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Awaiting Sentencing in Smart Case; Retrial Under Way for Blagojevich; Huge Trash Fire Near Philadelphia; Moments of Terror; President Honors Queen with Dinner; Obama Addresses U.K. Parliament; Giants Fan Beating Lawsuit; Severe Storms Rake Midwest; Hiding in Libya; Loughner Ruled Incompetent To Stand Trial

Aired May 25, 2011 - 16:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: We have just gotten some incredible new video of this monster tornado that has ripped through Oklahoma. I'm going to speak live with the guy who chased this thing down. You have to see this.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.

In Joplin, one father says his daughters were driving behind him when the twister rolled and rocked the cars.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thought we lost them. We didn't know.

BALDWIN: You will hear what happened to his family, plus more emotional stories from the disaster zone.

Also, the death toll in Oklahoma rising after a monster tornado rips through several states.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's another killer tornado.

BALDWIN: Plus, as Moammar Gadhafi bombs his own people, parents and their kids taking cover in secret places.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He's taking us to see some caves where we're told families have been hiding here from the shelling.

BALDWIN: CNN takes you inside.

ROBERTSON: This is quite incredible. Look up here.

BALDWIN: And did John Edwards use campaign funds to pay off his mistress? He could soon face criminal charges.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Breaking right now, we are keeping a close eye on all the severe weather threats across the United States. This is not going away. Look at this with me, damaging storms moving across several states, folks bracing for even more possible tornadoes. Here's a picture of some of the aftermath we have just gotten in this afternoon. At least one twister has reportedly touched down in Missouri. This is east of Kansas City. We also, in addition to these pictures we turned around for you, we have some live pictures in several skies across the Midwest, and, of course, more of this damage that continues.

But, first, I want to take you to Joplin, where we are now seeing a last-minute dash to the back of the store saved the customers in a Joplin yogurt shop. The whole thing was caught on the store's surveillance cameras. I want you to watch this with me from our Jeanne Meserve.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY 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.

MESERVE: Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Joplin, Missouri.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: All right, Jeanne Meserve, thank you.

I want to take you now from Joplin to Oklahoma. It was right about this time yesterday that a new round of tornadoes started swirling through the middle of the country, leaving another round of destruction and death there as well. Twisters killed two people in Kansas, four in Arkansas, 10 in Oklahoma.

In fact, we have some new video. This is of a twister. This is in Oklahoma. I want you to watch this thing just rip a path. This is near Chickasha. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's crossing the road right where (AUDIO GAP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slow down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out your window. Get out your window.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE) take that shed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's behind us (OFF-MIKE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE) good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God. Back up. Yes. Oh, no. Stop. Oh, no. What did it destroy? (INAUDIBLE) Oh, it is a trailer house. Slow down, Brandon (ph). No, slow down (INAUDIBLE) debris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Imagine being that close to that tornado, precariously close.

Jeremy Wilson was one of the guys, part of the storm chaser team that shot that storm. He's with me on the phone from Gainesville, Texas.

Jeremy, I learned a new phrase this morning, the zero meter club. I'm imagine you are a member of that. How close were you to this thing?

JEREMY WILSON, STORM CHASER: A little too close. It got a little hairy there for a little bit.

And we really -- really didn't think it was going to get that strong. It intensified very quickly as it approached us, which seemed to be what all the tornadoes were doing yesterday.

BALDWIN: Tell me, how long were you there on the road? You can see part of the video where it literally crosses the street in front of your car. How long were you chasing it before it turned into the funnel?

WILSON: We were -- we were -- actually had just arrived on it about 20 minutes earlier. We saw the funnel and noticed it was right over Chickasha. And, fortunately, it touched down on the east side of Chickasha. But we -- when the tornado touched down until it got really violent was about a five-minute period. BALDWIN: And it's not clear -- you can hear your voice -- I don't know if it's Brandon (ph), your partner's voice -- yelling, oh, God, oh, God, it destroyed something. What was the structure that the funnel just smacked through?

WILSON: Well, right after you see the house get destroyed, you see a trailer house actually get tossed out of the back of the tornado. We went to where we saw the house hit to see if we could render aid or any kind of assistance.

