Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Bride-to-Be Goes Missing; Michael Jackson Trial
Aired April 28, 2005 - 06:00 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Wedding plans on hold after the bride-to-be goes missing. We are awaiting a live news conference in Georgia this morning.
Will the second day of testimony from his ex-wife hurt the prosecutors in the Michael Jackson case?
And how far is one state willing to go to get that extra hour of daylight? You might say residents are split.
It's Thursday, April 28.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, big news out of Baghdad this morning. Just within the last half hour, Iraq's national assembly approved a list of cabinet members for a transitional government. It comes three months after those national elections were held. It's the first government in Iraq formed in half a century by democratic vote.
Tough talk from a man who wants peace. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas threatens to use what he calls an iron fist against militants who violate the cease-fire with Israel. It is his toughest stance since he took office in January.
The death toll in that Japanese train wreck has grown to 106. More bodies found today in the twisted metal debris, including the engineer. The commuter train jumped the tracks Monday outside of Osaka.
President Bush tackles Social Security and high gas prices tonight. He's scheduled a news conference for 8:30 Eastern tonight.
To the Forecast Center -- actually, let's head to Duluth, Georgia, because that press conference I was talking to you about, about the missing bride, is ongoing now.
Let's listen.
MAJ. DON WOODRUFF, DULUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT: ... then we can help them, they can help us by going out and following up on those tips. So they are helping us now. Based on the circumstances of this situation, we would now classify this as a criminal investigation.
QUESTION: Are you saying that you suspect foul play?
WOODRUFF: Based on the circumstances as we understand it, we are now classifying this as a criminal investigation.
QUESTION: Do you think that something happened to her? Was she attacked?
WOODRUFF: Well, we don't know. We have no physical evidence of anything at this point in time. But, again, based on the fact that according to the family members, this is totally uncharacteristic of her behavior, and such being the case, we would have to classify it as a criminal investigation at this time.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) criminal investigation, what's going to be different than what was happening yesterday?
WOODRUFF: Well, we started by interviewing family and friends and trying to backtrack her movements and see what was going on in her life. We started that yesterday and we will continue on down that track.
QUESTION: Have any polygraph tests been given?
WOODRUFF: There have been none felt at this point in time to do that. No, there haven't been any.
QUESTION: What is the FBI's involvement so far? How are they assisting you?
WOODRUFF: If we get a tip, say, for example, that is from out of state, certainly they have the resources to follow-up on that tip that we don't have.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) hasn't been given yet. Is that a step you plan on taking in the near future with either family or friends or whoever may have seen her last?
WOODRUFF: If the investigators feel that it's appropriate to request a polygraph at some point down the line, then I would certainly do that. There is no way that you can compel a polygraph for anyone.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) at this point or are we really (INAUDIBLE)?
WOODRUFF: At the present time, it would be premature to classify anyone as a suspect.
QUESTION: Major, could you reiterate again how did this become a criminal investigation?
WOODRUFF: Based on the fact that we made a thorough grid search and could not find her and based on the circumstances of her disappearance. QUESTION: What is the game plan for investigators today?
WOODRUFF: Well, to continue to interview her friends, people that know her, people that work with her and find out what was going on in her life and things of that nature.
QUESTION: What about divers searching the Chattahoochee?
WOODRUFF: Yesterday we had support from DNR, who used their boats to search the banks of the Chattahoochee. If that needs to be done further, then we'll consider that and do it at that time.
QUESTION: So divers aren't planning on going in?
WOODRUFF: Well, not right now. There's no indication that that's needed at this time.
QUESTION: Are her family members being cooperative with you all? Do you feel like you're getting all the information that you're asking for at this point?
WOODRUFF: It's my understanding from our investigators that the people that they have interviewed, the friends and the family, have been very cooperative.
QUESTION: Sir, have you -- I'm sorry, I got here late.
Have you looked into old boyfriends?
WOODRUFF: It is my understanding from the investigators that they are talking to everybody that she knows, her known associates, old boyfriends, friends, family, everybody.
QUESTION: Will you continue going door to door today?
WOODRUFF: I don't know that we'll continue to do that or not. They did canvass the area to see, you know, what people saw. If they do feel it's necessary to go back out, then we'll go back out.
QUESTION: But at this point, though, 250 volunteers fanning out like they did in the last 24 hours?
WOODRUFF: Well, we feel like we did a very extensive search yesterday. We had a massive number of people out there looking. And I believe if she had been out there, we would have found her.
QUESTION: Is there a certain level of frustration going along with this? Because it sounds like that you're really no further along than you were when you first learned of her disappearance.
Is that true?
WOODRUFF: Well, I suppose you could say that. We haven't found her, and that's frustrating.
QUESTION: Or any of her belongings or anything? WOODRUFF: We haven't found any evidence, any physical evidence at this point in time.
QUESTION: How is her family holding up at this time?
WOODRUFF: Well, I can imagine that her family is very concerned and worried about her.
QUESTION: Do you remember the last time something like this happened in Duluth? Or has it happened?
WOODRUFF: We have had situations in the past where we had an elderly person who had Alzheimer's who wandered off from home. We did do a massive search for her, not on this scale. But we did find her the next day and she was fine and returned home.
We haven't had anything like this in the future -- in the past, no.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: Thank you very much.
WOODRUFF: All right.
OK, that...
COSTELLO: All right, we've been listening to Major Don Woodruff.
