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American Morning
Rare Spring Blizzard; Michael Jackson Trial; Fake Inspectors
Aired April 25, 2005 - 09:00 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. And look at this picture here. Snow still falling in places in a rare spring blizzard that's burying parts of the Midwest today.
There was a massive train derailment from Japan. Fifty are dead, hundreds are injured, and others trapped now in that wreckage.
And a CNN "Security Watch" looking at the impostors who are infiltrating U.S. hospitals. Who are they and what are they looking for? There's an investigation. We'll let you know what's happening on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody.
Also ahead this morning, prosecutors wrapping up their case this week in the Michael Jackson trial. They've got plans, though, to call one of the most intriguing witnesses yet.
Her name is Debbie Rowe, she's Michael Jackson's ex-wife. We're going to talk to courtroom observer Anne Bremner this morning about just what Michael's ex might say...
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... and what she might be able to say, because of course she's involved in the custody lawsuit with Michael Jackson, which takes precedence over which?
HEMMER: You say intriguing, I say twisted.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Well, sometimes they're...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: We'll find out this week.
Also, from overseas, Syria's 29-year military dominance in Lebanon now in its final days. Today we are learning some of the darkest crimes attributed to Syrian agents. Brent Sadler takes us inside what's said to have been one torture chamber. That's coming up this hour also.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty, good morning. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: How are you doing?
Negotiations with had North Korea and Iran over the future of their nuclear weapons programs have yielded absolutely nothing in the way of results. And now the rest of the world sits blindly by, wringing their hands, wondering what's going to happen next as both these countries working toward the capability of delivering nuclear bombs.
What should be done about it? AM@CNN.com.
O'BRIEN: Some pretty good feedback from our viewers I think this morning.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Let's go right to Carol Costello. She's got a look at the headlines this morning.
Hello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I do, indeed. Thank you.
"Now in the News," Atlanta police and Georgia officials have issued an Amber Alert. They're looking for two young children believed to be in extreme danger.
You're looking at the sign on I-285 through Atlanta. You can see the Amber Alert posted there.
Police say these youngsters may be traveling with a man in a Chevy Nova that is black or silver. Much more on this developing story throughout the hour. Now, keep in mind, this is a different case than two other missing children here near Atlanta.
Two-year-old Nicole Kain and her 3-year-old brother, Jonah, were last seen Saturday evening. Police have questioned their mother. There's supposedly going to be a press conference at 10:00 a.m. Eastern this morning. And when that happens, we'll keep you posted, and maybe we'll find out more of what could have happened to these children.
Hundreds of casualties after a high speed train in western Japan slams into an apartment building. Rescue workers are peeling away the metal in some places to free trapped passengers. At least 50 are dead, more than 300 hurt. And those numbers are expected to rise.
A CNN "Security Watch" now. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff focusing on rail security this morning. Chertoff is set to tour Grand Central Terminal in the next half-hour. He'll be joined by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
A sentencing hearing begins this hour for an American sergeant who killed two fellow soldiers in Kuwait two years ago. Sergeant Hasan Akbar was convicted Thursday of murder, and also wounding 14 other soldiers in the nighttime grenade and rifle attack. Akbar could face the death penalty.
And President Bush will be seeking help in putting the brakes on oil prices when he meets with the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. The meeting is set to begin in around three hours at the president's Texas ranch. That's where the Crown Prince met with the president three years ago. After that meeting, of course, we'll tell you what transpired.
HEMMER: That we will.
COSTELLO: Yes, we will.
HEMMER: No snow in Texas, though.
COSTELLO: No snow in Texas.
O'BRIEN: Not yet. There's still time, I guess. It's snowing everywhere else.
COSTELLO: True.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.
It is all over, but the shoveling now, after a springtime shocker for residents across parts of the Midwest. A snowstorm barreling through, dumping as much as a foot of snow in southeastern Michigan, more than that in Detroit's northern suburbs, places like Pontiac.
The Cleveland area saw about 14 inches there. Even residents along the North Carolina and Tennessee border got a half a foot of snow.
And CNN's Alina Cho, oh, she's a brave one. She's in Shaker Heights, Ohio, east of Cleveland.
How are things going today, Alina? Good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
Well, you are an Ohio native, so that you know that people in these parts are used to seeing the snow. The snow plows were out overnight, and the traffic seems to be moving right along, especially around this area here in Shaker Heights. But there is no denying that this is quite a sight to see snow this late in the season. And people around here are spending much of today digging out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice-over): Tim Cheney's yard was all ready for summer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, nice back to winter. But that's Cleveland for you.
CHO: Cleveland and other parts of northern Ohio and eastern Michigan bore the brunt of a late-April storm. Up to a foot expected in some parts, an unpleasant surprise.
This Detroit man just got back from China.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought I'd be coming home to summer, or spring or something, but this is unbelievable.
