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More Arrested in NYC Bomb Plot; Accused Russian Spies Head to Court; Google Losing Stock Value; Beating the Heat

Aired July 08, 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: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Don Lemon in for Ali Velshi.

DON LEMON, HOST: Oh, Tony, a busy day, busy afternoon here in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Don Lemon, in for Ali Velshi.

Here's what we've got on the rundown for you.

From here in the U.S. to Norway to the U.K., all the way to Pakistan, as summer heat up, so do the terror plots. New arrests in a never, it seems like, ending investigation, and a widening investigation.

Another stunner from the guy-next-door file. First it was accused Russian spies; now it's an alleged serial killer. Imagine the murderer dubbed the Grim Sleeper, living right next door to you.

And how do you feel about a blind person behind the wheel of a car? Well, a plan is in the works to teach the blind to drive and to break down another barrier.

All right. So we're going to start with this. We're going to start with those terror suspects that have been arrested. Some of them have been charged. Some of them still not in custody. But the ones who are arrested in Norway.

The feds charged an alleged al Qaeda operative with helping to mastermind the New York subway plot. And another terror suspect is arrested in Britain, all examples of what authorities say is al Qaeda's global reach and continued determination to kill Americans and their allies.

Here's what we know right now. I want to show you those suspects. Three suspects were arrested today: two in Norway, one in Germany, and one of them is a Norwegian Uyghur. And there are others, as well: an al Qaeda, an Iraqi, who is an Uzbek.

We want to go now to CNN's Paula Newton. She joins us now. She is in London with the very latest on this.

So listen: it seems like when summer is heating up right about now, but also these arrests and information about alleged terror suspects, as well. What is going on, Paula?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been interesting. You know, this is an investigation that has gone on now for 18 months. And it involves that New York City plot to bomb the subway system there. This is all in connection with that.

And what happened in that investigation is two people really pled guilty in February. But not just there. From a lot of evidence that was seized, a lot of authorities around the world putting surveillance out. The Norwegian authorities say these three suspects have been under surveillance for more than a year in connections with these plots.

What is going on? U.S. authorities say a so-called al Qaeda facilitator recruited more than a dozen people to hit so-called soft targets in both Europe and the United States. And this now are authorities connecting the dots. A lot of it not just through the wiretapping and intercepting emails and the e-mails, apparently, they had talked about the marriage, the marriage being a so-called bombing attempt.

It also implicates people here in Britain. One man arrested yesterday on the request of U.S. authorities, allegedly also involved in the plot to blow up trains in New York and also on shopping malls here in Manchester, England.

But what has been interesting is that, in terms of them unraveling this case, at the time U.S. authorities told us that that plot on the New York City subway was the most serious since 9/11. And now we're figuring out why they said that at the time and exactly how wide this investigation can spread -- Don.

LEMON: So listen, Paula, we're talking about Norway. We're also talking about it happening here in the United States with the attorney general, as well.

The White House doesn't want to call it the war on terror. But it seems with all of these things that are being uncovered, is this -- is it more reporting? Or is it unusual to report so many happening within just a couple of days?

NEWTON: There has been a lot of activity on it. But I would say that that is mainly coincidence. What is true, though, Don, is that yesterday it was five years that the 7-7 events here, the London transit bomb -- London transit system was targeted. Fifty-two people died, Don, with very crude portable bombs, the kind that U.S. authorities say were going to be used on the New York subway system.

What does this mean?

Well, we talked to Andy Hanman (ph) in the last week. He was the head of the anti-terror unit here in London. You know what he told us? That radicalization continues, that the threat has not changed. And he specifically points, you know, to the United States, saying that he feels authorities there have been in the state of denial and that he, you can expect to see more and more incidences of this radicalization throughout the world and specifically in the United States.

LEMON: All right. Paula, thank you very much. Stand by, we may be getting back to you.

Before we go, we're going to talk to a terror expert here.

I want to tell you a little bit more about these suspects. Authorities say all of those arrested are linked to Najibullah Zazi. Remember him? You may recall the leader of the aborted attempt to set off bombs in the New York subway system.

He was the vendor, the street car vendor there, and he was also a cab driver. Zazi has pleaded guilty and cooperated with authorities. He's awaiting sentencing right now.

