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CNN Sunday Morning
Extreme Weather Moves East; 80,000 Without Power in Philadelphia
Aired March 09, 2008 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CO-HOST: We got a real world slip and slide going on, folks. Icy roads and cars are out of control. This scene was repeated over and over and over as extreme weather moving east.
BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: Well, not only that, but waking up in the dark. About 80,000 people are without power in the Philadelphia area right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FMR. UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: If you put those three things together, you have an almost unstoppable force.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's premature, you know, you won't see me as a vice presidential candidate. You know, I'm running for president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, the talk out there over the dream Democratic ticket. Well, the Clinton camp kind of promoting that idea on the trail; Obama, not so much.
NGUYEN: And a little gospel music to get you moving on this Sunday morning, the legendary blind boys of Alabama in today's Faces of Faith. That's one way to wake up.
Good morning, everybody. From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, it is Sunday, March 9th. I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for starting your day with us.
HOLMES: And good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. Good morning to you, I know you're not feeling well. But you soldier on as you always do.
All right. But it is 7:00 o'clock here in the east, folks. While you in there Wyoming, we hope you remember to turn your clocks ahead, if didn't, you're not hearing me right now.
NGUYEN: Because you're fast asleep.
HOLMES: You're confused right now about what's going on, but good morning to you all.
NGUYEN: Well, first up: Politics. Yes. And the battle over Wyoming, it is over. Senator Obama is the clear winner and we'll tell you how it all shaped up.
HOLMES: Yes, Wyoming has 12 delegates but it's not a winner- take-all state. So, based on percentages, Obama is going to snag seven of those delegates, Senator Hillary Clinton walked away with at least four of them. One delegate is still undecided.
Our Jim Acosta is following all the developments from Philadelphia. You know, things are going on in Wyoming. We know Philadelphia and Pennsylvania are going to be important down the road. But tell us, what kind of happened last night in Wyoming?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., with the big Penn primary more than a month away, there are a number of contests to follow. One very important contest is Wyoming. And the results are in as you just mentioned.
Barack Obama is the big winner out there in the cowboy caucus, picking up seven of those delegates out there. Hillary Clinton picks up four and one, as you mentioned, is still outstanding. That brings the total delegate count at this point to Obama, 1,526; Hillary Clinton 1,428; a difference of just 99 delegates.
And many Democrats are starting to wonder with the race this tight, is it time for these two candidates to team up for the good of the party. It's an idea advanced by Hillary Clinton's husband, the former president, but rejected by Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. CLINTON: He would win the urban areas and upscale voters, and she wins the traditional rural areas that we lost when President Reagan was president. If you put those three things together, you would have an almost unstoppable force.
OBAMA: It's premature, you know, you won't see me as a vice presidential candidate. You know, I'm running for president. We have won twice as many states as Hillary Clinton and I have a higher popular vote and I think we can maintain our delegate count. But you know, what I'm really focused on right now, because all that stuff is premature, is winning this nomination and changing the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Next up is the Mississippi primary on Tuesday, and, of course, the Pennsylvania primary set for April 22nd. And Hillary Clinton wasting no time getting back to the Keystone State, she is scheduled to campaign here in Pennsylvania tomorrow. T.J.?
HOLMES: Already, the campaigning starts there in Pennsylvania. Looking ahead to Mississippi, I know, I guess, I don't want to see it's a foregone conclusion, of course, but still, a lot of people think this certainly favors Obama in Mississippi. It's looking good for him there in Mississippi.
So, Obama -- excuse me, Pennsylvania is the focus. Will they really just bombard this state for six weeks straight? I mean, is Pennsylvania going to be it for next six weeks? And they really focus on it for that long a period of time?
ACOSTA: Absolutely, you mentioned Mississippi, that should be good for Barack Obama. He won both Alabama and Georgia, not to mention South Carolina. So, yes, he is heavily favored there.
But as for Pennsylvania, it is interesting. Because a lot of people are saying Hillary Clinton should do well here. The front page of "The Philadelphia Inquirer" this morning refers to Pennsylvania as "Penn-hio", you know, alluding to the fact that Pennsylvania in many ways is a lot like Ohio, and that there are many blue collar workers in the state, lots of manufacturing losses in this state and because of that, people feel as if Hillary Clinton is better at attracting those blue collar and industrial workers.
But keep in mind, I'm in the city of brotherly love, this is a big urban center. The previous mayor in this city, John Street, he was certainly, a very good at reaching out to the African-American community, was very strong with that community here. And Barack Obama will be tapping into that, campaigning very heavily in Philadelphia and the suburbs as the Pennsylvania primary gets closer, T.J.
HOLMES: All right, "Penn-hio." We're going to make sure we write that down and try to remember that for the next six weeks.
ACOSTA: There will be a number of nicknames to come, I think, T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Jim Acosta. We appreciate you this morning. Thank you so much.
ACOSTA: You bet.
HOLMES: And folks, of course, we got you covered for politics all day long. CNN BALLOT BOWL kicks off today, at 2:00 o'clock Eastern, 11:00 Pacific. It's your chance to hear from the candidates unfiltered in their own words.
NGUYEN: All right. We want you to take a look, because Ohio, a winter storm has people just stuck inside and also, stranded at airports, working overtime to dig out this morning, a lot of going on.
HOLMES: Yes, a record, 20 plus inches of snow dumped into Columbus. Cincinnati and Cleveland got about a foot of snow. Blizzard conditions forced highways to be closed and all flights in and out of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport canceled. The airport reopened just within the last hour. Also, at least five deaths blamed on the storm there in Ohio.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, the storm is also causing problems east of Ohio. Look at this. In the dark, Pennsylvania, New Jersey have been battered with rain and high winds and utility officials say tens of thousands of people are without power this morning, including up to 80,000 in the Philadelphia area. Crews are working this hour to get that electricity back on.
HOLMES: Oh, no. NGUYEN: Watch.
HOLMES: This bridge in Charleston, look at this. That is a heck of a ride. This is in Charleston, West Virginia. It's notorious for accidents, this bridge here. There were nine on the foot hill bridge freezing rain, sleet coat the road, making it pretty difficult for drivers that you see there. Eventually, the eastbound lanes -- my goodness -- the eastbound lane had to be closed.
NGUYEN: It's amazing just to watch that and how some of them as they spin out, it's incredible that a few of them don't hit anything at all. You know, they're sitting there going, oh, thank goodness, because I saw, you know, another car just right next to me, whoa.
HOLMES: Well, he wasn't so lucky. Some of the drivers have skills and see this in NASCAR all the time. These guys make the saves when they spin out. But he's holding on.
NGUYEN: Watch the key to that? Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf joins as now. Are you supposed to turn into the spin or?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: From what I understand, when the back of the car is going in one direction, you're exactly turn to the spin and straighten it out. But how many of those people were still on their cell phones, (INAUDIBLE), hey, honey, you're not going to believe this, I'm going around in circles right now.
