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CNN Saturday Morning News
Investigations Continue Into Background of Boston Bombing Suspects; Possible Piece of Airplane Found at World Trade Center Site; Immigration Debate Continues; Teenaged Quadruple Amputee Interviewed; Boston Bombing Suspect Possibly Linked to Earlier Murder; NBA Playoffs Continue
Aired April 27, 2013 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Poppy Harlow joining you live from Boston this Saturday. It is 10:00 out here on the east coast, 7:00 in the morning out west. So glad you're with us this Saturday.
Ahead this hour, the Boston bombing suspect may have a lawyer now, but the questioning is far from over. Hear what a former secret service agent and interrogator has to say about what could come next. Plus, he lost all his limbs, but not his passion for life, an amazing 13-year- old boy, very special message to the victims of the Boston bombings.
And we're coming to you live from Boylston Street this morning as people in Boston try to get back to business as normal or as much as they can after this whole area being shut down in the aftermath of the bombing. The investigation is now focused on a landfill, which is about an hour away from where I'm standing. It's in New Bedford, Massachusetts, close to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. That's where suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev went to school. Investigators are searching for a laptop, which could provide more information about the planning and execution of the attack. Our Pamela Brown joins me now outside of the prison where she is being treated. Pamela, thank you, good morning. Talk to me first about the search in the land fill for this laptop computer.
PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Poppy, this is the third day investigators will be searching that land fill, looking for what is believed to be Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's laptop, with some critical information to help with the investigation. We are told by sources that they were tipped off not only from the suspect had himself, but also from people who had been questioned in this investigation who may know his whereabouts and may have helped in disposing of that laptop after the April 15th bombings at the Boston Marathon.
Again, investigators want to find this laptop, because they do believe that the information on it will help them in this investigation. This is the latest in an ongoing investigation, we are told, by sources they are still following up on several leads. And that this investigation is far from over. Poppy?
HARLOW: And I know, Pamela, that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is at the hospital now behind you. He was transported there to that prison hospital. What do we know about the facility, and what does that tell us about his condition?
BROWN: Well, Poppy, we know this facility is part of the federal bureau of prisons and we know that right now it has about a 1,042 patients, it provides long-term medical care, but it does not do invasive surgeries, only small procedures, we're told. That might be an indication of the condition of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. We know he's in fair condition. And the fact that this facility here doesn't do invasive surgeries is certainly -- tells us something right there.
Now, where Tsarnaev is, it is a high risk part of the facility that can house about 30 inmates. So we know that that is where he is, in a basic cell with a steel door, a slot for food, and just very limited accommodations.
HARLOW: And finally, Pamela, in terms of when he might be leave there, when he might head to court, assuming that would be his next destination, what do we know on that front?
BROWN: I did speak to a spokesperson for the U.S. marshal's service, basically they don't release the information of when he might be transported, but it is all contingent on the judicial process and his medical needs. We know that we have 30 days from the day he was officially charged, which was last Sunday, for the indictment with the grand jury. So basically a grand jury will be presented with evidence and there is a lot of evidence in this case, we're told. So this could be a lengthy process.
But there is a 30-daytime frame that must be worked with. And from there, there will be an arraignment, which means the suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, will have to show up in court and plead. So we could see him in court relatively soon. Also there is a probable cause hearing scheduled for the end of May. But we're told by sources in the justice department that there is a good chance he will wave that hearing, which is within his rights.
HARLOW: Pamela Brown joining us live this morning. Pamela, thank you.
The blood-stained boat where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was finally captured has now been moved. It was towed from a backyard in Watertown in what police are describing as a, quote, "secure location." Sources say police did not find any guns inside despite that long standout between Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and the authorities. They were alerted when the boat's owner spotted blood on the boat, and the teen hiding inside and called 911.
Now, very little is known right now about the wife of the dead bombing suspect, Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Her name is Katherine Russell, and she's largely remained out of public sight since the tragedy. But she was spotted coming out of her family's home yesterday, alongside her attorney and our Erin McPike has been there and she's there this morning as well. She joins us now from the family home in north Kingston, Rhode Island. Any sighting of Katherine Russell or her family members yet?
