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FEMA Tornado Response; Teen Plot to Kill 25 at Lunch Period Massacre; Not in My Backyard

Aired April 07, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan. Welcome to our second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY.
Tornadoes targeting the heartland today. The Deep South could be in the eye of the storm. Forecasters say conditions are ripe for more wicked weather, and that could mean more work for FEMA.

The agency already has its hands full repairing its image. Now it's facing a major test helping rebuild after last week's devastating tornadoes last week in Tennessee.

Jonathan Freed has that story first seen on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY JANE THUMPSON, TORNADO VICTIM: This is where we came up.

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): When Mary Jane Thumpson emerged from the basement after last Sunday's tornado in Tennessee, this is all that was left of her home of 11 years.

THUMPSON: And this was our bedroom.

FREED: The Thumpson family is going to turn for help to the agency Mary Jane heard a lot about after Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. And she says FEMA's press wasn't exactly good.

THUMPSON: I don't really know what FEMA's all about. It's just what I heard about Katrina, how -- what a screw up FEMA was.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And as soon as the people make their 1-800 number, call FEMA, then they'll be in the program and we can start housing people immediately.

FREED: FEMA was already on the ground in Tennessee, meeting with local emergency management teams, when President Bush issued a disaster declaration on Wednesday, freeing up federal aid for the state. We told FEMA about Mary Jane Thumpson's impression of the agency. FEMA says it's trying to address its public image as the 2006 storm system gets under way.

MARY HUDACK, FEMA SPOKESPERSON: Each time we go out, we learn something that might help us be a little better. And those lessons indeed are incorporated as we're working through tornado season and approaching the upcoming hurricane season.

FREED: Scott Jewell is Mary Jane's mayor here in Dyer, Tennessee.

MAYOR SCOTT JEWELL, DYER, TENNESSEE: I asked the question back in Katrina if something like this happened in my hometown what I would do.

FREED: Jewell, and the mayors of neighboring communities, all hit by Sunday's twister, are eager to work with FEMA to make sure everything from aid money to temporary housing trailers move into their towns quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It isn't a war zone.

FREED: CNN went along with FEMA as it took a driving tour of Mary Jane's neighborhood, right past her house, assessing damage for a report to the White House.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's extensive roof damage over here.

THUMPSON: I don't really know what to expect from FEMA. I've never been in a situation like this.

FREED: Mary Jane hopes she and others applying for federal aid this season will benefit from the lessons FEMA learned last year on the Gulf Coast.

Jonathan Freed, CNN, Dyer, Tennessee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: You may have seen Jonathan's report first on "AMERICAN MORNING." You can watch the show every weekday starting at 6:00 a.m. Eastern here on CNN.

And now a disturbing story out of Camden, New Jersey, where four boys aged 14 to 16 have been arrested and charged with coming up with a plan that apparently they were going to try to kill a number of people, about 25 people, in a lunch period massacre. To tell us more about this, let's go to the phone.

Michael Schreiner is assistant superintendent of the Winslow Township High School -- school district where this allegedly took place.

Mr. Schreiner, good morning.

MICHAEL SCHREINER, INTERIM SUPT., WINSLOW TOWNSHIP, N.J.: Good morning.

KAGAN: What can you tell us about this alleged plot?

SCHREINER: Well, a couple of days ago a very alert staff member overheard a conversation by students that, indeed, they may be planning something of a terrorist nature for our high school. The staff member reported this to administration.

We have police officers in our school all the time under the school resource officer program. The police officers and the administration investigated, and within a couple of hours felt they had enough information to suspend three high school students on suspicion. And that particular suspension allowed the police officers to -- and the police department to conduct a very thorough investigation.

KAGAN: Right now -- or when they were taken into custody, it was as juveniles, but these could be charges of terrorism.

SCHREINER: Oh, I believe that the individual charges that are pending are of the most severe nature. And whether or not they are tried as juveniles is something for the Justice Department to decide, but these are very serious charges.

KAGAN: I understand that none of the boys when they searched their homes had any weapons. So they didn't have what they needed to carry out this plot. And yet, it's being treated as if they did?

