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Weekend Early Start
Texas Devastated by Tornadoes; Weekend's Weather Count be Rough; Powerball Hits $600 Million; Right and Fall of O.J. Simpson; Bleacher Report; Shots Ring Out At Cannes Film Festival; Commuter Trains Collision; Toronto Mayor Denies Smoking Crack
Aired May 18, 2013 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is EARLY START WEEKEND.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of a sudden we just hear, boom, and then we saw, like, smoke everywhere.
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BLACKWELL: New this morning, a train collision and derailment along one of the most traveled routes in the northeast. Seventy people injured. Some critical. Now a major investigation.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: We're also getting a first look at ground zero in Texas where tornados killed six and flattened an entire community. And new information this morning that some of those injuries are so severe, that doctors have begun amputations.
BLACKWELL: Daydream with me for a moment right now. What would you do with $600 million? That's the Powerball jackpot right now. But that's nothing compared to what it will be if no one wins tonight.
HARLOW: And it is O.J. versus his former lawyer. Simpson's former attorney in court on Friday, but not to defend O.J. Wait until you hear what he said about the disgraced superstar.
BLACKWELL: Good morning. Good morning. It is Saturday, May 18th. I'm Victor Blackwell.
HARLOW: And I'm Poppy Harlow. Thanks so much for starting your Saturday with us.
We start in Connecticut this morning where investigators will be looking for the reason that a commuter train jumped the tracks and slammed right into an oncoming train. "The New York Times" reports that police right now are investigating it as though it were a crime scene.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of a sudden we just hear, boom, and then we saw, like, smoke everywhere. And I was just focusing in on my two kids, just hugging them and embracing them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The little bit I seen, people flew over places. I almost flew over the seat. But I held on and - but I'm OK. There's other people that's hurt, though.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all went to the front of the train and kicked out some windows and got off the train.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to take us a little while to investigate them, to really determine what happened, how fast they were going and to determine the cause. So it's going to take some -- quite some time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: And this morning, NTSB investigators expected to be on site in just a few hours. As of this hour, we know that 24 people are still hospitalized. That includes three who remain in critical condition. The accident happened near Bridgeport, Connecticut, during busy rush hour on Friday. The mayor there says that train service could be shut down for weeks. Those tracks make up a huge corridor right in and out of New York City. We're going to have much more on this developing story throughout the morning for you with live updates from the scene and more information from investigators as soon as we get it.
BLACKWELL: Well, let's go to Texas now and the devastation left behind by those killer tornados. This is what's left of the Rancho Brazos neighborhood. Look at this. The area was hit by as many as 16 tornados. Six people died in this storm. The rest are already thinking about what is next. Our Nick Valencia is in Granbury, Texas, this morning.
Nick, I know that up until this point the sheriff's deputies have kind of blocked off that area. Are people being allowed back into their homes now?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, when I spoke to the Hood County sheriff, he said he hoped to start allowing residents back in at about 8:00 a.m. this morning. Behind me is one of two ways in and out of Rancho Brazos. And as residents begin to come back this morning, it's unclear what they will go back to.
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FRANCISCO GAMEZ, RANCHO BRAZOS RESIDENT: People screaming, yelling. Debris everywhere. It was - everybody was trying to find a way out.
VALENCIA (voice-over): Even though his family lost their home and nearly all of their possessions, Rancho Brazos' resident Francisco Gamez says he was one of the lucky ones. About a mile from his now flattened community, we ran into Gamez and about a dozen other neighbors as they receive food from volunteers on the side of a highway. They had nowhere else to go. No matter, they say, they're just thankful to be alive.
GAMEZ: When the sirens went off for the tornado alert, I mean, the tornado was already there. It -- VALENCIA (on camera): There wasn't enough time?
GAMEZ: It wasn't enough time.
VALENCIA (voice-over): At a press conference, the Hood County sheriff responded to the claim.
SHERIFF ROGER DEEDS, HOOD COUNTY, TEXAS: Well, there's never enough time when it comes to tornados, thunderstorms. They move in so fast. When we knew we had rotation and the National Weather Service confirmed it, we put the warnings out.
GOV. RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: That is destruction that is almost incomprehensible.
VALENCIA: Survivors told CNN haunting stories of moments when they weren't sure they were going to make it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is it. We're gone. We thought we were gone. I thought -- I just seen myself just - I don't know, I just came into that point. I just gave up.
