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Stocks See-Saw on Wall Street; Man, 39, Missing after Tennessee Flood; Haitians Rescued, Then Detained; Times Square Partially Evacuated for Suspicious Package
Aired May 07, 2010 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good weekend, everyone. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Don Lemon.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, have a great weekend, as well, Tony. I'm in for Ali Velshi today. Our big stories today, a shock to the financial system as everyone worries about the possibility of another dizzying plunge in the Dow. We have learned enough, have we, to stop it from happening again?
Plus, the water rushed in, and it has not left yet. Every passing minute reveals new heartbreak for the people of Tennessee.
We are live for you. Riots in Greece, computerized trading, a hung British parliament. Pick your theory. But whatever is causing stocks to plummet and rebound and seesaw and struggle, it is not over yet.
Right now the Dow is down. We're looking at those numbers: 83 points. Some 86 points. And it's still going down just a little bit. That will change, of course. We're going to go now to our Poppy Harlow of CNNmoney.com. She's on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
And Poppy, what is going on up there? Very nervous yesterday, so we don't want a repeat of that.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a historic day on Wall Street. It will go down as the biggest point decline we've ever seen for the Dow Industrials in a matter of ten minutes, a trillion dollars, the equivalent of that in wealth lost. We had a big rebound. We saw the worse closing we've had in a year for the Dow. We are down, as you said, 85 points.
Don, what happened? Most of the traders here telling me this was computerized trading, and what happens in this market is electronic trades run this market, not the people on the floor next to me. They do not run most of the trades anymore. This was computers running faster than humans.
A lot of speculation over a quote, unquote, "fat finger" a trader made. The wrong trade or not (ph). Nothing behind that as of now that we have done. The important thing is why did this happen, can it be stopped? Regulators now looking into all of that. When will they have an answer? We don't know. But I want you to listen to the traders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONATHAN CORPINA, MERIDIAN EQUITY PARTNERS: Clearly we have had pressure on the market. This just added on top of it. It made the problem even worse. And it shows investors that, you know, you have to look at the markets where you're trading. You have to understand that human interaction is something that we need, and speed isn't always the answer.
TED WEISBERG, SEAPORT SECURITIES: This is the new trading world. It's great for the professional trader. But it is terrible for the public.
HARLOW: It's terrible for the average investor?
WEISBERG: Oh, absolutely. Because the average investor, and that can be an institutional customer or an individual, didn't sign up for this volatility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: And he's exactly right. They did not. But this is the system. This is how it works on Wall Street.
Don, what we saw here at the New York Stock Exchange yesterday is that they slowed trades on a number of key Dow components and also a lot of stocks, saying, "We want to come to a rational trading price." So they slowed the trade for about 60 seconds. That didn't happen on the electronic exchanges. Those trades moved through. The big question mark: will the system change at all, Don?
Let's not forget, we've got the best jobs report this morning in four years: 290,000 jobs added to our economy. I'm looking at a market down 75 points as a result. Investors are not assured by that, Don.
LEMON: Yes. But let's hope that at least it stays steady there and it doesn't go down any further. We're hoping it goes up.
HARLOW: Right.
LEMON: Poppy, we'll be checking back with you. Thank you very much.
HARLOW: You got it.
LEMON: We appreciate your reporting there from the New York Stock Exchange.
In the meantime, we want to go to our other big story. It has now been a week since the heaviest rains caused the biggest floods in Nashville history, and the scope of this disaster is only starting to come into view just now.
Storm-related deaths now stand at 21 in Tennessee. Plus, six in Mississippi and four in Kentucky. In Nashville alone, the mayor now estimates damages at 1 1/2 billion dollars. And that is just four buildings. Outside Nashville the primary rail line to Memphis is out for at least four weeks, because two bridges washed away. And spring planting, of course, is a nonstarter for two-thirds of that state.
Two people remain unaccounted for in Nashville. And this is one of them. His name is Danny Tomlinson. He's 39 years old. And he hasn't been seen since last Saturday night. Danny's sister, Brandee Weidenburner, joins me now on the phone.
Ms. Weidenburner, what happened to your brother? We're looking at a picture of him now.
BRANDEE WEIDENBURNER, SISTER OF DANNY TOMLINSON (via telephone): My brother was on his way home Sunday night. A friend was driving him home. And they got swept away in some flood waters. And the driver happened to make his way -- bust his way out of the driver's side window and jump out. The water was up to his chest. And he was yelling for my brother to get out of the car.
And my brother, the last thing we seen, he was still in the car floating down the river. His car got actually stuck in some trees. And we don't know where he's at. We haven't seen him.
LEMON: Just unbelievable. My heart breaks for you here. So they have -- have they found the car or still the car is unaccounted for, as well?
WEIDENBURNER: No, no, we found the car. The car was exactly where -- no, exactly where they said it stopped. It got hung up on a guardrail. Of course, the water in that area was about 40 feet deep. And it's just devastating. You know, we just want to find him. We just want to know if anybody has seen him, if he has amnesia, you know, if he doesn't know who he is.
LEMON: And no one has said anything, police, not even a sighting that someone thought they might have seen him, nothing?
WEIDENBURNER: Nothing, no nothing. And I mean, you're talking about at least one to two miles wide and 15 miles long of the river, and then it goes into the Cumberland River. I mean, it is a vast area that we are trying to search and find him.
LEMON: Listen, we want to focus on your brother. And the picture you sent us is the gentleman in the black shirt. I just want to be specific because we are looking for a person. There's a gentleman in the black shirt, someone in the middle, I'm not sure if that's you, and then another gentleman in a tan shirt. It's not you in the middle, I'm told.
