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Schiavo's Parents File Another Appeal to the 11th Circuit Court; Amber Alert for an Iowa Girl

Aired March 25, 2005 - 10:00   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: A lot happening, a lot developing right now. Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.
Terri Schiavo's parents are trying one more legal avenue to save her. Just moments ago, the parents filed an appeal in the 11-Circuit Court in Atlanta. Earlier this morning, a federal judge in Tampa denied an emergency request to get Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted. The Tampa judge and the Atlanta appeals court rejected motions by the parents' attorneys earlier this week. Today marks a full week since the tube was removed.

An Amber Alert has been issued for a 10-year-old Iowa girl. Police say that Jetseta Marie Gage was taken from her home by a family acquaintance. That man is also a registered sex offender. The girl is said to be mentally challenged. Her grandmother was in the house at the time the girl was taken out. But police say she was unable to stop the abduction.

Pope John Paul II's physical suffering is giving special meaning to Good Friday services around the world. The pope has delegated cardinals to represent him at Easter weekend events. The Holy Father is recovering from last month's tracheotomy.

Doctors are concerned that Monaco's Prince Rainier might not recover from heart, kidney and breathing problems. The 81-year-old prince is hospitalized in an intensive care unit at a hospital in Monaco. The prince's three children are at his bedside. Rainier was married to movie star Grace Kelly who died in a car crash in 1982.

Good morning to you on this Friday. I'm Daryn Kagan. Rick Sanchez is off today.

Time and legal options appear to be slipping away in the case of Terri Schiavo. Just minutes ago, the parents of Terri Schiavo embarked on what could be their last hope of saving her. Their attorneys formally appeal this morning's denial of their emergency request. Even with that appeal pending, one reality, almost unbearable for them to accept, remains undeniable. Terri Schiavo is likely entering her final hours or days.

CNN's Tony Harris is outside the 11-Circuit Court of Appeals here in Atlanta -- Tony.

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. You really have to feel for the Schindler family. They are doing everything that they can as they promised, to find a court somewhere in this federal system that will order the restoration of the feeding tube. But the problem is that each of the courts so far have said no. In fact, we've got this filing, this notice of appeal that was filed here at the 11-Circuit Court of Appeals in downtown Atlanta just a short time ago.

That is essentially the same restraining order, the second motion for that temporary restraining order. The same filing that was turned down by this court twice on Wednesday. First, by a three-judge panel, by a 2 to 1 vote, and then by the entire 12-member court by a vote of 10 to 2. But as you just mentioned, the filing is here again. The court will take a look at it.

And a couple things going forward. What could happen here? Well, one of the issues here is whether or not the Schindlers have an option of picking the judges that will review this latest motion. And we found out the answer to that is no. So where are we right now?

There is a likelihood that this motion could end up right back in the hands of the same three judges that on Wednesday denied it: Judges Carnes, Judge Hall and Judge Wilson. Judge Wilson, as you may remember, offered up the dissent to the majority opinion. So the motion has been filed. We'll take a look and follow it throughout the course of the day, and see what happens here in downtown Atlanta -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Tony, I don't know how familiar you are with how the circuit court works. If there's 12 judges on this court, why go back to the same three?

HARRIS: Well, it will follow the same path that it started here on Wednesday. It will first be reviewed by a three-judge panel. And then the three-judge panel will offer up its decision. If it denies this motion, what we expect is that the Schindlers will then follow the same course as Wednesday, which is to appeal to it the entire 12- judge panel. And then that panel will then get an opportunity to take a look at the appeal as well.

KAGAN: Tony Harris is here in downtown Atlanta.

Right now, we want to go to Pinellas Park, Florida. Our national correspondent Bob Franken outside Terri Schiavo's hospice -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, as Tony pointed out, it is the same pleading a request to overturn the lack of an emergency order. The issues are different. And that's why it went back to the federal judge here. These are issues that were constitutional and issues that there was a violation of the law including the Americans for Disability Act.

