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Meningitis Outbreak Strikes Princeton; Toronto Strips Some Power from Mayor; Body of Vanished Family Found; Interview with Karen Stintz; Aid Rushing to the Philippines After Storm Hit; How Can Obama Save His Second Term; Rare Kennedy Tapes Recovered; Inside Devil's Den Sinkhole

Aired November 16, 2013 - 13:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Here are the top stories that we're following in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Thanksgiving break is just around the corner. But Princeton University students may need to get an emergency vaccine before going home to help stop the spread of a rare and dangerous strain of meningitis.

Plus Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has admitted to smoking crack, buying drugs and drinking himself into a stupor, but as his city council votes to limit his powers, Ford is apologizing but not backing down.

And it's been three years since a California family mysteriously vanished. Now the search is over but there still remain questions.

First up that meningitis outbreak on the campus of Princeton University. The school and government health officials are taking it extremely seriously. Here's why. It involves a rare strain of the bacterial disease that can be deadly and there's no vaccine available in this country. That's why the federal government is looking overseas for help.

Alexandra Field is live for us now at Princeton.

So, Alexandra, what are government officials doing, to what extent are they trying to make this vaccine available?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're talking about a few solutions right now, Fredricka. As you said, there is no meningitis B vaccine that is approved and allowed in this country but there is an approved vaccine that's in use in Australia and in Europe.

Now the FDA has cleared one major hurdle that could bring that vaccine here to Princeton University where there have been seven confirmed cases in recent months of meningitis B. The FDA is saying the vaccine could be imported and reach this campus as part of a drug trial program, but it is up to the university to decide whether or not they would want to have the vaccine here.

That's something that trustees are discussing this weekend. We asked students whether they might be interested in using the vaccine if it came here, and here's what they had to say. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAUREN SONG, PRINCETON SENIOR: I think I would first see what they decide and then kind of do more research on my own.

TYLER TAMASI, PRINCETON JUNIOR: I trust the vaccine, as long as it's approved in Europe and Australia. It gives me confidence in the fact that it works, I guess. I probably wouldn't get it at the moment, like I said, I'm not too worried about the whole meningitis outbreak yet. So if Princeton starts vaccinating students, I don't know if I'd be first in line for it. But I mean, it's an interesting option.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: Again, the trustees have not yet issued any decision on whether or not the vaccine could be available. If it is made available, it would be here for up to 8,000 students.

The students tell us that the school has kept them informed of any updates concerning a meningitis B outbreak since the first case materialized back in March. They said they have been receiving e- mails mostly -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Alexandra Field, thanks so much.

All right. Now to the latest on the mayor of Toronto. The city council has had enough. Members voted to strip Mayor Rob Ford of some of his key powers. An unprecedented move in that city.

This comes after Ford admitted to smoking crack and going on drinking binges. And even though he is accused of associating with prostitutes and even made lewd sexual comments in front of television cameras this week, Ford's wife is standing by him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you think he should step down, Mrs. Ford?

RENATA FORD, TORONTO MAYOR'S WIFE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you think he should take a leave of absence?

R. FORD: That's why we have elections.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you think he should at least take some personal time? Should he at least take a little personal time?

R. FORD: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. So what is next for Mayor Ford?

Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson in Toronto today. So, Nic, you spoke with Rob Ford's brother who was also on the city council. What is next? How -- how and why are they remaining in this fight?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they plan to continue to fight, even if it means dipping in the mayor's own pocket to pay for his legal costs. As this goes on, they could mount substantially. But as it goes on, more and more details emerge about allegations about not only the mayor but what his family members might have been doing in their past, and I asked his brother, wasn't all this just becoming humiliating, and what's it going to do to the family's political legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG FORD, TORONTO MAYOR'S BROTHER : I think our legacy is going to be pretty solid based on how Rob performs. You're going to look at a family that doesn't need to be doing this, that has actually sacrificed massive amounts of time, money, their business to serve the people.

ROBERTSON: Aren't you worried about his health with all this additional stress, not just the public and not just counselors but the family are riding here, too.

D. FORD: Yes. Well, I am confident that the people that actually know us understand what we have done for our community.

ROBERTSON: Your brother's health.

