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CNN Live Today

Gunman Kills Ex-Wife, Stranger in Front of Courthouse; Task Force Hunts Down Fugitives; Interactive Circus Promotes Universal Brotherhood; Countdown to the Oscars

Aired February 25, 2005 - 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.


DARYN KAGAN, CO-HOST: We are right at the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CO-HOST: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And here's what's happening right now in the news.

People in the northeast are going to be cleaning up today from a storm that dropped several inches of snow. The storm caused schools and government offices to close early Wednesday. Travel on roadways and in the air was also very much affected. Dropping temperatures overnight raised concerns about icing conditions, as well. We'll be checking on that for you.

Also, a Vatican spokesperson is saying that Pope John Paul II is breathing on his own and eating well. These are live pictures you're looking at now from the Vatican. The pope there underwent a tracheotomy last night. Officials say that the surgery was elective, not emergency.

The pope will not be able to speak for awhile in order to rest his larynx. The Vatican is reporting that the pope is not suffering from pneumonia.

Also, a court ordered stay blocking Terri Schiavo's husband from having her feeding tube removed expires today once again. Meanwhile, the brain-damaged woman's parents say that a Florida agency is seeking a 60-day stay on the tube's removal. Parents say investigators want to look at new allegations of abuse and neglect.

It was 15 years ago today that Schiavo suffered brain damage when a chemical imbalance caused her to collapse. She's been on life support ever since.

And a singer who lent his voice to one of Motown's greatest groups has passed away. Edward Patten, a member of Gladys Knight and the Pips, died this morning. He was 66. Gladys Knight and the Pips were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Their hits included "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight Train to Georgia."

KAGAN: A chilling story now out of Tyler, Texas. A man angry over a child support dispute went on a shooting rampage outside of a courthouse.

David Arroyo Sr. killed his ex-wife and a bystander who tried to stop him. He also wounded his own son and four others. The ringing shots terrorized people inside the courtroom, where the drama was recorded on tape. Watch and listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going on. It's still going on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just started going off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Gillian Sheridan is a news anchor at KLTD in Tyler, Texas. She was a witness to the shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GILLIAN SHERIDAN, ANCHOR, KLTD: He walked over to the courthouse and was shooting. And then walked back in the middle of Spring Street, which is the street that runs right back here in back of the courthouse. And the salon is also right on Spring Street.

He didn't appear to be saying anything, just walking back and forth. That innocent person who was killed that I mentioned did have a weapon and actually fired at David Arroyo, hitting him multiple times in the chest. But Arroyo was wearing a bulletproof vest as well as a flack jacket. And it didn't phase him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Chilling video to watch. Police finally gunned down Arroyo and killed him.

SANCHEZ: Let's take a look now at some of the other stories that are making news on this day from coast to coast.

KAGAN: A Los Angeles city worker is under arrest in the shooting death of two fellow employees. Police say the man shot his boss and another worker with an assault rifle, and then turned himself in. The men worked for the bureau of street services. And authorities say they'd been working long hours since storms began pounding Southern California.

SANCHEZ: Also, the family of a missing 9-year-old girl in Homosassa, Florida, is making an impassioned plea for help. Jessica Marie Lunsford was last seen wearing a pink nightgown when her grandparents put her to bed Wednesday night after church.

The girl lives in this house with her father and her grandparents. The sheriff's department says the girl just has disappeared as far as they can tell at this point, without a trace.

Now, Jessica's father, Mark Lunsford, discovered her missing Thursday night. About an hour ago he cried and begged for help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, FATHER OF MISSING GIRL: I really need as much help as I can get right now. I just -- I want my daughter home. If there's anything that anybody knows, there's a lot of numbers that you can call. And I just ask you to please help me find my daughter and bring her home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Police were saying right now they've ruled out Mark Lunsford as a suspect in his daughter's disappearance.

KAGAN: To Alabama now. Sixty years after World War II, groundbreaking ceremonies came for a museum for the Tuskegee Airmen. One of them, airman Harry Ford, was the special guest. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American fighter pilots in U.S. military. The new museum will serve as a permanent memorial. It could take two years to complete.

SANCHEZ: They work in the dead of night to try to catch violent offenders at their most vulnerable. Fugitive hunters have the numbers and the weaponry of their story. And they never know what's on the other side of that door that they're about to bust into.

