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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Arctic Blast Threatens U.S.; Newtown Shooting 911 Calls Released; Radioactive Material Missing; Rob Ford Wiretaps; Police Documents: Mayor Ford Smoked Crack Repeatedly; Remembering Olivia Wise: "The World Has Seen How Special She Really Is"; Preliminary Autopsy Reports Released On "Fast And Furious" Star Paul Walker And Charity Co-Founder Roger Rodas
Aired December 04, 2013 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Jake, thanks.
Good evening, everyone.
Breaking news tonight: somebody out there may have the makings of a radioactive dirty bomb, a missing container of Cobalt 60 has been found, but there is no word yet that all the contents of that container are accounted for. The last time some of this stuff got loose, people got sick, three people died. We're going to update you on that as we're getting some more information.
First, though, a mess that is affecting millions tonight, a winter storm is starting to hammer the country -- the country's midsection. As ugly as it's getting, what makes it worse is how quickly and drastically this thing got going. Just a day ago, it's spring-like in parts of the mountain west. It was 80 today in Dallas. By the time it's over, it will be 40 degrees colder in Dallas and deep below zero in places.
Details now from our Chad Myers who is monitoring the wintery whiplash in the weather center.
What is going on, Chad?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, we talk about cold weather in January and February, but not this early in December. This is middle winter-type weather and we're technically still in the fall. Eighty in Dallas today, eight in Denver, and that cold air is coming down into Oklahoma City, into Idaho.
Look at these temperatures from nine in Denver, the high today, to 80 in Dallas Love Field. So this cold air is sinking out of Canada. It's going to make its way all the way to the Gulf Coast and basically stop.
The problem is the Gulf Coast says wait a minute, it's still fall, I still want to be warm and tries to send up moisture, tries to send up humidity over the top of this cold air. So we're going to get an ice storm right through the central part of the plains where it's going to be 30 degrees and raining. You say how -- how can I do that? Why it won't be 30 and snow? Because it's going to be 50 degrees aloft or even 40 degrees up in the sky at 5,000 feet. So it's going to rain but it's going to rain where it's 30, 31, 32 degrees, a little bit of snow in Oklahoma City.
This isn't really -- I don't believe a snow maker. This is an ice machine for Memphis, for Little Rock, for all the way into Jonesborough, for Evansville, back into St. Louis, some snow, but the big story is this ice that's going to be sticking to everything, trees, power lines, millions of people will be without power before this thing finally stops.
Now when it gets to New York into the East Coast it runs out of moisture before the cold air gets there so that's some good news. We're not going to be putting down power lines in the northeast but the central part of the country is in for it for the next few days. This is going to get ugly and ugly fast. People will be stuck at work.
People -- kids will be stuck at school if we don't watch out how quickly this comes on us. By tomorrow night it will be an ice rink in Dallas, into Little Rock and points toward north, and a lot of snow just to the north of there.
COOPER: So there are storms behind this one?
MYERS: There are. There's actually another storm that could affect even parts of Washington, D.C. for the -- I would say, Sunday night kind of arena.
Here is the deal. The warm air is already in place. It's been in place in Dallas. And so the warm air is going to be in place in D.C., too. The cold air under cuts the warm air and then all of a sudden it tries to rain through. So if you're on this part of the storm, you're going to get freezing rain and sleet, which means it's the stuff that -- it comes down and it freezes on the ground.
It just covers everything up. If you're a little bit farther where the air is sticker cold, it will come down as an ice pellet. You'll be able to hear that. Hit the window or hit you. And then farther to the north of there, that will be snow not for a long time but can you imagine just even five or six hours worth of slightly icy conditions in D.C. on a Sunday, that would slow everything to a stop.
COOPER: Yes. Certainly in that city. Chad, thanks very much.
Almost a year since a gunman killed 20 children and six staffers in the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, 911 recordings during those terrible moments have been made public. They reveal ordinary people doing their best to save lives in the middle of the worst situation that anyone can imagine.
And this network has been very careful about playing portions of the recordings. Deborah Feyerick has listened to all of them. She joins us now.
So what -- you've heard these tapes. What stood out to you?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, one of the things that clearly stands out is how police dispatchers responded to this. They were very professional. Their training really kicked in.
The main dispatcher, he notified his supervisor immediately, a sergeant, and he had all police officers respond. In his words, he said, "Get everybody you can going down there."
He also is able to make contact with somebody who's in the school and asks about the situation. The lockdown, the learning of the school is in fact in lockdown. Also, that people are what he calls defending in place. He had a colleague notify the Connecticut State Police.
So this is happening very, very quickly but really within a matter of seconds, he was able to assess the situation and get all the different parts moving to try to save as many people in that building as he possibly could.
COOPER: One of the calls also is made by the custodian.
