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CNN Live Saturday
Severe Weather Threatens Much of the Country; Oklahoma Girl Found Dead in Neighbor's Apartment; Charlie Company Patrols the Streets of Fallujah
Aired April 15, 2006 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: An amber alert turns into a murder investigation. Oklahoma police investigate the gruesome outcome of a kidnapped little girl.
And a driver falls asleep at the wheel. It's recorded by a dashboard camera. So does this high tech tool help make America's roads safer?
And to be or not to be in jail -- troubled teens get sentenced to Shakespeare.
Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY.
I'm Carol Lin and here's what's happening right now in the news.
Well, less than an hour ago, Milwaukee police confirmed that the two bodies found in a park lagoon are those of two missing boys, missing since March. Authorities say the boys drowned. There is no evidence of foul play yet in their deaths.
Purcell, Oklahoma -- the body of a missing 10-year-old girl is found in a neighbor's apartment. The man who lived there is being held without bond. Prosecutors say they plan to seek the death penalty.
Despite intense international pressure and a cash crunch, Hamas is still refusing to recognize Israel. Leaders of the militant group say they will seek help from other Islamic countries.
An historic California hotel went out with a bang this morning. Take a look at that. Demolition crews brought it down for a new 22- story federal court building.
Folks, our top story right now, though, is a dangerous storm. And that storm is once again threatening the Midwest. Tornadoes, hail, heavy rain are possible again today and tonight. In fact, huge hailstones blanketed parts of Indiana yesterday and there was some property damage.
But nothing like this. is the aftermath of a string of tornadoes that tore through Iowa. A woman was killed and as many as 40 homes were damaged.
So let's go to Bonnie Schneider at the CNN Weather Center -- Bonnie, what are seeing for tonight? BONNIE SCHNEIDER, ATS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Carol, right now we have a tornado watch that is in effect. This will go until 10:00 p.m. tonight Central time. So, usually we talk about tornadoes around 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. but not today. It seems like the threat for severe weather will go into the evening hours. It does cover portions of northeastern Kansas and much of eastern Nebraska at this hour.
We're watching this very closely because these thunderstorms do have a history of producing large sized hail. So as we take a look at the radar picture now, you'll see moderate rain falling. But as this area of low pressure works over some very unstable air, some very warm and moist air, we're likely to see the thunderstorms erupt and get severe at times. And that does include frequent lightning strikes, which are so dangerous, as well.
Look at the heat soaring across the nation's mid-section. All this warm air coming up from the south colliding with the cool air from the west. That's just one element of the recipe we have for severe weather for today.
As we take a closer look at the picture at hand, you'll see an upper level disturbance, which means colder air in the upper levels of the atmosphere riding along this region. Well, unfortunately, that gives what we call lift to the atmosphere and as things are very unstable right now, very warm and lots of humidity out there, what we're looking at is the potential for these strong storms to develop throughout the afternoon into the evening. And we may even see tornadoes for this region, which does include Kansas and Nebraska.
We are seeing thunderstorms over other parts of the country. And I'll show you where those are and give you a good idea of what we can expect for this part when it comes to severe weather. We'll really break it down. That's coming up in just a bit -- Carol.
LIN: All right, we're at the most dangerous part of the evening right now, right?
SCHNEIDER: Right now, I'd say Kansas and Nebraska. That's where we're expecting the most dangerous storms at this hour, and it looks like through the evening, as well.
LIN: All right, Bonnie Schneider is going to be here throughout the night, folks, so stay tuned. She's going to give us regular updates.
Now, we want to move you to Oklahoma and such a sad story. We've been tracking this story of this missing 10-year-old girl.
And the district attorney now says that this is the most heinous crime he has ever seen. He is going to seek the death penalty against the man suspected of killing Jamie Rose Bolin. Police have arrested him. He's 26 years old. His name is Kevin Ray Underwood.
The body of 10-year-old Jamie Rose Bolin was found in his apartment yesterday.
Now, he lived just downstairs from this little girl.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIM KUYKENDALL, MCCLAIN COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I think we're all disappointed that it has ended the way it has ended tonight, with the death of a little 10-year-old girl. I anticipate filing first degree murder charges on Monday morning. This is one of the most, if not the most, heinous, atrocious and cruel case that I've been involved with in my 24 years as a district attorney.
