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CNN Live Today
Insurgent Crackdown; Historic Visit; Girls Killed
Aired May 10, 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: We have a developing story on the so- called runaway bride, Jennifer Wilbanks. Just minutes ago, her pastor contacted us here at CNN to announce she has entered a voluntary medical treatment program. The statement says the inpatient program will address both the physical and mental issues that she believes led to her kidnapping hoax last month.
In other news today, President Bush is on his way home after an historic visit to Eastern Europe and Russia. The trip was to mark the fall of the Third Reich 60 years ago. But it also underscored lingering tensions between Moscow and the west over Soviet domination of Eastern Europe after World War II.
In California, Michael Jackson's past and present employees are testifying in his defense against child molestation charges. The property manager from the Neverland ranch is expected to resume his testimony today that the accuser's family was never mistreated or held against their will. Sources tell us that actor Macaulay Culkin will likely be called to the stand tomorrow.
In suburban Philadelphia, authorities say a three-alarm blaze at a Baptist church is now under control. Officials say part of the roof has collapsed. No injuries have been reported. The fire broke out about two hours ago.
Also -- and let's go ahead and check the time. It is 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. on the West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
We're going to start this hour in Iraq. It is a familiar story, a pair of car bombs exploding in Baghdad today, about an hour and a half apart. At least seven people were killed, more than a dozen were wounded. Police believe the first bomb targeted a U.S. military convoy. The second happened near an Iraqi police station.
The Marine Corps is recalling some 5,000 bulletproof vests issued in Iraq. They failed an initial test but they did pass a second. Marine officials deny it was necessary to recall all of the vests, but they did so to ease the minds of the men and women who wear them.
The U.S. military has stepped up its campaign against insurgents in western Iraq today near the border with Syria. Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has late details on what they're calling Operation Matador.
Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
And, indeed, Operation Matador is now being called by the U.S. military the largest military offensive since they went against insurgents in the city of Falluja last year. Now more than 1,000 troops, backed up by fighter aircraft, moving in western Iraq. We are told today most of the fighting around the border town of Al Qaim.
This is the area that U.S. military believes insurgents have basically fled to, pushed out to the west as other areas have become more settled. They also believe foreign fighters using this area as a hideout, as a sanctuary, crossing in from Syria.
So, over the weekend, they began moving through these small towns and villages, rooting out the insurgents as they find them. Still to be determined, however, exactly how many of them are the foreign fighters. Today, they have also said they've secured a key bridge across the Euphrates to keep the insurgents from moving south.
A reporter for the "Chicago Tribune" is with the troops in the region, talking earlier this morning with CNN about how the fighting unfolded over the weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The majority of the Marine units that were going to push across the Euphrates River were gathered on the south bank of the Euphrates River near the town of Ubaydi. Ubaydi was behind them on the south side of the river. And as they were waiting to put bridging -- bridging equipment across the river there, they began taking mortar fire, some pretty -- some pretty exact mortar fire, as well as small arms fire from the town.
The Marines had not intended to make Ubaydi part of their operation, but they were taking such intense fire from behind them that they smartly turned around and when into the town itself. Most of the fighting lasted most of the day on Sunday and for part of the morning on Monday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: The fighting continues today, we are told, is expected to possibly go on for several more days.
Daryn, this is also reaction, of course, to the increase in violence in the attacks across Iraq for the last several days. U.S. officials now confirming during the month of April there were 135 car bomb attacks, half of them suicide car bomb attacks, the type of suicide attacks they believe are engineered by these foreign fighters -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Barbara, different story that I'd love to get the background on, an apparent intruder on the USS Truman. What do you know about that?
STARR: Details just coming to light on that story, Daryn. The USS Harry Truman, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, April 18, just a few days back, was tied up in Portsmouth, England, making a port call. It is now confirmed that an intruder was able to get on board this U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.
Let us quickly tell you, the man was determined not to be a terrorist. But this is a very serious breach of both U.S. Navy and Royal Navy security.
