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Shooter Returned to Kill TSA Officer; National Impact of Virginia, Jersey Races;Toronto Mayor Refuses to Resign; Tatyana McFadden's Journey to Greatness; Broncos Coach to Have Heart Surgery

Aired November 03, 2013 - 18:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. It's 6:00 here in the East.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thank you for joining us.

We're going to begin some grisly new details that are emerging on the Los Angeles airport shooting. Prosecutors say the shooter fired at point blank range at TSA officer Gerard Hernandez who crumbled to the floor. The suspect walked away, rode up an escalator and turned around, and saw a bloody Hernandez squirming on the floor. Prosecutors say the suspect came back, and shot Hernandez again, killing him.

The FBI says five people were shot at the airport, including the suspected gunman, Paul Ciancia, who is in critical condition.

Two other TSA officers were wounded and treated at hospitals and released. Twenty-nine-year-old high school teacher Brian Ludmer is in fair condition. He was shot in the leg.

I want to get now to CNN's Stephanie Elam outside LAX.

Stephanie, you spoke a little bit earlier with a passenger who witnessed the shooting.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, it was crazy to hear his story because what he did is, he said everyone hit the ground. He was up above the escalator, in security when everything happened. He hit the ground with his wife and his son. And then there was a pause and he looked back down and that's when he saw everything else. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT GREENE, WITNESSED SHOOTING: We were at security at the time of the shooting. And we heard the initial gunshots. And everybody in security hit the ground. A lot of folks were scrambling forward. So I scrambled forward also. And there was a pause.

So, I look down the escalator and I saw the gunman. He had his gun trained on the wall there and he shot him twice. So I knelt down and I saw him run up the escalator, I saw in the escalator and he yelled something. And then after that, I hit the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: He hit the ground and eventually, he made his way to the tarmac, Don. His wife and son went out past the TSA agent that had been shot. It took them hours before they were reunited. They walked blocks from here to their car.

That's the story a lot of people had. But he actually did, I talked to him on the phone and he said he actually did see him shooting down at the TSA agent. He couldn't see the body but he could see him firing the shots, Don.

LEMON: Stephanie, this shooting has brought up a lot of security concerns. LAX, are they going to make more changes now that airport is fully back open?

ELAM: Well, the airport says they are monitoring how they handle this, what other changes need to be made and how they would proceed in the future. They're saying that the window of opportunity here for things to go badly is from the curb to when you get to that first checkpoint. From what we understand, is Mr. Hernandez, TSA agent that lost his life, that he was that first check point, making sure you have your documents before you go up through the security screening.

So they want to make sure that's the safest area. Earlier this year, they move security, police officers from behind that security line to in front of it. And so, now, they are looking at how all this will play in, along with other security that they hire within the airport. I'm sure it's something that a lot of airports are doing, looking what the they can do to keep their area safe for their passengers.

LEMON: Stephanie Elam live at LAX -- Stephanie, thank you very much for that.

The airport shooting is raising fresh questions about security practices. Airport police officers were repositioned at LAX in the past year. Chief Patrick Gannon decided to move airport officers from behind the security checkpoint to in front of it where they monitored both arrival and departure floors of the terminal. Gannon says, in Friday's attack, the nearest police officer to the initial shooting, quote, "was just moved to the front part of the airport."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF PATRICK GANNON, LOS ANGELES AIRPORT POLICE: I made a decision over this last year to make a move of those individuals. And instead of being behind security, where people have already been screened and we assume they have been unarmed, we move them out to the front and gave them greater responsibilities. And so, the threat here at the airport does not exist behind security at that podium. The threat exists from the curb line on. And so, as a part of that, we have our people stationed throughout the airport.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: I want to bring in now L.A. City Councilman Bernard Parks who served as Los Angeles police chief. He joins us now by phone. Mr. Parks, thank you for joining us. You doing OK?

BERNARD PARKS, L.A. CITY COUNCILMAN (via telephone): Fine, Don. How are you doing?

LEMON: I'm doing great. It's good to talk to you again. . I wish it was about a better story. This one is horrific.

PARKS: You're right.

LEMON: You heard what Mr. Gannon said. He said, you know, the danger was really at a certain point in front of the security checkpoint. Do you agree with that?

