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Loughner YouTube Video Released; New RNC Chairman; Some Question The Wisdom Of Pima County Gun Show A Week After The Tucson Tragedy
Aired January 15, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the newsroom. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Up first, a chilling new video reportedly narrated by Tucson shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner. Loughner shot the video on the campus of Pima Community College, and then he posted these images apparently on YouTube.
Well, in the video, he's rambling and he apparently is very agitated, as well, ranting about the school and calling it one of the biggest scams in America. This video was released to "The L.A. Times," after a public records request. It had been cited in campus police records as among the reasons the college officials there suspended the 22- year-old student. Here now is an excerpt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JARED LEE LOUGHNER, TUCSON SHOOTING SUSPECT: This is Pima Community College, one of the biggest scams in America. The students are so illiterate that it affects their daily lives. Here's the best part, the bookstore, the bookstore, the bookstore. It's so illegal to sell this book under the Constitution. We are also censored by our freedom of speech. They're controlling the grammar. They control the grammar.
This is the police station. This is where the whole shaboozy (ph) goes down with illegal activity. If the student is unable to locate the external universe, then the student is unable to locate the internal universe. Where is all my subjects? I can say something sound right now, but I don't feel like it. All the teachers that you have are being paid illegally, and an illegal authority over the Constitution of the United States under the first amendment. This is genocide in America.
Thank you. This is Jared from Pima College.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So that video, which allegedly is by Jared Loughner, the suspect in the Tucson shooting last week, might it give new insight into the mind of the suspect? Joining me right now from Irvine, California, Dr. Park Dietz, he is a leading forensic psychiatrist and criminologist. We're going to talk about the signs of instability that could spill over into violence and also just try to understand the video that we just saw. Dr. Dietz, could to see you.
DR. PARK DIETZ, PSYCHIATRIST, CRIMINOLOGIST: Hello.
WHITFIELD: Of the images and the words that you just heard, would that in and of itself be alarming to you? Would that say to you that this is someone that anyone should be fearful of or concerned about?
DIETZ: Well, if nothing had happened yet and we only knew about that video, of course, it's enough to put someone on the radar of those responsible for trying to keep a campus safe. But what they do next needs to be done very cautiously, because often there are alarming kinds of productions by students that signal nothing. And so we have to be careful about how we respond. To try to -
WHITFIELD: OK - sorry.
DIETZ: From the standpoint of what we now know and the forthcoming evaluation of the defendant in this case, I think it's quite risky to generalize from one piece of the evidence when, of course, there will be a great deal of evidence ultimately discovered in the case.
WHITFIELD: OK. And then we've heard a lot of different descriptions of this young man, Loughner, all week long from people who know him or people who are, you know, outside looking in. We've heard terms of mental illness being used, we've heard unraveled, et cetera, but we haven't heard anything clinical to describe him. Does that alarm you that so many different types of words, vernacular is being used to describe him when it may be misplaced or may not necessarily be accurate?
DIETZ: Well, I think it's appropriate to withhold labels for the moment. Clinicians in my field are ethnically bound not to make diagnosis of people they haven't examined. And so the only people who really are free to speculate are those who are either not qualified or who are going to violate the ethical rules.
What will ultimately happen is a very thorough evaluation. Each side will conduct evaluations. They'll try to interview Mr. Loughner. They'll view all the videos, all his writings, talk to people who knew him, read every police report and investigative report, and try to piece together what the law is interested in.
The first thing the law will be concerned with, both in federal court and in Arizona, is whether he has a severe mental disease. But that's not where the inquiry ends. The ultimate legal issue will be whether in federal court he was insane and the question there is, was he unable to appreciate the nature and quality or wrongfulness of his act.
And in Arizona, the language is, guilty except insane. And the question is whether because of a severe mental disease or defect he did not know that the criminal act was wrong.
WHITFIELD: And we're going to continue to learn more about him. We're going to learn more about what preceded this shooting, et cetera. But I wonder if there is a way which to learn something that everyone can learn at this juncture that when we hear all of these either friends or former colleagues or teachers say they thought something was awry, they use different words, you know, just different signals.