D. FORD: That's right. The priority obviously his health. Health comes first over anything. You don't have your health, you have nothing, so we're confident that Rob is going to move forward and only time will tell. If I sit here and tell you 100 percent Rob Ford is going to be perfect, I can't tell you that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: He can't say that his brother is going to be 100 percent perfect, that he will get through this OK. So his brother is getting support, says his brother does have a drink problem, but interesting that the mayor's own brother really isn't sure if it will be OK in the end here -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, and then talk about Monday because city council is not finished yet. They say there's still some business to attend to.

ROBERTSON: City council planning to take more votes, strip more powers from the mayor, take away some of his money, take away some of his staff, give more power to the deputy mayor. Monday also the day that the -- that the mayor and his brother debut in an hour-long talk show. I talked to his brother about that. He said they don't go in scripted, it comes right off the cuff. Maybe some more interesting comments to hear on that as well -- Fred. WHITFIELD: I'm sure people are banking on it as well as that cable television station as to why they extended them the offer in the first place.

All right. Nic Robertson, thanks so much.

So the Ford brothers may expect public opinion to swing back in their favor, but not everyone agrees. Coming up in just a few minutes, we'll be talking to a member of the Toronto City Council to find out why she voted to strip the mayor of his powers.

All right. Now to a troubling case out of Alabama where a convicted child rapist is not going to face any jail time. Twenty-five-year-old Austin Clem was found guilty of first-degree rape, but the judge sentenced him to two years in a community corrections program. Not surprisingly, the victim Courtney Andrews, who is now 20, is shocked and outraged.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COURTNEY ANDREWS, RAPE VICTIM: And he gets to stay home with his three little girls and it scares the crap out of me.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You're scared for their safety?

ANDREWS: Because what's been done to me is done, but I don't want anybody else being hurt because I know what it feels like to be scared, like your life is being threatened and to have so many things taken away from you. I had to grow up when I was 13 years old, I didn't have a childhood. I don't want that for anyone else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The county's district attorney told CNN that he is reviewing options to set aside this sentence and get justice for the victim.

All right. Jay-Z says he is keeping his partnership with Barney's, New York, the store in Manhattan. The hip-hop artist and entrepreneur had been criticized after Barney's was accused of racially profiling two black customers at its Manhattan flagship store. Well, Jay-Z says he will sit on a special council set up with Barney's to deal with the issue of racial profiling. In a statement, he said, quote, that he is in a unique position to effect change at the high-end retailer.

A big reveal first seen on CNN this morning. "Automobile" magazine taking the wraps off its 2014 Automobile of the Year, and there it is. The chosen car is a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. Boy, what a transformation. The new Corvette has more power and better fuel economy than last year's model.

CNN Money took a test drive and found the car to be quicker. I guess so, in Manhattan, too, with a higher quality interior design. Did they like rig all the traffic lights perhaps so they can see how fast it goes? Prices for the Base Stingray start at just under $52,000.

Pretty color, too.

All right. Part of a mystery now solved. More than three years after being reported missing, the bodies of a couple and their two children have been found. Still, so many questions. Police say Joseph and Summer McStay, along with two bodies, believed to be their sons, were buried in a shallow grave in a desert near Los Angeles.

Nick Valencia joining me live now.

So, Nick, while they know that this family has been located three years after, they still don't know how they ended up in this situation. Who was after them. Because authorities do say that they were killed.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And this investigation is far from over.

I want to give a little context to our viewers, take it back to March 2010 when the family was first reported missing. Investigators did eventually go over that house, and all signs pointed to the family leaving on their own accord. In fact investigators were baffled by what they found inside -- eggs on the counter, their dogs were still there, popcorn still on the table. And also in their search on a hard drive, they found research into child passports going into Mexico as well as travel into Mexico.

Now authorities initially believed, Fred, that this family crossed into Mexico, in fact, they saw -- they said there is grainy video of this family crossing into Mexico. You see that video there. Now the family of these victims, they say that's not the case, that if this family were to have crossed, it would have been because they were in trouble, but they doubt that that family crossed.

