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American Morning
Missing Florida Girl; New ID Theft Cases; Grotto of St. Peter's Basilica now Open to Public
Aired April 13, 2005 - 08:59 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Samples of a virus that killed a million people decades ago have been shipped to labs across the world. Now the rush is on to destroy a potential killer.
More Americans than ever exposed to identity theft. This morning, Congress is looking for a way to fight back.
And another search going on in Florida for a missing 13-year-old girl. Police now checking on the two dozen sex offenders who live nearby on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. 9:00 here in New York.
Good morning again to you.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
HEMMER: We are watching the Vatican again this hour. Pope John Paul II's crypt is now open for public viewing. I'll have a report in a moment from the Vatican on this quiet and rather humble resting place, where thousands are coming yet again today. We'll get you to Italy in a moment.
O'BRIEN: No surprise at those big lines there, huh?
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Also, what happens next in the case of those three men who have been arrested for plotting terrorist attacks in New York and New Jersey? They're in custody in England, but could they have collaborators here in the U.S.? This morning, we talk with New York police commissioner Ray Kelly about that.
HEMMER: Also, Jack Cafferty is back.
What's happening?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Apparently, they have a surplus of feral cats in the state of Wisconsin, and the people have voted to allow the hunting of these furry little critters. The folks have said it's all right; they've put them basically in the same category as gophers or skunks, kind of like vermin. And the state hasn't said OK yet. But it looks like it might be on the way.
Should they be allowed to hunt cats in Wisconsin? AM@CNN.com. Lots of mail, very emotional topic.
HEMMER: I know where you vote.
O'BRIEN: Most of it running against the...
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Most, but not all. And people -- a lot of people live in rural areas on farms and stuff say the feral cat population's a problem, it's uncontrolled. Not everybody has the time or money or the wherewithal to go out and trap them and get them neutered and do all the things you have to do to try to control the population. So, you know -- but, yes, the majority vote of the mail is on the side of the little putty tats.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Carol's got the headlines.
Good morning, again.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, I can see why. Because, you know, my cat is sick now. She's in an oxygen tank.
O'BRIEN: No.
CAFFERTY: What's the matter with her?
COSTELLO: Kidney disease.
CAFFERTY: Oh really? How old is she?
O'BRIEN: My cat had that, too.
COSTELLO: She's 12.
CAFFERTY: Oh, well, she's getting along, as they say. That's too bad.
COSTELLO: Yes, she is. I know.
CAFFERTY: Can she get a transplant?
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: I don't mean to laugh. It just sounds...
COSTELLO: Hemmer will volunteer one of his kidneys. We'll get a transplant.
COSTELLO: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: You're quite the guy, Bill.
CAFFERTY: What a guy you are, Bill.
HEMMER: Carol, I am here for you.
COSTELLO: Thanks, Bill.
O'BRIEN: We have gotten so off the track. And we've got a lot to talk about this morning.
COSTELLO: We certainly have. We do.
Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," insurgents in Baghdad launching at least three bombing attacks. It all happened within the span of two hours.
The apparent targets, American military convoys. No word on U.S. casualties, but at least eight Iraqis were injured in this attack.
Eric Robert Rudolph is set to make the first of two court appearances any moment now in Birmingham, Alabama. Rudolph is expected to plead guilty to a total of four bombings today, including the deadly 1998 attack at a Birmingham abortion clinic. He later heads to Atlanta for an afternoon hearing. It's all part of a plea deal that spares Rudolph from the death penalty.
Lab workers are scrambling to destroy vials of a potentially dangerous flu strain from the 1950s. The samples were sent to dozens of labs in the United States, Canada and 16 other countries for testing by mistake. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control say there is little health risk to the public. But they want those vials destroyed.
And get this. A whale sighting has marine experts scratching their heads this morning because the whale is in Trenton, New Jersey.
Take a look. It seems a beluga whale has wandered some 80 miles from the ocean into the Delaware River. Officials will try to figure out what to do next about this 10 to 12-foot whale.
Somehow they have to get him back out to sea. And they're also warning boaters to avoid the whale.
Can you imagine that?
O'BRIEN: That's got to be a shocker to see that in the Delaware River.
HEMMER: No question.
O'BRIEN: Yes. HEMMER: Yes.
COSTELLO: So our best to the whale and to my cat.
HEMMER: Yes, and your cat. We're thinking about your cat.
COSTELLO: I know.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.
Want to get to Florida right now. There's a developing story right now in the Sunshine State, the search for a missing girl.
She's 13. Her name is Sarah Lunde. Her brother last saw her at home on Saturday night, but when he came home Sunday morning, he found the front door open and his sister gone. Police are on a large-scale search to find her.
The latest from Steve Russell. He's with our affiliate Bay News 9 in Ruskin, Florida.
What are police saying there, Steve?
STEVE RUSSELL, REPORTER, BAY NEWS 9: Good morning, Bill.
There is another massive effort going on this morning here in Ruskin, Florida. A number of deputies, 80 from the Hillsboro County Sheriff's Department, took off about 6:30 -- 6:00 a.m. this morning to conduct a ground search.
They are being followed in about two hours -- being followed by 50 volunteers from this area. An incredible effort; a number of people coming out here.
As you mentioned, Lunde went missing early Sunday morning. Her mother reported her missing on Monday afternoon because she is used to seeing her daughter take off for a couple of hours and then come back.
