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American Morning
Missing Woman in Georgia; Jackson Trial; Quints 'R' Us
Aired April 28, 2005 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Police providing new information this morning into the search for a missing woman who vanished just days before her wedding.
Did Michael Jackson's ex-wife come to his rescue? Surprising testimony. Why was the prosecution caught off guard?
And the incredible surrogate mom who gave birth five times in five minutes. Now she's telling her story for the first time on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody, on a Thursday. Good to have you along with us today.
In a moment here, this dispute from the state of Connecticut that started with a request from then Secretary of State Colin Powell. Here's the story.
A police officer answering the call for experienced cops to help out in Iraq. He had to quit his job to do it. Now a tough question, can he get it back?
The mayor says no. The law says no. We'll find out in a moment. Good arguments on both sides of this story.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're going to meet the man who was the victim of a dognapper. It happened after his truck was stolen. Well, he's got his puppy back now, but we're going to tell you what he had to do to make that happen.
HEMMER: Yes. And he's not going back to that 7-Eleven anytime soon either.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That's a pretty cool looking little dog.
O'BRIEN: Cute, isn't he? Little, 11 weeks old, right?
HEMMER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: President Bush says what we need in this country are more nuclear power plants and more oil refineries in order to deal with our energy problems. Agree or disagree? AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: Done.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to the headlines with Carol Costello.
Good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.
President Bush is set to address two main priorities of his domestic agenda, part of which Jack already mentioned. The president is holding a prime time news conference focusing on Social Security and on energy.
Stay tuned to CNN for live coverage of the presidential event beginning tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The president is expected to start speaking at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
A joint U.S. and Iraqi military convoy coming under fire in Iraq. At lest two Iraqi soldiers were killed in the bombing in Tikrit, almost a dozen others were wounded, including three Americans. The violence comes as Iraqi's parliament approved a transitional cabinet. The new prime minister calls it a first step in building the new Iraq.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says there is a unique chance for peace in the Middle East. Putin speaking during an historic visit to Israel, the first Kremlin to do so. He's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
And in Washington, a dramatic step by House Republicans clearing the way for an ethics probe of Majority Leader tom DeLay. The House voted overwhelmingly last night to roll back changes they made in January to the Ethics Committee rules. Democrats charged they were designed to protect the Republican leader, DeLay, from any investigation.
And supposedly, a probe will be under way as early as next week. But, of course, we'll keep you posted.
HEMMER: OK. Thanks, Carol.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Carol.
O'BRIEN: Well, police in Duluth, Georgia, say the search for a woman who vanished just days before her wedding is now a criminal investigation. CNN's Sarah Dorsey is standing by in Duluth with the very latest on that.
Sarah, good morning to you. Why the change?
SARAH DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Soledad.
They're really not telling us exactly why they've decided to make this a criminal investigation. They say it's only because really it's out of character for Jennifer to disappear like this. The large-scale search for her was called off yesterday, and as we know now, police have decided to reclassify this case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DORSEY (voice-over): Friends and family say it was not unusual for 32-year-old Jennifer Wilbanks, an avid marathon runner, to take a jog in the evening. But Tuesday night, only four days before her upcoming wedding, Wilbanks went for a run, leaving the home she shared with their fiance, and never returned. More than 200 volunteers and law enforcement agents searched for her all day yesterday.
MAJ. DON WOODRUFF, DULUTH POLICE DEPT.: 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.
DORSEY: A case of a runaway bride? Everyone who knows Jennifer says absolutely not, including her fiance, John Mason, the last person to see her.
JOHN MASON, FINANCE: If it's cold feet, she left her car, her money, her phone, her keys, her diamond ring. Something's happened, and I don't know what.
DORSEY: Jennifer's mother doesn't know either. The last time she spoke to her daughter, it was all about the wedding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was telling me to come by her office today. She's had a list of all the vendors. She said, "Mama, you're going to be with me all day."
DORSEY: Kim Kiesel (ph) has known Jennifer more than 10 years, when they worked together in a maternity ward. Kiesel (ph) was excited about her friend's upcoming wedding, and is shocked about her disappearance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes you think, well, gosh, is it someone that she knows? Because I just think there would be more of a sign of a fight. I mean, if you know Jennifer, she wouldn't go down that easy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DORSEY: And the Wilbanks family issued a statement this morning, pleading with anyone that has any information about this disappearance to contact police. But authorities here tell us, so far, there are no leads -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Just heartbreaking for that family. Sarah Dorsey reporting for us this morning. Sarah, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: In the meantime, Soledad, Michael Jackson's ex should be back on the witness stand today at the pop star's molestation trial. Debbie Rowe's testimony, it started yesterday, lasted about 40 minutes. Supposed to be the start of the prosecution's big finish. Things are not going the way the government had planned, though, to this point, anyway. Here's Ted Rowlands in Santa Maria.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson's ex-wife didn't say what she was expected to on the witness stand. In opening statements, the prosecution told the jury that a videotaped interview Debbie Rowe did to help Michael Jackson was scripted. But under oath yesterday, Rowe adamantly denied that, saying, "No one tells me what to say."
