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CNN Live Today
Bush to Address Nation Tonight; Iraq Government Approves Cabinet;
Aired April 28, 2005 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: We'll go ahead and get started. Let's start by looking at what's happening now in the news.
It is now a criminal investigation. Police are probing the disappearance of a suburban Atlanta woman who vanished just days before her wedding. Jennifer Wilbanks was due to be married on Saturday. Her fiance says she went out to jog without her key, a pocketbook or a cell phone.
Earlier this morning, lawmakers in Iraq approved a list of cabinet members and ushered in the first elected government in the post Saddam era. The newly elected cabinet includes members of Iraq's main Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni factions. Still to be filled, two deputy prime minister slots and some important ministry posts.
In Japan, the death toll has risen yet again from Monday's horrific commuter train crash and the search for survivors has been officially called off. A hundred and six people are now confirmed dead. The body of the train's 23-year-old driver is among those just recovered. Investigators have said excessive speed may have caused Japan's deadliest crash in four decades.
Right now on Capitol Hill, the Senate Judiciary Committee, a live picture there for you, Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania is taking a look. They're in the middle of a bitter stalemate that has stalled President Bush's judicial nominations. Committee members are holding executive business meetings to discuss pending legislation and votes on those pending nominees.
Good morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. Glad to have you here with us.
President Bush goes primetime tonight. He is pushing two pet projects. The president will address Americans tonight about his energy and Social Security reform plans.
Our Elaine Quijano is at the White House with a preview of this evening's news conference.
Good morning, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. And this will be the fourth time that President Bush will hold a prime time news conference in the East Room of the White House. A rare event certainly, but one in which the president will try to focus the nation's as well as Congress's attention on Social Security and energy. And on that front, of course, it was just yesterday that we heard President Bush in a speech outline some new initiatives that he would like to see members of Congress take up, having to do with energy. Part of what the administration says is the president's comprehensive energy strategy.
All of this happening, of course against the backdrop of these high gas prices. Officials though here, acknowledge none of the proposals will do anything to provide any immediate price relief. but they insist that these problems did not happen overnight and simply cannot be addressed fully overnight.
Now, we're also expecting to hear the president tonight talk about the issue of Social Security. Of course, President Bush, as well as other administration officials for the past 60 days or so, have been out across the country, stumping for changes to Social Security. Tonight, White House spokesman Scott McClellan says President Bush will lay out in more specific detail some ideas that he has more solving the Social Security problem, the insolvency issue.
Part of the solution the president believes is the idea of having personal accounts carved out of the Social Security system. But that has not been popular. According to recent polls, most Americans days agreeing with that as part of the solution. We are expecting to hear more specifics on that tonight.
Also, we should tell you, Daryn, the president has one more event on his schedule before that prime time news conference tonight, scheduled to meet today and hold a working lunch with the president of Panama. But that news conference set for 8:30 tonight -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Elaine Quijano at the White House. Elaine, thank you.
CNN's coverage tonight's of the presidential news conference will begin at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The president is expected to speak at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
It is a landmark day for Iraq Transitional Government. Three months after national elections, lawmakers have approved a cabinet.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote is in Baghdad with that story.
Ryan, Hello.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A very clear step towards a democratic Iraq in Baghdad today. The National Assembly, Iraq's legislative body, approving the proposed government by a decisive margin. This is the first time that Iraq will have a government now formed on the basis of democratic elections.
Now, where today fell sort of expectations is that we didn't get a complete government. We actually got a partial government. The Prime Minister Ibrahim al Jaafari was expected to announce the names of all of the ministers, all 36 of them. But he didn't do that. He left four posts unoccupied for now, saying that he and his deputy prime ministers will fill in for those individuals until they can be named.
Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.
KAGAN: Of course, there is hope that an established Iraqi government can bring security. But for now, the insurgent goes on. A car bomb exploded near a U.S. Iraqi military convoy in Tikrit this morning. At least two Iraqi soldiers were killed. Eleven other people wounded, including three American soldiers.
There's new evidence this morning that Americans still worry about U.S. troops in Iraq. A Gallup poll asking the question: if you had 15 minutes to talk to President Bush what, advice would you give him?
Twenty-eight percent of the respondents said they'd want to talk about Iraq. Other issues Americans would bring up: Social Security, the economy, energy and gas prices. Many who wanted to discuss Iraq said they would urge Mr. Bush to bring the troops home.
First Lady Laura Bush says that the future of troops in Iraq is still of a prime concern to the president. Our White House correspondent Dana Bash is traveling with the first lady. They sat down for a conversation yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I guess in some ways, we both changed when you know that it's the last election that you'll ever go through, which the last one was in November. There is a certain sense of liberation from that. But he still is focused, as he was in the first term, on the agenda that he set out during the second campaign, as you know.