SCHREINER: Our (INAUDIBLE) is that the investigation by the police did not reveal weapons in the homes. But it is being treated as if they had planned to secure them at some particular point. But I do not believe that any weapons were found. There were certainly no weapons in our school.

KAGAN: So what happens now, Mr. Schreiner?

SCHREINER: Well, there's a two-prong test. First of all, they are subject to exactly what anyone would be subject to through the legal system, and the courts and the police, et cetera, have to do what they do. And we will wait from the perspective of that outcome to make an educational decision, but I can tell you without hesitation that if they are found guilty these are expellable offenses.

KAGAN: I would think so.

Michael Schreiner, assistant superintendent with the school district of the Winslow Township High School in Camden, New Jersey.

Thank you for bringing us up to date on that.

Four boys suspended and charged with potentially trying to carry out a lunchtime massacre.

Oh no, you don't. Not in my backyard. FEMA trailers don't go over well with well-healed in New Orleans. Our Susan Roesgen takes a look in a story prepared for CNN's "ANDERSON COOPER 360."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ed Markle house came through Katrina pretty much OK, a Colonial brick manor in a private gated subdivision. It only lost a few shingles. But the hurricane has left him with something in the neighborhood that he and his neighbors don't want. And he can see it from the bedroom window.

ED MARKLE, HOMEOWNER: It looks just like the Guantanamo prison.

ROESGEN: Actually, it's a FEMA trailer park sitting right up against the mansions behind the concrete wall.

MARKLE: Would you like to live behind a -- a -- with a -- with a trailer park in your bathroom? Would you enjoy that? How else would you define destroying a neighborhood?

ROESGEN: When Ed and his neighbors got wind of the proposed trailer site last month, they complained to the city, and the city told FEMA to put the trailers someplace else.

(on camera): This is where the city said FEMA should put those trailers, about a mile away from the mansions. But FEMA managers say they didn't get that order until it was too late. (voice-over): FEMA officials would not go on camera with CNN, but released a statement, saying, "To stop the development of this site, when we are 80 to 85 percent complete, will jeopardize our efforts to provide housing to displaced citizens in the aftermath of Katrina."

In fact, no one has moved into the trailers yet, but the neighborhood is furious. And so is New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. He says FEMA consistently ignores what's best for the city.

RAY NAGIN (D), MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS: And I'm expressing my dissatisfaction, my outrage, and my demand that this foolishness stops.

ROESGEN: Flanked by city council members, the mayor says, that's it, no more FEMA trailer group sites anywhere in the city. And he wants every FEMA employee who has been dealing with the trailer sites in New Orleans kicked out.

DANATUS KING, PRESIDENT, NEW ORLEANS NAACP: Those are families.

ROESGEN: But the head of the local NAACP says the city is sending the wrong message to the 34 families who are supposed to live in these trailers and the wrong message to tens of thousands of New Orleans evacuees who would like to come home.

KING: That's selfish. It's un-Christian, and it's wrong. It's wrong. We ought to utilize every available inch of space that we have in this city to place trailers, every available inch of space, until we get all of our people back home in this city.

ROESGEN: Ed Markle and his neighbors say, there's plenty of space that's not right next door.

MARKLE: If it's something that we have to endure, it's something we will endure. But, in a situation when all you have to do is move the same facility across the street, or even down the street, why does one have to endure that?

ROESGEN: Susan Roesgen, CNN, New Orleans. (END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: You can see more stories like that on "ANDERSON COOPER 360" -- "AC 360," weeknights, 10:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

Never again. Hurricane Katrina is one of five storm names from last year that have been retired. The others are Dennis, Rita, Wilma and Stan.

The 2005 hurricane season set a record with 27 named storms and 15 hurricanes. The five names are the most retired in a single season.

Hurricane names are recycled every six years. Storm names for this year include Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie, and William.

I feel like I'm running a thing of "Romper Room." I see you out there.

OK. So why do you retire hurricane names/? For you now, a fact check.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The World Meteorological Organization began retiring the names of select hurricanes back in 1954 with hurricanes Carol and Hazel. Since then, 67 names have been retired. Any country affected by a deadly or damaging hurricane may request the name be retired. The reasons are twofold: sensitivity to victims of the storm, as well as historic reference and clarity.

