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American Morning

Judge's Family Killed; Challenges Michael Chertoff Faces; On Terror's Trail

Aired March 03, 2005 - 08:00   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.


ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody.

Other stories we're looking at this morning, are Americans safer with Michael Chertoff in charge at the Department of Homeland Security? He is being sworn in as the new director in just about an hour and a half, even though he's actually had the job for weeks. Jeanne Meserve takes a look at just what his priorities are going to be.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also coming up here, what is the best financial advice for young Americans buried in debt? Suze Orman our guest stopping by. She's got some surprising advice about that 401(k) plan that kind of runs contrary to what we've been told in the past and also how financing them can sometimes be a big mistake.

O'BRIEN: And that's ahead. Let's first get to Jack and "The File."

Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

Coming up in "The Cafferty File" in less than an hour, a gag order doesn't stop jokes about the easiest target on the planet. If you have $10 million and no job, you can try out for a new reality show on television.

An update on the hottest cocktail waitresses in Atlantic City. That would be the Borgata Babes.

And "The Cafferty File" was had yesterday. It turns out staring at well-endowed women is not a medical procedure.

HEMMER: Oh.

CAFFERTY: But it's a great idea.

O'BRIEN: Shocking. Oh, I think that's a way of saying, "Soledad, I validate and vindicate everything you thought about that idiotic story yesterday."

CAFFERTY: That's... O'BRIEN: Is that what you were trying to say?

CAFFERTY: ... absolutely not what I was saying, no.

O'BRIEN: I accept your apology, Jack. Not to worry.

CAFFERTY: I'm not apologizing. And, well, I won't say that. Shut up, Jack, while you still have a paycheck coming in today.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

O'BRIEN: Thanks.

HEMMER: To the headlines this hour now. Here's Carol Costello.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It was a good try, though, Soledad. It really was.

O'BRIEN: Thank you.

COSTELLO: If you get Jack to apologize for anything, I'll pay you 100 bucks.

O'BRIEN: OK, I'll work on it the rest of the show. No problem.

COSTELLO: Good morning, everyone.

"Now in the News," the death toll hits the 1,500 mark for U.S. troops in Iraq. And the violence continues there this morning. Today at least five Iraqi police officers were killed in attacks in Baghdad, seven others are injured. Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has extended a state of emergency for the country.

Sentencing for a Muslim cleric in Indonesia suspected of having links to al Qaeda. The cleric has been ordered to 30 months behind bars for his role in the October 2002 bombings in Bali. More than 200 people were killed in what is considered one of the worst acts of terrorism in Indonesia.

And finally, the health of Pope John Paul II continues to improve this morning. Vatican sources giving an update on the pope's condition within the past two hours. They say he continues rehabilitation exercises for his voice and his breathing, but no word yet on when the pontiff will be released from the hospital. And there won't be another update on his health actually until Monday.

HEMMER: At 84, the progress is slow. But there is progress. Thank you, Carol.

O'BRIEN: Nice to hear. Thanks, Carol.

Chicago police have released sketches of two men that they want to interview about the murders of the husband and mother of federal Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow. So far, police are not calling the men suspects, but instead persons of interest.

Both men are white. One in his mid 20s was seen in a car near the judge's home. The other, in his 50s, was wearing dark cover alls and a dark knit cap.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATASHA KORECKI, EARLIER ON AMERICAN MORNING: One witness saw two men in a red car just down the block from the Lefkows' home the morning of the murder, about 8:00 a.m. We also know that there has been other witnesses who have seen these two men. Police aren't specifically tying -- tying the two composite sketches to the men seen in the car, but the descriptions seem similar.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Judge Lefkow says she is furious about what happened, saying that if someone was angry with her, that person should have gone after her, not her family. These killings raise the question, should more be done to keep members of the bench and their families safe?

Here's CNN's Sean Callebs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Lefkow's law office is eerily quiet, a stack of unattended mail, his signature hat in the corner. Michael and his mother-in-law were brutally gunned down in the Lefkows' north Chicago home Monday. Now Michael's wife, U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow, is making plans for a memorial at St. Luke's Church.

CORINNE MURPHY-HINES, ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH: They just seemed devoted to one another.

CALLEBS: And to their church. Michael was on the governing board.

The Lefkows had also become used to threats. White supremacist Matt Hale is in prison, convicted of threatening to kill Judge Lefkow in 2002. Last year, while the judge had a protective detail, white supremacists threatened to picket St. Luke's.

MURPHY-HINES: I was aware of what had happened, and I was aware that they were under protection. But it didn't bleed into the church life.

CALLEBS: Authorities say they are looking at the possibility a hate group went after Lefkow's family. One of Lefkow's colleagues say the killings are having a big impact.