The issues were rejected by the same judge here who said once again that there was no likelihood that things would succeed. Then that motion is now being carried to an appeals court. Well, they will reexamine those issues. And of course, it's possible that this could go higher up.

Now as far as the family is concerned, we're told by representatives that they're disappointed are not surprised. They feel that the federal judge last night had really indicated that he was not going to rule in their favor. They're of course, bitterly disappointed in this effort that the appeals court is really, most people would call it in the legal profession, a desperation. But the view of the family and the lawyers is to leave no stone unturned, as life is slipping away from Terri Schiavo.

Meanwhile, here, the protesters are expected to increase in number today. This is Good Friday. This of course, is the most significant, saddest day in the Christian calendar. And many of the people who are people of religion here, expected to mark that in a variety of ways. Making what they consider to be the obvious comparison to the fate of Terri Schiavo, who is just a few feet away in the hospice. And of course, will be entering her second week without nutrition or water -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Meanwhile, Bob, as much as we know what's going on inside the hospice, both family members from the Schindler family and Michael Schiavo visiting Terri Schiavo?

FRANKEN: They do. Michael Schiavo is in control of this. He's the trustee. And the Schindlers, who are the blood relatives, have complained on occasion that they don't have enough time with their daughter. But yes, both are going in. Michael Schiavo stays out of sight, goes in an entrance that's out of camera range. The Schindlers, on the other hand, are in the process of trying to use every public pressure they can on the politicians, are very visibly going in and out.

KAGAN: Bob Franken, live in Pinellas Park. We'll be back with you many times over the course of the morning. Thank you.

Terri Schiavo's siblings say they will not abandon their fight or their hope, as long as their sister clings to life. Her brother and sister sat down late last night with CNN's John Zarrella.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUZANNE VITADAMO, TERRI SCHIAVO'S SISTER: Honestly, she looks like she is in a concentration camp. I mean she's beginning to hollow out. I mean it's just awful. It is awful to have to sit back and watch that -- this process happen to anybody. I mean we live in America. And you know, I'm sitting here; I can't even believe I'm sitting here discussing this. This is sick. So it's horrible.

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: Having to watch my parents go through simply wanting to care for their child and not being able to. I mean 15 years now, particularly these last 13 years, they just simply want to bring their child home and take care of her, make her part of the family again. They're being told that they can't.

And it is something that a lot of people just can't understand. And that's been the difficult part. Not only seeing Terri being abandoned and warehoused for this period of time, but also having to see my parents go through the struggle just to take care of their child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Terri Schiavo's husband, Michael, has been noticeably absent from public view in recent days. His attorney says that Michael Schiavo has been at his wife's bedside since her feeding tube had been removed last Friday. This was what George Felos had to say earlier on "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE FELOS, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S HUSBAND: I spoke with him a few hours ago. That she is resting comfortably. And she appears peaceful. And she's dying. Mrs. Schiavo is in her dying process. And I've heard some people say that this is horrible or barbaric. When patients -- when people die they naturally stop eating. They stop drinking. And Terri is going through what thousands and millions go through during their death process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Felos is also urging Terri Schiavo's family and Florida Governor Bush to end their legal effort. Saying, quote, "We believe it's time for this to stop as we approach the Easter weekend, and that Mrs. Schiavo be able to die in peace."

Police outside of Tampa say that a man tried to rob a gun store so he could launch an armed rescue of Terri Schiavo. The store's owner says that 20-year-old Michael Mitchell was armed with a box cutter and demanded a gun. The owner, however, had a firearm and held him until police arrived. Police say that Mitchell had driven down from Illinois the day before and had visited the hospice that is caring for Schiavo.

And here is another example of climbing tensions as the Schiavo case faces its latest hearing inside the federal courthouse in Tampa. An abandoned knapsack outside that building triggered a swift response. Police cordoned off the area. A bomb squad blew up the bag as a precaution. The woman who had left the pack later confirmed there was nothing dangerous inside.

