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Delays And Cancellations Contine At O'Hare And Midway Airports; Manhunt Underway In Missouri For Those Who Shot Ferguson Officer; Fresh Fighting Erupts Along Turkish Border; Derek Jeter Ends Yankee Career Today; Calls Increase For NFL Commissioner Goodell To Resign

Aired September 28, 2014 - 17:00   ET

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

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us here in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York.

People traveling in and out of the world's second busiest airport are not having a great weekend. Delays and cancellations continue at Chicago O'Hare and Midway airports two days after a worker set fire to the city's main air control hub.

Today alone, nearly 600 flights have been cancelled between airports and delays are running almost an hour. The man accused of starting that fire, Brian Howard, faces up to 20 years in prison for destruction of an aircraft facility.

Coming up in the next half an hour, we will speak live with the former transportation secretary Ray LaHood about how long this will impact all of those travelers.

Also Ferguson, Missouri, under more strain. This, after two late night shootings aimed at police officers. Is this pay back following the shooting of Michael Brown or are they completely unrelated? We will take you live to Ferguson for our report straight ahead this hour.

And this is absolute chaos in the streets of Hong Kong and several straight days of sometimes violent protests that don't show any sign of letting up. Thousands of people are furious. And what they see is China's manipulation of the political process in Hong Kong. Riot police have been fire in teargas and swinging batons trying to disperse the protesters. More than 30 people have been hurt so far.

And these are people being taken one at a time off the side of an erupting volcano in Japan. They are the lucky ones. At least 30 others are believed dead. Officials are saying as many as 250 people were in the danger zone when the mountain suddenly bloated over the weekend. This is the second biggest volcano in Japan after Mount Fuji. And its last major eruption was 35 years ago.

We are also following this very closely, along the Turkey-Syria border today. A mortar to mortar exploded at CNN crew while ISIS militants battled Kurdish forces. Meanwhile, the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates conducted airstrikes on ISIS targets in that region. They also hit an ISIS compound near the town of Kobani. This is a strategically very critical town. And we are going to explain why.

Despite the airstrikes, we are hearing that ISIS militants are now making a comeback and they are creeping closer to this town. An official there warns that there will be a massacre if ISIS does get inside Kobani.

Let's go straight to our correspondent Phil Black who is on the ground right at the Turkey-Syria border. It is nighttime there now. Phil, what is the situation?

PHIL BLACK, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Poppy, what we saw today was very intense fighting on the eastern advance towards that key city of Kobani which you have mentioned there. This is where ISIS was really bearing down on local Kurdish fighters who are doing their best to try and resist it but they were clearly outgunned and outmatched.

They were being pounded by artillery being fired by ISIS really. That's what we saw. So they are short distance from Kobani. And we know that ISIS is also on the approach to that city from the south and the west. In fact, there even said to be closer to the south itself. And shelling and mortars are said to have fallen directly on central Kobani today as well, as many as ten times.

What this means is that ISIS is close. The city could fall. And the Kurdish fighters that we have been talking to, the officials still in that city, believe it will do so unless there is a really big effort from that international coalition to launch substantial airstrikes and to do it quickly. Otherwise, they think ISIS could be on their doorstep very, very soon indeed, Poppy.

HARLOW: And Phil, I want to play for our viewers what happened when that mortar round went off. Let's play that and then I will get your reaction on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: And it is now, as I said, only a few kilometers from where we are standing now, and it would seem that once they get beyond -- a large round there detonating behind me. Once they move past this point here --

(CHEERING)

BLACK: It's gone down very well with this local crowd. To be fair, they have no idea, no way of really knowing who is scoring the hits on the other side, but clearly this crowd clearly believes that that was a hit for the Kurdish fighters who they have been standing here cheering for through the afternoon. Now, the reason why this battle is going on behind me matters so much because it is so close to Kobani. It is just a few kilometers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: So Phil, we saw the reaction of the locals there. As you said they didn't even know, you know, who won out at least in that moment. But it's all about how strategically important Kobani is and all of the civilians there hoping that ISIS is not able to get in because they are afraid there is going be a massacre. Why is Kobani so critical?

