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Endeavor Returning Home; Congress Not at Work?; Bribery Allegations Against Detroit Ex-Mayor; Two Men Arrested in Connection with Texas Church Fires; The Gift of Music; "Embrace Life" Video Goes Viral

Aired February 21, 2010 - 22:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. We thank you for joining us. And we want you to, if you're watching now, call your friends. They may not be watching television. Because this is something that happens rarely. We're looking at a rare nighttime landing for the space shuttle. It was a bit iffy earlier because of weather, and they were concerned that they may not be able to land at two different areas here, two different landing places here in the United States.

NASA has its eyes really on the sky tonight as we do. You're looking at live pictures now as you see. This is from NASA television. And these pictures right now are from the space shuttle "Endeavour." The shuttle and its six-member crew are on their way home from the International Space Station. And as you can see, we are counting down. It should happen in just about 20 minutes. We're going to bring it to you live here.

Within the past hour, NASA gave the go-ahead despite cloudy weather all day long. I want to bring in quickly CNN's John Zarrella. He is in Miami for us tonight. And also our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras right here in the CNN severe weather center.

So, Jacqui, the issue is we look at these live pictures from NASA, and again, as we are waiting, probably happening in about 20 minutes. What was the problem? What is the problem with the weather not only in Florida but also elsewhere to try to land the shuttle?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that's right. You know, we've had clouds in both areas, at Kennedy Space Center there in Florida, then also Edwards Air Force base out in California. And the biggest concern has been clouds across the area. We still have overcast skies right now at Kennedy Space Center, but they did give the go. It's a higher-level deck of clouds. So in the lower levels we're just looking at some scattered clouds. So I guess they're within that parameter, that 30 nautical miles that they're able to land the shuttle tonight.

LEMON: And John Zarrella, as Jacqui and I stand by here, this is -- as we said, it's the 23rd landing, but nighttime landings are very rare. And when you look at what's happening today, the possibility of not being able to land in two places, it makes this one even more exciting. JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, no question about it. And there were concerns they waited till the very, very last minute before they gave the go-ahead to the crew for that deorbit burn. They're in a blackout period right now, as they're plowing through the earth's atmosphere, absorbing all that heat on those tiles.

Pretty quickly now, Don, they'll be passing over Central America, then up through the Yucatan Channel there, between Cuba and Mexico, then across the West Coast of Florida and landing.

They were saying they flew the shuttle training aircraft around the area of the Cape, and they noticed the cloud cover at about 8,000 feet below that, as Jacqui was mentioning, very thin clouds. And they said, you know, it really looks like a pretty good night for a landing here at the Cape. So at that point, Don, they went ahead and gave the go-ahead for "Endeavour" to come on home.

LEMON: And John, when you see it moving like that on that map, which is, you know, a pretty big area to cover, you know that that thing is moving. So listen, this was, what, a two-week mission. 5.7 million miles. And really virtually what they did in this mission is a completion of the space station.

ZARRELLA: Yes, without a doubt. 90 percent complete now. But from the outside it's completely complete. The next four space shuttle missions, the last four in shuttle program history will bring up extra supplies, staples, things that they need. Experiment racks. So that it will be a completely stocked space station once the shuttle program ends in September.

They were able to put up what's called the Cupola, which is this spectacular domed room with windows, seven windows on it, and they can look out, they can see the earth. It will also allow them to steer and guide robotic spacecrafts, re-supply ships, much easier than they can now.

You know, I interviewed the astronauts last night from space, and they were saying that they really wish they could describe to us exactly what that view is looking out, all those winds from the cupola. They said it's just impossible to put into words.

LEMON: Yes, I would imagine it is impossible. It is beautiful. Every time I see a takeoff and the landing. I don't know if Jacqui can answer this or John Zarrella.

Listen, so then why, I think Tuesday, they could last as far as long as Tuesday, right, with the supplies and fuel and all that stuff that they had. So why? Is there just enough of a break right now that they said OK, let's try this, even though the weather is terrible?

JERAS: Yes. Enough of a break. And, you know, it's a lot more expensive for them to have to land at the alternate places over at Edwards or at White Sands. So tomorrow the weather, believe it or not, looks worse in Florida. We're expecting a greater chance of not just the clouds but the showers. And even possibly a thunderstorm tomorrow. So I think tomorrow they wouldn't be able to land at Kennedy Space Center. They would have to opt out for Edwards.

