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CNN Saturday Morning News
Rebels Close in on Tripoli; Killed Off By Social Security; Honor & Honesty in Japan; China's Future Eco-Cities; West Memphis Three Released; Busy Week For GOP Presidential Hopefuls; New MLK Memorial Dedication Ceremony Next Week; The Curious Case of A Dog Named Mr. B
Aired August 20, 2011 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's August 20th. Good morning, everybody. I'm Alina Cho. T.J. Holmes is off this morning.
And we are watching a developing story this hour in Libya. Rebel forces are closing in on Tripoli. Will leader Moammar Gadhafi flee or stay and fight? I'll get a live update from Tripoli in just a moment.
A man in New Mexico rescues a little girl who's about to be kidnapped. He's being called a hero, but now he could be deported.
And take a look in the back of that pickup truck. Yes, it's a stroller and there's a baby inside. Find out what happened next.
But first, let's get right to Libya and the situation their right now. Libyan officials are denying that Moammar Gadhafi and his family are looking to leave Tripoli. That as rebel leaders say they are closing in on the Libyan leader's Tripoli stronghold.
One spoke to our Sara Sidner just this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Considering the fighting is so fierce here in Zawiya, how long do you think before you're able to push into Tripoli?
REBEL LEADER: Hopefully in (INAUDIBLE) by a couple of days.
SIDNER: A couple of days?
REBEL LEADER: A couple of days or one week maybe.
SIDNER: OK. You think it's going to be that soon?
REBEL LEADER: I think so. Because we are -- we are controlling 80 percent of Zawiya.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Now if Gadhafi is not leaving, then he could be planning a last stand in Tripoli. Our Matthew Chance is in the Libyan city right now.
And, Matthew, Gadhafi has been in power for 42 years. Is it possible that he could leave?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I wouldn't really act (ph). But as far as the public statements have gone so far, Alina, the officials here in Tripoli have categorically denied that any preparations are being made for Colonel Gadhafi or his family to leave Libya.
To the contrary, what Colonel Gadhafi has been saying to his cranks (ph) of supporters that gather regularly of an evening in the central Green Square in Tripoli is that not only should they be ready to defend Tripoli, but he will be leading that fight, you know, from the front, as it were. And so certainly his public statements aren't confirming any of these rumors or any of these rebel claims that he is positioning himself to leave Tripoli.
Although, again, I wouldn't entirely rule that out. Who knows what's being negotiated behind the scenes.
CHO: Matthew, you know, obviously there are reports that residents are fleeing Tripoli and that there is a crime wave underway. What are you seeing there on the streets?
CHANCE: Well, we're not seeing either of those things. And one of the reasons for that may be that we're confined to this, you know, luxury government-managed hotel in the center of Tripoli. We have government minders (ph) with us at all times. We're not permitted to go outside of the hotel perimeter except when we're accompanied by these government minders (ph). So it's very difficult for us to get a really good sense of what's actually happening in the city.
But certainly the people we have spoken to on the trips we do get taken on in and around Tripoli, people are very, you know, very angry. People are very fearful as well. Not least because that every night now, and certainly this has been happening over the course of the past week, NATO has been stepping up its air strikes off various positions inside Tripoli. They've been targeting obviously what they consider to be military installations.
But, you know, in many of the areas, these military installations are located in residential compounds as well. And so there's been quite a lot of impact on sort of ordinary Libyan citizens living in Tripoli because of these air strikes. A terrifying thing happening, you know, seven or eight times a night now.
CHO: And that has been going on for weeks. Matthew Chance live for us in Tripoli this morning.
Matthew, thank you very much.
More pressure on Syria as President Bashar Assad battles efforts to remove him from power. Watch.
(VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: A scary situation there. Opposition spokesman say 29 people were killed yesterday when security forces fired on protesters in several locations. This video is from earlier this month. The European Union's Political Security Committee is calling for an embargo on Syrian crude oil.
On Thursday, Washington imposed stiff economic sanctions on Syria and called for Assad to step down. Oil and gas make up about a quarter of Syria's economy.
Back in the U.S., the car that played a central role in the Casey Anthony case is now scrap metal. An assistant for the attorney representing Anthony's parents says the Pontiac Sunbird was crushed Thursday in a Florida junkyard. Prosecuting attorneys contended the odor from the car's trunk was human decomposition. Casey Anthony was cleared last month of killing her two year old daughter Caylee.
Convicted criminals and those who pose the greatest threats to national security and public safety are the undocumented immigrants most likely to be deported under a new policy outlined Thursday by Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano.