Our Kelli Arena went along as our top fugitive task force went after some real bad guys and women. Here's a report now from CNN's America Bureau.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two or three addresses on this guy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two.

SHANNON METZGER, U.S. MARSHAL: Let's get everybody around, if we're going to do that.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's 4 a.m. on a biting cold Chicago morning, a good time to catch bad guys off guard. These fugitive hunters are among the best in the business. And CNN got a rare front row view.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first place we're going, guys, we're going to hit two houses at once.

ARENA: These men and women arrest as many as 500 violent offenders a month: drug dealers, bank robbers and worse. This morning they're after a prisoner who escaped from a work release program.

For now, this neighborhood is quiet. Chances for a fight drop off dramatically if the bad guys are woken out of a sound sleep. Still, going into someone's home without knowing what's inside is dangerous work.

U.S. Marshal John Ambrose brings along a little extra help.

JOHN AMBROSE, U.S. MARSHAL: We've got tools. Tools coming up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open the door now! Or we're breaking it down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, man. Or it's coming down. Right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the ground, man. You get on the ground like I told you.

ARENA: The tip that led them here is only hours old, but it's stale. They miss their man.

ED FARRELL, U.S. MARSHAL: Nobody knows nothing. I'm shocked.

ARENA: That's Ed Farrell. He's fast tracked to marshal for only eight years and already one of just 18 inspectors nationwide. Part of his job is to get dirt from people on the scene and to work informants.

FARRELL: This job, we're in the information business. It comes down to people skills. If you're going to be successful at this job, you've got to have people skills.

AMBROSE: They got him.

ARENA: His buddy John Ambrose says you either have what it takes or you don't. It's in his blood. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Ambrose come from a long line of police officers.

AMBROSE: Who's got the back?

ARENA: His dad was an award winning cop. That is, until he and nine others were convicted of taking money from drug dealers to look the other way. He died of a heart attack a year into his sentence.

Ambrose and a lot of others say his dad was wrongly accused. Still, Ambrose serves the government with a vengeance, the same government that imprisoned his father.

AMBROSE: Sometimes when I get frustrated, take an extra second or two to think about something or look at a case, you know, as corny as it may sound, I feel like he may -- you know, he's nudging me in a direction or opens my eyes to something.

ARENA: The team is juiced about another target, an alleged child rapist. As they get close to the scene, they're briefed by another marshal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's been molesting his stepdaughter since she's about 4 or 5 and raping her since she was about 8. The reason they found out was because she just got pregnant.

ARENA: The fugitive is staying with family, including his little niece.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police. Come to the door.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open up the door. Open the door right now. That's it. Open the door right now. Get on the ground. Get on the ground.

ARENA: It's the kind of case that gets under everyone's skin.

METZGER: It really is mind boggling that people would keep a child in a house and they know what he's wanted for. It's a shame.

ARENA: Shannon Metzger is the only female marshal permanently assigned to a regional fugitive task force in the country and the mother of a 3-year-old girl. She's a former West Pointer and track star who should never be underestimated.

METZGER: You know, when I'm covering the back of a house and the guy jumps out, chances are he isn't going to take pity on me because I'm a female. He's going to make even take me on harder because he thinks he can. And when he does, he's in for a rude awakening.

ARENA: This team does nothing but hunt fugitives, 24/7. They're available to help the 10 state and local industries who contribute members of the force.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last year a man who did that had his nose bit off.

ARENA: The work is rewarding and draining.

SARA DEWALT, ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS: Well, I got you for doing nothing. What you coming home late for? What's so important that you couldn't get home on time?

ARENA: Sara Dewalt is a corrections officer assigned to the task force. With 34 years under her belt, she says she's tough but fair. Some time ago she helped this woman with a parole violation so she wouldn't go back to jail, so she could stay home and raise her kids.

DEWALT: I believed her before, went to bat for her on paper. Now today I'm right back in the same (expletive deleted) shape with the same (expletive deleted). She made a fool out of me. That's a no-no. Nobody plays me. Not when I put my neck out because of your babies.

ARENA: There's no time for emotion. The hunt never ends. They want to pay a call on an alleged drug dealer accused of selling crack to undercover officers.