Yesterday the brother of the husband who was found killed in one of these shallow graves, he spoke at a press conference and talked about how emotional this discovery was for him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL MCSTAY, JOSEPH MCSTAY'S BROTHER: It gives us courage to know that they're together. And they're in a better place. My family appreciates all the support and the love that we've been shown.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: So lots of questions still -- obviously still very painful for the family.

WHITFIELD: Indeed. So now what for this investigation? I mean, how many resources would be poured into what happened to this family, how were they killed, who might be involved?

VALENCIA: Well, there's local authorities as well as the sheriff. And they also still need to consider DNA testing for the two children. They identified the mother and the father, they're still working to confirm the identities of those children, though they believe that it is the family of four that were discovered in the shallow grave. Miles away from their San Diego home, they were discovered closer to Los Angeles. So it really doesn't match up.

WHITFIELD: Miles away from the vehicle.

VALENCIA: That's right. Miles away from their vehicle, miles away from their home. And it really doesn't match up if that grainy video was purportedly the family crossing to Mexico. There's just so many questions that remain unanswered in this investigation, which is why the family is just sort of scratching their heads. They still don't have full closure yet -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And it's terribly heart-breaking. All right. Thanks so much, Nick Valencia.

VALENCIA: You bet.

WHITFIELD: For bringing that to us.

And of course if you want to learn more about it, just go to CNN.com.

All right. Coming up, in a minute, I'll talk to a city council member from Toronto, among the council that decided to remove powers from this mayor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, now back to Toronto where the city council has moved to strip Mayor Rob Ford of some of his key powers. The action came after the mayor admitted to smoking crack cocaine and going on drinking binges. Ford also defended himself against sexual harassment allegations and shocked Canadians by making lewd comments in front of cameras.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ROB FORD, TORONTO: The last thing was Olivia Gondek said that I wanted to eat her (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Have never said that in my life to her, I would never do that. I am happily married, I've got more than enough to eat at home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. What's next for Rob Ford and the city of Toronto. I'm joined now by Karen Stintz. She's one of the city council members in Toronto who voted to strip the mayor of some of his powers.

So tell me about this vote coming up this week in a moment. But first tell me why you decided to strip him of the powers and how you believe that will, I guess, keep him from continuing to be a mayor.

KAREN STINTZ, CITY OF TORONTO COUNCIL: Yes. We -- thank you for having me on. We decided as council that we did need to take some action to restore some order back into city hall. We decided we needed to strip the powers of the mayor to appoint his deputy -- deputy mayor and also in the instance of an emergency, we didn't want the mayor to be in a decision making capacity, that we wanted our deputy mayor to actually take over those functions.

WHITFIELD: So is he not in a position now where he can argue that -- you know, the legislative branch is now kind of taking over executive branch authority and that city council really doesn't have the legal right to do this?

STINTZ: No, he can't actually. The -- in Toronto we don't have a strong mayor system. The mayor is only one vote on council. So we acted within our authority because we felt that the mayor wasn't actually representing the city. Toronto is a great city, we're a safe city, we have the third largest transit system. We have an incredible city and our mayor's behavior is not reflecting the city very well, and we felt as a council that we needed to make sure that we were in charge of the agenda and that we could be in charge of the decision making moving forward.

WHITFIELD: And what is likely to happen on Monday? I understand the city council will yet again try to remove more powers. To what extent?

STINTZ: Now what we are going to do is effectively ask the deputy mayor to step in, in the role of mayor. And so we will allocate the staff to the deputy mayor, we will allocate all the functions that we can to deputy mayor so that Norm Kelly can effectively represent our city because as a council, and a large majority of Torontonians, believe that the mayor can no longer do that on our behalf.

WHITFIELD: And I'm sorry, you said you'll ask the deputy mayor to step in? It's a request, and has that deputy mayor already expressed that he or she wants to do that?

STINTZ: Yes, he does, yes. The deputy mayor understands why we're taking these steps. And so once we take these final steps on Monday effectively we will be -- putting the deputy mayor in a position to represent the city instead of the mayor.

WHITFIELD: So what's your greatest worry here about how this city can restore its reputation? Because from this point on it really will forever it seems be known as, you know, the city whose mayor was smoking crack cocaine and going on binge drinking.

