Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Bunker Standoff In Seattle; Weekend Weather; Saving Family Farms; CNN Heroes
Aired April 28, 2012 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center in Atlanta, this is WEEKEND EARLY START.
Ahead this hour, police say he murdered his wife and daughter, then tried to burn down his house, but that didn't work. Now a Seattle SWAT team is staking out this underground bunker where police think the suspect is hiding out.
Plus, he says his son who has autism was bullied at school and he has the audio to prove it. But one accused teacher says the father is flat out wrong. Ahead this morning I'll ask this New Jersey dad to respond.
And the future of our food giving a whole new meaning to fresh produce.
It is Saturday, April 28th. Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye.
We start with that stand-off now near Seattle. A man accused of murdering his wife and daughter is now holed up in a homemade underground bunker. A SWAT team pumped in tear gas in an effort to force Peter Keller out. It's believed that he is well armed and that the bunker is well stocked, so police are being cautious and patient. But one friend of Keller's wife isn't being so deliberate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SALLY FRENCH, MURDER VICTIM'S FRIEND: I hope he resists because I want him to know what a bullet feels like. You know, I can't stop being angry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: We get more now from Jim Forman of affiliate KING who filed this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SGT. CINDI WEST, KING CO., WASHINGTON, SHERIFF'S OFFICE: It doesn't matter how long it takes. If this takes a day, a month, a week, we're going to wait it out. The most important thing is our officers' safety.
JIM FORMAN, KING REPORTER (voice-over): As sunset nears, another SWAT team moves in to take up their position. The first units have been at it since 5:00 a.m. And with nightfall coming, commanders want to bring in fresh people. Sheriff's deputies now all but certain Peter Keller is inside his deep, underground bunker. A lair which could be bobby trapped. A hideout equipped for survival and a long standoff.
SHERIFF STEVE STRACHAN, KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON: This isn't a whole in the ground. This is a large, built up structure, but hidden. It took some time to find it. And, in fact, our tactical team smelled the wood smoke coming before they actually saw it.
FORMAN: The break in the case comes straight out of CSI. Detectives found the bunker from this fuzzy photo, enhancing it, then triangulating the location. The picture was supposed to burn in Keller's home, where he is accused of killing his wife and daughter, then setting the fire to cover the crime.
ERIN MCCULLUM, RESIDENT: Well, that's a little unnerving. I'm working from home today to make sure my kids are OK and it's been an interesting Friday needless to say.
FORMAN: Veteran law enforcement believe Keller may have been building his end of the world fortress for eight years, making this more of a military-style operation.
WEST: The fort appears to be amazing -- amazingly fortified. Just -- they said it's unbelievable. That pictures don't do it justice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And, once again, that report was from Jim Forman of affiliate KING in Seattle. We will, of course, keep an eye on this developing story throughout the morning and bring you any updates if something happens.
The Secret Service now has a new code of conduct coming in the wake of the prostitution scandal in Colombia. The new rules say that agents on assignment in other countries have to act like they are still in the United States. Also, they're forbidden from having anyone else in their room. There will be a list of places they have to stay away from. And no drinking alcohol within 10 hours of reporting for duty.
Meanwhile, sources with knowledge of the Colombia investigation tells CNN that Arthur Huntington (ph) is the agent at the center of the scandal. He is the one who had the pay dispute with the prostitute, and that brought the whole thing to light. Huntington, we are told, has left the agency.
A former aide for John Edwards says he feared for his life when dealing with the senator and two big campaign donors. Andrew Young called the situation bizarre when describing his role in allegedly helping Edwards conceal nearly a million dollars in campaign contributions. Prosecutors say Edwards used the money to conceal an affair with a mistress. It was the third day on the stand for Young. Edwards faces up to 30 years in prison. He has denied doing anything wrong. And we'll have much more on the trial a little bit later in the show.
A teacher at the center of a bullying scandal says she did nothing wrong. Kelly Altenburg is accused of being one of the teachers who verbally abused a 10-year-old boy with autism. The boy's father, Stuart Chaifetz, taped some of the interaction. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What'd you do in the library yesterday?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looked at the sculpture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You looked at the sculpture, that's what you did? Did you look at books? Yes. Did you go to see any books in the library or you just looked at sculptures? Oh, Akian, you are a bastard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The Cherry Hill, New Jersey, school district says none of the teachers involved work for them anymore but Altenburg's attorney says his client's voice isn't one of the ones on the tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW B. WIELICZKO, KELLY ALTENBURG'S ATTORNEY: The point today is not to attack the father of the student. I started the conference off by saying we respect his advocacy. But at a point there had to be a time where we said that the comments that he is saying that my client made are simply inaccurate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The attorney says Altenburg was transferred to another school in the district but is now on leave. I'll talk live with Stuart Chaifetz, the father in this case, and get his reaction in about 40 minutes.
