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Dennis Rader Contends He's Not BTK Serial Killer; Driver's License Bill; Military Readiness

Aired May 03, 2005 - 10:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: An important question relating to homeland security: is it too easy for terrorists to get drivers' licenses in the states? Some congressional leaders say there needs to be more regulation.
And a rare look inside the secret society that is North Korea. Wait until you see some of the strange rules that still exist under Kim Jong-il.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

The man police say is the notorious BTK killer enters a plea of not guilty to 10 counts of murder. Dennis Rader was arraigned last hour in Wichita, Kansas. Details in a live report in just a minute.

The official blitz is over, but President Bush is on the road again today to discuss Social Security changes. He visits a plant in -- a Nissan plant in Mississippi. The White House says the president's campaign to overhaul Social Security entered a new phase.

Economists expect the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by a quarter of a point today. It would be the eighth increase since last June. The Federal Reserve is facing the threat of rising inflation pressures on one hand and a slowing economy on the other.

Let's check that clock. 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast. Those of you joining us from the West, 8:00 a.m. for you.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

We go first this hour to Kansas. The crime spanned three decades, but today's court appearance took just a matter of minutes. Dennis Rader contends he is not the notorious serial killer known as BTK. He entered not guilty pleas at his arraignment last hour.

Our Jonathan Freed is keeping watch on developments. He is in Wichita this morning.

Good morning.

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

It was about an hour ago that the arraignment got under way here at the Sedgwick County Courthouse. Just two weeks ago was the last time that we saw Dennis Rader at his preliminary hearing, which he waived. And his defense team asked that this be continued for two weeks, rather than proceeding directly to the arraignment two weeks ago, which would have normally been the case.

They needed time to get things in order. But today, despite a lot of wondering and speculation here -- and there is an intense amount of that as you could imagine -- some people wondering if Mr. Rader might indeed plead guilty. In the end, he did exactly what his attorneys had been telegraphing he would do, and that is plead not guilty to those 10 counts of first-degree murder spanning a 30-year period.

All of these murders attributed to the infamous BTK serial killer here in the Wichita area. BTK standing for bind, torture and kill. And that is a nickname that the killer had given to himself some 25 years ago.

Let's listen to how the plea was actually entered and discussed in the courtroom about an hour ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this time, the defendant would stand mute as to plea and ask the court to enter the appropriate plea and set the matter for trial.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very well. On the defendant's standing, mute, the court will enter a plea of not guilty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREED: So you heard there the plea of not guilty being entered. At that point, under the speedy trial requirements, a trial date of June 27 has been set for now. But the district attorney, Nola Foulston, came out just a short while ago and made it very clear, do not set your watches or mark your calendars for that date in June.

This case is just too big. She thinks that at the outside, at the very earliest, Daryn, this case would not go to trial before the fall. She mused about possibly in October.

Some people think that because of the mountain of evidence involved -- and remember, we're talking about a 30-year -- that's three-zero-year-long -- investigation. And his defense team has only had this case for the last couple of months, since the end of February, when Dennis Rader was arrested. There is a good chance that this might even get delayed beyond that.

Now, one thing that we did see today which was somewhat unusual, we saw the district attorney, Nola Foulston, standing in front of Dennis Rader in the courtroom and reading out to him a motion that's being filed. One of the murders, the last murder that they are accusing him of committing, was one that happened in 1991. And because of the timing of statutes, Daryn, that murder qualifies for what's called here as a hard 40-year sentence with no parole. So the district attorney explained that she was required to present that directly to him today and to see whether or not he understood what was being said to him. And here's what she had to stay about her impressions of what she saw looking back at her in his eyes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NOLA FOULSTON, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: He appeared to understand and relate to exactly what I was saying. He paid absolute attention to the comments that I was making.

He nodded when I used the words "slowly and carefully," he nodded and acknowledged every single thing that I was saying to him. And so it appeared to me that he understood, appreciated and could comprehend the nature of the motion. And that was important for me to see that he saw, and knew.

And then his attorney turned to him and said she could discuss it with him later, which is obviously something that you know is going to happen. And that was -- fully completed the circle of the notice to Mr. Rader, and the deed is done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREED: Now, Daryn, there was a bit of drama in the courtroom today. At the end, while Mr. Rader was still seated, the family members -- and there were some -- some family members of the victims that were there -- were allowed to leave the courtroom first.