We will be seeking the death penalty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Well, authorities are being very tight-lipped about how this little girl was killed. But that McClain County district attorney, he's going to be my guest tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. Also, this story is unfolding as we speak, so I'd like you to be looking out for the -- some time in the next couple of hours, we're going to be getting a news conference on this story. We may hear about more details -- the motive, even how this guy truly got in touch with this little girl.
In the meantime, you know, it's got to raise so many questions with parents, because we usually report on strangers grabbing kids. But this was a neighbor. So, I'm going to talk, also, with the missing kids center, which says don't teach stranger danger. In fact, he's going to tell us why that does not work and he's going to give specific tips on how we need to talk with our kids.
Now, just about an hour ago, the worst fears of two Milwaukee families were confirmed. Police say they've positively identified the bodies of 12-year-old Quadrevion Henning and 11-year-old Purvis Parker. Their bodies were pulled from a park lagoon yesterday. The boys went missing nearly a month ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR TOM BARRETT, MILWAUKEE: On behalf of the citizens of the City of Milwaukee, my heart goes out to the families of Quadrevion and Purvis. This is a difficult time. As a parent, I cannot imagine anything worse than losing a child. I think all of us as citizens know that this is a difficult time for their families.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Now, the Milwaukee medical examiner says that the two boys drowned and so far there is no evidence of foul play in their deaths.
We want to focus now on some international news. A major battle in Afghanistan. U.S. forces and Afghan troops killed dozens of Islamic fighters in the town south of Kandahar. A senior Afghan official says 41 Taliban guerrillas were killed in a blazing gun battle. The official says the assault was based on intelligence that the rebels were planning to attack Kandahar. Now, the U.S. force in Afghanistan is having trouble keeping some of its secrets. CNN has confirmed that classified U.S. intelligence is turning up in Afghan bazaars. We still don't know how it got there.
This report, though, from Brian Todd aired first in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A sprawling bazaar just yards from the biggest U.S. facility in Afghanistan where hundreds of suspected terrorists are held. For sale here -- athletic shoes, flashlights, watches, an old kid's basketball hoop.
MEERWEIS, CONTRACTOR AT BAGRAM AIR BASE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Everything you find in the base, you can find here.
TODD: Including flash drives like this one, the size of a cigarette lighter. CNN was provided access to information on one of these disks, what appears to be classified information from a U.S. military briefing at Bagram Air Base in February 2005 -- maps showing border crossing points; U.S. and Afghan military positions; construction of roads and other installations; important information on Taliban personnel and sympathizers, with first and last names; and on the diversion of al Qaeda resources to Iraq.
The selling of similar disks was first reported by the "Los Angeles Times." CNN is not reporting all the information we saw out of security concerns.
One former Special Forces soldier who examined this information says it appears to be authentic and there are key characteristics he recognizes. We don't know when this disk made its way out of Bagram or exactly how.
CNN interviewed several Afghani men who work inside or with the Bagram base. This man, who says he's the president of a company that does contract work at Bagram, says some material is smuggled out by locals who work there.
But with some items...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It's the Americans themselves who bring it outside the base. They themselves, day and night, steal anything that comes in their way and bring it. The Afghans bring it, too. They probably help each other.
TODD: It's not clear if he means American military personnel or civilians. We called the Pentagon for comment. They referred us to the local U.S. command in Afghanistan.
U.S. military officials there would not go on camera, but say the Army's criminal investigation command is looking into the allegations. And when reached by CNN, a spokesman said to protect the integrity of the investigation, they would not comment further. The military did issue a statement reading, in part, "Coalition officials regularly survey bazaars across Afghanistan for the presence of contraband materials, but thus far have not uncovered sensitive or classified items."
COMMANDER SGT. MAJ. STEVEN GREER, U.S. ARMY (RET.): There's a number of items here that, in and of themselves, are probably highly sensitive. The good news in this is that it appears this information is dated.
TODD: Still, retired Army Sergeant Major Steven Greer, who spent 10 years in the Special Forces, says this information can still be of use to Taliban and al Qaeda forces.
GREER: It presents a look for the insurgent forces as to what we look at and what we think is important when we conduct our campaign.
TODD: And what Greer calls battle rhythm, like a calendar showing when commanding generals were meeting each week.
Another military intelligence expert says it's possible these disks were leaked out as part of a deception campaign, but Steven Greer says in those operations he's never seen a case where first and last names were released.
(on camera): If investigators find evidence of a security breach at Bagram, it won't be the first time. Last July, four key al Qaeda suspects about to be sent to Guantanamo Bay escaped from the detention facility there. They are still at large.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LIN: You can see more of Brian's great reporting on THE SITUATION ROOM Monday through Friday, starting at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.