There is a manhunt underway in Denver this morning. Police are looking for two suspects from a violent robbery this week. This is new surveillance video of the robbery Thursday night. The suspects demanded the clerk open the cash register, then shot him at close range in the arm. They then fired a couple shots at customers in the store before leaving. None of the customers was hurt. Police say the pair may be responsible for a string of recent robberies.
Bright sunshine or gray storms? Wondering what will the weather bring this weekend.
Well, I'm wondering too, Reynolds, so I'm hoping that you can give us a bit of a hint.
Good morning.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, to tell you the truth, Randi, just like every weekend, it's going to be a little bit of both. And that's OK. That's what makes it interesting.
The places we're going to see the rough stuff could be in parts of the Southern Plains, the Ohio Valley, but plenty of sunshine for parts of the Northeast, the Southeast and the West Coast looks pretty nice, too.
Where we might have some issues, though, travel-wise, take a look at your potential back-ups. In Chicago, it's going to be the rain. It will also be the wind that could give you some back-ups under an hour. Same deal in Minneapolis. In Cleveland, yes, it's the rain. Atlanta, we've got some fog, but I'm thinking by mid-morning that should be gone and delays should be too. Miami, scattered showers will keep your temperatures in the 70s, but could give you some back-ups. Just be prepared. Back-ups even at your smaller airports deep into the Florida Keys.
That's a quick snapshot of your forecast. We've got more straight ahead, Randi, but let's send it right back to you.
KAYE: OK, Reynolds, thank you.
Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're following this morning.
A mad cow scare renews concerns about our food supply. Is farming the key to food safety?
Then, would-be robber runs into a little trouble at the scene of the crime. This eight-year-old boy.
Plus, a child bullied in school and it's all caught on tape. I'll talk with the father who lays the blame on teachers, not other students.
And why this dog's need for some fresh air led to some serious delays in the skies above New York City.
You're watching WEEKEND EARLY START, where news doesn't take the weekend off.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: And a beautiful good morning there to San Francisco. Folks probably not waking up just yet, given that it's just a little after 3:00 in San Francisco. But if you are, we're glad you're watching WEEKEND EARLY START. Good morning to you.
A towering volcano in Mexico is roaring back to life. The volcano has been spewing plumes of gas and ash for about two weeks now. It is the second highest volcano in North America. Take a look at that. It's been putting on a pretty spectacular sight, but authorities say there's no reason for thousands of nearby residents to evacuate, at least for now.
It is just about 10 minutes past the hour. Parts of the country could be in for some stormy weather this weekend. Let's find out more from Reynolds.
Good morning again.
WOLF: Good morning, Randi. You know, I'm sure there are people this morning that are waking up in Chicago, if they're over near Wrigley Field, they're lacing up their shoes and saying, you know, I wonder, could it rain this morning when I'm out for my jog? I would say that's a pretty safe bet. In fact, take a look at Chicago, even up toward Milwaukee, things are dry for the time being but you've got some scattered showers that are forming farther back to the west. Some of these could be fairly heavy. But we might see some heavier activity as we make our way through the mid-day hours and into the afternoon.
As we make our way into parts of the northern Rockies, we still have precipitation there, but it's of an entirely different flavor. The chance of some snow fall up near Glasgow, back towards Billings, and just to the west of Miles City. Perhaps as far south as Yellowstone National Park and into the Grand Tetons. Highest elevations could get over a foot, but most places near Great Falls are going to have less than that. Keep in mind, if you happen to be driving along parts of I- 15, you're listening to us on satellite radio, you might have some issues in terms of visibility when the wind kicks up. So just keep that in mind too.
In terms of severe weather, we've got a possibility of seeing that across portions of the Ohio Valley and into Texas. In the Ohio Valley, I think one of the biggest threats may be some flash flooding. But in Texas, large hail, damaging winds and perhaps even some isolated tornadoes, especially by the late day hours.
So you've got those two pockets of severe weather. Northern Plains you have the rain, also moving into parts of the Great Lakes. Detroit, you don't have the rain yet. That will come later on this morning and into the afternoon. And portions of south Florida may deal with a scattered thunderstorm or two, which might give you some back-ups.
Seventy-nine degrees, we'll wrap things up, in Miami, 60 in New York, 59 in Boston, 71 in Kansas City, 62 in Denver, 58 degrees in Salt Lake City. And we finish up where we started. You had that beautiful shot in San Francisco, 69 the expected high out by Pier 39.
Back to you, Randi.
