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Maersk Alabama Makes It to Kenya, But Without Her Captain; Sunday School Teacher Arrested in Murder of Sandra Cantu; Deadly Storms Cause Damage and More in Alabama and Tennessee

Aired April 11, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: Next in the CNN NEWSROOM, this breaking news. You're looking at live pictures of the merchant ship Maersk Alabama as it just arrived at port in Kenya. This of course as the captain of the U.S.-flagged vessel is still being held captive at sea by Somali pirates. You can see the pain from this homeowner's face. She is seeing the rubble, what is left behind after powerful storms and tornadoes roared through the south.

And buyer beware, the recession is bringing out scam artists and now the U.S. government is calling on Hollywood to help detach the bad guys. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM, where the news is unfolding on this Saturday, April 11th.

Hello, I'm Melissa Long, in today for Fredricka Whitfield. And the high stakes are on. Of course, off the coast of Somalia, where a foursome of well-armed pirates are holding an American ship captain hostage, and hostage for a fourth day. So here is what we know at this very hour.

Captain Richard Phillips' ship, the Maersk Alabama again just arriving at its original planned destination of Mombasa, Kenya, but it is without him. The U.S. navy has two warships with another on its way to where the pirates are holding that captain in a lifeboat. The navy says they've successfully blocked the pirates' attempts to replenish and reinforce the hostage takers.

For the very latest, we're going to take you to the docks of the port of Mombasa and that's where we find CNN's Stan Grant -- Stan?

STAN GRANT, CNN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Melissa, I'm actually standing right next to the Maersk Alabama right now. It pulled into dock here in Mombasa, Kenya just only a matter of moments ago and I can actually see members of the crew. We're trying to ask them questions. We have been yelling questions at them. They are some ways away because they're on the ship. We're being kept from them. But we can get some access to them.

And I'm just listening to what they are saying right now. You won't be able to pick this up on the camera, if I turn my microphone here, but you will -- I can tell you that one of the crew members is saying that he wants to get home to his wife and family. He misses his family very much. He also just said that he wants to have a steak dinner. And that will be a very well-deserved steak dinner after what they have just been through. Of course they've been at the front of this kidnapped hijacking piracy saga that we have seen over the last couple of days. The Maersk Alabama was boarded by the pirates. They took control of the ship and then the crew members themselves (INAUDIBLE) control back.

I managed to speak to another member of the crew just moments ago who told me that he was woken early in the morning by the pirates as they boarded the ship. He said that they were armed and he said he was scared that some of the crew members hid out in another part of the ship and they were able to come and regain control.

The crew members are just walking down off the ship now. They are waving to us as they go. But we're about to lose sight of them because cargo containers have been placed between myself and the rest of the media here and the crew members. We're told there are representatives from the Maersk shipping line who are here to meet them. And they'll also be spoken to by members of the FBI.

We've heard reports that they may be whisked from here as early as tonight to get back to the airport and head back to the United States. All of that still to unfold. But the Maersk Alabama now has safely docked here in Mombasa, in Kenya. The crew members appear to be in good spirits and in good health -- Melissa?

LONG: Crew in good spirits. I don't blame them for wanting to get home to their family and loved ones and the one gentleman for wanting a steak dinner. Don't blame him at all. What do we know about how they were able to overpower the pirates and take control of that ship again?

GRANT: I did yell a couple of questions at the crew members, precisely about that. And bearing in mind this is an enormous ship and they're standing 10, 20 feet above me, so it's difficult to hear them. It's difficult for them to hear us. One of them said that there was not a battle. I said was there a battle with the pirates? He said no. He said that they were able to hold out in another part of the ship. I couldn't make out what he said after that.

Those questions are still to be answered. What went on -- what went on in those moments when the pirates boarded. Heavily armed, as we've heard from the crew members, and took control. They also said that the captain, Richard Phillips, is a hero. They say that he saved their lives. We asked what did he do to save your lives. We couldn't make out what their answer to that was.

But they did say that he is a hero, and they're concerned about his fate. Of course, he is now still on a lifeboat out in the ocean being held by the pirates as the U.S. warships try to negotiate his release. But the crew members appear now to be leaving the Maersk Alabama and we certainly lost sight of them as they have moved beyond this barricade that's been put between us and them -- Melissa?