This is the reason why we tell me people that if we have this kind of bad weather, you stay off the roads. (INAUDIBLE). I mean, it's a huge issue. Another thing you were talking about, the 80,000 people without power in parts of Pennsylvania.
A lot of that wind now moving into places like New York, given the high rise buildings. So, you know, every time we go and cover the hurricanes, any time you're standing next to one of those hotels, the winds seemed a little bit stronger, think of Avenue of Americas in downtown New York today. I mean, it's just going to -
NGUYEN: It's going to be like a wind tunnel, all right?
WOLF: Well, absolutely. That's going to be the issue. Another part of New York, in say, Buffalo, we got the snow for you. And this is coming down big time, not necessarily just from the winds we had yesterday in parts of, say Columbus fall (ph) of snow, a lot of this is going to be lake-effect activity and it's going to continue through a good part of the day into the afternoon, perhaps into the evening and it is going to pile up. That's what happens in Buffalo. People there are no stranger to the snow whatsoever.
And speaking of the snow, let's take a look at some of the snowfall totals we had back in the state of Ohio yesterday, incredible day. Not a good day but amazing day nonetheless in terms of the snowfall. Columbus, Chillicothe, back to Dayton, Cincinnati and Cleveland, all had impressive snowfalls. They're going to be digging out today. And you know what? If you have to, if you're in poor health and you need to shovel off the walk, don't bother today. It's going to warm up a little bit possibly in the next day or so. And that's going to make things a little easier for you to deal with. So, that's the snow that's left behind.
Here's the snow that is forming back into parts of New York and eventually into Vermont, New Hampshire and even into Northern Maine. However, in places like Baltimore back into Philadelphia and New York and Boston, not going to be big snow event, but it's going to be the wind. Snow to the north, meanwhile to the south, we're going to be seeing the wind really begin to pick up.
And as I mentioned, it's going to be very strong at times, anywhere from say, 25 to 45 miles per hour, gusts up to 60. But that doesn't include the issue you're going to have with the wind going right between those buildings. It's going to be a rough day.
Let's send it back to you at the news desk.
NGUYEN: Another one. That's how this weekend is pretty much shaped up. It's been a rough one in many parts of the country.
WOLF: No question.
NGUYEN: We do thank you, Reynolds.
HOLMES: Well, a suspect is due in court tomorrow charged in the murder of an Auburn University coed.
NGUYEN: Yes. And police in North Carolina are on the trail of a possible suspect in the death of a female student there. We'll get you an update on both cases now from Stephanie Elam.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Two murders, two investigations, two breaks. Alabama police have one man in custody, North Carolina police are looking for another. Alabama, police arrest Courtney Lockhart in the murder of Auburn University freshman, Lauren Burk and they're still ironing out the details of a very violent death.
They found Burk shot on the street near campus Tuesday night and minutes later, found her car ablaze in a campus parking lot. She died at the hospital. She was 18. Lockhart faces charges of capital murder during a kidnapping, during a robbery and during an attempted rape.
ASST. CHIEF THOMAS DAWSON, AUBURN, ALABAMA POLICE: We have the right individual in jail. I'm 100 percent sure of that. I'll tell you what it were, but I'll tell you this, with a capital murder charge, I owe it to that family. I owe it to this community and I owe it to all Auburn University students over at that campus, to do everything I possibly can to ensure this trial is done fair to everyone involved and that the outcome is what it needs to be with a guilty verdict.
ELAM: To Chapel Hill, North Carolina and a new photo for police. They're looking for this man in connection with the shooting death of University of North Carolina student body president Eve Carson. She was found near the Chapel Hill campus early Wednesday. She was 22. The man in the photo appears to be using Carson's ATM card and driving her car. He had on a retro Houston Astros cap.
CHIEF BRIAN CURRAN, CHAPEL HILL, N.C. POLICE: This is our biggest break so far in this case. I know we're still in just the first couple of days of this. But this is our strongest lead right now. And we are hopeful that we'll be able to get this guy identified.
ELAM: Police don't think the two murders are linked. But one thing is for sure, two promising college students both from Georgia are dead. Two families and two campuses are now in mourning.
Stephanie Elam, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Just so tragic. Well, Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk will be remembered during a service today in her hometown of Marietta, Georgia.
HOLMES: And hundreds gathered for memorial service there yesterday as they honor Burk's life. Their thoughts were also with the family of the student killed in North Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY SINGLETON, BURK FAMILY FRIEND: Our hearts and our prayers go to Eve Carson's family as they deal with this tragedy similar to ours. With that being said, this is really a day for Lauren. It's all about Lauren. It's to honor and celebrate her life.
She was a beautiful, wonderful, kind, smart, intelligent young lady. We're going to miss her terribly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Auburn plan to campus-wide memorial service tomorrow for Lauren Burk.
NGUYEN: Here's a question for you this morning: Why are illegal immigrants suddenly on the run from this community in Virginia? We're going to show you what local officials did to make them feel unwelcome.
HOLMES: Also, still ahead, we have a story of some guys who transformed gospel music.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We sing gospel music and have a message in our music. We have to -- we try to touch lives. We try to make people feel happy, you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now after 60 years of making music, the Blind Boys of Alabama return to the place where it all started.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: College tuition costs are up about 6 percent this year.
NGUYEN: Yes. But there are tips to keep you from pulling an all nighter and researching that financial aid.
HOLMES: CNN's Christine Romans has this week's Right on Your Money.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A higher education is more expensive than ever. And getting help to pay for college may seem nearly impossible.
ROBERT FRANEK, THE PRINCETON REVIEW: Parents and students should embrace the financial aid process. It can be scary process because it's a many-headed beast but it can be the process that is going to make your student bloom when they are in college.
ROMANS: When your student is ready to enroll. Robert Franek of "The Princeton Review" recommends asking plenty of questions.
FRANEK: What are the general scholarship dollars that that school will give out? Is there an average indebtedness for student after they graduate from schools? Have (ph) students are certainly defaulted on loan (INAUDIBLE)? Are there other performance-based for the student (ph) gifted in music or athletics -- are there scholarships for that?
ROMANS: Become familiar with forms like the EFC, expected family contribution and FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid. And never eliminate a school because of price.
FRANEK: You're doing yourself a disservice if you cross a school off of your list because of high stake (ph) of price. But the truth is, many schools will bring aggressive about bringing down that to a viable number.
ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, his life spans the 20th century from beginning to end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Held as a prisoner of war in Manila, ate his meals out of a single tin cup for 39 months. He still has the cup.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: That wasn't the first war Frank Buckles was in. And you are about to see why the Pentagon saw fit to honor this aging veteran.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We've got some other stories now that we're following this morning.
NGUYEN: Yes, as many as 100 bodies may be buried in a mass grave in Iraq. Security forces found the skeletons in an orchard near Baquba yesterday. The area is known for some of the worst sectarian violence. U.S. military officials say, they are trying to determine who is responsible.
HOLMES: What happened to this former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran a year ago? Today in Florida, there's a rally for Robert Levinson, his wife still holding out hope that he'll be found. She says, he recently traveled to Iran but was given no information from officials there that would help her find her husband.