PARKS: I think what you have to look at is that there's not ever going to be a perfect security plan. There is literally tens of millions of people that come to the airport. Out of that haystack, one of them could go awry.

I think Chief Gannon, who's the former LAPD deputy chief, made a wise decision realizing that walking through the operational part of the airport, that the real danger is not after a person has gone through the monitoring and search area, it's those who are getting to that point. Because once you go through the screening, there's probably little, very little chance, of a person acting out once they're behind the monitoring system.

So, moving them up front is for them to monitor people both leaving and coming, when they're not under a secure control.

LEMON: OK. So you think that it's a good idea to move offices from behind the checkpoints to and front, correct?

PARKS: Yes, because I think --

LEMON: OK.

PARKS: Once you go through the screening, you've pretty well- minimized or eliminated the danger. It's those people that are dropping people off, those people that are making the decision of where they're going to go to what terminal, that's the group that needs as much attention as possible.

LEMON: Here's what prosecutors say. They say the shooter fired at point blank range at TSA Officer Hernandez. Then he rode an escalator up, turned around, came back down, fired the kill shot. I mean, that's a long time.

Why hadn't airport police arrived on the scene yet?

PARKS: Well, I think one of the things -- that's something that I think Chief Gannon can be able to assess, where those officers are deployed, how quickly they responded, because my assumption is that after the first shot, that you're going to have a lot of commotion and people running and a variety things and officers trying to assess exactly where it's occurring and what the level of danger. And you can find literally hundreds of spots in the airport where there's not a police officer with eyes on that particular incident. It takes a second for officers to assess, insure they know what's going on, where it's going on. And also, we have to be concerned of the danger to not only the public, but to them.

So, these are things that takes a little bit of time to do that evaluation, and then to be able to take action. But those officers at LAX and LAPD are some of the most trained officers that you can you find. They go through the same academy, the same training. They are working in concert with each other.

So, it's not from a lack of effort. But it's just a matter -- it's a target-rich environment.

LEMON: OK.

PARKS: And one of a million passengers can act out without your knowledge and you have to respond to it.

LEMON: So, former Chief Parks, I want to ask you this -- who exactly do airport police report to? I mean, are they part of the LAPD or are they a separate division? You said they had same training --

PARKS: No, they are separate. By charter, they are the responsibility for the L.A. Airport Commission. And so, within the organization of the L.A. airport, you have -- in fact, their chief of their homeland security just recently selected to go into a very high level job within LAPD. The chief of airport, we just came from LAPD as deputy chief, but they work specifically for the airport.

LEMON: Are you aware of any kind of tension between TSA officer and airport police at LAX?

PARKS: The TSA officer? I'm not aware of that.

My understanding is there are thousands of employees and also millions of passengers, I'm sure there's a conflict here or there. But I don't have a sense that there's not a very good working relationship amongst the public safety and homeland security people.

LEMON: Law enforcement source tells CNN before the repositioning, airport police officers have complained to the union about being bored with the assignment of being stationed behind the TSA checkpoint. Do you think that could have prompted a switch?

PARKS: I don't know why they were bored. I issue is, I think over time, I think that whole issue of airport security has evolved. I think initially when it was set up, they thought the primary point of danger was at the checkpoint when people were going to be searched. When they are going through the system at the particular point and you needed law enforcement there to protect the TSA officers and to take people into custody if they should show up at the screening with weapons or items that they shouldn't have.

But, again, it was always where they were positioned after they went through the screening point. The key is, they wanted to move up front because you can see and determine a great deal of what may be occurring or about to occur, if you have eyes upon the arrival of people showing up at the airport, watching their conduct, watching people leaving. These are things that are very helpful to direct the law enforcement personnel.

LEMON: Former LAPD chief and now city chief councilman, Bernard Parks -- thank you, sir. Have a good evening.

PARKS: Thank you, Don. I'm so glad to talk to you and I watch you all the time.

LEMON: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Two governor's races will be determined on Tuesday. What do the results of two state elections matter to the entire country? They may show the country's attitude toward the gridlock in Washington. We are discussing that next.

And the Paralympic winner of today's New York City marathon. She has now won every major marathon. The tremendous obstacles she overcame to even compete, ahead this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The back and forth over Obamacare has overshadowed the usual Washington debates. But there is a huge battle brewing over some key White House nominees.

