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President Obama Visiting India; The House's Likely New Speaker; Six Die in Haiti After Hurricane

Aired November 06, 2010 - 19:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: In this hour, he has cried in public. He blasted the president live on television before. And now, he's set to become the new speaker of the House. Who is John Boehner? We'll have an in-depth report for you.

More marijuana talk. You've heard of the man in charge of American's so-called war on drugs. Now, you heard from people who pushed for the passage of illegal pot. How did they lose? Will they try it again?

Couples, come on, tell the truth, are you sleeping in different beds? Many of you are. It is a growing trend. We'll tell you why and if there's anything you can do to change it.

(MUSIC)

LEMON: We start with this. President Barack Obama is in India tonight, the first stop on a 10-day tour through Asia. And even there, he couldn't escape the main issue that dogged him during the midterms, and that is the American economy. The president announced a new export deal that he says will bring jobs back home.

Our Mallika Kapur is standing by live for us in Mumbai.

Mallika, tell us about this new deal he has cut with India.

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's quite a few deals actually. It's not just a one deal. It's a number of deals valued about $10 billion. And U.S. officials say that will support 54,000 jobs back home in the States.

They trusted this has very much been about creating opportunities, creating jobs in the United States. And the president has said it is his goal to double America's exports in the next five years. Essentially, what American companies need is new consumers. American companies are still feeling the effects of a recession back home.

But in other parts of the world, in India, for example, which is less hit by the recession, the economy is booming, stock market is booming. Economy is growing at around 9 percent a year. So, many Americans companies are trying to find ways to enter the Indian market.

And finding new consumers is really what this was all about, which will help to create jobs back home.

LEMON: Mallika, listen, we're having a little bit of an issue with your microphone. Let's roll your story, and then we'll come back afterwards and talk.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAPUR (voice-over): Kia Scherr came to Mumbai a few weeks ago, the city her husband and daughter visited in November of 2008 for a spiritual retreat.

KIA SCHERR, LOST LOVED ONES IN MUMBAI ATTACKS: I wanted to meet the people, walk the streets, just like they did -- and that makes me feel more connected and closer to them.

KAPUR: Thirteen-year-old Naomi and her father were staying at the Oberoi Hotel when terrorists attacked. More than 160 people lost their lives in the Mumbai attacks. Naomi and Alan were among them. Two years later, sitting across the road from the same hotel, the pain is raw, the memories precious.

SCHERR: Naomi was, in a way, a typical American teenager. I mean, she was kind of an angel in a stage (ph) and a teenager. She loved rock music and listened all day long. She was begging for tattoos and piercing. And, finally, we said, OK, when you're in India, a nose piercing. So that was the last time I spoke with her. She got her nose piercing and she was ecstatic and sent me the photo and it was beautiful.

KAPUR: Back then she took comfort from a condolence letter that then- President-elect Barack Obama wrote to her. Saturday, she had a chance to meet him.

SCHERR: He just said that, you know, I'm so sorry for you loss. I said we have an opportunity to create a positive outcome to this if we take a stand to honor the sacredness of life in ourselves and in each other. And he nodded, and he agreed with that. And it was just a very sweet, very personal connection.

KAPUR: Speaking of the Taj Mahal Motel in Mumbai, which was also attacked, the president had this to say about staying at the hotel and starting his four-day trip to India, in Mumbai.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know there's been a great deal of commentary on our decision to begin our visit here in this dynamic city, at this historic hotel. And to those who have asked whether this is intended to send a message, my answer is simply, absolutely.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And that report from Mallika Kapur reporting on the president's first of a 10-day trip to Asia. She'll be doing more reporting on that.

A new wrinkle in the Yemen package terror plot. A source tells CNN that U.S. intelligence learned about a possible strike involving airplanes early last month. Saudi Arabia told the U.S. that something (AUDIO BREAK) that the information lacks specific details. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility today for the plot today.

Meantime, Yemen is sending additional troops to capture a Yemeni American clerk linked to that group. Anwar al-Awlaki is charged with inciting the killings of foreigners in Yemen.

In Oakland, California, streets are quiet tonight after last night's violent protest over a sentencing of a police officer.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Police say a peaceful march to remember the victim of a shooting turned unruly at nightfall when a small number of people began throwing rocks and bottles. At one point, someone grabbed an officer's gun and pointed it at him. More than 150 people were arrested.

