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Tornadoes Kill Five in Oklahoma; Obama to Address British Parliament; Major Development in the John Edwards Case; Oprah Signs Off at 25 Years; "Confession of a Groupon-Holic"

Aired May 25, 2011 - 09:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Have a great day.

It is 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out West. I'm Carol Costello, in for Kyra Phillips. Good morning to you.

This morning, we are watching for a major development in the John Edwards scandal. The former presidential candidate and senator, he could be indicted or could strike a deal in the case that involves money and that affair with his campaign staffer.

His team might have lost the Super Bowl but Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers wins "Dancing with the Stars."

And President Obama meets with Britain's prime minister. One of the many issues they discussed: Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: During our discussions today, we reviewed our progress in Afghanistan, where our brave servicemen and women have fought side by side to break the Taliban's momentum, and where we are preparing to turn a corner. We reaffirmed the importance of beginning the transition to Afghan lead for security this year and completing that transition by 2014.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We'll have much more on the president's state visit to Britain, coming up.

A deadly spring turns even deadlier as yet another tornado outbreak kills at least 10 more people. Take a look at these pictures. This is a tornado. You'll see it slam straight into a semi and the trailer virtually disintegrates upon impact, happen near Shawnee, Oklahoma. A string of tornadoes also plowed through Kansas and Arkansas.

That very same storm system added to the misery in Joplin, Missouri. Blistery winds and lightning raked the city but the tornado warning has now past and thankfully without incident. The death toll there stands at 125 today. And time is running out in the search for survivors.

Today, the threat of severe storm or severe weather plows eastward. And don't you know, Joplin is once again in the danger zone, along with much of the central United States.

Right now in Oklahoma, the death toll stands at five. And officials expect it to creep higher as they search the rubble of what used to be homes.

The deadly string of tornadoes popped up yesterday afternoon across the central portion of the state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, really close. Where is it? Yes. It is coming down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we got another -- sorry, we got another tornado on the ground. But we are going to have to get out of here, guys. We can't stay around here.

Multiple vortex, multiple vortex tornado on the ground. Where is the location as we are looking back there toward the south?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't worry about it. We'll be all right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Piedmont, northwest of Oklahoma City. Ed, what can you tell us about the search for a missing boy out there?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we've learned just a short while ago is that that search for that 3-year-old boy is still continuing this morning. Search and rescue teams and, actually, the national guard has been called out here to Piedmont, Oklahoma, where we have now learned seven people were killed when the storm hit here yesterday.

So, a national guard being called out to look for that 3-year-old boy. But it's actually an even much more tragic story. Originally, three small children were missing in this storm. Two of those children were found dead. Those two kids that were found dead are the siblings of the missing 3-year-old and their mother is in critical condition in a nearby hospital.

So, that family -- obviously, taking a devastating toll on that family, this tornado here.

And it is quite a punch that this tornado brought here to Piedmont. Look at this home behind me. We spoke with the brother of the man who survived inside this home. This used to be, Carol, a three-story home, the top two floors almost completely gone.

And if you walk with me over here, you can look back in here in the corner of the garage. I don't know if you can make it out through all the debris there. But tucked away back in the corner is a steal- coated safe room. That's where we are told that the father that lived here with his two kids rushed down. It was actually on the third floor of his home shooting some video of the tornado as it approached his home. And he ran downstairs and got inside there. And it's a miracle he did because I don't -- anywhere else in the house, it doesn't look like they would have been able to survive what happened here, Carol, a devastating punch that this tornado left here in Piedmont, Oklahoma, where seven people were killed yesterday.

We are kind of on the western edge of where this outbreak of tornadoes ripped across Oklahoma yesterday. We understand from the national weather service perhaps five tornadoes touched down here yesterday. So you can see the toll that it has taken here in this community in Oklahoma -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Just the thought he was taking pictures of the tornado, please don't do that. I no he we show these pictures of tornadoes taken by storm chasers and something bothers me about that, too. You should just, you know, head to safety. Head somewhere save. Oh, don't show that picture again.

LAVANDERA: They made it into that room just in time.

COSTELLO: Ed, thanks so much.

In Joplin, Missouri, time is running out in the search for survivors. It has now been more than 63 hours since that massive tornadoes struck the town. Some 1,500 people still unaccounted for. And that number is expected to drop rapidly as communications improve.

