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Usher's Son Survives Near Drowning; Father Pleads with Children's Abductor; Jury Holds Bulger's Fate; New Twist in Ft. Hood Court-Martial; Victims Fight to Have Ft. Hood Shooting Labeled Terrorism; Protecting Pictures on Facebook
Aired August 07, 2013 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A very scary time for singer Usher Raymond. His 5-year-old son almost drowned in a swimming pool at his home. The boy was swimming when his aunt and housekeeper noticed he was stuck -- the pool's drain. His aunt made this call to 911.
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
UNIDENTIFIED AUNT OF USHER RAYMOND V: Oh, oh, oh, oh.
911 OPERATOR: What's the status of your emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED AUNT OF USHER RAYMOND V: Yes, I have -- my nephew was in the pool and he went in. I couldn't get him in. I couldn't. I couldn't get him. I tried to get limb and they got limb out now doing CPR on him.
(END AUDIO FEED)
WHITFIELD: In fact, a sound technician working in the home at the time pulled the child from the water and administered CPR. Usher Raymond V was rushed to an Atlanta hospital where he stayed overnight for observation.
The father of two children missing in Southern California is pleading with their alleged kidnapper to release them. Police think this man, James DiMaggio, kidnapped 16-year-old Hannah and possibly her 8-year- old brother, Ethan. They issued an Amber Alert yesterday saying he may have gone to Texas or Canada with the children. That's after he allegedly set the house on fire 40 miles east of San Diego and killed their mother and an unidentified child.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRETT ANDERSON: FATHER OF MISSING CHILDREN: I can't fathom what you were thinking. The damage is done. I'm begging you to let my daughter go. You've taken everything else.
Hannah, we all love you very much. If you have a chance, you take it. You run. You'll be found.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: Paul joining me now from San Diego.
Paul, this father terribly distraught and making whatever plea he can to the person who has taken the children.
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Fredricka. From what we understand, as the father has characterized, he was a long time friend of Jim DiMaggio. Others saying they knew each other for 20 years and he knew the children since birth.
Let's listen to one family friend's emotional appeal at a vigil last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOBBI AUMAND, FAMILY FRIEND: I want people to know that man, Jim, was loved by that family and treated very, very well. I can't imagine why he would do this horrific thing to people that loved him so much and considered him family. He needs to bring that girl home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERCAMMEN: You may have caught onto this. At the vigil, they talked about Ethan, the young boy, almost in the past tense. They are saying that the remains found inside the home are consistent with those of an 8-year-old boy -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: That's so sad. Are there any leads whatever so ever?
VERCAMMEN: No. Let's get this on the record. Sheriff's deputies are saying they might have well said Osh Kosh when they alluded to the search is from Texas to Mexico. There was no specificity there. Also, Mexico now involved. We understand federal agents are talking to Mexican authorities. This is a nationwide search involving San Diego County, state and federal law enforcement officers -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Paul Vercammen, keep us posted. Thanks so much.
A jury is weighing the fate now of James "Whitey" Bulger. Eight men and four women started deliberating yesterday in the case of the man accused of murderously running the Boston mob. An update, next.
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WHITFIELD: Prosecutors say James "Whitey" Bulger ran Boston's Irish mob with fear, extortion and murder for 20 years. The jury is behind closed doors discussing a verdict. Deliberations began yesterday after a month of witness testimony.
Let's get to Paul Callan, our legal analyst.
Paul, Whitey Bulger did not take the stand in his own defense. No surprise there?
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I was a little surprised, actually.
WHITFIELD: Yeah?
CALLAN: Because this guy is facing almost certain and he's going to die in prison probably. I hate to make my prediction on a case so early, but in the end, why would he get on the stand and tell his story? He wants to prove that he's the godfather with a heart of gold, a nice criminal and he will never get to tell his story. I thought he was twisted enough to take the stand, but he didn't.
WHITFIELD: You describe him as twisted and there were moments out of ordinary, cursing at witnesses. There were exchanges between him and the witnesses. There were, in the view of some people, real moments of intimidation. How much might that impact a jury's perception?
CALLAN: I think it will most definitely impact their perception of him and in a very negative way. This case -- had this case been televised be whole country would have been mesmerized by what's going on in this courtroom. It's the last of the old Irish mob. 10 murders, vicious murders, and the witnesses hated him, and they are yelling at each other during trial. It was quite an exciting trial. I think that sort of behavior will backfire with the jury and will hurt Whitey Bulger.
WHITFIELD: Federal cases not usually televised. This wasn't. That was in large part why. Do you think this is case in which the rules should have been bent? People should have seen or learned from this trial?