Plus, a couple of governor races look like they're going to end up with very different results.

I want to talk about it now with Ana Navarro and L.Z. Granderson.

Yay. This is one of my favorite parts of the weekend.

L.Z., you're in Chicago? Oh, that's right. That's right.

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN COMMENTATOR: I'm back in Chicago.

LEMON: I was thinking Atlanta. I've live so many places, I forget. He is a CNN commentator.

Ana is a Republican consultant and a CNN political commentator. She is in Miami for a change. So, good to see both of you.

All right. I want to start with the governor's races in New Jersey and Virginia.

President Obama campaigning for Democrat Terry McAuliffe in Virginia today. Polls show McAuliffe has a strong lead, at least some of the polls show that. And then the president made sure to link McAuliffe's opponent, Ken Cuccinelli, with the recent government shutdown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Here in the Virginia you felt the pain of the first government shutdown in 17 years. And there aren't a lot of states that felt more of the pain than folks here in Virginia. Paychecks were delayed. Families were forced to go without the services that they depended on. Business owners took it on the chin when customers cut back on their own spending.

And as Terry mentioned, his opponent says he's perfectly happy with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right. Well, Ana, are -- there are wider lessons for Republicans in Virginia. Why is a Democrat running such a strong race there?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN COMMENTATOR: Well, I think if you compare and contrast the two candidates for governor, Chris Christie in New Jersey, and Cuccinelli in Virginia, the wider lesson for Republicans are frankly, it's a political 101 lesson, is you've got to nominate and run candidates that are tailored for those specific states, for the specific races they're running and that can get elected, not just out of a primary but also in a general election.

It's two very different animals. You've got Virginia, which is a purple state. It's a battle ground state and it's a very big state, an important state in presidential politics.

New Jersey is a blue state. And you're going to see a Republican win there handily.

So, the lesson is simple, elect the right candidates. Nominate the right candidates.

LEMON: Did I see a recent poll that show that Virginia is tightening and Ken Cuccinelli may be able to at least -- I don't know, Ana, did you see that?

NAVARRO: Yes. I've seen polls all over the place. I'm sure that the government shutdown issue hurt Cuccinelli. I'm also sure what's happening with Obamacare is at some point hurting McAuliffe as well.

So, yes, I have seen polls as tight as seven points, five points. And others that have it as broad as 12 points. So, you know, we're yet to see -- look, you never know until Election Day and until you figure out what voters came out. If the Democrat voters get overconfident, it could be very bad for them.

LEMON: Go ahead, L.Z.

GRANDERSON: I mean, it's important to note that Virginia is a very special case because there is a very volatile civil war happening within the GOP in that particular state. I mean, Ken Cuccinelli kind of did some shady stuff. They didn't have a primary there. They had a convention in which his -- the Tea Party and conservative Christians kind of took the nomination as opposed to go through a natural democratic process.

And what's really interesting as you mentioned before, Ana, is that they are purple. In the primary process, it doesn't matter which party you're in, you can vote in the primary. Ken Cuccinelli's folks did not want that. So, that's part of the reason why you are seeing a civil war is they didn't give the voters an opportunity to select him. He was kind of hand-picked. And that, in addition to the fact that the governor he served under is going through some controversy and scandals himself.

Those two things, more than I think Obamacare discussion, more than I think the government shutdown, has really impacted how this is shaking down in Virginia right now.

LEMON: OK. So guys, let's turn now to New Jersey. Republican Chris Christie, running away with his race for reelection. That's a very Democratic state and they're about to re-elect a Republican governor, you know, Ana just mentioned it. But, L.Z., what's your takeaway from this campaign?

GRANDERSON: Moderate. Don't be an idiot. Be someone who looks like you're a bipartisan. Actually be bipartisan.

And let's remember, images of Chris Christie and President Obama are still very fresh in a lot of peoples' minds. And when you look at the grid like this in Washington and you look at the fact that Chris Christie in the heart after general election, chose to do the right thing for his state versus the best thing for his party, that sent a very strong message.

And if I was a voter in New Jersey, I would consider him to be someone very electable regardless of what party I wanted to be part of, because he looked like someone willing to do the best thing for the state and for the people, versus his own party.