And speaking of communication, here is one survivor's account of how one father franticly relied on his cell phone during and after the tornado.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CREED JONE, JOPLIN TORNADO SURVIVOR: We were headed west. It just got uglier and uglier. We turned getting very close to home and we saw the swirling and knew immediately what was going on.

We couldn't hear anything. So, I did a quick U-turn, went to try to find a good structural building as close as I could, heavy cement building and I pulled the car up on the north side, the northeast side, tried to get out but couldn't. The pressure wouldn't allow us.

We just sat there in the car and rocked and rumbled and rolled and were just trying to text or call our girls and the calls wouldn't go through. My last text message to them was, "tornado!" with exclamation point. And I was worried they were driving right into it.

So, we couldn't hear. We couldn't get through for the next hour and a half. We thought we lost them. We didn't know.

Finally, I got a text that came through from my oldest daughter, said, "We're OK." I texted back and says, "So are we. Where are you? Can't go home, it's gone."

We eventually -- we stopped right there and just had a good cry, my wife and I, just so grateful that what was important, we still had. We didn't care about anything else. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Glad everybody is OK. If you would like to help victims of this spring's deadly weather, we're -- we have listed worthy charities that are providing help. All you have to do is go to CNN.com/ImpactYourWorld.

President Obama speaks before the British parliament in just about 90 minutes. You will see that speech live right here on CNN. He's already had a busy morning meeting with the Prime Minister David Cameron.

Brianna Keilar is in London.

Tell us who are about their meeting.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Carol, he just gave a press conference with Prime Minister Cameron where both of them detailed the things that they discussed. One of the big issues and we were looking to see exactly what would come out of this, had to do with the Israeli Palestinian peace process, because that certainly a thorny issue for President Obama as he is here throughout this entire trip talking to European allies. We heard the president basically give an explainer of why he suggested going back to the pre-1967 borders, something that angered Israel very much when he first presented it last week.

And he sort of gave an explainer, saying he felt like it was one of the less emotional issues to deal with. And he thinks that if Israel and the Palestinian government can sit down and deal with that issue first and then deal with the more emotional issues later of Palestinian refugees and the future of Jerusalem, that really this was a better starting point to move from something less emotional to something more emotional.

He also, as we've heard him do in recent days, tried to assuage some of the concerns for Israel taking a hard line when it came to Hamas.

Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The Israelis are properly concerned about the agreement that's made between Fatah and Hamas. Hamas has not renounced violence. Hamas is an organization that has thus far rejected the recognition of Israel as a legitimate state. It is very difficult for Israelis to sit across the table and negotiate with a party that is denying your right to exist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: But here's the thing and this is one of the big questions in this meeting that he had with British Prime Minister David Cameron. It is understood that Britain is more amenable to when the Palestinian government seeks independence as we're expecting that it will do in September before the U.N., that Britain would be more likely to go along with that. Of course, the U.S., which is staunchly opposed to it, Israel staunchly opposed to it.

You had a reporter who asked a question, Carol, trying to pin down the prime minister, asking him, you know, would you go along with this? And he just said, you know, basically, it's too soon. We are trying to leverage our influence on the Palestinian government and Israel through the E.U. And both of them are trying to agree, Carol, that no matter what the U.N. does, it really comes down to what the Palestinian government and Israel would sit down and hash out.

COSTELLO: Brianna Keilar -- live in London -- many thanks.

The president's day is not done. He'll deliver his speech before both houses of parliament. That begins, oh, just -- I don't know, it should begin in just over an hour at 10:30 Eastern.

CNN will carry that live. Our special coverage starts at 10:00 Eastern. We'll have in-depth analysis of U.S. and British relations and, of course, live reports for you from Washington and from London.

Coming up next, we're going to talk live with Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio. He's a former presidential candidate, Cleveland's liberal icon, and soon-to-be lawmaker without a district. He's thinking about running for office in another state, so o he can still serve people, still be in Congress. We'll talk to him about that.

And the end of an era -- Oprah Winfrey says her final farewell to daytime talk. We'll look back at her career and her legacy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: So, what do you do if you are a long-time congressman whose district is about to disappear?