ERIC MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have not seen Katherine Russell yet this morning. We saw her mother three times. She just actually left with a family friend who has been coming by all week delivering dinner to the family. So her mother left. What I can tell you is we have seen a lot of the Russell family's dog this week, but the only two times we have seen Katie Russell were Tuesday morning and Friday afternoon when she left with her attorneys to have some meetings, Poppy.
HARLOW: So you -- I know you've been talking to neighbors there as well. This is her family home. She hasn't lived there I think for six years. But what are her neighbors saying about Katherine. What do they know about her at this point?
MCPIKE: Poppy, people say a lot of great things about the family. They're gushing about what a good family the Russell family is. People are saying very little about Katie other than she was very well liked, very smart, very dependable when she was in high school.
But it has been hard to get a lot from many members of the community because the high school has strongly discouraged members of the community from speaking out at all, and, in fact, we can't even get a copy of the yearbook right now because so many people have clammed up based on what that high school has said to the community, Poppy.
HARLOW: And we know her lawyers have said in their statement that she is cooperating with authorities. But do we know if she's actually met with authorities, interrogators, the FBI yet. Do we know if that's happened?
MCPIKE: The attorneys certainly aren't saying. They have just said she's cooperating and they, the attorneys, have spoken with the FBI. But whether or not Katie has, we don't know. And the FBI won't confirm that either. All they said to us is they are very interested in getting even more information out of Katie Russell.
HARLOW: Absolutely. Everything they can find out about Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his younger brother, Dzhokhar. Thank you very, very much, Erin. Appreciate it.
Nearly 12 years after the collapse of the World Trade Center, police in New York think they may have found a piece of the landing gear from one of the crashed planes. It was found wedged between two buildings. It has a Boeing identification number on it, and officials are tracing that I.D. to see if it did, indeed, come from one of the hijacked planes. Officials are also looking at how it could have got there and why it is only being discovered now.
Our Alina Cho is in New York City. Alina, good morning. How exactly was this found?
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is incredible, Poppy, good morning, incredible on so many different levels. Here's what happened. Basically on Wednesday morning, there were surveyors here at the building behind me, looking to do some construction work. They discovered what they described as a mechanical part. The proper authorities were called, the NTSB, the FBI, they took a close look at that mechanical part and they were actually able to see a Boeing identification number. And it was at that point that they realized it was likely the landing gear from one of the planes that crashed into the twin towers on 9/11.
What's so amazing about this discovery is that the part itself is enormous. It is five feet by four feet by 17 inches in depth. And where it was found -- it was wedged, as you mentioned, between two buildings, just an 18-inch space between those two buildings. And one of those buildings, by the way, is the site of the controversial, so- called "Ground Zero Mosque." Now, when you look at just how it was found between those two buildings, of course, the big question is how did it get there? And NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly has a theory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAY KELLY, NYPD COMMISSIONER: The space between the two buildings is only 18 inches. Now, the part has been measured to be five feet by four feet by 17 inches. So it's a big part, and obviously very, very narrow, confined area. Somehow the part gets down there. Could it have been lowered at some time? It's possible. There is a rope that is on it, looks like it is intertwined with that part. It would have had to fall down exactly and hit at a certain angle to make it go right down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: This area behind me is technically a crime scene. The chief medical examiner will be here starting on Monday to sort of sift through the debris, look for toxins, possible human remains. They're also, Poppy, trying to determine whether this part came from American Airlines flight 11, which crashed into the north tower at 8:46 on 9/11, or United airlines flight 175 which crashed into the south tower at 9:03 a.m. Of course, those who were here in New York remember that day all too well. It brings back terrible memories for those families of the victims who say this is just the latest example that a proper search of the area was never conducted. Poppy?
HARLOW: Understandably. Alina Cho joining us this morning, thank you.
Getting information from a terror suspect, what exactly goes on during an interrogation? And what techniques do interrogators use to get answers, especially from an American citizen on American soil? I'll ask a former interrogator and a secret service agent.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: Welcome back to our continuing live coverage from Boston. How to interrogate a terror suspect, that's a big question right now. The surviving suspect in the Boston bombings has been in custody for a week now, but despite opening up on a few basics, sources tell CNN that 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hasn't given investigators any substantive answers about his alleged role in the attack, at least since he was read his Miranda rights.