Napolitano says her department will focus on criminals and those who've violated immigration laws as they begin reviewing the 300,000 deportation cases that are backed up in federal immigration courts. A senior administration official says that right now nearly 80 percent of deportation cases involve people without a criminal record.
Well, he's being called a hero, but now fears about being deported. Antonio Diaz Chacon's wife says he has been living illegally in the states for four years. Well, on Monday night, Diaz witnessed a man grab a 6-year-old girl from an Albuquerque neighborhood. He apparently jumped in his truck and chased the alleged abductor's van for several miles until the van crashed and Diaz then rescued the little girl. His wife says it could have been their child.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA DIAZ, HUSBAND STOPPED ABDUCTION: Just the fact that it could have been us on the other side. It could have been us as worried parents just longing for her to come home. And, I don't know, just the fear of what could have happened, what could have been.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: The 29-year-old van driver has been charged with kidnapping and child abuse.
Well, a bizarre scenario playing out involving three men convicted of killing three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. Now, these are the 1993 mug shots of teens Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley Jr. They had been in prison until yesterday. But now they are free after reaching a deal. They pleaded guilty, but maintained their innocence. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON BALDWIN, "WEST MEMPHIS THREE" DEFENDANT: And then we did (ph) and we told them nothing but the truth, that we were innocent and they sent us to prison for the rest of our lives for it. And then we had to come here. And the only thing that the state would do for us was to say, hey, we'll let you go only if you admit guilt. And that's not justice no matter how you look at it.
DAMIEN ECHOLS, "WEST MEMPHIS THREE" DEFENDANT: I'm just tired. You know, this has been going on for over 18 years and it's been an absolute living hell.
JESSIE MISSKELLEY JR., "WEST MEMPHIS THREE" DEFENDANT: Even when you're in prison, it goes on every day, you have to worry about your own safety. It don't matter what crime it is, you still got to worry about your safety regardless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Prosecutors say the three were safe to set free.
Google goes global. Take a look. Google is expanding its street view to Brazil's Amazon and Rio Negro Rivers. Beautiful shots there. The web search engine is training locals to collect images of the region. Google says it wants to give a sense of what it's like to live and work in places most of us never see.
Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf taking a look at the weather.
That's pretty cool stuff there.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's amazing stuff. Amazing stuff.
CHO: You're a tech geek (ph), so you probably already knew about this, you know (ph)?
WOLF: Are you -- by saying that, are you saying I'm a tech geek? I think you are.
CHO: I think I am.
WOLF: And I think you'd be right. I am a geek.
CHO: You are.
WOLF: OK, I'm a geek that follows weather. And I'll tell you, Alina, we've got a ton to talk about today.
We have, of course, some rough weather that's going to take place across parts of the Midwest. The same time out in the tropics. We've got two different systems that we're watching. One, a named storm. One that may soon become a named storm. Yes, things are beginning to heat up. Plus, of course, some rough weather in parts of Pennsylvania last night. We're going to touch on that, too. Alina, great to have you here. We're going to talk more coming up.
CHO: Always great to see you, Reynolds. Thank you.
Coming up, a story that really makes you wonder, what was she thinking. Take a look at this video. And in case there's any doubt, what you're seeing there is a woman riding in the back of a pickup truck hanging on to a baby stroller with a baby inside. I'll show you how this plays out, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: It's great to have you. It's always good to have you here. And you're on, sorry.
CHO: I am on, but, Reynolds, we'll get to you in just a second. Could you just hang on a second here?
WOLF: Yes, I'm being patient.
CHO: I was just trying to have a sip of my coffee, too.
WOLF: I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
CHO: We came back faster than I thought we would.
But we want to get to this story first. So, what would you do if you were driving along, saw a truck, and in the back you spotted a baby stroller with the baby inside? Well, it happened in Florida. And we just happen to have the video.
So, take a look. Florida woman Keyona Davis was sitting next to that stroller. You see her holding on to it. She says she was hanging onto it and didn't realize how dangerous it might have been for the baby who was inside the stroller. Davis was arrested and charged with child neglect. 911 was flooded with calls like this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
911 OPERATOR: What is the emergency?
911 CALLER: Ma'am, there's a truck going down Mason Avenue heading east with a baby stroller in the back of the truck with a baby in it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: So how does the woman justify her actions? Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEYONA DAVIS, CHARGED WITH CHILD NEGLECT: It's not my child. I was watching a friend's child for her while she was at work. And I got my first child when I was 16. It's not like they give you a handbook or anything on how -- what's neglect and what's not neglect. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Well, there's an excuse I haven't heard before. We reached out to Davis' attorney. So far he hasn't returned our calls.
