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Continental/United Airlines Merger; NY Car Bomb Scare

Aired May 03, 2010 - 10:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: But first, Jacqui Jeras, monitoring all these conditions for us here and around the country -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Hey, Kyra. You know, the same storm system that's been impacting weather conditions in the gulf and the oil slick has also been creating the severe weather across all the country and the system is finally on the move. So, that's a little bit of good news is that we won't see additional rainfall. Let's go ahead and show you some of the pictures that we have for you out of the Memphis area. That's going to show you some of the worst flooding that we have seen so far. It's really widespread across Central and Western parts of the state.

I want to show you one of the situations that's happening in Nashville. This is what we are most concerned about today. This is the Cumberland River. And here you can see on this map what a dramatic spike that we've had since Saturday morning. And this is well beyond major flood stage. And we do think at this time it's going to stay below record stage, but if we get beyond 52 feet that means a major part of downtown could be flooded.

This includes LP Field, this includes some of the train stations and some of the big touristy spots in the downtown area. So we're approaching 51 feet and we think this thing is going to crest as we approach the afternoon hours for today.

Let's show you the radar now. And where this thing is headed. We're looking at a very strong line of thunderstorms across southern parts of Alabama on into Georgia. We could see rainfall here beyond an inch per hour. So we are expecting renewed flooding in these areas, two to four inches easy. Isolated amounts, heavier than that. So we've got flood watches back across 16 states and travel very hazardous, not just in the floodwater areas but also with this rain coming down, up and down the eastern seaboard. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: OK. Jacqui, thank you. Now, all this nasty weather is affecting the cleanup efforts right now in the gulf. And that of course, ties right into the oil spill. Rob Marciano is now live in Gulfport, Mississippi.

So, Rob, how far from land is the oil slick right now? Can you even determine that?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, judging from the satellite pictures, NOAA kind of estimated it at least on their maps, we're thinking it's about nine miles at its closest point. Kind of skimmed the Louisiana coastline over the weekend, hitting some of those sensitive wetlands and now it looks like the slick is offshore by nine miles. And from Gulfport, Mississippi, probably anywhere from 20 to 30 miles. The winds have lessened today. That's the good news.

They have been blowing 20, 30 knots for the good part of the weekend, blowing the sheen a little bit closer to land. Lighter winds but from the same direction. That's not necessarily helping. Also comparing satellite pictures, it looks like the heaviest amount of oil, that area has shrunk just a little bit. So maybe the Air Force dumping some of those chemicals and dropping some of that oil to the bottom of the ocean maybe that has helped a little bit.

But the sheen is just as big, if not bigger. And that's what is closest to this area right now. That's what they're worried about. With these lighter winds, Kyra, it's very possible that they can now get back out there with the skimmers and try to sweep some of this oil up. They haven't been able to do that for the past couple of days.

PHILLIPS: Well, as we know, this oil slick has been especially tough on the fishermen. We're actually going to talk to a couple of lawyers coming up, Rob, that have already filed lawsuits on behalf of those fishermen getting ready to sue BP Oil.

Cold drinking water is a hot commodity in the Boston area right now. Two million people have been without it since Saturday. Repairs of a water main break were completed overnight but it has to be sure that the water's safe could take a day or two. So a boiled water order remains in effect for 30 communities. You can imagine, Bostonians are having a tough time. There were bottled water handouts in some places, but as for finding it in the store, forget about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB CROFT, ROCHE BROS., WEST ROXBURY: An hour and a half after we opened, we were basically back to square one with no water.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't bother going to the supermarket. It's crazy. It's like a big brawl. Don't go. Just come here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So I have to walk home breathless, no water because they won't give me in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, that wasn't the only liquid lacking. People who needed their cup of Joe fix couldn't even find it at Dunkin Donuts because water is pumped directly into those coffee makers.

Well, this morning New York Police have a question for you -- do you know this man? Investigators want to talk to him about Saturday's failed car bombing in Times Square. A surveillance video shows a middle-aged white man changing his shirt just about a half block from where the SUV was abandoned. Inside a crude concoction of fireworks, fuel and fertilizer. Police say the man is not a suspect or a person of interest. New developments in a story that we brought to you last hour as police in Detroit are mourning the loss of one of their own. The city's police chief says a 12-year vet of the force was killed early this morning. And four fellow officers were wounded as they arrived at this home on Detroit's east side and they were promptly met by gunfire.