NGUYEN: Police in Memphis, Tennessee say Jessie Dotson killed six people, including two children during a fight with his brother. Three other children were critically injured and taken to the hospital on Monday. Police say, Dotson was recently released from prison where he served time for murder.
All right. So, illegal immigrants are feeling the heat in suburban Washington. Police there in one Virginia community can now check the immigration status of anyone who is arrested even for minor offenses.
HOLMES: And some immigrants getting the message and getting out. But as CNN's Kate Bolduan explains, the hard-line is having some unexpected consequences.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Manassas, Virginia is a long way from any border, but the Washington suburb is now on the frontline of the immigration debate. Prince William County lawmakers taking on illegal immigration by giving police the authority to check an individual's legal status for minor offenses.
In many parts of the country a federal crime must be committed for local police to report an illegal immigrant to federal officials. Communities in Oklahoma and Arizona have passed similar ordinances.
COREY STEWART, BOARD SUPERVISOR, PRINCE WILLIAM, CO., VA: It's incumbent upon us as public officials, those who've been elected, to enforce all of laws: U.S. law, state law and local law in order to protect the community and that's exactly what we're doing.
BOLDUAN: Supporters want to discourage illegals from living in the county, saying they're a drain on public resources.
STEWART: The fact is that illegal aliens do commit crimes. They do have a negative impact on our schools. They do have a negative on our hospitals and other social services.
BOLDUAN: Immigrant advocates say that's not the case and warned, this policy could lead to racial profiling.
NANCY LYALL, IMMIGRANT ADVOCATE: We believe that this is way -- a political move to target the immigrant community and make them feel unwelcome here in Prince William County and basically force them and drive them out of the county.
BOLDUAN: Some residents say this is more than an immigration issue, it's an economic issue as well. The owner of this Latino market says business is down at least 60 percent since word has spread about this policy.
MARCO BLACUTT, LATINO BUSINESS OWNER: I remember people who used to come in every week, shopping carts full. Now, those people ain't come any more.
BOLDUAN: Marco Blacutt says dangerous criminals should be prosecuted but he worries the policy is driving away customers. One of those, an undocumented worker, agrees. "I have a lot of family and friends who have moved to Maryland out of fear," he says. Blacutt now fears the new rule will soon drive him out of business.
BLACUTT: I clean. I set up the produce. I stock the shelves and I'm the owner. I mean, if it continues like this, there's nowhere else to take pay cuts. I mean, I can't fire myself.
BOLDUAN: Kate Bolduan, CNN, Manassas, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, when you have lives as long as Frank Buckles, you've been through a few things, a lot of things and maybe even a war or two. And now, in 2008, Buckles is one of the last of the doughboys.
NGUYEN: Also ahead: The Democratic candidates have staked out their turf in a war in Iraq, but, if elected, what will they actually do? We have a reality check in just minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, the Pentagon held a rare ceremony last week. The honoree was Frank Buckles of Charlestown, West Virginia.
HOLMES: There's very few people alive today can claim what he can, to have fought in World War I and later, a prisoner in World War II. CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, a portrait of Mr. Frank Buckles.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Frank Buckles sat in his wheelchair as thunderous applause filled the Pentagon auditorium. But in a way, the 107-year-old World War I veteran was also standing. In fact, one of the last men standing for a generation many fear is fading from the history books.
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The First World War is not well understood or remembered in the United States. There is no big memorial on the National Mall. Hollywood is not turned its gaze in this direction for decades.
MCINTYRE: Frank Buckles was a farm boy of 16 when he fibbed his way into the army. Although, don't tell him he lied.
FRANK BUCKLES, LAST AMERICAN-BORN WWII VET: I didn't lie. Nobody calls me a liar. I may have -- I may have increased my age -
GATES: Deploying from Fort Riley, he went over on the Carpathia, the steamship that had rescued survivors of the Titanic. He drove ambulances in the United Kingdom and France. By no means did Mr. Buckles' adventures end there.
As a private citizen he happened to be in the Philippines when Pearl Harbor was attack. Held as a prisoner of war in Manila, he ate his meals out of a single tin cup for 39 months. He still has the cup.
MCINTYRE: There will be nine formal portraits in the permanent exhibition at the Pentagon, all donated by David DeJonge who spent a decade finding and photographing the last of the last. Including Frank Woodruff Buckles.
GATES: But he's a modest man. I'm told he didn't want to have the limelight fall on him alone today. But to make sure that it took in all nine of the people depicted in the exhibit, John Babcock, Lloyd Brown, Frank Buckles, James Russell Coffey, Harry Landis, Anthony Pierro, Howard Ramsey, Charlotte Winters and William Seegers.
MCINTYRE: Of that group, one other veteran is still alive. John Babcock of Spokane, Washington who served for Canada in World War II and then in the 40s, joined the U.S. Army and became an American citizen. As for Buckles, he doesn't get out much these days, but he can now add to his amazing life, a meeting with the president and the standing ovation at the Pentagon.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And the applause is well deserved, 107-years-old.
HOLMES: Nobody calls him a liar.
NGUYEN: Oh, absolutely not.
HOLMES: (INAUDIBLE). You don't want to do that.
NGUYEN: Well, do you know where the Democratic presidential candidates stand on Iraq? Josh Levs does.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'll do my best anyway. Hey there, guys.
Barack Obama, he's been criticizing Hillary Clinton for awhile for not setting a firm timetable to withdraw from Iraq. Well now, there are new questions about the timeframe he has laid out. That's coming up. T.J.?
HOLMES: All right. Thank you, kind sir. We'll see you here shortly.
Also ahead in our Faces of Faith: They've been playing gospel music for decades. Now, the musical legend Blind Boys of Alabama return to their roots.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: What a way to start the weekend. This is the scene in some parts of the country. In Pennsylvania, a particular bridge here. You might just want to stay inside, folks, having all kinds of problems right now with traffic, with weather and it is best to just stay off the roads, if you can.
NGUYEN: If you need an example, here you go to keep you inside today. Man.
HOLMES: I didn't need to tell people that, did I?
NGUYEN: No, just show the video.
HOLMES: Just show them the video. But hey, welcome back to you all. Good morning to you, I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. We'll talk about some weather, some weather related stuff. And power outages in particular happening in the Philadelphia area. Ted Caddell, the spokesman for the power company there talks to us about what's happening with these power outages. We have heard, Mr. Caddell, thank you for being with us, we heard that up to 80,000 people are without power. What's the update now? Does that number still stands?
VOICE OF TED CADDELL, SPOKEMAN, PECO POWER CO.: At the height of the storm, T.J., we had about 110,000. Of them we got about 89,000 of those customers back into service and we're working on getting the rest of them back in as quickly and safely as possible.