But we did hear from Florida's Department of Children and Families. They're investigating the case and issued this statement saying, "no child should ever ride in the back of a moving pickup."
You think?
"They could be thrown from the vehicle and suffer serious injuries. All children should be properly restrained in moving vehicle was child seats for children aged five and younger and seatbelts for children of all ages."
Well, the flash floods in Pennsylvania.
WOLF: Horrific story.
CHO: Pretty serious stuff, right? I mean you've got a lot of weather going on, including a tropical storm as well. So, let's get to it. What are you watching?
WOLF: Absolutely.
Well, the first and foremost thing is, we've got to talk about what happened yesterday.
CHO: Yes.
WOLF: Just a horrible event. You know, there was a mother and also two children that were dead after a flash flood that struck parts of Pennsylvania last night. It's one of those situations where you have the rain that falls so heavily, Alina. And when it happens, things begin to pile up very quickly. There was a mother with two children. They were actually pinned by the flood waters into a tree and, of course, beyond the reach of rescuers.
There's still some people missing as we speak. It is a terrifying thing, but this happens every single time, Alina, that there's flash flooding. We often tell people, you never want to drive through an area where you have water that's covering a roadway. But that, unfortunately, was the situation and --
CHO: Did we know there was going -- I mean, obviously you never expect something like this to happen, but heavy rains, I imagine, were in the forecast?
WOLF: You're absolutely right. No, you're on -- you're definitely on to it. There was some heavy rain in the forecast. Did they ever expect this scenario would play out exactly? Not at all.
But let me show you something else, Alina. We do have a chance of seeing some rough weather pop up again today. This time the focus is going to be a little bit farther off to the west, though. Namely into the Ohio Valley and in places like say St. Louis. You have this area of low pressure. This frontal boundary. And by late afternoon especially is where we could see some strong storms and, yes, the potential for some flash flooding. So just keep that in mind today. You've got to be careful out there.
One of the key components to having the weather really get rough in spots has got to do with your temperatures. If you have really muggy conditions, if you have high temperatures and a frontal boundary coming through, that alone is enough to make you have a very unstable atmosphere. And with that, the chance of the strong storms.
Ninety-seven the high in Memphis, 86 in New York, 86 in Denver, 69 degrees in Los Angeles. Your high in Houston, 99. And 94 in New Orleans.
We're also keeping an sharp eye on the tropics, Alina. Take a look at this. We've got, of course, this latest storm. This one happens to be Harvey. Not expected to have any effect on the United States but could affect Belize as we get into Sunday. And into Monday, fast forwarding into parts of central Mexico where it will be a heavy rain producer. And with that there's the chance for some flash flooding there. Maybe even some mudslides in the highest terrain.
Now, farther back out in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, it is that time of year. We're also watching this system that you see that is surrounded by this reddish box. That is a 70 percent chance from the National Hurricane Center of seeing this area become a named storm. Possibly strengthening. And if that does hold true, the latest forecast models that we have bring it more to the west.
Again, as it extrapolates outward, we see the potential of it moving through San Juan, Puerto Rico, perhaps even into Jamaica. Cuba is also in the mix. Even maybe even effecting south Florida. But keep in mind, we're a long way and each and every day that passes, again, this storm -- the system could really veer a bit more to the north, perhaps, more to the south or even diagonal (ph) all together.
A lot of uncertainty with this for the time being, but still this is the season we have to really, really watch the tropics.
CHO: Yes, but it's been fairly quiet, hasn't it? I mean as seasons go.
WOLF: It really has been. It really has been. But the thing is, it goes all the way through November 30th. So, Alina, there's a lot of time that we could see more development and possibly something that could threaten the United States.
CHO: Oh, don't I know it. I used to work in local news in Florida. I've covered many a hurricane. Reynolds Wolf, thank you very much.
WOLF: There you go. You bet.
CHO: We'll check back with you later.
Coming up, what would you do if you found millions of dollars, $45 million to be exact, and if you kept it no one would notice? I'll tell you what search and rescue crews in Japan did about this just ahead.
Plus, this woman went to the bank, but instead of giving her money, they cut up her cards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARJORIE LOUER, DECLARED DECEASED: I explained to her, well, I didn't feel dead, but she insisted that I was. And from there I --
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To your face?
LOUER: To my face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Allan Chernoff is on the story. And, believe it or not, this happens to 14,000 Americans every year. We'll tell you why, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: I survived waking up at 3:00 this morning. Good morning, everybody. You're looking at a live shot of Lady Liberty in New York City, where I normally spend most of my days. A high of 86 today. A little foggy this morning with a slight chance of rain. Welcome back to CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Well, it's probably the last thing thousands of people on Social Security expected -- being declared dead. Now that's bad enough, but then they have to convince the Social Security Administration that they're still alive.
