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More Airstrikes and More Nations against ISIS; FBI Investigating Oklahoma Beheading; Survivalist Evades Manhunt; No Sign of Missing University of Virginia Student; Finding Holder's Replacement; Dating Site To Find A Rich Partner; Paralyzed Man Lives Life To The Fullest

Aired September 27, 2014 - 11:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It is the 11:00 Eastern hour of the NEWSROOM, and it begins right now.

The U.S.-led coalition to destroy ISIS is growing. British jet fighters are now flying over Iraq today; this, after a firefight between ISIS and Syrian Kurds erupting live on CNN. We'll show you the dramatic viewpoint from CNN's crew position in Turkey. And a gruesome beheading in America at a workplace; an Oklahoma man

severs a woman's head, then attacks another. How the company's CEO stepped in and stopped what could have been more bloodshed.

Plus new evidence in the manhunt for an alleged cop killing survivalist; the suspect still believed to be hiding in the woods now a computer hard drive shows how he planned this attack for years.

More air strikes rained down and more nations are going up against ISIS. Overnight the U.S. launched additional air strikes against the extremists in Syria and now more than 50 nations have joined the anti- ISIS coalition. In fact British jets seen here taking off from Cyprus are today over the skies of Iraq, just a day after parliament approved that move.

Let's turn now to CNN's Karl Penhaul in London. So Karl, what is the specific objective of the British operation today?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, Britain's ministry of defense has not given us a thorough statement on what the plans for those British jets are. In fact the details they have given are somewhat piecemeal as they say that they won't give us a running commentary on the activities of the planes.

But we do understand both from a written statement and photos that the defense ministry provided this morning that two British tornado jets were flying over the skies of Iraq in the course of this morning. They did not from what we understand engage any targets at all though we do see from photos that they were armed with bombs and with missiles.

It simply seems that they found no targets to engage. No targets to hit which of course has been one of the problems in this fight against ISIS. It is a mobile enemy that can break down and move away from fixed positions when it feels it is under threat. Also bear in mind that after parliament's vote yesterday Britain has now said it will contribute only six fighter jets to this coalition effort. So let's keep that in perspective.

That is fewer jets than both the countries of Jordan and Denmark have contributed. And so many people here in Britain are saying that militarily Britain's contribution is not at all decisive to this coalition. It is however somewhat politically more important that Britain joins this coalition so that it isn't left alone and also goes some way to repairing a consensus over Syria and Iraq that fell apart last year when Britain refused to back the United States in its plans to bomb the Assad regime.

So analysts here think militarily not too decisive; politically yes quite important -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Karl Penhaul in London, thank you so much for that.

And then in the U.S.-led war against ISIS in Syria we're hearing that airstrikes reached a battle scene CNN exclusively brought to you -- ISIS in action out of the Syria and Turkey border and under attack by Syrian Kurds near the town of Kobani. People there, though were saying that they were outgunned and running low on ammunition and now a watchdog group says air strikes have hit just west of Kobani. CNN has not been able to confirm this with the Pentagon.

Let's bring in our CNN military analyst General James "Spider" Marks. So -- good to see you -- why did the U.S. --

GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Hi Fred.

WHITFIELD: -- feel comfortable launching these air strikes in an area where at first many said you needed to have spotters on the ground because there would be civilians. But what changed?

MARKS: Well, I think what happened is several things. One is to get a little bit inside baseball, there is an air tasking order that lines up the percentages of the types of aircraft and types of attack packages and those are all different air frames. Each aircraft does not have a multiple capability of delivery means and all the ordinance necessary to go after troops in the open or to go after fixed facilities. And they have different types of attack type of profiles.

So if you can alter that, and there is some physics involved in that which clearly the United States did, now you are in a position to go after some different types of targets.

The second part of all this is there is obviously some standoff distance. You don't want to achieve collateral damage in a situation like this. And clearly the concern that we had is if you get aircraft too close to where apparently warfare has now become a spectator sport and we have some folks that are looking at this ongoing fight that's taking place, you want to make sure you preserve that type of situation and it doesn't go south real quickly.

So that is essentially what happened Fred, is the U.S. and the coalition adapted.

WHITFIELD: And so with this firefight involving ISIS taking place right there along the Turkey border, you know, Turkey is now facing a crisis of its own with some 200,000 refugees fleeing their homes there in Syria. So will this compel Turkey to get involved militarily?