LEMON: And that is, when you're a broken record, and the other side never does -- when your particular side never does anything wrong, it is so boring. I think people see through that. It is so disingenuous.

But, Ana and L.Z., I want to hear from you about the latest example of gridlock in Congress. President Obama's nominees for various offices and positions being held up by Republican senator playing hardball offer the Benghazi consulate attack -- the right move or politically damaging? Think about that and then we're going to talk about it, in just three minutes away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. This is just in. It's coming from the Birmingham. A terminal at the Birmingham's Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama has been evacuated.

The airport said on its Twitter account that airport and law enforcement officials are responding to a threat received around 4:00 p.m. local time. They're on Central Time. And so far, no details of special threat are of anyone being injured. It's just one terminal we're being told.

We will continue watching this story and we're going to keep you posted on the developments as we get them here on CNN.

LEMON: We're going to get back to politics now. We are talking politics with L.Z. Granderson and Ana Navarro. They are both CNN commentators. Ana is also a Republican strategist.

So, let's talk about Republican Lindsey -- Senator Lindsey Graham. He is playing hardball with the White House over the attacks in a U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Graham is threatening to block all of the president's nominees that require Senate confirmation until American survivors of that attack are allowed to testify before Congress and he insists he really doesn't have a choice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: I shouldn't have to do this. I shouldn't have to make these kind of threats. They should provide in a responsible way, those who lived through Benghazi to be interviewed separate and apart from the Obama administration to find out exactly what happened before, during and after.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, Graham's actions would affect the new Fed chair nominee, the nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Ana, is Lindsey Graham making smart use of his power to hold up a nomination or is this political grandstanding?

NAVARRO: It's not political grandstanding. I happen to know Lindsey Graham very well and it's not just his profile to do this kind of political grandstanding. This was the guy who was a member of the gang of eight on immigration. This is the guy who refused to be part of the backup choir for Ted Cruz on government shutdown. This is the same guy who, along with John McCain, pushed a president of his own party, George W. Bush, very hard on Guantanamo, on Abu Ghraib.

So, you have seen over and over again from Lindsey Graham consistency when it comes to oversight issues of military and of abuses. I think what he is asking for is not that unreasonable. And he's been asking for this for over a year. Give us access to the people who were there, who are the survivors. Give oversight committees, the appropriate committees, access to these folks.

They've been denied access and there's very little a senator and a minority can do, frankly, to assert leverage and exert pressure. These types of holds is one of the tools that's available. Maybe the only tool that is actually available.

LEMON: So, L.Z., I mean, why shouldn't everyone who survived in the Benghazi attacks be allowed to testify? What's wrong with Lindsey Graham's argument?

GRANDERSON: OK, first of all, let's be clear. There is no politician, regardless of party, that is immune it using these opportunities to grandstand. I'm sure there have been plenty of times in which Lindsey Graham hasn't, but this to me is one of the times which he is grandstanding, because there is no reason, none, to hold up these two particular nominees that we're talking about in order to talk about Benghazi at this particular point. Because if you add that, in addition to the fact he is planning on introducing an anti- abortion bill in the Senate, what you see is someone just trying to position themselves once again to look to be the hardest person going up against President Obama, not necessarily someone looking to get answers about something that is affecting the American people.

If you want to hold a congressional hearing, I would like to see you bring in the insurance companies and ask them while they are price gouging, the American people in light of Obamacare. I want to know why it costs so much money for aspirin in hospitals. Those are things that really impact a lot more people than what he is trying to do.

I'm not trying to say that is down play what happened in Benghazi. But if he is so upset about things that are hurting American people, I can give him about 10 things that he can bring in front of Congress and talk about, more so than the same talking point of what happened in Benghazi. To me this is nothing to grandstand --

NAVARRO: Yes, but, L.Z., let me just tell you this. Lindsey Graham is not part of the committees that have oversight over health and human services. He is in foreign relations. He is a military guy, a Senate Armed Services guy.

So, that's what he has jurisdiction over. He's not the one that can subpoena somebody like Kathleen Sebelius.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Lindsey Graham, too, is facing some trouble back home, he is going up against -- hang on -- he is going up against the Tea Party and he maybe trying to position himself.

