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Kenya Mall Standoff Ends; U.N. Team To Go To Damascus This Week; Former CNN Anchor Faced Near-Death Experience; Jury For Michael Jackson's To Resume Deliberations On Tuesday; Pastor Shot And Killed At Pulpit; A Mother's Love And Diligence Solve Her Son's Case; American Daredevil Jeb Corliss In China

Aired September 29, 2013 - 17:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Top of the hour, Don Lemon here. Thank you so much for joining us.

As Alison just mentioned the countdown is on and there is no deal insight. There is just 31 hours to go until the first federal government shutdown in 17 years. And it is hard to find the sense of urgency anywhere in Washington. We stayed up late last night to see the House approve amendments to a spending bill, a bill Republicans say would avoid a shutdown. But Democrats insist that bill is doomed. And the Senate won't even meet again until tomorrow afternoon. Remember, the government starts running out of money tomorrow night at midnight.

Why don't we head to Washington now to get the very latest from CNN's Erin McPike?

Erin, I heard Republican House members are trying to force a hand other Senate colleagues. So, tell us what happened in the last hour or so on Capitol Hill?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, we saw a number of House Republicans gather on the Senate steps and they were rallying to say that Senate needs to act tonight. They were saying that they were in session last night and voting until early hours of the morning. And so, the Senate should be here, too. They were also saying that Democrats have turned this spending bill into a political football.

Now, also, House speaker John Boehner also has said that he wants to see Democrats work today. Here is what he had to say. If the Senate stalls until mo Monday afternoon instead of working today, it would be an act of breathtaking arrogance by the Senate Democratic leadership.

Now, Don, over on the Senate side, Republican Ted Cruz of Texas has been leading the charge for the conservative Republicans to defund Obamacare. But as you know, the bill that the Republicans passed last night in the House, instead of totally defunding Obamacare, it delays the implementation for one year. So, I asked him this morning if he is happy with that. Here's what he said to me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: With this point, Harry Reid has conceded on nothing. He has said he refuses even to talk, he refuses to compromise, he refuse to badge, and he is willing to shut the federal government down rather than give one inch to the American people who are losing their jobs, who are being pushed in the part time work, who are losing their health insurance. I think that's a mistake. I think it's unreasonable. And I think the only way it will change is if politicians in Washington start listening to the American people.

MCPIKE: And you are saying that Republican -- we still have a Democratic president for another three years and three months or so. Are you going to run for president to continue this fight?

CRUZ: You know, my focus is on the U.S. Senate and fighting the fight that is make a difference for the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: Now, Don, here's the thing about that. We learned this afternoon from a Senate Democratic leadership aid that Ted Cruz cannot stand in the way of the vote anymore, that there will just be one vote tomorrow in the Senate that will essentially strip out some of these amendments that were passed in the House last night and a clean spending bill can pass the senate tomorrow. It will take only 51 votes and then at sling shots, sends back over to the House who will be -- we will be in much the same predicament tomorrow night. And John Boehner has a real choice to make. We will see if we can get to close to a government shutdown.

I can tell you right now that a number of lawmakers have suggested that we will probably go into a government shutdown. That second ranking member of the Senate, Dick Durbin said this morning that he is afraid we will see one -- Don.

LEMON: Oh boy. And as you see the clock there on the screen, just a 31-hour.

Thank you, Erin McPike in Washington. We appreciate that.

You know, the spending stand is turning into a massive blame game. The White House and lawmakers from both parties are hurling insults in trying to vilify opponents.

Here is our senior White House correspondent Brianna Keilar.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Don, it is early quiet here at the White House and in the halls of Congress. No sign a congressional Democrats or Republicans in the White House are working out a compromise to avoid a government shutdown. In fact, the Senate isn't meeting until tomorrow where we expect that they will take that bill the House passed in the early morning hours today and strip from it the key proposal that Republicans have made which would be that one year delay of the implementation of Obamacare. They would also pull out the repeal of the Medical devices tax that in part piece for Obamacare.