LAURIE LEVENSON, LEGAL ANALYST: Up to now, she's actually gone against the prosecution's case, because she said she wasn't scripted, she wasn't coerced, she spoke her mind.
ROWLANDS: As prosecutors expected, Rowe was the first witness to directly tie Jackson to the video by saying that Jackson personally asked her to do the interview. She also says Jackson promised she'd be able to see her children once things "settled down."
Rowe is currently in a custody battle with Jackson, but on the stand she seemed to have a lot of affection for him. At one point, Rowe broke down, saying she wanted to be reintroduced to her children and reacquainted with Jackson. When asked why she wanted to see Michael Jackson, her voice cracked, saying, "He's my friend."
CRAIG SMITH, LEGAL ANALYST: You have to wonder, what is it that she sees in Michael Jackson? Because she obviously sees something in there that you have to assume that -- that she thinks it's good. And the jury just has to be wondering what that is.
ROWLANDS (on camera): One of the things that Debbie Rowe said in that videotaped interview she did for Michael Jackson was that he was a great father. Well, on the stand, she said that she was lying about that. She is expected to be back on the stand when court resumes.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: And when court does resume, prosecutors expected today to show portions of Rowe's videotaped interview in court today -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, Bill, a follow now to a story about an Arizona couple that have suddenly found themselves to be the parents of not one but five new babies.
Luisa Gonzalez and Enrique Moreno needed a surrogate mom. And let's just say that she went above and beyond her promise.
Earlier, I spoke with surrogate mom Teresa Anderson. She delivered five babies in just about five minutes on Tuesday. And I asked her why she decided to forego the $15,000 fee that she was supposed to get.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERESA ANDERSON, SURROGATE MOTHER: Considering the circumstances, they are great people, and I didn't want to put them under any more pressure than what they already have. We kind of went into this expecting maybe only one, and that was kind of what it was in the beginning, you know, the whole fee. But after five, it's going to -- there's no way. They're going to need all the money they can right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: New parents Enrique and Luisa had a message for Teresa, who gave them their instant family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ENRIQUE MORENO, FATHER OF QUINTUPLETS: Thank you. Thank you. That's all we can say.
Yes, she's -- she's a miracle to us. She's a gift from god.
LUISA GONZALEZ, MOTHER OF QUINTUPLETS: Yes, all I can say, thank you. And she is an angel that god sent to us and to do all of this for us. That's our angel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: A lot of happiness there. Doctors say the babies are expected to be allowed to go home in about three to four weeks. One baby who was born with a congenital heart problem, Javier, is going to have surgery next week -- Bill.
HEMMER: And a sweet ending, too. Thanks, Soledad.
A check of the weather now. Here is Chad Myers, looking to the American Southwest, and a lot of rain out there.
How are you?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning, Bill.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: All right, Chad. Thanks for that.
O'BRIEN: Well, from the streets of Connecticut to the front lines in Iraq, he was paid to serve and protect. So why can't one veteran police officer get his old job back?
HEMMER: Also, the high cost of diet plans, tips on how you can save money and make that diet more effective.
O'BRIEN: And on the road with the first lady, a rare interview with Laura Bush. You'll see it only on CNN.
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Robert Nappe put his life on the line training security forces in Iraq. He did it for about a year, and now Nappe wants his old job back. He was a cop at the police department in East Haven, Connecticut, and so far the town is saying no.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Robert Nappe is with me in Hartford. So, too, his attorney, Patricia Cofrancesco.
Good morning to both of you.
ROBERT NAPPE, FMR. EAST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, OFFICER: Good morning.
PATRICIA COFRANCESCO, NAPPE'S ATTORNEY: Good morning.
HEMMER: Robert, why do you think you can't get your job back?
NAPPE: I can't get my job back because the chief of police in my department considers me probably a thorn in his side.
HEMMER: Well, are you saying it's personal?
NAPPE: It's very personal.
HEMMER: Why do you suggest he doesn't like you?
NAPPE: Well, being the vice president of the police union, we've butted heads quite a bit. I challenge his authority. And that's the way it stands. Why would you want that kind of a guy back?
HEMMER: OK. So let's go and back up a little bit. Why did you go to Iraq in the first place and answer this call?
NAPPE: I went to Iraq because Colin Powell asked us to. He said he needed qualified police officers to help serve in Iraq to help teach the Iraqi police departments. I figured, well, if we can get the Iraqi police departments up and running, we could start sending our soldiers home. That's why I went.
HEMMER: So you knew when you quit your job the chance you were taking, then, right, Robert?
NAPPE: Well, I know there was a chance. And I -- you know, and I said that in my letter when I left, that I hoped they would change their mind and reinstate me when I returned.