MARKS: That is the question, Fredricka. That's what we're looking at right now. Were ISIS to get any closer to the border or to penetrate into Turkey, the Turkish government would have absolutely every obligation to get involved on the ground and the Turkish military is an extraordinarily capable military.

So the ISIS would end up getting slaughtered. ISIS doesn't want that. So what you're see now and you could argue it seems a bit counterintuitive, why would they want to poke the Turkish government to now get involved. Turkey could come across the border -- they wouldn't want to claim any territory but they could slaughter who they engage with and they could pull back. ISIS is not looking for that type of a fight.

Also Turkey has a humanitarian disaster on its hand and all along, it has been priority number one for the Turkish government to make sure that they can provide access and they can provide an egress route for these refugees as they come into Turkey.

WHITFIELD: So if militarily Turkey is very strong and you're saying ISIS knows that, why wouldn't Turkey want to engage? What is keeping it from protecting its border? Or even trying to assist its neighbor?

MARKS: I think number one is the humanitarian concern that Turkey always has to address. Every time there is a challenge, and in this part of the world there have been many as we know. And Syrian refugees as a matter of routine move in the direction of Turkey, secondarily in the direction of Jordan.

So Turkey has had to deal with this for the longest time. They have -- in essence this has become almost like a cottage industry of governance for them to ensure that these kinds of challenges can be addressed. ISIS has not physically gotten close to Turkey in terms of challenging it militarily. So from the outset Turkey was saying we're going to help, we're going to do our part and that's the humanitarian piece. Now they might be drawn in to a military response.

WHITFIELD: All right. Major General Spider Marks. Thanks so much.

MARKS: Thanks -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Now, to a story generating fears of home grown terror in the Midwest of the U.S. The FBI has been called in after police say a man who lost his job beheaded a coworker and injured another at a workplace near Oklahoma City.

Nick Valencia is following this story. Where are we in this story now?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's just a barbaric act that has a lot of people concerned that this could be tied to something more. I just got off the phone with the governor's office and they gave us a brief statement that I want to read here. It said, "This is a terrible tragedy and a horrible crime. The Governor's thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families." She goes on to say she believes we need to let law enforcement do their job and not to jump to any conclusion.

As I mentioned Fred, many people because of the sheer barbaric nature of this attack, a beheading, on U.S. soil many think that -- theorize that this could be tied to radical Islam, perhaps extremism. We don't know that.

We do know though that this criminal has a lengthy rap sheet dating back to 2009. We know that he has possession of marijuana as well as assault on a police officer. He also actually was involved in a brief manhunt a couple of years ago.

One of our affiliates caught up with a state trooper who had an encounter with the suspect and this is what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. BETSY RANDOLPH, OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROL: In a split second, he exploded out of car, hit me in the chest and pushed me back. I lifted my hand up thinking my finger was gone, it hurt so bad. My fingers had gotten tied up in the chains. I wish I'd have killed him. You know? I -- I never -- I was never afraid of him or I would have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: That's not something that you hear from law enforcement every day. We do know that the FBI is now involved in the investigation. They're looking into the social media footprint of the subject.

WHITFIELD: What about the religious component as it pertains to this suspect?

VALENCIA: I spoke to leaders in the interfaith community there in Oklahoma. After the Moore tornado last year, there was a huge presence, still a lot of those resources remain and they are a little bit more reluctant to embrace this theory that it could have had something to do with his religion. That it could have been intact (ph) because he had radicalized in recent months.

What we do know there was a sharp change and that he was let go from his job because he was trying to convert some of his coworkers to Islam. So there certainly is that component to the investigation but we don't know if one is tied to the other. If he carried out this attack -- this grizzly attack because of his religion.

WHITFIELD: Very complex case. All right.

Thanks so much, Nick Valencia, for bringing that to us.

VALENCIA: You bet. WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.

All right. Still on the run, a fugitive survivalist evades a manhunt. We have new information thought about how the suspect planned an ambush that left one state trooper dead.

Plus nearly 5,000 tips but still no sign of a missing University of Virginia student -- the prime suspect in her disappearance now back in Virginia today. A live report -- straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right we are learning more now about the suspect in the deadly Pennsylvania trooper ambush. Police say they have evidence that fugitive survivalist Eric Frein planned the attack for years. He's still on the run this hour, two week after the ambush left one trooper dead and another injured.