All four officers and the suspect are hospitalized. The incident marks the first time in nearly five years, a city officer has been killed in the line of duty.

All rigged up with nowhere to go -- fishermen in the Gulf unable to work because of the oil, offered a lifeline by BP, or was it an anchor?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. Jacqui and I have been getting a lot of e-mails actually from people within the Tennessee area. You know Memphis well. I know Nashville well. I mean, from the blues to country music --

JERAS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: This is where a lot of people get ready to vacation and spend some time at the Grand Ole Opry (ph) in Nashville, Tennessee.

JERAS: I know, can you imagine having reservations to stay at the Grand Ole Opry Hotel and staying in a high school?

PHILLIPS: Yes, not my cup of tea.

JERAS: Yes, by the way, the (INAUDIBLE) itself is not flooded yet but they are worried about is losing power. There are about 36,000 people, at least, without power in the Nashville area. And they have shut down the treatment part of the water treatment plant. They still have good water, but they are worried that the power could get shut off. So they're asking people to conserve. So there are a lot of different elements going into play with what's happening in the Nashville area right now.

PHILLIPS: Certain parts of the country are prepared for the most part, you know, for things like this. They know how to respond. Where does Tennessee rank, specifically Nashville and Memphis? I mean, how has the response been?

JERAS: Well, this response has been overwhelming obviously. You know, they opened up shelters. Let's go over to the magic wall and show you some of these things. They have opened up shelters. They've had good emergency response. They've had to rescue literally over 1,000 people.

So when you get this much water in that short a period of time it's just almost impossible to keep up with it. So they are doing everything they can. And overall it seems like it's a good -- that they've done a job. When you have interstates closed, streets shut off and people without power, you know, you're going to run into problems. So this is ongoing and we are going to continue to see those rivers rise.

Now, the best thing we can tell you is take a look at the radar here. We have dried out across the mid south. So no additional rainfall is expected. But we are going to start to see problems, especially across parts of the southeast and eventually into the northeast for today because the storm system continues to be on the move.

And there is just an incredible amount of moisture associated with this. So we could see two to four inches of rain on top of what you have already into the southeast. Locally, heavier amounts. Flood warnings are in effect including the Atlanta Metro area. And here you can see some down across parts of Alabama as well.

Now, we also have a threat of some of those thunderstorms becoming severe, damaging winds will be the biggest concerns in terms of thunderstorms. And then a secondary area here for parts of St. Louis and up towards Chicago but the good news is with this front, we don't think it's going to make it down through the mid -South to help aggravate the situation there.

And again, that Cumberland River is going to be one of the biggest concerns, Kyra, in the up coming hours. As that it's expected to crest this afternoon, over 51 feet. If we get to 52, that's the critical level where we're going to start to see a good chunk of downtown and that's that historic area that you were talking about. The area that people know and love about Nashville could be in jeopardy today.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll keeping talking about it. Thanks, Jacqui.

Well, President Obama was in the Gulf Coast yesterday and called it a potentially unprecedented environmental disaster. You don't have to tell the fishermen that. They have been feeling the effects for days and may continue to feel them for years.

CNN's Richard Lui is live in Gulfport, Mississippi this morning. So, Richard, you have been talking to them there.

RICHARD LUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we have, Kyra. Remember, when you and I were talking on Friday, we were talking about one specific fisherman who is taking what could happen very emotionally. A change of a way of life in its entirety. But yesterday on a Sunday, we found a group in Bayou Le Batre, which is considered the seafood capital of Alabama. They decided they're going to celebrate. That was because this was the 61st annual blessing of the fleet.

And so what we did is we went on a boat ride with Maurice Ryan who was preparing for that blessing yesterday. He had spent two days decorating his boat. He showed us all of the other boats that would be part of the celebration and procession. But obviously because of the specter of the oil slick off the coast of Alabama, it was a little bit different this time around for him. I asked him about that and what the blessing meant to him. This is what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAURICE RYAN, BAYOU LA BATRE FISHERMAN: I hope it will change it for me. I hope -- you know, I mean, that's why we're here. You've got to put your trust in someone. I really feel like with the church and the bishop, I've got my life in good hands. Because BP isn't helping me.