LEMON: Hey, John, quickly, what are we going to see here? Because as it -- this shuttle, as we said, it's moving, and as it quickly comes into range, we said that this was a rare nighttime landing. So when are we going to start seeing some pictures, or at least, you know, something from the dark. We know they'll light up a big runway.

ZARRELLA: The runway will be lit up. I'm sure it's already lit up there. And it will probably be a couple of minutes before -- not a daytime landing. So we're not going to be able to see it quite as good. We'll probably pick it up on infrared cameras that NASA will have out. And then we should get a heads-up display at some point from inside the cockpit, what the commander and the pilot are looking at as they line up for that runway approach and the landing at Kennedy.

We may not hear it, but the people there will hear that double sonic boom, too, when they re-enter the earth's atmosphere.

LEMON: Hey, listen, just as you were talking there, a picture of the runway came up. It's kind of dark. They're going to light it up in just a little bit. Again, we want to tell our viewers that these pictures are controlled. This is NASA TV. And so we don't have control of these pictures. So they're switching back and forth between the command center there and the runway, and also showing the map of where the space shuttle is going to land or where it is now.

So, listen, I'm going to tell our viewers, we are awaiting the landing of the space shuttle "Endeavour." It's a rare nighttime landing. It doesn't happen very often. And there was some question about whether it could land or not because of the weather. The weather is iffy.

According to Jacqui Jeras, there's a little bit of break in the weather and that was enough for them to try to land. So so far it's a go. We're going to have it right here on CNN. We're going to carry it live. The landing of the space shuttle "Endeavour" just moments away here on CNN.

Stand by, John Zarrella. Stand by, Jacqui Jeras. Thank you both very much. See you soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying this doesn't create any new jobs, and then they go out and they do the photo ops, and they're posing with the big check and they say, isn't this great, look what the kind of --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That was California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, on ABC this morning criticizing his own party for being the party of no. Is this why the government is broken? Many say that. Well, you're going to hear what he had to say, as well as other governors, Republicans and Democrats, and you'll hear the politics and the economics of broken government with CNN's Mark Preston and economist Peter Morici, standing by live.

And again, also live, we're standing by for the space shuttle landing. You'll see it right here on CNN. It should happen in about 15 minutes. Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: You know, this week at CNN will investigate a deepening problem obvious to Americans all across the country. Government appears to have stopped working. Congress can't seem to get anything done because of what one exiting senator calls tribal politics. People from coast-to-coast are fed up with it.

CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser breaks down the numbers of the sobering new poll.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Don, some sobering numbers in our new poll. 86 percent of the people we question say the government in this country is broken. That according to our new CNN Opinion Research Corporation national survey that we put out earlier today. That number is up eight points over the last four years.

But here's the flip side. More than 8 in 10 people that we questioned say the government can be fixed. It appears Americans aren't giving up hope that Washington can be repaired -- Don?

LEMON: Let's bring in now CNN political editor -- thank you very much. Let's bring in Mark Preston and economics professor Peter Morici. They both join us now from Washington.

Hey, guys, thank you very much. You know, we're waiting for the space shuttle. I'm sure you're excited about it. Let's talk about some broken government. And when you look at those polls, Peter, what should we read? What should we garner or gain from that?

PETER MORICI, ECONOMIC PROFESSOR: Well, Americans are starting to recognize that their government, whether it's the federal government or the state government, has promised to spend trillions of dollars more than it can collect in tax revenues in this decade. We've gone from a very small deficit in 2007 to a huge one after we recover from this recession.

LEMON: Hey, so listen, Mark, then, the thing is, though, it seems like there is optimism on some point because they said it can be fixed.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes, sure. It certainly can be fixed. And I think that's the can-do attitude that Americans have. But the fact of the matter is that's still an astronomical number. You know, we're just 20 points shy or less than 20 points shy of -- LEMON: But that's them saying, that's them saying it can be fixed, right? But you know, the people in Washington, do they believe it can be fixed? Because they're not working together.

PRESTON: Well, look, it all depends on who you're talking to. If you're a Democrat, you're going to say Republicans aren't working well enough with us. If you're Republicans, you're going to say we've been shut out of the process. President Obama has talked a lot about it, Don, about the idea that Republicans need to come to the table and work with them. The fact is Republicans say we come to the table but President Obama's already ordered the meal for us. So it's pretty hard for us to be part of the process.

LEMON: And I want to tell you guys that the U.S. Senate has scheduled a procedural vote tomorrow on that bill. It is supposed to create some jobs, right? The sweetener is that business will get a $1,000 tax credit for new hires that stay on the job for one year. And then with national unemployment at 9.7 percent the bill could be critical.