A former transit officer Johannes Mehserle was sentenced to two years for shooting and killing 22-year-old Oscar Grant on a train platform on New Year's Day in 2009. It was captured on a cell phone camera. In the sentencing, the judge gave Mehserle credit for time already served, a fact that didn't sit well with some people in the community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, KGO)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I shouldn't be surprised. This country has historically allowed young men of color to this be murdered by police and other agencies. They continuously told us that the lives of young men of color don't matter. They continuously perpetuated systems that allow things like this to happen. So, we're not surprised.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Police estimate there were between 300 and 500 marchers.

He is set to become one of the most powerful people in Washington. But who is John Boehner? After the break, some of his closest friends talk to CNN about the private of this public figure.

And Tropical Storm Tomas moves past Haiti, but leaves a trail of destruction in its wake. It is a hard blow for the impoverished nation and we'll have a live report for you.

Don't just sit there. We want you to be part of the conversation, of course. Send us a message on Twitter and Facebook. Check out our blog, CNN.com/Don. We're on Foursquare, too, Foursquare.com/DonLemonCNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It is time right now for "CNN Equals Politics" update. We're keeping an eye on the latest headlines on the CNN.com Political Ticker.

And here's what's crossing right now for you:

Some criticism of the Obama administration from one of the many Democrats who lost on Tuesday night. Alex Sink tells "Politico" that the White House is tone deaf to the way Americans are responding to its policies and actions. Sink lost the Florida governor's race to Republican Rick Scott. She says the administration got a wake-up call on Election Day but not before it took a lot of Democrats down.

Keith Olbermann has plenty of time on his hands right now, now that the MSNBC anchor has been suspended indefinitely for donating to Democrats. But before that happened, he revealed a tidbit about Vice President Joe Biden in an interview with "The New York Times" magazine. Olbermann says that Biden turned to him for advice on controlling his anger why he was still in the Senate. Biden reportedly asked Olbermann how he turns his anger into, quote, "righteous inspiration."

And the Republican mantra leading up to the midterms was "Fire Pelosi." But now, it is "hire Pelosi" as this banner reads outside the RNC in Washington. Republicans would love to see her become House minority leader and fall flat. The sign went up after she announced she was running for the job yesterday.

For the latest political news, go to CNNPolitics.com.

All right. So, now come January, Nancy Pelosi will have to hand over that speaker role, and the current minority leader, John Boehner, is poised to take the job. But if you haven't heard much about him besides jokes about his tan and him being the first orange-American speaker of the House, our Brianna Keilar has a look at what he brought -- what brought him to this point.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), OHIO: The people's agenda will be our agenda.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John Boehner has been here before. As a deputy to House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1994, he lived through the Republican revolution, witnessed its downfall and has resolved not to repeat history.

BOEHNER: Our new majority will be prepared to do things differently -- to take a new approach that hasn't been tried in Washington before.

KEILAR: It's a long way from his humble beginnings in Ohio, where Jerry Vanden Eynden met Boehner in the seventh grade.

JERRY VANDEN EYNDEN, LONGTIME BOEHNER FRIEND: We grew up in Redding. It was more of a blue-collar town. If we needed money, we that had to go work for it. They were all rotten jobs, physical jobs.

KEILAR: The one Boehner talks about most often --

BOEHNER: -- I started out mopping floors, waiting tables, and tending bar at my dad's tavern.

KEILAR: He was the second of 12 kids.

VANDEN EYNDEN: I tell people the thing I remember most about going to his house was there were always diapers on the line.

KEILAR: Boehner put himself through Xavier University in Cincinnati -- the first in his family to get a degree. He worked his way to the top of a plastics company, was elected to the Ohio state legislature in the '80s, then in 1990, he won a seat in Congress.

Twenty years later, he's a Washington insider, known as much for his ubiquitous tan and his smoking habit as he is for getting emotional.

BOEHNER: That's at the top of the list. After 3,000 of our fellow citizens died at the hands of these terrorists, when are we going to stand up and take them on?

KEILAR: Boehner is also known for his ties to lobbyists, a reputation cemented in 1995 when he handed out campaign contributions from the tobacco industry to members on the House floor before a key tobacco vote. His friends downplay his relationships with lobbyists, including Dan Danner, who is a registered lobbyist for small businesses.

