Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Florida Police Looking For Kidnapper; Samarra Golden Mosque Bombing; New Images Afghanistan Insurgency; Missouri Bus Driver Hailed Hero; YouTube to Locate Bone Marrow Donor; Abandoned Baby Found in California; Denver 35-Car Pileup

Aired February 24, 2007 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: (INAUDIBLE) severe weather hits the heartland, hail, tornadoes and snow. We're tracking it all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pulls out a gun, the kid gets in the truck and they take off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Florida manhunt searching for an armed kidnapper before he strikes again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Think you know all about gangs? You're armatures. This gang will put you all to shame and they started out poor and angry and everybody looked down on them until one man decide to do give them some pride and identity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A lesson plan that changed lives made the teacher who inspired the "Freedom Writers," all that's coming up. Hello, everyone. I'm Frederica Whitfield. You're in the NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is a touchdown, folks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A scary moment for many in McLean, Texas, this funnel cloud coming through town on the front edge of a severe weather system.

And that's the sound of a storm in Kansas. Heavy hail accompanied the tornadic system. The National Weather Service received reports of five tornadoes in Texas and Kansas. And in Nebraska, a short break in the ice and snow in favor of heavy rains. You can see, the ice from this frozen river breaking up and sweeping downstream by floodwaters. Evacuations could be ordered near Omaha, today. Let's check in with Reynolds Wolf with more on the severe weather -- Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi Fredricka. It is going to be a wild day in parts of the country. Take a look at this big shape that we have here, this big squarish, rectangular shape, this indicates a tornado watch that we are going to have in effect, it's going to be in effect until about 4:00 Central Time. But keep in mind, even a little bit after that you're still going to have potential of seeing some storms, not just in that area, but also in points farther to the east in Mississippi and Alabama. Would not be surprised if that watch area is pushes that watch area a bit farther eastward.

As we speak, we have a new warning that just came in moments ago, this warning that we have is from the National Weather Service out of Shreveport. A tornado warning in effect for Nevada County, that is in southwest Arkansas. Again, in southwest Arkansas, not far at all from Hope, the National Weather Service has indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado near Bodcall (ph) a community named Bodcall (ph), that is about 12 hours east of Hope. Moving northeast at about 55-miles-an-hour.

Here you got Arkadelphia, Hot Springs, (INAUDIBLE), Camden, Arkansas, Magnolia, and this is the identifier, this is where that path is headed towards Arkadelphia.

Now, if we zoom out just a little bit, you can see that we've got just this long chain from the Texarkana, leaving Texas, moving into Arkansas, one part of an immense line that stretches through much of the state and we're going to be seeing more of these cells begin to pop up.

Now, there isn't a visual confirmation on that tornado. That is just a Doppler-indicated rotation, which shows the storms are capable of producing tornadoes. Now that's something we're going to be dealing with through much of the afternoon, Not just in Arkansas, but also in places like Oklahoma, as far south as Texas, into places like Shreveport, Louisiana, where we had some strong cells earlier this morning.

And even if you branch out a bit, if you look at this shot from our other radar, we're seeing some elements beginning now in parts of, well, north of Memphis, into Kentucky as well. So again, I would not just focus on parts of, say, Arkansas or even Louisiana where we are seeing severe weather, but also places where the severe weather is going to occur. We're going to see the eruption of storms eventually in Alabama, Mississippi, and of course into Tennessee and points farther north.

Also heavy snowfall in the Twin Cities, it is a big weather mess and we're going to stay on top of it, but for now, let's send it back to you -- Frederica.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Reynolds.

WOLF: You bet. WHITFIELD: In Florida, police are looking for a kidnapper, today. The victim, a 13-year-old boy, who is now safe at home, after getting out of a serious and tight spot. Here's reporter Peter Bernard in Manatee County he's with Tampa affiliate WFLA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER BERNARD, WFLA REPORTER: Five hours after being abducted from gunpoint from his school bus stop, a Manatee sheriff deputy gave a relieved looking Clay Moore a ride back to civilization and the people who care for him. Deputies say a man who looks like this is responsible for this crime. They say he's likely from this area, judging from the remote location where he took Clay.

DAVID BRISTOW, MANATEE CO FL SHERIFF'S OFFICE: When he took the child, Clay, out to the remote area, it appeared he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew the area.