One of them, Charlie Otero, who is one of the surviving children of the Otero family -- and the Oteros were the first murders attributed to the BTK killer back in 1974 -- he spoke out in the direction of Mr. Rader -- and I'm quoting now -- "Don't worry, you won't last" -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, what about the question -- we're finding out about when possible trial, but what about where? There must be a lot of talk that this trial can't possibly take place in Wichita.

FREED: Oh, there's definitely talk about that. But the district attorney here is quite adamant about it, saying that changes of venue are extremely rare. In fact, I don't believe that there has ever actually been one in a case like this here. And they insist that he will be able to get a fair trial right here in Wichita.

KAGAN: All right. Thank you so much. Jonathan Freed, live from Wichita.

I'll be finding more about the community when I chat live with Wichita anchorman Larry Hatteberg about BTK. He'll be with us in just a few minutes. His station, KAKE, received packages and other communications from the killer over a number of years.

CNN "Security Watch" this hour focuses on your all-purpose I.D. card. That's your driver's license. Congress is putting the finishing touches on a bill this week that may make it more difficult to get one. If it passes -- and it looks like it will -- you're going to have to prove you're a legal citizen to get a license.

CNN congressional correspondent Joe Johns takes a look at the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Antonio. That's not his real name, because he's not legally, and he's not alone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody (INAUDIBLE) immigrants. Look, you see? How many immigrants in the world? A lot.

JOHNS (on camera): Everywhere you look?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

JOHNS: Do you think they're all legal? Do you think they're all documented?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so. They need work. They work.

JOHNS (voice-over): Antonio is from Mexico. He doesn't have citizenship or a green card, but he does have a driver's license, and that's got some in Congress upset. They say, if he can get a license, so could terrorists, like they did on 9/11.

REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R), CALIFORNIA: Nineteen terrorists had 63 drivers' licenses.

JOHNS: But Antonio said he's no terrorist.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are honest people, you work, you make -- you produce, you pay taxes. I don't know what is the real problem.

JOHNS: The problem is that drivers' licenses are used for identification, for everything from getting on to a plane to buying a firearm. The congressional measure would require that all states get proof people are in the country legally before giving out licenses. At least 10 states don't do that now, including Maryland, where Antonio lives and works renovating homes.

(on camera): What would happen to your business if they took away your driver's license?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know exactly, because if they take away my license driver, it's like taking off my hands.

JOHNS (voice-over): Backers of tougher rules insist they are not meddling in states' rights, just trying to create national standards. And they keep coming back to the 9/11 hijackers. REP. JAMES SENSENBRENNER (R), WISCONSIN: So they used a legitimately legally-issued state driver's license to get on the plane.

JOHNS: But even some supporters of national standards say the proposal could lead to one kind of license for people who prove their legal and a lower-level license for people who don't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We called it the scarlet letter license. Because if you are here illegally and you're in an accident, do you want everybody to know that you're not here legally? I wouldn't think so.

JOHNS: And that could result in some immigrants too scared to even get a license. But they would drive any way with know test and no insurance. Without a license on file the state might not even know their names.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

JOHNS (on camera): And where you are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

JOHNS: And how to find you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very simple.

JOHNS (voice-over): It's a tough choice, balancing public safety with the risk of driving illegal immigrants further into the shadows.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: CNN is the place to turn for your news about your safety and security. Coming up at the half-hour, we'll continue our security focus with a look at the nuclear threat.

The U.S. military today -- U.S. forces have seized a letter they think was intended for a wanted terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The note refers to low morale and weakening support for the insurgency in Iraq. It does not refer to Zarqawi by name.

Instead, it's addressed to Shaikh Abu Ahmed (ph). The military says U.S. forces found the letter during an April 28 raid in Baghdad.

The military today also found the body of a pilot from one of the two missing fighter jets. Officials believe the FA-18 Hornets collided during a routine mission in support of operations in Iraq. The search for the second pilot was temporarily suspended because of a sandstorm.

The crew of the USS Carl Vinson lost contact with the jets yesterday. The military says there was no indication of hostile fire in the area at the time. Ibrahim al-Jaafari was sworn in as Iraq's transitional prime minister just a short time ago. The swearing in of the country's first democratically elected government got under way with some cabinet seats undecided. The ceremony was delayed while the incoming prime minister tried to fill the vacancies.