FEYERICK: Yes, and it was really fascinating to listen to him because this man who was called a hero at the time really became the eyes and ears of the dispatcher. He was in a different part of the school building, he was in a part away from the children, away from the gunman, but he was able to tell the dispatcher what he was hearing when shots were being fired, when there was complete silence.
He was able to show the dispatcher what he was seeing, the fact that people were now passing through the windows, so the dispatcher could understand that in fact those were some of the responding officers.
And even, Anderson, at one point he makes contact with the responding officers who confront him and the dispatcher says tell them you're the custodian. He says, I'm the custodian and I'm the custodian, and then the dispatcher was able to relay information to the responding officers, including the fact that the Connecticut State Police were on the way. And also, the fact that there were indeed victims. So it happened very quickly but those calls show a certain --
COOPER: Got it.
FEYERICK: Certain fear, urgency, but a level of -- of calm to do what had to be done to save those kids.
COOPER: All right. Deb Feyerick, appreciate the update on that.
There's obviously no easy answer to the question of whether to play all, some or none of the recordings. None of this is easy for news organizations. At the very least, though, it's something worth talking about along with three media professionals and parents, Christiane Amanpour and Jeffrey Toobin, and Dr. Drew Pinsky.
This is obviously a difficult decision news companies around the country have been wrestling with this all day. Where do you come down on it, Jeff? JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: I think they should certainly be released and -- I think they should be available to the news media to make a news judgment about whether we should play them or not.
COOPER: Right, I agree with that.
TOOBIN: But where I agree with your decision is that I didn't hear anything in those tapes that really advanced the story a great deal. I mean, certainly the 911 operators behaved very professionally. The custodian was certainly a very responsible person reporting it. But there is really nothing in the story that changes our understanding of what happened and so I just didn't really see the news value in them.
COOPER: Christiane?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I agree. I've heard a few of them and I've seen written reports of some of them. It appears that the police reacted very, very fast, were on the -- on the scene within four minutes. So the news value issue, I believe, has been laid to rest. That it's not massively newsworthy but beyond I do think it's a matter of taste, Anderson.
COOPER: Yes.
AMANPOUR: I think we're really grappling with something that we could make the case for playing journalistically. We could. And let's be very clear, we may end up, you know, being accused of hypocrisy because we put out 911 tapes at the drop of a hat on every other issues. But this one, I believe, is a matter of taste.
TOOBIN: The other point that's just -- it seems like it's so obvious. You know, this is 2013. These tapes are all over the Internet.
COOPER: Right.
TOOBIN: If people want to hear them --
AMANPOUR: Precisely.
TOOBIN: They can hear them.
COOPER: That's right.
TOOBIN: So it's not like we're denying the public on them --
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Dr. Drew, where do you -- where do you come down on this?
DR. DREW PINSKY, HOST OF HLN'S "DR. DREW ON CALL": Well, I don't think there's a problem if you aired them. The fact is, the families should not listen to them. Many people get terribly traumatized by it. I do feel they asked as a media not to go into Newtown on the day of the anniversary and I agree we should abstain that. We should find ways to be respectful of these families. But keep this story top of mind. We must keep telling and retelling and refining the story, because this is not the first time this kind of thing has happened in the last couple of years. Certainly it caused us to cross into a zone that I never imagined this country would get into and as a result, we must continue to illuminate every aspect of the story because the fact is nothing has really changed since this has happened and that's where our obligations lie.
COOPER: Part of my thinking on this and my sort of, I think, as our staff, our discussion was, you know, there is this conspiracy -- there are these conspiracy people out there who don't believe this happened.
AMANPOUR: Yes. You know --
COOPER: Who believed that -- which is so absurd and, you know, these tapes are yet, obviously -- but even trying to convince these people --
AMANPOUR: It's so absurd.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Beyond -- right.
AMANPOUR: I mean, look at the conspiracy theories that happened around 9/11.
COOPER: 9/11.
TOOBIN: Exactly.
PINSKY: Of course.
AMANPOUR: You know, who did it, who didn't it.
COOPER: Right. That's where I came down on it, trying to convince these people it's ridiculous.
TOOBIN: (INAUDIBLE).
AMANPOUR: Well, precisely but remember also it's worth remembering now that yes, indeed. The 9/11 911 tapes were played but guess when? In 2006. This city fought the release of the 9/11 tapes and New York is not legally bound to make them public, and when they did release them, they scrubbed them heavily. You didn't hear the voices of those who had perished.
COOPER: Well, that's the thing about these tapes, the Newtown tapes. It's not even so much that you're -- I mean, you're not hearing anything horrific on the tapes, but it's the knowledge of what is occurring in the listener's mind that makes them chilling.
TOOBIN: Absolutely. Compared to some 911 tapes we've all heard and even played on the air, they are not as horrific as -- I mean, there is certainly no one who's died, no one who's dies, whose voice is on the tape. You can't hear any children in the background. COOPER: Right.
