Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Dems Calling for Rumsfeld Ouster as Secretary Prepares to Testify In Abuse Scandal
Aired May 07, 2004 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hear are the top stories "At This Hour."
In Iraq, radical Muslim cleric Mubarak al-Sad delivered his weekly sermon not far from the fight between U.S. troops and his own militia forces. In it he stoked anti-U.S. anger and said the U.S. abuse of Iraqi prisoners was, quote, "worse than what Saddam did."
CNN has confirmed that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice will meet Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia. The meeting is tentatively scheduled within Berlin within the next week or two. And Rice would be the highest ranking official to have contact with Qureia. President Bush yesterday reached out to the Palestinians after meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah.
In Vietnam, thousands attended colorful celebrations of a 1954 victory over French forces. This is the 50th anniversary of the battle of Dien Bien Phu which effectively ended France's colonial presence in Indo-China. French President Jacques Chirac also recognized the day saying French soldiers were defending their country's honor.
Women's rights groups are blasting the government's decision to not allow over-the-counter sales of a morning after birth control pill. The FDA says its rejection was based on the concerns of young teens using the bill. Some activists say the Bush administration is putting politics ahead of science.
Even before Donald Rumsfeld appears next hour on Capitol Hill, many Democrats say the prisoner abuse scandal should cost him his job. CNN congressional correspondent Joe Johns explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even before Rumsfeld's public testimony on Capitol Hill, and a few Democrats were already calling for his head.
SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: For the benefit of the United States, for our country, I believe Mr. Rumsfeld has to resign.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: I am calling for Mr. Rumsfeld's resignation.
JOHNS: One Democrat said Congress should make him step down, if necessary. REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: If the president doesn't fire the secretary, if he doesn't resign, I think it's the responsibility of this Congress to file articles of impeachment and force him to leave office.
JOHNS: The chorus put some Republicans in the position of defending Rumsfeld before he had even spoken.
SEN. JON KYL (R), ARIZONA: Would we have the right to call for somebody's resignation before we've even heard on what they have to say, or been briefed on what they did? Is that an American way to go about doing things or is it perhaps an expression of partisanship? I suggest that, to the extent it might be the latter, people should hold their fire and just wait until the facts come in.
JOHNS: But the substance of Rumsfeld's defense had already begun. Four Republican senators met with at the Pentagon today, among them, Senator John Cornyn of Texas.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: One, that he knows that he's got to hit head on and that's why he's going to have his public testimony tomorrow, but I was reassured that the Department of Defense and the secretary had acted appropriately in light of these initial allegations back in January leading up to the criminal charges on March the 20th.
JOHNS (on camera): Though some Republicans were defending the defense secretary, both sides say tough questions when he appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday.
Joe Johns, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: The reverberations of the scandal extend far beyond Washington's Beltway. It's also impacting America's international relations. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage appeared last night on CNN's PAULA ZAHN NOW" to talk about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: In spite of the president's apology, though, how much backlash have you seen diplomatically as a result of this prison crisis?
RICHARD ARMITAGE, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: I've actually seen a fair amount, but a lot of it in Europe, because for many of our European friends, what they saw on those horrible pictures is tantamount to torture. And there are very strong views about that.
In the Arab world, there's general dismay and disgust. But in some places, we were not real popular to start with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Please stay with CNN when Donald Rumsfeld begins testimony just over an hour from now. CNN will have live coverage of his appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee. That is scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. Eastern, 8:45 a.m. Pacific.
Detained indefinitely without charges and without a lawyer. That's the status today of an attorney in Portland, Oregon. The FBI took Brandon Mayfield into custody yesterday saying he may have knowledge of the Madrid train bombings. CNN's Rusty Dornin has more details now -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, it turns out that sources tell CNN government officials had Brandon Mayfield under surveillance pretty much 24 hours a day leading up to his arrest on Thursday. FBI agents served two search warrants yesterday, one at his home and another at his office here in Beaverton, Oregon.
Now what little we know about Mayfield, he's 37-years-old, an immigration attorney that passed the Oregon bar in 2000. Apparently, he grew up in Kansas.