WEIDENBURNER: No, that is my mother. My brother is the one in the black shirt.
LEMON: The black shirt. All right. If anyone has seen him, his name is Danny Tomlinson. He's 39 years old. You can see good looking chap there. According to his sister, who we're speaking to on phone now, he was last seen when a driver -- they were being driven and he was carried away by flood waters.
You know, I know it's tough for you right now, and again I said, my heart breaks for you and, I'm sure, our viewers, as well. You know, the world is watching. What do you want people to know about what's happening in Tennessee?
WEIDENBURNER: It is absolutely devastating. Not only for us; I mean, for thousands of people. I mean, you would never believe this place. I mean, it's unbelievable.
LEMON: And tell us about your brother. What kind of guy he is. We're going to say he is...
WEIDENBURNER: Yes.
LEMON: We won't say "was," because we're hoping that he is still alive and he's just, maybe, in a hospital somewhere or doesn't remember anything.
WEIDENBURNER: Yes.
LEMON: So tell us about your brother.
WEIDENBURNER: My brother is an awesome man. He is a Jesus lover. He loves God. He always wanted to make sure everybody knew about our church that we went to. And loved his mother like no other. A wonderful brother. Had no enemies at all. Was just a wonderful, wonderful person. And we just want him back.
LEMON: Brandee, thank you very much. We wish you the very best. And we will put this picture up. And we hope that they find your brother. Again, they're looking for Danny Tomlinson. He's 39 years old. His sister is on the phone. Brandee Weidenburner.
He's been missing for days, so if you know anything, if you're in a hospital, in a treatment place where people are being treated or in a shelter or something and you see this gentleman in the black shirt, make sure you contact authorities, because they are looking for him.
Thank you. We wish -- we're praying for you. We wish you the very best, OK?
WEIDENBURNER: Thank you so much.
LEMON: Thank you.
And to find out how you can make a difference and help the flood victims in Tennessee, visit CNN's "Impact Your World" page at CNN.com/impact.
Saved from the ruins of Port-au-Prince, hundreds of Haitians airlifted to the U.S. Now months later they are still here but still without a home.
And since Ali has been off this week, I'm taking over his "XYZ." Today I'm going to talk about athletes in trouble. And I know you're probably tired of all the lurid headlines and details, but I think there's a deeper story here, and I'll tell you what it is. Make sure you stick around for my "XYZ."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: After the earthquake in Haiti, an estimated 7,000 Haitian refugees were evacuated to the United States. But the Department of Homeland Security now acknowledges that some may have, quote, "mistakenly" been allowed to board U.S.-bound aircraft without proper travel documents.
So Soledad O'Brien picks up the story now from New York.
Soledad, where are these people living now, and what is their status? By the way, good to see you.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And likewise.
And it's been a very long and windy path for these 30 specific refugees we're talking about. At the same time the Americans were literally giving billions of dollars to help those in Haiti who have been affected by the earthquake, you had these 30 Haitians who thought they were getting rescued, airlifted out of Haiti, and they ended up getting locked up. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got my I.D.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): They are refugees from Haiti's devastating earthquake. They were among the thousands of Haitians airlifted to the United States by American troops amid the chaos, rescued from a country rattled by aftershocks and grief.
MIKE DELVA, HAITIAN REFUGEE: The house was (UNINTELLIGIBLE), you know. The house was burned down. I -- like, everyone's hungry, you know. We need some help, right?
JAMES DORINVILLE, HAITIAN REFUGEE: During the earthquake I was in a taxi and the car crashed. I fall in the water.
O'BRIEN: But when they landed in the United States, at least 30 fleeing Haitians didn't get the refuge they had hoped for. Instead they were detained by U.S. immigration agents for entering the country illegally.
DORINVILLE: Here and here.
O'BRIEN: James Dorinville says American doctors handed him over to uniformed American servicemen on a plane in Port-au-Prince.
DORINVILLE: I was sitting on the floor, sitting on the floor. I couldn't stand. So when I get under, they get me a chair.
O'BRIEN: He says he was told his back and neck injuries would be treated at a U.S. hospital. But once they landed, the Haitians ended up at the Chrome Immigration Detention Center outside Miami.
DORINVILLE: I feel like crazy, it's hard. I never imagined that one day in my life would handcuff, chain, makes no sense.
O'BRIEN: They would stay for more than two months, until a group of lawyers encountered them on a routine visit to the center and offered to represent them.
(on camera) What do you think are the affects of detention and jail, frankly, on some of these clients?
CHERYL LITTLE, FLORIDA IMMIGRANT ADVOCACY CENTER: They can't sleep because they're having nightmares. Because of what they experienced during the earthquake.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Immigration officials say they faced a chaotic situation, trying to help thousands of evacuees, and have been able to free all but criminals into the community.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said, "Those Haitians who may have mistakenly been allowed to board U.S.-bound aircraft without proper travel documents in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, were treated by ICE in accordance with the law."
(on camera) So you talked to your family back in Port-au-Prince?
(voice-over) Matkinson Labrice (ph) says he never intended to break the law by entering the country without a visa.
(on camera) Did they ask you for your papers, for your passport, for your documents?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FRENCH) Not at all.
O'BRIEN: Never once?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, never once.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Mike Delva and the others were eventually released to live with relatives in the United States.
James still feels pain when he walks, and he says he hasn't recovered from the depression that swept over him while he was in detention.