When that is to happen, what should we, if we're not family members, what should we do when we come across someone who we think something is not quite right, but certainly we can't anticipate or know that something super terrible, something very violent is about to happen, what do we as citizens, what are we responsible for? How do we raise a flag?
DIETZ: It depends on - that's a great question. This depends on where one hears this. In the work place, one should contact human resources or the highest ranking member of the company one can and tell them what one knows. In a school or campus environment, if it's about a student, one should contact the dean of students. And if it's about an employee, one should contact human resources. If it's about your neighbor, you have a bigger problem, because there's no organized process short of going to law enforcement or seeking assistance from private security.
WHITFIELD: And law enforcement would say, "wait a minute, you only suspect something strange, he hasn't done anything, she hasn't done anything, we can't do anything," right?
DIETZ: Yes, the tools that institutions have are much more varied than the tools that law enforcement has. It's quite difficult, if this is within one's family or one's neighborhood.
WHITFIELD: Fascinating stuff. Dr. Park Dietz, I know we'll be talking to you again, because we're learning day by day an awful lot all stemming from this incident one week ago. Thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it.
DIETZ: Good to see you.
WHITFIELD: Tucson takes a step closer to trying to return to some normalcy. That from a lot of residents there. The closed sign that was at the Safeway where Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others were shot last week, well that sign was torn down today. And the supermarket was reopened.
Several employees said it was important for them to return to the store, to get a sense that life is returning to normal after that tragedy. The store opened earlier today after several people in fact gathered outside for a moment of silence.
Meantime, Tucson shooting victim Mavy Stoddard was released from the hospital this week. Her husband, Dorwin, was killed protecting her during the attack. She actually sat down with our Ted Rowlands and revealed a surprising attitude about the accused gunman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 76-year-old Mavy Stoddard, she and her husband Dorwin were living a fairy tale.
MAVY STODDARD, SHOOTING VICTIM: We had as good a marriage as anyone in this world could have had. ROWLANDS: They were classmates that shared a first kiss in school but didn't marry until they were in their 60s. Both were widowed and both had raised four children. For the past 15 years, Mauvy says she and Dorwin had a fall. Last Saturday, the couple decided to go meet their congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords.
STODDARD: Tell her how we admired her for going in person out among the people.
ROWLANDS: When the shooting started, Mavy said Dorwin put himself between her and the bullets.
STODDARD: He threw himself over me. I don't know whether he threw me down. My first thought was get down when I saw what was happening. I think it was the last shot that killed him.
ROWLANDS: Dory was pronounced dead at the scene.
STODDARD: He died on my leg, actually. On the side of my leg with me talking to him, telling him I loved him and kissed him. So he saved my life and gave his for it. And you can't ask for much more. And he would have protected me with his dying breath, same way he loved me.
ROWLANDS: Mavy says she feels sorry for everyone involved, including the man responsible.
STODDARD: It's a horrible thing that happened. It touched so many lives. It hurt so many people. That's why I feel no real animosity. I do forgive the young man. I hate what he did, but I don't hate him.
ROWLANDS: Mavy was shot three times in the leg. She'll make a full recovery but she'll be without the love of her life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Tucson shooting victim Gabrielle Giffords is getting better, but the Arizona congresswoman remains in critical condition. Doctors surgically implanted a tracheotomy tube in her wind pipe today to help her breathe. They've taken her off the ventilator and they also inserted a feeding tube, which is pretty standard for a brain injured patient. Giffords was shot through the head during that attack one week ago today.
Another shooting victim was released from the hospital today. Two others are still there. But they also are improving, say doctors. Both are in good condition.
And there was yet another shooting victim, but today that person was honored. Friends and family members are expected to pay homage and offer their tributes to Phyllis Schneck. At this hour, a memorial service is being held for the 79-year-old woman at her home church in Tucson.