All right, we want to tell you more about convicted shoe bomber Richard Reid. It looks like he's not going to take the stand at Zacarias Moussaoui's death penalty phase. Yesterday, the judge changed her mind. She voided an order. You might recall that Reid is serving a life term after pleading guilty to charges he tried to blow up a plane in December, 2001.
Now, Zacarias Moussaoui, he testified last month that he and Reid planned to hijack a fifth plane on 9/11 and fly it into the White House.
No word on why the judge changed her mind.
And, published reports say a defendant in another high profile terrorism case has agreed to be deported. Sami Al Arian is a former college professor and long time supporter of Palestinian rights. He was indicted in 2003 on charges of helping finance terrorist attacks in Israel, but a jury was unable to convict him. Now, CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security, so you've got to watch us for that latest information day and night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been getting shot at quite a bit over here to the west.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: So, what did the Marines do next? We are going to take you on the streets of Falluja with Charlie Company.
The pictures they take are spectacular, but it is not just for show. We are going to show you how a dashboard camera -- they're being used to help keep the roads safe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're coming, Molly. They're going to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: All right, so what happened to that cat trapped between the walls of a big apartment building in New York? We're going to bring you an update when CNN LIVE SATURDAY returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: More than 150,000 men and women, American men and women, are on the streets of Iraq trying to keep that country together and keep it safe. Right now, an opportunity to show you what their life and their work is like. It's another dangerous day for a combat unit there. In fact, four hours on the streets of Falluja and before it's all over, one Marine is wounded.
We know this because CNN's Arwa Damon is embedded with those Reservists and brought us this report.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charlie Company hits the streets of Falluja, a city with a tough reputation.
MAJ. VAUGHN WARD, U.S. MARINE CORPS: And just to have the Marines get to know the area a little better. They're new here. And try and engage the local populace, try and find people, see what their attitudes are, what's been going on, have they seen insurgent activity in the area.
We've been getting shot at quite a bit over here to the west.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You make sure you're watching all these (OBSCENE WORD OMITTED) buildings (UNINTELLIGIBLE). DAMON: For this Marine Reserve unit, it's a mission like any other day, except it's Friday, a Muslim holy day, and often picked for insurgent attacks.
WARD: Our foot patrols have been getting engaged a lot more than the mobile convoys have. It's an easier target to go after.
DAMON: And this unit has seen increased violence in the last week, including a heightened threat from snipers.
Since the massive operation to take back Falluja from insurgents in 2004, most residents have returned to their devastated city and with them the insurgents, not in large numbers, but enough to cause trouble.
This Friday, residents are out. Children are happy to see the Marines, always easier to win over than the wary adults.
So far, things are going well. But things going well in Iraq can be deceiving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Better watch it!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Launching pads are back. We have one hit.
DAMON (on camera): A shot rang out that seemed to come out of nowhere, that wounded one Marine. The streets that, for the last hour had appeared calm and friendly, within seconds turning hostile.
(voice-over): The MediVac team arrives within minutes. The mission has changed -- find the shooter. Everyone wearing khaki pants and black shoes is searched. A Marine saw a man fitting that description running away.
Warning shots are fired to stop a fleeing taxi, the insurgents' favorite getaway car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold your fire!
DAMON: More men are searched.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sixteen has expired.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell him to be quiet, please.
DAMON: One is tested for gunshot residue. The results are negative.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This whole block right here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to go this way. We're going to go south.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This whole block right here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DAMON: And it's becoming frustratingly more apparent that the attacker has fled.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, boys, keep your (OBSCENE WORD OMITTED) eyes open. Let's go!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go!
DAMON: Good news -- word comes that the wounded Marine's injury is non-life-threatening. The men begin to relax. But out here is no place to let down your guard.
SGT. JULIO FELICIANO, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It's hard to stay focused, just to let you know, when something happens like that, just, hey, it's for real. They're everywhere. They can look at you, you've got to stay alert 24-7, all the time.
DAMON: One Marine says jokingly, "Are you ready for the death run?" as they dash across the main road back to their base.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Falluja, Iraq.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LIN: Violence like this is one of the reasons why the secretary of defense is under so much pressure right now.
