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WEEKEND EARLY START

Violent Protests in Turkey; Digging Out After Deadly Storms; Forecast for Tornado Cleanup; Jean Stapleton Dies; Digging Out After Deadly Storms

Aired June 2, 2013 - 06:00   ET

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


ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: This is EARLY START WEEKEND.

He called it the scariest moment of his life. A Weather Channel storm chaser who quickly became the chasee. He survived, but his big, bad vehicle, not so lucky.

Pelted with pepper spray and targeted with tear gas. A brutal police crackdown triggers one of the worst riots Turkey's ever seen.

And she might have married a bigot, but Edith Bunker was a trailblazer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN STAPLETON, ACTRESS, "ALL IN THE FAMILY": We could eat out tonight.

CARROLL O'CONNOR, ACTOR, "ALL IN THE FAMILY": Oh, yes, we could eat out tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: This morning we remember a TV icon.

It's Sunday, June 2nd. Good morning, I'm Alison Kosik.

First up this morning, Turkey is bracing for what could be a third day of violent and massive protests. Turkey's prime minister is demanding an end to the unrest. Hundreds of people are under arrests, dozens are injured. Let's go to our senior international correspondent Ivan Watson in Istanbul, Turkey.

Ivan, the demonstrations, they began over the government's plans to close a park, but is this something that's turned into something so much bigger?

I think we're having problem getting -- Ivan, can you hear me?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Much bigger, Alison. Good morning. I'm coming to you from Istanbul's Taksim Square. This is like the Times Square of Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, more than 12 million people. I can hear you fine. If you can hear me OK, Alison, the demonstrators succeed in pushing the police out. Riot police fought to keep demonstrators out of here for 36 hours. They used water cannons, tear gas, huge clouds of tear gas here for 36 straight hours, pepper spray and finally withdrew yesterday afternoon. Tens of thousands of people came in.

And we're going to wheel over here. This is the park that started it all. A couple of dozen people picnicking, holding a sit in last Monday. They didn't want the park demolished by the government to build a shopping mall and the government, the riot police attacked them with water cannons.

So now, look. Check out this police van, Alison. This is the result of what happened when the people thought they were pushed too far, that there was unnecessary use of force by the riot police against unarmed protesters and that the government simply wasn't listening to residents of this city who wanted a say in the development of the center of their city.

And now this has really become a referendum. The biggest protest movement we've ever seen against Turkey's prime minister, who was elected to office. A very powerful and popular Turkish politician, a close ally of U.S. President Barack Obama facing the biggest blow, really, to his image and his government after 10 years in power.

Alison.

KOSIK: OK, Ivan Watson in Istanbul, Turkey, thank you.

Now let's go to the Midwest and the damage assessment from the strong storms and tornadoes. In Missouri, storms are now being blamed for three deaths all by drowning. Flooding followed several tornadoes that hit the state Friday night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JAY NIXON, MISSOURI: This is a very long, damaged track. Over 10 miles of significant damage across St. Charles County and St. Louis County that's caused dozens and dozens of houses to be literally blown up. You couple that with all of the rain and the water and the drownings we've had in southern Missouri and this is a storm that packed a very difficult punch and this - it's going to test the people of Missouri to be strong in our response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And I want to show you this video here from the airport in Maryland Heights, Missouri. That's located just outside St. Louis. The security cameras caught the moments the storm blew through. A tornado touched down in the St. Louis area.

And then there's Oklahoma. The storms are being blamed for nine deaths there, two children and seven adults. The worst of the damage came just west of Oklahoma City. And that's where our George Howell is today in Union City, Oklahoma. George, I know you've been on the ground in that area, gosh, since the tornado outbreak began two weeks ago. How widespread is this damage?

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alison, good morning.

You know, this was, you know, hit or miss, really. But, here's the thing, when you have a big storm like this park itself over such a large metropolitan area, it's a storm. It's just a big cloud system that can drop funnel after funnel in many different places. So, you know, it was really anybody's guess where these tornadoes would hit.

We're at a place right now called El Reno. This is just west of Oklahoma City. And this is where the strongest tornado came through from this storm, an EF-3 tornado. And you can see the result of a tornado like this. you know, just destroying homes on this block, only one home kind of standing, not really, a very strong tornado that came through here.

When you compare that, you know, to what we saw two weeks ago, an EF-4 tornado in Shawnee that killed two, an EF-5 tornado in Moore that killed 24 people, you know, much stronger tornadoes in that sense. But what we dealt with the other day was just as dangerous because it was, again, a big, big storm system that bloomed, continued to develop and dropped funnel after funnel after funnel.

KOSIK: George, let me ask you this. I know in Oklahoma many say they're used to this sort of thing. Around tornado season they're right in the thick of it. But this is a one-two punch. So close - the timing of it is just so close. Have they talked to you about that?

HOWELL: Absolutely. You know, people are accustomed to storms like this, just like, you know, if you live on the Gulf Coast, you're ready for hurricanes. If you live in Chicago, where I live now, you're ready for cold weather.

But here's the thing, we are talking about two weeks of tornado after tornado. Again, it was a very short amount of time for so much damage. People are absolutely talking about that. You'll remember, Alison, there was a benefit concert here, you know, to help support the people who were so badly devastated in Moore, Oklahoma. The cleanup there continues and will continue for several months, if not for the next year. You know, these were very powerful storms. People who lived here for a long time, they even say, you know, they haven't seen something like this for a while.

KOSIK: All right, George Howell, thank you.

After the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, two weeks ago, people there also got hit by rain in the days after the disaster. So, what's it going to be like for people cleaning up around Oklahoma City today. Meteorologist Karen Maginnis is in the Severe Weather Center.

Karen, good news or bad news?

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's a mixture. For today, the weather is going to be just fine. The temperature in the mid-70s. That's very different from what we saw the day of the tornadoes when those temperatures had soared up to triple digits, 102 to 105 degrees. Today, 75. Rain chances, zero.

We go into Monday and the rain chances do start to go up. They really pick up by Tuesday and then into Wednesday with mid-80s expected there. And each day about a 60 percent likelihood you'll see some showers or some thunderstorms. Now, we looked ahead and the storm prediction center says a slight risk for severe weather.