BERNARD: While deputies won't confirm it, Clay's aunt tells our coverage partners, at the Sarasota Herald Tribune, his abductor used duct tape and some of Clay's own clothes to tie him up. The aunt says the man stuffed Clay's sock in his mouth. She says her nephew used a safety pin to work the binds lose then walked some distance to flag down a farmer for help.

Students at the bus stop who saw the armed abduction say they ran behind a house to hide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some guy just pulls up in a red truck and tells the kid to get in the truck or else he's going to shoot. Pulls out a gun and the kid gets in the truck and they take off.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He told him to get in the car and then he had a gun in his hand and then he wouldn't get in the car, so they were like -- Clay looked like he was ready to cry.

BERNARD: At a quickly setup command post, Clay's frantic parents waited on every development, fearing they would hear the worst, but around 1:30 in the afternoon, sheriff Charlie Wells told everyone...

SHERIFF CHARLIE WELLS, MANATEE CO, FLORIDA: Well, we've got good news. Clay Moore is OK, and he's with my deputies right now, out in East County.

BERNARD: After a check out at Manatee Memorial, Clay returned to his Kingsfield Estates home. His family asked the media to let them be for now.

BRISTOW: They've been through, by far, the most traumatic day they've ever been through and hopefully will ever go through.

BERNARD: Looking ahead to Monday, if the attacker isn't caught, residents will see more activity around this area.

MAJ CHUCK HAGAMAN, MANATEE CO FL SHERIFF'S OFFICE: We're going to beef up patrol and have more patrol units out roaming the areas of the bus stops in the hours the kids go to school.

BERNARD: Because cases like this so many times end in tragedy, everyone is relieved this one didn't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we're all happy that this child is sleeping in his own bed tonight and that he is safe and that he's unharmed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The Manatee County Sheriff says the kidnapper is in his 30s, has dark skin and short hair. He drove an older model red pickup truck. Call this number on the screen if you see the suspect or the truck -- 941-747-3011.

Turning now to Iraq, just doing its job and not apologizing. The U.S. military defends arresting the son of a powerful Iraqi Shiite politician at the Iranian-Iraqi border. The incident brought out thousands of Shiite protesters today. The military says Amar al Hakim and his bodyguards were detained at a closed checkpoint yesterday after the refused to cooperate with security forces. Al Hakim has since been released. And despite the U.S. military's refusal to do so, the U.S. Ambassador has apologized for the incident.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the bombing at the Golden Mosque in Samarra. Now, a special report on the impact of that bombing. We want to warn you, some of the video is very graphic and can be very difficult to watch. This attack, at one of the world's most important Shiite mosques, set off a wave of retaliation and sectarian violence that continues today. CNN has chosen not to show any actual executions, but a warning, again, this video may be difficult to watch. Here's CNN's Michael Ware.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These men are going to die. Shia, accused of being militia members, executed by Sunni hardliners because they believe in a different brand of Islam.

Their deaths displayed in this slickly produced video by the Iraqi guerrilla group Ansar al-Sunna, loosely affiliated to al Qaeda. This footage, typical of images released by Ansar al-Sunna and seen on Iraqi TV stations, was distributed by the group in the last few weeks.

And as Sunnis kill Shia, so too, Shia kill Sunnis. Like these men, kidnapped, tortured, their bodies, hands still bound, dumped in a Baghdad neighborhood controlled by a Shia militia. Dozens of bodies appear on the capital streets every morning.

To Iraqis, this is civil war. What it looks like, what it is -- a daily accumulation of terrible moments, just like these. Born by families on both sides of Iraq's sectarian divide. Sectarian violence has plagued Iraq almost since the invasion itself, but its full fury was not unleashed until one year ago -- February 22, 2006, when this holy place was blown apart.

The Golden Dome Shrine in the town of Samarra, north of Baghdad, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. Its bombing so incendiary, moderate Shia leaders who had managed to hold back their faithful in the face of violent provocation for nearly two years, finally lost control.

The weeks after the bombing said to be by al Qaeda, though it never claimed responsibility, saw scores of Sunni mosques attacked. This one raked with machine gunfire, the blood of its attendants staining the floor.