VALENCIA: Texas Governor Rick Perry said it's too early to request federal assistance from the president, but he's confident the residents hit hardest by the tornado will get much needed support.
GAMEZ: I'm pretty sure that we'll get the help we need, but it just - it won't be the same anymore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALENCIA: And today is a bittersweet homecoming for people like Gamez. It's going to take a long time for them to put their lives back together again.
Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right, Nick Valencia for us this morning in Granbury, Texas. We'll talk a little more later in the morning.
The planes could see the same kind of storms that spawned those tornados in Texas. Meteorologist Chad Myers is following all of that for us.
Chad.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Victor, yes, severe weather this weekend, Saturday, Sunday and even into Monday as a storm system rolls out of the Rockies, into the Plains. Now, I know you're all thinking about how summer's on its way, but you know what, summer is still a couple of months away, or at least one month away. We still have spring to go through. We've been in a tornado drought, a severe weather drought, a rain drought for that matter. It just hasn't been raining in the plains.
Well, we are going to see showers, storms, thunderstorms. Some of them will rotate today, tomorrow and in Monday. When a storm rotates, it becomes bigger. It gets big and it gets bad and it can put down tornadoes and that's what we have for Nebraska, into Kansas for today and even into tomorrow. In fact, Kansas, all the way up into North Platt for tomorrow. We're going as far east, probably, as Des Moines into Oklahoma City. And then for Monday, even towards Chicago, St. Louis, down into Oklahoma City and into Arkansas. So a storm system that progresses from west to east across the country.
Let's talk about tornado drought. Here we go. Look at this. In 2011, and I know there was a lot of tornados in 2011, Tuscaloosa and all the Alabama stuff all happened, but, look at this, 758 tornados happened in one month. In April of 2011. In April of 2013, only 83 tornados. We should have somewhere - the average is about 350 to 400. But you get the idea. We didn't have a severe weather season in April, barely one in May until that Texas stuff, and now it's about to start. We'll keep you advised right here, but you might want to kind of keep a watch out for yourself too. This could be a violent day in the Plains. Tomorrow as well.
Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right, Chad Myers, thank you for that.
This just in to CNN. North Korea has fired three short-range missiles, but there is no damage. According to South Korea, the missiles landed in the sea off of east of the Korean peninsula. It's expected that this was a test firing of the missiles, though there was no warning that a launch was coming. Now, you know, for months now the tension in the Korean peninsula has been going on, but it had cooled quite a bit since the threats and rhetoric from North Korea back in March.
HARLOW: And investors ignoring the old adage, sell in May and go away. Maybe. Maybe. The Dow, the Nasdaq, the S&P 500 all finishing the week higher for a fourth straight week in a row. The Dow, the S&P 500 finishing off the week at record highs. Investors thrilled to see reports suggesting the U.S. economy continues to improve.
Also, a new consumer sentiment report showing that that stands at a six-year high. Not totally good news across the board, though. Shares of JCPenney slid after that retailer reported another massive quarterly loss.
But keep this in mind, OK. Almost half of Americans have no exposure to the market. They're not invested at all through a 401(k), an IRA or anything else. So, if you have not benefited from this stock market rally, maybe you're trying your luck at the Powerball. The jackpot in the multi-state lottery climbing to $600 million. That is the biggest in Powerball history. So what would you do with all that money? Let's bring in our personal finance and business correspondent Zain Asher. She has been camped out at a Powerball counter in Passaic, New Jersey.
Zain.
ZAIN ASHER, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE/BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Poppy.
It is Powerball mania over here in Passaic, New Jersey, where people are literally lining up to throw their hat in the ring and have a chance at winning tonight's jackpot prize. But I do have to mention that the chances of actually winning are pretty dismal. One in 175 million. Those are your chances of winning tonight's jackpot prize.
That is not stopping people, though. I actually spoke to one woman. I sat her down and I asked her, what would you do if you won this kind of cash. Here's what she had to say.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would pay off my mortgage. I'd pay off my parents' house, their mortgage, down the shore. I would buy a shore house myself right on the beach and definitely donate to the Cancer Society. My mother is a cancer survivor two times already, so I would donate to that charity and probably another charity and set up a college fund for my children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: OK. And she's, obviously, thought about this in some quiet detail, obviously. Best of luck to her and, of course, to anyone else playing as well.
I do also want to mention, Poppy, that if nobody wins tonight's jackpot, it could actually grow -- by Wednesday next week, it could actually grow to almost a billion dollars.