DAN DANNER, PRES., NATL. FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS: He's a people person. He's a salesman. He's a friend to a lot of people.

KEILAR: Boehner's trademark is his laid-back demeanor.

(on camera): He's not really a frenetic guy, is he?

DANNER: No, I would agree with that. He is very focused. Behind this relax -- play golf, nice tan -- he is very focused. And so --

KEILAR: Deliberate?

DANNER: I think very deliberate.

KEILAR (voice-over): As Boehner was here, railing against the health care reform bill just before it passed.

BOEHNER: Hell no, you can't!

KEILAR: Who was he talking to?

(CROWD CHANTING)

KEILAR: These people -- Tea Party supporters, many of whom were gathered right outside the Capitol and who months later helped push Republicans into power and John Boehner into the speakership.

Brianna Keilar, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Brianna.

Hey, remember how you used to love those field trips in school? Well, we all enjoy taking a break from the classroom every once in a while. It turns out it's actually a pretty good way to learn. Up next, we visit a school in Ohio that's tossing out the text books in favor of a more hands approach to learning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Time to check your top stories.

Jurors in New Haven, Connecticut, will be back at work in the death penalty case of a brutal home invasion that killed three members of the Petit family. After deliberating all day, the jury asked to be dismissed about 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Based on jurors' questions to the judge, it appears they are deciding whether they are -- there are any mitigating factors that would spare Steven Hayes the death penalty. If they do, Hayes will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Mexican authorities say they have killed one of the top leaders in the notorious Gulf cartel. The drug bust known as Tony the Storm was killed during a two-hour gun battle in the border city of Matamoros. Four other suspected cartel members and three members of the Mexican navy were also killed in the clash. The gunfire was loud enough to be heard at an all-American University on the other side of that border.

Scientists have found what they're calling dramatic damage to marine life near the site of the BP oil spill. At 1,400 meters underwater, they found a community of unhealthy corals covered in a, quote, "brown material." Another nearby colony of soft corals appeared to be either recently dead or dying. The scientists admitted the evidence was circumstantial but said it was compelling nonetheless.

These days, it seems like test scores have become the mark of a good school. But experts say kids are simply memorizing facts to pass tests.

CNN's education contributor, Steve Perry, visits an Ohio middle school where creativity drives learning in tonight's "Perry's Principles."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): This is not your typical classroom. Here in Akron, Ohio, lessons come to life. Seventh graders from the National Inventors Hall of Fame School are helping park rangers get rid of the autumn olive plants.

(on camera): Why do you want to remove autumn olives?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Because they are an invasive species.

PERRY: Now, what is an invasive species that? These are big words, man.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: It's something that's not wanted there?

PERRY: What do you guys want to do to remove this plant?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: We found out if you cut them, then they'll just grow back three times the size.

PERRY: So, what do you do? UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Well, we thought if we pulled it out by their roots, we would take it completely out, so it wouldn't exist anymore.

PERRY: Your learning is different here. The teachers aren't giving you the answers and then you have to study them. They're asking you questions. So, that's what's the problem-based is about?

TRACI BUCKNER, PRINCIPAL, NATIONAL INVENTORS HALL OF FAME: It makes them realize they have a job to do. And the good thing about is a lot of the problems that we pose to our children are the problems that are going to affect them or the people around them or their community.

PERRY: There's something about the creativity part of learning because that's not so typical, especially in these times when people are talking teaching to the test. What was it about this that that made you think this could work?

BUCKNER: At our school, we call our teachers "learning coaches." And they really make all the difference for the kids. They're ready to try new things and they're ready to allow the children to open their minds to new things. We're really preparing the kids today for the 21st century skills that they'll need beyond college and then once they enter the workforce.

PERRY (voice-over): Steve Perry, Akron, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Imagine this, riding out winds and rains from a hurricane not far away and doing it in a tent. Many Haitians have done just that and we'll show you how they fared and where Tomas is headed next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: You know, first an earthquake, then a cholera outbreak. Now, fatal flooding tonight. The Haitian civil protection authority reports six have died after Hurricane Tomas hit the island.