So, Mark, what are the prospects for this bill passing?

PRESTON: Well, it's up in the air right now if they're going to get the 60 votes needed in order to clear this hurdle. The fact is Republicans are mad that a larger bill, an $85 billion bill, was taken off the table by Senate Democrats.

Here's the problem right now. Scott Brown was elected for Massachusetts as a Republican for Ted Kennedy's seat. That took away the 60th vote. Frank Lautenberg, who's a New Jersey senator, was just diagnosed with cancer. He's not going to be here. So in order to get the 60 Democrats, we need to get two Republicans, at least two Republicans, tomorrow to get this bill through.

LEMON: Peter, Mitch McConnell says some Republicans might actually vote for it.

MORICI: Well, I think they will because they want to appear to be doing something about jobs. But the fact of the matter is this will only create jobs temporarily. It will add to the deficit. And it doesn't fix what we call broken government.

LEMON: Who stands to lose most on this vote at the White House? Is it Republicans? Is it Democrats?

Mark?

PRESTON: You know, I think that Republicans have the most to lose. And I think Peter is correct that they will get the votes there because the fact is they can't -- it can't appear as if they're trying to stop the idea of creating jobs.

But look, the long-term problem is -- for Democrats is, you know, they have to start producing, you know, a lot of what they've passed hasn't really gone into motion for them. The November elections are right around the corner. And really, voters are frustrated. And we've seen that in President Obama's approval rating. It has dropped significantly from this time last year.

LEMON: All right, so Mark and Peter, politicians have been railing against broken government since Ronald Reagan. We know that. Gridlock and inaction in Washington only gets worse, it seems, not better.

So all this week CNN, as you guys know, we're going to take an in-depth look at the reasons government is not functioning as it should be, and what can be done about it. So as the nation's governors know all too well, the issue is extremely urgent.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JIM BROWN (R), VERMONT: We've got a national debt that's now over $12 trillion. We've got unemployment that's higher than it's been in our lifetime. We have an economy and a government that are indeed broken. So we have no choice but to get folks in Washington to come together, to find some common ground, as governors do, as we do in our states, and address the challenges of the American people.

GOV. DEVAL PATRICK (D), MASSACHUSETTS: We have large numbers of people out of work all across the country in varying degrees and different ones of our states. The Congress has before it a proposal to extend unemployment benefits.

That's not because we want people to become reliant on unemployment benefits. But it's just because we want people to be able to bridge to a better and stronger economy. There hasn't been action on that. There's a jobs bill that's been proposed by the White House. It's been in discussion up on Capitol Hill. The House has passed it. The Senate hasn't moved it. We need that kind of action, and we need it now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So Mark and Peter, this seems like such a contrast that the governors present. You have the chief executives of all 50 states are loyal members of their respective parties. They're actually working out problems together. So peter, dare we say that they actually seem to like each other?

MORICI: Well, they both want -- both parties, whatever governors you have, want money from Washington. Remember that Washington has pushed a lot of medical spending mandates down on them through Medicaid and Medicare -- through Medicaid. And as a consequence they want Washington to help out.

What's more, they really can't fix the employment problem. They need Washington to do that, and not by spending more government money, but by fixing the trade deficit. Because of lost manufacturing jobs we have not created a single private sector job because of the trade deficit since 1999 in the United States.

LEMON: That's going to have to be the last word. Peter Morici, thank you. Mark Preston, as always good to see you. Thank you, sir.

And again, I want to tell you that CNN is taking a hard look at the cracks in our system. We're cutting through the political games and looking for the fixes in a new series that we're calling "Broken Government." I want you to look for it all next week right here on CNN.

And again, we want to take you live to space shortly. You're looking at live pictures now from mission control. The "Endeavour" is coming home soon. It should land in about five minutes. Five minutes. We're going to carry it live here on CNN. So don't go away. Right after the break, we're going to watch the space shuttle land. Rare nighttime landing on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just over five minutes to touchdown. "Endeavour" is approaching that heading alignment circle wherein the commander will take over flying "Endeavour" around the imaginary cylinder to set up for the final approach at the desired heading altitude, air speed, and rate of descent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We want to welcome our viewers from around the world right now. I'm Don Lemon. You see Jacqui Jeras and John Zarrella also joining me. You're watching CNN domestic, live here on the East Coast, it is 10:18 p.m. Eastern. In about two minutes we should see the space shuttle "Endeavour" landing. Its arrival home to Florida's Kennedy Space Center, a rare nighttime landing. I'm hearing, John Zarrella, 23rd time out of 103.