Poppy.
HARLOW: Unbelievable. What do you do with $600 million? What do you do with a billion? Or almost a billion?
BLACKWELL: I think it's too much.
HARLOW: I do too.
BLACKWELL: It's too much.
HARLOW: Wait, you say that until you win.
BLACKWELL: Yes. I'd keep a little bit of it.
HARLOW: OK. So I tweeted this out last night, what would you do?
BLACKWELL: Yes.
HARLOW: Some people wrote thoughtful responses. Others, not so much. One woman wrote in, "I'd give most of it away. I don't need a lot. Just enough to buy some land and adopt a whole bunch of shelter animals."
BLACKWELL: OK.
HARLOW: I loved that one.
BLACKWELL: Yes. HARLOW: Another one that I got here. "If I won the lottery, I'd be able to afford a new Mac Book Pro and a brand new Ford Escape. And then I'll entertain talking points."
BLACKWELL: OK, $600 million, you're buying a Ford Escape first?
HARLOW: I - you know, I dig that car.
BLACKWELL: It's a classy, nice ride.
HARLOW: I think it's American.
BLACKWELL: Well, here's the deal. Oh, our ET (ph) drives a Ford. OK.
Here's the deal, though. I would have a really -- just disrespectful weekend of spending money to get it out of my system. Like all the expensive champagne, a crazy suite and then I'd do something sensible.
HARLOW: And then you're giving a lot of it away, right?
BLACKWELL: Oh, yes. I'd probably keep 10 percent.
HARLOW: Joining the giving pledge with Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett and pledge to give it away.
BLACKWELL: I just need enough to be comfortable and have one legendary weekend.
HARLOW: And travel a lot.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Yes. That'd be good. But I can do that with $60 million. I don't need $600 million.
HARLOW: You could. I think you could.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
HARLOW: All right. Well, O.J. Simpson, you've probably been following this case all week, his meteoric rise to fame, his more stunning fall from grace, back in the spotlight, back in the courtroom and he's coming face-to-face with the man he claims helped put him in prison for the next three decades.
BLACKWELL: And in Nebraska, officials are looking into whether the case of a professor and his wife found dead in their home could be linked to a cold case with a Creighton University connection.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST: You remember O.J. Simpson?
CROWD: Yes.
LETTERMAN: And he's been in prison for the last four years in Las Vegas.
Well, he's back in court. Maybe you know this. He's back in court and he's hoping for a second trial. And not only a second trial, he's hoping to be the first man to have a trial of the century in two consecutive centuries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Lawyers for O.J. Simpson say his former attorney is why he's in prison. In a Las Vegas courtroom, as you heard from Dave, one of Simpson's new attorneys tried to convince the judge that Simpson's convictions in 2008 for armed robbery and kidnapping should be tossed out and he should get a new trial. He accused Simpson's former defense lawyer of botching the case and even failing to tell Simpson about a possible plea deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YALE GALANTER, O.J. SIMPSON'S FORMER ATTORNEY: My testimony is my testimony. Ask me what the question is. I've already testified as to my knowledge of the rules. What's your question?
Just, you know like he just said, it was a flat fee. And on page four, line 14, it says it was (INAUDIBLE) towards 750 (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want me to read the flat fee?
GALANTER: Read page four.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Both of you stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: You heard the judge there. She will decide whether Simpson gets a new trial.
HARLOW: And from football star to murder suspect to convicted felon, O.J. Simpson, he has been in the spotlight for decades. We watched his rise to fame, the stunning fall from it on television and on movie screens for decades. Our Brian Todd has been taking a closer look at why we just can't seem to turn our eyes away from O.J.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor and Poppy, O.J. Simpson has captivated America for better or for worst for about four decades now. That's why this past Wednesday afternoon and evening we had breaking news all around on the White House e-mails on Benghazi, the president's statement on the IRS, and a crucial moment on the Jodi Arias trial, we still found time to tell viewers about O.J. Simpson's court appearance.
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TODD (voice-over): We were riveted to the screen this week, seeing him in court talking about how he grabbed his memorabilia back from dealers in Las Vegas. The first time we heard him speak publicly in years. O.J. SIMPSON, NFL HALL OF FAMER: That's what I told everybody involved, that if they don't give it to me, I'm going to get the police in it.
TODD: Why would we take such an interest in a puffy, shackled 65-year- old O.J. Simpson? Michael O'Keefe of "The New York Daily News," says, it's the O.J. Simpson story that pulls us in.