So how do investigators pull more information out of him? I'm joined by two people to weigh in on this, former polygraph examiner and interrogator Evyenia Poumpouras, and also clinical psychologist Jeff Gardere. Thank you both for joining me this morning. We appreciate it. Evyenia, let me start with you. Take our viewers into an interrogation, because you say interrogators almost have to find the good in a suspect, make them feel like they understand you, even as interrogators, to get the most out of them, right?
EVYENIA POUMPOURAS, FORMER POLYGRAPH EXAMINER AND INVESTIGATOR: Yes you walk into an interrogation room or walk into interview someone, you portray yourself as an objective seeker of the truth. You're not there in a law enforcement capacity. You're not there to put somebody in jail. You are there to get information. So you have to almost separate yourself from the investigation, from what is going on, and portray yourself as someone that is there to get the information needed.
And typically, if you think about it, when somebody commits a crime like this, we all have this personal bias, almost even in hatred against this person. And calling them names, calling them a monster, wanting to lash out at them, making them feel bad about themselves, that is not going to illicit someone to want to speak to you. Nobody confesses to somebody that they don't like. So you have to somehow find something good in that individual, and then illicit them to make them want to speak to you.
HARLOW: I think also there is no question these interrogation techniques have had to change since Dzhokhar got a lawyer, since he was read his Miranda rights and got a lawyer. So talk to us about the difference. What changes from those first 16 hours, before he had that lawyer, to now.
POUMPOURAS: Look, first 16 hours, those are vital. But the key there is because investigators want to know are there any bombs that they set up? Is anything else going to happen? Those were 16 hours, their focus was to make sure nothing else was going to go down, make sure we didn't have any other explosives or anything else happen anywhere else, like Times Square. After that, once lawyers get involved things change and you have to go through the lawyer and see what they are willing to allow the suspect to do and not allow to do. So things do change.
HARLOW: And, Jeff, to you now, investigators are trying to get information from the suspect's family, of course. Anything they can and, frankly, a lot of family members have been pretty vocal in this. I want you to take a listen to the suspect's mother on Thursday. Here's what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZUBEIDAT TSARNAEV, BOMBING SUSPECTS' MOTHER: I saw a very, very interesting video last night, that the marathon was something like a really big play, there was, like, paint instead of blood, like it was made up something.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You really believe that?
TSARNAEV: That's what I want to know, because everybody's talking about it, that this is a show. That's what I want to know. That's what I want to understand.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARLOW: She's denying her sons were involved in this. She is questioning whether it was a setup, whether it was staged. What do you make of that, once you've heard, especially what the suspect's mother has had to say?
JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, this is one woman who obviously is traumatized. She's still grieving. And she has latched on to perhaps the most primitive defense mechanism, which is denial. She has a very poor sense of self and ego right now, and therefore she just cannot admit even the possibility that her children may have done something so horrific, nor does she want to deal with, again, the possibility that she raised these children and maybe there was something about that upbringing which may have influenced this.
So I think prosecutors with her, interrogators with her, should not be combative. Should try to get her to understand that this is not her fault, that these were choices that were made by her children, but if nothing else, try to challenge her belief system, but in a respectful way as possible.
HARLOW: And just how important, Jeff, is the information that we're getting from family and from friends in terms of investigators being able to trust what the family or what friends that they may or may not be questioning tell them at this point. We know that Dzhokhar has told investigators, you know, that he and his brother acted alone. But there are a lot of questions about that.
GARDERE: Well, it is important that they speak to all family members. We know that the mom here has some sentiments against government, against the United States, because she does feel that the United States killed her first son, has taken her second son.
But there are other people in the family that we know, an uncle, for example, who feels that these nephews of his, the one also deceased, that they did something really, really wrong and they should beg for forgiveness, where as you have an aunt and in this case, the mother who are saying these kids are completely innocent and a father who is somewhere in the middle.
So in order to get as much information and consistency, they should talk to all family members and put that information together to get a consistent and complete story as to what may have happened and as to what is going on.