BALDWIN: You did?

WILSON: And it was -- there were a couple of houses completely leveled. It looked like maybe a two-story brick house that had about half of it destroyed. So, it went through a small little subdivision there of about six or seven houses and a couple of trailer houses.

BALDWIN: Well, Jeremy, I have never, thankfully, been this close to a tornado. And I know that you guys had rolled down the window of your car to try to get a better shot.

What does the air -- be descriptive. What does the air feel like? What does it smell like? What does it sound like?

WILSON: Oh, it's -- it's different from anything you will ever experience.

You can literally feel the pressure drop in your head, in your ears. Sometimes, it feels like your breath is getting sucked out of you. As far as the sound, it's a loud roar. It sounds like a large waterfall right outside your window. It's a very frightening experience when you're that close.

BALDWIN: Chad Myers, you have chased storms in Chickasha.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Jeremy, tell me about your experience and how you do it and why people that just have a pickup truck and a NOAA weather radio shouldn't?

WILSON: Great question. And we run into that a lot of that out on the road nowadays, a lot of locals that decide they are going to be storm chasers for the day when it's in their backyard.

The difference between us and them, we have been chasing -- I have personally been chasing for 10 years. I have studied these weather patterns for a long time. I pick my target out -- start picking it out in a week in advance. There's a big difference between what storm chasers do and then -- and what you see the guys out there in their pickup trucks doing.

MYERS: What do you have -- what kind of equipment do you have in your car, in your truck?

WILSON: Basically, we have a laptop, a couple of cameras, tripods. We have a GRLevel3 radar, which gives us constant radar, puts our location in proximity to where the rotation is. So we're pretty -- pretty aware of what is going on around us.

MYERS: Not every road goes in the direction that you want to. You will find yourself sometime on a dirt road that is no longer dirt. It has turned into mud. That's when people get in trouble.

Jeremy, how...

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Have you had any close calls?

MYERS: Have you had close calls like that?

WILSON: Oh, absolutely.

Last year in West Texas, we got in front a tornado-warned storm. The mesocyclone was heading right at us. And we started sliding around on the road like it was ice. It was a very scary situation. Luckily, the -- the wall cloud and tornado missed us. But, yes, we run across that situation quite a bit. The roads in Western Oklahoma are not necessarily all maintained.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: And you said -- Jeremy, final question to you. You have been doing this for 10 years. I imagine -- I imagine your tone would have changed had you been nearer a larger city, where the damage could have been horrendous.

WILSON: Oh, absolutely.

And, unfortunately, we have been -- me and my chase partner, Brandon Sampson (ph), have been in two towns or watched two towns basically get destroyed this year, Tuscaloosa, Oklahoma, and Mapleton, Iowa.

And it's something that I never want to see again. Unfortunately, I have seen it more this year than I have ever seen it. And it's just a very disheartening feeling. And we immediately stop and go into search-and-rescue mode when something like this happens. It's the only thing that you can do.

BALDWIN: Yes.

Like you said, you saw the twister hit the home. You went to the home to try to see if you could help out.

Jeremy Wilson, thank you so much.

I just cannot imagine being that close to a tornado.

MYERS: The information that they give to the National Weather Service is invaluable. The tornado chasers that are out there, that are professional chasers, that are in contact with the Weather Service will give the Weather Service eyes on a ground.

The Weather Service is in a big building 100 miles away. The eyes on the ground are these men and women out there that put their lives literally in jeopardy to give that information to the National Weather Service, so the warnings can be better and save more lives.

BALDWIN: I mean, you occasionally stand over there, pop up some video, right, some live streaming video from guys like Jeremy?

MYERS: Yes. I'm just concerned for the people that don't have the radar in their car, that don't have the laptop, that don't have the experience, that have no idea what a mesocyclone is. And they say, oh, look at this. This is a clear spot.

Well, the clear spot is right where the mesocyclone is above you, and then a tornado drops down on top of you.

BALDWIN: We are waiting for Governor Jay Nixon of Missouri to speak in Joplin.

So, before we hear from you -- you can see some folks sort of around a podium. We're going to take that live when it happens.