HOLMES: Now, I guess, what are the conditions like there for you now and the crews with the work conditions for the crews out there, trying to get, I guess, is weather still beating them up as they're out there trying to get the power back on? CADDELL: Well, we had a pretty significant temperature drop after the storm came through. That storm kind of gave us a one-two punch. We had a good soaking with rain and behind that with real high winds knocking the trees down, but the crews were standing by to go back out as soon as possible. And they've been working throughout the night and they'll work all day today and get everybody back again.
HOLMES: Have you had any injuries or, god forbid, death or anything like that related to some of these power outages? I know we had cold temperatures to talk about as well. But any, I guess even accidents or things like that that have come as a consequence of the power being out?
CADDELL: Well, no, sir. We don't have any reports of that. Our crews, of course, have been trained to work safely and I think everybody had pretty good warning that this was coming through. So everybody I think kind of stayed close to home when it was coming through.
HOLMES: And again, this is strictly a matter of, I guess, the high winds knocking down trees, then trees hitting the power lines and also the high winds just knocking maybe some of the power lines down any way?
CADDELL: That's correct. We had gusts up to 71 miles an hour at the height of the storm and trees would come down, taking down lines. In some cases poles and pole mounted transformers and other, you know, hard to replace equipment like that. So, our guys have been, you know, working throughout the dark of the night and then, of course at the break of dawn we even got more crews, you know, reinforcing them.
HOLMES: All right. Ted Caddell, I know you all got a job in your hands. We appreciate you spending some time with us and giving us and our viewers and sort of the people in your area an update about what's going on. Sir, we appreciate you. And again, the word there, at the height about 110,000 people that were without power. Now about 89,000 of those got the power back. So, still roughly about 20,000 are still working on to get the power back to them. But certainly some progress being made. Some good news there and everybody should be back on here shortly.
NGUYEN: Which is very good considering how cold it is outside. Let's switch to politics right now. Because the battle over Wyoming, it is over. Senator Barack Obama is the clear winner. So, here's how it all shaped up.
HOLMES: 12 delegates at stake there in Wyoming, six superdelegates as well. But this is not a winner take all state. We saw a lot of those in the republican side, not so much on the democratic side. Based on the percentages here, Obama will get seven of those delegates and Hillary Clinton is going to get at least four of those delegates. One delegate still undecided.
And of course, the war in Iraq promises to be a huge factor in the presidential election. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama say they intend to end U.S. military involvement if they are elected. NGUYEN: But saying and doing, as we know, are two different things. So, our Josh Levs joins us now. He has a closer look at the candidates' statements on Iraq and what they could possibly do realistically, might say, to get that spot in office.
JOSH LEVS, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: You know, the three of us had been talking about this for a few weeks now that Iraq wasn't really in the news for the democratic side for a while and then it just kind of skyrocketed back, right front and center. That's been happening again real recently. What's happening now, Obama has criticized Clinton for a while for not setting a firm timetable for withdrawal. But now there are questions about just how definitive his plans are.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS (voice-over): Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama vowed to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq. Clinton said as president she would defense officials draft o a plan to pull troops and that she believes.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Nearly all should be out within a year.
LEVS: Obama has criticized Clinton for not giving a firm timetable. He vows to...
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Get all of our combat troops out of Iraq within 16 months. In an interview that aired Thursday, one of his top foreign policy advisers, Samantha Power told the BBC, the 16-month idea is not a set plan.
SAMANTHA POWER, FORMER OBAMA ADVISER: He will, of course, not rely upon some plan that he's crafted as a presidential candidate or as a U.S. senator, he'll rely upon a plan, an operational plan that he pulls together in consultation with people on the ground.
LEVS: Clinton responded.
CLINTON: Senator Obama campaigns on his plan to end the war. His top advisers tell people abroad that he will not rely on his own plan should he become president.
LEVS: Samantha Power left the Obama campaign Friday after apologizing for calling Clinton a "monster" in an interview with a Scottish newspaper. Obama did not reject Power's remarks to the BBC about Iraq. But at a campaign stop, he emphasized his commitment to ending the war and his opposition to the possibility of war back in 2002.
OBAMA: If it had been up to me, we would have never been in this war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: Well, Obama did give a speech opposing the war in 2002, though, mind you, he was not in the Senate and to be fair Clinton also says that if it were up to her, there wouldn't have been an Iraq war in the first place. Because as you know, in this tight race that we keep seeing now is both sides really trying to put the other one on the defensive. And Iraq is the latest issue and a reason to do that.
NGUYEN: And I think we'll see much more of this as this continues on.
LEVS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Josh.
HOLMES: Thank you so much.
NGUYEN: Well, a long time republican Illinois congressional district is now in the hands of democrats. Bill Foster won a special election to fill the seat of former GOP house speaker Dennis Hastert who lost his post when democrats took control of Congress. He resigned last year, as you recall. Foster, who is backed by Senator Barack Obama, told supporters the vote signals, it is time for a change in Washington.
Well, CNN "Ballot Bowl" is your chance to hear the candidates unfiltered. "Ballot Bowl" kicks off today 2:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 a.m. Pacific.
HOLMES: Well, they were robbed of their eyesight but blessed with the vision.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
JIMMY CARTER, FOUNDER, BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA: So we told them that we cannot use a hammer or nail to help you build a house. But we can bring hope to you with our music. And I think we did that.
HOLMES: The blind boys of Alabama still going strong after making music for more than past half a century. And they are still on top of the gospel charts. Their story up next.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The school specializes in teaching thousands of disabled students of all ages, starting at birth. To help mark the occasion, the school brought in its most famous graduates for a special visit, gospel music legends now in today's "Faces of Faith."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA, GOSPEL MUSIC LEGENDS: Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saves a wretch like me.
HOLMES: For over seven decades the Blind Boys of Alabama have inspired generations of music lovers with their soulful blend of gospel music. Singer Jimmy Carter, one of the band's founding members is the driving force behind the group's global following and joyous eclectic sounds.
CARTER: We sing gospel music. We have a message in our music. We try to touch lives. We try to make people feel happy.
When you come to our concert, we sing and we hope that you go away feeling different. If you come to our concert and leave the same way you came, we think we failed.
I want to let you all know music is a wonderful thing. It's a wonderful profession.
HOLMES: The group traces its roots to the Alabama Institute of Deaf and Blind where the original members met singing in choir class. Although they formed in 1939, this was their first home coming back to the (Tally David) School where it all began.
In addition to using their success to help inspire the students, the Blind Boys came back to school with an agenda, scouting future talent to pass the torch.
BILLY BOWERS, BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA: The Blind Boys has been moving and moving and moving for generation after a generation. We've been planning on like, when we leave this world, to have somebody, a legacy back here, some more young people, blind people to take on where we have left off.
CARTER: I'm going to tell the boys that the Blind Boys are going to take musicians later on. They better step up and get some of them later on. You never know.
HOLMES: But for now the band continues to thrive. They just released "Down New Orleans," their new album that they recorded in the Big Easy with the intensity of lifting people's spirits.
BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA: One day I was walking alone.