JUDGE WAYNE ANDERSEN, U.S. DISTRICT COURT: It probably permeates the minute-by-minute, certainly hour-by-hour thoughts, of everybody in this particular court family. And probably to some extent the larger legal community in the Chicago area. CALLEBS: Judge Wayne Andersen is now openly calling for a security review for members of the bench. But that could be hard. Federal judges in the northern Illinois district here, about 400 cases a year. Between 30 and 50 criminal. Friends who have talked with Lefkow say it is an agonizing time.

LAYTON OLSON, LEFKOW FAMILY FRIEND: And I think she's just doing the best she can. It's obviously just an hour-to-hour, day-to-day kind of thing. But I think her daughters have really pulled together very, very well in this.

CALLEBS: One of the couple's four daughters is getting married this summer. And Judge Lefkow told a Chicago newspaper her husband had just purchased a new tux and was so looking forward to the wedding.

Sean Callebs, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: FBI, U.S. marshals and Chicago Police detectives say they are working around the clock on this case -- Bill.

HEMMER: From Kansas, authorities are analyzing a chart sent to a local TV station by the so-called BTK killer. Fifty-nine-year-old Dennis Rader arrested last Friday, charged with 10 counts of first degree murder for crimes that date back to 1974. That chart contains columns of letters and numbers that appear to hold clues to Rader's identity and tactics.

In one section, these words: "prowl," "spot victim," "follow," and "go for it." In another, possible disguises, including "realtor," "insurer" and "handy man."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLEN HORN, KAKE NEWS DIRECTOR: Basically everyone in the newsroom started looking at it as a puzzle, too. And, you know, it's like a crossword or like one of the word games, and you just started looking for words. What's absolutely amazing in this though is, unlike any other crossword or any other word game, where you're looking for words, as you start to see these words, the reactions of people here in the newsroom is, "Oh, my god."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: There's another section there that contains the numbers 6220, the same numbers in Rader's home address. The letter was sent to a Wichita TV station, KAKE, about a year ago -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Kind of chilling.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will be sworn in just about an hour and a half. It will be a ceremonial gesture, as Chertoff has been on the job since his confirmation by Congress. In our CNN "Security Watch" this morning, Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve looks at the challenges that Chertoff will face in his new job.

Jeanne, good morning to you. What do you think Chertoff's top priority, in fact, will be?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Soledad, we got a glimpse of that yesterday when Secretary Chertoff testified for the very first time before a congressional committee. He said he wants to take a very close look at whether when the fledgling department was put together it was put together the right way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We have the opportunity and obligation to benefit from our experience and hindsight to look at how the pieces are fitting together and to see if the structure and systems we have in place enable us to perform our core mission of protecting and safeguarding the nation. Accordingly, I am initiating a comprehensive review of the department's organization operations and policies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: Chertoff has actually been on the job for more than two weeks. He spent a lot of that time being briefed on the issues. People familiar with the department say in style he is a sharp contrast to Tom Ridge, the former secretary. He's described as very down to business. Where Ridge engaged in a lot of discussion, trying to reach consensus on issues, we're told that Chertoff prefers to listen to arguments and take them under advisement, rather like a courtroom, which is, of course, exactly where Michael Chertoff came from -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Jeanne, one has to imagine there will be many, many obstacles. What do you think are some of the biggest?

MESERVE: Well, he has some huge challenges in front of him. There have been many discussions about how we can better protect air cargo, how we can better secure the ports, what we can do to make border security better. And what we can do to better secure our critical infrastructure.

But he has a host of other issues to deal with, as well. One of them being a restructuring here in Washington. Intelligence, of course, is considered to be key to having an effective homeland security strategy. The whole intelligence apparatus has changed here.

We now have a national director of intelligence, we have a new director of the CIA, we have a new attorney general. He has to navigate all of that. In addition, he has to learn how to deal with Congress.

And also, he's at a bit of a disadvantage right now because the entire top leadership of the department has departed. They have all left with Tom Ridge. He has to replace them. Nothing has been done yet in that regard.

O'BRIEN: Jeanne Meserve in Washington, D.C. this morning. Jeanne, thanks.

MESERVE: You bet.

O'BRIEN: And you'll want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Bill.

HEMMER: And now it's my turn. A check of the weather. Here's Chad Myers.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Well, the White House turns up the pressure on Syria after a bombing in Israel. But what evidence links Damascus to the attack? We are on terror's trail this morning.

HEMMER: Also, the Kobe Bryant saga is finally over. The NBA superstar now settling with his accuser. The question, a bit obvious, why now?

O'BRIEN: And got credit problems? Money expert Suze Orman shares the single most important thing you need to show know about digging out of trouble. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: President Bush believes that Syria is an obstacle to democracy, and now he's pressing Damascus to end its nearly 30-year presence in Lebanon, its neighbor to the west, and allow that country to govern itself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Get your troops and your secret services out of Lebanon so that good democracy has a chance to flourish.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Now, the complaints about Syria go beyond Lebanon, to include allowing terrorists to operate within Syrian borders. This morning we're back on terror's trail, going to Damascus today, where the U.S. believes the terrorist group Islamic Jihad planned last Friday's suicide bombing in Israel that killed five.