On to politics. Michael Steele is out as chairman of the Republican National Committee. We'll tell you about the person now replacing him. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The Republican National Committee has selected a new leader to replace embattled chairman Michael Steele. The new leader is Wisconsin GOP chairman Reince Priebus. He said he wants to earn the trust of party members and build relationships in his first month on the job.
Michael Steele dropped out of the balloting yesterday on the fourth round. He was plagued by controversy and criticism and eventually lost favor with party insiders.
And more shakeups at the White House. CNN's Kate Bolduan has the latest staff changes and what they will mean to the Obama administration.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the latest announcement in the White House shakeup. Vice President Biden choosing Bruce Reed to replace Ron Klain as his chief of staff. In a statement, the vice president said "we worked closely together to pass the crime bill in the 1990s and I have frequently sought his advice and counsel in the years since." CNN's senior political analyst David Gergen worked with Reed in the Clinton administration.
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's a very shrewd move, because Bruce Reed is someone who is - has very strong views but is also a team player.
BOLDUAN: Reed served as chief domestic policy adviser to President Clinton before heading up the Centrist Democratic Leadership Council, which fueled Clinton's re-election campaign. And most recently he was the executive director of President Obama's Bipartisan Fiscal Commission.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My new chief of staff -
BOLDUAN: President Obama picked his new chief of staff last week, Bill Daley, former Commerce secretary during the Clinton White House.
OBAMA: I'm convinced he'll help us in our mission of growing our economy and moving America forward.
GERGEN: Bringing in Bruce Reed along with Bill Daley as chief of staff to the president sends a very clear message that we have two centrists now as chiefs of staff who both care a lot about deficits and both really are more moderate within the Democratic Party.
BOLDUAN: Add to that other Clintonites, like the president's new top economic adviser, Gene Spurling, who was also Clinton's top economic adviser. So what does this all say about the self-described retooling at the White House and the president's course correction after the midterm election?
JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Look, the far left is not going to be happy. They are going to feel abandoned or ignored by these decisions. But what they're going to do is strengthen the administration's connection to the center, which is precisely what they needed to do to not only govern effectively but look towards 2012.
BOLDUAN (on camera): to that point, the liberal activist group, Progressive Change Campaign Committee released a statement criticizing the Reed announcement as "gravitating towards individuals who pushed policies that benefit big corporations over regular Americans."
Kate Bolduan, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Time now to go cross country. Checking stories across america. We begin in Orlando, Florida. An amateur artist used an unusual medium to express her creativity. Laundry lint. This is her rendition of the last supper.
And now to Rancho Cordova, California, a miniature schnauzer was rescued from a drainpipe. Rescuers believe the pooch named "Casper" may have been stuck there up to three days. "Casper" was spotted by another dog who barked out the alarm. His owner believes "Casper" fell into the storm drain near his house.
And in Washington state, a middle schooler got in hot water for showing his appreciation of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Big old no-no there. The 13-year-old apparently had the option of wearing blue and green Seahawks colors, of course, or his school uniform. By wearing the Steelers jersey, he violated the school's strict dress code. So guess what? He was sent home.
All right. Slacker turns super hero. Old is new again as a comic book hero comes to life on the big screen this weekend. Movie reviews coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Coming up next, our movie critic grades the new releases, including "The Green Hornet."
But first, a look at the top stories.
A chilling new video by Tucson shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner. He shot the video on the campus of Pima Community College and posted it on YouTube. In the video, he's rambling and he's agitated. It was released, this video was, to "The L.A. Times" after a public records request. It had been cited in campus police records as among the reasons college officials suspended the 22-year-old student.
And Zsa Zsa Gabor has lost her right leg to infection. The 93-year- old actress developed a lesion on her leg that turned out to be resistant to drugs. Doctors were forced to amputate just above the knee. Her husband says he didn't tell Zsa Zsa about the amputation before the surgery. Doctors are guarded about her recovery now. And in Florida, a fugitive is back in custody after 30 years on the run. Authorities say Ian McDonald faked a heart attack back in 1980 while being held in South Florida. At the time, he was awaiting extradition to Canada on drug charges.