You've heard about the criticism of some retired generals. You're going to get more on that in just a moment. But President Bush is coming out to support his defense secretary. And it looks like Donald Rumsfeld plans on staying in the job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I intend to serve the president at his pleasure. And the fact that two or three or four retired people have different views, I respect their views, but obviously if -- if out of thousands and thousands of admirals and generals, if every time two or three people disagreed we changed the secretary of defense of the United States, it would be like a merry go round ride.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: That aired on the most popular Arab network in Iraq.
All right, so what about those high-ranking generals? Well, they're retired, but there are six of them, to be exact. And they're all calling on Rumsfeld to quit.
So here is a look at who they are -- a CNN Fact Check.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Of the six generals saying that Rumsfeld should go, all are retired, but three commanded troops under Rumsfeld's leadership in Iraq.
They are Major General Paul Eaton, U.S. Army. Eaton commanded the training of Iraqi security forces in 2003 and 2004. He calls Rumsfeld incompetent.
Major General John Batiste is the former commander of the Army's 1st Infantry Division in Iraq.
And Major General Charles Swannack commanded the Army's 82nd Airborne, also in Iraq. Swannack is one of the two retired generals who called for Rumsfeld's resignation on Thursday.
The other is Major General John Riggs, former director of the Army's Objective Task Force.
Perhaps the best known officer who has publicly parted with Rumsfeld is retired Four Star General Anthony Zinni, the former head of the U.S. Central Command. Zinni blames Rumsfeld for lacking a plan for Iraq. He's also pushing a book.
The final public critic, Lieutenant General Gregory Newbold, the former director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Newbold goes as far as to say the Iraq war was unnecessary.
The White House response to the chorus of discontent? "Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is doing a very fine job."
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LIN: We're going to go in depth on one of our top stories. It was a neighbor, a neighbor is in custody in the death of a 10-year-old Oklahoma girl. He lived in the same apartment complex as the victim. So we want to know how do you teach your children who they can trust and who they can't trust?
Up next, I'm going to talk to the president of the National Center for Missing and Exploiting Children about what you need to tell your kids today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: The lesson of stranger danger -- we try, try so hard to tell that to our kids. But one of the top stories today was the finding of the body of a 10-year-old little girl in Oklahoma. Her name was Jamie Rose Bolin. She was missing yesterday. Amber alerts went out and her body turned up in the apartment right near hers.
Now, that man is under arrest. It's not clear if the girl knew the suspect, but experts say that in cases like this, the victims often do know their attackers.
So joining me right now is Ernie Allen from the National Center for Missing and Exploiting Children.
Ernie, I wish I could talk to you under better circumstances. And I know you and I tend to do these interviews when a child has come up missing.
In this particular case, this is a lesson -- stranger danger, when -- it doesn't really exist when a majority of kids actually know their attackers.
ERNIE ALLEN, NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITING CHILDREN: Carol, that's absolutely right. Stranger danger just doesn't work. Children don't tend to understand the concept of stranger. They think it's somebody they don't know, but they also use terms like scary, somebody who looks like they're going to hurt u.
If it's somebody they know, somebody whose name they know, somebody they've met, very quickly these people cease to be strangers.
LIN: Right. Anybody who is friendly. I mean if your mom or dad say hi to the guy next door, why can't you be friendly, too, right?
ALLEN: Oh, there's no question about it. And as a result, children very quickly tend to do what adults tell them to do. They want to be responsive. They want to be helpful. We need to teach them differently.
LIN: Right. Like, say hi to Mr. Smith, come on, you know? And you urge your child. And at the same time, of course, you wouldn't want Mr. Smith kidnapping your kid.
So what do you say to a child? What is the most specific thing you can tell a child that they're going to understand right off the bat?
ALLEN: Well, Carol, there are really a couple of things.
One is you teach children to trust their instincts. If adults approach them or touch them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, it's really important that they check first, they go to mom or dad or teacher or trusted adult, that they tell that person you shouldn't come to me and ask for help, my mom or dad will help u.
And we need to teach kids that they have the right to say no, that they have power.
LIN: Yes, especially little girls, you know? Because so often we tell our girls oh, be a good girl, OK? Be a good girl. Don't scream, don't hit. But that there are circumstances where that's OK.
ALLEN: Well, all of us want our children to be polite and respectful. But not at the risk of their safety.
LIN: Right.
ALLEN: So children need to understand they have the right to say no and they need to tell somebody. We need to get over this concern about being a tattle-tale. If something is going on that they don't feel right about, tell a trusted adult.
LIN: And if that stranger says this is our secret, don't tell mommy or I'm going to hurt mommy, you've got to tell them that mommy is going to be OK, right? Nobody can hurt mommy or daddy.