BISHOP THOMAS RODI, ST. MARGARET CHURCH: It could have widespread effects, but not only the livelihood of people, an entire way of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: That was the archbishop of Mobile, Alabama, who drove on down to Bayou La Batre for that blessing. And in the end, the blessing went off without a hitch. And during the procession, I called Maurice and I said, "Hey, Maurice, are you OK? Because earlier when we were out on the boat together what you told me is that you might cry.

And he said, "Guess what, Richard? I'm absolutely positive. I have my grandson here with me. I have my son here with me, just as I have done in the years past with my father and my grandfather. I feel very positive about this."

This despite here, Kyra, that today begins a 10-day moratorium for fishermen. Normally that celebration will then be followed by them going through the fishing season, the shrimping season and the baiting season. That's not going to be the case today. BP, he was telling me also later in the day as we call them again, they're going to be reaching out to the fishermen with boats in that area, Kyra. And those who are interested will be trained, get haz-mat certified according to what he told me and be part of the cleanup effort, should there be an oil slick that hits the area of Bayou Le Batre.

PHILLIPS: Yes, actually, I talked to some of the fishermen last night as they were participating in that haz-mat training, Richard into the wee hours. But a lot of them still wondering -- and I don't know if you can answer this. When is the oil where you are expected to come to shore? Do you know?

LUI: Yes, you know, that had been debated over the weekend, Kyra. One good sign is NOAA and according to what they put out in their projections just overnight, around 2:00, 3:00 Eastern time, is you look at the size of the oil slick that they are reporting. On Friday, it may have been this big.

According to the maps that they have published overnight, it's now about 40 or 50 percent smaller. That's good news for all these fishermen. You know, we have seen the models showing 20 to 30 miles distance from the coast of Bayou Le Batre, now we're seeing 30 to 40. So those maybe positive indications because it could have hit over the weekend, according to early estimations. It's better now for them. And that they have now also mobilized some of the National Guard in the area to put up different types of booms. Not just the orange ones that we have been seeing but some larger ones that are about four, five feet tall. They take longer to put in, Kyra, but they also work more effectively.

PHILLIPS: Richard Lui, appreciate it.

Well, as you can see, fishermen are in a tough spot, unsure when they're going to be able to get back on their feet and their boats. Offered a possible lifeline by BP, it sounded too good to be true. And you know what? That usually means exactly that.

Joining me to talk about that deal, James Garner, an attorney representing members of the United Commercial Fishermen Association, fishermen, oystermen, shrimpers, basically anyone with a boat in the water involved in this. So Jim, these fishermen came to you and said BP, well, they're handing us these documents. Not quite sure what it all means. Why did you feel that BP was pulling the wool over their eyes?

JAMES GARNER, ATTORNEY: Like you said, Kyra, it was too good to be true. The contracts that BP was presenting the fishermen before they could go out and basically save their lives asked the fishermen to limit the time to bring claims, asked the fishermen to indemnify or reimburse BP for damages, asked the fishermen to keep everything they saw confidential and even asked the fishermen to put their insurance up to protect BP.

PHILLIPS: So Jim, let me get this right. Because as you know, I worked and lived in New Orleans. I tell you what these fishermen and their families are some of those down home loving people. But this is all they know. They don't know legalese real well. So were these documents that were given to them basically saying, OK, sign this. That way, we don't get sued.

Because obviously they are in a desperate situation. They want money, they want work, they want to help clean up the mess, but it doesn't sound like a very fair quid pro quo.

GARNER: It was not fair. And it was unconscionable. And yesterday afternoon we wept into court and had the district judge look at it. She agreed the documents -- actually BP agreed that the documents were overly broad, unconscionable and put the fishermen at risk.

PHILLIPS: So what happens now? So you went to court yesterday. Sounds like you had a victory. What does this mean for fishermen and what about the fishermen that signed this document?

GARNER: Well, it's a major victory for the fishermen. And the result will be that all of the contracts signed are null and void. BP claims it does want the fishermen's help and does not want the fishermen to give up rights. And actually, at this moment, we're working on an agreement with BP to make it crystal clear that the fishermen don't release any claims, that they will not owe BP reimbursement for the cleanup, that they don't have to keep the information confidential.