The man was able to get apparently on to the Royal Navy secure area at the Portsmouth docks. He then boarded essentially a small ferry boat, a liberty boat that was taking members of the Truman from Portsmouth back out to their ship.
And then he was able to get on board the carrier, Harry S. Truman. He was apparently on board for up to half an hour before the ship's security contingent discovered he was there.
Now, this, of course, is quite serious. The U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy are investigating the matter, because, of course, after the bombing of the USS Cole, the Navy ship several years ago in Yemen, that bombing, killing 17 sailors, security around U.S. Navy warships when they're in port is supposed to be fool-proof, it's supposed to be very tight. But this man apparently able to get on board -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Apparently so. Barbara Starr, thank you for both those stories this morning
STARR: Sure
KAGAN: President Bush made history today as the first U.S. leader to visit the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Our White House correspondent Dana Bash has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tens of thousands of Georgians jammed Tbilisi's Freedom Square to hear the first American president ever to set foot in their country.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Your courage is inspiring democratic reformers and sending a message that echoes across the world: freedom will be the future of every nation.
BASH: This was the gathering place for Georgia's Rose Revolution 18 months ago. That replaced another post-Soviet government that collapsed from corruption.
BUSH: While peaceful revolutions can bring down repressive regimes, the real changes, the real challenge is to build up free institutions in their place.
BASH: Mr. Bush said the Rose Revolution inspired democracy in Iraq. Not mentioning that U.S. troops forced regime change in Baghdad.
But the theme of his five-day trip is promoting freedom over oppression. And this is the grand finale. With a campaign-style stage designed by the White House, a sea of Georgians waving American flags, wearing them, and even forming a human one. This in a place where Lenin's statue once stood, a visual contrast to images of the president at the steps of Lenin's tomb just a day earlier.
MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI, GEORGIA PRESIDENT: We know that our liberty must be defended from those who seek to extinguish it
BASH: Georgia's American-educated president boycotted the Moscow celebration to protest Russia's refusal to remove two military bases from his country. Careful, Mr. Bush would only say that he expected Russia to eventually keep a commitment to withdraw.
BUSH: We discussed a lot of matters at his house.
BASH: That at his previous stop in Moscow, where it was all smiles in public and any criticisms of Mr. Putin were delivered in private.
Coming to Georgia, like his first stop in Latvia, another former Soviet state, irritated Russians who think he's meddling in their affairs. But the White House thinks this is the best strategy for pushing Mr. Putin to be more open to democratic reform.
(on camera): In fact, as much as some wish the president was more publicly stern with his Russian counterpart about allowing more freedoms, even leaders here, no fans of Vladimir Putin, agree lecturing him would probably backfire.
Dana Bash, CNN, Tbilisi, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Right now we want to update you on a story we focused on this time yesterday, that police barrage of bullets on a car and its driver.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNFIRE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: As you may remember, police officers unleashed a hail of bullets on a white SUV following a 12-minute chase through the neighborhood. The driver was wounded but is expected to recover. He was later found to be unarmed.
L.A. County sheriff Lee Baca spoke to CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" earlier today about the incident and the investigation
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: I have to say this, that we have an extensive evaluation process. The district attorney's office is looking at this, our office of independent review. We have a training component regarding tactics.
Clearly there's questions that need to be answered. I'll say this, though, in our system in Los Angeles County, we have one-person cars. Once a person is contained -- and in this case, this vehicle was not fully contained -- the communications questions have to be answered. How do people who work in one-person cars coordinate with each other verbally in an ongoing scenario that has high intensity? That's the biggest question that I want to get the answer to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: One sheriff's deputy was also hurt in the shooting, but the injury wasn't considered serious.
Updating another story we brought you yesterday, an Amber Alert is still out for a missing toddler in New Mexico. His mother was found dead several hours after police responded to a domestic dispute between the boy's mother and stepfather. The Amber Alert identifies the man's vehicle as a 2000 silver or gray Mustang with New Mexico plates GBN 805.
