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New Day Saturday

Obama to Deliver Eulogy At Beau Biden's Funeral; Three People Now Accuse Hastert Of Sexual Abuse; U.S. Scrambling To Figure Out What Was Stolen; Man Dies after Losing Consciousness in Police Van; Germanwings Co-Pilot Sought Help before Crash; Bloody Scene at Baseball Game. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired June 06, 2015 - 08:00   ET

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


COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS: Well, you have spoken, we asked what you thought the greatest feat in sports was, using #newdayCNN. Angie Bee said, "Tour De France, definitely the most grueling." And I think that's a pretty good call. We didn't think of that one earlier.

How about Sam Brinley, who said, "DiMaggio, 56-game hitting streak is up there." That was back in 1941, guys. Can anybody ever do that? How about Oops, who said, "Jordan winning six NBA championships with three straight, leave two years, and then win another three straight." That's pretty awesome, too.

Keep the tweets coming guys, use #newdayCNN. Let us know what you think is the greatest sports feat of all time.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Love it. All right, Coy, thank you so much.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Stay right here, we have a busy morning of news.

PAUL: The next hour of your NEW DAY starts right now.

BLACKWELL: This morning, disturbing new information in the Dennis Hastert scandal. Now there could be three victims in the sexual abuse scandal involving the former Illinois congressman.

PAUL: New this morning, a prisoner winds up in a coma and then dies after being transported from the courtroom to jail. The family is demanding answers wanting to know what happened in that mere eight- minute trip.

BLACKWELL: Family, friends, dignitaries all gathering this morning to say good-bye to the vice president's son, Beau Biden. The 46-year-old who died after battling brain cancer is being remembered today.

PAUL: And after the president gives the eulogy, he's off to Germany where protests are already under way. Thousands of people are demonstrating peaceful for now ahead of the summit of world leaders.

So glad to have your company, as always, I'm Christi Paul. BLACKWELL: A pleasure to be with you. I'm Victor Blackwell.

In just a couple of hours President Obama and the first family will be in Wilmington, Delaware for the funeral of Beau Biden. The president will deliver the eulogy for Vice President Joe Biden's son who died one week ago after a recurrence of brain cancer.

Thousands of mourners and you see them here, they lined up yesterday for blocks for his wake and a lot more of this crowd showed up than was expected and more will turn out today.

CNN national correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty, joins us live at St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church. Sunlen, we saw the crowds yesterday. Are people lining up there now?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They absolutely are now, Victor. On the far side of this church there is already a line forming, the first person in line coming out as early as 4:30 a.m. this morning. This funeral really capped an emotional three days of mourning for Beau Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY (voice-over): Mourners stood in line up to five hours Friday to pay their respects to Beau Biden's family.

JACK MORTON, MOURNER: We're here to pay our respects, not just to a great person, but a great family.

FAITH GREEN, MOURNER: Anybody who wanted to talk to Beau he took time to listen to you.

SERFATY: As the community remembers Beau Biden for three days of ceremony, for family the weight of the loss heavy in each moment. Beau's widow comforting their young son, the vice president wiping a tear from his granddaughter's cheek and standing with eyes closed for reflection. On Thursday, Beau Biden's casket cloaked in red, white and blue laid in honor at the state capitol.

GOVERNOR JACK MARKELL (D), DELAWARE: Beau had an extraordinary heart and from that heart he lived a life that is a model for us all.

SERFATY: The vice president's heartbreak palpable.

MARKELL: His attachments to his parents, is now a part of history. Never has a son's love been so genuine and so deep.

SERFATY: Last month, as his son laid dying with brain cancer in a hospital just outside D.C., the vice president warned Yale graduates that life has a way of changing in a heartbeat.

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Reality has a way of intruding.

SERFATY: The pain of this reality has struck the vice president before. His first wife and daughter were killed in a car accident in the '70s. A tragedy he's been open about over the years.