Well, she didn't come back until late -- has not come back since. So that is when she contacted local authorities. That is when a massive search went under way late this afternoon.
That involved about 50 deputies from this area, and also about 30 volunteers. Once again, they got going again at 6:00 a.m. this morning with another massive ground search. More mounted units will be coming out late this afternoon.
Another angle about this is the fact that there are 24 sex offenders in the Ruskin area. Local authorities have contacted 23 of them. One is believed to be out of state and believed to have left this area before Sarah went missing.
Another sexual offender in this area has close contacts with the family. They have interviewed this man extensively, and they say they are continuing to interview this man as far as Lunde's whereabouts. They are right now conducting a search that is about a three-mile area here in Ruskin, and they will continue to find -- until they see anything, any sign of Lunde -- Bill.
HEMMER: Steve, no Amber Alert, right?
RUSSELL: That's right. They have...
HEMMER: And why not?
RUSSELL: They have -- we are being told they have told the National Missing and Exploited Children about this case. That is all that we've been told right now, that's who they have contacted.
HEMMER: OK. Steve Russell on the story there in Florida. Thanks for the update there -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Bill, the Senate beginning hearings within the hour into a growing concern for consumers, identity theft. It comes amid news of a major security breach at personal data firm LexisNexis. Deborah Feyerick takes a look at this troubling trend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You may never have heard about ChoicePoint, may not know about LexisNexis, but chances are they know about you. Not just your name, but where you live, what you buy, your driver's license and Social Security number. In short, they know just about everything.
MARK RASCH, SOLUTIONARY INC.: Every place you've ever lived, every address, everything you've ever owned in terms of real estate, every time you've been sued, all that information is collected.
FEYERICK: Databases are huge businesses, buying and selling your personal details to virtually anyone who wants to make sure your credit's good, like stores, credit rating agencies, even potential employers. And companies buy and sell your information not just in the United States but around the world, making identity theft a global problem.
(on camera): How serious of a problem is this?
KEVIN BARROWS, RENAISSANCE ASSOCIATES: It's a very serious problem. And it's growing every year. You know, the greater technology becomes, and the more advanced technology becomes, the greater the risk, of course. The greater the criminal element becomes.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Kevin Barrows cracked his first big computer hacking case as an FBI agent. He says, if you think this doesn't apply to you, think again. Because if you've ever had a job, owned a home, rented a car, gone to college, used a credit card or paid a bill, you're in a database. And once you're in, there's no way out. And it can be virtually impossible to stop others who want to know about you and hide behind your identity.
BARROWS: The realities are it's not just financial loss that you have to be concerned with identity theft. It's terrorism, it's the ability to get into this country by using someone else's identification. It's the ability to commit crimes under someone else's name. And there are hundreds of thousands of stories of people who have been victimized in this way.
FEYERICK: Last year, the Federal Trade Commission received over 635,000 complaints of consumer fraud and identity theft. And the thing about identity, once it's gone, it's up to you to get it back.
RASCH: It's really, really difficult for people to be able to prove to banks and insurance companies and other entities that, whoever it was who charged these accounts or created these false identities, wasn't you. And getting your own identity back is very, very difficult to do.
FEYERICK: LexisNexis says it's sending out letters to everyone affected. But except in California, there are no laws forcing companies to tell you if someone's accessed your identity.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Despite these troubling headlines, there are steps that you can take to make sure that you're not a victim of identity theft. CNN's Valerie Morris has some tips on how to protect your privacy.
Good morning. Nice to see you.
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Good to see you.
O'BRIEN: Glad you got the memo to wear coral this morning.
MORRIS: Aren't we -- maybe this is the optimistic color as we try and help consumers.
O'BRIEN: It's spring, it's spring!
Let's get right to what the government is doing first. They're having hearings today, but how are they helping consumers, who, it sounds like from Deborah, that really at the end of the day are stuck holding the ball on this?
MORRIS: And you really are. You are an innocent person. You are a victim.
It is a national crime. It is huge, it is growing. About 500,000 to 700,000 people every year become victims of identity theft.
As Deborah was saying, so the government is now trying to step in. Here's my question. It's almost like closing the gate after the horse has gone out of the corral. Getting your identity back is a very difficult thing.
What these Senate hearings are gong to attempt to do is make sure that Social Security numbers can no longer be sold. Because, as you know, you go on the Internet, you can find anybody's Social Security number. And with those nine digits, that's the key to your life.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
MORRIS: And it's a financial thumbprint that these companies, ChoicePoint, and now LexisNexis, has on everyone. Everything that you've done is there in your financial thumbprint that now can be taken by someone else.
O'BRIEN: Plus, the government moves pretty slowly.
MORRIS: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: So what can you do now to protect yourself before the government does whatever it's going to do?
MORRIS: The single most important thing that everyone needs to do is get their credit reports. We say this all the time.
People go, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll get it." It's a new year's resolution. Do it that way.
And now there are new laws that are rolling out across the country, where you'll be able to get them for free. So it's no longer even $40 to get all three reports. It's priceless.
Get the reports every year. With the heightened identity theft problem, maybe twice a year. Read them. Contest anything on there that is not accurate.
The other thing, make sure that your mail -- you're receiving your mail. If you start missing bills, that's a red flag.
You should also make sure that if, in fact, you are the victim, you call the three credit reporting bureaus, Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, and ask them to issue a fraud alert. This is critically important. That means anyone who is going to start new credit in your name must contact your personally by phone before they do that, and that's the way to start cutting the circuit.