TOOBIN: So it's not that the tapes are so inflammatory or horrible in and of themselves, but they are representative of an event that, you know, is probably the worst American public crime that -- since 9/11.
AMANPOUR: Yes, I mean, I think some of them are pretty desperate and it is hard to listen to, and I only listed to a very few of them, trying to make, you know, a judgment as to whether to use them. I think when people hear them, if they do, they will be very, very upset.
You know that some local stations in Connecticut will not be airing them. Other networks are taking their own decisions. I guess, many won't be. But it is -- it's really important, I think, as Dr. Drew said, as well, that this will bring up a whole new set of emotions and maybe, you know, maybe I'm a little conflicted, maybe it should bring up a set of emotions.
PINSKY: Yes.
AMANPOUR: That forces --
PINSKY: Absolutely.
AMANPOUR: -- something to change on this issue.
PINSKY: For it to change. Absolutely.
AMANPOUR: Because it happened. Yes.
PINSKY: Respectfully, respectfully to all of us, the public is really not that concerned with the nuance of journalistic choice making. They are concerned with the story, the story, and never letting this happen again, and never forgetting it. And why aren't we moving forward? That's where we should put in our energy. Why can't we take this story and make real change?
AMANPOUR: Well, I think that's absolutely true and one of my reasons, if we ever did air them would be, and I know maybe this is not even journalistically cool to say so but to try to also once again put this in the public to see whether it changes people's opinions because there were lots of promises made. There were lots of promises made in the aftermath.
And I know you were right. You said nothing would change and you were right.
TOOBIN: Right.
AMANPOUR: But that's an appalling way to be right.
TOOBIN: But isn't -- actually I disagree with Drew a little bit about it. I'm not sure it's our job --
COOPER: I agree with that. TOOBIN: -- to push change.
COOPER: I totally agree with that.
(CROSSTALK)
TOOBIN: You know, to say --
AMANPOUR: It's not about pushing change.
TOOBIN: To say that, you know, we want -- we want laws to go one way or the other --
(CROSSTALK)
PINSKY: You know what? It may not be your job, but I feel like it's my job.
TOOBIN: Well, that's not --
PINSKY: I feel like -- and I feel like -- like I see something very wrong here that's -- from my perspective mental health providers and physicians can't intervene in dangerous situations very effectively. That's why a lot of these things have happened. There needs to be some kind of procedure put in place that protects people and allows people that know the difference to do their job.
AMANPOUR: I just want to give you an example from a completely different set of facts and that was when we were covering Bosnia, when we're covering any number of horrors in the field. I used to be infuriated when editors would say that such and such piece of video cannot be played because it's just too gruesome. I say, but hang on a second, that's the reality.
COOPER: Right. The reality.
AMANPOUR: And actually, actually by telling our stories, it did in the end change the reality and it changed the action and intervention and we moved the story along. So I'm very deeply conflicted about this. For me, genuinely it's a matter of taste and a matter of respecting the families one year on.
COOPER: But also, I mean, I think, to Jeffrey's point, about you can make the argument that you don't necessarily want to hear them, and that a program doesn't necessarily want to play them, and is not going to play them but that there is the right to have them be released.
AMANPOUR: Yes.
TOOBIN: Yes.
COOPER: That -- because you don't want the government holding on these sorts of things --
AMANPOUR: Right.
COOPER: -- in the future try to hide incompetence or hide whatever it may be.
TOOBIN: And that's -- and that's a very important principle and that why I really thought it was wrong that the Connecticut's states attorney on behalf of the family fought the release and the judge who decided the case I thought did exactly the right thing.
COOPER: I mean, you can understand why the families would fight the release, certainly.
TOOBIN: The family is fine.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: But you believe the judge --
TOOBIN: But government officials --
COOPER: Right.
TOOBIN: -- should honor the law and I do think by in large the news media is handling this issue responsibly and it shouldn't be up to the government to pick and choose what it discloses. I think it should be up to journalist, frankly, to decide what to put on the air.
COOPER: And up to people --
TOOBIN: And whether --
COOPER: And up to people to decide what they want --
(CROSSTALK)
AMANPOUR: But, you know, we have many platforms. These things will probably be put online.
TOOBIN: Sure. They already are.
AMANPOUR: Correct. Where people can go and listen if they like but where the families are not forced to be, you know --
COOPER: Inundated by it.
TOOBIN: -- traumatized at this time with this and maybe in a few years, like the 9/11 tapes, they might be put on our air and people will listen to them.
COOPER: Yes. It's a devote discussion. Dr. Drew, good to have you on. Jeff Toobin and Christiane Amanpour, thanks.
Well, let us know what you think about the decision. Follow me on Twitter @Andersoncooper. Tweet us using hash tag "ac360."
