[Costello:] Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. I'm Carol Costello live in Boston. A look at the headlines now. A 41-year-old Mississippi man will appear in federal court tomorrow, charged in connection with poisonous letters sent to President Obama and two others. James Everett Dutschke was arrested yesterday in Tupelo, Mississippi, charged with making and possessing the toxin ricin as a biological weapon. A foggy day turned dangerous fast as floodwaters took over the roads in Texas. Fire officials in Houston had to rescue 150 drivers whose cars got stuck. "The Houston Chronicle" says some areas got as much as eight inches of rain. And words some words, I should say, for air travelers. Air traffic control staff will be back to work in full force by tonight, hopefully ending those long delays at some airports. The FAA calling off the employee furloughs after Congress approved a bill. The president has been unable to sign the document, though, because of misspellings. But the president does plan to do that as soon as the spelling error is fixed. Twenty four thousand runners hit the streets this morning for the Oklahoma City Marathon. The race started after a moment of silence for the victims of the Oklahoma City bombings in 1995 and as you might expect, security was really tight after the attacks here in Boston. Many runners wore t-shirts and Red Sox to show support for the victims and some who didn't finish the race in Boston, they did cross the finish line in Oklahoma City. For some, a big event like that, like another marathon, is the way to heal after Boston, but for others, it could be terrifying. How can we stay safe at special events when thousands of people pack into arenas, parks, and cities? Nick Valencia has more for you.
[Nick Valencia, Cnn Correspondent:] Almost two weeks since the Boston bombings, a new Gallup poll reports half of the Americans believe a terrorist attack in the United States could be imminent. Forty percent worry that a family member will be the victim of an attack. With the anxiety of another attack still fresh in the minds of many Americans, exactly how security may change at major U.S. events is as relevant a question as ever, and while total security cannot be guaranteed, especially in large crowds, experts say the risk of an attack can certainly be reduced.
[Unidentified Male:] It's all about risk management.
[Valencia:] As the director of the National Center for Spectators Sports Safety and Security since 2006, Lou Marciani has trained thousands of first responders and universities to increase sports security awareness. For him, the Boston marathon bombing was a lesson learned in preparedness.
[Lou Marciani, Director, National Center For Spectator Sports Safety And Security:] We work so hard in this country, as I said, and to harden stadiums and arenas, so people look at maybe softer targets. And if you look at access to events like marathons, cycling, et cetera, it's hard to maintain a high level of security.
[Valencia:] And as tens of thousands prepare for this weekend's New Orleans Jazz Festival and next weekend's Kentucky Derby, that's exactly what officials will try to do, but even with the tightened security making the crowd feel totally safe post Boston may be the biggest challenge.
[Costello:] Nick Valencia joins us live now. Nick, tell us some more of the precautions that officials are taking at sports arenas and other venues across the nation.
[Valencia:] Well, according to Marciani, who we featured there in that report, he says he expects there to be a tighter perimeter at the start and finish of these races and marathons across the United States. He tells me, Carol, that the most difficult thing to secure are these outdoor events where there's no controlled access. For that reason, expect there to be a conversation very soon about how to better screen backpacks at these events Carol.
[Costello:] Nick Valencia reporting live today. And as you know, I'm live here in Boston at this spontaneous memorial. That just popped up in Copley Square. And take a look at all of the people, thousands and thousands of people have flooded the area this weekend. I think Boston officials are a little surprised by this. They didn't expect this to be an area of such great interest. One of the people who is visiting the memorial is my new friend. Tell me your name.
[Unidentified Female:] Kim.
[Costello:] Where are you from, Kim?
[Unidentified Female:] Waltham.
[Costello:] And why did you come down today?
[Unidentified Female:] Just to pay tribute to all of the families who lost someone or had someone injured.
[Costello:] And when you look around at people signing the wall that spontaneously sprung up or the flowers and the teddy bears and running shoes left here, what goes through your mind?
[Unidentified Female:] It's really sad, really sad.
[Costello:] Does Boston feel kind of normal to you now or will it take some more time?
[Unidentified Female:] I think it's getting back to normal. You can see from the crowds here that everybody is making an effort to come out and walk down the streets, that all of the stores have been closed and they're trying to make them come back to live again.
[Costello:] I know the mayor was urging Bostonians to come out to Boylston Street and frequent these stores that have been closed down for the past several days because of the bombings and spend some money and show a real I don't know, I guess consumer support, a good idea?
[Unidentified Female:] Very good idea, very good. You know, just to bring the money back into the stores that were closed. You know, for about a week, you know, bring the business back into Boston.
[Costello:] Thank you very much, Kim. I'll let you get back to it. I appreciate that. You know, some of the businesses that were closed, especially some of the larger restaurants lost $2.3 million because of the closures. So they appreciate any monetary support that people can give. I have walked around this area, and you would not believe the people. You're walking shoulder to shoulder. It's a beautiful sight, and it's a beautiful day in Boston. When we come back, we're going to talk about all things legal including what is in store for the suspect who is now in a medical facility in a federal prison. We'll be right back.