Our senior international correspondent is Brent Sadler, also our bureau chief in Beirut. He's with us now from Lebanon.

Brent, good to have you with us today. Specifically, with Islamic Jihad and the ties back to Damascus, what specifically is the U.S. asking Syria to do?

BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Bill, good morning.

The U.S. has been consistently, for many years now, trying to pressure the Syrians into severing their support and they say sanctuary for two top terror groups, Islamic Jihad and Hamas. And also to stop supporting the Hezbollah terror organization, according to the U.S., that still has its base and fighters here in Lebanon.

Now, this pressure has been cranking up for a long time now. Israel often holding Syria directly accountable for terror attacks in Israel as a result of Syria's ongoing support for those two groups; namely, Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

Syria says, no, that does not take place, Syria cut its ties to Islamic Jihad and Hamas in terms of official representation long ago. Syria accusing the U.S. and the Israelis of lying on this issue.

HEMMER: So then is Syria in any way trying to stop Islamic Jihad in Damascus?

SADLER: Syria has made no further moves that we know of about taking any more action. They say, in terms of their political operations, that was stopped long ago. Also, media operations from Islamic Jihad and Hamas stopped long ago.

Syria absolutely categorically denies that terror attacks against Israel are being planned in Damascus. But that is strongly refuted by the U.S., that says that for as long as Syria has these links with extremist anti-Israeli Palestinian groups, then pressure on Damascus will be maintained at the highest level.

HEMMER: Well, the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, told "TIME" Magazine earlier in the week about the 15,000 troops operating in Lebanon, that they would be taken out within months. Has he been more specific about either A, a timeline, or B, what he described with that magazine interview?

SADLER: No, there's been no specifics from the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, about that. In fact, there's been mixed signals. One day to an Italian newspaper that the price of a Syrian withdrawal would be peace, the next day with "TIME" Magazine saying a withdrawal could happen within months and not later than that. So mixed signals.

Look at what's happening on the ground here, Bill. About 15,000 Syrian troops and a very large secretive Syrian intelligence network here that the opposition wants removed from Lebanon, along with those troops. Those troops, those intelligence services that President Bush was talking about in that speech, that he wants to see withdrawn from Lebanon to give democracy a chance to flourish here, still on the ground in Lebanon, still active -- Bill.

HEMMER: One final thought here, Brent. With the pressure from the U.S., how often does that make headlines in Beirut? How often does it make headlines in Damascus, to the east?

SADLER: It has never made the kind of headlines we've been seeing here in Lebanon over the past two weeks or so since that massive bomb blast that killed the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri. That's galvanized opposition, and it has enabled people in Lebanon across all religious groups to openly condemn, to criticize the Syrian presence here for many, many years.

The Syrians have been here for decades since the early stages of the Lebanese civil war. People here have been too afraid to talk about Syria's presence, particularly its security apparatus, which they say acts in many parts, not just like a hostile force in this country, but also as a corrupt Mafia. Lebanese want to see an end to that.

HEMMER: On terror's trail today with Brent Sadler. Thanks, Brent, from Beirut today.

Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, it is the remote control on steroids, but at the touch of a button, total control of everything from the TV to the drapes. Convenience, though, comes at a cost. Andy explains.

But first, here's a question for you. What was the first TV remote called? Was it called the, A, Couch Buddy, B, the TV Tuner or, C, the Lazy Bones? We've got the answer right after this short break.

Stay with us on American morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Before the break, we asked you this question: what was the name of the first TV remote control which was invented back in 1950? The answer is C, the Lazy Bones. Zenith Electronics Corporation, then known as Zenith Radio Corporation, developed the so- called remote control, which used a cable that ran from your TV set to the viewer. The problem, people kept tripping over that big, long wire.

Well, technology's always looking for a way to make life a little bit easier. In our series, "The Future is Now," we show you a remote control that puts all the others to shame. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, FORTUNE MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.

Tiger's got one, Oprah's got one. And if you've got a few extra thousand dollars, you can get one, too. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have not seen the paper that...

SERWER (voice-over): Couch potatoes could have a reason to stay put a little longer.

(on camera): See, now the beauty of this is I can get rid of Rumsfeld and go to tunes just like that. Now, isn't that nice?

(voice-over): Meet the remote control on steroids. Chris Westfall from AMX is testing out his company's new MVP 8400 at a hotel in Times Square. One remote controls just about everything from the bedroom entertainment system to the living room lights. And the view.