Well, if you are Dennis Kucinich, the famously liberal lawmaker from Ohio, you think about packing up your politics and maybe moving West. Ohio lost a couple of House seats because of a dwindling population and Kucinich's district could vanish. So, he is thinking about moving to bluer pastures maybe to a district in Washington state. Who knows?

Congressman Kucinich joins us now live.

Congresswoman, welcome.

REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: Thanks, Carol. Good to see you.

COSTELLO: Good to see you, too.

You just got back from Washington state and I understand many people there embraced you. So, what's the deal? Are you going to run in Washington state?

KUCINICH: Well, you know, I've been -- I spent my lifetime in politics, standing for workers' rights, working for peace and a cleaner environment. I want to be able to continue to my work. As you say, I'm not have a district, my home district to do it again in. So, if I can't run there, then, you know, I'm expanding my options. I haven't made a decision about where to run. But, you know, I'm getting a lot of invitations from Washington state. That's true.

COSTELLO: So, if you can't run in Ohio and you decide it wouldn't be a good idea to run in Ohio, would Washington state be your first choice?

KUCINICH: I really haven't made any decisions about, you know, exactly where to run, except that I have said that, you know, based on statements of leading Republicans in Ohio who said my district is adios, that I should start expanding my options. So, I'm doing that and I've certainly been accepting invitations. I look forward to continuing to serve in the Congress. Of course, it's not my decision alone.

COSTELLO: I know. Well, you say that. Not everybody was happy to see you in Washington state. "The Olympia" newspaper on its editorial page, and I'm just going to read you a bit of it, it said, "Washington state doesn't need an outsider trying to weasel his way into office so you he can continue to walk the halls of Congress."

If you go on in that editorial, it says you are addicted to Congress. Are you?

KUCINICH: You know, I chose a career in national politics. It actually took me five times before I got elected to Congress. I think it's important to be a voice for workers and for peace and for the environment. So, I don't have any addictions, but I do believe that public service is a worthy calling and I think there is important work to be done.

And as you know, sometimes my voice actually adds to some important debates in Washington. So, I just hope I can continue that work.

But, as I acknowledge, I don't -- I don't have the last word on that, though. You know, if I end up in a new constituency or trying to get a new constituency, it's ultimately going to be up to the people to decide whether or not they want me to be in Congress.

COSTELLO: But, Congressman, aren't there other ways to lend your voice to the public debate, you know? Aren't there other ways to push your anti-war stance than running for office?

KUCINICH: Of course, there are. No question about it.

But keep this in mind: the redistricting in Ohio is done by Republicans. They have the right to do that. But in particular, the down state Ohio interest -- banks, utilities, real estate, insurance -- you know, they're the ones who really want me out.

Now, think about that. Why should I step aside because these powerful interest groups want to end my career when the reason why they want to end it is I'm standing up for people?

So, you know, this is why, I think, having an opportunity to expand my options and talk to people in different places around the country, to see if they are interested in my continuing service in the United States Congress. That's what I'm doing right now.

And in the end, I can't tell you how it's going to turn out. But I do say that I am, you know, literally fighting back and hoping to have a chance to continue to serve. And I'm not someone who is just going to lay down and roll over because some interest groups want me out of Congress.

COSTELLO: Congressman Dennis Kucinich, many thanks for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

KUCINICH: Thank you.

COSTELLO: A Democrat breaks a four decades long GOP hold on a New York congressional seat. We'll tell you why this special election may be a bellwether for the 2012 races.

And clearing the air over Europe -- there are new developments to tell you about with the volcano in Iceland and the ash cloud that's been hampering air travel. That's coming up in a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A historic win for Democrats in what used to be a sure bet for conservative Republicans in New York state. We're talking New York 26. Not only are Democrats in New York cheering but Democrats nationwide are grinning ear to ear, basically, because they feel the win spells doom for Republicans in 2012.

CNN's Jim Acosta is in Washington.

So, Jim, break it down for us.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Carol, Democrats, as you mentioned, are very charged up about this, this morning. There are some that are already predicting that the House of Representatives is now in play for 2012. That might be overstating it just a little bit. But they are claiming this was a referendum on the Ryan Medicare plan.

As you know, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan put out this budget deficit proposal that called for some pretty major changes to Medicare. And, lo and behold, we have this special election up in western New York, which is a traditionally Republican district, as you said. And Kathy Hochul, the Democrat in that district who is not expected to win, came from behind and won this race, something along the lines of 47 percent of the vote to 43 percent of the vote for the Republican Jane Corwin.