When you were commenting about how much he's traveled for Social Security, and you know we're still very, very focused. And he is. And I am, too. And I think the whole world is, and certainly all of America on our troops in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and standing with both of those countries, as they try to build democracies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Mrs. Bush is on the West Coast today. She is pushing her program to keep kids out of gangs and avoid drugs.
A congressional investigation of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is a step closer this morning. The House clearing the way for the probe by voting to end a stalemate in the ethics committee. The vote overturned rules the committee put in place in January. Under rules instituted back in 1997, an investigation was triggered if the committee was deadlocked. In the change made in January, the investigation was automatically dropped if the panel was tied. Now that change has been rescinded.
For what all of this means to Tom DeLay and other congressional leaders, let's turn to our Ed Henry on Capitol Hill.
Ed, good morning.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. A dramatic reversal for Republicans who made a political calculation here. This may be the only way to lift the cloud hanging over Tom DeLay.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice-over): How was that conference?
REP. TOM DELAY (R), MAJORITY LEADER: It was a great conference.
HENRY: This is why Republicans retreated, the ethics questions swirling around Tom DeLay were taking their toll on the majority leader and his party.
DELAY: You guys better get out of my way. Where is our security?
HENRY: Back in January, Republicans changed the ethics rules to make it harder to launch investigations of misconduct. Democrats allege this was an attempt to shield DeLay. Speaker Dennis Hastert insists the changes were meant to protect all members.. But he acknowledges the only way to end the controversy is to restore the old rules and let the ethics panel investigate whether DeLay let lobbyists pay for overseas lists.
REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: Right now, we want can't clear his name. The media wants to talk about ethics. And as long as we were at a stalemate that's all in the press today is the ethics stalemate. We need to move forward. We need to get this behind us.
HENRY: In private, other Republicans are even blunter. One lawmaker says that he's worried that the Democratic attack that Republicans are being arrogant, may be effective because there's some truth to it. But there could be political fallout for both parties as a scrutiny of DeLay has a ripple effect. Republican and Democratic lawmakers are scurrying to amend their own travel records. And staffers flock to a closed-door refresher course on the ethics rules this week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I think in a political sense, absolutely everyone is concerned this thing is ratcheting up partisanship.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Republicans are especially on edge now because they do not know how the DeLay probe will end up. But they're vowing to retaliate by pushing for investigations of top Democrats. So the heat may shift to the Democratic side as well -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Explain the politics behind the story to us. And how the Democrats on Capitol Hill seem to be winning some these days. Not just this one but also the public argument over filibuster. HENRY: You know, it's very interesting. After the last election, the Democrats seemed to be in the dumps. The Republicans were riding high. They picked up and increased their majorities in the House and in the Senate. The president seemed to have a lot of political capital. But we have seen the Democrats more united than expected. They're pushing back pretty hard against this Republican majority. And that's why you're seeing some issues like Social Security stalled right now. But Republicans insist they're losing some small battles but overall going to win the war. They still have strong majorities. They've been getting some legislative victories, like bankruptcy reform, tort reform. And they're still hopeful they can get Social Security reform as well -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And that was the answer to our Ed Henry question of the day. Ed, thank you.
HENRY: Thank you.
KAGAN: It is a case that a California sheriff took to heart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't sleep, don't eat, because we're coming after you. We will take every resource that's available to us to bring you to justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Still to come the emotional connection between a sheriff and the little girl he never met.
Still no signs of this woman. It's just days before she was supposed to get married. We'll have the latest on the missing bride- to-be.
And later, you may be paying the price but someone else is getting the benefits. Find out who is profiting from gas prices.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Police in suburban Atlanta say the search for a woman who vanished just days before her wedding is now classified as a criminal investigation. Her fiance says she left to go jogging and she didn't come back.
Our Sara Dorsey is in Duluth, Georgia, with the developing story.
Sara, hello.
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, to you, Daryn. Unfortunately, there is still absolutely no sign of 32-year-old Jennifer Wilbanks. And police say because it is so unusual that this woman just seemed to have vanished, they've decided to reclassify this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAJ. DON WOODRUFF, DULUTH POLICE: Based on the circumstances, as reported to us by the family, we feel we have no other option at this point than to classify it as a criminal investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORSEY: Yesterday evening, the large scale search for the missing woman whose wedding was scheduled for this Saturday was called off. Authorities tell CNN a five-mile area around the home was searched twice, turning up no solid leads. Jennifer's stepbrother told CNN the family is satisfied with the search, adding that "it's like losing your keys. You can only turn your house upside down so many times." But he says the family will continue searching until Jennifer is found.