CNN's Alexandra Field joins us live from Monroe County, Pennsylvania. So Alexandria what new evidence is there?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, they are looking into all the ways that Frein may have prepared to be on the run. They say that they're taking a look at any supplies that he may have bought before he went on the run. They're wondering if those supplies could have been used to build a bunker.

They haven't found a bunker out here but they do say they have evidence that supports this idea they've been telling about that Eric Frein has been planning a confrontation with police officers for years and that evidence primarily comes from a hard drive which shows them that Eric Frein had spent a great deal of time researching everything from manhunt to police technologies to various survival skill.

He's been on the run for two weeks but police are still saying that they are confident that they are going to capture him. Here is what Pennsylvania state police said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. GEORGE BIVENS, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE: We know we've had sightings. We've found items that lead us to believe he's in the area. So I continue to say I believe we're close. I believe he's in the area and I believe it is a matter of time until we apprehend him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: Up to a thousand different law enforcement officers from a number of different agencies have been involved in the search. They have been focused on a wooded area near Frein's family home but officers are being warned that they need to approach with caution. There's certainly concern Fred about the possibilities that there are booby traps out here in the woods.

WHITFIELD: And now Alexandra what about this phone call that he allegedly made to his parents? FIELD: Yes, this is a key piece of evidence in this investigation.

We've learned from a law enforcement source that Eric Frein last week made a phone call. Called his parent but then hung up after one ring. So he didn't get to speak to them but it was long enough for officers to trace him.

And that's how they ended up coming to this area where they have insisted, you know, is the focus of their search and this is the same place where there have been reported sightings of Frein and where they have found those items that they believe belonged to him. So that's why they continue to be so confident that he's still out here -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Alexandra Field, keep us posted. Thanks so much.

All right. The retrial in the so called "loud music shooting" is underway in Jacksonville, Florida. Take a look right now -- live pictures from the courtroom where witnesses are taking the stand. Michael Dunn is accused of killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis nearly two years ago after an argument over loud music.

Earlier this year a jury found Dunn guilty of second degree attempted murder but deadlocked on the more serious charge, pre-meditated, first-degree murder. I'll discuss the case in-depth in the next hour with our legal guys.

Now to Charlottesville, Virginia where more people are flocking to a call center to help take in tips that could perhaps lead to a missing student's location. Police say they have received more than 2,400 tips but still no sign of the University of Virginia student Hannah Graham. She vanished two weeks ago. Meanwhile the prime suspect in her disappearance is being held in isolation in a Virginia jail.

Let's bring in CNN's Jean Casarez. So Jean -- the suspect Jesse Matthew was processed over night after being extradited from Texas. What is he being charged with again?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN LEGAL CORRESPONDENT: It is a felony and it's called abduction with intent to defile. So it is a kidnapping charge and what that is in plain language is kidnapping with intent to do, intent to do, and a moral purpose with Hannah. That is the charge right there now. As he sits in the jail, we understand that law enforcement is beginning a brand new search today.

They are going to bring out helicopters and professional searchers are going to look in the rural areas. There are 740 square miles of rural county right here. That is a large amount of land and they are continually gradually trying to work their way out.

But with this, there are so many questions, what happened in those final moments that Hannah was seen alive? You know, the Tempo Restaurant has become a real focus there. I spoke with the Tempo Restaurant. He said at the end of the evening in the early morning hours, he saw Jesse Matthew right there at his restaurant. He says though he was excited and talking to everybody but he never saw Hannah inside the restaurant. Law enforcement disagrees but at least one person believes that is so. Take a listen to this local radio commentator.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COY BAREFOOT, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: I spoke with people who were partying with Mr. Matthew that night. I spoke with people who were in Tempo and they described his behavior as disturbing, erratic, aggressive. He was constantly tracking these woman around the bar, putting his arm around them -- touching their hair, touching their back, touching their legs. And one of the young women with whom I spoke told me that she finally had to tell him "Keep your f-ing hands off me." And that took place just about an hour before he ran into Hannah here on the downtown mall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: Now Jesse Matthew, next court appearance here in this jurisdiction, his first virtually here will be on Thursday. And it will be before a district court judge or magistrate -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: So Kean we still haven't heard from authorities about the detail of what kind of forensic evidence they might have. We know that many things were retrieved from Jesse Matthew's vehicle and even his apartment. But do we know really what led to his arrest? What did they have that they feel can at least substantiate that charge?

