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Tornado-Devastated Towns Try to Clean Up; Afghanistan Shooting Victims' Bodies Returned to U.S.; Legal Cases in the News; Vignettes from the Royal Wedding; Tuscaloosa Shop Owner Picks up the Pieces
Aired April 30, 2011 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, so let's begin in the tiny town of Hackleburg, Alabama, specifically, where officials are scrambling this hour to keep a destructive situation from getting even worse, 29 people dead, more still missing, nearly every business there wiped out. Even the town's police department is destroyed.
CNN's Martin Savidge arrived just moments ago. So Marty, I understand officials have set up a temporary morgue. It is a horrible situation there.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, indeed, yes. They have been overwhelmed in every regard, whether it be with their emotions, with the devastation and now, of course, when it comes to dealing with the death toll here that continues to rise, by the way they say. They say 29 people have been killed in the town itself. I believe the death toll in the county is about 34, 35. And they've got four people missing. That temporary morgue is -- well, it's a refrigerator truck that has been set up to care for those bodies that have been discovered.
This is the heart of the downtown area, I guess you could say. And it's -- you can see a beehive of activity. They are trying to do their best to clear up what is the worst of some of this right here on Main Street here. It had a whole host of people that have come in. Everywhere you turn, though -- I mean, you could do a 360 and you're going to be seeing nothing but damage, the streets here in what were beautiful neighborhoods. And then the real devastation begins even farther, when you get across to the north side of 43 there, really bad stuff.
The chief of police took us on a quick tour just after we got into town. And you can tell that the emergency people here themselves are still in shock and really just getting by. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHIEF KENNY HALLMARK, HACKLEBURG POLICE: We're -- pretty much everybody's running on adrenaline right now. We're -- you know, it's a travesty to our community that we're just trying to do everything we can do to help people and -- I mean, we're tired. We've been blessed with help, but we're still -- we're tired and -- but we're going to work to get through this.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SAVIDGE: Let me just tell you what's lost in this town -- three schools, a doctor's office, a pharmacy, a ball field, the Wrangler plant, by the way, which employed about 500 people. There were 16 trapped, one person killed there.
And as we say, the list goes on and on. They lost the grocery store, the gas station and -- well, you get the picture here. This is a small town where a big storm has a huge impact, and they are continuing to try to find those that they believe are lost. Right now, they have teams that are spread out in fields that are basically just walking across those fields, looking for anyone. Cars have been found off the road by 550 yards, tossed. It's a very bizarre sight to see them just sitting out in a green pasture, realizing they just fell from the sky, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Extraordinary. Now, Marty, you know, you spent a significant amount of time in Japan immediately following the tsunami, and now you are there in this devastation right here in our own back yard. Draw some comparisons of what you've been viewing.
SAVIDGE: Well, there are. I mean, I think I was struck by that. I figured that when you were in Japan and having seen the aftermath of that tsunami, that nothing would compare. The images here do compare. They're on a much smaller, compact scale, but the devastation when you get into the wake of these tornadoes is just incredible. So I think that what strikes you is that you look at this devastation, and you realize one was, of course, created by water, and all this was created as a result of wind. But they still --
WHITFIELD: Ferocious wind.
SAVIDGE: -- when it comes to human loss, add up to the same thing, yes.
WHITFIELD: Marty Savidge, thanks so much, from Hackleburg. Thanks so much Appreciate that.
Let's move on now to another state, Tennessee, Apison, small community right outside Chattanooga. It also took a hit from a twister Wednesday night. Our Susan Candiotti is there. How are people doing? What are they concentrating on today?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. People are here are trying to all pitch in and help each other as best they can. For example, here in Apison at an elementary school, they're using this as a staging area where, as you can see over my shoulder, they have free food and water and meals set up for primarily emergency crews who are helping out, some people who are volunteers who are helping authorities as they tried to make repairs, also providing food for utility crews, volunteer firemen, this kind of thing.
And they've been here ever since the twister blew through this area and devastated so many people. So as we said, people are lending a hand to each other, and with good reason, because we just got an assessment from the state of Tennessee about the latest damage numbers, and they're talking about a minimum of 500 homes destroyed or severely damaged, suffering major damage. The number is smaller here in this area where we are in Hamilton County, 166 homes suffering some kind of damage. And it runs the full gamut, as you can imagine.