Now, they say that he is connected to the Madrid bombing because of fingerprints that were found on a plastic bag near the bomb site. His wife, Mona (ph), told reporters last night, it was all a huge mistake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know he is innocent. Everyone knows he's innocent. Everyone he knows knows he's innocent. And we're hoping for his release soon so that's good, good news.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: It turns out Mayfield, who did confer to Islam apparently in the '80s, defended one of the so-called Portland Seven. Now those men were convicted over the last year of conspiring to aid the Taliban and al Qaeda. He didn't defend him in that case. He apparently defended one of them in another custody battle.
But as you said, he's being held as a material witness, so he is not being charged with anything and they can hold him pretty much indefinitely, which has been coming increasingly common after September 11.
We're not going to perhaps learn many more details about Mayfield. It turns out 18 people in Spain have been charged in the bombing -- Carol.
LIN: Rusty, so really only his fingerprints were found on this plastic bag that was found on the bomb site in Madrid? Anything else that the investigators might have?
DORNIN: It's right now very sketchy details. And, of course, it makes it even worse, Carol, because of this material witness status. They're not releasing information. He doesn't have an attorney really, who's there to speak with him, to know that there's no charges. LIN: I know you're not an attorney, Rusty, but what he is the threshold to be a material witness? What prevents the police or any federal investigator from arresting you or I if we're even suspected in a crime? Not even arrested, but detained indefinitely.
DORNIN: Yes. But this is something that's happened since September 11. And, increasingly, they're able to detain people, not charge them. Pretty much they can detain them indefinitely under this material witness status.
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Rusty Dornin, reporting live from Portland. We'll be following this case very closely.
Also new in the war on terror, a audiotape reportedly by Osama bin Laden that puts bounties on the heads of top American officials and their allies. We get more details from CNN's national security correspondent now David Ensor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The voice claim to be Osama bin Laden offer gold to anyone who kills top American or U.N. officials or citizens of any nation fighting in Iraq.
OSAMA BIN LADEN, AL QAEDA LEADER (through translator): You know that America promised big rewards for those who killed Mujahadeen. We in al Qaeda will guaranteed, God willing, 10,000 grams of gold to whoever kills the occupier Bremer or the American chief military commander or his deputy in Iraq.
ENSOR: In addition to offering rewards to anyone who kills Paul Bremer, the coalition provisional authority chief or the top American generals in the region, generals Abizaid and Sanchez, bin Laden also offers the same sum for killing U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan or his special representative for Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: It's very specific, telling the United Nations and the people who lead it. I think it's bin Laden's sort of way of saying, OK, the American handover is coming soon. The United Nations is going to take over, but we're also calling for attacks on the United Nations because we don't want a stable Iraq.
ENSOR (on camera): Ten thousand grams of gold is currently worth about $137,000. By contrast, the price on bin Laden's head, the U.S. reward, is $50 million.
A CIA spokesman says the new 20-plus minute audiotape is being analyzed to see if it really is the voice of bin Laden.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Working hard to earn those degrees and leaving them behind for the children. The stay at home mom makes a comeback.
Later, double trouble at the box office. A preview of the new Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen movie with Mr. Moviefone. This is CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: And here's some stories "Across America."
In Jasper, Texas, police say vandals have desecrated the grave site of James Byrd Jr., the black man who was dragged to death by three whites. And obscenity and racial epithet were carved into the bottom of his broken tombstone. Two of Byrd's killers are on Texas' death row. The third is serving life in prison.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush is already appealing a court ruling that voids Terri's Law. The statute passed last fall to keep a severely brain damaged woman alive. Yesterday, a judge ruled it unconstitutional. Governor Bush had ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reconnected after her husband fought to have her removed from life sustaining machinery. Schiavo will remain in life support while the case is appealed.
Major League Baseball balks and says ads for the movie "Spider- Man 2" will not take the field. Angry fans condemned the unprecedented agreement that would have slap logos onto the bases. Legal officials say the movie will still be promoted at ballparks, but in a less controversial way.
Working moms know that too often they must choose between their careers and their families, with not too many options in between. CNN's Louise Schiavone reports on how a growing number of women are resolving the dilemma.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MEAGHAN BRUNE, STAY-AT-HOME MOM: Look, this is a beautiful green lollipop that mommy has.
LOUISE SCHIAVONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meaghan Brune used to direct housing and residential services at Catholic University in Washington. Her skills now are trained on her 3-year-old daughter.