He's from the Duluth City Police Department. That is in Duluth, Georgia.
We've been telling you about this 32-year-old Georgia woman, Jennifer Wilbanks. She's been missing. She's supposed to get married on Saturday and she just simply disappeared a couple of days ago.
And you heard Major Woodruff say that this is now a criminal investigation. Police do now suspect foul play, since she left everything behind -- her purse, her money, even her ring, her engagement ring.
We're going to have a full report coming up at 6:30 Eastern on CNN.
We do have a correspondent there.
On to a story with a happy ending. A 12-year-old girl is heading back to Florida today three days after she disappeared from a Tampa area motel. Margarita Aguilar-Lopez was found last night with her alleged abductor in a Wal-Mart parking lot in South Carolina. The girl's parents live in Mexico. The 25-year-old suspect is now in jail in South Carolina, but he soon may be extradited to Florida.
The testimony from one of Michael Jackson's ex-wives surprised many in the courtroom. Debbie Rowe was supposed to be one of the prosecution's star witnesses. But her comments seemed to catch them off guard.
CNN's Ted Rowlands has more for you from Santa Maria, California.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Debbie Rowe is expected back on the stand when court resumes. She has surprised many with her testimony thus far. She's been on the stand for about 40 minutes and she has contradicted what prosecutors had said in their opening statements to the jury.
Prosecutors had maintained that Debbie Rowe was told what to say during the videotaping of an interview for Michael Jackson. Rowe got on the stand, however, and adamantly denied that she was coached or told what to say at all, saying that, "Nobody tells me what to say."
This seems to fly in the face of what prosecutors told jurors she would say when taking the stand.
She did say that Michael Jackson himself called her and urged her to take part in this video, which prosecutors said she'd do. And she's the first person to actually tie Jackson into the production of this video.
This video is important because it's at the core of the conspiracy case against Michael Jackson.
The accuser's mother says that she was coerced in her videotaped interview. Debbie Rowe, however, saying she did it on her own.
Rowe is expected back on the stand when court resumes.
Following her testimony, we expect to hear from her attorney, who was also present when the videotaping occurred.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: On to politics now.
A Republican reversal and the Ethics Committee is up and running again. It means House Majority Leader Tom DeLay could soon be the focus of another investigation. By a vote of 406-20, representatives rescinded rules pushed through by Republicans. In essence, those rules required a complaint to be dismissed after 45 days if the 10- member Ethics Committee deadlocked, a cinch since there are five Democrats and five Republicans on the committee.
Well, now it's a new day, so look for a new probe into DeLay's travel to begin next week.
Just how big do football players need to be? That was the question Congress asked NFL leaders about the use of steroids in their sport. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said the fact that players are bigger today does not necessarily mean they're using steroids. He adds: "There's no need for uniform drug testing for steroids."
A couple of former players were on hand to answer questions, too.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE COURSON, FORMER NFL PLAYER: I've given hundreds of lectures and seminars in schools. And the most asked question I get from kids at the end of my seminars is, oh, far and away what they ask me the most. And they ask me do they think I could have made it in the NFL without drugs. And I think that should tell us a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The NFL began year round random testing for steroid use in 1990. Fifty-four players have been suspended so far.
Now for our CNN "Security Watch."
A federal jury in New Jersey has convicted a British man for trying to sell shoulder fired missiles to terrorists. The so-called terrorists were actually undercover agents. Prosecutors say Hemant Lakhani believed the missiles were meant to shoot down commercial airliners. The defense claims he was entrapped by the government. Sentencing is scheduled for August 8.
Two Senate subcommittees have scheduled a hearing this afternoon on border security. The senators will hear testimony about how technology can be used to protect the ports of entry.
Oakland, California has become the first port in the nation to scan all incoming cargo for radioactive material. As the nation's fourth largest port, about 2,000 cargo containers enter every day. Inspectors have to be careful for false alarms. Bananas, kitty litter and medical equipment all set off the new detectors.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, is it time for a change? One state mulls the old daylight savings issue. And one town is split down the middle, literally. We'll prove it to you.
Plus, would you believe gas stations are hurting for money? Carrie Lee explains in today's "Business Buzz."
And everyone's got one. Mom and dad, parents, have you heard that phrase? We'll help you consider the pros and cons of credit cards for kids.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:13 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Just within the last hour, Iraq's national assembly approved a list of cabinet members for a transitional government. It's the first government in Iraq formed in half a century by democratic vote.
In money news, a report of increased oil reserves sent prices down more than $2.50 a barrel. The price drop in oil futures was also fueled by President Bush's announcement to build more refineries on close military bases.
In culture, Dorothy's dress captured a pretty price at auction. Judy Garland's dress from the 1939 original "Wizard of Oz" sold for $252,000. Six of the dresses were made for the movie.
In sports, some harsh words between Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella. Schilling says the Rays' players called their manager an idiot during Sunday's brawl filled game between the two teams. Piniella dismissed it as a cheap shot and said he had lost respect for Schilling.
MYERS: Carol, did you see the new Schilling bobble head? It's not a bobble head anymore, it's a bobble ankle because the ankle wobbles instead of the head.
COSTELLO: Which is very painful for fans to look at because he's out for two weeks because of that ankle.
MYERS: He's out for another two weeks. Yes, he injured it, actually, in that game that we were seeing pictures of.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines for you.
Most of us change our clocks twice a year. People in Indiana might have to, as well. The state senate has approved a daylight savings bill. The house is expected to vote on it this morning.