CHO: The snow made for slow going on the roads.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think about this winter we're having?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, don't ask.
CHO: And by foot. Just ask these runners in downtown Cleveland.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I bought a nice little tank top and cute shorts. I was expecting to run around in my tank top and shorts. And this morning, that's not exactly what I got.
CHO: Not exactly what the fans were expecting either at this Ohio State spring football game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn't see nobody crying about the weather or nothing like that. You just came out and you seen everybody, you seen both teams fighting it and having fun, and just getting out there and mixing it together.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: So not everyone is upset about the snow here. And some people are actually enjoying it. I'm one of them, though I am a bit chilly.
Take a look here. There is some snow on the ground still. But it won't be sticking around for very long. The forecast calls for 50 degrees today and, Bill, 60 degrees tomorrow.
HEMMER: That's going to melt fast, too. Thanks, Alina. Alina Cho there in Shaker Heights.
Here is Chad watching the weather. Says this was no surprise.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well...
HEMMER: You saw it coming, but, still, would you wake up and be happy with this stuff?
MYERS: No.
HEMMER: All right.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Thank you, Chad. Talk to you a bit later -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Now to the Michael Jackson trial. Michael Jackson's ex-wife, the mother of two of his children, Debbie Rowe, is expected to take the stand against the pop star this week. Also this week, the prosecution says it could wrap up part of the case.
Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner joins us from Seattle.
Hey, Anne. Good morning. Nice to see you, as always.
ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nice to see you. Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. And as always, lots to talk about.
BREMNER: I know.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's get right to Debbie Rowe.
She's Michael Jackson's ex-wife. Now, she's also involved in a civil case, trying to get custody of two of the three children that he has. Those two are the ones that she had for -- with him.
Which is more important? Which supersedes in the eyes of the judge? Would the criminal case supersede the civil case, or the reverse?
BREMNER: It's going to be the criminal case, Soledad. And right now she's under subpoena. And the question is, you know, what is she going to be able to testify to? Because there's also a marital privilege for any communications they had when they were married. So there's going to be some restrictions on her testimony during this trial.
O'BRIEN: So I thought...
BREMNER: She's going to be...
O'BRIEN: ... the marital privilege thing, though, wasn't that, I don't have to testify against my husband? It just sounds like she absolutely wants to testify against him, doesn't it?
BREMNER: She -- I think she's locked and loaded and ready to testify. She's mad at him because he's failed to pay the money he promised her in exchange for her giving up the rights to the children. So I think to her, all bets are off, and she wants to come in and testify against him.
What she's supposed to testify to, though, is this rebuttal video she gave. And because there was a confidentiality agreement with Jackson, it's -- presumably her rebuttal was at his direction. In other words, it was beyond the confidentiality agreement.
And this is the key. The prosecution is saying Michael Jackson is the one that allowed her to say certain things in this rebuttal video because of the confidentiality agreement between Michael and Debbie. So they're trying to tie him directly to scripting rebuttal videos. I know it's a little convoluted, but that's what they're trying to do.
O'BRIEN: Totally convoluted. Not even a little convoluted, totally convoluted.
But outside of Debbie Rowe talking about the rebuttal videotape, the bottom line is people who are watching this trial, she could certainly bring lots of insight into lots of other things about Michael Jackson's behavior. Like what would be the kinds of things that prosecutors could have her on the stand and ask her about?
BREMNER: Well, during the time of their marriage, some of these acts are occurring. And the question is, you know, did he want to be with his wife, his second wife, or did he want to be with young boys? You know, what did he do with his spare time? You know, why didn't he want to be with her?
She was a surrogate. I think that she, like Lisa Presley, thought she was going to have a marriage and was very disappointed. And so she's going to talk about, you know, the private life of Michael Jackson, something that we're seeing throughout this trial. And this trial really gets curiouser (ph) and curiouser (ph), and creepy because we have witness...
O'BRIEN: That's the understatement of the year there.
BREMNER: I know.
O'BRIEN: At the same time, though, in all seriousness, this is a woman who's got an axe to grind. I mean, you talked about the million dollars a year, that there were some reports that indicated she was supposed to get that unless she broke the confidentiality agreement, which now it's alleged that she broke. Also, the custody of the kids is the other issue.
Here you have somebody who definitely has an axe grind, who's coming out going -- they're going to stick on the stand. I mean, no surprise that she's not going to be completely flattering toward her ex, right?
BREMNER: Right. It's like heck has no fury like a woman scorned. And she's won of many.
I mean, women that have sold their children, sold their souls to Michael Jackson, but she married him. And she feels betrayed by him personally but also financially.
O'BRIEN: Now, the prosecution says, we're going to wrap up our case, or at least part of our case. Give me the distinction between those two things. And are they really ready to wrap up their part when the defense has said, oh, look at the list of other people we've still got to talk to? Elizabeth Taylor, for one.