ZARRELLA: 130. 131 space shuttle missions now, and only the 23rd night landing. About 17, I believe, here at the Kennedy Space Center.

LEMON: And Jacqui, you know, we went through the whole thing with weather. As we listen here, a little bit of break. And so it may be a little bit tricky as they're dealing with this weather because they couldn't land in two spots.

JERAS: Yes. They've got some overcast conditions up at about 20,000 feet. But clouds are just scattered at 7,500, and that's why they're able to get through there. As you look at that satellite, it looks like solid clouds, but we don't have a visible satellite to show you because the sun is down.

LEMON: Let's get those live pictures back and see what the space shuttle is doing now. It should land. Should be a little over a minute. So live pictures now. This is, again, from NASA TV.

It appears to be some sort of night-vision. Do you know what this is, John? ZARRELLA: Yes, that's what it is. It's just night-vision. We're looking at it. It may be -- I'm not quite sure. I don't think that that's from the cockpit. I just think that's some night-vision, that they're trying to spot the shuttle. You know, the commander takes control of the shuttle now, and he has to do a big, big loop now that he's back in control off autopilot. And...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Let's listen.

ZARRELLA: Maybe now we can see it there. Yes. There it is. There we go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One minute to touchdown.

ZARRELLA: So he's completed that big loop now, Don. And you know, there's no engines on this now. So, basically, you're just gliding down to earth, and that's it. There's no power. Just a glide back to earth. Just very, very steep glide and pull it up just a little bit.

LEMON: OK. We're going to listen in, John.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's 20 times higher and seven times deeper than a commercial airliner on this final approach. 30 seconds to touchdown. Main gear touchdown. Landing gear is down and locked. Main gear touchdown. Pilot Terry Virts is deploying the drag chute. Nose gear touchdown. "Endeavour" rolling out to runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center, wrapping up a 5.7 million-mile mission.

LEMON: I would say, John Zarrella and Jacqui Jeras, that is a successful landing. Weather did not seem to be a problem at this point, Jacqui.

JERAS: It's beautiful. Great landing. Yes. Everything went well. That's great. You could see some of that cloudiness, though, with some of those night-vision shots. You could see the moisture just lingering there and some clouds in the area.

LEMON: John, no matter how many times you see it your heart races. It's like hearing the national anthem. You could kind of get that pitter-patter and the lump in your throat, right?

ZARRELLA: Yes, you know. And bittersweet, too, when you think about it, Don. This is it. We're coming down to the wire. With this landing that makes only four space shuttle flights left before the fleet is retired. If things proceed on schedule, the last shuttle flight will take off from the Kennedy Space Center on September 16th on an eight-day mission. And then that will be it.

The three space shuttles will be retired and go their ways to various museums. One to the Smithsonian. One maybe to the Kennedy Space Center. One to the Air Force -- Air and Space Museum. All of that is still up in the air. But it's going to be a sad day after almost 30 years these shuttles have been flying. It's pretty spectacular when you think about it in those terms.

LEMON: What are the astronauts saying about that?

ZARRELLA: The astronauts say, you know, it's time to move on. In fact, I interviewed the crew of the final shuttle. I was in Houston a week or so ago, talked to them. They said you know what, it served its purpose. It helped us build the International Space Station. It launched the Hubble Space Telescope, helped us repair, did phenomenal things that, you know, human beings have never been able to accomplish in space before.

But they say it's time to move on. And the hope is that this administration will allow human flight, space flight to move on in some form or fashion down the road as, you know -- Don?

LEMON: John? As we're looking at the sparking here, is this normal?

ZARRELLA: Yes, yes, yes. That's normal. In fact, you only see it in night landings. And I was wondering if in fact we would see it again tonight. That's the ohms pod engines there, and there's venting of some extraneous fuels coming off. So yes, that is common. You only see it at night, though.

LEMON: Yes, I'm getting -- I'm reading some of the things here as we were talking about, you know, getting that lump in your throat, Jacqui and John. Some of the people said "Awesome. 5.7 million-mile mission. Wow, glad it was a safe journey. So cool to see the landing at night."

Other people saying "Thanks for the heads-up, because I tweeted it. Watching now, the space shuttle landing."

It's really great. You know, I said call your friends or call someone and tell them that this is happening, because, again, as you said this is one of the last times it's going to happen, it's history here and it's rare that we get to see this, John.

ZARRELLA: Absolutely. Absolutely, Don. It's the end of an era coming up. And you know, a lot of people say it probably won't be fully appreciated, as many things are, until after it's gone.