Now, we had a chance to talk with William and Roxy (ph) Gambrell, who lost their home. It was -- it was really blown off its foundation at a 45-degree angle. And Roxy is confined to a wheelchair. When the twister hit, her husband had all he could do but to throw himself on top of her and hold on for everything so that they didn't blow out of the house. Here's part of what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: Now, William, this was to be your retirement home, huh?
WILLIAM GAMBRELL, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Yes. See this green pick-up truck? It was parked over next to that Saturn. The house was setting right here on this foundation.
CANDIOTTI: And where was the porch?
GAMBRELL: The porch was right here.
CANDIOTTI: Right here. And now it's over there.
GAMBRELL: You've got it.
CANDIOTTI: Look at that.
GAMBRELL: Yes. And the foundation, look how far it pushed it back. Unreal. You know, me and my wife were sitting in the living room at 6:00 o'clock, watching the local news, and they said, Tornado warning down for Udawa (ph) and Collegeville (ph). And I told her, I said, Honey, that's getting real close. She can't walk.
CANDIOTTI: So you just grabbed her and --
GAMBRELL: I just grabbed her and squeezed her and held on and --
CANDIOTTI: Held on for dear life.
GAMBRELL: Yes. But all that was running through my mind -- This is it. It's over. But I'm one lucky dog. I am one lucky dog. I ain't got no home. Ain't got no truck. Ain't got no car. But me and my wife and my little dog Barney is still here. And what I'll do next, I don't know.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: And fortunately, the Gambrells have insurance, so they think they might be able to rebuild someplace. But for now, they'll probably move from Tennessee to South Carolina and live with his daughter. So at least they're taken care of, or will be for now. But for now, frankly, they're spending some time in a motel and they're not really sure exactly when they'll be moving out, where they'll go. But they have some vague plans in mind, Fred. WHITFIELD: And at least they have their lives. This has been one heck of a deadly storm. Thanks so much, Susan Candiotti. Appreciate that.
Meantime, so last year at about this time, Tennessee was dealing with another natural disaster. Remember these images right here? May 1st, a year ago tomorrow, more than 13 inches of rain poured down on middle Tennessee in just two days. The Cumberland River topped 12 feet above flood stage, forcing hundreds to evacuate in Nashville. Those stranded were rescued by boat and canoe. A year ago this weekend, more than 30 people killed.
So the devastation that we're now enduring right now seems endless. Over six states. We want to share some of our photos from our I-reporters, what they have been sending us. These are from Thomas Carroll, who says over 60 percent of his hometown of Smithville, Mississippi, has been leveled from all the tornadoes we saw over the last few days. At least a dozen people were killed. His parents are OK, but he worries this little town of 900 will never be the same.
John Ramspott shot these pictures Thursday in Madison, Georgia. He says there's one specific stretch there where there is a whole lot of damage to the homes and the businesses there, aluminum roofs laying in the road. But the historic downtown seems to be all right, by his estimate.
And the Red Cross is providing food and shelter for a lot of the tornado victims. Joining us right now by phone from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Red Cross volunteer Suzanne Horsley. So Suzanne, give me an idea how you're able to help people there.
SUZANNE HORSLEY, RED CROSS VOLUNTEER (via telephone): Well, we're helping people in our shelter, where last night, 240 people spent the night. During the day, we have an average of 600 people who come in to get meals. They come in to get to some emotional counseling, first aid, have their medical needs taken care of. And they are also, you know, just getting the support and hugs and whatever it is they need for themselves or their children.
WHITFIELD: So that so many people are coming in for meals -- where are they generally going if they're not staying at any, you know, of the shelters you have?
HORSLEY: Well, some people don't have power at their homes, and this is the only way they can get a meal because, you know, they can't keep a refrigerator going or anything. Some people simply don't want to leave their homes alone at night. There's a variety of reasons. A lot of people are finding friends or family to stay with, and so they come here to get assistance during the day and then stay elsewhere at night.
WHITFIELD: You said a lot of counseling is also being offered. What have people generally been saying? What kind of support are they able to get? What are they expressing, the kind of support that they need? HORSLEY: Well, you know, a lot of people at first were just in shock and disbelief over what happened. And now it's beginning to sink in, what has really happened, and exactly what the magnitude of this disaster was. You know, people are just concerned about their children, how they're going to get through this, you know, how their families are going to rebuild after this. They just really need someone to talk to and have a sounding board.
WHITFIELD: Suzanne Horsley with the Red Cross, coming to us from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, thanks so much. Appreciate that.
We'll, of course, have much more on the storm damage and how people will kind of pick up their lives from here.