ALLEN: Absolutely. America's moms and dads need to enter into contracts with their kids. They need to say if something is ever going on in your life that you don't feel right about, you come to me and tell me and I will help.
LIN: And practice? You're saying actually act out these scenarios?
ALLEN: I think role playing is vital. All of us teach our kids don't talk to strangers, but what's really important is that parents talk to their kids about their safety and then practice what you teach. Make your child demonstrate that they know what these rules mean and keep reinforcing it.
LIN: And how early an age can you bring up this discussion?
ALLEN: Well, certainly with preschool children you can begin to teach them their names, their phone numbers, their addresses. As they get into elementary school, we think it's really important that you begin to have these conversations and that you can't just do it once. You have to reinforce the messages.
LIN: Ernie, I know every time you come on TV and you give this story, I know we could be saving lives here. So I really appreciate the advice.
Thank you.
ALLEN: Thank you, Carol.
LIN: Now, coming up, more details on the death of Jamie Rose Bolin. The district attorney in the case has scheduled a news conference for 7:00 p.m. Eastern. We are going to bring that to you as soon as it starts. There are a lot of questions about this case.
Now, also in a matter of personal safety, if you don't wear your seatbelt in the car, then you'll want to see this next story. Straight ahead, we are going to show you these amazing pictures all caught on dashboard cameras.
And then, the largest mass murder in Ontario and a possible connection to a clashing of biker gangs. I'm going to talk to an expert who's been following the grizzly case.
Plus, classical theater as a form of punishment? Well, one town in Massachusetts is giving it a try. We're going to take a look at whether it works.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, you're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like many recreational golfers, Californian Chris Savarese grew tired of hitting errant shots into the woods.
CHRIS SAVARESE, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, RADARGOLF: I tend to spray the ball a little bit off the tee and thought that it would be nice if someone could come up with a way to find golf balls more quickly.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: That was in 1993. Eleven years later, his stroke saving technology hit the market.
SAVARESE: RadarGolf is a findable golf ball system. We implant a microchip in the center of the ball and using a handheld device that transmits an R.F. signal, the microchip acts as a reflector and reflects that frequency back.
Here we go.
The range of detection is 30 to 100 feet.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: At $250 for the device and a dozen balls, it won't fit every budget. But RadarGolf has received stellar reviews. "Fairways and Greens" magazine calls it "the greatest golf advancement of the fledgling 21st century." One of their competitors is Visiball, glasses that help you locate your ball visually by blocking out excess light.
SAVARESE: What makes our product unique is that if it's buried deep in bushes or under leaves or grass, you can still find it.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: So while RadarGolf may help you lower your score, it can only go so far.
SAVARESE: You know, balls that go in the water are -- are goners.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN LIVE SATURDAY: You've been busy, let's catch you up. Afghan forces backed by U.S.-led coalition troops killed 41 Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. That's according to the governor of Kandahar province. Six Afghan policemen died in the raid which targeted suspected Taliban hideouts. It was some of the fiercest fighting in months.
The autopsy reports are in. Police confirm the bodies of two children pulled from a Milwaukee park lagoon are those of two young boys missing for nearly a month. Investigators say drowning was the cause of death and that no signs of foul play were evident.
A prosecutor says he'll seek the death penalty against an Oklahoma man arrested after a missing girl's body was found in his apartment. Ten -year-old Jamie Rose Bolin disappeared on Thursday. The DA calls the deaths atrocious. He has scheduled a news conference for 7:00 p.m. Eastern and we're going to bring that to you live.
Sandbags and evacuation plans, both are being deployed in parts of Bulgaria and Romania, because of the Danube River flooding. And many Indiana residents are fearing a one-two weather punch. Yesterday, hail and high winds broke windows and windshields in Indianapolis. And More severe weather is expected right now. In fact, we're going to go straight to Bonnie Schneider on that. Bonnie, what's happening right now in the Midwest?
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We just got this in, Carol. We have a tornado warning for Gage County. That's in southeast Nebraska. It goes until 5:00 p.m. central time so it still has a ways to go. This in the southern corner of the state just issued moments ago. So what we're looking at is really the beginning of the severe weather breaking out across much of the nation's midsection. In fact, we have a tornado watch that's in place until 10:00 o'clock tonight central time and that does include the city of Omaha in Nebraska, mostly in Nebraska, but on into Kansas.