BLACK: It's a major city, Poppy, that is right by the Turkish border. Really, right next to it. So, if ISIS is successfully in claiming all of this ground, it would bring them right up to the Turkish border. It would mean a significant extension of the territory which they current fleet control.

And that's what makes ISIS so different (INAUDIBLE), Islamist militant groups. They are building a state. They are grabbing on to territory. And they are holding on to it. And now they have moved into this territory as well.

You saw a lot of people there by the border cheering when they thought that the Kurds were doing well. When they are not doing well, I can tell you, they are very angry, they are upset and they are quite terrified about what could happen in the coming days, Poppy.

HARLOW: Yes, absolutely.

Phil, thank you for the reporting on the front lines there. You and your entire team, stay safe. Thank you.

Let's talk about this a little bit more, about the campaign against ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria. Is it really so different from previous U.S. military options in the area? The U.S. is participating and as we know hundreds of airstrikes also offering equipments, training to those groups on the ground.

The White House national security advisor tells our Candy Crowley that President Obama's plan stands in sharp contrast with his predecessors. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLINKEN, DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: But keep in mind, we are doing this in a very different way than in the past. We are not sending in hundreds of thousands of American troops. We are not spending police and American dollars. What we are doing is empowering local actors with some of the in assets we can bring to this like our air power, intelligence, training and equipping, advising and assisting. And we are not falling into the Al-Qaeda trap of sending tens of thousands of Americans in where they get bug down, tied down and bled which is exactly what Al-Qaeda wants. We are being smart about this. This is a sustainable way to get to the terrorists. And it is also a more effective way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Let's bring in CNN global affairs analyst lieutenant colonel James Reese. He is a former Delta force officer. He spent a lot of time in Iraq.

Thank you for being here. Sir, let me get your reaction to that. Is it so different this time around?

LT. COL. JAMES REESE (RET.), FORMER SPECIAL FORCES COMMANDER: Poppy, one of the reasons that it is different is, you know, we have 11 years of experience in that region now. Before we went in 2003, it was really virgin land for us. We didn't know the people, We didn't know how they would react. Now we do know the areas. We know the people. We know some of the leaderships. So that does give us advantage.

HARLOW: Let's talk about the report that we just heard from Phil Black talking about that strategically important city of Kobani right by the Turkey-Syria border. If ISIS is successful, in getting into the Kobani, obviously, there is a huge concern about loss of life. Will ISIS cross into Turkey, though? Will they really do that?

REESE: Well, I don't think ISIS need to cross into Turkey. What I see is a strategic aspect about that city right there in the Turkish border is this. Now it allows ISIS to control a city right on the border and help facilitate any of their foreign fighters, anyone coming in from Europe or even the U.S. to bring them into Syria move them down the Euphrates river valley and into Iraq to fight. So it is a very strategic positioning for ISIS.

HARLOW: But you have got Turkey with a very, very powerful, powerful military in the air and on the ground. They have yet to officially join the fight. But we know that the president of Turkey met with vice president Joe Biden on Thursday. So we're expecting to see more from Turkey. But do you really think that ISIS would cross into Turkey or will they stop in terms of that advance?

REESE: No. I think ISIS will stop and I think it naturally will stop for them. And what you will have is a Mexican standoff between the two. I mean, look at it right now. The Turks have not done anything to help the Kurds, you know, within several hundred meters of their own border. So why would they cross? It becomes a standoff. And you know, it really becomes a standoff for ISIS to allow them to bring people in. I don't think they are going to cross. But I don't think the Turks are going to do anything either.

HARLOW: I want to get your reaction to these numbers from the new NBC poll showing that 72 percent of Americans poll believe the U.S. will eventually put ground troops in this fight against ISIS. Do you think -- what is your reaction? And then -- do you think that ISIS can be defeated in Iraq and Syria without U.S. ground troops?

REESE: Well, Poppy, first off, I agree with the American people. Eventually ground forces have to get in there. Air power is great. Air power can neutralize and fix the enemy. At the end of the day, ground forces close with and destroy the enemy.