In the United States, it's time to go to the movies. There's a little something for every one - drama, action, comedy, all of it in theaters across the country and Pete Hammond is with "Box Office Magazine" joining us right now from Los Angeles this weekend from Los Angeles.
OK, so let's begin, Pete, with the "Green Hornet." A lot of those comic book fans can't wait. Very excited. Did you like it?
PETE HAMMOND, "BOX OFFICE MAGAZINE": I did. You know, it's fun.
WHITFIELD: Oh, OK.
HAMMOND: It's a B, I'd say. It's a real throwback, very retro. It's almost like, you know, the old TV series, the old "Batman" TV series. You know, Christopher Nolan has taken this form, the super hero form and taken it to new levels with the "Dark Knight" and all of that. This one is just a comedy basically for Seth Rogen to do his Seth Rogen kind of thing on the screen. With a grain of salt, it's fun.
WHITFIELD: OK. Let's look at a little clip here with Seth Rogen, Jay Chou who is huge in a lot of places and Cameron Diaz, too. Take a peek.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll need a car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hells yes, we'll need a car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Show me weapons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spinning rims.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I want you to take my hand. I want you to come with me on this adventure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll go with you, but I don't want to touch you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. You don't have to take my hand, but will you come with me on this adventure?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: OK, fine. So you give it a B. That's pretty impressive. That's good. You're a tough grader.
HAMMOND: Yes, bargain basement "Batman," basically. But it's got its moments. It's in 3-D, but I got to warn you. It was converted to 3-D and it's not - there's no point for the 3-D in this and they hike the prices. So just go see the 2-D version, it doesn't matter.
WHITFIELD: OK. Sounds good. And then there's "The Dilemma." Do I tell my friend, my relative whatever, you know, that somebody is cheating - the spouse is cheating on them. This was Vince Vaughn, Kevin James. All right. Well, Vince Vaughn is usually so funny and he's usually worth it right there. Did you like this one?
HAMMOND: You know, Vince Vaughn has a couple of killer scenes in this. He's very funny in them. The movie unfortunately is extremely uneven. It doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it a drama one minute? Is it a wacky comedy the next minute? Kevin James, who is usually very funny, is just basically playing straight man in this.
And it's a mixed up kind of bag, and I don't think it really quite works. But Vince Vaughn, if you're a fan, he's doing Vince Vaughn here and he's really got a couple of funny scenes in it. But it's a C plus overall. Kind of disappointing.
WHITFIELD: Oh, (INAUDIBLE) That's right. Oh what was your - disappointing. So that means you're not giving it high marks. What's your grade?
HAMMOND: No, no. C plus. Something like that. It's from Ron Howard. I expect better from Ron Howard actually. So you know, it's entertaining, if you have no expectations.
WHITFIELD: OK. All right. Then there's "Barney's Version" trailer. What is this one about? I can't believe I've been under a rock. I don't know anything about this. Dustin Hoffman, Minnie Driver, Paul Giamatti. Great cast.
HAMMOND: Yes, and actually Paul Giamatti is nominated for Golden Globe tomorrow night for best actor comedy or musical. This is a limited release. It's in L.A., New York, a couple of other cities right now. It's about a guy looking back on his life.
He's really a schlaky (ph) TV producer who has been married three times. He's obnoxious as he can possibly be. Paul Giamatti plays it to the hilt. He's a lot of fun. Dustin Hoffman plays his father and he's quite entertaining. It's a small, independent movie based on Mordecai Richler's novel from Canada.
WHITFIELD: Oh, cool. And your grade on this one?
HAMMOND: It's a B. If you're fans of Paul Giamatti, by all means, go see this movie.
WHITFIELD: Just laughing at the clip. We haven't seen Minnie Driver in a long time. So it's nice to see her on the screen.
HAMMOND: She's coming back. She was in "Conviction." She's obviously wanting to work again a lot and she's quite funny in this.
WHITFIELD: Oh, good. Excellent. All right. Pete Hammond, thanks so much. Got some good flicks to check out this weekend.