CALLAN: I feel very strongly. I try a lot of cases myself. I think we're so used to cameras that it doesn't affect the way the cases are tried. I think the public has a right to see the trials. The feds won't allow cameras in. I think they are wrong. You can walk into any public courthouse and watch it and all the camera is doing is making it easier for the rest of the country. I think this would have been a good lesson in how crime is prosecuted in a very inventive way. I mean, he was on the run for so many years. 19 murders are part of the indictment in this case, acts of extortion, just a horrific list of charges. I think the public deserves to see this trial.
WHITFIELD: Paul Callan, thanks so much. Good to see you.
CALLAN: Thank you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: We'll see the potential outcome there.
The Army psychiatrist charged in the Ft. Hood massacre is still on the military's payroll. Up next, why he's received more than $300,000 since the shooting.
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WHITFIELD: The court-martial of the admitted Ft. Hood gunman hit a snag. Defense lawyers for Army Major Nidal Hasan asked to withdraw from the case. They say Hasan is working toward a death penalty. He's charged with killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in the 2009 rampage. He's representing himself but defense attorneys were acting as stand-by counsel during the proceedings. The court-martial is in recess until tomorrow.
Some victims of the Ft. Hood shooting say they feel betrayed by the way the case is being handled. They are fighting to have the massacre labeled as a terrorist attack instead of workplace violence.
Randi Kaye explains what all that means and what's at stake.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 10 minutes, that's all it took for Major Nadal Hasan to kill 13 people and injure more than 30 --
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: November 5th, 2009, at Ft. Hood Readiness Center. The chaos captured in the video obtained by ABC.
Sergeant Shaun Manning on FOX News.
SGT. SHAUN MANNING, FT. HOOD READINESS CENTER: I remember him shooting as fast as he could shoot.
KAYE: Hasan fired more than 100 rounds from two pistols. Hours later, the president made this promise to the victims.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As commander in chief there's no greater honor but no greater responsibility for me than to make sure that the extraordinary men and women in uniform are properly cared for.
KAYE (on camera): Nearly four years later, survivors say they feel cast aside. They still wonder how the U.S. government could label this workplace violence instead of combat-related terrorism. That designation means they have lower priority access to medical care and fewer financial benefits than those who injuries are labeled combat related.
(voice-over): Army Specialist Logan Burnett was shot three times. He spoke to KXAS.
LOGAN BURNETT, ARMY SPECIALIST: The day that came out was the day the government looked at every single one of the victims of the Ft. Hood shooting and spit in our faces.
KAYE: Sergeant Shaun Manning has lost tens of thousands of dollars in benefits.
MANNING: I was shot by a terrorist and they don't want to call it an act of terrorism and see my injuries as combat related. It's just ridiculous.
KAYE: Civilian police officer, Sergeant Kimberly Munley, helped end the attack. Honored for her bravery at the State of the Union a couple of months later, but now she tells ABC she feels betrayed by the president. SGT. KIMBERLY MUNLEY, FT. HOOD POLICE: If I were to see him again, it's not about me, but I would just beg him to please take care.
KAYE (on camera): Why not classify the shooting at Ft. Hood as a terrorist attack? The Department of Defense says Hasan may not have been able received a fair trial if the U.S. indirectly declared him a terrorist and could have opened the door for an appeal.
An attorney representing 150 victims in a civil suit against the Department of Defense and the FBI disagrees. He says, at the time, the U.S. was looking to close Guantanamo Bay Prison, home to hundreds of accused enemy combatants. So the idea of a terrorist attack by a U.S. solder who was Muslim wasn't optimal.
(voice-over): Witnesses say Hasan shouted "God is Great" in Arabic before opening fire. And Hasan has said he acted to help defend the Taliban. That, lawyers for the victims, say is proof of a terror attack.
They also point to the FBI's disclosure that he had interpreted communications between Hasan and u. s.-born radicalist Muslim cleric, Anwar Awlaki, in Yemen.
Meanwhile, Major Hasan, who has denounced his citizenship, is still on the military payroll, being paid more than $300,000 since the shooting. The Army can't stop paying him unless he's found guilty.
Randi Kay, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Last year was one of the hottest years on record. Is this becoming a trend? That's next.
Plus -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: My father spent three years restoring this car. It's his love. It's his passion.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It's his fault. He didn't lock the garage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: For sale. The house made famous in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Now on the market. Not the car.
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WHITFIELD: Oh, yeah. We all like to reminisce from time to time about the way it used to be. That includes the weather. You think temperatures are warmer than a decade ago? Guess what, you're right.
Chad Myers is joining me now with more on this new study released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Every decade since 1970, it's been warmer than the decade before? How come?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Correct. And if you are younger than 36, you have never experienced a below-normal year.
WHITFIELD: Huh?
MYERS: Think about that. From 1976 to now, that's 2013, there has never been a below-normal year on average across the globe. Every year has been above normal. You have to go all the way back here to what we call the Mini Ice Age back in the '70s.