LEMON: Jacqui?

JERAS: Yes. Absolutely. Takes my breath away every time I see it. And you know, when weather conditions get a little iffy, you worry about it. I really would hate to be the one to have to make the call to go ahead and do that landing or not tonight. I'll tell you that.

LEMON: Jacqui, look at that. Just great. Imagine being in that cockpit, huh? OK, so that's it. The space shuttle "Endeavour" landed. We're very excited about it. And we're glad it's a successful landing. You know, iffy. That's been the official word that NASA has been using when it comes to the weather. But it landed safely and we're very happy about it. John Zarrella, Jacqui Jeras, thank you both very much. So listen, I want to tell our international viewers, that's it for us. We're going to return you back to iReport for CNN right now.

Want to check your top stories right now. Pilots for one of the world's biggest airlines on strike, and it could cause travel chaos all across the globe. Lufthansa pilots say they are walking off their jobs for four days over pay and contract issues. The German-based airline has already cancelled some 800 flights a day. If you are flying on Lufthansa, you can go to its Web site to find out if your flight is still on schedule.

A memo from last year is coming back to bite Toyota. In it an executive brags about saving $100 million by convincing the government to end an investigation into uncontrolled acceleration in 2007. It involved the Toyota Camry and Lexus ES cars. The document came to light as part of a subpoena by the House Oversight Committee. On Wednesday, Toyota's CEO is testifying before that panel.

Tragedy at a drag race in Arizona today. One of the cars crashed, and its tires spun off, hitting a woman spectator in the stands. She was airlifted to a Phoenix hospital, but she died. The dragster burst into flames. Incredibly, the driver, though, was not hurt.

Authorities are trying to figure out why a freight train jumped the tracks outside of Bakersfield, California. A train car full of plastic pellets caught fire last night, and it's still burning at this hour. Flames and a toxic cloud spewed into the air, and at least six homes remain evacuated. No serious injuries are reported. But authorities are urging residents to keep their windows and doors closed just as a safety precaution.

Deadly mud slides on a Portuguese island. Flood waters overturning cars and flattening trees. The video tells the story. Now a race against the clock to find survivors there.

Plus, it is not like you consider Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to be the model for good government. But the actions that landed him in jail before may just be the tip of the iceberg.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Jacqui Jeras, we have some extreme weather across the country.

JERAS: Yes, we've been looking for the best pictures that we've seen in the last week, Don, and some amazing things happening overseas and right here at home. We're going to take you to the Portugal Island of Madeira right now, where yesterday's rains just brought a torrent of water.

There you can see mud slides and flooding. At least 42 people have been killed. Many more injured. And they expect that more people are likely going to be found. We had about six inches of rain there yesterday, much of which came down in a six-hour period. They are now out there with searchers trying to find people and also some relief supplies have been sent to the area.

LEMON: Hey, Jacqui, we saw some of the video last night. This is different than the video last night. And every day, I mean, this seems just equally as bad as yesterday.

JERAS: Yes. And amazing to see the way that water just rushes up and the force of that water. Yes, moving that car, sliding it right down the hill. You know, it takes less than a foot of water to move a car. About six inches to sweep you off your feet. And those are the stories that we're hearing out of this area, is that people were literally swept off their feet. That's how fast this all came down.

Let's show you what happened here at home. We've been tracking a winter storm that's been moving across the Midwest. Yes, that's a DOT truck out of the state of Kansas. A semi truck apparently hit it this morning. And it flipped over near the Topeka area. The driver was injured, but we're told he's in stable condition now. This was one of many accidents all across the state due to the icy roads and conditions. At least four deaths are being blamed on the weather there. And, of course, that storm continues to be on the move, Don. We'll tell you more about that, what you can expect for tomorrow.

LEMON: Oh, yes.

JERAS: With your wake-up forecast.

LEMON: You want to stick around because Jacqui is going to tell you about your commute. In some places, it may not be so good.

Thank you, Jacqui.

LEMON: You know, flames consumed a string of churches across east Texas. Now authorities say they know who's to blame. Two suspects are now facing charges. Did a $25,000 reward help lead police to them?

And making a difference without saying a word. A viral video finds a new way to remind you to buckle up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: An update on a story we brought to you on this broadcast last Sunday. New details out tonight in east Texas. Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with a string of deliberately set church fires.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Dallas with more on the suspects and the charges they are facing.