Also up next, Chris Lawrence on a new Taliban threat in Afghanistan. What can you tell us?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. And we know now that eight American troops and an American contractor were all killed by one Afghan man that they trusted. We're going to get a little bit deeper and dig into that story coming up right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, we'll be getting back to our coverage of the destruction of the South in about 15 minutes from now. We'll check in with our Reynolds Wolf, who's in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where you're seeing some of those images coming out of right now.
But first let's talk about that news out of Afghanistan. The bodies of nine Americans killed in that country this week are back on U.S. soil. Officials say an Afghan military pilot shot the eight servicemen and one contractor.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence joins us live now. So Chris, we heard this morning from the widow of one of the men killed in the attack. What was said?
LAWRENCE: That's right, Fred. She attended what's called a "dignified transfer service" up in Dover, Delaware. This is a very solemn occasion. It's where the remains of the dead Americans are brought back to the United States, where their loved ones can meet them for the first time. Really, a lot of families have different reasons for attending this. And for the wife of one of the troops who was killed, it was sort of a mix of hoping for a last-minute miracle and then realizing there wouldn't be one.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZZANNA AUSBORN, WIDOW OF MAJOR JEFF AUSBORN: I wanted to come to Dover last night to see my husband or feel his presence one last time. I wanted to salute him one last time. I wanted -- what I really wanted was for it to be a mistake and for them to say, No, that's not your husband there. Sorry. Let's undo this. But that didn't happen. And so as we got closer to his casket coming off the airplane, the reality set in that, really, it is him. He's -- he's never coming back.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: Just incredible honesty there from that wife, you know, realizing the finality of what had happened.
Here are some of the other troops that were killed in that attack. Major Philip Ambard -- he was from -- he was from the state of Washington. Also Major Jeffrey Ausborn. That's the husband of Suzzanna Ausborn, who you just saw there. Also, Major David Brodeur. He was from Auburn, Massachusetts. And Captain Nathan Nylander. He was from Hockley (ph), Texas. And captain Charles Ransom from the state of Virginia. Obviously, there were some -- a few other troops we didn't have pictures for -- Lieutenant Colonel Frank Bryant (ph), also Major Raymond Austell (ph) and Master Sergeant Tara Brown (ph), who was the only enlisted woman of those eight who were killed, Fred.
WHITFIELD: So Chris, what more have we learned about the investigation into that attack?
LAWRENCE: Well, they know -- they were all in a room with this Afghan that they obviously trusted. They were part of an Air Force training program, training the Afghan air force. So these were trainers working to help the Afghans. And basically, this one man, who was armed with two guns, opened fire on them. Apparently, one or -- one of them at least got off some other shots because this Afghan was wounded in the room, and there was actually a trail of blood leading out of the room, and he died in another part of the building.
But the question remains, what motivated it? Right now, they're not ruling out any link to the Taliban, but right now, they say it looks like he acted alone, that this could have been some sort of dispute, you know, with the Americans.
And the other question that really has to be answered is how he sort of got the drop and was able to take out eight American troops and an American contractor, all of whom were armed at the time.
WHITFIELD: OK. And then quickly, what about this potential spring offensive involving the Taliban?
LAWRENCE: Yes, the Taliban are promising tomorrow, Fred, to start a major offensive, going after bases, going after convoys, also going after some of the government officials who are working with the Americans. American forces admit that they do expect a very big spike in violence from the Taliban.
hey claim, though, that the Taliban's morale is down, that this is just being done to try some sort of propaganda to make it look like the Taliban are more powerful than they are. But there's no doubt, on the ground, the Taliban have still been able to mount major attacks over the last month.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Chris Lawrence, appreciate that, from Washington.
When we come back, our legal guys will be joining us about the case of the barking man.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A Pakistani immigrant claims he had a right to take his daughter's life for bringing disgrace on their family. Time for our regular legal minds to weigh in on this one, for starters.
Avery Friedman is a Civil Rights attorney and law professor in Cleveland, and Richard Herman, a New York criminal defense attorney and law professor joining us from Las Vegas.
All right, gentlemen, good to see you.
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hi, Fred.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hey, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: OK, I remember we talked about this case as it happened, as the case was being built. And so now we're talking about an Arizona judge sentencing this 50-year-old man, father, husband, to 34 years for killing his daughter and then injuring the mother of her boyfriend by way of driving his car over them. So this was a pretty severe sentence or apropos, Avery?