BIDEN: No parent should be predeceased by their son or daughter. I, unfortunately, had that experience, too. But, you know what, I was, I don't know about you guys, but I was angry. Man, I was angry.

SERFATY: Giving advice, he may now need to listen to himself once again.

BIDEN: There will come a day, I promise you, and your parents, as well, when the thought of your son or daughter or your husband or wife brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY: And a White House official says that President Obama is taking a very personal role in the writing of his eulogy he'll deliver here later this morning. We're starting to get our first look here at the funeral program.

[08:05:04] This is a cover showing a picture of Beau Biden on the cover and we do know according to the program that in addition to President Obama, Beau Biden's sister and brother will give a eulogy. In addition to General Ray Odierno, he was the commanding general in Iraq when Beau Biden served in Iraq -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right, Sunlen Serfaty there for us in Wilmington. Sunlen, thank you.

PAUL: Well, President Obama is going to be off to Germany after the funeral. He has to attend the G7 Summit and he may be greeted by thousands of protesters. Look at what is happening on the streets there already. They are demonstrating against the gathering of world leaders saying that the global leaders have failed to act on pressing issues.

CNN's international correspondent, Karl Penhaul, is there, as you see, Karl, when they talk about pressing issues, what specifically have you heard them protesting?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christi and Victor. Let me set the scene a little bit for you. There are thousands and thousands of protesters now gathering close where some of the world's richest leaders of the most industrialized nations will be gathering.

These are the thousands who hope Obama and other world leaders a very hostile recession because they are against the summit. They believe that it is simply a club that have gathered together to divide up the world economy and world politics for their own benefits and not for the benefits of their citizens or for the global community.

And, so, there are groups here and simply concerned citizens and they have concerns. Some are against military spending. Combat against world poverty and some end the world's refugee crisis, some there for animal rights. Huge concerns. But they share a common dream. That, they say, creating a better, fairer world of everybody and also share a common goal and they say this weekend they want to shut down the G7 Summit. They want to stop President Obama from meeting with other world leaders -- Christi and Victor.

PAUL: Karl, how plausible is it that these thousands of protesters have the power to do so?

PENHAUL: Well, these protesters are very well organized. They organize in a very collective way. They take community decisions on what they're going to do. This protest has been one year in the planning. The police, of course, have very different ideas.

There are at least 17,000 policemen on duty over the weekend to try and control the crowds and try to protect where those world leaders are going to be meeting and that at a cost of $150 million. And that the protesters say is an obscene cost. That is just too much money to spend on seven world leaders meeting for just 48 hours -- Christi and Victor.

PAUL: All right, Karl Penhaul, thank you so much for giving us a good idea of what is going on there. We appreciate it.

BLACKWELL: Let's get now to the new acquisitions in the scandal involving Dennis Hastert. CNN has learned that three people now are accusing the former House speaker of sexual abuse.

Remember, that Hastert was charged with bank fraud and lying to the FBI about his bank accounts. The cash was allegedly hush money to keep one of his alleged victims quiet.

And now we're learning new information from CNN sources that indicate that there could be two other alleged victims. CNN's Polo Sandoval joins us now with more about these three potential accusers. Polo, what have you learned?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor, keep in mind that this is still a very fluid story. This is where things stand right now. At this point, the list of alleged Dennis Hastert victims stands at least three people. There is individual "A," which we read about when these federal court documents were revealed just over a week ago.

There's also a second, still unidentified person that says they have been questioned by the feds, but did not receive any of the so-called hush money and then there's Steven Reinboldt. He died nearly 20 years ago, so his sister is doing the talking for him this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Jolene Burdge tells ABC News her brother, Steven Reinboldt shared a dark secret with her before his death 20 years ago.

JOLENE BURDGE, SISTER OF STEVE REINBOLDT: I asked him, Stevie, when was your first same-sex experience? He just looked at me and said it was with Dennis Hastert.