Now House speaker John Boehner taking aim at the senate over this delay saying of the senate stalls until Monday afternoon instead of working today, the floor. It would be an act of breathtaking arrogance by the Senate Democratic leadership. And he accuses them of deliberately taking the nation to the brink of a government shutdown. Of course, that is the criticism that congressional Democrats in the White House love right back at House Republicans. The bottom line is that a government shutdown is appearing to be more and more likely. And if that happens, what we will see Monday night at midnight going into Tuesday, we will see hundreds of thousands of federal workers who will be furlough. National parks will close and there could also be federally back loans that are stalled -- Don.

LEMON: Brianna Keilar at the White House.

Thanks you, Brianna.

Almost though it seems to believe a government shutdown would be good for the American people. Yet here we are, less than 31 hours away, if the midnight Monday deadline passes without a deal, a shutdown could rattle federal programs from national parks to the pentagon.

Democratic representative Steve Israel of New York joins me now by phone.

Congressman, before I ask you this, it looks like there is going to be a government shutdown. I mean, can we just say it's going to happen unless something drastic happens?

REP. STEVE ISRAEL (D), NEW YORK (via phone): Well, Don, it doesn't have to be drastic. But, it just has to be compromised. The fact of the matter is that its Republican Congress that chronic chaos continues. Remember last year, they wanted to shutdown the government into over women's right to go to Planned Parenthood. Last January, they wanted to shutdown the government over the debt ceiling. Last night they have tried to shutdown the government over the affordable care act.

So, you don't need something drastic. You need the opposite of that. You need reasonableness. And if we can get some reasonableness and all we need is for the Republicans to say that they will not defund the affordable care act in order to keep the government open, then we can avoid this shutdown. It is avoidable.

LEMON: Yes. You know, maybe I shouldn't have said drastic, but unless something happens. But, I mean, it appears that the writing is on the wall. Everyone -- no one is saying it. I mean, the Senate has said they are not going to have it. Harry Reid has said he is not going to have it. The president said he's going to veto it. Then it looks like a government shutdown. And then that happens -- and Obamacare is going to go into effect regardless.

ISRAEL: Yes, this is something I don't understand about the Republican strategy. The affordable care act is going to go into effect. They have tried to defund 43, 44 times. Even if they shutdown the government tomorrow, the affordable care act is still going into effect. So, what do they have at the end of the day? They shutdown the government, they furloughed federal workers, they have hurt the economy. They have hurt veterans who are waiting for their claims to be processed and the affordable care act is still operating. You know, this my way or the highway strategy just isn't working for anybody and particularly when the highway keeps nearing to the far right.

LEMON: OK. I want to talk about this parody that you wrote, the spending standoff. It is on "the New Yorker" blog with the fake letter to your credit card holder, American Express. Here's a bit of it.

You said dear American Express, yes. It is true that I used my credit card to buy dinner at the Sushi Buffet all-day and our family trip. Do not expect my payment telling us that it is our obligation to pay the bills we racked up is tired old rhetoric.

So, Congress man, how are Republicans reacting to your parody?

ISRAEL: Well, they are really not reacting. But I will tell you, people who have read it understand it that, you know, Republicans sound bite is that we shouldn't extend the debt ceiling because it is the spending. It is not. It's spending that they put on a credit card.

So Don, the point I was making in this parody for "the New Yorker" was simply this. The American people, if they put something on their credit card, they don't get to say to the bank or the credit card company, I know I spent it. I don't want to pay it. Why should the Republican Congress believe that they're entitled to anything different? Why shouldn't they be able to say I put to spending on the credit card, I just refuse to pay the bill? That's the point I was making in this piece for "New Yorker."

LEMON: Steve Israel of New York.

This, do you think is going -- we have been saying it is all but inevitable, do you think it is going to happen?

ISRAEL: I'm afraid that unless we do get that reasonableness in the form of the Republicans simply saying, OK, we will accept you lower spending level which Democrats have agreed to, but we will not defund the affordable care act. Then we will, unfortunately, shutdown.

I told my stuff, I want them at this local VA hospital helping veterans in the event of a shutdown.

LEMON: Yes.

Listen, if nothing changes between now and tomorrow, then, yes, there will be a government shutdown.

ISRAEL: I'm afraid so.

LEMON: Thank you, sir. Appreciate you joining us tonight.

ISRAEL: Thanks, Don. You bet.