Retiring a particular hurricane name is not forever. In fact, retirement means the name cannot be used for at least 10 years. But some names simply aren't used again.

For instance, in 1966 the name Fern was substituted for Freda with no reason given. In 1979, equality came to the name of hurricanes with men's names added to the list of storms. Previously, only women's names were used.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: We of course have been following the Alexandria -- the Alexandria -- the Zacarias Moussaoui trial in Alexandria, Virginia, the death penalty phase of that trial. But there's a side issue there that's of particular concern to some of the family members.

For more on that, let's go to Phil Hirschkorn of CNN, who is in Alexandria to talk about this ruling coming down from the judge today -- Phil.

PHIL HIRSCHKORN, CNN SR. PRODUCER: Hey, Daryn. In a hearing this morning, where the jury and Moussaoui himself were not present, Judge Leonie Brinkema, who's presiding over the trial, has decided that the families of September 11th victims are entitled to the same unclassified aviation security documents that the government has turned over to the Moussaoui defense team. What's happening here is there are a number of families in New York, about 100 in all, originally -- it's now down to about 65 -- who are suing the airlines for negligence regarding pre-9/11 security.

These are the handful of families that did not accept the victims' compensation fund that our viewers will remember handed out about $7 billion to families to settle their wrongful death claims. But a number of families, including, Daryn, one of the family members who testified yesterday about victim impact in the Moussaoui trial, continue to sue the airlines.

The problem that they're having is they can't get the aviation security documents. So, after hearing the defense attorneys for Moussaoui, hearing the federal prosecutors, and, of course, hearing from those plaintiffs' attorneys, Judge Brinkema decided that the government, when this trial is over, has to hand over all of those documents that are unclassified to the families' attorneys.

She had some very, very strong words about government secrecy. She said it was extraordinary that the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration, has a tougher policy on disclosure than the CIA, the FBI and the National Security Agency.

Judge Brinkema went on to say that it's important that we do not get obsessed with government secrecy to the extent that we lose touch with our core values. She had a lot of statements about that. And she said that under legislation passed by Congress, including the victims' compensation fund legislation and other legislation that Congress has passed for crime victims, that her view with the families were entitled to this kind of information to pursue their claims -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Phil Hirschkorn on the phone from Alexandria. Significant, it would appear to be a win for families trying to sue the airline.

Thank you very much.

Now we want to go to Baghdad. We've been following news of a triple suicide bombing there. The death toll continues to rise.

With more on that, let's go to our Aneesh Raman, who is standing by live in Baghdad -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning.

At least 74 people now confirmed dead, 138 others wounded in what is the deadliest single attack Iraq has seen in months. As you mentioned, a trio of suicide bombers striking one of the capital's most prominent Shia mosques just hours after noon prayers were getting out as people were leaving. Because of this mosque prominence, there was security around. There were blast walls, security measures that people had to go through before entering, but Iraqi police tell us that at least one suicide bomber detonated at the main entrance of that security perimeter in the ensuing carnage and chaos. The other two went through, and they detonated, further closer to the mosque, killing even more. The numbers could potentially rise and could inflame sectarian tensions in the country among the Shia population, Daryn, but more dangerously among the Shia militia that have long been in the past six weeks thought to be behind reprisal attacks against the country's Sunni population -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Aneesh Raman, live in Baghdad.

Aneesh, is anybody claiming responsibility for this attack?

RAMAN: No claims, but it has all the indications of the Sunni insurgency. Iraq's -- Skiri (ph), the party that is the Shia party affiliated with the mosque, a spokesman says it is essentially Zarqawi's group that is behind this, a group that has explicitly stated that they want to bring the country into civil war. This is how they would do it, continually striking at Shia sites -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Aneesh Raman, live from Baghdad.

Thank you.

Ahead, we look at the other side of "The Da Vinci Code". Dan Brown celebrating, but the co-author of "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" talks about being on the losing end of the high-profile plagiarism trial.

And Judas, the eternal symbol of betrayal, or a model of selfless sacrifice? A new perspective from some very old papers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

KAGAN: The Stones roll into China to rock their fans, but they were asked actually not to play some of their racier tunes. The Shanghai concert is the legendary band's first in China. None other than our Richard Quest is rolling with The Stones, and he joins us by phone.