FRIEDMAN: Apropos, Fredricka. This -- this is Faleh Almaleki. And this individual used as a defense, if you can believe it, that these were his customs in the old country when he came to America and then he lost control of the vehicle. I mean, it's outrageous.
The fact is that Judge Roland Steinle, who is in Maricopa County, did the right thing, 15 years second-degree murder, 16 -- or 16 years, 15 years for the aggravated assault and then leaving the scene. So by the time he gets out, he'll be in his mid-80s, if he makes it, the appropriate sentence for a terrible, terrible crime.
WHITFIELD: And so I wonder, you know, Richard, you know, his best defense was this is -- this strikes (ph) to traditional values. But would that be protected in the United States, even though he's talking about traditional values that may be applied elsewhere?
HERMAN: You know, that's his best defense to get convicted, Fred, and that's exactly what happens in every one of these cases. These are not honor killings. These are conspiracies to commit murder on family members. This is absolutely outrageous.
I think the sentence was light. I think this guy should have got hammered worse. They slaughtered their own daughter on some stupid, ridiculous belief system that has nothing to do and flies contrary to the laws of the United States of America, where this guy chose to live. We won't tolerate it. It's not a viable defense. And every one of these lunatics that use that defense is going down, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. And there's something like 5,000 honor --
FRIEDMAN: Well, but -- you know, let me -- let me mention this -- WHITFIELD: -- killings that take place around the world.
FRIEDMAN: Yes. I mean, there are 5,000 --
WHITFIELD: In a year.
FRIEDMAN: -- young women or women that are murdered every year in this -- you know, based on so-called honor killings. Judge Steinle said it right. This isn't honor, this is dishonor. This is arrogant male narcissism. The judge nailed it. And frankly, he was limited by the statute. Again, there could have been an additional six years, pretty stiff sentence. Hopefully, the word will get around that husbands and fathers don't do these things in our country.
WHITFIELD: OK. And then, apparently, there's another case that might be unfolding in a Georgia courtroom as early as next week, and that involves a 2008 case of a father who allegedly strangled his 25- year-old daughter.
All right, let's move on to something very, very different. We're talking about iPhone. It was just last week we were talking about this tracking device on iPhones. Turns out you can be followed or your whereabouts can be monitored. Well, now two men in Florida have filed a class action lawsuit against Apple. And they're claiming that, you know, they -- their privacy is being violated.
So what is Apple's best defense going to be, Richard, that it unknowingly had this tracking device on there, or they thought that perhaps no one would ever use these tracking devices in a deceptive way? What's going to be their best defense?
HERMAN: Yes. That's going to be their defense. They didn't use it in a deceptive way, but it's also "Read the fine print," Fred. When you sign these contracts with Apple, nobody reads the fine print. And in there, it gives them the opportunity to do this. And it also says you can't do a class action. You can't bring us in state court. You're bound by arbitration.
So these state court cases, these -- these -- these class actions are all going to get dismissed. They're going to have to be --
WHITFIELD: Really?
HERMAN: -- bound by arbitrations. And I don't think that they're going anywhere.
WHITFIELD: Oh! So Avery, no case there? You agree?
FRIEDMAN: Oh, no. No, I absolutely don't agree.
WHITFIELD: Why is there --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Why is there a strong case against Apple? FRIEDMAN: First of all, last year, 2010, Apple said that they don't track and store. They absolutely track and store. In fact, Apple's iTunes has a section in that 15,000-word "terms and conditions." Who the heck reads that? And the bottom line is if you opt out with Apple, in iTunes at least --
WHITFIELD: But then Apple will say --
FRIEDMAN: -- you don't get iTunes.
WHITFIELD: -- that's the fault of the user for not reading that, right? That's what they're going to say.
(CROSSTALK)
FRIEDMAN: -- permit this to happen. I think it's an important --
WHITFIELD: OK.
FRIEDMAN: -- principle here.
WHITFIELD: OK, we know that one's not going away. And then the -- here's the case of the man who might be barking up the wrong tree. It's, like, a really rough case, right, Avery? So we're talking about a man --
FRIEDMAN: Rough?
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: -- a man in Ohio who is now charged with barking or taunting a police dog. Who knew there was a law that you shouldn't be doing this? So Avery, where is this going?
FRIEDMAN: I'm not sure.
WHITFIELD: He barked at the dog.