Quickly, though, in terms of Joplin, weather-wise, are they in the clear as the searches continues?

MYERS: They are in the clear, although this storm system that is over eastern Kansas is almost like a pinwheel. It looks like a hurricane going around and around and around. And there may be more cells to the west that will come out of Pittsburgh, Kansas, and roll through Joplin later in the day, probably not tornadic, but even a 45-mile- per-hour wind can pick up a broken four-by-eight sheet of plywood and send it flying.

You have to understand, that whole town, the south part of that town is in shambles. Nothing is attached. Nothing is glued, nothing is nailed to anything else anymore. And small winds can make a lot of people in danger, put people in danger by just throwing things around.

BALDWIN: Let's get ready to listen. Thank you, Chad.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Here is Missouri Governor -- Governor Nixon.

GOV. JAY NIXON (D), MISSOURI: We just completed a meeting with local and regional and clergy leaders.

We feel it's extremely, extremely important on a number of fronts, first of all, to get the direct -- the direct -- the direct feedback from them and their members about their losses and what we can do to help connect them to services, plus also to connect all us at a significant level to forces we are going to need to respond to this over the -- not only the short haul, because of the dramatic occurrences, but also over the long haul.

A couple of quick housekeeping things. Then I will make one other statement. Then I will be glad to take any questions. But, first, there will be a community response meeting in which we will bring down relevant state and federal agencies who will be able to answer specific questions for folks tomorrow at 4:00 at the Taylor Performing Arts Center on Missouri's southern campus.

That will include issues such as unemployment, food stamps, housing, a myriad of other issues. We're bringing down an entire team from both the state and federal government. That will start at 4:00. We will have tents set up. We will have folks. People will be able to sign directly up for assistance right there.

They will be able to get things done there, business. And we are asking folks that have any questions about things they need to be tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. at Taylor Performing Arts Center. I will be there to kick it off. But, more importantly, we will have the folks there in a resource line to assist folks.

We also -- after talking with the clergy, we have -- we will be holding a memorial service on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. That memorial service, we're working to work out the exact details of where they will be and what we're going to do in that time.

But we feel it's extremely important for everybody to come together as -- to recognize the significance of the loss here, but also be prepared to move forward together.

We will have more details as the week goes on about the setting about that. But it is important, I think, that, on especially on Sunday, Memorial Day weekend, on a loss such as this that we all come together and seek a higher power's assistance to move forward.

There will also be a -- on details, there will be a city and state press conference at 5:00 p.m. That will be at Cunningham Park at 26th and Maiden. That's at 5:00, 26th and Maiden. At that setting, there will be additional information about missing persons and a notification process there and others who have been injured or lost. They will begin that press conference there at 5:00.

Let me conclude my initial remarks, then take any questions.

You know, I was moved by the unanimity of the various faith leaders who were with us today. They were -- they are the ones that are sitting across the table from folks with great losses. Some of these folks behind us have lost their entire churches.

The fabric of this community, the fabric of our state, quite frankly, the fabric of our nation and world relies on ways that sometimes we don't know and can't really define what the -- what causes significant disasters.

But we certainly can define what -- what the character of an area is and what we can do to recover. That recovery is certainly going to include moving out debris and building back buildings and all that sort of stuff. But we are committed to being here for the folks that have suffered those losses and making sure that this faith community, which is extremely strong in this area, is backed up 100 percent by all of us through this process to move forward.

With that, I'll be glad to take any questions that the press may have.

QUESTION: Governor, obviously there is tremendous loss and a significant environmental problem. Would you talk about the specific steps that you are taking with the DNR, through local agencies, with regard to cleanup, removal of hazardous material, et cetera?

NIXON: Right. We'll be -- tomorrow, we'll bring down the Department of Natural Resources officials with us to go through some of the specific details that are -- but I think we got a massive cleanup process once the rescue and recovery is over. And I would state that as we sit here, we still have hundreds of first responders out working to rescue and/or recover folks that are still in the debris field. Once that is completed, once there's an all clear, then we'll begin a process.

We'll be working to make sure that we bring in significant levels of resources to get the area cleaned up and over the coming weeks and months and rebuild.