LONG: Stan Grant live for us from the port of Mombasa. Stan, thanks so much.

And linked to this story, Stan just mentioned this a moment ago, I want to give you greater details that we're just getting. The FBI launching a criminal probe now into Somali piracy of that U.S. ship and also of the hostage taking, especially the captain is still being held.

There are two law enforcement officials that are telling us today that this investigation is under way. It's actually the New York field office for the FBI that's going to be leading this probe. The New York office apparently has a responsibility to look into the cases that involve U.S. citizens from the region of Africa.

So, again, the FBI launching a criminal probe now into the Somali piracy of the U.S. ship and the hostage taking. Three of those hostages, as we have just learned, they are back at the port of Mombasa. Of course that forced hostage, the captain Mr. Phillips who is still being held and of course there is such great concern for him, such great concern for his safety.

Especially in his hometown, and that is Underhill, Vermont, his hometown and that's where we find CNN's Stephanie Elam, who is live there getting to know his family and his community -- Stephanie?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Melissa. Yeah, we are here in a small town pretty much near the base of Mt. Mansfield, which is the highest point in Vermont. At this point people who live in this town are looking to keep their spirits high as well, believing that Captain Phillips will do all he can to stay cool in the situation and do the best to get himself out of the situation that he is now hopefully with the help of the navy as well.

We were able to speak to a local shop owner who owns a shop down the street from the Phillips' home and also a neighbor who's lived near the Phillips for about 15 years, to get their take on the situation. And a little bit more about who this man Captain Phillips is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM WALSH, NEIGHBOR: He is a great guy, warm and friendly fella. He is gregarious. He has a joke, a story, for all occasions. And he's a person that everybody loves. You know, and he's got more stories than you can imagine. So it's fun to go out and go to parties or go golfing with him. He's a great guy, great family man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: And we also talked to the shop owner as well. She echoed that feeling there that he's quite the family man, very much involved in his family. A lot of people saying that when he is home, you can see him out there riding around and mowing his lawn. Very much a part of his family duties and when he's out on the water, very much taking care of his crew as well -- Melissa?

LONG: Stephanie Elam, live for us from the community of Underhill, Vermont, the hometown of the American captain being held hostage. Stephanie, thank you. We get more now on the American captain, CNN's Susan Candiotti is live for us in Massachusetts at the maritime academy in Buzzard's Bay. She's actually with a friend and a fellow skipper of Captain Phillips. His name Captain Thomas Bushy.

Susan, I know you've had the opportunity to talk to the captain. So what has he told you about him?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Captain Bushy, of course, is as concerned as everyone is in the hometown of Captain Phillips up in Vermont. And there's a special connection to Captain Phillips here at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy because he graduated back in 1979.

The ship that you see over my shoulder is the training ship, the TS Kennedy that cadets currently train on in order to know how to respond in similar situations or at least try to. Something they thought would never have been possible in the past that is that a U.S.-flagged vessel might have been attacked out at sea by pirates.

Earlier this morning we also spoke with the former classmate of Captain Phillips. His name is Captain Staples. And they both went to school here back in 1979. Captain Staples, like Captain Phillips, has been in that region of the world many, many dozens of times and in fact was recently also in the Gulf of Aden. Now he talked about what his friend Captain Phillips might be going through.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPTAIN JIM STAPLES, FRIEND OF CAPT. PHILLIPS: I'm sure he's staying very, very positive and he's just thinking about getting home and being with his family again and getting out of the situation as soon as he can.

CANDIOTTI: Tell us about him.

STAPLES: Richie, he's just a great guy. He was always a good friend and at school, he was very -- very energetic. He was always in a good mood, always smiling, he always had a joke. Just an overall great guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Now, Captain Staples just returned from a merchant ship back in January and he's heading back out again in May. He says that when Captain Phillips is returned to the U.S., that he, too, eventually will go back out to sea because that's their job and they love it. Melissa, back to you.

LONG: Susan Candiotti, live for us from Massachusetts. Susan, thank you.

I want to point out the next hour we're going to bring you today's scheduled news conference from the Maersk shipping headquarters. It is set right now for 3:30 in the afternoon Eastern time. We're going to bring it to you live of course here on CNN. Also, the shipping officials have set up an e-mail address for anyone who may want to send messages of support for the captain or of course for his family. The address, going to bring it up right now, at the bottom of your -- is it there? It's not there. All right, let me tell you what it is, it's www.maersklinelimited.com. That's the Web site where you can send your comments and your notes of support to the captain and again, his family.