FRIEDMAN: I think there is case in Ohio. Listen to this, Fredricka. There's a case --
(CROSSTALK)
FRIEDMAN: -- an individual was charged -- down in Mason --
WHITFIELD: Uh-oh!
(CROSSTALK)
FRIEDMAN: What happened is that a guy across the street was barking at the dog. The judge said that doesn't count. This guy, Ryan Stephens -- listen to this --
WHITFIELD: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: -- says here, Well, look, the dog started it. WHITFIELD: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: The dog started it! So he --
WHITFIELD: The dog intimidated him somehow.
FRIEDMAN: Yes. So he's going to intimidate the dog. This is a real smart guy. And so he's now charged --
(CROSSTALK)
FRIEDMAN: -- saying the 1st Amendment protects my right, my right to bark.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: And I think he's howling at the moon. I don't think (INAUDIBLE)
WHITFIELD: Oh. OK. So you think --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Richard, you know, will this case, you know, have, I guess, a chance? I mean, how -- what's going to be the best defense, I guess, for the police officer or the department?
HERMAN: Well, best defense is they failed to do a field sobriety test to prove that the guy was drunk. That's the best defense. But this guy walked up to the police car, put his face on the window and began barking at the dog because --
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
HERMAN: He said the dog started it. Well, the last guy that I remember talking to dogs was the Son of Sam guy. So this guy's definitely a freak job, and I'm sure the police testimony will be sufficient to at least get a violation --
(CROSSTALK)
FRIEDMAN: -- an insanity defense.
WHITFIELD: So I guess the police department, all it has to say is, You know what? Just, you know, put a leash on it.
FRIEDMAN: I thought Richard was going to say he was going to --
HERMAN: Oh, Fred!
FRIEDMAN: -- he was going to do an insanity defense. That's what Richard would argue, I thought.
WHITFIELD: No, I couldn't resist!
HERMAN: Put a leash on it? WHITFIELD: I'm a real dog person. I can't help it.
HERMAN: Put a leash on it.
WHITFIELD: Put a leash on it.
All right, well, we're going to be back with you guys, or you're going to be back with us, right? We're going to talk about the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, jury selection getting under way. And there's a very interesting questionnaire they're being, asked questions about: Do you have anger or resentment towards the L.A. law enforcement?
What happens when you say yes to that? Right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Our "CNN Hero of the Week" lost the use of his legs. Well, now he has found a way to help other with disabilities to get moving.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD ST. DENIS, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: In Mexico, people with disabilities who can't get around have no options. Their world is the four walls of their house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's really hard for me to go very far with my crutches.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It makes me really sad to see my son this way. He is 19.
ST. DENIS: When someone has a disability, the whole family has to pitch in to help them if they don't have the money. The care that they provide for them is the very basic care.
My name is Richard St. Denis. I take wheelchairs to people in Mexico who can't afford them but really need them. In 1976, I broke my back skiing and severed my spinal cord. I see what happened to me as an opportunity to help other people with disabilities. We collect used wheelchairs from the United States. To help us distribute the wheelchairs, a lot of people with disabilities work with us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this chair we have for him might be perfect.
ST. DENIS: We make sure the wheelchairs meet the needs of the person who receives it.
It's a race car, no? It's a hot rod.
We teach them how to use it. Mobility means being independent and more active.
Someone said, Richard, I want to thank you for giving up your legs so we could have a better quality of life. When I see them happy, seeing their self-confidence, I know people's lives are getting better.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Of course, we always want to hear from you. Tell us about the heroes in your community. Send us your nominations to CNN.com/heroes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Our brilliant legal minds are back, and this next case might get them fired up, a ruling in favor of pro football players and their fans, then another one in favor of the owners. What is going on? Avery Friedman in Cleveland, Richard Herman back in Las Vegas.
All right, gentlemen. Richard, you first. I'm confused. Where are we on this whole NFL lockout, in, off? You know, what? Out of bounds?
HERMAN: I think it's out of bounds. I think we're in a 30- second timeout right now, Fred. I think Monday, this temporary restraint is going to be lifted, and then the -- all the (INAUDIBLE) facilities will be opened up again on Monday. And then in about a week or so, there'll another determination that they're not going to decide the appeal, so everything's going to stay the way it is.
Ultimately, an 89-page carefully drafted decision is not going to be overturned line by line. It's just not going to happen. There is going to be football this fall. Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: Interesting. So Avery, this is in the middle of the draft right now. Coaches, players allow to talk to one another or not?