You may ask, why the debate?
Gene Shaw (ph) with Cincinnati, Ohio affiliate WXIX takes us to the heart of the problem.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GENE SHAW, WXIX CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a town from another time, where people volunteer for the fire department, little kids walk their big dogs down Main Street and the Americana waves with even a whisper of wind. For generations, time has stood still in this town, at least the part of it on this side of the street.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I figure everybody else is on the wrong thing, because our clocks stay the same. You're changing yours. SHAW: Well, half the clocks stay the same. You see, College Corner is divided up like an all American apple pie. This street slices it into two states, two zip codes and, part of the year, two time zones. Never before has what time is it been such a difficult question.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, you don't ever get used to it. I think you really have to think, you know, think about it.
SHAW: Especially at the poof, which technically is in Indiana but keeps Ohio hours. So if you walk in at 4:00 Indiana time, the doors are locked. It's enough to make you turn off the clocks altogether, except that 100 years ago, right on the state line, somebody built a school. So there's an Ohio side and an Indiana side. And even the gym is split right down the middle. But the whole school runs on Hoosier time, so Ohio kids start the year going to school at 8:40, but in October, the first bell is 7:40.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You get a lot of sleepy kids until they adjust to the change.
SHAW: And adjusting is the key. It helps to have two clocks, maybe even in your car, if you want to avoid a parking ticket.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it needs to change.
SHAW: But most folks here say they like the way time moves. They've learned how to take advantage of an extra hour after work and hope things don't change any time soon.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: Pretty wacky, isn't it? Stranger, the idea of changing to daylight savings time has been controversial for years.
The principal of that school we saw in the story joins us from College Corner.
Dan Shepherd, good morning.
DAN SHEPHERD, PRINCIPAL, UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Dan, we have a picture of you standing in the gymnasium.
Tell us the significance of this. You're standing right on a line down the middle of the court.
SHEPHERD: Well, it's hard to tell what time it is right there. One foot would be in Ohio, one foot in Indiana. So there could be -- even though my watch says one thing, part of my body would be an hour ahead or part of my body would be an hour behind.
COSTELLO: Why did they build this school in this particular place? SHEPHERD: Well, the name of our wonderful little school is College Corner Union School. And it was a way for the residents over 100 years ago to feel a sense of solidarity one with the other, whether they were from Ohio or Indiana. They wanted to come together and educate their children.
COSTELLO: Well, they can't come together on daylight savings time.
First of all, can you tell us why Indiana doesn't have daylight savings time?
SHEPHERD: I don't know that I could respond to that well, ma'am, other than to say we had just chosen many, many years ago not to touch our clocks.
COSTELLO: OK. I know it passed the state senate to institute daylight savings time in Indiana. But it's held up in the house now. Politics is at play. They're letting other things come into play besides just the time.
Do you still have high hopes that it'll pass?
SHEPHERD: Well, you know, you could ask any numbers of Hoosiers and get a different response. We are not in the habit of changing our times, but I'm sure that many of us would enjoy the extra hour should it occur. The question, of course, is one of economics. Our governor tells us great business benefit can come from going to daylight savings. So I think that if that's the case, money will rule the day.
COSTELLO: What's the biggest problem it presents for you?
SHEPHERD: Well, you know, I hate to say that it doesn't cause much of a problem. It seems to cause very little problem for us. The people in our area are used to knowing whether they're functioning on Indiana time or Ohio time. Our school and all its events are always held on Indiana time. Our Ohio residents are just familiar with that and know to show up when their clocks tell them that it's time in Indiana to go to the next event.
COSTELLO: Yes, maybe it would cause more of a problem if Indiana went to daylight savings time.
SHEPHERD: Well, that would take some time to get used to, I imagine.
COSTELLO: It would.
Dan Shepherd, thank you for joining us this morning.
We appreciate it.
And we'll keep you posted on how the statehouse in Indiana votes on that issue.
Still to come, another fan in trouble at an NBA game. And how could your neighborhood gas station possibly be suffering while you are paying big bucks for fuel?
Then, frequent fliers listen up. There is a way to get the very best seat on the plane. We'll tell you when DAYBREAK continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Time for a little "Business Buzz" now.
Consumers aren't the only ones feeling the pain at the gas pump. Station owners who sell us the gas are not making as much money as you might think.
Carrie Lee breaks down the numbers for us.
I must say this surprised me.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and it will surprise a lot of people. You think that they're just gouging people left and right, right? Well, not the case. In fact, gas station owners aren't making that much money, not sharing in the profits. If you take a look at the numbers in, say, California, where gas prices are traditionally the highest area in the country, according to the "San Francisco Chronicle," on average, a price for $2.58 per gallon, crude oil accounts for $1.12. Oil refining is $0.87 and taxes are $0.52. Add it all up, that leaves just $0.07 a gallon to cover distribution, marketing and the profits for the station.
Now, these numbers account for stations affiliated with a major gasoline brand. The so-called independent stations do have slightly better profit margins and as those prices rise, the affiliate stations make even less money, believe it or not, because they have less leeway in setting prices.
So who's making all the money? Well, take a guess. The big oil companies get most of the profits because they produce, refine and sell the gas.
Now, this morning we'll see just how much money Dow component Exxon Mobil made in the first three months of the year. Wall Street expecting over $7.5 billion in profits. We'll find out soon.