Ed?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, authorities say the two young men were arrested late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. One of the men, 21-year-old Daniel McAllister, was arrested in San Antonio. The other, 19-year-old Jason Bourque, was arrested in the Tyler, Texas area. Authorities say they have only been charged with one count of arson so far.

But authorities do say they expect more charges to come. They say these are the two men responsible for burning down ten churches since January 1st. Authorities say it has been very difficult to keep tabs on all of the churches. More than 700 in that east Texas area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN MCCRAW, DIRECTOR TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY: And we're being asked and had an obligation to protect these churches. There are 713 churches in this area of operation. So what we did in effect, working as a team of teams, has conducted a coordinated -- the largest coordinated patrol operation that has been seen in east Texas for one purpose, to prevent one more church from being burned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Just a few days ago, we were reporting from Tyler, Texas. We met with Pastor Brandon Owens. His church was one of the last churches burned about two weeks ago. Pastor Owens said one of his biggest fears is that the culprits for this, the people responsible, might be fellow Christians themselves. And according to authorities, both suspects in this case did attend a nearby Baptist Church in the area.

But they're not saying what the motives are behind this. They will only say that many of the fires, according to one federal law enforcement source, that many of the fires were started in the same way. But beyond that, investigators aren't shedding much more light yet as to what drove these men to start the fires that they are accused of.

Don?

LEMON: All right, Ed. Thank you very much.

Bribes allegedly delivered in envelopes right to Detroit's city hall. New accusations tonight against an ex-mayor who's already served time for obstruction of justice.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: And in tonight's "STATE OF OUR NATION," unfortunately, we can't always rely on our political leaders to do the right thing. It is one of the reasons many Americans think the government is broken. Perfect example is former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. He did jail time after a text-messaging scandal sank his career. And now the "Detroit Free Press" is reporting the feds have evidence that Kilpatrick and his father took bribes.

So joining us now on the phone is Jim Schaefer. He's one of the reporters who broke this story. He's also the co-author of a book on Kwame Kilpatrick's administration. It's called "The Kwame Sutra."

Jim, thank you for joining us.

JIM SCHAEFFER, STAFF WRITER, "DETROIT FREE PRESS" (via telephone): Good evening, Don.

LEMON: So this is significant because, is this the first real connection here to what they're calling possible organized crime?

SCHAEFFER: Yes. You know, this federal investigation in Detroit has been going on for several years. And up to now there have been almost a dozen people that have been indicted in this thing, most of whom have pleaded guilty. We knew they were asking questions about Kwame Kilpatrick and his father, of people they were bringing into the office.

But this is the first time, our story today, is the first time that we have been able to show that the feds have actually been told by a contractor in the city of Detroit that he gave up to $100,000 directly to Kwame Kilpatrick when he was the mayor of the city of Detroit.

LEMON: So Jim, let's talk about the evidence here. I think what it says here, I'm reading from the "Detroit Free Press," is that he accepted the bribes. They came in envelopes to his office. And that someone has testified to that. So that's pretty significant, if that's true. In $20,000 increments, we are told, from someone who is involved in this case. Kwame Kilpatrick is still awaiting sentences, right? Arkota (ph), the person who told him this, is still awaiting sentence.

So what does this mean for the former mayor? Explain to our viewers. We know he is out now. And this is from the text messaging scandal that you broke. He is out of jail now. So what are these new charges or allegations mean for him?

SCHAEFFER: That's right. He's out of jail. He's moved his family down to Texas. They live in a really nice suburb outside of Dallas. And he's trying to move on with his life. But he also has a major problem still in Detroit.

The feds clearly are going after him. And not just him but his father, many of his top-ranking appointees who have either been charged already or are facing charges, possible charges. So this means that he's in big trouble here. I mean, the feds have -- the other part of our story today which your viewers can still see. I'm afraid that comment they want to see it, means part of our story showed today that the federal government is trying to build a Rico case against the administration of Kwame Kilpatrick --

LEMON: Which is organized crime.

SCHAEFFER: Yes. That's a tool they used to use to bust up the mafia. They've used it in many other circumstances in recent decades, and including going after some government people. Rod Blagojevich in Illinois was charged with a Rico charge. But they're basically alleging that the mayor's office in Detroit was used as a racketeering outfit to enrich Kwame Kilpatrick and some other folks. Now, again, he has not been charged, and neither has his father, but they're working very hard toward making that happen here. LEMON: All right. Jim Schaeffer, who is with the "Detroit Free Press." Thank you very much. Unbelievable story. More just keeps coming out. And as he mentioned, FREEP.com, which is F-R-E-E-P.com. And we'll also try to link it. Go to CNN.com/Don. We'll try to link it on our blog as well.