AMBROSE: Police, open the door. You don't open the door, it's coming down. This is your last chance to take the door.

ARENA: This time they get their man and several thousand dollars in cash.

AMBROSE: That's dope money right there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not guilty.

ARENA: A lot of work goes into a night like this, but these guys make it look easy. Task force leader Geoff Shank says that's the way it should be.

GEOFF SHANK, U.S. MARSHAL: Our closure rate is 92 percent. So the odds are if we're going to look for you, you're going to jail. You might as well just give yourself up.

ARENA: By the time most other citizens are on their way to work, the Great Lakes regional task force is just about wrapping up for the day.

Kelli Arena, CNN America Bureau, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: We're getting a breaking story that's coming to us now. It's coming out of the Congo. We're being told that U.N. peacekeepers have been killed. At last count there were at least nine U.N. peacekeepers. According to the stories that we have been getting.

The troops have been on patrol when it appears that they were ambushed.

The United Nations has a force of about 4,800 strong there. It's in an area called Ituri. It's one of the Congo's worst trouble spots for quite some time, where ethnic militias have now killed as many as 50,000 civilians since 1999.

Again, nine U.N. peacekeepers have been killed in the Congo. A story that we'll continue to follow for you.

Daryn, back over to you.

KAGAN: We're going to do a lot more hard news, but we're also going to lighten things up a little bit with a new kind of circus designed to get you out of your seat. Coming up next, elephants, clowns, music and dancing, all under the big top. We'll explain, coming up.

Plus two days until Hollywood's gold rush. Stay with us. We're taking you live to the red carpet when CNN LIVE TODAY rolls on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Usually Fridays from a business standpoint, people, like, just kind of take the day off, right?

KAGAN: It would be nice if we could, huh? We're in the wrong business.

SANCHEZ: Kathleen Hays, am I correct? On Wall Street half the time the investors say, you know, I don't care? (STOCK REPORT)

SANCHEZ: And even if we tried to shelter it, we'd be caught the next day, right? The bigger they are, the easier it is sometimes. Thank you, Kathleen.

Well, you don't want to miss this circus when it comes to your town. There's also a different type of circus that has more than just lions and tigers and bears, oh my. Universal Circus offers traditional acts, an encouraging message and a lot of diversity. This is special, folks.

Our CNN photographer, Andre Jones, captured some of the highlights of this show that is now touring the nation. Here it is for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We searched the world for 12 whole years to find talent that will dazzle you, thrill you and fascinate you.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You participate. You get involved in the Universal Circus.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go on, big daddy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got a lot of different acts. We've got a lot of different cultures.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Who's that girl? La-la-la-la-la.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is that girl from Russia?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got Russians. We've got Africans. We've got Chinese.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's their first time ever in the USA.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very versatile.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, that stings.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybelle (ph) is just off the chain. She brings laughter. She gives peace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clowning is the stuff of healing. It not only heals the clown but it heals those that the clown touches.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he works on us peace. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a message where it's not about what you look like, what color you are, what you have on. It's about love. It's about us loving one another.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Regardless as to what you might be going through, remember, as long as you're able to look up, you're able to get up. God bless you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: How does that sound.

SANCHEZ: It does look good, doesn't it?

KAGAN: Yes.

Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, we're going to take you to the -- live to the red carpet. If you want to see a circus, try going to the Oscars.

SANCHEZ: There's part of the act. Look at that.

KAGAN: You can't go laughing at Diane Keaton.

SANCHEZ: I wasn't making fun of her. I was making fun with her.

KAGAN: We will look ahead at Sunday's Oscars, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are counting down to Hollywood's gold rush. Just two days remain until the Oscars are handed out at the 77th annual Academy Awards. Who will walk away as the winners? The guy who knows all this stuff, Tom O'Neill, author of "Movie Awards" and senior editor at "In Touch Weekly," also runs GoldDerby.com.

So busy, amazing you had time to join from us the red carpet. Good morning.

TOM O'NEILL, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Good morning, Daryn, thanks.

KAGAN: Let's get right to who you think will win, not should win, because that's a different discussion. First, Best Movie. It looked like it was going to be all about "Aviator," but probably not.

