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U.S. Steps Up WikiLeaks Investigation; Search for a Mail Bomber; Some of the Tech Offerings on Display at CES; Anger Over Oil in Louisiana; The Day Michael Jackson Died; Radical Cleric Returns to Iraq; Former Pentagon Official Murder Mystery; Hot off the 'Political Ticker'
Aired January 08, 2011 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Randi Kaye, in for T.J. Holmes.
The U.S. government is reportedly turning to Twitter in its probe of WikiLeaks. It wants information about people linked to the whistle blowing Web site. We'll tell you exactly what they want to know straight ahead.
An envelope ignites at a postal facility in Washington. Its intended recipient: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. That story is coming up.
And later, a tweeting fridge and a texting dryer? Really? Check out the highest of the high-tech gadgets at the Consumer Electronics Show.
First up, U.S. officials are stepping up their investigation of WikiLeaks, the controversial Web site that published thousands of confidential U.S. documents. The social media site Twitter is facing a federal court order seeking information about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and several other people including U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning.
Manning is suspected of providing government documents to WikiLeaks. Earlier we spoke with CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST (via telephone): Well, it is significant because this is what the Justice Department does when it has a serious criminal investigation. People think that everyone is -- everything is known about how WikiLeaks got this material.
That is not true at all. The government has to figure out how this classified information got from -- the people who had access, perhaps Private Manning. He's certainly one of the -- the first person charged, but he may not be the only one, to the people who put it on the web, Julian Assange and company. But the steps in between are very much unknown at least to the public, and the Justice Department has every right to go into the electronic records of people who were involved with those two folks and see what they -- how -- how they have been handling the information.
KAYE: Yes, I mean, the Justice Department, Eric Holder they have said that they would prosecute anyone spreading this information. So I guess they're following through on that.
Does -- does Twitter have any right here to -- to keep that information or does -- will this go forward?
TOOBIN: Absolutely not. I mean, this -- and this is really just basic law enforcement procedure. If, for example, as you know, prosecutors have done for dozens of years, your phone records -- you can go to the phone company and see who you have been calling. Your bank records, you can go to the bank and see where you've been writing checks.
This is just the modern equivalent. You can go to social media, Twitter or Facebook, and get an individual's records. And you can't do it for no reason at all, but prosecutors have the right to subpoena that, just as they have the right to subpoena court records, financial records or any other kind of personal record.
KAYE: Sure. But anyone who uses social media is probably saying hey, you know what? It's my right to tweet what I want. How can this happen?
TOOBIN: You know, I think people engaged in social media have even less right to complain than people who have bank records. I mean, I think all of us assume that bank records are supposed to be private and they are except when the government has a reason to get them.
Social media is in -- in at its core right about putting information out in the social world. But if you don't want people to know what you're thinking, don't tweet it. And the idea that a tweet, once it's out there, is somehow going to disappear, just like people might think an e-mail might disappear, I mean, I -- I don't think there are that many naive people left.
I mean, I think most people realize that once you start typing into a key board and sending something out into cyberspace, there is no such thing as that disappearing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: It was a tearful reunion overnight in Florida for a pair of sisters who walked out of a Mississippi prison on Friday.
CNN was the only network there for the reunion. The Scott sisters were released after 16 years on the condition that Gladys Scott donate a kidney to her ailing sister, Jamie. Otherwise they would have waited until 2014 for their first chance of parole. They spoke just hours ago to our Soledad O'Brien.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMIE SCOTT, SPENT 16 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ARMED ROBBERY: At one point I knew that I wouldn't make it to 2014. I thought -- I thought I was really going to die because it seemed like my body was just going down and my spirit was going down with it.
GLADYS SCOTT, SPENT 16 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ARMED ROBBERY: We're going to fight this. I said your grandson needs you, and so she told me she said, you're going to give me your kidney? I said, yes we both going to have one kidney walking out of prison.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: This is video of them leaving the prison in Mississippi. They drove to Pensacola, Florida for the reunion with their mother and their own children.
A cowardly reprehensible act: that's how the mayor of Washington, D.C. describes the mailing of incendiary packages in the area, three so far.
CNN Homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve has more on the investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The device was found at this postal sorting facility in northeast Washington addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Nobody was injured. Authorities say the device ignited when it was thrown into a bin by a postal worker.
CATHY L. LANIER, CHIEF, D.C. METROPOLITAN POLICE: The package has been described as popping, smoking, and with a brief flash of fire and then it -- it went out and it extinguished itself.
MESERVE: The device looked and acted like two devices found Thursday in Maryland, one addressed to the governor, the other to the secretary of transportation. All three devices described as a white box about the size and shape of a box that would hold a VHS tape.