O'BRIEN: Really scary stuff. All right. Thank you very much, Valerie Morris, CNN. Nice to have you -- Bill.
HEMMER: With just days now until the cardinals and the Vatican start meeting to elect the next pope, pilgrims are getting another chance today to pay their own respects to Pope John Paul II, his grave site, his tomb. And the grotto of St. Peter's Basilica is now open to the public.
Chris Burns is live again in Rome with more there.
Chris, hello.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, you know, over my shoulder there are thousands of pilgrims who are here, streaming into St. Peter's. And some 10,000 are expected at least today. They're going through there.
Some are going into the grotto. Some came out telling us, "Well, the lines are just too long. We're not going to go down there." But we have seen some people who have gone through and have been visibly moved, tears coming down their eyes.
So it is quite an emotional event for quite a few people. And many here who are not among those estimated 1.3 million people who were able to view the body of the pope as he lay in state. Before these doors were open to the general public there were some VIPs that got a chance to visit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BURNS (voice-over): In the crypt of St. Peter's, the most powerful men of the Catholic Church bow and pray before their late leader before electing the next one. Compared to other popes' ornate sarcophagi, John Paul II chose a humble place in the ground, under a simple marble slab with his name in gold Latin letters, Joannes Paulus II.
After the cardinals paid their respects, the doors of the crypt opened to the public. Thousands of faithful line up for a glimpse.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very quiet, very reverent, respectful, eager, eager, to see this wonderful pope.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My heart was racing a mile a minute. It was nice. Nice. Good feeling, good, warm feeling.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You could feel the respect, even during the queue.
BURNS: Though the tomb is simple, its location befits such an influential pontiff. This spot was occupied by the tomb of Pope John XXIII, whom John Paul II canonize and placed in the basilica above. He lies just steps from where Catholics believe St. Peter was crucified and his bones are kept.
For the next pope, the cloth is already cut. The tailor commissioned by the Vatican has made three different sizes of papal vestments. He, like the rest of the world, can only speculate over who among the cardinals is papabali (ph), or pope-worthy, among all those red robes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNS: Speculation, take a look at the headline of one of the newspapers today. "Il Tempo" is conservative newspaper saying it's down to Cardinal Ratzinger, who is the number two here, the dean of the College of Cardinals, as well as Cardinal Sodano, who is the secretary of state here, essentially the foreign minister.
Those two being number two and three here at the Vatican. Some say it could come down to a vote among them, at least in the beginning. But it's not a shoo-in -- Bill. HEMMER: As they say, you go in a pope, you come out a cardinal. We'll see. Thank you, Chris.
BURNS: That's right.
HEMMER: Back in the U.S. right now. Watching the weather. Again, here is Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: The mother of Michael Jackson's accuser may take the stand as early as today. But will her past keep her from testifying ultimately? Jeff Toobin stops by for a look at that.
O'BRIEN: And in this morning's "House Call," separating truth from fiction when it comes to those silicone breast implants. A look at both the risks and some misconceptions as well. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Right about 17 minutes past the hour now.
Want to update you on a dramatic story out of Germany yesterday. We were talking about it this time on Tuesday.
A knife-wielding man kidnapped four girls on their way home from school, held them hostage for about five hours. Now that man is in custody. The girls are free.
This, after police sneaked into the home where the girls are being held and nabbed the man. The girls, a 16-year-old, three girls age 11, are said to be doing just fine. And one sustained a superficial knife wound. The police say the suspect, who has a history of psychological problems, is an Iranian asylum seeker, who has been in Germany dating back to the early 1990s.
It all ends there -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Now to the Michael Jackson trial. The mother of Michael Jackson's accuser is expected to testify at the singer's child molestation trial. But could her testimony be more damaging to the prosecution than the defense?
Joining us to talk a little bit more about that trial is our senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin.
Good morning.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: So much to cover, and we haven't really talked about it together for a while. So let's get right to it.
There were many questions at first whether or not the mother would be on the stand in the first place. And now the prosecution says that they want to limit her testimony. So that sounds like she could be on the stand.
TOOBIN: You bet they do.
O'BRIEN: Sounds like that she could be on the stand as early as this week. It sounds more...
TOOBIN: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: ... solid. But why limit the testimony?
TOOBIN: Well, she has led a colorful life, to say the least.
O'BRIEN: In the bad way colorful.
TOOBIN: In the bad way colorful. I mean, the prosecutor, Tom Sneddon, in his opening statement, more or less admitted that she committed welfare fraud.
She filed this almost certainly dubious lawsuit against JC Penney. She's made unfounded accusations apparently against lots of people in her life.
The whole theory of the defense in this case is that this mother is, more or less, a professional grifter who seizes on targets to get money, and Michael Jackson was only her latest target. So she's a central figure to the defense.
She's also an important figure to the prosecution, because she is the witness who will establish, says the prosecution, that Jackson and his confederates sort of kidnapped her and forced her and her family to -- you know, essentially kidnapped her after the Martin Bashir documentary was on and they wanted to control what the family said.
O'BRIEN: So do you think -- I mean, earlier we were saying that this woman's credibility is the key to the case. If she can't make the case, then the whole thing falls apart. I mean, whoever wins is going to win on her testimony.
But as we've had more people testify, and as we've had some of the prior bad acts, allegations of bad acts, you know, making some pretty incredible testimony over the last week or so, do you think that her testimony actually becomes a little less relevant?