COSTELLO: There's something wrong about that. I don't know.
LEE: Well...
COSTELLO: But that's the American way. I mean if you're going to -- I mean, you know, you're a big company, you want to make money. So I guess why not?
LEE: Absolutely. And it's a publicly traded company, so if you're a consumer, you want to get in on it, then you buy the stock.
COSTELLO: It still hurts at the pump.
Sorry about that.
LEE: It really does. I know.
COSTELLO: I want some of that money for myself.
LEE: Yes.
COSTELLO: A quick look at the futures?
LEE: Futures looking a bit flat today. We did have oil prices come down over $2 a barrel yesterday. That helped the stock reaction a bit. But this morning looking flat.
We have Exxon's profits, as I said, and our first look at the first quarter of GDP, gross domestic product. So we'll see what happens.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Carrie.
LEE: OK.
COSTELLO: In other "News Across America" this morning, President Bush was moved to a protective shelter after radar spotted a plane inside the restricted air space around the White House. But it turned out to be a false alarm. The phantom plane turned out to be just an erroneous blip on the radar system.
A hate crime investigation underway in North Carolina after an interracial couple had a cross burned in their yard. The Reverend Jesse Jackson met with the couple and called for the FBI to step in. The couple says they've been targeted ever since they moved into the neighborhood.
Another embarrassment for the Detroit Pistons at The Palace. Two fans were arrested after a coin hit the Philadelphia 76ers' Allen Iverson. One man was charged with throwing the object, the other for not having a proper ticket.
I know many of you are sitting at the airport right now, waiting to get on that plane. Are you a little miffed, though, that you have to cram your body into a middle seat? Or maybe you have to sit beside the bathroom or maybe sit beside some less than well behaved children.
Can you beat the system?
"USA Today" travel reporter Ben Mutzabaugh is live in Atlanta this morning to tell us how.
Good morning, Ben. BEN MUTZABAUGH, "USA TODAY": Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So how can I beat the system?
MUTZABAUGH: Well, it is a little tough right now. Airlines are flying with nearly four out of every five seats filled. So in the past you could always rearrange your seats once you got to the gate. And that's not quite so easy right now.
One of the things you might want to do is try to book -- when you book your ticket, you might want to consider seeing if the airline will let you choose your seat before you go ahead and complete the booking process. That's one way to make sure you get the seat that you want.
Another thing to do is...
COSTELLO: Well, wait a minute, Ben.
Before we go on...
MUTZABAUGH: Sure.
COSTELLO: We're looking at this...
MUTZABAUGH: Seatguru...
COSTELLO: We're looking at this site and we see that there are green seats, yellow seats and red seats.
MUTZABAUGH: That's Seatguru.com. And that's a great way to figure out where you want to sit. Now, what they do is they rate all of the seats on just about any type of airplane that you would fly in the United States. And there's a key, as you see there. You know, if you find, go to Seatguru.com, check out the airline and the type of plane you'll be flying. If you find a green seat, go ahead and take it, because that means that you either have more leg room or there's something good about that seat that's worth snagging over the other ones.
The white seats...
COSTELLO: Are those seats by the emergency exits?
MUTZABAUGH: They could be anywhere from the emergency exits to seats that don't have anyone behind you, so that if you're reclining, you're not going to get any disgruntled passenger say hey, your seat is going into my newspaper. It could be any number of things.
COSTELLO: OK. Red seats.
MUTZABAUGH: Red seats...
COSTELLO: Those are the poor seats.
MUTZABAUGH: Those are the bad seats. And that could be because they're behind the exit row, so you have a little less room because the seats in front of you are back a little further, or because, for example, let's say you're in the back of the plane. Those seats don't recline. And you're also, you also tend to be near the galleys, where flight attendants are making drinks, cooking the meals where they still have them. And it just tends to be a little noisy.
So the site does a great job of telling you what to look out for and where you want to go.
COSTELLO: OK, well, let's go down a list of things that you ought to do so you can get the best seats.
And you already mentioned one -- use Web sites that allow seat selection before the purchase. And also you said reserve a seat when you book. And now you're suggesting reconfirm a day before the flight.
Tell us more.
MUTZABAUGH: Right. That's one thing you can always do. If you're -- if you don't think that you have the seat that you want or if you go to Seatguru.com and find out that you don't have a seat that's very good, call the airline and say hey, my flight is tomorrow, I just wanted to reconfirm my reservation, can you tell me where my seat is?
And, of course, they're going to tell you what you already know. But then say, well, are there any windows open? Are there any aisles open? And see if they can change your flight at that time.
COSTELLO: And if you're really desperate, I suppose you could pay more.
MUTZABAUGH: You could pay more. And I think that's one things about, you have to adjust your expectations when flying today. If you have a ticket that's $170 coast to coast, round trip, you know, it's not unreasonable to assume the airlines are going to stick you in a pretty cruddy seat. So ask them if there's anything you can do for an upgrade. Sometimes it might be just $30, sometimes it might be more. Decide what you're willing to pay. If it's too much, you're stuck in that middle seat. If it's worth $100 or $200 for you to get to the window or the aisle or an economy plus seat, then maybe you want to do it.
COSTELLO: All right, Ben Mutzabaugh, thanks for the advice.
You can read more of Ben's travel tips online. Just visit "USA Today" online and click on travel.
The last half hour of DAYBREAK starts in just a minute.