You know, the irony is it's the party who's responsible and caused all this is getting help from the victims and then asks the victims to give up rights and help the party that caused it all.

PHILLIPS: And just so our viewers know, Jim, we were trying to get a number of fishermen to join you live in this interview, but I can totally understand why they weren't able to join you. They have been in haz-mat training to the wee hours and they are trying to make money this morning.

GARNER: Correct.

PHILLIPS: Right?

GARNER: Absolutely. I tried to get three fishermen to come with us, some of whom I grew up with in Saint Bernard Parish. And the truth of the matter is many of the fishermen have their life savings, every penny they ever had invested in their boats, their camps and they are literally scrambling now to save their lives, their families, their property and their future businesses.

PHILLIPS: Well, these are darn good people. We'll follow the lawsuit. Jim Garner, appreciate your time.

So what is BP saying about all this? We did asked them to join us for this interview, they declined but they did give us this statement. "We are doing absolutely everything in our power to eliminate the source of the leak and contain the environmental impact of the spill. We are determined to fight this spill on all fronts in the deep waters of the gulf, in the shallow waters and, should it be necessary, on the shore."

And in an interview on NPR this morning, BP's chief did say that efforts to limit compensation was, "an early misstep."

America knows him as a rock singer and a reality TV star, but Bret Michaels' doctor calls him a fighter. Hear what the doctor says kept Michaels alive despite a life threatening bout with a serious brain hemorrhage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Checking top stories now. Tennessee's torrential rains are over, but like the governor says it's going to take some time for things to get back to normal. Flooding has left at least 11 people dead in that state and it has forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes.

That massive oil slick is moving closer to the Gulf Coast. We're watching it for you. It's still about nine miles off Louisiana. Heavy seas are making it tough to put out protective boom. That crisis hitting fishermen's wallets and your seafood dinner. Fishing has been banned in the northern gulf.

And New York Police want to talk with this man seen in a surveillance video, it's part of an investigation into that attempted car bombing in Times Square Saturday night. Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano says he could be a witness or may have been involved in the incident.

If your kids have a cold or allergy right now, you need to be very careful what you give them from the medicine cabinet. Some name brands have already been recalled.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

PHILLIPS: Every rose does have a thorn. And if you thought Bret Michaels, the former singer for the '80s glam metal hair band "Poison," might soon be pushing up daisies. You better check in with his doctor. Michaels has been in Los Angeles Hospital since late last month, suffering a serious near fatal brain hemorrhage but his physician credits his sheer will to live for much of his recovery.

If you give your kids well known brands of cold allergy medicines, stop it for now. There's a voluntary recall on children's versions of Tylenol, Tylenol Plus, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl. The drug makers say that some products may have a higher concentrate of active ingredient than it says on the bottle. The FDA is telling parents to give their children generic versions of the over-the- counter drugs.

The tales of the tapes. Well, surveillance cameras could provide any clues in New York's failed car bombing. We're going to have the latest on the Times Square investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Cleared for takeoff, United and Continental Airlines say they will merge this year in a deal that would create the world's largest airline. But what would this mean to you and me and all of us who fly all the time?

Christine Romans part of the CNN money team, she joins us live from New York to break it down.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra. I'm not hearing you, but --

PHILLIPS: Can you hear me now?

ROMANS: I'm not getting your audio. So I'm just going to quickly tell you what we got going on here in terms of this big huge airline merger. We got Continental and UAL merging forces. It's a deal worth about $3.2 billion. The CEOs telling me earlier today, Kyra, that in fact, it is an improving economy that's helping them have the backdrop to be able to do this.

It will create the world's largest airline and, of course, because it would be the world's largest airline that means that you're going to see anti-trust officials taking a look at this to make sure that it doesn't reduce competition. What about the potential impact on flyers? Like you and me? Well, perhaps fewer seats, some of the pundits are saying, maybe higher prices on some of the routes where they compete right now.

And clearly more destinations and better connection options. Kyra, I asked the CEOs of these companies specifically about how you and I are going to be facing something different when we go to the airport because of this merger, especially in fares and this is what they said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLENN TILTON, UNITED AIRLINES, CEO: There's virtually no overlap. So the work that we have done independent of one another is exactly the result you're going to see when we come together as one company.