STINTZ: Well -- and that's why council felt so strongly that we needed to remove the powers from the mayor because this man, he's only one man, and he doesn't reflect our city. As I said, we have a great city. 2.7 million residents. We're building more condos than any other city in the nation. We have the third largest transit system, we have one of the safest cities in North America. And the behavior and the conduct of this mayor does not reflect the city and that's why we took the steps that we did.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then do I understand it correctly that you hope to run for mayor of Toronto?

STINTZ: Yes. I actually expressed my intention to run for mayor about five or six weeks ago because I didn't think the mayor was doing a very good job then, and his behavior as of late has certainly led me to the conclusion that he's not fit for office, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming election in 2014.

WHITFIELD: All right. Karen Stintz, thanks so much for your time. All the best.

STINTZ: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up, Anderson Cooper is in the Philippines covering typhoon Haiyan. His emotional response to criticism by some locals next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: More than a week after a typhoon slammed into the Philippines, aid is still finding its way into the hardest-hit and most remote areas. The death toll now above 3500. And people who initially survived are dying because they don't have access to proper medical care.

The American Red Cross says it has raised about $11 million. And today, a senior U.S. military official said about 9,000 troops are supporting relief operations in the Philippines.

Our Anderson Cooper has been covering the catastrophe live from the Philippines all week long. He and other international reporters have been criticized by Philippine broadcasters for inaccuracy and the Philippine president has asked the media to focus on stories that show how strong the Filipino people are.

Here now is Anderson's powerful response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, ANCHOR, CNN'S AC 360: If you've been watching our coverage over the past week, you know that we've been on the ground in Tacloban and elsewhere trying to be as accurate as possible. Accuracy is what we care most about here at CNN, and giving information that might actually help people on the ground and help the relief effort in some way become more efficient.

In our reporting it seems though here in the Philippines has become something of a political issue at times. A broadcaster, a radio broadcaster named Korina Sanchez has apparently taken issue with some of my reporting. She also is not just a radio broadcaster, she happens to be the wife of the interior minister who's overseeing the relief effort on the ground.

Miss Sanchez seems to be under the mistaken impression that I said I saw no presence of the Philippine government on the ground in Tacloban. I never said that. Obviously I have been on the ground in Tacloban for days and I've, in fact, interviewed a very heroic Philippine Navy captain, Captain Santiago, who's going out and helping people. I've seen the work that's being done and the work that isn't being done, perhaps even as importantly. Miss Sanchez is welcome to go there, and I would urge her to go there. I don't know if she has but her husband is the Interior minister. I'm sure she could arrange a flight.

Here is the broadcast that I think she thinks I said something that I didn't say in. Here is what I actually said.

As for who exactly is in charge of the Philippine side of this operation, that is not really clear. I mean, we -- I'm just surprised that I haven't -- I haven't -- I expected on this day five, I thought I had maybe gotten here very late that things would be well in hand. It does not seem like that. People are desperate. People do not have any place for shelter. There is -- it's very difficult for people to get food. Neighbors are helping out neighbors. Water is in short supply. It is -- it is a very, very bad situation here.

And let's remember, I was showing you a clinic several days ago that was at the airport that the doctors there said they didn't have enough food, they didn't have enough water for the hundreds of people they were seeing every single day, that they didn't have enough medical supplies.

That's a clinic at the airport. If any clinic in the entire disaster zone should be able to receive aid quickly and easily, it's the clinic at the airport and they were not getting it. I don't know what the situation is there today. I certainly pray to God that it is a better situation than it was even two days ago.

The president of the Philippines has also counseled foreign journalists that they should be accurate in their reports and we certainly appreciate that counsel. Accuracy is what we strive for. I read in the paper today, it's the first time I've been able to read the news. The president also said in a speech that the media should use a role to uplift the spirits of the Filipino people to find stories of resilience, of hope, of faith, and show the world how strong the Filipino people are.

I would actually say that all week long in every report we have done, we have shown how strong the Filipino people are. The Filipino people, the people of Tacloban and Samar and Cebu and all these places where so many have died, they are strong not just to have survived this storm, but they are strong to have survived the aftermath of this storm. They have survived for a week now often with very little food, with very little water, with very little medical attention.