But first, a look at some familiar faces. It's time to say happy birthday on this April 28.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 28, 2005 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Wedding plans on hold after the bride-to-be goes missing. We are awaiting a live news conference in Georgia this morning.
Will the second day of testimony from his ex-wife hurt the prosecutors in the Michael Jackson case?
And how far is one state willing to go to get that extra hour of daylight? You might say residents are split.
It's Thursday, April 28.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, big news out of Baghdad this morning. Just within the last half hour, Iraq's national assembly approved a list of cabinet members for a transitional government. It comes three months after those national elections were held. It's the first government in Iraq formed in half a century by democratic vote.
Tough talk from a man who wants peace. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas threatens to use what he calls an iron fist against militants who violate the cease-fire with Israel. It is his toughest stance since he took office in January.
The death toll in that Japanese train wreck has grown to 106. More bodies found today in the twisted metal debris, including the engineer. The commuter train jumped the tracks Monday outside of Osaka.
President Bush tackles Social Security and high gas prices tonight. He's scheduled a news conference for 8:30 Eastern tonight.
To the Forecast Center -- actually, let's head to Duluth, Georgia, because that press conference I was talking to you about, about the missing bride, is ongoing now.
Let's listen.
MAJ. DON WOODRUFF, DULUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT: ... then we can help them, they can help us by going out and following up on those tips. So they are helping us now. Based on the circumstances of this situation, we would now classify this as a criminal investigation.
QUESTION: Are you saying that you suspect foul play?
WOODRUFF: Based on the circumstances as we understand it, we are now classifying this as a criminal investigation.
QUESTION: Do you think that something happened to her? Was she attacked?
WOODRUFF: Well, we don't know. We have no physical evidence of anything at this point in time. But, again, based on the fact that according to the family members, this is totally uncharacteristic of her behavior, and such being the case, we would have to classify it as a criminal investigation at this time.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) criminal investigation, what's going to be different than what was happening yesterday?
WOODRUFF: Well, we started by interviewing family and friends and trying to backtrack her movements and see what was going on in her life. We started that yesterday and we will continue on down that track.
QUESTION: Have any polygraph tests been given?
WOODRUFF: There have been none felt at this point in time to do that. No, there haven't been any.
QUESTION: What is the FBI's involvement so far? How are they assisting you?
WOODRUFF: If we get a tip, say, for example, that is from out of state, certainly they have the resources to follow-up on that tip that we don't have.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) hasn't been given yet. Is that a step you plan on taking in the near future with either family or friends or whoever may have seen her last?
WOODRUFF: If the investigators feel that it's appropriate to request a polygraph at some point down the line, then I would certainly do that. There is no way that you can compel a polygraph for anyone.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) at this point or are we really (INAUDIBLE)?
WOODRUFF: At the present time, it would be premature to classify anyone as a suspect.
QUESTION: Major, could you reiterate again how did this become a criminal investigation?
WOODRUFF: Based on the fact that we made a thorough grid search and could not find her and based on the circumstances of her disappearance. QUESTION: What is the game plan for investigators today?
WOODRUFF: Well, to continue to interview her friends, people that know her, people that work with her and find out what was going on in her life and things of that nature.
QUESTION: What about divers searching the Chattahoochee?
WOODRUFF: Yesterday we had support from DNR, who used their boats to search the banks of the Chattahoochee. If that needs to be done further, then we'll consider that and do it at that time.
QUESTION: So divers aren't planning on going in?
WOODRUFF: Well, not right now. There's no indication that that's needed at this time.
QUESTION: Are her family members being cooperative with you all? Do you feel like you're getting all the information that you're asking for at this point?
WOODRUFF: It's my understanding from our investigators that the people that they have interviewed, the friends and the family, have been very cooperative.
QUESTION: Sir, have you -- I'm sorry, I got here late.
Have you looked into old boyfriends?
WOODRUFF: It is my understanding from the investigators that they are talking to everybody that she knows, her known associates, old boyfriends, friends, family, everybody.
QUESTION: Will you continue going door to door today?
WOODRUFF: I don't know that we'll continue to do that or not. They did canvass the area to see, you know, what people saw. If they do feel it's necessary to go back out, then we'll go back out.
QUESTION: But at this point, though, 250 volunteers fanning out like they did in the last 24 hours?
WOODRUFF: Well, we feel like we did a very extensive search yesterday. We had a massive number of people out there looking. And I believe if she had been out there, we would have found her.
QUESTION: Is there a certain level of frustration going along with this? Because it sounds like that you're really no further along than you were when you first learned of her disappearance.
Is that true?
WOODRUFF: Well, I suppose you could say that. We haven't found her, and that's frustrating.
QUESTION: Or any of her belongings or anything? WOODRUFF: We haven't found any evidence, any physical evidence at this point in time.
QUESTION: How is her family holding up at this time?
WOODRUFF: Well, I can imagine that her family is very concerned and worried about her.
QUESTION: Do you remember the last time something like this happened in Duluth? Or has it happened?
WOODRUFF: We have had situations in the past where we had an elderly person who had Alzheimer's who wandered off from home. We did do a massive search for her, not on this scale. But we did find her the next day and she was fine and returned home.
We haven't had anything like this in the future -- in the past, no.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: Thank you very much.
WOODRUFF: All right.
OK, that...
COSTELLO: All right, we've been listening to Major Don Woodruff.
He's from the Duluth City Police Department. That is in Duluth, Georgia.