However, note throughout the evening hours, we may see this watch box shift a little further to the east as the threat of severe weather works its way eastward as well. In fact, let's take a closer look at some of those strong thunderstorms and you'll see, as we work our way towards the Lincoln, Nebraska, area, into Omaha, these storms have a history of producing hail three quarters of an inch in diameter, very strong winds. We've had reports of winds as high as 63 miles per hour on the other side of the state, as this storm system works its way through. So now we're getting those strong thunderstorms and we do have, right here is the city of Beatrice, where we have a tornado warning in effect for Gage, Nebraska. That's in southeast Nebraska and that goes until 5:00 p.m. Central Time.
Now as we take a closer look at current temperatures in Nebraska and Kansas, look at how warm it is. The heat is soaring, all the way up through Kansas, 92 right now in Wichita. And as that cold air collides with the warm, moist air, we re likely to see more severe weather break out. We have two upper level disturbances, one that's bringing some strong storms to the Virginia area as well. And in this one that's working its way across Kansas and Nebraska, brings us the threat of strong thunderstorms. In fact, the storm prediction center out of Norman, Oklahoma, says it's a moderate risk for severe weather. We'll hear exactly what a moderate risk means, moderate seems like a light term to use, but actually it can imply numerous tornadoes. So it calls for a greater concentration of thunderstorms and severe weather. The forecast calls for at least 30 reports of hail, one inch in diameter or larger or six to 19 tornadoes and numerous wind events. We've already seen some of these wind events take place, Carol, so be watching for any tornados to break out in the area throughout the evening.
LIN: All right, Bonnie, thank you so much. Bonnie is going to be with us throughout the night. She's watching this area and Des Moines and Kansas City. Be on the lookout.
SCHNEIDER: Absolutely.
LIN: Thanks so much.
All right, dash cams, shedding new light on reckless drivers. You know the ones, sleepy, distracted behind the wheel, and putting your life in danger. Consumer correspondent Greg Hunter has hair- raising examples of bad driving caught on tape. The story first ran on CNN's "Paula Zahn Now."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was another busy morning on New York's Long Island Expressway, thousands of commuters making their way to work.
BRYAN PACELLI, CAR CRASH VICTIM: I should have been dead, there's no doubt. I still don't understand how I'm not. Don't understand.
HUNTER: The last thing Bryan Pacelli, a father of two remembers, is traffic slowing down. Bryan is driving the black Audi. Watch the semitrailer on the right, all of a sudden, cutting through two lanes of traffic. Bryan's car is trapped.
PACELLI: They put a blanket over me and I saw them starting to cut up the car. I remember that. I remember --
HUNTER: And that was bad?
PACELLI: What?
HUNTER: When you saw them starting to cut you out of the car.
PACELLI: Yeah, I knew something was bad, I knew it was bad.
HUNTER: But it could have been worse. Safety experts say that all too often the drivers of private cars in accidents with trucks or larger vehicles don't live to tell their story. Bryan Pacelli was lucky to survive, although he doesn't remember much of the accident. But he knows exactly what happened thanks to a video camera installed on the windshield of this bus, traveling in the left lane. The bus, ended up, pushing Bryan's car under the semi trailer.
Every year the most accidents in New York State happen in Long Island. In one year, there were 45,000 crashes. Many of those happened right here behind me, on the Long Island expressway. More and more of those wrecks are being caught on video and it teaches us two things -- what happened, and, more importantly, how they might be prevented. For example, driving in the rain, distracted driving or not keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front, mistakes which could be avoided. Bill Schoolman owns a New York transportation company. A few years ago, he installed cameras in all his vehicles.
BILL SCHOOLMAN, PRES., CLASSIC TRANSPORTATION: It's a great business decision, because we save lots of money on our insurance, and all direct costs, also of operating a bus. You save money on front ends, tires, fuel. There's lots of direct benefits, operationally you get when people drive more safely.
HUNTER: Schoolman says he saves up to $250,000 a year on insurance. He's so enthusiastic about the cameras, he's now working as a part time consultant for the company that makes them. The cameras help him keep an eye on his drivers.
SCHOOLMAN: This camera, when mounted on the windshield is the cop in their rear-view mirror. They drive more safely and this camera is on all the time and watching.
HUNTER: That metaphorical cop in the rear-view mirror didn't keep this taxi driver from dozing off at the wheel while he was working. Watch what happens next. As soon as he falls asleep, he loses control. It's hard to believe he walked away unhurt. But when his boss saw the video, he lost his job. We asked Joan Claybrook, a longtime road safety advocate and former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to look at some video like this one, from a camera in this New Jersey limousine. The driver says the car on the left was trying to cut him off, and almost crashed into him. He slammed into the pole on the side of the road. The car caught fire.