JEFF SMISEK, CONTINENTAL AIRLINES, CEO: That's right. And the synergies that we are projecting in this deal, none of the synergies has any air fare increase built into them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: I want to give you one other little sound bite from these gentlemen. I asked them, Kyra, you got two CEOs of two major airlines in front of a camera. You can't talk about airlines without talking about customer service and the bad reputation that the airline industry has for tarmac delays, and for on-time and lost baggage and all of this.

And I asked them specifically as the world's largest airline, are you going to be too big to be responsive to people and all of their concerns and is this industry going to be able to sort of clean up its bad reputation about customer service? A surprising answer. The first response here is from Glen Tilton, who is the CEO of United. I want you to listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TILTON: I focus on all the Blackberry messages I get from our customers who tell me they are having a good experience, Christine.

SMISEK: Look, we're very focused on good customer service. And we understand issues with tarmac delays because we have an antiquated air traffic control system. Many of these things are beyond our control. We do our best. We are very responsive to the customers. We deliver a very high quality of service and this combined airline will be unparalled, not only in the scope and the skill of the network and the customer service that we will deliver and deliver consistently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: There you go. You're getting a good value for your dollar when you fly despite all of the stories about tarmac delays, lost baggage and paying for your bags. Kyra. PHILLIPS: We don't want to deal with any of that anymore. We just want good service.

Christine Romans, thanks.

New developments this morning in the failed car bombing in New York's Times Square. Police want to talk to this man. The surveillance video shows a middle-aged white man changing his shirt about a block and a half away from where the SUV was abandoned. Inside, a crude concoction of fireworks, fuel, fertilizer. A nearby T-shirt vendor alerted police when he spotted smoke coming from the vehicle. Police say the man on this surveillance tape is not considered a suspect.

It's just a theory, but think about where the fully loaded SUV was found, near Comedy Central's parent company. Remember Comedy Central aired a South Park episode that showed Mohammed hidden in a bear suit? That tongue-in-cheek way, not to offend any Muslims who see any depiction of the prophet as blasphemous. A Web site called RevolutionMuslim.com warned that South Park's creators could be dead if that episode aired.

Drew Griffin of CNN's special investigations unit actaully talked with the man behind the Web site. This story aired just several weeks ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATION UNIT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Revolution Muslim says despite their provocative posting, complete with the photo of a murder victim, the group says it's only issuing a call to protest, not violence.

Contacted by CNN, the creator of the posting said Revolution Muslim only wants those offended to be able to voice their opposition by letters to the show's creators.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST (voice-over): Certainly, the comment on this Web site is very ugly, but it is certainly not specific enough to get anyone arrested at this point.

GRIFFIN (on camera): How are you?

YOUNES ABDULLAH MOHAMMAD, "REVOLUTION MUSLIM": Good.

GRIFFIN: Last year CNN interviewed one of the founders of this radical Muslim group on the streets of New York. Younes Mohammad chose his words carefully, telling us he saw nothing wrong with Americans dying in the 9/11 terrorist attack.

MOHAMMAD: I don't think it was wrong. I think it was justified.

GRIFFIN: And then adding he does not encourage any violence on U.S. soil.

It's a word game, federal officials tell us, that allows Revolution Muslim to post support of terrorists, like the alleged Ft. Hood Texas shooter, while the Web site itself is protected under free speech laws of the United States.

Younes Mohammad told us he doesn't see anything wrong with his messages. He dislikes the United States; he yearns for a Muslim world.

MOHAMMAD: We're commanded to terrorize the disbelievers and this is a religion like --

GRIFFIN: You're commanded to terrorize the disbelievers --

MOHAMMAD: And the Koran says very clearly, in the Arabic language, (INAUDIBLE) this means terrorize them. It's a command from Allah.

GRIFFIN: So you're commanded --

MOHAMMAD: To terrorize them --

GRIFFIN: To terrorize anybody who doesn't believe?

MOHAMMAD: It doesn't mean, you define terrorism as going and killing an innocent civilian. That's what your --

GRIFFIN: How do you?

MOHAMMAD: I define terrorism as making them fearful so that they think twice before they go rape your mother or kill your brother or go on to your land and try to steal your resources.