Tonight at 8:00 p.m., I want to highlight this as well, the CNN "SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: Somali Pirates: Can They Be Stopped?" Who are these Somali pirates hijacking ships and capturing Americans? And again, can they be stopped? CNN takes you inside a story that's captured the world's attention tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Now some of the other stories making news at this hour. Some new developments today in the arrest of a California Sunday school teacher for the death of an 8-year-old girl. Police say 28-year-old Melissa Huckaby owned the suitcase in which Sandra Cantu's body was found. Huckaby and her daughter also lived in the same mobile home park as Cantu and the little girls were said to be friends. Police are not revealing any details about what made them focus on Huckaby.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. TONY SHENEMAN, TRACY, CALIFORNIA POLICE: Nothing we have done and nothing we can say will ever return Sandra to her family and to the community. But last night we arrested Melissa Huckaby, a 28- year-old Sunday school teacher who lives at the orchard estates mobile home park. And she has been booked into San Joaquin County jail on suspicious of kidnapping and murder of Sandra Cantu.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: And we will have a live report from you from Tracy, California, on the investigation a little bit later this hour.

Also police in New Orleans are searching for two gunmen they say barged into a home and killed two children and a young woman. It happened early this morning in Terre Town, Louisiana. Two boys, a 23- month-old and a 6-year-old were found in their beds shot in the head. A third child is in critical condition. Police say they found marijuana and crack cocaine at that apartment.

Tennessee's governor is touring the damage left behind by some really nasty storms that swept through his state. A woman and her baby were killed by a tornado in the town of Murfreesboro last night. Dozens of others were injured. At least 250 homes were either damaged or destroyed.

The storms, they snapped trees you can see, they crushed boat houses and demolished homes in parts of Alabama as well. The towns of Langdon and Guntersville were the hardest hit. And then we go South Carolina, a driver trying to avoid the storm debris was killed. Tens of thousands throughout the region are still without power this Saturday afternoon.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LONG: It is coming up on 2:15 in the afternoon. It is dark now in the port of Mombasa, but we have pictures we're bringing you live from the port as that ship, the Maersk Alabama, has now docked. The crew members who had been held captive, of course, as you know regained control of the vessel. We're going to bring you more on their fate and, of course, the fate of the captain still being held at sea by Somali pirates.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: In Italy today, signs of life under the wreckage and five days after that quake. Rescuers are digging urgently but carefully today. They think someone may be alive in the rubble of that building that pancaked in Monday's 6.2 magnitude quake. Search dogs picked up strong human scents. The earthquake death toll rose to 291 people today.

The nation's response to North Korea's rocket launch seems to be gaining traction. China, the north's ally, wants a presidential statement from the U.N. to condemn last weekend's launch. That response would not be as strong as the U.N. security council resolution. Today Japan backed off its demand for a resolution and a vote could come next week if an agreement can be finalized on paper.

Some might call it a snub at President Obama. Arizona State University, ASU, says it is honored the president will be speaking at next month's commencement service but the school does not plan to give Mr. Obama an honorary degree.

CNN's Kate Bolduan at the White House for us today. And Kate, what do you know about the tradition there at ASU?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there Melissa. Well ASU describes an honorary degree as a way to acknowledge people who have made contributions to society. Right now, at least it seems President Obama doesn't make that cut.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN (voice-over): Sandra Day O'Connor received one after serving on the Supreme Court for just three years of her nearly quarter century on the bench. So did Barry Goldwater in 1961 before running for president. And even a former owner of the Phoenix Suns and the Chinese vice minister of education received honorary degrees from Arizona State University.

But not so for President Obama. ASU has reportedly decided against awarding the degree to the president when he speaks to its graduating class of more than 8,000 next month.

A spokeswoman telling the "Associated Press, quote, "It's our practice to recognize an individual for his body of work, somebody who's been in their position for a long time." She goes on to say, "His body of work is yet to come. That's why we're not recognizing him with a degree at the beginning of his presidency." It's tradition for presidents to choose a select few graduation ceremonies to speak at, and in turn colleges and universities often honor them with honorary degrees, leaving many, including presidential historian Bob Dalec, scratching their heads.