And into the northeast today, here comes some of that wet weather. So if you are watching us out of New York City and in Boston, not during the day, I think you've got most of the day to enjoy it for the weekend. But as you go into the afternoon hours and the evening, it looks like those rain showers really do start to pick up.

How about the central Mississippi? Well, we have seen days and days of rainfall. Or the days that we have seen the rain, it has been very significant. You may remember over the last 24 hours, they collected about five inches of rainfall right around St. Louis. Well, now those rivers are really rising. The Mississippi River could be at its fourth highest in history. And those records go back to the early 1800s. Flood stages is at 30 feet. And going into the middle of the workweek, we could see the fourth highest flood stage along the Mississippi River at St. Louis in history. Since record keeping.

What does that mean? Some of the local parks are going to flood. Also some farmland. And they're saying that at Alton, some of the locks around that region could be closed to navigation because the river is just too high.

All right, as we look out, a broader look across the country, cold front makes its way toward the eastern seaboard. High pressure in behind it moves in. Going to bringing some pretty nice, crisp air. Temperatures running below normal for this time of year.

Here's a frontal system traveling towards the east, as I mentioned. For Washington, D.C., not so much for today but going in for Monday we'll start to see those showers as storms pick up. The same for Raleigh, North Carolina, also in Atlanta and in New Orleans.

And where does our severe risk come in? Well, today, all the way from northern sections of Virginia, extending up towards Maine. But the storm prediction center also says the likelihood of tornadoes, can't rule out the possibility of an isolated storm. But for the most part, it looks like it could be hail, high winds and also the chance for some pretty heavy downpours. But all in all, not bad for this Sunday, but can't rule out those thunderstorms as we head towards the afternoon.

So, Alison, on your way back, enjoy your flight and it looks like it's going to be some pretty nice weather for flying today.

KOSIK: Good to know. Karen Maginnis, thank you.

Passionate, dedicated and inspiring -- that's how one colleague is remembering a fellow firefighter who was killed along with three others in a ferocious blaze in Houston.

And, she made Edith Bunker a household name. Actress Jean Stapleton is dead at the age of 90. We're going to look back at her decades on stage and screen and what Hollywood is saying about her distinguished career.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, CNN: When you walk by the screen and "All in the Family" is on, do you watch?

JEAN STAPLETON, ACTRESS: No, I've seen -- of course, seen them all and watched them carefully after we did them. But, no, I linger for a minute or two and I think, my, that's very good.

KING: You're damn right it was.

STAPLETON: But I don't watch it because I don't want it ever to creep into anything else I'm doing, you know.

KING: And you had her down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Maybe she was talking about her voice. Of course, that was Jean Stapleton, best known for her iconic role as TV's Edith Bunker on the '70s sitcom "All in the Family." Stapleton died Saturday at her home in New York. She was 90. Word of Stapleton's death drew tributes from across the celebrity spectrum. On Twitter Roseanne Barr called her "a great actor whose range was unbelievable, deep and majestic." Bette Midler described her portrayal of Edith as "unforgettable. Rest in peace." And former CNN host Larry King had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, CNN (voice-over): The best way to put it, TV legend, a brilliant actress, who captured a role, dominated the role and made it her own. You just look at that face and that's Edith Bunker. And when an actress can do that, as they say in the trade, you got it made.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And Jean Stapleton was an accomplished actress also in movies and on Broadway, but it was the role of Edith Bunker that changed her life and perhaps changed America a little as well. Our Don Lemon has this recollection.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL O'CONNOR, ACTOR, "ALL IN THE FAMILY": Edith! Edith!

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Throughout the 1970s, Jean Stapleton trotted into American living rooms as the loving and lovable Edith Bunker.

JEAN STAPLETON, ACTRESS, "ALL IN THE FAMILY": Oh, coming.

LEMON: For over 200 episodes of "All in the Family," she played the kind-hearted, patient and somewhat dim wife to her bigoted and sexist husband, Archie.

O'CONNOR: Now, will you sit over there, huh?

LEMON: Stapleton was a well-established stage and screen actress before she landed the role that would turn her into a TV legend. It was her work in "Dam Yankees," she co-starred in the Broadway and movies version of the show, that attracted the attention of producer Norman Lear.

STAPLETON: We can eat out tonight.

LEMON: When he asked her to audition for the part of Edith, she was surprised at the sitcom's daring content, as she recalled in the 1986 interview with CNN's Larry King.

STAPLETON: I remember when I first read it, I was astonished and thought, oh, this on TV, you know?

O'CONNOR: You being colored, well, I know you had no choice in that.

LEMON: The groundbreaking show boldly addressed controversial topics like racism and anti-Semitism. A 1977 episode startled viewers by tackling what was then a taboo subject, rape.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "ALL IN THE FAMILY": There's a man in your neighborhood who's been, well, he's been molesting women.

STAPLETON: Oh.

LEMON: On Edith's 50th birthday, a man posing as a detective attempts to sexually assault her. The episode was so powerful, it remains memorable today for many who first saw it decades ago.

NORMAN LEAR, PRODUCER, "ALL IN THE FAMILY": I read something about a woman, 70, could have been 80, that was raped. So, we decided to do it with Edith. And it was a remarkable episode. I think the American audience was ready to have a show deal with the subject.

LEMON: In 1979, Stapleton ended her run as Edith, while co-star Carroll O'Connor continued to appear on a successor to "All in the Family" called "Archie's Place." The actress returned to the stage and played supporting parts in the Nora Ephron films "You've Got Mail" and "Michael" before retiring from acting in her 80s. She will always be best remembered for a TV series that's considered by many as one of the greatest ever.

STAPLETON: It's a privileged feeling to have been part of such a groundbreaker and of such quality. It's a feeling of immense, well, you know, pride. ROB REINER, ACTOR, "ALL IN THE FAMILY": Happy birthday.