And now to Zion, Illinois, where the stabbing deaths of two second grade girls has stunned that community. Our Chris Lawrence is in Zion with the latest on the investigation -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, initially police said they had absolutely no leads. Well, now we know that they have made some progress in this investigation. They have questioned members of the family, and we now know that they have identified at least one person of interest that they're looking at.
Now, people here have been terrified. A lot of kids didn't even show up today at school, and the ones that did were literally walked all the way up to the door by their parents.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): As late as Sunday afternoon, neighbors saw Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias riding their books through the small town of Zion. But they never came home. On Monday morning, their bodies were found in a nearby park, stabbed to death. An 8- year-old and a 9-year-old murdered.
EMILY HOLLABAUGH, LAURA'S GRANDMOTHER: I have a lot of questions, but it's just mostly rage at whoever could do this to two little girls.
LAWRENCE: Laura's grandmother says the little girls were second- graders. Their friends never had to deal with something like this.
This little girl couldn't help crying as she left some flowers where the two bodies were found.
DORA FLOREK, NEIGHBOR: I knew Krystal like she was my own daughter. LAWRENCE: Dora Florek says neighbors saw both girls in her yard Sunday, swinging in a hammock. They were waiting to play with Dora's daughter, but finally left when she didn't come home.
FLOREK: I'm just thinking what if, if we were home. The girls would have been safe.
LAWRENCE: Police say a man out for a walk discovered the bodies at this park, way off the bike path where the woods are thick. Since then, other parents have been escorting their kids to and from school. Right now, Zion police have no leads.
CHIEF DOUG MALCOLM, ZION POLICE: We do have two murdered children and we don't have anybody in custody, I'll say that.
LAWRENCE: That's why Laura's grandmother holds up her picture.
HOLLABAUGH: Find the bastards that done this. Hopefully, somebody saw him.
LAWRENCE: She couldn't finish her sentence. And so far, nobody can tell her who did this or why.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And we're just getting this word the "Chicago Tribune" is reporting in its online paper that they believe today an individual will be charged in connection with the slaying of those two girls.
Let's go ahead and bring Chris Lawrence back, who is on the scene in Zion.
Chris, have you heard some rumbling behind the scenes that perhaps there were some suspects involved here?
LAWRENCE: Yes, that would follow, because initially they were saying, "We have nothing, we have no leads." Then we started hearing, "Well, we've questioned some family members." And then finally, "We have a person of interest," that at the time they wouldn't name as a suspect.
It would follow that would probably take place sometime later today
KAGAN: Meanwhile, also later today, isn't there supposed to be a community, I think, perhaps at the school for parents?
LAWRENCE: Yes, exactly. About 6:00 tonight, they're going to get everybody together and let them ask questions of the police.
You've got to remember, these kids are 8 and 9 years old. A lot of them have never exposed to death before. But we have learned that their second grade teacher introduced them to a couple books just a few weeks ago, one of them being "Charlotte's Web," to introduce the kids to the concept of loss and death. They're going to try to build on that today to try and help some of these very little kids try to comprehend what's happened to their classmates.
KAGAN: Chris Lawrence live from Zion, Illinois. Once again, the latest that we are learning from "Chicago Tribune," that an individual will be charged in connection with these slayings later today in Zion, Illinois.
Thank you, Chris
It was a terrifying sight for parents, your child's trip to school turning into a dangerous ride. We'll take a closer look at school bus safety.
And after years of fighting, a Florida man gives up his legal battle over his swamp land. And now he's $5 million richer and a lot more miserable.
Gene Kelly? Well, maybe he's not Gene Kelly. Still to come, how our president cuts the rug with other world leaders.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
KAGAN: Once again, getting word. We're hearing from the "Chicago Tribune" that an individual will be charged later today in connection with the stabbing deaths of those two young girls in Zion, Illinois. Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias found dead, stabbed to death in a park area, in a nature area near their house, last seen on Mother's Day.
The two best friends, the two little girls went off to ride their bikes and found dead yesterday. And now we're learning, according to the "Chicago Tribune," an individual will be charged today in connection with the stabbing deaths of those two young girls
Other breaking news, this one's out of New York City. There was a time when having a fake ID was just about a teenager perhaps trying to get into a bar. Now, in the day of terrorism and homeland defense, fake IDs have a much more ominous meaning. And a big bust today concerning fake IDs.