And you can see the deluge took over streets and destroyed homes in the area of Leogane, which is west of the city of Port-au-Prince. Still, many in Haiti are thankful Tomas didn't do even more damage. It spared the hundreds of thousands still living in tents following the earthquake in January.

So, let's turn now to our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.

Jacqui, I understand you have some new information on Tomas.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, hurricane hunters just flying into Tomas and they found some winds a little bit stronger than what they were thinking. So, Tomas had been downgraded to a tropical storm and has been holding at that status pretty much all day. But now, reconnaissance information tells us that it's a hurricane once again. And maximum winds are now 75 miles per hour.

So, our statistics aren't updated here on our map because we're going to send a whole new package update coming up at 8:00 Eastern Time. So, of course, we'll bring you any necessary information as that goes.

But the best thing I can tell you is, as Don mentioned, that the storm did move west of Haiti. So, there was no direct landfall. And this really could have been a much worse situation than it was.

So, it's moved up to the north now. It's pulling away from the Turks and Caicos. And we don't think that this will be a threat any longer to land.

Here we go. Let's take a quick look at the track of this thing. And even though the intensity has changed, the track hasn't.

So, we're still expecting it to pull north-northeast, and then eventually it should be fading and diminishing. So, that's little bit of good news.

OK, let's show you some of the pictures that we have for you. Our iReporters have been really helpful in showing you some of the pictures. This is from Shaman Paul (ph). He lives in St. Vincent and (INAUDIBLE). And there you can see some of the damage that has been caused in his area.

So, thanks to Shaman, for sending us those pictures. And, of course, we always ask you to do that at iReport.com -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Jacqui Jeras, thank you very much.

And as we said, six people have died because of the winds and the rain from Tomas. And we're going to check in with our Paula Newton who is there because, as you said, with the information that's coming in, a much bigger story. We're going to find out more about those victims and what else is going on in Haiti after Hurricane Tomas.

You know, the official move to legalize marijuana went up in smoke on election night. But advocates say they're already working on 2012. Just ahead -- is there a future for legal pot?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Before the break, our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras was telling you that Tomas, it was tropical storm -- now, it is a hurricane once again. Six people have now died, we're told, in Haiti.

Let's check in with CNN's Paula Newton. She is in -- joins us now live.

So, Paula, can you tell us anymore about the victims of this flooding?

PAUL NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it seems it was spread up more towards the west and in Port-au-Prince, the capital. Most of these deaths happened further west of us. That was where the impact of the storm was most felt and apparently was mainly people trying to cross swollen rivers and most of them died by drowning.

Having said that, I should say the U.S. is aiding them in this task, as is the U.N. The Haitian government is out there on the mountain tops throughout this country looking for children, looking for people, looking for anyone who may be stranded by any of the water. Fingers crossed, they have no reports of a life-threatening mud slides or floods in remote regions. But they're still looking -- Don.

LEMON: More than 400 people have died in Haiti from a cholera outbreak, Paula. Now, they have to recover from the flooding. What is the first priority for this country now?

NEWTON: Clean water. I mean, that will just kind of address the cholera. I can't tell you about the horrific scenes of misery that we've seen today. Certainly, nothing compares to the earthquake, Don.

But when you see it takes something like Hurricane Tomas to focus everybody's attention again. And, yet, they have dealt with flooding. They have dealt with heavy rain. And it is sheer misery.

I cannot even tell you about the garbage alone that has piled up in the city. That's not just a static thing, that is a real risk for sanitation.

You know, they've done a very good job in the last two weeks of making sure they'd contain that cholera outbreak. We didn't have many cases at all here in Port-au-Prince. The outbreak had not official spread here. And now, that worry resumes, especially when you have contaminating water, perhaps overflowing into rivers and streams and places that people are still going to get their water -- very dirty places. And that's the concern now.

LEMON: Paula Newton for us in Port-au-Prince. Paula, thank you for your reporting.

Let's talk about marijuana now. For supporters of pot, it was a election of rejection. California's Proposition 19, legalizing marijuana went down. Proposals regarding medical marijuana failed in South Dakota and Oregon and in Arizona Proposition 203 is failing but it's close. The state is still counting. After all those who voted (INAUDIBLE) should the pro-marijuana movement just surrender? To respond, we have Allen St. Pierre. He is live from Washington. He is the executive director of NORMAL, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Good to see you again, Allen.