The plot allegedly was planned by al Qaeda. U.S. officials yesterday also charged an al Qaeda operative whose name is Adnan El- Shukrijumah. Shukrijumah and four others in an alleged al Qaeda plot to stage attacks in the U.K. and the U.S.

He is a Saudi American and he lived in New York and Florida before fleeing the United States after 9/11. He is now believed to be in Pakistan.

Other recent plots allegedly planned by al Qaeda as well. Remember the alleged attempt by Nigerian Farouk Mutallab to blow up the Detroit-bound jetliner on Christmas day? The U.S. Army major, Nidal Hasan, who allegedly killed 13 people last November at Fort Hood, Texas? And accused Times Square bomber, of course, Faisal Shazad, who allegedly sought training from Pakistan, the Taliban there.

And now, David Headley, the Pakistani-American who pleaded guilty to helping plan the terror attacks in Mumbai, India, in 2008.

That's a lot to read, but it just shows you just how much is going on here

I want to turn now to Tom Fuentes. He is an FBI system director, and he -- he joins us now.

Listen, I see that you're there in Washington. I read off all those names, all the information about these suspects. What is going on here with that, with Norway? What's happening with the attorney general?

TOM FUENTES, FBI SYSTEM DIRECTOR: Hi, Don.

What you're seeing is the extension of continuing investigation throughout the world that's been ongoing a long time. I think the comment of U.S. authorities being in denial about radicalization is not true. This has been something that the FBI and the CIA and other agencies here have been talking about for many years, to be on the lookout for that.

And this radicalization process occurs not only in cities throughout Europe and the Middle East, but it occurs in the United States, in Canada, in Australia. It's an ongoing process for them to recruit people to conduct these attacks. LEMON: With the Norway arrests, tell us about al Qaeda, their status and their attempts to attack specifically here in the U.S. How concerned should American citizens be about their safety?

FUENTES: Well, I think they just need to be vigilant, as we've always advocated that they be. These attacks are being, you know -- are being conducted or being planned, I should say, on a worldwide basis.

One of the things that's happened over the last couple of years is that originally, al Qaeda, going back to 9/11, wanted to conduct the gigantic attack. The attacks in the United States on 9/11, in the embassies, in east Africa in 1998. Whereas other terrorist groups like Hezbollah, were content to do the death by 1,000 cuts: kill five people, ten people, 15, in bus stops, in discotheques, in cafeterias.

Now what you have over the last couple of years is basically al Qaeda saying, "If you're in a position to conduct an attack, no matter whether it's large or small, just go ahead and do it."

And that's why now you see attempts like the gas tanks in vehicles. Whether they be in London or whether they're in Times Square. Or -- or attacks on newspapers in Scandinavia that ran the cartoons of Mohammed a couple of years ago and incurred the wrath of many people around the world.

So the idea now is that, if they can conduct any kind of an attack and can kill any number of people, go for it.

LEMON: Tom, let's talk about the language in here when we talk about the chatter and what's going on online and what they're saying according to investigators. They're planning a wedding, which means an attack, right? They're planning a wedding.

FUENTES: Right.

LEMON: And also, we want as many people to turn out at the wedding as possible. Meaning we want as many people killed as possible.

FUENTES: That's correct. And that's been terminology that they've used for many years. Oftentimes it is an attack plan. Occasionally, it's an actual wedding, which we've discovered through surveillance and work with counterparts around the world. So there is that.

But don't forget, the investigations that are being extended on a worldwide basis are not only the result of wiretaps or e-mail examination, but you have cooperation. You have people like Abdul Mutallab in Detroit giving information to the FBI about his training in Yemen, his radicalization that occurred when he was a student in London.

LEMON: Right.

FUENTES: You have Shazad cooperating. You have Zazi cooperating.

LEMON: So...

FUENTES: And his sentence being delayed to see to what extent his cooperation has been accurate.

LEMON: So investigators are learning a lot from those people who are cooperating.

FUENTES: Exactly.

LEMON: Tom Fuentes, former FBI assistant director in Washington, thank you, sir.

FUENTES: You're welcome, Don.

LEMON: You know, it's only been a few days since we learned about an alleged Russian spy ring in the U.S., but federal prosecutors might already be close to closing the book on that one. Up next, a live report from New York as the suspects head to court.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We've been hearing a lot about this story lately. It's been the cover of every newspaper, especially "The New York Post," titillating pictures.