Now, authorities aren't saying if the device found here in Washington contained a note, but the two devices found in Maryland did. It read "Report suspicious activity total expletive. You have created self-fulfilling prophecy". It was signed with either an X or Roman numeral 10.
The superintendent of the Maryland State Police said there are no suspects and no claims of responsibility.
COL. TERRENCE B. SHERIDAN, SUPERINTENDENT, MARYLAND STATE POLICE: We've got to make sure we go after this person and get them off the street and get them behind bars, because these kinds of things are very, very dangerous. We just don't know where this person is going with this. We don't know who it is. We don't know what they are thinking about now, but we're very concerned about it.
MESERVE: The postal service will be trying to determine where these packages were mailed. Meanwhile, investigators will have a lot of forensic material to work with because these packages did not incinerate. They will be analyzed at the FBI lab in Quantico.
Meanwhile, authorities are on the lookout for other suspicious packages.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Shifting focus now to some of the cool new offerings at this New Year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Among them a new tablet some people are calling yes, the iPad killer.
Earlier this morning I talked to our digital lifestyle expert Mario Armstrong who is in Las Vegas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Let's start with this Motorola Zoom being dubbed as an iPad killer.
MARIO ARMSTRONG, CNN DIGITAL LIFESTYLE EXPERT: Yes.
KAYE: That's a lot to live up to.
ARMSTRONG: It is a lot to live up to as -- in terms of the expectation. But let me tell you it is absolutely living up to that expectation and exceeding it. It's the hottest buzz here at the Consumer Electronics Show. Everyone is talking about it; everyone wants to know more about it.
And some of the reasons why is, number one it has some capabilities that some of the other products have. The biggest one probably is that right off the bat this is made by the Google Android operating system which is running the newest version of that operating system called, Honeycomb. And that's a big deal, because it's designed specifically for this form factor. And that's going to play out in how you actually use it in the applications that you can use with it.
It also has a dual core processors, it's a 10.1 inch screen; very light in the hand and very, very solid competitor in the tablet category, no questions asked. 720 HD display, looks beautiful and feels great and it's got a lot, lot of buzz and it it's going to have fast speed because you'll not only be able to connect to the 3G network, but you can also easily upgrade to the 4G network through Verizon.
We have two different cameras here both made by Sony; 3D was a big push last year and it continues to be a push this year. So what you have in this hand is the DSCWX-9. This is a digital still camera that can also shoot video and it can take pictures in 3D. It looks beautiful.
KAYE: Oh wow.
ARMSTRONG: But here's one of the things that really caught my attention. I like video. I think families are going to love this because it's very small. This is a digital video camcorder, Randi. You can shoot birthday parties, graduations, celebrations in 3d, and then you can actually look at the screen without glasses, without 3D glasses to see what you just shot in 3D.
This is made by Sonomba. And this one is getting a lot of buzz at the show. Mobile health in fact is getting a lot of buzz at the show. It's a whole category, a whole tech zone. This particular product enables you to track and -- and follow. It has sensors that follow any -- any of maybe seniors or grandparents or those you want to be alerted to if they move out of a certain zone or a certain area.
It also has games. You can also have communication and Web portal. But the key is, you can have your iPhone and be sent alerts from this system right to your iPhone. So this is great for those distant family members that may want to still be able to connect to you but maybe they can't afford around the clock service or maybe they can't afford to have you in a nursing home. We're seeing more mobile health products like that be able to accommodate those types of problems.
KAYE: That's really amazing. So in other words, if there isn't a lot of activity around that monitor, then the family will be alerted --
(CROSS TALK)
ARMSTRONG: Correct.
KAYE: -- and you'll be able to maybe go check on their older relative?
ARMSTRONG: That's right. Even medication reminders, medication alerts. So I'm just touching the surface of it. But it really is a well-thought-out kind of personal health type of system that can help you help your family better manage your health -- health care.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Anger over oil boils over in Louisiana.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILLY NUNGESSER, PRESIDENT, PLAQUEMINES PARISH: Don't song and dance because if you want to really get ugly, don't throw (EXPLETIVE DELETED) back at me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: What set off this parish president? Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Parts of the Gulf Coast still coated in thick oil eight months after the BP oil spill and five months after the ruptured well was capped. It's clear the cleanup is far from over.
This is how parts of a Louisiana coastline looked just yesterday. And some community leaders say enough is enough. The outspoken president of Plaquemines Parish made that clear to the Coast Guard commander on scene in no uncertain terms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NUNGESSER: Well, I put a girl that works for the parish on the boat because we were called on Sunday to have somebody out there that Monday morning.