DORINVILLE: Sometime I feel like I want to kill myself, because it's too hard. I never imagined that one day to see me in prison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: So as you can see, the effects absolutely devastating for these 30 people, Haitian refugees. They're kind of in this legal limbo now, Don, because they can't be deported. The U.S. has stopped all -- deporting people back to Haiti in the wake of earthquake, but they could start up again. They had to sign deportation orders in order to get released out of the facility. So they're waiting to get work papers. And they're kind of in this limbo: can't quite work, can't quite do anything with family. Don't know when they're going to be sent home.
LEMON: Soledad, so I know that you went to Haiti, right, during the midst of all of this. You're a mom. And you saw some pretty horrific stories involving children and that, I think, you wanted to a documentary because of that. And it airs this weekend. Tell us about it.
O'BRIEN: Yes. The plight of Haitian organs, I think, for anybody who spends a minute in Haiti understands. It's a devastating story. But also a story, I think, with a real thread of hope in it.
We are premiering our documentary. It's called "Rescued." It's going to air at 8 p.m. tomorrow night right here on CNN. It's a story of two orphans, a little girl named Cindy Jeune (Ph) who's 6 years old, a young named Mackinson Olafee (ph), who's 22, who was a child slave. His father sold him for 12 U.S. dollars. And the path that they take both before the earthquake -- we've been shooting their stories since 2007 -- and after the devastating earthquake. Will there be hope for them? What happens to them?
We'll tell you what happens when armed gunmen run over the walls of the orphanage and how -- what happens when they start running out of food in the wake of the devastating quake -- Don.
LEMON: Soledad, I've seen the pieces that are leading up to it. Looks great, so I can't wait to see it. Thank you very much. I'll be watching. Take care, OK?
O'BRIEN: Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you very much.
LEMON: And as Soledad was just saying -- all right, Soledad. As she was just saying, "Rescued," a CNN exclusive documentary, airs tomorrow, May 8, only here on CNN.
So what happened? That's what a lot of you are asking a day after the Dow plunged nearly 1,000 points. Our Christine Romans has the answers straight ahead for you here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Some breaking news to tell you about here this afternoon on CNN. We're getting some new information about parts of Times Square being evacuated at this hour. That's according to the New York City police. And we're hearing that it's because of a suspicious package.
The details are just coming in. It's 45th Street where they are -- police have found this suspicious package. And again, it's confirmed: parts of Times Square being evacuated because of a suspicious package.
We have got our Allan Chernoff and our reporters on the way to the scene. And as you can imagine, people in New York City are very jittery right now after what happened on Saturday night when that gunman -- excuse me, when that man drove that SUV into Times Square and intended to make it into a bomb. We're talking about Faisal Shahzad, the man who was accused of this, who was taken off that United Emirates flights. He was on his way to Dubai.
And then, again, just a few nights ago, the Triborough Bridge evacuated because of a truck that was found parked on the bridge with no one in it. Someone seen running away.
Again, look another these live pictures now that we are looking at from -- this appears to be -- I'm not sure this is Times Square. This is New York City. This is Times Square. That's right. This is Times Square. And again, that package is on 45th Street, but you're looking at these pictures along with us here on CNN. Forty-five Street, Time -- parts of Times Square been evacuated because of a suspicious package.
So let me tell you, having worked there, a suspicious package in New York City is not out of the ordinary. There are a couple of them a day. But, with the latest things happening and developments, they are going to be watching this very closely. And everything that happens, police are going to be on top of it, and they're going to make sure that the public is safe in all of this.
Again, our reporters are on the way to the scene. And you know, we know, as we have been saying, that this Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-American, a naturalized citizen here to the United States, is accused of trying to set off a car bomb in Times Square over the weekend. Of course, he is in custody now. He has been speaking to police. And we have been updating you on that story. Many, many developments in that story.
Now, we're going to keep an eye here on Times Square. We're going to watch it live here. Our reporters, our producers, I should say, in the control room. And then. once we hear from our Allan Chernoff and our crews on the scene, we'll get more information for you.
Speaking of New York City, why don't we go now to the Dow? That's where the New York Stock Exchange is located, in New York City. Downtown. Let's get a look at the Dow, as we head to our Christine Romans. The Dow down 105 points, off about one right now, right now trading 10,000. So let's go to Christine Romans in New York city.
Christine, wow, this has been...
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
LEMON: What a roller coaster ride this has been. We're watching it very closely. I spoke with Poppy Harlow. She had been talking to the traders down on Wall Street. And everybody is a bit jittery right now.
ROMANS: Yes, you know, it's interesting. I had shown that, as you mentioned to me, earlier today, is that this is not the end of something. This is the beginning of something. We had 14 months of the stocks basically moving higher without any kind of meaningful correction, and now you've got concerns about Greece. You have concerns about the U.S.-owned debt level. You have concerns about China needing to maybe slow down in its growth. All of this stuff kind of feeding together. And then the volatility of a computer-driven stock market, and all of this stuff came together.
So let's just look -- can we look at that chart again? Can we look at what happened yesterday? I mean, Don, jeez, I mean, I don't mean to sound like an old lady, but I've been doing this a long time. To see the stock market decline almost 1,000 points in a matter of minutes is just -- it's just unheard of.
I will tell you, there's still a lot of speculation about this so-called fat finger. Have you heard of this?
LEMON: Yes.
ROMANS: This one dumb trader. You know, there's no evidence at all to support that. And basically, what people are saying is, and what we know, the stock market was already incredibly weak; it was incredibly volatile. There's a lot of volume and sell pressure in this market. And we're -- almost all on Greece, by the way.
And then something happened in a handful of stocks that caused some discrepancies on the computer trading systems, and things really got -- really got out of control.
The most important thing is to look at how this market closed yesterday. It closed down 348 points. Still, a tough day. And it tells you that, you know, those days of being up and up and up for months and months and months may be over here now.