BREMNER: I know. You know, two things you can't believe a lawyer when they say is, "I only have one more question, your honor," and the other thing is, "I'll wrap up my case on a certain day." But they're supposed to wrap up by the end of the week, and then we hear there'll be a real razzle-dazzle defense.
You know, Stevie Wonder, Elizabeth Taylor, maybe Quincy Jones. And, of course, Jay Leno. So everybody, I think, as this case reaches a conclusion, is really anticipating, what's the defense going to do, and is Michael Jackson going to testify?
O'BRIEN: I've got to tell you, I think that Debbie Rowe is going to be a more watched and potentially more interesting witness on the stand than the mother of the accuser, who everybody was looking forward -- looking toward, of course, in the last couple of weeks.
Anne Bremner, as always, nice to see you.
BREMNER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: You know, bizarre doesn't even come close to describing what we've been talking about lately.
BREMNER: That's the understatement of the century, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Anne. See you later -- Bill.
HEMMER: Centuries young, though.
I want to update you now on the story we're getting out of Atlanta, Georgia. We've been talking all morning about this Amber Alert going out for these two young girls missing. They have been found now, apparently, and the father has been arrested, charged with kidnapping.
Again, northeast of Atlanta. Excuse me, northwest of Atlanta, just a short time ago. So kids said to be OK down there in Georgia. The Amber Alert is no longer -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: OK. That's the amber Alert that was just issued for the two girls.
HEMMER: That's right.
O'BRIEN: There's another Amber Alert or another search that's going on for a little boy who's 3 and his 2-year-old sister.
HEMMER: In Georgia.
O'BRIEN: In Georgia that we are still waiting for an update. I think they're going to have a press conference at 10:00 this morning to update us on that.
HEMMER: We'll get a break here. In a moment, a growing concern in some hospitals across the country. Reports of people posing as inspectors, trying to gain access in the middle of the night. What is behind it and what are they after? We'll get to that.
O'BRIEN: Also, Syria in the final stages of withdrawal from Lebanon. Many Lebanese now free to talk about what they call the end of a brutal reign of terror. A closer look is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: In our CNN "Security Watch" this morning, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies looking into troubling incidents in which people posing as inspectors were found in three hospitals in Boston, Detroit and Los Angeles. They were stopped, but so far no one has been arrested. And their identities and motives are not known.
Joe Cappiello is vice president of field operations for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.
That is a mouthful.
Joe, good morning to you.
JOE CAPPIELLO, VP, FIELD OPERATIONS, JCAHO: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: What happened in these three areas of the country, Joe?
CAPPIELLO: Well, the information that we have that was reported to us was that people purporting to be surveyors from the joint commission appeared at all three of these facilities. The first incident that we heard about was in Los Angeles, when, at a very unusual hour, 3:00 a.m. in the morning, a Caucasian male and female approached a medical center, tried to gain access, and were asking the kinds of questions that were very unusual at a very unusual time. When pressed, they left the medical center.
I then heard just a couple of days following that a similar incident where a single male entered a facility in Boston at 3:00 a.m., again in the morning, and was asking similar questions about access to the facility and wished to have a tour of the facility. Those are very unusual situations, very unusual times.
HEMMER: So, Joe, let me just -- the questions being asked in Boston were the same questions being asked in LA. And what you're alluding to, these questions had to deal with access and the facility, is that right?
CAPPIELLO: That's correct, Bill.
HEMMER: Yes. Can you get more specific, though, about -- what were these questions dealing with?
CAPPIELLO: Well, from the information that we have received, they were asking information about the layout of facilities, some issues about capacity of the facilities, whether -- where the emergency entrances were, and they wished to take tours of the facility. At least that is the information specifically from Los Angeles and Boston. The issue in Detroit is something a little different.
HEMMER: OK. Before we get to Detroit, did the people get their answers they were looking for?
CAPPIELLO: No, they did not. When they were pressed by security at both of these medical centers, diligent and vigilant security, they fled the scene. They either said, "Oh, I'm sorry, we're at the wrong facility," or they suddenly and abruptly left.
HEMMER: Joe, you have said -- you told our producers your anxiety level went up this time. Why?
CAPPIELLO: That is correct. Ordinarily, Bill, we probably get maybe one or two calls a year from facilities from accredited hospitals across the United States saying that someone has tried to gain some sort of service advantage, if you will, by using the name of the joint commission.
Those events usually take place during the normal working hours of that facility, and oftentimes are issues of trying to get ahead in the queue or to make complaints about the food or service that they received, or trying to gain some information about Aunt Helen's medical record. These incidents were very, very different.
They occurred in the wee hours of the morning, and they weren't looking for those kinds of things. They were looking about access to facilities.