So don't song and dance because if you want to really get ugly, don't -- don't throw (EXPLETIVE DELETED) back at me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not doing anything to you, sir.
NUNGESSER: My God, you -- you give me the money and let me put the plan together and then you can blame me. But don't tell me I got a voice in the way you all put that crappy document that isn't the paper it's written on. That is bull (EXPLETIVE DELETED), OK? Because don't piss me off, because that is bull (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(CROSSTALK)
NUNGESSER: Because you know what, I kept off the TV hoping you'd do what you're supposed to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) do, and you haven't done it so kiss my (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Commander Dan Lauer (ph) says he understands the frustration, but officials want to make sure they find the best way to get rid of the oil without harming the environment any further.
On the heels of a blizzard, another big snowstorm in the northeast; Connecticut is in the bull's eye as the latest storm moved through. Not fun if you had to be out on the roads, of course. More snow, too, in New York City and now parts of the south bracing for snow, ice and freezing rain. So, of course, we'll check it all out with meteorologist Reynolds Wolf.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know what's interesting about the situation? I mean think about this for a moment. If you're in the Twin Cities and you get 6 to 8 inches of snowfall, it's not that big of a deal. Same deal if it happened to be in New Jersey and maybe even in New York.
But if you're in parts of the southeast and you get that kind of snowfall coupled with the possibility of an inch of ice or maybe a little less in some places, it can really cripple the region. And it looks like that might be the scenario in parts of the nation. Right now, in parts of the northeast that's where we're seeing the snow heaviest. It has been up in New York. We've seen some of the snow coming down in places like Philadelphia also. But it's going to be this area of low pressure here combined with that cold air that we have coming in from the north that will come together giving us a very, very good chance of dealing with some winter precipitation in the southeast.
Let's put it into motion as we go into Sunday and into Monday. Here's the scenario. We've got the cold air in place. Here comes the area of low pressure we were talking about. The combination of both will bring that icy/snow mix to parts of the southeast.
Now, this will be a really danger to many people especially if you happen to be trying to stay warm. A couple of things you need to know; just a little bit of safety for you. Supervise the space heaters. You are never going to leave candles burning in any room. Carbon monoxide is always a real danger. Always change those batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and avoid carbon monoxide poisoning from using gas stoves and kerosene heaters.
Now for your car, you also have some safety ideas for you there too. You need to avoid driving during freezing rain, obviously. That's a no-brainer. Stock the car with all kinds of equipment, namely ice scrapers for visibility, a brush, a bag of sand to help with traction. Always bring a cell phone with you; a charger is also a good idea. If you do become stranded, by all means, stay calm and stay in the car.
Just a few pointers for people, people that maybe dealing with these issues in parts of the southeast, Randi. Could be interesting, especially the next 24 to 48 hours throughout all the southeast. Back to you.
KAYE: We'll keep an eye on it. Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
KAYE: A quick check now of top stories. There has been another outbreak of illness on the high seas. Royal Caribbean's "Radiance of the Sea" docked in Tampa with six passengers suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. The cruise ship is supposed to pull out again tonight after the vessel is sanitized. Travelers who have recently suffered gastro-intestinal illnesses are being warned to reschedule their trips.
Los Angeles detectives are looking for eight more suspects in the rapes of disabled women. The men are seen on DVDs mailed to investigators by an anonymous tipster. Investigators believe the assaults occurred in the past three to five years in a residential care facility. Two other men have been identified, one is already in prison.
We're now learning a man police wanted to question for a gruesome hotel killing is now in the hospital undergoing a mental evaluation. New York One is reporting Renato Sebara, a male model from Portugal is now in custody at Bellevue hospital. Police call him a person of interest in the beating death and mutilation of another Portuguese tourist at a posh New York City hotel.
The actions of Michael Jackson's doctor leading up to the singer's death. That is coming up right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: The actions of Michael Jackson's doctor the day the singer died are the focus of a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles. A judge is deciding whether there's probable cause to put Dr. Conrad Murray on trial for involuntary manslaughter.
Here's a look back at what happened on that fateful day in 2009 when Michael Jackson died and left millions around the world in shock.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: The desperate 911 call comes from inside his mansion. It is just before 12:30 p.m. June 25th 2009.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pumping -- he's pumping his chest but he's not responding to anything sir.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: The king of pop's heart had stopped. He's unconscious. His personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who can be heard in the background on the call made by Jackson's security guard is attempting CPR.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did anybody witness what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, just the doctor, sir. The doctor has been the only one here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So did the doctor see what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Doctor, did you see what happened, sir?