All ten Russian spy suspects are scheduled to be arraigned in New York today. Sources with knowledge of the case say they may plead guilty to one charge. They could be deported as early as this evening. And speculation that this could be part of a spy swap with Moscow. All of that is going on right now.

So I turn now to our national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, who's following all the details for us in New York.

Susan, what's the very latest?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I tell you, they're coming fast and furious. The details on this case, Don, coming together so rapidly in a case that began on June 28. That's only about 11 or 12 days ago, less than two weeks. So that the fact that, according to sources with details of the investigation, that this could be wrapped up by the end of this day is quite an amazing turn of events.

And what we're talking about here is that guilty pleas are expected and an arraignment this afternoon, according to the source who is giving us this information, as well as others, and what they would plead guilty to would be failing to register as a foreign agent for Russia in the United States. And that, as part of this deal, that the other charge, conspiracy to commit money laundering, would simply go away, and they would be sentenced to time served and according to our sources, would quickly be leaving the country as early as tonight. Whether they can pull this together that quickly, perhaps is another question. But what's interesting to note here, as well, is why is this coming together so rapidly?

LEMON: Yes, why is this going through the court so quickly?

CANDIOTTI: Why swap? Well you know, is it a legal question? Are there politics involved? Well, you can bet that perhaps it's the answer -- the truth is somewhere in between there. If it indeed -- if, indeed, this is part of an elaborate spy swap, as many people are reporting, then that might help explain it.

This is a case that has been under way for ten years. Ten years they have been conducting surveillance on these alleged spies. And we have two counts that were filed against them by prosecutors here in New York after working all that time, for failing to register.

We also haven't seen from the government any hard evidence as to any information that might have been turned over. So perhaps that -- that provided an opening to quickly resolve this case.

But you know, Don, we have a lot of questions about the children involved here. We have -- we have a couple that lives in New Jersey, a suburban couple. We have another couple who lived in Boston. One, the husband there who has connections to Harvard University. We have a Spanish-language journalist, also based here in New York, and other defendants in the Washington, D.C., area. People who -- some of them have admitted that they used fake names and that they are actually citizens of Russia.

But we're wondering, what's going to happen to their children? There are at least five children involved in this case. Would they be leaving the country with their parents? For some reason, would they stay behind? We're still trying to get answers to those questions.

LEMON: Yes. Whether or not it was national secrets at stake here. But it's certainly some titillating headlines that it's providing for us. Susan Candiotti, thank you so much for that story.

Listen, if you need a question answered, just Google it, right? Google it. It's like searching; you say "Google." But it turns out the Internet giant is losing billions. We'll tell you about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. So our favorite little white-screen search engine isn't doing so hot. Christine Romans knows.

And do you know why, Christine Romans? And we said white screen, because they always have the white screen, and they change it to whatever. You would think Google would be going gangbusters, though.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, you know, it is going gangbusters. I mean, for the past five years, its sales have been up 40 percent each year. Right? So then why in the stock market has it had such trouble this year? The stock down 26 percent, Don, since the beginning of the year. It's up today. It was up yesterday. But a lot of people are scratching their heads, saying what is it that investors are saying is the problem with Google. And the problem seems to be diversification.

My colleague, Paul Monica (ph) at CNNmoney.com says that investors are bored with Google and the fact that it is simply this big search giant. And it hasn't been super-successful in anything outside of that. At least not on the scale that it's seen with making itself a household name verb, right?

So among the things, when you look at the stock over the past year, I mean, it's lost like $58 billion in market value. There's going to be an earnings report next week. It still has very good growth. Its sales growth is still great.

But a couple of things that people are concerned about. You know, it had the Google Buzz, which was going to be the Facebook killer. It didn't kill Facebook.

It had a phone store venture that wasn't all that well received.

And its well-documented troubles in China. Some growth investors saying, Don, that if you're the biggest search engine in the world and you're having trouble in the biggest market for Internet users, the biggest growth market for Internet users in the world...

LEMON: China.

ROMANS: ... they wonder you know, hmm, that's something that is a little pessimistic to them, too. So some investors are saying some of this, some of the selloff is overdone. I mean, down 26 percent this year. That's worse than Yahoo! or Microsoft or the other big tech names, indeed. So why is it that investors have soured a little bit on Google?