MICHAEL O'KEEFE, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": We're drawn to O.J. because he's been in the public eye for, you know, we're going on forty years now. And we've really seen a spectacular rise and then a spectacular fall in his life.
TODD: America first took widespread notice of Simpson when he sprang into the NFL in 1969, a Heisman Trophy winner out of USC with an electric smile and catchy name, who'd later be nicknamed "Juice." Playing on bad Buffalo Bills' teams didn't diminish the attraction. Simpson became the first running back to gain 2,000 yards in a season. Several all-pro years followed. Then he became David Beckham before Beckham. A transcended sports and marketing icon. The Hertz ads from the '70s live on YouTube.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go, Juice, go.
SIMPSON: Rent a Ford fast from Hertz, the superstar in rent-a-car.
O'KEEFE: We want to be like O.J. We did the O.J. run through the crowded airport like he did in those Hertz commercials.
TODD: He crossed seamlessly into Hollywood with roles in movies like "The Towering Inferno," and later "The Naked Gun" trilogy. On screens big and small, as an actor, a pitch man, network football analysts, O.J. Simpson, observers say, had a charm, that smile, that guy next door vibe that made whites and African-Americans equally comfortable with him.
But in June 1994, a much more ominous and bizarre chant of "go, O.J. go." Pockets of small crowds in L.A. cheered Simpson as he led police on that notorious white Bronco chase. Simpson's trial for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole and Ron Goldman marked the first time America had been transfixed on TV for a court case. Eventually he was acquitted. But just as compellingly as he'd brought Americans of all races together in admiring him in the '70s and '80s, his trial cast the deepest and most disturbing devise.
O'KEEFE: It pitted black against white and people who -- rich against poor. No one didn't have an opinion about whether or not O.J. was guilty. You either thought he was guilty or you thought he was, you know, the victim of racists police and incompetent prosecution.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: O'Keefe says it was also one of those watershed, cultural moments when America was shaken out of its habit of fawning over celebrities. After the Simpson murder trial, we were never as shocked again when we found out that our idols, people like Michael Jackson and Lance Armstrong, weren't quite what we thought.
Victor and Poppy.
HARLOW: Brian Todd, thanks so much.
BLACKWELL: Do you remember where you were -- we were just talking - during that white Bronco chase.
HARLOW: I do. I do. I think everyone - everyone does.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
HARLOW: I do. I was in grade school.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
HARLOW: I was in - yes, I remember. And they brought a television out - I think this was during, you know, maybe after the chase, during the trial, to see what the verdict would be. But I remember being home and watching that Bronco chase and was trying to understand what was all going on.
BLACKWELL: Yes. I remember asking, where is he going? Where is he going? And then he went home. I was like, you're going home? Yes.
HARLOW: You were watching Larry King.
BLACKWELL: I was watching Larry King narrate the entire thing.
All right, so we talked about football.
HARLOW: Yes.
BLACKWELL: We're going to talk about basketball a bit here. We're going to talk about an NBA superstar, Dwyane Wade. He surprised a lucky high school senior. Next, what he did that will be remembered for a lifetime and it does not involve polka dot capri pants (ph), surprisingly.
HARLOW: Love this story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: Welcome back, guys.
So, what do you think D. Wade, Dwyane Wade, does on one of his nights off? You know, one of the biggest stars of the NBA, when he's not playing during the playoffs? What does he do? Surprise a lucky fan at her high school prom, of course. Joe Carter has more on this morning's "Bleacher Report."
Joe, good morning.
JOE CARTER, BLEACHER REPORT: Hi. Good morning, Poppy. Yes, so here's how it goes. A few weeks back you've got this high school senior. Her name is Nicole Muxo. She goes to high school in Coral Gables, Florida. And she puts together this elaborate video, puts it on YouTube basically asking Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade to go with her to her prom. Like a "promposal" you can call it. And for weeks Nicole heard absolutely nothing from Dwyane Wade until last night. And that's when Dwyane Wade just showed up to her prom and surprised her and all of her classmates. As you can imagine, they were all pretty excited. Pictures flashing there. And Nicole says it was the greatest moment of her senior year so far. Wade says it was her persistence that paid off. That's what they're calling it, persistence. The two danced, they took a ton of pictures together. And Nicole's date - yes, she actually had a date -- was a good sport about the whole thing. Wade is off for a few days, as well as the Miami Heat. They pick up the eastern conference finals. They start on Wednesday night.