Richard, you rolling stone, you.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I know. I tell you, even at my advanced age -- although I have to say having been in the presence of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the rest of The Stones, I'm feeling like a spring chicken here in Shanghai -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Now, you've had a chance to interview them?

QUEST: I have. I sat down with all four members of The Rolling Stones individually this afternoon to discuss why they're in China, the importance of being here, what was so significant about the fact that they've been trying for 30 years, but finally the Chinese authority said, yes, you could come to China. They could have this concert, but they were not allowed to sing four or five songs which the authorities here deem too risque.

KAGAN: And what did Mick and company think about that censorship request?

QUEST: Well, the songs were "Brown Sugar" and they were "Beast of Burden." They're the two that we know of so far. And there was nothing new about that. When they last tried to play here in 2003, they were the songs that were also banned.

Frankly, honestly, Jagger and co gave exactly the same answer that Google gave when they were censored, that everybody gives when they're censored here, which is, it's better to get your foot in the door and to open and pry it open a bit than to give in.

What he also said which was very interesting is that they have a repertoire of 400 songs. There was plenty to choose from, and it was no skin off their nose.

There was a slight -- Keith Richards did hint, just a hint, that somewhere in the concert they may do the instrumental versions of those band songs.

KAGAN: Oh.

QUEST: Just, if you like, you know, to thumb their nose. But by and large, they are so delighted, Daryn, to be here, to be the biggest group, even though they're only playing to 8,500 people, which is tiny by Rolling Stones standards, but they're pleased to be here.

KAGAN: Yes, usually they're in a stadium that would hold, like, 100,000 people. Do the Chinese know who The Rolling Stones are? Are they popular there?

QUEST: Oh, well, it's quite weird. I mean, the short answer to that is, no. And the concert tomorrow night in Shanghai will be broadcast by Chinese television.

I think what The Rolling Stones are doing here is in some ways trying to find a new audience for a veteran band. Only a couple of months ago in Rio they played to 1.5 million people. Now they're basically playing to 8,500 ex-pats in Shanghai. But they do believe that if they get their foot in the door they'll be able to blow it wide open.

After all, this tour is called A Bigger Bang.

KAGAN: We'll leave it at that.

Richard Quest in Shanghai with The Rolling Stones.

Richard, you rock on.

QUEST: I'll be there tomorrow night. KAGAN: OK. You have fun. Thank you.

The ruling is in from England. Dan Brown did not plagiarize, so says a judge. Random House is off the hook. More books will be sold, and "The Da Vinci Code" movie will soon play in a theater near you.

A London court today rejecting the claims that Brown stole his idea from the book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail". That decision could cost the authors who filed the suit.

With us from Toronto is one of them, one of the co-authors. Michael Baigent, he is also the author of a new book called "The Jesus Papers."

Michael, hello.

Hello, Daryn. Nice to be here.

KAGAN: OK. Well, you lost. What's your reaction to that?

BAIGENT: Daryn, we won a moral victory for ourselves and for all other writers. The judge said that every point that we said had been copied from our book Dan Brown had, in fact, copied. And he was scathing about Dan Brown. He made the comment that he didn't believe...

KAGAN: But you lost. You lost.

BAIGENT: ... that Dan Brown consciously lied.

KAGAN: You lost. He ruled in favor of the publisher. You lost. You could be on the hook now for millions of dollars in legal fees.

Are you sorry you brought the case?

BAIGENT: I'm not sorry I brought the case. It was -- we felt that we had created intellectual property. And what do writers own but intellectual property? And we have to defend it.

If this happened again, I'd do exactly the same thing. And I think we've taken this stand for every other writer who's trying themselves to protect their intellectual property.

I think we won a moral victory. We lost in the courts because it didn't constitute sufficient to be a legal infringement.

KAGAN: Dan Brown has put out this statement. I'm going to read it to you.

He says, "I'm still astonished that these two authors chose to file their suit at all. A novelist must be free to draw appropriately from historical works without fear that he'll be sued and forced to stand in a courtroom facing a series of allegations that call into question his very integrity as a person."