ALLEN ST. PIERRE, NAT'L ORG. FOR REFORM OF MARIJUANA LAWS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NORMA: Good evening, Don.

LEMON: Earlier, tonight the White House Director for Drug Control Policy. I spoke to him. He gave me his reaction about Proposition 19 going down. Take a listen and we'll talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

R. GIL KERLIKOWSKE, WHITE HOUSE DRUG POLICY DIRECTOR: They brought in topnotch pro legalization folks. Brought in topnotch publicists, campaign managers. They completely outspent and outmaneuvered the grass roots opposition. And yet, they were handed a significant defeat. I think when people get the right information about marijuana. They see that legalizing it is not a sound move. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. So what do you say to that? There was a lot of money spent, and you all still lost.

ST. PIERRE: Well, about 90 percent of the money came in in the last six weeks of the election. It would have been terrific had it come in July and August but generally speaking in this country, there's a (INAUDIBLE) to legalize marijuana. In the last 20 years, we've gone from 20 percent of the American public supporting it to 45 percent, according to a poll a couple weeks ago. 55 percent of Californians in advance of this election said in polls they wanted to legalize it. And we came in at 46, 47 percent.

LEMON: You think it's only a matter of time. Is that what you're saying?

ST. PIERRE: This is a fait accompli.

LEMON: Absolutely.

All right. So some would say though, Allen, that this was the election year for you. Everyone was desperate for funding, especially California. And legalizing marijuana was still rejected. At the very least, do you think that all you need to do is change your strategy. Maybe legal marijuana is enough. Maybe you need to be pragmatic in think and think in terms of baby steps? And just focus on the medical marijuana issue?

ST. PIERRE: Well, for 40 years at NORMAL, we started with decriminalization. Then we went to medicalization and now the obvious places, legalization. And so California joins Oregon, Washington, Maine and some other states that will probably be having some initiatives again in 2012.

LEMON: Let me ask you this? And we'll talk about in 2012, is this the older voters versus younger voters rather than conservative sort of versus liberal voters? Because when you look at younger people, and I don't have the stats here, they think younger people turned out in droves to support this. And it was sort of rejected by older voters and that's what turn out to the polls (INAUDIBLE).

ST. PIERRE: Mid terms, absolutely, particularly with this conservative agenda and the Tea Party. That was clear. We've always noticed in our polling and focus groups that there's a terrific breakdown between older Americans and younger. But the baby boomers themselves have such a different experience than say the World War II generation. So as years goes on, as (INAUDIBLE) of the "New York Times" has predicted. 60 percent of the American public will want marijuana legal in the next 10 years. So this issue is not going away.

LEMON: OK. Listen, we were talking about three states. Three states, proponents of pot plan to introduce measures in 2012. What states are they?

ST. PIERRE: California, Washington, and Oregon and Colorado, all are states that are prime to do this.

LEMON: OK. So they'll have similar proposals. But there were some valid concerns over Proposition 19 in California. The whole workplace issue about employers having a harder time finding employees who smoke pot. How are you going to handle that the next time around when that comes up?

ST. PIERRE: Well, it will be very clear. Because just the same way you can't come to work drunk. I can't come to work stoned or drunk.

LEMON: Right.

ST. PIERRE: These are clear and accustom whether or not the law addresses it or not. So for me it was kind of a red herring. It's clear. You can't come to the workplace impaired.

LEMON: Yes. What did you learn from this? And how are you going to use it in 2012?

ST. PIERRE: Well, we learned we have to address that. We have to address drunk driving. Make it clear that you cannot drive while impaired on marijuana, and that when you're using it in the presence of children that can be a concern.

LEMON: Yes, what about the misconception. I was watching a show the other night - I think it was Bill Maher, the guy who lit up the supposed joint. "Oh, I see spiders or whatever," and people actually think that people and marijuana do that. Are there any misconceptions? Do you think you sort of missed the boat in any way about clearing up some of the misconceptions about pot? Because according to doctors, admittedly, they will tell you that the reaction from alcohol is often more violent and worse than the reaction to marijuana use.