Our Allan Chernoff has this incredible story.
CHERNOFF: Alina, reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. That quote attributed to Mark Twain certainly applies to thousands of Social Security recipients every year, including one elderly woman we met who received some untimely news from the Social Security Administration.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF (voice-over): Marjorie Louer is a healthy and vibrant 94-year-old, yet the Social Security Administration thought she died five years ago.
CHERNOFF (on camera): You look very much alive to me.
MARJORIE LOUER, SOCIAL SECURITY RECIPIENT: I feel alive now, but at one time I didn't.
CHERNOFF: Was that because of what the Social Security Administration told you?
LOUER: Yes, exactly. Yes. In fact, one clerk looked me in the face and told me I was dead. And I said, but I'm standing right here.
CHERNOFF (voice-over): Marjorie went to her local bank to get some cash, but her ATM card wouldn't work. When she went inside, a bank officer cut the card up right in front of her and said, according to our records, you're dead.
LOUER: And I explained to her, well, I didn't feel dead, but she insisted that I was. And from there I --
CHERNOFF (on camera): To your face?
LOUER: To my face.
CHERNOFF (voice-over): Someone inside the Social Security Administration had accidentally typed an incorrect digit while recording the number of a person who had recently died, leading the computers to believe Marjorie was the decedent. It happens all the time. About 14,000 times a year according to the Social Security Administration.
What's more. When someone is recorded as deceased, their Social Security Number and address are recorded in the death master file that the public can purchase, raising the risk of identity theft for those who have already suffered the ultimate insult of being declared dead.
Social Security told CNN, "mistakes do happen and there isn't a process where there will be zero mistakes. We try to correct these situations as quickly as we can."
Marjorie quickly had the mistake corrected, proving her identity to the bank and notifying Social Security, which sent her two months of missed payments. Both Social Security and Citibank mailed apology letters, but the memory of having been killed off remains a bitter one for Marjorie.
LOUER: It's a dreadful experience to go through. You laugh and your friends joke with you, but inside you're feeling pretty sad about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF: Social Security says it could be nearly error free if every state participated in a computerized system called Electronic Death Registration. But only two-thirds of the states do apparently because of a lack of federal funding for the program -- Alina.
CHO: Allan Chernoff, there you have it, thank you very much.
Well, coming up, your home, your possessions, everything you own is swept away. Then you find more than $48 million lying around in unclaimed, untraceable cold hard cash. So, what do you do? We'll have that story next. Then, the Jetsons finding a new home in China. Take a look. A city straight from the future, not far from Beijing. We'll take you there in our "Morning Passport," next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: It's 24 minutes after the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Nadia Bilchik joins me now for our "Morning Passport."
So, Nadia, before the break, we talked about first responders and search and rescue crews in Japan who are cleaning up after the earthquake. They found about $48 million in untraceable cash?
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Isn't that extraordinary.
CHO: I mean this is obviously a place that is cleaning up, to say the very least, you know, and it's an awful situation what's going on there. They could have kept this cash.
BILCHIK: Isn't that true.
CHO: So what did they do? I'm guessing they didn't keep it.
BILCHIK: No, they didn't. They handed it back to the people. And you said untraceable. Not totally untraceable because particularly when it came to the safes, there were about 57,000 safes that were found and in it were the bank books and the land registry and the title deeds. So that was returned.
But what's extraordinary is the bags, purses and wallets that were found. And of those, people found cash and literally 85 percent of the cash that was found has been returned.
CHO: To whom though?
BILCHIK: To people that they found identity in the wallets, in the purses. But doesn't it say so much about Japanese culture?
CHO: It's extraordinary.
BILCHIK: Going back to just the Japanese culture. And people who know the Japanese say this extraordinary kindness towards each other.
CHO: And honesty.
BILCHIK: And honesty, yes. So from cities that are rebuilding, to a city in China that is being built, as you said.
Now, last week, we brought our viewers the story of an eco-city outside of Beijing. About 100 miles outside of Beijing. It's called Tianjin City. And it's just really the first eco-city of its type in the world.
CHO: It's extraordinary. And we actually have a mock up of what it looks like or will look like, right? BILCHIK: What it will look like. The models prepared (ph).
CHO: Yes, if we could see it.
BILCHIK: But what's remarkable is, we had an architecture firm contact us once they saw the piece last week. Kevin Kennon's office called us and said, we loved your piece and, in fact, Kevin Kennon is designing one of the towers for the eco-city.