BRUNE: And you have to be real quiet, like you are in church, OK.
SCHIAVONE: Brune is part of a growing trend of accomplished women leaving the workplace all together to make sure they see their youngsters grow up. Statistics show that last year roughly 57 percent of married mothers with children under age 3 worked, down 4 percent from 61 percent in 1997.
Surveys are finding that many of these professional women want to mother and work as long as they can work fewer hours, but their demanding job requirements are an obstacle. PAMELA STONE, SOCIOLOGIST, HUNTER COLLEGE: What I found was that women were not making choices that reflected their preferences. They were making choices that reflected the constraints, the all or nothing nature of the jobs that they were in.
BRUNE: That's the dilemma that I found myself in. I was the director of a program and you really couldn't have someone there part time because they wouldn't know everything that was going on and then there would be some confusion about OK who is in charge.
SCHIAVONE: The women's movement swung open career doors, but this economist and mother of five says a brain drain among working women presents a new issue.
SYLVIA ANN HEWLETT, ECONOMIST & AUTHOR: The second generation of challenge is how to utilize the women well over the life span and not allow them to somehow be sidetracked or shunted off into, you know, some cul-de-sac in their 30s and not be able to come back in and in their maturity and contribute what they want to contribute to our economy.
SCHIAVONE: The goal is balance for parents who are prepared to take some cuts and still be able to work for both pay and love.
BRUNE: Mommy loves you, doesn't she?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't find me.
BRUNE: I can't find you.
SCHIAVONE: Louise Schiavone for CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Could you eat fast food? Every meal? For a month? One man did. He turned his McDonald's marathon into an award winning movie! We're going to get the scoop on "Super Size Me" from Mr. Moviefone up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE BECKINSALE, ACTRESS: You refuse to obey our laws?
HUGH JACKMAN, ACTOR: The laws of men mean little to me.
BECKINSALE: Fine. Kill them!
JACKMAN: I'm here to help.
BECKINSALE: I don't need any help.
JACKMAN: Really?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: All right. It's a classic tale, you know? Boy finds girl, girl wants boy killed. Mayhem follows, boy saves the day. Something like that.
Set the story in gothic 19th century Transylvania, ad Frankenstein's monster, Count Dracula and his brides, the Wolfman, a guy named Igor, throw in a whole lot high-tech special effects and lots of action, and you've got "Van Helsing."
Film reviewer Russ Leatherman has the early scoop on this and some other new releases. But you know what, Russ, it is the price of looking at Hugh Jackman, which is fine for me to pay.
RUSS LEATHERMAN, MR. MOVIEFONE: You know what? Ten bucks, it's well worth it. Don't you think?
LIN: You bet. What do think?
LEATHERMAN: You describe the movie perfectly. You mentioned all of the things that included which sort of makes it a mess.
And I'll tell you why. It is "Van Helsing." It's the big summer kickoff, it's a huge budget, huge action adventure movie. He plays a vampire hunter really goes up against all of these classic monsters, Frankenstein, Wolfman, etc. Kate Beckinsale is also in the movie.
I have to say that for the first 20 minutes or so when you first get to look at the effects, it looks really great. And the commercials look great and the trailers look great. But, man, I could have gone for some more story here and less sort of mindless CGI.
LIN: Really?
LEATHERMAN: And Ear-shattering sound effects. It's really relentlessly nonstop. And the story, there really isn't a story. It really just sorts of beats you into submission.
So I wanted to love this movie, but you know, it didn't do that much for me, unfortunately.
LIN: That's too bad because expectations are so high.
LEATHERMAN: Whether I like it or not, the movie is going to make bazillion dollars. People are going to see the movie. But like me, I think they're going to be expecting a lot more from instead of just sort of getting beat up and feeling like you've pounded after walking out of the movie theater.
LIN: And this supposed to be a star turn for Hugh Jackman, too.
LEATHERMAN: He is a big star. He's already a big star. They're talking about the second movie. So like I say, it definitely will be successful. But I just wanted so much more.
LIN: All right. Well, so were you satisfied with the Olsen twins then in "New York Minute"? Did they come through?
LEATHERMAN: That sounds like a baited question and I almost refuse to answer it.