Can you imagine the strength it takes to be living in a -- in a shack, to be living sleeping on the streets next to the body of your dead children? Can you imagine that strength? I can't. And I've seen that strength day in and day out here in the Philippines. And we honor them with every broadcast that we do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And if you want to help victims impacted by the typhoon, go to our special "Impact Your World" Web site at CNN.com/impact. All right. It was supposed to be his crowning achievement as president, but Obamacare may end up being Barack Obama's biggest defeat and lasting legacy. All of that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: President Obama is working to get the Affordable Care Act up and running without any technical problems or controversy over canceled insurance policies. Yesterday he met with insurance CEOs to get them on board with his plan for a one-year extension on policies that were canceled. The president says once all the problems are resolved, he is confident his signature health care law will be embraced by Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We know the demand is out there for that. We had -- despite all of the problems with the Web site, over a million people applied. Many multiples of that wanted to see what options were available.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A day earlier, the president delivered a mea culpa and took responsibility for the missteps on Obamacare.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: That's on me. I mean, we fumbled the rollout on this health care law. There are a whole bunch of things about it that are working really well, which people didn't notice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So now the big question is, can the president save his second term? I am joined now by CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein and presidential historian Allen Lichtman who also ran for Congress in 2006 as a Democrat.

Good to see both of you.

ROB BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: So, Ron, you first. How damaging is this for Democrats and the president that you have people in the party that are showing little support or now distancing themselves in large part for the sake of mid terms? You've got 39 Democrats in the House who voted for a Republican plan. How's it feating?

BROWNSTEIN: It's potentially very damaging unless they can stabilize the system and public assessments of the system. The reality, Fred, is we're living in a more parliamentary era in our politics where people voting more for the party and less for the individual. And if Obama cannot restore more public faith in his administration and his leadership, that's going to hurt Democrats in 2014 and 2016. He still has time to move -- WHITFIELD: And how does he do that?

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: I mean, really, how does he that?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Because, you know, visiting various cities and, you know, professing, you know, I made some mistakes, I'm going to fix the problem, this is going to be good for you, that doesn't seem like that's going to be enough.

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, the short answer is they have to make this work. The answer to almost all their problems to the extent they have answers are getting more people signed up through the system and creating a constituency for this program. They face doubts all the way through as Allen, I think, will agree in polling about whether this will benefit me and my family.

They've never been able to get a majority of Americans to say that. What they need is to -- is to produce evidence that in fact this will tangibly benefit voters who are skeptical of many of the things government tries to do.

WHITFIELD: And, Professor, you know, are these problems, the problems at hand with Obamacare really going to define this president's second term?

ALLAN LICHTMAN, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: Well, they could. But all of this talk about the president being finished and doomed, you know, these instant punditry statements are almost always wrong. Just a month ago they were talking about the Republicans being --

WHITFIELD: Right, with the government shutdown.

LICHTMAN: Yes. So things change very rapidly, particularly in the international arena. And let's not forget, remember what Bill Clinton said, it's the economy, stupid. If the economy improves, and as Ron points out, if he can salvage something out of this health care bill, things could turn around dramatically.

But let's step back a moment because we're too consumed with this idea who's up and who's down at the moment. What's really going on here is a fundamental breakdown, not of Obama, not of Congress, but of the entire government. We have a government that simply isn't functioning to meet our most serious problems.

Immigration reform, which seems like it's so obvious, the American people are behind it. That's stalled. We're doing absolutely nothing on what may be humanity's greatest challenge, catastrophic climate change, and the Republicans aren't willing to work with the president to fix the Affordable Care Act, they just want to scuttle it. Social Security --

WHITFIELD: But then -- but then all of these things --

LICHTMAN: -- was it (INAUDIBLE) numerous times. BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All of these things do become roadblocks in the next three years of this White House. You're talking about immigration reform, you're talking about real roadblocks with confirmation hearings, we're seeing that already from the federal appellate court level, and then perhaps even, you know, Federal Reserve.