TOOBIN: Well, I think the prosecution, you know, got a big break by the judge letting in all the evidence of the -- of the other supposed bad accounts acts, other acts of molestation. That does limit the mother's testimony somewhat.
What's so peculiar and what's so hard to, you know, predict about that prior testimony -- the act -- the prior bad act testimony, is that a lot of the witnesses who put it in were simply awful witnesses, people who sold money -- who sold their stories to the tabloids, who sued Jackson unsuccessfully. You know, people who lied about it before. Just...
O'BRIEN: There are slime balls all over this case. TOOBIN: ... terrible. But the jury may say, you know, they can't all be lying. Where there's smoke, there's fire. And I do think that helps the prosecution and limits the importance of the mother.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the stepfather who was on the stand. And I know that the defense, the job of the defense was to make it seem that he was, like the mother, they're going to allege, out for the money.
TOOBIN: Correct.
O'BRIEN: How do you think he did?
TOOBIN: Well, I think he did pretty well, but he didn't really know that much. I mean, he wasn't that much of a central figure.
He didn't deal with Jackson directly. He didn't know exactly what the dealings were with Jackson. And he mostly just dealt with his now wife, the mother of the accuser.
The prosecution did pretty well with him. But he's not the main event. The main event is the mother.
O'BRIEN: Do you think the prosecution is winning this case now, or is it the defense that's ahead?
TOOBIN: Boy, that is so hard to judge. I mean, I really am going to have to weasel out of that because it's just not -- I don't know what the jury made of this prior act testimony. They may simply say, look, they've got a weak case...
O'BRIEN: It's was certainly salacious.
TOOBIN: It was very salacious. But so was the cross- examination.
I mean, these witnesses were awful. I mean, really terrible people. But there were several of them and, you know, the jury may say, sure, they're bad people but, you know, can they all be lying?
O'BRIEN: Who knows what's going to happen.
TOOBIN: Not me.
O'BRIEN: Not going out on a limb, this morning at least.
TOOBIN: Not yet, right.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jeff.
TOOBIN: OK.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: In a moment here, police in a major U.S. city launching a campaign against crime. But will their 90-second DVD help turn the tide? That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Tomorrow on AMERICAN MORNING, former football and baseball star Bo Jackson. He's suing a newspaper over a report that he used steroids. The paper's apologized, made a retraction, but Jackson says that's not enough. He's going to tell us why, tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
CAFFERTY: Bo's going to have himself a newspaper.
HEMMER: Well, we'll see what Bo knows then.
O'BRIEN: Yes, he's going to own that paper, "The Jackson Times," pretty soon.
CAFFERTY: Yes. Well, tough stuff.
So, up there in Wisconsin, they've -- some of the people up there voted to allow hunting of cats in the state. It's not legal yet. But the first steps have been taken to designate feral cats as unprotected species, like skunks or gophers. Which means that any domestic cat without a collar that's not under the owner's direct control could be fair game for hunters.
One animal advocates' group says there are 80 million stray cats in the United States, which is about as many as there are pets.
The "Question of the Day" is this: Should Wisconsin legalize cat hunting?
Jerry in Georgia writes, "Yes, feral cats should be fair game, but only in state hunting preserves. These dangerous animals should be hunted down by real men and not allowed to fall prey to neighborhood kids. Wouldn't a stuffed Tom look great mounted on the wall?"
Christopher in Maryland, "Cat hunting seems a little extreme. I hope there's a provision in that bill to nail to the wall anyone who accidentally shoots someone's house cat. Did they think about catching and neutering strays? My community's done that and the stray population went down substantially."
Rick in Kansas writes, "Spaying and neutering will not stop these cats from killing. In addition to song and game birds, these cats often destroy poultry raised on farms. So some farmers shoot them on sight now. If hunting's regulated, it will only be allowed outside city limits, so city folks shouldn't have to worry about their pets."
And John in Wisconsin -- in Wisconsin -- writes, "The problem here in Wisconsin is that since gas prices have gotten so high, we're not driving our SUVs as much. The result is fewer flattened cats on our highways. If gas prices come down, we won't have to hunt the cats."
HEMMER: Oh, yes. That's a great point, John. You know, I think he hammered it home.
Did you say 80 million...
CAFFERTY: They call them cheeseheads for a reason.
HEMMER: You've got that right. Did you say 80 million stray cats? Come on.
CAFFERTY: That's what some animal advocacy...
HEMMER: Eighty million?
CAFFERTY: I don't know. That's just what they say here.
O'BRIEN: They don't last...
CAFFERTY: One animal advocacy group estimates there are 80 million stray cats in the United States. I mean, that seems like a big number to me, too. But that's what it says here.
O'BRIEN: I like all the sarcasm in most of those notes.
CAFFERTY: I do, too. I wouldn't come in here if I couldn't read the ones that weren't funny or sarcastic.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Somebody else said sailor cats, that sailor cats are the ones that are run over on the road and then when they dry enough you can pick them up and sail them into the cornfield -- sailor cats.
O'BRIEN: Oh, I'm glad we took that extra moment to get that in.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: More AMERICAN MORNING coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Ahead on "90-second Pop," Britney's got a baby on board. The pop star responds to tabloid rumors with a big announcement.
Plus, "The Emancipation of Mimi." After years of bad press, Mariah Carey is back with a new album. Is it a hit or a miss?