LEMON: Rob Reiner, who played her son-in-law on "All in the Family," told CNN in a statement, "Jean was a brilliant comedian with exquisite timing. Working with her was one of the greatest experiences of my life." In a statement to CNN, Lear remembered his leading lady as "beloved." He added, "no one gave more profound how to be a human being lessons than Jean Stapleton. Good-bye, Edith, darling."

O'CONNOR & STAPLETON (singing): Those were the days.

LEMON: Don Lemon, CNN, New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: That's right, 60 years ago today, Princess Elizabeth was crowned queen of England. Now, Elizabeth had assumed the duties of the monarch shortly after her father died, King George VI actually died more than a years earlier, but Elizabeth wasn't officially crowned until June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey. Queen Elizabeth, now 87 years old, is England's oldest ever monarch. But she's still about two years behind Queen Victoria in terms of longest reign. The queen is still active today. Just two days ago, she visited a military barracks in London. It's the post of Soldier Lee Rigby, who was killed by terrorists more than a week ago.

We're learning more about the four firefighters who were killed in the line of duty in Houston. They went into a burning building on Friday to make sure no one was trapped inside when a wall collapsed on to them. Houston is mourning 35-year-old Matthew Renaud, 41-year-old Robert Bebee, 29-year-old Robert Garner and 24-year-old Anne Sullivan. She had just graduated from the city's firefighting academy in April. A fellow firefighter told CNN's Sarah Ganim that Sullivan was dedicated and devoted to her job.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYCHE GUERRERO, HOUSTON FIREFIGHTER: She inspired me because, you know, she was shorter than me, you know, and - but, yet, stronger and, you know, very, very determined. In great physical shape and always smiling and just loved helping people. Just loved her job. She loved firefighting because she loved to help people. She loved Houston. She loved her community. You know, she really loved her brothers and sisters here working with her. We're just a family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Thirteen firefighters were injured. Federal and state officials are investigating the blaze.

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Mike Adams is recovering after being stabbed twice in the stomach. Officials say someone stabbed him an attempt to steal his truck in Pittsburgh yesterday. His agent says he's expected to make a full recovery, but will miss about six weeks of football activities. Adams tweeted, "I had an angel looking out for me. I'll be OK, just got to fight to get back harder than ever."

The trial of the man accused of killing Florida teenager Trayvon Martin gets underway on June 10th. George Zimmerman is accused of second degree murder in last year's shooting death of the unarmed 17- year-old. Trayvon's parents and several hundred people gathered at a prayer service in Miami yesterday. Members of the church offered their support to the teen's family. His shooting by Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, sparked nationwide protests and outrage.

The Lutheran church has elected its first openly gay bishop. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America elected Reverend Guy Erwin to a six-year term. He currently is a pastor and is a professor at California Lutheran University. Officials say he's partnered. Erwin's election comes four years after the changed its rules to allow gays and lesbians to be ordained.

Coming up, a tornado producing other miniature tornadoes that whirled around its core creating their own extreme paths of destruction. We'll tell you how it happens.

Plus, lawmakers are outraged over this video. And it's not because the dancing's so bad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): To become the next great dance sensation. This is their stories.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: An update on mortgages for you. Rates climbed higher again this past week. Look at this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Welcome back and thanks for starting your morning with us. And a special welcome to our troops watching on the American Forces Network. I'm Alison Kosik. It's the bottom of the hour.

Now, to our top story this hour. The destruction in the Midwest after deadly tornadoes ripped across the heartland. Let's get you caught up on what we know.

The death toll is now nine, including a mother and her child. Missouri's governor says three of the dead drowned following Friday's powerful storms. Of the 104 treated for injuries after the storm, 11 are still in the hospital.

The National Weather Service says they've found evidence of an EF-3 tornado, which can carry winds up to 165 miles per hour. At one point, power was cut off to more than 200,000 homes and businesses. But while most of that has been restored, three Oklahoma City medical facilities are still running on generator. CNN's Chad Myers has been in Oklahoma tracking that storm from its very beginnings on Friday afternoon and he joins us now from Oklahoma City to walk us through the danger and the damage.

Good morning, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, METEOROLOGIST: Alison, this whole mess started on Friday, late Friday, actually, about 4:45 in the afternoon. Fairly a late start for some severe weather. But that was part of the problem. The day was warm, it was sunny. And so all the way from 11:00 to 1:00 to 2:00, when some storms should be popping and cooling things off, we had no storms. All we had was more sunshine. So, by the time 4:30 came around, it was 92 degrees in El Reno, that's where we were watching this storm develop. Watching towers go from little cumulus puffy clouds to 50,000 feet tall in about 20 to 25 minutes. That's ten miles tall. These things really exploded before our eyes. We were watching what looked like pieces of cauliflower, big heads of cauliflower go straight up into the air. And as indeed we knew that it was going to be a severe weather day. The storms developed, they started to rotate, and then we had the tornado on the ground. The first tornado of the day. But big problem was that although some storms went to the north for a while, they started turning to the right and then they went south.

And all the storm chaser video that you see that didn't go very well for some people was because the storm started turning towards them. People, as you storm chase, you want to be south of the storm looking north into it because the storm should move away from you. That didn't happen. It was the opposite. As they were south, the storm turned to south and drove right into them and they're trying to get out of the way and some people didn't get out of the way quick enough. We were chased well south, at least 50 miles south of Oklahoma City by one storm after another, after another and it was very hard to get out of the way. Then all of a sudden, everything died off, the tornadoes did their damage and then it just rained and it rained for hours.

We got back to our hotel Friday night, Saturday morning, at 4 A.M., and it was still raining. A lot of thunder, lightning still going. And 12 inches of rainfall, locally in some areas, I'm sure fell. Because now all that water has been running off making this big mess back here. This was just kind of a colvert, now all the dirt is gone. It's completely just washed away and this is kind of what we're going to be seeing for the next couple of days. This flood threat, because although maybe you're not seeing flooding now or maybe even tomorrow, this water has to run downhill, it has to run down the river. So, this bubble of water that's going to come from Oklahoma City may flood other towns along the way.

Now, in the calm (ph)- the wind's out of the north, it's a completely different day today and it'll be different day on Monday and Tuesday with nice dry air here, no severe weather. But by the time next week rolls around, the whole thing sets up, again. We can see more tornadoes on the ground in the Midwest one more time Remember, I know kids are out for summer break, a lot of them are, but it's still spring, according to mother nature. Alison?