Coming up next, the breaking news south of our border. Authorities have found a stolen truck that was hauling a radioactive substance that could actually be used to make a dirty bomb. It's unclear if all the material has been recovered. We have the latest on what was found.
And in case you thought that being a crack-smoking mayor was news enough, there is more that come to light now about Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto. Wiretapped information reveals apparent ties to a violent drug gang, alleged blackmail by drug -- said drug gang against the mayor, and more.
It's something, as you'll see in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Welcome back. Breaking news tonight now out of Mexico. Authorities there located a stolen truck that was carrying a cargo of radioactive material called Cobalt 60. What is not known at this point is if all of the material has actually been recovered.
Now here's the concern about Cobalt 60. If terrorists could get their hands on it, they could use it to make a dirty bomb.
Brian Todd tonight has the late developments.
So what do we know about this, Brian?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, here's what we've got at this hour. This information coming from Juan Eibenschutz Hartman, he's the director of the Mexico's National Committee for Nuclear Security. He says the truck that was stolen on Monday has been found near the town of Zumpango, which is just north of Mexico City.
The container, which contained the Cobalt 60, was not on the truck when it was found but the container was found about a half mile away.
Key piece of information here, the container, according to this gentleman from the Mexican Nuclear Agency, did have Cobalt 60 inside of it but it is not clear if officials have been able to recover all of the Cobalt 60 that was inside of that container.
That container was found opened and Cobalt 60 was found inside but it is not clear if all of the Cobalt 60 has been recovered. We believe that they are still working on that information, still working the area, Anderson, where radiation, you know, has been detected, we are told, and special teams have been sent in to examine the area.
COOPER: Do you know why there was Cobalt 60 in this truck? And I assume the truck was just randomly stolen, not necessarily targeted or do we know that?
TODD: We don't know if it was targeted or not. U.S. officials had told us they -- it was not clear if the assailants even knew that Cobalt 60 was inside. And that information is still not quite clear at this hour. The reason that it was intercepted where it was, was because it was being transported from a hospital to this Mexican nuclear agency for some kind of disposal, and the driver of the truck and his assistant, stopped to take a rest.
And this was early Monday morning when this was stolen. So they have been looking for this truck for nearly three days now, Anderson, and that was a real concern.
COOPER: All right, Brian Todd, appreciate it.
So it's not clear if the people who seemed to have stolen this truck even knew what they had in cargo. And again, whether they're taking any of this stuff.
We want to talk more about what the potential use of this is with national security analyst Bob Baer who's a former CIA officer.
So -- OK, so it's unclear, Bob, if all the radioactive materials have actually been recovered. If somebody with ill intent did get their hands on this, what would it actually mean? How difficult is it to use this stuff, to make a kind of a bomb?
ROBERT BAER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, the difficult part is to mill it in order to disperse it. It has to be finely milled. But once you got through that then you'd put it on some blank pneumonia nitrate. It's a homemade explosive. Put it on a truck.
Let's say you had 100 pounds of this, 2,000 pounds of explosives, set it off in downtown Los Angeles, you could close Los Angeles basically for two years while it was cleaned up.
The casualty rates are difficult to measure, but the first 24 hours before 500 people and beyond that 20 times that after that.
COOPER: How well equipped are authorities in cities in the United States, for instance, to handle a situation like this, a scenario like this? I mean, we've seen hazmat teams going through training, but does it -- I mean, are we ready for this kind of a thing?
BAER: Oh, I think we are, but it's the problem of the Mexican border. I mean, you can get this stuff across through tunnels, you know, if somebody was well-organized. And as far as making the homemade explosives it's very easy to do. But there's not -- there's not much we can do about it.
And with the chaos in Mexico and the ability to grab this stuff is what scares people and it rightly should. But, you know, they're doing the best they can. You know, the border crossings are monitored but, again, the tunnels are not.
COOPER: And after 9/11, obviously, the United States instituted stricter rules about protecting dangerous isotopes like this but in terms of regulating them, if other countries aren't as vigilante, that's a major problem, I would imagine.
BAER: Anderson, you're absolutely right. It's much harder to do in Mexico and with the cartel's ability to get at the sources of this, steal it, you know, give it to al Qaeda or narco terrorism, it's sort of wide open and it scares people and for a good reason.
COOPER: And, obviously, you know, you sort of talked about how it's made into a dirty bomb. That's information which is available on the Internet, so it's not as if you're telling some secret that you shouldn't be saying?
BAER: No, I mean, it's -- no, absolutely. People know this. The dirty bombs, the fear of it has been around for a long time. It's all over the Internet. Like most of these things are, and these people know how to do this.
COOPER: All right. Bob, we'll continue to follow this, obviously. Again, the bottom line is we do not know if all of the Cobalt 60 was still in the container. Authorities are obviously looking into that. We'll obviously let you know as soon as we know. It's one of the things we've been trying to ascertain in the last 20 minutes or so that we've been on the air.