Thank you, Jim.

Time now for your top stories.

Grounded Lufthansa pilots went on strike tonight over pay and job security issues. A walkout is scheduled to last through Thursday. And it could mean lots of delays and cancellations for travelers. If you're flying Lufthansa, go to its Web site to find out if your plane is still on schedule.

Iowa investigators say a fire at an amusement park was sparked when the ceiling of a toy store collapsed. The blaze broke out yesterday at the Adventureland Park in Altoona, which was closed for the season, fortunately. The fire was contained to the park's main street area.

A stunning upset at the winter Olympics in Vancouver. The U.S. hockey team defeated Canada, 5-3. The U.S. hasn't beat Canada in hockey at the Olympics in a half century. Making this the biggest shocker since the U.S. upset the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics. By the way, the anniversary of the 1980 miracle on ice is tomorrow. The U.S. now advances to the quarterfinals.

Jacqui Jeras standing by to tell us what's going to happen with your morning commute. And you want to stay tuned to this.

JERAS: I do. I missed that game, though, Don. Oh, USA, huh? Wow, that's amazing. 5-3. Good for them.

Hey, we're tracking this winter storm in places where a lot of folks like to play hockey. How about that? Up toward Chicago, on up into Milwaukee, and on the south side we've got some heavy to strong thunderstorms. Some of these could get severe down into Louisiana tonight and Mississippi as well. So we'll keep an eye on that.

The snow has been heavy across northern Missouri and into western parts of northern Illinois, where we've already seen a good five inches on the ground here. It's snowing in Chicago. Those big fat heavy flakes. You're under a winter weather advisory. And then we're also starting to see that snow push into the Detroit area. Cleveland, it's not reporting it on the ground. So this is probably virago. But watch for that to push in in the next couple of hours.

For the most part, we're going to see accumulations on the range of three to six inches. But the heaviest to swath, we think right there between Milwaukee and Chicago and just north of Detroit, where a good four to eight-plus inches, a couple of you could get a foot before all is said and done.

So tomorrow's forecast looks like this. More snow, especially in the morning, for Chicago and Milwaukee dying down later in the day. All through the day for you in Detroit. The wet weather pushes towards the East Coast, especially the southeast. Mid-Atlantic states will get in on this action, too. We've got another storm that's been hitting California today. Tomorrow pushing into the four corners. That eventually is going to make its way into Texas. And we could see some snow across central parts of the state by your Tuesday.

If you're trying to travel, these are the areas we're expecting delays tomorrow. The worst of which will be across the Great Lakes, Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit. So pack the patience, as always, Don. It's going to be a rough travel day tomorrow.

LEMON: Thank you, Jacqui. We'll take your advice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (Singing): I am hoping you'll enjoy this keyboard that I'm giving you

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: This is a nice story. We want you to check this one out. The great Stevie Wonder delivering the gift of music to a violinist crippled in the Haitian earthquake after seeing his story on CNN. Stick around for really -- the only way to describe it is a feel-good story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. Watch this next story. A blind concert violinist almost lost his life in the earthquake that devastated Haiti last month. His hands were badly injured. But he refused to lose his ability to play music. And thanks to the legendary Stevie Wonder, he won't have to.

CNN's John Zarrella has his story.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, so far Romel Joseph has had 11 surgeries -- ten on his legs and one on his left hand. Joseph, a concert violinist, he wanted an instrument that would help him regain strength in that left hand. Well, his wish was answered. By a superstar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA (voice-over): For 18 hours, Romel Joseph lay buried in the rubble of his music school in Port-au-Prince. For 18 hours until his rescue, the concert violinist stayed alert and alive going over in his head, one by one, every concerto at every concert hall he'd ever played.

Romel was badly broken. His legs crushed, bones in his left hand shattered. But the concrete that covered him would not, could not kill him.

ROMEL JOSEPH, VIOLINIST: I thought my time was up under the ground, and God says no, you have things to do.

ZARRELLA: Three weeks ago, we met Romel, who is legally blind, for the first time. He mentioned he'd like a keyboard to help strengthen the fingers in his left hand so that some day he could again play the violin. Stevie Wonder heard and answered Romel's request.

STEVIE WONDER, SINGER/SONGWRITER: What better way to really express our God's love than to give something that is special to you to someone else who is in need. So, that's why I did what I did.

ZARRELLA: Wonder's keyboard was packed and shipped, arriving Tuesday at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital. Romel didn't know it was on the way.