CHRIS WESTFALL, AMX: What we have here in this suite is various scenes that the guest can choose from. And at the touch of a button, turn the lights on and off.

SERWER (on camera): An ambience then.

WESTFALL: Exactly.

SERWER: A romantic mood you can create.

WESTFALL: If you wish.

SERWER (voice-over): But the convenience carries a high price tag. The system fully wired into your home will cost you a minimum of $5,000. And even then, the system is still a bit temperamental.

WESTFALL: Sorry. There we go. It took it a second.

SERWER (on camera): OK. That's kind of an opaque look, right?

WESTFALL: Exactly.

SERWER: Because you've got another layer there.

(voice-over): The remote, also part PDA, keeps local directories on file. And down the road, it will also make the phone call for you.

WESTFALL: We hope to in the near future be able to offer guests the ability to order room service off of a panel.

SERWER (on camera): Oh. So I could have a cocktail simply sent up to me by pushing?

WESTFALL: Exactly. Exactly.

SERWER: I really like that.

WESTFALL: You don't have to wait on hold. You can do it instantly.

SERWER: Yes, I like that.

WESTFALL: And that's the level of amenities we...

SERWER: But it will still connect to my billing, right?

WESTFALL: That's exactly right.

SERWER: All right. Yes, I figured as much. I just love playing around with this. Put those shades down. Come on, shades. WESTFALL: There they go.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SERWER: All right, Soledad. I've got one of these MVP 8400s with me here you can see. And, you know, I'm kind of a control freak. So, you know, I thought I'd control things in the studio.

This is kind of a stimulation. But it's the shape of things. I'm going to be in charge here of everything.

First of all, my picture everywhere. Everywhere. There it is. See? That's good stuff. I like it.

How about the lights? A little mood here. Come on. Look at that.

O'BRIEN: Oh, all right.

SERWER: Wouldn't that be something? Wouldn't that be something if I could control everything like that? Maybe a little scary?

O'BRIEN: Yes, very scary.

SERWER: Very scary. Anyway, it's interesting stuff. And, you know, obviously, it's kind of expensive.

O'BRIEN: And kind of heavy, too.

SERWER: And kind of heavy.

O'BRIEN: Maybe it gets in a few years better.

SERWER: Yes, it will get smaller, less expensive. But, you know, it's kind of neat to be able to control everything in your home like that, right?

O'BRIEN: Yes, I like it. And for only $5,000.

SERWER: A mere bag of shells.

O'BRIEN: A bargain. What are you doing tomorrow?

SERWER: Tomorrow we've got an interesting subject. What if your boss could control every single thing that you do? Now, that is compelling and scary, tomorrow.

O'BRIEN: More scary than compelling.

SERWER: Yes, exactly.

O'BRIEN: All right, Andy. Thanks. We'll look forward to it.

SERWER: OK.

O'BRIEN: Bill. HEMMER: Kind of thought they already did.

Here's Jack now and the "Question of the Day."

CAFFERTY: Yes. And the day that day gets here, I quit.

HEMMER: Yes, back to Jersey, huh?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

We're in trouble in this here country of ours, boys and girls. Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan told the House Budget Committee yesterday that if the Congress doesn't act soon to cut Social Security spending, Medicare spending, and other government spending, we are headed toward decades of economic stagnation.

Forget Social Security reform. It won't happen. Polls indicate the public doesn't want it. And, of course, that's all the excuse Congress needs in order to do nothing.

They said maybe next year. Well, next year is an election year. It won't happen then either.

Medicare is a much bigger problem than Social Security. Nothing is being done about that. And hoping the federal government will decide to reduce spending in a meaningful way is like expecting pigs to stop eating.

The question is, what's the answer to the country's financial problems?

Kathy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, writes: "Jobs. Give us good living wage jobs and we'll shop and buy homes and pay taxes. Outsource our jobs, create more free and unfair trade agreements, and encourage immigration, legal or illegal, and the tax base dissipates, creating an even more dire financial crisis."

"Simple Economics 101," she writes. "Common sense."

Wes in Tallahassee, Florida, "The answer to the country's money problems, Jack, is Bill Clinton. And if you elect Hillary in 2008, we get two for the price of one."

Something to look forward to.

John in Madison, Wisconsin, "Frank Lloyd Wright may have had the solution years ago. When he was about to be introduced to a senator from Wisconsin, the person making the introduction introduced the senator as 'One of our two senators from Wisconsin.' Wright quipped, 'Why do we need two of them?'"

And Michael in Huron, South Dakota, "Two words: bake sale."

HEMMER: Still hungry. Thank you, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Yes. HEMMER: There is a settlement in the Kobe Bryant legal soap opera. Who comes out the big winner? Jeff Toobin stops by for that today.

And a town watching nervously as a giant sinkhole threatens to swallow an entire neighborhood. We'll go there live in a moment here.