With that being said, I think we still want to continue to work with the Arab coalition partners. We want to get them in. But we are going to have to put some ground forces in. We got the best forces in the world. Hopefully, it stays within advisory roll and bringing in more Arab forces. But unfortunately, in our way of the world, hope is not a course of action. HARLOW: And something that has to be solved, is what is the end game

in Syria, right? What is the end game in all of this? That is still a big question. We're going to talk about that more with our experts throughout the next two hours. Thank you for coming in and for your time. We appreciate it.

REESE: Thanks, Poppy. Have a good evening.

HARLOW: Tension in Ferguson, Missouri, as we were telling you, escalated overnight after two separate shootings both involving police officers. Our Sara Sidner is there -- Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Poppy. I will tell you what police officers are saying. And also how residents are reacting after a police officer was shot here in Ferguson, a town still simmering with anger over the shooting death of an unarmed teenager seven weeks ago.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Tensions are back in Ferguson, Missouri. It was there last night that Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teenager was shot and killed by police. Hundreds of people filled the streets for days in protest. Now, just last night a police officer was shot and another was shot also nearby in that part of St. Louis. While, the shootings do not appear, officials are saying to be directly related to last month's unrest, this was the reaction last evening in Ferguson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I got to say is all of this -- a police officer -- a police officer has been shot tonight. That's the only person that got shot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The police told me. It wasn't that way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not yet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to ask you to leave and I'm only going to ask you one time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are our streets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These isn't your streets these are our streets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's going to cause a problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: You hear some of the tension between some of the residents and the police officers. Our Sara Sidner is outside of Ferguson community where I know, Sara, one of those shootings occurred. Tell us a little about both of them. I know neither officer was killed but tell to us what happened and also the reaction there in Ferguson today.

SIDNER: Well, there were two shootings that happened within about three hours of each other Saturday night into Sunday early morning, 112:00 Sunday morning.

What happened here was the officer was apparently on patrol. He was going around the community center, saw someone in the back, wasn't sure what they were up to, got out, tried to engage the person and talk to them. And parentally, according to police, that person then turn around and shot at the officer and then took off running into those woods behind there, the on St. Louis on i-70, inner state 70, near the airport apparently with some sort of drive-by shooting where there were multiple people in the car, according to authorities who were shooting at an off-duty police officer. So he was not in a patrol car. Is it coincidence? Nobody knows. But the police are saying they do not believe that these two incidents are related.

They also don't think that either is related to the unrest that has been here in Ferguson for so many weeks now since the shooting and killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown at the hands of police officer Darren Wilson.

What we can tell you, though, is that the tension between police and black folks in the community especially in the community where Michael Brown was shot and killed are high and they continue to be high. But those tensions are also spreading out throughout the community.

We talked to some of the folks that live in this neighborhood, both black and white, who said they can certainly feel that things have changed in Ferguson and maybe changed forever.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE, FERGUSON, MISSOURI RESIDENT: It's scary. It's tension filled. You're trying very hard to be politically correct whether when you are shopping at these, even when you are going to church. You want to make sure that you're not offending someone because I think we both agree there are two sides of the story. Everybody wants justice. I just don't know what the definition of justice is for each person. So you are trying to be cognizant about how people are feeling which then puts you on edge at all time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: That resident and her daughter, they are from a family with long line of police officers. And they say they can tell you that the police officers are worried that they are targets. And they are worried that there is a revenge factor out there. The community says they feel like they have been targets at the hands of police. And so, you have this tension and it is not going away. Most folks believe it will bubble up again and probably soon -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Sara Sidner, thank you for that. We appreciate it.

And as Sara was just talking about racial tensions in Ferguson are not a new thing, let's bring in CNN commentator LZ Granderson. LZ, you know, we talked about this a lot around the shooting and the

killing of Michael Brown. You questioned the leadership of the police after the shooting. What is your reaction to what we thought happened last night? And that video that we played of our viewers of residents clearly upset at the police last night after hearing about this.