The concentration of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan may limit the military's ability to handle other conflicts. We are told that assessment comes from the military's highest ranking officer in a classified report. And it paints a different picture than remarks by President Bush in a primetime news conference last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The person I asked that to, at least, is to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, my top military adviser. I said, "Do you feel that we've limited our capacity to deal with other problems because of our troop levels in Iraq?" And the answer is, no, he doesn't feel we limited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: So which is it? Let's turn to Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon with more on that report -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, apparently, this annual classified report to Congress from General Richard Myers is unusually blunt. But here at the Pentagon, officials say that it does not in any way mean that the U.S. military can't do its job.

A senior Pentagon official tells CNN that, yes, because of the U.S. deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the General Myers report this time does conclude that other armed conflicts would likely last longer. And they would likely produce higher casualties.

The official made a comparison to the swift ramp-up to the war in Iraq, saying that if another conflict occurred, "it would be harder to sprint that fast." And the report concludes that the U.S. would still have the clear ability to win another military face-off. It just wouldn't be as pretty, explained the official.

Now, Pentagon spokesman Brian Whitman (ph) downplayed the report's findings, saying, "What is certain is the U.S. military remains capable of executing every mission it is assigned." The report does cite as particularly stressed areas weaponry, stockpiles of precision weapons, then equipment, the availability of propositioned equipment necessary for battle, everything from vehicles to supplies.

And then finally manpower, reserve units which are really providing the bulk of the combat support role in Iraq. And then there's also the issue of active duty military becoming strained as well, because the Army has announced that for the third month in a row, Daryn, it has missed its recruiting goals.

KAGAN: All right. Kathleen Koch at the -- at the Pentagon. Thank you.

We're going to go back to the BTK story in just a bit, talk to a Wichita, Kansas, newsman who has followed the case since the beginning.

What's really going on in North Korea? Is the communist nation about to test a nuclear weapon for the first time?

And later, it's called the math games, 20 days of celebration and floor routines all to honor and impress their father, Kim Jong-il. An unprecedented glimpse inside North Korea' s ahead this hour on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check on a quick update of this hour's top story. Accused BTK serial killer Dennis Rader pleads not guilty at an arraignment this morning. He is suspected in 10 murders between 1974 and 1991. The judge set a June 27 trial date. Most observers, though, expect that will be delayed.

Larry Hatteberg is a news anchor at KAKE in Wichita. His station received communications from the BTK killer.

Larry, good morning. Good to have you here back with us.

LARRY HATTEBERG, KAKE-TV: And it's good to be here, Daryn. Thank you.

KAGAN: What was it like to be inside that courtroom today with Dennis Rader and so many family members of victims of BTK?

HATTEBERG: Well, it's always interesting to be inside the courtroom when Dennis Rader is there. And it was very interesting this morning.

As Dennis Rader walked into the courtroom, for the first time he actually looked at the people who were assembled there to see who was in the audience. And he actually nodded at some of us who were on the front row. That has never happened before.

During his preliminary hearing when he walked in, he simply walked in, looked at his counsel, looked at the judge, and walked out, and gave no acknowledgment to anyone else who was in the room. This time it was a little bit different. It was like he wanted to see who was there. And that's never happened before.

KAGAN: How has his arrest affected the Wichita community, Larry?

HATTEBERG: The arrest, everybody is breathing a sigh of relief in Wichita, Kansas. For 30 years, BTK, the person who is BTK, terrorized Wichita, Kansas. And he actually terrorized two generations of Wichitans.

So, for those of us who are living here, it's like this huge rock has been lifted off our shoulders, because people can kind of get back to a normal life. A lot of people, particularly young people, young women, were very, very scared of BTK.

KAGAN: You do have the death penalty there in Kansas. It was reinstated in 1994. All the crimes that this man is charged with took place before then. So it does not look like Dennis Rader will face the death penalty.

How is that playing in Wichita?

HATTEBERG: Well, that's just the way it is here in Kansas. None of his crimes, as you point out, occurred after the death penalty was instituted.

So he cannot get the death penalty at this point, unless, of course, the district attorney would come by -- back, and they would perhaps charge him with another crime. That doesn't appear to be the case. So he will not be eligible for the death penalty. That's just the way it is in Kansas.