So later today we've got the Preakness Stakes and all eyes are on the horse named Orb. Now Orb is trying to win the second leg of the Triple Crown and is the heavy favorite today. Orb is on a role. It's won its last five races, including the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby. Now, the pressure to win the Triple Crown, of course, is felt by everybody in this sport because the last horse to do it was Affirmed in 1978.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHUG MCGAUGHEY, ORB'S TRAINER: I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said no. But I try to block it out. But, you know, obviously, you know, when you're in this position, anybody, you know, you would think about it. Of course you get reminded of it quite often, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARTER: Well, the Houston Astros, they're off to their worst start in franchise history. They lost their 31st game last night on a walk-off blooper. Bottom of the nine, Pittsburg had the bases loaded. That should have been a standard pop fly, sending the game into extra innings. Instead, the right fielder collides with the second baseman, the Pirates would score and the Pirates would win. This is the second time this week that the right fielder, Jimmy Paredes, has collided with a teammate during a fly ball. Ouch.
And finally, watch this closely. A foul ball goes into the stands at the Angels game. Watch in the replay. It looks like one unlucky fan - oh, his beer is blown up thanks to that ball. It looks like the guy in the gray shirt has the beer, but the guy behind him actually wears the beer, Poppy. And you know, those beers run about, I don't know, $25, $30 a game.
HARLOW: Yes.
CARTER: You know, they're ridiculously expensive, but pretty good video here.
HARLOW: No kidding, Joe. Thanks for joining us. See you soon. CARTER: See you.
HARLOW: Coming up, we are giving you an inside look at Jodi Arias' jail cell and the strange magazine she's apparently been reading there.
Plus, in Nebraska, a cold case team joins the investigation into a mysterious set of murders of a Creighton University professor and his wife.
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HARLOW: It is half passed the hour. Good morning, everyone. Welcome back. I am Poppy Harlow.
BLACKWELL: Thanks for starting your day with us. I am Victor Blackwell. Here are five stories we are watching this morning.
Number one, the commuter train collision in Connecticut. Investigators are expected to be on site a little later this morning.
They will try to determine what caused the train to jump the tracks into the path of another train. As many of 70 people were send to the hospital. Most were treated and released, but there are three people still in critical condition this morning.
HARLOW: In New Hampshire, a former Chechen rebel probed by the FBI for his connection or any possible connection to the Boston bombing suspect is publicly denying any involvement in the deadly attack. In a statement released yesterday, Musa Khadjimuradov, who you see here in this video from "Voice of America" says, he barely knew the Tsarnaev family.
He said, quote, "I strongly condemn the horrible act at the Boston marathon that claim the lives of innocent and wounded many more. What they have done cannot be justified by any background, any political or religious idea. Their acts only brought shame and fear into our hearts."
BLACKWELL: Number three, Aimee Copeland. Remember her? She tragically lost both her hands and legs to a flesh-eating bacteria last summer. Well, now, she is the first woman in the world to get new limbs. They are iLimbs, iHands actually.
Look at this. They are $100,000 a pair and they mimic natural hands. She could pick up candy. They allow her to pick up those tiny things, even comb her hair as you saw. Copeland who is a pulley tells CNN, she is especially excited to get back to cooking again. And, she hopes to receive a prosthetic leg later this year. Good news for her.
HARLOW: Absolutely. Well, number four, according to South Korea's news agency, Yonhap North Korea launched three-short range missiles -- guided missiles today. South Korea's ministry if defense said, "All three ended up in the sea off the Korean Peninsula's east coast. The ministry also said that the country has beefed up monitoring on North Korea and maintained a high level of readiness to act. BLACKWELL: Five. Now, in Texas to Arkansas, a U.S. district judge has granted a motion that blocks the enforcement of the state law that limits abortion at the 12th week. That is from accord official who cannot be named per department policy. The Arkansas abortion law was passed in March. It was scheduled to take effect in August.
HARLOW: All right. Well, we have been following this for months and months now. Jodi arias returning to court on Monday. She is expected to address the jury that is deciding whether she will live or die. The jury on Wednesday found that Arias was exceptionally cruel when she murdered her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander. That makes her eligible for the death penalty. Alexander's brother and sister address the court. The emotion understandably was very high.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN ALEXANDER, TRAVIS ALEXANDER'S BROTHER: I cannot sleep alone in the dark anymore. I have had dreams of my brother all curled up in the shower. Thrown in there and left to rot for days.