SANDOVAL: Burdge says her brother told her he endured years of sexual abuse at the hands of Dennis Hastert during the late '60s and early '70s. At the time, the man who would become House speaker was a teacher and high school wrestling coach in York Ville, Illinois.

Reinboldt was a student and equipment manager for the team. Burdge says her brother first told her about the alleged abuse back in 1979 when he revealed to her he was gay.

[08:10:00] BURDGE: I said, why didn't you tell anybody, Stevie? I mean, he was your teacher, why didn't you ever tell anybody? He just looked at me and said who is ever going to believe me?

SANDOVAL: Federal prosecutors say Hastert lied to the FBI about trying to pay $3.5 million in so-called hush money to a person identified in court documents only as "Individual A." Burdge tells ABC News she is not that individual. She says she confronted Hastert on the day of her brother's funeral.

BURDGE: I want you to know that your secret didn't die in there with my brother.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And we can't tell you that Hastert did deny those allegations when they initially surfaced in 2006. However, now with this recent wave of allegations, we can tell you that he has not responded to several requests for comment. That could change, though, Christi and Victor, this Tuesday as he makes his initial federal court appearance.

BLACKWELL: We'll look ahead to that. Polo Sandoval, thank you so much.

SANDOVAL: You bet.

PAUL: Four million Americans hacked and we still don't know exactly what was stolen. CNN takes a look as the government is scrambling for answers now.

Plus, police in Florida transporting a man from court to jail when they open the van doors and he's unconscious, four days later, he's dead. Now, some are charging here.

Plus the pope is in Bosnia for the first time in 18 years being greeted by thousands of people. We'll tell you what's going on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: The latest breach for Americans' personal information is being characterized as an unprecedented cyber-attack by China in both scope and target. We are talking about 4 million federal employees compromised including personal information, security clearances and the process of granting security clearances, all of that.

BLACKWELL: Chief national security correspondent, Jim Sciutto takes a closer look for us this morning. Jim, good morning.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Victor and Christi, this attack in order of magnitude bigger than any previous cyber-attack of its kind. The information stolen here will allow for many more cyber-attacks in the future.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:15:12] SCIUTTO (voice-over): An unprecedented and alarming cyber- attack by China means hackers may now be able to identify, expose, and even blackmail U.S. government officials around the world.

All it took one government agency that had not taken the simple step of updating its server's software. The White House still is not publicly naming the culprit. It is acknowledging the growing threat.

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We have seen our adversaries use aggravated techniques and to learn from their previous efforts to find vulnerabilities in our system and to exploit them.

SCIUTTO: This attack appears designed to lay the groundwork for future attacks using the stolen personal information to fool government employees in so-called spear fishing attacks and to impersonate them to carry out insider attacks.

Targeting the personal information of federal employees is new. Chinese hackers had previously focused on stealing military and government secrets to enhance national security and corporate data for financial gain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't think that stopped, but this is just a new attack, Victor, which is typically been used pie or organized crime for monetizing that data and now nation states are clearly seeing that it has some use for them, as well.

SCIUTTO: Security analysts say some federal agencies are not following the government's own guidelines to update operating systems with the latest protections. The Office of Personnel Management discovered the breach by using new software, but the detection came after the system had already been compromised.

After years of alleged cyber-attacks by China, the Obama administration has tried raising the issue president to president. It even issued criminal charges against an elite group of Chinese hackers, believed housed at this Shanghai building and known as unit 61398. But China's attacks have only continued and grown.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's face it. Cyber as we're all waking up to again this morning is the newest domain of warfare.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: There is a debate about the wisdom of hacking back. Retaliating for cyber-attacks like this one. Private companies barred from doing so legally, but government officials also concerned about the possibility of sparking a tit for tat, a cycle of retaliation and escalation and that's something, as well, Christi and Victor, they certainly want to avoid.

BLACKWELL: All right, Jim Sciutto, thank you very much.

This morning, we've got new information about Andreas Lubitz. Remember that name? He is the pilot who flew his commercial airliner into the French Alps killing everyone on board. Now we learned that he reached out to dozens of doctors before the crash. You'll hear more details.