Of course, today, they want to make sure that he gets as many years as he possibly can on each count. And today they added the hard 40 to one of those cases. So that will mean he will be -- if he is convicted, he will be behind bars for well over 100 years.

KAGAN: When -- of course he wouldn't live that long.

HATTEBERG: Right.

KAGAN: When he was first arrested, his defense attorneys came out and said that he was depressed, that his family wasn't visiting him in prison -- or in jail. Do you know if that's changed? And have any members of his family, his wife or his children, spoken since the arrest?

HATTEBERG: We do not believe that any member of his family has visited him while -- since he has been arrested. We do not believe that that has occurred. There could have been, however, some letter communications. That we don't know about.

That could have happened, but we don't know that for sure. But no member of his family has seen him in person since his arrest.

KAGAN: And, of course, this story became personal for you. Not only were you receiving communication from BTK over the years, but also you voluntarily gave a DNA sample to police as they were doing that search.

HATTEBERG: That is correct. Over 1,300 men who fit the profile -- and what I'm talking about is the age profile -- gave DNA samples.

I was one of those people. And one of the reasons the detectives took my DNA, is they said, you're appearing in so many network news shows, we're getting calls into the BTK tip line that if you're talking so much about it, then perhaps you are BTK.

Well, obviously, that's not the case. I am not BTK. But it was -- it was a moment. If you've ever had your DNA taken, it gives you an odd feeling.

KAGAN: I would think so. It's just that look you have, Larry. You know, you look like a nice guy, and yet -- no. We really appreciate your help.

HATTEBERG: That's right. Daryn, I am a nice guy.

KAGAN: And, you know, we know people in common who tell me that same thing. And we really do appreciate your coverage as we have been following the story from Wichita, Kansas.

HATTEBERG: Thank you.

KAGAN: Larry Hatteberg from KAKE-TV in Wichita. Thank you, Larry.

HATTEBERG: Thank you.

KAGAN: Coming up next on CNN LIVE TODAY, breaking his silence. A firefighter -- you're not going to believe this story -- he suffered brain damage while battling a blaze. That was 10 years ago. He is now speaking for the first time.

And it's not chill this time, and it's not a hoax. The human part that was found inside some frozen custard.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We have an amazing story of recovery this morning. A firefighter left brain-damaged from a roof collapse -- this happened back in 1995 -- he shocked his doctors and his family over the weekend. The man who was mostly mute for 10 years just suddenly talking, just out of the blue.

Donald Herbert told staff members at his nursing home that he wanted to talk with his wife. And that was just the first of many conversations with his family.

Today is World Asthma Day. In the U.S., more than 20 million Americans suffer from asthma. Experts say nine million of them are under the age of 18. Our medical correspondent Christy Feig has more on childhood asthma in our "Daily Dose" of health news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eight-year-old Kirsten Solomon suffers from asthma, a condition that causes her breathing passages to become inflamed and makes breathing difficult. For years when this happened, her grandmother thought it was just a bad cold. She never thought it might be asthma.

DOROTHY DAVIS, KIRSTEN'S GRANDMOTHER: The cough would last sometimes anywhere from two to five days, straight constantly coughing.

FEIG: Now diagnosed, Kirsten is on medication and uses an inhaler to help her breathe. She says living with asthma is hard, but she's learning how to manage it.

KIRSTEN SOLOMON, SUFFERS FROM ASTHMA: I cough and stuff, and when I breathe really hard, like that, I should be taking my medicine.

FEIG: Experts say since asthma is the most chronic common disease in young people parents should be on the lookout for symptoms in their children.

DR. STEPHEN TEACH, CHILDREN'S NATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER: They include cough, wheezing, breathing heavily, pain in the chest, flaring of the nostrils, rapid breathing.

FEIG: Asthma can be triggered by exercise or environmental factors that are often worse in big cities.

TEACH: Things like pollen, air pollution, indoor poor air quality due to cigarette smoke, dust, cockroaches and that kind of thing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that was our Christy Feig.

Asthma in children, by the way, is seldom fatal. But it does result in nearly three million doctor visits and 200,000 hospitalizations each year.

For your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.

Called into question the ability for the U.S. government to protect our nation from a nuclear attack. That is ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.