BOB DALLEK, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Does it add more to the stature of Arizona State University or to Barack Obama's stature? I would think it adds more to the stature of Arizona State University, having given this African-American president the first in our history an honorary degree.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Now, in a late development Friday, ASU's president told Politico they are reconsidering their position saying, quote, there was no intended slight. The president went on to say they have not yet talked about the honors they were going to give the president for being the commencement speaker and still have a month to figure all of that out. Melissa?

LONG: Kate Bolduan live for us from Washington. Thank you, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Of course.

LONG: Millions of Americans are out of work. Now some are getting support from their alma mater.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Perhaps on a Saturday afternoon, you find yourself without work. Well, your alma mater may actually be able to help you to find your next job.

Here's CNN's Christine Romans from New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Are you an out-of-work tar heel? The University of North Carolina wants to give you a $100 discount on Kaplan test prep courses. The University of Michigan offers grads discounts on health insurance and prescriptions.

At the University of Chicago, the law school's free day-long career counseling event sold out in just 24 hours. And at St. John's University in New York, former students down on their luck who have lost jobs within the last six months pay half price for a graduate degree.

KATHLEEN DAVIS, ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY: St. John's is built on its mission where we wish to assist those and our focus on assisting those who are in need. At this point in time, our alumni are in need, and that is why their program was put into place.

ROMANS: My workster is a Web site that helps alums network with others who've also graduated from their university. Registration has jumped 1500 percent over the past few months.

DOUG BARUCHIN, MYWORKSTER.COM: It makes it much easier to talk to somebody that you actually worked with in the past saying, hey, I'm out of a job. I need help. I'm coming back to my university. What can you do for me?

ROMANS: So many people asking Duke University, what can you do for me, this recent life-after-banking event sold out.

ARUNA INALSINGH, DUKE UNIVERSITY CLUB OF NEW YORK: We signed up with a minimum number of people and it ended up being, we had a huge waiting list. Now we've actually been trying -- we told everybody, ok, sold out and go on stand-by.

ROMANS: Alums either looking for a job or just brushing up connections.

JORGE GUIGOU, DUKE UNIVERSITY ALUMNUS: You hope that, you know, there will be another day and you can learn from the experiences and it's always a good opportunity to try to meet more people.

ROMANS (on camera): Call the alumni office. There are a lot of different programs out there from free membership to alumni associations to cash assistance or discounted tuition if you go back for an advanced degree. But act soon. Some of these offers are limited. An important note, college graduates still have a much lower unemployment rate than the nation as a whole, 4.3 percent versus 8.5 percent.

Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: And we pick up this hour -- actually, I should say this topic next hour, and at 4:00 p.m. eastern. So for the next couple of hours. But in particular we want to highlight what's going on at 4:00 p.m. We're going to dedicate the hour to the theme of spend it or save it? We're going to be looking at ways that you can stimulate the economy and also what you should be saving at this point. Or maybe you shouldn't be saving.

Is this the ideal time to buy a vehicle? Is this the ideal time to refinance your mortgage? We're going to have a panel of experts join us. Josh Levs is going to get answers to your questions about spending or saving in this recession. And you can send us your questions and your stories to us weekends@cnn.com. You can also communicate with us through Josh's Facebook page. And we're going to share some of your comments coming up again, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Now, to fight a pirate, you have to think like a pirate. So we're going to visit a Florida company that puts crews through simulated security drills.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Let's get an update now on our lead story this Saturday. The Maersk Alabama, that's the American ship hijacked by pirates this week, has arrived safely in a port in Kenya. Crew members were, of course, so happy when it docked.

But Captain Richard Phillips, who was taken hostage by the pirates at the very same time remains captive aboard a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean. Third U.S. navy ship is expected to arrive in that area some time later today. The company that owns the Maersk Alabama is scheduled to hold a news conference in Virginia about an hour from now. When it starts we'll bring it to you live.

Crews undergo training for pirate attacks. Janine Stanwood, with our Miami station WPLG, takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANINE STANWOOD, WPLG REPORTER: No, I'm not in an actual ship I'm in a simulator in Dania Beach equipped with radar and controls very much like the "Maersk Alabama" and it's where companies come to train for crisis.