HAMMOND: Check them out.
WHITFIELD: We'll check them out. You have a great weekend. Thanks so much.
HAMMOND: Thank you. You too.
WHITFIELD: All right. A money expert explaining why a frugal budget is actually the in thing. Budget is the new black, they say.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Now more on our lead story, a chilling new video reportedly narrated by Tucson shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner. He shot it in the campus of Pima County Community college and posted it on YouTube. Well, in the video, Loughner is rambling and he's agitated, ranting about the school and calling it "one of the biggest scams in America."
The video was released to "The L.A. Times" after a public records request. So this video had been cited in campus police records as among the reasons the college officials suspended the 22-year-old student. Here is the end of the four-minute video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOUGHNER: All these teachers that you have are being paid illegally, and they have an illegal authority over the Constitution of the United States under the First Amendment. This is genocide in America. Thank you. This is Jared from Pima College.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Police say the night before Loughner pointed a gun at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' head, Loughner carefully prepared for his attack. CNN's Randi Kaye retraces Loughner's steps in those last hours.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The night before the shooting, 11:35 p.m., Friday, investigators tracking Jared Loughner's last steps, say he drops off a roll of 35 millimeter film to be developed at Walgreen's.
(on camera): Less than an hour later, 12:29 a.m., Saturday, Loughner checks into this motel 6. He shows an I.D. and pays by credit card. Activity on his electronic room key shows he went in and out of the room several times during the night.
(voice-over): 2:19 a.m., Loughner returns to Walgreen's to pick up his developed photos.
(On camera): At 2:34 a.m., Loughner makes a purchase at this Chevron stations' convenience store. He buys a doughnut, a soft drink and some energy bars. The security camera captures Loughner on video. Before he leaves, he uses the pay phone. (Voice over): Less than two hours later, 4:12 a.m., Loughner posts a message on his MySpace page. It reads, "Good-bye friends" and contains a photo developed earlier at Walgreen's.
At 6:12 a.m., Loughner makes a purchase at Wal-Mart. Nine minutes later, 6:21 a.m., he's at Circle K to buy something else. It's now just about three hours before the shooting. At 7:04 a.m., Loughner makes his first attempt to buy ammunition at Wal-Mart. The store clerk keeps him waiting because he's behaving strangely. So at 7:27 a.m. Loughner goes to another Wal-Mart where he buys ammunition and a diaper bag, which is similar to a backpack.
(On camera): At 7:34 a.m. Saturday, now just about two and a half hours from the time of the shooting, Jared Loughner is stopped for running a red light just a few miles from the Safeway supermarket. An officer with the Arizona Game and Fish Department checks his license and registration. He sees there are no outstanding warrants and lets Loughner go with a warning.
(Voice over): Around 8:0 a.m., back at Loughner's parents house, his father confronts him about a black bag he's carrying. Investigators say Randi Loughner asked his son what is inside the bag, and where he's taking it. They say Loughner mumbles something and takes off into the desert. His father chases him in his truck, but doesn't catch him.
(On camera): More than an hour later, 9:18 a.m., Loughner called a taxi to pick him up here at this Circle K convenience store. Authorities say the taxi arrives at 9:41 and takes him to the Safeway supermarket. It's now just minutes before the shooting.
(Voice over): At 9:54 a.m., the taxi arrives at the Safeway. The driver and Jared Loughner go inside the supermarket to get change for the fare. One minute later, 10:00 a.m., Congresswoman Gabriella Giffords arrives for her "Congress On The Corner" event here. A few minutes later, Loughner asks a member of the congresswoman's staff to speak with her. He's told to wait in a line of about 20 people. He does so. But then exits the line and walks quickly toward the congresswoman. At 10:10 a.m., investigators say Jared Loughner opens fire. Randi Kay, CNN, Tucson, Arizona.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Just one week after those shots were fired in Tucson, a gun show opened today at the Pima County Fairgrounds. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is in Tucson and joins us live.
Thelma, was there any consternation about whether to still have this in light of all that took place in the last week?