GRIFFIN: The clip on the site ends with a warning on a graphic directed at Parker and Stone that the dust will never settle down.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: That was our investigative reporter Drew Griffin. Again, there's been no official connection made between the Times Square bomb and the threat to South Park's creators. CNN's John Roberts actually asked the director of Homeland Security about this theory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANET NAPOLITANO, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I'm not going to speculate on speculation. It's out there as one theory that's being posited. There may be others.

What we do know is that some person or persons parked a vehicle near 45th and 7th in New York City and tried to put something in there to blow it up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: So, where are we on the investigation at this point? CNN's Allan Chernoff has been covering the story since it broke Saturday evening. Allan, bring us up to speed. ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, first of all, we're looking for results from the forensic investigation, an analysis of the Nissan Pathfinder SUV. Haven't heard results about that yet.

The other focus, videotape. There are dozens of surveillance cameras all over Times Square, not to mention tourists shooting pictures. Well, one of the videotapes that the police are looking at right now shows a man walking through Schubert Alley. Now, remember, the SUV was on 45th and 7th Avenue; that's right next to the Minskoff Theater. Many of our viewers may have seen "The Lion King" show. That's where it's playing.

So, this videotape shows a man walking through Schubert Alley, which is underneath that theater. It's cuts through the building. The man is taking off a shirt, tucking it into a bag. Police describe him as a white man in his 40s. They are looking for that individual.

There is also another videotape a Pennsylvania tourist shot of a man running up Broadway going north. No idea whether or not that person had anything to do with the bomb.

Now, the SUV was packed with fireworks, gasoline, propane, electrical wires, some fertilizer and two battery-operated clocks. The commissioner of the New York City police department said it could have caused significant damage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRAN CHETRY, "AMERICAN MORNING" ANCHOR: Is this person a suspect? A person of interest?

RAY KELLY, NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: No, not in any way. He could be totally innocent. This is one of the first videos we obtained. We thought it warranted an interview. He's taking his shirt off, that was a very warm day. But this happens just around the time that the pops started to go off inside the car. So, we just simply want to talk to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: OK, that's the police commissioner describing the videotape, not the sound that we were hoping to hear. But the commissioner did say that the material inside that sport utility vehicle could have split the vehicle in half, could have caused fatalities. Fortunately, nobody was injured.

It was the vendors right across the street who noticed the car. The ignition running, smoke coming out of the vehicle, and they notified a mounted officer. We spoke with one of the vendors Saturday night. Let's have a quick listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: Did you hear an explosion?

RALLIS GIALABOUKIS, WITNESS: Did we hear it? Yes, of course we heard it.

CHERNOFF: A big boom?

GIALABOUKIS: Big boom. Big boom. Everybody started scattering. It was panic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: So, apparently what was going on is that some of the firecrackers inside of the vehicle were going off. So, Kyra, this investigation is continuing -- obviously very hot. There are many, many leads for the police to check out now. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: Allan, thanks.

He's back. Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in New York. He's going before the U.N. nuke conference later today. What's he got to say this time? Our preview is a minute away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Top stories now.

Massive flooding -

ANNOUNCER: In the NEWSROOM, Kyra Phillips.

PHILLIPS: -- in the Southeast. Just take a look at these pictures from Nashville, Tennessee.

Hey, thanks for the shoutout.

The severe storms and flooding are blamed for a number of deaths.

And a promise to pay up coming from BP's chief this morning. A statement released just a short time ago says BP will pay all appropriate cleanup costs. That includes legitimate property damage, personal injury and commercial loss claims.

A veteran Detroit police officer shot and killed early this morning. Four other officers were wounded in the firefight. They were responding to a 911 call in what was supposed to be a vacant house. The suspect was also hit.

Long lines and short tempers in Boston. Bottled water scarce because tap water is undrinkable. The fix is in, but the wait goes on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Saying good-bye to a family. It may be the most difficult acclimation for the new enlistees of the U.S. military. And it's the focus of CNN's latest installment of our continuing series called "A Soldier's Story." Here's our Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's Latricia Rose's last day at home before leaving to join the Army. Just about everything is done. Paperwork, check.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's take a look at what you have here.

CARROLL: Final meeting with recruiter, check.

LATRICIA ROSE, NEW RECRUIT: Smile.

CARROLL: Telling her 2-year-old daughter Ayana (ph) she's leaving, not quite.

L. ROSE: I think she kind of knows I'm leaving. I said I was going to tell her today that I'm leaving, but she -- she kind of -- I think she kind of knows.