LEMON: Yes, and let's talk about this, too. Because we've been seeing, you know, the new iPhone is coming out. Everybody has a new smart phone. But Google hasn't really caught on as well with these smart phones or with -- of with cell phones, either.

ROMANS: It is the search giant, the search giant. I mean, it does that better than anybody else, and it is the biggest and the best at that.

But you're right, when you look at Apple shares over the same period as Google shares, I mean, you see this divergence that's pretty -- that's pretty interesting. As Apple has managed to roll out these new gadgets one after the other. And stay in the stay in the -- you know, stay in the headlines with its innovation and the things that it's been doing.

So we're really watching Google here. And I said it does have its earnings next week. But sometimes this is -- sometimes this is what happens when you're the biggest and the best at what you do. Investors immediately are saying, "OK, what next? Show us what's next."

LEMON: Right.

ROMANS: Until they can do that, you know, that -- they question. So there you go. But the stock is up today. It's up about .6 percent today to $453 a share.

LEMON: All right. The biggest and the best team, our money team, Christine Romans and Ali Velshi. Thank you very much, Christine.

ROMANS: Sure.

LEMON: You can catch more of Christine along with our very own Ali Velshi on "YOUR $$$$$." It's Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Eastern.

All right. An important hearing is scheduled for next hour in the case of the ten suspected Russian spies. We've been talking about them. A source close to the investigation tells CNN that all ten could enter guilty pleas. That may clear the way for them to be deported as early as tonight.

CNN has learned that the White House wants answers soon from BP on efforts to cap the broken oil well. BP is being given 24 hours to respond. Meantime, national incident commander Thad Allen says we're only about seven to ten days from a relief well intersecting the Deepwater Horizon well. But he is sticking with the mid-August timetable for being able to actually kill the broken well.

You know, it's a little cooler in the northeast today, thank goodness. It's still in the mid to upper 90s, though, in some areas. But that is a lot better than 100 degrees plus that they've been having over the last few days. And I experienced it in New York day before yesterday, D.C. yesterday. Man, oh, man.

There are still heat advisories posted in many places. We'll have more on the extreme heat this hour. Don't go away.

All right. So someone's going to win the lottery tonight. The wait is over for the NBA teams and the fans courting MVP LeBron James. Where is he going? Hmm? More on tonight's big decision next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN A. SMITH, HOST, FOX SPORTS RADIO: It's instant millions. You're talking about paraphernalia being sold. You're talking about hotels being filled, restaurants being filled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: You guys know we're talking about -- we're talking about LeBron James, of course. He is the NBA MVP, the Cleveland Cavaliers star free agent, on and on. He's going to announce tonight where he's going to be playing next season. I think I might know, though. Whoever lands him basically hits the jackpot. This guy is just 25 years old, can basically assure a team a playoff berth and a city a multimillion-dollar income revenue.

When the Cavs drafted him back in 2003, their attendance went from bottom of the barrel to top of the league.

What is going on? What is all the intrigue about LeBron James? The annual revenue from tickets, here's why, luxury boxes, jersey sales, sponsorships. It's more than double: from $72 million to almost $160 million.

The bigger picture here, he's like a one-man stimulus plan. An economics professor at the University of Illinois - Chicago crunched the numbers for us and found, if James puts his team deep into the playoffs, everyone, everyone in the city wins. Whatever city he is in.

The potential revenue bump for Cleveland, his current home? One hundred million dollars. That's a lot to lose if he does go somewhere else. So for Miami, rumored to be the late front-runner for James, that's $275 million for them. And as for Chicago and New York, still top contenders, even more than that.

Stay tuned. We have some inside info for you.

You know, it's day 80 of the oil disaster. And we just may have some good news to share with you about capping this leak once and for all. We're going to have details for you right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It is day 80 of the oil disaster. I never thought I'd be saying that. Day 80 of the oil disaster. The Deepwater Horizon well has been leaking oil into the Gulf for that long, and at last check, more than 3,579,000 barrels of oil has spilled into the Gulf. Can't even wrap my head around that.