HARLOW: Jeff Gardere and Evenia Pompoure joining us this morning, thank you, both. We appreciate it.
A cold case heats up as investigators use the Boston bombings as a new starting point. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: Police outside of Boston may have a new suspect in a cold case. It is bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev. CNN national correspondent Deborah Feyerick explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It happened on this quiet street in Massachusetts, three men nearly beheaded, their throats slit ear to ear.
GEOFFREY LANGSTON, NEIGHBOR: There was a girl running out of the house saying there is blood everywhere.
FEYERICK: The brutality of the murders didn't add up, certainly not in a town like Waltham. Something else didn't make sense. The victims each killed in different rooms of the house were covered in marijuana. Investigators describe it as a symbolic gesture. Robbery wasn't a motive because police found thousands of dollars in cash. The theory is that the victims knew their killers.
GERRY LEONE, FORMER MIDDLESEX DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We have no evidence of a break in the apartment, and we have other indicia that the assailant and victims were known to each other. We know there are two people who are not in the apartment now that were there earlier.
FEYERICK: The attack on the Boston Marathon revived interest in the case, because one of the victims, 25-year-old Brendan Mess, was close friends with bomb suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
Tsarnaev was a golden gloves boxer, his buddy was trained in martial arts. Together they would spend hours sparring here, at the gym.
Coaches described Tamerlan as confident, full of bravado, a man who hugged his coaches and competitors and who bragged about his young wife and newborn daughter after competing in the 2010 boxing nationals. A source says Tsarnaev was one of the last people known to have seen Mess alive, and he was never interviewed by police in connection with the murders. More curious, says the source, Tsarnaev did not go to his friend's funeral or memorial service.
Based on text messages, police believe they were killed on or around September 11th, exactly 10 years after the attacks on the world trade center. Four months after the murders, Tamerlan left for Russia, staying there six months. Investigators searched the gym last week, removing boxes.
The owner of the gym refused to speak to CNN. Brendan's friends and family continued to push for answers as have those of the other victims. Brendan and Eric spent time at the diner and were friendly with the owner, who says his son competed in mixed martial arts with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
MUSHHOOR ABU RUBIEH, BRENDAN MESS' FRIEND: I knew Tamerlan was involved in boxing, martial arts, and so was Brendan. But he didn't speak too much about it when I was with him, but he did speak to my father a lot, and we tried to get my younger brother involved in martial arts. So it's like a strange link between them.
FEYERICK: Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Boston, Massachusetts.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HARLOW: Great reporting there by Deb. More on the Boston bombings in a moment, but just ahead, why Texas Governor Rick Perry is demanding an apology over an editorial cartoon about last week's deadly fertilizer plant explosion.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Poppy Harlow. Bottom of the hour, 10:30 a.m. out here on the east coast. Here are five stories we're watching for you this morning.
Investigators looking into the Boston bombing are searching a land fill about 40 miles away, hoping to find a laptop computer used by bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. It could have important information on the attack. Sources say police were tipped off to the landfill by Tsarnaev himself, and others.
Meantime, investigators in New York are taking a closer look at a piece of an airplane believed to be from one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11. The five foot long, four foot wide piece of landing gear was found in a small space between two buildings near ground zero.
The Syrian government is denouncing allegations it used chemical weapons in its war against rebels. It says the United States and Britain are lying. U.S. officials have said they have more evidence that nerve gas, the nerve gas sarin has been used. Meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah yesterday, president Obama promised, a, quote, vigorous investigation, saying it would be a game changer if indeed those accusations are proven to be true.
And Texas Governor Rick Perry wants an apology from the "Sacramento Bee," a California newspaper that published an editorial cartoon appearing to link Perry's push for less regulation to the recent fertilizer plant explosion that killed 14 and injured many others. Take a look at it. It is an image of Perry saying, quote, "Business is booming," and it is juxtaposed with a picture of an explosion. Perry responded on Facebook saying, quote, "I won't stand for someone mocking the tragic deaths of my fellow Texans and our fellow Americans." The paper is standing by that cartoon, saying it was a statement on Perry's disregard for worker safety, not an attempt to disrespect victims.