(LAUGHTER)
LEATHERMAN: They do come through for their fans. I think their fans are 13-year-old girls. And oddly in this movie maybe perverted 45-year-old man, their fathers who take them.
These two are bazillionares, they're huge success stories. And this is their first foray the big screen. They play -- guess what -- sisters. One is a rebel and the other is sort of a straightshooter. They end up in Manhattan where the comedy mayhem ensues.
After watching this movie, I'm pretty convinced of one thing. And that's that these girls may very well be aliens from outer space. And this is why I think that. They're exactly the same. You know, their heads are a little too big for their shoulders, their eyes mechanically dart back and forth. But I don't know who this movie is for. I guess it's for the 13-year-old girls.
LIN: Yes.
LEATHERMAN: But they, like Britney Spears, are stuck in that not a girl, not yet a woman syndrome. They're sort of wearing towels and running around Manhattan and stuff like that.
So I would say for 13-year-old girls, this movie is pretty good. For everybody else, not so much.
LIN: But everybody else has to take their 13-year-old girls to see the movie.
LEATHERMAN: Exactly right.
LIN: These girls know how to make money. I'm told I'm not supposed to call them the Olsen twins any more. It's Mary Kate and Ashley.
LEATHERMAN: They are so powerful, you may be without a job tomorrow!
LIN: So sophisticated!
All right, speaking of sophistication, who would think to make a movie about eating only McDonald's for a whole month?
LEATHERMAN: Morgan Spurlock did. This is my pick of the week. Go see this movie. It's about a guy who eats nothing but McDonald's, three meals a day for a month.
America is fat, our kids are getting fatter. Take them to see this movie, go see the movie and you may think about that next McHappy Meal.
LIN: Well done. Thanks so much, Russ. You have a great weekend.
LEATHERMAN: You, too. I'll see you next time.
LIN: And we're going to be talking about summer movies coming up.
LEATHERMAN: Summer movies, big.
LIN: You can find more on the movies and a special report on the "Friends" finale at cnn.com/entertainment. It's everything you ever wanted know about that show.
Meantime, angry lawmakers looking for answers and about an hour from now, they'll put some tough questions to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. We' take you live to Washington for a preview of today's grilling on the Hill.
CNN LIVE TODAY returns in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 7, 2004 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hear are the top stories "At This Hour."
In Iraq, radical Muslim cleric Mubarak al-Sad delivered his weekly sermon not far from the fight between U.S. troops and his own militia forces. In it he stoked anti-U.S. anger and said the U.S. abuse of Iraqi prisoners was, quote, "worse than what Saddam did."
CNN has confirmed that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice will meet Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia. The meeting is tentatively scheduled within Berlin within the next week or two. And Rice would be the highest ranking official to have contact with Qureia. President Bush yesterday reached out to the Palestinians after meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah.
In Vietnam, thousands attended colorful celebrations of a 1954 victory over French forces. This is the 50th anniversary of the battle of Dien Bien Phu which effectively ended France's colonial presence in Indo-China. French President Jacques Chirac also recognized the day saying French soldiers were defending their country's honor.
Women's rights groups are blasting the government's decision to not allow over-the-counter sales of a morning after birth control pill. The FDA says its rejection was based on the concerns of young teens using the bill. Some activists say the Bush administration is putting politics ahead of science.
Even before Donald Rumsfeld appears next hour on Capitol Hill, many Democrats say the prisoner abuse scandal should cost him his job. CNN congressional correspondent Joe Johns explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even before Rumsfeld's public testimony on Capitol Hill, and a few Democrats were already calling for his head.
SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: For the benefit of the United States, for our country, I believe Mr. Rumsfeld has to resign.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: I am calling for Mr. Rumsfeld's resignation.
JOHNS: One Democrat said Congress should make him step down, if necessary. REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: If the president doesn't fire the secretary, if he doesn't resign, I think it's the responsibility of this Congress to file articles of impeachment and force him to leave office.
JOHNS: The chorus put some Republicans in the position of defending Rumsfeld before he had even spoken.
SEN. JON KYL (R), ARIZONA: Would we have the right to call for somebody's resignation before we've even heard on what they have to say, or been briefed on what they did? Is that an American way to go about doing things or is it perhaps an expression of partisanship? I suggest that, to the extent it might be the latter, people should hold their fire and just wait until the facts come in.