You can find more on the story at CNN.com tonight.
Coming up next, a new revelation about Toronto's crack-smoking Mayor Rob Ford. Wiretaps that may tie him to a notorious and violent drug gang. Also may entangle him in a blackmail scheme and all in all, they're just kind of stunning.
We'll show you some of the transcripts.
Also tonight, solving the mystery. Why all those whales are stranding themselves down in Florida. An effort to rescue as many as can be saved.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Welcome back.
An update tonight on Toronto's crack-smoking mayor, and if by an update, you know, lead sentence like the one in today's "Toronto Star." And I quote, "Mayor Rob Ford's habit of doing drugs with gang members led to him being targeted in an apparent extortion plot related to the crack cocaine video and possibly a series of photographs of him in compromising positions, newly released police documents say."
That is the lead story today and that is just the start of it. You'll recall when last we checked in with his honor, he was knocking over city councilwoman the day the counsel stripped him of powers after he admitted to smoking crack.
As something you'll also recall, he denied time and again after reports of a compromising video emerged.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ROB FORD, TORONTO: These allegations are ridiculous, absolutely, not true. I don't -- it's ridiculous.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are the allegations true?
FORD: It's ridiculous. I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, not long after that he did in fact admitted to smoking crack as only he could.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FORD: Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: When, sir?
FORD: But no -- do I? Am I an addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Pretty much the best answer ever.
The crack smoking video did not surface but another one did of an obviously a hyped-up Mayor Ford on some kind of a rant about a rival.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FORD: Because I'm going to kill that (EXPLETIVE DELETED) guy. I'm tell you. It's first-degree murder.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike Tyson.
FORD: But I'll fight him. I'll --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me the phone --
FORD: No holds barred, brother. He dies or I die, brother. Brother, you've never seen me (EXPLETIVE DELETED) go. You think so, brother? But when he's down, I'll rip his (EXPLETIVE DELETED) throat. I'll poke his eyes out. I will, (EXPLETIVE DELETED), when he's dead, I'll make sure that mother (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is dead. I need (EXPLETIVE DELETED) 10 minutes to make sure he's dead. I'll be over in five minutes. If I'm done in 10 minutes, I'll --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After you win the byelection.
FORD: It'll be a bad scene. I am a sick mother (EXPLETIVE DELETED), dude.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Back to the crack tape which was apparently in the hands of a local drug gang. Now the police documents detail alleged efforts by Ford to buy it back. They also describe wiretapped recordings of gang members talking about the mayor's drug habit.
This is one of the drug -- alleged drug dealers says Rob Ford wants some drugs, says one man on the tape. Another says, we have pictures of Rob Ford, quote, "on the pipe," unquote.
It's very compelling, convoluted, so we're joined now on the phone by the "Toronto's Star" Robyn Doolittle. She's the author of "Crazy Town: The Rob Ford Story." And she's been out on the front on this story from the beginning.
All right. So, Robyn, these wiretap summaries, you've obtained -- they seem to show Mayor Ford try to buy, at least according to people on the tape, buy the infamous crack-smoking tape, from the transcript, and again it's from a gang member, a guy named Siyadin Abdi. He was talking to a fellow gang member about what Ford offered him for the video and he said, quote, "Yes, he," meaning Ford, "said I'll give you $5,000 and a car, what the F is that? This is crazy stuff."
What do you make of these transcripts?
ROBYN DOOLITTLE, REPORTER, TORONTO STAR: Basically what happened here, if you -- and of course the allegations haven't been proven in court, but it looks like Rob Ford chose to associate with a gang that happened to be under heavy police surveillance, and they were being wiretapped. And so the cops are kind of looking into this group for alleged gun smuggling and gun dealing, and they hear these guys talking about selling crack to the mayor of Toronto.
They are hearing about this house that the mayor seems to frequents to buy drugs from and then somewhere along the line they noticed that these guys are talking to the "Toronto Star" about trying to sell a video of him smoking crack.
Throughout the tapes, you can hear, are you -- understand that the gang members are taking about they're actually taking photos of him and threatening him with these, and at one point, bizarre aside, the mayor lost his phone at one point at one of these crack houses, and then said something like, he was trying to buy that phone back and one of his associates allegedly threatened to rain heat down on the neighborhood if they didn't return the phone.
It's a crazy story. It involved a kidnapping and that's kind of where we are right now.
COOPER: How does a mayor of a -- of a mayor city like Toronto, a wonderful city, how does a mayor even get linked up with a violent drug gang? I mean, who makes that introduction? How do you -- I'm just -- I mean, I -- is that clear yet? Like how does he start hanging out with a violent drug gang, whether or not he's buying crack or not? Just how does he start hanging out with them?