HEMMER: Patricia, explain to us how the law changed while Robert was away and now your argument, your best case for getting his job back.
COFRANCESCO: In -- on June 8 of 2004, then Governor Rowland signed a public act into effect which would have guaranteed people like Bob Nappe their jobs upon their return from a peacekeeping mission. Our position is that Bob Nappe would have had the benefit of that statute upon his return. And we're asking the court to order the town, pursuant to the provisions of that statute, to take him back.
HEMMER: Now, hey, Robert, why not go find a different job and leave this behind?
NAPPE: Well, there's a couple reasons why I don't do that. One, I had 19 years built up for a pension. And if I go to another department I'll lose that.
The second reason is there's a lot of officers in Iraq in the same position I am. This fight needs to continue, because these officers are also coming back to unemployment, which is not right for them either.
HEMMER: Robert Nappe, good luck up to you up in Hartford.
Patricia Cofrancesco, too, his attorney there.
NAPPE: Thank you very much.
COFRANCESCO: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: So now we've heard from Nappe and his attorney. Now the other side of the story, and the mayor.
Joseph Maturo is the mayor. He's with me now from Hartford. Lawrence Screniari (ph) is also his attorney.
Gentlemen, good morning to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.
MAYOR JOSEPH MATURO, EAST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Now it is your turn. He says it's personal, Mr. Mayor. Is it?
MATURO: No, I don't know where that came from. Neither the board of police commissioners, the chief of the department, Chief Gallo (ph), nor myself have the authority. We'd be violating town charter, we'd be violating collective bargaining units.
It's been a policy for the eight years that I've been mayor, for the 20 years I served on the fire department, that no employee is given a leave of absence for -- to take another position in another town, or even out of the country, no matter how noble it may seem.
This particular retired officer asked about nine or 10 years ago during a previous administration to go to the first Gulf War and was refused then also for the same reason. He took his retirement, and he made that decision himself, and he left. We've had probably three or four other requests for a leave of absence for other jobs. And we've been refusing them for the past, oh, 28 years that I know of.
HEMMER: So you're saying when he says he's been a thorn in your side, you don't agree with that? Because apparently he has some union involvement and that's something you disagree with.
MATURO: Well, as far as him being vice president of the union, I think that's a position he held. I was -- had positions in my union as a firefighter. I don't think that has any bearing whatsoever on the case.
HEMMER: Why not -- why not make -- look, the guy wasn't, you know, playing with his kids in the yard, for crying out loud. He was out in Iraq.
MATURO: Right.
HEMMER: Why not make an exemption in this case?
MATURO: Well, the biggest problem is he was not in the military. If he had joined the military in the first Gulf War he probably would have went. If he joined the military this time he probably would have went.
There's nobody more pro-America than me. I'm a Vietnam-era veteran, my father is a veteran from D-Day. My mother and brother are veterans.
If you make an exception for one, you're setting a precedent. And I think the attorney can answer it better than I. But, you know, there's been other cases that were noble, also.
Some people may not think this was noble. Some people may feel as though this 19-year veteran should have been protecting us in homeland security.
You can't make an exception. And you can't govern a town on personalities. And you can't do it on what you may think is a noble cause. There is no leave of absence to take another position with another company. And I don't know anybody who does do that.
HEMMER: So, the bottom line, as long as you're mayor this man's out of a job, right?
MATURO: Well, it's not only me. There is no vehicle to hire him. I do not have the authority. The police chief doesn't have the authority. And neither does the police commissioners.
HEMMER: Joseph Maturo is the mayor, Lawrence Screniari (ph), his attorney there from Hartford this morning. Thank you, gentlemen.
MATURO: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE) O'BRIEN: Well, still moist after all of these years, that little sponge cake that could. Turning 75, our Jeanne Moos pays tribute to the Twinkie up next.
But first, here's a question for you. Which U.S. city consumes the most Twinkies per capita? Is it, A, Chicago, or, B, Los Angeles? Or is it, C, New York City? We've got the answer right after the break.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Before the break we asked you, which U.S. city consumes the most Twinkies per capita. Well, the answer is A, Chicago.
Chicagoans eat about 27 million of these little sugar bombs each year. Fittingly, Chicago is dubbed the Twinkie capital of the world.
Time to make a little birthday cake for the golden sponge cake with the creamy filling inside. This month the Twinkie is 75 years old. CNN's Jeanne Moos has a sweet tooth, couldn't resist filing this Twinkie tale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): How many candles can you fit on a Twinkie?
(on camera): Uh-oh. I'm in trouble.
MOOS (voice-over): Sweet 16 is nothing compared to sickening sweet 75.
(on camera): They're what?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Junk.
MOOS (voice-over): Hey, watch what you say about an icon. When Bill Clinton sealed America's millennium time capsule, they chose to place a Twinkie inside.
There's a retired milk truck driver who's been eating one or two Twinkies a day for 64 years, over 22,000 Twinkies. And wait until you hear about the 32-year-old Twinkie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's brittle.