LEMON: And you know, we're watching those pictures of Greece. And then you see what happened in Europe, as well, with the elections there in the U.K. and Parliament.
ROMANS: Yes.
LEMON: And watching these pictures you saw, I'm sure you were watching the rioting that was happening live in Greece.
ROMANS: Yes.
LEMON: And we were saying that, "Oh, it could spread over to the United States." And then all of a sudden we saw the numbers just going -- you know, plummeting, and everybody is like what in the world is going on.
ROMANS: Yes. Yes.
LEMON: You're monitoring it closely. So listen, can you talk a little bit more about these positive job numbers, Christine, that have come in?
ROMANS: Yes. So what a dichotomy, right? You're talking about the worst day for the stock market in more than a year yesterday, and then you're talking about the best jobs report in more than four years today.
What we know is that the economy created 290,000 jobs in April, but the unemployment rate also rose to 9.9 percent. How can that be? How can you create jobs, Don, on one hand but then also have the unemployment rate come up? It's because people who had been completely disenfranchised and had been out of the labor market saw that things might be cooling -- getting a little better, rather, and came back in. So you had more people entering the work force, competing for those jobs. That's why the unemployment rate went up.
Another number I want to tell you about: 46 percent long-term unemployed. Of the people who are out of work, 46 percent of them have been out of work for six months or longer. Doesn't happen in a modern economy. It is happening right now.
What that means, bottom line, something is happening and jobs are being created in the census workers, in leisure and hospitality. They're being created, believe it or not, in manufacturing, in health care, in professional business services. But that is good. That is happening on one hand. People who have not been out of work for a long time are starting to find jobs.
The people who have been out of work for a long time are unfortunately being left behind in this. So we still have a lot of work to do.
LEMON: We certainly do. Hey, listen, Christine Romans, thank you. Stand by, because we're going to be following this story up until, really, all evening, but at 4 p.m. everyone is going to be going, "Oh," you know, you can catch your breath if it's good, right?
ROMANS: Yes.
LEMON: Thank you very much, Christine. We'll see you soon.
ROMANS: Sure. Bye, Don.
LEMON: We want to get back to our breaking news now here on CNN. We showed you pictures earlier -- there they are -- of Times Square at 45th Street. This is what we know.
Parts of Times Square being evacuated, the streets in Times Square being checked out because of what we're told a suspicious package. Someone found a suspicious package there. Police are checking on it.
And we have our reporters and crew on the way to the scene. They're checking on it as well. We'll continue to update you on that story as well as this.
Greece could be getting an international bailout as fears grow about the fallout from the nation's debt crisis. The Italian, Spanish and German governments have approved their contributions to a $140 billion bailout plan. Details are expected to be hammered out soon. And in the Gulf of Mexico, BP workers are making slow progress as they try to cork a leak responsible for that massive oil spill. A four-story containment dome is now suspended above the seafloor, and they're lining it up for placement over the gushing well-head.
We want to turn now to our Allan Chernoff, who's following that breaking news story for us at 45th Street in Times Square.
Allan, we're hearing a suspicious package. Parts of Times Square are evacuated. What do you know?
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Right. What we know at this point is that an officer just told me that there is a suspicious package at 45th Street and Broadway. That is in the heart of Times Square.
I'm walking right down 7th Avenue right now. The cars are being prevented from driving down 7th Avenue at 57th. However, I'm looking straight down 7th, and there are plenty of vehicles still in Times Square, plenty of pedestrians. So it's just an investigation right now. As I said, suspicious package, and we'll be there within a few moments.
LEMON: OK. Allan, let's talk about this for a little bit as we get more details -- try to get more details from police and from sources there on the ground.
You live in New York; you've worked there for a while. You know that suspicious package -- and really, in any major city, they have those issues on a daily basis and sometimes a few of them. But considering what has unfolded, especially in the last week, this is of utmost importance to the New York Police Department and to the people who are trying to keep the citizens safe there.
CHERNOFF: Exactly. Of course, after last weekend's attempted bombing in Times Square, everyone, particularly law enforcement officers, has to be a little jittery. They have to be on edge. They're taking a lot of caution. This may turn out to be nothing.
You'll recall back in December there was a van parked in the middle of Times Square. Times Square was evacuated. It turned out in the back of that van there was just a lot of clothing. There was nothing that could possibly explode. And just happened -- closed Times Square for a couple of hours.
As I'm getting closer to Times Square, I mean, it is still very busy, very crowded there. So it's not a situation where the police are shooing everyone away. Times Square is still packed with people, pedestrians and vehicles.
LEMON: Hey, Allan, I'm looking at an overhead cam here, the shot that we have. And it looks like there is an area cordoned off. And I can't -- I know it's 45th Street. And I'm trying to sort of place myself to figure out exactly where it is. It's at 45th and do you know the avenue? Is it 7th of Broadway? CHERNOFF: We were told 45th and Broadway. And I'm still five blocks away from there, walking down 7th Avenue. I'm not -- I'm not there just yet. But I can see down there, and it is quite busy, as it would be at any time in Times Square.
LEMON: Yes. So listen, I imagine it is quite busy as it is. And we -- again, we're going to try to get that the shot back up, our overhead cam in New York city in Times Square. This is where it is we're being told my Allan Chernoff making his way to the scene now, that it is at -- this is Google Earth. It's at 45th and Broadway, 45th and Broadway, as we call the crossroads to the world right there, 45th, Broadway, 7th Avenue, they all intersect in Times Square.