So, Ron, I mean, this president wants to get things done. Everybody -- I would imagine every American wants to get things done, but we're hearing an awful lot about roadblocks and how things may not get done under this presidency.

BROWNSTEIN: Right. Well, the stalemate that Allen describes is very real. And it fundamentally reflects we have two coalitions that are very different in their top position and their demography and their ideology, who have very different visions for the country, and neither one of which has the strength really to impose its agenda on the other, and they're having enormous difficulty finding areas of compromise.

The reality was the legislative window for the president's second term was pretty narrow to begin with, given the fact that Republicans are very resistant to what he wants to do and are mostly barricaded into very safely conservative districts where he had very little leverage to begin with. Now as his approval rating declines and you see Democrats particularly from the marginal areas are becoming kind of more antsy, his leverage declines even further.

And it increases the odds that we live through the stalemate. It is a fundamental stalemate that is making it very difficult to move forward on any of the problems and others that Allen mentioned.

WHITFIELD: Allen Lichtman, Ron Brownstein, thanks so much, gentlemen, always good to see you. Appreciate that.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you, Fred.

LICHTMAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fifty years after his death, newly discovered audiotapes from Air Force One revealing what happened as JFK was flown back to D.C. What LBJ said to the president's mother just might shock you, that's next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. A look at what's trending right now.

Donations are pouring in from around the world after a New Jersey waitress vented on Facebook about a homophobic note that she got from a customer. The customer wrote that they would not tip because they didn't approve of her gay lifestyle. Dana Morales who served in the Marine Corps for over two years says she has received more than $2,000 from supporters. And demolition began Friday in Florida on two homes that got swallowed by a sinkhole. Local officials are keeping a close eye on how big the sinkhole is growing. Authorities evacuated several other homes nearby. Straight ahead, we'll show you what it's like inside of a sinkhole.

And next Friday marks the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, along with former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, will visit Kennedy's gravesite on Wednesday to honor his legacy.

The day President Kennedy was assassinated, there were urgent messages exchanged between the Air Force Command Center and the White House, and a lot of it got recorded on tape. Rare recordings that have only now been recovered from a general's personal effects.

Chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As history and tragedy were unfolding at Dealey Plaza, radio and telephone communications squawked between the Air Force Command Center, the White House, and Air Force One.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wayside, this is SITUATION ROOM. I read from the AP bulletin that Kennedy apparently shot in the head, he fell face down in the backseat of his car, blood was on his head. Mrs. Kennedy cried oh, no, and tried to hold up his head.

TAPPER: Earlier this year these rare audio recordings were discovered in the personal effects of General Chestor Clifton Jr., a military aide to John F. Kennedy.

ED PRIMEAU, FORENSIC AUDIO AND VIDEO EXPERT: They want a post mortem that needs to be done under law at Walter Reed.

TAPPER: Forensic audio and video expert Ed Primo was tasked with re- mastering and piecing together the new tape with older, incomplete copies.

PRIMEAU: It's spine tingling. It gives you goose bumps when you listen to it.

TAPPER: The result is an unflinching account of history unfolding in real time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president is dead. Is that correct? That is correct. That is correct.

PRIMEAU: We're hearing several commanders communicating logistical information about interrupting everybody's plans because the president was assassinated and what it is going to take to get them to all come together and deal with this disaster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president is on board. The body is on board, and Mrs. Kennedy is on board.

TAPPER: On the tapes, you can hear the military using code names. LBJ is volunteer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're waiting for the swearing in at the plane before takeoff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of the -- that's Volunteer?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.

TAPPER: That swearing in aboard Air Force One produced this iconic image of LBJ, with a shaken Jackie Kennedy by his side. And after Air Force One was in the air, crews could be heard scrambling to sort out logistics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The casket is in the rear compartment and we suggest because it is so heavy that we have a forklift, a forklift back there to remove the casket.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Volunteer wants a patch with Mrs. Rose as soon as possible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With Mrs. Rose Kennedy. Roger.

TAPPER: You can hear LBJ passing on condolences to JFK's mother Rose Kennedy.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON, FORMER PRESIDENT: Well, I wish to God there was something I could do. And I want to tell you that we are grieving with you.