Also, pageantry displayed by children. It's all a tribute to their leader. That is a colorful side of an otherwise dark way of life in North Korea. Inside the communist nation when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 3, 2005 - 10:59   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: An important question relating to homeland security: is it too easy for terrorists to get drivers' licenses in the states? Some congressional leaders say there needs to be more regulation.
And a rare look inside the secret society that is North Korea. Wait until you see some of the strange rules that still exist under Kim Jong-il.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

The man police say is the notorious BTK killer enters a plea of not guilty to 10 counts of murder. Dennis Rader was arraigned last hour in Wichita, Kansas. Details in a live report in just a minute.

The official blitz is over, but President Bush is on the road again today to discuss Social Security changes. He visits a plant in -- a Nissan plant in Mississippi. The White House says the president's campaign to overhaul Social Security entered a new phase.

Economists expect the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by a quarter of a point today. It would be the eighth increase since last June. The Federal Reserve is facing the threat of rising inflation pressures on one hand and a slowing economy on the other.

Let's check that clock. 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast. Those of you joining us from the West, 8:00 a.m. for you.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

We go first this hour to Kansas. The crime spanned three decades, but today's court appearance took just a matter of minutes. Dennis Rader contends he is not the notorious serial killer known as BTK. He entered not guilty pleas at his arraignment last hour.

Our Jonathan Freed is keeping watch on developments. He is in Wichita this morning.

Good morning.

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

It was about an hour ago that the arraignment got under way here at the Sedgwick County Courthouse. Just two weeks ago was the last time that we saw Dennis Rader at his preliminary hearing, which he waived. And his defense team asked that this be continued for two weeks, rather than proceeding directly to the arraignment two weeks ago, which would have normally been the case.

They needed time to get things in order. But today, despite a lot of wondering and speculation here -- and there is an intense amount of that as you could imagine -- some people wondering if Mr. Rader might indeed plead guilty. In the end, he did exactly what his attorneys had been telegraphing he would do, and that is plead not guilty to those 10 counts of first-degree murder spanning a 30-year period.

All of these murders attributed to the infamous BTK serial killer here in the Wichita area. BTK standing for bind, torture and kill. And that is a nickname that the killer had given to himself some 25 years ago.

Let's listen to how the plea was actually entered and discussed in the courtroom about an hour ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this time, the defendant would stand mute as to plea and ask the court to enter the appropriate plea and set the matter for trial.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very well. On the defendant's standing, mute, the court will enter a plea of not guilty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREED: So you heard there the plea of not guilty being entered. At that point, under the speedy trial requirements, a trial date of June 27 has been set for now. But the district attorney, Nola Foulston, came out just a short while ago and made it very clear, do not set your watches or mark your calendars for that date in June.

This case is just too big. She thinks that at the outside, at the very earliest, Daryn, this case would not go to trial before the fall. She mused about possibly in October.

Some people think that because of the mountain of evidence involved -- and remember, we're talking about a 30-year -- that's three-zero-year-long -- investigation. And his defense team has only had this case for the last couple of months, since the end of February, when Dennis Rader was arrested. There is a good chance that this might even get delayed beyond that.

Now, one thing that we did see today which was somewhat unusual, we saw the district attorney, Nola Foulston, standing in front of Dennis Rader in the courtroom and reading out to him a motion that's being filed. One of the murders, the last murder that they are accusing him of committing, was one that happened in 1991. And because of the timing of statutes, Daryn, that murder qualifies for what's called here as a hard 40-year sentence with no parole. So the district attorney explained that she was required to present that directly to him today and to see whether or not he understood what was being said to him. And here's what she had to stay about her impressions of what she saw looking back at her in his eyes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NOLA FOULSTON, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: He appeared to understand and relate to exactly what I was saying. He paid absolute attention to the comments that I was making.

He nodded when I used the words "slowly and carefully," he nodded and acknowledged every single thing that I was saying to him. And so it appeared to me that he understood, appreciated and could comprehend the nature of the motion. And that was important for me to see that he saw, and knew.

And then his attorney turned to him and said she could discuss it with him later, which is obviously something that you know is going to happen. And that was -- fully completed the circle of the notice to Mr. Rader, and the deed is done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREED: Now, Daryn, there was a bit of drama in the courtroom today. At the end, while Mr. Rader was still seated, the family members -- and there were some -- some family members of the victims that were there -- were allowed to leave the courtroom first.