CHO: Wow, that's extraordinary.
BILCHIK: So the first choice was the very famous Chinese- American architect I.M. Pei.
CHO: Right.
BILCHIK: And he couldn't do it. So Kevin Kennon has designed this sustainable, what he calls a biophilic design. Have you ever heard the term biophilic?
CHO: So what does it -- no, I haven't, but what does it entail?
BILCHIK: It mean -- biophilic means man sensitive to nature. So have a look at the tower there.
CHO: Wow.
BILCHIK: He says it's inspired by the growth of bamboo. And you'll also notice that it's got double-paneled glass and that makes it very eco friendly, very sustainable, very energy efficient, Why? Because what happens then is in cold weather, it maintains heat, and in hot weather it maintains being much more cool. So you have this remarkable tower designed by an American architect in the middle of Tianjin City. And we'll be following this eco-city, first of its kind in the world.
CHO: That's extraordinary. When I was back in North Korea in October, I stopped through Beijing on the way. And I have to say, I was very struck by how modern Beijing was. The hotel that I stayed in was among the most beautiful that I've ever stayed in, in my entire life. The malls looked like Madison Avenue in New York. It was extraordinary.
So it doesn't entirely surprise me that this is happening 100 miles from Beijing. But, thank you for that story. And I'm glad you'll be watching it, Nadia. Thank you for joining us this morning.
Meanwhile, coming up, they pleaded guilty but are proclaiming their innocence. After more than 18 years, the "West Memphis Three," as they're called, are now free to prove their innocence outside of prison. You'll hear from them, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: It's 30 minutes past the hour. I'm Alina Cho. T.J. Holmes is off this morning. Thanks for starting your day with us. In Libya, rebel leaders say they are days away from moving in on the capital of Tripoli. That comes as U.S. officials say Gadhafi could be preparing for a last stand. Also, Libyan officials are disputing rebel claims that Gadhafi is seeking refuge for his family. A rebel fighter tells our Sara Sidner that they are two days, maybe a week, from moving in on Tripoli.
Retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark tells CNN a long battle for Tripoli is unlikely unless Gadhafi decides to fight to the end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. WESLEY CLARK, FMR. NATO COMMANDER: He has discipline forces and ammunition. It could be ugly there. It could go on for days just like the fighting in Misrata when on for days and days and days.
My guess is that is unlikely to happen. I think if Gadhafi goes into Tripoli and pulls in there and it goes against him, he is going to find that he is going to be struggling for a way out. Once he goes into Tripoli, there is no other than just saying OK, we surrender We lay down our arms. Give it some kind of a political solution. He has lost his bargaining position by going into Tripoli. My guess is he is not going in and if he does, it is not going to end up in a Misrata- like, months-long combat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Rebel leaders say a former Libyan prime minister has joined the opposition.
Checking our top stories.
Twenty-nine people are reported dead in Syria after a day of chaos and violence. All part of what protesters say is the continual crackdown on dissent by the government. A European Union committee is now proposing an embargo on Syrian crude oil. This after the U.S. imposed stiff economic sanctions against Syria.
North Korea leader Kim Jong-Il is in Russia. Russian media reports he arrived today by armored train and will meet with Medvedev in Siberia. This is his third trip to Russia. On another note, North Korea has agreed to talks with the U.S. about returning the remains of eight-thousands, rather, of U.S. soldiers killed during the Korean War.
It was another rough week for stock markets around the world. In New York, the Dow closed down almost 4 percent for the week, capping a fourth straight week of losses for investors. Experts say markets are volatile because of fears of another U.S. recession and uncertainty in Europe's financial system.
They spent nearly two decades behind bars charged with the murders of three second graders. Brutal crimes they say they didn't commit. These are the 1993 mug shots of then teenagers Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. They had been in prison until yesterday, but they're free now after reaching a deal. They pleaded guilty, but maintain their innocence.
Our David Mattingly examines both sides of the case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After more than 18 years behind bars, the men known as the West Memphis Three find that freedom has a bitter taste.
JASON BALDWIN, WEST MEMPHIS THREE DEFENDANT: This was not justice. From the beginning we told nothing but the truth, that we were innocent. They sent us to prison for the rest of our lives. We had to come here and the only thing that the state would do for us is to say, hey, we'll let you go only if you admit guilt. That is not justice no matter how you look at it.
MATTINGLY: In a complicated deal, Jessie Misskelley and Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin get out of prison to proclaim their innocence, but only after admitting the prosecution has evidence that could convict them. The West Memphis Three go free, but not free of the word murder.