And Republicans are saying, wait a minute, you can't just take one special election and extrapolate that out to mean that, oh, we're doomed in 2012. Of course, they were the ones that said that the Scott Brown up in Massachusetts meant that the Democrats were in trouble, which they were in 2010.

And speaking of Scott Brown, he has backed away from this proposal. So, this is a game changer for the 2012 election. That's why you have people like Eric Cantor, the House majority leader, saying, well, that perhaps Paul Ryan should run for president. And you even have folks over at "The National Review" saying if the Ryan medical plan is going to be the defining issue of this upcoming presidential race and this upcoming midterm election race, perhaps Paul Ryan should be the candidate.

So, lots of implications, Carol.

COSTELLO: Jim Acosta live in Washington -- thank you.

ACOSTA: You bet.

COSTELLO: Checking stories across country.

Fleet Week is in full swing in New York. You are taking a look at live pictures. We'll soon be taking a look -- we don't have the live pictures but believe me, it's going on in a New York harbor. A parade of ships and events honor our nation's sailors and Marines. That's what it's all about.

In Tucson, Arizona, a Maricopa County sheriff's deputy and two detention officers now under arrest in an alleged drug and human smuggling ring. Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced the arrest. The deputy had worked for nearly a decade in a special unit fighting human smuggling.

The family of a fan severely beaten at the Los Angeles Dodgers game is suing the team and its owner. The suit sites, quote, "a disturbing lack of security" at the stadium. A suspect has been arrested in the case.

Air travel bound for Europe -- well, it's improving, as the volcano in Iceland calms down on the ash eruption.

CNN's Zain Verjee is live in London. So?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, a little bit --

COSTELLO: Calming down?

VERJEE: A little bit of good news here, carol. The eruption is stopping soon. That's the news from Iceland. And people are breathing a huge sigh of relief.

Basically, the ash cloud is moving now toward Poland. That may be bad for President Obama, by the way, because he is going to be heading to Poland in a couple of days. So, hopefully, the ash isn't going to be a problem.

It's also moving toward Greenland. So, you can't plan any trips there, Carol.

Heathrow Airport is OK. Flights are leaving and arriving. In Germany, they had closed the airports for a while. And, now, they have been reopened so people are able to travel, but just things are backed up a little bit. It's going to take a few hours.

The Icelandic authorities are saying that it's not going to blow up. Not this specific volcano anyway and, Carol, you know, I think the travelers were in a lot of luck, too, because the wind patterns were not favorable to the ash. And it was -- it didn't end up to be a sustained eruption. So, it didn't go on and on and on. It just blew its top off and that was it.

COSTELLO: It provided us some beautiful pictures.

Lots of stuff going on in actually, where you are today.

VERJEE: Yes, absolutely, a lot going on. I just want you to take a look at the headlines for the ash cloud that we wanted to share with you.

I was looking at "The Independent." And its headline reads this, "High drama is a battle of competing interests." It goes on to say, "I fear that this unhappy episode may dampen our dreams and demand for future travel. If that happens, the aviation industry will shrink and fares will rise." So, that really will hit the consumer hard and still may.

"The Herald" in the U.K. says this, "Thousands stranded as ash clouds bring chaos." They go on to add, "The implication is things haven't changed since last year when the ash cloud disrupted the journeys of 10 million people and cost the airline industry more than 1 billion pounds." So, that's almost $2 million, Carol.

COSTELLO: Wow. Zain Verjee, many things, live from London.

VERJEE: Thank you.

COSTELLO: John Edwards could be indicted or maybe he could make a plea deal with prosecutors. An investigation surrounding the former presidential candidate is now coming to a close. How we got to this point, next.

And the end of an era. Oprah Winfrey says her final welfare to daytime talk. We'll take a look back at her career and her legacy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A major development in the investigation of former presidential candidate, John Edwards, is expected soon. A source telling CNN the Justice Department is moving forward with the case. The Edwards legal team had been hoping federal prosecutors would simply drop it. Bottom line here: Edwards will be indicted or the two sides will work towards a plea deal.

The investigation centers around money from a support are allegedly used to hide Edwards extramarital affair.