KAYE: All right, Reynolds. And I want you to stick around for this one, because I know you're going to like this next story. Guess who came to the rescue of a family of stranded ducklings? Take a look. Auto mechanics. Look at these little guys. Aren't they adorable?
WOLF: Oh, my gosh.
KAYE: Well, the ducklings fell into a storm drain apparently in Nashua, New Hampshire, and the mother duck started quacking and quacking. And, of course, that got the mechanics' attention. And they lowered a bucket, as you saw there, into the drain and got the ducklings out one by one. How cute is that.
And a disoriented dolphin has been swimming off circles in the wetlands off Huntington Beach, California. Marine officials are hoping it can find its way back to open sea. If it cannot, they plan to nudge it -- a gentle little nudge, of course -- in the right direction.
An alternative to fast food. It is called slow food. But it's not just about what you eat, it's about how the food gets to you. We'll explain, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: And welcome back. Good morning once again.
We are taking a closer look this weekend at food. What we eat and why we eat it. Earlier this week we heard about a case of mad cow disease in California. The sickened dairy cow never made it into the food chain luckily and public health officials say there was no danger to the public. So the food safety system worked, for the most part. But cases like these still raise fears and awareness. It can also push people away from processed foods and towards a more natural diet and organic foods. And that's where my next guest comes in. Julie Shaffer, founder of Slow Food Atlanta, and now governor for the southeast region of Slow Food USA.
Good morning to you.
All right, so, first of all, explain to me what "slow food" means.
JULIE SHAFFER, FOUNDER, SLOW FOOD ATLANTA: Well, in a nutshell, slow food is the opposite of fast food. It's food that's grown on a farm, a small family farm usually, and it's unprocessed, whole foods. And it's food that's grown in a manner that's good, clean and fair. Good for the environment, good for the people who consume it, and good for the people who produce it, from the farmers, to the pickers, to the processers.
KAYE: And so you brought what you have here. These are some examples of slow food?
SHAFFER: These are some examples of slow food.
KAYE: What do we have here?
SHAFFER: Well, we have turnips. We have green garlic. We have local seasonal carrots. We have radishes, garlic scapes. They're wonderful this time of year. We have some local strawberries and we have local goat cheese and a cabbage from my garden.
KAYE: From your garden.
SHAFFER: From my garden, yes.
KAYE: Very nice. Very nice of you to bring us that.
So you say, though, that this type of food, the regional local foods, are safer than the factory farms?
SHAFFER: It is. You mentioned the outbreak of mad cow disease that came to light this week and this is an unfortunate consequence of large scale factory farming, industrial factory farming. And when the food system is more localized, there are food-borne illness outbreaks, but it's easily traced and quickly traced back to the source. Whereas when it's a large operation, it takes weeks, maybe months to track the source of the outbreak.
KAYE: And so it's like getting it, I guess, maybe not from your backyard directly, but closer to home, less risk.
SHAFFER: Much closer to home. Less risk.
KAYE: And you say this is also a good thing because it's about preserving heritage. What kind of heritage are we talking about?
SHAFFER: It is. It's about preserving the heritage and traditions of our local place-based food systems. You know, with the industrialization of food and globalization of food, we lost some things. You know, when strawberries came in season when I was growing up, we ate strawberries non-stop for three weeks. Strawberry short cake, strawberry pie, and then we made strawberry ice cream, strawberry preserves and froze strawberries. And then somewhere along the line when our food system became globalized around the early 1980's, we got used to having strawberries whenever we wanted them.
KAYE: Right, all year around.
SHAFFER: All year around.
KAYE: And you don't think that's a good idea?
SHAFFER: It's not a good idea. We're transporting food from the global south. And when you consider the transportation miles and the carbon footprint of that food, it's not environmentally sustainable. And it loses flavor, it loses nutritional value. So we believe that a more local system of food production is the way to go. And that's the way it always used to be, you know.
KAYE: I have to admit though, I would hate to have my strawberries only three months out of the year, but I get what you're saying.
SHAFFER: I know, we're spoiled.
KAYE: I mean it is a big carbon footprint. Absolutely.
SHAFFER: We have become spoiled and I suspect that in five years we'll be in a very different place and I do believe in such a thing call virtuous globalization. And I think that we can do that to a certain extent and do it well and do it sustainably. And I'm very proud to be working at Emory University, an institution with whom this way of doing food is very important.
KAYE: Yes.
SHAFFER: And we have a very ambitious goal of sourcing 75 percent of all of our food served at the university and the hospitals, and that's roughly 45,000 meals per day, of locally, sustainably, regionally by 2015. We're just about halfway there.
KAYE: That's impressive. But, Julie --
SHAFFER: It is impressive. We're basically having to recreate a local regional food system where there hasn't been one in 40 years.