But, listen, I got to go guys. Sorry.

GRANDERSON: Exactly.

LEMON: Thank you. We'll see you next week. We'll see you next week.

GRANDERSON: Thank you.

LEMON: Next, a mayor and video that reportedly shows him smoking a crack pipe. This afternoon, he addressed his city about the controversy swirling around him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: This is just into CNN. A terminal at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama has been evacuated. The airport said it on its Twitter account. Airport and law enforcement officials are now responding to a threat received around 4:00 p.m. local time. That is Central Time. So far no details of a specific threat or of anyone being injured.

We're going to continue to watch this story and we'll keep you posted on new developments as we get them here on CNN.

The mayor of Toronto, facing shocking allegations he smoked crack cocaine goes on the record now. Just hours ago Mayor Rob Ford took to the airwaves to respond for the first time to allegations he was captured on video using crack.

Mayor Ford admitted making mistakes but it's what he didn't say that's adding more fuel to the fire.

CNN's Nick Valencia has the story now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every week Toronto's mayor, Rob Ford, co-hosts a two-hour radio show. But after months of bomb shell headlines alleging crack cocaine abuse and erratic behavior --

MAYOR ROB FORD, TORONTO: There's no one to blame but myself and I take full responsibility for it.

VALENCIA: It was what he had to say this weekend that had everyone listening.

FORD: Friends, I'm the first one to admit, I am not perfect. I have made mistakes. I have made mistakes and all I can do right now is apologize for the mistakes.

VALENCIA: The mayor used his show on Sunday to take full responsibility for his actions, unwilling, however, to say specifically what he was apologizing for.

FORD: I want it move forward. But, I also know, to move forward, I have to make changes in my life, which I can assure you, that I will do. I love the work I do. And I'm going to keep doing it.

VALENCIA: As these allegations swirl, the mayor has also been connected to a police investigation into gang activity. The 460-page report, important as much for what it says about the mayor as what it doesn't say.

Page after page about Ford's alleged drug abuse, redacted. But law enforcement officials did release photos of what police say is Ford in front after crack house with three alleged gang members. There is also surveillance video released in the report showing questionable behavior. The mayor seen with his one-time driver, who has since been now arrested on extortion charges.

But on Sunday, Ford continued to dig in on the accusations and his alleged actions caught on tape.

FORD: Whatever this video shows, folks, Toronto residents deserve to see it, and people need to judge for themselves what they see on this video.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Nick Valencia joins us in Atlanta.

So, Nick, listen, if you read between the lines here, there is an admission of sorts. He is not admitting to using crack cocaine but he's admitting to having an issue with -- so he's got problems. But that doesn't necessarily translate into plummeting poll numbers, does it?

VALENCIA: No, it doesn't. In fact he addressed also witness accounts that he's been caught out in public intoxicated several times. But he was, as you see, very emotional, unwilling to resign despite calls from the Toronto Board of Trade and others asking him to step down.

But as you mentioned, Don, he's got a lot of supporters and since police announced that they have this video, his approval ratings have gone up 5 percent -- Don.

LEMON: Interesting. Nick Valencia in Atlanta. Nick, thank you. Appreciate that.

Next, the paralympic winner of today's New York City marathon. She has now won every major marathon. A tremendous obstacle she had to overcome to even compete.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Security above, below and along the streets of New York City. It's really a big priority for today's return of the city's world famous marathon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On your marks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Crowds cheer as 47,000 runners race through five Burroughs to the finish line in Central Park. Kenyans took first place in the men's and women's division. The marathon was the first in New York City in two years. Last year's race cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. Remember that? They set everything up and then had to tear it all back down.

History was made at today's marathon by an incredible young woman. Her name is Tatyana McFadden. She completed her marathon grand slam by coming in first in the wheelchair division today and in three other marathons this year. And as I found out, her success didn't come easy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON (voice-over): At 24, Tatyana McFadden is no longer a stranger to adversity, taking on incredible challenges most of her young adult life.

Born with spina bifida that paralyzed her from the waist down, unwanted by her mother, she was put into an orphanage that couldn't afford a wheelchair.