KOSIK: Okay, Chad Myers, thanks. Now Chad was just talking about those just amazing scenes that were caught by those storm chasers on Friday, but it's easy to forget just how dangerous that job can be and that those men and women are risking their lives. I want to show you this. It's the tornado hunt 2013 truck that belonged to the weather channel team and this is how it ended up that way. Meteorologist Mike Bettes and his crew got caught in the tornado and at one point their truck was actually lifted off the ground and thrown 600 feet into a field. Amazingly and thankfully everyone was able to walk away from the scene. But Bettes did suffer some minor injuries. Here he is talking about what it was like inside that car.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID: The viewers may not know this, but you were just married about six months ago. You said that you thought about your wife. What is it that you thought about when you were up there?

BETTES: Good question, Dave.

DAVE: It's tough. I know, it's ...

BETTES: All right. You know, I just saw -- I just saw my wife's face and I thought, you know, that's, you know, that's my life. And I don't want to give that up just yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And we're going to have a live interview with Mike Bettes coming up in the 8:00 hour.

I want to show you this video It was taken Friday in Maryland Heights, Missouri, by a security camera at a small airport. That's an American flag whipping around on the left side of your screen there. Maryland Heights is just outside St. Louis, which along with the Oklahoma City area took the brunt of last week's deadly storms.

So, if you ever wondered how is it that a tornado can destroy someone's home turning it into rubble but at the same time leave some lucky neighbor's house untouched? Look at some damage from Oklahoma this week. It happens time and time again. Our Ed Lavandera, he's been looking into this phenomenon with storm chaser Reed Timmer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, just across the street from this severely damaged home, we noticed something in this wheat field that caught our attention. We want to take a closer look at it.

There is this flattened trail. I'm trying to explain why it looked like this. So, what are we looking at here?

REED TIMMER, STORM CHASER: Well, right here is the path of a suction vortex. And so, you have a multiple-vortex tornado. It just classically was -- you can see in the video, you had the main cone, almost wedged. Tornado (inaudible) and just below that, you get these miniature tornadoes that will spin underneath called suction vortexes ...

LAVANDERA: OK.

TIMMER: And it's a big mystery of tornado scientists how strong the wind speeds get. But they're the reason why one house will sustain severe damage whereas the one next door will almost look untouched.

LAVANDERA: So, we're about not even 100 yards away from this house that was completely flattened next to some other houses that were severely damaged, but not flattened like this. And this just seems to spin right off and go off into the distance.

TIMMER: Yeah, my theory is that the main tornado was making a left-hand turn and it had those suction vortexes in it and on the back side of the tornado, one of those suction vortexes, a bigger one came right down this path and it probably hit that house and then went this way and you can see it right down that path on the wheat field and then took a hard left turn and it dissipated right out there in the wheat field. They're very quick, but they'll be very strong. They are -- unstable configuration because they're so strong and it will just burst into turbulence and be gone. And if you get hit by one of those suction vortexes, they could have 400 to 500-mile-per-hour winds at the surface.

LAVANDERA: Because when we pointed this out to you, you were pretty amazed by it.

TIMMER: Yeah, I was -- this is one of the most textbook pictures suction vortex damage I've seen. But I've seen them, you know, develop and then rip a tree out of the ground and then disappear in the blink of an eye. And some tornadoes. Like they can be really short lived.

LAVANDERA: Wow.

TIMMER: But that is a big mystery of tornado science.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: Ed Lavandera, thank you.

Now, to London and another suspect charged in the killing of British soldier Lee Rigby. Police say 28-year old Michael Adebolajo was also charged with attempted murder of two police officers and possession of a firearm. 12 people have been arrested in connection to the killing. Adebolajo and the other men charged were seen in videos and photographs taken after the killing. He's expected to appear in court tomorrow.

Now to Washington and the IRS. A new outrage. This time it's over wasteful spending and money spent on a dance contest set to the tune of a group dance song you've probably heard at weddings or maybe performed yourself during karaoke. CNN chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash has more from Washington.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a dance called the cupid shuffle. If you've never heard of it, you don't work for the IRS. CNN obtained this video, made by IRS employees to close out a 2010 IRS conference. According to the video's narrator those taking part in learning the Cupid shuffle are competing to "become the next great dance sensation.:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: To become the next great dance sensation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: And CNN has told a new IRS inspector general report coming out next week will detail excess spending at the IRS and this video will be spotlighted as an example of ways IRS employees wasted taxpayer dollars. And the IRS is not defending it at all, telling CNN "This video produced for a 2010 IRS conference was unacceptable and inappropriate use of government funds. The IRS and the government as a whole now have strict new policies and procedures in place to ensure that taxpayer funds are being used appropriately."

Now, we are told that Cupid dance video cost $1600 to make. Certainly, it doesn't break the bank, but we also are told the IRS spent a lot more. $60,000 to make a pair of different videos, spoofs of "Gilligan's Island: and "Star Trek." Now, you can see the production value is better than the Cupid dance, but it doesn't look like they spent much on acting lessons. Watch this clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sorry about the uniforms, captain. The dry cleaner gave them in the wrong order. (inaudible) coffee while you wait, sir. It's better than McDonald's. And only twice the price.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can do the almond. (ph). I've already spent my per diem for the day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: All this opens up yet another controversial front for the IRS, which, of course, is under fire from both parties for targeting Tea Party groups who were applying for tax exempt status. As for the upcoming report on excessive IRS spending, the new acting IRS commissioner is calling the 2010 conferences that appeared to waste taxpayer dollars "an unfortunate vestige from a prior era," saying taxpayers should take comfort that a conference like this would not take place today. Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.

KOSIK: The rules that govern transplants make it almost impossible for this little girl to get the new lungs she desperately needs. Now, a powerful advocate on Capitol Hill is joining her fight for survival.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Good morning, Washington, D.C. How pretty is that? Look at that. A live look at the sun rising on the White House. Looks like it's going to be a nice day in the nation's capital. 86 degrees and sunny, but afternoon thunderstorms are going to come rolling in. That's what they're forecast to do and rain the rest of the weekend.