O'NEILL: Probably not. Yes, just a few weeks ago when "Aviator" swept the Golden Globes, it looked like that would be the race here this weekend. But what we're seeing is a replay of 1982, when we had this little heartfelt movie about underdog athletes. Back then it was "Chariots of Fire" that overtook the big epic movie "Reds." And we're seeing that same metaphor this time with "Million Dollar Baby."

KAGAN: Let's talk about Best Actress. This looks like another showdown between Hilary Swank and Annette Bening. Although that's a crime, because for the record, Annette Bening turns in a fantastic performance. And no one is talking about it.

O'NEILL: Thank you. You and I are the only ones who feel this way? Also, I think we're not allowed to put Hilary Swank in the same Oscar pantheon of double winners as Bette Davis and Ingrid Bergman. Come on. She's a former guest star of "Beverly Hills 90210."

KAGAN: But she probably will win on Sunday?

O'NEIL: She probably will. At GoldDerby.com we actually issue racetrack odds. And we give Hilary 6-5 odds to win.

KAGAN: Best Actor, is there anybody who can beat Jamie Foxx for "Ray"?

O'NEILL: Jamie's pretty much of a lock for best actor. But he should be worried about Clint Eastwood. Because forget that plot twist about "Million Dollar Baby" people talk about. The big surprise of that movie is Clint can act. Who knew?

KAGAN: Go figure.

Let's go to the show itself. New host this year in Chris Rock and a five-second delay just in case.

O'NEILL: And they're going to need it with Chris, I think. He's a wild man. We know that. And that's what is going to make Sunday's show so interesting. He has the potential for being the single worst host in the history of the Oscars. I think he's going to be good...

KAGAN: You think so?

O'NEILL: Yes. Think about -- go ahead, Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, no, I was going to say. I think it's going to be fun to watch, kind of like, you know, a car wreck not in that it's going to be bad. I happen to be a big Chris Rock fan. I just think he might be funny and out there, and pushing the envelope, that envelope a little bit.

O'NEILL: And pushing is exactly what you don't do when you host the Oscars. That's what Chevy Chase and David Letterman did, and they're both trying to live down their night at the Oscars for the rest of their careers.

Chris has an ego the size of the Rock of Gibraltar. He's got to rein that in. He's pretty much in the same comic style as Whoopi Goldberg, who knew enough to step back and play ringmaster. That's what you got to do. And she was so good, she got invited back three times.

I think Chris is going to be OK, but he's got to -- got to watch himself.

KAGAN: So he doesn't have his Uma/Oprah moment...

O'NEILL: Yes. KAGAN: ... like David Letterman.

Now, on the red carpet, this is where a lot of the news is made, what the stars are wearing, both in terms of gowns and jewelry. And you say there is a new trend that's developing?

O'NEILL: New shocking trend that emerged just last month at the Golden Globes, when, in the 11th hour, Hilary Swank and Charlize Theron ditched their diamonds from Harry Winston and accepted more than $100,000 to wear diamonds from Chopard, a rival.

Now what this does is set a new precedent at these awards shows, which is we know that they're normally loaned the diamonds or they're given these gowns. But they've never before been paid, and certainly not six figures, to wear these things.

KAGAN: The bar raises even higher in Hollywood.

O'NEILL: Yes.

KAGAN: Tom O'Neill, thank you. You have a great Oscars. And we will talk to you on Monday morning.

O'NEILL: I sure will. And by the way, no one's paying me money to wear this.

KAGAN: OK.

O'NEILL: OK?

KAGAN: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: You can tell. Just kidding. Just kidding. Just kidding.

KAGAN: Thank you, Tom.

OK. We invite you to tune in this Sunday night at 7 Eastern for "HOLLYWOOD'S GOLD RUSH." The live show airs before the Oscars. And it will be hosted by Sibila Vargas and Karyn Bryant.

SANCHEZ: We made our picks, too. And I think you can get them online, right?

KAGAN: Yes. You can see who we picked.

SANCHEZ: Yes. CNN...

KAGAN: CNN.com.

SANCHEZ: Slash something.

KAGAN: You'll just go and follow all the Oscar tags.

A lot coming up in the next hour, including a missing girl in Florida. You're going to hear one family's desperate plea for their little girl that disappeared last night. Details on the case just ahead.