President Bush letting out -- giving out a statement today from his press secretary, his White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino saying that President Bush is continuing to follow the Terri Schiavo case and being kept apprised of the latest developments regarding Terri Schiavo.

Meanwhile, there is a new poll suggesting that President Bush's outspoken advocacy in the Terri Schiavo case might be hurting his own poll numbers. Let's go ahead and take a look at some of those numbers.

The latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, taken just after he signed the Schiavo bill into law early Monday, Mr. Bush's approval rating has dropped to its lowest level of his presidency. Forty-five percent approve while 49 percent disapprove. The public assessment of his job handling also dropped dramatically. Fifty-two percent had approved Friday to Sunday. Only 44 percent approved the day after his intervention.

The numbers are increasing and parent's concerns are growing. Still to come, more children sickened by an infection possibly picked up from a petting zoo.

Plus, the pope is going high tech for this year's Good Friday Mass. We'll explain.

And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSION)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: This video from one of our crews just a mere few feet away when a car bomb explodes in Iraq. We'll look at how they and U.S. troops narrowly escaped death when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Catholics around the world holding out hope that Pope John Paul II might participate in Good Friday services in some form or another. The pope has made only four brief appearances since leaving the hospital two weeks ago. John Paul II is still recovering from a tracheotomy. He has delegated cardinals to take his place at a number of Holy Week events. There's the chance the hope will make an appearance via video link at this evening's Way of the Cross procession.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: What we're sort of inching into here is a kind of virtual papacy, in which John Paul doesn't appear physically very much. But when he does want to be present to an audience, he can do that through some kind of electronic means. And the most obvious of which is a TV hook-up from his apartment beamed to wherever the event is taking place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Doctors plan to make a final decision on the pope's appearance just before the service begins. John Paul II is expected to bless the crowds at Sunday's Easter service.

Well, it is Good Friday, but is it a Good Friday in terms of the weather? Orelon Sidney taking a look at that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: To central Florida now, nine children are now hospitalized after visiting petting zoos. The children are suffering from a potentially fatal kidney infection most commonly associated with E-coli bacteria. Authorities say the hospitalized children all touched animals recently at area fairs or festivals. One adult has also been diagnosed with the infection. Doctors warn the illness can be spread through household contact.

Of course, eyes glued to Florida in the Terri Schiavo case. Have you thought about what you would do, and how you would want your family to react if you were placed in a similar situation? Still ahead, lessons in the Schiavo case that are prompting people to pen their wishes on paper.

Gerri Willis talked about that earlier in the week. Today though, she has another topic for us.

Hi, Ger.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: hey, there. On a totally different note, today we're talking about vacations. How do you do something interesting and not be snoring bored this summer. We'll show you how when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Since Easter is here, it is time to start planning the family vacation. Maybe your family has outgrown the same old summer vacation, and that it is time to kind of think outside the box a little bit.

Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here to help with today's "Top Five Tips."

WILLIS: Hey, good morning, Daryn. Good to see you. Tip No. 1, you want to reach for those stars. If your idea of a great time is going to a national park, you know how hard it is getting in these days. Lots of people want to go there. Here is a great idea if you want to spend just a little bit of money and have a lot of fun.

Go and use one of the National Forest Service Fire Lookouts. Look, they don't even use these things anymore. Technology has become such that they don't even use them to look for fires. They're renting them out for $35 a night. It's a great idea.

Check out lighthouses, too. You can rent those as well on the cheap. And have a great time staying in a lighthouse. Kids would love it. We've got a couple of Web sites here for people to check out. Lighthouse.cc and rhodeislandlighthouse.org. If you're looking for something different, this is the way to go.

KAGAN: The ultimate rooms with a view.

WILLIS: Yes!

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: What if your kids or your family are animal lovers?

WILLIS: If you are an animal lover and you want to get down on the farm, why not check out one of the working farms that runs a bed and breakfast, too? They're all over the place. Really popular, I've got to tell you. You don't even have to do it in this country. You can go to Argentina. You can go to Italy. They're all over the place.