All right, CNN's "CROSSFIRE" will debate the possible government shutdown tonight in a special weekend edition. Ralph Nader and Carly Fiorina are the guests tonight. It will air at 7:30 eastern right here on CNN.

And the debate in Congress over Obamacare has some members a little hot under the collar. Straight ahead, a sampling of the name calling that's been taking place.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have been hijacked by a small group of extreme folks who simply hate this president.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president of the United States will talk to the dictator of Iran but not the House of representative.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: How many times that we heard that line?

But, first, was the Kenya government warned about that deadly mall attack last weekend? That's one of the big questions as police investigate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: At least 40 people are dead after a car bomb exploded today at bazaar in Peshawar, Pakistan.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

LEMON: About 100 others were hurt and authorities say the death toll is expected to rise. The blast, the city's historic bazaar destroyed at least ten shops. Pakistani Taliban said it had nothing to do with the attack even going so far as to condemn the attack on civilians.

In Nigeria, at least 21 students were killed, many in their sleep, when gunmen stormed the college dorm early today. The shooting happened at an agriculture college in the northern part of the country. Military spokesman says evidence points to Islamist militants who often target schools and churches.

Police in Kenya now have nine people in custody connected to last weekend's deadly terrorist attack on shopping mall. One additional suspected was arrested today. Officials aren't releasing any names or nationalities yet saying they don't want to jeopardize the investigation. At least 67 people died when gunmen ran shooting through a crowded mall last Saturday.

And churches across the country today, people prayed for peace. Also Kenyan officials want the United States to lift its travel advisory warning Americans said it might be dangerous to go there now. The Kenyan government minister calls the warning uncalled for and unfriendly.

Kenyan police are nowhere near finish investigating the attack. Dozens of people are still unaccounted for and plenty of big questions still have no answers.

Our David McKenzie is in Nairobi now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A week after the deadly mall attack began here in Nairobi, many families are still wondering what happened to their love ones. Scores missing, according to the Red Cross.

Now, forensic experts picking through the rubble, and there are still many unanswered questions.

Chief among them, was the Kenyan government warned about attack? According to Kenyan intelligence and police sources, warnings of an attack on Westgate Mall was provided to senior government officials in the months leading up to the siege.

CNN has seen an electronic version of those reports. They describe threats to multiple targets over an extended period, including warnings of a major attack earlier in September that did not transpire. Kenyan members of parliament are expected to grill intelligence bosses in the coming days of the apparent intelligence failures.

And disturbing new reports about the brutal nature of the attack. Military doctors tell us that the militants tortured hostages, savoring their hands, cutting off their noses and in some cases, hanging them.

CNN has seen photographic evidence on one dead victim with an amputated hand. The viciousness and calculating nature of the terrorist operation has left many here traumatized.

There were hundreds of police and military here trying to take on the terrorists. This area was like a war zone. Now, people are trying to get back to normal here in Nairobi. U.S. intelligence officials say that there could be further attacks by al-Shabaab in East Africa, and people fear what could happen next.

David McKenzie, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, David, Syria has agreed to turnover its chemical weapons to Russia, but it looks like that maybe easier said than done. The daunting task that is just hours away for U.N. weapons inspector. That's next.

And former CNN anchor Leon Harris opens up about his brush with death. You will hear about the health scare that gave him a wake-up call.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MCPIKE: The United Nations general assembly is wrapping up in New York. The year's gathering of world leaders is especially memorable for two things, the brand new president of Iran saying things no Iranian leader has said in decades. And this moment, the Security Council's rare agreement on Syria, a unanimous vote to force Syrian leaders to give up their chemical weapons.

Well today, we have new details about what that U.N. mission might look like.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is here. He is our senior international correspondent.

So Nick, this (INAUDIBLE) a U.N. team heads to Damascus in just a few days. Where do they go first? Will this -- this won't be easy.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly, I mean, they are on route as early as tomorrow. That's 20 people headed to try and set up a hub to get this process, Don. But one of the members I was speaking to earlier said, look, we are going to have to go through rebel-held areas to where those fighting to get to some of these site, perhaps as less than 50 certainly. And the fear, really, is how can they establish security? They might even need to bring troops in from another country to help out at some point. And in the case, how can you dispose these very dangerous chemicals quickly enough to make really ambitious deadline far from the Security Council.