Our Deborah Feyerick has more on that
Hi, Deb.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, it was a very big bust, as a matter of fact. Federal agents seized more than 1,300 counterfeit badges from 35 different federal agencies. We are talking FBI, drug enforcement, Customs agents, even the Secret Service. And the head of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency here in New York, called these counterfeits very, very good, that if somebody were shown these badges, they would have every reason to believe that in fact they were real.
Now, the badges were made in China. And when agents conducted a raid on a Bronx apartment here in New York, they also found two books detailing all the dimensions and all the specs on how to make these badges. We spoke to the head of the agency earlier this morning
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN FICKE, NEW YORK ICE: Here you have clearly over 1,300 very good counterfeit badges representing over 35 law enforcement agencies, federal, state and local. And for someone to have that in their possession and to be able to utilize that to identify themselves as a law enforcement officer could be devastating when it comes to a situation like homeland security. Of course we're trying to control access to various things and the authority of various people to have access to those particular locations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Federal agents right now conducting an all-out search. They are going also through a computer that was seized inside the apartment to find out who bought any of these badges and to see whether in fact any of these badges were used for any sort of criminal activity. The badges were originally shipped from Taiwan.
And an alert Customs agent in San Francisco opened the package and found that there were 100 federal marshals' badges. And that's what tipped the agent off.
They contacted agents here in New York. The feds did arrest Sergio Cores (ph). He is Russian born, but he is a permanent resident here in the United States. And apparently he has more than 30 arrests, at least one of them for impersonating an officer. The reason he was never kicked out of the country was because none of those arrests were ever for a felony.
But right now, agents from a lot of different agencies, like the Marshals, like Immigration Enforcement, they are right now searching to see who may own the badges that have been coming into the United States -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Deb Feyerick live from New York City. Thank you for the latest on that fake ID story.
A lot more news ahead, including we're trying to get more information out of Zion, Illinois. We're getting word through the "Chicago Tribune" an individual will be charged in connection with the two stabbing deaths of those two young girls in Zion yesterday.
Much more on that ahead. A lot more news as well. Right now a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAGAN: We want to get back to the story out of Zion, Illinois, word that there might be an arrest later today in connection with the two slayings of the two young girls there.
Our Chris Lawrence is in Zion, Illinois, with the latest -- Chris.
LAWRENCE: Well, Daryn, I just got off the phone with the chief inspector for the task force. He's with the U.S. Marshal's Office. He said so far he is kind of heading up the investigation while the people that work for him are out in the field putting it together.
He said he has also heard the same thing, that a suspect could be charged as soon as later today. He said his people are just coming back into the office now, and he hopes to get a report from them sometime in the next 10, 15 minutes or so.
And that somewhat follows what we're hearing here at the police headquarters. Because we just came out of there, and they said, although they won't confirm anything right now, they do say they hope to release a press release between about 10:30 and 11:00 Central Time, which would be sometime in the next half-hour.
KAGAN: We will look for that. Thank you. Chris Lawrence with the latest from Zion, Illinois.
Another story that's concerning children. A number of school bus accidents to follow up on this morning. Crashes in Massachusetts, Florida, and Missouri leaving four people dead. None of the victims were on the school buses.
In suburban Boston, one student is listed in critical condition after undergoing an emergency C-section. She was pinned in the car under the bus. Her baby is fine.
Near Miami, two people died when a school bus slammed into their car. There were no children aboard the bus at the time, and the bus driver wasn't hurt. Police are investigating the cause of that crash.
Two children are clinging to life in Missouri this morning after a school bus crash there. These accidents raise the obvious question, can we build a safer school bus? Woody Fitzmaurice is the president of the Student Transportation Management and Consulting Group joining me from Kansas City this morning.
Woody, good morning. Mr. Fitzmaurice, can you hear us?
All right. We will work on getting back in touch with Kansas City there.