But there are a number of concerns. We will begin the process of waving some of the regulations that make that difficult for the period of the cleanup and I'll be laying those out as the days and weeks move forward.

Yes?

QUESTION: You've seen the disaster response. So far, what is the most impressive when it comes to leadership and (INAUDIBLE)?

NIXON: I mean, you've got a lot of agencies working together here. I mean, when you pull up to one stop and say, can't see a police officer and then you go to next one, you see a county officer, the fellow that was struck by lightning is still in ICU from riverside up near Kansas City, you see neighbor helping neighbor.

You know, this -- I have been heartened once again about the outpouring of organized efforts by Missourians. I barely have time to answer the phone with the number of people that are reaching out to help us, you know, millions of dollars are already being contributed. Our partners at the Red Cross were doing just an outstanding job, an outstanding job, and the other folks.

And once again, we have MO.gov if folks want to contribute directly here, whether it's the large contributions, we've had million dollar contributions, or the little ones, the $5 and $10 ones, you know, the fact that folks from all over the country are seeing Missouri at a time in which people could be divided and instead they are united.

And three specific things, one is to rescue folks that are alive. Two is to recover people if they are not alive and get them back. And three is to rebuild.

But contained within that is going to be -- so, I've just been impressed by the fact, you know, privates working next to colonels and firemen are working with police officers and everybody is backing up and letting them do their work. I think the people of our state are stepping forward in a strong and resourceful way.

BALDWIN: Missouri Governor Jay Nixon speaking. Clearly flanked by the, he said, tightly-knit faith-based community there in Joplin, looking ahead, speaking about hope, thanking people for coming from all over the state.

Speaking of all over the state, these are pictures -- this is St. Louis. He was in Joplin, death toll there, 125. Now, we're hearing for St. Louis County, Chad Myers --

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

BALDWIN: -- tornado warnings.

MYERS: That's why this helicopter is flying from KMOV, the St. Louis affiliate. A tornado warning has just been issued. The storm is very close and just north of Kirkwood. You know that -- if you live in St. Louis, you know where that is.

That's traveling to the north, up into St. Charles as well.

Nothing on the ground right now, but trained weather spotters report a funnel cloud not touching the ground yet. This storm literally just popped up in the past 20 minutes which means it's still increasing and that funnel cloud could at any time turn into a tornado on the ground there in St. Louis County, Kirkwood, and then points northward from there.

BALDWIN: Missouri cannot catch a break.

MYERS: There's one storm after the next. This isn't over.

BALDWIN: This is not over.

MYERS: No.

BALDWIN: This is not over at all. Chad, thank you.

Coming up, we're going to take you back to Joplin here. All of these stories coming out of Joplin. Some optimistic, some not.

I'm going to speak with a woman who is missing her 16-month-old grandson, 16 months, in Joplin. The tornado ripped the baby straight out of her mother's arms. The entire family, as you can imagine, frantically searching for this little one. The grandmother will share her story live with me. That is ahead. Stick around for that.

But, coming up next, a developing news story here out of Arizona where a judge has just decided whether Tucson shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner is, in fact, competent to stand trial.

But before the decision, Loughner had to be dragged out of court. Do you hear about this? We're going to explain that for you. Take you there live, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Just want to remind you, we're not going to go too far with the breaking -- from the breaking story, a tornado warning. This is St. Louis County in Missouri, not too far from Joplin, Missouri, where 125 people died because of the tornado on Sunday. We're going to continue to follow this on the other side of the state. We're going to continue to follow that.

But I want to move on to Arizona, because big, big drama happening in the competency hearing of Jared Lee Loughner. A federal judge says the Tucson shooting suspect is not mentally fit to stand trial and also today inside this courtroom, U.S. marshals had to physically drag Loughner out there after he made some kind of loud outburst.

Ted Rowlands was inside that courtroom. He's not outside there for me in Tucson.

And, Ted, I do just want to begin with the headline that the judge ruled him incompetent to stand trial -- based on what?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Based on two very long evaluations . He was sent to Springfield, Missouri, for a number of weeks and two separate medical professionals spent time with him and did separate medical evaluations. They also videotaped the evaluations and the interactions that they had with Loughner.