SAMANTHA ALEXANDER, TRAVIS ALEXANDER'S SISTER: I'm so glad he talked me into taking this picture. I will cherish it for the rest of my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Very powerful statement. HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell has been covering this trial throughout. She has a rare look inside the jail where Arias is awaiting his faith. Jane.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Poppy, I am here outside the Australian jail in phoenix, Arizona. And, this is where behind the barbwire somewhere, Jodi Arias sits enclosed custody. Now, I was able to take a tour of the facility with the controversial sheriff, Joe Arpaio.
And, you know, Jodi has been here for quite a long period of time. This prime occurred in 2008, and she was awaiting trial for years when she was in the general population, she managed to make friends and have supporters.
She was socializing. She was making a life for herself in a matter of speaking. Well, now all that has changed. She is enclosed custody, which means she is kept in her tiny cell for 23 hours a day, only allowed out for one hour a day. And, she is checked on by authorities every 15 minutes to make sure she is not doing anything untoward to herself, especially.
Now, what is so fascinating is that I was able to peek inside Jodi Arias' actual jail cell. They roped it off with yellow tape and roped it off for the purposes of allowing us to look in. But, we could still see and it is a bunked bed situation. So, there would be room for somebody else, but she can't. She is essentially in solitary.
So, she sleeps on the bottom bunk. She has turned the top bunk into some kind of desk, where she has documents and some other food stuffs. I noticed that on the ground there was a magazine that said "The Optimist." Well, I don't know if she is optimistic about her chances at this phase of her trial.
They are getting into the mitigation phase. We heard from her attorney that Jodi Arias is going to take the stand and plead for her life. And, she has to be wondering, "What on earth can I say given the horrific nature of the killing, in which I admitted, I carried out. What can I say to convince this jury to spare my life?" Food for thought. Back to you, Poppy.
HARLOW: All right. Jane Velez-Mitchell, thank you so much. And, of course so many of the fascination has been on Jodi Arias in focus, but of course it has to be on the victim, Travis Alexander, his family. The statements from his family is just heart breaking. All right, you can see more of Jane's show each week night at 7:00 on our sister station HLN.
BLACKWELL: To France now, a man has been arrested at the Cannes Film festival after firing a gun. TV crews, guests ran for cover. Watch the video. Authority say, a man fired two shots from a starter pistol. His name has not been released, but they say he also had a fake grenade. The bullets he shot were blanks. Good news here. No injuries were reported.
HARLOW: All right. Well, there is new legal fallout this morning in one of the worst oil spills in U.S. history, Texas. That is the latest state to sue BP. That oil giant also suing Halliburton and several others defendants over the deep water horizon spill, you of course remember that well.
Florida and several other gulf states have also filed suit. Texas wants civil penalties for every barrel of oil that gushed into the gulf back in 2010, that disaster. It is also seeking financial damages for tourism lost. This comes on the hills of the November settlement in which BP plead guilty to man's slaughter charges related to the explosion and agreed to pay a $4.5 billion penalty fine.
Now, back to the developing story out of Connecticut that we have been telling you about this morning. That train collision. Two commuter train colliding. Investigators from the NTSB will be there in a couple of hours to start to piece together what they can find about the accident.
Dozens of people were injured in this crash. We heard earlier from the Bridgeport, Connecticut police chief, who said the investigation is probably going to take quite a while. So, I want to bring in now, a reporter, Kate Rayner. She is from our affiliate WFSB in Bridgeport. Kate, first of all, are the two damaged trains still sitting there on the side of the track? I want you to walk us through and show us what is behind you.
KATE RAYNER, WFSB REPORTER: Well, good morning. Yes, the trains are still up there. You could see behind me they are just right there on the tracks, stuck --
HARLOW: OK. Unfortunately, it looks like we have lost Kate. We are going to try to get her shot back up for you shortly. But, I just want to give you some of the headlines here. Of course, it was two trains heading in opposite directions. One into New York and one out of it that collided right around Bridgeport, Connecticut.
In the 6:00 p.m. hour yesterday, that is during heavy rush hour, of course for all those commuters here -- And 70 were injured, we're told, and three of those in the hospital. This is very, very serious. We will keep updating you throughout the morning on the victims. Also, big headache for commuters ahead as this remains shut down.