More than 250 searcher, both volunteers and law enforcement officers helped out looking for the missing woman yesterday, but came up with nothing. Apparently, according to family members, Jennifer went jogging late Tuesday evening. They say that is not out of character for her. But what is out of character is that she never came home. They tell us she left behind her car keys, money, her phone and also her diamond ring. She has been engaged since August. And as we have been reporting, her we had something scheduled for Saturday.
Her family put out a statement this morning, begging anyone that has any information as to where she possibly could be to contact police. But as of now, police tell us they have no real leads. However, they do tell us that they are focusing and talking to family members, friends, co-workers, and people that Jennifer may have dated in the past -- Daryn.
KAGAN: You know, you hear this big southern wedding, you got to think cold feet as a possibility. It doesn't sound like her friends and family really think that's the case here.
DORSEY: I'll tell you, everyone that I have talked to, friends, family members, everyone has told me that that's absolutely not even a possibility. Her mother had said yesterday that they were so excited. They had an appointment yesterday to be together to talk about vendors, and they just don't think that's the case. And if she was having a case of cold feet, they said she would have probably taken something with her, money, something, an I.D. so she could get away. That's not what they think has happened in this case. And that's not what police think happened either.
KAGAN: All right. Sara Dorsey in Duluth, we'll let you get the cell phone. There might be more useful information there on the other end. Thank you, Sara.
DORSEY: Sorry about that.
KAGAN: That's all right. Thank you. Live television.
We have a happy ending to report. We like the happy endings. In another missing persons case that we reported this time yesterday, Florida canceled its Amber Alert for 12 year old Margarita Aguilar- Lopez, who vanished from a Bradenton hotel. That's where she was living with her brothers. Authorities say she was found alive and well in Eastly, South Carolina. She was with a 25-year-old man who worked had with her brothers as migrant laborers. That man is in custody.
All right. Another happy ending for you here. A Massachusetts man saying he never, never, never is going to leave his dog alone again. His -- oh, come on! The awww factor. His 11-week-old puppy was stolen and held for ransom Wednesday, when his owner's truck was stolen from a convenience store. Joining me now from Boston, the owner, Timmy Connors, and that cute ball of fur known as Dakota.
Timmy, good morning. And good morning to you, too, Dakota.
TIMMY CONNORS, DOGNAP VICTIM: How are do you doing?
KAGAN: Good. How is Dakota doing?
CONNORS: Oh, he's doing great.
KAGAN: Good. OK, take us back. Was this -- this was earlier this week, Monday, Wednesday?
CONNORS: It was Monday morning.
KAGAN: Monday. Monday morning. OK, so you go into this convenience store. Take it from there.
CONNORS: Yes, I ran in there just for a moment. I knew what I was going there in for, just a bottle of water and the newspaper. It's --.
CONNORS: But you didn't just leave the dog Timmy, you lift your keys in the ignition.
CONNORS: Yes. And my cell phone in the truck which was the key to this case.
KAGAN: OK. Now we can go back on what were you thinking in a second. But somebody come -- you go in for -- to get in the coffee and paper. You come out, no car, no dog.
CONNORS: No. And I panicked. At first, I looked to see if maybe, you know, I parked it a space or two away. But there wasn't that many cars in the parking lot and then I knew it had been stolen. So I just ran backed in the store and dialed 911.
CONNORS: So you called the police. But you also got the quick thinking idea to call your cell phone, which you knew was in the truck.
CONNORS: Right.
KAGAN: And what happened when you did that?
CONNORS: The fellow who stole the truck answered.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: I mean that's incredible he answered the phone.
CONNORS: It is. It is. I didn't expect him to answer.
KAGAN: What did he say?
CONNORS: The first thing he said was that he had a gun and he was going to kill me. I said that's fine, I just want my dog back. He didn't know that there was a dog in the truck.
KAGAN: He didn't realize at that point.
CONNORS: No, because I have a little canine carrier and it actually looks like a duffle bag. So he must have thought it was a gym bag. and then when I told him about the dog in the truck, then he started his threats. He was going to throw the dog off the bridge. He was going to kill it, and --
KAGAN: So somehow, you get him to meet you.
CONNORS: Right. After hours, this was at 9:30 a.m., the truck got stolen. I had gotten in contact with him probably, you know, before 9:35 a.m. And I was in contact with him throughout the day as well as some of my friends that helped this operation go down. And it was about, wasn't until about 1:00, 1:30 in the afternoon, when I got in contact with him again. And he's the one that told me, if you want this dog back you're going to have to give me $500 cash. And I said fine. That's not a problem.
KAGAN: And you agreed to meet him somewhere.
CONNORS: Yes. Originally he wanted to meet news Braintree. So we set up an operation in Braintree, and then he changed it to downtown Crossing.