HEMMER: Joe, in this short time I have left, I'm trying to get through a couple more questions quickly here.
CAPPIELLO: Sure.
HEMMER: Is there anything specifically about these facilities that would make them a valuable target? Oftentimes, hospitals are mentioned in terms of terrorist hits, et cetera. Is there anything in L.A. or Boston that would fit that category?
CAPPIELLO: Absolutely not, which is sort of the perplexing question here, is these are community-based medical centers, not large university research facilities. Probably, if you think back a bit, Bill, that the large facilities probably have much more stringent security than some of these community-based ones.
HEMMER: And on the topic of security, are you satisfied the security is met there? And have they done anything differently since then?
CAPPIELLO: Well, at these facilities, I'm sure that they have more vigilant in their security. We have, of course, released some security alerts to all of our accredited facilities, and we will be releasing another one today, encouraging them to make sure that they have good credentialing and privileging for all people who enter those facilities.
HEMMER: Joe, thanks. Joe Cappiello there in Chicago. Good news to know this morning. Thank you, Joe, for filling us in on that.
CAPPIELLO: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: And stay with CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Here's Soledad again -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Bill.
After 30 years of military dominance, Syrian troops are almost completely out of Lebanon. It ends what many Lebanese claim was a ruthless occupation. Personal stories of what they call a reign of terror are ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Right to the "Question of the Day" with Jack.
CAFFERTY: Thank you, ma'am.
Diplomatic efforts to stop North Korea and Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons are going nowhere. Yesterday, Iran said it will resume uranium enrichment regardless of the outcome in negotiations with European nations.
Two years of six-country talks with North Korea have produced zippo, nothing. North Korea shut down its main nuclear reactor this month possibly to harvest plutonium to make more weapons. So far, the U.S. has refused to deal with either country directly one on one.
The question this morning is, what should be done about North Korea and Iran's nuclear weapons program?
John writes, "It looks like we need a Daniel Patrick Moynihan or a John Bolton at the U.N. to at least call these guys what they are, crooks and thugs. Even that's too much today. Don't set things up so that you'll lose and then seem surprised when you do. It verges on insanity."
Rich in New York writes, "The Iranian and North Korean dictators think they're invincible, just as Saddam Hussein did. And it will take a credible threat of force to move them in the direction of dismantling their nuclear programs."
Paul in Toronto writes, "Since neither country has sufficient material or a delivery system to make and deliver a bomb, the U.S. should obliterate by non-nuclear bombing all atomic bomb manufacturing facilities."
And Donna in West Virginia has probably the best idea. "Perhaps a well trained strike force of 5 year olds from Florida should be deployed to both countries. They ought to have the situation well in hand in about an hour." HEMMER: Just bring a video camera, right?
O'BRIEN: That is the best one.
HEMMER: What did Israel do in 1981? They hit some places in western Iraq, right?
CAFFERTY: Yes. Get that fighter pilot out of retirement and send him into Iran and North Korea. Well, the problem is a lot of the stuff is underground, though.
O'BRIEN: Right.
HEMMER: In Iran especially.
CAFFERTY: Well, yes.
HEMMER: All right. Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Get a break here in a moment.
Where are we guys? Over here.
Japan's deadliest train accident in more than 40 years today. Dozens are dead, hundreds more injured. The latest on the search for survivors. And the last report we had says there may be survivors.
Live to Japan in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Good morning, everybody. Morning commute under way here in New York City. 9:30 here. Nice to have you along with us today.
In a moment, going to get you back to Japan. An urgent search there for passengers still trapped inside the wreckage.
A train derailed earlier today, went off the tracks, slammed into an apartment building. Fifty are dead, hundreds are injured. They say there could be survivors, so we'll get to you Japan in a moment here and let you find out what they are finding out today.
O'BRIEN: How to shake people right to the core...
HEMMER: Well, yes.
O'BRIEN: ... when you consider how many people take those trains over in Tokyo and all across Japan.
HEMMER: That's right.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we are talking about the Syrian exodus from Lebanon reaching an end in the next day or so. Brent Sadler's going to take a look at what's left behind. He'll take us inside a hotel in Beirut that has a legacy of terror.
HEMMER: History is changing quickly for that country.
O'BRIEN: It is.
HEMMER: Back to the headlines, though, at the half-hour. Here is Carol starting in Iraq.
Hello.
COSTELLO: Some grim news out of Iraq this morning. A suicide car bombing in Ramadi.
The U.S. military says a blast coming -- the blast came just in the last several hours. At least two bombers killed in that attack. Two Iraqi civilians wounded. It's the third suicide bombing in the city in the past five days.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice begins a trip to Latin America later today. This is the latest trip coming just days after Rice's return from meetings in Europe with NATO leaders. Rice's planning stops in Brazil, Colombia, Chile and El Salvador. On Rice's agenda, concerns about political corruption in the region, as well as poor education and health care.