TATYANA MCFADDEN, WHEELCHAIR GRAND SLAM WINNER: I walked on my hands in the orphanage. No wheelchair. I just hung on to life and I had a lot of hope.

LEMON: That's why this --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As she crossed the line --

LEMON: -- is not only an incredible personal achievement but a long journey in the making. McFadden tweeting out after the race, "I can't believe it."

Her NYC marathon win puts McFadden in a category all to herself, becoming the first person to win a wheelchair grand slam in the same year, winning four marathons -- Boston, Chicago, London and now New York. In fact, McFadden in Boston crossed the finish line just hours before the bombing.

So after claiming her next victory in London, the paralympic athlete went back to do what she could for those in need.

MCFADDEN: I faced many challenges in, you know, in the past and probably many more challenges in the future. And I wanted to go back to Boston and really -- and really visit those who were injured and saying, you know, there's hope and there's light in the future. And if you're missing limbs, you know, you're still not missing out on life.

LEMON: Today when she is not winning gold, McFadden is also on track to graduate from the University of Illinois in December. Her training is rigorous, hours inside the gym doing strength training, and then it's back on road. It's a venue where she continues to defy the odds and win the hearts and minds of her fans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: She is amazing. Congratulations, Tatyana McFadden. You have inspired me to get in better shape. Right? With nothing to complain about.

Rosa Flores is sitting next to me.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know.

LEMON: We were just saying, nothing to complain about.

FLORES: I know. I'm so inspired. Let's go for a run, Don.

LEMON: Yes. Yes. You're here, you're going to talk about the futuristic, the cute, the deeply moving. We just heard the inspirational. You have some other stories that are making news around the world.

FLORES: Yes, and I'm wondering if this first story -- we're going to start in China. If we're ever going to see this in our lifetime, Don.

LEMON: All right.

FLORES: Check this out. It's an unmanned car competition. It's a three-day smart car challenge where 18 unmanned vehicles drive through an 18-kilometer circuit of complex road conditions and in China's Jiangsu Province. They were assessed in traffic, signal recognition, construction detours. I would fail on that one, Don. Obstacle avoidance and the end stop.

Now some of the participants are from Chinese and foreign universities.

Now, Don, you've got to prepare it say, ah, about this next --

LEMON: Not about the car, right?

FLORES: No, not about the car. It's about this next story. You've got to meet Xiangcheng, the 26-month-old female panda cub. Are you ready to say ah?

(LAUGHTER)

Now the little cub is going to be released into the wild after more than two years of wildlife training in southwest China's Sichuan Province to minimize human intervention.

Now here's the crux of the story, Don.

LEMON: Yes.

FLORES: With that cub, researchers put on panda costumes while interacting with her in this mocked wilderness environment.

Would you do it, Don?

LEMON: No. Because they look really cute but they will bite your heads.

FLORES: Right. Right.

LEMON: They will claw you. Yes. Yes.

FLORES: When they are small.

LEMON: Yes.

FLORES: And they're nice and cuddly. Now the cub has learned basic skills like gathering food, finding water, they're going to find enemies. All of course in time for her release next week.

LEMON: OK.

FLORES: Now, Don.

LEMON: Yes.

FLORES: This next story is about another animal. That perhaps you've seen since you're from Louisiana.

LEMON: Is this -- the animal story?

(LAUGHTER)

FLORES: This one is not in its natural habitat. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: No way.

FLORES: An alligator, folks, at O'Hare Airport. Now the woman you just heard from called for help and dispatchers, on the other end, couldn't believe what she was talking about. They couldn't believe what he was hearing. And of course the alligator was hanging out in terminal three by the escalators.

The Department of Aviation workers caught the alligators using a broom and a dust pan. Now Chicago Police held it for animal control. How the alligators got there is still under investigation. And the plan is to give it away to a reptile park.

LEMON: Oh my gosh.

FLORES: Now we really switch gears here for this story because it's -- I assure you it's going to pull at your heart strings. So take my advice on this one. Take a close look at your screen and also listen closely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And ladies and gentlemen, apparently we're going through the -- there was water slick when the (INAUDIBLE) all you on board.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Just in case you missed it, folks, that was a pilot of a flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles letting passengers know that the fire trucks outside their window were giving the plane a water salute for the warrior on board. Now the plane was transporting a fallen soldier.

