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CNN NEWSROOM

Texan Questioned about Ricin Letters; Arizona Woman Freed from Mexican Jail; Plane Crashes into Apartment Building; Wal-Mart Workers Strike Ahead of Meeting

Aired May 31, 2013 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for being with us. It's 32 minutes past the hour.

An Arizona mother is free this morning after Mexican authorities dropped drug charges against her. Yanira Maldonado's attorney says security camera footage showed his client could not have boarded the bus with 12 pounds of marijuana that prosecutors had accused her of smuggling.

Maldonado spoke earlier with CNN affiliate KANX and said she is not angry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YANIRA MALDONADO, FREED FROM MEXICAN JAIL: I love Mexico. My family is still there, so Mexico -- it's not Mexico's fault. So it's -- a few people who, you know, did this to me, and probably two other people, who knows? You know. So I probably will go back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Maldonado also thanked the news media for calling attention to her story.

Also this morning, federal investigators are converging on a small Texas town and questioning a man about potentially deadly letters sent to President Obama and the New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Those letters appear to contain ricin and are the latest ugly turn in the bitter debate over gun control.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is in the tiny town of East New Boston.

Good morning, Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Well, FBI agents have been staked out at this house behind me throughout the night. And more agents are expected to show up here later this morning. But it s a strange twist that this national investigation is now focusing here in the town of New Boston, Texas, population 4500.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Law enforcement officials are questioning a man at this New Boston, Texas, home about threatening letters believed to contain ricin, sent to President Obama, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a gun control group.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of hits home a little more when it could be someone who's just right down the street.

LAVANDERA: The three suspicious letters were postmarked in Shreveport, Louisiana, the ones addressed to the president and Mayor Bloomberg never reached them. Both were intercepted at separate offsite mail facilities where letters are screened. White House spokesman Jay Carney has emphasized this in the past when other threatening letters were sent to the president.

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The mail sent here is screened. The mail sent here is screened. And that these tests are undertaken at remote sites to mitigate the risk both to those recipients and to the general population.

LAVANDERA: The FBI is now testing the letters sent to President Obama, meanwhile, the New York City Police Department says that preliminary testing on the Bloomberg letter came back positive for ricin. A potentially deadly poison made from castor beans.

The third letter sent to Washington, D.C., Office of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, was opened by its director. A police report says that letter contained a whitish-orange substance.

The letters contained an ominous message. "You will have to kill me and my family before you get my guns," it read. "Anyone wants to come to my house will be shot in the face. The right to bear arms is my constitutional God-given right, and I will exercise that right until the day I die. What's in this letter is nothing compared to what I've got planned for you."

Is the battle over gun control really behind these threats?

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: Well, that's so that seems. Now -- it could also be someone on the other side, you know, trying to make their point by, you know, blaming the people who believe in gun rights.

LAVANDERA: This latest round of threats has many wondering if ricin is becoming the weapon of choice for intimidation?

BILL BRATTON, FORMER NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: Ricin is probably one of the worst ways to try and kill somebody, so I don't see it as a real threat in the sense of an actual capability to kill, but rather to intimidate and attract publicity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: FBI investigators have not made any official comments about exactly what they're doing here in the town of New Boston, Texas. But neighbors tell us that they saw a swarm of FBI agents descend on this house yesterday afternoon and at one point, they were removing a lot of electronic equipment. So we'll see what we can dig up the rest of the day here today in the northeast corner of Texas -- Carol. COSTELLO: Yes, I was just wondering if you were able to tell us anything about the suspect.

LAVANDERA: You know, very little at this point. We're not naming -- not naming the person that we suspected. Investigators are interested with and are focusing on here a great deal. Just a couple of tidbits from neighbors, they say that the family had just moved into this neighborhood about a year and a half ago, and kept to themselves for the most part, so no real clues, no real signs of any kind of anger or issues or anything. And kind of obvious clues that might lead someone to believe that this person would be capable or would want to send a letter like this.

So we're continuing to dig on that front. It's still very, very early here morning hours and this neighborhood just starting to wake up to this news quite frankly.

COSTELLO: Yes. All right, Ed Lavandera reporting live from New Boston, Texas.

Coming next in the NEWSROOM, heat wave. Get ready to broil after weeks of lousy weather.

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COSTELLO: From severe storms to some serious heat. We've seen some wild weather across the United States this week and we're not seeing any signs the wildness will go away any time soon.

Indra Petersons is here with your weekend weather and you might not like it.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Unbelievable, I mean, that unbelievable storms still in the middle of the country out there. And in the northeast, we're still dealing with the heat wave. Take a look.

PETERSONS: Turbulent tornadoes touching down in Tulsa and Cushing, Oklahoma, on Thursday night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is our view of it. There's you wall cloud right there. Look at that wall cloud, dude. Dude, it's coming straight at us, look at that mesocyclone.