Now to some good news, though, in this disaster. The government's point man on the BP oil disaster says the first relief well could intercept the leaking well in seven to ten days. Fingers crossed. But Admiral Thad Allen says the capping procedure is not expected to be completed until mid-August.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADMIRAL THAD ALLEN, NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: We're down to the final days and weeks of closing in to a point where we can intercept the well. Our target date remains the middle of August, because there are a number of uncertainties related to what happens when we penetrate the oil bore, which I'll talk about in a minute. There are certain things that could move that date up. But for right now, my official position is it will be the middle of August before this well is capped.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: This is also helping, as well: a turn for the better in the weather. And now skimming boats are restarting their clean-up efforts. They were put on hold during Hurricane Alex. Remember?

Well, rough seas also delayed plans to hook up the helix-producer which could bring in up to 25,000 barrels of oil a day from the well. Now that would increase the overall daily collection capacity to 53,000 barrels of oil a day.

BP says it has recovered about 24,575 barrels on Wednesday, bringing the total number of barrels removed from the Gulf to about 706,700.

Meantime, oral arguments challenging the Obama administration's six-month ban on exploratory deepwater drilling begin this afternoon in a federal appeals court in Louisiana. This follows a scathing report released by an extensive -- by an advocacy group and extensive oil industry ties among the court's judges, that's what it reveals.

Let's talk now about the weather. It's warm in here, but not nearly as warm as it is on the East Coast. It's a scorcher. It's a sizzler. Hot stuff, whatever you want to say -- hotter than Hades. Talking about the weather here.

But those of you who are suffering in the northeast, well, you may have a break coming, but not soon enough. We'll check it out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: We're going to continue it talk about this heat, because people throughout the northeast are finding ways to really beat the heat. CNN's Jason Carroll is in New York with more on how the power company is keeping the air conditioners running -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, things are feeling cooler today here in New York City. Even so, one heat-related death reported in the state of Maryland. The governor there urging people to take whatever steps necessary to stay cool.

Meanwhile, here in New York City, we spent some time at ConEdison's command center to see what steps they're taking to deal with the heat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): Day four of the northeast heat wave brought some lowered temperatures, but not low enough in Boston.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One thing about guys, people from the Southie, we're not that bunch of wimps. You know what I mean? We'll take it. CARROLL: Record highs in several eastern cities, including Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware. Record sales of air conditioners in many New York City stores.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, they've been going as fast as they're coming in.

CARROLL: The city's pools, filling to capacity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's refreshing, it's cool, and it's keeping us from passing out in the sun.

CARROLL: Demand for power a concern in New York where ConEdison has been running its emergency response center since Tuesday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The low is 12,525 megawatts.

CARROLL: Inside their war room, various departments work together to prevent blackouts.

(on camera): As you take a look around the room, you can see that the center is broken up into different sections. You've got logistics back here. You've got customer service right here next to me. Back over there you have gas and steam. We're told that the center will stay open until the temperatures are back to normal.

All the analysis is happening right over here.

CARROLL (voice-over): John Mcsad (ph) oversees the entire operation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I look at this for us as round two. I think this might be the last round of this fight.

CARROLL (on camera): You're using all of these fight references.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a fight.

CARROLL: Are you on defense at this point? Or on offense? Where are you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a really good question. I think right now we're on offense.

CARROLL (voice-over): Some 5,700 customers are without power in New York City. The majority of the system is holding thanks in part to the city's large office buildings and businesses, heeding calls to help by reducing energy consumption. Yet, the center's numbs show demand is still high.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 12,491 megawatts of demand.

CARROLL (on camera): Translate that. What does that mean?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's 12,500 million watts. So one megawatt is enough to light 1,000 homes. CARROLL: Does it make you nervous?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does make me nervous, yes.

CARROLL (voice-over): The operation will run 24 hours a day until temperatures and demand begin to drop.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: Again, Don, cooler temperatures here in New York City today, that will help ease demand. Even so, those folks that you saw there working at the command center are going to be working 12-hour shifts until further notice -- Don.

LEMON: All right, Jason, hydrate, hydrate.

You know, after 25 years police arrest a man they believe to be the "Grim Sleeper." It's an odd name, we'll explain it. It's a murder mystery that involves at least 11 lost lives.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Want to check your top stories right now.

It is decision day for LeBron James. The two-time NBA MVP announces tonight if he's staying to play in Cleveland or taking a permanent road trip to another team. Man, the anticipation. Even non-hoops fans could feel the effects of his decision. Along with his 29.7 points per game, James could bring multimillions in revenue to his chosen team and also to his chosen city.