ZARRELLA (on camera): Romel.

JOSEPH: Yes, sir.

ZARRELLA: Hey, John Zarrella from CNN. How are you?

JOSEPH: Oh, my goodness.

ZARRELLA: It's so good to see you again. You look terrific. I think we have something for you.

JOSEPH: Oh, it came?

ZARRELLA: It came. It's coming in the door right now.

JOSEPH: Oh, my goodness.

ZARRELLA: Now, who sent this to you? Stevie Wonder.

JOSEPH: Oh.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): As the keyboard was set up, Romel was carefully moved to a wheelchair.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The chair is over here.

JOSEPH: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, I'm going to have you go sideways. Keep your legs on the bed.

ZARRELLA: He sat over the keyboard, his legs, one held together with metal rods, resting on pillows.

JOSEPH: I'll play something.

ZARRELLA: He began to play. Of course, a Stevie Wonder song. Even the fingers on his damaged left hand glided across the keys with a gentle touch.

Stevie wonder also sent a message. WONDER: Romel, I am hoping you'll enjoy this keyboard that I'm giving you. I used it on the last project that I did/

JOSEPH: I would like to really thank him, Stevie Wonder, for his generosity and I'll be practicing on the keyboard every day to keep my fingers going.

ZARRELLA: Romel will be out of the hospital soon. When that happens, he'd like nothing more than to play a concert for Haiti. He on the violin and Stevie Wonder on the keyboard.

JOSEPH: I mean, you know, nothing is impossible.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA: On March 5th, there will be a benefit concert here in south Florida to help raise money so Romel can rebuild his school. And when he's healthy enough, Romel says first thing he's going to do, go back to Haiti.

Don?

LEMON: Nice story. Thank you very much, John.

Buckle up. You've heard that before. But wait until you see the seat belt PSA that's got a whole lot of people around the world listening up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Unemployment claims up. Homes are becoming more affordable. And Starbucks lovers are in for a fast food treat. Our Felicia Taylor has this week's "Getting Down to Business."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What a difference a week can make in this still unstable economy. Jobless claims jumped unexpectedly last week when 473,000 people filed for unemployment for the first time. That's an increase of 31,000 from the week before. We'll get another update on jobless claims on Thursday.

And for those of you in the market to purchase a new home, now might be the right time to buy. Housing prices have dropped sharply since the recession began, making homes more affordable for the average American family. At the end of 2009, families earning the nation's median income of $64,000 could afford over 70 percent of all homes on the market. Expect more news from the housing sector when new and existing home sales figures are released this week.

And finally, Starbucks coffee drinkers will soon have it their way at Burger King. The two companies have agreed to offer Seattle's Best coffee, which is owned by Starbucks, in more than 7,000 Burger King restaurants in the U.S. this fall. And that's this week's "Getting Down to Business."

Felicia Taylor, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We've been hearing this, buckle up. We've heard that message so many times before it can be hard to listen up sometimes. But now a new video called "Embracing Life" is making that message loud and clear without even saying a word. And it's going viral all over the world.

Take a look.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Some really striking images there. A British organization sponsored the video. And the director of "Embrace Life" told our Josh Levs what inspired him to do this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL COX, DIRECTOR: The inspiration for "Embrace Life" came from wanting to offer a positive message towards road safety, really. A lot of the campaigns focus on the more graphic and horrific outcomes of accidents, whereas I really wanted to bring people into the conversation. The house represents a safety area, an area of where you're normally surrounded by your loved ones, and the car can be an extension of that. It's not only yourself that's impacted if something unfortunately goes wrong, but also a family -- family and friends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Hey, listen, we want to know what you think about this video, "Embrace Life." Just log on to our blog at CNN.com/Don. And you can see the entire video there, by the way.

Also, listen, we saw the space shuttle "Endeavour" come down after two weeks in space, 5.7 million-mile mission. That's a view right there from the cockpit. It happened live right here on CNN.

And this is really rare. Out of 130 missions so far, 23 have only had night landings. So if you were tuning in, you got to see a piece of history and you know the space shuttle program coming to an end very soon.

Also, we want to tell you about a stunning upset at the winter Olympics in Vancouver. The U.S. hockey team defeated Canada 5-3. It hasn't happened in a half century. So congratulations to them. And, again, thank you for your comments. People are on Twitter saying thanks for reminding us that the space shuttle is coming down. That was awesome to see that landing. And we're glad that you liked it, and we're glad that you are responding to us as well.

Keep sending your comments. And thanks for watching. See you back here next week. Have a great week, everyone.