First, a commercial break on this AMERICAN MORNING. Twenty-seven minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired March 3, 2005 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody.

Other stories we're looking at this morning, are Americans safer with Michael Chertoff in charge at the Department of Homeland Security? He is being sworn in as the new director in just about an hour and a half, even though he's actually had the job for weeks. Jeanne Meserve takes a look at just what his priorities are going to be.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also coming up here, what is the best financial advice for young Americans buried in debt? Suze Orman our guest stopping by. She's got some surprising advice about that 401(k) plan that kind of runs contrary to what we've been told in the past and also how financing them can sometimes be a big mistake.

O'BRIEN: And that's ahead. Let's first get to Jack and "The File."

Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

Coming up in "The Cafferty File" in less than an hour, a gag order doesn't stop jokes about the easiest target on the planet. If you have $10 million and no job, you can try out for a new reality show on television.

An update on the hottest cocktail waitresses in Atlantic City. That would be the Borgata Babes.

And "The Cafferty File" was had yesterday. It turns out staring at well-endowed women is not a medical procedure.

HEMMER: Oh.

CAFFERTY: But it's a great idea.

O'BRIEN: Shocking. Oh, I think that's a way of saying, "Soledad, I validate and vindicate everything you thought about that idiotic story yesterday."

CAFFERTY: That's... O'BRIEN: Is that what you were trying to say?

CAFFERTY: ... absolutely not what I was saying, no.

O'BRIEN: I accept your apology, Jack. Not to worry.

CAFFERTY: I'm not apologizing. And, well, I won't say that. Shut up, Jack, while you still have a paycheck coming in today.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

O'BRIEN: Thanks.

HEMMER: To the headlines this hour now. Here's Carol Costello.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It was a good try, though, Soledad. It really was.

O'BRIEN: Thank you.

COSTELLO: If you get Jack to apologize for anything, I'll pay you 100 bucks.

O'BRIEN: OK, I'll work on it the rest of the show. No problem.

COSTELLO: Good morning, everyone.

"Now in the News," the death toll hits the 1,500 mark for U.S. troops in Iraq. And the violence continues there this morning. Today at least five Iraqi police officers were killed in attacks in Baghdad, seven others are injured. Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has extended a state of emergency for the country.

Sentencing for a Muslim cleric in Indonesia suspected of having links to al Qaeda. The cleric has been ordered to 30 months behind bars for his role in the October 2002 bombings in Bali. More than 200 people were killed in what is considered one of the worst acts of terrorism in Indonesia.

And finally, the health of Pope John Paul II continues to improve this morning. Vatican sources giving an update on the pope's condition within the past two hours. They say he continues rehabilitation exercises for his voice and his breathing, but no word yet on when the pontiff will be released from the hospital. And there won't be another update on his health actually until Monday.

HEMMER: At 84, the progress is slow. But there is progress. Thank you, Carol.

O'BRIEN: Nice to hear. Thanks, Carol.

Chicago police have released sketches of two men that they want to interview about the murders of the husband and mother of federal Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow. So far, police are not calling the men suspects, but instead persons of interest.

Both men are white. One in his mid 20s was seen in a car near the judge's home. The other, in his 50s, was wearing dark cover alls and a dark knit cap.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATASHA KORECKI, EARLIER ON AMERICAN MORNING: One witness saw two men in a red car just down the block from the Lefkows' home the morning of the murder, about 8:00 a.m. We also know that there has been other witnesses who have seen these two men. Police aren't specifically tying -- tying the two composite sketches to the men seen in the car, but the descriptions seem similar.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Judge Lefkow says she is furious about what happened, saying that if someone was angry with her, that person should have gone after her, not her family. These killings raise the question, should more be done to keep members of the bench and their families safe?

Here's CNN's Sean Callebs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Lefkow's law office is eerily quiet, a stack of unattended mail, his signature hat in the corner. Michael and his mother-in-law were brutally gunned down in the Lefkows' north Chicago home Monday. Now Michael's wife, U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow, is making plans for a memorial at St. Luke's Church.

CORINNE MURPHY-HINES, ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH: They just seemed devoted to one another.

CALLEBS: And to their church. Michael was on the governing board.

The Lefkows had also become used to threats. White supremacist Matt Hale is in prison, convicted of threatening to kill Judge Lefkow in 2002. Last year, while the judge had a protective detail, white supremacists threatened to picket St. Luke's.

MURPHY-HINES: I was aware of what had happened, and I was aware that they were under protection. But it didn't bleed into the church life.

CALLEBS: Authorities say they are looking at the possibility a hate group went after Lefkow's family. One of Lefkow's colleagues say the killings are having a big impact.