It sounds kind of like Dan Brown is saying something similar that you are, that a novelist has to be able to write within history.

BAIGENT: Perhaps when Dan Brown uses someone else's material another time he might perhaps seek permission to use that material, or even perhaps go and talk to the authors of that material.

KAGAN: Didn't he reference -- didn't he reference your book?

BAIGENT: And if that happens, then this case has been a good thing.

KAGAN: Didn't he reference your book in the novel? He mentions...

BAIGENT: You mean dropping the title of the book within the novel...

KAGAN: Yes. Yes.

BAIGENT: ... and having my name and my co-authors' name as the villain? Well, I suppose that's some species of reference.

KAGAN: Now, the book -- your book came out back in 1982. Do you think it's fair to say there's no such thing as bad publicity? Because now you've had a chance to increase sales and sell a bunch more books.

BAIGENT: Well, I find it very disruptive, because, of course, it's material that I was working on 25 years ago. I've got my new book out "The Jesus Papers". I'm focused on that. The last thing I really want to do is be focused on material that's so far in the past.

KAGAN: But you brought the lawsuit.

BAIGENT: So I found it very disruptive.

KAGAN: Then why did you bring the lawsuit if you didn't want to focus on it?

BAIGENT: We had no alternative but to bring the lawsuit because we felt that our intellectual property had been unfairly exploited. We have lost legally, but I feel that we've won morally, because the points which we said were copied, the judge agreed were copied.

KAGAN: We have 10 seconds. What's "The Jesus Papers" about?

BAIGENT: Well, it's a journey to discover the historical Jesus underneath the theological Jesus.

KAGAN: Interesting. We'll look for it.

Michael Baigent, sorry about the verdict today. But thanks for coming on with us and talking about it.

BAIGENT: My pleasure. Thank you.

KAGAN: You might be interested -- you might be interested in our next segment, by the way. We're talking about Judas, and thy name is betrayal.

Was Judas a traitor or a trusted disciple? A new perspective from a very old manuscript. We'll talk with one of the translators coming up in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A number of stories popping in Florida. Let's go to Tony Harris for that -- Tony.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, boy. Yes, Daryn, let's start with an immigration protest. Let's take you now to Florida.

Another walkout by another group of students. Two different high schools in opposition to any crackdown on immigration. Fifteen hundred kids at one point from two high schools.

These high schools in -- just south of Miami went on a four-mile walk to Homestead and to the city hall there in Homestead. Seeing some pictures now of the actual march.

We understand that the protest was peaceful and that the kids -- this speaks to a little bit of coordination here -- the kids are being bussed back to the school. Explain that.

But as you mentioned a short time ago, Daryn, senators are about to head out on a two-week recess without an immigration reform bill. Compromised legislation went down yesterday -- that was proposed yesterday went down to defeat in kind of a test vote this morning. Not sure if these students are reacting to that or just keeping up the drumbeat of protests that we've seen over the last couple of weeks.

Either way, they are either back in school or are on their way back to school right now.

Want to take you to Jacksonville, Florida, now. And this is a sad and disturbing story. Take a look at these pictures.

A fire in a mobile home has killed four children and two adults. The victims include, Daryn, 6-year-old twin girls, a 7-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy. Still don't know the cause of the fire at this time.

Firefighters arrived on the scene at about 3:00 a.m. this morning. And what they found was the mobile home completely consumed by flames.

It took firefighters about 20 minutes just to get the fire out. And at first, firefighters made their way through the mobile home and they found three of the victims on that initial search, and then they found three more victims on a second search of the home that came a little later.

Again, Daryn, four children, two adults killed in a mobile home fire. That in Jacksonville, Florida.

And that's kind of your Florida wrap so far this morning.

KAGAN: You are getting the gruesome stories today, today.

HARRIS: Yes, I really am.

KAGAN: Thank you for handling those. Thank you, Tony.

To world news now.

Protests in Paris took an unexpected and dangerous turn when a driver ran into a crowd protesting a new job law today. Authorities say the car was trying to maneuver around students in front of the Sorbonne, but ended up hitting those students. The driver and nine others received minor injuries. The Associated Press reports the crowd tried to turn over that car.

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