One of them, Charlie Otero, who is one of the surviving children of the Otero family -- and the Oteros were the first murders attributed to the BTK killer back in 1974 -- he spoke out in the direction of Mr. Rader -- and I'm quoting now -- "Don't worry, you won't last" -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, what about the question -- we're finding out about when possible trial, but what about where? There must be a lot of talk that this trial can't possibly take place in Wichita.

FREED: Oh, there's definitely talk about that. But the district attorney here is quite adamant about it, saying that changes of venue are extremely rare. In fact, I don't believe that there has ever actually been one in a case like this here. And they insist that he will be able to get a fair trial right here in Wichita.

KAGAN: All right. Thank you so much. Jonathan Freed, live from Wichita.

I'll be finding more about the community when I chat live with Wichita anchorman Larry Hatteberg about BTK. He'll be with us in just a few minutes. His station, KAKE, received packages and other communications from the killer over a number of years.

CNN "Security Watch" this hour focuses on your all-purpose I.D. card. That's your driver's license. Congress is putting the finishing touches on a bill this week that may make it more difficult to get one. If it passes -- and it looks like it will -- you're going to have to prove you're a legal citizen to get a license.

CNN congressional correspondent Joe Johns takes a look at the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Antonio. That's not his real name, because he's not legally, and he's not alone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody (INAUDIBLE) immigrants. Look, you see? How many immigrants in the world? A lot.

JOHNS (on camera): Everywhere you look?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

JOHNS: Do you think they're all legal? Do you think they're all documented?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so. They need work. They work.

JOHNS (voice-over): Antonio is from Mexico. He doesn't have citizenship or a green card, but he does have a driver's license, and that's got some in Congress upset. They say, if he can get a license, so could terrorists, like they did on 9/11.

REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R), CALIFORNIA: Nineteen terrorists had 63 drivers' licenses.

JOHNS: But Antonio said he's no terrorist.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are honest people, you work, you make -- you produce, you pay taxes. I don't know what is the real problem.

JOHNS: The problem is that drivers' licenses are used for identification, for everything from getting on to a plane to buying a firearm. The congressional measure would require that all states get proof people are in the country legally before giving out licenses. At least 10 states don't do that now, including Maryland, where Antonio lives and works renovating homes.

(on camera): What would happen to your business if they took away your driver's license?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know exactly, because if they take away my license driver, it's like taking off my hands.

JOHNS (voice-over): Backers of tougher rules insist they are not meddling in states' rights, just trying to create national standards. And they keep coming back to the 9/11 hijackers. REP. JAMES SENSENBRENNER (R), WISCONSIN: So they used a legitimately legally-issued state driver's license to get on the plane.

JOHNS: But even some supporters of national standards say the proposal could lead to one kind of license for people who prove their legal and a lower-level license for people who don't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We called it the scarlet letter license. Because if you are here illegally and you're in an accident, do you want everybody to know that you're not here legally? I wouldn't think so.

JOHNS: And that could result in some immigrants too scared to even get a license. But they would drive any way with know test and no insurance. Without a license on file the state might not even know their names.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

JOHNS (on camera): And where you are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

JOHNS: And how to find you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very simple.

JOHNS (voice-over): It's a tough choice, balancing public safety with the risk of driving illegal immigrants further into the shadows.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

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KAGAN: CNN is the place to turn for your news about your safety and security. Coming up at the half-hour, we'll continue our security focus with a look at the nuclear threat.

The U.S. military today -- U.S. forces have seized a letter they think was intended for a wanted terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The note refers to low morale and weakening support for the insurgency in Iraq. It does not refer to Zarqawi by name.

Instead, it's addressed to Shaikh Abu Ahmed (ph). The military says U.S. forces found the letter during an April 28 raid in Baghdad.

The military today also found the body of a pilot from one of the two missing fighter jets. Officials believe the FA-18 Hornets collided during a routine mission in support of operations in Iraq. The search for the second pilot was temporarily suspended because of a sandstorm.

The crew of the USS Carl Vinson lost contact with the jets yesterday. The military says there was no indication of hostile fire in the area at the time. Ibrahim al-Jaafari was sworn in as Iraq's transitional prime minister just a short time ago. The swearing in of the country's first democratically elected government got under way with some cabinet seats undecided. The ceremony was delayed while the incoming prime minister tried to fill the vacancies.