(voice-over): And tonight it's a potential attack. We're moving at 20 knots off the coast of Somalia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, we do not have a visual sighting at this time.

STANWOOD: A skiff's been spotted off the star board quarter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Full force on the (INAUDIBLE) in their direction.

STANWOOD: Pirates, and they're armed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the guys is firing, looks like an automatic weapon up in the air I think he's trying to get our attention.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, understood, mate. Go ahead, take your team, take cover.

STANWOOD: The crew works on the bridge and calls down to the engine room and up in control, and it's all just a training exercise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to be prepared for all eventualities at sea and we train our people to be prepared for the unexpected and to think about the unthinkable.

STANWOOD: It's the simulation training assessment and research center, or S.T.A.R. center that provides maritime training with Coast Guard certified instructors and high-tech digs with rolling video waves that make your gut churn.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is identical equipment, it's actual equipment that's on board the vessel.

STANWOOD: A shipping company they train, Maersk, whose cargo ship "Alabama" was almost hijacked. Instead the captain surrendered himself.

CAPT. PHILLIP SHULLO, STAR CENTER: For anybody to give himself up as a hostage, that's amazing to me.

STANWOOD (on camera): There are only a handful of simulators like this in the world. Hundreds of people pass through this Dania Beach facility every year. Trainers say that they want boat captains from cargo ships and cruise lines to be prepared for just about anything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: Again, next hour at 3:30 Eastern time, Maersk shipping officials are holding a news conference from their headquarters. We will bring it to you live as soon as it starts.

Tonight at 8:00 Eastern time, a CNN "SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: Somali Pirates: Can They Be Stopped?" Who are the Somali pirates hijacking ships and capturing Americans? CNN takes you inside a story that certainly captured the world's attention tonight at 8:00 Eastern.

California police have a 28-year-old Sunday school teacher in custody in connection with the death of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu. David Begnaud with our CNN affiliate KOVR TV is in the town of Tracy for us. What have investigators been telling you, David?

DAVID BEGNAUD, KOVR TV CORRESPONDENT: Well Melissa, they just wrapped up a news conference where they told us that this Sunday school teacher came in on her own last night, spent five hours with them, went in very relaxed, started interrogating with police, then became very angry and towards the end of the interrogation, to quote police, became accepting of what was happening.

Talk about a bizarre story. This Sunday school teacher lived in the mobile home park behind me, just a few homes down from the victim. Not only did she live near the eight-year-old girl, her daughter was best friends with the victim. The suspect's name is Melissa Huckaby. As you said, she's a Sunday school teacher whose grandfather pastors a nearby church.

Here's where it gets interesting, the victim's body was found on Monday of this week floating in a black suitcase at the bottom of an irrigation pond. Melissa Huckaby told police that on the day Sandra Cantu disappeared two weeks ago -- in fact at the very hour she was reported missing, Melissa Huckaby says that someone stole a black suitcase from her driveway.

But she told police at the time she never reported it missing because she didn't have the internet access to do so. Yesterday, Melissa Huckaby did something very surprising. She gave interviews to dozens of media outlets saying that this black suitcase was still missing, but she said that what she saw on the news of the suitcase that the little girl's body had been in, she didn't think it was her suitcase.

Well, as soon as those media reports aired, police called Melissa Huckaby and basically said, look, we talked to you this week and the stories you told us aren't jiving with the stories we're hearing in the media. Why don't you come in and talk to us?

She spent six hours with police and at 12:00 this morning roughly, police arrested her, charging her with kidnapping and murder. Today, Sandra Cantu's family emerged from their mobile home for the very first time saying that at a time like this, you never know who you can trust, even your own neighbors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE CHAVEZ, UNCLE: I mean, everybody that walks by now with a great deal of suspicion because you never know, you know. We're like shell-shocked here, you know. And hopefully, you know, with time and trust in God, Jesus Christ that we're going to be able to trust people again. But, you know, who do you -- who can you trust at this point? Who do you know?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BEGNAUD: And that was Joe Chavez, little Sandra's aunt. Police stopped short of saying that the suspect confessed. But everything they said in this press conference today seemed to indicate that again, she came in very relaxed. Through the course of the interrogation, Melissa got angry and then at the end was resigned to the fact that she knew what was happening.