What had been ad hoc sectarian attacks turned into systematic widespread campaigns of ethnic cleansing, roaming death squads, and indiscriminate suicide bombings.

Included in the insurgent video, a sermon by a senior Shia cleric calling for revenge against Sunnis just days, says a Mehdi army source, after the Samarra bombing.

HAZIM AL-ARAJI, SENIOR SADR SHIITE CLERIC (through translator): If you want somebody to tell you to kill and there is no one, I tell you to kill. I take responsibility. Kill any Wahhabi. Kill any Baathist.

WARE: A top aide to the radical Shia militia leader Muqtada al- Sadr, the cleric's words used on this insurgent video as a warning to fellow Sunnis.

AL-ARAJI (through translator): It's your responsibility, my responsibility and the responsibility of every cleric and tribal leader to mobilize a devout Shiite army to kill Baathists and (UNINTELLIGIBLE). The Imam orders you to kill.

WARE: Though Mehdi army sources say he was quickly ordered to curb his public anger, the sentiment was widely felt.

This civil war, sparked by the Samarra bombing, and defined by the bloodletting that followed, is the legacy of this man, Abu Musab al- Zarqawi, the al Qaeda in Iraq leader assassinated by a U.S. missile in June.

He planned it from the beginning, as this letter, intercepted and released by U.S. intelligence agencies and the coalition administration in February 2004, clearly outlines.

Zarqawi, an extremist Sunni, described Shia as the most evil of mankind and believed only by provoking them into the kind of violence seen in the wake of Samarra would the slumbering Sunni nation awake and eventually emerge victorious.

One year on, death squads, the U.S. military says are protected by and hidden within Iraq's police forces, hunts a terrified Sunni community.

Al Qaeda assassination teams and car bomb attacks slaughter Shia in their neighborhoods. Unknown bodies float down the Tigris River. And Iraq is much closer to what Zarqawi wanted it to be.

Michael Ware, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And new images of the insurgency in Afghanistan. This 56-second video was posted on a Web site that has been used to show similar videos in the past. It allegedly shows fighters firing missile at a U.S. base in Afghanistan last November. CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the video, and it's not clear whether the fighters being depicted are al Qaeda or Taliban members.

A Florida teen is now safe at home with his family, but the search is still on for the suspect who snatched him from a bus stop, yesterday. The Manatee County sheriff says the kidnapper is this man, in his 30s, with dark skin and short hair. He drove an older model red pickup truck. Call this number is you see the suspect of the truck: 941-747-3011. We're following this story and we'll bring you any developments as it happens.

And later...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Think you know all about gangs? You're armatures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Hilary Swank in the real-life story of a teacher who reached her students in one of America's toughest schools. The story behind "Freedom Writers," straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

And what do "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas," "The Aviator" all have in common? Director Martin Scorsese. Well, he didn't win a Best Picture Oscar for any of them, but this could be his year, say some. Maybe an Oscar IOU? You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Some stories making headline "Across America," right now. A Missouri bus driver hailed as a hero. Real quick thinking, here, all caught on tape after that 3-year-old girl dashed off the bus and then headed into traffic. Chris Leslie, the bus driver, dashed out and grabbed the child, a truck slammed on his brakes and screeched to a halt just in front of them and Leslie says when he got home that day, the first thing he did was hug his own 2-year-old daughter.

A New Hampshire couple hopes a popular Web site will help them locate a bone marrow donor. Lee Buckley has been diagnosed with leukemia and she needs to find a donor who matches her blood type. She and her husband, Andrew, decided to do post a video on YouTube explaining her plight.

And in Richmond, California, a stunning surprise for a woman walking her dog. She found an abandoned baby, believed to be just hours old. The boy was stuffed into a bag and hidden under some bushes. The baby is now in a hospital where authorities say he appears to be in good shape. Police are searching for his parents.

And this taking place out of Denver. A huge car pileup, 30 cars piled up in an accident on I-70 in Denver. We're working some sources there to find out what may be the root of this accident, what happened and exactly what the circumstances are involving the people.