CNN's Joe Johns breaks it down for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John Edwards, the politician, remember him?

JOHN EDWARDS (D), FORMER VICE PRES. CANDIDATE: We have much work to do because the truth is, we still live in a country where there are two different Americas.

JOHNS: But as it turned out, Mr. Two Americas here had two very different faces himself and one of them wasn't very pretty. People close to him said it was the face of betrayal, betrayal of the people closest to him -- his late wife, Elizabeth, his supporters, his staffers, his contributors.

Granted, Edwards was a promising politician at first, successful Democratic senator from the South, telegenic guy, rich trial lawyer but a spokesman for the poor, smart but homegrown, talked such a good game, he got picked up as John Kerry's running mate in 2004.

JOHN KERRY (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have chosen a man who understands and defends the values of America.

JOHNS: But it didn't work out. So, next election cycle, Edwards jumped into the race for the White House once again. And by early 2008 --

EDWARDS: It's time for me to step aside.

JOHNS: -- he was out. But not before getting entangled in a messy relationship with a woman named Rielle Hunter. She eventually gave birth to Edwards' child. Edwards, at first, denied having the affair and then denied being the father. But last year he finally admitted it.

The story reached a sleazy low point with a videotape surfaced that is reported to show Edwards and Hunter having sex. The tape wound up in the hands of former Edwards staffer Andrew Young, who turned it over to a court after Rielle Hunter filed a lawsuit.

It took eight months before Edwards' wife Elizabeth, suffering from terminal cancer, learned the extent of the affair. And before she died last year, she went public with her feelings in a book and numerous TV appearances.

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, JOHN EDWARDS' WIFE: I wrote in this, "Maybe it was that 30-year investment I had in my marriage. Maybe it was that I could not separate the flawed man before me from the boy with whom I fell in love in 1975. It does not matter now."

JOHNS: The death of Elizabeth Edwards might have been the end of the story except for the fact there has yet to be a full public accounting. Edwards raised $43.9 million in campaign money in his bid for the White House. Where some of it came from and where it went has been carefully scrutinized. Rielle Hunter worked for the campaign and got paid as a videographer. Questions have been raised whether any of the campaign funds donated to support Edwards might have been used improperly, misreported, not reported at all, or used to keep the affair quiet.

Andrew Young said he was persuaded to claim her child was his own and that went to great lengths as Edwards' aide to help conceal the affair.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was John Edwards' idea from the beginning.

JOHNS: Which brings us back to the golden boy, a once rising politician with so much promise. Something like this could never have been part of the plan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: So what does all of this mean for John Edwards? Our legal contributor Sunny Hostin from "In Session" on our sister network, TruTV is live in New York to help us sort through this.

So, Sunny, thank you for joining us. We appreciate it.

So the big elephant in the room here is supposedly a contributor gave the Edwards campaign $700,000 to cover up this affair, to take care of a personal problem. And prosecutors have to sort of figure out whether this is campaign money or is this just a big, fat gift of money to John Edwards.

Does that sort of boil it down?

SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL ANALYST: That sort of boils it down. Absolutely, Carol. I mean, they need to determine whether or not federal campaign finance laws have been violated and if that is the case, then that is a crime. That's illegal. And I think that's probably what's been going on at the justice department.

They want to make sure if they bring forth information, evidence in front of a grand jury, that they can, indeed, get an indictment from 23 people. And it appears now that sources have told CNN that that is where this is going. That the Justice Department has approved going forward.

Now grand jury proceedings are secret so we would not know what exactly what would be presented to the grand jury. We would only learn if there is an indictment after that presentation. So this is a tough spot for John Edwards and his legal team. He is a lawyer after all so he knows very well what this process is.

And the bottom line really for him is, do you want to make a deal prior to indictment? A pre-indictment deal is always better. Or, do you want to go to trial on this? Do you want to sort of hedge your bet? I would say his attorneys are trying very hard to make sure this goes away before indictment.

COSTELLO: Oh, can you imagine if this goes to trial? There are children involved in this. I just can't imagine. But who knows. Stranger things have happened.

So if John Edwards does make a plea deal, what could the punishment be?

HOSTIN: Well, he could face fines. He could face prison time and that is the thing that is up to the government as to what sort of plea deal will be offered.