The concentration of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan may limit the military's ability to handle other conflicts. We are told that assessment comes from the military's highest ranking officer in a classified report. And it paints a different picture than remarks by President Bush in a primetime news conference last week.

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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The person I asked that to, at least, is to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, my top military adviser. I said, "Do you feel that we've limited our capacity to deal with other problems because of our troop levels in Iraq?" And the answer is, no, he doesn't feel we limited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: So which is it? Let's turn to Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon with more on that report -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, apparently, this annual classified report to Congress from General Richard Myers is unusually blunt. But here at the Pentagon, officials say that it does not in any way mean that the U.S. military can't do its job.

A senior Pentagon official tells CNN that, yes, because of the U.S. deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the General Myers report this time does conclude that other armed conflicts would likely last longer. And they would likely produce higher casualties.

The official made a comparison to the swift ramp-up to the war in Iraq, saying that if another conflict occurred, "it would be harder to sprint that fast." And the report concludes that the U.S. would still have the clear ability to win another military face-off. It just wouldn't be as pretty, explained the official.

Now, Pentagon spokesman Brian Whitman (ph) downplayed the report's findings, saying, "What is certain is the U.S. military remains capable of executing every mission it is assigned." The report does cite as particularly stressed areas weaponry, stockpiles of precision weapons, then equipment, the availability of propositioned equipment necessary for battle, everything from vehicles to supplies.

And then finally manpower, reserve units which are really providing the bulk of the combat support role in Iraq. And then there's also the issue of active duty military becoming strained as well, because the Army has announced that for the third month in a row, Daryn, it has missed its recruiting goals.

KAGAN: All right. Kathleen Koch at the -- at the Pentagon. Thank you.

We're going to go back to the BTK story in just a bit, talk to a Wichita, Kansas, newsman who has followed the case since the beginning.

What's really going on in North Korea? Is the communist nation about to test a nuclear weapon for the first time?

And later, it's called the math games, 20 days of celebration and floor routines all to honor and impress their father, Kim Jong-il. An unprecedented glimpse inside North Korea' s ahead this hour on CNN LIVE TODAY.

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KAGAN: Let's check on a quick update of this hour's top story. Accused BTK serial killer Dennis Rader pleads not guilty at an arraignment this morning. He is suspected in 10 murders between 1974 and 1991. The judge set a June 27 trial date. Most observers, though, expect that will be delayed.

Larry Hatteberg is a news anchor at KAKE in Wichita. His station received communications from the BTK killer.

Larry, good morning. Good to have you here back with us.

LARRY HATTEBERG, KAKE-TV: And it's good to be here, Daryn. Thank you.

KAGAN: What was it like to be inside that courtroom today with Dennis Rader and so many family members of victims of BTK?

HATTEBERG: Well, it's always interesting to be inside the courtroom when Dennis Rader is there. And it was very interesting this morning.

As Dennis Rader walked into the courtroom, for the first time he actually looked at the people who were assembled there to see who was in the audience. And he actually nodded at some of us who were on the front row. That has never happened before.

During his preliminary hearing when he walked in, he simply walked in, looked at his counsel, looked at the judge, and walked out, and gave no acknowledgment to anyone else who was in the room. This time it was a little bit different. It was like he wanted to see who was there. And that's never happened before.

KAGAN: How has his arrest affected the Wichita community, Larry?

HATTEBERG: The arrest, everybody is breathing a sigh of relief in Wichita, Kansas. For 30 years, BTK, the person who is BTK, terrorized Wichita, Kansas. And he actually terrorized two generations of Wichitans.

So, for those of us who are living here, it's like this huge rock has been lifted off our shoulders, because people can kind of get back to a normal life. A lot of people, particularly young people, young women, were very, very scared of BTK.

KAGAN: You do have the death penalty there in Kansas. It was reinstated in 1994. All the crimes that this man is charged with took place before then. So it does not look like Dennis Rader will face the death penalty.

How is that playing in Wichita?

HATTEBERG: Well, that's just the way it is here in Kansas. None of his crimes, as you point out, occurred after the death penalty was instituted.

So he cannot get the death penalty at this point, unless, of course, the district attorney would come by -- back, and they would perhaps charge him with another crime. That doesn't appear to be the case. So he will not be eligible for the death penalty. That's just the way it is in Kansas.