And Boeing's Dreamliner is back in the air. Three months after a global grounding due to battery problems, the airline's 787 was the first of the Dreamliners to resume service. It is one of just 50 Dreamliners.
And to politics now, the fallout in Washington over the Boston bombing. Here in Boston, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano getting a grilling earlier this week. That may just be the beginning of the inquiry and the finger pointing. Joining me to talk about that and other topics, CNN contributor Maria Cardona and Amy Holmes, anchor for "Real News" at "The Blaze." Appreciate you coming on with us.
Let's talk first about -- let's talk first about immigration reform, because this attack has brought up so many questions about immigration reform, which has already been front and center in Washington. I'll start with you first, Maria. Do you think that this is going to derail any progress made on immigration reform? And frankly, should it? Should it bring up a new conversation?
MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: It should absolutely not derail the efforts that are going on right now, Poppy, to make sure that we actually make this country safer, which is what the comprehensive immigration reform Bill does. This is a problem we had for more than a decade. And this has been something that legislators have worked hard at for many years. And we're finally at the point where something can get done.
Now, those that will use this tragedy to try to derail immigration reform are the same ultra-right wing conservatives who never wanted it in the first place. And so I will put this piece of caution to the GOP, be careful with this. Because this is still a political land mine for the GOP moving forward. This is something that Americans want. This is something that America needs. And it's something that the Latino community is looking at 100 percent. And if the GOP wants to throw away any chance they want to get to the White House in 2016 or beyond, then they need to really be careful about this.
HARLOW: Amy, I want you to jump in here. One of the things that was very interesting to me is Kentucky senator rand Paul in a letter to senator Harry Reid asked if we should look harder at student visas, possibly suspend student visas, he proposed from high risk areas as he put it, pending a further investigation, that following the Boston bombing attack. What is your thought on the broader immigration question and that proposal?
AMY HOLMES, ANCHOR, "REAL NEWS," "THE BLAZE": Right, and Senator Marco Rubio, one of the lead co-sponsors, lead on the GOP side, for comprehensive immigration reform, has said we need to take a pause and look at how our immigration system is working or not working, particularly in light of the Boston bombing. It has just been reported in the last 24 hours that two student friends of the younger of the two bombers, they have been detained for violating their student visas. They may end up being returned back to Kazakhstan.
So these are a lot of questions. We ask our immigration system to do a lot of things. And the number one thing it needs to do is protect America's national security. So I think that when our lawmakers go home for these nine days, they'll hear from their constituents. And it has a lot more to do with prioritizing, looking at does this 844-page bill address these questions about student visas, overstaying student visas, enforcement, being able to track and monitor entry and exit. Clearly those things didn't work two weeks ago.
HARLOW: Maria, quickly on that -- quickly on that point, you know, there is a difference between derail and delay to reassess.
CARDONA: Absolutely. And I'll say this, should this be an opportunity to continue the debate about overall comprehensive immigration reform and specifically what may have happened in this case that didn't work? Of course. But we have known all along that our immigration system is not working right now, period. So what this is indication of is the problems that this immigration system already has because it is so broken.
We should look at the bill and figure out how we strengthen that, and the bill already is quite strong. And we should move forward, making sure that we get somewhere in terms of getting a bill that makes this country safer, that makes America stronger, and that ensures that the 11 million undocumented immigrants that are here are able to come out of the shadows -- by the way, that's a huge national security issue -- and that we get to a place where we need to be with our comprehensive immigration reform system.
HARLOW: All right, I want to get both of your take quickly on one other topic. Of course, this week in the headlines we saw the dedication of a second presidential Bush presidential library this week. Question, will there be a third for Jeb Bush? I guess that depends which family member you ask. The former first lady, I want you to listen to her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, big Jeb, you know, he's god got a decision to make. If I could make it for him, it would be run, but I can't. I don't know what he's going to do. He would be a great candidate and great president.
BARBARA BUSH, FORMER FIRST LADY: There are other people out there that are very qualified and we had enough Bushes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
HARLOW: We had enough Bushes. That's coming from Barbara Bush. She also said in the interview, if Jeb were to run, she said he'll get all of our enemies and half of our friends. So Amy, do you agree we have had enough Bushes?