ST. PIERRE: To be sure. Sometimes we're our own worst enemy regarding stupid stoner. Watching the World Series and all the reporters that were downwind and having to, you know, having to do live feeds while marijuana was being used around them. That was irresponsible. You can't use marijuana in the street like that. Again, sometimes we're our own worst enemy.

LEMON: All right. Allen St. Pierre. Thank you from NORMAL, appreciate the talk OK.

ST. PIERRE: Good to see you, Don.

LEMON: Nine women killed over the course of seven years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they had really taken me seriously, you know, busting into some of these houses I told them about, even though she wasn't found in one of those houses, none of that was done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Who is killing women outside Rocky Mountain, North Carolina, and what have authorities missed?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: In your headlines right now, a heartbreaking loss at Church hill downs for heavily favored Zenyatta. It was her first and only loss in 20 races. The six-year-old mare known for coming from behind trailed dead last through the first mile. She put the pedal to the metal in the homestretch and we can say to foot to the dirt in the homestretch but didn't quite close the gap. She came in second to Blame at the Wire, second to Blame at the Wire. Zenyatta's owner says she will retire.

President Barack Obama is in India tonight. The first stop on a 10- day tour through Asia. He announced $10 billion in new contracts for U.S. exports to India. The move he says will deliver jobs back home. And while in Mumbai he honored the victims of the attacks there two years ago. He moves on now to New Delhi. He will be there tomorrow.

NATO and Afghan authorities are investigating the alleged killing of three American troops by an Afghan soldier in Helmand. NATO has confirmed a joint probe to CNN. Now according to a statement that surfaced on a Taliban web site, the Afghan soldier opened fire on Friday night. Separately two NATO-led troops were killed during insurgent attacks in different parts of Afghanistan on Saturday.

A grizzly mystery outside the city of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Nine black women killed over the past seven years. Police believe it may be the work of a serial killer. The case is part of tonight's CNN special investigation. It's called "Easy Prey." Abbi Boudreau from our Special Investigations Unit has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABBI BOUDREAU, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT (voice-over): Jackie Wiggin's daughter, Nikki Thorpe was the fourth woman to go missing.

(on camera): Tell me a little bit about your daughter.

JACKIE WIGGINS, MOTHER: I reported her missing on the fourth day. I called because I said I think something is going on.

BOUDREAU: Did you feel like they were taking your missing report seriously at all?

WIGGINS: I really don't think they took it as a mom reporting her child missing.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): On August 17th, 2007, three months after she disappeared, Nikki Thorpe was found dead. All that remained was her decomposed body, a pair of socks and green underwear behind this burned down house of Seven Bridges Road.

(on camera): When you got that knock on the door, what was it like?

WIGGINS: Relief, hurt, the anger. How am I going to tell her kids? I was so, so frustrated with the police. Because I really felt -- if they had really taken me seriously, you know, busting into some of these houses I told them about. Even though she wasn't found in one of those houses, you know, none of that was done.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): As the profile of the victims emerged, Rocky Mount City councilman Andre Knight said authorities didn't seem to care.

ANDRE KNIGHT, ROCKY MOUNT CITY COUNCIL: I was told several times by many people involved in the case it was not a priority to investigate the women that were being killed because they were drug addicts, crack heads, and prostitutes.

BOUDREAU: Rocky Mount police chief John Manley says the victim's race and class had nothing to do with how they handled the cases. But one thing remains beyond dispute. The killings did not stop.

One year later, another woman would be killed and her body dumped near Seven Bridges Road.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Why are serial killers so hard to catch, and how do they pick their targets? Tonight a CNN special investigation, "Easy Prey," in just a few minutes, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

Sleeping solo. A growing number of couples are calling it quits on sharing a bed? Is it bad for marriage? Is it good? Is snoring worse. We'll talk to two experts about it after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Couples, listen up. If you and your partner sleep in separate beds, move over because you have lots of company. Studies show about 25 percent of couples, one in four catch their z's in separate beds and even separate rooms. There are many reasons why. Snoring is a huge one. Hogging the covers, tossing and turning. And I'm sure there are some other things in there. Sometimes sleeping apart is healthy for a relationship. Often though it is not.

Psychologist Dr. Wendy Walsh is a blogger at the web site, momlogic.com. She joins us from Los Angeles. And also with us now from Minneapolis, is University of Minnesota professor, Paul Rosenblatt. He is the author of "Two in a Bed." OK, professor. Almost every couple can relate to this topic. So let's start with is it OK? Is it healthy to sleep apart? And when is it bad for a relationship?