CASAREZ: Good question. You know, as far as the forensics we were in touch with the Department of Forensic Science here in Virginia all week and we know they were testing the items. We don't know what they were. They wouldn't talk about the investigation. They believe they were going to have the results at the end of the week. But we do know also from police that now that there is a charge and this is a criminal prosecution those results they are not going release.

Now the question is what did they base that kidnapping charge on? They said relevant evidence, potential evidence found in the car and the apartment. But they wouldn't say what it was at all. But it's something that allows them to have the probable cause that he kidnapped her.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jean Casarez, thanks so much. Keep us posted on that story.

And we'll have much more with our legal guys next hour as well.

All right. The U.S. and several Arab countries now the first to take on ISIS. But more than 50 countries in all are in the coalition including British fighter pilots. Will other countries be fighting?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The coalition to destroy ISIS in the Middle East is growing with Britain, Denmark and Belgium on board. The coalition comprises now of more than 50 countries. Well, today British jet fighters began flying over Iraq. And CNN global affairs correspondent Elise Labott is joining us right now from New York. So, Elise, The Brits have agreed only to fly in missions over Iraq, not necessarily to take out ISIS in Syria. Is Secretary Kerry perhaps hoping to persuade the U.K. of more?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, I think that the plan is if you see how the U.S. did this, they started also with strikes in Iraq and if you listened as the United States continued to build its case then they moved over to Syria. And if you heard Prime Minister Cameron yesterday speaking to the parliament he said "There is a lot more I want to do."

And so could Britain follow that playbook? I think the U.S. is hoping that they will. But U.S. officials say listen, symbolically yes, it is very important for European nations to join the Arabs and the U.S. in this coalition in strikes against Syria. But militarily the U.S. feels it has the manpower that it needs and they say listen, you can't discount Iraq. It is just as serious what is going on there and there are many nations.

As we've seen the Brits and a lot of the nations in Europe coming over the last few days saying that they are willing to take part in Iraq. So that's equally as important -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: So in this coalition it is clear U.S. with its air strikes, and Great Britain now with some air strikes. What are roles that some of the other countries will be playing such as, you know, Denmark, Belgium?

LABOTT: Well, all of them, Denmark, Belgium -- it was the Netherlands also. Australia they have said that they are going contribute fighter jets to strike over Iraq. And so between the United States and the Arab states in Syria and all these other states in Iraq, I think they have the military coalition that they need for right now. Obviously the President said this is going to be a long-term endeavor.

But what U.S. Officials are saying is that the other part of this coalition is equally important -- cracking down on the flow of foreign fighters and the flow of financing those oil sales which is all really the life flood of this group. So general -- former General John Allen who has been appointed by Secretary Kerry and the President as the special envoy to the coalition will be heading out next week to the region to try and work on this element because ultimately it is not just the military operations that are going to stop this group. It is the flow of the cash and the fighters keeping them alive -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And will one of those missions that they are likely to discuss also going to be kind of that post bombing mission? What happens on the ground in addition to what you talk about, you know, following the money trail, but what about the rebuilding or I guess bringing some stabilization after these kinds of bombings take place?

LABOTT: Absolutely. And in Iraq you have the government and I think they want to strengthen. There is all this talk about strengthening an Iraqi national guard that's really going to be in charge of law enforcement in various areas of the country hopefully to fill the void that ISIS has right now.

But in Syria that is even more important because you really need to build up the Syrian opposition that's been very weak over the last several years, not just on the military front -- that free Syrian army but who's going to be the governor? Who's going to be the mayor in these areas that ISIS controls right now? Certainly they don't want President Assad to fill that void.

And so you really need to build up a humanitarian development and infrastructure. It's going to be very important going forward and that is something that General John Allen will be talking about as he meets with a lot of these partners -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Elise Labott -- thanks so much in New York.

All right. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says it is time to leave. How will his departure impact the justice investigation in Ferguson and who is the President likely to pick as Holder's replacement?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here's a look at the top stories making news right now.