PETERSONS: Both just north of the city of Moore, that was pummeled by a devastating tornado last week. And over in Arkansas this tornadoes swirling into a waterspout over Lake Washtetaw. Further note in Wichita, Kansas, rain is the issue. Floodwaters are rising pass to headlight some cars, leaving from stranded and other just looking for a place to keep dry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: L.A. County Fire responded very quickly. You can see the number of fire trucks out there.

PETERSONS: And then there is the heat out west. Firefighters battling a raging wildfire near Santa Clarita that scorched at t least 400 acres of land.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This fire fight is still very, very active and probably will be for some time.

PETERSONS: In the east, the first signs of summer in New York's Central park. From the splashes to the scoops to the first slathers of sun block, the heat wave has officially arrived.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess it wasn't the smartest idea to go get some ice cream. It melted.

(LAUGHTER)

PETERSONS: Melting ice cream. A welcome site after a late season snowstorm had places like Vermont measuring snow in feet. Upstate New York whether the late flurries and brought 40-year-old records.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was freezing like three days.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got all seasons in one week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PETERSONS: And Carol, we're still dealing with this wild weather. I mean take a look at the instability right now. It's hugely in the early morning hours and start to get a break. But look at all the showers that we're still dealing with, and as we go through to the afternoon today, it's going to be another day with severe weather, also including a moderate risk. About 40 million of us from the Great Lakes all the way through Texas dealing with severe weather, with the bull's-eye unfortunately again right over Oklahoma City, Moore and even Joplin, hard to believe we're still at it.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: You're not kidding. Indra Petersons, thanks so much.

It is a mystery that has fascinated millions. What happened to Amelia Earhart? Research believe they may have found the answer. We'll show you what they found at the bottom of the sea.

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COSTELLO: So you're sleeping and then you hear this loud bang and then you see this. Yes. There is a lot of gratitude and disbelief surrounding this apartment building in Herndon, Virginia. That's a two passenger airplane poking onto the roof. And this image isn't the most amazing part of the story. This is the most amazing part, there were no serious injuries.

We'll get more details from John Gonzalez of CNN affiliate WJLA.

JOHN GONZALEZ, REPORTER, WJLA: Well, the operation to remove this plane is completed this morning. And what you have here in Herndon, Virginia about 25 miles from D.C., a gaping hole in the roof.

Well imagine waking up at around 12:30 to a loud explosion and then opening your bedroom door and there is a nose of a Cessna plane in your living room.

That's exactly what happened to the Ventura family. A wife and husband were inside with their two small children, a one-year-old boy and a six-year-old boy. The pilot walked away with scratches and bruises -- a 61-year-old pilot and his co-pilot.

They were taking infrared pictures up above late last night into the morning when their plane started having electrical problems and ran out of gas. They tried a distress call to Dulles airport and they tried coasting to the airport about a mile from this neighborhood. Well obviously, they never made it.

Take a listen to what the pilot told the Ventura family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID VENTURA, APARTMENT RESIDENT: When we heard like explosion and I come out to the door fortunately it was like, all the dry wall, wood, you know, lay down on the floor and then so two guys came out -- I don't even think I was like an aircraft was stuck in our roof. You know but to find and I tell that guy what's going on? And he just told me oh, we hit your apartment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GONZALEZ: Miraculously, only three minor injuries here, including the --

COSTELLO: Oh John froze. But you get the gist. And Mr. Ventura said, I don't know if you caught that the pilot stumbled out of the cockpit, into his apartment, ran into him in the hallway and said I think we just hit your apartment. You think? Again miraculously, no one was injured.

A week ahead of Wal-Mart's annual shareholder's meeting, about 80 Wal- Mart employees in a handful of states are on strike with more expected to walk off the job in the coming days. Protesters say they want full-time work for no less than $25,000 a year and other concessions. But the nation's largest retailer, well, doesn't seem fazed. Alison Kosik is in New York to tells us more.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, in fact, Wal-Mart is saying you know what this happens every year. they're not going to let it overshadow the annual shareholder's meeting. Now it's interesting to note that these protests that we're talking about here, they're not grassroots. They've got a snazzy PR agency behind them and they are also being led by a professional activist group called Our Wal-Mart.

Now this group is affiliated with a union, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, but remember, Wal-Mart associates, they are not unionized. So here is what a Wal-Mart spokesman told us about this. Saying "Our Wal-Mart," the activist group, "Is comprised of a small number of people most of whom aren't Wal-Mart associates themselves."