MOOS: Nothing wrong with brittle Twinkies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're wonderful in the freezer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello. Deep-fried Twinkies.
MOOS: The Twinkie was born in 1930, named after a billboard advertising Twinkle-toed Shoes (ph). UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You get a big delight in every bite...
MOOS: Take a bite of nostalgia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I used to take them from my mother's cabinet and, like, run around the corner and eat them so she wouldn't know until she came home and counted them.
MOOS: Among those who have paid homage to the Twinkie, photographers in Pittsburgh who created photos ranging from "Stonehenge Twinkie" to "She's Having a Twinkie" to "The Last Snack," where the Twinkie gets the place of honor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Easy does it, girl.
MOOS: The snack made legal history when journalists coined the term "Twinkie Defense" after the man who murdered San Francisco's mayor and a supervisor claimed bingeing on junk food worsened his depression.
There were 60 entrees at the Golden Twinkie Awards. Among them, the list of things you can't do with a Twinkie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. 41: Twinkies make poor doorstops. Twinkies don't make good wind chimes.
MOOS: And finally, back to the 32-year-old Twinkie. Now retired science teacher Roger Bennatti says he was teaching about food preservatives when a kid asked...
ROGER BENNATTI, RETIRED SCIENCE TEACHER: He said, "Mr. Bennatti, what's the shelf life of a Twinkie?"
MOOS: So they put one atop the chalkboard, kept it for 32 years. So what if is has a little mold.
(on camera): Do you think it's edible?
BENNATTI: I wouldn't want to try it.
MOOS (voice-over): For the record, Twinkies' maker says its shelf life is about 25 days.
CROWD (SINGING): Happy birthday, dear Twinkie, happy birthday to you.
MOOS: Even a geriatric Twinkie can still put a twinkle in your eye and a sugar rush in your veins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (SINGING): And many more.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: So we were going to celebrate with a big old box of Twinkies, 75th birthday. Someone stole them, ripped them off.
CAFFERTY: This will happen.
HEMMER: Maybe they're in the freezer.
O'BRIEN: I don't think so. I think they walked away.
CAFFERTY: This is a shifty crew we've got here.
O'BRIEN: Yes, it is.
CAFFERTY: The president of the United States says what we need as a partial way to getting past this energy situation is more oil refineries and more nuclear power plants. It's been awhile since that was a priority. The last refinery was green-lighted in 1979, and a new -- a nuclear power plant was green-lighted in 1979, and a new refinery hasn't been built in 30 years.
So we want to know whether you think that's a good idea or not, new oil refineries and nuclear power plants to help solve the energy problem.
Sam writes, "The energy (INAUDIBLE) of the U.S. has finally gotten us to our current state. For decades, the call has been increase capacity. Now Bush wants to solve the problem by, what, increased capacity. To keep doing the same thing and expecting different results is one indicator of insanity."
Jerry in Georgia writes, "Something innovative is needed to solve the energy crisis like nuclear fusion, where a byproduct would be hydrogen that can be used to fuel vehicles, which on combustion create water, thereby solving global warming."
Don't get so technical, Jerry.
Reg in Thunder Bay writes, "Here's a simple solution, Jack." This -- this actually makes a certain amount of sense.
"Two nozzles at every gas pump. One only fits compact cars, $1 a gallon. The other only fits into SUVs, $20 a gallon. Put the blame where it belongs."
And Larry in Kentucky writes, "It's comforting to know the president has a bold new vision to lead us into the 20th century."
O'BRIEN: I think Reg has got the good idea.
HEMMER: It's something.
CAFFERTY: That is a good idea.
O'BRIEN: Because you don't really have to change anything, but just sort of help people make the right choice.
CAFFERTY: You want to drive those big old gas-guzzlers? You pay a premium. O'BRIEN: Only if you have a big family.
CAFFERTY: The other thing, too, isn't there some tax thing, you can write off the cost of an SUV up to $100,000 if you -- yes.
O'BRIEN: Really?
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Where, here in New York?
CAFFERTY: Am I right?
HEMMER: Shane (ph), what are you talking about?
CAFFERTY: I don't know the specifics. But there is a -- if you buy a big SUV and you say it's used for a home business or something...
HEMMER: Yes?
O'BRIEN: Oh.
CAFFERTY: ... I mean, there's some huge tax deduction, which is...
HEMMER: Well, some of these SUVs are actually like moving offices they're so big.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: What did the Yankees do last night, Shane (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lost.
HEMMER: Lost again? I'm sorry. See you later.
O'BRIEN: All right. Our next topic this morning, those costly calories. How do you trim the fat in the budget, though? Some advice on diet plans just ahead.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Just about half-past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
First lady Laura Bush visiting schools in California today. She's speaking out about keeping kids away from gangs and drugs. The first lady is also sitting down with CNN's Dana Bash, talking about the incredible response that she's getting from Americans.