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, absolutely. The organizers of that gun show came under a lot of criticism. Many people wondering if it was insensitive to go forth and to hold this huge show here in Tucson, just a week after the shootings. But this is something that did reignite the national debate on gun control. I can tell you that many people here say that Tucson has now become ground zero in the debate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(GUNFIRE)
GUTIERREZ (voice over): At this firing range in Tucson, Arizona, nearly every lane is full, with couples, and firearms enthusiasts like Jim Caniglio who says he's proud to live in a state where he can carry a concealed weapon on his person, and in vehicle with no permit at all.
JIM CANIGLIO, GUN ENTHUSIAST: We are citizens, not subjects. And that is the bottom line.
GUTIERREZ: The law is called constitutional carry, a new law that just passed last year.
SHERIFF CLARENCE DUPNIK, PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA: I think we're the Tombstone of the United States of America.
GUTIERREZ: After the massacre in Tucson, the sheriff of Pima County says things are out of control. He cited a proposed legislation that would allow students 21 and over to carry guns on campus.
DUPNIK: I've never been a proponent of letting everybody in this state carry weapons under any circumstances that they want, and that's almost where we are.
JOE ZAMUDIO, GUN OWNER: I carry -- this is a Ruger P-95.
GUTIERREZ: 24-year-old Joe Zamudio says he carries a concealed weapon to feel safe.
(On camera): This is something you carry with you where, the store?
ZAMUDIO: Pretty much everywhere I go.
GUTIERREZ: Last Saturday was no different. Joe said he had his firearm in his jacket when he went to buy cigarettes.
ZAMUDIO: I heard the shots from inside the building. When I turned and squared my shoulders to the breezeway, I saw another gentleman with his right hand lifting the firearm up like this. Only it was locked back. And he brings it around his side and that to me -- he was standing, he was holding a gun.
GUTIERREZ: Joe saw victims in pools of blood. He had to make a split second decision about his gun, with no room for errors.
ZAMUDIO: Somebody needed to be taken care of. That was my immediate problem, was address that firearm..
GUTIERREZ: Instead of his gun, which he says he was prepared to use for a moment just like this, Joe reached for the man's wrist instead.
(On camera): Did he say anything? Did he say, I'm not the shooter? ZAMUDIO: Immediately, no, no, it's him, it's him.
GUTIERREZ: Joe saw Jared Loughner on the ground. Turns out the man with the gun had disarmed Loughner.
ZAMUDIO: I'm just so lucky. I'm just so lucky. We were all blessed that he was there that day, because if he hadn't been there, I might not be here right now. I might have got shot. I might have come out that door and got my head blown off.
GUTIERREZ: Does that goes through your mind?
ZAMUDIO: Yeah.
GUTIERREZ: This really affected your life?
ZAMUDIO: Yeah, it's been horrible. It's one of the worst things that ever happened.
GUTIERREZ: Joe Zamudio believes the gun training that made him an able marksman also helped him to make a sound judgment call.
ZAMUDIO: There was a bunch of people watching, and all those people watching see me pull a gun out thinking second shooter. And in Arizona, where people keep guns in their cars, somebody could have shot me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUTIERREZ: Joe Zamudio says that the reality of everything that he went through last Saturday is starting to finally sink in. What he saw out here, what he heard, he said that he really is having a very hard time dealing with it. Actually had to leave town, because he couldn't be here for the one-week anniversary of this terrible event. So he actually left town yesterday, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Wow, some incredible experiences so many people have had and I know it is going to stick with them for a long, long time. All right Thelma Gutierrez, thank you so much. Appreciate that from Tucson.
We're going to talk about some weather that's impacting a whole lot of people across the country. Jacqui Jeras is in the Weather Center. What do we have, a lot of precipitation here somewhere.