LEMON: And just today, there was more violence as more death in Syria. There was a Syrian fighter jet that reportedly bombed a school and killed at least 10 students. I mean, how do the U.N. teams going to work safely in this type of environment?

WALSH: That's the major issue. They are also going to (INAUDIBLE) enormous precautions. Just going to one of the sites for the previous inspection they did, that their force got sniped. And I think what we are going to see is a really complex series on the ground and trying to access places, perhaps base on security threats having to call it off or it may go very smoothly. The Syrians are just won't able to help out and they should also know that some of these sights being a contested areas, could raise the whole question of who was behind what bit of violence slow down, what part of the inspection's mission and that could get really tricky.

LEMON: Their ambassador to the U.N. speaks at the general assembly tomorrow. What will be his tone? Will it defiance, will it be cooperation?

WALSH: You will get a mix of both, I think, probably. They agreed to get rid of their chemical weapons before the Security Council resolution. And they are going to go along with what the U.N. has told them to do. You won't see so much of that. You will see a lot of them having a go at the Israelis. They will be saying the only reason they had these weapons was to defend themselves from, well they say, its Israel's nuclear weapon program. And I think that also be pointing out. One of the things slipped in to that resolution was a suggestion of a peace plan for getting assault to stand aside for transitional government that was endorsed by the Security Council and Syria has come out quite (INAUDIBLE) and said we don't have anything to do with that.

LEMON: Benjamin Netanyahu has going to address the assembly on Tuesday, right? So what do you think -- what does he think of Iran's headline-making new leader?

WALSH: He sure, he says, behind the smiles, I'm going to tell you the truth. Because basically says this is Iran playing the time. They are quite simply trying to get everyone to relax. Think to have peace and reconciliation. They are really closer to Obama than they have been. This is about buying out viable extra year or whatever because, you know, nobody wants to bomb them when they're in the middle of trying to make a police deal.

And they are very cynical. They believe that Iran has managed to continue to try to break that face the wall, is that moment where it could create the bomb that they needed it to very quickly indeed. And he's going to come here and basically say, look, we are in the neighborhood. This is where a serious life and death for us. Now, we are not buying it. You guys maybe, in the 34-year historical -- sorry historic a bit of diplomacy between Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani. That phone call is a huge deal in terms of saying relations. But we haven't seen any concrete steps so far actually laid out.

LEMON: Right. So far, it's just a phone call. It is a start. Thank you.

Appreciate that Nick Paton Walsh.

The fight is on over Obamacare and the government shutdown. Just ahead, we will take you inside the heated debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He'll negotiate with foreign dictators, but he won't negotiate not with us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What if Democrats said we're going to shut down the government if we don't get immigration reform, gay rights or gun control?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: A news anchor's terrifying brush with death. If you're a long-time CNN viewer, his face may look very familiar.

Leon Harris spent 20 years here at CNN. He spoke with our Doctor Sanjay Gupta about his scary health battle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEON HARRIS, FORMER CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. I'm Leon Harris.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Leon Harris began his television career at CNN 30 years ago, not as an anchor but as an intern and a camera man who rose to the number two spot in the network satellite departmental before his talents in front of the camera were discovered a decade later. And he began anchoring for CNN.

He was onset for the network's coverage of many big news stories including the Oklahoma City bombings and the 9/11 attacks on the World trade center.

HARRIS: You are looking at this picture. It is the Twin towers of World Trade Center.

GUPTA: In 2003, he moved down to local television as lead anchor for WJLA in Washington D.C. All of the time, he was the picture of health. But recently, Harris had a real and terrifying brush with death.

HARRIS: I woke up like I normally do. I got out of bed.

GUPTA: But, August 1st turned out to be anything but normal.

HARRIS: Had this incredible, sudden pain in my stomach. It felt like a horse had kicked me and it literally knocked me to the floor.

GUPTA: But, still, he thought it was possibly just indigestion. But then, --

HARRIS: I sat there on the floor in the worst pain in my life. You would think somebody with a college degree would know, hey, you know what? Maybe I should get some help? But, no, I did the same exactly that I always do. You know, it was the same thing that I know a lot of guys do.