JOAN CLAYBROOK: Incredible. Just coming out of nowhere and passing on the right.
HUNTER: Totally out of control.
CLAYBOOK: Right. Going too fast and just --
HUNTER: And it blows up.
CLAYBROOK: And it blows up.
HUNTER: How did this end? The limo driver jammed his brakes on to avoid crashing into the car. The driver of the car that blew up, walked away with no real injuries. Next, we asked Claybrook to review Bryan Pacelli's accident.
CLAYBROOK: All of the years that I've driven I've never seen a truck behave that way. This video tells the real story. That's why it's so valuable.
HUNTER: Safety experts like Claybrook believe video cameras can help keep all of us safer.
CLAYBROOK: I think you can use it for training of drivers, because it will reveal what the mistakes are, what the problems are. Two, you can use it for the police to figure out exactly what happened at a crash.
HUNTER: Bryan says the video has changed his view of other drivers. What does this video want to make you do?
PACELLI: It makes me angry. It makes me want to, you know, it's -- it's turned me into a safety advocate. There's plenty of people like me every day next to those, you know, trucks or buses. That was a loaded gun rolling down the street and nobody knew.
HUNTER: Greg Hunter, CNN, Old Westbury, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: Now, that story first produced on "Paula Zahn Now." So you can watch that program at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific, right here on CNN, Monday through Friday.
All right, let's bring you the world now. Mudslides triggered by torrential rains have killed at least 16 people in southwest Colombia and dozens of others are still missing. The mud has buried at least two villages and heavy downpours are expected to continue.
It's happened again. Doctors have completed a second face transplant, this time in china. A 30-year-old man got a new upper cheek, upper lip, nose, and eyebrow after losing part of his face in a bear attack. The world's first partial face transplant was in France, last November.
Pope Benedict XVI celebrated a special candlelight vigil at the Vatican today. After a few hours of sleep, the pope is expected to celebrate mass with thousands of the faithful in St. Peter's Square tomorrow. Tomorrow is also his 79th birthday.
And more and more American companies are taking the ax to worker pension plans. But one segment of the corporate population seems immune to this cost-cutting trend. We're going to tell you who, in the next hour of CNN LIVE SUNDAY.
And up next, the mass murder that shocked Canada. I'll talk to an organized crime expert about who may be behind these killings.
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LIN: Let's show you what's happening across America right now. Federal prosecutors in Milwaukee are considering civil rights violation charges in the beating of a biracial man. Yesterday a jury acquitted three white former police officers of most charges in the case. Today, the NAACP denounced the verdict and called on residents to stay calm.
Rangers in Cherokee national forest in Tennessee are trying to desperately catch a black bear that mauled a family. A six-year-old girl was killed in Thursday's attack. Her mother and two-year-old brother were injured. Officials say normally black bears are shy and rarely attack humans.
A group that monitors the border with Mexico says there's a big rise in the number of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. The minutemen say so far this month, they've seen nearly as many crossings as during the entire month of October.
Is there an impending biker war on the horizon in Canada or even elsewhere? Well, some point to last weekend's grisly discovery of eight bodies on an Ontario farm as a possible precursor. The eight killed were reputed members of the Banditos biker gang. One of the five suspects charged with their murder is the alleged gang chapter president. But what's the greater concern behind these slayings? Antonio Nicaso is an expert on organized crime and has been following the Banditos murder case. He joins me now live from Toronto with more. Antonio, good to have you.
ANTONIO NICASO, ORGANIZED CRIME EXPERT: Happy to be here.
LIN: You are such an expert. I mean, you have actually written the handbook on mafia codes, essentially, that your life has been threatened. You know this firsthand, don't you?
NICASO: Yes, unfortunately, I left Italy after a car bomb attempt to my life in 1999.
LIN: So when you take a look at this situation up in Ontario, the largest mass murder in that city's history, eight men, investigators are incredibly tightlipped about this, only mentioning the Banditos, what do you say actually happened? Is this a biker war, or is there something more to it?
NICASO: I believe it's an internal cleansing. The working theory among the detectives is that violence erupted after the eight Banditos announced the plan to breakaway from the group. Probably they were going to join the Hell's Angels, and the old guard say no, but this is only speculation, a theory, another theories that there was -- they were involved in a rip-off, (INAUDIBLE) a rip-off. I think it's too early to realize the motive behind this massacre.