Sir, you just -- if you can please --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're on our way.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: As the emergency unfolds, news spreads.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": We're getting some breaking news coming into "THE SITUATION ROOM" right now about Michael Jackson, the king of pop.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: His family is at his hospital bedside.
JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: My brother, the legendary king of pop, Michael Jackson passed away on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 2:26 p.m.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Sorrow, shock, and so many unanswered questions.
Immediately the investigation begins to focus on Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, a cardiologist hired to care for the pop star as he prepared for the upcoming concert tour. June 26th, the day after Jackson died, police announce they impounded Dr. Murray's car from the singer's mansion in search of prescription medications that could be, quote, "pertinent to the investigation".
Days later on June 30th a registered nurse tells CNN Jackson had insomnia and had asked her for Diprivan, a very powerful sedative also known as Propofol.
CHERILYN LEE, MICHAEL JACKSON'S NURSE: I said, Michael, if you take that medicine, you might not wake up.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Propofol is usually administered through an IV drip and produces such a comatose state it is not supposed to be outside a hospital setting.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Propofol is a medication he uses all the time. Is this it right over here?
UNIDENTIFIED DOCTOR: Yes.
GUPTA: It looks -- milk of amnesia they call it?
UNIDENTIFIED DOCTOR: Milk of amnesia.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: By July 1st Jackson's death is a full-blown drug investigation involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, "AC 360": Here in Los Angeles the investigation into Michael Jackson's death has taken a dramatic term. There are reports that police found Diprivan a powerful anesthetic in Michael Jackson's house.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Weeks later, July 22nd in a surprise raid federal agents searched Dr. Murray's Houston clinic. Investigators are authorized to seize evidence related to the offense of manslaughter. They take a computer hard drive, documents, and rolodex cards.
Five days later, July 27th, a major bombshell. A source tells CNN Dr. Murray gave Michael Jackson Propofol, also called Diprivan, within 24 hours of his death.
DR. DREW PINSKY, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: for a patient to be administered Diprivan in their home or in the outside world to me is outrageous.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: On July 30th search warrants for Murray's home are made public.
KAYE: There's a lot of surprising information in here, Anderson. The search warrant says that they were looking for evidence, quote, "demonstrating crimes of excessive prescribing and prescribing to an addict, also evidence of manslaughter.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: On August 18th Dr. Murray makes his first public comments. He released this video online.
DR. CONRAD MURRAY, MICHAEL JACKSON'S DOCTOR: I have done all I could do. I told the truth, and I have faith the truth will prevail.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: August 24th the L.A. County coroner concludes that Jackson died of an overdose of Propofol.
KAYE: The key thing though that we have learned tonight is that lethal levels of Propofol killed Michael Jackson. The coroner's preliminary report is telling us so. Dr. Murray thought that Michael Jackson was addicted to the drug. He was apparently trying to wean him off it.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: According to an affidavit Dr. Murray told detectives he'd been treating Jackson for insomnia for weeks. Murray says he tried other drugs but the pop star demanded Propofol to help him sleep. So at 10:40 a.m., the day he died, he gave him 25 milligrams of it.
911 was called almost two hours later.
COOPER: And what about Murray's actions the day Jackson collapsed? Did you learn anything more about where he was actually when the singer stopped breathing?
KAYE: He said he finally went to sleep. According to this affidavit, he watched him for about 10 minutes and then he left the room to use the bathroom. He said he was gone for about two minutes maximum according to the documents, and when he came back Michael Jackson wasn't breathing.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: On February 8th, 2010, Dr. Conrad Murray is officially charged with involuntary manslaughter. He surrenders to authorities, pleads not guilty and is released on $75,000 bail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Murray did not cause the death of Michael Jackson. There's no way that Dr. Murray would pump Michael Jackson full of Propofol sufficient for major surgery and walk out that room.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: If the judge decides to go ahead with the trial, Dr. Murray could get up to four years in prison for the death of the king of pop.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: As many as 30 witnesses are expected to testify at Dr. Conrad Murray's hearing, which could last three weeks.
Floodwaters as far as the eye can see, but now in some areas in Australia the high water is starting to recede. We'll get an update next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. Top stories now.
A federal judge has issued a subpoena for information about Julian Assange's Twitter account. Assange is the founder of WikiLeaks under investigation for releasing thousands of confidential U.S. government documents. The subpoena also covers Twitter account information for several other people including U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning. Manning is suspected of turning government documents over to WikiLeaks.
Homes and businesses and roads remain underwater this weekend in the state of Queensland in Australia, but in some areas there is a ray of hope. The high water is starting to recede. Some areas though are still waiting for rivers to crest. The flood zone is bigger than France and Germany combined. At least 10 people have been killed there.