GUPTA: After an hour, Harris was found by his wife, Dawn, who immediately got him to the hospital.

HARRIS: If she hadn't come upstairs when she did, I wouldn't be having this conversation with you.

GUPTA: The diagnosis?

HARRIS: Necrotizing pancreatitis. My pancreas basically decided to start dying and taking my kidneys and my lungs and other internal organs along with it.

GUPTA: Necrotizing pancreatitis, the severe inflammation of the pancreas, the tissue dies and that causes more infection. It can often be fatal.

HARRIS: So I ended up dying twice that one week. Fortunately for me, I was unconscious. I had no idea what was going on.

GUPTA: In fact, Harris spent the first nine days unconscious on a ventilator. It took nearly six weeks but Harris is on the mend and he recently got back on the air. To this day, his doctors don't know exactly what triggers his illness, but Harris has this advice.

HARRIS: Don't wait until you have as close a brush with leaving this earth as I did before you decide that you're worth going to see a doctor. GUPTA: Doctor Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, I want you to pay close attention to that little clock. That is going to show up there on your screen because that is when the government is going to shutdown if they don't come to some sort of consensus less than 31 hours from a possible government shutdown as we look at live pictures now of the capital.

All is quiet. Meeting rooms are empty and locked. The Senate not meeting, so there will be no vote today on a House spending plan that would delay parts of Obamacare for a year. Senate majority leader Harry Reid says the House plan will fail in the Senate. House speaker John Boehner says the Senate's failure to meet today is an act of breathtaking arrogance by the Senate Democratic leadership.

President Obama has vowed to veto any plan that undercuts Obamacare. And, as a matter of fact, we just received a statement from a spokesman of Senate majority leader Harry Reid. Here's what it reads. In part, it says, knowing full well that the Senate will reject their empty political stunt. House Republicans voted to increase the deficits, deny women coverage for critical preventive services like contraception and deny affordable health care t millions of Americans. Tomorrow, the Senate will do exactly what we said we would do and reject these measures. As that point, Republicans will be face with the same choice they have always faith. But the Senate's clean funding bill on the floor and let it pass with bipartisan votes or force a Republican government shutdown. That statement from Harry Reid's office.

You know, it's been 17 years since the last government shutdown. That one didn't end well for Republicans. This one might not end well for anyone.

CNN's Christine Romans looked back at the last time the feds closed up shop.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to Washington, a city where politicians agree on one thing, disagreeing.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I cannot remember a time when one (INAUDIBLE), one party promises economic chaos if it can't get a hundred percent of what it wants.

ROMANS: Without an agreement on spending, the federal government shuts down midnight on October 1st.

STAN COLLENDER, SENIOR PARTNER, QORVIS: It's hard for the making how anything positive comes out in this.

ROMANS: So what's driving Washington to the brink of a shutdown, again?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obama care is shutting down America.

ROMANS: Some Republicans pushing for a repeal of President Obama's affordable care act. The president says he won't negotiate. The last federal government shutdown started in 1995, well before Obamacare and the tea party.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Republican leaders in Washington have put ideology and in a common sense in share values.

ROMANS: Leading the Republicans at the time, CNN's "CROSSFIRE" co- host Newt Gingrich who served the speaker of the House in a Republican controlled Congress.

NEWT GINGRICH, CNN HOST, CROSSFIRE: He has to try to create a phony argument about fantasy cuts that do not exist in order to frighten people about problems that aren't real.

ROMANS: The results of the stalemate 800,000 federal workers stayed home for five days. Federal office and national parks closed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That just really makes us mad, real mad.

ROMANS: After Congress failed to extend the short term spending measure, the government shut down again in December. That shutdown lasted 21 days, the final cost, $1.4 billion.

Senator John McCain warns Republicans today to remember who the voters held responsible.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Rightly wrong, Congress to explain and we have seen the movie before. It's just some of them weren't around at the time, I was.

ROMANS: And the most recent CNN.ORC poll shows history is likely to repeat itself, 51 percent of Americans say congressional Republicans will be most to blame for a shutdown, 33 percent would blame President Obama.

With the world's biggest business operating without a budget since 2009, there's not much optimism on either side.

Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: The debate was heated as House members argued late into the night. Ultimately, Republican leaders remain defiant in their effort to bury Obama are. Two days before a possible government shutdown, there are some of the most compelling moments. Here are some of the most compelling moments of the night from both sides of the aisle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) REP. NITA LOWEY (D), NEW YORK: You're bowing to the extremists, the tea parties, who really don't want to see this process move forwards. We know that the affordable care act is the law of the land. We know it's been affirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States. Let's move on.

REP. DANA ROHRABACHER (R), CALIFORNIA: It's not like the president says there will be no negotiations. He will negotiate with foreign dictators before he will negotiate with us.

REP. BRAD SHERMAN (D), CALIFORNIA: What if Democrats said we're going to shutdown the government if we don't get immigration reform, gay rights or gun control. We are as passionately dedicated to those issues as our colleagues on the side of the aisle are to their ceaseless desire to repeal Obamacare.

REP. ROBERT PITTENGER (R), NORTH CAROLINA: The truth? You can't handle the truth. Mr. Speaker, we have shown the other side that our premiums have gone up 200, 300 percent. We told them about the loss of jobs. They just don't hear it. But Mr. Speaker, the American people, they are not only me. And they don't want to follow the (INAUDIBLE) was going off the cliff.

REP. DAVID SCOTT (D), GEORGIA: You have been hijacked by a small group of extreme folks who simply hate this president. Shake your head if you want to, you cannot separate Obamacare from the president of the United States. It is one and the same. You are the ones that are offering the shutdown.

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), CHAIRMAN, OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: How dare you presume a failure? How dare you? How dare you? How dare you presume a failure? The fact is this country is based on people saying they won't do things and at the end of the day, coming together for compromise.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: The affordable care act, commonly known as Obamacare, will impact nearly everyone in the U.S. in some way. And you can find out more at CNN.com/healthcare. And if you don't currently have health insurance, we want to hear your story. Log on to CNNireport.com and share your photo or video describing your experiences.

A pastor gunned down in the middle of a sermon. It turns out the suspect is no stranger to the congregation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The father of a Los Angeles Dodgers fan who was fatally stabbed is making a desperate plea, asking anyone who witnessed the altercation to please contact police. 24-year-old Jonathan Denver was stabbed to death in San Francisco after attending a giants-Dodgers game with four others. The group, many wearing Dodger gear, left the park after the 8th inning for a nearby by. At some point they got into an alteration with another group. A suspect was arrested but it was released Friday after the district attorney said police had insufficient evidence to charge him. The stabbing is the latest incident stemming from one of the most passionate rivalries in sports.

A time of reflection turns into a moment of terror for a Louisiana congregation. Investigators say members of the Tabernacle of praise worship center in Lake Charles, Louisiana witnessed a man fatally shoot their pastor as he was preaching and the alleged gunman is one of their owned.

CNN's Rosa Flores joins me with the details.

What exactly did church member see? What happened here?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a very traumatic experience for the 50 to 60 people inside that church. Imagine this. They are sitting in a pew. All of a sudden they hear gunfire. The pastor actually falls to the floor and is later pronounce dead. And alleged shooter, hear this, is the Deccan at that church.

Take a look at this picture. 53-year-old Woodrow Carrey (ph) faces second-degree murder charges in the death of Pastor Ronald Harris (ph).

And here is what we know folks. Church service at Lake Tabernacle of Praise worship center was interrupted by gunfire in about 8:20 Friday night. Witnesses tell authorities Carrey (ph) walked in to the church and shot Pastor Ronald Harris (ph) twice, first when he entered the church and then again at close range after Harris has fallen to the floor. Carrey (ph) fled the scene on foot then called the sheriff's office to turn himself in.

Now, during his arrest, Carrey (ph) directed officer to a shotgun and a pistol in a wooden area. Bond was set at $1 million. Carrey (ph) has no criminal history, we should add and the motive is still a mystery. And Don, the mind bugling question is why? Why would they do this?

LEMON: Yes. It sounds like a crime of passion when you have someone that should do that and they do a close range. I don't know. But what's next? Assuming that he's going to be in court soon, correct?

FLORES: Yes, I know, that's absolutely right. I asked. He's definitely in jail tonight, but he is going to be facing the judge on Tuesday. And from what I understand, it's all going to happen from the jails through video conference. And, again, bond set at $1 million.