CARTER: Katrina devastated New Orleans. So, we told them that we cannot use a hammer or a nail to help you build a house. But we can bring hope to you with our music. And I think we did that.
HOLMES: The Blind Boys have done it all. They've won four Grammy Awards, collaborated with legends of all genres and have reached fame and notoriety all over the world. But the most important thing with Jimmy Carter continues to be his gospel roots.
CARTER: When we're all done, I hope that somebody can say that the Blind Boys touched my life. That's what we all about.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: I don't think they'll have any problems. Plenty of people will be saying that.
Well, this morning's Sunday services, one church trying to save souls and save parishioners from the flu. St. Thomas Moore in Kansas City is suspending two traditions of its Catholic mass, the handshake of peace and churchgoers drinking from a communal chalice. The pastor says he made the changes after learning of a death blamed on this year's dangerous flu strain. I guess, it does make sense. Don't go drinking after people who are sick.
HOLMES: Perfect sense.
NGUYEN: Especially someone like me today, if you see me at church, make sure you don't drink after me.
HOLMES: Usually, there's not that much distance between Betty and I but the girl is not well.
NGUYEN: Well, snowed under. Here's why a lot of people aren't well. Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf has been tracking the huge late winter storm, is this what I can blame for all that's causing me to be under the weather today?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: You can blame anything you like. Whatever will make you feel better.
NGUYEN: Just don't cough on you.
WOLF: What Betty wants, that will do.
Hey, folks, we're talking about the big storm. It is gone from being a major snow maker to being a huge wind maker, parts of the northeast dealing with winds anywhere from 25 to 45 miles per hour with gusts even higher, going up to around 60. We have a lot to talk about to tell you about how the weekend is going to fare out in terms of the weather and how the work week is going to start tomorrow. Let's send it back to you.
NGUYEN: OK. Thank you, Reynolds.
And they've got game and goals. Iraqi women winning against the odds on and off the court. We have their story just minutes away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: I'm Reynolds Wolf with a look at today's cold and flu season report. And although we're getting towards the end of winter, we still have a lot of winter weather to talk about. At the same time, we've got many cases of both the cold and the flu. And on this map behind me, you'll notice many of the states in the United States, are shaded in red, which indicates widespread cases of the cold and flu. But we've got a situation in three states where it's a little bit better. The state you see shaded in blue like, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Mississippi, we've only regional cases at this time. That's a look at today's cold and flu season. Get better soon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Right there, crunch. Icy overpass here. Collision course with disaster. Man, what an awful ride. This is the i-64 overpass in downtown Charleston, West Virginia. You can see why locals say it is notorious for accidents.
HOLMES: That's pretty good to say right there though. Freezing rain and sleet is to blame for several crashes yesterday morning. The eastbound lanes were virtually shut down for just a while. At least one person was injured seriously enough to be taken to the hospital. And you know, it's notorious because obviously the camera crew knows to go there and set up.
NGUYEN: Yes, exactly where to go to get these kinds of shots and the thing about it Reynolds, is that we look at the weather and you watch people in their cars just as they make it, and they save it as you say, T.J.. Then another car comes and slams right into it. That's why you just stay off the roads.
WOLF: Well, it shows you how random this is. I mean, really is. I mean, you could be the best driver in the whole world and if someone else is acting like a moron down the road and not paying attention with what they're doing, you know, you're just in danger.
NGUYEN: Take you out.
WOLF: Exactly. When we saw that play out right here on the bridge in West Virginia. That happens in many places around the country and could happen again today especially in parts of upstate New York, in Vermont, in New Hampshire. But I'll tell you one thing, we're going to be seeing from the storm system is that it's going to go from being a big snow maker to being a big issue in terms of wind gusts.
But let's talk about the snow first. Columbus, Chillicothe, Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, all incredible snowfalls, a record in Columbus. Original local forecast in Columbus called for two inches of snow. Think local weather guys are getting any phone calls? Look at that. 24 inches of snow. We're going to see much of that moisture now work its way into parts of upstate New York, right along parts of i-81. It is going to be a nasty mess for many people. Not only in terms of the snow, but it's going to be, well the cold air and it's going to be the rushing wind. In a few spots like Buffalo, we got the wind that's actually providing some of the snow, it's lake-effect, you can see everything coming in from the west and to the northwest, from Rochester to Buffalo to Lockport. Snow is going to continue to fall.
However, when you get back over to New York and to Boston, snow is not an issue, ha, ha, ha, but that is where the wind really comes in. Winds anywhere from 25 to 45 miles an hour, some gusts up to 60. But then when you factor in how it's going to operate right into the downtown areas, in places like Boston and even New York, right where you have these tall buildings, it's going to create wind tunnel effect, roaring conditions to the afternoon and possibly early evening too. Let's send it back to you.
NGUYEN: Oh, man. OK, thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: There you go.
NGUYEN: Well, some lessons about the game of life from sports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SINAN HISHAM, STUDENT: I want them to put a goal and fight for it.
NGUYEN: Iraqi women with game and some goals. Their inspiring story, that is just ahead.
HOLMES: Also coming up next hour, packing heat for protection. Women and guns. Betty, you're not --
NGUYEN: Not right now, I'm not.
HOLMES: OK, good. This is a growing trend. We're going to look into it next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So, Iraqi women learning lessons about life from sports. And you know, they've got game but they also have goals and dreams.
HOLMES: CNN's Kyra Phillips tells us how these women are winning both on and off the court.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: OK. What do you love so much about tennis?
SINAN HISHAM, STUDENT: The self-confidence, the strength and flexibility, endurance and I love it because the whole people is watching me and I love it.
PHILLIPS: And Sinan Hisham can be forgiven if she hams it up a little once the star of Iraq's national tennis team, she taught me a few things on the court.
You know I can't get that -- and about life in a war zone.
HISHAM: The war at first we get happy and we are free, free, free but then, you know, the things get bad and bad. So now it's nothing happens.
PHILLIPS: So now, Sinan has come back to where she started but this time to coach.
HISHAM: I want them to put a goal and fight for it.
PHILLIPS: This is the Sports College for Women at Baghdad University. These women are breaking out of traditional roles, aspiring to jobs and professions that can take them anywhere now. And to do this, they and their teachers risk their lives every day just to get here.
MITHAM MAHDI, TEACHER (through translator): If I don't put myself in danger, anatomy professor Mitham Mahdi tells me and these girls don't put themselves in danger, and other Iraqis don't do so, our whole nation will stand still and never improve.
PHILLIPS: And don't let the makeup and head jobs fool you. These women got game.
PHILLIPS: A lot of Americans think that women are wearing their scarves and they don't play sports and they do what the men tell them to do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES (through translator): You're embarrassing us, Nor Samir (ph) says, this is wrong and the wrong perception of women in Iraq.
PHILLIPS: Each one of these girls has a dream, coaching, teaching, maybe even going pro. Being here elevate our ambitions, Nubra Nibras (ph) tell me. It makes things better. Our society is a closed one now. But we still have hopes and aspirations. Sports is our outlet.