Also a man in Florida loses consciousness during a ride to jail and the ride was just eight minutes. Days later he dies while in the sheriff's custody. His friends, family, they're calling foul. More on that investigation in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:21:34]

BLACKWELL: It's 21 minutes after the hour this morning. Here is a look at some of the stories making headlines right now.

PAUL: Pope Francis is in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo where he held a mass at a stadium. Look at the crowd that came out to hear his message of global peace. His visit comes 18 years after Pope John Paul II travelled to the city.

And in Minnesota, prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the Roman Catholic archdiocese of St. Paul in Minneapolis saying church leaders failed to address several complaints of sexual misconduct against a priest and didn't do enough to protect children. That priest, by the way, was convicted in 2015 on charges of sexual abuse against minors.

BLACKWELL: The number of dead recovered from a cruise ship that sank in a river in China now stands at 396. Nearly 50 people are still unaccounted for. This comes after several cranes were used to lift the ship called the Eastern Star. Officials say they do not know just yet what caused it to capsize.

PAUL: A U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter was fired on from the Mexican side of the border. That forced it to make an emergency landing in Texas. Now, officials say they're not sure whether the gunfire struck the helicopter, but the chopper was flying over an area notorious, they say, for illegal border crossings and narcotics smuggling.

BLACKWELL: Colorado is being slammed by some major tornadoes accompanied by heavy rains. Look at this one. A flood emergency has been issued. Homes have been damaged and some people there say they even saw parts of a house flying by.

PAUL: Stay with us, we'll have to talk to you about a disturbing incident in Florida. A man mysteriously slips into a coma in police custody after being transferred from court to jail. Now he's dead. We have a live report on the fall out there. Also new details emerging about the Germanwings pilot who flew a commercial plane into the mountains. Reports that he reached out for mental health several times.

BLACKWELL: First, Caitlyn Jenner is being heralded as a champion for the transgender community, however most people deal with gender identity questions out of the media spotlight.

According to a study out of UCLA, up to 40 percent of homeless youth are LGBT are often rejected by family. A couple in Memphis, Tennessee, is trying to provide a home for those kids.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL (voice-over): the welcome sign on the front lawn is more than just southern charm. These devote Catholics have been safe house for transgender youth in the past six years.

DEB WORD, SAFE HOUSE PARENT: Some of these kids are living under bridges or couch surfacing or camping in apartments with 12 kids and no utilities.

BLACKWELL: For many LGBT youth coming out leads to family rejection.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't have any family left in the city and them providing that help for me completely changed my life.

BLACKWELL: Reaffirming a sense of family is top priority.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any of the young people who have ever stayed with us have known they are going to be treated just like our own children.

BLACKWELL: Leaders in the gay community say there is an urgency to help homeless LGBT youth.

WILL BATTS, DIRECTOR, MEMPHIS GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY CENTER: The first 48 hours is scary. What we need is a permanent solution for a temporary problem for each kid.

BLACKWELL: But what LGBT youth want more than shelter is acceptance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People want to feel accepted. They want to feel loved. They don't want to feel like they're different.

WORD: We have to get past the fact that sexual orientation is a reason to discriminate or a reason to not love someone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:29:05]

PAUL: It's 28 minutes past the hour and this morning we are now learning from CNN sources that three people are now accusing former House Speaker Dennis Hastert of sexual abuse. Remember, Hastert was charged with bank fraud and lying to the FBI about his bank accounts, but the cash was allegedly hush money to keep one of his victims quiet.

A new victim was reportedly questioned by the FBI. This person did not receive payments from Hastert, we're told. The former House speaker is expected in court, though, next Tuesday in Chicago.

New details coming out about the Boston beheading terror plot. Also a third individual who met with knife wielding suspect Usaamah Rahim just two days before Rahim was shot and killed by police. This third individual is being called a person of interest. He has been taken in for questioning. Investigators have also searched his home already.