LEMON: The church (INAUDIBLE). Thank you.

It's been more than four years since Michael Jackson died and his dead is still making headlines. His mom and kids are waiting for decision in a wrongful death lawsuit that could bring them million, millions, maybe a billion coming up. We're pulling back the curtain on private home videos that show a rare side of the king of pop.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Tomorrow, a team of attorneys representing New York Yankee star, third baseman Alex Rodriguez will face off against major league baseball. They are fighting his 211 game suspension; the longest doping punishment in baseball history. Aside in determining whether A-rod will continue to play ball, the decision will impact the $80 million he is still owed on his contract. His suspension was far longer than the punishment given 13 other players connected to the Miami clinic biogenesis. The others accepted their suspensions and didn't fight the league.

Hard to believe, but it has been more than four years since the death of Michael Jackson, now his family members are waiting a verdict in the wrongful death civil case against concert promoter, AEG. The jury will resume deliberations on Tuesday. The Jackson family claims AEG hired and supervised Dr. Conrad Murray who was convicted in Jackson's death.

Here now our preview on tonight's special, "Michael Jackson, the final days."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What day is today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's Christmas?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly. What does Christmas means? Mickey, what is Christmas means?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Love?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Family?

LEMON (voice-over): It was a side of Michael Jackson the world had rarely seen until now. For months, a jury inside this courtroom has watched private home videos.

Seen personal photos and listened to testimony from experts, friends and family. Now, it's up to jurors to decide whether concert promoter AEG Live is responsible for the death of Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson's mother, Catherine, and his children filed an 18 page complaint against AEG Live, the company behind Jackson's planned "this is it" concert. Before the trial began, I spoke to Jackson family attorney Kevin Boyle about the family's lawsuit.

LEMON (on camera): Why is Mrs. Jackson and the kids and the family suing AEG?

KEVIN BOYLE, JACKSON FAMILY ATTORNEY: Well, what I can tell you about the lawsuit is, it's very simple. And it's that AEG defendants are negligent in their hiring, retaining or supervising of Dr. Conrad Murray, which led to the death of Michael Jackson.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guilty of the crime of involuntary manslaughter. LEMON (voice-over): Conrad Murray, the doctor found guilty in the pop icon's death, is appealing his involuntary manslaughter conviction. He was convicted of giving Michael Jackson a deadly dose of propofol, a powerful surgical anesthetic.

It a jury decide that Murray isn't solely responsible for Jackson's death and that AEG live is also liable, it could cost the concert promotion company a lot of money.

BOYLE: This is his final days on the line.

LEMON: AEG Live attorney Marvin Putnam believes this case is about one thing and one thing only, did AEG live negligently hire Dr. Conrad Murray? As the trial got in the way, he told me that the company never even employed Murray.

MARVIN PUTNAM, AEG LIVE ATTORNEY: Even had he been hired by AEG Live, he certainly wasn't hired negligently. There were no indications in any measure that there was a problem with Dr. Conrad Murray.

To be a negligent hire, it isn't just that you hired, but you have to hire knowing there was a problem. And AEG Live had no indication at any point that there was a problem with Dr. Conrad Murray.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: What were the events leading up to Michael Jackson's tragic demise? Watch our Special Report, Michael Jackson the final days tonight, 10:00 p.m. eastern right here on CNN.

A man's death is ruled an accident. But his mother never believed it. Next, how her love and determination led police to the truth eight years later?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Now to the story about a mother's love and a cold case. A Florida woman never believed her son died accidentally in 2005 and she never gave up. Now the sheriff's investigators credit her diligence and the change in witness' testimony for reason arrest eight years after the killing.

CNN's John Zarrella has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jason Brian Gaily (ph) is charged with second-degree murder because Judy Weaver just wouldn't let it go. Her son, Ronald Johnson, died in 2005. Witnesses told Orange County sheriff's deputies that Johnson fell off his bike and hit his head, a tragic accident. It was a rainy night and according to witnesses, he tried riding on one wheel and lost his balance. But the story didn't add up for Weaver.