KAGAN: Tim, I've just got to tell you. Under lists of things that probably weren't the smartest, one was leaving the keys in the truck. But also, meeting this guy. You don't know, he says he has a gun.
CONNORS: Yes. But I mean that's all right. I didn't care. You know, I can defend myself. The poor dog can't defend himself. So if anybody should have gotten hurt in this case, it should have been me for my stupidity of leaving the keys in the truck. And had it been a hot day, that never would have happened. The dog would have been in the store with me and I could have cared less with about anything else, possessions in that truck. It was just the dog was everything that I wanted.
KAGAN: You met him, you came up with kind of a fake wad of cash. He went for it. Police moved in. The guy is in custody. You have Dakota. All is well with the world. And I bet it will be a long time when of before you leave your keys in the ignition when you go into convenience store.
CONNORS: Oh, absolutely. And I jut got to give recognition to two of my friends; David Doran and Tommy Hickey, who is a retired Quincy police officer. They really made things happen and Tommy did a wonderful job setting everything up. And it just went smooth as can be.
KAGAN: Good. Well, and kudos to Dakota who kept his cool. He was a little hero there to.
CONNORS: He sure did. He was. He was.
KAGAN: OK. Timmy Connors and Dakota, glad it had a happy ending.
CONNORS: Thank you very much.
KAGAN: Thanks for coming on and sharing your story.
CONNORS: OK, thank you.
KAGAN: We have other news ahead. It is 20 minutes past the hour. A man who led the search for young Samantha Runnion. Still to come, he shares his pain and grief for the girl he never knew.
Plus, learning early that a penny saved is a penny not spent. How soon young Americans are preparing for their golden years.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: You know the old saying, "forewarned is forearmed." Apparently some younger Americans who see their elders struggling with retirement are doing something about their own future.
CNN's Gerri Willis explains that in her "Top 5 Tips."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice-over): Don't hit hate this kid. Even though he's got more money saved for retirement than you do.
CHRIS LAHIJI, FINANCIAL ANALYST: What I try to do is I try to save at least one to $3,000 a year from my income. And I put it in either mutual funds, bonds, stocks, or right now I've just established a Roth IRA.
WILLIS: Financial analyst Chris Lahiji is just 21 years old.
LAHIJI: I know that when I turn 50 or 60 years old, I want to have a pretty nice nest egg. So when my kids are all grown up, they won't be asking me for my money. And me and my wife can be enjoying our little villa right by the beach.
WILLIS: If Chris is making you feel a little guilty, well, relax. Not every 21-year-old is investing for retirement, even if they should be. A recently released study by MetLife found that nearly half of young workers between the ages of 21 and 30 haven't even begun to plan or save for retirement.
Some students in New York University know they have a long way to go.
HIRO TAKEI, COLLEGE STUDENT: I see saving for retirement as something about 10,000 and a half steps away.
WILLIS (on camera): What do you mean? It's like so far off into the future you can't even think about it?
TAKEI: Yes, like my parents are in their 60s. And I personally feel like they've just begun to like realize that Social Security has a problem. And here I am at 21, and I'm looking at my parents, and I feel it's still their problem.
WILLIS (voice-over): Although he might not be saving yet, other students we talked to say they are. Because they worry that the safety net their parents enjoyed might not be there when they need it or it might not be enough.
NEERAV JAIN, COLLEGE STUDENT: I don't think that Social Security itself has a high return that I'm basically looking for. I think if I go off and do it on my own, you know, I can invest it better than, you know, the government itself.
SOT LOLA, COLLEGE STUDENT: If it continues in the direction that it's going right now, it quite possibly could be extinct. And in that situation, I think we're going to be in trouble.
WILLIS: Our financial whiz kid says the most important thing these young people can do is make sure they don't spend all the money they make so they'll have it later on.
LAHIJI: Spending is the easy part. Me and you can go on Fifth Avenue and probably spend $150,000. I'll buy some Gucci underwear for 300 bucks, that's no problem. But we can't do that.
TAKEI: I'm still trying to find a job to retire from before I start worrying about retirement.
WILLIS: But the message may be sinking in.
TAKEI: I don't know, maybe I should start rethinking this whole thing and care more about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: You need the job before you can retire from it. Good point.
Join Gerri Willis this weekend and become a home detective before that next "OPEN HOUSE." Sellers often try to hide all sorts of problems. Before you buy we have a few tips you cannot afford to miss. That's CNN's "OPEN HOUSE," 9:30 a.m. Saturday Eastern, 6:30 p.m. Pacific her on CNN.
Well, it wasn't the way the honeymoon was supposed to end. The couple back from their honeymoon now has no place to call home. Still to come, the unlikely suspect being blamed.