LZ GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think first of all, it is very important to make sure, as the report was saying, that the shootings of the police officers and the protests and anger surrounding what happened to Michael Brown in Ferguson are not related. There has been no evidence to prove those two things have been related. It is important to keep those things separated in the narrative.

And then number two, if anyone is aware of who may have shot those police officers, they need to come forward and make sure those individuals are brought into the justice system. There is no room for lawlessness while we're trying to work our way through this conversation of Michael Brown and police brutality. We cannot have cover for people who break the law and shoot police officers while also seek injustice for Michael Brown.

Those are also two separate conversations and I really hope those in the community make sure that if they have any information that they help find who did this, that they come forward and do so. Because you saw the video, you saw that the increase tensions that is there. What you can't have are external factors like these shootings adding to what are already decades of tension that is spilt over.

HARLOW: And you heard the distrust there. Captain Ron Johnson saying look, only a police -- it is a police officer who has been shot. And you heard someone, it sounded like saying yes right. I mean, there is clearly still a mistrust between many of the people and the officers there.

I want you to take a listen to what President Obama said last night. He spoke about Ferguson to the attendees of the congressional black caucus foundation dinner. Listen and then we will talk about it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nothing any of us can say can ease the grief of losing a child so soon. But the anger and the emotion that followed his death awakened our nation once again to the reality that people in this room have long understood which is in too many communities around the country, a gulf of mistrust exists between local residents and law enforcement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: LZ, how do you create that trust? How do you build it back?

GRANDERSON: You know, I was in that room that night last night. And I will tell you, when the president got to that moment, there was a collective head nodding as he was making those statements. And we're talking about a room filled with individuals from all over the country. Not just Ferguson, but all over the country.

I honestly can't tell you how start to build their trust back. I, myself, have had so many incidents in which police officers have targeted me, had pulled me over driving while black. I once had my home surrounded by five squad cars because I was driving a car that was too fancy for a black man in my neighborhood.

So I'm not going to sit here and pretend to tell you that I have all of the answers. All right, I can say is that it is important that both sides listen. We do a lot of finger pointing. We do a lot of yes buts, but we don't really listen.

I have a lot of respect to police officers. They have a very difficult job to do. But when you see Eric Gardner, say I can't breathe and get choked out in New York, when you see what happened to Jordan Davis, when you see what happened to Trayvon Martin, when you see what happened to the man in Ohio who was gunned down in an open carry state while carrying a toy weapon, when you see these things, it is very, very difficult to talk about peace on the other side because there is so much garbage has preventing us from getting to that peace.

But in my opinion, it starts with listening. Being able to really hear and empathize with each other about the difficulties of being a police officer and also the difficulties of being black in this country.

HARLOW: I don't think anyone can argue with that, the importance of listening on both sides.

LZ, stick around. We are going to have you on a little bit later in the hour. Thank you for that.

And we're going to switch gears here next. And one of the all time greats, great New York Yankee played his final game today ending a sellers 20-year career. We are going to talk to hall of famer Cal Ripken Jr. about Derek Jeter's legacy right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Sports don't build character, they reveal it. Author Hayward Hail (ph) said that. He could have been talking about Derek Jeter, the New York Yankee star who ended his career today. Playing against the Yankees arch rival, the Boston Red Sox at Fenway and in his very last at bat after 20 year in the major, Jeter got a single and drove in a run. The manager then took him out of the game. The crowd erupted and Jeter celebrated along with everyone else really, the consummate team player that he is.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

HARLOW: As the tributes pile up, Jeter says just playing for the Yankees has fulfilled a lifelong dream. Boston players paid tribute to Derek Jeter as well today. One word says it all. Respect. Even Sox fans concede the captain has elevated the game of baseball.

Who better to talk to you about this? I'm very excited to have him on the show, Cal Ripken Jr. Thanks for being with us.

CAL RIPKEN JR., BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER: It is my pleasure. Thanks for having me.

HARLOW: What was today like?