JUDGE WAYNE ANDERSEN, U.S. DISTRICT COURT: It probably permeates the minute-by-minute, certainly hour-by-hour thoughts, of everybody in this particular court family. And probably to some extent the larger legal community in the Chicago area. CALLEBS: Judge Wayne Andersen is now openly calling for a security review for members of the bench. But that could be hard. Federal judges in the northern Illinois district here, about 400 cases a year. Between 30 and 50 criminal. Friends who have talked with Lefkow say it is an agonizing time.

LAYTON OLSON, LEFKOW FAMILY FRIEND: And I think she's just doing the best she can. It's obviously just an hour-to-hour, day-to-day kind of thing. But I think her daughters have really pulled together very, very well in this.

CALLEBS: One of the couple's four daughters is getting married this summer. And Judge Lefkow told a Chicago newspaper her husband had just purchased a new tux and was so looking forward to the wedding.

Sean Callebs, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: FBI, U.S. marshals and Chicago Police detectives say they are working around the clock on this case -- Bill.

HEMMER: From Kansas, authorities are analyzing a chart sent to a local TV station by the so-called BTK killer. Fifty-nine-year-old Dennis Rader arrested last Friday, charged with 10 counts of first degree murder for crimes that date back to 1974. That chart contains columns of letters and numbers that appear to hold clues to Rader's identity and tactics.

In one section, these words: "prowl," "spot victim," "follow," and "go for it." In another, possible disguises, including "realtor," "insurer" and "handy man."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLEN HORN, KAKE NEWS DIRECTOR: Basically everyone in the newsroom started looking at it as a puzzle, too. And, you know, it's like a crossword or like one of the word games, and you just started looking for words. What's absolutely amazing in this though is, unlike any other crossword or any other word game, where you're looking for words, as you start to see these words, the reactions of people here in the newsroom is, "Oh, my god."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: There's another section there that contains the numbers 6220, the same numbers in Rader's home address. The letter was sent to a Wichita TV station, KAKE, about a year ago -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Kind of chilling.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will be sworn in just about an hour and a half. It will be a ceremonial gesture, as Chertoff has been on the job since his confirmation by Congress. In our CNN "Security Watch" this morning, Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve looks at the challenges that Chertoff will face in his new job.

Jeanne, good morning to you. What do you think Chertoff's top priority, in fact, will be?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Soledad, we got a glimpse of that yesterday when Secretary Chertoff testified for the very first time before a congressional committee. He said he wants to take a very close look at whether when the fledgling department was put together it was put together the right way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We have the opportunity and obligation to benefit from our experience and hindsight to look at how the pieces are fitting together and to see if the structure and systems we have in place enable us to perform our core mission of protecting and safeguarding the nation. Accordingly, I am initiating a comprehensive review of the department's organization operations and policies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: Chertoff has actually been on the job for more than two weeks. He spent a lot of that time being briefed on the issues. People familiar with the department say in style he is a sharp contrast to Tom Ridge, the former secretary. He's described as very down to business. Where Ridge engaged in a lot of discussion, trying to reach consensus on issues, we're told that Chertoff prefers to listen to arguments and take them under advisement, rather like a courtroom, which is, of course, exactly where Michael Chertoff came from -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Jeanne, one has to imagine there will be many, many obstacles. What do you think are some of the biggest?

MESERVE: Well, he has some huge challenges in front of him. There have been many discussions about how we can better protect air cargo, how we can better secure the ports, what we can do to make border security better. And what we can do to better secure our critical infrastructure.

But he has a host of other issues to deal with, as well. One of them being a restructuring here in Washington. Intelligence, of course, is considered to be key to having an effective homeland security strategy. The whole intelligence apparatus has changed here.

We now have a national director of intelligence, we have a new director of the CIA, we have a new attorney general. He has to navigate all of that. In addition, he has to learn how to deal with Congress.

And also, he's at a bit of a disadvantage right now because the entire top leadership of the department has departed. They have all left with Tom Ridge. He has to replace them. Nothing has been done yet in that regard.

O'BRIEN: Jeanne Meserve in Washington, D.C. this morning. Jeanne, thanks.

MESERVE: You bet.

O'BRIEN: And you'll want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Bill.

HEMMER: And now it's my turn. A check of the weather. Here's Chad Myers.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Well, the White House turns up the pressure on Syria after a bombing in Israel. But what evidence links Damascus to the attack? We are on terror's trail this morning.

HEMMER: Also, the Kobe Bryant saga is finally over. The NBA superstar now settling with his accuser. The question, a bit obvious, why now?

O'BRIEN: And got credit problems? Money expert Suze Orman shares the single most important thing you need to show know about digging out of trouble. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: President Bush believes that Syria is an obstacle to democracy, and now he's pressing Damascus to end its nearly 30-year presence in Lebanon, its neighbor to the west, and allow that country to govern itself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Get your troops and your secret services out of Lebanon so that good democracy has a chance to flourish.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Now, the complaints about Syria go beyond Lebanon, to include allowing terrorists to operate within Syrian borders. This morning we're back on terror's trail, going to Damascus today, where the U.S. believes the terrorist group Islamic Jihad planned last Friday's suicide bombing in Israel that killed five.