Why don't we take a break, work on those problems. And we'll get back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired May 10, 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: We have a developing story on the so- called runaway bride, Jennifer Wilbanks. Just minutes ago, her pastor contacted us here at CNN to announce she has entered a voluntary medical treatment program. The statement says the inpatient program will address both the physical and mental issues that she believes led to her kidnapping hoax last month.
In other news today, President Bush is on his way home after an historic visit to Eastern Europe and Russia. The trip was to mark the fall of the Third Reich 60 years ago. But it also underscored lingering tensions between Moscow and the west over Soviet domination of Eastern Europe after World War II.
In California, Michael Jackson's past and present employees are testifying in his defense against child molestation charges. The property manager from the Neverland ranch is expected to resume his testimony today that the accuser's family was never mistreated or held against their will. Sources tell us that actor Macaulay Culkin will likely be called to the stand tomorrow.
In suburban Philadelphia, authorities say a three-alarm blaze at a Baptist church is now under control. Officials say part of the roof has collapsed. No injuries have been reported. The fire broke out about two hours ago.
Also -- and let's go ahead and check the time. It is 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. on the West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
We're going to start this hour in Iraq. It is a familiar story, a pair of car bombs exploding in Baghdad today, about an hour and a half apart. At least seven people were killed, more than a dozen were wounded. Police believe the first bomb targeted a U.S. military convoy. The second happened near an Iraqi police station.
The Marine Corps is recalling some 5,000 bulletproof vests issued in Iraq. They failed an initial test but they did pass a second. Marine officials deny it was necessary to recall all of the vests, but they did so to ease the minds of the men and women who wear them.
The U.S. military has stepped up its campaign against insurgents in western Iraq today near the border with Syria. Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has late details on what they're calling Operation Matador.
Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
And, indeed, Operation Matador is now being called by the U.S. military the largest military offensive since they went against insurgents in the city of Falluja last year. Now more than 1,000 troops, backed up by fighter aircraft, moving in western Iraq. We are told today most of the fighting around the border town of Al Qaim.
This is the area that U.S. military believes insurgents have basically fled to, pushed out to the west as other areas have become more settled. They also believe foreign fighters using this area as a hideout, as a sanctuary, crossing in from Syria.
So, over the weekend, they began moving through these small towns and villages, rooting out the insurgents as they find them. Still to be determined, however, exactly how many of them are the foreign fighters. Today, they have also said they've secured a key bridge across the Euphrates to keep the insurgents from moving south.
A reporter for the "Chicago Tribune" is with the troops in the region, talking earlier this morning with CNN about how the fighting unfolded over the weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The majority of the Marine units that were going to push across the Euphrates River were gathered on the south bank of the Euphrates River near the town of Ubaydi. Ubaydi was behind them on the south side of the river. And as they were waiting to put bridging -- bridging equipment across the river there, they began taking mortar fire, some pretty -- some pretty exact mortar fire, as well as small arms fire from the town.
The Marines had not intended to make Ubaydi part of their operation, but they were taking such intense fire from behind them that they smartly turned around and when into the town itself. Most of the fighting lasted most of the day on Sunday and for part of the morning on Monday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: The fighting continues today, we are told, is expected to possibly go on for several more days.
Daryn, this is also reaction, of course, to the increase in violence in the attacks across Iraq for the last several days. U.S. officials now confirming during the month of April there were 135 car bomb attacks, half of them suicide car bomb attacks, the type of suicide attacks they believe are engineered by these foreign fighters -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Barbara, different story that I'd love to get the background on, an apparent intruder on the USS Truman. What do you know about that?
STARR: Details just coming to light on that story, Daryn. The USS Harry Truman, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, April 18, just a few days back, was tied up in Portsmouth, England, making a port call. It is now confirmed that an intruder was able to get on board this U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.
Let us quickly tell you, the man was determined not to be a terrorist. But this is a very serious breach of both U.S. Navy and Royal Navy security.
The man was able to get apparently on to the Royal Navy secure area at the Portsmouth docks. He then boarded essentially a small ferry boat, a liberty boat that was taking members of the Truman from Portsmouth back out to their ship.