[08:29:56] And we are, of course, remembering Vice President Joe Biden's son who's going to be laid to rest in just a while. In a couple of hours here at this point. Beau Biden died last week after a battle with brain cancer. He was just 46 years old. President Obama is attending the funeral and delivering the eulogy. We're going to have that live for you in the 10:00 hour.

BLACKWELL: A Florida man died this week after being transported in a police van. But his story is not making the kind of headlines we saw out of Baltimore with Freddie Gray who also died after being transported back in April.

This man's name is Mitchell Martinez. And he took just an eight- minute ride from the courthouse to the jail but when police took him out of the van he was unconscious.

Our Nick Valencia is following this story. First, Nick, I wonder if you could answer, why was Martinez arrested in the first place?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this dates back to a case in 2013 where he is accused of running somebody off the road. He violated his probation. Was taken into custody and was processed, loaded on to that van. Now, in eight minutes and just about three miles later, he goes from being placed in that van to cardiac arrest. He would die four days later.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Valencia: From a courtroom to a coma in a matter of hours. Last week, Mitchell Martinez got into a jail transport van in Vero Beach, Florida. About three miles and eight minutes later, the 35-year-old is in cardiac arrest. He dies four days later.

SHERIFF DERYL LOAR, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY: Upon him entering the van showed zero signs of distress.

VALENCIA: At a press conference on Monday, the Indian River sheriff said there was nothing out of the ordinary about the transfer. He defended his officers' actions.

LOAR: He was segregated into a separate -- if you can call it a cell, you can call it a cell within the van. There was absolutely no indication of anything unusual. There was very light traffic. There were no detours, no stops.

VALENCIA: According to sheriff's office there were seven other inmates who are in the van, none of them heard or saw anything.

LOAR: There was no other inmates that could touch him. No officers that could touch him.

VALENCIA: When asked about jail transport protocol a spokesman for the Indian River Sheriff's office told CNN, "We offer the inmates the opportunity to either buckle themselves up or if they need assistance, we can buckle them in. He says the inmates are, quote, "not required to be buckled".

In a memorial Facebook page for Martinez, speculation swirls. Specifically, how did he end up with these red marks on his neck? Friends also curious about why the video freezes here.

What do you believe in your heart happened?

RYAN MONTO, FRIEND OF MARTINEZ: I believe foul play.

VALENCIA: Ryan Monto has known Martinez since high school. Brad, as he called him, was supposed to be the best man in his upcoming wedding.

MONTO: Brad has been in good health for 27 years and all of a sudden he has, he's dead in eight minutes for no reason. I mean, it's kind of quick and abrupt. It's just a shock for everybody that knows him.

VALENCIA: For Martinez's friends and family the circumstances surrounding his death don't add up. They say Martinez was burdened by his court date last week wanting only to clear his name. Now, after his death, the family says, it may be the Indian River sheriff's office that is going to have to clear theirs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: The family of Martinez says immediately after this happened they thought of Baltimore and the incident involving Freddie Gray. They find the circumstances of Mitchell Brad Martinez's death suspicious and they say they're launching their own independent autopsy -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: Hey Nick -- I wonder if you can clear something up that maybe people at home are not certain about. The sheriff there said that no other inmate, no officer could touch him. But, there's the video of the seven inmates going into the back of that van, as well. Explain how those two things can happen?

VALENCIA: Our local affiliates got a tour inside one of these vehicles, these jail transport vehicles. And those seven inmates that you saw being loaded into the back were in a separate area of that van. Brad Martinez was put into an independent holding cell, if you will, that was immediately behind the driver's seat.

So according to the sheriff there in Indian River County, he was separate from those other inmates, not accessible by either the officers or the inmates. These family members of Martinez, though, they just don't think anything adds up. They're suspicious. They want this autopsy and toxicology reports done. They think that there's something out there that they don't know -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: And we know you'll stay on top of it. Nick Valencia -- thank you so much.