(NATIONAL WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: We now go overseas and let's talk about how it's nasty in Brisbane, Australia. We're going to talk about that and also talk about this political power shift in the African country of Tunisia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Penny pinching apparently is in vogue, but first, a look at today's top stories. A major power shift in the North African country of Tunisia. The parliamentary speaker is now the country's acting president, as a new government is formed. This after increasingly violent protests forced the long-time president into exile in Saudi Arabia. Officials plan to hold presidential elections in 60 days.
The military says three American troops were killed today. Two were killed while conducting operations in the Northern Iraq section. They may have been shot by Iraqi soldiers who opened fire in the city of Mosul. A third was killed during military operations in the central region of the country.
The closed sign at the Safeway store where the Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and 18 others, were shot last week, that was torn down, the sign was earlier today. And the supermarket now reopened. Several employees said it was important for them to return to the store to get a sense that life is returning to some normalcy after that tragedy.
Saving money and spending less is a notion appealing to a whole lot of people with cash strapped budgets these days. Earlier I spoke with personal finance and business columnist for the "Detroit Free Press" Susan Tompor, she explained her formula for getting a handle on your budget.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN TOMPOR, PERSONAL FINANCE & BUSINESS COLUMNIST, "DETROIT FREE PRESS": Getting back to basics is the new vogue. Let's say we take our take home pay and look at it as working income. So that 70 percent would go to your expenses, but 20 percent should be saved for bigger purchases later on down the road, other necessities, 10 percent for long-term goals. So what does that mean? It means we are not spending 110 percent and it means that 30 percent of our budget isn't going to designer handbags or to golf. So, 70 percent would go to your expenses, like rent-
WHITFIELD: Essentials.
TOMPOR: Mortgage, utilities.
WHITFIELD: Essentials.
TOMPOR: All that good stuff.
WHITFIELD: You know, food.
TOMPOR: Food.
WHITFIELD: Food is essential. Absolutely. Anything that is an essential.
(LAUGHTER)
TOMPOR: Insurance, taxes. WHITFIELD: OK, got it. And s o many of us have been adhering to financial experts who say, ask the question: Can I afford it? You say no, forget that. It's not a matter of can I afford it? You need to ask yourself some other questions, like, do I really need this? What am I going to do with it? Where am I going to put it? And that should help you control your spending.
TOMPOR: Absolutely. Suze Orman has a lot of fun with this can I afford it thing. We all love watching somebody who wants to go on a trip to the Amazon, for $20,000, but they have $80,000 of student loan debt. We know they can't afford it. But when you are shopping athlete the Mall, there is an 80pt off sign, and see the shoes for $20, yes, of course you are going to say I got to have it, it's a great deal.
WHITFIELD: It's a great deal.
TOMPOR: Yeah, that's how I ended up with more than 80 pairs of shoes. OK, that is a lit insight into my life. But it's not can I afford it when it's a small purchase, but where am I going to put it and why do I want to buy it.
WHITFIELD: Then you say everyone has this problem. There will be some like mystery charges, you're dolling out $5 here, $9 upwards of every now and then on your ATM card or other different ways, you say you've got to get to the root where these little extra charges, what are they all about. Ask questions, eliminate them.
TOMPOR: Absolutely. There's two ways that you need to look at this. One, there could be some mystery charges for things that you don't even want to buy. The Minnesota attorney general took on Discover on this one. People were signing up with so-called courtesy calls, to sign up for some service that was optional. They didn't even know they had it. But if they looked at their statement, this charges with recurring every month. You're paying money for something you don't want or need. You can dispute that charge.
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WHITFIELD: Financial advice from Susan Tompor, personal finance and business columnist with the "Detroit Free Press." We're back right after this.
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WHITFIELD: After days of angry protests Tunisia has a new leader. The country's parliamentary speaker was sworn in as the country's acting leader earlier today after Tunisia's long-time president was forced to flee with his family to Saudi Arabia. So the change in power came quickly to Tunisia, which is a strong U.S. ally. So what happens there is of concern here, in the U.S. CNN's Ben Wedeman shows us what is happening the day after the coup.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the capital, Tunis, people are taking advantage of the lifting of the curfew to buy goods like these eggs from the few stores that are still open. In general, you can't find much of anything open, restaurants, cafes are closed. There's very little traffic in the street. The curfew goes from 7:00 a.m. To 5:00 p.m.