DOOLITTLE: Well, it's a certain area of -- he's a councilor and lives in the area. His home is only about 10 minutes away from this complex of housing where the city bloods operate out of. His older sister is a former heroin addict. He has other addiction issues in his family. I guess it's a small world in some sense, but if you believe the mayor is using drugs, he has very -- he made an unlucky move dealing with a gang that happened to be under one of the largest police wiretap investigations in recent years.
COOPER: Also, I mean, I guess, I don't know if he felt they were his friends, but they are trying to -- according to this conversation, trying to extort him -- DOOLITTLE: Right.
COOPER: So I mean, he's just not hanging out with a great group of folks, clearly. Another part of the transcript shows drug dealers talking about the mayor's alleged drug use. One says quote, "Rob Ford wants some drugs." The other says quote, "The mayor of the city, Rob Ford was smoking his rocks today." They say they have pictures of quote Ford on the pipe.
Has the mayor responded to this? This is not the mayor talking on these tapes, these are people involved in the drug trade so, you know, I guess you have to take them with a grain of salt.
DOOLITTLE: Yes, what's really interesting is that there is a clear -- a clear motive from these guys. Takes pictures of him and documents him and collect -- if you believe what they are saying and basically collect the get out of jail free card as far as the mayor was concerned. They frequently make references to having him using drugs and they say we like him. We like him a lot but have so much stuff on him.
It's a completely bizarre story and the mayor so far has only said he might have smoked crack once at one point in a drunken stupor. Today his lawyer was at city hall and when he left he sort of just chuckled. He hasn't responded to this at all.
COOPER: For his talk, I've done a great job. If he's making pay offs and being extorted, that has to weigh heavily on anybody in terms of just being able to function at the job if you're being extorted for large amounts of money. I also understand and this I find confusing, the cell phone video of Ford allegedly smoking crack, I've seen reports that it's believed there is possibly a murder somehow wrapped up in this.
DOOLITTLE: Right.
COOPER: There is a picture that -- from the Toronto police that we're now showing that the man on the left in this picture is a man allegedly murdered. Is it because of the video?
DOOLITTLE: Right, this is a really complicated side story and I'll try to explain it really quickly and precisely. This man, Anthony Smith, was killed just days before the initial dealer called me saying they had this video, and that person said that the man -- Anthony Smith was killed because of the video. After the video story was published, members of the mayor's staff were telling each other that they had received calls and they believe that Anthony Smith was killed because of the video, the video was on his phone and that was the motive for murder.
It does not appear that's the case. My police sources are adamant that that is not the case. This guy was killed, regular gang fighting. What is really significant is that the mayor of Toronto's staff believes this could have been true but the mayor in the videotape smoking crack was a motive for murder and they were discussing it in office. It is right out of the wire. COOPER: I mean, yes. When I read the transcripts today, I was stunned, just incredible. Robyn, appreciate it again. Great to have you on again. Thanks very much. Robyn Doolittle from "The Toronto Star."
Up next, what a just released autopsy report reveals about "Fast and Furious" star, Paul Walker's final moments. Plus the latest in the investigation of the car crash that killed him.
And tonight, a 360 exclusive interview with the family of Olivia Wise, the Toronto teen that died far too young. She inspired millions with the cover of the Katy Perry song and her courage. We'll talk to her family ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Tonight a 360 exclusive, the family of Olivia Wise is speaking out about her legacy in their first interview since Olivia to brain cancer. Now you may have heard she died just last week. Sixteen years is certainly not a long life, but it was time enough for Olivia to leave an extraordinary mark on the world.
Her cover of the Katy Perry song "Roar" has got more than 2 million hits on YouTube. She recorded it in September as her battle with cancer was getting harder.
That recording inspired a lot of people including Katy Perry who sent this video message to Olivia after hearing it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATY PERRY: Hi, Olivia. It's Katy Perry here. I just wanted to reach back out to you and tell you I saw your video, and I was very moved and you sounded great. For being in the studio and making your wish to record that song, I thought that was really cool. I love you. A lot of people love you and that's why your video got to me and it moved everybody that saw it. So just wanted to send you some love and some light and tell you that I'm thinking about you. Thank you so much, keep roaring.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, Olivia did keep roaring up until the end. The loss obviously still incredibly raw, but Olivia's mom and sister said they are ready to talk now. They created a fund to help other kids with cancer. I spoke earlier to Kari Winemaker and Kaily Wise.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: How are you holding up, first of all?
KARI WINEMAKER, OLIVIA WISE'S MOTHER: We, actually, are -- we've had a really rough week, and we're holding up basically due to all the distraction. We basically it's coming in waves. It's the worst thing that we've ever had to deal with, and it's a great loss, and we're trying to take the positive from it all, and move forward because that's what Olivia would have wanted.