LONG: It is very bizarre. What do we know about the autopsy and when we might know how the little girl died?

BEGNAUD: Well that's a good question. Police have not told us at this point the results of the autopsy saying it could be weeks pending toxicology. We don't know if possibly she was sexually assaulted or how she died. But this was interesting to note, police said today that they believe now having interviewed the suspect, having booked her into jail, they think that little Sandra was killed very quickly after she disappeared that Friday afternoon, seen skipping away from her home on surveillance video.

LONG: David Begnaud, live for us from Tracy, California. He's with affiliate KOVR. David, thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LONG: Very nice weather today for the masters in Augusta. And of course teeing off right now also a young lady is making headlines of her own on the green and the lady goes by the name of Woods.

CNN's Larry Smith introduces you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cheyenne Woods isn't just another collegiate golfer. There's that name, Woods. That cool demeanor that seems familiar, and she can get in touch with the world's best golfer. CHEYENNE WOODS, WAKE FOREST GOLF TEAM: I just call him Tiger, I guess uncle Tiger, yeah. I don't know about uncle Eldrick that doesn't sound right.

SMITH: You see, Cheyenne's dad is Tiger's older half-brother. She won't shake her famous relative any time soon but she's trying to make a name for herself as a freshman on the Wake Forest University golf team.

NANNETTE HILL, CHEYENNE'S TEAMMATE: She definitely isn't the type that wants more attention or special privileges because she's Tiger Woods' niece. She never even like says it. Sometimes we will be in the airport and we might want to throw it out, name drop. But she's not like that.

WOODS: That's the hardest thing growing up with the name of Woods, is having that expectation and having that -- growing up in that shadow of Tiger Woods. But I've kind of learned to just kind of play my own game.

SMITH: Cheyenne dreams of joining her famous uncle one day as a professional golfer. Her late grandfather, Earl Woods, started her in the game the same way he launched Tiger's career.

WOODS: The first club I ever picked up was one of Tiger's old cut-down clubs. When I was about 3 years old, I think, my grandpa like had a net in his garage and I just started hitting balls. When I was about 6, I got my first set of clubs and started hitting and played my first tournament when I was 8. And I have just been playing ever since then.

SMITH: Cheyenne's teammates and coach have already noticed at least one similarity between her and Tiger ...

HILL: She's playing bad or she's playing good, you will never know. She's very just -- she doesn't get too up, too down.

DIANNE DAILEY, WAKE FOREST'S GOLF COACH: I think she's very, very competitive. She wants to win. I don't think she at this point has the -- the true competitiveness that he has. But I think she's getting there.

SMITH: And for the 18-year-old Woods, playing before the cameras brings out her best.

WOODS: Ever since I started playing like really big tournaments, I've had like cameras following me so I've gotten used to it. But I guess I kind of like it sometimes. I feel like I play better under pressure and with cameras there it kind of brings the pressure of having to, I don't know, like show off, I don't know.

SMITH: It would seem, like uncle, like niece.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: We certainly know what the late Earl Woods did for Tiger's career. If he could do the same for his granddaughter's career, look out LPGA tour in a few years.

Let's go back to you.

LONG: Can't wait to follow her career in greater detail. What about Cheyenne's famous uncle, how is he doing at the masters?

SMITH: He's having a tough weekend. He double bogeyed on number one. So it's two more strokes. He got a birdie later. So right now he's at 1 under par. The leaders are about to tee off and at the moment Tiger stands eight shots behind them. Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry, as they get set to tee off here in round three. Tiger still in the front nine, has a long way to go. But he's dug himself quite a hole if he's going to try to get that fifth green jacket tomorrow.

LONG: Larry Smith for us live from the masters. Larry thank you.

Here's a sweet deal in some tough times, how about recession- proof chocolate?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: These days a lot of people are cutting back, buying really only what we need and putting off buying what we really want. With one exception, it seems.

CNN's Atika Shubert has found an affordable luxury.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chocolate eggs, despite the global financial gloom, London's chocolatiers are reporting record sales this year.

(on camera): It turns out chocolate can beat the recession. Psychologists and economists agree that in troubled times people turn to something sweet and creamy for comfort.