PROF. PAUL ROSENBLATT, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: I think the answer is it depends. And sometimes one partner wants to sleep apart and the other doesn't. In my experience people who sleep apart don't always sleep apart. They find times to be together some of the time. And people who say they sleep together sometimes find ways to be apart. They might be angry or they might go apart to get a better night's sleep.

LEMON: Yes. You know, it used to be the perception when we watch the old TV shows and movies like "I Love Lucy" they had separate beds, it's like maybe it's normal that couples sleep apart but we know what that was about. Again though, doctor, I'll get to you - I'm sorry, professor, I'll get to you Dr. Walsh, is it healthy though for couples to sleep apart?

ROSENBLATT: You know, it depends on the couple. Some couples really do better when they're well rested and they have other way to get connected with each other. But I also interviewed a lot of people who want to sleep together. A lot of women felt safer sleeping together. They felt safer from whatever is dangerous out there. I interviewed about 45 couples and maybe half a dozen of them said one of them was alive partly because they shared a bed.

LEMON: OK.

ROSENBLATT: The other one caught on they were in diabetic shock or something.

LEMON: They had some ailment in the middle of the night. OK. Dr. Wendy, you talked about the need for skin to skin contact. Is there such a thing as too much contact?

DR. WENDY WALSH, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, gain, I love the big word depends. It depends on the couple. Some people need a lot of closeness. You know, we have evolved to bond as a species through skin to skin contact. Although I'm a huge breast-feeding advocate for women who are, have barriers against them. I always tell them, if you got to use formula, at least get naked with your baby and cozy in. Because that's how we develop tolerance for intimacy. That's one of the ways.

So you know, knowing that they don't sleep in the same bed together doesn't actually tell you a lot about the security of their relationship or their level of intimacy. It may be that they're so secure that they can hide from the snoring. I have a woman friend who has, she's so affluent, her closet is big enough that she put a single bed in her own closet. But eventually her husband followed her - because of the snoring. He followed her into the closet to make sure his needs are met eventually.

LEMON: I was going to say, is it a sign of insecurity or people who may be are more evolved - because they realized, it's very difficult for me to share a space and to sleep with people. I know that. And so being in a long-term relationship for me especially might be kind of difficult and for other people I know because people are waiting longer to get married and you get used to sleeping in your bed by yourself and I don't know, is that selfish, doctor?

WALSH: Well, I do think that we are becoming a culture who are intolerant of intimacy. Go ahead, professor, I'm sorry.

ROSENBLATT: I'm sorry, go ahead, say what you were going to say.

WALSH: I was just going to say it seems like more and more we're texting and not talking and we're talking and not touching, so we're getting further away from intimacy. LEMON: Go ahead, professor.

ROSENBLATT: Well, you know, there are plenty of men I interviewed who prefer to have sexual access of sharing a bed and they felt disappointed when they weren't sharing a bed. But also some of them got a better night's sleep because they weren't sharing a bed. Also I have interviewed people who have to sleep apart because they work different shifts and they'll make an appointment to share a bed some of the time. And same with sexual acts, there are some people who say OK, let's do it tonight.

LEMON: I have several friends who are having marriage issues, either counseling or on the verge of separation or divorce, should they be sleeping in the same bed, Dr. Walsh, even if they're going through some things, as they say?

WALSH: You know, part of the statistics, Don - you're right is that in a big recession and a lot of people are deferring divorce because of the financial pressures in their family. So they're moving into separate rooms and living as roommates.

The sort of silver lining to all of this though is that psychological studies show that a couple that does ride out the bumps together sometimes stay together a lot longer, because they say why divorce now? We have been through this recession together. We've struggled together and they create an even more secure bond because of it.

So we don't know what it's going to be. We do know that some people are deferring divorce but will this help them stay together longer? Well, I hope so.

LEMON: All right. Dr. Paul Rosenblatt, Wendy Walsh, Professor Rosenblatt. Thank you very much We appreciate it. Thank you.

WALSH: Thank you.