JOHNS: But the substance of Rumsfeld's defense had already begun. Four Republican senators met with at the Pentagon today, among them, Senator John Cornyn of Texas.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: One, that he knows that he's got to hit head on and that's why he's going to have his public testimony tomorrow, but I was reassured that the Department of Defense and the secretary had acted appropriately in light of these initial allegations back in January leading up to the criminal charges on March the 20th.
JOHNS (on camera): Though some Republicans were defending the defense secretary, both sides say tough questions when he appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday.
Joe Johns, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: The reverberations of the scandal extend far beyond Washington's Beltway. It's also impacting America's international relations. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage appeared last night on CNN's PAULA ZAHN NOW" to talk about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: In spite of the president's apology, though, how much backlash have you seen diplomatically as a result of this prison crisis?
RICHARD ARMITAGE, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: I've actually seen a fair amount, but a lot of it in Europe, because for many of our European friends, what they saw on those horrible pictures is tantamount to torture. And there are very strong views about that.
In the Arab world, there's general dismay and disgust. But in some places, we were not real popular to start with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Please stay with CNN when Donald Rumsfeld begins testimony just over an hour from now. CNN will have live coverage of his appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee. That is scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. Eastern, 8:45 a.m. Pacific.
Detained indefinitely without charges and without a lawyer. That's the status today of an attorney in Portland, Oregon. The FBI took Brandon Mayfield into custody yesterday saying he may have knowledge of the Madrid train bombings. CNN's Rusty Dornin has more details now -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, it turns out that sources tell CNN government officials had Brandon Mayfield under surveillance pretty much 24 hours a day leading up to his arrest on Thursday. FBI agents served two search warrants yesterday, one at his home and another at his office here in Beaverton, Oregon.
Now what little we know about Mayfield, he's 37-years-old, an immigration attorney that passed the Oregon bar in 2000. Apparently, he grew up in Kansas.
Now, they say that he is connected to the Madrid bombing because of fingerprints that were found on a plastic bag near the bomb site. His wife, Mona (ph), told reporters last night, it was all a huge mistake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know he is innocent. Everyone knows he's innocent. Everyone he knows knows he's innocent. And we're hoping for his release soon so that's good, good news.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: It turns out Mayfield, who did confer to Islam apparently in the '80s, defended one of the so-called Portland Seven. Now those men were convicted over the last year of conspiring to aid the Taliban and al Qaeda. He didn't defend him in that case. He apparently defended one of them in another custody battle.
But as you said, he's being held as a material witness, so he is not being charged with anything and they can hold him pretty much indefinitely, which has been coming increasingly common after September 11.
We're not going to perhaps learn many more details about Mayfield. It turns out 18 people in Spain have been charged in the bombing -- Carol.
LIN: Rusty, so really only his fingerprints were found on this plastic bag that was found on the bomb site in Madrid? Anything else that the investigators might have?
DORNIN: It's right now very sketchy details. And, of course, it makes it even worse, Carol, because of this material witness status. They're not releasing information. He doesn't have an attorney really, who's there to speak with him, to know that there's no charges. LIN: I know you're not an attorney, Rusty, but what he is the threshold to be a material witness? What prevents the police or any federal investigator from arresting you or I if we're even suspected in a crime? Not even arrested, but detained indefinitely.
DORNIN: Yes. But this is something that's happened since September 11. And, increasingly, they're able to detain people, not charge them. Pretty much they can detain them indefinitely under this material witness status.
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Rusty Dornin, reporting live from Portland. We'll be following this case very closely.
Also new in the war on terror, a audiotape reportedly by Osama bin Laden that puts bounties on the heads of top American officials and their allies. We get more details from CNN's national security correspondent now David Ensor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The voice claim to be Osama bin Laden offer gold to anyone who kills top American or U.N. officials or citizens of any nation fighting in Iraq.
OSAMA BIN LADEN, AL QAEDA LEADER (through translator): You know that America promised big rewards for those who killed Mujahadeen. We in al Qaeda will guaranteed, God willing, 10,000 grams of gold to whoever kills the occupier Bremer or the American chief military commander or his deputy in Iraq.