Word from Iran that its nuclear program is now self-sufficient. Iran's atomic chief told its state media the country now has the ability to produce nuclear fuel plates and fuel rods. He insists Iran is developing nuclear technology only for peaceful countries. Western countries including the U.S. have their doubts.
Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is back in Iraq from a self-imposed exile in Iran. His first public address in Iraq in years drew tens of thousands to the holy city of Najaf.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh watched the speech and joins me live from Baghdad.
Jomana, what does the size of the crowd say about al-Sadr?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Randi, it's what we have known all along. He still possesses that power, that ability to mobilize the masses.
As you said, tens of thousands converged on Najaf from different parts of the country. Many of his followers showing up over the past few days, camping out in Najaf, waiting to get a glimpse of their leader and hear him speak. And his appearance today also, Randi, is a political show of force, flexing his new-gained powerful muscle after Sadr and his followers emerged as king makers in the Iraqi political process after last year's elections.
KAYE: And you watched the speech. How much anti-U.S. rhetoric did we actually hear today?
KARADSHEH: Well, not a surprise there, Randi. Most of it revolved around anti-American rhetoric.
Within moments of him taking the podium, al-Sadr got the crowds all fired up with his anti-U.S. sentiments, and within moments they were all chanting, "No, no to America! No, no to the occupation!"
And while the U.S. military is set to withdraw all of its U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of this year, still, he was urging his followers to use all possible ways to drive the U.S. military out.
KAYE: And any idea why now that he would come out?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MUQTADA AL-SADR, MUSLIM CLERIC (through translator): We have not forgotten the occupier. We remain a resistance. We continue to resist militarily, intellectually, and by all means of resistance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARADSHEH: And this exact rhetoric, Randi, is the reason why everyone is so concerned about his return and the influence that he still yields in Iraq.
KAYE: All right. Jomana, thank you very much.
Tracing the final steps of a Washington insider found murdered in a landfill. John Wheeler appears confused and disoriented in two surveillance tapes. Next up, we get reaction from his neighbors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHOEBE DILL, WHEELER'S NEIGHBOR: We've never seen him inebriated. Was he inebriated when he wandered around like that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: We have exclusive new details about the movements of a former Pentagon official who was found murdered New Year's Eve. CNN has learned John Wheeler apparently called for a taxi ride to Philadelphia two days before his body was discovered at a Delaware landfill. But he disappeared before the cab ever arrived.
Hours later, Wheeler was seen on a parking garage surveillance tape appearing disoriented. The following day he was seen on a second surveillance video at an office building, again appearing confused. That tape hasn't been released.
Wheeler's friends and neighbors say his behavior is completely out of the ordinary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROB DILL, WHEELER'S NEIGHBOR: I remember one time his wife said, you know, if Jack didn't have a GPS, he'd get lost in the driveway.
P. DILL: We've never seen him inebriated. Was he inebriated when he wandered around like that? I don't know that he would ever take drugs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Lots of questions, very few answers. Earlier this morning, I discussed the baffling case with Harold Copus, a private investigator and former FBI agent. He gave me his gut reaction to the surveillance tape showing the victim confused, wearing just one shoe.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAROLD COPUS, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: I'm really concerned about what's happening with this man. Obviously, disoriented. And I had a situation like this about four or five years ago in Atlanta with a gentleman at the Atlanta Airport. A very similar circumstance.
It turns out he had an injury to his head. We know from another interview that someone has come up and said, "He came to our drugstore," and allegedly said that he had been mugged. It makes me think that he may have suffered a head injury which could have caused actions like this.
KAYE: Do you think it could have been something that simple, as a mugging?
COPUS: Well, it certainly could be. I mean, it would be pure speculation without the autopsy report, and maybe some more of the investigation. But I think just looking at what we've seen and understanding some of the circumstances, I think that would be a fair assumption, that he may have been a victim of a mugging.
KAYE: Yes, because he was certainly out of it. But as you mentioned, he went to this pharmacy to pick up medication, then he asked the pharmacist to drive him somewhere five miles down the road, and the pharmacist said, "No, no. We'll call you a cab." And then he disappeared, so he just seemed really out of it.
What do you make of all of these odd conspiracy theories that are out there, being that he's a former Pentagon employee? There's some talk that, oh, maybe whoever did this was after nuclear secrets.
Do you ever buy into these conspiracy theories?
COPUS: Almost never. And let me tell you, I go back to the Washington sniper situation. And I remember being asked about that, and I laid out what was very simple, as far as I was concerned, probably some guy with a military background.