CNN has learned that the White House wants answers soon from BP on efforts to cap the broken oil well; BP is being given 24 hours to respond. Meantime, National Incident Commander Thad Allen says we're only about seven to ten days from a relief well intercepting the DeepWater Horizon well, but he is sticking with the mid-August timetable for being able to actually kill the broken well.

And it is life without parole for the first defendant to stand trial in a triple murder in Newark, New Jersey. It happened in a schoolyard, four college friends were lined up and shot. That was back in August of 2007, one survived and testified in this first trial.

You know in "Crime & Consequences" right now, a big break in a case that spans a quarter century. For years, police in Los Angeles have searched for a serial killer who was dubbed the "Grim Sleeper." And now, finally, an arrest in the case, 57-year-old Lonnie David Franklin Jr. is in court today, facing ten counts of murder and an additional count of attempted murder. Police suspect him of targeting black women in southern L.A. since 1985, killing them with the same gun and dumping them in back alleys.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez joins us now live from Los Angeles with more on this.

Boy, it has taken a long time, Thelma, for this.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it sure has, Don. And I can tell you the big break in this case came from a lab with the Department of Justice in Sacramento using new technology called the California Familial DNA Search Program.

Now keep in mind, Don, that human DNA was collected from the bodies of these victims who were killed back in the '80s. And so police had a DNA profile of the killer, but they didn't have his face, they didn't have a name. And then suddenly, very recently, they were able to make a partial match.

Now it turns out that the suspect's son was convicted of a felony weapons charge and his DNA was in the system. And so, using this familial DNA search program, investigators came up with the partial match. They were able to take a closer look at the father.

Then they were able to collect his DNA from actually picking up piece of partially-eaten pizza out of his garbage can. They were able to run that DNA and then bingo, they had their match -- Don.

LEMON: Listen, tell me about this man. I understand he's a mechanic and from what I've been reading, people said -- you know, this is according to reports -- that he frequented sex workers and those sorts of things. But he was the guy next door, I'm sure no one thought he was a serial killer.

GUTIERREZ: That's exactly it, Don, this was a 57-year-old mechanic who worked in south L.A., he worked in his yard. The neighbors said he was a terrific guy, no red flags came up. They said he was very helpful. They described him as wonderful.

As a matter of fact, one neighbor even said, recently saw him playing with his grandchildren out in his yard often. She thought that there was nothing there that would have raised any suspicions about him.

Another person said that she was absolutely astonished when she found out that he was a suspect. Because she said she recalled many times she would sit in his camper with him and they would watch movies together. So she was horrified to find this out.

LEMON: Another neighbor-next-door story like the Russian spies. You never, never know.

What are -- the victims' families, are they saying anything about this?

GUTIERREZ: Well, Don, you can imagine just how relieved they are. I mean, after all, they've been waiting for more than 20 years to actually find some closure, some peace, and they did speak out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONNELL ALEXANDER, BROTHER OF MURDER VICTIM: That was my baby sister. And you are always grown up to protect your little sister, you know what I'm saying? And we weren't there and we couldn't, and so we felt defenseless. So it's a shame to go with it, it's been hard.

DARREN ALEXANDER, BROTHER OF MURDER VICTIM: It's been hard. You know, every night, you know, I've prayed for her, every night from -- since 1988. So it's definitely going to bring some closure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTIERREZ: And that was the family of Alisha Monique Alexander, she was murdered back in 1988, her body was dumped in a back alley.

And what we do know, Don, is that police will hold a news conference in a few minutes. They will also arraign Lonnie David Franklin Jr. later on this afternoon, Don.

LEMON: Yes, it's very interesting, it's almost like the guy in Cleveland who was killing the women and putting them in his home, very odd.

Thank you, Thelma, we appreciate your report.

We want to talk more about the victims in this case. There are many to report to you, at least 11 women, but for now, police are only charging Franklin with ten counts of murder.

The first victim is believed to be 29-year-old Debra Jackson. She was a cocktail waitress, she was found dead in August of 1985. Henrietta Wright, she was 35 years old. Barbara Ware, 23 years old. And Bernita Sparks, no one knows her age, her age unknown. Mary Lowe, 26 years old. Lachrica Jackson, 26 years old. Alicia Alexander was 19 years old, she was found murdered in September of 1988. And Princess Berthamieux, 15 years old. Valerie McCorvey, 35 years old. And Janecia Peters, 25 years old found shot in the back in January of 2007. Grim and sad story there.