BLACKWELL: Yes. We will stay on top of that. Police in Omaha are trying to figure out who killed a popular Creighton University professor and his wife.
HARLOW: Now, a new information suggest, there could be -- suggest the answer could be wrapped up in another double murder still unsolved after six years.
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HARLOW: Well, Toronto's mayor wrapped up in controversy this weekend, all because of tape from a cell phone. The Toronto Star newspaper says they have seen video of Mayor Rob Ford, smoking crack. CNN has not been able to independently confirm that video's authenticity. The mayor calls the allegations ridiculous but has not issued a formal statement at this point on that tape.
BLACKWELL: A hitchhiker who became an internet sensation after he claimed that he used a hatchet to rescue two people from a crazed motorist. Well, he is in jail this morning. Caleb McGuilvery, known as "Kai the hatchet wielding hitchhiker" is accused of killing a lawyer in New Jersey.
And, his victim was 73 years old. He was found blood into death at his home. McGuilvery was arrested at a bus stop. The investigators think he was with the victim, the night before the killing. Now, on his Facebook page, McGuilvery claims he had been sexually assaulted.
HARLOW: A beloved professor and his wife found murdered in their home. The killing of Dr. Roger Romback and his wife Mary has just rocked Omaha, Nebraska and Creighton University, where Brumback thought pathology. Now, a new link, a possible link to a 6-year-old cold case may help investigators solve not one, but two double murders in that same city. Let's go to our Ted Rowlands in Chicago.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Poppy and Victor, this is a real mystery. Two separate double murders five years apart. Both of them connected to a small medical school in Nebraska. People there believe that they just have to be connected.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
A 65-year-old Dr. Roger Brumback was in the process of retiring from the department of pathology at Creighton University. On Tuesday, he and his wife, Mary, were found dead inside their home. A flashback to 2008, 11-year-old Thomas Hunter and Shirlee Sherman were also found dead in a family home connected to Creighton. Thomas was the son of two doctors. His father, William Hunter, worked with Brumback as a pathologist. Shirlee Sherman was the family housekeeper. Her brother like many others in Omaha believes there is a good chance the same person killed all four people.
BRAD WAITE, SHIRLEY SHERMAN'S BROTHER: If it was anybody other than somebody that works in the pathology department in Creighton, you would not give it a second thought in reality that they could be connected.
ROWLANDS: Police found the Brumback's bodies after a piano mover saw Mary Brumback and a handgun magazine through a door left open at their house. Why someone would kill the Brumbacks is a mystery.
LAURA NEECE-BALTARO, FRIEND OF THE BRUMBACKS: When I heard the news last night, I was literally shaken. Why would anyone want to harm them?
ROWLANDS: Police are keeping the details of the Brumback murders under seal while they investigate. The University says since the murder, they are taking extra security precautions. Medical students wore their white coats to a prayer service this week in honor of the Dr. Brumback.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY: He always wore his white coat. When I imagine him in my mind he is wearing his white coat and that's a tribute to his professionalism and his dedication to the trade.
ROWLANDS: The Omaha Police Department is not saying much about their investigation. However, we have learned that the team that was investigating the 2008 cold case has joined the team on the current double murder. Obviously, they think there is a real chance that these two are connected. Poppy and Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right. Ted Rowlands, thank you. The government is up against the deadline to indict Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
HARLOW: And, ahead, we are going to explain why it may take longer than usual for the U.S. attorney to spell out all the charges against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the Boston marathon bombing,
BLACKWELL: This music makes you wanted to jump out of bed, doesn't it? Good morning, New York! A live look at the sun coming up over the Hudson. The big apple is waking up at this morning. 10 minutes before the hour. It is warming up for the big city, but not too much, 56 degrees now just before 7:00 here on the east coast. Good morning, New York.
HARLOW: Good morning. Good morning, Atlanta.
BLACKWELL: It is good to have you here.
HARLOW: It was pouring here when I came in. All right, well, folks, some new news to tell you about. We are likely going to have to wait to hear the full charges against the suspect -- one of the suspects in the Boston marathon bombing. Federal authorities say, they will miss the deadline to indict Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. They filed a criminal complaint, you remember back on April 21st, but --
BLACKWELL: Under the speedy trial act, the government usually has 30 days from the time the complaint is filed to indict a suspect. But, the U.S. attorney's office says, there are exceptions including hospital hospitalizations. We know that Tsarnaev was in the hospital for some time, still there. And, plea negotiations is not clear when Tsarnaev will be indicted.