And if you recall, back in those days, people were saying, oh, it's people who have been watching these video games and they're just taking them to real life. You know, every day when we have a crime that remains a little bit unsolved, there are 50 different conspiracy theories.
I don't worry about it. I'm just a simple former FBI agent who just says hey, we've got to make a case. Let's just keep moving.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Wheeler's family has issued a statement asking for privacy as they grieve.
Time now to take a look at the hot topics crossing the CNN "Political Ticker."
That includes news on some big names who could have a significant impact on the race for the White House in 2012.
Here's CNN's deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, good morning, Randi. Let's talk about the next race for the White House.
And here's a name everybody knows -- Donald Trump. Well, for a while he has been flirting with possibly running for the Republican presidential nomination. Now he says he's seriously thinking about it, that he's seriously talking to friends, they're talking to him.
Take a listen to what he told our John King on "JKUSA."
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, CHAIRMAN & PRESIDENT, THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Well, I am seriously considering it. I see what's going on with the country. I see how other countries are just absolutely taking advantage of us like we're a whipping post.
I see what OPEC is doing. You know, John, when they talk about the economies getting better, it can't get better because every time it gets better, OPEC raises the price of oil and they drain the blood out of the country.
So, I see what's going on and I am seriously considering it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: You know, Randi, when you're running for president, one thing that really comes in handy is money. And, well, we know that Donald Trump has a lot of money.
How about another New Yorker who also has a lot of money? And that is the mayor there, Michael Bloomberg.
Remember, he got a lot of criticism for how the city handled that big snowstorm a couple of weeks back. Well, check this out.
Brand-new polling indicates that New Yorkers, Randi, don't think so highly of him anymore. His approval rating, 37 percent now. As you can see, it used to be 50 percent back in October.
Randi, that's what I've got on the CNN "Political Ticker" right now. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Thanks, Paul.
All of that junk in your e-mail, well, if you hate it, listen up. We are going to meet a man who is making spammers pay big-time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. Just about 15 before the hour. Time to head "Cross Country" for a quick look at stories drawing our attention.
And we start in Boston. Don't look now, but there could be a snake loose on the city subway system. Yes, it's true.
A woman who gave the name "Melissa" posted a missing snake alert on Craigslist. She writes the snake, a boa named Penelope, is less than three feet long, very mellow, she says, and never hisses or bites. Mm-hmm.
Now check out this reunion in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. That is 6-year-old Gavin Able (ph) getting a surprise from his soldier dad, Paul Brown (ph), home on leave from the Middle East. Gavin (ph) says at first he didn't even recognize his dad. He called this the happiest day of his young life.
And in Pittsburgh, a bed bug problem at a University of Pittsburgh dorm. The school fumigated one floor of Sutherland Hall and plans further treatment to rid the building of those pesky bugs.
They just can't get enough of Snooki and the gang, it seems -- 8.4 million tuned in Thursday night to the season premier of "Jersey Shore." That is the biggest number ever for an MTV show.
"Jersey Shore" now in its third season. The reality show features a group of housemates who spend their summers together hanging out at the beach and going to bars and parties. What a concept. They share a beach house in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, as well.
Just about everyone with a PC, laptop or smartphone gets slammed every day with unsolicited e-mails -- AKA spam.
Dan Balsam went a lot further than just hitting "delete." He quit his job, went to law school, and is now makes spammers pay big- time. He spoke with me earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN BALSAM, SPAM CRUSADER: Well, I actually started to sue spammers before law school. And I went to law school in part to help me do it better.
I've been very successful in small claims court, and in superior court there have been a number of settlements. And one case has gone to trial in a California court. I was represented by my attorney, Timothy Walton (ph), and we sued, successfully, Trancos, Inc. for spamming. And that case is on appeal right now. KAYE: So it's going pretty well for you, in other words?
BALSAM: Yes, it is.
KAYE: Would you say, in your experience, that spamming has gotten better or worse since you took up the cause? Which was what, about eight or nine years ago or so?
BALSAM: Yes. I started in 2002.
Unfortunately, spam has gotten worse. It's pretty much acknowledged that the federal CAN-SPAM Act has been a disaster. Spam has increased dramatically since that law was passed, and I believe in part, it's because the federal law does not let the individual recipients do anything about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: The NEWSROOM continues at the top of the hour with Marty Savidge, who has an action-packed afternoon, I'm sure, ahead.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we do. Saturdays are always good, because it's a good chance to catch up on stories and really get to the context of what's going on.
By the way, I like to see stories of people who make money off of a pretty good idea.
KAYE: Wasn't that nice?