Both of those medical professionals concluded that he was not competent to stand trial at this point. Now, that may change. But at this point, he's not competent.

The judge reviewed those and he also said he watched the videotapes and in his mind, there was no doubt in his mind that, at this point, he's not competent.

So, what's going to happen now? Loughner is going to a medical facility, he will be evaluated over the next few months and he could be given medication and treated. At that point, they could see if he then will be competent to stand trial.

BALDWIN: OK.

ROWLANDS: Prosecutors are hoping that that is the case. But, at this point, the case has been basically halted. The federal case has been halted against him.

BALDWIN: So, that is -- that's one part of the story.

The second part, you're in the courtroom. What happened in the courtroom? Describe this outburst for me.

ROWLANDS: Well, the judge was talking and Loughner, all of a sudden, just blurted something out. It sounded to me like he said, "Thank you for the freak show," and then something else. Immediately, two deputies who were right on him, two marshals were staring at him the whole time actually, they got on him, threw him down on the floor and then literally dragged him out of the courtroom. Loughner was still talking, yelling something to the judge.

The judge continued on. He took about a 10-minute recess. They brought Loughner back in and the judge asked if he would rather watch the proceedings on a television monitor and Loughner in a very sheepish voice said, "Yes, I would like to watch it on TV."

So, they took him out of the courtroom and they moved ahead with the competency hearing. But it was very dramatic because it's always shocking when there's an outburst in the courtroom.

BALDWIN: Yes.

ROWLANDS: I was sitting behind Loughner's parents and they were in tears because it was so unnerving to hear it, to see it, and to see this young man -- no matter what you think of him -- see him dragged out. It was unnerving for everybody in that courtroom, including the victim's family who was also there in force.

BALDWIN: And again, we have still not got any kind of reaction from Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' office who are efforting that because of this ruling. Ted Rowland

ROWLANDS: Actually

BALDWIN: No, go ahead, jump in.

ROWLANDS: Actually, Brooke, yes, we did -- we did reach out to the congresswoman's office. They said they are not going to comment. They haven't commented on Loughner from the beginning and they are sure not going to start commenting now is what they said.

We did hear from Judge Roll's family attorney. Judge Roll, of course, is the judge who was murdered and worked out of this building behind me. He said they didn't have any issues with the ruling made today in court, saying that it seemed like a good ruling -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Thank you for the update. Thanks for making those phone calls, you and your crew. Ted Rowlands, live in Arizona, thank you.

And now this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had my arms locked around my husband and I said, "Please dear God in heaven, just let us all get out of this alive."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: One woman walks us through what is left in her home in Joplin. All these stories -- they just keep coming in. Find out what saved her and her families' lives. That is next.

Also, keeping you in the loop today -- Elizabeth Smart expected to come face-to-face with her kidnapper. In fact, it could happen any minute now as a judge sentences Brian David Mitchell. We're told that she will be speaking very, very soon. We'll have an update. Stay right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Back to the severe weather. We just wanted to pop this up here. This is what we were talking about actually during the commercial break.

And you see all of these different watch boxes -- you notice some of the cities there. They are major, major metropolitan areas. You have St. Louis, Indianapolis -- not just on the periphery but perhaps in the center. This is the most severe weather we're watching right now. So, we're going to keep our eyes on these watches here in the midsection of the country.

But you know, there's all kinds of people who live in Joplin. Lead through the tornado on Sunday, they start to trickle back into what is left of their homes. They are telling incredible survival stories. In fact, CNN caught up with one of those survivors. She is Cecelia Beveridge. Cecilia and her husband were staying with her elderly mother when Sunday's tornado struck. I want you to listen when she describes how quick thinking and a hall closet - a hall closet -- saved all of their lives. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CECILIA BEVERIDGE, JOPLIN RESIDENT: We put her in a chair and closed the door, and then we went down here into this closet. And my husband and I stood in here, and the first thing I heard was -- aside from the wind -- was I heard the sliding glass door that was out here, I heard it crack and it was like, we're in for it. I knew then we were in trouble.