And we've been getting this information from the web site on 9- News. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...able to stand upright. It's so windy and it's like, zero visibility. I'm standing on about half an inch of ice or so. Let me get out of the way so you can see the accident behind me, 30 to 35-vehicle pileup here on eastbound I-70 just before E-470. I spoke to some of the individuals, some of the drivers in these cars and they say they were driving at a reasonable speed. One man said he was only driving at 15-miles-per-hour, by the time he saw the car in front of him, it was too late. Drivers tell me they slammed on the brakes, only to have nothing happen because of the ice and they kept hitting each other, they were not able to see the car in front of them because of this blowing snow, the high winds, creating zero visibility. So, by the time they saw the brake lights in front of them, they were not able to stop because of the icy conditions, they were not able to stop.

And out of these cars, amazingly, only three people are injured, minor injuries. They were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, so it's amazing only three people injured. The rest of the drivers that are here, they have an RTD bus here. They're loading up the drivers who are not injured and they're going to take that RTD bus and we understand they're going to a nearby Holiday Inn were everyone can get warm, meanwhile it's going take quite some time for tow trucks to get here, tow these 35 vehicles off of eastbound I-70 and there continues to be a problem with the wind, as you can see, and with the visibility.

Back inside to you, Sean and Cheryl.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jamie, have they shut down that portion of the highway?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They have. Both sides of I-70 here just before E-470 are closed in both directions. That is because these emergency vehicles need to get by. There's fire trucks here, also ambulances and, again, the that RTD bus here on I-70, so both eastbound and westbound here, at this location, are closed to traffic.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: So that report coming from a Web report from Denver's 9-News about a 35-car pileup on the eastbound section of I-70 and weather is certainly being blamed as a factor. And you can see just from the video in that Web report that snow and the wind is very significant and that may, in fact, hamper the efforts to get emergency crews to the area, but miraculously, so far, only three people injured.

Meantime, when you think about Las Vegas, restraint is not exactly the first word comes to mind. But Sin City is deadly serious about one thing, after all, in a desert, water is king.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone has their own story, and it's important for you to tell your own story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Giving a voice to the voiceless. That's the theme behind Hillary Swank's new movie "Freedom Writers," she stars in the movie, that is. We'll talk to the real-life teacher who actually inspired this film along with the director and one of the actors, that's all in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Bright lights, high-end resorts, high-stakes gambling -- Las Vegas. What else could I be talking about? It can be a little excessive, the city tolerates, maybe even encourages all of this, but one thing it won't put up with is water waste. The city has a special task force, in fact, to make sure not a drop of water is wasted. Gerri Willis as more in this week's "Modern Living."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crime: Water abuse. The weapon: A sprinkler. The victim: The city of Las Vegas.

DENNIS GEEGAN (ph), STATE OF NEVADA: The first thing I do is I jump out and I film it. Just (INAUDIBLE) in 10/16/06, time is 3:36. I'm looking at a day of the week violation.

WILLIS: Dennis Geegan (ph) isn't your everyday criminal investigator, he works for the state of Nevada, helping to conserve it's scarcest commodity, water.

PAT MULROY, SOUTHERN NEVADA WATER AUTHORITY: We've put restrictions on building codes, you can't have turf on the front yard. You can only have 50 percent of the back area landscaped with grass. We're promoting desert landscaping.

WILLIS: Hotels and casinos are all in when it comes to water conservation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We conserve by utilizing high-efficiency showerheads, toilets, sinks.

WILLIS: And if you haven't gotten the message that saving water is serious business here, Vegas is putting its own humor spin on the rather dry subject with a new ad campaign.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I help you? Oh!

ANNOUNCER: To find your watering schedule, go to changeyourclock.com.

WILLIS: Our water detective gives the same message, but his method of delivery is, well, easier to handle.

I'm Gerri Willis and that's this weeks' "Modern Living."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And you don't always win when you should, but maybe it all evens out. We're talking Oscar IOUs when the NEWSROOM continues.

And she looks to be spiraling out of control, but while the media chronicles Britney Spears' latest drama, one comedian says we should give her a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Half past the hour. Now in the news, trouble brewing in the skies over the nation's mid-section. A major winter storm is sweeping across parts of the Southern Plains and the Southeast. On the southern end, the threat of hail and tornadoes. This nighttime storm is in Kansas. In the Upper Midwest, more than a foot of snow is expected.