DAMIEN ECHOLS, WEST MEMPHIS THREE DEFENDANT: It is not perfect. It is not perfect by any means. At least it brings closure to some areas and some aspects. We can still bring up new evidence. We can still continue the investigations we have been doing. We can try to clear our names. The only difference is now we can do it from the outside instead of having to sit in prison and do it.
MATTINGLY: And after their entire young adult lives spent in prison, what next? They have the support of celebrities like Pearl Jam's Eddie Vetter, who was inside the courtroom when they were set free. They also have the relentless hatred of some of the families of the murdered children.
In this outburst, a father yells to the judge he is opening a Pandora's box.
JUDGE DAVID LASER, CRAIGHEAD COUNTY, ARKANSAS: I don't think it will make the pain go away to the victim's families. I don't think it will make the pain go away to the defendant's families. I don't think it will take away a minute of the 18 years that these three young men served in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
MATTINGLY (on camera): Prosecutors say the case is closed. They have their killers and their guilty pleas. But others, including the father of one of the murdered boys, say they still want answers.
JOHN MARK BYERS, FATHER: I have been on their side. I have been fighting for them hard since 2007 when I realized that I was wrong. I had to make many amends to people. I'm still standing and fighting for justice because they are innocent. They did not kill my son.
(APPLAUSE)
MATTINGLY: The West Memphis three saved from a lifetime behind bars, now facing a lifetime of questions.
David Mattingly, CNN, Jonesboro, Arkansas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: AN extraordinary case.
Coming up, hitting Washington insiders where it hurts the most. That would be money. We are going to tell you why the CEO of Starbucks is cutting the purse strings on political campaign donations. And wants other CEOs to do the same.
First, the months-long drought in Texas is costing the farmers in Texas a fortune. The total figure may shock you. So what do you think? $1 billion? $2 billion? $5 billion? More? We will tell you after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back.
The state of Texas withering under a relentless drought that has lasted 10 months. Just before the break, we asked you, how much it has cost farmers in the state. $1 billion? $2 billion? $5 billion? The answer is a staggering $5 billion. Amazing.
And the drought in Texas is just one of many huge and costly natural disasters in the United States this year. The total cost, according to the National Weather Service, is more than $35 billion. Nine of the disasters cost $1 billion each, or more. Reynolds Wolf is with us now.
So, Reynolds, how do the natural disasters stack up in terms of cost?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is very amazing. It really is. I mean, starting off with the tornado outbreaks. We had several of them this year. First and foremost, in the Southeast and in the Ohio Valley, including Tuscaloosa, Alabama, you see the number there, $9 billion, the cost. The cost in lives, to me, means more, 327. Take a look at that, 327 deaths. Hard to believe what an active year in the Midwest and Southeast. Joplin, Missouri, we had $7 billion in terms of cost, 177 deaths. Then you fast forward into the drought we had in the Southern Plains and Southwest, the heat wave and wildfires, as Alina mentioned a moment ago, $5 billion. It is hard to believe. Especially with something like this because unlike a tornado or hurricane, which happens to be a very quick-strike event, this is something that happens over a prolonged period. The ramifications may be felt for years to come. So, just a brutal thing. As we mentioned, of course, it is not over yet. We still have a ways to go before we are out of that drought.
Another big money-again, another thing that really cost quite a bit, up to $4 billion, was the spring and summer of 2011, and then the Mississippi River flood, including Tunika (ph), Mississippi. And again, just an amazing year that it has been. No question about it. Here is how they stack up again. Midwest and Southeast tornadoes, $2.3 billion and nine deaths. We had $2.2, that occurred in April 8 through 11, April 14 to 16, another $4 billion. The Groundhog Day blizzard, many people forgot about that. Also, a huge cost to us, of $2 billion, with 36 deaths. And, of course, the Upper Midwest flooding we had, $2 billion, with five deaths. It has been just an incredible, insane year.
And of course, we have a ways to go. As we mentioned earlier, a lot of these things, another big expensive thing that may happen, of course, the potential of hurricanes. We have through November, possibly, to deal with.
CHO: That's right. And it has been a quiet season, but it seems to be heating up a bit.
WOLF: You never know. That is very true.
CHO: All right. Reynolds Wolf, thank you very much.
Texas Governor Rick Perry has been in the race for less than a week. He was greeted by both supporters and protesters on the campaign trail. You will hear from the protesters at the look at the week in politics after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Well Rick Perry's week-old presidential campaign has both its supporters and its critics. Watch what happened Thursday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop attacking middle class families!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: The criticism did not seem to faze Governor Perry, who continued that meet and greet on the town square. Democratic protesters also held signs warning the Texas governor to back off my Social Security, which Perry has previously criticized as a Ponzi scheme and failure.