For these athletes, stepping into the gym doesn't just lead into a college degree, it's an escape from war.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We're used to these conditions. We live it up to god. We walk with the explosions behind us as if they don't even exist. We just want to get here. Live our lives, like nothing is going on outside.
PHILLIPS: Any thoughts of winning the war are sidelined here as these young women concentrate solely on winning the game. Kyra Phillips, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everybody. From the CNN Center right here in Atlanta, Georgia, it's Saturday, March 9th and hopefully you set your clocks correctly. It's 8:00 Eastern today. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes. Almost had a bit of a mishap with the clock this morning.
NGUYEN: I set it before I went to bed, but I almost forgot.
HOLMES: Luckily, the cell phones correct themselves.
NGUYEN: Or I'll be sitting here by myself.
HOLMES: You would be. All right. But glad that you could be here with us. Glad, I'm here. Well, let's get going this morning. For some of you, you might have to dig yourself out and you might just want to stay inside so you don't have the same fate of some of those folks on that screen you see on the top left there, extreme weather to talk about this morning.
NGUYEN: Yes, politics, up first. So, let's talk about that right now. The battle over Wyoming, it is over. Senator Barack Obama is the clear winner and here's how things shaped up.
HOLMES: And Ohio has 12 delegates, not a winner-take-all state however. So, they split the delegates. And CNN estimates, Obama will be awarded at least seven those of delegates, Hillary Clinton will walk away with at least four. One delegate is still outstanding.
Quiet pretty much on the campaign trail today: Senator Barack Obama at home in Chicago. Hillary Clinton is in Washington. Both of them, of course, are getting ready for Mississippi's primary coming our way on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Senator John McCain was the presumptive Republican nominee, he can afford to be off the trail. He's relaxing at home in Arizona.
NGUYEN: Meanwhile: Teaming up. What we've been hearing a lot about talk of the possibility of what some are calling a "dream ticket" on the Democratic side. The ticket many are referring to, of course, is Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
So, who gets first billing and who gets second? It is definitely an intriguing thought that Senator Clinton and her husband have addressed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FMR. UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: He would win the urban areas and upscale voters, and she wins the traditional rural areas that we lost when President Reagan was lost. If you put those three things together, you'd have an almost unstoppable force.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, that may, you know, be where this is headed. But, of course, we have to decide who's on the top of the ticket. And I think that the people of Ohio very clearly said that it should be me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right. But Senator Barack Obama isn't willing to give up that top spot either. He says a Clinton/Obama ticket isn't the dream that he's looking for.
All right. This is obviously the wrong video. We do have some sound from Barack Obama saying it's just too premature. And as soon as we get that rolling, we'll try to bring this story to you in its correct form.
HOLMES: Yes, we'll see. They're calling it the dream ticket. See if they can kiss and make up at the end of the battle. Of course, right now, all that is just talk. But just, how realistic is it that the two Democratic candidates will actually team up?
NGUYEN: Yes, let's talk about it with CNN's Jim Acosta. He's in the political beat in Philadelphia. And is there any way, I guess, you're hearing this just as we are, that this is really a possibility, Jim? ACOSTA: Well, a lot of Democrats are talking about it and they're thinking about this in a way that could perhaps bring peace to the Democratic Party and put this -- what has been sort of a contentious and grueling battle for the nomination to rest. And it's interesting to hear Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton talking about this so-called "dream ticket," while Barack Obama meanwhile seems to be saying, no, he's not interested to that at this point.
You know, you got to wonder, at this point who are they actually talking to? This is not something that you take to the voters. This is something that really would go to the superdelegates, and if this continues to be one of these hard-fought contests where Obama takes one contest and then, Hillary Clinton takes the next primary or caucus and they go all the way to the August Democratic convention in Denver, essentially locked up, with nobody really getting that magic number of 2,025 delegates, then, at some point, the superdelegates have to get together and decide perhaps, is this a way to make this work. But at this point, Barack Obama seems to be saying, he is not having it.
NGUYEN: And in fact, we have that sound from Barack Obama saying just that that we were trying to bring to viewers a minute ago. So, take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's premature. You know, you won't see me as a vice presidential candidate. You know, I'm running for president. We have won twice as many states as Senator Clinton, and have a higher popular vote and I think we can maintain our delegate count. But, you know, what I'm really focused on right now, because all that stuff is premature is winning this nomination and changing the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: I mean, do you really expect Barack Obama to say else but that? I mean, the man is running for president. But behind closed doors, as people get together and they gather and they discuss this, do you believe that there's some real talk of this possibly happening?
ACOSTA: Well, Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton are certainly talking about it, and they're certainly not talking about it from the standpoint where they would be on the bottom half of that ticket. Obviously, they'd like to be on the top half of that ticket. And I think, Barack Obama, you know, a lot of Democrats have said privately and some have said publicly that Obama might not be interested in the number two spot on that kind of ticket because, should Hillary Clinton become president, Bill Clinton would serve as almost an unofficial co- president.
He would a lot of official and unofficial duties, would be a lot of political maneuvering and management going on in the White House which might render Barack Obama as vice president, sort of that old, traditional role of the vice president which was, you know, sort of somebody who attends a lot of funerals for heads of state around the world and there might not be a whole lot for Barack Obama to do.
But there's a lot left to be had in this contest for the Democratic nomination. Both these candidates are going to Mississippi on Tuesday and there are plenty of states coming up, not to mention the big prize up coming next month in April for the Pennsylvania primary, which is going to be coming up faster than we can guess here.
NGUYEN: No joke about that and obviously, both candidates are really focusing on that because as Barack Obama said, they are both running for president here. No one is running for vice president at the moment.
Jim Acosta joining us live. Thank you, Jim.
HOLMES: And of course, CNN's BALLOT BOWL: Your chance to hear from the candidates unfiltered in their own words. BALLOT BOWL kicks off today, 2:00 o'clock Eastern, 11:00 Pacific time.
NGUYEN: We have a weather nightmare to tell you about: An icy overpass and a collision course with disaster. Look at this video. OK. So this person didn't hit anything, but, boom, another car comes by and slams into it. It's really a frightening scene.
This is the I-64 overpass in downtown Charleston, West Virginia, and you can see why locals say it is notorious for accidents. Freezing rain and sleet are to blame for the series of crashes yesterday morning. The eastbound lanes of the highway were eventually shut down for a while and at least one person was injured seriously enough to be taken to the hospital.
I'd take you to Ohio now. People are working overtime to dig out from record snowfall totals this morning. A winter storm dumped more than 20 inches in Columbus, stranding people at airports across the state and shutting down highways. At least five deaths are blamed on the storm in Ohio.
But some people had a lot of fun in the snow. I mean, I guess, you might as well. You're stuck in it anyways. Especially the kiddos and coming up in 10 minutes. We do have a live report on the cleanup effort underway in Cleveland, Ohio.