That's later on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired April 13, 2005 - 08:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Samples of a virus that killed a million people decades ago have been shipped to labs across the world. Now the rush is on to destroy a potential killer.
More Americans than ever exposed to identity theft. This morning, Congress is looking for a way to fight back.
And another search going on in Florida for a missing 13-year-old girl. Police now checking on the two dozen sex offenders who live nearby on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. 9:00 here in New York.
Good morning again to you.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
HEMMER: We are watching the Vatican again this hour. Pope John Paul II's crypt is now open for public viewing. I'll have a report in a moment from the Vatican on this quiet and rather humble resting place, where thousands are coming yet again today. We'll get you to Italy in a moment.
O'BRIEN: No surprise at those big lines there, huh?
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Also, what happens next in the case of those three men who have been arrested for plotting terrorist attacks in New York and New Jersey? They're in custody in England, but could they have collaborators here in the U.S.? This morning, we talk with New York police commissioner Ray Kelly about that.
HEMMER: Also, Jack Cafferty is back.
What's happening?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Apparently, they have a surplus of feral cats in the state of Wisconsin, and the people have voted to allow the hunting of these furry little critters. The folks have said it's all right; they've put them basically in the same category as gophers or skunks, kind of like vermin. And the state hasn't said OK yet. But it looks like it might be on the way.
Should they be allowed to hunt cats in Wisconsin? AM@CNN.com. Lots of mail, very emotional topic.
HEMMER: I know where you vote.
O'BRIEN: Most of it running against the...
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Most, but not all. And people -- a lot of people live in rural areas on farms and stuff say the feral cat population's a problem, it's uncontrolled. Not everybody has the time or money or the wherewithal to go out and trap them and get them neutered and do all the things you have to do to try to control the population. So, you know -- but, yes, the majority vote of the mail is on the side of the little putty tats.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Carol's got the headlines.
Good morning, again.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, I can see why. Because, you know, my cat is sick now. She's in an oxygen tank.
O'BRIEN: No.
CAFFERTY: What's the matter with her?
COSTELLO: Kidney disease.
CAFFERTY: Oh really? How old is she?
O'BRIEN: My cat had that, too.
COSTELLO: She's 12.
CAFFERTY: Oh, well, she's getting along, as they say. That's too bad.
COSTELLO: Yes, she is. I know.
CAFFERTY: Can she get a transplant?
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: I don't mean to laugh. It just sounds...
COSTELLO: Hemmer will volunteer one of his kidneys. We'll get a transplant.
COSTELLO: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: You're quite the guy, Bill.
CAFFERTY: What a guy you are, Bill.
HEMMER: Carol, I am here for you.
COSTELLO: Thanks, Bill.
O'BRIEN: We have gotten so off the track. And we've got a lot to talk about this morning.
COSTELLO: We certainly have. We do.
Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," insurgents in Baghdad launching at least three bombing attacks. It all happened within the span of two hours.
The apparent targets, American military convoys. No word on U.S. casualties, but at least eight Iraqis were injured in this attack.
Eric Robert Rudolph is set to make the first of two court appearances any moment now in Birmingham, Alabama. Rudolph is expected to plead guilty to a total of four bombings today, including the deadly 1998 attack at a Birmingham abortion clinic. He later heads to Atlanta for an afternoon hearing. It's all part of a plea deal that spares Rudolph from the death penalty.
Lab workers are scrambling to destroy vials of a potentially dangerous flu strain from the 1950s. The samples were sent to dozens of labs in the United States, Canada and 16 other countries for testing by mistake. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control say there is little health risk to the public. But they want those vials destroyed.
And get this. A whale sighting has marine experts scratching their heads this morning because the whale is in Trenton, New Jersey.
Take a look. It seems a beluga whale has wandered some 80 miles from the ocean into the Delaware River. Officials will try to figure out what to do next about this 10 to 12-foot whale.
Somehow they have to get him back out to sea. And they're also warning boaters to avoid the whale.
Can you imagine that?
O'BRIEN: That's got to be a shocker to see that in the Delaware River.
HEMMER: No question.
O'BRIEN: Yes. HEMMER: Yes.
COSTELLO: So our best to the whale and to my cat.
HEMMER: Yes, and your cat. We're thinking about your cat.
COSTELLO: I know.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.
Want to get to Florida right now. There's a developing story right now in the Sunshine State, the search for a missing girl.
She's 13. Her name is Sarah Lunde. Her brother last saw her at home on Saturday night, but when he came home Sunday morning, he found the front door open and his sister gone. Police are on a large-scale search to find her.
The latest from Steve Russell. He's with our affiliate Bay News 9 in Ruskin, Florida.
What are police saying there, Steve?
STEVE RUSSELL, REPORTER, BAY NEWS 9: Good morning, Bill.
There is another massive effort going on this morning here in Ruskin, Florida. A number of deputies, 80 from the Hillsboro County Sheriff's Department, took off about 6:30 -- 6:00 a.m. this morning to conduct a ground search.
They are being followed in about two hours -- being followed by 50 volunteers from this area. An incredible effort; a number of people coming out here.
As you mentioned, Lunde went missing early Sunday morning. Her mother reported her missing on Monday afternoon because she is used to seeing her daughter take off for a couple of hours and then come back.
Well, she didn't come back until late -- has not come back since. So that is when she contacted local authorities. That is when a massive search went under way late this afternoon.