ENSOR: In addition to offering rewards to anyone who kills Paul Bremer, the coalition provisional authority chief or the top American generals in the region, generals Abizaid and Sanchez, bin Laden also offers the same sum for killing U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan or his special representative for Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: It's very specific, telling the United Nations and the people who lead it. I think it's bin Laden's sort of way of saying, OK, the American handover is coming soon. The United Nations is going to take over, but we're also calling for attacks on the United Nations because we don't want a stable Iraq.
ENSOR (on camera): Ten thousand grams of gold is currently worth about $137,000. By contrast, the price on bin Laden's head, the U.S. reward, is $50 million.
A CIA spokesman says the new 20-plus minute audiotape is being analyzed to see if it really is the voice of bin Laden.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Working hard to earn those degrees and leaving them behind for the children. The stay at home mom makes a comeback.
Later, double trouble at the box office. A preview of the new Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen movie with Mr. Moviefone. This is CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: And here's some stories "Across America."
In Jasper, Texas, police say vandals have desecrated the grave site of James Byrd Jr., the black man who was dragged to death by three whites. And obscenity and racial epithet were carved into the bottom of his broken tombstone. Two of Byrd's killers are on Texas' death row. The third is serving life in prison.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush is already appealing a court ruling that voids Terri's Law. The statute passed last fall to keep a severely brain damaged woman alive. Yesterday, a judge ruled it unconstitutional. Governor Bush had ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reconnected after her husband fought to have her removed from life sustaining machinery. Schiavo will remain in life support while the case is appealed.
Major League Baseball balks and says ads for the movie "Spider- Man 2" will not take the field. Angry fans condemned the unprecedented agreement that would have slap logos onto the bases. Legal officials say the movie will still be promoted at ballparks, but in a less controversial way.
Working moms know that too often they must choose between their careers and their families, with not too many options in between. CNN's Louise Schiavone reports on how a growing number of women are resolving the dilemma.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MEAGHAN BRUNE, STAY-AT-HOME MOM: Look, this is a beautiful green lollipop that mommy has.
LOUISE SCHIAVONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meaghan Brune used to direct housing and residential services at Catholic University in Washington. Her skills now are trained on her 3-year-old daughter.
BRUNE: And you have to be real quiet, like you are in church, OK.
SCHIAVONE: Brune is part of a growing trend of accomplished women leaving the workplace all together to make sure they see their youngsters grow up. Statistics show that last year roughly 57 percent of married mothers with children under age 3 worked, down 4 percent from 61 percent in 1997.
Surveys are finding that many of these professional women want to mother and work as long as they can work fewer hours, but their demanding job requirements are an obstacle. PAMELA STONE, SOCIOLOGIST, HUNTER COLLEGE: What I found was that women were not making choices that reflected their preferences. They were making choices that reflected the constraints, the all or nothing nature of the jobs that they were in.
BRUNE: That's the dilemma that I found myself in. I was the director of a program and you really couldn't have someone there part time because they wouldn't know everything that was going on and then there would be some confusion about OK who is in charge.
SCHIAVONE: The women's movement swung open career doors, but this economist and mother of five says a brain drain among working women presents a new issue.
SYLVIA ANN HEWLETT, ECONOMIST & AUTHOR: The second generation of challenge is how to utilize the women well over the life span and not allow them to somehow be sidetracked or shunted off into, you know, some cul-de-sac in their 30s and not be able to come back in and in their maturity and contribute what they want to contribute to our economy.
SCHIAVONE: The goal is balance for parents who are prepared to take some cuts and still be able to work for both pay and love.
BRUNE: Mommy loves you, doesn't she?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't find me.
BRUNE: I can't find you.
SCHIAVONE: Louise Schiavone for CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Could you eat fast food? Every meal? For a month? One man did. He turned his McDonald's marathon into an award winning movie! We're going to get the scoop on "Super Size Me" from Mr. Moviefone up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE BECKINSALE, ACTRESS: You refuse to obey our laws?
HUGH JACKMAN, ACTOR: The laws of men mean little to me.
BECKINSALE: Fine. Kill them!
JACKMAN: I'm here to help.
BECKINSALE: I don't need any help.
JACKMAN: Really?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: All right. It's a classic tale, you know? Boy finds girl, girl wants boy killed. Mayhem follows, boy saves the day. Something like that.