I had my arms locked around my husband and I was just saying, please dear God in heaven, just let us all get out of here alive. That's all I ask, please dear God in heaven, please lord Jesus, please heavenly angels, just protect us.

This is all one big room. This is like the living room, dining room, and the kitchen. And this was the master bedroom.

But we're alive. That's it. By the grace of God we're alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And we have an update that Cecilia and her husband and her mother. They are now staying with family in the Joplin area.

Getting your CNN Equals Politics update. Let's go to CNN chief political analyst (sic) Gloria Borger with the latest news on the political desk.

And Gloria, big news here in the political world out of New York. Democrat Kathy Hockle winning the special election in New York state last night. Is this race a bellwether on Medicare reform?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think it is. If you say to Republicans, they say not so fast, not so fast. But as you know very well, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin proposed in his budget that House Republicans voted on all -- all but six House Republicans voted for it which would effectively turn Medicare into a voucher program sometime down the road.

The Democrats have jumped on that, and this candidate was a complete underdog until this Medicare issue came up. And people in politics were reminded, you know what? This Medicare issue is pretty potent. When they polled that district, Medicare was the number one issue that people were concerned about just above jobs. So, when you think of what you're going to do to deal with the deficit, the question now is, do you have to take Medicare off the table because it's such a political hot potato?

BALDWIN: If it's such a potent issue, to use your word, would this also then be a huge problem for House Republicans?

BORGER: Absolutely. You know, I think only half a dozen voted against it, this plan. And the Democrats are going to be talking about this until the next election. Don't forget, Republicans used the issue of Medicare against the Democrats in the midterm elections last time around, and the Democrats will use it again.

Look, I think the deficit is clearly a huge issue to people in both parties and particularly to independent voters. But you have to figure out a way if you're going to reform Medicare in any way, the question the Democrats can now ask is, okay, you want to reform Medicare? Then you need to put the question of tax increases on the wealthy back on the table. But you can't do one without the other, and that's the debate we're going to be hearing heading into the next election.

BADLWIN: Gloria Borger, live for me in Washington. Appreciate the update, Gloria.

BORGER: Sure.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, told you we wouldn't go too far from what's happening in the midsection of the country. Up next, it's going to be a tough one. I'm going to speak with a woman who is missing, searching - her whole family is searching for this little one. Her 16-month-old grandson in Joplin. The tornado on Sunday ripped this little baby out of his mother's arms.

You're going to hear her emotional story live and where they are on their frantic search. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: You have seen the pictures. We have been showing the pictures, rescuer after rescuer digging through what used to be homes. Joplin, Missouri looking for anyone who might be buried underneath. They are poking into twisted remnants of people's lives, hoping to find some sign of life.

Now, some are joined by relatives of people that haven't been heard from since the tornado hit on Sunday. Thus far, 125 people are confirmed dead in Joplin alone. Nine people have been rescued since Monday, but hundreds haven't even been seen since the storm. And the stories, they are heartwrenching.

But few have touched our team here at CNN, as many hearts also around the world, a search for 16-month-old Skyular Logsdon. Here he is. Look at him. So cute. As the tornado swirled outside, Skyular's family huddled inside their home and then the twister hit. One minute Skyular was wrapped in his mother's arms, the next minute, he was gone.

Milissa Burns is Skyular's grandmother. And Melissa, we're all thinking about you. Do you have - I'm hopeful -- do you have some kind of news on Skyular, your 16-month old grandson. Any update this afternoon?

MILISSA BURNS, GRANDMOTHER OF MISSING BABY (on the phone): No update this afternoon. Just waiting on the officials (INAUDIBLE) to get back with me.

BALDWIN: Tell me what exactly happened. I just explained he was in his mother's arms and then what does she recall happening? He was just, poof, blown away?

BURNS: She remembers (CLEARS THROAT). Sorry. Bowing down in the hallway, holding him. She remembers flying around the house and hitting things. And then her arm breaking and she was knocked out and don't remember much after that.

BALDWIN: She's in the hospital, yes?

BURNS: Yes.

BALDWIN: She's in the hospital, so this search has really been left up to you, your close family there in Joplin. Just walk me through what you've been doing. To what lengths have you been going? Where have you been looking for Skyular?