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Aired April 25, 2005 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. And look at this picture here. Snow still falling in places in a rare spring blizzard that's burying parts of the Midwest today.
There was a massive train derailment from Japan. Fifty are dead, hundreds are injured, and others trapped now in that wreckage.
And a CNN "Security Watch" looking at the impostors who are infiltrating U.S. hospitals. Who are they and what are they looking for? There's an investigation. We'll let you know what's happening on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody.
Also ahead this morning, prosecutors wrapping up their case this week in the Michael Jackson trial. They've got plans, though, to call one of the most intriguing witnesses yet.
Her name is Debbie Rowe, she's Michael Jackson's ex-wife. We're going to talk to courtroom observer Anne Bremner this morning about just what Michael's ex might say...
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... and what she might be able to say, because of course she's involved in the custody lawsuit with Michael Jackson, which takes precedence over which?
HEMMER: You say intriguing, I say twisted.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Well, sometimes they're...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: We'll find out this week.
Also, from overseas, Syria's 29-year military dominance in Lebanon now in its final days. Today we are learning some of the darkest crimes attributed to Syrian agents. Brent Sadler takes us inside what's said to have been one torture chamber. That's coming up this hour also.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty, good morning. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: How are you doing?
Negotiations with had North Korea and Iran over the future of their nuclear weapons programs have yielded absolutely nothing in the way of results. And now the rest of the world sits blindly by, wringing their hands, wondering what's going to happen next as both these countries working toward the capability of delivering nuclear bombs.
What should be done about it? AM@CNN.com.
O'BRIEN: Some pretty good feedback from our viewers I think this morning.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Let's go right to Carol Costello. She's got a look at the headlines this morning.
Hello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I do, indeed. Thank you.
"Now in the News," Atlanta police and Georgia officials have issued an Amber Alert. They're looking for two young children believed to be in extreme danger.
You're looking at the sign on I-285 through Atlanta. You can see the Amber Alert posted there.
Police say these youngsters may be traveling with a man in a Chevy Nova that is black or silver. Much more on this developing story throughout the hour. Now, keep in mind, this is a different case than two other missing children here near Atlanta.
Two-year-old Nicole Kain and her 3-year-old brother, Jonah, were last seen Saturday evening. Police have questioned their mother. There's supposedly going to be a press conference at 10:00 a.m. Eastern this morning. And when that happens, we'll keep you posted, and maybe we'll find out more of what could have happened to these children.
Hundreds of casualties after a high speed train in western Japan slams into an apartment building. Rescue workers are peeling away the metal in some places to free trapped passengers. At least 50 are dead, more than 300 hurt. And those numbers are expected to rise.
A CNN "Security Watch" now. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff focusing on rail security this morning. Chertoff is set to tour Grand Central Terminal in the next half-hour. He'll be joined by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
A sentencing hearing begins this hour for an American sergeant who killed two fellow soldiers in Kuwait two years ago. Sergeant Hasan Akbar was convicted Thursday of murder, and also wounding 14 other soldiers in the nighttime grenade and rifle attack. Akbar could face the death penalty.
And President Bush will be seeking help in putting the brakes on oil prices when he meets with the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. The meeting is set to begin in around three hours at the president's Texas ranch. That's where the Crown Prince met with the president three years ago. After that meeting, of course, we'll tell you what transpired.
HEMMER: That we will.
COSTELLO: Yes, we will.
HEMMER: No snow in Texas, though.
COSTELLO: No snow in Texas.
O'BRIEN: Not yet. There's still time, I guess. It's snowing everywhere else.
COSTELLO: True.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.
It is all over, but the shoveling now, after a springtime shocker for residents across parts of the Midwest. A snowstorm barreling through, dumping as much as a foot of snow in southeastern Michigan, more than that in Detroit's northern suburbs, places like Pontiac.
The Cleveland area saw about 14 inches there. Even residents along the North Carolina and Tennessee border got a half a foot of snow.
And CNN's Alina Cho, oh, she's a brave one. She's in Shaker Heights, Ohio, east of Cleveland.
How are things going today, Alina? Good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
Well, you are an Ohio native, so that you know that people in these parts are used to seeing the snow. The snow plows were out overnight, and the traffic seems to be moving right along, especially around this area here in Shaker Heights. But there is no denying that this is quite a sight to see snow this late in the season. And people around here are spending much of today digging out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice-over): Tim Cheney's yard was all ready for summer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, nice back to winter. But that's Cleveland for you.
CHO: Cleveland and other parts of northern Ohio and eastern Michigan bore the brunt of a late-April storm. Up to a foot expected in some parts, an unpleasant surprise.
This Detroit man just got back from China.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought I'd be coming home to summer, or spring or something, but this is unbelievable.