That involved about 50 deputies from this area, and also about 30 volunteers. Once again, they got going again at 6:00 a.m. this morning with another massive ground search. More mounted units will be coming out late this afternoon.
Another angle about this is the fact that there are 24 sex offenders in the Ruskin area. Local authorities have contacted 23 of them. One is believed to be out of state and believed to have left this area before Sarah went missing.
Another sexual offender in this area has close contacts with the family. They have interviewed this man extensively, and they say they are continuing to interview this man as far as Lunde's whereabouts. They are right now conducting a search that is about a three-mile area here in Ruskin, and they will continue to find -- until they see anything, any sign of Lunde -- Bill.
HEMMER: Steve, no Amber Alert, right?
RUSSELL: That's right. They have...
HEMMER: And why not?
RUSSELL: They have -- we are being told they have told the National Missing and Exploited Children about this case. That is all that we've been told right now, that's who they have contacted.
HEMMER: OK. Steve Russell on the story there in Florida. Thanks for the update there -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Bill, the Senate beginning hearings within the hour into a growing concern for consumers, identity theft. It comes amid news of a major security breach at personal data firm LexisNexis. Deborah Feyerick takes a look at this troubling trend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You may never have heard about ChoicePoint, may not know about LexisNexis, but chances are they know about you. Not just your name, but where you live, what you buy, your driver's license and Social Security number. In short, they know just about everything.
MARK RASCH, SOLUTIONARY INC.: Every place you've ever lived, every address, everything you've ever owned in terms of real estate, every time you've been sued, all that information is collected.
FEYERICK: Databases are huge businesses, buying and selling your personal details to virtually anyone who wants to make sure your credit's good, like stores, credit rating agencies, even potential employers. And companies buy and sell your information not just in the United States but around the world, making identity theft a global problem.
(on camera): How serious of a problem is this?
KEVIN BARROWS, RENAISSANCE ASSOCIATES: It's a very serious problem. And it's growing every year. You know, the greater technology becomes, and the more advanced technology becomes, the greater the risk, of course. The greater the criminal element becomes.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Kevin Barrows cracked his first big computer hacking case as an FBI agent. He says, if you think this doesn't apply to you, think again. Because if you've ever had a job, owned a home, rented a car, gone to college, used a credit card or paid a bill, you're in a database. And once you're in, there's no way out. And it can be virtually impossible to stop others who want to know about you and hide behind your identity.
BARROWS: The realities are it's not just financial loss that you have to be concerned with identity theft. It's terrorism, it's the ability to get into this country by using someone else's identification. It's the ability to commit crimes under someone else's name. And there are hundreds of thousands of stories of people who have been victimized in this way.
FEYERICK: Last year, the Federal Trade Commission received over 635,000 complaints of consumer fraud and identity theft. And the thing about identity, once it's gone, it's up to you to get it back.
RASCH: It's really, really difficult for people to be able to prove to banks and insurance companies and other entities that, whoever it was who charged these accounts or created these false identities, wasn't you. And getting your own identity back is very, very difficult to do.
FEYERICK: LexisNexis says it's sending out letters to everyone affected. But except in California, there are no laws forcing companies to tell you if someone's accessed your identity.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Despite these troubling headlines, there are steps that you can take to make sure that you're not a victim of identity theft. CNN's Valerie Morris has some tips on how to protect your privacy.
Good morning. Nice to see you.
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Good to see you.
O'BRIEN: Glad you got the memo to wear coral this morning.
MORRIS: Aren't we -- maybe this is the optimistic color as we try and help consumers.
O'BRIEN: It's spring, it's spring!
Let's get right to what the government is doing first. They're having hearings today, but how are they helping consumers, who, it sounds like from Deborah, that really at the end of the day are stuck holding the ball on this?
MORRIS: And you really are. You are an innocent person. You are a victim.
It is a national crime. It is huge, it is growing. About 500,000 to 700,000 people every year become victims of identity theft.
As Deborah was saying, so the government is now trying to step in. Here's my question. It's almost like closing the gate after the horse has gone out of the corral. Getting your identity back is a very difficult thing.
What these Senate hearings are gong to attempt to do is make sure that Social Security numbers can no longer be sold. Because, as you know, you go on the Internet, you can find anybody's Social Security number. And with those nine digits, that's the key to your life.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
MORRIS: And it's a financial thumbprint that these companies, ChoicePoint, and now LexisNexis, has on everyone. Everything that you've done is there in your financial thumbprint that now can be taken by someone else.
O'BRIEN: Plus, the government moves pretty slowly.
MORRIS: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: So what can you do now to protect yourself before the government does whatever it's going to do?
MORRIS: The single most important thing that everyone needs to do is get their credit reports. We say this all the time.
People go, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll get it." It's a new year's resolution. Do it that way.
And now there are new laws that are rolling out across the country, where you'll be able to get them for free. So it's no longer even $40 to get all three reports. It's priceless.
Get the reports every year. With the heightened identity theft problem, maybe twice a year. Read them. Contest anything on there that is not accurate.
The other thing, make sure that your mail -- you're receiving your mail. If you start missing bills, that's a red flag.
You should also make sure that if, in fact, you are the victim, you call the three credit reporting bureaus, Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, and ask them to issue a fraud alert. This is critically important. That means anyone who is going to start new credit in your name must contact your personally by phone before they do that, and that's the way to start cutting the circuit.