We have our overhead picture back. Let's take a look. Allan was talking about Times Square being very busy at this hour, and, of course, it is. But you're looking at that section right there that is cordoned off and police are keeping people well back. There's still some traffic that looks like it is moving across the streets there, but from what I can tell from this vantage point, that looks like an avenue, the thing in the center of your screen because the avenues are wider. And, again, I don't know which direction we're looking in here, but I know it's 45th and Broadway in Times Square.
And listen, you may be wondering, why are we doing this? Well, it's because of what happened in New York City, and it started off as this sort of situation, that it was just a suspicious package. And then later on, it was determined that it was more than that. It was a smoking SUV that was left in the middle and then police retrieved what was inside, including gas canisters, propane, a gun box, a metal gun case. All sorts of things. Fertilizer that fortunately did not have any ammonium nitrate in it. But if all of those things had come together and worked it could have been very terrible and explosive situation there in Times Square.
So that particular incident started just as this one did and then, of course, it hasn't really culminated yet, but it ended up being a man who is a Pakistani national, boarding a flight to Dubai, trying to get away from investigators. And they just caught up with him just as the plane was about to taxi out.
And as it turns out, according to our reporters and our sources in New York City, that this man may have had ties to some sort of cell -- they're still checking it out -- over in Pakistan. They had been questioning members of his family, none of them have been detained or arrested yet, questioning members to other cells.
We've been finding out information about his citizenship, that he went back to Dubai for about nine months in 2008, returned in 2009. And where he lived, in Connecticut, that he had had some issues. Interesting, because he did what it took to become a citizen of this country, spent all that time to do that. Got an MBA in the country and then lost his job and then eventually lost his home and things started to fall apart and his neighbors and friends said he just wasn't the same.
And then, of course, whatever led up to him doing that, who knows what. Some say that he was upset because of a drone attack in Pakistan and while he was there visiting and he was upset by the people he hit and it hit people he knew so he was sort of trying to avenge that. So that is still being checked out.
That SUV, of course, that the man had parked there first taken to Rodman's Neck (ph) in the Bronx to be checked out by the bomb squad and New York City Police and Fire Departments and then taken to Quantico to FBI headquarters to be checked out there.
That story is still unfolding. We're still in the midst of that. We don't know exactly the connection or how many people are involved in that plat. They are tracking the money, who he may have spoken to. Even spoke with Craigslist to figure out how he bought that SUV for $1,500 cash and then drove away with it. And that's really how they caught up with him.
So this is still unfolding, and then there's a suspicious package in Times Square again. Again, we don't know exactly what it is. Police have cordoned off and shut down parts of Times Square evacuated, and that's what you're looking at in the center of your screen right now. We're told it's Broadway and 45th Street, that's according to our Allan Chernoff.
And as we look down here, that gives us a little bit more of a percent expectative here. And you know what, this is really in the same area of where -- in front of that -- near that Marriott hotel where that was found. And I'm looking at the live pictures.
So I want to turn now to our Susan Candiotti.
Susan, as we look at this overhead cam from New York City, what are you hearing from the New York City Police Department or your sources about this situation in Times Square?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Don.
Well, the NYPD, of course, as we already know is responding and they also told me that the bomb squad is also responding. That would not be unusual. Every time there is a report of a suspicious package, a suspicious vehicle, this is something that would be done. It is standard operating procedure.
You know, those -- the bomb squad is also equipped with a robot that is very sophisticated. It has capabilities of doing -- taking x- rays. It has an arm that could go up to something and pick it up and examine it in different ways. So that would be something that would be happening momentarily. And I am told that it is on its way, I don't know whether it's arrived yet.
But again, this is at 45th and Broadway, which would be in fairly close proximity to the where the incident, as you know, happened.
Also, some new information. The FBI is also responding to the team. As you know, FBI is represented on the -- works with the Joint Terrorism Task Force and a number of different alphabet soup agencies are part of that. So the FBI has also confirmed to CNN that it is also checking this out.
LEMON: Hey, Susan --
CANDIOTTI: But, of course, NYPD is in the lead -- yes.
LEMON: Can I jump in here real quick, and I'm going to report something that I'm reading from the wires. Again, this is from the wires from the Associated Press.
It says, police are investigating the discovery of a suspicious package at New York City's Times Square. Police say the package is at 46th Street. We have been reporting 45th. We're going to check that out for you. Always early on when these sorts of things happen there may be a little bit of discrepancy. But 46th, 45th Street, really, it's the same difference there. It's right in the same area. But we will get specific on the exact street.
46th and Broadway, a few blocks, just a few blocks from where a smoking SUV in that failed car bomb was found on Saturday night. The AP is quoting that television show, several streets clear and police didn't immediately provide further details except what they're doing there right now in Times Square. The initial report.
Susan Candiotti, you mentioned that robot --
CANDIOTTI: Yes.
LEMON: -- that they were sending out there, send out from the from the bomb squad. You said, they're sending that out now. That's very serious.
Jump in here, what do you want to say?
CANDIOTTI: Well, I was going to say that if Allan didn't say this earlier I might have missed that, but he just sent us a message that, in fact, that Times Square is cleared out from 47th Street to at least 44th Street. So, of course, wherever it might be, at 44th or 45th, rather, or 46th, we'll try to determine that as Allan gets a little bit closer and also checking with the police and others.
But as we were saying, that robot obviously played a key role as part of -- it was just one of the many tools that the NYPD has in its arsenal when something like this happens. You recall, it's used enumerable times. Remember on New Year's Eve, just before that, they spotted a suspicious, unintended vehicle and they checked that out. Obviously, it was used just the other day.