Plus, he's admitted to a terrorist connection. Now he has one request. hear what Zacarias Moussaoui is asking of the judge.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
We are right at the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
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 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: We'll go ahead and get started. Let's start by looking at what's happening now in the news.
It is now a criminal investigation. Police are probing the disappearance of a suburban Atlanta woman who vanished just days before her wedding. Jennifer Wilbanks was due to be married on Saturday. Her fiance says she went out to jog without her key, a pocketbook or a cell phone.
Earlier this morning, lawmakers in Iraq approved a list of cabinet members and ushered in the first elected government in the post Saddam era. The newly elected cabinet includes members of Iraq's main Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni factions. Still to be filled, two deputy prime minister slots and some important ministry posts.
In Japan, the death toll has risen yet again from Monday's horrific commuter train crash and the search for survivors has been officially called off. A hundred and six people are now confirmed dead. The body of the train's 23-year-old driver is among those just recovered. Investigators have said excessive speed may have caused Japan's deadliest crash in four decades.
Right now on Capitol Hill, the Senate Judiciary Committee, a live picture there for you, Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania is taking a look. They're in the middle of a bitter stalemate that has stalled President Bush's judicial nominations. Committee members are holding executive business meetings to discuss pending legislation and votes on those pending nominees.
Good morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. Glad to have you here with us.
President Bush goes primetime tonight. He is pushing two pet projects. The president will address Americans tonight about his energy and Social Security reform plans.
Our Elaine Quijano is at the White House with a preview of this evening's news conference.
Good morning, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. And this will be the fourth time that President Bush will hold a prime time news conference in the East Room of the White House. A rare event certainly, but one in which the president will try to focus the nation's as well as Congress's attention on Social Security and energy. And on that front, of course, it was just yesterday that we heard President Bush in a speech outline some new initiatives that he would like to see members of Congress take up, having to do with energy. Part of what the administration says is the president's comprehensive energy strategy.
All of this happening, of course against the backdrop of these high gas prices. Officials though here, acknowledge none of the proposals will do anything to provide any immediate price relief. but they insist that these problems did not happen overnight and simply cannot be addressed fully overnight.
Now, we're also expecting to hear the president tonight talk about the issue of Social Security. Of course, President Bush, as well as other administration officials for the past 60 days or so, have been out across the country, stumping for changes to Social Security. Tonight, White House spokesman Scott McClellan says President Bush will lay out in more specific detail some ideas that he has more solving the Social Security problem, the insolvency issue.
Part of the solution the president believes is the idea of having personal accounts carved out of the Social Security system. But that has not been popular. According to recent polls, most Americans days agreeing with that as part of the solution. We are expecting to hear more specifics on that tonight.
Also, we should tell you, Daryn, the president has one more event on his schedule before that prime time news conference tonight, scheduled to meet today and hold a working lunch with the president of Panama. But that news conference set for 8:30 tonight -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Elaine Quijano at the White House. Elaine, thank you.
CNN's coverage tonight's of the presidential news conference will begin at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The president is expected to speak at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
It is a landmark day for Iraq Transitional Government. Three months after national elections, lawmakers have approved a cabinet.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote is in Baghdad with that story.
Ryan, Hello.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A very clear step towards a democratic Iraq in Baghdad today. The National Assembly, Iraq's legislative body, approving the proposed government by a decisive margin. This is the first time that Iraq will have a government now formed on the basis of democratic elections.
Now, where today fell sort of expectations is that we didn't get a complete government. We actually got a partial government. The Prime Minister Ibrahim al Jaafari was expected to announce the names of all of the ministers, all 36 of them. But he didn't do that. He left four posts unoccupied for now, saying that he and his deputy prime ministers will fill in for those individuals until they can be named.
Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.
KAGAN: Of course, there is hope that an established Iraqi government can bring security. But for now, the insurgent goes on. A car bomb exploded near a U.S. Iraqi military convoy in Tikrit this morning. At least two Iraqi soldiers were killed. Eleven other people wounded, including three American soldiers.
There's new evidence this morning that Americans still worry about U.S. troops in Iraq. A Gallup poll asking the question: if you had 15 minutes to talk to President Bush what, advice would you give him?
Twenty-eight percent of the respondents said they'd want to talk about Iraq. Other issues Americans would bring up: Social Security, the economy, energy and gas prices. Many who wanted to discuss Iraq said they would urge Mr. Bush to bring the troops home.
First Lady Laura Bush says that the future of troops in Iraq is still of a prime concern to the president. Our White House correspondent Dana Bash is traveling with the first lady. They sat down for a conversation yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I guess in some ways, we both changed when you know that it's the last election that you'll ever go through, which the last one was in November. There is a certain sense of liberation from that. But he still is focused, as he was in the first term, on the agenda that he set out during the second campaign, as you know.