RIPKEN: Today was wonderful. I mean, I had a chance to go through this farewell and have a good good-bye. And I know that it is emotional on both the positive and the negative side.

In one side, it's a little sad. We're not going to see Derek Jeter any more. But on the other side, he gets a chance to say good-bye. The fans here in Boston got a chance to say good-bye to him. Wonderful, wonderful ceremony. It was one that was very heartfelt and I think Derek really appreciated it.

HARLOW: And the Yankees won the game 9-5. That said that doesn't hurt either. What do you think --?

RIPKEN: Yes. The game itself was a little -- wasn't the focus. The focus was on Derek today.

HARLOW: What do you think his legacy is going to be?

RIPKEN: Well, I mean, he, himself, says he wants to be remembered as somebody who played the game right, someone that, you know, did his job. He says he's not as talented. But I would beg to differ. He is every bit as counted as a short stop. But nobody outworked him. Nobody played the game harder than he did in a game that is 9-1. He will play it the same as a 1-0 world series game. So, it's wonderful to have a chance to watch him all of these years.

HARLOW: You know, George Wells said that his greatest attribute is that he was the same on and off the field. And you can't say that about everyone in any business and you can't say it about everyone in professional sports. There will never on savory headlines about him. He played the game. He focused on the game. Would you say that that is an important part of his legacy?

RIPKEN: Yes, it is a great legacy. He's a good person, just period. Just because he's a baseball player, we do put him up on a pedestal. But he is the real deal. He is exactly what you think he is. He's a humble guy. He doesn't want the national spotlight, although, it's ironic that he has got it in most of his career. Off the field, he's just a good hearted person and does good things with that celebrity. So he is who you think he is.

HARLOW: So what's next for Derek Jeter? I mean, I think most people agree, he is a shoe in for the hall of fame. And then we have heard that, you know, the he would like to own a team one day. And he also -- he also said recently in an interview, you know, he would like to finally start a family.

RIPKEN: Yes. We just seldom do interviews on which your plan now. And he said the plan is I have no plan. But I think that's just -- HARLOW: You know what? I think we lost Cal Ripken there. But thank

you, Cal, for your insight and for joining us today after the game, a really historic day for the New York Yankees and for Derek Jeter. Remember TBS, he is a TBS analyst. It is home for American league post season play, both the division and championship series. It all starts Tuesday with the American League Wild card game. Cal Ripken Jr., thank you for that.

Meantime, this headline, Chicago airports are still struggling, really struggling, to get back on schedule after an employee set fire to their air traffic control center. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled in and out of Chicago again today. It could be weeks before things return to normal. Will airports around the country continue to feel the ripple effects? Former transportation secretary's Ray LaHood joins us live straight after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Thousands of travelers going in and out of Chicago have seen their flights cancelled again today. Lingering effects of Friday's fire at that major air control hub. Officials are not saying how long the delays could last and with O'Hare being the second busiest airport in the country, this is causing ripple effect at other airports.

Our Nick Valencia joins us now from the country's busiest airport, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson.

Thanks for being with us, Nick. Are travelers there feeling the pain from this?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You got it, Poppy.

You know, not so much. I spoke with a communications director of this airport and he says it's sort of a typical Sunday travel day. In fact, in the last hour, things have really slowed down. But as you mentioned that is not the case for those traveling into and out of Chicago. You look at Midway international, you look at O'Hare international, more than 600 flights still cancelled from that incident on Friday that control center you were talking about where an employee allegedly set fire and also tried to take his owned life. That cause major disruption because that is a critical component to keeping flight on time. Not just in the Midwest, but really throughout the country.

So today, thousands more passengers waking up having cancelled flight, delayed flights. But it is a little better, Poppy. When we saw in Friday, we saw more than 2,000 flights cancelled. Today, 600, delays are between 30 and 40 minutes. That's a better comparison when you think of the hours long wait people had just to hear bad news on Friday -- Poppy.

HARLOW: It is been rough in and out of Chicago all weekend. Glad to hear this is not affecting the folks there in Atlanta, at least not right now.