CARROLL: Latricia and her husband Brandon have been struggling to tell their daughter for weeks in a way a 2-year-old can understand. They think Ayana (ph) she may be catching on.

L. ROSE: She just cries if I walk out of the room or anything. And I think she just can probably sense something.

Ayana --

CARROLL: For now, Latricia and her husband make the most of their last day with their daughter, taking her to her favorite spot, Chuck E Cheese, though it's clear it's the game she likes, not the mascot. By midday, still no talk.

L. ROSE: I mean, I did say to her, like two days ago, you know, mommy is going to be leaving, but she ignored me and we went on with our day like nothing was wrong.

CARROLL: Meanwhile, Brandon senses how challenging it's going to be to be both father and mother.

BRANDON ROSE, LATRICIA'S HUSBAND: I'm trying the best I can. You know, she's going to be asking for her mom. I have to tell her that mommy is gone and it's just daddy for now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready, one, two, three. Say cheese.

ALL: Cheese.

CARROLL: Today, the entire family can be together so they mark the occasion with a portrait. And one last dinner with a come home soon cake, compliments of the restaurant staff.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the least we can do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're really proud of you.

L. ROSE: Oh, thank you.

CARROLL: Finally, time for bed and the talk. It is hard to find the words.

L. ROSE: Help me, because I don't know what to say. Ayana (ph), mommy is leaving tomorrow, OK? OK?

AYANA (ph) ROSE, LATRICIA'S DAUGHTER: OK.

L. ROSE: But I'll be back in a little while, OK? You're the best.

CARROLL: By 4:00 the next morning, she's on her way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready to roll? Ready as you're going to be, huh?

CARROLL: But first, one last hug.

L. ROSE: Bye, baby.

CARROLL: And one final goodbye. Latricia is on the road to becoming a soldier.

Jason Carroll, CNN, Conyers, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Hey, America's the problem, not us. The expected message from Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as he goes before the U.N. nuclear weapons council today. Members would love some sort of reassurance that Iran's illicit nuclear program won't threaten world peace. But are they being a tad bit presumptuous?

CNN's Richard Roth, live in Manhattan with the latest. So, Richard, Ahmadinejad adding some spice to the meeting, right? As usual.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. You might call this an exhibition game showdown between the United States and Iran. The setting is this nuclear treaty review conference.

The meeting has started. The president of Iran has just entered the hallway. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is going to speak in the next hour or so. He's going to blast the United States over its nuclear stockpiles while he'll claim the U.S. is trying to dictate to the rest of the world what it can or can't do regarding arms or disarmament.

Hillary Clinton, U.S. secretary of state, will speak in the afternoon and is likely to return fire, you might say. In an interview yesterday, she said the Iranian leader was trying to divert attention and confuse the issue. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So, where exactly do we stand on the push for U.N. sanctions on Iran, right now at this point?

ROTH: There are almost daily meetings between the Big Five, as they are called. The U.S. has been spending a lot of time trying to woo China and Russia to sign on to some kind of additional sanctions on Tehran. Many analysts don't think it will be enough to change the behavior or policy of Iran.

Tehran insist its nuclear program is strictly peaceful intention, and not towards building a bomb, though others are quite worried. So, we'll see a shootout verbally today. Sanctions may be coming in the month of June.

PHILLIPS: Fire -

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: -- a slip of the tongue there. We'll follow every bit of that fire, I shall say. Richard, thanks.

So, you want to be a teacher, great. How thick is your accent?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Cold drinking water is a hot commodity in the Boston area now. Two million people have been without it since Saturday. Repairs of a water main break were completed overnight, but tests to be sure the water is safe could take a day or two. A boil water order remains in effect for 30 communities. As you can imagine, Bostonians are having a tough time. There were bottled water handouts in some places, but as for finding it in the store, forget about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB CROFT, BOCHE BROS. GROCERY: An hour and a half after we opened, we were basically back to square one with no water.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't bother going to the supermarket. It's crazy. It's like a big brawl. Don't go. Just come here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So I've got to walk home breathless, no water, because they won't give me any!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, that wasn't the only liquid lacking. People who needed their cup of Joe fix couldn't even get it at Dunkin Donuts because the water is pumped directly into those coffee makers.