When you were commenting about how much he's traveled for Social Security, and you know we're still very, very focused. And he is. And I am, too. And I think the whole world is, and certainly all of America on our troops in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and standing with both of those countries, as they try to build democracies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Mrs. Bush is on the West Coast today. She is pushing her program to keep kids out of gangs and avoid drugs.
A congressional investigation of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is a step closer this morning. The House clearing the way for the probe by voting to end a stalemate in the ethics committee. The vote overturned rules the committee put in place in January. Under rules instituted back in 1997, an investigation was triggered if the committee was deadlocked. In the change made in January, the investigation was automatically dropped if the panel was tied. Now that change has been rescinded.
For what all of this means to Tom DeLay and other congressional leaders, let's turn to our Ed Henry on Capitol Hill.
Ed, good morning.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. A dramatic reversal for Republicans who made a political calculation here. This may be the only way to lift the cloud hanging over Tom DeLay.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice-over): How was that conference?
REP. TOM DELAY (R), MAJORITY LEADER: It was a great conference.
HENRY: This is why Republicans retreated, the ethics questions swirling around Tom DeLay were taking their toll on the majority leader and his party.
DELAY: You guys better get out of my way. Where is our security?
HENRY: Back in January, Republicans changed the ethics rules to make it harder to launch investigations of misconduct. Democrats allege this was an attempt to shield DeLay. Speaker Dennis Hastert insists the changes were meant to protect all members.. But he acknowledges the only way to end the controversy is to restore the old rules and let the ethics panel investigate whether DeLay let lobbyists pay for overseas lists.
REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: Right now, we want can't clear his name. The media wants to talk about ethics. And as long as we were at a stalemate that's all in the press today is the ethics stalemate. We need to move forward. We need to get this behind us.
HENRY: In private, other Republicans are even blunter. One lawmaker says that he's worried that the Democratic attack that Republicans are being arrogant, may be effective because there's some truth to it. But there could be political fallout for both parties as a scrutiny of DeLay has a ripple effect. Republican and Democratic lawmakers are scurrying to amend their own travel records. And staffers flock to a closed-door refresher course on the ethics rules this week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I think in a political sense, absolutely everyone is concerned this thing is ratcheting up partisanship.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Republicans are especially on edge now because they do not know how the DeLay probe will end up. But they're vowing to retaliate by pushing for investigations of top Democrats. So the heat may shift to the Democratic side as well -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Explain the politics behind the story to us. And how the Democrats on Capitol Hill seem to be winning some these days. Not just this one but also the public argument over filibuster. HENRY: You know, it's very interesting. After the last election, the Democrats seemed to be in the dumps. The Republicans were riding high. They picked up and increased their majorities in the House and in the Senate. The president seemed to have a lot of political capital. But we have seen the Democrats more united than expected. They're pushing back pretty hard against this Republican majority. And that's why you're seeing some issues like Social Security stalled right now. But Republicans insist they're losing some small battles but overall going to win the war. They still have strong majorities. They've been getting some legislative victories, like bankruptcy reform, tort reform. And they're still hopeful they can get Social Security reform as well -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And that was the answer to our Ed Henry question of the day. Ed, thank you.
HENRY: Thank you.
KAGAN: It is a case that a California sheriff took to heart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't sleep, don't eat, because we're coming after you. We will take every resource that's available to us to bring you to justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Still to come the emotional connection between a sheriff and the little girl he never met.
Still no signs of this woman. It's just days before she was supposed to get married. We'll have the latest on the missing bride- to-be.
And later, you may be paying the price but someone else is getting the benefits. Find out who is profiting from gas prices.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Police in suburban Atlanta say the search for a woman who vanished just days before her wedding is now classified as a criminal investigation. Her fiance says she left to go jogging and she didn't come back.
Our Sara Dorsey is in Duluth, Georgia, with the developing story.
Sara, hello.
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, to you, Daryn. Unfortunately, there is still absolutely no sign of 32-year-old Jennifer Wilbanks. And police say because it is so unusual that this woman just seemed to have vanished, they've decided to reclassify this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAJ. DON WOODRUFF, DULUTH POLICE: Based on the circumstances, as reported to us by the family, we feel we have no other option at this point than to classify it as a criminal investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORSEY: Yesterday evening, the large scale search for the missing woman whose wedding was scheduled for this Saturday was called off. Authorities tell CNN a five-mile area around the home was searched twice, turning up no solid leads. Jennifer's stepbrother told CNN the family is satisfied with the search, adding that "it's like losing your keys. You can only turn your house upside down so many times." But he says the family will continue searching until Jennifer is found.