More coalition airstrikes today in Syria. A watchdog group reports an airstrike hit the area of a battle scene CNN brought you exclusively. Syrian Kurds are battling ISIS fighters on Syria's border with Turkey.

The Pentagon has not confirm an airstrike in that location. Also today British fighter jets are over Iraq just a day after the U.K. parliament approved joining the fight against ISIS.

And criminal charges have now been filed against a man who police say set a fire at an air traffic control center in Chicago after FBI agents searched the home of 36-year-old Brian Howard.

They revealed he allegedly sent a private Facebook message to a relative before setting the fire, which threatened to, quote, "take out the FAA center." The FBI says firefighters on the ground found Howard was inside the FAA facility trying to slice his own throat.

The fire canceled more than 2,000 flights at Chicago O'Hare and nearby Midway Airport. It is having a ripple effect already. So far more than 600 flights are canceled today at O'Hare.

To Japan now and a thick cloud of volcanic ash. This is Mount Atake. It's about 155 miles west of Tokyo. It erupted earlier today as 150 hikers were trying to run for cover. Police and firefighters had been deployed to help hikers near the summit.

Up to 20 inches of ash now covers the ground there, at least three people were injured in a nearby village and many people living near the volcano are refusing now to leave their homes. All right, President Obama will soon have to decide who will replace one of his closest advisers, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Holder announced this week he's resigning. The president's choice for a replacement will affect several high impact legal issues and could play into midterm election politics as well.

Joining me right now from Washington presidential historian and distinguished professor at American University, Allen Lickman. Good to see you. And Avery Friedman, a civil rights attorney and law professor joining us from Cleveland. Good to see you as well.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK, so Avery, you first. Eric Holder has a lot on his plate right now. He started a very high profile Justice Department investigation into what happened in Ferguson, Missouri when Michael Brown was shot. How will Holder's departure impact that case?

FRIEDMAN: It will have absolutely no effect, Fredricka, on what is going in Ferguson. The fact is that the civil rights policies of the Attorney General's Office is actually assigned to the assistant attorney general for civil rights.

That is Molly Moran. She's also a presidential appointment and I'm threading out Professor Lickman's area. But this Attorney General Eric Holder is the only attorney general in the history of the nation to ever have an official civil rights appointment with the Department of Justice before he took office.

So the bottom line is you are not going to see any change in what's going on in Ferguson or any place else.

WHITFIELD: Professor Lickman, do you agree with that?

ALLAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: I absolutely with that. What Eric Holder is doing reflects the policies of the Obama administration, not just the attorney general. And you know, when you look at his legacy, it is going to be very much in the eye of the beholder.

Supporters of Obama and liberals are going to love his civil rights investigation, his defense of the voting right act, his efforts to reduce sentences for non-violent offenders. Republicans are going to hate all that.

WHITFIELD: And you know, it's interesting Avery because, you know, Eric Holder has said very clearly that he was inspired, you know, to go into law to be the attorney that he became by looking at Bobby Kennedy's history and his legacy. And now some are even comparing the way he's carried out his job as attorney general to Kennedy.

FRIEDMAN: I have to tell you something. I think when you actually look at what Bobby Kennedy was, and it was one of my great heroes, Eric Holder historically I think will surpass Bobby Kennedy in the civil rights and voting rights and fair housing in special litigation such as the Ferguson case. I think this attorney general will go down in history up to this point as the greatest civil rights attorney general in the United States history.

WHITFIELD: And then Professor Lickman, do you agree with that? I mean, given there were many controversies, there were, you know, many critics from Capitol Hill and beyond who wanted to see him resign long ago. Some of whom are actually celebrating now saying it is about time.

LICHTMAN: You have to understand the polarization in Washington. The Republicans have but one objective and that is to make Barack Obama look as bad as possible in anticipation of the midterms and the next presidential election and if they can do that with Eric Holder, fine.

I agree with Avery in part. I do think his actions in Ferguson, his actions on the voting rights act, hid challenges to voter ID and discriminatory redistricting plans will go down in history.

But on the other hand, there are some things that advocates of civil rights might not like his approval of certain surveillance methods and I think many liberals are a little bit disappointed in his failure to criminally go after the financial crooks who brought this economy down in 2007 and 2008.