In southwest Florida, a search is under way for a kidnapper. Police are looking for this suspect. Thirteen-year-old Clay Moore told authorities the man kidnapped him at gunpoint from a school bus stop, but he managed to free himself after he was driven from a remote area and left bound. The boy is now back with his family.

But again, the search continues for the suspect.

Responding to a national disaster, is the federal government up to the task? The nation's homeland security department and other agencies are holding a drill today. It involved so-called improvised explosive devices, like those that caused so much death anddamage in Iraq. The White House stresses it's only a drill and not based on an actual threat.

And in Iraq today, protests after American troops detain the son of a prominent Shiite politician. He and his security detail were detained while crossing into Iraq from Iran. They were released a short time later. The man, whose father leads a powerful political coalition, accuses U.S. troops of being rude and abusive.

Setting the stage for a glittering ceremony in tinsel down. Preparations for the Academy Awards show are now in full swing. The spectacle takes place tomorrow night. Former Vice President Al Gore, well he'll be among those in the spotlight. The film, "An Inconvenient Truth" portrays Gore's crusade against global warming and it's a favorite to win the Oscar for best documentary feature.

The Academy Awards, along with the big winners, also have some big losers. And often when you've one of the biggest names in the show business, you have got to lose a lot more before you win. Here's CNN's entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the Oscar goes to Clint Eastwood.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Martin Scorsese, we feel your pain. You've grinned through five best director losses. Are you ever going to get a break?

You were knocked out for "Raging Bull." Oscar wasn't tempted by "The Last Temptation of Christ."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God's world is big enough for everybody.

VARGAS: "Goodfellas" got whacked by the competition. "Gangs of New York" took it on the chin. And "The Aviator" put you on the red eye to loserville.

MARTIN SCORSESE, DIRECTOR: I would like to win.

VARGAS: We know you would, Marty. And the academy has a way of making it up to those it's overlooked. Call it the Oscar IOU.

After seven failed attempts, Al Pacino finally won for "Scent of a Woman" in 1992.

AL PACINO, ACTOR: Hoo-ah.

VARGAS: John Wayne appeared in nearly 150 films before receiving an Oscar at the end of his career for "True Grit".

ROBERT OSBORNE, OSCAR HISTORIAN: He was really good in "True Grit", but whether he was better than those two fellows in "Midnight Cowboy" and some others, I kind of question that. And I think John Wayne really got it also not only because he was good, but also because he was John Wayne and had never been really acknowledged before.

VARGAS: Sometimes nominees don't have to wait that long to get what's coming to them. Jimmy Stewart and Bette Davis were among the stars who won a year after their great performance.

OSBORNE: They started calling it a holdover Oscar. Meaning you were getting it one year because a holdover for something wonderful you'd done the year before.

VARGAS: More recently, Renee Zellweger won for "Cold Mountain" after missing out the year before on "Chicago". While Nicole Kidman's "Moulin Rouge" loss might have fueled her win for "The Hours."

PETER O'TOOLE, ACTOR: I'm an entertainer. That's my job.

VARGAS: And this distinguished gentleman could call in his IOU this year as you. Peter O'Toole has come up short seven times before.

SCORSESE: We'll see. Whatever.

VARGAS: Cheer up, Marty. The director of "The Departed" may not be departing empty handed.

OSBORNE: He'll get it this year, but he'll really get it not only because his body of work, but also because he did a really good job this year.

VARGAS: Sibila Vargas, CNN Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Go Scorsese. Well do not miss our special preview of the big night. CNN is live from the red carpet at the Academy Awards. That is tomorrow night at 7:00 Eastern.

And after you've seen the big show and all the winners, CNN is your place for the all-access pass to the big parties, the winners and all the Oscar action. That's CNN Sunday night at midnight. Don't miss it.

And we're just now getting some new pictures of that 35-car pileup in Aurora, Colorado, just outside of Denver. This is the eastbound lane of the I-70, which is a popular route between Denver and Kansas. Weather is certainly a factor in the emergency efforts here. But we don't know if that's why this accident started in the first place.

But according to our affiliates there in Denver, about three people were injured. We don't know the extent of their injuries, but an incredible set of circumstances there, leading to 35 cars in a big accident there in Aurora, Colorado.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lady, stop acting like you're trying to understand our situation and just do your little baby-sitting up there.