Between budget cuts, the school closings and the lay-offs, it's not easy being a teacher these days. Here's one more thing for teachers to worry about. Their accents. Too thick? There's the door.

Arizona, the state with the tough new immigration law, will be checking your accent status now, too, if you teach kids still learning English. Where do you even start with this one? First off, how do you decide if an accent is too thick? Is there an app for that?

Another thing: does this mean that a guy like the governor of California couldn't teach kids how to learn English? His Austrailian accent -- or Austrian accent, rather -- is as thick as his biceps, but his English seems to be just fine. I don't know. Seems just as wrong to judge a teacher by his or her accent as it would be to judge on their hair or skin color. Their accents reflect who they are and where they came from. What's more important -- what teachers say or how they say it?

Coming up in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM, surveillance cameras positioned at Times Square catch what could be a crucial clue to an explosive device left in an SUV. But some people have issues with Big Brother watching everything all the time. A closer look at privacy versus protection just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: May 1st or May Day is the day people turn out to demand better working conditions. Arizona's controversial new immigration law added fuel to this year's events.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(AUDIENCE CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: That was the protest in Phoenix where the bill was passed and signed into law. There were more protests across the country. New York and Los Angeles. Washington, Dallas, Chicago, too.

The Arizona law requires officers to question people about their immigration status if they suspect those people are here illegally. Supporters say the law is needed because the federal government hasn't secured the border. But critics say it encourages racial profiling.

Probably the most powerful protest comes from one man, a veteran Tucson cop. He says it is a law he can't and won't uphold. That story now from CNN's Thelma Gutierrez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN ESCOBAR, TUCSON POLICE DEPARTMENT: I have to do my job. I have to serve and protect.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is not often a police officer speaks out publicly against the laws he is sworn to uphold. But Officer Martin Escobar, a naturalized citizen and a 15-year- veteran of the Tucson police department says he can no longer remain silent.

We met to talk about the new Arizona law that Escobar calls unconstitutional. He calls the new anti illegal immigration law divisive and unconstitutional. And as a police officer, he says he doesn't want to have to enforce it. As a private citizen, he is challenging it in federal court.

ESCOBAR: I am saying it has to be done. It is the right thing for me to do. Sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe in. GUTIERREZ: Officer Escobar took us to the area he patrols on Tucson's south side. It is where he grew up.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): What this neighborhood like?

ESCOBAR: This is a predominantly Hispanic community, predominantly Mexican community here.

GUTIERREZ: Lots of new immigrants?

ESCOBAR: Lots of new immigrants, a lot of people that don't know how to speak English.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): He says he and other officers work hard to gain trust in their communities. It is how it gets solved.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want to stay here by myself because I have no family here.

GUTIERREZ: But now even the children are running scared he will deport them.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): They are afraid of you?

ESCOBAR: Of course, of course. I don't want them to be afraid of me. Officers, police are supposed to be the good guys, not the bad guys.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Under the law, Escobar would have to investigate the immigration status of anyone he stopped, detained, or arrested if he suspected they were in the country illegally.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): Under this law, you can be sued if you don't investigate. Does that worry you?

ESCOBAR: That's correct. Of course it does.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Within a week of passing the new law, Arizona lawmakers amended it, tightening provisions that critics claim would lead to racial profiling. The state's governor says racial profiling will not be tolerated in Arizona.

But Escobar knows how things work on the streets.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): Are you saying in Arizona if you come upon a person with an Irish accent and a person with a Spanish accent, you will investigate the person in the Spanish accent?

ESCOBAR: It is most likely the person with the Spanish accent is going to get investigated.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): It's that assumption that bothers him most.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): It sounds like you can relate to what some of the people are feeling right now.

ESCOBAR: That's exactly what I'm saying. And that's why some people are not going to understand what the feeling is unless they have been through it. I've been through it.

That's a school picture of me in elementary school. I didn't know one word of English. I remember then at that time being called a wetback. That used to sting so bad.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Officer Escobar remembers being questioned by border patrol agents as a child, and he says he knows exactly what some of these children are feeling.

He argues in his lawsuit that determining who is in Arizona illegally should not be his responsibility. He says under federal law that job is reserved for trained federal immigration agents.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Tucson, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: We'll see you back here tomorrow. Next hour of CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris starts right now.