More than 250 searcher, both volunteers and law enforcement officers helped out looking for the missing woman yesterday, but came up with nothing. Apparently, according to family members, Jennifer went jogging late Tuesday evening. They say that is not out of character for her. But what is out of character is that she never came home. They tell us she left behind her car keys, money, her phone and also her diamond ring. She has been engaged since August. And as we have been reporting, her we had something scheduled for Saturday.
Her family put out a statement this morning, begging anyone that has any information as to where she possibly could be to contact police. But as of now, police tell us they have no real leads. However, they do tell us that they are focusing and talking to family members, friends, co-workers, and people that Jennifer may have dated in the past -- Daryn.
KAGAN: You know, you hear this big southern wedding, you got to think cold feet as a possibility. It doesn't sound like her friends and family really think that's the case here.
DORSEY: I'll tell you, everyone that I have talked to, friends, family members, everyone has told me that that's absolutely not even a possibility. Her mother had said yesterday that they were so excited. They had an appointment yesterday to be together to talk about vendors, and they just don't think that's the case. And if she was having a case of cold feet, they said she would have probably taken something with her, money, something, an I.D. so she could get away. That's not what they think has happened in this case. And that's not what police think happened either.
KAGAN: All right. Sara Dorsey in Duluth, we'll let you get the cell phone. There might be more useful information there on the other end. Thank you, Sara.
DORSEY: Sorry about that.
KAGAN: That's all right. Thank you. Live television.
We have a happy ending to report. We like the happy endings. In another missing persons case that we reported this time yesterday, Florida canceled its Amber Alert for 12 year old Margarita Aguilar- Lopez, who vanished from a Bradenton hotel. That's where she was living with her brothers. Authorities say she was found alive and well in Eastly, South Carolina. She was with a 25-year-old man who worked had with her brothers as migrant laborers. That man is in custody.
All right. Another happy ending for you here. A Massachusetts man saying he never, never, never is going to leave his dog alone again. His -- oh, come on! The awww factor. His 11-week-old puppy was stolen and held for ransom Wednesday, when his owner's truck was stolen from a convenience store. Joining me now from Boston, the owner, Timmy Connors, and that cute ball of fur known as Dakota.
Timmy, good morning. And good morning to you, too, Dakota.
TIMMY CONNORS, DOGNAP VICTIM: How are do you doing?
KAGAN: Good. How is Dakota doing?
CONNORS: Oh, he's doing great.
KAGAN: Good. OK, take us back. Was this -- this was earlier this week, Monday, Wednesday?
CONNORS: It was Monday morning.
KAGAN: Monday. Monday morning. OK, so you go into this convenience store. Take it from there.
CONNORS: Yes, I ran in there just for a moment. I knew what I was going there in for, just a bottle of water and the newspaper. It's --.
CONNORS: But you didn't just leave the dog Timmy, you lift your keys in the ignition.
CONNORS: Yes. And my cell phone in the truck which was the key to this case.
KAGAN: OK. Now we can go back on what were you thinking in a second. But somebody come -- you go in for -- to get in the coffee and paper. You come out, no car, no dog.
CONNORS: No. And I panicked. At first, I looked to see if maybe, you know, I parked it a space or two away. But there wasn't that many cars in the parking lot and then I knew it had been stolen. So I just ran backed in the store and dialed 911.
CONNORS: So you called the police. But you also got the quick thinking idea to call your cell phone, which you knew was in the truck.
CONNORS: Right.
KAGAN: And what happened when you did that?
CONNORS: The fellow who stole the truck answered.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: I mean that's incredible he answered the phone.
CONNORS: It is. It is. I didn't expect him to answer.
KAGAN: What did he say?
CONNORS: The first thing he said was that he had a gun and he was going to kill me. I said that's fine, I just want my dog back. He didn't know that there was a dog in the truck.
KAGAN: He didn't realize at that point.
CONNORS: No, because I have a little canine carrier and it actually looks like a duffle bag. So he must have thought it was a gym bag. and then when I told him about the dog in the truck, then he started his threats. He was going to throw the dog off the bridge. He was going to kill it, and --
KAGAN: So somehow, you get him to meet you.
CONNORS: Right. After hours, this was at 9:30 a.m., the truck got stolen. I had gotten in contact with him probably, you know, before 9:35 a.m. And I was in contact with him throughout the day as well as some of my friends that helped this operation go down. And it was about, wasn't until about 1:00, 1:30 in the afternoon, when I got in contact with him again. And he's the one that told me, if you want this dog back you're going to have to give me $500 cash. And I said fine. That's not a problem.
KAGAN: And you agreed to meet him somewhere.
CONNORS: Yes. Originally he wanted to meet news Braintree. So we set up an operation in Braintree, and then he changed it to downtown Crossing.
KAGAN: Tim, I've just got to tell you. Under lists of things that probably weren't the smartest, one was leaving the keys in the truck. But also, meeting this guy. You don't know, he says he has a gun.