WHITFIELD: So we young 'uns have no real reverence point.
MYERS: They have no reference point --
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: That means we.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: I got that.
WHITFIELD: OK.
MYERS: Think about 2012. We are now -- it's called the tenth warmest year. You think at least it's not the warmest year. It's getting better. No. We have to think about this decade by decade. Think about the warmest year ever, 2010. 2005. 1998. From the fourth year, 2003. Yes, we're way down here. But if you look at these numbers, there's not, like, a 1940 or a 1960 in here for the hottest years on record. This is the hottest decade on record. It keeps going up from here. And this is the -- this is the real rub. The carbon dioxide numbers have been going up as well. And the Big Island in Hawaii had 400 parts per million back in May. That was the first time we've ever had that much CO2 in the atmosphere.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: Here's the reason why we're seeing the warm temperatures. You can just see it's "A" to "B." There it is.
WHITFIELD: Lots of things are going to see permanent change. Whether it means wildlife, whether it means -- just everything on planet earth, right?
MYERS: You bet. It doesn't mean drought. Even though we had one last year. Normally, if you get warmer temperatures you get more humidity in the air so you'll get more rain. It could be the opposite. We simply don't know the answer from here. We know where it's been. Where it goes from here is another big story. WHITFIELD: mother Nature taking us on a serious journey.
Thank you so much, Chad.
Maybe, Chad, you recall this. The house made famous in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"?
MYERS: Yeah.
WHITFIELD: You like it.
MYERS: Yes, and the car.
WHITFIELD: It could be yours.
(CROSSTALK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It is his love. It is his passion.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It is his fault. He didn't lock the garage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, this is where Bueller's best friend lived. That house right there. Oh, I love that. When they took his father's Ferrari on that spin. Later, you know, crashed it through the glass garage. This modern glass and steel house built in the 1950s is in Chicago's Highland Park. It's partly suspended over a wooded ravine. Gorgeous! Guess what? You can get it for a mere $1.5 million. I tell you that is a real steal. It was previously listed for 2.3 million. Middle of the room, fireplace there. All right. It could be yours.
Hey, Facebook settings are changing once again. So if you post pictures on the social networking site, listen up. We've got some tips to protect your privacy.
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WHITFIELD: Facebook is unveiling a new search tool. The Graph Search, as it is called, may leave you wondering how certain pictures you thought were hidden are now available to the general public. Now may be the time to rethink your privacy settings.
Laurie Segall is here to explain all this.
Laurie, what is Graph Search?
LAURIE SEGALL, CNNMONEY, TECH CORRESPONDENT: Graph Search is Mark Zuckerberg's answer to what search should be. Instead of going to Google, go to Facebook and type it in and you can see the restaurants your friends have liked. A more social way of searching. Do the same for books and movies.
I was testing it out, Fredricka. You can put your name in. It said photos of these persons anyone can search for. I saw all these photos I had hidden from my timeline. It's pretty eye opening. I'm pretty descent with privacy. It's something you want to think about -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: What can Facebook users do to protect themselves a little bit better?
SEGALL: We asked Facebook about this. They recommended we talk to this tech expert. We brought her in to show us. Listen to what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEGALL: So let's say we go to -- we go to this, right? Is there any way for me to have this photo -- to keep that photo, even though I'm happy to say good-bye to it, but have it not show up under photos of me?
UNIDENTIFIED FACEBOOK TECH EXPERT: Yes. The first thing that you do is remove the tag.
SEGALL: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FACEBOOK TECH EXPERT: OK. You'll untag this. You want to untag yourself. Your friend has to set her settings to only friends or only me and so do you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEGALL: Now, clearly, Fredricka, if you look at that photo, that is not something I thought was out there for the public. Because of the new search tool and because of a friend's privacy settings, it was out there for anyone to search for.
Really quick, you know, let's run through it. You can untag yourself from these photos. Ask the friend to change their privacy settings. You can actually check your activity log, which is a great place to start with privacy settings on Facebook. Download the photo. Remove it from Facebook altogether.
At the end of the day, if it means your employer is not looking at these photos, it might be worth it.
WHITFIELD: You make it look so easy.
Laurie Segall, thanks so much.
SEGALL: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Hey, if you saw this officer on the street, would you notice whether he's real or fake? This is actually a cardboard cutout of an officer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These cutouts actually were created to try to cut bike thefts at a subway station. Looks pretty real. Amazingly, it's actually working. Bike thefts are down by 67 percent according to the deputy chief, Robert Lenahan. The cutout is a picture of a real officer who says, when thieves glance up at the figure, they think twice about taking that bike. The deputy chief says the Cardboard Cop Program saves the city about $200,000 a year and saves a lot of grief for those whose bikes have been stolen.
That's going to do it for me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
Brooke Baldwin up next in the NEWSROOM.