Our senior international correspondent is Brent Sadler, also our bureau chief in Beirut. He's with us now from Lebanon.

Brent, good to have you with us today. Specifically, with Islamic Jihad and the ties back to Damascus, what specifically is the U.S. asking Syria to do?

BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Bill, good morning.

The U.S. has been consistently, for many years now, trying to pressure the Syrians into severing their support and they say sanctuary for two top terror groups, Islamic Jihad and Hamas. And also to stop supporting the Hezbollah terror organization, according to the U.S., that still has its base and fighters here in Lebanon.

Now, this pressure has been cranking up for a long time now. Israel often holding Syria directly accountable for terror attacks in Israel as a result of Syria's ongoing support for those two groups; namely, Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

Syria says, no, that does not take place, Syria cut its ties to Islamic Jihad and Hamas in terms of official representation long ago. Syria accusing the U.S. and the Israelis of lying on this issue.

HEMMER: So then is Syria in any way trying to stop Islamic Jihad in Damascus?

SADLER: Syria has made no further moves that we know of about taking any more action. They say, in terms of their political operations, that was stopped long ago. Also, media operations from Islamic Jihad and Hamas stopped long ago.

Syria absolutely categorically denies that terror attacks against Israel are being planned in Damascus. But that is strongly refuted by the U.S., that says that for as long as Syria has these links with extremist anti-Israeli Palestinian groups, then pressure on Damascus will be maintained at the highest level.

HEMMER: Well, the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, told "TIME" Magazine earlier in the week about the 15,000 troops operating in Lebanon, that they would be taken out within months. Has he been more specific about either A, a timeline, or B, what he described with that magazine interview?

SADLER: No, there's been no specifics from the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, about that. In fact, there's been mixed signals. One day to an Italian newspaper that the price of a Syrian withdrawal would be peace, the next day with "TIME" Magazine saying a withdrawal could happen within months and not later than that. So mixed signals.

Look at what's happening on the ground here, Bill. About 15,000 Syrian troops and a very large secretive Syrian intelligence network here that the opposition wants removed from Lebanon, along with those troops. Those troops, those intelligence services that President Bush was talking about in that speech, that he wants to see withdrawn from Lebanon to give democracy a chance to flourish here, still on the ground in Lebanon, still active -- Bill.

HEMMER: One final thought here, Brent. With the pressure from the U.S., how often does that make headlines in Beirut? How often does it make headlines in Damascus, to the east?

SADLER: It has never made the kind of headlines we've been seeing here in Lebanon over the past two weeks or so since that massive bomb blast that killed the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri. That's galvanized opposition, and it has enabled people in Lebanon across all religious groups to openly condemn, to criticize the Syrian presence here for many, many years.

The Syrians have been here for decades since the early stages of the Lebanese civil war. People here have been too afraid to talk about Syria's presence, particularly its security apparatus, which they say acts in many parts, not just like a hostile force in this country, but also as a corrupt Mafia. Lebanese want to see an end to that.

HEMMER: On terror's trail today with Brent Sadler. Thanks, Brent, from Beirut today.

Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, it is the remote control on steroids, but at the touch of a button, total control of everything from the TV to the drapes. Convenience, though, comes at a cost. Andy explains.

But first, here's a question for you. What was the first TV remote called? Was it called the, A, Couch Buddy, B, the TV Tuner or, C, the Lazy Bones? We've got the answer right after this short break.

Stay with us on American morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Before the break, we asked you this question: what was the name of the first TV remote control which was invented back in 1950? The answer is C, the Lazy Bones. Zenith Electronics Corporation, then known as Zenith Radio Corporation, developed the so- called remote control, which used a cable that ran from your TV set to the viewer. The problem, people kept tripping over that big, long wire.

Well, technology's always looking for a way to make life a little bit easier. In our series, "The Future is Now," we show you a remote control that puts all the others to shame. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, FORTUNE MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.

Tiger's got one, Oprah's got one. And if you've got a few extra thousand dollars, you can get one, too. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have not seen the paper that...

SERWER (voice-over): Couch potatoes could have a reason to stay put a little longer.

(on camera): See, now the beauty of this is I can get rid of Rumsfeld and go to tunes just like that. Now, isn't that nice?

(voice-over): Meet the remote control on steroids. Chris Westfall from AMX is testing out his company's new MVP 8400 at a hotel in Times Square. One remote controls just about everything from the bedroom entertainment system to the living room lights. And the view.

CHRIS WESTFALL, AMX: What we have here in this suite is various scenes that the guest can choose from. And at the touch of a button, turn the lights on and off.