HOLMES: Storms is also causing problems east of Ohio. Pennsylvania and New Jersey have been battered with rain and high wind. Utility officials say tens of thousands of people lost power, including up to 110,000 people in the Philadelphia area. They lost their electricity, but power company officials told us just within the last hour that power has now been restored to most of those hard-hit areas. Just about 20,000 people are still without power right now.
NGUYEN: Well, that's definitely an improvement. But you know, this wild weather does continue to sweep across the northeast.
HOLMES: And meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is keeping an eye on it as it sweeps. Hello again to you, sir.
WOLF: You know, you guys are absolutely right. The wild weather continues its marks in the northeast. And you know what's interesting too; it's going to undergo a real metamorphosis, going from being a big-time snow producer to be, again, just a creator of very strong winds.
Again, you mentioned all of the power outages in parts of Pennsylvania, people maybe or not listening to us or watching us, but some of them are listening to us on satellite radio and let me tell you, we got better news on the way. Right now, let's very quickly about Ohio, you see some of the snowfall totals very impressive, especially in Columbus where they have 20 inches of snowfall. And Cincinnati, nine inches even.
We have a live image for you out of Cincinnati at this point. As we go to it, you're going to see snow is everywhere. Not too many cars out there. And I'm sure, I wouldn't expect that to change in the next couple of hours.
As we go back to the weather computer though, you'll notice that most of the snowfall now moving into parts of New York and to upstate Maine, even back into place like New Hampshire and back into Vermont too. But now, the big issue that we're going to deal with is mainly lake-effect snowfall from New York, Syracuse certainly on that action, it's same story with Watertown.
And then, the snow is going to be staying to the north, but still the winds, very strong in places like New York and back into Boston. And something else I want to tell you about. We're going to be dealing with this as we fast forward into tomorrow's forecast. We may see another round of snowfall back into Ohio, due to this system.
Now, what I want you to know, though, this is not going to be a major snowmaker, you might have a light dusting, but it's not going to be a big, big producer. It's also going to sweep through rather quickly.
So, snow early on Monday. Just some scattered snow showers and then, it's going to move right on through and then, high pressure builds in with a blast of cool air. But just a quick, quick few bunch of flakes, and that's it. Certainly not to the magnitude of what we've seen over the last couple of days.
Let's send it right back to you at the news desk.
NGUYEN: Well, finally, a little bit of good news from you, Reynolds.
WOLF: They need it, you know.
NGUYEN: Yes. Breaks, here is some news for you, breaks in the cases of two dead college coeds.
HOLMES: And we got an arrest in one of these cases and a possible suspect in the other. Update is right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A suspect is due in court tomorrow charged in the murder of an Auburn University student.
NGUYEN: Yes, Lauren Burk was found shot and wounded a few miles from campus, you know, actually a few miles from campus early Tuesday and died later at the hospital. Police have arrested 23-year-old Courtney Lockhart of murder charges. He was taken into custody in Phoenix City, Alabama and they say they are certain they have their man, this according to officials.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASST. CHIEF THOMAS DAWSON, AUBURN, ALABAMA POLICE: We have the right individual in jail, I'm 100 percent sure of that. You can take that for what it's worth, but I'll tell you this, with a capital murder charge, I owe it to that family, I owe it to this community and I owe it to Auburn University students over on that campus, to do everything I possibly can to ensure this trial is done fair to everyone involved and that the outcome is what it needs to be with a guilty verdict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Police investigating also the killing of a North Carolina student calling it one of their biggest breaks so far that they've gotten. They'd identified the possible suspect in the death of University of North Carolina student body president Eve Carson. They're asking the public to help find the suspect. Authorities released surveillance photo showing a man possibly using Carson's ATM card and driving her SUV. The man in the photo here from that ATM is wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF BRIAN CURRAN, CHAPEL HILL, N.C. POLICE: This is our biggest break so far in this case. I know we're still in just in the first couple of days of this, but this is our strongest lead right now. And we are hopeful that we'll be able to get this guy identified.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Carson was found shot and killed early Wednesday. Police are not saying when the surveillance photos were taken.
Also: Sometime this morning, search crews will resume their grim mission off the Oregon coast.
NGUYEN: Yes, they're looking for the body of a teenager who tried to help a younger boy caught in the ferocious surf. We'll get the details now from reporter Jack Penning of CNN affiliate, KGW.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What kind of assistance are you going to require down at the beach?
JACK PENNING, KGW REPORTER (voice-over): Rescue crews converge on Gleneden Beach. A young boy swept out to sea by huge eight to 10 foot breakers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We saw him between the big breakers and the shore popping up every now and then. And then, we lost him before the rescue got by here.
PENNING: The 16-year-old goes into the surf to try and help but he goes missing too. Helicopters search from the air, but wave runners are stranded on the beach.
JAMES GREENLIEF, COAST GUARD: Conditions were so bad, we could not put (ph) in.
PENNING: Rescue crews spot the first boy and pull him into the chopper. He died a few hours later at the hospital in Newport. The 16-year-old was never found.
GREENLIEF: Another surf rescue, a lot of rock.
PENNING: Crews scrambled a few miles south for a second call.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) pulled far out by the bigger waves.
PENNING: A surfer pulled out to sea by a strong wave current. Fellow surfers are able to rescue him and he's treated for hypothermia on the shore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a beginner's spot and so, a lot of the surfers expect the waves to be pretty soft breaking, but today was not that way.
PENNING: The sea is equally as rough on the North Oregon coast. Coast Guard crews called in to save a pair of kayakers. One is lifted from the surf, the other one rescued after he spent almost 30 minutes clinging to a rock.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rolled my kayak. I'd just kind of keep ties (ph) and pulled out in the riptide (ph). I couldn't get back in or get back to shore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then, I went out to try to bring her back in without my kayak and got stuck on a rock trying to rescue her.
PENNING: Three people rescued in three hours, but crews say they are heartbroken over the boy who died and the teenager still missing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, on duty in Iraq and a danger just coming to light.
HOLMES: Yes, we'll tell you what put U.S. troops at risk. And for American forces who are always on guard, it came from the most unlikely of sources.
But first: We got a preview of today's HOUSE CALL. DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, you know, we have some important information for women regarding hormone replacement therapy. New details about the risks and benefits.
Plus: How one baby's struggle could help save other children with a rare birth defect.
Also: A man who took weight loss to new heights. By climbing one of the seven highest peeks in the world. That's an amazing story.
We also have a check on the medical headlines coming up on HOUSE CALL at 8:30.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We got some other stories here that are making headlines this hour.
NGUYEN: Yes, police in Memphis, Tennessee, say Jesse Dotson killed six people, including two children, during a fight with his brother. Three other children were critically injured and taken to the hospital on Monday. Police say, Dotson was recently released from prison where he served time for murder.
HOLMES: And President Bush under fire for his veto of an interrogation bill. The president vetoed a measure that would have banned the CIA from using waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods on terror suspects. The president says, some of the controversial techniques have foiled terrorist plot.
However, Democrats say, there's no evidence of that. They say he botched a chance to end the torture debate once and for all.