COOPER: What do you want people to know about Olivia? People that feel like they have met her because of seeing her sing and her spirit and her strength, I think is what impacted so many people.
WINEMAKER: Well, we've always known Olivia was so special, and now the world seen how special she really is. And Olivia just showed us that strength and courage through her illness and the one thing that we would like the world to know is that it's important to keep your strength, follow your dreams. Olivia never gave up fighting for her dream.
No, she was in school until August still planning to do all the things she wanted to do. She rarely went to negativity. She was fighting each day. She saw the beauty in each day and she was really such a beautiful young woman. We're so proud of her.
COOPER: Yes. What do you want people to know about Olivia?
KAILY WISE, OLIVIA WISE'S SISTER: Like, my mom said, like Olivia's whole life she was always something special. Her personality and there is nobody like her. She's quite special, and it's just nice the whole world can see how talented she is.
COOPER: Was she always a really good singer?
WISE: Yes. She loved singing her whole life. Since she was three she was in plays at school and wrote her song "Simple Girl" when she was 11 years old, which is crazy.
COOPER: Few adult write songs. I couldn't write a song.
WISE: Me, either.
COOPER: What did she think when it started to get so many hits and so many people were watching?
WINEMAKER: She was thrilled. She couldn't believe it. She kept saying I can't believe it. I can't believe it. We're like you're famous, you know, 200,000, 300,000 and it kept going. She was really excited.
COOPER: And also to have Katy Perry respond to her.
WINEMAKER: That was a dream, yes.
WISE: It just shows how special she is, that she can even touch Katy Perry.
WINEMAKER: And all the people that, you know, reached out to get to Katy Perry was amazing and we're so grateful for Katy Perry to answer us because I'm sure there is so many children and people that want to reach her, and we're glad Olivia made that impact.
COOPER: There is also must be -- I have a brother who died when I was 21 and he was 23, and I have no video of him. There is no video of him talking and that's something that sort of as the years have gone by. I can't remember his voice and to have her voice on tape is got to be such a powerful thing.
WINEMAKER: My God, I'm having goose bumps because that was one of my biggest fears and I just for technology today and to have her voice and all the pictures and the video and the things that we have, even from when she was younger is -- I'm just so grateful for that.
COOPER: Is it too painful to watch them now or do you like watching them?
WINEMAKER: I watch them -- we kind of have a rule. She doesn't want me to watch them at night before bed because I'm like -- yes, it's hard. But I just feel like I know she would want us to watch them and enjoy them and she would always say to me, mommy, you have to be strong. You have other kids. I just keep hearing what she said to me and really, she's just propelling us forward with this whole Liv Wise Fund.
COOPER: When she got the diagnosis, she remained incredibly strong in face of this.
WINEMAKER: She really did. She rarely had times of being down and --
WISE: She rarely complained. Like I can't even remember her complaining at all, not to me at least and she was always so positive. She wouldn't want us to cry. When we would get upset she would say don't be sad. She wanted us to be happy and enjoy our time together.
COOPER: You mentioned the Liv Wise Fund. Explain to us, a t-shirt Liv Wise.
WISE: So we started a fund a couple months ago in her name just to raise money for brain cancer research, and since then we've changed it, it goes towards brain cancer research and POGO, which is --
WINEMAKER: The Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario and the care team at sick children's hospital. We just want to keep her spirit alive really and just keep, you know, raising awareness and funds to find a cure --
COOPER: This is a rare form of --
WINEMAKER: Brain cancer, yes, but there is a lot of kids with cancer, and, you know, Olivia wanted to be a pediatrician. We just want to help her continue to help children and we don't want other families to have to suffer.
COOPER: These t-shirts going to go on sale at American Apparel?
WISE: On Friday, they should be out and they are for $10 and all the proceeds go to the Liv Wise Fund.
COOPER: I'm so glad you're doing this and continuing her message and I appreciate you taking the time to talk about Olivia with us. Thank you. WINEMAKER: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: The Liv Wise Fund set a goal to raise more than $250,000 and it raised more than $168,000 so far. You'll learn more @livwisefund.com and our web site ac360.com as well.
Just ahead, new details tonight about actor, Paul Walker's death, what the just released coroner's report reveals about his final moments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Tonight new details about the horrific car crash that killed "Fast And Furious" star, Paul Walker. Preliminary coroner's report has ruled his death an accident. Reports findings add to the picture coming into focus, the high-performance Porsche hitting a light pole and tree on Saturday before bursting into flames.
The roughly 60-second gap between the crash and the fire suddenly raised questions about whether Walker, the car's driver may have initially survived the crash. The report sheds some light on that.
Kyung Lah joins me now from the scene of the crash now a memorial site. Kyung, so what do we know now?