BURNS: We have searched under where the house was. We have called hospitals, we have called social services at the hospital, (INAUDIBLE) and every lead that somebody gives us we check on. Whether we had just been there 10 minutes ago.

BALDWIN: Milissa, if you have been searching for Skyular in the rubble and the remains -- just describe your mind set to me as you're looking for him.

BURNS: I'm terrified. I don't know where to look next.

BALDWIN: Did I read that Skyular's great aunt went to go look for him at this makeshift morgue?

BURNS: Yes.

BALDWIN: And he was not found there?

BURNS: He was not found there.

BALDWIN:I mean -- I'm sure you're not wanting to leave any kind of stone unturned but at what point -- do you just continue looking every minute, every hour, every day?

BURNS: Yes. I won't stop until I find him.

BALDWIN: We have a picture of him. I read that he was born premature, so he's 16 months old but we're trying to sit here and to help you on national TV. Just do me a favor and describe what size he is -- obviously hair color brown. What more? Help us help you.

BURNS: Brown eyes. He was wearing a blue T-shirt with red writing, blue jean shorts, little boy sandals, the foamy kind. He weighs maybe 20 pounds at the most. He's little.

BALDWIN: He's a little guy. How hopeful are you? You said you're not going to give up searching. How hopeful are you right now?

BURNS: I'm in between hopeful and devastated. I don't know which way to go yet.

BALDWIN: Milissa Burns, we want to stay on this story with you. We are all going to send our prayers your way and hopefully you find little Skyular alive and well. Thank you.

BURNS: Thank you.

BALDWIN: What a story. So many stories coming out of the Midwest. I just want to remind you, it's not over. It's continuing.

Look at this picture. Watches. See these watch boxes? See these big cities, Indianapolis, St. Louis? We've seen the ominous skies over St. Louis. We have seen the destruction of what can only be a tornado in one of these states earlier today, so we are going to stay on this. Chad Myers, weather team working on it.

Also want to pass this along to you. Entirely unrelated to weather, but a lot of people may want to know. Elizabeth Smart, she is expected to come face-to-face with her kidnapper at any moment as a judge is sentencing Brian David Mitchell. We're told that she will be speaking very soon.

We'll be right back.

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BALDWIN: Want to take you back to the urgent weather threats across the U.S. But first, more news unfolding right now. Rapid fire. Let's go.

Starting in Dallas where storms there last night caused American Airlines and American Eagle to pull 65 aircraft from service because of hail damage alone. The DFW airport has already had at least 95 flights canceled today at Dallas/Ft. Worth. Approximately 10,000 passengers were forced to sleep at the airport overnight because of that severe weather.

Also, as we've been mentioning, Elizabeth Smart expected to speak at any moment in front of the man who kidnapped and raped her. It will happen just before a judge who sentences Brian David Mitchell.

Keep in mind, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. We're watching that for you. We will bring the sentence as the second that it's handed down.

To Chicago where Jesse Jackson and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel testified in the corruption trial of Rod Blagojevich, both men deny any deals with the former governor for President Obama's old Senate seat. Blagojevich denies any wrongdoing. He faces 20 charges. Both Jackson and Emanuel are not accused of any wrongdoing.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We finally linked up and just could not stop hugging them and being grateful for them and the blessings that they are to us.

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BALDWIN: This man and his wife were driving back from their daughter's high school graduation when the Joplin tornado came straight for them.

He couldn't get in touch with the kids but at last second, the last second warning he sent may have actually saved their lives. We're going to hear his emotional story next.

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BALDWIN: We want you to take away from the breaking storms in the Midwest just for a moment because we have to share this picture with you. Take a look at this image. Guys, let's just make this full.

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BALDWIN (voice-over): So you can really sort of just wrap your head around thick black smoke. This is Philadelphia. This is the Bridesburg section of Philadelphia near the Betsy Ross Bridge, if you're familiar with this area.

Here's what we know. It's not a lot. This is some sort of trash fire, multi-alarm fire. I'm counting one, two, maybe three streams from firefighters clearly trying to fight this thing on the ground.