Of course, today, they want to make sure that he gets as many years as he possibly can on each count. And today they added the hard 40 to one of those cases. So that will mean he will be -- if he is convicted, he will be behind bars for well over 100 years.

KAGAN: When -- of course he wouldn't live that long.

HATTEBERG: Right.

KAGAN: When he was first arrested, his defense attorneys came out and said that he was depressed, that his family wasn't visiting him in prison -- or in jail. Do you know if that's changed? And have any members of his family, his wife or his children, spoken since the arrest?

HATTEBERG: We do not believe that any member of his family has visited him while -- since he has been arrested. We do not believe that that has occurred. There could have been, however, some letter communications. That we don't know about.

That could have happened, but we don't know that for sure. But no member of his family has seen him in person since his arrest.

KAGAN: And, of course, this story became personal for you. Not only were you receiving communication from BTK over the years, but also you voluntarily gave a DNA sample to police as they were doing that search.

HATTEBERG: That is correct. Over 1,300 men who fit the profile -- and what I'm talking about is the age profile -- gave DNA samples.

I was one of those people. And one of the reasons the detectives took my DNA, is they said, you're appearing in so many network news shows, we're getting calls into the BTK tip line that if you're talking so much about it, then perhaps you are BTK.

Well, obviously, that's not the case. I am not BTK. But it was -- it was a moment. If you've ever had your DNA taken, it gives you an odd feeling.

KAGAN: I would think so. It's just that look you have, Larry. You know, you look like a nice guy, and yet -- no. We really appreciate your help.

HATTEBERG: That's right. Daryn, I am a nice guy.

KAGAN: And, you know, we know people in common who tell me that same thing. And we really do appreciate your coverage as we have been following the story from Wichita, Kansas.

HATTEBERG: Thank you.

KAGAN: Larry Hatteberg from KAKE-TV in Wichita. Thank you, Larry.

HATTEBERG: Thank you.

KAGAN: Coming up next on CNN LIVE TODAY, breaking his silence. A firefighter -- you're not going to believe this story -- he suffered brain damage while battling a blaze. That was 10 years ago. He is now speaking for the first time.

And it's not chill this time, and it's not a hoax. The human part that was found inside some frozen custard.

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KAGAN: We have an amazing story of recovery this morning. A firefighter left brain-damaged from a roof collapse -- this happened back in 1995 -- he shocked his doctors and his family over the weekend. The man who was mostly mute for 10 years just suddenly talking, just out of the blue.

Donald Herbert told staff members at his nursing home that he wanted to talk with his wife. And that was just the first of many conversations with his family.

Today is World Asthma Day. In the U.S., more than 20 million Americans suffer from asthma. Experts say nine million of them are under the age of 18. Our medical correspondent Christy Feig has more on childhood asthma in our "Daily Dose" of health news.

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CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eight-year-old Kirsten Solomon suffers from asthma, a condition that causes her breathing passages to become inflamed and makes breathing difficult. For years when this happened, her grandmother thought it was just a bad cold. She never thought it might be asthma.

DOROTHY DAVIS, KIRSTEN'S GRANDMOTHER: The cough would last sometimes anywhere from two to five days, straight constantly coughing.

FEIG: Now diagnosed, Kirsten is on medication and uses an inhaler to help her breathe. She says living with asthma is hard, but she's learning how to manage it.

KIRSTEN SOLOMON, SUFFERS FROM ASTHMA: I cough and stuff, and when I breathe really hard, like that, I should be taking my medicine.

FEIG: Experts say since asthma is the most chronic common disease in young people parents should be on the lookout for symptoms in their children.

DR. STEPHEN TEACH, CHILDREN'S NATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER: They include cough, wheezing, breathing heavily, pain in the chest, flaring of the nostrils, rapid breathing.

FEIG: Asthma can be triggered by exercise or environmental factors that are often worse in big cities.

TEACH: Things like pollen, air pollution, indoor poor air quality due to cigarette smoke, dust, cockroaches and that kind of thing.

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KAGAN: And that was our Christy Feig.

Asthma in children, by the way, is seldom fatal. But it does result in nearly three million doctor visits and 200,000 hospitalizations each year.

For your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.

Called into question the ability for the U.S. government to protect our nation from a nuclear attack. That is ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.

Also, pageantry displayed by children. It's all a tribute to their leader. That is a colorful side of an otherwise dark way of life in North Korea. Inside the communist nation when we return.

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