We've got some more web options here for you if you're looking for that. A couple of Web sites you will see here. But it's a great idea especially for kids who maybe haven't spent time in the out of doors. Maybe you live in the city. Pick apples from orchards, do all kinds of fun things.

KAGAN: You mentioned reaching for the stars. Another way to do that is to have a space-themed vacation.

WILLIS: Yes, forget Disney World. Do something a little bit more fun. Take a destination that's really out of this world. Titusville, Florida, it's right on top of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Better yet, the Kennedy Space Center. There are 72 miles of beach and you can see great exhibits at the Kennedy Space Center, including an interactive space flight simulator. Doesn't that sound like fun?

KAGAN: It does. I've been there. It's great

WILLIS: Have you?

KAGAN: Yes. I enjoyed that place.

WILLIS: I'm dying to go there.

KAGAN: Let's put it on the open seas, though.

WILLIS: You can charter a yacht. I know it sounds like something for really wealthy people...

KAGAN: Dahling.

WILLIS: ... but it cost less than you would think. Right? It is not just for Donald Trump. You can spend just $50 a day to get the boat itself. What really costs money is finding its skipper for $150 a day. But then even if you add in, say, a chef to make food for your family and your friends, you're still only talking $200 a day per person, which is about what you would spend on one of the islands. So it's worth thinking about, something different.

KAGAN: This last one, the allure kind of escapes me. My sister and her family just dying to do this.

WILLIS: Oh, really?

KAGAN: Yes.

WILLIS: Hey, I think it sounds like fun. What if you have a tailgate party all over the country? Go to baseball parks all over the country. Visit them one by one and tailgate, and tailgate picnic as you go. It would be a ton of fun. It's truly the American family road trip.

Remember, in Cooperstown, New York, this summer, they're rededicating the National Baseball Hall of Fame there, which is very exciting. If you want to find out more about how to do this, go to baseballtour.com. They'll give you some ideas about how to make this all happen. But I suggest starting in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the first all professional team was formed in 1869. They were called the Red Stockings, and now you know them as simply the Reds.

KAGAN: Back in the day.

WILLIS: Back in the day.

KAGAN: I misunderstood when I was looking at your notes I saw RV, I thought you were talking about a big RV vacation. A ballpark vacation, now, that I could get into.

WILLIS: Doesn't that sound like fun?

KAGAN: Yes. That does sound like fun.

WILLIS: Definitely.

KAGAN: Gerri, thank you for that. You have a great holiday weekend.

WILLIS: You too.

KAGAN: We're going to get back to the Terri Schiavo story just ahead. An important lesson being learned in the wake of the Terri Schiavo case is still ahead. Have you discussed your last wishes with your family? And why going beyond the talking stage is so important.

Plus, one of our reporters is on the front lines. You want to watch this. A car explodes in Iraq. How she managed to help her photographer and record what happened all at the same time. That story when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're coming up on the half hour, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here is a look at what's happening in the news.

Attorneys for the parents of Terri Schiavo have filed another emergency appeal to the 11-Circuit Court here in Atlanta. Earlier this morning, a federal judge in Tampa rejected a request to have Schiavo's feeding tube restored.

Stay with CNN for the very latest developments. Just ahead, we're going review the facts of the case.

Iowa authorities have issued an Amber Alert for a 10-year-old mentally challenged girl. Jetseta Marie Gage reportedly was taken from home by a family acquaintance. Authorities identified the suspect as Roger P. Bentley, a registered sex offender. Police are searching for a 1982 black and silver Datsun king cab with a silver cap, license number 392MIZ.

In Rome, Pope John Paul II is not expected to make any public appearances this Good Friday, despite the day's enormous significance to Christians. The pope is still recovering from illness and surgery. His participation in the annual Way of the Cross procession may be limited to a videotaped greeting to his flock.

Good Friday observances in the Philippines tend to be more literal than any other place. Those seeking penance are known to have themselves physically nailed to wooden crosses. Others choose to participate in public displays of self-flagellation.