Breaking boundaries for the blind. This is an amazing story. It's an amazing project that could soon allow blind to drive. We'll take a look at how it works and how the technology could change the way we all drive.

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LEMON: Time for the "Big 'I'" ideas that inspire and empower. This one really got our attention today, and I'm sure it's going to get yours. We're looking at a project that allows blind people to drive. Ponder that for a little bit. It's a prototype that's been successful, engineers plan to test their next generation vehicle in Daytona in January before the Rolex 24 race.

Joining me from Dallas is Dr. Dennis Hong director of the robotics lab at Virginia Tech, the team that developed the car, and also Mark Riccobono, he's the director of the National Federation of the Blind, Jernigan Institute, they are showing off the technology at the federation's annual convention.

Good to see both of you. So, Doctor, how did you come up with this? How does this work?

DR. DENNIS HONG, VIRGINIA TECH: It's a very complex system, but since you don't have time, let me simplify it. So, there's three steps to it. First, there's perception and then there's computation and then there's the novel non-visual user interfaces.

So the perception is we have a bunch of different kinds of sensors all over the car. These act as the eyes for the car. We have these laser range finder sensors, different types of cameras, and that information is fed into the computer.

So the second step, computation, the computer receives all this vast amount of information and tries to make sense out of it. These are the roads, what is that? Classify obstacles, objects. And based on that, it tries to build a world model, which is basically a map around the vehicle.

So the key thing is the third stage, which is the non-visual user interfaces. Sot key is how do we convey this fast amount of information real time to a person who cannot see so he or she can drive. We have non-visual interfaces from three dimensional sound interfaces to vibrating vests, vibrating chairs, different type of vibrating gloves and different type of tactile interfaces like aeropix (ph). And we're using these type of interfaces to enable blind person to drive a vehicle.

LEMON: You're relying solely on technology and I'm sure the concern is going to be about, what about periphery? What about does it detect a kid with a ball in the street and a kid comes walking by.

I want to ask you, Mr. Riccobono, most people would say, would people be comfortable with this. Are you comfortable using this technology? Would you be comfortable behind the wheel?

MARK RICCOBONO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND JERNIGAN INSTITUTE: Oh, absolutely. Because what we're trying to do with the National Federation of the Blind is demonstrate that blind people have capacity, and we want to test the limits of independence.

So far, blind people have not found the limits of independence. We are shattering the misconceptions about blindness. Most blind people have great dreams, and the average person on the street will not even believe that a blind person can walk down the street independently.

Here we're taking something that's so imaginative and putting it in the hands of people that we believe have capacity. We haven't tested the limits yet, and we intend to find out where the horizons are.

LEMON: So listen, Mr. Riccobono, you understand people may have some hesitation about this. I'm sure.

RICCOBONO: Yes. But you know, blind people are not going to be driving tomorrow, but it's our vision that we can go much farther than we have been. And actually our work in the National Federal of the Blind, Blind Driver Challenge will push the driving experience to new places for everyone.

LEMON: So, listen, Doctor, he said obviously blind people aren't going to be driving tomorrow, it's probably not going to happen next year or maybe within -- who knows? -- the next five years. But it's technology you think that should be investigated so that blind people can become more independent and able to drive.

How far in the future might we be looking at these technologies?

HONG: This is a research product. So as you mentioned, we had our first success with our the early feasibility vehicle last year, and this January we're unveiling the next generation that can be driven by a blind on the real road. So what we're trying to develop here is a general research platform so other researchers from all around the world can develop new type of interface technologies and test it on this vehicles.

But to answer your question, even though the immediate goal is to develop this vehicle that can be driven by the blind, we're really more excited about the spinoff technologies. For example, all these devices that we're going to be creating throughout this project can be used not only for driving application for the blind, but for safer vehicles for full-sighted people and or for every day home appliances for the blind. So there's a lot of valuable spinoff technologies that are going to come out of this vehicle.

And in terms of when we might be able to have this vehicle on the road, well, I believe the technology will be ready before for the society will be ready.

RICCOBONO: Absolutely.

HONG: But there's -- besides technical issues, how are you going to issue driver's licenses for the blind, how is insurance going to be covered. There's a lot of other things, and the social -- the society accepting these kinds of things. So there's a lot of other issues that need to be resolved before you see this vehicle on the road.