(voice-over): In fact the British retail consortium estimates consumers will spend more than $650 million on chocolate this Easter, almost 10 percent of the year's total sales. Rococo Chocolates is one such success story. Started more than 20 years ago it has already survived one recession and has now expanded to three stores at prestigious addresses.

CHANTAL COADY, ROCOCO CHOCOLATES: I noticed that in the last recession, which I was a part of as well, chocolate was always that affordable luxury, which perhaps rather than that very expensive bottle of champagne or wine or something, they might come and get some chocolate instead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So these eggs are going to be hollow eggs.

SHUBERT: Rococo's Chocolatier Lauren Cocho(ph) tempers much of his chocolate by hand, aiming for the luxury market. His truffles were slipped into the goodie bags of world leaders at the G-20 summit. Enough to give you the taste of indulgence without emptying your wallet. A gilded hand painted chocolate egg can cost as much as $27 but smaller sweets are more affordable starting at $5.

COADY: Chocolate has been one of those things through my life which has always brought me great pleasure. I think particularly when I was at school, I went to boarding school, it was the thing which was the most reliable thing in my life. And I thought if I could be surrounded by chocolate all of the time, I would always be happy.

SHUBERT: Happy and profitable, recession or not. Atika Shubert, CNN, London.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: All right, now I'm hungry. Some people are looking to buy a lot more than just chocolate though. You may want to take advantage of low prices for homes or for cars, maybe refinance your mortgage or maybe you're trying to decide just how much shopping you should be doing in this economy. There are some great bargains out there. We are dedicating our 4:00 p.m. Eastern hour today to the theme of spend it or save it? We're going to get some of your questions, get some of your suggestions as well.

Josh Levs has been gathering some of the questions. Are we seeing a theme, Josh? Any common themes developing?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are, it's interesting. You know we're actually hearing from people on some of the major topics, we're going to be hitting today, buying cars, right, buying homes. Also general questions about what do you do when it comes to spending in this economy.

Let me give you an example. Here's what we got at weekends@cnn, we'll get it into the show. Why is there not more emphasis on revamping current credit card reporting rules? This is from Susan, who says you know what, because of the current system, it's just not a good time to buy anything.

Over here at my Facebook page, JoshLevscnn we're getting questions as well. Let's take a look at one of these right here. Nancy Travers wants to know how to shop for refinancing focusing on smaller closing costs when buying a house? These are all sorts of great questions that we'd love to hear from you on.

Also Melissa, we're having a little bit of fun at iReport as well. In that 4:00 hour, we're going to be showing some of these victory gardens that people have put together, celebrating or trying to, kind of a push -- you know, push that negativity out of their lives and overcome the economy through saving some money with their own garden. So we're using all of our interactive features today.

Let's show you the graphic quickly. You have the e-mail address on it and you have my Facebook page, it's weekends@cnn.com or my Facebook, Josh Levs CNN. And you know what Melissa, pretty much I'm tethered to the computer between now and the end of the show at 5:00. As they come in, we see them right then. We're going to get as many of your questions answered as we can.

LONG: Looking forward to -- hey, are we Facebook friends?

LEVS: You know, I think ...

LONG: I don't know, I need to go online right now and make sure we are.

LEVS: Me too, that would be awful if we're not.

LONG: I know, OK. I feel snubbed. Thanks, Josh.

LEVS: See ya.

LONG: A hacker could turn off your electricity with a simple point and click of a mouse? How the U.S. is confronting this threat from cyber terrorists.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: One of the creators of the Philadelphia sound is dead. Randy Cain. A moment ago you saw him on the left of your television screen. Founder member of the group Delfonics, the Philadelphia soul band that recorded hits like "Lala Means I Love You" and "Didn't I Blow your Mind this Time." Can left the group back in 1971 but then rejoined it in the 1980s. There is no word on a cause for his death. He was 63.

A difficult decision out of Detroit. Twenty-three schools, they have to be shut down. 600 teachers laid off. The man who's overseeing the public schools trying to deal with a projected deficit of more than $300 million.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT BOBB, DETROIT SCHOOLS EMERG. FINANCIAL MGR.: The bottom line is that we have too many building for too few students. And so we -- the reality is that school buildings will have to be closed and consolidated. Following a series of input from the community, I will make my final decision on these rounds of closing by May 8th.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: If these closures are approved, more than 7,500 kids will have to switch schools after Labor Day for fall.