O'BRIEN: Really scary stuff. All right. Thank you very much, Valerie Morris, CNN. Nice to have you -- Bill.
HEMMER: With just days now until the cardinals and the Vatican start meeting to elect the next pope, pilgrims are getting another chance today to pay their own respects to Pope John Paul II, his grave site, his tomb. And the grotto of St. Peter's Basilica is now open to the public.
Chris Burns is live again in Rome with more there.
Chris, hello.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, you know, over my shoulder there are thousands of pilgrims who are here, streaming into St. Peter's. And some 10,000 are expected at least today. They're going through there.
Some are going into the grotto. Some came out telling us, "Well, the lines are just too long. We're not going to go down there." But we have seen some people who have gone through and have been visibly moved, tears coming down their eyes.
So it is quite an emotional event for quite a few people. And many here who are not among those estimated 1.3 million people who were able to view the body of the pope as he lay in state. Before these doors were open to the general public there were some VIPs that got a chance to visit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BURNS (voice-over): In the crypt of St. Peter's, the most powerful men of the Catholic Church bow and pray before their late leader before electing the next one. Compared to other popes' ornate sarcophagi, John Paul II chose a humble place in the ground, under a simple marble slab with his name in gold Latin letters, Joannes Paulus II.
After the cardinals paid their respects, the doors of the crypt opened to the public. Thousands of faithful line up for a glimpse.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very quiet, very reverent, respectful, eager, eager, to see this wonderful pope.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My heart was racing a mile a minute. It was nice. Nice. Good feeling, good, warm feeling.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You could feel the respect, even during the queue.
BURNS: Though the tomb is simple, its location befits such an influential pontiff. This spot was occupied by the tomb of Pope John XXIII, whom John Paul II canonize and placed in the basilica above. He lies just steps from where Catholics believe St. Peter was crucified and his bones are kept.
For the next pope, the cloth is already cut. The tailor commissioned by the Vatican has made three different sizes of papal vestments. He, like the rest of the world, can only speculate over who among the cardinals is papabali (ph), or pope-worthy, among all those red robes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNS: Speculation, take a look at the headline of one of the newspapers today. "Il Tempo" is conservative newspaper saying it's down to Cardinal Ratzinger, who is the number two here, the dean of the College of Cardinals, as well as Cardinal Sodano, who is the secretary of state here, essentially the foreign minister.
Those two being number two and three here at the Vatican. Some say it could come down to a vote among them, at least in the beginning. But it's not a shoo-in -- Bill. HEMMER: As they say, you go in a pope, you come out a cardinal. We'll see. Thank you, Chris.
BURNS: That's right.
HEMMER: Back in the U.S. right now. Watching the weather. Again, here is Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: The mother of Michael Jackson's accuser may take the stand as early as today. But will her past keep her from testifying ultimately? Jeff Toobin stops by for a look at that.
O'BRIEN: And in this morning's "House Call," separating truth from fiction when it comes to those silicone breast implants. A look at both the risks and some misconceptions as well. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Right about 17 minutes past the hour now.
Want to update you on a dramatic story out of Germany yesterday. We were talking about it this time on Tuesday.
A knife-wielding man kidnapped four girls on their way home from school, held them hostage for about five hours. Now that man is in custody. The girls are free.
This, after police sneaked into the home where the girls are being held and nabbed the man. The girls, a 16-year-old, three girls age 11, are said to be doing just fine. And one sustained a superficial knife wound. The police say the suspect, who has a history of psychological problems, is an Iranian asylum seeker, who has been in Germany dating back to the early 1990s.
It all ends there -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Now to the Michael Jackson trial. The mother of Michael Jackson's accuser is expected to testify at the singer's child molestation trial. But could her testimony be more damaging to the prosecution than the defense?
Joining us to talk a little bit more about that trial is our senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin.
Good morning.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: So much to cover, and we haven't really talked about it together for a while. So let's get right to it.
There were many questions at first whether or not the mother would be on the stand in the first place. And now the prosecution says that they want to limit her testimony. So that sounds like she could be on the stand.
TOOBIN: You bet they do.
O'BRIEN: Sounds like that she could be on the stand as early as this week. It sounds more...
TOOBIN: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: ... solid. But why limit the testimony?
TOOBIN: Well, she has led a colorful life, to say the least.
O'BRIEN: In the bad way colorful.
TOOBIN: In the bad way colorful. I mean, the prosecutor, Tom Sneddon, in his opening statement, more or less admitted that she committed welfare fraud.
She filed this almost certainly dubious lawsuit against JC Penney. She's made unfounded accusations apparently against lots of people in her life.
The whole theory of the defense in this case is that this mother is, more or less, a professional grifter who seizes on targets to get money, and Michael Jackson was only her latest target. So she's a central figure to the defense.
She's also an important figure to the prosecution, because she is the witness who will establish, says the prosecution, that Jackson and his confederates sort of kidnapped her and forced her and her family to -- you know, essentially kidnapped her after the Martin Bashir documentary was on and they wanted to control what the family said.
O'BRIEN: So do you think -- I mean, earlier we were saying that this woman's credibility is the key to the case. If she can't make the case, then the whole thing falls apart. I mean, whoever wins is going to win on her testimony.
But as we've had more people testify, and as we've had some of the prior bad acts, allegations of bad acts, you know, making some pretty incredible testimony over the last week or so, do you think that her testimony actually becomes a little less relevant?