Set the story in gothic 19th century Transylvania, ad Frankenstein's monster, Count Dracula and his brides, the Wolfman, a guy named Igor, throw in a whole lot high-tech special effects and lots of action, and you've got "Van Helsing."
Film reviewer Russ Leatherman has the early scoop on this and some other new releases. But you know what, Russ, it is the price of looking at Hugh Jackman, which is fine for me to pay.
RUSS LEATHERMAN, MR. MOVIEFONE: You know what? Ten bucks, it's well worth it. Don't you think?
LIN: You bet. What do think?
LEATHERMAN: You describe the movie perfectly. You mentioned all of the things that included which sort of makes it a mess.
And I'll tell you why. It is "Van Helsing." It's the big summer kickoff, it's a huge budget, huge action adventure movie. He plays a vampire hunter really goes up against all of these classic monsters, Frankenstein, Wolfman, etc. Kate Beckinsale is also in the movie.
I have to say that for the first 20 minutes or so when you first get to look at the effects, it looks really great. And the commercials look great and the trailers look great. But, man, I could have gone for some more story here and less sort of mindless CGI.
LIN: Really?
LEATHERMAN: And Ear-shattering sound effects. It's really relentlessly nonstop. And the story, there really isn't a story. It really just sorts of beats you into submission.
So I wanted to love this movie, but you know, it didn't do that much for me, unfortunately.
LIN: That's too bad because expectations are so high.
LEATHERMAN: Whether I like it or not, the movie is going to make bazillion dollars. People are going to see the movie. But like me, I think they're going to be expecting a lot more from instead of just sort of getting beat up and feeling like you've pounded after walking out of the movie theater.
LIN: And this supposed to be a star turn for Hugh Jackman, too.
LEATHERMAN: He is a big star. He's already a big star. They're talking about the second movie. So like I say, it definitely will be successful. But I just wanted so much more.
LIN: All right. Well, so were you satisfied with the Olsen twins then in "New York Minute"? Did they come through?
LEATHERMAN: That sounds like a baited question and I almost refuse to answer it.
(LAUGHTER)
LEATHERMAN: They do come through for their fans. I think their fans are 13-year-old girls. And oddly in this movie maybe perverted 45-year-old man, their fathers who take them.
These two are bazillionares, they're huge success stories. And this is their first foray the big screen. They play -- guess what -- sisters. One is a rebel and the other is sort of a straightshooter. They end up in Manhattan where the comedy mayhem ensues.
After watching this movie, I'm pretty convinced of one thing. And that's that these girls may very well be aliens from outer space. And this is why I think that. They're exactly the same. You know, their heads are a little too big for their shoulders, their eyes mechanically dart back and forth. But I don't know who this movie is for. I guess it's for the 13-year-old girls.
LIN: Yes.
LEATHERMAN: But they, like Britney Spears, are stuck in that not a girl, not yet a woman syndrome. They're sort of wearing towels and running around Manhattan and stuff like that.
So I would say for 13-year-old girls, this movie is pretty good. For everybody else, not so much.
LIN: But everybody else has to take their 13-year-old girls to see the movie.
LEATHERMAN: Exactly right.
LIN: These girls know how to make money. I'm told I'm not supposed to call them the Olsen twins any more. It's Mary Kate and Ashley.
LEATHERMAN: They are so powerful, you may be without a job tomorrow!
LIN: So sophisticated!
All right, speaking of sophistication, who would think to make a movie about eating only McDonald's for a whole month?
LEATHERMAN: Morgan Spurlock did. This is my pick of the week. Go see this movie. It's about a guy who eats nothing but McDonald's, three meals a day for a month.
America is fat, our kids are getting fatter. Take them to see this movie, go see the movie and you may think about that next McHappy Meal.
LIN: Well done. Thanks so much, Russ. You have a great weekend.
LEATHERMAN: You, too. I'll see you next time.
LIN: And we're going to be talking about summer movies coming up.
LEATHERMAN: Summer movies, big.
LIN: You can find more on the movies and a special report on the "Friends" finale at cnn.com/entertainment. It's everything you ever wanted know about that show.
Meantime, angry lawmakers looking for answers and about an hour from now, they'll put some tough questions to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. We' take you live to Washington for a preview of today's grilling on the Hill.
CNN LIVE TODAY returns in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