And then he was able to get on board the carrier, Harry S. Truman. He was apparently on board for up to half an hour before the ship's security contingent discovered he was there.
Now, this, of course, is quite serious. The U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy are investigating the matter, because, of course, after the bombing of the USS Cole, the Navy ship several years ago in Yemen, that bombing, killing 17 sailors, security around U.S. Navy warships when they're in port is supposed to be fool-proof, it's supposed to be very tight. But this man apparently able to get on board -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Apparently so. Barbara Starr, thank you for both those stories this morning
STARR: Sure
KAGAN: President Bush made history today as the first U.S. leader to visit the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Our White House correspondent Dana Bash has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tens of thousands of Georgians jammed Tbilisi's Freedom Square to hear the first American president ever to set foot in their country.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Your courage is inspiring democratic reformers and sending a message that echoes across the world: freedom will be the future of every nation.
BASH: This was the gathering place for Georgia's Rose Revolution 18 months ago. That replaced another post-Soviet government that collapsed from corruption.
BUSH: While peaceful revolutions can bring down repressive regimes, the real changes, the real challenge is to build up free institutions in their place.
BASH: Mr. Bush said the Rose Revolution inspired democracy in Iraq. Not mentioning that U.S. troops forced regime change in Baghdad.
But the theme of his five-day trip is promoting freedom over oppression. And this is the grand finale. With a campaign-style stage designed by the White House, a sea of Georgians waving American flags, wearing them, and even forming a human one. This in a place where Lenin's statue once stood, a visual contrast to images of the president at the steps of Lenin's tomb just a day earlier.
MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI, GEORGIA PRESIDENT: We know that our liberty must be defended from those who seek to extinguish it
BASH: Georgia's American-educated president boycotted the Moscow celebration to protest Russia's refusal to remove two military bases from his country. Careful, Mr. Bush would only say that he expected Russia to eventually keep a commitment to withdraw.
BUSH: We discussed a lot of matters at his house.
BASH: That at his previous stop in Moscow, where it was all smiles in public and any criticisms of Mr. Putin were delivered in private.
Coming to Georgia, like his first stop in Latvia, another former Soviet state, irritated Russians who think he's meddling in their affairs. But the White House thinks this is the best strategy for pushing Mr. Putin to be more open to democratic reform.
(on camera): In fact, as much as some wish the president was more publicly stern with his Russian counterpart about allowing more freedoms, even leaders here, no fans of Vladimir Putin, agree lecturing him would probably backfire.
Dana Bash, CNN, Tbilisi, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Right now we want to update you on a story we focused on this time yesterday, that police barrage of bullets on a car and its driver.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNFIRE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: As you may remember, police officers unleashed a hail of bullets on a white SUV following a 12-minute chase through the neighborhood. The driver was wounded but is expected to recover. He was later found to be unarmed.
L.A. County sheriff Lee Baca spoke to CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" earlier today about the incident and the investigation
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: I have to say this, that we have an extensive evaluation process. The district attorney's office is looking at this, our office of independent review. We have a training component regarding tactics.
Clearly there's questions that need to be answered. I'll say this, though, in our system in Los Angeles County, we have one-person cars. Once a person is contained -- and in this case, this vehicle was not fully contained -- the communications questions have to be answered. How do people who work in one-person cars coordinate with each other verbally in an ongoing scenario that has high intensity? That's the biggest question that I want to get the answer to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: One sheriff's deputy was also hurt in the shooting, but the injury wasn't considered serious.
Updating another story we brought you yesterday, an Amber Alert is still out for a missing toddler in New Mexico. His mother was found dead several hours after police responded to a domestic dispute between the boy's mother and stepfather. The Amber Alert identifies the man's vehicle as a 2000 silver or gray Mustang with New Mexico plates GBN 805.
And now to Zion, Illinois, where the stabbing deaths of two second grade girls has stunned that community. Our Chris Lawrence is in Zion with the latest on the investigation -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, initially police said they had absolutely no leads. Well, now we know that they have made some progress in this investigation. They have questioned members of the family, and we now know that they have identified at least one person of interest that they're looking at.