FRIEDMAN: Oh, well, if you read this decision that came down late Friday night, some are arguing no. But you know, what are you going to do? You got new draftees. You got camps open. Are 32 owners really going to shut down camp for this small window?
The fact is, the judge, Nelson, who is the trial judge in Minnesota, wrote actually two opinions, about 110 pages, brilliantly written. This 2-to-1 opinion -- this emergency procedure, Fredricka, is used, like, if they're going to put somebody to death. It is so perverse, so wrong that it will be very short-lived. And the bottom line is it forces everybody to get to the bargaining table -- bargaining table. They've got to get this thing resolved --
WHITFIELD: Wow.
FRIEDMAN: -- got to get it done.
WHITFIELD: OK. What a mess. And then I don't know, potentially a mess, the Conrad Murray case -- let's move on to California now, where that team is asking for a continuance. But at the same time, they're in the middle of trying to pick a jury. But what comes with that is this big, 30-page questionnaire that goes to the jurors. They're asked everything like, you know, Do you have familiarity with the following medications, and then it lists, like, 25 medications and you check yes or no.
This seems like a pretty arduous task, Avery, to try and pick a jury that doesn't have some opinion about this case already, the death of Michael Jackson, and whether it was by the hands of this doctor, Conrad Murray.
FRIEDMAN: Well, that's exactly right. That's exactly right. In fact, they asked, you know, Do you have familiarity with CNN, among other things.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: But there was a very -- a very important development, and that is that late Friday, the prosecution identified a specialist in anesthesiology. The defense team is saying, we're getting, quote, "sandbagged." And indeed, it's an interesting argument. Judge Michael Pastor (ph) has -- will tell us on Monday if we're going to have a delay of this trial.
WHITFIELD: Oh, interesting. Well, you know, Richard, you know, one of the questions that really struck me, too, on this questionnaire, asking the jurors if they resent or are angry about law enforcement or law enforcement in L.A. County specifically. That seems to be the kind of question that is being posed to jurors that will easily eliminate them. And who isn't already prejudicial, you know, about the L.A. County, you know, law enforcement that we've been hearing over the course of the past few years?
HERMAN: Right. But then, Fred, the follow-up question, if a juror says yes, is, But do you believe you can be fair and impartial despite that feeling or that response to the question? And the juror says, Oh, yes, Judge, I could be fair. So they leave them on. They're not going to be able to just get rid of the jurors that answer that, you know, they have feelings about the L.A. police.
But I think there may be a short adjournment granted for the trial here. The judge is trying to narrow the issues for the jury. It's going to be a very interesting trial, Fred. This by no means is a slam dunk.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HERMAN: And I think he has a fighting chance. I really do.
WHITFIELD: Wow! Fascinating. And poor you! You need to get a little hot liquids there. Is that, you know, because a new baby in the house and you just can't get any sleep? Poor Richard.
HERMAN: I just got back from London, Fred. I was at the wedding there, so --
WHITFIELD: What can I say! HERMAN: -- it was just so much activity going on.
WHITFIELD: Life is so large.
(CROSSTALK)
FRIEDMAN: That was you in the crowd, I think. Yes.
WHITFIELD: Yes, we saw you!
HERMAN: You saw me? Avery, you saw me?
WHITFIELD: Right. Right. We saw you. Were you wearing a, you know, fabulous topper?
FRIEDMAN: I was right next to him.
WHITFIELD: All right.
HERMAN: I had to sign legal briefs, CNN legal briefs --
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: Very good. All right. You all take care. We're going to talk, in fact, a little bit more about that big old wedding day here, 24 hours or so after the fact, a historic wedding on so many proportions. We have brand-new video of William and Kate as this left the palace this morning. I know you can't wait to see that. It's coming up after this.
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WHITFIELD: Hard to believe just 24 hours ago, a third of the world's population, 3 billion people, watched a fairy tale wedding unfold live. Now take a look at this, the first pictures of the royal couple the day after their nuptials there. The newly minted Duke and Duchess of Cambridge came out Buckingham Palace this morning and chatted with staff members before heading off to a secret weekend hideaway.
The palace says the newlyweds will actually take their honeymoon in the future. They're not embarking on it right now, not on honeymoon right now, just a little break, a little private time, enjoying some privacy, as they say. The timing and the location of the big trip, the honeymoon -- well, that, of course, will not be announced anytime soon. But hopefully, folks get enough advance warning when we do learn of it.