JUDY WEAVER, RONALD JOHNSON'S MOTHER: They pretty much kind of brushed it off as, well, it was an accident. Everybody said the same thing. And that's it. It's done. Well, it was not done.

ZARRELLA: So, Judy Weaver began telling folks in the neighborhood that her son was very much alive and talking, spilling the beans that it was no accident. When in fact he was not talking at all. He was briefly in a coma before passing away nine days later. But Weaver's yarn was so convincing, she said within days, a key person came forward. Jason Gaily (ph).

WEAVER: He wants to tell me he accidentally hit Ronny with his fist.

ZARRELLA: She takes information to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's department said a sheriff was assigned to the case but could not get witnesses to tell the truth. Gaily is not picked up. And for seven years it remains a cold case. Then, just by chance last year, Judy Weaver is chatting at the restaurant where she works with a lieutenant.

WEAVER: I was talking about how bad of the job that the sheriff's department had done and that I wished I could have met this police officer that was there.

ZARRELLA: It turns out the lieutenant was a sergeant back in 2005 and was on the scene.

LIEUTENANT PAUL HOPKINS, ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: I told her I would do what I could to write this. If we did anything wrong, we are going to fix it.

ZARRELLA: Detectives re-interviewed witnesses, four of whom changed their stories saying they were scared to tell the truth before. Based on the new information, Jason Gaily (ph) is picked up and charged with murder and a mother's intuition made it happen.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: We are taking you on a trip but one like you have never seen before. We are taking flight with this guy. He is a daredevil flying through a crack in a mountain. Get ready. We are going to take off right after this break.

But first, as season two of CNN's "PARTS UNKNOWN" rolls on, Anthony Bourdain in s in New Mexico. He is in New Mexico bound. He drives route 66 to Santa Fe in a classic convertible hoping to find the perfect taco.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, PARTS UNKNOWN: What does freedom mean? It's different to everybody. Something about this place manages to catch the overlap between a whole hell after lot of different cultures. Old route 66 runs through New Mexico, right through Santa Fe, and Albuquerque. It must have seemed like magic once. Families loaded in a massive chrome and steel chariots with (INAUDIBLE) powerful engines, and took off down that plaque top highway. They slept in musical motor lodges and bungalows and swam in TV shaped pools. Then it all went reduction. Route 66 was decommissioned, chopped up, largely forgotten except by desperate and lazy travel showers.

Drive around like 10:15 at night looking for tacos?

Yes, probably.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Now I want tacos. Thank you, Anthony.

Catch what else Anthony eats besides tacos on "ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN" tonight at 9:00 Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Even for base jumpers, this next act tests the nerves. American daredevil Jeb Corliss was in China this week where he flew through a crack in a mountain a sliver space where a slight move to the left, to the right could have been fatal. We caught up with Corliss yesterday.

Here is his story in his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEB CORLISS, AMERICAN WINGSUITER (voice-over): I didn't really what I was getting myself into until I really got here and started jumping out of the helicopter. You don't know what you're facing until you try to fly it. I could see it was an incredible challenge. And it would be very difficult to do. I didn't understand how nature could create such a strange, I mean, such a strange formation.

On stunt day, I mean, the weather literally, it was horrible weather the entire day. We weren't going to get to do it. Stunt was cancelled. It was shut down. And then all of a sudden, someone runs and said, they need you right now. I stepped out of the helicopter and started flying. The feeling was so overwhelming, I never felt such joy, you know. And for me, it is not about feeling of, you know, adrenaline or any of that. I mean, the concept it try to push, you know, myself as far as I possibly can.

And you know, I just see what I'm capable of. Angles are at such a way that when you went you enter this crack, all of a sudden you have to actually do a side slip, you know. So you're inside and you're actually side slipping as you're falling in. Otherwise you are going to impact the wall and my hands came within, you know, feet of contact at over, you know, I'm doing 120 miles an hour when you're jumping out of a helicopters and you know, you are just wearing a wing suit, you are flying your body and it actually gives you the sensation of flying. It is the feeling is so absolutely unbelievable and something that, you know, human beings have been dreaming about since we had the ability to dream.

Jumping off the cliffs and flying through mountains isn't everyone's dream, you know, but it is mine. And I hope that people out there, you know, have the courage to go out there and chase their dream whatever it is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)