WHITFIELD: I have two professors here, but I want to ask both of you about the potential successor. We have a graphic now showing some possible names and we know already that Devaul Patrick, the Massachusetts governor already said he's not interested in the job.

But it is likely that the president would pick someone he knows well. He has two years. He doesn't want to spend those last two years getting to know an attorney general selection. So of this list here, who do you think stands the best chance?

FRIEDMAN: Camila Harris.

WHITFIELD: She's not even on here. California.

FRIEDMAN: Well she should be. Attorney general of state of California. She is also very close to the president. She has the credentials. There is a very, very unique history about her. I think this president would make history by that kind of appointment. Stunning candidates on the list, but I don't think anybody can touch General Harris.

WHITFIELD: And Professor Lichtman?

LICHTMAN: I'm not going to speculate because every time we try to make predictions we are wrong. But I'll say this, it is going to be very tough for him to get anyone he wants through this Republican -- well, he has to go through the Senate and they can filibuster the deal that was made. The nuclear option doesn't apply to this appointment and Holder could be in office for quite some time.

WHITFIELD: Wow that would be interesting, right?

FRIEDMAN: Fredricka, he promised not to leave until someone is confirmed. WHITFIELD: You're right. So if no one is confirmed, who knows? We may see him for the next two years as well. It's going to be an interesting story, nonetheless. All right, Professor Lichtman and Professor Friedman, thanks to both of you, Gentlemen. I appreciate it.

All right, still to come, Chelsea Clinton now is a mama. More about the newest member of the Clinton family next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, big news for Bill and Hillary Clinton. They are now big mama and big papa. That's what I call my grandparents. They have a granddaughter. Chelsea Clinton tweeted the good news this morning announcing the birth of her new baby with husband, Marc Mezvinsky.

The baby's name Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky. Former President Bill Clinton quickly retweeting his daughter's message. We are still waiting for baby pictures, of course, and we'll post them when we get them. We meaning CNN, not Bill Clinton.

All right, next, we look at new web site that offers cash and companionship. The world of sugar daddies and sugar babies, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, there is a new program premiering on CNN this weekend and it is going to have all of us talking. It is called "THIS IS LIFE" with Lisa Ling. Her first episode is about a new online dating service for sugar daddies and sugar babies. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA LING, CNN HOST, "THIS IS LIFE": A surprising amount of Americans are ready for an old fashioned kind of love where men financially support women in exchange for companionship. And one man is capitalizing on that desire. Seeking Arrangement founder, Brandon Wade.

(on camera): Why did you start Seeking Arrangements.

BRANDON WADE, FOUNDER, SEEKING ARRANGEMENT: I was having so much difficulty with dating life. I would try to normal dating web sites and I realized it was really difficult for me to stand out. And growing up being the nerdy boy I was, she said study hard focus on school and someday when you are successful you can use really your success and generosity to turn your dating game around.

LING: So you started Seeking Arrangement because you were having difficulty with your dating life?

WADE: That's absolutely right.

LING: And Brandon, you are a very nice, smart guy. Isn't that enough? WADE: Apparently not. On most dating sites, unfortunately, there is no way for your intellect or perhaps your success to shine through.

LING (voice-over): Brandon set out to change that. In 2006, he launched Seeking Arrangement. Today it is the most successful in a crop of sugar dating domains. The site also throws parties where babies and daddies can mingle and wear a mask if they want to go incognito.

(on camera): Is there a typical profile on Seeking Arrangement?

WADE: The average sugar baby is 27, typically has a college degree or is going to college. The average guy is 40 years old. He makes $250,000 or more every single year.

LING: What percentage of sugar daddies are married.

WADE: Roughly 40 percent married.

LING: They are essentially trying to find mistresses.

WADE: I would say so. They are looking for a relationship elsewhere to spice up their life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: OK. So I talked with Lisa Ling this week about her new show and I asked her about the people who use this new type of online dating service and their willingness to talk so openly about their preferences.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LING: Well, you know, this is a recent phenomenon. Not so much moneyed older men seeking out younger women, but these websites that are facilitating these relationships, and they're advertising at colleges around the country.

And it's interesting, what I love about this series is when you hear these topics, you probably have a defined, preconceived idea about what the people are like and what the intentions are behind this kind of activity.