CHO: The snow made for slow going on the roads.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think about this winter we're having?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, don't ask.
CHO: And by foot. Just ask these runners in downtown Cleveland.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I bought a nice little tank top and cute shorts. I was expecting to run around in my tank top and shorts. And this morning, that's not exactly what I got.
CHO: Not exactly what the fans were expecting either at this Ohio State spring football game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn't see nobody crying about the weather or nothing like that. You just came out and you seen everybody, you seen both teams fighting it and having fun, and just getting out there and mixing it together.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: So not everyone is upset about the snow here. And some people are actually enjoying it. I'm one of them, though I am a bit chilly.
Take a look here. There is some snow on the ground still. But it won't be sticking around for very long. The forecast calls for 50 degrees today and, Bill, 60 degrees tomorrow.
HEMMER: That's going to melt fast, too. Thanks, Alina. Alina Cho there in Shaker Heights.
Here is Chad watching the weather. Says this was no surprise.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well...
HEMMER: You saw it coming, but, still, would you wake up and be happy with this stuff?
MYERS: No.
HEMMER: All right.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Thank you, Chad. Talk to you a bit later -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Now to the Michael Jackson trial. Michael Jackson's ex-wife, the mother of two of his children, Debbie Rowe, is expected to take the stand against the pop star this week. Also this week, the prosecution says it could wrap up part of the case.
Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner joins us from Seattle.
Hey, Anne. Good morning. Nice to see you, as always.
ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nice to see you. Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. And as always, lots to talk about.
BREMNER: I know.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's get right to Debbie Rowe.
She's Michael Jackson's ex-wife. Now, she's also involved in a civil case, trying to get custody of two of the three children that he has. Those two are the ones that she had for -- with him.
Which is more important? Which supersedes in the eyes of the judge? Would the criminal case supersede the civil case, or the reverse?
BREMNER: It's going to be the criminal case, Soledad. And right now she's under subpoena. And the question is, you know, what is she going to be able to testify to? Because there's also a marital privilege for any communications they had when they were married. So there's going to be some restrictions on her testimony during this trial.
O'BRIEN: So I thought...
BREMNER: She's going to be...
O'BRIEN: ... the marital privilege thing, though, wasn't that, I don't have to testify against my husband? It just sounds like she absolutely wants to testify against him, doesn't it?
BREMNER: She -- I think she's locked and loaded and ready to testify. She's mad at him because he's failed to pay the money he promised her in exchange for her giving up the rights to the children. So I think to her, all bets are off, and she wants to come in and testify against him.
What she's supposed to testify to, though, is this rebuttal video she gave. And because there was a confidentiality agreement with Jackson, it's -- presumably her rebuttal was at his direction. In other words, it was beyond the confidentiality agreement.
And this is the key. The prosecution is saying Michael Jackson is the one that allowed her to say certain things in this rebuttal video because of the confidentiality agreement between Michael and Debbie. So they're trying to tie him directly to scripting rebuttal videos. I know it's a little convoluted, but that's what they're trying to do.
O'BRIEN: Totally convoluted. Not even a little convoluted, totally convoluted.
But outside of Debbie Rowe talking about the rebuttal videotape, the bottom line is people who are watching this trial, she could certainly bring lots of insight into lots of other things about Michael Jackson's behavior. Like what would be the kinds of things that prosecutors could have her on the stand and ask her about?
BREMNER: Well, during the time of their marriage, some of these acts are occurring. And the question is, you know, did he want to be with his wife, his second wife, or did he want to be with young boys? You know, what did he do with his spare time? You know, why didn't he want to be with her?
She was a surrogate. I think that she, like Lisa Presley, thought she was going to have a marriage and was very disappointed. And so she's going to talk about, you know, the private life of Michael Jackson, something that we're seeing throughout this trial. And this trial really gets curiouser (ph) and curiouser (ph), and creepy because we have witness...
O'BRIEN: That's the understatement of the year there.
BREMNER: I know.
O'BRIEN: At the same time, though, in all seriousness, this is a woman who's got an axe to grind. I mean, you talked about the million dollars a year, that there were some reports that indicated she was supposed to get that unless she broke the confidentiality agreement, which now it's alleged that she broke. Also, the custody of the kids is the other issue.
Here you have somebody who definitely has an axe grind, who's coming out going -- they're going to stick on the stand. I mean, no surprise that she's not going to be completely flattering toward her ex, right?
BREMNER: Right. It's like heck has no fury like a woman scorned. And she's won of many.
I mean, women that have sold their children, sold their souls to Michael Jackson, but she married him. And she feels betrayed by him personally but also financially.
O'BRIEN: Now, the prosecution says, we're going to wrap up our case, or at least part of our case. Give me the distinction between those two things. And are they really ready to wrap up their part when the defense has said, oh, look at the list of other people we've still got to talk to? Elizabeth Taylor, for one.