LEMON: Yes, and that's why I asked you that question. You have a great attitude about it, but just imagine the possibilities with this, even the technology that happens even before blind people start to drive.

Hey, Mark Riccobono, thank you so much. Dr. Hong, thank you. I really appreciate it. Fascinating stuff, guys.

RICCOBONO: Thank you. We'll see you on the roads.

HONG: Thanks for having us, and a lot of things happening in the next few years.

LEMON: All right, we shall see. We'll have you back.

RICCOBONO: All right, great. HONG: Thank you.

LEMON: Hey, let's talk more technology now. You've got a broken iPhone that needs fixing? Well, then maybe it's time to call the doctor. It's happened to me. Next, more on the young entrepreneur who's cutting into Apple's business.

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LEMON: He's a doctor who makes house calls, but he's not an MD and he doesn't heal the sick, at least not sick people. Some can get sick if this happens to them. "Dr. Brendan," as he is known, specializes in reviving broken iPhones, iPads and Macs.

CNNMoney.com Poppy Harlow joins us now from New York with more. He's 28 years old, this entrepreneur, and I'm sure he's got lots of business because I see people dropping their iPhones all the time -- crack.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Because they know how obsessed you are with all your Apple products that you might shed a tear, Don, if your iPhone broke.

LEMON: Not just that, I just like technology.

HARLOW: You like technology, that is true. But honestly, people go nuts over their gadgets, the iPhone, the BlackBerry, you name it. We've all dropped them, we've all broken them. So where do you fix it that's not going to cost you an arm and a leg?

Well, we found a fix in, as you said, "Dr. Brendan" working out of his tiny New York City apartment on the Lower East Side. Check it out.

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BRENDAN MCELROY, IPHONE FIXER: We do everything from you know, iPhones, iPads and iTouch.

HARLOW (voice-over): He is known around town as Dr. Brendan and if your iPhone looks like this or this, he can bring it back to life.

MCELROY: Aside from liquid damage, there's not one I can't fix.

HARLOW: If it's crushed, busted, broken, 28-year-old Brendan McElroy know how to fix it and he said he'll do it for less than half of what Apple charges.

(on camera): Do you consider yourself a tech geek?

MCELROY: I'm a bit of a tech geek. I'm not a full contact geek.

HARLOW: After dropping his own iPhone while bartending last year, he surfed the web and taught himself how to fix it.

MCELROY: I'll be honest, I butchered it a bit. HARLOW: He's not a real doctor but a self-proclaimed tinkerer who zips from customer to customer on his motorcycle.

MCELROY: This is my fourth house call of the day.

HARLOW: This emergency call is at the hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is this problem with the LCD screen where there is a stripe in the middle.

HARLOW: 10 ten minutes, 75 bucks and it's done.

But there's one catch. Having your iPhone fixed outside of Apple could void your warranty. Why Dr. Brendan?

DR. SEETAL MEYWAY, CUSTOMER: Apple is a total hassle to me. The one time I went in there, you have to schedule the appointment, you wait, they tell you they can't fix it.

HARLOW: Next stop, back home to more customers.

MCELROY: So what's up with your phone?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I dropped it.

MCELROY: Oh, no.

HARLOW: It's a story he hears over and over again.

MCELROY: Were you very upset?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

MCELROY: No, you weren't. Some people break down and cry.

HARLOW: The fix takes a tiny screwdriver, a razor blade and, of course, the screen.

MCELROY: Courtesy of China, and that is a new iPhone screen there.

HARLOW: How did you find the right components?

MCELROY: I found something, some post from some distributor that claimed to sell these parts so I e-mailed them. I was very nervous. Because it was just like, oh, send this cash to China. You know.

HARLOW (on camera): But it worked out?

MCELROY: It worked out.

HARLOW (voice-over): It's 5:00 p.m. and he's already fixed seven iPhones and more customers are on the way. In fact, business is so good, Dr. Brendan quit his bartending gig and is opening his own store this fall.

(on camera): What is the oddest story you've heard about how someone broke their phone?

MCELROY: There has been a lot of stories but my girlfriend saw my text messages and threw it at me. There was another one, someone's son actually bit the phone.

HARLOW: Oh. Did you fix it?

MCELROY: Yes.

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