HARLOW: And, one who made the captured -- the absolute horror of that day was taken by a freelance photographer. He shared his memories of the bombing and the bravery that he witnessed at the finish line of the marathon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELVIN MA, FREELANCER PHOTOGRAPHER: The images that stuck with me the most are the ones of all the people, who thought nothing of themselves. To run back into that scene not knowing what was there, or if it was even safe to help people; help the victims.
I am a freelance photographer, and I am also a staff photographer at the Tufts University. This was my third straight marathon. The finish line at the marathon is a special place. Everybody there is in such high spirits because they just ran a marathon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE SPEAKER: I was with my girlfriend's roommates and we were having a great time, you know. We were watching the runners. And, just that one guy, you know, he didn't look like he was having a good time. He just didn't seem right. He was there and then he was gone, and then, boom. Next thing you know, you hear fireworks and I'm on the ground.
MA: You hear all this cheering and then aloud boom goes off. And, then silence.
(SCREAMING)
And then the second one went off and then it got really loud and chaotic. And, I knew it was bad when I saw people kicking over the gates. These were the big barriers that, you know, the police set up. People were just throwing them down, running onto the course. I had never seen anything like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Well, tonight the photographers, who were there in Boston on that day, hear their incredible and heart-breaking stories. Moments of impact tonight at 8:00 on CNN.
BLACKWELL: In France, authorities are on the hunt for a million dollars in jewels stolen during the Cannes Film Festival. We got details on how this thief got a hold of it. That is next.
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BLACKWELL: More drama at the Cannes Film Festival that has nothing to do with film.
HARLOW: Right.
BLACKWELL: It is a little less glitzy this weekend after a million dollars worth of jewels stolen from a hotel room, Thursday. They belong to the Swiss Firm Chopard.
HARLOW: It is like right out of a mystery novel.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
HARLOW: One of the firm employees staying in that room left for dinner. By the time she returned, the safe containing the jewels, the whole safe was missing. No description of the jewels have been provided, but million bucks had to be auto blamed.
BLACKWELL: Who done it. Although, you know what? $1 million really doesn't buy you so much anymore.
HARLOW: Okay, Victor.
BLACKWELL: I am just saying. You know, a necklace, a couple earrings when it's from Chopard.
HARLOW: I guess from Chopard --
BLACKELL: Yes.
HARLOW: This is true. Well, Libya, the IRS. Secret phone records by the department of justice. It has been a long controversial week for President Obama and his administration. Of course, the late-night comedians had to give their take on all of it. Take a look at some of the best lines in this weekend's late night laughs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, LATE-NIGHT COMEDIAN: I am sure you heard by now President Obama fired his acting IRS commissioner. Apparently, he was fired for acting like Richard Nixon's IRS commissioner.
DAVID LETTERMAN, LATE-NIGHT COMEDIAN: Republicans have mentioned the idea of impeaching Barack Obama. It is amazing how quickly this comes up, is it? With the republicans. Talking about impeaching Barack Obama. Barack Obama is a pretty cool guy. He said, "You know, I am not worried about this. I got two words that will put an end to this kind of nonsense, two words!" I said, "Oh, yeah, what?" He said, "President Biden."
JIMMY FALLON, LATE-NIGHT COMEDIAN: The Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, is in spotlight right now because there's rumor that there is a video of him smoking crack. It is crazy or as our mayor put it, hey, at least it's not a large soda. I'm not that crazy.
JIMMY KIMMEL, LATE-NIGHT COMEDIAN: Tomorrow's Powerball drawing is going to be huge, bigger than the mayor of Toronto, even. It should become the biggest lottery jackpot ever. Jackpot is already up to $600 million. The record is $650 million. People are lined up outside convenient stores all over the United States to buy tickets. This is a good tip, by the way. If you don't want to wait in line, you can always re-create the experience of playing Powerball at home simply by flushing a dollar down the toilet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: That story about the mayor of Toronto, I mean that is unbelievable.
HARLOW: There is still no official statement from him yet --
BLACKWELL: Yes.
HARLOW: And, we can't independently confirm that video. I think a lot of questions at this hour.
BLACKWELL: And, the claim enough is just to make you drop your jaw and say, what? We will see what happens with that.
HARLOW: Well, thanks everyone for starting your morning with us.
BLACKWELL: We got a lot more coming up on "CNN SATURDAY MORNING" starts right now.