ROSE KENNEDY, JFK'S MOTHER: Yes. Well, thank you very much. Thank you very much, I know. I know that you loved Jack and he loves you.

TAPPER: To Primeau, just as interesting as what is on the tapes is what is not. There are a number of obvious edits.

PRIMEAU: I think it's pretty simple. Whoever created the tapes had certain parts of the conversations they didn't want anybody to hear.

JOHN MCADAMS, MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY: It's good for people to listen for themselves and see how things develop. Sometimes see the roughness of history.

TAPPER: John McAdams is a political science professor at Marquette University. He says these recordings are not likely to be the last pieces of history to surface even 50 years after the assassination.

MCADAMS: The truth is a lot of stuff fell between the cracks. This particular tape which was in the possession of General Clifton took almost a half century to show up. The historical record on all kinds of fronts is a bit more ragged than one might think.

TAPPER: Jake Tapper, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And be sure to watch CNN Sunday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern for the CNN film "The Assassination of President Kennedy."

All right. In Miami, some fans are calling for the Dolphins' GM to get the boot. It's just the latest fallout from the investigation into alleged bullying. NFL investigators talked to Jonathan Martin for almost seven hours. The details straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Lawyers for the NFL had a long talk with Miami Dolphins player Jonathan Martin yesterday. Nearly seven hours, Martin was in New York, where he details the abuse he says he suffered in the locker room. Fellow player Richie Incognito has been suspended accused of harassing Martin. And despite all the controversy, Martin says he wants to play again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN MARTIN, MIAMI DOLPHINS PLAYER: Do, however, look forward to speaking directly with Steven Ross, Tom Garfinkel and the Dolphins organization at the appropriate time. This is the right way to handle the matter. Beyond that, I look forward to working through the process and resuming my career in the National Football League.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. The episode has fans in an uproar, particularly in Miami, especially with the team losing five of their last six games. Some even want the general manager fired.

Let's bring in Patrick Rishe, an economics professor and contributor with the sports section of "Forbes."

Good to see you.

PATRICK RISHE, CONTRIBUTOR, FORBES: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. You're joining us from another NFL big town, St. Louis. So we know the team has to handle internally the whole issue of bullying, but what kind of economic impact on the Dolphins organization might this be having as it pertains to this losing streak as the fans, ticket sales, image, all of that?

RISHE: Well, there's no question, Fredricka, that there could be a short-term loss aside from legal repercussions, and I think that if Jonathan Martin is indeed found to have been wronged, that there will be some legal repercussions, and he'll be owed all of his contract. But you mentioned the ticket side of things. The Dolphins have done very poorly at the gate the last two years.

This year they started off well and there was about 5,000 more fans a game, which means more ticket sales, concession, parking, and so forth. And my estimation is that if they see things go downhill the rest of this season, then they're going to see that attendance fall back to where it was the last few years. And that means $4 or $5 million lost that they otherwise could have earned.

WHITFIELD: And then there's a lot of pressure coming from whether it'd be from fans, whether it'd be some sports analysts, a whole lot of people who are saying, you know what someone is to blame here, someone has to be held culpable. And the GM and the coach of the team are among those that some say need to be fired.

RISHE: Fredricka, there's no question in my mind Steven Ross has to look at this situation very carefully. He is running a business, and with the ethnic slurs that took place, Richie Incognito last year, it is coming out he was involved in a fondling scandal, where he fondled a female volunteer at a golf event, and then after that he was appointed to leadership council of the Dolphins team.

So these sorts of things look really badly. You have to worry as the owner, am I going to scare off my African-American fans, my female fans, and more importantly how about the free agents? If you don't have leadership in house, why would free agents come to Miami. So he's got to clean house.

WHITFIELD: All right. Patrick Rishe, thanks so much, from St. Louis.

RISHE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Speaking of Florida, but in a whole different way, Florida has a big hole in it right now. Take a look at this home literally swallowed by another sinkhole. And it is not only happening in the sunshine state. We will show you where else when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Next on CNN, "YOUR MONEY." CNN chief business correspondent Christine Romans has a preview.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. Tiki barber and a former Wall Street wild man? What in the world could they have in common? I'm going to tell you how $1 billion industry can learn from another. That's next on an all new "YOUR MONEY" at 2:00 p.m. Eastern -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Very intriguing. We'll be watching. Thanks so much, Christine.