Now, people here have been terrified. A lot of kids didn't even show up today at school, and the ones that did were literally walked all the way up to the door by their parents.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): As late as Sunday afternoon, neighbors saw Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias riding their books through the small town of Zion. But they never came home. On Monday morning, their bodies were found in a nearby park, stabbed to death. An 8- year-old and a 9-year-old murdered.
EMILY HOLLABAUGH, LAURA'S GRANDMOTHER: I have a lot of questions, but it's just mostly rage at whoever could do this to two little girls.
LAWRENCE: Laura's grandmother says the little girls were second- graders. Their friends never had to deal with something like this.
This little girl couldn't help crying as she left some flowers where the two bodies were found.
DORA FLOREK, NEIGHBOR: I knew Krystal like she was my own daughter. LAWRENCE: Dora Florek says neighbors saw both girls in her yard Sunday, swinging in a hammock. They were waiting to play with Dora's daughter, but finally left when she didn't come home.
FLOREK: I'm just thinking what if, if we were home. The girls would have been safe.
LAWRENCE: Police say a man out for a walk discovered the bodies at this park, way off the bike path where the woods are thick. Since then, other parents have been escorting their kids to and from school. Right now, Zion police have no leads.
CHIEF DOUG MALCOLM, ZION POLICE: We do have two murdered children and we don't have anybody in custody, I'll say that.
LAWRENCE: That's why Laura's grandmother holds up her picture.
HOLLABAUGH: Find the bastards that done this. Hopefully, somebody saw him.
LAWRENCE: She couldn't finish her sentence. And so far, nobody can tell her who did this or why.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And we're just getting this word the "Chicago Tribune" is reporting in its online paper that they believe today an individual will be charged in connection with the slaying of those two girls.
Let's go ahead and bring Chris Lawrence back, who is on the scene in Zion.
Chris, have you heard some rumbling behind the scenes that perhaps there were some suspects involved here?
LAWRENCE: Yes, that would follow, because initially they were saying, "We have nothing, we have no leads." Then we started hearing, "Well, we've questioned some family members." And then finally, "We have a person of interest," that at the time they wouldn't name as a suspect.
It would follow that would probably take place sometime later today
KAGAN: Meanwhile, also later today, isn't there supposed to be a community, I think, perhaps at the school for parents?
LAWRENCE: Yes, exactly. About 6:00 tonight, they're going to get everybody together and let them ask questions of the police.
You've got to remember, these kids are 8 and 9 years old. A lot of them have never exposed to death before. But we have learned that their second grade teacher introduced them to a couple books just a few weeks ago, one of them being "Charlotte's Web," to introduce the kids to the concept of loss and death. They're going to try to build on that today to try and help some of these very little kids try to comprehend what's happened to their classmates.
KAGAN: Chris Lawrence live from Zion, Illinois. Once again, the latest that we are learning from "Chicago Tribune," that an individual will be charged in connection with these slayings later today in Zion, Illinois.
Thank you, Chris
It was a terrifying sight for parents, your child's trip to school turning into a dangerous ride. We'll take a closer look at school bus safety.
And after years of fighting, a Florida man gives up his legal battle over his swamp land. And now he's $5 million richer and a lot more miserable.
Gene Kelly? Well, maybe he's not Gene Kelly. Still to come, how our president cuts the rug with other world leaders.
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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
KAGAN: Once again, getting word. We're hearing from the "Chicago Tribune" that an individual will be charged later today in connection with the stabbing deaths of those two young girls in Zion, Illinois. Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias found dead, stabbed to death in a park area, in a nature area near their house, last seen on Mother's Day.
The two best friends, the two little girls went off to ride their bikes and found dead yesterday. And now we're learning, according to the "Chicago Tribune," an individual will be charged today in connection with the stabbing deaths of those two young girls
Other breaking news, this one's out of New York City. There was a time when having a fake ID was just about a teenager perhaps trying to get into a bar. Now, in the day of terrorism and homeland defense, fake IDs have a much more ominous meaning. And a big bust today concerning fake IDs.