KAYE: All right. Well, I'll let you keep your strawberries just in case we go back to --
SHAFFER: Are you sure you (INAUDIBLE)?
KAYE: I'll let you have them. Julie, thank you very much. Appreciate that.
SHAFFER: My great pleasure. Thank you for having me.
KAYE: And if you, of course, want more information about the slow food movement in your area, you can check out slowfoodusa.org.
Coming up, more of our focus on food. Do you know the difference between organic and certified organic? We'll break down some common terms that can be confusing for some.
Plus, this courageous eight-year-old boy wasn't about to let a stranger get away with his mom's purse. How he thwarted an attempted robbery. What a brave little guy, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Oh, my, look at that gorgeous sky over Atlanta this morning. A little pink, little orange in there, a little red. That is a sight to behold. Beautiful morning. Good morning, Atlanta. Time to look at some stories that are making headlines cross country.
A group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans will finish up the last leg of a 100-k bike ride today. Former President George W. Bush led them through 30 miles of a rugged Texas canyon for the second leg of the trip. Some of the vets had been seriously wounded in battle. Some lost limbs. Others have post traumatic stress disorder.
Now to the nation's capital, where a family says a funeral home cremated their father but gave them someone else's remains. The box they received had someone else's name on it. The funeral home claims it delivered the right remains but labeled them wrong. Now the family wants to do a DNA test to make sure.
And in Kansas, an eight-year-old boy helped stop a burglary. Cade Hall was playing video games when a stranger came into his house and grab his mom's purse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CADE HALL, 8-YEAR-OLD HELPED THWART ROBBERY: When I seen his face, I was like, that's nobody I've ever seen before. He came in, yanked on it, and I yanked back. And he yanked harder and he ran out the door.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: He yanked harder. I love that. Well, his dad chased after the suspect. The man ran into a busy highway and unfortunately was hit by a car. He's now in the hospital. And, by the way, that purse, turns out, had no money in it.
CNN Heroes is a chance for us to bring you incredible stories of people overcoming hardships to help others. And this week we're introducing you to a woman who's facing death threats just because she's trying to stop violence against women.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALYA VILLARD-APPOLON, CNN HERO: Two years after the earthquake, the situation is still the same. The people are still under the tents. They don't have electricity. There is no security where they sleep. They are getting raped. In Haiti, things are very difficult. Before the earthquake, there were rapes happening. Now, I can say, it is total disorder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They rape (INAUDIBLE). They raped me January 15, 2010.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I was raped several times. It is very (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Even one-and-a-half-year-old babies are raped.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): After January 12, 2010, this little child (my granddaughter), wasn't even six years old yet and she was raped.
VILLARD-APPOLON: Adults are not spared. Mothers are not spared. Even babies are not spared.
My name is Malya Villard-Appolon. I am a victim of sexual violence. I am on a mission to eradicate the issue so that other Haitian women do not fall victim.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Malya's organization has helped more than 4,200 rape survivors in Haiti. The youngest victim was a 17-month-old baby.
VILLARD-APPOLON: We do awareness in the camps. We were working in 22 camps after the earthquake. Now we are trying to work in others.
We tell people to come out of silence. Do not be afraid to say that you have been victimized. We offer psychological and legal support. We have a call center, we accompany the victim to the hospital, and we have a safe house program.
For me, the first thing is justice that I want. I was a victim and I did not find justice. But I know I will get it for other women that are victims. We have to fight so we can say what was said in the past -- beloved Haiti, this is a great nation. There will be a change.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KAYE: And remember all CNN Heroes are picked from your suggestions. So send your ideas to cnnheroes.com and nominate your hero today.
Hiding out in a mountain hold. Police near Seattle have surrounded the bunker of a murder suspect. We're watching the scene as they try to smoke him out.
And it's called the nerd prom, but for Washington insiders and Hollywood celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel, it is the hottest ticket in town. A preview of tonight's White House Correspondents Dinner coming your way next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. Thanks for starting your morning with us.
We start with that standoff now near Seattle. A man accused of murdering his wife and daughter is now believed holed up in an homemade underground bunker. A SWAT team pumped in tear gas in an effort to force Peter Keller out. It is believed that he is well-armed and that the bunker is well-stocked, so police are being cautious and patient.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SGT. CINDY WEST, KING CO., WASHINGTON, SHERIFF'S OFFICE: It doesn't matter how long it takes. If this takes a day, a month, a week, we're going to wait it out.
SHERIFF STEVE STRACHAN, KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON: This isn't a hole in the ground. This is a large, built-up structure, but hidden. It took some time to find it. And, in fact, our tactical team smelled the wood smoke coming before they actually saw it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The bodies of Keller's wife and daughter were found in their home on Sunday. The house had been set on fire, Keller hasn't been seen since.