Nick, thank you. Appreciate that. HARLOW: Let's go straight to O'Hare Airport. On the phone with us,

former transportation secretary Ray LaHood. He joins us now.

Sir, thank you for being here. We appreciate it.

RAY LAHOOD, FORMER TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY (via phone): Good evening.

HARLOW: So, you're at O'Hare trying to get out, is that right? How's it looking?

LAHOOD: You know what? It's fine. Everything is very normal. I'm at a gate where plane that is headed to Dallas. It is leaving on time. The plane that I'm taking to Dallas leaves at 6:10. It's shown on time. I just looked at the American terminal, terminal 3 and I'm looking at the board and everything is on time. I see no cancellations. So I would say O'Hare's back to normal.

HARLOW: Well, that is a huge change as our screen said 600 plus flights were cancelled in and out of Chicago today alone. Thousands over the last two days.

Looking at the fact that this air control tower, much of it is going to have to be rebuild, what is that going to take? How long is it going to impact travel? Even if right now things are looking on time.

LAHOOD: Well, I believe that the guiding of planes in and out of O'Hare and the airports that are effected by O'Hare, including my home town of Peoria which I have tried to get to on Friday. I was -- I flew from D.C. to Detroit and then had to -- was hoping to get a plane to Peoria, my hometown, for the weekend. And actually flew to St. Louis and drove from St. Louis to Peoria.

But I think all of these airports that are impacted by O'Hare and by the FAA control center at Aurora and in O'Hare are back to normal from what everything I can tell. And it is going take some time. But the backups just (INAUDIBLE) the FAA has some place is working. And they segmented out different airports to different places like Indianapolis and Minneapolis and other places so the planes are going to be guided by other airports while the Aurora facility is rebuilt and reconstructed on the inside.

HARLOW: Let's talk about that Secretary LaHood. Because it is important to note that even though things are offering much better now. I'm so glad to hear that. They are using air traffic control buildings. Some not even within the state of Illinois. They are relying on others as you said. Is there any question about compromising passenger safety when you do that?

LAHOOD: No. As a matter of fact, I want to give the FAA a great deal of credit here. I mean, the reason that they all of these flights were cancelled and again, I -- my whole ability to get back to my hometown was compromised by a very, very long delay and in the end I had to drive home from St. Louis. So the inconvenience that was caused was caused because FAA decided that safety can never be compromised. And that even though they had a backup system I Aurora, the fact was that people couldn't get back in the building because it was just impossible to work in that building even with the backup system.

So the number one priority for the FAA, and I can tell you this because I, you know, I just left my post as secretary of transportation serving for four and a half years is safety. Safety was and always will be the number one priority.

And I know thousands of people were inconvenienced, including myself, but that's the kind of inconvenience that when you put safety first, just has to take place and here we are on Sunday, two days from when Friday morning. And as I said, the FAA has figured out a way to get planes in and out of O'Hare safely. And things are back to normal here.

HARLOW: Former transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, joining us from O'Hare. Really glad, sir, to hear that things are looking better there for all travelers as we begin a very good day travel week in and out of Chicago. Thank you, sir, for your time.

LAHOOD: Thank you.

HARLOW: Police in Pennsylvania are continuing their manhunt for this man. He is accused of killing one state trooper and critically injuring another. But he has alluded authorities for more than two weeks now. What is being done to find him. The man who captured the Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph is going to show us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: It has been 16 days now since a deadly police ambush and fugitive Eric Frein is still on the loose. Hundreds of law enforcement officers scouring the Pocono Mountain near his home in Pennsylvania. The last actual sighting, though, came on Wednesday. The search commander says there is nothing to indicate, Though, that Frein has left the area.

Police tapped into his computer hard drive and now know that he has been planning this attack and his retreat into the woods for a couple of years. He is a survivalist and he is an expert marksman. But a professional tracker says scientific tactics are being used to find him. He showed our Gary Tuchman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There are hundreds of thousands of acres in the wilderness of Nantahala national forest in North Carolina and places like this are where fugitives gravitate. Patrick Patten knows that firsthand.