SAVIDGE: Coming up at noon, we're going to talk about the case of WikiLeaks here. And what's interesting, the government tipping its hand here as to how it's going to go after Julian Assange and is going through his Twitter account.
So we're going to talk to our legal experts. We're going to talk to Richard and Avery about that.
But speaking of Twitter, then we're also going to get into the case of Courtney Love. And this is fascinating, because when you tweet, what is that considered? Is that your opinion, or is that fact?
KAYE: Good question.
SAVIDGE: Yes, it is. And I've had people who criticize me, and you think, well, OK, they have their right to do that. But is it fact?
And so this is the basis for a lawsuit that Courtney Love is involved in. And she's always an interesting character.
At 2:00 we're going to have the Dolans come in. And this is an issue I've discussed in my own family -- is it a good time to get back in the stock market? The stock market has been doing much better.
KAYE: You're going to give us the answer on that?
SAVIDGE: Yes. We're going to find out.
KAYE: A lot of people don't what to do with their money right now.
SAVIDGE: Well, that's problem. I mean, it looks pretty good.
KAYE: It's so unstable every day.
SAVIDGE: You would like to get back in when you think you're going to make some money. So you want to get in when it's low, and if it's going to grow. So we'll get their expert opinion.
Coming up at 3:00, an adoption story on the Internet. What I mean by this is that it's a young woman who went and found her birth mother via the Internet and other family members.
KAYE: Making it a lot easier, I bet.
SAVIDGE: It is. But there's a bit of a twist, and not necessarily an absolutely happy outcome. But, still, a very, very interesting story.
4:00, we're going to talk movies. We've got a couple of movies that are coming up -- "Country Strong." And Nicolas Cage, I happen to like his films.
KAYE: Oh, he did (ph) that one?
SAVIDGE: Yes. He did a lot of films, but not all of them have been great box office hits lately. So we'll find out what's going on.
KAYE: Well, he needs to do movies, because apparently he's bankrupt.
SAVIDGE: Well, I think that's it.
KAYE: He's been selling off all his houses, and so I guess he needs to do "Country Strong."
SAVIDGE: We're all having a tough time in the economy. It doesn't matter where you are, Hollywood or elsewhere.
KAYE: All right, Marty. We will be tuning in. Thank you.
SAVIDGE: OK. Thanks.
KAYE: A smartphone that can talk to your smart dryer? The newest tech gadgets on display this weekend in Las Vegas. We will get a sneak peek.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Whether it's on the battlefield or in the skies, if you are in the military, making a mistake could be deadly. But now, through new technologies, troops can fight and train in a dangerous war zone without ever leaving the comfort of the base.
Reynolds Wolf traveled to Moody Air Force Base to find out all about this.
It sounds pretty cool.
WOLF: Amazing stuff, but it really is a lot more than just games. It is an amazing, amazing thing, to watch these men and women prepare for battle, and doing so in a very high-tech way.
Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Our mission is to conduct a humanitarian supply operation in the village of Suna (ph).
Our dismounts should be right here, in this area. We're supposed to meet up with the village mukhtar. The village mukhtar is going to introduce us to the hospital administrator.
Well, you know, we brought you some stuff for your hospital. And we brought some stuff for the school as well.
If we encounter small arms fire, gunners, you will return fire.
WOLF (voice-over): Though it may look real and sound real, it isn't actual combat. It's reality-based training at Moody Air Force Base, where airmen learn lessons without worrying about paying the ultimate price.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Surviving first contact is pretty much everything. That first couple of seconds may be the difference whether you live or die that day if you guys all go home.
WOLF: To help them meet that objective, realism is key. This block of buildings in rural Georgia is modeled after an Iraqi village half a world away. From the garb (ph) of the attackers, to the weapons they use, the idea is to mirror what troops will see in the field.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We try to get the conditions as close to down rage that we absolutely can get it, to get in the heads of the troops of what we need to concentrate on.
WOLF: This firearms training center is a simulated war zone. Although the battlefield can change, the mission remains the same -- to defeat a virtual enemy.
SRA. PETER PAZZANITA, U.S. AIR FORCE: And going over there, you're not going to know what to expect.
WOLF (on camera): I know it's impossible to replicate perfectly, but is this close?
PAZZANITA: Oh, it's pretty dang close. You know, with the building set up, the hills, the mounds, it's pretty close. And with ours, you can see here that we really don't have much too hide behind. And, in fact, that's reality.
WOLF (voice-over): This virtual training isn't limited to ground forces. With a flip of a switch, Captain Rick Mitchell is flying over Kandahar.