Here's a check, of a few other top stories. The Secret Service agent who sparked a prostitution scandal has now been identified. His name is Arthur Huntington. Sources say he is the agent who had a dispute over pay with an escort in the Columbian hotel. Huntington, a married father of two, is among those who left the agency after the scandal broke.
Also Friday, the Secret Service issued new code of conduct rules for his agents intended to prevent alleged misconduct from happening again.
Nearly one year ago, a global search for Osama Bin Laden came to an end with the capture and killing of the former al Qaeda chief. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says that night, which he called nerve racking, was one that helped ensure the nation's security. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: They said that they had KIA with Geronimo and confirmed that in fact that it happened. So that was the moment when we knew that all of the work that had been done was paying off. I think the one thing all of us feel pretty good about that we're involved in this operation, is that as a result of what we did, America is safer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: But Panetta acknowledged that the Bin Laden's death doesn't mean the end of the terror network that he founded, saying there is no "Silver bullet to destroy al Qaeda."
And tonight, the touch of Hollywood's glitz and glamour comes to Washington as politicians, reporters, celebrities, everybody gets ready for the annual White House correspondents dinner. Kim Kardashian, George Clooney, Stevie Wonder, and Martha Stewart are just some of the guests expected to attend tonight's event.
And the man with the big task of making all of them and President Obama laugh, comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who is the host.
Watch CNN's live coverage of the event tonight. It begins at 9:30 Eastern Time.
Time now for something we like to call your political gut check, where we take you beyond the speeches and break down what's really going on in politics.
Mitt Romney is the all but certain Republican nominee for president and that's good news for him because the party is finally showing him a little love. This week the RNC made it clear if not technically official, that Romney would be their nominee after he swept all five states in Tuesday's primary.
His party is now behind him but are the voters?
That's the question I asked our political director, Mark Preston.
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: It is -- big thing happened this week you know on many fronts, Randi. One we heard Mitt Romney actually talked like he's actually the presumptive nominee. And really spoke in that kind of tone, but he did on Tuesday night when he swept all the primaries including Pennsylvania.
Another big thing happened. The Republican National Committee decided to get behind him, Randi, and call him the presumptive nominee.
Up until Wednesday of this past week they hadn't done so. And the third thing of course is Newt Gingrich deciding to get out. So to your question, are the voters behind him? Well the polls show right now that in a head-to-head matchup, Barack Obama would win in November. But I have to tell you, the polls will tighten up right now, as you won't see as much in-fighting in the Republican party, that can only help Mitt Romney.
KAYE: Do you see Newt Gingrich playing a role in the Romney campaign?
PRESTON: Well he certainly says he wants to be part of the Romney campaign. And in fact this week, he's going to sit down, his campaign advisors are going to sit down with the Romney campaign advisors and actually figure out what role the former House Speaker can play for Mitt Romney.
Look, this is where Mitt Romney could use Newt Gingrich. Newt Gingrich is still very valued among elite Republicans and Republicans who have deep pockets. So Newt Gingrich could help Mitt Romney raise money and as you know and our viewers know, that that is going to be a high hurdle right now for Mitt Romney against the huge Obama money machine.
Another thing is that Newt Gingrich could perhaps play in some districts that Mitt Romney hasn't done so well over the last primary season right. He could probably do well some places in the south, where perhaps Barack Obama thinks that he can win maybe North Carolina, and he could also help out in some key districts in Ohio.
So Newt Gingrich has a role to play, and from all indications Randi, he says he wants to play.
KAYE: And the question is what role does Rick Santorum have to play? I mean he's out of this and at one point he had even said that he would rather see Barack Obama re-elected than have Mitt Romney in the White House.
Do you think we can expect any type of endorsement from him here?
PRESTON: Well you know, he's actually going to meet face-to-face with Mitt Romney this week. They're going to have a discussion about what role he can play in the campaign.
As you said he had some very harsh things to say about Mitt Romney over the primary season. He didn't want Mitt Romney to win the primary, he wanted to win. So that's why we saw that very jagged language out of Rick Santorum.
But Rick Santorum can really help Mitt Romney with the blue collar voters. We saw it, all throughout the Republican primary. Rick Santorum always won those voters and by and large, Mitt Romney always lost those voters.
Also Rick Santorum can help build bridges, perhaps the evangelical community who still look at Mitt Romney a little circumspect primarily because of his Mormon religion.
KAYE: Let's talk about Barrack Obama, he was sort of quietly campaigning this week. Joe Biden also out there now, not being so shy. Why is that?