We've been telling you about this 32-year-old Georgia woman, Jennifer Wilbanks. She's been missing. She's supposed to get married on Saturday and she just simply disappeared a couple of days ago.
And you heard Major Woodruff say that this is now a criminal investigation. Police do now suspect foul play, since she left everything behind -- her purse, her money, even her ring, her engagement ring.
We're going to have a full report coming up at 6:30 Eastern on CNN.
We do have a correspondent there.
On to a story with a happy ending. A 12-year-old girl is heading back to Florida today three days after she disappeared from a Tampa area motel. Margarita Aguilar-Lopez was found last night with her alleged abductor in a Wal-Mart parking lot in South Carolina. The girl's parents live in Mexico. The 25-year-old suspect is now in jail in South Carolina, but he soon may be extradited to Florida.
The testimony from one of Michael Jackson's ex-wives surprised many in the courtroom. Debbie Rowe was supposed to be one of the prosecution's star witnesses. But her comments seemed to catch them off guard.
CNN's Ted Rowlands has more for you from Santa Maria, California.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Debbie Rowe is expected back on the stand when court resumes. She has surprised many with her testimony thus far. She's been on the stand for about 40 minutes and she has contradicted what prosecutors had said in their opening statements to the jury.
Prosecutors had maintained that Debbie Rowe was told what to say during the videotaping of an interview for Michael Jackson. Rowe got on the stand, however, and adamantly denied that she was coached or told what to say at all, saying that, "Nobody tells me what to say."
This seems to fly in the face of what prosecutors told jurors she would say when taking the stand.
She did say that Michael Jackson himself called her and urged her to take part in this video, which prosecutors said she'd do. And she's the first person to actually tie Jackson into the production of this video.
This video is important because it's at the core of the conspiracy case against Michael Jackson.
The accuser's mother says that she was coerced in her videotaped interview. Debbie Rowe, however, saying she did it on her own.
Rowe is expected back on the stand when court resumes.
Following her testimony, we expect to hear from her attorney, who was also present when the videotaping occurred.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: On to politics now.
A Republican reversal and the Ethics Committee is up and running again. It means House Majority Leader Tom DeLay could soon be the focus of another investigation. By a vote of 406-20, representatives rescinded rules pushed through by Republicans. In essence, those rules required a complaint to be dismissed after 45 days if the 10- member Ethics Committee deadlocked, a cinch since there are five Democrats and five Republicans on the committee.
Well, now it's a new day, so look for a new probe into DeLay's travel to begin next week.
Just how big do football players need to be? That was the question Congress asked NFL leaders about the use of steroids in their sport. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said the fact that players are bigger today does not necessarily mean they're using steroids. He adds: "There's no need for uniform drug testing for steroids."
A couple of former players were on hand to answer questions, too.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE COURSON, FORMER NFL PLAYER: I've given hundreds of lectures and seminars in schools. And the most asked question I get from kids at the end of my seminars is, oh, far and away what they ask me the most. And they ask me do they think I could have made it in the NFL without drugs. And I think that should tell us a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The NFL began year round random testing for steroid use in 1990. Fifty-four players have been suspended so far.
Now for our CNN "Security Watch."
A federal jury in New Jersey has convicted a British man for trying to sell shoulder fired missiles to terrorists. The so-called terrorists were actually undercover agents. Prosecutors say Hemant Lakhani believed the missiles were meant to shoot down commercial airliners. The defense claims he was entrapped by the government. Sentencing is scheduled for August 8.
Two Senate subcommittees have scheduled a hearing this afternoon on border security. The senators will hear testimony about how technology can be used to protect the ports of entry.
Oakland, California has become the first port in the nation to scan all incoming cargo for radioactive material. As the nation's fourth largest port, about 2,000 cargo containers enter every day. Inspectors have to be careful for false alarms. Bananas, kitty litter and medical equipment all set off the new detectors.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, is it time for a change? One state mulls the old daylight savings issue. And one town is split down the middle, literally. We'll prove it to you.
Plus, would you believe gas stations are hurting for money? Carrie Lee explains in today's "Business Buzz."
And everyone's got one. Mom and dad, parents, have you heard that phrase? We'll help you consider the pros and cons of credit cards for kids.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:13 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Just within the last hour, Iraq's national assembly approved a list of cabinet members for a transitional government. It's the first government in Iraq formed in half a century by democratic vote.
In money news, a report of increased oil reserves sent prices down more than $2.50 a barrel. The price drop in oil futures was also fueled by President Bush's announcement to build more refineries on close military bases.
In culture, Dorothy's dress captured a pretty price at auction. Judy Garland's dress from the 1939 original "Wizard of Oz" sold for $252,000. Six of the dresses were made for the movie.
In sports, some harsh words between Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella. Schilling says the Rays' players called their manager an idiot during Sunday's brawl filled game between the two teams. Piniella dismissed it as a cheap shot and said he had lost respect for Schilling.
MYERS: Carol, did you see the new Schilling bobble head? It's not a bobble head anymore, it's a bobble ankle because the ankle wobbles instead of the head.
COSTELLO: Which is very painful for fans to look at because he's out for two weeks because of that ankle.
MYERS: He's out for another two weeks. Yes, he injured it, actually, in that game that we were seeing pictures of.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines for you.
Most of us change our clocks twice a year. People in Indiana might have to, as well. The state senate has approved a daylight savings bill. The house is expected to vote on it this morning.