SANCHEZ: Then like a story from the Wild West, a shoot-out outside a courthouse in Tyler, Texas.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired February 25, 2005 - 10:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CO-HOST: We are right at the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CO-HOST: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And here's what's happening right now in the news.

People in the northeast are going to be cleaning up today from a storm that dropped several inches of snow. The storm caused schools and government offices to close early Wednesday. Travel on roadways and in the air was also very much affected. Dropping temperatures overnight raised concerns about icing conditions, as well. We'll be checking on that for you.

Also, a Vatican spokesperson is saying that Pope John Paul II is breathing on his own and eating well. These are live pictures you're looking at now from the Vatican. The pope there underwent a tracheotomy last night. Officials say that the surgery was elective, not emergency.

The pope will not be able to speak for awhile in order to rest his larynx. The Vatican is reporting that the pope is not suffering from pneumonia.

Also, a court ordered stay blocking Terri Schiavo's husband from having her feeding tube removed expires today once again. Meanwhile, the brain-damaged woman's parents say that a Florida agency is seeking a 60-day stay on the tube's removal. Parents say investigators want to look at new allegations of abuse and neglect.

It was 15 years ago today that Schiavo suffered brain damage when a chemical imbalance caused her to collapse. She's been on life support ever since.

And a singer who lent his voice to one of Motown's greatest groups has passed away. Edward Patten, a member of Gladys Knight and the Pips, died this morning. He was 66. Gladys Knight and the Pips were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Their hits included "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight Train to Georgia."

KAGAN: A chilling story now out of Tyler, Texas. A man angry over a child support dispute went on a shooting rampage outside of a courthouse.

David Arroyo Sr. killed his ex-wife and a bystander who tried to stop him. He also wounded his own son and four others. The ringing shots terrorized people inside the courtroom, where the drama was recorded on tape. Watch and listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going on. It's still going on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just started going off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Gillian Sheridan is a news anchor at KLTD in Tyler, Texas. She was a witness to the shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GILLIAN SHERIDAN, ANCHOR, KLTD: He walked over to the courthouse and was shooting. And then walked back in the middle of Spring Street, which is the street that runs right back here in back of the courthouse. And the salon is also right on Spring Street.

He didn't appear to be saying anything, just walking back and forth. That innocent person who was killed that I mentioned did have a weapon and actually fired at David Arroyo, hitting him multiple times in the chest. But Arroyo was wearing a bulletproof vest as well as a flack jacket. And it didn't phase him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Chilling video to watch. Police finally gunned down Arroyo and killed him.

SANCHEZ: Let's take a look now at some of the other stories that are making news on this day from coast to coast.

KAGAN: A Los Angeles city worker is under arrest in the shooting death of two fellow employees. Police say the man shot his boss and another worker with an assault rifle, and then turned himself in. The men worked for the bureau of street services. And authorities say they'd been working long hours since storms began pounding Southern California.

SANCHEZ: Also, the family of a missing 9-year-old girl in Homosassa, Florida, is making an impassioned plea for help. Jessica Marie Lunsford was last seen wearing a pink nightgown when her grandparents put her to bed Wednesday night after church.

The girl lives in this house with her father and her grandparents. The sheriff's department says the girl just has disappeared as far as they can tell at this point, without a trace.

Now, Jessica's father, Mark Lunsford, discovered her missing Thursday night. About an hour ago he cried and begged for help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, FATHER OF MISSING GIRL: I really need as much help as I can get right now. I just -- I want my daughter home. If there's anything that anybody knows, there's a lot of numbers that you can call. And I just ask you to please help me find my daughter and bring her home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Police were saying right now they've ruled out Mark Lunsford as a suspect in his daughter's disappearance.

KAGAN: To Alabama now. Sixty years after World War II, groundbreaking ceremonies came for a museum for the Tuskegee Airmen. One of them, airman Harry Ford, was the special guest. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American fighter pilots in U.S. military. The new museum will serve as a permanent memorial. It could take two years to complete.

SANCHEZ: They work in the dead of night to try to catch violent offenders at their most vulnerable. Fugitive hunters have the numbers and the weaponry of their story. And they never know what's on the other side of that door that they're about to bust into.