Our Deborah Feyerick has more on that
Hi, Deb.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, it was a very big bust, as a matter of fact. Federal agents seized more than 1,300 counterfeit badges from 35 different federal agencies. We are talking FBI, drug enforcement, Customs agents, even the Secret Service. And the head of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency here in New York, called these counterfeits very, very good, that if somebody were shown these badges, they would have every reason to believe that in fact they were real.
Now, the badges were made in China. And when agents conducted a raid on a Bronx apartment here in New York, they also found two books detailing all the dimensions and all the specs on how to make these badges. We spoke to the head of the agency earlier this morning
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MARTIN FICKE, NEW YORK ICE: Here you have clearly over 1,300 very good counterfeit badges representing over 35 law enforcement agencies, federal, state and local. And for someone to have that in their possession and to be able to utilize that to identify themselves as a law enforcement officer could be devastating when it comes to a situation like homeland security. Of course we're trying to control access to various things and the authority of various people to have access to those particular locations.
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FEYERICK: Federal agents right now conducting an all-out search. They are going also through a computer that was seized inside the apartment to find out who bought any of these badges and to see whether in fact any of these badges were used for any sort of criminal activity. The badges were originally shipped from Taiwan.
And an alert Customs agent in San Francisco opened the package and found that there were 100 federal marshals' badges. And that's what tipped the agent off.
They contacted agents here in New York. The feds did arrest Sergio Cores (ph). He is Russian born, but he is a permanent resident here in the United States. And apparently he has more than 30 arrests, at least one of them for impersonating an officer. The reason he was never kicked out of the country was because none of those arrests were ever for a felony.
But right now, agents from a lot of different agencies, like the Marshals, like Immigration Enforcement, they are right now searching to see who may own the badges that have been coming into the United States -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Deb Feyerick live from New York City. Thank you for the latest on that fake ID story.
A lot more news ahead, including we're trying to get more information out of Zion, Illinois. We're getting word through the "Chicago Tribune" an individual will be charged in connection with the two stabbing deaths of those two young girls in Zion yesterday.
Much more on that ahead. A lot more news as well. Right now a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAGAN: We want to get back to the story out of Zion, Illinois, word that there might be an arrest later today in connection with the two slayings of the two young girls there.
Our Chris Lawrence is in Zion, Illinois, with the latest -- Chris.
LAWRENCE: Well, Daryn, I just got off the phone with the chief inspector for the task force. He's with the U.S. Marshal's Office. He said so far he is kind of heading up the investigation while the people that work for him are out in the field putting it together.
He said he has also heard the same thing, that a suspect could be charged as soon as later today. He said his people are just coming back into the office now, and he hopes to get a report from them sometime in the next 10, 15 minutes or so.
And that somewhat follows what we're hearing here at the police headquarters. Because we just came out of there, and they said, although they won't confirm anything right now, they do say they hope to release a press release between about 10:30 and 11:00 Central Time, which would be sometime in the next half-hour.
KAGAN: We will look for that. Thank you. Chris Lawrence with the latest from Zion, Illinois.
Another story that's concerning children. A number of school bus accidents to follow up on this morning. Crashes in Massachusetts, Florida, and Missouri leaving four people dead. None of the victims were on the school buses.
In suburban Boston, one student is listed in critical condition after undergoing an emergency C-section. She was pinned in the car under the bus. Her baby is fine.
Near Miami, two people died when a school bus slammed into their car. There were no children aboard the bus at the time, and the bus driver wasn't hurt. Police are investigating the cause of that crash.
Two children are clinging to life in Missouri this morning after a school bus crash there. These accidents raise the obvious question, can we build a safer school bus? Woody Fitzmaurice is the president of the Student Transportation Management and Consulting Group joining me from Kansas City this morning.
Woody, good morning. Mr. Fitzmaurice, can you hear us?
All right. We will work on getting back in touch with Kansas City there.
Why don't we take a break, work on those problems. And we'll get back after this.
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