And also, in this incident that occurred on the RFK Triborough Bridge a night or two ago when they had a report of a U-Haul truck that had been abandoned on that bridge by the tool booth, you might recall and a report of a driver that had run away from that vehicle. And so they brought out the robot to check this it out from a distance. It took an X-ray and, in fact, they cut a hole then inside that truck and they found it was empty and the area was cleared.
But in any case, so this robot is capable of doing a lot of things. If they even use it right now, certainly the bomb squad is a team of people and they approach things in many different ways.
LEMONS: Susan --
CANDIOTTI: So, we will continue to find out more as we get it -- yes.
LEMON: As you and I sat here when this started the first incident started, we watched that robot and that was all the footage we had for quite some time until really the mayor and the police commissioner came out and gave a press conference on what happened there. So that goes in because they want everyone to be safe. They're not going to send an officer or a person in there until they know that what they have is not an explosive material or anything like that.
CANDIOTTI: Sure, and that's why they're keeping everyone back. That's right.
And now Allan is updating us to say that police emergency vehicles are now parked on 7th Avenue by 46th Street. Those are police emergency vehicles.
So this is, again, a normal course of what they would be doing, part of what they would be doing to check this out. We have no other information about this time coming from the New York Police Department. Trying to get more, of course, as to who called it in, how they were notified -- yes.
LEMON: OK, Susan, let me jump in here. I'm just getting information, just reading it now off the wires. It says -- and it's from Jeanne Meserve. Jeanne Meserve our homeland security correspondent.
She says, according to an Obama administration official, which means the administration was notified, the incident is closed and clear. Closed and clear, according to an Obama administration official, this incident happening in Times Square.
Susan, hey, listen, standby cause we may need to get back to you in just a little bit. But I want to just report what we know here on CNN. Thank you, Susan.
As we look at these live pictures now from Times Square, we want to tell you that according to our Allan Chernoff, 44th -- between 44th and 47th Streets have been shutdown in Times Square and evacuated. Allan Chernoff is, again, reporting on the scene down there. You saw our Susan Candiotti in New York as well. That was because of a suspicious package. Not exactly what that -- sure what that package was, if it was a car or a briefcase, who knows exactly what it is.
But again, police aren't taking any chances thereafter that failed car bomb attempt this weekend that they're still trying to sort the details out on. We're going to continue to follow this developing story, keep a close eye on Times Square for you, check with our sources to make sure. But again, according to our Jeanne Meserve, the Obama administration says all clear, closed and clear when it comes to Times Square. We certainly hope that is so, but we will continue to check.
We're back in a moments here on CNN. Don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon here at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. We're following breaking news.
You can see that overhead picture of Times Square in New York City where a suspicious package was found by police. They're checking it out. Parts of Times Square have been cordoned off, evacuated, close; 47th to 44th, near Broadway. We were initially told it was closed and over. We're not exactly sure because there may be some new developments.
We want to go back now to Susan Candiotti in New York. Susan, what do you know?
CANDIOTTI: Evidently, when we were given that information, our Jeanne Meserve in Washington was being told by an Obama administration that it was all clear. Evidently, there was an incident that happened in Times Square about three hours ago that involved what we're hearing, what the police are telling us, was a piece of luggage or some garbage of some kind in a bag that was left there in front of around 45th and Broadway. And it was checked out and nothing came of it.
So evidently, when they were saying there was an all clear, they were referring to that old incident. This situation is still being checked out. There is no all clear involving this particular situation. So they're still checking it out about what happened.
And we are hearing from our Allan Chernoff who is right now in Times Square. A police officer told him they are checking out a cooler, a cooler that was left in front of the Marriott Marquis Hotel there at -- what? -- 45th and Broadway.
So, Don, the situation is still being checked out. I'm getting off and on the phone and checking my e-mails now.
LEMON: Hey, Susan, I'm getting new information here as well. I'm going to go to Allan Chernoff here. Again, the Associated Press is reporting something very similar to what you said that they found a white cooler in Times Square --
CANDIOTTI: That's right.
LEMON: -- and that is what they're checking out now.
Allan Chernoff is on the scene there in Times Square. Allan, what do you know? What are you seeing?
CHERNOFF (via telephone): Don, this is all about a cooler that has been left in front of the Marriott Marquis Hotel that is on Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets right smack in the middle of Times Square.
So all of Times Square, the heart of Times Square has been closed off, traffic is being diverted along 47th Street where I'm standing right now just two blocks north of that site. So no pedestrians, no vehicles allowed in the middle of Times Square right now. And we are awaiting the arrival of the bomb squad over here.
LEMON: Hey, Allan, stand by because I want to ask you to provide a little bit of color to our viewers exactly what's going on there to take us to the streets. But I want to report what we're hearing from the wires, and this is not CNN here. Of course, Allan, spoke to an officer on the scene, Susan Candiotti got information as well from our sources, this is according to the Associated Press.
They're saying, police are investigating the discovery of a suspicious package -- we told you that. They say the bomb squad is responding to the area near 46th Street to Broadway to examine what appears to be a small white cooler left there on a sidewalk.
Several streets, as you heard from Allan, had been closed just as a precaution because a cooler was found just a few blocks away from that smoking SUV and failed car bomb was found on Saturday night. No other details were available except this one -- the call was first received around 1:15 p.m.
Our Allan Chernoff now on the streets of New York City in Times Square. You spoke to a police officer. Tell us how people are reacting? Are they watching, going at their business? What's up?
CHERNOFF: Don, I've spoken to several police officers and they have confirmed for me that they were talking about a cooler that was left in front of the Marriott Marquis Hotel between 45th and 46th Streets.
And keep in mind, Mayor Bloomberg has changed the look of Times Square. There are tables, there are chairs here. So a lot of people actually come, they can even have a lunch here. Very possible somebody brought a cooler and just left their lunch there. We don't know.