Our Kelli Arena went along as our top fugitive task force went after some real bad guys and women. Here's a report now from CNN's America Bureau.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two or three addresses on this guy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two.

SHANNON METZGER, U.S. MARSHAL: Let's get everybody around, if we're going to do that.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's 4 a.m. on a biting cold Chicago morning, a good time to catch bad guys off guard. These fugitive hunters are among the best in the business. And CNN got a rare front row view.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first place we're going, guys, we're going to hit two houses at once.

ARENA: These men and women arrest as many as 500 violent offenders a month: drug dealers, bank robbers and worse. This morning they're after a prisoner who escaped from a work release program.

For now, this neighborhood is quiet. Chances for a fight drop off dramatically if the bad guys are woken out of a sound sleep. Still, going into someone's home without knowing what's inside is dangerous work.

U.S. Marshal John Ambrose brings along a little extra help.

JOHN AMBROSE, U.S. MARSHAL: We've got tools. Tools coming up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open the door now! Or we're breaking it down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, man. Or it's coming down. Right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the ground, man. You get on the ground like I told you.

ARENA: The tip that led them here is only hours old, but it's stale. They miss their man.

ED FARRELL, U.S. MARSHAL: Nobody knows nothing. I'm shocked.

ARENA: That's Ed Farrell. He's fast tracked to marshal for only eight years and already one of just 18 inspectors nationwide. Part of his job is to get dirt from people on the scene and to work informants.

FARRELL: This job, we're in the information business. It comes down to people skills. If you're going to be successful at this job, you've got to have people skills.

AMBROSE: They got him.

ARENA: His buddy John Ambrose says you either have what it takes or you don't. It's in his blood. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Ambrose come from a long line of police officers.

AMBROSE: Who's got the back?

ARENA: His dad was an award winning cop. That is, until he and nine others were convicted of taking money from drug dealers to look the other way. He died of a heart attack a year into his sentence.

Ambrose and a lot of others say his dad was wrongly accused. Still, Ambrose serves the government with a vengeance, the same government that imprisoned his father.

AMBROSE: Sometimes when I get frustrated, take an extra second or two to think about something or look at a case, you know, as corny as it may sound, I feel like he may -- you know, he's nudging me in a direction or opens my eyes to something.

ARENA: The team is juiced about another target, an alleged child rapist. As they get close to the scene, they're briefed by another marshal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's been molesting his stepdaughter since she's about 4 or 5 and raping her since she was about 8. The reason they found out was because she just got pregnant.

ARENA: The fugitive is staying with family, including his little niece.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police. Come to the door.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open up the door. Open the door right now. That's it. Open the door right now. Get on the ground. Get on the ground.

ARENA: It's the kind of case that gets under everyone's skin.

METZGER: It really is mind boggling that people would keep a child in a house and they know what he's wanted for. It's a shame.

ARENA: Shannon Metzger is the only female marshal permanently assigned to a regional fugitive task force in the country and the mother of a 3-year-old girl. She's a former West Pointer and track star who should never be underestimated.

METZGER: You know, when I'm covering the back of a house and the guy jumps out, chances are he isn't going to take pity on me because I'm a female. He's going to make even take me on harder because he thinks he can. And when he does, he's in for a rude awakening.

ARENA: This team does nothing but hunt fugitives, 24/7. They're available to help the 10 state and local industries who contribute members of the force.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last year a man who did that had his nose bit off.

ARENA: The work is rewarding and draining.

SARA DEWALT, ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS: Well, I got you for doing nothing. What you coming home late for? What's so important that you couldn't get home on time?

ARENA: Sara Dewalt is a corrections officer assigned to the task force. With 34 years under her belt, she says she's tough but fair. Some time ago she helped this woman with a parole violation so she wouldn't go back to jail, so she could stay home and raise her kids.

DEWALT: I believed her before, went to bat for her on paper. Now today I'm right back in the same (expletive deleted) shape with the same (expletive deleted). She made a fool out of me. That's a no-no. Nobody plays me. Not when I put my neck out because of your babies.

ARENA: There's no time for emotion. The hunt never ends. They want to pay a call on an alleged drug dealer accused of selling crack to undercover officers.

AMBROSE: Police, open the door. You don't open the door, it's coming down. This is your last chance to take the door.