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Aired April 28, 2005 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Police providing new information this morning into the search for a missing woman who vanished just days before her wedding.
Did Michael Jackson's ex-wife come to his rescue? Surprising testimony. Why was the prosecution caught off guard?
And the incredible surrogate mom who gave birth five times in five minutes. Now she's telling her story for the first time on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody, on a Thursday. Good to have you along with us today.
In a moment here, this dispute from the state of Connecticut that started with a request from then Secretary of State Colin Powell. Here's the story.
A police officer answering the call for experienced cops to help out in Iraq. He had to quit his job to do it. Now a tough question, can he get it back?
The mayor says no. The law says no. We'll find out in a moment. Good arguments on both sides of this story.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're going to meet the man who was the victim of a dognapper. It happened after his truck was stolen. Well, he's got his puppy back now, but we're going to tell you what he had to do to make that happen.
HEMMER: Yes. And he's not going back to that 7-Eleven anytime soon either.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That's a pretty cool looking little dog.
O'BRIEN: Cute, isn't he? Little, 11 weeks old, right?
HEMMER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: President Bush says what we need in this country are more nuclear power plants and more oil refineries in order to deal with our energy problems. Agree or disagree? AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: Done.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to the headlines with Carol Costello.
Good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.
President Bush is set to address two main priorities of his domestic agenda, part of which Jack already mentioned. The president is holding a prime time news conference focusing on Social Security and on energy.
Stay tuned to CNN for live coverage of the presidential event beginning tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The president is expected to start speaking at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
A joint U.S. and Iraqi military convoy coming under fire in Iraq. At lest two Iraqi soldiers were killed in the bombing in Tikrit, almost a dozen others were wounded, including three Americans. The violence comes as Iraqi's parliament approved a transitional cabinet. The new prime minister calls it a first step in building the new Iraq.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says there is a unique chance for peace in the Middle East. Putin speaking during an historic visit to Israel, the first Kremlin to do so. He's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
And in Washington, a dramatic step by House Republicans clearing the way for an ethics probe of Majority Leader tom DeLay. The House voted overwhelmingly last night to roll back changes they made in January to the Ethics Committee rules. Democrats charged they were designed to protect the Republican leader, DeLay, from any investigation.
And supposedly, a probe will be under way as early as next week. But, of course, we'll keep you posted.
HEMMER: OK. Thanks, Carol.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Carol.
O'BRIEN: Well, police in Duluth, Georgia, say the search for a woman who vanished just days before her wedding is now a criminal investigation. CNN's Sarah Dorsey is standing by in Duluth with the very latest on that.
Sarah, good morning to you. Why the change?
SARAH DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Soledad.
They're really not telling us exactly why they've decided to make this a criminal investigation. They say it's only because really it's out of character for Jennifer to disappear like this. The large-scale search for her was called off yesterday, and as we know now, police have decided to reclassify this case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DORSEY (voice-over): Friends and family say it was not unusual for 32-year-old Jennifer Wilbanks, an avid marathon runner, to take a jog in the evening. But Tuesday night, only four days before her upcoming wedding, Wilbanks went for a run, leaving the home she shared with their fiance, and never returned. More than 200 volunteers and law enforcement agents searched for her all day yesterday.
MAJ. DON WOODRUFF, DULUTH POLICE DEPT.: 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.
DORSEY: A case of a runaway bride? Everyone who knows Jennifer says absolutely not, including her fiance, John Mason, the last person to see her.
JOHN MASON, FINANCE: If it's cold feet, she left her car, her money, her phone, her keys, her diamond ring. Something's happened, and I don't know what.
DORSEY: Jennifer's mother doesn't know either. The last time she spoke to her daughter, it was all about the wedding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was telling me to come by her office today. She's had a list of all the vendors. She said, "Mama, you're going to be with me all day."
DORSEY: Kim Kiesel (ph) has known Jennifer more than 10 years, when they worked together in a maternity ward. Kiesel (ph) was excited about her friend's upcoming wedding, and is shocked about her disappearance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes you think, well, gosh, is it someone that she knows? Because I just think there would be more of a sign of a fight. I mean, if you know Jennifer, she wouldn't go down that easy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DORSEY: And the Wilbanks family issued a statement this morning, pleading with anyone that has any information about this disappearance to contact police. But authorities here tell us, so far, there are no leads -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Just heartbreaking for that family. Sarah Dorsey reporting for us this morning. Sarah, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: In the meantime, Soledad, Michael Jackson's ex should be back on the witness stand today at the pop star's molestation trial. Debbie Rowe's testimony, it started yesterday, lasted about 40 minutes. Supposed to be the start of the prosecution's big finish. Things are not going the way the government had planned, though, to this point, anyway. Here's Ted Rowlands in Santa Maria.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson's ex-wife didn't say what she was expected to on the witness stand. In opening statements, the prosecution told the jury that a videotaped interview Debbie Rowe did to help Michael Jackson was scripted. But under oath yesterday, Rowe adamantly denied that, saying, "No one tells me what to say."