BREMNER: I know. You know, two things you can't believe a lawyer when they say is, "I only have one more question, your honor," and the other thing is, "I'll wrap up my case on a certain day." But they're supposed to wrap up by the end of the week, and then we hear there'll be a real razzle-dazzle defense.
You know, Stevie Wonder, Elizabeth Taylor, maybe Quincy Jones. And, of course, Jay Leno. So everybody, I think, as this case reaches a conclusion, is really anticipating, what's the defense going to do, and is Michael Jackson going to testify?
O'BRIEN: I've got to tell you, I think that Debbie Rowe is going to be a more watched and potentially more interesting witness on the stand than the mother of the accuser, who everybody was looking forward -- looking toward, of course, in the last couple of weeks.
Anne Bremner, as always, nice to see you.
BREMNER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: You know, bizarre doesn't even come close to describing what we've been talking about lately.
BREMNER: That's the understatement of the century, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Anne. See you later -- Bill.
HEMMER: Centuries young, though.
I want to update you now on the story we're getting out of Atlanta, Georgia. We've been talking all morning about this Amber Alert going out for these two young girls missing. They have been found now, apparently, and the father has been arrested, charged with kidnapping.
Again, northeast of Atlanta. Excuse me, northwest of Atlanta, just a short time ago. So kids said to be OK down there in Georgia. The Amber Alert is no longer -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: OK. That's the amber Alert that was just issued for the two girls.
HEMMER: That's right.
O'BRIEN: There's another Amber Alert or another search that's going on for a little boy who's 3 and his 2-year-old sister.
HEMMER: In Georgia.
O'BRIEN: In Georgia that we are still waiting for an update. I think they're going to have a press conference at 10:00 this morning to update us on that.
HEMMER: We'll get a break here. In a moment, a growing concern in some hospitals across the country. Reports of people posing as inspectors, trying to gain access in the middle of the night. What is behind it and what are they after? We'll get to that.
O'BRIEN: Also, Syria in the final stages of withdrawal from Lebanon. Many Lebanese now free to talk about what they call the end of a brutal reign of terror. A closer look is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: In our CNN "Security Watch" this morning, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies looking into troubling incidents in which people posing as inspectors were found in three hospitals in Boston, Detroit and Los Angeles. They were stopped, but so far no one has been arrested. And their identities and motives are not known.
Joe Cappiello is vice president of field operations for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.
That is a mouthful.
Joe, good morning to you.
JOE CAPPIELLO, VP, FIELD OPERATIONS, JCAHO: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: What happened in these three areas of the country, Joe?
CAPPIELLO: Well, the information that we have that was reported to us was that people purporting to be surveyors from the joint commission appeared at all three of these facilities. The first incident that we heard about was in Los Angeles, when, at a very unusual hour, 3:00 a.m. in the morning, a Caucasian male and female approached a medical center, tried to gain access, and were asking the kinds of questions that were very unusual at a very unusual time. When pressed, they left the medical center.
I then heard just a couple of days following that a similar incident where a single male entered a facility in Boston at 3:00 a.m., again in the morning, and was asking similar questions about access to the facility and wished to have a tour of the facility. Those are very unusual situations, very unusual times.
HEMMER: So, Joe, let me just -- the questions being asked in Boston were the same questions being asked in LA. And what you're alluding to, these questions had to deal with access and the facility, is that right?
CAPPIELLO: That's correct, Bill.
HEMMER: Yes. Can you get more specific, though, about -- what were these questions dealing with?
CAPPIELLO: Well, from the information that we have received, they were asking information about the layout of facilities, some issues about capacity of the facilities, whether -- where the emergency entrances were, and they wished to take tours of the facility. At least that is the information specifically from Los Angeles and Boston. The issue in Detroit is something a little different.
HEMMER: OK. Before we get to Detroit, did the people get their answers they were looking for?
CAPPIELLO: No, they did not. When they were pressed by security at both of these medical centers, diligent and vigilant security, they fled the scene. They either said, "Oh, I'm sorry, we're at the wrong facility," or they suddenly and abruptly left.
HEMMER: Joe, you have said -- you told our producers your anxiety level went up this time. Why?
CAPPIELLO: That is correct. Ordinarily, Bill, we probably get maybe one or two calls a year from facilities from accredited hospitals across the United States saying that someone has tried to gain some sort of service advantage, if you will, by using the name of the joint commission.
Those events usually take place during the normal working hours of that facility, and oftentimes are issues of trying to get ahead in the queue or to make complaints about the food or service that they received, or trying to gain some information about Aunt Helen's medical record. These incidents were very, very different.
They occurred in the wee hours of the morning, and they weren't looking for those kinds of things. They were looking about access to facilities.
HEMMER: Joe, in this short time I have left, I'm trying to get through a couple more questions quickly here.