ARENA: This time they get their man and several thousand dollars in cash.

AMBROSE: That's dope money right there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not guilty.

ARENA: A lot of work goes into a night like this, but these guys make it look easy. Task force leader Geoff Shank says that's the way it should be.

GEOFF SHANK, U.S. MARSHAL: Our closure rate is 92 percent. So the odds are if we're going to look for you, you're going to jail. You might as well just give yourself up.

ARENA: By the time most other citizens are on their way to work, the Great Lakes regional task force is just about wrapping up for the day.

Kelli Arena, CNN America Bureau, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: We're getting a breaking story that's coming to us now. It's coming out of the Congo. We're being told that U.N. peacekeepers have been killed. At last count there were at least nine U.N. peacekeepers. According to the stories that we have been getting.

The troops have been on patrol when it appears that they were ambushed.

The United Nations has a force of about 4,800 strong there. It's in an area called Ituri. It's one of the Congo's worst trouble spots for quite some time, where ethnic militias have now killed as many as 50,000 civilians since 1999.

Again, nine U.N. peacekeepers have been killed in the Congo. A story that we'll continue to follow for you.

Daryn, back over to you.

KAGAN: We're going to do a lot more hard news, but we're also going to lighten things up a little bit with a new kind of circus designed to get you out of your seat. Coming up next, elephants, clowns, music and dancing, all under the big top. We'll explain, coming up.

Plus two days until Hollywood's gold rush. Stay with us. We're taking you live to the red carpet when CNN LIVE TODAY rolls on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Usually Fridays from a business standpoint, people, like, just kind of take the day off, right?

KAGAN: It would be nice if we could, huh? We're in the wrong business.

SANCHEZ: Kathleen Hays, am I correct? On Wall Street half the time the investors say, you know, I don't care? (STOCK REPORT)

SANCHEZ: And even if we tried to shelter it, we'd be caught the next day, right? The bigger they are, the easier it is sometimes. Thank you, Kathleen.

Well, you don't want to miss this circus when it comes to your town. There's also a different type of circus that has more than just lions and tigers and bears, oh my. Universal Circus offers traditional acts, an encouraging message and a lot of diversity. This is special, folks.

Our CNN photographer, Andre Jones, captured some of the highlights of this show that is now touring the nation. Here it is for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We searched the world for 12 whole years to find talent that will dazzle you, thrill you and fascinate you.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You participate. You get involved in the Universal Circus.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go on, big daddy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got a lot of different acts. We've got a lot of different cultures.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Who's that girl? La-la-la-la-la.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is that girl from Russia?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got Russians. We've got Africans. We've got Chinese.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's their first time ever in the USA.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very versatile.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, that stings.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybelle (ph) is just off the chain. She brings laughter. She gives peace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clowning is the stuff of healing. It not only heals the clown but it heals those that the clown touches.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he works on us peace. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a message where it's not about what you look like, what color you are, what you have on. It's about love. It's about us loving one another.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Regardless as to what you might be going through, remember, as long as you're able to look up, you're able to get up. God bless you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: How does that sound.

SANCHEZ: It does look good, doesn't it?

KAGAN: Yes.

Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, we're going to take you to the -- live to the red carpet. If you want to see a circus, try going to the Oscars.

SANCHEZ: There's part of the act. Look at that.

KAGAN: You can't go laughing at Diane Keaton.

SANCHEZ: I wasn't making fun of her. I was making fun with her.

KAGAN: We will look ahead at Sunday's Oscars, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are counting down to Hollywood's gold rush. Just two days remain until the Oscars are handed out at the 77th annual Academy Awards. Who will walk away as the winners? The guy who knows all this stuff, Tom O'Neill, author of "Movie Awards" and senior editor at "In Touch Weekly," also runs GoldDerby.com.

So busy, amazing you had time to join from us the red carpet. Good morning.

TOM O'NEILL, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Good morning, Daryn, thanks.

KAGAN: Let's get right to who you think will win, not should win, because that's a different discussion. First, Best Movie. It looked like it was going to be all about "Aviator," but probably not.