PRESTON: Well you know, subtlety is not in Joe Biden's back pocket, so to speak, right. But Joe Biden is a great asset for Barack Obama, in many ways because as I talked about what one of the weaknesses is for Mitt Romney, which is the blue collar voters, that's the weakness too for Barack Obama.
And Joe Bidden can help fill that void or help build that bridge. In fact, that's why Joe Biden was chosen to be Barack Obama's running mate back in 2008. He can be very effective on the campaign trail. He was effective this past week, giving his foreign policy's speech, he went directly at Mitt Romney.
Of course as you said, Barack Obama has been suddenly campaigning but we do know this week he's officially, Randi, if you can put that in quotes, "Officially" going to kick off the campaign with a couple of events one in Ohio, one in Virginia. So here we are, general election, game on.
KAYE: Yes, I think a lot of people thought he officially kicked it off a long time ago.
PRESTON: I totally agree with you.
KAYE: We'll take your read on that one. All right Mark, thank you very much. Nice to see you.
PRESTON: Thanks, Randi.
KAYE: And you can read more from Mark Preston everyday at CNN.com/gutcheck.
Well talk about a rough day at the airport. A dog gets loose on a tarmac in New York city delaying flights and causing havoc. You see him there. This and more must-see videos, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: And good morning once again, time to check out this week's stories that really caught my eye, really caught Reynolds eye as well. Do you have a favorite?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know what, I'm going to save them first. To be honest with you, I've heard of it both, I've not seen them, I wanted to wait --
KAYE: OK.
WOLF: And enjoy it with the audience.
KAYE: You like the fresh.
WOLF: Yes, pretty much, like coffee, yes.
KAYE: OK, all right, all right, we'll take a look at this, this is pretty scary actually, but amazing video. We've had it -- we've all had of course bad flights -- Reynolds I know you probably have had some, but this takes it to a whole another level.
Strong winds in Spain, look at that plane rocking back and forth. It's a small ten passenger plane flying and bouncing around the runway. You can see it all happening there, thankfully no one was hurt but look at that. Doesn't that just give you a chill?
WOLF: Yes as he actually landed -- the plane touching go and I guess they touch and go? They can turn around and move for another pass.
You know it's amazing, about this, you see this and this compelling but get to think that Naval Aviators that land on the rolling deck of an aircraft carrier do this kind of stuff every single day on a rolling deck.
KAYE: Yes.
WOLF: Which is kind of amazing but for a private aircraft, for a commercial line with that, I would be freaking out.
KAYE: I know, they were saying, our producer actually had this creative line that he was at Spain's Sully Sullenberger, with that pilot.
WOLF: Very much so.
KAYE: Because he really, because he really handled this pretty well --
WOLF: Great course.
KAYE: All right, one more, you don't see this very often at an airport. But in New York city, there was a bit of a delay because a 14-month-old dog escaped from his crate at LaGuardia. Look at him there, the port authority worker on his hands and knees, doing his best to try and retrieve the dog whose name is Birdie.
Dog was actually on the tarmac. He got out of his crate, you know. He was on a trip.
WOLF: A dog named Birdie.
KAYE: A dog named Birdie.
WOLF: How appropriate, if Birdie is going to be somehow escaping, he's on --
KAYE: Yes but listen to this, how unhappy was Birdie's owner?
Airport officials finally had to get the dog's owner off her Memphis- bound Delta flight to help them catch Birdie.
WOLF: Unreal. Well hopefully, Birdie --
KAYE: So Birdie is going to be OK.
WOLF: Do you think Birdie got amex skymiles pulling something, OK. I have to give -- maybe Birdie was upgraded to first class.
KAYE: I don't think he got any amex sky -- (LAUGHTER)
WOLF: Well thank heavens, it was not on the runway in Spain where you have the crosswinds --
KAYE: Yes.
WOLF: And planes landing at the same time, that would be a nightmare.
KAYE: Yes, that would be bad.
WOLF: Wow.
KAYE: So, fun stuff right --
WOLF: Yes, very good.
KAYE: We'll have much more of that coming up later in the show.
Muhammad Ali had many milestones in his life, but you know which one happened on this day in history? Tweet me @randikayeCNN. First person with the answer will get a shout out later on in the show.
But up next, a father takes matters into his own hands when he suspects his son is being abused at school. What he found was shocking. He will be here live, next, to talk about the alleged abuse and what he did. Plus, I'll get his reaction to what the school district has done as of now, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Outside the eyes of caring parents, one child endured what many parents fear, bullying at the hands of a caregiver. This time a teacher. The child with autism unable to complain. We're going to speak with the father of that child, in just a moment.
But first for some backgrounds, CNN's Mary Snow has more on that boy's father's effort to uncover the truth.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ten-year-old Akian Chaifetz was diagnosed with autism, seven years ago, his father says. But Stuart Chaifetz says, his son's biggest struggle now isn't his condition, but bullying by the classroom staff entrusted to care for him.