HILLARY SWANK, ACTRESS: That's all you think this is?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It ain't nothing else. Without a doubt in the world I don't see nobody that looks like me with their pockets full unless they're rapping lyrics or dribblin' the ball. So what else you got in here for me?

SWANK: And what if you can't rap a lyric or dribble a ball?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It ain't this, I know that much. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: This was the movie, but it's also real life. When Erin Gruwell first began teaching in an inner city high school, her students took bets on how long would she last. Well, not only did she last, she thrived, and so did her students. The secret, she introduced her to writing of young people like Anne Frank. And they related to the descriptions of danger and hardship and soon, they were putting down their own thoughts on paper. Her story has been told in a book and now in a movie called "Freedom Writers. Erin Gruwell is here to join us. Good to see you, Erin.

ERIN GRUWELL, HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER: Hi.

WHITFIELD: We're also joined by the -- Hi. Good to see you. This is going to be a big party because we're also joined by the director Richard Lagravanese and actor Jason Finn, one of the actors in the movie. Good to see all of you. And congratulations on the film.

RICHARD LAGRAVENESE, DIRECTOR: Thank you.

JASON FINN, ACTOR: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: It's really getting a lot of great reviews, and it's really one that so many folks are saying is inspiring on so many levels. For you, Erin, this was real life. This was your journey. You were a first-time teacher, and then you get thrust into this high school where these kids were continued to be unteachable. Did you get that impression right away or did you feel they had been mislabeled?

GRUWELL: I think they were mislabeled. I think that every kid has a hope and a second chance. And so when I gave them the opportunity to tell their story and have a voice, they did so-so eloquently.

My students picked up a pen and were able to write what needs to be written and I'm just so honored that Richard was able to tell our story so accurately and Jason Finn was able to portray it on the big screen.

WHITFIELD: But for you, Erin, initially, that journey of getting them to write down their thoughts, to understand why hate was so destructive, why the gang violence was going to be counterproductive there was a journey that you had to encounter in order to even reach them, to even get them to cooperate, to write down those thoughts, right?

GRUWELL: Absolutely. And I think the story is very universal. Because I think I've heard from teachers across the country who have said that this story mirrors their story, whether it's in Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles.

And I think every teacher needs to find a way to reach their kids and make education relevant. If we can make education relevant, we can equalize the playing field. And so for me, specifically as an English teacher, it was through writing and the written word and finding really dynamic writers such as Anne Frank or Elie Wiesel or even diaries from Bosnia-Herzegovina who could write about wars and about immortalizing their story through the written language and not through violence or picking up a gun or worse yet, picking up a weapon of destruction.

WHITFIELD: So Jason, let me bring you into this. Because here you are, one of the actors who have been cast in this role, in this movie. And at the same time, I'm hearing that this role wasn't a huge departure from what your life was like in school. You understood the concept of, you know, what Erin was up against in this classroom. And you understood what it took for this teacher to try to reach these students. How were you able to bring your own personal experiences to this role to really make it come alive and make it continue to be believable to people?

FINN: Well, coming into the film, I just took my sense of hopelessness in my life and put it towards my role. Marcus was a character who gave up on life. I was a young dude who gave up on life. And this film just helped me realize that no matter what, you know what I'm sayin', you should never give up. No matter ....

WHITFIELD: How did you give up on life? What do you mean?

FINN: I mean, I didn't graduate from high school. And as a kid, the first 18 years of your life, the first major thing you do is graduate from high school. You don't do that, that's a failure. And I felt like a failure, so I gave up. And every day I woke up I didn't want to wake up. It was hard for me to sleep. It was hard for me to wake up.

WHITFIELD: And you gave up on yourself.

FINN: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: What was it? What did it take for you to start believing in yourself and say, you know what? I'm going to take a stab at Hollywood? I'm going to try to be an actor and then you actually do it?

FINN: Well, I didn't really just wake up and say I'm going to take a stab at Hollywood. I did a video class, and the dude seen it. I did a video about being shot. And dude seen it and said maybe you should be an actor. I did an independent film. "Freedom Writers" was doing opening auditions through Erin's request, and they picked me up.

WHITFIELD: And when you read the script, did you say this isn't true? This didn't really happen. This can't be.

FINN: Oh no. My school was just like that.