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 March 25, 2005 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: A lot happening, a lot developing right now. Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.
Terri Schiavo's parents are trying one more legal avenue to save her. Just moments ago, the parents filed an appeal in the 11-Circuit Court in Atlanta. Earlier this morning, a federal judge in Tampa denied an emergency request to get Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted. The Tampa judge and the Atlanta appeals court rejected motions by the parents' attorneys earlier this week. Today marks a full week since the tube was removed.

An Amber Alert has been issued for a 10-year-old Iowa girl. Police say that Jetseta Marie Gage was taken from her home by a family acquaintance. That man is also a registered sex offender. The girl is said to be mentally challenged. Her grandmother was in the house at the time the girl was taken out. But police say she was unable to stop the abduction.

Pope John Paul II's physical suffering is giving special meaning to Good Friday services around the world. The pope has delegated cardinals to represent him at Easter weekend events. The Holy Father is recovering from last month's tracheotomy.

Doctors are concerned that Monaco's Prince Rainier might not recover from heart, kidney and breathing problems. The 81-year-old prince is hospitalized in an intensive care unit at a hospital in Monaco. The prince's three children are at his bedside. Rainier was married to movie star Grace Kelly who died in a car crash in 1982.

Good morning to you on this Friday. I'm Daryn Kagan. Rick Sanchez is off today.

Time and legal options appear to be slipping away in the case of Terri Schiavo. Just minutes ago, the parents of Terri Schiavo embarked on what could be their last hope of saving her. Their attorneys formally appeal this morning's denial of their emergency request. Even with that appeal pending, one reality, almost unbearable for them to accept, remains undeniable. Terri Schiavo is likely entering her final hours or days.

CNN's Tony Harris is outside the 11-Circuit Court of Appeals here in Atlanta -- Tony.

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. You really have to feel for the Schindler family. They are doing everything that they can as they promised, to find a court somewhere in this federal system that will order the restoration of the feeding tube. But the problem is that each of the courts so far have said no. In fact, we've got this filing, this notice of appeal that was filed here at the 11-Circuit Court of Appeals in downtown Atlanta just a short time ago.

That is essentially the same restraining order, the second motion for that temporary restraining order. The same filing that was turned down by this court twice on Wednesday. First, by a three-judge panel, by a 2 to 1 vote, and then by the entire 12-member court by a vote of 10 to 2. But as you just mentioned, the filing is here again. The court will take a look at it.

And a couple things going forward. What could happen here? Well, one of the issues here is whether or not the Schindlers have an option of picking the judges that will review this latest motion. And we found out the answer to that is no. So where are we right now?

There is a likelihood that this motion could end up right back in the hands of the same three judges that on Wednesday denied it: Judges Carnes, Judge Hall and Judge Wilson. Judge Wilson, as you may remember, offered up the dissent to the majority opinion. So the motion has been filed. We'll take a look and follow it throughout the course of the day, and see what happens here in downtown Atlanta -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Tony, I don't know how familiar you are with how the circuit court works. If there's 12 judges on this court, why go back to the same three?

HARRIS: Well, it will follow the same path that it started here on Wednesday. It will first be reviewed by a three-judge panel. And then the three-judge panel will offer up its decision. If it denies this motion, what we expect is that the Schindlers will then follow the same course as Wednesday, which is to appeal to it the entire 12- judge panel. And then that panel will then get an opportunity to take a look at the appeal as well.

KAGAN: Tony Harris is here in downtown Atlanta.

Right now, we want to go to Pinellas Park, Florida. Our national correspondent Bob Franken outside Terri Schiavo's hospice -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, as Tony pointed out, it is the same pleading a request to overturn the lack of an emergency order. The issues are different. And that's why it went back to the federal judge here. These are issues that were constitutional and issues that there was a violation of the law including the Americans for Disability Act.

The issues were rejected by the same judge here who said once again that there was no likelihood that things would succeed. Then that motion is now being carried to an appeals court. Well, they will reexamine those issues. And of course, it's possible that this could go higher up.