LAURIE LEVENSON, LEGAL ANALYST: Up to now, she's actually gone against the prosecution's case, because she said she wasn't scripted, she wasn't coerced, she spoke her mind.
ROWLANDS: As prosecutors expected, Rowe was the first witness to directly tie Jackson to the video by saying that Jackson personally asked her to do the interview. She also says Jackson promised she'd be able to see her children once things "settled down."
Rowe is currently in a custody battle with Jackson, but on the stand she seemed to have a lot of affection for him. At one point, Rowe broke down, saying she wanted to be reintroduced to her children and reacquainted with Jackson. When asked why she wanted to see Michael Jackson, her voice cracked, saying, "He's my friend."
CRAIG SMITH, LEGAL ANALYST: You have to wonder, what is it that she sees in Michael Jackson? Because she obviously sees something in there that you have to assume that -- that she thinks it's good. And the jury just has to be wondering what that is.
ROWLANDS (on camera): One of the things that Debbie Rowe said in that videotaped interview she did for Michael Jackson was that he was a great father. Well, on the stand, she said that she was lying about that. She is expected to be back on the stand when court resumes.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: And when court does resume, prosecutors expected today to show portions of Rowe's videotaped interview in court today -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, Bill, a follow now to a story about an Arizona couple that have suddenly found themselves to be the parents of not one but five new babies.
Luisa Gonzalez and Enrique Moreno needed a surrogate mom. And let's just say that she went above and beyond her promise.
Earlier, I spoke with surrogate mom Teresa Anderson. She delivered five babies in just about five minutes on Tuesday. And I asked her why she decided to forego the $15,000 fee that she was supposed to get.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERESA ANDERSON, SURROGATE MOTHER: Considering the circumstances, they are great people, and I didn't want to put them under any more pressure than what they already have. We kind of went into this expecting maybe only one, and that was kind of what it was in the beginning, you know, the whole fee. But after five, it's going to -- there's no way. They're going to need all the money they can right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: New parents Enrique and Luisa had a message for Teresa, who gave them their instant family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ENRIQUE MORENO, FATHER OF QUINTUPLETS: Thank you. Thank you. That's all we can say.
Yes, she's -- she's a miracle to us. She's a gift from god.
LUISA GONZALEZ, MOTHER OF QUINTUPLETS: Yes, all I can say, thank you. And she is an angel that god sent to us and to do all of this for us. That's our angel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: A lot of happiness there. Doctors say the babies are expected to be allowed to go home in about three to four weeks. One baby who was born with a congenital heart problem, Javier, is going to have surgery next week -- Bill.
HEMMER: And a sweet ending, too. Thanks, Soledad.
A check of the weather now. Here is Chad Myers, looking to the American Southwest, and a lot of rain out there.
How are you?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning, Bill.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: All right, Chad. Thanks for that.
O'BRIEN: Well, from the streets of Connecticut to the front lines in Iraq, he was paid to serve and protect. So why can't one veteran police officer get his old job back?
HEMMER: Also, the high cost of diet plans, tips on how you can save money and make that diet more effective.
O'BRIEN: And on the road with the first lady, a rare interview with Laura Bush. You'll see it only on CNN.
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Robert Nappe put his life on the line training security forces in Iraq. He did it for about a year, and now Nappe wants his old job back. He was a cop at the police department in East Haven, Connecticut, and so far the town is saying no.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Robert Nappe is with me in Hartford. So, too, his attorney, Patricia Cofrancesco.
Good morning to both of you.
ROBERT NAPPE, FMR. EAST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, OFFICER: Good morning.
PATRICIA COFRANCESCO, NAPPE'S ATTORNEY: Good morning.
HEMMER: Robert, why do you think you can't get your job back?
NAPPE: I can't get my job back because the chief of police in my department considers me probably a thorn in his side.
HEMMER: Well, are you saying it's personal?
NAPPE: It's very personal.
HEMMER: Why do you suggest he doesn't like you?
NAPPE: Well, being the vice president of the police union, we've butted heads quite a bit. I challenge his authority. And that's the way it stands. Why would you want that kind of a guy back?
HEMMER: OK. So let's go and back up a little bit. Why did you go to Iraq in the first place and answer this call?
NAPPE: I went to Iraq because Colin Powell asked us to. He said he needed qualified police officers to help serve in Iraq to help teach the Iraqi police departments. I figured, well, if we can get the Iraqi police departments up and running, we could start sending our soldiers home. That's why I went.
HEMMER: So you knew when you quit your job the chance you were taking, then, right, Robert?
NAPPE: Well, I know there was a chance. And I -- you know, and I said that in my letter when I left, that I hoped they would change their mind and reinstate me when I returned.