CAPPIELLO: Sure.
HEMMER: Is there anything specifically about these facilities that would make them a valuable target? Oftentimes, hospitals are mentioned in terms of terrorist hits, et cetera. Is there anything in L.A. or Boston that would fit that category?
CAPPIELLO: Absolutely not, which is sort of the perplexing question here, is these are community-based medical centers, not large university research facilities. Probably, if you think back a bit, Bill, that the large facilities probably have much more stringent security than some of these community-based ones.
HEMMER: And on the topic of security, are you satisfied the security is met there? And have they done anything differently since then?
CAPPIELLO: Well, at these facilities, I'm sure that they have more vigilant in their security. We have, of course, released some security alerts to all of our accredited facilities, and we will be releasing another one today, encouraging them to make sure that they have good credentialing and privileging for all people who enter those facilities.
HEMMER: Joe, thanks. Joe Cappiello there in Chicago. Good news to know this morning. Thank you, Joe, for filling us in on that.
CAPPIELLO: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: And stay with CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Here's Soledad again -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Bill.
After 30 years of military dominance, Syrian troops are almost completely out of Lebanon. It ends what many Lebanese claim was a ruthless occupation. Personal stories of what they call a reign of terror are ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Right to the "Question of the Day" with Jack.
CAFFERTY: Thank you, ma'am.
Diplomatic efforts to stop North Korea and Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons are going nowhere. Yesterday, Iran said it will resume uranium enrichment regardless of the outcome in negotiations with European nations.
Two years of six-country talks with North Korea have produced zippo, nothing. North Korea shut down its main nuclear reactor this month possibly to harvest plutonium to make more weapons. So far, the U.S. has refused to deal with either country directly one on one.
The question this morning is, what should be done about North Korea and Iran's nuclear weapons program?
John writes, "It looks like we need a Daniel Patrick Moynihan or a John Bolton at the U.N. to at least call these guys what they are, crooks and thugs. Even that's too much today. Don't set things up so that you'll lose and then seem surprised when you do. It verges on insanity."
Rich in New York writes, "The Iranian and North Korean dictators think they're invincible, just as Saddam Hussein did. And it will take a credible threat of force to move them in the direction of dismantling their nuclear programs."
Paul in Toronto writes, "Since neither country has sufficient material or a delivery system to make and deliver a bomb, the U.S. should obliterate by non-nuclear bombing all atomic bomb manufacturing facilities."
And Donna in West Virginia has probably the best idea. "Perhaps a well trained strike force of 5 year olds from Florida should be deployed to both countries. They ought to have the situation well in hand in about an hour." HEMMER: Just bring a video camera, right?
O'BRIEN: That is the best one.
HEMMER: What did Israel do in 1981? They hit some places in western Iraq, right?
CAFFERTY: Yes. Get that fighter pilot out of retirement and send him into Iran and North Korea. Well, the problem is a lot of the stuff is underground, though.
O'BRIEN: Right.
HEMMER: In Iran especially.
CAFFERTY: Well, yes.
HEMMER: All right. Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Get a break here in a moment.
Where are we guys? Over here.
Japan's deadliest train accident in more than 40 years today. Dozens are dead, hundreds more injured. The latest on the search for survivors. And the last report we had says there may be survivors.
Live to Japan in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Good morning, everybody. Morning commute under way here in New York City. 9:30 here. Nice to have you along with us today.
In a moment, going to get you back to Japan. An urgent search there for passengers still trapped inside the wreckage.
A train derailed earlier today, went off the tracks, slammed into an apartment building. Fifty are dead, hundreds are injured. They say there could be survivors, so we'll get to you Japan in a moment here and let you find out what they are finding out today.
O'BRIEN: How to shake people right to the core...
HEMMER: Well, yes.
O'BRIEN: ... when you consider how many people take those trains over in Tokyo and all across Japan.
HEMMER: That's right.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we are talking about the Syrian exodus from Lebanon reaching an end in the next day or so. Brent Sadler's going to take a look at what's left behind. He'll take us inside a hotel in Beirut that has a legacy of terror.
HEMMER: History is changing quickly for that country.
O'BRIEN: It is.
HEMMER: Back to the headlines, though, at the half-hour. Here is Carol starting in Iraq.
Hello.
COSTELLO: Some grim news out of Iraq this morning. A suicide car bombing in Ramadi.
The U.S. military says a blast coming -- the blast came just in the last several hours. At least two bombers killed in that attack. Two Iraqi civilians wounded. It's the third suicide bombing in the city in the past five days.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice begins a trip to Latin America later today. This is the latest trip coming just days after Rice's return from meetings in Europe with NATO leaders. Rice's planning stops in Brazil, Colombia, Chile and El Salvador. On Rice's agenda, concerns about political corruption in the region, as well as poor education and health care.
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