Now as far as the family is concerned, we're told by representatives that they're disappointed are not surprised. They feel that the federal judge last night had really indicated that he was not going to rule in their favor. They're of course, bitterly disappointed in this effort that the appeals court is really, most people would call it in the legal profession, a desperation. But the view of the family and the lawyers is to leave no stone unturned, as life is slipping away from Terri Schiavo.

Meanwhile, here, the protesters are expected to increase in number today. This is Good Friday. This of course, is the most significant, saddest day in the Christian calendar. And many of the people who are people of religion here, expected to mark that in a variety of ways. Making what they consider to be the obvious comparison to the fate of Terri Schiavo, who is just a few feet away in the hospice. And of course, will be entering her second week without nutrition or water -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Meanwhile, Bob, as much as we know what's going on inside the hospice, both family members from the Schindler family and Michael Schiavo visiting Terri Schiavo?

FRANKEN: They do. Michael Schiavo is in control of this. He's the trustee. And the Schindlers, who are the blood relatives, have complained on occasion that they don't have enough time with their daughter. But yes, both are going in. Michael Schiavo stays out of sight, goes in an entrance that's out of camera range. The Schindlers, on the other hand, are in the process of trying to use every public pressure they can on the politicians, are very visibly going in and out.

KAGAN: Bob Franken, live in Pinellas Park. We'll be back with you many times over the course of the morning. Thank you.

Terri Schiavo's siblings say they will not abandon their fight or their hope, as long as their sister clings to life. Her brother and sister sat down late last night with CNN's John Zarrella.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUZANNE VITADAMO, TERRI SCHIAVO'S SISTER: Honestly, she looks like she is in a concentration camp. I mean she's beginning to hollow out. I mean it's just awful. It is awful to have to sit back and watch that -- this process happen to anybody. I mean we live in America. And you know, I'm sitting here; I can't even believe I'm sitting here discussing this. This is sick. So it's horrible.

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: Having to watch my parents go through simply wanting to care for their child and not being able to. I mean 15 years now, particularly these last 13 years, they just simply want to bring their child home and take care of her, make her part of the family again. They're being told that they can't.

And it is something that a lot of people just can't understand. And that's been the difficult part. Not only seeing Terri being abandoned and warehoused for this period of time, but also having to see my parents go through the struggle just to take care of their child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Terri Schiavo's husband, Michael, has been noticeably absent from public view in recent days. His attorney says that Michael Schiavo has been at his wife's bedside since her feeding tube had been removed last Friday. This was what George Felos had to say earlier on "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE FELOS, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S HUSBAND: I spoke with him a few hours ago. That she is resting comfortably. And she appears peaceful. And she's dying. Mrs. Schiavo is in her dying process. And I've heard some people say that this is horrible or barbaric. When patients -- when people die they naturally stop eating. They stop drinking. And Terri is going through what thousands and millions go through during their death process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Felos is also urging Terri Schiavo's family and Florida Governor Bush to end their legal effort. Saying, quote, "We believe it's time for this to stop as we approach the Easter weekend, and that Mrs. Schiavo be able to die in peace."

Police outside of Tampa say that a man tried to rob a gun store so he could launch an armed rescue of Terri Schiavo. The store's owner says that 20-year-old Michael Mitchell was armed with a box cutter and demanded a gun. The owner, however, had a firearm and held him until police arrived. Police say that Mitchell had driven down from Illinois the day before and had visited the hospice that is caring for Schiavo.

And here is another example of climbing tensions as the Schiavo case faces its latest hearing inside the federal courthouse in Tampa. An abandoned knapsack outside that building triggered a swift response. Police cordoned off the area. A bomb squad blew up the bag as a precaution. The woman who had left the pack later confirmed there was nothing dangerous inside.

President Bush letting out -- giving out a statement today from his press secretary, his White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino saying that President Bush is continuing to follow the Terri Schiavo case and being kept apprised of the latest developments regarding Terri Schiavo.