Also: U.S. troops and Iraq and a tiny threat that loomed large.
NGUYEN: Yes, the danger according to the Pentagon's internal watchdog -- potentially unsafe water. Yes. Reports show, the source was the U.S. military and one of its top contractors. Some troops reportedly suffered skin problems, diarrhea and other illnesses, after using discolored, smelly water for laundry and personal hygiene.
HOLMES: However, that water was not used for drinking. The problems were found at some sites operated by the military and others run by the contractor KBR. That name might be familiar because KBR was once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney's former company.
Turn back to some weather. Snow plows and cleanup crews working overtime this morning in Ohio.
NGUYEN: Columbus and other cities got just hammered by a record- setting snowstorm that forced highways to close and even shut down the airport at Cleveland.
Still joining us now to talk about this is reporter Blake Chenault of Cleveland affiliate WOIO. Is there any chance things are getting a little more back to normal this hour? BLAKE CHENAULT, WOIO REPORTER - CLEVELAND: Yes, they're trying hard. As you'd said, it's been a very challenging weekend for folks here at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The airport did have to shut down for a short while yesterday. It re-opened at 5:30 this morning. It is fully operational, although with just one runway. Again, it fully is operational.
This morning, 25 plows have been working 12-hour shifts around the clock maintaining the runways. Of course, the airport can call in more resources if need be. But I believe, the worst of this storm is over. Still, there are lots of delays, lots of cancellations. Continental has a hub here. Yesterday, it canceled 60 percent of its flights.
I cannot stress enough the need to call ahead if you're going to pick up somebody here or you're going to take a flight out of here, there's a good chance it's going to be impacted by this near record- setting snowfall that we've had. Part of the problem here at this airport is snow and heavy delays at other connecting airports such as New York and Chicago.
And on average weekend, this airport would accommodate probably about 30,000 travelers. We haven't seen near that amount this weekend, of course, because of these heavy snows we've seen and if there is anything good to report about this snow, it would be the fact that this snow is kind of a dry snow. It doesn't have the high water concentration that we're used to see with some of the late northeastern Ohio snow. So, we haven't seen some of the icing problems that usually attach themselves to this snow.
Back to you, folks.
NGUYEN: Well, Blake, I see cars behind you, they're moving along the roadways? Are there problems today? Because yesterday, when we spoke with our reporter in Cincinnati, she said, officers were handing out tickets if they found people on the roads because they were just so dangerous.
CHENAULT: All sorts of problems. Now, the Ohio Department of Transportation has a yard about a mile from here and it had 12 plows out working 12-hour shifts around the clock. It brought in 200 extra tons of salt yesterday. The plows definitely did a great job over the night, clearing up these roadways and police and local law enforcement have been enforcing the parking bans.
So, if folks haven't gotten their cars off the road, those cars are plowed in. Because like I'd said, the plows have been working overtime to remove all of the snow. As I said earlier, a near record setting snow in Cleveland.
Back to you.
NGUYEN: All right. Blake Chenault with our Cleveland affiliate, WOIO. Thank you, Blake.
HOLMES: And we got a story coming up here about hoop dreams, a NBA game and a victory off the hardwood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Woody?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Glass?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, happy dance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Happy dance is right. A blind woman sinks a basket, but more importantly, she makes a point. We're going to share her message right after this.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, everybody. Josh Levs over the Dotcom desk. Now, which U.S. city has the most intelligent, friendly, and attractive people? Folks from all over the world are voting and this might be a chance for Los Angeles to repair its reputation in a sense. That's coming up right here: CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, if you have traveled a lot around the U.S., you probably have your opinions about which city is nicest, which city not so much.
NGUYEN: Yes, an online survey is now underway at CNN.com to determine America's favorite cities. And Josh Levs at the Dotcom desk has some results. And I would tell you, Josh, can we take a little peek of those results?
LEVS: No.
NGUYEN: I figured. I did.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVS: OK. But the thing is, people still have a chance to change it for this year.
NGUYEN: OK.
HOLMES: So, we won't influence the vote here.
LEVS: Yes, well, no. But we're going to let you know where it stands because you might want to jump in and let people know that you disagree. So, this is one of the hottest things at Dotcom today.
Take a look at this. It's a survey that's going on, about "Travel and Leisure" magazine together with CNN.com and HEADLINE NEWS. And what you'd do is you go to that page, you can miss this. One of the main things on Dotcom right now. And it takes you to a survey that gives you all these different categories. For how, you pick any one of 25 cities. There it is right there. You rate the food, the quality of life and the people.
NGUYEN: The hotness.
LEVS: The people and the hotness as she's saying, exactly. That's catching a lot of attention right now. So, what we're going to do now, this survey goes to the beginning of June. 0 What we're posting right there at Dotcom for you is where things stood through 2007. So that now with a new survey, it's your chance to change it if you disagree.
HOLMES: But you only get those 25 options.
LEVS: Just 25 options. You can't just name any city you want. But it's all the 25 biggest cities in the U.S., all right?
So, let's show where you things stand right now. First, we're going to start from the friendliest. So, this is where people who voted for 2007 say, the friendliest cities in America -- Charleston and New Orleans. Isn't that interesting about New Orleans?
NGUYEN: That is interesting.
LEVS: Yes, considering we're always reporting on the crime. That's what they'd said. Least friendly -- L.A. and New York. All right.
NGUYEN: I was kind of surprised by L.A. I don't find them not friendly.
HOLMES: People always say New York is not friendly. That is a friendly city -
NGUYEN: I find people in New York so friendly too.
LEVS: I'm not going to stay on that one because -
NGUYEN: OK.
LEVS: Yes. It keeps on not happening for me. All right. Let's go to the next one.
NGUYEN: Major attitude.
LEVS: I try to be nice to people. Look at me. I'm nice to them. And most intelligent, look at that -- Seattle and Minneapolis/St. Paul -
NGUYEN: Yes, Bill gates. Come on. We get. I mean, that's the only thing you need. That's going to be the smartest city.
LEVS: We'll talk to last one though. This is the one I want to talk about. Most attractive, all right? So, let's take a look at this. HOLMES: Easy poll.
NGUYEN: Miami, when you're half naked, how can you not be attractive, right? Well, I take that back.
HOLMES: Where do you go, Betty?
NGUYEN: Well, Miami Beach, you know.
HOLMES: My goodness.
LEVS: (INAUDIBLE). I told this guys that we're going to be looking for most attractive, they both said Miami, straight off the bat. And least attractive, I feel little bad, Philly and Washington and (INAUDIBLE) somebody out there. But this is your chance to chance it. So, if you disagree or on other account, if you want to help rescue L.A. so people don't think it's the dumbest, meanest city out there.
NGUYEN: Well, we didn't say dumbest.
LEVS: No, but that's what the people who voted said that.
HOLMES: Less intelligent, same thing.
LEVS: How as least nice?
NGUYEN: It sounds a little bit better that way.
LEVS: If you have to change it, go to Dotcom today, you can do that.
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