Health officials have traced a new hepatitis A outbreak to this pomegranate seeds in Townsend Farms fruit mix sold at Costco. So far, 30 people have been infected in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. Nine have been hospitalized. Hepatitis A is a highly contagious infection that can lead to liver failure and even death.

The nation's top health official has even taken notice of the race to save a ten-year-old girl. We first introduced you last weekend to Sarah Murnaghan. She was born with cystic fibrosis and she needs a lung transplant immediately. But national transplant rules make that very unlikely, that's because Sarah's age severely limits her access to adult donors and child donors are very rare. Now, Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has asked for a review of those rules. Her request came after a direct appeal from Sarah's congressman who wants Sarah to get an adult lung from the next available donor. I spoke yesterday with representative Pat Meehan and I asked him why the rules should be bent for Sarah?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAT MEEHAN, (R ), PENNSYLVANIA: Alison, I don't think we need to bend the rules. This whole system is based on equity, so that it's fair to all who are in line. But they choose age for a child on an arbitrary basis. They don't have enough evidence because there is not enough donors at that age to be able to compile medically significant bases to make this decision. So, the choice, if she was 12, it wouldn't be an issue. But she's almost 11 and doesn't quality. So, therefore, the standard is arbitrary. And because it's arbitrary, it is my opinion as an attorney that it is discriminatory and should give the secretary an ability to address the discriminatory nature in the way this policy has been put together.

KOSIK: An HHS spokesman tells CNN that Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asked the Oregon transplant board this week to review its rules regarding children. But that changes -- they can take as long as two years. So, do you see a way to speed up the process?

MEEHAN: Yes, I do. It will take two years and it's probably healthy to have a review of this done in a principled manner. But there's an opportunity, in my opinion, within the law to seek a variance. In light of the fact that the very process of looking at this as a recognition that there is a problem. And if you have a problem, you also have to be addressing those matters between the time you resolve the problem and the time that you're aware of it.

KOSIK: And we spoke last week to a doctor on the transplant board and he said bending the rules for Sarah would mean a delay for somebody else waiting for lungs. You know, you want an exception made for her, but what do you say to him? He doesn't think it's fair.

MEEHAN: Well, I go back -- I go back again to the word, this is not an exception. What this is, is it puts Sarah in line in her appropriate place in line by virtue of identifying the fact that she's currently in, she's been discriminated against. She's the one that isn't in her appropriate point in line because they're taking age into the factor inappropriately. She would qualify and take her appropriate place. Somebody else that currently is in there may not be in as serious a situation as Sarah. But because they are 12 or 13 or 18, they're going to get the lung that we believe Sarah has the very legal right to be able to get.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: A milestone on Capitol Hill. One congressman is on the verge of making history. We're going to tell you who and what he's doing to break a record. Plus, Madonna and Beyonce under the same roof. A star-studded event and it's all to benefit women around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: OK, guys, it's time for me to get you ready for the week coming up. First, on Monday, New York City. All eyes are going to be there. Because a New York City has been trying to ban these large size sugary drinks, there's going to be a ruling on that most likely. Also on Monday, the long-awaited trial for Bradley Manning begins. Army Private charges in the biggest leak of classified documents in the U.S. history. On Thursday, let's skip over to George Zimmerman. He's going to be in the headlines because there could be the last of his pretrial hearings because jury selection begins next week on June 10th. Zimmerman is charged with fatally shooting teenager Trayvon Martin. Also, on Thursday, James Whitey Bulger. Remember him? His trial begins, the alleged boss and mob boss is not only charged with extortion and money laundering, he also faces 19 murder charges.

Also on Thursday, the NBA final begins. The San Antonio Spurs will either face off with the Miami Heat or the Indiana Pacers. And it's not here, but Friday, Friday is the government jobs report, I'm going to be watching for that. So, that's just part of the big week ahead and we get more from CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser. Good morning, Paul.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Good morning, Alison. Keep your eyes on the Supreme Court tomorrow as it issues opinions on crucial cases. By the end of June, the high court is expected to rule on big issues such as affirmative action, voting rights and same-sex marriage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The House will be in order.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: Congress is back in town this week, kicking off what should be a busy month on Capitol Hill. Among the highlights, the household more hearings on the IRS, Benghazi and A.P controversies and the Senate will handle immigration reform. A new poll indicates a majority of Americans support allowing undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship. But nearly three-fourths of those questioned in the Quinnipiac University survey didn't think Democrats and Republicans in Congress would work together to pass immigration reform. At the end of the week, Representative John Dingell will make history as he becomes the longest serving member of Congress ever. On Friday, the Democrat for Michigan will serve 57 years, five months and 26 days breaking the record held by the late Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Alison?

KOSIK: Paul Steinhauser, thanks.

Coming up, so what does it take to get Beyonce, J.Lo and Madonna to come together for one night? One of the most important causes in the world. And I'll tell you about it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, London. Thank you for showing up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Some of the biggest celebrities and musicians came around the world came together yesterday to fight for women's rights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEYONCE (singing): It's been a long -- a long time coming ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And that's Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Selma Hayek, James Franco and John Legend. They were in London for the Sound of Change concert, which benefits charities for women, including those for education, health care and justice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADONNA: The thing that I'm most interested in, the most passionate about is education and that it is not a luxury, should not be a luxury, but a basic human right.

AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN, ACTRESS: Every time we come to these various events or when we met with the (inaudible) of the kind of discrimination, the gender inequality that still exists in this present time, it's, it's just disappointing. Shocking. And always cause for immediate change.

JESSICA CHASTAIN, ACTRESS: This is really great. Empowering women and girls and uniting to take care of half the population.

JOHN LEGEND, MUSICIAN: I think it's important that men care about these issue because it affects all of us. These are our sisters, these are our mothers, these are our wives, our daughters and these are our friends, these are our community.