I will say in a case that is this high profile, this is the time for a prosecutor to send a message to -- and we're heading into a political year, a very political year in 2012, an election year. I would say it's the time to send that message that you cannot violate campaign finance laws.

So I don't know that any plea deal would sort of not have any sort of jail time attached to it. And that would be very unpalatable for a defense attorney. So we'll see what happens, Carol. But, a plea deal without jail time, probably not going to be offered.

COSTELLO: Wow. Sunny Hostin, many thanks.

Today crews are combing through the aftermath of a new tornado outbreak. At least 15 people are confirmed dead this morning after a series of twisters raked across parts of Kansas and Arkansas and Oklahoma.

(VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's piedmont, Oklahoma. Oklahoma was hit hardest. Ten deaths being reported in Oklahoma, along with dozens of people injured.

In Joplin, Missouri, time is running out in the search for survivors. It's now been more than 63 hours since that massive tornado struck. Some 1,500 people still unaccounted for. That number is expected to drop rapidly as communications improve, because you know there's no cell phone usage there.

Also, today, the severe weather plows eastward and the threat extends from Texas to New York. Joplin is on the cusp with the highest risk.

It is inconceivable that the city could face more hardship after Sunday's tornado. We want to show you a glimpse of just how vicious that storm was.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve has an exclusive look at one family business imploding.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just nine days after opening, Joplin's new Cherry Berry Yogurt Shop was reduced to this. Surveillance tape shows a normal Sunday. When warning sirens went off, they were ignored.

JOLYNN DOTSON, OWNER, CHERRY BERRY: No one took it serious. We didn't think it was an actual tornado. We just thought heavy winds.

MESERVE: But when employees and customers looked outside and saw the tornado bearing down, they were hustled to the back of the store.

DOTSON: That's when it was just like you, you in the office, you, you in the bathroom.

MESERVE: The surveillance tape shows the window shattering, the furniture flying. Then camera after camera goes black.

When the group emerged after the tornado, they found the storm and the city all around it chewed up and spit out. They were all safe, they thought.

But when the owners viewed the surveillance tape for the first time Monday, they saw a hand reaching to pull a table into place and realized a family had tried to protect itself in the shop. The police were called to do a second search of the rubble. They found nothing. Eyewitnesses then were called. They had seen the family after the tornado, safe.

DOTSON: I don't know who they are. I would love to hug their necks and just praise god that they made it too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Oprah Winfrey. She takes her final bow today and she leaves behind quite a legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. OZ, HOST, "THE DR. OZ SHOW": Oprah touched my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We will hear more from Dr. Oz and others who are following in Oprah's footsteps. That's coming your way next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Talk show host Oprah Winfrey, have you heard? She signs off for the last time today. She is ending 25 years as host of one of the TV's most popular daytime talk show.

Alina Cho looks at her legacy and those who hope to follow in her footsteps.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's given away cars, sat with stars, even had a hand in the presidential election. Oprah Winfrey's favorite things are our favorite things. The people she likes, we love, like Dr. Oz.

OZ: Oprah touched my life.

CHO: Mehmet Oz, who some are calling him the next Oprah, says what he learned from the queen of talk was to listen.

OZ: I'm getting a tutorial in this.

My biggest weakness of all, without any question, listen, I'm a guy and a surgeon. That's two strikes. I don't listen will.

CHO: Oz says Oprah taught him to stop trying to fix the problem and let the audience be heard.

OZ: I think what Oprah understood was that Marcus Welby was dead. Those doctors weren't practicing anymore. And so we needed to create a very different genre of healer that understood the role of the patient.

CHO: Like Dr. Oz, Nate Berkus, Oprah's decorator also has his own show. But what he remembers most is coming on as a guest, just weeks after he survived the Asian tsunami. His partner, Fernando, did not.

NATE BERKUS, HOST, "THE NATE BERKUS SHOW": The entire community of viewers of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" rallied around me, got out their checkbooks and made donations.

CHO: Millions of dollars. Why he decided to bear his soul and show his pain so soon after his loss. Berkus says he would not have done it anywhere else.

(on camera): Will there ever be another Oprah?

BERKUS: Please take it from me. There will never, under any circumstances, there won't be a funnier Oprah, there won't be a kinder Oprah. There will never be anybody like Oprah.