HEMMER: Patricia, explain to us how the law changed while Robert was away and now your argument, your best case for getting his job back.
COFRANCESCO: In -- on June 8 of 2004, then Governor Rowland signed a public act into effect which would have guaranteed people like Bob Nappe their jobs upon their return from a peacekeeping mission. Our position is that Bob Nappe would have had the benefit of that statute upon his return. And we're asking the court to order the town, pursuant to the provisions of that statute, to take him back.
HEMMER: Now, hey, Robert, why not go find a different job and leave this behind?
NAPPE: Well, there's a couple reasons why I don't do that. One, I had 19 years built up for a pension. And if I go to another department I'll lose that.
The second reason is there's a lot of officers in Iraq in the same position I am. This fight needs to continue, because these officers are also coming back to unemployment, which is not right for them either.
HEMMER: Robert Nappe, good luck up to you up in Hartford.
Patricia Cofrancesco, too, his attorney there.
NAPPE: Thank you very much.
COFRANCESCO: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: So now we've heard from Nappe and his attorney. Now the other side of the story, and the mayor.
Joseph Maturo is the mayor. He's with me now from Hartford. Lawrence Screniari (ph) is also his attorney.
Gentlemen, good morning to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.
MAYOR JOSEPH MATURO, EAST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Now it is your turn. He says it's personal, Mr. Mayor. Is it?
MATURO: No, I don't know where that came from. Neither the board of police commissioners, the chief of the department, Chief Gallo (ph), nor myself have the authority. We'd be violating town charter, we'd be violating collective bargaining units.
It's been a policy for the eight years that I've been mayor, for the 20 years I served on the fire department, that no employee is given a leave of absence for -- to take another position in another town, or even out of the country, no matter how noble it may seem.
This particular retired officer asked about nine or 10 years ago during a previous administration to go to the first Gulf War and was refused then also for the same reason. He took his retirement, and he made that decision himself, and he left. We've had probably three or four other requests for a leave of absence for other jobs. And we've been refusing them for the past, oh, 28 years that I know of.
HEMMER: So you're saying when he says he's been a thorn in your side, you don't agree with that? Because apparently he has some union involvement and that's something you disagree with.
MATURO: Well, as far as him being vice president of the union, I think that's a position he held. I was -- had positions in my union as a firefighter. I don't think that has any bearing whatsoever on the case.
HEMMER: Why not -- why not make -- look, the guy wasn't, you know, playing with his kids in the yard, for crying out loud. He was out in Iraq.
MATURO: Right.
HEMMER: Why not make an exemption in this case?
MATURO: Well, the biggest problem is he was not in the military. If he had joined the military in the first Gulf War he probably would have went. If he joined the military this time he probably would have went.
There's nobody more pro-America than me. I'm a Vietnam-era veteran, my father is a veteran from D-Day. My mother and brother are veterans.
If you make an exception for one, you're setting a precedent. And I think the attorney can answer it better than I. But, you know, there's been other cases that were noble, also.
Some people may not think this was noble. Some people may feel as though this 19-year veteran should have been protecting us in homeland security.
You can't make an exception. And you can't govern a town on personalities. And you can't do it on what you may think is a noble cause. There is no leave of absence to take another position with another company. And I don't know anybody who does do that.
HEMMER: So, the bottom line, as long as you're mayor this man's out of a job, right?
MATURO: Well, it's not only me. There is no vehicle to hire him. I do not have the authority. The police chief doesn't have the authority. And neither does the police commissioners.
HEMMER: Joseph Maturo is the mayor, Lawrence Screniari (ph), his attorney there from Hartford this morning. Thank you, gentlemen.
MATURO: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE) O'BRIEN: Well, still moist after all of these years, that little sponge cake that could. Turning 75, our Jeanne Moos pays tribute to the Twinkie up next.
But first, here's a question for you. Which U.S. city consumes the most Twinkies per capita? Is it, A, Chicago, or, B, Los Angeles? Or is it, C, New York City? We've got the answer right after the break.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Before the break we asked you, which U.S. city consumes the most Twinkies per capita. Well, the answer is A, Chicago.
Chicagoans eat about 27 million of these little sugar bombs each year. Fittingly, Chicago is dubbed the Twinkie capital of the world.
Time to make a little birthday cake for the golden sponge cake with the creamy filling inside. This month the Twinkie is 75 years old. CNN's Jeanne Moos has a sweet tooth, couldn't resist filing this Twinkie tale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): How many candles can you fit on a Twinkie?
(on camera): Uh-oh. I'm in trouble.
MOOS (voice-over): Sweet 16 is nothing compared to sickening sweet 75.
(on camera): They're what?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Junk.
MOOS (voice-over): Hey, watch what you say about an icon. When Bill Clinton sealed America's millennium time capsule, they chose to place a Twinkie inside.
There's a retired milk truck driver who's been eating one or two Twinkies a day for 64 years, over 22,000 Twinkies. And wait until you hear about the 32-year-old Twinkie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's brittle.