HOLMES: I think it is hard to be a Bush in the family when the mom goes on the record to say these kinds of things. It is one of the reasons why so many Americans really respect and like the former first lady. Of course, the American people are going to be making the final decision about, well, Jeb Bush has decided he wants to run, if he's going to win the GOP nomination, that's an open question. And do the American people want to have these sorts of political dynasties, whether it is the Clintons or the Bushes? I think that's an open question as well. And each one of the candidates has to prove their mettle on their own.
CARDONA: It is going to make for a very -- it is going to make for a very interesting upcoming presidential season. But I will say this, what Barbara Bush just said, I think is something that the majority of the American people feel, at least right now. We'll see if Jeb Bush, if he does run, if he is able to cross that hurdle, because right now I think the majority of the American people, and polls show this, do have still a little bit of Bush fatigue. HARLOW: We'll see what happens. We still have a long way to go. That's for sure. Thank you, both, this morning. Appreciate it.
CARDONA: Thanks, Poppy.
HARLOW: This next story -- this next story really inspiring. He's only 13 years old, but this Florida boy has real words of wisdom for the victims of the Boston bombings. Up next, his inspiring message and what he and his big brother are doing to help out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: Welcome back. Some of the Boston bombing victims that are amputees are already this morning moving from the hospital into a rehabilitation center here in Boston. The explosions at the marathon killed three people. We know that over 260 others were injured and that at least 13 of those injured had to at least have one limb amputated.
It is an absolutely unimaginable and life-changing thing, and no one knows better than Michael Stolzenberg, the seventh grader who will join us with his older brother Harris. He lost four limbs to a bacterial infection, but still nothing gets in his way. Actually he and his brother Harris just after the bombing launched MikeysRun.com. Their aim is to raise $1 million for the victims of the Boston bombings and also to sponsor Harris' run next year in Boston. Thank you for being here. We really appreciate it. Good morning.
HARRIS STOLZENBERG, MICHAEL'S BROTHER: Good morning.
HARLOW: Hi, good morning to you. Well, you know, I've just been so inspired and encouraged by the signs of thoughtfulness and the huge hearts that we have seen, the outpouring here in Boston and around the country. You're just another example of that. Michael, the amputees from the Boston bombing have had their lives changed forever. I spent a day earlier this week with an amputee who lost his legs in a car crash, and he talked to me about the importance of keeping a positive spirit, as positive as you possibly can and your mind set. What advice would you have? What words of encouragement do you have for people that are just starting to go through this now?
MICHAEL STOLZENBERG, 13-YEAR-OLD QUADRUPLE AMPUTEE: Well, I would tell them that nothing -- the major thing is that nothing is impossible, that they will get better and everything will be fine, and that help is on the way. And that if you cannot afford a prosthetics, or a certain amputee surgery, that me and my brother are going to try to raise $1 million to help your cause with the foundation, and that if you like playing sports, keep playing sports and keep up all the work that you want to do in the future.
HARLOW: That's pretty great. I know you started this fund two days after the bombing. And the last four days you already raised $20,000. So you are on your way.
Harris, tell me a little bit about what this has been like for you, having to watch your brother go through this, to suffer through this, and then getting to turn it into something positive, to speak like this to others and also to help them raise money and help those affected here in Boston.
HARRIS STOLZENBERG: Right. Michael has been my biggest inspiration. He was in the hospital for seven weeks, went through a coma, septic shock, and eventually forced to have a quad lateral amputation. He took physical therapy head on. He loved the challenge. He was walking very quickly after and within six months playing competitive football and lacrosse.
So when we saw the news about the Boston Marathon bombings, and we heard there were going to be a few amputees, we wanted to do something to help, just like our community rallied around him and helped him. So we set up MikeysRun.com. I actually had some help from two of my friends, we're all going to MIT next year, that's in Boston, will be close to home, they helped me set up the website. Their names are Cory Walsh and Koron Kashiev. And we've just been amazed at the amount of support we have been getting. It's really inspiring to hear what all these people have to say.