All right, even if you watched every second of William and Kate, or now Princess Catherine's, wedding, there are unforgettable moments that you most likely did not see or hear. Isha Sesay fills us in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's one of the most anticipated moments, when a groom sees his bride for the first time. But with all eyes on Catherine, you might not have noticed Prince William standing with his back to the congregation, wanting to be the last one to see her. He waited for his cue from his brother, Harry. As she approached the final stretch, he whispered "She's here now."
The best kept secret, her dress, was revealed to the world and her prince. Designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, it was the perfect mix of modern and traditional. But there were some things you couldn't see. A blue ribbon was sewn inside of the dress to represent something blue. Her earrings were a touch of something new, a gift from her parents. They were custom made with a diamond- encrusted acorn in the middle to represent the Middletons' new family crest.
And surprisingly, her something borrowed was from the queen, a diamond-encrusted tiara called the Cartier halo, made in 1936 for the queen mother.
Although we couldn't hear him, the groom melted hearts around the world when he leaned over and said to his bride, "You look beautiful." Then he seemed to relax and crack a joke to his soon-to-be father-in- law, saying, "Just a small family affair."
The ceremony went off without a hitch. Sorry for those of you who betted (ph) on Prince Philip falling asleep, but you may have missed the moment of nervous laughter when the Prince had to wrestle Kate's ring onto her finger. Rest assured, he got it on.
The happy couple left the abbey and made their way into the 1902 state landau carriage, where it appeared Princess Catherine said to her prince, "I'm so happy." She wasn't the only one. One of the clergymen forgot all about the cameras in the abbey and did a series of cartwheels up the aisle.
Even the queen was pleased. Upon arriving at Buckingham Palace, she was overheard on camera saying the wedding was amazing. When the newlyweds were introduced to the country on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, you have to watch closely as the princess seemed to be taken aback when she mouthed, "Oh, wow."
But then there was the moment that sealed the deal. As hundreds of thousands chanted "Kiss," Prince William appeared to ask his wife, "Are you ready? Shall we kiss?" The crowd erupted with cheers -- except one young girl. With all eyes on the newlyweds, many missed 3- year-old bridesmaid Grace van Cutsem. She didn't seem to care she had the best seat in the house for a kiss that would go down in history. She just wanted some peace and quiet.
Many thought the excitement was over, but then the couple did the unthinkable. The prince appeared to ask his princess if she'd give one more kiss. She obliged, giving the crowd what they wanted, a historic second kiss. As the royal family made their way inside, the bride and groom were the last ones to say adieu as Princess Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, turned around one last time to take it all in.
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WHITFIELD: Oh, a beautiful moment. All right. So the palace, by the way, has released three official wedding photos because we know you cannot get enough. They were taken by photographer Hugo Burnand in the throne room of Buckingham Palace immediately after the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. See right there? That's kind of the more festive, fun picture right there with all the bridesmaids and -- well, guys having a little fun there. Burnand had taken photos of Prince William before and was the official photographer at this wedding, and as well as the wedding of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall back in 2005. And there's the big royal family photo. Beautiful.
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WHITFIELD: Six Southern states are still reeling after more than 100 tornadoes swept through. And right now, we're finally hearing from a lot of people who've been eager to tell their stories. Our Reynolds Wolf brings us this story from one of the hardest hit cities of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
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REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, over the last couple of days, we've been talking about the lives lost, the homes destroyed, but there have been a lot of businesses affected also. This Krispy Kreme location right in McFarland and 15th street here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama -- there's plenty of damage. Part of the roof is gone. And in here, it's even worse.
We're lucky to have the owner, Evan Smith, with us. Evan, can you tell us how did all this happen?
EVAN SMITH, OWNER, KRISPY KREME: Oh, Wednesday night, a major tornado coming through Green County to Tuscaloosa County. Was able to give a heads-up to the employees and -- we were in the heart of it, the heart of the storm right here.
WOLF: Now, when you knew that this was coming through, did you ever imagine that the damage in this place would be this bad?
SMITH: No. I was already getting trucks of stuff on the way because I thought we'd be able to salvage some of the equipment. Then when I got here the next morning, there was nothing to get.
WOLF: Now, you weren't here when this happened, but you did have a relative and you had what, four other employees that were in the store?
SMITH: That's correct. They got in the back room, in the corner, and there's only two walls left standing so -- without major structural damage. They're very lucky, very lucky.
WOLF: Now, there were tornadoes earlier in the day. And then when this one was coming through, were you afraid? What was your first thought when you heard that there were more storms coming?