All right. That's just moments away. Meantime, Florida, a sinkhole claims yet another home.

Oh, my goodness, the sinkhole popped up in the early morning hours in Dunedin, Florida. A resident says that he noticed his screened-in porch had fallen into a hole, the sink hole was at least 70 feet wide, 50 feet deep and growing. They say it should be filled in soon, though some may not be able to return to their homes.

And in Chicago, check this one out, a sinkhole, it's well a part of a road on the city's far south side Monday. Crews closed off the area to prevent any damage to vehicles and try to keep everyone safe, of course. They say a leaking water line breached a sewer main and water simply washed it all away.

All right. So what is it like inside a sinkhole? David Mattingly takes us on a tour of Devil's Den, that's actually the name of a sinkhole in Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's just a few short steps down to an incredible underground site.

JERRY BLACK, GEOLOGIST: And this was the original cavity that eventually collapsed in.

MATTINGLY: A massive sinkhole, carved out of solid limestone by drops of water.

(On camera): So this is what a sinkhole looks like from the inside.

BLACK: From the inside, yes, before you fill it up with sand and dirt.

MATTINGLY: And if someone were living right on top of this, they'd be at risk?

BLACK: Yes.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): This geologist, Jerry Black, says Sunshine state homeowners might be surprised to find out just how common these are.

(On camera): What are the chances of someone having a house in central Florida and living on top of something like this?

BLACK: Very good, not as close to the surface as this, but you definitely have cavities of this size all over the state of Florida.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Fossils found in this sinkhole show it has been around since the Ice Age. But no different, Black says, than sink holes we see opening up today. These are just a few of his pictures, the one thing they all have in common is water.

BLACK: Rainwater is going to turn into groundwater, and that's what's naturally acidic, that's the device that dissolves the limestone and will create the cavities.

MATTINGLY: What is unusual about this sinkhole, it is easy to get inside, called the Devil's Den, it is open to tourists for viewing and diving. Dive instructor Prince Johnson takes me under for a look. I find that this seemingly placid pool of water is anything but.

(On camera): The water has gone down considerably because of the aquifer, and but is also risen when we had hurricanes and tropical storms, it has risen another 45 feet.

MATTINGLY: 45 feet?

BLACK: 45 feet.

MATTINGLY: So the water is constantly going up and down?

BLACK: Up and down.

MATTINGLY: Depending on drought or hurricane.

BLACK: Right.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Down here it's easy to see how fluctuating groundwater has silently wreaked havoc. I pass by Limestone Boulders as big as cars sitting on the bottom, and these same forces are still at work, compounded by the demand for fresh water.

It is progressively dropping yearly, and that's basically over the whole state of Florida. The aquifer is getting lower and lower.

MATTINGLY: Perhaps most striking to me, how appearances of the sinkhole are so misleading. A single beam of sunlight reveals the cavern is even bigger below the water line with tunnels and passageways carved deep into the darkness.

But most disturbing could be the view from up top, the round opening is deceptively small, little indication of the cavern that's just beneath my feet.

(On camera): Until a whole like this opens up. There's really no warning.

Yes, sir, correct. It is that random and that sudden and it could happen obviously overnight or at any time.

TAPPER: It can and it does. With thousands of sink holes opening up in Florida every year. David Mattingly, CNN, Williston, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Wow. Incredible and insane.

(LAUGHTER)

I'll be back in about a half an hour from now. And Fredricka Whitfield, much more of the NEWSROOM at the top of the hour. Meantime, right now time for "YOUR MONEY."

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: More money, more problems. I am Christine Romans. Hazing isn't limited to frat houses, sometimes part of corporate America. The on-going controversy surrounding Miami Dolphins player which incognito is putting a spotlight on bullying in professional sports.

But I -- look, I've spent a career covering Wall Street. Those are early days, let me tell you. There's a certain type of behavior hardly left in the locker room. In the '80s, Oliver Stone gave a glimpse of the wild Wall Street culture.