Campaign cash that will be less caffeinated, if you will. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz wants to penalize lawmakers for last month's debt and deficit talks debacle by cutting the purse strings to future campaign donations. Listen to his rationale that he shared earlier this week On CNN's "YOUR MONEY."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD SCHULTZ, CEO, STARBUCKS: Let's send a powerful message to Washington that no long want to embrace the status quo and we want to see change. Unfortunately in this case, that change, I think, and the signal of change is about the fact we will not going to contribute anymore money until we ask respectfully Congress to go back to work, reach a long-term debt ceiling deal that will remove the cloud of uncertainty in the world. I think begin to focus like a laser on the most important aspect of the American economy, which is job creation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Good for him.
There is this from the former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell, of Delaware, you will recall she is the one who took out that TV commercial to explain to voters why she wasn't a witch. But she was able to disappear in mid interview on CNN's "PIERS MORGAN" Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE O'DONNELL, FMR. U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: Don't you think as a host, if I say this is what I want to talk about, that is what we should address?
PIERS MORGAN, HOST, CNN'S "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT": Not really, no. You're a politician.
O'DONNELL: Yes, OK. I'm being pulled away. We turned down another interview for this.
MORGAN: Where are you going? You are leaving?
O'DONNELL: Well, I was supposed to be speaking at the Republican Women's-
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Well, yes, she did ultimately leave. The following morning, O'Donnell said she wanted to stop the "border line sexual harassment." Come on, now, Piers isn't like that. O'Donnell was on the show to promote her memoir.
While President Obama vacations on Martha's Vineyard, Texas Governor Rick Perry is campaigning in South Carolina this weekend. Perry grabbed the spotlight this week after jumping into an already crowded GOP presidential field.
CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser takes a look back at a busy week in politics.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Good morning, Alina.
What a difference a week makes. He's out.
FMR. GOV. TIM PAWLENTY (R), MINNESOTA: I'm going to be ending my campaign for president.
STEINHAUSER: And he is in.
GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I declare to you today as a candidate for president for the United States.
STEINHAUSER: And in the week since Texas Governor Rick Perry jumped into the race for the Republican presidential nomination, he has grabbed the campaign spotlight thanks to some tough talk directed at Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke that sparked a controversy.
PERRY: If this guy prints more money between now and the election, I don't know what you will do to him in Iowa. We would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. I man, printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treasonous, in my opinion.
STEINHAUSER: Perry also took on his main rival for the GOP nomination, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
PERRY: Go take a look at his record when he was governor and look at my record when I'm governor.
STEINHAUSER: Romney, trying to keep his focus solely on President Obama. He did not bite.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not looking to be in a give and take with Governor Perry.
STEINHAUSER: And what about Michele Bachmann? After winning a major Republican presidential straw poll in Iowa last weekend.
REP. MICHELE BACHMAN (R-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What we saw happen today is this is the very first step toward taking the White House in 2012 and you have just sent a message that Barack Obama will be a one-term president.
STEINHAUSER: We expected the congresswoman from Minnesota would basking in the media spotlight. But on the campaign trail in South Carolina the past few days, Bachmann has had trouble making headlines, other than getting criticized for this.
BACHMANN: Under President Bachmann, you will see gas come down below $2 a gallon again. That will happen.
(APPLAUSE)
STEINHAUSER: Meanwhile, the man who almost beat Bachmann in that straw poll, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, he opened up his new HQ New Hampshire and told our Wolf Blitzer he is not worried about any lack of media attention.
REP. RON PAUL (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I just try to keep doing my job and presenting my case.
STEINHAUSER: The trail quiets down in the next two weeks as the candidates concentrate on raising campaign cash. But starting in September, the pace takes up with a vengeance. Five presidential debates over two months, Alina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Paul Steinhauser, thank you.
Coming up, the face of Washington is changing. Coming up, we will take you on a virtual tour of the Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial, a week before it is unveiled. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Good morning, Washington. A beautiful shot of the Capitol. It is 69 degrees. Great August day there.
Washington is about to change. Next week, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial will have the dedication ceremony. We will give you a sneak peek of the site right now. Our Josh Levs joins us with that.
So what does it look like, Josh?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is pretty amazing. I will tell you that the dedication, that this whole dedication, next weekend, has a whole week leading up to it. So there are activities going on starting Monday, really and all throughout the week. People from around the country, and world, can already get a sense of what it is like right now with this tour.
We are going to keep watching this. I'm going to tell you what we are seeing here. Organizers say this is designed to evoke the memory and spiritual presence of Doctor King.