The plane had a full police escort which included the family of the soldier. Other passengers also say that no one got out of their seats. Everyone watched that flag-draped casket descend from the plane. One military officer told passengers, everyone on that flight was an escort at heart.

Such a tough story. You know, and one other passenger mentioned, we hope that this is the last plane that brings back a soldier.

LEMON: Yes. It's always -- I had been in that situation before and it's always -- it's very heart-wrenching and it's also quite ironic and can be heartwarming at the same time when you see how people react to our heroes who sadly had lost their lives overseas.

FLORES: I know. It's so sad.

LEMON: Yes.

FLORES: And for all the veterans and the families who are watching, thank you so much for your service.

LEMON: Yes. Absolutely. Thank you. Appreciate it, Rosa.

The coach of the Denver Broncos sidelined by a heart problem. What doctors are saying about heart valve replacement and what it could mean for the team, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Some folks along the East Coast were lucky enough to catch part of a solar eclipse today. That is, if you didn't -- it lasted less than two minutes at sunrise. And check out these pictures from an iReporter in New Jersey. The East Coast could only see a partial eclipse but the moon shadow cast a total eclipse that could be seen from the Atlantic Ocean to Africa.

Isn't that cool?

According to space.com, it was a rare event that started as a ring of fire and turned into a total eclipse of the sun. No Bonnie Hart right now.

Denver Broncos enjoying a stellar 7-1 season. Will be losing Coach John Fox for several weeks. Fox became ill in North Carolina yesterday during the Broncos' bi-week. He is now in a Charlotte Hospital awaiting surgery to replace a defective heart valve.

And just a short time ago, I spoke with a cardiologist about Coach Fox's condition and I asked what he'll likely face in the operating room.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. STEVEN REISMAN, CARDIOLOGIST: That's the aortic valve. Blood is being ejected through the rest of the body through that valve. When it gets to nose, blood cannot get out freely and it's partially blocked. When it's partially blocked one can develop symptoms of shortness of breath, chest pain, light headed.

LEMON: Do they put a stint in? REISMAN: No. No. What they're going to do is probably replace this valve. Now this is different than a heart attack which is one of the blood vessels if the heart gets blocked, and that's a very urgent three or four hours --

LEMON: So when they replace that valve, that allows the blood to flow.

REISMAN: When they replace that valve, it should open up normally, and should -- and the symptoms that he has of aortic but I guess it's aortic stenosis should go away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Dr. Reisman says if the surgery goes well he believes Coach FOX could be back -- back to work in January in time for the Super Bowl. We're going to see if the Broncos make it that far, though.

Next, he is the hero of the World Series. But is David Ortiz finding a way to, shall we say, boost his performance? That's what some skeptics are saying. We're talking about that with -- and everything else, a sports know-it-all, next. But first, this --

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Someday soon anyone could be like Tony Stark in the movie "Iron Man," manipulating 3-D images in thin air. A Silicon Valley startup called Meta is creating augmented reality glasses that will allow you to interact with virtual objects in the real world.

MERON GRIBETZ, META FOUNDER AND CEO: It elicits this very magical effect where you could literally just place holograms on the real world. Reach out and touch them with your hands.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Twenty-eight-year-old Meron Gribetz founded Meta in 2012. He lives and works with a team of 25 employees in a Los Altos mansion to create what he's calling the next generation of wearable computers.

GRIBETZ: This fundamental game-changer allows you to take your phone, tablet and soon, personal computer, and project them in 3-D in your environment when they are not actually there.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How would it work?

GRIBETZ: So the 3-D output display allows you to see the holograms in 3-D. And the 3-D scanner scans your environment and tells the computer where to place the 3-D graphics relative to the user and the world.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: As this video provided by Meta shows, the glasses could be used to sculpt a virtual vase with your fingers or play laser tag with your friends. Unlike Google Glass, which has a smaller screen, controlled mostly by your voice, Meta glasses could one day have an infinite screen controlled by your hand. GRIBETZ: It really represents a huge shift from 2-D computing.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The company says the first version will be available in December for about $700. Within two years, Gribetz says the glasses will be as sleek as a pair of Ray-Bans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Denver Broncos head Coach Fox is in a North Carolina hospital. He needs a heart valve replacement. That's a serious procedure and it could have a big impact on his team as well.