Meanwhile, there is a new poll suggesting that President Bush's outspoken advocacy in the Terri Schiavo case might be hurting his own poll numbers. Let's go ahead and take a look at some of those numbers.

The latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, taken just after he signed the Schiavo bill into law early Monday, Mr. Bush's approval rating has dropped to its lowest level of his presidency. Forty-five percent approve while 49 percent disapprove. The public assessment of his job handling also dropped dramatically. Fifty-two percent had approved Friday to Sunday. Only 44 percent approved the day after his intervention.

The numbers are increasing and parent's concerns are growing. Still to come, more children sickened by an infection possibly picked up from a petting zoo.

Plus, the pope is going high tech for this year's Good Friday Mass. We'll explain.

And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSION)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: This video from one of our crews just a mere few feet away when a car bomb explodes in Iraq. We'll look at how they and U.S. troops narrowly escaped death when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Catholics around the world holding out hope that Pope John Paul II might participate in Good Friday services in some form or another. The pope has made only four brief appearances since leaving the hospital two weeks ago. John Paul II is still recovering from a tracheotomy. He has delegated cardinals to take his place at a number of Holy Week events. There's the chance the hope will make an appearance via video link at this evening's Way of the Cross procession.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: What we're sort of inching into here is a kind of virtual papacy, in which John Paul doesn't appear physically very much. But when he does want to be present to an audience, he can do that through some kind of electronic means. And the most obvious of which is a TV hook-up from his apartment beamed to wherever the event is taking place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Doctors plan to make a final decision on the pope's appearance just before the service begins. John Paul II is expected to bless the crowds at Sunday's Easter service.

Well, it is Good Friday, but is it a Good Friday in terms of the weather? Orelon Sidney taking a look at that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: To central Florida now, nine children are now hospitalized after visiting petting zoos. The children are suffering from a potentially fatal kidney infection most commonly associated with E-coli bacteria. Authorities say the hospitalized children all touched animals recently at area fairs or festivals. One adult has also been diagnosed with the infection. Doctors warn the illness can be spread through household contact.

Of course, eyes glued to Florida in the Terri Schiavo case. Have you thought about what you would do, and how you would want your family to react if you were placed in a similar situation? Still ahead, lessons in the Schiavo case that are prompting people to pen their wishes on paper.

Gerri Willis talked about that earlier in the week. Today though, she has another topic for us.

Hi, Ger.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: hey, there. On a totally different note, today we're talking about vacations. How do you do something interesting and not be snoring bored this summer. We'll show you how when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Since Easter is here, it is time to start planning the family vacation. Maybe your family has outgrown the same old summer vacation, and that it is time to kind of think outside the box a little bit.

Our personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here to help with today's "Top Five Tips."

WILLIS: Hey, good morning, Daryn. Good to see you. Tip No. 1, you want to reach for those stars. If your idea of a great time is going to a national park, you know how hard it is getting in these days. Lots of people want to go there. Here is a great idea if you want to spend just a little bit of money and have a lot of fun.

Go and use one of the National Forest Service Fire Lookouts. Look, they don't even use these things anymore. Technology has become such that they don't even use them to look for fires. They're renting them out for $35 a night. It's a great idea.

Check out lighthouses, too. You can rent those as well on the cheap. And have a great time staying in a lighthouse. Kids would love it. We've got a couple of Web sites here for people to check out. Lighthouse.cc and rhodeislandlighthouse.org. If you're looking for something different, this is the way to go.

KAGAN: The ultimate rooms with a view.

WILLIS: Yes!

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: What if your kids or your family are animal lovers?

WILLIS: If you are an animal lover and you want to get down on the farm, why not check out one of the working farms that runs a bed and breakfast, too? They're all over the place. Really popular, I've got to tell you. You don't even have to do it in this country. You can go to Argentina. You can go to Italy. They're all over the place.