CAPT. RICK MITCHELL, U. S. AIR FORCE: We're going to find these tanks and we're going to prosecute (ph) them with a .30 millimeter cannon. The simulator is almost exactly correct in the exact layout of the (INAUDIBLE), and the guys are actually fighting them right now.
WOLF (on camera): How valuable is this training, especially for someone who has not been in the theater?
MITCHELL: Incredibly valuable. We're able to shoot (INAUDIBLE). I'm able to threat-react. When we're done with the simulator, we're able to evaluate if my threat reaction maneuver was enough to defeat the threat.
WOLF (voice-over): At the end of the day, no two exercises are ever alike. So, from the cockpit to the firing line, and to the convoy on patrol, no equipment is damaged, no bullets fired, and no lives lost.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Count to nine, 10. Go!
These guys get to go back today and they get to talk about, what did we do good today? And they're going to talk about, what did we do bad today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And somebody says, well, you know, I got shot in the leg in training. Guess what? It wasn't training, and that's the bottom line, the bottom line right there. The training we do pays off on the battlefield tomorrow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: Think about just the American soldier. I often think back to the story of "The Red Badge of Courage."
You know, one of the scariest thing that people face in combat is hearing the guns the first time, hearing the concussion (ph) of the cannons. It's just a complete unknown entering combat for the very first time.
But with virtual reality technology, these soldiers have a tremendous advantage, whether they're ground troops, or they happen to be in air combat. They are able just to get a little taste, a little sampling of what they might anticipate over there, and that can make a world of difference.
KAYE: I mean, even the smoke coming at them, or the bullets --
WOLF: Absolutely.
KAYE: -- or being in that simulator to see what it's like to fire on targets, or feel like you're in the hot seat there.
WOLF: Absolutely. You know, one of the big things, too, is it's not just holding a rifle, it's not just fighting with blank -- a lot of it is communication, teamwork that you have with just, say, a crew of five, six, even 20 people. I mean, that really makes a tremendous difference.
Also, if you want to look at it in terms of dollars and sense, the money they are saving, instead of having to spend money on bullets, or, obviously, the cost of human life.
KAYE: Oh, yes.
WOLF: My goodness. I mean, that's off the charts.
KAYE: That's it right there.
WOLF: Absolutely. But it is an amazing thing, that just by a few keystrokes on a computer, you can take someone who happens to be in Valdosta, Georgia, and transport them into the Middle East, where they can deal with these kinds of conditions.
KAYE: It is amazing. Isn't it?
WOLF: Unbelievable.
KAYE: Technology.
WOLF: No doubt.
KAYE: All right, Reynolds. Thank you.
And speaking of technology, your phone can now talk to your dryer? Is that really true?
Our own John Sutter went to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and he shows us some of the new high-tech gadgets.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN SUTTER, CNN.COM/TECH: Hi. We're here at the Samsung booth at CES. We're going to talk about connected appliances. Everything in the home is getting Wi-Fi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today we're talking about our smart French door refrigerator with eight-inch LCD, an LCD screen that's Wi-Fi- connected, that enables whatever you used to put on your refrigerator, or experiences that are relevant to the kitchen, it allows you to bring this to the refrigerator.
If you sign in with your e-mail and your password account, you can tweet from the fridge. But the question is if you want to do it.
PATRICK STEINKUHL, PRODUCT INSIGHT STRATEGIST, LG: LG's concept of interconnectivity within the home really wants to unchain the users from their home appliances, basically saving you time, saving you energy, saving you hassle.
So what's really great about this is that the dryer has the ability to communicate back with your smartphone and let you know when your drying cycle is complete. Now, you don't have to just run back to the dryer. You can selectively choose to have the dryer just tumble the clothes.
CAROLE LAVAULT, SALES MANAGER, WITHINGS: (INAUDIBLE) by Wi-Fi. You just need to step on the scale, and it takes your weight and your body fat mass. And I can share weight with my daughter, or tweet my weight, or send it to my friends to get motivated to lose some weight. Some people like to tweet their weight, but it's their own choice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And now take a look at this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDISON PENA, CHILEAN MINER (singing): Are you lonesome tonight? Do you miss me tonight? Are you sorry we drifted apart?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: What a voice he has. That's Edison Pena. He serenaded me with an Elvis song when I interviewed him a few weeks ago.
Pena led Elvis sing-a-longs during the 69 days he was trapped in that mine with 32 others. Edison Pena got a personal tour of Elvis's home, Graceland, in Memphis yesterday. He calls the visit a trip of a lifetime, adding, in his words, "Being able to see it myself, I feel in the clouds."
How nice.
And tossing it over now to Marty Savidge to pick up.
SAVIDGE: Thanks, Randi.