VALENCIA: You bet -- thanks.

PAUL: We're also learning new information this morning about the co- pilot who crashed a Germanwings airliner into the French Alps killing everyone on board. We're talking about Andreas Lubitz. Reportedly he reached out to dozens of doctors before this deadly disaster. This is according to a French prosecutor who talked to the Associate Press.

It was already reported that Lubitz had a history of depression and now this new information sheds some light on how possibly severe it was.

Wendy Walsh is with us. She's a psychologist and professor at California State University Channel Island. So Wendy it sounds as though the prosecutor is suggesting that Lubitz was desperate to get help -- dozens of doctors here. How can you find someone who can treat you if you know you have issues?

[08:35:09] WENDY WALSH, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, there have also been reports that SSRIs were found in his house. So, I believe he was at least being treated in some way. Now, whether he was taking them is another matter. The fact that he reached out to so many doctors -- and again, I'm sort of questioning this where dozens of doctors -- that's a lot. Dozens implies at least 24 and in a socialized medicine usually computer systems is that doctors are talking to each other and the pharmacies altogether. So that I'm questioning a little bit.

But I will say this. Here in America, a doctor can't breach confidentiality unless somebody clearly appears to be in imminent danger to themselves or somebody else. So short of saying I'm having thoughts of crashing a plane, there's not a lot, at least a psychologist can do to alert authorities.

PAUL: Ok, so, let me ask you this. If he was researching ways of killing himself, which we understand is true. While he was reaching out to doctors at the hat same time, what does that, you know, conflicting information tell you about his behavior? And about what might have been wrong?

WALSH: Well, reaching out -- looking on his own private home computer for potential ways to kill himself is a sign of major depressive disorder. So clearly, we're seeing the symptomology there and then with knowledge of the fact that he was trying to reach out and get help at the same time it kind of underscores the fact that he was suffering from at least one, if not more mental disorders.

PAUL: So, let me ask you. Let me put it to you this way. You're a psychologist, if he came to you seeking help, what is the first thing you do?

WALSH: Well, if he was extreme, I would refer him to medical so that he could get -- I'm not a prescriber -- so that he could see a medical doctor or psychiatrist to make sure his meds were. Now, if he was a pilot here in America, the FAA has pretty clear rules on if you're using an SSRI you have to be symptom-free of depression for at least six months and there are only four approved SSRIs and you can't be comorbid with any other diagnosis. It has to be just depression. You can't be bipolar and fly, et cetera, to get that medical certificate to fly. I don't know what the rules are in Germany.

PAUL: Well, let's think about this. As you mentioned it, we know that he's on anti-depressants. Is there any way that those medications may have played a role in what finally happened here?

WALSH: Well, we know that he had them in his possession. Whether he was taking them, we can't actually prove. There is, in some cases, a tendency of an increase in suicidality in only the first 30 days in adolescents and young adults. He was only 27 -- it's kind of a youngish adult. The question is, if he was taking them was he taking them as prescribed and was he being closely monitored?

PAUL: Very good point. Wendy Walsh -- it's so great to have your voice on this -- thank you.

WALSH: Thanks -- Christi.

PAUL: Want to point out, too, that CNN did reach out to the prosecutor. He had no comment.

BLACKWELL: all right.

In just about two hours the funeral mass for Vice President Joe Biden's son, Beau Biden, will get under way. That's in Wilmington, Delaware. President Obama will deliver the eulogy and we'll talk to one of Beau Biden's good friends, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: 19 minutes before the top of the hour now.

This morning the funeral mass will be held for Joe Biden's son, Beau Biden. We have a look here -- a first look at the program for this morning's service. You see it here, President Obama and Beau Biden's sister and brother, they will deliver eulogies at the mass. It will begin in just about two hours in Wilmington Delaware.

We have with us now Stuart Grant, the co-founder of the law firm, Grant and Eisenhoffer where Beau Biden worked after serving as Delaware's attorney general. Stuart -- thank you so much for joining us this morning.