PATRICK PATTEN, TRACKER: To be a master tracker, you have to really enjoy the woods and it has to be in your blood.

TUCHMAN: Patten was the lead tracker in the ultimately successful five-year search for Eric Rudolph, the so-called Atlanta Olympic park bomber. Rudolph was found right in this area and Patten returns here with us to give us our owned tracking lesson. Footprints have been left for us. Our pretend fugitive has a size 11 to 12 shoe.

PATTEN: The stride is measured from the toe of one shoe to the heel of the other shoe. And this is approximately 20.5 inches.

TUCHMAN: You follow footprints as long as you can.

PATTEN: And here is your disturbance right in here.

TUCHMAN: A tracker can even tell when the bad guy is getting weary and may be easier to catch.

PATTEN: As you can see here, the fugitive look like they may be entire distract and drag the foot.

TUCHMAN: Figuring out the stride keeps you going in the right direction even when the prints start to fade.

PATTEN: That's our right. So where is our left going to be, 18 to 21 inches. Where do you think it is out there? You like it right there?

TUCHMAN: Yes.

PATTEN: This is our next right.

TUCHMAN: Yes. Next left is here.

PATTEN: Very good. So you're finding it.

TUCHMAN: When prints disappear there are many other things to look for. Disrupted vegetation, rocks, litter are all telling clues known as signs. The signs that are found in a track mission are rarely dramatic. Instead, they are like pieces of a puzzle. This is truly a science.

PATTEN: See that leaf right here? How it's turned up?

TUCHMAN: Yes.

PATTEN: Is that the normal of everything else?

TUCHMAN: No. It's different.

PATTEN: OK. That's probably our fugitive right there.

TUCHMAN: Even branches could give a fugitive away.

PATTEN: It is not where it's supposed to be. That's where it's supposed to be. It hangs like that. But when I walk through it or the fugitive walks through it, it sticks back like that.

TUCHMAN: On the other side of the tree.

PATTEN: On the other side of the tree which is great because that confirms everything else you know.

TUCHMAN: Ultimately, the trail takes us down to the Nantahala river. Patten tested me.

PATTEN: Is that a right or a left, Gary?

TUCHMAN: Left.

PATTEN: OK.

TUCHMAN: And it makes sense because why would he walk in the water if he doesn't have to, right?

Our trail goes cold which is what trackers deal with all the time. But even on a cold trail, trackers can never be too vigilant when searching for dangerous criminals.

PATTEN: So, here we are, Gary. And it looks like we have lost our fugitive. So we use a hand signal like this in tactical situations because we don't want to make noise. Stealth is our ally.

TUCHMAN: It can be a long tedious process, something a tracker must be willing to deal with.

PATTEN: Patience is truly a virtue for a tracker.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Nantahala national forest, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Gary, thank you for that.

Well coming up next, facing criticism and under pressure by critics to resign NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is rolling out a new campaign. The details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: The NFL is trying to show it is serious about joining the fight against domestic violence. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spent several hours this weekend at the headquarters of the national domestic violence hot line in Texas. The group's CEO says Goodell was moved to tears at one point during that visit as he listened to hot line counselors talk about the cases that they deal with every single day. The NFL's also airing a new public service announcement during the games today. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No more it's none of my business.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more, he didn't mean it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No more not my problem.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No more she was flirting with him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No more she was asking for it. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more boys will be boys.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No more I'll say something next time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more by standing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No more ignorance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more excuses.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right. Let's talk about it all with our CNN contributor, LZ Granderson, also Terrence Moore. He is a sports contributor to CNN.com and columnist at mlb.com.

Thank you both for being here. And LZ, I want to start with you. So Goodell made this visit over the weekend on Saturday. Now you have the PSA rolling out during the games today ensuring a lot of people are going to see it. Is it real progress or PR crisis management?

GRANDERSON: Yes. It is definitely both. I would have preferred a couple of more no mores to tell you the truth. Like no more the player wasn't charged, no more the justice system's already handled it. That would have been more specific to what the NFL has been dealing with and what led it to this particular point.