He's documented the bullying in a very public way online, hoping he says, that other children won't suffer the same cruelty. Chaifetz says problems started this year when he was told his son had punched a teacher and an aide.
STUART CHAIFETZ, FATHER OF AKIAN CHAIFETZ: And I've never seen him hit anybody, that just didn't make sense. SNOW: Frustrated by a lack of answers, Chaifetz put a recording device in his son's pocket during a school day. He was horrified to hear what was on it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, boy, knock it off. Go ahead and scream because guess what? You're going to get nothing until your mouth is shut. Shut your mouth.
SNOW: More than six hours were recorded. Chaifetz says the toughest part was listening to Akian ask if he could see his father.
CHAIFETZ: My son, when he transitions back from his mom and I. He was with me full-time. He just has a little natural anxiety, he says may I see dad after mom. Which is his way of asking to be reassured he's coming back home.
AKIAN CHAIFETZ: May I see dad after mom?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. Did you go to see any books in the library, or you just looked at sculptures? Oh Akian, you are a bastard.
CHAIFETZ: May I see?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't see.
SNOW: Chaifetz says he went immediately to his son's Cherry Hill school and Credit Administrators would act in quickly. In a statement, the school superintendent said "In February, upon receiving a copy of an audio recording, the district undertook a thorough and rigorous investigation and responded swiftly and appropriately.
She said there were specifics she couldn't legally address. Adding "I want to assure our parents that the individuals who were heard on the recording raising their voicing and inappropriately addressing children no longer work in the district."
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And joining me from Philadelphia is 10-year-old Akian's father, Stuart Chaifetz. Stuart, good morning to you. First of all, I want to ask you, you know as we watch what you've recorded there. I mean how is your son doing?
CHAIFETZ: Once he was removed from that staff, he reverted back to who he always was. There have been no incidents since then. He's just a joy and I was sitting here before just thinking of him and smiling. He's such a happy kid. And then I heard that video and got as angry as I did the first time I heard it, and my heart broke again each time I hear that.
What they did to him.
KAYE: What do you feel when you listen to that? I mean, that is just outrageous, if that's going on in that classroom. CHAIFETZ: You know, it is. As a father and I'm sure any parent when you hear your child in distress and you can't be there to protect them, it's the worst feeling in the world.
One of the reasons why I went forward was to one day show him that people care that what they did to him was wrong. In addition to hopefully reaching out and showing what an epidemic bullying is. You know and they -- what was especially vile about this situation, is that all the children in that class were -- had verbal impairments, so none of them could tell their parents.
And they just run and the staff ran wild, saying whatever they wanted. Denting on these children, which to me is the ultimate act of a coward --
KAYE: Right.
CHAIFETZ: When you pick on someone who can not only not fight back, but can't talk back. And my son actually did learn to fight back and he was really a message to me saying help, it was a cry for help.
KAYE: How did you know that something was up, I mean what made you wire up your son, what were you hoping to learn?
CHAIFETZ: Well when we started getting notes back that he was hitting the teacher and the aide, that to me sent a -- that merely to me showed that something was wrong because he's such a gentle and loving human being.
And we had meetings with the school, they brought a behaviorist, and the behaviorist never saw anything. He tried to aggravate, it came to the point that he kind of -- would lash out and he didn't.
And once that happened, I knew that there was something going on in that class that was specifically setting him off. And I said, the only way I can find out was because he couldn't talk to me, was to put an audio recorder into his pocket. And thank God I did, because otherwise he'd still be there today, still probably being tormented.
KAYE: Yes as you know, Stuart, the teacher in this case , she denied being in class and making those comments, but I want you to hear what her lawyer told CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW B. WIELICZKO, KELLY ATTENBURG'S ATTORNEY: What we want to respond to is, I went through every allegation that has being made against my client. I went through that YouTube video, and we identified each instance in which he -- the father of the student placed on the screen what he thought were the transcribed words.
And one by one, we're just addressing each of those. The Board of Education detailed after their investigation that they determined that the people that said those words were no longer employed by the board.
The attacks on my client and the allegation's continued after that. And now it's necessary for us to say that again, those words were not her, those voice was not her, those comments were not made in her presence. She didn't condone those words, she didn't instruct them to act that way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And the teacher of course calls this allegations disingenuous. I want to get your reaction to that and also ask you, how are we -- how you plan to prove that?
Coming up right after this very quick break. So stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. Before the break, we told you how Stuart Chaifetz, the father of the 10-year-old boy with autism, secretly recorded what he claims is a teacher bullying his son. He wired his son to record what exactly was going on during school in that classroom and what he heard was both shocking and disturbing. listen to a bit.