STUART GRANT: morning, Victor.

BLACKWELL: when I say Beau Biden, what is the first memory, the first image that pops into your mind? GRANT: A man with a tremendous moral compass and one who is very

humble, but extraordinarily able.

BLACKWELL: Was there something, when you're part of a public family as he was, people think they know a lot about you or that person. Is there something that people at home don't know about Beau Biden that they should?

Grant: I don't know. Beau was loved throughout the community here. He was part of the fabric of the community. His work in the community his activeness in his church. His activeness in his children's school. He wasn't an attorney general who sat in the office. He was out with the people. So, Beau was pretty well known.

But, you know, I don't know if people fully appreciate it -- The great humbleness that surrounded him. He is someone who could have easily felt that he was entitled to things. But Beau always felt that his calling was to serve the people of Delaware and the people of this country.

BLACKWELL: And we've seen over the past several days the people of Delaware have shown up in huge numbers at the wake and now we know there is a long line at the funeral. Talk more about, you've spoken about his feelings about Delaware, but how the people of Delaware felt about Beau Biden.

GRANT: I think it's extraordinary. I think everybody here feels a loss both those who knew him, who knew him well and those who only had chance encounters with him. There are people who got to meet him once or twice in his lifetime who have just written letters or called or -- the entire community feels at a loss. And everybody has been touched.

BLACKWELL: And you know when we think about his father, Vice President Joe Biden, the losses that he suffered throughout his life, not just his son Beau, but his first wife and his daughter and the car crash in the 70s -- unbelievable loss for one man.

GRANT: Unbelievable and unbearable. And we all feel Joe's pain. But none of us can really feel it. But the whole community has poured out. That's why you saw lines of four and five hours yesterday. People just wanted to know, wanted him to know and, of course, Jill, also, that the people here support him and feel his pain and want to be his rock in any way that they can.

[08:45:12] But despite this incredible loss, Joe and Jill are incredible people as parents, as family members. The Biden family is very, very strong. And as horrible as this is, the character that Beau has helped developed in that family will be what gets them through this.

BLACKWELL: All right. Stuart Grant -- thank you so much for speaking with us this morning. And our condolences to you and your colleagues; we understand that Beau Biden was not just a colleague, but also a treasured friend.

GRANT: Absolutely. Thank you -- Victor. We appreciate that. BLACKWELL: Certainly. And we'll have more on the funeral throughout

the morning.

PAUL: Meanwhile, new details this morning on an Amtrak crash. The train with hundreds of passengers onboard collided with a truck. Take a look at these pictures we're getting in. We have learned more this morning and we'll share that with you.

Also, a bloody scene at Friday night's Red Sox game -- a baseball bat flies into the stands. It struck a woman, halted the game. We'll tell you what we know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Ten minutes until the top of the hour now. Let's take a look at stories making headlines now.

PAUL: Doctors are saying that a woman is fighting for her life after being hit with a baseball bat at Boston's Fenway Stadium last night. You saw in that video the batter hits the ball, the bat breaks, and a piece of it flies into the stands where it hit her. She was sitting along the third base. Witnesses say she was bleeding heavily and did appear to be in shock.

BLACKWELL: The search is on this morning for a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. A pair of teenagers are wanted in connection with a two-state crime spree. They fled their homes earlier this week and allegedly stole trucks across Ohio and Pennsylvania. They would later try to rob a gas station at gunpoint only to run off and injure an officer in the process. The two were last seen in a town in western Pennsylvania.

PAUL: An Amtrak train collided with a truck south of Chicago in Wilmington, Illinois. Take a look at the pictures here. More than 200 people were onboard. No one was seriously injured, thankfully. But according to NBC Chicago, the train was carrying 70,000 pounds of bacon --

BLACKWELL: Oh, no.

PAUL: -- which spilled over the road. That is one of Victor's favorite things, we should point out.

BLACKWELL: Yes, I love bacon.