SMITH: Well, I'm a weather geek, so I keep up with this stuff. And there were storms early, 5:00 o'clock that morning. But you know, that's why I wanted to call the employees. There are so many tornadoes and so many tornado sirens that go off that a lot of people don't take it seriously anymore. But this one was serious. And they'll take it serious from now on.
WOLF: From what you see across the store, is all this a total loss?
SMITH: A total loss. We will scrape and rebuild and buy all new equipment. There's nothing, you know, that we can reuse in here.
WOLF: Now, you've been in Tuscaloosa your whole life. You're -- been here for over three decades. How does this affect you, seeing this happen in your community?
SMITH: It's tough. You know, we're fortunate. We have great insurance. We have Krispy Kreme corporate reaching out to us. We see these people that's lost their homes. I get to leave here and go home with my kids. There's a lot of people in this town, if they even still have their kids, definitely don't have a home to go to -- for miles and miles and miles.
WOLF: We've been talking about things that have happened inside your store. But also out on your parking lot, you've got vehicles that have been moved away. You've got things that are gone. Even a trailer is gone, too?
SMITH: Right. Well, now, we've lost four vehicles and a trailer. But we've now found everything. And since I talked you yesterday, we found our trailer about 200 yards down the road on highway 82, right off the edge. So we've accounted for all of it now.
WOLF: What's next for you, Evan?
SMITH: You see they got the roads opened back up. We got track (ph) hoes and stuff moving in, a lot of clean-up going on. So it -- we'll be scraping (ph), rebuilding starting problem the middle of next week.
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WHITFIELD: Horrible devastation turning so many lives upside- down. Bonnie Schneider with us now with a very fascinating view of this kind of tornadic activity.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right, Fred. And our view comes from 22,000 miles above the earth's surface. This is a NASA satellite image, and you can see the bright white cloud tops here. And what this is actually a viewpoint of those high cloud tops by the cold temperatures. That's why they're so bright. And you can see the sharp contrast of the front coming through. This was actually taken from outer space of the tornado outbreak that occurred. Well, looking back at the tornadoes, that was the threat that we faced this week. But now there's a brand-new threat going forward and that's flooding. I want to show you some pictures of some of the flooding we've been experiencing across the Midwest. And you'll see that we definitely are looking at more wet weather occurring. This is some areas across parts of Missouri, Cape Girardeau in southeast Missouri. And unfortunately, this is a very, very dangerous situation because more rain is expected in the forecast.
You can see on our map here, not only do we have flood advisories, but our computer models are putting some very heavy rain just to the south. Here's Cape Girardeau right here. It's north of Memphis. And then Little Rock also getting slammed with lots and lots of rain. This is the last thing they need. The flooding has been very severe across much of this region, so we're tracking some very wet weather across Arkansas, and you can even see into parts of Texas. Unfortunately, the rain's coming into a part of Texas that doesn't need it as much as areas to the west. So that's what we're looking at there.
And as you can see here, we are also tracking some strong thunderstorms across much of northern Minnesota. And then on the back side of the system into the northern plains, it's a blizzard. That's right.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness!
SCHNEIDER: Yes. Heavy snow falling, and we'll see about three to six inches, 27 degrees is the temperature. The winds are gusting even stronger than what you see right here. So that's taking down the wind chill from the temperatures of right around freezing down into the mid-20s across much of western North Dakota. And the blizzard warning goes until early tomorrow morning, which, ironically, is May 1st. And that's unusual to be seeing blizzard conditions across this region even this far north.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
SCHNEIDER: So it's going to be a slow start to spring, for sure. You know, it's interesting, Fredricka, parts of the plains states and North Dakota, this has been such a snowy winter. They've actually seen 83 inches of snow so far.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness!
SCHNEIDER: And it's -- of course, it's not winter anymore, but it's important to note that it's still snowing there. And this may be one of the snowiest seasons they've ever seen in North Dakota.
WHITFIELD: Well, it seems like extreme season on so many levels. We're talking blizzards, flooding, tornadoes. But I'm very glad to see you've got, you know, two rays of sunshine there --
SCHNEIDER: Yes.
WHITFIELD: -- one on each coast. We like that. All right, thanks so much, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
WHITFIELD: Appreciate that.
All right, coming up, 2:00 o'clock Eastern time, hope you'll join us. We'll take a hard look at money and marriage. Our experts will tell you what you need to know before you say "I do."
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