LEMON: Yes.
CHERNOFF: On the other hand, the police want to be particularly cautious now. Remember, we're on high alert, particularly after what happened last Saturday night right here in Times Square, the attempted bombing.
LEMON: Yes, that was very interesting, too, Allan, that you point that out because that was quite -- that was a bit controversial when the mayor decided to close parts of Times Square off to traffic and let pedestrians sort of hang out at the mall sort of park right in the middle of the city concrete park, right in the middle of the city. They felt that some -- some police officers and some people felt that it would sort of make people a target in some sense because more people could congregate there and the cars and the trucks and the vehicles provided a shield in some sense if someone tried to do this. It's a bit controversial.
Allan, you're standing there. It's a beautiful summer day, I would imagine it is teeming with people, it is packed. All of a sudden, police come out and then the bomb squad has to come out and then all heck breaks loose.
CHERNOFF: Yes, and I can tell you there are plenty of tourists, plenty of New Yorkers here standing right behind the police -- right behind the police wire.
And it looks like the bomb squad is now -- now arriving. So they're going to have a look at this cooler, see if there's actually anything suspicious, anything in that cooler that is cause for concern.
And let's keep in mind, you know, they are just being particularly cautious here in New York after what happened last weekend.
LEMON: Hey, listen, Allan, you -- it was Monday, I believe. It happened on Saturday. I was out there with you. We were both looking around Times Square trying to figure out what, you know, trace the suspect's path -- this was before they had caught him -- trying to figure out how police were going to track him down.
All of those cameras that are there, those Argus cameras, the police cameras in Times Square, the business cameras at hotels and restaurants, you can bet -- I can bet you right now that they're going through all of those -- all the videotape and checking those cameras to figure out who might have left this cooler and what time, right, Allan?
CHERNOFF: Well, you know, we're -- we're dealing with the immediate situation right now. Yes, as you mentioned, there are plenty of cameras here able to observe exactly what transpires in the middle of Times Square.
But at the moment the focus is on securing the area. That's been done, now they're going to have a look inside of this cooler, see if there is anything in there beyond soft drinks, sandwiches, et cetera. Who knows? And at that point, then we'll see how this is resolved.
LEMON: What are the streets that you said closed off, 46th through -- 44th to 47th Street, in your observation?
CHERNOFF: Right. Well, where I'm standing right now on 47th Street and Broadway. We're looking a block and a half south, that's where the cooler is located. Times Square has been cleared out. And we're talking about the area between 47th Street and I can see down to 44th Street. In fact, I can see the crowd of people at 44th street looking uptown.
So it's essentially a three-block area that is closed off, only police now in that three-block region. And we're specifically talking just about Broadway and 7th Avenue. Remember, Broadway and 7th Avenue converge right in the middle of Times Square.
LEMON: So, Allan, you're saying -- and specifically, do you know, there's some reporting that it was on 46th Street, someone else said 45th Street. Do you know exactly? Is it too early to determine that, because they've closed it off and you can't see it.
CHERNOFF: Don, can you repeat that, please?
LEMON: Was it 46th Street or 45th Street that the cooler was found?
CHERNOFF: Between the two streets. The Marriott Marquis is located between 45th Street and 46th, so it's between those two streets right there.
LEMON: OK.
CHERNOFF: And we also have an ambulance here from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital. I see they're taking a gurney out. Obviously, that's just for precautionary measures here.
There are mounted police standing as well. I see four mounted policemen on the horses. Fire department is here and at least a dozen police officers standing right along 47th Street diverting the traffic and holding back the crowds who are most interested in what's happening just two blocks to the south of where we are.
LEMON: Allan, how similar this sounds to -- when you mentioned those mounted police officers there, how similar it sounds to what happened this past weekend, when that officer came upon that -- really when the T-shirt vendor came upon it and then he alerted that officer to that, which was a mounted police officer, and they managed to thwart this before it happened. Part of the thwarting, though, was that the bomber didn't really know what he was doing, thank goodness, I should say the accused bomber, the alleged bomber, did not know exactly what he was doing, so it didn't go off.
But because of the T-shirt vendor and the officer, who was a mounted police officer, this whole thing came to light. They were able to help people, save lives we think because -- not exactly sure how it would have exploded, how big it would have been, but it's very similar.
And I want to point out to our viewers, Allan, stick here with me, that we don't know exactly what's going on. We want to get on the record with this. After all, this is the heart of New York City, this is Times Square. And New York City has been targeted, I think, since 9/11, 284 times, 284 attempted terror attacks on that city since -- since 9/11. The closest city to that was Miami, with 70.
So, you know exactly what we're dealing with here, and so we just want to make sure that we're on record with this. Police are making sure that there's nothing there, and if there's something, they want to take care of it before they put an officer there to go and retrieve this cooler we're told, according to our Allan Chernoff and according to what is being reported on the wires. Marie is on the phone, she is a witness. Marie, you're at 7th Avenue and where?
MARIE SOMMA, WITNESS AT TIMES SQUARE (via telephone): I am actually 16 flights up above the mall in Times Square at 46th Street between 46th and 47th. And I'm in the Actors Equity Building and we have a full view of the area.
Just moments ago, I observed a gentleman in a hazmat suit working with something that was on a table in front of the Marriott Marquis Hotel. He took it off, and he moved to another area, not -- just a few steps away -- put it on the floor, was kneeling away from it, walked back to it. And it's now -- whatever is there, it's slightly obscured by umbrellas from the tables, but he has left and gone towards 47th Street.