MOOS: Nothing wrong with brittle Twinkies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're wonderful in the freezer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello. Deep-fried Twinkies.
MOOS: The Twinkie was born in 1930, named after a billboard advertising Twinkle-toed Shoes (ph). UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You get a big delight in every bite...
MOOS: Take a bite of nostalgia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I used to take them from my mother's cabinet and, like, run around the corner and eat them so she wouldn't know until she came home and counted them.
MOOS: Among those who have paid homage to the Twinkie, photographers in Pittsburgh who created photos ranging from "Stonehenge Twinkie" to "She's Having a Twinkie" to "The Last Snack," where the Twinkie gets the place of honor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Easy does it, girl.
MOOS: The snack made legal history when journalists coined the term "Twinkie Defense" after the man who murdered San Francisco's mayor and a supervisor claimed bingeing on junk food worsened his depression.
There were 60 entrees at the Golden Twinkie Awards. Among them, the list of things you can't do with a Twinkie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. 41: Twinkies make poor doorstops. Twinkies don't make good wind chimes.
MOOS: And finally, back to the 32-year-old Twinkie. Now retired science teacher Roger Bennatti says he was teaching about food preservatives when a kid asked...
ROGER BENNATTI, RETIRED SCIENCE TEACHER: He said, "Mr. Bennatti, what's the shelf life of a Twinkie?"
MOOS: So they put one atop the chalkboard, kept it for 32 years. So what if is has a little mold.
(on camera): Do you think it's edible?
BENNATTI: I wouldn't want to try it.
MOOS (voice-over): For the record, Twinkies' maker says its shelf life is about 25 days.
CROWD (SINGING): Happy birthday, dear Twinkie, happy birthday to you.
MOOS: Even a geriatric Twinkie can still put a twinkle in your eye and a sugar rush in your veins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (SINGING): And many more.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: So we were going to celebrate with a big old box of Twinkies, 75th birthday. Someone stole them, ripped them off.
CAFFERTY: This will happen.
HEMMER: Maybe they're in the freezer.
O'BRIEN: I don't think so. I think they walked away.
CAFFERTY: This is a shifty crew we've got here.
O'BRIEN: Yes, it is.
CAFFERTY: The president of the United States says what we need as a partial way to getting past this energy situation is more oil refineries and more nuclear power plants. It's been awhile since that was a priority. The last refinery was green-lighted in 1979, and a new -- a nuclear power plant was green-lighted in 1979, and a new refinery hasn't been built in 30 years.
So we want to know whether you think that's a good idea or not, new oil refineries and nuclear power plants to help solve the energy problem.
Sam writes, "The energy (INAUDIBLE) of the U.S. has finally gotten us to our current state. For decades, the call has been increase capacity. Now Bush wants to solve the problem by, what, increased capacity. To keep doing the same thing and expecting different results is one indicator of insanity."
Jerry in Georgia writes, "Something innovative is needed to solve the energy crisis like nuclear fusion, where a byproduct would be hydrogen that can be used to fuel vehicles, which on combustion create water, thereby solving global warming."
Don't get so technical, Jerry.
Reg in Thunder Bay writes, "Here's a simple solution, Jack." This -- this actually makes a certain amount of sense.
"Two nozzles at every gas pump. One only fits compact cars, $1 a gallon. The other only fits into SUVs, $20 a gallon. Put the blame where it belongs."
And Larry in Kentucky writes, "It's comforting to know the president has a bold new vision to lead us into the 20th century."
O'BRIEN: I think Reg has got the good idea.
HEMMER: It's something.
CAFFERTY: That is a good idea.
O'BRIEN: Because you don't really have to change anything, but just sort of help people make the right choice.
CAFFERTY: You want to drive those big old gas-guzzlers? You pay a premium. O'BRIEN: Only if you have a big family.
CAFFERTY: The other thing, too, isn't there some tax thing, you can write off the cost of an SUV up to $100,000 if you -- yes.
O'BRIEN: Really?
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Where, here in New York?
CAFFERTY: Am I right?
HEMMER: Shane (ph), what are you talking about?
CAFFERTY: I don't know the specifics. But there is a -- if you buy a big SUV and you say it's used for a home business or something...
HEMMER: Yes?
O'BRIEN: Oh.
CAFFERTY: ... I mean, there's some huge tax deduction, which is...
HEMMER: Well, some of these SUVs are actually like moving offices they're so big.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: What did the Yankees do last night, Shane (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lost.
HEMMER: Lost again? I'm sorry. See you later.
O'BRIEN: All right. Our next topic this morning, those costly calories. How do you trim the fat in the budget, though? Some advice on diet plans just ahead.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Just about half-past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
First lady Laura Bush visiting schools in California today. She's speaking out about keeping kids away from gangs and drugs. The first lady is also sitting down with CNN's Dana Bash, talking about the incredible response that she's getting from Americans.
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