JAMES FRANCO, ACTOR: I believe in equality and, you know, whenever any group is not given the same kind of rights or opportunities as another, I am happy to step in and try and help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And people who bought tickets could choose where their money was spent by picking from a list of 120 projects that support women in 70 countries.

Tiger Woods made a big of a history for all the wrong reasons this weekend. Posting an eight over par on the back nine at the PGA tour's Memorial Tournament. The single worst nine-hole score of his whole career. Woods, still the top ranked golfer in the world, sits just three shots better than last place. He called his performance a "rough day."

Since we're talking about rough days, we have to mention Will Smith. His latest film "After Earth" is a rare misstep for the star with less than stellar reviews. Still, though, it came in at number two with $39 million in ticket sales.

Coming in on top, once again, the "Fast & Furious 6" had $45 million in sales. "StarTrek into Darkness" came in third with $22 million. The animated "Epic" came in at $21 million and at number five, the thriller, "Now You See Me" took in $19 million at the box office.

Angelina Jolie will be walking the red carpet later today. It's going to be her first public appearance since the actress announced she had a double mastectomy back in February. Jolie say she is a carrier of the BRCA gene linked to breast and ovarian cancer. She will be joining her fiancee Brad Pitt in promoting his new film, "World War Z" in London.

Much more ahead on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," which starts right now.

(MUSIC)

KOSIK: Good morning, everyone. I'm Alison Kosik. It's 7:00. So glad you're starting your morning with us.

And we're going to begin this hour in the Midwest and the damage assessment from the strong storms and tornadoes.

In Missouri, storms are now being blamed for three deaths, all by drowning. Flooding followed several tornadoes that have hit the state on Friday night.

Look at this video from the airport in Maryland Heights, Missouri, just outside St. Louis. The security cameras, they caught these moments the storm blew through. A tornado touched down in the St. Louis area.

And then there's Oklahoma, the storms are blamed for nine deaths there, two children and seven adults. The worst of the damage came just west of Oklahoma City.

And that's where our George Howell is today in Union City, Oklahoma.

George, I know you've been on the ground in that area since the tornado outbreak began two weeks ago. How widespread is the damage that you're seeing?

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Alison, it really is hit or miss because when you consider this particular storm system that we saw the other day, it was a storm that developed and then continued to grow over the metropolitan Oklahoma City area and parked itself over, you know, many, many people and just dropped tornado after tornado after tornado in random spots. So, you find damage in different places like what we see here. Again, you know, we have the sun coming up and there in the foreground you see all this debris left over. This is where a funnel, a tornado came down, touched down and just caused all kinds of damage out here. You find that in different spots.

When you compare what we see here today to what we saw two weeks ago with the EF-4 tornado that went through Shawnee, the EF-5 that went through Moore. Both of those tornadoes caused significant, hit communities, especially there in Moore, that heavily populated area. So, you know, stronger tornadoes in that sense, but the storm system, Alison, that we saw the other day, it was just so big and it was so random. It was just as dangerous.

KOSIK: But they're talking about the comparison between the two, aren't they? The folks you have been talking with.

HOWELL: Absolutely. Because, you know, it has just been two weeks of this. I mean, people here are used to tornadoes. I mean, it's just you live on the Gulf Coast, you're used to hurricanes. You know what to do.

You live in Chicago, you're used to cold weather, you know what to do.

People know what to do in this case. But it happened in the short amount of time and so many tornadoes, warning after warning each day and then you see what happened to these communities. You see what happened to Shawnee where two people were killed and you look at Moore where 24 people were killed in that particular storm system.

And in this case, you know, again, we have nine deaths. It's just been such a short amount of time with so much damage. It's been a difficult and I would even say traumatizing experience for a lot of people.

KOSIK: I would agree. George Howell, thank you.

CNN's Chad Myers has been in Oklahoma tracking that storm from its very beginnings on Friday afternoon. And he joins us now from Oklahoma City to walk us through the danger and the damage.

Good morning, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Alison, this whole mess started on Friday. Late Friday, actually, about 4:45 in the afternoon, fairly a late start for some severe weather, but that was part of the problem. The day was warm. It was sunny and so all the way from 11:00 until 1:00 to 2:00 when some storms should be popping and cooling things off, we had no storms. All we had was more sunshine.

So, by the time 4:30 came around, it was 92 degrees in El Reno. That's where we were watching this storm develop, watching towers go from little cumulus clouds go to 50 feet tall in about 20 to 25 minutes. That's 10 miles tall. These things really exploded before our eyes.

We were watching what looked like pieces of cauliflower, big heads of flower of cauliflower, go straight up in the air. And as it, we knew that it was going to be a severe weather day. The storms developed, they started to rotate, and then we had the tornado on the ground, the first tornado of the day.

The big problem was that although some storms went to the north for a while, it started turning to the right and then they went south, and all the storm chaser video that you see that didn't go well for some people was because the storm started turning towards them. People, as you storm chase, you want to be south of the storm looking north into it because the storm should move away from you. That didn't happen. It's exact opposite.

As they were south, the storm turned south, and drove right into them and they were trying to get out of the way and some people didn't get out of the way quick enough. We were chased well south, at least 50 miles south of Oklahoma City by one storm after another, after another and was very hard to get out of the way.

All of a sudden, everything died off and the tornadoes did its damage and it just rained. And it rained for hours. We got back to our hotel Friday night, Saturday morning, at 4:00 a.m. And it was still raining, thunder and lightning still going, and 12 inches of rainfall locally in some areas, I'm sure fell, because now all of that water has been running off, making this big mess back here.

This was just kind of a culvert and now all the dirt is gone. Just completely washed away and this is what we're seeing for the next couple of days. This flood threat because maybe you're not seeing flooding now or maybe tomorrow, this water has to run down hill, it has to run down the river. So, this bubble of water from Oklahoma City may flood other towns along the way.

Now, we're in the calm. The winds out of the north, it was a completely different day today, and it will be different day on Monday and Tuesday with nice dry air here and no severe weather. By the time next week rolls around, the whole thing sets up, again. We could see more tornadoes on the ground in the Midwest one more time.

Remember, I know kids are out for summer break, a lot of them are. But it's still spring according to Mother Nature -- Alison.