Want to talk about it now with Terence Moore, he is a sports contributor to CNN.com and a columnist for MLB.com.

You know, Terence, John Fox's health is a concern, of course. And we wish him the best. But as a sports story, it's a big deal for the Broncos as well. They are 7-1 and having a great season. How will this affect the team?

TERENCE MOORE, CNN.COM SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: You know what, Don, I don't hear very many people, if anybody, talking about this. But this has happened before in the National Football League. As a matter of fact, right here in Atlanta, Georgia.

Back in 1998, the Atlanta Falcons got off to 12-2 start. And their head coach at the time was a guy by the name of Dan Reeves. And Dan Reeves was having chest pains, turns out he needed open heart surgery. Missed about three weeks, just three weeks, comes back for the NFC championship game. Coached that game. It was a thriller.

His heart held out. They go to Super Bowl and here's the rest of the story. He coached another five years in the National Football League. He was 54 at the time. John Fox is 58. A very similar scenario here.

LEMON: Who is going to fill in for Fox? Any idea?

MOORE: Well, I mean, to continue that Falcons theme here, back then the defensive coordinator took over for Dan Reeves. And right now they're talking about the defensive coordinate for Denver, a guy by the name of Jack Del Rio, Jack Del Rio, who is also head coach at Jacksonville back in the day.

Not a very good one, I might add. But at this point, you've got Peyton Manning as your quarterback, you just need somebody who can fog up the mirror until John Fox can get back --

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: I like that. Fog up the mirror. Yes. Keep them warm. Right. So let's stay with the NFL here. Miami Dolphins' Jonathan Martin, this week, he left the team after an apparent prank in the cafeteria. There were reports that he was bullied by teammates. Today the team issued a statement saying in part, "Our primary concern for Jonathan is his overall health and well-being. As an organization we take any accusations of player misconduct seriously. The notion of bullying is based on speculation that has not been presented to us as a concern for Jonathan or anyone else internally."

What do you make of this story?

MOORE: Well, I mean, let's put this in perspective. I've done reporting on this over the last couple of days. And let's start with this. This is more so emotional and mental bullying than physical. But it's still bullying nonetheless. And Jonathan Martin, OK, let's put this in perspective of what this guy is like.

This guy is from Stanford. He's a very cerebral guy. He is also a guy who -- let's put it delicately -- is not very outgoing as a matter of fact, in some circles in that locker room, his nickname is the big weirdo.

So you put all of this together, there is an incident that took place earlier this week that nobody's talking about, but it was enough to make him a mental mess, which is why he walked away from the team.

LEMON: Yes.

MOORE: And speaking of a mess, this entire thing is a mess.

LEMON: All right. Terence, I'm running short on time. But I really want to ask you about this. Let's talk about the World Series. Congratulations to Boston. Of course, David Ortiz was the series MVP. He batted .688, .688 in the series. And he's is now a folk hero in New England. But some skeptics are wondering if he had some help back in 2003. The "New York Times" reported that he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.

What are we looking at here?

MOORE: Well, I mean, several things. Last year, a lot of people thought his career was over because of an Achilles tendon injury. OK? He's about to turn 38 which is a dinosaur age for athletes. Normally when guys retire, then they have this World Series out of nowhere, for the ages, as a matter of fact, there were times he was running around the bases, I thought he was Carl Lewis in his prime. OK?

And this might be unfair to say, but he is also from the Dominican Republic. A lot of players from the Dominican Republic has tested positive for steroids. So you add that to what you said about the "New York Times" report, where they said that he tested positive, you've got to suspect that he wasn't just eating all of his vegetables to do this. So the suspicions are justified.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: All right. So you're a hall of fame voter, yes or no, yes or no. Would you vote for him for the hall of fame?

MOORE: You know --

(CROSSTALK)

MOORE: It says character and integrity, I'm not voting for any steroid guys with anything that's close to a good hint that they used steroids. So your answer is -- the answer to that question is no.

LEMON: Thank you. Appreciate it, Terence.

MOORE: Thank you.

LEMON: Hello, everyone. Don Lemon here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thank you so much for joining us.