(BEGIN VIDO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You go to see any books in the library or you just look at sculptures? Oh, Akian you are a bastard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And Stuart Chaifetz is back with us now. Stuart, before the break we played a statement from the lawyer for that teacher, defending the teacher, saying that -- she denied being in the classroom the day that these tapes were made. She calls your allegations disingenuous.
I'd like to get your response to that.
CHAIFETZ: Well first of all, they're incredibly disingenuous. Their press release said she wasn't there for the first hour and they claimed that I knew that. I absolutely did not. That was a totally false statement on their part.
And at no point was I ever told she wasn't there. Also the worst things that happened I did not credit to her. It was the aide, Jody, and it could be this place where they called my son a bastard. I could not say with a 100 percent who that was.
Let me say this however, since they went public with this. I held on to one clip, which I did not include anywhere publicly but I'm going to be releasing this early next week, where the teacher was directly involved in what I call bullying of my son. And I'm going to release that along with more unreleased audio, showing what else was going on in there.
KAYE: Can you give us a hint of what she said in that or what she allegedly said?
CHAIFETZ: It was involving a situation where my son was reading, and he innocently put his finger in the nose, he was yelled at by the aide, and then the teacher said it was gross, and he was basically humiliated in front of the whole class.
So it was something Knight, and he got very upset doing it. So they want to try take me on and try to make -- the guy was putting out something false. I didn't put out wanting anything that I believe false and now I'm going to release this audio next week, I may be having a press conference with additional things.
You know I'm kind of handling this all by myself --
KAYE: Yes.
CHAIFETZ: So I'm trying to manage it, the best I can. But there were other statements that she made during that day, that I think people need to know. She's no innocent person in this. That was her class, she was the CEO, she, I believe, is responsible and when you hear some of the other things she said, I think it's going to cause a bit of an outrage.
KAYE: How do you plan to prove? I mean are you going to get a voice expert or how will you prove that that is her voice on that tape?
CHAIFETZ: Because someone calls her Kelly, right in the middle of it and then she goes on for the extended period of time after it, talking about something that I have from a previous audio where you couldn't identify her.
So yes, right in the middle of this incident you hear someone call Kelly, and then I'd like to see now. I'll tell you what, I'll put it out to her and her lawyer, see if you can deny this was her.
KAYE: I want to play another clip, Stuart, of what was recorded in that classroom very quickly here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, boy, knock it off.
Go ahead and scream, because guess what? You're going to get nothing, until your mouth is shut.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure that's not how teachers are supposed to respond when your son is having a problem there in the classroom.
CHAIFETZ: And let me say something, this is critical for people to know. The only times that he screamed or got upset was finally when they had humiliated him. You know that was -- what really started that was when you know he has autism, he sometimes talks to himself, it's not an issue, it's not a problem.
And whoever it was said to him, who are you talking to? Nobody and he got very upset by that. So he doesn't just scream for no reason. He was reacting to being made fun of.
Each time he got made fun of, he got upset and then they reacted worse to him. So it really was an absolute nightmare --
KAYE: Yes.
CHAIFETZ: It truly was.
KAYE: You know most parents they send their kids to school and they worry about them being bullied by other students. They certainly don't worry about them being bullied by teachers and you've exposed here quite a case.
Stuart Chaifetz, thank you very much for your time and please you know as you do release some more of that video -- some more of that audio tape, we'd like to have you back on. So thank you.
CHAIFETZ: Thank you so much.
KAYE: And if you'd like to share your thoughts on this story or any stories about bullying, something I'm very passionate about, you can tweet me, use #bullyingstopshere@randikayeCNN. I'd love to hear from you on this one.
Also tech expert, Mario Armstrong is going to join me later this morning to show us some of the latest spy gadgets that parents are using on their kids at school. That's at 9:00 Eastern Time this morning and trust me, you don't want to miss that.
Also a man who was adopted as a child wanting to know more about his past. He checked a missing kids website and found a photo that looked just like him.
We'll tell you what happened next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Good morning, it's Saturday, April 28th, let's take a look at what happened on this day in history.
On this day, on 1789, Fletcher Christian let a mutiny aboard the HMS Bounty, forcing Captain Williams Bligh over board into a life-boat. This treason is act of becoming the most famous mutiny in naval history.
And in 1967, boxing champion Muhammed Ali refused to be inducted into U.S. army during the Vietnam war. He was immediately stripped of his heavy weight title.
And in 1945, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was executed. Mussolini led Italy into World War II, siding with Nazi Germany. When defeat was all but certain, he tried to flee to Switzerland. He was caught and shot trying to cross the border.