KOSIK: OK, Chad Myers, thank you. And, Chad, you were just talking about those amazing scenes caught by the storm chasers on Friday. But, you know, it's easy to forget just how dangerous that job can be that those men and women are risking their lives to get their pictures. I want to show you this, the tornado hunt truck that belonged to the Weather Channel team. Look how it ended up that way.

Meteorologist Mike Bettes and his crew got caught in the tornado and at one point their truck was lifted off the ground and thrown 600 feet into a field. Amazingly, everyone was able to walk away from the scene but Bettes did suffer some minor injuries.

Here he is now talking about what it was like inside that car.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Viewers may not know this, but you were just married six months ago. You said you thought about your wife. What was it you thought about when you were up there?

MIKE BETTES, WEATHER CHANNEL METEOROLOGIST: Good question, Dave. I know it's tough.

I just saw my wife's face. And I thought, you know, that's -- you know, that's my life. I don't want to give that up just yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And Mike Bettes is going to be joining me here live coming up at 8:30. I'm going to ask him if he plans to do any more storm-chasing in the future. So, you're not going to want to miss this interview.

The storms we've been telling you about have some wondering whether human behavior maybe fueling the violent weather. Up next, I'm going to talk with meteorologist and storm chaser who studies exactly that.

Plus, for the first time, we're getting a look inside the underground bunker where a man held a 5-year-old boy hostage for almost a week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Good morning, Atlanta. It's a live look at the sun coming up over the peach tree city. This is a live look at Centennial Olympic Park, right next door from where I'm sitting, CNN headquarters. Eighty-one degrees, that's going to be the high today, with a couple scattered thunderstorms.

And those storms that tore through the Midwest have stunned us because of their colossal power. Look at this video taken Friday outside El Reno, Oklahoma, and because of the massive death and destruction left behind, it all raises the question, is climate change to blame? Joining me now from Starkville, Mississippi, is Grady Dixon. He's a meteorologist at Mississippi State University and he's been known to take his students thousands of miles across the country to chase the very storms they're learning to predict.

Good morning, Grady.

GRADY DIXON, METEOROLOGIST, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY: Good morning, Alison.

KOSIK: How unusual are this season's weather events. Let's talk specifically about the tornadoes that we've seen over the past couple weeks in Oklahoma. They just seem really extreme. Or am I wrong?

DIXON: Well, every year, we have this conversation and it would be irresponsible to say that the tornado in Moore was not unusual because it did so much damage and hit such populated area.

But, really, statistically, this is not unusual. It's May in Oklahoma. Oklahoma City, the metro area, averages one or two tornadoes per year. So, they are used to this and far from extreme. Any abnormality is that the months leading up to this for 2013 were actually well below average.

So, now, we are back to normal, but it seems like a shock to most people.

KOSIK: So, when you say they were below average, is it because it was cooler than expected?

DIXON: That's a large part of it. It really was much cooler throughout most of the year throughout the United States. So, that led to fewer opportunities for severe weather.

KOSIK: You know, it leads to the question of whether or not there is reason to suspect that climate change is making these tornadoes more frequent or intense.

DIXON: Yes, that's a common question, as well. And, believe it or not, most of the research is pretty clear. Most researchers do agree that when we have a warmer environment, we have more humidity and we have more unstable air, and we probably will have more days with thunderstorms.

However, the difference between a thunderstorm day and a tornado day is that tornadic thunderstorms need really strong winds aloft in the atmosphere, 10,000, 20,000 or 30,000 feet aloft. And when you have warmer air in the north, which is what you would have in a global warming type of environment, those winds decrease. And so, most research suggests that in a warming climate we'll have, perhaps, more thunderstorm days but fewer days for tornadoes.

The biggest concern will be that maybe certain areas start experiencing more tornadoes than they're used to or perhaps fewer and there is a change in the preparedness of the locals. But as far as the pure volume of tornadoes, we think they'll probably decrease with time if we continue to warm.

KOSIK: Interesting. You talk about unusual weather events happening in states that don't usually experience that. I think of New York and hurricane Sandy. When was the last time a huge hurricane like that hit? Is this in the same vein as you're talking about?

DIXON: Yes, perhaps. And the really scary thing we see a place like Oklahoma City that has had these really intense tornadoes hit populated areas and have had surprisingly few fatalities. These people are very well-prepared. They're very accustomed to these storms. That doesn't mean it's easy for him. But any of the tornadoes that hit Oklahoma cities in the recent days have gone through other cities, even those that are located in the plains but aren't as frequent as Oklahoma City, we probably would have had a much worse scenario.

KOSIK: Was there anything you could see that was different about yesterday's storms that blew through that caused so many, including experienced chasers, to get stuck in the path of these storms?

DIXON: That's a difficult question. We were not there. That was our last day in the Plains. I was bringing a group of students home. We spent about an hour and a half debating about whether or not we should extend our trip by an extra day and kind of pay the late charges, so to speak, of staying out.

And the thing that caused us to go ahead and go home in part was the urban nature of that day's chases. We knew there were going to be a lot of people, chasers and residents and we knew it was going to be on the west side of a metropolitan area. And so, we didn't think it was safe enough to extend our trip. Of course, if we had been out there a few more days on schedule, we would have certainly tried to chase. So, the most difficult part, the most unusual part was the urban environment.

With that being said, some people have suggested that there was something about the movement of the storm. As far as I could tell, it was not a crazy storm. It was not very unusual. Storms do turn right whenever they're rotating and storm chasers are used to that. They're prepared for that.

This particular tornado was rotating around the entire updraft of the thunderstorm, which was also rotating.

And, so, you could imagine a small circulation in the tornado revolving around a larger circulation of the storm. And so, it had a kind of arc-like path and perhaps that caused some people some problems and maybe some disorientation occurred. My guess is traffic was also involved and there was low visibility in part because of some of the trees on the urban fringe and because of all the rain.

So, I think it was just a lot of factors combined into one bad situation.

KOSIK: Gary Dixon, thank you so much.

DIXON: No problem.