Hackers possibly from China and Russia tapping into the U.S. power grid, and it's not the only piece of critical infrastructure they appear to have penetrated.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Could a foreign entity turn off our power from afar with a computer mouse? Two former federal officials tell CNN hackers have embedded software in the electrical grid that could potentially disrupt the system or even destroy equipment.

JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: You know I don't think it's appropriate for me to confirm that one way or the other. But what Ii can say is that the vulnerability has been something that the Department of Homeland Security and the energy sector have known about for years.

MESERVE: It is hard to trace the origin of covert cyber activities but there is heavy suspicious that China and Russia are involved.

ROBERT BAER, FORMER CIA OFFICER: This is deterrence in the event of war they're going to have another weapon at their disposal, which will be to turn off our power.

MESERVE: But the power grid is not the only vulnerable sector. According to the former officials, malicious code has also apparently been found in the computer systems of the oil and gas, telecommunications and financial services industries. What is discovered can be destroyed, but experts doubt everything has been found.

SCOTT BORG, U.S. CYBER CONSEQUENCES UNIT: If you have somebody who knows what they are doing writing that code and embedding it in a clever way, you can look right at it and not recognize it.

MESERVE: The implications are extraordinarily serious.

FRANCES FRAGOS TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: When I think of terrorism, I think of high-end WMD terrorism, nuclear, biological weapons. And I put cyber right in the same category. Not because of the likely loss of life. I put it up there because of the likely economic impact.

MESERVE (on camera): In 2007, a government experiment demonstrated that a cyber attack could destroy electrical equipment but critics say the electric industry has not done enough to ferret out cyber vulnerabilities or close them. The industry says it is making progress.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: Of course, the movies are meant to entertain but the government wants to give you a reality check as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: As bank foreclosures are mounting, so are the number of scam artists trying to feed off the desperation. Now the government is fighting back using Hollywood as a partner.

CNN's Kara Finnstrom brings you the story. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eye-popping, jaw-dropping, trailers for this summer's blockbusters promise escape.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did we go back in time and space.

FINNSTROM: This weekend some moviegoers will also get a shot of reality.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you facing foreclosure?

FINNSTROM: Ouch. For the first time ever the Federal Reserve has created movie trailers warning Americans about mortgage scams.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It shouldn't hurt to get help.

FINNSTROM: They're showing in seven states, hit hard by foreclosures, and now facing a new scam. Companies charging big bucks for false promises to help people keep their homes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I made one decision to spend this money to try and help us out that turned out to be such a bad decision.

FINNSTROM: Lisa Robert has been laid off. She and her husband have two kids and their mortgage payment is about to go up. They paid a company nearly $5,000 to get their loan modified. But four months later, she says she's gotten nothing for her money.

LISA ROBERT: I'm so angry, because I feel like I'm an educated person. I think, actually, the PSAs should be broadened in terms of not just being placed in movie theaters.

BILL MITCHELL, BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU: For the most part, the public is pretty ignorant of the way this stuff works.

FINNSTROM: Bill Mitchell with the Better Business Bureau, says several hundred loan modification companies have popped up just in the Los Angeles area during the past eight months, and many practice unethically. People who need a loan modification, should they be going to companies like this?

MITCHELL: Absolutely not.

FINNSTROM (on camera): So, what should struggling homeowners do? Well, the point of the fed's ads is to inform the public they should work directly with their lender or a nonprofit, HUD-approved counselor, and in most cases that's going to be completely free.

Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: Some breaking news. As you know we have been following the fate of the American captain held captive by Somali pirates far out to sea. We have learned of shots being fired now at sea. Let's find out more from

CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, who joins us live from Bahrain. Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Melissa, we have spoken to a U.S. official familiar with the situation who tells CNN about 12 or 13 hours ago, there was another round of gunfire. By all accounts, what happened was the navy onboard the USS Bainbridge tried to send a small team on a small boat over to this life vessel where the captain is being held.

They came off the Bainbridge, got in an inflatable boat, tried to go over to the lifeboat. As they approached it, the pirates fired upon that U.S. navy team. They beat a hasty retreat, we are told. They did not want to endanger the life of Captain Phillips. They did not return fire, they simply withdrew very quickly when the pirates fired upon them.