HARLOW: Michael, I heard from someone over this past week that you'll never imagine what you can do at the outset, but also that these amputees will never be more independent than now. And you think of it as something that would cripple you, but it actually makes you more independent. Is that true?
MICHAEL STOLZENBERG: That's very true. At first when this happened to me, I was only eight years old, so I really relied on everybody in my life. But as I had the amputation, I've learned to be more independent and do everything myself and instead of relying on others to do it for me. So it helped me out in a way.
HARLOW: And in terms of the difficulties that they're going to face, not just physically, Michael, but also emotionally, what can you say about that and how to overcome those difficulties?
MICHAEL STOLZENBERG: It is really tough because you're losing something you'll never get back and you haven't learned yet how to cope without them. So it hurts mentally and physically, because there will be pain and suffering through physical therapy. I would know. It was very hard time for me. And sometimes I had emotional breakdowns. I'm not the strongest person alive. I'm just a human being. And so are they. So try to keep hanging with it and I promise the results will be worth it.
HARLOW: Is there anything, Michael, you haven't done yet that you really want to do, any big goal you have?
MICHAEL STOLZENBERG: Not necessarily. I'm living my life as a 13-year- old kid, just enjoying it day by day, just raising a million dollars.
HARLOW: Well, guys, we appreciate you joining us so much this morning, and I know that family and support is so important for any amputee trying to get through this. So Harris, thanks for being a great older brother to Michael. Michael, thanks for your bravery. And again, if people want to donate, the website is Mikeysrun.com. Thank you, both, very much.
HARRIS STOLZENBERG: Thank you for having us.
MICHAEL STOLZENBERG: Thank you so much.
HARLOW: Sure.
The Celtics played their first home game since the marathon bombings. They pause to remember the victims. We're going to show you what they did next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: Welcome back.
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HARLOW: Last night here in Boston, basketball returned to the garden. It was the Celtics' first home game since the Boston Marathon. Both fans and the team honored local heroes and first responders who risked their lives to help the victims.
Joe Carter joins me now this morning with our "Bleacher Report." Joe, I know it wasn't a winning game for the Celtics, but they had a lot of support.
JOE CARTER, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: You know, Poppy, it was. It was a great night. Before the game, before the Celtics took the court. It was a rough game against the Knicks. They're down in that series 3-0. Basketball aside here, what Boston did before the game, to basically thank those who risked their lives and helped others after the bombing was really touching.
Before the game, every single person inside the garden last night stood for a moment of silence to remember the four innocent victims who lost their lives, just 12 days ago. Then you had representatives from the FBI and the Watertown police department, the Boston medical Center, Boston Children's Hospital, lots of first responders, took center court. The PA announcer appropriately said that these are the people who are and always will be heroes among us, so a very nice touching moment before the game last night.
Let's talk football. Friday, of course, was day two of the NFL draft. You had round two and round three and the guy we talked about so much the last few months, Manti Te'o, finally found a team and came off the board.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the 38th selection in the 2013 NFL draft, the San Diego Chargers proudly select Manti Te'o, linebacker, Notre Dame.
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HARLOW: As you see, a very happy family in Hawaii. He did not make the trip to New York City, which was a good choice. He celebrated with family and friends. Despite all the baggage, the chargers like this guy so much, they traded up several picks to draft him.
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MANTI TE'O, NFL DRAFTEE: I don't know if these guys know what they just did. They just trade created a fire in me that I haven't felt before. I think it is a blessing in disguise for me. And I'm just -- I'm excited to get this thing started.
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CARTER: And this is a nice story to end on. The beginning of the college basketball season, Louisville coach Rick Pitino promised his players if they won the national championship, he would get his first and only tattoo. Well, Coach Pitino promised and then yesterday he delivered. It is a pretty big tattoo. Not wimpy. The big red l takes up a lot of real estate on his back. Coach fulfilling his promise, as the graphic says, "Promise Keeper." Now if they win back-to-back championships, the question is, how will he up that promise? Back to you.
HARLOW: I love that, Joe, true team spirit. Thank you very much, Joe Carter.
Much more ahead in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING, which starts after a quick break.
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