(On camera): And it's strictly enforced by the army and the police. Last night I watched as policeman with batons beat people who had broken the curfew. And so it's expected the curfew will be re-imposed in the evening. There was, overnight, scattered instances of looting. In this electronics store, looters came during the night and ransacked the place. The owner told me the police did nothing to stop them.
Speaking to people in the street, it's clear that much of the anger was focused on now former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. They said he and his clique stole billions of dollars from the country at a time when other people didn't have jobs, couldn't make ends meet. I spoke to one university graduate who said that for years now he's been trying to find a job, any job, but was unable. People are saying they're hoping that the former president will be tried for ruthlessly repressing the demonstrations and also for stealing the wealth of this country.
Politically, the situation is very fluid. Mohamed Ghannouchi, the prime minister, when Ben Ali left the country, and who just for a few hours was interim president, is out. Now it's Fouad Mebazzaa, the speaker of parliament, who is now the interim president. On state television, Mebazzaa announced that elections would be held within two months. But what's clear on the street is that it's not the civilians who are running the country at the moment, it's the military and the police. I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Tunis.
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WHITFIELD: There are some brave people standing up and issuing a warning. What is the warning? You have to put down your gadgets for just one minute and pay attention.
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WHITFIELD: OK, are you watching us, and using your BlackBerry, your iPad or your laptop simultaneously? Guess what? You may have a problem. Maybe even an addiction. So listen to Sandra Endo as she explains this latest trend. It's called a digital detox.
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SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At cafes, on sidewalks, at work and home, the signs are everywhere, people are plugged in and tuning out.
JESSICA MCFADDEN, RECOVERING TECHNOHOLIC: Actually, I'm going to a blogging event tonight.
ENDO: Mother of two and blogger, Jessica McFadden admits it's easy to succumb to the online seduction.
MCFADDEN: As a mother, I found it a fabulous way to express myself. As a freelance writer, I found it fabulous to just be able to self- publish. There is the like whole, online party that is always happening. You can always pop on Twitter. It's like a cocktail party that is always going on. You don't have to get ready for it. It is always there.
ENDO: Soon she found herself in the digital deep end, admitting she was having a virtual affair with social media.
MCFADDEN: I saw the time when my husband came home from work, as the time to do the lateral pass. Like, cool, you're in the door. You take the kids, feed them, give them a bath, because mom's going online.
CHRIS MCFADDEN, BLOGGER: It's very difficult because she would be online a lot, and it was a bad time when I would go to bed, and she would sill be on the computer.
ENDO (On camera): Between BlackBerries, iPad, laptops, cell phones, it's easy to get a quick fix and a virtual connection. Doctors say these devices can have the same addictive qualities as drugs and alcohol. But now there is a backlash. A wireless revolution of people wanting to free themselves from the addiction.
NED HALLOWELL, PSYCHIATRIST/AUTHOR: It's hard to give up your BlackBerry as it is to give up cigarettes. How much time do you spend screen sucking? It would be wonderful if it was as simply turn it off. But once the-if not addiction-the habituation has become entrenched it is hard. It takes discipline. It takes will power. You have to kind of retrain yourself to take back control.
ENDO: For the McFadden household, now there are rules. No Blackberries in the bedroom. No logging on with the kids around, and only 30 minutes of tech time a night.
MCFADDEN: I had to establish the boundaries with it affecting my family. So it was a short list affair. But I mean, it is not something I'm proud of, and I'm proud now to have a good balance.
ENDO: A digital detox to feed the soul. Sandra Endo, CNN, Silver Spring, Maryland.
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WHITFIELD: That's being hooked. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks so much for joining us. Coming up next, a buildings worth of Kennedy documents, photos, video all of that now at your fingertips. And the mind behind a mass killing. CNN's Don Lemon talks to a psychologist about the troubling warning signs from Jared Lee Loughner. Don is coming up next.
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