CONNORS: Yes. But I mean that's all right. I didn't care. You know, I can defend myself. The poor dog can't defend himself. So if anybody should have gotten hurt in this case, it should have been me for my stupidity of leaving the keys in the truck. And had it been a hot day, that never would have happened. The dog would have been in the store with me and I could have cared less with about anything else, possessions in that truck. It was just the dog was everything that I wanted.
KAGAN: You met him, you came up with kind of a fake wad of cash. He went for it. Police moved in. The guy is in custody. You have Dakota. All is well with the world. And I bet it will be a long time when of before you leave your keys in the ignition when you go into convenience store.
CONNORS: Oh, absolutely. And I jut got to give recognition to two of my friends; David Doran and Tommy Hickey, who is a retired Quincy police officer. They really made things happen and Tommy did a wonderful job setting everything up. And it just went smooth as can be.
KAGAN: Good. Well, and kudos to Dakota who kept his cool. He was a little hero there to.
CONNORS: He sure did. He was. He was.
KAGAN: OK. Timmy Connors and Dakota, glad it had a happy ending.
CONNORS: Thank you very much.
KAGAN: Thanks for coming on and sharing your story.
CONNORS: OK, thank you.
KAGAN: We have other news ahead. It is 20 minutes past the hour. A man who led the search for young Samantha Runnion. Still to come, he shares his pain and grief for the girl he never knew.
Plus, learning early that a penny saved is a penny not spent. How soon young Americans are preparing for their golden years.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: You know the old saying, "forewarned is forearmed." Apparently some younger Americans who see their elders struggling with retirement are doing something about their own future.
CNN's Gerri Willis explains that in her "Top 5 Tips."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice-over): Don't hit hate this kid. Even though he's got more money saved for retirement than you do.
CHRIS LAHIJI, FINANCIAL ANALYST: What I try to do is I try to save at least one to $3,000 a year from my income. And I put it in either mutual funds, bonds, stocks, or right now I've just established a Roth IRA.
WILLIS: Financial analyst Chris Lahiji is just 21 years old.
LAHIJI: I know that when I turn 50 or 60 years old, I want to have a pretty nice nest egg. So when my kids are all grown up, they won't be asking me for my money. And me and my wife can be enjoying our little villa right by the beach.
WILLIS: If Chris is making you feel a little guilty, well, relax. Not every 21-year-old is investing for retirement, even if they should be. A recently released study by MetLife found that nearly half of young workers between the ages of 21 and 30 haven't even begun to plan or save for retirement.
Some students in New York University know they have a long way to go.
HIRO TAKEI, COLLEGE STUDENT: I see saving for retirement as something about 10,000 and a half steps away.
WILLIS (on camera): What do you mean? It's like so far off into the future you can't even think about it?
TAKEI: Yes, like my parents are in their 60s. And I personally feel like they've just begun to like realize that Social Security has a problem. And here I am at 21, and I'm looking at my parents, and I feel it's still their problem.
WILLIS (voice-over): Although he might not be saving yet, other students we talked to say they are. Because they worry that the safety net their parents enjoyed might not be there when they need it or it might not be enough.
NEERAV JAIN, COLLEGE STUDENT: I don't think that Social Security itself has a high return that I'm basically looking for. I think if I go off and do it on my own, you know, I can invest it better than, you know, the government itself.
SOT LOLA, COLLEGE STUDENT: If it continues in the direction that it's going right now, it quite possibly could be extinct. And in that situation, I think we're going to be in trouble.
WILLIS: Our financial whiz kid says the most important thing these young people can do is make sure they don't spend all the money they make so they'll have it later on.
LAHIJI: Spending is the easy part. Me and you can go on Fifth Avenue and probably spend $150,000. I'll buy some Gucci underwear for 300 bucks, that's no problem. But we can't do that.
TAKEI: I'm still trying to find a job to retire from before I start worrying about retirement.
WILLIS: But the message may be sinking in.
TAKEI: I don't know, maybe I should start rethinking this whole thing and care more about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: You need the job before you can retire from it. Good point.
Join Gerri Willis this weekend and become a home detective before that next "OPEN HOUSE." Sellers often try to hide all sorts of problems. Before you buy we have a few tips you cannot afford to miss. That's CNN's "OPEN HOUSE," 9:30 a.m. Saturday Eastern, 6:30 p.m. Pacific her on CNN.
Well, it wasn't the way the honeymoon was supposed to end. The couple back from their honeymoon now has no place to call home. Still to come, the unlikely suspect being blamed.
Plus, he's admitted to a terrorist connection. Now he has one request. hear what Zacarias Moussaoui is asking of the judge.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
We are right at the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
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