LIN: Now, the Banditos, what do you mean by an internal cleansing? Was this to send a message to the other members, don't cross each other. You're staying right here with us?
NICASO: Probably. Someone decided to get rid of an entire crew. And that's practically what internal cleansing mean. I don't think there is -- we have to expect any retaliation or retribution. I think it was an internal problem within the Banditos.
LIN: The Banditos, they were founded in Texas?
NICASO: Correct. It's outlaw motorcycle club with worldwide membership founded in Texas in 1966. They actually -- they are the fastest-growing outlaw motorcycle club in the United States with over 90 chapters, mostly based in Texas and in Washington state.
LIN: Are they criminal? Are they criminal?
NICASO: Yes, they are involved in a wide range of criminal activities.
LIN: So you compare them to the mob?
NICASO: They are topping the mob, and they are the major criminal organization.
LIN: Antonio, a frightening picture, Antonio Nicaso, thank you.
NICASO: My pleasure.
LIN: Now, for kids who actually get sent to prison choosing the stage over the slammer. We're going to introduce you to a theater program for troubled teens. That story's next.
And coming up, in the next hour of CNN LIVE SATURDAY, it's something every taxpayer should be able to recognize, phishing e- mails. We're going to tell you the warn signs of online tax scams.
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LIN: Pittsfield, Massachusetts has a new approach to punishing juvenile offenders. Give them a crash course in Shakespeare or lock them up. CNN"s Christopher King reports on that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sean Boschetti was a trouble kid. After attacking another student in high school, he was charged with assault, then given a choice, the slammer or Shakespeare.
SEAN BOSCHETTI, STUDENT: I said, yes, sign me up for the Shakespeare program, which I'm pretty glad I did.
KING: Now, this first-time offender turned actor is playing the lead in "Macbeth" as part of a Shakespeare in the courts program. Started five years ago by a former teacher turned judge, Paul Perachi, the aim is to refocus troubled kids by giving them an opportunity to be creative and learn a skill instead of locking them up.
PAUL PERACHI, FIRST JUSTICE BERKSHIRE JUVENILE COURT: I can see a change in some of these kids just from the day they start the program to 12 weeks later when they put the program on, with their ability to get along with each other better, a little better feeling about themselves and being able to express themselves.
KING: Many of the 13 to 17-year-old participants are repeat offenders. Their crimes include theft, assault and drug possession.
MICHAEL TOOMEY, DIRECTOR OF MACBETH: I think a lot of these students are really angry, and I think rightly so, because of the situations that are beyond their control. And I think potentially Shakespeare can give them an outlet for that anger.
KING: The kids work with a Massachusetts theater group, rehearsing after school for three months before giving a final performance, which is seen by family, friends, and members of the juvenile justice system. Boschetti's father says the program has inspired Sean to continue acting.
JOSEPH BREAULT, SEAN'S FATHER: Sean has a hard time showing his true feelings and that's been my problem, too, showing my feelings. I think doing this is a great thing for him, a great thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm guessing people didn't understand Shakespeare very well. People just looked back into his past and see how he felt, maybe people would understand him better.
KING: Christopher King, CNN, New York. (END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: You remember that little kitty cat that got stuck in that New York deli? That's who that little boy is talking to. The little kitty cat, Molly, the wayward little kitty is free. Good news to report, rescuers finally pulled her to safety yesterday, after drilling a hole in the deli's brick wall. The 11-month-old black cat appears no worse for wear and animal care and control of New York set up a link on its website for people to contribute to the repairs to that deli. Oh, in case you want to contribute, that web address is nycacc.org. They don't make it easy, do they?
All right, there's still much more ahead on CNN today. If a hybrid car is on your list of must-haves, you'll want to stick around, because coming up, we're going to show you how to get the benefits of a hybrid without the big price tag. More of CNN LIVE SATURDAY after this.
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LIN: Hi there, this is CNN LIVE SATURDAY and I'm Carol Lin. Straight ahead in this hour, two cases, two tragic ends. Three missing children are found. A father is rushed to the hospital, and police have a neighbor in custody. We will bring you all the details.
Yep, that's hail. Also severe weather is going to slam parts of the nation tonight possibly. Our cameras are all over the Midwest and our weather center is ready to bring you the very latest.
And we can save you big bucks when it comes to buying a car that gives you great gas mileage, not a hybrid.
You've been busy. We're going to show you first what's happening right now.
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