It has several separate sections here that include some of his most famous quotes, excerpts of his sermons. It is focused on four themes: they say, democracy, justice, hope and love. The centerpiece I can actually show you, not just virtual, but actual. Turning to my screen right here, we are going to zoom in on this. This right here, is the statue of Doctor King. I can control it with the panoramic view right here. What I can do when I click on it, we are going to zoom way in.
You can see the words on the side of the statue itself. It is a 30 foot likeness of him. On the side, it says, "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." Now I know it is dark on your screen there, but that comes from his "I Have A Dream" speech, in which he actually said those words. If you look at how this is designed, this statue of him is a stone of hope that is coming out of this mountain of despair in the background. Symbolic in the way it is designed. All of this is from this granite blocks.
Now let's take a look at this Google Earth. I want you to see this. The location is so significant. The "I Have A Dream" speech took place at the Lincoln Memorial. If you look here, they basically set up a triangle from the Lincoln to the Jefferson, over to the Washington Monument. You can see where MLK Memorial fits in.
And as we zoom in the Washington Monument is the best known site in the nation's capital. And when you zoom in here, this is what is so cool. The Lincoln Memorial, where he delivered that most famous speech, "I Have A Dream" speech, on those steps right there.
When we zoom around to the other side, you will see the reflecting pool, and then you will see that Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is beyond that, on the other side. The site of the memorial is right there on that site of the Tidal Basin, right within view of all of those key sites. This, right here, is what one of the organizers of this monument said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY JOHNSON, PRESIDENT, MLK NATIONAL MEMORIAL PROJECT FOUNDATION: When future generations visit Washington, they will see a Mall that is more closely reflecting the diversity of our great nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Now, we have a lot that you can see, including everything I just showed you. Go ahead and show my page, up at Facebook and Twitter. And at our blog, CNN.com/Josh. You can see all of the interactives I showed you now. Including, Alina, our special section on CNN.com devoted entirely to coverage of Doctor King.
CHO: Josh, did you know I'm on Twitter now?
LEVS: I did not know. I didn't know if you wanted me to announce it. But I saw you got on Twitter. Let me welcome you to the fold. It is a lot of fun.
CHO: Thank you very much. I'm a late comer. Enjoying it. Join me. Follow me @alinacho.
Thank you, so much Josh, we appreciate it.
Join us next weekend for the unveiling of the MLK Memorial. Our T.J. Holmes will be live from Washington for the ceremony.
A child's last shot for finding a home for a four-legged best friend; leaving the little guy on a stranger's door step, and a $100 bill. We will tell you why and how this story plays out next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Coming up on two minutes before the top of the hour. Taking a look at stories "X Country."
In Illinois, both a rodeo cowboy and horse are OK after a pretty rough ride and nasty fall. Look at that. The rider was trying to stay on the bronco for eight seconds, but the horse was bucking too hard. It slammed into a railing and fell, as you see there. Thankfully, the horse and the cowboy are fine.
A man in Washington State found a dog abandoned in his driveway. He thought that was unusual, but a note attached to the dog's collar broke his heart.
We have more now from Chris Daniels of CNN affiliate KING.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS DANIELS, REPORTER, CNN AFFILIATE, KING (voice-over): High above Lake Washington in this Kirkland neighborhood, Paul Wu pulled his car out of the garage and did a double take.
PAUL WU, FOUND DOG: I was driving out and he was just right there.
DANIELS: It was a dog he had never seen before.
WU: He would not go away.
DANIELS: He looked closely.
WU: I found this bag hanging around his neck. I saw some paper in there, it says open. I opened it up. I find a note. It says, "Please take care of Mr. B."
Then in parenthesis it says, "Or find him a good home. He is a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. Six years old. My parents got divorced and Mr. B. was supposed to go to the pound. I think he has a better chance with you. This is my birthday money."
ROBERT KUCHINSKI, ADOPTED DOG: "He is used to kids."
DANIELS: Robert Kuchinski heard the story at the office he shares with Wu.
KUCHINSKI: "I know God will take care of Mr. B. Everyone loves him, especially me. Thank you."
Makes you want to wonder what kind of spot they're in and if they're OK, too.
DANIELS: Kuchinski agree to take the dog home to his wife and three kids, where the cavalier is acting happy and healthy.
KUCHINSKI: Good boy.
DANIELS: But they still wonder what the full story is behind the curious case of Mr. B.
WU: All I want to do is let the person know that we found him a good home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Aw, well it's a happy ending. Mr. Wu says he hopes things will be fine with the child as well.