WHITFIELD: Really?

FINN: We had teachers trying to help us out. We had teachers who didn't care. My school was just like that. And when I seen the role, I figured that was why I went through what I went through in my life. Because I need to be a part of this movie, share the story, you know?

WHITFIELD: So Richard, this was six years in the making for you. You got wind of this story, I mean, did you feel like, OK, while it may be believable that this is what's happening to young people, did you necessarily feel like this is believable that a teacher like Erin could walk into this environment and say, you know what? I'm going to turn you all around by helping you understand the written word?

LAGRAVENESE: Honestly, that wasn't the original intention. When I saw the original segment on "Primetime Live" which was a 15 minute segment that Connie Chung did and then I read the diaries. The reason I did the movie, the reason I wanted to tell the story, were the words, the writing of these 14, 15 and 16-year-old kids. That's what got me, their ability to tell their stories about living a war on the streets that no one acknowledged and then expected them to come to school and do their homework and get good grades. And when they didn't, they just let them fall through the cracks, which is what our education system seems to be doing throughout the country.

WHITFIELD: So what was the challenge for you as a director to really make this movie come to life and make it so that the general public could get a new view of a public school system in the Los Angeles area and believe everything they were seeing and hearing and understand that this really was about real life and it really is about real life?

LAGRAVENESE: Well, first of all, I used the diaries as written in the book so that their words are in the movie. And any other diaries were based on interviews I did with them. So I made nothing up.

And then at casting, I was looking for honesty, which is why I didn't cast groomed actors, except for April Hernandez who has done some work before. But most of these kids came in and were dead honest and I would constantly ask them, as we were making the film, is this how it should be said? Is this the truth? Or give me another way to say it. And Jason was a key figure in that. He always kept it real.

WHITFIELD: Erin, how about for you? What are you most proud of about this movie? Your book, obviously, was able to tell your story because they're your words, they're your experiences. But it's another thing to see it transformed into a movie. What are your impressions? Is it what you lived?

GRUWELL: It's phenomenal. The fact that Richard took the "Freedom Writers" diary and really honored and respected not just the freedom writers, but their voice and their story. And it's such a great representation of kids across this country who want people to notice them. And it's gritty and it's honest.

But he spent so much time with the student. They were on the set. They were thrilled with the casting. And Jason was such a great testament of that freedom writer spirit. He's now a part of our adopted family. And I think anyone that sees this film is truly going to be inspired that there is hope and there are second chances. And I recommend their bringing a Kleenex because it really is an emotional roller coaster, an emotional journey that the audience members will go through. And the book, "The Freedom Writers Diary" is now being taught in classrooms across the country.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's incredible.

GRUWELL: So we're thrilled. And it recently was number one on the "New York Times" bestselling list so ...

WHITFIELD: Well congratulations.

GRUWELL: So great testament to kids and their voice and this legacy is continuing to grow.

WHITFIELD: It really is. And a great testament to you, your courage and the courage of you as well, Jason and Richard, for being a part of telling this story and telling your own personal stories about how this all came to be. Thanks so much to all of you.

GRUWELL: Thank you.

LAGRAVENESE: Thank you for having us.

WHITFIELD: Thank you for joining us and congratulations again.

FINN: Bye, Richard, bye, Erin.

GRUWELL: Hey Jason. We love you, we miss you.

WHITFIELD: This is like "The Brady Bunch," isn't it? We're all in these like boxes.

LAGRAVENESE: Take care, man.

WHITFIELD: Good to see all of you. Erin Gruwell, Richard Lagravenese. Congratulations and thanks for your time.

Well, you may not believe who's coming to Britney Spears' defense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's 25 years old. She's a baby herself. She's a baby.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: We'll tell you what else this late night talk show host had to say coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM PARSONS, BESTFARES.COM: The number one definitely don't do if you have an empty tank, bring it back to the car rental company and say you fill it up. When I was on a recent trip into Florida, it was $6.99 a gallon to refuel. In my case, by filling up the gas tank, it was $35, $40. If they had done it, it would have been over $140. This is where it's truly highway robbery.