With that being said, I do believe the PSA is a step in the right direction because its fan base is still saying things like, he's a good guy, he didn't mean it, what did she do? On that front it's a good step forward. But it's PR for the NFL as well. HARLOW: Terence, what's your take after seeing that and then,

obviously, also reading about and hearing about Goodell's visit over the weekend to the center that deals with all of these people that are victims of domestic violence?

TERRENCE MOORE, CNN.COM SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, image wise to the NFL, this will have zero effect because the overwhelming majority of people who love the NFL, is even more so even now. I mean, they're addicted to the sport. But there is bad news and good news here. The bad news is, Roger Goodell and the NFL continue to insult our intelligence. OK?

What we're seeing here is the old Michael Vick playbook. You know, Michael Vick had that little problem with dogs. The next thing you know, any time they could kiss or hug a German shepherd, you saw it. OK? So this is obviously all PR.

The good news is, according to the stats for national hotline for domestic violence, it has increased something like 85 percent, the number of women or just victims that are calling them for help. Now, they don't have enough volunteers in that regard, but with all of this taking place, the NFL is going to use this as a sort of a PR stunt from their standpoint to start throwing a lot of money at them. So in effect it's going to turn out to be good for them in the long run as far as the hotline and for the NFL image wise.

HARLOW: I mean, let's talk, LZ, about what more can be done, right? It's one thing to react in the weeks and even the month, like, this season, the NFL, but don't we want to see Roger Goodell and the NFL doing things to help for a long time?

GRANDERSON: Absolutely. And that -- you know, there are certain things I believe the NFL can do in its hiring process to help send a clear message to its recruitment stream. What do I mean by that? I mean that if you're a college player, and you have issues with domestic violence, that you may not be eligible to be drafted into the NFL. Not just send a message to the men who are playing right now, but send a message to the men who aspire to play one day.

You can also start doing things like instead of saying six games, saying if you're convicted of domestic violence there is a lifetime ban, just done. We're not having a discussion. We not going to try to PR and try to reactivate you back into our league after six games. We are done with you if you have a conviction of domestic violence. That is strength.

HARLOW: Terence, is that's your reaction, what needs to happen? Because I know you think Goodell is in trouble here in terms of his future as a commissioner.

MOORE: Yes. I think he's in trouble this sense. I really do believe that there's a smoking gun out there and it's called the video. I talked to an NFL insider who worked at the league office for years and he told me that there is no way possible that a video could be mailed to that office and not having somebody higher up see it including the commissioner at some point. I do believe that something is going to happen with that video that's going to expose him.

Now, getting back to what LZ said, he's perfectly right what needs to happen here. I'm going to take it a step further. We're concentrating a little bit too much on the commissioner. It's got to start with the teams. There's a particular team I talked to about this. They have already started the wheels in motion of educating their players, educating their executives and telling them, look, this is what has to happen and not happen when it comes to domestic violence. And they've brought in counselors to talk to these people. That's a step in the right direction to them.

HARLOW: Guys, I'm glad we're talking about it. Let's keep talking about it throughout this season, the next season and the next season until we see more change. Thank you both, appreciate it.

GRANDERSON: Thank you.

HARLOW: Anthony Bourdain's "PARTS UNKNOWN" premieres tonight at 9:00 p.m. right here on CNN. You don't have to wait until then, though. You can get a sneak peek right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Anthony Bourdain gets a taste of Shanghai in tonight's season premiere of "PARTS UNKNOWN." Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, PARTS UNKNOWN: Shanghai. Whatever you think of China, whatever you think you think of China, there's no way around it. It's one of the most dynamic, exciting, fast-changing places on earth.

I would like to know a lot about China. I would like to know everything about China. If I've learned anything, it's that it is just not enough time to even be reasonably conversational on the subject.

See, I've already learned something important here. It's just too big, too old, too deep. When you're confronted with this impossibly steep learning curve, that's fun, and the food. Did I mention the food?

What do I know about Chinese food? Really? I know nothing, other than it's really, really tasty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)