We've got some more web options here for you if you're looking for that. A couple of Web sites you will see here. But it's a great idea especially for kids who maybe haven't spent time in the out of doors. Maybe you live in the city. Pick apples from orchards, do all kinds of fun things.

KAGAN: You mentioned reaching for the stars. Another way to do that is to have a space-themed vacation.

WILLIS: Yes, forget Disney World. Do something a little bit more fun. Take a destination that's really out of this world. Titusville, Florida, it's right on top of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Better yet, the Kennedy Space Center. There are 72 miles of beach and you can see great exhibits at the Kennedy Space Center, including an interactive space flight simulator. Doesn't that sound like fun?

KAGAN: It does. I've been there. It's great

WILLIS: Have you?

KAGAN: Yes. I enjoyed that place.

WILLIS: I'm dying to go there.

KAGAN: Let's put it on the open seas, though.

WILLIS: You can charter a yacht. I know it sounds like something for really wealthy people...

KAGAN: Dahling.

WILLIS: ... but it cost less than you would think. Right? It is not just for Donald Trump. You can spend just $50 a day to get the boat itself. What really costs money is finding its skipper for $150 a day. But then even if you add in, say, a chef to make food for your family and your friends, you're still only talking $200 a day per person, which is about what you would spend on one of the islands. So it's worth thinking about, something different.

KAGAN: This last one, the allure kind of escapes me. My sister and her family just dying to do this.

WILLIS: Oh, really?

KAGAN: Yes.

WILLIS: Hey, I think it sounds like fun. What if you have a tailgate party all over the country? Go to baseball parks all over the country. Visit them one by one and tailgate, and tailgate picnic as you go. It would be a ton of fun. It's truly the American family road trip.

Remember, in Cooperstown, New York, this summer, they're rededicating the National Baseball Hall of Fame there, which is very exciting. If you want to find out more about how to do this, go to baseballtour.com. They'll give you some ideas about how to make this all happen. But I suggest starting in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the first all professional team was formed in 1869. They were called the Red Stockings, and now you know them as simply the Reds.

KAGAN: Back in the day.

WILLIS: Back in the day.

KAGAN: I misunderstood when I was looking at your notes I saw RV, I thought you were talking about a big RV vacation. A ballpark vacation, now, that I could get into.

WILLIS: Doesn't that sound like fun?

KAGAN: Yes. That does sound like fun.

WILLIS: Definitely.

KAGAN: Gerri, thank you for that. You have a great holiday weekend.

WILLIS: You too.

KAGAN: We're going to get back to the Terri Schiavo story just ahead. An important lesson being learned in the wake of the Terri Schiavo case is still ahead. Have you discussed your last wishes with your family? And why going beyond the talking stage is so important.

Plus, one of our reporters is on the front lines. You want to watch this. A car explodes in Iraq. How she managed to help her photographer and record what happened all at the same time. That story when we return.

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KAGAN: We're coming up on the half hour, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here is a look at what's happening in the news.

Attorneys for the parents of Terri Schiavo have filed another emergency appeal to the 11-Circuit Court here in Atlanta. Earlier this morning, a federal judge in Tampa rejected a request to have Schiavo's feeding tube restored.

Stay with CNN for the very latest developments. Just ahead, we're going review the facts of the case.

Iowa authorities have issued an Amber Alert for a 10-year-old mentally challenged girl. Jetseta Marie Gage reportedly was taken from home by a family acquaintance. Authorities identified the suspect as Roger P. Bentley, a registered sex offender. Police are searching for a 1982 black and silver Datsun king cab with a silver cap, license number 392MIZ.

In Rome, Pope John Paul II is not expected to make any public appearances this Good Friday, despite the day's enormous significance to Christians. The pope is still recovering from illness and surgery. His participation in the annual Way of the Cross procession may be limited to a videotaped greeting to his flock.

Good Friday observances in the Philippines tend to be more literal than any other place. Those seeking penance are known to have themselves physically nailed to wooden crosses. Others choose to participate in public displays of self-flagellation.

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