And a way the car rental companies can take advantage of you. And the policy I take every time is when I leave the airport, I'll mark down the first exit where I see a group of gas stations. Because there's usually never a gas station anywhere near the airport. Then I'll come back and there's where I'll just pull over, make sure it's filled up. In my opinion right now, it's best that you fill up the car. Don't ever bring that car back empty unless you like to refinance your home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A quick look now at some of the most popular stories on cnn.com. Fatal attraction. A pit bull named Fatal jumps through a car window to bite an 11-year-old on the thigh. The owner says the dog was provoked.

Near-fatal crush, a man napping in a dumpster is tossed with the trash into a moving compactor. Lucky for him, the driver heard his screams.

And fatal intent, new video posted on the Internet said to be al Qaeda teaching terrorist skills to the Taliban.

And here are some of the latest pictures we're getting from the 35-car pileup in aurora, Colorado on the eastbound section of I-70. Amazingly, three people have been reported injured. We don't understand them to be serious injuries. But emergency crews are still heading the scene. Weather is certainly a factor in hampering the cleanup and the response.

Played as tragedy or comedy? Britney Spears has been tabloid and media fodder recently. But at least one comedian says enough is enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG FERGUSON, LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWIt should be about us attacking the powerful people, attacking the politicians and the Trumps and the blowhards of the world. Go after them. We should not be attacking the vulnerable people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Craig Ferguson's late-night critique is proving an Internet sensation. We'll show you what else he said, coming up.

And look who's coming to dinner. We'll tell you where this scene played out. I don't think you want to be invited to that dinner party. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COLD & FLU REPORT) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Rehab, hair salon, tattoo parlor, rehab again? The drama of Britney Spears' recent life is the stuff that tabloids and, yes, even mainstream news organizations have - seem to soak up. Well, as people rush to cover and lampoon this spiraling star, Spears is receiving some support from an unlikely source. Here is CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Britney in and out of rehab so fast, even the tabloids can't keep tab. On buybritneyshair.com her locks are for sale. It's all enough to turn a late night comedian dead serious.

FERGUSON: She's 25 years old. She's a baby herself. She's a baby.

MOOS: Audience members expecting a funny monologue didn't know how to react.

FERGUSON: People are falling apart. People are dying. That Anna Nicole Smith woman, she died. It's not a joke.

MOOS: No wonder they tittered nervously. Craig Ferguson told of how he hit bottom 15 years ago and decided to quit drinking.

FERGUSON: I woke up on Christmas morning, and I was soaked in my own urine. At least I think it was mine. I can't be sure.

MOOS: And now he's giving up another addiction, to a certain kind of joke.

FERGUSON: It should be about us attacking the powerful people, attacking the politicians and the Trumps and the blowhards of the world. Go after them. We shouldn't be attacking he vulnerable people.

MOOS : When a comedian gets serious, as David Letterman did after 9/11, it makes a big impression.

DAVID LETTERMAN, TALK SHOW HOST: It's terribly sad here in New York City.

MOOS: And Craig Ferguson 12 heartfelt minutes rocketed to top- rated video on YouTube. E-mailed reaction was overwhelmingly positive. "Pure class." "Wow." Ferguson was anything but holier than thou.

FERGUSON: I'm as guilty as sin about this. I mean, I made fun of the lady astronaut wearing the diapers when she was driving. The mug shot comes out, and I go this woman's in trouble. She needs help.

MOOS (on camera): Talk about guilty as sin. As I was deciding whether to do this story, I had one eye on the television set watching the Anna Nicole Smith hearing trying to figure out whether I should do that story or this one.

(voice-over): One fan called Ferguson's diatribe the beginning of a revolution. But other comedians, though respectful, weren't exactly joining hands.

JOY BEHAR, "THE VIEW": If you feel sorry for everybody, you'll never get a laugh.

MOOS: Even as Ferguson made his promise ...

FERGUSON: Tonight no Britney Spears jokes, and here's why.

MOOS: Folks were still laughing. Bigger names than Ferguson were still telling Britney jokes.

LETTERMAN: Yesterday she shaved her head and got a tattoo. Today she drove to Orlando in a diaper. Yes, in a diaper.

MOOS: And it may take a 12-step program to teach the audience Britney abstinence ...

FERGUSON: Britney Spears.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So when the cat's away, the mouse will play, right? So someone find a cat already. Details coming up in THE NEWSROOM.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com