But once you meet the men and the young women, my hope is that you might be provoked to think a little bit differently. In the case of these young women, a couple of them said to me, which really surprised me, because I hadn't thought about this perspective before.

That we are the first generation that has been told consistently that we are never going to make as much money as our parents and that job prospects out there are so dismal and so this is a way for us to reduce our workload.

A couple of them had been working three jobs and really unable to focus on their studies. And they said, by being a sugar baby, we're able to have our tuition paid for, among other things, and we're able to focus better on our studies.

So, is that justification for it? Not necessarily, but it was a perspective that I had never heard before.

WHITFIELD: Well, yes. So you've got young women who were saying, I'm kind of giving up on my dream. I may not be able ever attain the kind of financial success that I want to, so instead I will attach myself to someone who has, who can provide for me, what is I want. Simple as that?

LING: Well, you know, the young women that I spent time with, they are still very ambitious. And despite the negative press, they haven't been dissuaded about wanting to pursue their dreams.

They just, right now, are looking in many cases to these sugar daddies to help them to become mentors and to possibly pay for their tuition. But the ones that I spoke to, and this is why the phenomenon is a little different now.

Because the women I talked to still have every intention of becoming that CEO one day or wanting to have their own business. It's just right now, in this period in their lives, they're struggling with having to pay for college and being able to spend time on their studies, and so they seem to have found a way to help them in that process.

WHITFIELD: Did any of them reveal whether their parents know? Do their parents regret having spent all that money on college or in assisting in that, or having great aspirations for their kids, and then come to find out that the kids, or these young ladies are kind of throwing that away?

LING: It's a great question. If their parents didn't know, they will know very soon. I think that these young women have probably talked to their parents in advance of this episode airing, but it was really important for them to kind of convey their intentions because they are very stigmatized.

And there's this perception that there are sexual expectations in every relationship that is, you know, constructed. And that is not necessarily always the case. I mean, what they say on the web site is, what you should do in advance of even meeting the other person is negotiate the terms.

Figure out what you want out of the relationship and figure out, you know, what you aren't willing to give.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Wow? All right, explore this world on the premiere episode of "THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING." It airs tomorrow night 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.

All right, coming up in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM, British jets are ready to join the air campaign against ISIS.

Plus, the former commander of the "USS Cole" reflects on the deadly al Qaeda attack on his ship 14 years ago.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. What many people see as a handicap, Darren Templeton views as a challenge, though paralyzed, he lives life to the fullest. And now he helps others facing the same obstacles do the same. Here's CNN's Holly Firfer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLLY FIRFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Taking the plunge off this boat, at first glance, Darren Templeton appears to be a typical 20-something thrill seeker. He water skis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you decided to make a skydive today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's right.

FIRFER: And also skydives. But he's accomplished all of these amazing feats while paralyzed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was insane. That was awesome.

FIRFER: Darren suffered a debilitating injury in the summer of 2004, breaking his neck in a diving accident, he was paralyzed from the shoulders down.

DARREN TEMPLETON, ATHLETE: I played a lot of sports growing up. It's changed a lot. It's gone from, you know, the typical focusing on rehab and becoming independent to where I am now.

FIRFER: Through his strength and commitment to intense rehab, Darren inspired his mom, Cynthia, to form "Push to Walk," a non-profit organization that provides individualized workouts and resources to people with spinal cord injuries and paralysis. She says Darren's injury has not stopped him from living an active life.

CYNTHIA TEMPLETON, FOUNDER, PUSH TO WALK: He lives on his own, he drives, he's gone to undergraduate school and graduate school. He just tries to live his life as fully and as normally as anyone else.

DARREN TEMPLETON: It was, you know, just really slow but steady and you know, with working out and just, you know, things sort of naturally coming.

FIRFER: But Darren also credits team dynamics with aiding his recovery. He plays on a hard-hitting quad rugby team called the New York Warriors. They compete nationwide in tournaments throughout the year.

DARREN TEMPLETON: I was fortunate enough to learn through them and trying to help out others, exactly what they are going through.

FIRFER: Remaining active in triumph over adversity, Darren's words of advice to anyone in a chair. DARREN TEMPLETON: Get out there and meet people and don't be shy. It's the only way to really learn and once you get out there, you know, you just gain more and more confidence as you go and things get better and better.

FIRFER: Holly Firfer, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)