You may ask, why the debate?
Gene Shaw (ph) with Cincinnati, Ohio affiliate WXIX takes us to the heart of the problem.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GENE SHAW, WXIX CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a town from another time, where people volunteer for the fire department, little kids walk their big dogs down Main Street and the Americana waves with even a whisper of wind. For generations, time has stood still in this town, at least the part of it on this side of the street.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I figure everybody else is on the wrong thing, because our clocks stay the same. You're changing yours. SHAW: Well, half the clocks stay the same. You see, College Corner is divided up like an all American apple pie. This street slices it into two states, two zip codes and, part of the year, two time zones. Never before has what time is it been such a difficult question.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, you don't ever get used to it. I think you really have to think, you know, think about it.
SHAW: Especially at the poof, which technically is in Indiana but keeps Ohio hours. So if you walk in at 4:00 Indiana time, the doors are locked. It's enough to make you turn off the clocks altogether, except that 100 years ago, right on the state line, somebody built a school. So there's an Ohio side and an Indiana side. And even the gym is split right down the middle. But the whole school runs on Hoosier time, so Ohio kids start the year going to school at 8:40, but in October, the first bell is 7:40.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You get a lot of sleepy kids until they adjust to the change.
SHAW: And adjusting is the key. It helps to have two clocks, maybe even in your car, if you want to avoid a parking ticket.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it needs to change.
SHAW: But most folks here say they like the way time moves. They've learned how to take advantage of an extra hour after work and hope things don't change any time soon.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: Pretty wacky, isn't it? Stranger, the idea of changing to daylight savings time has been controversial for years.
The principal of that school we saw in the story joins us from College Corner.
Dan Shepherd, good morning.
DAN SHEPHERD, PRINCIPAL, UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Dan, we have a picture of you standing in the gymnasium.
Tell us the significance of this. You're standing right on a line down the middle of the court.
SHEPHERD: Well, it's hard to tell what time it is right there. One foot would be in Ohio, one foot in Indiana. So there could be -- even though my watch says one thing, part of my body would be an hour ahead or part of my body would be an hour behind.
COSTELLO: Why did they build this school in this particular place? SHEPHERD: Well, the name of our wonderful little school is College Corner Union School. And it was a way for the residents over 100 years ago to feel a sense of solidarity one with the other, whether they were from Ohio or Indiana. They wanted to come together and educate their children.
COSTELLO: Well, they can't come together on daylight savings time.
First of all, can you tell us why Indiana doesn't have daylight savings time?
SHEPHERD: I don't know that I could respond to that well, ma'am, other than to say we had just chosen many, many years ago not to touch our clocks.
COSTELLO: OK. I know it passed the state senate to institute daylight savings time in Indiana. But it's held up in the house now. Politics is at play. They're letting other things come into play besides just the time.
Do you still have high hopes that it'll pass?
SHEPHERD: Well, you know, you could ask any numbers of Hoosiers and get a different response. We are not in the habit of changing our times, but I'm sure that many of us would enjoy the extra hour should it occur. The question, of course, is one of economics. Our governor tells us great business benefit can come from going to daylight savings. So I think that if that's the case, money will rule the day.
COSTELLO: What's the biggest problem it presents for you?
SHEPHERD: Well, you know, I hate to say that it doesn't cause much of a problem. It seems to cause very little problem for us. The people in our area are used to knowing whether they're functioning on Indiana time or Ohio time. Our school and all its events are always held on Indiana time. Our Ohio residents are just familiar with that and know to show up when their clocks tell them that it's time in Indiana to go to the next event.
COSTELLO: Yes, maybe it would cause more of a problem if Indiana went to daylight savings time.
SHEPHERD: Well, that would take some time to get used to, I imagine.
COSTELLO: It would.
Dan Shepherd, thank you for joining us this morning.
We appreciate it.
And we'll keep you posted on how the statehouse in Indiana votes on that issue.
Still to come, another fan in trouble at an NBA game. And how could your neighborhood gas station possibly be suffering while you are paying big bucks for fuel?
Then, frequent fliers listen up. There is a way to get the very best seat on the plane. We'll tell you when DAYBREAK continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Time for a little "Business Buzz" now.
Consumers aren't the only ones feeling the pain at the gas pump. Station owners who sell us the gas are not making as much money as you might think.
Carrie Lee breaks down the numbers for us.
I must say this surprised me.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and it will surprise a lot of people. You think that they're just gouging people left and right, right? Well, not the case. In fact, gas station owners aren't making that much money, not sharing in the profits. If you take a look at the numbers in, say, California, where gas prices are traditionally the highest area in the country, according to the "San Francisco Chronicle," on average, a price for $2.58 per gallon, crude oil accounts for $1.12. Oil refining is $0.87 and taxes are $0.52. Add it all up, that leaves just $0.07 a gallon to cover distribution, marketing and the profits for the station.
Now, these numbers account for stations affiliated with a major gasoline brand. The so-called independent stations do have slightly better profit margins and as those prices rise, the affiliate stations make even less money, believe it or not, because they have less leeway in setting prices.
So who's making all the money? Well, take a guess. The big oil companies get most of the profits because they produce, refine and sell the gas.
Now, this morning we'll see just how much money Dow component Exxon Mobil made in the first three months of the year. Wall Street expecting over $7.5 billion in profits. We'll find out soon.
COSTELLO: There's something wrong about that. I don't know.