There are police officers walking the perimeter. We have mounted police. There are no pedestrians anywhere near it. Near the area. They're blocked off by police and ropes.
Things look very quiet, almost eerie. And it's -- it seems that there are -- it looks like gentlemen in suits, so I'm assuming that it's more than just the New York City police that are down there.
LEMON: OK. And you said this man, Marie -- our viewers, if you're just tuning in, we have a situation happening in Times Square right now, a suspicious package, parts have been blocked off and evacuated. We have Marie on the phone who is 16 floors above the scene there between 46th and 47th Street looking down on it. She is in Actors Equity Building. She says a man in a hazmat suit working with something on a table, put it on the floor, and then went back to it, and then walked away again, something of that nature.
SOMMA: Yes.
LEMON: But eventually walked away from whatever it is, and so now it's all being cordoned off.
Real quickly, what did you want to say there, Marie?
SOMMA: Well, I was just going to say that it looks like there are just the regular police and a few men in suits that I would assume are from the FBI or another federal agency. There are -- I can't see anybody else in hazmat suits, and I cannot see a specific item that the gentleman was working on, but he did leave some things on a table, but they don't look like it's got a bomb.
It's almost as if he had photography equipment. Sixteen floors up, it's a little hard to see. But it's -- it is a piece of equipment that he did leave on the ground.
LEMON: Yes. I just want to say --
SOMMA: Facing something.
LEMON: Hey, we're going, Marie, standby, we're going to put you on hold just for a little bit, because we appreciate your information.
SOMMA: Sure.
LEMON: And we want to say, Marie is 16 floors up, so she's witnessing all this. Not exactly sure if the FBI is on it. Maybe I think Fran is a little bit -- pardon me, a little too far away to see an FBI badge at that point.
But, again, this is a situation unfolding in Times Square. And it is, you know, it is -- it sort of makes you sigh because, you know, you wonder how much will this continue. If this is indeed something, where did it come from? Was it sparked by something else? Did it have anything to do with what happened this weekend?
And if it's nothing, if it is nothing, then how much longer will people be sort of held transfixed by these scenes and really held captive by just suspicious packages in New York City and other cities?
This is where we have come to right now, especially after 9/11 and then other terror -- attempted terror attacks, and then since that situation with the failed car bombing in Times Square, this weekend.
And I want to go to Kathy, who is on the phone now from the Marriott Marquis. Kathy, tell us what you're seeing.
KATHY DUFFY, MARRIOTT MARQUIS SPOKESWOMAN (via telephone): Actually, I'm in my office at the Marriott Marquis, and what I can tell you is that we were advised by the Times Square Alliance, which is our business improvement district, that we were alerted to an abandoned cooler which appeared suspicious in front of 1535 Broadway, and it's on the pedestrian plaza. The bomb squad is present and they'll determine if the cooler poses a hazard. And as a precaution, in the bowtie, the streets are closed to the vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
I'm sorry, contrary to news reports they are saying that Times Square has been evacuated. To me, that means buildings. Our buildings were not evacuated, the hotel has not been evacuated.
LEMON: Yes, we did not say Times Square were evacuated, we said parts of Times Square which would mean a street area, which would be parts of street.
DUFFY: Well, I got it on my news alert from CNN.
LEMON: Let me ask you this, did you say it was 1534 Broadway, Kathy?
DUFFY: 1535 Broadway.
LEMON: 1535 Broadway. Have you been able to go outside or have you been able to see anything? Or have you stayed inside, stayed put?
DUFFY: No, I'm inside right now responding to media inquiries and to assure everyone that our hotel has not been evacuated.
LEMON: OK. Kathy, thank you very much for letting us know this.
And Kathy is working at the Marriott Marquis. She was advised by the Times Square alliance which is, you know, the business association there, and there are also Times Square alliance officers that are out walking around as well.
Hey, we want to go to our CNN producer, Julian, who is in Times Square right now. It's Julian Cummings.
Julian, hey, Julian, Don Lemon here.
JULIAN CUMMINGS, CNN PRODUCER (via telephone): Hi.
LEMON: It's Julian with "AC 360," right?
JULIAN: I'm here on the corner of 45th and 7th, we're kind of blocked off at this point, as is traffic and pedestrian traffic as well. Police just moved the barricade so our vehicle could get in.
You know, I don't want to tell too much about this with this (AUDIO GAP), but the vehicle does say "Hostage Negotiation Team" on the side. But in the distance I did hear bomb squad, let them in. So at this point, they did let this vehicle (AUDIO GAP) they stopped the traffic and moved it in, but all other vehicle traffic is still being forced to turn off at 47th and 7th.
And this truck that came in soon stopped and (AUDIO GAP) I'm not sure if you have the streaming shot we have up, but that shot is up right now of this vehicle, which the police did make quite an effort to get into the Times Square area.
LEMON: Hey, Julian, I'm going to ask you again if you can just -- I don't know if you're moving around, but just repeat your information because you're breaking up a little bit. I think it's important information. Can you please say what you just told me?
JULIAN: Sure. Where we are at 47th and 7th, the police made a pretty strong (AUDIO GAP) NYPD and OEM is also on the scene to move this vehicle in. I did hear them say bomb squad, but, you know, I don't want to say (ph) anything at this point, because the truck does say "Hostage Negotiation Team" on it. (AUDIO GAP) since stopped upon entering.
It's not a standard NYPD vehicle. It's got it looks like a mast that can go up with a camera on it. It's been refurbished with some technology that is not standard NYPD.
I can also see (AUDIO GAP) emergency service vehicles and various NYPD officials very close in the distance.
LEMON: OK, thank you. Hey, Julian -- Julian Cummings is a producer for CNN and he is there.