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it does certainly help explain that surveillance video that CNN did obtain. In that 60-second gap what the autopsy reveals is that Roger Rodas, the driver of the SUV, the autopsy showing that he died of multiple traumatic injuries. But the L.A. County coroner is saying that Paul Walker died of multiple traumatic injuries and thermal injuries suggesting that in that 60- second gap he was alive. So Anderson, it gives us a bit of insight into that last terrible moment of his life.
COOPER: There is also news about Walker's film franchise "Fast and Furious."
LAH: Yes, absolutely Universal Pictures is announcing that it will to be shut down. They are trying to figure out what their next step is going to be. They say they are going to look at all the options that they are grieving and committed to fans. At the same time it's a franchise that has been enormously successful for Universal.
The last film gross $800 million worldwide and made the most out of all the other movies and it was the sixth one. So Universal certainly hoping that it can continue, but with the loss of their star, they are looking at options -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Kyung Lah, appreciate it. Thanks very much. We'll get the other stories we're following. Susan Hendricks is here with the 360 bulletin -- Susan.
SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, a survivor of the Metro North train derailment that killed four people and injured 67 others in New York has taken the step toward filing a lawsuit in connection with that accident. The passengers' attorney says the suit will accuse the railroad of negligence.
Wildlife officials are trying to rescue 41 short fin pilot whales trapped in shallow water in the Florida ever glades, but they are having trouble with the terrain. Testing going to be done on ten other whales that died in the group to hopefully find out why they beached themselves.
A minor mishap at the White House today at a ceremony unveiling the Christmas decorations, the first family's new puppy, Sunny, jumped on a little girl knocking her down. Fortunately, though, she was not hurt. There she is. How cute is she? She was able to get back up on her feet and Anderson, she even started chatting with the first lady. Cute shot. She is OK.
COOPER: All right, Susan, thanks, "The Ridiculist" is next. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Time now for "The Ridiculist" and tonight we have a story from Thanksgiving night in Bridgeport, Connecticut where a 911 dispatcher with 18 years of experience took what she thought had to be a prank call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: I was just robbed at gunpoint right there. I was walking toward a friend of mine's house for Thanksgiving.
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: Just now?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Just now. They took my turkey --
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: They took your turkey?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Yes. They took my turkey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, you have to admit, nine times out of ten. When someone calls you and says they took my turkey, it is a prank tile. Not this time, our Thanksgiving 911 caller persisted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: I was walking to a friend of mine's house because I was going to make my turkey at their house with some three bean casserole because my oven doesn't work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Three bean casserole. A man named Jimmy Molegan was robbed of his turkey and side dishes on Thanksgiving. They left him without a turkey on Thanksgiving. Once he convinced the dispatcher it was real, soon enough a police officer showed up at his house.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I come down stairs thinking that he found the two suspects and got my turkey and he gets out of his patrol car with two Boston market dinners for me and my friend.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: I love Boston market. Maybe I'm still emotional from "CNN Heroes," but I don't know if I can take it. The police officer brought Thanksgiving dinner for Jimmy and his friend and it was the 911 dispatcher working on Thanksgiving who took up a collection at the call center and ordered the dinners from Boston market because she felt bad for Jimmy.
That's touching especially when you take into account what these 911 operators to deal with. If you've seen "The Ridiculist" before, they are usually more like this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: I'm at the Grateful Deli and I specifically asked for little turkey, and little ham and a lot of cheese and a lot of mayonnaises and they are giving me a hard time. I was wondering if you could stop by -- I was just wondering --
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: You're calling 911 because you don't like the way that they are making your sandwich?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Exactly.
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: So don't buy it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Words of wisdom. If nothing else, at this time finally we have a food 911 call warranted and the victim got to have a Thanksgiving dinner after all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was just happy that the police officer and the dispatchers were able to help out in a time of need. I mean, I was really thankful for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Proof that even a 911 call involving a Thanksgiving Day robbery can have a heartwarming ending on "The Ridiculist." That does it for us. Thanks for watching. "PIERS MORGAN LIVE" starts now.
PIERS MORGAN, CNN HOST: This is PIERS MORGAN LIVE. Welcome to the viewers in the United States and around the world. Tonight exclusive, Adam Lanza's aunt on the day the 911 calls from Sandy Hook are released.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: What's your location of your emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Sandy Hook School. I think there is somebody shooting in here at Sandy Hook school.
UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: What makes you think that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because somebody has a gun. I saw a glimpse of somebody running down a hallway. They are still running and shooting. Sandy Hook School, please.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Marsha Lanza the first member of the family to speak out publicly and gives her reaction to the 911 calls released.
Plus the grieving father of a 6-year-old who tried to save his classmates joins me and Pastor Rick Warren, his message for the parents of Sandy Hook.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of people try to make it sound like well everything that happens is God's going to. That's nonsense. God allows everything but God does not choose everything.
