes on to say "There is not anybody in Washington who has not said something that could be judged as inappropriate and wrong," and again, that is coming from the Republican Tom Coburn.

As you know as well, this thing about Reid, apparently something he said back in 2008 that Barack Obama was electable because he was light skinned and did not have, quote, "a negro dialect unless he wanted to." You have heard that probably a number of times by now.

Also we have reported Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele calling on Reid to step down as Senate majority leader. Also Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Jon Kyl or Arizona both complained about a double standard that judges Republicans harshly on race but lets Democrats off of the hook.

Now, into this mix, we can insert the president now. As you know, he has called Reid's choice of words "unfortunate," but he has also said essentially that Reid's character and his record on civil rights are unassailable. Here he is, the president, speaking about the matter for the first time on camera, speaking to our Roland Martin. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Harry Reid is a friend of mine. He has been a stalwart champion of voting rights, civil rights. He's spending a lot of his political capital in the middle of an election to provide health care to every American, and that's going to have a great impact on African-Americans and Latinos around the country.

This is a good man who has always been on the right side of history. For him to have used some in-artful language in trying to praise me, and for people to try to make hay out of that, makes absolutely no sense.

He has apologized, recognizing that he didn't use appropriate language, but there was nothing mean-spirited in what he had to say, and he has always been on the right side of the issues.

And the fact that we spend days on this instead of talking about the unemployment rate or talking about how we deal with critical issues like energy and health care is an indication of why I think people don't understand what's happening in Washington.

I guarantee you the average person, white or black, right now is less concerned about what Harry Reid said in a quote in a book a couple of years ago than they are about how to move the country forward. And that is where we need to direct our attention.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: All right, that is the president talking to Roland Martin about Senator Reid. But we wanted to get the final word on this from an authority, Stephen Colbert.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE COLBERT REPORT": Negro, negro, negro, negro, negro, negro, negro.

(LAUGHTER)

You know, there's some words that you say over and over again, they lose their meaning? This isn't one of them.

(LAUGHTER)

Now, let me explain, folks. Over the weekend it was revealed that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is a grand imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

(LAUGHTER)

Now, folks, I don't see race. People tell me Obama is a black man and I believe them because I'm afraid of him.

(LAUGHTER)

But it is shameful, shameful that Harry Reid cynically thinks Americans are more likely to vote for a light-skinned African-American who talks like a professor than, say, 'Lil Jon.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: If you're not familiar with 'Lil Jon, do not go out and buy the album, OK? We couldn't help but share that bit with you. Sometimes you've got to laugh to keep from crying or fighting.

"Los Fotos del Dia" when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, every once in a while you hear about somebody going to jail for the wrong reason. We have got that today in our "Fotos," am I saying that right? "Fotos of the Day." Let's show these to you here.

We have a lady to show you. I hope I'm making my man proud. We want to show you, that is Gabrielle Trudeau, a 78-year-old grandmother. This is actually her mug shot. Let me explain what happened to this lady. She was ticketed for driving with a suspended license, she was taken to jail, and they forget about her.

Two weeks she stayed locked up before a judge set her free. It turns out her license was not suspended, her case, in the words of the sheriff's department, simply "fell through the cracks." Essentially think apologized to her.

But what happened, they were feeding her and checking on her, but they forgot to process her case, so she just sat down there for two weeks. Granny is out of jail now.

Also a big hole to show you. This is this frost-proof Florida. It's frost-proof, not sinkhole-proof -- 30 yards across, 50 feet deep, swallowed up trees, now getting close to swallowing up some homes possibly. This is in Polk County. The sheriff there ordered everyone in the mobile home park to evacuate until the hole decides to stop sinking.

Now, let's go west, you man. Let's watch everybody bolt for the doors here. Watch this.

(LAUGHTER) What happened? It looked like a race, like the ice cream truck was outside. But no, this is a 6.5 magnitude earthquake that hit northern California over the weekend. You probably heard about it. They were doing the smart thing, they were heading for the exits.

That quake, again that Saturday quake was a 6.5, one of the most powerful they have seen there in six years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tribe issued a statement saying if anybody touches one hair on al-Awlaki's head, the tribe will respond with force.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: What he's talking about here, one of America's most wanted terror fugitives, almost as wanted as Osama bin Laden. That story is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: There is a man out there being touted as the next bin Laden who was born and schooled right here in the U.S. The U.S. is trying to find him now in Yemen. His father tells CNN we've got it all wrong. Here now our Paula Newton with a CNN exclusive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This man, Anwar al-Awlaki, an American born Muslim cleric, is one of the world's most wanted fugitives. Counter-terror forces in Yemen are training to track him down, though he's hiding somewhere up there in the rugged mountains of southern Yemen.

In the capital Sana'a we went looking for his family to learn more about the man who praised the alleged Ft. Hood shooter and may have encouraged the bombing attempt on the Christmas flight to Detroit.

His father, a former government minister here, says the west is mistaken, that his son is not the new Osama bin Laden. Awalki's father has agreed to an interview, but he said this is only a courtesy visit. He doesn't want any cameras. But we're about to go to a neutral location in the capital Sana'a to see what he has to say.

Awlaki's father told me his son is not a member of Al Qaeda. He says he has been wrongly accused. It's unbelievable. He lived his life in America. He's an all-American boy. My son would love to go back to America. He used to have a good like some America.

And yet an American security officials sells CNN that al-Awlaki did meet with the man accused of trying to blow up the airliner to Detroit on Christmas Day.

This official believes that Awlaki is one of the top leaders here of Al Qaeda in Yemen, one of only five, and that he sometime last year transformed himself from an Internet preacher to a hands-on operative that not only recruits, but also helps plan attacks on the United States.

All of that, of course, is not what his father wants. He told me, "What do you expect my son to do? There are missiles raining down on the village. He has to hide. He is not in hiding with Al Qaeda. Our tribe it protecting him now."

This man is a journalist from Yemen, the last reporter to speak with al-Awlaki before he went into hiding with his tribe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via translator): the tribe issued a statement, saying if anyone touches a hair on Awlaki's head, the tribe will respond with force.

NEWTON: And that means even with the most aggressive manhunt, Awlaki may be as well protected now as Osama bin Laden.

No matter how effective the counterterrorism force, no matter how good the training, much of this really won't matter in the tribal regions, which the government has little or no control over.

His father holds out hope that he can convince his son to surrender without more bloodshed, but he needs time, he says. He claims he hasn't spoken to him in weeks, the son who he says has always loved America.

Paula Newton, CNN, Sana'a, Yemen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer starts right now.