TOOBIN: Well, I think the prosecution, you know, got a big break by the judge letting in all the evidence of the -- of the other supposed bad accounts acts, other acts of molestation. That does limit the mother's testimony somewhat.
What's so peculiar and what's so hard to, you know, predict about that prior testimony -- the act -- the prior bad act testimony, is that a lot of the witnesses who put it in were simply awful witnesses, people who sold money -- who sold their stories to the tabloids, who sued Jackson unsuccessfully. You know, people who lied about it before. Just...
O'BRIEN: There are slime balls all over this case. TOOBIN: ... terrible. But the jury may say, you know, they can't all be lying. Where there's smoke, there's fire. And I do think that helps the prosecution and limits the importance of the mother.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the stepfather who was on the stand. And I know that the defense, the job of the defense was to make it seem that he was, like the mother, they're going to allege, out for the money.
TOOBIN: Correct.
O'BRIEN: How do you think he did?
TOOBIN: Well, I think he did pretty well, but he didn't really know that much. I mean, he wasn't that much of a central figure.
He didn't deal with Jackson directly. He didn't know exactly what the dealings were with Jackson. And he mostly just dealt with his now wife, the mother of the accuser.
The prosecution did pretty well with him. But he's not the main event. The main event is the mother.
O'BRIEN: Do you think the prosecution is winning this case now, or is it the defense that's ahead?
TOOBIN: Boy, that is so hard to judge. I mean, I really am going to have to weasel out of that because it's just not -- I don't know what the jury made of this prior act testimony. They may simply say, look, they've got a weak case...
O'BRIEN: It's was certainly salacious.
TOOBIN: It was very salacious. But so was the cross- examination.
I mean, these witnesses were awful. I mean, really terrible people. But there were several of them and, you know, the jury may say, sure, they're bad people but, you know, can they all be lying?
O'BRIEN: Who knows what's going to happen.
TOOBIN: Not me.
O'BRIEN: Not going out on a limb, this morning at least.
TOOBIN: Not yet, right.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jeff.
TOOBIN: OK.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: In a moment here, police in a major U.S. city launching a campaign against crime. But will their 90-second DVD help turn the tide? That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Tomorrow on AMERICAN MORNING, former football and baseball star Bo Jackson. He's suing a newspaper over a report that he used steroids. The paper's apologized, made a retraction, but Jackson says that's not enough. He's going to tell us why, tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
CAFFERTY: Bo's going to have himself a newspaper.
HEMMER: Well, we'll see what Bo knows then.
O'BRIEN: Yes, he's going to own that paper, "The Jackson Times," pretty soon.
CAFFERTY: Yes. Well, tough stuff.
So, up there in Wisconsin, they've -- some of the people up there voted to allow hunting of cats in the state. It's not legal yet. But the first steps have been taken to designate feral cats as unprotected species, like skunks or gophers. Which means that any domestic cat without a collar that's not under the owner's direct control could be fair game for hunters.
One animal advocates' group says there are 80 million stray cats in the United States, which is about as many as there are pets.
The "Question of the Day" is this: Should Wisconsin legalize cat hunting?
Jerry in Georgia writes, "Yes, feral cats should be fair game, but only in state hunting preserves. These dangerous animals should be hunted down by real men and not allowed to fall prey to neighborhood kids. Wouldn't a stuffed Tom look great mounted on the wall?"
Christopher in Maryland, "Cat hunting seems a little extreme. I hope there's a provision in that bill to nail to the wall anyone who accidentally shoots someone's house cat. Did they think about catching and neutering strays? My community's done that and the stray population went down substantially."
Rick in Kansas writes, "Spaying and neutering will not stop these cats from killing. In addition to song and game birds, these cats often destroy poultry raised on farms. So some farmers shoot them on sight now. If hunting's regulated, it will only be allowed outside city limits, so city folks shouldn't have to worry about their pets."
And John in Wisconsin -- in Wisconsin -- writes, "The problem here in Wisconsin is that since gas prices have gotten so high, we're not driving our SUVs as much. The result is fewer flattened cats on our highways. If gas prices come down, we won't have to hunt the cats."
HEMMER: Oh, yes. That's a great point, John. You know, I think he hammered it home.
Did you say 80 million...
CAFFERTY: They call them cheeseheads for a reason.
HEMMER: You've got that right. Did you say 80 million stray cats? Come on.
CAFFERTY: That's what some animal advocacy...
HEMMER: Eighty million?
CAFFERTY: I don't know. That's just what they say here.
O'BRIEN: They don't last...
CAFFERTY: One animal advocacy group estimates there are 80 million stray cats in the United States. I mean, that seems like a big number to me, too. But that's what it says here.
O'BRIEN: I like all the sarcasm in most of those notes.
CAFFERTY: I do, too. I wouldn't come in here if I couldn't read the ones that weren't funny or sarcastic.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Somebody else said sailor cats, that sailor cats are the ones that are run over on the road and then when they dry enough you can pick them up and sail them into the cornfield -- sailor cats.
O'BRIEN: Oh, I'm glad we took that extra moment to get that in.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: More AMERICAN MORNING coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Ahead on "90-second Pop," Britney's got a baby on board. The pop star responds to tabloid rumors with a big announcement.
Plus, "The Emancipation of Mimi." After years of bad press, Mariah Carey is back with a new album. Is it a hit or a miss?
That's later on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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