CHO (voice-over): And as Oprah signs off, Mehmet Oz slides in. On Thursday, the "Dr. Oz Show" slides to Oprah's old slot, 4:00 p.m. in a number of key markets. But the move is bittersweet.

OZ: So, Oprah, I love you dearly. I wish you the best.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: In fact, Dr. Oz says he has learned so much from Oprah over the years that he actually refers to his time with her, Carol, as "Oprah University," a decade of learning from the best or as he puts it, more time there than I spend in medical school.

COSTELLO: Well, I can understand why he's the chosen one. He's so warm and he does listen and the audience responds well to him.

CHO: They do.

COSTELLO: OK. So let's talk about the last Oprah show. I think there's going to be like -- it' just going to be Oprah and that's it.

Am I right?

CHO: Well, a spoiler alert. We should alert our viewers who want to see it live when it comes in, that I am going to tell you, we have heard, so consider yourself warned, that, yes, Carol, you are right.

COSTELLO: I am?

CHO: It will be just Oprah. After the last couple of shows, where you saw people like Madonna, Will Smith, Usher, Arena Franklin --

COSTELLO: Yes, who's left?

CHO: -- the Toms, Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks. There's nobody left.

And so, yes, you are absolutely right. After 25 years, 5,000 shows, Oprah will sign off with just her talking to the audience. I'm told she will say, this isn't good-bye, this is until we meet again. And, of course, that is true. She will now be focusing full-time on her own cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network, which has been struggling a bit in the ratings but now she'll be able to spend more of her time on that.

COSTELLO: Excellent.

CHO: But it will be a sad good-bye.

COSTELLO: It will be.

Alina Cho, many thanks. It was a great story.

CHO: You bet.

COSTELLO: Here's a look ahead at stories making news later today.

In the next hour in Washington, the House Foreign Affairs Committee takes up the top pick of Libya, America's military involvement and how treatments to the War Powers Act.

Later today at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, Arizona mass shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner has a competency hearing in light of the January 8 shooting in Tucson.

And later this afternoon in Salt Lake City, kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart speaks at the sentencing hearing of her abductor Brian David Mitchell. That'll come your way at 4:30 Eastern Time.

President Obama is set to speak moments from now before the British Parliament. CNN will carry it live as it happens.

CNN's Zain Verjee, live in London, with the preview for us.

Hi, Zain.

VERJEE: Hi, Carol.

This speech is going to be a really big deal. The president is going to do something very rare and speak to both houses of Parliament. There are only three other people that have done this before, if it is not a monarch. So it is a big deal. He'll be the first U.S. president. What are we going to hear? We'll more than likely hear again about the special relationship, the essential alliance is what you've been calling it. That it is strong, that the U.S. and the UK have the same Democratic values. And that the U.S. and the UK are beacons for the Middle East as it embraces the Arab spring.

We're likely to hear the tone to be pretty upbeat. The President will want to leave with a lot of goodwill.

I just want to show you some video too of something that everyone is talking about, which is the chemistry between these two men. A little bit earlier today, Carol, they had a barbecue. It was in the gardens of 10 Downing Street. And the two men were serving burgers to their guests there.

What they're trying to do here and they were playing table tennis or ping pong yesterday too. They played on the same team but they lost, Carol. The point here is --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Talk about chemistry. Talk about chemistry -- neither one can play ping pong.

VERJEE: Right, exactly. No, they didn't do well, even though they were high-fiving each other.

But as much as we all talk about the personal chemistry here I think what we need to keep in mind is that the U.S./U.K. relationship goes beyond personal chemistry. It's bigger than things like this and the optics. Because the two countries historically have a similar world view, they have similar basic strategic interests and that's what we're going to hear.

COSTELLO: And we will. Zain Verjee, many thanks.

I'm still laughing at the game. I'm sorry. It's so wrong.

The President is such a good basketball player but obviously his strong suit is not ping pong or bowling for that matter.

VERJEE: He was better than Cameron.

COSTELLO: That's true. At least he hit one. Zain Verjee, many thanks.

Stay with us as President Obama is set to address the British Parliament. Our special coverage begins right at the top of the hour.