So it's a very small number of people actually walking off the job. Protesters say its 80 Wal-Mart says it's less than 50. But either way you cut it, it's a very small fraction Carol of the more than 1.3 million Wal-Mart employees -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So -- so why bother? Why do those workers bother?

KOSIK: Ok so exactly. Because you think about it you know in either the activist group, Our Wal-Mart or the union claims to even represent Wal-Mart employees in these negotiations so they can protest all they want. But they're not going to be able to negotiate with Wal-Mart because the employees aren't unionized. Wal-Mart isn't a union shop.

So instead I think what they're trying to do here is trying to build public support for their cause. But here's some food for thought you know as for their demand of $25,000 -- $25,000 a year for their salary. It's just not realistic.

That's -- it's just not what sales associates make in stores like Wal- Mart. In fact, I want to show you this, Wal-Mart Associates they actually make more on average than people with similar jobs at Target and K-Mart. Remember, the federal minimum wage is $7.25. So that's -- that's higher than the average of federal minimum wage -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So they make less than the poverty level for a year?

KOSIK: True. But these -- but these kinds of jobs, this is -- listen, this is what they pay. And Wal-Mart wind up paying a little more than -- than let's say Target and K-Mart. So you know many can say, listen, if you don't like it at Wal-Mart, go to Target, go to K- Mart to get a little bit more.

COSTELLO: All right. Alison Kosik reporting live from New York.

Take a look at this. This grainy sonar image may be the key to a decades old mystery. Researchers believe they have found Amelia Earhart's plane in the South Pacific Ocean. Earhart disappear, she was trying to fly around the world back in 1937. Now this group that took the image says it's quote, "The right size" that thing at the bottom of the ocean, it's quote, "The right size, the right shape and it's in the right place to the Earhart's plane." But they cautioned more investigation will be needed and more money will be needed as well. They need $3 million to investigate further because they have to dig you know underneath the ocean floor to get to whatever that is down there. And maybe it is Amelia Earhart's plane. We'll just have to wait and see.

Well it's not a bird nor a plane but a successful college football coach. And he's giving rappelling the old college try.

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COSTELLO: It was a long night for baseball in St. Louis and the Heat bring it in the second half. Joe Carter is here with "Bleacher Report". Hi, Joe.

JOE CARTER, BLEACHER REPORT: Hey what's up Carol? Yes Lebron James, man he certainly changed everything in the third quarter last night. He turned a potential loss into what you could call a defining win. This series has certainly been described as an extremely physical one.

Indiana seemed to have the upper hand in the first half. In the third quarter, Lebron James gave the team a pep talk which seemed to change the tone for the Miami Heat. Lebron James basically took the team and put them on his shoulders because he outscored the Pacers by himself in the third quarter alone, 16-13. Miami broke it open from there and they won the game by 11 points. The Heat now lead the series three games to two. Game six is Saturday night in Indiana.

Well, speaking of that long night at the ballpark for the Royals and the Cardinals, boy, oh, boy, this game started an hour late because of rain and then was delayed during the 9th inning because of more rain. You see the clock there 10:32 p.m. Central Time. Teams were sent to the dugout, tarps rolled out onto the field. Ten they would wait, 4 hours and 32 minutes later, they were able to get back onto the field. You can see, nobody's left in the ballpark. And at 3:14 a.m. Central Time, the last out was made.

The game was originally scheduled to start at 7:15, ended almost eight hours later. For those that stayed, they certainly got their money's worth. Right?

COSTELLO: Go on.

CARTER: The Royals won, 4-2.

The videos here pretty cool. It's not from the top of the building from a window washer but it's actually a very expensive football coach.

LSU football coach Les Miles the "Mad Hatter," they call him, wore a helmet and wore a helmet cam actually and recorded his ride down the side of this building. Now he's rappelling down a 24-storey building in downtown Baton Rouge as a part of a charity function that he was -- was hosting. He was raising money and awareness for -- for adoption in the State of Louisiana. The program actually helps more than 500 foster children in the state. So it was all for a good cause and sparing life and limb, if you will, for others.

Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson, this guy is donating $5 million to help his alma mater to help them build a new baseball stadium in 2002. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago. This past February the school retired his jersey. He vowed to help them and he is. His $5 million donation will cover most of the $7 million cost.

You see the video, it's a beautiful open air brick and stone stadium. It's going to seat about 1,200 people. And it's expected to open in three years. When the university is not using the stadium, local sports teams will be able to use the stadium. I don't care how much money you make, Carol, $5 million as a donation is a very big contribution.

COSTELLO: That's right. When he was a Detroit Tiger, he was my very favorite player. But he is very into the quality of education. His parents are teachers. He has a business degree. So you go, Curtis. Thanks, Joe.

CARTER: You bet.

COSTELLO: Next hour of CNN NEWSROOM begins after this.

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