KOSIK: Early warnings and forecasts are so important for avoiding even the worst outcomes for these storms -- which made news of 12,000 impending furloughs at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration even more troubling. But now, they say they're suspending the July to September furloughs and just in time because hurricane season began yesterday.

We're getting a first look inside a kidnapper's hideout. This is where Jimmy Lee Dykes held an Alabama boy hostage for almost a week. And if you think this is disturbing, wait until you hear what he had to say in some of his final recordings.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: For the first time, we're getting a look inside the underground bunker in Alabama where a man took a little boy hostage for almost a week.

CNN's Alina Machado has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is an inside look at the underground bunker where Jimmy Lee Dykes held a 5-year-old boy hostage for six days. Just released photos show Alabama and federal investigators processing the scene.

Here is a picture showing one of two beds. Small flashlights hang on the wall, water bottles are within reach, a notebook and an animal calendar sit on the bed.

The FBI released the photos Saturday, along with audio of a profanity-laced phone call between hostage negotiators and Dykes.

JIMMY LEE DYKES (via telephone): You just go ahead and send something (EXPLETIVE DELETED) down (EXPLETIVE DELETED) funnel up there to their death.

MACHADO: The chilling audio gives us a better sense of Dykes' state of mind as the days wore on and negotiations deteriorated.

DYKES: And if I saw (EXPLETIVE DELETED) doesn't respond to me by 5:30 this afternoon, I mean whatever time it is, then, by God, I will not talk (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

MACHADO: Authorities say Dykes stormed a school bus in Midland City, Alabama, on January 29th. A 15-year-old boy on the bus told dispatchers how a man had shot the driver and snatched one of the children.

911: OK, is he on the bus or did he take the kid off the bus?

CALLER: He took the kid off the bus.

911: He took the kid off the bus. MACHADO: The bus driver, Charles Poland, was later hailed a hero for trying to protect his young passengers.

911: Was the bus driver the only person that was shot?

CALLER: Yes, ma'am.

911: OK, the bus driver was the only one that was shot. Hang in there, honey. You're doing so good. I'm so proud of you, OK?

MACHADO: Neighbors told CNN Dykes was a paranoid anti-government loner. Here's what the 65-year-old told negotiators.

DYKES: People are going to be standing up to this (EXPLETIVE DELETED) dictatorial, incompetent, self-righteous, bunch of sorry (EXPLETIVE DELETED) in government, that tell nothing but (EXPLETIVE DELETED) lies.

MACHADO: Law enforcement sources told CNN authorities used a camera to monitor what was going on inside the bunker while FBI rescue hostage teams trained on a model of a structure nearby. Agents reportedly saw Dykes holding a gun, prompting the rescue operation. Dykes they say was armed and managed to fire at agents before he was killed. Authorities found two explosive devices.

(on camera): The boy named, Ethan, was alive and returned to his family. He celebrated his sixth birthday after his rescue -- Alison.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: Alina Machado, thank you.

She made Edith Bunker a household name. Jean Stapleton is dead at the age of 90. And we're going to look back at her decades on stage and screen and what Hollywood is saying about her distinguished career.

But, first, let's check in with Dr. Sanjay Gupta for a look at what's coming up at the bottom of the hour.

Good morning, Sanjay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: More and more young people are suffering strokes. I'm talking about men and women. So, I'm going to explain what you need to know today to stay healthy.

Also, concern over Obamacare. People are afraid that's going to push their insurance cost through the roof. We'll decipher it. We'll have it all coming up at the bottom of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Jean Stapleton was an accomplished actress in movies and on Broadway, but it was the role as Edith Bunker that changed her life and perhaps changed America a little bit, as well. Stapleton died Friday at her home in New York. She was 90.

Our Don Lemon has this look back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Edith! Edith!

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Throughout the 1970s, Jean Stapleton trotted into American living rooms as the loving and lovable Edith Bunker.

JEAN STAPLETON, ACTRESS: Coming.

LEMON: For over 200 episodes of "All in the Family", she played the kind-hearted, patient and somewhat dim wife to her bigoted and sexist husband, Archie.

Stapleton was a well-established stage and screen actress before she landed the role that would turn her into a TV legend.

It was her work in "Damn Yankees." She co-starred in the Broadway and movie version of the show that attracted the attention of producer Norman Lear.

When he asked her to audition for the part of Edith, she was surprised at the sitcom's daring content, as she recalled in a 1986 interview with CNN's Larry King.

STAPLETON: I remember when I first read it I was astonished and thought, huh, this on TV?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, being colored, well, I know you had no choice in that.

LEMON: The groundbreaking show boldly addressed controversial topics like racism and anti-Semitism. A 1977 episode startled viewers by tackling what was then a taboo subject, rape.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a man in your neighborhood who has been, well, he's been molesting women.

LEMON: On Edith's 50th birthday, a man posing as a detective attempts to sexually assault her. The episode was so powerful, it remains memorable today for many who first saw it decades ago.

NORMAN LEAR, PRODUCER, "ALL IN THE FAMILY": I read something about a woman, 70, could have been 80 that was raped. So, we decided to do it with Edith. And it was a remarkable episode. I think the American audience was ready to have a show dealing with the subject.

LEMON: In 1979, Stapleton ended her run as Edith while co-star Carroll O'Connor continued to appear in the successor to "All in the Family" called "Archie's Place." The actress returned to the stage and played supporting parts in the Nora Ephron's films "You've Got Mail" and "Michael" before retiring from acting in her 80s. She was always be best remember for a TV series that's considered by many as one of the greatest ever.

STAPLETON: It is a privileged feeling to have been part of such a groundbreaker and of such quality. It's a feeling of immense, well, you know, pride.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy birthday!

LEMON: Rob Reiner, who played her son-in-law on "All in the Family", told CNN in a statement, "Jean was a brilliant comedian with exquisite timing. Working with her was one of the greatest experiences of my life."

In a statement to CNN, Lear remembered his leading lady as beloved. He added, "No one gave more profound on how to be a human being lessons than Jean Stapleton. Good-bye, Edith, darling."

LEMON: Don Lemon, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: And I'll see you back here at the top of the hour, 8:00 Eastern.

But, first, "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." begins right now.