We were told they had a tough time getting water there, still having a tough time getting water there. Again, Bridesburg section of Philadelphia. Thanks to live pictures, live pictures from WPVI. Northeast desk making phone calls, we'll get some information and pass it along to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN: In the meantime, let's go back to Joplin, Missouri, where many, many families are still searching for loved ones. In one case, a father had been driving back home with his wife from a high school graduation and his daughters driving right behind him, but suddenly the twister came. Take a listen.

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CREED JONES, SURVIVED JOPLIN TORNADO: We just sat there in the car and rocked and rumbled and rolled and 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 that 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 that said we're OK. I text back and said, 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)

BALDWIN: President Obama hosting the Queen for dinner right now in London. What is happening behind closed doors? We'll be right back.

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BALDWIN: Happening right now, President Obama and the first lady hosting a dinner in London honoring Queen Elizabeth II.

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BALDWIN (voice-over): It's a tribute of sorts, a thank you for the state dinner her majesty held for them just last night. The dinner that we brought you these live pictures right around this time yesterday.

So earlier today, a warm welcome from Mr. Obama as he addressed members in both houses of Britain's parliament and a bit of history making as well. Today marked the first time a U.S. president has spoken from -- this is Westminster Hall.

The president is in the midst of his six-day four-nation trip to Europe that continues the stops in both France and Poland.

(END VIDEO CLIP

BALDWIN: Coming up, more bombshells in the Casey Anthony murder trial. Live pictures there inside the courtroom. There she is, Casey Anthony herself. We're going to find out why one neighbor says Casey Anthony borrowed and what her former roommate say the accused mom did just days after little Caylee disappeared.

Sunny Hostin is all over the case for us again today. She's going to break it down. That is next.

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BALDWIN: On the case yet again today, we are watching the Casey Anthony trial and the brutal beating of a Giants fan after a baseball game results in a law suit against the L.A. Dodgers.

Sunny Hostin is here. Sunny, I want to start with the law suit filed against the Dodgers by the family of Giant's fan, Brian Stow. They're basically claiming his beating was the result of the team and its owner Frank McCort, so tell me this, what is the family alleging that the team did or perhaps didn't do?

SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: Well, they are alleging in this complaint that was filed March 24th. I have a copy. It's about 31 pages that the Dodgers and Frank McDort didn't take reasonable steps to protect the folks that went to the stadium in particular Brian Stow.

They say that the Dodgers' Stadium was a place where attacks were known to occur and that it had been many, many incidents had been occurring and there was a known gang presence there and they did nothing about it.

And in fact they started lessening the security force because of Frank McCort's problems. Interestingly enough, the lawsuit says the lack of security and inadequate lighting presented a perfect opportunity to commit a variety of crimes. Unfortunately for Bryan Stow, this is exactly what happened. They are certainly placing the blame squarely on the shoulder of the stadium and stadium management.

BALDWIN: OK, we'll have to see if they're going to win that one. We'll stay on it. But I have less than a minute left and I want to get along to the bombshell yesterday during the Casey Anthony murder trial. Any new fireworks today, Sunny?

HOSTIN: Well, there are fireworks right on the stand right now. Her ex-boyfriend is on the witness stand discussing their relationship and discussing her behavior during those 31 days that Caylee Anthony was missing.

I will tell you this, the fireworks really have been subdued and I think it's in large part because the defense theory is the reason she behaved so oddly is because she was the victim of sexual abuse.

It really has taken the steam out of the prosecution's case and I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow, but we're hoping that we're going to see more and more into the lives of this family.

BALDWIN: Again, more live pictures. Casey Anthony, there she is seating less than 30 seconds here. Sunny, is any of the roommate's testimony, is that adding up to anything incriminating?

HOSTIN: I don't think so. Again, they're saying Casey was a loving mother. She apparently loves her child. She just acted sort of business as usual, but that goes right in line in what the defense is (inaudible), which is sexual abuse changes people. It makes them act as if so very interesting dynamics in the courtroom.

BALDWIN: Sunny Hostin, my thanks to you.

And I thank you all for watching. What a two hours it's been.

Now to my colleague Wolf Blitzer, in "THE SITUATION ROOM".

Wolf?