LEE: Well...
COSTELLO: But that's the American way. I mean if you're going to -- I mean, you know, you're a big company, you want to make money. So I guess why not?
LEE: Absolutely. And it's a publicly traded company, so if you're a consumer, you want to get in on it, then you buy the stock.
COSTELLO: It still hurts at the pump.
Sorry about that.
LEE: It really does. I know.
COSTELLO: I want some of that money for myself.
LEE: Yes.
COSTELLO: A quick look at the futures?
LEE: Futures looking a bit flat today. We did have oil prices come down over $2 a barrel yesterday. That helped the stock reaction a bit. But this morning looking flat.
We have Exxon's profits, as I said, and our first look at the first quarter of GDP, gross domestic product. So we'll see what happens.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Carrie.
LEE: OK.
COSTELLO: In other "News Across America" this morning, President Bush was moved to a protective shelter after radar spotted a plane inside the restricted air space around the White House. But it turned out to be a false alarm. The phantom plane turned out to be just an erroneous blip on the radar system.
A hate crime investigation underway in North Carolina after an interracial couple had a cross burned in their yard. The Reverend Jesse Jackson met with the couple and called for the FBI to step in. The couple says they've been targeted ever since they moved into the neighborhood.
Another embarrassment for the Detroit Pistons at The Palace. Two fans were arrested after a coin hit the Philadelphia 76ers' Allen Iverson. One man was charged with throwing the object, the other for not having a proper ticket.
I know many of you are sitting at the airport right now, waiting to get on that plane. Are you a little miffed, though, that you have to cram your body into a middle seat? Or maybe you have to sit beside the bathroom or maybe sit beside some less than well behaved children.
Can you beat the system?
"USA Today" travel reporter Ben Mutzabaugh is live in Atlanta this morning to tell us how.
Good morning, Ben. BEN MUTZABAUGH, "USA TODAY": Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So how can I beat the system?
MUTZABAUGH: Well, it is a little tough right now. Airlines are flying with nearly four out of every five seats filled. So in the past you could always rearrange your seats once you got to the gate. And that's not quite so easy right now.
One of the things you might want to do is try to book -- when you book your ticket, you might want to consider seeing if the airline will let you choose your seat before you go ahead and complete the booking process. That's one way to make sure you get the seat that you want.
Another thing to do is...
COSTELLO: Well, wait a minute, Ben.
Before we go on...
MUTZABAUGH: Sure.
COSTELLO: We're looking at this...
MUTZABAUGH: Seatguru...
COSTELLO: We're looking at this site and we see that there are green seats, yellow seats and red seats.
MUTZABAUGH: That's Seatguru.com. And that's a great way to figure out where you want to sit. Now, what they do is they rate all of the seats on just about any type of airplane that you would fly in the United States. And there's a key, as you see there. You know, if you find, go to Seatguru.com, check out the airline and the type of plane you'll be flying. If you find a green seat, go ahead and take it, because that means that you either have more leg room or there's something good about that seat that's worth snagging over the other ones.
The white seats...
COSTELLO: Are those seats by the emergency exits?
MUTZABAUGH: They could be anywhere from the emergency exits to seats that don't have anyone behind you, so that if you're reclining, you're not going to get any disgruntled passenger say hey, your seat is going into my newspaper. It could be any number of things.
COSTELLO: OK. Red seats.
MUTZABAUGH: Red seats...
COSTELLO: Those are the poor seats.
MUTZABAUGH: Those are the bad seats. And that could be because they're behind the exit row, so you have a little less room because the seats in front of you are back a little further, or because, for example, let's say you're in the back of the plane. Those seats don't recline. And you're also, you also tend to be near the galleys, where flight attendants are making drinks, cooking the meals where they still have them. And it just tends to be a little noisy.
So the site does a great job of telling you what to look out for and where you want to go.
COSTELLO: OK, well, let's go down a list of things that you ought to do so you can get the best seats.
And you already mentioned one -- use Web sites that allow seat selection before the purchase. And also you said reserve a seat when you book. And now you're suggesting reconfirm a day before the flight.
Tell us more.
MUTZABAUGH: Right. That's one thing you can always do. If you're -- if you don't think that you have the seat that you want or if you go to Seatguru.com and find out that you don't have a seat that's very good, call the airline and say hey, my flight is tomorrow, I just wanted to reconfirm my reservation, can you tell me where my seat is?
And, of course, they're going to tell you what you already know. But then say, well, are there any windows open? Are there any aisles open? And see if they can change your flight at that time.
COSTELLO: And if you're really desperate, I suppose you could pay more.
MUTZABAUGH: You could pay more. And I think that's one things about, you have to adjust your expectations when flying today. If you have a ticket that's $170 coast to coast, round trip, you know, it's not unreasonable to assume the airlines are going to stick you in a pretty cruddy seat. So ask them if there's anything you can do for an upgrade. Sometimes it might be just $30, sometimes it might be more. Decide what you're willing to pay. If it's too much, you're stuck in that middle seat. If it's worth $100 or $200 for you to get to the window or the aisle or an economy plus seat, then maybe you want to do it.
COSTELLO: All right, Ben Mutzabaugh, thanks for the advice.
You can read more of Ben's travel tips online. Just visit "USA Today" online and click on travel.
The last half hour of DAYBREAK starts in just a minute.
But first, a look at some familiar faces. It's time to say happy birthday on this April 28.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