This year's daily deals Web sites could call in as much as $2.5 million. I'm talking about Groupon, Scout Mob, Living Social, and in his latest CNN.com opinion piece, L.Z. Granderson says he's a Groupon- holic. Oh, I can relate. Is it time for an intervention for L.Z.?

We'll be back.

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COSTELLO: If you like a good discount, you probably love Web sites like Groupon. They offer virtual coupons, and man, are they a huge hit. This year's "Daily Deals" Web sites haul in anywhere from $1 billion to $2.5 billion. By 2015, it could hit $4 billion. In his new CNN.com opinion piece, L.Z. Granderson says he's a Groupon-holic. L.Z. welcome.

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: Hey good morning Carol. How are you?

COSTELLO: I know you need intervention, explain yourself.

GRANDERSON: I love Groupon. I can't help it. My Smartphone sits right next to my bed and -- and every morning when I wake up, one of the first things I do is I check to see what's the new deal. So I'm totally, totally addicted to Groupon. And yes, I do need help.

COSTELLO: You do need help.

So you go on in your opinion piece to say perhaps this isn't a good thing.

GRANDERSON: Well, I think what it does is it gives the illusion that you actually are having a thriving business. I was saying in the piece that as a customer, I absolutely adore Groupon. But I'm not quite sure if I was a small business owner that I would go that route just because Groupon is going to take 50 percent of whatever sales happened from the Web site.

And then on top of that, I'm still giving the discount to my customers. So there's a risk in cannibalizing my business by going to Groupon --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Ok so --

GRANDERSON: -- if I'm able to hold on those -- go ahead?

COSTELLO: No, no I'm just curious. So you're -- you're kind of saying that you're a Groupon-holic. You take a deal to maybe a restaurant. You get your -- you know you're great meal at a discounted price. And then you never go back?

GRANDERSON: Right.

COSTELLO: So it doesn't make you a loyal customer?

GRANDERSON: Well, that was sort of the point is that Groupon is not going to solve your problems. It will get people through the door. But if you have poor service, if you don't have a great product or good that you're offering, you're not really going to benefit from Groupon. You just sort of further cannibalize your business.

COSTELLO: I understand that. That's still a good deal though, so let's say you have all of those things. So you have good service, great food. You would go back so it's not such a bad thing, is it?

GRANDERSON: No, no, not at all. But as I was saying before --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: -- because you're addicted.

GRANDERSON: If you really have those -- I -- well, yes. That's pretty it.

COSTELLO: LZ Granderson, many thanks.

We enjoy you as always. LZ's latest piece is "Confessions of a Groupon-Holic." And you can find it at CNN.com/opinion and if you would like to join the conversation, leave a comment for him.

The Miami Heat pushed Chicago to the brink in the NBA playoffs. Sports coming your way next.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, we're Montgomery Gentry everyone and we can make an impact for our troops.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love to entertain our heroes. And let them know how much we do love them and miss them when they're overseas. This is the greatest country in the world, where we can say and be and dream as big as we want to in this big country. And we don't give it up enough for our American heroes.

Join the movement, impact your world, CNN.com/impact.

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COSTELLO: Chicago Bulls dominated Lebron James and the Miami Heat during the regular season but, this isn't the regular season.

Jeff Fischel from HLN Sports is here. It's a whole different world in the playoffs.

JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: Oh you could see the urgency last night. Both the Bulls and the Heat ready. A crucial game 4, the final seconds, let's go right to it. Tied at 85, league MVP Derrick Rose a chance to win it for Chicago, no, going to overtime.

Then in O.T., Rose with the ball again and turns it over to Dwyane Wade. He struggled shooting but outstanding on defense. He goes coast to coast. Miami wins and takes a three game to one series lead, one win away from the finals.

Let's do some hockey the Vancouver Canucks are headed back to the Stanley Cup finals. That will be their first trip since 1994, Kevin Bieksa takes the puck when no one is looking and he took a weird balance he fires, that's the game-winner, the second overtime against San Jose. The Sharks eliminated in five games. Vancouver waits on the Boston/Tampa Bay series winner. It's a battle for the Stanley Cup -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh exciting, I wish we had more time, but the President is going to speak soon.

FISCHEL: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you Jeff we appreciate it.

FISCHEL: Ok.

COSTELLO: Stay with us because the President is about to address the British Parliament. Our special coverage begins in just about two minutes.

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