PAUL: Police are now investigating why the truck was allegedly stuck on those tracks. But, again, the good news, because we are talking about bacon, we're chuckling a little. The good news is that nobody was hurt.

BLACKWELL: No one was hurt.

Anthony Davis, a 25-year-old defensive tackle for the 49ers is retiring from the game of football over concussion concerns. But he may be back soon. On Twitter the star player wrote, I'll be back in a year or so. I'll be 26 or 27 years old. I'm taking this time to allow my brain and body to heal and recoup.

PAUL: Well, millions of dollars and a spot in history are on the line for American Pharoah and his team today. Does the colt have what it takes to win the coveted Triple Crown? We're headed live to the Belmont Stakes for You.

BLACKWELL: This week's "ONES TO WATCH SERIES" examine the art of classical music and how superstar pianist Lang-Lang passing his craft on to future generations. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Chinese business Lang Lang has become a global superstar from a combination of his breathtaking talent and flamboyant personality. He's one of the few artists today who can frequently pack out concert halls around the world. He's performed for presidents, prime ministers and princes and entertained the global audience at the Beijing Olympics.

LANG, LANG: An artist today must bring diversity or what you call different dimensions to our playing. If you're sitting there for two hours of just, you know, different pieces, I think, you know, it can be very challenging.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's become known as the Lang-Lang effect has inspired millions of Chinese children to take up the piano. He harbors a passion to pass on his enthusiasm for the instrument and its music to a younger generation through his work as a UNICEF ambassador and his own music foundation.

LANG-LANG: When I see those kids playing on stage or in a class, I get really emotional because it really brings me back and I just got very personal attached to those kids. That I really want to help them to achieve their dreams because I know we had the same dream before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Watch the full show at CNN.com/onesto watch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: All right. I know you're ready for a Triple Crown winner, aren't you? Well, all eyes are on American Pharoah going for history today at the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes.

CNN's Richard Roth is live at Belmont Park in New York. All right, Richard, I hear you are quite the aficionado of horse racing. What are the odds, first of all, for American Pharoah?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Latest odds -- he's being bet down at 2-5. That means if you would bet $2 you would get a 40 cent profit. But you know, a lot of people bet the horse never even cashed the ticket because if he wins the Triple Crown, you have a piece of history in your attic. A lot of people still have tickets on Affirmed, the last winner of the Triple Crown in 1978.

So, Frosted is your favorite. Heavy favorite followed by Frosted behind him as a second choice.

PAUL: Frosted sounds a little funny -- kind of like he had too much to drink. It was like another term for it.

BLACKWELL: Been there.

PAUL: Victor has been there, apparently.

BLACKWELL: Oh, just me?

PAUL: Why haven't we -- Richard, why haven't we seen a Triple Crown winner in, what has it been? 37 years at this point?

ROTH: There are several reasons. This distance -- a mile and a half is never really run in America anymore and many jockeys move their horses to the front too soon and then come up gasping for air in the end. Real Quiet was a very good horse who was nipped by Victory Gallop in 1998.

And Bob Baffert (ph), the training of American Pharoah though seems incredibly confident. This is the fourth attempt by Baffert -- he's set a record. He thinks he can win this, but he also understands there's been a long gap since Affirmed in 1978.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB BAFFERT, TRAINER, AMERICAN PHAROAH: Hopefully he's going to do his thing and finally we can break this drought. I think I'm responsible for the drought because I probably should have won it a couple times before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Roth: California Chrome, you may remember, was last year. He finished fourth -- Christi, Victor.

PAUL: Richard, have a good time out there. You got the ticket everybody wanted today. Thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: All right. That's it for us. We'll see you back here at 10:00 Eastern for CNN NEWSROOM.

[09:00:01] PAUL: Don't go anywhere. Smerconish is starting for you right now.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST: I'm Michael Smerconish. Welcome to the program.

We begin with the latest developments in the scandal swirling around former housekeeper Dennis Hastert.