LEMON: Every one loves daylight-saving time. Saving. No less. Daylight saving time. We all get an extra hour of sleep, but iPhone users, might get even more than that. We'll tell you about the phone's fall back flaw and how to fix it, after the break.

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LEMON: New data shows an ash cloud from an Indonesian volcano has more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Wow. Unfathomable heat but Mt. Merapi's effect are all too real. Since it erupted October 26, more than 120 people have died. It's ash has disrupted air travel and tens of thousands that have had to flee. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras joins us now with more on that volcano.

There's 120 people have died. Wow.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, doubled. Half of those people died yesterday because it was the worst eruption yet. This thing has been going on for 11 days now and the most powerful eruption happened on Friday, and so about half of those people died, about 60 people just yesterday as the ash plumes went up five miles into the air and you mentioned how hot that lava was.

There were literally fireball falling from the sky and burning down people's houses. There you can see that hot lava in that picture right there. So a sad situation, more than 200,000 people have been evacuated now and are in need of shelter and this is all within that ring of fire that we - you know, that we talked about in terms of where the active volcanoes are across the world.

All the plates come together. We talked about plate tectonics and it is where they come together here in the Pacific rim where all of the volcanoes are. 75 percent of the world's volcanoes are here in this area. Here's the Java trench and that's where that volcano is and why it's a problem.

I heard you mention, Don, the flights that were canceled today. Jakarta is right here, about 2580 miles away from where the volcano is, way over here and about 50 flights were canceled there today. But keep in mind, the way the winds are moving, it's bringing that ash plume about 90 miles off to the west. So this has been the area of concerned. I know there's also been problems in Singapore earlier but I understand that those flights are operating. Those things are fine today.

It's a very unpredictable volcano and there's still so much that we don't know about these things, so there's really no way to tell when this eruption is going to come to an end. In the meantime, it continues to blow the deck or the elevation, the height that it's been erupting too has diminished significantly though from yesterday. Don.

LEMON: All right. Jacqui Jeras, thank you very much.

All right. Every weekend we like to bring you up to snuff or whatever on some of the stories that you might have missed throughout the week.

OK, so what do you do with $11 million? For most of us, that amount of money really could buy some happiness. But not for one couple in Canada.

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ALLEN LARGE, WON $11.2 MILLION LOTTERY: It made us feel good that we could do something to help other people.

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LEMON: Allen and Violet Large said their lottery win was just a headache so they gave it away, more than 11 million, fire departments, churches, cemeteries and charities all benefited from their generosity, family members as well. Even though Violet Large was undergoing chemotherapy, they didn't spend a penny on themselves and they are still buying lottery tickets.

All right. Don't bet against U.S. border agents. A Michigan man who won $20,000 at a casino in Canada lost it all a short time later because of a very foolish decision. He failed to declare the winnings when he crossed back into the U.S. at the Detroit Windsor Bridge. The penalty for not disclosing cash amounts over $10,000 is forfeiture, he could have kept it all if he had been truthful.

All right. You think you have some unwanted house guests? Well these bees have made a sticky expensive mess for two homeowners in Roseville, California. Honey combs built inside the walls are now oozing honey out the electrical outlets and other places. Can you imagine that? And because the builder failed to connect an outside vent to a duct allowing bees access to the house. And because the 10- year warranty on their house just expired, the builder tells them too bad. The homeowners are doubly worried the honey will soon attract swarms of ants.

Iphone owners love their devices but this weekend they're going to have to put up with a small irritation iPhone alarms won't recognize the change from daylight savings time. It is a glitch in the system so user will have to manually adjust their alarms.

Oh, no. What's the world coming to. CNN's Reynolds Wolf shows us how.

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REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST (on camera): So first thing you got to do, you go into your utilities, hit your clock, when you do that, you go into edit, and delete the alarm all together. And then just set a new one, the time for this one is 7:35, hit save, boom, just that simple.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Come on, people, do we really need that? You know how to set your phones. Later this month though, Apple will release an updated version of its mobile software that should get rid of the problem.

I always have to reset my Blackberry, what's the big deal, just go in there like you change your clock.

I'm Don Lemon at CNN World headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you back here tomorrow night.

Up next on CNN, how do serial killers get away with their crimes for so long? Our Abbi Boudreau is looking for answers to that question. It's called "Easy Prey" and it starts right now.