SERWER (on camera): An ambience then.

WESTFALL: Exactly.

SERWER: A romantic mood you can create.

WESTFALL: If you wish.

SERWER (voice-over): But the convenience carries a high price tag. The system fully wired into your home will cost you a minimum of $5,000. And even then, the system is still a bit temperamental.

WESTFALL: Sorry. There we go. It took it a second.

SERWER (on camera): OK. That's kind of an opaque look, right?

WESTFALL: Exactly.

SERWER: Because you've got another layer there.

(voice-over): The remote, also part PDA, keeps local directories on file. And down the road, it will also make the phone call for you.

WESTFALL: We hope to in the near future be able to offer guests the ability to order room service off of a panel.

SERWER (on camera): Oh. So I could have a cocktail simply sent up to me by pushing?

WESTFALL: Exactly. Exactly.

SERWER: I really like that.

WESTFALL: You don't have to wait on hold. You can do it instantly.

SERWER: Yes, I like that.

WESTFALL: And that's the level of amenities we...

SERWER: But it will still connect to my billing, right?

WESTFALL: That's exactly right.

SERWER: All right. Yes, I figured as much. I just love playing around with this. Put those shades down. Come on, shades. WESTFALL: There they go.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SERWER: All right, Soledad. I've got one of these MVP 8400s with me here you can see. And, you know, I'm kind of a control freak. So, you know, I thought I'd control things in the studio.

This is kind of a stimulation. But it's the shape of things. I'm going to be in charge here of everything.

First of all, my picture everywhere. Everywhere. There it is. See? That's good stuff. I like it.

How about the lights? A little mood here. Come on. Look at that.

O'BRIEN: Oh, all right.

SERWER: Wouldn't that be something? Wouldn't that be something if I could control everything like that? Maybe a little scary?

O'BRIEN: Yes, very scary.

SERWER: Very scary. Anyway, it's interesting stuff. And, you know, obviously, it's kind of expensive.

O'BRIEN: And kind of heavy, too.

SERWER: And kind of heavy.

O'BRIEN: Maybe it gets in a few years better.

SERWER: Yes, it will get smaller, less expensive. But, you know, it's kind of neat to be able to control everything in your home like that, right?

O'BRIEN: Yes, I like it. And for only $5,000.

SERWER: A mere bag of shells.

O'BRIEN: A bargain. What are you doing tomorrow?

SERWER: Tomorrow we've got an interesting subject. What if your boss could control every single thing that you do? Now, that is compelling and scary, tomorrow.

O'BRIEN: More scary than compelling.

SERWER: Yes, exactly.

O'BRIEN: All right, Andy. Thanks. We'll look forward to it.

SERWER: OK.

O'BRIEN: Bill. HEMMER: Kind of thought they already did.

Here's Jack now and the "Question of the Day."

CAFFERTY: Yes. And the day that day gets here, I quit.

HEMMER: Yes, back to Jersey, huh?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

We're in trouble in this here country of ours, boys and girls. Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan told the House Budget Committee yesterday that if the Congress doesn't act soon to cut Social Security spending, Medicare spending, and other government spending, we are headed toward decades of economic stagnation.

Forget Social Security reform. It won't happen. Polls indicate the public doesn't want it. And, of course, that's all the excuse Congress needs in order to do nothing.

They said maybe next year. Well, next year is an election year. It won't happen then either.

Medicare is a much bigger problem than Social Security. Nothing is being done about that. And hoping the federal government will decide to reduce spending in a meaningful way is like expecting pigs to stop eating.

The question is, what's the answer to the country's financial problems?

Kathy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, writes: "Jobs. Give us good living wage jobs and we'll shop and buy homes and pay taxes. Outsource our jobs, create more free and unfair trade agreements, and encourage immigration, legal or illegal, and the tax base dissipates, creating an even more dire financial crisis."

"Simple Economics 101," she writes. "Common sense."

Wes in Tallahassee, Florida, "The answer to the country's money problems, Jack, is Bill Clinton. And if you elect Hillary in 2008, we get two for the price of one."

Something to look forward to.

John in Madison, Wisconsin, "Frank Lloyd Wright may have had the solution years ago. When he was about to be introduced to a senator from Wisconsin, the person making the introduction introduced the senator as 'One of our two senators from Wisconsin.' Wright quipped, 'Why do we need two of them?'"

And Michael in Huron, South Dakota, "Two words: bake sale."

HEMMER: Still hungry. Thank you, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Yes. HEMMER: There is a settlement in the Kobe Bryant legal soap opera. Who comes out the big winner? Jeff Toobin stops by for that today.

And a town watching nervously as a giant sinkhole threatens to swallow an entire neighborhood. We'll go there live in a moment here.

First, a commercial break on this AMERICAN MORNING. Twenty-seven minutes past the hour.

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