O'NEILL: Probably not. Yes, just a few weeks ago when "Aviator" swept the Golden Globes, it looked like that would be the race here this weekend. But what we're seeing is a replay of 1982, when we had this little heartfelt movie about underdog athletes. Back then it was "Chariots of Fire" that overtook the big epic movie "Reds." And we're seeing that same metaphor this time with "Million Dollar Baby."

KAGAN: Let's talk about Best Actress. This looks like another showdown between Hilary Swank and Annette Bening. Although that's a crime, because for the record, Annette Bening turns in a fantastic performance. And no one is talking about it.

O'NEILL: Thank you. You and I are the only ones who feel this way? Also, I think we're not allowed to put Hilary Swank in the same Oscar pantheon of double winners as Bette Davis and Ingrid Bergman. Come on. She's a former guest star of "Beverly Hills 90210."

KAGAN: But she probably will win on Sunday?

O'NEIL: She probably will. At GoldDerby.com we actually issue racetrack odds. And we give Hilary 6-5 odds to win.

KAGAN: Best Actor, is there anybody who can beat Jamie Foxx for "Ray"?

O'NEILL: Jamie's pretty much of a lock for best actor. But he should be worried about Clint Eastwood. Because forget that plot twist about "Million Dollar Baby" people talk about. The big surprise of that movie is Clint can act. Who knew?

KAGAN: Go figure.

Let's go to the show itself. New host this year in Chris Rock and a five-second delay just in case.

O'NEILL: And they're going to need it with Chris, I think. He's a wild man. We know that. And that's what is going to make Sunday's show so interesting. He has the potential for being the single worst host in the history of the Oscars. I think he's going to be good...

KAGAN: You think so?

O'NEILL: Yes. Think about -- go ahead, Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, no, I was going to say. I think it's going to be fun to watch, kind of like, you know, a car wreck not in that it's going to be bad. I happen to be a big Chris Rock fan. I just think he might be funny and out there, and pushing the envelope, that envelope a little bit.

O'NEILL: And pushing is exactly what you don't do when you host the Oscars. That's what Chevy Chase and David Letterman did, and they're both trying to live down their night at the Oscars for the rest of their careers.

Chris has an ego the size of the Rock of Gibraltar. He's got to rein that in. He's pretty much in the same comic style as Whoopi Goldberg, who knew enough to step back and play ringmaster. That's what you got to do. And she was so good, she got invited back three times.

I think Chris is going to be OK, but he's got to -- got to watch himself.

KAGAN: So he doesn't have his Uma/Oprah moment...

O'NEILL: Yes. KAGAN: ... like David Letterman.

Now, on the red carpet, this is where a lot of the news is made, what the stars are wearing, both in terms of gowns and jewelry. And you say there is a new trend that's developing?

O'NEILL: New shocking trend that emerged just last month at the Golden Globes, when, in the 11th hour, Hilary Swank and Charlize Theron ditched their diamonds from Harry Winston and accepted more than $100,000 to wear diamonds from Chopard, a rival.

Now what this does is set a new precedent at these awards shows, which is we know that they're normally loaned the diamonds or they're given these gowns. But they've never before been paid, and certainly not six figures, to wear these things.

KAGAN: The bar raises even higher in Hollywood.

O'NEILL: Yes.

KAGAN: Tom O'Neill, thank you. You have a great Oscars. And we will talk to you on Monday morning.

O'NEILL: I sure will. And by the way, no one's paying me money to wear this.

KAGAN: OK.

O'NEILL: OK?

KAGAN: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: You can tell. Just kidding. Just kidding. Just kidding.

KAGAN: Thank you, Tom.

OK. We invite you to tune in this Sunday night at 7 Eastern for "HOLLYWOOD'S GOLD RUSH." The live show airs before the Oscars. And it will be hosted by Sibila Vargas and Karyn Bryant.

SANCHEZ: We made our picks, too. And I think you can get them online, right?

KAGAN: Yes. You can see who we picked.

SANCHEZ: Yes. CNN...

KAGAN: CNN.com.

SANCHEZ: Slash something.

KAGAN: You'll just go and follow all the Oscar tags.

A lot coming up in the next hour, including a missing girl in Florida. You're going to hear one family's desperate plea for their little girl that disappeared last night. Details on the case just ahead.

SANCHEZ: Then like a story from the Wild West, a shoot-out outside a courthouse in Tyler, Texas.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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